Sometimes Bingo Uses ANY Excuse to Ignore Me

Since Debbie was putting on a horse show on July 4 I had my lesson on Tuesday. Debbie decided that she needed to give her problem child, the Arab gelding Tercel, a ride, and my lesson was the only chance she would have this week. Years ago when she got Tercel I told her I did not mind her riding him during my lessons since Debbie is quite capable of…

A Frustrating Ride on Magic

Last Sunday my grandson, who was visiting me, got his desire to go riding again after six months of not getting up on a horse. We rode at Shannon's, and I gave up my ride on Cider so my grandson could have a less frustrating ride, so I got the opportunity to ride Magic and get frustrated! Shannon did not mind me switching horses, she knows that Cider is much more…

Bingo Reverts to His Old Habits

Because of the cold my riding schedule got messed up. Wednesday morning it was 19°F at the stable, I had already rescheduled my lesson because of the weather forecast. Debbie was willing to give me a lesson on Thursday morning, but then Debbie called me about how she had to baby-sit…

Bingo Seems to Like My New Seat in the Saddle

Due to Bingo's extremely high croup and due to the lack of intelligent training and physical development earlier in his life, including not “fixing” his inverted posture while ridden, Bingo has back problems under saddle. It has been my goal for every ride in the last seventeen months to strengthen Bingo's back and to lead him to the best way of…

Bingo Did Not Like the Change in His Routine

When I arrived at the stable on Wednesday for my lesson, Debbie had to go and search the stalls for Bingo. When she brought him out Bingo was obviously in a high dudgeon over something, it turned out that Bingo was not put in his regular feeding stall, and he WAS NOT HAPPY. Ignoring the hay in front of him Bingo fussed over everything, so Debbie gave…

Rebel Without a Cause

This week we are having a heat wave down here in NC, hot and humid, the type of weather where sweat drips off of my face. Today I did not ride Mia because the dew point was 75° F, and it is supposed to get up to 97° F in the shade. All week I had been…

Bingo Behaved During the Summer Horse Camp!

Two weeks ago Debbie had her Summer Camp for kids. This is the second year Bingo was used in the camp, before the first one I had been riding Bingo for 3 months, and he was not a good boy—he inverted and ran away with his little rider, who then fell off. He was wearing a soft rubber D-ring single jointed snaffle that year. Debbie did not use him the…

Winter Tries to Return

This week was full of physical soreness for me, and changing weather for the horses. 

When I arrived at Debbie’s stable Wednesday morning for my lesson I told Debbie that I was not up to much activity.  That suited Debbie just fine; she had to give her soon to be endurance horse, the Arab gelding Tercel, another ride before her first formal long distance ride to get him used to his new endurance bridle and breastplate.  She also wanted my opinion on how…