Freezing!

It was freezing today! A nasty wind swept in horrizontally from the bay, carrying ice particles that formed an armour of ice on the ponies. Got Timber out for a spin, though none of us enjoyed the elements much. He was better again today. Could actually hold him to a slow (for him) collected trot for an extended period. He doesn´t really have the strength for it yet and usually wants to shuffle off in something of a trotter race gait. Worked on circling alot today, something I don´t think he´s done too much of.

Got some pics of the horses too.


Polly is growing will soon enter that time when the yearlings look their worst, just a big fuzzy belly with 4 legs stickin out. She´s pretty well put together though and her siblings grew pretty evenly and looked fairly good all through their yearling period.
La Flor del Viento, aka Polly


Kick The Cat is starting to look quite the lady! I´m really pleased with her progress.



Gizmo the dog stuck on a few too



Idas Shetland Fiffilina

Elton





Brady looking good! (Might rename him Dozer)

The old man, Avenir

Also reshaped the new bosal to better fit Cats long & narrow snout

Looks pretty good I think.

Sunday ride

Have actually had time to work the horses some the last couple of day´s. Brady is a lock and really solid. Timber Trouble is coming along too but the ground is still frozen and icy so I can´t really work him the way I´d like. He needs to be gathered up a bunch and learn how to engage his back end and shoot those hindfeet under him. We´ve just been able to hit the trail and not much else. Yesterday I found a baldspot in one of the pastures though and we were able to get some good things done.

Also took a ride with Ida and her friend, with me riding Brady and Ida & friend alterning on Elton. Also towed the Gizmo the dog along. Beautiful day! sunshine, no wind, cold and crisp. About half way down the trail the girls didn´t want to walk any more and I ended up on the ground with Ida claiming Brady and friend mounted on Elton, me and dog shuffling along in their tracks!

Snösvad!

We finally found a new place!

Come mid April we´re pullin our stakes and moving to Snösvad, close to the little town of Malmköping. Unly about 180 miles from our current location, but off the Island!

A big ol´house with plenty of room awaits us as well as a barn with new improvements and 8 box stalls. We´ll have access to a covered 65 foot roundpen with a walk in from the barn, a 115 x 180 foot arena and plenty off pastures. Beautiful surroundings, trails in abundance and great people!

I know we´ll be more than happy there!

New Bosal!!

Finally finished the bosal!


It´s a 5/8" 12 plait rawhide bosal with a slightly swelled roo nosebutton. Heelknot and ringknots with roo & latigo interweaves. It´s braided over an old rawhide reata core.

I really, really don´t like heelknots! Even though I used an interweave this time I still managed to miss a pass late last night. Didn´t even recognize it until just now...

Anyway, here´s the process:

The braided core on right is what I used

Here´s the cowhide on the workbench

after soak to get pliable

98 feet of 1" tamale

1/4" strings

Braiding core

Done!

Justa Bita Pep´s firstborn

Found a pic of our mare Justa Bita Pep´s first born, Peppy Lenas Smokin. This guy is a grullo son of Smoke A Lil Colonel, grandson of Colonel Freckles. 15 hands, 1150 pounds of quiet and efficient ranch horse. He´s been used for regular ranch duties in Az and to catch and drag wild cattle out of the brush, team rope etc.

Peppy Lenas Smokin
Half brother to Ima Peppy Pistolero, Sweet Lil Angel & Polly.

Sunday

Couching up in the kitchen, looking out the window facing the "summer pasture" where the sun is trying to climb over the treetops. A beautiful morning, sun glistening and perfectly still outside. Just saw the eagles circling the bay, beautiful!

We´re probably in for some changes around here soon, can´t really disclose any details just yet, but maybee in a week or so.

The weather hasn´t exactly been cooperating as of late and the horses thus havn´t been worked as much as I had hoped. It´s thawing now and the snow´s turning to ice, making it pretty risky just walking up to the barn.

The horses all look good though, Cat maybee more so than the others, might be because she´s been through alot of adversity and I really havn´t had much hope for her. She´s turning in to one fine looking filly though and I´m pretty anxious for the snow to clear enough for us to really get down to business.

Rode Timber again yesterday ands he´s making slow but steady progress. He´ll probably be here for another two weeks or so before leaving for Gerd & Lars.

The Abilene Spectaculars Open divisions concluded last night with some pretty nifty runs.
Just got to watch the 5/6 year olds and there was several impressive runs, albeit none that really took your breath away. You find most of the favorites up there in the standings. I thought Third Cutting would walk away with this one again as he alway´s seem to, but Holly Is Smooth & Rascals Cat thought otherwise. They topped in the standings sharing the win with a 224. Boyd Rice and Third Cutting placed 5th with 221.5.

In the 4yo Desires Blue Trinity (Mecom Blue)& Chris Johnsrud kinda came out of nowhere to take the win with an impressive 225.5. Futurity Champ, One Time Royalty lost a cow and left the scene before time was up, after leading the event after two go arounds.

Abilene Spectacular, day 2

The first go of the Abilene Spectacular 4yo concluded yesterday. 89 advance (of 145) to the 2nd go and all you expected are through to the next round. One Time Royalty and Smartys Mercedes split the lead with 221. A lot of really good runs though and the top 25 all scored 217 or better!
Top 25.

The 5/6 yo 1st go raps up tonight with horses like Third Cutting, Dont Look Twice, Peak Easy etc. Jojo Boon & Kory Pounds leads the go with 221, followed by Matt Gaines and Little Pepto Cat with 219.5 followed by Boon To Suen, Whiskeynadirtyglass and Spooky Smooth with 219.

Keeping all of my fingers crossed for friends Jeremy & Brandie as they head home from delivering a bunch of cattle in Visalia as I write this. Thick fog, snow and NO brakes on the truck! Drive safe guy´s!

January, full schedule starting the new year

The new NCHA year kicks of with Abilene Spectacular today. 8 of the Futurity finals top 10 line up in the 4 yo open, among them the Futurity Champion One Time Royalty. Also in the open is Futurity Non-Pro Champ, One Rockin Pepto. Should be a great event!

Hopefully I´ll get a chance to work some horses this week. Eventhough we had a great time up north over the holidays, I sure missed working the horses. Kick The Cat needs to be worked pretty regularly going forward to keep her from getting to full of herself, she can be a handful.

Our good friend Lars descided on Timber Trouble and I should work him some more too before he leaves for his new home.

Happy New Year!

Spending new years with Annelies mom up north. Plenty cold and lots of snow!! Nice, quiet dinner last night with the inlaws and their family´s. Could hardly keep awake until midnight after that stuffing and the nice, warm fire burning.

Got the nosebutton straightened out on the bosal and just god´s punishment to mankind, the heelknot, left! Gonna be a great little bosal for Cat!

Have a great New Year everybody and thank you for 2010 aswell!