Fear

By Neversummer September 2, 2025 Academy No Comments
Fear is a completely personal experience.
Something that terrifies one person is simple and fun for another. We can in no way judge if another person has the right to be afraid.
I knew a guy once who spent a lot of time telling me I was chicken. I didn’t like, and still don’t like, riding horses who were likely to buck. The first ride on any horse is terrifying to me. It didn’t bother him. That meant I was chicken, scared of everything. According to him.
We went to Colorado and rented jeeps to drive the logging trails in the mountains. It was the funnest thing ever. Those tough little jeeps took to the narrow, steep mountain roads like goats. What does that have to do with me being chicken?
That same guy, the self proclaimed brave one, the first time we came out onto a ledge with the mountain going straight up and straight down above and below us, he nearly cried. He wanted to go home. He was determined that he was going to pick the jeep up and turn it around himself since there we no place to turn it around. He was terrified.
Suddenly when it was something that scared him he wasn’t so brave anymore. The rest of us were having a blast and refused to ruin the whole day to take him back to the hotel.
When faced with scary horses I hadn’t cried and begged to go home, but he had still considered me chicken. Just because it wasn’t something he was afraid of.
All things in life get met with this same very personal scale of fear. Our fears are our own, other people can’t judge them. But we also aren’t allowed to judge other peoples phobias.
What does this have to do with horses?
I’m working on those first rides on my young guy. Yes, he has been perfect in every way. But, I have years of experience with horses who weren’t perfect. Of horses who blew up when it seemed like everything should be fine. Of horses who had been ridden without trouble then suddenly found the spot they weren’t fine anymore. The fear has long since been embedded into my mind.
I will go at my own speed. I will face my ow fears. I will not cower in fear on that ledge demanding to be saved, to not have to face the thing. I will face it, but no one else gets to tell me it’s fine. If they do it will be pointless and even counter productive.
This doesn’t change for any one person or any scary thing they are facing with their own horses. No one else can tell them it isn’t scary, that their fears are groundless, that they have to face their fears and get it over with. Fear doesn’t work that way. Forcing someone into a situation that leaves them terrified will make the fear worse, not better.
Far better to back off to the point it isn’t as scary, where it is manageable. Stay there. Work there. Allow ourselves the same grace we should be giving our horses. Once that point of comfort becomes easy to face, then push forward a little farther, just until we are facing our fears, looking them in the eye, but not close enough to touch. Stay there are repeat the same stage, until that gets comfortable. Slow and easy steps like that will build confidence and get us face to face with our fears, allow us to stare them down, far easier than running straight up to them will.

By Neversummer August 26, 2025 Jerry, Lady No Comments
Picked the kids up from the bus again!
It worked so well last time letting Jerry follow loose across the hay field last time that I decided to let her follow along that way until we got closer to the highway.
It worked wonderfully! Only leading one horse was so much more peaceful. Jerry gaited like crazy down the hill. She zipped past us and stopped to graze. Then I stopped to wait for her so I could grab her.
She took one look at us stopped and decided it must mean it was time to go home. She took off that way. We followed a little calling her. She went faster.
So I turned back around and went away from home. She followed. Got kind of close so I turned around to get her. She took off again.
I dallied Lady’s leadrope and we took off after her. Rusty could catch her and we’d turn her and I could grab the rope.
Lady does not do fast. She was so confused. She was very upset about being made to go fast and there was no way I was going to catch Jerry with the dead weight of Lady. So I let go of the rope and went after Jerry alone.
Rusty doesn’t do fast either. We did catch up but she was in the middle of the gravel road. The rocks hurt Rusty’s feet. I quit. She could just go home for all I cared. My daughter could ride double with me on Rusty.
We turned around.
I was worried about where Lady went. I could get one kid easily enough. Three of us and one horse would be more complicated.
Lady was standing where I had let go of her. She looked confused. Why had I tried to make her go fast?!?!
Grabbing her lead, and giving her a cookie in apology, we continued towards the highway.
Jerry stood where I had quit chasing her and called to us. We were going the wrong way. Come back! Then she zipped to catch up with us. Eventually I got off to try to grab her. She turned around again. We kept walking the wrong way. She followed.
Eventually I was able to offer her a cookie. A few cookies. She allowed herself to be caught and we continued on.
My daughter was mad about the horse thing. My son was thrilled. We al mounted up and headed home. Lady was zippy. Jerry was relaxed. Apparently her shenanigans on the way out used up all her energy. My son got a lovely controlled slow trot from Lady. Jerry walked fast and got a little upset when Lady got too far ahead.
Both kids get off the horses weird. I missed getting a picture of my son standing up on the saddle as he dismounted. I did catch my daughter’s attempts. Luckily the horses are patient. These mares are wonderful

First Ride!

By Neversummer August 22, 2025 Sunshine No Comments
We did a thing!
It was cool and windy this morning. Kids were happily occupied. My wonderful husband took a moment from his work and helped me out.
I’m not a cowboy and make no claims to be able to ride anything that bucks. It makes me more comfortable is nothing else to have someone at his head. That way we can both just relax and get used to me being up there.
My dog, Pansy, was determined to come in and help out. All he various cats were running through the weeds and fighting each other, as usual. Sunshine was great.
I wont get to work him tomorrow probably but I might be able to on Sunday. Maybe then we’ll circle the other direction 🤣
Video to come, eventually.

Not Quite Riding

By Neversummer August 21, 2025 Sunshine No Comments
Well, it’s not riding.
But it’s getting close!
I have video that may or may not get edited soon, but for now, pictures. Spanish walk from above him, instead of next to, and wandering around with me on his back one way or another. I have a whole plan carefully laid out for the next few days. Things I want to do and actually riding while someone is home.
Then I realize that the next few days will be busy with other things and I’ll be lucky to get to work him at all much less ride 🙁

How does anyone ever actually get this stuff done!

Bus Run

By Neversummer August 12, 2025 Jerry, Lady No Comments
It was supposed to be fairly cool. In the mid 80s, that’s fairly cool for August. The kids had declined to ride over the weekend. Si thought fine, we wont ride now, but, if I show up to pick you up from the bus with horses you wont have any choice but to ride! Or to walk home I suppose.
It was pretty warm by afternoon. I saw 90 showing at home. But I had made plans and we were going to stick to them dang it! I gave myself an hour to get cows here at home checked, saddle horses, and leave with half an hour to get to the highway. Everything took longer than hoped. My dog did not want to be left behind. She had to be caught and forced to wait in the nice cool house, she hates being outside anyway. I saddled the mares and let them loose to graze. Got Rusty saddled and went to catch mares. Lady let me grab her easily from Rusty’s back, I thought she’d be the hard one. Jerry would not let me near her on Rusty.
She was following nicely though and Rusty and Lady get crazed together when we first start out. I let Jerry follow loose and turned Rusty and Lady loose, in a different way, to use up energy and make up time dashing across the hayfield. They were off. Jerry trailed behind, sometimes falling way back, sometimes passing us. At the road I got off and caught her. Then had to get back on. Then enjoyed ponying two horses the rest of the way to the highway.
We waited in the shade of the neighbors driveway for the bus. We hadn’t beat it there by much.
I could see the delight in my children’s eyes before they ever got off the bus even. Or maybe horror. Why did I have to bring the horses? They didn’t want to ride home. Please never do this again! But, they’re out of luck. Both on that day and in the future. No one died. We’re doing it as often as I can manage.
Lady was perfect. For all the energy she had getting to the bus stop she plodded home barely keeping up with the other two speedy horses. She always goes faster away from home, she seems to enjoy the adventure.
Jerry, our slow lazy one was off. She would have beat all of us home by at least half the time if she’d been allowed to go. And that was mostly at a walk. She got to be ponied instead. That made her and Rusty both mad. Then we had to stop regularly to wait for Lady, that was even worse!
It was hot. The horses were lathered. The kids were mad, one more than the other. Lady’s rider went through a stage there where he wanted nothing to do with her but he is back and riding better than ever. He didn’t mind it at all. Jerry’s person might have been happier about it if they could have plodded slowly like they usually do. I was exhausted and not entirely sure why we think this is fun, but ready to do it again next time it cools down a bit!

The Mares

By Neversummer August 3, 2025 Jerry, Lady No Comments
These two mares, I tell you. They are wonderful.
Both about 24. One an Arab, gasp, horror. The other very much red. Two things people always warn you about and like to complain about.
They both do an amazing job carting their cargo around.
We all three got to ride together for the first time. It was so much better than walking like I usually do. Rusty and I may have walked laps around them, but that’s just fine. Rusty was much happier than when he has to pony, he hates ponying.
Lady zipped along heading out, then was in the back on the way home. I love a horse who is excited to get out on an adventure.
Jerry was bright, cheerful, and slow the whole way. Giving confidence and just generally being the very good girl she is.
We are going to need to get some more rides in! Both before school starts and I’m thinking there will be some bus pickups when the weather isn’t too hot.

Jerry, Welcome Home

By Neversummer June 30, 2025 Uncategorized No Comments
Meet Jerry, Arapaho Jerry if we want to be official. She is one of the best horses I ever owned and now I am lucky enough to have her back again!
 
I started her as a three year old. Showed her to a few buckles in cow horse classes. Didn’t lover her quite as much as a ranch horse as I did as an arena horse. But she was all around sweet and wonderful.
 
At the time when I was training her I spent a lot of time looking at her profile. She has a beautiful, delicate, an dainty head. I was interested in her whorls, because I’ve always looked at whorls! This was twenty years ago, I didn’t have internet but had read Lind Tellington-Jones and any other articles I could find on whorls and head shape. But I could not figure out her profile.
 
It is slightly dished, mostly straight. Did that mean she was steady? Or did it mean she was sensitive?
 
Looking back it’s a little embarrassing. Why did I think it had to be an either or sort of thing? It seems so simple now. It doesn’t need to be one or the other. Her delicate profile means she is steady and dependable while also being sensitive. These aren’t black and white, yes or no things. A steady dependable horse can also be sensitive. She showed that wonderfully.
 
The same horse at home, in the arena, or wherever you took her, she was trustworthy and solid. She could also drop out from underneath you with just the right trigger. She hated anything crinkly under her nose and left me laying on the ground a few times when things suddenly appeared and touched her front legs. Those same skills were wonderful for cutting a cow, she could stay right with them.
 
Unfortunately, that tendency also made me decide she wasn’t going to be dependable enough for very small children. So when my babies came along I gave Jerry to a good friend who loved her and who would give her a wonderful home. They did wonderfully together.
 
Then my friend had babies of her own and wasn’t able to ride like she used to. She asked if I would like Jerry back. I did the math and realized Jerry must be 24 by now. I said of course! We would love to have her back!
 
And we are. She may have been too much horse for me when my children were babies, but she is perfect for my daughter who is older now but as small and delicate as Jerry is. The sensitivity is still there but so is the steady dependability. Together they are perfect.
 
All the traits we see in a horse’s features are on a sliding scale, a little of this mixed with a little of that. Some seemingly impossible traits fit nicely together to build that complicated mix that is a horse’s temperament.

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.