Sunday Pictures!

The farrier came this morning; SO glad that it's done for another two months! You know what's weird though, is that when you have something scheduled for two months away, those two months fly by!
It's crazy how that happens. It seems like he comes more often then six times a year. Which, he could if we did seven weeks instead of eight weeks, here or there. But anyways! =)

Chester did great! He hadn't had breakfast so he could have been a little more patient. But he did really good. I haven't before, but today I decided to stick some peppermint treats in my pocket to give him while he had his hooves done because he hadn't had breakfast. He really enjoyed them and gobbled them up! At one point, since I wasn't giving him any more, he started giving me kisses and wouldn't stop. He was trying hard to get more treats and he knew that normally if he came me a kiss he would get a treat. =) He was so cute!

One Sunday I went out with my sister and took some pictures with Chester. We didn't really have a nice camera so a lot of them were blurry. Yet, we did get some good ones and thanks to Fotor I put some tints/filters on some of them and that really helped! =)
First I'll get the selfies out of the way! You gotta have those! (Actually, a little side note here, I didn't take selfies until I had a horse...hmm.) =)

                                                  "Can I please have a treat, mom!"

                                            Cheese! "Does that camera give treats?"

                                             See the mud? Uh-huh. Yep. Washington.

That's my boy! Tongue is always out! =) Right there he looks like he was licking and chewing. Sometimes though he just leaves it hanging out. (He's SO cute!)

                                                         " Hey there...I'm cute!"
                                                             

Guess What?? I'M SO EXCITED!!

I am so excited to tell you guys this! I got a round pen! What does that mean? That means; I have a confined area for the first time ever to work Chester in on our property, I can work him more often, we will both be safer, I can work with him in more ways now, and my wild pony can use up his energy!!!

                                                                        Here it is!

                                                                          It's 40 ft.

                                       It's used but really nice!! I'm so happy and excited!
Every time I think about the stuff I can do with him in the round pen, I get excited! I can now work with him loose and don't have to have him on a lead or lunge line.

                           When the sun starts a shining, this round pen's gonna get a lot of love! =)

 Here is a picture so you can see how it is relative to the other parts of the our yard. That's the garden fenced in over there. 

                             Here, I'm taking the picture from up on the hill that our house is on.

 Now, I'm down by it looking back up there. I was standing on the hill to the right of the house. You can see a little bit of Chester's fence and barn up there.

                                                                Lovely round pen!!
    (Oh, that's our play house over there to the right.)

 When we got home, Chester came over to his fence and watched us unload the round pen from the trailer. Then he stayed out there when we set it up. He's one smart horse!
We are planning on putting sand in it. But we're taking it one step at a time! =)

Liquid Sunshine

Right now we are getting a lot of liquid sunshine. Rain. While a lot of people are dealing with really really cold weather, like -30, we get rain. Don't get me wrong, we did have cold weather and it was cold. But it has warmed up and now rain is here!

What have I been doing with Chester? Well, I have this new years resolution, to work Chester, at the least, once a week. That can be hard for me this time of year though. The ground is soggy. When I mean soggy, I mean, slipping, sliding and foot deep whole made by my wild pony that wants to run free!
He as so much energy right now! I will have to do a post on my "round pen"/area where I work him. So you can see what I mean. =)

So, while I'm keeping in mind that I need to get in one "good" day of ground work with him each week, I'm hoping the rain will go away.
In the mean time I'm working on tricks with him! I got some peppermint treats for him- so today he got to enjoy a different treat. Most of the time I use carrots, as that's all he likes. Today he got both though!
I'v been teaching/working on kissing, something else, (which is a surprise right now) and I recently started teaching him how to hug. Right now, he's just doing the "hug" for the treat but is doing good! He is really improving on kissing. Just needs to be a tad more gentle...=) He does it really fast and then wants the treat. Such a funny boy! He is definitely a smart horse. No doubt about that! And the "other trick," he's coming along on that really nicely too! ;)

Stay warm and dry, Ya'll!

                                                                     Yummo!!

Day Five And Six

Day Five- The last time you rode your horse and what you did

I know, I slacked on my Wednesday post. Here it is though! 

Saturday was the last time I really rode Chester. I took him to the arena and rode him all tacked up and bareback too for a little bit. (Love bareback!) 
I set up some poles and did some pole bending. Oh ya! = ) Chester is teaching be how to do gaming while my teacher is out. He taught me how to barrel race last summer. (Summer 2012) I am far from actually doing it properly. But he was like, "Malory, this is how you barrel race. Just hold on and I will show you!" I held on and HE SHOWED me! Loved it though! 
Back to my teacher, if any of you didn't know, (I can't remember if I told you all or not) she fell off a horse and got a super bad concussion. She has been out for about six weeks and she probably won't be back for a while. In the mean time, I am going to the arena each Saturday, the time my lessons would be, and working and enjoying my horse. I have already gained lots of confidence and learned tons. But, I need some help in knowing what and how to do things. I am praying that my teacher will heal and be back soon.  

Chester is really good at turning. He'd rather go in tight circles than big ones. Just one more thing to work on! I think it's the barrel mode in him. 

 Trotting!

 Turning...

Go!

The first time I did poles with him, once I was comfortable, I asked for a little more speed. He cantered a little bit, and oh, his body was so smooth around those poles; he just bent right around the poles. So fun! I can't wait to see how far we get in a year or two!

Day six- Your most accomplished horse 

That would be Chester! He's a easy keeper, gentle, ideal husband/kid safe horse and good beginners horse. He was a search and rescue horse for a year, passed 4H horse- knows how to side pass (at least used to,) barrel race, pole bend and probably any gaming.
This is all I know, so he could have done/know a lot more.

 I have a question for you all. (Sorta going back to day five.)

How high or low are you supposed to hold your hands while riding? (That is, while using both hands and a snaffle bit.)

I think I'm holding my hands a little to low, but I really don't know. Plus, you can't really tell in those pictures of day five.

Day One

Day one-  I picture of you and your horse.

Course, I can't do just one. = )

Glorious Monday!

Glorious Monday! Ok, so I'm not super happy it's Monday but yet I'm. It's like, "Yes! Monday!" and "Ohhh...Monday." But let's start it off on a good note! 

For about a month Chester was showing signs of boredom. He would bang his feeder; by picking it up with his teeth and then letting it go and it would make a nice bang! Ya, and he would do it at two in the morning. After I figured out why he was doing it, (I emailed my horsey friend who has taught me tons of what I know) I was planing on getting a horse toy or something of the sort. But low and behold, my birthday came along and my friend gave me a horse pacifier. (Horse toy!)

 

Here it is all put up.

 It isn't that big but it's big enough for a horse and definitely tough enough too!
At first he was scared of it- though now he's fine with it and could care less. He just needs to catch onto using it. My silly boy!

Next up, last Friday I got him a salt/mineral rock. Ok guys, this is really cool! And I'd say it's definitely worth your money! It looks just like a rock, smells just like salt and feels like a salt rock. That's a mouth full! ; )

 

Here it is!

                                             Here it is close up. Kinda cool uh?

There's Chester eating a snack! I love giving him snacks. Especial sense (have I told you?) he doesn't like apples, bread, lettuce, candy canes, peppermints or any thing of the sort. Silly horsey! He does, however, like the peppermint treats from the co-op. (Don't know what they're called) = / His all time favorite treat is carrots though. He's a carrot boy! = )

 I took some pictures of it out in the grass to show you how much it looks like a rock. Actually, now that I think about it, it is a rock. Just a, salt rock. = )

And guess what! He likes it! He has licked and slobbered all over it! Yay! Go Chester! 

 I snapped this shot because I wanted to show you how healthy he has gotten. Actually, he was really healthy when I got him, he has just plumped up since then. 
Here is a picture of him right after I got him...

 

                      Look at that yard......hasn't been loved on by a horse yet. = )

Have you gotten your horse any fun toys, treats ect. lately?

Chester; What's Your Problem?!

Over the last few days I have been putting Chester out in the field for a snack in the afternoon. He gets hay in the morning and at night but it's nice to get fresh grass too. And right at the moment I am trying to up his weight. Which, I think he is gaining nicely. So no worries there!
In the summer time I slowly work him up to about four to four and a half hours (twice a day) being out in the field. Making sure he doesn't get too much Spring grass. Right now though, it's just a snack, and a time away from his little barn. There's a problem though, he doesn't want to stay out there for more then 30 minutes. He doesn't like being out there by himself. I have a crazy horse- he gets to go out in a field with tons of grass, with no other animals to bug him or eat the grass before he can- and he wants to go back up to his yard. (Where he can see the goats.) He is actually not that far from the house at all. You can totally see it! We have a farther field and I have tried putting him out there and he doesn't like that at all. But, he does like being closer where he can see the house. Normally he likes to go out and graze but he goes in spurts where he doesn't.
He is all happy to go out there, then 30 to 40 minutes later is is running up and down the fence line.

Here is his view, from where I have him now.

I have a question for you all. How do you get a horse to want to stay out in a field? Besides!!!.....buying another horse, or sitting on his back the whole time he eats. ; ) I did that the other day. It was fun! I memorized as I sat there.

                              I wore a helmet......there I go again; being safe! ; )

My First, Official Ridding Lessons!

Hey Ya'll! I hope you are all having a great week! I am doing lots of school while trying not to dream about the summer. 

I wanted to show you guys my first official ridding lesson. I already had two lessons, but they weren't private. (Now they are) Which was totally fine- they were technique ground work lessons but my teacher wanted to move on- so these pictures are from my "first" riding lesson. However, it turned out to be really unique and extra special. I got to drive cattle! Yes, me, some ol' country girl who never dreamed that I could ever do that, did! 

So as you know I Love pictures....I posted a lot! Tons! Enjoy!

 

Unloading- he has adapted to the slant load really nicely.

 

Hey look! Grass!

All tacked up, and putting my, bike, helmet on. = ) Don't have a real helmet yet, but I am staying as safe as possible. I don't want no concussion....I like being safe then sorry.
Have you heard that horses are unpredictable? Ya. well. 

                                                           Warming up!
Dani said to warm up and then they would let the cows in. Oh boy! =) She said it's only scary for the first couple minutes. To tell you the truth, I didn't expect her to say that. You know? They usually say, "Oh, you'll be fine!" Well, I guess not! = )

 

Cows are in and I am waiting excitedly/nervously for directions. (I'm on the far right.)

                                             Here we go! driving cattle!

At first I let Chester get used to them; by walking through and around them. He was awesome! He was curious, but warmed up fast!

                                   

 

Getting instructions from de Cowboy.

                                          Come on cows, keep moving!
Chester wasn't fond of the blue tarps and whenever we would go over there, he would try and stay as far as he could away from them. It could have been the cows behind them too. The whole thing was scary to him! =) I worked with him though and he got better.

Chasing one down with a smile on my face! Look at those ears! Chester is totally listening to me!

                                         Mooooooove! Everyone together now!
A couple of them got out of the penned area and then they were put into another one instead of bringing them back in. So the other cows wanted to stay on that side of the arena where they could talk to their friends that were "locked" up for escaping.

                                                 The cows got kind of bored.

Oooo.....look at that horse paying attention!

Actually, I think in the picture, we were watching some naughty cows. One of the cows, that wasn't out, decided to jump one of the panels. He bent it, got his legs caught, got undone, and then ran to meet his buddies leaving the panel bent and allowing more cows to get out. 

Silly cows.

                                                        Lookin at something...

                                              On we go! Not waisten time!

          Taken a short quick break- Chester's listening though! I love my boy!
It totally looks like Chester has a cow tail. But there is actually a cow back there that flicked it's tail. 

                                                     Ok, get em rolling!!

                                                  Right through them!

                                                  Hey you cow. Smile!
Actually, one of the bigger cows-one with horns and a temper- butted Chester in the hip. I didn't like that and after that I didn't like the cow either. Chester kicked him though, so he should think twice before he does it again.   

Well, that's it! I leave you with this one. My concentrated face, Chester's cute face and part of the American flag. God bless America, land, of the free.