Of a GREAT little ride!

After all of the clean up and emptying the large outside freezer, defrosting it, cleaning it, moving it from the collapsed shed to the back porch and filling it back with the contents, I managed to find time to ride. I rode little Shadow in the round pen with an English saddle. I have had the saddle for a couple of yrs now but have preferred the western ones. I may change my mind! That little saddle was VERY comfortable! I have been riding bareback this week in the round pen to strengthen my leg muscles and to improve my balance. Haven’t fallen off, yet! LOL

So, today was the day…. the day I rode Ruskie, my Arabian.

And here is the Evidence!

He is such a dream to ride! SO SMOOTH!! But, then after riding Shadow, who has a pointy back and the CHOPPIEST of gaits, Ruskie felt like a cloud! I have been riding Biggin, the big quarter horse to regain my confidence and it really showed today on Ruskie!! I rode Biggin on a six mile trail ride a couple of weeks ago and on shorter, closer to home, rides since. MAJOR milestone for me today!!

YAY ME!!

This is where I spend as much of my time as I can – with the horses. They calm me, center me and make me laugh. The ducks have been going out to Shadow’s pen to help him eat his oats for the past week. Please, excuse his bony butt and winter hair…. he is about 26 now and this is the best that he has looked since I have had him.

See the brown one in the hay, waiting to dive into the oats?

This duck decided to stop and groom a bit….

And this is of my two big guys, Biggin on the left and Ruskie, on the right… both on a diet (and always hungry!) and needing exercise… my bad!

I am reallllly happy that WP did this last upgrade. I have been wanting to share so much but when this doesn’t work properly, I just get to frustrated to deal with it. And this is suppose to be fun for me!

I hope you had a great Valentine’s Day…. I did Even though GH is on the road, he did not forget me!

This is what they look like after they opened and the note that I got from the boys

My friend, N @ A Writer and A Rider went to the Arabian Show in Scottsdale, AZ on Saturday. Click the link to her post about our trip – more pics of the show and Belle AND she is a great writer, too! She will entertain you with the details of the celebrity that was with us

I took Belle with us to Scottsdale. She did so good with her new collar and leash. And she figured out how to get out to go potty while we were at the motel, too.  Pretty good for a 10 week old puppy! She was a hit and loved by any and all who saw her.

When we got home, she was very tired from all of the walking, new surroundings and all of the attention that she got.

(you may want to cover your eyes for this next shot… toooo cute!)

Today, she is alert and ready to play!

Thank you, GH, for the beautiful flowers!

Thank you, N, for being such a wonderful friend!

I had a great time this weekend and have many memories.

Yes, this my 100th post… don’t know if that is suppose to mean something, or not.

It started to snow about an hour ago.  This is what is looked like about 45 minutes into the storm.  And according to the Weather Channel’s radar, it is going to do this all night.

Since I started to write this, upload and post the pics, the ground is covered white and getting deeper… can’t wait til morning!

And don’t forget to go to A Writer and A Rider to leave a comment telling her what your favorite fall memory is so that you can win a free bar of glycerin handmade soap!

We got a new horse today…. His name is Biggins. He is a 14 yr old Quarter/Thorobred mixed breed.  His previous owner came and rode with me a couple of months ago.  I was really impressed with this big guy that day.  He came to us because of financial hardship.  Now I need to find a home for my little old mustang or I will come to financial hardship!

Ruskie and Biggins get along very good

But Ruskie is still my beauty and my jewel.

I mentioned in my last post (so very long ago!) that we had some guests.  I have my friend’s Arabian, Zzari, here.  He has chosen to be the leader of the “herd” and the other two horses aren’t so sure about it, even though Zzari keeps telling them!  The New Kid on the Block is on the right…

Then I am taking care of a friends dogs indefinately while they move to Phoenix.  They are in an apt for now while they look for a house to buy.  These dogs are sooo big! and Hairy!!  But they are well-behaved guys.  Cinder is the black dog and Buddy is the puppy (for real!)

Buddy and the kitten, Archie, play… actually, Archie beats the crap out of Buddy and he just acts as though nothing is happening – while he licks Archie.

I went on my first real ride on Ruskie today.  A friend rode his horse, “Biggin”, over to my house and we left from here.  He was a really big help for me.  His horse told Ruskie that he was not as great and pretty as he thought he was, and was a great leader for him.  My friend kept me calm when Ruskie didn’t want to go across the highway and through a gate.  We rode for almost 2 hours.  It was as I had dreamed of for nearly 2 yrs now.  Ruskie had a wet saddle blanket and I will probably be sore tomorrow – but it was SOOOO FUN!!!

I hope to get many more hours of riding now that I have gotten the first under my belt

First sight of Ruskie’s new friend, Biggin

Me – on top, finally ahhhh

Well, I did it!!!  I got on the horse today all by myself!  I think it was just a mind over matter thing.  N and I had a wonderful ride.  We rode out to a pond and back to her place.  We rode for a bit over an hour.  As I ride, I get stronger physically and mentally.  I think it is like riding a bike, you never actually forget.  I can hardly wait for the next time!

Not the movie, but me.  Yep, I am really pale   But that should change soon since I am going to be horseback riding with a great instructor and a very very great friend.  She called me yesterday morning and asked if I wanted to ride with her out on the prairie that spans for miles behind her house- well, YEEESSSSS!  I rode her beautiful Arabian 2 and a half years ago and I rode him today. Yes, N – 2 and a half yrs!  His name is Zzari  (Ben Rabba x Ariezad)- his name will take you to a page that was written by his loved and lovely owner on Zzari’s 22nd birthday.  They have had a wonderful adventure together for the past 19 yrs.  I am excited because we have made plans to try to ride once a week together.  I know I will enjoy riding him because he is used to all types of riders and I need lots of his experience to get me back to the riding abilities that I had as a younger person….. My grandfather had an Arabian ranch outside of Olympia, Wa and I rode from sun-up to sun-down every day most every summer until I was about 16.  I was pretty good back then – I could even jump on bareback with no aids of any kind…. yesterday, I embarrassed myself because I had to use a bale of straw to help heave myself into the saddle!!    I need to be lean and mean (not that mean!) so that I can ride my own horse, Ruskie, more.  Like I said before, Zzari is used to the unskilled rider – Ruskie thinks HE is in control with the “yahoo” rider.

N took this pic of Zzari and me during our last ride together on the very same prairie.

Thank you, Zzari and N for the great ride and time together… I really hope that there are many more great days ahead for us!

Today when I went out to groom and work Ruskie, I took my camera with me. 

And when he was done with all of the running and bucking, he came to me with these eyes

I am his biggest fan and hope to be his someday.