Vacation can be wonderful and tiring at the same time, so Brian and I found ourselves too worn out to go to the barn on Friday. Today, however, both Bear and Steen seemed very happy to see us, coming to meet us at the gate. Steen’s left front foot has gotten weirdly splayed and spread… Read more »
bareback
Familiar and Content
As much as it was fun to work with Jak and Rojo while we were in Tucson, it was really pretty wonderful to see our boys again this morning. The herd was way out in the pasture, and as Brian and I hiked out to them Steen saw us and started to walk in our… Read more »
Horse Hopping
Although my mom and my sister each have a horse, lately neither of them has had much opportunity to ride. My sister’s horse, Jak, is happily one of those rare horses who doesn’t seem to backslide much even when left standing for long periods of time. He is sometimes a total goofball and maybe a… Read more »
Wet Backs and Baths
We started our barn visit today with more baby time. I am rather astounded at how quickly Whisper is growing and becoming physically coordinated. He now spends a fair bit of time trying to get his mother to race around with him. I have yet to see him succeed, but he’s pretty entertaining to watch… Read more »
The Hind End
We had to delay our barn outing this afternoon, as a storm rolled in right as Brian got off work. We consoled ourselves with the knowledge that it stays light late this time of year. It turns out it was worth the wait. By the time we reached the barn, temps had fallen and there… Read more »
Sweet Talk
Horses aren’t super vocal creatures. For the most part the horses I’ve owned and handled tend to call out when they are feeling isolated and nicker when they are excited for their dinner. I have also heard the occasional nicker exchanged between horses who have been separated and are happy to be together again, or horses who haven’t met… Read more »
Mostly Quiet
After our weekend off we were happy the thunderstorms that blew through earlier in the day had cleared up by the time Brian and I were both done with work. We headed out to the barn eager to see the boys. But first we had to hang out with Whisper a bit. Since we’re some… Read more »
Early Summer Changes
We arrived at the barn on Friday afternoon eager to meet the new horse on the premises. Or more accurately, the new foal. “Whisper” arrived some time in the night. Cathi was in the pen with the baby and the momma when we arrived, so we even got to go in and pet the little guy.… Read more »
Working the Trot
I am definitely getting impatient for my new saddle. Granted, I can lope bareback and I have done so a whole lot over the course of my life, but Steen is still far from great at the lope and what he needs is to have a quiet, balanced rider while he gets used to it… Read more »
Sub-par Saddle
Today I decided to throw my saddle back on Steen. I did this for a few different reasons, one of them just being curiosity. I’ve always known the saddle was not an ideal fit for him, but I guess I wasn’t convinced it was a horrible fit either. Still, Steen has been so quiet lately… Read more »