Happy Trails

Darah asking Jim to jump over the railroad ties

Jasper talking to the Donkey

Pretty butterflies in the pasture

Your horse is only as brave as you are

This last semester was rough to say the least so it has been a while since I have written though my time at the ranch has never wavered. My birthday week has been spent pruning trees, filling holes, fixing fences. I took Jasper out on a road ride where he spooked at every single thing he could possible spook at. At one point he spooked at a deer so severely that it looked like a ballet move needless to say I love my silly horse. It doesn’t seem to matter how crazy he acts or how many times I wonder what exactly he was thinking I never worry about my safety around him. We are getting to be pros at opening and closing the gate and we even checked the mail (though he did dent the box with his butt). After his ride we were both soaked and sore so I cooled him off and let him enjoy some much deserved grass time. Yesterday I started working on the stalls making minor adjustments to theoretically make my job easier in the long run by keeping the bedding in the stall it belongs in. I started with the first two stalls as my test stalls to see how it works. Eventually I will be adding shrubs along the back of the stalls to help keep the dirt from washing away and potted lavender plants   by each stall to help keep away flies. Everything is a work in progress, but I look out and see so much potential that I can’t wait for it to become a reality. My biceps ached so much last night that it took effort to wash my own hair and still I can’t wait to do it all over again today.

Jasper hanging out with me

Woody intent on the horse next door

Jasper and Woody heading down the road

Woody and Shorty hanging out

I just need summer

Finals are quickly approaching leaving me with very little time to myself. I live in a pattern of sleep, study, work, and school. Usually by this time of year I start feeling restless for summer. I need the time away from school so I can regain my enthusiasm for studying which most of the time I honestly enjoy. For now I can feel summer on the horizon and I can’t wait for long lazy days spent at the barn. Today I moved Jasper to the back pasture which has caused him to give me sullen looks from across the fence, but I know it is a good move for him since the horses in the back pasture are about his age and more likely to play. I am still practicing cantering and I have started working with Jasper on clicker training so that eventually I can ask him to lay down. I have high hopes that by the end of the summer Jasper and I will be settled into our partnership. Once Leslie is back on her feet I would really like to go for a trail ride at one of the state parks. Until then I have been keeping stalls clean and taking care of Penny’s wound which is looking much better, and slowly getting the barn area cleaned up and fly free.

Darah walking Jack into the round pen

Jasper licking his lips

Champ and Jim waiting to play in the water

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She discovered herself in the lost and found

I have never been a very confident rider, years in the saddle haven’t eased my worry though a few horses broke through my walls enough for me to enjoy a nice canter. I always think about the worst possible scenario and think that my balance is less than stellar. The horse I loved before Jasper was perfect for where I was at that time. He never asked for more than I was ready to give, but Jasper makes me want to be better for him. Today Jasper and I reached a milestone in our relationship by cantering for the first time. For fifteen minutes in the round pen I was asking for a canter and got no more than a very fast trot, I called Leslie and asked what I was doing wrong and after a few minutes of talking we came up with a different approach. Before I climbed down to tackle the experience from a different angle I decided to give it another try. My tenacious nature is something Jasper is learning to live with. This time he eased right into a nice three beat canter, I was so surprised that we only made it once around the round pen before we stopped for me to frantically call Leslie to give her the news. Jasper probably thinks I am an emotional mess because when we were done I cried into his neck and not the bad kind of cry, but the good, unbelievably proud kind of cry. I have never wanted to “own” a horse I want a partnership. I want to be the person that untangles his mane, scratches itches, doctor scrapes, and give kisses. At just a couple of months in we are still at the very beginning of our partnership and I think his confidence balances out my caution nicely. 

Jasper posing before our ride

Intent on what lay ahead of us

Feeling all scratchy

Everyday I’m grateful for moments like these

It’s been a couple of weeks since my last post, but things at Hope Ranch never stop moving. Everyone gets fed twice a day and stalls get picked or stripped then it seems like there are always feet to take care of or wounds to doctor. Somewhere in all the constant motion that is my life I have moments that make my heart melt. Every morning I walk through the gate and Jasper turns and calls to me I feel a little more at home. Each time I work with him and things go well I gain more confidence in our slowly growing bond, and even the moments that he acts up bring me confidence when we work through them. I cherish the little moments, the learning experiences, and the quiet times when everyone is fed and happy. It seems like even when the rest of my life is chaos I can still feel hopeful about the future with Jasper.

Two feet move our body, four feet move our soul

Leslie is back, and things are gradually moving back to normal. Penny still has a gaping wound on her shoulder that needs doctored three times a day and the vet is coming back out on Friday to make sure she is healing properly. Yesterday we took Jasper on his first road ride and it went better than I expected but we still have a long way to go. It’s frustrating when I know that he knows exactly what I want from him and he decides to misbehave anyway. We passed the geese of doom with few problems and even made friends with a cute donkey down the road. I love this horse, but I am still on the fence…sometimes it seems like he gets me and when we click it is perfect, other times I worry that I am not going to be enough for him. Now that he is gaining weight and being fed more he has plenty of energy, I can feel it in his body when he wants to run and it makes me sad that I am not comfortable flying with him. On another note I am optimistic about the minor adjustments we are going to make to the ranch to make feeding easier and the hay go farther. I can’t wait for summer to get here so I have more time to tinker with things.

Jasper making faces after snorting dirt

Leslie riding Champ

The herd lining up for fresh water

Penny’s vet visit

Lafayette bouncing around

Walk as you babble please

I think The Fates paused when they first heard Leslie was going out of town. As soon as it hit the air Jasper laid flat out looking exactly like dead horse, Woody got bitten by a snake, Penny got a gaping wound on her shoulder, and yesterday we found a snake in the hay. I am almost worried that some huge spider will be hiding in the feed room somewhere (my own personal nightmare) or somebody is going to colic. Now I have a had a crash course in horse vet care and am especially vigilant about stomping and making a lot of noise when I first go into the feed room. For the most part this week I had to hit the ground running. There is always homework to be done and work around the house, now for this week anyway the care of the horses rests on my shoulders. Jasper seems to have started gaining weight and Woody’s foot is better. I am trying to squeeze fun in my days somewhere even if it is a ten minute ride on Jasper or hanging out with Nimitz for a little while. In the mornings and evenings I try to spend a little extra time cuddling Quince. Even when things get chaotic I still love every minute of it. I love watching the horses graze or play, and I really love when Woody comes over and takes a nap with me on the porch.

Jasper has a BEAUTIFUL stride

Selfie with Champ

Jim enjoying his hay

My babbling capabilities are endless

I do not always have the best track record with trusting myself. It has been something I have struggled with for years, and over Spring Break I second-guessed my judgment again. When I chose Jasper I knew in that first instant that it felt like I had found a missing piece of myself. My family, my friends, and my dog keep me going when I feel empty and meeting Jasper made me feel complete. Over break I worked with him for the first time out of the round pen and met a completely different horse. I could feel his anxiety and the way his body moved beneath me in jerky short motions that did not match his previous gait and just felt off. So many things contributed to that situation including his confusion with the bit less bridle, but it took day before I would contemplate riding him again. I just kept playing it over and over in my head that I wouldn’t be good enough for him or that I wasn’t going to be what he needed. My sister is a far better rider than I am both in balance and ability and it was entirely possible that I had chose her perfect partner instead of mine. I am so cautious that sometimes I worry too much to really let go when I ride and Darah has never let anything get between her and the joy she feels when she rides. The next day was better if only because I spent the day in the sun working out my frustrations on the barn and followed that up with a much needed ride off property that ended in an even more needed laugh when Woody was confused by the cute donkey we rode past. When I finally rode Jasper again Darah was perched happily on Jim and we meandered around the yard. It made me unbelievably happy to be able to ride with her and laugh like that. Jasper did far better with a bit, which leaves me with the enjoyable task of finding tack that suits him. Now I still need to work on trusting him and eventually myself too.

Darah and Leslie riding just ahead of me

Leslie at her happiest

Champ enjoying grass after a nice ride

How horses argue over changing a light bulb…

I found this while browsing another of my favorite equestrian sites and thought it would be a great start for the day. 

How horses argue over changing a light bulb…

* Thoroughbred: Who ME?? Do WHAT? I’m scared of light bulbs! I’m outta here! 

* Arabian: I changed it an hour ago. C’mon you guys - catch up! 

* Quarter Horse: Put all the bulbs in a pen and tell me which one you want. 

* Standardbred: Oh for Pete’s Sake, give me the darn bulb and let’s be done with it. 

* Shetland: Give it to me. I’ll kill it and we won’t have to worry about it anymore. 

* Friesian: I would, but I can’t see where I’m going from behind all this mane. 

* Belgian: Put the Shetland on my back, maybe he can reach it then. 

* Warmblood: Is the 2nd Level Instruction Packet in English? Doesn’t anyone realize that I was sold for $75K as a yearling, but only because my hocks are bad, otherwise I would be worth $100K? I am NOT changing lightbulbs. Make the TB get back here and do it. 

* Morgan: Me! Me! Me! Pleeease let me! I wanna do it! I’m gonna do it! I know how, really I do! Just watch! I’ll rewire the barn after, too. 

* Appaloosa: Ya’ll are a bunch of losers. We don’t need to change the lightbulb, I ain’t scared of the dark. And someone make that darn Morgan stop jumping up and down before I double barrel him. 

* Haflinger: That thing I ate was a lightbulb? 

* Mustang: Lightbulb? Let’s go on a trail ride, instead. And camp. Out in the open like REAL horses. 

* Lipizzaner: Hah, amateurs. I will change the lightbulb. Not only that, but I will do it while standing on my hind legs and balancing it on my nose, after which I will perform seven flying lead changes in a row and a capriole. Can you do that? Huh? Huh? Didn’t think so. 

* Miniature: I bet you think I can’t do it just cause I’m small. You know what that is? It’s sizeism! 

* Akhal Teke: I will only change it if it’s my owner’s lightbulb and no one else has ever touched it. 

* Andalusian: I will delegate the changing of the lightbulb to my personal groom after he finishes shampooing my mane and cleaning my saddle, but only on the condition that it is changed for a soft blue or green bulb, which reflects better off my coat while I exhibit my astonishing gaits. 

* Cleveland Bay: I’m busy. Make the whipper-in and the hounds do it. 

* Saddlebred: My ears are up already, please, please get the lightbulb away from me! I’m ready to show, really, I promise I’ll win! 

* Paint: Put all the lightbulbs in a pen, tell me which one you want, and my owner will bet you twenty bucks I can get it before the quarter horse. 

* POA: I’m not changing it. I’m the one who kicked the old one and broke it in the first place, remember? Now, excuse me, I have a grain room to break into. 

* Grade Horse: Guys? Um, guys? I hope you don’t mind, but I went ahead and changed it while you were all arguing

Lending me the wings I lack

Today my Spring Break started and I naturally wanted to spend the day at the barn. I didn’t get to see Jasper over the weekend and when I opened the gate this morning he was having a nice roll in the sand (one of his favorite things to do) and I called out to him. I swear my heart swelled with joy when he lifted his head and looked at me. Every time he follows me around or walks directly up to me I feel such an immense sense of peace. Darah helped me clean stalls and do a weed clearing then it was time to play. We groomed Jasper and headed for the round pen to let Darah enjoy her first ride on him. I think I enjoy watching him move as much as I enjoy riding him. Later on Leslie brought out Angel and lunged her for the first time. She did amazingly well and looked absolutely beautiful with her head held high. It was a perfect day with plenty of laughter filled moments and I can’t wait to repeat the process again tomorrow. 

Darah and Jasper

Quince and Zander enjoying life on the ranch

Angel maintaining a sassy trot

You lost me at carrots

 Texas is still struggling with spring, some days it is bright and warm and other days the weather turns cold and dreary. Friday the horses and people at Hope Ranch were enjoying the nice weather. My boy Jasper got his first foot trimming under my care and I could not have been more thrilled with his impeccable manners. During the entire farrier visit he rested his head on my chest and listened to me murmur sweet words to him. It made me feel good that he would be happy to close his eyes and rest while someone he had never met messed with his feet. I have only ridden him a couple of times since I first bought him, but we always spend time together just hanging out. Angel was pulled from the back pasture and brought up for some horse “kindergarten” in which Leslie groomed her and worked with her on standing still during the entire process. She did very well and I can’t wait to see her progress into the amazing trail horse that she is growing up to be. Later Darah and Alexis helped me feed everyone dinner and clowned around with the horses. I like that there is always an abundance of laughter at the ranch.

The road to Hope Ranch in Winter

The road to Hope Ranch in Summer

Darah offering Jim a treat for a kiss

Alexis hugging Diamond while Darah offers a treat

Because when I ride, all I feel is free

I have officially been a horse mom for eleven days now. I finally have a horse that is mine and cannot be taken away. When I first came across his sale ad there was just something about him that drew me to him. I had been nervous the entire trip and I had prepared myself for the possibility that we wouldn't click. I wrote a pro/con list and weighed the options. Originally I had wanted to adopt a horse, but actually getting a rescue to answer my phone calls or emails seemed to be difficult at best. Hours of time spent on everything from craigslist to dreamhorse looking for my perfect partner left me feeling like I was searching for a needle in a haystack. When I opened the car door and stepped out I saw his head turn to take me in and I knew I had found the right horse. He looked so large in that stall and at 17hh he towered over the mares that he was with. Our first ride together went smoothly, he was easy to saddle and a joy to ride with just the right amount of mosey so I can take pictures during our trail rides. Once he finally arrived at Hope Ranch I gave him a new name (Jasper) to go with his new lease on life. Due to the immense amounts of rain I haven't actually had the opportunity to ride him much since his arrival. He has been slowly gaining weight and eventually he will gain muscle as we work together. I can't wait to build a bond with him, learn his quirks, and work through his minor ground manners issue. I have this feeling that when the ground dries up we will become the best team.

Our first ride together

Jasper following Woody on his first day at the ranch

Jasper now putting on some more weight