Another Dreary Day.... but a good one!

Today was my day with Charles.... and it was good.
As you can see by his pictures... he was being exceptionally well at accepting the bit and leg aids.
I only worked on maintaining rythm... but he is a natural.

I worked on bending... no difficulties.

I worked on headset and forward motion.

He was accepting and wanted more.

We worked on half passes at the walk... and it was a good start.

Backing ... great.

Halting PERFECT ...

HELLO? Perfect headset... and he holds it until I release the reins!

Cantering... well we have to do a little more work there.... he is high at the rump right now... which pitches us forward and makes him heavy on the forhand... but on the lounge he is balanced. SO hmmm I guess that would be me?

GOSH... I want to just unload that 50 lb bag of grain I have been laboring around with me the last 10 years and just be done with it! THEN I can do all that I want to do and it will be easier on myself and my horses.....SO WHY WHY WHY cant I? Friggin american way... LAZY!

Anyhoooooooooo must be the weather... its getting to me. A great day to take some pics tho! Thank you Charity! An aspiring photographer herself! Greatly appreciate not haveing to tripod my cybershot this time... because I can never stay within the lens!

Angels Second Session

Was able to save some money by sharing a farm call

with Joyce as King Elk needs chiro and acupuncture too.

After Elk was set to cook he scanned Angel. WOW! Stood tall and square with pressure on his back! AWESOME progress with first session! Thankful that the chi is flowing! Judith said she felt he was more grounded and balanced. I will take whatever I can get to get back on and move forward with his training. Too awesome an athlete to be stuck in neutral all summer.

WE have got to get out there! Only so many weekends in a season and we MUST get him onto a schedule. ME a plan. MUST do~go~see... jumper nite tomorrow with Candace at Wild Run Farm at 4pm. Lessons at 8 with Kaitlyn, Haley and Ronnie and Hayden starts hers at 9 a.m. What a good summer to be sharing knowledge with the youngsters and making them into future equestrians with good bases! :)

Hopefully post more pictures after tomorrow. Hoping to acquire some of me riding Angel and training Charlie too! That lug head! SEE BELOW!

Schooling Angel Cross Country

Found time this a.m. to get over to HEP and work Angel in circles, bending, transitions and then of course over the cross country course. All the while he is calling for his partner in crime ~ which leads me yet again to the conclusion... he must be seperated from the heard. Misty doesnt call for anyone... actually none of the others do... just Angel ... and HE IS LOUD! I was unseated a few times with him and his whipping around to get an eye on his lady friend. Which I had to tune him in real quick like.... one rein wait for submission... like a child. Listen to me... listen to me ... listen to ME. Pay attention to ME... Angel my boy ... by the way... ITS ALL ABOUT ME!

Finally... he gave me a few good trips around the arena... at the canter, bent and on contact. I was proud of him. Then I pat him and oooooops... that gave him that second to look for her and call and get all unorganized again... UGH... back to the drawing board. It was a good thing though. Life is not peaches n cream... a matter of fact... this is exactly what he would act like if we were out at a show... so why not go thru the moves that he will come to expect this summer? Its a good thing for him... exhausting for me. I was junk after an hour of that crap. STILL NO LEFT LEAD though I tried as much as my legs would allow.... then had to give up or get off. I have faith that my MON May 19th Acupuncture / Chiro appt with Tusch will lend insight to what is going on and hopefully allieviate whatever is ailing him. Although today he was not off, but a dinkweed... to be expected... when was the last time I actually "WORKED" him? Before I left Rolex... I am quite sure. How he stays so muscular and sheen I dont know... chasing the girls probably while he airs out his junk.... always on the run that boy :)

Anyhooooooo rain rain rain. Was supposed to go to UNH to school what Sat with Candance.... but rain had its way with me... and I am a fair weathered rider FOR SURE... I have done enough rainy day rides, shows, camping and motorcycling... which is what has made me the fair weathered rider I am today :). So cancelled that with her last minute unfortunately, and then again this afternoon she was having a schooling nite at Wild Run and NOPE... rain again... but they were going inside if the rain was too bad... well too many riders inside a not so big arena is not my cup of tea... so I opted for next weeks schooling instead. PLUS ~ who was junk after riding Angel today? I would have looked like a sak of crap atop poor Baby Jane... so eeegh.... next week is another week!

Alrighty then.... thats all for now!

OFF TO ROLEX.... WOOT! WOOOT!

ME & ANGEL! ... I KNOW! Looks like him doesnt it?

Hey and I lost a ton of weight too! CoOL!

KIDDING!... Not me... or Angel.. THIS TIME... but soon!

That would be Missy Ransenhousen on Critical Decision

Well I have been busy getting in my last rides to hold me over the 5 days I will be gone. Cleaning, organizing and making sure I have grain and bedding and the fencing is up and troughs are filled. I am sure I will not remember everything but all is done outside, raked and mulched and organized so now I can concentrate on packing. The weather forecast calls for 70-80 degree weather. Its raining right now and good that KY is getting that out of the way, because aparently ROLEX is known to have less then fair weather conditions. That be the reason we chose the covered premium seating. What a great time we are going to have! I will miss my riding time and most of all morning walks to the barn with my two Schnauzers but I am sure I wont have time to think about them while I am there soaking up the sun and all the goings on!

The youngest ROLEX rider being 18,

Madeline Blackman on Gordonstown

Phillip Dutton on Connaught

Buck Davidson - Bruce Davidson's Son on My Boy Bobby

Allyson Springer on Destination Known

I will have my NEW Canon 50D Camera in hand tomorrow! PHEW... but really doesnt leave me much time to make sure all is in working order before hitting the turf! All those new buttons and gadgets and settings... AIIIIIIKE! But the plane ride will hopefully allow me time to familiarize myself with it to get me by... ONE and ONLY chance to get great shots of great riders at the GREATEST event... NO pressure Naw... nahhhh ... uh uh.... really no dont worry about it ... I got it covered... huh... puuh... yah...


Anyhoooo onto other news.... Charles was riden today. He did beautifully with his headset and understanding inside rein inside leg... NICE! And wasnt too bad to lounge or work with tacking up. Hmmmm... there is a connection here... WORK = NICE.... & NO work = DINK.... oh I get it! :) But really... the kids are well.. Angel is still "off" and upon my return I will make sure I have a commitment to 3 sessions with Tusch for Chiro/Acup to right the poor man. I know that Tusch will get him right so we can continue on with our progress.


Baby on the other hand... a little handful on the lounge and then... badaboom badabing... beautiful goer. Haley offered to ride her for me while I am gone as she has done such a great job with her the last two times, I have faith in her to CONTINUE her education with INSIDE REIN INSIDE LEG and not allow her to trot around the arena with her nose out... RIGHT HALEY! Thank you again ... you know that all that work will come at a price right? The price is get it RIGHT or forfeit your special gift from ROLEX! So I know you will do it all so perfectly while I am gone and I will be ready for my first dressage test in May ... and SO WONT YOU! :)


Lastly this will be my final post until April 28th as I will be checking out my competition in KY and taking notes on what motivates me to getter done and GET OUT THERE!

Cant wait to post my next post with all the wonderful things I will have to say.

YOU ALL WILL FEEL LIKE YOU JUST GOT BACK TOO!

It will be like you went without leaving and didnt spend a dime!

LUCKY YOU!

:) until then keep it on the rail and tune in next time!

You want a piece of me? YOU GOT IT!

I try to get my monies worth when training my two youngsters, which is why I usually bring them both. I can tie one & work the other. OHHHHH but my darling Charlie had something else in mind when we had taken his "girls" to the beach for a ride, making sure to solidify his chances of being the next to be ridden. I had left him with Angel only to come back to find Angel with injury. Charlie of course with the "I didnt do it" look and "But I'm your Angel momma" ~

OH really... well seems like you want my undivided attention hugh? You got it big boy.

But not before he gave me the RANKEST protest by rearing, striking, bucking, pawing & trying to lay down and roll after saddled! I am so onto his ways... and so we just lounged until lathered, then I mounted up the head hanging sod and we worked some more on BENDING -

"oh Charlie did you say you wanted my undivided attention? Oh ok... well then this is what we do ... we entertain momma by bending and bending and more bending... head set... NOPE ... sorry no play time... disengage the hind... NOPE ... some more... awwwwwwwwwww lookie that head come around... tired ???? So sorry Charlie.. that is what you get when your a dinkISSSS.... WORK... work work work... "

Usually I am tired after riding ... but I have been gym-in' it... so my legs are strong... "hey Charlie how are those ribs doing? GOOOOD!" I finally felt confident in my horsemanship EVEN AFTER all his antics which constantly questions my authority. I am tired of it... and its time to LET'ER RIP - LET'ER FLY! He is going to be 3 at the end of this month and I cannot wait until my arena is thawed.

WEEEEZ GONNA HAVE SUM FUN aint we Charlie!!!!!

I hope by then we will work out the "antics" prior to our sessions as they just BORE me now :) & get onto progress in the saddle!

I feel he gave me as much as he could being that its really the first time I have ASKED for inside rein inside leg and trying to maintain that inside eye and headset. I came away with a smile after today. I appreciated Mindy taking vids to allow me to show others! Believe me ... next time we ride... he will have digested all of that so I BETTER have a whole new bag of tricks for him or he will find ME to be a BORE and will liken to make up his own agenda!

Rode Today..... but tomorrow more snow!

Candace rode Angel today so she could get an idea as to what I am working with. Its nice to get the feedback and confirmation as to what I have felt all this time. She worked with him 1/2 hr and then I got on and rode for 1/2 hr and he went well. I wish that I could have recorded me with my lesson but there is no time to mess with Cameras when its time to ride! I just took video of her riding him.

After I got on him and softened him up we went well. Did alot of figure eights and changing direction and transitioned a few times. We did canter on his good side as she had already worked both a couple of times.... we agreed that he is definately off. That is the consensus from Jaimie and Vi too. I have zero cash for chiropractic work so I have been googling "lumbo sacral stretches" that I can do with him hoping to ease any discomfort. It is a noticeable difference in height of his Lumbo Sacral. His right is higher... what that means I dont know. He hops out behind when cantering in either direction when he wants to change leads or bucks. I will do what I can this week before our clinic and then ask yet ANOTHER person what they think. I hate asking everyone but I have never had to deal with this before and gathering all information before making a change is ideal.

Really looking forward to Sunday, as it stands 6 people may be coming to support me and that is nice! I hope they learn something too, I know I will be! I wish Angel could find more comfort in his canter as that will be the pivotal point in the session I dare say. I dont want my whole session to be focused on what he cant do at the canter and therefore not progress to other things I would like to touch on... but I will have to wait and see!

The video is several minutes long and you can hear Candace talking about what she is doing in the first half.