Fancy Bold – Fancy Hot

This big arena that hosts events has “No Mounting Block” anywhere! We can’t get over that. Horses owned by older people must not board here. People trailer to events here like barrel racing and cow events. They must carry their own mounting block with them is what I guess. Fancy and I are participating in a Natural Solutions clinic with my clinicians and trainers, Tony and Jennifer Vaught. They have been coaching me for nearly thirt years. Yes, I’m almost experienced now. Http://www.forthehorseranch.com Outdoor Arena for Cow WorkingI’m looking for…

Two Fancy Classes…pfft

Larry Kilroy spoke to us during our Fox Trotter meeting. We need more riders in our local shows. If I can get riders, I’ll get classes in more shows. Will all of you pledge to ride?” At the time, I was so excited to have a new horse that I would have pledged anything.. I want to do it all. I took the pledge. Summer heat and high humidity is here. I hate it. It erases my outdoors desire. However, I pledged... The Greater Kansas City Arabian Association has a…

Fancy End of Summer News

During the last couple of weeks when riding was not death by heat and humidity, Fancy and I became pole bending racers. We didn’t have poles, so we changed our title to cone bending racers. I tried to communicate with Fancy using hindquarter leg cues and neck reining using no contact with the bit. We were modestly successful. We were immodestly successful when speed zoomed up to a trot. Fancy likes Cone Bending and Pleasure Barrel Racing. She gets to “GO! We ended our day cantering around the arena. Our…

Near Fall for Fancy and Terry

It is late September and we have had a most horrible heat and humidity summer. I predicted Fall would start TODAY! I had no idea that both the spouse and Fancy would make my prediction a “Near Fall” exciting event! Oh the fun today when I got to ride in a lesson today given by Erin Patterson. I got to ride with another student (who is amazing and has an amazing horse). The focus was on a Ranch Horse pattern, a Reining pattern, turns on the haunches, stopping and speed…

Wretched Fantasy Team Competition

I was going to ride 30-40 miles yesterday to get points for the Fox Trot Urbane Fantasy Team competition.  But that didn’t work.  My incentive to take her to my favorite riding park and ride alone, like I did in my 40’s ...failed. There is old person fear in me.  Instead, I brought Fancy home yesterday and planned to ride her at home today. It rained overnight.  Damn. There is mud and slippery grass in pasture. I’ve never rode Fancy alone outdoors except 30 feet between arenas as I’m an…

Fancy Fun

It is a very odd day not to go fast. I like fast. I love cantering. Fancy likes to go fast only when she decides. Amazingly, we just had fun weaving around obstacles and playing with body position, hindquarter yields, forequarter yields, backing and leg cues. Fast was not in our playbook today! I got a new plastic bag from the grocery store.. Why don’t I attach it to my Horsemanship stick today? I didn’t tear any holes in it and tied it only with one handle. It was big…