Riding Lessons

By Neversummer June 9, 2025 Jerry, Lady No Comments

Well, were attempting riding lessons.
Just don’t tell the kids that’s what’s going on. As far as they know we’re having fun playing with obstacles.

My son suddenly lost all that over confidence he had. Now he only wants to be on the lead. But, he’s building it back quickly!

My daughter has suddenly developed confidence. She no longer wants to lead and is having fun figuring out all the things Jerry can do. I set up an L to back through and she is determined. They always hang up at the entrance. But, she’s figuring out how to move the hindquarters! So not an entirely bad thing. They’ll get there.

We also have barrels set up to steer around, but mostly to play flag in barrel as they take turns moving it on to the next barrel. Aiming for the third day in a row of practice today. Then they’ll get a few weeks off. Hopefully it wont be too hot when they get back for us to get right back to playing!

Arapaho Jerry

By Neversummer June 3, 2025 Uncategorized No Comments

2001 Morgan mare.

By Mary Mels Snooper

Out of Circle H Jovita

Bred by Dusty Hacket on the Arpaho ranch

https://www.allbreedpedigree.com/arapaho+jerry

I bought Jerry back in 2004, I think. After trying to decide if I wanted a gaited Morgan or a cow bred Morgan I figured out that it was a silly question. The obvious answer is both!

A friend had spotted her gaiting briefly in the pasture. So although Dusty hadn’t noticed any gaiting I decided to take a chance. She came home and proved to be a strong trotter. But trotting down hill she would occasionally shift into a smooth gait.

As she progressed in her reining and cow horse training I discovered that asking for a bit of a leg yield at a trot would also bring out the gait.

She progressed amazingly in her training teaching me how to ride and train a great cutting and reining horse.

We spent the drought years of 2006 and 2007 showing. Against the best local Quarter horses she won a couple buckles, a best in show and numerous placings bringing home blankets, halters, and all sorts of fun prizes.

She also spent her non showing time working as a ranch horse, where she was wonderful but never in a hurry. I had gotten a gaited horse so we could cover country with speed, and ended up with a horse who was in no hurry to get anywhere. 😆

Then I hurt my back. It was a couple of years of not being able to ride. I sold her to a Morgan breeder who took her to Grand Nationals where she placed respectfully. I always wished I could have ridden her, together we could have won it!

But life changes. She ended up coming back to me. Bred! I got a stunning grey stud colt from her. Who got struck by lightening his 4 year old year shortly after getting going good undersaddle 😭

I had babies by then. Jerry was amazing. But, she was a great cow horse. She was very capable of dropping out from under you and coming up somewhere else. It made her a great cutting horse, but not so great for riding with babies. Human babies.

My good friend Tanna had been coming out and riding with me. She did wonderfully with Jerry. I offered her Jerry. She took her and has loved her for the last ten years. Jerry has been working as a ranch horse, she was still roping calves in the branding pen shortly before coming back to me. But, Tanna grew up somewhere along the way. She has babies of her own now and no time to ride. She asked if I would be interested in having Jerry back.

I jumped at the chance!

Jerry wasn’t right for us when she went to Tanna. She’s been perfect for Tanna all this time. Now she is perfect for us again. My daughter has taken her over and is loving the gait as much as I used to. Maybe she’ll want to work cows on her some day.

First Ride of the Three

By Neversummer June 3, 2025 Jerry, Lady No Comments

Well that was disastrous.

We had an amazing ride yesterday. I walked. The Goblin Child rode Jerry. 8 rode Lady. Everyone was very well behaved. We walked to the mailbox and back. The Goblin Child gaited all over the place and had a blast. 8 wanted to try Jerry. He got on once we were home, asked for a gait, got a canter. It scared him but no one fell off and it was good in the end.

Today I thought I would get on Rusty. We could ALL ride for once! No riding double. No walking alongside trying to keep up with the horses.

I brought them all in. It started out great. 8 did up his own cinch. TGC hopped on all by herself while I was getting ready. 8 wanted me to pony him but that was fine. Lady was wanting to toss her head and he had the little episode with Jerry the day before. I couldn’t blame him for being a little nervous. It’s funny how they’ve switched places. He used to be the brave one, hopping on and taking off while she wanted to be ponied.

I got on Rusty with the total contact saddle. Put my foot in the stirrup for the first mounting attempt and pulled the saddle clear off the side. Re-saddled and tried again, bareback style. Once on all the horses were off.

Rusty was tossing his head too. He and Lady were matching each other, rotten for rotten. Jerry was doing good, but she was wanting to go too. Unlike her plodding along of the day before. I blame it on the cooler weather.

8 hopped off first, while I struggled to hold Rusty still. He held Lady’s lead while TGC and I rode off. Or attempted to. Jerry said no thank you. She’d rather stay with her friend Lady.

I hopped off, grabbed Jerry’s rein and insisted that yes, we were leaving Lady. After that she was fine. But I was on the ground with the equivalent of no stirrups and no way to get back on. Besides I wanted to be able to grab the reins if Jerry decided she wanted to zip off again.

So much for getting to ride WITH the kids.

We went back and picked up 8. After forcing him to get back on we walked around the barns and they were done.

Oh well. I didn’t get to ride with the kids. We didn’t all three get to ride together, but we did all get out with horses. That’s a start. Maybe next time.

By Neversummer April 28, 2025 Sunshine No Comments
After spending the last few months hanging out, being a horse, growing up a little more, Sunshine is getting worked again!
 
Sunshine is my young horse. He’ll be four this spring, he might be four already! No idea when his actual birthday is. He is an extrovert, a bit of right brain and left brain mixed together in there. Lots of sensitivity and emotion to deal with but also as brave and willing as he can manage. He desperately wants to please.
 
I sat on him for the first time back n January, right at the first of the year. Then he got turned out and my other horse Rusty got all the attention. Now, finally, I have time to work with Sunshine again.
 
Right brain extroverts get some flack for being emotional and reactive, and he does show that for sure. But, this is his second time being saddled after sitting for nearly four months. I hadn’t planned on doing anything but some ground work. He was being so calm and happy in the work, I decided why not push things a little farther.
 
He could not have been better about it.
 
The time spent growing up has made him thicker and more solid. He no longer feels like he’s going to fall over and my saddle fits him! Always a good thing. I’d far rather put the first actual rides on in my saddle than a random saddle that fits him but not me.
 
I do love my extroverts with all their emotions out there for the world to see. The extra energy and sensitivity may not be for everyone, but they’re perfect for me!

The Madigan Squeeze.

By Neversummer April 9, 2025 Cattle No Comments

“She doesn’t want to nurse and I had to tube her to get milk down her.”

The words were uttered casually as he lifted the tiny heifer calf into the back of my pickup. Had it been mentioned earlier I probably wouldn’t have been there at all. A calf who wont nurse is as good as dead. Not something I would normally be willing to spend money on then go through the heartbreak of losing. But here she was, already in the pickup and I had already driven clear over here. Might as well take her home.

That night and over the next day we struggled to get feed into her. Bottles were allowed to drip slowing into her mouth. A syringe worked rather well to squirt the milk in. We couldn’t keep this up. Feeding took forever and she wasn’t getting enough to keep her alive.

People recommended the Madigan squeeze. I had been seeing the technique for ages to help save dummy foals. Lately it has come into popularity for calves. But this calf was up and moving, she just lacked any suckle reflex. Surely it wouldn’t help her?

As a last resort I gave it a try.

With an old leadrope in hand I caught her. One loop around the neck and a shoulder to hold it in place, as instructed by my vet, then half hitches around the ribs. My rope was barely long enough even on this tiny calf. I pulled each circle as tight as I could get it by hand before moving on to the next loop. She started to struggle a little against it. I tucked the end of the rope in, it was just long enough to reach for the last wrap.

Now she was supposed to lay down and go comatose. I watched as I got the milk cows fed and other calves taken care of. She fought and struggled against the rope. Finally she stood up and was walking towards me. That obviously hadn’t worked, so I went to take the rope off.

As soon as she was free from the restraint of the rope she chased after the other bottle calf, nosed the fence like she was looking for a teat and dove into the side of the cow when I guided her that direction. Now instead of her not wanting to nurse the problem was too much nursing enthusiasm. She kept pushing too hard and losing the teat then sucking in the wrong place. What had happened to my calf?! This was a whole new animal. She was starving and determined to find her food. Gone was the calf who fought against every drop we tried to get down her. Instead we had a hungry enthusiastic calf who really really wanted to eat.

The Madigan squeeze gone wrong was apparently right after all. The calf it didn’t apply to and wasn’t going to work on had undergone a miracle change. Never again am I going to dismiss this technique. From now on it is going to be the first go to with any calf problems. Who knew.

High Side by Side Doubles

By Neversummer March 19, 2025 Horse Whorls No Comments

They’re smart. They can focus. Their capability to excel in any area is never doubted. Even if that area is occasionally driving their person crazy. Whether it’s through their fearless tendency to run over the top of you or if it’s their sudden fear of something they’ve seen every day for the last month, they’re good at it.

There are a couple of points about side by side doubles that don’t usually get included in descriptions of them.

One, they are generally viscous out in the pasture with other horses. This isn’t going to apply to every single one of them. Doubtless there are some out there that are at the bottom of the pecking order. But overall, the majority of them rule their herd with an iron fist, quickly educating any horse who steps out of line.

B, they have an amazing affinity for children. I know lots of horses work well with children and many are doubtless better children’s horses that fire breathing side by side doubles. When these fierce horses drop their heads and plod because a child is on board the difference in behavior displayed is striking.

My boy is quieting with age anyway. He is 12 now and has matured quite a bit over the last few years. I now feel comfortable turning him loose with my daughter on board. Even when he was younger and hotter he would slow down and plod for her. I always told her he knew there was precious cargo and he was taking care of it. She loves his big, slow moving ways. Then I get back on and he’s chomping at the bit (bitless? 😆) and raring to go.

It is in no way limited to him. All double whorl horses have a bit of a reputation. It may be undeserved, but there is bases in there for the names they get called. Side by side doubles leave all of that behind them when a child comes into the picture.

Not sure if this applies to all stacked doubles, but the ones I’ve had have been terrified of children. The exact opposite of side by sides.

What experiences have you had with doubles of either type and kids?

 

Rusty

By Neversummer March 15, 2025 Rusty No Comments
This horse. He’s the greatest.
we were forcing the poor mistreated children to help their father work. I was going to sneak out for ride, get him some exorcise. They caught me and thought going for a ride was better than what they were doing.
So they hopped on and I walked.
He was perfect for them. Until one hopped off, then he was perfect for her. She even headed out in the lead as we walked towards home. It wasn’t too long ago she only wanted lead and for me he is ‘enthusiastic’ about heading home. For her he quietly walked.
Once home she got off on her own. But so did the saddle 🤣 I finally caught p to find them like this. Saddle hanging off the side. Horse standing quietly. Her happy and safe.
My fire breathing dragon is a wonderful baby sitter.

Painting

By Neversummer February 24, 2025 Rusty No Comments

The weather got warm enough that Rusty and I decided to do a little painting. He did some wonderful work. Then had to show off his dashing new mustache.

Hoar Frost

By Neversummer January 4, 2025 Lady, Rusty, Sunshine No Comments
I went out to check on the horses this morning. We have a heavy hoar frost and everything looks so pretty with its coating of ice. I thought I’d try to get some horse pictures.
Why is it so hard to get pretty pictures of beautiful horses in a gorgeous ice world!?!? 🤣🤣
I might have gotten a couple decent ones. In the rest they look a bit silly.
No riding anyone today it’s too cold out there!

Sunshine’s First Ride

By Neversummer January 2, 2025 Sunshine No Comments
Sunshine hadn’t had a saddle on in quite awhile. Over a month at least. He has had harness hanging off of him instead and that certainly hasn’t hurt or hindered the riding training.
I put a saddle on him then hopped on Rusty bareback and we rode to the mailbox and back. I may have nearly slid off Rusty. He has the hardest back I’ve ever seen to sit bareback. It would have been funny to fall off the old broke horse while trying to start the young one.
We got back and I kept Rusty up close for emotional support. For Sunshine, not me 😉 That kept Lady up on the other side so Sunshine had plenty of company.
Sunshine was so completely chill in the ’round pen’. It is not round nor is it a great place to start horses, but it’s what we have and it works. He was making perfect circles around me loose, at a walk and trot. He didn’t particularly feel like trotting and had no interest in a canter, so we kept it slow and calm.
Then I called my husband to come out for his part of the job.
Sunshine has been walking over and lining up to the fence for a long time now for me to sit on him. This was a first ride, not a first sit. I left him standing in the middle and went to climb the fence. He almost beat me to it and was waiting in position.
I sat on him. Fiddled a bit. Played a bit. Gave plenty of cookies.
My husband got there and they practiced walking in a circle. He doesn’t do horses and Sunshine needs to get used to new things.
Their first circle was a bit iffy. Sunshine jigged and nervously bounced around. A complete change from out quiet circles we had been doing.
After a few times around they both calmed enough that I got on.
I’m using the old barrel saddle instead of mine. It’s comfortable enough for me and fits him better. But, the stirrups aren’t turned. I couldn’t quite get my foot on the stirrup. We made the circle that way. Sunshine had his head in the air pulling on the lead and jigging.
I missed having my stirrup.
But we made it back to the gate and I hopped off again. We all sat and chilled. I waited for my heart rate and Sunshine’s head to come down. More sitting and scratching.
Then we did another circle.
This time I made sure I had my stirrup. We were all much calmer. Sunshine walked. It was good. So we went back to the gate and got off. Ended on a very good note.
It was 29 degrees yesterday. My computer tells me that’s -1c. Warm in the sun out of the wind. Freezing with any breeze or shade. Today is supposed to be colder and colder still for the next week. I wanted to try again today but it might be best to let it sit with a successful ride instead of messing anything up without decent weather to try to fix it again.
Maybe we’ll go for a drive instead or play at some tricks. He says he misses that with all this ‘work’ we’ve been doing instead.
See my wonderful Christmas present?
My husband finally just bought me a helmet. I’d been looking but couldn’t make up my mind. This one was a pretty color 😜 and was the only one of the ones I had been looking at, the ones that were recommended to me, that was available in the right size. That made the choice easier. And I love it. So comfortable.
No, I don’t usually ride in a helmet. No, I’m not interested in hearing about that. But, on young horses the odds of injury increase significantly. My husband hates this starting horses thing enough. He gets really upset when I get hurt. It’s the sweetest thing.
He’s happier with me slightly protected. And I recognize my need to stay healthy and get those children raised. So, with young horses, I wear my helmet.
Which is so much more fun when it’s pretty 😁
No pictures from the riding part. We were slightly busy with the other things going on. Maybe next time.