Another blessed weekend...gone to soon.

Another sorting lesson at James'. Summer was very tense at first for about 20 seconds. Then her Quarter Horse spirit kicked in then she was all about the cow. I even had to pull her back 3 times to keep her from biting them. I let her get whisker close then tweaked her back a little.

I asked James why she is so good at his place, but gets nervous at the arena. He just said, it was all the excitement and the PA system. He said I would be surprised at how many horses are like that. He said that she would never be a Dunny (his prize horse), but she is doing things that she isn't supposed to be doing. You just don't see to many walking horses doing this sport. He gave me some more pointers on what I can do to help her. As a team I guess we are 60/40. 60% me and 40% her. My big mouth and aggressive behavior really helps her when we are working the gate/hole. Her positive role in our team is that she responds to me. Even when I feel her tense up, I give her a little spur and push her forward and she does it. She could easily, ignore the spur and just run for the hills, but she doesn't. And for that, I am grateful. I remember when we first started this, I have to say, she is MUCH better than she used to be when it comes to her fear issues.

I have another horse that I am going to take to James' when Summer and I have our next semi private lesson. She is a 9yoa Arab that is cow bred. Her sire and grand sire were cutting horses. But just because she is cow bred doesn't mean she is cowy. But all we can do is try and find out. If not, maybe Competitive Trail Riding will be her calling.

After our lesson, we got back to the barn and June, Tracey and I worked some trails out in the pasture, I was very pleased with what we got done. Also feel very blessed that those two help as much as they do. There is no way I could keep those trails up by myself.

Sunday was just spent at the barn. Sarah and I helped Barb doctor one of her horses that had a severe laceration on her left hind leg. June, Debbie and I took a ride on the mule down to the pasture to show Debbie what we get to enjoy everyday. (Debbie is June's grandson's girlfriend's mom. Whew.) Then went on a nice little ride with Tracey and Amira to finish this beautiful day.

Good weekend, hated to see it end.

Happy Trails!

Jaws at James', Minnow at the Arena...

I think it's me, but not sure.

Summer is a shark at James' during lessons. But is more timid at the arena. Is it me?

At James' she is pinning those ears and snaking that head and has on occasion, bit a cow in the rump. Our last lesson she was right on those cows, pushing them and just showing all kinds of cow horse potential. But this past Saturday at the competition, she was tense, and nervous about going to get our cow. I mean, we did have two short runs out of 77 teams, so I am not complaining there. But what's different?

Is it me? Or is it the difference in James' place verses all the action at the arena?

I know I am more relaxed during lessons which I know transfers to her. And of course, during any competition, I get butterflies in my stomach. Which again, I know transfers to her. But during our other sports, she still does fine even if I am a bit nervous.

Maybe it is just a combination of both. My nerves and the location. Just something I need to work on. She has proved too many times that she can do this. Maybe not to the caliber of an open cow horse, but definitely a novice cow horse.

Thanks for reading and Happy Trails!

I still can't believe it...

I know whoever reads this blog may get tired of me talking about it. But I just still can't believe that my name is on the board with all those good cowboys, cowgirls and their stock horses.

Summer and I may have only placed once...so far (smile), but I go and check occasionally as we may be low in the standings, but we aren't last! (smile again) I know some folks that all they want is their name on the board, period. They don't care where it is, just so it's on the board! So, being new to this sport, I guess that is pretty neat that I have mine on there already.

My name is on the #3 sorting standings and in the Top Hand Novice standings. http://www.swtpa.com/ Very cool. Well, at least it is to me.

If all goes according to plan, we will be sorting this Saturday, and I will be wearing my new Troxel Cheyenne helmet. It is gorgeous. So western looking. Maybe it will turn some heads and make other cowgirls and maybe a cowboy or two want to start thinking about safety.

I bought the chocolate one. I received it exactly the day they specified. It is so nice.

After my accident, I have worn a helmet every time I have climbed on Summer's back. And when I ride by that tree stump, I think of how close it was to my head. You know, the head that wasn't wearing a helmet. Yea, that one.

Well, wish us luck on our sort Saturday. I would like to finish the day with some points. But mostly, I just want to finish on top of my horse. You know the saying, "The art of riding is keeping the horse between you and the ground."

Happy Trails!

Blast from the past...

What a nice week so far. I went to church Sunday and got to see my old high school friend Lisa RR. (will get to visit more this Sunday I hope!) Then got to talk to my dear friend Jennifer last night for over an hour! I hadn't talked to her in 23 years. It was so good to hear her voice and catch up. Of course, 23 years can't be caught up in over an hour, so there were be more visits. But is was so good to know that she is doing well. I wish we lived closer, but at least God let us find each other again. We were pretty much inseparable in high school. We had our stupid friend squabbles, but nothing a good friendship couldn't over come. I still have two gifts she gave me when we were in high school. An ivory "shrimp" ring and a Christmas ornament. The ornament is a brass unicorn (I was so into unicorns back then) and she had it engraved, To Tammy, Love Jennifer. Being an only child was hard, but if God could have chosen me a sister, it was/is her. I pray to never loose touch again.

I know this isn't a horse related post, but it was one I just had to share.

Another nice weekend...

...horses, friends, and a new church.

My friend Robin came to my barn on Saturday with her mare, Taz. Taz is a finished cow horse and this was Robin and Taz's first trail ride since Robin has owned her. Taz was wonderful! The only real problem she had was water. She would cross it, but she didn't like it. LOL We went out 3 times for a total of about 13 miles or so. We got some nice cantering in, and I took several pics of Robin and Taz so she would have some lovely, frameable pics of their first trail ride. Tracey joined us the 3rd time and the horses did very well together. I think we have Robin hooked as a trail rider now. Her main passion is sorting, but I bet trail riding might come in as a very close second.

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Me and Summer, Robin and Taz (thanks for taking our pic Tracey!)

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Sunday, June and I visited a new church called Three Nails Cowboy Church. We loved it! My old friend from high school (23 years ago), Lisa, goes there and is always talking on facebook about their acitivies and just how much she likes this church. The people were kind and friendly, the music was great and the sermon was wonderful. I told June on the way home that I would be going back. She said, "good, cause I was already thinking that if you weren't, I was!" LOL

After church, it was lunch time and then back to the barn for chores and just relax with the critters that we love.

This is gonna be a short blog, but it was just a wonderfully nice weekend that I had to share.

Happy Trails

Update on me and my equine kids.

As of yesterday, it has been 3 weeks since my accident with Summer.

Last Saturday (March 27th) was SWTPA March sort and I didn't compete but I did go watch my friends. And of course I was glad I didn't take a horse as I probably would have entered. I was glad I went though as even watching from the side lines teaches you a lot.

I did have a few folks that knew about about the accident ask me if I have ridden yet. No, I hadn't as of then. I knew what they were thinking though. The longer I wait, the tougher it will be, because I will just become even more nervous.

So Sunday (March 28th), Tracey and I saddled up and rode around the barn for about 25 minutes then hit the trails for about 20. When we first started out around the barn, the wind was blowing and Summer was a bit "up", but I think it was because I was nervous. You can't take a fall like that and can't say you aren't even a tad nervous getting back on. Anyway, after the 2nd loop around the barn, I noticed Summer's head was down and she had relaxed. I then noticed that I had relaxed by then too. Which is why she had settled. After about 5 loops, we hit the trails and it was real nice.

Monday evening, I rode the trails by myself. Summer was a pretty good girl. And it was just something I had to do. Getting over these little fear humps is just an exercise I must do.

Wednesday, Hank and I had our first driving lesson with Denise. All we did was longe line but it was SO informative and she taught me so much about my pony and why he is doing some of the things he does. Things like getting his tongue over his bit. The hour just flew by. And while she was working him, I heard her purr to him. I asked her if she had just done that and she shyly said yes, that it was to calm him. I told her that she and my dressage instructor in California from 20 years ago were the only two I had ever heard do that. So, back to purring I will go to settle my hyper pony. But it was so great and I can't wait for my next lesson!

Saturday came and we had an AWESOME sorting lesson! Robin, Anthony and I just had a great lesson with James. We all had things that James critiqued us on. One of my worse runs of the day was when tunnel vision kicked in and I put a BUNCH of pressure on James when he was working the hole as my partner. Tunnel vision usually doesn't happen to me, but it did this day. I also pushed her pass our cows shoulder a couple of times, causing the cow to turn back away from the hole, which will cause us precious seconds in competition. My bad again. But at least I am catching my mistakes as I make them. That shows that I am learning something I guess.

But Summer was really good for me. When we were done with each run, I would try to be the one to push the cattle back thru the hole for the next run for Summer's sake. Summer was pinning those ears and putting her head down to push the cows with her nose. Next thing I know, she bit one again! LOL Once again, this isn't allowed as it can be construed as "roughing" the cattle. But with Summer still having a bit of fear issues, I will let her touch them and such at James'. She also got real close to them when we were cutting them from the herd too. And when we would push our cow on the fence to the hole, she was much closer to their hip than she usually is.

I had a talk with James after the lesson and told him that I knew that I didn't have the kind of horse that he and the others had, but I had a horse with a lot of heart and a lot of want in trying to please me and he agreed. And that for now, she will have to be my cow horse if I want to play this game. She just shows me that she can have potential at this sport because of the way she handles the cows at his place.

After we got home from our lesson, we had a nice ride on the trails. Just she and I. It was so peaceful and quiet. She was so good.

Of course Sunday I woke up feeling muscles that I hadn't felt in awhile. LOL

I am feeling those same muscles today as well. Guess I need to start hitting a gym.

Thanks for reading.

Wasn't gonna, but I guess I will...

Did the title peak your interest?

Well, Summer and I had a bit of an accident last Sunday (March 14th) evening at about 6:45pm. At least this time I got to enjoy the ambulance ride to the hospital. Eric drove and Clint did all the paramedic stuff that is required on the trip.

I bet that has really peaked your interest now! LOL

I was not going to write about it, and even as the paramedics were putting me on the gurney, I told Tracey (in a very weak voice), "don't put this on Facebook." The paramedics laughed. Tracey said she was gonna take a picture and put it on FB. Then in a world wide known finger gesture, I told her she was number 1. The paramedics laughed again.

But I had to take that expensive ride as we didn't know if my hip was fractured, broke, dislocated or what.

While in the ambulance, Clint took off my socks and boots. I thought I might be getting a foot massage, but he said he was doing something about a pulse thingy (darn it!). Just then though, I realized I hadn't shaved my legs in a week and apologized. (he giggled at me again) Then the pain meds really kicked in and I remember telling him I sure was glad I listened to my momma and put on clean underwear everyday. LOL

When we got to the hospital they put me in my own room in the ER that actually had a door and not a curtain. Next thing I know one of the female nurses says, "Mrs. Haley, we are going to have to cut your clothes off." Crap. Of course I am more worried about horse stuff than myself as I was wearing my Freeze R Burn t-shirt that Summer and I earned last year at our 1 and only LD endurance ride. So I asked the young lady, "could you cut that picture out and give it to my husband?" So I have basically a wash cloth with last years logo on it. That's okay, I am gonna wash it, frame it and put it on Summer's brag wall.

Anyway, they got the hospital IV in me and shot me up with more pain meds. I asked my ER nurse Eric (yes, another Eric, remember, the ambulance driver was also an Eric), what is the worse case scenario? He said, "the way your leg is laying and the description of your pain, I would say a possible fractured hip." Then I say, "Okay, worse case for that?" Surgery. Crap again. He told me not to worry about it though, let's just see what we are dealing with.

We were there for a bit when they finally got me in for my CT scan. And we had to wait a bit longer for the results. My doctor (Dr. Brown) came in and said they were supposed to X-ray me first but that was okay. He said my CT scan came back normal. No head injuries, internal injuries and no hip injuries. Thank God. He said he still wanted X-rays done but the CT scan was actually better than the X-rays. X-rays came back normal as well. My ER nurse told me and another orderly that he would have bet a $100 that my hip was fractured. That it was amazing that nothing was broke or dislocated. All I kept doing was thanking God. I was constantly asking God to let everything be okay. Guess what folks, the power of prayer is amazing. The doctor just said that I would be feeling this for about a month. I am okay with that.

Now, as for the accident. Well, Summer spooked. It was the worse spook she has ever done with me.

Tracey and I had gone out for a ride and the girls were real good. When we got back to the barn yard, there was a white pipe that I had brought back in from the pasture the weekend prior. I had said it would make a good jump for ponies and a cavaletti for horses. Well, one end was on a cinder block and the other in the fork of a tree trunk. I had Summer walk over it and she bumped it and knocked the cinder block over and now the pipe was even lower. Which was fine. So I walked her back over it. Tracey then took Amira over it. Well, Amira kind of drug her left front foot going over it. No big deal. Unfortunately she did the same with her right front foot. This time the pipe moved but didn't give and hit the ground as that one end was in that fork. Had it not been in stuck in that fork, all of this may have been prevented. Live and learn. Anyway, When it moved, it hit the back of her front left leg. She panicked. Now the pipe was between her front legs with that one end still in the fork of that tree and she started backing quickly. Then the pipe (not a PVC pipe) sort of bent around her left leg. Then she REALLY started to panic. Well, that was all I got to watch as Summer decided she wasn't hanging around as the horse eating pipe ate her BFF. (So much for BFF. What kind of BFF won't help their buddies that are in trouble? Oh, that's right, horses!) Anyway, Summer started to back up REALLY fast. So fast, I could feel her rear end WAY under her. Well, in my infinite wisdom and immediate lack of proper horsemanship, I was asking her to whoa while putting on the brakes (pulling on the reins). Unfortunately, I wasn't putting on the brakes, I was kicking her reverse into over-drive. I knew we were almost on top of a large fence and a large stump. By the time I realized what I was doing with the reins, it was too late. I let go of the reins just as she hit the fence and stump. This completely made her loose her footing. She sort of sat down and roll backwards on top of me. Now I was lying on the ground with 1000lbs of horse lying on her back between my legs.

She just laid there as I was screaming for someone to get her off of me. I honestly don't think I have ever been that scared with horses as I was right then. All I could imagine was her panicking worse and fighting to get off of me, then putting a hoof in my chest or my face.

But she didn't, she just laid there. Most of her weight on my left hip and leg. After about 4 or 5 seconds, I moved my right leg just a little, then I must have blinked, because the next thing I knew, she was gone. I never lost consciousness, though I wanted to as the pain was so bad. But Tracey, Barb and June kept me awake. Barb called 911 then called David. David arrived just as Eric and Clint loaded me into the ambulance.

About 1:30am, when the doctor told me nothing was broken, I called Tracey as I know she is a night owl. She told me something that started me crying again, as with this story, I knew God was there and that my mare really does care about me.

Tracey said that Summer did actually lay there for a few seconds as it looked like she didn't know what to do. It must have been when I moved my right leg ever so slightly that the next event occurred. Tracey said that it looked like Summer looked at me, then looked at the ground, saw a clear spot, then ever so gently, rolled off of me, then looked at me as if to say, "get up now". Tracey said she didn't bolt or panic, that she just stared at me.

We didn't get out of the hospital until about 3:30am and didn't get home till about 4:00am. David didn't go to work as he got no sleep and needed to take me to get my meds. We got my meds about noon and then I asked him to take me to the barn as I just felt I needed to see Summer and let her know I was okay.

Now, you have to know this about Summer and I. We have a good relationship, but different than Fawtal and I did. I could holler Fawtal's name and he would holler back and come running to me know matter where he was or what he was doing. If I do that to Summer, she flips me the hoof and continues grazing without nary a whinny or a neigh.

Anyway, David took me to the barn about 1pm on Monday. He pulled right up to my pen. Summer was standing in the back of it near my barn owner's stud (No, he can't reach her, they both just do a lot of wishful thinking). As soon as she saw me come around the truck, she nickered at me and here she come. My heart about exploded. She NEVER does that unless it is feeding time, and even then that is rare. Right then, I knew she understood and I believe she was honestly happy to see me and that I was okay.

Thanks for reading