Odie is still gorgeous, still super healthy, and still a total character! She has turned into the cowy-est horse ever, loves team penning and has helped round up steers and heifers. Before we left CA a friend of mine called up and asked if I could bring that cute little A-rab mare I have and help him round up some of his cattle off the BLM lease land he had. He said that there was this quick steer that "Run right through him and wore his ole QH plumb out!". Said his dog even quit on him he was so embarrassed.

Odie stepped right up to the plate, we went up to Baker and she chased cows all day. She absolutely LOVED it. Wouldn't back down even from a longhorn steer. We had a blast. The other cowpokes horses were totally sweated and had shaking legs by noon break, but not little Miss Odie-O-Doe, she ate some hay and had a drink and was ready for round 2. It had gotten too hot by then, so we called it for the day, and on morning 2 we went at it again. In the foothills north of Tucson is a little town called Catalina and every fall they have a round up of the range cattle. I can't wait for Odie and me to go play.

This tiny little horse has more heart than just about any other horse I've ever met. I'm up to several horses again, by the way....ARRRRGH. LOL, none of them are for sale. I see you're still going strong and that list of success stories is getting longer, very, very cool!!

I'm attaching a pic of Odie taken back in March of this year, as you can see, she's still full of P&V, I think she's the only other horse of mine that you might remember. I don't have a current one of Lucky, but he turned 26 this year and still loves to go on trail rides, still sound as a dollar.

Seems Obditka is doing extremely well in her new home with Pat. She is so comfortable and relaxed that she has decided it is safe to do unassisted tours of her surroundings. Unassisted and unscheduled! She has learned to open the gate on her spacious living quarters and stroll about........Christmas morning she was at Pat's bedroom window! HA!

Due to the potential for Odie to become injured, Pat had to take steps to make sure she would not get hurt when she was on her jaunts. Odie is not at all pleased!

These Arabs are just the best. Odie has gone from being herd bound to being human bonded. She loves all the attention and just is hysterical to watch when someone is telling her she's beautiful. She holds her head up, perks her ears, arches her neck, stretches out a little to show off her gorgeous backside and the looks right at them and bats her eyes. The looks on these folks faces is priceless. I've had more than one ask me if I thought she understood them, and I have to bite my tongue to keep from telling them of course she does, she's smarter than you are. There were several Arabians on the ride, in every discipline and type of gear. There was an endurance horse, several who were dressed up in Western tack, from roping to fancy show saddles. Hubby and I were the only ones riding Huntseat, but with the exception of the endurance rider, I bet we were the most comfortable ones on the ride. I felt sorry for the ones who put on their show finery, it rained on us and soaked down our tack. It was a big job just cleaning our plain, old English tack, I hate to think what those folks with the fancy tooled and silvered saddles and bridles went through. There was a huge grin on just about every face though, I think everybody really enjoyed the riding and playing with their horses, and the fellowship of all the other horsey folks. There was even a gentleman in his 80's, and folks the man could ride. It was awesome. I can't wait til the next big shindig!!!!!!

I picked Odie up from the trainer's yesterday and brought her home. She loaded into the trailer, no problem, but the ride home was another story. She hated it and really sweated up. Backing out of the 2 horse trailer was really a big trust issue. However, wonderful girl that she is, it only took 2 tries and we were out and into the arena where she rolled very thoroughly. This morning, loaded up no problem, got to the trail ride a little less sweated than last night, backed right out. Yee Hah, progress. We went on a 4 1/2 hr trail ride, lots of skinny trails, horse eating rabbits, really really big cows and "gasp" water to cross!!!! She wasn't crazy about the water but after very little fuss, followed her "brother" Lucky right across and after that, been there done that! What a horse. We did a lot of trotting, thank heaven she has a wonderful trot and even when one horse reared, bucked, dumped his rider and stepped on her, not one second's hesitation. Once again everyone thought I was nuts, english saddle and very very green horse, 2 months under saddle, but they don't know my little Odie-O. Everything went very well, not perfect mind you, I wouldn't like her as much as I do if she were too mellow. Then we got back to base camp, the band was playing and people were milling and then!!! The dread Porta Potty monster!!!!! Ay yi yi, why it was so scary coming back in and not on the way out I have no idea, but there it was.......Well we took our time and inched up to it, she sniffed, wrinkled up her nose, as if to say, "And I thought cows smelled bad!" Then took a nibble, decided it wasn't to eat and paid it no further heed. Tied up to the side of the trailer like she'd been doing it all her life, nibbled hay while we ate then loaded right back into the trailer and road home without any fuss at all and was not sweated when she got here. Excellent, excellent day and horse!!!! Oh and I just have to say, all the folks who rag me about riding "air heads (arabs)" got to eat their words, as their horses spooked and shied and generally acted utterly stupid and little Miss Odie sailed blithely on.... HEE HEEE