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Fun with Kigers

Posted in Kiger Mustangs on June 29, 2009 by mudranch

On Saturday my friend and I took out our Kigers to the arena.  My excuse was just to see how well Cali would do after not being ridden for a while — Meleah’s excuse was to see how her new gelding we brought home from Washington would do.

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Smoke did very well.  In the trailer he was pretty nervous but we let him ride loose and opened the back section of windows so he could look out.  Every now and then I’d see his gray muzzle sniff the wind and then poke back inside.  I do know that he was very glad to have landed at our house.  He went right to grazing the grass and taking a long drink.

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Maleah offered to take Annie for a ride, and notice no saddle?  Yep, he’s that calm.  This is exactly what Maleah wanted for her girls — she’s got 4 from 8 down to a year and a half.  Annie actually cried when I took her off his back and put “Toots” up there.  She didn’t want to share Smoke — and he isn’t even hers.

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I took Cali out and Cali comes from DianneC up in Washington, same place we picked up Smoke, a mare that now lives in Nevada named Belle, and my new saddle!   Looks like we’re attracted to all that Dianne has for sale!

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I rode Cali around the arena first for a while in my saddle — which fit her perfectly!  She did really well, was a bit stiff at first but then settled in pretty good.  I had untacked her in the shade trees when Hubby showed up and I offered for him to take a spin.  Bareback, halter and lead and they look like professionals.  Cali is about 15 hands, Hubby is 6′.

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They all cruised around the ring at a nice little pace — well, Cali lapped Smoke I think.  Maleah said she’s going to rename him “Mo,” as in “Mo-lasses.”  But that’s perfect for a kid’s horse!

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He took Meleah’s two oldest girls ages 8 and 5 around the ring by themselves (pictured above is her 3 year old.)  They were able to control him very well, stop, turn and he didn’t pick up an ounce of speed.  He knew he was supposed to be careful.

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I think I could talk Maleah in to joining us for our Play Days once a month and yes, Cali, I’ll take you too (why does Sunnie get to have all the fun?)

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Horsing Around… Sunnie attends camp

Posted in Horses, Kiger Mustangs, Mustangs on May 16, 2009 by mudranch

Yesterday my mom and dad watched Annie for me and I was able to play with my horse in the afternoon — after taking loads of pictures of the lambs, trying to update my website….

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I took Sunnie over to my friend Dixie’s house for some desensitizing exercises and she has a very scary home with lots of action.  Sunnie was turned out into her arena for some bonding time with her mustang Otter (one of the ‘original’ Extreme Mustang Makeover contenders who went to Fort Worth, TX a couple years ago.)  They got along pretty well and I was impressed with how nice Sunnie was, I wasn’t sure considering he was a stallion for five years of his life — on another note, did you notice I’ve officially found my real self, yep, I’ve named myself “Little Sure Shot Photography, after Annie Oakley’s nick-name.

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Otter is an absolutely stunning horse, and the major plus is that he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.  I really really like him, he’s a definite favorite of mine in the equine world.

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He’s very gentle around other horses too, I think that’s one reason Sunnie wasn’t threatened at all.  Sunnie is a very gentle horse too, but I wasn’t sure how things would turn out… You never know when a horse used to know what hormones felt like.

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Sunnie says, “Stop laughing.”

After the romp in the arena, Sunnie went into the round pen to start Dixie’s School of Desensitization — this is where Dixie really excels in horse training.  She can get any horse to accept various “scary objects.”  The noodles are a great idea because they fall apart quickly if anything remotely dangerous should happen.  In fact, there were a couple on the ground that Sunnie broke in half just by stepping on them as he trotted around the ring.

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It wasn’t long before he was testing out the noodle ring for himself.

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The ball was the scariest object for him to get over.  He’s still not completely sure of it, but before long, Dixie will have it bouncing off his whole body without a flinch from Sunnie.  Otter gets it bounced off his face and doesn’t bat an eye.

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Today we attended a  little clinic that Dixie hosted at our local arena where we learned about colors of horses, body condition, different feeds and other educational horsey things.  I was told to bring two of my horses for their coloring as it is so different and many people get them confused with buckskins.  We had a great time playing around with the horses.

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Nevermind the false name — it was  a brain fart from earlier today…

This is the daughter of a friend of mine with her little 18 year old Hackney pony.  He is such a good little pony for her and she is doing wonderfully with him — a definite little cowgirl there.

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This is “L’s” little sister, “J.”  She posed with a lady who brought her quarter horse mare and couple weeks old colt.  The colt had enough for the day and lay down for a snooze.  Notice all the curious horses in the back?  The two on the left are mine, Otter is on the right… Looks like they all wanted to be in the picture.

Have a good weekend!

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Sunday Stills – Animals of Husbandry

Posted in Horses, Jacob Sheep, Kiger Mustangs, Sunday Stills on April 4, 2009 by mudranch

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I’ve decided to jump on the band wagon with the Sunday Stills group — How could I not being that the subject is “Animal Husbandry?”  So, though I didn’t go out and get this photo this afternoon, it is from January on one of our first sunny days and the group of animals… Sheep and a horse.  That’s a couple of creatures I don’t think are seen loose together a whole lot.  Our horses were moved out the more lambing season arrived as they tend to get a bit pushy with the sheep, especially at feeding time.

The Challenge Description:

This will be easy for most but a challenge for some of us…:-)  For a real challenge how about 3 or more animals in the pic?? Or 2 or more different animals in the pic??  Have fun…Ed

Enjoy your Sunday!

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A Horsewoman’s Spring

Posted in Horses, Kiger Mustangs, Me on March 21, 2009 by mudranch

For a lot of people, spring is a fresh new arrival, always welcome bringing with it daffodils, singing birds, and new lambs.  For some horse people (I’m not going to say all here because others work with their horses year-round, rain or shine) spring brings with it a new excitment, sometimes felt in the pit of your stomach.

I got Sunnie out yesterday afternoon because my parents graciously gave me a “mommy day,” where she takes my daughter Annie all day so that I can do whatever I want.  Sometimes I’m able to do whatever I want other times it’s not so easy because of many other things that need attention… But I’m proud to say I ignored the dirty floors and the dirty dishes yesterday and played with my horse.

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Our saddling went uneventful (which I had no doubt would, he’s pretty good really) so I brought him out further in to the yard and decided to do some lunging to make sure we were communicating properly.  Sunnie’s prance had a springy step to it which I could see was going to lead in to more spring than just a small bounce.

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Sure enough, I was able to capture this one with the camera dangling around my neck.  The nice thing about Sunnie is that he doesn’t do the full-on buck with the head between the legs… His is more of a flying leap!

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Between changing direction, I ask him to stop and stand nicely and this was the look he gave me.  Looks nice and calm doesn’t he?

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While I had him stopped, Hubby pulled up and grabbed the camera from me… He WANTED to take these pictures!  Of course, there’s action!

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Sunnie finally started settling in though, and we were able to start thinking when the sweat started to show on his neck.  He sure had a lot of vinegar built up in him from sitting all winter.

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My saddle came a bit loose so I had to adjust the creeping pad and tighten the girth again (I always call it a girth and I always ride western!  Aren’t I supposed to call it a cinch?… Maybe it’s because I grew up riding in an Aussie saddle).

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Back to a nice long trot, mostly under control and he’s listening a bit better now.

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No, I didn’t get on yesterday but things weren’t as calm as I would have liked them to be and we had to leave fairly soon to the Big City… I wouldn’t want to start something I couldn’t finish on a good note.

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Overall, I think Sunnie and I enjoyed our time together.  Hopefully next time around we’ll get cooperation much sooner and I’ll be able to ride.  This guy really is a dope, honestly!

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Dare to be Fabulous

Posted in Crafting, Family, Horses, Kiger Mustangs, Me on February 5, 2009 by mudranch

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It is a rainy day today and my Mom took Annie off my hands so that I could enjoy some time alone.  The day actually started out just drizzly and then in the late afternoon it started raining solid.  I am glad for the rain, though I was really enjoying the sunshine.  We need it desperately as we’ve not had the normal annual percentage here in a few years and the forests around here already like to burn during the summer, so we’d rather have some precipitation so as to maybe help out the land and fill up our lakes.

This early afternoon I worked with my Little Sure Shot, Annie Oakley.  I know… Too many “Annie’s” around here so I’ll refer the the equine variety as “Sure Shot” from now on.  She hadn’t been worked in a while now so was full of vinegar and had a few tricks up her sleeve.  I just wanted to get her listening to me so worked on some circles in the round pen (not too thrilled with the word ‘lunge’ so use circles) to get her to watch me and do as I ask.  I did have a few challenges as she didn’t want to change direction when asked a few times and then didn’t whoa on first ask but once our lesson was over, she did all very responsively.  She really is sharp.  I then remembered a little trick I had taught her, oh… two years ago now.  I climbed up on the panels of the pen and then bumped her halter right next to her cheek a few times, this cues her to move her hind-end over to line up with the panels so I can get on bareback.  She did it perfectly (I told you she was sharp) though I didn’t climb on.  I kind of have a feeling I’d look like that cowgirl up there on my card without a bit more work.  It is nice to have her do this maneuver so that if I’m ever out in the woods and need a lift, I can pull her up along a stump and climb on… She is only 14.1 hands so it’s not like she’s super tall… But I can’t jump.

Once our lesson was over I came inside and worked on this card.  I am sending it to a very special lady who has done me a big favor.  She’s a horse woman so I know will like the western motif, I know that’s all I ever want to create, though flowers are right up there on the list too.

After making the card I’ve been trying to de-clutter the entertainment center in my house.  It is built of oak and is also built in to the house by a local cabinet maker so it’s not like it’s moveable.  It was originally designed to house a 60 gallon salt water fish tank though, and now that the tank has moved on to greener pastures there’s a big hole in the center and I’m constantly trying to figure out what to do with it.  I’ve now moved my Jade plant and another plant in there with some larger photographs but I’m sure things will be moved around again… I’m one that’s never really satisfied with how things look in my house.  I sure wish I was smarter in this area.

Anyway, it was nice to have a day alone… Thanks mom!

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