Hello, November!

First off, a Happy Birthday wish to my father...The Mule Whisperer!

October was a crazy busy month for me, from Kitty's and my first cutting (green/green...me, Kitty and one cow), to our trip to Oregon with my folks.

A week after returning from Burns, I was asked to photograph the youth show, which was held at BB Stables. This is where Darling used to lesson with Steve Holt!; beautiful views, but a bitter, chilly northeast wind. I came home chilled to the bone.

Freezer camp awaited Sizzler, the pig. I drove in the driveway to find her loose in my yard, playing with 'toys' such as empty trash cans and the hose. I thought she was so cute! Ran and grabbed my camera so I could get a photo of her running with the hose. I let the dogs out of their very large run (formerly Momma Pony's turn out area) and hoped to lure Sizzler into it. No way was I going to be able to get her into her pen. Opened the gate, and she came running toward me...only it wasn't to investigate the open gate.

She BIT me! Grabbed my leg in her mouth, she did. The only thing I had to smack her with was my camera. I actually thought twice, but then...THUMP!...and was happy it connected on the back side rather than the lens.

She snorted, shook her head, and came at me again. All I could think was 'how quick can I climb the gate?', but then she saw the opening and squealed in delight as she ran off into the grass. Whew! Crisis averted.

The horse show seemed to have knocked the wind out of me, though, and the following days I was suffering from fever and chills, alternatively, and after that, coughing that racked my body to it's core. After a week, I decided to head to the doctor, as I had the Cascade Horse Fair in just a few days. I saw my favorite Nurse Practitioner (former eventer) and she gave me some drugs to help reduce the coughing over the weekend so that I could function.

No rest for the wicked, they say, which must mean I'm pretty darn wicked! Ken McNabb was here this year and it was wonderful! Our parking lot was full both days. Curt and his HydraBull were a mega hit as well...and look at that Cowboy dancing during Saturday's karaoke!

By Sunday night I was exhausted, but it wasn't time to stop. Not yet. Had to make trips to the bank to deposit money, and while I was there...well...I had to use the little girl's room. Not that you really need to know that, except there was a sign in there telling us to wash our hands, and giving the symptoms of H1N1 flu...aka...swine flu! And do you know what? It matched exactly what I've been experiencing! I think I've got the swine flu! And you know, that pig bit me, so it all makes sense!

No, not really...I don't think getting bit by the pig was the culprit (just in case you thought it was!) But I sure was sick there for awhile, and I'm happy that all the craziness of October is over, and that November is here. I think I'll like November much better. After all, it looks much cheerier, doesn't it?

Cascade Horse Fair

Do you recognize him? How about the horse?

This would be Ken McNabb and his horse, Stormy. Ken is a friend of Curt...and Stormy was purchased from Curt. Ken will be here at the Cascade Horse Fair in October. So will Curt. I'm not so sure about Stormy.

It's count down time, to be sure. October 29-30 at the Northwest WA Fairgrounds in Lynden, WA is where the event is being hosted, same as last year. Vendors, demonstrations, clinicians. And, of course...the famous HydraBull cutting competition!

This is the second year we'll be doing our Rail to Trail event, where horses compete in Ranch Horse Pleasure, Trail and Reining. Top ten advance to the free style where anything (well...nearly) goes!

It's gonna be a lot of fun. But I need your help in spreading the word! We'll be having drawings for free bags of grain all weekend along with many other goodies and treats for both spectators and competitors. Help me out! Share this post either in your blog or on facebook, and I'll put you in the drawing for an 8x10 photo of 'The Old Man'! Drawing to be held on Thursday...so post and let me know so I can get your name in the drawing!

Hello Down There!

Bits? I dun need no stinkin' bits!

Beautiful day for a ride, it was. Instead I hopped into my truck and drove south. A quick stop to visit with Curt to invite him along with me. "Where to?" I told him I was headed down to Black Raven to take a closer look at the facilities for an upcoming adoption, plus I wanted to talk to Ken a bit.

"Shoulda gone yesterday. His wife Dee Dee started a colt. Would've been good for you to watch."

Yes, it probably would have, but yesterday Darling and I were mounted up and on a ride at the Pilchuck Tree Farm. Three hours and an estimated 400 horses in attendance. Yeah...that is a lot of horses! The tree farm is huge, though, and I'd figured only 200. Only, lol... Well, both Jet and Sandy handled themselves really well for being such beginners and never having seen so many other horses at once. Jet got a little startled once when she rounded a switch back and realized 20 horses were following along behind. She'd thought it was just Sandy.

Anyway, that's why I'd missed day one of the Ken McNabb colt starting. And I didn't stick around this afternoon, either, just wanted to get a feel for the layout for the adoption and chat with Ken a few minutes about possibly helping us get our new US Wild Horse and Burro Association off the ground.

When I got home, the sun was still shining and I'd pretty much run out of emails and websites online to avoid what I knew I really ought to be doing. Working Dude. So out I went and saddled the boy up, working him a few minutes from the ground inside the round pen while Darling hopped up on Sandy and took her first bareback ride out in the pasture. Dude was laid back and not caring about anything else going on, so I began bouncing up and down in the stirrups, both from the left and right side.

"You gonna get on?"
"Maybe."
"I'll call Dad for you."

Gotta love cell phones. A couple minutes later City Boy was there at the end of the lead rope. He'd never been an anchor before for me, but as it turned out he did a pretty decent job. He stood at Dude's head waiting as I bounced up and swung my leg over, then climbed back down to the ground. Third time up and City Boy decided we needed to walk. We didn't go far, just five or six steps and I got off and unsaddled.

A completely uneventful first time, just the way I like it.

You've Got His Back, You Need His Head

My boy has a stripe down his back; do you suppose it'll be there when he sheds?

I about died.

"Get your horse down here and we'll see if Ken'll help you with him," Curt was saying. He didn't have to say it twice. I was on the ball, calling my friend Nancy to see if I could come pick up her trailer. I figured I'd let Sandy have the evening and all night to look at it parked alongside the barn, put his dinner in it even, so that by morning he'd be ready to travel.


Except for one small thing.


My truck and Nancy's trailer didn't get along. Seems her truck was wired differently, so she had her trailer re-wired to match. Unfortunately that means no one can pull her trailer, so my plans to haul Sandy to meet Ken McNabb were dashed.


I went to bible study last night and wasn't feeling real well, so came home early. When I got here, there were four messages saying "CALL NOW!" from my friend, Linda. "Ken's here and wants to talk to you!" I called. He was in the middle of a lesson with Curt (he has a filly in training there and comes to work the hydra bull) so he couldn't come to the phone.

"How about if I just drive down?" I asked her, and yes, do that was the reply.

We had a lovely conversation. What a great guy! He talked me through some of my concerns, the biggest one being, "I just don't want to screw him up." His reply was a laugh, then, "You're not going to screw him up, just do whatever you do with confidence, even if it's not the right thing. He'll pick up on that and you'll become the leader. That's what he needs."

He thought Sandy sounded a lot like the colt he had at Road to the Horse last month. Said once all the training was through and they got to the the obstacles, his colt did great. He just really struggled with his fear during the gentling process. After learning what Sandy was already doing (saddling), he said once I had the mind, I'd be home free. Well, not really those words I don't think, but certainly indicated life would be easier.


Sandy and I will now have some major training sessions so that he can get over his mental hang ups. It was good to speak with Ken, he told me he wanted daily progress reports; even gave me his phone number! Did I mention what a great guy he is? He helped boost my confidence level back up. No more self doubt allowed! My gut instincts seem to have been on track considering Sandy's weekend behavior, and to top it off, the sun is shining!

***Now, in case some of you are wondering or concerned about Ken offering insight: He's not judging at the Western States Expo. He's doing EMM, and I believe Midwest, but not the competition I'm in. So please, if you've read this and are concerned about competitors and judges...there's no need to be. No different than if I were to be taking lessons or attending a clinic, eh? :) Y'all have a great day, I know I will!