Showing posts with label changes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label changes. Show all posts
Sunday, May 8, 2022
Sunday, February 7, 2021
And now.... the rest of the story
A while ago I told you all to stay tuned for an update on Gussie and Belle.
Big Red and her BFF....
Mama Belle, are moving to Alberta to live with Shayla. If you recall, I said I had to make some changes this year, such as not breeding the mares back to Beamer. So, due to the combination of the economy and our reduced income, I decided to downscale my whole breeding operation. Shayla will be taking over the reins as the main person of Diamond Lazy H Quarter Horses from her home in Alberta. Jayne will be staying here for now and will be bred back to Beamer, while the plan for Belle is to breed her to Root Beers Boots , whose progeny are excelling in the barrel pen and in reining. Gussie will become one of her main riding horses and possibly a lesson horse and may be bred to a Driftwood stallion, probably next year.
The mares are kinda staying in the family which makes me happy. Belle's foal will be for sale. I will keep everyone updated on her foal! Shayla has orders to take lots of photos!
Also, as a part of the downscaling program, the hard decision was made to put Moondance on the market.
I will be quite picky where he goes, as I really love this colt. I really hope someone wants to take a chance at promoting him as a stallion. There are no intact sons of Beamer, and he sure is a worthy one.
My pens are going to seem empty. 😢 But age and finances dictate change, and I really feel that I am passing the torch rather than quitting.
Saturday, November 28, 2020
Contemplating this changing world
It has been a bit since I posted, because I am trying to figure out which direction my journey with horses is going given the current world situation. Economic collapse, social upheaval and persecution… it's enough to make your head swim.
So far, I have one concrete decision- I will not be breeding the mares back next spring. These 2 foals on their way may well be the last Beamer babies to be born. He will be 20 next year, and his arthritis while seeming to be at bay, has now started to appear in his other knee. I have no idea how long he will be sound and happy. So it is one season at a time with him.
My mares have some age on them- 17, 18 and 19 next year. I may try to rehome the 2 broodmares and just have Gussie to ride and Moondance to be my replacement riding horse when he is old enough.
Gussie's health is an issue; she has fecal water syndrome and I am thinking it is because of a hind gut issue related to fresh grass and what little alfalfa is in the hay I have- she has always been sensitive to both fresh grass and alfalfa. I wasn't able to buy straight grass this year. This issue has caused another issue with her- a heavy vaginal discharge which is probably because of the fecal water entering via the vulva. I'm pretty sure she is no longer pregnant to Drifter. A blessing in disguise.
That is 2 days from the last butt wash I gave her. Poor Gussie... I have to braid her tail otherwise it gets really dirty. I sure hope it goes away soon. It seems to come in cycles, has been going on since spring so I am wondering if it is related to her heat cycles too.
Meanwhile, I am enjoying a warm November- it is the nicest November we have had in a while- our grass is still green and growing and to my surprise my magnolia bush decided to start budding out. I hope it will be ok next spring.
It was such a nice day that I saddled up the ole red mare and ponied Moondance.
Off to the river we went- Moondance didn't want to go in at first but finally I tricked him into it and he was fine.
Lovely setting sun highlighting Gussies carrot top mane
The river still runs clear, not a hint of ice now. But with December almost upon us I expect that will change soon.
Riding day 54
Thursday, August 1, 2019
Back in the water and some changes
The hot days are upon us and what better thing to do than ride to the swimming hole. I had a new trail riding partner yesterday, with her lovely Arabian mare Mya.
As we approached the river I was quite surprised to see a big ole stump right in the middle of the river- it wasn't there a few days ago and we didn't have any rain that may have washed it down the bank somewhere.
I wasn't sure if Gussie would be willing to go in the river, as the last 2 times I was there she refused to go in more than a few feet, and the other lady had the same concern with her horse. We both broke off a willow branch to use as a motivator as we wound our way through the shrubs on the river bank. It definitely helped, but once Gussie and Mya started in they really seemed to enjoy the water and we had a pleasant time wading around, and just standing in the water up past their bellies. No swimming this time though as I didn't want to get my saddle all wet.
The water was just right, not too cold. I may go back several times over the next week or 2 as we have a heat wave coming.
Eli's owner is coming to see him on Friday and I'm hoping she will want to trim his feet (she is a farrier) . He is really shedding his baby coat and coming in with that deep chocolate colour that is typical of Belle's smokey black foals. I will work on getting some good photos of him when she is here.
Booncat is really roaning out now, I just can't wait for all that bay hair to be replaced with his real colour!
He is quite the little charmer. I have decided that if he doesn't sell by weaning time at the end of September that I will take him off the market until he is a little older, as he is quite small and probably will only be 14.2 when he's all grown up. It will be fun for me to do all the ground work on him over the next year or 2 and then I will decide when to market him. Who knows, maybe I won't want to part with him! He will be gelded next year.
And then there is Sparkle...
You all know that I don't like it when my herd doesn't get along. The reason Sparkle is separated from the herd and put in with Drifter was because she was kicking the crap out of Sassy and generally being a crabby mare to the others. I don't mind ear pinning and posturing, all mares do that, but to outright kick the others is not allowed. It would be different if I had 20 acres for them to roam on, and bigger sacrifice pens, but with a smaller set up like mine, herd harmony is paramount . I don't need injuries and vet bills.
Since being in the separate pen, however, she has started picking fights over the fence with both Belle and Sassy. (Gussie is wise enough to stay out of it). One morning the hotwire between the pens, which is above the panels that I lined with wire mesh, was broken down . It was pushed into the main pen so it was obvious that Sparkle was the guilty party, as well, she had bite marks on both sides of her face . She had been picking fights with mama Belle, and got put in her place. After that, she started picking fights with Sassy again. I caught them going at it one morning and took after them both with the stock whip, and got them momentarily broken up but they just moved down the fenceline and went at it again. So they both got TOLD. I thought that might have a lasting effect but sadly, no. Yesterday there was a wire down between the pens, all stretched out and a staple missing. I use double twist wire, like barb wire without the barbs and it proved it's worth as there were no injuries, but I will need the metal detector to find the staple. That was the final straw. So on Saturday, I am hauling her back to her former owner, as we had an agreement that if Sparkle didn't fit my program that she would take her back. It's kind of sad, because there was a lot of potential that she would be my cowboy dressage mount, but it wasn't to be I guess.
Riding day 54
As we approached the river I was quite surprised to see a big ole stump right in the middle of the river- it wasn't there a few days ago and we didn't have any rain that may have washed it down the bank somewhere.
I wasn't sure if Gussie would be willing to go in the river, as the last 2 times I was there she refused to go in more than a few feet, and the other lady had the same concern with her horse. We both broke off a willow branch to use as a motivator as we wound our way through the shrubs on the river bank. It definitely helped, but once Gussie and Mya started in they really seemed to enjoy the water and we had a pleasant time wading around, and just standing in the water up past their bellies. No swimming this time though as I didn't want to get my saddle all wet.
Eli's owner is coming to see him on Friday and I'm hoping she will want to trim his feet (she is a farrier) . He is really shedding his baby coat and coming in with that deep chocolate colour that is typical of Belle's smokey black foals. I will work on getting some good photos of him when she is here.
Booncat is really roaning out now, I just can't wait for all that bay hair to be replaced with his real colour!
He is quite the little charmer. I have decided that if he doesn't sell by weaning time at the end of September that I will take him off the market until he is a little older, as he is quite small and probably will only be 14.2 when he's all grown up. It will be fun for me to do all the ground work on him over the next year or 2 and then I will decide when to market him. Who knows, maybe I won't want to part with him! He will be gelded next year.
And then there is Sparkle...
You all know that I don't like it when my herd doesn't get along. The reason Sparkle is separated from the herd and put in with Drifter was because she was kicking the crap out of Sassy and generally being a crabby mare to the others. I don't mind ear pinning and posturing, all mares do that, but to outright kick the others is not allowed. It would be different if I had 20 acres for them to roam on, and bigger sacrifice pens, but with a smaller set up like mine, herd harmony is paramount . I don't need injuries and vet bills.
Since being in the separate pen, however, she has started picking fights over the fence with both Belle and Sassy. (Gussie is wise enough to stay out of it). One morning the hotwire between the pens, which is above the panels that I lined with wire mesh, was broken down . It was pushed into the main pen so it was obvious that Sparkle was the guilty party, as well, she had bite marks on both sides of her face . She had been picking fights with mama Belle, and got put in her place. After that, she started picking fights with Sassy again. I caught them going at it one morning and took after them both with the stock whip, and got them momentarily broken up but they just moved down the fenceline and went at it again. So they both got TOLD. I thought that might have a lasting effect but sadly, no. Yesterday there was a wire down between the pens, all stretched out and a staple missing. I use double twist wire, like barb wire without the barbs and it proved it's worth as there were no injuries, but I will need the metal detector to find the staple. That was the final straw. So on Saturday, I am hauling her back to her former owner, as we had an agreement that if Sparkle didn't fit my program that she would take her back. It's kind of sad, because there was a lot of potential that she would be my cowboy dressage mount, but it wasn't to be I guess.
Riding day 54
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Change
Last year, I had a feeling that it was going to be a disastrous year- and in many ways, it was. Not personally, but world wide. This year what comes to mind is "change". And this year, I'd like to make it personal. I do think that there will be many world wide changes- some good, some not so good- and I have several things I want to change in my little world.
The first thing I want to change is my time on horseback. I didn't do much of that last year- partly from a horribly hot and smoky summer, I wouldn't subject my horses to work in that when I could hardly breathe myself- and I just lost my motivation after that, especially when Beamer went lame. But now my boy is sound for light riding, and instead of retiring him, he is going back to work. And one of my life mottoes is to start as you mean to continue. So on the first day of the year....
he got the call to duty. Here, we were inspecting the pond; the water level rose over the last 2 weeks and as soon as it freezes over solidly the neighbours will be skating on it.
I love that Beamer likes getting out and check out his fast walk! No nonsense with this boy! I wish Rosalee liked getting out and going places that way; riding her is like pushing a wet noodle.
That isn't a real cannon, but Ted wants to make it into one that will shoot wads of paper. And I want to ride Beamer in that snow and get him to write his name!
😄
So that is one of my plans for change. I have several others, a lot of them personal such as changing my eating habits and spending more time on doing my artwork... maybe start that by calling it something other than "work"!
Anyway, it will be interesting to see what this year brings. It sure started off in a spectacular way with a New Year's Day Supermoon!
Then on Jan.31 there is supposed to be another full moon with a total eclipse, a Blood Moon. With 2 portents like that, how can this not be an interesting year?
Riding Day 1
The first thing I want to change is my time on horseback. I didn't do much of that last year- partly from a horribly hot and smoky summer, I wouldn't subject my horses to work in that when I could hardly breathe myself- and I just lost my motivation after that, especially when Beamer went lame. But now my boy is sound for light riding, and instead of retiring him, he is going back to work. And one of my life mottoes is to start as you mean to continue. So on the first day of the year....
he got the call to duty. Here, we were inspecting the pond; the water level rose over the last 2 weeks and as soon as it freezes over solidly the neighbours will be skating on it.
I love that Beamer likes getting out and check out his fast walk! No nonsense with this boy! I wish Rosalee liked getting out and going places that way; riding her is like pushing a wet noodle.
That isn't a real cannon, but Ted wants to make it into one that will shoot wads of paper. And I want to ride Beamer in that snow and get him to write his name!
😄
So that is one of my plans for change. I have several others, a lot of them personal such as changing my eating habits and spending more time on doing my artwork... maybe start that by calling it something other than "work"!
Anyway, it will be interesting to see what this year brings. It sure started off in a spectacular way with a New Year's Day Supermoon!
Then on Jan.31 there is supposed to be another full moon with a total eclipse, a Blood Moon. With 2 portents like that, how can this not be an interesting year?
Riding Day 1
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Changes
It seems that spring is a great time for changes. There are a couple of things going on here: We may be on the verge of moving, with my sister and her husband as our landlords. That is really good news for us, I just hope they can find the right place that fits our budget and their budget. Exciting!
And then there is miss Clancy.
I decided to list her for sale. I want a horse with a little more feel, one that will really move off my leg and soften in my hands. Clancy will do it, but it is rather grudgingly. She just doesn't enjoy it like she enjoys getting out on the trails and seeing new country, but I want a horse for both. So within just a day of listing her she is headed to her new home on Monday, where she will have a job as a team penning horse and checking cattle. Very fitting for her.
Of course.... that means the hunt is on! Not my favourite thing. But I have 3 contenders lined up so far and a few more to sort through.
And then there is miss Clancy.
I decided to list her for sale. I want a horse with a little more feel, one that will really move off my leg and soften in my hands. Clancy will do it, but it is rather grudgingly. She just doesn't enjoy it like she enjoys getting out on the trails and seeing new country, but I want a horse for both. So within just a day of listing her she is headed to her new home on Monday, where she will have a job as a team penning horse and checking cattle. Very fitting for her.
Of course.... that means the hunt is on! Not my favourite thing. But I have 3 contenders lined up so far and a few more to sort through.
Monday, November 25, 2013
A clinic and new digs
On Saturday morning I watched a Jim Anderson clinic that Shayla was riding in. For those of you not familiar with Jim, he's an Alberta man who is a world champion Cowboy Up Challenge, is a Wild Card in next year's Road to the Horse, and is a champion of many reining and NRHA shows. I competed against him in open shows when he was a little kid, my how far he has come!
I took photos of Shayla and another local young lady, here are two of my favorites.
I will be riding Rio in the same clinic in January. Shayla is coming over on Wednesday to do some body work on him, as I find him quite stiff and I want to get him adjusted before I start really making him work.
Now that the mares don't live here any more, I was able to move Beamer so that he is next to Rio and Josie, I think he is pretty happy that he can visit with them. I have a 4 ft. alley between them, but he can touch noses at the water troughs.
Beamer's new digs are 20 ft wide by 70 ft. long, made out of my corral panels. He still gets turnout in his special paddock during the afternoon. I need to get some plywood for the west side (this is taken facing north) but I don't have shelter from the south wind for him yet, I'll have to rig something up. That's the problem with being a renter instead of a land owner, nothing is ever perfect. His old shelter had no protection from the north.
That overhang at the top left of this photo is where Beamer used to live, it will now house the truck that Ted is building from the ground up, a 1971 Chevy 4X4.
I took photos of Shayla and another local young lady, here are two of my favorites.
I will be riding Rio in the same clinic in January. Shayla is coming over on Wednesday to do some body work on him, as I find him quite stiff and I want to get him adjusted before I start really making him work.
Now that the mares don't live here any more, I was able to move Beamer so that he is next to Rio and Josie, I think he is pretty happy that he can visit with them. I have a 4 ft. alley between them, but he can touch noses at the water troughs.
That overhang at the top left of this photo is where Beamer used to live, it will now house the truck that Ted is building from the ground up, a 1971 Chevy 4X4.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Answers
My last post generated several questions, so I thought I'd cover them all in a post.
First of all, I will continue to blog- that is for sure! I love interacting with all of you, and even if I don't leave comments on the blogs I follow, I do try to read them. The blog community is a wonderful, supportive and caring group, love you guys!
Aurora was surprised that I'm letting Gussie go; it was a tough decision to let both mares go, but I have Rio to ride now, and Gussie will do much better if she is given a job to do. She doesn't do well with a lot of time off as she tends to get herd bound, but whenever she is ridden regularly she is awesome. Also, I would like to see her crossed out on a different stallion, so the choices for her in Saskatchewan are better than me keeping her. The fellow that will be checking her out might be a perfect fit for her, we'll see.
Malory asked, how long have I been doing this? I assume she meant breeding horses. 18 years. Selectively breeding just a few horses, with temperament, conformation and athletic ability uppermost in my breeding program.
Several of you have encouraged me to keep Josie, and I agree that she is a little charmer. I may just keep her, as I really do prefer riding mares, so we will see what happens over the next couple of years. Also, I have made a deal with Belle's purchaser that if she is in foal and produces a filly that I get to keep the filly.
And finally, Stella Belle. Yes, I have received the test results, all of which were negative for neurological diseases. No West Nile, EV1, or EPM. Not Rabies or Tetanus. I had the opportunity to speak with an experienced horse vet a couple of days ago, and the first thing he said when I described what happened was trauma. Apparently when there is trauma to the head, there is a bone at the base of the skull/neck that breaks during head trauma such as falling over backwards etc. and all the things that happened to Stella were what he described. The suddenness and violence of the incident and the rapid deterioration all were there. My first instinct when this happened was that Stella got her head through the panels to visit with Nitro, and jerked back and hurt her neck , then panicked and ran out of the shelter, where she started running into things and crashing around. I didn't see her put her neck through the panels as I had my back turned while I fed Beamer his hay, but turned around when I heard the clatter of Stella running over the poop scooping shovel that was leaning against the wall as she fled from the shelter.
So basically, Stella had a broken neck.
And me having to make the call to euthanize her was better than having her suffer until she died, because there is no recovery from this kind of trauma. I cried when I realized that, because until then, I wasn't sure. What if...
The expense of having the neuro tests also gave me some peace, because I know for sure that my little herd is healthy.
And now that I have made these changes, it's time to get on with life. New goals include getting Rio legged up so that I can ride him in a Jim Anderson clinic in January. My goal for Rio is to enter Cowboy Up challenge competitions, and if I can, get someone to show him in English classes that will showcase his lovely movement. (Shayla!)
As for Beamer, I will stand him to other people's mares and he will get lots of riding too.
But I'm going to miss my girls.
First of all, I will continue to blog- that is for sure! I love interacting with all of you, and even if I don't leave comments on the blogs I follow, I do try to read them. The blog community is a wonderful, supportive and caring group, love you guys!
Aurora was surprised that I'm letting Gussie go; it was a tough decision to let both mares go, but I have Rio to ride now, and Gussie will do much better if she is given a job to do. She doesn't do well with a lot of time off as she tends to get herd bound, but whenever she is ridden regularly she is awesome. Also, I would like to see her crossed out on a different stallion, so the choices for her in Saskatchewan are better than me keeping her. The fellow that will be checking her out might be a perfect fit for her, we'll see.
Malory asked, how long have I been doing this? I assume she meant breeding horses. 18 years. Selectively breeding just a few horses, with temperament, conformation and athletic ability uppermost in my breeding program.
Several of you have encouraged me to keep Josie, and I agree that she is a little charmer. I may just keep her, as I really do prefer riding mares, so we will see what happens over the next couple of years. Also, I have made a deal with Belle's purchaser that if she is in foal and produces a filly that I get to keep the filly.
And finally, Stella Belle. Yes, I have received the test results, all of which were negative for neurological diseases. No West Nile, EV1, or EPM. Not Rabies or Tetanus. I had the opportunity to speak with an experienced horse vet a couple of days ago, and the first thing he said when I described what happened was trauma. Apparently when there is trauma to the head, there is a bone at the base of the skull/neck that breaks during head trauma such as falling over backwards etc. and all the things that happened to Stella were what he described. The suddenness and violence of the incident and the rapid deterioration all were there. My first instinct when this happened was that Stella got her head through the panels to visit with Nitro, and jerked back and hurt her neck , then panicked and ran out of the shelter, where she started running into things and crashing around. I didn't see her put her neck through the panels as I had my back turned while I fed Beamer his hay, but turned around when I heard the clatter of Stella running over the poop scooping shovel that was leaning against the wall as she fled from the shelter.
So basically, Stella had a broken neck.
And me having to make the call to euthanize her was better than having her suffer until she died, because there is no recovery from this kind of trauma. I cried when I realized that, because until then, I wasn't sure. What if...
The expense of having the neuro tests also gave me some peace, because I know for sure that my little herd is healthy.
And now that I have made these changes, it's time to get on with life. New goals include getting Rio legged up so that I can ride him in a Jim Anderson clinic in January. My goal for Rio is to enter Cowboy Up challenge competitions, and if I can, get someone to show him in English classes that will showcase his lovely movement. (Shayla!)
As for Beamer, I will stand him to other people's mares and he will get lots of riding too.
But I'm going to miss my girls.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Changes
As fall advances, and the visual world changes, there are other changes going on here. The first is happy news for me, not so happy for Shayla. She decided to return Rio to me, not because she didn't want him but logistically she couldn't keep 3 horses, and this will keep him in her life even if she doesn't actually own him any more. So he gets to stay, and I'm pretty happy with that.
The second change was not an easy decision for me.
It's something that I have had to work up to.
I have decided to sell my mares, and get out of raising foals.
The heartbreak of losing 3 foals this year was the deciding factor. I can't keep the mares and not raise foals because I know how good those foals are, so to remove the temptation, they are being rehomed. Coyote Belle, once I get the 5 panel test done on her, will be going to Fleetwood Farms where she will be reunited with Chickory, and be bred to Jazz Poco Goldun Blue, with a likelihood of raising some lovely grulla babies as she is homozygous for black.
Gussie will be travelling to Saskatchewan to my friend Carol's place (All These Pretty Horses blog) where she will be either sold to a ranch type home, or go into Carols broodmare band to be bred to Blue Shadow Jets, her big blue/bay roan stallion and raise some big ranch colts.
Beamer will miss his girls but I will stand him to the public, and I sure hope I can get some mares booked to him because he is an exceptional sire of beautiful, correct and good minded foals.
I may or may not sell Josie, time will tell. I haven't decided for sure yet.
The second change was not an easy decision for me.
It's something that I have had to work up to.
I have decided to sell my mares, and get out of raising foals.
The heartbreak of losing 3 foals this year was the deciding factor. I can't keep the mares and not raise foals because I know how good those foals are, so to remove the temptation, they are being rehomed. Coyote Belle, once I get the 5 panel test done on her, will be going to Fleetwood Farms where she will be reunited with Chickory, and be bred to Jazz Poco Goldun Blue, with a likelihood of raising some lovely grulla babies as she is homozygous for black.
Gussie will be travelling to Saskatchewan to my friend Carol's place (All These Pretty Horses blog) where she will be either sold to a ranch type home, or go into Carols broodmare band to be bred to Blue Shadow Jets, her big blue/bay roan stallion and raise some big ranch colts.
I may or may not sell Josie, time will tell. I haven't decided for sure yet.
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