The big arena

Josie has been so good, it was time to expand her horizons. Hauled her and Clancy to the big outdoor arena, along with Shayla's palomino mare Allie, who is a really good mare for ponying colts from.
We warmed up the 2 big mares first, then Josie got worked. There are little pens attached to the arena, so she got to chill out in there for a half hour. Then it was her turn.

Such a scenic arena!

She did really well ponying, didn't seem to mind anything even though this is all new to her. Then it was time for saddling.

It was all about review, only on a bigger stage. First the saddle blanket....

Then the saddle uncinched, 

Letting it slide off a couple times and putting it back on. All good! (I had the best seat in the house arena).

Then cinched up and longed at the walk trot and lope. 

Right about then my camera ran out of battery. :o( 

Josie did get a little ramped up doing the trot work but with patience and persistence she came around, and did get a bit goosey with the first lope but again, not a big deal and Shayla worked her through it. Then it was ponying saddled up. Overall I'm really pleased with the way she handled the new environment. She's a good girl!

I worked Clancy on softening at the walk and trot, with a little bit of lateral work too. She gives her head but the softness doesn't continue through her body yet. I asked Shayla to ride her too, and she gave me some insight on what to work on; getting her freed up in the shoulders and ribs, and then the softness will come. She tends to dive into everything. from the bit to turns she always seems to want to just give any old response and then see if she gets left alone. It may have worked for her previous owner, but not for me. 

Lots of work to do on her, but she did start to get softer by the end of the session- and we are doing it all over again tomorrow, only at a different arena in that area.

This is Clancy's favourite activity. I don't think I'll have any problem with ground tying when we do the cowboy challenge!

Josie gets saddled

I'll let the videos do the talking- I am so proud of this filly and the good work Shayla is doing with her.






We ended up just staying home instead of hauling to the arena.  Oh yeah- she also got to pack a bit for the first time.

She mouthed it a little bit but not too much- once she got to working she forgot all about it.
Fun times coming up!

Memorial, Moon and a clinic

Saturday was my brother's memorial service, it was very good, a big crowd of people showed up to honour him and support his wife. It was nice to see all my siblings who could make it there and all their children.

We're a big family!

Then last night was the super moon/harvest moon/blood moon/eclipse. I was happy that it was in eclipse as it rose over the mountain as last time I was up most of the night taking photos.
This one was all done early.

The landlord weaned the calves yesterday, and the cows remain here; it was pretty cool standing out taking photos of that big ole moon rising and hearing the cows mooing to the moonrise.

These last few days, Shayla was at a Jim Anderson clinic, and another girl I know was riding in it on the big blue roan horse. It was a good clinic, they both got a lot out of it.

Hannah on Blue- they were working on keeping him true in a circle and speed control. Blue has been known to buck at the lope, but he was really good at this clinic. Last week was the first time they had been able to get him to cross a bridge, and look what he could do by the end of this clinic:

Shayla and Rose did well and learned a lot too. 

Rose is an Arabian/Quarter Horse cross. 

I think the plan for her is a future in Cowboy Challenge. 

There  are more videos of them at the clinic on Shayla's blog as well as lots more info on what she learned at the clinic.

Today we are hauling Clancy and Josie up to Canyon Arena, it will be Josie's first time at a big arena. Should be fun! I plan on working on Clancy's sidepass, gate manners, and turnarounds.

Josie stuff and Clancy tests her boundaries.

I'm getting a little behind on my Josie posts.
She is coming along nicely.
In this video, it shows that the desensitizing to the stick and string and the flag from the lesson before sank in, and we introduced a rope around her barrel to simulate the cinch. She took it all quite well.



The next day, we tried something different with desensitizing. I noticed how reactive she was when I was "talking with my hands" when I was explaining something, so Shayla did some work on that, and also we introduced the little military saddle to her. It wound up being a pretty good session.

After that, the next session we changed it up a bunch. She was introduced to having someone above her, with Shayla climbing up on the barrel and asking her to move her hip over as if she was going to get on her. That had varying degrees of success.....
Then Shayla thought it would be a good idea to take Josie for a walk, to give her something else to think about. I had Clancy saddled, so off we went.

We also ponied her from Clancy- that went really well. We had actually ponied her from Beamer when she was a lot littler, and she must have remembered some of that.

Of course, we had to pose in front of the beautiful back drop of the Skimmerhorn mountains.
We switched out and Shayla rode while I walked Josie, she rode ahead while I held Josie back to see if she would get worried, but she was really good.

In this little video I love how relaxed they are and their tails swinging in unison.

Then today, we hauled Clancy and Shayla's mare Rose to the outdoor arena. Since Clancy coughs when she is around dust I didn't work her too hard, but did come up with a few things I need to work on, like getting her united in the side pass, she tends to be slower with her front end than her hind instead of stepping evenly. I also need to work on her turns on the forehand and on the haunches. She is a little uncoordinated with her right hind; she doesn't lift and place it as smoothly as she does the left hind in lateral movements.

This arena is at the base of those same Skimmerhorn mountains- such a beautiful setting.
Clancy is improving in standing still, but she committed the capital crime of trying to bite me when I was saddling her today. I heard her open her jaws as she swung her head to me as I was adjusting the saddle position and just before she could connect I turned and yelled "Don't even think about doing that!" I didn't hit her but I scared the pants off her, she set back and the saddle came off and danged if she didn't get all respectful and yes ma'am after that. I think she got away with lots of stuff before I got her and she is testing me to see what her limits are. Her crimes are this attempted biting thing, not standing still for mounting, and jigging when she gets anxious. She is actually getting better at standing still and once again, sometimes I have to get after her for swinging her hip away or stepping back because she darn sure knows by now that she is required to stand still. It's coming, but she is still testing a bit. I think there will be other ways she will test that I'll find out as we go along, but in the end, I'm sure we will have a good partnership.

Wordless Wednesday

Loved for all eternity

My brother passed away peacefully last night. I love this picture, taken of him in his prime, the way I remember him best. He was a good man.

Catching up

I visited my brother yesterday.... his time is very close. But meanwhile, life goes on. Josie had a couple more sessions with Shayla this week. Here are a couple of videos from Tuesday, which was her 3rd session.



This one is where she learned to do inside turns. She had been running several times around before she was asked for a turn and would turn her butt and do an outside turn, but when it was shortened up and she was asked for a change of direction on a half circle, she started to do proper inside turns.



I took this video just after she had a really big reaction to the stick and string- literally galloping a 10 ft. circle. Still pretty reactive but coming along.

We ended the session by using the lead rope to do the same thing, and once she was quiet with that, called it a day. Gave her lots to think about.

The next day, I took her and Clancy to get their teeth floated, they both loaded in the trailer no problems- only the 3rd time Josie has been in a trailer and only the second time she has been hauled. She loaded and unloaded like a pro, of course, Clancy set a good example for her.

Today's session was really good.


Those 2 days off must have given Josie time to let things sink in.

Worked her over the poles too, to get her thinking about where her feet are.
She did ok, after a few rounds of stepping on them and banging her toes on them she made it around without nicking any and that's where we stopped.

Riding Clancy and working Josie

This time, I started in the round pen with Clancy, sent her around a few times to remind her that I can control her feet and direction, then brought her in to the mounting tub. She did a couple of half hearted attempts to back and swing her hip away, but on the third ask she stood still for me. Once I got on, I could see that the cinch was too loose, so back we went to the tub. I got off, tightened, asked her to walk out a couple of steps and then got back on and she stood still- good girl!
Then we did the gate. In increments. Unlatch, stand for a moment, then walk away. Open it, stand for a moment, and walk away (in the pen). Then ride through.

All the mullein plants are popping back up after  the hay was taken off. 

In the afternoon, Shayla came over to work Josie. I have decided to have Josie trained by Shayla instead of doing it myself, for a couple of reasons. 1; I wrenched my foot and cracked a bone in it so all that ground work in deep sand hurts like a sonofagun, 2; that little filly is darn quick! Too quick for this old cowgirl and 3; I would like her to be shown and Shayla is the one to do that. At least for her first couple of years. After that I will decide if I'm keeping her or selling her.

Full tilt boogie around the pen! 

Giving the hairy eyeball at that flag on her leg.

Softening

Zoned in on that flag as Shayla drags it along

Here is a video of some of the work. By the end of the session she was giving her hip and coming across nicely on the front. We ended on a good note and gave her lots to think about.

Planned a ride....

But it turned into a lesson. Clancy is not standing still for me to get on yet. (Sigh). Had her all saddled up and wanted to go out on the fields and down by the dikes to look for wildlife.....
I use a step, whatever is handy- in this case a log seat by our fire pit. Every time I went to step my foot in the stirrup, she'd back up, and turn her rump away. The other day when we went for a trail ride, I decided not to waste everyone's time schooling her so had Shayla hold her while I got on. But it's high time she got over this, so today's ride got cancelled and off to the round pen we went.
 I made her work a bit, and had to get after her a bit when she humped a little when the saddle started bouncing, and she leveled out.

After having to work, (looks like the saddle slid forward) she started looking for relief. By this time, I had climbed up on the half barrel that's in the center of the pen, because I want her to come to me when I'm above her.

Looking back over my shoulder: Still uncertain if she should come in closer..... so I sent her around again. Did this a half dozen times. I'd stay still on my spot and wait for her to join up.

Finally, she came within arm's reach and I petted her and invited her in closer. She took another step and I used the reins to ask her for a better position. She still wanted to back up when I put my foot in the stirrup, so I spent about 5 minutes just weighting the stirrup and taking my foot out when she stood still. Finally (!!!) she just stood there and licked her lips and I got on.
The next thing I need to work on with her after we get this sorted out, is opening gates. She tends to be in a hurry to go through and doesn't wait for me to fully unlatch the gate before she turns her body to go through it. Once I got it opened, I didn't let her go through, but stayed in the pen for a couple minutes before riding through.
This seems to be all pretty new to her; I think the guy who was riding her was the get on and go type who never taught her some of the finer points that I think she needs to know.
Once I got out of the pen, we saw that the little bull calf had escaped into the yard, so we trailed him back to his pen, and called it a day.

Trail riding- good for the soul.

My brother is still hanging in there, I'd like to thank everyone for their well wishes and prayers.
I have had lots of Clancy time over the last while.
Shayla came over and we rode down to the river....

Really nice relaxing ride. I am using Easy Boot Glove boots on Clancy- can't afford the Equine Fusion ones right now with our dollar exchange rate at 30 % (!!!!!!) and I'm finding that the Glove boots work quite well.

I'm really liking miss Clancy. She suits me just fine!
I have tried a couple of different saddle pads on her, trying to find one that works best for her. She doesn't seem to like my Diamond Wool pad- too scratchy for her I think. Shayla lent me both a CSI and a 5 Star to try out, and the 5 Star was my pick. I found the CSI too fussy to use, and the top pad did bunch under my saddle where the stirrup fenders move back and forth. The 5 Star was a 3/4 inch, and it was just right; the saddle didn't move at all and there were no pressure spots. I used it yesterday when we went on another trail ride- this time a picturesque ride in some pretty country near where Janice lives. She and Dave and another friend, as well as Shayla and I all had a really lovely Sunday ride.

Dave and Skookum (Percheron /QH cross; Jenn on Moxie (Morgan) 

and Janice on Jazz, a Beamer daughter.

Shayla putting boots on her mare Rosie, and Arab/QH cross

Tess came along for the ride. She was a happy dog!

There's fresh snow on the mountains in the background.

I let Shayla take some photos of me and Clancy; I was trying to get Tess to come lay besides us here.

There were plenty of hikers in the area and we had one of them take a group photo of us all at the summit of the butte.
 It was a really good ride- Clancy was really good in the group, went wherever I wanted, was good in front, at the back or in the middle.  Can't wait for the next ride!

A visit to my brother

The family gathered last weekend to visit my brother, he is in good spirits, even though he knows his days are numbered. But we are a praying family, and aren't giving up hope just yet. He has pancreatic cancer, as well as several other spots of cancer on his liver. I will be visiting him again on Saturday.

5 sisters, one niece and one brother in law.  My brother , Lincoln, is 58 years old. He is loved, and has always been a good man.
Please keep him in your prayers if you are so inclined.