Missouri Fox Trotter

Miracle of Miracles!  Lucky Star has been impulsive the last three rides we've had.  He's been impulsive up to the canter.  I can get Lucky to trail walk, flat foot walk and fox trot without too much arguing.  We have come a long way.  However, the canter was not in Lucky Star's play book. On this day, Lucky Star wanted to goooooooo!  I'm not quite used to this version of Lucky Star yet.  These past three rides, Lucky seems to always want to go fast the first time we ride…

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1923972 Shots rang out very near our two horses on the trail.  It sounded like heavy artillery. Hope and I were riding at James A Reed park today. Hope called the Park Ranger department to report that we were trapped in a real life shooting gallery. Park Ranger returned her call and was on the way to investigate. We decided to take the park road back to the parking area. I thought the road would be safer than the trail. Plus we might be able to see the shooter if…

Here's what happens during a Lucky Star training day at Pine Dell Farm: We go to the round pen and practice impulsion. We ride. We go home. Lucky gets out of the trailer, crosses his front legs and relieves himself! Every time!

Lucky Star and I are coming along great.  We've had some great rides in the arena after our months of exile ground work and liberty work. We generally ride in the arena about an hour. This coming up winter, dark and cold stuff going on.  I take him over to Pine Dell Farm and we have ground work, online and liberty and then we ride. Fine! Last weekend we had a two day Cow Clinic. The first morning during our non-cow simulation exercises, Tony was trying to get Lucky to…

I took about a month vacation from riding and playing with Lucky. (Velvet and I competed in a Seasoned Rider Challenge.)  Lucky and I have been coming along like a rumbling freight train since I started concentrating on winning the ground games.  Amazing.  Tony Vaught once told me that the quality of the ground game dictated what kind of ride you would get. Getting Lucky to move on the ground is key to getting him to move when I'm riding him.  Last time I rode Lucky is when he attracted…