A RMF Happy New Year! Welcome 2013!

Levi Says "Happy 2013!"

 Twila Merrill is trying a new style with her hat!

 Seven is special he got to wear the streamers!

Navarre wants to know where his treat is for wearing this!

 Twila got the Pink hat because she is the LADY of the group!

 Hand it over!

Navarre is finally comfortable with his hat! Looking too cute! 

Driving Twila Merrill

A week or so before Christmas Jay Lankford told me I could bring Twila up for the day and he would check her out for Driving! Well you know I would take him up on that one!
I was sick for over a week before Christmas so Mom and Dad came down for Christmas to my house. A few days after Christmas I felt well enough to take her and Jay had a free day to help me out.
Mom and I cleaned my heavy work harness and I took it as Jay was interested in buying it.
Debbie decided to come along with me for the Twila adventure! I thought this was great since she came with me to go and pick her up and then came on the H. Cooper Black ride adventure too!
We arrived at 10:45 and really got lucky with the weather! It was cold for sure but the wind died down for us!
Jay went right to work and we got Twila harnessed in a nice work harness with a collar but was much lighter because it is made of bio-thane. She looked great in the harness too!

 We took her to his big round pen and he ground drove her around, testing her steering and stopping. Both need some work!  But with each thing he added she handled it so well. She only took a few quick steps when we let the single tree drag on one side so the hames would touch her leg. Then he hooked a tractor tire to her. She stepped right off and pulled the tire. We let her stop and rest and learn to stand still in between. Each time I asked she just stepped right off and went to work.  Jay soon decided we could hook her to his fore cart! I was a little nervous about this part but she once again stepped right off like it was no big deal!  Soon Jay let me drive her around too! I was so excited! Thrilled is more like it!

So before I left Jay and I did some harness trading and I went home with the harness she wore and he had my old double set of harness.  We then went to Jay's tack work shop and she showed us some of his neat saddles and projects!
Debbie and I went shopping at the Saddle Bags Gift Store. Annette opened up shop for us! We each bought a SunBody Western hat. Debbie got her shaped specially by Jay! Debbie found an neat mirror that had been framed with reclaimed wood and had antlers horns for hooks for her bathroom.

When we headed home I could hardly contain myself. I was so excited about how well Twila did driving that day. We have lots of home work, to improve our steering and stopping but she is sure off to a great start!

Christmas Themed Trail Obstacle Competition!

Our friend Reed held a Christmas themed trail obstacle competition on Dec. 8th.  Christina and I would not miss this for the world!  My friend Todd brought his mules Coal and Lizzy. Rebecca brought Nellie and several other regulars came too!
The course was pretty challenging! There was a giant moving blow up reindeer in one corner and then she had tinsel and even a Christmas Tree in the middle of the arena!  We all had great fun!
I placed 3rd in the in-hand class and 2nd in the open class after a ride off!  They had us put both front feet on a board and side pass around to the right twice!
We had a lot of fun and it was a nice relaxing day with friends! Plus the ribbons had SANTA and a horse on them!
Thanks Reed! We look forward to the next one!
Videos on YouTube!

Vicky comes to ride the Long Ears!

My friend Vicky Thomas whom I met at a clinic a few months earlier came up for the day to ride Seven and Twila. She told me, when she found out I had mules, that she had always wanted to ride one! So of course I said for her to just come on up!
Reed came up for the day and brought her big mule Ted! So it was going to be an all mule and one donkey trail ride! GREAT!
Reed also brought her very yummy cheese dip! YUM!

Another fun and successful Trail Ride! YEA! 

Vicky and Seven!

Vicky gave Twila a quick try out! 

Vicky and Seven, Reed and Ted

Shannon and Twila -Braking System Went OUT! LOL! 

Kellie Comes To Get Sadie Mae

On Dec. 2nd, Kellie arrived early to pick up Sadie Mae. I had been telling Sadie Mae all about how she was going to live with Kellie and how she needed to be good and take care of Kellie on the trail rides!
Sadie Mae took right to Kellie and I think remembered her from the week before.
I was really sad to see her leave, even though I knew that Sadie was going to go and have more fun with Kellie than she was with me. But my heart melted and all things seemed right then I saw this!

Sadie will be back just as soon as we can find a new mule for Kellie to call her own! I hope it is soon! 

HCOC Trail Obstacle Challenge

Christina and I headed down to Lake Waccamaw for the last High Cotton Obstacle Course Challenge of 2012.  With another challenging course set and a nice warm day for December 1st, we enjoyed the day and both of our equines did really well. Some of the classes had some really tight competition!

The last class of the day was the Masters Class, where they ask extra things of the equine/rider teams. As it turned out Christina and I were the only two in the class. Seven and I went first and had a very good round. Christina and Oakley set out to try to beat us! She had such a good round that she had me slightly worried! It really showed how much the two of them had improved over the last year! All their hard work was showing!
Show results:
In-Hand - 1st -Seven
Novice - 1st  Oakley
Green Horn - 1st Oakley
Masters - 1st Seven, -only 5 points behind- 2nd Oakley

Christina was so excited! She and I both won two nice plaid sheets for our equines! I was very proud of Christina for how well she did!
Tollie and Aimee came out to see us show and we stayed and talked for a long time after the competition! Plus there was a pan of brownies we had to take care of too!

Oakley and one of his TWO sheets!

Seven and one of his TWO sheets! 

Kellie & Sadie Mae Meet

After the loss of my friends Mark and Jeanette Lee's daughters special mule Sophie, due to colic, I offered to let Kellie borrow Sadie Mae till they could find her a new mule to ride.  So the day after Thanksgiving Jeanette, her sister Lynette and Kellie made the trip to spend the day with Sadie Mae and see if things would work out.
We started with a good grooming to help Kellie get comfortable being around her. We checked to see if Kellie's saddle would fit Sadie and is was a perfect fit!

How many ladies does it take to pick out Sadie's foot? 

Next I taught Kellie how to lead Sadie and yield her hind-quarters for respect. Kellie being only 8 years old and Sadie Mae being 18 years old and 1,200 pounds, really needed to respect and listen to Kellie! She caught right on how to do it, and Sadie snapped to attention each time she did it, so I felt like they were off to a really good start!

Little Kellie leading Sadie Mae! 

We rode around in the pasture to let Kellie get a feel for Sadie. She stepped her over one of the logs and  down the small step. Jeanette rode Twila and I rode Seven so we could be right there to help her if needed. Really Jeanette was the one who needed a little help with Twila. Jeanette laughed and laughed as Twila sort of slowly did not go where she wanted her to, but they got it all worked out in the end!

Off we go! Kellie and Sadie in the lead! 

After lunch we headed out on to the trail. Christina had also brought over her horse Oakley and she joined us on the trail too. We had a great time and Lynette took these great photos of us as we came up my neighbors drive way!

 Kellie and Sadie Mae

 Shannon and Seven

 Jeanette and Twila 

Christina and Oakley

H. Cooper Black! Twila's first big Adventure!

On Nov. 16th Debbie and I took of with her mule Tucker and my mammoth donkey Twila Merrill and met our friends at H. Cooper Black. This is down in South Carolina and the riding is mainly sand and pine trees. I thought this might be a good place to being Twila and she how she does in a big group on a longer trail ride.

Twila all clipped up and ready to go! 

On Friday Debbie and I rode out for just short spin through the trees before a group dinner and big camp fire that evening! Tucker and Twila both settled in very well.
Saturday morning we saddled up and got ready to head out with the group! We had a nice group of mules, a horse or two and one big Donkey named Twila Merrill.

The CMA Group makes another attempt to line up! Debbie on Tucker! 

Shannon on Twila and Debbie on Tucker! 

When we took off several people where keeping an eye on Twila to see how she would do. Donkeys are notorious for being much slower than the other mules. The group picked up a quick pace while trying to follow the wagons and Twila did not let me down by keeping right up with everyone!

Twila Merrill stays caught up with the group!

By the time we stopped for lunch Twila was tired and glad for a rest. She stood very well tied with the others and got a rest while we ate lunch! It was so pretty that some people even relaxed enough to catch some short shut eye time!

Twila and Tucker resting at the lake and lunch break.

On the way home we split into two groups. The short ride back and the longer ride back. Debbie and I where the short ride but we took a wrong road and ended up going about just as far back.  About half way home Debbie's mule spooked at something and spun around and off she went. Right when that happened June's mule did the same thing and off she went too.  Both ladies were ok, luckily!
I jumped off of Twila and was able to get a hold of Tucker but June's mule took of, perhaps chasing the other group. I looked at Debbie and asked her if she wanted to ride Twila back and I would ride Tucker home. It took her no time to say and definitive "YES!"
The other mules was caught by another horse group, as we rode home. Debbie has a nice but very slow ride home on the tired Twila! But she never stopped and never refused to go!
I was so impressed with that Donkey!

That night we had a great dinner cooked by Stacey and we huddled around the camp fire as the wind kicked up!  It rained some that next morning and was still pretty cold, so most of us headed home. We hated to leave but I think I was out of Donkey Power for the weekend!  But I was sure proud of Twila! 

Belt Buckle Arrives

 Too cute Leisha addressed it to both me and Seven!!!

The anticipation was both scaring me and killing me!!

WOW! WOW! WOW! I love it so much! 

Trophy buckle purse I ordered from Heart of the West! Leslie was so patient with me, letting me pick conchos, buckles and strap colors! 

Final product! I feel like I have to dress up just to carry this purse with me now!   

Fall DuPont Working Weekend with the CMA

LINK to my Video of this weekend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0tIXGLPTfE

I got up early and picked up Rebecca and her horse Nellie. We enjoyed the drive and got there around 2pm. Time enough to get set up and then take a short ride on Thursday night! We rode out with Angie and Rascal and ride we did! We trotted and cantered up the trail to the Air strip. It was a wonderful evening and we got some great photos!

Angie & Rascal at the end of the airstrip! 

Rebecca and Nellie!

Friday morning we all got together and went to work Rascal and Angie's two mules did all the log dragging and we quickly cleared out the pre-cut down fire wood.

After a quick lunch we headed out on the trail again for another nice ride!
We had another nice evening by the fire with some good food!

Saturday we rode out right at 9AM and enjoyed the covered bridge and waterfalls before heading to meet Forest Ranger David Brown at the bottom of Stone Mountain. We followed him up the steep long climbing mountain. Once we got to the top and secured the mules we went to work setting up a permanent high line tie and a tie rail. Some of us headed the est of the way up the mountain to help clear trail. It was really pretty up there at 3,500 feet! With beautiful weather you could see for miles!
That night we got together for the Big Man Pan Meal! Everyone brings together ingredients and cook it together with bread and pies! YUM!

Myself and Seven ride out with Rebecca and Nellie.

Sandra and Steve Hyder

The group heads over the covered bridge on the way to the water falls. 

Sunday morning we rode out early, a small group of only 7 of us but we covered a lot of ground and had the park nearly to ourselves. It was a pretty morning and we stopped for lunch by Julia Lake. As we rode in the wind picked up and it started getting cooler. So we were heading home just in time for a cold front and some rain to come in that evening!

Sunday's group at Lake Julia!