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Teaching a Horse how to Neck Rein

So I got a crazy hair today and I decided that I wanted to ride Idaho. I knew that she was broke because she was raced. I wouldn't have just jumped on her if I didn't know that! I don't think that she's been ridden in 5+ years.

Anyway...I got on her and she did sooooo good! She was waaaay better than I thought she would be! She acted like a good old broke mellow horse...not a racehorse at all! She didn't have any bad racehorse manners except for she hates her ears being touched at all. So it took a looong time for me to figure out how to put a headstall on her, especially because that one is a sliding ear. She was happy to walk around and trot a little bit. She didn't try anything at all. Caleb rode her around the arena by himself a lot. But she was trained to run, not to be a good usable horse. So she is really green. She's probably the greenist (is that a word?) horse I've ever ridden. She knows zero neck reining and knows nothing about moving off of your leg. She has no buck in her or anything but she knows nothing except for a kick means go forward and whoa means slow down or stop (oh and she backed up when I asked her to). She was soooo sweet and was trying so hard to do what I asked her to she just didn't understand the cues I use on my other horses.

She is a really jumpy easily spooked horse so I was kind of nervous about it but she was soooo steady. Que was running all over the arena and she didn't even bat an eyelash! She has the SMOOTHEST gait i've ever ridden, even more than Bailey, and Bailey is really smooth!

But anyway, I found these videos on how to teach neck reining, I have always taken for granted the fact that my horses have always known how to but I'm going to see if I can teach her to because it is sooo much more fun to ride a horse that neck reins vs. on that doesn't!

The House: The Library Room

Sorry for the bad lighting! Here the boys are studying hard in the Library.

Lots of shalves for lots of books!

This is a cool little shelf in front of the window with a BOM and Dictionary along with some atlas' and random books!

The House: The Basement

Shelf in the Stairwell going down



Our couchless family room. Until we get couches it is a great play area since there's so much open space that's carpeted!

Piano area of the family room. (Please excuse the dollhouse!)

Nice big storage room!

Caleb's room

Luke's room (he has a desk in the corner you can't see)

Jared's room

My room (ignore the books on my bed...it's kind of like my desk!)

The House: The Bonus Room!

When you look to the left as you come up the stairs this is what you see...my sewing/music room!!!
(It's already messy! Oh no!)

Closup of the sewing part of the room.
On a side note, I LOOOOVE having a real design wall, it has been sooooo nice!

When you look to the right when you come up the stair this is what you see!
We're planning on having dances up here! It should be super fun!

This is a little family room on the very end of that looong room!
The bunkbeds are for when people come over and us kids are kicked out of our bedrooms.

This is our 'wii area' there's just the perfect amount of space to play the wii!

This is the view from a dormer window! The arena, then beautiful pastures and handlines :) and then the mountains!

View to the left from the same dormer. Can you see Bailey's head sticking up in there?

Closeup of 5 of the horses out in the pasture.
(in case you were dying to know Fanny and roxy are the ones standing, the other 3 are lying down and Bailey is over in the corrals since Que is being weaned)

This is a bad view of the cool chandelier that is in the stairwell going upstairs. I'll have to get a picture from the outside at night, it looks really cool!

More later...

The House: Main Level

Some people have requested pictures of our house via. email so I figured that this would be the easiest way to show everybody. Let's just say I took a LOOOOOOT of pictures!!

This is the Living Room

This is the Kitchen from the Living Room

Kitchen view

Mom's butler's pantry

The Mudroom

Closeup of the lockers

The washer and dryer (in the mud room)

Laundry area, for sorting, folding clothes etc. in the mud room

Half of the garage

 

The guest bedroom that is sheetless

The Master Bedroom

 

Big Girl = Sad Mommas!

I just love that look on her face!

Que is getting so big! These pictures were taken about a month and a half ago and she has grown so much since then! The halter that is on her in these doesn't even fit her anymore!

She is halter broke and I trained her to back up as soon as I wiggle the lead rope a little bit!! I can also tie her to anything!

She's being weaned right now. It's crazy how time flies! I didn't want to wean her this early ( she's about 4 1/2 months old) but Bailey was having a hard time nursing her so I've been gradually separating them. It's pretty loud at our house right now!

So Bailey and I are both sad mommas, our baby is growing up!

This is amazing!!

What do you think?

It's so exciting just to look at!!!!!
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/que8

This isn't her registered name (It's going to be Miss Susy que) but since the registration isn't done yet I just put que. I'll fill it in completely when her registration is complete.