Straight Line Flying Lead Change

January 16, 2022Posted inFancy, Flying Change
Group lesson minus one.  Erin stated she had thought of a new flying lead change pattern.  Oh Boy! We used the entire arena with cones placed where we would start to turn the corner.  Our warm up consisted me trying to get Fancy to not do a pacy flat foot walk. Erin explained the secret is to get her going in a fast enough walk with inside support rein. Easy Pattern Cones Set in arena corners, before horse starts to bend around the corner. Trot about midway on long side…

She’s Something Else!

January 16, 2022Posted inFancy
The breed rules don’t allow a name change at her age, BUT….. maybe I could submit a petition for a special horse name change.  Her name should be She's Something Else instead of She's Something Fancy. What did she do today, Susan? It's cold here, in the lower 20 degrees, there is snow on the ground.  Water is always something to worry about. The lake has just melted and for perhaps, today, there is water available for the horses to drink.  The horses have heated buckets in their run-in stalls. We…

It Happened!

January 11, 2022Posted inFancy, Flying Change
Before I print the two opening words, I had to reason out swearing and cursing.  I swore this afternoon.  Here are the definitions: 1. Cursing is negative. 2. Swearing can be either positive or negative. I used two swear words today in a positive manner: GOD DAMN! Fancy gave me a flying lead change while I was riding her bridleless!  I had a thin rope around her neck and I carried a horsemanship stick.Fancy had nothing on her head.  She had nothing in her mouth.  We were in the second…

Hitch in the Get-Along

January 4, 2022Posted inFancy
Last week at the group lesson, Fancy appeared to have a problem cantering to the right.  We did one flying lead change, left to right and stopped there. We had another lesson today and again, Fancy had problem cantering to the right.  She acted like she wanted to switch over to the left lead and did a little canter hop.  She seemed to want to canter on the left lead. Erin was suspicious.  She had not felt this the hitch the time she rode and wanted to feel the problem.…

Fear of Outdoors

January 2, 2022Posted inFancy
I am thinking about my past journey with horses.  In my third book, I realized that I still had retained a fear of bolting, but Cisco and Lucky cured that.  That fear came years before with a ruined horse named Sue.  Sue had a fear of arms.  She did short bolts while I was riding.  She always came right back down to a slower gait or a stop when my alarmed hands pulled back on the reins.  She did these mini bolts enough times with me that it affected me.…

2021 New Year’s Eve Neighborhood Trail Ride

December 31, 2021Posted inFancy
Neighborhood Trail Ride on New Year’s Eve:  Skateboard park with skaters, small waving gas line flag markers,, timber wilderness, new home construction with basement, gravel piles, dirt piles, and wide dirt tunnel. Emma, the German Shepherd dog, made her startle once. Emma usually travels a football field behind Fancy, but she got closer. (Fancy delights in treating Emma like a cow in a cutting class so Emma usually keeps a distance!) We traveled at the flat foot walk most of the ride.  We switched into fox trot for a half…