The Horsepower Homestead

 The herd is growing. We added some cattle this past year. And they’re awfully cute.  Mama cow, black angus cross: Tilly  this is her 4th calf she is a great natural mama. Dark brown/spotted heifer: Darla. She is going to be our future milk cow. She is half jersey and half Longhorn. Red Bull calf, red angus: Early, we were told he was due in the fall, he was born 08/08.

I purchased this helmet over the summer from SmartPak Equine for $56.95.  The Troxel Liberty Riding helmet comes in various solid colors. I purchased the "Duratec" color in the Medium size. The Duratec color is a dark turquoise/teal shade. My previous Troxel helmets (Legacy model and the Rebel) were both size medium and fit me very well. This one has the dial system and fits well. I even have enough space to wear a slim beanie with it in the winter (on a larger dial setting than I normally wear it).  I wear this helmet 3-4 times each week and it is holding up well. The color is still vibrant. I keep my helmet in a hat box when I'm not wearing it and it looks almost new with minimal scratches, seems to be quite durable. I chose this particular style of helmet due to the fact that I'd be wearing it to lessons. It's appropriate for schooling shows and not as flashy as the Troxel Rebel, while still being available in fun colors.  Troxel Liberty Riding Helmet, i

Something about seeing baby horses turns me into a kid again. I will stop the car to admire them. I will shout and point them out to my friends. Creamsicle   One of my neighbors has a few mares, and they each have a foal on their side right now. Cute precious things that I have nicknamed all silly names. It's my favorite sign of Spring, seeing the baby horses.   I grabbed some quick picture of them to share the cuteness. Hope y'all enjoy. Little-feet Chessie

1. You find hay in your bra. Your socks. And sometimes may have to dump it out of your shoes. 2. Sometimes you find treats in your pockets and there's no horse to give it to. Because you're at work. Or at school. And how did this treat get here? 3. Your boots have special designations. Muck boots. Riding boots. Show boots. Rain boots. Dancing boots. Fancy boots. and Date night boots. 4. You regularly check Craigslist, Ebay, and the Facebook Market for saddles. Just in case. You don't actually need one. 5. Your computer background, phone screen wallpaper, etc. is horse themed. 6. You have barn clothes, show clothes, and "regular people" clothes. But we all know which ones you wear the most. Even when you're not at that barn. Just in case you end up there. 7. You try to "whoa" things that aren't horses. Dogs. Boyfriends. Children. Vehicles. 8. Your mom voice and your horse voice are the same thing. 9. You learned to braid (or want

I had my Colliegate saddle repaired at Texas Boot and Saddlery in Fort Worth. They re-did my knee pads and conditioned all the leather. It looks fantastic and it's even more comfortable to ride in.

For my birthday this year I was in Florida. But I couldn't imagine spending the day without at least seeing some horses. So I found a family friendly trail ride. The whole family tagged along, including my little brother, who is autistic, and we all had a fantastic time. The place I found for us is to ride was horse rescue. And all the money they collect goes back into the care of the animals. I thought it was a great sentiment. The trail ride was beautiful. They took us through trees, around the lake, along the swamp, and down some trails. I saw plenty of volunteers and the horses seemed very content.  For those that are interested, it's called DreamCatcher Horse Ranch and Rescue in Clermont, Florida.  This is Faith. I rode her during the trail ride. She was fun. She had a peppy step and leg yielded great. She is 17 and has lived at the rescue for a few years. She came from a neglect situation in which she was alone (no human or animal contact) for years. She was near

This past weekend I attended the Fort Worth Stock Show and had the pleasure of watching the Mustang Magic event. In this event, a number of trainers work with mustangs for 120 days and the top 10 compete against each other in a free style event.   I very much enjoyed the show and think that one day perhaps, I'd like to try it for myself. It was also quite amazing how versatile and smart these mustang were. The trainers were interesting as well, multiple styles and preferences. My favorite trainers from the event were Kristen Mew, Kaitlyne Wadman, and Brittany Mayer. I enjoyed their performances very much, and had I been in the market for a mustang, either of those three would have been quite the catch.  For more information on Mustangs, their history, how you can protect them, and how you can purchase/own one, please visit:  http://mustangheritagefoundation.org/