Amy Jo came down to ride and brought two Barefoot Cheyenne saddles that she got recently. The brown saddle is a size 1 with VPS. The black saddle is a size 2, older and without VPS. I had heard about the Vertebrae Protection System, but didn’t quite understand what the difference really was. Looking at these two saddles and handling them made it very obvious. The black saddle was quite floppy. I could fold the cantle up the pommel easily, while the brown saddle had much more body to it.

Along with the saddles, Amy Jo also had 3 different Skito pads, hard and soft cantle inserts and 3 sizes of hard pommel inserts and a soft pommel insert. After trying a couple of pommels on Lily bare, I chose the medium width (pictured), as it gave her the best wither clearance. I wanted to try this before going to the soft pommel. The Barefoot London that I had tried previously had the soft pommel and it felt really wide to me. I used a Skito with wool felt bottom, 1/2″ firm foam with another layer laminated on. I also swapped out the fiberglass cantle for a soft foam one.

Amy Jo rode Vinnie in the brown size 1. It looked great on him and he went just fine. He has let me know right away when he didn’t like the feel of a new saddle in the past.

We took off to Pisgah and rode for 3.5 hours, mostly walking, but we also trotted and cantered and did some hills. Being young, Vinnie got tired doing hill work, so we didn’t ride on the mountain that much. He also needs a tiny pair of boots for his feet on gravel. He managed, but it was obvious that he would have done better with some foot protection. Coming out of the wet winter in a pretty gravel free paddock, there is just no way that he feet are tough enough.

I found the Cheyenne suited me better than the London. It didn’t feel too wide at all. Lily moved out well in it. I didn’t feel as far up on her withers as I do in my FreeForm. Though we didn’t get any photos of me sitting in it, I felt balanced and comfortable. I tested wither and shoulder clearance when moving. It was excellent. And the sweat patten showed a clear, dry strip down her spine. It was pretty even everywhere else with no hair roughed up.

I could mount from the ground, using a modified mounting technique. I reach across Lily’s back and hold the offside stirrup leather. Then I get my weight across her back as soon as possible, before I swing my leg over. This would be more difficult on a taller horse. Another reason that she is the Perfect size.

While this might not be my first choice in a saddle, I am on the lookout for a used one to ride in for the time being. I would like to try out a Barefoot Atlanta. I like the look a bit better then the Cheyenne. One step closer to a new saddle for Lily!

Spring!

I am on the hunt for a new saddle. I’ve been riding in a FreeForm Classic SB (I bought it when they first came out and this was the only version) and a Wintec AP 2000. The Wintec fits both my horses moderately well, but it’s a tad small for me. I also don’t think that it’s quite comfortable enough for the long rides needed for endurance conditioning.

The FreeForm Classic is way too large for Vinnie. I would have to get a girth that was so short as to be ineffective. I already have two custom Montana Cincha dressage girths, 18″ and 20″. I really don’t think that I want to go any smaller than that. Lily became uncomfortable in it over the last month or so and I think that it’s been putting pressure on her withers. I swapped out to a Barefoot London on our last ride and she did much better. She’s currently laid up with some soundness issues, but more on that in another post… Needless to say, I can’t try any saddles out on her now, which limits my demo horse to Vinnie.

So the search is on…

I am pretty sure I will end up with a treeless saddle, as they are more able to accommodate changing condition and different horses. I realize that no one saddle will fit all horses. And I’m not closed to the idea of a treed saddle, if it fits and isn’t too heavy. Treeless saddles have come far in the last few years with many new models and options out there. I am looking forward to exploring some of them.

E-Z Fit

I tried one last month. I went with a medium and should have ordered a small. It was HUGE on my horses. It didn’t give me the close contact feel that I want, as there was too much leather between my thigh and the horse. A few of us tried it out one weekend. This particular one was not a fit for any of us. It turned out that Eli Beiler had tried out a new material to stiffen the seat. It created a ridge down the middle, not so comfortable for the rider. He was just great about it and refunded my demo fee and shipping. I am sure that the next one will be an improvement on this. This is an interesting saddle design and one to watch. It’s just not a fit for me.

Sensation Western

I received my demo yesterday! It was pouring down rain, so I only got to put it on my horses in their stalls. Lily let me know that it was NOT okay for me to even try to sit in it. This had nothing to do with the saddle, unfortunately. I did get on Vinnie and rode him up and down the barn aisle a couple of times.

I need to get out on the trail to really see how it will work out. My first impression is that I might want more twist. I think that there is a bolster to put under the seat for that. I’m also not entirely sure about how one side of the stirrup leathers hang from the bottom of the saddle flap. I understand that it is to help distribute weight, but I like to be able to move my legs as needed. Trail testing on hills is needed. Other than these two points, it was very comfortable, well made and put me in just the right spot. Vinnie moved out as well as could be expected in these limited circumstances. I really like all the choices in colors and leathers. No photos yet, but check back in a few days.

Barefoot Atlanta

This is next on my list to demo. I am being cautious about buying saddles just to try them out. I’ve done enough of that so far, so I appreciate vendors with generous demo programs. I really like the minimal look of the Atlanta, light weight and it looks like it would work for horses with forward girth grooves like mine.

Startrekk

I would also like to try a Startrekk saddle. The problem I have here is simply choosing a model. They all look nice! What I would really like is a Western in brown with border tooling and an Espaniola, maybe the simple brown model for a classic look.

Trekker

I have tried my friend, Romina’s Endurance Pro Original and really liked it. It has more structure than some treeless saddles, a built in spine channel and is quite adjustable. The only thing that I didn’t care for was the height of the pommel. A few times, I ran into it ducking to go under tree limbs. We ride in some pretty thick woods, so that’s a common occurrence even with my small horses. I rode Paisano ten miles in this saddle. We were both comfortable. I also like that it doesn’t need a special pad like some less structured treeless saddles. So this one is on the list.

I’ll have more to say after the weekend when I try the Sensation out on the trails. It’s supposed to clear up on Sunday. Keep sunny thoughts in mind for us!

I just couldn’t quite stand the goat beard that he was sporting from the winter, so it is now gone. Also notice the mess he made of the cat’s water pan…

Then we went for a quick ride before dusk. I really like that I can just saddle him up and go out alone, no lunging or extra ground work needed. We passed a couple of his buddies on the way out and Vinnie had no issues what so ever in continuing on.

Here we are coming back over the bridge towards home. I love the little tuft of hair he has near the top of his right ear. It’s one of his little oddities.

He trucked along with the reins dropped on the saddle horn, while I took photos. Cars passed us, slowing down nicely most of the time. Vinnie was on autopilot. He’s also starting to pick up on neck reining, so I can steer sometimes with one finger and a bit of leg. What fun…

Time for an update on Vinnie. I’ve been pretty busy with life, so he’s had a ride or two per week. We ride on the road down to Mt. Pisgah or to the Three Cedars arena. This usually involves riding home in the dark on the road. I sometimes have my headlamp on and always flashers hanging off the saddle. We’ve ridden in moonlight, pitch dark and rain. Vinnie does just fine with all of it. The one thing that has startled him so far was someone hand pruning up in a tree across the road. When I had her say hello, he was just fine. He didn’t mind a bit when it was someone with a power pruner.

My friend measured his cannons and he has a circumference of 7″. Not bad for a 13.1 hand boy! He has plenty of carrying capacity for the average adult rider. He will ride off a snaffle or sidepull, though he prefers the sidepull at this point. I can still ask for bending with it and he stops on a very light cue, sometimes even just sitting deeply and exhaling. He’ll be a light, responsive mount.

I am starting to loose count of the number of rides Vinnie has had. It is likely just at about twenty, equivalent to one month’s steady training under saddle. I’ve started him on moving off my leg with turns on the forehand and sidepassing. He’s doing quite well and just needs more miles at this point. Yes, he’s still for sale. Current price is $2,200. and will increase with training.

I thought I would put up a How To today on tying up tails for the winter. I’ve done this most years here in wet, western Oregon. Vinnie’s tail had started to get clods of adobe permanently building up on the end of his tail. They can become heavy, get caught on branches and even pull out large sections of tail. Vinnie’s tail already touches the ground. Add a few inches of mud to sink into and I’ve got a problem… I’ve found this to be an excellent solution.

Start with a relatively clean tail. I washed, combed and conditioned both Lily & Vinnie’s tails, thanks to abundant free samples of Eqyss Premier Cream Rinse Conditioner from my local feed store. I’ve liked all the products from this company that I have used so far. I’ll see how their tails look when I take them down in a few weeks. Vinnie was my model today, since his tail is so nicely multi-colored.


You will need a strip of fabric. I use the end of a turban, handy for me, but likely not for the average horse owner. Any lightweight cotton fabric will do. Mine was about 50″ long and maybe 3″ wide. Locate the end of the tail bone and section the tail into three parts. Take the middle of the fabric strip and run it behind the tail with each side running along two braiding sections.


Braid the tail, holding it down toward the horse’s hocks and the ground, incorporating the fabric into the braid. If you don’t hold the tail downwards, your braid will not hang nicely or will have a bulge on the underside. I leave about 10″-12″ of unbraided tail. This will be left open when the mud knot is finished. Wrap the fabric once around and tie. You should have about 6″ or more fabric left for the next step.

If you don’t want any loose hair, you can braid to the end of the tail. You will either need a longer piece of fabric or braid half way before adding the fabric in. Either way you need some fabric left at the end.


Open a space in the braid at the top, just under the end of the tail bone.


Thread the end of the braid through this space from the underside.


Run one fabric end through the space and wrap them around the tail, so that they can be tied into a square knot. Be sure to stay below the end of the tail bone. We don’t want to damage any of the living part of the tail by putting pressure on it.


Lay the open, brush end of the tail flat against the front of the, now folded, braid. This is a side view of the bundle just before wrapping in vetwrap. I cover the entire braided portion, making a point of not covering the loose end or the tail bone.

If I were going to wrap the entire tail, I would make the bundle longer, just folding the braided end of the tail up. It would then get covered in vetwrap.


The end result – a much shortened tail that will stay clean and protected from the mud!

Unless my work falls apart, I plan to leave their tails up for 3-4 weeks. I’ll take them down, check them and likely put them back up. It will be interesting to see how long they grow over the winter. I may need to do some trimming come springtime.

For more photos of them enjoying the nice grass, visit my Flickr page. It was a really lovely day and they enjoyed some time in a new paddock. Their paddock was getting gravel added around the gate.

I took advantage of the sun this afternoon and put a bit more work on Vinnie’s driving. I dug out the PVC shafts I had made years ago for Paisano and took them to out to the barn. Vinnie got groomed and harnessed up. I put on the cavesson that I’ve been riding and long lining him with. Then I put the full bridle on over that. I don’t have a driving bit for him yet, but I wanted something that wouldn’t pull through his mouth. I had taken the full cheek home, so all I had was a low port Kimberwicke. Since I was mostly going just ask him to carry it, that’s what he wore today. He mouthed it at first, but once we were headed out, there was plenty to take his attention away from playing with the bit.

I got this. What's next?

When we came to the gate, we passed it and went down the other way a bit. All told, we probably walked a bit less than a mile. I practiced halting and standing, as well as asking him to move side to side on the road from whip and rein cues. He did well to the left and a bit stickier to the right. That’s likely because it’s harder for me to reach his left side with my whip. I had my ground whip with a short lash. Next time, I’ll have to remember the one with a longer drop. I really need a proper driving whip.

Doing well.

Since he had taken all this so well, I decided to try driving him off the bit. I took off the shafts first. Then we did a few rounds of the barn yard, turning and halting before calling it a day. He wasn’t too keen on this bit and pushed his shoulder through a few turns. We ended on a nice halt that only took a couple of half halts to get. Now I just have to figure out the best driving bit for him. And do more sessions like today. Vinnie is quite willing to what I ask, once he understands what that is. Repetition and practice are what we need now.

The wheels that I ordered for my cart are in. I have all the supplies to paint it. I’ve decided that it will be black. Then I will need to make the seat and back, measure for foam and upholstery material and purchase those. I am not sure what color the seat will be yet. I do hope that the cart will end up being large enough for him. I wonder if it will all be ready by April for the parade in Oakridge. Stay tuned!

I had planned to ride Lily three to four times per week and work Vinnie twice a week, including some arena work, both under saddle and in long lines for both of them. I was considering doing a trace clip on Lily, so we could continue conditioning towards endurance next year and the possible blanketing changes that might entail.

Well, other plans were in store for me. For those who don’t know me on FaceBook or the SM message boards, my back was tender last week after lifting some hay bales and last Sunday at the OHC trail course, it really did go out. I’ve been down resting and taking painkillers all of last week and missed quite a bit of work. I also missed writing my Thankful Thursday post, as I was in a mental fog.

“Getting old is not for sissies.” ~~ Bette Davis

After resting and a couple of chiropractic adjustments, my back is better today. I am mobile and not taking painkillers any longer. The trick for me now, will be to take it easy and come back to activity slowly. I need to start walking regularly, stretching and doing some non-horse related exercise. I am also considering taking the month off from riding. That is hard for me to think about. I’ve been pushing to spend every daylight opportunity in the saddle.

If I am not going to ride for a month, what to do with the horses? They are getting their stalls cleaned now, so I don’t even have a reason to go see them every day. All I have to do for them is make sure that their daily feed bags are made up and stocked. Other than that, they really would be fine to just hang out. But would they get bored?

Do horses get bored? Lily and Vinnie have a small paddock of about 1/3 acre to themselves. They have water, a tiny bit of grass and three trees, along with their breakfast hay out there. I can tell that they use the two smaller trees to scratch on. I found black hairs from Lily the other day, coated in ice. I wish that I had had my camera. It was quite interesting.

Anyway, I usually feel that I need to do something with them. To keep moving their training forward somehow; Lily getting back into shape and Vinnie with his basic ridden work. Then I remembered a day when my children came out and played with Vinnie. Neither of them are knowledgeable in traditional horsemanship. And they had fun and taught him things anyway. He learned quite quickly to push a barrel with his head. And they had fun playing with him and the hula hoop. It is good to remember that sometimes, it is worthwhile just exploring with the horse and not fitting him or her into a ‘program’ or a plan. They don’t make plans. Why do I?

I know that I could teach them some tricks. But then again, what about just being with them? I haven’t taken much time with that recently. And I do miss it. I think that Lily, at least, does too. I guess I will just take this month one day at a time and try having no goals. How about that? I think that I will take some toys and props out there though… and see what happens.

Last week, saying hi to Hargobind

He did jump a few times and the loose horses running up the fence by the road made him puff up a lot and dance a little, but he never lost it. He was most spooked by a huge rock someone had put by their mailbox. It didn’t even move! But it elicited snorts, backing up and wanting to scoot down the road. I asked him to face it at a comfortable distance. As soon as he was willing to take one step toward it, we moved on.

He was light in the bridle and listened to my seat to steady him. When we rode up to the arena at Three Cedars, someone was washing the mirrors at the far end. More snorting! We had a really nice big trot along the back side of the turnouts that turned into our first short canter. And later he gaited on the pavement home. We got to the gate to his barn and he wanted to explore further, so we took another turn down the side road.

And he hasn’t even had ten rides yet. What a joy…

It had been POURING all day, so the poor boy was wet.

It had been raining steadily all day and continued through the evening. I had stripped his muddy sheet and then walked him down through the rain to Three Cedars to work. I wanted to try my Wintec AP saddle on him. It seems to fit alright, though I’ll be switching out the gullet for a slightly narrower one after Paisano leaves next week. I rode him a some after lunging. The sheepskin that Pam put on my saddle is really nice! I quit after he did a full round of the arena at the trot. Prior to that, we had to spend some time looking in the mirrors, sniffing the mounting stand and otherwise exploring.

Working away

One more week and Paisano leaves. Then another week and Lily comes home. There are so many transitions going on that sometimes, I don’t quite know what to think. Still, I keep going to the barn and doing what needs to be done each day. And it’s usually something interesting.

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

Getting the Idea

We had a great day last Friday. I helped out with vet work there. Multiple horses had teeth done, little Luis was gelded and then I worked with Rita on halter training. I also got in a short, fun ride on my Lily mare.

I am very thankful that I have these wonderful horses to play with; That I have great friends to share them with; And that we are headed out for another Cowgirl Campout this weekend, this time at Megan’s place.

The best one I got right now of last night's ride...

The ride before that, I worked him a bit around the pastures. He has a great trot. I ended up taking him down the road and met up with a lady from my new barn. I also met Laura, who lives across the street. She was on her 2 year old, …another green bean. We rode the local gravel roads until after dark. What fun! Vinnie was a champ. He really likes to move out.

I’m starting to think that if I can find a part leaser for Lily, who wants to trail ride at Pisgah … that I might be able to afford to keep them both. It’s hard to think about selling Vinnie. I’m just going to hold that thought and see what comes of it. Plans right now are to bring Lily home sometime in November. And THAT I’m thankful for as well.

How:

I found that the girth on Paisano’s harness finally fits Vinnie. He must have filled out. In fact, I measured him today and he is 13.1 hands. He HAS grown! I moved the harness over to the new barn and tried it all on Vin, then ground drove him yesterday. Pam came by just as we were finishing up, so she snapped a few photos and took a short video in his paddock.

I also spent a bit of time sanding down the cart. I removed the seat and backrest. That took some use of a small sledge (one of my favorite tools) and a hacksaw, along with drilling out rusted screws. My wonderful husband was able to remove the bolt holding on the singletree too, so now the frame is entirely stripped down. The only downside to the day was that the rust treatment I had saved from painting my trailer would not come out of the can, despite much shaking, swapping out spray tips, soaking them in mineral spirits and anything else I could think of. I might have to use something else. It’s too bad, as this stuff worked really well.

I also stopped in at a local bicycle shop to see about new wheels. All they had were ultralight, single thickness, alloy rim wheels. I think that I need something a bit more sturdy than that. And less expensive! I guess it’s back to the web to search for heavy duty, inexpensive 26″ wheels.

I'll have to make new seat and backrest. These are destroyed. I want to make the back taller and the seat a little deeper anyway.

And lastly, in preparation, Vinnie had his teeth done today. He had a few points, but otherwise a good bite. I asked how many caps he has left to loose. When Dr. C counted, he found that Vinne has one less tooth than normal in each row! It’s consistent on both sides top and bottom. It does not hurt his mouth or chewing at all. He was just born that way. Paisano’s teeth were done as well, but we didn’t think to count them. I’ll definitely ask about Lily’s when she has them done in December. Spanish Mustangs sometimes have one less rib and a missing or fused lumbar vertebrae. I wonder how many have four less teeth!

AR Cirro SMR 3613

Born August 22, 2006
Bay dun sabino gelding with roaning

Video – 3rd or 4th ride
Video – ground driving in harness

With less than twenty rides, Vinnie is doing extremely well. He has been ridden on trails, in the arena and on the road. I am starting him on moving off the leg with side passing and turn on the forehand. He is multi-gaited with a diagonal gait, as well as a very nice reaching walk and suspended, smooth trot. Vinnie will be an excellent ambassador for the breed and a first rate partner to his rider.

Right now, he measures around 13.1 hands. He may grow another inch or two, but could also stay this tall. His dam is 14 hands and his sire 13.3 hands.

Of course he is current on all vet care, trimming, dental work, etc.

I am going to continue to work with him until he sells. He’s pretty unflappable. I’ve had a tarp over him, flapping in the rain and wind. He was much more interested in the grass below. I have walked him down the road to the neighbor’s arena, passing 3 different kinds of tractors/combines, kids on bicycles, cars, dogs running and barking behind fences, mailboxes, etc. He looked, but didn’t spook once. I have ridden him on the road at night with flashers hanging from the saddle. He was just fine with that too. I am continuing with his training in harness and under saddle, with some trick training thrown in for fun. Vinnie is intelligent and likes to be engaged with new tasks regularly.

On the trail rides we’ve had so far, he moved out really nicely. He has a good reaching trot and a good walk as well. During his tenth ride solo, we had our first canters. He was very obedient and responsive to voice, rein and leg commands. He could be an excellent trail horse or do endurance, showing, driving or pretty much anything else.

If you are interested, please contact me. A good home is paramount.

Updated February 15, 2010.

I managed to get some photos tonight, as the sun was setting. I forgot how much I enjoy just spending time with my horse, while picking manure and doing simple chores. I brought him inside for his dinner tonight and left him there, while I chatted with one of the other boarders. If I have time, I will take him down to Three Cedars tomorrow night for a little work. For now, here’s the little guy…

Enjoying his new stall ... and dinner!

Meeting Monte (sorry for the red eye. No time to fix that)

In the dying light, with Mt. Pisgah for a backdrop

Father & Son

I think that Vinnie has turned out to be an improvement over his sire and dam. He has nice traits from both of them. He has Lily’s beautifully shaped Spanish head, four beat amble, and dun coloring. From Paisano he has a nice uphill build, suspended gaits and flashy sabino roaning. I’ll really enjoy watching him mature over the next two to three years.

I think that we are getting a nice group of horses up here in Oregon to do parades and Expos with. We plan to take part in a spring parade in Oakride next April as our debut. Then I’ll be looking for more opportunities in the area. I think that Vinnie could stand in as either an Indian pony or a classic cow pony.

Here are a couple more photos from last weekend…

Vin in his period looking gear. I wish that the saddle had a bit larger seat for me though...

Walking out nicely in his second ride ever and the first time ridden in a saddle.

I'll leave you with this photo of him sleeping in my lap on his first day of life.

Vinnie had his second and third rides this weekend. I had brought Paisano up to Tired Dog Ranch for Amanda to ride. I put Vinnie in a nearby paddock to keep Paisano company for the weekend and because I knew I wanted to work with him. He called some to his friends and relatives down below, but was nicely settled down after a night near Paisano.

Saturday was his first ride in a saddle. I used my old Simco western that I’ve been trying to sell for the last year. It seemed to fit him fairly well. I got on in the 12×24 pen. He was okay, but a bit antsy. I had Amy Jo open the gate and rode him around the orchard area for maybe 20 minutes or so. At first, Amanda helped him move forward leading him with the mecate, then we went solo. He did really well. The only sticky part was him not really knowing that leg means forward. He turned and stopped just perfectly. And he looked very smart in the brown tones of the saddle, my wool pad and bosalito with mohair mecate. All the photos are on Amanda’s camera, so I’ll have to wait to get them from her.

Sunday morning, we tacked up again. This time, he took a couple of bucks in the pen when the saddle was cinched up. His pal, Cornelius was on his way up the hill to join us. I’m not sure if that’s what set him off or that maybe I cinched it too tight at first. Either way, I took him out and lunged him for a few minutes before getting on.

We went out on the loop trail through the wood around the property. If you were at the SMR meeting, you might remember that trail. It’s narrow, windy with roots and downed trees to step over. He was a CHAMP! He followed Cornelius, slowing when I asked. The bosal had rubbed a little while lunging, so I had switched to his web halter with reins attached. Paisano and Amanda followed us.

Vinnie with saddle sweat marks after our trail ride!

Amanda did really well with Paisano too. I think that they will make a great pair. He will likely go stay with her for a while on lease.

I was thinking of selling Vinnie, but now I am not so sure about that. I’ll do everything I can to keep this boy. He’s a really nice ride. We will need to work on standing still and not fussing and getting into everything. He’s a real busy body.

I also took Lily out for a short ride this afternoon. I haven’t ridden her in months. She was just fine leaving Rita, who is three months old now and quite independent. Rita looked concerned and called a little, but had aunts and uncles to take care of her.

Lily was SO ready to go and gaited so very nicely. Amanda and I went about 2/3 of the way I had ridden with Vinnie. It was really wonderful to feel Lily’s energy again. She is such a game mare. If all goes well, we should be able to do a couple of LD rides next year and have a blast!

It was very special to have all three of my horses out on the trail riding this weekend. It’s been a long time coming.

Yesterday, I was up at Tired Dog Ranch. We pulled Vinnie from the pasture with his mother and siblings and put him to work!

First came the saddle. He had never worn one before. All I had was my FreeForm, as I was trail riding Paisano this weekend. I couldn’t really girth it up tight enough, so it slid forward some. All I got out of him was a little half buck. Then he settled down.

Look at that mane...

He showed us his lovely movement.

I also put a snaffle on him, which he didn’t really care much for. He kept getting his tongue over the bit. Since the saddle didn’t really fit, I took it off and did a bit of long lining. Then all tack got stripped off and we just played a bit.

Vin is a huggable pony!

I had a small audience, so just for fun, I hopped up and down next to him. Then I thought, “How will he do with my weight?” He could have cared less! I jump on him, wiggled all around patted him and bounced. Vin hardly moved.

Me saying, See, he could care less! I was pretty surprised at how calm he was about it.

Then we asked Amy Jo if she wanted to hop on him. He was a bit sweaty, so I let her take the first ride.

Can you see us all grinning? I think that Vinnie is too.

After she was up, Amy Jo said that she had never ridden bareback before. I think that they both did a stellar job!

He knows turning.

I think that he wondered what took us so long.

And after his bath - the grown up boy!

The round pen at TDR now has beautiful bark footing, thanks to Amy Jo moving two dump loads. What a grand place for a first ride. Thank you, Amy Jo! And MANY thanks to Megan for taking tons of great photos with my camera.

AR Cirro (Vinnie) SMR 3613
(Paisano SMR 3313 x Choctaw Lily SMR 3150)

Born August 22, 2006

Vinnie on day one

Three months old.

Vinnie 2 years, 9 months old.

More photos of Vinnie from my old site.

I can’t decide which photo shows off his mane best. That said, I am pretty thrilled at how Vinnie’s mane is turning out. I wonder if it will reach his knees, like some Spanish Mustangs do…

Photo A - edited the most

Photo B

Photo C - back in February in his winter coat.

What do you think? A, B or C??

I delivered Vinnie to Tired Dog Ranch on Saturday. They are both loving life there. Here is a slide show of Vin’s introduction to part of the herd. If you want to go right to Flickr and see all the photos larger, here’s the link.

Lola, the bay roany sabino mare is now in the front pasture and Larry/Lorenzo has taken her place. I hear that he and Vin have become fast friends and sparring partners. I can’t wait to visit again and sit to watch their fun. I have to thank Amy Jo and Sally for taking such great care of these two for me. It is such a treat to see them out together, fully enjoying being horses. I have to say that Lily certainly enjoys the water left from the seasonal pond. She will miss it when it dries up…

Yesterday was fun! We had a guest visit from out of town and she came out to see Vin. Gurunam had fun showing what Vinnie can do and what fun it is to play with him.

You can swing the hula hoop around his neck or body and he could care less.

She also has him playing yo-yo with the barrel.

Gurunam learning to lunge.

Can we do some more?

Great reach...

Nice and Round