Blame it on the post office. That is what got the subject changed. Speaking of...I really need to go and get Dasher out. I will have to call about the I.D.# so I have to hop off here for awhile. Type at ya later.

:rotf:

Well, to update on our ride today. (and get this tread back to the topic ) I rode Dasher up to the post office. She did fine and I have to say that it was not easy. Every kid in town had left over bottle rockets and were lighting them off. Bless her heart. Bunch of the little yard apes were running around in their pickups and acting stuipid and throwing fire crackers out of the bed. We went to the post office and then headed out of the main part of town. We had a pretty good ride. I was not planning on going that far but I bet we traveled at least three miles today. Did some trotting and alot of walking. Then rode on a tractor path between corn fields and rode half way to Poseyville. Man what a beautiful sight. Standing on a ridge just as the sun was starting to drop down (but not sunset yet) looking over miles and miles of nothing but farm fields. You could smell the growing corn and when we were inbetween fields where the corn had already grown taller then us, it was a brief but welcomed break from the late afternoon heat. I was so proud of Dasher. She took everything in stride/ I even got a chance to let her run a little. That mare is fast when she wants to be!!! She also was very accomedating since she did not go nuts while the horse flies were sucking her blood from her neck. I did not realize they were there but Dasher had to be in a slight amount of pain while those pests dinned on her. I had one on my knee as we were coming home and that was a tad uncomfortable and I killled it as soon as I saw it. Since these were on the underside of her neck I know they had to bother her but she just kept going. I saw the blood staines on her neck when I was untacking her. I had put fly spray on her before we left but I guess it wore off while she was sweating.  I think she likes going on the road and not much bothers her except when we went by the cows. She kept on the path but she sure was alert and wide eyed while we passed them. I'll tell ya what folks, I sure do have a keeper in her.

HH, sounds like you had a good ride!  Val, how was yours??

I need to ride more often but I just *hafta* get those darn holes filled in in the back.

I had dreams of riding in my indoor arena last night *sniff sniff* 

Thanks for getting this back on topic HH (wonder who got it off topic, oh wait it was me!!!!!!)  Glad to hear you had a good ride, you town sounds like a peach to live in!

Well my ride last night was good.  I just rode behind my barn in our little "pasture".  Scout needs to learn to listen to me alittle better before we go around the corn fields (there are a couple other horse pastures around the edge that could distract him).  I worked on walking, and trotting circles.  He has a tendincy to push his outside shoulder out and try and make the circles bigger than what I want them.  When he does this I will give him a kick on the shoulder he is pushing out and a couple times doing that and he won't do it any more.  I also worked on getting him into a canter, keeping him going and staying out of the pine trees and all the other wonderful objects I have to ride around.  My area is not very big so I would canter him the whole way around and then cut it in half.  He did really well, once he settles in and relizes I mean business he does most everything I ask him with little fight.  A couple more times riding at home, then I'm going going to take him to my neighbors big fenced in pasture and let him streach out some!  Well theres my update!

Ramsey, is there holes in your round pen?  You know I would be more than happy to ride Travler for you!

  well okay then, I have never in my life smelled corn growing :rotf:

Ziggy was a bad bad boy.  You can tell he has been laid off of for most of the breeding season and is he ever fat!  Going to take a couple of rides for him to quit trying to out think me again (not that that would be a hard thing to do)  He spends to much time thinking of tihings to do but as Lynn Palm said "A smart horse will always entertain themselves and seldom develop vices such as cribbing and weaving; but there are some that are much to smart for their own good"  I think I have one of those.  Big BRAT :angeldevil:

Your from Indiana and in the mist of corn fields and you have never smelled corn growing???
Does your nose not work? Peal back the husk from a fresh ear of corn and smell it. That is what the air smelled like. It is a sweet smell.

I love the smell of fresh hay!  I know what you mean about smelling the corn grow, it just has this certin smell!

Val- Scout sometimes wants to be a prick  and I think that still stems from him being a stud!  I agree with Lynne Palm, some horses are too smart for there own good!  So have you rode the Nick Dell colt yet?

Ziggy isn't a prick just the worlds biggest brat.  Studly acts exactly like Ziggy did as a baby, you just want to reach out and slap the doo doo out of him.   

   this is my impression of Ziggy when he is bad and let me tell you that he can find out how to get around just about anything I have ever seen. 

The Nik Dell colt is one of the most athletic babies I have ever raised.  He is going to be a fooler because he is long strided and smooth.  His mother was an athlete and so far most of her babies have been too although I think she doesn't cross well with Ziggy.  I am going to breed her next year to the thoroughbred.  If she is in foal to Ziggy this year then that will be her 4th Ziggy baby.  Her bay Rene Dan Jet filly was very athletetic also.  Nik is letting me know that letting him have 14 months off was not smart on my part so the end of July he is going to be sent back to Keith for 3-4 weeks again.  That colt can just get out from underneath you to easy and I don't want to teach him any bad habits. 

And ok, you two can smell corn growing.  I still can't, fresh mowed hay and stuff makes me sneeze and I think corn fields have way to many skeeters for me.

Val- Are you planning on running barrels with Ziggy?  I can't wait to see all the babies again on Sat!  I bet they all are getting big!  Nik's dam is Shot?

My ride last night was pretty good.  Scout did not push his shoulder out like he had been, I only had to remind him once that he was not to do that.  Did the same stuff I had been, walking, and trotting circles.  He is starting to learn to pick up his canter better, keep me out of the pine trees, and get the correct lead.   As I was cooling him down he started limping for about 10 strides then quit, I don't know what that was all about?  I took his saddle off and hand walked him some, then turned him out and he was fine, he was fine this AM too, so I don't know   I checked his hoof and he didn't have anything in it, so....  I had my feed man bring me some joint supplement for hi it's call Arthogen- ever heard of it?

Well, to update everyone on Dasher and I's ride. We did real good. I shortend her reigns and worked on circles. She seemed very responsive but we will see tonight. She did everythign I asked her too so we did not have to work very long. We (kind of) played hide-n-seek with the other horses so everybody got a chance to get a workout. I am going to Warrick tonight and will update everybody on how we did.
Nic, just keep an eye on Scout and maybe just do dome easy walking and bending with him next time. If he still seems sound then I would guess it was nothing serious.

HH- Thats what I thought I would do tonight (if I even get to ride, I still need to price my stuff that I'm taking to Vals tomorrow!), just walking and bending.  He is due for a re-set on his shoes too, so maybe that has something to do with it  If he turns up sore I don't know what I'm going to do, move on to hubbys horse I guess!?  Hubby already told me I should start riding her!  Heck I will probably make her sore too!  I can't win!  On a positive note, good luck this weekend!  Have fun!

Ok, Update on Warrick. I am so please with this mare. The shorter reigns did a world of good and we had some very good turns. The first run was three real good turns but could have used a bit more speed. The second run was even faster but needed to clean up the turns. I set a small goal tonight to run a second faster then my first time and we did just that. There were 90 in the open and man were these folks laying down some runs!!! I was just so please with Dasher even though I was not in the money runs. We set our goal and we hit it. Once we get speed and turn we will start to get money, I am sure of it!!! I am takinging her across the river tomarrow for a tune up. I will give you guys an update on how it goes. This little mare just continues to impresse me with every run. We are so close to getting it all together it is almost scary. I can not wait for the state show next weekend to see how we do there!!!

Congrats HH I am proud of you for meeting your goals.  Just a word of caution, watch how much you let other people turn up your horse.  It may set the two of you back a little bit.  You are both progressing together at the same rate and you cannot ride at someone elses tweak nor can your horse work the same.  You have to either be able to ride the way a horse is trained or you need to have a horse that fits your style OR you need to learn together

Thank you Val. Don't worry, this turn up is not a case of someone else tuning her up (been there, done that and not again) but some one working with both of us. We had a good day!. We did nothing too hard but worked on my seat and her positions in and out of the barrels. just a few pointers here and there and I feel as though we have accomplished a great deal. Dasher is loving the idea of going places and doing things. She now trots to the trailer and jumps in all by her self. Have you ever heard the phrase, "grabbing for the brass ring"? For those of you who are younger and may not know what that means, A long time ago when you rode a carosel, there was a brass ring they had set up at a certian point. Every time you went around, you grabbed for it. If you got it then you won a prize. the trick to it was knowing exactly when to reach. You figured this out with each turn until you were able to get it.  Dasher and I are so close to grabbing that ring, I can just about touch it with every turn. It may not be this coming weekend (and then again it might be ) but we are so close that it won't be long before I not only touch it but am able to grab it and then hold it in my hand and show everyone that I (we) did it.