little update

Just a quick little update. . .

We got our power back on before the expected day! Yay! I feel bad for Terry as her power is still off because less than a week after the tornado, she had a flood. And once her power gets back on, she still won't have cable and internet because the main part somewhere on her island as fried. So in light of the the things we have been missing since the storm, I present to you Maslow's new hierarchy of needs:

It was no easy task to keep the phone battery charged! And since the phone doubles as my alarm clock, it was super important!

The last county fair was today. Beth didn't take her ponies because they got four inches of rain and there was no way to prepare the horses. So we went to watch and I took a grand total of zero photos. It was a small show and the sky was overcast. But Haley and her Haflingers, Denny and Vella took a bunch of firsts and Becky and her Haflingers, Freckles and Jasi placed, too. It was a fun and relaxing time. Just what I needed after the last couple very stressful weeks at work.

After the show, I went back to Beth's and gave some attention to her ponies. They are so silly! Art was on one end of the paddock flapping his lips against his tongue, Rambo was by the fence sucking on his tongue, and Leah was performing acrobatics trying to get a blade of grass from under the fencing. 

She can really get down!

Shyloh has been completely neglected this week. Luckily, I also have tomorrow off of work, so I plan on spending a lot of time with her. I am sure she will be overjoyed. I am hoping to be preparing for our last show for the season, but I am not sure if we have a trailer to borrow or not. If not, I have been putting a lot of thought into getting her harness back out. I kind of want to have fun when the snow comes, like we did two winters ago at that barn. We shall see. . .

This was so much fun!

And, how covered in burrs do you think Shy will be? I haven't been out since Sunday. . .

fulton county fair 2014

I spent Wednesday at the Fulton County Fair in Ohio. Gotta love fair days during the week, that means a day off of work! I went with Beth and did my best to help her out. She was showing Art and Leah, who hadn't been out in a while.

I also got to help one of the Haflinger hitches, Brugger's Other Farm, with their six horse hitch. Maybe, I took more photos than actually helping, but I did hold a horse or two. I also helped un-harness after they won the class and spent some cuddle time with one of their geldings, Woody. He was so sweet. 

Enjoy the photos!

Beth's ponies at the trailer. Leah, then Rambo, and Art in the back. 

Gotta love Art!

Belgian lady's cart

Becky and Jasi

Leah and Art, waiting to go into Team Farm Obstacle

Just finishing cones

Brugger's Other Farm, team Haflinger hitch

Going into team farm class

Heritage Hills Belgian Team Hitch

Right after the 4 hitch, getting ready to add more Haflingers

Gotta attach another pole

Horse #5

And horse #6

Holding all the lines and keeping them straight

Heading into the class! All six ready to go!

After the win!

All lined up and ready to rest

Leah

Art

One of my new favorites, Woody. He is one of the lead horses from the hitch.

One more county fair this year!

another fair

The day after the Monroe County Fair, we headed to Wood County in Ohio for a pull in hitch show. Luckily, I spent most of Saturday at home, but Terry was with the horses at the fair, since they were not allowed to leave until 11pm Saturday night. So I had some rest under my belt, but Terry was pretty exhausted.

We were not showing, but going to support Beth and her Haflingers for their classes. Beth did really well with Art in the single cart and farm obstacle, but ran into a problem when she hitched Art and Curly together. Let's just say, Curly was being a dingbat. . .

Curly and Art

Curly and Art, again, in step

Go Art!

But, we had a fun time watching the hitches with the horses and draft ponies. It was a good time. There was even a hitch of Haflingers this time!

Cute little pinto pony

Draft pony, guessing a Clyde/Hackney cross. Look at that action!

Haflinger

Percheron

Clydesdale

Men's single pony cart class

Another of those draft pony crosses. So much action!

Farm team class

Working together

Six horse Clydesdale hitch

Six horse Percheron hitch

They had the full gambit of hitches - single, tandem, team, unicorn, four, and six - and other Percherons, Belgians, gray Percheron ponies, and black draft ponies, but I didn't get photos. Spent a lot of time at the trailer with Beth's ponies. 

Do I still have a horse? Yes. Shyloh is back home, happy that her herd has fully returned. This week's forecast calls for thunderstorms, but I will get out to see her and give an update on the sassy pony soon. 

monroe county fair 2014

It has been radio silence over here for the past few days. I have not even seen a computer and the small amount of time spent at home I have been getting a couple hours of sleep. Why? It's county fair time!

While I didn't show Shyloh, I spent the days with the barn and the big horses. They were hauled in Wednesday night, but I spent the day checking out the fair.

It was mule hitch day which was fun to see. Beth came up and we walked the fair and watched the hitches. We spent a lot of time chatting with the judge, who was a friend of Beth. It was a nice day. Some friend's of ours were showing their Gypsy horses in 4-H and we also watched their trail patterns. Kim had a foal on the way and we offered to go to her barn to check on the mare, since she had to stay at the fair with her nieces. No problem! We went to love on the other Gypsy babies (who are getting so big!) and check on the mare. No foal, but boy was she close. Turns out, that night a filly was born!!

Thursday was the driving classes. It was Isaac's second show and the first show with Jaime driving the new cart. They looked real sharp!

Before entering the show ring

Terry and Reba were in the cart class as well. Reba was a picklehead and caused a little backup. . .but they did look real nice. 

On their way into the ring!

Thee big hitch was Heritage Hills Belgians. They won almost all of the hitch classes; tandem, team, four and six horse hitch. They did not win the unicorn, though. And they bought the whole draft barn pizza later that night, how nice!!

Awesome!

Between the hitch classes, the minis came out to do some fun demos to keep the audience entertained. Meatball and Dexter were part of the fun. They did racing, a barrel pattern, poles, and a driving demo. It was so much fun and the audience really enjoyed it. 

Jaime and Meatball, cantering to the finish!

Anthony and Dexter zooming by!

Cowboy hat on a mini? Yes please!

There was also a ridden draft demo with Kyle on Clutch and Terry on Reba. 

Friday was halter classes. Hidden Creek Draft Horses took Grand Champion Mare for Clydesdales and Shires (Reba), Grand Champion Gelding for Clydesdales and Shires (Clutch), and Grand Champion Percheron Gelding (Isaac). Notch did win the Percheron Geldings 5 and over, but Isaac beat him out for Grand Champion. 

Notch

Isaac

Reba

Clutch

After halter, I went to watch Jessica and Sarah jump their Gypsies. It was great to be able to hang out with those kids and their mom, Christina and their aunt Kim. 

Weee! Jessica and Saiorse

One of the baby Belgians got cast in her stall and Kyle and Terry helped to get her up. She was so calm about it and walked off just fine. Then there was a moment when I saw a cow going into a horse stall. I questioned it, then noticed the hooves sticking out the back of the cow. . .it was having a baby!

Brand new baby!

By this time, I was exhausted. From helping with the big horses, getting them ready for the show, keeping the stalls clean, and walking them back and forth from the stalls to the trailer, I just wanted to sit and sleep. Although, I do admit, it was cool walking the big horses down the midway :)

Cows sleep funny

It's hard being bacon

So cute!

This little one was right across from us! She liked checking out the big horses.

We did walk through the fair to check out the other things they had to offer. It was a fun time, but I am glad it is over. It was a lot of work and I didn't even have a horse there!