A Rant- and a new web address

Issues with blogger are surfacing again. Here is the deal: I cannot stop following blogs- I use the protocol recommended to stop following but it does not work. Now, there aren't any of your blogs that I want to stop following- its the blogs that people delete for whatever reason that blogger doesn't allow me to stop following. Why is that a problem, you say- after all there are no new posts, right? WRONG! Those blogs that are deleted are still out there and their web address becomes available. Now, I have found that most people who want to start a blog are happy to use a web address that they make up. HOWEVER there are unscrupulous sorts out there that want to use a blog address that has been deleted by someone, because the address comes with the previous blog owner's followers- unless that follower is able to stop following that blog. You still with me on this? Confusing isn't it?
What I am finding is that deleted blogs get picked up by people who have what I consider to be objectionable content. This shows up in my reading list, and there is nothing I can do about it. I can't pick and choose which blogs are in my reading list; if I follow a blog, it's new posts show up there. So do the posts of the blogs that my friends have deleted that have been taken over by smutty content. I have been asking blogger for help on this issue for about a year, and have ZERO response from them. So, I'm going over to Wordpress. This may be a little confusing for those of you who have been following me at this web address, but all you have to do is save the new address, it is http://diamondlazyh.wordpress.com/ . It's still called Ride a Good Horse, and over the next few months, I'll be tweaking the look of it and the links on it, I'll get my blogroll on there soon.
I'll leave the comments open on this blog for a while, and once everyone is used to finding me over at Wordpress, I'm going to close off the comments and make this blog private- I will NOT delete it and make it available for some lowlife to hijack.
I hope you all continue to enjoy my posts over on Wordpress.

A day of firsts

A whole bunch of first things today.
Today was Nitro's first birthday.

He still loves to run, and is very agile.

Another first today was Gussie getting to be in with Belle and Stella. I introduced them carefully, just in case mama Belle got snarky, but Gussie is her BFF and it only took a little posturing to establish order. .

Since that went well, next I turned all 3 of them out into the big pen next to their stalls. The first turnout for Stella Belle!

She sure kept her mama on her toes! Stella is not shy at all and had to explore everything.

She had been loping in the stall, but 20'X20' isn't big enough to really get a feel for those long legs, so she had her first gallop today too.

It was also the first time I've let Gussie out for exercise since she strained the tendons on her left front leg 3 weeks ago- she has been confined that long, and really enjoyed getting out today.

Such a picturesque mare!

Once I knew that they were all getting along, (I was worried that Gussie might try to steal the baby) I opened up the grass pasture for them, much to the delight of the mares.

Stella really had fun, and everywhere she led, Belle was sure to follow.

Something caught the attention of the mares:

I let them run around for a bit, but didn't want them eating too much of the fresh grass, 

so after a little while I chased them back into the dry lot.

Well.... sorta dry! Still has some standing water in the lowest spots. Stella did pick her way across at least once.

 And for another first today.... she learned to drink water. 

All in all it was a darn good day- and we did all this between rainstorms that are rolling along the mountains. 

Comparisons

There are a lot of similarities in Rio and Stella Belle, so I put together a collage of them at 1-3 days old. The two left photos are Rio, the two right ones are Stella.

She looks like a feminine version of Rio.
Now compare these two to Nitro and Midnight Coyote, - Kai on the left, Nitro on the right:

Kai and Nitro are built similar- more compact and not as tall.
In a league of her own is Belle's first foal- Jazz:

Kind of fun to see them all together!

Goin's on

Lots going on here with the little miss,

She is thriving, and has plenty of sweetitude!

This gives you an idea of how tall she is.

She got introduced to the halter yesterday, if it's nice tomorrow she will go out to the pasture with mama.
Shayla rode Rio yesterday, got some nice transitions and got him started in lateral moves.

There is his huge floaty trot.

 Today Shayla rode Rio again and loped for the first time. Happy birthday Shayla!

More Stella Belle

I just have to smile with all my heart when I see this filly, I've waited a long time for her!

Mamma Belle is doing well, it took her about 5 hours to pass the placenta, so I was starting to get worried- but I guess she just needed that much of a break after the strenuous birth.

It's pretty obvious that she is very protective of Stella, but she allows us humans to mess with her without getting upset at all.

She doesn't have the light eyes of a smokey black, but I will to the color test to be sure.
My computer is in need of repair, there is a fan going on it, so this morning it's going to the repair shop, so I'll leave you with this next photo and hope it will tide you over for a couple of days with it's cuteness!

Winner of the foaling contest- part two!

Stella trying to figure out how to fold up those long legs to lie down for a nap

Since nobody got the date, Belle holding true to form and going long with a filly, I did as promised and pooled the names of everyone who guessed black or smokey black filly- Nikker, Jessie Dare, Crystal and Cdncowgirl, and my husband randomly picked Crystal to be the winner of the camo halter.

Crystal, message me on FB with your address and I'll send it off to you!

Hello world!

When I left for work this morning, Belle gave me this innocent look:

"Y'all go on to work now, I'll be fine!"

When I got home 3 and a half hours later......

Yep- she snuck this one by me! It's probably a good thing I wasn't there, I'd have been beside myself; the stall was just trashed from her efforts! This is one huge filly! 

She was probably born between 10 and 11 AM. When I got there at about 12:30 she was still a little wet, but was up and walking and nursing. Everything is normal and she is healthy. Did I mention huge???? 36 inches tall! No wonder Belle was so huge, and no wonder why the stall was trashed, she probably had a heck of a time passing those shoulders.

Left hind sock, and a little white half coronet on the right hind.

No trouble at all finding dinner!

Mama Belle, you can be proud of yourself- this is one fine filly.

I'm calling her color black, possibly smoky black but she doesn't have as grey of eyes like Rio and Kai had. I hope she looks like her daddy- because this one, I'm keeping. World- meet Stella Belle.

It's all relative

For those of you who are concerned about us working Rio at a young age, I think this photo puts into perspective the comparative size of Rio and Shayla.

We don't overwork him, I am careful about his growing bones. We don't do endless circles and stress his joints, in fact we do minimal work in the round pen. After this ground driving session and a few minutes of her riding him in the round pen to make sure he understood his steering in the snaffle bit, we headed out for a little ride through the field in the background. (On a lead line.)

The last thing I want to do is break him down. and no, I can't just let him sit in the pasture for another year. I take it slow, I read my horse, and work within his ability both physical and mental.

Waxing!

Not the moon- it's waning. Belle is finally waxing! Last year, she had Nitro within 24 hours of waxing, so I really pray we have a healthy beautiful foal on the ground tonight (or earlier!!)

Ground driving revisited

We're in the process of transitioning Rio to the snaffle bit, now that he has his teeth done, including a bit seat. Today, I put the bridle on him, and let him get the feel of it; he had it on once for a few minutes but today he had to learn what it was all about.

This is how I rig it, just a little shorter on the rein that I tie back with a quick release knot, through the stirrup and to the back cinch D ring.
The idea is that he will find the soft release spot on his own.

"Ya mean like this??"

Yes Rio, just like that. It only took a few minutes and he had it figured.

I ran out of camera battery right there. Anyway, I bitted him both sides, and then put my driving lines on him- did a little refresher course on the feel of them on his body and dragging on the ground beside him and then off we went. His steering was pretty good in all directions forward, but he didn't get the back up figured out today until I stepped to his head and asked him in a more familiar way, and using the reins at the same time. Then he got it. When I asked him to whoa, instead of asking for the back up which was a little to much for today, I just held the lines while he leaned on them and patiently waited for him to find his vertical release- he already had the lateral release from being bitted up before I ground drove him. He thought about it for a little, and then viola! The vertical release- consistently. Good boy Rio! Tomorrow's session should be a cake walk, once this boy gets something he gets it and it stays. So Shayla- you might get a few minutes of solo riding in the snaffle tomorrow!

We are still waiting for Belle to foal, and since she might go longer than the last guess here is what I'm going to do: When it is born, I'll take the names of all the people who got the sex and color right and draw a winner from that.