Amy L. Wink, Ph.D.

amywink January 30th, 2012

After this past week’s deluge, we didn’t drive this weekend but instead walked the back pasture to look at the damage. A “sometimes” creek meanders through the east side of Lisa and Benjy’s property but after 6+ inches of rain (the rain gauge filled to overflowing at 6 inches) the creek became a raging torrent that probably spread 30 to 40 yards wide and who knows how deep and fast. The debris ripped through the barbed wire fence, taking down three stakes and opening the pasture for the neighbors cows. The horses, Kid and Popeye had been removed from the pasture that night so they spent their night safely in the “front” pastures while Will and Windy stayed in their stalls.

Despite the damage, we are all thrilled. The tanks are completely filled and water, water everywhere, and *every* drop to drink!

This large tank was down 20 -30 feet before the rains.

Here’s “our” side of the fence line–note the debris against the fence, stacked probably 2 or 3 feet high.

And “their side”

This is the northern side of the pasture, on the other end of the creek, where more debris piled up against the trees.

And this is the San Marcos river as it flows through Luling at Zedler’s Mill

• nature , Texas floods
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amywink December 22nd, 2011

Blessing’s training continues to prove her excellent character. Last week (the above picture) she showed how well she was improving her balance and taking to the saddle. Which is a good thing since I am planning on taking a riding lesson soon to determine how best to proceed with her training–and my own.

She’s got some very good brakes on her, and stands quite nicely so far, always good in a driving pony as well as a riding pony

And she’s moving very well and learning to hold herself in the proper frame.

But the VERY exciting part from last week was this:

And steady as she goes. not a kick, not buck, not a bite, just a sniff. Great progress for her.

For her brother and I, patience. We hold steady at 98.75 hours as the rain keeps coming. I wonder if I’ll finish those 100 hours in 2011 or whether it will be next year for that last hour and 15 minutes.

This week, after more rain, the pasture where we drive looks like this:

So, again, no driving this week or probably next week either. More and more riding lessons in a covered arena seem like a good use of a wet, cool winter and it looks like I’ll have to finish that 100th hour in 2012.

But this week, more progress for Blessing. She’s really learning the bit this week and as usual, every time I see her, she’s developed more muscles, looking better, more grown up. Malen reports her balance is very good and I can see her moving better.

Today, I got to see her work on the long lines, which showed how well she really is responding to the bit. Again, her approach to the situation: calm and steady.

She really looked like she was concentrating hard on getting things right. She also didn’t make on tail switch or one kick at the long line around her hock. Since she’d been described as “kicky”, I had been waiting for the kicking explosion and this certainly was an instance where she might start. But she didn’t. Good girl. Very good girl.

• nature , Carriage Driving , Morgan horses , Driving Training
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