Fancy, the Queen of Mississippi, Seeks Better Living Quarters

I loaned Fancy to Beth Pearson for her to ride in a competition in southern Missouri at the World Fox Trotter Headquarters.  It went well.  Fancy and Beth and Fancy competed in a sport called Sorting.  Sorting is moving numbered cows in order from one large round pen to an adjoining large round pen. The contestants are two horse and rider partners.  You can have three different riding partners in the competition. Beth took Fancy home to prepare for the great Spring Show at Ava in June 2025.  They will…

Spring Show Miracle 2024

2024 Spring Show Poignant Surprise! 2022 Celebration Two years ago, when I was sitting in the Ava spectator seats for Ranch Horse Day, I told my new (probably irritated) best spectator friends why I wasn't showing in the Ranch Horse classes. I'd been showing in the prior Versatility events, and I knew they all missed me in the arena. While cleaning my horse's stall the day before, I got dizzy and almost felt like I would pass out. That evening, my pulse rate soared to 200-240 beats most of the…

Fancy Parelli Level 4 Freestyle (Bridleless) Journey 2

My confidence is high and I didn’t need the halter with lead role.  Nothing is on her head.  She has a neck rope. Today, Fancy stopped inside the 4 markers  which we call a Question Box.  What do you want Mom?  Do you want to go through the box?  Do you want to stop.  We go through the box with a straight center line or in circles.  We could do straight, figure eights or half arena circles.  Yesterday I asked her to stop going thru the circle in the straight…

Fancy Parelli Level 4 Free Style (Bridleless) 1

IMG_1226: Note:  I write with humor and self sarcasm. Today I was going to ride without the bridle as a backup. However, when I was actually in the arena after our ground play, myself was frightened. So, I left the halter on and anchored the lead rope to the saddle horn. I felt safe.I discovered a mounting problem when I couldn’t use a rein to guide her to the perfect mounting block position. Oh my, mounting is an audition task. It didn’t take long to get her in position, but…

Airs Above the Ground

42 Degree Group Lesson Day     I wore thick cotton jodhpurs/breeches, long sleeved medium weight shirt, sweatshirt and my new coat.  Fancy gave me quite a workout early on and my glasses steamed up.  I put them in my new coat pocket.  How cool to have a big enough pocket! We were doing a new pattern today to get flying lead changes (my 20 year passion goal) and it was working!  The pattern was much like another pattern we had used a few times earlier this year except my lead…

I’m So Angry (at myself) and Sore

I’m in a horse development program something like Karate.  It’s called Parelli Levels Program.  We are given tasks to do in four different areas:  Finesse, Free Style, On-Line and Liberty and we get different color ropes when we pass a Level.  I’m working on getting my black rope with Fancy.  It’s the highest level for a non professional.   I have passed L4 Finesse with Fancy. Because I am a self confessed bragger, I offer you the video of Fancy and my Level Four Finesse “Swan Lake” audition: https://youtu.be/_Luz9CkYjO4?si=bSMFRwgk-yhLht9r Hint,…