Shawnee Sunrise Farm

01/15/2024

Friday , after getting off late , my beloved Sandy says “Time to blanket horses !”
Ok
Er side by side dead and frozen
Tractor is the same , So, I have to pack mule carry 11 heavy horse blankets from various places to the barn even though we have only 8 horses .
Then I have to convince all said horses to be caught in this weather
Then my top two mare get into a fight (over me????) and the result is one has to be stalled
Then Sandy and I have to match the right size blanket to the right horse
Then feed them all
Done before midnight
Saturday , work on equipment, put out 1,200 lb of hay and have to move it and a steel round bale holder .5 mile
Today was more of the same
I think some of these horses like me?

11/26/2023

Lovely 14 mile day in the Shawnee with besties on gaited beasties all trying in vain to catch Ms Sandy

11/12/2023

So ,The Story of the Gypsy:
Gypsy is a 12 year old multi gaited MFT. I started her and raised her and then trained her for endurance competition. Her start was a bit challenging as she one tough minded mare .
Because I am blessed/challenged to have several competition horses, I could use her in 50 mile races for others to ride that I was helping and they could come along with me .
My warrior wife followed me through 49.9 miles of a 50 that I led the whole thing UNTIL 60 yards from the finish line when she nosed me for the win!
Gypsy became the 2nd MFT, that I know of, to win a 50.
She then went to live with a friend and top gaited competitor in the east who did extremely well with her. She even won a top 5 MFT US Breed Award on her.
Our friend had some unplanned life changes and the Gypsy came back after not being ridden long enough to look like she ate another horse while they were both at a buffet.
Time to reconnect with her, get weight off, and start retraining.
In 6 weeks she has shed about 50lbs
She is not enthusiastic about round pen work and would rather leave her small amount of grain a day than let me catch her.
I have a solution for that . Sandy calls it Rhino (Yamaha side by side) training .
A horse wants to leave ????, they can leave but they are motivated to leave until they decide they want to stand, halter and eat treats
The Gypsy (still heavy mind you) set the farm record today by taking 4 hustling runs (trying to keep her in gait ) before she agreed I was boss
Then, back to round pen , then saddled up and 1/2 mile of gentle work , changing direction from the running walk, stopping then backing up
She was perfect.
My plan is 3 or 4 50s with an eye to towards a 100 miler.
The last picture is the finish line where Sandy and Gypsy bum rushed me!( You know I loved it. Beat by my wife on my own horse!) 🙂
Let the work begin

06/26/2023

Great Saturday ride in the Shawnee

01/23/2022

01/23/2022

Over half my semi fearless Saturday training group looked at the weather forecast and “17 degrees!, Nope not me and my pony!”
Actually it got close to 40 and was sunny. My “I ride like I stole it”, and my best buddy Chuck from Ky showed up and we had a blast!
Have heart, don’t throw in your cards early and dress warm!

09/13/2021

Done with Lincoln Trail 100 mile endurance race. Sara, (Aka “Babes”) are home and resting from her first 100 mile try at endurance race,
I owed many a live feed but the cell reception was poor anc it was not possible .
Long story short:
She made it! She was the only gaited horse in the race at Lincoln Trail AND ….,
She won by two HOURS!!!!!!!
Full disclosure is that 4 were supposed to start, 2 did not and left only one Arabian and Sara . Riding solo that long is not the easiest thing to do.
Full race story and video to come .
She wants groceries and I have to have some sleep after 18 hours of riding, 6 hours in the dark!
Teaser,
What are your options when your head stall falls apart in a race, in the dark???

09/07/2021

11 mile , last kind of serious ride for our palimino mft mare Sara, before her first 100 mile endurance ride next weekend.
This horse has been an adventure to say the least.
Grandma Sandy raised her from a baby. 2 weeks pre first 50, she flipped on Grandma and broke her back, shoulder and several ribs.

Helicopter ride later to Barnes later, Sandy said, “Fix her!”
I did my best and she top tenned in 3 50 mile races.
Then she fell with a friend at mile 35 in a 5o and broke the friends collar bone.
Back to just being my horse.
I have the mileage on her, practiced. The “trot out” and night riding at speed with a light.
Today, Sandy and I rode at the Palestine area in a part we believed to be bee free.
WE WERE Wrong!!!!!!

I rode out the first 2 rearingss. The third resulted in my Sara going down , of course I rolled free.
While on the ground, the bees swarmed me and stung me 20 times . 10 were on my ears.
I think benydril and an epi pen saved my life. Also the helmet helped .

I absolutely love the Shawnee. Ride it , volunteer for it and promote it .
Not currently safe unless you ride out of a camp that consistently clears bees.
We ride 1000s of mikes here and ,generally speaking it is not safe now because of bees

07/18/2021

So, we have this AT -Teke Sporthorse . Dam is my favorite mft out of show stock . The yearling filly is adorable, super athletic and has the AT sheen. She is headed towards 16 hands at least.
Her DNA ssshows the gaited gene and she shows the running walk, rack, and AT floating trot at liberty.
So, Tango is “gaited”
Sandy say “make her perfect” and Tango will
Be “hers”
In thinking make her just “good” and she could be “mine”?!?
Now, I guess I will have to figure out cues for trot and things like flying lead changes ? 🙂

07/18/2021

A very nice and blessed day! Brandy, the sorrel mft is off for breeding. Sara, the gal den pony is 8 weeks out of her first try at a 100.and got in 16 miles of brisk racking.
Yearling Tango is just stunning and looking to be at least 16 hands.
The tiny blue roan twh filly Indigo is the definition of “wild child”
A very good day!