2009-08-28 - 9:25 a.m.
We have had a great summer here at Pedal Bone Farm. What's made it so great? The people. We have developed such a super group of very supportive and enthusiastic students and patrons. We all share in similar dreams of horse ownership whether we are competitors, trailriders, or just have a horse as a friend.
The barn is just now settling down from a long summer full of riding and learning. The kids that filled the halls and stalls are now back in school. Its kind of peaceful everyday for a few hours now, but once the school bell rings, here we go again! Fall always brings changes in schedules and a few young students have to put riding on the back burner and concentrate on school. That's when we get more mothers coming to brush up on their riding skills or just have a few hours of peaceful contact with one of our great school horses. Its a wonderful transformation that takes place when a mom comes out to Pedal Bone and grooms a horse and goes for a ride and dinks around the barn for a while. Its the best anti-depressant around!
We have several new horses acquired this summer. I need to get their pictures on the website soon and introduce you to them. Our colt, Tigger, is doing great. We still haven't settled on a career for him, but it looks like he will be heading to the western pleasure and hunter arenas very soon. He did well in his halter career, but we have always had riding plans for him. Right now he entertains me in the arena and takes Tim for long trail rides. And what entertainment he is! Still full of three year old mischief. He's everybody's friend and has to be a part of every task. Helpful, he's not, but funny he over does! I hope he keeps that great attitude forever.
My Hanoverian mare, Elle, is teaching me everything I thought I had already learned. I really want to compete her but we are a least a year away. We are so mismatched physically (she's 17.2 and I'm a meager 5'1") that it is hard for me to motivate her, but I'm digging deep into myself and finding ways. She is a fantastic learning opportunity for me for the higher levels of dressage.
Then we acquired little Secret Squirrel. Bless her heart she is a tiny little thing, not registered at all, but absolutely gorgeous. She's a four year old that we broke this year. I think she is heading for the breeding shed next spring. I adore her personality and quick learning. I want to reproduce that with a star studded Paing Horse. Watch for us in 2012 with a yearling Pinto World contender!
Besides the horse business we are addicted to our farm life. The garden has given us more vegetables than we hoped for. Two freezers are full and we still give things away every day. We experiment every year with a new variety or plant. This year I brought on yellow tomatos and eggplants! I don't think I'll do the yellow tomatos next year but we will keep up with the eggplant. Our favorite was the early snow peas. We will definitely double our crop next year. That is an easy keeper with high yield and most delicious. Best of all it freezes so easily. We'll be eating good this winter. I kind of let the okra crop go. I just ran out of time and energy for it. That crop always comes in at the height of summer heat and humidity. My enthusiasm is waning by then! We will still have tomatos until the frost, but otherwise its mostly done. I'll keep the peppers for awhile, too. Tim has bushhogged most of our space and we will turn the chickens out in there soon.
Speaking of chickens our flock has grown to include about 200 birds representing about 15 breeds. I love the birds! That is my hobby away from the horses. Luckily, they make money for the farm and provide me some quiet time. The incubator is shut down for the year now and we have sold most everything we wanted to. I'll put a double handful of birds in the freezer this fall then we will start all over again in January. Farming is such a wonderful cycle.
You are always invited to visit, just call first. We welcome horse and hobby farm lovers!
