Monday, November 30, 2015

November's Last Day

It rained off and on all day long.

The Blacks, Beau and Allie, are brother and sister, and cousins. Their mothers are sisters and they have the same father. Kind of like West Virginia meets European Royalty. They are registered Tennessee Walking Horses.

We had another breakthrough tonight: They ate in the barn!! Last night they would not step one foot into it, even with a bucket of grain to entice them. Baby steps...

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Rainy Sunday

He got the idea to worm these horses, never did succeed, all day long.

I had to run errands, getting hay and finishing up laundry and house-wifey stuff. It took all day to get the rope off her halter and remove her halter. All. Day. In the rain.

Dale called to check on the horses. She admitted they had never been broke to lead. O boy. They have never been handled, at all. They know nothing.

We have our work cut out for us!

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Going to See a Man About a Horse

Back in the day, when I was in high school, 'going to see a man about a horse' meant you were going to 'take a leak.' Being a horse person back then I thought it was a pretty dumb expression. Today we went to see a woman about a horse. In Charlotte Court House, Virginia.

Charlotte Court House is the last standing court house designed by Thomas Jefferson. The town is old, with lots of old brick, Federal and Greek Revival architecture. Patrick Henry gave his famous "Give Me Liberty" speech from the steps of that court house, before he delivered the same in Richmond shortly thereafter.

The town is charming and depressed. Derelict plantation manse and mobile homes. There is no cell service, so the GPS navigator did not work, neither did our phones. We got to Dale's place around 12:30 and got out of there at 4:00. In the meantime we literally fought with these horses, convincing them to get into the trailer. They've never been off the property, ever. Born there in the field. O boy.

Beau wasn't as bad as Allie, but neither wanted to cooperate. He gave up after about an hour. I'm no spring chicken, but I certainly did hold my own with a fearful, willful young mare. Finally wearing her down, she decided she would get in the trailer with her brother. It started to rain on the way home. We got home at 9:00 pm.

Neither wanted to get out of the trailer. It was raining, but still warmish. It took them a while to get their land legs back. she was soaked, both were trembling. They spent the rainy night in Field #1.

Friday, November 27, 2015

Black Friday - Ride Time!

We are enjoying 'balmy' weather around here. Doesn't happen often, but when it does, AND it is a day off, we like to ride!

We parked at the horsey club in Marriottsville and rode to the Woodstock Inn, in Woodstock. We do this often, but the routes always differ. Sometimes we ride this way, coming back a different way, sometimes we range high and long, but now we are chasing daylight.

I was surprised and delighted seeing so many people out on the trails on this beautiful day. And KC loves to stop and greet any and everyone. This is a learning experience for everyone involved. Me, him, and the hikers/bikers/pet-walkers. Very revealing information gets shared. I also am deducing that most horse people do not stop to chat with the horseless folks. KC is the perfect ambassador for horses, too. He not only is gorgeous, he's soft and calm and friendly.

We ran into people we knew at the Woodstock Inn, but no horses were there when we hitched up. We saw a few riders out in the woods, but not close enough to chat.

We got back to the trailer right about heavy dusk. We ate leftovers (TURKEY!) for dinner.

He has been looking at dreamhorse.com for a gaited horse. He wants a Missouri Fox Trotter or a Kentucky Mountain Horse. Has to be a gelding and be at least 15 hands. These are coming in around $4,000 or better and are no where near here. He has run into brokers and dead-ends, and misrepresentations. So far it has been futile.

When we finished dinner he found a black mare, four-year old Tennessee Walking Horse, in Charlotte Court House, Virginia. That is so far down in Virginia, almost to North Carolina. He dared me to call, and I did. The horse was still available and if we also took her 5-year old brother, she would give us a discount.

Neither one had been handled, not halter-broke or in a stall. We're going to see them tomorrow around noon.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Ride Time - Two Days In A Row!

We hadn't been over to Schaeffer Farm Bike Park in a good long while. Unfortunately, while we were gone fencing was installed along the roadway and it really makes trailer parking tight, tacking up even tighter. Luckily our boys don't mind having cars buzz their butts on the way in. What I did mind was the dusty rooster-tails coming my way as the Subarus and SUVs tore past us.

There wasn't a leaf left on the trees, and the views were spectacular. The boys are totally fine with the bikes, and I think we made some new friends today. Continually amazed at how many people say they have never touched a horse before. KC is always willing to have anyone pet his nose or his neck. He is a people person!

A Cold Wind Blows


This month has had some great weather. We've had 70 degree days, cloudless blue skies. We've also had frosty nights and seriously gusty winds. Tonight the boys are wearing their brand-new RAMBO blankets. They were happy to have them on, honest. It will be 27 degrees and the wind speed is about 12. The electric buckets are on. Brrr!

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Saturday Before Thanksgiving!!

Our boys are tied to the hitching post. They gets lots of visitors and their picture taken, too.

Friday, November 13, 2015

Monday, November 9, 2015

Rainy Days and Mondays

The day started out crystal clear and COLD. Frosty pastures sparkling white. The water buckets had a skim of ice on top. The day evolved into dark skies and rain. It did warm up, but that wasn't much consolation.

Horse management became interesting. This was also the first day that Lil Fred stayed in all day. He's been putting on weight, getting a little portly, so added him to the weight-loss roster.

I brought Skip into the dry paddock. I gave everyone hay.

After feeding everyone I gave them more hay. But when I came out to turn lights out, KC wanted out. It was still raining, but was in the low 60s. I let the boys out into #2, gave the Littles hay and called it a night.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Ride Time!

Blue Skies!
The weather has been delightful, sunny and bright. My hair looks like it's on fire!

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Rainy Saturday

Had errands to run, things to do, and what better day than a rainy Saturday? Downside was that it was not supposed to rain, and not that much if it actually did. Had planned on raking leaves and mowing grass, and that got kicked down the time line.

Caught up with housewifey stuff, like laundry, and he changed the oil in my car. He also repaired the light fixture in the barn. The light has been out all week, didn't want him climbing the ladder in the dark, and now that is fixed. Thought it was the light bulb but was the ballast.



Sunday, November 1, 2015

November One

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower" - Albert Camus


Was shocked to see the rain in the morning, but used the 'down' time to go to the feed store for the boy's grain. I was back in time to see the sun emerge and the grass dry off.

We went to the horsey club and met our friends there, riding out to the Woodstock Inn. With the time change we had to hurry, chasing daylight. It turned into a run fest, we switched horses on the way back, too.
And we saw two Eagles, one was white-headed and the other was not. They pair up for life, or until death do them part, and don't get their white heads until five or six years of age.