Mare Reputation

June 16, 2020Posted inFancy, Flying Change
People say: "I have a crazy mare. Crazy mare. When she is in heat, she is horrible. I can't do anything with this mare." People like me laugh quietly inside when we read or hear this statement. We assume those people know nothing about handling horses. We have never had a mare like that. We love our mares. We choose to have mares! My confession on the alter of horsemanship: "I am sorry about my assumption." Fancy is a left brain exuberant extrovert with hormonal pain problems. She resembles the…

Vaught Clinic-Before Story- May 13-14, 2020

May 23, 2020Posted inFancy
I took my truck and trailer to the car wash the day before traveling to the clinic. I have a white truck again! On the way home from the car wash, my radio gave me static. Huh? What's wrong with my radio? As I got closer to home, I looked at my antenna. I didn't look at the antenna. I looked where it should be. Damn! There is no antenna. Cursed truck. I parked truck and trailer at home and hurriedly drove my car to the car wash. My antenna…

Two Wonderful Flying Lead Changes May 6, 2020

May 7, 2020Posted inFancy, Flying Change
Focus on softness, willingness and small circles, without argument. Fancy wants to drift toward either end of the arena while,I want to do 10 meter circles. When I can get one 10 meter circle without an argument,I've won. When we do these at a trot she tries to do a poo up flying lead change and change directions argument even though we are not cantering. Fancy lives to rule. I've changed slightly more. I will handle the argument with no arguing back to her. I keep my strong focus on…

Thinking is a Fairy Tale

May 1, 2020Posted inFancy, Flying Change
Easy to be all smart and brain fun about the lead change conditions that Fancy laid out and my demand to review the conditions before asking. Snort Day 1 After Learning the Conditions: I forgot about the conditions and the mandatory review. Here's what I thought: OK, I think we are ready, let's do it now. Left leg cue right leg cue. I did the enthusiastic part during second try. When I was driving home, I remembered the thinking part. Big Failure Day 2 After Learning the Conditions: No review.…

Whining and Conditions

April 25, 2020Posted inFancy
https://foxtroturbane.com/missouri-fox-trotter-fancy-flying-lead-changes/ Video Blog on Fox Trot Urbane Note: this is the script for the video voice blog. Watch the video instead of reading this I knew flying lead changes would be difficult. I cherish the difficult part of the journey dealing with my favorite horse movement in the universe. That is easy to say, but when the difficulty is real, some humans start whining. I never whine, but that is a lie. Why did I say, “Why did I ever want to do flying changes?” Why did I say, “Whose idea…

Mandatory Conditions Demanded by Fancy

April 24, 2020Posted inFancy, Flying Change
I thought that once Fancy could do flying lead changes under Erin Patterson's development, she would be able to do them with me as the rider. That statement is true. However, Fancy has formulated conditions for my success. Fancy loves to do flying changes, but there are rules. "Rules?", I mumble when Erin translates the rules from Fancy speak into Susan's brain. When I formulated Plan A, I didn't know there would be conditions. I thought only that getting my body balanced, leg cues given and focus would be all…