I hate the cold!

Loki and Boston are going crazy with minimal turnout. I have been trying to get them each out to run every other day but it is so hard. And in so much mud, it just isn't safe. I miss when I could put them out for a few days in the warmth and not worry about them. I really miss showing but I guess it is good for them to have a break from the constant stress of training and keeping unrealistically clean. Loki's neck seems to be getting longer or my wishful thinking is starting to pay off. Either way, I miss summer and showing and staying up late to band manes and having panic attacks when Loki got dirt on his freshly painted socks.

I miss showing...

I am having showing withdrawls. I can't stand not loading up every weekend to go show. There is so much I want to do and so much I have planned. Boston has the yearling classes to himself for a month next year because he is a May baby and our first shows are in April. Yeah, I'm cheating. Loki will be graduating to aged classes as he will be a 4 year old. Am I nervous? You bet! Terrified. He held his own in Open last year but we are going to have a lot of nice babies moving up into Aged with us. Definitely some challenges. There are a few places I can't wait to go back to show. You see $500 horses next to $20,000 horses and its just awesome. The little kids show lead line in the morning and you see pro reiners out and about in the afternoon. Super cool!

And in other news, Boston's sister won at North American this year. She won yearlings and took 2nd in Open. I'm kicking myself for not taking Loki as I've been told numerous times that he would have been a serious contender. I'm very sad about that. So because I cannot take show pictures until our shows start back up in April, here is one from state...look at that pretty face! I love his blaze.

Guess why I'm home?

At noon! Loki threw a major fit yesterday, one thing led to another, and I'm picking myself up off the ground.

I saw this horse and my jaw dropped. She is amazing. Good price for quality like that. Bred. Man is she bred! If I had 5,000, I'd be on my way over to IL. It actually hurts not to have the money to go get her!

http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-944533.html?sr=1&breed_ids=5&ltid=0

Good weather!

Loki (left) and Boston (right) both got out today so I chased them around with a camera.

I rode my dream horse today

He was a 14.3 hand cutting horse named Hickory. His owner ran around mooing while we "cut" her. That horse is so cool. He gave me a few sliding stops and really made me appreciate a good, well broke ranch horse. Show horses are great, they're like a fine-tuned machine, but sometimes it feels good to get up on a horse that literally says "Let me show you how its done." And he did.

What a great year

This was undoubtedly the best year I've ever had showing horses. A 3 year old colt with an
attitude problem took me and showed me what it felt like to win. The highlight of my entire year was walking into a class of over 30 horses of all ages and sexes and walking out with a first place ribbon in my hand. There is absolutely no way to describe that feeling. To look around and see the incredible physical perfection around you and to know your horse isn't only equal, but better, is just....its a high. Knowing your horse came from a little old barn with homemade stalls and no real door makes the win so much sweeter.

Congrats Loki & Stormy!

Our state picture came!

Loki took his last show of the year by storm by winning every class he walked into. That's 4 wins! And he did it with a winter coat! He is retired for the winter and getting fluffy, flabby, and everything in between. He will start fitting for the 2010 show season right before his 4th birthday in March.

Stormy also has some exciting news. She is going to be bred in Febuary to either Seekers Gold Finale or Justa Novel Te (I haven't decided). She will be retired to be a broodmare after she foals in 2011.

Gunnar learns to jump and Loki behaves!

Wow!

Took Loki on a walk today and guess what? I'm all in one piece! We even walked by Stormy (the only mare) and he kept his cool. Gunnar is also learning to jump. He is so good at it. Poor guy has to deal with my rusty riding. Loki is also being turned out a bit. So much easier on me.

Note to self: Halter horses take up too much freaking time.

Big Day Planned

I am going to be introducing the poles pattern to Gunnar tomorrow with cones. I am also introducing him to wearing a tie down. I usually compete in one loosely adjusted in case something happens and I have to take a hold of the horse quickly. I really think he is going to be good at this. Only thing he needs to work on is keeping his head together. After a few good flying changes, he tends to want to increase the number of strides in between them. I am starting with cones so we can address this problem and get good control over his lead changes. Will also be recording it so I'll post a link here.

This a picture taken at a fun show. I am on the smaller paint (Gunnar) and the larger one is Stormy. We won this game. He also won a round of a speed race. Would have gone further if my depth perception hadn't messed us up. lol

Riding Loki

Isn't exactly easy. Took him to a friend's indoor to ride and worked on his lope. He's best on his left side. Wouldn't grab his right one for anything. Well get there! I am just hopping up there for a tune up every once in a while. If he stays competetive in halter into the aged classes, I'll keep him there. If not, I will ride him. He is the trail class king! He has also quit eating again. Ulcers, colic, who knows? He can't stay sound and healthy for even a month at a time. This horse has run up more than he cost in vet bills!

Career after halter?

Someone recently had an issue with me not riding Loki frequently because I decided to keep him at halter weight. Darling, horses don't beg to be ridden at 3. He is broke and could easily go out right now and glide through a trail class. Do I choose to do this? Rarely. Sure, if I don't have many halter classes that day I may throw a saddle on the big boy. I have a little barrel horse and a yearling whose training takes up lots of time.

By the way, everyone, Boston is going to be just fine! He is still in a bit of pain but his life is no longer in danger. I'm so thankful the vet rushed over and didn't take the hours I was told she would to get here.

So anyway, do halter horses have careers after halter is over for them? YES! Beau Reve was a 2 year old halter champion, then he went on to win a World Champion in Hunter Under Saddle. Mister GQ was a world champion in halter that later went on to win the Solid Gold Non Pro Western Pleasure. GQ Shine My Chrome started out winning halter and went on to winning performance events. The list could go on for pages.

Sure, there are horses that are broken down by age 10, but there are too many that go on to different things. There are also those performance halter competetors that have ROMs (required) in a performance event but can still go out and win the world in their halter class. So the bottom line is, can I go out and get on my halter horse? Yes. Do I choose to do that at this point? No. When he is older, you can expect to seem him hitting the performance ring, but not right now.

I can't wait anymore!

Boston needs to hurry up and grow! I'm already itching to hop on him. He is going to be a knockout hunter under saddle horse. He'll mature well over 16 hands and wow what a mover! He's almost 15 hands as a yearling. Not only that, but he has a super personality. Very sensitive and eager to please. I have been doing a little ground driving with him and putting things on his back. He is a little unsure but has plenty of time to figure it all out! I also realized I'd been slacking on Boston photos so have one! Look how big he is next to me. He is Loki's opposite as far as personality goes. He is patient during feeding time and an angel to work with. Showing him is very easy. Loki wants to make my life as difficult as possible.

Family resemblance

I was looking at some pictures of

Loki's parents and grand parents. This is his grandsire, Obvious Conclusion to the left. Look that that face! And those tiny ears. Just like Loki's. Now if only he had that bod! Loki is to the right. This was during one of our many discussions about how setting up hasn't, nor will it ever actually kill a horse.

If you don't believe me, just look at grandpa up there, doing it like its nothing. He makes it look so easy. With you Loki, it is a battle to the death. I know what you are going to say, your uncle that beat you at State didn't even set up during the class. He was too busy rearing. Well I guess the judge could care less about cow hocks, pasterns that scream "put him down now before its too late!", or a crooked leg. I guess it doesn't matter if the horse is big and shiney.

I'm bitter. Can you tell?

He is too smart

Yes, you know who I am talking about. A certain oversized, 1000 lb, 3 year old or may or may not live in my barn. We've all met the horses who will stop at nothing to make our lives as difficult as possible. Only Loki can LEAN on the side of his stall and rip out the screws holding it together. I've had a horse, or two...or three...that have tried their hardest to tear this barn apart and it has held them all safely. So what makes Loki so destructive? He is too smart for his own good. How smart? Smart enough to untie himself, take off his own boots, and remove his halter. He knows when I can dicipline him (outside the ring) and when I can't (inside the ring). He knows exactly when to misbehave, which happens to be when the judge is looking.

But for some reason, I still love him. For a while, I wanted to sell him because of my love for speed and his inability to do anything athletic whatsoever, but I don't think I could imagine life without him. Now, if only I can keep this in mind next time he refuses to set up until after the placings are called.

Show Results and Gunnar news!

Woot! The computer is cooperating today! Loki's show yesterday was okay, although I'd have prefered judging the thing myself. Her placing of the english horses was excellent, but when it came to western, a rock could have done a better job. Loki was an idiot in the first class. Extremely studdish and mouthy. I bopped him a few times and he chose to stand nicely for the remaining classes and ended up winning halter. Boston took 3rd in his halter class. The entire yearling class was his brothers and a sister.

Loki's Western pleasure didn't go too well. The horse in front of us spooked and backed into him. My poor boy was quite shaken up the rest of the class.

On an even cooler note, I came home and played with Gunnar a bit. We worked the cows. We were trying to seperate one of the calves that was supposed to be brought up to be handled but in the end, Gun had to stand back and let Stormy show him how it is supposed to be done. I also took him swimming at the lake. He loved it.

I have no pictures because of Loki's destruction of my camera but soon will have some from state.

What are you smoking?

http://bloomington.craigslist.org/grd/1307852913.html

During my frequent trips to Craigslist, I've seen this guy pop up a lot. Not only are you letting your child who couldn't ride to save her life on your THREE year old stallion, but you are suggesting someone breed that...that thing. You say you are buying a mare and don't need babies? See those things between your stallion's legs? He doesn't need those, either!

Smashed Camera

Yes, Loki smashed my camera last night. So this was it's last picture. My friend's lab, Sam. RIP little camera.

I caved

and created a blog. I figured my adventures with my four horses were interesting enough to write about. The horses include Stormy, my 18 year old paint mare and horsey soul mate. We've barrel raced, jumped, tried reining, and everything in between. Boston, my yearling, is a perfect gentleman. It didn't start that way, however, we met when he reared up at a family member and tore down part of a round pen. Gunnar is my 6 year old paint pony. He is truly "fun size." He, like Stormy, is a true jack of all trades. He is learning to barrel race, jump, and drive and is showing incredible promise in all of it. Best of all, he tolerates my love for bareback runs across hayfields and is always up for one more race.

Last but not least is my 3 year old Loki. He is better known in the halter ring as "Ur Gonna Envy Me." He has the biggest personality of all the horses and is famous for tearing off my number or hat. Or maybe he'll lay down, or attempt to make friends with the mare in front of him, or give me a concussion, or spook at the judge, or take the lead from me, or....