Australian Shepherd Photo Shoot - Take Two

I have been trying to get an Australian Shepherd photo shoot of my 2 Aussie's. It hasn't worked out too well. Since Aussie's are always on the go, and they don't stay still for more than a second, it can be extremely difficult to get pictures. Last weekend, while my OH and his friend were playing a game of horseshoes, I tried "take two" of the Australian Shepherd photo shoot. The dogs had been out playing all day, so I was hoping they would have less energy, and I could finally get some good pictures. Yeah right, less energy? What is this girl thinking! I was able to catch Bailey laying down, so I crawled in the grass and told him he'd better stay, if he knew what was good for him. Here's the results of our take two. I will also be critiquing my photography skills. I am still learning!

Ok, my first mistake was I didn't notice the scenery behind Bailey right away. So he has a red stake coming out of the top of his head. I didn't think the actual horseshoe pit was a bad background though.



I actually like how Sadie is laying down in the background of this photo. But there is that red stake again. At least it isn't coming right out the top of his head. Oh, and if you look really close, you will see a fly on Bailey's nose. I don't have flies out in the horse pasture, but for some reason one popped up on his face. I did notice the fly when I took the picture, eventually Bailey felt it on his nose, and wiped it off with his paw. Good dog! But eat it next time, ok? We are trying to stay fly free around here!



Now, I like how Bailey is looking towards the neighbors here. But when he turned his head, that red stake is coming out of his head again. So I had to crawl along the ground to get that darn horseshoe pit out of the background. So far Bailey is being a good Aussie, and staying. He does know what is good for him!



Bailey didn't move too much during my photo shoot. He kept his paws crossed and just moved his head from side to side, taking in everything that was going on around him.



I didn't get that absolute to die for picture I was looking for. I am just glad I got my dog to hold still for 5 minutes.



Now, Sadie is probably the worst subject to take pictures of. She would definately not make it in the professional photography world. Once I located Sadie, crawled on the ground and started taking pictures, she just wasn't cooperating. So only one of the ground level photos is going to make it here. She obviously doesn't know what is good for her!



After I drag myself off the ground, which is a very difficult thing for me to do, and sometimes I wonder if I will even make it off the ground, we all know the saying "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!" Well, that saying always comes to my mind when I have to try to get off the ground. I guess I should tell you the reason why I have a hard time getting up off the ground. My bad knees make it very difficult. Even though I've had surgery on one of my knees, I can't bend my knee all the way, and I can't get on my knees when I am on the ground, so I have to sit on my butt, but to get up from this positions requires some skill, let me tell you! I am sure it is quite the sight to see! Maybe I should have someone video tape this someday. But that would be very embarrassing.

Once I drag myself up and I am standing back on my 2 feet, Sadie decides to put her paws up on the bench.



Sadie has just recently started doing this. Than she climbs all the way up onto the bench. I am almost starting to think this could make a beer commercial, but if I had my bucket of beer on the bench, instead of the beer cooler.



Sadie decides she is going to sit and stay awhile.



Or maybe she is enjoying this view of the horseshoe game that is in progress. I have always thought my Aussie's think they are half human. They sure act like it sometimes.



Once my photo shoot is complete, I mean, I did all I could do to get them to hold still for this long, I decided to check out my roses. A couple weeks ago, my OH's mom and I finished weeding the rose flower bed, than my OH and I put bark down.



Almost all of my roses are blooming beautifully. I love the nice mix of colors we have. I did notice the aphids are eating the leaves, so looks like I better get the detergent/water mixture prepared and start spraying. I probably should have started that a long time ago. I don't have a very good green thumb. I usually kill anything and everything.



Pretty pinks, reds, whites, and yellows.



I love how this one is opened up, but the other 3 haven't yet.



I am still trying to get some good bird, chipmunk and squirrel pictures. I think those are even harder to get a photo shoot of, than one of my Aussie's!

Trailering Issues

I have been pretty lucky with my horses, that they will get right in the trailer and they haul nicely. Although Fritzy has impatient issues, and will paw when you have to stop. As long as you keep moving, she is fine.



I wanted to bring up a time, when Fritzy had trouble loading and hauling. As most of you know, we purchased Fritzy from an auction, so we didn't know a whole lot about her. When our friend came to pick her up, she loaded just fine in his 3 horse slant. We had put her in the middle stall. We didn't live far from the auction, only a few miles. After I hired my trainer, and we would go on "training" trail rides, Fritzy would load and haul just fine. I didn't think anything of it. Until I bought my trailer. We hauled her to the training barn in my new trailer. I loaded her up into the front stall. She managed the 3 mile trip just fine. The times we hauled to the trails from the training barn, was in my trainer's 6-horse slant trailer. She never had a problem. Once Fritzy came home from the training barn, we would haul her back to the barn for weekly lessons. About the second or third time we went to haul Fritzy, she started balking at loading. We'd eventually get her in the trailer. But she started freaking out in the trailer. She'd rear, thrash around, she cut her face up. I started panicking. What could be wrong? Why is she panicking at loading and hauling? We got to our lesson, and I talked to my trainer about it. Before we unloaded Fritzy, my trainer jumped into the driver seat of our truck, I went along, and my OH stayed behind, worrying about his truck, I am sure! A couple miles down the road, my trainer pulled into the fire station and went to the back of the trailer, opened the back door, opened the divider and said "let's try leaving the divider open. Maybe she has a fear issue with being up on the wall of the trailer." So we hauled back to the barn. Once there, and sitting, Fritzy had calmed down. She wasn't rearing or freaking out. So we unloaded her, had our lesson and than when my trainer went to reload her into the trailer, Fritzy panicked. She did not want to load. After about a 15 minute struggle, she got Fritzy loaded. She told me to haul her with the divider open and see what happens. She also said to load her in the middle stall in the future, or if we loaded her in the front stall, to leave the divider open.



My trainer eventually left the training barn, so I would haul to her house for lessons. Also only a 3 mile trip. If I was hauling to a lesson, I would load Fritzy in the middle stall. Guess what? All of my loading and hauling issues went away, very quickly. What we came up with was, Fritzy could not handle being up against the wall of the trailer, I am assuming she couldn't get her legs spread out enough to balance with the wall right there. Also, we came to the conclusion that when my trainer hauled Fritzy in her 6-horse, and when Fritzy was the only horse in her trailer, she never used the stall by the wall. And if she had a full trailer, she never put Fritzy up on the wall. So when I got my trailer, I didn't think anything of it, and put her in the first stall.

I am so glad my trainer was able to figure out what was going on, and quickly. It could have turned into a much worse situation. Now when we go riding, if it's just me and my OH, Brandy goes in first, than Fritzy. If my sis goes too, than her boy goes first, than Fritzy, than Brandy. I know you are supposed to put the heaviest horse in first. But we have to make an exception when it is just Fritzy and Brandy going. The Fritzter outweighs Brandy by about 300 lbs!!
My horses load like a dream. I am very comfortable loading and hauling my horses. They just jump right into the trailer. I know it isn't that way for a lot of people. I have seen so many people struggle to load their horses at the trailhead, I always wonder why they take their horses when they can't get them loaded, than I think, well, I don't know what the problem is, maybe their horse knows how to load, and doesn't feel comfortable loading in this environment. But than again, I think a lot of people force their horses into a trailer and just take the risk that they will get back in. I believe you need to take the time and get your horse comfortable loading before you even take them off your property.



My mom has issues loading her horse. When she got him, he loaded fine. His previous owner even demonstrated to my mom and sister how well he loaded, even when he arrived at the boarding stable where my mom was going to be boarding him. She can get him in a slant trailer, sometimes it can be a struggle. They have been working on it. If I lived closer to her, I would help her. I hope she can get Dusty's trailer issues resolved, quickly!

How many of you have had trailer issues? Were you able to resolve it quickly, or do you still struggle?

Somebody Has A Birthday Today!!

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Bailey, happy birthday to you!

My sweet, sweet Bailey turned 3 years old today. Even though he is no longer a puppy, he sure still acts like one!



Bailey got a bath yesterday, so he'd smell pretty for his Birthday.



He got a very large dog bone, to chew on.



He has gotten to hang out and play all day today.

I love you my dear, sweet Bailey boy!

Who Is That Riding My Horse?

You all are probably getting very bored with my trail riding posts. But this is what I have been doing lately, and I have been loving every minute of it! I have decided that I would like to ride the trails 5 days a week, seriously! Who wouldn't want to be on the back of a horse, almost everyday, doing what they love the most? But I won't be able to go trail riding that many days, than everything else would get neglected around here!

I went riding with Tracey, her daughter, Darling and my sis, Pony Girl. The weather was a little iffy. It was a little windy before we left, than the wind died down. But the clouds looked like they had a little rain in them. I was hoping it would hold off for our ride.



I took them on a new trail that my OH and I discovered the other day. It eventually brought us to this bridge, which we are familiar with.



The sky was still threatening rain and we still had a lot of riding to do! I have been caught in rainstorms many times before. It wasn't that cold. I did throw my waterproof windbreaker in my cantle bag, just in case.



After our stop at the bathrooms, the rain started. I am so thankful I brought that waterproof windbreaker! Unfortunately, the way I had my hair pulled up, I couldn't keep the hood on my head! Ok, so I wasn't totally prepared! We checked out a couple more trails, while on this trail, I didn't hear my sis say to watch out for the beehive. Before you know it, Brandy is freaking out, her head is all over, the leadrope that is tied from her halter to the saddle horn is over her face, she darts forward, and I am yelling whoa! Once I get her stopped, I get the lead rope off from over her head, and calm her down. I think Brandy got stung in the mouth or face by a bee. The rest of the way, she kept cocking her head funny, and moving her mouth weird. She would toss her head and do all sorts of abnormal stuff that she just does not do! Of course, it worried me, being the worry wort I am. But she got better down the trail, just a little agitated.

It quit raining for a bit, than started to rain again. So we took the trails that head back to the trailers. I was trying to pick trails that are in the woods, but there are only so many of them. By the time we got to the stream, it quit raining, again. Check out Steve Holt! and Sandy! Oh, I couldn't resist this picture, we have antennae ears!



Ok, now check out Steve Holt! and Sandy. Aren't those the most amazing Mustangs? Steve Holt! did not care about the water this time, he went right in and drank up!



Way in the distance is Darling, loping off with Sandy. That's Tracey and Steve Holt! in front of me.



After we get back to the trailers, we talked for awhile. Here is Darling with her beautiful Mustang, Sandy. They have had Sandy for a year now. Isn't he gorgeous?



Here is the beautiful, Steve Holt! He has only been ridden for 6 months. He handles the trails better than my domesticated horses!



Brandy taking a well needed break at the trailer.



And here is Pony Girl, riding my horse! She has only ridden Fritzy one time, a long time ago.
Unfortunately her boy lost a shoe, so she couldn't bring him along for the ride. Good thing I have an extra horse! It's different seeing her on a black and white, isn't it?



The sun has made its return today. So I have already cleaned out the poo from my horse trailer, mowed the lawn, brushed Sadie, and after lunch I will be bathing the crazy Aussies, oh boy, do I have my work cut out for me! Tonight we have friends coming over, tomorrow the neighbors are throwing one of their famous BBQ's, and hopefully I can hit the trails again, on Sunday!

Amazing Ride!!!

My OH and I went on an absolutely amazing trail ride! I had to almost beg him to go, he wanted too, but he was very tired from working all day, which I can understand. I told him once he got out there, he'd be so happy he went. And boy, was he ever happy that he did! Brandy started out really spooky and jumpy again, not sure what has gotten under her skin, but she eventually settled in quite well. We even were in the lead most of the way! Brandy was really into blazing the trails! She was loving every minute of it. What I love so much about Brandy, is she has spunk and she always challenges me. We always work through the challenges. I think I'd get bored on a horse that just plods along. Maybe this just goes back to my youth, when I wanted to ride the spunkiest horse I could get my hands on. I am always up to a challenge.

We tried new trails again. It was cool how the new trails, took us to trails that we actually know. One of our goals this summer, is to blaze as many trails we can. New and old. Here's Brandy in her spookier beginning. She was determined to get a spook from every stump. That's fine with me, at least she can work out her issue with stumps, or maybe not.



I feel like I am riding in a rain forest, sometimes. We have so many trails, and they are all so different. I feel like we are in a rain forest, than we are out on a gravel road, than we are in a clear cut, than we are going up and down through gullies, than we go over bridges, you get the idea. But that is the whole point of trail riding, you always have to expect the unexpected!




Rain forest, to gravel road. Than we hit a really fun trail. I can only take pictures so often, it depends on how Brandy is doing. I actually will make her stop sometimes, so I can take a picture. I don't always feel comfortable holding my camera, taking a picture and riding at the same time. You never know when Brandy will decide she wants to spook. A butterfly could fly by and she'd spook. I would be devastated if I dropped my camera. Plus, she doesn't neck rein, so one handed steering can be really tough at times.



After some new trail expeditions, I let my OH take pictures of me and Brandy. I think I need to give him a lesson in picture taking. Like centering the object, so you get the whole object, I mean, I am not a professional photographer, but I do like my pictures centered as much as possible! Here I wouldn't have cut off Brandy's butt. I would have gotten her whole body, and not as much of the hitching post.



In this picture, I wish he would have zoomed in, to get a closer shot of me and Brandy. She was being a lover here. I could have cropped it, or done something to zoom in after the fact, but I prefer my photos to be shown how they were taken. Ok, enough critiquing my OH!



We decided to go through the gully. I don't know if that is what it is called, but that is what I am going to call it. You ride down a steep hill, to where you ride up a steep hill. We've done this one before, but it has been a long time. It wasn't as scary as I remembered it to be!



I asked my OH to stop before we started to go up, so I could take a picture, than I had to put the camera away. This is one of those moments where I don't feel comfortable holding my camera and trying to navigate a steep hill with Brandy, one handed.



From where we stopped, this is the view. We have to go back down, than climb back up. I know you can hardly see the trail. There is a trail there, really!



I just gave the ok for my OH to go ahead, as I hurry to take a picture than put my camera away. We are really far down in this gully. I know you can't really tell in the picture!


This is when we got to the top. The trail you see, is where we just came out of.



This is a view looking back down where we were, well, part of it anyways. You can't see the hill we just climbed. The trail you see is actually a down hill trail.



This is a closer view of the above picture.



We continued through the clear cut. The view and terrain is amazing. I just love it!



Last summer, this really was a clear cut. Now look at all the trees growing up!



As we ride along this trail, there are steep gullies all over. One wrong step, and you could end up in never never land. Seriously. Not sure what is down there. I really don't want to know.



Continuing on through the clear cut.

I could not get enough pictures of the scenery.



Another gully, although this one is not as deep as the others.



I know all the pictures must look the same, but to me they are just breathtaking!



This is where the story gets good. I know, I know! Why did I make you read all of that before the good part! Gotta save the suspense for the end, ya know! This sandy trail we are on, is very long. My OH wanted to trot through here. I said fine. Now what happens next, I do not usually do, actually I have never done this with Brandy and Fritzy on the trail. I asked my OH if he wanted to lope. Remember, my OH has never loped a horse before, ever! So I had Brandy lope, and I look behind me, and Fritzy is going into her very fast trot, the one where she should just lope because it would be so much easier for her! So I stopped Brandy and said, "Ok, what you need to do is squeeze with your legs and kiss to her, she should go right into the lope". So we try again, I look back and I see the biggest smile on my OH's face, ever! He got Fritzy to lope and he was lovin' it! So I stopped to check on him, and asked if he wanted to do it again. He said yes. So we loped off and on on this long, sandy stretch of trail!



My OH was so excited that he loped for the first time, he had to call my trainer, M, to tell her. She was very excited and got a good laugh at one of his comments, which I can't mention here. Anyways, we had such an amazing time out on the trails.

Tracey, from Mustang Diaries, my sis and I are going riding next. I hope the weather holds out. I think it's supposed too. I am hoping to spend a couple days a week on the trails, while I am unemployed. This makes me one very happy girl!