Monday, June 25, 2012

Truck Tire Trauma

You know what they say ..... if it's got tires or .....  they're gonna be trouble.

Last weekend's horse fun was foiled by a bad tire.  Now, when did we buy that used truck?  How old were the tires then?  HMMMM - no one knows.

So we headed to Inola on Friday evening for drill team practice with Sunny (Alaina was excited for his first time) and Pico.  Splash was along too so that Mallory and I could play with our ponies while the girls drilled.  All systems were go untill we turned south on 88.  Then the truck started bucking and I pulled over, felt tires for heat, looked for smoke, popped the hood to check belts... Looked ok, so continued south.  Repeat.  Got to the curve at the church and turned around for home because retreat is the better part of valor.  We were clearly having some sort of trouble and I didn't want to be coming home at night on 88 with kids and horses and really break down.  Ran into Steve coming out of the driveway and caused a small incident with the fence.  But we were home safe and sound so we transferred stuff to the car and raced back to Inola to do a bit of drill on borrowed horses.  Alaina was back on Ahab and Ivy tried Lady.  Short and Sweet but Patty and crew were gearing up for the Schooling Show at ATRC on Sat.

So, no party lesson either.  We did do lunch at Goldies with Mallory and Roxy so got to spend some time with our horsey friends.  We took the truck to the shop Saterday morning for evaluation by the experts - verdict?  Bad tire.  Now my truck has four new ones.    The temperature was in triple digits over the weekend and was forcast to stay up all week - so no YaYa ride either.  Bummer.  But good drying weather for HAY.  Perhaps by the weekend.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Horse Shows Weekend

Oh, and Father's Day too.  Whew - the girls managed to create cute cards even though we were in Shawnee Thurs-Sat for the 2012 State 4-H Horse Show and working a shift at the GCC/ODS Green Country Classic on Sunday afternoon.  I think we had lots of fun but I am too tired to be sure.  And, I am off to Kansas tomorrow so will miss riding with my YaYa Sisters. 


We had company on Sunday evening as well - Way Fun.  Brandon and Liz stayed over on their way across country to Denver before they start their summer Hike from Denver to Durango and we gave Liz her very first horseback ride on the fabulous Sunny - still feeling fine after his hard work at state.  Brandon road Splash bareback (rather than in my Isabelle) while Alaina dusted off the Dezzie-Doo and Ivy jumped Pico (both bareback).  They could have been showing off.  Liz has also tried her hand with firearms at the shooting range (another first during her OK trip) in Sapulpa and I think her future is in Cowboy Mounted Shooting.

Steve followed us to Shawnee on Thursday to help unload and do the heavy lifting.  After moving in horses, fans, hay, water, and shavings as well as a few snacks, Steve headed back to Claremore to care for the rest of the stock.  It was warm but dry and we watched a bit of speed before having an early dinner and then washing/banding the beasts.  Ivy and Alaina take care of the washing and I band with their help.  Show-prep is no longer the exhausting work of the lone ranger.  Yippeeeeeee.  Back to LaQuinta for a quick swim with friends before hitting the sack.  4:00am and the hotel windows rattled while the Thunder Rolled (weather not basketball).  Big storms dumped a ton of needed rain on Shawnee and points east.  Cloud cover kept temps moderate if a bit muggy for most of Friday (way cooler than last year's 114 degrees).  Friday was English day and Sunny was a really good English pony for Alaina - they made call-backs for both HUS and HSE then placed 7th in jumping!  Ivy and Pico placed 10th in HSE and 4th in Jumping.  The Rogers County Horse Club jumping team all placed - Abby/3, Ivy/4, Alaina/7 and Teresa/9.
First thing Saturday morning (Western day) and Trail started promptly at 8:30am.  The final obstacle was a tree and "water" hazard combo that stymied many horses including Sunny and Pico.  But both horses did the rest of the course fairly well and placed 8th and 10 respectively (of 32 entries).  Then, Alaina and Sunny made the call-backs for Western Pleasure and placed 8th out of a huge class.

Steve and Kale came early to watch a little of the show and help load up before heading back to Claremore in the late afternoon.

State 2012 is in the books!

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Mounted ZUMBA!

T-Minus 5 days until the 4-H State Horse Show.  So the weekend was filled with fun horsey activities.  Friday morning and Alaina had a Western/trail lesson with Dawn.  They worked on lightening neck reining, elevated trot overs and canter.  Sunny is still not back to normal movement on the right lead but it is better.  The biggest issue Alaina is having is with back throughs - and Sunny has been very good at them in his history.  So, further training needed.
  Saturday morning and Ivy/Pico, Alaina/Ahab, and Roxy/Trouper worked on equitation - including posting trot w/out stirrups!  Roxy was worried about "falling off at the canter" so Patty said she could pick up stirrups before cantering.  That was the challenge Roxy needed, so she cantered stirrup-free and handled it nicely.  Then Nancy, Mallory, Mary, Cynthia and I rode.  Patty had us try moving our hips in a figure 8 with the horse's walking movement.  Voila!  Zumba on Horseback.  We worked on sitting trot (Splash is pretty good) and the changing diagonals every 6-4-2-1 stride (Mary made really good progress with her introduction to posting).  Splash took correct leads for our canters although we had one unasked downward transition to trot.  Our biggest issue at the lesson was leg yield left.  Splash was NOT responsive.  Again, more training needed.

The party lesson extended into Sunday when we met our horsey friends at Hideaway for lunch and then went to the Western Dressage Demonstration at Pinto World.  Cliff Swanson demonstrated on a beautiful Morgan Stallion - how to work 10 meter circles in the 20 meter circle, change of rein through the circle, leg yields, haunches-in, and shoulder-in.  The audience applauded when he discussed the desired impulsion of the trot in western dressage - NO LIMPY LOPE ALLOWED.  Ivy learned about putting your weight in the right (or left) stirrup when leg yielding right (or left).  Posting is not allowed during any level of Western Dressage.  Splash and I might try it out at the next Dressage show.
My YaYa Sisters are riding Wednesday evening but the girls and I will be completing the mighty preparations for STATE.  Trailer loading and a last practice ride for each.  Hope my horsey friends have fun with out me but I will be thinking of them.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

SummerTIME

June 1!  I guess summer is really here.  Ivy and Alaina took Splash, Sunny and Diez to Choteau Elementary in West Tulsa to share our horses with my first grade Junior Achievement class.  The girls told the kids about Arabians, Quarter Horses, and Appaloosas as well as English and western tack.  Then, the kids each got to pat a pony and have their picture taken.  The girls got horse handling help from some other eighth-grade kids who were volunteering in the classrooms.




Next, we stopped at DiAmico Performance Horses for a lesson with Dawn and to leave Sunny in Dawn's capable hands for a State Trail Tune-up.  Sunny got a chiropractic adjustment last week and has been moving strangely at the left lead canter ever since.  So, Alaina got a lesson and Dawn had Alaina do some counter canter exercises to work on the left lead canter issue.  Perhaps Sunny was out of alignment long enough to cause a real issue after adjustment or who knows?  If it continues, Dawn will consult with Dr. Matt for more advice.  Cross fingers and toes since State is in less than 2 weeks.  Has anyone else had adjustment cause a problem?  While Alaina was riding, Ivy was drawing rider and mount.  BTW - Dawn has to coolest chair in her barn.  I want want one too.


Friday night, Ivy and Alaina joined the Rocking C Drill Team for the first summer practice.  Ivy rode Pico but Alaina had to use Splash since Sunny is at Dawn's.  Splash gave Alaina a rough time, but she worked him through it.  But, she does NOT want to ride Splash EVER again.  Who will she ride in the Saturday Party Lesson?  That would be Jetter.  The girls concentrated on equitation.  Mallory and Roxy are in Texas but Nancy and Kathy joined Splash and me for the 11 O'Clock. Then, off to Graham's for Cythia's Birthday lunch.  German Chocolate.  YummO.
Meanwhile, Alaina is plotting to ride Ahab for drill until Sunny is back at the Wild O Ranch - Cynthia says she can ride him anytime.  Can you believe she would dis my Splash-man?  We finished off our horsey fun for the weekend by gathering at Olive Garden for dinner followed by a movie - Cowgirls and Angels.  We laughed, we cried....  It was cute and featured stunt riding by a former ODSmember, Barbara Ganzel's, grandkids Haley and Holt Ganzel.  We missed some of our YaYa sisters at the movie because of other summer activities - but we will plan a ride next chance we get.  YaYa!