Husband's team in "mugging"

My husband is the little bitty guy who always ends up on the cow's head...

Ranch rodeo last sat

First ranch rodeo with Cash

This past Saturday my husband and I hired a babysitter and went to compete in a ranch rodeo at a covered arena in Clinton.
We drove a little over an hour to get there, and when we first pulled into the driveway, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful the place was. We drove into the metal entry gate, and faced the covered arena on top of a hill overlooking a large rye grass pasture. We were there in the sunny mid-afternoon, but the cold Louisiana humidity mixed with the wind chilled through our clothes.

Inside the arena was colder, but less windy. I had brought Tex and Cash, and we had plenty of time to kill before the rodeo began. First I rode Tex in the new-to-us arena, while not many other people were riding, just in case he decided to act a little goofy. He wasn't sure what to think of the sprinkler, and did his usual of speeding up while headed toward the tie-up area and slowing down when going away from the tie-up area. The second time he did that, I tried to work him HARDER toward the "resting" side of the arena and then let him slow down at the far side of the arena. He seemed to get the idea after doing that about three times.

Only once did we have a small incident- one guy had a horse who seemed a bit out of control to me, and he was trying to "blow off some steam" with that horse before the rodeo. While I was trotting Tex around the arena, at one point I did a smaller circle and that guy came up behind us and nearly blew over me and Tex. It's not the first time we've nearly been run over (it actually happens all the time at roping practice) but Tex didn't seem to appreciate it too much.

Next was Cash's turn. We walked, trotted, and loped around the arena. He's pretty boring on the training side of things- he knows what to do for the most part and he already neck reins. He's not very round, but we're working on that. His trot is nice and smooth as long as he keeps the slower trot. His lope is a bit harder for me to sit than Tex's lope, so that's what I was working on that day- trying to hold myself in the seat of the saddle and stay straight with the horse's body. I still don't do that very well but I think with some bareback riding and maybe even some time in an english saddle, I could learn that.

My women's team didn't do so well- I didn't have my brain screwed on very tightly that night. But, it was fun regardless. "Any time spent in the saddle is not wasted," right?

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Buttons

When our friends came to visit, we had to borrow a couple saddles to cover all the horses' backs. While Josh was gone to get them, Tanis and David and I put my saddle on Tex to let their 2 year old daughter ride for the first time, ad gauge whether or not she would make it through a whole trail ride or not.

First, we led her around on a lead line, and David walked beside her. When she warmed up to the idea, David, an excellent equipment operator but with limited experience at horse riding, hopped onto Tex to let their daughter ride with him.

The first thing David did was try to neck rein, and Tex doesn't do that yet. His response was to back up and move his shoulder over.
Next, David picked up the left rein and (unknowingly) squeezed with his legs toward the back. Tex moved his hips over to the right.
I realized this wasn't working too well for David, so I tried instructing. "Pick up the right rein and push with your left foot to make him turn right." It worked until Tex kept on turning and had made over a 180 degree turn, when David only wanted a 90 degree one.
I began to get amused at the situation, but continued to try to help. Tex was doing every single thing he was asked to do- moving shoulders in when David repositioned and stuck a heel toward his front outside shoulder. Moving hips over when David accidentally pushed with a foot into the rear girth area. Backing when he gathered too much rein. And so on...
Finally (to David's thankfulness, I'm sure) Josh arrived with the other saddles and we had to dismount. But I couldn't help but smile and feel proud. My horse had done everything perfectly.
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Tara Marie Photography
www.taramariephoto.com
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Phone/email: 8:30-5:30 M-F
Shoot/meeting hours: M,W,F 8:30-5:30, Tues,Thurs 7-7:30, Sat 2-5:30 in St Francisville

A successful trail ride.

Las Saturday some friends were in town and we all decided to go on a trail ride. We needed all the horses available, so Tanis ride Cash, David rode old Chief with their daughter, my husband rode Jethro with our 11 month old, and I ended up on Tex with my 2.5 year old girl. I didn't expect it to go very well. In the past on the trail, Tex has been very antsy, nervous, and jumpy. He hates being left behind and does a quick, tail-up, trot to catch up.

However, this was a pretty non-eventful ride, and I ended up thoroughly enjoying myself with my little horse! He pushed off of my leg back and forth on the trail with no problems. He didn't pull on the bit. He kept his head (and tail) down. He only did his nervous trot once.
Here's a picture of everyone else (of course- I'm always the photographer).
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Dehydrating cilantro

I have a LOT of cilantro in my garden! So yesterday, my daughter and I went out and picked a lot of it and I tried out my new (garage sale) dehydrator. It worked! In less than 24 hours I now have fresh-smelling dried cilantro.