Details to follow but we've had glorius riding weather!!!Monday, May 31, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Oops......
I missed the start date of this blog. I knew that it was sometime in May but couldn't remember. Got something planned but will have to wait for a bit. Maybe combined with the 100th post thing.
So much has happened this year. I'm glad I started this blog because it gives me a perspective on what happened last year. That's exactly why I started this! Nice when a plan actually works.
So much has happened this year. I'm glad I started this blog because it gives me a perspective on what happened last year. That's exactly why I started this! Nice when a plan actually works.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
A Sad Ending
We euthanized Dusty yesterday. After 120 days there was no real change in her attitude and I couldn't trust her. She had extremely painful heat cycles and seemed to have a rotten attitude during that time. The final straw was when she went after my 14 year old daughter totally unprovoked.
When I was younger I thought I could save everything. As I got older I got wiser - in some things. I learned that I can't save them all. I'm sad that she didn't work out but relieved that no one got hurt while we were trying.
When I was younger I thought I could save everything. As I got older I got wiser - in some things. I learned that I can't save them all. I'm sad that she didn't work out but relieved that no one got hurt while we were trying.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Lazy Stars 4-H Hippology Team
From left to right - Jacob, Paige, Jenna, Allison, Briar and Annelyssa
Thursday, April 29, 2010
State 4-H Horse Competition results
Sorry that this has taken so long. I have been waiting on pictures but decided that I needed to post these results with the pictures I had.
On April 16 and 17, 2010 our Lazy Stars 4-H Hippology Team traveled to Juneau, Alaska for the State 4-H Horse competition. There were three competitions: Quiz Bowl, Presentations and Horse Judging. Each member of the team had to participate in two events. Three of them participated in all three.
The team has been together for three years now. Some of them are competitive by nature and most of them are not. However, they all want to go to a national competition and are willing to work learning all the stuff you have to know. One of the books they learn from is a three inch thick Horse Industry Handbook.
Horse judging was on Friday. There were four quality (or halter) classes and two performance classes. The kids had to place each class and give reasons on one quality and one performance class.
Presentations and Quiz Bowl were on Saturday. There were five teams in the double elimination quiz bowl. Our captain pulled a bye for the first round. The Lazy Stars did great.
Team Judging:
3rd Place - Lazy Stars Team #2 (Paige Martin, Annelyssa Massie, Briar Thurmond)
4th Place - Lazy Stars Team #1 (Jacob Kern, Jenna Kern, Allison Wandell)
Individual Judging:
Overall Horse Judging Champion - Paige Martin
High Performance Class Judging - Allison Wandell
Intermediate Level:
1st Place - Paige Martin
3rd Place - Annelyssa Massie
4th Place - Allison Wandell
Illustrated Talk/Demonstrations:
Team: Juniors:
1st place - Jenna Kern & Allison Wandell
Individual:Juniors:
1st Place - Paige Martin
Seniors:
1st place- Briar Thurmond
Horse Bowl:
Team Awards:
2nd Place - Lazy Stars (Paige Martin, Allison Wandell, Jacob Kern, Jenna Kern, Annelyssa Massie)
Individual Awards:
2nd Place - Paige Martin
As with any group activity (especially one with teen girls) there has been some drama that may break this team up. They have been under a lot of pressure from each other since October of last year when we first started studying for this competition. I'm burned out too from weekly and twice a week study sessions when some of the kids don't want to study but to socialize. I not sure if I want to spend the time, effort and energy to take them to Nationals if they are not going to be competitive. The plan is now to take the summer off and just ride. We'll meet in October for a decision on next year.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
ARRRRGH...........
I feel like Charlie Brown - everything is conspiring against me!!!
Between computer crashes and extremely slow internet, I have been unable to post about last Friday's ride and I even had a picture. Now that I have a decent internet connection I have no time!
We (the Lazy Stars 4-H Hippology Team) leave Thursday morning for state competition in Juneau. I guess that the kids are ready. I have been holding weekly study sessions since October. I have two kids who are not interested in competition. They just want to hang out with their friends. I have three kids who are interested and knowledgeable and one who is the driving force behind wanting to have a competitive team. I think she's going to be disappointed. Last year one of my teams came in fourth out of fourteen. She was the captain of that team and upset that they didn't try harder and finish better.
If I can find internet in Juneau I'll post results Friday night for horse judging and Saturday for quiz bowl and presentations.
Our ride on Friday was great. Voosh almost dumped me when she spooked at the sun shining on the snow. Thank goodness my saddle has 16" swells and I can brace my knees against them like a seat belt.
Lyssa rode Dusty again and both of them did really well. They have made a lot of progress in a short time. We'll see how it goes next week.
When we got back to the barn, Lyssa untacked Dusty and put her in the paddock. Dusty's paddock is 10 feet wide and about 40 feet long. There's a freezer for grain storage beside it. Dusty laid down and rolled in a space 10' x 12'. She got cast. The good thing is....she didn't panic. Lyssa was outside the pen and caught Dusty's front feet. Her hindquarters and rear feet were against the freezer just past vertical. She was stuck. I grabbed a leadrope and got in the pen. I looped her bottom rear foot and pulled hard. Lyssa guided her front feet and Dusty rolled right back over. She stomped my feet pretty good when she scrambled up but not on purpose. So that is another plus on her score sheet.
This morning (Wednesday) we woke up to 4" of snow. It has snowed all day and we now have about 6" of the nasty fluffy white stuff. Yuck!! Can't plow it because the ground is thawed. At least the temps are in the 40*s during the day so it should be gone soon.
If all of that isn't enough............two ewes haven't lambed yet. All indications are that they will probably lamb while I am gone. Usually I have at least two backups. Of course, with the way things are going, my vet is out of state, my first back up is in Juneau with me, my second back up is in Florida at a conference and my third back up is at the hospital with her husband doing chemo. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they lamb tonight or wait until I get back.
So goes life in Alaska. I guess it could be worse. I could be living somewhere where there are too many people!!
Between computer crashes and extremely slow internet, I have been unable to post about last Friday's ride and I even had a picture. Now that I have a decent internet connection I have no time!
We (the Lazy Stars 4-H Hippology Team) leave Thursday morning for state competition in Juneau. I guess that the kids are ready. I have been holding weekly study sessions since October. I have two kids who are not interested in competition. They just want to hang out with their friends. I have three kids who are interested and knowledgeable and one who is the driving force behind wanting to have a competitive team. I think she's going to be disappointed. Last year one of my teams came in fourth out of fourteen. She was the captain of that team and upset that they didn't try harder and finish better.
If I can find internet in Juneau I'll post results Friday night for horse judging and Saturday for quiz bowl and presentations.
Our ride on Friday was great. Voosh almost dumped me when she spooked at the sun shining on the snow. Thank goodness my saddle has 16" swells and I can brace my knees against them like a seat belt.
Lyssa rode Dusty again and both of them did really well. They have made a lot of progress in a short time. We'll see how it goes next week.
When we got back to the barn, Lyssa untacked Dusty and put her in the paddock. Dusty's paddock is 10 feet wide and about 40 feet long. There's a freezer for grain storage beside it. Dusty laid down and rolled in a space 10' x 12'. She got cast. The good thing is....she didn't panic. Lyssa was outside the pen and caught Dusty's front feet. Her hindquarters and rear feet were against the freezer just past vertical. She was stuck. I grabbed a leadrope and got in the pen. I looped her bottom rear foot and pulled hard. Lyssa guided her front feet and Dusty rolled right back over. She stomped my feet pretty good when she scrambled up but not on purpose. So that is another plus on her score sheet.
This morning (Wednesday) we woke up to 4" of snow. It has snowed all day and we now have about 6" of the nasty fluffy white stuff. Yuck!! Can't plow it because the ground is thawed. At least the temps are in the 40*s during the day so it should be gone soon.
If all of that isn't enough............two ewes haven't lambed yet. All indications are that they will probably lamb while I am gone. Usually I have at least two backups. Of course, with the way things are going, my vet is out of state, my first back up is in Juneau with me, my second back up is in Florida at a conference and my third back up is at the hospital with her husband doing chemo. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they lamb tonight or wait until I get back.
So goes life in Alaska. I guess it could be worse. I could be living somewhere where there are too many people!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
