Worn down hoofs or hooves??

I scheduled a hoof trim for my horses for today at 1:00 pm.  I really like the new farrier I started using at our new place.  He seems honest with lots of great information and really likes horses.

Turns out only Dancer my MFT needed a trim!  Jordon has self trimmed since last NOV. when I had her trimmed last.  Farrier said it was all the gravel riding I have been doing.  Wow!  He showed me her back feet and she is almost down to the sole.  He said I need to stay off the gravel or shoe or boot her backs.

I have boots for her fronts that I use when I know I will be riding gravel, but I didn't think I would need them already.  Since I don't usually trim in January, cuz I don't usually ride in Dec. Jan, Feb. or March, I never really worried about it.  But daauummm, I am blown away.  With all the riding I am planning on doing this year, I am have to change my way of thinking.

Why I love "ponies"

Horses.... or as I call them all whether 18hh drafts or tiny minis....ponies.  I have always called them that much to a friend's dismay.  She says "I don't have a pony I have a horse"  Too true, she rides a gaited horse that is 16.3hh!  But to me he is still a "pony", quotes needed.  My dictionary defines "Pony" (1) term of affection for all members of the equine family.  Comes with "I want a pony" when I was a child.  My sister and I used to have a herd of plastic horses that we played with like dolls.  They had names, houses, schools to go to, friends to play with.  Yes, they did to horsey things too, but they were PEOPLE :-)  

I rode my first horse when I was 12 y/o.  I was in heaven, granted it was a stable horse that even when you kicked it as hard as a short 12 year old girl can do, it would still only go at a walk away from the stable.  Ahhhhh, but going back to the stable was another story, we could get our ponies going at a very bouncy, giggly trot.  Again, heaven :-)  

Alas, high school came and horses took a back burner, then adult life and all that that has to offer.  Fast forward to my late 40's with an 8 y/o daughter who loves ponies.  Got her into the YMCA horse camp where she spent every summer till we moved to Iowa in 2004.  When we decided to move, I told my husband, I would go anywhere as long as I could have a horse!  Notice I said I could have a horse, not my daughter :-)  .  So 7 acres in Iowa and I got my horse.  I haven't looked back since.  I know I am truly Blessed that the past 8 1/2 years I have had the delightful adventure of learning to ride my OWN horse, take care of my OWN horse and make friends with other horse riders.  Truly a joy.

First Winter Ride

This is Jordan and my first time of riding in the snow.  I have had her over 8 years and we never ridden in the snow before.  I have ridden other horses in the snow, but never Jordan.  Mostly because my trailer was always snowed in when we lived in Iowa and my tack was put away in the garage since we didn't have a barn.


Now we live in Nebraska and I can keep my tack close to my horse in my trailer so I will be able to ride in winter now.  I am really looking forward to it.  I love the sound of hoof beats in the snow and as long as I can dress warm it is sure fun.

The trails all look different with all their spring and summer clothes on.  Funny humans put more clothes on as the trees and bushes take theirs off :-)

First of many steps

I am a member of the Horsetales email list and horsetrailriders.com facebook group and this was our first "photo challange" of 2013.  To take a picture of our boots to start the year.

So.....

This is my foot, my foot in my boot, my foot in my boot going out my door.  It will be followed by my other foot in my other boot.  Both feet and boots will take many, many steps every morning and night and lots of afternoons, to take care of and feed my two horses Jordan and Dancer.  For 12 months, or 52 weeks, or 365 days of year 2013 I will walk out to my barn and pastures to be with my horses.

I wonder how many times I will walk down our gravel driveway to the barn.  It's not a long driveway, but long enough to do a little thinking.  After the snow on New Year's Eve when I walked out to the barn I saw fresh cat prints and wondered where that kitty was going to sleep for the night.  I know it isn't one of my cats cuz they are all tucked in for the night.  So I followed the prints padding along the drive...down into the culvert....out of the culvert and out to where my truck is parked.  The paw prints stopped under my truck, I looked under the truck for him and didn't see anything but the prints so I figured he was up under my truck.  Sure hope he is gone by the time i need to drive anywhere.

See.... things to think about during the walk out to the barn.