Summer Showed It's Face, We Jumped For Joy!

I decided to put up my original layout, as I was kinda stressing out on trying to figure out a fun nice header for summer. I will make a new one but I really wanted to get rid of the snow!

Now onto more interesting things!
Summer decided to show it's face. Chester and I were like, "ground work, riding, hanging out together, everything!!" Then, of course the rain came back and my round pen turned into a swimming pool last Monday. Oh joy! Here's the thing, it rains, the round pen gets MUDDY and has standing water, it stops raining and starts to dry up. As the weather gets nicer I do what I can with him where I can in the round pen. I can do ground work with him in about 80% of it. But that's not a big enough area to ride. I also rake it as it's drying out to even the ground. Well, the sun comes out, drys it about about 90% and Chester and I are getting really excited and doing lots of stuff.....then drip, drip......Swoosh! It pours!! Then I start the process all over again!
Two weeks ago I took Chester out on Thursday, it was around 75 degrees. I had worked on ground work three or four times over the past week so I was ready to ride! I tacked him up and even used my new saddle pad. (He looked so purty!) It was a really warm day so we were both laid back. (We had like three days where it was 70-82 degrees and that was super hot for April. Also, it just jumped up there; it wasn't gradual.) Meaning we were like, "man it's hot out here and the flys are awful!" The bugs were pretty bad.

Anyways, you get the picture! So we wandered down to the round pen and I tighten the cinch. I sent him in a lunge circle and he was really calm with no bucks. He went in two or three more circles and then we were done. He was doing fine and I didn't think I needed to lunge him. I tightened the cinch again and stepped in the stirrup.....SLIP! The saddle slid sideways. So I made the cinch tighter and tried again.....SLIP! The saddle slid sideways again! By this time it needed to be adjusted because it had slid off his withers and I wasn't using a breast collar. I undid the cinch and fixed everything. This time before I got on I stuck my figures between the cinch and his girth area. It was quite tight! Once again I lifted my foot and put it in the stirrup.....SLIP! I was ready to chuck the saddle and ride bareback. But, I wanted to use the saddle. After hollering, "Oh this saddle!" my mom came over and asked what she could do to help. I asked her to go get my other saddle pad in my tack room. My thought was, my new saddle pad was so clean and new that it was just plain slipping!
All this time Chester was calmly standing there, almost falling asleep. I will admit though, when I was tightening up the cinch a few times he was like "hey" and would walk forward. So he did move around some. He has improved so much though, from being really hyper to almost falling asleep! He is definitely back to his normal self. Calm, yet ready to rock and roll!

After I got my other saddle pad, it didn't slip as bad and I was able to get on and ride. Chester was excited and was ready to go but since I didn't have a whole lot of room to ride I stayed at a trot. He was really responsive to leg cues and neck reining. He kept wanting to turn sharply. Like around a barrel. So I pulled my right rein across his neck and started bumping his right side. He responded really well and started going in a circle and then even pivoted at one point. I think if I worked with him, he could totally spin. He definitely knows how to pivot. Sometimes if your riding him and you all of a sudden turn him he will pivot. It's really cool! I feel like a professional! =P My horse knows how to do lots of stuff, I just need to learn how to ask him correctly.
Back to the ride, he did want to go to the gate, but I would turn him and go the other way. Once the round pen is totally dry and I can go in a circle around the whole thing, I will put him to work by the gate so he won't want to go there. =)
He did fabulous though and we both had a grate time! We even cantered a tiny bit....only a few strides. But we didn't have the room too so I slowed him down. After we walked, trotted around and practiced stopping and backing up and had a grand time, we called it a day. I got off and then walked around and he followed me. It was SO cute! I loved it! I will admit he did turn towards the door a couple times but I grabbed him and turned him back to me and the he kept following me. =) It was a good day!

                                                                   Here we are!
(Please ignore my white arms. =/ The poor things haven't seen the sun since last summer.)

                     "Back up, we're not done taking pictures yet." Look at those ears!! =)

Oh ya, and I was going to use my hackamore bridle, (I had cleaned it a few months ago so it was all ready) but once I put it on him, the little buckle on the neck part was rusted open. And I couldn't get it shut! So I put his halter back on.

Here are some pictures from the day before. I just worked him from the ground a little bit. It was more hot than the day I rode - so I took it easy.

Walking down to the round pen. Ah! Isn't he purty!! (No...no I'm not biased.) ;p He looks like a bigger horse here. He is coming up a little hill.

"Papa's taking a picture of us Chester, your supposed to be looking at the camera!" Oh well, he's cute looking that way too!

We're getting our priorities straight! (Or he's eating a tiny sprout of grass.) I usually brush him before I take him out. But why brush him....if he's going to roll!

                                  Dude, just roll! It has to be the perfect spot, you know.

                                                                  Here we go!

                                                           Oh ya, that hit the spot!

                                                                  Up we go!

                                                          Now we have to shake!

                                                            Aw that feels good!

QOTD: How do you break in a new saddle pad?
And, if I'm not using a breast collar and the saddle is slipping backwards, does that mean my cinch isn't tight enough??

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I can't believe it's Thanksgiving again, but hey, there's no complaints here! = ) I love Thanksgiving and am always excited to celebrate it.
I am so thankful for all the things that the Lord God has blessed me with. Especially Chester! Chester is one of the biggest (literally biggest) = ) blessings I have ever gotten. Chester was an answer to prayer and he is so special to me. I am a total animal person and working up through the years from a rabbit to a goat and finally to a horse, proving responsibility, is a dream come true! Chester, was the one that made that dream come true. I wouldn't have wanted another horse....Chester is my horsey! And I'm so thankful for him!

May we all be thankful this Thanksgiving as we see all the blessings around us. There are so many things to be thankful for every moment of the day!

 I have a few verses for you.

 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15
 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Psalm 100

 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

 

Day Four

Day Four- A horse that impacted your life.

My one and only precious, Chester.

Just A Good Ol Picture

My youngest sister made this picture for me. I love it! Such a nice picture of Chester and she did such a great job. Thank you Annie!

Last night I had about two hours to do whatever I wanted and was planing on making/coming up with ideas for blog posts. But, guess what? I drew a blank. I. had. no. ideas. Can't believe it!
So I decided to ask you guys. Is there anything you want to hear about or see? I am of course going to keep updating on what's going with Chester and random pictures of him. = ) This is totally making me look like a bad blogger. But hey, I don't have all the time in the world. Plus, blogging is not the most important thing in my life. It comes after the Lord, family, school and...horse chores. = )

I did run out today and take some self portraits of me and my boy.

                                                             He's like, "really?"
 I walked up there, we said "hi" to each other and then I was like, "SNAP!" That's when he was like, "really? Come on!"

Straight on!

 I love his star and stripe; he actually has another star on his nose. It makes him so unique.

                                                  That's Chester....Isn't he cute?

                      I gave him a snack; sense it was later he thought it was dinner time.

Later folks!

                               

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! ; )

One Thousand Page Veiws!

Hey guys, we hit one thousand page views! I know that that may not be that many to some of you, but I just started this blog a few months ago. So I think we're doing great!
Thank you to all Four of my followers for supporting me!! I appreciate you following me and reading my ramblings.  Hopefully I will be posting for many more years!

Feel free to share my blog link with any other people you think might enjoy it. I would love to accumulate more followers! Here is my link so you can just copy and paste! countryhitchingpost.blogspot.com

                     Thanks for reading my ramblings and about my adventures!

Lunging Chester On A Sunny Day!

I took a video of Chester on the lunge line, to show you how good he feels after being adjusted. It did wonders! He's more willing to do things now.....like go fast! I knew he liked to go fast, but that is normally when we are going for a barrel. Now, he likes to get going whenever he can!

Sorry for all the clucking and kissing, it's really hard to lunge a horse and hold a camera. Trust me! I think he was deciding if he should take me seriously or not. He eventually got up to a canter though. And I wanted to show you guys his pain free canter! = ) I love it! So much more relaxed!

The flies were really bad that day. I have a fly mask that I put on him when we're not working.

I have been feeding Chester more hay to fatten him up for the winter. He has been thoroughly loving it! Tonight we are going to ground work lessons so he will get a work out. Not that he is fat, he is far from that! I would love to see the day when someone looks at my horse and says, "wow, he's a little plump, wouldn't you say?"

 

I found this and thought is was really fun! Thanks Kalin for sharing it! 

All Tacked Up!

   Here's Chester all tacked up! I hadn't tacked him up for months. Literally, I think the last time I tacked him up it was last winter. Why? You ask. Well, most of the time I ride him bareback. Plus, I haven't been riding him due to the ground, (to many holes) and because I am working on ground work with him right now. Everything starts one the ground with a horse. If it's not good on the ground, it won't be good in the saddle.
Since Chester and I started taking ground work lessons, Chester (AND me mainly) have learned tons, and are progressing really fast! I am very excited about all the stuff I have been doing with him.

Also, for new news, Chester got adjusted on Sunday. (Kinda like a chiropractor) He had to "sit" (do nothing) for 48 hours. I took him out and lunged him today and he was wonderful! He actually wanted to stay cantering for more then just two circles. = ) Love it! And I love that he's not in anymore pain. His pelvic was totally off....That's why he didn't like turning his back end around or anything that had to do with moving sharply with his back legs.

                                  Hi there! He's like, "are you done taking pictures?"

                                  I guess our color is blue! = )

                                                          Want a treat?

                                          You're gonna have to reach for it!

This was the first time I used this saddle. I have another one, which is bigger and fits him better. But I wanted to try this one out. It is much comfier than the other one for sure!

                                 He's looken at the grass.....= ) Ya, that's my boy!

                                          He looks bigger here then he actoully is.
                                          Oh, I just love his star and blaze!

That was my afternoon! I hope you all had a nice day and you got sunshine of some sort!

 Question for you horse folks out there; If I am not using the breast collar, and my saddle keeps sliding back off his withers, does that mean I need to tighten my cinch?



   Here are some pictures of my other saddle. I know it's not on right. I was just taking some pictures of it on him.

                                  Like I said, it's not situated right. I know that. = )