Well, we're *down* to 12 dogs (13, if you count the puppy), but it is a LOT less than the 50 we used to have !!! We ran dogsled tours for a few years. Eileen saw one of our first "runs", but luckily we improved !!! Thank you for the welcome !! It is nice to be here.

Thanks for the welcome Barby!

I love love love warmbloods. And your sudden passion for the draft crosses is just that. There are soooo many to choose from. Take a look at the Percheron/TB crosses....they can be gorgeous and sweet but BIG. And I love the Big horses. My guy in the pic is 18hh. I've had him for 16 years and counting. Have fun shopping!

Thanks Barb for your hilarious reply!! Yes I do have alot of "background" I can use for my poems. It was and is an ongoing drama in this family. I write about it in my poems. Hope you enjoy them and you keep "chucklin". That's a good thing as Martha would say!! LOL

Hi Barbara THank you I see you like the paints also I have 3 out of 5 are paints.

Hi Barbara. Thank you very much a warm welcome. Yes horse and equestrian themed jewelry. A great collection. Lots of fun combining the parts of my life. I hope to be posting soon.

What beautiful horses! I don't have a horse and I am so, so jealous.

Thanks for the welcome! I have been a bit of a lurker for a while on the site, got brave and joined lol!

Thanks for the comment, not silly at all, we brought 6 cats with us from Zimbabwe - by air - at great expense, in 2004. Some would say that's silly!
All adjusted well, 3 regrettably now succumbed to old age, 3 surviving and we have been adopted by 2 more who were abandoned and found their way to us.

Wow! What an unexpected, pleasant surprise on my birthday! Thank you! I am looking forward to riding my Tennessee Walker gelding this weekend---his specially-fitted Aussie stock saddle arrived yesterday, and I can't wait to try it out on him!

I understand you completely... stay tuned... we are on the same page... Ruth

thanks so much for you comment... Yes... that is the long awaited little miracle foal... his name is IN LIKE FLINT...thanks for looking around my web site and your complement... that means a lot... i have worked very hard... its a lifestyle not a job and am lucky to have such a great family and staff to support it all.... keep in touch... Ruth

Hi Barby
I think we need some blogs on reining in here. More content about the discipline would be extremely helpful. AND PICTURES!!!.. everyone loves pictures.

And I like you set horses aside for nearly a decade before I realized that life is too short to not live with them in my life.

Hi Barby!

My name is Kelly and thank you for welcoming me to Rusty riders. I think the group was such a great idea. So many people leave horseback riding but they always seem to come back even if it is after many years. How could we not?

I really love the Friesian in your picture! He's gorgeous! What is it about Friesians that make all the women swoon?! I am currently taking my Dressage lessons on a Friesian and am completely in love with him.

I wish you good luck with the horse search. Let me know if you do find the one you've been looking for.

I have some pics of my minis up now and the pics of my dressage pony are just uploading now.

Aw... Barby, YOU are such a doll!!! I'd say we are definitely kindred spirits without question! =) If you're visualizing your perfect equinge partner by your side and seeing yourself in the barn grooming her, loving on her and training then she'll be in your life before you know it! How awesome is that!!!!

Thank you for your kind words.... I had to chuckle when I read that you're into energy work... of course you are!!! Here's my story of how I got my barn & Friesian in regards to using the Law the Attraction...

I'm a general contractor, I built our home in a new neighborhood, I live in a culd a sack. My back yard boarded some older homes at the time, I didn't really pay attention who lived there I just knew that was were I was supposed to build our home. Well, after moving in I realized that the house was a kind of half-way house with different interesting people coming and going... not exactly people I felt comfortable having as neighbors....

Well, I told my husband of my concerns regarding our young children living near that house... So we decided we would try to buy the property and tear down the house to build a barn. At the time the home wasn't for sale but each night I would look out my window and visualize my dream barn and my horses in my backyard... About a year later the home went into foreclosure and guess what? We bought it, tour it down and build our barn!!!! (yes, that's my barn in my pics.)

I did the same with my Friesian, I found a picture of the exact body type of Friesian I wanted and visualized it in my backyard every day... and I soon found my sweet Xavier... Unfortunately, I had to sell him when the economy dropped; I had a spec house and lost a lot of money... But I sold him to a sweet lady that is now one of my best friends and I still am blessed to see Xavier every week! He misses me dearly I'm afraid... but at least I can love on him often and he knows my spirit will always be with him. He was an extrememly powerful horse both in spirit and in body, I love him tons!

How awesome that we are very, very much alike in many ways... very cool!!! I'll looked at the beautiful mares you're considering... I'll have to take more time and really look at them to feel their energy... Have you owned a mare before? I have a mare and a gelding... I prefer geldings over mares, but mares are wonderful as well... As my dressage trainer says, "Mares you ask, geldings you tell and stallions you negociate..." That is soooo true!!!

Sorry for the novel... I'm soooooo grateful we've become friends! Thanks for making my day extra special!!! =)

lol. okay.
Im just uploading some of my miniatures now but will put some of my dressage horses up too.
your horse in your avatar is stunning! friesian right? i hav a friesian mare too but she is leased out to a stud at the moment.
yea im fine thanks!

Sissi :)

Hey.
I just show and breed the minis i have a Show pony and a arabian stallion which i do dressage on. lol

Barbara... I'm proud of you for balancing your life & for fulfilling your spirit's love for horses... I took the same path as you and put my equine dreams on hold while I raised my little ones until they were old enough for me to enjoy horeses again.

Good luck in finding your dream companion. Be sure to follow your heart and feel the horses energy when choosing your horse. Be sure to pick a horse that has big expressive eyes and an endearing heart, you can't go wrong with choosing a horse that falls in love with you too! It's a magical experience... I'm sooo excited for you!!!

BTW, draft horses are so magestic, I owned a big Friesian, he was a joy (and quite a workout) to ride... it was an incredible feeling cantering in the wind... I miss him so much.... You'll have to let me know when you get your horse, post lots of pics I'd love to see him/her! =)