Well, it has been so nice out lately!! So, here are some things that Eddie, Scout, Diesel and I have been doing.
Eddie and I have been riding more and more and playing with our collection. See this post about collection. With the sunny, warm weather we've been doing a lot more and with our riding we've been playing with our trotting, jumping, and 180's. He's gotten a lot lighter with those, now that we've been doing it more often. We've gone for walks, played at liberty in the pasture - which has been awesome! He never leaves me anymore when we play at liberty in there. So, that's exciting! He is such a good boy and just loves to play. Every day, we've done at least three big play sessions together - riding, playing and strolling around the property together. It's really fun!
Scout and I have been riding less and less, but it's for him. Because his back is getting a little more swayed and he doesn't need the extra weight. But, we have been playing on the ground a lot! Mostly with cavaletties, small jumps and cantering together. We've also been going for walks and like Eddie, we play one to two times a day. He's very happy for the play time and we have even gone around the entire property the last couple of days. Now THAT he loves! Green grass, he gets to trot, get a lot of drift on the line and explore. I think he would be an awesome trail-walk pony! Maybe someday when we get a trailer!
Diesel and I have been doing lots of (little) things too. Hehe, like the 'big boys' we've been going for walk, and I even took him out to the pasture and played with him the other day. We trotted over the cavaletties together (which is so cute!) He picks his little feet up so high! And we stood on the pedestal too. Diesel put all four feet on it, what a darling!!
Overall, SPRING IS HERE! And it was probably warm enough (out of the wind) to wear a t-shirt. Hello spring, goodbye winter. I hope this summer is as nice as the summer of 2009! Cool, clear, mild, and sunny! Look at that sky! Talk about blue!
~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel~
Thursday, March 31
Wednesday, March 30
Let me introduce!!
..........Drum roll please............
TA DA!
*insert confetti throwing*
That, my friends, is my new blog all about Natural Hoof Care!
Take a peek: http://wholehorsehoofcare.blogspot.com/
I will be posting about the things I have been working on, tips and tricks on how to keep your horse's feet in the best condition between trims and things that I have learned.
Feel free to follow it, I will be posting as regularly as I can on there!
~Lea & Eddie~
TA DA!
*insert confetti throwing*
Take a peek: http://wholehorsehoofcare.blogspot.com/
I will be posting about the things I have been working on, tips and tricks on how to keep your horse's feet in the best condition between trims and things that I have learned.
Feel free to follow it, I will be posting as regularly as I can on there!
~Lea & Eddie~
Saturday, March 26
Uber-Collection!
Then, today it was really windy and cold, so we went for a walk and just chilled (literally! lol!) He was really playful though, so I let him loose and he burned off some energy. :-) Such happy horses we have!
I also played with Scout yesterday, and he was very spunky! So we cantered around in the pasture as well and he almost jumped the barrels. hehe, but not quite! I don't blame him though, the ground is somewhat hard from the sudden frost and freeze.
Hopefully spring will be on the horizon again! :-)
~Lea & Eddie & Scout~
Philipians 1:24
For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
Wednesday, March 23
Rain, Wind & Trimming
The past few days have been really windy, and really wet... And those are some of things that Eddie and I do not like playing in... that and freezing ran... Anyway! On Monday, Eddie and I played in the outdoor and just ran around, enjoying the dry weather. Scout and Al went for a walk while Eddie and I rode around in the outdoor. It was sort of windy that day, but not too bad. It had rained on Sunday evening, so everything was wet, but at least it wasn't precipitating. :-) Then yesterday it rained ALL day... :-( blech!
So we didn't play yesterday, but we did play today! hehe, in the rain! It spitted on and off and was just kind of like a constant haze. But we played in the pasture and went for a walk on the track. Eddie had run around a lot this morning, so we took it slow and plus it was slippery. We trotted over the cavaletties once, played with some barrels and the pedestal. After that, Eddie was pretty eager to graze, so I just let him loose with the other horses and they were very happy to graze together.
Then this afternoon I trimmed Scout up! I did his front feet pretty fast and I thought, 'Oh why not just do his back feet while I'm here?' So I did, but now my back is pretty sore! :-/ Oops! I guess not trimming after a few weeks has made my back muscles loose their strength. Back to the trimming! lol, don't mind the pun! :-)
~Lea & Eddie & Scout~
James 1:12
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
So we didn't play yesterday, but we did play today! hehe, in the rain! It spitted on and off and was just kind of like a constant haze. But we played in the pasture and went for a walk on the track. Eddie had run around a lot this morning, so we took it slow and plus it was slippery. We trotted over the cavaletties once, played with some barrels and the pedestal. After that, Eddie was pretty eager to graze, so I just let him loose with the other horses and they were very happy to graze together.
Then this afternoon I trimmed Scout up! I did his front feet pretty fast and I thought, 'Oh why not just do his back feet while I'm here?' So I did, but now my back is pretty sore! :-/ Oops! I guess not trimming after a few weeks has made my back muscles loose their strength. Back to the trimming! lol, don't mind the pun! :-)
~Lea & Eddie & Scout~
James 1:12
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Saturday, March 19
Playing with all the horses!
It was so beautiful out today! The sun was shining, there was only a little bit of wind and it was pretty warm out. So, naturally... I played with Eddie, then played with Scout. Then rode Scout, then rode Eddie! :-)
I played with Eddie in the round pen with some fun obstacles. A ball, a mat, a jump, a cavaletti and a pedestal. We played with all of those, and then we worked on changing directions on the circle. Ga Wa Ni Pony Boy has a great way of teaching it, and I haven't played with it that much, but whenever I do it always works! I bring my shoulder past his nose, (while he's circling and I'm in the middle) then he comes in, I turn around, switch the carrot stick into my other hand and ta da! There he is on the other side, going the other way! I'll have to get a video of it, it looks really cool! :-)
Next, Scout and I played in the pasture. We ran around, cantered together, did some cavaletties, jumped the barrels [insert a big YAY!!!!! He flew over it!] and jumped over the cavaletties. He is such a good boy, and he just loves to play!! We went for a walk in the track and I hopped on for a little bit in the pasture. We trotted around a little bit, and I gave him some treats. hehe, which he loved!
After Scout and I were done playing, I brought him into the outdoor because Eddie was in there. I let them loose for a little bit while I got my riding stuff around. hehe, which isn't much! A sidepull, a helmet and reins. :-) Oh yeah! That's my type of riding!
Eddie and I trotted around and I totally sat his trot with ease! Yay! So that was really fun, and we went sideways a few times over a few barrels. That was fun too, and Eddie likes doing that because it's easy and he gets a treat after doing it! :-) We ended on a good note, because it was starting to get windy and 'spooky' outside. It was a really fun day and it was really nice to play with both of the horses.
Diesel and I did a few things too, not too much but we went for a walk in the track and had fun with that.
~Lea & Eddie~
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
I played with Eddie in the round pen with some fun obstacles. A ball, a mat, a jump, a cavaletti and a pedestal. We played with all of those, and then we worked on changing directions on the circle. Ga Wa Ni Pony Boy has a great way of teaching it, and I haven't played with it that much, but whenever I do it always works! I bring my shoulder past his nose, (while he's circling and I'm in the middle) then he comes in, I turn around, switch the carrot stick into my other hand and ta da! There he is on the other side, going the other way! I'll have to get a video of it, it looks really cool! :-)
Next, Scout and I played in the pasture. We ran around, cantered together, did some cavaletties, jumped the barrels [insert a big YAY!!!!! He flew over it!] and jumped over the cavaletties. He is such a good boy, and he just loves to play!! We went for a walk in the track and I hopped on for a little bit in the pasture. We trotted around a little bit, and I gave him some treats. hehe, which he loved!
After Scout and I were done playing, I brought him into the outdoor because Eddie was in there. I let them loose for a little bit while I got my riding stuff around. hehe, which isn't much! A sidepull, a helmet and reins. :-) Oh yeah! That's my type of riding!
Eddie and I trotted around and I totally sat his trot with ease! Yay! So that was really fun, and we went sideways a few times over a few barrels. That was fun too, and Eddie likes doing that because it's easy and he gets a treat after doing it! :-) We ended on a good note, because it was starting to get windy and 'spooky' outside. It was a really fun day and it was really nice to play with both of the horses.
Diesel and I did a few things too, not too much but we went for a walk in the track and had fun with that.
~Lea & Eddie~
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Double!
Double the fun! I played with Eddie and Scout together today. They were really playful, so first we went for a walk around the track. It was somewhat hard to keep them both organized but we had a lot of fun and managed to go for a whole lap together. I think Eddie liked having a buddy! :-) Next, I played with them both in the pasture. They did really well! I also switched to longer lines so we could have more room. We all went over the cavaletties together, did a few big circles and then they grazed for a little bit. After that, we all went into the outdoor and we played at liberty in there for a while. Scout stood so close to me so that Eddie wouldn't chase him, but I did send them around for a few laps to get some of their energy out. It was very fun, and Eddie and I did some fun engagement things. I would hop back ad forth, down low to the ground and he would arch his neck and flail his front feet. It was so cool and they loved to play together!
To top it all off, I rode Scout for a little bit and even Eddie for a little while too!
They are such good boys and I think they like to do things together! :-) Well... At least Eddie does!
Friday, March 18
Celebrating!
My 600th post!
Yipppeeee! How exciting is that?!
600 posts...
31 months...
3 years...
And countless memories!
[[[aw]]]
Eddie and I have come a long way. I've known him since he was 4, and next month he will be 9. WOW! Where does time go? I'm so blessed to have Eddie, Scout and Diesel in my life, they are such amazing horses!
~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel~
Thursday, March 17
Another Great Ride!
Yesterday, Eddie and I went for another amazing ride! We played in the pasture first, because he was really sleepy and we just did some small things. We jumped over the barrels, trotted in the track and went for a long walk. Like I said, he was really sleepy, so we took an hour break and I went back out a little later and rode in the outdoor. He was awesome!! We trotted in between barrels, and I sat it really nicely! Yippee!
His trot was very slow, and relaxed and it was just really nice to go out and have a normal ride. He wasn't scared, I was confident, and we just rode!
:-) Yay!
~Lea & Eddie~
Psalm 23:1-3
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
:-) Yay!
~Lea & Eddie~
Psalm 23:1-3
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Tuesday, March 15
Incredible!
That is the word that would describe the last couple of rides with Eddie! He has been doing amazing!!
Since the 13th, (my last blog post) I've ridden every day and he has been such a willing and reliable partner. We usually play for the first 20 minutes then ride for the last 20 minutes and things have just been awesome. Usually spring is his least favorite season because it's windy and chilly and cloudy, but this spring has been unusually calm, either that or he is really trusting me lately. So, we've been riding and working on our 180's (which are fun!) going for walks in the pasture, trotting, and hopefully this summer we can try some jumping too! It's just been really nice to have half of our play time for riding. :-) He is such a good horse!
~Lea & Eddie~
P.S. More updates on the way!
Acts 4:12
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Since the 13th, (my last blog post) I've ridden every day and he has been such a willing and reliable partner. We usually play for the first 20 minutes then ride for the last 20 minutes and things have just been awesome. Usually spring is his least favorite season because it's windy and chilly and cloudy, but this spring has been unusually calm, either that or he is really trusting me lately. So, we've been riding and working on our 180's (which are fun!) going for walks in the pasture, trotting, and hopefully this summer we can try some jumping too! It's just been really nice to have half of our play time for riding. :-) He is such a good horse!
~Lea & Eddie~
P.S. More updates on the way!
Acts 4:12
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Sunday, March 13
Play Along - Pass It On!
A. Age: 16
B. Bed size: Twin
C. Chore you dislike: Cleaning the house
D. Dogs: None! Just lots of cats!
E. Essential start to your day: Um... Food!
F. Favorite color: Blue or green
G. Gold or silver: Silver
H. Height: 5.7"
I. Instruments you play(ed): Piano, Guitar, Cello
J. Job title: Barn Manager
K. Kids: Eddie, Scout and Diesel! lol!
L. Live: Belvidere, IL
M. Mom’s name: Marianne
N. Nicknames: Just Lea :-)
O. Overnight hospital stays: Lots of visits to the hospital for broken arms, nosebleeds, and bad coughs but no overnight stays - thank goodness!
P. Pet peeves: People playing with my hair or eating behind me!
Q. Quote from a movie: Oh there are so many! My fav is probably from Narnia:
"But you shouldn't press Him, He's not a tame Lion." Mr. Tumnus
"No, but He is good." Queen Lucy
B. Bed size: Twin
C. Chore you dislike: Cleaning the house
D. Dogs: None! Just lots of cats!
E. Essential start to your day: Um... Food!
F. Favorite color: Blue or green
G. Gold or silver: Silver
H. Height: 5.7"
I. Instruments you play(ed): Piano, Guitar, Cello
J. Job title: Barn Manager
K. Kids: Eddie, Scout and Diesel! lol!
L. Live: Belvidere, IL
M. Mom’s name: Marianne
N. Nicknames: Just Lea :-)
O. Overnight hospital stays: Lots of visits to the hospital for broken arms, nosebleeds, and bad coughs but no overnight stays - thank goodness!
P. Pet peeves: People playing with my hair or eating behind me!
Q. Quote from a movie: Oh there are so many! My fav is probably from Narnia:
"But you shouldn't press Him, He's not a tame Lion." Mr. Tumnus
"No, but He is good." Queen Lucy
R. Righty or lefty: hehe, righty writer, lefty doer.
S. Siblings: Allison! My sis!
T. Time you wake up: between 6 and 7.
U. Usual routine: Wake up, eat, do chores, do school, eat lunch, play with the horses, do evening chores, eat dinner watch tv or go on the internet
S. Siblings: Allison! My sis!
T. Time you wake up: between 6 and 7.
U. Usual routine: Wake up, eat, do chores, do school, eat lunch, play with the horses, do evening chores, eat dinner watch tv or go on the internet
V. Vegetables you don’t like: Hmm... I like most veggies, but I don't like tomatoes.
W.What makes you run late: Playing with Eddie or Scout for too long!
X. X-rays you’ve had: Lots and lots and lots from my broken arms.
Y. Yummy food you make: Um, I can make pasta, pizza, mac'n'cheese and simple things like that!
Z. Zoo animal favorites: Giraffes, or dolphins
How about you?
W.What makes you run late: Playing with Eddie or Scout for too long!
X. X-rays you’ve had: Lots and lots and lots from my broken arms.
Y. Yummy food you make: Um, I can make pasta, pizza, mac'n'cheese and simple things like that!
Z. Zoo animal favorites: Giraffes, or dolphins
How about you?
Saturday, March 12
An Amazing Ride!
Today's weather brought to you by Lea: Windy - Cloudy - Chilly - BORING!
So, I didn't play with Eddie today, but I did play with him yesterday! Here is what we did!
We played in the pasture first and he was really really awesome. Did some neck rope stuff, jumped over things, did some cavaletties, went for a long walk and then finished by doing some fun collection things. We're still working on it, and we're doing a little at a time. I know it will take a while to where we can do it together well.
Then, we went into the outdoor and we had a lot of fun out there! I hopped on him with a western saddle pad (just for fun) and we trotted around, and we started to play with some fun 180's. He really got the hang of them, and we practiced some of our backing up. He seems to not want to do that lately, but he's gotten a lot better at it. :-) He's such a good boy!
Oh, and I also played with Scouty too! We cantered around together in the pasture and rode around out there for a while. He was really happy to run around and burn off some energy!
What a happy herd (or trio) we have!! :-)
~Lea & Eddie & Scout~
So, I didn't play with Eddie today, but I did play with him yesterday! Here is what we did!
We played in the pasture first and he was really really awesome. Did some neck rope stuff, jumped over things, did some cavaletties, went for a long walk and then finished by doing some fun collection things. We're still working on it, and we're doing a little at a time. I know it will take a while to where we can do it together well.
Then, we went into the outdoor and we had a lot of fun out there! I hopped on him with a western saddle pad (just for fun) and we trotted around, and we started to play with some fun 180's. He really got the hang of them, and we practiced some of our backing up. He seems to not want to do that lately, but he's gotten a lot better at it. :-) He's such a good boy!
Oh, and I also played with Scouty too! We cantered around together in the pasture and rode around out there for a while. He was really happy to run around and burn off some energy!
What a happy herd (or trio) we have!! :-)
~Lea & Eddie & Scout~
Thursday, March 10
The Good & Bad in Spring
Well, I think I can officially say that...
Summer is on the horizon! Thin horsey coats, lush grass, sunny days, blue skies, shorts, and the ever present battle against high-sugar grass. As you can see, the ponies can get pretty tanky with all the grass, so hopefully this year, the track will be mostly dirt, like how it's supposed to be. We may just have to get out the weed whacker and hack at the grass in the track.
But, Eddie is good with the grass, even though he can colic more easily in the summer. :-/ So, there may be some HorseQuencher in the future for him.
Yup, spring is here, summer is on the horizon and all the challenges and joys along with it!
What are you favorite/not so favorite parts of spring and summer?
Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel
1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
IT'S SPRING!
And with that, come good things and bad things. Good things being:- It's warmer out
- You can be outside more
- Don't have to wear a coat
- There are storms
- There is mud
- High sugar grass
But, Eddie is good with the grass, even though he can colic more easily in the summer. :-/ So, there may be some HorseQuencher in the future for him.
Yup, spring is here, summer is on the horizon and all the challenges and joys along with it!
What are you favorite/not so favorite parts of spring and summer?
Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel
1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
An 'All Picture' Post!
 |
| Sandhill Cranes heading north! There were a TON! |
 |
| Levi, our barn kitty sniffin the camera! |
 | |
| Eddie and I playing the other day! |
 |
| JUMP! :-) |
 |
| Mud, mud everywhere! |
 |
| Hopping off of the pedestal |
Monday, March 7
Frozen Mud
~Lea & Eddie~
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
A Sunny Day!
So, I had a big play day with the horses!
First, I played with Eddie in the outdoor and we ran around at liberty. He was having so much fun! It was muddy though, so we took it somewhat slow. But we jumped over the barrels, trotted around and just got some of the kinks out. Because it was sunny, Eddie was sleepy :-) so I grabbed my helmet, bareback pad, sidepull and reins and we were off! He was a very good boy and tried really hard. But he was a little feisty. hehe! We just took it slow and did some small things. He really calmed down after a while and I only had to get off and correct him once. Which was really good all things considered. Aka, I haven't ridden for a while since everything has been freezing and thawing.
We did some more things like backing up, going sideways and just getting him to relax, then we went for a lap in the outdoor and ended by the gate. We're getting there and he's doing much better! Eddie always tries hard!
Then it was Scouty's turn!!
I led him out to the pasture and I rode around out there with him. He was very happy for the company and exercise and we had a lot of fun trotting around out there. Scout is such a good boy! When we finished, I played with him in the pasture a little bit. We cantered around, almost jumped the log (it's a little too high for him, especially since he's older) and did some cavaletties. Yay!
So, we had a great day all around and it was so nice that the sun was out!!
~Lea & Eddie & Scout~
Friday, March 4
590 Posts! Wow!
It's March 4th! Wow!! Where has time gone?!
March has proved to be muddy and very spring-like but the warmer temps have been so nice! It's been in the 40's for the past couple of days. Yay!
Anyway, Mike came out today and checked the horses' feet. So, here is an overview of them all:
Eddie:
Mike looked at Eddie first. Ed had a few naughty moments, but overall, stood really well. According to Mike, his feet were really good! He said that Eddie's toes were a little long, but with a few swipes of a rasp P3 was on the same heel/toe plane. But it was a ah-ha moment for me, because on all four feet, Eddie has had itty bitty toe cracks. So, long toe = toe cracks. That's one arrow added to my hoof trimming quiver!
Scout:
Next, was Scouty! He stood very well, had a few silly moments when he had shifted around and got out of balance. But, like Eddie he was a champ! Mike said that Scout was balanced (I trimmed him 2 days ago) but long. Which was ok, because none of our boys really do a lot of hard, hard, work so their hooves don't have to stand up to that wear and tear. But, I have to be a bit more aggressive with my trimming and know exactly where the Internal Arch Apparatus is so I can balance the hoof print to the foot print.
Jigsaw:
Oh boy, Jigsaw! Mike really made him think and got him to respect our (my mom, mine and Mike's) space. Which was really good, because he does walk through my mom when I am trimming him. So, my mom had a big ah-ha moment where she realized that she can be more firm, not mean, but firm and Jigs will be much better. And he was! He stood for 45 minutes like a champ and hardly had any bad moments. Plus, Jigs' hoof cracks have never looked better! These frequent trims, my uber-roll and the Staph-Control spray is the ticket to minimizing the cracks. Yahoo!
Overall, my grade is an A- at the least, and I learned a lot. Can't wait to continue trimming these guys, they are all so great and have so much to teach us about ourselves!
~Lea, Eddie, Scout, Diesel & Jigsaw~
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
March has proved to be muddy and very spring-like but the warmer temps have been so nice! It's been in the 40's for the past couple of days. Yay!
Anyway, Mike came out today and checked the horses' feet. So, here is an overview of them all:
Eddie:
Mike looked at Eddie first. Ed had a few naughty moments, but overall, stood really well. According to Mike, his feet were really good! He said that Eddie's toes were a little long, but with a few swipes of a rasp P3 was on the same heel/toe plane. But it was a ah-ha moment for me, because on all four feet, Eddie has had itty bitty toe cracks. So, long toe = toe cracks. That's one arrow added to my hoof trimming quiver!
Scout:
Next, was Scouty! He stood very well, had a few silly moments when he had shifted around and got out of balance. But, like Eddie he was a champ! Mike said that Scout was balanced (I trimmed him 2 days ago) but long. Which was ok, because none of our boys really do a lot of hard, hard, work so their hooves don't have to stand up to that wear and tear. But, I have to be a bit more aggressive with my trimming and know exactly where the Internal Arch Apparatus is so I can balance the hoof print to the foot print.
Jigsaw:
Oh boy, Jigsaw! Mike really made him think and got him to respect our (my mom, mine and Mike's) space. Which was really good, because he does walk through my mom when I am trimming him. So, my mom had a big ah-ha moment where she realized that she can be more firm, not mean, but firm and Jigs will be much better. And he was! He stood for 45 minutes like a champ and hardly had any bad moments. Plus, Jigs' hoof cracks have never looked better! These frequent trims, my uber-roll and the Staph-Control spray is the ticket to minimizing the cracks. Yahoo!
Overall, my grade is an A- at the least, and I learned a lot. Can't wait to continue trimming these guys, they are all so great and have so much to teach us about ourselves!
~Lea, Eddie, Scout, Diesel & Jigsaw~
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
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