More Photo Editing

This is a photo I added a bunch of effects to.

Below is a photo I removed almost all the effects from and did a sepia with just a tiny bit of color. Which one do you like best?

Bath Time

To Body Clip or Not? That is the question for some. Most people I have talked to that do not show or ride much in the winter do not clip. I would prefer not to, but since we ride most days.. and because schooling shows for me start in the beginning of March, I usually end up clipping.

Beau grew an enormous amount of hair this winter.. and he was sweating pretty good after just moderate riding, so the decision to body clip him or trace clip him was discussed a couple of weeks ago. Last year I did a trace, and we ended up body clipping him before our first big Morgan show anyway, so I decided to body clip him. This year, with all the barn work however, I knew I would not have time... so I hired the former trainer to clip him.. and it is taking longer than I would like, but it is getting done.

Before clipping however, He had to have a bath. So here are some pictures of my disgusting pony before and during his bath.






And into the washrack



I think he has a little "mule look" in this photo..lol


T is bathing him.. and I am taking pictures.. I normally bathe him myself..




And this is his favorite spot to be scratched or rubbed or shampoood...


I have pictures of him half clipped.. but my netbook that I use for getting my pictures off of my camera is toasted right now.. we have a nasty problem that I have not been able to fix.. and it is a 150.00 netbook that I most likely will not pay to be fixed.. so I have to save up a few weeks to get a new laptop.. grrrrr.

I will take more pics of him as he is finished being body clipped.. I have to say.. that when he is clipped.. I am in LOVE with his color.. and I kind of wish it would stay. It reminds me of Gruella.. He actually looks like a big baby deer when he is all clipped up...

Looking Ahead Now

So among the many resolutions/goals/plans I have for next year, there is one that I am most excited about and anxious to get back to working on.  We are actually really going to focus and start again on this wonderful project.. what is it???

It is the... BARN and ARENA!!! 

Here it is the day we moved in (the last junky car had been removed only a week prior)

This is the Barn portion.. the arena is on the Right.. The Barn doors are open in this picture and the Barn has 4 stalls and a tack room in the middle.
We are going to use it as a three stall barn with a feed room and a tack room.  It will better suit my needs that way.

Here is a partial picture of behind the stalls.. where we have put in posts for paddocks.









Here is the Arena on the Day we moved in:

As you can see, it needs much work.
That work started, and all of the garbage has been removed, the bushes trimmed back and the rotten wood taken out.  This Friday, we are finishing sorting the wood and starting to build up the walls.  I just may have a tack room with four walls by Sunday and a Feed room.  (The feed room will not have a stall front, it will have walls on three sides and eventually will have a wall on the front with a large door.)

My goal is to have Beau home by the end of January.  Macgyver thinks that is doable, since we will be using the arena for his turn out while it is icky outside and I will be building him an outside turnout with T-posts and Hot Tape for the weekends when I am home to watch over him.

We have to leave the paddocks until the weather is better.. we will probably not get those done until April/May as the ground is so wet down there still. 

Barns I think are sometimes almost more personal that some houses.  I know a fair amount of ladies with horses that care more about how their barn looks and is built than they care about their own house.  It is a funny thing.
Boarding for many years, I have had  a wish list of the perfect barn for me, and a "I am not going to do that" list going for my barn.

My wish list:

1.  Turn out Paddocks attached to the barn (Done)
2.  Large Stalls that are very well ventilated and lit (Done)
3.  Wide Aisle you can drive through (Done)
4.  Pretty Tack Room (In Progress)
5.  2X6 Tounge and Groove on the walls (In Progress)
6.  Heavy thick mats over a nice gravel base for horses comfort (In Progress)
7.  Mats inlaid into Concrete Aisle (Late this next year)
8.  Wash Rack  - (I have the horse washer, just need the drain put in)
9.  Heat lamps and Fans
10. Nice Corner Feeders
11.  Heated Water Buckets (Received for Xmas..)
12.  Paddocks gravelled 1/3 of the way and Gravelled around gates.
13.  Lush Pasture
14.  Covered Arena (Done)
15.  Sand Base with Rubber mixed in for Footing (Scheduled)
16.  Enclose the Arena 5 feet high all the way around. (Summer of 2010)
17.  A wine rack and counter in tack room
18.  Mirrors in my arena and letters
19.  an Arena Drag (In progress)
20.  a John Deere Tractor (Done.. but it is little)

My.. I am so not going to do that list:

Muddy paddock up to his knees mud
Dark small Stall
No turnout
Crappy Footing
Alfalfa  (My horse can't eat it)
icky buckets
Cobwebs everywhere
Exposed Wiring
Manure piles not dealt with
DRAMA
Wooden Stall Floors
Dirty Stalls ( I am a little fanatical about stall cleaning.. and I am learning to live with it)

Here are a couple of pictures that I look too for inspiration for the Feel of what I want to create at my house!
Some are Barns.. and there are a couple of Tack Rooms for me to look at and decide what elements I want in mine!

 

I love the fridge and microwave in this one.. I know I will have to have those things in the barn.. have to have my snacks and ability to make some Hot Chocolate in the winter and have cold drinks in the summer!
The wine rack would look great on this island!

Enjoy!

I couldn't resist

Two Posts in a Day??? Wow...

But a good friend of mine shared thess photos of my horse with me today.. and I, in turn wanted to share it here.

This is my gorgeous boy this last summer...

On a roll

So last night I rode again.. mostly by myself.. and without the pre-lunge that I used to do.

He came out a little fresh and a little snorty.. but went to work when I asked.

I did a long slow warm up.. lots of walking and serpentine's and some tear drop shaped maneuvers.. I had gone to a clinic where it was shared that this is a good exercise for fast walkers and horses that have trouble with the rythm and moving a little too forward.

It helps focus both of us actually.  I worked on elasticity through my wrists by having the contact come through my elbow and not my hands.. I tried to keep "rubber bands" as my mantra last night.  At times it works pretty good.

Our left track is still really bad and I knew last night that I collapse more on that track.. I really have to work on that.

His canter to the right track was heaven.  His big bouncy trot is something I live with and work with because when he is all light and floaty.. His canter is heaven.. I could canter this horse all day.. it is like a beautiful rocking, smooth wave.. ahhhh I have to not get greedy though.

He did break at the canter and I recovered, which was a pretty good save for me.. usually I have to "start over".  I got a little buck from him on the left track when I asked for that save..lol.. it was a little tiny.. funny kind of buck.

I totally take for granted at times how well he takes his leads, and just does what is asked most of the time.  We had Zero fights and only a few times did I have to remind him that we were moving off of the leg and not into the leg..

Tonight is the big sale at the Farmers Supply that is after hours and so T and I are attending that.  Tomorrow night is our good friends birthday party at her farm and this weekend my paddock is being built and my arena is getting posts set as well!  Things are progressing and I will commit to taking pictures this weekend.

Back in the Saddle Again

I did it!  I rode my Beautiful, albeit dirty, pony last night!  I wasn't planning on it, I was only planning on lunging him for a few minutes each way due to him just starting back to work this week.

He was so good on the line, even though he stayed in all day.. which is a misunderstanding I hope is corrected today, otherwise I am going to have to find another solution.  One of the things I will NOT compromise on any longer is good turn out.  Having had good turnout the last 5 months, I have seen what a HUGE difference it has made for him in his state of mind, behavior and overall well being.  If I can't have the turnout, then I will have to move him back to Snohomish and leave the riding until I get my place finished as I will NOT have him locked up each day, only coming out to work.

Off of my rant.  Back to the riding story.  So my trainer/friend was riding her youngster and said, why don't you just get on and walk and see how he does?  I really, really wanted to, so I thought..... NO WAY umm okay,  and if he is at all worried about it or seems that it is too much, I will hop right back off. 

Well I hopped on, and we walked, walked some more, and finally attempted did figure eights at a nice walk and then.. I asked for a little trot and did a nice couple of 20 meter circles on the right track.  WOW!  I was back.. He was back..Then..reality set in we fell apart.  I asked for the trot on the left track.. The left track is harder for both of us.  I am not sure why  it is the weaker side for both of us.  He does not care to bend to the left and I tend to collapse to the left and pull and get discombobulated.  What I can do on the right.. it is like I completely lose everything when we go to the left.  I pulled it together for about three strides and called it good.  I walked him out and hopped off, then walked him some more.  I gave him lots of hugs and praise for being such a good boy after so long off. 

Then I cleaned a stall, washed off a blanket, put his jammies on and put him to bed.  Self Care is so much better.  I am going to the barn every day now and seeing what is happening.  Before, at a full care facility, I may not even have known if he was turned out.  This way, I am on top of everything.

Also, in less than two weeks, my equine nutritional consultant is coming.  I attended a class that she talked at and I was completely intrigued.  I can't wait to see what she has to say regarding his diet and what I can do to help the budget and keep him at optimal health.  I am making him a Bran Mash this evening.  I know he will dig that! 

I am very proud of myself for getting on the pony.  I tend to be a little worried after being off for such a period of time, but I did notice how much more relaxed I was off the bat, and I did LESS with my hands.  This is a GOOD thing in Dressage... Leg  more, Hands less.. Outside rein to inside leg.. I tried to remember that as my mantra.. and the other thing that helps me.. because I have a "hotter" horse.. LEG ON.. and Tempo.. especially in the trot.. I do a type of metronome in my head.. 1 2 1 2 1 2 with it being.. 1.....2.....1.....2.... to slow down and I keep that thinking, while only rising in the saddle what he pushes me to .. and it REALLY helps.. of course adding in still hands and a long leg.. Yeah.. RIGHT.. Tempo first.. then we work on the other things.

For you non riders that read my blog, if you have made it to here.. THANK YOU..LOL.. as I know the horses and dressage can be very foreign for those who do not take part. (Mcgyver doesn't understand the fascination at all).. I will have to post on that sometime.. the fact that we bought a house with a barn and an arena is a testament to how far he has come and how much he must really love me.

For any riders.. What exercises do YOU use with your horse to condition, supple and get some relaxation going in your warm ups?  Inquiring Minds want to know!  Please leave a comment, Thank you!

Beau Has a Friend

I love to take Photos. I am still hopelessly ignorant about the process of capturing the "perfect" picture and with the fun things you can do to digital photos to edit them and make them what you envisioned.. if only after the fact.

Above is Beau and his new friend Duke. They like to express their friendship by touching noses. I like to take pictures of this because it makes me smile that my horse has a friend. This is all I have today. I am off to get more things done.. and This seemed the best thing to Share