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Took Amigo on a short trail ride around the farm. I used my western saddle and my split reins on my reining bit. My goal was to round him up and get him using his back. He has a indent behind his shoulder from letting his back sag all summer. (He had beginner riders all summer and took very good care of them.) Ed said that riding him on the bit and rounded will help him get back the muscle he has lost. He also showed me the stretch that makes the horse arch their back. After the loop around…

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Rode Amigo. Worked on the canter depart again. His canter is better going counter clockwise. I ended work when he did one depart really pushing from behind. Then my bestie rode him at the walk. So proud of my boy!



My goals for him is to create more impulsion and have a crisp canter depart instead of a bumpy trot going into the canter. He has come along way considering the fact that he used to try to buck me off every time I asked for the canter! There were no bucks and not even the… Continue

The Monday before last I had a lesson with Madeleine Austin. She is a very talented dressage rider and trainer and the mother of another very talented dressage rider and trainer. In my lesson we worked on my very tight hips and ankles. I did many tours of the arena stretching my legs out and back one after the other. It did help loosen my hips up. I am thankful for the very quiet school horse I was on during this, since…

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Last week a few of my family members and I went to the Equine Affair in Massachusetts. One of the booths there was for Dressage Training Online. My Uncle knows my interest in learning dressage and bought me a month and also received a free month for my Christmas present. I just joined yesterday and have probably watched about 4 hours of videos already. I've watched a bunch of…

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Ive been thinking (you can smell the smoke from there can't you) that I need to focus on the things I can change and let go of the crap that I can't. (sounds AA-ish, I am actually 7 and a half years sober.)

I'm not even going to talk about the "crap" I cant change right now and focus on what I CAN change.

**I am tired and unhealthy. I am, what I have recently found out, a "bad" vegetarian. I have been this way for about 3 years. I cut out meat but havent added any vegetables.…

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Recovery...thats the word of the day. My hand that I cut open 10 days ago is healing very well. It still hurts to hold a hair brush, use a squirt bottle or use a body brush using downward strokes. Up until 10 minutes ago I couldnt take the cap off of my water bottle.

Part of my healing has been just getting back out to the barn to interact with my horses. Im a little nervous around them, since I am so protective of my hand right now, but thats fading away each time I go down…

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Feeling pretty good today. I got two nice comments from fellow barnmice. Those kind of comments help put things into perspective without being discouraging. Thanks ladies!

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I was asked once, where I wanted to go with horses and what I wanted to learn. My reply was that I wanted to be able to work with horses and pay my bills that way. I dont care about getting rich, all I want to do is get by while doing what I love. Continue

Today I worked with Fergie a bit. She was kinda being a poop. She threatened to kick me. I then put her on a rope and worked on her "leg" yielding. She took a little bit to figure it out but when she did she did well. Im really happy with her progress. Continue

I had a western riding lesson today. I guess it wasnt exactly a riding lesson as much as it was tips and help with getting the most out of Harley. My plan is to use him next year as my gymkhana horse. I had wanted to use Bentley but my western trainer thinks that his conformation will cause him problems when I really start to push him for speed. Im bummed about this. I dont want to do anything to Bentley that… Continue

Im a little bummed today. It was raining here today and I didnt get to ride or work with any of my horses. There was a small window mid afternoon that the weather broke and I could have taken advantage of it but didnt. I feel really guilty when I waste an oppurtunity to ride and play with my babies.



Yesterday though, I did ride two horses and worked with Fergie.



I rode Harley… Continue

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September 18th Was the NWRDC Gymkhana. I took Bentley, my Uncle's Morgan gelding. We did pretty well. 1st place in the stake race. Two 3rd place, and a 4th and 5th place (I dont remember what I got what in.) I DQ'd in the…

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Today was a beautiful day. I tried to work all my horses but only got a few done. Its all good though.

 

I did ground work with Fergie, (Painted Beauty), (my newest baby a 3 yo paint. The filly from my late paint mare, B (My Bayou Beauty). I got her completely green. So I am starting from scratch.)

I lunged Fergie in the arena with a western…

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Today I worked Lazz. (14 yo OTTB that I free lease. that came to me June 20th 2010 in really rough shape. He had no muscle and was quite thin.) We worked on things I read in Centered Riding the night before. I worked at calming my self and FEELING my horse. I also worked on my contact on the reins which is a big problem for me. I feel like Im being kinder with loopy reins but I know now that Im not doing him any favors. I had…

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