Life without a round pen

There is not a round pen at our new home so there is definitely going to be some adjustments to be made. I thought maybe lunging would be better than having the 2 reins today and decided it was time for him to work with the saddle on. Sarah was my guest photographer today. Don't get used to seeing me in so many pictures.......can't say I like it much. I don't know if it is the saddle or the angle (Sarah is shorter than me) but oh my, he looks huge here. It gives me hope that even if he's the perfect height (15'3-16h), he should take up my leg just fine!

He had heard that his Wisconsin cousins have been making fun of his poor excuse for a buck. Um, I think he has found the up button since we moved.



Oh my, we missed a shot of his front end way off the ground too, but this should give you an idea. Never mind about needing an action shot, feet on the ground again please Sammy.



Ah, that's much better. Let's just pretend we're in the round pen, ok?

Saddle, only a lunge line and the temperature was only in the 80's this afternoon, thanks to a thunderstorm that came through earlier. He definitely was feeling pretty good.


But, we successfully accomplished a pretty walk and trot a few times when asked and that was all I was hoping for.



All in all, I'd say he was pretty pleased with himself.

Playtime is over

Allison was my guest photographer today. It's very hard to do the work and take the pictures at the same time. So it was time to test out Sammy's training wheels in the riding arena at their new home. It's such nice arena.....and it's got jumps!!!! Sammy was VERY disturbed by the strange furniture in the playpen as you can see.

This is Sammy excited by the jumps. I guess once you've been herding cows, jumps aren't a big deal.


He was oh so disturbed.


oooh. he likes the colorful one.

The flowery one didn't raise much interest.




At least there was some shade somewhere.....I hate the summer and the heat and the humidity and the bugs and the snakes......etc
Allison did a most excellent job on this picture. Perfect placing for the jump standard if you ask me.



And we were out of there. Not bad for our first look at the jumps .



Poor Remy says it's very tough being a barn dog. He needs his air conditioning. Luckily he has discovered that the pond is a nice place to cool off......until he needs to be a bit cleaner before getting in the car.

Sammy and Lily have new digs

Sometimes, it is time to move on. It was one of those mixed emotions sort of day. Sad to be leaving a farm we had thought of as home but excited to be moving into a barn that is a true hunter/jumper facility......but on a smaller scale than a big show barn.
First we loaded up Lily and Sammy and the majority of our stuff.....how do we accumulate so much stuff anyway? Sammy had to look back to make sure I was coming.


But then we arrived a short trip later at what we hope we be their new home for a long time.


Sammy and Lily moved right in and Sammy has already found the hanging hose to play with and loved the ability to visit with passers-by.


He seemed to settle right in and Lily was right behind him so they have each other for comfort. Lily was not wanting her picture taken in her stall.....something about the bad lighting for a glamour shot.


We got them settled in and then went back for Spenser and the jump poles....yes we actually have some. And then Spenser was on the road and it was official, we had left Johnson Farm completely.



Spenser seems to like his new abode also.

Here is the riding arena......it's an acre in size. This will be a true novelty and luxury for us, and a big reason for our move.


There is a lane dividing 2 sets of pastures



And a pond...so we feel more at home.


Sammy thought I should please just let him go....but I thought it would be nice if Lily had actually made it through the gate too.



And then they were off.


I've never seen Sammy quite so....elevated I think would be a good word. Natalie - you would have been astonished at the height he cleared! I couldn't even get a picture of it because my jaw was hanging open.




But all is well. they calmed down and Lily settled right in to her edging routine. Why does she like the edges of a pasture more than the middle?


So the move had been made, the horses have had a night to settle in and we'll see what today brings...........

In which Sammy meets a ground pole

Today Sammy got to meet a ground pole in the round pen. He's been walked over them before but somehow it's different with the long lines. I was grateful it has dried up enough to use the round pen.

He checked it out first to see what was up.

And then had to ask Allison for advice. Or maybe for rescue. It was harder to keep him from trying to visit with her than it was to get him over the ground pole.

He does love her.
Wow, momma.....that came up a bit quick. Do I jump it? What's the deal?


Ok, here it comes again.




ah, got it. It's no big deal.


We can walk over it, easy peasy.


And then just trot off. He was very proud of himself.


All right buddy, what about the other direction. Everything is new again. Let's think about it first. Allison is not going to help you out.

It looks so different this direction. Gotta jump it.

But please don't let it get my back legs.




Oh yea, you can just walk over it. He's good to go again.

It's been a while

May has been a very strange month weather-wise. First it was too hot, then it was too cold. It was very dry and we were under water restrictions. The grass crunched when you walked on it, not a good thing. We screamed for the rain....and then it came. It didn't stop raining for about 10 days and we got a months worth of rain and just a few days. Some places were reporting 2 feet worth. That's a lot of rain. So, the horses have been on the back burner a bit. But today was beautiful, hot, but not rainy so it was beautiful. This is how excited Lily and Sammy were to be outside without any rain.... Here's Lily, the mom.


And here's Sammy. Look at that blue sky. It seems like a very long time since it's been blue. Gray is what we've been having.....very gray and wet. So now the rains have tapered off a bit, the hot weather is back and we have the Florida Sauna in full operation.


But, after spending some time with them in the field, with the sunshine, I noticed Sammy has a dark spot on one of his legs. Lily has a couple of these dark greasy looking spots. I tried to wash them off of her for a long time before I realized they were really supposed to stay. And now, it looks like Sammy has one just sprouting. I find it hard to believe I wouldn't have seen it before now if it had been there all along.....it must have been hiding underneath all that winter hair. :-)



And I am dreading the day his light colored tail hairs are no more. They are so contrasting and pretty....I'd better get the hair dresser ready to put them back if they disappear.




Here an exciting action shot for you......the most I saw in the hour I spent with them. I promise I'll try again tomorrow.

Looking for that big action shot.

I have a good friend far, far away who has been my cheerleader/hand holder ever since I made that first decision to breed Lily. She doesn't know I'm posting this otherwise I would tell you her name and the breeding of her yearling, but...........isn't he really something???? She sends me this and I immediately think WOW. He gorgeous. Now I need a picture like that of Sammy......I think I must have been still asleep and dreaming.

It has turned hot down here so the turnout has switched around to everybody is in during the day and out at night. I worked some with Sammy (he's a very good boy by the way) and gave him a bath then let him eat his dinner. Then it was time to turn them out. AH Hah! They haven't been turned out all day, surely they'll be a little frisky and I can get some good action shots. So I armed myself with my mega lens and off I went. What action!!!

Ready for it????


Really, really ready????


Here it comes.....



And we're down.......but he does have all 4 feet off the ground.


And is really enjoying himself.............



And can flip all the way over too...........


and shake it all about.


Oh wait.....here come Vantage in the next field wanting to play. I know I can count on him to get things going.


Yep, there it is...Sammy's big rear that goes along with his big buck.


Um, Mom - I'm still hungry, could you fill up this feed bin?

Oh well, better luck next time I'm sure. If only I could take pictures and ground drive him at the same time...he really does look good.....and he actually moves forward, I promise.

not great pictures but...

they were taken with my Blackberry after all. Why do I do these things knowing I was without my camera? I decided it was time to see how Sammy would like wearing a saddle. I think after the surcingle, the nice fuzzy soft girth was ok. (and I can't believe Lily's girth actually fit him!) He really wasn't so impressed by it so off we went to the round pen to see how he liked wearing it while he was actually moving. As you can see, he was very bothered by it.

He was a very good boy and took my voice commands pretty well considering there were not any lines actually attached. The saddle at the canter bothered him the most as you can tell by this HUGE buck (come on Natalie, let us call this a buck, pretty please?)

But he walked, trotted and cantered both directions and then we were done. He stood by the mounting block like a good little boy while Linda climbed up and leaned all over the saddle bouncing up and down while she was there. He took it in stride so we're one more step closer.

But there's a part of me that's very sad that baby Sammy is no more. He is looking oh so very grown up now.