Velvet – Flying Lead Changes

May 8, 2003Posted inVelvet
This is a post from the woman (me) who had given up on FLC as Velvet would never do them consistently...in 5 years. This is a post from the woman (me) who was shocked to discover that Velvet had passed the L2 Flying Change Lead task the other day while in a group lesson. Here's a another shocker:  I decided to work on the L3 task...counter canter. You must canter once around an arena or area in a counter canter. Velvet has been making great improvement in her ability to counter canter. Last…

Luke – Level 2 Wannabee Horse

February 19, 2003Posted inMiscellaneous
Here's an amazing story of the L2 wannabee horse. His name is Luke and he's a National Show horse about as tall as the Empire State building. When he was first in training with Jenny and Tony, Anything would make him leap high in the air and land on the other side of the arena. He would give Tony (who can ride anything with hair) a run for his seat. Thinking about Luke being rode outside was an impossible thought. Things progressed and Luke started using his brain to think.…

CRAZY NEBRASKA PEOPLE!

February 14, 2003Posted inMiscellaneous
Those normal people of us from the Midwest know better than to have anything to do with Nebraska in the winter. Why the whole place gets cold and snow and closes down for the winter. When I heard that a Nebraska person wanted to have a clinic in the winter, I said, "A clinic in Nebraska in the winter? Why that's crazy!"   So, a winter clinic was scheduled. Of course it's my job to go to all clinics with Jenny so that she can have someone carry stuff around, get…

JR’s Journal – Challenge Day Event

February 1, 2003Posted inJR
JR the Tall I took JR to the Challenge Day event today at Pine Dell. There were auditors that were brand new wannabe horse owners. They fell deeply in love with JR. After the event was over, they came back to the arena barn aisle and just raved about him. A woman boarder at Pine Dell was also in the audience. She is selling her arab horse and getting a fox trotter. She cried and said "I wish you would sell him to me". JR is sort of youngish/adorable with a…

JR’s Journal – The Dentist

November 30, 2002Posted inJR
When JR had his first general examination and fall shots as a yearling, the vet said to me that his teeth were great. "This is a horse that will need to be floated maybe never or once every 3-5 years or so.  He has excellent teeth."  We were both proud. The vet. peeked in his mouth the next two years for his general examination and last year, he did float his teeth.  It didn't take long…and we were all proud of JR's mouth. A famous Equine Dentist moved to Kansas…

JR’s Journal – Dealing with the Pace

November 26, 2002Posted inJR
JR, the hard-wired to fox trot horse, starting pacing about my eighth ride.  He was started by Jennifer Vaught and got a solid flat foot walk, a beautiful fox trot and a lovely canter with her.  After my eighth ride on him, he did the pace walk, the regular pace and we lost our nice smooth canter.  When JR cantered, every leg was going to the beat of a different drummer.  Rough?  I was flying out of the saddle at every beat.   Why did he start pacing soon after…