Obstacle Fun

It's been a busy week at the farm. I have a long repair list to attend to. Heavy snow damage to fence and a few posts were broken off here and there-- one or two because I accidentally backed into the post with the tractor moving snow.

Yesterday, I was replacing one gate post which suffered from just that.. and I decided- I've been wanting to rebuild the entire line of fence anyway .. so as usual, what should have been a rather quick chore ended up taking nearly all day. But, now I have a new stretch of tidy fence much more pleasing to the eye. I guess it was worth it.

Obstacles are my main focus this month, with the RAC mini contest in the works for the month. I do love a challenge. Last year I came up with some decent obstacles using the Calmer, Smarter, Braver obstacle list. This year I am aiming for more, better, daring and fun..

I built a teeter-totter for horses and before it was even completed, Zoe came back from schooling OYY Salvadore in the big ring and tried it out. Salvadore loved it and found it to be quite easy. Here's the short little impromptu video of my little pony walking over it. He'd maybe make a nice circus pony ?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuJMdgKObtA

What a ham he is.

Bad boy Salvadore ducked under the fence last year and bred a pony mare- we were all watching from a distance and by the time we got down to gather him up, the deed had been done. I noted the rendez-vous on my calendar and sure enough-- right to the day, OYY Niobe delivered our first Salvadore foal. It only took that one time. He's a lovely smooth coated red colt who is going to make a wonderful smart sport medium pony-- Niobe is a smooth forward mount and Salvadore is obviously multi-talented-- although an "oops" baby, this little guy does have all the right genes. His name is OYY Walkan Osier- Ozzie for short.

And since the see-saw is still down in the barnyard, Ozzie had a chance to try it out too.

Tarps are always on the top of the obstacle list and they are so versatile. We always use them in various ways in training. This week I put together a tarp alleyway. As soon as it was assembled and up, My Keri Luna (daughter of my lovely Keri and our talented and handsome Chip) tried it out for me.

OYY Little "Z" , a Chip daughter, has been up for serious training. She has been introduced to a variety of obstacles. Last week, "Z" did the tire and the bridge-- this week is 'tarp week'. Flinging the tarp at her from all directions, rubbing it on her on all sides- until she stands quietly and can easily wear the tarp

walk on and over the tarp from all directions and stand on it.

And more--




When "Z" is ready for the saddle and riding out, nothing should alarm her now. At the end of her session on day-- "Z" had a stab at the teeter-totter.

Mead's Chocolate Chip is pretty much officially a driving horse now. I made a short video of him this week. Third time hitched and first time trotting with the cart in the big ring. He loves to go down the road and perhaps he'll do a driving show mid-summer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG2SVkYbvdU

OYY Salvadore gets out with his rider, Zoe, several times a week. Their first show is in a few weeks so Zoe and Salvadore practice the intro test A and B. Here is a short video of Test B.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFyENIbXUUg

Salvadore also gets the "treat" of trotting out on the road and trail, which he adores. I am so pleased with this pony. Not only handsome but smart too. :)

I have more 'booby traps' up my sleeve for the horses, so stay tuned for news and photo's.

Enjoy ~

Winds-Day

I know I mentioned a few posts back it was not quite time to store away the snow shovels- just in case of a late spring snowstorm.. but I didn't imagine I'd be needing my long underwear ever again... Yesterday was, as Pooh and Piglet said once-- a rather blustery day -a real Winds-day. Cold, raw, snowing. And today.. go figure-- it's 50 degrees again.

Yesterday, on our Winds-day- OYY Nimue got out in the big ring (with the cold the ground was a bit firmer than it's recently been). I got some video footage of her driving. Incredibly, the town trucks are still at it along my road.. a continual queue of dump trucks dumping fill to quell the mud. Nimue was not distracted a bit, she was so happy to be out trotting. What a pleasure Nimue is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GGv8C44kF4

During the week, OYY Little "Z" was up for her start in some training. "Z" is out of Chip and Ahmet and is 15 hands now at almost 3 years old. Her maternal sister is OYY Elektra who has starred in a few blog posts and did so nicely for us in her show debut last fall.

She learns to stand still while we throw the harness all over her from different sides. After the harness is on, she is de-sensitized with flinging the rope up and over and around her legs.

She also steps through the tire and over the little bridge.

"Z" is a beautiful very smart girl

Here's a photo of her dam, Ahmet.

During "Z" 's training session, we had a few nosey on-lookers

OYY Ivan and OYY Dante being curious.

And of course the dogs are always with me. They know better than to enter the "work" area... except Fritz- the little dachshund- he pushes the limits a bit- just barely over the line.

Yesterday, we also hitched Chip fully into the cart and he pulled a passenger with ease and grace. Hopefully tomorrow, I'll be able to get a short video of his real first day out.



Here's a photo of my new cat. She joined my home last week and is quite content. I call her Miss Mew. I also have 2 barn cats, one called Miss Purr and one called Miss Potter. This way, with my aging mind- I never have to remember any of their names-- I can call them all Missy and I am always right.

Enjoy your day- what is left of it.

Our Pulling Curly :)

Despite the nasty weather we've experienced on and off (with one gorgeous warm day in between), we've been working on our goal to get Chip (Mead's Chocolate Chip) expertly pulling a cart. Chip has been my main herd sire for a long time, giving me some awesome foals- both pony sized and tall and sporty. He also has some great grand-kids going under saddle. Last summer, we decided to saddle train Chip- even though his offspring are proof enough of his wonderful qualities, I thought it would be nice to show he is up for the challenge as well. He did well at his training level walk/trot dressage shows and has enjoyed going out on the road and trails for pleasure as well. Now- he's in harness and pulling anything and everything we hitch him too. I hope he can do a few driving shows this summer.

Chip started by pulling the evener- here he is wearing his driving harness with breast plate.

Next step- he is hitched to a truck tire and he quietly pulled that all over the place. The day we decided to bring him down the road- the town was busy dumping fill hoping to improve the incredible MUD situation, so Chip met a lot of traffic of all kinds.

He also met his daughter- OYY Sweet Bee out for a quick trot. That's one great thing about Chip- he pays no attention to mares at all when working.

In that time out on the road- quite a few town trucks passed us.

Here are a few of them waiting for their turn to dump their loads.

Chip has mastered the tire- so it's on to a heavier more difficult load- my stone boat. I acquired this stone boat from an old farmer

about 14 years ago and a few years ago had to re-build the bed. It's about 200 pounds-

Look at the wonderful old hand forged chain. For me, quite a treasure.

The stone boat was no new surprise for Chip- he pulled 2 people on it with no troubles. It's not so easy to sit on the stone boat though and maintain balance in the mud.

These are my "practice" shafts I use to get a horse used to the confines (without fear of damaging my good shafts). Sometimes the restriction of the shafts is what makes the horse most anxious. It also helps us teach Chip how to properly step over and push a bit with his shoulder, which he does not have to do when just hitched with the tugs to a dragging weight-

hitched to the cart- we walk beside and practice those turns over and over, both small pivoting turns and wide ones, until it's time to actually get in the cart and ride.

Yesterday, Zoe and I decided to try Chip in the old work harness I have had for about 20 years. It has pulled many a heavy load for my "family", with the help of the horse of course-- and been to log skid competitions and other pulling affairs. I bought it from a logger, so this old harness and collar has seen some serious work loads. It originally belonged to my extraordinary "grade" mare- Teena -who was 13.3 hands and 1200 pounds. I refer to her often in my blog as she was so special and has given us so many wonderful foals and grand-foals.

You can see the outfit is quite aged, but in great condition. Chip seems to enjoy pulling with a collar- all new to him that day.

Chip pulled me and Zoe all over the place- I got off the skoot/sled in order to get a better photo. I bought this old sled from a pulling horse teamster in 1986 ! :) Zoe has been a passenger in carts and sleds since she was a little bug-but has never driven until this year. She is starting to like it I think, even though she's been a passenger in some occasional "sketchy" driving situations.

Chip pulling both of us. We had fun despite the rain and spitting hail/snow.

Next week, Chip will be pulling the cart down the road in his driving harness.. but it's nice to know he's capable of skidding a load too-- just in case I need to use him for some heavy work in the woods !

Enjoy your day ~

Signs of Spring on Thursday

It's April now--

we've had quite a few days of dreary dismal weather, but have continued to ride and work. Yesterday- Thursday was one of our best days so far-- and signs and sounds of spring were evident everywhere. This is the first day I have seen and heard the Phoebe sing... here he is up at the peak of the barn. If the phoebe nests in the barn- it's very good luck !

The killdeer 'scouts' were out and about, looking ahead for nesting sites and all morning the skies were filled with the constant killdeer call. A few brave red winged blackbirds were also back with their Okaleeee, and throughout the day the robins were trilling their Cheery-up, Cheerio.

We are actually in T-shirts !! I rode Keri, Zoe took OYY Ivan- and we meet our first obstacles before we even get out of the yard !

The excavator is here setting telephone poles for some new gateways I am putting in - I was fortunate to get a very large load of poles when the telephone company was replacing a bunch somewhere in town. Now I have poles set 5 feet in the ground for gateways. Here's 2 poles pretty much set in place.

We ride by the excavator while it is loading poles into the trailer -- and meet Sophie- one of our pot bellied pigs. Also a sure sign of springtime is -- the pigs are out of hibernation and looking for grubs and green grass .. busily gaining back all the weight they lost during their long winter sleep.

Out on the back roads, the mud is still squishy. We trotted further down the roads, intending to do one of our smaller loops-- but the trail was calling us-- with this gorgeous weather so we ducked into one of old tried and trues. Climbed the snowbank between the two trees that make the entrance.

We trot from open trail to still deeply snow covered trail

lots of brooks and meltwater to navigate. In and out of shade and sun.

We pass the little beaver pond- cross the last brook and come out into the field to head home

Once we reach the farm, we decide to trot up into the backyard and see if the horses will walk up the little set of steps I have in a small retaining wall I built 2 years ago. Since April is the month of 'obstacles' we are always looking for some.

This is too easy though--

The best sight of the day-- the Mourning Cloak- a butterfly that hibernates all winter, usually in cracks in the bark of trees, and reappears in early spring. The only discouraging signpost of spring I ran into today was a couple of swirling black flies..

We managed to to get in some great training sessions this week as well as some great pleasure riding. Chip is busy pulling everything and anything we hitch him to. OYY Queen Jane Approximately is up for some re-education. OYY Little "Z" has officially begun her preparation for saddle training and OYY Dante is back being ridden after a few months off.. due to being busy with others. He was thrilled to be the 'chosen one'. I'll post all that news with photo's another day !!

Enjoy your day ~