Frozen Muddy Pastures!!!

This time of year always turns my pastures into treacherous, horrendous areas for my horses. We have tried several options to try to alleviate the issue but this year's rain brought on whole new challenges. We have tried rock, gravel, sand, etc. and nothing seems to work. The spring is always horrible as well because all of that pretty white stuff turns to water which in turn creates MUD. 

But winter is always the worst when that nasty mud turns into rock hard mountains and valleys that the horses have to try to get around on. I have a pregnant mare that is due in May and it is by far the hardest on her. To top it off, she has a bad back leg and is blind in one eye. She injured herself at a barrel race a few years back and tore a large muscle in her hind end that never recovered. She now raises gorgeous babies for me. 

So I began researching options on how to fix this never-ending issue and I found an interesting product on YouTube. I am unsure how expensive it is but I think I will give it a try next spring. I have already wasted enough money on rock and gravel and maybe this will keep the rock where it is suppose to be--on top of the ground. It must keep it from disappearing into the abyss.  

https://youtu.be/VKojxWkLE6U

Holiday Shopping!!

Every year I find myself scrambling to get my Christmas shopping done. It doesn't seem to matter how soon I start or how clever I think I am; I still end up missing people and get stuck in the rush of trying to find last minute gifts. 

I am not much of a shopper so I turn to Amazon and other online ways of avoiding the local malls and stores. This usually works out as a win-win because I can get the gifts for less and have it shipped right to my home or work. The only problem is when you don't know what to buy for someone. I can Google until I'm blue in the face but if I can't see it or touch it, I don't know if it will be something that they will enjoy and/or appreciate as a gift. I am not one for gift cards or money because it doesn't seem sentimental or show that I care. I know it would probably be easier and well received but jeez, I want to show that I was thinking of them and what they would want. 

The point is, why does Christmas shopping have to be SO HARD??!! Even when the kids make lists it is still difficult to decide which ones to get because my pocketbook doesn't allow me to purchase everything that they circle in the toy catalog. I wonder if anyone has ever done a study on holiday drinking rates and if they go up from November-January. That would be an interesting tid bit of information... The only holiday drinking numbers that I pull up on Google are about holiday drinking and driving. I just want to know how many people are driven to drinking more during the holiday season to cope with the stress?! :)

Anyhow, happy shopping to those who have procrastinated like I have!

National Finals Rodeo!!!!

'Tis the time of year for what I consider to be the most exciting 10 days of television! I just finished watching night four of the National Finals Rodeo tonight. It is the one and only time that I am devoted couch time this late at night.

I actually attended the NFR, acronym for National Finals Rodeo, the past two years. We chose not to go this year because we are still too busy here to step away for a few days to go have fun in Vegas. Most people like watching football, golf, basketball, or other sports. This is my sport addiction. I follow the ladies that run all year to qualify to run come December. I honestly only watch for the barrel racing. I know I may by prejudice but I haven't really had any interest in the other events.

I am attaching a link to a wiki that explains what the NFR is and how it works. I hope it brings clarity into my confusing, wild horse world! :0

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Finals_Rodeo

Welcome Holiday Season!!!

I have been putting my homework off this week because of the Thanksgiving holiday and boy am I regretting it now! I really don’t like taking time away from my family during this great time of year!

We have three Thanksgiving dinners to go to, a tree to go cut down, decorating to do, and a lot of quality time to spend together. This year, we added more activities into our yearly ritual by redoing our downstairs bathroom and adding a back cement patio. It really seemed like a good idea at the time but now it has become labor and time intensive-as most remodeling projects do.

My friends and I also tackled the Pre-Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving night and boy was that an experience! We went to Walmart at 5, an hour before the sales started, and the place was a ZOO! My friend was after a Nintendo D3 for her son and she waited patiently in line for that entire hour. People crowed in behind her, crouching closer and closer to her as if they were huddling in for a campfire. It amazes me that people lose so much respect and decency for others just to partake in what they feel is the deal of the century. One woman that was directly behind my friend actually went over the top of my friend to grab one! We did score some great deals but I didn’t necessarily check any gifts off of my Christmas list. I got a crockpot for my horse trailer, sweatshirts for my barrel race for awards, a new printer for those barrel races, and some pajamas for the kids for stocking stuffers. 

Time for a Break!! :)

With Thanksgiving right around the corner and time off work on Thursday and Friday, it makes me feel like a giddy grade school child that has all of the wonderment of Christmas awaiting. I am making plans for fun activities with the kids for the long weekend and I am so excited! We held out on getting the Christmas tree this weekend so we can spend extra time picking out the perfect tree this coming week. I always feel that the day after Thanksgiving doesn't give us enough time to enjoy the month of Christmas so I try to sneak it up a little every year. I guess I'm just selfish and can't control my excitement for decorating! 

I'm not saying that I am the person impatiently awaiting Christmas decorations to be filling the aisles at Walmart the day after Halloween, but I am always excited for this time of year. As I have said before, I am NOT a fan of winter but I do absolutely love the fun and delight that the next few months bring to my children. They are so engaged with helping with picking out the tree at our local tree farm, decorating it the way they want, and prepping everything else in the house and outside. We have a total of four trees in our home; one real tree and three fake ones. The real one goes in the living room with the stockings and the other three are in their rooms and in the dining room.

What is your family tradition for the holidays? Everyone has their own fun thing that they do and I would love to hear what you do too!

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

Is This Worth the Loss?

As I sit here doing my homework on a Sunday night, as usual, I am wondering what made me decide to go back to school. I sit here and watch my children playing in the living room as I type away at this unrelenting keyboard in the dining room. I do my homework in the dining room so I still feel like I am actually part of our family and so they can talk to me and ask me questions. I don’t want to lock myself into a room and sit in peace and quiet—that drives me batty. I love the interaction and don’t mind the noise or interruptions. I don’t want to miss out on my children and I don’t want them to miss me either. But even with me “being here” I am still not here. I am concentrating on what I am going to write and not giving them my attention. They miss having mom.

I know that I am not the only working mother that is going to school. I am not looking for a pat on the back or an “atta boy” from anyone. I just wonder how everyone else copes with missing out on their children. I do schedule my homework and my time with the kids but is that enough? Really? I think about my mom who was a stayed home with me and my sister. She always had time for us. She helped spark our imaginations, was there for any cuts or bruises we encountered, and was as our disposal. I loved it and appreciate her every day for it. Is this life of chaos really worth our missing out on our greatest accomplishment—raising children? I just hope that when we all look back we can honestly say that the gain outweighed the loss. 

Your Community Within Your Hobby and the Important Role They Play

As I reflect on today, I can't help but think about how blessed I am to be surrounded by such a supportive, kind, caring, and fun loving bunch of people. I am finishing up our Friday night barrel race in Winona on this gorgeous weekend in November with my friends and family. I could definitely think of much more fun things to be doing than writing this blog but I figured now was as good a time as any to write about my thoughts as I reminisce about how important family and friends are to me. 

I think that no matter what hobby you decide to embark in, the people that you surround yourself with depicts on how much you enjoy and continue doing it; regardless of the hobby. Our barrel racing family is best in class for fulfilling this need. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, they are there to boost you up and pick your sucker up out of the dirt and keep you going for your dreams. They truly care about your well being and want to watch you succeed and grow. Our kids are so blessed to grow up in this positive and supportive environment and learn responsibility, make life-long friends, to give back, and respect. They say it takes an army to raise a child and I can't think of a better troop to help raise mine.

I guess my point is that I hope everyone has a hobby that is as fulfilling and fun as I do. I'm not saying that barrel racing is everyone's cup of tea but there are SO many hobbies that provide the same supportive atmosphere. Find yours today!!

Happy Halloween!!

Oh Halloween! This is one of my favorite holidays because of all of the fun things to do with the kids! 

The most spectacular event of Halloween that we do every year is pick out our pumpkins. We live a mile from a very popular pumpkin patch that we get to go take a wagon out to the pumpkin patch and find the perfect pumpkins. The only drawback to the picking your own pumpkins with my overzealous children is that they compete with each other on who can find the biggest pumpkins. This wouldn’t be a big deal except that the farm charges by the pound; ouch! And we of course can’t just have one pumpkin for each kid—they have to have at least two. Now mind you, I have four offspring that want colossal pumpkins.

After the drain on the money flow is completed, we then chose a night to have our carving activity. We all do many different designs. Sometimes we carve and other times we paint the pumpkins. Who knew that the ewy gooey guts on the inside of a pumpkin could be so much fun?! It’s amazing the differences between my boys and girl in what they want for a design. This keeps the artistic craftiness highly entertaining and interesting. We have scary monsters to cute princesses. And did I mention the painting?? Painting provides a lot of room for imagination when decorating the plump pumpkins. I forgot to mention that we buy white pumpkins specifically for this purpose. The paint really pops on the white ones!

I hope everyone has a fabulous and safe Halloween tomorrow! 

What is a Barrel Futurity?

I believe that I mentioned that my family and I barrel race. I particularly compete in barrel racing futurities. 

A futurity is a class or show that only allows horses that are either ages four or five to compete against each other. It is their first competition year. It takes a lot of preparation, practice, and hauling to get these young horses ready to begin their career. Did I mention patience? It takes a lot of that as well depending on how quickly your horse learns and can accept new experiences. Every arena provides its own challenges for a young horse. A banner that is hanging in the arena may be its worst nightmare and it just might attack them when he isn't running sideways in the wrong direction away from it! Horses are a flight animal and new surroundings foster this behavior in SO many ways. 

I am attaching an article that covers a lot of the basics of picking a futurity horse to the competition. The article states that a horse's four year old year is the typical but that is for those southern folks that have the ability to ride during our wretched winter months. That is nearly impossible in our neck of the woods so us northern folks typically chose to hold them until they are five years old so they get more time and experience. 

http://www.barrelhorsenews.com/articles/how-to/3949-futurity-101.html

Preparation

I absolutely love fall days like today! The sun was shining, it was blissfully warm, and everything is finally drying up—at least until tonight anyway! These days lead to winterizing the barn, trailers, water tanks, and anything else that can freeze when our deep tundra-like weather is upon us. I dread knowing that these days are numbered and we will soon be in the deep freeze. One would think that a native Minnesotan would be more accustomed to the cold and greet it with open arms. But not this girl; I HATE winter. It makes everything harder and more time consuming. For instance, morning chores normally only take me about fifteen minutes. When winter is upon us, I have to put on 40 layers of clothing in order to just get out the door. That in itself takes about fifteen minutes and I haven’t even made it out of the garage! Then I have to tromp through all of the snow that I will most likely have to shovel too in order to get to the barn. Then I have to get hay out to all of the pastures. Did I mention all of the snow that I have to go through to get the hay to the horses?? Then I have to make sure the waters are all good and don’t have an ice skating rink topping them. I guess the upside is that it makes for great exercise a few times a day! Always look on the bright side of life, right? 

And So It Begins.... Fall Harvest

I did some searching on the internet to find some articles that explain what it's like to be a farmer's wife. Here is one that hits some major points on what it is like. I also help in the field after my day job and the kids come with. We can do homework and read books between loads. It is a lot of family time without a TV, cell phone, or any technology. Just you and your passenger.

http://www.mnfarmliving.com/2016/10/how-do-farm-wives-survive-the-fall.html

Eva's First Day

For all you moms out there, was it hard on you when your son or daughter went to their first day of school? For all of my kids it has been a little different. My first son was of course difficult because I didn't know what to expect and I questioned if he would be OK. As moms, I think that we are genetically engineered to worry about our children even at times when we truly know that it will be alright. And of course, low and behold, Dakota survived his first day and every day thereafter until graduation. 

My following two boys didn't take as much of a toll on me because I was a learned veteran at that point; they go to school, learn, make friends, join sports, and of course there a few excursions along the journey, but they are doing fabulous. I think that it also help because their older brother assured them that school isn't a big, bad, scary place and that they would have fun. Having him has been a blessing with so many "first" obstacles.

Then comes Eva, the youngest. Eva just started school this year. Before she started school, I thought that it would be just like her brothers in that it would be just another step to take in growing up. Well, I thought wrong. As the time grew nearer to her first day, I began thinking about how she was my last one to have a first day of school. I felt that I was losing my baby and that this was the first step in letting go. Then I started thinking about what if she started crying when I took her to school and what I would do if that happened. Oh, the thoughts that were running through my head! I talked to her about it before the big day and she told me that she was excited and that she couldn't wait to go to school all day. She has a lot of friends that she has made in preschool and she couldn't wait to see them again. So needless to say, when we arrived at the school, she was so excited that she almost forgot to tell me goodbye and give me a kiss! I felt abandoned and used! Well, maybe not that but it almost made me sad that I didn't feel as important to her. She is still loving school and I hope that her ambition and drive continue for years to come!

Grand Entry at the State 4H Show

Here is a portion of the grand entry that my son was part of at the state show last weekend. I was impressed with how well the kids did with the maneuvers with how little of practice they had. Each county in Minnesota was featured on the individual flags the kids were carrying.

They did a tribute to the men and women that serve our country and to Jacob Wetterling. It was very touching and well versed. I have uploaded two videos that show part of the performance but not the entire thing; it is very long!

Minnesota State 4H Show

This weekend my kids and I will be attending the Minnesota state 4H show with our great horse, Sonny. He qualified for a state trip at the Freeborn County Fair and this will be our second year to compete at the state fairgrounds for this. 

I want to give you all a little background on our horse, Sonny. I purchased Sonny as a four year old out of the Jackson sale barn. A friend of mine called me about this nice looking gelding that was there but said he was a tad sway backed. I told them that I wasn't interested in a sway back horse but I would come down to the sale anyway. When I arrived to the sale, my friend brought me back to Sonny's pen and I liked the way he looked; minus that darn sway back. The owners of the sale barn and I have a good relationship so they told me to take him and try him at the arena down the road. I figured that I had nothing to lose so I took him on over to the arena to take him for a spin. Sonny did everything that I asked of him without a hitch! He was great to be around, quiet, nicely broke and was cute to boot; even with the sway back. So we brought him home.

Once I got him home, I started him on the barrel pattern and started hauling him to the races. He learned quickly and was an outstanding barrel horse. I also started him on all of the play day events to keep his mind fresh and learning. I ran him for two years before my son, Carter, took over the reins. Carter was seven years old at that time and he did all of the events with him with ease. Sonny was the most fantastic mentor to my son and has taught him more lessons than I can explain. 

Carter, now 15, has since moved onto new horses that he has trained himself and has done very well for himself. Sonny, now 15, has graduated to mentoring my five year old daughter, Eva. She is doing the barrels by herself with Sonny's guidance and I couldn't be a more proud mom. 

Carter's horse that he usually competes on came up with an abscess right before the county 4H show and he had Sonny down as his backup if something were to happen to his main mount. So Sonny filled the spot and won Carter another trip to state. This will be the last show that Carter and Sonny get to be a team as he has now become Eva's pride and joy. This will be a memorable and terrific weekend, regardless if they win or not. In my mind, we have already won because of the wonderful family member, Sonny, that resides in our pasture. 

A Little Manure Application Education...

Manure Hauling and Application

One portion of my day-to-day life is manure application. I know that poop hauling doesn't sound glorious but maybe if I call it custom applicating it sounds slightly more appealing. That is how I introduce it to people because it rolls off the tongue a little sweeter.

My other half does this in the spring and fall as part of our farming operation. His family owns a 7,500 sow unit at the home farm and has multiple nursery and finishing barns as well so we have a lot of manure to dispose of. But we also produce A LOT of bacon on the plus side! :)

There are multiple benefits to applying manure to the fields. Here is a little information on what manure does for the soil and crop production;

• Applications of liquid manures have the potential to provide nitrogen (N) that can be counted toward meeting the needs of the corn crop and substituting for 28% or other fertilizer N sources. 
• The application of hog manure to farmland is an economical and environmentally sustainable mechanism for increasing crop production while providing a waste management service for the hog industry.
• Hog manure is an excellent soil amendment capable of increasing soil quality.
• Manure can increase crop yields by providing large inputs of nutrients and organic material.
• Getting the maximum value out of liquid hog manure requires applying the manure at proper rates and using good application methods. 
• Injecting the manure into the soil is an important step to reducing gaseous losses of ammonia.
• Injected manure provides greater crop response and nutrient recovery compared to surface applied manure. 
• The manure should be applied in spring prior to seeding, but late fall applications when the soil is cooled are also effective.

Here is a video of what it looks like to apply manure to the field with a drag line system like we use:
Manure Application Video

What is Alzheimer's and What Can We Do To Help?

Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. 

• Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer's are 65 and older. But Alzheimer's is not just a disease of old age. 
• Alzheimer's worsens over time. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
• Alzheimer's has no current cure, but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues. Although current Alzheimer's treatments cannot stop Alzheimer's from progressing, they can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. Today, there is a worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, and prevent it from developing.  

Source: http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp

This year my friend and I took over a great cause; the Race to Remember. It is a barrel race that we produce to raise funds for Alzheimer's research at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The event is held in Albert Lea, MN in June, Alzheimer's month. This year we raised $6,000 between the racing entries, pledges and silent auction. We are hoping to make it even bigger and better next year!

Here is our Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/Race2Remember/

What is Barrel Racing Anyway?

Barrel racing is one of the most unique events in the rodeo world. While cowboys are holding down bucking broncs and spinning bulls, cowgirls are charging through the gate in a race against the clock. The faster the rider completes the pattern, the higher up on the leader board the pair will land. Barrel racing truly is one of the fastest events in rodeo.

Barrel Racing Basics

Barrel racing pairs horse and rider in a race against the clock. Three barrels are set up in a cloverleaf pattern in the arena, and the rider must cleanly negotiate the pattern. The distance between the barrels differs by organization, but averages distance are: 90 feet between barrels 1 and 2, 105 feet between barrels 1 and 3 and barrel 2 and 3, and 21 feet between the start line and barrels 1 and 2. The rider enters the arena at a gallop and runs toward the first barrel. A rider can choose between starting at the left-most or right-most barrel and turns a complete circle around the barrel.

The rider then steers her horse toward barrel 2, circles it, and charges toward barrel 3. After rounding barrel 3, the rider pushes her horse toward the finish line at top speed.

Placing

The ultimate goal of a successful barrel racing run is to negotiate the cloverleaf pattern in the fasted time without knocking over any barrels. A tipped barrel adds 5 seconds to the rider's final time, and any deviation from the cloverleaf pattern results in a no score. Most riders enter the arena at a full run, reaching maximum speed before they hit the timer. Riders aim to make a small pocket around the barrel, giving them a little cushion as the horse bends his body around the barrel. This pocket reduces the chance that the horse will tip over the barrel. The rider can choose to make either two left turns and one right turn, or two right turns and one left turn, depending on which way their horse turns the best. After rounding the last barrel, the rider asks the horse to run as fast as possible back to the start line, and the timer stops as soon as the horse's nose crosses the barrier. Most organizations use an electric timer with a sensor that automatically starts and stops when the horse runs past the sensor. These timers are much more accurate than a judge with a stopwatch, and eliminate the chance of human error.

William on Day 10

Sir William on Day 10. He is walking and trotting very well considering the two inches of rain that we just had the night before. 

I took this video during feeding time so he was slightly excited for his grain.

Our Motocross Trip to the Millville started out a tad rocky but we made it! Those boys will know to properly use tie straps next time!

Sir William

A gelding that I own contracted West Nile. The results have not come back to confirm from the lab but I am treating him with medications as though he does. (under the direction of my veterinarian) He has greatly improved and I am shocked at the results of the treatments. He was vaccinated for this in June and he still contracted the virus.

Encephalomyelitis in horses caused by infection with the West Nile virus. In the United States, 10 to 39% of infected horses show signs. Once signs appear, the death rate is approximately 30%.

This virus has been identified in all of the continental United States, most of Canada and Mexico. Several Central and South American countries have also identified WNV within their borders. The virus is transmitted from avian reservoir hosts by mosquitoes (and infrequently by other bloodsucking insects) to horses, humans and a number of other mammals. West Nile virus is transmitted by many different mosquito species and this varies geographically. The virus and mosquito host interactions result in regional change in virulence of the virus and no prediction can be made regarding future trends in local activity of the viruses. Horses and humans are considered to be dead-end hosts for WNV; the virus is not directly contagious from horse to horse or horse to human. Indirect transmission via mosquitoes from infected horses is highly unlikely as these horses do not circulate a significant amount of virus in their blood.

Prayers have worked and he continues to show progress daily. I am hoping we are out of the woods and recover more and more every day! Videos to follow if I can get them to upload...

This video is of when he first began showing signs:

I have his legs wrapped because of his uncoordinated walking with his front legs. He was beginning to get sores from losing his balance. This is by far the worst disease/sickness that I have seen in all the years that I have owned horses. It is heartbreaking because you feel helpless and all you want to do is make them feel better and comfortable. The virus needs to run its course and medications assist with the swelling of the brain and spinal cord (That is what West Nile does to horses).


This is a recent video taken after his treatments:

My Monkeys!

Dakota

Carter

Wyatt

Eva