Watchful Guard

The gentle mother horse sees
Her very first baby in the hay,
Dreaming about his adventures
After an exciting first day.
Rays of sunshine keep him warm
And his breath is soft and low.
The rustling of leaves is soothing
As a gentle wind does blow.
His long lean legs tucked under him,
He is surely tuckered out,
For this day was a wondrous one
Of walking and running about.
As little ones are prone to do
This baby is sleeping hard,
While mother stands above him
Keeping her watchful guard.
- Joy Padgett

Ride 'em cowgirls!

What better fun can a group of girls have than riding horses together on a hot summer day! Josey, her cousin and a friend are just doing what comes naturally to the cowgirl...riding! Even if they don't have their jeans and boots on, these girls are tough enough to handle it! With three great horses, these girls could ride all day long if they wanted too. What a great memory to share with others.

A Look Back

Here are some photos from 3 1/2 years ago when Spur was just a couple days old. Star was such a great mom! She took great care of Spur and when we needed to work with him, she was very trusting and didn't worry. Spur was Star's first baby and she delivered him without or help and without any problems. We could not have asked for a better mare or a prettier baby.

More Horse Show 1 photos

Our First Horse Show

Last year, we heard about a horse show for all horses, registered or not, to be held in Waddy, KY. We decided to check it out one month and participate the next month.

Josey rode Boomerang, Brian rode Zip and I rode Moon Man in the very first class we all qualified for. Josey and Boomerang came in 1st! She got a trophy, a ribbon and a 50lb. bag of feed. Moon Man got a 4th place ribbon in that class.

Josey went on to participate in 3 other classes and got 3 more ribbons. Moon Man was in two more classes and got one more ribbon.

We enjoyed showing our trail horses and meeting other who had trail horses, too. It was something different to do with the horses and Boom especially enjoyed showing off. Even Brian got bitten by the show bug and enjoyed watching from atop Zip.

There were a lot of really nice, smooth-gaited horses there as well as some very nice quarter horses and ponies. The show was still going when we pulled out around 11pm. It was fun!

Up We Go!

Moon Man is the second horse I trained all by myself. His fiery personality matches my own as does his sense of adventure. Being such, I decided to train him to rear up....just like Heigh-Ho Silver, the Lone Ranger's horse. And I did as you can see!

Heigh-Ho Moon Man and Away!

Riding at Shakertown 1

Over the years, we have done some trail riding at Shakertown. The trails there are suitable for conditioning and have a variety of terrain from wooded areas, to rolling pastures, to creek crossings. Since we have gaited horses, we can cover the entire area in a day's worth of riding. We don't live very far away, so it is convenient, too.

We have taken green-broke horses there for training and have taken our main trail horses there in the early Spring for conditioning. We have also taken novice riders with us since it is very well-suited for people who want to try their hand at riding, but aren't experienced enough to handle extreme trails.

Enjoy the photos!

Introducing Max!

Let me tell you the story of how Max came to live with us. My husband and his dad attended the Tattersall's sale a couple of years ago when the horse industry first began to crumble. Horses (and I mean really nice ones) were selling for no more than $2500 (we used to sell this quality for $5000). One horse in particular caught the eyes of every living soul in the place...a big, smooth-gaited walking mule. This mule just strolled down the aisle as the bidding kept going ever higher. When it reached its peak ($8500), the seller passed him out and said it would take more to buy his mule. He sold him outside for nearly $10,000.

Pop was hooked. he had to have a young gaited mule to train and sell for the big bucks. Enter Max. Max was just born, but his owner's knew they had to sell him. Pop bought him and brought him to us.

Flash forward 2 years and Max is the biggest horse on the farm standing at 15.2 hands (62 inches at the top of his shoulder) and growing. With ears that are over a foot long and a head that is simply gigantic, Max is impressive. He is very sweet, but is sour on Spur who has been his pasture mate since he was weaned from his mother.

The fence in the Max's picture has a top strand at about 4 feet high, so you can get a feel for just how big this mule is. Keep in mind that he is even bigger than he was in the picture.

Max is for sale, but if the Good Lord decides to leave him in our care until the spring, we will begin some intensive training with him. I'm not sure what God was thinking when he created a mule of Max's stature, but I sure wouldn't mind finding out.

Introducing Tonka!

Now here's a great story. A friend stopped me on my way home and asked if my husband and I would be interested in a free horse. Of course, when you hear someone has a horse to give away, you immediately begin to wonder what's wrong with the horse and what condition is he in. She gave us some information and, strictly based on the horse's color...strawberry roan, we called the woman who had him.

We made plans to see him and decided to take the horse trailer along. We weren't expecting to see much of a horse, but when she brought Gorgeous George up to us, we were pleasantly surprised. Here stood a beautiful strawberry roan gelding with a flowing blond mane and tail. He was well behaved, but the woman said she didn't ride anymore, her son was not into walking horses and the son's girlfriend was into showing miniature horses. They didn't want him going to waste and being unused, so they were looking for a good home for him.

DEAL! We loaded George into the trailer and took him home with us. We always re-name horses when we get them, so we decided to call him Tonka...then Tonka Tough...then I'm Tonka Tough. We call him Tonk, but hope to either sell him or try him at shows and on trails. We will probably get him registered with the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse association if we keep him.

His mane is 2 feet long at it's longest section and his tail is blond with a strawberry streak in it.

When we first tested him out as far as riding goes, I put one foot in the stirrup and knew I wouldn't even get in the saddle. When I hopped up in the stirrup, Tonka spun around wildly and I just stood on the ground out of harm's way. My husband put up the round pen and we started him off on his training more slowly. After acclimating him to the saddle and the sounds it made, I set off to lay over his back. Once I was across the saddle he began a series of short, half-baked bucks. When my husband grew tired of holding on to him, he told me to bail off. I did this twice, both times landing on my back and jarring my neck out of place (and yes, I had to go to the chiropractor to get it fixed, but I waited a couple of months before I went...dumb, huh). BUT, since I am a serious rider, I once again laid across his back and Tonka finally decided it wasn't so bad having a rider. His training has gone smoothly ever since.

Unfortunately, we may have to sell Tonka, but I trust God will reveal His plan to us in His own time. After all, Tonka is simply on loan from his Creator.

Introducing Snow Rabbit!

Snow Rabbit is the only mare we have at this time and she has been bred to Spur. Her first baby is due near the end of March and we are hoping for a colorful colt!

Snow Rabbit is a medicine hat, blue roan spotted American Gaited pony. She is the most talkative horse we have and she never fails to whinny when we come outside. Although she prefers to stay outside, she is eager to come into the barn and out of the wind for a couple of days every now and then. She is very sweet and comes running when she is called out in the field.

She doesn't like us to mess with her face too much, but we don't know why. We need to work with her on that. She is not trained for riding yet, but I did get one her back to see what she would do. She did nothing! She wouldn't even move! It was the weirdest thing I have ever experienced with a horse before. Even with some gentle kicks, she wouldn't budge. My husband got out one of our other horses to see if she would be persuaded to follow him, and finally, she walked around a little. I haven't been back on her since because we wanted to breed her.

I find myself dreaming about what he baby will look like and I pray God will make him colorful and gaited like his daddy. Maybe when I get to Heaven, God will give me the task of painting all the horses. That would be great fun!

Introducing Spur!

Spur is the first horse born to us and his is a truly interesting story. A horse dealer friend knew I have an affinity for white horses. He found a small white pony mare that a vet wanted to sell. We bought her cheap and hoped to breed her at some time and raise a baby from her. Oh, about 5 months after we bought Star, Brian said he thought she was pregnant. I couldn't believe it, but several weeks later, I was brushing her thoroughly and felt the kick of little hooves pushing through her side.

Brian took Star to the vet and they said she was due anywhere in the next 6 weeks. Brian and I checked on Star every night and when showed some signs that she could deliver, we'd pull the horse trailer down next to the barn and sleep in it.

It seemed like Star would never have her baby and one night, after returning home from the Woodford County Fair at midnight, I ran down to the barn to check on Star and she wasn't exhibiting any signs of delivery, so I told her I wouldn't be back at 2am or 4am or 6am to check on her that night.

Brian got up the next day, Father's Day, and started mowing the side yard. When he realized Star hadn't stuck her head out of her stall, he thought he should check on her. Imagine his surprise when he reached her stall to find along-legged, stunning blue roan colt standing next her!

His name is Star's Silver Spur and we call him Spur. He is absolutely gorgeous! His training is coming along very well and we are working on getting his head set correctly. His gait is unbelievable and the speed of his gait is increasing. We have had to refuse to price him to people who want to buy him just on his looks alone (must be nice to be so pretty!). He changes color in the late winter and his coat turns silvery as you can see in his pics above.

God gave us one of the best surprises we could have ever hoped for in this stunning colt. It is as if God himself hand-picked Spur for us and we could never thank Him enough.

Introducing Zip!

Zip is a registered Tennessee Walking horse. His registered name is I'm Triple Trouble, but we call him Zip. He is a beautiful and talented blue roan who seems to like mixing things up a bit by turning strawberry roan in patches.

We bought Zip when he was turning 2 years old because he matched another almost 2 year old horse we had. We put him in the barn with the matching horse. My step-daughter came out and I told her we were going to call him Zip. She asked why we were going to change Spur's name to Zip. When she realized she didn't know this horse, she couldn't believe how closely matched he was to Spur.

Zip was trained completely by my husband, Brian. Zip learned very quickly and seemed eager to please. He is Brian's main trail horse and he has been showing him a little, too.

Zip loves to lay his ears back ( a sign of aggression) when we go to feed him or mess with him, but he's all bark and no bite. He will trail ride alone, or with a group and his gait has been getting steadily better and faster.

God never ceases to amaze me in how He chooses which horses will come into our herd. I hope and pray that He will allow us to keep and provide for the horses we have now, but, since they are on loan from Him, we can only enjoy them for as long as He allows.

Introducing Moon Man!

El Diablo Blanco! Just kidding. Moon Man may seem crazy to some, but to me, he is perfect. He is just the way I like 'em...fiery!

Moon Man came into my life when he was 6 months old. He is now 12. He has one blue eye and one brown eye and a mane that just won't stay down! I think it makes him look wild and it seems to fit his personality.

Moon is NOT patient by any stretch of the imagination. He paws the ground and digs holes if you stop working with him, ask him to stand still when the trail is still stretching out in front of him, or when he thinks the other horses are leaving him tied in the barn.

However, despite these minor flaws, Moon has a BIG heart and the stamina to go with it. He will carry me down the trail all day long (and I'm talking 8 hours at a time here) and rarely shows that he is getting tired. Even my husband (who never really liked him) has been impressed with his ability on the trails. Moon has even gotten a ribbon in a horse show, even though he much more of a trail horse.

Moon has a gait to die for! He is smooth as silk as he skates across the ground. You don't get much smoother than this little guy. He is an American Gaited pony, standing only 14.2 hands tall (which is 58 inches tall at the top of the withers for those unfamiliar with this). He is my main trail man.

When he was much younger, I taught him how to back up and then how to rear up on command. It is fun! It seemed to play into his fiery personality and he WILL rear up if you upset him on the trail. That suits me just fine!

Moon used to wrestle with the other horses in the herd. He could actually take them completely to the ground! It was amazing and funny at the same time!

God knew exactly what He was doing when he brough Moon Man across my path. We are quite a pair!

Introducing Boomerang!

I figured it would be fitting to introduce the horses we have in our little herd. I think I'll start with the oldest horse...Boomerang.

Boomerang is 13 years old. He is a Kentucky Mountain Saddle horse, but we haven't had him regiestered yet. I have known him since he was 4 days old. My friend bought him at an auction. He was not expecting to buy anything at that particular auction, but just couldn't pass up this wonderful little foal. He just happened to have driven his min-van and loaded Boomerang into the middle, since the middle seat had been taken out early that day. Imagine the stares and all the passersby pointing at the min-van carrying a live horse inside of it!

Boomerang was born a palomino (which is a blond color for those unfamiliar), but he turned from that to a medium cholcate color and then settled on dapple grey. As he aged, Boom began to turn more and more white. he is almost white now, but has kept his darker mane and what little black and grey he had in his tail.

Boom has been ridden by my step-daughter, Josey, for 10 years and on her 14th birthday, he was passed from me to her. She shows him in Waddy, Mt. Eden and Harrodsburg, KY and usually wins a ribbon in every class she's in. Boom likes to show off and he puffs up proud for the shows. He won first place in the first class he was ever in and Josey was hooked on showing at that point.

Boom has given people back their confidence in riding after accidents. One friend has been thrown off her horse twice and she was ready to sell her farm and move back to town. She rode Bom one time, and saw that not all horses were hard to get along with. She still rides today and has a small herd of her own.

Another friend was thrown by her horse and broke her tail bone. She was finished with riding becasue of the injury and the fact that she was egtting odler and thought maybe she should give it up. She rode Boom and changed her mind. He stayed with her for a few weeks until we could find her a horse she could trust...just like Boom.

God created such a creature with a purpose and Boom has fulfilled that purpose many, many times. He has helped boost many a young child's confidence by doing what he was supposed to do when the child wasn't sure what to do. He has given people their self-esteem and joy back and has found a special place on all our hearts. Thank God for creating such a magnificent horse!

The Winter Season is Upon Us

Well, those who know me best will know I do not like winter weather. I don't like the cold at all and hope to one day move to warmer climates.

That being said, I have been trying to help out more with the care of our horses during the cold winter months. My husband, Brian, does most of it during the winter and I am much more eager to tend to the horses during the warmer months of the year. As long as I put on my long John's, a wool sweater, my Carhartt coveralls, my Carhartt coat and a sock hat, I'm good to go!

With one large stall, for the absolutely HUGE Max Mule, and 4 average size stalls, Brian has been keeping 3 or 4 horses up while the others are left outside. We do rotate them around so they can all get out of the weather a little bit.

Snow Rabbit is our most talkative horse and she is due to deliver a foal in late March or early April (if we don't sell her before then). She decided she wanted to come in for the night last night, so Brian and I took her and Spur (her baby's daddy) into the barn for the night, gave them some grain, some hay and some water and bedded them down for the night.

Max, Zip and Tonka got to stay up last night, too. Tonka prefers to stay outside, I think, but he didn't get to go out until this morning.

Boomerang and Moon Man, who are both fat and sassy, get to stay out more often since they have bulked up well for the colder temperatures. They both love to roll in the mud and, of course, they are both white and almost white in color. Boogers.

It will be like this for the next several months, but I'm not looking forward to it. However, I do thank God for blessing us with such wonderful animals.

Cowboy Up, Cowgirl Up

Howdy folks! Welcome to our new blog! We'll be talking about our horses and all the adventures we have with them. This is my very first blog (I know, I'm way behind technologically), but I've been real busy riding and such.