Sue – How Do You Do with Crinkle-Crunch?

Remember the water bottle crinkle-crunch noise that scared Sue?  It occured to me today, that I've not really taken care of that. This coming weekend, Sue and I will be participating in a trail ride clinic.  It will be very hot.  I will need water.  In the afternoon, I'll be out in the middle of 500 acres on a trail ride.  I will need water. I have Thursday nite and Saturday morning to fix things so I can take a water bottle out of the saddle bag and drink it.  If I don't…

Sue – How Do You Do – Announcing a Scary Goal

Two years and four months of emotional fitness.  "My personal craven coward to hero journey", Employing the practical purpose of natural horsemanship Using high level friendly games, bonding and leadership-with a "ruined" right brain introvert It is my thrill to announce: I will be showing Sue at the Fox Trotter All Breed Horse Show at Longview Horse Park on 8/9/08.  Riding from the trailer into the arena, Riding back to the trailer Long awaited goals! Occasionally, Sue and I will even be performing the gait as directed by the judge! If you…

Sue -How Do You Do at Keeping Up with a Saddlebred?

We rode tonight with a saddlebred show horse.  Yep  We had a great time with Katie and Feather. We rode.  One of us rested while the other rode.  We thought it might be good if Sue and I rested while Feather cantered. It was hot and rest periods were essential Katie hasn't seen Sue and I together for a while and she could tell the difference in my tension..none.  We marveled over how different Sue and I both look..and it a fairly short time period. I told Katie that Sue was was…

Sue – How Do You DO with Crunchy-Crinkle Saddlebag

It's hot in Missouri..hot and humid in the summer.  One needs water on trail rides.  I slung the saddle horn bags over the horn with a few bottles of water on each side.  Off we went. We were zipping along pretty darn good when my arm brushed the saddle bag and made the plastic water bottle make that crunch-crinkle noise. Zowie!  That's a "startle" noise to Sue.  Sue used to startle into a spook when I took my glasses off. They just made a tiny bit of noise.  A plastic water…

Sue- How Do You Do on our Trail Ride?

Sue - How Much Do You (and maybe me) Improve with Every Trail Ride? Trail Ride again today!  Just my good friend and I out in the one Kansas City area park that isn't too muddy to ride! Sue was calm going away from the trailer.  She was fairly calm when we made the turn and started back toward the trailer...calmer than she ever had been before! We had a couple of "startles" and I'm happy to report that the intensity of my reactionary "startle" has calmed down quite a bit.  Today,…

Sue – How Do You Do with Soldiers in the Sky!

I rode Sue, the "How Do You Do Horse", today with friends. We picked our way through wretched mud, forded huge muddy puddles, walked on a damn by a huge stick-up grate with excess flowing roaring water. We were the lead horse for all the scary things in the park. We did really really well. Then we had the three big military helicopters find us. Of course some of you know how beautiful I am. I believe my beauty and the beautiful bay horses is what made the helicopters circle us at…