I'm baaaack

Finally I am finding the time to get back on my blog.. I know its been some time. First surgery then healing then getting back to work. 
I behaved myself and didn't even attempt to ride horses until the dr gave me the thumbs up to go ahead :)

So I started out slowly just riding my trusty mare Satin. We had some really good rides when the weather was nice. It was really her first time out alone but she did really well and just gets better and better out alone. Trees make her nervous when alone though as you just never know what is going to come out and get us!! ;)  She is even learning that those working Two Eyed Jack bloodlines make her absolutely capable of working O-O, sure was a surprise to her but I knew it all along. ;)  So far she is doing well, learning to pony some, side pass, pivoting on her hindquarters, she is even dragging things now, next I might try my hand throwing the lariat off of her (she might just laugh herself silly as I am definitely no roper! LOL) .. so much for her pampered princess reputation. Maybe one day rollbacks and sliding stops. Hey a girl can dream can't she?? ;)

I have ridden Levi some this spring but just bareback with the halter in the training pen.. she is mostly getting brushed, refreshing some ground work and learning that when I climb on the gate that means its time to side up so I can mount, gonna be awhile before I can belly up on a horse her size because of my abdominal scar (she is 1/4" short of being 16 hh now!!! I know!! What big girl!) so for now its the gate and she does so so willingly that I think she WANTS me to ride (haha) then we will practice at the trailer, regular fences, truck tailgates etc etc etc. 
She is picking up leg cues nicely with our bareback rides and learning to be lighter and more responsive in the rope halter. I am always amazed when someone tells me their horse is light and responsive yet when I get on they don't feel that way to me personally. To me light and responsive means I can ride and steer with one finger (especially at a walk!) and that is what I am working towards with Satin and Levi. Maybe one day I will have them responsive enough to brag about ;)  My goal is to get them where my old gelding Smoke was, BRIDLELESS responsive :D With my limited time in the saddle its going be a long process lol.

Angel has been learning some Clinton Anderson groundwork and is starting to figure it out, its all so new to her but I think she is actually starting to enjoy it because if she does something correctly its means lots of rubbing, scratches and attention, all of which she really likes. I haven't saddled and bridled her yet or done any ground driving but soon I will... right now the 1st 2 rides I was just a passenger as she moves around that pen with just the rope halter and lead, as I am trying to stay out of her face until she picks up squeeze means go and sitting back and down means whoa. She IS small enough I can jump on bareback without any aids (she is only 14.2 hh) or having to belly up lol. It took me a bit to figure out just how to work it out with her because I can't really swing up and on as the twisting motion while propelling myself up is not comfortable on the scar tissue and feels like a pulled muscle, but I will be back to that soon with more healing and when my strength gets even better. 


Apparently I am also becoming a fowl collector lol, guess it runs in the family as my Grandpa Kenny used to always have fowl of some sort :D . I have had my buff orpingtons for awhile now and they are easily my favorites. I also had barred rocks and black austerlorps, while nice big birds they just were not the docile beauties my orpingtons are.  I also now have to very pretty gray chinese crested geese, which my goose is trying to lay but unfortunately her eggs didn't appear to be fertile yet so I replaced them with some duck eggs a friend was gracious enough to send me :) So maybe in about 28 days or so she will be followed by some pekins and some runner duck babies.. that outta be a hoot!!
I also now have 6 light brahmas, 10 americaunas, and 10 polish chicks(5 buff laced and 5 golden laced) that I am raising up. My gosh those polish are a bit funny looking now that their top knots are feathering in. 
I hope to get some buff duckling soon from another friend, some cayuga ducklings from another friend and who knows what else!! I will have to get pics of my funky chickens, geese and horses up soon.