2019 Celebration Live Stream

September 17, 2019Posted inMissouri Fox Trotter
Sunday, September 1 was the first of three days of Versatility and Ranch Horse classes. Heat and Humidity (Double H) were the opponent at this show. Forget the cow, the obstacles and the gaits, Double H was the enemy. The Versatility and Ranch Horse Days were held from 9:00am until 4-5:00pm enduring the Double H. Sadly, the days were too long for me to compete. I now understand why we have few 70+ year old people riding in the long days. On the morning of the second day, I arrived…

Wretched Fantasy Team Competition

September 8, 2019Posted inEmma, Fancy
I was going to ride 30-40 miles yesterday to get points for the Fox Trot Urbane Fantasy Team competition.  But that didn’t work.  My incentive to take her to my favorite riding park and ride alone, like I did in my 40’s ...failed. There is old person fear in me.  Instead, I brought Fancy home yesterday and planned to ride her at home today. It rained overnight.  Damn. There is mud and slippery grass in pasture. I’ve never rode Fancy alone outdoors except 30 feet between arenas as I’m an…

Fancy Fun

August 24, 2019Posted inFancy
It is a very odd day not to go fast. I like fast. I love cantering. Fancy likes to go fast only when she decides. Amazingly, we just had fun weaving around obstacles and playing with body position, hindquarter yields, forequarter yields, backing and leg cues. Fast was not in our playbook today! I got a new plastic bag from the grocery store.. Why don’t I attach it to my Horsemanship stick today? I didn’t tear any holes in it and tied it only with one handle. It was big…

Core Surprise from Fancy!

August 4, 2019Posted inFancy
What the heck is this pain, my brain asked. My stomach and rib muscles started hurting last Monday. As would anyone, I immediately thought Stage 4 cancer. It couldn’t be from riding. I’ve been riding Fancy nearly every day except for about a week of horrible hot humid air. We had a clinic with Jenny and Tony Vaught on Saturday. I got two riding days before that to prepare. On that last day of riding, she didn’t argue with me when I asked her to canter. She has argued from…

First Fancy Trail Ride

July 23, 2019Posted inFancy
Fancy has been on trails with people other than myself.  However, she is not an experienced trail horse by any means.  I greatly wanted our first ride to be with the perfect trail horse, Lucky Star.  Tonight, we got our wish. Hope and I rode our wonderful horses at the scene of our many past trail ride adventures, James A Reed Park.  The Park was excited to have the two adventurers return, one with the untested horse, Fancy.  What would the story be tonight? The start! Such a beauty! Lucky Star has been dealing with…

The “J” on the Hip Spring Show 2019

July 3, 2019Posted inFancy
Day four showing had just started. Riders were doing the reining pattern. The rest of us were intently watching. "I have to identify the Junior horses", the anonymous person announced when she walked into our group, "I have to put a "J" on the hip. (Junior horses (five and under) get to be ridden with two hands with a snaffle bridle. All horses six years and older have to be ridden with one hand on the reins. This is our last year with two hands and the snaffle bit. Fancy…