Adventures!

[Marsha Cassada]

Btw the Cavello glitter boots were a hit. Many people commented on them.

 

[HersheyMint]

What a wonderful day. All of you look great There must of been smiles all around

 

[Nannet]

Dapper Dan looks quite dapper. What a good boy. Very cool you are able to do that.

 

[Kelly]

Christmas Day Drive and a German Shepherd!

Since hubby left for a trip yesterday I took Stormy to TRT Main Park for a Christmas drive. He usually works every Christmas so I am usually out with horses doing something fun. Luckily it turned out to be a beautiful day with a high of 50 degrees. I was debating whether I should drive Stormy or Breezy at the park yesterday and decided to take Stormy for a nice and relaxing drive plus I didn’t want to over do it with Breezy. And I am so glad I took Stormy! A man’s German shepherd got off its leash and ran straight for us. I saw it coming and quickly got out of my bike. Stormy handled it like the little champ he is! He didn’t bolt or do anything stupid, he did flinch but that is to be expected because the dog was in his face after all. My neighbors dog is always charging the fence barking at the horses, so Stormy is desensitized to this, but when it happens away from home and with unfamiliar dogs you just never know how things will turn out. I did get my kicking leg ready and was about to kick the dog but it ended up on the opposite side and the man was pretty quick to retrieve him. I really need to have my mace ready at a moments notice because that could have turned out really bad especially with the bayou having such steep banks right next to the trail. If we started to head down the banks of the bayou we would probably end up in the river, I don’t think Stormy would be able to stop us once we get going down hill, he is just too small. Other than that our drive through the park was fun and uneventful.

 

[HersheyMint]

So scary!! I'm glad everything turned out ok. I sure hope the man apologize . I carry maze with me also

 

[Dragon Hill]

I'm so happy you chose Stormy and he was such a solid champ for you! And the guy was able to get to his dog quickly. And no one was hurt. Whew!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I'm so happy you chose Stormy and he was such a solid champ for you! And the guy was able to get to his dog quickly. And no one was hurt. Whew!

I know nothing about using mace. Is it difficult to aim properly when in a hectic situation? If the dog is at the horse's head, can it be aimed to hit the dog and not the horse?
I have used my whip on dogs before that harrass my horses.
Pretty scary--definitely consider that An Adventure!

 

[Dragon Hill]

Mace would work best if you could intercept the dog before it got to your horse. If the wind is blowing against you, you can't use it. And it would be a challenge to use it if the ruckus has already started. A whip or a stick might be better in some situations. I know someone that walked(no animal) with a BB gun because of dogs. Sometimes a stern voice is enough. But shutting the dog down before they start engaging is what you want, for sure.

 

[Kelly]

I’m thinking of getting bear spray, it says it shots up to 30 feet. I wouldn’t aim it any where close to my horses head. You can also get a holster for it. And you’re right Dragon Hill, it all happened so fast that I’m not sure I would have even had time to grab the mace or bear spray.

 

[Dragon Hill]

Yes to bear spray! Or even wasp and hornet spray. The trick is to remember to shake it up first. But yeah, everything happens so fast. Better practice first.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Yes, we must deal with it before it escalates. I have never had a dog charge full on me without warning. The ones I have dealt with approach more stealthily. I have time to smack them or point the whip at them with a stern NO. If the owner is there, I stop my horse and wait for him to call back his dog. If the dog is alone I stop and wait till he backs off. Usually walking away is best--if you try to move off quickly it incites the dog again. If dogs are loose in yards, ALWAYS walk calmly past that yard. Usually they are just protective of their territory and don't bother us if we are calm.

 

[Kelly]

I took Breezy to my dads today where he met my niece Christa and her 1 year old baby Connie.




Breezy did great today, he was very well behaved. I am so proud of him! Lead line pony in the making



Connie with her great grandpa (my dad)

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Good job, Breezy! Seems like it would be a no brainer to set a child on our little horses. But some horses really do not like that weight, no matter how small the child.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Received a note from the nursing home we visited last month. They truly enjoyed our visit.

 

[Kelly]

Breezy and I went to Bicentennial Park today for our very first trail drive all by ourselves. He has never been to this park and he did AWESOME! He is such an AMAZING tiny little trail horse in the making! I am so excited about him and our future together!

 

[Standards Equine]

I love that you have access to paths like that! I wish that was an option for us. But I'm really glad for the hay field and having the choice of toboggan or easy entry cart to drive in.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Snow in our forecast tomorrow. Hoping to use my new sled. It will be an adventure!

 

[Kelly]

I wish I could use my new sled but all we are getting is rain

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Snowed all day but it just melted. No sledding this time. Rats.

 

[Kelly]

WILD CHILD!!

I thought it would be a good idea to take Breezy to the park today, what the heck was I thinking?! We just had an ice storm where everyone in the city was cooped up in their house for the week and today, Sunday, it got up to 70 degrees outside… and I thought it would be a good idea to take a green horse to the park! Really?! Not a good idea! And not just any park but the biggest park in Fort Worth, Trinity River Trails Main Park!… which is my favorite park by the way

The park was completely packed. People everywhere! Kids running around, babies screaming, dogs barking, parents yelling… and I brought a green pony! Breezy hasn’t been to this park in months and has never driven here. He was the perfect horse, completely calm while I harnessed him and hitched him to the bike. But as soon as I got in the bike, watch out! He became a complete WILD CHILD! Well… wild child in my book! Luckily he didn’t do anything too stupid, no bucking, kicking or rearing, he just took off running and didn’t want to stop. Nervous energy at its finest! We did large figure eights for about 5 -10 minutes and then It was all I could do to get him to stop for a half a second so I could get out of the bike as I just didn’t have enough leverage in the bike. Once I was out of the bike I felt much more in control. It took about 20 minutes before I could get him to finally calm down, but even still I didn’t trust him completely. I then drove him for an additional 25 minutes, but that wasn’t a continuous drive, that was with me getting in and out of the bike when I thought he was getting nervous or when he was making me nervous. Yikes, what an adventure!

When I got home from the park today I told hubby that I think i am going to start wearing a helmet when driving Breezy, better safe than sorry. Never underestimate the power of a mini!!!




I will never take my slow, lazy, unfazed pokey trail horse Stormy for granted!

I will never take my slow, lazy, unfazed pokey trail horse Stormy for granted!

I will never take my slow, lazy, unfazed pokey trail horse Stormy for granted!


Call me CRAZY, but I’m thinking about giving it another go tomorrow! But tomorrow will present its own set of unique challenges, 20-30 mph winds! We will see