All about my horses!

Monthly Archives: July 2008

Sue – How Do You Do Fluidity?

FLUIDITY CLINIC- The last time I rode Sue in an indoor clinic, I was overcome by emotional non-fitness by noon and had to quit.

This indoor arena clinic was full of horses and Sue and I rode two days.  What a difference.

The first day when we first started riding, Tony told me I didn’t look fully relaxed.  I thought I hid it well, but there it was…tension.  We can’t have tension in a Fluidity Clinic!

So, I started to whistle without sound.  Amazing how whistling, even when you don’t produce noise will make you relax.  You purse your lips, blow air out and your body relaxes…like automatic.

I whistled (soundlessly) until I didn’t need to anymore. No one noticed I looked weird -pursing my lips, looking like a fish mouth. 

Sue didn’t spook while I was riding her.  What she did do, was refuse to go thru spots where she had to be too close to other horses.  She is claustrophobic in tight spots.

She would pass horses just fine unless two or more horses were close together. Then we just came to a halt and our feet stuck into the arena sand. 

The bigger horse had a bigger bubble.  We had a draft cross in the class and it took more room for Sue to be able to get around that horse!

Sue and I played the squeeze game (with the other horses) for two days.

Seven year old Caitlyn got permission from her father to ride Sue at the end of the first day.  Caitlyn rode in half the arena…all the participant horses were gathered up in the other half.  Caitlyn got Sue to canter.  I cheered!

At the end of the 2nd day, Caitlyn got to ride Sue again.  This time as she rode past where her little brother was playing out of the arena in the sand…well.  Little brother threw something up as they went past and Sue leaped sideways to get away.  Caitlyn told me she came within a hair of falling off.  whew!  I’m glad it wasn’t me riding and I’m glad I didn’t see it.

Sue – How Do You Do with Crinkle-Crunch?

Remember the water bottle crinkle-crunch noise that scared Sue?  It occured to me today, that I’ve not really taken care of that.

This coming weekend, Sue and I will be participating in a trail ride clinic.  It will be very hot.  I will need water.  In the afternoon, I’ll be out in the middle of 500 acres on a trail ride.  I will need water.

I have Thursday nite and Saturday morning to fix things so I can take a water bottle out of the saddle bag and drink it.  If I don’t drink the water, I’ll die.  If I don’t get Sue’s fear of the crinkle-crunch abated,  well….

Let’s not think of me lying in a hospital bed somewhere in southern Misourri with fluids running into my dehydrated body.

I’m a woman on a mission to eliminate crinkle-crunch fear!

Sue – How Do You Do – Announcing a Scary Goal

Two years and four months of emotional fitness.

 “My personal craven coward to hero journey”,

Employing the practical purpose of natural horsemanship

Using high level friendly games, bonding and leadership-with a “ruined” right brain introvert

It is my thrill to announce:

I will be showing Sue at the Fox Trotter All Breed Horse Show at Longview Horse Park on 8/9/08. 

  • Riding from the trailer into the arena,
  • Riding back to the trailer
  • Long awaited goals!

Occasionally, Sue and I will even be performing the gait as directed by the judge!

If you are there, please cheer me on.  Ahem.. You can even clap if you “stand back” from the fence as we sail by!  We’re not totally immune yet to arm movements!

Thank you to all the people that have helped Sue and I in this journey.  A special thanks to Tony, and Jenny Vaught and Nichole Copple for the role they played in the rehabilitation of  Sue (and me too).

“Bring ’em in at the Fox Trot”

Sue -How Do You Do at Keeping Up with a Saddlebred?

We rode tonight with a saddlebred show horse.  Yep  We had a great time with Katie and Feather.

We rode.  One of us rested while the other rode.  We thought it might be good if Sue and I rested while Feather cantered.

It was hot and rest periods were essential

Katie hasn’t seen Sue and I together for a while and she could tell the difference in my tension..none.  We marveled over how different Sue and I both look..and it a fairly short time period.

I told Katie that Sue was was getting too close.  Katie was shocked.  She decided to run off from us.  She told Feather to speed up into his fast trot.  She looked back and we were right on her rear…like a tail gaiting car.  Only it was Sue trying to gait right into Feather’s tail.

Sue and I fox trotted.  We broke into a nice banging hard trot.  At the same spot in the arena..an open spot where something caught her eye..we dropped into the pace.  I had to slow her down when we paced and fix it.  We fixed the pace, slightly cut a couple of corners and we were back tail-gaiting Feather again.

We kept that up for quite a while.  I don’t think I’ve ever rode Sue at speeds like that for more than a half length down the larger arena.  Wowsa!

Eventually, our fox trot smoothed out and we were still going at break neck speed.

Good Golly Ms Molly!  We are going to do more of that!

Bring on the Saddlebreds!

Sue – How Do You DO with Crunchy-Crinkle Saddlebag

It’s hot in Missouri..hot and humid in the summer.  One needs water on trail rides.  I slung the saddle horn bags over the horn with a few bottles of water on each side.  Off we went.

We were zipping along pretty darn good when my arm brushed the saddle bag and made the plastic water bottle make that crunch-crinkle noise.

Zowie!  That’s a “startle” noise to Sue.  Sue used to startle into a spook when I took my glasses off. They just made a tiny bit of noise.  A plastic water bottle “crunch-crinkle” noise is about 150 times worse.

Well, way cool.  I was able to stay relaxed.  Then I was able to emotionally prepare myself to remain calm, and I touched the saddlebag with my arm and purposefully made the crunch-crinkle noise happen.  We did some zipping and I  didn’t clutch.  It felt great.

When I dismounted,  I made the water bottles crunch-crinkle a bunch bunch of times.  Then I got out the bottle and used it for a grooming tool… Crunch-crinkle and wipe the sweat off.

I’ve not revisted that subject.  Hmmm

Archives