August 2011 SWTPA / NATRC

What a great show!

I FINALLY worked up the nerve to team pen. And it was AWESOME! I loved it! I love the speed of it and the action of it.

I had been wanting to try for sometime now, but just never worked up the nerve to throw my name in the draw. Well, I finally just did it. I rode with a man named Syd and Felicia's son, Coy. It was so fun! There were 14 teams and we got third place. No money as it only paid first and second, but I earned another 8 points for year end. Won't matter much tho as I only have like 14 points anyway, but now I have 22. LOL

We had 3 head on our first go. Syd and Coy got 2 head and the third one just pealed it's way out of the herd right in front of me. So I started hollering pen, pen, pen. I was the hole person and Syd and Coy were the wing and swing. One of the cows got past Coy and ran back towards the herd. It was too late to do anything so we penned the 2 we had. On our second go, Coy pealed out one good and one trash. I didn't stop the trash so had to haul butt after it down the arena wall. I finally headed it and turned it back and chased the crap out of it. Again, Coy pulled one good and one trash out of the herd. We were running out of time, so brought them both down to the pen. This time Syd was the hole and Coy was the wing and I was the swing. Coy took off after the trash and hollered at me to pen. So I penned our 1 cow and threw my hand in the air as we waited on Coy to push the trash back past the foul line. We finished the a total of 3 head and third place. Yes, I am hooked!

I sorted 3 times in the 3 class. My partners were Vicki, Mike and my draw was Katie, their niece. Mike and I got 3, Vicki and I got 4 and Katie and I busted. No short runs for me this month. But I wasn't distraught about it. The cows were tough and we did the best we could for novices. Even though I had no short goes, I was real happy with our performance. Shelby and I are starting to click. Slow as it may be, we are getting there. I am finally learning to set her back and then turn her when working the hole and we didn't let one cow get past us even though the pressure was on!

The Wednesday prior to the show, I did take a lesson with James and it was a good one. He only corrected me once. My moves were good, Shelby and I are working better as a team all the time, so I am real happy with that. James even commented on how Shelby has really calmed down. He even said again that he knew I would be good for her.

Summer is really coming along and getting fit for our job as Safety Chair for the Benefit NATRC ride in September. It is the weekend of the 10th. We do about 3 good conditioning rides a week and on the weekend we do long slow distance in the pasture with some moving out. Even if we have to hit every trail 3 or 4 times. I may get bored, but it is for her benefit and health.

I bought Hank the Hackney Pony back. Hank has dropped a considerable amount of weight. David was very upset a couple of weeks ago when he saw him. When I was leasing him from Barb, he was being fed twice a day as he is a hard keeper. I wish he was an air fern, but he isn't. When I relinquished my leash on him, Barb only fed him once a day. That wasn't working, and he started loosing weight. Then she was going to sell him. He was in no condition to sell as he needed to gain about 50 pounds. I literally wanted to be sick every time I thought about him leaving. So I talked to her about him and asked how much. She told me. I told her I wanted to buy him out right. So she cut the price in half and starting crying as she was so happy I was buying him. Even David was glad that Hank is back with us. Plus, when we get our own place, Hank will be the third horse I was planning on getting anyway as I wanted a companion horse for when Summer or Shelby had to leave for work.

Chompers has a new home. I have given him to my driving instructor Denise. Her barn isn't ready yet, but should be done in fall, then he will be leaving. I love that little pony, but she will take him somewhere as far as showing. He will be awesome in the show ring and Denise is the one that can take him there! So I am excited as they will be a good match, much like Hank and I.

Update...on everything

Well, its been a bit since I last blogged.

All is still going good. Well, at least for my little world.

Shelby and I are becoming more of a team and starting to "get" each other. She is in my hip pocket and a very loving mare. She reminds me of Fawtal in that sense. Summer is stoic and aloof and Shelby is all in your business. LOL

Shelby and I went to our clinic at James' on Sunday. Along with Vicki, Mike, Connie, Robin and Courtney. It was a good one. We all made mistakes, but we made more good moves than bad ones.

Oh, and I wanted to log that I was real proud of Shelby and her trailing training too. I knew she would get right in by herself, with no Summer, to go to James's Sunday morning, but would she get in at James' to come home. I had faith in her as she has been at the barn going on 2 months now and is very attached to Summer. And if for some reason she didn't want to get in, James would be there to help. Well, after out lesson and it was time to go, James, Anthony and Robin were standing in the shade next to my trailer talking, I pointed Shelby at the trailer and said, "load up", and she hopped right in with no questions asked! I was so proud of her. I told them, "trailer training complete". LOL

I took her home, unloaded and put her up then went and took a 2 hour break. I decided to take her to Roy's for a couple of sorting runs with Tracey and Amira. I had asked James if he thought taking Shelby to Roy's would be too much since we had had the lesson. He said no, she was in the prime of her life and a few runs at Roy's would be fine. So here was a major trailer training question, would she get back in on the same day she had already gotten in twice for a trip? Well, when it was time to go to Roy's, she answered my question by hopping right in! So proud of my little paint girl!

Tracey took her own rig, so we met up there. I ran with DK, Tracey and Dennis Brooks. All pretty good runs. I got my first 2 sets of doubles while running with Dennis. It was awesome! Twice when it was my time in the pen to get my number, they lined up for me. I pushed them semi-quick and would holler "double, double, let'em go!" Very cool.

Letha was walking around asking folks if they wanted to jackpot. I told her no as I was so tired. I had gotten up at 5am to get ready to be at James' by 6:30 to saddle and warm up cause the lesson started at 7am. I didn't go to sleep until about 12:30am, so I was just exhausted. Well, when it was time to start jackpot, Letha told Roy they needed 1 more novice to round out the class. So I raised my hand and told them I would do it. Well, my draw was a girl named Krista. She is good, but we had never run together before. Well, we went in and got all ten head in 58 seconds! It was awesome!

A few team busted but about 3 other teams also got 10 head. In the end, we finished with 14 head and second place. The first place team also finished with 14 head but a 6 second faster time. But I can now officially say, Shelby and I have won money.

Well, when it was time to go, I had faith that Shelby would agree that it was time to go home and get in the trailer. And she agreed, she loaded right up.

Money and Tuesday night was Summer's turn. We did a conditioning ride on both nights. Monday we rode 1.60 miles at 8mph, then another mile and a half at a walk. On Tuesday we did 2.30 miles at 8mph then another 2 miles or so at a walk for cool down. On both nights though, she acted like she still had more fuel to give me, but I want to do this slow as she has fat to burn and muscle to build. Last night and tonight, she has off, but will do another one on Friday night and Sunday morning. Then I need to start doing some long slow distance with her. If I have to hit every trail we have 3 times, I will. I may get bored with it, but it is for her own good.

Chompers is still being Chompers. I think I have found him a girlfriend though. My friend Courtney has a 29" mini paint mare she wants to breed. She wants a baby for herself. It probably won't be this year as it is too late and you don't want them giving birth in the heat of summer. But starting early next year, we will probably put them together and just let him "pasture breed" her.

Way over a month since I have blogged....

I can't believe it's been over a month since I have blogged. I really haven't been doing much with my equine kids so I guess that could be the reason for my absence.

I haven't been sorting in 3 months. I didn't compete in May due to my Driving Trail Challenge on the same day. I didn't compete in June due to me throwing a birthday party for a senior friend of mine. And I didn't compete in July just cause it was hot, I have been having tummy problems and I was a bit short on funds. And I may or may not compete in August. That is going to depend on my mood and this blasted Texas heat.

But my kids are doing good. Summer is doing well. We trail ride mostly in the pasture as I just don't see hauling out somewhere in this heat. I can go to my barn (6 miles from the house), ride as much as I want and go home. Granted, it ain't no 1500 or 20,000 acres, but it is hard for me to reason on hauling my horse in the heat of the day in that hot trailer. I know hauling to the ride is fine, but by noon or later, it is just blasted hot in a horse trailer. Call me kookey, but I wouldn't want to be in that trailer if I was a horse. Just saying. Maybe when I finally get some bus fans in my trailer, then I won't feel like such a heel for hauling in 105* weather.

Hank is looking real good. It took all of the winter and spring, but I have really fattened him up. When we did the ADS July of 2009, the judge spoke with me on Hank's weight. That he was a little lean. Course, I was pouring food to him at the time. At least I thought I was. So, I did a power pack on him and uped his feed a little. Plus he gets out for about 8 to 10 hours a day now on coastal. So he looks wonderful now. Once this heat starts to give us a break, I will be taking lessons with him. It is just so hot that I don't go out to the barn until about 8pm now just to try and beat the heat.

Chompers is fat and sassy as ever. He got a new/used biothane harness the other day. I have been borrowing one that isn't pieced together right. And it's leather so it has to been cleaned a lot. Now that I have my own and he has his own cart now, I see us driving much more when the weather cools a bit. But he looks real snazzy in his new harness.

Anywho, that is pretty much about it. If we finally do something that folks might actually want to read about, well, y'all will be the first to know! LOL

Hugs!

Update on my equines...It's been awhile! Chompers...

Let's see...Well, first off, my mini man, Chompers, is officially broke to ride and drive. As a 14 year old stallion, he had never done either. He did his first birthday party pony ride at his previous owners house. Her name is Nancy and her grandson had turned 5 and was having a big party. I offered to bring Chompers for riding and my friend June brought her mini named Jarret for cart rides. The kids had a blast and both ponies were perfect gentlemen. We couldn't have asked for better behaved ponies. After it was over, I had to admit to Nancy that, that was Chompers first time as a riding pony. She said she figured, but knew Chomps had a good temperment and was a good boy. I was real proud of him. Here is a picture of him giving a ride to Rylan.


*****************My mini man being a perfect little gentleman*********

The rest of the following week I spent training him to drive. Near the end, you always need help from second or third parties as you can't do it all by yourself. When it was time to show him the cart, June helped me. He could care less. Barb was our main assisting person, but when we were ready to drive him, she wasn't at the farm. So June and I slipped the shafts in the tug loops and just let him pull it around with me driving from behind the cart and her holding his lead rope. We didn't hook him as if there was an emergency, he would just slip out of the cart.

Once Barb got to the farm, we hitched him up and I ground drove again from behind the cart. We only did this for about 5 minutes and then all agreed it was time! I was so excited! I know Barb and June will let me drive one of their many ponies. But I wanted to drive MY pony! So we headed to the out door arena and I got in the cart. They had two lead ropes on him and they each got on either side of him. Again, in case of an emergency. After we did once around the arena. June took off her lead rope. Barb lengthened her rope and gave me all the control of him. After another time around. We agreed it was time for me to take the controls. She let go and he drove off like he had done it all his life. I admit, I cried. I am not a trainer, but I felt such an accomplishment at teaching another one of my kids to drive. Here is a picture of our first solo drive:

**********************Isn't he just the cutest thing!******************

He is still very green of course. Still has a lot to learn, but hopefully next year, he will be ready for his first show.

Pleasure Drive at B-Tex 06-06/07-2009

Well, on June 6-7, we had a pleasure drive for North Texas Whip. Tracey and I sort of did the safety thing/ mounted guide thing on Saturday. She lead the open buggies and I had to go back to the barn as we had left without the Welsh pony team, pulling a surrey. So I waited on them to get hooked up and off we went. By the time we got to the trails, the others were gone. We had a very nice time and all the horses were pretty well behaved. Well, that is for Boogie the Hackney pony, because he truly lives up to his name. He likes to boogie on down the trail. Tracey had said he even reared while they were on the trail. He was with a horse trainer, so no accidents and Tracey said he did eventually calm down.



Above picture are the really pretty Welsh pony team. Very well behaved too.

Once the drivers headed back to the barn, Tracey and I took Lori (the only rider to come out, she had decided to ride instead of drive) on all the trails that the buggies couldn't go on. Lori had a blast. I think she said this was her boy Timmy's 2nd trail ride ever. He was so good for her, and very pretty to boot. Here is a picture of Lori and Tracey in the flowers.

Sunday was mini only day. I decided to drive the Mule out with the ice chest and first aid kit and pony Chompers next to it so he could be in on the Mini action. He was one big ball of energy and boy did he get a work out next to the mule. Tracey rode safety again and got some great photos. I tell you, there were mini carts going every which way, I think about 8 drivers came on this day. It was a very fun day. Course, it got a little nerve wracking when I was in the woods on foot, trying to find a nice place to stand and take photos of the drivers entering the woods. When I almost stepped on a dark gray, approx 4 foot long with a 2" girth, snake. It laid very still, but the first think I noticed was the viper shaped head. At that point I decided that pictures weren't an option as he was on one of the two trails that could be taken by a pony. As the first driver came in, I directed them to stay on the right path as there was a poisonous snake on the left path. The first driver stopped, as she did, one of the dumb barn dogs ran right over the snake, the snake lunged and struck at the dog then turned and struck at me then took off. Scared the pee out of me. I am not usually scared of snakes, but I do respect them if I don't know what type of snake I am dealing with. The first driver, Juanita, stated that was a Texas Gray snake and non-poisonous, but flattens its jaws out when nervous to resemble a viper. I of course, had to Google the thing and found the exact picture and the true name, Yellow Bellied Water Snake and its defense is to mimic its looks to look like a Cottonmouth. Anywho, once that commotion was over, on with the drive.

We took some lovely photos of the drivers in the flower field. This is June and her boy Jerrett.

And I had to take one of my handsome black stallion Chompers. Isn't he just pretty?

Then the group had to go play in the water.

Ponies and pooches playing in the water. After everyone drove for a bit longer, they started to head in:

After lunch and a break, I decided to hitch Summer up so Tracey and I could enjoy a drive and we sure did. I think Tracey thought it was kinda cool when we got back near the power lines and I cantered Summer under harness. I just love to watch her canter from that angle. You don't appreciate the power that animal has until you are that angle watching those muscles work. Here are a few pictures from that outing:

Letting Tracey take the reins.

Most every one's favorite because she is right on the bit.

And then my favorite that is framed and on my desk at work:

That evening, I just had to drive Hank for a bit. The clouds rolled in and the temps dropped a few degrees. So Tracey saddled up Gypsy for a little bit of easy riding and I hitched Hank. Tracey took a fabulous shot of him standing so pretty and some of him moving, here are a couple of shots:

My mouth looks funny because I am talking to him, but he is really moving up this gradual incline like a pro! I am so proud of the progress he and I have made.

Well, this was longer than I had planned, but I can't wait for the next pleasure drive weekend we will have. This one was great!
*

Thanks for reading!

Tammy, Summer, Hank and Chompers

Update on me and my equines

Been a bit since I have posted about my four legged, hoofed critters. So here it gos...


Summer was turned out on a 100 acres for about 4 weeks while her pen was having fresh dirt hauled in. It took awhile for them to finish as the rain would hold up progress. While out, Summer became Alpha mare, as usual. But she is a good leader, she is not too vicious with the other mares. I do see her get crabby when I am out there visiting with them. She pushes the other girls away from me and won't let them get close. Jealousy maybe. Anyway, I am sure she has gained a least 70lbs. I had to drop her girth one hole, which is about 2 inches. But she is a much happier girl when she is out romping with the herd. I may turn her back out in a week or so for a bit as I need to focus on Hank and get him ready for his/our first show in July.


On July 25th, he and I will be competing in our first arena driving trial at http://www.texasrosehorsepark.com/ . I am so excited and nervous. When Hank is good, he is REALLY good. But when he is bad, it takes patience and nerves when he acts up. He acted up the other day when we had a mini drive day at the barn. All the action had him up. Hackney Ponys are like miniature Arabs. Full of spirit and energy. Always ready to go and very faithful, but when they are having an off day, it shows. I can say that as I had a few Arabs in my horse life time. When he is a toot, I am always thinking of a plan of action. It won't hurt to fall out of the cart, but if I let that happen and he bolts with the cart chasing him, he may never drive again. And that is always in the back of my mind, "Don't let him get hurt." Anyway, after a short time during the drive, he did settle and I received many compliments on him. I was also told that this ADT would be a great way to show him as it is wonderful for greenies such as he and I.

Chompers is doing great. He was to be gelded this past Monday, but when my vet learned that he was about 14 yoa, she didn't do it. She is uncomfortable doing an older stallion in an unsterile area. She said that older stallions bleed a lot and wants me to have him cut at a hospital and wants me to wait until November to do so. So the lucky boy gets to keep his gems for 6 more months. She also checked his teeth the other day, and due to his teeth, she is going to have to buy a mini speculum just to do them. They have huge hooks in the front and she can't do them by hand. However, they are not interferring with his eating or his bit. He just looks like he is smiling all the time. LOL BTW, a mini speculum is about $500! OMGosh! But with her mini patients growing, she needed to buy one anyway.

I have not been riding much. We (Barb, June, Tracey and I) have been getting the trails ready for a weekend pleasure drive/ride on June 6/7. They are looking great. Mark and Mel are coming out this weekend for a ride. Mel isn't riding as she is to be a mommy again. But is bringing her new mini Appy pony out for a driving lesson with Barb.

Tracey finally drove her first horse during our little drive the other day. She drove miniature horse Sir Jerret, who belongs to June. I think she had fun. At least she looked like it with that smile on her face! LOL We might have her hooked, but she said she only wants to do hazards and cones. Which are a blast because they are speed events. Course, once she sees a driven dressage test, she may like that too as it is pretty to watch.

Well, TTFN