Settling In...

We just received a short burst of a winter storm compliments of the Gulf of Alaska, along with it came some very cold weather for Southern California and some graupel. Which is a hail like snow pellet. If we had been up a few more feet in elevation we would have seen the fluffy white stuff. We are talking about getting in the car later and going for a drive to go check out the snow. It's just a little further up the foothills that we live in. 

That being said I was so happy we had Moose home for this storm as he just hates standing out in the rainy cold weather. He gets the most sour look on his face. We have been getting used to having horses at home. We have another horse visiting. Who I am thinking we probably will lease for a little bit so Moose has a stall mate. Moose was really not happy about coming home. He was quite upset about leaving the ranch and the other horses. And much like a two year old he threw a bunch of tantrums and was refusing to eat. When a 1500 pound horse is not happy you just have to stay out of the way. Thankfully we found Blacky just a few days after we brought moose home, and having the other horse really helped to settle him down some. 

He still has been quite impossible to handle at times. If you take the other horse out of the stall to ride or exercise he gets really upset. Which looks like frantic pacing around his stall and hyper ventilating. 

I mean really he is a 1500 pound diva. 

We plan on having at least three horses, including moose. But I am thinking more and more he needs a stall mate. Something that can stay behind with him if we take the other horses out. 

Often people will get a goat I am thinking maybe some Alpaca. Or maybe even a miniature horse. 

Adrian found a dvd horse training program that he is going to put Moose through. We are going to start from the ground up with him. He is a really sweet horse but his ground manners are terrible and he can be a rather anxious horse and sometimes hard to handle. Adrian thinks by June we will be riding him again. That would be wonderful. 

I am not sure if we will ever get a horse again that needs so much training and work as Moose. But even so he is beautiful and I think it was worth it to rescue him and keeping him from the slaughter house or from being put down. 

Have you read the recent horse meat news?? I mean seriously he could have been rigatoni :O

yet another reason to never eat processed food!!

Next week we are going to be taking a drive up north to visit a horse rescue that rehabilitates the horses after they rescue them. That means they train them!! :D Over the phone they thought they might have a few horses that would be a good fit for me. I am really looking forward to having my own horse that I can ride and hit the trails with. From where we live you can literally hop on your horse and find a trail we have several right off our road. 

I always find it amazing how much you learn about yourself when you work with horses. I am learning more and more that the tougher it is the more rewarding it becomes to do what you love. 

My horsemanship has improved so much over the last few months. I have learned so much about taking care of horses and horse health. I still have a ways to go with learning how to ride. I am far from looking like a natural when I get on the horse hehehe...But that I am sure will come along once I get a horse I can ride regularly. It is amazing to watch my kids with the horses. Anna is just fearless and an absolute natural. Before long she is going to be teaching me. She has also shown so much responsibility in having the horses at home. She is always ready to throw on her cowboy boots and help out even if it means just scooping poop. 

We're all just settling in here. Amazing how much has changed since we have moved back home. Although things are still up in the air with Adrians work, I am looking forward to more changes in the future. I love how our family is putting down roots. And I can't wait to see what Blooms. 

Always remember the future comes one day at a time.

~Dean Acheson