Butt pic

I don't usually take butt photos, but these two are just so funny!  Lalalala...off they go!  That's Maia, my trainer, walking Scout up to the round pen.  Scout needed some time to run off some of her energy before Maia worked her down in the arena.  Another storm is coming through Thursday, with snow forecast down to 3,000 feet, so the horses may not have a lesson on Friday...sigh...

Here comes the Queen (Scout)...

Look how DARK she is in winter!  I can't figure out why she is so dark in winter, and so light in summer...shouldn't it be the other way around?  Okay...several of you have written that it's because in the winter, her dark coat absorbs the light, and in the summer it reflects it.  That makes sense!  She sure is dark here!

Pretty Gigondas

As you all know, Gigondas is my big red thoroughbred rescue mare.  Out of all my remaining horses, I'd say she is second smartest, after Scout.  Scout, of course, is THE SMARTEST.  Gigo (as we call her) always remembers her lessons and TRIES to please.  My trainer grooms her every week now and Gigo let her in around her head.  That's a BIG step forward!  She seems to enjoy her grooming sessions.  I returned to the ranch on Saturday and groomed all the horses.  It was too cold to do anything else and it was relaxing for me and them.  Quad isn't limping at all (thank goodness!) after his romp all over the ranch.  It was good to spend time with them Saturday because another snow storm came plowing through on Sunday.  I don't know how much snow the ranch got, but I'll soon find out.

Finally~some horse time and pics!!!!

I finally had a lesson with my trainer and the horses.  She didn't come for two weeks because her regular day was the last two Tuesdays:  Christmas and New Year's.  But, she had time on Friday.  Now that I'm down to 4 horses (after the tragic loss of Cali...) everybody can get worked every week.  She's going to come again next week, while I'm still off from school.  Another problem has been the weather.  It has rained and snowed and rained and snowed up in the mountains and the ground is VERY wet.  Another snow storm is moving in Monday or late Sunday night, so we put the next lesson off until next Friday, giving the ground a few days to dry out.  At 4,000 feet, the ranch where I board the herd often gets a dusting of snow, but they do get heavy poundings of rain.  Yesterday was a beautiful, crisp, clear day with a slight breeze.  That slight breeze will be important later.

She started first with Gigondas, since Gigo gets the least amount of training.  She's a good girl, she tries to please, but she CAN be explosive.  I remember one time when I had her tied at the rack, she pulled back.  I yelled, "STOP IT!" and she did.  She calmed down.  Phew!  I wish Sunni and Quad were as good as that!  (they are NOT...) Since Maia, my trainer, has started to work with her, she has really calmed down.  She now enjoys her grooming sessions and stands quietly.  GOOD GIRL!  She also now WALKS while being lunged, which is something she didn't EVER do for me!  I'm proud of her and her progress!

Next was Scout.  Scout was MAD because she wasn't taken out first yesterday and she was full of attitude! She let everybody know how displeased she was with this course of events!  Hmmpffftttt! Maia looked at her and just turned her out in the round pen to "get the yaayaas" out.  It took about 20 minutes.  She was huffing and puffing, but finally settled down.  I had to remember that it was a GOOD 3 weeks since any of them were turned out or trained (due to Cali's loss and the weather).  And, it was windy.  NOT breezy anymore...WINDY.  Sycamore leaves were blowing all over.  But, she behaved nicely when she was tied.  Maia went to get the saddle and bridle (she's being bridle trained :-) ) and she stood QUIETLY at the post.  No pulling back there...She also now WALKS while being lunged.  It's been hard to get the horses to WALK...they've all wanted to immediately run!  She walked and lunged her all the way up and down the arena.

Next was Quad.  Quad was FILTHY.  He and Scout both have heavy, course hair, while Sunni and Gigondas have long, fine hairs.  He stood quietly while Maia groomed him, but pulled back and broke the clasp on the lead rope and took off running.  And, I mean RUNNING!  He RAN all over the 9 acre ranch!  Up and down, back around the arena and nearly out the front gate!  I ran down to close it and to head him off.  Maia finally got some sweet feed and he relaxed when he was up by Gigondas and the old corral where Scout and Cali used to be.  BAD BOY!  We are going to have to work on that next Friday!!!!  Apparently that is the second time he's pulled back and has broken a lead rope.  He also cut his left front foot, so I'm going to have to check on him today.  He did get lunged (at a walk) and he did get to roll, but she washed off his leg and gave him some Bute just in case.  He wasn't limping, but he was a bit shaken up by his...er..."romp" around the ranch!

After that, we didn't even bother with Sunni.  No sense in another horse getting loose.  And, by then the wind was blowing, the leaves were rustling...that would have been a recipe for disaster.

Here are a few pics from yesterday.  Maia does all the work.  I just take photos.  Then, I work with each horse (weather permitting) whenever I can.

Dead tree and blue sky~SkyWatch Friday~010413

We've had several days of clear skies and it should be sunny for another couple of days, then clouds move in again.  It's been delightful here...the birds are out, the sky is blue...ahhhh....Southern California!  SkyWatch Friday for January 4, 2013 (see, I remembered to write 2013!)   To visit SkyWatch Friday, please go to:   http://skyley.blogspot.com/

More from Whitewater Canyon

It was such an incredibly clear and beautiful day up in Whitewater Canyon last Sunday!  :-)  I'm glad we went.  Hubby went back to work yesterday, so I have a whole 1 1/2 weeks of...FREEDOM!  I have a lesson with my trainer Friday morning up at the horse ranch, so I'll take my camera with me and take photos of the herd.  Until then, it's more photos of the canyon.

Whitewater Canyon

The hubs goes back to work tomorrow, so he wanted to drive out to Whitewater Canyon yesterday.  Whitewater Canyon backs up to the San Bernardino mountains and is one of the main sources for water here in the Coachella Valley.  They received quite a lot of snow Sunday, and we always like to go there after a snow storm.  We were both surprised to still see orange, yellow, and brown leaves on the cottonwoods and sycamores up in the canyon.