I saw a robin!

Wahoo, another sign of the coming spring --- I saw a robin today in the yard. When I saw it I did a little dance, of course my husband thought I was crazy. I have never been so ready for Spring in my life. Yesterday, I began some spring cleaning around the barn. Burnt some of the numerous branches broken in the ice storms and began the ardourous process of cleaning up the round bale piles. I love the ease of feeding round bales in the winter, but hate the spring clean-up. Jazz behaved well today and is well on her way to having a pretty good pivot established. The rest of the herd is beginning to gain back some condition and will be ready for work when the weather allows it.

Rain, rain go away!

I was so pumped to have three whole days without rain, snow, ice, etc... I was finally able to get up each horse throughly groom them and do a little ground work with each one. The ground is still slick about 2 inches down, so I was only able to manage some inhand work. I was actually pleased with how everyone behaved. I don't think there will be much back tracking when I am finally able to start some real training with them. I am starting to see some real promise with "Jazz". She is beginning to fill out nicely and act like a two-year old is supposed to act. I am still concerned about her ability to begin under saddle work in two months. If she isn't ready, she's not ready. One extremely encouraging sign today --- Sadie was starting to shed! She is always my barometer of the weather. When she started wooling up in Spetember, I knew it was going to be a hard winter. I am looking at this as a sign that spring is on the way!!!

Long time no say!

Wow, it has been months since I last posted. A lot has been going on, but very little of it has been horse related. I have been busy being a mom to two kids - basketball games, 4H meetings, church events and school events. Mixed in there is work and tending to livestock. For those that do not live in Oklahoma, it has been a terrible winter. Rain followed by ice followed by snow, week after week. Luckily, I had sent all of the horses in training home for the winter. Unfortunately, this weather means my riding lessons came to a screeching halt. That sucks because everyone was making such great progress. I also had the pleasure of spraining/injuring my knee in November. The doc just said, "Well it is pretty messed up, come back when you are ready for knee replacement surgery." Yikes! I am not ready for surgery yet (been there done that) so I am still hobbling around with a swollen knee, but I am cleared to ride because in the doc's words, "Ya can't hurt it anymore than it already is". We do have one new member of the herd. Rendi now has a 2yr old dun filly (pictured). She is training her for the 4H 2yr old in training program this summer. This filly was in bad shape when she came and we are hoping that she grows out enough to start riding her by the end of April. Only time will tell. As for me, my off time from real training is being spent getting all of my personal horses finished. They are all in various levels of training and I am usually tied up with training outside horses and my horses have been put on the back burner. I am really excited to get to work with them and see how far I can get them. Well in a burst of words, that is what has been going on here at Perfect Partner. I hope to start posting more regularly now that things have slowed down somewhat - a stiff wind not a tornado. LOL