Training Level

John and I moved up to training level. We are still dealing with him being super forward at shows. Its very frustrating to have such a rock solid horse at home and get to a show and deal with a crazy man under saddle.

We arrived a day early at the last show just to settle him in a bit. We had a lesson and walked all around the grounds. He was up but a good boy.


The next morning all that changed.  As the energy of the show built he felt it and his tension rose with it. He was not horrible. Better than the last show, so we are making progress. Our first try atTL2 was ugly. scored a 54 ....by the time we rode again he was wound down and we scored a 62 in TL 3.  We will take it!


We are doing our first rated show the end of Jan.  in the meantime we are going camping and trail riding!  Will let you know how that turns out!

I Love Fall!

My prayers are with all my friends in the north east. Usually after a hurricane down here we have to contend with the heat and mosquito's and the drone of generators. I can not fathom dealing with the aftermath of such a storm in freezing temps or snow. Please stay safe..our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Johnny Cash and I are loving the work we are doing! Well, I am anyway....I had my first longe lesson sans reins. WOW what a difference. I was really sore in my abs and shoulders. Rode again last night with reins and I can not fully express the difference I felt in my riding.  So excited for the upcoming show season!

Ready for Fall already....

Wow, what a summer...Were all melting down here ...still. Its incredibly humid and just makes doing anything out side miserable.

Started riding again about 3 weeks ago and its going great! John seems to be glad to have a job to break the monotony of his days. I find that riding first thing every morning energises me for the entire day! Johnny is slowly coming back into condition...don't want to overdo it in this weather. He is being shown this coming weekend by someone else TL2 & 3.  He makes my horse look fabulous!

We bought a goose neck trailer w living quarters in May which meant we had to buy a truck to pull it with.  Good news is no one was killed by me in the process and my marriage survived the dealership experience. I just immediately have an anxiety induced attitude when it comes to car dealers...

We practiced trailer loading today and will have our first camping trip at the end of the month! I am so excited about visiting all our horse friendly state parks and giving John some arena free riding time. Should be a fun fall with great friends!

July in Florida

Yep....Its smoking hot. When its not smoking hot its raining and the arena is slop.  Then the sun shows up again and its hot and HUMID. 

Had a couple rides. Too hot for me...... I admit it...I am a whimp.

I have been working with my dressage club and volunteered to find judges for our fall schooling shows. Its been fun and I have spoken to some wonderful judges in the state of Florida.

Goals...hummm...yep not so easy to talk about them as I haven't been riding cause its soooo HOT. The thought of doing intro again makes me want to cry.

I need to schedule a lesson to get me motivated I guess. Paying out money and the fear of being humiliated and or passing out during a ride is somewhat motivational......

PSA FOR THE DAY! HELMETS ROCK!!!

Went to the barn this morning for a nice ride and to practice a few jumps. Weather is beautiful! Tack up, warm up, pop over a few jumps....  La lalaalaa..la, poof. I got off balance. Came off my horse and he struck the back of my helmet.

I caught my breath, borrowed hubbys helmet and popped over a few more jumps!

 As you can see if this had been my skull I would be in the hospital. Instead I am home, safe,  playing on the computer.   I am so glad I have my brains intact and today is an amazing day!  Just ordered a new helmet!

We all love you with helmet hair and want you to keep you around!

PLEASE wear your helmet EVERY RIDE!

E is safe and I think she knows it!

What a difference 12 days can make!

Happy to report that L(girl) met E(horse) and decided to take a chance on her and has claimed E for her own.

E has been a super star so far. She has a cranky senior mare she shares a barn and 2 pastures with. She has learned her routine quickly and is very easy to be around on the ground. She is eating several small meals a day, Lots of hay and WATER! She appears to have filled in quite a bit just from drinking alone.

L has had the vet out to check her over and they have a plan for worming, vaccines etc. The farrier has snipped her toes back for now and will be making frequent visits to get her feet right. 

She is lucky! She has found a great place and will be nursed back to health and given a job!

There are so many others around here who are not so lucky. We hear about it every day and its so depressing.

Why do people wait?

 And last Sunday the text message came...

Need to find a home for "mare".

Now, a year ago "mare" was given to a young woman who was a working student for a trainer. She had been working with "mare" under said trainer for a year or so.  Mare was the picture of health. Good weight, appropriate supplement's, feet up to date, vetting done regularly.

 (Girl is in her late 20s,  good job, articulate and charming).

Girl and the trainer have a falling out. Girl decides to move mare to her parents home where her father immediately decided he didn't want her to have run of the back yard.  They fence her off a 40 x 40 paddock, throw up a blue tarp between some poles and I believe that was the last time she was taken our of the 40x40 pen.

She has been confined in there for 8 months. In Florida, In the sun, In a sandlot.

I went from upset to pissed in 2.2 seconds after seeing the mare and her surroundings.  (I cried..uncontrollably) 

Her feet have not been tended too, she is a rack of bones, her coat is ....well, I could go on and on.  Girl  hacked off her tail rather than take the time to comb it out, same with the mane, gave us a full unopened bag of cheap corn based feed, can not tell us how much she was getting nor what kind of hay she was on. She can not find coggins, worming records, registration papers...............

 WHY DID SHE WAIT TO CALL?? Why Why Why   I have seen this young lady several times a month. Loaned her books, sat with her at shows, chatted with her many many times about the horse.  The whole time she knew she was starving this animal hidden in her back yard!

IN THE BACKYARD! Not an hour away, OUT THE BACKDOOR 50 FEET AWAY FROM HER HOUSE!!!!

Ok...... thanks for letting me vent. Important thing is mare is now safe, her medical needs have been addressed, her feet will take a year to repair with good trims, She is on good hay free choice and small meals throughout the day. She will heal.  She has people now who care and she will be loved and cherished. Happy ending for mare!