As time passes of course things change but the progress is less and less dramatic. For the ones of you who have children you know that as they get older the landmarks are less and less remarkable.

Sammy is for all intents is completely recovered from her shabby beginnings. She is round, she is going VERY well under saddle, she is happily wearing a fly sheet to keep those nasty horse flies off, and she is the sweetest thing. She is not fond of the vet but other than that she is wonderful.

She is even brave enough to be the lead horse on a trail ride.

We are hoping that soon she will be consistent enough make her show ring debut at some local shows, but we are in no hurry. I am hoping to get some video of her being ridden for all of you to see, as I am just so proud of her accomplishments.

For those of you who follow this blog, thank you for all of your attention, good wishes, and positive thoughts. It has been a real journey for both of us and keeping this record of it just helps to see how far she has come. Looking back I am amazed at the changes in her personality and appearance.

I will continue to update when something big happens and I will leave this up in the hopes that it will inspire some to make a difference in the life of just one horse. I am starting a new blog called "My Horse Life" and it will have details of all the activities and accomplishments of not just my horses but of the horses I train for clients and friends.

Tune in I am sure there will be Sammy tails in there too. Thanks again for all of your good wishes, I know they carried us through the roughest parts.

New Adventures...

Well, there has been a lot of little stuff go on at the barn, but nothing that was big enough for a post on it's own. So here is the cumulative update.

Sammy is over her cold, and is steadily shedding all of her winter hair to reveal her nice black summer hair. We have finally gotten a REAL saddle that fits her, a new Bob Marshall. Sammy also has a new friend.

An old friend of mine has finally gotten some spare time and wants to ride again. She is much smaller than I am so she is a perfect fit for Sammy. She came out on Monday and worked with her for the first time. It was fantastic! Sammy took up with her and easily did all the things she had done with me. MF was very impressed by Sammy's willingness and want to please.



They started in the round pen and then moved out to the barn lot





and then finally they moved out to the area where we do most of our riding. This is her following her Dam around the outside of the field.



It is quickly approaching 1 year that Sammy has been home. There have been lots of worrisome days but she is over all of that now.

Just look at her go.

The first real trail ride...

happened, and it went off without a hitch. After the final adjustment have been made to Sammy's special saddle we were off into the woods alone. Yes, I said alone. I do most of my riding alone these days. Especially since I am back into training horses. I have to ride during the day and well, there just isn't anyone else around. So all saddled up and off we go down the long scary path that leads to the back part of the property. It passes along the side of the woods and of course it is spring. What do squirrels do in the spring? They play like mad squirrels, LOL.

I was so proud of her, because she would stop and look at the ruckus in the woods and then walk on with no problem. She is such a brave and trusting soul. She has really grown up over the past year into a wonder sound minded horse. I don't think I will ever be able to take her on some of the rougher terrain that I ride in but she is a wonderful horse for light riding. She doesn't have much spook and is very sure footed. This is much to my surprise, because the first few times we had weight on her back she wanted to trip on everything. I think she just had to learn to pick up her feet.

I remember back when I brought her home that I said I had always wished that I could have had Misty (her Dam) when she was young. I also said that I should have watched what I wished for because Sammy looked like a handful. Well, I retract that statement now. I am glad I wished for her to be like her mother, because she is. She is sweet, trusting, loving, honest, and forgiving. She gives her whole heart to please, and I continue to learn everyday that I am the lucky one in this relationship. She is truly amazing to have come through all the hardships and still be the sweet horse that I knew she was meant to be.

I am hoping to take her to some local shows this year. I know she is small but I want to expose her to that kind of stimulus. Because of her size she is perfect for a child to ride and if I can get her used to all the stuff that goes on at horse shows then she will have the perfect job as a school horse for the kids that come through my barn.

She is so naturally gaited and easy to ride that a young kid would have no trouble in a gaited class. So far I have not put a bit in her mouth. We have been riding with a bosal so that she could get used to the direct pressure without damaging her mouth if she pulls against it. Believe it or not she is already picking up neck reining.

Sometimes I forget who I am riding and ask for a turn by reins. Of course most of the time a young horse will turn the wrong way and I will instantly realize what I have done. Not Sammy, I ask without thinking the other day and she went with it. I realized it as soon as she moved that she shouldn't have known that. WOW just wow. She is amazing!

I know I probably have a horrible case of barn blindness, and you guys know I love her more than life, so of course she is the best horse in the world. Or at least my world.

So spring has sprung folks. Get out there and ride. Tell me about your adventures. I would love to hear about the horses you are working with and any problems you might be dealing with.

Well We’ve Done It Now!

Sammy has not one but two rides under her girth! We had one misfire, and two actual rides. The misfire happened when I saddled her up and then realized the round pen was way too muddy for her to work in. Yeah I should have looked first but didn’t think it would be a problem.

Ride number one came three days later after the high winds had dried out the ground somewhat. She was completely clueless, but still a good girl to a time. My daughter aided me on the ground after it was clear that smooching and gentle bumps weren’t getting forward motion. Once we got forward, we worked on balancing a rider. Sammy is much like her mother in the fact that is built on a fine frame. She has delicate features and a thin chest. Most people would think this is from her lack of nutrients but really it is not. Her mother is a very fine boned horse and only looks like a normal horse now because she is really fat. LOL So, learning to balance weight on her back was frustrating for her at first. Apparently so much so that she tried rearing to show her distaste and we fell over. Don’t worry no harm done. It was a gentle sit down and step off. She however was shocked. I repositioned the (not quite so well fitting) saddle and tried again. This time the mount was much easier and her balance had greatly improved. A few more laps around the round pen and we quit for the day.

I was so proud of her! You just can’t imagine what it felt like. This is the horse that I thought would never be mine, and when she came home I was afraid I would never be able to ride. This is my baby who I froze my butt off for three cold nights in November to save. I was ready to scream from the roof-tops that WE DID IT!!!

Now here is the problem. She is very narrow, and the built up pad I have is not built up in the right places. The Aussie saddle that I used for her mother is still too wide for her. It is much closer than my western saddle but still needs a lot of padding. I created a shim for it for ride two and it was much better but still not great.

Ride two happened with much less fanfare sort of. She was much easier to tighten and much less anxious, she stood well for the mount (from a step of course) and walked off nicely at the smooch. But she had a surprise up her hoof for me. She decided she was going to try bucking. Every time I would apply leg to reinforce a turn she would buck. I corrected her strongly and moved on. Twice she tried it, twice she failed to remove me from her back. She quitted down and was following leads nicely so I decided that I would take her out of the round pen and ride her somewhere much more solid.

We received a lot of rain between the first and second ride so the round pen was very soft. I didn’t want to keep making it worse so I dismounted and went out to the drive way. We walked through the barn and remounted out front. She really was concerned and wasn’t sure about walking away from her comfort zone but with encouragement and soft words she took her unsure steps.

My drive to the barn is easily 3/10th of a mile long so we have a good straight stretch to walk on solid ground. She made it past the trucks, the old jog cart, and limbs strewn on the yard. Past the old red well house, more cars parked at my husband’s office, and didn’t even jump when Justin came walking around the corner of the building. She even was curious enough to walk up to him. We stood for just a moment to talk and then proceeded on up the drive. Turned around and walked (at the same speed) back to the barn. We came to a stop in front of the barn door and I got off.

WE DID IT! We DID IT!!!

Now I just have to find a saddle that is narrow enough to fit her properly. At this point I don’t care if it is western or English; I just want it to fit her without a lot of extra padding that makes it feel like your hovering over her back.

If anyone has a really narrow saddle you would like to sell please contact me. I am 5’9” so I would need at least a 17 ½ English. I don’t care if it looks like the hind wheels of bad luck as long as it fits and is safe. Since I do leather work and repair I can fix some things as long as the tree is in good shape.

I considered one of those soft saddles but I think I weigh too much and it might hurt her back. So I would feel better with some kind of saddle. Any suggestions? Send them my way. Thanks in advance and stay tuned for more.

Set Backs and Frustrations...

With the go ahead from the vet Sammy's training was to begin last Monday, but apparently I neglected to run my plans past Mother Nature. Monday morning reveled 1 1/2 to 2 inches of ice soon to be followed by 2 inches of snow. Our area had been hit by the worst winter storm in YEARS. We lost power at the farm and our house somewhere around 10 am on Monday morning and power was finally restored Sunday morning about the same time.

Of course with so much ice my farm, trees, and fences look like they have been through a war zone.

Everyone in Western Kentucky has suffered these kinds of losses including having the electrical service ripped right out of their houses. So I really have nothing to whine about except these oak trees were estimated to be around 100 years old. They were the one feature of our farm at the time of purchase that I didn't want to change.



Ok enough whining...

Sammy as you know has had some issues with stalls, and being confined. Those of you who have followed from the beginning know she has gotten much much better. However, we have not had an instance to keep her in a stall for more than just a night. She was in her stall from Sunday night at feeding time until Thursday morning. The ice was so bad that I was afraid one of them would hurt themselves slipping around so we kept them up.

She was amazing. No nervous pawing, chewing, kicking, nothing that would indicate any of the trials that she had experienced in the past. I was really worried how she would handle being confined for so long. But she never fails to amaze me.

I had wondered if keeping her at my friends barn was going to be hard on her but now I see that she has really changed. She is so much more relaxed and calm. It is so amazing to watch her bloom and change. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that she would be just fine, but I was afraid to really believe.

The bottom line is Sammy is amazing, she is wonderful, smart and ready to start her new life.

Stay tuned, we are going to try again for this week. Wish me luck.

Will Wonders Never Cease?

It is cold here, 11 deg with -2 Windchill. So today I broke out the blankets. Everyone's blanket still fits Yeah! I had one that would fit Moon as she has finally grown up. The poor girl has had to have a new blanket every year. Of course everyone reacted as expected to the promise of a warm blanket save one.

I expected Sammy to react as any young horse who had 1) never seen a blanket let alone worn one and 2) hadn't really been exposed to anything that large going over her head. What she did was not only completely stunning but was repeated through the trials of three different blankets. I have a variety of sizes due to having young horses but AGGGG she is between sizes.

So here is the deal. I saved her for last because I wanted to see what I would have left. As I approached her with this huge horse eating thing, her eyes got larger, her ears dropped out to the side and she froze in her tracks. Ok I can work with this. I braced myself for the blot when I placed the closed front blanket over her head but it didn't happen. She actually stepped into it and then onto it. Tap, tap, tap, move your foot honey. She calmly picked up her foot freeing the blanket and as I suspected I had WAY to much hanging off the end. Sigh. Back over her head and over again with another. Same reaction, but this time not enough blanket. One more time over the head and this one will do. It is large but close enough. the belly strap is taken up as far as I can but we will see how it works. Straps done up in the back and no kicking or bolting. WOW

The turn out was fantastic! All the horses make their laps around the field and Sammy is no different. Only her belly strap comes loose and as she runs along it swings free. She then does the one thing I NEVER expected. She came running straight to me and stopped. My daughter and I fixed the strap and off she goes again. This time she is fine.

She wanted it fixed. She acted so proud to have a blanket and she acted like she wanted to wear it. She absolutely blows my mind. Moon doesn't like her blanket that much and she has worn one since she was a baby.

Could it be that she really was proud to have her own blanket? I think maybe so but I know this for sure. I have horses that will help you put their blankets on and the way she acted is too much for words. I just don't know what to expect next.

ETA - Sammy now has a new blanket all her own, that fits her just right. I will post a photo of her later. I think Lavendar Red is her color! *giggle*

I really don't know how they do it...

Farriers that is. I have been a bad horsey mom and have let my horses feet get a little behind on trimming. So today, my daughter and I trimmed horses or three of the 7 anyway. I don't know how farriers do it, I mean I can do one or two a day but I just can't imagine doing a barn full everyday. WOW, after trimming Rusty, Tanner and Trace I was done for the day. My back is still hurting and I did part of it sitting on a bucket. LOL

At least my crew are good about having their feet trimmed so I can sit on a bucket to help my back some. I just can't imagine wrestling with one who doesn't like it. Sammy is the only one who gives me any trouble and it is minimal at worst. I generally save her for a day when I do not have to do anyone else. I can take my time with her, give her breaks, and it helps. She has gotten better about it so it isn't so bad anymore.

Today she stood and watched with the most curious look. She has never been in the barn with the other horses were being trimmed so there is no telling what she was thinking.

Is anyone else out there doing the "Bare Foot" Trimming? If you are I would love to hear about your challenges.

Telling Tales...

Horses play we all know that, but the games they play sometimes absolutely blow my mind. Sometimes I stand there in complete awe at some of the silly things that amuse them.

The weather being what it is around here frozen water tanks are an every day thing. I have one tank that is close enough to the barn for a heater and one out in the large field. I keep the one with the heater full and the one out in the field I fill to about half full so they will drink it down and if it does freeze solid I can still flip it over without cracking the tank.

Well most of the horses just love to drink out of the tank while the water is running, a couple of them will even stick their nose under the running water and play. Well, Sammy comes up as I am filling the tank in the big field. The water is hitting on of the rings in the Rubbermaid tank causing it to splatter. She just stands there for a minute watching it, and the light is making the little droplets of water sparkle. After a bit she sticks her nose down in the tank, sticks out her tongue and starts trying to catch the drops. It reminded me of a kid catching snow flakes on their tongue. I stood there with my mouth open completely speechless until I began to giggle.

She just kept it up and then finally decided it was easier to get a drink the normal way. When she had finished drinking she stood there and watched the water splatter until the level was high enough that it quit spattering and then wandered back out to the rest of the herd.

Now I have watched horses play in water, I have watch two horses play in the tank, I have even had on climb in the tank, I have a horse who likes to drink right out of the water hose, but this takes the cake. I have never seen a horse try to catch water drops when there is a good 12 inches of water in the tank to drink from.

I can't imagine what was going through her mind, but I would sure like to know.

Why I Am Thankful...

I am thankful for my wonderful family who joined me to be test subjects for my first batch of dressing. (it WAS good)

I am thankful for my non-horsey husband who supports my very expensive equine addiction.

I am thankful for my children, who bring light to my every day.

and I am thankful for my special horses.

Misty, who has packed my butt around for years. Taught me how to be a good horsewoman and an innumerate amount of children to be confident riders. She is the reason I have the others and after 25 years, she is going strong.

For Rusty, Bonnie, Trace, Tanner, Moon who all have Misty to thank for their easy lives, endless grass, and warm blankets.

For my darling Sammy. The little piece of Misty I will have with me for the rest of our lives. The one who I had waited so long to bring home.

I am thankful that she is filling out, that her mind is coming out of the shell she built to protect herself; and that she finally feels at home with the others.

This is Sammy's first thanksgiving with a full belly, clean water, and a warm barn.

And finally I am thankful for those of you who read my ramblings, who care how she is doing, and root for her continued success. I hope this day has found you and your family safe, and healthy. Many happy returns.

It's Published!!

It is official. Sammy is famous. Her story has been published in Horseman Magazine. You are welcome to follow the link below to read the article.