Really Excited

Today was the sort of day when you just want to be outside ALL DAY LONG!
So... That's what I did!
At 9am I trimmed Eddie and his feet are looking superb. That made me really excited to start trimming more horses for a job. I already have 14 horses waiting until August when I take my next hoof trimming class. Which is KC's course and then I'm going to take another hands-on class by Ida Hammer. Hopefully over winter I can also do KC's online course. So, I'm very excited about those things!

Anyway, at noon, Eddie and I went out to play.
He was SO sleepy! We played out in the pasture and did a few small things until he woke up. Then, we jumped lots of things, did a weave, cantered together all over the pasture and I let him graze some too. I got LOTS of pictures, so I'll have a picture post coming up after this one.
We went into the outdoor from the pasture and we rode in there for a long time. We trotted a lot, worked on some sidepasses and he was a little goofy/clumsy, so I was trying to get him to pay attention to where his feet were. I think if I had some poles set up in the outdoor it would have helped, but he was so tired I didn't want to ride too long. Believe it or not, we ended up riding for 40 minutes and ended on an amazing note! I tried to put a few things I learned from Buck Brannaman's book, Believe, into practice. Like using a little less than what you think it would take to get it done. I'm really excited to start being more light with Eddie. He can feel a fly land on him, but won't respond to a little pick up of the reins. I know it's me, I just have to become more aware of the braces I hold in my body or the cues that I unintentionally give him.
:-) Yay, something new to work on!

Next, I played with Diesel in the outdoor!
He was rather tired too, so we didn't do too much. We trotted around together, stood on the pedestal went through a narrow space and he took a little lap at the trot. He is such a good boy and he was so confident, he even bit my finger! lol! Even though it was unintentional. :-) It was still funny!

Scout and I went for one of our fun liberty walks! He wasn't so keen on the walking part. More on the "Hey, there's grass over there!" part. We trotted together and then I let him rip and run into the pasture. I could just imagine him going, "YIPPEE! YAHOO!!" as he cantered into the lush, green, grass of the pasture. We did some weave out in the pasture together, stood on the pedestal and took a few laps at the walk and trot. He was just so excited to be out there, I let him have room to move around and take big mouthfuls of the nom noms.

So, it was a WONDERFUL day and I can't wait for tomorrow. Looks like it's going to be just as nice - if not nicer! hehe, is that even a word? Ah well...
Hope that ya'll are having a great week!

~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel~

Ecclesiastes 3:1

To everything there is a season,
      A time for every purpose under heaven:

A full day

Wow, what a fun day!
I played with Eddie, Scout and Diesel in the outdoor and then took them all for long walks. I rode Eddie a little bit in the outdoor and my sis got a lot of pictures. The horses were all so awesome and they had so much fun playing. It was pretty nice out too - Minnesota weather - so we did a lot of running around and having a blast!

~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel~

2 Thessalonians 3:3

But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

Rain

Yesterday, I played with all of the horses in between rain showers. It was so much fun! First, Scout and I went in the outdoor and played for a nice long time, but every 10 minutes or so, we would have to canter back inside because I could see these rain bands coming in. It was actually really cool. The woods, about a mile or so from us, would become obscure and just turn white. I knew it was time to start heading in because then the rain would come over the field and it would downpour. But, Scout and I had a blast! We did a few figure eight patterns and then he just wanted to canter. lol! So I let him get his energy out before we went for our liberty walk. Those are so much fun and Scout just loves them! He'll just walk beside me all the way around the track and then we race up the last side. :-) How fun!

I let Diesel in the outdoor with us and the 'little boys' ran around together. It was so funny and Diesel was so spunky! I would have gotten some video of it, but like I said, it was raining and I don't want our camera to get ruined. Anyways, after Diesel and Scout ran around for a while, I put them back in their paddocks until it was time for them to go back out.

Next was Eddie!! We played in the outdoor too and he was SO hyper! Well... I guess they all were hyper yesterday. It was cool, windy and cloudy - super scary weather for them. Ah well. Eddie and I did some fun things together, went for a walk and ran inside countless times to avoid a downpour. Although Eddie didn't mind, we had fun nonetheless! We went back into the outdoor after we went for a walk and I let him kick up his heels. He would buck, and then rear and then 'turn'n'burn' and hop completely off of the ground. 0_0 I just stayed out of his way and he finally settled down. It was fun though, and he really enjoyed the run around time!
Oh yeah! And I also started working on mounting while Eddie is moving! I did it at a walk and was able to get on, so I'll have to practice that some more. 
I know this is a long shot, but someday I want to be able to do this! :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AteB1mUCwqg


~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel~

Isaiah 40:31

But those who wait on the LORD
      Shall renew their strength;
      They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
      They shall run and not be weary,
      They shall walk and not faint.

Taking It EZ

I'm a country girl --- I got my horses, my family, my friends and my faith. :-) What more could a girl want?

Today Eddie and I took it easy and played in the outdoor for 20 minutes or so. We didn't do too much because it was stinkin hot, but we did do some weave, stood on the pedestal and trotted around together. I had just jumped out of the pool, so it was interesting to play in my swimsuit and barefoot! :-) But still fun, nonetheless!
So, besides doing chores I was doing some internet browsing... Which led me to this site!
Barefoot Treeless Saddles
And this site...
Black Forest Treeless Saddles

Pretty cool, huh? Maybe I'll save up for one of those.
Also, this is on my list of things to buy for Eddie: (isn't buying horse stuff so exciting? I buy more stuff for them than I do for myself and my family combined!)
Fly Boots
So, I'll save up some more and see what I can get my Eddie boy! :-)

~Lea & Eddie~

Psalm 91:1
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
         Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

A Full Day of Play

Today was cloudy, cool and there was a slight breeze. Perfect weather to play with the horses! Even though it rained a little bit this morning, the ground is still very dry. After the rain was done, Eddie and I went in the pasture and rode in there. I just hopped on, didn't expect much and we ended up progressing a lot with subtle cues! First, I just focused on not using more pressure than was necessary with the reins, but then I focused on not using any pressure at all. Instead I started to guide him with my legs - something I didn't really pay much attention to. And let me tell you, he responded to the cues so well! If I wanted to turn left, I would put a little pressure on his girth on his right, and just slightly move my left rein. He turned so smoothly! Then, if I wanted him to use his hindquarters more in the turn, I would use a little left rein and put my left leg back so as to disengage his hindquarters. It wasn't super technical, but we haven't practiced it for a while so it made things fun for both of us!
We did some more of our cantering and trotting in the pasture which he didn't really want to do because he was a little sleepy and it was buggy. (those darn bugs!) So, instead we went for a walk in the track where it was still buggy, so we ran into the paddocks. :-)

Next was Diesel! I played with him in the outdoor and we trotted around, mirrored each other, and we even started a little weave. He didn't really get it at first, but we practiced it a little bit and then he was interested and was following me through it. I should get a video next time, he is so cute when he does it because the barrels are taller than him! Poor Diesel baby! We ran around in the track too and he was happy to kick up his heels and run and play!

I played with Scout-er next! We did some weave in the outdoor - since it was set up - we stood on the pedestal, and then we went for a liberty walk! He LOVES those! We'll just walk together in the track and he gets a few bites of grass, then we trot a little bit and on the 'home stretch' we race each other! He always wins, but he waited for me and then we ran back into the outdoor together. <3 We have so much fun together!

It was a full day of play, but I also trimmed up Scout since he grew quite a bit from when I last trimmed him. Next is Eddie again. They grow so much more in the summer, if I don't do an aggressive enough trim, I have to do it again in 2-3 weeks! Anyway, it gives me more experience and it's better if I do it more often. That way I don't lose those back muscles that I need so much. ;-) hehe!

Hope that you all had a great Monday!

~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel~


Mark 8:36
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

Picture Post

A New Project

It sure has been hot this past week! Eddie, Scout and I have been playing in the mornings and just hanging out in the afternoons. I've been hosing them off, taking them for walks and taking them out to graze. In the mornings though, we've been doing lots of stuff! Laps in the track, playing in the pasture and playing at liberty in the outdoor.
Today though, Eddie and I started something new! This spring, he has put on some weight (not a lot, he's just hefty) and it's because he's been on the pasture quite a bit. That and I haven't been doing a lot of trotting/cantering when we play because it's been hot. So I decided, today, to do lots of cantering and trotting and jumping. And you know what? I think Eddie really liked it! He didn't even break a sweat and we would just keep going and going! :-) It's funny, once I ask him to do something, he jumps at the chance to do it! Oh, I love my Eddie so much!
So, now we have something new to do and we're both excited at taking it head on! Hey, I should take on new things to try more often! ;-)

~Lea & Eddie & Scout~


Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Playing with our herd

hat a beautiful day!
Sunny, slight breeze and nice and cool. Can anyone guess what I did today? Let's see... I played with Scout, rode Scout, played with Eddie, rode Eddie, trimmed Eddie and played with Diesel! It was a full day! Oh yes, I also bought a new pair of cowboy boots! Justin Gypsy's - oh yeah!
Here's a quick summary of what we did today:

Scout
We went out to the pasture and played for a nice long time! We cantered through our 'shoots' which were poles set up so he could canter through them in a big circle. :-) It was fun! Scout and I also raced each other, running up and down the south line. (longest side of the pasture) I was out of breath, but I'm sure he could just go and go! I hopped on when we were done and rode through all the gates (3 total) to Scout's paddock. We ended on an awesome note and he had such a blast playing. :-) I love him so much and he loves the attention almost as much as I love giving it.

Eddie
We did a lot today!! First we played at liberty in the pasture and then he decided to go to the outdoor. lol! So I followed him and we played in the outdoor at liberty for a while. He just loves the outdoor! We trotted a few laps along the rail and then we switched and did it the other way. He did so well and was really connected! Then after I hopped on, we trotted a little bit, and worked on our backing up. We mostly just had fun and didn't do too much with the riding. Mostly because I didn't have a helmet since mice have decided to take up residence in my brain bucket. :-/ But I'm going to wash it out and then we'll be able to do some more riding! I also trimmed Eddie and  his back feet look so good! :-) I'm so proud of him!

 Diesel
hehe, oh Diesel, Diesel... We headed out for a nice walk and he stops. backs up. and goes the other way. So... I followed him and we ended up going the other way on the track. Ok, I guess he just wanted to go the other way. We trotted the whole south line and east line and I raced him a little bit. Needless to say, he was not thrilled at my enthusiasm and we didn't go above a trot. But, I think he had fun and it's always a bonus when there's a treat in the back pocket! :-) He's such a good boy and I love playing with him. You can learn so much from horses and hinnys are so exception! He has taught me more than I thought I would learn from him and is very patient. Such a little muffin-pie! :-)

That's my day! A typical day in the life of Lea!

Hope that ya'll had a great day too!

~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel~


Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God;
         And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Thought this was a pretty cool video to go along with this verse.

We Cantered!

We sure did!
I knew it was going to be a scorcher today, so Eddie and I rode early in the morning. I'd say around 8 am. It was already 80, but we had a blast anyway! We trotted countless times, and for most of the time, we trotted two whole sides. Then we jumped a few times (I have video coming, but here's a picture for now!)

Eddie was so amazing and offered so much!! I am so proud of him and how far we have come!!

Dad came and took a few pictures and videos, so I was like, hey! Why don't we try a canter! Eddie was sleepy and the only down side was that it was windy. We went for it anyway, and tried 3-4 times. On the second try though, we took a few strides and he decided it was too hot to canter. And I can't blame. Especially because of another reason...

About an hour before we we rode, we brought the horses in off of their initial graze. Eddie decided to itch his butt on part of the fence. Therefore, because of his mass, ;-) he cracked the board and popped the bottom one out. :-( During that, he must have scraped the inside of his hind legs and took the skin and hair off. :-( So, I was riding and he had open cuts on him. I felt really, really bad. However, he showed no signs of lameness or soreness when I rode, so I guess it didn't hurt too bad.

Anyway, the point of me telling you this is because you never know what affects your horse during his day! Yesterday, when I had my good friend out, we discussed this and talked about it. Anything can happen to them during their day and it affects our rides with them. So, lesson learned. Always check your horse out before you ride! :-)

Hope ya'll are staying cool!
~Lea & Eddie~

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
      And lean not on your own understanding;

Picture Post

On to 'Hoof College'

On Saturday I became an official college student. 0_0
That's right, on to 'hoof college' which is a 5 day course in August taught by KC La Pierre. After that, I have a waiting list of 14 horses which I will hopefully (Lord willing) take on. Needless to say, I am very excited and eager to see what God has in store for me!
I am very thankful to my parents for homeschooling me since 3rd grade and the life lessons I have learned are incredible. I know a lot of people who think homeschooling is weird and you don't get enough 'socialization.' But I have socialized with people from ages 1-89 and I feel so prepared for the future. I know that God is directing my every step and I can't wait to see where He leads me.

~Lea


Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

A Much Needed Update!

Hey there, everyone!
I'm super sorry I haven't updated my blog in so long. I've just been lazy and haven't thought of much to blog about. But... now I have a bunch of ideas and things to blog about, so be prepared for multiple posts!
First, I'll tell you about what Eddie and I have been accomplishing!
Three days ago, it was warm out, but not terribly hot. So, Eddie and I rode in the outdoor for a half an hour. Now, I have really been following Mark Rashid's tips, thoughts and techniques on riding.

1. Breathe
2. Don't look at your horse
3. Breath out when there is any exertion
4. Count stride rhythm when you want to transition
5. Be a passive leader

With those 5 things, Eddie and I have been making a ton of progress! We trotted half of a lap in the outdoor! Which we haven't done for a long time! So, the next step is to do a full lap! And, I also did a lot of little half halts. The only way I was able to do that was because I was very secure in the bareback pad and I could steer him without having to hold on to anything. Now, that may not seem like a lot to you, but to Eddie and I, the little things matter! And like with a lot of things, the little things only matter. :-)
So, we are making a lot of progress and I can't wait until this heat leaves! Then, we can ride more and play too!
Now, on to the next blog post!

~Lea & Eddie~


“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night.” Psalm 90:2,4