Andrea's Animal Adventures

Migraine Detector??

2012-01-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

I'm one of those people who gets Aura Migraines. They generally start with "flashy lights", similar to the effect one gets after staring into the sun. Next it can be blurred vision and a very severe headache. Today when I got home Diva was being very needy. She was whining (not necessarily unusual for her, and began sniffing the air. (I thought she was scared of the oven and fan which I had just turned on). She followed this with running away to my bedroom and whining even more insistently. I went to my room - mostly to shut her up. There she leaned up against my legs and I ran my hands soothingly down her sides. When I went to check my meal (on the stove) I realized I was not able to see properly. Immediately downing my meds I began stretching - which sometimes helps my shoulders and neck relax and alleviates some symptoms. By this point in time Diva had moving into the living room and began a whining grunt sound. When I went to see her she was quite intent on getting me to play with her. As my vision deteriorated and I realized just how severe it was getting. Being meal time I had dished up the dog's food. Diva would not eat. Instead staying by me. This was weird. Diva is highly food motivated. It made me wonder: was Diva being needy because that's part of who she is, or did Diva recognize the fact that I was getting a migraine before I did? It's an interesting concept. While not my first migraine with Diva alive, it was my first with her living in the house with me. I have to wonder if it's possible for her to predict migraines, and if that's what she in fact did, can she be trained to produce a specific signal or cue?

Reflection

2012-01-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

I've started my graduate classes. So far I'm loving them. The classes encourage reflection. What is leadership? Can a leader be popular? What qualities do you value in a leader? What qualities do you have that you think would make you a good leader?

Tonight we discussed who we are as human beings. It was a deep and intense conversation. Lately I've been thinking a lot about who I am as a person. Over the last five years I've been on a journey that has allowed me to become centered and in touch. I like to think I know myself well. I know my good qualities and recognize and work on the less desirable ones. I know this from a professional, as well as personal perspective. I work hard at seeing multiple points of view, even when I don't agree with them.

I've been thinking about direction. How at times the direction my life takes in part defines who I am. There are times over the last few weeks I've felt as though my identity is shifting. Is how I perceive myself the same as the perception of the world? Last week my principal (in effect my boss) told me I'm a force to be reckoned with. This has bothered me. I'm not entirely sure I want to be a force. It certainly doesn't mesh with how I view myself in a professional or personal capacity. Is this a positive or a negative? It's made me think.

I've been thinking about the horses. It's still surreal to me that Whiskey is no longer mine. And Bacardi is. I had had Bacardi listed and fielded a number of emails and calls. I've even had people booked to come view her. Unexpectedly something would happen and the person would no longer be coming. It's become something of a pattern. So I've decided to send the paperwork in the AQHA to transfer her into my name. This is not the most comfortable decision for me. I'm left feeling as though there's a gaping void in my life. How I can I have a horse with no purpose? I have no purpose for her. I don't even know what to do with her. She won't make a cutter which is where my heart lies. I suppose I could rope off of her but that entails work, purchasing a rope saddle and time that I'm currently lacking. Working cow horse? Not my favorite thing to do but I could hypothetically put the training in her so that she'd make a passable working cow horse. Put her in my close contact and start popping her over fences? I don't know what I want to do. I feel lost. A boat with no rudder bobbing on a lake. An English speaker in France. You get the picture. I wonder how not having an equine goal impacts who I am. Or does it? Does it make horses any less part of who I am? Do I even know how to enjoy just riding? Can I just ride? Or will I self combust without a focal point?

Custody Fight

2012-01-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

It's a slippery slope when one talks to their parents. One minute you're asking about batteries, the next you've had the custody of your dog pulled from you. My mom is in Arizona enjoying the more temperate climate. My dad is home alone. For the first time in I think a very long time, my dad has NO ONE at home.

Initially when I got Tessa, I lived three hours away. My family was not happy when I traded the hay left over (from when my horse died) for this little ball of fluff. It took a long time for them to come around. Tess went everywhere with me. We went to roping's and rodeos. She stayed with me hotels. We traveled lonely country highways, and busy city freeways. With no one to rely on but myself - Tessa by necessity went everywhere. Eventually, the family freeze thawed and Tessa and I came up for weekend visits. Next, Tess, horses, and I came back for summers and long holidays.

A job opportunity came up that involved me moving back to my old home. This was supposed to be temporary but one thing led to another and time slipped away. Another opportunity came up that would have caused a move. But something was wrong and I was sick. A family meeting led to the decision to stay by my support network. Through all this Tessa (our first house dog ever) had become entrenched in the family. It was no longer just me who loved this little character. As things physically improved and things romantically went south, it became time to move on. To find my own space. This for me meant taking my little fur family with me. And this is where the conflict began.

With the news that I was moving my dad's first comment was that I wasn't taking Tessa (nor Bella, nor the sheep, nor the horses, nor the cats). After all, how could my animals possibly survive on a measly 3 acres. (You notice the wild thing young dogs weren't on his list.) Some of his concerns were justified. Some of his concerns were baffling. I managed to bring the three Border Collies when I moved. Next I slipped a horse or two over as well. (Breaking dad in if you will.) Flash back two weeks.

A simple phone call looking for information on batteries. When out of the blue dad blusters about Tessa being home alone. Tessa could not possibly make the day alone. It just wasn't good for her. And so on. Taking a breathe and calming myself I recognized that he was lonely. For the first time in a very, very long time - dad was alone. I told dad to pop over on Thursday (it was Wednesday night). When I came over of Thursday Tessa was gone. Dad didn't even bother to take her bed or her food. So I called. Oh Tessa was sooooo happy to see him she came running out of the house so he just left with her. Yep. True story. Friday, I swung by and picked her up.

The following Monday I came home to NO DOG. Tessa was gone. So was her bed. Realizing dad must have her I left it be. That was the week when I'd have had to find someone to take care of her towards the end of the week. This week, I have classes Wednesday through Saturday. Tomorrow dad will swing by and pick her up. I'll go to the farm and get her once class is over on the weekend. While I don't mind her visiting the farm I have mixed emotions about her living there. One - dad is not always the most reliable person. He gets sidetracked. Tessa is old and has crazy moments - you have to pay attention to her when she's outside. It's hard on my pack dynamics having her coming and going.

Reality right now is at least two long weeks a month so I can take my graduate classes. These weeks I'm okay with Tessa visiting her other family. But for my dad to wrench her custody out of my hands? I'll wait until my mom comes back and I have an ally before lining up a fight.

Yep, it's a custody battle over MY dog.

An Award???

2012-01-23T20:40:00.000-07:00

d
Sherry at MTWaggin sent this award my way. And what an honor it is! Alas, there are rules to this award.

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who gave the award (see above).
3. Pick five favorite blogs with less than 200 followers, and leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have received the award.
4. Hope that the five blogs chosen will keep spreading the love and pass it on to
five more blogs.

Here are my top 5 picks:
1) Liz at In Omnia Paratus She's someone who's writing I enjoy. She has a zest for life that comes through her posts. Plus, she's a fellow dog and horse lover. And we all know how cool dog and horse people are. She's one of those cyber friends that I think would be someone who'd be interesting to meet in real life. Her life is similar yet different than mine and that makes her interesting.

2) Chelsi at Adventures of a Horse Crazed Mind (who just barely meets this criteria). She's a great writer - funny with a definite voice. A fellow Canadian with a shared love of horses.

3) Chloe at the wild horse project What I like about Chloe is that she's a horsey person with a completely different background and perspective than mine. It fascinates me how she has the ability to take a wild horse and turn it into a wonderful productive member of equine society. Plus - it totally makes me think of The Man From Snowy River!

4) Bobbie No Socks - this blog only seems to run in the winter. However, I love the different perspective and catching a glimpse into the eastern side of the continent.

5) And my fifth vote would go to MTWaggin - love the outstanding pictures, the kind ear and advice, and I really, really love her dogs!!! Another one of those people that I think is a kindred spirit who's love of life shines through.

I don't follow too many blogs, and many of those have large readerships. So pop on over and check out one of these blogs.

Sick

2012-01-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

I have had the most unpleasant illness ever. The friendly neighborhood flu decided to visit. It started Wednesday. I was feeling slightly queasy but shook it off and went to work. It was extremely cold here that day and the buses weren't running but I was still expected to show up. It was in my classroom with the 8 students who braved it to come to school that I realized I wasn't really queasy. I was full fledged nauseous. I made it to lunch at which point my coworkers booted me out of the school. They took my kids and sent me home. I spent the remainder of the day praying to the porcelain gods, laying on the couch or sleeping in my bed. I ate nothing and could handle little fluid going down.

Thursday I remained home. Repeating the process. By late afternoon I thought I might be improving. I made some of my favorite "safe" food: noodles, chicken in a mug and soda crackers. While cramping and uncomfortable everything stayed put. With a sigh of relief I drove into town. It was the first night of my graduate class. While uncomfortable and tired I was no longer leaking fluid from my orifices. This I could deal with. I made the decision to attempt work in the morning.

Normally, I'm up at 6:30 and gone by 7:30. I like to get up, check my email, let the dogs out and then if I'm showering go do that (I often shower at night.). As I get things ready in the bathroom my stomach lets out some ominous sounds. Ryder runs away. And from that point things went south. Fast. With no choice I call my principal to let her know I'm coming but shouldn't be, and begin the jaunt to work. I made it half a day before the kindergarten teacher came to sub in my class for the afternoon. Once home I spent inordinate amounts of time in the washroom. Friday night also brings class for me. Mustering every last ounce of energy I drive in. And I spend the most uncomfortable distracted night at class. While I realize I wanted to loose weight - this not eating for three days certainly wasn't part of the plan.

Now imagine being trapped in the house with two Border Collies who have had very little exercise of stimulation for the week due to extreme cold and then extreme sick. Not good. While lying on the couch I'd listlessly toss the ball for the dogs. While in bed I had to deal with these little fur brats who brought all the toys up and dropped them beside my body. Then they'd run their snout along me to ensure I knew. However, given the fact that they're young dogs (dad has Tessa this week) they were surprisingly good. Diva especially came around. She took to curling her body up by mine and sleeping with me. Ryder who hasn't slept with me in ages took to sitting sentinel on the bed looking out the window. And I know. I know I shouldn't let them on the bed. For a wide variety of reasons. But when your guts are trying to claw their way out of your body - you just don't care. When you can't keep anything in your system - this seems like a small thing. And let me tell you - when I was radiating cold - I certainly appreciated the extra body heat.

I'm supposed to be in class today but talked to the professor. If my noodle concoction stays put this morning I'll drive in for the afternoon class.

So You Think You Know The Cold??

2012-01-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

I have been utterly spoiled this winter. Warm balmy days with the sun on my face. And now, finally, winter has reared it's ugly head. It's cold. Bloody cold. Part of the problem is that I'm no longer acclimatized. I've gotten soft like those people in Florida who sweater up when a cool breeze blows. (No offense but us northerners do like to giggle about that. All in good natured fun.) Just as I'm sure anyone who lives further north than I do is giggling away at the absurdity of me thinking I know what cold is.

Our temperatures today without the wind chill hovered around the -30 C mark. Not bad. Factor in the wind chill and we're sitting at a tropical -40 C. Did you know that -40 is the same in both Fahrenheit and Celsius? It is! *This factoid courtesy the friendly neighborhood Internet.* I noticed while out cleaning the dog run that the dogs are resisting any outside time. Who blames them? This is the weather when you need to watch for colic (horses don't drink as much because of the cold water). This is the weather when you need to free feed hay to your outside critters. And this is the weather where you want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over you head. *Thanks Jeanne for that little tidbit.*

We don't even have wonderful luscious fluffy snow to make it bearable. In fact the snow blower I bought in the fall? Still has tags on. Hasn't been used once if you can fathom that!

Here's a lovely picture of my fab farm winter look. Just a side note - when it's cold enough to freeze your exposed flesh in under 10 minutes - it's cold enough to toss any sense of style to the side. (That wonderful tidbit was according to Environment Canada - we have an extreme wind chill warning in effect.) Goodie!

Horses of the Past

2012-01-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

I have this new fancy scanner, photocopier and printer. I thought I'd test it out and work on uploading some of my old horse pictures. From most recent to oldest, here are some (I don't have photos of my first horses.) of my current to old horses.

Guinness - AQHA aka Single Malt Whiskey

This is his mom the first summer I owned her.

Whiskey - AQHA aka Miss Soft Shoe

Bacardi - AQHA aka Royal Purple Coke

I couldn't find a picture of Charger. Here we are doing grand entry for Lacombe ProRodeo. I sold Charger when I hurt my shoulder and couldn't rope anymore. Looking back I wish I'd kept him. He was a nice solid all around kind of horse.

L - Me on Yeller - AQHA aka Two T Rebel Gold

2nd from L - friend on Charger - AQHA aka Kole Charger

Yeller - AQHA aka Two T Rebel Gold (and an uncle to Guinness).

Yeller - the horse I trained but should have bought. Another one I tried to find with no luck.

Shorty - Grade colt - took him in to help him heal - he was in rough shape - traded him for Whiskey.

My school master rope horse. He had successfully won in the area of 30 grand at rodeos throughout his career. He piloted his one armed owner to numerous wins. The horse that sent me into a tailspin of depression when he suffered a catastrophic and life ending injury.

Roo - Grade

Roo and Charro hanging out and grooming each other.

The horse that did it all. He would have made a superstar endurance horse because he could go all day!

Charro - Arabian aka Charro Rafinara

Polish bred going back to Tornado - Bask.

Another horse I tried to find with no luck.

Charro and I at a local Arabian show.

The horse of my heart. Best friend and confidante.

Smokey - Arabian aka Nova Sherocco

Picture taken by D. Kirk Photos.

Smokey and I at a big 4H show. He was a regional A champion halter stallion and absolute hoot to ride.

Ansata Ibn Halima and Crabbet lines (Egyptian).

Picture taken by L. Carroll.

Haida - my first 4H horse and the one that taught me how to ride. Mostly because she bucked me off every other day. Nasty beast. Picture taken at my first 4H achievement day (and first horse show ever). I would have been 9 at the time.

Haida - Anglo Arabian - and for the life of me I can't remember her papered name.

I don't have pictures for Pilot - the grade cowboy horse who was my first horse. Or Jet or Maggie - the ponies that didn't last too long on the place. Nasty little farts. (My dad went for cheap not quality - to be fair it's not like there was a lot of money floating around.)

And there you have the pictorial of my horses past, and present.

Dream Horse from a Past Life

2012-01-15T12:01:00.001-07:00

There was a time I would have turned my nose up at the thought of riding anything other than an Arabian. The very thought of riding a clunky, ugly quarter horse left chills going down my spine. I believed my Arabians could do anything any other type of horse did. My horses showed (local and A), went cattle penning, made many miles on trails, took all kinds of clinics, did gymkhana and college rodeo, and I even roped off of the one horse (Charro). These horses were my best friends when the world went wrong. I rode a lot. I rode close to seven days a week and was usually in the saddle for well over an hour.

When I got more serious about the rodeo and roping world I knew I needed to specialize, so I bought an old "school master" rope horse. While I still had my Arabian he began to spend more time sitting in the field than getting the miles he so enjoyed. With student loans and adult responsibilities looming I made the decision to sell him (and I've since tried to find him again - but no luck.)

One of my friends has an Arabian left over from her days prior to her breeding paints. Jonnie or Bay Cyty Roller is well bred, has an awesome disposition, size, and has already accumulated halter wins at the local and regional (A) level. I love this horse. I've loved this horse from the day I first met him years ago. Back when he was a little sprout I loved this horse. He's by Cyty Heat who's making waves up here. I had told Lynsay that if I could sell Bacardi I'd buy Jonnie. Well, Bacardi is still here and a lot of tire kickers have come and gone. And Jonnie is still wasting away in one of her pens. This love for him is completely irrational. I want to cut. I'm 99% certain that is not his role in life. But I *heart* him. And I want him. And I've pretty much decided smart or not, if the opportunity arises that I can buy him - I will.

Here are some pictures of Jonnie. The pictures are courtesy of Lynsay.

Knock Me Over With A Feather

2012-01-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

With ugly weather slated in the forecast, I drove out to my parents. There I had planned to work the dogs on stock and pester the two baby horses. The wind was blowing and the snow started falling about 5 minutes into my training session with Ryder. I decided to see how the dog works went before messing with the horses.

Ken had given me some advice that I decided to follow. I don't always. Some days I can be alarmingly obstinate. I stopped worrying so much about being perfect and started working him and letting him work. I stopped lying him down so frequently and began to move more. It was as though everything clicked. He began working really, really good. So good I was startled into realizing there's a darn good possibility he'll be ready for trials come spring. He was taking his flanks pretty consistently. I began with lying him down, moving half way between him and the sheep and then asking him. He was doing so well I thought I'd try to send him on a mini outrun from my feet. And he consistently did it! We're a hair off of being able to manage an arena trial. Given the fact that I haven't exactly been training him regularly I was pretty impressed. His drive continues to be pretty good and we have enough distance driving to do an arena distance. The next step is to start adding some short flanks into the drive and see how we do.

I was so pumped I even worked Diva. Let me tell you, that dog was thrilled to be on stock. She, as per her normal, worked tight and fast. But all the ground work I've put into her is showing on the stock. She was softer to take her prompts. Her working style is so reminiscent of Tessa as a young dog it's eerie. I have to wonder what Diva would be like if she'd had the same opportunities and upbringing as Tessa. I was happy to see even as fast and slicey as Diva wanted to be she wasn't as tight as she had been before. We're down to only slicing the Away flank but then blowing out. (It might have something to do with me chasing her with the stock stick...) Not ideal but better. Perhaps it's because her style is more like Tessa's but I'm actually more comfortable working her than Ryder.

We were doing great. She was helping me bring the sheep into the corral from the field. I stopped at the gate to let the sheep pass. She waited for me. As the sheep drifted through the gate ~~the earth moved~~ my winter boots lost their traction on the icy surface and I went down ~~like a graceful ballerina~~ with a thump. Diva (just like Tessa once did) was off like a shot to correct those nasty sheep. From my sprawled position I watched sheep skating across the ice with Diva in hot pursuit. Deciding the sheep were stupid to bolt (away from me, and the round bale I might add) and deserved what was coming, I carefully regained my footing, latched the gate and made my way towards the three ring circus.

Diva had the sheep cornered in a shelter and was watching them from a respectable distance away. Getting between her and the sheep I called her name. And she came. No seriously. She CAME! To me. (She has been known to bypass the human to reach the sheep.) Gathering up my safety cord (on the dog - not me), I had her help me drive the sheep back into the pen with the hay. With a pat we left the corral.

How sad is it that my dog's do better when I don't work them. What a commentary on my training that is...

Would You Do It?

2012-01-09T20:16:00.000-07:00

I had the most interesting phone call. It was from a stock dog trainer I know and am friendly with. He wanted to know if I know of anyone with younger dogs for sale. This is a man who has helped me in the past, whom I respect, and has a pretty good reputation. He has seen my dogs. If I were interested in selling, he'd be interested in buying.

Question of the day:

Would you sell Diva?

This is a dog I've been busting my rear end over trying to build a relationship with. She is to put it politely high maintenance. But, we've also been making progress. She wants to be near me now. She is developing an interest in play. She is slowly, slowly listening and responding to training better.

But it would be one less responsibility. It would also mean a loss of a playmate for Ryder.

Pros:
She's high energy and athletic. She'd be well suited to a ranch environment. She is very keen to work. She'd have her own opportunity to shine with a high end trainer.

Cons:
The trainer would flip her once she had enough training on her to be more money and sale-able to a rancher. I'd have no control over her future homes. She'd likely end up in a run or chained in a yard - many, many Border's live that way on ranches.

What would you do?

Take the easy way - sell her?

Or persevere and continue working through her issues - long run, takes time but will ultimately make me a better trainer - I hope...

Lofty Goals

2012-01-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

While tardy, I have been contemplating my personal goals for this coming year. I may not say them, but I always have them. This is something that's been weighing heavy *no pun intended* on my mind. I really, really want to get myself back into shape. This is something that really bugs me and upsets my mojo.

What I know is that when I'm active I feel better. I'm happier. I have more energy. And everything else in the world around me seems to fall into place. The world just seems better.

So here it is, my one big goal. Get back into shape.

(Oh, don't worry I realize I won't ever be in the pre-chemo shape. My body has undergone too many changes.)

Raise your glass to the treadmill, bosu ball, weights, yoga, and dogs & horses (my personal trainers)!

Do Something That Scares You

2012-01-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

I'm a confident driver. You might even label me aggressive. I grew up driving Alberta country roads, can handle snow, ice, gravel and roads with no lines on them. I've also been driving a truck and trailer since I was 18. My parents did not believe anyone younger had sufficient driving experience to manage a live load. I began hauling with my mom riding shotgun to local horse shows. With time I was hauling to gymkhana and shows alone. Soon I was hauling hours to get to the rodeos and roping's I was competing in. I learned how to navigate a section with a loaded trailer full of cowboy's horses (and a truck full of often intoxicated cowboys) to get closer to the cattle we needed to check.

When I moved to Consort I learned how to manage hauling my horses through an isolated and sometimes hostile environment. I remember once after doing grand entry for a ProRodeo a couple of hours away the wind came up. (Out there when the wind came up - it came UP!) Across the rolling prairie I could see the wall of dirt off the fields headed towards me. Knowing I quickly would see nothing I began to slow and pull onto the shoulder of the highway. As the wind rocked and buffeted the truck and trailer I could hear steel screeching. When the dirt storm moved past I notice the wind had peeled the rock guard off the front of the trailer. Once on my midnight trek home from roping (I used to travel 140km each way to practice roping.) I split a herd of deer in two as they settled on the highway in front of me. While not one of those natural drivers who can park and maneuver a trailer in tight spaces I am competent and comfortable with a loaded trailer.

Yesterday I made attempt number two at Fort St. John. My brother who works up there had just flown back from his vacation would follow me in his car up north. We pulled out of the yard at around 8:30. We reached our destination around 5:00. For the vast majority of the drive it was lovely. It was sunny, and the highway was dry and clear. The final four hours involved driving into a head wind which is always lovely for fuel economy, and there was something wrong with my trailer brakes because they kept grabbing on the rough road. Also lovely for fuel economy. Once we reached Dawson Creek my brother and his wife hopped in with me. We would go the remainder of the distance together. This last hour and half stretch is the stretch that had me scared. It involved a serious hill/mountain over a metal bridge and then into the bush on secondary roads.

I had turned off my trailer breaks because they weren't working well. Baby (my 3/4 ton Chev diesel) is equipped with an engine break and this is what I planned to use. Easing off the pedal we passed the signs telling people we were entering a chains and winter tire mandatory area. We passed the signs and pull out where the semis were required to check their breaks before continuing on. As the road began to drop and twist out beneath us I began to tap and release my breaks to keep the rig from gaining momentum. It took a few minutes for Baby to figure out that we were doing some serious work, but she quickly kicked in the engine break and slowed the truck to a crawl. With the engine roaring we crept down, down, down and past the final hair pin turn. Next we began the incline up the long, long, long metal bridge. With the truck and trailer shimmying I tried to keep a steady hand on the wheel and a steady pressure on the pedal. Huffing out a breath I looked over at my wide eyed brother and said "See why I was scared?"

Steadying myself we began to work our way off the beaten path. We had 30km of back roads to reach the ranch where Whiskey was moving to. As we cleared the city of Fort St. John, I realized the dry clear roads had come to an end. Keeping my pace slow but steady I began navigating the chunks and sheets of ice. Reminding myself to breath we forged on. And then it happened, as we began an incline the truck hit ice and the hind end shifted. My brother chanting "Easy, easy, don't break, don't break." I managed to keep the truck (and trailer) under control and on the road. At this point if I had been alone I would have been crying. Pulling into the middle of the road (secondary highway), I tried to keep my tires on the rough sanded looking part, and crawled up the hill. And then it got really, really scary.

My next road was their gravel road. This road was white and shiny with rained on snow. It was a skating rink. Popping my truck into 4x4, I began easing my way down it. Chanting "scared, scared, scared" I slowly, carefully made my way the 5 km to their driveway. We did the entire 5k doing 30 km/h. As I eyeballed the driveway and wondered if we'd make it up it, Jay looked and me and said "giver" we'd made it this far. By this time daylight was quickly fading into black and I was eager to beat a hasty retreat.

Settling Whiskey in, we went into the house to do the paperwork. She couldn't remember how much we had agreed on and I was oh so tempted to up the price. Restraining myself I stayed honest. Tempted though. Very, very tempted. (Does this make me bad?) She was very impressed with Whiskey (as most people are who meet her) and kept muttering what a nice horse she was. Paperwork done, we began to head back to civilization. Thrilled at the prospect of driving back over the scary roads I took some deep breaths, patted Baby, asked her to be good, and pulled out. It felt surreal to leave Whiskey behind. I'm not sure it's really set in that she's not coming back. Ridiculous I know. I know she'll be cared for and loved. I know she'll have some really, really nice babies.

We made it through the roads from the devil and headed to the next town where my brother is currently living (working a job). But the fun wasn't done. I still had to park the truck and trailer in his apartment parking lot, which as many things are in Northern BC, was on an incline and icy. Parked and safely in his apartment I shook with exhaustion. After a short visit, I took an Advil and crashed. An adrenalin hangover if you will. You know how they say you should do something that scares you every day? Well I say HOGWASH!!!! I hate that feeling. I don't care that everything worked out in the end.

The golden lining was the time spent with family. Due to decisions he's made in the past my relationship with my brother is shaky and somewhat fractured. We've only begun to carefully rebuild a relationship. His support meant the world to me. I tear up when I think how he made sure I didn't have to do this alone. He knew how stressed I was about doing it. I think the whole reason Whiskey was destined to go north and I was destined to drive it once he was back in town was for us to have the chance to spend time together. I took the opportunity to visit with his wife and get to know her better, and I think that all of us have a deeper understanding of each other. It was a great building block and I feel more connected with my brother.

That being said, I've reached my quota for risky and scary behavior the last couple of days...

Now off to spend time with my needy and active dogs.

Going Nowhere Fast

2012-01-03T19:30:00.001-07:00

Last night I carefully checked the road reports, carefully packed up my supplies, my dog supplies, walked around the trailer and added things that I thought I'd need. This morning I was going to attempt a run at Fort St. John, British Columbia which is where Whiskey's new home is. Click here to see the Google Map. This was no small undertaking. My plan? Get up early, drive, deliver, turn around and come home. I was looking at around 16-18 hours of driving.

Here's what really happened. I got up, showered, loaded my truck while playing with the dogs and feeding the horse. My tummy was upset so I chugged some PeptoBismal and packed that as well as a kit full of my "safe" foods. I then took the dogs out for their final pre-leaving potty. And Ryder had the trots. Fabulous. I had planned to take Ryder and Diva, with my mom scheduled to come and take Tessa to the farm until I returned. Leaving Ryder behind meant I'd also leave Diva (so they had play buddies). This also meant rearranging my garage so that they couldn't eat anything they're not supposed to - such as recycling or shoes. I took the Exercise pens out of their boxes and created a barrier, leaving them the one parking space, front and access to the doggy doors. I filled up an extra water bowl and placed it in their area, and pulled their collars off. I didn't want to risk them hooking their collars on anything or getting tangled while wrestling. (This is why I love Sherry's slip collars!) This change of plans set my departure time back by an hour.

Feeling somewhat strange I loaded and left. It's weird for me not to travel with at least one dog. Hitting Whitecourt (about 2 hours in) I had a great conversation with an older man who was filling up next to me. (Part of my strategy was to top off my tank at each larger center - this is my wilderness driving strategy!) He asked where I was headed and then informed me they were calling for freezing rain. Pointing my truck north I kept driving. It was drizzling off and on but our temperature was hovering around the melting mark so I figured I'd be okay. Because my homemade CDs would not work (!!!) I was flicking and finding radio stations as each area lost reception. It was in the Grand Prairie radio zone when they announced a freezing rain warning was in effect and that it was anticipated freezing rain would last the next 24 hours. Nervous now, I kept driving. I kept driving through the increasing rain.

I was about 15 minutes from reaching Valleyview. (To get to Valleyview takes about 3.5 hours.) My phone rang. It was Kelly (where I was headed). She said it had started snowing 20 minutes ago. Eeek. I am an admitted wimpo. I'll admit it scares me to drive the mountain passes in the winter with a trailer. It makes me nervous without a trailer when there's snow on the ground. Yes I have 4x4, but I don't have chains - and that was the type of country I was headed into. I told her I'd think about what I was going to do. I needed to decide if I was going to turn around or push through. The road I was driving on was wet. This meant once dark hit there was potential for ice. Even more potential for ice if the storm hit. My gut clenched with stress I called my mom. I wanted to get her opinion. Valleyview was my point of no return. Any further and it would just be shorter to keep on to my destination (still 4-5 hours away). I stopped at a truck stop, parked and fretted. Weighing the various options. I didn't have time to get a hotel and wait it out. (Which could take 1-2 days.) Plus I didn't pack a bale of hay for the horse - who I could turn loose in the stock trailer, making it into a stall. Finally my fear of the mountain passes during a storm pushed me into a decision. I decided to turn back. I called Kelly to let her know. Of course she tells me the snow seems to be letting up. That's fine given the fact that there's still 500 km (about 310 miles) to drive. With the rain warning in effect I would basically be driving into the storm front and not away from it. This made me worry. Even if I made it safely to BC I still had to make it safely home. My gut was screaming at me that it wasn't a good decision to continue on. I decided to listen to it.

So I turned around. Poor Whiskey. What a good girl. When I got home and unloaded her she looked around, seemingly confused. You could see her thinking - isn't this where I just left? The trailer is a mess and I need to take it to the farm to clean out and put fresh shavings in.

Tentative plan is to make another attempt on Friday - once the weather up north clears. My brother who lives up north will be back from his trip and I'll have some extra people around. This makes me feel a bit more secure and safe.

How Did You Spend New Years?

2011-12-31T21:17:00.000-07:00

Warning! Gross Post!

This morning I had the rudest of awakenings. I woke up to the lovely sound of retching. Springing out of bed as fast as I could (at 6:30 in the morning), I hustled towards the ominous sound. It was Ryder. Puking up the bits of toy he decided to eat Friday night. Now, I had thought I'd caught him quickly enough. Apparently I was a smidge too slow. Not only did he puke up the hunk of barbell I caught him destroying, he puked up a huge portion of the toy Tessa had destroyed.

You know the warnings, dog must be supervised, blah, blah, blah. Well, I DO supervise the little wrecking machines! You would be stunned at how quickly they can get into trouble. All it took was me walking into the next room to get a drink of water. And Whammy! Brand. New. Toy. Poof! Gone! Well a good sized hunk of it anyhow. I promptly took it away and threw it out. Meanwhile, behind the couch Tessa was happily ripping the stuffing out of the Brand. New. Toy. Unbeknownst to me, Ryder had also helped himself to the innards of this toy. How do I know? Well, at 6:30 in the morning when he puked it all up there were hunks of the toy I took from him, as well as this plastic and stuffing that had been in Tessa's toy. Lovely.

Then on our walk in the park I noticed he was struggling a bit to do his business. Very out of character for my speedy doody man. Telling myself not to panic or get too worried before I checked the dog run at home. Once home, I noticed some diarrhea and stool so I decided against calling the vet. Bowel movement had to be a positive thing.

About an hour after he eats his supper he so kindly puked it all back up. On my freshly cleaned floor. This prompted some agony over calling my vet on New Years Eve. Some Internet searching induced paranoia prompted the phone call. Where I was informed to watch him. Closely. She gave me some advice of what I should feed him to try and help him pass things on his own. So here I am. Waiting for my dog to puke or present some fabulous diarrhea. Let the good times roll. If he gets worse, the vet will meet me at the clinic and we'll begin some diagnostics. Come morning we're to make a decision if he needs further care.

Yep, I am that girl. Here's a sampling of one of the puke's I cleaned off my floor. Nummy!

Have You Heard Of This?

2011-12-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

Here in Canada is a show called Dragon's Den. It's my understanding that it's similar to the US show Shark Tank. Anyhow, it's a show I rather enjoy. This group was on the show: Holy Crap. Interesting name, I know. It is an apropos name. Ehm, my friend had introduced me to the cereal Holy Crap, and I have recently discovered Skinny B. I've been putting the Skinny B into my morning breakfast shake. It's healthy, a bit on the gritty side (full of seeds), and keeps my tummy happy. Check it out.

Hey, if the name doesn't make you curious - what will? :)

Something I Thought I'd Never Do...

2011-12-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

Feeling at loose ends with Whiskey I'd emailed Roxy's breeder. I asked if they were interested in a free breeding lease. I just don't need a broodmare and don't want to breed her for no reason. Really, how many babies do I need? The response? Would I be willing to sell her?

Gulp.

Now what?

Do I take the reasonable offer for a broodmare sound only horse? I'm relatively confident she'd be taken care of. I think she'd make a nice cross with their stallion. Or do I hold onto her?

Remember this is a horse I love. She's such a nice mare. She has a great disposition, personality and athletic ability. Even though she's permanently lame.

But...

She'll never produce the cutter of my dreams. She's rather large for that. And ethically I can't breed her just cause she has a uterus.

What to do? What to do?

New Friend

2011-12-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of the perfect days for me. It's December and the temperature was not minus frigid. I got to load my truck with dogs and had a trailer on behind me. We ended up spending the day at Ken's. I was going to pick up a yearling to take to keep Guinness company. Both babies were to be moved to my place.

I pulled into his yard and promptly tried to get the truck and trailer stuck. Hitting a soft spot in the snow = not cool. I managed to solve the problem myself with some creative language, sweat, and ace maneuvering. One of my favorite things about Ken's is that I have someone who loves horses and dogs just as much as I do. Our first job was to catch his baby, trim his feet, tie him up, and make sure he loads. While we were doing this we chatted horses. Ken has a lovely, lovely 3 year old that was his top futurity prospect (cutting). She got caught up in oil lease wire and tore the tar outta her hock. It was heartbreaking because she's now worth virtually nothing and the oil company won't pay the vet bill (1900 and counting) or loss of value. He is understandably frustrated. We went and looked at his weanlings. I picked out my favorite. *huge smile*

Next I worked Ryder. He gave me some feedback on things I'm doing and gave me some things to think about. On leash Ryder was really weird. Ken has a young guardian pup that Ryder took a dislike to. No ruffled back, just growling. I could lie Ryder down, move him around, have him focus on me. Yet he continued to growl at the pup. Any suggestions for making him "give up" the behavior? He was completely in control and didn't make any negative moves towards the other dog. Just staying in heel or sit/stay. But growled. Big sigh. He's normally so soft so I was slightly startled that he was that determined to keep growling.

Afterwards horse was loaded, dogs had a potty break and we hit the road. Once home at the farm, Guinness was a naughty brat who decided he was not leading. Not. For. Anything. Yes, it's timely he comes home for some work.

Here's his new bud. (As of yet - no name.)

Dog Fun

2011-12-27T15:03:00.001-07:00

The dogs and I went to an agility trainer for a private lesson today. It was lots and lots of fun! We went to work with Justine who has an outstanding reputation as an agility trainer. I decided to start with Diva, as she can be the most tricky to deal with. I was impressed with the fact that we were able to engage Diva in play. This is a milestone for us and so very exciting! We worked on playing. We worked on turning tight circles in both directions. We worked on a sit/stay/release and sit/stay with distraction. This is something Diva struggles with (and because she struggles - so do I.) We worked on going around an obstacle (jump standard) with speed and enthusiasm. What left me thrilled was how happy she was. Her little tail flagged in the air, and her mouth seemed to smile. She was relaxed, not stressed as we worked through the activities. She even engaged in play with Justine. (Diva's not one for strangers.)

Putting her back in the truck I grabbed Ryder. Justine broke into a smile when I grabbed the flying squirrel and Ryder enthusiastically went chasing after it. We started out with some play. Next we worked on big circles and tacked on a "here" command. Ryder also worked on the jump standard exercise. One that he found hard was to stand on a Rubbermaid tub. We wanted to help him become more aware of his space and body. Right now I'm using treats to lure him onto it, but that'll be extinguished as time goes on. We also did an activity where only his hind feet stayed on tub and his front feet stayed on the ground. We did ready set go with him which he was quite good at. And the icing on the cake was he got to do the tunnel. He cracked me up because once he figured out what to do he'd retrieve his toy and come back through the tunnel. Too funny! The next step is to chain a circle onto the end of the tunnel.

Overall I'm thrilled with how are day went. I'm happy to have some exercises we can easily do at home to help keep them busy mentally. I even play to teach this stuff to Tessa.

Doesn't Ryder look happy with himself?

(Sorry his eyes look strange - I tried to remove the crazy glow look and this is what I ended up with...)

Ooo! Ooooh! I Gotta Plan!

2011-12-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

A stroke of brilliance came upon me as I was driving home yesterday. (While I was listening to that song that goes "Ooooo! Oh! I gotta feeling!") *humming* I need... er.... want a buddy for Guinness. I also need to pay for school. This was putting me in a bit of a quandary. But in a moment of genius it occurred to me that my buddy Ken has a gazillion horses.

Tonight I called him up and outlined my plan. Surprised he was happy to agree (once he realized it wouldn't cost him anything). I'll be driving to Drayton Valley to pick up one of his yearlings. I'll keep it here, play with it when I play with Guinness, and give it lot's of regular handling. When he's ready to start we can switch it out with something different. This is optimal for me. It won't cost me anything and solves my problem of having Guinness either live alone or having to buy something to keep him company.

An absolute win-win situation as far as I'm concerned. Now cross your fingers that this wonderful mild weather we're having here stays!

And Then Plan B Kicked In

2011-12-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

Isn't it funny how things change. Two hours ago I was on the phone talking horses. Making plans to go view some young horses. And then an email hit my Blackberry changing those plans. I had sent out queries to a variety of universities regarding graduate programs. Yesterday I received some information back from the University of Portland. (My first choice.)

Today I received an email from the program coordinator. I quickly hopped on the phone and a short conversation later I was on a completely different path. As of thirty minutes ago, I became enroute to starting official graduate classes for a Master of Education in Educational Leadership. I start classes in January, which means I'm now scrambling to gather paperwork and money. Mostly because I wasn't expecting things to move quite this quickly. (Someone canceled their spot!) My first class is January 19th!

This means I really don't have the money for another horse - even if it is bargain basement. The young horse project will need to wait. Big sigh.

Questions

2011-12-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

For all my doggy people out there...
How old should a dog be when you do all the testing (for example hips)?
What are some great tricks or games to play with your dog?

For my horsey people...
This is Izzy's full sister - 2011 version. I've been pondering a buddy for Guinness. Then I'd move him (and company) here. I don't really like him hanging around with the big horses all the time. I'd have to go look at her. She may not be what I like or want. But would have potential as a cutter - her grandsire would be Guinness' dad.

(Picture owned by Bar XS Ranch.)

(This image owned by Painted River Ranch.)

Or this lovely filly - not a cutting prospect but fits my color scheme... these breeders have an outstanding reputation of having wonderful dispositions in their horses. She's a 2010 version, so would not put pressure on the bank account over training all at the same time. This filly is bred to show, not cut, but would make a nice all around. However, there is Guinness as my all around prospect.

Well? Am I nuts? Or do I just need something more to do? What would you do?

Be Still My Heart

2011-12-15T18:21:00.000-07:00

Last night, as I pulled my truck into the garage, Diva shot out. Cursing under my breath I parked, closed the big door, gave Ryder some love and unloaded my stuff. My next big move was to head into the house for some highly motivating food.

Knowing Diva likes to play the "can't catch me, I'm a little #$@$^ game" I purposefully went to the back deck door. Flipping on the deck lights I could see the little rotter sitting out there. Perky as you please. Taking a deep breath, trying to create positive energy waves, I opened the door. As I pulled open the door the strangest thing happened. Diva came bolting, full speed for me. As she joyfully greeted me, I gave her a dehydrated fish bite. I was slightly stunned. Tonight the same thing happened. And. She. Came. Running.

I must admit I've gotten so used to her being naughty I'm not entirely sure what to think.

Can I stick with it??

2011-12-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

I've laid out my current action plan. I'm really hopeful this may be realistic and achievable.

I'll put it into action during break as there are simply too many interruptions right now to be consistent.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday mornings - prior to work - run on treadmill.
Each morning the dogs get a short "cardio" prior to work.
Tuesday and Thursday evenings I'd like to start a hot yoga class. (If not something else physical.)
Each evening do the subdivision loop - (2.2 k or about 1.5 miles) - with the dogs.
Each evening do 5-10 minutes of "mental" work with each dog. Either tricks, obedience training, etc.

Weekends are free. Meaning I can do what I want - likely some herding and hopefully some riding. The horse stuff is out on weekdays unless I want to haul to a stable and that has it's own inherent challenges in winter. (No light and cold weather with outside horse.)

We shall see how I do...

Goal Setting

2011-12-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

I've become leery of setting goals with my animals. It seems we've been spending more time on plan B than anything. That being said, this is the time of year when I begin thinking about goals. So here's to Plan A!

Goal One:
I want to ride more. Even in winter, even when my horse is not in a warm cushy stable. Yup, I need to stop being so wussy. I want to ride bareback - which based on Bacardi's behavior the other day may be a poor decision. I'm looking forward to riding over winter break with Jason. I miss being around him and Chrissy. I miss being at the barn.

Goal Two:
I will have Ryder ready to stretch out his drive and outrun come spring. He'll know his direction commands. I will do something, anything with Diva. I plan to take a tracking course come spring with them. Here's hoping one or the other (preferably Diva) likes it.

Goal Three:
I will make it to the UK and work dogs at some point in the next 12 months.

Settling In

2011-12-09T21:52:00.000-07:00

I've been slowly settling into my new house. My kitchen is undergoing phase two of organization as I've decided I need to move my baking stuff. The living room now has a TV (after weeks!!), and the lone two couches. More furniture will be purchased once I get myself a bit more organized. The biggest accomplishment was taking Tessa's pics to the framing shop. A couple of years ago I had professional pictures of Tessa taken on sheep. She's ridiculously camera shy so this is no easy feat. I'm super excited to get them back. (The framing was more than the bloody pictures!!)

The dogs are slowly settling in. Tessa's having a tough time. Part of this could be winter - last winter was brutal for her. Part of this is most definitely the move. She's doing more "crazy" things. Staring into space. Putting herself to bed. Getting confused. Refusing to go potty outside. (Which wreaks havoc with my morning routine and getting to work.) It's pretty clear her hearing and eye sight has deteriorated since summer. Ryder is such an amazing boy. I'm blessed he made his way back into my life. He takes the toys to Tess. He sniffs and cleans her bum - especially after she's been outside. When she's having a really bad day, he licks her face, and lays near her. I've started contemplating how to tell my class she may not make the winter. She'll be in as "guest" teacher next week for a day. I'm also blessed my administration supports having her in my room. (I'm regularly approached by staff requesting her.)

As Tessa ages, I'm very careful with her when she's around the kids. At one time I would have no qualms. I need to keep her safe, especially when she's tired. I need to make sure the kids don't maul her. This group is really good. They respect her and when I tell them she needs a nap they leave her be. It never fails to amaze me how she picks the kids that need her the most to be around. It never fails to amaze me how joyful they become with her. I know she'll be a calming influence with the Christmas crazies quickly approaching. (We go right up to the 23rd.) But I also know the days are limited that she'll be strong enough to handle a busy classroom environment.

Diva has not been good with Tessa's decline. She's taking the attitude of wanting to be Queen Bee. This creates work for me, but we're managing the situation. On the positive side, Diva's been wanting to engage in play more often, and seems to be developing a stronger attachment to me. Her recall still stinks. But is sloooooooowwwwwwwlllllly improving. On the negative side, Ryder was a little bully at the dog park last weekend. Clearly I need to get back to doing some work with him that way. He was very ruffled when we were leaving. Need to get him out more and reinforce his manners. Part of the problem is he wants to protect me. But he must learn when this is appropriate behavior. (For example someone breaking into the house - appropriate for him to react.)

Pictures to follow tomorrow of my favorite house feature!

A Little Research

2011-12-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some research into the whole search and rescue thing. Diva, unfortunately, very likely wouldn't pass their tests - due to some of her quirks. Maybe time and training will change that. Ryder, probably would. I emailed the Edmonton region group to get some more information. I think to begin with I'd like to take a lesson or two with a tracking person and see what happens. I'd like to take both young dogs and get an assessment done with a qualified person to see if they have any talent or interest.

And from there I'll make some decisions. The SAR lady gave me an email of a person she recommends for tracking training, so that's my next step.

The Moments That Define Us

2011-12-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

This week was a horrifically scary one for me. One of the days after school when a wee little student should have met their mother after school, they didn't show up. We systematically searched classrooms, and under playground equipment. We looked through the eyes of a six year old and tried to think like one. The police were notified. After 40 minutes had passes another parent phoned it. A student had shown up at their house, but while they were on the phone with the school, this student disappeared. With a neighborhood narrowed down and our daylight quickly waning, we quickly hopped into our vehicles and began searching for the little one. With our area clear we moved on to another area, phoning it in we received the good news. A completely different parent saw the little one wandering and picked them up. We had our happy ending but the outcome could have been different. It was an hour of searching for this child. Worrying.

This was a defining moment for me. It made me wonder if my dogs would be capable of searching for the child had the situation been different. It's something that I may look into. Who knows, maybe this is where Diva with her strong prey drive and athletic ability, has a talent. Ryder I think would be too sensitive. Something to consider. I may have to google it and learn some more.

I know, I know. I shouldn't consider putting more on my plate. I really should finish training Ryder on sheep. I should just focus on one thing. Time will tell which road I take...

Good Morning

2011-11-30T21:05:00.002-07:00

Helping Out

2011-11-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we just need a helping hand. Someone to step up and help take some of the load off. My friend's mom had just had hip surgery. She needed someone to help the farrier. I was willing and able to help out. So that's what I did.

It's always awkward to spend time making small talk with a random stranger. Or at least it is for me... anyhow, I greeted him and said I'd be helping out. I had already brought the horses into the little barn and was ready for Operation Trim. In response to his query I told him I had three horses and had done 4-H with Jeanne's girls. His response? Oh, so you're her girls age. O-kay.... Smiling and nodding I continued to talk "horse" with him while he trimmed the horses hooves. Once we finished I told him he could pop by the house and Jeanne would pay him. His response??

Can you take off your toque (winter woven head gear for my American friends)? O-kay....

It took me a moment to ponder whether or not I'd comply. I gave an awkward laugh, shook my head and pulled off my hat. Immediately my static filled hair followed, and I quickly shoved my hat back on. The look of bafflement must have clued him in and he explained that he liked being able to recognize people when he sees them in town...

Good luck my friend. Good Luck.

My attire? Black sweat pants, black Sorel winter boots, a large and bulky Carhart winter jacket, big black mittens and my pretty ski toque. Add to this no make up and glasses...

Yep, good luck recognizing me in my town attire....

But how can you not laugh. I climbed into my truck and began to giggle. Funniest thing to happen to me in a looooooonnnnnng time!

Animal Pictures

2011-11-27T18:55:00.001-07:00

Ryder and Diva racing in the park.

Guinness catching a nap.

Guinness and Bacardi stalking me - kept following me making picture taking very challenging.

Bacardi

Buddies having drink.

New sheep.

Wild...

Guinness - fat little fart!

Perhaps this is why he's so fat!

Bella, with her sheep.

House pics

2011-11-27T18:25:00.001-07:00

Kitchen - whoever planned it out mustn't have been a cook - note all the tile counter tops... BUT note ALL the counter space!

More kitchen view...

Look at the cupboard space!

(And the "old school" cupboards!)

My couches - now covered with old flannel sheets to dog "proof" them.

Living room - facing where the TV will go...

Bathroom

Office and Dog Room - this is where they'll spend the night in crates/pens.

Less Tessa who'll sleep in my room on her bed.

Spare bedroom

My bedroom.

Once I have all my furniture, everything unpacked and organized, and art work up. I'll take new and improved pictures.

Superstar

2011-11-27T08:32:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was farrier day. It was Guinness' first time having his feet picked up! And I was stunned with his behavior. It was totally unexpected. Normally, when a young horse gets it's feet picked up for the first time there's some jumping about. Often you'll see some mini rears, speedy backing up, and pawing or swinging of feet. (Based on my past experiences.)

So this is what I was expecting. It didn't happen. First we trimmed Bacardi. Guinness hung out and made a general pest of himself. Next, I walked up to Guinness and slipped a halter on him. I led him closer to Derek. Derek gave him a few pets and then reached down and asked for his front foot. There was some swinging of the foot, but it was as if a light bulb went off in his head. "Oh, all you want to do is pick it up??" And that was the extent of the expected baby tantrum. Blew me away. His head came down, his ears relaxed to the side and he chewed and licked his lips.

The other four feet went easier. Derek said when he asked for his feet Guinness gave them gentle, and Derek didn't need to use much pressure in the asking.

It has made me believe with every fiber of my being that you can't train a nice temperament into a horse - it's either their or not. Case in point - Buddy the demon horse. He was a blank slate horse, range wild when I got him. And his disposition and attitude remained awful. I'm convinced he was bi-polar. This is the horse that would hunt you down and chase you in the pen. He couldn't live with any other horse or livestock because he was so mean to them. And after three months of training he decided he was going to buck and that was the end of the story. This is a horse I gave up on - sold for $500. Best decision I've ever made. The only thing I worried about is that he'd hurt someone - but he did kick the man who bought him (while he was looking) and showed his true colors. So he knew what he was buying.

Guinness, now there's a whole different experience.

Scared Awake

2011-11-23T18:41:00.001-07:00

Between the move and my courses I'm not quite as on top of my work as per normal. This means I've been putting in major hours for my report cards. Last night I didn't make it to bed until after 11. Which for me is crazy late. I was comfortably asleep when Ryder stood up (hardwood = clacking feet), and began to growl, deep in his throat. You know, the serious business growl. Still trying to sleep, I shushed him. And then I heard it. The hard to place, not quite right sound.

I lay there barely breathing, listening with every fiber of my being. And still the sound. Was it in the house? Outside? I couldn't tell. Ryder made the flying leap onto my bed, and sat alertly, staring out my window. Growling. And then a big serious bark. Sitting up as though pulled with a string I fumbled for my glasses. Crawling closer to the window I peered out. The light pollution from the increasingly near large city providing a faint illumination. I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. Freezing, I stared, stomach clenching as Ryder began to bark in earnest.

There! What was that! Oh holy crap!

Oh... it looks like.. a coyote??

Seriously?

This close to my house?

Relieved it didn't have two legs, the dogs and I made our way to the deck door and watched. Ryder poofed up, growling, and watching intently. Tessa back to the window barking when Ryder let out his warning barks. And then it went streak past my deck. Close enough to rope. A massive coyote. I think. Biggest I've seen with plush fur and a filled out tail. Looked about the size of a German Shepherd but had the coloring of a coyote. Calming Ryder I made my way back to bed.

Ryder, once again leaped up onto my bed and stood sentinel at the window growling.

This is how I fell asleep. That is until Ryder let out another massive bark, jolting me out of my sleep, and causing me to hallucinate a man standing at the end of my bed. Thank you Ryder, and Thank you sleep deprivation.

Let me tell you that got the old ticker going.

Yep, it was a restful sleep last night...

Dirty Little Rotter!

2011-11-21T17:39:00.001-07:00

I have rotten naughty dogs. Somedays I think life would be so much easier if I lived in a condo with no little fur balls. In particular black and white fur balls that have been up to NO. GOOD. Yesterday I settled down to eat breakfast. When I finished and traversed the 10 ft to the bedroom I saw something offensive.... my favorite pink Ariat baseball cap sitting in the dog bed. Wet and chewed on. I believe the offending culprit was Diva. Who was - pardon the expression - tickled pink.

Last night I had a nasty surprise. My basement is pretty much empty right now. I have a big open room that I plan to use for exercise (myself) and play/training (dogs). There, on the rug the previous owners had left behind, were three little turds. Trying to bolster my attitude I used some self talk. Things along the lines of "it's okay, maybe their dog had had an accident here too".

This morning, after getting dressed and brushing my teeth, I went to do a basement walk through. I was astonished and right ticked off to discover someone had left behind some MORE little lumps of love. You can imagine my expression when I turned around to see that Ryder had pee'd on the pillar (only males can get it up that high). I was ripped! Calling him, he sees me standing by the steaming puddle of pee and turns tail. He flat out refused to come near his mess. The most frustrating part is all the dogs had already been outside in the run for morning business. Grrrrr.....

The basement will remain out of bounds for all dogs. The offending rug has been hauled outside. And Ryder will be on a leash by me at all times he's not locked up. The kicker?? No mess in the garage today - I was gone from 7:30 - 4:00. Seriously.

Moving Mess

2011-11-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

Jokes on me. I took a bunch of pictures to show my moving mess. Only I can't find the card reader for my old school Mac. (Just waiting for it to kick the bucket before I buy a new one.) Last night I caved. I couldn't stand it anymore and organized my kitchen. I thought my report cards took priority. Silly me.

The pups have been wreaking havoc in the garage while I'm at work. I need to get the dog door and panels set up to limit them to the outside run and their section of the heated garage. We've made it through our first work week alone. I was really worried about the babies and their ability to "hold it" while I was off working. This is something they've never had to do. And Tessa, well, we're coming off a pretty bad "crazy" day. But all dogs were good dogs and did their business outside. What more can a girl ask for?

It's bloody stinking cold outside (-25C or about -13F). This is our first cold snap and snow fall and nothing has acclimatized. I'm going to be running home and grabbing a winter blanket for Whiskey as she refuses to use her shelter (totally out of character for her). She seems fine but her coat isn't as plush as I'd like it. I'll blanket her up for this first snap and when it warms up take it off. This will give her some more time to grow more hair. I don't mind snow on the horse's back (according to the old cowboys it's insulating), but she's got some ice balls which are just not nice.

This weekend has dog vaccinations and new tires for me. Oh ya, and writing report cards....

Contemplating Crazy

2011-11-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

I am contemplating crazy. Stark raving loony-toons. So this has struck a chord within me.

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-pets-livestock-for-sale-Price-Reduced-Buckskin-APHA-Tobiano-Broke-Stud-W0QQAdIdZ330682212

This ad has been up for a while. The price was much higher a day ago. Why this horse out of the thousands out there jumps out at me - I'll never know. But he intrigues me. He fires up my imagination. He makes me wonder "What if..." This could be backlash from spending my cutting fund on house stuff. But what if this horse was willing to work cows? What if he had the disposition, conformation and ability I need?

The truly funny thing is I'm not a super huge fan of color. I generally like plain with no white.

And yet, here I am, contemplating crazy...

Chaos

2011-11-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm officially in the new digs. Dad and I put up the chain link panels creating a dog run attached to the garage. (Heated!!!) Next step is to get a dog door installed so they can go out and potty at will while I'm away at work. My bed is in the living room. Yup, but as I have no other furniture in there right now, that's okay. My kitchen is filled with boxes. My garage is filled with boxes. Whiskey is hanging in her new field. Unhappily I think. She was much more unsettled than I expected her to be. Wasn't eating very much, but seems better now.

The dogs are also rather unsettled. Tessa was extremely worried, so I gave her an extra Clomicalm and took her to work with me today. Diva and Tessa are starting to war. This is new. I'm doing a lot of maintenance with them right now. As soon as things settle down I plan to give everyone individual training time. Ryder is awesome. He settles in and lays down, watching what's going on. He's my faithful shadow. While Diva is super-snooper. It's been fun keeping her out of trouble.

When it's not blizarding I'll get some pictures up of the mess. I have no plans to tackle any of the mess until my report cards are done and my final paper for my class is handed in. I must admit, very excited to get my Internet hooked up today...

Lest We Forget

2011-11-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

Today is Remembrance Day here. Today is the day we take a moment to think about and remember those soldiers who have fallen. For some it's just a day off work. For me, it's a day that tugs at the heart strings. It's a day that can strike a little too close to home. I have friends, and extended family that are either active military or former military. These are people who have served my country. They have gone to strife filled countries to try and stabilize them so they too could enjoy some of the rights and freedoms I take for granted here. These brave men and women will ensure I'll continue to enjoy the life I lead. They are the people who have stepped up and are willing to go forth for my country. For that reason they'll forever have my undying respect and appreciation.

When I was in France I walked the trenches of Vimy Ridge, now a serene pock marked park. Let's not forget the sacrifices our soldiers have made. Let's not forget that there are families who are short brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers.

Lest We Forget....

Beloved Whiskey mare

2011-11-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

Tonight I made it out to the barn. I brushed Whiskey and popped her on the lunge line. I hadn't been out for almost two weeks. This video I took on BlackBerry. Sorry, we get dark early here this time of year and the arena lighting is - arena lighting. I think the video shows off some of the reasons why I love this horse so much. In one hand I have the lunge line, the other my cell phone. I've gotta admit I get a bit depressed when I work with her knowing she'll only be broodmare sound. I also think she looks great having just had her baby weaned.

New Home

2011-11-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

Front View

Really not a big fan of the blah brown siding, but, beggars can't be choosers!

Field and barn area.

Backyard view.

FREAK Out!

2011-11-02T19:37:00.000-06:00

I'm in the midst of a freak out. (And immediately scrolling through my head is the song ...freak out, c'est chic... don't know the rest of the lyrics, and there's a really good chance those are wrong...) No seriously. I'm having a wee bit of a panic attack/guilt attack. On Monday I took possession of my new digs. However, I'd been having a dilly of a time making sure the utilities were transferred into my name. Major fear and paranoia over frozen water lines - it is that time of year here. After jumping through ridiculous hoop after hoop everything was finally sorted out yesterday evening.

On Monday, when the realtor handed over the keys and we did our walk through I was oh so happy to discover the missing baseboards - still missing, the massive manure pile - still massive, and the icing on the cake.... they had cut the electric fence and pulled off the power source. Lovely. Literally sawed through the tape/line. To put it politely - I was annoyed. It's the principle of the thing. My realtor managed to get the manure pile removed yesterday, but the rest is now my work project. To compound things I've been getting home late. Making for wild and crazy dogs.

Whiskey is still at the stable, letting her bag dry up. I've been fretting about having her inside with winter swiftly approaching. The plan is to move her to my new place for the next few weeks. This way she can continue developing her winter coat, and is in a safe place removed from her baby. This means hauling enough squares to feed her, and ensuring the previous owners junk is gone from the barnyard area. Add to that stripping the now useless and slack electric wiring off the fencing. (Heart attack if she got caught up in it!)

Let's not forget I have a major and slightly massive paper due on Monday. Or that my report cards need to be done immediately after that. Oh AND I'm moving. Or trying to before the snow flies. Garck! Did I take on too much??

FREAK OUT!!

Dog Daze

2011-10-30T16:56:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I pulled up my big girl panties and worked all 3 of my dogs on sheep. And I surprised myself. I discovered that Diva - who has been on sheep holiday - has improved. Who knew not working her would make her better? Calvin, that's who. She'll go back on holiday and I'll pop her back on sheep in December to see where we're at. Ryder was awesome. He's starting to figure out his commands. For the direction commands he's about 50%, walk up and lie down he's at 100%, and he's walking up further and further away from me in a drive situation. Tessa got a tune up. We worked on rounding out our flanks and being more crisp to take the commands.

Today, I picked up Lynne and Zoey and drove to Gibbons to walk with Stacy and Luke. It was really cool to see the four pups together. After our trek along the river valley, we played on the agility equipment. Well, I didn't but Lynne and Stacy did. Luke had to show off his skills. Here's some video of him working. It's not edited - just straight off the camera but you'll get the gist.

To help with winter boredom, I found and bought some weave poles that I'm going to set up in my basement. I think it'll be good to play with when we can't do much outside due to arctic and snow conditions. Next, I plan to find a couple jumps to add to the collection. This will be something I can do with the three dogs when we're housebound.

Confidence

2011-10-29T10:09:00.000-06:00

Last night I lay in bed and pondered how I got to where I'm at. I was thinking about Ryder. He'd been sick and was showing signs of improvement. Because he'd been sick I had brought all the dogs into my room, to make it easier to monitor him and take him out if needed. (And boy, have we had a few sleepless nights!) I'm not sure if it was something he ate or a bug, but a trip into the vet and some meds have made a world of difference.

I was laying there thinking about what a nice fellow he is. And I was wondering why I'm not chomping at the bit to work him. He really is astoundingly easy to train. I was wondering why with FarmFair around the corner I'm not eagerly anticipating watching the dogs go. There was a point in time when I would have lived and died by these events. So what's changed? With Ryder, I know that I don't have the confidence to train him. I don't trust myself to make the right decisions. I don't trust myself to do the caliber of job he deserves. I get locked into paranoia over what the correct next step is in his training progression.

I lay there wondering what has caused this. I certainly wasn't always like this. I used to overflow with confidence and an unshakeable belief in my abilities. Take the horses for example. I used to happily hop on anything. Now, even though I know I have the ability to handle what they may toss my way I'm scared. Roxy- case in point. She didn't do anything I wasn't able to ride. Not once was I in danger of falling off. But I was terrified to get on her. It really doesn't make sense. I know I haven't been as confident after my accident. But that was over 10 years ago! I've rode lot's since then.

So the question of the day is - if you know your confidence has fled, how do you go about getting it back?

Whiskey

2011-10-25T20:02:00.000-06:00

I've been going out to the barn to longe Whiskey. Call me paranoid but I want to make sure she's getting enough movement. To be honest, I'd been contemplating giving her away to a good home. And I can't! I just love her so much. She cracks me up. This mare loves to work. When we stand in the alley leading into the arena, she gets more alert. I'll snap the longe line on, lead her in, and watch her move into a long trot. She'll snort and blow, with a head toss for variety. A cluck brings on a ground eating canter. I'll have to get some video of her doing this. It's so clear in her expression and behavior how much she loves having a job. I feel bad she's not sound enough to get one.

All I know for sure is she's incredibly enjoyable to be around.

Weaning Time

2011-10-23T13:22:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year. Where in the natural cycle of things the babies leave the nest. Figuratively speaking. Yesterday afternoon, I brought the horses in, tossed down some hay, caught Whiskey and loaded her up to take her away for a week or so. I thought things would be easier if they couldn't hear each other. My hope was that this would be the safest way to do things. After consulting with Rhonda and GB - very experienced breeders - the decision was made to take Whiskey to their stable. This would leave Guinness in a familiar environment with his buddy Bacardi.

As I drove off, Whiskey started to call and Bacardi answered but no one started to run around. At the stable Whiskey was a bit bug eyed but settled into her stall fairly easily. When I checked on Guinness and Bacardi they were both contentedly eating their hay.

Buddies

"Where's Whiskey?"

"I guess I'm OK..."

"Where's my baby?"

"I guess I'll survive..."

I went and longed Whiskey today, just to make sure she was getting enough movement. Her poor udder is full to the top. Youch!

What To Do??

2011-10-22T14:34:00.000-06:00

Sam (my vet) came out today. Whiskey has been moving a lot better so I wanted to get her assessed to see if she would be able to make a riding come back. Sam watched her move. Then we did the flex test. It was ugly. While "off" normally, when the flex test was done she was clearly lame. Because I wanted to know and asked Sam thought she'd have a less than 50% chance in making a riding horse for me. I could hop on her and take her for jaunts around the field but she'd never be able to do anything beyond that.

So now what? I have this lovely mare who is broodmare sound. But I don't really need a broodmare. I don't really need (or want) a bunch of foals. Does she become a field ornament? It seems a shame as Guinness is quite a nice little foal. (Even Sam commented on him!) What's the right thing to do? For me, and her?

I guess there's some thinking in my future...

There's Always Plan B

2011-10-21T09:25:00.001-06:00

With the purchase of my new acreage, which was OVER my limit, it's making me have to shuffle a few plans and dreams. This okay. I know things will still happen in due time. Because this place was 15 000 over my preferred price, I'm having to use some of my horse fund to purchase things and get my new home up and running. This means no new cutting horse this winter. I've had Bacardi listed in a variety of places and the only nibbles I've had have been inappropriate. (Just because a horse has training does NOT make them a children's horse.) Last night I called a man I used to know back in the roping days. In January, Bacardi will head to Camrose for two months of professional rope horse training. I respect the man who I've talked to. This family has won multiple team roping championships. Many of these on horses they've trained. We share a similar philosophy when it comes to how we train and ride. This is important.

They'll work with Bacardi in the box, and evaluate whether she'll make a head horse (my first preference as this is what I used to do) or heel horse. And then they'll put miles on her. She'll get roped off and started right. And this will leave me with a horse to putter around on. A horse I can go rope off, turn back on or just ride. With this added money and time put into her I probably won't put her up for sale again. That being said, I have not let go of my cutting horse dream. I will continue to whittle money away and I'll continue to have a relationship with Jason and Chrissy. I just recognize things will be moving a little slower for me.

Here's to Plan B!

Done Deal

2011-10-18T20:23:00.000-06:00

Today I closed the deal. Today I took a gigantic step. Today, I closed conditions on my own little property. It's 3 acres which is smaller than my dream farm, but it's a step in the right direction. It has a little barn, is fenced with a waterer. It has a lovely little yard for me to putter about, and a heated garage that I'm going to put a dog door into. I'm then going to fence the back yard and the dogs can then go into the garage (a sectioned off space) or out in the yard while I'm away at work. It breaks my heart to leave Bella behind but I'm convinced she wouldn't be happy - nor my neighbors with all her barking. We'll see, I'm supposed to be in an animal friendly area. Maybe come spring Bella and a couple of sheep will also move in with me. This winter it'll be the Borders and me. Come spring the horses will make the move. The sheep are up in the air. I'll have to feel things out.

Congo Connection

2011-10-16T14:56:00.000-06:00

Here's a very good informative video about Congo, Coltan, and the reality of that world. This was made in 2009. This is still an issue today.

Thinking Through a Different View Finder

2011-10-16T14:36:00.000-06:00

This post is not appropriate for children to read.

The last two days have been spent at a conference in Edmonton. I will openly admit to being very, very cranky over the thought of loosing my weekend to spend it sitting in the city. I had an immediate attitude adjustment when Dr. Samantha Nutt walked up to the podium. She's 41. She's also the lady who started War Child. This woman has spent the bulk of her adult years in places where Canadian civilians are not supposed to go. I sat there with tears welling up in my eyes as she told story after story of things so horrific I can't even imagine them.

Imagine being the mother with no education, can't even print her name, standing in line for medical services with a dead infant in her arms, waiting for someone to help her. Imagine being the 12 year old girl repeated raped by boys from her village. When she tries to run away the soles of her feet are cut off. Imagine a place where you can purchase an automatic gun for $20 but people are dying of starvation. Imagine a place where this little mineral called Coltan fuels wars. Did you know that you and I use Coltan every day? We do. We are the buyers of the mineral that causes turmoil. Not the people who live in the regions where it's mined. We are the purchasers who fuel the demand. I plan to contact the companies whose products I buy and ask them where the Coltan that they use comes from. As the consumer we have the power to create change and demand fair trade, demand accountability.

Education IS power.

Look at what Craig Kielburger has accomplished. He began his journey when he was 12. Did you know that here, in Canada, arguably one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries in the world, over 60% of our aboriginal children who grow up on reserves will NOT finish high school?

I have been forced to view my world through a different lens. I can't say it's not my problem. I can't say that it's across the world so why should I care. It's becoming abundantly clear that we truly live in a global world.

Silence

2011-10-14T12:55:00.000-06:00

I have much to write about but have been silent. Quite simply I have a few irons in the fire and not enough time to go around. Next week I should have big blog coming.

Here's a mini-update.

Diva - is becoming more and more personable. I really believe having her in the house and learning how to do the dominance roll thingy has been transformational for her. She's starting to seek me out for attention and is intensely interested in play. Something that has been slow to come for her. Yesterday, while I was working on my university course she came up to me and put her feet in my lap. She then leaned her body into mine while I ran my hand down her side. When I move from room to room she is starting to follow and want to be near me. The thing that excites me the most is when we play with the flying squirrel she's starting to tug. She'll even chase after it (but not retrieve it).   When tugging she's starting to make little grunting and growling sounds. I'm considering this to be growth in her development in a happy healthy dog. When we go out in public or have company there is no snapping, barking or bad behavior. I'm quite pleased with her right now.

Ryder - has been getting the short end of the stick. No working sheep the poor fellow... but he's been getting some nice walks and play time. He continues to demonstrate an outstanding personality. He's learning quite quickly about things. Overall I'm very happy with him. Mom and I plan to make arrangements to start bringing him to school for short bursts and begin the process of getting him ready to do some therapy work. (All supervised and slow transition.) I think he'll be tremendous dog in that manner.

Tessa - has been getting stiffer with the cold weather looming. I'm planning on taking her for some chiropractic to see if it helps her movement. She's been pretty happy and in touch with reality. We had two days of confusion, which for us is pretty minor. She continues to love to play but is a super grump around the young dogs. I like to say she's the fun police. I bought her a new dog bed that she's been spending a lot of time in. So much that when I'm working I move it into the office for her to use. She's had a couple of accidents but for the most part we're maintaining the improved quality of life from the summer.

Whiskey - is looking fairly sound. I'm contemplating hopping on her and seeing what she'll do.  It'll be weaning time soon. The other night Oscar went for a ride on her. She only put her ears back when he started kneeding her...

Guinness - is leading consistently and demonstrates he has his mom's stellar personality. I love this little horse. He's been a treasure to work with.

Bacardi - is in limbo.   She's getting fat - which is nice as she came to me quite lean. I've contacted one of my friends and she may go into a riding program for the winter as a lesson horse. We'll see. More needs to be decided there. All I know is there is no time to ride. It's been a couple of months since I've rode and I miss it. If she doesn't go to the barn, I'll be doing some bareback jaunts this winter.

Thanksgiving

2011-10-10T12:17:00.000-06:00

Today is Thanksgiving. I'm very thankful for so many things. It's become something of a tradition to take the dogs for a walk on Thanksgiving so mom and I headed to the park before the hoards of people descend on our house. Tessa is still a bit off so we kept the walk on the shorter side.

Murphy's Law

2011-10-10T09:17:00.000-06:00

What is it with animals that they can't get sick during normal vet working hours? Why do they have to wait until the clinic closes for the holiday weekend? I hate calling the vet after hours but that is what I did yesterday.

Saturday night Tessa begged and pleaded to be let out more than once. Sunday my mom and I took the three Borders for a walk in the local grazing reserve. It was there that I realized my little Tessa was not feeling so good. The poor girl squatted, and squatted. Watching what was coming out of her I knew she needed some intervention. I wasn't willing to let it ride out for another two days so I called Sam. She's such a great person. She went to the clinic and put some meds in the mailbox for me to pick them up. We started Tessa on PeptoBismal and some kind of antibiotic. (Huge honking horse sized pills!)

Throughout the day I kept my eye on Tessa. She mostly slept. And yes when she went outside I ruthlessly watched her "stool". She's seems to be a bit better but still isn't her normal self yet. If she's still having problems she'll go into the vet on Tuesday for a check up.

Lucky girl gets a bath today before company arrives to remove the "trailers" off her hind end...

Bless You Bella!

2011-10-08T15:58:00.000-06:00

Last night Bella was an unsung hero. Last night, while we slept happily in our beds, Bella scared off some would be thieves! They grabbed my dad's registration and insurance, and the compartments of my truck were open, but nothing was taken. At around 4 in the morning, Bella had a barking race around the house. In my sleep I grumped about her disturbing me.

Let's just say it'll be a long time coming before she gets in trouble for barking around the house now!

Compromise

2011-10-05T20:18:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was fabulous. I've had so much to chew over mentally that I'm just catching up now. One of the "Aha" moments for me was removed from the sheep field. It was sitting in my dearest friend's kitchen, watching out her window as Diva and Ryder raced around her yard. She lives in the city. I live in the country. Where do you think my dogs had the most freedom?

Her yard was like Disneyland for them. I don't think they stopped playing the entire time they were out there. In fact, I think they played sooooo hard that Diva neglected to do her potty in the yard. (BAD Diva!!!) *I may, just may, owe her husband something nice for cleaning up after my dog....* It made me think that maybe my dream of my own little farm needed to be reevaluated.

I've been house shopping. Land is expensive here. In order to find anything in my price range I'm a minimum commute of 45 minutes. The biggest problem I've been facing is everything in my price range is junk. Falling down, strange additions, junk! Watching my dogs in the city made me think that perhaps I need to do some compromising. I've decided that I will begin to look at acreages in subdivisions (generally 3 acres or smaller). What this means is giving up on having sheep at home and the space to train dogs on site. It also means finding Bella a new home. Dumping Bella goes against every fibre of my being. But can you imagine my new neighbor's joy to discover this giant white dog that roams her "territory" barking to warn off predators? *said dryly* I'd be very popular!

The compromise is finding Bella a new home, traveling to work sheep, but being able to keep the horses with me and having a fenced yard for my Borders. We shall see how it all turns out...

Just Right

2011-10-03T10:28:00.000-06:00

Have you ever had one of those moments when you wanted to freeze time? When you thought surely life counldn't be better than this? This weekend, I drove back down to Airdrie and I spent hours taking lessons with Calvin Jones. While challenging, thought provoking, and sometimes frustrating I grew as a trainer. It was as though the lightbulb went on over my head. I loved him and wanted to absorb as much of his wisdom as I could.

The fundamentals for developing a good trial dog became clear. I'm struggling changing my practice to meet his, but I'm determined to keep trying. Ryder grew a stunning amount. He walked into the weekend not knowing any flanks, and walked out with some fundamentals. It was fun learning about Ryder's Welsh pedigree. Many of the dogs Calvin knew and some of them he'd even worked!

I'll continue learning via email and YouTube and there just may be a trip to Wales in my future...

Movement

2011-09-24T14:43:00.000-06:00

It was devilishly difficult getting nice pictures of Guinness moving. Here's the best of the worst...

Sorry, a lot of them are blurry. Darn camera is letting me down!

Private Lesson

2011-09-23T23:23:00.001-06:00

Today I took a 1/2 day off work and drove three hours to Airdrie. Here I took a private lesson with Calvin Jones of Wales. It was well worth the time and effort. In fact, it was hands down one of the best lessons I've taken. He "got" me. And he "got" my dogs. Calvin was fresh off judging the Worlds in the UK so I'll trust he knows what he's talking about.

I worked Diva first and he gave me some positive and interesting feedback. He showed me a technique to keep her off her sheep. After he demonstrated some things, and I tried them (in teaching we call this modeling and guided practice) I went to grab Ryder. Ryder was his normal lovely little self. And Calvin was very impressed with him. So impressed he was joking about stuffing him (Ryder) in his suitcase. He also encouraged me to reconsider neutering him. He believes that Ryder has the makings of a champion.

Afterwards we chatted. Calvin's a funny man with a great sense of humor. He's the kind of person you can sit and visit with for hours. As we chatted Calvin gave me some advice/feedback around Diva. His suggestion was to either find some "good" farmer to send her to for the winter for some real work or to leave her to grow up. He feels that some of the behaviors on stock I'm seeing are immaturity. He thinks my time will be better spent with Ryder and that by January (January!!!???) Ryder should be ready to trial. He also thought that getting too rough or aggressive with Diva would only result in failure.

It was so interesting for me. I think I learned a lot and above all he gave me something to think about. I liked that his was a different take than the standard herder/stockdog manner where rough or course strategies can be common. As a matter of fact, I liked him so much that next weekend when he's back in the Airdrie area, I'll be driving down for another set of lessons.

If you ever get the chance I highly recommend him.

UPDATE: Calvin will be in the Calgary area (Airdrie) for the following week.

Whadda Ass

2011-09-22T19:58:00.000-06:00

If you've ever scrolled the Internet looking at AQHA's you'll notice a plethora of Rear View pictures. This tickles my funny bone...

So.....

Here's my collection...

Guinness (3 months)

Whiskey - can you see where Guinness gets it from??

Also thinks it's funny that the only part of Bacardi in this pic is her arse.

Love the expression on Bacardi's face, "Whacha lookin' at?"

To give you an idea just what a monster Guinness is - perspective - Whiskey stands around 16hh.

Future Herder??

2011-09-22T18:07:00.000-06:00

Guinness makes me giggle. I think he may have a future in herding. You see, he's intensely interested in creatures - big and small. He seems to believe his place on earth is to chase things.

Here, he's eye-balling the cat. You can just see him wondering what the cat is doing out in the field.

And here, he's chasing the cat up the field. He chased after it all the way to the fence where the cat climbed up to safety.

I've seen him do this with the sheep, cats, and dogs.

What do you think? Do we have a future herder? Of just baby hijinks?

Decisions Made

2011-09-20T18:48:00.000-06:00

Jason and I met up this afternoon. I dutifully held out my advertising papers and told him what my heart felt. (I totally didn't phrase it like that!) He educated me about bloodlines, prices, gender and expectations. He took me out into the field to show a 2 year old her believed was a future superstar. And I listened. And I learned. He leaves me stunned with his generosity and willingness to share his knowledge.

45 minutes and some time on the Internet we had a price range and plan in place. In December, Jason is driving to Fort Worth, Texas with an empty trailer. In December I'll be flying down on a weekend. From there we'll choose 10 prospect two year olds that fall into my price range. I'll fly home. Jason will buy me a horse. The deal being that anything he buys will be Mr. Right. There will be no settling. He said if Mr. Right does not walk into the ring then we go home empty handed.

The current criteria is: (I'm paraphrasing here...)

Pedigree - dam needs to have earnings - this is the best indication of how much potential talent the horse will have.

Conformation - the horse must have the build that enables it to perform in the cutting world.

Temperament - it must have the attitude to be successful and be kind and quiet enough to pack me around.

Gender - Mare

You might be wondering why Texas?? Well, it's simple. There are 1000s of cutting horses in the area. There are something like 6 major sales over a couple of weeks. This will enable me to get a better bred horse, with more potential, for less money. More bang for my buck if you will. If Jason wasn't planning to be there anyhow - probably not so cost effective. But the fact that my trainer will be there scouting horses - priceless.

Chelsi - still love Hola - and if you email me a flyer I'll pop one up around here. (We have some major fancy reiners in this area.)

September Animals

2011-09-19T20:19:00.000-06:00

Ryder, carefully guarding the Flying Squirrel from outside attack.

Diva, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

Ryder, in for the kill, while Tessa defends her right to hold onto the toy.

Guinness, alarmingly handsome.

He's three months old!

Oscar, trouble on the paw!

Dogs Have Not Been Forgotten

2011-09-18T20:26:00.000-06:00

With my preoccupation between school and my horse obsession, the dogs have not been forgotten. We had two very productive and satisfying dog days! On Saturday, Diva and Ryder came with me to the dog park... the first time in a very, very long time... and they were awesome!!! Neither got bark happy. Ryder postured a bit when we first started out but I wasn't convinced the other dog we met didn't have something to do with this. Both dogs demonstrated an excellent recall - even when they were playing with other dogs. When we were leaving the park, Diva and Ryder were on leash preparing to exit and were greeted (excessively so) by two dogs. Both dogs ignored the new comers and continued nicely while on leash! This is major!! Diva tucked her tail but didn't get snappy. Of course, I discouraged the other dogs with my leg moving them off of mine.

On sheep, Diva has been working hard at developing a lie down and recall. She tends to want to work on her terms, but a session with Ken last weekend has put us on the right track and we are making great progress. Ryder is very biddable and eager to please on the stock. We're working on stretching out an outrun. Today, Tracy and Jeter came for a stock work. Afterwards Jeter and Ryder had some male bonding and play time.

The dogs have mostly been pretty patient with me. Lying at my feet while I work and read. On Friday I'm taking a 1/2 day to head down to Airdrie to take a lesson with Calvin Jones (from Wales). I'm looking forward to this.

I have to admit I had been pondering selling Diva. The whole time and difficult to deal with factor. But, I'm really enjoying her right now. She's been more personable, albeit still challenging. I've learned so much from working with her. Maybe that's why she's in my hands.

Under Consideration

2011-09-17T19:21:00.002-06:00

I've pretty much decided to follow my gut which says buy young, buy Mr. Right. All that needs to happen now is a conversation with Jason, and some decisions to be made. Of course, like the weather I reserve the right to change my mind...

Here are some horses I have under consideration:

Playin In Command - 2009 Grey Filly

Oakanita Listo - 2009 Sorrel Filly

Zack - 2010 Bay Stallion

Whizeroo - 2010 Red Dun Filly

and...

MyBlingsOnTheInside - 2011 Chestnut Filly

I have very, very definitive things that I'm looking for. First and foremost - while pedigree is nice, it is not the be all and end all.

At the top of my list is confirmation - this horse must be built to be successful at cutting.

Second is disposition - this horse must have the want to work and please attitude that makes champions.

Third is pedigree - gotta have some "cow".

Fourth is height - it must mature out to at least 14.3hh - otherwise it's too small to handle the training (and I look like a dork on it.)

Fifth is price - sorry, not paying ridiculous prices for something that may not turn out...

Sixth - and perhaps the most important thing - is this horse has to "call" to me. It must be something I can see myself having and riding for years. Because I've decided I'm looking for Mr. Right!

Right vs Right Now

2011-09-15T18:52:00.000-06:00

There's been an internal debate going on inside of me. The long road vs the short road. Mr. Right vs Mr. Right Now. Young vs Old. And on it goes.

Right now, as I type I should be reading the hundreds of pages (no lie - around 450 pages) of material for one of my courses. I should be finishing up the standard September paperwork that bogs things down for work. I should be doing some pre-reading of one of the three other textbooks I need to read over the next few weeks. Instead I'm thinking about horses. At this particular moment in time I'm taking two graduate level courses, working full time, trying to keep my young dogs training up and trying to continue my weight loss battle with healthy eating, sleeping enough and running. Ha! Did you see horses anywhere on this list?? Hmmmm.....

Yes, I know this is crazy talk - but I feel the need to spend some time pondering horses. Here's the deal... there's this huge, massive part of me that wants to have a young horse go through training to become my Mr. Right. The thought pattern around this is time. Even if I buy Mr. Right Now will I have time to ride, enjoy and learn?? I'm on the cusp of formally applying for my graduate program. I think I have it narrowed down to what and where I want. This is a two year process. This process will cost around $15 000.

So here goes...

If, biiiiiiig if, if I buy something young that Jason can train the right way, then that something should hypothetically be ready for me when I'm ready to ride. As a stop gap I have Bacardi to ride and play on. And I'll have the pleasure of knowing the horse's background. No pesky worries about soundness or strange quirks. I'll have been the captain of the ship.

The negative is that then I'd hypothetically have two young horses - pending Guinness and the purchase of something specific to cutting. Lord only knows if Guinness will be too big or suitable.

Cost wise - to purchase a finished cutter I'm looking at $15 000 +, to purchase a young horse and toss in some training it'll work out to... ready for this... $15 000 give or take (to be honest - probably more).

One method is more immediate. I could hypothetically be riding a cutter next summer. One takes more time. I could hypothetically be riding a cutter in 3-4 years.

Something to think about anyhow...

Patience Is A Virtue

2011-09-12T18:28:00.002-06:00

Patience may be a virtue, but I'm quickly discovering when it comes to getting what I want, one I'm lacking in. I desperately want my cutting horse. And I'll keep tucking money away in my fund. But it's killing me, absolutely killing me to not go out and buy something. Yesterday!

The funny bit is I'm not even able to ride right now. I just don't have the time with too many other commitments. But darn, if I don't want that stinking horse to call my own. (Not that I don't already have 3!) I was thinking back to Chelsi's post on Princess. And here is a classic example where I will buy something even if I don't love it, if it meets my criteria. It needs to be trained, sound and sane. It needs to be something I can ride and learn off of comfortably. To put an exclamation point on it, I would even write a check and send the trainer off to purchase something. Gasp! (So out of character for me!)

But would I love this horse? Want to keep this horse? Bond with this horse? I don't know because at this moment in time, this hypothetical horse is simply a step. A step in the right direction of allowing me to learn at a quicker rate than if I tried to accomplish this goal on a horse without the inherent talent or abilities.

That being said, I do fantasize about having a young horse of mine come up the ranks and compete successfully with me. We shall see which one will be reality first.

Spontaneous

2011-09-11T10:16:00.000-06:00

This weekend feels as though I'm trying to cram every last bit of fun into it while I can. None of it was really planned though. Saturday, I was up with the birds, taking the dogs out, feeding the horses and sheep. I had planned to have a little sleep in. So after chores were done, I crawled back into bed. When the phone rang. Really? 8 am on a Saturday?? This man begins with "Oh good, you're up!" It was my farrier calling to tell me he was coming early. A lot early. When I asked how far out he was I received a cheerful 2 minutes. Gack!

Hastily rolling out of bed and tossing on some clothes I hit the door just as he pulls in. I always enjoy visiting with Derek. He has great gossip and is funny. Plus he's fabulous with the horses. We decided to trim the horses in the pen. It makes things easier when one of the horses is a mare with foal. While he was trimming Bacardi, Guinness (who was very nosy) began snooting Bacardi in the flank. (This is NOT the mama!) Expecting a mess I nervously suggest he put the foot down and move away. But Bacardi was amazing. She didn't try to kick. In fact she did nothing. She let little Guinness pester her all while she had her feet done.

After the horses were trimmed Derek helped me *read Derek did all the work* put a halter on Guinness. He is now haltered!! Let the halter breaking begin! I plan to also do some loading work. Get him and Whiskey in the trailer. When Derek left I thought I'd roll the dice and see if Jason was in town. Normally, this time of year on weekends he's off showing. But he sent me back an immediate text asking if I wanted to come out. So I loaded up Bacardi and went and turned back. And Bacardi who has had a few weeks off was amazing. She listened and worked really well.

Once home, a quick shower and into town I went. It was haircut day. That was followed by dinner at my favourite Italian place with my mom. When I returned home it was dog time. They needed to play and get supper. My day closed with some textbook time. Unfortunately, when the dogs don't get enough attention they tend to bug me when I'm trying to work. It's challenging to read and write notes when a dog is climbing on your lap!

My day didn't go as planned but it was still a great way to spend a Saturday.

Darling Horses

2011-09-05T17:50:00.001-06:00

I had recently read The Adventures of a Horse Crazed Mind's post about her horse. How the horse was not her ideal horse but one that she was really enjoying. I've thought hours about that. I will admit to having had some amazing horses. One's that were truly irreplaceable both in my heart and their discipline. Some stick out so clearly in my mind. Yeller or Two T Rebel Gold - the horse I rode and trained, should have bought but didn't. I've regretted that for years. Here's a horse many didn't get along with but was a perfect "click" for me. Smokey - my old Arabian show horse who died an untimely death. Roo, my first rope horse, who I lost to an untimely death in a flurry of tears. Charger - the horse that was my "make do" horse. He allowed me to build some confidence after a hospital inducing wreck. He also showed me that I had the know how to finish a nice rope horse.

Whiskey, the mare I adore, but at times wasn't sure was the best fit for me. I've been watching her in the pasture and am contemplating having the vet out to take a look at her lame leg. I've been pondering making an attempt at bringing her back to soundness once Guinness gets weaned.

Bacardi, my "trade in", who frustrates the tar outta me, but has allowed me to play and enjoy a taste of the cutting world. I'm actively trying to sell her, simply because she's not where I want to end up. That being said - if she stays here. She stays here. I just may try my hand at roping off her this winter. This is a horse that has grown a tremendous amount in a short time period. I was told she's hard to catch - not hardly! I credit Whiskey's outstanding influence in teaching her what a "balanced" horse acts like.

Guinness, my first foal. The little guy has stolen my heart. I can't wait to see what he turns into. I can touch him all over, lean on him, and move him around. But he's still not halter broke. Sigh.

Whiskey, a fatty pants right now. Guinness, and Bacardi.

Guinness at just under 3 months old. Shedding out his baby coat.

The three musketeers! What's surprised me is how good Bacardi is with Guinness. They're friends - I've even caught her running around with him. (Playing, not chasing.) Being tormented by the sticky flies in this picture.

While I Was Napping

2011-09-05T16:36:00.000-06:00

While I was napping today I had one of those powerful "Ah Ha!" moments. I had gone for a walk with the dogs in the park, and was lying in my bed peaceful and content, Ryder nestled against my legs, Diva squirming against my torso, with Tessa snuggled up in "her" closet. I was giggling as Diva clowned and wiggled, madly trying to lick any available skin she could reach. When she finally gave up and hopped off to find some trouble to get into, Ryder slithered his way up and rested his head on my belly. I lay there feeling the silky softness of his ears and it came to me.

Over the past few weeks it has cemented that Ryder is my dog. I adore him. He has so many quality that I appreciate. I love his sense of play. I really love that when it's quiet time, he's quiet. He's been my faithful shadow as I'm house and couch bound. Laying patiently at my feet while I sit with my foot in the air. I enjoy the fact that he's a bit of a suck and loves to cuddle, placing his head on my lap or knee. And I'm having fun working with him on the stock where he's starting to show some promise.

So as I lay there, thinking about our walk today, stroking his soft fur, the words of Tracy echoing in my head, "Are you going to neuter him?" To be honest I'd planned to leave him intact. Why? Because that's what herders do. Many (not all, but I'd hazard a majority) of working dog people never spay or neuter their animals until they've proven their ability - something that can take upwards 2-3 years to discover completely. So there I lay, petting my pet when it came to me - I can do whatever I want.

I had already decided that he'll be with me forever. The thought that I can do what I want seems somewhat astonishing. Because it doesn't really matter. Who care if he's neutered? In fact, I prefer spay/neutered pets. It makes life significantly easier. Ryder is just discovering he's a boy making now the perfect moment.

It seems funny that this hasn't occurred to me before. Perhaps it was when I was looking for a pup (Reba) there were few to be found, whereas now there are a dime a dozen out there. And realistically speaking, I wouldn't consider a pup for at least 4 years. That's 4 more years of keeping an intact dog just for the sake of it. A dog that may not make the cut anyhow. Ridiculous.

**For all of those horrified by the fact that I allowed my dogs to "sleep" with me, understand that at night the two young dogs are crated or in the x-pen in another room, and Tessa is in her closet (loose). I had long ago decided having a snug with them well worth having them on the bed.**

Jump Start

2011-09-04T16:21:00.001-06:00

Having spent the better part of the last week recovering from a minor toe surgery I've literally been chomping at the bit to get out and DO something - anything! Thursday - day seven - brought my feet back into closed toe shoes. I can't describe the joy this gave me. Closed toe shoes meant I was one step closer to being able to do things with the horses and dogs. My poor animals had been consigned into the care of my parents. I couldn't even properly play with they dogs, they, unfortunately, are boisterous players. And sandals are a classic no-no around horses. With an open wound already on my foot, I really didn't want to create another...

Yesterday, quivering with excitement (me, the dogs, everyone!), I carefully adjusted my bandage, stretched out a sock, slid it ever so cautiously over my foot and made my first attempt at getting my foot into my hiking boot. I figured this would be the easiest to try with its big toe area and foot support. With some careful, careful wiggling it slid in. Tentatively I took some test steps. It wasn't the most comfortable feeling but if I was gentle and took it easy, manageable.

Pumped I grabbed my treat bag, leashes, dog whistle and dogs. We were going to the Grazing Reserve! I figured giving the dogs some freedom to run would make up for my slow pace and neglect the previous week. Taking my time I stutter stepped, having discovered the hard way if I stepped funny on the uneven ground my toe would catch on the boot causing a leaking sensation and increased ouch factor. We meandered our way through the field. Taking the time for frequent recall practice. (Ryder is amazing - Diva, well, we'll keep working...) We had began looping back towards the staging area, and I was cautiously navigating the huge and rugged hills, tying to stick to the cow paths. The dogs were streamed out in front, sniffing and running, having a grand time.

When I heard a bark behind me. Jolting I did a quick visual. One, two, three black bodies all in the opposite direction of the bark! Swinging around I looked behind me. There on the hill I had just descended stood a coyote. Barking and trotting towards me. Gulp.

Now, as a country kid and resident I've frequently heard the "Don't be scared of it, it's more scared of you." adage. May I say horse hockey!! I clapped my hands, blew my dog whistle in the most shrill annoying sound I could get it to produce, hollered, and gestured. What did the coyote do? Why, it came closer! Still barking. Picture this - at this point I'm still a good hilly mile from the staging area. It's me, my three dogs and an assertive coyote. Trying to look confident I sped up. Flinching every time my toe met an unyielding bunch of grass I began taking the most direct route away from the coyote. At this point the coyote starts to howl!

The hair stood up on my arms and neck. The dogs finally notice our companion and start to run towards it. Tessa leading the way barking ferociously. The coyote continues towards us, barking once again. Calling the dogs off I began to really gimp it. One leg doing a big stride, the other doing a hobble hop. I tried clapping and yelling, gesturing towards it. All of which earned me another howl. Keeping my dogs close, we kept a steady pace. Ryder, who is so sensitive to me, began doing his jump and look me in the face routine which means I need to chill out and slow down. He kept himself by my side until my wheezing stopped. He didn't leave until we lost sight of the coyote and I had relaxed.

That bloody coyote followed us for close to a 1/2 mile, gradually distancing itself as we continued. Because I was taking the most direct route away, I was off course for the staging area (having traveled West instead of South West.) Adding to the distance was my sudden need to stay on high ground. Nothing like feeling like prey to keep you from loosing the sight advantage. Every clump of grass became a vicious coyote out to get me!

Needless to say, I'm not feeling too keen on another relaxing hike with the dogs. Perhaps the dog park would be a better option...

Recall Practice

2011-09-03T19:20:00.000-06:00

It's Official!!

2011-08-29T18:20:00.000-06:00

It's official!! Guinness' papers came today and his official, registered name is "Single Malt Whiskey" and they've registered him as a bay! I'm pumped. It was my first choice name and I love bays! I'll have to get some fresh pictures of the little monkey. The only road block being right now I'm confined to sandals as I've had some minor, very minor, toe surgery and can't get a closed toe shoe on. But I promise you as soon as I can get out there I'll be showing off some fresh pictures!

Summer Flowers

2011-08-24T18:51:00.000-06:00

What I Learned From Faansie

2011-08-23T09:14:00.000-06:00

It was a great clinic. Even though many of the concepts that he showed were ones I was familiar with, he packaged them differently. My key learning moments were the following:

Work young dogs on fresh sheep, preferably lambs. This will allow the dog to develop its natural instincts and prevent your dog broke sheep from teaching your young dog bad habits. I plan to buy some to use this winter. One of the dogs quirks that was driving me nuts was in part because my dog broke sheep weren't handling like sheep.
Watch my angles. I learned to almost create a triangle with the dog as the point and the sheep in the middle. I had been circling. I learned to cut my angles tight to the sheep and walk directly to the dog's hip or rib to get a specific result.
Lie down frequently. I learned to lie my dog down and erratically ask it to go quickly. This will allow my pups to learn that they don't always get pulled off when put into lie down. Be unpredictable so the dog has to think.
When I lie my dog down, and stand near the sheep the dog must bend around and not step towards the sheep before bending.
Use a dog food bag and make a sharp noise to get the dog's attention. Watch my hand/arm movement.
Use the corners and fence to help control the movement of the sheep. When a dog is too wide or out of context have them push the sheep into the corner and call them in, then have them cover the sheep that pop out. This will teach the dog to read it's stock and respond to pressure.
When I give a correction make it count. Don't release my pressure too soon. Don't be afraid to apply pressure. If a pup tries to leave, call them back, give them a pet, and then put them back to work. Then when they're hooked, reapply the pressure to get what I want.
Use different speeds, get your dog working slow and thoughtful, then speed them up. This keeps the dog thinking.
With Diva give her no quarter. Work with a purpose and be demanding.
Start putting commands into the pups rather than "shhhh" which is what I'd been using to send them.
Fine tune my recall. Recall is the start of a shed. Teach the babies to recall to me when I'm standing square.
Body language is key.
Don't block the sheep! Let them go and make the dog cover them. Get some distance between yourself and the sheep and allow the dog room to come around and bring them to you. This makes it more clear for the dog.

I bought the Faansie Basson DVD and am super keen to watch it. I learned so much. More than I thought I would. It was amazing for the dogs. Both babies grew a tremendous amount. Ryder developed so much confidence and Diva developed more respect. And if nothing else, learning how to better handle Diva's behavior was priceless.

Horse Clinic

2011-08-22T11:33:00.000-06:00

After my whirlwind trip to Saskatchewan, I soaked up some horse time. On my way home I stopped in the small town where I used to live for a quick visit with the rancher I used to ride with. At the time, I had no idea how lucky I was to learn from him. His knowledge has given me a leg up and shown up in horse clinic after horse clinic. At the time, I took what he gave me and used it but I had no real understanding of what major foundational training skills he was giving me. Now I do.

The next morning I rolled out of bed. Early, very early to load up the horse and head to a nearby arena where I would be attending day 2 of Geoff Hoar's Working Cow Horse clinic. I spent the morning watching the "experienced" group ride and listening to Geoff's coaching. At noon I hopped on my mare for the first time in a week and began to warm up. I was prepared for a hyper tense horse and was pleasantly surprised with a soft, supple willing partner.

The "dry" part of the clinic left me feeling frustrated with no individual attention from the clinician. I had a question I wanted to ask, so I circled, and circled, and circled him while he worked with someone else. By the time he moved on (to the whole group) I had forgotten what I wanted to find out. We quickly moved onto cattle which is the fun part. Bacardi worked her cows fairly well, while I tried to figure out what I needed to be doing. When I asked for clarification he didn't understand what I was asking and didn't answer it. So I took the time during my second cow work to reframe the question to better get the response I was looking for. The second work was much, much more useful. I actually figured out what I need to work on and the direction I'm going to take the horse's training.

In the future, I won't take part of a two day clinic. I not sure if the disconnect I felt was because I missed bits from the previous day or if the clinician was just not a good fit for my learning style. Or maybe because the dog clinic the day before was stellar. I don't know. It's too bad because this is a person I've always held in high regard as a skilled horseman. Perhaps a private lesson would be a better plan in the future.

On Sunday, I entered in the Ranch Cutting at the schooling show and had complete blow out rides. But that's okay because the purpose was to learn. I had someone tape me while I rode. This I plan to show Jason and have him help me through some issues. The clinic made it incredibly clear how lucky I am to have him in my life because I've learned so much from him. He is truly providing me with a high quality foundation for my cutting aspirations. I'm somewhat amazed at how much more I understand now, compared to the start of the summer.

Here's a couple of pictures from the clinic.

Not sure why I'm making that face...

Where To Start??

2011-08-22T09:03:00.000-06:00

Last night I sat and tried to gather my thoughts. There is so much I want to say but don't even know where to begin. So I thought the best thing to do would be start at the beginning. It all began in the spring when I felt the need to improve. Improve myself. Improve my skills. Improve my dogs. So I registered in a clinic put on in Shaunavon Saskatchewan.

A little under 900 kms later I was there. It's funny how you never know how things are going to turn out. It turns out I learned so much from the people taking the clinic, as much as I learned from the clinician. Diva has been a challenging dog for me. She is extremely reactive. Reactive to the point of being scary and dangerous. And all the tools I had in my tool box weren't working very well. I had hit the point where I was seriously considering finding her a home better equipped to deal with her. At the clinic this fabulous lady from Utah, looked over at me and gave me the hand I so desperately needed. Without being harsh or cruel, we were able to start to turn Diva's behavior around. It was simple. When she gave a "negative" reaction, I calmly take her and lay her on her side. I keep my hand holding her neck and head down with a steady pressure. Whatever set her off is allowed to be around her. She is not allowed up until she is relaxed. And it's working!!!! The frequency is significantly reduced and the power of reaction is reducing! What a relief! I took her with me to the Working Cow Horse clinic and continued on with her desensitization. This is something I can consistently do and feel good about doing.

The clinic was amazing for Diva. I was given the help I needed to get a handle on her behavior. Plus, we were able to work her on stock and Faansie gave me some great strategies to help make her a better worker. I was able to improve my timing and ability to apply pressure to create the position needed on stock. I learned with Ryder to not be afraid of applying pressure. That I'm not going to wreck him. I have grown as a person and trainer. It was a valuable use of my time, energy and money. Plus there was the great time spent meeting new people, some of whom I'll hold close in my heart for their kindness, generosity, and willingness to bring me into their lives for a couple of days.

Saskatchewan Bound!!

2011-08-15T12:31:00.000-06:00

The pre-trip feelings of disorganization and panic have set in. Tomorrow I load my truck with the two babies and head to Shaunavon Saskatchewan. As best as I figure I'm looking at a 7-8 hour drive, not including breaks. We're headed to a Faansie Basson clinic. I know I'll learn a tremendous amount but I'm more than a little nervous!

Diva has been a handful lately. She's started snarking at both Ryder and Tessa. This is not cool. And because I've been preoccupied with Diva and Reba, Ryder has taken a backseat in his socialization. Which makes me feel a bit anxious. That's my ego talking. I really don't want to be known as the girl with the awful behaved dogs... I know this is a golden teachable moment and I'll work hard at being patient and helping my dogs through the struggles we're sure to encounter. On the plus side they both look pretty nice on sheep.

I'm headed to the barn for a last "cow" ride on Bacardi before she gets a holiday. I've been riding daily and working with her. The day after we return I haul her off to a Geoff Hoar clinic. I'm really looking forward to learning from him. He's such a great horseman. I know she's not a superstar but I'm okay with that. The thing that matters is she's shown a tremendous amount of growth in her training in a very short time.

I'll head to town after I ride to run some errands and then do a few major load of laundry. Bath time for dogs before bed. Pack the truck in the morning and we'll be off. Bound for Saskatchewan!

Little Things

2011-08-13T21:28:00.000-06:00

It's the little things in life that count.

Last Wednesday I drove the two hours and change to Reba's new home and dropped her off. It was hands down one of the hardest things I've ever done - getting in my truck and driving away. I didn't really believe I was as attached to her as I was/am. I've been exchanging texts with her new owner (who adores her) and that makes me feel better. Knowing that I've done the right thing - for both dog and person, is different in theory than practical application.

I've also been driving to help Jason work cows. There is a big cutting show coming up so a lot of training is occurring. This has been a golden opportunity for me to learn. And Jason has been awesome at sharing his knowledge and experience with me. He even hopped on Bacardi yesterday and worked her on cows. What a fabulous thing to watch. I've seen her improve so much, and Jason was able to give me some feedback as to help her even more.

The hours of riding are not only making Bacardi look super fit, but are toning up my muscles! My legs are getting stronger and my abs are getting tighter! Can't complain about that! Plus I love spending the time watching the horses work cows, and I love the time spent in the sunshine. I find the whole process very relaxing and therapeutic.

Both Ryder and Diva are showing progress in their young dog manners. They are such characters and so much fun to watch and play with. One day I'd like to try to do some therapy with Ryder. He's such a kind and good hearted dog. The other day my brother had had a fight with his wife and was upset. I drove into the city and picked him up. Ryder who normally is not a big man fan crawled over the console and sat in his lap! (I know very unsafe.)

Ryder has also been my caretaker while I run. I've been having a lot of trouble keeping my wind and breathing. When I get too wheezy or choppy he starts to jump up and down beside me, looking at my face. When I slow down to a walk, he settles down. Neat isn't it? Last week my doctor started me on a new med (Singular). It's an asthma med but is supposed to help with my allergies and breathing. And it's working!!! Today, for the first time in a very long time I was able to run 5k (3 miles) in under 35 minutes and that included stopping in the ditch for cars. It was been ages since it felt so good, easy and free to run like that! Who knew being able to breathe makes such a difference?? Ryder only bounced a couple of times towards the end of the run! Major improvement.

I've been busy doing a lot of nothing real fancy or exciting. But it just doesn't matter, because it's all the little things that are filling my days and putting a smile on my face.

Terrified Tears

2011-08-10T10:57:00.000-06:00

Dogs in hand we headed out down the road for our run. The four Borders and I had traveled just past the neighbors property when I realized Bella was following us. Turning around I chased her home and continued running in the other direction. Tessa had stopped at the base of my driveway. This is not uncommon. She's hit the point in her life when she doesn't always want to run. Often she'll sit there and wait or will go back to the house and wait for me there.

I kept watching to see if she'd changed her mind up to the 1/4 mile mark, at which point I figured she decided not to run. The rest of us went on our merry way. Right now we're doing a 30 minute run so I knew she wouldn't have to wait for a long time. Returning home I swung up the driveway, did bathroom duty with the babies, put everything away and returned to the house. I noticed Tessa wasn't in the yard. No big deal, she can open the back door and does so as she pleases. Going into the house - no Tessa. Going back into the yard, calling and whistling - no Tessa. Starting to worry, I walked back down to the road, calling and whistling for her. No sign of a black and white fur ball.

Returning to the yard I walked around to some of her favorite places, calling her. Bella was laying in the corral where she belongs. But no Tessa. By this point I was starting to really freak out. Hopping in my truck I idled down the road. One mile north - no Tessa. Stopping in at neighbors to alert them to watch for her I went south, past my drive 1.5 miles - no Tessa. Back to searching the yard - no Tessa. Getting really scared I got on the phone calling neighbors to keep an eye out for her. I even called the vet because she's microchipped. No Tessa.

An hour and half after she went missing a neighbor pulled into the drive. He had spotted her coming down the hill but couldn't get her to come to him. Hopping back in the truck I flew towards her. As soon as she heard the diesel she crossed to my side of the road, tail raised in the air. Slamming on the brakes I leaped out, running towards her. She happily jumped into the truck. Sobbing with relief I drove back home.

She doesn't seem the worse for her adventure but it scared the tar outta me! I have no idea how far she traveled but it was a good distance as she was spotted a mile from the house. Lesson learned. No more unsupervised time for my Tessa. I think I'll be keeping her close to me today.

Happy

2011-08-07T21:30:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, as I was driving home from Ken's it occurred to me that I'm happy. I'm bone deep content and happy with my life. Oh, I still grumble about little things but when I sit down and think about it I am truly filled with joy. It was a moment of clarity on a Saturday night.

In the past, on a Saturday night I would have felt itchy. Like I was missing out if I wasn't out and about. Seeing and being seen. There I was driving down the freeway, trailer full of sheep, two dogs sleeping in the backseat and Ryder riding shotgun, when I was passed by vehicle after vehicle all speeding into the bright lights of the city. You could see many of the occupants were ready to party. And in the past I may have stepped on the gas for a little drive-by flirting. This time, I reached over and ran my fingers through Ryder's plush fur, feeling peaceful as he leaned his head and neck into my hand.

I wondered why I wasn't feeling like I was missing out, letting everyone pass me by, turning away from the bright city lights into the starlit country night. I've thought about that night a lot over the last few weeks. I've thought about it while I've rode my horse. That feeling of perfect symmetry seeping into my bones while she gathers her muscular body into a perfect stop. I've thought about it while I ran down the road - dogs panting happily at my side while sweat trickled down my cheek. I've thought about while I sat and watched the Bobby Ingersol clinic where in the past I would have wanted to be noticed. Dying for the cute cowboy to notice me, pick me. But this time I was happy visiting with an older couple, absorbing the knowledge of the people around me, and belly laughing tears with new friends.

It sank in when my dearest friend was pestering me to get out more, meet some new people *cough male people cough* as I half hearted argued with her. Out of my mouth came the words, but I'm happy right now. I don't want to go to town to meet people. If I have to choose between messing with the dogs and going on a date, I choose the dogs.

There was a time not so long ago that this thought would have been foreign to me. I would have been horrified to want to stay home. And I do go out and do things, I just don't go out and do things that will result in a beau. Simply put, because I'm so happy I just don't care.

And isn't that the greatest space to be in??

Down Time

2011-08-07T10:53:00.000-06:00

It's been quiet here. Reba, has sprained her groin and is on "keep her quiet" time. I took her to see a chiropractor to get adjusted. I really think it helped her. She goes for a second treatment next week prior to going to her new home. Blain (her new owner) and I have been exchanging texts. I feel good about him as an owner. I think the two of them will have fun together.

The mosquitoes have been particularly bad in the evenings so I've been hiding out in the house. I've pretty much decided I'm allergic to bug spray and really avoid using it when possible. Because my allergies have been so bad this summer I went into both my medical doctor and my optometrist and have a raft of new meds (and a referral to a specialist) to try. You should have seen the look on my face when the optometrist asked if anyone had ever told me I slept with one eye open. Apparently my eyes have ugly dry patches that he thinks could be caused by my eyelids not closing properly when sleeping. Who knew?!?!

I love to read and have been enjoying my down time with the dogs sprawled out around me while I enjoy a book. Normally, I prefer nonfiction and feel good happy ending type books, however the other night at the Bookmobile (library in a bus that services rural areas), I drifted over to the good read section. There I selected a couple of "literary" type reads. You know the type that Oprah would recommend. The book I finished last night is a National Book Award Winner and it was awful. The only reason I read the entire thing was I kept waiting for the plot to become clear. The story line was muddied, and in places repetitive. It stank. The book could have been turned into a short story because there was only plot in the last few chapters. The rest of the novel was strange meanderings where you had to reread and check back to figure out which character's thoughts you were now following as they didn't have distinct voice. I must admit I've read romance novels with better writing than this novel. In fact, I've read textbooks that were easier to follow....

Needless to say I really don't recommend the novel "Lord of Misrule" by Jaimy Gordon. And here I thought a novel about horses would be right up my alley. Ye Gads. Live and learn. Live and learn.

Today I'm going to do some sheep work with the babies, resume operation "halter Guinness", and with a little luck get a lesson from Jason.

Can't Do It

2011-08-04T10:57:00.000-06:00

Today is supposed to be THE DAY. Today is supposed to be the day I take Tessa in for her big goodbye. And I can't do it. I've been laying on my bed with Tessa spooned into the nook of my body for the last hour crying. For the last little while she's been having pretty good days - for her. There is no doubt in my mind that there will be equally bad days coming.

But she has been happy. She howled me a morning greeting. She hopped up on my bed with no assistance! She went up the stairs - and even alternated most of them!! Yes, she has also been confused - hence me shrieking at her yesterday as she drove the sheep in the opposite direction of the gate... but she has also been playful with her tail flagged high in the air.

How can I say goodbye to her??

A friend has said she'll tell me when she's ready to go. And I'm trying so hard to do the right thing. I don't want to be the person who holds onto their dog because they are too selfish to say goodbye. But deep in my heart I believe Tessa is telling me she still has more time.

I realize when she has to go it won't be any easier for me. I had thought that doing it when she was having some good days would make it easier. I really tried to tell myself that. I was wrong. I think she needs to be closer to rock bottom for me to feel good about this. I had been resigned to doing this. Perhaps that's not the best thing. Resigned. I think if I were to go forward I would always second guess myself - wondering if I made the right decision.

I need to know it was the right decision.

In this moment in time, I don't know. For that reason, we will wait, and I will love her like there's no tomorrow.

Cutting??

2011-08-04T00:08:00.000-06:00

Today I made the short trek to one of the many fancy stables in the area. This one is private, one I don't have much opportunity to travel to. It's one that is owned by a cutter and caters to a select few. One Jason invited me to come help him work cows at.

You can imagine the look on my face when trailer after trailer pulled in. Eeeekkk! There were a lot of big money cutters walking into the pen. And I wasn't entirely sure what to do. Normally, I help Jason by keeping the herd centered and push his cow as needed. But there were so many horses there I didn't know what my role was. So I sat back and watched, until it was Jason's turn, where I helped him.

Take a moment to visualize the look on my face when the owner of the joint walks his horse up to me and tells me to go cut. I stumbled over an answer and kept telling him I was just here to help. He insisted. So there we were, Bacardi and I had our first "cutting" work. It's funny. I spent the weekend watching a Bobby Ingersol clinic (famous cutter-working cow horse guy). And I watched all these people do things I swore I wouldn't do. Of course I didn't hold my line. I didn't make a clean cut. I didn't stop my horse before turning. But I also didn't rip my horses face off. Ugh. I vow to do better the next time I get onto cows. I know part of the problem is the cattle were fresh. Meaning they wanted to run. I needed a quiet walking cow to help Bacardi figure out her job. The cool part is she wanted to watch the cow and did some nice turns on her own (with the cow). Another huge part of the problem is this was my first attempt at trying to cut somewhat properly on a horse that has an unknown background. It would have been nice to be on a babysitter horse, giving me a fighting chance to think about what I needed to do. But I'll take the opportunities that have been coming my way and keep working at figuring it out.

It was so much fun!!! And I can't wait to do it again!!

Guilt Postponed

2011-07-30T21:39:00.000-06:00

As the days fly past I've been feeling increasingly guilty over my decision to take Tessa in for her big goodbye. In fact, almost immediately after I made the appointment she went on a six day run of not only good but great days. I started to second guess myself. And then, as with all highs, the crash came. It was ugly.

After enjoying a happy, playful, singing Tessa, who seemed to have all her cookies on her plate, I've had two long days of one brick shy of a load Tessa. She has been clingy, confused and worried. This morning she came with me on my run (30 minutes), but I truly don't think she wanted to. What she wanted was to be near me. She kept going up random driveways. Crossing the road like a drunk. When I'm not sure how she's doing I split my run. I run half in one direction with my driveway as the midpoint, and run the other half the opposite way. That way if she doesn't want to continue she can stop at the house. This strategy seems to work. Except today she didn't seem to recognize that this was her driveway and house.

Even when I turned in she remained at the bottom of the driveway. It took her a good five minutes to make her way to the house. (I was enroute to help her.) Because she's been wanting to touch me today, I decided to take her with me to the stable. It was heartwarming to see how happy this made her. For a moment she was like a puppy again. Complete with trying to chase the horse I was riding...

Tonight I'll give her a big snuggle. I've found if I put a towel down then when she leaks it's so much easier to clean up and she still gets her human time. And hope for a better day tomorrow.

Working Horses, Working Dogs

2011-07-30T09:20:00.000-06:00

I've been blessed with the opportunity to spend a lot of time at Jason Hanson's. Jason's been kind enough to let me bring Reba with me to give her some experience on cattle. The bonus is that I'm learning a lot about cutting.

Last week I spent about 9 hours there, holding herd while he trained horses. This is great. It gives Bacardi the miles under saddle she needs, and in between horses before we change cattle I can give Reba the chance to learn and work the cows. It's a total win-win situation. I've got to admit - I haven't spent this much time in the saddle since I left Consort. It's amazing how quickly those muscles let you know...

Next week, we'll be back in the arena working horses (Jason - not me!) and working dogs. What a great way to spend a summer!

Visiting Luke

2011-07-29T20:36:00.000-06:00

This morning Diva, Ryder and I drove to Luke's owner's home. There the dogs got to meet (and re-meet) each other before we went on a beautiful 2 hour hike along the river. I was very excited to see my darling boy. I was also dying of curiosity to find out how big he'd grown.

It turns out, while having the heaviest coat of all the pups, he's not as tall as Ryder. He just may be thicker across the chest though...

Luke's still pretty relaxed. On our walk he didn't seem to have the energy to expend like Ryder and Diva. However, once he was doing his agility exercises he zoomed through everything. It took 5 tries to get an action shot!

He loves Stacy and I'm so happy both of them are turning into such a great team!

Rubber Boot Race

2011-07-27T11:35:00.000-06:00

On a normal day, when I'm doing the Rubber Boot Race, it usually involves some form of livestock and the urgent need to reach a fence. In fact, my dad's new cow challenged me to a race this spring. Most times, I can be counted on to run as fast as I can, through ankle deep manure mud all while trying to keep my boots from suctioning off. And on a normal day, it's closely followed by a trip to the house to change my underpants...

With the torrential downpours we've been getting the grass and fields are soggy, so most days are rubber boot days. This morning, while I was out shooing the horses back into their part of the corral so I could turn the sheep out on the field I saw the County spray truck creeping it's way down the road. While I may not have a mosquito sprayer like Johnny, I do have the hated vegetation spray truck. Using a giant nozzle it spews it's chemicals into the ditches - all in the name of weed control. (Johnny's post is great - read it!) As a child this truck meant my mom banned us from the road, the ditches and any of the fun water running near them. As an adult I am able to request the County "No Spray" our property line.

There I was watching with squinty eyes as it approached the property line (clearly marked with fencing). And there I was running through thigh high grass in my dashing black rubbers, hand in the air, bellowing out, "This is a no spray property! This is a no spray property!" Bella, taking her duties seriously raced to the fence line barking madly. I continued to run towards the road, leaping puddles, staggering as my feet disappeared into hidden grassy dips of the land. Bella scaring the worker into stopping gave me the time I needed. Peering down at the worker I wheezed out "This is a no spray property!"

Looking blankly at me, he shrugged his shoulder and asked me if I was sure. Seriously. Taking a deep and patient breathe I pointed out the other end of the property. Sweat trickling down my face I asked him to make a note of it, and thanked him sweetly (and with a smile!) for not spraying the edge of my property. As he clambered up into his truck, I tried not to suck air too bad as I walked back to the horses. My feet were radiating heat in those lovely black rubbers.

Ah, the joys of the rubber boot race...

Temple Grandin on Animal Care

2011-07-26T18:42:00.001-06:00

I love Temple Grandin. In my rain induced boredom, I stumbled across this YouTube video. In this video she specifically speaks about the Calgary Stampede. She is a highly respected expert in the field of animal handling and welfare. I've read a number of her books and listened to her speak at an Autism conference. She amazes me and I have nothing but respect for what she has managed to accomplish - as a person and professional.

Moving On

2011-07-25T14:27:00.000-06:00

I feel awkward. Yesterday, Reba met a man who fell in love with her. Someone who was keen to give her pets and love. Someone who could use her legs and "helping hand". I kinda feel as though in letting her go I've quit on her. Given up. I've always known she'd make a trial dog. It was me who needed to bear down and do some training. Now I'll be doing some training. Just nothing targeted for the trial field.

I'll be working with Reba on cattle. I'll be working Reba off of horseback. I'll be teaching Reba to jump on and ride a quad. And then I'll be saying good bye to Reba. I know she'll have a good home. They've already invited me to go on their cattle drive. And her new owner was smitten with her. He understood when I told her too much pressure would make her freeze up. He loved how eager she was to work. He quite frankly loved her even though she didn't have the best work she's ever had. And the fact that he was able to see and appreciate who she is, is why I'm willing to let her go. The fact that she'll be valued and used, loved and treasured, makes it worthwhile for Reba to leave my house for another.

Surrender To The Moment

2011-07-24T13:39:00.000-06:00

Accept the moment. Surrender to the moment. Yield to the moment.

This is the advice Ken gave me yesterday. It's funny how perceptions impact you. I look at Reba and I perceive that she should be a certain way. The biggest thing I learned yesterday was to let go. Look at what the dog's behavior is telling me and then deal with it. Don't think about what it should be, might be, could be. Just deal with what is happening in that moment in time. Deal with it crisply, fairly and kindly. Deal with it in a happy manner. She isn't behaving to be "naughty" but her behavior simply highlights where she is at that moment in time.

Ken looked at me and said I should be training her the way I'm training the babies. (Whom he thinks I'm doing a good job with.) He believes that my struggles with Reba have taught me to be such a better trainer and the babies are benefiting from it. He thinks the moment I fully and completely let go and exist in the moment I'll start to see huge strides in her growth and learning. Our goal is short, happy working sessions.

Ironically, yesterday I had decided I would no longer consider selling her. This morning I received a phone call from a man who's called a number of times. He's coming out this afternoon. The only reason I'm still entertaining the thought is because I think it would be a marvelous home for her. She would go into a home where she'd be helping a rancher who happens to be wheel chair bound do chores. This is a far more meaningful existence than a trial dog. This is a home where she'd be valued. If he is serious, I'm planning to offer to do some custom training with her. Things like working off quads, working with a horse, and working cattle. I wouldn't ask more for having done the training because it's the right thing to do. We shall see what happens.

The Day That Went On... And On... And On

2011-07-20T23:58:00.000-06:00

It started out like any other. An early morning wake up. Dogs happy to greet the world. Horses happy to be turned out on grass. But it just never seemed to end. Knowing I'd be busy after I did morning chores I went back to bed, trying to grab a few more minutes of sleep. Unfortunately, tired or not, my body decided I was up to stay.

After a quick bite to eat, a quick game of fetch with the dogs and a quick chat with a friend, I changed into my "town" clothes and prepared to hit the road running. My first stop was the vet clinic where I committed to a day to say goodbye to Tessa. Of course I cried all the way into the city. Next stop was the bank for some cash. Off to the south side of Edmonton to pick up my brother. He was coming to look at a place with me.

Past Fort Saskatchewan, and up to Redwater we drove. I have been looking for acreages and it really sucks. No fun at all! The house and yard site had some potential. My awesome realtor (Dave Campbell of Remax) then booked us to take a second look at a place we had looked at earlier in the week to do a compare. An hours drive home where I had about an hour to do chores, one of which was giving the dogs a work. I had packed the two babies with me on the house hunt so they had a wee bit of built up energy. I worked my three younger dogs on stock. (Reba was a rock star! I think we may, just may, be coming out our slump!) A quick round of chores and back into the truck I went.

This time I had both my mom and brother with me. Off east to look at the Highway 16 property before kicking it back up north to take a second look at the Redwater property. Followed by a drive south, back into Edmonton to drop my brother back off. All in all I put on around 400 km today. The truly stinking part is we've decided to pass on both properties. The highway 16 property has this outstanding horse barn (love it!) but the house has a small, teeny tiny kitchen, is right on the highway, and has too many trees that would need clearing. The Redwater property has a great yard layout, a super cute kitchen and living room, but would need a wall knocked out to make a bedroom "normal" sized. Plus the barn and outbuildings while usable were not in optimal condition. They needed work and soon. All of which is not practical for me.

It's funny to think that the dogs are creating the biggest roadblock for me finding a house in my price range. (Property is not cheap around here.) I can't live in a subdivision because there isn't enough land to train on and the County of Strathcona has restrictions on how many animals you can have on certain land size. Plus I don't want to irritate my neighbors with barking dogs. The horses can handle being on a smaller plot. Dogs, not so much. Plus, with the dogs I need cleared land for it to be viable. That eliminates all the treed acreages. The whole process is rather depressing.

After a 12 hour day, nothing much gets accomplished. Sigh.

Bacardi

2011-07-19T19:02:00.001-06:00

Bacardi

aka

"Royal Purple Coke"

2001 AQHA Mare

Ducks In A Row

2011-07-19T10:44:00.000-06:00

I have approximately four weeks to get all my ducks in a row. Why four weeks? Well, I leave for a stock dog clinic in Shaunavon, after which I'll haul butt back home to try and catch one day of a Working Cow Horse Clinic. After the clinics I'll have a weekend to do laundry followed by a three day Professional Development session, with a day off, followed by a second Professional Development session. After which, I'll be back at work full time.

To complicate matters, I have been burning up the highway and gravel roads looking at acreages. Meanwhile, I'm still hauling Diva into the city for her agility classes. We start a Weave Pole session next week. She seems to enjoy it and I enjoy having the challenge of learning something new. Speaking of learning something new, starting in September I'll also be starting the Leadership for Tomorrow program, in addition to a graduate program class at the University, in addition to sitting on the teaching practicum committee for the University of Alberta. And I'm toying with the idea of training for a half marathon to run beginning of December in Las Vegas. (I like running and training and it's something the dogs can do with me.)

Hmmmmm..... I think I may be a wee bit pressed for time in the coming months....

With all this in mind, Jason gave me the nod of approval over Bacardi, I can start listing her. I've also been thinking about my dogs. A lot. I've given Sam (my vet) a heads up that it is Tessa's time. I knew it the day she bit me and had the blankest look on her face. But I'm greedy and I want to enjoy every last second with her, and soak up enough snuggles, howls and ball fetching to last me a lifetime. Sam has been Tessa's vet since day one, and I didn't want to spring this on her. But Tessa's good days are decreasing and I've vowed to treat her as I would want to be treated if the situation were reversed.

With the other three dogs, I'd like to send one of the babies (Ryder??) out for a couple months training in the fall. Simply because my time will be tight. Diva's got so many other issues that I need to keep her close and work with her to the best of my abilities. And Reba is so very close to being trial ready I can taste it. If I can get my stuff together I should be able to get this done sooner rather than later.

Sunshine, Horses and Dogs

2011-07-17T20:00:00.000-06:00

Could this be Utopia? I think if I died, this is what my heaven would look like. Today was an outstanding day. It's amazing what a little sunshine and heat can do for one's attitude... I began my afternoon with a ride. As per normal, I hauled over to Cedar Crest. There, with the wind in my hair and the sun on my face I decided to brave the mosquitoes and ride in their gorgeous outside arena. Spraying myself shiny with bug spray, rubbing The Body Shop's Satsuma body butter on my hands, neck and face, and finishing up with a thorough spraying for Bacardi we headed over.

The arena hadn't been harrowed since our downpour and was hard, but it was still glorious. It was my first outdoor ride on Bacardi and I wasn't sure how she'd be but she was pretty good. A bit of a lookey loo, but nothing unsafe or over the top. I think she also enjoyed her outside ride! When we got home I sprayed the lather spots off her with the hose, which she seemed to enjoy. Tying her up to dry I went and pestered Guinness. He's such a doll. That little boy sure likes his bum scratches! Or any scratches for that matter... He's growing so much, I'll have to get some fresh pics or a video to share.

After a cool off period and some food in the house, I went back out. Using Reba I moved the sheep out of their enclosure into the field. Reba had a pretty good work. I think she's slowly getting her confidence back. She drove the sheep out into the field the farthest she's ever done without me close to her. Plus, I think she's finally getting the knack of her direction commands. That has been slow to stick! We'll keep plugging away. My decision to not worry about trials has really helped her out. She'll be a dog that needs a calm and relaxed handler to do her best.

I was ecstatic with Ryder's work. He's really growing up and developing some confidence. This is really exciting because I wasn't sure he would. When my "bad" sheep turned and faced him up, Ryder walked up to him and bit him on the nose! In the past her would have just barked and I would have had to help him. He listened so well, lying down quickly and looking to me for further direction. He has a nice manner and look on the sheep.

Diva, was herself. Her biggest progress was that she was more willing to rate the sheep. It still concerns me that she wants to lie down when trailing them. I've decided I won't worry about it too much. Worst case scenario is she's my pet and companion.

Right now I can't wipe the smile off my face.

Disappointment

2011-07-15T23:44:00.000-06:00

Today was a nerve wracking day. For a couple of years now I've been working up the courage to make an appointment with an eye surgeon. It's scary when you think of giving people control over your most valued body part. Eyes are irreplaceable. If there's a mistake made, it's not one that's easily corrected. Today was the day I had a consultation with the eye surgeon.

Being me, I had done some research prior, carefully selected my doctor and made the appointment. I needed to line up a driver because afterwards I wouldn't be allowed to drive. Mom gamely stepped up to the plate. The first tests they did on my eyes were standard, ones I was familiar with from my twenty odd years of experience with optometrists. The one that proved to be my Waterloo was a cornea scan. When the computer scan didn't give my tech the results she wanted, she put freezing drops into my eyes (yep, you read that correctly) and did a manual test.

The end result is that my eye's corneas are too thin to be viable for the corrective surgery. Because of this they didn't conduct any more tests and sent me on my merry way. And there, in that moment, my dreams of living free of glasses shattered and crashed. The irony here is there is a very good chance that the chemotherapy that saved me in so many ways, and has destroyed bits and pieces of me in others, did a job on my eyes. I knew that my eyesight changed once I had the chemo. I knew my body changed after the chemo. What I didn't know was the chemo will also increase my chances of getting cataracts. Things to look forward to...

It was a horribly disappointing day, one that I'm desperately trying to look for the silver lining in. I suppose life goes on, and this is what it is. Now where's plan B??

Wet Saddle Pads

2011-07-14T18:55:00.000-06:00

I've been managing to get 3-4 rides in a week lately. Jason's suggestion of wet saddle pads is equating a sore rump for me! We've been averaging about an hour duration. The goal is to get her to pack her head in a steady manner. No more nose flicking or bobbing. Today as I was riding around I thought that we just may be making some progress! She's starting to carry her head lower and is giving to the bit rather than fighting every motion. I have a walk, jog, trot, lope and canter now. Before we had a jig, frantic trot and a verging out of control canter.

Here she is after today's ride. It was a good one.

All in all, becoming more of a pleasure to ride. It seems those wet saddle pads are paying off...

Kennel Cough

2011-07-13T20:53:00.000-06:00

After my vet run today, (Ryder needed his ears checked.) I zipped into town to get my dog food. Because the cheapest place to buy it is so close to the place where I take Diva for classes, I swung past to pick up a new tug toy. (Ryder is beating up my hands - I wanted something longer.)

Posted on their door was a Kennel Cough notice. They stated that they wanted all dogs vaccinations current (which is normal) and that all dogs should get a Kennel Cough booster. When I spoke with the lady at the counter, she said it's a particularly virulent strain and the owner's vet clinic has seen 5 cases come in this week. Apparently, the vaccine company has noted that there is a Canada wide outbreak right now. (This is NOT verified, just via word of mouth.)

Because Reba, Diva and Ryder do a fair amount, and because people come to my place, I've decided it's a good idea to put a call in to the vet and get her opinion. I'd rather do the shot unnecessarily than infect everything here at home. And the fun continues...

Rainy Day Blues

2011-07-13T12:57:00.000-06:00

I will admit to having been having the rainy day blues. We've been experiencing a deluge of water and it's cramping my style! I hate not being able to go out and mess with the flowers (still traumatized from the hail) because it's way too muddy. Standing water in the beds, muddy. I hate having to slog through ankle deep mud in the corrals to do my horse and sheep chores. I hate having the rare moments the sun peaks through the grey skies, being ruined by the attack of blood thirsty mosquitoes when I venture out. I hate how wild my dogs are right now. (Diva still needs to stay dry because of the spay incision.) They are like cooped up children getting into trouble.

Yesterday I caved. I gave in. I spent a good portion of the day baking "Thank You" cinnamon buns for my neighbors who helped me load the sheep and the vet clinic who squeezed us in without an appointment. After all, who doesn't like fresh homemade cinnamon buns?? I delivered both, still warm from the oven on the way into town.

I was headed into town to meet up with a friend, destination - Rexall Place. We were going to the New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys concert! I will openly admit I wasn't really a fan of either when I was younger. I was more of a George Straight and Randy Travis kinda girl. But, as my horizons broadened, so did my musical tastes. To be honest, what I really like is the cheese factor.

Last night I laughed so hard I cried. My eyes and ears were teased with a spectacle of epic proportions. There was fire. There was glitter. There was hip gyrating and thrusting. There was bare chested men. (Yes, please!) There were rabidly screaming fans. There was harmony and slick dance moves. All, in all it was a soul uplifting, heartwarming good time!

My favorite moments were when one of the band members (don't remember which one), suddenly took a long, loud snifffffffffffffffff, and said "and it smells like beautiful women here!" I almost fell off my chair I was laughing so hard. Another great moment was when NKOTB was hitting a long soulful note, the camera close up of his face - the drama!!! Again, laughter ensued. The all time best moment of the night was when a fan a little further down my row began screaming hysterically. I looked over thinking it was one of the group of girls who came with us. Literally screaming themselves hoarse. Nope. It was a man, eyes bulging, neck muscles straining, arms tightly extending, gut bellowing "Donny, I loooooooovvvvvvvve yoooouuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!" Again, tears came to my eyes and laughter bubbled out. The fervor of this middle aged man towards the band: priceless. Also fun was watching the stage crew play around and have a good time.

It was, the perfect break from reality. The perfect time out from the miserable weather we've been experiencing. It was perfect, right up until I opened the door to my house and smelled the unmistakable stench of dog crap. Crap. Someone had a major (and I mean major) crap. It took me a half hour to do a rudimentary clean. I'll be doing the bleach water mop to get the rest. Yuck! Thanks dogs, I love you too...

Poop Head

2011-07-12T16:32:00.000-06:00

"Just Call Me Poop Head."

aka

Reba

Reba, who is not known for her poop rolling abilities found some of the stinkiest stench out there this morning. The end result was such a hideous smell that a bath was necessary. Reba felt her shame very strongly, giving me her best sad eyes.

Reba Jumping

2011-07-11T22:13:00.000-06:00

Here's a short (and I mean short) clip of Reba jumping the gate. For those agility people in the crowd, I know I'm on the wrong side of her, but that's where she initially wanted me, and as this is just for fun and giggles it really doesn't matter.