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.

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?