May, Tovah and Angel

I bought May about a year ago. She is 15hh sorrel QH mare. She belonged to my barrel racing coach (who is also the owner of the barn where I board and work) and I wanted her from the day we got her.  It was a funny story really. The people called us saying they had a "little red TWH mare" that they were trying to get rid of. They informed us that she was really gentle and didn't know a lot but was a nice mare. So we hooked up to our trailer and went to look at her. When we got there they called her up and here she came trotting up to us. Definitely not a walking horse. In fact she was very obviously a Quarter horse. I didn't say anything though as we looked her over. Pretty soon the deal was done and I loaded her up and we took her home. She was really calm and quiet about everything. Even upon unloading the trailer she didn't care about all the other horses and everything new. She just wanted to graze. She was extremely over weight but I could see beneath her plump form there was a really nice looking horse. I rode her that night and found her to be incredibly lazy. Every time I asked her to go she did a little buck. So around the arena we went: kick, buck, kick, buck, kick, BUCK. The owner asked me later what I thought of her and I told him I liked her alot! We rode like that for a few days but I stayed patient and annoyingly persistent and she finally gave up. I realized quickly that as she lost weight and got into shape she really wasn't lazy but in fact the total opposite. She was a fire ball and very quick on her feet. I think judging by her conformation and attitude that she is cutting bred. She is very athletic and built very nice with a LOT of cow sense. She is quite the opposite of Riley when it comes to soundness and being able to naturally work off of her hind end. She has great feet and is built to stay sound. I began teaching her the barrel pattern after working with her on basics for about 6 months. She picked it up quickly and loooooves to run! I trained and sold a horse that I had been given because he was "out of control and dangerous"(He wasn't. He was just over fed and under exercised like a lot of horses are these days. He turned out GREAT and the little girl who has him absolutely adores him) and saved my money and bought her.
                                                Competing on May in 2009

She is a totally different horse now. She is incredibly fast and can turn on a dime. She is very sensitive to the bit and to your legs. She has a lot of heart and try. Riley wears his heart on his sleeve and is a wimp at heart but May is really very tough. She is my only mare and I find she has an intensity and a real competitiveness about her that I absolutely love.

Tovah and Angel are my two dogs. Tovah is a 1 year old German Shepherd and Angel is my 9 year old Golden Retriever. My mom used to breed Goldens so I have had Angel literally since she was born. She was my first dog and is a good girl. Tovah on the other hand is my little trouble maker. She is as smart as she is mischievous but really is a good dog. I bought her myself a year ago when she was just 8 weeks. I had always wanted a German Shepherd and so I was thrilled to find her ad in the Bulletin board. The first year was a roller coaster of emotion with her. She turned out to have a lot of problems thanks to her "breeder". Typical back yard breeder. She was so infested with worms that my vet told me she would have died if I hadn't gotten her when I did. She also had  mange and was the runt of the litter but has turned out to be a very pretty and very big dog. Tovah is incredibly sweet and intelligent and I have taught her a lot of tricks. Angel is friendly and a people lover but kind of 'does her own thing' while Tovah is my shadow and mirrors me wherever I go whenever she can.

                                                  Tovah wearing her helmet and carrying her crop!

                                                      Tovah in the snow

Angel sitting in her chair ;-)