Cowgirl Up

Moving

2009-11-17T12:00:00.000-08:00

My blog is moving. This one will remain here for a while, but eventually a redirect script will be implemented to move you to the new site. Look for new posts starting this evening as I have an announcement. :)

Please visit Cowgirl Up on LatigoLiz.com from now on.

Buck Brannaman Clinic 2009

2009-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Buck Brannaman Clinic

Friday, October 30 through Monday, November 2nd

Tacoma Unit #1

Horsemanship 1 - 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon

Horsemanship 2 - 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

$25 spectator/audit fee (10 minutes or all day)

Buena and I will be in the H1 class. Come by and say hi.

Taking a Break

2009-09-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

Not that I haven’t been already, but I will be taking a bit more of one. I am thoroughly inspired by the great presenters and topics I took in a WordCamp Seattle today. So much so that I am going t be overhauling my blog very soon. Until I do, everything here will remain. Once I get closer to a launch date, I will make an announcement. I may still pop in for a quick snippet here and there, but for the most part it will be even more quiet than as of late. I am soaking on all of the great information and technology and will be implementing some pretty radical changes. Feel free to e-mail me or follow me on Twitter or Facebook, as I will still be keeping up on those venues.

WordCamp Seattle

2009-09-24T10:04:00.001-07:00

Track me down and say hi if you are going to be there.

Ricky Quinn Clinic

2009-09-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

UPDATE!

This clinic is this Saturday and Sunday and only $300 to participate all day both days. If you are interested in participating, please e-mail me a LatigoLiz@LatigoLiz.com for details regarding stabling and lodging. I am very happy to be sponsoring this clinic at a great facility, Vetter Farms in Buckley, WA.

Download Acrobat PDF poster to print

This will be a great clinic with LOTS of individual attention for each participant! If you are having issues with your horse, you will not be disappointed! Ricky is an amazing young man and wise beyond his years. He has learned a great deal from Buck Brannaman and is eager to share that knowledge with you.

Come ride with us THIS weekend!

More SAFE Show Photos

2009-09-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Liz Stabbert Photography.

Buena, entry #388

Paddock Boy on Buena #1

Paddock Boy on Buena #2

And Little Cowboy being super serious:

Entry #387
and having fun.

WNV: Washington Reports Highest Number of Cases

2009-08-25T11:27:00.001-07:00

I updated Buena and KT’s West Nile virus vaccinations just last week. If you haven’t done so, please do! Make sure your horse(s) is(are) current!

The Horse Online
West Nile Virus: Washington Reports Highest Number of Cases

Posted using ShareThis

A Family Day in the Saddle

2009-08-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe not a whole day, but the whole family rode in some fashion. I hauled Buena and KT (in our shiny new trailer) to the SAFE Benefit Horse Show at Frontier Park in Graham on Saturday. It was a gorgeous day and lots of good friends were in attendance. Special thanks to my good friend Chelsea of Pony Up Rescue for Equines, who offered up her 37-year-old feedlot-rescued horse Sarge for the Little Cowboy to ride in leadline classes. My son did not want to get off after he finished Leadline Trail. Paddock Boy donned his new boots and hopped on Buena for the Other Half Leadline class, after doing a 27 mile marathon training run from the house to the show grounds that morning.

I wish that I could say I brought home lots of ribbons, but that was not the case. Only got one 4th place white ribbon in Western Pleasure Rescue Horse. Paddock Boy got a blue and Little Cowboy got TWO blue ribbons! We had fun, though, and the entry fees when to the great cause of supporting SAFE’s many rescue endeavors.

Enough Already!

2009-07-29T17:30:00.000-07:00

Record high today here in Enumclaw.

103°F outside
89°F inside (and not done rising yet)

Even Chester was panting...inside the house. Hazel went out this morning and is hiding someplace cool, probably under the front porch.

The horses are doing quite well, considering.

The garden has had sprinklers running for 2 days straight as we don’t want to lose any of our crops in this record heat wave.

I noticed the goaties are panting a little, but seem happy enough.

Even the chickens are hiding, and panting, today.

We won’t get any real relief for a few more days.

We have 3 border collies visiting for the next week. Buster is in heaven. Thankfully they like taking breaks in Little Cowboy’s wading pool.

We did lose a small brood of barn swallows in the barn. It was just too hot. The family nesting on the back of the house fared much better as they were a few weeks older and able to fly away from the heat during the day.

Time for another late afternoon shower...

SkyWatch Friday #54

2009-07-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

Photos from July 20, 2009.

Visit SkyWatch here.

Introductions: KT, Meet Buena

2009-07-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

After a short week of hanging out separated, I decided it was time to turn Buena out with KT, seeing as we have a short trailer ride to our trimming appointment tomorrow. It was practically uneventful! Just the way I like it.

Now...introducing my friend’s Araloosa mare...that will be a different story. But for tomorrow, I’ll sandwich Buena between them and all will be good.

Anyone a Lip Tattoo-Reading Expert?

2009-07-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the picture quality. I am going to tray and get a few more and also try a black light when she gets dental work done in a week or so.

New Addition

2009-07-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

Meet KT. She’s an 18 year old gray Arabian mare with a lip tattoo, which means she was raced at some point. I am hoping to be able to decifer the tattoo and get her full identity. She’s packed around 4-H kids in her recent past and hopefully will make a good mount for Paddock Boy and/or Little Cowboy.

Barefootin’

2009-06-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

My barefoot trimmer Pat Wagner posted this great article on her blog recently. Wylie is one of my favorite Western singers, as many of you might know already.

Barefoot Cutting Horses! An Interview with Wylie Gustafson

Found Dog

2009-05-28T18:28:00.001-07:00

We cannot keep him and would like a rescue to take him on.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/laf/1194066639.html

http://www.petfinder.com/classifieds/emailfriend.cgi?clsid=79745&action=view_ad

Please contact me if you can take him ASAP.

Two in a Row!

2009-05-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

I actually rode 2 days in a row last week. Thursday, I saddled Buena in the round pen and rode a bunch in there and then around the property.

Friday, I hooked up with a couple of friends and rode up on Mt. Baldy, just outside of town. It was a perfect day and with perfect company.

The POA in the pics is Gossip Girl and she is available for adoption from Pony Up for Equines.

SkyWatch Friday #45

2009-05-22T21:14:00.001-07:00

Visit SkyWatch here.

Three Puget Sound Area Horses in Need

2009-05-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

And these are Arabians, my weakeness. I am not in a position to take on any of the horses personally, which is why I am helping to spread the word in hoping to find someone who can. Please contact Pony Up for Rescued Equines if you can help or know of someone who can.

Read the details about these horses here: Three Arabians on the PURE Forum.

Another Horsey Wine Label

2009-05-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

I am always drawn to horse-related wine labels. Found this one at Fred Meyer the other day. It’s a very fruity 2006 vintage Columbia Valley cabernet sauvignon. And this one has a really neat (and REAL) cork, too!

Midwesterners, If You Can Help...

2009-05-07T11:58:00.001-07:00

If you live in or around Nebraska, please consider finding a way to help. If I were closer, or richer, I would be taking in a couple of babies myself.

The Nebraska 200: Never Another Hungry Day!

Posted using ShareThis

Disgusting!

2009-05-03T11:37:00.001-07:00

Too many horses: Northwest tribes consider slaughter facility for wild horses

From The Seattle Times posted using ShareThis

I could go on and on about how wrong this is. I guess gelding stallions or just managing the herds at all would be too logical to reduce the numbers. After all there’s no money in that. Slaughtering horses would mean yet more money for the tribes.

Disgusting.

Catching Up

2009-05-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Horse time has been very limited lately. We have been working on a pretty major project, which you can read more about here. I was able to get a few new pictures snapped of Buena the other day and I really hope to be getting back in the saddle again here real soon. It’s going to take a bunch of puzzle pieces falling into the right places to have it happen, but I am optimistic. Especially if I happen to win the lottery! In the meantime, here is your Buena fix:

SkyWatch Friday #42

2009-05-01T19:28:00.000-07:00

It’s been a while since I have participated, but I came up with a worthy one this week.

See other SkyWatch Photos from today here.

Friday Foto Funny

2009-05-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

Looking Like Spring Is Finally Here!

2009-04-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

Almost all shed out and had a good brushing and mane and tail combing,even managed a quick hoof trim touch-up!

Bellingham Extreme Mustang Makeover Horse Featured

2009-04-26T10:00:00.001-07:00

Saving the mustang, one horse at a time

Pacific NW Magazine, The Seattle Times, posted using ShareThis

Here is Tracey Westbury’s Mustang Diaries blog.

Friday Foto

2009-04-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update. It has been crazy busy around here, thus no blog posts. And not much horse-related activity going on right now either. Here is a photo of Buena from this morning, though.

Another Horsey Wine Label

2009-04-14T23:09:00.000-07:00

This one is in Washington!

Gotta love the small horse reference, and the label is pretty darn nice, too!

A Look Back: Four Days Of Ray

2009-04-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

I spent four wonderful days watching and listening at a Ray Hunt Clinic in 2001 at Gleason Ranch in Brady, WA. It was an unforgettable experience as I also had the privilege of joining Ray and Carolyn and two of my girlfriends for breakfast one morning at a café in Montesano. View my pictures from those four days at the following posts:

Ray Hunt Clinic Day 1

Ray Hunt Clinic Day 2

Ray Hunt Clinic Day 3

Ray Hunt Clinic Day 4

My friends were riding in the afternoon horsemanship class of that clinic. The morning was a colt starting class. In typical western Washington fashion, it was cold and wet in the middle of summer!

Another New Blog

2009-03-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

In the interest of trying to keep this blog focused mostly on me and my horse life, I started a new blog for the new additions to the farm and to keep track of the other livestock additions that may come in the future. Future goat news will probably be posted there as well.

Reminiscing About Ray: Part 2

2009-03-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the second installment of my journal reports and photos from a very special weekend in 2005. Please visit this link:

Ray Hunt Clinic Report: Day 2

A memorial and celebration will be held this coming Saturday, March 28, 2009 in Mountain Home, Idaho at Mountain Home Junior High School at 2:00 p.m. and it is open to the public. Please visit the Ray Hunt web site for details about this and other service(s) and also where to make donations in Ray’s memory.

I so wish I could be there to pay my respects to Carolyn and the rest of Ray’s family, and to honor Ray, but I am not going to be able to make it.

Green Horsekeeping Chronicles Debuts

2009-03-23T01:32:00.000-07:00

I finally managed to talk Alayne into doing a blog for Horses For Clean Water. Green Horsekeeping Chronicles will be yet another extension for Alayne and the rest of the HCW staff to interact with horse people around the world. Please visit the blog and also the latest issue of The Green Horse. This looks to be a great new venue to spread the “green” horsekeeping message.

Wonderful Tribute Slide Show

2009-03-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

From Western Horseman magazine.

Slideshow link

Reminiscing About Ray: Part 1

2009-03-18T10:03:00.001-07:00

Once I heard about Ray’s passing the other day I was compelled to go back through my many archives of pictures and e-mails. I knew exactly what I was looking for. The journal reports and photos from a very special weekend in 2005. I attended a private clinic hosted by some dear friends in Ellensburg. To read day one of that weekend, please visit this link:

Ray Hunt Clinic Report Day 1

Ray Hunt Memorial Service Information

2009-03-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

Visit the Ray Hunt web site for information about the planned Memorial Services and to read his obituary.

Two WH Articles About Ray Hunt

2009-03-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

These are must-read articles:

Western Horseman of the Year 2004—Ray Hunt

by Mike Laughlin with Randy Witte

and

I’m Here for the Horse

by A.J. Mangum

The horse world will never be the same without Ray Hunt, Tom Dorrance and Bill Dorrance.

AQHA: Legendary Horseman Ray Hunt Dies

2009-03-13T11:21:00.001-07:00

A good write-up about Ray:

Legendary Horseman Ray Hunt Dies

Posted using ShareThis

My Heart Is Heavy

2009-03-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

The Master Horseman has passed away.

He was one of the best things to happen to horses and horsemanship. And I am forever grateful that I had a chance to honor the man by riding with/for him in a private clinic in 2006.

The horse world is a better place because of Ray. He will be greatly missed.

Not Quite MIA

2009-03-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

I have been lacking in my posting lately. And I do have lots to write and photos to share, just not enough time to get it done it seems. Here is a brief update.

I put tomato seeds in plastic egg cartons on the radiant heated bathroom floor. Had seedlings within a week and just repotted them the other day. They are doing smashingly well. Roma, heirloom and legend.

Put cucumbers, tomatillos and soybeans in another flat three days ago and they are now up!

Paddock Boy was able to rig a shop light stand for me to continue to coddle the plants along until it’s time to move them outside. It may be a while...we had hail and snow this afternoon! And more is in the forecast. Winter isn’t gone yet. But I long for fresh tomatoes for salsa and lots of cukes for more pickles!

And there is a bald eagle currently roosting in the oak tree in the front yard.

The Scoop On Poop

2009-03-03T14:18:00.001-08:00

This is a great article by Enumclaw’s own garden guru and author Marianne Binetti.

Now is a great time to get the scoop on poop
Posted using ShareThis

How I Spent My Saturday

2009-02-23T20:30:00.000-08:00

Oh, and it was my birthday, too. I didn’t ride my horse, but I did ride.

Photo courtesy of Paddock Boy

Friday Foto Funny

2009-02-20T13:21:00.000-08:00

Get this algae that is stuck on my nose OFF please, mom!

Much better, thank you!

SkyWatch Friday #32

2009-02-20T12:07:00.001-08:00

Sorry about missing the last couple of weeks. It’s been crazy around here lately.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-18T11:28:00.000-08:00

Sunday Stills Challenge: The Moon

2009-02-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

Sunday Stills Challenge: The Moon

I had plans to post great shots that I took of the moon from Tuesday. However, they turned out horribly. Luckily, I have some nice pics from back in October that I can use instead.

Recipe: Perfect Pico de Gallo

2009-02-11T16:00:00.000-08:00

Here is another recipe from our Super Bowl feast. I am known as the Salsa Queen in my circle of family and friends. A few years back I perfected making many kinda of salsas, from verdé to roasted chili to this one...my Perfect Pico de Gallo. I am so proficient and efficient at this one that I had to actually practice it to come up with the recipe you see here. Feel free to adjust and substitute ingredients to taste. I love cilantro so I usually have more than some folks like. It can be an acquired taste. This is best eaten with fresh, warm homemade tortilla chips, but store-bought are much less labor intensive. I think this rivals restaurant salsa because of the use of sweet onions. If you find that you have too much jalapeño, use more lime juice to cut the heat.

OK, I just made myself hungry typing this post...time to hunt down the chips and salsa in the kitchen! And maybe a beer to go along with it. Enjoy!

Diagnosis: Compromised Vision

2009-02-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

Here is Dr. Bob’s official write-up:

Hx (medical abbreviation for history) of possible vision loss which is non-progressive and stable over time. On exam there is moderate microphthalmia OD with reduced menace response and direct PLR (Pupillary light response). Normal consentual PLR OD (Oculus dexter) and reduced and incomplete consentual PLR OS (Oculus sinister). On fundic exam 2-3 bullet hole type chorioretinal lesions are noted in the zone between tapetal and non-tapetal retina. Optic disc appears diffusely pale to yellow with normal vasculature and slightly small diameter compared to left. Margins of the optic disc appear irregular. Normal corneal reflex. All other exam findings are unremarkable.
Based on exam findings some vision loss or compromised vision is expected and congenital retinal hypoplasia is suspected.

So, she is compromised and I have kinda figured that since day one. What it means? Not much. I just now know WHY she behaves in certain ways and I can even be more proactive than I already have been. And I may be able to make her more comfortable about certain things because I am more aware of the reasons why she reacts to certain stimuli.

OK, now I need to get ready to go ride with girlfriends today.

More later (with pictures)!

Recipe: Black Pepper Dip

2009-02-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

Our local QFC grocery store occasionally has this killer dip in the deli that is outrageously priced. I have succumbed to buying it twice in the past month, but no more. I went through the ingredients on the label and did some internet searching and came up with my own version that tastes almost identical, if not better.

I didn’t perfect my recipe in time for the Super Bowl, but I will now use it as my staple for chip and veggie dipping. And it beats the salt-laden packages of Hidden Valley Ranch and Uncle Dan’s that you get in the stores, too! Tweak it to you heart’s content!

Sunday Stills Challenge: Go High, Go Low

2009-02-01T23:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday Stills Challenge: Go High, Go Low

Super Bowl Munchies Menu

2009-01-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

Here’s what we’ll be having for our small gathering of family and a few close friends. Go Steelers!

Wavy Lays Potato Chips
Parmesan Black Pepper Dip
Tortilla Chips
Pico de Gallo
BBQ Crock Pot Little Smokies
Nacho Cheese Dip
Veggie tray

I’ll be amending/updating this post with pictures and recipes between now and Sunday.

What’s on YOUR menu?

P.S. - I am not ignoring the questions about Buena’s eye(s). There is a post coming soon, I promise.

SkyWatch Friday #29

2009-01-30T10:57:00.000-08:00

Sunday Stills Challenge: Potluck

2009-01-25T11:57:00.000-08:00

Sunday Stills Challenge: Potluck

SkyWatch Friday #28

2009-01-23T00:50:00.000-08:00

Sunday Stills Challenge: Color

2009-01-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday Stills Challenge: Color

This was one of the easier challenges for me as I knew I wouldn’t be able to shoot much color this week. However, that doesn’t stop me from digging through my archives and pulling old pictures out that people haven’t seen yet. All of these shots were taken on May 18, 2008. And these are only a select few. There are lots more. I would have to say that this was one of those days where things just clicked, literally and figuratively. Sorry it too me all day to dig them up, but I think you will find that this little bit of spring in the middle of winter is well worth it. :)

Lemonade! Get Yer Chilly Lemonade Here!

2009-01-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks to go to gtyyup for sharing this award with me.

Rules:

You must add the logo to your blog or post.
Nominate at least 10 blogs which show Great Attitude and/or Gratitude. (And because these awards can get a bit much, I am amending the count from 10 down to 5.)
Link to your nominees within your post.
Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
Share the love and link this post to the person from who you received your award.

Here you go:

Bottoms up everyone!

SkyWatch Friday #27

2009-01-16T01:34:00.000-08:00

What Do YOU See?

2009-01-14T20:30:00.000-08:00

This is a set up. I want to get everyone’s opinions about what you see in these photos of Buena. I recently had my vet Dr. Bob from Mt. Rainier Equine Services out and he enlightened me on some things that I had been thinking about, but didn’t have confirmation of. I will explain his findings in a follow up post once I have seen what all of my readers ideas might be.

Here are the pictures for you to peruse and examine. Click on each picture to view larger versions. Oh, and for the handful of people that might know of what I am talking about, no spoilers please!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-14T01:48:00.000-08:00

Western Washington Area Flooding Follow Up

2009-01-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Flood relief available for Dozens of horses displaced by flood. If you are in need of help or if you would like to donate, please visit Flake Sale.

This sums up most of my opinion as well:

Weather response must be grounded in science
by Clifford F. Mass, Special to The Times
The volatility of Pacific Northwest weather in recent years demands the scientific community set the record straight about its changes and causes, argues University of Washington meteorology Cliff Mass. Too often, public officials, the media and others are quick to blame global climate change, though its effects require more research. Better the region redouble its efforts for weather observation and response to extreme weather events.

Great Gear: Wade Saddles

2009-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Stumbled on this video over on VaqueroGirl’s blog.

This topic has so many nuances to it that I will probably come back to it later (many times). The main point I have to make is on the saddle subject is that if you are buying a saddle off the rack in a tack shop and are paying low prices, you will get what you pay for. A $300 saddle isn’t going to cut it for you or your horse if you spend any significant time in the saddle. Now, that’s not saying that you can’t find a deal somewhere. What I am talking about are those pieces of crap out there that are factory made by someone who probably doesn’t even know what a horse looks like, much less how it needs to fit. I kinda refer to them as white trash rigs. You know the ones...canvas with matching breast collars, headstalls, halters and of course splint and bell boots.

If you are at all serious about riding your horse and treating him/her with respect, save your money and invest in something that will fit and last. You probably can’t go wrong spending more money purchasing your saddle than what you paid for your horse, especially these days!

So, what’s your ride? English? Western? Endurance? Aussie?

Here’s my current saddle, when it was brand new:

Sunday Stills Challenge: Macro

2009-01-11T20:42:00.000-08:00

Sunday Stills Challenge: Macro

SkyWatch Friday #26

2009-01-09T00:28:00.000-08:00

Western Washington Area Flooding

2009-01-07T13:37:00.000-08:00

If anyone needs respite from the flooding in the south King or north Pierce county area we are higher and drier than the flood plain areas for the most part. We can offer a sloppy round pen or we can put up temporary corral panel pens. Contact me if you need help.

This morning:

Five days ago:

Deconstructing the Shed

2009-01-05T22:30:00.000-08:00

Most of Saturday and Sunday afternoons were spent by myself, Little Cowboy and Paddock Boy dismantling the run-in shed.

Buena supervises:

Sunday, Little Cowboy and I removed nails from the boards that were salvageable and started a bonfire with the boards that weren’t useful or were too far gone/broken/rotten.

It began snowing again while we finished up. The snow was all gone by morning, though. Only the drifts and snowman and snow fort remain, and they are quickly shrinking.

Another Bird at Our Feeder

2009-01-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

Update with new picture:

This little guy has been lurking and eluding me lately. I have been trying to identify him for a while. Every time he shows up I either don’t have my bird book or don’t have my camera. The last two days were different. I did ID him yesterday with my book, but today I was able to capture him with the camera. Forgive the occasional blur and also forgive the tree branch obstruction of him. I took the pictures through the kitchen window, which doesn’t have modern glass. He only hung out for a few seconds in the Japanese maple before he flitted away again. The little tuft of red only appears on the male and only “when excited” according to All The Birds of North America.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula

Sunday Stills Challenge: Sunset/Sunrise

2009-01-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Sunrise, January 2, 2009

Sunset, January 2, 2009

I formerly had posted these which I had previously shared, but came up with new pics for this challenge.

Sunset, December 5, 2008

The sunset was predicting the impending stormy weather to come...

Sunrise, December 14, 2008

You can join the fun of the Sunday Stills Challenge, too! Visit Ed and Linda’s blog and start posting today!

SkyWatch Friday #25

2009-01-02T21:49:00.000-08:00

Bye Bye Entrecard

2009-01-01T18:23:00.000-08:00

A new year means a desire to refocus. Some folks love Entrecard for the traffic it drives to their blogs/sites. Me? Not so much. It was a pain in many ways. I have removed it from my blog here and also from my LatigoLiz.com site. I have canceled my account. Thanks for all who have “dropped” here. I’ll continue to visit your sites, but not through Entrecard links.

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T19:00:00.000-08:00

I am raising a glass of my new favorite wine to all my horse friends and you other bloggers out there!

New Bird Sighting

2008-12-31T17:00:00.000-08:00

This bird visited our trees and feeders back on December 22 while I was shoveling a path to the compost bin.

Red-breasted Sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber

Sunday Stills Challenge: What Brings You Luck

2008-12-28T21:44:00.000-08:00

All pooped out from a long and festive Christmas Day.

In The News: Horses and the Economy

2008-12-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

Hay cost, bad economy put squeeze on horses
High hay prices and the dour economy are being blamed for a growing number of horse owners who are giving up and abandoning or neglecting their animals in Idaho and other Western states.

I have lots I want to say on this subject. I will come back and add commentary later.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T16:54:00.000-08:00

May yours be merry and bright!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-24T02:09:00.000-08:00

December 22, 2008

Sunday Stills Challenge: Food

2008-12-23T12:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas shaped scones best enjoyed with blueberry jam from our own blueberries.

Scones courtesy of Paddock Boy and the Little Cowboy.

Bed Check

2008-12-20T22:46:00.000-08:00

Click on the image to view the QuickTime video.

At the point that I started to open the barn door I had to stop recording as the snow drift had already prevented me from opening it completely. I had a shovel stashed outside so I could dig in/out of the barn! I had difficulty getting out, too, and I was only in the barn about 20 minutes tops! This is not normal Western Washington weather!

Here We Go!

2008-12-20T16:32:00.000-08:00

The wind and snow have started! The horses and goats are all bedded into the barn. Drifts are starting to build on the western side of the buildings. The snow from earlier is blowing away and fresh new snow is coming down hard.

Dangerous Winter Storm to Hit Western Washington

Radar Map of Western Washington

Enumclaw area Wunderground Station

Update:

Click on the image to view the QuickTime video.

Heads or Tails?

2008-12-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

Center of the Donut?

2008-12-18T13:30:00.000-08:00

A few girlfriends and I have been e-mailing about the weather. We are spread out quite a bit and not everyone has the same amount of snow. I guess one of the local news stations equated it to a donut; lots of snow around the area and a center area with relatively nothing. We’re closer to the nothing than the 18+ inches in many parts of the Puget Sound area.

The goats have been thoroughly enjoying their straw bale condo. So much so that they have started to destroy it! Goats will be goats.

Buster loves the snow. What lab doesn’t?

And the horses like the fluffy stuff, too. Much better than mud or being cooped up in the stalls!

The poor shed looks so forlorn!

And the pumpkins on the back steps just make a person get the chills looking at them!

New Ventures

2008-12-16T14:00:00.000-08:00

I am happy to be a part of a new venture. A few months ago one of my friends asked me to help her with a logo for the new web site she was getting ready to launch. Not long after that she approved the final design which is based on a photo of her and one of her dear horses. Here is the press release about the web site. Please visit the site and spread the word. Hopefully this will be yet more more way to prevent a good portion of horses from becoming dinner for a foreigner.

Almost every horseperson can tell you about “the one that got away” - a horse they used to own or ride that they have lost track of and still think about. Maybe circumstances have changed and they’d like to buy the horse back if it is available. Maybe they just want to find out if it’s in a good home. Or maybe they have a horse they love - but that horse’s past is a mystery and they’d like to get in touch with former owners and find out their horse’s story.
Too often, registration papers are lost or not transferred, or the horse never had any, and so there is no way to find information or locate the horse. Sadly, many of the horses that go to slaughter every day have someone somewhere who would have rescued them - but that person did not even know they were in danger.
HorseReunions.com was created to connect people and horses. Horse listings are absolutely free - just sign up, create your listings and upload pictures. The comments area allows you to tell your story. If you know about a horse who is in danger, use the search function to see if he has been listed. A broad search - for example just searching for chestnut Thoroughbred mares - is more likely to yield results than a highly specific search. You do not need the horse’s registered name to search. You can search for a bay gelding who cribs or a sorrel tobiano mare with one blue eye.
You do not have to have owned a horse to list him on HorseReunions.com. For example, you can list a racehorse that you would like to offer a retirement or “second career” home to when his racing days are finished. We do ask that you be serious and financially capable of following through with any home offers.
With rescues overflowing and many owners unable to continue caring for their horses due to the poor economy, we need a way for horses in need to find the people who already care about them and want to help. HorseReunions.com seeks to fill that need but it will only work if horsepeople take the time to list the horses they care about. While we will continue to maintain the Responsible Breeder’s List, we encourage breeders to list every horse individually on the main site if possible.
Please bear in mind that HorseReunions.com is merely a listing service. We have not checked out or approved any of our members as adoptive homes for horses, and we strongly recommend you do your own research and check references before placing a horse with anyone - even the horse’s own breeder.
Enjoy the site. You can ask any questions on the site’s forum at http://forums.horsereunions.com/ and also get advice on your search!
Horse Reunions
http://www.horsereunions.com
Welcome Home - A Listing of Responsible Horse Breeders!
http://www.horsereunions.com/welcome/list.html

I also have launched a new site of my own to promote my design and publishing skills. The economy and job market out there is tough right now and our family needs every little bit of income we can get. The banking collapse has affected our family significantly and I need to start bringing more in to help offset that. If you or someone you know needs help with a web site, newsletter, book or blog, or even just a little bit of banner advertising creation, please send them my way! I am taking on new clients.

How Cold Is It?

2008-12-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

TOO COLD!

One Wunderground station near us recorded a low temp of 9.5°F last night! That’s just too cold!

The horses, goats and dog now all have heated water buckets in the barn. Already had a stock tank heater outside, but since the run-in shed is no more, the horses get brought in at night and if the wind is blowing. The goats have a new straw bale condo set up. And the barn cats huddle en masse either in the barn or out in the hay shed somewhere. I have seen them venturing out and about in the sun today since there is no wind. Also, I spotted a little mouse in the barn last night when we were installing the heated buckets. Barn kitties must not be doing their jobs very well! Mouse looked cold scurrying around on the rubber mats int he stall.

Oops, There Goes the Run-in Shed!

2008-12-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

My husband came in this morning around sunrise to inform me that the run-in shed flipped over in the wind and that the horses were fine but were out running around. I dressed to go outside and help him put the horses in the round pen and then collect items before they blew away. Once that was done, then we grabbed a quick bite of breakfast and headed back out to the barn to reorganize the straw and hay bales to get the goats, barn cats, dog and horses all settled in. Took a couple of hours, but everyone is now cozy in the barn out of the wind.

Here is what it looked like before:

Finished

2008-12-11T10:43:00.000-08:00

The boys did most of the decorating after I did most of the lights.

And Chester has already found a new cozy place to sleep.

Lit

2008-12-11T00:35:00.000-08:00

The tree is all decorated. Here is what it looked like with just lights.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-10T15:39:00.000-08:00

December 5, 2008 Sunset

Note: No color correction or retouching was done on these.

Muck You!

2008-12-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Here are mine. Wet.

Wetter!

O’ Christmas Tree

2008-12-06T23:45:00.000-08:00

We made our trek into Forest Service Land today to get our tree. There’s not any snow to speak of in the mountains yet, so we were able to get quite high up today and made a great find. I have wanted a tall and skinny tree ever since we moved into this house. That happened this year, finally! Ten dollars and a little bit of fuel and hiking can get you a decent tree.

Mt. Rainier has been putting on quite the cloud show the past couple of days. It was a sign of the rain to come, which finally did this evening.

Yet More Awards

2008-12-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Karen J-S for yet another blog award.

With this award, there are some rules:

Name 5 other Superior Scribblers.
Link to the author and the name of the blog that gave you the award.
Display the award on your blog with this LINK, which explains the award.
At the bottom of that link, add your name to Mr. Linky’s list.
Post these rules for your recipients.

Here are my Superior Scribbler Award recipients:

And thanks again to Cactus Jack Splash for yet another great award.

Put the logo on your blog
Add a link to the person who awarded you
Nominate 10 (or whatever number you choose) other blogs for this award
Add links to those blogs
Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs
Give a reason why you consider their blogs cool

Here are my Butterfly Award recipients:

Sommer Designs - Great products and awesome clean design!
Crunchy Chicken - Great local gal with lots of thoughts to ponder!
Green and Clean Mom - Good advice to live by.
Esprit Cabane - Wonderful ideas!
Rancher Ron - City boy trying to make it on the farm. Very enjoyable!

Ride With Friends, Old and New

2008-11-24T20:38:00.000-08:00

Took a short jaunt back to my old neighborhood yesterday. We rode trails up in Taylor Mountain Regional Park. I used to live less than 5 miles from those trails and for quite a few years rode them daily with Ariel. Ah the memories! Things have really changed up there in the last 12 years or so. The area was owed by Manke Lumber Company and recently was purchased by King County. Since then, lots of work has been done to maintain old trails and reroute poorly placed ones to accommodate salmon-bearing streams. I love riding in that area pretty much any time of year. The terrain is varied and occasionally there might be a bear or cougar sighting! Berries are abundant in July!

This ride was with a couple of my close girlfriends and my good friends Alayne and her husband Matt and three new folks I hadn’t met or ridden with before. We all had a great time and I look forward to riding with each of them again in the future.

Forgive the Buena ears in the photos as I only have pictures of everyone else so far. If I get some from the others, I will add them to this post later.

Here is one group photo from my good friend C’s camera; Buena and I are third from the left. Buena has Old Macs boots on, in case you were wondering why her front feet look so large in comparison!

Dreaming With A Broken Heart

2008-11-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

I am not tagging anyone, but if you want to play, go for it! I added the song title, artist and album title.

Directions:

Put Your iTunes on Shuffle.
For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!
Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
Tag at least 10 friends.
Anyone tagged has to do the same, because fun pointlessness spreads like a virus.

Here we go...

If someone says, “Is this okay?” You say?
Bodyrock, Moby, Play

How Would You Describe Yourself?
Home Bird, Foy Vance, Grey’s Anatomy Original Soundtrack Volume 2

What Do You Like in a girl/guy?
GuitarFlute and String, Moby, Play

What is Your Life’s Purpose? Marching Bands of Manhattan, Death Cab For Cutie, Plans

What is Your Life Motto?
Someone Said Goodbye, Enya, Amarantine

What Do Your Friends Think of You?
Down Slow, Moby, Play

What Do You Think of Your Parents?
Don’t Know Why, Norah Jones, Come Away With Me

What Do You Often Find Yourself Thinking About?
Dirty Little Secret, Sarah McLachlan, Afterglow

What is 2+2?
Perfect Girl, Sarah McLachlan, Afterglow

What Do You Think of Your Best Friend?
Paper Aeroplane, KT Tunstall, Drastic Fantastic

What Do You Think of the Person You Like?
On Your Way, eastmountainsouth, Eastmountainsouth

What Is Your Life Story?
False Alarm, KT Tunstall, Eye to the Telescope

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Screenwriter’s Blues, Soul Coughing, Ruby Vroom

What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Run On, Moby, Play

What will you dance to at your wedding?
Fools In Love, Inara George, Grey’s Anatomy Soundtrack

What will they play at your funeral?
Through the Dark, KT Tunstall, Eye to the Telescope

What is your hobby/interest?
Send Your Love, Sting and featuring Vicente Amigo, Sacred Love

What is your biggest fear?
Talk of the Town, Jack Johnson, Curious George Soundtrack

What is your biggest secret?
Don’t Think of Me, Dido, No Angel

What do you think of your friends?
Too Soon, eatmountainsouth, Eastmountainsouth

What will you post this as?
Dreaming With A Broken Heart, John Mayer, Continuum

Buena Has A New Friend

2008-11-21T15:09:00.000-08:00

Meet Tsina, a 19-year-old Araloosa mare. Forgive the sweat and mud, they both had a good time right before I snapped these pictures!

Friday Foto Flashback

2008-11-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

Exactly 5 years ago today (November 21, 2003). We don’t have any snow today, and there isn’t enough in the mountain yet to go skiing either. The little old trailer had long since been sold down the road. And you can see what used to be some of the old falling down and dangerous fencing that we have removed.

The Knot EVERY Horse Owner Should Know

2008-11-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

A bowline is a horse owner’s best friend! And I admit I didn’t learn it until a few years ago. I always used the infamous quick release knot. Once a horse happens to pull back on that knot, it is anything but a “quick release,” usually resulting in broken hardware or having to cut the rope!

I tie with the bowline in all instances. To the trailer, on a tie post, on a high line and in the trailer. And always have a knife handy because you can’t get the bowline undone when there is a large load of a panicking horse pulling back!

I have a great book on knots, but for the life of me, I still can’t figure out to tie many of them, and I have yet to successfully tie my own rope halters!

I found a great site with animated instructions on how to tie useful knots. This is great for the visual learners out there! Karen Chaton posted a link to this site on her blog and I found the information so fantastic I also had to pass it along!

AnimatedKnots.com

Here are some other great books for knots and making your own tack/gear:

Burn Baby Burn!

2008-11-20T09:30:00.000-08:00

We recently cut down three fruit trees in our field. They were in the southeast corner, but they were significantly impeding getting a decent amount of hay out of that area. We will plant new trees closer in to the house to replace the one apple and two pear trees. We burned much of the stumps and trees. Paddock Boy and Little Cowboy roasted hot dogs and marshmallows on the coals for lunch and dessert. I threw a few other photos taken later in to this post because they turned out so well.

More pictures can be seen here.

Unwanted Horse Coalition Survey

2008-11-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

Please take the time to fill out this survey. It takes about 5-10 minutes.

How Much Do You Know About Bots?

2008-11-18T12:17:00.001-08:00

The Horse: Autumn Pests

by: Craig R. Reinemeyer, DVM, PhD
October 01 2006, Article # 7672

Q: Every fall, I see bot flies terrorizing my horses. I have tried to find a way to get rid of them or to even cut their numbers down, but I have not been successful. I have cows in the next pasture, and someone told me cows attract bot flies. Is this true?
Tracy, Oroville, Calif.

A: Bots are an inevitable aspect of equine ownership, but they are probably more bothersome to you than to your horse.

Read more great information from Dr. Reinemeyer.

Pickens Family May “Save” the Mustangs

2008-11-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

A Dramatic Rescue for Doomed Wild Horses of the West

By Lyndsey Layton, Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 18, 2008; Page A01

The unwanted horses seemed destined for death. The wheels had been set in motion to put down about 2,000 healthy mustangs, those in a federally maintained herd of wild horses and burros that no one wanted to adopt.

NorthWET!

2008-11-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we started drying out. Today was better. There are rumors of sunshine this weekend!

Fall and winter around here can get on the depressing side. Some folks can’t hack it and head south to sunny (and possibly warmer) climates. As I get older, I think it might not be a bad thing to move where there is more sun at a minimum. Not likely to happen any time soon, though. We really like our house and farm and having immediate family close by.

Earlier in the week nearly every river around here was near, at or above flood stage. That’s normal for October/November and also some other times of the year. We’ve been lucky that a major wind storm blow through yet! Saturated soils makes for lots of downed trees.

We’re flat here. And we have very organic soil. It’s from the ancient Osceola mudflow off of Mt. Rainier 5,000 years ago (see this link, too).

As a result, we have awesome for pasture, but it’s also a haven for the nastiest mud you will ever see. And it’s deep.

We’ve been getting by since we moved here as far as mud management goes. It’s an expensive problem to solve and each year other major projects seem to overtake the large task of constructing a mud-free paddock/arena. Thankfully we do have some options to get the horses (and goats) out of the muck a good portion of the day/night by stalling them. I hate to do it, but at the same time, it develops patient animals if stall rest is ordered by the vet for treatment of illness or injury.

Here are some pictures from the worst of the water that we had the other day. And it wasn’t even near as bad as we have had in years past.

Clinic Report

2008-11-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

It’s been nearly 2 weeks since the latest Brannaman clinic and, again, it was another fabulous one. Maybe these really good ones are so good they are hard to put into words (or type up). Doesn’t mean I can’t discuss them, but journaling them has been difficult. If I had been more disciplined then I would have journaled every night before bed in my toasty warm camper.

I went to bed each night with a sense of peace and progress with my horse and my horsemanship. There are still little things that I am working on and the bug me, but nothing all that serious really. Looking back at the 2 pictures Paddock Boy took of me, he obviously captured the absolute worst moments! Man, I hope I don’t look like that ALL the time when I am doing hindquarters/frontquarters! Yeesh! I do know that it was the one thing that I felt like I was still struggling with towards the end of the clinic on the last day. Thankfully Buck pointed out a couple of things and complemented me on my improvement once I executed his directions better.

Taking six months off between clinics like that is not advisable! And I mean not riding hardly at all! That won’t happen like that again! All in all I am very happy with my horse and the 4 days I spent riding. And I was exhausted, but not overtaxed. I came home hopeful and renewed. And watching and listening to Buck in the afternoons was fabulous as usual.

During the clinic a film crew was there shooting footage and interviews for a documentary. It was fascinating watching them work and seeing them have to work around Buck doing his job. Many times they either had people in the way or Buck was facing opposite of the camera. Not sure if he was doing that on purpose, but the cameraman look a bit frustrated at times on the final days.

Buck did lots of talking and answering questions and demonstrating. Watching him ride seems to always be a highlight for me. Shows me yet more that I need to work on besides the exercises he talks us through during our classes.

I captured a great sequence of part of the work he did with a friend’s horse. He was working on getting the horse to back with only life from his legs and NO reins. The owner was having some trouble getting it sorted out and Buck hopped on the horse and in minutes got it set up for the owner to have more success. The horse is very good minded and never once got bothered about anything, and never does. It will be nice to see the changes next time I see them.

I have such a hard time pinpointing the highlights for myself and Buena. She is so easy going and gets along so well with me and with all of the other horses around her. That is so refreshing from the many years I rode Ariel in clinics. I am constantly amazed by Buena and look forward to many more years of her teaching me.

At the end of the clinic Buck paid Buena and me a few nice complements and it’s always very humbling. I respect the man so much not only for what he has done for horses, but for what he has done for many of my friends and myself. We all owe him a great deal and it’s always an honor to ride in his presence.

Wheels of Justice Keep Rolling

2008-11-07T12:15:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I posted about Jean Elledge. There has been additional sentencing by Snohomish county.

Monroe woman sentenced for starving horses

Monroe woman sentenced to year in jail for starving horses

Monroe woman gets year in jail for animal cruelty

I wish that King county had been able to give jail time to another disgraceful so-called rescuer, but I don’t have much confidence now that she has pled guilty to lesser charges. Hopefully I will hear better news after the sentencing hearing.