# Our life after the Army



## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Figured I would start a new one of these things. New life New start and all that.


I'm on day 2 of terminal leave....hasn't kicked in that I'm out yet haha have lots of plans from here on out We'll see how it all goes.

to start off a horse journal right this time.....

First "real" ride on pigpen here for 2015. He was such a jerk for our christmas ride last year (separation anxiety. bucking/rearing etc) that I figured we'd just have a little experiment.

I brought them all up from the hay field, saddled him up and let them all loose as we rode off. 

They followed us for awhile and then went to grazing.
He did....okay. He was fine while they were following us, didn't do too bad once they stopped as long as they were in sight.
We got down into the ravine and...had ourselves a little rodeo haha. I made him stay down there for a good 20 minutes till he was working on a loose rein and listening to my leg cues. 
Then he got to come back up and end on a good note getting unsaddled and let loose with the rest of them.
All in all it was a success. ended with a sweaty obedient horse (not bad for having the last five years off eh?)

PICTURES

Pre-ride (dem dapples tho)








































I'm pretty sure he fell asleep right there haha








Post-ride. tired/happy/sweaty horse








Crazy Red head
















tomorrow will be more of the same in the morning and then my old trainer and her hubby are gonna be here for a couple nights.

REALLY want to see the horses reactions to her. they lived in fear of her voice for YEARS and Drifter is her hubbys old horse muahahahaha


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Well my plans for riding were smashed. Ended up dealing with a sick cow all day. Lost the cow :/ but ended up with a part time job with our vet???

Haha.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Also.

New twin babies at the Box C. One bull one heifer


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Roperchick said:


> Well my plans for riding were smashed. Ended up dealing with a sick cow all day. Lost the cow :/ but ended up with a part time job with our vet???
> 
> Haha.


That's the definition of a bitter sweet day!

Congrats on the part time job though


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Haha ya. Well I knew she probably wouldn't make it. Was expecting the vet to come out to put her down. But she was already gone when he got out there.

And THANKS. I went in today to get the application but he already told me I could ride along as much as I want whether I get the job or not.

Figure I can do vet part time and the feed store part time this summer.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Glad you made it home. I am sure it feels good. Hope you are settling in.


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## Bondre (Jun 14, 2013)

Roperchick said:


> Also.
> 
> New twin babies at the Box C. One bull one heifer


Your babies are bigger than mine lol


_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Ooooh it does Nick haha thanks!


Haha just a Lil bit bigger lol. in fact were goin out there today to check on em.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Welcome home baby sister. I've been thinking you'd be a pfc any day now.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

gunslinger said:


> Welcome home *baby sister*. I've been thinking you'd be a pfc any day now.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_



warm visions of John Wayne in "True Grit".


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Actually, a sister in arms as we both served as G I's. I got out 36 years ago tomorrow, or a couple of generations earlier. Thus, Baby Sister.

John Wayne is a military term though. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Word GS

So I've been home. 10? Days. Still waiting on a call from the vet about a job. Moms still trying to talk me into nursing school... Dad too sine its closer haha

I FOUND A HOUSE. Well its a premade cabin but ya. Just gotta get a job so I can get a VA loan 


In horsey news....uh went to the Fort Worth Livestock show & rodeo. It was amazering. Got a new hack to try out on Red.



















Aaaand Josie learned a new trick. break into my gmas truck, bite the lid off her container and chow down on some breeder cubes.

















She was ENTIRELY unapologetic....apparently she wants to go back to work 

















ALSO. Signed myself up for this FB challenge to train Checkers to do 15 tricks in 4 weeks...should be interesting.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Nursing school would be the start of a long and prosperous career......GF that I ride with is a OR nurse.....cardiac.....makes a pretty good living....

So....count me in with your mother....

Now's the time.....go get it girl....


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

I'd love to do the medicine side.....the people part is what would kill me.

I think if I could do a truck or the ER then I'd like it.


well see


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

so parents left for a 9 day cruise today....so i have the house to myself.


IT IS SO NICE.

haha but really. like me and dad had a routine down for feed and daily chores and now i have to do it all by myself....

i ended up starting a full inventory of ALL the tack i have....were talking stuff thats been passed down since the 1800s.....like holy crap. but its fun.

then i did my taxes (yay tax return) had lunch with my grandma, fed the cows at the box C with her, we changed out the flowers in my uncles and papas headstones at the cemetery....

came home and cleaned/fed/watered......im bored haha and its only the first day!


but the weather is supposed to be super nice the whole time theyre gone so ill try to get some riding in and clean up the area a little.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

lets see....what have i even done the past 3 days???? haha

i got a full(ish) inventory done of the tack. 3 bridle racks full. 2 boxes of misc reins and leather, 4 boxes of training tools, a bucket of bits, a box of stirrups, an old pack mule saddle tree, and a hook of halters later......i have alot of tack.

this turned into....



ALL THIS






 



rode Charlie and Red today. i put Red in my new Bosal and he did AMAZING. no pulling his head down. no chomping or fidgeting, he was calm and listened to all my cues. maybe tomorrow ill take him out into the field

AND. I'm looking at this little girl

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-conformation-critique/poss-purchase-2014-qh-filly-542818/#post7014050

i may go down friday to look or just pick her up next week if my parents give the OK. 

tomorrow will be more riding, i have to go with my grandma to feed her cows on the Box C, training checkers, (cleaning house because apparently my grandma thinks im trashy and/or incapable of being a fully functional human being because she told katie that her and gma have to "make sure i get dinner every night") 

PICTURES


Red trying out the bosal


Hes growing on me...i dont hate him anymore lol


sweaty horse is a good horse he did really well today



mid shake! lol


.....so tired after his little work out though haha


and of course my big plow horse. he looks nice here...but he is WICKED with some cowkick action...i need a bigger roundpen haha but then once i got on he was like a WP horse...creeeeeeping along....i think he was sleepwalking haha






before pic of some old early 1900s saddlebags


after





I LOVE THESE BAGS. authentic US Cavalry Saddlebags from WWI


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

more pictures! lol im kind of addicted to taking their pics









(i really like this pic....like really)
















now i know why hes so fat haha (first time ive gotten to see one of the horses at the cattle-lac)


and the rest of the herd chilling out. hopefully the Forco I ordered for Sugar gets here this week so i can start her on that ASAP.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Looks like you are keeping busy and having fun. And that you have your hands full!


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

indeed nick haha its fun and different and SO refreshing after 5 years slugging in the army haha

didnt ride today(which is probably a bad thing since tomorrow is supposed to be COLD)

but i got the barn cleaned out, got some automatic waterers and some salt blocks for the horses from tractor supply.

AND. i got the tub of FORCO for Sugar. i started her on it tonight so well see if it helps any


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Roperchick said:


> indeed nick haha its fun and different and SO refreshing after 5 years slugging in the army haha
> 
> didnt ride today(which is probably a bad thing since tomorrow is supposed to be COLD)
> 
> ...


Funny because up here in Montana I have been happy it is below freezing because it means the ground won't be solid mud! 

I know how you feel though, when I got out of the Navy I had been on a med hold for 2 years, and I couldn't hit the road fast enough to get home and I only had 840 miles. You had a bit further than that.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

There was a fire at the records facility back in the 1970's that destroyed a lot of military records. If you haven't already done it, take your DD214 to your county court house and have it registered. Also, stop by the unemployment office and visit with the VA rep. Vets get prefered hiring and educational benefits and they can get you up to speed as far as what's available to you. 

Glad you're home and enjoying yourself.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

our county VA rep is having a briefing thing on saturday so I'm definitely gonna hit that up. ill have to wait to go to the court house....because I have NO idea where it is but I'm sure my parents do and they can show me lol

since I STILL haven't heard back from the vet about this job I went ahead and put in for a job at a big reining/cutting barn....REALLY hope I can get it. haha

and im going Tomorrow to check out the little filly I'm interested in. hopefully I can see the sire/dam as well and hope I LOVE her haha we shall see


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

GUYS. 

I got a job. its a stall cleaning/ horse exercising job at Oasis Ranch. SUPER NICE. and they have AMAZING studs there. SO MUCH EXCITEMENT.

aaaaaaaand. the filly i posted about???

ya shes coming home with me Sunday. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Roperchick said:


> GUYS.
> 
> I got a job. its a stall cleaning/ horse exercising job at Oasis Ranch. SUPER NICE. and they have AMAZING studs there. SO MUCH EXCITEMENT.
> 
> ...


Congratulations, sounds like you are having fun and keeping busy. Cant wait to see the pics.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

thanks nick. lol ya its almost scary how well things are going haha

so. sunday night we had like THE CRAZIEST rain/wind/ice/sleet storm ever. 
went out monday morning to warm my escape up for work (yaaay i got Elmer sunday) 










and the doors were completely frozen in a 1/2' of ice....so i body slammed my back door till it opened, crawled over my backseat and started my car like a boss.



then only had to work a half day monday because according to my boss "you work twice as fast as the others and you do a good job...and you look like youre gonna die haha. welcome to TX"

THEN. i got home at lunch, and found out....poor sugars stall had flooded....were talking a good FOOT of mud AT LEAST. even after bailing it out the mud still went over my boot....so my fillies stall got prepared a little bit early haha
















today.....I GOT FUDD. FUDD IS IN TEXAS. FUDD IS AMAZERING. haha










and selfies with bully. because we're boss like that


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Freezing rain is the worst. Although like this morning freezing was a good thing, I had to deliver a Komatsu Trackhoe in Spokane, the yard there is usually a muddy mess, but it was still frozen so I got in and out like a boss with out getting my truck dirty!










What is causing that stall to flood? Looks like quite the mess.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

we built it down hill, and we just got SO much rain that it drained down and found a weak spot at the wall next to her stall. so it flooded in there.

today....i worked 12. hours. and cleaned 32 stalls....and did 36 loads of shavings....holy god im TIRED. haha

then i came home...any my mom had gotten me a new pink yearling halter, lead and a zebra print hay bag for the trailer ride sunday lolol....somebody is as excited as I am to get this baby


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Roperchick said:


> we built it down hill, and we just got SO much rain that it drained down and found a weak spot at the wall next to her stall. so it flooded in there.
> 
> today....i worked 12. hours. and cleaned 32 stalls....and did 36 loads of shavings....holy god im TIRED. haha
> 
> ...


Sounds like you need to dig a french drain in around that side of the barn. 

And for the record it makes me tired just thinking about all that work. All I did today was freeze my butt off in North Dakota loading a machine, then drove 400 miles. 

Might get to go play with horses this weekend again though.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Picked up Chickadee today! Pictures here- http://www.horseforum.com/horse-pictures/introducing-wda-telicos-col-lena-548434/#post7072282

She is the SWEETEST little girl. I am looking forward to working with her! 

And no work tomorrow because were getting a crazy ice storm tonight yaaaaaay


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

today was....interesting.

started off when we went to feed this morning all the cows were huddling behind Fudd trying to stay out of the wind and sleet.....well Fudds light was so cold and frozen and brittle that Dolly just BARELY brushed against it and it shattered



then we ended up doing a deep clean of the barn. 

....Charlie helped lol....





Sugar was beating up on Chickadee all night and she was in like 6" of mud so we moved Chickadee into the stall next to Charlie and put Sugar back in Chickadees stall.


I let all the big kids out for the day and poor little Dee couldnt go out with them yet so i let her loose in the barn and she helped me all day haha







Making friends with everybody...except the mares haha





then when they came in this afternoon Charlie finally got to meet her and he is IN LOVE. he LOVES babies haha so i may just let her and him out together tomorrow. We'll see.







Josie of course....tried to kill her. She charged her over the wall and Chickadee jerked away and slammed her face into one of the posts. poor thing probably bruised her jaw a little but we have the vet coming tomorrow for Booger so maybe ill have him give her the once over


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Always fun trying to get the kids to play nice isn't it!


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## dkb811 (Oct 15, 2013)

That baby has the cutest face!


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Roperchick said:


> ...
> 
> 
> and selfies with bully. because we're boss like that
> ...






Roperchick said:


> ...
> 
> 
> 
> ...





dkb811 said:


> That baby has the cutest face!



Yes she does, but so does Bully. lol. 

The first pic he is looking at you so adoringly, but the second has his cute nose.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

He may look sweet but he knocked me on my butt yesterday when I was trying to get around him to get cubes lol. That head is HUGE.


But sweet little Chickadee has a right purty head haha
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

I'm losing my mind. I'm already starting to shop for tack for Lil miss Chickadee and I'm not even gonna start her till MAYBE next summer! Haha but I saw this 
belt set | The $99 Tack Set Shop

And she NEEDS IT. In pink of course.....and I have a LIST of other pink things go her......I DONT EVEN LIKE PINK.

In other news....no news hha its way too icy do the big kids to go out. And Lil miss Dee can't go in the round pen because we stole 2 panels do the barn. But I'll brush on her and work on her legs some today.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

welp. 

Had the vet out today for poor Booger whos been limping for 2 weeks....and its looking like shes going to the sale barn...so probably the slaughter house.

He doesnt think shell make it to term for her baby (5 months preg now) and that surgery/lotting wont work for her.

So right nwo shell have a week lotted up getting the pampered life and if no improvement off to the sale.

KILLS ME. she was one of the 2 (noel the other) that my papa gave me for christmas and is the SWEETEST thing. Nurses EVERYBODY doesnt have a mean bone in her body. and im sure it was mean ol Faith knocking her around with her big horns. i hate that cow. and of course shes staying because shes pregnant





in HAPPIER news. little Dee is definitely gonna turn out to be a good little cow horse








(look at that bummmmm)








and i made her a bosal from an old bridal and my halter/bosal 








and then studly charlie hahahaha not.








dem heads doe haha his head looks GINORMOUS against hers lol


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

She does seem really interested in those cows. You getting much of a feel for her personality yet?


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Wow. Don't know how I missed this thread. I'd been wondering how things were going for you since you got out. Sounds like things are working out well.

And to Gunslinger, this year makes 20 years since I retired. Bit of an odd feeling, that.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

BigNickMontana said:


> She does seem really interested in those cows. You getting much of a feel for her personality yet?


Some ya. Shes definitely not a mellow pokey poney like Charlie. She is a PISTOL. lots of energy, very opinionated and you have to work WITH her and do things on her term. 

whereas charlie i just tell him do this and he does it no argument.

itll be an interesting training/earning experience haha. i really hope that shell learn some boundaries now out with the herd



Cordillera Cowboy said:


> Wow. Don't know how I missed this thread. I'd been wondering how things were going for you since you got out. Sounds like things are working out well.
> 
> And to Gunslinger, this year makes 20 years since I retired. Bit of an odd feeling, that.


theyre going great! haha lots of new adventures



TODAY. Little miss Dee got turned out with the big kids!-







Not too many fireworks. Josie of course was the biggest bully and surprisingly Sugar didnt get to mean. Charlie and Red are following her all around and the boys are all pretty hyper and excited so hopefully theyll settle down soon.

Thankfully she is more than happy to defend herself against Josie. She did NOT hesistate to turn around and give Josie a couple double barrels towards her. Hopefully shell learn some horsey boundaries from Josie haha because she is a pusshy little turd.

and Me and mom are making plans to start back up in ACTHA with the boys woooh

so its a good thing its back to work for me tomorrow yaaaay. i need money haha


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Funny, you have more snow than we do right now in Montana. All of ours blew away. 

You have quite the little heard going there.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

thanks lol. theyre a funny crew for sure haha


so...guess who gets to learn to trim feet (yaaaay not) our farrier died last week and the one my mom found wont do babies...so i get to do Chickadee....and her feet are BAAAAAAAD. haha oh well. i probably would have had to learn at some point anyways aaaaaaand

were (work barn) moving to a NEW CLOSER BARN. yaaaaaay! no more 1 hr drive to work. now its gonna be half that....which also means i get to learn to pull the gooseneck....because i have to all day fri/sat/sun haha fun times fun times.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Roperchick said:


> thanks lol. theyre a funny crew for sure haha
> 
> 
> so...guess who gets to learn to trim feet (yaaaay not) our farrier died last week and the one my mom found wont do babies...so i get to do Chickadee....and her feet are BAAAAAAAD. haha oh well. i probably would have had to learn at some point anyways aaaaaaand
> ...


Pulling a goose neck isn't bad. Actually easier than a bumper pull and they tow so much nicer. 

The biggest thing is be careful about jack knifing it, and when you get on uneven ground be careful you don't hit the neck of the trailer on the bed sides of the truck.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Hows the new job going?


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

BigNickMontana said:


> Hows the new job going?


I was wondering the same thing? How you doing baby sister?


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

oops sorry guys. uuuuh well i had to quit the job Wednesday there was a big issue of trying to get a paycheck for 3+ months sooooo ya but im looking at a new job for a guy with a ranch much much closer and he has houses for his employees haha


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Man that sucks, talk to the texas workforce commission, they will get you paid. 

I was down your way earlier this week, lots of flooding, hope you were able to stay dry.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Roperchick said:


> oops sorry guys. uuuuh well i had to quit the job Wednesday there was a big issue of trying to get a paycheck for 3+ months sooooo ya but im looking at a new job for a guy with a ranch much much closer and he has houses for his employees haha


Sorry, but yea....getting paid is a priority.....


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

I'm so bad with this journal haha things have just been kinda crazy and I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off....pretty much since I got out! 

still havent found a new job. Im "working" for my friends fiance....ie he give me courier runs and pays my gas/10$ an hour. and ill probably keep doing runs for him once school starts but i REALLY need steady income...and not just my GI bill...so the search continues. 

i do have an application for the school barn (i really think ill get that job. theres only a couple other applicants and lets be real....more people will hire a vet with real world experience over some snot nosed kid that just graduated HS....hopefully! lol) but shes not hiring till september.

have maybe a job hauling hay for our neighbors, but that wont be till later this year, and i MIGHT have an opportunity to work at the feed store once the HS kids quit for school. well see.


in horsey news Charlie Red and Drifter have gotten out of work haha. its been 90 or higher every day and I just cant imagine theyd do well working in that heat. so they get a reprieve till i can start hauling them to the school, or another lit arena....maybe the arena in town if theyre open.

Chickadee on the other hand *facepalm* heres to me blindly thinking she has super stellar confo! not. haha shes super straight through her hip (femur and tibia are almost STRAIGHT)

so now shes locking her stifles and hocks. vet came out today and is optomistic that she will get some angle once she grows more so *crossing fingers for that*

and she gets to start SWIMMING LESSONS to help with this problem haha. im gonna start taking her to Tom McCutcheons barn about an hour away twice a week for her to do the aquatread and shes on Grow Colt supplement so we shall see how it all goes.
should be interesting.

Sugar still wont keep weight on. ive got her on 5lbs of grain a night and shes on pasture all day. i may start giving her hay at night as well and see if that helps. and JOSIE. easy peasy gets fat on air JOSIE is starting to lose form. gaaaah. old horses. so much fun lol but shes in the same pen as sugar so shell get some hay too


OH. and fudd got fixed lol (i think i posted about it....dont remember HA.) but ya. me and dad got it all fixed up and hes ready for ******** SO EXCITED.


in the mean time, ive been running around taking random pictures and stuff, i think im gonna start selling them at the farmers market with my mom when she sets out her paintings to sell. itll make me some pocket money at least 

plus school starts in less than a month, i still have to make a trip to NM before then (im hoping i can convince my grandparents to sponsor me for the school riding team. its gonna end up being $600 o.o)


that is all......


i think hahahahaha


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Sounds like you are burning that candle at both ends.


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Somehow the mothering instinct in me wants to see Roperchick and BigNick meet up in person. 

Hmmm, maybe BigNick could take his gelding to Roperchick for training and horsemanship lessons?


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

anndankev said:


> Somehow the mothering instinct in me wants to see Roperchick and BigNick meet up in person.
> 
> Hmmm, maybe BigNick could take his gelding to Roperchick for training and horsemanship lessons?


The wha??


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Well, OK the Grandma instinct.

BigNick reminds me of my nephew, who is all grown up now and been living in Seattle on his own for some years.

Sky, maybe you don't understand my comment now, but someday.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Well.....that just got interesting roflmao
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Roperchick said:


> Well.....that just got interesting roflmao
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


 Didn't it though?

I missed you by the way...and wondered how you were doing.....so, miss the army yet?


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

I miss the paycheck! Lol and the forced fitness
...and the maturity of most people in. I'm just amazed at how some people act in the civilian professional world lol
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Roperchick said:


> I miss the paycheck! Lol and the forced fitness
> ...and the maturity of most people in. I'm just amazed at how some people act in the civilian professional world lol
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


LOL. When I was an NCO, I thought an army private was the dumbest creature on earth. Then I retired and started supervising entry level civilians.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

At least the privates will (mostly) not back talk and break down into a toddlers temper tantrum when somebody tells them they're a bag of a** or just doesn't agree.

I can't even tell you how many times now I've just been straight forward about customer service (or lack thereof) and have had them just completely lose their sh** on me. And just no common courtesy.....unless it was another veteran haha


Its an eye opener for sure
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Well, Chick had her first "swimming lesson" Friday.

I've been working with her on loading and unloading in the trailer....turns out she's a suer fat kid and will walk thru fire for some NM hay lol
So she ws very easy to load for the ride down to Tom's.

She did have a dit trying to get her in the wash rack. Never been on rubber mats so she was NOT having it. We finally called it a draw, just brushed her real quick, gave her a mild sedative, and took her to the water (no worries. we WIL be working on that)

I was SUPER impressed with how they handled her. They went nice and slow, took off pressure immediately after each hesitant step. Instead of the "hurry it up were running a business and don't have time to coddle!" Attitude. they gave her a lesson that will last. Very impressed.

They took her through once to let her get used to it, then took her back in again and ACTUALLY started the treadmill. She was a hoot. Shed bounce off the treadmill and float, then sink down and do it again blowig bubbles the whole time haha. then she got the hang of it and just absolutely loved it haha.


They couldn't say ENOUGH about how well behaved she was (and how well put together she is. They were amazed at how big she was. Said they don't have a single yearling as big! Haha) and here I was thinking she was a little girl (she is BUILT like a brick house tho for sure)


And we go back on Tuesday for her first full session

Poor Charlie is feeling super neglected. Haven't gotten him out in a couple weeks but if my friend gets her horse (that's a whole mother can of worms that makes me want to bash my head against a wall from the idiocy haha). Then I'll start trailering both to the school to exersize a few days a week till school starts.


STILL haven't found a job :/ I'm "working" as a hotshot driver for a friend but can't keep doing that once school starts so hopefully I'll hear back about the school barn job in sept. Otherwise I'll have to keep looking again haha

I think I posted about fixing my truck....well of course....being MY truck....its having problems again haha. I think the tranny going out so yaaaay for a project today.


Anyways. PICTURE time....ha one pic. because my phone sucks.

This is when she was just bouncing along having a grand ol time


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

....i started a post about friend chick, and her fiance, and her new horse......but i had to delete it because its just too much drama and id probably be shot for not dealing with the borderline neglect.....

ANYWAYS. friend chick got her horse....she has no money....horse is a mess....and theres not much on the horizon for getting it fixed.



CHICKADEE had her second swimming lesson today. it started out as a hot mess haha. there was a couple girls taking 3 mares and foals down the road right behind the trailer (this place is like a small town lol) so Chickadee just COULDNT EVEN. lol

we got her inside fine, and she even went into the wash rack with little fuss (YAY!) 
brushed her off real quick and she went straight into the water with no issues....the girls today were rushing a bit more than the good lady. she was just doing so good i guess they expected her to be an absolute star.

she was being lazy, bouncing off the treadmill instead of walking so they started in with the whip (nothing harsh but it was PRESSURE. which chickadee only needs in VERY small doses)

she JUMPED over the rope and ran up the ramp. they took her out and back thru. again went in the water just fine....

MAJOR BLOW UP. she panicked when the girl wouldnt let off pressure on her face and reared up and went over backwards. MAJORLY. she somehow twisted around in this 3' wide space and landed on her feet. but got pretty scraped up. couple scrapes on her poll, a biggish one above her eye, and a few on each leg...nothing huge just superficial scrapes. 

but they took her out, i took her while the good lady came down, we gave her some happy juice (tranq) and she went right in for good lady, and walked for 10 minutes like a champ

when she was done they took her back out and we put some swat on all her booboos and went on home. so now Charlie is jealously guarding her again lol and shes none the worse for wear. hopefully she wont be too leary about going back in on Friday.



After we got home FC (friend chick) brought a bale of alfalfa (another argument) she doesnt need it at all. shes eating super rich grass in her pen and will eat more super rich grass when we turn her out. none of mine are getting ANYTHING and theyre in perfect form. and this mare is just as easy. but whatever. she just better pay board by saturday or that mare is GONE.

Then we went to lewisville to pick up parts for her fiance (my kind of employer im hot shotting for) so theres an easy $300 at least.

FC invited herself to go with us friday for chicks appt...so mom is NOT going lol. shes not a fan.

so i laid out some ground rules for her. 
1. watch your mouth. my parents arent fans of cussing and ya i cuss but NOT around anybody that asks me not to...she doesnt get that haha

2. she will NOT speak for me or about my horses to them. she doesnt have the best reputation and im not about to let her ruin mine.

3. she will wait till AFTER chicks appt to ask for her own dang horse and her own dang job. (i got offered a job by the good lady today and FC was super jealous. go figure. and shes just so pushy. ((long annoying story too lol)) so im just not giving her any opportunities and friday will be her ONLY opportunity to go with me)

idk. theres just so much drama attached to them haha. i love em to death but my lord. SMALL. DOSES. haha (i sound like a horrible person hahaha)

picture time

her "raggedy" look. this was after the blow up once she was super stoned and walking good on the treadmill lol








a random cute one of Charles








random funny! this was the first day of working on trailer loading...after i took her halter off she turned around and jumped STRAIGHT BACK IN to finish the hay haha








AAAAAND the girls. sassy old ladies lol








(ill post the videos tonight and pictures of all her booboos haha)


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

The videossssss

Chicks "rodeo"
https://youtu.be/Cd_ogjgi0e8

And when she started going like she was supposed to
https://youtu.be/E2W7tH_r0Q0


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Chick didnt get her friday swimming lesson. apparently they busted a hydraulic line so her next swim lesson will be tomorrow! haha

it seems like very other day now her legs are locking up.. it can be pretty difficult to get them unlocked. shes super hesitant to back up with them locked and forward movement is actually getting it done better...but when she steps and it DOESNT unlock, she ends up almost buckling her ankle.

FC (friend chick who has ALL the drama....that i dont want to get into lol) got offered her old roping horse from her grandpa.

she has yet to pay board for her mare. so guaranteed she will NOT be getting him till she pays us for one month board for the new mare. 
and shes throwing a fit because we refuse to fix the fence (we have half a fence down that would seperate the mares pen into 2 pens.) until she pays board on her new mare. plus she still hasnt paid us for fuel costs to go pick up the mare....and shes fighting paying for half the fuel to start going to the school.

basically heres the deal. 

FC bought this mare on a whim. 
FC doesnt really have the money for it.....let alone add another horse.
FC is gonna be on the NCTC team with me...so I will be driving her horse with mine 2-3 times a week to the school.
FC thinks that just because she has a dually....she should get to haul my trailer and I pay HER half the gas money.
FC doesnt get that she drives like a freaking maniac and i will NEVER put my horse in MY trailer and let HER pull said trailer.
FC is trying to make plans for MY HORSE. MY TRAILER. MY MONEY. and im about to call the whole deal off.


ANYWAYS.

So we took my big guy and her new mare to the school to ride today. the mare (missy) was injured a few years ago, and healed with a club foot, so the old owners sold her as NOT riding sound but we think they were just afraid of her. she is SUPER energetic

so she went and lunged her for probably 20 minutes and then came in and got on. no offer to buck or freak out. she behaved VERY well. when we started off i walked with her so i could grab the mare if she did start freaking. she did get a little antsy wanting to trot off.

FC started choking up on the reins. i made the suggestion to take off her spurs (she wears them EVERYWHERE. literally....she wore them to the dentist) and give her her head. shes a finished reiner. they ride on loose reins and a relaxed seat. and maybe shed calm down. the mare is super sensitive and doesnt need big cues. she goes well on a very light touch....

of course FC freaked out told me to shut up and she knows how to ride etc etc.

well she ends up getting off...blaming it on the mare not liking the bit ( i gave her a very mild D ring snaffle to borrow. she doesnt have anything but her saddle) 

she ties the reins to the horn and lets the mare follow me and charlie as i work him for about 30 min.

gets back on and TELLS me to just walk around so she can follow us...wanted to end on a good note *facepalm*

on our way back from the school, she decided to INFORM me that she scheduled her "farrier" to come out wednesday when we go back to ride again. fine whatever. i told her i was gonna bring my moms gelding wed. to start getting him back in shape for her....what does she do?

TELL ME she will ride him for me.....because shes just gonna leave her mare tied up because shes "buddy sour" on my gelding.

just no. i ignored her. like i always do lol 

shes one of those...that has a VERY high opinion of herself, came from a broken home...every word out of her mouth is a lie to boost her own ego etc etc. everybody basically ignores her because they know shes full of it.

shes a friend ill go to a movie with, but i try to avoid horsey things with her because she has a VERY bad rep as a worker and rider at all the big barns and i dont want my own rep to get messed up. they dont know me yet. i dont want them making judgements based on who i hang out with...you know?

so. that was my day hahaha

oh. and she invited herself to Toms again tomorrow since friday was a bust....ya that whole "bad rep thing".....that barn is one of them. sigh. well see. tomorrow is her only opportunity and i will NOT hesitate to put her in her dang place if she gets out of line.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

I'm sorry this will come out snarky but your FC sounds more like your teenage child. Friends are supposed to be fun, not jerky control freaks who don't pay their bills


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

she is. her and her fiance are both...immature. i guess....theyre good people...but working out a deal for them to board with us etc was definitely a mistake. but its my parents deal so i cant do much about it. just ride it out and ignore the bs as much as possible. im REALLY hoping its a temporary thing. but i dont see them leaving any time soon.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Chick got her third swim lesson today. it went SO WELL. She loaded up fine for the ride down (followed the bucket straight in no hesitation lol)

did have a bib of a spaz moment getting out. She started to step down, changed her mind, and jerked her foot back up. she ended up cutting herself on her fetlock some but nothing major.

they brushed her off and took her straight to the water. she went in and they started the treadmill....she took to it like shes been doing it for years! so much better.

afterwards they put some swat on her leg for me and she loaded straight up (no bribe necessary!!!!) and we came on back.

even FC behaved (mostly) she gave the typical "let me tell you BS stories about "working" here and how much they love me" that we all ignored. and she did wait till after chick was done to bug them about a job and breeding.

only problem was she decided to INFORM my mother that she was gonna ride Red tomorrow...so many problems with that.

1. ABSOLUTELY NOT. she is a terrible rider (she can ride a finished reiner but she has no clue about anything getting them to that point like she tries to claim. i have proof lolol)
2. that is by far the most ridiculous behavior. she acts so entitled. like sure. you worked for numerous big name trainers....she only worked for Tom for A WEEK.
3. Red and charlie are my babies. they have had a grand total of 4 different riders on them and she will NEVER be one of them.

idk if she just thought shed go right over me after i told her no or what. but they ignored her lol

i offered to bring drifter for her tomorrow, so she can ride (i didnt think she was planning on riding since her mare is getting some MAJOR footwork done...from a friend who has never done shoes before...)
but she TOLD me to just bring all 3 boys and her mare and shell ride drifter while i ride the other two and then shell ride her mare.

NO. NO NO NO NO NO

little does she know she has ABSOLUTELY no say in anything related to my horses and she can kiss my youknowwhat if she thinks her opinion means anything or thatd id listen to her.

so shell just have to deal with herself tomorrow while i work my horse and shes on her own with her mare.


AND she tried to invite herself to go to Pole Canyon with me and my mom this october. like WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS?! i blew her off for that. 

i love the girl. but ohmysweetbabyjesus. you cannot do anything horse related with her or shell drive you insane with her "awesomeness"


ANYWAYS.

videoooooooo time

httos://youtu.be/w4B0GmaM-Vk


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Lol....I think most all of us have a few friends like that....

Had one meet up at a corp event......co workers asked that he not come next year.....

so.....what do you do?


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

If I have to confront her I try to be nice and explain it away. Most of the time I'm just blunt. She doesn't like what I have to say she doesn't have to listen to it. Shes more than welcome to leave lol

Otherwise I ignore whatever she's spewing out the other 99% of the time
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

I don't even have the energy to retype what my day was like so I'm copying straight from FB


Its always the days that seem to be going really well that make a 180 and turn out disastrous.

Mom scheduled Chick for a coggins this afternoon.
So if go catch her to load her up. Won't load up all of a sudden. We work with her for an HOUR to try to get her to load, its just not happening.

I try to just say lets reschedule. But dad has other ideas. So okay let's back up the trailer to the alley and well try to herd her in.

She gets her fronts in and dad grabs her halter. Well shes stressed and isn't about to respond to pressure so she goes backwards.

Hits her head on the ceiling, her back legs go out from under her and slide under the trailer and she flips over backwards almost nailing me in the face.

Im freaking out. I KNOW she is not about to go into the trailer now, I just want to get her doctored up. (Head was bleeding and had a small cut on her leg)

Dad's ****ed, I'm ****ed were screaming at each other and he walks off after thoroughly telling my what a POS I am and how I'm the family f*ck up.

So I sit there for awhile her feeding her grain out of the trailer hoping she'll forget this by friday

He comes back tells me they're gonna wait for us (were 45 min past the appt time by now with a 30 min drive to get there) and loads up my horse thinking she'll load up with another.

She's never had another horse in there. Charlie's 1300lbs so he's rocking the trailer and she's sweating again from stress.

I finally tell him to just LEAVE and I take her up and sponge her off trying to calm her down while im still ****ed off feeling like a bag of *** for making my horse bleed trying to tell my mom what happened. Get her doctored up and turn them all loose and go to my sisters house where I have to tell her the story because I'm bawling my eyes out like a child lol

Now he walks in and is pretending nothing happened.

I REALLY need to move out lol



And to top it all off....this morning I took FC and her horse and Charlie to the school to ride.

Got my a**chewed for parking in the same spot as last time when she didn't have a problem with it last time.

Then FC got the balls to try and tell me how to ride my own dang horse when she can't even get her own horse to do what I was doing with Charlie.


I just need a vacation from everybody lol.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

You need better people around you in life... you're an amazing person and they are all treating you like a scoop from the manure pile.

Poor Chickadee... you do need to move out. And sorry but your father shouldn't ever be around horses if he's going to rough house them like that. I really hope she loads next time for you, because that sounds traumatic.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Wow....sorry baby sister.....

Take a few deep breaths.....and hope tomorrow is better......

You're right about one thing......you've been on your own for a long time......and every little mousey needs her own little housey.....

In the mean time, just try to be thankful for the roof over your head......and remember, things today don't dictate things tomorrow.....or, as Margret Mitchell wrote in the last line of "Gone With the Wind", Oh well, tomorrow is another day.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I suspect when you ignore her rantings, she takes it that it's ok with you. I'll be you've taken the time to teach your horse it's boundaries but have failed to teach FC her boundaries.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Maggie you're the best . He's not actually ever rough with them. He's very gentle almost to the ridiculous point. He gets mad at me when I AM assertive with her. It was just a situation where her reaction happened the wrong way he didn't really know what to do to help and I was behind her so there was nothing I could do and she got injured because of it.
I think she will be okay. She's a little headshy tonight I think her noggin is pretty sore. I checked her over thoroughly and there's not other booboos . I put corona ointment on and gave her a gram of bute so I will check her in the morning and go from there.

She did walk right back up to the trailer for me. Just balked right at the edge like she always does. She is the MOST forgiving horse I've ever met

Thanks GS. I think were all just having a rough go of it this summer. Hopefully things will smooth out once school starts and I'm not at home so much/bringing some money in. It's pretty hard and weird going from being completely independent for 5 years to back in my parents house with no job :/

You're probably right saddlebag lol im just....avoiding conflict...and the inevitable but again, hopefully with school starting etc and letting some time pass to get used to this all will help the situation. Idk

Today was kind of a big bust but hopefully tomorrow will be a better day


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Roperchick said:


> Maggie you're the best . He's not actually ever rough with them. He's very gentle almost to the ridiculous point. He gets mad at me when I AM assertive with her. It was just a situation where her reaction happened the wrong way he didn't really know what to do to help and I was behind her so there was nothing I could do and she got injured because of it.
> I think she will be okay. She's a little headshy tonight I think her noggin is pretty sore. I checked her over thoroughly and there's not other booboos . I put corona ointment on and gave her a gram of bute so I will check her in the morning and go from there.
> 
> She did walk right back up to the trailer for me. Just balked right at the edge like she always does. She is the MOST forgiving horse I've ever met
> ...


Some days you bite the dog, some days the dog bites you. 

Sounds like your situation is a little rough, hope you can get it all squared away. 

On that note some times when things get a little rough for me I will sit down and look at my past and see how far I have come, when I do this I don't feel so bad any more. Sometimes just seeing what you have accomplished in life and taking some time to reflect on that can work wonders on getting you back on the right track. 

Never underestimate the power of doing positive things and positive thinking, it can change everything when you can learn how to keep your head in the space of looking at the world as though it is full of possibility not trouble.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

That is some good advice Nick! that's one of m things I guess. I tend to look at the glass half empty so I need to work on the positive things 


I went out early this morning.

Pulled her out and took her up to the trailer. She never hesitated and walked right up to the edge. I just let her relax for awhile. I put a flake of hay right in the entrance and let her chow down while I did her stretches there and groomed her. 

Walked her a little ways away and did the doctoring on her forehead then brought her back up to the trailer, gave her a treat, and released her.

Me and dad both just kind of ignored the awkward silence in the car and like usual, he bounced back to beig the goofy happy guy he usually is. 

We went to my appt but it didn't quite go as planned. It was the Eval for my vision for disability. I have HORRIBLE iritis but of course I didn't have a flare up there so they didn't mark down on the file for it. I'll get a rating of 0 for it probably but at least it'll be on record and I can get the medication I need when I DO have a flare up.

We went to Bass pro (love that store lol) and found a new pistol he said he'd get for me for my conceal carry 

Then met my mom and sister for lunch and I rode home with mom.


Went out tonight to work with ms piggy.

I doctored her head up first. The swelling was down some so the bute IS working. I gave her another 1/2 gram tonight.

I fed her grain in the trailer and she DID bring each front up on her own twice. But the trailer was sitting a little bit higher than usual so she just let her leg slide and stretch out lol.

We moved the trailer back some so it was about 4-5" below her knee instead of AT her knee. She wouldn't go in so we just put each front on once, gave her grain ea h time and praised and then I backed her from the trailer and released her.

I'm hoping she'll be hungry in the morning and more willing to get in. Well see.

But. Dad did listen to my suggestions and I structions tonight with no fus no muss so it was pretty much stress/frustration free.


This morning just hanging with ms piggy lol









Her poor noggin lol. Washed it out, got some witch hazel on it and covered it in corona ointment again









Don't try and outwait a stubborn redheaded filly. You will lose lol


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

I am going to recommend 3 books to you, all are available on audio book as well so you can listen to them on Audible if you like. 

The first is Considering the horse by Mark Rashid, if you have not read it, great book, I took a lot away from it. All of his books have been great, really opened my eyes to a lot of things, might help you with your girl. 

http://www.amazon.com/Considering-Horse-Problems-Lessons-Learned/dp/1616081562

The next is the Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, great book and it talks a lot about life management, wealth building and really just how to make amazing things happen in your life, it has really taught me a lot. 

The Compound Effect: Darren Hardy: 9781593157241: Amazon.com: Books

The 3rd is How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carneige, This book really taught me a lot about life and people and really helped me break down some communication barriers I had with other people. 

How to Win Friends & Influence People: Dale Carnegie: 9780671027032: Amazon.com: Books

I found a lot of the keys to finding my personal happiness and positive outlook on life through these books. They are ones will listen to again and again because they are very powerful. 

I hope they are as much of a help to you as they are to me.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

i bookmarked those on my kindle to get when my GI bill starts up 

today i got chick out early. we were supposed to have her last swim lesson.

well that didnt happen. she did great for her stretches and grooming. when it came time to clean up her noggin i took her a little bit from the trailer and....

she had transformed herself back into the firebreathing dragon baby lol it took probably 10 minutes to do the normally 2 minute job and she was pretty loco eyed afterwards (but its a truly necessary evil unfortunately)

so she was NOT as receptive about working at the trailer. We fed her hay and grain, she was pretty calm the whole time but i could tell she was getting ****y and unresponsive to pressure so i called it (after a somewhat heated argument with the parental units)

i sat in there for probably another 45 minutes just hand feeding her and gradually scooting the hay farther and farther back till she was stretched out to the absolute limit...such a stubborn little dragon hahahahahaha

Thankfully the "argument" was more of a heated discussion on training tactics (the biggest part was mom wanted me to pull her away from the trailer and go roundpen her. but i was told thats a big NO NO from the vet for awhile and she hadnt been there for that convo so she didnt know)

after that we hit the farm and checked cows, then did all the random things that we have to to survive (ie Atwoods and walmart in the "city" lol)

and now im just working out a spreadsheet of all the costs that FC mare is piling up (she still has to pay us for fuel to go pick her up and then half the fuel costs for going to the school and back) unfortunately her and fiance lost one of his big jobs so who knows how this news is gonna go lol. should be interesting. 

SHE IS TRYING THOUGH. I had a big talk with her yesterday, when she INFORMED me she wasnt going with us this morning...after i was like..."you see a problem with that statement?" she got mad, then i had a ctj meeting with her and now shes making an effort to be better.

hanging out with the dragon. train her to stand like that on a ball and ill have myself a circus giraffe/dragon:gallop::gallop:








our crazy liquid barn cat








and that view:loveshower:


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Rode FC horse for her today. And ohmygod I need to charge her for it lol talk about a workout.

She lunged her for probably 20 minutes, came in and did a little bit of trotting and kept hinting that she wanted me to ride her to try loping.

She would ask her for the lope and the mare would start trotting faster and she'd loose her seat. The mare likes to hump up but doesnt offer to buck. Just tries to jump out from under you. And she has this thing that if she's getting ****y she'll start hopping like a deer lol

So I get on and I'm sitting like a jockey with my knees in my chest (she's a good 6" shorter than me haha)
And just start asking. We go probably 6 times around the arena with her hopping and jumping sideways before she kind of gets loping. IM out of breath by the time we get to that point haha

So FC gets the lunge line, gets her loping, I hop on and she lopes with me on.
Then she unhooks again and I ride off and she immediately lopes when I ask.
THIS MARE HAS ONE SPEED. Fast. Super fast lol.:gallop:

So I do probably three laps each direction and she calls it a day.
I think she's probably gonna be a little too much horse for FC. She's used to the push button 20 yr old gelding she was leasing. Not a very reactive 7 yr old redhead mare that's had 4 years off.

Well get her there. May not be petty but she'll get better. She's very well trained. She just has to start remembering it. And FC has to remember she's not riding a robot lol

later on FC tried to convince me to go to our friends place saturday (hes a pro trainer and he has BUFFALO instead of steers to work lol) well he wants to charge $40 an hour to ride with him. I AINT ABOUT THAT LIFE. she somehow convinced fiance to pay for BOTH of us.

i finally convinced her that taking her very sensitive mare that shes only had 2 rides on to go out to a new arena, with new horses...and BUFFALO next door...not the best idea.

so Im gonna take all three boys saturday to the school with her mare. and then she can ride Drifter while i ride her mare for her again. and ill get some time on Charlie and Red


CHARLIE. is super fit. i have no idea how. i guess running around in the pasture. but he got 25 straight minutes of trotting/loping with probably only 2-3 minutes of walking in and he wasnt even sweating after that. he did really well today with transitions and being more responsive to the bit (i switched him back to the d ring) hes just my steady eddy buddy lol

aaaand i got my school books today...all $500 of them o.o lol only 3 more days till school starts. IM NOT READYYYYYYY

Chick REALLY likes her molasses lol








THE BOYSSSSS


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

That bay is a **** good looking horse.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

lol Thanks Nick! hes a pain in the butt but hes probably the best horse we have on the place haha.

so yesterday the Farrier was supposed to come at 4....so off i go walk down to the lake to get the horses (read other side of the 80 acres lol). Hop on ol chubbutt Drifter and start riding back.
Works every time that the rest will follow...except they don't HA.
Put him in the barn , get a bucket of grain and the Kubota and the rest follow me back like good little children.
Of course Missy (FC horse) is bleeding. So doctor her up, get chickadee out and start cleaning her noggin up waiting on the farrier...
Oh jk he called mom AT 4, who's in Gainesville, giving her the same excuse as last time...his a/c went out last time...this time he's getting it worked on. He's coming out tomorrow after lunch.
Well okay. So much for riding all the boys tomorrow because we leave at 8 and don't get back till 12 with the 2 we usually take *facepalm*

Put Chick in the corral this morning with the stock trailer parked in there, and hay and grain in the trailer. She has yet to go in lol. little does she know her butt is staying there till she goes in on her own lol


FC is about to lose her friend card.

Yesterday her horse had gotten into a fight with one of mine 

i SWEAR she has just absolutely no idea of herd dynamics. shes been here a month and she still is instigating fights with Josie, and running up on Drifter butt out of the alley. shes gonna get her skull kicked in.

well yesterday when i brought them all up for the farrier, she had a scrape on the inside of her front right knee (which is also her club foot. go figure)

i rinsed it off with the rag, and put some corona on it. no swelling, no heat, no limp.

when FC got her this morning she saw the knee...which was a little swollen (a given since she was penned up all night, not roaming on our 80 acres) so immediately says shes not taking her and "which one of yours do i get to take"

ARE YOU KIDDING ME. i tried to tell her to take her anyways and she can pony her on Drifter, get some bloodflow to that leg, and we can hose it down and doctor it there some more. "Oh i dont think she could stand in the trailer" its literally a small skinned area on her knee. 

so whatever. I tell her to get Drifter.

when we get there im trying to give her advice on how Drifter rides and works and she just ignores me. tells me "i know how to work a horse thanks"
okay. have fun working him like you do with your push button reining horses.

She cant get him to lope. I tell her ask with your leg, then tap with the outside spur and pick yourself up out of the saddle a bit. he hasnt been worked in 5 years. he needs a refresher.

i keep working Charlie because i figure Drifter wont let her get in any trouble.

she probably rides MAYBE 20 minutes and then gets off because" i dont want to work him too hard. hes super fat" HE WASNT EVEN SWEATY. 

when i ask how it went she replied that "hes stubborn. i KEPT MY SPUR IN HIS SIDE AND RAKED IT UP AND DOWN and he still wouldnt go" >_< 

shes lucky she was already off or i probably would have ripped her off his back. 

and shes REALLY lucky he didnt have any marks or she would have been booted out of my life so fast shed get whiplash


needless to say she will NEVER get on another one of my horses again. and i dare her to ask to lease him if her horse stays lame.

then to top it all off, she doesnt even take care of her mare when we get back. just sprays some vetericin on and tells ME to put MY corona on it tonight....then says we need to put her mare and MY geldings together in the back pasture and leave the mares to themselves. 

i just. i cant even handle her any more lol. We're going to stock car races with her brother and maybe the fiance so this is her LAST chance to have a ctj meeting and stop being an idiot or shes done. shes usually okay to hang out with outside of horses, but if i hear ONE thing from her mouth about riding drifter and yadda yadda i will rip her a new one shes not ready for. 

its like she just doesnt realizze how much we are doing for her. i trailer her stupid horse to the school (soon to be 3 times a week) we charge her chump change to board here, the only time she comes out is if she wants to ride to the school from my house. I EVEN PICKED HER UP WEDNESDAY AT HER HOUSE. 

what does she think shes going to do if i call it quits? shell have no money for her horse, nowhere to board her, wont be able to trailer her anywhere, nothing.

Chicks noggin is healing up well, once that last scab falls off shell be good to go
(that comb over though lol)









chubbutts crazy mane lol







anywho. farrier is supposed to be coming out in the next few minutes so i guess i should go get all the fatties back up to the barn lol


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Some people wouldn't know a good thing if it beat them over the head with a hammer.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

I hope the farrier is all good to go this time! It sucks being without A/C in summer :/


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

i typed up a long post on my phone...and it freaked out and shut down the window hahahaha oh yay

anywho. ya Nick. shes honestly a very sweet person OUTSIDE of horses but they are very "i love me" and like to pat themselves on the back alot so it just gets old. they're young. and they've had alot handed to them so....hopefully theyll learn.

he did make it Maggie! haha he didnt end up getting here till about 3 so he only got Charlies front shoes done before i had to leave (went to stock car races with FC and some others) and i feel bad for him. he doesnt have any help on saturdays so he had to do all 6 of ours alone and 2 got shoes. took him 3+ hours according to my mom O.O

GUYS GUYS GUYS. Guess who finally found their way back into the trailer? woooh haha

we locked her up in the corral with the stock trailer and i had a few flakes of hay and her grain in there about in the middle.

she never touched it yesterday, i went out today to do her stretches and hang with her.

i scooted the pile closer where she could just BARELY get a couple blades with her lips. hand fed her a little and she sloooowly brought one and then the other front up onto the trailer.

i scooted the hay back more and she just popped her back legs right up. she was pretty close to the edge and one leg slipped off, but she didnt freak out. just jerked it back up, turned around so she was facing out and kept on eating. so proud of my little dragon baby.
afterwards the other horses were screaming for her so she was getting a little wild so i ended up turning her back out.

ill probably put her back in in the morning to see how it will go, but i have the first day of class (just one thankfully tomorrow) so shell be on her own after lunch lol



FC was VERY humble and thanked me probably 10 times yesterday. i doctored her knee up, cold hosed it, put corona on it, gave her bute etc. well see how long that lasts lol. she got a little snippy that i dont just immediately go with her every whim about trailering to ride with these different trainers etc. like GET YOUR OWN TRAILER THEN. but for now as long as she covers her end of the fuel bill and pays board I'm not too worried.

picturesssss

























she REALLY wanted my sweet tea








and then she stole my straw. BAD DRAGON BABY


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## Trying Again (Mar 8, 2015)

Chick is so cute. Love that face.

Don't go hating on those working high schoolers , especially the older ones, yeah some just spend all their money on soda's and other junk but some are trying to pay their way to collage or helping to support their family's.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Thanks. She's my dragon baby lolol


If you're referring to FC and her fiance...they are NOT HS age. FC is my age (23) and her fiance is 25. 

I fully support highschool students that work their butts off to get into good colleges and help support themselves and others.

These two are not that way.




This morning, since I didn't have to go to class till 12 I went out to work with Chick. She was really good about her ground work (yielding, the "step" game, bending and her stretches)

But she was NOT goig in that trailer with the halter on. Took the halter off and she walked straight into the trailer behind me lol. Silly baby.

My class was good (English comp). I took ALL the notes lol and am half way done with my essay....which isn't due for 2 weeks buthey. Stay ahead of the game and I won't have to play cath up! Haha

Tomorrow will be the big test. Only 3 classes but they're spread out from 8-4 

At least one of them is a fun one! Plant protection is probably gonna be the most important class I ever take haha. 

Missy still has a bit of puffiness around the cut on her knee but no heat and no lameness. Well give her one more tab of bute tonight and I'll keep putting corona on it but she shod be A okay for FC to ride Wednesday night. We'll see how it goes.

I think that's it haha hope everybody is having a good week so far!


Oh and pictures

Hay girl hayyyyy









Look at this cute jughead lol


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

That horse of yours seems like a bit of a goober to me. I bet you get plenty of laughs out of her. 

Not having such a great week here, just found out my dog needs a $5,000.00 surgery.


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## Trying Again (Mar 8, 2015)

Roperchick said:


> Thanks. She's my dragon baby lolol
> 
> If you're referring to FC and her fiance...they are NOT HS age. FC is my age (23) and her fiance is 25.
> 
> I fully support highschool students that work their butts off to get into good colleges and help support themselves and others.


No, I was talking about an earlier post. Maybe I just misunderstood what you said.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Maybe it's time she met the Drill Sargent.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Lol I'm about to break out my inner DS on the fiance. He is REALLY starting to **** me off the way he acts and treats everybody. He aint even ready! Lol
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Well yesterday had a bit of drama.


Started off I got out of class and didn't want to go home before my next class (there was a cool brief going on I sat in for awhile )

Then FC text me saying fiance had bought her 2 big bales of alfalfa and she needed help unloading them at my place.

So I drive home...mom and dad are there and she has her truck backed up to the barn (she got there like 10 min ahead of me)

THERE WAS 2 LITTLE 3 STRING BALES in her truck. This had sat in her dang truck for 10 minutes with my dad a 20 second walk away that could help her lift these stupid 100 lb bales and no. She has to have ME come home to help her.

Mind you I had moved her previous ones BY myself while she sat there bsig and watching me work.

and the only reason I went home was because she said they were the big 900#+ bales

So there goes a 1/4 tank of gas I can't really afford

Then she started drama about not having a way to pay cash for the fuel we use. and she wants to just buy me gas when we haul up to the school with her gas card.

well one. The co-op is about 40 cents more so I will be the one losing out on that deal and 
Two. If you can't even afford to pay $50 a month to me for gas....why do you have a horse

Then

I went to my reining class...and of course I'm odd man out. Somehow coach knows ALL the other riders and they've all been riding with him/riding his horses all summer.

he remembers all of em from aqha world and etc. and here I am...who he's talked to me like 3 times and can't remember my name


So since we didn't ride laat night i t was basically 3 hours of him braggig on everybody but me....and he never once called me by name.

Needless to say I was pretty frustrated when I walked out to my car last night.

And what do I see?mm somebody wrote "creep" on my car -_-

So I text FC about it getting madder and madder and she tells me " I wrote creeper on your car awhile ago..."

Are you freaking kidding me.

I've made it ridiculously clear from day one. NO CAR TAGGIG. I hate it. I tink its rude and disrespectful and I'm not okay with it.


will I joke around about it? YA. Will I get a bottle of Windex and car friendlyarkers and leave a silly smiley face or a "go get em" message on a friends car? Ya. Be sure I make sure its. Okay.

Its NOT okay to call somebody a name or draw....stuff.....on my car. Nor would I ever.


She's dumb. And. I've made it clear as well. That I am ****EX and she better do some big grovelig if I'm gonna forgive that. And she's completely oblivious to it.


Oh well. Lol


And. We have a team meeting tonight so I'm gonna have to be all nice and polite to all these hateful little girls hahahahahahahaha


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

In GOOD news tho. Because I don't want to be a Debby downer lol

My AG classes are SO much fun haha. English and math are bleh but hey. I have a math whiz dad and a retired english teacher mom haha so I'm set.

Aaaand. Chick is just a smart little cookie lol. She now knows verbal commands for bend (neck to either side), chest (chin to chest) and give (lift her leg up to my hand). I'll have to get video if I think about it haha


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

we had our first team meeting last night. It was pretty interesting. some of these girls are just RIDICULOUS and immature but theyre gonna be put in their place real quick by the coaches sounds like

i was the only one that actually paid my dues last night (yay for grandparents haha) and then on the way home FC apparently got pulled over for swerving, then had her tags out, AND her license was suspended so shes not gonna be driving for a hot minute....eeeeeeeeck

i worked with chick this morning (before my 5 hours of homework...and im only half done o.o) she loaded up TWICE for me in the stock trailer. yaaay dragon baby

Today we went to ride at the school, Missy poo was a JERK i had to chase her for like 20 minutes before i could catch her lol and SOMEWHERE she lost a shoe.

i think she probably pulled it off at the lake they both had like cement hard mud in their shoes and i had to give up on cleaning out his backs.

when we got home i found out that Josie was apparently laying in the hay field and had been like that for over an hour.

get down there and she is COVERED in sweat. shes obviously in distress, breathing hard, her gums were white and she couldnt stay standing. she was weaving and having some balance issues.

i start walking her up and she actually trots off. i catch up, mom brings me a halter and we get her up to the house.

as im sponging her off, mom took her temp (normal) and she was trying very hard to go down. i got her rinsed off, we gave her a tube of banamine and took her down to the pens in the shade.

she went down on me immediately in the pen, got her back up and walked her around after that squirting water from a syringe into her mouth.

vet showed up about an hour later and she had perked right up. she was hydrated, had good gut sounds, heart rate and jugular refill were on point. he palpated her and she was fine. pretty gassy which is worrisome.

he tubed her but she didnt offer any fluid up and we gave her some water with his big syringe. and we gave her some paste electrolytes

she started grazing so we thought shed be okay.

i put her in the alley away from sugar so i can measure how much she drinks.

she had laid down immediately after putting her in there while we were getting feed.

she ate a bit of grain but the 30 minutes between checks she had been down again and hasnt touched the grain or water (with electrolytes)

im going to check her again at 10 and if shes been down again ill give her more banamine.

next check if shes not better shell go for a trailer ride and if that doesnt do anything then were going straight to the vet so he can sedate her and pour some major fluids into her.

Chick got to try out the curcingle today (no i cant spell that lol. im too tired)








poor Jojo is NOT feeling it today.
























(that mane tho o.o)








Silly goofball








Charlie got a bath...he was not happy....


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

FC seems to be very irresponsible doesn't she?

I think there's a good possibility she's not going to take care of her horse in the future....I may be wrong and I hope I am.

What's your plan for the horse if she abandons it? Or, just won't help with feed etc?


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

If she gets 2 months behind on board, Horse is ours and were selling it.

If she keeps her here thru the winter and doesn't provide feed or ever gets lack on vet or farrier she has one week to get fwed/vet/farrier or she'll have to take her horse somewhere else.

Plus any time she does any of that I just have to go to the coaches on the team and she'll get in big big trouble
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Your friend there is a flippin idiot. 

On that note if I ever catch some one writing anything in the dust on my car, they will be lucky if they don't come up missing fingers!


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Actually, I'd never let the dust get that thick on my car......

Just sayin....:wink:


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Lol GS. We live down a mile of dirt road. So even hosing my car off once a week its coated in dust 24/7


Yup Nick. I am so done with her drama. She's starting to realize it. Trying to be more respectful and do the right thing but after today (I'll post about it tonight. I'm on my phone right now lol). She has till next Monday to straighten her butt out or she's gone. Mom doesn't even want her around anymore and if she doesn't pay by Monday then we're hauling her horse up to the school and she's on her own. And we will be holding her tack and equipment until she pays up for fuel and board.


But. More on that all later lol
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Sounds like the fecal matter is fixing to hit the rotating oscillator.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I'm on pins and needles....


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Oooops lol sorry. We had ******** this weekend and my sister had her baby so I forgot all about this

Well FC drama. Last Wednesday her horse pulled a shoe (again) because her farrier sucks.

So she has me bring her to class with my horse anyways...and hay for her....and leaves her at the shool Wed/Thurs nights so she can 
1. Go to practice since I'm not goig cuz I was working RWP and
2. Get the shoe put back on.

Well she forgot her tack in my trailer. So I offered to bring it in my car and gave her the code so she could get it out that morning.

She was at the barn at 8. Farrier didn't show up till 11. 

I got to class at 8, expecting it to be out of my car when I got out of class at 920. Nope. Text her and no reply so I go to my next class at 10 and come out at 1120 with a text from her 
"Its gonna have to be after my class (1130-1250) the farrier didn't show up till 11"

When I asked her why she couldn't make the 2 min trip from the barn to the parking lot she said she was afraid shed miss the farrier.....he had 4 horses to do. She wouldn't miss him.

Then she TOLD me to bring it TO her at the classroom she was at...while I was at lunch. So I told her where she could go and if she wanted her stuff my car would be at the library till 130.

Apparently she got it because it was gone after that lol

And then I had to go PICK UP her horse at the school on Friday durig the biggest traffic time for RWP and she has YET to pay fuel money. She's toast. Mom says if her check for board bounces then I'm to drop her horse at the school tomorrow when I go for my class and she is NOT coming back with me.

Then there was some drama going on with ex boss lady this weekend and she started tagging me in posts on FB where she was TRASHING her and I went off on her so she threw a little temper tantrum and hasn't spoken to me since lol

(I'll post more later with all the GOOD stuff like mudding and babies and horses lol. Right now I gotta get to the library)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

So what happened?


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Lol sorry. Distractions.
Well RWP was AWESOME lol I worked with my dad at the Mega Truck gaye so I got to see and admire ALL the cool big boy toys lol

Saturday my sister went into labor so as soon as dad got off at 10 we picked up my Gma and headed down to Denton to the hospital. 

Miss Ella Joe Thomas made her appearance at 0424 Sunday morning and she is THE CUTEST haha

We got home around 0630 and got a whoppin 2 hours of sleep before the dogs woke up and the horses woke up and everybody was hangry haha

Then me and dad went to watch the Barbie Downhill race

And Monday.......FUDD GOT MUDDYYYYYY 

It was amazering. I took him thru the little baby mud before the big pit. 

Hit the shallows the first time so the next time I went thru the deepest corner and the mud was going over my running boards. (Mind you Fudd has 6" lift and 36" tires so he's pretty dang tall). He beasted it. Of course. 4x4 worked like a dream and we just powered through. Still haven't washed him hahahaha I get too happy seeing mudd on him.


Last week school was pretty good. We turned I'm our first essays in comp. And I got a 98! Woooh I can school. haha

Reining was fun. We worked on spins which Charlie isn't the greatest (read good AT ALL) at but we've got the foundation laid. He won't ever be super quick but he'll get smooth so it'll be good.

Practice was interesting. FC was really pushing it with me. All she wanted to do was ride around and chat. Which is a HUGE no-no for coach K. So I told her to bug off and she threw a little fit and blamed ME and Charlie for her horse misbehaving because "she's buddy sour".

Her fiance had a BBQ Saturday night and all she did was try to drag me into the ex-boss lady drama (ex-boss lady is getting into HUGE trouble for her starving lame horses and she's hiding them now)


Aaaand then this morning, while I'm getting up at 6 to get our horses to school, her stupid mare loads up and shakes the lead rope off. So I got in to fix it and the little turd spins around and slams my (bad) shoulder into the trailer.

So now I have to unload her and when I step off the little turd (I'm def. Editing my language lol) jumps out and kicks me in the back. So I pop her halter and make her run around me and what does my dad do? Yell at me for " beating" her. I've never beat a single animal or human and I never would. So I'm ****ed off of course. Load her back up and get to school. I make her BACK out and she tries to BITE me!


Get Charlie out and start grooming him....he has a bent shoe. -_- Mondays. I make sure its okay to miss practice today, because I'm not about to ride my horse with a bent shoe and have him rip it off and text FC to tell me if she's planning on coming or not.

She shows up at 755....practice starts at 8. Calls me a ****y **** and says she was late because she......had to get Dr. pepper from the gas station because her fiance drank all of theirs.


Are you kidding me. 


So ya. My Monday has not started out very well as I sit here watching everybody else practice....its now 815 and she still hasn't made it to the arena yet. 

I'll post the pics and videos this afternoon when I'm on wifi


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Well good morning from Denton Texas. 

Kind of funny I am the opposite, I wash my truck once or twice a week, hate seeing it dirty. 










Of course mine is a little different animal, but still. 

I don't know why you are still putting up with this girl. Id have sent her packing a long while ago.


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Nice Truck


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

She's like a cockroach. Can't get rid of her lol


That's a sweet rig! Haha well I like Fudd being clean and shiney but ONE. I'm way too short to wash him effectively TWO. hes so rusty I wash off half the steel each time and three its taken so long to get him muddy I didn't want to see it go hahahahaha
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Roperchick said:


> She's like a cockroach. Can't get rid of her lol _... _



What a one-liner LOL. I'll have to remember that one.


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## Cherrij (Jan 30, 2013)

That is your truck? I think I just fainted here... OMG! 


I just drive something like this..









I can sure get feed bags and saddles around, but I cannot haul hay and my horse... Need a better functioning car for my "farm"


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Roperchick said:


> She's like a cockroach. Can't get rid of her lol
> 
> 
> That's a sweet rig! Haha well I like Fudd being clean and shiney but ONE. I'm way too short to wash him effectively TWO. hes so rusty I wash off half the steel each time and three its taken so long to get him muddy I didn't want to see it go hahahahaha
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Cockroaches? There is an app for that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBvtGr1BfVQ

Ha ha yeah, short people problems.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

I swear I'll get pictures up eventually lol. They're just all on my phone and too big to upload so I gotta get time to get them to my computer that is MUCH easier to deal with 

Its been pretty calm lately. I've been getting swamped at classes bleh. But its not too much to handle....get lol

Charlie is such a rock star. I swear he's a sponge he has picked up everytig like he didn't have a 6 year break between when he first learned all this and class now.

Coach LOVES him I love him he's my big good haha


I've been a bad horse mom to Chick though. I have had just enough time during the week to either come home load the trailer and go, or come home get my work done and feed and she hasn't been worked in a hot minute o.o oops. 

She's such an awesome little girl though. She hasn't gotten pushy or disrespectful, she's very loving and attentive for what little worm we do and she has SOOOO much personality. Love her to death 

And Sugar is on a big diet change now that's hopefully gonna get some weight back on her before winter. She's the epitome of healthy boss mare but her system just doesn't work as well as a young in any more so its time for the supplementing and boosting.


Poor Molly. Is fat. HA. since I quit the job at the barn she hasn't had the exercise she was getting at work with me so she's a bit chunky. She's gonna be SO excited when she gets to go to Pole Canyon with us for the trail riding weekend. Just wish I could take her out more. 



Aaand one random picture my phone actually let me upload of mister stud muffin here lol


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

He's a handsome fellow!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Well.

We went to Pole Canyon this weekend and during our 13.2 mile ride my saddle slipped back and now Charlie's lame :/

I tried to ride Sunday morning with him and he was dead lame. Got a new pad that I hoped would help and gave him till last night off. He did fine with me bareback but as soon as I had weight in the saddle he was off again.

So I'll give him bute today and tomorrow and we'll see how he is Friday. We were gonna do a trail up at Duncan lake Saturday but I may take Red instead and get him back in shape for mom.


I have the NCTC open show next Saturday and if we can get Charlie figured out I have the shot world in Abilene the 29th-1st


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Chick learned to load herself in the BIG trailer today 

She's growing so faaaaaastttttt


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

My, that is a big trailer.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Lol yuo. And she makes it look even bigger lol


I took Drifter with me to class lst night. We ended up goig over to work cows again so I rode him and left Charlie tied to the rail.

Of course Charlie was an idiot digging holes pulling on the rope screaming like a banshee.....

And Drifter was an angel roflmao. He's super cowy so even with no training he was locked on and chasig it. He IS very lazy and he turns on his front instead of his backend. So we have to work on that but coachh likes him....better than my big yellow one haha. At least for cow work.

Our show this weekend was cancelled due to the weather so I guess nowi have time to get Chick ready for it in November HA.

that'll be interesting
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Dragon baby had her first lesson in laying down today. Just the basics. Learning to have her leg held up with the rope and to back and lean down towards her knee....same concept as bowing.

She's such a fatty. She couldn't care less as long as there's food in front of her face haha


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Well we just got back from SHOW World in Abilene 

Log weekend and lots of drama but all in all pretty successful

Got down there Thursday night and rode him around for awhile. Friday I was draw 46 of 48 in pleasure/trail so I had a looking day of waiting.

He was absolutely ON POINT in pleasure but I got a 0 on my extended lope since I didn't ask him for it lol.

Trail was okayish. I was proud that he let me finish the gate...first time he let me get it done . Our trailer load was a disaster though lol.

So I got a paid warmup for that night and being the last one to go I got to have extra time so we mastered the trailer and the gate.


Saturday I didn't warm him up NEARLY log enough so he was pretty fresh going in for pleasure. He rushed the trot and blew thru his stops. His gate in trail was PERFECT. Coach said he could see my smile from the other end of the arena lol

His lope over was rushed and the second one after the bridge was so short that he couldn't get going fast enough. Well have to work on transitions more.

His figure 8 was also wonky but that was my fault. I rushed it a bit. And his trailer was really good. He did balk the first time. I kissed to him and spanked him when he spaced off and he ended up backig out but went straight in the second time and backed himself out like a pro!

Ended up 14th in pleasure and 37th in trail day one and
21st in pleasure and 27th in trail Saturday. Not bad for a big ol plow horse in a group of 48 other expensive show ponies 


Hes such a smart willing boy. I don't know how I got so lucky with him haha

Day 1





Day 2


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Haha, "Dragon Baby" is adorbs~


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

You say that now lol. See if you say that when your picking all these cockleburs out of her mane while she's tryig to scratch her head against you haha


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Haha~ Small irritations have nothing to do with aesthetics 

EDIT--typo~


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Long time no talk haha

we have 1 1/2 weeks of class left eeeeeeeck. I have straight A's in all my ag classes a C in my English......and im totally bombing my algebra HA. I may pass it but it all depends on what grades he actually puts in. hes kind of a terrible teacher and only has 3 grades in right now....all tests that he "makes" and none of the tests questions ever follow the homework so I bombed all of them. 

anywho lol.

we had our school open show yesterday and Charlie totally rocked it.

I pulled out the old English gear and we did English and ranch horse.

He ended up-
2nd Showmanship
1st HUS novice
1st English Eq
1st Ranch Trail
2nd Ranch Pleasure
4th Ranch Horsemanship (I broke pattern totally my fault. we would've had 2nd otherwise)
2nd Ranch Reining

I THINK we were reserve highpoint in Novice but not sure. some little girl won EVERYTHING in western so she beat me for highpoint

and then we did Ride-a-buck. OOOOOOW. lol it wastn too bad actually I thought I was ALOT more rusty on my bareback than I actually was. I think we were 4th out of 11? 4th or 5th haha his transition from lope to jog leave much to be desired lol


we have our freestyle reining final next Wednesday >_< bleh. ive only practiced mine once and I only have one more opportunity to practice before it but eh im not worried. Coach loves us haha


piiiicturessss
















(the way this pictures is with them on the hill Chick looks almost as big as Charlie! haha thankfully she IS NOT. and hopefully WILL NEVER BE. I need a small horse!)


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Looks like you guys are having fun, you get any snow where you are?


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Alright baby sister....time to check in....haven't heard from you in awhile now...it's the new year......how's things?


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Sorry I keep forgetting about this.

Things are okay. I start the second semester on the 19th and I have an even bigger load of classes (19hours) 

I ended up passing everything but college algebra. The professor was a complete imbecile and it just didn't work out but I plan on redoing that class (with a different teacher) thus summer.

We made a trip down to NM to get some of the pipe from the barn and what not so we can rebuild them as sheds for the cows and me and dad may go back this week for the last load of pipe or MAYBE my new truck.

The horses are good. Sugar is slowly putting on some weight which imo is good. I didn't want her to pick up weight fast because I don't think her body could handle it. But she is filling in at the hip and her flank and back are slowly getting better.

Josie is lame right now. She has some heat in her hoof (back foot) and I'm REALLY hoping it's not an abscess.

the boys are all in good shape. Me mom and Jackie went to Duncan Lake and they did great. Charlie is in super good shape so we should be on point for the team.

I'm going back and forth on whether I'll start chickie this year. She's so dang little compared to Charlie (I was ridig him at 18 mo lol he was a MONSTER even back then). I may start hauling her to the school during my riding classes monday and Wednesday and then work her in the round pen etc.

My beagle biscuit got some pretty not so good news today tho  he's been peeig blood and lost control of his bladder. We took him in and the bet checked him out and thought it was a stone or infection but after 2 weeks of antibiotics he has only gotten worse. She did an ultrasound today a d found a large mass in his bladder. The big C wkrd got dropped. So he's gonna be on some medicine and the outlook is pretty grim she gave him 4-6 mo ths :'( he's still in great spirits and I'm gonna make the most of what time he wave left. He has a new friend in a beagle mic named Gus that we got from the shelter where I got Molly. Gus is probably the same age as biscuit (13) and blind as a bat haha but he's very sweet and him and biscuit get along great.

I made a ny resolution to do a half marathon with Molly by the end of the year (which at or may not work with my shoulder/leg issues haha but hey I have disability now so at least I can buy aleve roflmao). So me and molldog are gonna be going on lots of walks/runs and getting back in shape since neither of us is working right now haha!

Aaaand Im starting to make little cheap candle things to sell just for fun. It's really entertaining and easy so its hopefully gonna pay off.


Oh ya. Nick we did get a 1/2 inch of snow stuff but it melted pretty quick haha I don't want any more but my nephew is DYIG to go sledding so I guess we're gonna end up with some lol

I think I covered everything. I'll try to post some pics if I remember when Im on my computer
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

That is rough with the dog, that is the worst thing about em is that they can't live forever. 

I wish I had thought to take some pics while I was home, we had almost 2 feet of snow for Christmas. It was really nice.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Guess I should update this haha

I'm doing good in my classes.ay not be a straight a student but I'm keeping a solid 3.0 GPA so that's good. 

Charlie has improved SO MUCH since the start of last semester. We had our first OkSHA (Oklahoma stock horse Assoc.) Show Feb 14 and he did his very first cow work class and we SURVIVED. haha

We ended up-
1st Novice Trail
2nd reining
4th Novice cow
5th pleasure (we blew thru the stop haha oops. Otherwise we would be been 2nd)

He is such a different horse now. He carries himself willingly in the long and low frame, he's collecting up for the lope (not the gallumping around Willy nilly with his head up like a giraffe anymore). And he's just so soft and responsive. I've moved him up to a shanled snaffle and it's like a clipped a switch. His response is just immediate and fluid and I can't even handle how well he's doing *knock on wood*

We have another OkSHA show on the 20th, then our school open show the 26th (idk if I'm gonna do English or not. I may as well and get the points towards highpoint) then a SHOT show in Lubbock April 2nd. It's gonna be crazy.

Chickie's growing up fast. I think I MAY start her lightly this summer, then next spring I'll send her to cutting/Cowhorse training if I can afford it. Otherwise she'll ride with me and charlie to tarleton next fall (17) and she'll get her training through the team work.

Picturessss

Chickie a couple days ago

















First time in cow work


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

we had a clinic with Todd Crawford and Wade Meador last weekend. Charlie did GREAT. Todd was super impressed with how quiet and responsive he was on the flag (HA. hes been on that flag a whopping 3 times and he didn't see the massive spook the first time it moved that morning)


after that we worked a real cow with Wade and Charlie was like a different horse. He was right on that cow in the pocket, he was letting the cow pull him into the turns like hes supposed to and man. he was just right on that cow tracking him through the entire pen.

the second day was even better. we worked the gate in the morning and he was even better in his cow work that afternoon..

Mondays class we did some cutting (so much fun) and GUYS. That is just Charlies thing. He's always been the laid back do whatever I tell him but he ENJOYED cutting. He was back on his hocks digging in to chase that sucker and holy cow. I have a cutter. haha When we pulled off the cow coach even commented that "if he didn't know better he'd think that was a cow horse" HA. 


The farrier came out yesterday to do everybodies feet and Charlie went from having the hardest prettiest feet to now the farrier can push a nail into the wall with his thumb o_o so I'm going to get some turpentine tomorrow to start putting on his feet. 

I'm thinking I may have him pull Charlies shoes this next time. I've had him shod 24/7 since last semester since he's seen some pretty hard riding and he really needs protection in Pole Canyon when we go. But I may have them pulled and then get him some trail boots or something for our trail rides. I dunno. We'll see how it goes.

In other news its spring break (yay) and ******** is in full swing so I'm taking my truck down today to play. then probably sleep all week haha. I'm kind of stuck at home all week since my parents are taking a little vacation so I have to house sit. And then next sunday is our Ardmore Show, the weekend after that is the school open show (ill only do that show if im a point rider for Lubbock which is the week after that) then Lubbock, Ardmore again, pole canyon, and then ASHA Nationals in Sweetwater.

Poor Charlie doesn't get a weekend off till may


Sassy dragon baby


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

So proud of booger head. Had 2 weeks off and still rocked it at the show yesterday.

Came home reserve champion for Collegiate Novice with a nice new headstall to boot 

Individual classes-
4th (14) novice/2nd collegiate pleasure
11th (12)/3rd cow
5th (14)/ 2nd Trail
7th (11)/ 2nd Reining

My big plow horse got a NINE for his stop and back in pleasure and THREE tens in trail! He's turning into quite the show poneh



And today is the ride off for our Lubbock show so hopefully he'll be as good as he was yesterday and well make point rider haha


Showing off his ribbon to big brother Red








My new headstall


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Right on time for our Lubbock show l, Charlies feet are falling apart lol

Well....foot.

I noticed it Saturday at the school open show. He probably kicked his foot but he's got a nice chunk missing now right at the nail. so one misstep on that shoe and he'll rip it (and probably some hoof) off


I have the farrier coming out hopefully tomorrow to check it out and fix him up *fingers crossed*

His feet are just so dang soft now since moving to TX. I bought Keratex and I'm putting that on him now so hopefully his feet will get better.



In other news we competed in Adult (instead of Novice) at the open show and ended up reserve high point Ranch horse

1st in Ranch Trail
2nd in Ranch Horsemanship
3rd in Ranch Pleasure

Didn't place in reining. It was such a long day. we started at 8 and we didn't go into our reining class till 730 and we were both just done so it wasn't a great pattern. plus we had about 10 trainers ridig in our class. But he never quit on me. He still pushed to get it done and we ended the day on a good/tired note.

The messed up foot in question


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Long time no talk 

Things are busy as usual haha. We went to ASHA Collegiate Nationals (NCCS) and ended up 29th overall out of 45. And we got "Most Improved" award for the Team year end awards (voted for by the team)

Now I'm just trying to get through the last two weeks of classes and find a summer job :/

I WAS planning on starting Chickie but she just popped a splint so she's gonna get some time off and I'll concentrate on Charlie and getting Red and Drifter back in shape


















The troublemakers


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Just catching up. You've been busy! Charlie is the Hawaiian horse, right?


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

No Charlie is the one I've had since he was 6 weeks old (hell be 10 in June) 

Champ was the Hawaii horse. Aaand he's still in Hawaii haha


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Ahhhh. But, given the weather on the mainland lately, Hawaii sounds like a good place to be. Any chance of getting him to you?


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Unfortunately probably not. I don't think he would make the boat trip over very well. I haven't talked to them over there in awhile but the last pics I had seen of him he was looking really good and they were using him with the kids so he has if pretty good over there


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Thinking about you.....how you doing?


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Oops sorry. I didn't bother trying to get a new password after all the drama until today haha.

I'm good. Gearing up for this new semester of classes. I have a job at a barn near the school, work mostly weekends and random days during the week when they need somebody to cover.

All the horses are good. Chickadee still has recurring leg issues so for now I'm gonna change it up and concentrate on just ponying her and building her fitness and addressing the leg issues until she's older and *hopefully* grows out of it.

Other than that it's been mostly business as usual

Some pictures for your enjoyment 😉

(She really is growing up quite nicely other than the leg problems)








The 3 amigos (the girls and Drifter avoid these three as much as possible HA.)


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

This journal has been closed due to prolonged lack of participation by the author. Journals that have no active participation by the author for a period of time greater than 18 months will be considered abandoned and will be closed until the author asks for them to be reopened.


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