Hobby Horse Blog Hop Week 1

Thanks, Dreaming, for starting this fun blog hop.

Hobby Horse Blog Hop Prompts - Week 1:

1. Tell us about your first horse, real or imagined.
   
   After years of begging and pleading, my father bought me a pony - a gorgeous strawberry roan Welsh pony stallion with a red mane and tail.  I wrote about him at the beginning of my blog here.
   
   
2. What lesson(s) did you learn from a horse?
   
   There are too many to list them all and I continue to learn every day, but let me share one simple, real-life lesson I learned the hard way.
   
   
   • Never sit on your horse (even a gentle, well-broke horse) with one leg draped over his withers (sort of sitting side saddle).  When I was young, I sat like that on my Thoroughbred gelding outside the arena at a hunter/jumper show.   My horse was relaxed and half asleep.  I was perched sideways with my right leg crossed over his withers, my left foot still in the left stirrup.  I was resting and very relaxed while watching the horse and rider competing in the arena on the jumping course. Suddenly, the horse in the arena knocked a fence down.  The sound of the fence crashing to the ground spooked my snoozing steed and he jumped sideways. I fell off my 17hh Thoroughbred, backwards.  I've never sat on a horse like that since, but I see young riders doing it all the time.  It's just not wise.  Be alert and always keep safety in mind.
     
     
3. What riding discipline intrigues you the most?
   
   I'm getting in touch with my inner cowgirl, so I'm working on my western riding skills and looking forward to doing lots of trail riding this summer.

Now, here's a question for you to ponder:

What is your favorite color of horse?

Still Horse Crazy

My autobiography....in just six words:

Never outgrew the horse crazy girl.

*************

 Ridin' on the farm.

Kansas

1969

 

Click on the Saturday Centus button to read other "autobriefagraphies".

Careful, You Might Get Burned

Dreaming wrote this cute little story called She Was Hot!  that was inspired by Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus writing challenge.  It's clever and I wanna play too. This is my first time.

Jenny provides a prompt for you to use in a story. She also tells you how many words to use.  It's loads of fun and quite challenging to get the exact word count.

This week's prompt is "The wedding was at the firehouse" and the story must be 106 words.

Click on Jenny's button to read the stories and join the fun.  My story, Careful, You Might Get Burned,  follows below.

They met on the job and it was love at first sight.  

They knew office romances were discouraged, but there was no denying the animal attraction between them. 

His buddy warned him, “Sure she’s a looker, but there are plenty of fish in the sea; just don't fish off the company pier.”  

Her best friend said, “He’s handsome. That firm jaw and those strong shoulders are dreamy. But what if he breaks your heart?  You’ll still have to work with him.”  

Their love grew as they worked together, side by side. The wedding was at the firehouse, where they were hitched in more ways than one.  

Kansas Firefighter's Museum

Do You Have an Innie or an Outtie?

I'm beginning to believe there is a conspiracy against office workers when it snows two Saturdays in a row.

Several horse events were cancelled today, including our Brent Winston clinic session.   I'm disappointed, but it was a good call.  It is too dangerous to haul a horse trailer and even if the roads were clear, everybody would be miserably cold.

It's a good day to stay inside, but Misty didn't get the memo.

Or maybe she is just ignoring it.

Misty is an Outtie.  She prefers to be outside even in cold, windy, snowy weather.  I don't think we'll even warm up to 20F/-6.6C today.

SaraJane is more of an Innie, often seeking shelter in the barn.  But today she is also an Outtie.

Look behind Misty at the barn.  Do you see what is peeking over that fence?  There are two Outties out there.

Now, I am an Innie and barely lasted outside long enough to snap a couple of pictures because I had to take my gloves off to hold the camera.  I'm going to crawl back under the covers and watch a movie.

Do you have Innies or Outties at your barn?

Dearest Liebsters

Thank you, Living a Dream and 50+ Horses,  for giving me the Liebster Blog award. I appreciate your recognition and I enjoy reading your blogs.  

Liebster means “dearest” in German, and the award is intended to help up-and-coming blogs get the attention they deserve. Here are the rules:
 

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

2. Link back to the blogger who gave the award.

3. Pick five favorite blogs with less than 200 followers, and leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have received the award.

4. Hope that the five blogs chosen will keep spreading the love and pass it on to five more blogs.
 

It's tough to choose.  So I'm going to focus on the word Liebster and pick five blogs that strike me as "dear".   Please visit these special blogs below and say hello.
 

Dearest Liebsters (that's kinda redundant, I know) if you have already received this blog award, you are off the hook. But I want you to know, that even when I can't leave comments very often, I'm reading, and I enjoy your blogs and recognize their Liebster qualities:

art, beach, life

AnnaBlakeBlog

Bay State Brumby
One Friesian Sporthorse, One Percheron, and One Donkey
Super Size My Cob

Misty's Monday Muse - Cow Pony?

The cow pony Percheron! 

MyLady took me to cattle sorting again.  It was our 2nd time.  We're not very spry and agile, so the heifers slip by us easily.  But we had a little success and a lot of fun.  And it's a great confidence builder.




After sorting, I participated in my favorite event of the day - the resting event.  When it comes to resting, I can't be beat.  It's all about how to prop your toe and cock your hip.  I'm very good at it because I have ample hip to cock and I practice a lot.  But you can see I had some stiff competition.

The Resting Competition

I don't know who that little sorrel horse is on my left.  But it's a good thing we are both peace-loving equines since we are resting "cheek to cheek."  The cutie on my right with the knee-hi white stockings is my friend Cheyenne.  He is a Spotted Saddle Horse.  He was my sorting partner.   This was our 3rd date.  We've gone out on two trail rides before and hit it off right away.  Cheyenne has a lady friend at home, but when he's out with me, he can't keep his eyes off me.  He looks longingly for me when his owner rides him away from me and he nickers sweetly to me when they return.  Cheyenne loves me.

Wanna know what Cheyenne is whispering to that gelding on his right?  He's saying,  "Hey buddy, you see that big beautiful mare to my left?  She's with me.  Eat your heart out."  Or maybe he's saying, "Hey Dude, I'm out with my girl and I just pooped.  Is it hidden by my tail alright?"

Cattle sorting.  It's not just for Quarter Horses anymore,

Misty's Monday Muse - Shadow

Me and My Shadow

January 14, 2012

Time to Say Goodbye

It's alright.

It's not sad.  

It's a good thing.

It's time to say goodbye to the Christmas decorations.
   

Goodbye Birdies



Goodbye Doggies



Goodbye Horsies

We'll see ya'll in about eleven months.

I must report one Christmas decor casualty.
A Santa hat placed atop a lamp shade is no longer a Christmas decoration.

We found it on the floor, a little tattered.



Bella had claimed it as her own.


It was promoted to Christmas dog toy.

Goodbye 2011

Hello 2012