FREEEEEEEEDOM (part 2)

A wet, drizzly, grey day.

Alexandre getting ready to go down to his new diggs- the 20 acre pasture. Now with reinforced fences.

Jasper's getting ready too. He may be distracted by a bucket of mush, but he is not pawing, digging, or dolphin leaping/kicking while tied. That was for after the mush was eaten. My mom was in charge of watching him and calling me if killed himself while I helped Norm reinforce the fencing a little more.

Norm and Jasper part 2.

Didn't we just break out of this place?

Norm and the herd while J & A look on...

The herd gallops around while J & A trail behind.
Don't wanna get too close, but don't wanna be left too far behind either.

Wheeeeeeeeeeee! Jasper could leave Alexandre in the dust. He's nervous but at the same time really happy everyone's galloping around.

Jasper in the back cantering around and tossing his head every which way while Alexandre's at the very back in his full gallop trying to keep up...

And THIS is what happened twice yesterday. They break away from the herd, switch direction, and charge full speed ahead towards the gate...

Luckily my brave mom stood there and twirled a rope which made them think twice. Success! No broken fences!

With the herd on the other side of the field, it's time to see what there is to eat.

Even on 20 acres, the grass is always greener...

The herd eats and rolls and watches the newcomers.

And all is well.

FREEEEEDOOOOMMMmmmm... woops.

Norm leading Jasper down the hill to the new diggs- the 20 acre field. They're a good match as they both have long legs and like to walk really fast. Alexandre and I moseyed down behind them.

WE'RE FREE! LET'S GO RUN THROUGH THE HOTWIRE GATE!

Hmm. Didn't we just exit this field at high speeds through a wire fence? Why are we back here?

Dude, Jasper, slow down! This us UP hill!

The herd introduces themselves...

Jasper and Alexandre want NOTHING to do with them and destroy the gate (again) and run up the hill back to the barn.

Actually it was Jasper who broke out of the gate. I don't think he even saw it. It's possible he's never been in a hotwire-only enclosure. The first time they broke out they ended up lunging up the side of a cliff and practically toppled over backwards in their efforts to get turned around. At which time Jasper flew over the road and down the other side of the hill, jumping the irrigation pipes and hotwire fence (breaking the top strand) back into the pasture. Then TOTALLY freaked out because Alexandre was waaaay to smart to follow him. Eventually we got them both back in and Norm fixed the gate. They explored and galloped around a bit until the other 6 horses in the field noticed them and EVERYBODY started galloping around. We lost track of everyone and pretty soon it was apparent my boys were not in the herd. Oh, but there they were, leaving a broken gate behind them, galloping up the hill back to the barn. Norm's daughter caught them and we put them back in their little pen for the night. Then we went down and put a strand of thick white hotwire rope along the top of the fenceline they broke through... we're going to try again tomorrow...

Valley Chapel Farms

Alexandre in the arena begging for cookies.

Jasper at the tack room. Note all 4 feet on the ground. Didn't last too long...

View from the round pen.

The valley where they will live once they figure out how to drink from the automatic waterers.

Yesterday the barn owner's daughter offered to show me some of the trails. I saddled Jasper up in the western saddle as he danced around. I got on and he bucked. I looked up the hill and her horse was trotting down full speed to break into a canter at the bottom and went flying past us. She finally got her to circle right before crashing into a bunch of farm equipment. We decided to go on a trail that did not require us to get off and open any gates at that point. As we headed out she asked if my horse cantered. Um, well, yeah- he DOES canter...? Then she told me that her horse has a bad habit of galloping up hills. As she was just riding with a halter I believed her. Oh boy.

The trails are gorgeous. You kind of ride down a trail and into a big field, then onto another trail to another field, repeat. I was completely lost after the 3rd field. I would have loved to take some pictures, but I no longer have access to the ranch camera and it's way too hard to use my phone camera and be in charge of keeping Jasper on the trail at the same time.

We were following them down a trail and I swear in an instant with no warning they disappeared. When she said gallop she meant it- all out flying up the hill. Her little compact Arab mare bolted away gathering speed with each leap. I had to make a lightning quick decision- try to hold him back and fight him all the way up or just let him go. I decided to let him go. It was the fastest I've ever gone with him and I was making deals with God that he wouldn't buck. I could tell when there was a curve or turn on the trail when the mare would disappear from in front of us and I would try to half halt to warn Jasper to gather himself a little. I could tell he was surprised he was allowed to be going this fast and seemed a little unsure of himself, probably the first time he had ever carried someone up a hill at speed!

We survived and decided to go ahead and open the gates to the creek trail. Neither horse wanted anything to do with the water, so she GOT OFF HER HORSE AND LED HER THROUGH. I like this kid. Jasper did NOT want to be left behind and he sidepassed down the bank until he kind of fell in. On the way back, after a lot of encouragement and a lot of time, he went first.

Both horses were lathered in sweat. Jasper's was mostly from being nervous. He did dolphin kicks and pawed while tied to the post outside the tack room while I was unsaddling. He didn't want cookies. He and Alexandre have to live in a pen by the house until they figure out how to press the metal plate down with their noses in the waterer to make the water come out. Alexandre is in heaven with the all you can eat hay, and Jasper is glued to his side but could care less about hay or anything else that would actually put weight on. He's already lost weight and is starting to look sucked up again.

Heading out today to put antibiotics in Al's eye and maybe an easy ride around in the arena on Jasper...

Alexandre & Jasper settling in.

This morning the boys said goodbye to Pam's Paradise. Jasper said bye to Red, his most favorite playmate. I said bye to Mindy Lou, it was fun to see her so often! Alexandre didn't get to say goodbye to anybody because he was such a jerk while he was there.

Pam hooked up her truck to my trailer and we, plus my mom, drove out to Valleyford, WA this morning. Once you get off the highway it is a beautiful drive. Countryside with fall colors, fields, forest, and Hangman Creek. They unloaded well and we put them in the arena where strangely enough, Jasper ran around. Norm, the owner, is really nice and helped us unload stuff from my trailer into the tack room. He asked how many saddles I had and I said 3- the jumping, the dressage, and Alexandre's Aussie- an decided to leave the western in the trailer. I felt a bit guilty with how much space I was taking up with the saddles plus my big trunk plus Jasper's garbage can of supplements. Eek.

They're going to stay in the arena for a couple of days until he finishes making a few new corrals, when a lot of the horses will be re-arranged, and there will be room down in the big pasture for them. The trailer parking is down below next to the big pasture, and Norm showed us where one of the trails starts and GOES THROUGH THE CREEK. Yes! Water crossing! Think it's about a foot or so high right now. In that place anyway, I guess his daughter tried crossing somewhere else last week and her horse ended up in a swimming hole and swum. Literally. Woops. Brrrrrrr.

Unfortunately it looks like Al scraped his eyeball on something this morning and it was weepy and starting to swell. Luckily the vet was willing to sell me a tube of eye antibiotics without a barn call. $8.50 sure beats $100. I went back out this evening and gave him 2 doses. He was VERY good and held quite still. I think he actually realized I was trying to help him this time. That or he just remembered the cookies from last time.

They both seemed happy and content when I went back this evening. The place is way out in the country and is very peaceful. Al got goop in his eye and his forelock braided to the side. Jasper got groomed, his sheet put back on, and his bucket of supplements. When I left they were happily munching hay.

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. This is a long-term solution to my low-income self. You can't beat $150 a month for board. Yay!

Phew...

Valley Chapel Farms

Today I drove out to Valley Chapel Farms in Valleyford, WA. It's about 15 miles from my house, partially on highway. I found them on Craigslist months ago, and wrote down their information because they were advertising board for $150/month, and I thought hmmm, if I ever lost my job I should check this place out. I actually called them when I DID lose my job but they were full. So today in the snow and sleet I made my way out there and checked it out.

Talk about pasture board. The "pasture" is acres and acres and acres taking up the entire valley of this place sectioned off into 4 gigantic pastures that 6 horses are rotated through. They have all-you-can eat low quality grass hay and automatic waterers. Shelters in each pasture. There are smaller pastures and pens as well that are full. Most of the pens have feeders at the top, and they have a pretty steep downhill descent as the paddock area.

I think this place will be perfect for Alexandre. Even though it's all you can eat, the hay is a much, much lower quality than it was at the ranch. Plus winter is here so I don't mind if he gains a few pounds, no blanket for him over winter.

Jasper will LOVE the galloping space. I told the owner that I am concerned that he will lose more weight as he will not get supplements unless I'm out there. He seemed willing to work with me and that we will keep an eye on him and see how he does. There is one paddock by his house Jasper could possibly go in- it it the feeder at the top on a steep muddy hillside though so I don't know. We'll just have to see how everything works out. Right now there's still grass in the pasture, so between that and the hay, supplements when I go out there, and a blanket hopefully he'll be OK.

There is small odd shaped arena, a small round pen, a little barn to keep tack, and TONS of awesome cross country riding! Fields, hills, trails, and even access to Hangman Valley Creek- wouldn't that be awesome? Water training.

Moving this weekend.

Seriously...

- Click here for the funniest movie of the week

Alexandre for Lease..?

What do you DO when you're suddenly unemployed with 2 horses to suddenly take care of? Both my boys have lived at the ranch where I used to work. Unemployment did not take into consideration boarding costs- what were they thinking?

So what do I do? I promised Alexandre I would never sell him. And I won't. We've been together 10 of his 17 years, he's my boy. He likes trail riding. He'll do dressage. He can't jump anymore. Jasper is a 4-year-old OTTB. A dime a dozen. Sell him? He can jump. He has the potential to event. But he's all potential with not much to back it up yet. I have much more of an emotional connection to Alexandre. And my dreams lie upon Jasper's back.

So I have decided (I think) to try to lease Alexandre out on a care lease. I was firm on this decision a few days ago. I made a slideshow of pictures of him. I called the dressage trainers in the area and even put an ad on Craigslist. And Dream Horse. One lady even came out and rode him. She used to game and wants to trail ride. He kind of took off with her but she didn't seem scared. She had a lot of trouble trying to post his trot. I was supposed to look at her place today but I am procrastinating. I guess I'd prefer if he was at a boarding barn and whoever was leasing him was taking lessons... it that unfair? I think HE would prefer to trail ride. Although he prefers me.

I asked Jessica Wisdom (awesome dressage trainer in Yelm, WA) if she would like a working student for a couple of months. She said she's working on it, but they are short on space. I'm considering calling boarding barns tomorrow and asking if I can work off board...