My Christmas card for you!

Merry Christmas to all and a Very Happy New Year....may all your holiday wishes come true, and may you have quality time with your friends, family and herd members through the Holiday season....MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!

"Driving Miss Legsy"

Trainer Roy takes Legacy out on the trails

Well, it is official, Legs and I are a driving team ;-) We wrapped up lessons and training last week and we headed home to find our future as a driving team. I did have the opportunity last week ( the weather was spectacular! ) to take a few photos....I also had the added bonus of having Liz Mattke come and watch my lesson and take a short drive with Roy and Legacy on the trails behind his house, Liz looks a bit cold, it was barely 20 degrees! and..now those photos!

A couple days later, Legacy, Roy and Liz take a trip around the trail loop

Legacy and I take a lesson in the indoor arena

Liz was kind enough to take a few photos of Legacy and me! Driving outdoors is a WHOLE lot of fun......can not wait to try it at home!

*Tekara's sire wins big!

Congrats to *DCC Traveler and Liz Mattke on their 2011 CSI "HOY" win !!!! Our filly *Tekara is a Traveler daughter, and we expect great things from her too......congrats on a job well done!!!

another pinto in the pasture

Sometimes it just happens....a small ad seen, a photo that you suspect the equine is better than represented...and an inquiry.....That is how another pinto arrived in the pasture here at Creekside Curlies! We are proud to introduce you to *Tekara. When I saw the ad for this mare, it got my wheels turning....Perhaps this would make a good frozen semen candidate for our stash of "HeartBreaker" semen...perhaps this mare would make a nice riding horse...perhaps......

But.....it was love at first sight...the mare was not the height stated in the ad, but every single thing about her screamed "take me home" her temperament is one of the best I have ever encountered...she is gently broke to ride and she handles like a dream. Mike is smitten, he already has big plans for her, learning to pack and camp ( he swore he would NEVER horse camp again...LOL ) he is just sure that *Tekara will be a gentle mount for August James in the future, and he is probably right..he generally is!


I find it very ironic that this mare, a true medicine hat marked mare, very well may be a Native American's mount...August is 1/2 Native American....seems Mr. August will start with what the Native American's considered to be a highly prized equine.
My camera has been in the shop, and I took most of these photos with my older camera....but, I had battery trouble and only got a couple shots in, before the end of the daylight, and now we are into a wet/muddy weather pattern...oh well! no more photos until spring I guess.
Gotta love this photo...it shows just how comfortable they are with each other, and *Tekara has only been here a couple days....this is going to be a relationship made in heaven ;-)

Here we are!

After two years of studying, asking questions, searching for a trainer, and lots of lots of driving lessons, I am actually driving my very own horse. Legacy had our first "real" lesson, walk, trot and lots of change of reins/direction.......and she was WONDERFUL !!! a gem beyond words this mare is. There is some "getting to know each other" to be done, she is softer and requires less rein pressure (for the lack of the proper term) than the lesson horse, and she steadied me when I felt a bit of apprehension in our lesson.... Legacy will stay with her trainer for another month, so she can work outside, and on the trails, and so I can take several more lessons with her, before bringing her home. Truly a "team" stayed tuned for more on "Team Creekside" .....

Living the dream!

Living the Dream, Legacy and I are now driving together.....this is our first lesson together!

After my driving lesson with Legacy, our trainer hitched her to our own harness and cart....the next photos are, our trainer's first drive with her and him, in our own harness and cart...my cart is a little heavier, and certainly noisier than the training carts..but Legacy accepted it well, worked hard and was so willing.....Working outside the cart gave our trainer a good look at how Legacy would react, without putting himself in danger.....what a good girl she was!


Next week this will be me!!! I can hardly wait !

*C-C Hells Canyon Packer

Our youngsters grow up...and we appreciate SO much their owners sharing photos and news. This is a colt we bred and was born here....*C-C Hells Canyon Packer ......WOWZERS !!!!!! Packer is a 3 year old, approved for breeding and will be started under saddle this fall.

Leacy goes for a drive

Trainer Roy and Legacy went for their first drive late last week. Shown here at the walk and the trot, Legacy handled the mental pressure with ease.

I have also been taking lessons, using a retired Grand Champion Morgan schoolmaster, that is amazing to drive...


Driving him is like floating on a cloud. Last week in my lesson, we did not kill ANY cones !!! Driving is more fun, than even my great expectations...and I had great expectations......a sport truly meant for me and my curly.

Keen Green transforms to "My Beamer"

What a journey my dream of having my very own driving curly has been! I spent a year studying driving "book learning" and then started my search for a cart. I found this cart, somewhat local, it was a bit wrong for my purpose..BUT..it had good bones. I have the luxury of having a cart builder near, and last fall, he took the cart, measured my horses and went to work to make it fit.

Among other changes we made, was the addition of a "cheater step"...we both thought, with my upcoming surgeries, the addition of this step would be a great help.

Once the height of the cart, the step added and the shafts narrowed to fit my potential driving horses I got my cart home and I started the rest of the transformation A good paint job helps clean things up.

Although I like the color green, it was not my goal to drive a green cart. So, I bought black paint, and spent a week of the hottest summer weather transforming Keen Green.


The next thing that needed to be changed was the wheels. Some folks use motorcycle ( or even bicycle ) wheels, but my limited knowledge was both types were unsafe, out on the open road..they are also not legal for competition at certain levels. So, I spent another year searching for first motorcycle wheels with out the spokes, and then when I hit a dead end with that...searching for steel wheels! and...after weeks of searching, I found my dream steel wheels at www.carriagedrivingessentials.com and they had the wheels in stock! so...my dream cart is complete...and WHY do I call it "My Beamer" ???cause, when I am sitting in my cart..I AM beaming ;-)

Coming along nicely

Last week I had the pleasure of checking on how Legacy was coming along with her harness trainer. She has advanced to pulling a cart, and in a few days, Roy will be in the cart driving her. As you can see here, she is comfortable, happy and relaxed...woohooo!!!!!!!!! my "gal" coming along .....

Corners are always a challenge with a green horse and cart...but Legacy takes it all in stride.And...another shot of her showing how accepting she is of the whole process....soon, we will be in that cart!


While I was there, I jumped at the opportunity to take a lesson.


Roy gave me alot of guidance.....my lesson horse was a gentle guy, with LOTS of get up and go, if you wanted it. I actually thought I would not break out of the walk, while I was watching Roy warm up "Ray Man" but...after I settled into driving, we did indeed up the speed! I felt like I was flying on a cloud!!!!!!!!! wow..what a rush ;-)



Here we are all "alone" LOL.....while it may be somewhat easy for an instructor to run up and catch or hold a saddled horse, it is not that easy to catch and hold a horse that is hitched...so, we had to "fly" on our own....what a great feeling ;-)

Flashlights in the Night

On my FB page, I wrote about spending yesterday, preparing food for the family of a dear neighbor. Gordon was truly a member of the "greatest generation" he was 88 when he passed away late last week, and a one of the happiest, most content people I have ever met. Here is one great story about Gordon.

One winter night, Mike and I noticed flashlights on the hill across from the house...Now..it had been dark for hours. and our we wondered who on earth would be on the hill, muddy and slick from recent rains, at this time of the night...esp with just a flashlight.

We watched the flashlight's beam...all over the hill it seemed to go, searching perhaps? a lost hunter perhaps? or .......wait a minute...it is Gordon! Yes, Gordon was on the hill, walking the area looking for a lost calf, in the late night, in the mud, on the steep hillside that is so slick when muddy, most of us don't ever attempt such a feat....But...Gordon was out, looking, searching for one of his precious calves...we found out later, he did indeed find the calf.

This was one of the first experiences we would have watching Gordon on the hills around our home. The man could walk...that is a simple statement, but there was nothing simple about this man's ability to walk.

When Gordon was 79 years old, he was convinced by family members to quit his bi annual trek of cattle driving his cows to summer pasture...it was well over 30 miles, and Gordon did not ride a horse, Gordon walked...every speck of the way ;-) I don't know many people that can walk 30+ miles in a few days, Gordon never seemed to be bothered by the task at all...It was great fun for the Grandkids, but Gordon was finally gave in to family members, perhaps the cows should be trucked to summer pasture.

Cattle drives are a common thing on our country road. Gordon, his son Clark and his 2 Grandsons move their cows often. From here to there, there to beyond there and back....many afternoons were spent watching as the "guys" moved their cows....always done by foot, never by horse or other "machines."

In the last few years, Gordon had taken the role of "lookout" instead of actually walking, but he was very fit, never the less. If you saw Gordon on the top of our place, coming from pasture they have above our pasture, he would beat you to the back to the house, and that is if we were using the 4 wheeler!

The day before Gordon passed away, we saw him in his garden..he no longer planted the garden, the kids did it for him, but he love to tend the garden, we honked, and he waved and smiled....he died during the night.

That smile will always remain in my mind.....rest in peace Gordon, and keep moving those cows!

My first CT photography event ..cheering on Liz and Traveler

Over the weekend I attended the CT - 3 day event where Liz Mattke of www.travelingmoonranch.com and her Curly Stallion *DCC Traveler were competing. Stanton Farms is a "short" drive, about 45 min from my home.

Here are Liz and Traveler early on the Cross Country course....

Bringing it HOME !!!
Sunday was Stadium Jumping......here they are on course....................
Liz and Traveler on the show jumping course.
The combo jump in process.
Great results! being in the ribbons in this crowd is an accomplishment on its own..but doing it with a curly stallion, who took up eventing after years of not much handling, shows he has a great mind, and a capable body........CURLIES ROCK !!!

A wonderful surprise! The Northwest Carriage Museum

Last week, Hubby and I took a little business trip....I was surprised and delighted to find a rare treasure in the area we went too. Located in Raymond, WA on the shores of Willapa Bay we found the Northwest Carriage museum. 27 antique carriages, all restored to the top condition they were in their heyday are in this museum..it is quite a sight to behold.

The carriages, all owned by the Dennis family were gathered thoughout the USA. They were then painstakingly restored to their original luster.

This wicker Phaeton, is the carriage type that was used in the movie, "Holiday Inn" in the segment where the actors sing "Easter Parade"....

I loved these trace carriers! This was on the pair that were pulling the Landau.

This Landau is an early 1900's version..it is the same style carriage made famous by the Royal Family...Prince Charles and Princess Diana left the wedding ceremony in this type of carriage, as did The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge...more commonly known as Prince William and Princess Kate. The carriage seat is supported by large "C" springs, that have leather straps holding the carriage body...the seat simply "floats" in air as the people ride....simply STUNNING !!!

The museum did an excellent in labeling the carriages, and letting folks know their uses....summer, winter, ladies or gentleman, there were different carriages for different needs! Oh the life that must have been ;-)
The Top Buggy is what folks commonly refer to as a "Doctor's Buggy" it is amazing how lightweight the wood is, and how fragile all the carriages seem to be...how they held up to muddy rutty roads is amazing.

I LOVED the sleighs! the Russian sleigh was small, cozy and I imagine very fast.....just think of covering the miles of the great land of Russia in such a vehicle.
The museum was well supplied with carriages...what fun it must have been to search for all these carriages, watch them be restored and then put them in a museum for all to see. THANK YOU Dennis family.....this truly was a treasure for me to find. You can see more at
www.nwcarriagemuseum.org ..it is WELL WORTH the trip.