Kali for Sale

Well I did it.  Finally listed Kali for sale.  So far just on Facebook this morning.  And have had a couple people show interest.   If no sale before I come back from Texas I will list her on Northern Horse.  But I have great hopes.  Here is the link to her ad, let me know if I should change anything...specially 4R Ranch as you show lots of sale ads, lol.

Dual Rita aka "Kali" is a super sweet 6 year old mare. She is just a nice horse to be around. She is quiet, gentle, easy to catch, load, trim, pretty much everything. Lots of groundwork done on her, she lunges, ponies just willing whatever you want. Has been ridden since a 3 year old and has some cutting and some reining training. She prefers an arena but has been ridden outside even under the full moon and on poker rallies. She knows her leads, stops, started spins. She would be suitable for a intermediate rider or a beginner with lessons. She is wonderful in the arena with other horses, the more the better. Even rode her with a cart in there the other day and she didn't care. He biggest vice is she loves her buddies and will always head to them if not directed away. She has no buck or rear, she pretty much doesn't know how to be bad, worst she does is stop and not move. Doesn't like water but is getting better. And then her papers, super super breeding being a daughter of Dual Pep and out of a Smart Chicolina mare. I am located in Finnegan, Alberta, and have been riding her regularly all winter. Can haul her to Brooks for try outs in the arena there. Asking $5000 for her.

I'm hoping good things, I need less horses, next comes Bailey and then the broodmares, or maybe the other way around.  Will be nice to get less around here :)

I Finished!!!

I finished my Horsemanship Challenge from the group I was in on Facebook.  Just barely.  It ends on Saturday and I finished Monday with 34 rides and 40 hours.  I am actually kinda disappointed in that it took me so long.  Makes me sad how little I did get to ride all winter.  Normally I try to ride 5-6 days a week but this year with hauling and I don't like to haul when its more than -20 and it was way too many days this year.  So not near enough riding occurred.  I think I need to really push to try to get an arena, although my friend S thinks that I should just go to Brooks cause its such a nice arena there and heated and huge.  But I have thought of that too, even though its cheap to ride there it still costs gas and wear and tear on the vehicle and takes forever, being an hour drive each way.  Wasn't too bad when I have company but just exhausting everyday by myself.  If I do keep using it I will definitely need a barn.  It is pretty miserable to come home and be tired and then have to stand outside and change blankets and feed horses when it was so cold.  If I could do it in a barn wouldn't mind it at all.  Lots to think about to prepare for next winter.  I thought of just turning them out and not riding all winter, but I don't know what I would do, would probly go insane with boredom.  So don't think that's gonna happen.

 (So excited that Jessie's tail is this long, last summer is was shorter than her hocks :) )

I had no intention of finishing my challenge yesterday, I had about an hour and a half left and thought I would just ride and then go back today and finish it up...or ride outside.  I brought both Kali and Jessie and we headed off a little later than planned but its light late now so not as big a deal.  I got on Jess and she was kinda being a dork but oh well just ride her though it and we worked at the trot for a long time and then I asked for a stop and she just kinda walked and then stopped.  Well that is never acceptable so we did it again and same thing so we did it again and I pulled on her and backed her up hard and then we did it again and she stopped!  So I thought that was the end of it, but no we loped and she just randomly stops, so we lope again and she just cuts the corner and totally ignored my leg to put her back.  Well that was it so I made her work lots of lope and lots of trot work and mostly lots of sideways work.  She was just in that mood that she didn't want to listen, it took a little over an hour and she was soaked and tired and listening right away again :)  I had previously thought maybe she was sore, but no heat or soreness anywhere I could find she just was being bad I think (and I hate complaining about her being bad cause she doesn't even really know what bad is)  

(I see this sign everyday on the way home, this is where I live :) )

Then it was Kali's turn.  As I was changing saddles (and cinches, lol) the cart lady came.  I don't mind her there, neither horse is afraid of her cart and it is a big enough arena we have lots of room and a little difference is good for them, and besides Kali is better when there are more people in the arena...and I mean more, we rode with 10 others in there one day and she loved it, goofy horse.  Anyways she was all upset cause I tied Jessie where she couldn't see her.  She is a little buddy sour although she cant be bad either, lol she just tried heading that way if I give her a chance.  But every time we headed back to the gate she decided to go faster, so we spent a lot of time trotting and I made her go fast away from the gate too, she has a nice fast smooth trot its so easy to ride so glad I got that in her she used to hardly move when trotting, kinda like she usually is loping.  And since she was so energetic I got her to lope lots too, used her enthusiasm for the gate as a starting point to lope and she loped the nicest I have rode since I got her, I was amazed....but now I know she can do it, lol.  Was a good ride, I think I might put her in a different bit, not that I can't control her in a snaffle but I think shes ready for more, we will see if I can find something before tomorrow.  I think the cart lady thought she was all excited cause of her at first but I said she was more worried about her buddy and it was obvious she wasn't even looking at the cart, not even enough to distract her a little.

 Then since both girls were so sweaty I grabbed my clippers and clipped Jessie's front legs, she has so much hair and when it gets muddy its just gross and I worry about scratches although none of my horses have ever had them I don't want them and it looks so pretty now :)  Next time will be back legs, woulda done em at the same time but the guy was coming in to drag out the benches from the sale and it was right behind them so I don't mind waiting for another day. 

 But that added up to finishing the challenge :)  I would like a summer challenge, maybe a bareback challenge or something different, since I am getting bored, been almost a year I been riding by myself and I need to add some interest to keep me motivated.  I do like cutting and lessons but its the in between rides that I need to do to keep Jess in shape that get pretty old.  Maybe I need more people to ride with so there is always someone but no one close to me wants to so I guess I will have to entertain myself again for a while.

Heifers and Calves

Last night I took a tour out to the heifer pen cause Neil was out curling and just in case something was starting to calve.  Nothing was going on but the sun was so perfect and the cows so red that I had to take some pics.

There was calf number 3 out there, calf 4 was still in the barn, and calves 1 and 2 were turned out already.  But he was being so cute and only a day old.

Love those calves, specially when they are a few weeks old and they play.  Gotta wait a bit yet for that, but it will be here sooner than I think.

Fun Week

Well after the nice warm weather I was enjoying riding outside and then yesterday a storm blew back in :(  Hopefully it will only last a couple more days and back to our regularily spring random weather.  Probly still get more snow but hopefully it wont last.  We never got any this last storm, but sounds like we were the only ones who didn't.

Monday booked a trip to the Superstakes in Texas, going April 8-14th.  Pretty excited, its all the 5 and 6 year olds and should be the best cutters everywhere! Doug's showing down there and so we will see him as well.  I wanna see some non pros too even though when we watch them it makes me feel so behind, but still awesome to see what we can work towards.  Was so cheap, even cheaper than our trip in November, we are staying at the same hotel and so we hopefully wont get too lost this time.  And we have a couple days to tour around there so that will be nice too.  we had planned to go on a run/walk in New Mexico (Santa Fe) but winter was soo cold we were not in shape enough and got busy when it was on.  Maybe another time and Im thinking it will be all muddy here anyways so it will be good to go down where its warmer and watch cutting couldn't be better.

Then Tuesday I rode out and it was much better, a lot drier out there, walked through the cows again and then came back and rode down the rode.  Was so nice out I just wanted to keep riding. I also been working on doing the gate from Jessie's left side and she is super patient now, not sure what happened but I like it.

Wednesday my friend S wanted to ride in Brooks and since our road is dry but the yard muddy so I told her I would meet her at the corner so she didn't have to come in the yard.  Took a bit of extra planning, sat on my cooler and wore her halter under the bridle and took my hornbags with water and camera and some money in and off we went.  I had planned on 20-25 minutes to ride out the 2 miles but just as I got on she texted to say she was there!  Yikes I shoulda known since she hates being late but wasn't expecting that, so we trotted the first half mile and then walked though the gate by the Texas gate and Jess kept thinking we should head back so I asked her for a lope, make it harder for her.  We loped a bit then walked a bit then trotted till she could see the trailer and then she was all excited about going there, lol, silly pony!

I unbridled her and loaded her and off we went.  Was a beautiful day and we had a wonderful ride and stopped for lunch afterwards and then she dropped me off.  Neil said he would clear some snow and so I told her to come in the yard and she got stuck.  The mud wasn't very deep but super slick and the trailer was heavy, so we unloaded Jessie and she got out, lol.  Guess Jess is a little too fat!

As I got to the truck, S said she was pretty impressed I could just saddle my cutting horse, load all my junk on her and ride her 2 miles away to get in a trailer.  Its funny she should say that since I was thinking on the way there about my other horses, Bailey woulda tried to convince me we shouldn't go but a quarter mile out shed be fine, Kali I would probly have to back her all the way out since shes so buddy sour right now, and Razz it woulda probly been a fight the whole way and wed both be sweaty and mad since she hates leaving the yard.  However if I pony Kali off Razz It would be a quick trip, those 2 get along great....guess I have somethings to work on this year with them.

Then snow and wind Thursday so it was a stay inside day and today we had our 3rd calf, late at night in the barn Friday so it will be warm. And another calf Saturday night after I came home from the horse sale.  Was so happy that I didn't see a horse there that i liked more than mine at home.

Spring has Sprung :)

Hmm lets see, whats been going on here?  Well the weather has finally made a change for the better, we had our community dance last Saturday night and had a really good turn out, and everyone was so cheerful, and the day after I went to a bridal shower, and same thing, so cheerful.  I think everyone was tired of the cold weather and the huge amounts of snow we had this winter.  So glad it finally ended and now the melt is on.  Its been quite warm and our snow is shrinking lots, been riding outside lots and yesterday was a workout for Jess, poor girl, had one of the physically hardest (and mental tough) rides for a long time and all we did was walk.  The snow is about 2 feet deep and its wet with puddles underneath so we sink through every step.  I forget she is not like my other ranch horses that can see the grass sticking through and will take that spot she will not she just goes where she wants to go and sometimes it is through the deep stuff.  I had to help her find a way out a couple times and once she just stopped to rest.  I did feel kinda bad for her but today she is getting the day off and then we are gonna haul a couple times this week to the arena and then I'm hoping its dry enough to ride outside and not be as difficult.

(riding through the cows, they are getting used to me being out there now)

On Wednesday I went out and had a good ride as well, I rode Jess and ponyed Kali, I don't know why id did, Kali has those puppy dog eyes that just make me want to do what she ask, and she asked to go along.  So I took her.  But the snow was still packed then and we rode out to the cows and had a good ride and they both were rather excited so I thought I would trot and use up some energy, nothing new have done that with them lots, but Jess was going fast and I could see Kali loping to keep up, never loped while ponying and then Jess started loping, I almost put a stop to it but she was doing her normal slow arena lope and so I just sat back and enjoyed it, I was even laughing, its so much fun when you finally get to do something that has always been scary and it turns out good :)  Thought I had a video from my phone on that day but I cant seem to get it here only old videos and photos from before Feb 24th show up.

Had a lesson Thursday and brought my friend S with me, shes excited to find a horse and I am excited to have someone to travel with :).  It was just on the flag and it didn't take me near as long to figure out what I was supposed to be doing, I figure that's good as I was a little nervous with someone watching.  We headed out to the tack store cause Kali needed a summer sheet and we found out the clinician that is coming to do their clinic is Paul Hansma at the end of June.  Hmm I am sure it would be a good one, just not sure it would be worth my money to go or just stick with getting more lessons.  Also talked about the Superstakes and so we are looking into travelling down to watch them in April, its kinda late for our winter trip but that's the 5 and 6 year olds, so it should be the best of the best.  Pretty excited...as long as its not too expensive we will go.

Otherwise just started calving around here, up to 2 so far, lots more to go but a good start in good weather.  Oh and we won a 50 inch TV at the dance and since we have one we gave it to Neils Mom and Dad for his Dads birthday.