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…

Forty Degree Temperature Change – Winter to Instant Summer

March 20, 2022Posted inFancy, Flying Change
Fancy ride in another 40 degree temperature change day..from 30’s to 75 degrees. My first goal was passenger riding faster than a walk for ten minutes.  We did five minutes before she froze in place when the pigs made noises.  She did stay out on the rail at the very last two minutes before she froze in concern at little piglet noise from their pen just outside the arena. Note:  Passenger Riding means human stays on the horse and horse decides where to go in the arena.  Horse always starts…

4.8 Mile Solo Trail Ride

March 6, 2022Posted inFancy
A horse in my past life evidentially made me afraid to ride outside of an arena.  I’ve conquered that fear down to “ride outside with other people”.  I first became aware of my new found freedom from outdoor fear last month when I rode Fancy around the neighbor’s property.  The realization of what I had done had not "hit me" until later in the afternoon. On this day, I agreed to ride at a nearby park with other people, good solid people who are safe to ride with.  I arrived…

Best Bridleless Ride

March 1, 2022Posted inFancy, Flying Change
  Look at that front leg reach,swish of the trail…perfect foxtrot! We started with a bridle and did the gaits, leg yields and a repeat of yesterday’s reining pattern, but slow motion at a flat foot walk. I took off the bridle.  We practiced doing leg yields without reins.  I’m remembering Velvet now.  Velvet and I did leg yields bridleless, in one direction with it being difficult the other direction. Ah, the memories… When we were resting, I remembered sidepassing.  We experimented with bridleless sidepassing. I had a neck rope…