Welcome to Life+Horses!

Welcome to Life+Horses, formerly 50+Horses.  In my travels this past year to write my first blog I've found so much more I wanted to share with my readers.  I felt restricted by the previous title, thus a new name!

Today I take you back about six months and (re)introduce you to our horses, Cisco, Champ, Sunny and Gus. 

For you who followed 50+Horses, you read about the loss of my older Quarter Horse Gelding, Cisco, this last January to Colic.  Cisco was the kind of horse who could sit in the pasture for months, yet dependable and steady when I pulled him out for a ride.

When my confidence level was low, I could always hop on Cisco and raise the level back up.  I had so much fun riding him and ponying his pasture buddy, Sunny, around our place.

Cisco was a short, stocky guy.  Kind of like me!  I lost him two weeks after I retired.  Having the ability to retire at a fairly young age, I'd looked forward to my free time, good health and taking Cisco out on trails near our house with my friends.

I've recently decided to replace Cisco and am on the search for another been there/done that, short, stocky older Quarter Horse Gelding.  They call a horse like Cisco a "kids or husband safe" horse.  I call it a horse that will help an adult retain her confidence, give her the joy of riding and partner with as a best friend.

Using Cisco for a confidence boost got me up on Champ our 12-year old APHA Gelding.  He's our daughter's former peformance horse, left behind when she went off to college.  We board Champ at a stable near our place.  He's part of our family and although our daughter is no longer riding, she still loves this horse, as we all do. 

So selling Champ was not an option but Mom learning to ride him was!  This past year I've taken lessons on Champ, learning how to ride correctly.  In fact today as I finish this, I head up to ride Champ and start prepping on the moves to learn how to sort cattle.

Always being a trail rider, I had no idea how much work (and fun) it was to learn how to ride properly!  I attended my first horse show with Champ in October and brought home lots of various colored ribbons.  However, the day wasn't about 'winning'.  It was about testing out my new skills, seeing old friends and sharing the day with my family. 

Our daughter came home from college to support Champ and I.  Each time I got one of those colored ribbons I could hear my family and friends cheering from the bleachers.  Their love and support on that day still brings a lump to my throat.  I look forward to attending a few shows this year with Champ, visiting old friends and just having a good time! 

Sunny, a Belgian Draft Horse, is the Senior Citizen on our little ranch.  Sunny is a Rescue Horse.  After two attempts by other parties' failed, we brought him here on the pretense that he'd be a riding horse for my husband who is 6'6".

Unfortunately, the lack of nutrition at his former homes left Sunny underweight and swayback.  It's been a real challenge to keep weight on Sunny.  It's a gain/loss situation all the time.

After the loss of Cisco, I've missed having a horse at home hop on at a moment's notice.  I'd hesitated to ride Sunny due to his weight issues. 

But when the Vet was here a few months ago to float everybody's teeth/give yearly vaccinations and Sunny was up on his weight, I asked about riding him.  Our Vet didn't think my getting on and walking would hurt so a few days later I took a spin around the barnyard on Sunny.  It was more like a plod, plod, plod around the yard, but it was fun.  After we finished and watched the sunset, I think Sunny stood a little taller and prouder.

Sadly as I write this Sunny's weight is down to the lowest level I've seen yet.  I am trying everything to get it back up to no avail.  I'm afraid that this might be his last year with us.

Sunny's Belgian attitude gave us an interest in locating a younger Belgian for my husband to ride.  We brought Gus home in November.  He's 7 years old and the youngster of the family. 

Again, here was a horse that someone had neglected.  Gus was under weight and his feet were in terrible shape.  Since we've had him he's gained his weight back and we're working with our shoer on a program to get his feet back in shape.  They're coming along nicely.

Gus is the biggest horse I've ever seen.  You can see the youth in him as he trots or canters up to us.  That could be intimidating but Gus is as sweet as he is big.  We hadn't ridden him while we worked on his weight and got his feet back in shape.  However, the time has come to take Gus for a plod around the barnyard on his first ride with us.

I'm thinking someone big and tall (like my husband) should take the maiden voyage on Gus.  Frankly I don't think I could get up on this guy, even with the help of a mounting block.  My short legs require my stirrups to be up as high as possible (see the pic above of my saddle on Sunny).

But it would be such fun for my husband and I to ride out together.  Hopefully I'll find that been there, done that Quarter Horse Gelding soon and like Mutt and Jeff, hubby and I will happily ride off into the sunset with Sunny in tow!

Happy Trails!