Windy, Windy

We should have named our farm "Stinking Windy Farm."
It was windy, chilly, and sunny today.
Therefore, I didn't do too much playing with the horses, just lots of hanging out with them. Eddie and I played with our canter lead changes in the pasture, I let him graze for a nice long time while I moved the t-post insulators for the track. Diesel has figured out how to get under the electric fence and graze Eddie's long grass that is in the pasture, so we have to lower the bottom line.
Anyway, Ed and I played, went for walks, and then Diesel and I went for a nice long walk around the property. They are such good boys! :-)
Then I trimmed Scout - his feet are looking GREAT! After a laminitis episode in January... they look amazing!

Well, gotta go, time to do the horse's final check.
Hope that you all had a great day!

2 Corinthians 5:14-15
For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Busy Times

I'm sitting here with a purring cat on my lap who is also sitting on my sister's laptop keyboard. Ah well, at least I can still type! ;-) Just forgive any misspellings!

The grass is lush, and the horses are crazy for it. Eddie and I have been playing in the outdoor and riding in there because there's just so much grass in the pasture. We do our cantering out there, but still. It's nuts! Almost time to mow!

So, every day I play with Eddie for about an hour, groom him up, take Scout for a walk, take Diesel for a walk, and then 'flush' Diesel's mouth because he gets grass wadded up in there.

Yeah! There's grass everywhere!! haha!

This is what Eddie and I have been doing when it comes to riding. HQ pivots, FQ pivots, 'roll backs,' shoulder in, haunches in. I love it. And Eddie does too. It gives us something small to do while we wait for it to dry up (I hate mud) and the wind to settle down. (He hates wind)

Hope that ya'll are doing well, and I'll be posting more often. I miss it!

Psalms 62:5-7
My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.

Spring is Here!

Scout in the pine trees during our walk.

There's a warm breeze comin up from the south, and you know what that means??
SPRING!
This past week I've been taking all our horses for walks, riding in the outdoor, enduring this incessant wind, and trimming. Scout needed a bit of a trim since his laminitis and we got x-rays done of his feet too, so I trimmed to those.
Anyway, today this beautiful Sunday, we are addressing the track to get rid of all of the grass for our metabolic ponies, and I'll be playing with them all too.
I've been working on my final for my Applied Equine Podiatry online course and it is pretty challenging. I'm halfway done with it and it is already 6 pages! But today I'll take a break - I've been working on it nonstop and Sunday is a day of rest.
So, here's to more posts in the future. I know, I've been a bad blogger. But sometimes you just need a break to get a new perspective and finish up and attend to the things that really matter.

A blessed Sunday to you all!

In Like a Lion

March comes in like a lion.
We've had quite a bit of snow lately and yet it's still slippery mud underneath. Other than that, it's been a great past couple of weeks. The reason I haven't posted much is because I'm just busy with other things. Sorry for the lack of updates! But I have a final to finish, and horses to play with and ride.
But yeah, all has been great here. Eddie and I have been playing with long reins, riding a little bit and just letting him burn off energy.
Scout is back to his old self. We got him the Easyboot Rx's and they are helping a lot. Just a little extra protection while the ground is hard.
Diesel and I have been going for lots of walks lately and he is very happy for them. Especially when he gets to graze. He is such a cutie bug!

I'll post pictures later - that I can do. ;-) Gotta run! Chores to do!

Lack of News

Sorry for the lack of posts... I've been taking a break from facebook, blogger, and just taking some time off. It seems I want to post more when I don't force myself and say that I HAVE to post every day.

I've been super busy lately... Playing with Eddie every day, sometimes twice a day, riding, taking Diesel for trail walks, doing chores... It's been so nice to take a break from the computer and internet.
Anyway, I'm back, except for facebook, and I shall be updating ya'll more regularly.
So, here is what Eddie and Diesel and Scout and I have been doing.

With Eddie, we've been working on our side-passes at the walk and trot, and transferring that to riding. Trail riding too! We've been riding around the property more and more and today we rode around the pasture, which we haven't done for a while. He did so amazing! I love him so much and he just does better and better every day!
With Scout, my sister and I have been taking him for walks twice a day. His feet are looking amazing, the vet is coming out soon to take x-rays, and he is as happy and spunky as ever. I've been taking him for walks around the property and he will snatch a bite from pines trees and patches of grass. He is so silly! :-)
With Diesel, we've been going for trail walks and he has been so eager for them! We go across the road, and a couple of days ago we were out for over a half an hour walking down to the creek. We didn't get all the way there, but it was more than half way!

It's been such a crazy, busy, past couple of weeks, but here's to a more easy-going end of February!

Cold Wind

Seasons Change by Tim Cox

Yesterday's high was 17 and today's will be 28. Thank the Lord for warmer weather. Although, I had fun with the horses yesterday. I took Eddie for about an hour walk around our property and we even went for a trail ride. Yup, my first trail ride out of a paddock. At least it's my first successful trail ride. Last time Eddie dumped me in the manure heap. It was funny, but I don't have a yearnin to do it again. I just rode around by the garden and Eddie was a champ. Man, do I love that horse!
Then I took Diesel for a long walk around the property too. We avoided the windy spots and I let him graze by the raised beds in the garden. The grass was a little less lush there, so I let him graze there instead of Laminitis Lane and Founder Freeway (aka the orchard). I guess rotting apples and pears make for a pretty good fertilizer.
Anyway, today looks to be warmer, a little windy, but sunny. Hooray!

P.S. Scout is doing better and better! He was trotting around yesterday and my sister took him for a good 20 minute walk. Praise the Lord!


1 Corinthians 13:6-7
“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

No Matter the Weather

It was a cloudy, cold, day. The wind was so cold and damp that it just cut right through my carhartt's zipper. But, no matter the weather, there are three amazing horses in our backyard that are just waiting to be played with, or taken for a walk, or groomed, or fed.

So, I headed out to play with Eddie and let me tell you, he was spunky. We cantered around the pasture for almost the whole time and we would fly over the cavaletties, then jump over the log and anything else we could find. It was fun and he was having a blast! He would jump and kick and rear and literally just burn off his steam.
Oh, he is such a good boy and he is always ready to play. Every time I came around the corner and saw him waiting in his paddock, he would let out a huge whinny. Obviously he was waiting for me! :-) So I groomed him up and paid lots of attention to him in between caring for Scout.
On that note... Scout is doing so much better. His laminitis is gone, his feet are cool, and he is one happy, spunky boy! Praise the Lord. God has been so faithful in these past couple of weeks. It warms all of our hearts to see Scout so happy and well.


Proverbs 21:21
He who follows righteousness and mercy
Finds life, righteousness, and honor.

A New Lineup

So, I was thinking... I think I might do special blog posts for Wednesday & Sundays... Like Words of Wisdom Wednesdays and Scripture Sundays. I don't know... We'll see! It would be fun and it would ensure that I blog more often. :-)

Anyway, today was a beautiful day!
I trimmed Jigs this morning and Crissie (his owner) met us down there to hold him and so that I could practice my final exam (all the questions and spectrum I had to go over.) Jigs did really well and his feel are looking great. He's such a teddy bear!
Then when mom and I got home, we all ate lunch together and then I went out to play with Eddie. We went for a really long walk all the way around the property and we even went in between the trees down in the south line. He was loving that! We went in the pasture after that and played around. He was SO hyper! So we cantered, jumped, did cavaletties, worked on our harmony and I worked on my lightness. It was super fun! He was bucking and kicking and flailing his front feet - oh he was having such a blast!
We finished up by riding in the round pen and we just did one lap. He was still kinda crazy and I didn't want to get dropped in the mud.
I took Diesel for a walk too this afternoon. We went for about a lap and a half around the entire property and oh boy - he just loves his walks!
Also! I have great news!!!!! Scout is SO much better!!!! He was trotting around when Al took him out for his walk and he just looks so much happier. *happy sigh* God is good. I don't think we've ever been so happy to see Scout so spunky. We love you our little pony-man! <3



Psalm 33:4-5
For the word of the Lord is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Back to Normal

For the first time in over a week things felt like normal again. Scout was 99% better, Eddie was calm and confident and Diesel was exuberant and hyper. Oh, it was such a lovely day! It was foggy and cold - reminds me of fall.... Definitely not winter. Ah well, fall is my favorite season anyway!
So, I played with Eddie and we went for a 45 minute walk. We went all around the property, played fun little games and you know what? He was so much better when it came to our harmony. I would stop really quickly and he would walk ahead of me like, "Why'd we stop?!" Then I would run forward quickly and he would look surprised. After about ten of those all along the east side of our property, he caught on and we would run, stop, walk, stop, backup, run, walk... You name it! And he was so connected to me and eager to follow. Yippee!! :-) I love my Eddie!

Then I took Diesel for his usual power-walk all around the property. We jogged about two laps and he was having such a blast! He would wring his neck and 'strut-his-stuff.' Oh my goodness, it was so cute.

Such a fun, foggy day. Pictures to come soon! :-)

1 Corinthians 2:9
But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

A Beautiful Day!

The sun was shining, it was above 40 degrees.... It was a beautiful day!
I played with Eddie for an hour. We rode, went for walks out around the property and played out in the pasture. When I rode, we worked on lightness and feel. For about 20 minutes we played with it and by the time we were done, I could back him up with just a shift of my weight and turn him too without touching the reins. I own a pretty amazing horse.

I took Diesel out next and we went for several laps around the property, through the trees, a lap on the track, around the buildings, through the south line... We had a blast and we were so pooped when we were done. He went to take a nap and I went to go and get their hay around the the night. *sigh* have I ever said that I love the smell of hay & horses? There isn't anything better.

Scout is doing much better too. His feet are cool and he isn't shifting his weight anymore. Also, he went for a little walk today and was perfectly comfortable. Slow. But comfortable. So this evening we're going to take his pads off and let his feet air out. Also, I thought I should share this with you all... If you need any information about horse nutrition, laminitis, or really anything relating to the horse's diet, this is an excellent, excellent, excellent, resource. http://drkellon.com Take her courses, you won't be disappointed.

Sole Mates Pads

Scout is one happy camper! We put the Sole Mate pads (offered on KC La Pierre's website) on Scout's feet yesterday and he is so comfortable and happy for the added protection and stability during his laminitis. The heat in his feet is also going down and he isn't shifting his weight any more. Which is huge!

So, we are saying a prayer that these will stay on and give him the comfort he needs. The sparkle is back in his eyes and he just seems so much more happy.

*whew*

You know that moment when you haven't blogged for a week or so and then you have a long list of all the things that you did...
Well... I'm havin that moment.
This past week has been pretty crazy. Long story. Here's the short version: Scout got acute laminitis and we literally caught it on the first day. We gave him bute for 3 days and took one day off. He was looking better, but then went a little downhill and we called our vet. He told us to give him bute for 1 week and that's what we are doing now. So, he's tender-footed, he doesn't have heat in his feet anymore and that's huge, he isn't shifting his weight as much and now he just gets introverted when we give him the bute. Poor thing! But, he is doing better and hopefully this bute will be accumulative and he'll just keep getting better and better.
I know you are probably thinking, 'what caused it?' Well, we got into a bale that had a tiny, itsy, bitsy, amount of alfalfa. Not much... Just a sprig here and there or an occasional stem. I guess it was just enough to set him off.

I haven't really played with Eddie much. 1) because we've been keeping an eye on Scout. And 2) it's icy out. So we've just been running around the pasture together, riding in his paddock and not doing too much. Oh yes, and going for walks, which we are officially cursed this week when it comes to walks. lol! Once it was a rogue garbage can that could have had a cougar in it. Then once it was stray cow that had gotten out at the dairy farm north of us. So, we're not really going for walks until things calm down and Eddie calms down too.

On another note, I got my first Eclectic Horseman magazine in the mail today! I've already half of it and it is really good. Like a Ray Hunt magazine! :-) Can't wait to read more!

Blind Driving & Riding

Thank the Lord, it has been SUCH beautiful weather!
I am so thankful for it, I've been able to play with Eddie and Scout and even Diesel every day. Today, I played with Diesel's mouth since we have to flush it every so often. See, he's a 'packer' and packs food up in his mouth. So we have a tube and just squirt water into his mouth. He didn't like it at first, but once we let him see what it was, he was totally fine with it! He is such a smart cookie. All our horses are so much smarter than we give them credit for.
Scout and I went on an amazing walk today. We went around the ENTIRE property and he was just having a blast. Scout was kinda hyper, so we did some circles. Just so that he could get some of his energy out. But I think he was just excited. What's more fun than going for a walk? After we did another lap around the whole property, we went into the outdoor and I rode to the gate, opened it and then we went in his stall. ;-) hehe! It's interesting to ride in a stall. I thought to myself, "Hey, an indoor arena!" lol!
Eddie and I played in the outdoor in the morning and rode too. We did some more blind driving. He is REALLY getting the hang of it! All I have to do is hold up my hand and he will turn like a pro. I am so proud of him. =-) After we did that for a little bit, I hopped on and we rode for a while. We trotted, did a few laps, played with some side passes (which looked really pretty, btw!) and just had fun. I was going to play with him again tonight, but he and his herd were all running around quite a bit. So he got his exercise, for sure! They were really huffing and puffing.
It was such a lovely day and it was very fun to play with all the horses.
Getting off topic a little bit but... We're redoing our bathroom and painting it for the first time since we moved here. It is so pretty and so nice to have it almost finished. Yes, in between playing with the horses we were painting all day. It was fun!


~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel~

Proverbs 19:20-21

Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
      That you may be wise in your latter days.
       There are many plans in a man’s heart,
      Nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand.

Invisastyle!

Invisible long reins.
Changing eyes.
Going for walks.
That about sums up my day with the horses!
And the first two are from Buck Brannaman's DVD on groundwork. Let me tell you, I see a difference already! Especially with the changing eyes.
Eddie had a little bit of a hard time with it at first. He didn't really get where to go or what to do. But with quick releases and lots of reassuring, he got it. If you want to know what changing eyes is, go to this website and get the DVD! Or you can just buy it from Buck. He can explain it a lot better than I can.
http://www.giddyupflix.com/detail.php?id=282
http://brannaman.com/


Then we did some long reins. INVISASTYLE!

lol!
I would walk behind Eddie (and I did it with Scout too) and direct him with subtle cues. It was really awesome and I think both of the horses liked it! It was a lot easier too because I didn't have to worry about muddy lines.
:-)
I definitely recommend trying it! It's a lot easier than it sounds and the horses love it!

I played with Scout afterwards and we ran around out in the pasture. Trot. Graze. Trot. Graze. Trot. Graze. Trot. Graze. Canter. That was Scout's mind as we played. The grass was long, lush and green and he wanted to eat it all. But we trotted over some cavaletties and then went into the outdoor to do our invisastyle reins. I think he was a little confused and was thinking "Why are you following me?!" But he did good and whoahed when I dropped my energy.

They are such good boys! It was such a nice day, it didn't rain at all!


~Lea & Eddie~

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

When you think you need to use the reins more...

Well today was just totally gorgeous! Cool, sunny, breezy and just perfect! So, I took the day to play with Scout and Eddie and ride them both too. And Eddie proceeded to teach me a lesson.

Scout and I went for two liberty walks around the track. We cantered a lot, raced each other (of course he won) and I let him graze in the corners. Then we went into the outdoor and just rode around. Trotted here and there, walked over cavaletties and gave him some cookies. :-) A perfect, relaxing day with my super adorable pony! <3

Eddie and I played in the pasture and cantered (on the ground) quite a bit. He was pretty spunky, so I let him run around before we went into the outdoor. Also, we cantered because he's getting a little chubby. ;-) I don't like to admit that, but he is. So I put him in the outdoor for a little bit to graze it down and I think he thought, "I have to be in the Jenny Craig paddock?!" Yes, Eddie... poor Eddie...
We went in the outdoor and rode for a while and I learned a lesson. Eddie was pretty... opinionated. Which is not a bad thing. I'd rather have an opinionated horse than a dull horse. So the thought crossed my mind as he was pulling on the reins, "He needs to respect my reins!" The dominator in me came out for about two seconds as we walked a lap. Then the image of Buck riding his horse in his documentary appeared in my mind. Everything was at peace and he was offering a really good deal to his horse. The phrase popped into my mind out of nowhere:

Just when you think you need to use the reins more,
    You actually need to use them less.

I don't know where it came from. Maybe it was the inner-horsewoman coming out in me. Let me just say that I'm never going to forget it now.
So.
I laid the reins over Eddie's withers and crossed my arms. I only used the reins when I felt like my safety was in jeopardy. Like when he spooked at a shadow from a vulture overhead or pushed open a gate that led out of the outdoor.
Things went much better.
Naturally.
Duh.
He was relaxed, let out more sighs and was more responsive to my subtle leg cues than he's ever been. If you're a rider, then you know that legs cues can only be so 'loud' to a horse. They have to be subtle or else your leg would be floppin' up and down like a fish outta water.
Like Buck says:

“When you’re younger, you ride with 90% physical and 10% mental. But if you could learn how to use 90% mental and 10% physical you’d be better off.”

I think we all would be better off.

~Lea & Eddie~

Psalm 119:165
Great peace have those who love Your law,
         And nothing causes them to stumble.

What a Day!

Yesterday was sooooooooo much fun!

Rebecca came over and we had a blast! I cantered Eddie and jumped and trotted a lot and Rebecca cantered and trotted Scout a lot too!
Rebecca even rode Eddie for a while and I was really surprised how well Eddie did! I knew he was acting more gentlemanly, but to have another person ride him? I'm very proud of him because it's been at least 3 years since anyone besides me has ridden him. And Rebecca was just the person to do it. :-) She has a gift with horses and is gentle and soft with them.

 Here's a picture of her riding Scouty! hehe, Scout and I have been doing a lot of cantering on the ground lately. We'll be sprinting together and go around the track several times. I'm usually out of breath by the time we're half around it, but he is ready to go!
So, it was a good thing I've been playing with him lately, because he wasn't too spunky and not too sleepy. :-) Just right!

Again, we had so much fun and I love to have a riding buddy! And I think the horses do too!

~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Rebecca too~

Psalm 16:8
I have set the LORD always before me;
         Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Thursday

Yesterday was sort of a busy/sluggish day. I had a lot to do, I just did it lazily. :-/ Ever had one of those days? Felt kinda bad about it. Anywhos...
I took all the horses for walks! Scout and I went for a lap in the track and I rode. We trotted up the west line and then rode into the pasture. He was very happy for the long grass of the pasture!!

Then, Eddie and I went for a walk around the property. We went to the front yard, around the pool, down the west line and just all over! He loves to go for walks and had a blast. He is so confident now and I am so proud of how far he has come.
Last but not least, I took Diesel for a walk up and down the east line! We trotted together, he grazed and we enjoyed the time together. Our herd is so amazing. I love them all so much and they are just the best!


~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel~



1 John 3:16
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Two Hot Days

Yesterday and today were both very hot. 90's and humid and sunny. Eddie and I had a bit of an adventure yesterday...
Long story short, he had one of his dehydration episodes that we call colic. Now, I caught it within minutes and got the bute into him lickity split. This was one of the fastest colics he's ever came out of. A half an hour later he got a drink and ate. That made me very happy that they are getting better and better! The last time he coliced was in the spring and it was pretty mild as well. So far so good, only 2 in one year!

Anyway, we've just been chilling, swimming, taking Scout and Diesel for walks and planning out new paddocks! I will post pictures and schematics of what they're going to look like!
I look to the right of this blog post and realize that I should probably explain why there are buggies on my post. Well, I rode my bike down to the creek yesterday and took lots of pictures of the flora and fauna! hehe! :-)
Oh, farm life is good!
More blog posts to come later! I have lots to talk about! One is the new paddocks and the other is SCOUT'S THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY AND BIRTHDAY!!


~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel~

Think Harmony (part 2)

Yesterday it was a very wet, hot and humid day.
hehe, The End.
Just kidding.
Even though it was warm out, Al (my sister - short for Allison) and I took the ponies for a walk around the track. Literally around the track, not inside it, but on the outside. The "Wild." ;-)
They were very happy for the exercise and new scenery. I think they really enjoy getting out and going new places. They probably get bored of being in the same paddocks day in and day out. Maybe we'll have to break out of our bubble and go across the road for fun or something. Diesel would love that! He's the adventurer of the herd!
Anyway, Eddie and I did some more 'think harmony' yesterday. And it was so much easier! I don't know if it's just once you do it once, you do it all the time, but I was constantly aware of where his feet were when I rode. I asked for a stop as he descended his foot, and imagined a turn lifting the correct hoof he would lift. What also helped was that I walked with him while he grazed. It was a fun little activity to do together. :-) I would follow his footfall with every step he took grazing. Like it said, it was really interesting to see how he walked when he grazed. You should try it! Eddie was just at liberty in the round pen and I just followed him around. Kind of like Simon Says. I'm hoping to ride again today, so I will post about what our Think Harmony is like later!

~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel~

Romans 12:16

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Think Harmony

I always like to try new things. Especially when it comes to the horses. I like to practice new theories and see if they work on not. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.
Today this new theory worked! However, it was hard. Very hard for me. See, when I ride I like to just relax, let my mind wander, feel at peace with Eddie and do lots of small things together. In Think Harmony With Horses by Ray Hunt, he challenges riders to think about what they're doing and make everything matter. He also encourages us to feel the horse and act as though we are walking with the horse.

Let me tell you that it took a lot of unconscious thinking to know every movement Eddie was doing. But! It worked! When I would ask him to stop, all I had to do was think about it, exhale and lean back a little bit. And he stopped! When I would ask him to turn, all I had to do was look in the direction and slightly shift my reins. As you can see in the picture, my reins are always loose and I always let him have lots of slack. It's just more comfortable that way, but maybe someday we'll move on to contact. Anywhos...
We worked on fast walks/slow walks and just having harmony together. It took a lot more brain power than I thought it would and Eddie was SO patient! I'm excited to see how this goes, I already feel an improvement!!
After I played with Eddie, I took Diesel and Scout for walks. Diesel and I went around the track and through the corncrib. Then Scout and I went all around the property, through the front yard, up the driveway and back to the barn. :-) It was really fun and the ponies were so happy for the play time! hehe, Scout and I also ran around by the pumpkin field and went up and down some slopes.
Ah, such a nice day and even though it was hot out, we had lots of fun!


~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel~

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,