Looking forward to having my kids home!

Well, I guess there is always a rainbow after the rain! Just last week I was heartbroken about the end of my project with STB. And now this week it looks like my own two lovely horses will be arriving home in less than a month! I can hardly believe my good fortune now!

The arrangements are fast and furious. And I find myself in a position where I need to raise some extra funds to assist with the shorter than expected time frame to come up with the funds for the transport.

So! I have decided to take on some training horses. Here is what I have posted so far:

"Well! I didn't see this day coming! But as it turns out, I am now accepting training horses. At this point, I am not offering lessons. A wonderful opportunity just fell into my lap to get my two horses hauled up here from Michigan, but I need to do a bit of creative financing. *grins* Which means I need to make some extra income.

This is a temporary opportunity. I will have about a two month window where I will take part time training horses. TJ has been gracious enough to offer her facility for me to do this on a temporary basis. But I am also willing to travel to the horse, as long as the horse is at a convenient location and there is an acceptable area to work the horse. The working area would depend upon the horse's needs. For some horses, this might be a good trail, for others, a round pen, for others, a flat spot in the pasture. That will have to be evaluated on a case by case basis.

If you are looking for long term training, then this is not for you. I do not intend to continue offering training for more than two months. The cost will vary, depending upon where the horse is located (how much driving time for me), and how many days a week you are interested in. Ball park price would be $300 per month for three days per week. That may be adjusted up or down, depending on days and location. I will take up to 3 horses per month, but cannot do more than that. (It does appear that I have one spot taken already, so only 2 spots left.)

If you have questions, please feel free to email me directly. Also, there is a lot of information on my philosphy and background in the older posts on my blog. Many pictures of me with horses I have trained and shown."

Very very sad update

Well, I've stopped spontaneously bursting into tears. So that is good. Those of you who are still checking may have noticed that the updates have kind of dried up. The reason for this is that we have been battling some 'not quite right' issues for a while now. Originally, we thought we were dealing with issues in the right hock. So we ramped up oral supplements. After that time, we moved TBM home. Then he got his feet trimmed, and he was tender on the harder footing at home. Gave him about 10 days off. So, he was moving great on this feet (his soles toughened up very nicely). And then he was gimpy on his left front. And we traced it to a VERY tender spot on his shoulder. *sighs* Unfortunately, he has an old injury in that left shoulder. We did some DMSO every other day for a week. He seemed better. Actually, he was GREAT! He was moving out really well. And then yesterday I went out to tack him up and ride him for the first time since he's moved home. And the leading edge of the dressage saddle flap sits RIGHT on the sore spot on his shoulder. *sighs* Even without his saddle, he was gimpy.

I officially reached the 'I can't do this anymore' point. So, as TBM was walking dutifully around the roundpen, I bawled my eyes out. We didn't have much time together, but the time we did have was great. This horse has touched my heart in a very profound way. He is the consummate gentleman. He never says 'No'. He tries and tries. He is always happy to see me. He has just a tiny bit of 'naughty' in him to be playful, but never over the line. I looked forward to seeing him every day.

There will be a big hole in my life as TBM and I part ways. But I plan, 100%, to breed my thoroughbred mare to him once I get her up here. I want to be sure that I have a part of this amazing horse in my life.

Thanks to everyone who followed our little progress. I'm so sad that I don't have a happier ending. =( I do plan to go out and do a glamor shots day. He's still pretty toned up, and I want to capture that! So, I'll do one more update with the photos when I get them. I want to get at least one photo that is nice enough to frame and add to my 'horses who have touched my life' shelf.

Back to a regular schedule!

Got back to Alaska on Friday. Went out to see TBM on Saturday. The footing in the roundpen is pretty good! The timing of my Vegas trip was perfect. Missed all the mud of breakup, w00t! *laughs* Lunged TBM a bit, tacked him up and lunged in side reins. Did a bit of in hand work, just to see what he remembers. *grins* He looked good, maybe a bit tender on the harder footing than he is used to.

Had planned to go out and ride him on Sunday, but I wussed out from the sprinkles. They changed my schedule at work again on Monday. *sighs* So missed monday, too! I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, but should be able to sneak out between my appointment and work. Hope to at least hop on and see how he feels.

I've got my fingers crossed!!!!

2009 World Cup Dressage Finals in Las Vegas

So, I had the amazing pleasure of attending the WC Dressage Finals. History was made and I got to watch it! US rider Steffen Peters on the 11 year old Dutch gelding Ravel won the Grand Prix AND the Freestyle!!! His performances were AMAZING. Correct and harmonious. That pair has only been together for about 14 months, so they are only going to get better! I see them as being a strong anchor for the US team for many years to come.

I also got to watch the retirement ceremony for two wonderful horses. The first one was Brentina, and there was not a dry eye in the entire house. Wow. I also got that on video! So, for those of you who were not able to be there in person, here ya go:




The other retirement ceremony was for Bjorsell's Briar, Jan Brink's international mount for the past 8 years. It was very sad that his final performance was not stronger...sad to end a career on a less than stellar note.

After I get home, I intend to post a few videos with my thoughts on the riding and horses.

I also got some very touching footage of a wonderful tribute to Patrick Swayze from the Arabian Breeders World Cup show that was also in Las Vegas while I was there.

big update

I have been remiss in updating all week! Yipes! I will try to do a quick recap, and then some new stuff.

Last week, by some stroke of incredible luck, we had the arena to ourselves almost every time I went out. In addition, we managed to catch the arena after it had been recently groomed, and I love the difference it makes in the footing. I went back to lunging as part of the warm up, and I was VERY pleased to see some wonderful consistency in tempo developing in the trot, along with lovely stretch into the bridle. After the warm up in side reins on the lunge, I did a bit of in hand work as well. We had been working on leg yield in hand, and I added some shoulder-in. He grasped this right away, and I was really enjoying his responses and reactions. He was really grooving on it and grasping things quickly.

Unfortunately, we were still running into some stiffness on that right hind. Overall, I would say that his level of stiffness has reduced quite a bit since we start into work. Also, I have seen another nice decrease in stiffness since we started the joint supplements. However, that right hind remains a bit of a problem. At first he was working out of it nicely, and I contributed it to arthritis and coming back into work after a long time of inactivity. I still think the stiffness in that right hind is arthritis related, but we are going to play around with some management.

Since I will be gone for two weeks in the middle of April (I am going to Las Vegas to watch the 2009 FEI World Cup Dressage Finals), it was decided to move TBM home a month earlier than originally planned. It didn't make a lot of sense to have him sitting in a paddock, not using the facilities, at a boarding barn when he could be hanging out in a slightly larger paddock at home for a lot less money. I think that the larger paddock may help him stay a bit more limber as well.

So, we loaded everything up, hauled TBM home. He walked off the trailer like a gentleman, never made a peep, and just went to munching. He's such a good boy, I love him to bits. Today I went out and just walked him around the large round pen we will be working in when I get back. It is still pretty sloppy/frozen out there, so not much we can do at the moment. I am planning to ride him down the dirt roads in the area tomorrow, get some good long, straight walking in. That will help strengthen him quite a bit.

So, not much to update for about the next three weeks. Although I may post some updates on the rides I watch while in Vegas.

Missed today. =(

My schedule changed suddenly at work, and so was I not able to get to the barn today. I am not able to go to the barn on Thursdays, so TBM will have two days off. We'll see him again on Friday!

Yay for good days!

Honestly, I was starting to feel the despair of the dressage rider. Bemoaning the lack of rides that make you smile. BUT, today was a wonderful day. I arrived at the barn earlier than normal, as I went and held my mom's horse for the farrier this morning. So I was tacked up and ready to ride around noon. Today there were no lessons being given in the indoor, and only one other person working horses. TBM and had the arena to ourselves for most of the time. In addition, it looked like the footing had been very recently groomed, and it was great!

We did a bunch of lunging, and added sidereins today. I really worked on trot/canter/trot transitions, asking for forward and attentive. We started out slow and sluggish to the aids, and then really progressed to crisp. I was very pleased with TBM. Also, he looked very fluid. The joint supplements are working their magic - YAY!

After lunging in both directions (first without sidereins, and then with), I hopped on. At this point in time, we had the arena to ourselves. I was able to work the track with a BIG swinging walk. Yay, I thought we had lost that walk, but it is back!!! Then I picked him up ever so carefully (wonderfully soft in the hand, a perfect handshake) and into the trot we went. He was not grinchy, he was forward and active. Worked whole arena, added some 15 meter circles, got to work a lot of changes of direction, worked NICE canter transitions from the seat. I was pleased as punch.

We ended the session with a good roll in the sand, then used the blow dryer to clean him up a bit. It was lovely outside, and we spend a bit of time standing in the sun, and him licking snow. He's such a silly boy about that!