Feeling Your Body Freeze Means You Are Alive!

December 4, 2010Posted inVelvet
I'm getting old enough now to really appreciate being alive and being able to ride. Here's Velvet and I riding in front of Jazz and Hope.  I heard Hope talking and knew she was filming! Velvet and facing into a freezing gusty wind today, Boy Howdy...full alert life up on that one!  Having my body parts freeze today was a good reminder of being alive.  I suppose my feet froze last year, but I don't remember that feeling.  I suppose my thighs froze last year, but I don't remember that feeling…

Nova’s Notebook – Trail Riding is on Trails

November 28, 2010Posted inNOVA, Velvet
My friend Ken loves to rode.  He is a rider. That's the highest compliment I can bestow on a person. Hope on Velvet and I on Nova decided to double grace Ken's life and let him ride with us at Lake Perry again.  My last post was a statement of the rules.  Let me repeat my rules: Two hours Flat places for going fast This ride Ken followed the rules.  He found long stretches of flat land for us to go fast.  Ah...sigh... Then he lead us into the forest where…

Trail Rules – Everyone has rules!

November 20, 2010Posted inNOVA, Velvet
Ken, Hope and I rode a small portion of Lake Perry. Kansas, trails today.  I gave Ken my rules about trail riding.  It's gotta be 2 hours, It's got to be in the high 40's and There's gotta be flat land on which to go fast. He had great success with rules one and two.  We didn't have much flat land upon which to go fast. Oh well.  Other than the last part where we couldn't find a trail back to our trailers and we were lost for seemingly, hours - It was…

Friday thru Monday Happiness

November 15, 2010Posted inNOVA, Powder, Velvet
Just singing my happiness living my life with horses. Friday was wonderful.  Powder came home from her 30 days of training with Tony and Jennifer Vaught.  It was good to have her back in the pasture again.  Powder and Velvet had never met.  Powder didn't move fast enough to suit Velvet, so Powder lost some hair. She's very aware of Velvet now. Friday was lesson night.  I have my winter goals for  with Nova.  We are to trail walk with head down until she is really relaxed.  You remember that…

Velvet’s Trail Ride Journey

November 7, 2010Posted inVelvet
  Two days of trail riding with bow hunters in the same park.  Are we horse riders crazy?  Yes, absolutely, without a doubt. Saturday, I rode Velvet alone in the park. We were destroyed by a run-away quivering cameo tent.  Yes, one of those little tents that practically erects its self was tethered to brush besides the trail.  It quivered in the wind.  We were rescued by another rider who rides in the park for 3-5 hours three times a week.  His mare is bomb proof.  So, we rode together on the…

Nova’s Notebook – Trailride with Velvet and Nathan

October 30, 2010Posted inNOVA, Velvet
It's not often that I get to go trail riding with my son.  For a long long time early in my beginning adult riderhood, I realized that I didn't have a safe horse for a beginner to ride.  I now think I underestimated Nathan's riding ability, but you just never know. So, I have been-there-done -that horses now and safe for my son to ride!Nathan came out to James A Reed and rode with Hope and I. Velvet and Nathan led the way around the park.  Occasionally Velvet and Nathan…