Two Fjord Mares

I headed up to Sedalia to see a gal who has six Fjords.  Several are for sale, two were under five so I didn't want to consider them even though she said they were under saddle.  The 6 year old has been ridden a few times and was told she was pretty calm.  The 15 year old had previous training but has not been used regularly in a while.

What I learned is that this mare, Ingrid 6 years old, has never had formal training.  Both mares are lacking in groundwork basics, even simple things like being lead.  The owner said she basically just put the saddle and bridle on and got up when she first "put them under saddle".  WOW!  This was maybe her 7th ride on Ingrid?  Something like that.  Given that bit of information I was impressed with her behavior but given the asking price and the amount of work and training I would need to put into her I was NOT impressed.

Ingrid did not stand well tied at all and kept pulling back.  The owner apparently tied her with the bridle reins to the post while she rode Sterjna for me to watch.  The mare pulled back, broke the reins and part of the bridle and then ripped it off her head.  Then she just meandered off to the bits of hay left by another horse previously in the corral.  Ingrid was fine and the owner didn't seem phased.  Lots of work needs to be done with manners and behavior in regards to Ingrid for sure.  Yes horses do crazy things and they have their quirks but dangerous things like this need to be dealt with in my opinion!

 

Sterjna did not stand tied as well but was better than Ingrid.  Sterjna is 15 and had previous training way back and was even cart trained.  She would need minimal training to get back up to par.  I got up on Sterjna and rode at the walk in circles and did some turns, she was fairly responsive but took more pressure than I am used to...could be the training or the breed.  The owner put the bridle back on Ingrid to lead her to the other side of the corral, I guess she dropped the reins and Ingrid stepped on it breaking it, having it snap upwards at her, pull on her mouth yet again and of course scaring her!  A tiny little upset occurred and Sterjna "spooked"; she just stopped and looked and with a little coaxing moved on.  I can deal with that.  I wasn't comfortable doing the trot since the little corral was a bit small and because Ingrid was still doing little pull back antics as the owner got her halter back on.  She was tied on a far end of the corral out of the way but it was making me nervous, I'm not gonna risk it.  I'm close enough that I can come back to work more with Sterjna and see more what she can do.

I think Sterjna has potential with some ground work and then some; but still the price is about a thousand more than I would want to pay for a 15 year old mare that still needs training.  Both mares are a bit pushy and don't lead well, they follow mostly and sometimes you almost have to drag them.  Sometimes I felt their cute little noses on the small of my back, I certainly can't call them unfriendly.  The owner left for a time to drop her dog at a kennel since she was leaving for vacation the next day.

 

 

I stayed after dismounting and had the mares tied so I could untack them.  They didn't flinch.  They enjoyed the grooming but would not give their hooves and would eventually pull their leg away and side step.  The owner said they really didn't have their feet worked on much, including farrier work.  Really?  No trimming?She doesn't at least pick their hooves once a week?  I know she has too many horses (her words) and they are in the pasture most of the time but isn't that daily care, weekly at the least?  I lead Sterjna around and tried to work on some leading techniques from Julie Goodnight to get the mare out of my space.  I didn't have the proper equipment but from the little bit of work we did Sterjna seemed to understand what was needed.  She has potential and can learn, seems willing too but I would offer a lower price because of the work I'd need to put in and would most likely pay for professionally to start. 

Very cute though aren't they?  I certainly would like to meet some Fjords that are worked regularly because these gals have just been pasture ornaments for the past few years mainly and doesn't sound like they really received a good basis in ground work before moving onto the saddle. 

I can say they are very friendly and not phased by much.  When I tried to get past the herd of three to lead one of the mares back into the main paddock it was like moving elephants.  They leaned into the pressure or just blinked at me.  LOL.

Are they even trying to sell their horse?

The ad:

"2 mares for sale. 1st is an Arab cross. 13 yrs. Very sweet, likes to please. Trained by a pro. No problems or bad habits. $1200
2nd is a dappled Palomino. 8 yrs very loving and gentle. Very smooth tide. Great trail horse. No problems or bad habits $1500
Both are freshly trimmed and healthy. Both load easy."

Then I asked some more about the horses, training, how often they are ridden, where, how, by whom and where they are located etc.  This is the response.

"Not much to to say beyond the add. They are in good health and very nice girls. Not for beginners though as they will test you. We are down between LaVeta and Walsenburg."

Sorry lady but I'm not that interested in digging for information on your sales horse when previously I've asked questions about peoples horses and they write a long description and answer all my questions.  Some people have surprised me and they don't even have pictures and act like it's the hardest thing to come by.  Really?  One seller said, "you should just come out and see them". 

NO!  I will not drive even an hour to go see a horse that could have horrible conformation; I'm not requesting pictures to see if they are "pretty".  There is a real reason to see pictures and most times they are not great pictures but at least it gives me an idea if the horse could potentially be worth the time and expense of driving out to see them.  Uge.  If they make it that difficult to learn about their horse for sale then I don't want to be bothered.  Maybe I sound like a jerk but I've learned from a couple instances that a lot of times its a waste of time if you don't get the answers first and just go see the horse.

Have you all had these issues when horse shopping?  I'm finding as the weeks go on I'm getting even more picky about the information I want to get before I see the horse.

Mustang pastures

I wonder how much acerage one needs to host 2,000 mustangs? Interesting management technique. I'll have to do a little research and see if it's mustangs that are free or captive. Hmm...

Millions of ponies, ponies for me!!!!

I'm so excited!

 

I will be meeting some neat sounding horses this week!

 

First off on Tuesday I drive to Florence to meet a Haflinger mare.  She looks like more of the draft style Haflinger (apparently there is a draft style and a more refined type of haflinger).  She was used in a lesson program that now the owner is selling off 8 horses including a morgan that I will also look at.  There a couple other haffies in Colorado that are on my radar...just waiting to hear back from owners.

 

 

Then on Wednesday I will meet several Fjords in Sedalia that sound promising.  Two mares and potentially a gelding.  Below is the mother and her daughter 15 and 5 or 6 I think.

 

 

Thursday I will meet another Fjord east of Elizabeth.  He might need some "polishing training" but he is 6 and has a background in dressage and jumping training.  He sounds laid back though and may only need a month or two of full on training but who knows, if I'm interested enough I can have Laurie look at him.  I'll only know once I see him; his owner will work and ride him in a round pen before I try him out.

 

 

Then Saturday Steve and I will go to Kenlyn Arabians in Aurora to view two mares (Freeze Frame and Ziffarah) that are very nice sounding....the funny thing is both are chestnuts!  My favorite color!

Freeze Frame, below, is one I met during the endurance ride about a year ago.  She was very friendly and affectionate.  The owner has a rider on her regularly that is 65 and "cannot afford a fall".  She's a pretty sensible sounding horse.  I'm intrigued from hearing what the owner has to say and from having "met" this mare.

 

 

We'll also head north that afternoon past Greeley and view a cute 14 or 15 year old Fjord mare that sounds very calm and could be a great trail companion.  There are tons of video on her on YouTube.  She's very cute and could be a sweet little mount.  She's at the top of my age bracket but I could have many years of fun with her, I do have to consider the additional supplement costs for an older horse but if they are awesome then they are worth their weight in gold!!!  Does she seem like her back is a little long or dipped to you???  Please, your assessments are much appreciated!!!  It could be the ground and I will be taking more pictures when I see her in person.

 

 

 Anyhow, there are lots of cute and beautiful ponies to  look at!!!  I'm so excited!!!!!!!  Wish me luck!  Perhaps I will find the "one"!!!

Serene Sunday

Me and my boys, sans husband, chilling on the couch.  Cat on lap with two dogs curled up next to me.  Life is good!

 

Not horsey-Waldo Canyon Fire 2012

I work in Emergency Preparedness and Response in Public Health.  I live in Colorado Springs.  We recently experienced the worst fire in Colorado history where 347 homes were burned.  The fire started June 23 and was officially contained on July 10.

 

It was horrific and working in the response, the Emergency Operations Center and facilitating the re-entry, was extremely hard.  We had to keep our composure while working with people who's homes had burned down.

 



 

How can you not want to cry?  These pictures were taken during my work in the burn area.  We were delivering lunches and water to the National Guard who were posted in the devastated area.

 

Home owners used their knocked down fences to thank the firefighters who risked their own lives on the evening June 26, 2012 when 65 mile an hour winds acted as a blow torch and overtook the neighborhoods bordering the national forest.

 

 

 

 

 

Some houses survived amidst the devastation.

 

 

The Incident Management Team, a national team with countless resources, camped out in a local school yard for several weeks while teams fought the fire tirelessly.

 

 

Their homes may have been destroyed but their spirits survived.  I love my community!

 



In a Whisper....

Steve and I checked out another stable together.  We went to Whispering Pines off of 83.  The farm is actually a short drive from work, where I will be commuting from 5 days out of the week.  It's a shorter drive than many of the farms out east and the route is pretty direct since I just take I-25 to either 105 or Baptist Road and head east a couple miles.

 

 

The stable itself was nice and airy.  I wouldn't necessarily keep my horse in the stalls but if there came a need to the stalls were nice and safe.  Some had runs off them but every horse was given turn out each day.  Pasture board is my preference and the pastures had nice run in sheds.  The pastures were very large and the horses seemed content walking about and grazing.

 

There were three tack areas.  Plenty of room to hang new racks for the tack or bring my saddle stand.  I'd have to see what they want to offer and then I could bring a tub it appears with other supplies.  Boarders have bins with various supplies.  Lots of room!

 

There were two wash racks which is great!

 

Above is the view of the northern pasture, and of course this near area is a dry lot I'm assuming for horses that require that. 

 

The indoor arena was huge!  Nice sandy and rubber mix.

 

The outdoor arena was great too and set up with jumps for jumpers.  I'd have to use those as obstacles to ride around!  LOL.  Near the outdoor arena was a round pen which is another great plus!  Nice place to get in some groundwork.  As you can see in the picture above there is trailer parking, and that is included in the board.  Fantastic!

 

Next to the farm are some horse neighborhood that I could ride through and eventually make my way to Fox Run park but that would most likely be an all day affair.  Still I will hopefully have a trailer next year and then I can trek off to other locations to ride.  My main priority is the indoor arena and a place that lets me ride at just about any time of day.  The barn owner was really awesome and laid back.

 

This is totally my first choice and Steve agrees.  My mom is excited since it's a short drive from Larkspur so she can come see my horse!  Perhaps I'll buy her some lessons to use with my horse!!

 

Steve and I have decided we are definitely going to get the calmer, more beginner type horse for now that way both of us can enjoy them and I can regain some confidence.  In a few years we will get that second horse and if I'm up for it get that dream Arab or other fancy horse.  But I'm not totally ruling out Arabians just so everyone is clear!!!

The Cat's Meow????

Okay!! I happened upon the video of the cat lady on horseback from the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo!!!

It was one of the weirdest things I've ever seen!!!

Big Richo

Last week, the day after I plummeted off of Storm, I went to meet Richo a Bey Shah gelding in Pueblo.  I was tempted to not even go but I figured I'd go and if I didn't ride, I didn't ride.

When I got to the guys house he had three horses on his property, a truck and trailer.  Richo was hard to catch even for the guy and apparently does like carrots or apples!  WHAT!!!  CRAZY!!!

We was a very nice horse, a little thin.  You could make out his ribs sometimes and his hips were pointy but it wasn't like he was seriously underweight, just could stand to gain a few.  He had good muscling, he may just need something different or additional in his feeing regime.  The affection the man had for the horse was apparent but he's a rodeo guy trying to go pro and his QH mare is the one he wants to spend the time with.

Richo was big, I'd say getting near 16 hands....the guy was tall too, probably six four or six five!!  Richo was lunged and had very nice movement.  Very fancy with his tail up.  When I lunged him there was an apparent shift in his mood, he was more "on".  He also would not change directions very easily and the owner stepped in with a lunge whip to get him to move clockwise.  He said he normally just let Richo go which ever way he wanted.  Hmm.  A couple times when trying to change the direction Richo moved towards me, not so much threatening but with a horse that big it was a little intimidating!

Later he mounted up in his big western saddle, the tacking up and grooming went quite well, Richo was a gentleman and seemed to calm a little bit with me and nuzzled my hand.  He even licked my palm and let me "hold" his head.  The owner rode him around this field next to the house, he did walk trot and canter.  I was a little unsure of riding him but I told the owner my worries and said I would stay at walk.  I had to clamber up on the guys leg to get my foot even in the stirrup, it didn't help I had the fresh bruise on my rear from Storm!!  I imagined how hard it would be to mount with the human mountin block, getting off to have lunch on the side of the trail and getting back on the horse....hmm, something to consider.  The owner stayed next to Richo for a few strides but we eased away from him and I walked Richo around the field, weaving around the sagebrush.  We trotted a little bit when I had the courage but quickly brought him back to a walk since my rear could not take it.  The saddle was huge and the stirrups way long so I couldn't post at all. 

 

I did like him but I think I will be easily intimidated by him and with some of the respect issues, not being caught easily etc I reluctantly passed on him.  He's a great horse though and I'm sure with the right match will make a great mount.  The owner said a barrel racer was interested in him.  Hopefully he'll find a good home!

Shattered confidence

I write this blog with a heavy heart.  My love is horses and the past couple months have created instances that have made me question whether horses make sense in my life.  But rest assured those thoughts were fleating, I cannot so easily turn my back on horses.  If I ever get fearful enough I can just stay on the ground, buy a mini or just do driving instead of riding.  Lost of options but I'm not near that now.

In late June I rode Divine and had quite a nice lesson that ended on a horrific scary note.  We were riding a nice cadenced trot down the main side of the arena when I think my right foot fell out of my stirrup bumped her and she shied, either that or she shied and my foot fell out.  It all happened so fast.  The left foot got pushed into the railing on the side of indoor and got caught.  I think Divine spun as I pulled on the reins in panic at having my fear of the railing come to fruition and then I landed hip and head into the sand.  Ouch.  I was dizzy and really shaky.  My right hip still has some pain even now, I had whiplash for weeks and I still have a bump below my ankle bone. 

Well after this incident I did not get another chance to ride.  The Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado Springs broke out and my Emergency Preparedness Team for Public Health was activated in the emergency operations center.  After the 2 weeks or so of constant running I left for a week for a conference in L.A.  Then I came back and left with my husband for a vacation in Cancun!  Divine is always overly sensitive in my opinion, if the stirrup did indeed bump her and cause her to shy into the fence then that's just par for the course.  I'm overly sensitive too, and react in a way that just aggravates the situation.  I see all these clinicians that desensitize horses, how about desensitizing humans so we stay calm when a horse shies or moves suddenly.

Last week I rode a horse for a trial, Desparados Storm.  He seemed sweet and the owner rode him around a bit.   Then we put the saddle on him for me to ride.  I walked him in a small circle in the driveway area of the property, when we approached an overhanging tree Storm started and then raced off towards the barn.  Only one door was open and I was afraid I would be scraped off.  We made it into the barn with all its junk and pieces lying about in the aisle.  Storm stopped and turned left quickly and I flew into the side of the stall door.  There was a tree stump, some bricks, other machinery....thank goodness no circular saw!  I hit the stall door hard and scraped my back along the bolt.  Not sure what I landed on but the aisleway was hard even though it was dirt.  Below is the picture of my rear, a cutout of course.  The largest part is about 7.5 inches across!

Just this Saturday I had arranged to have a lesson on Divine, I told Laurie I wanted to stay at the walk.  That sounded perfectly fine.  I arrived a few minutes early and watched Megan on Divine.  As Divine trotted by the entrance in which I was standing she shied away.  Crap.  What the?  Then Megan worked on the canter with Divine and she raced around the arena.  Laurie kept telling Megan to sit back and relax, it took Divine a while to finally canter nicely.

Next I got on and we did sepertines and some leg yielding at the walk.  One time we got near the wall and I was frustrated why do I always end up putting Divine into the wall (it no longer has the fencing since Laurie removed all that after my accident, but there are still the posts that hold up the roofing).  We went around a few more times changing which way I leg yielded her down the center of the arena. 

We then turned right and headed to the wall.  This time my knee was right at that post, like it had gravitated to it!  I pulled my leg up a bit and reached my hand out to the post to brace...that's when Divine lurched to the right away from the wall and bolted (actually I'm told she only trotted but when you are unsteady and freaked out does it really mater?) off 20 feet with me flailing about trying to control any of my movements and failing terribly.  I ended up flying off the far side of the horse, the left stirrup lay across the saddle when I finally saw it again.  I hit the ground with a big grunt and then, I couldn't breathe. I have never had the wind knocked out of me before but it is a very scary thing.  You make such a horrible sound of grunting and groaning as you are trying to get your temporarily paralyzed diaphragm to work.  My eyes must have been wide as saucers as I stared at the ceiling and I vaguely remember seeing Laurie above me telling me to look at her. I'd hit my right hip, same one I'd fallen back in June but the shock of the fall hurt my whole pelvis since only three days before I'd fallen hard on the other side while falling from Storm.  I eventually came to and was able to breathe, my ribcage hurt my hips and pelvis hurt. 

 I started crying in frustration, why does this keep happening?  I was ready to give up completely and wished for the days of easy riding with Willy.  Divine has always been hard and my fears have become more apparent with her, almost to the point where I don't feel I can deal with those fears with Divine.  I'm so afraid of the speed and I tense up and she tenses up and goes faster.  We feed off each other in a very negative way and I feel like I've lost trust in her.  I am afraid to be afraid and then that just makes me more afraid and tense.  Of course from the horses side I'm sure she's lost trust in me too!  That's just the way it goes.

Can I find a horse that is laid back enough that when I tense it doesn't bother them as much as it does Divine and therefore allows me to more easily relax?  I only had one bad incidence with Willy, I was cantering in an open area and he just got too excited and started running.  My big fault was trying to grab his bridle therefore unseating myself.  I should have just stayed with the run and slowly alternated the reins.  Other times I've been tense and he has been fine.  Steve has even suggested me buying him but he's 22 years old and I'm not sure I want to go that old even though I love Willy.  Plus there are some training issues that I would rather not work on in an older horse, a younger one yes but of course I don't want to go too young either.  I just need to heal up right now....



Friesian sale con

I knew it was a long shot but I'd seen two Friesians listed at REALLY reasonable prices.  I wondered what the catch was but since they were in Colorado I figured I'd email them and find more information.  Both instances were very fishy.

First they asked me to explain my riding experience etc.  That was fine, they sounded like someone who wanted to rehome their horse because of life circumstances.  After I responded I received these replies.



Here's the first one:

hello,

thanks for your mail and all the answers to my questions.the horse is

pretty good at games.

and fairs i Will not like to hear that he has

been sent to a shelter or Kennel as i know he will be with you all day
long, so in case you may have him in your home then be sure that he
goes well with all other home animals that you may have at your home.
the only problem now is that I have just been relocated to Ohio
here for treatment

as i told you in the previous mail that i was advice by my doctor not

to ride a horse and if all is okay by you we can arrange with a good

and competent pet delivery agency that can have the horse delivered toyour home address.

since i am giving him up for adoption,all that you will have to do is

to pay for the cost of transportation

all that i want is to find a good and loving home for the horse since

i am unable to take care of him again.at first,we used to treat him

here like our own baby and that i why i only want the best for him

please let me know if all is okay by you so that i can proceed with

the delivery arrangement as i really want to give him out as soon as

possible

thanks

waiting

Kennel?  Really?  The other pets I was talking about was a dog, cat, hermit crabs and fish!!!  LOL.  How thick do these con artists think people are???

Here's the second email from another Friesian prospect:

Merlin is a REALLY nice, well trained,5 yr old STER gelding.His

pedigree is truly TOP NOTCH, with a motherline chock full of "ster"

and "preferent" predicates:STER-STER+PREF-STER+PREF-STER+PREF.This

tall STER gelding is truly a magnificent animal. Impeccably bred.

AND he has extensive experience showing in quadrilles, parades, and

exhibitions. He is also very suitable as a trail companion! You won't

find a nicer, better trained, easier to sit friesian gelding

anywhere.He really is a good mover..very good walk, his trot has HUGE

potential for passage... good canter, easy on the aids...the lateral

work is solid, he does the

exercises easily.....he has already started piaffe..This is a very

uncomplicated horse with an amazing temperament. An amateur or novice

rider' s DREAM horse! Merlin would also be suitable for a junior or

young rider, due to his very easy going, "willing to please" nature.

well i am located in PARMA MICHIGAN i had to place the ads all over so

that i could find a new home for him so fast as you know when he is

around me it makes me feel so sad and reminds me a a lot of my late

daughter so please you get back to me if you are still interested so

we can proceed with the shipping arrangement all you are to pay for is

just a shipping fee of $775 and that is all you will be required to

pay no extra charges

Regards

Yeah like I"m gonna send $775 for horse I've never met and I don't know this "seller" for Adam!!  Well I knew it was a long shot.  Friesians that are affordable to me are generally untrained yearlings!!  But this is certainly something people should be aware of when buying or selling anything...horses, dogs, cars etc.  People will find a way to cheat you out of a few hundred bucks!

Calm before Desparados Storm

 I went to meet Deparados Storm in Sedalia last week.  He was a nice looking horse, a former stallion and former western pleasure show horse.  He'd been with his current owner for about 6 years.  The owner told me about his past and that he was pretty unhappy being a show horse.  We groomed him and then she mounted up bareback.  She walked and trotted him with a little try at canter.  We then got the saddle on him so I could test ride him.

He seemed very sweet and calm in the stable and while being tacked and groomed.  He was interested and curious about me.  When I mounted it was obvious that he was a little nervous so I walked him to this open area in a circle.

We circled the driveway area of the property, when we approached an overhanging tree Storm started and then raced off towards the barn. Only one door was open and I was afraid I would be scraped off. We made it into the barn with all its junk and pieces lying about in the aisle. Storm stopped quickly and turned left and I flew into the side of the stall door. There was a tree stump, some bricks, other machinery....thank goodness no circular saw! I hit the stall door hard and scraped my back along the bolt. Not sure what I landed on but the aisle way was hard even though it was dirt.

I got up and limped over to a staircase to sit down as the owner was running into the stable to get Storm and she came by me to ask how I was.  I couldn't answer, I didn't know what just happened.  She said she thought that after he spooked the dog went after his heels.  Note to self and others

ALWAYS DEMAND TO RIDE IN THE SAFEST AREA AND WITHOUT OTHER ANIMALS OR CHILDREN AROUND.

I was shaken up and dizzy.  She asked if I wanted to get back him and have her lead me around on him.  I said no thanks, she understood.  Sometimes it's not the best thing to get right back on the horse after a fall.  She even hugged me as the tears fell because I was so upset.  She also said, "why do we women always cry after a fall!".  She was very sympathetic but surprised at Storm.  I felt bad for in that sense since he seemed like a great horse but with the Egyptian blood perhaps he's another sensitive horse that I should steer clear of.

Peerless Stables

I went out to a stable today that was a little further of a drive than I was hoping for but I'm trying to look at as many options as I can.  I think having an indoor arena is more important to me than trails right off the property, also a round pen is good to have.  I have limited time frames when I can ride, mainly evenings after work and just on the weekends so I'll need to have access no matter the weather or time of day (aka if it's winter and the sun sets early).  I do also want there to be several other boarders so I can meet some more riders and have people to do horsie things with on occasion.

This stable was nice.  Lower price than a lot right now, it had stalls for stall board with turn out included in the board, you just have to provide the grain or supplements you want if needed.  The field board was decent, originally that is what I thought I wanted but then the run in shed has a foot tall drop at the entrance.  I saw it thinking that it would be a dangerous situation for horses particularly if the ground is wet or icy .  The pasture board is the primary feed in the summer, grain can be provided.  There will only be 5 horses total on that field but I'm concerned with the nutrient content of the field.  The owner said she keeps an eye on the health of the horses and that her husband who has run boarding facilities before is very aware of poisonous plants and proper nutrition.

I think  for now I like the stall board where the horse will be turned out each day, given hay and grain (grain or supplements that I provide).   The stable also has nice brick walkways, a feed and tack room and then a wash rack!!!!

There is still a lot of things that need work, pigeons are in the insulation on the ceiling but her fire fighter friend who is also a boarder will be taking that out.  The electrical is being worked on since the electric is on in some places but not in others.  The barn also has a small indoor round pen.  Outside is a nice sized arena that is overgrown with weeds but they will be tilling the ground and potentially bringing in footing if they need to.

Apparently they are from Denver and recently moved down here and have been working on the property.  Piles of lumber are on the side of a barn that is near their house, this will be used to update the fencing and improve other areas of the barn where swallows fly inside the arena.  LOL. 

I can completely see the potential though, I bought my house with it's messy backyard and 70's motif "seeing" what it would become.  It still needs work but I love my house and I can see what this gal wants to do but as it is the farm is still in very good operating order.  The fencing is fine, it's a mixture of smooth wire and pipe.  The main pasture board field has some barbed wire but I'm not planning on having my horse there as I said before.

There are just some things that make this stable look a little rough around the edges.  I think it has potential and the slightly lower price tag is appealing...particularly since my first choice is now $450 for pasture board!!!  I really want to find the best price for the features I want.  This place has several roads nearby that are dirt that I can ride on and the pastures also have riding areas.  Including the riding arenas.  She already has a few boarders and then her own horses on the property.  This will be added to my list!

Stable on Vessey Drive

I'm still continuing my horse boarding search even while I'm looking at horses.  It seems every evening after work I'm either looking at a horse or a stable!  I'm a woman on a mission!!!

I've called many numbers of stables from older flyer's (I'm guessing) and have come to dead ends for a lot of these farms.  I did get to go out to one place on Vessey Drive in Black forest.  It was a nice facility, 14 acres that is mostly fenced off for pastures.  The only riding area on the property is a round pen and a back paddock that has some rolling hills.  The property is very close to Black Forest park where there are a lot of nice trails and then of course there is section 16 which has tons of trails.

The stable was very open, it had a handful of stalls with runs that is only used when the horses are being fed, the rest of the time the horses are out in pastures with compatible friends.  It was horse heaven to me though I was a little disappointed at no arena and of course and indoor would be fantastic.  I worry in Black Forest with the snow that stays that I may be restricted with riding and since I can only go after work during the week if it's rainy or what not I can't really ride when there isn't an indoor.

I do like the facility and the atmosphere seemed very laid back, the gal that owns it is very nice and knowledgeable and has my philosophy for just letting horses be horses.

It's on my list but not on the top since I really think my biggest priority should be an indoor arena, I need to be able to ride anytime I can make it out to the stable.  It doesn't even have to be a nice indoor, it can be small and simple.  Just good enough to get some work done on icky days.  But still when the time comes we shall see what is available.  I've put this stable on my list!

Grullo Mustang Colton

Oh my goodness I'm in love!  I went to this rescue to check out a paint mare and an Arab cross mare.  The paint mare was adopted and the Arab cross has a fused bone in her fetlock.  She's sound but wouldn't be the best option for trail riding and certainly not competitive trail.

We walked around the facility which was just gorgeous!  Nice indoor arena, lots of large paddocks, outdoor arena and round pen.  It was horse heaven!  None of the horses did much for me though some were very attentive.  I just don't want a 16-17 hand Thoroughbred!!

The last two horses I saw were two Kiger Mustangs born in captivity.  One was 3 years old, buckskin and only had groundwork done he would be a project horse.  The other was 6 years old, grullo with a blaze and was under saddle and worked regularly.

 The rescue trainer said when she used to ride him (she's recently had an abdominal surgery) he was great but would test occasionally and try to "make an issue" if he got bored.  She said with consistent riding or work he would chill out and get into his work.  That might be something I could work on him with or perhaps not, certainly will be a horse I would have Laurie look at if I'm really serious about him.  He intrigued me since I do love mustangs and he was a nice size and well put together.  I'm trying not to be persuaded by the pretty face!  These pictures really suck and certainly do not show him well at all.

Need zebra striping on his legs.

When we were hanging out with him in the field I didn't think to take any pictures so the ones I got were when the horses had just gotten their hay and he was all involved in eating it.

The time constraints that this trainer had prevented me from asking to work with him that day, particularly since I knew she couldn't ride him.  Hopefully this week I can go back to see him when this other volunteer is there that rides him fairly regularly.  I can then get a sense of what he's like and perhaps give him a try myself.

The founder apparently is attached to him and so he's sort of for adoption but not.  The main trainer said that she had a good feeling about me and would talk to the founder to see if it even could be a possibility.  Of course if we aren't a match then that is that. 

I have the means and desire to give a horse a good home.  I know that any horse I end up with will be spoiled just like my other critters and hopefully will have a lifetime home with me (you never know what can happen with job loss etc).  Who knows maybe he and I will hit it off?  We shall see.  I still I'm excited to try him out and get to know him.  He sounds like he could be a neat horse to work with.  Hopefully I can get back up there soon to work with his regular rider.  I'm awaiting a reply to my email and text message about this.

I have two horses I'll be seeing this coming week.  A 14 year old chestnut Arab gelding and then an 11 year old bay Arab gelding.  Both sound awesome!  I can't wait!