Sunny Spring Days

Spring is here and so is spring grass! This is the time of year when we all watch our horses to make sure they don't eat too much. Around here, the grass is growing fast and it's sweet and fresh! Spring grass can = colic or founder to many horses.
I put up a little fenced area for Chester and let him eat for a little bit. It was a beautiful day and quite warm! He enjoyed it and gobbled that grass quite fast and yet very alert to what was going on around him. The way I put up the fence, he could go back and forth from his yard to the little grassy area. He ran in once when he got spooked because my mom was pulling some blackberry bushes out of a tree. But I went and got him and he happily went back in and started munching again. Silly boy!

On Sunday though....I let him out again and he did much better. He did run back into his yard when a big noisy truck was trying to get into someones driveway. But after that he got so comfortable that I couldn't get him back in his yard. =)

                                 Here is the biggest tree on our property. It's a biggy!


                                                          Beautiful thing, aint it?

There's my fat pony...he's gained a lot of weight this winter. And I'm very happy about it! =)

As you might guess, he loves to roll in the mud. But what horse doesn't? I have yet to meet a horse that doesn't.

                          Ya, he's dirty. Dirty and happy! He's been much worse though....

Right behind him, you can see where he can go back into his yard. This is just a little temporary area where he can get used to eating and what not. I'll take it down soon. (My mom doesn't want the yard to turn to mud. I agree...) =)

                                                              Look at that belly! =)

                                                         This is just SO goood!

Here are the goats right below him.

"Hey, I thought you were taking pictures of me!" I was Chester, but I have to give the goats some attention too!

Here you can see it all in perspective. That's his trailer and the main gate I use to take him out of his yard, is to the right of that over turned black bucket.

                                                          This is from the drive way.

The round pen is almost dry. When it is, I will hopefully be doing lots of ground work and some simple riding. Chester has lots of energy so it will be a bit of a challenge to work him, plus, he needs to remember to respect me. I'm so excited though to get back into riding and working him! =)

Wait, Whuuuuut?!?

This past week, inspired by some of my blogger friends, I emailed the past owner of Chester and asked if he had any pictures of Chester or knew of anyone that would. He emailed back and said he had some somewhere, that he would send my way. I also asked him if he knew Chester's birthday.. When we bought him he was sixteen and now he is "eighteen".
So, he told me his birthday was April 13th. I was like, oh that's coming up! My next thought was, what year was he born? They guy was already on it and had sent me his pedigree. I opened it up and started to figure it out as I have never really (maybe one other time) looked at a pedigree before.
His barn name was Shorty when we bought him but I renamed him, Chester. We didn't think Shorty was such a "loving" name....but, come to find out his "legal" name on his pedigree is Valiant Mr. Shorty! I thought that was a pretty neat name; better then just Shorty. =) His name is actually a mix of his mom and dad. His dad's name was Sold Short, and his mom's was Valiant Quest. I thought that was really cool! There was no picture of his dad, and it said that there was a picture of his Grandfather but the picture won't pop up. =( But, I do have a picture of his great-grandfather! I think there is a big resemblance! His face looks like Chester and even his back end is shaped like Chester's! =)
Here, have a look!

                                                       Chester's great-grandfather

Ok, I know Chester has his winter coat on here so he's not shiny like Top Deck. But I think their faces look alike.

                                   In this picture he has his summer coat on so he's shiny. =)

                                                 This is a picture of his great-grandma

Here are some more pictures of grandfathers....

Great, great-grandfather

Great, great, great-grandfather

And I think we'll stop there. =)

Well, I did find this guy down the line and thought he was a nice looking one. He's a big guy! =)

Back to the pedigree....after I found out his pedigree name, I saw the date he was born. 1992. Yep, my horse is four years older then I thought he was. I thought he was 18 turning 19 sometime this year. Well noooo, he's 21 turning 22 in a few weeks! The main reason I was in "shock" was I lost four years I thought I was (possibly) going to have with my horse.
The thing is, if we knew that Chester was 19 years old when we bought him, we wouldn't have bought him. And I wouldn't have the wonderful horse I have now. I would have never met Chester. I would have never met and own the best horse in the world! God knew that he was older all along and yet He had him picked out for me and provided the right horse, nineteen year old Chester, for me. So even if I'm in "shock" finding out my horse is now definitely "an older horse", as my brother put it, "he is still the perfect horse for you." I agree!

Day Twenty-Eight

Day Twenty-eight- Helmet or no helmet

I'm a helmet person. I'd rather be safe then sorry. Horses=unpredictable. So, I use a helmet so when I fall off, get bucked off or Chester spooks, I will be safe or less hurt. My riding teacher fell off a horse WITH a helmet on. She got a concussion and was out for weeks. At the least two months but I know she was out much longer then that.

I'd rather wear a helmet then....get a concussion, get paralyzed, die and whatever else! =)
I'm a helmet person! haha!

                                            Go helmets! See, they're not that bad! =)

Day Twenty-Six

Day Twenty-Six- Biggest riding pet peeve

 I don't think I really have an exact riding pet peeve. Ok, there are a couple things like- I like my reins "perfect" all the time. I can't stand when they're not neat and when I'm not holding them correctly. I feel like I don't have complete control of my horse. But, I think that is still the beginner side of me. Sense I haven't been riding for years and years I don't have it down completely. 

When I ride I have to have my hair in a pony-tail. I can't stand it sprawling everywhere, from under my helmet. 

And...that's all I can think of right now! =)

Day Twenty-Four

Day Twenty-four- Your best riding buddy.

Can my horse count? haha! I think they mean people though...I don't have a riding buddy. My friend and I, ever since I got Chester, have wanted to go on a trail ride. But we never have...I do hope to some day though! We share our riding experiences with each other and tell of our horse adventures we have with our steeds. And of course, I have asked her LOTS of horse questions over the past two years. Not so much anymore though. (She has had horses most of her life, so she has had lots of experience.)
She was the one that came with me to check out Chester and bring him home. I would consider her my best riding buddy. She has taught me a lot of what I know about horses.
But, my wonderful dad and youngest sister, I would consider my riding buddies too! My dad trailer-ed me and Chester for about three months, to ground work lessons and just to ride at the arena. My youngest sister came along and cheered us on! I think she would love to join us!

Those- my dad, Annie (youngest sister) and my horsey friend, are my best riding buddies!

Day Twenty-Two

Day Twenty-two- Describe the importance of riding in your life

I'm what, I think most of you would call, a country girl and her back yard pony. I'm truly not just that though. I will admit, I am. But I am more then a person that owns a horse. I am a person with a goal and a will.
I started out being a girl and her horse, and then learning to train, ride and work my horse becoming so much more. A cowgirl.
The imortance of riding in my life; riding is definitely not my top priority. Although I don't ride a lot at the moment, I want to become a confident, safe, sure rider. I want to be able to ride my horse anyway I wish too. So for now, I'm going to take basic riding lessons in the spring and keep Chester on his toes for ground work until then. I have done more ground work with my horse then riding. If it's not good on the ground, it won't be good in the saddle. But don't get me wrong. I LOVE riding. Who doesn't?? 
October to the end of November I went almost every weekend to an arena and rode. I had a blast and learned tons. Chester and I got closer too.
In the summer time I try to ride at the least, once a week. Some weeks, I will ride him three times a week plus a day or two of just ground work. That is a 'good' week for me in the summer time.
Winter, is much different. Around here the ground gets really soggy and wet. Soft, wet soggy ground + a horse = a sinking + panicing horse. Not fun. And when riding it's not safe. He tares up our yard really easily. haha! I was lunging him the other day and he was sliding and digging up big chunks of earth. ( Side note for all daughters that own horses; Parents don't love that.) =) Winter time for me is bonding time- Chester and I listen to the rain poor down on the barn roof, while I brush and sing to him and he munches happily on crispy crunchy hay while we both stay warm and dry in his little barn- and also when the ground is frozen I work on ground work and I get in a few relaxed rides here and there throughout the winter.

So. To sum up the importance of riding in my life? It's one of our top priorities/goals to get me knowledgeably riding Chester. Which I was taking lessons (I had one) then my teacher fell off a horse and got a concussion. Hopefully, this spring we will pick back up again.