Featured Horse: Standout Walkaloosa Mare with Great Start!

Private Treaty: contact taraflewelling@hotmail.com

Name: GOG Graceful Lady

Location: Artois, CA

Breed: Registered Walkaloosa Horse Association

DOB: 5-31-06

Height: 15 hands

Price: Private Treaty: contact taraflewelling@hotmail.com

More information from the owner/trainer here: http://www.foursquarehorse.com/GOG-Graceful-Lady-.php

*photos of me riding Gracie from 3/14/14*

This mare has a fabulous base of ground work and respect going with her owner/trainer. She is very expressive and light to handle. Also clever, funny, solid built, and going to be a force going down the trail! She has had great care her whole life and has well maintained bare hooves. Don't miss out on this gorgeous girl!  

 She's looking at you folks! Are you her new home? If you think you might be, please contact:
taraflewelling@hotmail.com!!

Hills, and a Little Blasphemy

Saturday I got Blaze out for some quick hill work from home. It was a warm, gorgeous day for a ride, and sure to work up a healthy sweat for the little guy, though he is rapidly shedding winter coat like the others. My husband was around so we actually got a fun picture before heading out :-)

spring in the 'hood, green at last!

Blaze always goes barefoot in the back, even in LDs, due to an old scar/knob on his hind fetlock that any hoof protection causes him to interfere on, but because of a weird, scarred front right heel I had booted his fronts obsessively for the last few years. Recently I've been riding everyone barefoot and enjoying all the trimming work that is taken off my plate by doing so, and after giving it a shot with Blaze a few weeks ago I suddenly realized how much better and less sloppy he went without front boots! The Renegades are undeniably bulkier than their other main competitor on the market, and as Blaze was going better without them, the next natural step was to put him back in a more slim-line boot. But BOY, it took some serious internal (and external) whinging on my part to make me actually drag out the Cursed Box of Easyboots again. I spent all of 2012 trying to make Gloves work for Desire and they just *didn't* which eventually led me to discovering (and loving) Renegades. The Gloves always worked okay for Blaze though, and I always eventually go back to what works for the individual horse instead of what my various internal hissy fits say, so here is a photo of a small Blasphemy committed, and yes, the damn things worked fine:

Yesterday morning my husband and I managed to fix our Dodge truck ourselves, but the little car had to go into the shop for a starter. It was shaping up to be one of those days, so upon my grumpy return home from the mechanics I saddled up Scrappy and took the same 6 mile loop up the big hill that I had on Blaze on Saturday.

up up uppp we go!

Scrappy was undeniably a sassy, fit horse being ridden from home, and it was hilarious. We all know our charming beasts can display some of their worst behaviors not just at rides, but when riding to or from the barn, or say, in an arena, in most of my horse's cases. Still, Scrappy is a cool customer, not one to get fussy or excited about, well, anything, and this was the first time he clearly knew he was riding out from home, and had something to say about it. 

 Frankly, the photo above is how I feel about that. Sure popping his head and trying to jig and being a little shitty isn't ideal, but then again it tells me that my otherwise quiet and polite fella is feeling mighty good and has opinions to express. No worries, mate, but never forget who's boss! He got a few reminders, yesterday, that's for sure! My big grin is also related to the huge, swinging, straight downhill walk that Scrappy exhibited heading towards home, a walk that I could barely hustle my little legs to keep up with. I am very sensitive to how my horses go downhill since the whole Desire/hocks thing and it was just fabulous to see him trooping away with ears pricked and solid enthusiastic strides.

The time has changed, the ponies are shedding, the grass is green, and 2014 AERC Season is almost here for me at last! Can't wait :-)

Redheaded Endurance Herd: Week In Photos

There was rather a lot of this...soggy horses, soggy everything. We got totally sick of it were grateful. Are grateful. 

Scrappy loves turn out from the barn best. Mudhoggin it RC style

Then he met my little friend, Shedding Comb. They got along famously.

Sheza had a real issue with my attention being focused anywhere other than entirely on her Royal Self. 

Because I look like this, that's why.

Rambo is shedding heavily, as is the whole herd. Here he is after a good comb out. My little friend shedding comb definitely cemented our status as Good Friends.

After a few delays, my vet finally made it out yesterday for general check on Rambo, dentals on Blaze and Desire, Coggins and Health Certificate for Scrappy for the April 4th Nevada Derby, and spring shots for all. Blaze's dental went swimmingly but then we had a slight equipment malfunction halfway through Desire's dental. Between the two of us we muscled the fried machine apart and replaced a part, then had to re-sedate the poor beast, and get back to it. My vet mused that Desire had opened her mouth quite willingly for the dental head piece the first time around but had a death clench on it with her teeth this time. I assured her that she wasn't likely to get a second chance with an Arabian mare ;-) 

Blaze and Desire feeling drowsy-good after their dentals

Sheza was in total shock that I actually did bring her mother back from the barn in one piece and smelling mostly normal, if a bit tooth powdery. She doesn't believe me about stuff sometimes, but then I rarely believe her and her shenanigans. Dubious redheads, the pair of us, well suited I suppose! 

Rambo was cagey about having his teeth checked by the vet, preferring me to handle his head and mouth, but he settled down and was a good boy for his shots. She said that he is 6, coming 7, by the teeth wear and has had dental care before. He's looking great and with that age reveal he may well have a bit more added to his work load soon! 

Sheza was completely unimpressed that all she got were two needle stabs in the neck. She saw Blaze and her mom come back from the barn stoned and surely knew there was more fun going on elsewhere ;-)

Unfortunately, along with all this horsey goodness, we had a livestock loss incident, too. Wednesday morning my mares weren't eating breakfast and were staring down into our largest pasture, so I patrolled the perimeter with my two biggest dogs, but didn't find anything. Thursday morning I counted 3 out of 4 goats and again went scouting around the pasture but this time found loads of bear prints, including running and sliding tracks, in the softened mud. It wasn't a large bear by the tracks and our goat was pretty hefty, but the goat is nowhere to be seen nor did we find sign of an attack within the pasture.

 This a.m. I saddled Scrappy and scouted the dirt roads around our house in the off chance the goat had squirted out a couple of appropriately sized holes we had found in the far fence line and was hanging out or dead somewhere nearby. I had a heart attack when I saw a fresh white fleece hanging at my neighbors but even from a distance I could see that it was sheep and not goat. Still, I had a fleeting impression that my goat's hide was tacked up for display a few houses over from mine-- Ah, country life!

Scrappy and I didn't learn anything of use about the missing goat but did do a couple of nice long trots out on the scout, and he threw 2 effortless flying lead changes at a loose reined canter along the straightaways where it was safe. He's feeling great as this first 50 miler of the season approaches, I am so looking forward to it and crossing my fingers all goes well to get there! 

 My husband was waiting in the drive with the enthusiastic dog pack and snapped a couple of pics :-)

 4 miles in 45 minutes, wait, that's almost Speedwork or something, right Scrap?

That is THE spot

condition shot, beg March 2014