All about my horses!

Monthly Archives: July 2012

His New “Lady” Friend

Lucky Star and Lady traveled together about an hour to take a Friday evening and Saturday morning group lesson with Jenny Vaught.

Lucky and Lady stayed the night in a glorious small pasture. I don’t know when the magic moment happened for Lucky Star. When morning broke in the cool light of the new day, Lucky Star made it known that Lady belonged to him.

When I rode him in the group lesson, he followed Lady without protest or balking. When we were passed by other geldings, Lucky’s body language made it clear that he did not appreciate their “nearness” to his Lady love.

If horses could growl, that is what would have happened. His body language was clear: ears flattened, a certain attitude arch in his neck and slight threatening head shake towards the offending gelding.

Lucky and Lady rode home together where Lady got out of the trailer and went home to her pasture at Pine Dell Farm.

Upset, heck yes.

This is the exact same pasture where Lucky’s best friend, aMuir, got out of the trailer and left him.

Lucky Star is in his own pasture now looking out for Goldie and Sue. The geldings next door dare not look at Lucky’s home girls!

Just published on Amazon, Susan Susan FoxTrotterFoxTrotter. It’s a book about the journey of a seasoned, curvy cowgirl.

20120802-164340.jpg

Bend Your Rear Trailer Exit

Lucky Star has his very own three horse trailer. Most times he gets to travel in this deluxe accomodation without having to share it with other horses.  (He hates that.)

Friday, Lucky will be traveling with three horses to North Kansas City group lesson for that night and Saturday morning.  We are having group lessons with Tony and Jenny Vaught at 6:30 pm Friday 7/27/12 from 6:30 to 8:30pm and Saturday, 7/28/12 from 8:00am to 10:00am

Lucky Star is going to be in the third spot in the trailer. The spot where he has to swing his rear end around to exit. There isn’t near as much room to figure out where the door is and where your rear end is from the last spot in the trailer.

Lucky has to move his hindquarters to the left and his forequarters to the right in order to unload from this spot.

It’s called a slant load trailer.  Lucky Star has to change himself from slant into straight in order to back out of the trailer.

It’s not intuitive.  We are goign to practice again tonight. We practised on Tuesday night and I had the freedom to be in the trailer with him, to tell him where to move his body.  Mostly, he refused.  It took about 5 sweaty minutes for me in each trailer unloading practice.  Lucky Star didn’t sweat.  I stood there and dripped while he thought about it.  He’s had yesterday and today to think about it some more.

I know that it’s not intuitive for a horse because I’ve had trailer stuck horses before.  I’ve never had Jenny come and rescue me on a trailer loading issue.  I have trailer unloading issues.

Thankfully, Jenny will be in attendence at the unloading. Thank Goodness!

Come and join us for the Friday eve and Sat morning group lesson!

Phone Hero

20120722-143920.jpg
My riding partner is a hero. Lucky Star and I were out on the trail. I asked him to canter. Gaited horses have a lot of different places to put their legs. Sometimes legs forget the proper rhythm leg placement for the canter.

Lucky Star is having a balance problem with me and the canter. For a few strides, we got a pace gallop. That’s a four beat gait. A canter is a three beat gait. A pace gallop is smooth, it just doesn’t feel exactly right.

Then we descend into absolutely no rhythm. Legs fly everywhere.

Life for the rider gets bouncy. Lucky Star is having a great time. He’s flying down the trail. My phone decides to fly. My phone flies out of my jeans pocket. I didn’t feel it leave my body!

Hero Hope sees the phone drop to the ground in front of her and Jazz!

Hero Hope dismounts and rescues my phone.

I can’t mount my horse from the ground. Had I dismounted to get my phone, I might have been forced to walk back to the parking lot. Weight loss is critical for my mounting problem.

We had to walk a ways before we came to a ditch so Hope could mount Jazz. Temperature was climbing. It’s a lot hotter when one walks compared to the breeze generated when riding a moving horse!

20120722-151220.jpg
Here are Lucky and I enjoying the dying sunflowers. We missed riding in a happy sunflower field this year.

We met a woman bike rider today. She looked like a normal bike rider. Our meeting was at an intersection of trail and road, so when she rode beside us, it wasn’t too close. Lucky tolerated that just fine. She spoke as she went by. Later as Hope and I were well past her, Hope told me that the bike woman was the vampire. I was riding Sage last year when a vampire woman scared us. She had dried blood on her lips then and was surly.
She looked like a human today. No dried blood. She fooled me.

Trail riding at James A Reed is always exciting!

20120722-152258.jpg
Jazz checks out the corn. There are small ears of corn on the corn stalks.

180 Lucky Star Story

He’s too cute.

Lucky Star is fun to ride.

Lucky is the last son of the great world champion stallion, Country Frank.

Lucky Star is frustrating to ride.

Lucky has the most fun personality possible.

Lucky Star has the most awesome flat foot walk and fox trotter ever!

Lucky Star and I are not ready for Versatility Events.

Lucky Star is frustrating.

When Lucky Star canters without arguing, it’s the smoothest softest lope ever.  He doesn’t speed up, just lopes along with me thinking heaven.

It’s never boring riding Lucky Star.

He’s short and my mounting and dismounting skills have improved.

Lucky Star is a diet horse. I must ride Lucky Star instead of sit in my recliner at home bored to death and eating.  Then I must write the latest Lucky Star story. This all prevents me from evil snacking.

Lucky Star is safe to ride.

Lucky Star processes things. He thinks things through and doesn’t react. A woman of my young years appreciates horses that don’t react and explode.

Lucky Star explodes into a non moving object. I still like that, even though it’s frustrating.

Lucky Star loves me. I love Lucky Star. We have a special bond.

Can you see where this is going yet?

The agreement with his wonderful owner, Teresa Osborn, was for me to ride him, show in in the Celebration and then he could be sold to the happiest new owner in the world. Lately, the “sold” word has been causing my eyes to moisten up and drip water.

Teresa has tricked me again into buying another one of her horses. The happiest new Lucky Star owner in the world has just become me.

It was me that asked Teresa if she had anything just standing around the pasture that was ridable.  I don’t see how she could have planned this.  It’s like this with all the horses that I have bought from Teresa. Sometimes I just outright volunteer to buy the horse. Sometimes she makes the slightest of suggestion and I buy the horse.  Once I bought two horses from her because I was mad at my husband.  How did she plan that?

(Tenor, Diva, breeding Sage to get Nova, indirectly Sue,  JJ the amazing stallion (shared with the Vaughts) and now Lucky.  Have I missed any?)

Lucky and I have made a 180 and reversed the course of our relationship!  I have become his owner.  I have erased the “sold” word and the tears have vanished!  Now there is this smile….

20120720-220335.jpg

Contact Teresa and see if she can trick you into getting a cute little puppy.  I also have a German Shepherd dog, Heidi, who came from Teresa. Thank you Teresa for all the joy with the dogs and horses that you have brought into my life, trick or not!

Trick Hat Horse

Some of you have seen my beautiful hat on person. All of you should have seen it in pictures. My friend, Hope, bought the hat. When it fit my head, she gave it to me

My story involves another hat. I didn’t want anyone to worry.

Lucky Star and I entered indoor arena at Pine Dell Hot. I took my hat off and we wandered around turning on the fans. We played and then wandered back to bridle. Lucky Star zeroed in on the hat. He snatched it off the ledge. I screamed. We played tug of war for a few seconds. I screamed some more. I let go and he waved the hat around. I let put a few more acceptable arena screams. He dropped the hat. Hat is in remarkable good shape.
Hmmm, I thought. I threw the hat on the ground. Lucky Star’s head dove for the hat. I got a treat out of my pocket and snapped my fingers. Snapped fingers mean TREAT! Lucky turned his head toward my hand and dropped the hat!
That is unbelievable on the first try. To get the horse to turn his head to you is the difficult part of “pick up the hat” trick and Lucky Star did it the first time.

I threw the hat on the ground about a foot away. He moved, picked up the hat and gave it to me in exchange for the “snap” treat!

I threw the hat about 4 feet away! He fetched the hat!! If you have any cowboy hats that are too ugly to wear, I need them for practice with my trick horse, Lucky Star!!

Lucky Star in a Tub

20120712-214528.jpg
Lucky Star continues to amaze. He knocked over this tub and stepped in it. All I asked is that he move forward. I thought he would go around the tub. We were standing next to the tub.
I’ve seen one or two horses that stepped in this tub. I never thought I would have a horse that willingly did this

Lucky Star is owned by Stoneridge Cavaliers Farm where puppies are awaiting new owners!

2011 World Celebration Versatility Blog

This is the 2011 blog from the World Missouri Fox Trotter Celebration.  I posted the stories as I lived them when I could.  They will go away soon this year tom ake way for the 2012 blog.  I want to keep them forever.  I am honored to have been “the versatility blogger” two years in a row!

Reflections and Stories September 14th, 2011 |

Nova has improved quite a bit over last year. This year I caught on to the need for slow and steady, quiet hands, the head position that has her gaiting the best and my communication between her and I.  Poor Jenny, my trainer, has been trying to get me to understand my role for two years.  I think it’s sunk in now.

 Tony Vaught tried to get me to understand my body’s role in the reining horse spin and the slide stop this year.  I did fairly good in the spins because Nova is so awesome.  Maybe next year I will understand my role in the slide stop.
Here’s Tony and Jenny talking about their favorite student, me! 
Just when ARE we going to get Susan to play with Cows? 

Speaking of an awesome slide stop. This is Jennifer Vaught and Big Barn’s Slinger, as perfect as any horse can get in a slide stop:  STICK THIS!

 I was glad to discover that my brain had a fine time remember the versatility patterns. They were crystal clear in my brain.  No dementia for me this year!

 I was thinking about all my fellow competitors.  Everyone who got a higher placed ribbon that me, deserved it. Well Mostly!  ha!
Here’s the three great amateur riders that “dusted me” and Nova all week. They are all terrific people and I love them greatly:

 51 Tequila’s Montana Sunrise, Robert Womack, for Robert Womack, Missoula MT
10 Jake’s Elvis J., Robynn Gabel, for Robynn Gabel, Lander WY, Jaquelynn Dahlstedt, Lander WY

11 City Girls Bud, Ricka Mathews, for Ricka Mathews, Humansville MO, Bill Mathews, Humansville MO.

 I asked Jane Zubia why she came all the way from Wyoming to the Celebration.  It was after a big long day of amatuer and open classes. She paused and quietly said, “Someone has to!”  That was a deep thought with few words.

 Our youth from Utah were heavy into it.  I had two days of writing these winning names.
42 Cloud’s Eldorado, Abbirose Buckley, for Abbirose Buckley, Mapleton UT
43 Sunrises Gold Patriot, Stephanie Harper, for Stephen’s Fox-Trotters LLC, Wallsburg UT.
Every amateur and open competitor is glad that the Youth have their own classes. Otherwise they probably would just beat the socks off  us.  I know they would beat my socks off!

 Our Open riders showed how it’s supposed to be done. The rest of us just look on in amazement when they ride

 My extended Vaught family daughters, Caitlyn Vaught won Ranch Horse Reserve World Grand Champion and Nichole Copple won the Ranch Horse and Versatility Youth World Grand Championships.  We went home a happy extended family!

 I realized that Nova is not a Showmanship kind of girl.  She’s supposed to stand still and let people gaze at her perfectly lined up, saddleless body.  Her idea of a good time is to take a forward step..or a sidestep. She’s an outgoing extrovert and she wants to move. sigh  I’ll just say this once…if you’re going to have a horse, you’re supposed to ride. Sorry, that just slipped out.

 Then I have two stories to tell.

 Robynn Gabel told me this story about Elvis, her grand horse. Back when Robynn was a beginning adult rider, she bought the wrong horse.  Many of us adult riders buy the wrong horse when we start out.

 Battles occurred and it was a nightmare. Robynn ended up having a wreck with that horse and getting badly injured. Time passed and the injury healed.  Her special husband told her he wanted her to go look at a horse.  The bitter Robynn said,”Why would I want to look at a horse?  I’m not going to ride a horse ever again.  I’ve had it!”  But, that curiosity must have peaked and she thought it amazing that her husband would do this. So she went to see the horse.  The owners did everything with that horse to show how tame he was.  They probably rode him, slipped underneath him and stood on him.  “Well fine!” Robynn said, but I’m never going to ride another horse and she stalked out.  She heard horse footsteps behind her. She turned in alarm because her own horse would have followed her and bit her.  Robynn turned. Elvis walked up to her, put his head over her shoulder and hugged her.
I’m glad to have met Elvis in the arena.  Elvis went into the Costume class too, dressed as… ELVIS!  

Elvis is retired as of the end of the Celebration.  A grateful family awarded Elvis a special plaque for his role in making children’s lives better. Robert Womack, my best friend Bob, is from far away Montanna also.  (The Montana stories are just piling up this Celebration.)  You remember Bob was voted the most fun rider in the versatility arena when he purposely knocked all the poles down…just to show us it could be done.

 So, I asked Bob why he was here.  He said that his son was supposed to come  to the Celebration and he was a smokin’ rider.  But the son was just called up for duty in Afghanistan and couldn’t come and ride in the Celebration.  So, Bob decided he would come and try to fill his son’s shoes.  Bob came and won about everything. Bob is the Versatility Amateur World Grand Champion!  He did his son proud! Tequilla’s Montana Sunrise did the Womack family proud!

 I just might be done now with the Versatility Blog.  It was an awesome week.  We had a great turn out in all the classes.  I’ll just close with a prayer of happiness for the great time I had watching my grand horse, Velvet, and Jennifer Vaught in the open Ranch Horse classes.  Oh my stars! Thank you Jenny for all the great performances at the Celebration…for they were performances. 

This is Missouri Fox Trotter ROPING! 
Rope Floats to the Cow! 
Let’s Get that little doggie to run a Figure 8! 

  

Keep up with my real life blog in the Missouri Fox Trotter Connection:
Susan’s Viewpoint Stop in and enjoy my horse life From Splat to Bridleless 

September 11th, 2011 | Author: Susan

Dawn Young of Free Rein Design made Banners to post around the grounds and at the Versatility Arena.  Not everyone that visits the Headquarters Show Ground comes down to visit the Versatility Arena, so those people that hung their banners in the versatility home did so knowing that the audience would be limited.  They put their banner in the versatility arena because of their belief in our versatility part of the fox trotter “pie”.  Part of the  cost of the banner raised money for the versatility events. 

The 4 P’s Ranch and Boss man Saddles 
Big Barn Ranch-Versatility and Competitive Trail Horses 
A most amazing wonderful Champion horse for sale-Does It All 

  

Vote Fox Trotter on America’s Favorite Trail Horse! 

OK, this wasn’t a banner, but it’s time to talk about America’s Favorite Trail horse.  We have more than one Missouri Fox Trotter that made it to the finals!  This is huge.  One vote per email address is allowed. We want everyone to vote for one of the Missouri Fox Trotters!  Here’s what I’m going to do.  I’ve got an “AOL”,  “Yahoo”  and (Google) “gmail” email adress.  I’m going to get a “ymail” address.  I’ll be looking around for other free email accounts and then I’m going to use all those accounts and vote!  I urge you to do the same.  I met J.W. Hendrix at the Versatility arena.  He is a wonderful person. 

Boss Man Saddles – Harry rides his saddles in the events and the saddles are great! 
September 10th, 2011 | Author: Susan

Let’s see…Friday was a big day!  Velvet and Jennifer Vaught won Reserve World Champion. Susan (that’s me) and Nova won two Reserve World Championships. 

 

Nova and Velvet gave the crowd their best ever performance in the Ranch Horse Pleasure and Ranch Horse Versatility classes.  That was awesome. 

Nova and I defeated the tire in 2011.  We pulled the darn heavy thing! We pulled it at a fox trot.  The tire defeated us in 2010. We got Nova’s feet messed up in the out of control long rope.  This year, I dallied the entire loose end of the rope around the saddle horse and took off fox trotting! 

 

Nova jumped the log in the Versatility Ranch class and I stayed in the saddle.  We were clipping along at a nice fast canter and sailed over the log.  I think everyone in the crowd was amazed that I was still on the top side of my horse after that jump.  And then we had to immediately slow down into a fox trot and trot over some sand embedded poles.  Nova was sort of strong on continuing our strong canter, but she obeyed at the last moment before we stepped over the first pole. 

We had to do all that and then do a mini reining pattern!  Nova and went so fast, she blew my hat off.  Luckily, I have a stampeded string.  I’ve never learned how to keep a hat on my head at any gait other than a walk. 

 

The Budweiser Horses in their three semi trucks pulled into the headquarters of the Missouri Fox Trotters and gave an earth pounding demonstration of eight beautiful horses pulling a wagon. Boy Howdy! 

 

 

 

Our great Versatility committee planned a great award ceremony where Velvet and Nova won 4th in the world in their respective events.  High Point Fourth in the world for both my great horses. Thanks to Jennifer Vaught for making this a special story to add to the journal of Velvet’s amazing life.  How that horse has enriched so many thousands of people is a whole separate story.  I don’t exaggerate. 

We ended our great time with a catered BBQ dinner. The versatility competitors, workers, volunteers and friends all sat around and ate some darned good food. We had a raffle. We poked fun at each other.  we told lies and stories. What an amazing group of people gathered together on Friday early evening to end a great time. 

September 8th, 2011 | Author: Susan

Cutting, Roping and Working Cow horse is the most exciting events in the Versatility Arena and it lived up to it’s name. We got the top horses, the top riders and the best youth in the World.  It’s a World Show and we have the best. 

I got to sit on the sidelines and cheer on the riders.  Our cutters controlled the cows.  We had some lively cows and a few that weren’t crazy about going anywhere.  It’s the luck of the draw in ranch horse events with cows. They have their own agenda and usually it’s not the same agenda as the rider. 

The winners are all announced on Twitter at MOfoxtrotter. 

Lynne Burger and Jodie Styron decided to make a food event happen.  A whole bunch of amazing food was cooked to feed horse back riders at a horse show (and the watchers).  They brought the food out, the hungry people hovered around while pictures were taken. Finally, pictures were done and thecrowd descended on the food making it disappear.  Look for the food article in the journal!  I’m excited about that.  They might try for other horse magazines and there will be fox trotters in the pictures. 

The Ava 2nd grade came to visit today and they got to see the amateur and youth cutters.  As they filed along the side of the arena, the crazy cow decided not to go along with them.  That rider g0t another ride as it was thought that the string of kids might have affected the cow’s desire to run into the pen. 

Some cows in the cutting class understand about the pen and they go down the side of the arena, maybe too easy if the rider has a great horse.  If the horse and rider are inexperienced, having a cow that understands about going to the pen is lucky.  That’s what you have in Ranch Horse Event…luck and skill. 

Tony Vaught, open rider, has won the roping class three years in a row.  That’s outstanding.  Sally Scott won the Working Cow Horse event and I bet the score sheet was close.  Suzanne Nebeker, Janet Johnson et all were great.  That’s what the crowd pays for to watch this event.  I heard one woman sitting beside me say, “I forget how much I love it down here in the Versatility Arena.  I love to sit here and watch these horses and riders. 

Lisa Petty started showing today.  I’ve watched her horse improve year after year into a formidable competitor in every event from jumping, racing and cow events.  Her horse is a fabulous cow horse.   Lisa has this horse for sale. 

The youth were great in all three events.  I don’t believe any youth roped their cow, but it wasn’t for the lack of trying.  Nichole Copple and her horse Dusty were going about a hundred miles an hour in the working cow event, trying to beat turn the cow on the run down the fence. The cow tripped at the end of the arena and fell. Dusty tripped over the cow and fell against the gate.  Nichole held on even though her leg was slammed into the gate.  Dusty got up and kept on trucking and Nichole jumped off and checked him out.  Ended up that neither Dusty nor Nichole were hurt.  Where this all happened is where a bunch of us were sitting.  SCREAM 

Waland Burger won the amateur roping and that was fun to watch. 

Jennifer Vaught rode my horse, Velvet, in the Ranch Horse events today. Velvet and Jenny were awesome and both looked like they were the horse and rider on the best professional Horse Magazine.  If any of you are reading this and want a beautiful picture, I highly recommend contacting Jenny Vaught and Velvet!  But then I’m a tad prejudiced. 

Yesterday, Harry Patterson told me that I was the most improved rider in the classes.  I immediately pronounced him to be my #1 Boyfriend.  Today was a sad day as Harry was disappointed to find I wasn’t a real cowgirl participating in the cow events.  I hate to disappoint my new #1 Boyfriend, so this coming year will be one of Susan and Nova meets the cows.  Maybe next year Harry will find out I’m a real cowgirl 

Harry rode in each event and did good.  He wasn’t up there in the winner’s circle, but it wasn’t for lack of a good try! 

Friday, I have three events!  Come and watch the Versatility Arena at 9:00am 

September 7th, 2011 | Author: Susan

Today was another fun day in the Versatility Arena.  We gpt to see our new and furture champions. We got to watch our three year olds and four year olds perform everything!    Today we had the 3 Year Old Boss Man Versatility Futurity and the Boss Man Versatility Derby (4 year olds). 

Our future is assured by all these wonderful young horses.  The results of today were posted on the official Missouri Fox Trotter Twitter account which is MOfoxtrotter.  Find that Twitter and read the results of the classes almost before they are announced.  HA! 

Janet Johnson won the Boss Man Versatlity Derby and Brent Ratlif won the 3 Year Old Boss Man Versatility Futurity.  Congrats to both and all the riders that participated. 

This day was a day of rest and emotional balance for me after the full day of showing in everything yesterday.  Thank Goodness.  Have I mentioned that every day of this horse show is like a month of living.  It’s that huge.  You never forget the experience and it makes you come back year after year. 

The Versatility area was filled with cars and golf carts today.  The stands had cheering people.  Horses and riders stood around waiting their turn.  Other horses and riders from all over the show grounds occasionally come down to visit.  We even had cows today. They all performed nicely.  

Overall it was a good good day and perfect weather continues. 

September 6th, 2011 | Author: Susan

The Versatility blogger is a tired puppy. Up at 6:30 after a fairly sleepless night, the day stampeded on. 

We had such a good turnout of amateur and open horses! Everyone is fun and pleasant to be around.
After a rocky Showmanship start with Nova (who can’t stand still)  in the morning, we did wonderful in all the riding classes.
Nova and I nailed the reining class. I had fun out there on the pattern. Some said that Nova and I looked sexy!  I surely felt sexy out there with that slow smooth canter. Boy Howdy, you have to experience something like this just once in your life!  When we came out of the arena, we got cheered.  Harry Patterson (one of my new #1 Boyfriends (in training) yelled, “That’s the Way It’s DONE!” 

Here’s Nova and I entering the “double”  box in the trail class. We had to go thru it, come back into it, turn a 270 to the right in one box and then a 360 in the other side of the box and exit. 

Double Box – Don’t touch the Poles! 

I’ll leave you with this picture-judges, great volunteers, DQP, helpers, judge and riders and horses all working together to make this a wonderful experience! 

Then Nichole and Velvet transformed themselves into a zebra and an African woman and wowed the crowd in the evening show Costume Class!!! 

 

Pictures later 

September 5th, 2011 | Author: Susan

we were treated just about everything today. The Novice classes are done. The Youth have all the Ranch Horse events on Thursday.
More open events were today. Well, just one but it was the English class with all the fancy braiding and little pieces of leather minus a horn pretending to be a saddle. 

The Youth Reining pattern was much more difficult to remember than the amateur pattern that we are riding tomorrow. I’m all in favor of young brains having to memorize more than us old folks! 

Tomorrow is the amateur and open versatility classes. I’m always glad that the open class is before mine. It helps me finally memorize the patterns! 

I met Ray Wilson today and we got caught up. I didn’t recognize him because he looks younger. We couldn’t figure out why. Maybe riding horses just makes us younger every day!  Ray is riding a beautiful palomino gelding that is for sale. Ray takes his horses everywhere and they have the correct gaits. Which leads me to a little speech on buying horses at the Celebration. You see people that you like, riding the smooth gaits. Ask those people if they have a horse for sale. There are several sales during the Celebration. There are dome been there done that horses that can put you in the show ring next Spring and the young pre-champions with proven bloodlines. Find one for yourself! 

Tomorrow night-Tuesday- is costume class. My horse Velvet will be in it with Nichole. Her sister Caitlyn is in it too. I can’t spoil the secret of the costumes! 

September 4th, 2011 | Author: Susan

I haven’t yet been able to leave the Versatility Arena today. We live it down here. Thus year we have the Youth Association B-B-Q to feed us. Yum 

The first day of Versatility has Janet Thompson and Kayley Watson winning multiple speed events. 

We have our very favorite rider now. He’s a crowd pleaser. Robert Womack is the crowd favorite. Robert was running the barrels as fast as lightning and knocked over the first couple of poles. Then he proceeded to knock over every pole, just to prove a point. And he did. The crowd cheered! Robert came right back in the Stake Race and he is the amateur World Champion! 

Karen Grady, our versatility show chair came out for the stake race. She demonstrated the pattern for us. She got a big cheer from the crowd! 

The winners from each class today are posted in Twitter MOfoxtrotter 

It was around a 100 degrees here yesterday with Missouri humidity. About 3:00, the cold front marched in. It started spitting little rain while we were having our show. Most of us got cold and we had to get jackets. It’s been so long since I’ve had a jacket on, I can barely spell the word. 

More from today later. Gotta run and watch the weanling model class. My stallion has a baby in the class! And he is cute! 

Cont.later 

September 3rd, 2011 | Author: Susan

I’m here! No Problems getting here! Old truck and ugly ttailer made it fine! I pre entered and slick and efficient office staff got me set up in seconds! 

Everyone is here! Stalls are filled with horses. Trucks and trailers pulling it every minute. Golf carts are all here too! It’s a busy place! It feels like I never left last year.
All people were out tonight riding. It was just a little too hot this afternoon. 

Thank you Craig Dansie for letting Velvet and Nova stay in your stalls
Thank you Mary Nunnley for letting me hook up to your stalls electricity. Mary’s stalls are for sale in barn 17. She has 3 stalls for sale and they are wonderful.  It’s a quiet place, the view is wonderful and the people that live in the adjoining stalls are wonderful. 

KFC is closing. I got in right before they closed. It’s difficult to blog when eating chicken! 

Youth and Open Speed events tomorrow!!
Yee Haw!!! 

My re-learning lesson from today is that when you go to take your shower at night…after a sticky hot day…be certain to take clean clothes with you!  Putting your dirty, sweaty clothes back on after a shower is not a pleasant experience. 

September 1st, 2011 | Author: Susan

I use my 3 horse trailer once a year..maybe twice.  I use it at Ava because it’s a goose-neck and has a me-sized sleeping and dressing area.  It has air conditioning.  It used to be a nice looking steel trailer, but now it’s probably one of the worst looking trailers that will be at Ava. 

I’m pretty proud of it. The rust is art-work is naturally beautiful.  The drop down windows in the horse compartment won’t stay closed, so I duct-taped them shut. The 3 slide windows still work, so the lucky horse can get plenty of air.  It’s a good thing my horse doesn’t understand how horrid her trailer looks. 

I take that back. She knows. 

I drove it down to a clinic this past spring when I needed to haul three horses.  Now, I’ve been used to hauling my nice two horse bumper pull trailer around.  It’s perfect and it still looks nice. 

When I pulled into my destination with the longer trailer, I sort of forgot that this three horse trailer was longer. The side of my trailer ran into this big steel post and sort of crushed / collapsed the front of the fender. Hay, it didn’t rip into the tire, so no fixing needed.  That post also ripped part of that rubber strip thing that goes down the side of the trailer. 

I folded up the rubber strip thing and wrapped it with a bungy cord so it wouldn’t attack cars on the road.  My husband promised that he would cut off that rubber strip, but he has forgotten.  It’s sort of ornamental. 

Nova really has never forgiven me for me running into that post.  She and I have words when I ask her to get into this trailer.  You see, she was in the trailer when we drove into the post. You can imagine the words she has for me when I asked her to get into that evil thing. 

The last thing I check before heading to Ava is the air conditioning.  I pulled the trailer up to an electrical outlet tonight and my air conditioner still works.  YAY! 

Velvet and I used to own a trailer without Rust! 

It rumbles and vibrates, so I’m thinking that there must be mud dobbers on the fan.  The weather forecast is for me to desperately need that air conditioning until Monday. 

Come on down and see my beautiful trailer.  Judge for yourself if it’s the worst looking trailer on the grounds! Vote for me! Find me on the south side of barn 18!  You will instantly know it’s my trailer. 

Hot Time at For the Horse Ranch

We had a hot time at For the Horse Ranch this past weekend! It was hot fun. We had hot horses and hot people. All these things were true, it was hot in temperature.

We started Friday and Saturday at 8:00am; paused at 12:00am; and resumed our great time at 5:30pm till dark thirty. Jenny calls this our summer schedule. On Sunday, we started early, but went straight thru the day until about 4:30. We did have collapse time out for shade tree picnic table pizza from our favorite eating place, Hannah’s Convenience Store.

Jenny rode JR on Friday and Saturday. He had a great time being the instructor horse. He loves being in the arena with all of us.

Tony rode Nova. As she gets in top physical shape, she gets more awesome to look at. Tony said that Nova is 2nd in looks to all the horses that he has ever ridden (in his life!) Wowsa!

My goal for the clinic was cantering and backing.

The first afternoon, Lucky and I were teamed up with Paul and Stefany riding Tenor and Sonny. Tenor and Sunny; Paul and Stefany are all from Florida! I used to own Tenor. I bought him when he was one day old! It’s so great to see what that little horse I used to own has turned out to be. I love riding with Paul and Stefany.

As we were in the meadow sorting out what we were going to do, two riders came out of the forest and Lucky Star did an amazing move. He spooked. His feet left the ground. Half my body was thrown out of the saddle to the right. I couldn’t believe I was going to start the first day of the clinic with a splat on the ground. Lucky Star decided to get my body lurched back the other way and prevented me from falling. He got my body back into the saddle for a split second. But, he misjudged slightly and half my body lurched out of the saddle to the left. By this time I determined not to fall. I thought if my body could recover from the lurch to the right, surely I could stay with him in the left lurch. And I did! This was the first time that Lucky Star’s four feet left the ground at the same time. Lucky Star had his first four legged spook since I started riding him in March!

We played follow the leader around the meadow and the forest trail. We all got to run across the meadow.

  • Lucky cantered smoothly.
  • Lucky’s legs went into every leg doing something different canter and I moan outloud.
  • Lucky Star went into an unbelievable slow lope. Oh I was a happy rider that run across the meadow.
  • Sonny had a few moments of that different canter when I was following Paul. It was fun to Sonny’s legs go every which way. Paul calls it the “melt-down” gait.

Lucky Star personality dictates that he just stay in the same gait. His spirit prevents him from being that horse that starts cantering and then wants to speed up into a gallop. I love horses that just maintain the same canter speed, especially out in the wide open.

Occasionally Lucky Star got to be the leader of the group and put in his vote not to lead. So, we backed down the canter hill. You can lead in more ways than to go forward! Other times we turned around and tried to fool Stefany and Paul by walking forward to them. Try to follow a horse walking towards you!

On Saturday morning, Lucky Star and I had a driving and backing ground exercise. I got to learn, again, how to handle 25′ driving reins. We learned how to stop and back. Lucky Star and I will be doing our driving game during our future ground work sessions.

Saturday morning we spent having more fun in the meadow. This time we were to ride side by side. One horse and rider got to choose what to do while the other horse and rider matched. Lucky Star and I were matched with Paul and Sonny. We went zipping across the meadow side by side. Oh we were a sight. Sonny is around 15.3 hands and Lucky Star is around 14.3 hands.

Saturday evening we were matched with Stefany and Sno on Tenor and Gunner. There was one time when we all cantered lengthwise of the big meadow side by side. Oh that was a powerful moment! We had some great rides, all horses side by side. Occasionally Lucky would not want to move forward until Gunner and Tenor led the way and then he couldn’t stand being a sticky-foot horse and off we went with our three horse herd.

I got to watch Karen ride Outlaw for the first time on Friday. They were fun to watch as they measured up who was going to be the leader and who wasn’t. Karen won on Friday and she won again bigger on Saturday. Outlaw has such a fun personality. He likes to play and he is darned cute. Outlaw is for sale and has been in training with Tony and Jenny since December. Outlaw is a Missouri Fox Trotter.

Sunday morning, Lucky Star and I zipped around the arena stopping here and there, doing hindquarter turns into the rail, backing and then zipping off again. We rested a lot too. During the last part of the Sunday morning ride is when Lucky Star decided to stop all forward progress. We argued quite a bit. Lucky Star had enough zipping around. I managed to quit on a good forward note. I was so hot that I decided to take off the saddle down in the arena and let Lucky Star loose in the large pasture right then. I didn’t think I could manage to walk Lucky Star up the hill, take off the saddle, put it in the trailer and then lead Lucky Star to his pasture. That was just too much for me to think about doing. Lucky Star got to go to the pond and get him a drink right then.

While we humans were recovering and eating pizza, the exhausted Lucky Star was seen running up the hill into the forest seeking the other horses. We decided that he wasn’t all that tired.

Sunday afternoon, I got to watch meadow play. Tony rode Powder and they were awesome. I drug my chair out to the meadow and found a nice patch of shade. Jenny rode Caitlyn’s horse, Attu. When we went back to the arena, Caitlyn had Ariel carry my chair for me. What a nice horse she is.

Karen got to ride her horse Lilly in the arena. They had a great ride. Karen got off and we had Jenny take her for a spin around the arena while we took pictures and movie clips. Lilly is for sale and also has been in training with Tony and Jenny since December. Lilly is a Missouri Fox Trotter.

Call Jenny and ask about coming to see Outlaw and Lilly and making either one of them your partner in fun with horses! 417-399-4146.

Lucky Star took a nap in the meadow starting when we had our pizza lunch. I looked at him now and then while we were eating and he never moved. He continued the nap while we were out in the meadow with him. He didn’t move with all the horses zipping around here and there. He continued his nap when we all went back to the arena. He didn’t move all Sunday afternoon. There were no horses around him. He was the sole horse in the meadow and it didn’t bother him a bit. I went out to visit him late Sunday afternoon. He woke up and followed me back to the viewing stand where he tried to play with all the humans sitting in the stand. He poked his head everywhere and occasionally tried to eat the wood stand. He’s a playful horse that loves people!

When we were done on Sunday afternoon around 4:30, I felt like my head had melted into my body. Earlier, Lucky Star had communicated to me in our mind reading mode that it was too hot for him to ride in the trailer back home. Instead, Lucky elected to stay and have a week of impulsion training with the crew at For the Horse Ranch.

We welcome Whitney to our group. She and Rocky made outstanding progress. I believe this is Whitney’s first horse and Rocky has some built-in emotional ex barrel horse issues.

We also welcomed Sharon to our group. Sharon learned how to play all the ground games on Friday and Saturday.

It took quite a while for my truck air conditioner to make me feel good again on the Sunday drive home I think by the time I made it to Clinton (about an hour), my body temperature had cooled down.

It stayed in the 90+ temperature every single day and we still had an incredible time at Horse Camp!

20120702-200850.jpg

20120702-201003.jpg

20120702-201038.jpg

20120703-215254.jpg

20120703-232023.jpg

Archives