hey=\
good to hear you feel a litlle beter. is the yearling and mose yours?
i now have photos up!!! if your mwondering the pinto is casper grace is the chestnut and party time is the bay=[]
hows the yerarling today?
the turkeys are actlley our pets ill put some up of the rest of my pets soon but now i have to go to school[=]
yay!!!!!!!
i only have two days left then hollidays!!

cheyenne

your right the pinto (casper is a quarter horse but he also has a bit of arab to. caspers 15hh. grace (chestnut) is 9 15.3hh. party time (bay) 13hh. our land is around 20 acers(do you use the term acers?) or around 10hecters casper and grace are kept out all year. the photos are all basically taken on the weekend or around that. its good to here that the yearling is geting beter. im sorry to hear you are feeling sicker.
i hope your feeling beter soon though.
cheyenne
(sorry thats it so short, but i wrote it 3 times and i axcedently deleated it 3 times!ha ha ha ha[=])

both the girls are me[=] breanna is my sister i took the photos on her camera so thats why there under that[=]

hi
casper personallty is a bit strange....... he will follow you around all day long never geting tiered, if he saw a stranger walking up the road he charges for them, hes always in your face. he knows how to open most gates, and usally comes in and nocks on the back door! he is verrry intelligent and works stuff quickly, he is really cheeky. but he is also verry loving........at times. he is a lot of fun.
somtimes my dad gets out there wit casper in the paddock and they play a game a bit like 'tag". dad runs up to casper stops his feet runs back as far as he can then casper runs up to dad stomps his feet. its quite fun to watch but somtimes casper starts pigrooting becoz he gets so excicted.
our logenst hollidays over here would be the christmas hollidays witch are 2months. we usally go camping/ fishing exploring just stuff like that. or i go with dad in the truck for a week as he is a truck driver[=]
good to hear feel your feeling much beter!! hopfuly it will alll be gone soon[=]
cheyenne

Hi Shirley,

I hope you're feeling better. A cold in the summer is so annoying. It's bad enough in winter when you don'treally want to go anywhere but when the weather's nice and your stuck at home..awful!

How is your friend Cash? Did you have a chance to ride since your last post? I'm sure he misses you and you he.

There are lots of nice horses in your pictures, are they the ones you are helping out with? How are you doing with the gang? I should also assume though that you haven't really had a chance to work with them because your feeling under the weather.

The pictures of the vineyard are beautiful!!!! Did you ever keep your horses there? Do you go often to visit? It looks like such a relaxing place. What kind of grapes do they grow? In Canada there are places that also produce their own wines but I've never actually visited or done a wine tasting trip....yet. It actually sounds like a great idea for a long weekend.

I'm also sick..I have something called horse withdrawal sickness. This is the first week of the next 8 weeks when I will only be riding once a week. We have guests coming in from over seas. I will instead be playing tourguide. I am very happy they are coming to visit but I am already missing horseback riding and I haven't even missed a training yet. I know this sounds awful but I find riding is like therapy for me. Even just being around the horses has an effect on my psyche. I am still working on my issues but I just love to be around them.

Well I hope you get well soon and can't wait to hear from you!

Kelly

....Hi Shirley....you posted on Barney the Blacksmith about the Rider's Rasp......I ordered and just received My one yesterday. Now the ground is getting dried out and hard ( southern Ontario) my unshod feet get very ragged between trimmings. Tried it on my guys yesterday....LOVE IT !!!!

I would suggest using it 2 or 3 times a week as part of your "pick out" routine. It's a bit pricey.....but I feel...well worth it. I'm sure it will stop small cracks and flares from becoming a much bigger problem between trims.

Hi Shirley,
Yes the Haflingers are special. My gelding, Wesley, did the therapeutic riding gig for 2 winters in Victoria and was well loved. He and his dam, Ilsa, are who keep me sane! Oh, along with the geriatric Morgan, Felina, and the two mini donkeys, Ian and Lily.....

Hi! Wow! I'm very green about barn mice and didn't even know you'd posted anything for me until today - how sad is that??
Wheels is a HUGE character. I call him my big weiner - because he so is. He's a handful though. We're going through a rough spot right now and I'm actually thinking I might have to sell him...he's a big athletic boy who can intimidate me when he wants too... :( We're going to start with having a training ride him for me for a bit though because I really don't want to sell him.
My favorite story about him - oh man! There are so many! But I'd say one of my all times is his "olympic swimmer move" while free lunging. He will gallop as fast as he can down the long side of our arena and then drop his left should and buck around in a circle - pivoting on the one front leg - and then land and gallop off in the other direction as fast as he can. It totally looks like the equine version of the move swimmers do. Its fun to watch on the ground but if he ever tried it while I was riding...... ?!

I have been fighting headaches, and body aches :( Since I cut back to one riding lesson a week I have been gaining weight. The lessons moved to outdoors for the summer and have missed a few due to rain already also. Sometimes I wish I would have gotten an older trained horse to ride now, but I wouldn't give Cooper up for anything, I love him and I think he likes me too LOL

Hi Shirley, Thank you for your kind words, we do what we can. I'm always happy to help others as I've had so much help from many people over the years. I like to think in some small way I'm putting something back. Cheers Geoffrey

Hi Shirley! I'm doing okay. The summer has been too cool for swimming but nice enough to be outside lots. I'm doing more riding this summer and loving it. How are you doing?

hay
good to hear your felling beter=] nah i dont play tag with casper its to scarry..............and he gets quite full of himself at times!he has actelly been verrry naughty latley he was chasing the turkeys around the other day. he almost stompded them into the ground! grace is good she is so quite she dosent really get up to much she just eats and watches casper, somtimes shell help him charge at things and they work together. like the other week when my sister came down to vist her and her bofriend were in the car driving when casper(not knowing who they were) charged for them they just ignored him but when the had to drive out of the paddock and close the gate he wouldent let them. and if he wasent watching and they were about to get past grace would stomp her feet! i havent been riding casper all to much. but the other day i was riding him bareback he is sooooo huge (lol i got on him after riding the pony) we were troting around (he has quite a nice trot bareback feels like your floating) and we cantered a little the dog was runing around with us witch is ok. but candy(the dog) tends to weave around every were and runs out in front of you alot whitch can be quite anoying. anyway casper was standing and candy laied at his feet like right on him. ajd i didint notice and when i got casper to walk on he treaded on her! but she was fine she yelped but she was happy in a few minnets. she even got her toy and threw it at casper feet for him to throw! dad had a massive bomb fire going so me and casper rode around it like indians. whitch was pretty funny!(casper looves fire!hes so un horse like. every time we have a fire we have to lock him up or hold him coz he tends to want to get in the fire!)
party time is going good i have been riding her alot! we went on a trail ride the other day and i tracked down some kangeroos. a whole mob around 12. then we rode through some scrub and came acroos a owl on the ground hunting he was a big gray. we were like 10cm away from him. but he flew away. ive been schooling party time a little and her translations are really smooth as a result. ive also been jumping on her........witch remindes me. we now have a new saddle well not new but new to us. it is a english saddle(i was riding in a stocky before) and she now looks like a hippy horse! its really bright and has every coulour u can amagin!
well i am gonna put up some more photos so check em out!!!

Thanks!
Today's the day we do our informative walk in the capitol. Last time I looked, there were well over a thousand signatures on the petition. :)

Hi Shirley!!

I love the pictures you sent to me. They were so beautiful! Where did you take them? Did you go on vacation or are you lucky enough to have that beautiful scenery close to home? Let me know where it is so if I am ever near by I can go see it with my own eyes.


I am happy you are enjoying Cash and the horses you are taking care of. The Friesian will get better with you when she gets to know you better. Everything takes a bit of time.

I have had such an amazing riding experience today that I had tears in my eyes as I left my lesson. The stables where I currently take lessons was offering a clinic with Jean Paul Paré. He is a very accomplished Dressage trainer. I had heard that he was quite hard on the participants but I didnt want to miss an opportunity like this so I set up a lesson for this evening at 7:00. I was extremely nervous but it was the best one yet. There are many things that I unlearned in one evening its incredible! He really took the time to explain every minute detail that now I really get it...well things I didnt understand before. I am more conscious of things when I know why exactly I am doing this particualr movement or whatever it may be. We started the lesson by me watching him ride and him showing me how he collected the horse, made the horse turn etc. but while explaining every last detail. Then it was my turn...He didint let me start riding until he postioned my whole body and showed my the tension weight etc. of every body part. It was amazing to see it changed my riding. He showed me what muscles should be doing the work by moving my legs etc. and showing me where the points of pressure should be. WOW!!! I a completely different experience. He really showed me that I needed to take my time. Usually I take about what 20 seconds to find my seat but he really showed where everything should be and it took about 2 minutes. It made a huge difference. He was my mirror image at all times. When I was riding incorrectly he would actually physically show me EXACTLY what I was doing but without the horse. He could get loud at times but it was more to really emphasis what he was saying as opposed to yelling at me. I had never really thought about my breathing before and he taught me that I should be breathing to the trot. My big boy was very good today but I think thats simply because I was better. I know this may not seem super exciting in writing like this but it was like a light went on in my head. He really wanted me to feel as opposed to looking. Everytime I tried to look at what he was doing he would tell me why are you looking at me FEEL what I am trying to make you feel. It was absolutely amazing!!! I am hoping to ride with him again tomorrow as he is leaving on Sunday. Saturday is full and Sunday is tour guide day. I am also really enjoying my guests. We have been going out and really enjoying our time together. Well I better wish you good night as I could write a novel about how great this experience was for me.

Hope to hear some of your horsey news soon.

Kelly

Well Shirley: I did start the over 60's group. Now we need more members and comments. I start with one .. I just got back from a wonderful solo ride on my 11 year old Rocky through the woods and up and down hills. What a steady man. He truly does look after me. It is a wonderful feeling. Gail.

Hi Shirley: I had the good fortune to buy this Rocky from a man who started him with the mutual respect and trust method. The human has to be the leader but a fair one. I have never in nine years have him refuse to do something I have asked of him. That includes water crossings etc. He has also seen a lot in his 9 years. Trips to b and b's and mountain bikes and motorscycles etc. He also has a curious nature which saves a lot of flight. He also loves large machinery and gets most excited when he sees a bulldozer. He would like a tractor for Xmas. I also seem to often be the only person around when I am riding and therefore need to go alone or not at all. That is bit of why he is what he is! Cheers! Gail.

"Hi" Shirley, Thank you for the invite and including me on your page. :)

hay
i hope the promblem with cash works out soon.... how come she cant just put the supplements in a difrent place?
i rode casper on the weekend he was quite good. all was going good till we got to the far end of paddock and candy(the dog) jumped the fence, i was still on casper and caling her and when she jumped back over the fence it made a claning noise on the picets witch scarred casper and he took of(and he is soooooooooooo fast) at a gallop. i finally stopped him but he kept on playing up and wouldent walk propley so i just untacked him in the paddock and let him go, then he chassed my dog and almost stomped her into the ground and then he took of at full speed to grace. so i truddged back home whit all his gear=]
ive been riding party time alot with friends, we usally go down to this flat open paddock for every one to use for their horse. every one leaves out there gear for others to useat the momet there is 4 sets of proper jhumps 8trot poles and a make shift dresage arena whitch we also use as bending poles, and my friend tracy is going to bring down some barrels so we can barrel race.
the other day me and tracy whent for a ride (her horse is called netherho) to cool the horses down we decided to ride around the village we whent up a hill and on the side of the road is a nice grassy strip that we canter up anyway tracy saw some friends and we stoped to have a chat. but the lady we were talking to, her son came up on his moto bike and starred to rev it up not knowing we were there on the horses, but party time got real freaked out and started to rear i had to abandon ship! ha ha ha ha ha but she setled down quite quickley and was good.
o and she nieghed derictley at me the other day. like five times when i whent to go catch her. it was preety nice feeling=]
ive also rode her bareback the other day whitch was cool we were cantering and stuff.

What a scary thing to happen! Hope you are feeling better!! How is Cash? He really loves you, nickering to you when he sees you! Have you been out yet to sit in the pasture to observe them?
I feel so bad, I haven’t been out to see Cooper much this summer, I don’t like the heat or the sun. I am also getting a little frustrated with the training, have no idea why, nothing happened with us! I watched dvd 1 in level 2 Harmony of Parelli and Stephanie Burns hit it right on the nose, that this is where some people either quit or slow down, which I have been doing. It was enlightening to know it wasn’t only me, and I feel better knowing that now and not that there is something wrong with me. I also found out it is perfectly normal to not be riding yet, that lots of people will do ground training for a long, long time.
My artificial leg has been bothering me, I am waiting for a new prosthesis to be made, then the long process of fittings will begin, not looking forward to that! I have not had many lessons because of rain since the lesson barn has moved to their outdoor summer location. I am so out of shape now and have been gaining weight! When there is a lesson I have a hard time getting off and on the horse and just walking around. I think I have had only a handful of lessons since May!! The level 1 western riding exam was booked for July 27 but we were only able to do the written and oral part of it because the arena was too muddy for riding. I was so nervous leading up to that day and my stomach is still bothering me. I passed that part, now to get the riding part over with. Usually they don't do these exams at the outdoor lesson barn, I wish they had of waited until we moved back to the winter location.
The rainy weather has been giving me headaches. I am waiting to get a new prosthesis, going on August 6 for a fitting of the new one. I went at the beginning of June to get fitted, they told me 3 weeks to have it ready and it has been almost 7 weeks now.
I am still doing ground work with my Cooper when I get out to see him! He turned 3 on June 28 but I am in no hurry to get on him, not until he grows some more and fills out.
I am trying to find a cheap used western saddle to fit him and me. I do not own my own saddles yet and don’t know what I am supposed to be looking for. I ride in a 15" western on the lesson horse, but I think it may be too small for me as my butt sits up on the cantle at the back. I sat in a 16" which was very comfy, but the saddle was too long on Cooper from front to back. The skirt on that one was almost 26", I hope I can find one with a shorter skirt, maybe around 22” or so and one that will fit me too. I think there is supposed to be a hands width in front but don't know about the back? I would like to try riding English also, the english saddle that was loaned to me to use on him is a pony saddle and too small for both of us.

hay
i have now moved back to the farm, so i wont be able to right as much as usall[=]
how are you after your fall? ridding again yet? ive doing quite a lot of ridding at the momet[=] yesterday when i wqas riding my sister took a tone of photos witch ill have up soon. party time is good shes a cute a little thing[=] the other day i whent down to catch her and she was having a good rool whitch took a while to get the dirt of.
theres a gymkarrna comming up in about a mounth whitch i thik i am entering im not sure. the other day i whent fishing we didint ctch any but as we were leaving a meter long fish jumped out of the river.
the other day casper was standing in front{ well like 2 meters away on a angle} of the bees they came out and chased him and grace but he galloped of and didint seem to get stung.
the chickens have also starrted laying well one has and they are such nice eggs[=] the one that has starrted laying is a veerry up front hen. she chasses us around and pecks at us! ha ha it is quite funny[=]
weel i hope you are well!

hay
i have seen your new photos cash is so cute! the one with the crib bitting down the fence is quite funny.
i have moved back out to the farm because thats were my dad lives mum lives in town but i have decided to move back out there.
er lets see............. 3 feet makes 100 cm or 1 meter is that whats its like in america?
it is actally winter over here at the momet, but summer soon. we have nice winrters here cold but its hardly ever rain. the bees were out because it was a verry warm day and they were all hiper active. we have 4 bee hives, all are quite aggressive escept for the one under the molberry treeee{the ones that stung casper} the one there is a massive hive last time we opened them up it took a couplel of hours because the bees had gone hay wire and made honey and wax every were and stuck everything togeterfrom the botom to the top when we finally got the lid of like 20cm of wax filled with honey came out! and there is a LOT of bees in that hive[=]
the horses are starting to get ready for spring there shinny coats are staring to come through whitch is nice and hariy, and all the trees are startig to get little groth spurts on them and the other day one of our ginnie pig gave birth to 3identical twins they were all brown and white, but saddley 2 died=[
well cya l8er[=]

Some great looking horses you have there, Shirley - and every one with a kind eye. Hope you are back in the saddle soon.

Very nice photos of your horses! Love the flowered backgrounds on some too. I've been away from 50+ for a while and thought I'd better sign in again before I forget altogether. I'm trying to lose weight, taking care of my kids (2 arabs and 2 ACDs) and also taking care of my neighbor Jack's 4 kitties and 2 chickens while he's gone to MA.

Where are you located? How long had you been a travel agent? How's the market right now? Probably not very good. I retired about 3 years ago (force retired after my plant shut down) and wanted to go to school for travel agents but they have all gone away.

Did you get tossed from what I gathered from the other notes? I didn't see where you said. Hope you're not too B&B and sore.
Janet
JB

Hey Shirley
How are you and Cash???
Can you look at my pictures please I've added HEAPS mores.

Brianna

Hi Shirley, thanks for looking at my pic. I'm always having fun when I'm riding,guess it shows! I'm actually standing in a large round working ring. The barn where I ride is in the Salinas Valley, central coast of Ca. It is beautiful here!

Hi Shirley, it's late and I can't write a long note although I'd like to. Hey I think I remember talking to you about a month or two ago when I first signed on. You went to Vegas and you look for wild horses? I'm the one that has the info on the Cerbat Herd. I think you were the one that did that.

Anyway, very very interesting note, thanks. I'll just reply that an ACD haha is not a horse that is ADD although I think my gelding has that haha! but ACD is Australian Cattle Dogs. You know they have a bunch of different names for these dogs, i.e., heeler, queensland heeler, red heeler, blue heeler so I guess the AKC has established one name for all of them and now calls them ACD for short. Anyway, I have 2, 1 male red that is aging but can still take down a coyote or bobcat (I try to keep him in the house more cuz I know he's slowing down), and 1 blue female that is about a year and a half old. She's got a little bit of aussie in her I think (australian shepherd) cuz she runs and runs and runs and won't come home so I keep her on a line. Pity. Very very smart dogs!!!

Ok gotta go to bed. Spent all day cleaning the house cuz I'm having a girlfriend coming out from Long Beach with her 2 horse crazy daughters and my trainer (horse trainer from Alaska) is meeting me for lunch on Tues and then coming to my house to do some trailer training. Both will get in but not together. So it's my "late" summer action plan in case of fire and also have to get them to the vet for their dentals and jeesh the prices have gone up so high for the vet to come to my house anymore so I want to take them both in together and get a discount. Talk to you soon Shirley.
Janet

Hi Shirley, checking in to see how it went getting back in the saddle? Were you able to ride?

Sorry to hear you had a fall. I do worry about that( I am a grandma), but I'm riding a sweetheart of a horse. I try to always stay focused so I don't take a surprise spill. I just started riding again this year after 20 yrs. I feel my confidence is better since I also incorporated gym workouts into my routine. I feel stronger and in better control. Hope your back riding soon!

Good to hear you were able to ride again without pain. Even a short ride is beneficial for body and mind! Are you using an english saddle? I use western because both the horses are trained that way. It's a lot easier on the body then trying to maintain seat and position riding english. You may be able to ride more if you switch,it's more comfortable on the trail.

hey[=]
i have been working quite hard for our first show {me n party time] is next week on friday. !!YAY!!
IM SO PUMMPED!!lol ha ha ha today i got some new jodiies and a really preety bridal for party time. we are going so well ride her every day and john put some shoes on her the other day{hes a farrier/horse dentist} and she is even more speedy now! people who have seen me ridding party time want me to start exercising there horses for them[=]
ha ha ha
there is a lady who wants me to ride her highly trained dressage horse who has been overseas to compeat with preasovs owners witch is nice but i dont think ill do for a while=]
saddley party time is still for sale and people are starting to phone up for her but lukley none of them will pay what john is asking and they arnt coming out to see her{phew if they did they would defently by her!]
i love her so much and we have such a strong bond!
we have started jumping whitch really loves and she saws over jumps really well so im preety shaw shes down it before becoz she dose it so well! she gets excited and tys to rucsh her jumps and i have to pull her up coz she just wants to go go go.
in the village were i live there is some boys who have nothing else to do but to see how long it takes to stir up my horse while im ridding.
the other day i was just walking along and a tenis ball come flying past e and all the boys were laughing. how stupied can you get? and the other day i was ridding werei ride all the time and they come up and they are like 'or chase cheyennes horse coz it gets cyco easy and its funny' then they put tinn cans in there bike wells and ride near me to freak my horse out whitch she dose and it is really dangours, they scream and yell and it makes me so angry i dont say anything and i havent down anything to start it, ill just be riding alnog and 'loser' is what i hear being yelled at me. but yesterday onre of the main boys came up while i was riding and appolijised whitch i thought was good.
well i hope all is good for you and that you are riding again![=]

hey
no it dosent inpress me when they do this, it makes really angry. but i am goning to see what happins now some have apoligised.
i told my dad and sister about that and theywere going to go down and see there parents, but im hoping they are stoping.

good to hear your back in the saddle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think having a course in horse massage ect would be great!! cash would love you even moreand you can get paid to almost go around and 'pat' horses=] i am going to have a carrer with horses. i am hoping to get certificets in heaps!!lol.

maybey a horse riding enstructer/horse tranier and breeding.
becoz the biggest horse centr in austrlia has finished being buit in tamworth. and heaps of horsey people are now living hear but there is no riding school in town or around the outscirts of tamworth so i think it would be a good buissness to start.
if you wanna see the horse place photos.
type in google

equine center tamworth

then click on the
AUSTRLIAN EQUINE AND LIVE STOCK CENTER-ALEC: HOME

then when your n have a little look around, i dont think it shows all the photos there about a 200 stable block a massive round yard were you can look over it tosee the horse fully of what your gong to buy and heaps more. im best friends whith the mangers grandoughter and he told me there bulding a horse and human hotle thee soon!! im not really sure why though tamworth is a really small town.

me and partytime are jumping beteen 50 and 65cms high she doing so well in her schooling shes perfect on right rein circles and corners but when i go to the left rein for circles and turnig she sorda just keeps on troting or catering but goes to the side to get out of doing it she not in any pain or anything but its annyoing and i hope she gets beter for show.
do you have any tips that might help?

casper and grace ared oing well actley geting a bit fat i think im going to restrict their grazzing soon.

also another thing that bothers me therir are to familes were i live well three now that are going into a share with a 6yrold clysdale cross for thier kids. now this is the point-none of them not even the parents no anything about about horses. one of the boys who spooks party is also geting this horse, these people already have a hores whitch they have absolutley runied! this mare has inpecble breeding and perfect traing and mannours the man gave it to this people when he had to move.

this mare now rears when saddled and is quite pushy on the ground. the other day i cought the boy who throws stuff at party throughing rocks at princess [thats her name] and laughing when she reared and pigrooted as she tried to get to her hay. i whent of my head at the boy then whent and told the mother. i am hoping it has stoped but serslioy these people shouldent have ANY pets.

but now there geting anotyher horse whitch they can ruin and chuck in the paddock and forget about it and it makes me sooooooo angry
well i have to go now

cheyenne

wow
that is a lot of writing i did ay?[=]

Hi Shirley
How are you and Cash
How have you been going riding Cash???
I just added the cute ones because they look soooooo cute.
I had a great time at the show and I got 8 ribbons.

Brianna

Hi Shirley
I'm 46, had a morgan mare growing up, gave up horses to have a family, I have two boys in their twenties and a teenage daughter at home. 7yrs ago I had to get back into horses. Had a young running quarter horse that is the sweetist guy, but not as forward as I wanted, got this little arab for my daughter ,and him and I just click. My daughter drives him and I ride him trail and endurance. He is 15yrs old and takes about 27 miles of giddyup before he calms down. I am currently looking for property to start an event centre( will have to board a few horses to make payments). And am getting mature riders together in my area to start a saddle club. Parkland mature Saddle club, so a PMS day is a good day!!! Thank you for the welcome, it is appreciated. Diane

Hi Shirley
Briggs has an awesome personality. He is 3 so still sometimes has baby brain but very quiet and extremely willing and very curious. He's not a spooky kinda guy and very often falls asleep when I'm grooming him. He loves to drink from the hose when I am cooling him off. I love his coloring too and even though you are not supposed to buy a horse for its color it totally suits his personality. Is that a pic of your horse. What a beauty!! Have a great weekend

HI Shirley,
Our informative walk in the capitol went like this: we carried signs asking that wild horses not be harmed, and led a wild horse while we did it. When people passing Nevada's capitol offices stopped to ask questions, we told them aout the problem!
It always works better than shouting.
Terri

Nope - I even took an extra day off, so I cleaned house on Friday. Now we're puttering around and relaxing. I'm going out to play with the horses soon. I can't even play on my computer - believe it or not I filled my Mac!!! I also need to order a new DVD burner so I can unload my Mac:)
Gotta go play before the rain comes, more latter. Hope you guys are having a great weekend. Love the picture of Cash.

Shirley!!!!!!!!!

I'm glad to hear that your okay and you are riding again. What happend exactly? I saw the comment youl left about the incident but not enough information. what happend? How long were you not riding for? What happened to the horse that the bionic women had to get back on his feet?
When do you expect to ride Cooper again? Are still taking care of all the horses? So many questions sorry, I have to get caught up.

The weather can really effect people's moods and energy levels. I hope it cools there a bit. I am also slightly jealous as we had about two real weeks of summer and that's it. The weather seems to be really cooling down.

I haven't been riding for about a month and a half and had not had the chance to be on the site because I have been busy with the guests from out of town (who have extended their stay by the way until the 21st...) and was working on the Breast cancer walk in Montreal . To walk all participants had to raise at least 2 thousand dollars and I also had to train a bit because it was 60 kilometers long and it lasted two days. I got through it and will certainly do it again next year! It was an amazing experience.

I did get to ride on Tuesday and Sunday but to my dismay the black giant has developed some really bad habits. I won't be able to ride for him awhile as I cannot control him whatsoever. Before I took the riding break maybe the last three lessons, I really felt we were getting somewhere as a team. I was confident with him. I wasn't worrying that he would trip, that he would kick( which he does when I usually ask for a canter on the left..) We were going to take on the world. This week was a disaster. He won't go forward, is kicky and has started to this thing which he starts to go in the direction I am telling him to go drops a bit a swirves to the opposite way. He is also refusing almost completely to go the left even in a trot...I can't even get him to walk. I think in my lesson I actually went around the arena maybe 3 times in total as he would just try to circle and then when I would try to push him to continue the circle he would weave back another direction. He spooked at the light coming in from the window. My trainer said that before she use to work him everyday (6 on 7) to get him where he was and she no longer had the time to work him so he had started to develop these problems. She will not let me ride him until he gets back to his old self. I will miss riding him but will certainly spend time with him when I go for my lessons. On the other hand, at the end of July the big black boy and I did a clinic with Jean Paul Pare and we had a great time I learned a lot.

Thank you for writing and hope to hear from you soon. I will be back on Barnmice on a regular basis.

Don't let the mosquitos win!

Kelly

Aaahhh - it's my best girl! We're still doing those stretches! It's been a wonderful way to relieve the girthiness issue with her.
No ride tonight. It didn't rain at work - as far as I can tell from the cave - but here in Mason the gals at Darrell's said it's been raining all day long.
Annabelle sure is unhappy with me. Goats just don't like to get wet.

heeey[=]
thanks for the info on jumping.
were geing beter now and there is a lot of fantastic horse trainers were i live at the momet so im going to start talking to them. a lady who i am frends with came 3ed in a massive dressage show latley, and she is helping to get party and me in beter shape.
its funny to hear about cash! that would funny to see!
the horse show i was gonna go to got postponed due to rain. i think its happing next week.
soorry its so short mum wants to go shopping then im going back to the fa\rm[=]
talk soon=]
cheyenne

Hey Shirley, thought I would update you on Ryn and his new friend. This summer we've been working really hard at just staying calm and learning trust. At some point he had learned to be afraid of anyone mounting him. Sunday the girl and I took him into the round pen after her just leading him around grooming him and generally bonding. Once in the pen I lunged him and checked for his buttons to see if all was still in place. Sure enough all were there and he was in a very quiet gentle mood. He was already saddled which the girl did before we came to the round pen. So after a few more checks to see if he would stand with the mounting block (he did), the girl got on while I held the lead line. She was ecstatic! Her dream had come true. I was very proud of them both. We walked around a bit me leading her guiding him and checking him on his whoa, turns and backup. He was very willing and responsive. I am thankful all went well he's a sweet horse and she is a very gentle sweet spirited girl.

What a gorgeus pond and cabin, did you build it out of native trees?
Next place we buy might have enough pines to do that.

we've been looking up in Marti Langley's Area for a summer home, might be up there again soon, before the snow comes.

By next summer we hope to have a nice COOL place to go. It's just too hot here. average summer days are 95 or so and heat waves have gotten to 103 degrees.

It's pretty mild here through the winters, we get some real cold snaps, but It's always bright and sunny. We only get something like 12 inches of rain per year. The spring and fall are especially beautiful.

We can only afford a couple of acres though. Not nearly enough to live on permanently, or graze 6 horses on.

So we'll just pack up the whole farm and move back and forth a couple times a year.

Remember you were asking about what "Crossfiring" is, this a good example

Ferdinand is also quite green for four years, but not as green as Lacy, because he's a Stallion I've taken every precaution to keep him safe and gentle, both on the grounfd and under saddle.

Here he's cantering along on the correct lead in the back (right lead) but the front end is leading with the left. With more time in the schooling ring he'll gain the balance to stay in frame and maintain the corect bend in circle work.

You fell? When? I must have missed that post.
I used to be very afraid of falling, but eventually I've gotten to where I just am at peace that sometimes it happens. The best I can do is try and keep my seat through a spook or a runaway situation, and If I'm gonna fall than I atlest keep my hands on the reigns so my horse does'nt run off.

Oh well, we all have to fall sometimes, The last time I fell It was about 2 years ago on 4 yo thoroughbred that I was teaching to jump.
She was such a natural, I just kept raising it and raising it, when the rail was around 4 feet it just was too overwhelming for her.

She rushed at it really fast, came to a dead stop at the base and then popped straight up in the air like a cat, she cleared the fence but She completely "popped" me straight up in the air and I landed on my back like 15 feet to the side. I know it sounds pretty scary but it's just a part of learning how to train properly. (she once tried to jump a 5' gate when I asked her to walk up and unlatch it)

I am sorry you fell. I worry about falling myself, but one ring I ride in has deep sand which can help when a rider falls by absorbing the shock. The other ring is grass.
When I get nervous on a horse the first thing I do is put my heels down. This strengthens the legs, gets the legs "around" the barrel better, and lets the horse know you are on top of him!! It also helps get the rider's knees further down in the saddle which also helps security. Just take your time getting back to the more vigorous riding. I know that I have never fallen off at a walk, though I may regret saying this, fate might think I'm tempting it! Head up, heels down--this is the best prevention for falling I know of, though everyone can fall off. That is why we get back on, otherwise no-one would ride.

I LOVE your new discussion.
Who is Fred? What's his breeding? He looks interesting.

Yep, Hat Tricks (my first horse) dumped me several times when I was working on getting my whole body relaxed. He would all of a sudden disappear from under me and WHOMP--on the ground.
Nowadays of course I have to depend on my stirrups to keep my balance since my MS sort of does my balance in. Feet in stirrups, heels down, knees down, head up & looking forward, that is how I work on my balance now. And I keep some tension in my leg muscles, nothing conscious, just what comes from doing the above. I think when I tried to relax completely that my body moved too much and irritated my horse, who decided that I needed a reminder of how to ride properly.

Hi shirley, I was just adding a picture of Cassie when I came across your old pic of Cash and message.

That's great that you pursued Buckskin reg. as well as QH.
I think that the Buckskin association will be extremely beneficial in coming years to produce some great American buckskin colored mounts.

The genetic viability is so great because they're registering Buckskins and Duns all across the board regardless of breed. This will in time produce phenomenal Buckskins and Duns.

Breeding for certain colors within one gene pool (like QH) is even more detrimental to a breed than even "closed" studbook management

The Quarter Horse Breed still allows plenty of TB blood in the form of Appendix Quarter Horses, and this can only refine/clean the blood, but wont do much to preserve the "type" in the long run

I believe that there Appendix program should be more open, and allow qualified individuals from other associations (like Buckskin, Palomino)

Eventually all our "closed"/"pure" breeds will be run in a more sound way. Did you know that The quarter horse breed was around as an "open stud book" for 200 years before someone decided they needed to be kept "pure"? This only happenned in 1941 and the first registered QH was a Thouroughbred named Wimpy.

Those years in our American History were when we made most of our mistakes in breeding. That's also when someone decided that instead of developing our own Olympic Breed (Warmblood) We would instead import european horses and breed "PURE" strains of them.

The Eropeans have long established Warmblood programs where the very basis of the Breed is to constantly seek better blood from around the world.

After all ALL Equines come from very similar ancestries, so they all are basically crosses of one another anyway.

Only certain, truly pure breeds, can be managed in this "pure" way. Truly pure breeds descend from only one Primitve Equine. Most of our breeds contain the blood of 2 or more primitive Equines
Such as Arabs, Andalusians, Akhal Teke, Norwegian Fjords.

Thanks for the welcome! This is new to me but I think I will really enjoy talking horses.