Luke – Level 2 Wannabee Horse

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!

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

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

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

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…

JR’s Journal – A lot of Excitement in Learning How To Stop

I was going to ride JR at home and was doing the pre flight check up.  He did his version of the bucking bronco.  He has no suspension when he bucks.  It just looks like a rocking chair canter with the head down!  This went on for a while.  Then the wind came up and the rain clouds approached.  I decided this was not the time for valor!  We loaded up and went over to Pine Dell. Well, the arena was being used for turn out for a weanling and…