Nova’s Notebook – First Clinic!

July 16, 2005Posted inNOVA
Nova and I attended a clinic called Young Horse Development. Both Jenny and Tony Vaught were the clinicians. The clinic could be called Extreme Desensitizing & Bonding! Before a horse is ready to ride, can you: Bounce an exercise ball on horse's back? (Tony told us that he doesn't start riding a young horse until he can bounce a ball off the horse!) Play goal as you and a friend roll a big exercise ball back and forth between the horse's legs? Have your horse carry two tied-together garbage bags filled with…

JR’s Journal – JR went to Level 3 Clinic with Linda Parelli

February 17, 2005Posted inJR
    Rosa wanted to attend a Level 3 clinic with Linda Parelli and Rosa doesn't have a horse.  I let her borrow JR.  That means that JR got to be in a L3 clinic with Linda and I didn't. sigh... Rosa came up to Pine Dell to bring JR home and she came up again this weekend to ride with Jenny. She told me that JR did great in the level 3 clinic with Linda Parelli.  She said that Linda Parelli yelled at her several times across the way…

SADDLE FITTING CLINIC

January 22, 2005Posted inMiscellaneous
Ten miracles happened today at Pine Dell farm in freezing weather. Why did 10 people venture out of their warm houses to attend a 3 hour clinic with the temperature around 15 degrees?  Because most of us are just nuts! Our 3 hour Savvy Day lesson was about saddle positioning with shims. First we rode our horses and evaluated how they were going. Then we trooped inside to the warm lounge. We looked at a couple of saddles inside the heated lounge sitting on a barrel. Jenny told us how…

Sage Brings Happiness

January 13, 2005Posted inSage
 In a soap opera story, Sage is now leased to a very nice woman at Pine Dell.  Sage's new mom has two twin 16 year old daughters with horses at Pine Dell.  They work very hard for their horse's cost.  They clean stalls, feed, water and now they have been promoted to riding instructors under supervision.  They take Monday night group lessons from Jenny and I ride in that lesson too. They are the best!  Mom has faithfully come to all their lessons.  She works at Pine Dell in the summer to…

Nova’s Notebook – Wretched Baby Horse!

January 8, 2005Posted inNOVA
 I guess it had to happen.  I've been very careful.  When amoung horses that are eating, I watch out.  When taking horses into or out of the pasture with lots of other horses, I've been very careful.  I've been careful riding with other riders too.  I've seen some people get kicked by other rider's horses.  I try and not get my leg in that position.  Careful, though I was, I got kicked today.   I was among my own herd.  They were all eating hay peacefully.  Everyone had their own…

JR’s Journal – 2005 Update of the Past and Present

January 4, 2005Posted inJR
  JR is out of Jack's Sensation and Bob Blackwoods demonstration mare...Yankee bloodlines.  I bought him when he was three days old.  I saw him fox trot. The Yankee side of him is very athletic and can do flying lead changes.  I needed a very athletic horse.  I doubted Velvet would make it through the lead change tasks of level 3 and JR was to be the backup L3 horse.   JR was supposed to be about a 15H horse, but he turned into a 15.3 hand horse.  Jenny started…