next thing i've heard.....  it cost the british people about $1.50 per person to maintain all the  very fancy guards/horses/carriages and ... goat...

 that's a bargain !!  i would have guessed more...

now it is about dog training.......

Boy have we a lesson to learn from someone -----I have just come back from going with Janine to have that big bud's mother   rosie. off in the early morning exercise of myopia----- where there were about 20 riders and 30 hounds.. Those hounds were perfectly behaved gathered right around the person who was managing them and throwing out tiny pieces of cookies 

if there were 30 hounds there were probably 15 males not neutered and 15 females not spayed and he had control over every one of them they wouldn't dream of starting a fight...  they were actually so sure of themselves that as I sat there in my car with jimney and larkey------ larkey considered barking at them and when he saw how many there were he pulled his head back in and laid down. good choice.----- but we need to talk to that man he's done a wonderful job with those myopia hounds..although I can do it with four I cannot do it with five to 30---- my hat is off to him..

 i am very serious about maybe lynn and i talking with him.... he has some secrets i do not know...  i also see that the hounds love him... and his cookies...  i do have a picture.... on my phone..... need i say more???

the rest of that story is.........

 janine was buying "questionable horses" at the slaughter pens in penna... and then riding them herself. to see what she had bought.... she is getting older/or/ more sensible.....and was  wanting to take  fewer chances... so. a story.......

apparently Meredith farms.  which is a beautiful place in topsfield meticulously groomed which has accepted Janine’s  collection of animals out of the slaughter pens for her  to rehabilitate in their 700 beautiful  acres. Meredith farms claim to fame---- at the moment is -----they are redoing the miles of beautiful fieldstone walls.   apparently 3 stone  wall makers from? Brazil have been working on these for about three years now,,, and last year as Janine Bought a horse and a mule of rather dubious background.  both had been used to plow the fields of the Amish country but probably neither one had been ridden.. and she decided to ride them......   Janine  is a pretty good rider and endeavored to get those two actually trained to ride and did quite well...  but in the process one of the men building the stone walls told her but he had a son   Wallace  who could ride and maybe she would like to have him ride these rank beasts instead of having her do it as she's getting old (At least 55.. )  ---- she opted to try him out on her horses... only to find he is actually a bull rider.. the roughest of rough riding.....  and pretty much can ride absolutely anything in any situation without falling off.. yet...   so he preceded to ride these horses for her and that has evolved  to ----as of today----,   WALLACE met us at Meredith farm all dressed in the proper hunt outfit of..... black coAT and tan pants.  ... with black boots polished. all set to ride. Rosie. with the very exclusive myopia hunt club.. in one of their early morning. “work the hounds episodes” –and it was janine’s  turn to saddle and brush rosie as teh "groom".  while he stood back not wanting to get dusty....

 

Wallace reported that rosie was a little hesitant about being  stopped or turned, but maybe one more “ride” and janine could take over.  The ultimate goal is to produce a huge horse that. ---- “ has been hunted in a snaffle by a lady” the snaffle is a very mild bit.. and the lady would be Janine...... At which point they are worth more than I ever would have believed possible. Hunt people up and down the east coast seem to buy such horses from Ireland ,,,,,Janine is side  stepping the  horrendous cost of flying  them over , by buying  big horses being retired from farming.   These ex-plow horses are having a wonderful life wondering why they only have someone sitting on them,,, with nothing to pull.  That “Rosie” is one good looking horse....and huge.... now if they can teach her to stop and steer her sale might keep the rest of ern( equine  rescue network) in operation of saving more......i.e. paying for the hay to.... save more.

so wallace has gone from a $10 an hour uber driver -- to a very accomplished wild horse trainer..... i have seen him take on some very "athletic" horses.  he  stays on....so far...   there is an expression in the horse world..." that horse needs another 30 days".  well....  wallace seems to turn some around in 4 days......  so that janine or someone else... can then  do the next 26 days teaching them to steer and jump.....  or do dressage ( remember betsy and the first place dressage winner??  is a  janine's mule.. unheard of !!!)

 

so now she can buy  any good looking horse and have wallace have a go at it....

"has hunted... in a snaffle.... by a lady".  that is how the advertisement will read.....  that rosie is one beautiful horse.... 18 hands tall... and she is very nice too....

 

fyi of the day.....  a "hand " is 4 inches.  typical horses are things like 15.2 hands. ( 62 inches at the withers/shoulders) 

a "pony" is less than 14.2...

  

Last night at mail call ... we had “matt-fest”. For matts birthday....  he had a great time.. said he never h ad so many cards and presents... from beef jerky to a beautiful Stetson hat... our CP family came thru !