Things are just ticking along here; I worked with Sassy again today, just tied her to the hitching rail and threw the saddle on her just like an old broke horse, then longed her and ground drove her in the bosal. She is super easy to work with; she even loped saddled today with no fuss. There's no buck in this girl. If she was a little older, she could be ridden. Can't wait! but I must! I have a young friend who weighs about as much as a feather, and I'm going to ask her if she'll do the first rides on Sassy in the early spring. That is, if I don't get her sold first. This would be one super 4H horse.
Chickory got lesson number three today in the mini round pen. I've been touching the stick to her back as she goes around, the pen is small enough that I can keep it on her all the way around; I'm trying to desensitize her to being touched. I've also been tossing the halter and leadrope over her, and today I fished it around her neck like I did with Andee. I know. I could use my lariat, but this is softer and easier to release.
We ended the lesson when she gave me one step when I pulled on the rope. This sure is an athletic filly; she did a sideways leap yesterday that covered 10 feet. She is destined to be a cutter, I'm thinking. Must be that Docs Hickory blood. After she cooled out for a bit, I took the grain pail in and got her eating out of it when I was holding it, and even let me touch her face a little with the back of my hand. I tell you, I've never had a horse like this one that is so wary of people. You'd think she was a wildy! But I can see her mind a-working , and today there was a lot of lip licking, chewing, and lowered head- in between bouts of the quickest turns and jumps! But she gave in a lot quicker today, as she figured out that all I wanted from her was to stop her feet and stand, look at me, and let me rub her with the stick. We're getting there!
Once I get my horse dentist up here, I'll get her teeth floated and wolf teeth pulled, then I'll introduce her to the snaffle bit. This filly comes from Bar Diamond Y Quarter Horses, (see their link on my Sale Barn) and they are all proving to have this wonderful trainable mind. My friend John is 75 years old, and he is starting them himself. Good for him!
And I'm really thankful that we did not get the snow that my friends in Saskatchewan got yesterday!!! Thanks for the photos, Carol!
We only had about 800 head go through, so we got off early and I worked with Andee, who is coming along nicely. She is much easier to halter- don't have to use the stick now and she is trusting me enough that I can pet her after I turn her loose. Also I have someone interested in her, so all my work on her will pay off and I can halter and lead her for them when they come up to see her. She really is a nice girl at heart, and kinda pretty too!
All my weanlings have a good winter coat coming in. I plan on riding Beamer a lot this winter so I decided to start blanketing him, and put his blanket on him this afternoon. I'll take it off during the days if it warms up.
She does look wary, doesn't she!
She had to check out all the new smells;
And then all three mares took off through the trees. This picture is funny because Coyote Belle is ahead of Gussie but all you can see of her is her baby belly sticking out on either side of the tree!
(it's hard to use the camera and lead at the same time!)You can see that she is following me nicely on a loose line. After I turned her loose, she let me walk up to her and pet her. So we made good progress today. I think next time I'll be able to halter her without using the stick. If you are curious how I do that, it goes like this: I drape the halter and lead rope on the end of the stick and rub it on the filly. Once she accepts that, I drape it on her so that the halter end is on her off side, and the lead rope on the near side. Then I use the stick to fish the lead rope through the throatlatch area of the halter, and bring the end of the rope where I can reach it, and it works like having a lariat around her neck. Once she is used to that, I slide the noseband on her nose- the first day with the stick, today with my hands. She still won't just let me reach up to do up the halter, so I flip the headcollar piece over her neck with the stick, then rub her neck til I can take the rope and run it through and do it up. The first day I had to do that one-handed; today after a little fussing, I was able to use both hands. So we are continuing to build trust, without having to force this filly into things; the only time I ever had to really get after her was at first when she kept turning her butt to me- she doesn't do that any more! I think she will be a really willing horse once she gets the picture, and having Peppy in with the fillies will be good because of how friendly he is.
Next is Bardella Bobby Jo, a two year old buckskin mare.
They say about her that she has a smooth trot, carries her head down and is learning her leg and seat cues.
I think she's a gorgeous mare! Not sure how tall she is. I will do another post on the yearlings and weanlings tonight. If you would like to talk to John about these horses, email him at dsorge@gss.org 
On my visor is a Cross with the motorists prayer and a holy card; sunglasses with the business card for the vet tucked in behind. Also in the front I keep a power box for plugging in my cell phone, more sunglasses, pens and cd's and tucked into the headliner on each side is a poppy for Remembrance Day (Memorial Day in the US).
And in the back-what else but two border collies! When winter hits, I'll have a few more things, such as a blanket, a shovel, warm gloves; and I'll cover the back seat with an old sheet so that the dogs can ride inside when it gets too cold.