Making our farm dreams come true!

We have always been looking for the right house on the right property in the right location.  After years of searching (and almost buying a place that was too far away) we have found the perfect solution!  

We recently bought 20 acres of land on the south side of the lake near the town we live in!  Great location, only 15 minutes to town!  It is still in the school districts where we are currently.  The land is about 3/4 mile down the road from a trail head that has access to 50 MILES of equestrian trails!!!  About 3-5 acres of the land is treed, the rest is brome pasture.  

We hope to build our dream home there next spring!  Until then, we plan to get busy doing whatever improvements we can with our sweat equity!  

I am standing in the north central part of the land, looking West.  This is a small treed area with the 'gate' being just to the left of the trees.

Here is the north tree line, looking NE.  Our fence runs along behind these trees.  Our North 'neighbors' are 60 acres of unbuildable land owned by a trust.

Looking East- we have about 3-5 acres treed.

Picnic Cutie!

John coming out of the NW treed corner.  He had to chase off the neighbor's dog.  

 To the South.  Our property goes back a ways and then we have two neighbors to the south. 

 Hi!

Proud!

 Happy to be on our very own land!

 Yay!!!

Family picture time!

Here we are parked along the East tree line in the NE corner of the pasture land.  We are about to start exploring the woods!

Love them!

Here we have the north property line- expressed by a barbed wire fence and a rock wall.

Very overgrown with brush.  We will be clearing out as much as possible so that walking will be easier. Not sure yet if we will clear trails or just try to methodically clear out the whole underbrush.

I just LOVE these old rock walls.  It makes me feel so connected to the past and the history of the land.  Someone, ages ago, picked up these rocks by hand, carried them behind a horse, and placed them right here.  I love it.  This one runs north/south for a while.

You can see here that the land has a bit of a slope to it.  It slopes down towards a creek that runs through at least 2 neighbor's properties.

 Explaining to Paisley that someday, this will all be hers!

I am hoping that this is a dry creek bed.  

Oh, it would be so awesome to have a creek!  

We are somewhere between the south property line and the middle of the land here, looking north.  

Checking for ticks.  Blech.

Looking NW.  We will probably build the house up on this hill in the middle of the property with the front facing the road and the back porch facing the NE corner looking into the woods.

Facing West, the road runs along this way over the other side of the hill.

I am so excited to share this news with you and 

want to thank all of our friends and family for supporting us!  

Catch riding?

I am looking for people with too many horses and not enough bodies...  

I would like to catch-ride for anyone who needs their horse to get some competition time.  

Now that Paisley is no longer a nursling, I am able to leave her for longer periods and am willing to travel to do rides.  

I will ride your horse, with your equipment, and your feed setup.  I will follow your rules and ride along with you or at whatever pace you think is appropriate for the horse.  

I have a very modest, but good record with AERC.  100% completion for 7 rides with finish times ranging from 7-10 hours.  Contact me for more information on how to search for me on the AERC results page.  

Please feel free to pass my info on to your friends!  I am getting my 'horse time' in bits and pieces right now and it would be amazing to have the chance to ride some amazing horses in a few endurance rides!  

Yard Sale!!!

Not sure if anyone reads this blog anymore, but I thought I would post some items for sale. If you are interested, contact me and we can negotiate prices. I will continue to add items and pictures as I get to them.

 Circle Y Expedition saddle. 15" rough out seat. Lightly used, great condition, has light scuffing on right side. Includes rigging and *nice* dark green carry bag. $1300

 SOLD!!! Zilco endurance bridle- dark green biothane, headstall snaps onto halter. Great bridle, brass is no longer shiny. Arab sized. $60

SOLD!!!  Biothane sponge leash and natural sea sponge. Sponge is brand new in package. leash is silver. $20 for both

SOLD!!! Easycare cantle pack. Dark Green, holds 2-20oz water bottles, included. Brand new, never used. $50


SOLD!!! Toklat cool back saddle pad. Round shape, 30x30. Dark green with suede wear leathers. Nice. $50

Reinsman Tacky Too saddle pad. 28x33, shaped/contour pad. Fits tucker and endurance type saddles. $75


SOLD!!!! Renegade Hoof Boots- barely used. dark green. Pair. Size 1. $120/pair

Hay bags, really nice.Fabric with 'grid' window in front, velcro closure, and wood at the top to hold shape, straps are nylon with buckles. Dark green. $20/pair

Blankets/sheets/cooler- 70"-72". most are used, some are new. Price varies.  All are from Schneiders.

 StormShield New Briton Bellyband turnout blanket in Navy.  These are the midweight blankets and have been torn and repaired several times.  Still work, would be perfect as an indoor blanket or under a waterproof sheet.  I wouldn't rely on them to be waterproof anymore.  I have a 70 and a 72 inch.  The 70 has "Sabumi" embroidered on the bellyband.  $20 each

SOLD!!! DuraTech Tekno-Fleece Contoured Cooler- 70", black, has "Sabumi" embroidered on the bellyband.  Great condition, Great cooler.  $25


Dura-Tech Viking II turnout-midweight blanket and sheet- both are 72" and green with black trim.  These were used for less than one winter season.  Were worn indoors for majority of the winter.  Very good conditions.  Practically brand new!  $40 for the sheet, $50 for the blanket.

Truckbed Tent- really cool tent.  Fit our F150 6'6"bed perfectly.  $100

SOLD!!! Vibram 5 fingers Bikala LS- ran in them for one mile every other day for two weeks- less than 8 miles total.  Sz 36, which is about a 6.  $75

2006 F150.  74k miles.  Super Cab XLT.  4x4 high and low, Tow package, B&W turnover ball, break assist in cab.  Great condition.  $15,500.  Check link for ad on cars.com. 

Awesome Boomer Update!!!

I just checked the AERC horse records and saw a great update on Boomer! His new owners took him to NJ for a 50 mile ride in mid-November and he did AWESOME!!! Our of 34 starters, 28 horses finished and Boomer finished 12th with a ride time of 5 hours and 14 minutes!!! I knew that he could be a rock star with the right owner! I am so proud of him!

New blog!

With this new stage in my life comes a new blog!  

Join me over at Mama Mullholland to keep up to date with our life!!!

Perfect Match!

Well, friends, I am SO happy to tell you that Boomer has found the perfect home!  

I am so glad that this story has a happy ending!  

I posted Boomer on endurance.net classifieds and got several replies.  The one that stood out was from a couple from Iowa.  They have several decades of arabian and endurance experience.  They have thousands of competition miles.  They do FEI rides.  They travel to Florida in the winter and do rides year round.  

They came to meet Boomer and were very happy with him.  They are aware of his behavior issues and did not seem phased by that at all.  

This is the perfect situation for Boomer and I am able to move on with a happy heart!  

Thank you all for being so understanding and supportive during this difficult time for me!  

***

Horses will always be important to me.  I hope to take frequent riding lessons and continue to learn and improve.  I also hope someday to own another horse.  But, for now, I am endlessly happy to spend my days with this little joy:

We Need Help

Fellow readers, you may have noticed that the blog was closed for several days. I have been in a period of deep thought while trying to cope with the situation of finding Boomer a new home.

I am at a point where I am emotionally ready to rehome him. Unfortunately, the horse market is not active right now. Especially not for a horse like Boomer who has a behavior problem (ie. pulling back and chinchyness).

I need help finding him a good home. This is not about money or making a profit off of him. He just deserves a good, understanding home.

Currently, he is starting his second month of training. He has not pulled back in over 3 weeks and is riding well. He needs someone who wants to work with him regularly to hold him accountable and have high expectations for him. He needs someone who is confident and strong on the ground.

I do not have the kind of time he needs and can't justify having a horse with his needs as a mother to a young baby.

I need him to find a good home by the end of this month. We can't just keep him in training indefinitely.

In the past, Boomer was a wonderful project for me. My perspective has changed since having a baby and Boomer and I are no longer good partners. When I was working with Boomer daily and getting him regular exercise, we were a great team. Now, with only two days a week to see him and a new baby at home, I can no longer invest the time and attention that Boomer needs to thrive.

Please, if you know a person or a rescue organization who would take Boomer, contact me. He is a wonderful riding horse if you can just work through his ground manner issues.

End of the road

I'm really sad, but not at all surprised that I am writing this post.  

We have tried to help Boomer for over 3 years and he just is who he is.  Unfortunately, his bad habit is dangerous.  

For those of you who have been following the blog for a while, you know we have had our ups and downs.  I have always kept trying and kept giving Boomer more chances to prove himself.  

The fact is that he is an incredible athlete.  I know he could be a star.  He is totally capable of being a 100 mile horse.  He could probably do Tevis. I am amazed at his ability and strength.  

Unfortunately, he is reactive.  I wouldn't even say that he is spooky.  When something happens to upset him or doesn't go his way, he reacts in a big and dangerous way.  This manifests as either pulling back while tied or throwing himself over backwards.  

I have tried avoiding situations that make him flip, which does work to an extent, but makes me miserable to be walking on eggshells around him.  We have thrown countless dollars in training at him to no change.  

Our trainer agrees, he isn't scared.  He gets mad.  

I think that someone with more time, confidence, and knowledge could give Boomer a great home and use him to his potential.  

I am just no longer able to feel safe around him.  I have spent the last few weeks thinking of what I need to feel safe with him.  I need to hear the words "He is cured, he will never pull back or blow up again".  No one can tell me that.  He went almost 2 years without pulling back.  No one can guarantee that he will never blow up again, because he does it in protest, not out of fear.  

If it was fear, it would be something that sacking-out or exposure could fix.  

Unfortunately, my confidence has taken a pretty big hit in this process.  I have a bit of fear and anxiety now around all horses.  I feel like I am just waiting for them to blow up and flip over in the cross ties or whatever.  

I need to take a step back and just take lessons for a while to rebuild my confidence.  Maybe try a new discipline and ride a few solid horses.  I'm not looking to own another horse anytime soon.  Our next horse will be one that I can actually enjoy and is also safe for our whole family.  

By all means, if you think you can help this horse and give him the home he needs, please contact me.  He is dangerous on the ground and I have no doubt that he will hurt someone someday.  He is also a dream to ride and learns quickly.  He is built for endurance and will do great things in the endurance world.  

Boot Camp Breakthrough

First day at the trainers, Boomer tried to hang himself on the hitching post.  Not sure exactly what happened, but Trainer had to cut the rope to free him.  I asked if he was scared or being bad.  She said that she would understand if he was scared, but he was just mad that she was pushing and he pushed back, and she didn't relent, so he threw a tantrum.  He was even trying to kick her as she was cutting the rope.  Classy.  

John and I have both seen this in him.  When you ask him to do something and he says no.  You better drop it or else he is gunna get mad.  When he gets mad, his general response is to blow backwards as hard as possible.  Luckily, Trainer isn't a wuss and she kept pushing.  

After this, she tossed him in the round pen with a tarp.  He proceeded to run through the panels and escape.  He scraped up his front leg.  His reward was to be tied to a tree, away from the barn, in a pasture of llamas.  Apparently, he stood quietly for the remainder of the afternoon.  

Next day, he got tied up to have his leg hosed.  He stood dead still for that (!!!) and also stood dead still for the next 6 hours while a variety of tractors and 4-wheelers buzzed by all afternoon.  

We think he knows.  

I am glad that he had such big blow-ups right away.  At first, I was disappointed, but John pointed out that it is a really great sign that Trainer is pushing all of the right buttons.  She knows first hand what she is working with and can quickly set goals.

3 days down...  57(?) to go...

Boomer goes back to Boot Camp!

I think we all knew it was in the cards for Boomer.  At some point he was going to need a tune up.  

As far as riding was going, he was doing great.  Better each time I rode him and we were having a blast.  However, his ground manners were shit.  Also, he knows exactly how to manipulate me.  

When riding, I have stopped being afraid of him and have gained enough confidence to push him through and silliness.  So, he has pretty much stopped trying.  

On the ground, he knows that all he has to do is give something the hairy eye, or twitch the wrong way and I will untie him right away and hurry up the tacking up process.  

I'll give a quick synopsis of his shenanigans in the last few months.  The first time I went to ride him after 6ish months off, he was great for both tacking up and riding.  We did one easy lap around the pond.  Second time, he pulled back when I walked towards him with the saddle.  He spooked when I threw the pad over his back and raised his head so that I couldn't bridle him.  Third time I just got on bareback since I didn't want to tack him up.  When I got the new saddle, I had to saddle him up in a small paddock for the first 6-8 times because he was spooky like he had never seen a saddle before.  He would run backwards as I would approach, would skitter sideways as I tried to adjust the saddle.  It really pissed me off.  

I really don't think any of this is a pain issue as he is a gem once we are riding.  Granted, I have recently discovered how crooked I am.  This surely causes him discomfort.  However, he is NOT the kind of horse who would ignore or be passive if it were so painful he didn't want to work.  He is fun and happy for our whole ride.  He doesn't move while I mount up and doesn't resist under saddle.  When my saddle fit poorly before as his topline developed, he would stand tense under me while I mounted and would shake his head and swish his tail.  

The final straw was a few weeks ago, I threw the saddle over his back and he spooked into me at the cinch and stirrup falling on the other side.  He stepped on my foot, the saddle fell off, and he almost ran me over.  He had been getting SO MUCH BETTER about being saddled too.  For the last few weeks he was standing still the whole time I saddled him, like he SHOULD.  Well, it didn't end there.  

The barn owner came over and held him for me so that I could resaddle.  I got him cinched up and the barn owner walked off to finish chores.  Boomer was standing with his head down and a calm expression.  I asked him to move around me in a circle, as I always do, to get him to unbloat so that I can finish tightening the cinch.  Well, instead of moving forward, he froze and flew backwards.  He fell onto his side and then hopped back up.  The lead rope never even pulled through my hand.  It was like he had pulled back, but there was never an ounce of pressure on his face.  He scratched up my brand new saddle.  He also scratched up his knees and hock.  

I was ready to send him through auction at that point.  

I have NO desire to have such an unpredictable animal.  None.  I don't care what his reasons are for being a fruit.  I expect him to behave like any other normal horse.  If he can not behave like a normal horse, we are done.  No excuses.  

So, to boot camp he goes.  

I told our trainer that I need her to find out if this is a behavioral thing that can be trained out or if it is a mental thing and is just who he is.  

Last time he went to her, it was primarily for riding issues.  We have had no problems with riding since he returned in November of 2009.  I have high hopes that she can knock some sense into him.  

For the record, this is not a natural horsemanship, hugs and kisses type of blog.  If you don't want to read about my horse getting 'cowboyed up' go somewhere else.  I know this animal well enough to know that he is smart.  He takes advantage.  He needs to be knocked down a peg.  I have allowed him to believe he is above me on the food chain and he is about to learn the hard way that he is, in fact, pretty damn low on the totem pole.