Weekend Coffee Share; June 26, 2020

On June 26, 2020 By dprastkaIn blogging, Horse stories, weekend coffee share24 Comments

**Weekend Coffee share is a time for us to take a break out of our busy lives and enjoy some time catching up with friends (old and new). Please grab a cup of coffee or tea and share with us!**

Welcome to my coffee share, can I get you a strong cup of coffee? or maybe some tea? I am having ice tea as I am getting an early start to this weekend and its rather warm out so ice tea is very quenching right now. As this week ends I am realizing it has been 2 months since I moved my horses to a new stables. I live in Horse town USA (It really is what our small town is proud of with over a hundred miles of horse trails all over town). There are a ton of stables, too many to count but that being said I had decided to move across town to a bigger place with more amenities. I can’t believe 2 months have passed! WOW! Time flies!

The horses have settled in really well. I did have one little hiccup with the hay I chose for Chloe that she ended up not liking. This new stables offers 5 different types of hay. She has lost some weight which isn’t a bad thing as she’s a big girl, but I think she was getting an ulcer from this hay and so I had them switch it out with what she is use to and she is much better now. Zack I didn’t change any hay when I moved him so he is doing well and I like his weight. Chloe may gain weight, I don’t want her to get too heavy as they can get something similar to diabetes called Insulin resistance which can cause many metabolic problems. Zack has this Insulin resistance, so I have to watch his weight and what he eats. It makes me very happy to see them thrive and enjoy where they now live. 😀

*This is the front of their stalls. They are nice and big*

I have to say that I personally have settled in as well. I had many regrets after I moved the horses leaving many friends and I found that change is hard. I think change is harder than we think and sometimes we just want “normal” back, even if that normal had some underlying emotional strain. I had some issues at the old stables, some things that happened in the past that left some wounds. Wounds do heal, but I just felt that it was a good time to try something new and change things up and boy, that’s exactly what my girlfriend and I did, changed things up! We are finding our groove and a new routine. I am enjoying our new stable digs! ❤

I have one last thing I need to accomplish and as we get into July I want to go out on the trail by myself with both my horses. I have only gone out on the trail with my girlfriend and her horse Gracie at this new stables. I have confidence that my ponies will be just fine together without my girlfriend, and it’s important to me that I give this a try as there are days my girlfriend is working and I LOVE the trails so I need to get out there and my world will be complete. Just a goal I would like to complete sometime in the near future. They needed time to get use to all the new things out on these trails on the other side of town. My horses have had plenty of time to settle in, and I am settling in too!

I usually try and have a segue into the next subject, the photos will have to do as I really wanted to share the kitty photos. The boys are the ones that are probably in baby Teddy’s bassinet more than the baby, aren’t they silly and my family in Arizona provides me their photos. These kitties live there. Duchess and Dinah are with us and they are the best girls. They are sisters and the boys are brothers for those who are new to my blog posts. I’ve posted many photos of these kitties, they bring us much joy and happiness! Thank you for visiting and having coffee or tea with me today.

Have a wonderful weekend!

~Diana ❤

My Weekly Smile; April 29, 2020

On April 29, 2020 By dprastkaIn Living life, weekly smile12 Comments

I have a lot to smile about as this week is half over and last week I was so busy I was not able to write my weekly smile. So this weeks smile will include what I was working on last week. It has been a whirlwind of events as my girlfriend and I have moved our horses to a new stable in our horse town in Norco, CA. While we were preparing the stalls at the new stables we needed some shade cloth that we put up in front of the stalls to help shade and keep our shavings from blowing away when it gets windy. While at Lowe’s I decided to buy some plants/veggie starts to plant in my containers. I am so happy I finally was able to get my tiny garden planted, so I have two things to SMILE about this week! YAY! 😀 😀 😀

*My veggies if they survive and the bunnies don’t jump in and eat them!*

*Pretty flowering perennial’s in another container!*

*My third container I put a Calla lily and Iris. I will split them up as I have a fourth container if it gets too crowded for them.*

I Love to garden partly because I am outdoors and I am a neophyte learning as I go with gardening and just try the best I can and sometimes I have a green thumb, and sometimes not so much. I try to fit so much into my busy schedule – working full-time – owning two horses and dogs, cats a house to clean – oh my, I am getting tired thinking about it all! Then I add gardening which takes care and some love or it will not do well. It so makes me smile when I go out and see the flowers bloom and/or the tomatoes grow! I will keep you posted now and again on how my tiny garden grows!

*They are enjoying a turn out at the new ranch!*

*My girlfriends horse Gracie and behind her Miss Chloe walking around and checking things out!*

We were able to spend as many days as we needed to fix up the new stalls at the new ranch. We moved some railroad ties to the front of the stall with some shade cloth to help keep the shavings on the ground from blowing through the pipes and out into the aisle or another stall. We will still lose some shavings probably but this will help keep a lot in our stalls. We get winds here that are very strong called the Santa Ana Winds! So it was worth all the work we put in and am grateful the stalls were empty so we could work on them. We moved a week early after putting in our 30 day notice where we were, mostly because my girlfriend and I were able to take extra days off of work. (We are essential workers in the medical field).

We moved because my girlfriend really needed more shade for her horse as she has aged, she has some sun sensitivities and with my two horses I should be able to save a few dollars. I wanted to help her out and this place is a nice place and sometimes it is just nice to change it up! I Love the stables I was at, there are always pros and cons at any facility and I will not go into all of that here. I think sometimes a change is needed, enough said on that subject! We now need to give the horses time to settle in and they are doing just that! ❤

*Miss Chloe is such a good girl and I am so blessed to have her, love her so much!*

Thank you for visiting my smile and I hope you are all doing well. I am so enjoying my tiny garden and my horses as they get acclimated. I like how they can look out over their stalls at this new place! The old place is nice but the pens have a link fencing that they can’t look out over the doors or fencing. It’s just a nice change and they can even scratch each others back if they wanted too. I hope you all have a great rest of your week!

Happy Gardening Cowgirl!

~Diana ❤

Weekend Coffee Share; Keeping Busy!

On April 20, 2020 By dprastkaIn Barn stories, Living life, weekend coffee share15 Comments

This last weekend came and went like a whirlwind for me and I so wanted to participate in the Weekend Coffee Share and decided to call this the weekend wrap up. At this point it may be a little late to offer you coffee and for me it is lunch here. Can I get you some Ice Tea? or maybe some lemonade? I am a tea drinker and prefer tea over lemonade, or maybe we can mix it and make it an Arnold Palmer!! I ate breakfast so it will have to be lunch, sandwich with potato salad for me, can I make you the same? Sounds yummy. 😀

I wanted to share some photos as I always do and I also am going to just go through my weekend and the fun I had as you know I am always mixing it up with my crafting and horse back riding. The first photo is of a project I am working on for my sister. I am thinking of making a bunch of these as gifts as they stitch together easily and I am so happy I finished one! On to the second one, after I tie up and stitch in the ends! They come in a pair! SO FUN! 😀

*Finger-less mittens. I know it’s Spring now, but they will come in handy this next winter!*

I also finished another baby blanket for my nephew and his wife. Their baby is due in May. Here is a photo, look familiar? I made the same one for my grandson, only I chose a different blue so no two are alike, that’s how I roll! I have to personalize them. This baby blanket stitches up fast. So fast I may make more in different colors and sell them at the local craft fair!

*I used a baby blue for baby Teddy (my grandson). I Love this too! Lots of boys this year adding to the family tree!*

I stitch at home in the afternoons before I have to sleep. Since I work night shift I need to have some down time so I crochet while I watch some TV. Usually I am watching recorded cooking shows, I am really into them and like the competition shows the best. I feel like an old lady saying that, but oh well, I’m probably an old lady! HAHA! I watch other shows too…. some news but that gets old after awhile and there’s other recorded drama shows my hubby and I watch together. Holy smokes, how did I get on that subject! So silly. On to my weekend, and I really wanted to share a few photos from my trail ride. 😀

*My best friend on Gracie, the chestnut and I am riding Miss Chloe and ponying Zack!*

We were heading back to the barn when another best friend was heading out and saw us and stopped and took a couple of photos of us coming in and I am so thankful for these photos as I am terrible about asking someone to take them of me riding! AND we have our masks on too, so it will be our photos to look back on during a pandemic! CRAZY DAYS! Our friends at the stables call each other pony sister’s, so Thank You Jane, my pony sister for these wonderful photos. ❤

*Zack looks like he’s thinking, are we done now? We went for a longer ride so I think he is tired!*

*I gave Chloe a bath after my ride this weekend! She is SO SWEET!!*

After our ride I cleaned up Zack and put him away and then gave Miss Chloe a bath. I really need to give Zack a bath and am waiting until it warms up this week. By Thursday it will be in the 90’s (32 Celsius) so I will give him a bath then as he takes longer to dry. His coat isn’t as short as Chloe’s and I would like it to be nice and warm for him since he is a bit older.

As I wrap this up I have all these thoughts running through my head. I usually try hard to write my blog with a theme, whether it be my horses, or my family or sometimes just my crafting. I think I’ve mixed my crafting and horses often as I do take the most photos of these two things. I am finding that my mind is kind of all over the place, probably because our every day lives are a bit tenuous, and that is probably an understatement. I want to stay positive and keep this post about the weekend, I think you all won’t mind. 😀

These two brothers are just amazing to me. How can you not say – AWWW! Sending my hugs like these two kitties, from my house to yours!

Happy thoughts, Happy Loving Cowgirl,

~Diana

Weekend Coffee Share; Spring Trail Rides!

On March 28, 2020March 29, 2020 By dprastkaIn Barn stories, Horse stories, Living life, weekend coffee share27 Comments

I am really happy it is Spring! The weather is warming up a little bit. As a matter of fact, the weather here where I live is actually PERFECT right now and has been for the last few weeks. Other than the rainy days, the temps outside are so nice. It has been in the 60’s most days which is so comfortable. The horses don’t get too hot after a ride and the fly’s at the stables are not bad, still asleep or whatever they do when it is cool outside. The fly’s are terrible in the heat, as that is when they are most active. Sorry about going on about bugs, and the only ones we really complain about at the stables are the fly’s. Mosquitoes don’t come around until Summer, and they aren’t bad here either. We are looking at temps in the 60’s into next week where it will start to warm up into the 80’s by end of week. Great trail riding weather! Can I get you another cup of your favorite drink? I wanted to share the last two days, riding in the best weather! 😀

*Let’s get ready for our trail ride Zack!*

*Come on Chloe! Let’s go for a ride. Today it will be just Chloe, Zack and I on the trail.*

*This is our tie rail where I am tacking up Chloe. My saddle is on her and Zack waiting with his trail boots on for our ride. They are well behaved and tie well.*

You know I have to take a lot of photos of getting ready for our trail ride! I think Zack’s tail looks so beautiful. I make sure to keep it clean and it’s not hard. I just brush it every day! 😀

I ride Chloe and pony Zack which means that he walks with a lead line next to Chloe and I control him by keeping her by her side with his lead rope. He LOVES Chloe, and willingly walks along side her and my horses now have months of training on the trials riding side by side. I am so very proud of them and proud of myself going out and getting trail miles. It’s so fun riding with these two ponies. It is such joy to be outside listening to the birds sing and seeing the spring flowers bloom.

*I had to take this photo quickly as I have a lot of ropes in my hands. Not the best photo but still wanted to share!*

*I am using cross-ties which is where we have hoses so we can wash them off if needed. I just washed their legs today. They are all done today, my pretty ponies!* ❤

I am enjoying my weekend as I got to ride the next day with my girlfriend and her horse Gracie. I told my girlfriend I wanted to ride to River Rd. where I can get a great view of our local mountains. The last of the snow for this season is about to melt away from the last storm that blew through. I will share a photo I took of Mt. Baldy. I’ve shared this mountain before and its snow peaks, just trying to get all I can get outside this weekend. How is your weekend going? I know we all are staying home, I am lucky to be just over a mile from my stables. And our stables is open, lot’s of space and am thankful for my trail rides. It is the best therapy in the world, at least in my world.

*The last of the snow on our local mountains. This is Mt. Baldy! All the trees in the foreground is the Santa Ana Riverbed. There are a lot of trails in the riverbed.*

*My girlfriend on Gracie and I on the trail! We are on River Rd after I took my mountain photo!*

Thank you for visiting and am always so happy to hear from you. Drop me a comment or two if you feel so inclined. I always love hearing how you all are doing. My life has not really changed too much, mostly eating out is gone for now, but everything else is good. I am so thankful I can get outside not only for walks but also for my trail rides. ❤ ❤ ❤

Stay safe, stay strong! AND don’t touch your face, and always wash your hands!

Love, Diana 😀

Weekend Coffee Share; Horses and More…

On March 20, 2020 By dprastkaIn Living life, Smiles, weekend coffee share14 Comments

Weekend Coffee share is a time for us to take a break out of our busy lives and enjoy some time catching up with friends (old and new). Please grab a cup of coffee or tea and share with us! What’s been going on in your life? It’s been crazy in this world, right?

I wrote the above last weekend and I think the craziness is even crazier than ever. We are not only worried about getting sick but we are worried about our economy and how hard hit we all are going to be. At least I am worried about all of this as we had plans on getting the house on the market to sell and move to Arizona. That has all been put on hold for now and maybe, just maybe we will bounce back faster than I think but I may be dreaming. We are working as we speak on our house, new paint inside!

I forgot to offer you some coffee or tea, I have both with my favorite creamer, Italian Sweet Cream! Or you may want some ice tea? I have green tea! We went to the grocery store and it seems like we keep going back to fill our kitchen with food. My hubby usually does the shopping and he went with my son and this last week was able to get some meat we froze. But he doesn’t think like me and I felt like our cupboards were fairly bare. I know what I need for some good old comfort food and needed some canned soups for easy sauces in the crock pot and frozen veggies. I bought some fresh veggies too, that I will chop up and freeze for future use and some dried package goods. The one thing I thought I had at home was flour, so I bought more sugar! YIKES, when I got home I am almost out of flour! AND now I have a ton of sugar. UGH! 😀

There was only 1 bag of flour left at the grocery store. I wish I had grabbed it but thought no, I have an extra bag at home. But I didn’t actually check it at home this is just my memory. Darn memory, WRONG! Lol 😀 I can’t believe how frustrated I was that I am almost out of flour and I am sure that store was out since there was only one bag. FRUSTRATING, I can’t believe I am writing a blog post about flour and how scarce it is…. crazy days!

I put together a box to mail for my kids in Arizona, my baby blanket I made for baby Teddy, the cute Hawaiian shirt I bought for Alice plus a few more gifts for Alice. Once we got the box together and mailed it we stopped by a different grocery store. NOPE! That store was completely out of flour! Darn it all…. the frustrations are real. But I know they will restock, just crazy that stores are completely out of so many things. I pray it’s not the new norm!

I wasn’t planning on writing all about this stuff but it is what we are facing and each day is something different and new. What has happened in one week is AMAZING! But we will survive. I am going to dedicate the rest of this post to my photos. I just can’t help myself. The stables is a place I can go and feel safe and be outside with my horses! They just make me smile and laugh, LOVE IT THERE! ❤ ❤ ❤

*It has rained a lot this week so we still have a small lake in the arena! My ponies love this water!*

*Haha, caught her licking the water. Not the first time! Silly pony!*

How is your coffee or tea? Need a refill? I have toast or crackers. I was able to buy cream cheese to go on the crackers and its really good with my hot sweet pepper jelly. YUMMY! I can’t believe how obsessed I have been this last week about food. In my head, I am thinking the good ole USA should not run out of food. AND I hope I am right, right? But the anxious part of me looks in my cupboards and think go buy more food! I have worried about my ponies food too. I am writing this trying to calm my fears, as this has been a rather fearful week. What is HAPPENING!!!

*My girl Chloe! Look at the clouds! Lots of weather this week. RAIN! lots of rain!*

It’s been a rainy week, seems like it will never stop. I am always saying we need the rain. I LOVE seeing the sun as the sun is warmth, and makes me smile. Somehow it makes me feel better. I am anxious for some sun which we may not see for another week. More rain predicted next week and then maybe it will start to warm up and feel like Spring. I am literally typing what is running through my mind this weekend. I guess that is how I usually write, but I always try to stay positive and write uplifting (hopefully) FUN posts.

I always try and put a positive spin on even the most dire situations. I think we need to somehow find the good, even in uncertainty. I try and won’t stop trying to see the good and some of this seems silly, like not finding flour…. but its reality! I am trying to smile, and some of this is almost laughable, but its the truth. Hoping maybe I am bringing a little smile to you as well! 😀

I enjoyed having coffee with you today. I hope in your part of the world you are able to get what you need and are able to stay safe with what ever protocols are put in place. I pray for all who are affected with the virus and I am hoping next weeks coffee share we will be at a different place, a better place!! Take care and stay safe. ❤

Staying Strong, hopeful and am thankful!

~Diana ❤

My Weekly Smile; March 18, 2020

On March 18, 2020 By dprastkaIn Family is important, Living life, weekly smile6 Comments

*Some early blooms which makes me smile!*

Welcome to my weekly smile. I want to keep smiling even though I am finding it more and more difficult each day. We are facing something no one could imagine except for maybe all the scientists out there that have been predicting this very thing. I have listened to some very good podcasts which have featured some renowned scientists, but it still doesn’t ease ones worry. So I need to stay positive and see how each day unfolds. For now I want to smile. I think trying to smile about one thing a day helps keep our chins up, and hopefully makes it ease the worries. 😀

*Mt Baldy snow covered peaks. The rain brought snow in our local mountains!*

I went for my walk this morning and it was a chilly 46 degrees with wind bringing it down close to 40 so I did not walk as long as usual. But as I walked by this park close to my house the view was stunning! I do wish at these times I had a better camera, but I walked into the park to take this photo above. It was really gloomy out with the cold wind and clouds, but looking at the mountains you can see the sun hitting the mountain range off to the far left of the photo. In person it almost glowed since the sun shimmered off the snow caps of this range. It got me thinking as I walked this morning that I made the right decision to stay home. I was to travel today, it was just not going to happen. It is too crazy out there and I want my family to stay safe. Traveling today is not a good idea.

*My little grandson! I miss seeing him but I know more importantly is to see that my family is safe!* ❤

*Missing her SO MUCH! Love this photo! Will see her hopefully next month! or?*

The photos make me SMILE! I love my family so very much and it just didn’t make sense to visit during these trying times. I woke up Monday night and went to work and thought my throat felt scratchy. I feel fine now and maybe it was just stress, paranoia I know can make you think you are sick, and I was so worried I would drive to Phoenix and bring something with me to my family there. I would just die if I brought to them any kind of virus, corona or any other flu. I feel fine today. I am home resting and am taking these days off by taking care of things around the house I often neglect. I pray for everyone, and especially that all of my family near and far stay safe. AND if any one of them gets sick, I hope it will be mild.

*My ponies today! They always make me smile! I need all the smiles I can get these days!!*

*What a handsome boy! He is standing perfectly for this photo!! He also looks pretty good for being 23 years old!* 😀 😀 😀

I really wanted to share my smile for this week. I always get such warm and loud welcomes when I come to the barn as my horses recognize me walking in and whinny! I just love hearing them and they are always waiting at their gate waiting to come out for some fun. They really make me smile. What makes you smile? I am sure there must be something, at least one thing? I have filled my smile today with pretty blooms, beautiful mountains, my most precious grand-babies and my bestest friends, my horses! Stay safe out there!!

Lovingly,

-Diana ❤

Walking and Horsey Stuff!

On March 11, 2020 By dprastkaIn Barn stories, Horse stories, Living life, Walking for Health and Well being6 Comments

*This mornings sunrise! Walking for health and well being.*

I wake up feeling a bit stiff. I stretch and stretch again and can’t wait to walk. I am writing this to keep myself accountable because I want to walk every day, but I don’t. When I am working I am walking and I walk when I am at the barn but that is not what I am talking about. I want to walk miles, but my busy life makes walking miles challenging! How do you fit exercise into your schedule? I LOVE the endorphins from exercise, I think I would be an exercise addict if I didn’t own horses, or LOVE crochet and the other things that block my way, like work and my crazy schedule. 😀

So I am writing this to encourage myself. Haha, maybe I may encourage you too! The stretching I did after my walk after my synovial fluids were warmed up (they say it takes 20 minutes for your synovial fluids to flow and lubricate your joints, this goes for horses and all animals so consider a good warm up as you exercise!) that stretching felt SO GOOD! I am feeling my age these days and if you do not stretch, DO IT! I can’t tell you how tight your muscles get, whether you are sitting all day or standing a lot. I can’t tell you how much better you’ll feel if you add stretching to your daily routine. I am no exercise guru, just an average Grandma/Mom and am feeling great and adding this to my routine has really changed my life. I never thought stretching and walking could make me feel so GOOD! YAY!

I do get exercise at the barn with my horses. I get upper body work out with the pitch fork and raking. I also carry bags of grain and shavings. I lift my saddle (a saddle can weigh from 10 – 60 lbs) my western saddle probably weighs between 30 – 40 lbs as it is a flex tree and is lighter than the average western saddle, my English around 20 lbs. I have never weighed them but that is another upper body work out. AND brushing (grooming) my horses, definitely a good upper body work out! This is my outside gym! ❤

*My grooming helps them shine! This is from last weekend after a beautiful trail ride!*

*Zack to my left (really my right) and Chloe as I walk them to their stalls!*

My girlfriend at the stables was walking up the aisle as I was walking my horses together back to their stalls after my ride. She said “whoa” HAHA! and I realized she meant for me to stop as she pulled out her phone to take some photos. THANK YOU! I don’t have many photos of myself with my ponies. I just LOVE THEM!! I am going to share a few more as I so adore my Equine friends. I am so blessed and truly thankful I can have these beautiful animals. They really listen to me and we have such a good time together.

As I walk both of them I have learned that keeping their feet moving is the best way to get from point A to point B. You see they are 1,000 lbs and are very strong and they know their strength. Yes, they are compliant most of the time, and while leading them if I let them put their head down and take a bite of grass, it is all over. They are too strong for me to pull their heads up one arm at a time! Haha, they are not bad, they just act like they are starving and that they must eat the grass. So if I keep their heads up and don’t let the lead line get too long, especially walking both together I am good! Silly ponies!

*I just LOVE this photo, such pretty horses!*

Uh Oh! I need to move their feet! Zack wants to eat, and Chloe too! If they get the upper edge I just leave one to eat and take the other to the stall. No use fighting or pulling and not winning the grazing need.

As I walked into the tack room yesterday and with all the rain I noticed all the leather smells in the tack room. I think when it rains it really makes the Earth smells a bit stronger, don’t you think? That smell of leather is just wonderful. Have you ever walked into a tack store with all the leather and its smell? I do know that you can walk into a stable or even a petting zoo and I know you can smell the animals, right? I just LOVE the barn smell, all the hay and horses! but I get use to that smell so I only smell it when I am away and then return. Maybe some may not like it, but I can’t believe people wouldn’t like the smell of leather. This got me thinking about ALL the leather stuff I own. I wonder why when you own a horse (or two!) ALL the amount of stuff you accumulate. I have enough horsey stuff for probably 4 horses, hehe, maybe my hubby will let me get another horse!!

*This is a peek into our tack room at our stables. Oh the WONDERFUL Leather smell today!*

This photo is all my horsey stuff! There is the 3 tree tier to the left and the 3 tree tier to the right. YUP! It all belongs to me, except for 2 saddles which one is my friends and the other is my sister’s. I have to admit, my sister did leave me a bunch of things when I adopted Zack. 😀

These are my 3 saddles. The top saddle is over 40 years old and is my original English jumping saddle. It is called a Crosby and can still be used today. The middle saddle I bought used at a yard sale for $250 about 10 years ago (good deal) a nice riding English saddle. The bottom saddle is my western trail saddle. I bought it barely used for $750 (good deal) it has served me well and is very comfortable!

As you can see us horse people NEED a lot of horsey stuff to ride with and to take care of our beautiful horses! In that white bucket near my saddle tree is horse treats. I have to keep them in plastic so that I don’t invite mice and/or rats into the tack room. I like giving my horses treats after my ride and since they are not suppose to eat carrots (too much sugar) these horse treats made for horses are a good substitute to carrots or apples. I have many bridles, bits for bridles, leg wraps, clippers oh my, so many things. I decided that it is a good idea to have these photos and thought it fun to share. Just in case I see anything missing (we haven’t had any issues with theft) but it always a good idea to have these kinds of photos!

I have so enjoyed sharing with you today my need to hold myself accountable and to share my horses and all the fun I have with them. I am thinking I may go through all my horsey stuff and pull out items I can sell. We have a wonderful store here in town called Thrifty Horse, and you can bring them items you can sell, a horse consignment store. Its great as you can find things used and cheaper there and/or sell things you’ve collected and don’t need any more. With these rainy days, this week would be a good week to do some Spring cleaning! I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Walking and Horse Loving Grandma!

~Diana

Trail Riding Adventures!

On January 9, 2020 By dprastkaIn Barn stories, Horse stories, Living life10 Comments

*Love this view!! Looking between the ears of my mighty steed!* ❤

I started writing this blog because of my love for my horses! As the title states I definitely want to share my life but I don’t want to forget about my horse stories and so I wanted to get back to sharing my beautiful horses. I have a fun story to share, it really wasn’t scary, I suppose it could have gone awry but my calm and well trained horses took everything in stride. And the key to a great outcome is I didn’t get nervous or show fear, I was more like “really? did this just happen? “

I was out on the trail with my best friend who was riding her horse Gracie. I was riding Chloe and Zack was at her side as I was ponying him on this ride. We crossed a busy street and as we were walking along the trail and talking, I noticed that the lead rope on Zack had slipped under the front of my stirrup and went under my leg back to his head. He was walking by Chloe’s side (on my right side) and I thought this is not good, as I now have no control over his head. So I told Sally I have to stop to fix this rope and I said “Whoa” to Chloe and pulled back on her reins. As I pulled the reins, SNAP! my left rein just pulled off of her bit and I now had only one rein controlling her head!! OH NO!

*Zack walking along and you can see the blue and black lead rope which went under my right leg on the stirrup of my saddle!*

As I pulled Chloe’s right rein to stop I hopped off of her as fast as I could because I had no control to speak of, just turning her would not last and I have Zack to think about also. Oh dear, as I look at my rein I could see right away what happened. The leather that keeps the reins attached to the bit is called a “water loop” and the small leather pieces that ties it onto the rein had come untied! As Sally sat on her mare watching me work on the rein, she told me Zack is lose on the other side of Chloe! “What? Oh no!” BUT he just put his head down close by her and was eating some weeds and grass. I went to the other side of Chloe and took the lead rope which fell from behind the stirrup and I put it around my saddle horn. I just looped it around a couple times because I wanted to get that darn rein tied back onto Chloe’s bit!

This is a photo to show the reins coming from her bit. They are tied on and I never thought in a million years that these leather pieces would come untied! THEY DO! This is not from the day in my story as I had no time or inclination to take any photos as things unfolded!

I was very thankful that I had not lost the leather piece that needed to get threaded back through the holes in the reins and retied. I checked the other side and sure enough it had come untied once. These leather pieces are in triple knots and over time these knots loosen and come untied! YIKES! I am learning, CHECK YOUR TACK before you ride. I purposely do not have these screws that can hold your leather together. In western gear, these screws are called Chicago screws and once they come unscrewed and fall, they can be hard to find. I suppose you could carry extra, but then you would need to carry a screw driver to tighten them. English gear just has buckles, very small like how you would buckle a belt around your waist, but they can break too…. I have had a thin leather english rein break riding Chloe years ago, same scenario only I was just riding her and did not have another horse with me.

After I attached the rein, I lead the horses to a fence that runs along the trail so I could step up on a rail to get on Chloe. She is tall so a little step up is nice if one is around. As I was walking my girlfriend says “Zack is lose again!” DARN IT ALL! the rope which was just looped around my saddle horn slipped off and he was just walking over to eat again! Haha, I have to laugh, because in the end it was rather comical and I am so thankful nothing bad happened. I slip knot tied his rope back on the saddle horn, led Chloe to the fence and once on we just rode down the trail like nothing happened!! I know all the non-horse people out there may not be able to picture what happened, but I am sure thankful for very calm trail ponies!!

*She is the BEST EVER Trail Pony! Miss Chloe is so calm, I LOVE her so much!*

*Chloe and I, my girl, she is the sweetest horse I have ever owned!!!*

*Zack is so silly, he would not open his eyes! He probably didn’t like the rim of my hat. HAHA! I have to share anyways!*

*He is a goof ball. This is him begging for a treat! Silly boy!*

I enjoyed sharing my trail fiasco as anything can happen and am very thankful my girlfriend was with me as I was so busy attending to Chloe and the reins I could not keep an eye on Zack. I may have been more nervous or upset if I had been by myself when all of this happened. I just know that remaining calm in a sticky situation is key to a much better outcome! How do you handle problems that arise that are out of your control, until you can get things back in control again?? Haha, that was a really long question. I hope you enjoyed my trail story. I have SO MUCH FUN with these horses. They bring me much joy and happiness. ❤ ❤ ❤

Crazy horse loving cowgirl!

~Diana

My Weekly Smile; Dec. 4, 2019

On December 4, 2019 By dprastkaIn Barn stories, Family is important, weekly smile10 Comments

*What makes you smile? This is my weekly smile hosted by my blogging friend Trent! Thank you Trent as I just Love to share and to see everyone’s Smile!*

I am so excited about my weekly smile as I have been very lucky and thankful to be smiling as I got a lot of trail riding in this last week. My sister Sharon who lives up in Idaho was here visiting over Thanksgiving weekend! Her youngest son lives here and was unable to go home for Thanksgiving so she decided to come here and we had such a wonderful visit. Sisters just love to chat and we were able to catch up on the happenings of our year, and we were able to catch up with my best friend Sally who is like a sister to us and it was a packed, fun-filled weekend! I am smiling from ear to ear!! 😀 😀 😀

*My sister riding Zack. He was her horse for many years and I adopted him when she moved north. It was great FUN to all be riding together again!*

My best friend Sally riding Gracie with us and this is after a couple of days of heavy rain which we need but makes owning a horse interesting as we try and keep some dry spots for them in their stalls with partial roofs!

*This rain storm was a very cold storm and brought snow down to the 1,000 foot level. Our local mountains you can see in the background are covered in beautiful snow!*

We chatted and chatted on our trail rides, so much fun and much like getting together with your friends over lunch. Our trail ponies are so relaxed and trail savvy that we can really enjoy each others company and not worry about our ponies. We do pay attention to our riding, I guess what I am trying to say is we’ve been riding these trails for so many years that the ponies are great and we just have a grand time together! I miss these days with my sister and am so very thankful for her visits and cherish every moment! ❤ ❤ ❤

*Best view ever through the ears of my horse!*

*My best friend with her horse Gracie! How can you not SMILE!* 😀

*Thank you Sharon for making this Thanksgiving so wonderful! My sister with Gracie, Love my friends and family!*

Thank you for sharing my smile with me this week. What made you smile? I am so thankful that we were able to enjoy our trail rides even with the weather. The trails dry very fast and have great footing so we do not have to worry about slippery muddy trails. We can ride the next day even with very heavy rain. My sister made it home safely yesterday and we promised we would stay in touch more often. It is funny how busy we get and how the weeks just fly by. I must say I can’t believe it’s December! I hope you have a wonderful week full of smiles!

Smiling Cowgirl,

~Diana

Weekend Coffee Share; Horse Clipping Fun!

On November 9, 2019 By dprastkaIn Barn stories, Horse stories, Living life, weekend coffee share16 Comments

Welcome to my coffee share! How are you today? do you have any weekend plans? or are you going to take it easy and relax? I am going to take it easy and maybe do a little housework (that never ends) and enjoy spending time at the stables. My girlfriend who owns Gracie is out of town this weekend celebrating her granddaughters first birthday! Here’s HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Andrea, aka Andy. She is so adorable, but then all grand daughters are… I digress, as I have to say I have been so incredibly busy at work that I have had trouble getting to my writing and sharing. My schedule is now back to normal and will hopefully stay that way for awhile and through the holidays! How can it be November? and Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming fast!! CRAZY!

Zack body clipped. We call this clip a trace clip as it just traces along the sides of his body starting at his chin all the way to his rump, and includes his entire belly. I actually went up higher on his body than is normal for this clip but that is because we live in a very warm climate so he can handle a little bit more hair off of his body. He will be much cooler on our hot days as yesterday it was just over 90 degrees. It’s been in the high 80’s, this is SOCAL!

I decided to share my barn stories and since I did not take a new photo of Miss Chloe I decided to have her with Zack as my first Weekend Coffee share photo. It’s all I’ll mention of her, even though she is my most favorite mare I have ever owned in my life ~ this last week is about body clipping and I only clipped Zack as Chloe does not grow a long winter coat. I also clipped my girlfriends horses Sadie and Juan. They both grow long winter hair and I have been telling her that these trace clips are so wonderful at keeping the horses cool AND you do not have to blanket them at night because we leave a large amount of hair all along their top-line. With the warm climate where we live, the horses do just fine and they will be easier to cool off when worked and easier to keep clean from sweat and dirt. I will share photos of my other clip jobs of Judy’s horses!

I wanted to share this photo as you can really see Zack is a flea-bitten grey. That is what they call his color. If you look close, he has black flecks all throughout his coat and you will see a big difference with Sadie who is just grey, *and as grey’s age they turn white!*

This is Sadie and her mane and tail are still very dark as she was born almost black. As she ages she has turned white. She is 15 years old and is pure white except her mane and tail. She has no little spots like Zack. Thought you would enjoy seeing the difference. She is now trace clipped!

This is Juan, Judy’s other horse. She actually owns 3 horses but we did not clip her other horse. All of Judy’s horses are Tennessee Walking horses. He is black and a big boy, and is very beautiful! ❤

I truly enjoy helping others wherever I can and I have been doing this trace clip on Zack every year for the last 4 years. The first year I actually did his whole body called a hunter clip which leaves their legs hairy. Their legs are the hardest to clip and since he is not showing I don’t bother and they don’t sweat like their body. This trace clip is absolutely perfect and works great in our area. My girlfriend paid me for my service which I appreciate and of course we agreed upon a fair price. Its a messy job as hair goes everywhere and gets blown in your face from the clipper fan as I have a huge pair of shears that they use for sheep, but can be used on horses and it makes the job easy and fast!

I have been body clipping horses going back to the 70’s when I use to show Hunter/Jumpers. I clipped for trainers for 30 years into the 90’s and my sister Sharon and I would clip for several barns and it was a great way of earning Christmas money for the holidays!! That’s why I own a nice pair of body clippers and other smaller clippers to finish the job in any ticklish areas on the horse! How is your coffee? or did you decide on tea? or Orange juice?

I am so enjoying my coffee with you this morning. I will be taking care of my girlfriends horse this weekend along with caring for Chloe and Zack. I am hoping to take mine on a trail ride or two and then relaxing at home. I’m thinking of skipping the house work! Haha, okay maybe I’ll throw in a load of laundry, that’s easy peasy. I really wanted to get this coffee share out as I so enjoy sharing with ya’ll. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and let me know what your doing. If you have a coffee share I’ll stop by and say hello! Thank you to Eclectic Alli for hosting the coffee share!

Horse Crazy clipping girl!

~Diana ❤

My Furry Friends, Kitty and Horses!

On November 5, 2019 By dprastkaIn Barn stories, Horse stories, Living life, Memories14 Comments

*She was the best kitty I have ever had and someday I will have another kitty! ❤*

What a crazy month, October. I had a birthday and I was crazy busy working way too many days at work covering for a few vacations. My employees need vacations and so I didn’t mind and they are very thoughtful about taking them too. Meaning they will work with me as I can’t afford to have more than one employee off at one time, so we all work together figuring out who takes what days or weeks when. I am trying to avoid talking about the pretty kitty that I had to send to kitty heaven at the end of October. I kept wanting to write a Weekly Smile, but was too sad the last few weeks to participate but as my heart heals I am needing to get back to writing and sharing. Rest in Peace Mara, aka, mini kitty. She was all of 6 pounds, a small white with a splash of orange domestic short haired cat with a personality twice her size. She will be greatly missed. LOVE HER SO!

*I’m getting better each day. We’ve had kitties all my life, we do not have any now but I have my pups so we are not without our furry friends!*

As I am finally feeling a little better and always try and keep a smile on my face even if I am feeling sad inside this post is going to be all about what keeps me sane. I have in my mind all these thoughts but what helps me through each day is what I really want to share. I will just keep this simple as these next set of photos make me smile and these giant animals amaze me and really have a way of healing my soul.

*Chloe on Monday. It’s been pretty hot in the high 80’s and this was after a nice relaxing trail ride! She was eating when I called her name she looks up at me!*

*Zack got a really good bath Monday. I am planning on clipping him to help him stay cool. I will share a photo when I am done with the trace clip I’m going to do tomorrow!*

*Zack eating his grain and hay. They get lunch most every day!*

*I couldn’t get my girlfriends horse to look at me with ears up! She has rolled in her shavings after her bath!*

My horses are so darn sweet. I am so truly lucky to have them and even though they are not 100% sound, they are serviceable sound and can be ridden on the trails and lightly in the arena. My girlfriend who owns Gracie has been struggling with some health issues with her and bless her heart we are finally seeing some positive results with her issues. She has been having skin issues and we were able to get her moved to a different stall at the barn. We think this should help as we don’t know if it was the tree or other issues in the stall where she was living, but we feel strongly that this move will help. This is a photo of her in her new stall! She is near and dear to my girlfriends heart, I totally understand. She is in her late 20’s so every year she is here with us we cherish. I help care for her, so I am very attached to her as well. ❤

After I made them exercise lose in the arena I sat on a mounting block in the middle of the arena. My horses came to me on their own, visiting as I sat and took in their kindness. Or are they just looking for a treat? Haha, either way the attention I adored!

*Haha, he had been drinking water so his nose was wet and the sand in arena is sticking to his nose! What a silly boy, this is how he entertains me and himself!*

*Chloe was standing right next to Zack, as he entertains me – she was nuzzling me as well. This is up close and personal!* *They never left my side!*

I am sitting as I take this photo. I am not sure what she sees? But I like this photo. I rubbed their face and we chatted. Yes, I talk to my horses. Mostly I ask them what they are thinking and I think out loud they are most likely looking for a treat which I eventually got up and did exactly that. Gave them a treat!

Thank you for sharing my furry friends with me. I use to not like calling my animals my furry friends. I don’t know why but I’ve warmed up to calling them that or thinking of them in this way. I know that we out live our furry friends and as I see it we need to enjoy every moment we can with them and be thankful for them in our lives. As we lose a small piece of our heart with each one that passes, I always hope that someday we will all meet again.

I am glad I take as many photos as I do as I love to have the memories. I have been printing photo books and am planning on having more printed soon. I hope you have enjoyed my photos as I think you can see their personalities, a little bit anyways. I sure enjoy sharing and will continue to share as it brings me much joy and happiness!

Feeling better each day, crazy animal lover,

~Diana

Weekend Coffee Share; Trail Riding Success!

On September 21, 2019 By dprastkaIn Barn stories, Horse stories, Living life, weekend coffee share12 Comments

I am completely enjoying this month as we move into fall. You can smell it in the air as we cool down especially at night so the mornings stay fairly cool for many hours. The nights will start to dip down into the 50’s soon a very welcome reprieve from the summer months. I often mention how time flies as we get older, it just goes by faster each year so it seems. I really do try and savor each day. I have dreams for the future that sometimes feel out of reach, so instead of getting frustrated I try and concentrate on each day to each week. It does make life more fulfilling this way in my eyes! How is your coffee this morning? I had a delicious cup with my oatmeal and english muffin. Or maybe you are drinking tea? I have been having a wonderful time this last month trail riding on my horses, and it took some experimenting but I figured out a way to pony Zack next to Chloe with little to no biting. I’ll explain!

Miss Chloe and Zack, I ride Chloe and have Zack follow on the lead line. This is SO DIFFERENT for me and my youth training of riding Hunter/ Jumpers. This is a whole new discipline of riding that I am enjoying very much! ❤

*I ride Miss Chloe with a short rein that is easy to hold, since I have to hold Zack’s lead rope as well. I am getting very comfortable with them both. TONS OF FUN!*

*I bought a trail riding muzzle, not very successful!* *He can still be annoying!*

When I started on my trail rides ponying Zack I started with just his blue halter with a stud shank (the chain that is attached to the halter) and the lead rope. For those of you who do not know horses, the stud shank chain adds a bit of strength for us puny humans. Most horses weigh around 1,000 pounds give or take 100 pounds. (Zack weighs about 1,000 pounds, Chloe weighs just over 1,200 pounds. We use a tape that measures their height on one side of the tape and measures their weight on the other side that goes around their barrel/belly and approximates how much they weigh. We use it for treatment purposes, as I have to watch Zack’s weight because he has Insulin resistance a metabolic syndrome older horses sometimes acquire as they age. It is nice to have if you want to see how tall your horse is too!)

Zack knows his strength and my sister and I have had him just put his head down with us holding the lead rope while we lead him and he would trot off pulling us on the other end! He is too strong and he knows exactly what he is doing and so we have to let go or be dragged. I have been working on his ground manners with GREAT SUCCESS! And he hasn’t tried to “run off” like that in some years. But I do not want to lose him on the trail, should he shy or spook at something I want as much control of him as I can while riding Chloe. This chain works PERFECT! It goes over their nose and up the side and they have nerves on their nose which when pressured applied, they will comply. It doesn’t hurt him unless he tries to pull away. He actually LOVES Chloe so he stays pretty close, but that’s where the biting comes into play. He just nips and bites her butt, side or my leg as I ride! He is such a brat!!!

He can actually bite the lead rope through the muzzle I bought him which I show in the last photo above. He can grab the lead rope with the muzzle and lead rope in his mouth and then pull and pull on my arm. UGH! He then bumps Chloe trying to bite her through the muzzle which after awhile she gets VERY ANNOYED! STOP IT ZACK!!

I decided to try a bridle with a bit and I took off the reins. Low and behold he is so much happier with the bit in his mouth. He has an oral fixation and just chews and chews on the bit and rarely tries to bite as we ride along. I finally found a solution to my problem as the trail rides were getting more and more annoying with all the nipping and biting. I was about to give up, but it is absolutely the best thing I started doing because I can exercise both horses at the same time and he really needs the exercise! It is usually 30 up to 50 minutes of walking depending on the trails we choose to ride on any given day.

I am a happy cowgirl, thankful for my ponies and the fun and joy they bring to my life. I was asked on my weekly smile to share a photo of my haircut. So I will share what I took here. 😀 weekly smile

*I didn’t share because I thought it was a little blurry in the background. I love my color as it always comes out great*. *Thank you Preference by L’Oreal! Hehe!*

*I can barely braid it now that its cut, but a small braid is better than none. I like a braid for the stables as I ride with a helmet. So now I have a short braid, better than no braid at all! Haha!*

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and thank you for stopping by my weekend coffee share! I am heading to the stables and am thinking this will be bath day for my ponies. Zack is starting to grow his winter coat and each year I always pray it won’t grow to thick. I know I am hoping for a miracle because he just grows a super thick coat like he lives in Alaska or something. I will just shave the hair off once November arrives. It is just to hard to manage in this warm winter climate here in So Cal. Chloe does not grow a long coat, Love that girl! ❤

Happy trail riding Cowgirl!

~Diana ❤

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Mylife-and-Horsestories

Tag: #horsefriends

My Weekly Smile; April 29, 2020

My Weekly Smile; March 18, 2020

Walking and Horsey Stuff!

Trail Riding Adventures!

My Weekly Smile; Dec. 4, 2019

My Furry Friends, Kitty and Horses!