Struggling

We lost Scout this summer.  He had been dealing with a runny nose for several months and was losing weight.  Antibiotics, expectorants, upping feed, etc - things were tried and not really helping much.  Imaging was done and a mass was seen in his sinuses.  He could have a surgery and they might not even be able to get the mass, he would have trouble with the surgery, if he survived, and because of his history of cancer, the mass was probably cancerous... the decision was made.

We took Carus out and she rode him and loved on him and the next day her and I returned. We bathed him and put flowers in his hair and had one last photo shoot with his girl. Robert helped take him to his appointment the next morning.

We ended up canceling the lease with Dusty too so we sort of lost both.

About a month or so later, we started looking at lease options and one kind of fell into our laps with someone moving into the barn we'd been at for a couple years.  They were joining our 4H group and looking for a partial lease on their horse. Their kid is junior level and they saw Carus as a senior level kid as an opportunity to put some valuable miles on and finish their horse for their kid.

We're about 3 months into that lease and it's going.... not perfectly but not a disaster. I don't know. Carus is just not connecting with this horse. She thinks she's holding back a little to keep from getting hurt and is trying not to hold back but just can't help it. I'm not connecting with her either. I don't really like her - she's not a bad horse or anything. It's just not.... something.  Something is off or different and I don't know how to fix it.

I was scrolling through pics today looking for some landscapes for Carus for her art class and got far enough back that it's just a bunch of her with Scout and Dusty and I'm just struggling.  I miss both of those horses, especially Scout, and the connection Carus had with them.

So yeah, now I'm crying because I miss those damn horses, I feel like I cannot make the right decision for Carus to allow her to participate in and do good in 4H and showing, and I am just a flipping mess...

Carus update

How about an update on Carus?

Sounds good to me.  

Carus is doing amazing! She's making Freshman year look like a piece of cake and I'm so proud of her.  Her grades are great and she's being silly with retaking tests in the high 80s and low 90s to get even higher scores. She wants the highest As possible.  I think the only area she is struggling in is French, but learning a second language can be hard. She is becoming an awesome young woman and I'm seriously so proud of her every day. 

With 4H, she's doing great too! This last weekend was Horse Bowl (like Jeopardy for horse and 4H questions) and she answered enough questions correctly to get 3rd place, she faced her anxiety about public speaking and did a presentation on Stretching for Your Horse and she got 4th place of all Intermediates in Presentation, and then literally volunteered last minute to do an Impromptu speech and got 5th place in that! (5th place ribbon needed to be ordered.)

(Impromptu is where you are given a topic and you have to prepare a speech in 2 minutes, and then give it. The speech must be between 2 and 5 minutes.  Her's was just under 2 minutes on "What class would you add to fair if you had a choice?" - she choose At Liberty Training (where you have a horse do showmanship and other tasks without a lead line).

With that 3rd place in Horse Bowl, she qualifies for Spring Horse Classic!  That is the State-wide Horse Bowl (and speech and presentation) competition. It's at the end of April and we're not sure if she is going to go yet.  She has to want to, and we have to be able to afford the 4-ish hour drive to Redmond, Oregon, and the hotel stay from Friday to Sunday. When we get a bit more information about it, we'll make the decision.  I hope we can make it happen if she wants to go. 

Her working with Dusty is really paying off and Dusty is starting to trust her, and Carus to trust Dusty.  Her appaloosa and smarts get in the way sometimes still, but so much progress has been made. Lessons are going well and Carus is excited for the rest of the shows they have picked out to do this year (one in March, one small one in May and one big one in May, then the main event, Fair, in June!) and I'm less worried about Carus getting hurt on this head-strong mare. 

She got on bareback for a little bit the other night - first time on Dusty bareback.  At first, Dusty tensed up like she was going to start throwing a fit about it, but once she figured out that Carus was just going to love on her and I was going to walk her around she calmed down.  

Last week, while Carus was riding with the other kids at the barn, we were treated to a SPECTACULAR sunset and of course we did the mom thing and made the kids pose for some photos.  And this isn't too bad for a phone photo.  I should start taking the camera with me all the time just for the times we get something this amazing.

Scout has been doing well. I've ridden him with Carus riding Dusty once recently, and hope to do it again. I need to build my confidence on him, and he needs to build his confidence in me, but I'm hoping someday we can go on a trail ride together.

52 Week Photography Challenge: Week 2 - Landscape

Landscape:  Traditional Landscape

Shoot a beautiful landscape and share it with the world.  Find a nice foreground and don't forget the sky.

Phone photo of the view from the front window.

There were so many landscapes that I wanted to go out and get while we had our snowpocalypse but was mostly stuck at home.  The roads were not safe to drive and while we could have done okay with my all wheel drive car and Robert's truck, we didn't have to risk it, so we didn't.

Instagram photo of Chewie looking and the view.

It snowed, then the clouds left and it got really cold. With the sun out during the day though, the snow on the streets melted enough for people to start getting around and we went out to the barn to do chores and haul water buckets all over since we'd only hook up one hose to fill waters.  The morning crew would take the evening's buckets and put in the tack room to thaw out for the evening crew to switch with the day's buckets.  And pushing wheelbarrows full of manure through snow to dump is a pain in the butt. Almost literally. Carus slipped a few times pushing up hill (I clean stalls, she dumps) but we managed and were rewarded with some lovely sunsets.  

Cold weather and clear skies gives some pretty sunrises and sunsets.

Phone photo of the sunset colors at the barn.

Adam shoveled our driveway and some of the sidewalk and then made me a snowman.  If you look just so, you can see he has two eyes and a smile. 

I did get my big camera out on my lunch and breaks and walked the backyard with the dogs. (Downfall from working from home - no snow days.)

View from our back porch

7 inches of snow

Adam making snowballs for the dogs. 

And then he bit on it and was confused when it disappeared into the rest of the snow.

Playing with the frozen soccer ball.

My frozen clothes line.

One of the evenings we were out at the barn doing chores, Carus and I decided to go for a little ride. 

We probably spent more time tacking the horses up than riding. It was COLD!  

More information about the Dogwood Photography 52 Week Photography Challenge can be found here.

#dogwood52, #dogwood2017, and #dogwoodweek2

52 Week Photography Challenge: Week 1 - Rule of Thirds

We've completed the first week of 2017, though it already feels like it's been longer than a week. I started hearing commercials for tax prep and it feels weird.  Like, we can't already be back at the part of the year where we pay taxes, right?!

The challenges are separated into three categories; Story-Telling, Technical, and Artistic Impression.

Story: Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is the first compositional rule most photographers learn; but most don't know why they learn it.  The rule of thirds is amazing for telling a story.  Tell a story using rule of thirds.

I didn't have a plan for what images I was going to take for the challenge this week. I tried to just keep it in mind whenever I picked up my camera or felt inspired.  While I want to make sure that I use my actual camera/DSLR more often, sometimes the best camera is the one you have with you. While I'm at the barn, I have my phone 100% of the time so it becomes my go to.  Plus, I like being able to share my photos on Instagram and Facebook. I like the instant feedback (read: attention HA!).

Leia and Chewie love playing in the snow and we've been getting snow so I took them outside and kept the rule of thirds challenge in my mind.  Yoda isn't a fan of the snow, but he likes following me.

Dusty and Scout seemed completely uninterested in the snow, they just wanted the hay, some attention from Carus, and maybe a cookie.

Scout rarely doesn't head straight for Carus the second he sees her.  The only times he's decided the grass he's eating is more important only lasts until she crinkles a peppermint wrapper or she comes into the pasture.

The photos of the dogs are DSLR and the horses are phone with Instagram filters.

More information about the Dogwood Photography 52 Week Photography Challenge can be found here.

#dogwood52, #dogwood2017, and #dogwoodweek1

Horse Fair

How has it already been more than two months since Horse Fair?!  I'm woefully behind in sharing updates, but I will be working to remedy that as well as attempting - yet again - to get back into the habit of updating/journaling/etc on a regular basis.  Maybe this time I will be successful. Only time will tell!

All the photos from fair can be found on my Facebook page in this album. 

We missed Scout so much during fair.  Or at least I did.  Carus did have working with DJ to distract her. She did break down during senior night where they were reading speeches written by the graduating seniors, who wouldn't be back the next year, and a couple of those kids thanked their first horses as being the reason they fell in love with horses. It hit her right in the feels and she said that she worries he won't make it to her senior night. I've reassured her that 4 years isn't that far off and he's still doing well so we can be hopeful.  She's planned out how he will be the one that takes her into the arena for senior night - walking together or riding. I hope that she gets that.

If you missed it - Scout is now retired from shows (mostly).  He was diagnosed, officially, June 1st with sidebone (click here for Google search for sidebone where you can find all sorts of info if interested) in his left front foot.  He's on daily pain management as well as some joint supplements and he got a whole month off.  When his month was up and I let Carus ride him at a slow walk around the arena for 10 minutes I held my breath hoping so hard that it wouldn't cause him pain and make him limp again.

It didn’t.  They can walk and trot and play together again, and he really tears it up around the pasture with Dusty! Yay! 

For Fair, Carus was able to borrow DJ, her 4H leader's horse, a 25-year-old Quarab (Quarter horse and Arabian horse cross) who was a drill horse for many years.  He likes to go-go-go and can do so all day long and then some.  Carus worked hard for the 2 months leading up to Fair to get used to him, him used to her, and keep him calm and listening for the slow work that would be required of them for fair.

We are so proud with how Carus handled herself during fair in so many ways, but first I'll explain how so with DJ.

DJ is what one would call a hot horse.  He likes to go and go fast because that is what he was trained to do.  Carus would take him into the arena and ask him to stand still for a moment and he didn't understand why because usually when he got into an arena he would be moving until he left that arena.  She still stuck it out, kept her patience, and tried her best.  She never left one of her classes defeated by a less than perfect outcome. After her trail class where he did a bunch of pawing at the ground, trying to run off course, and even a little crow-hop, she left the arena laughing and said, "Well, that could've gone better."  She didn’t get any blue ribbons this year, but still was very happy with her efforts and so glad to have the opportunity to work with this adorable little energizer bunny horse. DJ taught her quite a bit in their 2 months together.

This was also our first year with the new 4H group as last year's group disbanded.  Carus was the only member this year with prior 4H Horse experience.  The other two members where younger than Carus, in their first year of 4H, and in their first year of showing horses.  (There was a fourth member, but she ended up dropping out mid year.)  Carus was supportive of them, a great leader to them, and helped them at a drop of a hat without complaint (mostly) even though we got close to 100 degree temps (again) and the days were long and busy, occasionally feeling like they were never-ending. 

4H is about to start up again this year, and Carus has a few goals to work towards.  She hopes to show Bailey the mini-donkey this year, show a horse (which is currently planned to be Dusty if Dusty can handle it), become a better rider, maybe show in some English classes, and she wants to earn the most points.

(Each horse 4H member is required to earn 100 points to be allowed to participate in Horse Fair. They get those points by participating in 4H activities, other horse shows, educational clinics and competitions, and community service/volunteer work.  Last year the winner got 470ish points and Carus wants to get 500 at least.  Since we have a limited number of shows we can attend - which does limit her earning ability a smidge - this can be a bit of a challenge, but we'll try.)

More to come. . . 

Scout update

So, starting in March or so, about a month after his abscess blew, Scout started having this lameness.  He would limp off and on and often only at a trot and sometimes if we walked him for a long time before trotting he would be fine and other times he wouldn't.  We'd give him a week off, then ride, and then he'd limp 2 days later.

We thought maybe it was a residual abscess or another one.  Or maybe it was arthritis - he is older.

His owner had his shoes removed and that seemed to help a little and then it didn't.  We added MSM for joint support and that seemed to help a little and then it wasn't helping any more.  There was still the occasional limp.

Meanwhile May crept up on us and the three scheduled shows for May and Scout was still limping.  I went to cancel the first show and then Carus was lent a horse for shows for May so shows were back on but Scout was sitting them out.

It was weird not having Scout with us and people asked about him at the 4H show - Scout and Carus were famous.  We missed him.  I missed him more than I thought I would.

Then he was still limping so he couldn't do the other two shows in May, which we turned into just one more show and Carus still borrowed DJ and they did well, but they're not Scout and Carus so it wasn't the same.

Scout got a chiropractic appointment and that determined there might be something more going on so Scout got a vet appointment for x-rays and there was suspicion of ringbone.

The vet appointment finally came and I held out so much hope that it was just a little arthritis and the vet would have a program that would help him and he'd be better in no time.

It wasn't ringbone. It was ringbone's cousin - sidebone.

There's no cure.

Scout is now a retired show horse.

He is getting a rest while the meds and supplements the vet started him on get into his system and then he might be cleared for light riding.  No trotting.  No shows.  Definitely no loping.  He should be fine for trail rides or walks around the arena. Hopefully.

I'm devastated.

I feel weird for saying devastated, but it's the best way to describe it I think.  I don't want him hurting so it's not like I want to just dose him up on painkillers and keep him moving until he completely breaks down. But I don't want it to be over for him already.

He's fine as a pasture pet.  Carus and I still adore him and still love on him and take care of him and I don't want that to change.

Carus wanted to do 4H and OHSET (Oregon High School Equestrian Team) and while Scout wasn't an option for OHSET, they were really starting to hit their stride with 4H and I'm sad to see that end. Carus doesn't have the same connection with the other horses she's been working with (DJ and Dusty*) as she has with Scout.  I knew there was a connection, but to see the contrast between horses is amazing and interesting.  Ask my Grandma about the connection. She saw Carus ride DJ first and was all, 'that's a pretty little horse. I like him' and then saw Carus with Scout doing their follow the leader routine and apparently now has been telling everyone about the connection.

There are some options for her for next year and things are in the works for considerations and options.  They're on hold while we prepare for Horse Fair at the end of this month though so my patience is being put to the test.

I'm a planner though, and this lack of concrete plans is driving me nuts. Figured putting this all down on the blog will be good for looking back on and for a venting of sorts. Now that it's out there maybe I can relax a little.  We have all summer ahead of us.  Who knows what next month will bring...

(DJ and Dusty are awesome horses in their own ways, not trying to say they suck or anything.)

Boo Bash

Carus and Scout had their first show of the year (year being the 4H year, which runs September through June) this weekend. It wasn't specifically a 4H show - more of an open show for all interested to come from peewee (4-9) to older and wiser (40+) and was a gaming show with a costume contest. (Gaming in horses are courses/obstacles that are ridden horseback AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.)

For the costume contest, they were pirates.  Scout's missing eye lends perfectly to the eye patch.

We had a little photoshoot at the barn the week before to fully document the costume.  

Carus's shirt, pants, and both hats were found at Goodwill. I made the vest using some old vinyl/pleather material we had from refinishing a piano bench a couple years ago. It's a very simple vest with holes punched for lacing - leftover leather lacing bought for another craft project. Using the same vinyl material and some yarn we made the eye patch for Scout.

The day of the photos, the sky was amazing with lovely clouds and pretty colors in the sunset and the moon at just the right height. 

The bridle Scout is wearing is the one Carus won in the raffle at Horse Fair back in June. It fits him perfectly and has heart-shaped pieces all along both sides and across the brow-band.

He had no problem with the hat or eye patch whatsoever. He's such a good boy!

Halloween Day - Boo Bash

Warming up before the contest starts. 

Just put on the finishing touches - hats (Carus's was tied onto her helmet which she needs to wear always when riding*) and Carus, Scout, and I posed for a photo with Karen (Scout's owner and our ride).

Walking the circle for the judge.

First place in the costume contest!! Blue ribbon for Carus and a new one-eared bridle for Scout.

Waiting out of the rain for her next turn at the games. She had a lot of fun with the games. After every run she would say she wanted to go again! Too bad games are one shot, fast as you can, sort of deal. We'll practice them at our home barn.

I made a little video of the clips I took of their runs. I'm still not a great videographer...or video editor, but hey, I try.  I even figured out how to put it to music!  (You can view the video here on YouTube.)

The prize haul. 

First and bridle for costume contest. Fifth place for keyhole, poles, speed barrels, and figure 8. Full day of fun! #Halloween #BooBash #ScoutandCarus

A photo posted by Rebecca C (@smiles4u2have) on Oct 31, 2015 at 7:21pm PDT

*Yes, she was without the helmet for the photoshoot but that was in a controlled environment while they were standing still/posing for just a moment.

4H Horse Fair 2015

Well I'm a procrastinator.

Grooming contest team
(Kylie, Carus, Mitchell, Amelie)

But we already knew that, huh.


Horse Fair was June 28th through July 1st. I think I am able to finally get this up because I finally feel I've recuperated HAHA!

The week leading up to Fair was crazy busy and I stressed over remembering things and getting things done, and trying to anticipate everything we'd need when I didn't know what to expect because no one tells you anything except that it is hot and busy and crazy. I was so very confident that it wouldn't be hot because my birthday weekend is NEVER hot here in Oregon and most years we actually get rain often.

I probably jinxed it. Oops.

The 4 days of Horse Fair were crazy busy and HOT! and I stressed over things getting done.

It was really, really hot.  It is never in the 90s the last week of June, let alone the low 100s, but all that week it was.

The barn with all the people and horses and little to no breeze kept it feeling much warmer...though it didn't have the sun beating down on you so it sometimes it was better.

After In-Hand Trail hug 

There was lots of waiting and working in the barn (the kids have to keep their section clean for a Herdsmanship competition - we won one day but not the trophy overall), and waiting outside in the sun (very little shade and not where it was needed) and running back and forth to the campgrounds and the barn and the arenas and barn again.

I was fairly successful in keeping us hydrated and not sunburned - but I did get sick and sunburned the last day (Robert took over in the last chores as I went home "early" to rest).

The days were also very long.  Carus had to get up at 5 am to feed Scout as when one horse in the group is fed, the others need to be fed too, and there were early events.
Events started at 7 am and go until the schedule for the day was completed - sometimes 8 or 9 pm. Then there were the evening fun activities and bed wasn't before 10 any of those nights, and at least one night it was near midnight.

I stuck a pedometer in my pocket halfway through the first day and got over 35,000 steps that (half) day, and kept that trend up the rest of the week.

Our friend, Scout's owner, was a GOD SEND! for lending us her RV. The AC and nice bed to sleep on and fridge for cold drinks and food were very helpful.  It was very much appreciated.

Riding at sunset

Carus had a lot of fun too! She did great in all her events bringing home Red Ribbons in in-hand trail and riding trail, and Blue Ribbons in showmanship and western equitation.  She did so well in her western equitation she got a special recognition ribbon that was presented to her at the final meeting with all the participants in attendance.

Game night riding

The grooming contest was the first day.  Our group had two teams working in the contest.  Each team gets a dirty horse to bathe and clip and present in a showmanship-type presentation (in hand walking, trotting, and set up presentation for the judge).  Carus's team bathed Mitchell and they won that contest.  They each got a free ice cream for that.

Each evening they had fun activities planned like Game Night where they had games they could play with their horses - like the apple bobbing race, which she got to do, and the team ribbon race where each team of two riders hold a string of yarn between them as they ride around the arena at different speeds and stops and turns and Carus and her teammate didn't win, but they had fun. Another evening there was a potluck and another was a movie under the stars.

One of the 4H groups had a member holding a raffle contest to raise money for her to go to Nationals and Carus entered all the money allotted to her (some she got Daddy to put up and some she got Gramma Barbara to put up) into the raffle for a bridle with heart-shaped conchos on it.  She won that.

Waiting for their event.

We've enjoyed our first year of 4H though have been really stressed about things (they don't explain shit! and I need information and it drove me nuts) and there are changes being discussed with the 4H group we're with where there might not be a group next year or it will be extra small (we're already small) and I didn't want Carus to say she didn't want to do it again right after being exhausted by Horse Fair so I told her she can't decide until the first week of August at the earliest.

I'm thinking she will want to do it again; she really likes the competition and shows and the ribbons.

I'm also thinking next year would be better because now I know what's going on...well, at least I know more of what's going on.  And I'm determined to create a manual for new 4H parents because we need one!

Carus and I were in heaven with all the GORGEOUS horses.

I've put the rest of the photos on Facebook here.

The only video I took was of the last day's events - Showmanship and Equitation.

I edited those together into one movie seen below.  I'm not a videographer nor movie editor so you get what you get.

Crazy Ribbon Horse Show 2015

Carus and Scout had a good first show together.  No ribbons were won this time, but loads of experience was gained and fun was had.  They both did really well.

I was so nervous and wound up and worried for her safety. There were so many horses in the warm-up arena and some of the events were PACKED and I was so scared she or Scout would be hurt.

They did great.  Carus watched out for his blind side.  He didn't flip out at any of the new stuff he was experiencing, nor at not being able to see.  He was a bit of a lookie-loo, turning his head and occasionally his body around trying to see what was going on.  She kept her seat nicely and he had a slow jog when needed; both things that have been a bit elusive to Carus lately.

And he was so pretty!  Karen (his owner) picked up Carus the day before the show and they had a little trail ride and then they scrubbed a winter's worth of mud and muck off of Scout and he was so bright and white! He had several people comment on how clean he was - often fellow white horse owners. They know the struggle!

It was a looooong day, but really good.  Carus is happy with their performance and knows what she wants to work on for the next show.  Geneva was a god-send! She hauled Scout, helped with last minute touch ups on Carus and Scout (white attracts dirt!), she helped Carus feel prepared, and me feel Carus was safe.

When we got back to the barn I took a few more photos (the one above) and Carus let Scout loose in the arena.  He took off at full speed to the other end to see Luke and Texas who were being curious over the arena wall, then spun around and immediately laid down for a good roll.

Next show is the beginning of May.

Slideshow of the day.

Project 52 - Week 10 - Look up

This theme worked well with spring and all the trees blooming.  

Looking up from ground level or...

...from standing.

A blooming tree at the barn.  All the trees around here are blooming.  It's officially spring.  

After I finished photographing the blossoms I switched to the barn cats.

Kitty photo bomb.

Muffin

Rascal

Rascal and Buddy.

And then it was time to photograph Carus and Scout.  She's working on a few things in preparation of their first show at the end of this month.  

Looking up at Carus while trying to keep Scout from licking my camera.

It makes him look really tall, huh?

Muffin again.

Week 11's theme is Letters