Leather Cookies!

No, not the rawhide variety.  Today had my first experiment adventure with making fruit leather.  I cheated a little ...bought a jar of all natural applesauce, no sugar added.  I know, I know ...much cheaper to buy the apples and make my own sauce.  But my time is limited and at $1.29 for the jar, I think I made a wise decision.  Until homesteading and prepping are my fulltime and only occupation, I have to make these choices sometimes. 

Instead of making one big sheet of leather, I made 'cookies' approximately three inches in diameter.  I used a tablespoon to dip the applesauce out of the jar, then spread it as evenly as possible with the back of the spoon.   This is the before picture.  I'll post an after picture this evening ...along with a taste test review.

They look a little uneven in thickness here, but the applesauce was cold from the refrigerator when I spooned it onto the tray.  The thicker parts will flatten a little as it warms up in the dehydrator, just as cookies flatten and spread in the oven.  The instructions in the book that came with my dehydrator said to aim for 1/8-inch thickness in the center and 1/4-inch thickness on the edges when making fruit leathers.  This is my first try, so we'll see how it turns out.  The 'cookie' in the top right corner has a bit of homemade plum jelly stirred in.  This is, after all, an experiment ...might as well try a couple variations!  They should be ready in 4-6 hours.  I set the timer for 5 hours and we'll see how they turn out. 

In the meantime,  Yeoldfurt and I have some saddle time planned for this morning.  We've learned from experience to prioritize carefully on our days off.  The first thing on the to-do list always gets accomplished ...the second thing usually gets accomplished.  Anything further down the list has a fifty-fifty chance of not happening for one reason or another.  Number One on the list today is some long overdue time in the saddle.  Number Two (not as much fun) is the never-ending chore of fence maintenance.  The leather cookies were just a wild hair I had while I was waiting for the sun to come up.  It took five minutes to set them up in the dehydrator and now they're on auto-pilot.  An easy bonus to whatever else we manage to accomplish today.

Warm Fuzzies

These are the four newest members of the flock.  

Yes, there are really four of them.  

One is being shy and hiding behind the others.  

We currently have three Rhode Island Reds that we bought in the spring of 2009.  Their first eighteen months of production was great.  They barely even slacked off during winter, producing 18 to 20 eggs every week.  But for the past three or four months, we've been lucky to get 12 eggs in a week.  

So we decided to try a different breed this time and bought these four Barred Plymouth Rock chicks.  They are a dual purpose breed and have an excellent reputation for producing large brown eggs.  

The chicks are staying cozy in the brood box in the garage for the next several weeks, 

until they feather out and the nights get warmer.

In the meantime down at the coop, the rumor is slowly spreading that there are some new chicks in town.

So far, none of the incumbents seem to feel threatened ...at least they're not letting on if they are.

Do they look worried to you? 

Reba

Red

Dora

 

 

 

If hens can be cocky, these three surely qualify.  

As far as they're concerned, the good life they're enjoying will go on forever. 

Gee, that sounds like most of the politicians 

we have these days!

The Second Day Went Much Better ... (Only Four Days, conclusion)

At least it started out much better.  The hotel provides an awesome breakfast buffet from 6:00 to 8:00, Monday through Friday.  Everything from hot or cold cereal to bagels or fresh baked waffles and scrambled eggs.  There is usually link sausage, patty sausage, bacon and sometimes even grilled ham slices.  They also always have a large assortment of fresh fruit.  That's what I usually go for.  I grab a bagel and some orange juice to eat for breakfast while I'm checking email, then grab some fruit to take with me for lunch.  A very no hassle way to take care of lunch when out of town on travel. 

I was well-rested from having slept in an extra two hours and could take my time getting ready since it was an easy fifteen minute commute to the training class.  The class didn't start until 8:30 but I left at 7:45 so I could work on some of the cases I brought with me.  By the time the other students and the instructor arrived, the case I started the day before was finished and I had a good start on the next case.  I knew I would work through lunch each day and was feeling pretty optimistic that I would easily be able to keep my real workload in check even with a four day absence this week. It was going to be a good week. 

Class was dismissed at 4:30 and I had accomplished even more than I hoped during the lunch hour, so I headed for the hotel.  It's only about four miles from the class site to the hotel but the route takes me through a fairly busy retail section of town, lights every other block or so.  I was stopped at a light and decided to turn on the radio.  Since I was out of range for my usual stations, I glanced down to press the Seek button and that's when I noticed the brake light on my dash was lit.  Hmmm.  I didn't recall having set the parking brake any time recently, but I reached down and pulled the release just in case.  The light was still on.  I'm thinking it's got to be something simple. 

The traffic light changed and I started to move with the traffic, leaving maybe just a wee bit more 'stopping space' in front ...just in case.  The next light was a block away and had just turned green.  I'm not familiar with the timing on these lights and have no idea what my odds are that it would still be green when I get there ...but I did notice it's on a hill.  A rather steep hill.  I was still not convinced I had a true brake problem but really didn't want to stop on an incline to find out.  The light turned red long before I got there and I was the third car back from the light ...still very much on the hill.  My brakes felt normal but that red brake light was still staring at me, unrelenting.  I was only a mile or so from the hotel by then.  I figured I could make it that far even if I had to walk. 

I glanced down at the dash again just as the light turned green.  The brake light was still on and now the ABS light was on too.  Ruh-roh ...definitely not good.  I still couldn't detect any oddities in the feel of the brakes but obviously the truck thought something serious was amiss.  I decided I would get on the Internet as soon as I got to the hotel and google some answers ...and maybe the location of the closest Mazda dealership.  I parked, went to my room to change clothes and headed back down to the Business Center.  The Internet was down.  The computers were functional if you just needed a spreadsheet or a wordprocessor but there was no Internet.  Great.  Access to the Control Panel had been disabled (typical on these hotel computers) so I couldn't even troubleshoot anything myself. 

I went to the front desk and asked if there was a problem with the Internet.  They were not aware of it until I told them, but called tech support for their provider right away and offered to let me use a computer behind the desk in the meantime.  If I just wanted to check email or read some blogs, I would have just gone back to my room.  But under the circumstances, I was very grateful they offered.  I'm telling you, this hotel is top notch. 

The information I found on the various forums and Mazda tech sites was less than helpful but I did find a dealership one exit south of my training location.  So I printed their contact page and went to my room.  It was a few minutes after 6:00 by then but I called anyway thinking at least a salesman would still be there and be able to tell me what time the Service Department opened in the morning.  A switchboard receptionist answered and said sometimes the service writers are there for a while after closing so she would put my call through. 

Sure enough, Angel Martinez was working late that night and picked up on the second ring.  I explained the symptoms my truck was having and described my predicament with being out of town and no alternate transportation.  He gave me some safety pointers on deciding whether it was safe to dive if it was safe to drive the four miles to the shop in the morning and told me the doors open at 7:00am.  When Yeoldfurt called me that evening, I filled him in on the situation.  He told me to just use my judgment but not to take any chances ...if I needed to have it towed, have it towed.  

I decided the less traffic there was, the safer we would all be ...so I set my alarm for 4:30am with the intention of driving to the dealership at 6:00am..  I was dressed and in the parking lot by 5:30am.  The master cylinder was low but not empty and I made a couple of test runs through the parking lot to see if I could feel any difference.  The brakes were a little mushy but still there.  So I headed out and was at the shop by 6:15am.  When the doors opened, I was the first one checked in.  The mechanic I'd spoken to the night before told me that if the parts were in stock, they could get it in and out that day.  If not, they should be able to get it out by close of business the next day.  A shuttle driver took me to my class and I tried to put it out of my mind and concentrate on the class.  One of the ladies from that office gave me her direct line and said she'd drive me to the shop to get my truck or to the hotel if it wasn't ready, or anywhere else I needed to go that afternoon.  Very sweet lady!

Unfortunately, I did end up having to rent a car because a couple of the the parts did not come in that morning.  I was promised that my truck would be first in line the next morning and they would get it done the next day even if they had to stay late.  The rental car only cost me $30 which was a drop in the bucket compared to the repair bill I was expecting on the truck. 

Class was over at 4:20 on Thursday and I was at the dealership by 4:30.  My truck was not finished but they assured me they would be done that day, probably within the hour.  Keep in mind the shop closes at 6:00pm.  When I sat down int he customer waiting area, there were about four other customers waiting with me.  One by one, they left with their vehicles.  By 5:45, I was getting nervous.  Finally, a few minutes after 6:00, my mechanic came through the door.  He wasn't smiling and I was really expecting him to say they found something else wrong ...or they were just quitting for the day.  I admit it, I was expecting the worst.  The lenses on my Pollyanna glasses were cracked ...it had been that kind of week.  But he was just coming to tell me that they were almost done and that he wanted to test drive it on the side road by the dealership because he knew I had a long drive home.  He said he and his mechanic helper were staying late because they knew I was in a bind.  As grateful as I was for their willingness to stay late, I sure was anxious to get back on the road.  If you're ever in Austin and need a Mazda shop, call Mazda South and ask for Angel Martinez.  He will go over and above for you. 

Finally, at 7:15pm, my truck was ready.  I paid the bill, thanked Angel profusely for staying late to finish, transferred all my luggage from the rental car to the truck and turned the rental car keys over to the shop manager.  I called Yeoldfurt and let him know I (finally) on my way.  I was very cautious with the brakes for the first hour or so, but honestly, they felt fine to me.  When I pulled into the driveway, Yeoldfurt met me at the door and helped me get everything into the house.  I had only been gone four days, but it felt like an eternity. 

I learned two important lessons from this trip: 

Make sure the corporate credit card is working before I leave

If the State wants me to travel, they can sure enough provide me a rental car

Silly Me, the Day Wasn't Over Yet ... (Only Four Days, Part II)

Class was over at 4:30 but I ended up staying until 5:00, working on some real cases I'd brought with me from the office.  My job is to review and assess new applications and I have a 20-day deadline to get them routed on to wherever they need to go.  Does 20 days sound like more than enough time to assess a ten page application?  It might be except for the sheer volume of applications that come through.  I receive an average of 30 new cases every day, even weekends because in addition to paper applications, they can be submitted online 24/7.  That 20-day clock starts the day the application is date stamped as Received and doesn't stop for anything ...not for weekends, not for holidays, and certainly not for four day training trips.  So I'd brought the four applications with me that would have been older than 20 days when I got back from trip.  The class was from 8:30 to 4:30 with an hour break for lunch.  I figured I could come in at 8:00, bring a sack lunch and work until 5:00 each day to get these four cases done before the deadline.  It sounded like a good plan...

Monday was a long day because I'd worked from 7:00 to 10:00 that morning, then spent three hours on the road to get to class, and another three hours in class.  I was tired.  But by 5:00, I had a good start on the first case so I packed up and headed for the hotel.  I've stayed at this hotel four times in two different towns and it's always a nice place.  The rooms are immaculate, the staff is always courteous and professional and the location is always within a few miles of my class.  Because I normally have a 45 minute commute to work and the class started an hour and a half later than my normal workday, I was even going to get to sleep in a little the next three days.  I was looking forward to it. 

I got checked in, unpacked my suitcase, put on some comfortable clothes, then headed back to the lobby to use one of the computers in the Business Center.  This hotel has a complimentary dinner buffet from 6:00 to 8:00 in the evenings.  Nothing fancy ...fajitas or burgers or spaghetti and meatballs, always salad and fruit on the side.  It's always good and there's always plenty.  It was almost 5:30 by the time I sat down at the computer, so I figured I would catch up on email and read a few blogs until the buffet started.  About 6:15, I looked up from the screen and noticed there wasn't the usual clatter and chatter you hear in a restaurant.  Hmmm.  I went to the front desk and asked and was told that as of January, the complimentary dinner buffet is only offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.   Budget cuts, you know. 

I had stayed at this very hotel for a three day training class earlier in the month, but that class had started on Tuesday, so the buffet was on every evening I was there ...I didn't know anything had changed.  By this time, I was really tired.  But as much as I dreaded the thought of going back out to find food, I was hungry enough to talk myself into it.  I went back to the room for my car keys and headed out. 

I detest eating alone in a restaurant. I seldom go to a restaurant that I don't see someone else at a table or booth by themselves and think nothing of it.  It's really no big deal but I just don't want to be that person.  My usual habit on these trips is to go to a grocery store the first evening and buy enough food for however long I'm staying and just cook in my room.  The rooms are really more of a suite ...they have a two burner stove, a microwave oven, a full-size (but small) refrigerator/freezer and even a dishwasher and disposal.  With my aversion to eating alone in restaurants, cooking in the room makes the evenings more relaxing for me.  But that night, I was exceptionally tired and I decided I'd just do fast food.  A drive-through would be quick and I could take my food back to my room.  I would be able to sleep in almost two hours past my normal wake up time the next morning and I could make a grocery run the next evening.  Another good plan.  But you know what they say about plans...

None of the drive-throughs I saw looked good enough to stop at and when I came to the grocery store I usually shop at, I pulled in and parked.  It was 6:30 on a Monday night and the people were thick as flies.  I took a deep breath and waded in.  I got a cart and started in Produce.  I was in the Express Lane twenty minutes later with my purchases and very happy to note there only two people in front of me.  When it was my turn, the cashier rang up my items and I handed her my (new) corporate Mastercard. 

IT      WAS       DECLINED. 

Apparently, I had learned nothing from my Whataburger experience earlier that day and was sure it was just a fluke.  I was actually confident when I said, "That can't be right.  Could you try it again, please?"  She tried it again ...then again ...then she tried entering it manually.  The line behind me was getting longer, so I said, "Nevermind ...use this card" and gave her my personal credit card. 

My personal credit card company is very vigilant about suspected fraudulent use and have been known to decline purchases if they are more than 50 miles from my home address.  So when my corporate card had been declined earlier that day, I had called my own card's Customer Service and informed them I was traveling and where I was and that I did NOT want to have any issues with my card while I was on the road.  But still ...after the day I'd had, I think I held my breath while the cashier swiped my card.   I think the long line behind me held their breath too because when the transaction was approved and she asked me to sign for it, we all let out a sigh of relief. 

My total was only $26.34 for the food and I had enough not to have any other meal expenses on the trip.  I got back to the hotel, carried my food to my room and sat down to call the Customer Service number on the back of the corporate card.  I couldn't wait to find out why the NEW card had been declined.  Again with the seemingly endless number dance on the keypad to get to a real person, I was informed that 'grocery stores are not on the list of approved establishments' for purchases.  WHAT?!  Common sense and minimal scruples would tell you going to a bar or a sporting goods store would not be an 'approved establishment' at which to use your corporate credit card on a business trip.  But this was the first I had heard of a list of 'approved' establishments. 

I was a speechless for a few seconds.  Before I spoke, I reminded myself that the person on the other end of the line was not responsible for the policy or the list or the kind of day I'd had so far.  I took a deep breath and in as reasonable a tone as I could muster said, "Then could you please tell me what establishments are on the approved list?  For instance, if I go to a drive-through eatery and try to pay with my card ...will it be declined?"  He replied with, "There's not really a list ...we can only see a reason code after a card is declined.  So you'd just have to try it and then call us if it's declined to find out why."  Oh that SO did not sound like a good plan to me!  I thanked him for his assistance and hung up.

The clock said 8:30 but it felt more like 10:30 to me.  So I cooked a little something for supper and crawled into bed.  I remember thinking at least I have enough groceries now for the duration of the trip. There need be no more humiliating moments with my card being declined.  That actually did prove to be the case.  I didn't have any more credit card issues on the trip.  But Tuesday ended up being even more 'interesting' than Monday. 

...to be continued

Only Four Days

That was how long I was supposed to be out of town this week for a class.  When you lead a critter-intensive lifestyle like we do, having one of us away from home even just overnight leaves a lot on the one who stays behind.  But, fortunately, travel is a rare requirement for either of us these days. So when it happens, we just take a deep breath and deal with it.  We can do anything for four days, right?

My class was starting at 1:30 in the afternoon in Austin, a seventy-five mile drive west of where we live.  My office is a forty mile drive east of where we live.  So when they told me about the class a couple of weeks ago, I decided to take comp time in the morning and drive straight to the class from home, leaving around noon.  That was my plan right up to quitting time last Friday. 

Last week had not been very productive because we are short-staffed right now and I had been pulled off my own work to help in some other areas for two whole days.  Everything that crosses my desk is time-sensitive so when I miss two out of five days in a week, it piles up fast.  By 5:00 last Friday, my own workload was out of control.  I knew it would pile up even more this week since I'd be gone four days.  So I decided I would go ahead and drive the forty miles east on Monday and work from 7:00am to 10:00am ...then head to class from the office.  Being that much further east made it a two and a half hour drive to get to the class, so leaving at 10:00 left me enough time to grab lunch somewhere along the way and be at class by 1:30. 

I dreaded the new plan all weekend but I ended up accomplishing a lot Monday morning, so I was in a pretty good mood when I stopped at a drive-through burger joint in Bastrop.  I was about 45 minutes from my destination, still a little over two hours before class started so I was feeling pretty good.  We are supposed to use the corporate credit card for all meals when we travel so I ordered a kiddie burger and drink and whipped out my State of Texas Mastercard. 

IT WAS DECLINED.  I said, "That can't be right.  Try it again please?"  The girl tried it again ...and again ...then tried entering it manually.  Same result each time, it was declined.  By that time, I was more than a little embarrassed and the cars behind me were probably getting annoyed.  So I gave her $5 in cash and paid for my meal. 

I pulled over to a space in the parking lot and called the number on the back of my corporate card.   After the seemingly endless number-punching routine, I finally reached a live person and ...wonder of wonders ...he actually sounded like English might be his first language!  Things were looking up. 

Still convinced it must be a mistake, I explained my predicament to him and asked him if he had any idea why my card was being declined.  He put me on hold for a minute and then came back to say the card had been canceled ...that very morning.  What?!?  I asked him if there were any notes as to why and he put me on hold again to check.  It's frustrating enough when you have to call these customer service lines but it always amuses me when they ask to put you on hold 'so they can check' on something.  They are, after all, a Call Center.  They never leave their cubicles when they're covering phones.  Everything is right in front of them on a computer screen ...complete with scripts of what they're supposed to tell customers in almost any imaginable situation.  If they put you on hold, it's because either they are new enough not to be familiar with the scripts or they are uncomfortable enough with what the scripts are telling them that they want to consult with their co-worker or a coach to confirm.  If they put you on hold twice or three times during the same call, it's the latter.

He came back a minute later and said he was sorry but there were no notes as to why, but he could give me the name and number of a person at the State Office who would know.   I wrote down the name and number and thanked him for his time.  Then I dialed my supervisor at my office, hoping she had not left for lunch yet. 

She answered on the third ring.  "Hi!  Aren't you on your way to Austin?"  I said, "Well ... I stopped for a quick lunch in Bastrop and was just wondering if you might have heard anything ominous through the grapevine like maybe that I'm being FIRED??" 

Brief silence then she laughed, probably thinking I was kidding.  She said, "No, why?"  So I told her about the card.  Thirty minutes had passed by now and I told her that if I didn't get back on the road, I'd end up being  late to class so would she please call the State Office and find out what was going on.  She said of course and not to worry ...she'd straighten it all out and call me back. 

I didn't hear from her again, but when I arrived at my class an hour later, the receptionist gave me an envelope with my NEW corporate card in it.  It seems that someone with Decision Making Power and Authority had determined that our Mastercard through JP Morgan was no longer the best deal and a Mastercard through Citicorp was now the way to go.  This decision had apparently been made several weeks ago because the receptionist told me 'they were supposed to mail this to you at home two weeks ago.'  Nice. 

It was still 30 minutes before the class was due to start so I asked to use a landline so I could activate the card ...a tedious but fairly simple automated process that only took a few minutes.  I was about to go on to my classroom when it occurred to me that I should check on my hotel reservations.  Good thing I did.  I no longer HAD reservations.  It seems that when your room is booked three weeks in advance and guaranteed on a specific credit card, canceling that card also cancels the reservation.  Makes sense. 

I sure am glad I called because it took them a few minutes to finally find a room for me.  I gave them the new credit card number and thought 'well, things can only get better from here.'  

SILLY ME .... to be continued

Slowly, but Surely

A lot of things got in the way of Lyric's training schedule these past two weeks.  Some things you just can't control and you have to learn to be flexible.We did try something new this evening though. 

Lyric has been saddled and bridled at the tree four or five times now and pretty much takes everything in stride.  Every time I've saddled her, I have reinforced that I expect her to stand still while I'm working ...unless I ask her to move, she shouldn't move.  Those of you who've had to try and dress a squirming toddler will appreciate the concept.  A toddler who won't be still and cooperate with getting dressed is frustrating.  But a 1000-pound horse that won't stand still and cooperate with being saddled can go from frustrating to dangerous in a heartbeat.  So it's a lesson we're rehearsing every time she's saddled. 

Sometimes doing the same old thing but in a new place will make horses a little antsy.  A change of scenery, a change in the routine, even a change in the weather can affect their mood.  Changing things up on purpose early in the training process can help a young horse learn to take change in stride.  So today, I decided to change things up a little for Lyric.  While the horses were still eating, I put the saddle and blanket she'd been wearing up in the front paddock at the round pen.   When they were finished, I got Lacy and Lyric and brought them to the tree, just like we've done for the past three weeks.  But this time, I saddled and bridled Lacy and then led her around the house to the round pen.  I left her up there and went back to walk Lyric up. 

Once inside the round pen, I draped Lyric's lead rope over the rail next to Lacy and started brushing Lyric down for the saddle.  This was routine and she didn't fidget much until two teenagers on a four wheeler came down the road and turned around in the driveway.  Lyric had to look at what all the racket was, but the only thing she moved was her head so that's okay.  I got her saddled up in no time and walked her a few steps before tightening the cinch all the way.  As a precaution, I pulled it a notch tighter than usual tonight because I intended to turn her loose in the round pen.  If a cinch is too loose and a horse gets too rambunctious, the saddle can roll under the horse's belly.   That makes for a really scary experience for a young and can be really hard on a good saddle so I wanted to make sure it was snug.  But she didn't act up at all which is great. 

I unsnapped her lead rope and left it on the rail.  She was loose but didn't seem to realize it at first.  After a minute or two, she dropped her head to sniff the ground, but still just stood there.  I petted on her for a few more minutes and then turned to walk out of the round pen.  She followed me as if still tethered by a lead rope. When I went out the gate and closed it before she could follow me, she looked a little surprised but not upset.  I walked down the rail on the outside to get Lacy and Lyric just followed along.   While I was adjusting Lacy's saddle and attaching her reins, Lyric decided we were boring and wandered off to the center of the pen to nibble grass.  So I got on Lacy and started riding around the outside of the round pen hoping to get Lyric interested in following us again.  She ignored us.  So I moved Lacy inside the round pen and we rode all around Lyric.  I ignored Lyric unless she was in the way of whatever maneuver we were working on and, when that happened, I just rode Lacy through her as if she wasn't there.  If I had been riding any horse but Lyric's own mama, she might have taken offense at being pushed ...she tends to have a rather high opinion of herself.  But I was pretty sure she would be submissive to her own mama and, even if she got uppity, I knew I could move her mama quick and easy enough to avoid a wreck. 

I was only in the saddle on Lacy for 30 minutes and Lyric probably only wore her saddle for 45 minutes.   Neither of them worked up a sweat but it was still a very good session all the way around.  It was good for Lyric to wear the saddle while she was free to move around and good for Lacy to answer up to my cues regardless of whether Lyric was in our way.  When I was done, I got off of Lacy, unsaddled her and left her on the outside of the round pen.  Then I went back, snapped the lead rope on Lyric and walked her over to where Lacy was standing so I could unsaddle her too.  Until tonight, I've been slow and deliberate when unsaddling Lyric, always mindful not to let stirrups or straps flop against her and startle her.  But tonight, I decided to quit coddling her so much.  I unfastened the cinch and let it fall behind her front legs while I folded the strap up in a 'necktie' through the ring on the saddle.  Then I moved to her right side and secured the dangling cinch to the tab on that side of the saddle and pulled the saddle and blanket off from the right side.  I carried them around behind Lyric and tucked them through the rail on the pen.  She stood quietly through the whole process like like she'd done this all her life.

I didn't really have a set timetable in mind when I started this training process and lots of things have kept me from working with Lyric three times a week as I'd planned.  But even the unplanned slack time is good because it hasn't seemed to affect Lyric's progress.  She learns quickly and retains what she's learned even if there are long gaps between sessions.  That reassures me that she's going to be one of those horses that can be out in the pasture for months at a time and still remember all her manners and maneuvers when you saddle her up.  It's a good thing because tomorrow I am leaving town for four days due to work.  Yeoldfurt is going to have his hands full just keeping up with all the chores that I normally handle when I'm here.  I doubt he'll have time to mess with Lyric until I get back.  But I know on Saturday when we have our next lesson in the round pen, Lyric will pick up right where we left off. 

Lyric's Progress Report

Lyric's official training began a week ago last Sunday with some basic sacking out (desensitization) exercises and some hang time on the 'thinking tree...which is a big live oak tree out back.  We call it the 'thinking tree' because we use it to tie horses when we're saddling or unsaddling or when they need a lesson in patience.  They're not tied directly to the tree.  We have lengths of chain draped over two stout branches on opposite sides of the tree.  At the end of each loop of chain is a tie ring.  When we 'tie' a horse to the tree, they are really not tied at all.  The end of the lead rope is pushed through the tie ring and a tongue in the loop provides resistance if the horse pulls back or moves away from the tree.  How much resistance depends on how the rope is fed through the ring, but this is an excellent training tool for a horse to learn to stay where you put them.

Each evening's lesson began with Lyric on one side of the tree and her mama, Lacy, on the other.  Lacy is there just so Lyric won't be anxious about being separated from her herd and can concentrate on whatever we're trying to teach her.  The first day, we just worked on patience.  A little grooming, a little petting, but a whole lot of standing and waiting for something new to happen.  The object was just to establish a routine.  I also took the opportunity to adjust the bridle Lyric would be wearing so that it fit her properly.  The technical term is really headstall, not bridle.  Bridle would be the whole assemby, headstall and bit.  But I wanted to make sure the headstall fit before I attached a bit so that it would be as comfortable as possible the first time Lyric wore it.

The bit we are starting out with is a full cheek snaffle with a copper mouthpiece.  A snaffle is a broken bit which means the metal part that goes in the horse's mouth is hinged in the middle which allows the two sides to move independently, which gives a rider the ability to send more clear direction to the horse.  The 'full cheek' refers to metal bars that extend above and below the bit on the outside of the horse's mouth ...preventing the bit from being pulled through the mouth and aiding in directing the horse's face.

Once the headstall was adjusted to fit, the bit was attached and Yeoldfurt put it on her.  She was unsure at first.  But with patience and persistence, she figured it out.  As soon as the bit was in her mouth, she instinctively mouthed it and played with it, trying to figure out what it was and why it was there.  She was probably also trying to spit it out.  We just let her wear it and play with it for a few minutes until she relaxed.  Then he gave her a honey bun so she would figure out that she could still eat with a bit in her mouth.  He expected her to bite off a chunk, but she sucked the honey bun in whole. I had to laugh because you could almost see her eyebrows furrowing up as she concentrated on not dropping any while she worked around the bit.  When she'd finished the honey bun and was again settled down and standing patiently, Yeoldfurt removed the bridle and told her what a good girl she was.  Then he put it back on her for a few minutes.   He took it off and put it back on a couple of times that evening.  She learned several things that first day ...how to accept a bit, how to carry a bit, how to eat around a bit and that it was okay to let us put it on because it wouldn't hurt her and we would eventually take it back off.

Her next official lesson was on Thursday and Yeoldfurt was at work so it was just me that day.  I bridled her up with no problem.  I proceeded with our usual grooming session but with me standing on the mounting block next to her instead of on the ground.  The purpose of standing on the mounting block is to teach her that it's okay for me to be moving around above her.  Young horses that have never been ridden are often spooky about sudden movements from above.  It's a new experience for them.  So by standing on the mounting block, I am making myself considerably taller than she is used to seeing me and am able to reach even the far side of her with the brush.  That's another important lesson for a young horse ...that we can stand on one side of them and touch them on the other side. I'm preparing her for the day I stand on her left side and throw a leg over her to get on.  If I don't teach her I can be on two sides at once, she's liable to go rodeo on me. 

Last Saturday was her third official lesson and we progressed to letting her wear a saddle.  We followed the same routine we had established the other days, bringing her and Lacy to the tree and then grooming and putting her bridle on.  On Saturday, we added the saddle.  She did really well for her first time.  We let her sniff the saddle and pad before we placed them on her back and we were careful not to let the stirrups or straps flap around too much and startle her.  Once she is completely comfortable with the idea of wearing a saddle, we'll make a point to wiggle the saddle and jostle the stirrups so she gets accustomed to those sounds and sudden movements.  But the first few times, the goal is just to let her understand the process and that the saddle is not going to hurt her.

I saddled her again tonight right before Yeoldfurt got home from work.  I was careful about the stirrups and cinch strap but moved a little faster than I did on Saturday.  She did real well and was all tacked up and  standing patiently when Yeoldfurt pulled in the driveway.  She's really has a good attitude so far and is soaking up the attention.   I'll work keep working with her at the tree for the rest of this week.  Then next weekend, we'll take her out to the round pen to saddle her up and turn her loose.  If she has any inclination to buck with the saddle, that's when she'll do it.  If she does, she does ...she'll only teach herself that she can't buck it off.  But I'm hoping she maintains the same quiet attitude she's had so far and just waits for us to show her what's next.