Ruined boots and a great ride!

These are the tall boots I got a great deal on a month ago. I dropped them off to have the soles repaired and zippers installed. Needless to say I am less than impressed with the workmanship. This shoe shop has been in our town for 20+ years and they are always busy. I waited 2 weeks for this to be done! When I questioned the work the owner told me "this is how we do it". I am sad but I will live, I will also bend every ear around town about this experience with them! 

John and I went to Grant yesterday and had a lesson in a small cross country field. He was a rock star! We discovered he is not amused by tadpole jumps and lobs himself over them. When raised to 2'9" he focuses on the jump and develops some form going over them. I got so lucky when I found him... he is such a good sport about everything!

Today and tomorrow we are working on our circles and transitions. Halting square and me posting on the right diagonal! UUUGH I am assured I will someday get it right every time but I don't believe it right now.

Sunday we have a stadium lesson....This should be interesting!

November at the beach..

 My job takes me to the beach a couple times every week, Being born and raised here I know I take it for granted.

This is Melbourne Beach boardwalk. I used to ride my bike over during summer breaks and soak in the sun!

 The waves were very large due to a tropical storm off our coast. The skys were clear and beautiful!

           These are what we locals call sea grapes. Some still make jam from the berries and it is devine!

                                    
There were many people out enjoying the beautiful weather!  78 degrees and breezy, the sun feels amazing!



None of the beaches in Brevard County allow pets. We are slated to get a small dog park in December. It is going to be fun to take the pups and see how they like the ocean. There is a beach in Ft. Pierce (an hour south of us) that allows horses by permit. That is on my list of things to do in the near future! 

Lovely weekend at Rocking Horse HT Fall show!

The girls and I decided a road trip was in order this past weekend. 2 of my barnmates and I loaded up at decided to take in the rated show going on in Altoona.

Inspiring!

This is the "Marsh". It caused a lot of anxiety in many of the horses. I don't think it will be an issue with John!

I love Rocking Horse's  cross country course. Its amazing and we are so lucky to have a facility of this calliber available to us!

Through the trees!

 Woo Hoo!
This rider quickly worked it out and finished the water jump beautifully! How exhilarating just watching!

 Jonathan Holling was there. He is down to earth and lovely to work with. John had a lesson with him at his farm a year ago and he was fun while being educational.

We watched some dressage and most of the cross country. It was brisk! I never seem to dress appropriately for Altoona and about froze to death in the wind. It was worth it though. I am inspired to work my behind off and compete here December 3rd! I am shopping for an eventing vest and I need a new set of reins. What I can't buy and really really need..... is time to ride!



Perfect Sunday

What a beautiful day it was! The weather was perfect finally.

 Hubby and I slept till 8am...unheard of!

We decided to hit the garden center for some herb and tomato plants. When we arrived the seedlings they had to offer were horrible and the prices even worse still. We decided we could start some herbs from seed and skip the tomato's this season. I will be starting basil, cilantro, and pole beans alongside the sweet potatos that are flourishing. They had a rack of half dead orchids this time around and I scooped up 6 small Phalinopsis for 3 bucks apiece! The roses around our home came from this same store that has a horrible plant death rate in their care. We picked the roses up for .60 ..........yes sixty cent apiece. Brought them home water and fertiliser and they are all beautiful!

I had a lesson with yet another new trainer.... and it was AMAZING! She is about the middle of the price range around our area. I was impressed by many things about her. She was prompt, asked me a million questions about Cash's history, his health, his training, my health, my goals, etc etc etc...She rode Cash first and was very tuned in to him, asking him for things and not pushing him into a fight if he didn't know something. He was a good boy for her! She then assessed me riding him and gave me simple small adjustments to work on to improve my seat and hands. We then lunged him and she was the first trainer who didn't scream at me or Cash for turning in to me when we asked him to "woah". I taught him to do so when I started working with him 4 years ago. I didn't know it was a bad thing then and still do not think it is. He stops, slowly turns to me and asks "are we done now mom?". He doesn't walk in to me unless I invite him, he simply waits for my next signal.

She gave me a simple work program to build Cash and myself  into work condition again. She strongly recommends trail rides and hacking out in the neighborhood to change the scenery and stimulate his brain. I love it! The other trainers I have recently used are more of the "the horse work's for me" thinkers with no regard to the horses mental health.

She was at the barn over 2 hours with us, never looked at her watch. I am so impressed with her! I only hope it wasn't a fluke and the same woman shows up again the next time!

Hubby and I stopped at the local park where they were having a fun show. He liked it because there were western classes! I love seeing the kids compete. I have watched most of them grow up and I love watching them show off the horse skills they are developing. Fostering the love of horses in a positive environment for the next generation is very important.
 

The tack vendors captured my attention and I found a pair of tall boots for next to nothing! They need to be resoled and I want zippers installed but I will have less than $100.00 in them when all is said and done! Love finding things I want but don't actually need for a bargain!!

We ended the day back at the barn and hubby rode his horse while I chatted with our barn mates.
* sorry for the picture quality as I am still without a camera and using my cell phone for now!

World Equestrian Games.....last fall...

My sweet husband called me on my birthday last year to tell me he had won tickets to the World Equestrian Games in Lexington Kentucky.

 The prize was awarded by our feed company, Triple Crown Nutrition. They put us up at the Lexington Hilton, provided us tickets for reining the first day and dressage the following 2 days. Lexington itself was amazing. The art on the streets is another post in itself!  We had a great time.....

 My reining photos leave much to be desired. These guys do not play around. True professionals.

 There were clinicians through out the week, someone always in the arena. They were very approachable and interactive. I could have stayed at the clinic and been happy watching! I wish I had gotten photos of them all. Lynn Palm was amazing!

John Lyons. He is my hero. I could have listened to him alone for 5 days. He pulled a woman out of the crowd,  put her on his new horse Buddy and gave her a lesson! His sons were working in the other end of the arena on Preacher and a new mount. I respect that he is an amazing horseman and a man of God as well. It is rare that you find a man in his position who openly thanks God for the gifts in his life.

Not sure who they are! They were walking the cross country course early one morning.

Yep....I was this close to Edward Gal and Totilas. AMAZING to say the least. I am sad that they are no longer together. It is an inspiring if not daunting thing to watch people of this level ride. I did enjoy seeing for myself that horses at this level act like horses and not machines.  There were several tests that included bucks so it just shows that your never done working!

They had so much team spirit! Our hotel was covered in Orange and I think the majority of the country was here in support of their team. What a fun group of people to hang out with!

I have suggested that my husband enter every contest available and win us tickets to the next WEG in Normandy in 2014. I can only imaging this event is as close to the Olympics as you can get!

We also visited Old Friends Retirement Farm and got to meet Bull in the Heather and Gulch. Its a beautiful place doing a wonderful service to these old guys who deserve retirement for all they have given of themselves to their owners and fans. 

 Took a detour to Churchill Downs and saw Secretariats jockey Ron Turcotte.  He was there to sign the starting gate used in the movie.  The museum was amazing and had a huge Secretariat  exhibit for the opening of the movie. Out back they had a memorial for 8 belles...that made me cry.

I will have to post on the art that was everywhere! The streets of Lexington were covered as well as the Kentucky Horse Park.  It was an amazing experience!

Non Stop!

Im Pooped........ I will be so glad when my friend returns tomorrow evening and relieves me of my horse sitting duties! It really has been a breeze but sure takes away from my time with Cash and my barn.

My camera has died. I will be giving it a proper burial as soon as I decide on and purchase a replacement this weekend. Blogging is boring without photos. The story is usually told thru the pictures and its just not the same.

The weather here is FINALLY cooling off...again. Do we dare believe that fall is here to stay??

WHEW!

                                                                               Well, the Florida weather is BEAUTIFUL right now! I had Saturday off except for horse sitting duty for a neighbor. She made my job so easy by having well behaved horses, an orderly barn and simplified feeding by mixing and bagging all meals for me. No guessing if I got all the suppliments in the right horse! Truly a pleasure to help her out!

The barn girls and I, 6 of us, all went for a "spa day".  We got pedicures and then breakfast. We all find it funny that we have regular farrier service for our horses and only have spa day for ourselves every 6 months or so.  All of us agree that we would take the tack shop over the mall any day.

We then had the 1st bon fire of the fall at the barn. The guys grilled brats and burgers and we all brought sides and it was delish!

 Of course my camera batteries were too weak to power the flash so I will have to document that some other time...

 My orchids are very happy!  I havent had this one bloom like this in 5 years.

One of our chickens is feeling good! She has really been outdoing herself. I believe it is a Rhode Island Red.

Today schedule was horse sit, 6 hour shift at the feed store, house warming party, horse sit and then my boys! Thankfully I have a wonderful husband who not only supports my horse addiction but has fallen victim to it as well. Jeff, like myself, would rather be at the barn than anywhere on earth. He is very much involved in his horse's care and has never complained when I need him to cover chores for me. I am a very lucky girl!