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.