Well, everyone has been suprisingly good this last week. No injuries, no brats, and no bucks. (yet). 

I am very impressed with Solo(Ty Two Jackie), as she has been the easiest horse I have ever started. The first day i worked her I was on her within 30 minutes and she would back and turn, but it took LOTS of motivation to get her moving. The second day I worked her, she was much better. And picked right up that kiss and kick means walk. lol. She was awesome. Would turn back and stop without any resistance. She still wont quite trot, but she will get there.

Taffy is about at the same point as Solo. She stands for you to get on and off and will kind of walk when you kiss to her, but if you kick her she tries to bite your foot. lol. And if you whip her she kicks her heels up. But no rear on our last ride. lol. Yay! Shes a bit lazy, hopefully she gets a little better before she gets on the track. lol. 

Rowan has been awesome.  Calm, relaxed, head down, flexion at the poll, collected. He was excellent. They grow up so fast. :') lol. I'm proud of him and hopes he keeps up the progress. We will start roping today on him.

Scoop kinda comes and goes. She is a little better with neck reining every day, but still kinda behind for 60 some days. Most my colts are neck reining by 30 days. But you can't have your cake and eat it to, and she is better at some other things than most colts. Like tracking a cow, or collection, or backing under the bit, or roping. lol. As soon as she can neck rein I can start actually roping from her, but until then its like were just playing around, waiting for the wheels to turn. Doing random circles all over the arena, slowly using more indirect rein than direct rein, clicking a tiny bit at a time. lol. Its like she insists on plow rein only. haha.

Gypsy has had her first saddle on, and the first time she bucked like crazy, but is getting used to it. She still will not let me touch her legs, or she will let me touch them but as soon as I try to pick a foot up she pulls back. She is kind of frustrating to work with. One day you work her on something, like picking up her feet, for an hour, and she makes decent progress. The next day you do the exact same thing for 3 hours and never make even a tiny bit of progress. She was the same way for me to throw a rope around. One day, she was fine with me throwing the rope all over her, around her feet and head, and butt and belly, etc, and it only took about 2 hours of work. The next day in 2 hours all i could do was get her to hold still while I threw it on her back, but on the legs or neck or butt she would bolt. Idk why, if she has mental issues from being abused, or what, but some days she is awesome with some things and terrible with others and other days she is opposite. Very frustrating. But tshe is easy to catch, and you can touch her all over and stand to be saddled. She is yielding to reins as well. So considering that a few weeks ago you could barely touch her between the nostrils at all, she has made decent progress I guess. She was abused pretty badly.

I rode Rose yesterday, she was kind of a snot at first, but once I got her sweating she was really good. It was the first time i had actually rode her. Usually I just have Brad hop on since she is his horse. She is pretty well broke, needs more work on neck reining and staying in the nice jog she has, but other than that, she would make a good kids pony for the confident beginner. Or adult. She's big enough she could carry a heavier rider. She has that weird thing going on with her eye though, so I am going to ask the vet tomorrow when I bring my colt in for her Coggins. 

Friday morning I am getting my new mare.  Dees Barlnk Lady, aka, Kimmie. She will be bred to one of Kirks studs for a 2013 foal. I am a but bummed to see my bay colt(Bandito as my 4H group named her) go, but I need a broke horse around. One of my 4H'ers will be using her for fair this year as well.  

Now, for your entertainment, here is a cowboy poem I wrote back in 2008 when I was training colts back in Rochester, WA and the whole area flooded. I guess it is titled A Ride in The Rain, but I don't really title many of my poems.

The day was new, the waters high

The grey clouds covered the blue of the sky

The rain poured down to deepen the flood

The critters left their prints in the layer of mud

The horses were fresh, they tossed their manes

As I called them in off the grassy plains

I threw leather quick, pulled cinches steady

Then settled up on one mare and left the others ready

After some warming up, she was ready to go

So I gave slack in the reins and let her explode

Down the fence line, where the water began

I pulled her up and for a while made her stand

River many feet deeper than days before

And with the rain coming hard there was sure to be more

Debris rushed by fast, the current ran strong

She could of swam it but not for long

So we went on around to a shallower spot

Then we wandered on back to the saddled lot

I let loose the mare and grabbed the next hide

Then took him to the fence to let him full stride

He had plenty speed, his power immense

The rain on my face was something intense

We neared the flooded creek so I sat back to go slow

But he grabbed hold the bit and locked his head low

I sat back a bit harsh, worked the metal sore

But he wanted to run and run miles more

The water neared fast, the stretch shortened quick

The wet of the river left the muddy ground slick

His legs locked up as we neared the last feet

But we hit the water hard, the wave like concrete

I departed the saddle and left him behind

And it seemed I hung in the air quite a time

When I finally came down it seemed all went black

A fast floating log struck me hard in the back

Gasping to breathe, but only water came

Never again shall I ride in the rain

By Amy Sigl