5 of 6

Hubby is on day 5 of 6 for work soooo riding hasn't been possible for me... But I am thankful for his job so I can stay home with our girls!!

Pepper on Thursday says it's too hot!

The girls and I have been at the barn every day tho! I have been pumping Henry with full water buckets and soups (aka equine sr with LOTS of water haha)... I am glad that he is back to himself.

Saturday he got a nice turn out when it had cooled off late afternoon/early evening.. and of course some more soup :)

I also filled everyone's waters with P... we each took a hose and went down the line to make sure everyone is well hydrated.

Sunday we are going to make a special appearance at my BFF from HS's (we are still bff's, fun fact- both my bff's have the same first name, cray cray!) surprise birthday party... so Henry will get a turn out and waters filled. 

Back to the grind Monday!

HG Blog Hopping!

Henry is feeling better! Thanks for all the well wishes! He got a hack today and was back to normal!

Also, make sure to check out the Gofundme for Lauren set up by Tracy, thanks Tracy!

I am jumping on the band wagon for HG Blog Hop!

I love tack, I have a problem wanting lots of nice tack, I think it's an equestrian thing lol!!

I LOVE my saddle! Ordered in in Nov 2014 and got it Feb 2015, best money spent ever! Antares for the win!

I ride in a half pad and baby pad under that, when those are dirty I use a square pad like pictured.

I finally got my Antartes girth from Christmas (they were back ordered) about a month ago so I have been using that... I also have a Wellfleet girth and a Smartpak leather one.

I use a Harwich tie down.

I have too many bridles.. but for every day use I use a Plymouth (smartpak) and for showing I use a Harwich (LOVE LOVE LOVE).

Show Bridle

At home I mostly ride (I ride in a variety of others to school occationally) in a twisted wire full cheek.. at shows a twisted wire D ring.

I always wear bell boots and either Eskadrons all around or polos all around :)

I will have to do this for Grayson when he is all grown up and outfitted :)

700.. Contest Time!!

So now that I hit 700 posts, lets do a contest!! 

Ways to enter:

1. Share on your blog! :) (make sure to tell me if you shared pretty please)

2. Leave a comment and tell me your favorite top to wear while riding.. do you like a tank, polo, sunshirt or ?? Where do you find the good deals?!

I am mostly a polo girl but sprinkle some tanks and sun shirts in there... also I LOVE to wear vests with a long sleeve in the winter :) I try to buy off season when Smartpak or my local shops have their sales!

The contest ends June 30th and the winner will be chosen July 1st.

This is for fun so share away!

I will pick up something fun at the tack store for the winner, haven't decided what yet :)

Banamine

Dear Henry,

Please don't scare me like that... I don't like it.

Mom

I lunged Henry Monday night and he was cray cray... I made sure to walk him lots when he was done so that he was cooled out. He also rolled and was covered in dirt so I had to really clean him up.

Tuesday morning I got a call from trainer that Henry was acting really weird and that I needed to come up there.

She gave him some banamine and I walked him FOREVER when I got there.

He didn't have a fresh poop till almost noon... two more in the afternoon... two more in the evening.

I gave him really really really soupy bran mash and equine sr.

Walked him again in the late afternoon. he was still a little funky but much better then the morning.

Did the last check on him at 8:20 pm and he seemed to be more normal.

Hopefully he is a-ok and back to our regular scheduled program Thursday! (going to give him tomorrow off)

#Renorodoe

Oops this weeks flew by!

I had two lessons and a hack.. then headed off to Reno with the bff, her hubby and my girls to watch her race at the rodeo... she killed it btw :) Won both of her goes!!

Tuesdays lesson was OF and it was good! Hot but good. Henry was a big finiky to start but once we started jumping we were groovin.

Thursdays lesson was on the flat... hard work I tell ya. Ha! But stuff we need to refine :)

Reno was awesome!!

I'll be back in the tack Monday :)

Rodeo Hangover

What a great weekend!!

Saturday and Sunday I was working the grand entry and flags between the events.

Saturday all of our girls showed up, things went ok (a few girls has jitters for the grand entry but we worked through it) and the rodeo moved along. I along with two other people, were rock stars and we got all the flags out between each event and no catastrophes :)

Sunday two girls didn't show up... sooooo I had less then 15 min to get a horse, tack up and go in for the grand entry. Luckily my bff's mom was there with a horse. I know their horses and this one is one in a million, totally do able! I have run flags lots before so I wasn't worried :)

Rocky is the best!

Ran in the grand entry, went back to my job for the back gate, then did the closing flags too.

Great weekend!!

Step Up

Thursdays lesson was with the WS which ment I got (yes got lol) to do all the fun (aka hard) stuff that she does lol. But for real, it was good for Henry and me, keeping up with J!

We flatted around with small interjections from trainer here and there. Of course some lead changes witch we had to "discuss" briefly, thank goodness!

The ground was still a tad slick from the rain so we picked a few jumps that were safe and worked on those.

Warmed up over the rainbow X then we did the purple and white which trainer put up to a more legit height. Then we added in the race care/checker oxer which she made a good size oxer.

We did a course and added in the mustache :)

Henry was mostly great! The first time to the oxer was a bad ride on my part and a few deep spots to the mustache but over all a great ride.

Thanks J for making me step up to ride with you lol!!

Rodeo week is upon us!

SLAC on Firday, hanging out on the backside

Ohhhh and this is my 700th post, I think that calls for a contest.. what do you all think? :)

Go to Jail, don't collect $200

He's in jail!!! 

But for real he was getting grain.. since he is lower then low in the pecking order, he has to be grained in a stall b/c well he won't be allowed to eat it out in pasture :)

It's Raining It's Pooring

Tuesday's lesson was a killer leg work out, period. HA

Trainer had me seriously do like 80% of it in the 2 point... I am not sure if she forgot about me or was in the mood to give me a good workout :)

Flatting was trotting and hand galloping in the two point.. a little walking and then onto jumping.

There was another trainer who started their jumping lesson just as we started to jump too so I warmed up with her kid and the little girl I was lessoning with.

We did this course again... Trainer is starting to have me so things backwards or more bending lines. I am now super comfortable on it and it's fun! :)

A and I went for a walk after we were done. She is a sweet little girl who B loves playing with and I love being friends with her mom!

Wednesday he was CRAZY and rolled in the mud ugh!

Wednesday was a day of constant rain .. we needed it but umm it was 107 two days ago! lol

Another lesson Thursday then we are diving into RODEO WEEK!! Woot!

Sorting out Grayson's Plan

Grayson is still doing great, growing up :)

He still is his chill, laid back, nothing bothers him self... well except spray bottles. I have been using them since the DAY I got him but he just isn't a fan. Could care less about the bottle but when you spray it, no thank you. It's like someone is getting after him with it, but I have had him since he was 6 months old so I know he wasn't beaten with one!

He's still getting lots of handling, had a saddle/bridle on, ponying, trailered places and loving life out with his bff Rocky :)

I am starting to think about what I am going to do with him. I think I am going to send him to a cutting trainer, probably when he is 3, that is kind of local so he will get exposed to cattle, buffalo, other stuff and maybe I can even go take some lessons and learn the buttons that are being installed.

He loves the girls, even follows Addison around in the stroller- not scared at all and it's too cute!

Hoping to get him some easy boots this week cause his toes are a little tender and shoer wants to wait a bit longer to shoe him. I was hoping he would be ok without shoes but it doesn't look like it. Sad days but it's ok, we just want him happy :)

So right now that is the plan... it could change haha!

Weather weeeeeenie!!

 I was able to sneak in a lesson Friday late morning before hubby had to go to work.

It was like 80 but I swear it was 100... we haven't had any hot weather so I am totally a baby!

 We did this set of jumps again... a variety of courses using them all :) Henry was great, I rode pretty good and I am having fun on this new course.

Henry made a little rip on one of his hind Eskadron boots while we were riding, he tripped a little on a tight turn/lead change .. i was so glad it was the boot and not his leg!

Pic from a few weeks ago

Saturday and Sunday are turn out days for Henry... spoiled boy! We are going to support a barn buddy in his 4H show tomorrow :)

Picture Book: Ranch Life and Cowboy Hats

Grayson got his first big boy fly outfit...

Maybe this will help him turn gray?! lol 

What this isn't how you feed? Addi and I were being resourceful :)

My second mom blinged out my hat :)

B and I had an impromptu photo shoot with our hats on lol

June = New Course

Sheehs it's already June?!

Most of you are knee deep in shows, me on the other hand- wishing I could plan for shows but with hubby's schedule nothing is in sight :(

New course trainer set up, PC: Kat :)

Monday I hacked outside, I let Henry get his crazies out first so he was actually really good :)

Took a picture for Nicku lol.. mustache is back, Henry could care less

I rode in draw reigns ... did LOTS of backing up.

Went through the paces and then went for a walk around the property to cool both of us out.

Tuesday was lesson day.

Kat and I tacked up, lunged and got on. Trainer put us through the paces on the flat.

Of course we needed to put some hard stuff in there so trainer had me do lead changes up the center line.. left to right, no problem.. right to left, lord help us. Thankfully it wasn't too much of a battle :) I got my determined panties on and Henry wasn't too much of a hard head ;)

Then Kat jumped and I waited in anticipation to jump the new course lol. But for real I was super excited to jump everything!

Drawing of Kats pic above :)

Once it was my turn i warmed up over the orange X back and forth a few times. Then I cantered the orange X to the vertical to the blue oxer.

Once I got that we did the orange line to the blue oxer, right aroung to the yellow pannel, left to the black line (domino walls to green gate), roll back to the left over the gray (triangle wall thing).

I had to do that a few times to get my crap together lol.

Then we did the black to the yellow bending line, left turn to the black line, left turn up the in and out (oxer, oxer, vertical), right turn roll back to the pink (mustache).

Then we did the in and out then turn left to the pink ('stash).

Henry cared less about pretty much everything. I rode like I had jumped it all a million times- how trainer always reminds me I need to ride everything, I tend to over think new courses and try to do to much not just letting Henry do his job.

Just love my horse!!!

Wednesday was turn out day for Mr spoiled :)

Hubby has a crazy full day Thursday but am hoping to get my second lesson in in the afternoon if possible! And a hack Friday morning.

Horse of a Lifetime

Have you had your horse of a lifetime?

I have had a few horses who have made me who I am today but I don't think I have ever felt a partnership that I do with Henry.

Maddy (close second) was a horse who I just loved, she was the sweetest and most easy going horse.. but had no drive to show/compete.

Henry and I both have the same work ethic.. when we are in a lesson we are all work. I am not there to chat and hangout till after I am done with my job, he feels the same way.

He is brave when I need him to be brave I just have to have faith in him and he will do it ha!

We have grown a lot together through his training .. it's a partnership that only comes with the highs and lows.

It feels so nice to be where we are today and know that I have been there every step of the way, working through the training- with my trainers help of course.

Tell me about your horse of a lifetime or do a post about it!