Spring Show Miracle 2024

July 6, 2024Posted inA-fib, Fancy, Missouri Fox Trotter
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

January 31, 2024Posted inFancy
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

January 31, 2024Posted inFancy
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

January 7, 2024Posted inFancy, Flying Change
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

December 22, 2023Posted inFancy
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,…

Fancy Heat Chuckles and More

December 7, 2023Posted inFancy
Most non horse people don’t know what HEAT is.  Mare owners know what that word means.  It means Fancy’s body wants a Stallion! (Mare cycles generally last 21 days with them expressing signs of heat for 4-7 days. Estrus is expressed outwardly by; raising the tail, frequent urination, “winking” or eversion of the vulva, squealing, and posturing.) The wetness on her legs was from her “heat”.  Oh Lordy.  I feel a chuckle coming. I’m riding in a lesson taught by great trainer, Erin Patterson. Fancy doesn’t want to obey my body…