Day 1!

Starting next year I am really going to stay on top of my website and blog. This year I have been completely slack. In order to get myself prepared to keep stuff updated and keep things interesting I will be doing a post a day for the month of December. So be prepared-by the end of the month you will know me, my family, and of course my horses (who knows what all I will post about). But tonight I am sitting here watching the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and rooting for a few folks I know so I don't have time to write a really good post. Tomorrow I will start by really introducing myself.  Hope everyone has a great night!

And the choices are....

Last week, we started a naming contest for the colt I am starting to work with.  Several people have entered and now I need you guys to help me pick the best name.  I am absolutely in love with these names so any of them will be amazing.  I have a list of the names and the people who sent them to me and the name with the most votes will win.  Voting ends on Friday.  After the name is picked the person who provided the name will be notified so I can send them an awesome horse owner/lover prize pack!!! So let the voting begin.  I need a registered name as well as a barn name.  Here are the choices:
Registered Names:
1. Turn N' Go
2. Rusty Run
3. Running For Gold
4. The Candyman Can
5. Teenage Dream
6. Extraterrestrial
7. You Shook Me All Night Long
8. Harlequin Joe
Barn Names:
1. Gidget
2. Gizmo
3. Gonzo
4. Freckles
5. Shaker
6. Teeny
7. ET
8. Tombe
9. Erthal-Welsh for warrior
10.Wonka
11. Dubya (W)
12. Rebel
13. Rusty
14. Diego
15. Te
16. Jo-Jo
Thanks for voting!

It's A Contest!!!

Hi guys! Sorry it has been forever since I last posted.  Since my last post, several things have happened-I started back at my old job and picked up more riding lessons and I got a new horse.  A friend of my has had some health issues and needed to get rid of two horses, a mare and her 3 year old colt.  He could no longer care for them, and yes, I am very aware that this colt needs some weight so please do not tell me that.  Since I have had him he has started gaining weight, but you need to do it slowly and safely and not just throw feed to them.  I assure you-this horse is being well cared for now.  I knew I did not want the mare so I sold her before I ever brought her home.  As for the 3 year old gelding, I hope to make him my futurity colt for next year.  I know this will not be easy since he could barely be lead around when I picked him up last Wednesday.  We have been working most days and he is improving greatly, but now, he needs a name.  I am going to be holding a contest to name this horse.  He also needs a registered name so registered names as well as barn names will be accepted.  Just post your name and name suggestion at the bottom of this page.  I will be taking names until Tuesday morning at 12:01AM and then I will allow everyone to vote on the suggestion until Friday at noon.  Then Friday evening I will post the results and the winner will get a horse lover's prize package.  Here are a few pictures to help you get a feel for him.  I know a few of them are very dark, but maybe they will help some.  Thanks for your help in advance!  Also, you can enter as many times as you like!

Wow...So Far Behind!

This summer has been insanely busy...I have been a terrible blogger.  Now that school is about to start back, I should be able to blog regularly again.  I will try to fill everyone in on what I have been up to this summer.  First, we took a family trip to Oklahoma.  My husband is from there and most of his family had not gotten the chance to meet Jacob. Here are a few pictures from our trip.

I have also had two summer camps.  Our first camp was a week long camp.  The second was a 3 day camp.  Each time we had riders at every level.  We learned equine anatomy, saddle parts, some groundwork, and basic horsemanship.  Each day we rode and swam.  Everyone learned lots.

I have also been asked to help with the local 4H group.  It is a startup group with children aged 8-19.  A few of the children are my students, but for the most part they are complete beginners.  I am looking forward to watching the children grow and become horsemen.

We also took a family trip to the beach.  Jacob had never been, it was a learning experience.  I think we will wait awhile before we head back to the beach.  Here are a few pictures.

Well school starts Wednesday so hopefully I will get back on a decent schedule.  Happy riding!
~Brittany

Checking the Place

Last night we had a big storm with lots of wind and rain.  Every day after a big storm I have to go and check the place to make sure no trees have fallen on the fences or there is nothing that a horse can get hurt on.  Today while I was out checking the farm I decided to take a few pictures and share them with everybody.

This is one of our back pastures.

We did have a tree down, but thankfully it was not close to anything.

Desi, a new horse that came for training last week coming to visit.

Overall everything was good, just had to close a gate.  Hope everyone is making it through the storms.  I will have a new post for ya tomorrow!

~Brittany

High School Rodeo

As most of you know I train horses and give riding lessons.  Over the last weekend of May, the South Carolina High School Rodeo Association, held their state finals.  My students did GREAT!  I was so proud of the girls I work with and the horses I have trained.  It was a weekend of triumph and tragedy.  On Friday afternoon a Junior High girl's horse fell on her and she ended up dying Saturday morning.  I did not know Lauren McKenzie Mathias so I do not feel I am a good person to comment on the tragedy, but I do know she will be missed greatly in the rodeo world. (For more information on this accident please go to http://www.cbhnews.com/)
But on a better note, there were great runs and lots of fun.  Here are a few pictures I took over the course of the weekend.  And I had to include the best pole run of the weekend made on a WWR trained horse.

The arena judge.

Two of my students.

Getting ready to rope.

Nannie Slamming/Goat Tying

The saddles that were given away to the Year End Winners!

This is the best pole run of the weekend.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

~Brittany

Welcome to South Carolina

I am from a tiny town in South Carolina.  I have lived in South Dakota and Ohio, but South Carolina is home.  South Carolina is a great place to call home.  Within a few hours I can be at the beach, or a two hour drive in the other direction, and I'm in the mountains.  The sites are a great part of what South Carolina has to offer.

On the other hand South Carolina also offers very little snow in the winter.  Yay!  This past winter we did get some snow, but it was gone in 4 days.  Around here we consider cold in the 50s.  On the other side of the spectrum, we have South Carolina summers.  They are HOT and HUMID!!!  Today is June 1 and I just took this picture on my back porch while I was outside watering flowers.

I'm not sure where you are, but I hope you are having great weather and if you are around here, stay cool.
~Brittany