Home

Is the summer really over?

1 Comment

The weather is saying yes.  The days are cooler the nights are cold. The Calendar is saying yes. It is September!  Where did the summer go?  It has been non stop and I am truly grateful for that.  I am still getting inquiries from new students wanting lessons.  Below you will see Nash doing a great job with one of the newbies.  He is so patient and gentle, he makes the best first timer experience.

2013-09-07_12-13-14_965But it is not all about work. Labor day weekend we made it to green lane again.  This time we had a tag team group.  2 horses (Apple and Casey), 6 friends , and 4 dogs.  When we weren’t riding we were hanging out at the picnic table on the edge of the trail overlooking the lake.  It made for a very relaxing day out!

So the dog days of summer are over but you have to admit they have the life here at the farm!

2013-09-05_18-24-51_220

 

Sweet summer time trail rides

Leave a comment

We recently discovered dirt bike trails and paths in the farm’s neighboring woods and fields.  Before we could only do road rides and not all the horses are road safe.  Now we all can enjoy the great outdoors on the back of a horse.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Riding as a Youth

Leave a comment

I Want a Do-Over.

The link above is a post by a fellow equine blogger.  I enjoyed reading it and it got me thinking of riding in my youth.

After a couple years of lessons I got my own horse (Lilly of the fields). She was a beautiful chestnut mare. I had friends in the area and we would go trail riding.  During the summer it would be all day trail rides to the park or convenience store.  We didn’t wear helmets and we had 100% trust in our horses.  We never fell off even when we race around the avocado groves.  We were young and free but not careless or risk takers.

Chex’s first trail ride

2 Comments

This week during our regularly scheduled Saturday morning trail ride Rachael decided to take Chex on his first trail ride since joining the farm.

2013-07-13_10-14-15_937

He was joined by Apple, Cuervo and Nash.

2013-07-13_10-16-36_425

Chex’s mom joined us on Nash.  Her first time on him.
2013-07-13_10-14-34_675

The weather was good to us.  It wasn’t too hot and we stuck the the cut part of our neighboring fields.  The horse flys and bugs were out and bothering the horses despite being doused in fly spray2013-07-13_10-43-47_150

Apple and Casey’s Big Adventure

4 Comments

On Sunday we decided not to take care of the long list of things to do and instead go for a trail ride.  Green Lane Park  is about a 20 min drive from the farm. It has many trails for 2 legs, 4 legs and wheels.  We opted to go around the lake, which was a 15 mile adventure that took us a little less than 5 hours.  Before we left we brushed them and applied fly spray.  My 2 seasoned  geldings loaded the trailer like champs.  I rarely take them off the property so it is great to see that they remember and are ok with being trailered.

2013-06-16_11-28-15_94

Getting tacked up at the trailer.

2013-06-16_11-39-41_851

Are ya coming?  Casey is a much slower walker than Apple so we were often trotting to catch up.

2013-06-16_11.56.03 2013-06-16_12.18.53

I was told that there are not enough pics of me in the blog (because i am always the one taking them).  So here ya go.

2013-06-16_11-39-50_299Put your ears forward Casey – Pretend like you like it.

2013-06-16_11-45-25_722Through the open areas

2013-06-16_12-26-40_20Across the bridge, past the fishermen, to the other side of the lake.

2013-06-16_13-03-58_835 2013-06-16_13-03-29_923

Through the forest.  This part was only for advanced riders.  As we had to go down and up many steep embankments with a stream at the bottom.  A fun adrenalin rush as you are putting all your trust in to the horse.  They did great!

2013-06-16_14-19-36_662 2013-06-16_14-19-26_107Around the lake.  It was such a pretty day, not too hot with a cool breeze.

2013-06-16_14-47-09_143

Smile for the Camera.  I love that Apple and Casey’s ears are pricked forward for this pic.  They were checking out the other horses approaching us.

2013-06-16_15-16-17_942 2013-06-16_15-16-22_362Stopped at the bridge by the gas station for a break.  We needed to re-hydrate.   The nice man at the shop behind Casey, offered the horses some water.

2013-06-16_15-51-02_701 2013-06-16_15.50.53Almost there.  The last hour of the ride my bum started to hurt so I decided to ride side saddle.  Look ma no hands.  Casey was such a good boy that for the most part I didn’t have to do much, no steering and no stirrups.   The only thing I had to watch for was when he walked to close to the tree and tried to constantly take out my left leg.

It was a great day out!  So much better than working.

Farm Therapy

Leave a comment

Have you hugged a horse today?

Farm therapy is the best kind of therapy.

Petting animals can reduce your stress levels.  Check out this article on 27 ways pets can improve your life.  This past weekend a farm family friend and I went to the barn at night for some horse therapy. We were hugging and loving on Nash & Casey. Nash was giving me kisses and my friend was giving Nash a massage. We loved the quiet time with my boys.

Mucking stalls allows me to think.  If I ever need to clear my head I muck stalls.  It is a rhythmical task that allows for the thought process to open up.  I make my best decisions when cleaning stalls

Riding horse forces me not to think.  If I need to “get out of my own head” for a while I get on a horse.  There is so much going on while riding that I am not allowed to let the pesky issue seep in.

Special Delivery

Leave a comment

What does a cowgirl do before prom?  

Take prom pictures with her horse in her cowgirl boots.

Prom Pics

GSF’s Prom Princess did not have time to come to the farm before prom for pictures with Dalton. So we brought her horse to her!  Thanks to the farm family and her boyfriend they clean him up while I was finishing up my work (real job).  Then we loaded him up in my trailer and drove him to her parent’s house (which is also a goat farm).

She was absolutely thrilled  to have Dalton part of her big dayand surprised to see me as I said I would not be able to get out of work early.  The pictures turned out great!  Dalton was even in her friends pictures who stopped by for group photos.  Where else would you have the opportunity to have prom pics with a horse!

2013-05-31 15.23.21 2013-05-31 15.22.55

My boy Nash

2 Comments

Word is spreading and the grass roots campaign raise funds for Nash’s Hernia surgery just passed it’s first week.  I realized I failed to show you how bad the hernia is and what the surgery will fix.  This week we decided to shave the spot so we could get a clear view of how bad it is.

2013-04-25_18-22-19_797 2013-04-25_18-22-49_860 2013-04-25_18-23-16_191 2013-04-25_18-23-29_871

 

Then after taking these photos Nash and I had some quality time while he munched on some grass in between the spring blossoms.

Last year’s students returns

1 Comment

With the warmer weather and longer days I am excited to see last year’s students returning for lessons.  She did a great job getting back in the saddle and remembered everything.  It’s like riding a bike I said.  After the lesson she and her mom went to say hi to the horses.  Nashy my lover boy really enjoyed the hugs and kisses.

Newer Entries