Going to Las Vegas and Ms Lily

Going to Vegas on Thursday! Cowboy Christmas here I come.

Semper is all tucked in for a mini vacay on the cattle ranch with Ms Lily. She is going to teach him the ins and outs of living the real cowboy life. He seems to be healing up and he is definitely feeling good. I took him for a little ride and I swear he was loping in place getting ready to do some kind of "airs above the ground". I had to remind him just because he is white doesn't mean he is part Lippizan. A week with RD being ridden out checking cattle and gettin' some fresh air will do him a world of good.

Ms. Lily has been with RD for 3 months. I rode her on Saturday and what a difference. No silliness, no spooking at random goofiness. She loves, loves, loves her job. We sorted and moved cattle from one pasture to another on Saturday. I rode Scooter for half the ride and Lily for the other half. They are half siblings and are as much alike as they are different. RD and her husband (this man can heel rope a cat with a piece of baling twine - on the first try - impressive to say the least) love Ms Lily. They are enamored with her ability to be a solid partner when they have a job to do. As I have said all along... this mare is always a willing partner. She knows where her feet are all the time but she needs a job with purpose to encourage her to bloom. They have given her the job and she is eating it up. She has been roped off of, dragged calves to be branded, sorted cattle, worked in the cutting pen, she has been ridden in the snow, up hills, down hills, through water and every situation they put her in, she takes it head on. She can lope a perfect circle on a loose rein with flying lead changes out in a 1000 acre pasture with 200 head of cattle looking on, dogs running at her feet - all the while dodging gopher holes. The more difficult and intricate the work is, the more she steps up to the plate. Of course RD and husband are extremely capable and confident horse people and are very strong leaders. Lily is thriving.

Here is the rub...what is going to happen when I bring her home and she has nothing to occupy that big old ed-u-ma-cated brain of hers. Cuz Little Ole' Ms Lily definitely has a brain that she ain't afraid to use. I am pretty sure she is smarter than I am and I am damn sure she can read cattle better than me. She is an awesome ranch horse... but is she going to be able to keep it together to be an awesome show horse for me? Up until now I have never wanted anyone else to show my horses but...I have asked RD to show Lily this spring at a couple of small local schooling shows. I need to see her "git'er done" in the show pen.