After a month+ hiatus, I'm back. 

Florida was warm. I returned to cold and snow. That doesn't really bother me.

I rode in Jean's arena. Daisy was a good girl. She got along well with Dixie, and actually lost a bit of weight because surprisingly, Dixie was the alpha mare and though she's really not very aggressive at all, Daisy still respected her and her food completely.

Jean trailered Daisy home for me on Tuesday. Daisy is happy at home :) and I'm happy to have her home. We've been road riding again, starting to build up her muscles again. We've only gone with the bareback pad this week because it's fun. All the snow melted, and then we were dumped with over half a foot again on Wednesday, so until it melts, I'm going bareback. Because that's my excuse. 

Daisy has started shedding (oh goody). This means our appointment for a spring vet check will be right around the corner, along with a visit from her dentist. I'm planning on going the new "alternative" root for deworming this season as discussed in the February issue of Equus. If you didn't read that edition, get your hands on it. It's important. It talks about doing a fecal exam instead of deworming "in case" they have worms because worms are becoming resistant to dewormer.  This is not a really new piece of knowledge, but this year I plan on putting it in action. 

Yesterday was my 16th Birthday and I recieved a new camera from my dad. I love it! It's a Kodak Easyshare M580. These pictures were taken with it yesterday and today. I'm really enjoying it.

I'm in the process of joining Pony Club with my friend Lydia. If it works out, I'll be able to ride the mile and a half down the road weekly for mounted meetings and lessons over the next few months. It's pretty exciting. 

I'm keeping busy. Hope you're all well,

So Much For Claiming I Post Weekly....

I claim on my facebook that I update my blog weekly...but it's been a week and three days since I last posted...*sigh* :P

We were really hit with a snowstorm the Friday (the day after) I last posted...I think it was the most snow I've ever seen at once in my life...over two feet of heavy snow everywhere. It snowed over the course of three days and left everything looking like this: (The view of our driveway)

Doesn't it look like Narnia? ;)

I have a three strand fence...Can't you tell?
We get as much snow as we do because we're outside of town in the "mountains". At the barn where Daisy is, there wasn't nearly as much snow...although some areas were pretty bad because of drifting. I had a snowday on Friday.

I used to post pictures of my barn cats all the time...so I figured I'd put some updated ones up.
My baby boy, Groenemeyer.

And Miss Genevieve.

Snow above the barn roof...

And the barn altogether. Because of all the snow we got, Daisy didn't come home...She'll come home as soon as the property is good enough to walk on :P. In town the snow is melting and it's muddy, but it's melting slowly at our house. I'll definitely need to put a new bottom line on the fence at some point... :-/

This is sorta backwards timewise, but just before the storm I went trail riding and got this shadow shot :)

Then last Friday I went with Lydia (Click here to see her blog) to the farm she boards her quarter horse at to see a newborn foal and watch Lydia ride...here is Momma mare, "Queen Jean"...I love this photo:

And then Momma and baby, yet to be named.

My computer died, as I said, I got my dad's "old" (2 year old) laptop to replace it...I'm still working out kinks. I need to set up allll my old iTunes playlists, I have to figure out how to connect my FLIP video player to the laptop without having the laptop shut off because of it, and how to download an MP3 without having the laptop shut down...as well as figure out how to get my pictures back and be able to put together the video of Lydia riding on Friday...*ugh*...this is all so complicated. Luckily my older brothers are skilled in the PC area. :) Thanks, guys!

Sooo, on to riding. I've still been riding. Last week on Tuesday I did a little jumping, then on Wednesday I rode for an hour and 15 minutes, doing a lot of jumping, and I jumped bareback Thursday. My course was SMALL. A ground pole, a raised ground pole (cavalletti), a vertical...I have no idea how high...2 feet? A crossrail, less then 2 feet, and that was it...The Tuesday Daisy's jumping was bad. She only got through the vertical once without knocking it...she also mysteriously started coughing on Tuesday so I didn't jump much because after a few times she had a mega coughing fit so I stopped. Wednesday was great. She jumped really really well, she ended up rushing towards the end, but generally she was good and she jumped (at least the "big" vertical) round and she didn't knock it often. She was such a good girl. :) Thursday I didn't have much time and ended up going bareback and ultimately jumping...which was crazy because you can imagine my form bareback... ;)

Friday I didn't go to the barn, and yesterday I rode Daisy and Bubba. I rode Daisy first and because I skipped one. day. she had a fit and wouldn't listen at all the first ten minutes... I eventually got the dressage crop/whip/whatever and knocked some sense into her, made her sidepass the length of the arena; that got her attention. After that she was an angel, of course. :P
Riding Bubba was amazing yesterday...I'm riding him again in Fair, as aforementioned...I would post a pic. of him but seeing as how I lost them all I'll post links to two posts involving him:
http://cdgagudl.blogspot.com/2008/07/congratulations-jean.html <- Stuart Horse Trials 2008, when Jean and Bubba had 2nd place in the Novice Division. Bubba was an INCREDIBLE event horse. The best. (from my Mom's blog)
http://ridingdaisy.blogspot.com/2009/07/sundays-horse-show.html <- Umm...Last, I believe, event of Bubba's career, July 2009.

Soo I rode him yesterday and worked on the free walk...and moved on to a free sorta trot, and then canter (although that was not with a loose rein). He was awesome! Best ride ever on him.

Today I rode him and Daisy again. I rode him first and was exhausted as usual at the end, but it was a good ride, too. We worked on bending.

Rode Daisy...due to time limit I didn't ride long, and I worked on some side pass and pivot groundwork, as well. :)

Jean pointed out that the more I ride on the bit with Daisy, the easier it will be to teach her free walk...I totally didn't think of that. Sometimes I need obvious help ;)

It's been in the 30's the last two days, which is nice...Daisy is no longer blanketed :)

Annddd the thrush is coming back in Daisy's hinds full-force because of the warmth...I'm going to buy what Michaela suggested, the Mustad Thrush Buster... :)

That's it for now...sorry for the sudden long post! ;)

That's Winter in New York for Ya...

This is what it looks like out here in the woods currently...we are getting a "snow hurricane". It was in the forecast all week. I took these photos just 5 minutes ago...and we're supposed to get a foot on top of all that!

Otherwise, I don't have much to report...

Just wondering, what do you all do to get your horse's hind end engaged while riding? I'm told to squeeze Daisy while she's on the bit, but she either pops her head up from the squeezes, or speeds up...she doesn't know what I'm asking.

What's the weather like up by you?

Sunday Stills Challenge: Signs of Fall (and also Macro Monday 9/28/09)

I will admit that this week, my entrants were pretty lame...Fall has barely arrived at our house, so there aren't that many "signs of fall" around....I will admit that I went to the archives for the first two shots, taken last year because they are much prettier and more "fall-like" than the ones I took this week...

This is what it really looks like...not very pretty.

These next few are also my entrants for Macro Monday this week...

Now, I have my own personal "sign of fall"...for those (FEW) of you that read my blog regularly, do you notice anything different about my pony? (Besides the fact that she's whinnying adorably at the camera, AND looking at it?)

Her coat is darker...it gets almost liver chestnut in the fall, like her mother (though I've never seen pictures of her mother, that's what I'm told she looks like).

For more signs of fall around blogland, check out Sunday Stills!
Or maybe even join! It's a great way to make yourself get out with your camera and snap pics...although, don't take my word for it, because evidently I'm pretty bad at taking my camera out a lot to get good pics...this week I waited until today to get the pics :P :).

Weaver Graphite Halter

I bought Daisy a new halter, seeing as how I was still using the halters I got the week I bought her almost two years ago...I mean, they're nice halters, but....anyway, I searched a little online and was looking for a specific buckle for the throat latch on the halter...I found the weaver graphite halter which looked really cool...the blue was a little off from what I wanted but I went with it...I got the Hurricane Blue halter off ebay and it came with a free Blue Diamond lead rope...the lead rope is a little long and bulky but otherwise everything is nice. The hardware on the halter is really sturdy and looks metallic-y and sharp. I like it...so...that's all I have to say right now...

I've made a video of me jumping but as of right now it's still uploading to youtube...It will hopefully be up tonight sometime.:)

So what are you all doing today? Who's watching the Superbowl?
I'm not...I made a smoothie and ate cake...I'll probably watch it later just to get some Budweiser horse commercials ;-). Gotta love 'em.

Have a great Sunday in any case!

P.S.
Our chicks should arrive February 12...around that time...stay tuned for more on them. :)

Lesson Numero Dos

Is that how you say "number" in Spanish? I wouldn't know, I take French...anyway.

I had my second lesson today! And the last one until March because Karin is going to Florida all of February to event...she does every year, I guess. Anyway, we did only flat work (no jumping) and it was soooo amazing.

She had me circling Daisy at a posting trot, and she had me put my inside hand down and behind my knee, so my arm was pretty much straight at my side holding the rein. Then I squeezed that rein over and over as I rode, while squeezing my legs alternately and just keeping my outside rein still (and holding it strong). Normally Daisy rides strung out, and as I've said, without using her hind end and stepping under herself. Quite a few times while I did that exercise, though, I could feel Daisy really pick herself up and step under herself, while holding her head down and her neck arched, and it was the most wonderful feeling ever. Everyone describes it this way, but it's so true: it was like air. It felt like she was just lightly trotting over clouds, just like the the way you'd think it feels to ride those big dressage horses that skip and hold their legs up really high. Daisy was AWESOME. She did it a ton at the beginning of the lesson. She didn't do as well clockwise as she did counterclockwise, but she was still good. However, I REALLY need to exercise my fingers! They ached like crazy after squeezing my fingers over and over on the rein! But it was great. Daisy's so good. At the end she was covered in sweat after trotting non-stop for almost an hour, and after just a minute or two of walking, we went to cantering and she still did it. She's stubborn at times, but she's a good girl.
At the end her whole face was wet with sweat and her neck, and she was exhausted, but it was good for her. And I feel it know-I'm tired, too! :)

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Next news:
We're ordering our chicks soon! My dad and I went through different breeds, and we decided on I think 9 different breeds, and we'll get 2 of each...they include:
New Hampshire Red
Buff Orphington
Silver-Laced Wyandottes
Black/Gold Sex links
Ameraucanas
Rhode Island Red
Delaware
Barred Plymouth Rock
and I'm forgetting one but I can't remember which one...I also really wanted a White Faced Black Spanish but they aren't available right now...we also wanted a Bantam of some kind but they're all straight runs and we only want pullets...sooo...we'll be getting them in February at some point...I'm so super excited!! :D I'm really glad we're getting them earlier then last time, because they'll lay earlier...and this time I actually know more about Chicken breeds so it's more exciting... :)
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Kacy has alsooooo bestowed me with 3 awards....but I'm a lazy bum so I'm not going to show them or pass them on...actually, I'm on lazy b/c of midterms to study for...otherwise I'd make a bigger deal out of them, but I will put them on the side of the blog with the other awards eventually...
But she also tagged me to post five of my "addictions"...I don't think I'm realllly addicted to anything, but here I go ;-).

1. Blogging, Internet, facebook, blogging. lol.
   
2. Jelly Bellys. OK they are SO expensive ($6.99 a pound!) but I LOVE sour Jelly bellys! They are AMAZING. I just splurged last week and bought some...so yeah...
3. Daisy...barn cats...etc...I could spend HOURS (and I have lately) at the barn doing pretty much nothing. I love it.
4. Reading, LOVE reading, my favorite series EVER is Harry Potter. I've read the series twice. sooo good.
5. Music...Switchfoot and TobyMac are my favs right now...
   

It's COLLLDDDDD out!

Helloooo!
Quick post...

It was said all weekend that it would get down below zero this week...and it did! Yesterday I had to drag an extension cord all the way to the coop from the garage to hook up the heat lamp. And switch out the bulb. But, voila, here it is! It's in the video below ;-).

The barn cats are surviving fine...they sleep together and are warm. I brought them a heated pillow this morning, but that's all.


Stay warm, everyone!

Daisy's Away Again

Pictures of the Gatsby

Notice how dark her coat got?! It's crazy!

Thank you, Mom! She took these pictures of Daisy with her blanket this morning...I really really like the Gatsby blanket. It's not one of the more popular brands, but it's obviously a good blanket, and it's built well...some buckles that look like this are kind of annoying because on that first buckle (not the one with the hole that the other one goes in) has a rubber thing on it so that once it's latched, it doesn't come undone easily...this is good, except that it makes the buckles a little harder to close...but I guess it's important to have them, for safety...

Anyway, those are some pictures....

Over and up,

Blanketing Daisy

GUESS what my weather bug says right now for the outside temperature?!

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11 degrees Fahrenheit. Which that temperature is of the town we are in. But we are in the mountains. So you can subtract about 3-4 degrees off that. So it's about 8 or 7 degrees.

Ew, right?

So. Remember this blanket I got Daisy on sale this last summer? I'm glad I got it on sale. Anyway, today I put it to use.

Sorry I have no picture of Daisy with it on :-( but I seem to have misplaced my camera battery charger...but I guess it was time for a new one...it's 3 or 4 years old lol. Anyway, I put it on Daisy this morning. She was scared of it. Finally I just through it on her and let her calm down. She did that strong snorting/roaring thing over and over again, but eventually she calmed down. She didn't understand why this *thing* was hanging over her entire body.

I let her off the cross ties, and she stood there like she couldn't move. I called her over, and she started walking, and then starting trotting looking scared and confused. She spooked herself! She'd look behind herself and see nothing and then she was so confuzzled because of that blanket. It was quite funny to watch her try to run away from the *scary* thing behind her that just *never* showed itself! Lol

She got used to it, though. She's had a blanket before, but that was before I owned her, so...

She's sleeping with it right now. It feels good to know she's comfy. :)

Unfortunately, because of ice, I haven't been able to ride her. :'-( She's getting very bored, and extra excited all the time...poor girl. But it looks like I will start boarding her this month already, Christmas time I think...so then we can ride.

Daisy tends to not engage her hindquarters AT ALL when we ride. Horses are supposed to drive themselves foreword with their hinds, but instead, she kind of pulls herself along. I didn't notice until the show in September, when someone pointed it out to me. And I notice it more, now that I'm riding only bareback again. When she canters, it feels like she is falling foreword, because she's not using her back legs. That could also be why her front hooves bruised so bad last summer...she uses them so much more. Anyway, I'm taking lessons this winter and hopefully we'll jump at the fair next year, once we fix her hindquarter problem ;-).


Over and up,

Random Pictures, Out of Order-A View of Today

These are just some pictures I took today....really random, and way out of order-and a lot of them. Sorry I haven't posted in so long...btw, I have no idea why this underline is here, sorry :-p.^^That picture up there(these: ^^^^ mean up) is of Daisy sleeping in the sun. This is the second time recently that we've seen her sleeping out behind her barn-I didn't have her stall open today, so she couldn't go in, so she slept outside. SO cute!

^^Genevieve on a tree we knocked down last summer. She uses it as a bridge over our stream. The picture in the top corner is of her at the base of the tree-I just combined them to save picture space. Isn't she so sweet?^^

^^Early morning on Red Gate Ranch (aka, the Little House in the Forest)...I was up at 7 this morning, which is 'painfully' early for a Saturday, because....well, I'll explain below.^^

^^Gronemeyer hiding in our woodpile-the cats take this place as the perfect place to hide from Abby, the dog.^^

^^Daisy ate her fill of trees today...^^

^^Curious little Miss Daisy....^^

^^This was taken after a ride, when she KNEW she was getting a treat. Isn't she funny? Sorry about the bright sun in the back round.^^

^^Genevieve (Genny) TOTALLY took advantage of the sun, and slept on the tarp that covers our wood. In the cropped pic. in the corner she's rolling. I think she's just so adorable...is it just me?^^

^^^SO, here's why I got up at 7 am instead of 8:30 or 9.:
The last few days we've had a fox at our house around 7 every morning, wandering. This is a problem because the cats kept on climbing through the 'holes' in the roof of the barn, sliding down the side, and playing outside when it wasn't light out yet and the door wasn't open. NOTICE: The door wasn't open so they wouldn't get out! It worried us because we already lost our dear little Grenuie whom we had end of last summer, and I already love these two so much....so today we(my Dad and I) covered the holes with chicken wire; no more getting out so early. I was up early because I had to let the cats out-I had closed them into a cage so they wouldn't get hurt until the wire was up. I took advantage of the light sun and took pictures...^^

^^Wiring from inside.^^^

^^^Just a cool picture of Daisy taken through the stall door-the door and wall is so dark, it made it look like a framed picture...^^

^^It was cold today. If you enlarge the picture you see Daisy's breath coming out of her nose... I went riding at around 9:30. It was a nice ride, but very, very cold. ^^

So, that's about it...sorry for the long wait for a post, and for the amount of photos...Tomorrow is Easter, the day Jesus rose!....man, he's a cool Man.

Anyway, enjoy the holiday! I'll try to post soon, but I can't promise anything....