Tractor Tire

This morning one of the big tractor tires were completely flat. Too flat to back the tractor up to get the bale spear off so bales could be moved with the skid steer. Mark made a call to East Peoria Tire and they sent someone right out to fix it. Diane and I spent the day at the Berean office where we were swamped with mail but had enough hard working volunteers to finish by 2:00 pm. If you would like to read about our day there click HERE. We got the Bibles dropped off at the Bartonville post office then arrived home around 2:45 pm just as Rhoda was pulling away. She was here to ride and ride she did. She worked Evan and Oksana then took Eliza on the trails ponying Ayanna and Indy. She made the comment those pregnant mares are HUGE! I was sorry to have missed seeing her work them.
Karin arrived right after that and came to the house to get the hose to water the arena. By the time I changed, got a few things done around the house and headed up to the barn she was working her second mare of the afternoon. She had already worked Jenis and was riding Zalena when I arrived.

 Above Karin is working Zalena and below she is working Anna. She is very pleased with Anna, she is learning to carry herself correctly and her trot is open and free. I guess it helps that she is not pregnant.

 A funny story about the horse below. Karin brought out this mare, I looked at the belly and made a comment that Ayanna is huge. As Karin was riding she made the comment that for some reason Ayanna is easy to ride today. She finished with her, went over to the dark corner where the mares were eating off a bale, pulled the next mare out which she assumed was Indy except when she got her up to the horse that was wearing the saddle we both about the same time exclaimed, "that is INDY!" She had been riding Indy thinking it was Ayanna and then brought Ayanna up for the next ride thinking she was Indy.

 They really don't look that much alike it is just they are both so heavy in foal. These mares are the same age and are both Raven daughters, both of them are very tall and of course huge. Anyone could have made this mistake right?

 As Karin works each mare she does a lot of bending then side passes. The mares are learning to move off the leg at the slightest pressure. Karin did confess to being a bit sore today. It isn't easy working 6-8 horses a day.

 Mark has a fire burning in the wood burner and it is just too tempting to lay in front of that glowing heat source while reading an entertaining suspense story.