Well, I might as well write this now...I had pictures but my son accidentally reset my phone and I lost almost all of my pictures. I was hoping I would be able to get back some of the downloaded pictures from my phone but no such luck. :(
Zoe went to fair a couple weeks ago and did pretty well! T entered her into a lot of different shows and they ended up with two 5th places; one in bareback hunter under saddle, and one in western pleasure.
T was thrilled at how cool and calm she was while in the arena. She said that towards the end she was tired and was starting to act up, but T was extremely happy with Zoe. And so am I! They have come such a long ways in a short time - T has been a patient, gentle and firm partner with Zoe and it really shows!
There is more to write about in regards to the show but without pictures, I'm having a hard time remembering everything...
On the Gunner front, he's been doing good for T's dad. They are having a hard time finding a good saddle fit for him but Gunner is dealing with it fine for now. T's dad took Gunner out for several trail rides and Gunner has been a champ about it! I don't think he's ever been trail riding before, and I told him that, so I wasn't sure how he would do...he was bred for reining and broke for roping so trail riding never fit into his schedule...lol But while out on the trail there were some turkeys roosting up in the trees that flew down right next to Gunner and he didn't even flinch, the other horses did but not him! Also, someone shot a gun not too far away and he only looked in the direction - no spook though! T's dad told me that Gunner is having serious buddy sourness though, which I find odd. He wasn't ever buddy sour at our house and I don't recall him having issues while at brother-in-law's house either. Maybe our interpretations of being buddy sour are much different.... T's dad also took Gunner out for a run last week and really opened him up and was impressed with how fast he was! We really had no idea he had it in him...
Anyways, I think that if we can come to an agreement on the price then he might have a new home. Again, if he comes home we won't be a bit sad...
I have more to update on Melody but I will save that for another day...
Until next time,
Lynell
Showing posts with label Good Bye. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Good Bye. Show all posts
Monday, July 27, 2015
Monday, June 29, 2015
Gunner & Zoe Reunited Again
I'm sure it's of no surprise that Gunner is now at Zoe's new home! They are going to try him out for 60 days and decide after that if he is going to work or not. My feelings won't be hurt if he doesn't work out and has to come home because...
Middle daughter and Gunner have been doing GREAT together!! Honestly, I was going back and forth on whether or not to go through with this possible sale but ultimately decided to do what I said I would do and bring him to Zoe's new family.
Sunday, as we were getting ready to load Gunner, Hubby was checking the fluids in our truck when he noticed he was low on brake fluid. He had some in the garage so he refilled it only to find it leaking near one of the rear tires. FANTASTIC. So he pulled the truck out from under the trailer and got the mini-semi. Once he had it hooked up, he noticed one of the trailer tires was low so he backed the trailer up to the garage and put more air in the tire. We had planned on leaving at 2pm but by now it was 3 pm. May not seem like much or a big deal but I'm the kind of person that HATES being late so this kind of stuff really gets my feathers ruffled....
Middle daughter got Gunner loaded up (he's super easy) and away we went. We found their house very easily - very nice, clean and safe environment for the horses. I was very pleased!
Gunner unloaded like a good boy and, surprisingly, was very chill. T's dad came to take a look at Gunner, I could see the excitement all over his face! I gave him the lead rope and he took Gunner for a walk.
While he was gone, T got Zoe out for me to visit with. She looks GREAT!! T has been riding Zoe everyday since she brought her home, which is exactly what Zoe needs and wants! It was funny hearing her tell me stories of their ups and downs - so similar to mine! We laughed about that.
T's dad turned Gunner out in their back pasture so I led Zoe over to "meet" him again. They nosed up did a little talking and then got down to the serious business of eating. It was good seeing them together again and I couldn't be happier with the home that they will have!
T and her family adore Zoe and her antics! They found out that she's very affectionate and sensitive, fast and powerful, and oh so beautiful! They said they've already had a few people offer to buy her - we told them we used to get that too. She's just one of those horses that stands out in a crowd!
Until next time,
Lynell
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Zoe Update
Sorry for the poor picture quality...the pictures are cell phone pics sent from Zoe's new family...
Zoe is doing very well - in fact, T plans to show Zoe at the end of the month and again in July. Yay! T will be showing Zoe in SMS and hunt seat. If all goes well, she will also be entering her in Western Pleasure! Whaaa??? Yes, Western Pleasure! I know she has a cute jog...but getting her to do it consistently was difficult. Must be having progress in that department! Also, her lope was a strong, powerful lope - definintely not a WP lope but maybe she was able to tame it down some...we'll see! I was also blown away by the fact that she's going into hunt seat! My little roper/foundation APHA is going to try hunt seat!! WOW! I'm so excited to see her show in a few weeks!!!!!!! I will take lots of pictures...promise!
Not so good news is that T took Zoe out in a large field and tried running her the other day. Too much stimulation for Zoe because she started bucking and T fell off. T's dad said that T was ok, just a little sore. He said her pride was more bruised than anything else and he laughed like crazy! lol
Overall, they still absolutely love her and all fight over her. They all want her for themselves but T said that she's a keeper! I am OVERJOYED! I really feel like I made the best decision for Zoe...even though it was so hard...still kinda is. Does that ever go away?
Until next time,
Lynell
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Saying Goodbye
Saturday morning I got up early. I had set my alarm for 7 am but my mind was with Zoe and I got up at 5:30 am instead. I made my coffee, got dressed and headed out to the barn. I checked all the calves (we have several right now) and made my way to Zoe. She gave me a little nicker, God I love this horse!
I decided to feed and water everyone - it was early but I was sure they wouldn't mind! I also decided to take Zoe out and feed her separately in the round pen. That way I could get some much needed one-on-one time before she left.
As she was eating, I groomed her. If it would've been a little warmer I would've given her a bath too (still only 50 degrees in the morning). She loves to be groomed and stopped eating in order to fully enjoy her brushing!
I let her finish her breakfast and got my own breakfast. But I wasn't hungry, my stomach was in knots...but I ate anyways.
I went back out to see Zoe and decided to go for one last walk together. We just went down the road for a bit but it was so nice. She was so good!
My husband took this last picture. My mom saw it and said it said so many words...
Zoe's new family arrived just after 9am. They showed up in a nice truck and trailer, and thanked me profusely for the opportunity to buy Zoe. It was the mom, dad and daughter who came to pick up Zoe. The daughter is 16 years old and very nice. We'll call her T. I really liked talking with all of them - good people! They asked if T could ride Zoe to see if she had any questions right away. Of course I agreed!
I got Zoe saddled up - which, if you can remember doesn't always go well for Zoe. She stood like a good girl while being saddled up. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't "hard tie" her this time or what but it went really good. She didn't want to put the bit in her mouth, which is unlike her. I know she's due for her teeth so that's probably what she was telling me.
I showed T how I round pen her first before getting on so I can see where her mind is. Zoe did really good again and didn't need much of a warm up. I told T that Zoe will mirror whatever emotions she's having so if she's nervous, Zoe will be nervous. If she's calm and confident Zoe will be too. T got on carefully, asking if Zoe gets upset about mounting because she'd been thrown off many times by a horse she was testing out (before Zoe). I told her no, Zoe was fine about mounting.
She started walking and they were getting the feel of each other. She made the comment on how Zoe really seemed to tune into her right away - which I've always noticed too! She asked how I got her to drop her head into a headset and what the command for back was. I told her and also told T that Zoe needs verbal confirmation that she's doing good. Zoe responds when she's told she's good, rather than just a release of some kind. After those quick instructions, T rode Zoe walk-trot (the round pen had a slick spot,so no cantering) and really got a good feel for her. T is a great rider! They did so well together!
T thanked me again for Zoe. While I was talking with T in the round pen, hubby was talking to T's parents about their own horses. The dad was trying to sell his horse because his gelding acted like a stallion and he couldn't take him trail riding - which is what he loved to do. He asked about Gunner and so we took Gunner out for him to look at. Brother-in-law hasn't been in contact with us about Gunner, so parents-in-law said to sell him (they are half owners) if we could. I'm still on the fence about that... Anyways, the dad rode Gunner for a bit. Gunner did good for him but the dad said he had to sell his own horse before he could bring another one home because he was only set up for 4 horses. He said he would give me a call once his gelding sold.
T loaded Zoe up in the trailer and we all shook hands. I said goodbye to Zoe, one last time, and they were off. I admit...I cried a good amount as they were driving away. I feel good about Zoe's new home but it still hurts to say goodbye.
We found each other on facebook so I can stay in touch with T and Zoe's progress. She invited me to come see Zoe any time and that she would let me know when they have their shows so I can watch. She's on her school's equestrian team and 4H so she's going to be busy with Zoe - which is great!!
I texted them a few hours later to see how the trip home went and how Zoe was once they got home. The dad said the trip home and unloading went great! All three of his daughters thoroughly groomed Zoe and that Zoe was taking a nap in the sun in the round pen (her transitional pen). Looks like she settled in nicely!
Another chapter in my life closes as a new one starts for Zoe!
Until next time,
Lynell
I decided to feed and water everyone - it was early but I was sure they wouldn't mind! I also decided to take Zoe out and feed her separately in the round pen. That way I could get some much needed one-on-one time before she left.
As she was eating, I groomed her. If it would've been a little warmer I would've given her a bath too (still only 50 degrees in the morning). She loves to be groomed and stopped eating in order to fully enjoy her brushing!
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| "Why did you stop brushing?" |
I let her finish her breakfast and got my own breakfast. But I wasn't hungry, my stomach was in knots...but I ate anyways.
I went back out to see Zoe and decided to go for one last walk together. We just went down the road for a bit but it was so nice. She was so good!
My husband took this last picture. My mom saw it and said it said so many words...
Zoe's new family arrived just after 9am. They showed up in a nice truck and trailer, and thanked me profusely for the opportunity to buy Zoe. It was the mom, dad and daughter who came to pick up Zoe. The daughter is 16 years old and very nice. We'll call her T. I really liked talking with all of them - good people! They asked if T could ride Zoe to see if she had any questions right away. Of course I agreed!
I got Zoe saddled up - which, if you can remember doesn't always go well for Zoe. She stood like a good girl while being saddled up. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't "hard tie" her this time or what but it went really good. She didn't want to put the bit in her mouth, which is unlike her. I know she's due for her teeth so that's probably what she was telling me.
I showed T how I round pen her first before getting on so I can see where her mind is. Zoe did really good again and didn't need much of a warm up. I told T that Zoe will mirror whatever emotions she's having so if she's nervous, Zoe will be nervous. If she's calm and confident Zoe will be too. T got on carefully, asking if Zoe gets upset about mounting because she'd been thrown off many times by a horse she was testing out (before Zoe). I told her no, Zoe was fine about mounting.
She started walking and they were getting the feel of each other. She made the comment on how Zoe really seemed to tune into her right away - which I've always noticed too! She asked how I got her to drop her head into a headset and what the command for back was. I told her and also told T that Zoe needs verbal confirmation that she's doing good. Zoe responds when she's told she's good, rather than just a release of some kind. After those quick instructions, T rode Zoe walk-trot (the round pen had a slick spot,so no cantering) and really got a good feel for her. T is a great rider! They did so well together!
T thanked me again for Zoe. While I was talking with T in the round pen, hubby was talking to T's parents about their own horses. The dad was trying to sell his horse because his gelding acted like a stallion and he couldn't take him trail riding - which is what he loved to do. He asked about Gunner and so we took Gunner out for him to look at. Brother-in-law hasn't been in contact with us about Gunner, so parents-in-law said to sell him (they are half owners) if we could. I'm still on the fence about that... Anyways, the dad rode Gunner for a bit. Gunner did good for him but the dad said he had to sell his own horse before he could bring another one home because he was only set up for 4 horses. He said he would give me a call once his gelding sold.
T loaded Zoe up in the trailer and we all shook hands. I said goodbye to Zoe, one last time, and they were off. I admit...I cried a good amount as they were driving away. I feel good about Zoe's new home but it still hurts to say goodbye.
We found each other on facebook so I can stay in touch with T and Zoe's progress. She invited me to come see Zoe any time and that she would let me know when they have their shows so I can watch. She's on her school's equestrian team and 4H so she's going to be busy with Zoe - which is great!!
I texted them a few hours later to see how the trip home went and how Zoe was once they got home. The dad said the trip home and unloading went great! All three of his daughters thoroughly groomed Zoe and that Zoe was taking a nap in the sun in the round pen (her transitional pen). Looks like she settled in nicely!
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Until next time,
Lynell
Friday, April 17, 2015
A Fork in the Road
I don't even know how to start this...
Tomorrow Zoe will be moving to her new home with her new family. It KILLS me to sell her, she was supposed to be my forever horse! But the direction my life is going right now will prevent me from continuing her training like she needs, like she wants! This decision has been weighing in my mind for a while now. I need to do what's right for Zoe and stop wasting her by not having the time to ride and work with her consistently. The guilt is overwhelming!! Even as I type this I'm having a hard time accepting it. Zoe was supposed to be with me forever - until the end. My heart is broken.
The family I have chosen for Zoe has 4 other horses. Their lives revolve around their horses and they are so excited to have Zoe join their family...their family are the key words here. She will have a forever home with them! They plan to use her for all kinds of events in western and possibly dabble in english, depending on how Zoe does.
The father of the family found out about Zoe through my trainer. He explained to me that they were putting their daughter's horse down because they were no longer able to manage the pain for their horse (severe arthritis) so they have been looking for a new horse for quite some time. When my trainer told him Zoe was for sale he called me and begged me to let him buy her. They knew Zoe from when she was in training and absolutely loved her! I told him I had someone else coming that night to ride her and from the sounds of things would probably buy her so I was sorry. He was persistent and even offered to buy her for more than what I was asking!
I called my trainer to get an idea of what this family was all about. To me, the right fit was more important than the money - or even who had first "dibs" on her, so I had to at least think about it. My trainer had nothing but great things to say about this family and so I did it.
I sold her to them.
His daughter asked if she could call me about Zoe if she has any questions or maybe come out and help her! I told her I would absolutely love that! I'm excited for Zoe - for her future with this family. It feels right, it hurts but I'm at peace.
I don't usually get comments on here so I don't know if anyone really reads this or not but I will leave this blog up for a while but then probably shut it down. Maybe I will start one for Melody or a general one for the farm. We'll see.
Until next time,
Lynell
Tomorrow Zoe will be moving to her new home with her new family. It KILLS me to sell her, she was supposed to be my forever horse! But the direction my life is going right now will prevent me from continuing her training like she needs, like she wants! This decision has been weighing in my mind for a while now. I need to do what's right for Zoe and stop wasting her by not having the time to ride and work with her consistently. The guilt is overwhelming!! Even as I type this I'm having a hard time accepting it. Zoe was supposed to be with me forever - until the end. My heart is broken.
The family I have chosen for Zoe has 4 other horses. Their lives revolve around their horses and they are so excited to have Zoe join their family...their family are the key words here. She will have a forever home with them! They plan to use her for all kinds of events in western and possibly dabble in english, depending on how Zoe does.
The father of the family found out about Zoe through my trainer. He explained to me that they were putting their daughter's horse down because they were no longer able to manage the pain for their horse (severe arthritis) so they have been looking for a new horse for quite some time. When my trainer told him Zoe was for sale he called me and begged me to let him buy her. They knew Zoe from when she was in training and absolutely loved her! I told him I had someone else coming that night to ride her and from the sounds of things would probably buy her so I was sorry. He was persistent and even offered to buy her for more than what I was asking!
I called my trainer to get an idea of what this family was all about. To me, the right fit was more important than the money - or even who had first "dibs" on her, so I had to at least think about it. My trainer had nothing but great things to say about this family and so I did it.
I sold her to them.
His daughter asked if she could call me about Zoe if she has any questions or maybe come out and help her! I told her I would absolutely love that! I'm excited for Zoe - for her future with this family. It feels right, it hurts but I'm at peace.
I don't usually get comments on here so I don't know if anyone really reads this or not but I will leave this blog up for a while but then probably shut it down. Maybe I will start one for Melody or a general one for the farm. We'll see.
Until next time,
Lynell
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