Christmas Eve

In a manger much like this one a miracle was lain to rest.
The first beings to greet the Christ child besides his parents were the lowly animals. As we are now the animals back then were very aware of things. They knew this small child was special. They watched over him and sang lullabies. As a gift to the animals for their tender care and attention they are granted the gift of human speech every Christmas eve.
Below is a legend from Norway (the DORs great-grandmother was from there) about the Christmas Eve miracle.


The Night The Animals Talked
In the frosty mountains and on the snowy fields of Norway, there is a legend that draws children to all kinds to stables and stalls throughout the country on each Christmas Eve night. They are hoping to hear a miracle. They are waiting to hear the animals talk. Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem. This was no abandoned place, but was a working stable, filled with animals of all kinds. Into these humble surroundings, encircled by the innocent creatures of God, the Savior of man came into the world. Now according to legend, at least, Christ's birth occurred at exactly midnight. Inside the stable, the animals watched in wonder as the new-born babe was lovingly wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger. Suddenly, God gave voice to the animals and immediately they began to praise God for the miracle they had just seen. This went on for several minutes and, just before the entrance of the shepherds -- who had hurried to the stable because angels had told them the Christ had been born there -- the animals again fell silent. The only humans who had heard them were Mary, Joseph and, of course, the Christ child. The legend of the talking animals persists to this day in Scandinavia. And every Christmas Eve, wide-eyed children creep into stables just before midnight to hear the animals praise God for the wondrous birth of His Son. Of course, adults scoff at this. "Old wives tales," they grump. "Those children should be home in bed, not out in the cold waiting for the family cow to preach a sermon." But the children know -- or at least believe -- that animals really do praise God at midnight every Christmas Eve. And who of us -- those who believe in an all-powerful God -- can say that it really doesn't happen?
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26 NIV)
Have a blessed Christmas Eve and listen to hear the animals sing.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR

Lots of thing doin' here

The horse in the picture is my youngest sister.  The DOR heard about her a bit over a year ago and thought about getting her, but Freedom insisted that she get Friend instead.  My little sister was close to being sent to a bad place this year so the DOR went and looked at her, she even tried her out.  Yes that is her with no helmet on and she got put in time-out for it.  My little sister now lives in our herd and her name in Bohannan's Rhapsody Splash, aka Hanna.  I am thirlled that she did not end up in a very bad place-she is a youngster and should not be on a dinner plate.
The DOR also brought home two former stallions, she calls them the sopranos.  They are living in my pasture learning to be part of the "He Man Gelding Club".  The little one has a bunch of learning to do, but the older one is coming along nicely.
A group of horses went to school with the DOR this past week.  She was working with two groups of boys that wanted to harm each other.  There have been bad things going on for over a year and people have ended up in the hospital.  She made them take her C.O.W. Intervention program and part of that is with horses.  She picks special horses to come in that will be able to teach the students a particular lesson they need.  It work well and now there is a treaty in place.  The students have asked if they can have the horses come in again....
I am doing well.  I did give the humans at the ranch a scare when I did a flip running as fast as I could to get to the new hay.  It was slick and I still had on my 'Boogie Shoes' (which are now off until summer).  I hopped right up and finished running for the hay and munched away.  I was not hurt, a bit embarrassed, other that a bit of a scrape where I banged my ankle with my shoe.  The DOR gave me a bit of a scolding...she doesn't want me to hurt myself.  I gave her my 'really I don't want to discuss this' look and she smooched my nose.
Hope all is well with your herd.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Thank you

To all of our veterans my deepest thanks for being able to live peacefully in my pasture.
The sacrifices made by human and animal can never be repaid and must never be forgotten
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

The following letter is written by Bub, he is the young man who worked with Lady when she needed to go to charm school and works with other horses of the DOR. He wrote this letter to the DOR's students while he was in Iraq. I wanted to share it with you because he is such a fine young man and I found the letter touching. Bub came home safe and we are so grateful for that. He has been changed by his experience and he looks at things differently now. I am doing a repost because I couldn't say things better than Bub already did.

Hi everyone,

As some of you know my name is PFC. Justin Hewitt and Mrs. Hewitt is my wonderful mom. Mom asked me to write you guys a letter for Veterans Day so I figured I’d give it a try. I joined the army during my senior year and went to basic training in Ft. Leonard wood Missouri July 11 07 . Basic training was... interesting. They thought us basic soldier skills like shooting an M-16, throwing hand grenades, and hand to hand combat. It was the longest 9 weeks of my life but in some ways it was 9 of the best. I made friends there that I will never forget like Daniel "the coop" Cooper, David Johnson, and one of my best friends I have ever met Andrew Jon Shields. On May 29th 2008 Andrew was deployed to Afghanistan and was on a routine convoy when his vehicle was hit with a road side bomb. Andrew died instantly. After basic and our advanced individual training we all went our separate ways to our units and new duty stations. I was assigned to the 659th Engineer Company in Spokane. I was only there a little while until I volunteered for a deployment and was reassigned to the 277th En Co from Ft. Sam Houston TX. We got mobilized the 3rd of January 2009. We spent January in Ft. Bliss TX Iraq the beginning of February getting all of our medical and in processing done and were in. We started missions almost right away. Being an Engineer company our missions consisted of running heavy construction equipment to foot patrols through the streets of Baghdad and Sadr city which used to be called Saddam's city but we renamed it as soon as we kicked Saddam's butt outa power. We also do what’s called Route clearance. That’s where we patrol the roads that U.S. forces use for I.E.D.'s and other road side bombs (that’s my favorite). Our tour is almost over but not without a loss, June 11th one of the soldiers in our company was at the medical clinic getting some meds when another soldier from another company came in and opened fire with a pistol. My friend Specialist Jacob Barton saw the man come in and pull his pistol out. The shooter took aim at a female working in the Aide station and Barton jumped in front of her and was shot twice in the head. 4 more soldiers were shot and killed before the shooter was taken down. I've been shot at, been in fire fights, my route clearance vehicle has been blown up twice by road side bombs. I've slept in old school houses, the back of dump trucks, and even an old Iraqi prison once. I've driven over 3000 miles and stayed awake for days on end and I would do it all over again in a heart beat. The friends I’ve made over here are more like brothers and I know without a doubt they would give they're life for me just like I would for them. If you ask any soldier they're not fighting for themselves or for freedom of speech they're fighting for the man to they're left and right. Mom wanted me to tell you guys why I joined but I don’t have one of those I did it for my country answers (although I guess I kind of did). To be honest I really don’t know why I joined. I just wanted to do something with my life that I can look back on some day when I'm old and say “man that’s something to be proud of". At times I regret joining the army but I can’t see myself being anything but a Soldier. I like to say it’s the best worst decision I ever made, and I made quite a few bad decisions just ask my mom. People call us heroes but where not heroes we're just doing our jobs. The real heroes are those that come home in a box with a flag draped over them. It doesn’t matter if you support the war or not, you should still support the troops. Because we didn’t start the fight but we're more than willing to fly half way around the world leaving our wives, husbands, children, moms, and dads and everything else we know and love behind to finish it. So this Veterans Day don’t just think of it as a day off from school. Remember the fallen heroes from past and present wars that died defending your freedom. So if you know a vet from any generation make sure you shake their hand and tell them thank you. It’ll make their day. Well thank you for listening and I hope you have a great Veterans Day.

Sincerely
PFC. Justin Hewitt
277th En Co, 101st En battalion, camp liberty Baghdad Iraq

Running as fast as I can

This past Monday I went on a trail ride with the DOR and some friends.  We climbed steep hills.  We went down steep hills.  We traversed loose rocks and boulders.  We went to the edge of cliffs and looked over...800 feet straight down can make you dizzy.
For six hours I wondered through the roughest terrain I have been in with the DOR.
I walked, I trotted, I loped....Best of all the guide finally convinced the DOR to let loose of the reins and let me run as fast as I could.  Oh boy did I run!!!  I have to admit at first we were both unsure, what if I stumbled?  The DOR made sure to stay centered and balanced, I watched the ground, and the next thing you know we were flying.  Yes I did stumble, but I caught myself and the DOR stayed centered on my back which helped.  I ran full out several times and we were having a ball.
Yep, I have some crazy feet now.
In two weeks I am taking the DOR to dressage lessons.  Before I am done training her she is going to know all kinds of things.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Today I celebrate!!!!

For those of you who have followed my blog for a long time, you would know that me working cows what not something that looked likely to happen ever in my lifetime.
I am happy to say I took the DOR to a Joe Wolter cow clinic and showed her that I have not reached my potential yet.  I worked cows with the best of them.  Yes I moved a bit different from the other horses at times.  But what I can't do in speed or tight turns, I more than make up in lateral movement.  The DOR asked Joe to ride me to make sure she wasn't asking too much of me.  He did and said I was perfectly capable of working and holding a cow.  He noticed that I have figured out how to compensate for the things my body still can't do.  He also said I was a nice horse.  The DOR just about cried, she is so proud of me.
She has learned not to say "can't" about me, she now just says "not yet, but someday". 
The journey we have had this year has taken us from me starting back under saddle, to the mountains, Buck Brannaman, the ocean, numerous trails, and Joe Wolter.  I am starting dressage lessons with the DOR in November.  I am the little appy that could!! I am the little appy that WILL!!
So today I celebrate all that I have done in the past two years.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

A Boogie went up a mountain

I took the DOR to Horn Rapids on Saturday.  It was the spot where we had been viciously attacked by a herd of tumbleweeds. 
I was pleased that she was not nervous.  I fact she was confident to line me up to a white picnic table to mount up from.  We rode past all the things that worried her before with no problem.  We even survived the remote control planes that were flying around.  Although she did make a comment about hoping that we didn't have a scene like one from North by Northwest, whatever that meant.
At the end of the ride I decided that she had been brave enough that I would try taking her up a short/steep hill.  I love chugging up hills like a little freight train.  I would do that all day if I could.
It was a wonderful day for all of us.  Even Coelho had fun.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Returning to the storm

Before I was needing rehab the DOR and I went for a ride at Horn Rapids.  Some of you might recall me writing about the tumbleweed tornado.  It was a very frightening thing to have been caught in.  The DOR and I came out the otherside of it a bit shaken but fine.
Today I am taking her back to Horn Rapids and making her face her fear.  We are going on a nice, uneventful trail ride with the SCC, Horse Guardian, and Cow Boss.  This is part of my plan to get her ready for our big three day cow clinic with Joe Wolter this week.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

A New Adventure

Hi all,
In response to my concern over bullies and the fact that it is the main focus of my Presidential Campaign I have started a new blog-
Boogie and The Bullies
This blog is designed to support children who are being bullied, have friends who are being bullied, or who just want to stop bullying.
I hope it makes a difference.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Finally the DOR gets it!

I got the DOR in the spring of 2008.  I was looking for the owner I always wanted.
When I first met her I realized she had been started fairly well, but she had a lot of refining left to do.  I believed that with time, understanding, training, love, and support that she had the potential to be my dream owner.
We started our journey and have had many adventures.  There were misunderstandings, accidents, illnesses, and potential situations that could have cost one of us our life.  Through it all I kept as level a head as a little appy could and promised her all the time she needed.  But we still had one big sticking point in our relationship...TRUST.  I needed her complete and total trust for her to become my dream DOR.
This weekend I took her to a clinic at the beach.  I believed the clinician was the one who could solve this issue for us.  At the end of the clinic I left with the DOR that I wanted.  I have my dream DOR, turns out I always did!  I knew we had finally got where I wanted to be when she was loping me down the beach with abandon and laughing happily.  I was able to run as fast as I wanted, as long as I wanted, and as often as I wanted!
Now we can finally move on to refining our skills.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Happy Trails!

After the DOR wouldn't let me chase the cows, which irked me, she took me out for a trail ride.
We went to Sunnyside, out to Griffin lake and down to the river.  We did a bit of trail blazing through the brush, but nothing too tough.
I did get a scolding for tripping too often.  The reason I was tripping was I was trying to graze and walk down the trail.  So I guess the scolding was really for munching when I should have been about my business-ooooh well who cares.
This weekend I am heading to the ocean for the first time in my life.  I hope it is fun.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Cows

Yep that is me and I am not terribly happy in that photo. 
Mushboy calls this move "pissed offs", a naughty horse's version of piaffes. 
The DOR took me out to work cows for the first time in a big pasture.  I wanted to run as fast as I could and chase the little stinkers, especially after the bull glared at me-he was asking for it!  Now according to the DOR a good cow horse can work cattle at a walk or a trot and get the job done.  Well wouldn't that mean a GREAT cow horse should be working cattle at a dead run?
I lost my mind because I was soooo excited and threw one of my werehorse fits.  I crow hopped, I bucked, and I danced like a Spanish dancing horse (and I looked good doing it).  No matter what I did the DOR stayed square in the saddle, just sighed, hummed, and wouldn't let me run.  In fact she even said, "Dance all you want, we are not running after the cows and it is going to take you twice as long to get back to them"
I finally gathered my brain cells back together, well mostly because the ones screaming "CHASE THEM" were still loud and clear, concentrated on what the DOR was asking and helped finish the job.
The DOR says my participation in the cow working clinic next month is going to be entertaining.  She plans on making me walk out in the cow pasture and be nice a calm around the stinkers between now and then.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Shadow dancing

Today I taught the Mighty Q a bit about shadow dancing.  I helped the DOR catch him and then we went for a nice walk.  All three of us.  Q and I in our halters and the DOR holding the leads.  Now things could have gotten ugly real quick, but I kept talking to Q and he just kept relaxed.  Q has been getting a lot of lessons about horse manners out with the geldings.  Seems that he had "baby manners" and those will not be tolerated from a big horse.  He has learned to be more mature and we like having him with us.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Say a prayer for peace as we remember

Another Presidential candidate

It is that time again.  I promised the DOR that I would stay out of politics, she says it is poor form for me to make the humans running look bad.  I fully intended to keep my promise, really I did.  But the humans have already made themselves look pretty bad and often time down right silly, so my running for president won't make them look any worse!
I know there are people who will say I am unfit for office given my two years in rehab.  But at least I addressed my weaknesses and issues unlike some of the candidates.  I have been busy practicing my leadership and negotiation skills this summer and am now very confident in my abilities.
I will be searching for a running partner in the near future.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Shandi is home!!!

My little Lolly Dolly is home.  Shandi has been at the trainers for six months and boy has she grown up.  She was drinking beer and smokin' cigars with Johnny Rango the mule.  She also had a love affair with a warmblood named Ted, they hung out together so much the two of them became known as Shed.
The Horse Guardian, SCC, and the DOR took Coelho and me to go get her.  We went riding in the deep woods. 

The trail disappeared and we went bushwhacking.  I LOVE bushwhacking.  I love the hills and woods.  I want to be a trail horse all of the time.  The DOR says that I have turned into the horse that she knew I was...well that is because she has turned into the rider I need.

Shandi is a good solid citizen now and is surprisingly well trained and mellow for being only three.  We are all glad she is home.

Sorry for the lapse in posts.  The DOR and I are getting in as many trails as we can because school is starting up.  Hope you all are having happy trails too.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Did you bring her here to die?

"Did you bring her here to die?"  A comment made by a RAB about Little Sister....The DOR plans on keeping all her horses until they cross the rainbow bridge, or she does. So this question was just totally stupid.

The DOR believes that seeing a horse out well is just as important, if not more so, than bringing them along.  It is easy to love any being when they are young, athletic, and healthy.  She also finds it easy to love them when they are winding down, a time when they need that love the most.

The DOR believes that it is important to thank her horses for all they have given her.  She thinks that making sure we are well taken care of our ENTIRE life is one small way to do that.  She brought Little Sister her to thank her for a life well lived, for the gift she gave the DOR in Friend, to repay Friend in some way for the blessing he was to her life.

So in answer to the RAB and his stupid question...yes she was brought her to die-we all were really including the RAB.  Little Sister is an appy, the DOR is hoping she is like Freedom and has 20 more years to enjoy being retired and spoiled.  The DOR is hoping we all out live her.

I hope the RAB learns to value life and to appreciate other beings just because the exist, otherwise he is going to continue to be a lonely and bitter person.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Relaxed Rein

Here I am walking on a loose rein.  It has taken me a long time to train the DOR how to ride me with a loose rein without me getting a bit goofy.  The DOR says it is because I have matured, I say it is because she is more confident and not worried.  Whatever it is I like it...

I want to update you on Little Sister:

She is eating well.  She likes being on pasture 24/7 and getting mush each evening.  Little Sister will be having her feet done tomorrow.  I am glad the Dolly is so kind to older horses because Little Sister will need patience.  The entire herd will nicker her through getting her feet done and the DOR will be there to support her.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

My new BFF

The Horse Guardian moved my herd in with another herd on the hillside pasture.  It is a group of horses that we hang out with off and on throughout the year.  It is always good to be with them because they are so nice.

Yesterday the DOR and SCC moved a new horse in with us, Quincy.  I got to see Quincy when I was in the small pasture getting ready for the Buck clinic.  He is a big fancy boy who has an overload of energy.  When he got to the pasture I immediately claimed him as MINE!  He is going to be my new goofing around buddy.  The other horses are stuffy and don't want to play.  This guy wants to play, play, play and I am just the perfect horse to keep him busy.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Welome home Little Sister!

This lovely horse is Little Sister, she is Friend's mother and my distant cousin.  The DOR found her and other members of Friend's family after he passed away.  She got to meet his full siblings and both of his parents.  After meeting Little Sister, she found where his baby doll head and lovely temperament came from.  She has been working for several months to bring her home to the herd to retire.  Yesterday the DOR and Horse Guardian picked her up and brought her home.

Little Sister is the mother of National and World Champions, the daughter of a very famous horse.  She is 20, has lost some vision in her left eye, and needs TLC.  Little Sister was with a herd of 20+ brood mares and her gentle nature put her at the bottom of the herd pecking order, which got her run off food most days.  Now she has her own pasture until her weight is good and mush once a day.  Little Sister is going to live the rest of her life being pampered and loved.  I am glad she is here, I miss Friend too and she is very much like him.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Smiles

People who are around the DOR often see her smile a lot.  However, she usually has a serious look when she is riding and around her students.  So for those students out there here is a photo of her smiling.  She had a wonderful time at the Buck clinic and did a bunch of smiling while we were there.  She says that she thinks I was smiling too.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Still licking and chewing

The DOR and I are home from our big adventure.  I was the best spotted butt at the clinic.

We are doing a lot of licking and chewing about all of the things we learned.  The clinic was a life changing event for the two of us.

I am proud that the DOR did so well.  She wasn't nervous after the first day and she followed directions well. 
I was a very good boy too!  The DOR says that I have grown up to be a big boy now.

Buck also told the DOR that she has a very nice horse.  That made us both feel really good.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Buck

Today Buck met me, Boogie, for the first time.  I am sure that I dazzled him with my simple presence in the arena, not to mention my DOR training skills.  I am sure I was the best DOR trainer there!
I am so proud of how we did today!
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

New shoes!

My old farrier moved far away.  He put my first shoes on me while I was at Sun Mountain in rehab.  He was very kind and set the DOR up with a really great new farrier to take care of us.
I am going to call her Dolly because she is so kind and gentle with us.  Dolly gave me a new set of shoes for the Buck clinic.  She says I had almost worn my last pair of shoes out working in the mountains.
I am not sure If I will be posting while we are at the clinic.  We will be really busy learning lots of great things and becoming a better team.
Happy trails until I am back.
Enjoy your day (err week) and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Packing

I am packing for my trip.  I think I have everything, but you never know.

Saddle, my special blanket, treats, spare blankets, bridle, halter, grooming kit, treats, hay, water bucket, treats, mounting block for the DOR, breast collar, treats, fly spray, my special Boogie relaxing spray, treats.

I hope that the DOR get her stuff packed and ready.  I am not waiting on her and when it is time to go it is time to go.  If she is late she will be chasing us down the road on foot. 

I am getting new shoes for the event.  The DOR has decided to were a old favorite pair of boots...Oh well, at least she will have shoes on her feet too.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Trotting

Today I had the DOR working on trotting.  I know how to trot and the more I do it the better I get.  The DOR on the other hand needs to get her act together.  She looks down between my ears when I trot, that is not a good thing.  It causes her to curl up and put her heels in my side.  She then complains I am being "squirty" and the tightens on the reins, then I fuss my head and she repeats her curling.  I have found that swishing the heck out of my tail will let her know that I am frustrated with what she is doing.  She spent today sitting up straight, shoulders back, and heels off my side.  In turn I gave her several trips around the arena at a nice trot. 
I am pleased with her performance today.  She even remembered to breathe and smile.  Great progress for the day.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Quote for the week

A person who is afraid is not clear in his cues, so the horse gets confused

~John Lyons pg 31 Communicating With Cues Part I

The DOR has realized that this has been a big problem with our communication.  She has always had a bit of fear while riding me, which in turn has caused some confusion.  After our time on the mountain she found her courage again and the fear is finally gone.  Our communication is so much better now.  The only things in our way still are her worries about me keeping my feet and her micromanaging me when we are not performing a task.  I am sure the Buck clinic will sort this out once and for all.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

The thinking horse

My past behavior has shown that I am a reactive horse.  Yep I would react then think, usually when thinking was too late.  The DOR has commented several times in the past month that it seems that I now think more than react.
Today I proved she is right.

We were in the arena practicing for the clinic and playing with the soccer ball.  The ball got stuck in a corner and the DOR got a "carrot stick" to try and work it out of the corner.  Now usually getting the carrot stick off the fence would upset me, not today.  We worked together for quite a bit to get the ball unstuck with no success, but I did not get frustrated like I usually would.  The DOR then had me working on going back to the fence to put the carrot stick back-something I have never done.  As we were working on this a tractor came rolling by the arena, no big deal.  About a minute later a lady on a bike rode right by us, I kept it together.  We were working on the fence that was just across from the pasture the Icelandics were in and they were running like silly buggers...whatever.  Just as we were right about where we needed to be to hang the carrot stick up a sprinkler head blew off the line in the pasture.  Now that was too much, I blew some marbles and skittered a bit sideways.  I stopped and stared, blowing marbles, and the DOR petted me telling me how good I was.  If this had happened before my accident and all of my rehab I would have bolted, bucked, and sent the DOR to the moon.  She is so proud of the thinking horse that I have become.

Enjoy the day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

How good am I?

How good am I?  Well right after this picture was taken the DOR started to move me off and the bit fell out of my mouth due to a serious bridle malfunction (it fell apart) and I didn't go nuts.  In fact I followed the DOR's directions given with a neck rope and her seat. She was very pleased, at one time in my past this would have turned into a werehorse incident for me.

Of course the DOR has to fess up that at one time in our past this would have given her a panic attack.  I think we are doing much better.

John Lyons talks about teaching cues so that horse and rider can communicate better.  He also talks about working on one thing at a time.  Well I have been working on the "get off" cue for the DOR.  I have to say she is a very slow learner.  I line-up to the mounting block and she stays on.  I got to thinking my problem was that it is the mounting block, not the dismounting block.  When the DOR would line me up to the mounting block to get off I would wait for her to swing her leg over and then step away from the block, forcing her to drop her left stirrup and hop to the ground.  I was thinking that it would teacher her that my proximity to the "mounting" block was the cue for her to get off.  It didn't work, in fact she started making the mounting block an arena ornament that I had to work around....  So I started lining up with the rail fence for her to get off, she won't even try...

Well I am persistent, I will get her trained soon.  After all Buck will laugh me out of the arena if I can't get my rider to dismount on cue.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Force of impact

I am not sure why, maybe it was pure insanity, but the DOR decided to figure the force of her impact from when I had my werehorse incident and fractured her pelvis.  Here is what she found:
Velocity at impact 31.63 feet per second.  Force of impact 593.01 pounds. 

Wow that appears to be some giant wreck, yet still she loves me best and worked so hard for us to be able to ride together again.  I even bucked with her a bit last week and still she mounts up with a smile and enjoys the ride.

It seems she has learned forgiveness from all of the horses that she has rescued from horrible circumstances.  Horses forgive and continue to try to build relationships with humans, I am glad she has learned this lesson.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Serious training

With just a week left before the DOR and I head to the Buck Brannaman clinic there is some serious training going on.
I am working on getting my spotted rear as muscular as possible.  The DOR is still shedding pounds and working on getting her endurance up.  We are going to be ready for whatever the clinic brings...well maybe not loping.
If I don't post much in the next two weeks please be patient.  Attending this clinic is a big dream of the DOR's and I want to help make it come true in the best way possible.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Lots of successes!

The Wrestler and Mushboy went up to help the DOR and crew at RCER's Horse Daze.  They worked as the Pony Express and Outrider, they were a great help and had lots of fun.
The event raised a lot of money that will help horses throughout the year.
The DOR was especially proud of a special guest at this year's Horse Daze-Freedom's Lady.  She found herself tearing up at the wonderful little horse the wild child has become.  She also wished that Freedom had been there to see what his lady has matured to be-he would be so darn proud of her.
Free now has her own special lady, the curly haired lay, and is training to do enduance riding.  The following pictures are of Free and Paul Rogers, the rope man, at Free's first public appearance.  She did a wonderful job!
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Hope to see you here

Faux Wrangler

The DOR is home after four days on the mountain pretending to be a wrangler.  The horse that made her look good for this adventure was Stormy.  The DOR found that funny because when she was much younger she rode a strawberry roan named Stormy who lived up to his name.  The Stormy she rode on the mountain was a wonderful horse.  The only way the DOR could have done better is if I was on the mountain this time with her.

I am not sure what she was wrangling though.  Here she is holding a wounded snake.  Maybe she thought she was a snake wrangler.

She spent a lot of time watching wild life.  I bet she was trying to figure out what kind of costume to make them wear and how to get it on them.

But her favorite place to be was in the saddle with a bunch of riders.  I am glad she loved being on the mountain, she was sad to leave.  I am thrilled she is home, ready to spoil me like I should be.  Maybe next time she and I can go together.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

I won gold!!!!

The DOR was so pleased with me at the summer games that she is giving me a medal.  I have to say she is a more confident DOR and that made things nicer for me.  I also have to admit, while I poked fun at all her new gee gaws for the clinic, my new bit if the bomb!  It doesn't poke or pinch me and I like the roller on it. 
I was a rock star for the ground work.  In the obstacle course in-hand nothing bothered me...okay the car wash was a problem.  The DOR decided that she would walk beside me through it and I walked slowly an calmly, I even stopped with her in the middle of it.  I have discovered that she will never ask me to do something she wouldn't do herself or that she thinks in dangerous.
I was a good boy in the arena...I get bored in the arena.  I lead all of the horses out of the arena and out for riding tour of the obstacle course.  Then I tackled the obstacles...I completed things I have never done before.  I moved flags, before I wouldn't even let the DOR pick them up.  I played soccer, before I didn't like the ball coming at me.  In fact I love soccer now!  I was pushing the ball with my nose, side passing in the open to get the ball, and I made goooooooooals.
I showed the DOR that I can almost run backwards when it came to pulling the cow model.  I even pulled it with a young man sitting on the cow...I am sooo strong.
It was a great day for all of us.  Good friends, great successes, and lots of laughs.
The DOR is headed to Sun Mountain Riding Stables for a few days.  She is going up for some more rehab...she works on her confidence and bravery there. I am looking forward to see how far she progresses.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Summer games

Today is summer games at the ranch.  The DOR, Mushboy, and the SCC set up a new and improved obstacle course in the big pasture.  There is the car wash, hoof trap, mail delivery, black holes, critters, soccer goal, and the creature from the black lagoon....
Friends are coming over and we are having a play day.
Mushboy is making tacos and his famous DK salsa to go on them.  I promised the DOR I would behave, you see this is our first game day since my werehorse incident. I am going to be the best Boogie ever!
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

The DOR is really sick....

We have finally recieved a diagnosis of what the DOR is suffering from, there is no cure.

The entire herd is very glad she has this illness

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug our DOR!

New stuff...it isn't going to help

 This is my new bit.  I also have a new bridle, blanket, and other gee gaws.  The DOR has new boots, a fancy belt, shirts, special "Boogie" spurs (which are a waste of money as far as I am concerned).  All of this stuff for a clinic that the DOR is nervous about.
Now how is all of this stuff supposed to help her ride better?
 Will these boots help her balance better?
  If she thinks I will be a better horse with these....well she is just plain nuts, nuts I say!

 Then there is the shirt.  I think all this is going to do is give me ideas.
The DOR knows that she is going to this clinic because I told her to go.  I am insisting that she become the kind of rider that I deserve.  Until she fixes her rider issued I am going on strike.  Yep you heard it I AM ON STRIKE!!!! I refuse to have a gentle rocking horse lope with no cross-firing or the occasional frustrated buck.  DOR get your act together or you will be sorry.  All this stuff is not going to help.  Show up to Buck's clinic with your baseball hat, Hawaiian shirts, well worn boots, and your jeans that you keep having to yank up because you have lost weight-well maybe the belt is a good idea.  We have work to do, not a show.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug you DOR!