Fancy Lost Her Domination and Slid into #3 Dominate Horse

August 24, 2022Posted inFancy, Sonny, Tenor
 When Tenor arrived there was heated exchange between Sonny and Tenor.  Fancy also played a big role in the domination battle.  Tenor has ended up with a few teeth marks on his back, I believe most are from Fancy.  Sonny is so powerful, he snarls and runs at the new horse and instantly wins. The horses tell me where they are in the domination determination by the stalls they inhabit at feed time.  Sonny is always #1.  Fancy has been #2 as was she was at morning’s feed time. The…

Nathan Granner- Movie Star – Susan Engle’s son

August 19, 2022Posted inNathan Granner
Usually the story is about the usher, but you will all be astounded at the Usher Mom story. Some of you know my son, long time Kansas City resident Opera singer Nathan Granner.  He was the artistic director of the first non Kauffman Center resident production about composer Virgil Thomson’s music sung by a variety of Kansas City  produced by an Atlanta PBS station.  (The production was never aired.) Being the mom of the artistic director and singer, I got a backstage pass and sat in the green room during…

Tenor Receipt Day

August 18, 2022Posted inDelta, Fancy, Horsemanship, Jennifer Vaught, Sonny, Tenor
Today, Tenor came from Florida and returned to me. Long, long ago, I gave young Tenor to Kevin from Florida when his horse, Delta, became allergic to Florida. Tenor was old enough to "start." I bought Tenor as a weanling and took him to Jenny and Tony "Parelli" colt starts and young horse clinics as he developed. Tenor is a left-brain horse, exceedingly friendly, always begging for attention. Kevin revisited Missouri with his horse trailer. He successfully rode Tenor and soon took him back to Florida. It was a happy…

Sonny D. BILLION Dollar Horse

August 11, 2022Posted inFancy, Sonny
This is about my new “rescue” fox trotter, Sonny D.  I’ve known Sonny almost forever. He is 23 and has been long employed as a lesson horse for Tony and Jenny Vaught in Florida. This past year he became allergic to Florida. His hair on his inside front legs was ripped off with long sores from his hooves to his knees. His chest had many little bumps. In despair, Jenny asked the vet, “What can we do”? The vet replied, “Get him out of Florida”. Since moving to Missouri, the…

Sonny D. and Sharon

July 31, 2022Posted inFancy, Sonny
Sonny is my new Missouri Fox Trotter horse from Florida.  He became allergic to Florida and the only cure was to get him out of Florida.  He has been a lesson horse for Tony and Jenny Vaught for many years.  He has led a great life and it will continue in Missouri.  He is in his 20’s. We had the big Sharon and Sonny test today and Sonny aced it. We did our round pen warmup, rode my pasture and then went out to the real world. I coached Sharon…

Fancy Returns Home

June 2, 2022Posted inFancy
Fancy spent over a month in training with Erin Patterson while my husband was in hospital and nursing home.  Fancy expected a vacation homecoming.  Susan expected and got a compliant smooth gaited horse with great cantering, great stops, great leg yields etc.  Thank you Erin! Fancy suffered today from too much riding.  Instead of a home vacation, she was ridden. She wants a phone so she can call horse abuse hot line. I rode in an indoor arena, no fan. It was hot and stuffy in there. I rode outside…