This or That?

This?
http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-pets-livestock-for-sale-Saint-14-yo-QH-Gelding-W0QQAdIdZ427279147

Or That?

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-pets-livestock-for-sale-Updated-2-Reg-APHA-2012-foals-W0QQAdIdZ425393188

Both have pros and cons.  Both have potential for right now.

Tandem

This has been a rather busy week.  I began it with a case of the flu.  This was followed by two nights of Parent Teacher Conferences, one night and one day of University.  By the time Saturday rolled around I was a wee bit tired.  Tired enough that I needed a nap when I got home from school.  (Sarge hurt his back and was waiting for his snow tires - so no visit this weekend. ~And yes, things are going well...)  Sarge called me an hour after I fell asleep as my wake up call.

Eyeballing the fading daylight I decided to run out to the farm and work the dogs.  My poor babies had been cooped up with minimal interactions and stimulation over the past four days.  I began with working Diva.  She's coming along.  Her listening is improving and she's starting to view me as her "team".  Quickly loosing light I decided to kill two birds with one stone.  I wanted to work on Diva's drive and still needed to work Ryder.  Taking a leash I hooked one end around Diva's neck, and snapped the other end onto Ryder.  Asking to walk up he led his sister behind the sheep.  Diva is at the drive stage where she wants to stay right by my feet, she'll only go if I'm walking right beside her.  Ryder however will drive an easy 100m away from me.  It was pretty funny watching them figure out how to work together.  Ryder helped Diva learn to walk up to the sheep, and Diva shared her enthusiasm with Ryder.

Today when I worked them, I was also chasing a fading daylight and thought I'd once again work them together.  I began by working Ryder.  I was surprised at how confidently he went out down the field and gathered the sheep.  It was an epiphany.  Ryder is getting broke.  He's starting to know his job.  The sheep have had a dog holiday all summer and are rather zesty.  They have no problems breaking for the corral to go hide in the shelter.  Ryder was even able to go after them, and bring them back from the corral.  This meant he was working out of my sight.  I waited and sure enough the sheep appeared over the hill, heading back out into the field.  Unleashing Diva, I worked both Ryder and Diva.  Sending them on outruns, and having them do short drives.

The one thing I found interesting was how even if I set them up to go one direction, one of the dogs would want to go the other direction.  They consistently wanted to do this.  I'll have to ask someone who knows more about working multiple dogs to find out if this is a natural "team" instinct.

The dogs and I had a lot of fun either way.

Someone Talk Me Off The Ledge

I am standing on a slippery slope.  A ledge.  One I'm about to leap and free fall off of.

Quick!  Someone talk me down!

Hello, my name is Andrea and I have a problem.  I have an addiction to Kijiji and all things horses.  I have a deep and compulsive need to horse shop.  I can't control this impulsive behavior.

Someone tell me now all the reasons I don't need any more animals.  Quick!

Here's the problem: I'm dying to ride.  I dream of it.  I imagine it.  I fantasize about it.  This has led to the next issue.  Logic need not apply...  I got to thinking about Guinness, and how Guinness would benefit from a friend.  (Jonnie will be moving home sooner rather than later.)  This got me thinking about cutting and university.  I realize that I won't be doing anything resembling cutting until I'm done university.  Just the thought of trying to do both time wise and financially gives me hives.  That got me to thinking about some of the coolest horse I know.  Which in turn made me want one.

Following?

Long story short?  There are two paint weanlings on Kijiji - cheap!  They are PRR breeding.  I really want a PRR horse.  My dilemma?  Buy the baby cheap, or contact the breeder who happens to take payments, who also happens to have many lovely horses for sale...  Lovely horses that would be wonderful all around, even working cow horses...

Quick!  Someone tell me NO!  Stop and think!  Guinness will go for training in the spring.  I'll be riding him in the summer.  I don't NEED another horse.

But I've gotta tell ya - I sure want one?

Which would you pick - Kijiji or something straight from the breeder?  And if from the breeder which one would YOU go for??

Spittin' Mad

There is a reason that if I choose to sell one of my dogs they are priced up.  People value things that cost them more money more.  Stupid, yet true.  Particularly when you look at livestock or animals.  I received a phone call from the Edmonton Humane Society today.  Joe had been hit by a car and taken in.  Because I had him microchipped when I neutered him, and his "new" owners never changed the information, I was called.  This was the second call about this dog since I rehomed him.  I feel mad and responsible for my little rescue not ending up in the kind of forever home he deserved.

I believe part of the problem lies in his price point.  I only asked for the money back that I put out to neuter him.  Realistically this is less than what he would have cost as a puppy.  (He was papered.)  The lady at the Society assured me that they'd find him a new home.  They said the lady who brought him in was interested in adopting him.

Either way, I'm irked.  How dare you lead me to believe you'd be a good home?  How dare you not care for this dog the way he deserves?  I hope Karma gets you.

Growing Guinness

This is Jonnie - Guinness's Arabian friend.  He's about 15.1hh.

This is Guinness.  He's a growing monster.  We're getting our first "winter" storm today.  Pretty minor.

He's a bit lacking in wither, but sure has one huge arse...

Not entirely sure where our journey will take us but it should be an interesting one.

Oh Dear

I've been in a blogging slump.  A boring blogger if you will.  The problem is life has just been clicking along.  And I keep forgetting to get the camera out to update pics of the fur family.  I've been busy with work and university.  Busy with Sarge.  Busy getting the yard ready for winter.  Busy working with the dogs.

This past weekend was the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend.  I spent Saturday at the farm.  I worked Diva twice, Ryder and Tessa once each.  Diva is making outstanding progress.  She's beginning to understand the "walk up" and drive concepts.  That little dog is crazy smart.  Man she picks up on stuff quickly.  Ryder ran into some sheep trouble.  I wanted to put him into a stock pressure situation.  The sheep did not want to go off the grass and onto the plowed pasture.  This is where I asked Ryder to push them into the dirt.  What happened was a face off with stomping feet sheep.  Eventually my lead sheep took a few runs at Ryder.  Poor Ryder has NO bite.  This was not good.  I had to eventually help him (which did end up with a sheep knocking me arse over tea kettle).  His confidence was a bit shaken so we worked on making him feel spunky again.  I decided to work Diva in the exact same situation because I wanted to know if it's the sheep or the dog.  Diva had no opposition from the sheep.  Which generally means it's the dog...  Tessa was a rotten little freak.  I guess it doesn't matter as long as she has fun.

That evening I went with my parents to our favorite Italian restaurant.  I followed it up with a viewing of Snow White and the Huntsman.  Fantastic day.

Sunday brought a major yard work binge.  I began early in the day and ended up taking my garden out, taking down dead vegetation, removing some branches/brush that had been interfering with my fence, and cut my grass.  In addition I moved all my pots and deck stuff into the barn for winter storage.  Then the dogs and I headed to the farm for more sheep works.  Once back in my cozy house, I settled down to read.  In July I had requested a book.  A book I was curious about.  Let's just say I was 50 shades of something...  and yep - finished the book in one sitting.

Monday brought digging out my perennial beds.  They are now officially cleaned out.  Sigh of sheer happiness.

And today, today brought work and nasty weather.