Posts by Susan

Two Fancy stories from the wonderful Gaited Horse clinic with Tony and Jenny Vaught 1.  Fancy has been to this arena several times , the last as recently as two days ago.  That was a good day. I had to persuade her to move up into the flat foot walk and fox trot. Was she tired? Today there were about 12-15 equines in the arena.  When I got on her, she got into a high energy mode.  Twenty minutes of figure eights and small circles did not slow down her…

How did I get so lucky? I’m in an overwhelmed thankful mindset existing with rain hatred. I had a lesson today with Erin Patterson. This was perfect timing. Fancy and I have just “jelled” together. Now is the time for Erin to explain to me how/when to get Fancy into consistent gait. Fancy loves to speed up. Erin coached me through how to not speed up. Timing on my part was critical. “Feel” is critical...feel of the horse and feel on the reins. Twenty plus years of experience under Tony…

Jumping Fancy Jump online.  If she did go over poles, she walked over them, hit the poles and mangled the pole and pole supports.After a year she jumps the pole without hitting it with her feet.  She just recently cantered over the pole about 1 -2 feet.  Last year we tried to jump over small barrels.  Slide stop.This year we switched to plastic support and pole up about six inches.Many online attempts with her feet hitting the pole and mangling the support blocks.Riding- we walked over the pole, often hitting…

High 5 Ride Firstly, we had a great ground game. Fancy backed to the end of the 22’ rope. Backing is Fancy’s least favorite game. Fancy used her front feet to turn a 360 degree circle. Fancy is not a fan of turning her front end. Fancy and I sidepassed down the wall 22’ apart. Oh it was a glorious time for the human partner to win. Fancy also cantered on the 22’ rope jumping an obstacle. She did slow down to a trot when jumping. I set up my…

Yesterday afternoon I decided bareback riding was just a waste of my time since I wasn’t good enough to ride faster than a walk without loosing my balance.. I took the 25 year old bareback pad home. That night I watched an old Savvy Club DVD segment  where Linda  Parelli explained much about balanced riding and human stiffness.  Savvy Club The Warmblood horse she was riding then had a huge trot that she couldn’t “sit”.  Pat told her to ride bareback an hour a week. Being Linda, she rode 10…

Argue - Pin ears, hollow out her back, front knees brace - resulting in lateral gait.  We don't like a lateral gait.  It feels off balance. It makes the rider grumpy.   Fancy is insulted at something.  She doesn't like leg pressure on her body.  Susan forgets that. Fancy goes faster at the lateral gait.  We have no slow down cue in the beginning bracy ride. At exactly the same spot on the wall of the arena, Fancy throws her shoulder to the inside.  Her head is pointed at the wall and her…