Hi Jan,
Go short people! Me too, I'm 5'11/2 and shrinking, I may have less leg surface to work with but I'm probably also a lot less tolerant of a nappy horse. I just don't have those great legs to nag with.
What do you think of the idea of suggesting a Dressage Fan/Barn Mice gathering at one of the big shows? We could pick a time and all meet for lunch or dinner. The assumption is that a lot of us would be going to the shows anyhow. Laura

hey i finally got pictures of my halflinger pony ringo. he just had an unpleasant visit from the dentist. go to my page and see them!

hey i finally got a cute picture of my halflinger ringo. He just had an unpleasant visit from the dentist. go to my page and check out the pics!!!! poor ringo his mouth hurts

Hi Jan, Haven't heard from you in a couple of days. Hoping everything is OK? Laura

How wonderful! This is an accomplishment that speaks to your ability as a coach, horse-person and empathic being. Let me know where and when your article will be published so I can read it.
I think that the show is an excellent idea. The only think that could prevent me from attending is a client meltdown. I'm a psychotherapist and haven't been able to find anyone to cover for me when I leave town. So far every one has been relatively low risk or easily manageable. I am getting to the point where I would like to do some traveling in the cold weather, possibly look for a winter home down south a bit. I guess it's time to address the constraints my practice presents.
Thanks for the tip about Greenhawk tack. The blankets look great. I bought Dee a Weather Beeta this year and it is already filled with holes. Next year he's getting one the those bulletproff 1600D Shedrow blankets.
Great to have you back.
Laura

Hey Jan!
I was just thinking about you the other day and your excellent advise on lead changes!
Yes, been off the group and on FB lots.
Hope all is well! I see the mare is progressing fabulously! Congrat!!!

Wow, -5 is awful! Wasn't that cold here, stayed around 20. I rode today and my new horse was trying to buck me off so I was quite warm that whole rode because I was making him work! But after that I froze!!!

Hi Jan.
Thanks for leaving your comment on Heather Sansoms blog about her work with you and the problems you had with one sidedness. I am now looking into online training thanks to your comment. Its so frustrating trying to ask your horse to work in a supple manner when you struggle with your own tightness. We are currently working through all the lateral movements and beginning work on the changes and canter pirouettes.

It sounds like you're having a wonderful time with your mare. Congratulations and best of luck with her in the future.

Dear Jan: Thanks for your kind wishes. I appreciate it very much, and it will certainly keep me warm on cold nights, physical and metaphorical!

Hi Jan,

Hope this finds you well and that you are now fairing much better with the right changes. I can relate to the spasms in the back, i used to suffer from them also. It took me a couple of years of yoga to reslove and thankfully they haven't returned. Unfortunately getting older (46) means after I have done all my chores and ridden I get a bit more tired than I used to and my old excercise (yoga or pilates) regime went out the window so now its time to get back into it. This time I'm about to start the stretches from Heather's e-book and will soon get into an online program.

I can't wait to iron some of the kinks out. I often find I have trouble with the left canter. My horse is harder to this side and it is often hard to analyse when things aren't quite right which is due to his crookedness and which is due to mine.

How long have you worked with Heather and how much time would you spend per week on her program?

Just wondering what the weather is like over there. We just went through a 4 day heatwave, the highest day reached 41.5 celcius (about 106.7 farenheit) and had the warmest night on record at 30.2 celcius. Are you noticing any changes in the climate where you are?

Cheers and all the best with your horses.

I have a chestnut mare too.. I would like to say the myth about chestnut mares doesnt occur with her but.. I think it does! She is very loving but has an attitude haha. :)

Jan, It's going to be in the 50's down here this week. Dee is going out on a trail ride if it kills both of us, and it just might. The most important message is...spring is coming!

I'm going to follow your advise. I may add some mommy's little helper to the mix, (propranolol) used by musicians for performance anxiety for years. Could be useful for some of your students with similar problems as well. It works on the physical symptoms of anxiety while allowing you to remain clear headed. Far more lucid than you would be if under more than comfortable amounts of stress. They will need and MD to write a script.
I either have the the scardie cat Connemara of the Universe or he's playing me. Dee spooks at everything. Before I bought him there was a flood on the farm and he had to be moved to an adjoining property. The bugger ran through an oak fence to go home. Of course there was no one sitting on his back with a whip encouraging him to stay where he was.
In truth, the more Dee connects with me the better he becomes. I now believe a great deal of his problem is the result of spending too much time standing around doing nothing when he was younger.
Well time to return phone calls. Have a great time at your clinic. If you ever come to NY let me know. We have a lovely home and a spare bedroom for you and your husband.
Laura

Hi Jan,

I seem to have lost the last few weeks, they've been so busy and already its February. We are in the middle of our bushfire season here and this weekend is the first anniversary of what we call Black Saturday. The 7th Feb last year was horrendous, 47 degrees celcius (just on 117 farenheit) with 100km per hour winds. The fires tore through the hills so fast that many people had no warning and around 170 people died. There are so many horrendous stories from friends who went through it or have passed stories on. My friends horse disappeared for a couple of days. A group of horses left the property when the fences burnt, then they all came trotting back down the driveway a few days later, worse for wear but still alive. She is well now although her airways were damaged and feeding now requires a little more effort as she cannot cope with dust.

Fortunately, since I last spoke to you the weather has become milder and its actually raining right now. We have been issued with storm and flash flooding alerts for tonight. Where I live I am surrounded by hills and eucalypt forests so we live in fear here of the same thing happening. Out of curiosity, you mentioned boreal forest in your last blog. None of my friends here know what boreal forest is so just wondering if you could describe it.

Is there a lot of hype where you are about the coming olympics? I hear they are worried about some of the events not having enough snow as the weather is a fraction too warm to manufacture snow. I'm sooo looking forward to spending hours in front of the tv watching the games, there's nothing like watching sport at olympic level.

Part 2, I ran out sof space.

I've been working through a series of Heather's exercises and am quite impressed with how much flexibility you can gain in such a short time. I've been a bit slow off the starting blocks as it takes some motivation when you're tired but the payoff is starting to happen. Its very funny trying to do barn chores ambidextrously, I'm so disgustingly unco-ordinated on my left side although its starting to improve. How have you been going?

Sidetracking now but I just noticed that you have a group called the crazy chestnut lovers!!!!!!!!! Go the chestnut, every horse of mine that I have used as a riding horse in the last 12 years has been a redhead! I hated them to start with but they kinda just get under your skin. My boy that I ride at the moment is a very sweet but overly sensitive redhead who can get his knickers twisted over the silliest little things. My other is a 3yo trakehner/tb cross who has the worlds most adorable, almost unflappable temperament and just looooves people. I'm breaking him in now and wouldn't swap him for the world.

All the best, Lorel

Hi Jan,

Great to hear from you. Our weather bureau got it wrong for my area so we only fot a few showers yesterday and no storms as forecast. We are also suffering from the el nino and have been in drought now for the last ten years. The bush has got so dry now it is just explosive which is why the fires last year got so bad. We don't have forced evacuations here, we have the right to stay and defend although if you leave and the roads are blocked they won't let you come back.

How did you go when you had to move all your horses for three weeks? Sounds like a nightmare.

You mentioned competing stallions. Were they yours or did you compete them for other people? Also how many horses would you have in your barn at the moment?

As an instructor, I was just wondering if you could help with any advice for a problem I have with my horse. He is hollow to the right so that when I bend him to the left, he's very difficult to get off the left rein, he sets his jaw and stubbornly hangs on. We do lots of lateral work and use lots of flexions. His suplleness has improved greatly but its a very old ingrained habit. Some weeks I feel like I'm winning, then other weeks I feel like we're getting no-where. Would you have any good exercises I could try?

Hope your horses are all going well.

Lorel

Hi Jan, I admire your efforts to diffuse the uglyness on the blog that shall not be mentioned!! sometimes we can't help some people despite the best intentions. I've had about enough of it too. It's just so unnessesary. Cheers Geoffrey

Hi Jan, We seem to have gotten your cold weather. It has been snowing like mad, unfortunately around here the snow is wet and almost instantly turns to ice. So there has been no trail ride for Dee and I. Out of frustration I've been trying to find an indoor that I can afford just to get him going before spring but so far no luck. Before next winter I need to purchase something to pull the horse trailer with so I can drive him to an indoor to ride.
My therapeutic mentor has convinced me to write a case study / article. It gives me something new to arduously avoid, stress over and feel guilty about not working on. All this avoidance has had the effect of making me far more productive at things I don't really need to do.
Did I read that you have a teenager! Me too. Well actually mine,( a son) is now 20, not that it makes a great deal of difference. I just found the greatest quote about parenting teens,"raising teenagers is like trying to nail Jello to a tree". I've worked with some really troubled kids so I try to keep things in perspective. I hate to sound judgmental, but I really wish he'd get a job, or go to school, or find some kind of direction other then hanging with his friends and smoking pot. They say that kids start to develop their pre-frontal cortex around 21. I'm waiting.
Do you have any videos of you and your beautiful mare? I want to see the two of you in action.
Laura

He's definitely a training level horse, but does some work way above his level and some way below. He has moments of self carriage that are breath-taking--If only I could sustain them. But then he cant keep himself straight down the long side of the arena unless he's charging away at full tilt. Which of course causes problems with relaxation. At the end of last season I began doing some shoulder-in with him to teach him that I can direct his wandering body parts and help make life a lot easier for him to boot.
I now understand that his body is tense, he just comes to work that way. For me to get a soft supple ride I have to spend a considerable amount of time stretching him both on the ground and at the walk. But what a difference in his mind and body. I've been going to the gym and staying fit so that when the time comes hopefully I'll be in better shape then he is. Also I want him out there trail riding, I think it's good for his head to get out of the ring. I used to have a big Trakhener., he was hot but love trail riding. He would even bush-wack, leaving the trails and breaking through the woods and brush. Not an easy task for a 16'2 hand horse. What a great horse he was.
Dee has a big year ahead of him. While I've been riding him for awhile this is the first full season that I've owned him. So I'm keeping my case load small for the riding season and plan to develop this guy into the partner I know he can be.

Hi Jan,
Sorry its taken so long to get back to you, reason being I've been dilligently working away at the advice that you gave me and can now report back with some really pleasing results. I've learnt some really interesting things in the last couple of weeks with regard to just how much an effect your seat and position has on your horse and also how much my horse tricks me into sitting and riding him the way he wants me to! Its hard to find where to start describing what I've learnt. Firstly, I've been religiously working through all the stretching exercises from Heather. I knew I had tightness issues with my hips and always noticed from the mark I left on the seat of my saddle that my right hip was always in advance of my left and I couldn't seem to correct it and also that I couldn't lift my legs out sideways away from my saddle without it killing me. I have really struggled with trying to beat my chair seat and also struggled to push my outside leg back from the hip right down to the heel so I would tend to just use the lower part of my leg and my heel would then come up. Now I'm finding that my hips are loosening, I can press my whole leg back from the hip, my heels feel like they are becoming lower and the mark on my saddle from my seat is now even every ride. HALLELUJAH! That brings me to the second part, which relates to your advice. Now that I can stretch my right hip backward, I'm finding it so much easier to get my horse off my left leg and push him out into the right rein on a left circle. Because I can push the right hip back, I can get the weight into it as you recommended and I've also noticed, since you pointed it out, how much he trys to get me to sit on the left side. I'm now getting some really nice serpentines without him "falling over" on the left shoulder when I change rein and can get him off the left rein when he starts to lean. (Need to start a new page)

I

I am a little confused after your comments about working on the right rein. If you are circling to the right, his hollow side, do you still try to keep him pushing out to the right rein as I'd always assumed that on a right circle he should be pushing out into the left rein. I've watched some interesting training videos where they would keep a horse that is hollow to the right flexed outward on a right circle in order to correct the problem. Is this what you were talking about?

We have a way to go yet but we have gained so much ground in the last couple of weeks, its great. Thanks for your help.

I've been a bit slack with the core strength exercises as I've been glued to the tv wherever possible watching olympics but I've been good with the stretching and it is paying dividends I couldnt believe within just a few weeks. They've been showing some fantastic promos for Canada and Vancouver on tv here and it just looks so beautiful. My partner and I have decided that when we take our next holiday it will be to Canada and the Rocky Mountaneer is high up on the list. My best friend lived in Whistler and worked on the ski fields years ago and she raves about it. I hear that a lot of Aussies work over there and that we share a similar sense of values and sense of humor. As I'm writing this, one of our travel shows has just put on a feature on Montreal.

Our summer, which initially looked like it was going to be a stinker this year ended up being far milder and we've had a lot of rain from some pretty decent thunder storms. I have paddocks at home that were cut for hay that have been green for the whole of summer which is unheard of here. Normally the grass throughout summer is old, dead, burnt off yellow.

Its funny you say that you had a premonition about the fires you were talking about. I had the ame thing happen about two weeks before the big fires here last year. It happened about two weeks before the fires happened and it really freaked me out. I'm sure my friends thought I was nuts when I started panicking on the day just before it happened.

You say your law firm had to pack up and move everything. Are you a lawyer?

Thanks for your advice. It has really helped. I would love to hear more about how you are going with your horses.

Cheers for now,

Lorel

Jan, I need you to talk me out of this. I'm starting to get the baby itch. I have a friend who has a beautiful TB mare who throws great babies. She is open this season and Tina (my friend) has offered her to me if I'm interested.
This would not be my first foray into foaling and all the work that goes into raising a baby. ( I bred a beautiful Riverman colt ( who was a stamp of his father), only to loose him in a divorce as a yearling. It's like a sickness...I don't need another horse, any extra money I have can be well spent training Mr Smarty Pants--purchasing a truck--etc. Additionally, my friend Tina always seems to have a baby or two around to play with. So why do I keep putting money aside in my stud fee fund and looking at stallions?
Congratulations on your new truck! I love trucks. Isn't it wonderful that our children are able to intermediate between between us and the world of high technology ( and here we are riding horses). I recently bought an Ipod, and needed lessons from my son on how to operate the thing.
My truck will not be nearly as fancy. I have in mind something I can keep parked at the barn that both Tina and I can use to pull the trailer. Our trailer is heavy ( a Trailet with a dressing room and water-tanks) what ever it is, it has to have the heavy duty package. There is an auction nearby that has very good deals on vehicles. My ex-husband (who thinks he's my client) can do a pre-purchase exam. I haven't told Bill, ( my partner) that I'm planning another vehicle yet. He's still recovering from the custom saddle. How does your husband deal with all the horse stuff, is he supportive?
Get your daughter to help you with those videos before she goes off to college!
Laura

Hi Jan, Why are men so insecure? I'm not sure about Canada, but here in the U.S. every thing you spend on your business including those horses and custom saddles are tax deductible. As an amateur such is not the case for me. Unfortunately, I have that illness that leaves me chronically dissatisfied unless my horse is decked out in the very best of everything. ( remind me to discuss shedrow blankets with you). There is little I find more satisfying then grooming him until he gleams like a penny and then decking him out in his sheepskin pad and soft leather tack. Of course then I ride him and on most days the fantasy ends:).

My husband is at the retirement end of an accomplished career; as a classical musician. You would think his ego would be on high. But no, me "spending time" with my horse (instead of him) makes him fret? I love him, he's great, my life has never been better then since I met him. However, disconnecting the flesh that joins us at the hip is a painful venture.

The financial piece is a whole nother story. Currently Bill earns the bulk of the income,(my private practice is still only about 2 years old), although I pay my own bills he can get snitty when I spend money. So like you say, they never see what gets shipped to the barn.

Laura

PS I have to apologize for my lapse in writing. I'm sure you thought I went out on a trail ride never to be heard from again. I was having difficulty figuring how to open the appropriate messages...OK so I'm not so computer savvy.

The do'nt breed intervention was very helpful. Thanks

Jan,
Boy you work hard. At this point I've done it both ways, I've owned a barn and done the work, and boarded. Frankly at this point I like boarding a lot. If I couldn't find a boarding barn I can trust I might feel differently.
I've started Dee on his exposure therapy to scary trail stuff. We left the barn property following a more experienced horse. He was pretty good to start. About 20ft down the road we started to encounter piles of wood left over from the storm. That got him going. He started to get tense, snorting, you know the routine. I told the woman with me that I thought we had gone far enough, that I was anxious to leave off on a positive note rather than wait for him to explode. So back to the barn we went. We'll repeat the routine again, perhaps today, maybe adding a little(pill form) ace.
Contrary to his photo, Dee is a black horse. I would like to try to keep him from bleaching out this year which will mean keeping a sheet on him. Because Dee is a Connemara and can practically live on air he shares a paddock with the fat horses, which unfortunately are also the mean horses. They shredded his new 600 D blanket this past winter so I am now in the position of having to purchase him a new blanket and a sheet, both must be bullet proof. In the heat of the summer I will probably break down and keep him in the barn. Not his favorite place to hang out, but he'll adapt. All this is a long way of asking for your recommendation on a Shedrow turnout sheet, and blanket.

Part II
As for the opposite sex... I believe that men try to resolve, with us the issues that they were unable to finish with their mothers. For instance, I know that Bill's mother was inattentive, and did not connect well with him. This lack of connection in children can cause insecurity, anxiety, etc. We call this a problem cycle. In an attempt to find wellness Bill unconsciously tries to recreate the the relationship he didn't have with his mother me. Problem is I don't want to be a mother to grown man. I want him to be independent and self assured and I choose to be the same.
The fact that both of our spouses can tolerate our horsing around is a good sign. There are those who are so controlling that it becomes pathological, even dangerous. (I work part-time in a domestic violence program. )
Besides, If you gave up horses you'd sell your tractor and I'm willing to bet your partner loves that tractor!
Laura

AHA! so all season long when I was giving him his showers and turning him out in the sun to dry I was bleaching him out. Not only that, I was giving him showers with that very expensive blackening shampoo. Talk about a waste of money. Thanks for the advise I'll follow it.
Our husbands sound as if they have a few things in common. That early attachment stuff is very powerful, it can be what makes or breaks us.
After twenty-five years you must be doing something right. I've never stayed with one man for that long. I believe Bill is my current record. Certainly my record for being happily involved at 9 years, and I feel like he's a keeper.

I rode Dee today. The ring was a mess but I just had to get on. He was good, very forward, lots of cantering, but willing to come back. He had not forgotten everything that I had taught him, and was far more relaxed than he was last spring. I didn't do much because the footing was so awful but it felt wonderful to sit on him again!

I've had my best indicator so far that Dee is either growing up or the training is sinking in. I was riding him yesterday when the horses in the paddock next to the ring began to play. He jigged a bit and was sorely tempted to take off with me and join in but after a little redirecting he was fine! There is nothing quite so rewarding as progress! Milo the cat says Hi. Laura

Hi Jan,
The weather has been perfect, hovering around 70 degrees, exquisite for riding. All the little barn rats have come scurrying out of their winter nests to curry mounds of winter coat off of their horses. Saturday when done with my ride I sat in a chair basking in the sun, sipping an iced coffee,and watching Dee. His after work treat is to wander loose inside the farm enclosure where the grazing is exceptional in-season. At this time of year he delights in teasing the (good) horses who are in their paddocks trying to mind their business and then return to frisk me once again for any remaining carrot bits. As I'm sitting there I think, this is the perfect moment and I feel indescribably happy. I really feel it's a privilege to be able to share time with horses. Laura

Well, yesterday was pretty typical. I planned the day so that I would have plenty of time--scheduled my appointments in the morning out of my Beacon office. On the ride home I was feeling pretty good about the way my schedule was moving along when I got an emergency call from a client who was having a severe panic reaction. I had to pull the car over and talk her through her anxiety . By the time I helped her settle down the time I had allotted to ride was gone and I had to eat and move on to the next appointment. In short my work is highly unpredictable, and I have to be there for these folks. The worst thing that could ever happen to me is for one of my clients to suicide, in this field that is an ever present possibility. I give clients who are vulnerable the option of contacting me at any time in an emergency. It's not necessarily the norm for practitioners in my field but I understand just how impulsive an act suicide is and believe that safety is sometimes just a phone call away.
In truth I loose more riding time to the weather then anything else. Currently I am in the midst of negotiations over a 1ton truck to pull the horse trailer. Once that is in place and I can take Dee to an indoor, weather be damned.
Your life sounds almost frenetic. Does that suit you? Do you find the time to relax?
Speaking of frenetic I'm off to see clients.
A pleasure hearing from you as always! Laura

How exciting it is to hear about you daughter! I love to hear stories of young people,(particularly women) who are bright, purposeful,and well motivated. Engineering school will be challenging but provide her with the guarantee of a well paid career. My father was an engineer, although he learned his skill by being brilliant and working his way up the ladder at IBM. I'm not sure there were too many graduate engineers in those days. Toward the end of his career he actually worked with a think tank on artificial intelligence. Although he assured me the only real artificial intelligence were the PhD.'s. He called them "piled high and deeps" and said he'd never met a bunch of people whose scope of information was so narrow yet so deep. Probably not to my credit he predicted that I would get a PhD. I thought about it, but decided that at my age it was a poor investment.
I have a horse question for you. I have Dee going so that he is relaxed, goes in a frame, and is relatively steady on the circle. He listens to my seat and legs quite nicely but doesn't like to pay attention to my hands( I'm riding him in a Springer KK snaffle) . His brakes are slow(many steps) and after teaching him on the ground, he's just gotten the rein back. Obviously this means he can not do a half halt yet which is kind of limiting. The question is how do I teach him to be more responsive to my hands. I am not a heavy handed rider, nor do I want to be.
I have to add that so far everything I have been able to make clear to this horse he has done willingly. So I'm certain that somehow,somewhere I have failed in the training process to make this clear to him. By the way, with young horses I do reinforce everything verbally, with the seat and hands.

Red Ribbon

Hey Jan, I think I lost my previous note...just in case you come across a note bit somewhere. Any how, I have much horsey to report and no time to do so. Thank you so much for your lesson. I've tried to print it, to no avail. When I have the time I will hand copy it and tuck it among my most cherished equine books and articles.
Remind again me when you and your students will be coming to the US . Did you say Virginia? I'll plan a trip. It would be exciting to meet you and see the fruits of your labor.
The other quick bit of info; the woman who owns the barn I board at has a very nice American WB for sale for $7,500.00. Black, 16'2, 5 years old, super movement, father got a 10 for his trot in his inspections, great temperament, beautiful head, beautiful horse. I thought about buying him but just didn't want anything that big. He does walk, trot, canter quietly. Tina can send more info for a good home. Happy Riding, Laura

Hi Jan,
It's a rainy day so I have a bit of extra time to fill in the blanks. You are so smart, the cut and paste worked beautifully.
I've been doing as instructed and am surprised how sensitive Dee is to my seat. He is still not happy about having his mouth touched but that will come.

I took a lunge lesson on my trainers 2nd level horse last week. God it felt good to ride a horse that knew his job! It made me realize with great clarity that water seeks it's own level, and I had lost a lot of ground because of the time I spend trying to accommodate for the antics of a hot, inexperienced, horse. I called my trainer an made arrangements to have her ride Dee weekly. She will describe her schooling process to me and then assigning homework for Dee and I to work on during the week. If I'm doing something wrong she's going to be able to feel it when she rides, that's when Dee and I need a lesson together.

I'm curious about your "vacuum" metaphor. It is one of the first things I remember you saying to me..."nature abhors a vacuum", I'll never forget it. Now here I see it again. I comment because,I'm a Narrative therapist and will borrow your metaphor in a heart beat, but also because it is so effective, paints such a strong visual image as to make the comment attached to it almost impossible to forget. Do you remember the origins of this metaphor?

I'll talk to Tina about getting a video of CC on U-tube. She'll probably want to wait until he's done shedding his winter coat. I'll keep you posted. Laura

Thanks, Jan! I knew about Heather Samson but I wasn't aware that she could work with someone via e-mail! I live in Toronto and was so disappointed when I realized that she is in Ottawa. I will definitely contact her. Thanks, again!

Hi Jan,
Finally a rainy day in which to write. Dee has been doing so well I barely recognize him. He gone from insolent to almost willing. He takes his work very seriously, you can feel the wheels spinning ( he is very smart). Of course he's conflicted, on the one hand work is such a bother, on the other, no work means no treats,no mommy contact. After his day off he's always waiting at the gait for the next days work.
I'm still working on getting him to accept the rein. He hates it. He's pretty good at the trot, getting better at the half-halt, but awful at the walk and upward transitions. My trainer has been riding him which is working out great. Dee remembers his lessons and I can feel them immediately when I get on him. Which helps circumnavigate all that tricky communication stuff. End part I

Part II
I had a particular event happen to me and I wanted to run it by you. I wanted to get Michael Schaeffer to do a clinic in this area, so I contacted a woman I know who has a huge, beautiful, new, indoor with a viewing area etc. Once the door was open this woman began to try to sell herself and her barn to me rather aggressively. It should be known that not only is she aware that I have a trainer, but knows who the trainer is and was bad mouthing her to me,(which I did not appreciate). Tina, the barn manager ( shown holding Dee) was with me, when I said something to her about it her response was,"Maybe she just feels like she's offering a different kind of product". Jan, she called my trainer, "stupid" In the therapy world we call that behavior splitting. If she behaves this way with her professional hat on ( when we are all at our best),what is she like around the barn ( which is also her home)? I found it unprofessional and catty. What makes it worse is, this woman has her MSW and used to work as a Family Therapist. Next time someone tells you they think therapists are nuts, believe them. Am I missing something or is this considered to be OK horse etiquette ? Tina may not have been so quick to defend her had she known that she was just as anxious to have me as a boarder in her barn, even offering to lower her board. The effect of the situation was to make me happy to be at my little barn where I ride most days without ever encountering another soul. It's true, on occasion I miss the camaraderie of a dressage barn, but now I wonder if it's worth the angst. Riding is my meditation, my time to be in touch with my physical, intellectual, and spiritual self. My time to feel close to the natural world, and the wonderful animals that are our partners. Not time to worry about who's saying what to whom. Certainly not time to get involved in mediating disputes. Sorry for the venting, Thanks for listening. Laura

Thanks Jan! :)

Jan, I can not believe the difference in this horse. To think it was less than a year ago on this very site that I wrote, desperate for advise. I clearly remember someone telling me that he wasn't "trainable". It hit me like a brick wall, I believed what I was hearing . Then up you appeared heartily disagreeing with those comments, instead validating the fact that Connemara's are a challenging breed. They are...but once they decide to submit, they'll give you anything "reasonable" you ask for. I've never known a horse like him. He learns so quickly that it's amazing. He's incredibly sensitive and athletic. What's more at 15'1, and me at 5'1, I can really visualize him as an extension of myself as I ride. Something I was never able to do on my warmblood. My trainer rides him and then he teaches me the lesson. He seems to like being a dressage horse. His work ethic started somewhere south of horrible but has gotten better as the work becomes more interesting. As he gets better I keep thinking about how dangerously close I came to giving up on him, and how you saved us as a team. Thank you, Jan. I'm creating a video journal of Dee's progress. When I get a few of them I will post them for you to see.

On the newsy front, my trainer Denise, purchased CC. I'm glad he's going to a home where he will be both loved and utilized to his full potential. Tina is a horrible salesman, and the video you saw did not begin to do him credit, but he's quite a horse.

How are student preparations going for the show season? Are nerves beginning to run high? What are you and your mare doing this year? Is Vee the baby or the mare?
Well I'm off to the barn. I'm beginning to think this is a serious addiction and the better we get the more addictive it becomes. Laura

Jan,
You sound like a very busy woman. I have only 2 horses and live on 50 acres west of Stratford. I work with both of my horses in Dressage and hope to start showing them towards the end of the year. I wanted to show them last year but a storm destroyed our Riding arena and damaged our barn and horse trailer. Everything is rebuilt and fixed now except the trailer needs some more work. At this point I am not very experienced in Dressage. I have read tons of books on it and if push comes to shuff I have a great Dressage trainer not too far away. I might ask for her oppinion before I show. Will see. It's been great meeting you here at Barnmice and I hope we will chat in the future again. All the best to you. Heike

It sounds like you're doing great! But I think we are both right. It is like an addiction. With horses I am obsessive,driven, goal oriented, I never just ride for fun,( I still haven't had him out on that trail ride). The saddest part of this is that I'm an amateur, I supposedly ride for fun... I guess we each have our own definition of fun.
Is it hard for you to give yourself down time when your profession is also the thing that you love?

By the way have you ever heard of some one choosing not to purchase a horse because, "the left hind leg has a crooked swing phase"??? I guess if I really thought about it I could imagine what that might look like. What would it take to see something like this, slow motion film? Is this a legitimate issue or is the potential buyer simply having cold feet.

I'm off to the barn of course. The weather has been rainy so I've been spending too much time searching for a truck. I've decided that there is very little I hate more than shopping for used trucks. Most of them are in terrible condition and very expensive. Of course then I have my guys helping me...that would be my ex-husband, and my current partner. My ex-husband knows a lot about vehicles, and I gotta work with my partner. Between the two of them if you don't read about me tying them up and shooting them, in the newspaper it will be a miracle.
Dee is being a good boy. Seems like he's relaxing a bit as the season progresses. He's using his back more, starting to stretch down into the bit.
Well it's a beautiful day and I can't wait to get to the barn. Speak with you soon. Laura

Thanks Jan.... at this point with Oliver I do not encourage him eating out of my hand..... so we go to a feeder instead.... he loves butter creams..... do you think horses get cavities? Is that a dumb question? Getting the vet near him to fix his teeth is a whole other issue don't you think? LOL.. thanks for helping me and cheering me up..... why does this horse affect my moods so much, ugh????? (I'm smiling as I say this.... )

Thanks again Jan. I don't really give him sugar or butter creams... I just noticed that he likes them.. I'm pretty boring... he eats good hay and a few supplements and hardley any butter creams.... he like marshmallows that I had left over from Christmas... I'm sort of against the treats really but realized that they made me more confident.. it's like I have something he wants and I make him work for them... even if working to me is just listening and doing what I ask for now.... ":)

well i am not in love with him.. adn i have plans for my future and he is supportive of them which is hard to find a city boy that likes horses and i do try to ride lots but rite now with the heat is hard.. but im trying to sample the world but its nice to have a guy there behind u to help u every once in a while... i mean if i really thought bou tit maybe i will stick to horses... they are so much easier to please and be round and u dont have to look good for them! plus no back talking and complaining when u r grumpy...

Jan, you are my idol, well said, er, typed....

Your very welcome Jan, my summer has been so insane that I am just getting to your note now.
If you ever need product advice please email me at www.omegaalpha.ca
I hope the products worked well for you.

All. The best
Patti

Thanks for the info Jan!  WOW - it looks really good and very much like what I've been searching for.  We'll see about getting it in Idaho!

 

Thanks again - Pam