Ridin' Ridin' Ridin'

Cookie please??

Lots and lots of riding! Such a fun day Saturday! Had some errands to do that morning and then put little girl down for her nap. Shot a text to the BIL (Stormy's owner) and asked him if he wanted to be my riding buddy! He was all for it.

Threw all my tack in the explorer and left the husband with sleeping beauty. The horses were up by the fence of course, taking a nap. I called to him and he perked his head and ears up, so cute. They both came toward the gate when I went to go get him, but he hung back and let Stormy see me first. She is the boss, which I expected, but they are good buddys.

The FIL came out to help with Stormy, thankfully, so I could focus on big boy. She hasn't been ridden in quite some time, and even then she was quite green, so I knew he wouldn't be able to just toss the lead rope over her neck and throw his tack on her like I could with Cisco. (Yes, we need a tie post!) She gave them a little trouble with the bridle but other then that was golden. (which I was stuffing her face with cookies during the saddling, so I'm sure that helped!)

Speaking of the cookies, I am having so much fun 'babying' him, I bought him some apple cookies, a new brush and hoof pick. I've never bought cookies for any horse! He is just so lovable though that I love getting him stuff he will like. He is also getting his very own new winter blanket coming in this week! For those days we have rain/snow and cold temps all together. We almost got some freezing rain last week but it didn't pan out, thankfully!

Here is the blanket we ordered him: http://www.sstack.com/horse-blankets-and-sheets_waterproof-turnout-blankets_euro-fit/stormshield-classic-euro-contour-collar-turnouts/

He is going to look so snazzy! The big scudder wears a 84! Good grief! Daisy wears a 72! We also bought one for Dixie, my moms old horse, in purple. She wears a itty bitty 68. We went ahead and got her a 70 though, just in case. Hopefully it won't be too big. I know it seems kind of squirrley to just now be buying blankets, but the really bad weather around here doesn't usually show its face until after the first of the year. We have gotten some awful snow storms in March before!

So we got them all tacked up, this is the first time I've tried Cisco's new pads on him. The black no-slip I like, the other is smaller then I thought it would be. Next time I will have to try folding it different to see if I can get it to show more.

We both climbed up and were ready! We decided to hit the round pen first to try out their paces, get everyone steering and woahing well. So Cisco and I headed out and were the 'fearless' leaders, lol. Cisco was very looky and interested, but never did spook and was a good boy! I was kind of nervous about Stormy, the younger brother in law is really quite a green rider, but he insisted she wouldn't do anything and rode her to the round pen instead of walking her like I suggested. He was right! She was just fine.

I thought originally two of us in there would be too much, but we fit okay! Until I tried to rack with him and kept running into them, haha. Well not physically but every time we got near her he would lose motor. So, I was hoping he would be easy to get to rack and not get pacey, but boo, nope. I got a pace much more often then I did a rack. I did get it a few strides a couple times, SO FUN! We will work on it! I wish I could go take a lesson at a gaited barn, that would be the best. I really am quite clueless about gaited horses and their mechanics. I've done a little checking and haven't come up with a place that looks decent just yet. We'll see.

After we got bored in there (and Cisco decided the tractor moving hay around 2 counties away wasn't going to affect him in any fashion) we ventured out, the plan to go down the road a bit towards my house. I was in the lead again of course, Cisco has a motor and he goes until he's tired! (which doesn't usually take very long, lol) So he's doing his power walk down the road head in the air checking it out and we leave Stormy waayyy behind, lol! She not only is about a hand shorter but she walks slow! Typical QH walk, lol. So I circled back a few times, made him woah a few times and wait. He wasn't too keen on that, but it was good practice! We made it down the road and turned back before we got too far, didn't want Tuff and his buddy seeing us and causing a ruckus! I called the husband out and had him take some pictures of us.

Look at their cute faces!

 After that we went on into the woods behind the round pen. My husband has a deer stand down there. Cisco looked at the little opening and was like, "Really?" but after I gently persuaded him he was like ok! As we got toward the end of lane two or three squirrels jumped out of the clearing and took off into the woods. He jumped a bit but kept on trucking like a good boy! I had so much fun, there is a lot of brush and trees down in there so we weaved in and out, bushwhacked our own paths. There is a big deer feeder down there and the stand, but neither horse even gave it a second look!

We played around in there a few minutes and then headed back out to the pasture they live in. We walked around in there for a while, again weaving in and out of the trees. I also used that time to get as far from Stormy as I could so he knew he was okay without her. He swished his tail a bit about that, but got over it pretty quick. Then I walked him around behind her a bit to get him used to following at a slower pace, he rated himself pretty well if I helped him, lol, but definitely would have run up her hiney if I hadn't! He had to take little baby steps.

By then it was getting later and the BIL had to be at church for a meeting soon so we called it quits! We were both so proud of our 'greenies'. They need lots and lots of just that sort of thing!

Snoozing after our ride. Need to re-braid that mane!

Cisco was so cute when I let him back in his pasture, he followed me back to the gate and was like, "more cookies, please??" Silly boy!

Well as usual I have gone way long! Will be back with more of our adventures!

Weekend Ride with the Brother

Well sorry I have been so sparse on the posts lately! Not much has been going on, obviously, on the horse front.

But I did go riding last sunday. Although not on the two horses that this blog is about, lol.

My younger bro (by two years) and his wife, and my husband and I all went on a backpacking trip this weekend. When we got home we decided we wanted to take our dads boat out to the lake. Well then my brother gets this idea he also wants to ride Cisco! (my moms spotted saddle horse pally gelding from previous posts)

Anyway I was all for that! Lee and the sis in law much less so, lol. Sis in law is scared of horses and Cisco in particular (she rode him and once [I wasn't there] and said he 'freaked out' on her, which means he shook his head at a fly or tripped, lol, she has rode a horse all of 2 times in her life I think and Cisco doesn't help allay her fears by being 10 foot tall either)
And Lee well, he said to me afterward he wants a horse that will do exactly what he tells it and wants to walk quietly more then anything else, I laughed and said oh, so you want a push button 10k show horse huh?? ;)

So Lee and Chris went to the barn to saddle the hosses up while Jamie and I went into the house and used the bathroom. Oh how lovely bathrooms are after you are stuck with only trees for 2 days. *insert blissful sigh*

Then we took them out to the round pen to work the kinks out and for me to make sure Chris remembered how to ride a horse (hes been on one maybe a dozen times, so he isn't ignorant but its been awhile, and he isn't a horseback rider either, if you know what I mean) Well he was doing well and I tried to restrain myself from being the 'instructor' and know it all, lol. So I said a few things to him (like be VERY AWARE you have your hands connected to a metal bar on your horses nose, lol) and then we headed out. (although I told him three times not to bounce on the horses back when he gets on and he still did it *sigh*)

Heres a few pics of us in the round pen:

The brother looks a little unorthodox on a horse, but Cisco is a good size for him (the bro is a good 6 foot 5)

Dix is so perty :) Poor girl, everyone else thinks she is psycho, but I think I love her, shes just misunderstood, or else I'm the only one who wants to deal with her 'issues' which don't other me at all really

Pretty boy posing, he loves the camera I tell you!

Usins :)

Well things got a little dicey after we left the round pen. I guess Cisco started feeding of Dixie and became quite a handful. Chris did well with him for a beginner (hes a daredevil not much scares him) and we didn't get far, just around the gravel road before he was ready to head back. Cisco was being quite a PIA trying to go faster then a walk, not turning, head straight in the air etc. So we get back to where Lee and and the sis in law are standing and I told Chris to get off to see if I could get him to behave. I didn't want him to leave with a bad taste in his mouth, you know?

So I walk over to him and he starts to just walk off and I SNAPPED that bar down on his nose once and said WOAH and barked a few mean short sentences to him. He got this look on his face like OMYGAHH!! It was kinda funny, so I reached up and made him put his head down (I taught him that when he was really young and he is STILL excellent at responding to it, I just have to place a hand on his nose and top of his poll and bam his head is downnn)

Then I adjusted the stirrups and climbed aboard and he was like yes ma'am! (which getting on itself was no mean feat I tell you. I was on the downside of a slope and the stirrup was WAY UP there, like level with my chest almost! But if I can get my toe in, I can get on!) I walked him up the drive and around, checked out a scary picnic table, etc, and he had his head level and just plodded along, like he usually does. He is SUCH a smooth, fun ride. His stride is huge and you just gliddeee. And its beyond fun to be on such a tall horse with his big ole head just hanging and goin along. :)

So I got off after just a few mins and Chris got back on (well I also convinced him to get on Dixie at one point when I was fixing to get on Cisco but that didnt go well, he SLAMMED on her back and she did not like it at ALL. So I waited a few seconds to see if she would settle; she didn't. So I was like OKAY GET OFF, haha.) After he got on Cisco he did just as well as with me, but we didn't try going off again with the two of them. I dunno, maye he just does better by himself. My dad took him quite a ways one time alone down a trail etc, and he did great, and my dad is def not a rider either. *shrug*

Stills from the vid:

Perty Dixie again

Playboy ;)

Drive-by! (mouth open talkin to the sis in law) Thats the parents house, they were out of town in AZ this weekend. That bay window there used to be my room :)

Anyway I had a great time. I've got a video of him and I riding in the front drive but the internet her is going off and on so I can't ever get it finished. I'll try to get it up tomarrow.