Training Sunny

I have been able to work with Sunny the last few lessons that I have had.  She is an amazing horse with a good temperament.  1st day of working with Sunny on the ground included a lot of loving on her.  Shana taught me how to get her to come to me and when Sunny did good she got loved on.  I found her sweet spot that makes her mouth go to town.  Sunny did really well and followed me around after a little work. 

On Saturday I decided to go see Sunny and work with her on my own.  Now that was a whole different story.  I couldn't get her to move.  It became frustrating for me and her.  I know she was trying to figure out what in the world I wanted but I was not doing a very good job telling her what I wanted.  I eventually gave up because I figured I was doing more harm than good and just loved on her. 

My next lesson, I got to work with her again.  I went and got her by myself, got a halter on her and walked with her.  I didn't realize I had an audience but as soon as I put the halter on her I heard Greg telling me how good I did with her. Yeah! I did something right on my own. 

Shana and I worked with her in the smaller corrals, making her turn and run circles.  Getting her to come to me and working on her right side.  Eventually we went into the arena and let her run in there.  It amazes me how graceful a horse is.  Sunny is quick and strong.  We worked on getting her to come to me from all the across the arena.  It took some work but she did really good when she figured out what we wanted from her. 

Baby Chicks

This spring we decided to get new baby chicks this year.  You can't just have one new one so we opted for 6 new chicks.  This would put our flock up to 10 chickens total.  Went to the farm store and picked out them out and gave them lady names 2 Americana's, June and Dorothy, 1 White Leg Horn, Betty White; 2 Black Wyandotte's, Ruby and Ethel; and 1 super cute bantam, Dolly.  Brought them home and let them live in the kitchen until they started stinking the place up.  Then they were officially kicked out to the chicken coop with a heat lamp. 

I absolutely love new chicks.  They are so adorable and entertaining trying to figure out everything.  We divided the chicken coop into 2 areas.  One for the full grown chickens and a section for the new baby chicks with their own outdoor area.  Watching them take a dirt bath for the first time was cracking me up.  It amazes me how they just know how to do it.  Helping each other get dirt on one another. 

The Chicks new home in the coop

The first night the chicks spent outside I was a nervous wreck.  I went out to check on them and noticed Dolly was all alone and not under the heat lamp.  When I picked her up she was cold so I decided to take her in the house and warm her up.  She wasn't making any noise and wouldn't move at all.  She is normally the noisy  one of the bunch, so I knew she was hurting.  I wrapped Dolly in a towel and let her sleep in my bed for half the night.  I think my husband thought I had lost my mind! But the next day she seemed to be so much better.  I let her stay in the house a few days longer before making her move out.  When she went outside for the second time it worked much better. 



Dolly warming up



Cowgirl Boots

I found an awesome pair of cowgirl boots while I was in the city.  My first set of real cowgirl boots and they even fit my big calf's.  I was surprised how comfortable they are.  Thank to the sweet sales girl at AA Callisters for helping my find them!  So exciting!  I know longer have to wear my Dillard's boots.  Now I just need some Wranglers to go with the boots.  Then I will be almost all official.

Sunny

For those who know me, you already know I bought a beautiful horse.  About a month ago Shana had a horse that she thought she had sold but the lady backed out of buying her.  At my next lesson I got to meet Sunny.  She is a very beautiful horse, mild mannered and smart. 

Shana showed me what a good horse Sunny is.  She made Sunny walk over a noisy tarp and over metal grates.  Sunny didn't even blink an eye.  Next she tied the tarp to her tail and made her pull it around, still no reaction.  She then made her get caught in the tarp, Sonny did react to that, but not in a bad way.  She just wanted it off her feet.  No buck, no kick, she ran a bit, but that was it. 

Shana rode her bare back, which was a first for Sunny.  Shana stood on her and slid down the back of Sunny with out Sunny moving an inch.  I was very impressed and I decided to buy her.  She still needs a little training but Shana and I are going to do that together.  I'm looking forward to learning how to train her with Shana's help.  She is going to stay at Shana's until I have everything ready and can bring her home.

 





A New Farm Truck

Rick and I bought a new old 1972 ford F100.  I'm in love with it.  He had big plans of turning the truck into a rat rod.  But I have big plans of turning it into my cowgirl truck.  I have been trying to talk him into thinking my idea is better. 

The truck is in great condition.  Has 47,000 original miles, the dome light and the a.m. radio even work.  The beluga horn was the selling point for me though.  I've been honking at everyone.  I think my neighbors might be sick of hearing my horn... belllluggggaaaa!  I'm also very partial to the Mack Dog hood ornament.  For now it will stay as it is.  Someday it's going to get an update on the paint and white wall tires. 

 

A Hunt for a Horse

After my 3rd lesson I knew I wanted a horse of my very own.  I started looking all over the Internet and asking anybody that I knew that had horses if they had any for sale.  I found a beauty of a horse on Facebook, but she was way out of my price range and in Colorado. 



This cowgirl business is expensive!  I opted to go look at a cheaper, older gelding here in town.  He was a nice horse but I had no connection with him. On a Sunday we decided to take a little road trip with the dogs to go see the horse in Colorado.  I met See Me and instantly fell in love with her.  Her coloring was beautiful, she was big and had a sweet temperament.  Only one problem she had pink pigment around her eyes and of course the hefty price tag that went with her.  Roxie, her owner, was a very nice lady.  I instantly clicked with her and knew she absolutely loved her horses.  See Me performed well, turned on a dime and even showed me how she likes to scratch her butt on a well worn tree.  I left Roxie's place knowing that I wanted that horse.  I spent all week contemplating if I could afford her.  I talked to the vet and he said the pink pigment gets sunburned easily and Uncle Gary said they go "snow blind" in the winter.  After a lot of thought I decided to pass on See Me.  Not going to lie I still want to buy her.

Horse Trailer

I bought my first horse trailer.  She's a peach paid $500 for a 1978, 2 horse trailer.  I bought the trailer sight unseen (other than one picture from the online classifieds).  When we went to Salt Lake to pick up the trailer I was surprised that none of the lights work and the awesome blue paint job looks like it was painted with a roller brush, but hey what do you get for $500.  After my husband fixes it up it's going to be awesome, I just know it!

 

 

Since I now own a trailer I decided that I needed to learn how to back the trailer up.  My husband hooked the trailer up and off we went for my first driving a trailer lesson.  I have drove with a trailer before but only forward.  Never backwards.  First on the agenda, taking Rick through the drive through at Wendy's.  I was sweating bullets, this was way out of my comfort zone of going forward.  I tried to talk him into driving but he made me do it.  The line was long and I had plenty of time to think of how many things could go wrong.  I just imagined taking out the whole menu board.  I survived the drive through without doing any damage.  Next up, church parking lot.  My first attempt at backing up was comical.  I missed the lines by a mile.  Second attempt was almost perfect.  I got between the trailer between the lines but I didn't have the truck straight.  I'm still going to call it a success. 

Back for more... lessons that is

Second Lesson

I think Shana was surprised to see me back for round 2. More grooming, more learning and finally the chance to ride a horse. When it came time for me to get on the horse I thought… how hard can this be? Shana showed me the correct way to get on and off; my first attempt did not go smoothly.  It’s a lot harder than it looks. The lesson didn't seem to last long enough and it seemed like as soon as I got on Holy Sam it was time to get off.  Once again I couldn't wait for my next lesson.

Third Horse Lesson

We got a different horse, B.J., out of the corrals and as we were walking over to the arena she was telling me a little about the horse.  He was a stud horse. As we were grooming him and prepping him to ride Shana’s husband came over and borrowed the horse.  He wanted to see if his mare was in heat.  Sure enough she was heat and B.J. got all sorts of excited.  I understand the saying, hung like a horse, now.  B.J. was way more interested in the mare outside than he was in being in the arena.  Shana kept showing him who was boss.  She kept making him work.  I was truly impressed by her riding skills and in complete awe of how she handled B.J.  At the moment I knew I wanted to be able to ride like that.  I was hooked.   I learned how the horse walks and had to count his steps.  Shana had the B.J. on a lead and had the reins tied above the saddle, but I was riding a horse. So fun! B.J. stepped on the reins and panicked. He ran off with me on top of him wondering what I am supposed to do. I leaned back a little and hoped he stopped before we ran into the fence. He did. Shana was so excited!  I guess I did everything correctly.  But my first question for her was… should I have been scared?  Because I was not scared at all, it was exciting. 

Barrel Containers

The weather has finally turned nice and I've been working in my yard.  I came across some old rusty barrels on Facebook and thought they would be perfect containers for flowers.  I went to Southern Utah for Memorial Day and picked them up on my way home.  Last weekend I went to the nursery and went crazy buying flowers. After two days of planting I got all of the flowers I had purchased planted. I'm loving the barrels turned planters.

 

Old rusty barrels turned planters