Some how this did not get posted yesterday. Better late than never
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From the Tony Stromberg Workshop at Absaroka Ranch, Dubois, Wyoming. 6/13
Category Archives: The Horses
Photo Challenge: Companion
HORSES NEED COMPANIONS. THEIR COMPANIONS ARE FOR LIFE. THAT IS ALL I CAN SAY.
Horse Camp: On the Fly
I love it when my birthday, June 8th, falls on a Saturday. On June 8th, about 2 weeks ago, the scheduled temps in Chico, Ca. were around 108 degrees. At Sundog, up in the foothills, the temp might ONLY be 103 degrees (how do I make a degree sign on a computer?) So I asked Rockin’ Roy…if we could do one of my favorite things. Camping in the cooler mountains and not just regular camping, horse camping, even better. You see, I have my Appaloosa gelding named “GQ” trained so good right now I can just about let anyone hop on his back for a ride and that means Rockin’ Roy gets to ride him. Lucky Roy. I can hop on my newest ride Chiron. Chiron is pictured above after loading into the big tin can trying to sniff the big black thing in his face and asking “where the you know what are we going now?”
I tell Chiron “you are going on a trip with your buddy and staying right next to each other all day and night ” He does not care about anything else. Like the fact we are going to a place called Skillman Campground about 2 hours drive from here where it might be 10 degrees cooler. 
The feeling of driving away with the horse trailer and camping gear is just about as good as it gets. Only one problem. No Sundogs are aboard. The campground we are going to requires dogs on a leash and some of the trails go too close to highways. Taking a Sundog or two would be way to complicated and even dangerous. Besides, it is good for us to have vacations away from each other once in a while. Just like Rockin’ Roy and me go our separate ways quite often…I mean once in awhile. AND it is not like the poor Sundogs are deprived. They are staying home lounging by the pool being spoiled by some lucky Sundog sitters. 
See, here they are. Minus one.
“On the fly” to me means spontaneous, not fly fishing. Non tent living quarters pictured above is part of the “on the fly” theme. Spontaneous is fun and makes me feel young again but it has some drawbacks since neither Rockin’ Roy and I are all that organized.
Like…..I had to immediately wash all the camping supplies due to ample amounts of wood rat droppings in the camping stuff bin. Of course it was not MY fault because I did not pack the truck. The person who packs the truck with STUFF is supposed to check the STUFF since this was the first trip of the year….. but I did the dishes anyway. Doing the dishes when you are camping is like playing house when you were a kid. Plus the scenery is nice. I was a bit embarrassed to put up this photo of me doing the dishes but I wanted you to see our “on the fly” set up. Please don’t laugh at our camping gear, we keep the thrift stores in business.
What a nice fire huh? I built this fire while being left alone for an hour. Left alone because someone (who me?) forgot to put everything we needed in the cooler. Like coffee and cream which is a must for waking up on my birthday morning. And another someone (not me) forgot to bring along the lantern, another must have camping item. Making a fire with dry wood is a piece of cake. In fact with this fire who needs a lantern? GQ and Chiron are into their busy bags. The best part about horse camping is sleeping near and looking at your horses all the time. It’s like we are living together. I think I will title this photo “Life is Good”.
“Life is Good” came to an end when in the morning I had to clean the stalls. Lots of horse poop is a fact of life having horses, unless you have a poop picker upper. Which most of us don’t. But the duty is not so bad since we are in the cool mountain air and the flies are at bay.
While cleaning the stalls the horses had to be tied up to a hitching post. A wood hitching post is an old fashion invention. Why they make them out of wood I’ll never know. Standing still while tied is a horses job. As you can see in this photo Chiron is not exactly doing his job well. He is starting the annoying habit of pawing at the ground due to boredom I quess. GQ watches me wondering why Chiron gets all the attention all the while misbehaving.
The pawing kept him busy for a while. I tried not to make much of it.
He built up some pretty nice soft soil there around him to stand on. Maybe that was what is was all about?
GQ decides to go introverted at the hitching post.
It is all he can do to deal with the situation. Being tied to the hitching post with Chiron is about as bad as it gets.
Eyes closed, head down, nose to post. “Maybe nobody will notice me”.
Secret whiskers on alert.
Time to wake up goober nose.
Chiron feels he has to help GQ wake up by sniffing around and tickling GQ’s belly. GQ is enormously tolerant of Chiron in this way.
“Mom come and get me now “!
Chiron on the other hand has other ideas.
As you can see a wood hitching post has its disadvantages. Notice how nice and straight Chiron’s teeth are? No I DON’T brush them daily. Also notice the orange drips on the hitching post?
Habanero sauce, which usually works to discourage wood consummation. Chiron did NOT do all this damage to the hitching post. The many horses that visited here before did it. Chiron was just doing his part.
After a bit of Habanero sauce Chiron quickly lowered his head under the hitching post as if to say…..”I think I’ll just hang my head low and be a good boy like GQ”
“Or maybe not” As you can see this horse has some pent-up energy. Lucky me I get to ride him today, my birthday.
Speaking of birthdays look what I got! What more could a cowgirl want? No not the Corona…..a new tool. Besides a couple of knives it’s got wire cutters and a bottle opener. Even though it was only late morning we were camping and it was my birthday so off popped the cap on the Corona Light which is like drinking water almost. It is good to loosen up a bit before a ride
Being an experienced trail horse GQ goes back to snoozing while Roy has to check the map one more time. He knows all about conserving his energy before he has to work.
The warm mountain sun is starting to get high meaning we are REALLY late getting started for our ride today. Do you think GQ cares?
Absolutely NOT!
But the time comes to ride. I tack up the horses because Rockin’ Roy is allergic to them. 
Doesn’t GQ look fabulous in his new headstall?
Chiron finally calms down knowing he is going to get to move his feet soon. Saddlebag not needed today. 
Whoa Roy! Heels down, shorten that inside reign, lower those hands, elbows in. GQ wonders “who is this on my back and why is my usual human standing on the ground in front of me?”
At this point my trail camera bit the dust and it was time to get on with the ride. Chiron was calling me to hurry up and get on. No more blogging time just riding time. Rockin Roy and I had a glorious ride through the forest. We even had lunch at a cafe along the trail. The weather stayed below 95 degree’s I think. GQ and Chiron were perfect mounts and the rest of the weekend went of without a hitch….ha ha no pun intended.
Adios Amigo’s…until next time.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Curves
This is the first photo that came to my mind when I thought of the word CURVES.
Titled “Synergy” Original Photo In color
A stunning Saddlebred stallion “Lange’s Cheyenne Gold” owned by Eitan Beth-Halachmy meets a Morgan mare, defusing his pent-up desire….somewhat.
“Synergy” Turned into Fine Art
And finally here is yours truly posing with the infamous Eitan Beth-Halachmy, founder of “Cowboy Dressage” in my fine art booth at the Light Hands Horsemanship Clinic in Santa Ynez, California two weeks ago. Original photo taken in May 2011 in Grass Valley California.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Patterns
This weeks Photo challenge is PATTERNS. Can you see this amazingly natural MOVING pattern? They are mother and daughter Friesians running freely at Book Family Farm in Durham, Ca. The photo was taken at my photography workshop last month. They are at the farm being trained to drive by Nattie Book. Enjoy!
Back in the Saddle
Francis says I’ve been off this blog for 3 weeks now and it is time to get back in the saddle. My excuse? I was side tracked by a REALLY fun girls weekend on the California coast. Not just a girls trip but a cowgirl trip. You cannot get much funner. It justifiable put me off track. 14 girls in total, staying in “The Bunkhouse” at Chanslor Ranch, Bodega Bay, Ca.
We rode on the ocean. 
Me and GQ. What a perfect partner he was on the trip. He acted as his name implies.
Galloping in the sand and photographing at the same time has it’s challenges. But GQ was steady Freddy.
GQ ended up being a loner in his vacation pasture even though there were 6 other horses to keep him company. Poor boy, all the others paired up so GQ decided to hang by the barn and the other rental horses at the ranch. He fell in love with a gray one eyed pony on the other side of the fence but it got taken away from him when a new rescue horse arrived and bonded with it with in a few hours.
This is Marisa after catching Leo and Highlander. They were being naughty and ran away to the OTHER end of the pasture when called. Marisa was determined to go for a ride even on a very windy afternoon. Leo and Highlander have been paired up for almost their whole lives so GQ did not stand a chance to be friends with them. 
Here is Kelly the black and white paint in the lead and Easter following. They too were brats and ran away from their human instead of coming when called.
Jodi finally catches Easter and takes her from her Kelly and the rest of the herd. Jodi was crazy enough to go for that windy afternoon ride. 
Kelly the Paint grazes in the grassy shadows acting like she does not care if Easter, her other half, leaves. There is Danika the black mare and Smokey the grey gelding to hang with. 
Unfortunately for Kelly, Danika and Smokey quickly blow her off and take off together for their own little patch of paradise.
So Kelly bolts to the gate to see were Easter went and quickly realizes her only one to pair up with now is GQ. GQ was in luck! Finally he got his break. 
Here he is following behind Kelly like a big puppy dog. Eyes and ears all bugging out like he does when he is excited.
Jill (Danika’s human) kicks back while the crazies get saddled up.
Caution HOT HORSES.
I’m ready when you are.
Once the crazies are gone….GQ and Kelly get right down to business. Unfortunately it did not last long.
As soon as Easter returned Kelly and Easter were glued together again.
GQ came to terms with being alone again. He being a aloof horse to begin with handles rejection well. As you can see by this photo we are both feeling happy. This is the meaning of “Life is Good”
Partying at the barn started before the sun went down after riding of course.
Starting to feel confident!
The trail boss insisted on butting in with the girls and showing us some of his fancy dance steps. I had to document, no dancing for me.
Later on when the sun went down is when we really got started.
And more than started.
And more than started.
And ended.
We know how to ride but we also know how to tour and see the sights. There were oysters to die for.
And fine wine to taste.
Thank you Joseph Phelps. Black, red and white. Bodega Bay Baby T-shirts 🙂
And what trip to Bodega Bay would be complete without a trip to the infamous “Bodega Bay School” “The Birds” were gone but we did met up with another character.
And we had characters in our group.
And of course let’s not forget shopping at “The Tides” for souvenirs and smoked salmon.
Just hanging out at the bunkhouse was fun.
By the end of the trip the horses were feeling the pain too. But Leo takes it all in stride here. He has the really cool CLEAN blanket.
Is it time to go home yet?
Until next year…….BYE BYE BODEGA BAY BABY!!!
Driving with Nattie
Now that my focus on puppies is finished I can tell an untold story. A few weeks ago I was doing a little preparing for my photography workshop. One day will be spent at the Book Family Farm near Durham, Ca. Nattie, one of the MANY Books on the farm, was gracious in allowing me to come by and see how “things are done” and check on the lighting etc. 
On arrival I am immediately humbled by the site of these gentle giants standing quietly waiting to be harnessed. 
Harnessing up these big beasts to drive in no fast task. BUT….Nattie makes it look easy. Nattie is a driving trainer who is impressive to watch. She drapes herself in driving tack and some how places it 16 plus hands high without much effort. Even when “Vic” decides NOT to stand still. 
When Vic does not stand quietly for harnessing Nattie asks him to keep moving in a small circles. Quickly it becomes Vic’s idea to stop, stand still and accept the harness. Nattie prefers to train her drafts “naturally”. Instead of using force the “natural” way to train is to some how make it the horses idea to do that little something you want them to do. Natural horsemanship allows the horse to maintain its dignity while at the same time developing a much safer horse.
“Driving Naturally with Nattie” is the name of her game. 
It is written out plain and simple. Nattie rules the barn. 
Organization is the key to productivity in any trade or profession. 
Maggie the young cattle dog and Thibodeaux (Thibby) the lab wait patiently in the wagon. I love taking shots of dogs in trucks. I might have to make “dogs in wagons” a new theme. 
Thibby is very laid back as you can see and has not a care in the world except making sure he goes on the wagon ride. 
Maggie on the other had is a bit worried. She had a bad experience a few weeks ago after getting shocked by an electric fence. 
Maggie would prefer to be inside the nice warm house but Nattie says cattle dogs can’t always stay inside. 
Maggie needs to face her fears by being outside again even if tied into the wagon. 
Besides dogs in the back of wagons we have whole families in the back of trucks. Here is the Drake Family. Brian (at the wheel) and Katie with the kids passing by while they work on the farm. 
The tacking up is almost complete. We are almost ready to go. 
Cathie is training with Nattie and her horse Vic to become more confident and safe driving. You could call it “drivers training”. Cathie holds “the lines” while Nattie takes care of a few more details. 
Ivan are Vic are the pair going out first in the line up today. The other two horses wait patiently at the barn for their turn. Vic or maybe it’s Ivan looks back at me as if to say….. “What are you doing behind me on the ground?” 
But now I am NOT on the ground anymore….. I am about to have my FIRST ride ever in a wagon with Nattie and Cathie driving. I have been on the back of a horse a zillion times but I have NEVER been pulled by a horse in all my years. This was one of those times when I say to myself “why am I not out taking photo’s more often? I AM a photographer…not a computer programmer” 
After the photo of me and Nattie I take my spot in the back of the wagon with Maggie and Thibby. I get to look at the backs of the horses instead of being ON their backs.
Maggie has to stay in the wagon since after her “bad fence experience” she might run away. Staying in the wagon becomes hard to do when Maggie sees Thibby take off after a rabbit or something. Maggie is now in the FRONT seat as you can see. Nattie is all smiles watching Maggie love being outside again. Even if it means being at the end of a long lead. 
The horses take us through the fields with out much effort. It is amazing how they know their job and perform so willingly. I feel like I have gone back in time. It is 1860 and I am hitching a ride in a wagon. 
On our way back to the barn we stop to open a gate. 
Of course this is an opportunity to take some ground shots. I love the way drafts shake their heads and turn their big faces in that goofy way. 
But they straighten up and focus on me. 
I turn my attention to Nattie for a full wagon shot. Nattie is passionate about what she does and it shows. 
Maggie gets some loving. Can you tell how proud Nattie is of her baby? 
It’s time to go and Maggie has to see where we are going. 
Nattie says I can get up into the front seat but how do I get up there? Why just step up onto that tire you see there. This wagon traces back to the 1800’s but has been modernized as you can see. 
When riding on the back of a horse control comes in may ways. Holding the reins comes to mind. Sitting next to someone holding lines connected to these giant beasts is a bit unnerving but Nattie is in full control “naturally”. 
Nattie drives me right up to my car. Unfortunately for me the fun is over. As I hop out and say my goodbyes and thank you’s I’ve got to get a shot of Cathie and Maggie who took the back seat so I could ride in front.
Even while in my car I can’t put my camera down. 
A close up of a different angle from my front seat. Nattie and me driving up the driveway. 
BYE BYE you two beautiful giants. Thanks for the ride. 
Another day at the BOOK FAMILY FARM where life goes back in time.
Got Your Back
Last weekend I got my mustang fix at “The Wild Horse Sanctuary” in between Shingletown and Manton California. Boy are these mustangs lucky. Instead of being stuck in some BLM long term holding pens or worse yet on someone’s dinner plate, they get to live their life out protected in the lovely Northern California foothills. It is spring and the the first baby of the year is here! For purposes of this blog I’m going to call this little filly “Smokey” Ain’t she a doll? Here she is looking back at me while hanging tight next to mom. She does not fear me because she has a mom and dad and her whole band to watch her back.
Mom very bravely standing still so Smokey can nurse. She has one ear listening to me and the other ear listening to whatever goes on beside her.
Mom and Smokey have others in the band watching both their backs.
And their fronts.
Daddy can be seen in the back ground of the two last pictures, can you find him? Might be hard to do since some of these mares are quite large and round. More babies coming. Daddy’s job is to protect the whole band so he has to keep an eye on me who keeps pointing the big black thing at him.
Here he is. Is he a manly stud or what? I think Smokey is going to have his dad’s color as a Blue Roan but he could turn out to be a Grullo too. Grullo is a color of horses in the dun family, that have tan-gray or mouse-colored hairs on the body, often with shoulder and dorsal stripes and black barring on the lower legs. Smokey’s dad has other “wives” too. Don’t these two make a handsome pair.
After nursing for awhile Smokey tries to sleep much to the dismay of Prince the sanctuary dog in charge. Prince does not seem to understand Smokey does not want to play now and needs to have napping time.
Gosh darn it, I guess I need to wake up says Smokey.
OK now I am REALLY awake.
Got to get back to mom. Got milk?
Yes thank goodness she does.
Smokey is happy happy with the band. So many “Aunts” to stay close to when mom goes away.
Gotta itch. Guess who is watching over me.
Time for another nap and guess who is watching Smokey’s back? Just about everybody has Smokey surrounded but look at Dad. He is very sneaky watching me trying to act like he is just eating.
Like newborn human babies baby horses do the same, sleep, eat, sleep eat, sleep, eat…..except they can stand, walk and run on day one!
There is dad again watching Smokey’s back making sure I’m not a predator, about to pounce on her.
Dad nudges Smokey telling her it is time to move on now.
He grabs a bit to eat before they all go AWAY FROM ME.
They decide to take a turn to the right. This is the way to the creek for a drink.
It is hard to take my eyes off Dad. He is so handsome and such a fine father figure. You don’t get to see natural wild horse behavior like this every day.
Dad keeps his eyes on me and waits patiently for the rest of the band.
His mares are taking their time. He continues to wait patiently so the band will stay together.
Finally I decide to say good bye to dad. I feel I have put enough pressure on him.
Goodbye you beautiful thing.
Many more Mustang posts come…hope you enjoyed this one!
Adios Amigo’s
Happy Birthday Lieana. The Full Story.
How do you erase the memory of an animal that was a big part of your life?
YOU DON’T
Visions of Lieana never leave my mind (or my albums and hard drives). And today especially since it would have been her 28th birthday had she survived the cancer she succumbed too in April of last year. Lieana was a purebred Arabian born on March 7, 1985 in Tigard, Oregon.
She was a grey who was almost black at birth I’m told but she eventually turned to what we knew her as a “flea-bitten” grey. Sounds pretty huh? She was pretty as most grey arabs are. She had a lovely way of turning her neck around to look at you just like in this photo and the one above. The one stuck in my mind and on my living room wall.
About the time of her birth I was a young mother living very near to the park I ride horses in now. Horses back then were a pleasant memory from the past when I insisted on riding them at camp as a little girl so little I had to be “ponied”. Or up in the Oakland hills as a teenager riding rental horses and getting bucked off and still loving it. But as a young mother I cared nothing about horses since I was too busy changing diapers and wiping snotty noses. Little did I know then, the baby girl who nose I was always wiping, is who would draw me back into horses. You see, Andrea, my little bundle of joy who was all grown up at age 8 had to have a horse since her best friend had a horse. AND this best friend’s mother happened to be a horse trainer and lived on a ranch nearby. AND yours truly was getting the itch to be around horses so Andrea got lucky. I don’t remember how we found Lieana but we got her in Elverta, California. I was a bit naive buying her. She was sweet and pretty and my sister had Arabians so I thought she was perfect for us. As I later found out she was not exactly the best for western pleasure showing but we made good with her. She was nick named “Speedy Gonzales” in the show ring….not so good. Anyway after much hard work the result …. this SMILING FACE!
This was Lieana’s and Andrea’s FIRST blue ribbon. Yahoo! Can we say PROUD show Mom? After many NO RIBBON classes and many 3rd 4th’s and 5th places it was WELL deserved.
Fast forward several years and several barns and here is Lieana are her final destination “Sundog Ranch” You could say Lieana got our butts up to Sundog. I did not care for boarding her at other places. I wanted to wake in the morning and go down to greet her, take her soft muzzle in my hands and sniff that wonderful horsey smell. We needed a place for her. And her buddy GQ.
Here is the nose I loved to smell and cuddle with in the morning.
Lieana was very happy at Sundog.
Rolling in the mud and golden leaves. then running like the wind.
She agreed to teaching children the art of balance.
She was very flexible despite her arthritis setting in. Here she is scratching her soft smelling nose while feeding with her buddy in the sun.
Lieana loved to roam around the barn.
She’d eventually make it up to the green lawn by the house she so yearned for.
Thanks for letting me roam mom.
Lieana looked very cute in her barn in the winter.
Especially at Christmas time.
A roll in the snow was a special pleasure.
We got to go on lots of fun trips with Lieana too. Like Roy’s 51st birthday at Euer Ranch in the Sierra’s.
GQ did NOT want to leave Lieana alone the whole trip. That caused a few problems but we had a good time anyway.
Our last camping trip was way out on the western side of the valley we look upon at Sundog on a beautiful piece of land belonging to my sister. We had a scary run in with a llama, and Lieana escaped the electric pen in the middle of the night. She did not go far as the delicious green grass was all around us.
Lieana was a great camping partner.
Lieana even got to go on a cowgirls’s overnight party we me. She got to stay in a stall all of her own in my dear friends barn . She got along well with all the other guests.
At the end of her life, Lieana got to boss around our new horse Chiron. Here she is not exactly too happy about standing next to him.
She did NOT want to play with him no matter how hard he tried to get her to play.
For some reason I asked Rockin’ Roy to take some photo’s of Lieana and I together on her last “alive” birthday March 7th 2012. Little did I know it was to be her last live birthday.
SNIFF SNIFF
She still rides at sunset at Sundog but with out the aches and pains of old age. And she has a special someone to run and play with and keep her company….. her twin, someone who thinks, feels and smells just like her.
My sweet Lieana I miss you so. May you ride at sunset forever more. Lieana Banana March 7, 1985 – April 12, 2012
Until next post which will hopefully not cause tears.
Adios Amigos
Thanks for flying with WordPress.com
The Sun Dog Drift 