The Himstedt Homestead: May 2013

May went by in such a blur. It's always my busiest month. Trying to wrap up school with the kids while getting camp cranked up equals craziness. I always host and instruct a horseback riding instructor certification clinic before camp starts, so it takes some work to get the barn in ready. The horses are always sadly out of shape before the clinic, as they are basically pasture potatoes all winter long. They do at least get a good grooming so they won't totally look like orphans when folks arrive to participate in the clinic.That means a couple of Saturdays and late evenings at the barn knocking the dust off of saddles and bridles, wiping down helmets, getting the cobwebs out of the barn, and detangling manes and tails. It's something I absolutely love doing, but it can become stressful with so much else going on during that time. I was also planning some staff training sessions, as our general staff training week started the week after the clinic ended.

School finished in such a blur that I didn't even take time to get an end of the school year photo of the kids. I love to end the school year with a field trip but that didn't happen this time either. I did finish out lessons with my riding lesson students the week before the clinic.

Shannon decided to ride Star this day, along with Bryanna on Teddy. I like getting pictures of the biggest and smallest critters at the barn together.

Maggie, Sara, and Amelia's last lesson included some grooming, since it was something the horses desperately needed before the clinic anyway. Most girls like this part nearly as well as riding anyway.

These photos are a bit random, but I did manage to snap two before the camera battery died. The day before my horse clinic began we went to spend part of the day with the Davidsons and Wilkinsons who were camping at Vogel. James rode his bike over the mountain and met us there. He sat in the frigid water for a few minutes to cool down his muscles...and everything else. Dang, that's some cold water.

Here they are scattering popcorn around the Davidsons camper, under the guise of eating it..

May 12 was Mothers' Day and I got some really sweet cards from four little people and one big one. I took the afternoon and attempted to pick up a horse I was borrowing for my clinic. A couple of participants were looking to certify at a higher level than the usual Level One or Two I usually offer at clinics, so I needed a spiffier horse that could jump well and perform more demanding movements than my camp horses. (Mine are basically your starter model. Safe, reliable, but also a bit older with less maneuverability than a younger, more consistently trained version!) So, an acquaintance was going to let me borrow her show horse. The list of special things he needed was astronomical, such as "Only saddle him in the stall, but don't tie him." "When you put someone on board, leg them up, don't mount using the stirrup." "Never tie him to anything." "Cinch up his girth slowly, one hole at a time." I was getting suspicious, plus this guy was 17 hands tall, which is HUGE. When he began to act the fool near the trailer and refuse to get on, I was having second thoughts. Then he got downright dangerous, charging toward us. So I said no thanks and left, a bit sad that I had spent my entire Mothers' Day afternoon trying to borrow a horse I thought might hurt me or others in the clinic.

Then there's the rest of the story: She ended up sending him to a trainer because his bad behavior was getting worse and worse, and he ended up trapping her in a stall and she had to climb out over the top to escape. A cowboy/trainer she knew tied him to a wall especially made for the purpose of teaching a horse that doesn't tie well to learn to stand tied up. This horse repeatedly charged the wall and banged his head so violently the trainer couldn't get near enough to untie him. He lassoed his feet to get him on the ground and untied him. The horse got up, wobbled, then fell over dead from head trauma. This was weeks after I tried to pick him up. PRAISE THE LORD that crazy horse didn't load on that trailer!! If someone ever lets you borrow a horse, don't do it unless you already know the animal well. That advice was free.

The next day my mom drove my co-instructor up to camp from the airport. She was from a camp in the middle-of-nowhere, 9,000 feet in elevation Colorado mountains. Her name is Becki, and she is wonderful. The clinic was May 13-17, and there were 12 participants from various camps, including the three new ones from our camp. It's a great way for me to really see the skills my folks have (which was a bit of a worry for me this year, considering they were all new), and it's helpful to other camps because they have a place to send their riding staff to get a certification. It's also fun, because a horse person like me enjoys hanging out with other horse folks for several days. Mom came up to stay with the kids, which is always a huge help. I couldn't do it without her to keep them busy while I'm gone 12 hours a day during the clinic.

Here's Becki, who runs a large riding program at her camp. Lucky lady gets to trail ride those beautiful Colorado mountains all the time.

Participants teach mock lessons and are evaluated by us, the instructors. They also take written exams, and guide a trail ride. It's a great week of learning and is so much fun!

This is Ann, who has been coming to clinics with her riding staff from Camp Westminster for four years. I am blessed to now have her teaching riding lessons here at Strong Rock during the off season!

Emily, one of my gals.

Games on horseback are great. There's no better way to learn new ones than by playing them yourself.

I got to play a little too.

This is an interesting perspective.

I tried to feed Niner a cheese cracker and here's what he thought of it.

We had some classroom time as well. Here's what that looks like at the end of a long, hot day in the riding arena.

The entire 2013 CCHI clinic gang.

Mom headed back to the airport with Becki after the clinic ended on Thursday, and Saturday I packed up and headed to McDonough with the kids to visit family one last time before getting planted at camp for the summer. On the way was a horse show, which my young buddy Kelsey took our camp horse Kiefer to. I watched a few minutes, took a few pictures, then drove south.

We stayed in McDonough until Wednesday. One of the things we did while there surprise Nanny at church, then take her out to eat for her 87th birthday.

Love this lady!

Love this one too!

Happy birthday, Ole!

It was a nice visit and we got to see most everyone on the Adams and Davis sides of the family. It was also a nice mental break before the start of staff training on May 22.

The kids participated in a musical at church, The Star Factor.

Just before the show started awards were given out for Awana.

Here's the choir.

Maggie D. and several other friends had lead roles.

Amelia was part of a dance.

She also had a solo.

Ta da!

The kids with their Awana awards.

And to end the post, a few random ones.

This is the first of many teeth Avery lost over the summer. By September he looked like a Jack-O-Lantern.

Here's the drum set we got right before camp started. Shannon had expressed the most interest in getting one but they've all had fun with it.

Here are a few of James and Hugs (Priscilla) teaching a mock archery class for the benefit of our staff during staff training week. We recruited several friends' kids for the event.