Velvet progresses and internet frustrates

For some reason my Google Chrome is not working, and my internet is EXCRUCIATINGLY slow, so if I didn't get to your Sunday Stills, I apologize. I can barely open my own blog! So I hope I can get this post up.
I worked Velvet in the little pen again today, and I must say she learns really quickly. I sent her both ways for a few laps, then on went the saddle blanket and saddle. She didn't bat an eye, so I worked with the cinch a little, holding it snug against her belly as I led her out- she wasn't goosey at all, so I went ahead and did it up- back cinch too- and longed her saddled. She was a sweetheart! She took it all in stride. The only thing she doesn't like is the longe whip; she keeps an eye-and an ear-  on it as she goes around. I don't touch her with it, just shake it at her if she stalls out, but I did crack her with it when she turned her butt to me the first day I longed her; she hasn't forgotten.

I think she looks pretty good under saddle!

Sunday Stills- circles

I thought this would be an easy challenge, but trying to get interesting shots was indeed a challenge.

This is our reading light in the living room.

This is looking straight down on my A&W mug to the coaster below.

My favorite circle, though, was this one, made by riding Beamer in a circle in the snow!

Working Velvet

Well I had fun today! I worked Velvet in my little pen, longeing first; she had a little bit of her usual diva attitude, especially going to the right- thought she could turn her butt to me and snatch her head away- wrong! Soon she was going calmly both directions, so then it was time to introduce her to something new. So I played with the saddle blanket till she was ok with it; all of 5 minutes; then I brought out the saddle. I plunked it on her back a few times, and like I figured, she was more curious than worried.

"Z'is fer me?"

"Izzit edible?"

She was pretty good, over all I was pleased with her and think she is going to be really easy to start- much like her sire and dam. Here is a little video of her first walk with the saddle on board. I didn't have the cinch done up.

After working her, I hopped on Beamer (make that led him over to the mounting block and stepped on carefully so that my muddy gumboots didn't drag on his nice clean back!) We went out on the hayfield again, and my muddy dogs came along. Unfortunately the snow wasn't deep enough to get them clean; it's only about 3 or 4 inches deep now.

Can we get up now? Can we huh?

I tried the bareback posting again, almost fell off once! I think it would be easier to do in an arena where the footing is smooth. Beamer did a good job of putting up with my horrendous balance though. and stayed underneath me. So after our ride, I let him seek out some of last year's grass showing through on the lawn.

So tomorrow's plan is to work Velvet again, and introduce her to the cinch. Usually I like to do rope work for this, but it's not a good idea to do that without a round pen with good footing. My plan is to set the saddle on her, and bring the cinch under and hold it  until she's comfortable with it, repeating holding and loosing it. Then when she is fine with that, I can run the latigo through and lead her around with it done up. I might have to bring Chickory in and do a little refresher course ground work with her too. Yay! Horses to work!

Something new and something sold

Yeah, that's not a typo!
First - something new: There's a new blog by a farrier, which I found out about by this post on One Old Cowgirl's View. Head on over and check it out!
And the something sold-

well, that would be my Bob Loomis Reining saddle which I sold to Lisa over at Home on the Range blog.   One step closer to paying off my new saddle for Beamer!
I rode Beamer today, and tried posting bareback. Man- that's hard! I didn't get much rise, but I did have the rhythm good. We also loped a little bit, but not for long- the B-boy was a little too fresh for me to trust my balance at the lope. My plans for tomorrow are to sack Velvet out with the saddle blanket and saddle. I am so ready for spring! Especially since I see that Coyote Belle is slipping her winter hair a little bit; for the last two weeks, actually. Yup, cabin fever is setting in.

Just carryin' on

The kittens are back to normal  and thanks everyone for your well wishes for them. Pearl took a day longer than Thumper to come around after the anesthetic, but she only weighs 5 pounds compared to Thumper at nearly 9 pounds. She looked pretty pathetic the next day.

That's iodine on her belly

She's back to pestering the boys now though, and snuggling up with her favorite buddy, Foose.

I've had a couple of inquiries on Velvet from my Kijiji ads and I'm really hoping for her to sell to the ones who don't live too far away- I'd love to see her as she grows up. 

My honey came home with some "just because" flowers for me today- what a nice way to brighten up a rather dismal day! It has been foggy and damp here today. I mucked out the mare shelter, and set up the panels for the foaling pen. Foaling is about two and a half months away, and I want to get Coyote Belle on grain so I needed a place to put her where the other two girls couldn't pester her. I don't have the luxury of a barn with separate stalls, just a shelter that is 20 feet wide by 50 feet long, so I split it up and paneled off the foaling pen which is about 20 x 25. It also gives me a place to put Gussie for a day or two when I bring her home and they all get reacquainted. Still don't have a plan for getting her home, but we may be able to go in two weeks. Meanwhile, I'm working on some ground work with Velvet and she is coming along nicely. I might use the foaling pen as a mini training pen and do a little sacking out. 

Wordless Wednesday X2

Wordless Wednesday

Fixed

You're taking me WHERE?

Little miss Pearl had a date with the vet today; she and Thumper were neutered. And just in time, I might add, Thumper was feeling a little amorous towards her lately, to the extent that we were keeping them in separate rooms. They are recovering from their surgery and are sleeping it off . I'm sure they will be back to normal tomorrow- at least Thumper, maybe not Pearl. She's really sleepy and isn't moving around much.

Sunday Stills

Todays challenge was to go green- be creative and no archives. Not too hard around here, green is one of our favorite colors! This painting has plenty of green in it and the wall behind it is green. The artist is Christine Nagel, camp cook for Anchor D Outfitters and she painted it from a photo I took on Ted's and my honeymoon trail ride.

That's Dewy Matthews tickling the ivories on the accordion.

In our china cabinet we have some little figurines, and one of them is sporting a cute green hat.

Still on the tour of the inside of our home, I have very few houseplants, and one of them is some kind of fern, and I thought this new unfurled shoot on it looked kinda neat.

We got a little bit of snow, but my strawberry plants are bravely poking through the snow and ice.

It was finally time to take down the greenery decorating my gateposts for Christmas! (Still got yours up. Kit?)

I put them in my firepit and burned them.

And this one is for Janice- it's one of the teacups that I'm giving her.

On a roll

I turned the mares out in their pasture for a romp while I cleaned their pen today. First thing they did was rip around at full speed! Even Belle hiked up her pregnant belly and let 'er rip- and man can she move! I didn't get a good video of her galloping but Janice, if your filly can run anything like her mama, you just might have a barrel horse on your hands; don't forget Belle's grandsire through Sundee was a racehorse. I got lots of footage of Velvet, I've had a few inquiries on her and wanted to get some of her moving out- you'll have to wait a couple of days for me to put the videos together before I post them. All three of them had to drop and roll, and check out how dirty the snow is - they had snow baths!

Velvet

Belle with Chickory in the background

They had a lot of fun stretching their legs after being in their slippery pen for the last month.

I was watching Chickory move, and I think she is going to be one smooth ride. Can't wait till the snow goes so I can get back to working with her.

After Velvet finally quit running around with her head and tail up, she dropped her head and came up and nuzzled me- kinda reminds me of her daddy- "did you get some good photos of me mom?"

She is pretty like him, and check out that long mane! Can't wait till I get her mama Gussie home, I'll do a photo shoot of the two of them.

Wordless Wednesday

Ahhhhhh......

.....need I say anything?.....

Sunday Stills

Macro is the focus today (pun intended!) So without further ado, here is what I got up close and personal with over the last few days.

Velvet

Sammi

Beamer

The saddle I'm selling

The inside of Ted's 1907 Pocket Watch

A much better view

Hitching rail looks a little better today I think! The melt down is on and the ice is disappearing in places. Beamer got some turn out time and you all know what that means! Yep, playtime photo shoot! Hope you aren't too bored with Beamer photos, because there really isn't much happening right now.

When I turn him loose he leaps and cavorts, and shows me his heels.

He has the whole field to run in, but he lopes circles around me.

He didn't play for long today, I think he was feeling a little lazy because it was so warm, and we even had a little sunshine.

Pretty boy!

C'mon sun!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Although today was beautifully warm, it was so dreary.

With a dump of snow a couple of days ago and then warming right up and raining, our ice is back, and my hitching rail is looking so forlorn these days.

Between it and Beamer's pen, it's all ice again. The rain is supposed to continue for a few days, so I'm hoping it will melt the ice. I think I'd rather have mud right now! So I looked around, determined to find some beauty on this wet day- and I didn't have to look very far.

I also had a little fun with macro shots for Sunday Stills, but you'll have to wait till then!

Wordless Wednesday

Clear and cold

Dawn broke clear and cold today, and it stayed cold most of the day. Still too icy to ride, but I did manage to sneak a ride in yesterday, the ice had softened up a little so  could get Beamer out of his pen. We just rode on the lawn where the snow is only about 3 inches deep. and worked on frame, gait changes using only body language, and using very subtle cues to get changes in direction. Beamer seemed very happy to get out, even if it did mean he had to work, just a little!
I'm still looking for a way to get Gussie home,as soon as possible. I'm pretty excited to be getting her back, it will be nice having a good broke mare to ride- I can take her on trail rides and I can rope off her if I want. Might have to join the team roping club. Some of us here are trying to get a working cowhorse/cutting club going here, and that's what I'd really like to do with her.
Remember Beamer's brand? It was really obvious at first. There are some folks who think hot brands are ugly scars, but check this out:

Can you see it? 

How about now? You can just see it beside the muscle line near the bottom of the picture on the right. I like hot brands like this, because they are subtle.
Edited to add: the arrow points to the lazy H ; the diamond above it is really hard to see. I wouldn't want to be a brand inspector.

Sunday Stills-W

W- an easy challenge, considering this is Winter! The Weather brought us some rain recently, so the horses fur was all Wet and Woolly, with a little White for contrast with the snow flakes:

This really shows the White underlay in Velvet's blue roan coat.

When horses get Wet, their top guard hairs shed the rain, while the dense and fine hairs underneath remain dry.

My method of feeding involves forking hay from a large square bale into my old John Deere Wheel Barrow and trundling it into the horse pens. This amount is for Beamer and Url, twice a day.

When I do my chores, the dogs are always Willing to assist, and here is a little White on White with Sammi's freckled paw.

When all the chores are done, the dogs and I bask in the Warmth of a Wood fire, while I sip a glass of Wine. 

Have a Wonderful Winter Sunday folks!