Beautiful Ride at Bass River

Last Sunday & this Sunday's rides at Bass River were absolutely beautiful. Thank you to everyone for making this all possible.

Can't wait to go again!

Bees On The Trail

In case you were wondering ... it's not all that fun to ride a horse being attacked by bees. Just as Ginny, Julie and I were talking about how nice it was to be riding without the concern of biting flies and mosquitos on this not-so-seasonably cold day, Harley and Montana were suddenly attacked by a swarm of bees.

It was on the Stepping Log Trail where this encounter occurred and actually it could have been so much worse. Harley and Montana were troopers. They did dance around quite a bit, kicking and thrashing as they were being stung but Julie and I quickly dismounted and walked away from the bees ... grabbed some ferns and swept away the bees from underneath our horses.

Once the bees were gone, they settled down and we were able to get back on and finish our ride. Julie also got stung a couple times - ouch.

We did tell Charlie so hopefully he'll try to get some spray onto them and we'll all be able to return to our beloved Stepping Logs. Both horses have a bunch of welts from the stings but I'm sure they'll be fine. Just wanted to let everyone know so that they too do not have a run-in with the bees.

American Competitive Trail Horse Association

Hey guys! I was reading this month's Horse and Rider, and on page 16 there's a little blurb about the American Competitive Trail Horse Association. ANYONE with ANY BREED of horse can be a member of this group, and can compete in the trail rides. Or if you don't want to compete, you can just ride along for fun with your friends.

Check out their website - www.actha.us. As of right now they don't have any rides scheduled for Michigan, but if you click on the "Request a Ride Near You" link on the home page and submit your request, a message pops up that if they get 10 requests in an area then they'll start working on a ride in your area!!!

Even if you don't want to compete, this would be a great opportunity to set some goals for you and your horse to work towards, and then get out and enjoy some new scenery! Plus we can all ride together, so it could be a THF team effort!

If this is something that interests you please forward to all of your horsie-friends - it could be a really fun opportunity!

Two Horses - Great Story

There is a field with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing.

Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.

If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear thesound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.

As you stand and watch these two horses, you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray. When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way....

Good friends are like that. You may not always see them, but you know they are always there. Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours. And remember...be kinder than necessary - everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Live simply, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly...Leave the rest to God...

First Show for Solo & Lily

Reannon & Lily enjoyed a beautiful day at the Holland Western showgrounds in Saugatuck on Saturday. With Solo and Leo all prettied up, the girls left Thunder Hill at 6:00 a.m. raring to go to the show. As Lily's first show, she handled the pressure like a champion.

Both Reannon and Lily and their horses performed extremely well in the Trail class - finishing first (Reannon) and third (Lily) in their respective classes. Reannon also earned a sixth place ribbon in the Anyone Can Win Walk/Trot Class. And, Lily was awarded sixth place in the Western Pleasure Small Fry Class.

The girls plan to go back to Holland Western for another show on July 11. Way to go ladies!

Auction starts Thursday for closed Muskegon race course

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=108706


FRUITPORT TWP., Mich. (WZZM) - The race is on to sell what's left of a closed Muskegon race track. The Little River Tribe from Manistee plans to build a casino at track site near US-31 and I-96.

From barns to bars, over the next two weeks, everything left at Great Lakes Downs will be auctioned off. The track has been quiet for more than a year, but an online race is just beginning - starting Thursday morning at 8:00am.

Auctioneer Nate Tripp of Tripp Auction Services says everything at Great Lakes Downs is on the auction block, "from the urinals on the walls to the rugs on the floor." Including the Winners Circle. "If someone wants to come up and scrap it. It is available." 20 barns, 60 sheds, windows, doors, restaurant equipment. It all goes. The items will be available Thursday for inspection in person as well.

The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians owns the 87 acre site. The tribe purchased it last July in hopes of building a casino there. The reality of that vision is unclear. What is clear is that the eclectic mix of items included in the auction is getting the attention of area residents.

Regardless of what this site eventually becomes, the auctioneer's goal is to rid the property of anything that has value and give the tribe a clean start on a new race. One that hopefully has a better finish for Muskegon County. Whatever is left is going to be demolished.

The auctioneers will give purchasers two weeks to get the larger items, including buildings, off the property.

Jon Mills

Water Horse!

So, I have to say, I, too, am amazed at this. A month or so ago, Lily was able to get Solo into a huge puddle on Bucannon Trail and now look what she's willing to do. We were darn close to having a swim this morning. She's all the way up to her belly in the pond. As a matter of fact, we went in on three different occasions today so we could show Ginny & Sieger. Yippee! What fun. Way to go Solo! Ginny and Lucky went in a bit too. What a beautiful morning for a ride. We took a long one off property and then waded in the pond.

Millbrook is OPEN!

Millbrook Tack is back in the saddle again
by Rick Wilson The Grand Rapids Press
Monday March 30, 2009, 7:18 AM

BYRON TOWNSHIP -- After being an early victim of the credit crunch in West Michigan, Millbrook Tack was to reopen its doors today with new investors, its old sales staff and a tighter focus.

Gone, in particular, are the horse trailers at the former Millbrook Tack & Trailer, which closed abruptly in July after its lender, Fifth Third Bank, cut off its credit line when the store failed to reach required sales and profit targets.

The new general manager and co-owner is Laura Austin, whose mother opened the store 17 years ago. She said she already is hearing from customers who missed the well-stocked tack shop.

"We're really going to be conscious of our pricing and focus on the middle-income customer," Austin said. "You'd be surprised at the number of horses in the area.

"We have a mailing list of 25,000 or 30,000 customers, and that's in a tri-state area."

Austin's brother, Matt Howell, a real estate developer and financial consultant, put together a deal allowing a small group of friends to buy back the business from Fifth Third, which declined comment.

He blamed the trailer business, with its high inventory costs, for dragging down the former business.

The retail shop, at 510 68th St. SW in the Cutlerville area, has been idle since last summer's closing.

"The bank clearly didn't want to hold any more foreclosed properties, so we were able to pay off the mortgage and buy back the assets at a favorable cost," Howell said.

"When we're finished, we'll be in so much better shape because all of the debt will be rung out of the deal."

He said he believes his investors will be more patient than the bank.

"They understand the whole issue has always been inventory control," he said. "And the people we have will be responsible for their own inventory and buying what they know they can sell."
A U.S. Commerce Department reported last week that retail sales were nudging up slightly for the second straight month, an encouraging sign. But those behind the business note "horse people" are similar to golfers and boaters, whose passions sometimes overrule their pocketbooks.

"For horse people, their horses are their lives," Austin said. "They're going to do without a whole lot of other things before they get rid of their horses."

She believes, even with consumers feeling the pinch, mainstays such as leather care and horse care products will make the business profitable.

"It's like all of the pieces are there, and all it takes is someone to pick them up and put them together in a way that makes sense," Howell said.

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2009/03/millbrook_tack_is_back_in_the.html

Leo's First Show!

Well, this past Saturday was my first opportunity to take Leo to a horse show, and I'm happy to report that she did wonderfully! The show was in Fennville at my old trainer's barn (she has a large indoor arena which was where the show was held, and two large outdoor arenas). I was really looking forward to this particular show because A) it was a casual show (no show clothes, bathing, etc required), B) it was in a location that I was familiar with and knew the people running the show, and C) there wasn't going to be a ton of people/horses there to overwhelm Leo with her first experience.

Friday night Adam & I went to Sieger's house to pick up his trailer, and Adam gave me a crash course in driving & backing up a trailer (we had his '06 Jeep Grand Cherokee hooked up with a trailer hitch & wiring so we could use that to haul - it's got a V8 Hemi, so it towed like a dream). The driving part isn't hard - you just have to do everything slower and make wider turns. Backing up was a little trickier, but if you go slow and just think through where you want to put the trailer it's not so bad! We kept the trailer at our house Friday night because I didn't want to deal with dropping it off at the barn, unhooking it, and then re-hooking it back up the next morning. Needless to say our little tan shoebox of a house in Grand Haven probably looked really weird with a big horse trailer in the driveway!

My friend Desi came with me on Saturday, sans-horse (she's the one that was at the show last summer that I took Sweet Pea to), and we arrived at the barn Sat. morning and parked up by the road (didn't want to get stuck down by the barn in case I couldn't get the trailer turned around the right way). I've been practicing loading Leo into Leatha's trailer (thanks Leatha!) so that when the first show day finally came we didn't have issues getting her loaded. It only took about 5 mins to get her into the trailer - once we pulled some grain out she went right in (it's always about the food!). She settled down right away and off we went!

It took about an hour to get there, and we arrived about an hour before the show started. I walked her around and lunged her a little bit to stretch her legs and let her look around, and she behaved VERY well. She was talking a little bit, which I expected, but she didn't seem to be overly-agitated or looking for her barn buddies...she was just curious about where she was. I paid to have a stall there (right next to the indoor arena), so when we were done looking around the grounds I just brought her to the stall & put her in to munch on some hay. Within an hour she appeared right at home.

I took her in five classes:

• Halter (Mares 2 Yrs & Older) - 4th place
• Showmanship (19 & Over) - 1st place
• Western Horsemanship (19 & Over) - 1st place
• Western Pleasure (19 & Over) - 2nd place
• Jr. Horse Western Pleasure (5 & Under) - 1st place

During the in-hand classes (Halter and Showmanship) she was a little fidgity, but that was okay (I wasn't expecting her to be perfect); I haven't practiced the in-hand stuff as much as I should have over the winter, so she did very well considering how little we'd worked on it. I warmed her up in the indoor arena for the riding classes during the 45 minute lunch break, and she NEVER ONCE batted an eye at anything in the arena; there were mirrors on the walls, other horses warming up, kids running around the aisles on both sides of the arena, windows at one end of the arena looking into the lounge/food area (with people walking around), and she behaved perfectly. Our riding classes went well - she didn't perform any differently than if we were working at home, which was more than I could have hoped for.

She didn't have a problem drinking water from the show grounds, and she just munched on hay throughout the day. When we were finished with the show and went to load her up, it only took two trys to get her into the trailer and she went in (grain helped here, too). It was another quiet ride back, and when we got home I put her in a stall, gave her her supplement, and put her back with the other horses. She and they didn't seem to be at all affected upon her return - it was a total non-event.

Overall it was a really great experience for both of us; I feel MUCH more at ease now about taking her places. She really handled herself well, and I'm looking forward to seeing how she continues to handle things at other places and shows during this summer. And thanks to ALL of the Thunder Hill Barnies for being such great friends and supporters - you guys have been awesome and I'm so glad that I'm a part of our little Thunder Hill clan! Have a great week everyone!

PS - I forgot my camera for the show, so unfortunately I don't have any pics :(

Glasses Found!

Whooo Hooo ... Amazingly, we found Julie's glasses on our ride in the woods the other day. And, believe it or not, they are in perfect shape!

saftey first!!!

Hi Barnies,
I think it's time to address some issues with safety at Thunderhill. I think if we all blog the problems we have seen it may help to prevent a future wreck..
here are two of my biggies

1) riding down the isle of the barn:
reason for danger...Lots of stuff lines the sides of the isle i.e. pallet that garbage can sits on,Used hay bin,hay cart ,grain bin, mounting block etc all these things could hook a leg and make your horse go down splitting your head open like a watermelon.Also the cement can be very slippery. If your horse spooks only for a second he slips and falls both of you break a leg. If this happens when a bystander is close think how rotten you'll feel while they are recovering from bumps and bruises.

2)Tying horses in the barn
Horses should be tied with a quick release knot to the main uprights of the barn.
The line between the horses head and the post should be no longer than your arm.
they should be tied at or above eye level.
Don't tie horses that aren't used to each other too close
If you can't tie for some reason like setting back.. please stay in close reach in case there"s an issue

These are just two of my issues.I'm sure you all have your own pet peeves.LETS HEAR THEM.
Why don't you write them in the body of the blog so we can make a list and maybe post it at our favorite place...Thunderhil Farm


Be Safe
Happy Trails
Pam

Poem

The Seasons of Frankie

Spring

Frank just had a bubble bath

he's white as he can be

but look! what's this?

a mud abyss?

he stomps in it with glee

Summer

Riding in the golf cart

our Frankie Would arrive

a sweet white blur

of wind-swept fur

comes flying down the drive

Fall

A friendly lap is mighty nice

when sitting by the fire

all bundled up

a toasty pup

he's got his hearts desire

Winter

Here comes little Frank E. Stein

in his Santa suit

all red on white

I think he might

be make you giggle cute

It's hard to loose a Barnie

no matter big or small

we'll miss him much

'cause he was such

a big part of us all

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Hi folks! From your fairweather barn friend, Lisa! I've never done a blog before, so forgive me while I learn the ropes. If it's anything like facebook, I'll be addicted in no time. (But how to keep up with all these sites?! Oy!)

My heart is warmed that you are all asking about my new little guy! "Sunshine" is a five-year-old, 32" red roan mini bred by Jen Groters of Alvadar Stables in Saranac. ("Alvadar's Mimosa" used to be called "Rico," but I felt he needed a name that said what he is really like. Teddy Bear would also have worked!!) She's training him now to be harnessed and pull a little cart, which I am looking forward to learning to drive in March/April. He is totally hilarious looking right now, as he has a "training haircut."

I am working to become certified with Delta Society as a Pet Partners team with Sunshine. Pet Partners are basically therapy animals that go visit people in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to brighten their days and sometimes assist in therapy programs. Most people use dogs, which are more frequently suited for the work, but quite a few people use minis as well. I got a chance to go with my mentor, Kay, and her mini paint Auster to Spectrum Long-Term Care in GR, and it was wonderful to see the people just light up. It makes their day. (And the stories must widen the eyes of their families...time to adjust Grandma's medicine...she thinks she had a horse in her room!)

We'll also be doing 4-H with him and 2 other minis. Involving the teens in the therapy training is part of what I want to do with him as a way of giving them the experience with both the horses and learning to do something for their elders--I mean, others! (gotta train them so they'll take care of us, right?!)

Anyway, there are tons of pix on my facebook page; feel free to friend-request me! And there are a dozen or so at my newly formed website (still under construction, but it's a start!)...check it out! http://www.mustardseedminis.webs.com/ When we're fully certified, we'll have more on there.

Friday Night

The arena is looking great. Thanks Reannon for the clean up job on Friday. I finally got to use it Friday night. I lunged Kali. She did great. The funny thing is, as she was walking or trotting, she would keep her head as low to the ground as she could. It was as if she was watching where she stepped, so she wouldn't step on a frozen poop balls. Or she was wondering "hey there use to be all these frozen poop balls around that would hurt my feet, and now they're gone". It was good. I didn't canter, even the ground is rock hard in most places. We'll see how her feet feel on Sunday.

Leatha does this ground work with Gaitor where she snaps a whip all around him and put the whip all over his body, and he has to stand still. He did great. As I was watching I said "there's no way Kali would let me do that because her response is movement whenever I crack the whip." After lunging I thought I would give it a try. To my amazement and Leathas she did even better then Gaitor. She never moved at all. Then I ground tied her, walked around her snapping the whip and rubbing the whip all over her body again she didn't move at all!!!!! What a good girl!!! Can't wait to ride on Sunday :)

Cowboy Poem-Women of Soul

It's now Febuary, time for another cowboy poem. This poem I wrote for our dear Andrea before she past away.

Women of Soul

The women of soul dances with the stages of life,
She believes totally in herself.
Fulfilling herself with everything but strife,
Believing and living with the power that's within.

The women of soul shares of herself,
She gives strength and wisdom learned from within.
Fulfilling herself with her own belief,
Believing it gives her more in return to give.

The women of soul has what is self-giving,
She has the ability to overcome all.
Fulfilling her own wants and needs,
Believing that her soul is truly a gift.

I know this women of soul.
How she dances,
How she has confidence,
How she helps, and how she gives.

My Andrea is this women of soul.

that would be thunderhillpam@gmail.com Sorry

new e-mail for Pam

Hi group,

Sounds like a whole lot of stuff going on at the barn. I've been hibernating for the week . I'm hoping to be out Sunday. Anyway....the reason for the post....I've made myself an E-mail for just friends and fam. It is Thunderhillpam@gmail.net This will be easier than going thru my thousands of spam messages.Keep it under your hat HaaHaa....Hope to see someone soon...

Happy trails!!!

Farewell to Dette and Nikki

Hey All:

I went out for a ride on Thursday morning. Pretty nice out in back and actually not freezing for a change. As we made our final loop out in front we saw Dette's trailer parked on the road. Then Vic and Dette started walking down the driveway to pick up Nikki. I shouted a hello at them and then headed in. We made our way back in time to say goodbye and good luck. Then they walked up the driveway to the trailer. Charlie said that Nikki walked right on with no problems and away they went. Sad to see them go, but I guess Dette always has wanted her own horse on her own property. I can understand that. We'll miss them.

I had a really long day and decided to write about it. This is what I did the day before we got the ice storm and now we are all stuck inside with lots of damage to trees I will get pic's up later! I woke up and laid in bed for a little bit and right as I was getting up to go to the bathroom and go feed Brett came out of his room and took over my bathroom I should have known that was how my day was going to go! I knew I was going to have to feed and that would have been fine and dandy except that when I got down to the barn Indy and Grace were right up behind the barn meaning someone broke the fence that I would now have to fix. This also meant that they were not going to listen to come into the barn to be fed because I first had to get them out of the fence in area they broke. In my attempt to get them out they pulled the rest of the fence out and truly broke it. Then they were all scared and didn't go back in there for me to get them in the barn I got Racke and Indy in their stalls but Grace and Roman had to share the big stall because Sony was in Grace's stall. They came and neither of them went in to the stall so I tried to get them in and ended up having to force them in after they each ran in and out a few times. Then I let KC and Smocha in. I fed and before I could even get everyone their food I was about to kill Smocha (had I not stopped him I can almost guarantee you he wouldn’t have seen day light again) I was going in to get Sony and Racke’s food when I saw Laz and as I was going to feed Racke I watched Laz to make sure he made it out of the barn unscathed by KC or Smocha who were in the middle of the aisle. Smocha pined his ears and swished his tail so I threw the empty feed bowl at his head (and I actually hit my target) right before he tried to kick Laz which made him hesitate long enough to save the cat. Then I kicked everyone but Sony out. I got Racke's stall ready for Sony and dumped water on myself. Then I went up in the loft and threw 2 bales of hay to feed. I carried both bales out to where the horses couldn’t get to them and decided I didn’t want to deal with the horses so I threw one bale over the fence into the dressage arena which was closed from the night before, in doing so I popped my back which made it hurt. I then climbed over the fence to realize I had nothing to cut the bale open with so I climbed back over to get scissors. Then back over the fence (that is number 3 for those who haven’t been counting!) I spread the hay and at some point I twisted my ankle. I was putting some of the hay in the round bale feeder where I decided to pick up the twine that held it together. Which was all twisted up and attached to the palate underneath, I also found that the horses broke off another piece so that the feeder was sharp and asking for a cut leg. I took all of that to the barn and opened the gate so that they could get in. I attempted to fix the fence…HA! I picked up the broken pieces and made it so that nobody could be cornered in there. Now I finally got to go inside and watch T.V. or something right? WORNG! I got inside and sat down when Diana asked me to go get the horses back in the barn because we were having hay delivered. Have you ever tried to get horse to leave timothy hay to stand in a stall? I got Grace in without a problem. Then I snuck up on KC, by attempting to get Racke who moved away right as I got to KC’s head, and got him inside. Then I went and I planned on getting Racke and Indy in but I couldn’t get Racke or Roman or Smocha so I settled for just Indy I now put her in with Grace in the big stall and both of them wanted out so I was going to give them access to the round pen. However we just got a new round bale feeder and it was still in there so I had to move it first. But before I could even do that I had to give Indy, Grace and KC hay and water. Yes that is right more water and it again ended up on me. Then I went out to move the round bale feeder alone. I was able to get it up and moving and that was probably the easiest part of my day. I let Indy and Grace into the round pen and was heading to the house again when Diana got back and needed help moving the trailer so that the hay could get though. I helped with that then opened all of the gates to let Troy in and closed them all. I moved the round bale feeder next to the new bale of hay. I couldn’t get it to fall over so I went over by Diana and Troy to wait until they were done to help. They were talking and being the nice northern girl I am I waited to let them finish. They were talking abut horses so that didn’t bother me that much. Diana was messing with Smocha and he was trying to bite Troy in the head and neck. Then when she was adjusting his blanket he tried to kick her and Racke. Then Racke and Roman went to the other hay bale and I told Diana we needed to go deal with the ring before they did something stupid. We dealt with the ring and went to let the horses out of the barn. By the time I go inside I couldn’t feel my fingers and I just wanted to take a shower I couldn’t there was a male using it at that time so I went to watch Monk. I watched to Monks after Brett got out of the shower and had biscuits and gravy and homemade doughnuts then I took a hot shower. Except my hot shower go cold really fast I still had conditioner in my hair when I went down stairs to boil water so that I could rinse it out. Then I spent the rest of the night making changes the equitation section of the United Mountain Horse Rule book before finally getting to “go to bed” where I checked e-mails and what not.

Solid Footing For All!

It wasn't nearly as bad as you might think ... honestly. Today Reannon, Lily and I raked the about 20 wheelbarrels full of poo from the indoor arena and cleared it for solid footing for our four-legged friends (and for us, as Deb pointed out). It is soooo much better, I think you'll agree. However, in searching for the perfect photo to post with this comment on the blog -- I found this ... and was thinking that this may actually be a good way (a fundraiser of sorts) to make money for our trip to Montana. What do you think ladies? Kidding.

Little Lily

As many of you know, Lily turned 10 last week Thursday (the 22nd). Since this just does not seem possible to me, I went looking back through old photos and found a couple I thought might be of interest to everyone at Thunder Hill.

The one where she is wearing a bandana is from the Fall of 2004 (Lily at age 5). The second one is in the January of 2005 (at age 6). Anything taken prior to this was pre-digital camera for me. I have a few. I'll bring them out to the barn sometime. Pretty amazing actually. WHY wasn't I more afraid for her safety? She was soooo little. You all made it possible for her to grow up at the barn. I believe she is a better person today (and will be for the rest of her life) because of the time she has spent at the barn with all of you. Thank you!

Think Ahead!

Here is a picture of Ty in the lake that will make us think of Spring and Summer! I have it for my wallpaper on my desktop and thought I'd share it.

trying my wings on new blog

Hi group,

O.K. so don't expect correct spelling grammar or punctuation from me I'm in too big of hurry. The puter cuts into my sitting around time...Winter isn't my best "month" so this is a good way to communicate.I'm gonna try to upload a pic just to see if I can...

I DID IT!!!!! and it only took 2 hours KIDDING

Happy trails

Pam

Our Little Winter Wonderland

I came back to Kentucky after winter break hopeing that it would be warmer...(it wasn't) we had our banquet and then I started college. I like my math and soc. 101 teachers they like their jobs and are great teachers. My english teacher is like any other teacher doesn't really care if he is there or not and I don't like english to begin with so it may be a long semester in his class.

We had a long weekend this past week with no school on Monday, therfore we rode. We being Natalie (my new sister and the 19 year-old I moved in with her and her parents), Ethan (a friend that attends UK), and I. It snowed here Sunday and Monday and it is snowing again today. Natalie rode Indy her 3 YO Rocky Mountain, Ethan rode Casey, who is a gaited Arab, and I rode Roman who is the horse I rode and won on all year. All of us were riding bareback out in the feild because we don't have any trails we can get to without trailering several miles away. We gaited and cantered around when we found a stick to see how well our horses would respond to us waving a stick around them. They didn't care at all. Ethan has never ridden Roman and he wanted to feel how he moved, so he wanted to switch horses but neither of us wanted to get off to switch horses...so we worked around it. I got on Casey so that we were riding double before Ethan got on Roman. It was really funny and turned out great. I hope you all are having as fun up there as we are having down here!!

Monday Night/Heat Hut Kitty

Lots to talk about......Trying to lunge Kali on Sunday in the arena did not go well. The frozen poops were like walking and trotting on rocks!!! Worried that her or I would twist an ankle I quit. Frustrated in that I guess I will just take her out riding and see what happens???? Well talking to Charlie about this, he recommended using the babies outside paddock. Wondered if anyone eles was up for it. I am going to try it Wednesday night.

I think Little Moon now thinks that she is a member of the 3 amigos (Kali, Lily, and Mickey). She came in as usual after I pulled the three for Aunt Debbie to spoil her with hay. Then when I put the three back, they all got along great. They accepted her, no chasing. It was so cute to see the four lined up at the four post eating hay out of bags. Peaceful......until I had to open the arena to let the herd in.....Sweet Pea....total craziness.

I made new ties for closing the gate on the arena, let me know if you like them. The lead rope was awful bulky for me.

Heat Hut Kitty!!!!!
The last few times out while in the heat hut with Leatha, we would hear Dusty meowing in the middle barn. I would open the door, he would slowly come out, we would bring him into the heat hut. The first couple times he was a little hesitant. He found a little bed on top of a wood pile, drulled and begged for bets. Last night was even cutier!!! He came into the heat hut by himself, checked it out even further. When I would go down to the barn, I left the door open a crack so he could get out if he wanted. Sure enough he comes running right behind me, came into the barn ate his mouse and left. When I went back up to the heat hut....there was Dusty lying on his bed on top of the wood pile. I was nice to have his company!!!

Montana Cattle Drive

Plans are in place for Reannon, Amy & Melissa to participate in the Montana High Country Cattle Drive in June. The trip will take us to the mountains of southwestern Montana. If you look on a map and find Helena, you'll see a large lake called Canyon Ferry Lake. The cattle drive winds through the Big Belt Mountains just east of Townsend, MT. During this drive, we'll move between 400 and 1000 head of cattle giving us each the chance to chase cattle as there are many mini cattle drives that need to happen within the large drive. Check it out online if you'd like to find out more about our trip. www.montanacattledrive.com

Saturday's Successes!

I was all by my lonesome at the barn on Saturday morning/afternoon, and was putzing around as usual. It was too windy to head out on the trail, and I felt bad kicking everyone out of the arena, so I just pulled the "supplement crew" (aka Montana, Leo & Moon) out to do our thing, and thought for a while about what I could work on with Leo without riding. I decided she needed her bridle path trimmed, which is a good exercise for her since she's only had clippers used on her 2 other times (both with me). And she was a CHAMP!!! I took her halter off, had her stand by the end stall by the outlet/pump room with some hay, and she let me go all over her with the clippers - fetlocks, coronet bands, bridle path, throat latch, and even inside her ears (I didn't clip much from these areas, it was more of a "will she let me go near it" thing). She never even lifted up her head, she just shook it once or twice to get the hairs out of her ears. I was such a proud mama since it was only her third time and she was sooo good!

And then there's success #2 - Leo has another horsie friend in the herd besides Moon! After I put my freshly-clipped horse back into the herd and was getting ready to leave, I looked at the horses inside and much to my delight I saw her and another horse face to face "nibbling" each other's necks like they had missed each other...it was Mickey! Finally - my horse has a new friend, maybe even a "boy" friend???

Lost Specs

During today's snowy romp in the woods with Lily, Reannon and me, Julie unfortunately caught a branch in the face and lost her glasses. It was on the hill headed out to the annex -- the one with the big branch that when weighed down with snow, hangs over the trail. After much searching on hands and knees, Julie, Reannon and I gave up the search. All of the horses were very patient as we looked. Good news is, she has a spare pair. I guess we'll probably find them in the Spring.

Cat Tracks

A big cat at Thunder Hill Farm? During the week of New Year's, a bunch of us saw lots of cat tracks out back along the trails and around the paddock area. The tracks were much larger than a barn cat's tracks would be. So, I did some research. Fact is, there are bobcats in Michigan and I think we may have a couple that visit us at night. We even saw them in combination with rabbit tracks. It was very fun to follow the tracks and see where the big cats were walking and how they would follow the trail for a while and then one would break away and walk off the trail and then join back up with it's friend. Here's a photo I took, though you cannot tell how large it is. Also, at this link, you can see the different types of cat tracks -- you judge for yourself. http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12145_43573-146656--,00.html

Horses Gone Wild

Wanted to share what the horses have been doing the last two nights that I was at the barn. (Wednesday and Thursday). I think they are tried of the winter too. With their paddock alittle more condusive to streching their legs, they're doing just that. With Lucky in the lead, Solo and Sweet Pea not to far behind they come running in the arena at a full gallop. Once in the arena, they spin in circles and buck and buck. They are not after anyone, they were playing and going wild. Then they would run full gallop back out into the paddock. Then back into the arena and do it all over again. This goes on for at least a half hour. Leo and Little Moon would "hide" on the far wall as if they were saying maybe if they can't see us they won't get us. Very cool to watch. Lucky also would make her snort noise once outside and look very alert, head high, ears up. Very beautiful. It really showed her power.

Thursday night when I was out checking on Kali (she was much better, no bute) they went wild again. I thought maybe something was spooking them. I went out to take a look, it was dark with the motion light on. I would look in the direction that Lucky was looking (and snorting). I heard a pack of coyotes howling and yipping!!!! Now before I continue with my story, I must remind you all that I can have a very creative, and imaginative brain. Soooo...I start thinking about those coyotes!! What if they come to the barn.....I shouldn't be out here. I should close the door, and be close to the intercome so I can call Charlie to my rescue. But if I'm in the barn, close to the intercome, I won't see them coming. Besides they could get into the barn via the arena door!!! Could they take down a horse. My common sense said no...but my little creative brain wouldn't let me. O.K. maybe they couldn't take down a horse. Besides if it tried the other horses would come to their aid.....right? But then again, what if they went after the weakest of the herd. (prey animals do that in the wild you know) They would go after LITTLE MOON!!!!!! Oh horror, would the herd save her???? After this, I realized to get a grip on myself. My common sense came back. No a coyote pack could not take down a horse!! So I continued to go outside and watch the horses go wild. I brought the bute back up to house, I shared my imagination with Charlie, who of course laughed at me. But I just couldn't let it go. Right before I left I had to ask it......"Now Charlie I am correct in saying that a coyote pack couldn't take down horse, right?" He laughed and said "Nooooo" only like Charlie can say.

No Thrush For Solo

I've told many of you that I was sure Solo had thrush again around the inner rim of her hooves. However, I asked Jim Keveren about it tonight and turns out I was just being paranoid. There is definitely a groove there (where the outer hoof wall separates from the sole). She has had thrush in that groove before but this time he said it's really just mud and dirt ground into there and no thrush -- Yeah! Better paranoid and ask the question than assume and be wrong, huh?

Lucky's Leftovers

As some of you know, Saturday morning I mixed up Lucky's monthly dose of Dex into what I thought should be a tasty mix of grain with lots of cut up apples. She sometimes loves it, but not the case on Saturday. She took a couple of bites and that was that! I even added more apples after our ride, but no go. So, rather than toss the leftovers, I brought them home in a plastic bag with the idea that I might make them into cookies or something. I did just that yesterday. Took a quick look online and then added molasses, leftover applesauce, brown sugar, and some baking mix to her leftovers. Dropped by spoonfuls on baking sheet and baked at 300 degrees for over an hour until they were firm. They smelled pretty good, so I was hopeful she would like them. I tried them out today and, guess what? She liked them! Can't share though, because they have the Dex in them. Any ideas out there for her next month's dose?

Cowboy Poem-R.C. Come

This is a peom that I wrote about my R.C. I was with him before he was born. I leased his mother from Andrea, a beautful Overo Paint. Wanting to "help give birth" (my first time) . His mother decided to give birth to him quitely in the early morning, with no warning. One of the only babies born at the farm without being stalled. I called him my mud baby for a along time. As he was born outside. I helped Andrea raise him and when he was 1 1/2, I bought him. To the newbies who didn't know him. This is my way of sharing him with you. The name of poem is R.C. Come, that was my call to him, and he always came!!! I have not been able to say those words to any other horse. They are only for R.C. R.C. was diagnosed with carsanoma cancer at 6 years old on a Christmas Eve. He was diagnosed at MSU. We did get him back home to Thunder Hill Farm, and that is where we and all of his friends said good-bye.

R.C. Come

The many months of waiting
There was care taken even before that morn
Paint, no paint? and inticipating.
A quiet morning, no warning, you were born.
R.C. Come

A gentle breath, a trusting colt
A bond began for us upon your birth.
You grew up, and soon learned to bolt
I was preparing for saddle and girth.
R.C. Come

You learned me and I learned you,
Together we grew, I on you and you on me.
The years of adventures for you came soon,
A trusted mount is what I was to see.
R.C. Come

We together have stories to tell,
But now your gone, no more for me to see.
I can feeel your body and smell your smell,
In my heart your soul forever will be be.
R.C. Come

The dream of us is now a memory, a charm,
The lessons I'm to learn someday I'll find.
I smile knowing you are always on this farm,
Along with the response from you thats......

Forever in my mind..... R.C. Come

Brielle

Hi! This will be so much fun!! Brielle would like to be invited to join this blog! That way she can keep in touch from Kentucky! Now I'll brag a bit! She finished high school and starts college Monday. She just got her ACT results back and she got a 29!! that is way above average! Now she says she will study and retake it in February and get over a 30! She's trying for scholarship to Morehead U. She will study animal science and do what I don't know!! But it will involve horses. Now I will go and try to figure out posting pictures!

De-worming

Hi all,

Thought I would try a hand at this new thing. I think this will be fun. Thanks Amy!!! Heads up, we will be de-worming on Friday January 23th-Sunday January 25th. Also to let everyone know Leatha, Pam, and I now have a new ferrier. His name is Mike and he is from Coopersville. We are looking forward to working with him. I am still waiting for Kali's boots. Yesterday she was better, even bucking around before I got her out. I have to figure out how to put a picture of myself on here. Have a good Monday. Deb

Thanks to Amy

A big thank you to you, Amy, for setting this up. I think it will be a great way for us all to keep in touch. I'm adding a picture of Lucky to this post, just to see if I have the hang of it.

Obstacle Course Comment

The obstacle course was really fun. Now, if I can just get Lucky to kick the ball!!

This will give us something to do when the trails get too icy and tough to ride on. Thanks to Lily and Reannon for setting it up!

We love our Heat Hut!

Thanks Charlie! And, thanks Debbie for always tending the fire!

Obstacle Course

Reannon & Lily set up a wonderful obstacle course for us today ... complete with barrels, cones, balls and a bag of cans! What fun.

Wintery Ride

Snow, sleet, rain or shine ... this group is up for anything! We certainly enjoyed our rides in the 4 feet of snow in the woods (this was pre-melt).