Wish me luck! I'm working with the bank to get a loan for a new horse trailer. It's time to upgrade and get a bigger trailer, and I've found a lovely lightly-used Featherlite that I would love to acquire. Getting it will make getting to the shows much less of a procession.

Our two new horses from NC are lovely and are doing well. Ollie, the Arab that we started recently, is going great. I say 'we' started, Julie and Erin get most all of the credit for this guy. Julie has him going walk/trot/canter and he looks to be a lovely ride. Our stallions are all performing very well, can't wait to get them in the show ring. My young colt Mark got gelded this past Monday, and he is doing great. It's been nice having him in to handle a bit, he is a very sweet young Paso.

Well, I'm off. Have to get a load of square bales this morning, round bales tomorrow and a load of sawdust on Monday. Then we are off to work in Arizona for a week!

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It was a great weekend at RO-NO!! Our Gaited Horse Clinic was fun and full, with 8 horse/rider teams and plenty of auditors. The horses and riders worked hard, and all had a grin on their faces when we were done. It felt great to help so many people get a little more in tune with their horses. Our auditors had some great questions and comments too. Thank you to everyone who participated.

Sundays Mounted Shooting Mini-Clinic was a hit as well. We had five horse/rider teams and even though all of the horses started out being pretty fresh, they all settled into the work and left the ring doing much better than how they started out. Mounted Shooting is So Much Fun!!

I've only a week to get everything set to run smoothly while I am on the road again. Easter week brings our yearly trek to Arizona. I've a heavy work load to cover there, and a lot to organize here before we go.

Today the vet comes, we'll get a few more coggins pulled and shots given, and a colt gelded. Busy day at the Ranch!

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Our week is flying by at top speed! The busy weekend is nearly here, and we are really looking forward to it. Today is farrier day, John will be here early. He stopped by for a bit last night as he knew we were doing some mounted shooting practice. Tomorrow, on top of our regular chores, we will be getting the place ready for the Gaited Horse Clinic, and for our Mini-Clinic on Sunday for our Mounted Shooters.

Hannah, our new working student, is working out just fine. She's rapidly getting the hang of riding the Pasos, and is taking good care of all the critters up at Maribelles. We all worked late last night, it was so nice out we kept on going with getting horses schooled, then had Conni here to ride Chief, them practiced with the Mounted Shooting. Tonight will run a bit late as well. We plan to work again on collecting Pastor and Calif. It went well on Sunday, and I just want to be sure that the horses are good to go when we are called to send a shipment out. After that is done, Rob and I have a Removal Service call to go on. Today too we have a new worker coming in. He is one of Rob's ( second or third ) cousins, and he is a good farm hand.

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It's been a lovely weekend. The weather was about the best any of us have seen, 70's, sunny, no wind, no bugs. Hopefully we don't pay for it later.

One of my clients is selling her black Tenn. Walker. His name is Jet, he is registered and he is a lovely horse. To quote her, "I'm more concerned with finding him a good home & someone to love him than the $$. He's a special horse." He is a doll, nice, smooth gelding, pitch black. He is on the energetic side, likes to have a job. She is asking $3500.

We've a busy week ahead. Shooting practice is starting up, I want to start getting Cardillo going under harness. Hannah arrived safely and she is ready to work. We've much to get done before the upcoming clinics this weekend. ( Sunday will be a small mounted shooting clinic! )

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Headed home! Right now I am cooling my heels at the Tallahassee Airport, flight has been delayed due to heavy fog, hopefully I will make my connecting flights.

Florida trip was great, got lots of work done, and had a chance to ride at Greener Pastures, under Robins tutelage. Great time as always. Rose made the trip out on Monday evening, and she got a few lessons in as well. We celebrated my B-Day on Tuesday evening, and Robins B-Day on Wednesday evening. Then yesterday, after riding a few horses, Rose and I accompanied Robin to a Paso Show in Ocala. It was great getting to touch base with folks that we usually just see at Nationals.

Back to business as usual tomorrow. Have our regulars coming in the late morning, have a few new clients coming in the afternoon. Sunday we will work with Jen W on collecting a few of the stallions and such to get set for breeding season, and our new working student will be coming here around noontime! Busy weekend :)


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My Florida trip is progressing well. Worked on about 18 very nice Paso Finos yesterday at Greener Pastures. I'm off this morning to work on a few Pasos at another farm, then have rounds to make for the rest of the day. From there I will either head back to Henriettas and go out with the gang tonight to listen to a local band, or I'll head west in preparation for my days work tomorrow out near Pensacola. I'll just have to see what the day throws at me.

After tomorrow most of my work will be local to where I am staying, and on Monday Rosanne flys in, so a lot of our work will be focused on finishing up here at Greener Pastures. My birthday and Robins birthday are this coming week, so one night we will get a chance to go out and celebrate!

Off to take some ibuprofen now so that my arm is limber enough to work!

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Sitting in an airport in Charlotte NC waiting for my connection to Tallahassee. Yesterday was a long, drawn out day with lots needing to be accomplished before heading to the airport this morning. But, it was a good day, we got a lot done, and I finished up not too late last night. Got up early to finish packing, and we hit the road at 6 this morning. Rob and Hunter in the car, and me in the truck. Dropped the truck off for repairs while I am gone ( from the mystery impact it received on Feb 1st )( it will be nice to come home to an un-dented truck ) then hopped in with Rob and Hunter and off to the airport we went for them to drop me off. Got checked in and thru security with no trouble ( Wilkes-Barre is getting fancy- they now have a cylindrical shaped security vault that you have to stand in, hands raised, before passing thru security ) and now here I sit waiting for my next flight. I'm using the time wisely though, I have my notices along that need to be addressed and stamped to send off to my AZ clients in preparation for next months trip.
The girls are all set for my absence. I filled the barns with hay yesterday, got in a new load of shavings, and the schedule is all set with which horses need to be worked on which days. They are efficient at what they do, and as always, I can rest easy knowing that everything will get done.
Once I land I'll grab the rental that is waiting for me ( thanks to my insurance company- this is my replacement for while the truck is being repaired ) and head straight to my first appointment. Just one job to do today, then off to Henrietta Ratliff's place at Greener Pastures, where a Scrabble game and a gimlet await me!


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We've another busy couple of days ahead of us. There is still a ton of snow on the ground from yesterdays storm, even though places west of here have nothing. All good though, as it is covering up the mud! Much of my day yesterday was spent getting caught up on paperwork, and getting things in order for my upcoming trip to Florida.

Things are changing up a bit for Maribelle, and I'm hoping that a positive spin is in the air. The young man who has worked for her for years let her know yesterday that his last day would be this Saturday! Now, Maribelle had knee surgery a little less than a month ago, so she is reliant upon her helper and us to get all cared for up at her barn. While I do possibly have someone new coming on at RO-NO soon who would work for her, we were not ready for so sudden a departure of her help. He had moved in to her house quite a few months ago ( he apparently had no where else to go, so kind hearted Maribelle opened her home to him ) Anyway, I made a call last night and have a wonderful guy lined up to come over today to meet with Maribelle and hopefully start work on Sunday/Monday. It may only be temporary, but I think it is a positive step up for Maribelle and her horses. We'll see where things go from here.

Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day. The farrier will be here, I may have a new working student stopping by to meet us, and Jen W is stopping by to go over some of our breeding/collection equipment with me as well. Should be a full and enjoyable day!


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