Answering a few questions

I've had some questions on my last few posts, so here they are. Linda asked if I'm letting Gussies "Mohawk" grow out- yes, I couldn't be bothered clipping bridle paths and making them look good, and the extra hair helps keep the flies away from their ears.

In about a month or so, it will flop over and look much better.
Fantastyk Voyager asked if Rio will be a blue roan; the answer is no. He is black, but a smoky black. To get a roan, at least one of the parents must be a roan. Beamer is black, Belle is smoky black/brown.

Is cute a color?

Gowestferalwoman asked if anyone has dibs on Rio; the answer is no, not yet. Last year, his full brother Kai was spoken for by the time he was 2 weeks old, so I'm hoping someone will fall in love with this  one just as quick- it's easier to part with them if I know right off the bat they are going to a good home. 

Janice asked where all the chrome is coming from. Looking back on Beamer's babies, Choctaw Peppy had chrome:

 In fact, almost the same markings as Rio, but Peppy's mama was Gussie, who has plenty of white. Beamer has 2 hind socks, so his babies come by that honestly. But Rio's star? Just a bigger version of Belle's star I guess.

Looks like a Star of David

Pups, Peppy, and Auction updates

Now that the auction is over, I have a little time for my blog, and catching up on yours. The auction went well, no major problems and the rain held off until the last hour- of course, that was when we were selling the stuff outside of the building- go figure! I bought a couple of things- a handmade barnboard cupboard that is going in my tack room, and a hall table - pictures in a day or so! Ted bought an antique dresser, some birch firewood, and an old oak tabletop that needs a pedestal built for it.

I have had some email updates on two of Tess's pups from their owners.

This is Corb,

and what they say about him:

we’ve starting obedience training with Mary Lane here in Cranbrook. He’s so clever! After the first meet and greet he had it all figured out! Look at those eyes, he’s so sweet and those freckles...we all just love him to bits!

He was a very sweet boy, and I'm glad his people love him as much as I did!

The lady who has the one I called Chad, renamed him Henry, and this is what she had to say about him:

I have been meaning to write for a while and update you on Henry. He's doing great! He has so much energy but is calm and obedient in the house. He is getting quite tall. He is over 30 lbs now and still growing.

So far all the folks who have Tess's pups are loving them; just check out Janice's blog and Jenn's blog- Kali and Abby are both doing great and are waaaay too cute!

The fellow I get my hay from has 2 of the boy pups, and says that they are already trying to help him with moving cattle. I think I'm pretty happy with the cross of Tess and Moss, and I have three orders for pups so far, if I get 3 more I'll probably breed Tess again next year.

I got an email from the lady I sold Peppy to- for those of you new to my blog, Peppy is the colt called Choctaw Peppy on my sidebar, that I sold last year; he's Velvet's full brother.

Here is the story on him:

Pepper is doing real well; spent 3 months at the trainer - Daryl Cartier. I think he did a great job.  One of my boarders (actually two - mother and daughter) fell in love with Pepper the first time they saw him and got to know him. It wasn't an easy decision to sell him but Kymber, the daughter, will use him more than I and she wants to show him English and Western. The horse and rider are both so young and it is a bit of a concern.

 She's a good little rider, 14, and seems to be able to handle him real well. He will stay here with me and I can help her with colt issues. He's a good mover, with a nice easy lope. He's quiet and a little stubborn at times - a colt.  They follow your blog also and would be tickled to see you post her picture and the news that they now own him. My heart is a little heavy though. 

So all in all, I think I have a small but successful breeding program for both my dogs and horses- and by the way Kai is doing well, I'll be sure to get some photos of him soon with his new buddy, a Fjord weanling.

And just a quick note from Beamer:

There's snow on them thar mountaintops! 

Which means I have to make sure he has his blanket on at night, and lots of hay for him to share with his buddy Url; they now share the shelter, which is kinda cute.

Choctaw Peppy update

I hope you all remember Velvet's big brother, Peppy now known as Pepper. Isn't he just the masculine version of her!

Here is what his owner said in her email:

hi there, I took these pics yesterday, in a hurry as usual. The 3 two year olds are running with the mob in the big pasture. I like that the older geldings teach the younger guys manners in horse society. Pepper is a big boy! He is a very friendly and confident boy, maybe a little pushy at times! He goes to the trainer on Monday and I'm looking forward to hearing how he is doing. I'm pretty sure he will come along great, as he round penned easily and accepted the flag and pad easily for me.

He sure looks a lot like his sister, she is a beaut!

I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of him under saddle!

Peppy update photos

GM, Peppy.. er....Pepper's new owner, sent me these photos of his blue self. He is going to be one sharp looking boy under saddle in a year or so, don't you think?

Looks like he is going to be tall, like his mama. I have some photos of his sister which I wanted to publish too, but I'm having problems trying to upload them onto a disc from my scanner so you'll have to wait a few days until I get it figured. She is turning just as blue as him, and I can't wait to get her home! That will be mid August or so, and I'll wean Sparkle at the same time, so she will have a buddy. Sparkle is getting blacker by the day, and I'm going to wait a while to get new photos of her- you prob'ly won't recognise her!

For Peppy's fans!

Just got these photos of Peppy in his new home, looks to me like he is quite happy there!

I'm happy to see that as he sheds out you can still see his dorsal stripe.

Trouble times three!

And check out the indoor arena he has to play in!

What's Missing?

Okay, I know what's missing is green grass and spring weather, but what's really missing from my herd today is our little Peppy! I'm so used to seeing his little blue self pestering the girls! Oh, well, life goes on and soon there will be another little one peering out from under his mama. I like Reba and Tess in this picture keeping their herd in order.

Adios

I woke up this morning to another blast from old man winter; howling winds, about 6 inches of fresh snow and snowdrifts everywhere with nasty temperatures of -17C, with the wind chill more like -25. What a day to say goodbye to Peppy! When G and G came to pick him up it was too nasty out to take the time for photos, so G promised to send me some of Peppy with his new buddies. They have a long drive home; about 7 hours or so, I'm sure Peppy will be so happy to get his feet on solid ground and be with other horses by then! So goodbye to our blue boy!

Lopin' in the snow

We had a busy day today; it was nice and sunny and warm, so I mucked out the mare shelter, and a little later went for another lead/ride on Sassy with Ted along, only this time he didn't take the leadrope, just had his hand on it if necessary. She went along really well, the usual coltish business of looking twice at everything but no jumping around this time. After that, I took Beamer out into the pasture to lope some circles, which I thought I would share with you in this video,(come for a ride with me!) also to show off how nicely he stops on just the word Whoa.

It's a little tricky trying to video and ride at the same time, but I think that you will get the general feeling of the ride!
After that, we hauled in a load of round bales and some more bedding straw. It was a little tricky getting the truck and trailer in to the feed pen as the entrance is on a slope, and I really wish I would have taken a video on the creative driving my husband did! Well done, Ted! So now we have enough hay to last till the grass comes in.

Tomorrow morning Peppy will be leaving for the "land of the living skies"- Saskatchewan! He is going to a good home, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to get photos and updates on him from time to time as he grows up and goes to work. I'm sure we'll all miss my beautiful little boy blue!

It's a good thing that I have Sassy to work and Beamer to ride, and I look forward to seeing what Peppy's full sibling will be like. It is due to enter the world around the end of April. I'll go visit after (she) is born- I'm thinking filly for some reason- and take lots of pictures. I should be able to bring her home the end of August. That'll be good company for Coyote Belle's baby at weaning time!

Gimme some love!

Trailer lesson #2

Peppy got his second lesson in trailer loading today, and from the looks of this video, I don't have to do any more on this. Such a good boy!

Little darlin's

It warmed up enough today to muck out the horse shelters and put fresh straw in. Peppy and Chickory were very cute, sharing the salt block. Coyote Belle's baby was kicking up a storm in her belly, so I checked her udder and guess what!

Yup, she is starting to build a bag!

Now the watching and waiting begins! Her due date is April 8, but this is her first baby, so who knows? 320 days will be March 26, so any time after that is baby time! I think I'll start a pool for date and time sometime in early March-watch for a future post on that!

Now that I know Peppy is leaving I am trying to get more photos of his fuzzy little self to share with you. And of course, we have a certain little blonde camera hog!

Trailer loading

Woke up to -21C (-6F) this morning, and it only warmed up to -9C (16F) so since it was too darn cold to ride, I decided to give the youngsters a trailer loading lesson. I have a wide open stock type trailer which is great for teaching the youngsters to load; they don't feel claustrophobic in it. So here, in pictures, is how it went:

Hmmmm, you say you want me to go in there? I dunno.....

(thinks about it for about 5 minutes while I tap his butt whenever he moves away from the trailer.)

Yeah, OK, I can do this!

(I loaded him two more times and he just hopped in both times. )

Then it was Chickory's turn. Apparently she has complete trust in me; because she hopped in with no hesitation.

Anything boys can do, girls can do better!

Is this where you wanted me?

Note to self, get Chickory a new halter! I loaded her 3 times too. And then, because Sassy is up for sale, I videoed her loading.

No problem! So a cold day turned out to be a productive day, even if I didn't get to ride.

Pups and Peppy

My friend Carol sent me these pictures of her pups that she is selling; these are purebred female Jack Russels, 6 weeks old.

If you are interested in these little hooligans-er, I mean little darlin's- you can contact her here. She has them reasonably priced.

In other news, I have put Peppy up for sale again. He is really getting tall, and is over his cold. He is definitely a true blue roan, not a lick of brown on him.

You can see the remnants of the dun stripe he was born with, at his tailhead:

I sure hope whoever buys him keeps in touch with me, cause I'd sure like to see this colt grow up.

Winter Wonderland (I wonder when it'll warm up!)

The cold weather continues here, and the horses are still fighting their colds. Chickory was not getting over her cough, so I decided that she needed to be blanketed. However, I couldn't find a blanket to fit her, so I bought Peppy a new blanket and gave her the old one. The new blanket is too long for Peppy but it fits well in the chest and shoulders; and I couldn't get him to lift his head out of the bucket for a picture!

Chickory was pretty good about letting me put a blanket on for the first time and even let me crawl around underneath her to adjust straps. She has decided that I am to be trusted after all! She is turning into a little sweetheart. Peppy on the other hand, is starting to be a bit of a brat, and has required a reminder or two about manners; I think he's jealous of Chickory. Oh well, he is getting brain surgery in a couple of months. For those of you not famliar with the term, it means that he is going to be gelded.
Tomorrow I will be making our "Orphan's Christmas dinner"- for our friends who don't have children or other family to spend Christmas with. Then we travel to Edmonton on Christmas day, and Calgary on boxing day, so I will take this opportunity to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas. Time permitting, I'll do a post on Christmas day.

Merry Christmas!

White and soggy

This morning I woke up to snow-not much, but enough to make things look a little more like Christmas. My husband,who is the foreman for the highway crew around here, was out all night making the roads safe- so now he is sleeping!

Chickory has graduated from pre-school to kindergarten! She now lets me walk up to her in the herd, catch her, and bring her (and Peppy! Let's not forget Peppy!) out for her morning grain- gourmet style, because I add powdered garlic and MSM to it- and she stands tied while I brush her and clean her feet. She and Peppy get tied to those nice strong posts the guys put in during the summer, and they bury their heads happily in their buckets and munch their breakfast. The reason I say she is in kindergarten is because she still has issues that trigger flight for her, and then she pulls back, although I must say that they are pretty feeble attempts. She mostly objects to giving me her right front foot, although she improves every day.

The photo above was taken about 8:30 this morning, and it's been raining all day, so most of the snow is gone. Sure is warm for December!

Updates on the little hooligans

Check it out! A relaxed Chickory- and notice that she is now OK with me being on her right side!

Can't get much more relaxed than that!

She took some grain from my hand for the first time.......

And she leads now without me having to put pressure on the lead rope! Yahoo! I'm very proud of my little filly. She let me brush her all over, including her front legs and her belly. I can pick up her feet on her left side, and should be able to do the right side on our next session. I'm not calling her halter broke until I can walk up to her in the open and catch her, have her stand tied, and pick up and clean all four feet. (In the first picture, the rope is just threaded around the panel, not tied off.)

Meanwhile, Peppy is growing like a weed, and has finally filled out again after going through a growth spurt.

But he is still as cute as a bug's ear!

And he has a nice soft eye, like his daddy.

Getting it figured

I am so pleased with Chickory! The last few days, she has really come around. I still have to send her into the "trap" to get the halter on her, and it is quite funny to see her try to evade by sticking her head through the panels, but she does let me halter her, brush her, and doctor her leg. The strange thing is that she doesn't mind being handled; no fight in her, and even in the close quarters of the little pen, she has never once offered to kick. Not a mean bone in her body. Yesterday I worked on getting her to accept me on her right side; I leaned over her when brushing so that she could see me in her right eye, then when I was brushing her face, I slowly worked my way over til I was standing just to her right. I could see her thinking, trying to decide if this was acceptable; apparently it was, because she didn't turn like she normally did. So I left it at that, then moved on to the next challenge: leading! I opened up the panels and asked her to follow me up to her shelter. It took a little bit, and a number of sideways tugs, but we did get there and she got her reward of oats in the bucket that hangs there. So today, I will work on getting her to let me halter her without her sticking her head through the panels, and another leading lesson.
Meanwhile, Peppy is quite bored with all this, as I take him out of the pen and tie him up with his grain bucket. I make sure to give him some attention too- he gets brushed and loved up on. I need to find some new challenges for him. Maybe I'll make a bridge or step to work on his loading skills.
The addition on the barn is finished now, so I'll get one more picture then post a start-to-finish for you. It looks great!

At Last!

It seems that Chickory has finally figured out that I'm not a horse eating monster! When I worked her on Saturday I quit the lesson when she let me rub her on the back. Today, it only took a minute to get the rope around her neck, and she worked much quieter- more walking and less loping around the pen. After a few minutes I was able to touch her again, and walk around the pen with her with my hand on her back. She also gave me nice soft steps to the side in response to me holding a slight pressure on the rope. Woo-hoo! She was much more relaxed today. So I let her go, and left the pen with her eating her grain. About 5 minutes later, I went back in the pen; no rope or anything, and she let me rub her back again. After that, I put Peppy back in with her, and reached over him and petted her on the face-first time she let me do that!You can see where she scuffed her face turning into the fence instead of towards me-she doesn't do that much any more.

I'm just so happy with the progress she's made! Taking my time is paying off, and I think that having Peppy in with her is really a calming influence. Maybe our next session I will actually get the halter on her- It'll have to be Wednesday as I have to go run with the bulls tomorrow.(My way of saying work the cattle sale). Penning the bulls can get downright dangerous.

I also started sacking out Peppy today with a feed sack using approach and retreat tactics. He did well; I'm going to have to find a bunch of different things to use for sacking out, and get him walking over and under a tarp. We're thinking about maybe keeping him and making him Ted's riding horse, which means he would be going in parades as my husband is in the North West Mounted Police Commemorative Association- they do lots of parades and historical re-enactments. And since he's going to be a gelding he'll always be available; no time out for raising babies like the mares! We'll see how it goes- someone will probably want to buy him just when he's getting where we want him! So it goes...

Sunday Silence