Okay, I am done for now. I meant for this to be in a different order, I forgot how it works and by the time I realized it, several were already done and I wasn't going to start over.

So scroll down and start at Hi Again and then move up.


Pardon the doubled pictures on a couple of them.

Okay, just a couple of more. The bottom pic is of my daughter at probably four in a leadline class on Spunky. She always won and was end of the year Champion. They were so cute together. I had this little english saddle, I think it was a 12", and I had to use a 52" girth because it was so small.

The middle pic is Spunky and I waiting to go into a class. You know how it is, hurry up and wait. He always looked so adorable braided. This must have been equitation finals. I didn't braid him very often.

The top picture is of me and Splash, a Connemara/TB cross that I was training for a very nice older guy. Splash was a real challenge, something wasn't right in his head. He could be very nice over fences but unfortunately a mediocre mover. I rode him for about three years so I thought he deserved a shout out.

Here is Big Buck. I never thought that I would ever actually have a draft. Shortly after we moved out here, I was looking for something for my hubby to bop around on. I was talking to a friend about it and she mentioned Buck (formerly Zeus). He was on loan to a local barn and was being used as a schoolie. One day a couple of weeks before, he had three seizures. Apparently, it was pretty hard to watch. The girl who owned him lives out of town and is in school, she couldn't afford an MRI which the barn manager said she had to get in order for him to stay on. I guess so that a brain tumor could be diagnosed and or ruled out. Most everyone, including the vet, said he should be put down, she of course didn't want to, but she had to move him or pay board which she couldn't afford either. We talked and I agreed to take him, so she gave him to me. I told her that if the seizures reappeared, I would euth him. That has been over a year and a half ago and there have been no further signs of seizures.

Buck is a very big baby and really lovable. I enjoy riding him although he is also very lazy. In his day, he did eventing believe it or not.

He actually has his own fan club at the barn he was at. People still ask about him.

Back in to finish up on my equines. This is my stepdaughter jumping Wizard. Wizard had originally been brought to a local barn for a girl to try. They decided they wanted something bigger, so the trainer bought him instead. He was then used for a school horse, which he hated. He doesn't have the right personality for that type of job. I rode him in 5 or 6 lessons and loved him, so we ended up buying him. He is very lovable but he can be a bit wicked. The pony in him I think.

Wow, that pic of Wizard didn't come out well. Anyway, isn't he the cutest little guy? He was supposed to be a large pony but ended up being about 15 hands. His full sisters are large ponies and showing big time up in New York. Wizard is a great mover, he has a 10 plus trot when you ride it well and he has the jump of a much larger horse. He never stops at a fence, never, never.

Meet Whinnie, AKA, Madame X. We have no idea of her breeding other than to guess she is a TB/Welsh cross. The one pic of her where she looks like a chestnut is from the people I bought her from. She was about 2 in that pic. Amazing change. This mare is what I and others have called a fine ride. You don't do much when riding her. Voice command is about all it takes. She is also very balanced.

Okay, there was a major gap in my riding. I started riding again via a good friend of mine, the year was 1988. My teacher hooked my up with the above guy, meet Spunky (aka Champagne Jam), he was 5 and he is mostly QH and has a tad of TB in there. This horse was my saving grace. At the time I was married to a truly horrible man who had me convinced that I was worthless. If it hadn't been for Spunky and the positives that I got from him and my riding, I don't know what would have happened to me. I rode in some clinics with some very good pros and every one of them said, I hope your husband treats you as well as that horse, I always replied that he didn't, that is why I got rid of the husband and kept the horse. I still have Spunky, he is now 27 and still the light of my life.

The year was 1971, the place was Fort Leonard Wood Missouri. The equine was Wild Bill Cody, a 4 year old, Buckskin QH. He was a 14.2" pistol, whatever were my parents thinking? He was boarded at the stable on the Army post, so my folks would just drop me off there and I would spend hours and hours out there. What a great life it was. In retrospect, I believe that Cody was a very talented little guy, and I wish I knew what the hell I was doing. I had previously had some english riding lessons before we moved to MO, and that was about it.

What a great place that was to learn about and ride horses. To this day, I have the very best memories of that time. When Dad was transferred, we gave Cody to a retiring Staff Sargeant that was in my Dad's battalion who had bought a place locally.

Dad was transferred back to Virginia. I took some lessons at a couple of barns but eventually faded out of riding by the time I was 16-17, there was just no where to ride anymore that was even remotely close.

Hi Again

I haven't forgotten that I have a blog. I just so enjoy reading everyone else's blogs that I don't make time for mine. To tell you the truth, I am not very interesting, and I really don't want to bore everyone. I wish I had a great job to tell you about, but alas, the only interesting parts of my job are confidential, you know, all of that pesky HIPAA stuff.

I have decided for the time being to tell you the story of my critters. I will start with my equines.

These pics are for bhm.

Now that I have bored the tears out of everyone. I am done. That one pic without the caption is me, Spot, Gracie and Buck.

Whinnie and I in her first Green Division. I was very proud of her except that she also thought she needed to jump all of the wet spots in the footing too.

Wizard

My favorite part of the house, the back porch. We hang the Hummer feeders from the awnings and of course there is my grill. They call me the Grillenator, I'll be back.

Spot

Big Buck the Perch.

Elvis and Gracie (aka Gator Dog) having some fun.

This is Spunky, 27 yo QH/TB. He is the Man

This is the far back field as yet unfenced. This has been a hay field but unforunately, we don't have the proper equipment. Talk about a great place to ride around.

This is the really great storage barn, we could fit probably 1000 bales of hay in it. And it is so nice to be able to park the trailer and tractor under cover. There is even storage on the back side. The people who built this place were really thinking. The posts on this building are telephone poles, it isn't going anywhere soon.

Changing things around a bit. This is Whinnie and Wizard's barn. Has two 12 x 24 stalls and a heated tackroom with a hot water heater in it and lots of storage.

This is Spunky and Buck's barn. It has 3 stalls and a nice tack room with a wash rack. Love that overhang, they love to stand under it get out of the rain or sun.

This is the house at Hummingbird Hill. We had 5-6" of snow last night and today, my snow dance last night was very effective. As you can tell, we don't get much snow here.

This is pulling in the driveway, to the left is one of the barns. That is where Spunky and Buck reside.