Old News - New news and a very busy week

As always, when one puts off a project-- it keeps mounting up until you are far behind. There's so much to do on the farm with several shows coming up and pastures to maintain.. I have not been very diligent about posting news and photo's.

Last week-- on my birthday -- which now seems like very old history.. we managed to have 2 rides out. The first was planned, the second one-- a 'spur' of the moment. My daughter and I wanted to have a special ride for my birthday, but until that morning, we could not come up with a NEW trail to try. As we were saddling up, I had the thought.. let's try the Hospital Trail. I have been down that trail only once a long time ago on the 4-wheeler-- Zoe has never been on it. So that's where we headed. We trot up the Snow's Trail to Monument Hill - and again, like so many old Vermont roads.. the road ends and trail begins. Here, we wonder-- which way ? There were many offshoots, so we plan on heading back over there again soon to do some more exploring.

We choose this way.

It was a steady downhill all the way.

Eventually it comes out right by the hospital, but we decided to take a left to head home on a very steep wooded trail which eventually exits onto another dead end.
Much steeper than it looks here, the horses and riders worked hard.
When we got out onto the road to head home, the horses were happy to trot and canter on more level going. I am sure I added a few muscles to my thighs on this ride.

Zoe has had Winter Dancer at her house for a few weeks- time to switch mounts. That evening, I saddled up Sweet Bee to ride to Zoe's to meet her so we could ride home together. Funny how when you are riding alone, the trail has a entirely different look to it-- as Sweet Bee and I rode along, we were both hoping we were heading correctly.

The woods are a bit darker at sundown. Sweet Bee was confident her rider knew the way, she was great about listening and I was great about pretending I did know perfectly where I was going :)

Just as I reached the opening to Zoe's dead end road, my cell phone rang--- where are you guys ??

But-- there's Zoe and Dancer waiting patiently for us.

In the evening, the shadows are long - the rays of the setting sun strong. I love an end of the day trot out.

Here's the beaver pond behind us as we are almost home.









Short ride but fun !

During the week, the vet came out to do rabies vaccinations on all the horses. Partly due to the riding center with people coming and going, I feel more assured with an official certificate on each horse just in case. I had the opportunity to snap this head shot of OYY Cosette.

She is a beautiful smooth coated large pony mare. She has been ridden but not since last year. She's been busy growing and maturing- and probably next week, we'll move her up closer to the barn to start up her saddle training again.

OYY Little "Z" has been in training- long lining and ground driving-- coming along very well. She had the opportunity to cross the bridge and walk over the teeter totter in harness.

She's nearly ready to be backed.

"Z" 's full younger brother, OYY Hollis Brown, is up for training.. he's only 2 years old but there's plenty for him to learn on the ground.

Lastly-- I found kittens hidden in my hay loft. Not wanting them to end up as wild feral un-neutered cats- I captured them and we have been doing some kitten de-sensitizing all week. Zoe's children- Rena and Dominic have enjoyed their kitten training.

Here's Dominic- kitten whisperer - with the lot of them. Some one has a Siamese tom on the prowl in the neighborhood I guess, because 2 of them are marked like Siamese (Frankie and Little Ears). Kittens are fun -

Today it's raining- which is welcome.. it's been dry here and last week, it seems most all farmers finished baling their first cut. I'll probably spread a little fertilizer on the grass which has already been grazed and closed off so it will sprout back quickly to that sweet tender nibbling the horses are so fond of.

Enjoy your day ~

Lilacs, Springtime and our New Appaloosa !

Grass breath and peepers- like the champagne and caviar of spring time for the senses. And everywhere I look there is something to attend to. And it's not just the horses that are enjoying the new green treat !

I mentioned in a previous blog post-- spring is early this year... each year, my Dad and I e-mail to see who has the earliest Lilacs. We both have May birthdays.. will the lilacs bloom on his birthday or mine ? This spring-- we both win--

These buds will most likely be in full bloom for my big day (next week) and the lilac blossoms on a bush I planted several years ago are already out-- for my Dad's big day. I don't think I can remember a spring with Lilacs so soon.

Zoe and I got out for a quick trot with Keri and Ivan. One of our favorite trail activities is to cross the highway and follow the brook.

We can walk and trot up the little brook quite a ways- ducking under trees and branches

and stepping up the various little "waterfalls" along the way.

A big change on the trail-- leaves are fully out ! This makes every trail seem like a new one after traveling in winter.

Now the horses are almost fully shedded-- and this spring we discover-- we have a new appaloosa mare !! OYY Hecate (out of Lilly and Frostfire's Tadpole) was always a very dark bay, almost black mare. This year, she shed out to expose her new spots and frosting--

Here she is as a 3 day old newborn and as a 2 year old. No white whatsoever.. Appy coloring is funny like that.

So I wonder now how my new little appaloosa colored curly pony colt, OYY Matisse, will end up looking like ?

Off to prepare for 'Farrier Day'... lots of hooves to trim. for me one of those necessary evils- because it's so boring to stand and hold horses all morning.

Enjoy your day ~

Mother's Day Weekend and a sneaky ride

Spring has sprung early this year. I was whining some about the cold and wishing for warmer weather. Well, here it is -- BOOM-- all of a sudden... there's stuff to be done everywhere !! I should have known better and kept my wishes to myself. The gardens are growing already... weeds especially. Fields are greening up like mad... fence to be fixed, horses to be brushed, hooves are growing like the weeds, fenceline needs trimming already and the lawn needs mowing too... In short-- where do I start ? This year there is no gentle easing into springtime.. yikes ~

Zoe and I took our Mother's Day ride on Saturday.. we pondered, where to go this time ? Some time ago, we heard news that the "Campground" down the road aways had been sold. There is a wonderful trail through the campgrounds that we discovered about 15 years ago but after we had traveled it enough times to be in love with it.. the owners came out one day and asked us not to not to ride on it anymore. We have reminisced about that trail ever since, missing it. It made a great "connection" trail - trotting down the road, zipping into and down the Scott trail, crossing over Trebo Road into the ancient graveyard and down this campground trail. Today, we decided to try it and see....

By entering the trail from the Trebo side, we are actually doing the trek backwards-- it's more fun to enter it from the other side- but in case there are still owners who do not want horses traveling-- by riding it backwards- when we arrive at the other side, if the owners are upset with us-- we can always say we were lost and apologise. At least we will have the opportunity to ride it at least one more time.

These fun "signs" are posted along the way - so because we are riding from the opposite side- I had to stop, turn around, and take a photo of each one.

You can see they have been up for awhile-- the trees are growing in around the signs now.

Long ago, we loved to canter up this trail and smile at the messages along the way.




At the end, which is actually the beginning, we cross a bridge and enter the campground.

We discover, while there may be new owners (if the rumor was correct) -- the campground remains and there are campers there, so we slow down and walk quietly and invisibly.. taking a wide berth around the office/house... trying to leave no evidence of our ride just in case.

While we are out this way, we continue our trot over to ChesterBelle Farm, where I have a lease pasture for summer grazing--- I can check the fenceline from horseback. I have had the use of this pasture through 2 owners now, for almost 17 years. Riding the fence took a lot less time than walking it-- we scared up a flock of large wild Gobblers.. had to open the gate from horseback, cross many stone walls - so wherever we ride, whatever the month- we are always practicing obstacles of some sort.

it was a wonderful ride- and I got to cross- check fence - off my list of things to do !!




On the actual day of Mothers - I decided to string some fence and open up a new planting for my pony Mothers. It was a very sunny day with lots of wind- one of those days where you take off your sweatshirt and put it back on numerous times. 2 years ago, this area was over-run with brush, ferns, new growth trees and saplings. Now, it's a field I can actually mow !

Happy moms and babies... it's very early in the year to have grazing this nice.

While stringing the fence, I spotted this white and pink trillium. I don't usually see trilliums this color. Most often, they are dark burgundy.

These flowers have the scent of rotting flesh as they are pollinated by the flies that like meat gone bad. Thoreau compared its odor to that of a dead rat in a wall! Icky aroma- but beautiful sight.

Now-- off to check my list of things to do for today.

Enjoy the day ~

Sunday Show Time

Zoe's first ride time of the day is at 8:30-- so up early to groom, braid and pack the car. This first show of the season is sponsored by CVDA (Central Vermont Dressage Ass'n). Our original plan was to bring OYY Salvadore for his first foray out into the world and Zoe has been schooling him for the last 2 months. I guess it took awhile for the show secretary to actually look closely at the entry paperwork-- because Zoe got the call a few days before the show-- CVDA does not allow studs at the show. Who to take now ? OYY Elektra still had her fairly current coggins paperwork from last fall.. so Zoe chose her. Not much time to ready her though.. other than 2 thorough baths and some quick ring time.

Off we go-- as ready as we can be. This show is held on the GMHA showgrounds, in Woodstock Vermont. This is typically beautiful Vermont pastoral scenery.. rolling green hills and wonderful farms and barns.

A busy place-- they are still dragging some of the rings. There are several show rings-- so always someone in action being judged.

GMHA is a large showgrounds and they host a variety of shows and competitive rides and driving all through the year. They have an awesome cross-country course which winds up and through the hills and woods.

Enough looking around.. time to get ready.

Off to the designated exercise/schooling area, where Zoe and Elektra have to cross a brook.

some last minute instructions on where to enter and when.

Elektra earned a respectable 65.5% that day.. considering that she acted up a bit on the 20 meter circle in the first test and didn't even complete the entire circle (what a poophead) -she did well on everything else. Zoe and Elektra came home with a third place ribbon.. not bad for a mare we essentially just pulled out of the pasture a few days ago.

We have already reserved transportation and show times for several shows.. and hope to do as many as time allows. Our two therapeutic riding volunteers- Sara and Jennie also hope to ride and show this summer, So it will be another busy season with lots of fun.

Yesterday... I spent the day checking fence line up on my little mountain in the woods.. Zoe rode the ATV up, I took the tractor-- lots of tools between us and we're almost done. With the unusually high water levels and heavy snows and WIND-- we had more than the usual downed trees.. many of them on the fence. One more day though -- and we'll be good to go.

Off to work.. enjoy your day ~