Monday, September 15, 2008

September Weekend

After being so busy at school during the week, it was nice to spend the weekend with My Boy. I feel like I've turned him into quite the weekend horse warrior as of late. It's not my preference but until I get through Curriculum Night this week, it had to be. Do you ever feel bad when you can't spend time with your horse during the week?

Saturday dawned foggy but it quickly burned off and the day was sunny and warm. My Boy let me catch him without ado (I think it was those apples, really!) I groomed him then took him up to the arena. After small circle warm ups on the 12 ft. line, I turned him loose and free longed him. He galloped and bucked and trotted out nicely, working up to a light sweat. Free longing can sometimes be a challenge, a lot of green temptation has grown tall in the corners of the arena.

But you know what? My Boy keeps an eye on me always as he circles around the arena and rarely tries to get a bite. And how is it that my teen aged pre-arthritic horse can do rollbacks and near-piaffes while snorting loose in freedom in the arena?

I noticed my horse looked shinier than usual. I wonder if it is the new joint supplement I am using? It also contains a hoof supplement. I'd like to think it's money well-spent, but I have a feeling the shine is due to another reason. As my horse begins to grow in his thicker, pre-winter coat, his color darkens to a coppery sorrel. This color reflects the light better. Over the summer, he roans out and it refracts the light, he never looks as shiny.

As I walked him out to cool him, I tried something different. I led him on the off side. I have to tell you, if you haven't already, you have to try this. It felt more awkward then this righty writing with my left hand while wearing an oven mitt (okay I have never tried this, but it sounds hard.) My horse and I stumbled along the arena fence. He kept wanting to stop, and walk behind me and up along my right side. I kept urging him on. I had to stand a couple feet away from his shoulder, further than I would if I was leading him from the right side. Finally we got it going but he wasn't happy about it (note the ears.) I do think it is good to mix it up. Especially on the trail, you never know when you might have to lead or mount your horse from the off-side.

After I put My Boy back in his pasture, I grabbed a Tupperware and headed to check the blackberries. To my delight, many more had ripened. I had to fight through spider webs to get them. A true sign of fall, no doubt! Can you see the web? And the spider in the middle. Eeek!

I had enough to attempt a cobbler. I googled a recipe for blackberry mountain pie . It sounded easy enough and they had all the necessary ingredients at the home I was dog sitting at.

I took a few pictures only to prove that I actually did it. Cooking is not my thing, but I do love to bake.

I have no idea how this was supposed to turn out but I tell you, when I licked the batter bowl clean, oh goodness, it was sweet!

The cobbler turned out a little mushy and I'm not sure if that is how it is supposed to be? I am pretty sure it was done, it was bubbling quite good and the top was nicely browned. I actually thought the cobbler was pretty good. I do think the one thing I was definitely missing was a dollop of vanilla ice cream! I scooped some of the cobbler to take to Paint Girl and her man, since I made it with the berries from their property. There are still many berries left to pick and I have a feeling I may be trying a few more recipes before the summer fades. Paint Girl's man suggested a blackberry milkshake, what do you think?

Sunday, after gathering my things and saying goodbye to Abbie, I went and saw my horse again. The day was lovely and I was in the mood for a trail ride but with nobody to ride with, I had to settle for arena work.

Self-portrait on horseback. I look a bit like an alien, don't I?

We jogged circles and worked a little on loping. We didn't make much progress but we loped a little. For me, that is progress. I got some manure and rocks picked from the pasture and the shed fluffed up a bit, but it does need new shavings. Until next weekend.....

26 comments:

  1. PG, do you ever ride the trails by yourself? I absolutely love riding alone. Just me, my horse and Mother Nature.

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  2. It sounds like a lovely week-end. Just remember that you're going to have lots and lots of time with My Boy in the future - That's what I always tell myself when I get too busy. And I've noticed that in Silk's case, absence makes the heart grow fonder - She gets all mushy when I finally do have time for her. The cobbler looks delicious. I like a little vanilla yogurt on mine instead of ice cream.

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  3. It makes me crazy on the days when I don't have time to see my pony. He just makes me so happy that I know I am missing out on something on the days I don't go. Look at it this way though...if you don't do a good job at work you Kindergartner's wont learn and then you wouldn't be doing you job. And no job means no spotted pill.

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  4. I am definitely coming over for some cobbler. Or, even better: you could make the cobbler and bring it to the Pony Cousin Gathering in October! I think that it would net you points with all of the Pony Cousins when it comes time to get a new Rodeo Queen.

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  5. PG pick all the blackberries you can than freeze them. Key is not to wash before you freeze. Wash them when you get ready to use them. Cobbler looks great!

    I agree with Trailboss I love to ride by myself! Me, my horse, and God! So peaceful!

    My Boy sure is looking good! Glad you got some time with him! :)

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  6. Your cobbler looked great, it was mushy because your berries were fresh. Fresh berries have a lot of liquid/water in them so they make your cobbler mushy. They only way to fix that is to either make up a recipe that calls for less liquid or somehow get the liquid out of the berries. I'd just deal with mushy cobbler personally.

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  7. I like that last photo and you waving. Cute!

    Looks like the spider is the blackberry bush guardian. Did you have to give it a password to get through, or anything? hehe

    Your Cobbler looks yummy. Especially with those fresh blackberries. Mmmm!

    So glad to hear you had such a great time with My Boy over the weekend. He sure looks even more handsome than he usualy does.

    ~Lisa
    Laughing Orca Ranch
    New Mexico

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  8. *sigh*. Sunshine on horse flesh and wild blackberries. It doesn't get any better than that.

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  9. Hey sis, thanks for the cobbler from my own blackberries! We have plenty more for you so keep on pickin'!
    Glad you had a good time with your Boy last weekend. Sorry I couldn't ride with you. Work, sore knee and FOOTBALL! Hopefully we can get out on the trails soon.

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  10. Hi, just found you from Bush Babe's blog. Hope you don't mind. Pretty horse you've got there. I'm grounded for a couple more weeks due to a shoulder injury (not horse related) but I can't wait to get back to riding.

    Come visit if you want at
    www.xanga.com/remudamom

    Sorry for the anon post, but my laptop won't let me do Blogger.

    Remudamom

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  11. Hey PG!
    I think cobblers can quite often be mushy and juicy but I think a lot of times that's how it supposed to be. So glad your treat worked out! I think blackberry milk shakes sound soooo good. I heard if you put a sugar cone in the blender when you make a shake it makes it really thick and vanilla-y. I've never tried this though.
    Your Boy is looking good. I love that picture of you snuggling with him.

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  12. You always have so much fun, if you weren't so far away we could do an appy ride, oh phoey....

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  13. I remember the days of having to work and not seeing my horses or having time for them daily. I hated it. I settled for a barely liveable house on 5 acres just to have them right there. That made it much better. Of course, now I am completely spoiled and most of my time is with my horses.

    I spend time leading my horses from the off side too..and saddling and getting on and off. There has been a couple of times that that work has really paid off.

    Horses don't have congnitive memory from one side to the other, so must be taught from scratch on each side.

    LOL-I don't know how you manage to get home with enough berries to make the cobbler..it looks yummy though. Homemade whipped cream is always my topping of choice.

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  14. I can't eat wheat, oats, barley or rye anymore so your cobbler looked way good to me! You might try a less deep pan next time (like a cake pan) so it is not as tall in the pan? I don't know, I am just reviving my baking skills (for my church). I agree about the homemade whipped cream. Best of all! I have an couple of old dog adoptees, myself. Abby looked lovely. Their lives are so short!

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  15. I really, REALLY like your boy!

    My appaloosas both darken this time of year too. Never a dull moment with those two!

    I know the feeling of never having enough time for your horses. Mine live an hour and a half's drive away from me, with my parents. I'm lucky if I see them three times a month. I love taking a week at the farm in the summer and enjoying how much they improve by the end of the week. I know they're cared for and safe and happy, but I miss them.

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  16. Hey Pony Girl!! Thanks for coming over to my blog! I've spent that last few days reading your blog (I hate not knowing whats happened in the past so it always takes me awhile to get to the most recent post). I'm loving you blog! Keep up the awesome work. Oh and that cobbler looked delicious! I could really go for some right now!

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  17. Fun, fun, fun! That spider looks vicious...was he protecting his blackberries? Perhaps he was a vegetarian spider?!?

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  18. Cobbler looks yummy!
    Sometimes I check my horses feet from the opposite sides- it is something they ask for in Trail Trials around here. It isn't as easy as you might think, but with a little practice any horse can do it. Practice doing everything from the off side- in a pinch it might save your bacon!

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  19. Oh I love the picture of you and your boy! You missed a critical ingredient in the cobbler! Icecream! LOL! It looked so good!

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  20. Wow look at that shine on The Big Pill. He looks fantastic with his winter woolies coming in.

    Not see the horse for a day around here = disaster. Heck, I can't get through the NIGHT with out peeping out at them... Nothing like DT's from lack of Sonny smooches.

    What supplement are you using? Does it seem to be helping him out? Always interested in supplement feedback! ;)

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  21. The cobbler looks like it turned out yummy!! I am not a big baker!! But that looked really good.

    My horses are in my backyard and I go out twice a day to see them. I have one that I feed twice a day and I am now weaning a filly. There are days that I am grateful for my in laws becuase they will feed for me. I like to get a break every now and then. If I don't get a break then it starts to feel like work and not like the hobby I like it to be. Does that make any sense?

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  22. My horses are pretty much weekend warriors, too. I hate not having time during the week for them!

    What joint supplement are you using? With these chilly nights descending upon us, I'm thinking of putting my older pony on something.

    The cobbler looks delicious! :)

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  23. Sounds like we had similar weekends...except I didn't make a cobbler! :)

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  24. I can't believe you can just pick berries like that. Way cool. Gee thanks, it's midnight and I'm totally craving cobbler!

    Cute pix.

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  25. Yes, I do feel that I do not have enough time with my horses... lately all I have been able to do is feed in the morning, feed at night and watch them from my bedroom window because it is already late by the time the kids are off to sleep.

    I have a hard enough time leading from one side, I don't think I want to try the off side for quite sometime... LOL

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I love hearing from my readers!! I truly enjoy all of your feedback, advice, helpful tips, and stories. You all make me laugh and I learn so much from you, too. I will try to post replies to your comments as often as I can.

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