I want that one!

To take a break from planting thousands of berry bushes on our farm, my husband Jay and I and the kids decided it would be fun to take a hiatus down to the horse farm that is only a couple of miles away.
This is not just any horse farm...this is a horse farm that extends more than 350 acres and breeds blood stock Arabians. Their farm name is Shaman Arabians and they have produced 7 National Champions, four of which in the last four years! Every Sunday we pass them on our way to church and it has always been eye candy for me to see all their beautiful horses...I drool...much.
The owners name is June and she is gracious and down to earth, we liked her and had a great time riding in her four wheeler as she took us around the farm. Alden my oldest who is six, and Michael who is three had a blast, and Alden found out he has a way with horses like his horse whisperer Dad.
June told me to pick out what I wanted since we are looking for a couple of good Arabians to start our own breeding program. It turned out that Jay and I have good taste, we kept picking her best Arabians with the finest blood lines...that was cool except that ones that I wanted were oh...$40,000 for a foal, and over $100,000-$500,000 for one of the mares that I liked. You can clearly see that they are worth every penny and will be champions in their own right, but this was a little out of our price range...to put it mildly.
However we picked two that are in our price range which are gorgeous, well pedigreed, have great conformation, health, and best of all have super willing personalities, which is a must when training a young horse.
Also while there I got to take pictures of June's incredible stallions Pryme Thyme, Chances Are, and my favorite...Exeter. All the horses need is a unicorn horn and you have the perfect fairytale picture. I have never seen such beautiful animals...June should be proud of all her hard work building such an amazing herd.

Ready...get set....Catch The Buck!

Bear with me...I have been planning this blog for a while so I have a backlog of stories to tell.

On your mark, get set...catch the buck!
Ever tried to wrestle a 250 lb large male goat buck who decidedly does not want to be caught....and keep in mind that you are 5'4, female...and decidedly less than 250 lbs in weight?

Let's just say that your arms will not be able to lift anything for a week, and your face will look like something out of a clown show after being drug through all the lovely piles of manure...fresh manure mind you...and other unmentionable things in the paddock.

However, that said...there is a method for catching such a large beastie when you are not a large beastie, do not posses a lariat, or a handy horse and a lariat...or a handy husband that is currently available for said chore.

Jenny's method:
Step one: Step quietly among 70 beasties and zero in on your target. Sidle nonchalantly toward to your quarry, and start singing softly. Stop to pat and scratch doe heads as you make your way closer...closer.
Step Two: Once within about five feet from your desired target, crouch down on all fours and start inching bit by bit closer. Keep singing, they like it. Do not make eye contact.
Step Three: Reach your right hand out slowly aiming for Buck's hind leg, never making eye contact, and talking or singing to the other goats who are curiously crowding around wondering what the heck you are doing, and if you have a goody for them. When within four inches of Buck's hind leg strike out fast as lightening and grasp his hock...and get ready for a wild bucking dervish to try to break your arm...hang on as you get dragged through the dirt.
Step Four: As you are being dragged through the muck grasp the halter hanging out of your pocket and swing it up and over his bucking head...try not to snag just one massive horn...get them both or you have to start over! Loop it over his head and...you win!

Congratulate yourself on a job well done...and try to pretend that that was not your rotator cuff that you heard and felt tearing.

Anyone care to try?

I love goats.

A new life has begun...

This is Sunshine. She is just one of about 70 critters roaming our farm. For her I get out of my nice toasty bed before dawn to go out and feed, water, and let the livestock out to pasture. I love her dearly, she is a pest but a lovable kind of pest. I have decided that goats have fun personalities, and they are also the most aggravatingly devious creatures that God ever created! Anyone who has ever owned a goat knows what I mean. They are so much fun to watch frolic on haystacks as they play "king of the mountain." and push one another off, but they are also the animal that would make a saint swear...colorfully, and loudly...at length.