Fall Foliage Friday

I had hoped to start this series at the first of the month but things have been a bit hectic with Chase recovery and other obligations. Better late than never...I live in one of the most beautiful regions of the country for fall foliage. Right outside my front door is a beautiful mountain that will display falls briliant colors as we head toward "peak of the season" Here are some pictures to chronicle the changing of the leaves.

October 1, 2009. Not much change at this point. we are expecting cool weather this weekend and that will kick the change into full swing!

October 3, 2009 Still not much change...but it is coming.

Meet Audrey Reese!

Audrey Reese was born June 4, 2009. She is my late in life baby....being pregnant at 35 isn't so easy. But it was all worth it...including the 4 months of bed rest and the startling delivery. She has brought so much joy to our lives. I have had a different experience with her than with my other 4. With the other kids I always was thinking about them growing up and how I couldn't wait to see them walk and talk and play ball and hunt Easter eggs. With Reese I realize that will all come too soon. Her oldest brother is 18! What happened to the days when he was still learning to grasp things with his hands and make cooing sounds? He is technically (and I do only mean technically) an adult. With Reese I savor those moments that I can cuddle her like a baby and feed her and watch her play and learn to do things. I know all too soon I will turn around and she will be going out the door to drive to school. I am most happy that she has not only brought joy to the lives of me and her dad but also to her siblings. She is truly a joy for us all!

Live Webcasting IBRA and Congress

The All American Quarter Horse Congress is in full swing and this year the webcast is FREE! Friday night is the highlight of the entire show for me...freestyle reining. Go to the link below to watch live coverage.
All American Quarter Horse Congress

The IBRA East Nationals is also going on with the Directors Race and $10,000 guaranteed 4-d races today. Link below is the the webcast. Good luck to all our Kentucky and Tennessee friends.
IBRA East Nationals Webcast

To magic seat...or not?

The Magic Seat pictured above has been the source of many discussions and swaying opinions at our house. The device is basically some straps that go around your legs and then Velcro to your saddle to help you keep your seat. I see a lot of beginning youth riders using it and at first, after seeing kids put on horses beyond their riding ability, said no way I will never let Madison use that. But after talking with some trusted friends who have used or have coached youth who have used it I have changed my mind. I have been assured that it really doesn't hold you in the seat it only adds some stability so if a horse were to duck or spook you wont just pop out of the seat but if a horse were to take a fall you would come off. Both the ladies I asked about it said that it really just adds stability and is good for beginners to help them get their confidence. Madison is riding really well right now and has a lot of confidence and I would hate to see her lose it as it took a long time to build. She is confident enough to trust my judgement and get on any horse I approve and walk trot and lope circles. Yesterday we took her to a friends house to practice Rosie on the pattern and she did very well. She has an excellent seat and nice soft hands. She is ready to get into the arena and start competing in pee wee and I feel the Magic Seat will only help her develop her confidence and skills. So it looks like a yes to the Magic Seat. Anyone out there used it or have an opinion to share?

It is all about style...Classic Equine

Since purchasing Rosie for Madison I have felt like we really need to get ourselves color coordinated for the shows. My motto has always been that if you have a bad run you can at least look good doing it! There are so many tack options out there that it can get quite confusing. Today I am going to talk about our bell boot and splint boot choices as well as a coordinating pad. When it comes to bell boots there is none other than the Classic Equine No Turn. These boots fit well, will NOT turn on you and really last through a lot of wear, tear and washing. We use the Classic Equine splint boots as well so everything matches really nicely. And to round out a great look I plan to purchase the ESP saddle pads to match. They come in some great colors and work really well under most any saddle. Below I have put together coordinating looks for each of us. I hope to purchase a few things as we go along, cant afford a total makeover all at one time. We have already purchased the Diva Dot bell boots for Rosie and Madison (hay bag to match) and I got the Paisley print bell boots (hay bag to match). Take a look and let me know what you think or if you have any questions about Classic Equine products...I highly reccommend them!


For Madison and Rosie


We already purchased thses and the hay bag to match. We are going to pair these splint boots with the bell boots...

and this ESP saddle pad




Madison is going to need a new saddle as well...and pretty soon. I want to do some research and shop around for a saddle before we make a purchase like that. There are so many things to consider saddle fit for the horse and the rider as well as how it looks.



I put together this look for me...I love the pink and brown!

I have already purchased these for me and the haybag to match.


Going for these splint boots and this ESP pad to complete the look!







And finally for Chase....who will be back in the saddle in no time I put these colors together.






Now if I can just win the lottery it would make this a much quicker and smoother process to get us all coordinated and looking good!

Posting Pictures

My family and I have spent this evening watching the live webcast of the All American Quarter Horse Congress. Reining and cutting were on the schedule for tonight. We saw some pretty impressive reining horses. I cant wait for the Freestyle reining which is Friday night.

We were scheduled to leave Wednesday of this week to show at the IBRA National Finals. Chase and my husband John both qualified this year and we were so excited about going....prior to Chase having his wreck. We had invested a good amount of money in entry fees for the show and have requested a refund since this is a medical reason and we are hopeful that the show management will see this hardship and refund our money....I will let you know how that goes.

I was reviewing some of my earlier post and realized I never posted pictures of the weanling we are so excited about. Since then we purchased a yearling and a horse for my daughter to begin running pee wee barrels. So here are some long over due pictures...

I took these of Junior this weekend. He is 6 months old. AStreak of Fly is his registered name a son of Frenchmans Fly (by Frenchmans Guy and out of De Streaker (mother of Mulberry Canyon Moon) and out of Ms Do Da Dash.

Dinkys Excitabull our new yearling by Mr Excitabull out of an Undertaker Billy Mare

This is Rosie...The Rose Dancer. This picture was taken 2 days after we bought her and she needed about 200 lbs put on her...she looks much better now I just havent taken any pictues of her. We laugh sometimes becaues she is the biggest horse we own, for the smallest rider. And she is bred to be a speed demon...own daughter of Bet The Cash and out of a mare by Mr Trucka Jet....how did the little girl end up with all the speed? Rosie is working out great!

I Am Alive

Have you heard the new Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews song I Am Alive? I hadn't heard it until yesterday but wow when I did it brought up so many emotions. Last Saturday September 26 as I worked on this blog...hoping on Monday to debut the new look and new direction I want to go...I got a call that my son Chase, 15, had been in an accident. Chase had gone to his dad's for the weekend and from there joined up with a friend to ride his TRex. The TRex is a two seater type ATV. To make a long grueling story short they lost control on a wet road and struck a car. Chase was transferred from our small town hospital to the University of Kentucky Medical Center with a fractured skull, bone pushing on his brain, huge gash revealing his skull and a cracked cheek bone. After undergoing surgery to place a metal plate and mold the bone back together Chase is doing rather well. He is a miracle...God was with him and continues to answer our prayers of a speedy recovery. Though he is doing well there are challenges to come. Chase is a dedicated barrel racer and is missing the IBRA East National Finals and the Youth Barrel Bash. He is already counting the days until he can ride again. We are all praying for his recovery to be quick. Life is slowly working back to some sense of what our normal is.

This is Chase the morning after surgery...looking rough but giving us the thumbs up.

Chase after we arrived home.