must teach shyloh to swim

This has to be a record year for rainfall! The pastures have turned into swimming pools and if it gets below freezing (as predicted) they will become ice rinks. The land can't take any more water in, the ditches are full, and the roads are flooded. 

That means ponies are stuck inside. And to make matters worse, the water is seeping into the barn stalls. Fortunately, the stalls have not flooded, like they did at the barn where I leased last year. That was bad! Unfortunately, Shyloh's stall seems to have the worst water seepage, but it is not pooling, just damp. 

Praying "rain rain go away"

My work was kind enough to let me leave and go make sure Shy was not floating down the road. I packed in extra sawdust pellets around the edges of her stall, Ryleigh's stall, and Casi's stall so they can soak up water. I can't stand the thought of Shyloh standing around on damp bedding. Ugh. . .so bad for her hooves! I hope the sawdust soaks up the water until stalls are mucked tomorrow. 

I let out Shy and Ryleigh to stretch their legs in the arena. They had a fun run! It took a little persuasion to get them going, but they needed to get moving!

Then they just hung out and walked around for a while, following each other like they always do. 

Butt sniffer :)

They love long walks on sandy arenas

I wanted to hop on Shy bareback again, but there was no one at the barn and I did not want to get on by myself. Maybe later this week. So I groomed her and took her mane and tail braids out. Her hair is so silky smooth!

No rides for you today :(

I let Casi out in the arena, too!. That horse can run! And he is fast! He has the prettiest trot.

Speedy!

The rain is so bad that when I was driving home from the barn, there where whole sections of road where the water came past my tires! When will it end?

monday musings by shyloh #13

Well. . .my hunger strike didn't last too long. I am a hungry girl and I have to eat to keep my figure. But I still hate that "thing."  Eating so little should not be so time consuming. I'll never get any sleep cause it will take me all night to eat! Perhaps, I'll be a crabby Haflinger. . .ha!

This is gonna take all night!

I had a spa day yesterday. I got my mane conditioned and re-braided, I got my tail, conditioned, braided, and bagged, and I got a deep cleaning. When Allie took my braids out for the conditioning, my hair was so soft! She thinks conditioner will make my mane even softer. 

Sooner or later, my mane will be even on both sides!

I love these next few photos of me. . .Don't I look so tall and sleek? It's all about the angle!

Regal me! I'm fuzzy!

Thinking deep Haflinger thoughts. . .

Got any food down there?

Allie has started riding me! It has been going good. I am super sensitive and I keep my ears on Allie the whole time. When she loses balance, I stop right away. I have been getting better at my walk and stop transitions, too. My walk is becoming so smooth and comfortable

But yesterday, I gave Allie a little tiny bit of trouble. I was walking real good and it was a nice walk. I probably could have started trotting, if I really wanted. Hey, I was stuck in my stall ALL  day because of the never-ending rain. I don't understand what is the deal with the rain, I don't mind it at all! Anyway, Allie asked me to whoa, but I kept going and going. Then I began pulling on the lunge line trying to get away. It was not working, so I stopped. And we started the whole thing over again. After a few times of doing that, I finally stopped the first time I was asked. And what do you know? Allie told me I was good girl and hopped off, I was done working!

Well, back to eating my hay, one straw at a time. 

BTW. . .I love Cheez-Its!

~ Shyloh

hunger strike

Busy Horse net- 1

Shyloh - 0

Refuses to "work" for dinner on day two

Shyloh is fighting me with this slow feeder hay net thing. I think she is trying to tell me that she hates it and would rather starve than work for food. I had put the good hay in the net for Shyloh and left the first cutting hay on the ground. Shyloh refused to eat the first cutting hay and did not want to put the effort into getting the good hay out of the net, so she went on a hunger strike. I tested this theory out by handing her the first cutting hay. She spit it out. Then I handed her the good hay and she gobbled it up!

It will be interesting to see if there is hay left in her stall tomorrow or if she succumbed to the hunger. The first day with the net, she ate some hay from it, but she was pretty upset. She was flinging that net all around!

Testing out the Busy Horse on day one

Getting upset that eating is hard work!

I spent the last two days working at the barn, so I have't done anything with Shy. After I fed at the barn this morning, I discovered Shy doing this:

Stealing Ryleigh's hay!

She devoured her flake and was pulling Ryleigh's out of his stall! Hay thief! I guess if food is easy to get, she is all over that!

Yesterday when I took a break from mucking stalls, I did get these photos of Shy and Ryleigh in their very muddy pasture . 

Grazing in the sunlight

New tail bag in attempt to keep mud off of her pretty tail!

nom nom nom

Stuck like glue!

Robin said that Ryleigh and Shyloh have a song; it is Sugarland's "Stuck Like Glue". They are so cute together!!

*Note* Shyloh photos without braids are from yesterday

           Shyloh photos with braids are from today

gobble gobble

We have so much to be thankful for!

I am stuffed full of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, corn, bread, and sweet potatoes! 

I hope everyone had a great day!

bareback walk

I had another amazing night! I walked Shyloh bareback!

Robin held a lunge line, just to be safe. Shy has a tendency to do a "hard" start, where she just up and goes instead of eases into a walk. And I do not have my balance yet, so if she did that, I might fall off the back. Shy was perfection! Every time I really lost my seat, she stopped.  She did so well and was relaxed the whole time. The more that I had her stop and start, the better her starts got. 

After I got done riding Shyloh, I got to ride Ryleigh! He was great until Dulce, a mare, came into the arena. If Shy would have seen him, she would have been so jealous. . .Ryleigh couldn't take his eyes off of her! I did balance exercises on Ryleigh and trotted him for a little bit. Another thing I need to work on is my posture. It is not the best when I am sitting in a chair, much less a horse.

Thanks Robin and Kathy for helping again with Shy! And thanks Robin for letting me ride Ryleigh!

Hay hair!

I gave Shyloh and Ryleigh a banana/granola/blueberry/apple/pea mash for being so good today. Then some friends came to visit me at the barn! It was a great night!