Preparation

Posted on September 25, 2013 Updated on September 26, 2013

Hello friends,

It’s a new week to work toward our goals. Here is a quote from the great Bear Bryant to motivate us.

“This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it, or use it for good. What I do today is very important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever. Leaving something in it’s place I have traded for it. I want it to be a gain, not loss, good, not evil. Success, not failure in order that I shall not forget the price that I paid for it.”   If this is not motivation, it’s probable that you’re on the wrong blog.

I believe in preparation. Everything starts with a plan, diligence, consistency, and hard work. We need short term goals, as well as long term goals. As I look across my pasture, I see a lot of talented horses, where do their talents lay? They’re all individuals. I have a particular mare that is an exceptional cowhorse, but gets bored with dry work. As I train on these horses it’s important to find each horse’s strengths and talents.

This week I’m taking inventory. The “Three Amigo’s,” you’ve already met. Here are two newcomers to our ranch and our plan for them.  These two seem to have been overlooked as two year olds but it’s never too late to become useful. The first horse is Mr. Shining Note, an eleven year old gelding. He had been saddled a couple of times as a two year old, but an eleven year old gelding with  no training, why? Well look at him, he has a beautiful head, a classic neck, and built really nice in my book. He is a grandson of Shining Sparks, who is my favorite bloodline. He’s smart, sound, and very physically abled. How many times do you find an 11 year old grandson of this superhorse with no miles? It’s like a vintage corvette that’s been sitting in someone’s garage. I’m loving training this guy, these photographs are of his twentieth ride, which was yesterday. He also is a grandson of Zan Parr Bar, and also a grandson of a stallion that I have a lot of respect for Otoes Note. I used to ride Otoes Note in some cattle events, he was a super athlete, quiet, and beautiful. I was sad to learn that he passed last year.

The second gelding is Win The Chips, a gentle giant of a horse. He’s a grandson of Zips Chocolate Chip, and also Otoes Note. A wonderful mover for a big horse and he’s really training well. My eighth ride on him was yesterday, and we’re thinking about putting him on the trail this weekend. He’s six years old, and seems huge when I ride him. We got these two as a package deal. I really wasn’t looking to buy, but my goodness, how could I not? The third in the package was their mother, a 16 year old mare out of Win The West. Plans for her couldn’t have worked out better. We sold her to some folks that trail ride, now she’ll enjoy seeing some of the world.

As we progress these geldings we’ll see where their strengths lay. Hopefully, the Shining Sparks horse will be shown in the Ranch Horse Association next spring. The Chocolate Chip was to be  trained, and sold, until my wife became quite smitten with him. Hey, if he can keep my wife happy, happy, happy over his lifetime, that’s a good plan. As a matter of fact, that’s my plan too!