Fears, Fun and Rabbits

Do you see this lariat? It looks perfectly normal, right? I mean, I might want to rope a few cows one day! This weekend while on the trail course in the ring, I tried to drag a log while I was riding my brumby with this lariat. And I almost went flying because my brumby, as it turns out, does not like lariats one bit. Or the logs that happened to be tied to them. Now this is no good because no self-respecting farm horse can be afraid of lariats! So this Sunday I worked with Lilly in very tiny baby steps, with Bill's help, to get her used to this tool. First I rode Lilly next to Bill who was carrying the lariat. Then, after some licking and chewing, I carried the lariat while I rode Lilly around the ring. First on the right side and then on the left. She did not like it at all. A few times she wanted to run away, so I had to have my reins super short. My brumby kept her big ole bug eye on the lariat. This kind of de-sensitizing requires time and patience. Around we walked until she started to relax a tiny bit. I had to kept reminding myself to relax too! Then I'd lightly tap it on my leg. Then Bill would take it and put it in my other hand. More walking, more tapping. Then I tried to pass it over Lilly's neck from one hand to the other. Nope, bad idea. Back to walking around. We spent some time on this, and left off on a positive note. But the lariat work is not yet done! We have only just begun. I will give updates later on our progression.


Speaking of progression, QTee's cut is still healing. The new tissue is starting to grow in, making the bloody spot smaller and smaller. This was quite a nasty cut. I wish we knew what caused it. Poor QTee. She does not like being stuck in the hilly pasture with the alpaca and the cow. She would rather be with the other horses, bossing all her minions around.

It is not quite spring here yet. After that snow it felt a little warmish, but now it feels all cold and gross again. I am sure the horses are having no problem with this weather though. There are still big patches of snow that they like to lay down on in the sun. Once Jodie was sleeping so deeply we saw her having sleep twitches! Adorable.


I actually thought this weekend I was not going to be able to ride because we are having the floors in our bedrooms sanded, and preparing for that is so much work. I have to say, my husband did most of the prep work so I could ride Lilly. So sweet of him!


Oh! I almost forgot to show you Bill's new tractor. Or back hoe. Whatever it is called. I am sitting in the cab in this picture, wondering what it would be like to moving giant clumps of earth around.

Here is the view from inside. Maybe with this thing, Bill can create some crazy trail courses with hills and big water crossings! I told Brandon about this thing and the first thing he wanted to do was drive it all over and dig stuff. I have yet to meet a man who does not like big pieces of machinery. It must be some part of man genetic make up. Kind of like the gene that makes men think they do not need a map to navigate a strange city. Well, my man anyway seems to have this gene.


I cannot resist putting in this picture of Gee frolicking (with Monkey) in the yard on Sunday. Gee, if you do not remember, is one of my rabbits. He's an angora, the worst kind of rabbit to have in terms of fur maintenance. This rabbit needs constant care of his wild and fuzzy coat. You see in this picture, he is just like a wall of furry fuzz. This rabbit is so special to me. I have immense love for him. Brandon is allergic to Gee and can't even hold him!

Happy trails to you! Maybe it will get warm this week and all of the real ring work can truly begin!