A change of direction

It was cool and breezy and I was enjoying sitting in the ring waiting for Sammy to be cute. I might get pictures, I might not. But the cool weather was so wonderful I thought I'd at least try to look like I had a reason to just sit there and bask in the breeze. And then I saw him trot. This is not really a normal gait Sammy chooses so it was time to snap some pictures.
I love it when he trots. It gives me hope and makes me dream of the future.
I think this is the most trot steps I've ever managed to capture. But I know he'll stop soon because he's pretty easily distracted.
And trotting is not something he does endlessly. Already he seems distracted.
And look, the most perfect patch of grass I think has caught his eye.
Turning, and trotting and grazing all at once. Such a talent.
Or maybe he really just had an itch.
Do all horses like to eat Spanish moss? I know his mother does. And now he's tall enough to actually reach it.


He's looking rather pleased with himself. But somebody tell me, where did baby Sammy go?

My boy's a natural

We've recently had some rain which has allowed the grass to grow. The pasture in the kindercare field has grown a little faster than the kids can keep up with. So every once in a while, the cow herd is transfered to their field so the cows can have a treat. The boys are used to the cows but today, Sammy must have heard he is part Quarter Horse and is supposed to do something with the cows. Here, he has noticed them and wanders over.
He doesn't chase them but he does seem to have a purpose. He seems to have a plan. Perhaps he's watched some team penning or cutting on TV. Or read a good book. The herd has 3 black angus cows and the rest are, um, brown ones. Along with Sparky the red bull....who is very tolerant. You can tell he has raised several young ones and is forgiving of their antics.
Thank goodness because Sammy doesn't seem to have any fear of Sparky...who is rather large.

Sammy, do you think it's a good idea to get between a bull and his cows? Sparky is such a good sport and moves away from Sammy's herding.
Ah, so now Sammy has all the brown/red ones together. Notice Vantage tagging along. I think he was trying to talk Sammy out of this the whole way. He doesn't see any need to "work" cows, he's a Saddlebred for goodness sake. They are above such menial tasks.
Now Sammy turns his attention to the black girls. Notice Sparky appealing to me to put a stop to these shenanigans.
But Sammy feels the need to intimidate Sarah.....at least I think this is Sarah.
But just in case you think I'm going to turn him into my cow pony, he does still have this nice hunter trot!

Friends

Sammy has a good time out with his friends. Vantage is growing taller while Sammy seems to be growing out instead of up.
All 3 of the kids are growing up fast. Vantage is definitely going to be the taller one. He is all legs. Masquerade has slowed down her growth up now that she's a 2 year old. Why do they think that halters were made for them to play with. None of them survive very long. I wonder why.
Sammy and Masquerade are plotting something. Guess which one is Sammy.
Sammy has several places of no hair all over his body.....but mainly his neck. I wonder how that happened? I have no doubts that he is the instigator and it seems that they really make him pay for his picking.
But he's growing up fast and playing builds strong muscles and bones. His fetlock joint has absolutely no reminders of the surgery he underwent almost a year ago.
He seems to be growing in body more than in the leg department right now. But he has much more bone to his legs than Lily so I hope his legs will hold up his big ole body along with my big ole body one day.
Somehow this picture makes him look like a grown up.....and he's getting there.

I had a turn with the chair

The kids eventually tired of the chair game and so got down to business. I thought it was safe to reclaim my chair and get some other pictures.
uh-oh maybe not
what a face
uh - Sammy. I brought the chair!
really - the chair was mine to start with
Can you deal with that?
No - you cannot sit in my lap
Yikes - Masquerade - not you too!!!

Musical Chairs

Yesterday I thought it would be a good idea to just take a chair out into the pasture with Sammy and Masquerade. I could get some pictures if they would cooperate otherwise I could just sit and enjoy the breeze while I was waiting for Allison to finish her ride so we could have dinner together. These chairs are in the barn aisle, they pass them at least twice a day. Why is it that they are much more fascinating when they are in their pasture instead of in the barn? I put the chair down to latch the gate and that's the last I thought about actually sitting in it. The kids were absolutely fascinated.
Sammy said - Hey Masquerade, think it will do tricks?
Uh oh - it moves!
Oh the trauma of a chair turning over. They were mesmerized, not traumatized.
And anxious for more
Uh oh - did they kill it?
Why does everything have to go in the mouth? And then just like all kids, the fight begins...........Sammy tries to tell Masquerade that the chair is his.

She disagreed with him and she is the oldest so the chair should belong to her.
And then like a kid still, he decides to tell on her to his momma.
As if she cared!

And this was Lily's reaction. Just like all moms, she knows they'll work it out.
Much to Sammy's dismay.


And if this isn't a look exactly like Lily would give, I don't know what is.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is traditionally a day for me to take barn pictures. I had some very nice ones until my compact flash card decided to crash and I lost them all. But, luckily I have a spare card or two. But Sammy ended up being my only model today (is anyone surprised?). I thought I'd throw him in the riding ring and get some pictures. He's entering a bit of a gangly growthy phase. His head all of a sudden seems much more mature than the rest of his body. He'll grow into it, right????? right?????Just like everything else, it's all about the angles you choose. This is a flattering pose for the big headed one.
And look, when he's got those muscles flexed, his head doesn't seem too big for his body, right??? It also helps that his white blaze gives a bit of an optical illusion because it tries to make his head look a bit dishy, like his mother's.
This is Sammy's favorite pose. The big head doesn't look so big removed from his neck this way.
Or look, his head without the body looks very nice and mature. I'm sure eventually his neck will be able to carry it, right???? Why is the head the first thing to look so grown up?
I've been researching and learned that one of the steps to happily backing your young horse is to get them used to you being above them, on a fence or step ladder or mounting block. So I thought, no time like the present to try that trick and see what he does. We've got over a year to perfect this move. As you can see he was traumatized. He was so torn between trying to convince me he needed to go eat his dinner, or seeing if butt scratches were better if I was taller.
The butt scratches won out........It wasn't easy to get this one handed while scratching his butt with my right hand.
I think we can scratch, make sure they don't have a problem with you being above them, off our being prepared list......Now I have to figure out a way to keep him from insisting on being scratched while I'm standing on the mounting block. We have over a year to work on that.

Happy Memorial Day All.