Fancy

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…

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…

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…

What the heck is this pain, my brain asked. My stomach and rib muscles started hurting last Monday. As would anyone, I immediately thought Stage 4 cancer. It couldn’t be from riding. I’ve been riding Fancy nearly every day except for about a week of horrible hot humid air. We had a clinic with Jenny and Tony Vaught on Saturday. I got two riding days before that to prepare. On that last day of riding, she didn’t argue with me when I asked her to canter. She has argued from…

Fancy has been on trails with people other than myself.  However, she is not an experienced trail horse by any means.  I greatly wanted our first ride to be with the perfect trail horse, Lucky Star.  Tonight, we got our wish. Hope and I rode our wonderful horses at the scene of our many past trail ride adventures, James A Reed Park.  The Park was excited to have the two adventurers return, one with the untested horse, Fancy.  What would the story be tonight? The start! Such a beauty! Lucky Star has been dealing with…