Sunday, January 30, 2011

I'm letting it fester..

I probably just spelled "fester" wrong lol..

My parents still want to get rid of Rebel.. but they haven't made any moves for me to get dead set on selling him yet. So, I'll just wait till they can't stand it any more. I want to spend as much time with him as possible till that dreaded day when I have to say goodbye. :\ I know its not good for me to drag it on like this, but I would have given anything to spend more time with Mango, and I'm treating this the same way..

Well, drill practice yesterday was AWESOME. But we only have 11 people!! Thats NOT good!! 2 are off because of injuries, 1 left for college, and 2 others left because therir schedules just couldn't handle it.. But I'm not going to stress about it!! There was a time when we had 55 riders, and our past coaches resigned, and only 8 people remained on the team. We built up from there and hey, we made it to the freaking AQHA World show just 2 years after that!! We have an amazing ability to build up after bad things, and to deal with bad things, even whenever in the middle of a drill. JUST WING IT!!!
Dream and Sassy both did AMAZING at drill. Charles came early for horsemanship lessons with several girls from the team, and I got to actually show off Sassy!! He had me as an example for several people on how to ask for a sidepass, pivot, etc. About 5 months ago, Sassy was the one rearing the whole time! I'm so proud of her:) Also, she can sidepass at the trot! Where did that come from?!
After horsemanship, I rode Dream in half of the drill practice. She did really good, didn't mind me carrying a flag on her or anything. Only time she freaked was when a horse behind her tripped and it made a slight noise, she jumped a little but was okay lol..big baby. She was fine riding next to other horses, and never once did that marish squeel or kicked or anything! I was proud of her! Thats a first!!!
Then I rode Sassy again, and mystified Charles when I put a flag on her. He was like "You know what...I'm not even going to say anything." He knows Sassy is bombproof! He was proud of her too:)

Did I ever tell you I found out how to do flying lead changes? Well I already knew...But I found out how to get Dream and Sassy to do it:) I swear I learn so much with Charles. When I'm riding, I can actually think about why I am doing what I am doing, what it teaches the horse, etc. Its AWESOME.

I'm in the search of my video editing disk...I did the blonde thing and unistalled it before locating the installation disk to reinstall...GAW.

Winter weather is coming my way!! Everyone bundle up and stay safe of the roads!!!!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Tomorrow..Tomorrow..I love ya, Tomorrow!

I rode Rosie bareback today. First time she has been riden in at least a month. We just walked and trotted around (ouch ouch ouch sway back ouch ouch ouch), and loped a little. What I was so happy about was, even when she took off with me across the pasture, I wasn't scared a bit!! I loved it!! I think I'm slowly regaining my uhhh "mojo" at riding!!! lol! :)

TOMORROW IS THE FIRST DRILL PRACTICE OF THE SEASON!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm excited can you tell???? :D
Sassy and Dream will be going tomorrow:) I hope they do good!!

Oh! Wolfie you gave me an award..thank you very much!!!:D That made me so happy:) I'd give out some awards..if I could figure out how. I will here soon!:)

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

STOP BEING SUCHA DOWNER PEPPER GEEZ!!!

Okay Okay I'm sorry for all my sad posts!!! AHHH! I feel like an emo-kid once I read through all of them. I'm a very happy person, I really am I swear!! Lol! Well I really want to think about how great of a year its been for me...
I got to ride at the AQHA World Show, the AQHYA World Cup, and the NRHA...with the drill team of course, but still just as exciting!! I'm sooo proud to be on a team like the Freedom Riders!! I love every minute of it.
Me and my best friend Kasey got to go to a Martha Josey Clinic in Texas, something we had been dreaming about for a looong time.
Rebel, although for not long, was better!! I'll cherish everyride I ever got to have on him!!!
We got the roof on our house re-done, and for the first winter that we've lived here, it hasn't created a huge freaking hole in the ceiling due to ice!! WOOO!!!!
We got a new horse trailer! 3 Horse slant gooseneck with front and rear tack!! (nothing fancy, just a steel trailer but I love it to bits!!!!)
Rosie won the Freedom Riders Horse of The Year award..and believe me...that mare deserved it. There isn't a single horse on this planet her age, that has the heart and the want to run. I don't think any other 19 year old could do 6 drills..in one day. Each lasting 6 or more minutes, and loping. No other horse could make peoples blood run hot when she brought up that Crack The Whip. I'd like to see another horse do a drill like her. She puts her heart and soul into everything she does. I'm so thankful to have Rosie. She's never given up on me, never come up lame, never coliced. I'm so blessed to have her, she's going to love her retirement:)
I GOT MATCHING ORANGE BRIDLE, REINS, AND SMB BOOTS!! AAHHHHHH!! ORANGE! OSU!!! WOOOOOOO!!! XD
I started taking lessons from Charles Black, who is the best trainer I have ever been with and I am soooo thrilled with the results from his training with Sassy.
I got my liscense and my trucks!!! AHHH!! My trucks name is "Pooter":) 1992 Chevy S10:) and I also have "Sheila", my 1985 Silverado:) Pooter is the daily driver, Sheila is the work truck:P
As cheesy as it is for a High Schooler to say they love someone...I effin love my boyfriend. He's the best guy I've ever met. He is the biggest sweetheart and is every girls dream. He's always there for me when I need him (literally...I was at a store one day, texting him about some creep that was following me..and he showed up..) and never wants to let me down. He puts me first, even though I tell him sometimes other things are more important..but like he's going to listen to that:P It will be a year next week, and we have never gotten in a fight. EVER. I completely understand him and he understands me. I guess its silly to say you've found the one, when your only in highschool. But hey, sometimes things come into your life when you least expect them. My great grandma married at the age of 14 (okay well I'm deff not doing that lol) and I know many people who met their current partner in highschool. We're no different, right? I didn't plan on liking anyone or even dating until college..oh well. I love him, and thats that....OH CRAP I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN HIM HIS PRESENT!!! CRAP!!! *runs to the bank*

This picture just cracks me UP!!! He had to wear a wig for one of his drill teams performances..it was a tribute to Woodstock..his face just looks sooooo entertained. NOT.
Peyton and I at our towns parade. He was dressed for his drill team on his filly Repo, and I was in
"cowboy costume" for a parade group his mom is a part of.

 Yeah...that white horse on the outside...thats Rosie...thanks for making the crowd scream girl:)
SHEILA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

POOTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Sigh*..some things are left for memories...:/

Okay I thought this picture was from the AQHA world show, but its just a picture from Claremore competition. The big guy walking down is Dan...he keeps everyone in light spirits:)


 Okay Kaiann...thats enough pictures for now.............

UGH Seriously??

My video editing software wouldn't run...I'd click on the icon like a bagillion times, and nothing. I unistalled it because I remembered I forgot to register it a month ago, and I was about to install it agian when...aahhh sh*t. I lost the installation disk. ARE YOU FRIGGIN KIDDING ME?!?! Ugh. Well.........................................................................GAH. Lol I'll find something..eventually. There's no place it could be, other than my room, my dads truck, or my grandma's house...grrr.......

On a HAPPIER note, I rode yesterday and today:) I rode Dream yesterday with a bosal hackamore and she did really good but her turns to the right were verrrry sloppy. And I've realised something..I'm not as good of a rider as I was a year ago..
Have you ever found yourself in, well a slump? Its so weird..I don't know why my skills have become so bad..I've never been sore after riding; my butt has never left the saddle. Recently, however, I find it hard to keep my balance in the saddle and my butt was killing me all day today because of me bouncing at the lope...*sigh* I miss Mango...I really don't think I'd feel like this if he was still with me...I'd have the courage to go out and ride bareback everyday, and just have a bunch of fun. But with Dream and Sassy, I don't feel that way..I don't trust them like I did Mango. Maybe if I ride Rosie, I'll feel a little better..she's my "partner in crime" after all....my female version of Mango:)
And today I rode Sassy bareback in hopes of regaining my balance and such..I felt like I was doing a little better. I'll just keep riding bareback for the next few weeks..see if that helps at all.

Ha...I'm such a downer. I'm normally a really happy person..but life has sucked out of porportion over the last 2 months.. I loose my grandpa, I find out I can no longer ride Rebel, then find out I have to sell him, lost my friggin disk (I WILL FIND YOUUUUU!!!!!! YOU CAN'T HIDE FOREVER MUHAHAH!!), and now I suck at riding?!?! GAH.

Thankfully I still have my boyfriend and my best friend by my side. God gives me blessings in the weirdest ways, and I count them as one of them...mainly because they are weird. Lol jk.


Well....I'm bored..sooo to make myself feel a little better...here are some random photos..WOO. :P
This is a picture of my neighbors Appy that I edited at VoTech.

And this is a drawing of an Appy...I got a thing for spots going on today geez!!!

I was going to upload a picture of my boyfriend that cracks me up..but blogger won't let me upload anymore!! Grrr!!

Well have a happy week everybody!! Hope you get to ride and Happy Trails to You!:)

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

I'm going to miss him so much...

My mom called me to day..things aren't adding up with money..someone has to go...

I'm going to miss Rebel so much....



I pretty much trained that horse from the ground up. He taught me just as much as I taught him. He taught me you can't force a horse to do something. Sometimes you just got to let them do it on their own. He healed my wounds when my beloved Mango passed away. Rebel was my saving grace and has been for 3 years now. I can just go sit anywhere in the pasture, and he will come up to me and rub his head lightly on my shoulders. Everyone that has met him says he is the sweetest horse in the world, and its probably true. He's never kicked or bitten of meaness, just once in fear. I felt sky high when I was riding him. Nothing could stop us and we were going to take the world by storm. But when that dream was also ripped out from under me just a month ago, I never gave up my hope in Rebel. I'll still do great things with him, I told everyone. I had plans for him to become a therapy horse and do tricks at the Childerens Hospital and stuff..nope. I understand that when money gets tight, sometimes you got to let things go, no matter how much you love them. Its really hard for me to do, but I'm going to try to write a sale add for Rebel.....in all the years I've had horses, I've never had to do this...its going to be tough. I just hope and pray I can find a home for him, that will love him as much as I do, give him all the attention I give him, know what to do when he chokes, what farrier work he has to have done, etc. And if I catch a single soul ever riding thats not lighter than me, I'm going to kill them with my own bare hands (lol violent much). Price wise? I'm not even sure if I'm going to make some one pay for him..I'm giving away my best friend, I don't want your freaking money.....

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Anthropomorphism

I love flipping through old Western Horseman magazines..you never know what entertaining stuff you might find!! I love reading the back page articles by Baxter Black. He has an amazing sense of humor, but he knows how to get down to the point..here's one of my favorite articles, and I can relate to it a lot.

" Anthropomorphism is a word that has often been used in a negitive context by people in the livestock business. By definition, it is the ascription of human characteristics to things not human--particularly animals.

"In our continuing effort to raise animals for meat purposes humanely, we confront huge moral, biological, spiritual and logical differences that distinguish man from beast. Yet, we who spend our lives caring for animals know better than most that incidents occur that cannot be explained or denied.

"Horse people know that bonds exist between horses. 'Buddy' relationships are established if horses are penned closely for a period of time. Take out just one of them for a ride and the other will nicker and pace, and watch every new arrival until his buddy is back. At which time they may renew their biting. bullying and trash-talking with each other!

"'Just like my brothers and me,' I remark, anthropomorphizing."

"Gary's 31-year-old mare died of old age. Her 20-year-old gelded offspring and two other horses were in the pasture with her. On the advice of his veterinarian, Gary left the dead body unburied for three days. Allow the other horses to grieve, the vet had said.

"Gary said the offspring stood vigil over the mare's corpse. After she was buried, he saw the gelding pawing the grave eventually scooping out a good sized hole before he gave up. Was he trying to bring her back?

"When my old dog, Hattie, didn't come into the backyard for the night, I went ahead and locked up her co-dog, Pancho. Next morning, Pancho and I went out to feed. I called for Hattie. Finally, I asked Pancho, "Where's Hattie?" He took me west, out of the corrals, up into the horse pasture, all the way to the far gate. There she was. She had died in the night.

"I buried her immediately. Pancho went off feed. Everymorning for several days, when I let him out of the yard, he would go straight to her grave and lie beside it. Try as I might, I cannot explain what I think was going on in his ming without using terms that describe human emotions.

"Maybe that's the way it should be. We aren't supposed to know everything"


I absolutely loved this article. When I was in middle school, a boy always picked on me and made me cry because I believe my horse had a "soul". He thought differently after me when I gave him a black eye...'nuff said. I never really thought much of it. To me, horses are a lot like people; they have happy moments, they laugh (even though not audible), they get depressed, they fall in love, etc. Sure, that might not be whats really happening, but it sure seems like it to me. Maybe it's an instict thing, we will never know. From what I know, horses have one main instinct. Fight or Flight. Now if you really think about it, isn't that what us humans have, we run from things that scare us, but if need be we will fight, won't we?
When my late gelding, Mango passed away, Dream and Sassy knew it (I only had three horses at the time). Mango's body laid in a stall, and Dream fought Sassy away from the door for hours. This was Dream's time to say goodbye to Mango, she didn't want her pesky daughter in the way. When we dragged Mango's body onto the flatbed, we let the horses sniff him all over. Sassy lightly licked his neck for a while. I'm sure if horses could cry, she'd be crying tears of sorrow. My friends came over and they said goodbye to Mango. Everyone hugged his neck, patted his face, attempted to close his eyes, and did their best to ignore the blood dripping from his nose.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

The Road Goes On Forever, But the Party Never Ends!!!

Peyton's moms truck wouldn't start a few days ago. He towed it into VoTech this morning ( I sure hope he didn't use a ropping rope again, ugh lol). Turns out the water in the engine froze aand they have to get a new truck! HA! Finally!! I'm so glad they fiiinally decided to do that. Geezes.

I got to ride today:D Its been pretty much freezing here in Oklahoma for the past couple weeks, today was above freezing WHOOP WHOOP!!! So I rode Dream today in a mechanical hackamore because she has such a sensitive mouth and she neck reins like a pro. What I love so much about her, is you just ask for a trot, and she starts out with this wonderful western pleasure jog. Lean forward and squeeze back with your legs, she'll extend that trot like a Stardardbred! And as soon as you sit down and say "easy" she's back at her jog. She is a wonderful horse, but we are still working on the whole "gallop" thing. If she is going to be a flag horse in drill this year, she better stop having so much fun! Lol I breezed her once across the pasture, she did good but I could still feel her collecting herself up (she's so used to blah blah western pleasure crap). I got her going a second time and holy smokes that mare can run!! Also, that mare can buck...hard. The second her head went down I squeezed my knee's, and this is the only time I will jerk on a horses face. I'm not falling off. I pulled her head up and made her keep going and then stop at the corner of the pasture..okay enough of that for today!! We worked on trotting real nice and easy and also loping easy. I like not riding her with a bit, she does so much better, but mechanical hackamores don't offer much flexion or anything. You pull on one rein, and it will pull on both sides of her face. So tomorrow or when ever I get to ride again, I will try my bosal hackamore and see how she likes that.

Ode to anniversaries. You only think you know someone until you try to out buy them with very little money..lol. My boyfriend and my bestfriend have become good friends (I'm so happy that they can get along so well), and he brought her with him to go shopping on tuesday for my gift. According to my friend, they were at a jewelry store, and he spent $115...thanks for the hints...lol. So I've been looking for a roll bar for his truck...he alllways talks about putting one on "Jenny". I found one on eBay I really like for only $125..He wanted  a chrome one..which in my personal opinon, wouldn't look all that great with what colors his truck has going on. Oh well...as long as he likes it!!!!

I've alos been looking...and looking.....oh and did I mention LOOKING for a barrel or cutting saddle?? I called one guy about one when he said he still had it, and he never called back, so I'm giving up on that. All I want, is a 15", well built saddle!! I don't care if its used or stratched!! UGH!!! And I only have about $350...I'll find something eventually I guess...

anyways..here are some pictures of my horses:)
 Yes, he think's he's a model:)
This is Rosie at a drill comp. Never would guess she is 20 hu?

Dusty at a show. He is getting so big!!

Dusty and Sassy taking a nap:)

Dream likes to have fun:P

Rosie gets down and around!!!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Riding Today

I got to ride twice today!!!
I rode Dream first...she was doing amazing, until asked to whoa. No brakes kinda sucks. She was getting a reiners stop about a month ago!!! And I know the reason she isn't stopping..I let some little kids ride her and they were pulling on her mouth like crazy..ugh. But I really like that you can just move her wherever with your legs and trotting sideways is awesome:)
Then I rode Sassy...I have not had a single bad ride with her since she came back from the trainers. Her pivots are awesome, but I'm still searching for her sidepass button...me and her don't communicate well with that. She knows how to do it, I'm just not sure of how to ask her to. She's different then my other horses lol. And I found something new. FLYING LEAD CHANGES. OMG I'm sooooo happy:) She is going to rock up the arena at the county show.. I might even take her to state if I can get her to look like a pro..aka that freaking mane of hers...UGH. Its so short and...blech!!! Of course I buzzed it over the summer, hoping she wouldn't rub it out..fail.
I'll post pictures of all my horses later:)

Monday, January 3, 2011

The past couple of days.

So 2 days ago we went to an auction. They said there was going to be a bunch of Billy Cook saddles...there was one! Lol. But the prices were INSANELY cheap. We got a wade roping saddle, 3 winter turnouts, 1 saddle pad, 2 rope halters, 1 saddle blanket, Whal Clippers and a hole punch, all for around $700!!! It was awesome! Saddly they didn't have any cutting saddles. However, the saddles there were of rather cheap quality, in my opinion. I just sold a saddle by Woods Western. If you go on their website, they only custom make saddles now. They are a big producer of show saddles, and mine had the same exact quality, just without all the silver. I sold it for my lowest price, $1000. I've been looking at saddles and I was looking at the cheapest ones I could find when I thought, hey, why sell an amazing saddle just to down grade myself? So I'm just going to keep saving up to buy a really amazing ranch cutter saddle..hopefully.

I've been spending a lot of time with my boyfriend recently working on his truck...well my version of working on his truck:) I helped him put carpet on the door panels, then put his trucks name on it..it looks pretty dang good!!! Also, we have been spray painting the floor and dash black. It took forever but it looks waaaay better than the nasty baby blue/turquoise did!!!

All of my horses have been doing good. They've gotten big ole hay bellies on them. I really hope my parents are up for a ride tomorrow (my dad needs to start breaking in his new saddle!!), or I'll just ride by myself. It won't bother me!! Rebel might be getting into modeling tack for Drill Fever ( http://www.drillfever.com/ )..my coach runs it so I talked to her and she is going to try to get something together for me:) Lets just hope he doesn't have to model any tack until his winter woolies are gone!! He'd look a little silly right now with his beard, dirty hair and poop stains all over him showing off some brand new tack:P