Saddle UP

Here is an update about our life. Bradley went riding last week and this guy pulls up beside him and asked if he could train a horse to carry a rider (some of you may refer to this as braking a horse). Bradley said he would give it a try, as he did brake his 2.5 yr old mare Chevy a few weeks ago. So, Bradley goes to pick up the horse and it is a 2.5 yr old stud who has had NO human contact. They load the crazy thing up, we are calling him Bucky, and bring him home. First, he puts all my mares in heat and so every horse on the property is acting crazy. Bradley works with him a little. And Kevin works with him a little.

They are able to lunge him and get a pad on him, but the saddle was not an option. Bucky completely flipped out.

He really will make a good horse some day, but he has trust issues and he needs to be gelded, SOON.

This morning I went out to feed with Bradley, I never made it back into the house until after three. We decided to do some work that need to be done, like clean chicken coop and haul off some old, wet hay. Then he worked on Fancy for a while, teaching her to slide stop and side step. Then we spent the next five hours with Bucky. We actually got a saddle on him. I didn't get a picture, but I promise that we did. He bit me twice. It's a good thing that I wear garmets to protect me, because it would have hurt. Maybe by next week Bradley will actually be able to sit on his back. Maybe.

Hold On

This is a bad picture, but the action in the shot is fantastic. It was getting dark outside, I really wish this photo had turned out better. Yes, this is Bradley on Appie. She was acting silly and wouldn't do more than walk, so he decided she needed a work out. She got stubborn and forgot her manners and this photo is the result of that. She acted like this for about thirty minutes until she was plum exhausted. Bradley held on for the entire ride.

My Babies

This is Christmas morning at our house. The kids are getting big. Next year they are getting Barbies and Legos!

Finally, our Christmas pictures. Every year the kids do a gingerbread house. Every year, this happens.

We put our large nativity scene up this year on a table right when you walk in the front door. I put lights all around it, it was beautiful.

This is a new addition to our Christmas decor. It's a little different and I really didn't put it is good place this year. I'll do better next year.

Our tree. I reallllly liked my tree this year. Of course pictures don't do it justice, but trust me, it was fantastic. I impressed myself.

Brady Lou and Appie. They worked out for a bit. Appie is so lazy and doesn't want to run. She got a little crazy and decided to rodeo. Bradley thought it was fun. Brady didn't. She got a good buck on and hit her nose on the saddle horn. As is well. She got back on.

Okay, here is the new member of our herd. This is Chevy. She is a 4.5 yr old paint with blue eyes. She is a very good mare. When we got her, she still had a 7 mo old colt on her. She had never had a saddle on her or a rider. Well, Bradley took care of that pretty quick. We had only had her a week and he began working her. He was riding her with in a day of getting a saddle on her. I was a nervous wreck. This is a picture of the first time he ever rode her. She did really great. She trusts Bradley so it was a pretty smooth event. Now, yesterday was another story. She got spooked and ran off after Bradley saddled her. We caught her up the road and Bradley tried to mount her on the road with some cars around. She wasn't having it. She took off while he was getting on. He got drug down the road and thrown into a ditch. Chevy went on home after that and Bradley brushed himself off and went home too. They tried again, and she did fine. He rode her for about half an hour and then it started raining so he came home.

She is a good horse and will make a good kid ride for someone. Bradley is thinking about getting a foul off her and selling her to a family with kids, but Kevin said no. He said it's the only horse that likes him, so he is keeping her.

Hanging outside

We are suppose to be working. Not hiding in the barn and texting.

Boxer likes to hang out with the horses.

Kevin even likes them sometimes.


Brady and Appie

Brady, Appie, and Stryder

I'll put up the lights

This is the kids' friend, Ricky. He decided to help us out by putting up our Christmas lights this year. Well, once he got on the roof, he flattened himself out and declared he was NOT moving until the fire department came to get him down. After I let him know that I would not be calling the fire department, he settled for Kevin helping him get down. If you look closely, yes, those are Brady Lou's boots he is wearing.

Though Ricky turned out to be afraid of heights, Ruben (in background) was up for the task.

Feeding Time

Feeding time is early in the morning and it's hard to worry about fashion at that time of day. Blue coat, blue shorts, blue mud boots...that's definately a fashion "who cares, it's cold and early".

Fancy don't let me down

This is Bradley's new horse, fancy. She is half Arabian and half Paint. When we got her, which was completely a surprise from Heavenly Father, she was thin, had bad feet, had a halter grown into her face, and was very spooked and untrusting. Bradley began working with her a week after we got her. It took lots of time and patience, but within a day, he was riding her and actually had Brady Lou riding her too.

Brady Lou wasn't nearly excited about getting on her as Bradley was. Bradley wanted to start with Lou since she weighs so little and it wouldn't startle Fancy so much. I was nervous, but it worked out well.

The final result is that Bradley has a beautiful addition to his herd and he is hoping to have her bred this spring to a Paint. We are hoping for a foal just as beautiful as its mother.