Sue – How Do You Do with Having a Bad Day?

Posted inSue - How Do You Do!
Sue had a hard day today. Well, let me tell you about it. We went to Pine Dell and Isabel was boiling in her stall. It's her turn to stay with Velvet in the dry lot at night. I got the saddle on Sue and then got Isabel. I let Isabel loose in the big arena and she ran back and forth from the gate where Sue was tied and the front of the arena. Finally, I got Sue ready and in we went. I let Sue loose and we…

Velvet and Susan attain (original) Level 3 in Pat Parelli Program!

Posted inVelvet
FIRST MISSOURI FOX TROTTER ATTAINS ADVANCED STATUS IN PARELLI PROGRAM  The Parelli program is modeled after Martial Arts program (Judo) with the different colored belts to signify the status. Velvet and Susan will be wearing a green 6’ rope, which is the mark of their status. Each level has from 20 up to 53 tasks that must be assessed by a certified Parelli instructor in person or via videotape. Velvet and Susan had to be assessed on 53 tasks in Level 3.  Most of the tasks seem simple, but none…

JR’s Journal – Walk in the Park Horror

Posted inJR
JR and I were practicing our gait last Sunday. I like to call it purity of gait practice. We rode by ourselves at James A Reed Park. The park has a lot of trails and they are flat and grassy. It's just great for consistency. We were zipping up the side of a paved road going to the trail head on the other side of the road. Out in the parking lot FLASHES a 7-8 year old girl RUNNING with a KITE! The KITE is low to the ground and…

JR’s Journal – Clinic Journey

Posted inJR
At official yearling status…exactly one year of age, JR attended his first clinic at Pine Dell. It was his first time to ride in a trailer by himself, to be in a barn, and to be in an indoor arena. He was just a LITTLE upset when we arrived at Pine Dell. I heard a lot of yearling whinny during the first part of the day…most of it right in my ear. BUT, he did just great! He had the least problems of any horse in the clinic. Of course…

Velvet Does Dressage!

Posted inVelvet
Only at the Natural Gait, a horse person's paradise, where a staunch Western rider and Missouri Fox Trotter (for goodness sake) come to embrace the mystical world of Dressage!  The words, "natural methods" in the description of a dressage clinic given by internationally regarded dressage instructor, judge and Olympic level performance competitor, Ellie Stine-Masek, made Velvet and I feel that we might be able to fit into this ancient training system originated when men made war using horses.   Here's how Velvet and her rider’s weekend went:  We found ourself…