Snow Fun!!

We finally got some snow--like actual snow-like 6 or 7 inches of it!  It has been lots of fun riding in it, but it is melting fast!  Good thing too!  Our road commissioner only plows enough for one car to get through if he plows at all--so you can imagine all the fun we have if we ever meet another car!  Actually, this wet snow is really slippery-even my 4-wheel drive truck has a hard time in it and today I had to help Alan get his truck unstuck-at least he had a tractor to pull himself out!  On the way to work Wednesday morning, I thought the roads would be pretty good-HA!  I passed the mailman in the ditch and was wondering if I'd make it myself as my truck went fish tailing from one side of the road to the other--not fun!  Thoughts going through my head was panic and disbelief!  How'd the school bus get through!?  I also kept remembering what my Dad said about dually trucks-if you get a dually stuck you are really stuck!  I made it through!  Praise the Lord!  Then at work some guys came to work on one of the barn doors and had to be pulled out with the tractor since their 4x4 truck was stuck!  Slippery, slippery out!  Pretty soon-it's gonna be muddy, muddy if it ain't already!

I absolutely love riding my horses in the snow!  It's kinda like having an outdoor sand arena!  Great for spins and reining stops!  Worked Missy yesterday in the snow and Kitty today in the snow--but we had to be more careful since it was more slippery!  (btw, they do much better in this snow than the 4x4's)  Both worked really well-sometimes they just make me smile till I can't stop!

Last Saturday, I decided to go "amish" and hook up our mini, Chica, to take her to my neighbor's to do his horse chores.  It's kinda funny to see how other horses react around horses pulling carts....anywho..Ted decided he wanted to come with me so we headed off to do chores the fun way!

Kitty today after our ride--she looks HAPPY!!!

 

I think I can...I think I can...I Know I can

I remember my mother reading me those words from a book called the little engine that could or something along those lines.  He never gave up---he knew he could pull the weight of the heavy cargo even though he was a little train....he just had to reach those children!  It reminds me of a very short church song we call "Only Believe."  If we only believe (in God), all things are possible.  I've had a couple big days right in a row and I'm tired.....and it's only monday!  Life can be so monotonous.....it's easy to not believe that God knows best or what's good for you.  It is times like these I need Him the most.  I need His strength to uphold me through every second of the day lest I fall into a weary restless slumber.  It's not all bad because these are the times I draw closer to Him because I HAVE too--I KNOW I can't do it!  Trust me, having RA puts me in positions where I have to trust that God will give me the strength to make it through and "press on towards the mark of the high calling which is in Christ Jesus...."  Mondays are especially a drag as these are the nights I have to give myself a shot which always makes me sick to my stomach and not sure how I get through it other than I know that God is helping me.

I had a busy monday, but managed to be able to take Kitty along with Monica and Colty to the indoor arena  at work.  The horses were really feeling it today!  They were very happy to be ridden!  I worked with Kitty on her bow again too-she still needs her "crutch rope" and I'm not sure how to get her to go bow down with out it, but she sure is cute!  I practiced getting on her while she was bowing and that is actually really hard to do!  lol!  She was good for it...then I practiced asking her to bow with a rider on her.  She did well again with the crutch aid.  Guess it's time for bed now...I'm falling asleep over this post...haha..wish I could skip the shot tonight--that should wake me up!!

Love is in the air

NO!  I'm not getting married or anything so don't faint or anything....but since it's Valentines Day I can't help but think of LOVE!  And guess what?  I feel loved!  Even if I am still single I have 2 wonderful parents who happened to give me some candy for v-day and 2 wonderful brothers and of course, my wonderful sister!  Then just as a side, God decided to give me my two beautiful horses!  But maybe you are feeling blue today and feeling like no one loves you...well I can help you with that!  John 3:16 states: "For God so loved the World that He gave His ONLY begotten son, that whosoever believable in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!"  Wow!  Can anyone top this gift?  I can't even fathom that kind of love! We tend to say it with flowers, words, or chocolate--and not that I don't LOVE chocolate!  Oh..guys..heard on the radio that most girls prefer chocolate to roses....I'd be one of them!  haha!  But God sent His ONLY son to die a painful death for us not because we were something special or deserved it--nope---He just did it because He loved us!  What love! 

Below is Kitty with some flowers she wanted to give me....but since I didn't have a place to keep 'em I let her keep 'em!  She enjoyed them!  :)

Flowers, flowers, flowers everywhere!

RED-y to ride!  

Roses are red, violets are blue...

...and I have a prettier horse than you!  (my early start to Valentines Day)  I can't tell you how much I love this horse so maybe a few pictures will help!

Below:  I think this picture makes Kitty look super cool--we were working on her sliding stops..well as much as you can in the grass...

Of course I had to throw in a mooshy picture of us...duh...she's my valentine!  

Correction:  I have 2 valentines.....

Moving forward

Philippians 3:13:  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Forgetting what mistakes you have made already in your life is hard to do, but here we are told to forget our past failures and reach/strain forwards in our life.  Let's face it, life is a bummer sometimes!  For some, life is hard most days and for others life comes lots easier.  This verse came to mind as I was flipping out over pointlessly losing around $100 this weekend on a long wasted trip, dumb moves and irritating circumstances.  If you knew what I made in a year--And I love my job but, you would understand...Point is I need to forget about it and move FORWARD!!!  Everything that happened this weekend was what God wanted to happen to me.  I can not go where He isn't present and I am thankful for that.  

Ups and Downs

Horse training can certainly have its ups and downs.  In fact, John Lyons (America's most trusted horseman) stated that you have to ride a horse everyday of the month in order to get those 2 perfect riding days.  That's so true!  But horses have bad days and horses have good days and sometimes that have really, really good days.  Today was a good day.  I rode Missy on my usual winter route which is around 4 miles of rural roads.  She was a bit spooky at first but settled right in like usual.  I love when people slow down for us on the roads--too many people think that horses are like motorcycles and the rider can control them. You wouldn't believe what kind of things have happened to me and my horses that include fast vehicles.  If ya see a horse-slow down people!  Anyway, I met a nice driver today.  He pulled over to admire Missy and to have a chat. I always thank people that go slow and we had a nice little country talk.  I LOVE sensible, considerate people like that!  Also saw a opossum while riding-yuck!  Those things are ugly!  When I got back from the ride I decided to review our trick list...then I decided to try something new with Missy.  I asked her to bow with a rider on her (with help of a rope) and stay there till I asked her to get up....SUCCESS!!!  I was so excited I wanted to shout "look what Missy just did!"  There was no one around so hopefully it was entertainment for "unseen angels"....if not, I'm pretty sure God smiled!  Then I took Kitty out to review her tricks because I could tell she was getting jealous...oh, goodness!!  Kitty is a HAM!!  She smiles at EVERYBODY now!  She LOVES to be HAPPY!!!!  : )  She is a showoff for me, but she is part arab (we think) and Arabians are bred for showoff!  She did all of her tricks well too.  Can't wait till it stays warm so I can try to teach the tougher tricks like maybe lay down????  We'll see-I still have to get some equipment for that-I should probably order that stuff soon.....I'm running out of winter tricks to teach my horses-maybe I'll try grab a hanky again...I would do yes or no, but the way that they have you train those tricks my horses just are not sensitive to it because I desensitize them.  A poke in the chest just doesn't give me a reaction.  Actually, I'm content to just work on what I already have them learning...I have such a fun time with them!