2014 Chickies have arrived!

So we hand picked 6 baby chicks (expecting a few not to make it) we got a Golden Laced Wyndotte, Blue Andalusian, White Leghorn, and 3 Araucanas (because they lay the bluish green eggs). They are so cute when we first get them but they sure grow fast so make sure you come see them quickly!

Horse riding becomes life when…

 

I came across this wonderful blog posting today when I was looking for ways that a horse improves our lives. I found it to be intriguing and thought I might share.

1. The patience you develop working with your horse becomes the patience you use with your friends and colleagues.
2. The body language you learn to communicate with becomes your source of confidence in group activities.
3. The coordination you learn on the back of the horse keeps you safe from unexpected physical mishaps.
4. Heavy lifting/pulling/pushing/hoof cleaning develops your strength enough to allow you to fluidly function under heavy loads when needed.
5. Facing your fears while on another’s four legs teaches you how to have courage in the face of life’s many difficulties.
6.You learn to temper your (often over-scheduled) daily routines by slowing down to meet the simplicity of horse life.
7. The leadership skills your horse teaches you carries into your work and relationship interactions.
8. The self-confidence you develop from knowing you can influence a powerful animal seeps into every interaction you have with people.
9. You learn from horses that it’s okay for things to get worse, because after things get worse, they always get better.
10. You discover that taking shortcuts might not be to your benefit in the long run; some things have to take the time they need to take.
11. When certain maneuvers get a little difficult (like riding through a corner), all you need is a little extra impulsion to smooth things out.
12. Sometimes, you just have to let go (especially when the horse bucks and bucks)!
13. In general, riding (life) isn’t about brute strength – it’s about gentle technique and strategy.
14. There is no such thing as a day off – you begin to value the rewards that hard work reaps.
15. The work has to get done whether you feel up to it or not – so it becomes easier to fulfill responsibilities because you know how to get the work done.
16. You understand completely how asking nicely is always better than demanding.
17. There is no such thing as instant gratification. There is only hard work and step-by-step development.
18. Perfection is always aspired to, but rarely reached!
19. The path is more important than the end result.
20. Although we all have our own “conformation faults” that might work against us, we can overcome almost anything with some time and effort.

Spring Lessons are here!

We are all so very excited to be starting our spring lessons! We will be teaching on Mondays and Wednesdays for 3 hours each night. Remember parents feedback is what makes this program better so if there is anything I can do or should know about lessons please talk to me so I can make adjustments where I can to continually keep getting better. For Spring lessons we will have Holly, Sally, Maximus and now Sweetie helping us out.

Sweetie formerly Athena

So this was the ad that got my attention...

"Athena" is a Grey mare 16 yr old and 15 hands.. she has been there done that... Trails, Rodeo, and Pulls a wagon.. this is a NICE mare.. she has done parades pulling a wagon, she has done hay rides pulling a wagon, she has been used for gathering cattle, sorting, and branding.. she has done Jr rodeo , Gymkhana , play days, she has done lessons... she has BEEN THERE DONE THAT!!! The little gal that owns her has stepped up into a faster horse.. so Athena is ready to find another family that she can teach... this is a Nice mare and just about anyone can ride her... Owners are asking $800 Come try her out you will LOVE her...

So we left Thursday night about 7:00pm and drove to Beaver to stay the night. It was me, my mom and dad and Treg. Then in the morning we drove to St. George and called... Well we still had to go 30 miles further south just on the other side of the gorge. We got there and I was not to impressed when I first looked at her. She was super skinny and kinda awkward looking. But she saddled great took the bit like a pro and stood so still for her rider to get on. Then we went to the racing arena and she was wanting to go and giving it her all. When we moved to the casual arena she was calm as could be and when I put Treg on she even took it down a notch. When I took her bridle off to halter her again she just stood so still and didn't move an inch. Same when I unsaddled her. So we brought her home! Yesterday she did fabulous in her first day of lessons at Crazy Creek!

Looking forward to spring lessons!

So I have opened Spring class enrollment. If you know of anyone interested in riding you may want to let them know now is the time to sign up before classes fill up. The spring session goes through March, April & May. If you register for Spring Classes it is for the full 3 months. Hopefully we will have the large outdoor arena fenced and ready to ride in sometime in April. We will have the outdoor trail course available for Spring riding which will be nice! Hope to see you all down at the ranch soon!

Winter lessons to start up again Jan 8th

I am so excited to announce Kailey will be coming back to teach on Wednesdays for the remainder of our Winter lessons. She is such a good teacher and knows how to really make it fun for the kids! Parents please remember tuition is due that day and it will be $70 since there are 4 lessons in Jan. Welcome back Kailey the horses have had a break and are ready to get back into the arena!

Meet Blizzard

So this is Matia's Christmas wish to get a new rabbit and hutch! Yes, she loves all the animals big and small. Blizzard is a full grown male rabbit, we are not sure the bread or how old he is. We adopted him from the Utah County Animal shelter. He is now the only rabbit at the ranch.