The horse obsessed girl in all of us.

While sitting at a drill meeting last night, I randomly thought.
Every girl in this room was me once.
Every girl begged their parents for a pony.
Every girl sat up dreaming about their riding lesson the next day.
Every girl played with toy horses for hours on end.

I few days ago, while loping on Rosie, I had a thought. The first time I cantered, it was a strange gait. Infact, every gait was strange. It was a miracle to think of myself sitting, stride for stride upon a 1,200 animal, perfectly in tune. When I was younger, it was an awkward sense of freedom. I didn't know where I was going or how I was doing it, but I knew the lesson pony would calmly canter around the indoor arena until I said "whoa".

Every one of these girls was a biggener at some point, and it would be foolish to say that Clinton Anderson started out knowing every little thing about horses. We pick things up as we go along, if we keep our ears and eyes open. Books can tell you a lot about horses, but you won't learn anything until you actually lay your hands on a horse..

The most valuable things that I have ever learned about horses, were from trainers, ferriers and other horsemen (other than where the "poll" is located on a horse. First part of the horse I ever memorized). Karen taught me always to practice slow. Charles taught me it's not in your hands, but in your seat. Rod taught me where I should properly place my saddle on a horses back (when I first got a horse, Dream, I had a thing about putting it behind her withers lol).

It's sad to think though, not all these girls will enjoy horses 10 years from now. Some of them, will just grow tired of it, or just not see any use. Most of these girls are the ones that don't always take advice from other riders. Their horses act up, and they refuse to realize that it's their fault as a rider. They realize that riding just isn't as fun as they were hoping, and they loose touch with their inner equestrain.

I'm still as horse obsessed as I was 14 years ago. I still draw horses on every peice of paper I can find, I'm always surfing the internet learning about horses, I'm outside as much as I can be (except for now......110 degrees, no thanks!) just sitting and laying in the pasture adoring my "babies"..

Another thing that gets kids out of horses, is having horses pushed on them. Their parents buy them an expessive horse, get them going to big time shows, riding a horse that is totally out of their league. Or, the parents that make their kids do way more equine activities than they would like. They just want to ride, have fun with friends and enjoy the bond with their horse.

I'm glad my parents never pushed it on me. They challenged me, yes, but they never made me do something I wasn't wanting to do (other than the time I was scared to lope on Dream 6 months after she bucked me off..my mom wasn't to happy about that lol).

Just for kicks and giggles.........gotta love my dad!

Red Dirt Ride!

*Sorry for the late posting, I have been dreading writing this for some reason and it's taken me a while to finish it. Maybe because I tend to ramble...

Well, I'll talk about it as best as I can.
It's about 90 degrees in this house. We got our AC working THURSDAY. It broke. AGAIN. Darn you people that built this house. HAVE YOU NO KNOWLEDGE?! Believe me, my mom is gonna give somebody an earful. And our house has two AC units, one for each half of this house.

ANYWAYS. Red Dirt Ride. Duh.
Thursday:
I got there around 7PM-ish, and I got my horses bedded down and ready for practice at nine. In the mean time, I had a severe emotional breakdown.
Me and my dad had left with the horses straight to Duncan, and my mom was driving up from Norman to join us in my truck. Well, my truck "blew up" as my dad said as he packed up the truck to go get my mom. I wasn't wanting anyone to have to pay for my truck messing up. I called my mom to confirm, she said it was just a hose or something. I was already upset and teary eyed ( I love my little truck-truck like my child!) then my dad called me and said "Kai..I don't want you to freak out...the guy that pulled over to help your mom got hit by a van...I'm pretty sure he is dead". I didn't believe him and I shrugged it off, until my parents wouldn't answer texts. So I called my mom, and she was crying. I then learned it wasn't the man that pulled over to help her, about 100 yards behind my truck a handicapped man lost control of his van, hit the gaurd rail, got ejected from his van as it flew 10 feet into the air, and it landed ontop of him. Several of the team moms came up to me, and even team members that saw me bawling my eyes out at my trailer, gave me hugs and had prayer. Which is awkward for me, but I took it in stride. I am no way a religious person, I believe in God and that he is my savior, yeah yeah yeah.
Once I was up on my horse, I felt more at ease. Sassy acted great during practice and that really helped me.

Friday:
Woke up around 7ish, fed Rosie and Sassy around 8, and spent an hour and a half bathing them. Not because they were being difficult, they were acting awesome, I just have a set way I like to do when I give baths. And let me tell ya, the red part of Sassy's tail, looked platinum blonde. First performance was Short Program with Sassy, and she did rrrreally good. It was my first time ever riding her with the chaps, and in some of the manuevers she had other peoples chaps flapping right in her face, and she never batted an eye. Proud of her!
Next event was Freestyle, which I rode Rosie on. I don't remember much, but I do know one thing; Rosie does infact, have a fan club. When she did the "crack the whip" (favorite manuever: It's like a rotating wheel, with two spokes, and one spoke races around and catches up with the other spoke), all I heard was "YEAHHHH GO ROSIE GO!" out of about 10 different parents mouths. Made me feel so proud of her!
That night a lot of the team members went for a swim in the pool. Kara was there, and so were her two "guy friends". They left, and Gabby looked like she was pouting on a chair, so I went to go see what was wrong. I asked her what was the matter, and she said "nothing". I asked where Kara went, and I got a big "THAT'S what's wrong!"...ughhhh. Kara went into the sauna at the hotel with the two guys, no one else. I know that she knows them, but that's a terrible way to act when you are out on a drill team event. I wouldn't even go with my boyfriend into a sauna by ourselves, it would be terribly awkward and I know how to properly act.
That rant is now OVER.

Saturday:
Well. Shucks.
I don't remember much. In the Rodeo division, Sassy thought it would be AWESOME to stop in the middle of a manuever to try to go say HI to a buddy. Thankfully I caught it just intime and I don't think a judge noticed.
In Theme, I entered the arena on a bad note, my flag was a lot longer than I thought, and it hit the top of the gate. Then, I forgot to stop in the middle of the arena. Oooops! THEN, a whistle got blown wrong (doesn't affect any of the other riders, but it put me and the other flag rider in switched positions) so I had to ride a position I didn't entirely know, and Madison (other flag) got confused a little too.
At the awards ceremony, we got 2nd in everything. Then, they awarded us High Point and Overall. And we were like "WHAAAAAAAAAA?!" Then, 5 minutes later, they gave it to the Rangerettes. Silly computers.
I recently found out, in the Rodeo Division, the Rangerettes beat us by only FIFTY points. That, my friend, is a number I will go in second too, ANY DAY.
Then, in theme, we got beat by only TWELVE points, becuase the other team had "theatrics". They kissed in the drill....no thanks. I'll loose to that, no problemo.

Sadly, we didn't get any pictures of me on Rosie. This is me on Sassy (behind the grey).

She is an amazing drill horse! I never would have expected her to try so hard for a 4 year old!

There was a professional photographer there, but I can't seem to find proofs..

Updates on my head injury

I'm pretty much all better. I have a teeeny tiny ring of blood on my eye, it's hard to notice unless you really look. I deffinately have a scar on the side of my head, and it feels like there is some permanent scar tissue under it. My finger is the only thing that bothers me anymore, I'm pretty sure I have nerve damage in it, because if I grab something weird with that hand it will send a spasm of pain from my finger across my hand. All my bruises and such are gone! Here are pictures from the rest of the week when I banged up my head:

Lets see, I got kicked on a Thursday, and this was the following Saturday morning.

Saturday evening, already able to open my eye (with some difficulty).

Some of the blood in my eye. I have better pictures where my entire eye was red, but I haven't gotten them off my phone yet.

Arrr! I'm a pirate!

And I went to work like that. So very attractive, no wonder all those little kids where crying!

The bruise went away in about 2 or 2 1/2 weeks, the blood in my eye took it's own sweet time.

Today: 99.9% Better!!! Gotta love that work uniform shirt...

FOR ALL YOU YOUNGEN'S OUT THURR

This is something that I believe every teenager should do NOW, and I STRONGLY believe it.
GO to your bank.
SET UP an IRA account.
EVERY so often, put money in it.

You'd have to be stupid to not do it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gStH5oFDQDw

Actually, don't do it. Just give your money to me, so I can fix my AC. Tomorrow will be the 30th straight day in Oklahoma with triple digit temps, and we have had no AC for about that time. Woot woot.

Watch what you say.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. It's been very boring lately and I haven't been able to think of anything worth posting, and I still can't. My head is pretty much all better and the blood is almost completely gone from my eye.


I mean, I'm the last one to say this, seeming as my mouth has no limits half the time.

REMEMBER CHILDEREN, GRAMMAR SAVES LIVES.
1. Let's eat Grandma!
2. Let's eat, Grandma!

Just had to put that in here :D

So I am Tuttle Rodeo Princess, and have become friends with the Queen, Kara. I have always felt that I was cheated on not becoming queen, not because I think I am better (in no way do I think that) but because of a few certain things. At the Queen Competition or whatever it was called, I had the best try out, as said by the judges themselves. I was the oldest girl out of the group. Kara is from Texas, she is a year younger than me, and she is the President's grandaughter. Maybe it all sounds a little fishy to me, but oh well. I'll try out for a different rodeo next year, and who knows! There are bigger fish to fry.
Anyways, at a recent event the Royalty went to, me and Kara were talking about different ways queens are inducted in or whatever for different round up clubs. I really liked the way the Chickasha RC did it, with certain numbers based on ticket sales, horsemanship, etc. However, according to Kara, the Tuttle Round Up Club was the only one that even did it right anymore. HA. I could have chewed her out and up right there, but I chose not too. I just calmly told her that most round up clubs have done it that way for the longest time. My friends mom won Miss Rodeo Oklahoma in 1984, and she even said most of them do it at least slightly with ticket sales.
Anyways, my stomach hurts, I gotta get ready for work before I pass out.
Red Dirt Ride is this weekend, I'll be sure to tell you all about it!

And I have signed myself a death contract.

In being a horse person, and wanting to be one for the rest of my life, I have signed myself a death contract.
I was born a horse person, and I will die the same way.
If a horse kills you, take solice in knowing that I will have died happy, doing what I love.


Last night, around 9 o'clock, I was feeding my horses. I had already fed Rosie, and walked around the barn to feed Dream. When I came back, Dusty was in the barn eating out of the grain bin. I walked up to his stomach and swatted him on the stomach.
I took a hoof straight to the head.
I blacked out, got up, punched him in the face, somehow shut the barn door (which I don't remember) and made my way up to the house screaming my head off.
We went to the ER. Cat-scan, X-rays, nothing wrong. No pain meds, nothing. Went home, went to bed.

OOOH, the pain.
Today I went to the eye doctor so they could find a way to get my contact lense out. It was so hard, he had to use a cotton swab to get it out. The white part of my eye is bruised from what he said.
Why was it so hard? Just look at these pictures and you'll find out.

Last night, before I went to bed...

This morning, when I woke up.

Today, around 6pm.

Do I like the guy in the basement from the Goonies? Or the guy from the Mask? I personaly think I bear more of a resemblance to the Hunch Back of Notre Dame.

Mulesss!

I have always, secretly, wanted a mule.

Infact, I almost cried when I found out Rosie wasn't pregnant to a donkey a few weeks before we bought her.

They are smart.

They have AWESOME LOOKING EARS. No really? Never would have guessed.

Did I mention smart?

I like playing around on the computer, researching different equine things. I always come back to mules.

Mule racing.

Mule babies.

Mule breeding.
Mules mules mules.

This blog really has no point, i'm just going to randomly write about mules, because I have nothing better to do until it's time to pick up my boyfriend from work and GET MY VERY FIRST PAYCHECK!! YAY!:)

I love how when mules run, they tuck their tails in...it's kinda cute!
When I grow up..I want a barrel racing mule. I haven't seen any extremely well trained barrel mules, and I'd love to do it. I'm not sure if they are as fast as a horse, but it would still be fun.

I found out that YES, mule mares can infact, have babies. Mules and mules can't be bred together, but a mule and a horse can.

Look at those funny legs on that guy!

Mules know exactly where their feet are. Watch this video, I found it pretty entertaining. However, I'd be scared to do some of this stuff without proper leg protection for my equine friend, but splint boots get covered in stickers on trails. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1sfDlLluJY&feature=related

Somewhere I read that mules do not show the overo gene. I have never even seen an overo mule, come to think of it. They come in pretty much every color out their, my favorite is bay with high white socks and a white tail.

Bay mule tobiano foal. Ain't he adorable?

Mules have both the donkey and horse survival instincts. Many people consider mules to be "stubborn", but it's kind of a natural thing they get from donkeys. If a donkey was walking alone, in a canyon at night, and something spooked him, he would freeze, so he wouldn't run off a cliff. I read about a guy riding him mule through the woods at night. He couldn't see anything and his mule randomly stopped. He decided they had gone far enough, so he set up camp. When he awoke the next morning, he was litterally feet from a huge cliff. Another time I read about some guys on a hunting trip, they came across a cougar, and one of the mules threw it's rider, attacked the cougar and killed it.

Mule gelding attacking a cougar.

Don't know what it is...but Dream just can't stand mules..

This is my uncle's mule, Jack. He is about 28 in this picture. He has severe problems in his hind legs, which prevents him from being riden, but he still runs along the trail with everyone else.