New arrival

This week was a very good one. My mare Dust of Honey, Abby had a foal! A little colt, I'm very thrilled. This isn't just any old colt, he's something special alright.

The mare (Abby) is the one I wrote about earlier (the backwards horse). She's been with me since 1998 and is my first horse. I'd ridden and shown her for years and in her retirement she gave me a second generation to carry on her legacy: Flying Ace or Pilot for short.

I've got high hopes for the little fella. With his dam's athleticism and the sire's levelheadedness, I believe he will go far. He's also got some decent bloodlines: Two Eyed Jack, Three Bars and Prince Plaudit in his background. Not too shabby for a backyard-bred horse.

Welcome to the herd little Pilot! Can't wait to ride you in a good three years, you're a stunner just like your mama.

Skyler, from the Beginning

Last post I mentioned training ideas for my gelding Skyler. It occurred to me I never explained how he came to be here with us or why he's significant. Here goes:

Upon moving to MN Al and I frequented horse sales and auctions. A few years back we found an Appaloosa herd dispersal sale and hurried on down to see what they had. There were 5 stallions, a pen of weanlings and yearlings, some broodmares. Most looked really nice with a lot of color. Some were that stocky western build while a few were more refined, modern breeding like a Thoroughbred.

Al and I liked the red near leopard colt and filly weanling. We set a maximum bid and sat back to watch the sale. The filly came in first. She was adorable! I started bidding... $125 do I hear a 150? -Yep.  $150 do I hear a 75? HO! (someone else bid) Two, do I hear a two? - YEP! (me)   "A two twenty five?-"  The auctioneer mistakenly thinks I bid again!  I said NOPE.  -  YEP! (guy)  Me- "NO, NO!  ($200 was our max.)   Al yells to me "Sit still! Don't say ANYTHING"

After getting out of that deal, the colt comes in. He was red roan on the neck with leopard spots over his body. Bidding started, I got him for $200. At the booth I felt excited I had bought my second horse ever! He had nice conformation and was easy to lead into the trailer. We debated what to name him and came up with "Blues Skyhawk" Skyler for short.

Years went by and Skyler grew. I did groundwork as a 3 year old and broke him the spring he turned 4. I wanted to make sure his knees were closed in and he was a faster learner than at 3. He broke out with not even a buck or hop. He became a steady mount and I soon took him on the trails.

Skyler competed in his first horse show a local WSCA event in English equitation and pleasure. He pinned and I was thrilled for a first timer. We also did fun shows at our saddle club where he ran barrels, did pole weaving and the surprise class. Through it all he was steady and willing if not a bit poky.  -Don't get me wrong I'd take poky over a hot-head any day!

Currently Skyler is a 6 year old getting ready for another show season. Nothing too exciting, just local shows, but it's a fun day out. He also has a new important role: Kid's horse. My 4 year old son, R and 2 year old daughter C are learning to ride. This is where his pokyness and steady attitude really shine! With some more practice, R will be ready for his first leadline class aboard a horse we raised and trained. That would be pretty rewarding to see.

Skyler at his first show

Experiments in horse training

As "backyarders" it's a rather do-it-yourself operation in terms of horse training around here. Alan is completely self-taught and has had success breaking horses to ride and drive even training and selling for some other folks (before we had kids and got too busy). I had a more traditional background in horses coming from the riding stables back East where I took lessons frequently and rode huntseat. Between the two of us we've come up with a training philosophy that works for us and our horses. "Firm but Fair" basically.

My current mount Skyler is a 5 year old Appaloosa/Curly Horse gelding. I've had him since a weanling and broke him myself. Took him to his first local shows in 2010 where he proved he had the basics down. I'm now working on "finishing". My goal is to have a more supple horse who is rounded and on the bit and in the back as well. I'd also like to develop some western handling like spins, sidepass, and turn on the haunches.

While we don't have much time (with a farm and 3 small kids) to attend clinics or to send the horse out to be trained, there is one ace in the hole: YouTube! Ah, some great videos on there. I'm going to share them below.

This made a lot of sense to me. I love the idea of getting a horse to come into frame willingly rather than being forced. My goal is to have the horse moving stretching down while rounding his back as in Stage 1.

Sylvia Loch explains a bit more about a round back.

Demonstrating how groundwork is used to teach a horse suppleness and turns on the hind or forehand

This guy does an even better job showing how groundwork prepares a horse.

How to begin teaching a spin after you've done groundwork.

I'll be starting some groundwork techniques with Skyler and getting him to extend and stretch downward more during riding. Lots to work on.

Sorting & mud = Fun

A few days ago, Al decided the cattle needed to be given their pour-on ivermectin and that the cows and calves should be turned out to pasture and released from the smaller calving yard where they were kept for observation in case one needed help delivering.

Trying to get the cows into the barn isn't such a big deal. Most of them are pretty tame and would go right in to be put into pens and then run through the chute for medicines. The trouble was mostly the calves. I don't know if any of you have ever tried to herd calves, but it's like herding a bunch of deer. They take off and scatter, crashing through fence wire ducking wildly. Once the calves run, the cows usually follow their babies.

It was attempt no. 3 when I joined in. Al and his dad were not having luck. They'd get the cows about half way up the lane that led to the barn when they'd stop and push back out. I came up with another idea. Trot them in. With the two guys working either side, I hooped, hollered, growled and made all sorts of racket. The cows broke into a trot. I kept right after them and behind the barn they slowed to a quick walk. Cows went right in, calves split and went everyplace.Well, that was part of a victory. Only problem was, my boot had gotten stuck in about 2' of mud. Even pulling by hand I couldn't get it loose and- I was directly behind the barn door. If the cows came charging back out, I could be in real trouble.

I raised my purple sparkly dressage whip (which I use to herd cattle) in preparation to chase them around me should they come out of the barn. I thought to myself, I bet not many guys at the sales barns use sparkly dressage whips and then also that few dressage riders would use their whips on cattle. The thought made me chuckle. Meanwhile Al's dad came over and pulled my boot out. It was time to deal with the calves.

We tried to herd them back up same as cows, hoping they'd want to join their mamas in the barn. No luck. We tried cutting loose a cow and sending her back out to gather the calves so they'd follow her into the barn. Nope. Finally, Al had an idea. Go SLOW. Calves can't be worked like cattle they get scared too easy and run without thinking. We literally creeped up on them by inches waiting until each one was looking the correct direction, creeping more. Eventually we got them into the pens with their mama cows and everyone got their medicine and was turned onto pasture.

Cows are always an adventure. Never quite know what they're going to do. I'm still a greenhorn, but I'm learning. I at least have a concept of how to work them as before I'd just end up sending them the wrong way. Could've done without that mud though.

These lil buggars are fast!

(photo by dan routh photography)

Garden

With a growing family and growing grocery bill, Alan and I decided to start a garden a few years ago. It seemed to make the most sense and would even provide the kids with some useful chores to do as well as a freezer full of veggies to last the winter.

Our first garden didn't turn out so well. Al plowed a patch out of our hayfield next to our house and we fought grass which continued to encroach. That and some husband accidentally drove his seed-drill through the end and planted it in oats. Have you ever tried to weed out oats? They're pretty stubborn and super-hardy. Between the oats and potato bugs we had a small crop that year.

The following year, Al got smart. He tilled frequently (just about every other day or more) and we moved out potato patch near where we keep our extra round bales. The idea of moving the potato patch was to cut down on potato bugs that hatch from the soil in spring. Moving each year prevents the bugs from hatching and immediately ruining your crop. Besides that, we also had to pick the bugs off by hand and apply a dust to the plant as protection.

Last year also brought us a ton of squash. We had one zucchini but accidentally planted what we thought were melons, but turned out as a pile of summer squash (got our packets mixed). We had an entire row of zucchini and yellow squash that just went crazy with production. I baked and cooked what I could but were were still left with massive squash that even our neighbors couldn't eat. I recently found out you can freeze squash so that's the plan for this year. It will also make some nice baby food.

Last year's garden was put in with help from our Belgian/Percheron mare Missy

Cut to this year: our garden is expanded to 3x the size of the old one. Al must mean business! We ordered seeds from Farmers Seed & Nursery http://www.farmerseed.com/ for 1/2 price what we'd pay at the local greenhouse and have started the seedlings indoors for earlier crop. Minnesota has a very short growing season, if you plant too early, frost will kill everything; too late and the stuff never gets ripe. *Note- Got the farmers seed order... Potatoes were rotten! I would be careful about ordering from them!

We're putting in sweet and ornamental popping corn, radish, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, spinach, onion, potato, garlic, kohlrabi, lettuce, melon and squash. I think Al must get a little garden-happy or perhaps is in a competition with the neighbor for best garden/ earliest harvest. Either way we should save some money and eat well this year.

Tiller? Nah, we just use a plow! You can see our little assistant on board as well.