our riding experience

Howdy!

How's life for you 'all this summer?

We are back from vacations at Cypress, Clear Lake,

and day trips to Good Spirit Lake and Madge Lake.

Will be heading to Regina Beach Saturday with my sister

and her friend.  

  Our son has been visiting us this week and I have always wanted a video of me riding a horse.  The loping or cantering is new for me in an arena setting.  I have no problem out in the open country to lope; for some reason arena riding is restrictive  to me when I want to do some loping.  I am practicing that here with my horse Grace.

Tom, this was a nice video of me and my Mantracker workin' it at Kirkville arena!

Keep calm and ride on!

Tips of the Day at Kirkville

Brian and Mr. Z  apparently it was a better day today.  It's like that for humans too!  some days not focused as much the next day ....doing good!


I am working on saddling, bridling, unbridling, unsaddling, etc so more on the groundwork for me with a shorter time of riding.

We are on vacation at Cypress Hills so no more EXCITING (LOL) videos
for a while.

Have a great weekend!

barn chat + blue jeans

more exciting videos from
Kirkville

Horse Wiser

Friday I started my 3 day horse riding clinic! I’m done now and I take with me more confidence and love to share with my horse and others. Keeping my words to myself and to my horse only for gentle learning and letting the hard days of learning move me forward along with doing just a little ; doing less will show doing more, trust the process of each bit of time.

I took photos and these are all of them.  Videos were not allowed and when I and Brian were both

in the  same class it was impossible to get any riding shots.

it's okay.  You can laugh at my hat.  I never wear a cowboy hat.  However, this

weekend it was pouring rain and we were hauling saddles and boots and horses in and out

of the riding arena in pouring rain  This hat was awesome for keeping the rain off my face

and head. Otherwise I wear a ball cap style head gear.

 Bottom of this picture is me in front of the pickup and it reflected a squished photo

of me (cool, real cool)

I knew I would be slow, slow,... getting my horse tack on Grace (previously named Bruschetta).

A slower process when she was very anxious and hard to keep standing in one place.

Next time I will be more "savy" at putting the bridal and bit in the mouth.  Tightening up

the cinch, chest band in place (that is my next goal)

My horse has a beautiful thick black mane.

This is the pen that Mr. Z and Bruschetta were in for 2 nights.

Mantracker and I went home and came back in the mornings. (a 35 min drive)

Mr. Z really wanted out of this pen on the last day,

Grace (Bruschetta) shared the pen with Mr. Z

She is 10 years old and Mr. Z is 4 years old.

This is my horse with the clinician.  A buckskin mare.  He had

to work with her quite a bit to settle her down.  She did not like

being around all the horses and pinned her ears back constantly the whole

time we were in the class.  Made me nervous;so double anxiety going for 

the first day. Once he explained her situation and got her hind legs moving freer

and me letting her move with much looser rein and directing her; was the winning ticket!

This is John Tilley.  He was our clinician and lives at Leroy, Sask.

He was easy to be around and complimented riders whenever it was 

necessary and earned.  I was very relaxed with his lessons.

Ride on. Ride on.

Herd Leader - look him in the eye

This is the last post on "Look Him In The Eye" 

check out Open Book, Work Horse, Flight Risk 

first instinct with this horse is that he is highly intelligent but not mean, a leader and not a follower,.. “He is totally aware of everything that is going on and doesn’t worry about it."

alot of riders like this “ideal horse,” but you have to work to earn the horse’s respect.

a Quote from the article in Western Horseman...“This gelding had no interest in what I wanted him to do until I established myself as the herd leader. Then, he worked with me but not for me. The shape of his eye—not round, but more shuttered—forebodes that he will challenge any type of forced leadership.”

There is not an overabundance of tissue above the eye, and the few wrinkles are due to age, not worry.
..............

Rocky

Say no more ..... here at Kirkvillle
Rocky is definitely the herd leader and always has been
also a very intelligent and smart horse.  He is very solid
as a horse to ride but definitely you have to let him know
who the boss is and once you establish those grounds
its a lovely horseride!

Mr. Z

our 4 year old colt

is laid back and not concerned too much

{click here for resource article}

Western Horseman - Look Him In The Eye

team training

super fab weather

yesterday for Nov 6

so the 2 trainers/riders rode

both colts

getting on

moving forward

trotting

side by side (Tuko and Mr. Z)

no bit in their mouths yet

Tuko just has a halter on

and Mr. Z is wearing a Bosal

Which horse is your favourite?

the Z's

Hello Mr. Z

Hello Ziggy

Mr Z

Good Afternoon!

it's chilly- chilly here this afternoon on Halloween; that is my

costume, little pink riding hood! 

I am the photographer always.  

Little Red/Mr Z is progressing very favourably

under saddle and rider as you can see!

Happy Oct 31st!

growing-running-learning

taken from the guest bedroom window

Tuko (little brown) is improving and moving better under saddle

Mr Z (little red is next on the blog)

little Mr. Z

this is our other 2 year old named Mr. Z

very different than (Little Brown/Tuko/2nd Chance)

He is understanding the training quite readily

and he is called Mr. Z because he is a bit

slow in getting him to move and Mr. Z doesn't get

excited too much about things

will learn more about this little rascal

soon enough

some pictures will be coming henceforth once getting on the

colts and off (Tuko/Little Brown) has been a bit of a bucking bronc

and Brian has ridden that pretty well but staying off of him until

he is well ground trained.  We shall see what Mr. Z will be in responding

to someone on his back

warm up

the colts are starting to get

activated with training

Tuko (little brown)  was at

the horse clinic in June

Mr. Z has not been trained too much

here we go this morning

before it gets to hot!

running around

they are growing and their bodies are

showing more muscle and bigger hind quarters

(cowboys' like that) 

Mantracker aka Brian's shoulder is 100% now

should be fun to watch the progress

for the next few years!

other horse duties

it is deworming time

a tube of cream from the vet or

horse supply centre

keeps the worms away, (they get itchy butts)

if this job is neglected the worms will make them

lose weight and sickly looking

this deworming tube tastes like an apple

so the taste is good

Rocky is a pro at this, as are the other 2 adult horses

Little Red (now called Mr. Z) did okay with it this time

Little Brown (now called Tuko) did not like the idea at all and it took

hubby a bit more time to inject the cream into his mouth.

It's all over now..

Brian does alot of the horse care himself; even a bit of hoof/ferrier work too.

keeps the cost down.

I think this little brown colt (Tuko) is a snappin handsome horse!

Marchin' around

it's March

and all there is to do

is march around the acreage and check the

ice and water and prairie grass

and wait for green growth

and spring

capture it

you know it

you see something joyful

uplifting and fascinating

you want to capture it

but you can't

you are too far away

by the time you get close

it stops 

they see you

darn!

need a zoom powered lense

playfulness with horses is so uplifting

 2 colts playing 

like little kids jumping and bucking

horse play with Little Red and Little Brown

horse frost

meet & greet equine style

these 2 colts are 18 months old

just arrived Sunday

meeting the herd boss (Rocky) can be quite an aggressive

few minutes

the 2 colts were very submissive

to Rocky but he still had his ears pinned back

and had to show some bossy moves...

They both are very friendly and not afraid of people

and we are happy to have them for training and playing with.

Welcome to Kirkville Little Red  and Little Brown!