Time moves on ;/

Wow, it has been so long since my last post. Sorry.

It is snowing again today, but there are bits of green popping through in the pasture, the birds are making happy songs and the horses are shedding and enjoying more days without their blankets. They are looking well, losing their winter potbellies and building muscle as they become mud jumpers, splashing, running and bucking through the muck. While dehairing them, trimming manes and doing a bit of groundwork the other day, I realized how much we need a program to focus our collective energy. Boo was silly and spooky as I led her away from her friends, dropping her massive shoulders towards me, scooting to face the boys and basically saying she'd rather be with them. Rusty, the next, was willing to be led away into the big field as his minions scrambled after him, but became worried when they scurried back to their safety zone. All in all, he kept his cool inspite of not wanting to work a small circle around me. Dime went last, the happy camper! He wanted to be with me, and listen and work, pattering willingly and trustingly with me. While he was not asked to leave the yard, he did not seem to worry as I had expected. I got the sense he wants to work this spring!

Boo and Dime will be expected to gradually move farther from the herd, encouraged to focus on me. The round pen will be the starting point and I will be free schooling them, lunging and then long-lining them on a regular basis. Rusty will do much the same to start, although not with any expectation of riding him. All will benefit from strengthening their core muscles and building their hind ends. I'd like to incorporate ponying, especially for Rusty, so he will be able to go on the trails with us.

The long lining may be preparatory to teaching Boo to drive, as this summer will be one of hunkering down and developing self-sufficiency in the face of very possible hardship for our nation. I will be putting in vegetables, a wood stove, cutting wood as well as stockpiling stores of canned foods. Boo might be needed if fuel becomes restricted, to pull poles, hay, water or what have you. She should love the work and is certainly strong enough to do it!

But, I hope, for all our sakes, that this difficult searching for direction and reaquainting ourselves to our core values produces an America which retains its freedoms which are so unique in this world of today.

A program. A system. Discipline. Having and following a plan. Building and strengthening what is core for the long term soundness of the entity.

Hard work, faith and focus, first for the individual, then for those who rely on us.

Ourselves. Our families. Our Nation.