Toad Hill's Run for the Roses

Rosey is growing up. These photos were taken summer 2010. I wish I could show all my horses, but since I am so busy with three or four black and white pintos, Rosey will not be shown.

Her sire is Toad Hill's Rusty Spot and she is small.

Pirate's First MiniVan Ride

Let me begin by saying that this photo blog is about Foxfire's Picture Perfect's first minivan ride. While driving to Excaliber's Training Stables we decided to call him Pirate, so in the future Picture Perfect will be called by that name. 

Shortly after Pirate's arrival in Illinois we figured out he really does not understand lifting his feet to walk into a trailer. Given this information we assumed that getting him into the van would be a challenge. 

Our work-around was get him into the trailer and then back up the minivan to the trailer and have him walk from the trailer into the minivan. The first obstacle was the blizzard had filled part of the trailer with snow. Luckily Pirate went right through the snow.

It worked just as planned. No pushing or tugging, just wave the feed pan in in he went.

After Pirate got in, he went right to the hay. 

This was the weekend after the blizzard (some of you in the central part of the U. S. should remember this event in February, 2011).

Well Saturday was nice and sunny, so the ride was uneventful. Pirate kept his nose to the feed and missed all the scenery.

Once arriving at Excaliber's in Herscher, Illinois, we opened the door for Pirate to jump out, but he would have no interested in it. Rather than attempt to drag him out, Jason walked around to the other sliding door in the van, and clapped his hands loudly to encourage Pirate to escape.

Once on the ground, Pirate was quite content with himself and I am sure we was thinking "No problem" 

A short walk to the barn and his temporary home until his first show in April. Watch for Pirate in Illinois and perhaps Michigan and/Wisconsin during the 2011 show season.

Nothing like an ole fashion blizzard

Nothing like a little blizzard to make you really appreciate a warm house, electricity, and the Internet.

Horse owners understand that they must feed and check water at least twice a day to insure their animals are well cared for.

The photo above is what I saw as I arrived in the north shelter about 4 pm Tuesday night. The 30-45 mph winds were coming out of the East, too bad the shelter was designed to prevent winds from the West. 

Some of the horses went to the lee side of the shelter. They looked like woolly yaks from Tibet.

Inside (below) the horses were eagerly munching their hay, oblivious to the weather outside.

It took me two and a half hours to completely feed all the horses, a chore that typically takes about 20 minutes. Needless to say, I was glad to get back in the house.