Clinton Anderson

So...all this snow and cold has kept me inside watching horse training videos. Clinton Anderson has a great method that seems very successful, and fits right in with Doug Mills, and my way of thinking. I highly recommend his videos, get them all or you won't know what you are doing.

Click on the title for the website.

Girlie car

This is my new Girlie car Chev Cavalier out in the pasture at the Ranch.

God looks after me in strange ways I think

Very windy day at the ranch. Got Taylor in to doctor his ongoing leg problem, hobbled him to get used to the hobbles and quit pawing.

Left the halter on Pedro so was able to catch him and put on the side hobbles in the pasture while I took Willie to the Arena.

I eventually got Pedro from the pasture and you should have seen how happy he was to actually let me catch him. Hmmm...maybe I'm onto something.

Pedro and Willie stood in the barn quietly NO PAWING, for quite a while, and waited til I groomed them and had my meat pie for lunch. I saddled Pedro, and it was then that Robert brought his two horses Cisco and Kelly to the Ranch. They got all the horses running around like idiots and challenging each other, it was a hoot. I put Pedro in the round pen with the saddle on while this was all going on. Of course it turned out to be seconds too late when I spotted the saddle slipping on Pedro. By the time I got to him it had slipped a lot to the side and he got bucking! Well, there wasn't much I could to but watch at this point. I tried to calm him down to no avail (ever try to calm a bucking horse down?!!!). Well both cinches decided to break at the same time, and the saddle came off. Luckily, cause if the back cinch was left on it could have been serious problems. It took a bit to get him calmed down.

The good thing was, that I was NOT on him at the time. Karen, one of our riders has been off over a month with a pretty good injury because this happened on the trail. I was thinking of replacing the billet strap with a nylon one on the off side, but thought it was good enough. WRONG! Well I bought a new one tonite, and Ross is getting me a new back cinch from his saddlemaker friend. I am going to replace the latigo too, cause I sure don't need it to break either. Like I said, God looks after me in mysterious ways...I probably would have been on him when that happened if it wasn't for these circumstances. Thank you God!

I did a short round pen with both Willie and Pedro and called it a day. Always need to leave a positive impression cause horses remember the last thing you do with them.

NEW WINDOW IN BARN

I'LL HAVE A DOUBLE ORDER OF HAY, A SIDE OF HORSE COOKIES AND SOME "GOOD BOYS" AND SCRATCHES PLEASE. OH...AND MAKE IT SNAPPY!

Taylor is back

So...the guy that fell in love with Taylor and Had to have him...couldn't handle him...so he brought him back. Ross is going to give him a saddle in exchange. I had to buy my saddle for $350 bucks so he couldn't give him mine. Good deal, it is ok for now.But I really would like to get a better one someday. this has been an expensive month for me ...thank God I still got a job, cause my expenses are through the roof! So...we need another rider for Taylor and have positions for 4 more people. So....anyone wanna come ride...$295.00 a month...and you have a deal!

Car is toast 2

Well...found out that indeed that head gasket is blown, perhaps among other things, it has no compression and is not worth fixing. I feel like I need to have a funeral! That poor little car, It was so good to me. Anyway as luck would have it the mechanic was selling a Chev Cavalier that he got for his daughter, but she didn't want a standard. he replaced the motor with one with 90,000 k on it. The car has 282,000 but is sound. It is teal blue (girl car!) and NO AC ...b]that sucks. But the price was right at $1200.00 bucks. It should do as a second car for a while. Not as small as the colt, so will take up more space in the garage. I gotta get used to driving a 5 speed standard again! New clutch, and good tires, all in all it looks ok for the price. I thing GOD was watching out for me. (but he could have let me win the 50 mil loto maX!)

Pedro first ride

So...I have been experimenting with hobbles. I got a set from Clinton Anderson...an Aussie guy that now works out of Stephanville Texas. He has a side hobble that is really cool. Anyway, I worked with Pedro today, he seemed fairly calm, got my saddle on him and roped the horn and he didn't buck today, so .... I thought perhaps maybe I could risk getting on him. I taught him to come to the fence and come close so I could get on. He did this perfectly so, today was the day. I got on him and he stood there. "Perfect". So I got off and did it again a couple of times. That was when Ross decided it was a good time to erect the 25 foot pipe with the light to illuminate the round pen. I got on again and tried to flex his head to the right and left. He wasn't too receptive to this although he did it great from the ground. Anyway....I rode him around the pen a while, and decided that if that light came crashing down in the pen that would be sub-optimal, so quit on a good note and put him in the arena with Willie. then went to help with the light. I put two lariat ropes on the light and with a lot of effort from everyone we managed to get the light pole into to receiver pole and erected it. Pic to follow.

Car is toast

ok..so I was coming home from Okotoks when my check engine lite came on. I thought I'd detour from Deerfoot trail and head down MacLoed tr. My car quit at 194 th ave. I phoned my buddy Martin who was at home luckily. He came and we put oil and water into it and got to 162 av. It quit again. So we phoned AMA. We figured the head gasket had blown. Poor little car....it doesn't owe me anything. I was beating myself up cause i was going to take it for its 5000 k oil change and they were going to take 1/2 an hour yesterday so I thought...ok I'd do it in Okotoks....well ...I got to Okotoks today and though,...;hey...id' do it on the way home....but ...what i didin't know is that I think it was leaking oil. The stupid Oild lite didn't come on....but eh check engine lite did. I pressed it til I got part way into Calgary. I may have totally screwed this poor little engine.

Jason...I need a comment here!

I had it towed to Lad's auto ...my favorite mechanic....but am not expecting good news. It was smoking stuff...out of the tail pipe when it was shut off. And the heater wasn't heating. I thought we could get it to the nearest firehalll but it wouldn't start again. I think my baby has died!

I think it might have been my fault...but don't know at this point. It has never used oil at all before.

AHHHHH!!! JAAAASON>>>>>> is this thing done!????

Willie and Pedro Exercising themselves

Gunshots

Well Halloween turned out to be a looong nite. Started out giving candy to little kids in the neighborhood. That didn't last long, my partner bought 25 bucks worth of candy and gave whole bunch to the first kids he saw. We had call after call all nite with little break in between. Just as we were heading back to the station we were turning off McKnight onto Deerfoot, we get a call for a gunshot wound, and to hold back, at McKnight & 12 St. We just passed that. So, I was thinking of digging out my bullet proof vest, while we turned onto the ramp at 64th, when a lady in a car frantically flaggs us down. She said her boyfriend had been shot. I did a quick check around and called it in. The guy was able to get out of the car and onto our stretcher, he was covered in blood, but talking normally. He said he thought he may have been shot twice. Needless to say this was a load and go situation. The Superintendent wasn't too far behind, so we got him to drive fast to the Foothills while we tended to his wounds. We got a large bore IV into him and gave him enough fluid to bring up his BP. The wounds seem to have missed his lungs, as he was breathing ok. We got him to the hospital alright, and he lived to see another day. Such is the life of a Calgary Paramedic. Just when I thought it was getting too boring!

Higher Trails Horses

http://www.youtube.com/user/highertrailshorses#p/a

Alex on Bunky

The Ball on Willie

Willie is not on the ball, the ball is on Willie

Cattle Drive Today

So....I arrived at the ranch today to find everybody rushing to saddle up to drive 300 cattle from one pasture to another. So, Willie was there, and we got ready. Everything went relatively well up until we turned to go into the home pasture. A tiny baby calf decided to turn around and make a run for it. Ross headed him out with Shy and he ducked left and proceeded towards a barbed wire fence. Willie wasn't controlled enough to speed up to catch him and when the calf went through the fence it made a noise and Willie spooked. I managed to get him turned around but he took off like a bat outa hell. I didn't know he could move that fast. I couldn't turn him left into the barbed wire fence so opted to try and do a one rein stop to the right. What I didn't know was ( and this is totally my fault) that he had lost a bit of weight on the drive and his cinch had loosened up. When I turned him to the right and leaned on the right stirrup, while also hanging on for dear life, Willie almost came to a stop, but the saddle had slipped around and I came off. What really made me mad was that somehow I let go of the right rein. He took off and one of the other riders managed to catch him. I landed fairly good but I have a sore left leg ( I don't know how that happened, how can you fall right and have a sore left leg!?) My hat flew off in the process and Ross kindly went back to get it for me. He stuck around while everyone else moved the rest of the heard to the corral to be separated from the calves. It is a long way up to get on Wille and it was quite a chore getting him to stand still long enough to get back on. But I managed. I was going to go with Ross to help with the herd but Willie decided he had had enough and I had a great deal of difficulty just keeping him from freaking out. So we headed back to the barn. It was a good experience for Willie, only his second cattle drive, but he is still a very young horse....only 4 years old. I'm just glad nobody including him was hurt. I spent a little while in the round pen calming him.

The lesson I learned was do not trust a cinch pin...always back it up with a cinch knot. I will never do that again. OH and I need to get a cord for my hat!

I wanna drive

Majide the colt and Buddy trying to get into the car.

Willie Flexing Practice all by himself

Me & Willie

HIgher Trails Team

Spot and Queen

New Clydesdales at Higher Trails. Watch for us at parades.

New Horse, Willie

Taylor was traded in part of a deal for a team of Clydesdales for Ross.
Willie is the Paint on the left.

Taylor Kneeling Practice

Food is a Powerful Motivator

HIgher Trails Antics

Taylor is getting better

visit to Lori

Visit to Lori and her new Quarter horse. I even got to drive her mini.

High River Parade

Kinda rainy and wet today.

Spring Tack Up

Double click image to enlarge. Click on title to go to website.

Province takes away union's rights

Click on the title and read how the Province is taking away our Union's rights.

Pongo & Dollar.

Retirement???

Well...my retirement date is March 29th. This was done in order to take advantage of the 7 tour holiday retirement bonus that the City of Calgary offers and AHS does not. Also there is the matter of 2 years of paid benefits. I have been guaranteed a position with AHS(Alberta Health Service) as soon as April 2nd with no loss of pay or seniority or hall pick. I have arranged a holiday til the end of the month. This will give me a needed break to get my head together. I know I can't live on What pension will pay me that is for sure. There is something wrong with that after 35 years of work! Retirement should mean...I get the same as I did before, only I don't have to come in! Fat chance. No wonder there are so many "retired poor". Frankly I don't trust the Government when it comes to anything. I have never seen anything actually "improve" with a Government takeover. Just look at BC ...mostly EMT's not Paramedics. We have been given a lot of promises, but the promises only seem to last one year....then they get to do what they want. Hey any industry out there need an experienced Paramedic...give me a shout!

Higher Trails Horse

My new horse Taylor that I have been assigned at Higher Trails. He is an 8 yr old Quarter horse/Clydesdale no less. He has been only greenbroke and has been pastured with an appaloosa named Slim who is his "buddy". The saddle & bridle are assigned too. The saddle fit perfectly, I never even had to adjust the stirrups. He is using a D ring snaffle and doesn't do much. We went on a trail ride last nite and as long as his "buddy" was there he moved out ok. He seems to have a smooth trot, but we didn't trot much as we had a couple of green riders with us. Funny thing...I was attracted to him immediately. I could at least tell who he was amongst all the others. They have a lot of Standardbreds which I am not too fond of anyway. He had a machinery injury to his left back leg...as you can see. It is still bumped up and needs to re-grow some hair. He is a bit skittish about picking up that foot. He is going to take a lot of work, so I hope I can afford to drive all that way more than once a week! 77KM one way.

Lori's concert

Proud of you Lori!

Foxes Mating

Near Didsbury, AB. Sometimes Photography is being at the right place at the right time.

Stairway To Heaven

Someday I'll learn the solo part! Nice lip sync eh!