Winning Cowgirl of the Day Award

September 27, 2015Posted inCISCO, Missouri Fox Trotter
Missouri Fox Trotter World Celebration 2015 This is Cisco's third ever horse show and it's the big one.  We were planning on showing at the Spring Show in June, but he developed a coughing allergy at that show.  My diagnosis after some experimentation is allergic to moldy sawdust.  Sadly, the coughing continued from June till August.  No riding. No ground work.  Just cough medicine and cough supplements.  Finally, he was cured enough to ride.  Cured enough in August, about thirty days before the World Celebration.  I rode him and noticed…

Day 2 in Round Pen – Body Language is Loud and Clear

August 22, 2015Posted inLucky Star, Missouri Fox Trotter
I took all three horses into the round pen today.  We (they) got to run around the round pen according to the rules-of-round-pen.  Of course Lucky Star knows the rule of round pen, so when he asked to come into the middle with me three times, I let him.  The girls ran around for a while.  I stopped them and they were about 30' away from me.  I made the round-pen body language "sign" saying, "Come to me". One of these horses is a retired mare.  Her life from her…

Round Pen #1 with Lucky Star

August 19, 2015Posted inCountry Frank's Lucky Star, Missouri Fox Trotter
Long long ago, I discovered that a round pen was a must-have when you wanted to train a horse. I put that round pen up far away from anything that would give me shade. Being young (in my late 40's),I was out there in 90 degree heat with Sage, Velvet and the wild hackney ponies. I don't how I survived that heat in the summer time. Then the round pen became a corral backing up my barn while I traveled to stables with all the facilities, plus a covered, shady…

Lucky Star Pre-Horse Show Operating Instructions

July 24, 2015Posted inCountry Frank's Lucky Star, Missouri Fox Trotter
Pre Horse Show Advice for Lucky Star's Operating Official 1. Minimal Warm-up. Let him walk around the two arenas and return to trailer for rest.  He needs his rest! 2. Trail Class- Remember the hard part is a. Get him into arena and b. Get his start button to operate. Once he gets going, he will keep going. 3. Rail class operating guide Follow a gelding into the arena Ride as far away from the gate as possible when traveling on the rail Never look at the gate or anyone…

Cisco the Cow Horse and Cisco Love

June 7, 2015Posted inCISCO, Missouri Fox Trotter
The last cow clinic showed Cisco, a good ole boy who loves everyone, hesitating to wade (walk) into the bunched up cow herd. Cows can be intimidating when they are standing body to body touching and looking at us. Cows are even intimidating when looking at a bunch of them from the rear. Cisco was not willing to walk into the herd some of the days at the last cow clinic. Cisco's confidence increased this week. He was doing great with the cows. The weather turned hot, humid and all…

You Lost the Herd, “No”

May 19, 2015Posted inCountry Frank's Lucky Star, Missouri Fox Trotter
Some people look for a horse that won't go. A young horse that won't go is worth an easy million. Lucky Star is nearly a million dollar horse. Here's a story about a horse that wouldn't go. Http://mofoxtrot.com/viewpoint/2001/12/a-christmas-miracle-story. That horse's sire is Lucky Star's grandfather! Lucky and Dasher are million dollar horses for the right person! Lucky Star is being converted from show prospect to trail horse. This was our third 2015 trailride. This was the third time he has failed to keep up with his fellow trail horse companions.…