Winter thoughts

|It is the end of February, and winter is starting to wear on the nerves.  So I thought I would post a few winter sleigh pictures because hopefully the snow will soon be gone, and we won't be gulping vitamin D pills, just to survive and feel better.  Absolutely no energy, feeling blahhh is all about waiting for winter to be over.  So here are a few of the pictures that show we did do something in this winter weather.  Here we go.

The above picture was taken on Christmas eve.  We had 30 people come and enjoy a good meal - mexican food - and sleigh rides. 

We sent Sahara and Savannah off to be trained to drive this winter, and here Ken Rawlings and Fred are hitching Savannah up with Ken's horse Musket, earlier in the winter.  They both did very well and are now waiting patiently to be hitched up again to show they remember what they have learned - we hope.

This is Sahara, aka Bobbie, being driven.  Bobbie, because Ken bobbed her tail - the brambles had done their thing in her tail - so this is how we can tell them apart.  I think Fred is driving here.

A front view of Bobbie and Musket with Ken driving.  Rose got off the sleigh to take this picture.

Fred and the great standardbred Haley in December with the new "old" sleigh, giving it a warm up run.  We are dreaming of sleigh rallies, but just haven't got one organized yet.  Ah well, maybe next year.

After her racing career, Haley spent a couple of years pulling the stage coach or delivery wagon in Barkerville before she came here to hangout with her buddies.  When Rose' horse Buckley came up with a swollen hock; with Fred's help, Rose pulled her out of the pasture last summer and hitched her up and competed in a combined driving event at 70 Mile. She hadn't been hitched in three or more years at that point.   She finished successfully, got third place in her division and did great.  So this mare can and has done it all.  Priceless.

We bought this old sleigh from the Edbergs last fall because it has a second small seat for the driver (folded down here) and can carry a couple as well as a driver.  It is original and well cared for, and is light for the horses, so we are pleased with it.

Just to show we hitched up Ted and June a couple of times to test the trail and then to haul people on sleigh rides.  The old stalwards who have done it all and more for us.  I hope they are waiting for winter to be over as much as we are.  Although they do seem to enjoy the sunny days, hanging out in the pasture, basking in the sun.  Not too many days until we hitch them up to the combined driving carriage and get them started conditioning for this summer. 

Our plan this summer though is to start a few younger teams going so we can share the wealth around and sell a few teams with experience.  We have Com and Pharoah, Kikki and Nron, and Jackson and Casino coming up, as well as the trotting machine for a single driving pony- Crackers.  And if you are into the big boys, you may see us out with Amber and Angel, or Ben and Major this year.  As you can see we are looking forward to spring.