Farmer's Wisdom

* Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
* Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.
* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.
* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
* It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
* You cannot unsay a cruel word. * Every path has a few puddles.
* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
* Don't judge folks by their relatives.
* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.
* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.
* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
* The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.
* Always drink upstream from the herd.
* Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.
* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of someinfluence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.

* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.Speak kindly.

Little man becoming a gelding

Many of you have expressed an interest in being here to see Rizzie gelded. Sadly most of the kids will be in school. Shambley will be here at 11 on Tuesday.

Teaching and toddlers

As most of you know we pulled K out of her preschool two weeks ago. I want to thank all of you for your patience both while I have taught with her on my lap, or while many of you have chased her around the farm.

Our new sitter will be starting on Monday. We'll only have her 3 days a week, but then K will go to my mom's 1 day a week as well.

I thought I would share how K spent her time during my morning lesson today.

Migraine, graine go away

I am on day two of a migraine. I cancelled all of yesterday's lessons. I haven't decided what I'm doing about today yet. Dorothy is coming to get me so I can try and get something for this.

Some of you are probably wondering what happened with the show this past weekend. Well it was cancelled. There has been an outbreak of strangles and the registration was very low. Strangles is the equine response to the streptococus bacteria. It spreads like wild fire. It's not overly prevalent in this area, so a lot of farms do not vaccinate for it. It was brought in by a horse from up north.

The next show is still scheduled for May 10th and 11th at Mullet hall.

This coming weekend some of us are going to neighboring One Tempi farm to school cross country. I'll be sure to post some pictures, and maybe video next week.

For now I'm off to the world of heavy pain killers and my pillow.

Horse shopping again

We picked up a boarder to fill our final boarding spot. The only problem...they don't have a horse yet. I spent the day out horseshopping in Orangeburg. We looked at a lot of good prospects. We are a ways off of making a decision yet. But I thought I would post a video of one of the possibilites that we have considered.

Jumping practice.

I got the video camera out for the lesson this weekend. But there's someting wrong with it. I did get some stills of some jumping.

Gia on Jessie over a fan.
Paula on Storm the new horse riding a refusal.
Paula getting it done.
Nicole F. on Tansey landing from the big boxes.

Delayed welcome

This chestnut lady is Alexis. She belongs to our newest boarder Mary. Alexis is a very seasoned lesson horse who spent most of her career at the Girl Scout Plantation. She will now be available for use in our lesson program.

This grey lady is Bristol. She is on trial from Landry who manages the Pinto shows. She has been retired from her jumping career as a hunter. If she fits in we will use her for our walk, trot, canter students, and maybe some occassional cross rails.

This bay boy below is Storm. He also belongs to Mary and is going to be available to the lesson program. At this time he will be reserved for the intermediate and advanced students. He has previousy been showing in combined training and is very forward over fences.

High school

I got this forwarded in an e-mail today

If Horses Were in High School

Quarter Horses:
Definitely jocks Strutting around flexing those muscles, showing off their
butts...definitely jocks.

Thoroughbreds:
Preppies. Sometimes athletes, never 'jocks' Monogrammed blankets,
leather halters, Nike eventer shoes, the latest custom trailer and tack. They are the
'new money' rich.


Appaloosas:
Could only be the stoners. They like to trip acid so they can watch their spots move.

Arabians:
RAH! RAH! SIS BOOM BAH! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO .TEAM! (need I say more?)



Shetland Ponies:
Frightening, spiky hairdos, snotty attitudes and any color of the rainbow ....
Gotta be PUNKS. Some even sport tattoos.

Friesians:
Big, buff, and always in black, they are the biker clique. Cigs hanging out of the corner of
their mouths, dangerous glint in the eyes, daring anyone to cross their path.

Morgans:
They're the nerdy teacher's pets, running around doing everything from yearbook to decorating
the gym and ratting out the bikers, stoners and jocks. They have perpetual wedgies.

Drafts (all breeds):
No real clique, they're just the big guys who sit in the back of the room and fart a lot (and
then laugh).
Who's going to STOP them?


Icelandics and Paso Finos:
They're the little squirrely geeks who flit around a dance trying to fit in and fail miserably.
The kind who wear Toughskins jeans from Sears (or would that be rip off WeathaBeetas? )

Ahkle Tekl (Akle Takl? Ackle Tackle....!! Akhal Teke!!):
Foreign exchange student(s). And no one can spell their names either.


Hackney Ponies:
A breed this manic would have to be a band geek. Marching along with their knees and
heads held high.....even going to the bathroom.

Warmbloods:
Old Money Preppies, as opposed to the TBs who are new money preppies.

All their tack is imported from Europe, they drink Perrier water and eat only organically
grown feed. They look down on everyone and talk amongst themselves about summer in
Paris and skiing in Gstad and wasn't it dreadful how provincial Spruce Meadows has become?

When I say tight leg...

Busy Friday

The kids were out of school today. It was a busy work day around the farm. We rode in the morning. Tansey was sound walk/trot. Yippee!!! It's been a very long road back to sound after she scraped her leg. We will take it a bit easy to be sure she is good to go for the next show.

I delivered Maje and Zee to their new home today. They both seemed very happy.

Tomorrow is another full day. We have the show group lesson in the morning. Followed by a well deserved trail ride for a show students sister. I have a new boarder coming to check us out as well. Then it's off to look at a new horse for myself. Finishing off at the auction tomorrow night. I need to pick up some cheap equipment and am ready for a new rescue.

Sunday following church we are planning to clear more fence line. If anyone wants to bring over their chainsaw to help. All are welcome.

Backwards anyone??

Watch closely...

Lorenzo : the Flying French Man...
Uploaded by alatebo

Barn Improvement

Since last week was spring break I thought it would be great to have the kids free to help Beth and I get everything moved to the show grounds. I was wrong. I totally underestimated the efficency of the routine Beth and I have establised. We took a total of 10 horses with us this weekend. That meant two trips for Beth with the big trailer. We got running behind on time and she almost missed a session at LEAP.





The Friedman's prepared our team dinner instead of us all going out to eat this time. They made a wonderful salad with pears, and sugar coated nuts (Diane knows what a sweet tooth I have). Spaghetti with meatballs, and sausage grinders with not one, but two types of sausage. The food continued throughout the weekend with french toast and sausage for breakfast, chicken salad pitas, and more each day.

Saturday was a day of highs and lows. Kenzie showed for the first time. She was adorable in her dress clothes and little saddle on Pickles. We made two laps before we were asked to reverse. K was talking a mile a minute saying she wanted to trot, canter, and "jump that fence". After the reverse she promptly threw her reins down and announced she was done. She had to tell the judge the name of her pony. She received her first ribbon and a small stuffed pony for a job well done.

Sean won his equitation class and took a reserve champion in his division. Paula had a stellar Saturday, and rode to the best of her current ability. Sadly the competition was a hair better in most of her classes. She did bring home seconds in her jr/am hunter division. I was very proud of how well she rode. We did have a few mishaps and learning curve moments Saturday. We ended the day hoping for a much improved Sunday.

Sunday started with Sean and Kaijsa riding in the hunter hack. Sean only last week got Maggie to actually jump a fence. Kaijsa took second on Rosie in the hack and Sean was fourth. Everyone rode better. Nicole F. brought home points on Pip Squeek in the medal class. Nicole A. brought home her own horse. That's right her parent's bought Whistle for her as a birthday present.
Anita managed to improve her steering and speed on Sunday. Gia did a fantastic job on Pickles and showed him to his best. She pushed him out into a fabulous trot.

All in all I'll let the picture talk for itself. It is missing several seconds and thirds from Paula's riding on Saturday. They got left in my truck.

Next stop Ashley Hall show on the 13th. (We're not showing Sat.)