Charleston Riding Academy

Good luck

2010-02-19T07:26:00.001-05:00

Good luck to all our friends starting the season tomorrow at Mullet Hall. Wish I could be there to cheer y'all on.

Welcoming new herd member

2010-02-04T12:07:00.002-05:00

Our little herd grew by one this week....KJ received a call this week from Cecil Mills. Cecil had decided to sell Topaz and wanted to give KJ an option on her. As many of you know this pony (yes she's that small) and I have a very special connection. There are very few equines that I trust the way I do this mare. She is the only mare I've jumped 4 foot and better in my adult life where the reality of injury resides.

I'm very grateful to KJ for bringing her home this week. I know it was a tough decision for Cecil to decide to sell her.

I also want to let everyone know that I will not be posting much in the month of February. I accepted a new job this week as a animal removal specialist and pest erradicator with Trutech INC. I have to go to Atlanta for the next three weeks for training. I look forward to gettting home, and getting back in the saddle. In the meantime the horses can enjoy some down time trail riding with KJ. Hopefully when I get home I will have enough time to tune up Togey, Scout, and Topaz for some spring showing in March and April.

Togey's back in training

2010-01-18T11:47:00.007-05:00

Many of you have been sending e-mails lately. I want all of you to know I appreciate hearing from you. My computer time is fairly limited by my new lifestyle, so I apologize if I haven't gotten back to you.

Togey came back from Katie's about 3 weeks ago. We gave him a couple of weeks of down time to adjust to his new environment here at the house. I started him back into work with some gentle trail riding around the cold and rainy weather. He's now well versed in the woods and doesn't look at much including decaying animals which is a smell that bothers many horses. We need that he had 2 triggers with water and steep hills. We don't have a lot of access to hills, and even if we did it would be too wet right now to work on them. On the flip side the wet weather makes it ideal to train in the water. The warm weather the last couple of days has finally given me the opportunity.

Horse training is an interesting business. Togey is a very intelligent horse and becomes bored easily. Living in the forest gives me the opportunity to keep his training very flexible. We hack 2 or 3 times a week in the woods for conditioning. We school another couple of times per week in the woods. There's nothing we can't work on in the woods that you would do in the arena. We do lateral work down the dirt roads, we use fallen logs to jump, and being in the woods gives us the opportunity to work on things that the arena doesn't. Today we got to the point where Togey is galloping through water without any thought at all. This is a really important skill for an eventer, as all cross country is required to include a water complex.

Today we also worked over logs quite a bit. I really enjoy jumping in the woods. Togey listens much better waiting for me to tell him where we're heading too next and listening for instructions. When we've had good days in the woods I usually come back and jump stadium style fences in the yard. Here's some video of 2'6" today. We worked really well at 2'3", but missed the video of it. My position is off at 2'6" as we were struggling to wait for spots.

It's amazing what you can make jumps out of with a little creativity. The jump in the video is actually an old bunk bed. We put feet on the headboard and footboard to use them as standards. This particular bed worked out really well because there were swells already cut in the rails that make perfect jump cups. KJ added a bit more creativity and drilled holes all across the top for flowers and holes down the posts so I can use actual jump cups and use it as an oxer.

The final part of Togey's training is spending one day a week in the yard working on circles. We are in the process of putting an arena up, but for the time being I work circles in the front yard. The arena going up is quite a process. We are relocating some equipment on the farm. Then we're mowing and leveling the area before bringing in footing and putting up the fencing for it.

Winding down

2010-01-04T13:15:00.003-05:00

It has been almost two months since I last posted. There is a lot of change happening in my personal life right now. Some amazing relationships have been renewed, some amazing relationships are taking a break. Life is all about the ebbs and tides of the water. At this point in life I am needing to return to work full time, and have been winding down activity with CRA. I have retained a handful of private students who I really enjoy teaching, but otherwise we are taking a hiatus for awhile. My posting will be very limited in coming months. I wish you all well, and my phone is always one. Albeit with out voice mail. I hate checking messages.

MIA...

2009-11-06T07:12:00.003-05:00

I've been MIA since just before we left for out trial in Tryon. To say the least the weekend did not go as planned. Togey did not take well to riding in the trailer for 5 hours with a mare in heat. I think he torqued his back during the ride as well. He came off the trailer a different horse. He was hot, looking at everything, and just unruly. We got unpacked and headed to the hotel, hoping lunging in the morning would help.

I don't think Togey got any rest Saturday night. Sunday morning his stall was totally banked and he had obviously been turning donuts all night. He was also trying to climb the wall into Em's stall. Katie was an amazing groom. She took care of everything with out me asking her for anything. She may have a career as a professional groom ahead of her.

Kaijsa had an okay dressage ride, followed by my disasterous one. Togey's hind end was not working right. I couldn't keep him tracking, and he refused to bend. My second level dressage horse went down to a poor quality Intro horse. After our ride we went back to the warmup ring only for him to LAUNCH me 20 foot in the air. KJ reports that my feet were above Togey's head. I landed on my feet the same way you just step off a high dive and weight for the water to make contact.

Kaijsa headed out for cross country, which was set to be a very challenging course. You basically went up the side of a mountain over 5 fences, across the peak over another 5 fences, and back down over the final 5 fences to the water complex. Kaijsa was really looking forward to going cross country. She headed to the starting box, while Katie positioned herself at the first fence to take pictures, and KJ and I went on up the hill to get the best perspective of the majority of the fences. Kaijsa got out of the starting box in great style. About 5 strides out from the fence it was obvious there was some hesitation on the pairs part and Em broke to a trot. One stride out Kaijsa realized that the jump wasn't going to be there, but by the time she had an opportunity to react Em had stopped. Em gave Kaijsa her heart and all and tried to jump the fence from a stand still. She did get clear, just rubbing the top of the 3' fence with her hind feet. But Kaijsa got left terribly behind on take off. The concussion of landing popped her right off the side and she landed badly on a hip. Since mom wasn't with us we aired on the side of caution and scrapped the day. We headed to the ER to have x-rays taken, and pick up a set of crutches.

KJ and Katie were fantastic they took care of getting the horses settled, and squared away then brought the truck over to the hospital to pick Kaijsa and I up. I did learn one lesson I am not travelling without at least one other licensced driver. I'm not sure how we would have gotten home from the hospital without KJ to bring the truck.

When we got home we put the weekend behind us, and started looking towards a trial at Carolina Horse Park near Southern Pines, NC. This time Katie will be showing Jazz. Katie doesn't like to event because cross country is nerve racking for her. But, this course is where her pony club rally is held, so it's a fantastic opportunity to practice. I was planning to compete on Togey if he started behaving better, and if not I would take Riley. When we got home Togey continued to act a fool under saddle trying to buck me off with each canter attempt. I opted to give him a week off, which made a world of difference. I got him yesterday for the first time in just over a week. I have my horse back!!!! I have decided not to compete him in Southern Pines though. I'm going to take him along and stable to see if he travels better before planning to compete. One difference with eventing compared to hunter/jumper shows is that you have to prepay for your entry. I don't want to spend $100 to discover that I have a nut coming off the trailer. So, he'll just come to be Jazz's travelling companion this time.

CRA has a crazy month and a half ahead of us. It doesn't seem to matter how small our team is we keep busy enough. This weekend is the 4-H show at Mullet Hall. Chipper will be competing on Riley, and I may take Togey down for some under saddle classes.

Next weekend KJ and I are heading to Cherry Point, NC to bring Storm home. KJ has purchased him from Mary's daughter.

The following weekend is the trial at CHP. Followed by Thanksgiving. The first weekend in December "the boys" (KJ & Randall) and I will be going to a hunter pace in Ehrhardt, SC. I'm really looking forward to this one, as they are doing an oyster roast for lunch. If anyone else is interested in joining us we'd be happy to have you. This time out we are planning to do the trail division (at a slower pace) and see what the boys think of competing.

Then the second week of December is the Christmas show in Clemson. It looks like CRA will have a large turnout for this weekend. At this moment we have Gia, Bailey, Katie, Olivia, Lily, Sadie, and Myself showing. The boys will travel, and if there's trailer space we'll bring some horses for them to trail ride while we're there.

Then finally we have several weeks home in a row. We'll be using this time for Katie to prepare Togey to compete in the spring shows, and I'm sure I'll be doing some much needed trail riding with the boys in Jamestown.

Cross Country Round 2

2009-10-17T20:42:00.004-04:00

Cross Country

2009-10-17T20:30:00.005-04:00

We took a big crew to Stono River Stables to school cross country today. We took 6 rider/horse combinations and 4 parents along for the ride. I had planned to get Togey ready for our trial this weekend, but things didn't go according to plans. Katie schooled Togey for me. I gave Jessie a training ride. Gia schooled Riley. Chipper got a rare treat on Jazz. Kaijsa and Em got ready for this weekend. Bailey brought Sassy out for her first cross country day.

I wanted to load a slideshow, but Dan's laptop and photobucket aren't cooperating. So here are some random shots of the day.

Upcoming Travel

2009-10-02T13:15:00.003-04:00

It's been a long road to this point. Now that I have a suitable horse of my own I am re-entering the world of eventing. Kaijsa and I are heading to Tryon on the 24th of this month for my first horse trial in almost 15 years. This is a schooling level trial, so a great opportunity for the inexperienced rider. It's held all in one day with intro (fences 12") to novice (fences to 3') level.

If anyone is interested in convoying and/or sharing hotel rooms, or just coming to spectate please let me know we'd love the company. Here's a link to the show bill.

http://www.foothillsridingclub.com/images/2009_fall_horse_trial.pdf

Excellent showing

2009-09-27T18:25:00.002-04:00

If I could add "We are the champions" sound track I think I would. Yesterday was a success on all fronts but the weather. We met personal goals for both riders and horses, we placed well in our classes, we had a fantastic social time, and all in all everything went beautifully.
I know all you guys want are the pictures, so here are a few.

Gia showed Jessie in the low hunters with the big boys. Although they had great rounds Jessie showed her dislike for Mullet hall by refusing the first fence of the outside line just as she does each and every time down there. She pinned well in her division, and then got a break before Gia's 11 and under equitation. This time Jessie did not refuse and they won both the flat and over fences eq classes bringing home the championship.

I am loving having Togey, but he is a ride every step horse. I have not been riding enough recently to be in the shape to do him justice all day at a horseshow. I decided to enter him in the unrestricted w/t/c with a hunter hack division. We had a beautiful u/s class, we blew a lead in the pleasure class, and had a really long spot to the second fence of the hack. I opted for the training moment and pulled him up hard following the second fence. I wanted to give the junior rider in the class a chance to take the class. Unfortunatley, she also had a long spot and we won the class. That gave us the championship in the division. When we left the ring the junior had a temper tantrum with their trainer. In the end perhaps learning to lose gracefully was a skill they needed to work on.

A very talented junior rider came down to show Togey in the mid height jumpers, while I had planned to do one lower height. Watching her school him I recognize she was in a better position to do him justice and put out a good training round which is what I was looking for than I was. She showed him in the 2'6'"-2'9" jumper divsion. They took a rail in the first class, and trotted the majority of the second class. Togey was a very good boy, but ran out of gas at the end of the day.

I rather enjoyed my role as sponsor to such a talented rider, and am looking forward to sharing Togey with her for some lessons with her regular trainer. I am also working on some upcoming show opportunities for her.

I apologize in advance for the slideshow transition taking too long, but I love the color what can I say?

Horse Show Crazies

2009-09-24T20:05:00.002-04:00

Sea Island....what can I say? When we go to this show we never know what the turnout is going to be. We've had every trainer in town bring horses some months, and other months just us and one other farm.

This time it's been CRA's turn to be all over the map. We have gone from everyone showing this weekend, to no one and just this week we've swung back the other way. It looks like Gia will be out on Jessie, I'm showing Togey, Katie will be showing him as well. I haven't had enough time to ride to do justice to multiple classes. Chipper is still up in the air. He may be showing a pony for Charles again this weekend. Or he may show one of our horses.

Stay tuned for results.

Congratulations Chipper

2009-09-19T19:52:00.004-04:00

Chipper had a big day today. He was invited to catch ride for Charles.
He rode an adorable pony that the owners are looking to sell or lease. He rode in the 2 foot green hunter and 2'3" low hunter. The divisions were both very large with about 15-20 entries each. Charles even had 5 rides (we think) himself in the green division and Paula rode in the low hunter.

Chipper did an outstanding job winning 3 of his 6 classes. He brought home the championship in the low hunter division. More importantly he was invited to come ride the pony again next weekend.

Congratulations Chipper!!!

R.I.P. Tank

2009-09-19T07:14:00.002-04:00

Our sympathies and prayers are with the Johnson family and LEAP at this time. Sean's horse tank had to be put down yesterday. It was a horrible state of events that led to this situation. We know they are all at a loss and hurting right now.

Please take a few minutes out to pray for them.

Moving Day

2009-09-14T19:30:00.002-04:00

Today was a big day for Togey. His breathing had gotten pretty fierce last week, so he's been off. We had a long series of phone calls on Friday to discuss a treatment plan. Near miraculously he recovered with minimal care over the weekend. Dr. Miller called his respiration 90% this morning. I have renewed hope that he is adjusting to our climate and will work out for the longhaul for me.

The exciting part of him doing so well today was that cleared him to travel to his new home. I have moved him to Rose Court Farms in Summerville. I had planned to ride during the mornings while Kenzie is in school. I was finding I didn't have enough time to get to Whistle Stop and home again.

Riley and Pickles will continue to stay under the stupendous care of Tara.

Hopefully this move and his improved breathing will mean I can get back in the saddle on a regular basis now. Here's hoping I have a horse ready to show in November.

beautiful day

2009-09-13T18:35:00.002-04:00

I got a rare treat today...I was slated to take Jackson out on a trail ride. For those of you who don't know Jackson is a 1400+ pound morgan x friesan. He's right about 16h, but wider than a aircraft carrier. Seriously you can land a helicopter on his back. He had shown some nervousness about limbs and such rustling/falling. I was expecting him to take me for a ride. IN the end we had a beautiful 2 hours, of fine tuning, and a tiny jump when my boot hit a tree trunk. I saw my first red (think toadstool) mushroom. It was really cool to realize those things in storybooks actually exsist.

We were crusing along really well until we hit water at the end. The first puddle was small and avoidable. After just a minute of protest I gave up so I wouldn't hold everyone up. The second wet spot was either go through water or at least deep suctiony mud. This fight I was in for the long haul. I ride Jackson in Kellie's treeless saddle which is about 3 inches too large for me, and the girth is about 2 inches too big for Jackson. SO not the ideal equipment for a fight. Jackson was definitley dug in for a fight. When he realized I was too. He answered my insistence with a High, Ho, Silver move. He went vertical and lunged over the mud. I can't say he jumped it because the hind feet didn't leave the ground until the front ones touched down, and he was truly vertical with every ounce of strength in his hind quarter. I gotta say it was fun:)

Another happy note. Bella aka. Palmetto Walk will be out of quarantine tomrrow. We're going to let her settle into her new routine this week, and then the girls will be able to start lessons regularly next week.

Ups and Downs...literally

2009-09-03T10:54:00.002-04:00

Two rides ago I put Togey back in his KK loose ring that he has always been ridden in. He was perfect:) Waited for spots, jumped properly, etc.

Then today the weather was nice and cool, and he has become herd boss. I guess he is full of himself as he took me to the rodeo today. He schooled on the flat fine. He was willing through his circles, a bit strong at the canter, but not as bad as he has been. He schooled the crossrail fine. I tried a grid a few times and he was not happy that I asked him to be quiet and do the add. He was throwing a buck on landing. We backed down to a single vertical which wasn't much better, but rideable. I tried to finish out the ride with the crossrail, so we'd have a better stopping point. He jumped it perfectly, and I was prepared to allow him to canter down the rail. That's when the fun started. It was a true bronc ride buck, rear, kick, buck, bolt, rear, and so on. My apologies to Cassandra and Grizzly for interupting their lesson.

Oh, to figure out what it will take to get some consistency. Maybe a martingale next, and hoping the new bit I ordered will get here soon.

Bullys

2009-08-25T07:48:00.002-04:00

I HATE BULLYS!!!! I don't necesssarily mean human bullies, although they aren't any good. I'm thinking of the equine varietey. All our horses try to be bullies from time to time. If you ask your mount to perform a maneuver and they protest (tossing their head, balking, dropping a shoulder, etc) they are trying to intimidate you into submission. This is no different than human bullies who nit pick, yell, demand, etc.

Last night Togey was just such a bully. I will confess I was asking for a lot more than I have done. This was only his second ride without his loose ring snaffle. Now I'm making excuses for him. The bottom line is it's his job to obey even when he doesn't want to.

Togey worked on the flat well. He was far more submissive to his bridle. We worked on his side pass at both the trot and canter. I got him to give me a few steps of extended trot, although it did take half the diagonal to get him started. He gave me a perfect flying change the first time we reversed. I had been told he didn't really have them on the flat, so this was a suprise for me. We ran into problems when I asked him to rein back. Of course this conincded with the first time I had to get in his face. He was being so willing I hadn't really had need to pull on him at all.

I started asking for the rein back with my seat bones and leg only. He took a tiny bit of pull to get the first 3 steps. If I would have accepted what he gave me everything would have been perfect. But, 4 steps is customary so of course I had to ask for one more. This final step turned out to be a blow up. Togey expressed his hatred for me by hollowing out his back, elevating the bridle, and bracing against me. When that failed to elicit relief he tried pulling the reins out of my hand. From there we escelated into head tossing. His final attempt to gain submission from me was to give me a perverted version of what I was asking for. His answer to "Oh, you want me to sit down and use my hind end..." was to give me a beautiful Levade.

What's a Levade you ask? It is one of the 4 airs above the ground that make up the most advanced dressage moves. Your next question..."What's wrong with that?" When it's not done on demand/command it's also known as a rear. Togey clearly told me last night that my helmet is too big. He knocked the brim with his neck flinging it backwards off my head.

I should have been prepared for his desire to go air borne. Tara told me when she and Amy pulled up in the morning that Rebel was helping Togey practice his "airs". The boys were playing and air striking repeatedly as Tara and Amie pulled in. They got going so strong that Rebel actually flipped himself over backwards, and so stunned himself he lay there playing dead. He nearly gave Amie a heart attack. Not 5 minutes later were the two of them back at the rehersal for Togey's evening performance with me.

We continued to work on his submission to rein pressure with some super small circles and single steps backwards. After he had gone back to work on the flat we moved on to what he loves...

Jumping...my focus was to keep him quiet, find the base, maintain rein contact, keep him listening for instruction, and work on the landing side leads. We trotted a bunch of fences. He jumped like a champ and only protested with some head tossing when he got excited. He never took the bit and went without permission though. I felt like we were doing very well. I added in asking for the flying changes he had demonstrated on the flat. This resulted in more bullying. He would give me one, then he'd evade throwing his shoulder out and/or tossing his head for others. The worst protest came when he only got half a change. His protests varied between crow hops and the equivalent on his front end. I can't really say he reared as much as he popped up his front legs to make room for the change. All of this is typical green behavior for a horse learning his changes.

All in all, I LOVE this horse. If he didn't have some bully and attitude in him why would a trainer want one? I enjoy the challenge. No human bullies...You can keep your bossiness, opinions, and attitude to yourselves.

Fall Show Opportunities

2009-08-24T15:38:00.001-04:00

This is what the fall show schedule will look like. If you want to attend any of these shows with us let me know.

Sept 19th Pinto Mullet Hall
Sept 26th Sea Island Mullet Hall
Oct 10th Pinto Mullet Hall
Nov 7th 4-H Fun Show
Nov 28th PSJ Schooling (Non USEF) in Aiken
Dec 19th Sea Island Mullet Hall

Road trip in the works

2009-08-18T19:03:00.003-04:00

We are looking at organizing a trip to Quarter Horse Congress in October. We are toying with the idea of renting an RV and camping. We will drive up on Friday and back on Monday. This is the largest horseshow held in the US and an amazing educational opportunity as well as fun time. A lot of the kids have a 4 day weekend the 23rd-26th, although the 9th to 11th might be a better weekend to go.

If you might be interested please let me know very soon, as hotel and campground options will be VERY full in the area. I'd like to book something by the end of this month.

Growth, and Learning

2009-08-17T09:34:00.008-04:00

The Pay Off
We had an amazing this weekend. I entered the weekend with trepidation. We had several people travelling with us who either haven't travelled with us in the past, or haven't travelled in quite awhile. The last several shows have run quite smoothly. I was worried that the addition of so many people to our group was going to rock the boat. I was proved wrong. We had our occasional moment where some of my seasoned kids had to step up to the plate and do a bit of hand holding, but all in all everyone pulled their weight. We were unpacked in lightning Sunday night.

Grazing at the Gas Station

We had a long day Friday. We picked a nail up in our tire on our way up. We had to stop in Chapin for Mr. Thomas and Shelton to plug and slime the tire. Our location was convenient because Lexy and Miss Sandy got to have lunch with Travis (her brother). One silly nail delayed us almost an hour.

We arrived at the show grounds about 3:30. We unloaded,unpacked and fed the horses dinner. Several of the riders schooled Friday night. As tradition dictates we did a late dinner at Fuddruckers. It was hard to find a table for all of us. The back room was closed for the night and we had 14 people at dinner.

Bailey and Sassy
Olivia and Doodle

Saturday was a full day. We had people showing in both arenas most of the day. Bailey and Olivia kick started the day in the amoeba division. I've only taught these two a couple of times each, so we are still getting to know each other. This was Bailey's first show. Sassy was a brilliant mount with the addition of a $4 piece of equipment. Now we're hoping she remains that good at home. Bailey will be moving up to 2 foot and 2'3" in the coming weeks. Olivia and Doodle have shown marked improvement in just the two weeks they have been with me. Olivia has found a love for the jumper world via the low gambler class. We will start working towards her goal of transitioning to jumpers.

Chipper and Pickles 2'
Chipper and Gia Flatting
Gia and Jessie 2'

Chipper and Gia rode the ponies in the hopeful hunter division. Gia and Jessie were an amazing pair. They are really coming into their own. They were the division Champions winning 5 out of 6 classes. Pickles gave Chipper a run for his money on Saturday. If there is a dirty pony trick Pickles pulled it. Pickles challenge turned out to be the best thing for Chipper. Chipper accomplished more than one of his life goals for his riding. He earned a "man up" award for how quick he climbed up after his fall. We have all been waiting years for that to happen. They went from the ground up. Each class improved until he was in the ribbons several classes in a row.

Sean and Maggie. Know that's square

from halt to gallop...

Sean was the King of Versatility for the day for Saturday. He rode in both rings. He showed 2' fences, trail, disciplined rail, and ran barrels and poles. He had a good day all the way around. Sunday was his outstanding performance. He rode both Intro dressage tests for the first time. He won the A test with a score of 62 and took 3rd in the B test with score of 67.

Shelton and Sonny w/t

Shelton also got to show the his horse Sonny. Sonny is a work in progress so we did not have high hopes, but they did very well in the trail class. I spent a few minutes tuning Sonny up, and then Shelton went to it. Placing 4th in the class. He also "ran" more standard bred trotted the barrels and poles.

Lexy and Pickles 2'6"

Lexy and Em Intro A

Sunday belonged to my teenagers, and for an odd occasion myself. Lexy showed Pickles in the moving up division at 2'6" and 2'9". They won the hack with 7 in the class. They were the smallest, but apparently the cutest. She also showed Em in Intro A scoring just 1 point behind Sean on Em. Her final class was the 2'6" jumpers on Jessie. The course was going well until Jessie refused an aquaduct. She's never seen one, so we have something to work on there.

Possibly my all time fave pic of this pair

Kaijsa showed Em training level and designed her own training level freestyle test. She set her test to Tim McGraw's "I Like it, I Love it". She came home learning that sometimes a horse is too well schooled to move down the levels, but had a great experience learning how to put together a freestyle test. Her rythm was compunded with my showing Em in the jumper division.

I showed Em in the 2'6" jumper, 3'-3'3" jumpers, and High Gamblers. I rode off course in the 2'6" as I was in a mad rush from one arena to the next. I settled for the 1 meter class and placed third. Then finally we were 5th in the Gamblers. For a mare notorious for 4' bucks on course I was very pleased to get clean lead changes instead.

My weekend continued into Monday when I picked up a new horse for the Serio's. I am very excited to announce that Palmetto Walk aka. Bella has been added to the Charleston Riding Academy stable. Look for her very soon being shown in the large hunter ring by myself or one of the teenagers. Hopefully she will soon be packing her new girls in the small ring walk/trot.

Friendly Reminder

2009-08-13T12:23:00.000-04:00

I've registered before online, but decided to do it again with both my cell and home phones at the number below! Can't be too careful anymore!!!!
>
> REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public next month.
>
>
> REMINDER.... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.
>
>
> ...... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS Even if the message is saved on your phone, you will be charged for the minutes to listen to it.
>
>
> To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone:
> 888-382-1222 .
>
>
> It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.
>
>
>
> HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS.. I
>
>
> =============

Happy Birthday

2009-08-12T10:58:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to send a quick shout out to Kellie. Happy Birthday!!!

Great nutrition information

2009-08-11T15:46:00.002-04:00

Here is a great article that was published by dressageonline.com
It was written by Togey's owner. Her bio is included at the bottom.

"How Exercise Affects Nutrient Requirements of the Horse "

Preparing a horse for competition takes much time, dedication, and attention to detail. We spend hours in the saddle in preparation for the show. We put forth the extra effort to groom, bathe, and braid so that our horses will look their best when we enter at “A”. But how much time do we spend evaluating our horses’ nutrient requirements? Do we pay as much attention to our feeding program as we do our warm-up routine? The decisions we make regarding a horse’s nutrition program can significantly affect performance, but many riders spend little time dwelling on this aspect of performance preparation. Dressage is a sport that requires the horse to execute precise maneuvers while maintaining relaxation, rhythm, and suppleness in all gaits, and an inadequate nutrition program can limit the horse’s ability to offer the desired response to a rider’s aids. When feeding a dressage horse, our goal should be to provide adequate fuel for energy expenditure, replenish nutrients required for muscle repair and homeostasis, and support optimal health through an overall balanced diet. In this installment of a multi-part series on performance horse nutrition, we will discuss specific nutrient requirements which are affected by exercise and how these nutrients affect a horse’s ability to perform.

Energy

Providing energy for work is one of the primary considerations when feeding a dressage horse in training. An average sized horse (1100 lbs.) working 3 – 5 hours per week will require an extra 6.6 Mcal for exercise above the daily maintenance energy requirement, or a total of 23.3 Mcal per day. However, the energy requirement of the dressage horse can be quite variable and is dependant on several factors, including the individual horse’s metabolism, temperament, the intensity and duration of the work, ambient temperature and humidity, and other management factors. For example, warmblood breeds tend to be more “metabolically efficient” and may require fewer calories to maintain bodyweight than a similar size Thoroughbred or other breed that tends to be more “metabolically inefficient”. The ability of the horse to maintain adequate body condition is a good indication of whether or not sufficient dietary energy is being provided. The ideal body condition of a dressage horse is a 5 – 6 on the Henneke body condition scale. If energy intake falls below energy expenditure (i.e. a “negative energy balance”), weight loss will occur. Sometimes this would be a desirable scenario, such as in the case of an overweight horse. However, for the hard-working horse, a negative energy balance should be avoided, as putting weight back on an exercising horse can prove to be challenging.

The primary means by which energy is supplied to the horse’s diet is through carbohydrates present in forages and grains. Dietary carbohydrates can be classified into two general categories: non-structural and structural carbohydrates. Non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) include sugars and starches that are digested in the small intestine, while structural carbohydrates include fibers that are digested in the hindgut (cecum and large colon). The end product of NSC digestion (blood glucose) serves as a readily available source of muscle fuel or can be stored as fat or glycogen. The end products of fiber digestion (volatile fatty acids) are used primarily for maintenance energy requirements. They can also be utilized as fuel for exercise, but the process of converting fiber to muscle fuel is less efficient, takes much longer, and results in less overall energy production and storage. The major energy source for all cells in the body comes from the molecule ATP (adenosine triphosphate), and the primary substrates utilized for ATP production are blood glucose and glycogen (which is first broken down into individual glucose molecules). Therefore it is essential that the exercising horse receive adequate levels of NSC in the diet in order to supply the blood glucose and glycogen necessary for ATP production, which in turn is necessary for muscle contraction and other processes in the body which require energy.

Much attention has recently been placed on “low starch” diets for horses, leaving some horse owners with the impression that dietary sugar and starch is harmful to horses and that they should eliminate as much NSC from the diet as possible. This misconception can result in some real problems for the exercising horse, as the most efficient way to replenish muscle glycogen is through dietary NSC. If a horse begins an exercise bout with inadequate muscle glycogen stores, the onset of fatigue will occur much more quickly and overall performance will suffer. In the case of a horse that has been diagnosed with medical condition that interferes with normal glucose/insulin metabolism (i.e. insulin resistance, PSSM), fat and fiber should be relied upon as the primary sources of energy in the diet and NSC should be minimized. Specific feeding strategies for these types of horses will be discussed in the next installment of this series.

Research has identified the capacity of the small intestine to digest and absorb NSC prior to reaching the hindgut, and meals containing 2 – 4 g starch /kg bodyweight will minimize the risk of digestive upset due to excess carbohydrate reaching the cecum. A safe meal size depends on the starch content of the feed contained in that meal, and this would translate (at the conservative estimate of 2 g starch/kg bodyweight) to a 5 lb. meal of oats (45% starch), a 7 lb. meal of a typical sweet feed (30% starch) or a 22 lb. meal of a high fat/fiber feed (10% starch) for an 1100 lb. horse. Of course, feeding 22 lbs. of feed in one meal is not recommended due to the relatively small size of a horse’s stomach. A good rule of thumb for feeding grain concentrates is that no more than 0.5% of the horse’s bodyweight be fed in one meal (5.5 lbs for an 1100 lb. horse).

Fat, the other primary dietary energy source, contains 2.25 times more energy than an equal quantity of carbohydrate and is the most abundant source of stored energy in the horse’s body. Feeding fat increases the energy density of the diet, allowing for more calories per pound of feed to be delivered to horses needing to gain weight. Fat also provides essential fatty acids that are important components of all cell membranes and are vital for skin, coat, and hoof health in addition to certain aspects of immune function. Different sources of fat contain different fatty acid profiles, and good quality sources of fat include vegetable and marine oils, flaxseed, and rice bran.

Provided at 5 – 10% of the total diet, dietary fat will affect exercise metabolism by increasing the utilization of fat as fuel for low-to-moderate intensity exercise. This increased fat utilization may have a “glycogen-sparing” effect, leaving more muscle glycogen available to be drawn upon during times of more intense energy expenditure (i.e. for an extended trot across the diagonal). Dietary fat also facilitates the absorption of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. There is a limit, however, to the amount of fat that can be digested and utilized by the horse, and the total fat content of the entire ration (including both the forage and the concentrate portion) should be no greater than 10%.

Water

Probably one of the most overlooked nutrients affected by exercise is water. A horse can ingest water either by drinking or by eating moist feed, which can contain anywhere between 10% (hays/grains) and 80% (fresh grass) water. A horse loses water through the urine, feces, respiratory tract, and sweat. Lactating mares will also lose water through the milk. The loss of water through sweat is greatly affected by the environment, as a horse will lose 1 – 2 gallons of sweat per hour of moderate exercise at temperatures below 68°F and up to 3 – 4 gallons per hour at temperatures above 86°F. An exercising horse should consume 10 – 20 gallons (or more) of water per day in order to maintain proper hydration. Ensuring that water buckets and troughs stay clean and providing adequate electrolytes through the diet will promote water intake and help to prevent dehydration.

Electrolytes

Electrolytes are not stored by the body and must be provided through the diet daily in order to replenish what is lost in sweat. Horse sweat contains a high concentration of the electrolytes sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl), followed by potassium (K) and relatively smaller amounts of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). Maintaining a proper electrolyte balance is essential to support the horse’s thirst reflex, proper neuromuscular communication, and muscle contractility. The quantity of electrolytes lost in 1.5 gallons of sweat equates to approximately 16 g Na, 30 g Cl, and 8 g K. If you add the 1100 lb. horse’s maintenance requirement for electrolytes to these amounts, a total of about 26 g Na, 70 g Cl, and 33 g K per day would be required. Generally, these levels can be met by the horse’s diet if the daily ration consists of moderate quality forage (provided at a minimum of 1% of the horse’s bodyweight) and a fortified commercial grain mix (fed according to the manufacture’s directions) supplemented with 1-2 oz of plain white salt. Because forages generally contain 1 – 2% K, typical horse diets contain excess K and supplemental K in electrolyte preparations may not be necessary.

Supplemental salt should be provided via plain white non-iodized salt in block or loose form for free choice consumption, or it may be top-dressed (1 Tbsp. plain salt provides 7.2 g Na and 11.1 g Cl). Horses have an internal mechanism that will drive salt consumption, but intake can be highly variable between horses. Horses are not natural lickers and may not be able to consume adequate amounts from a salt block. Providing loose salt for free-choice consumption or as a top-dress may be preferable to the block form. In hot/humid environments, additional NaCl supplementation may be warranted at levels up to 2 oz. of salt per hour of heavy sweating to account for the additional sweat quantity produced under these environmental conditions. Top-dressed salt may decrease palatability of the feed, and commercial electrolyte preparations often contain sweeteners to increase palatability. However, when choosing an electrolyte supplement, be sure that it contains NaCl rather than dextrose (sugar) as the primary ingredient. It should also be noted that over-supplementation of electrolytes should be avoided. Administering supplemental electrolytes to an already dehydrated horse can cause major problems, and repeated oral administration of electrolyte solutions has been shown to exacerbate gastric ulcers.

Protein

The working dressage horse does have an increased requirement for total daily protein, but this can usually be met by the increased feed intake necessary to meet energy demands. Consequently, the concentration of protein in the diet does not necessarily need to increase when a horse is in training and/or competition, unless a significant amount of the energy is being supplied by a 100% fat supplement (i.e. vegetable oil). However, the quality of protein provided by the diet is extremely important. Not all protein is created equal, and horses actually have an “amino acid” requirement rather than a “protein” requirement. Certain amino acids such as lysine and threonine have been identified as major components of muscle protein and are essential for growth, proper muscle development, and muscle repair. Feeding a commercially prepared concentrate containing high quality protein sources such as soybean and alfalfa meal, along with additional individual amino acids, will promote muscle tone and a strong topline. Very often, horses in low to moderate work that are also easy keepers (i.e. lower level dressage horses or horses in semi-retirement) are fed a diet which is protein/amino acid deficient. These horses do not require many additional calories and oftentimes are fed a diet consisting of primarily grass hay and a 10 – 12% grain mix at less than 3 pounds per day. These horses have plenty of rib cover, and may even be overweight at a 6.5 – 7 body score, but they have a poorly developed topline, especially over the loin, due to protein and amino acid deficiency. These types of horses would benefit from a ration balancer supplement in place of a typical grain mix, as ration balancers are formulated to be fed at 1 – 2 lbs. per day and supply the necessary protein, vitamin, and minerals needed for work without supplying unnecessary calories.

Feeding excess protein to performance horses can also be a common scenario, especially for horses with high energetic demands. This may occur when high quality alfalfa or alfalfa mix hays are fed in large quantities or when protein supplements are added to a diet that already contains adequate protein. The horse is fairly tolerant of a moderate excess of protein in the diet, as excess nitrogen from the amino acids will be converted to ammonia and eliminated through the urine. Increased urine output increases the horse’s need for water, and if adequate water is not available, the horse will be at risk of dehydration. In addition, increased urine output can be problematic for horses that are stalled, as exposure to aerial ammonia can be irritating to the respiratory tract. Athletic performance seems to be affected only when the total protein level of the diet approaches 25%, which will result in increased sweat loss, heart rate, and respiratory rate. To prevent negative effects of protein excess, the total protein concentration of the performance horse diet should be kept between 10 – 16%.

Vitamins and minerals

Again, the increased vitamin and mineral needs of the exercising horse can generally be met when a well fortified diet providing sufficient energy is being fed. That being said, feeding a concentrate from a reputable feed manufacturer formulated specifically for the performance horse will insure that these needs are being met. It becomes more problematic for an owner to meet the horse’s vitamin and mineral needs through straight grains and/or individual supplements, due to the complex nature of balancing a diet for proper nutrient levels and ratios. One vitamin that becomes especially important during exercise is Vitamin E, an antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals produced during exercise. Free radicals can be particularly damaging to healthy muscle tissue, and a minimum level of 1000 IU per day should be fed to the moderately exercising horse. There is some evidence that Vitamin E supplied at levels up to 3000 IU/day may provide additional benefit, especially for horses suffering from neurological or muscle abnormalities.

Bottom line

Special considerations must be made when feeding the performance horse, but planning a nutrition program does not have to be complicated. In general, providing a minimum of 1 – 2 lbs. of quality forage per 100 lbs of bodyweight (on a dry matter basis) per day and pairing it with a quality commercial concentrate specifically formulated for the performance horse is a good place to start. Concentrates, when formulated by trained equine nutritionists, will already contain the energy sources, protein (with the correct amino acid balance), vitamins, and minerals in the proper amounts and proportions to support the specific needs of the performance horse. It becomes more difficult to provide a balanced diet when “piecing together” a diet from several different ingredients, due to the various nutrient deficiencies and imbalances inherent in whole grains and individual ingredients. In addition, many well-meaning owners take the “more is better” approach by over-supplementing specific nutrients, creating additional problems. By taking the time to understand the exercising horse’s nutrient requirements, you can more effectively choose a nutrition program that will complement your training program. Seeking advice from professionals, just as you would for help with your training program, is also a good option when you have a specific question. For example, Purina Mills offers customer support and access to their Ph.D. nutritionists for assistance with your feeding program (visit “Ask the Experts” at http://horse.purinamills.com/). You will know when your feeding program is right, because your horse’s coat will shine, he will have the correct muscle definition according to his level of exercise, and he will have the energy and stamina to easily make it through a training session or dressage test. All of these things compliment an effective training program, because when a horse looks and feels his best, he will also be able to perform at his best.

Biography for Kelly R. Vineyard, Ph.D.

Dr. Kelly Vineyard is a technical Equine Nutritionist for Purina Mills. Her responsibilities include supporting research and development efforts in addition to providing technical support for equine veterinarians, dealers and customers. Dr. Vineyard earned her B.S. in Animal and Dairy Sciences from Auburn University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Science from the University of Florida. Her doctorate research focused on the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on immune function in horses. An avid horsewoman with experience in a variety of disciplines, Dr. Vineyard currently rides and competes in the sport of dressage and is a USDF Bronze Medalist.

Suprises Galore

2009-08-07T11:53:00.003-04:00

In addition to a great reunion planned for Clemson. Talk about pulling a crew together and going strong...I have a couple of suprises planned for everyone. I'm stepping up how we do a couple of things, and I just ordered something this morning to put it all together.

Stay tuned:)

Stay tuned

2009-08-06T21:35:00.002-04:00

I have an announcement on the way. A member of the CRA family is in the process of buying one of the finest trained show horses in town. As soon as we are back from clemson we will be able to lift the veil on the announcement. If you know which horse I am talking about please don't say anything just yet.

Last Call--Updated

2009-08-03T20:34:00.003-04:00

Last call for Clemson. Here's the final head count as I have it.

I'm happy to add Shelton to the crew for the weekend.

Gia on Jessie
Chipper on Riley
Lexy on Riley and Em
Kaijsa on Em
Olivia on Doodle
Bailey on Sassy
Sean on Maggie
Myself on Em and Maggie
Shelton on his horse

Anyone else want to come?

Topegi aka. Tanner

2009-08-03T10:47:00.004-04:00

Well it is more or less a done deal. I have a new horse coming in a week. He is a 9 year old dutch warmblood. He belongs to a co-worker of my old college advisor. He is a solid second level horse, and schools third level movements. He has started over fences and enjoys it far more than dressage. His owner is a dressage rider, so she is letting him come enjoy some over fences time with me. This is a video she made of him back in November. He has had more mileage since this was taken. I'll upload new video once he is here and we have had time to adjust to each other.

Excellent Evening

2009-08-02T07:14:00.002-04:00

Whistle Stop had a fantastic showing at Middleton yesterday. Kelly Rees (another trainer at the farm) and I both had students at the show. We have to say a huge Thank You to Suzy for agreeing to feed so that so many of us could be away from the farm. Suzy was in fact showing herself, but at the end of the day. She came down and schooled at 2. Then went back to the farm to feed, and came back to Middleton to show.

Everyone met their goals last night. Almost everyone won a class too. Houston gave us a scary moment as he got slightly overheated and had to scratch after his first class. Which he happened to win. I decided at the 11th hour to show Em. I've never jumped her over more than a pair of fences and never higher than 2 foot. Em historically has been a huge bucker after fences. We showed both 2'3" open and 2'6" open classes. Unfortunatley on the 2'3" I forgot the jump off course and we went off course. That left us tying Amie for 6th. Then in the 2'6" we had game on with not a single buck anywhere we were able to push the speed and won our class.

Gia's goal with Jessie was to go as slow as she could. She still managed to win the class somehow. It was a great outing for Jessie. None of her normal nuttiness. I think she's finally growing up.

Julia who owns Little Joe Kaijsa's old pony won 2 of her classes in great style.

The prizes yesterday were nice Ariat backpacks, tack store gift certificates, breyer horses, and saddle pads. The ribbons were less than desireable, so that was a good reminder that it's not about the placings, but about meeting our goals.

Middleton Jumper Show

2009-07-29T06:56:00.003-04:00

We are gearing up for Middleton this weekend. The show starts at 3 on Saturday afternoon. We'd love for any of you to come and cheer us on. Here are some pictures from last year.

Cowboy Rules

2009-07-23T07:38:00.001-04:00

COWBOY RULES

Cowboy rules for: Arizona, Texas , Colorado , New Mexico , Wyoming , Montana , Utah , Idaho and the rest of the Wild West are as follows:

1. Pull your pants up. You look like an idiot.

.2. Turn your cap right, your head ain't crooked.

3. Let's get this straight: it's called a 'gravel road.' I drive a pickup truck because I want to. No matter how slow you drive, you're gonna get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way.

4. They are cattle. That's why they smell like cattle. They smell like money to us. Get over it. Don't like it? I-10 & I-40 go east and west, I-17 & I-15 goes north and south. Pick one and go.

5. So you have a $60,000 car. We're impressed. We have $250,000 Combines that are driven only 3 weeks a year.

6. Every person in the Wild West waves. It's called being friendly. Try to understand the concept.

7. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of geese/pheasants/ducks/doves are comin' in during the hunts, we WILL shoot it outta your hand. You better hope you don't have it up to your ear at the time.

8. Yeah. We eat trout, salmon, deer and elk. You really want sushi and caviar? It's available at the corner bait shop.

9. The 'Opener' refers to the first day of deer season. It's a religious holiday held the closest Saturday to the first of November.

10. We open doors for women. That's applied to all women, regardless of age.

11. No, there's no 'vegetarian special' on the menu. Order steak, or you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the 2 pounds of ham and turkey.

12. When we fill out a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables, and breads. We use three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup! Oh, yeah ... We don't care what you folks in Cincinnati call that stuff you eat ... IT AIN'T REAL CHILI!!

13. You bring 'Coke' into my house, it better be brown, wet and served over ice. You bring 'Mary Jane' into my house, she better be cute, know how to shoot, drive a truck, and have long hair.

14. College and High School Football is as important here as the Giants, the Yankees, the Mets, the Lakers and the Knicks, and a dang site more fun to watch.

15. Yeah, we have golf courses. But don't hit the water hazards - it spooks the fish.

16. Turn down that blasted car stereo! That thumpity-thump crap ain't music, anyway. We don't want to hear it anymore than we want to see your boxers! Refer back to #1!

Sadness & Condolences

2009-07-16T20:01:00.003-04:00

I want to send my deepest condolences out to Dorothy Willoughby and her family. Many of you will remember India as one of my lesson horses. She was given to Dorothy by John her husband last year as a birthday present. Very sadly India was put to sleep last evening. As horse owners many of us fear the day we have to put our mounts to sleep. There are a lot of us who escape ever actually having to do it. So many horses are not kept by one owner for their entire life as we change mounts to suit our riding level as we progress. (That's a really akward statement, but I'm not thinking totally clearly at this point) Dorothy was always destined to be the exception. Before I brought India home I made a propehtic statment to Dorothy that I had a mare coming that I thought she would fall in love with. I just didn't know how deep that river of love would run. India was one of my best adult lesson horses, and vital to my program. At the same time when the idea of her becoming Dorothy's birthday present came up it was very difficult to resisit. I have been in this business a long time, and the bond those two shared was unique. I waffled heavily on not letting her go. Finally, at the 11th hour after saying no a final time I called John and said I would do it. He asked me to bring her to the party, so Dan and I loaded her in the trailer and took her to the party.

From that day on there was no doubt in my mind that they would have a life long relationship. I just didn't expect it would end within the year.

Both of you will be in my prayers during the weeks to come.

Classic Week 1 Recap

2009-07-10T15:38:00.004-04:00

We are at the end of the first week of showing at the Charleston Classic. This week was full of suprises. The first being that Pickles carded as a medium. Well honestly that isn't that suprising, but we had all hoped he would make it as a small. Being a medium isn't a huge problem because he jumps the heigh without a problem. What it does challenge us is in distances. But the little man is mighty and will just have to boogie. Pickles is officially 12.2 3/4 hands.

The second suprise was the judge position on the schooling pony classes. This is a unique class as it is frequently used as a warm up and is a precursor to classic round style scoring. Each round is assigned a numerical score 0-100. If you score higher than 75 you receive a blue ribbon. 50-75 receives a red ribbon and below 50 doesn't score. We went into this class feeling that we would't be suprised if we didn't get a ribbon. We were not suprised when WE didn't, but we were suprised when only 1 of 9 medium ponies received a ribbon. The horse round earlier in the day resulted in almost everyone receiving ribbons. A horse even circled on course to fix a lead issue and still earned a ribbon.

The third suprise of the weekend wasn't a suprise to me, but certainly was to Elizabeth. No need for explanation here, just see the picture at the top for the details. Congratulations girl!!!

The final suprise is that Riley is officially a pony. He received his USEF card and is officially 14.2 hands. He may never show pony class, but we can if we want to.

Clemson count update

2009-07-05T11:07:00.005-04:00

The herd is growing for Clemson. This is where we are to date.

Gia on Jessie Yes
Kaijsa on Em Yes
Lexy on Pickles Yes
Lexy on Em Yes
Chipper on Pickles Yes
Julia on Little Joe More than likely
Nicole on Houston Probably not (Matt is coming home)
Sean on Maggie Yes
Bailey on Sassy Yes (pending trainer approval)
One more on her own horse. (can't post who yet)

Right now I have a total of 6 probably 7 travelling.

Anyone else in??? Oh yeah I think J & B is bringing 3 and Brandy is probably bringing 4.

-Holly

Commentary on the equestrian world

2009-07-02T21:17:00.002-04:00

I don't often fall into the typical blog commentary style. Tonight I feel the need to. There are a couple of things on my mind. Perhaps sharing them with all of you will help me sleep tonight.

The first is why equestrains feel the need to stretch the truth on things that are so readily checked on. For instance what is the purpose in sharing your standings in the points unless you are honest? Don't tell me that you are 8th if in act you are 12th. When I can go home and check for myself in 10 minutes. OR When you win a class, but there was virtually no competition and you act like you beat George Morris himself for that ribbon. Don't get me wrong there are times where the turnout at a show is low and we earn ribbons based on not going off course and not falling off. When we do though I try not to post like we hung the moon. I try to highlight that turnout was low, or whatever else played into the equation.

The second thing is not about the participants in this sport, but rather the professionals. My attitude with every relationship I have in this industry is that everyone needs to be where they are based on what is best for them. I work very hard to not take it personally, and recognize it as the business decision it is. So many professionals in this business take personal offense at client turnover, or client concern. I just don't understand it. Clients come and go, there is always someone else. It is not about running a kingdom and maintaining a harem of like minded individuals. Varietey and differences make the world go round.

Let's all commit to helping each other when we can and not hurting each other when we can't.

Summer's End at Clemson

2009-06-29T16:32:00.003-04:00

It's time to start planning for the next show. Clemson is just about 5 weeks away. I need to get a hotel booked. If anyone is interested in coming or tagging along let me know this week. As of right now I have Lexy and Sandy, Gia and Kellie, Chipper, Cindy, and thomas all in. The Smiths are staying with family, the rest of us in a single hotel room.

Anyone else in?
-Holly

Phone oops

2009-06-26T17:31:00.001-04:00

I haven't been feeling great the last day or two. I laid down to take a nap this afternoon, and the puppy ate my phone. I had to go get a new one today. I can't get any of my old numbers out of my phone. If you get a chance text me your digits so I can save them.

THanks,
Holly

Congratulations are in order.

2009-06-25T08:09:00.002-04:00

I wanted to make a couple of announcements. The first is that Gia again has her "own" mount. Gia is going to start riding Jessie as her fulltime mount again. She will still show Riley in the Classic, and will use him occassionally for pony club activities that Jessie is not yet suitable for.

Lauren started taking lessons about a month ago, and is now ready to start leasing. She will be riding Riley 3 times a week. If you see her around the farm please feel free to step in and help as necessary. She has become very independent, but still struggles a bit with the bridle.

I'm hoping that tonight will be a picture/video night, so stay tuned.

Classic Schedule Change

2009-06-22T14:59:00.002-04:00

I have become aware of some schedule changes to the show schedule. I wanted to post the changes for those of you planning to come, so you can plan accordingly.

July 8th Lexy will be showing about lunch time.
July 13th Lexy will be showing mid-morning
July 14th Elizabeth will be shwoing at 8:00am
July 14th Lexy will be showing about 9:00am
July 18th Gia will be showing late in the day probably about 2:00

3 weeks and counting

2009-06-18T07:34:00.004-04:00

Well everyone is working very hard to get ready for our next show. You may wonder why the hype this go round. This is the biggest show that any of my current students have attended. This a "AA" rated show. This show will last 2 weeks at Mullet hall. This is going to seem a bit strange for our team, because almost everyone is showing on different days, so we won't all be there together. I am encouraging everyone to come down to cheer each other on. Our show schedule will look something like this if you want to plan to come visit. This will be a wonderful experience for everyone. Lexy will be taking Pickles out for his debut in the rated green ponies. We are hoping for a nice showing.

July 8 (Wed) Lexy is showing one class likely about lunch time.
July 10 (Fri) Elizabeth is showing 6 classes starting at 8am
July 16 (Thurs) Lexy is showing in half of her division starting about 9 am.
July 17 (Fri) Lexy will finish her division starting about 9am
July 19 (Sun) Gia will show 6 classes likely to start mid afternoon.

Karin and Erin were both scheduled to show Sebastian, but both owner and horse are having some medical concerns that are not going to make it possible. Chipper has decided to sit this one out and wait for Clemson in August.

Everyone is really excited about this show. There will be mimosas ring side Sunday mornings, and an exhibitor party on Friday evening.

Other exciting news...Kaijsa has moved Em to Whistle Stop and will start lessons again. She is planning a musical freestyle for Clemson in August. I'll do my best to get a video of that for everyone to enjoy. I can't wait to see what music she decides on.

We also want to welcome Lauren to the family. She is a friend of the Friedman's who is taking a few lessons to prepare for a lease.

I'd like to ask for prayers for Eric Friedman has he is undergoing surgery for his back today.

Just a reminder to all my students be sure you're working the ponies with the side reins. We need to improve those headsets before the show!!!

For my lessees

2009-06-17T07:07:00.003-04:00

Tara has set up a blog for the stable to communicate the goings ons. Be sure to check the list to the left and add the link to your favorites, so you can stay up to date with the happenings around the farm.

Sea Island

2009-05-31T15:38:00.003-04:00

We had a great weekend. We all moved in and settled in on Friday. The showgrounds were very quiet so schooling was nice. We all brought something for dinner and Sandy manned the grill. Randall and KJ came down to camp with us for the night. The girls (Nicole came to hang out too) had a great time bathing Pickles, and Sandy practiced braiding on Jessie Friday evening.

Saturday morning Erin got to the showgrounds before any of us were awake. We all got up and I fed Brandy's horses for her, so she didn't have to get down quite so early. Lexy and Erin both schooled in the morning before showing. Gia took the morning off to conserve Riley's energy.

Erin took reserve on sebastian in her division, Lexy took reserve in the pony, and pre-children's hunter divisions on Pickles. She also won her first championship in the pre-children's eq. Gia took reserve in both of her divisions.

We also got to see Sara, Bailey, and Badger with some other friend's from J&B in the afternoon. Here's a slideshow courtesy of Kellie's new camera.

All in all it was a great mileage fest. We're all looking forward to the Charleston Classic now, and have LOTS to work on between now and then.

Lessons today

2009-05-28T22:09:00.002-04:00

I saw almost every student today. My day started with Karin learning to haul the trailer in prep for tomorrow. Erin used that time to work on clipping Sebastian. Both ladies will be having mounted lessons at Mullet Hall tomorrow afternoon.

After dropping Kenzie off I headed to Whistle Stop to ride the ponies. I got on Jessie and wandered the arean for 15 minutes or so yacking on my phone. I never got beyond that because I got interupted and had to take care of something else. Amy was on school trip today, so I helped Tara feed. It was nice to do some physical labor for a change. I do miss the day to day chores of running the farm.

Kellie got an awesome new camera today. We all had fun playing with it. Hopefully you will get more pictures from the show this weekend than you have been lately.

Chipper finished up his finals today. He had a lesson on Pickles and was starting to look like the confident rider we had on Riley. Kellie hadn't made it into the arena, so I don't have any pictures to post. I promise next week we'll get some. Gia and Elizabeth both hacked Riley today. Gia put off her normal lesson until tomorrow when we hit Mullet hall.

Lexy has started riding Jessie again this week. Jessie is officially on the market for lease or purchase. Lexy will be showing her in addition to Pickles this weekend. Kellie worked really hard to get some pictures of Jessie jumping today to put on a sale flyer. If you know of anyone looking for a very talented pony please send them our way.

Pics from the trip

2009-05-26T11:24:00.002-04:00

Here are a couple of pics from the weekend...

Sea Island This weekend

2009-05-26T11:19:00.003-04:00

It's show time again. We have been all over the place trying to decide what shows everyone wants to do the next couple of months. It's finally settled. We are off to Mullet Hall this weekend for the Sea Island schooling show. Gia is going to return to the hunter ring showing Riley in short stirrup. Lexy is making her debut on Pickles. She is probably going to show 2'6" jumpers for playtime, and then get serious and show the pony hunter division as well. Karin and Erin are bringing Sebastian down to hangout. Since he has been off the last couple weeks we will be making a last minute decision about him showing. We'd like to put him in walk/trot just for some mileage.

It also looks like Jessie is going with us. She is on the market looking for a new home. We have put her back into full work, and she is raring to go show. I'll hopefully get some pictures of her this evening to post. Help us spread the word that she is on the market.

We are planning to camp Friday night at Mullet hall. If anyone wants to come join the party we'll be cooking out Friday evening and then throughout the day Saturday. We'd love to come have y'all come hang out with us.

New York, New York

2009-05-24T09:03:00.002-04:00

Dan and I are having a fabulous time in New York this weekend. We arrived Thursday at lunch time. We spent some time catching up with my extended family in the lobby of the Beautiful Barclay Hotel. After a quick deli lunch we walked up to FAO Schwartz for Kenzie to do some shopping. She thought the escalators were more fun than even the big piano. (Video of her and daddy to come as soon as I'm home). Thursday evening Kenzie had a sitter, so Dan and I could go to the rehearsal dinner at PJ Clarke's. We dined on raw oysters, 1/4 lb sliders, filet mignon, and more. Never mind the excellent Piper Champagne.

Friday we were set for a bit of wandering, but again Kenzie just wanted to ride elevators. We headed to Bloomingdales so we had 9 stories worth of escalators. Kenzie has been fantastic with all the walking. She was a huge fan of the subway with Gramps (my dad). Our sitter came at 3 on Friday so we could go to the wedding. The priest knew my cousin well as he served for 5 years at the private school she teaches at. He is now at St. Patrick's cathedral. He was an absolute hoot. It was strange sitting through mass, but enough to make me question my thoughts on the Catholic Church. The reception was held at the United Nations. My uncle has been the stamp wholesaler (or some such thing) for years, so pulled some strings for pictures in the rose garden too. The dining room had a beautiful patio overlooking the river and Long Island. Lots more pictures to come. We met some of my parents friends from years gone by including "Tony" who owns a construction/real estate business and finds "family" quite important.

Saturday we took Kenzie to Central Park and the zoo there. She had great fun with the animals and the super designed children's zoo. Lots of up close contact with the animals, and better was all the stuff to play on. Stay tuned for pictures of her and I as turtles:) After a sponge bob popsicle in the park and a sushi/japanese lunch with my parents it was time to say "Good Bye". My parents and Kenzie flew home on Saturday. Dan and I changed hotels moving in to the Algonquin in the theatre district. A historic hotel famous for it's writers, and stage actors of the '20's and '30's. We spent the afternoon going down to the old Miller's Harness company that I haven't been to in 20 years. The last time I was there I had been given a $100 gift certficate by a rider that they sponsored who was friend's with my dad. I spent hours wandering around the store looking at everything trying to decide how to spend my "lottery winnings". Back then $100 seemed like all the money in the world. Yesterday Dan managed to escape without me spending a penny. After getting changed we went to the theatre to see God of Carnage with James Gandolfini, Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, and Marcia Gay Harden. We had excellent seats in the front row of the balcony, and laughed for a non-stop hour and half. We finished the evening with a late meal at an irish pub that served some of the best bread pudding I have had this side of the Atlantic.

Today Dan and I are off for a hotel breakfast, Ground Zero, and the Ikea store in Brooklyn. Our flight home is late afternoon. We'll be spending tonight with my parents and home in the morning. I'll be at the barn in the afternoon, and teach lessons as usual.

ATTENTION

2009-05-12T20:03:00.001-04:00

I am experiencing technical difficulties with my gmail account. Well actually my pc won't load the web page. If everyone could please e-mail me at cratrainer@yahoo.com I don't have anyone's addresses either, so even drop me a line just to say "Hey, here's my address" that would be great.
Thanks,
holly

Almost a month

2009-05-11T15:05:00.004-04:00

It's been almost a month since I last posted anything. In that time we have finished the move to the new digs. Our official "home" is Whistle Stop Stables in Wando. Tara Osment is providing excellent care to our boys. Surrey has moved on to a new home of trail riding and loving cuddles. We're excited to again be sharing barn space with the Friedman's, and are having fun getting to know all of our new barn buddies.

The kids have all been working really hard to prepare for the last couple of shows of the spring. We will be going to both Sea Island the last weekend of this month, and the PSJ at Mullet Hall the first weekend of June. Chipper is opting for a trip to Mexico with 35 of their families nearest and dearest instead of showing this go round. He'll be missed:(

I have some pictures from Gia and Chipper's last lessons on Johns Island. It's amazing the impact riding on the uneven ground had on the kid's positions. You'll notice there has been a change to Chipper's mount. He has regained his confidence and has moved on to Pickles. We will be focusing on schooling pony or the green pony division in the near future.

Gia on Riley

Chipper's First Lesson on Pickles

Now that you've seen Pickles "plopping" over the small fences with chipper aboard here are a couple of pics of Lexy and Pickles. They have improved tons since the first pic a month ago. They are jumping up t 3'6" high and wide...yes at the same time. They will experiment with pony jumpers, but Pickles will be out sized by about 8 inches, so they may not have enough boogie no matter how hard he tries. If they don't have it for the jumpers we will try to fine tune him a bit and they'll be doing the green pony division.

2'9"

3' 6" (notice the gap between the standard's feet)

I have more news to announce tomorrow, but need to take some pics to go with it first. Stay tuned.

Lexy's Lesson

2009-04-18T13:52:00.004-04:00

Lexy came out to make up her Monday lesson today. We had gotten rained out. She has been working very hard with Intuition, but today Intuition had a small cut on her ankle and wasn't 100%. So we decided to work on rebuilding some of Lexy's confidence in herself.

Something that happens when you are riding very green horses is a questioning of your own ability. Horses have to learn their jobs, and make a lot of mistakes during the learning process. It is very easy for us to blame ourselves for their mistakes. Lexy had started to wonder if she really was a good rider. Although, we all have our room for improvement Lexy has done a fantastic job of riding a very heavy on her forehand mare.

Today Lexy rode Pickles. My plan was to work on trusting him to "just do his job". This is an opportunity for Lexy to work on staying with him. Things were going so well that I kept inching the oxer a bit higher. I would like to see some improvements to her equitation, but that wasn't our focus for today. Enjoy the picture and video.

The oxer is 3foot with a 2'3" spread and she's jumping downhill making this a drop fence to boot.

Travels, and moves

2009-04-15T18:55:00.005-04:00

I have been busy the last couple of weeks, so haven't taken the time to post. We all went to the Sea Island Show a few weeks back. Kaijsa got Em out for some jumpers and did quite well, Gia and Chipper shared Riley for some more first place finishes, Lexy took Surrey for her first outing and Karin got Sebastian out for some mileage. We did have some trailer loading issues with one of the horses, and had to go pick up a larger trailer which meant a very late night Friday. Kaijsa, Lexy, and I bedded down on some shavings bags for the night in a stall. Cindy sent me some great pics of us all enjoying the fajitas that Thomas cooked on the grill, but I seem to have "misplaced" them in my inbox.

Gia was on spring break last week, so Kellie, Gia, Kenzie, Nicole, Diane, and Julia all went to Columbia to go to the zoo, and then to my favorite tack shop in Camden. It was nice to take K to the zoo we haven't been since we moved from St. Louis.

Then last Friday Gia, Chipper and I went to school Cross Country at Huspa Plantation near Beaufort. We had a great tailgating afternoon. It seems Cindy didn't manage to catch any decent pics of Chipper, but here are one or two of Gia on Pickles.

And our final news...Riley (and likely Surrey) will be moving to Whistle Stop Stables on May 1. We are looking forward to being reunited with the Friedman's, and our new farm owner Tara Osment.

Uncle

2009-04-02T09:54:00.001-04:00

Alright,
I'm going to move all of my savings tips to their own blog.
You can catch up with me here. Charleston Savings

Swagbucks

2009-04-01T15:26:00.002-04:00

I know I posted about this before, but not a one of you has signed up. You have NO idea what you are missing. This is a great way to get some free extras in life. They have great rewards including amazon gift cards, target gift cards, music downloads, free video games, free air travel, and lots, lots more.

Check it out here. Swabucks

Upcoming Show

2009-03-17T15:56:00.002-04:00

Life has been busy at the farm. Chipper and Gia had lessons this weekend. Hannah (the daughter of a boarder) hacked Pickles Sunday afternoon. On that note Pickles is up for partial or full lease if you know anyone who might be interested.

Thomas (Chipper's dad) is having a lesson this Thursday. Then Friday it's over to Mullet hall to prepare for the show over the weeknd.

Next weekend is Sea Island. Gia, Lexy, and Kaijsa will be showing in Jumpers in the morning. Chipper and I will be showing Hunters in the afternoon. We'd love to see some familiar faces. If you're coming to show drop a line to let us know, or if you're not we'd love a cheering section:)

Example Pic

2009-03-12T19:50:00.007-04:00

I have great news I got batteries in my digital camera today. That means I can start putting more media back on the blog. I'll get some pics of lessons this weekend. In the meantime here is a pic to show you the great deals I'm getting shopping now.

Pictured is...
Walgreens
1-6ct Corndog .50
1-2ct Corndog .25
4-Michelina Dinners .25ea total $1
1-John Frieda Conditioner $1.67 coupons $2 net -.34
2-Colgate Toothpastes 1.78 and 3.67 coupons $6 net -.45
1-Mrs. Smiths Pumpkin pie $1.64
2-Boxes Tyson Hot wings $.84ea
Additional $2 store coupon.

I paid $3.30

CVS
3 Arm and Hammer cleaning solutions .75ea $1coup net -.75
1 Tattoo egg .50

I didn't pay a dime.

Total for everything pictured $3.30

What's Holly Up to?

2009-03-11T08:36:00.002-04:00

Well in answer to the self-posed question Kenzie and I have had the flu this week. I've had time to do nothing but surf the internet. As some of you know I am becoming an avid coupon shopper. I have had several trips where my out of pocket has been under a dollar. I walked out of Petsmart a couple of weeks ago with 3 bags of cat food, litter and 2 bags of treats. I only spent 1.23 for all of it. I've been to CVS and gotten $70 of merchandise for mear pennies.

Well I'm on to the next step in the journey. I'm trying to sniff out the legitimate money making opportunities on the web. I have found two so far.

The first is youdata.com This one is super easy. I'm spending an average of 2-3 minutes per day on it and earning $2-$3 per day for my time. They deposit my proceeds into my paypal account every Friday. I'm not going to get rich doing this, but it definitley will add fuel to my truck, or cover an entire trip to CVS AND Petsmart if I combine it with my coupons:) I also don't think there is an age requirement, so for some of my teenagers who aren't working yet this might help out some.

The second opportunity is widespread on the internet it's called Swagbucks
Swagbucks doesn't pay out "cash", but they do have great prizes including Amazon Gift Cards which can be used for almost anything you would ever need to buy.

I have included links to each of these and will receive referral credit if you join through my links. I've checked out several of these gimmicks, and discovered these two are very easy and legitimate. Remember, you have nothing to lose by trying, but lots to gain if you like it.

Riley lives up to his name

2009-02-16T09:08:00.005-05:00

"Rile You Up" had an outstanding weekend in Clemson. He got everyone around the grounds talking about him. He was shown by Gia and Chipper in short stirrup both Saturday and Sunday. He was fantastic. He came home with 2 championship ribbons and 2 reserve championships. He was named horse/pony of the weekend by show management and received a big bucket of apples and carrots for himself. I decided to see how he would do in the trail class. He had never been asked to cross a bridge, back an "L" or other tasks that go into trail. We schooled the bridge twice before competing. The first time he took one look at it and said..."Uh, NO" he danced all around it. When he finally stepped on it he went right off the side. The second time there was not a moment's hesitation, then we rode in the class, and no suprise he won the class.

We also took Sebastian to the show. He wasn't real thrilled with the experience. We had to scratch Saturday all together because he was not willing to cooperate. I rode him about 4 times during the day. He started out a bucking fool. We finished up the day schooling crossrails. Sunday morning started out much better. I showed him in crossrails and he did very well. He came out second in his class. I had originailly planned to show him in the Hunter Classic, but decided to scratch because I wasn't sure how he would do. I wanted to quit on a good note. Karin had wanted to show him in a few classes, but we had to scale that back to just the walk/trot on the flat. She took second in her class. A friend of her's then brought her horse up for Karin to show over fences. She showed in the classic on "Gus" against me on "Riley". Riley and I had an awful round. I guess I don't ride over fences enough, nor Riley enough. Our second round was much better, but I blew the first round trying to find spots for him. Low and behold Riley has no adjustability and knows his job. All he wanted was me to get out of his way and let him do his job. Ooopppss so much for being a pro.

Here are some pics from Saturday, Sunday to come...

What am I up to???

2009-02-13T21:34:00.002-05:00

It's been quite awhile since I have blogged. As you may know I have shrunk the size of my operation, and am down to just teaching a few students on a regular basis. I'm staying in touch with as many students as I can. I have some video to post of what I've been up to as life has been winding down. Stay tuned to see some amazing footage!!!

As for what I'm doing at this moment... I'm sitting in a hotel room with Kellie, and Gia watching Monster In-Law. Karin, Chipper (and family), and us all travelled up to Clemson today. There is a show this weekend. We had a long day getting here, but are settled in for the night. Riley and Sebasitan aka. Tommy are at the show grounds snuggled in their stalls for the night. There was a suprisingly low number of people stabling tonight. We're assuming more will turn up tomorrow. Gia and Chipper will be showing Riley in Short Stirrup. Karin will be showing Sebastian in some beginner classes. I will be showing him in 2' adult hunter classes, and 2' jumper classes. There is a hunter classic Sunday so I'll be showing both of them in it on Sunday.

Stay tuned to hear how we did.

Too Good not to share

2009-01-10T19:36:00.001-05:00

FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY
In Florida , an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter andPassover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination caseagainst Christians, Jews and observances of their holy days. The argumentwas that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days.
The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, "Case dismissed!"
The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, "Your honor,how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas,Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays."
The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant."
The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists."
The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God,then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day.. Court is adjourned."

Stay Tuned

2009-01-10T09:56:00.001-05:00

I know this has been a very down week around the farm. I want to encourage every one to keep their faith and their chins up. I am working on something that might prove to be very exciting. Everyone hang in there.

Look for another announcement about Tuesday or Wednesday of this week.

Love

2008-12-28T11:49:00.002-05:00

I love all of you. I do my best to go above and beyond for each and everyone of you as often as I am able. I can't always give you everything I want to, but know that I try.

If you can think of any one time in our relationship that I have gone above and beyond for you please honor me by doing the following...

Take half an hour and watch this video. I hope that it will transform your life in some way.

Thank you in advance for giving me this gift=)

Busy day

2008-12-27T20:33:00.005-05:00

What a full day I had. I started out with Emily's lesson over at her farm. Gift is coming along very well. She is now jumping fences instead of taking them in stride. She sits down very nicely using her hind end over the fences. Emily is supposed to send me the video from this morning. I'll add it when I get it. Emily is having to adjust her equitation to account for Gift's new found power. We're heading to Aiken this Friday for a "AA" rated show. Wish us luck...

Congratulations go out to Helen and Heather Jervey. They are the new proud owners of Squeeks. They are the ones who I dropped a horse to on Christmas morning.

Then a bunch of us gathered at the Kramer's property to build some fence. KJ brought over the auger and was our "ox" for the day. Although after a wonderful subway lunch courtesy of Beth Randall did have to pitch in and help.

Fundraising Opportunity

2008-12-26T07:06:00.003-05:00

We have talked a lot about wanting two things...shirts that match and stall drapes for shows. I have come up with a way to get both. I opened a store at Cafe Press. I will work on uploading more designs and options in the coming week. If there is something specific you want to see let me know and I'll try to add it. So far I have two designs up one with our farm Motto "Go Strong or Go Home", and one with a farm logo.

If anyone wants to take some time to create farm related art I can use it to make more apparel designs. Save it as a .jpg and send it to me if you're interested. There is also a sticker done for our cars. I'm going to work or redesigning the above art larger so we can use it on the back of shirts too.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T12:54:00.005-05:00

It's Christmas day which means I get some time to myself. I have not realized how busy I have been. I have been running full steam ahead on all fronts since the move. There has been so much seen and unseen happening that I haven't taken time think. I have been neglecting my family something fierce. I have gotten too wrapped up in everything else.

I started this morning by picking up a horse at 4am to deliver to a very happy mother and daughter. Congratulations to the Jervey family on their newest addition... they are the proud owners of Pip Squeek. I parked the trailer on a wooded lot adjacent to their home in Mt. Pleasant. I tied Squeeks to the trailer and left her for the day.

I then went home and Kenzie opened her gifts from Santa. She got a Polar Express train set, fairy wings, and a Diego camera. Then we all drove up to my parents iN Pawley's Island for the day. It has been wonderful to focus on family and discover the person I used to be. I will admit that it's amazing how my priorities have changed in the last year. Where I used to be very fashion focused and had an all designer wardrobe now I get excited over half chaps, show breeches, and this...

Among all the other things that Kenzie received today she enjoyed her first "martini" (water and an olive in a glass)

Well mom just pulled the bird out of the oven. I suppose it's time to eat. NEver mind I already ate half a pound of baked brie and crackers. For all of those who are always griping at me to eat. I'm doing my share today. Hopefully, those new show breeches will still fit next weekend when we go to the "AA" show in Aiken. OH, yeah that's the last farm Christmas suprise. Emily will get to take Gift up to show both weekends too.

I'd love to hear what all of you are doing to celbrate the day. PLEASE post comments.

2008-12-17T19:55:00.003-05:00

Thought I'd take the time to show off the nifty ribbon racks that KJ built for us to take to shows. These are the ribbons from Clemson this weekend. We discovered we need to make them shorter, but they are fabulous other than that.

Our many thanks to our "barn bouncer". You are a special part of our horseshow team.

Clemson Report

2008-12-16T06:43:00.003-05:00

As always I'm still waiting for pics. Although, since none of our regular photographers were able to travel with us we may only have a ribbon pic. Not sure if the camera came out other than that. Clemson was great this weekend. But, it was frigid. It never got above 45 degrees in the sun. I packed knowing it would be cold, but even my fleece lined breeches, and insulated tall boots weren't enough to keep me warm. We travelled with a slightly smaller group. There were 4 riders and a total of 8 of us. I have been really wrapped up in some sludge lately. This weekend gave me a chance to get away from all of it and remember how much I LOVE what I do. Everything ran so smoothly I had the opportunity to ponder some decisions and situations that I needed to resolve. So, now that I'm home it's time to follow through on the decisions I have made. Enough about my mental health, on to what you really want to know... how we did.

Gia took both her regular mount JP (from J&B) and Skittles with us. She was originally going to ride JP in the open classes. He schooled really well Friday evening, so Kellie and I discussed her showing him in hunters. Gia wanted to jump him, but Kellie was nervous how he would jump away from home. I told her to hang in there and lets try it. That meant Gia had to show both Skittles and JP in the crossrails hunter. The class was huge. It had 22 entries. Skittles was third and JP was fifth. Way to go Gia!! Gia then had took Skittles in the 2' hunter classes as well. Those classes were even larger as she had 25 entries to compete against. I made an error and taught her the wrong course, but apparently Skittles was so stunning that no one noticed and she placed second. Gia then got to relax for awhile, and run JP in barrels and poles in the evening. She again came home in the ribbons.

This was Nicole's first show with Houston. We learned a lot about him this weekend. He travelled very well considering how he had travelled coming to us. He rode up there like a champ. We discovered he doesn't like the cold and he spent most of the weekend lying down in his stall trying to stay warm. Nicole showed him in the 2' and 2'3" divisions on Saturday. She pinned well in the HUS class of 20+ entries, but not over fences. Houston was very sloppy about his distances and using his hind end. In hind sight I should have encouraged Nicole to push him forward more, so he was using himself better. At the same time I was very happy with the outcome. For the very first time Nicole got mad at her horse for not holding up his end of the relationship. I am not a big one for blaming the horse for our errors. I genuinely believe when horses misbehave/under perform it's a result of our error. This time around I still feel it was our error, but an error I would repeat. To see Nicole start to appreciate the sport aspect of riding, and not be completley hung up in the relationship component with her horse was a wonderful moment.

Now to the big news of the weekend. I normally post about how helpful Diane is. Always being there for me, providing wonderful food, playing chauffer, etc. Of course she did all of those things as always... but, she also SHOWED Houston. She has had 4 lessons, and went into the open ring in a western walk/jog class. Her class had 15 entries, so I didn't really expect she would place. I was so proud of her for jumping in there and going for it though. Yeah DIANE!!! You're a winner to all of us.

Sunday had it's share of highlights as well. Nicole was set to show Houston in 2'6" Hunters. She went in to the ring second. As soon as she finished her course I knew she would be in the top 3 of the 9 entries. She and I stood ringside together for the whole class. Not something I often get to do, as I'm typically rushing off to get someone else ready. As each of the entries rode their courses my smile continued to grow. As soon as the final entry had gone I looked at Nicole and told her she had won the class. She smiled a bit, but I could tell she was sKeptical. When the placings were finally announced she couldn't have been more excited to learn I was right. She then had her equitation round which didn't go as well as I would have liked. We have spent a lot of time the last several weeks talking about Houston needing to be more supple. Nicole hasn't been very interested in taking the steps to improve that area just yet. His stiffness came back to bite us as she had to ride a very tight broken line. She also placed well in her hack for the division. I really wanted her to have a stab at the division championship, but more importantly wanted her to get a second chance to ride the broken line. When she came out of the ring from her last 2'6" class I took her to the schooling ring without saying much. I know how nervous she gets with the unexpected. I put up a vertical again without saying anything other than to ask her to jump it. She looked curiously at me, but didn't get whiney. She pointed Houston and asked for impulsion he lifted over and she stayed with him. When she landed I asked her to do it a couple more times. Then I said alright let's go ask mom. I wanted her to go in the 2'9" classes to pick up more division points. Nicole had never jumped that big with Houston. In fact the only time I have asked her to jump that was when Tansey started stopping with her. Her degree of trust in Houston was evident. Nicole was excited for the opportunity not nervous. She went in and again they got around a beautiful hunter course. Following the eq class I tallyed the division points for her. She was in reserve. I knew she didn't have 3' in her, so I stripped down ring side and put her show jacked on intending to ride the 3' hunter course in order to pick up enough points for her to win the championship. If I got him around clean we were guaranteed the championship as the girl we had to overtake wasn't showing 3'. Once I entered the ring and jumped the first line I had to make a heart wrenching decision. I pulled Houston up and excused myself from the ring. He was tired and he and I were not in a good rythym. I had to make the safe choice to compete again another day. Nicole did take home a beautiful resrve championship ribbon though.

Sunday is Kaijsa's day to shine. It's the day they have both combined training and dressage. She had also chosen to ride in the high gambler's choice. The jumper classes were a fraction of the size they have been in the past. The 2'6" jumpers was a fair size, but then the next to only had one or two entries in them. The Gambler's choice didn't go as well as we would have liked. Kaijsa was so cold that she virtually couldn't move. Em saved her butt, and Kaijsa made the smart decision from then to just take it easy knowing full well that she would place as long as she didn't fall, or have 3 refusals. She came out second in that class. Her first dressage test of the day (the one that is part of her combined training) went well. She scored better than she did on the same test last time up there. The judge did blow the whistle on her and comment that she didn't ride the correct test. We were all puzzled at this, and Kaijsa was just hopping mad. The judge allowed her to finish her test and scored it. In actuality she rode the correct test, but not with the same degree of accuracy the judge would have liked. When it came time to jump for the CT we decided to scratch as Kaijsa was still frozen, and just didn't feel she had the ability to get Em around a jumper course. She placed fourth in her CT despite the scratch. Her final class of the weekend was the important one. She rode first level test 3. The test includes extensions at the trot and canter, as well as leg yields. The judge was very favorable overall about Em, and Kaijsa scored much higher than our last outing. She won her class with a score of 61.43.

I have forgotten to mention one other class Kaijsa rode in. Nicole allowed me to borrow Houston so Kaijsa and I could show in the discipline rail class together. This is the class I explained after the 4-H show when I rode Riley without stirrups for the entire class. This time the judge elected to run the class differently. He ran a freestyle type of class. He basically gave us free rein "no pun intended" to show our horses to the best of our abilities. He had us show at each gait and show the best they could do. I take my hat off to Kaijsa as she beat me by a narrow margin, but I couldn't keep Houston in the canter. He was too tired and I didn't have spurs on. Next time Kaijsa and I have decided if we're given the same opportunity we're going to turn it into a pas de deux. She would execute a maneuver and then I would have to match it. She would then try to match my challenge.

There is so much more that happened this weekend that I would love to share, but I need to get outside and enjoy the 60 degree weather. If you want to know everything that happens when we travel you really should come with us. Remember the Christmas party is tonight at 6pm. ALL are invited. If you live in the area and take the time to read my dribble we would LOVE to have you come to the farm.

Christmas is coming

2008-12-11T07:34:00.005-05:00

First I want to remind everyone that the Christmas party is this Tuesday the 16th at 6pm. Please bring a dish, beverage, or paper goods. We will also have a $10 gift exchange.

Secondly, I wanted to let my less horsey parents know that Smartpak has some great children's clearance apparel on sale. I thought I might put some ideas out there for you. They are also offering free shipping until the 15th.

Here are a couple of examples...

Dover Saddlery also has some great clearance going on including the fleece lined breeches that I love so much this time of year.

While we're talking shopping I want to remind everyone that by shopping Horse.com you can enter the code "reinandshine" in the country cares box at checkout and they will give 5% back to Rein and Shine without you doing anything extra. Never mind they have some of the best prices around.

I also just discovered a new website that seems to have very good sales. If you sign up for their newsletter you also get a gift certificate on your birthday and your horse's birthday. Check out Equestrian Collections for more details.

Teenagers

2008-12-10T06:02:00.003-05:00

I thought I would comment on a part of my job that I love. In this business there are trainers who love the baby beginners, there are trainers who love the AA circuit showers, (that word always looks so funny when I type it), there are people who love pony riders, etc. As a trainer you have to teach them all as they come, but my passion...

The teenagers!!! Yes I'm a glutton for punishment. I love watching them go from children to young adults right in front of my eyes. I watch them mature as individuals every day. I love to coaching them into right thinking and understanding. It's important to remember they are children and as such will make selfish, manipulative choices that typically don't result in the what they want. That's when we pick them up, dust them off, give them a hug and talk about how to make a different choice next time.

The innocence that is in their eyes as they share their dreams and goals with you is unmistakeable. As an adult it can be difficult to not get caught up in what they want. It's my responsibility to get them as close to that dream as I can, without allowing them to blow reality out of the water. This requires quite a dance. It is a balancing act of communication between the teenager, myself, and most importantly the parents.

Some parents are very involved at the barn everyday, going tack shopping with me, and travelling to shows with us. Others have more committments and our contact may be limited to the phone and occasionally travelling to a show with us. Either way it's important to recognize the parents are doing the best they can and know how for their child. In teenagerdom the lines of communication between parent and child frequently become strained. A large part of my job is keeping that communication going. I can't rely solely on what the teenagers are saying. Let's be honest it's very rarely their money we're spending on these dreams. I do have many riders who pay a portion of their board bills and/or showing expenses themselves. But, I don't have any who don't receive help from mom or dad.

Long and short of this... I LOVE MY JOB! I LOVE MY RIDERS! I LOVE MY PARENTS! I LOVE PUNISHMENT!

Skittles' competition

2008-12-09T07:35:00.003-05:00

Okay I may be getting ahead since we haven't qualified yet, but here are some ponies who have.

We're a winner

2008-12-09T07:00:00.002-05:00

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

M&M Farms Receives 2008 Best of Huger Award

U.S. Local Business Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., December 5, 2008 -- M&M Farms has been selected for the 2008 Best of Huger Award in the Horseback Riding category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2008 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA)

U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Local Business Association

CONTACT:
U.S. Local Business Association
Email: PublicRelations@USLBA.net
URL: http://www.USLBA.net

Time to Vote

2008-12-08T07:28:00.002-05:00

I have added a poll for Skittles name to the right. Not that it is binding on Robbie, but I thought it might help. You are allowed to vote for multiple options if you choose. I'll only leave this up for a couple of days because we have to get this done in a hurry. Please vote.

If it helps the only one that is completeley unused according to USEF is Chocolate Kissed. So if originality counts...

Name game

2008-12-07T09:07:00.002-05:00

Alright I have to comment on just a couple of the suggestions so far. I'll update this as more suggestions come in...

Robbie Great minds think alike. OUr Medium that I sent you the pics of...Jessie is already "Just My Size" so nice one...

Kaijsa... Brandy has a My Little Pony that was Chipper's mount before his move.

Keep them coming!!!

Name hunt

2008-12-05T21:40:00.004-05:00

We are entertaining the possibility of changing SKittles show name. As some of you know it is currently "Call Me Mr. Feisty". We are looking for something that might be more appealing to a young child. I'll post pics of him as soon as I can. But most of you know what he looks like, or you can go see him at his previous blog

Please post your name suggestions to the comments section of the blog.

SCPTHA News

2008-11-30T11:51:00.002-05:00

They have scheduled the year end awards and membership meeting for Jan. 9th. Please save the date. If any of our adults wish to run for office or board member positions there is a nomination form on the association website.

Long time no post

2008-11-30T08:48:00.002-05:00

My laptop is down for the count, so I haven't taken the time to post for a very long time. So much has happened there is no way I can catch everyone up. I'll try to hit some of the past highlights and catch you up on what is coming soon.

We went to the Sea Island show a couple of weeks ago to celebrate Cecil's birthday. Gia showed Skittles for the first time and did very well in the green horse/pony classes. She beat Palmetto Walk who wins everything at the pinto shows. It was a great confidence booster for her. She'll be showing there again next weekend in the pony division. Nicole will be joining her for the debut on her new horse Houston. We are trying to talk Cecil into coming again for the jumpers, as it was pouring down rain by the time he was supposed to show last time around.

Then the following weekend it is up to Clemson we go. We're still sorting out how many we're taking. It looks like Gia is taking 2 mounts, Kaijsa is taking Em, Nicole and Diane on Houston, and hopefully Paula on Amador.

The barn Christmas party is scheduled for Dec. 16th. ALL are welcome. We'd love to have some of our past family and friends come visit. Heck it'd be a great chance to check out the new farm. Just bring a dish and item for the gift exchange. If you think you might come why not post a comment to the blog about what goodies you're bringing to eat.

The barn will be closed on Christmas day again. There will not be lessons from 12/25 through 1/2. I will be around, but not teaching.

The boys are making good progress on our cross country course. We have the first 5 jumps completed. As soon as it dries out again they'll get back to work. We were just evaluating a spot for a water complex this week. So we'll have that and a 3 tier bank going in over the winter.

I suppose that's all for now. I can't say when I'll next be ready to post. Wish I new where the camera cord was so I could put up some of our candid moments around the farm. I'm also still waiting for ribbon pics from the 4-H show. hint, hint, hint.

Get out and vote

2008-11-04T07:52:00.001-05:00

Just a reminder if you're a McCain supporter get out and vote today=) If you're for the other man...what's his name? Oh yeah Hussein stay home. We love you anyways.

Fun, fun, fun show...

2008-11-02T09:34:00.002-05:00

As always I'm posting before the pics are in. I promise to put them up just as soon as I get them. We had a great time at the Stormriders 4-H Fun Show yesterday. We took 7 horses and a bunch of riders down with us. We had several first time show riders, and first time show horses. Cecil even got in on the fun. Katie Drummond decided to practice her catch riding by showing up to ride Miss April. Every one did well in their regular classes. I rode Riley in the command class which is an advanced version of simon says. You're asked for counter canters, pivots, sidepasses and the like. The only hiccup was I jumped on in Nicole's saddle. I was adjusting them as I entered the ring, and one pulled right off the saddle. Needless to say with an equipment issue I was forced to pull both of them and ride stirrupless for the entire class. Riley was phenomenal and helped bring home the blue for me. Cecil and Katie also rode out of the command class in the ribbons. Which when you think Katie had never ridden Miss April before yesterday morning, and was able to get the advanced maneuvers from her I was very impressed.

Leighton was one of our first time horse showers. She had a very rocky start to the day. When Cecil, KJ, and I unloaded the trailer Alexis (who Leighton was supposed to ride) had gotten banged up and was going to need the day off. Leighton hung in like a trooper and agreed albeit nervoulsy to ride Riley instead. It took her a few classes to get her nerves under control, and some kind words from a wonderful judge, but Leighton pulled it together. She completed her horsemanship pattern (something we don't do at home)to win her first ribbon. In great style for a little girl she came out with the pink one (5th place). To complicate Leighton's first show she had to compete against her mom in almost every event. Catherine made her show debut on Dixie, who was an absolute saint throughout the day. Our final rookie shower for the day was Sydney on Danny. Sydney had a rough start to the day as she grappled with understanding it would be a while before she was able to show over fences. She's jumping single crossrails and lines at home, but is a way off of showing over courses. Her spirits picked up at the end of the day with the races. She placed in almost every race class that we had.

Nicole got back in the swing of showing on Riley throughout the day. As you may remember she came off and cracked her knee at the last Clemson show in August. Dorothy came and made her show debut on her OWN horse...India. I tried to repeat my scurry race win from the spring show on India, but apparently India has decided she likes her new mommy better. I ended up winning the scurry race on Topaz.

Then came the part I live for...the races. Cecil, Katie, and I got quite competitive with each other competing in the races. We had a really good run of 1, 2, 3 throughout. All in all our crew had a fantastic day of fun and comraderie. We ended with a birthday celebration for KJ our ever faithful bouncer, body guard, horseguard, trailer hauler, groom, secretary, and much much more. Happy 30th!!!

Pics coming soon.....

Upcoming Show Opportunity

2008-10-27T21:49:00.003-04:00

OUCH!!! That's the sound of my arm being twisted, and in turn Cecil's. The girls have talked me into hosting a schooling show day. We will be having dressage tests intro through training and a name your own test class. Susan Selvey will be judging the dressage.

We will offer C/T tests for crossrails through 3' and corresponding dressage tests. We will also be doing stadium schooling classes from 18" through 3'3" with gamblers choice classes at two heights.

We will have a concessions brought in by a vendor, and are working on a few other vendors to round out the day.

If you're interested in show information keep an eye on our website for the details, or drop me a line.

Show date is November 30th at 10am. If you don't want to show we'll definitley need some volunteer workers to make the day run smooth. This will be a much bigger shing dig than our "fun" shows from the past.

Nicole's New Beauty

2008-10-26T19:32:00.002-04:00

I know I've been a bit slow on the posting. I have to get back in the swing, but need to get the camera cord located.

Nicole's new horse arrived yesterday. He's a 16H quarter horse gelding. Here's a video of him competing at quarter horse congress a couple of years ago.

Vet makes funny

2008-10-14T08:42:00.001-04:00

I was listening to Dave Ramsey on my way home from lessons last night. An equine vet called in. He had been on a farm visit earlier in the day. The client mentioned that she was a liberal, or in some other way conveyed such to the vet. When he was finished and writing the invoice he informed her that he would be adding a 10% surcharge to her bill. The proceeds would then be held in reserve for the next horse owner who couldn't afford vet care. Low and behold the horse owner didn't think it a very good idea. Personally, I thought it was an excellent example of liberal "redistribution". All that said we are back in full swing this week with lessons. As soon as my camera surfaces I will post some pictures of the new farm. Which I'm calling my own piece of nirvana. (that means tranquility)We had an excellent showing at the state fair this past weekend, but I'll post more on that as soon as I have those pictures from Amelia...hint, hint.

We're Back

2008-10-09T11:26:00.002-04:00

I'm back in the world of blogging. This is the blog for our new live's. I'd like to say a public thank you to my "savior and love of my life" Dawn Mills. Okay, maybe I'll include her husband Cecil in there too.

Cecil and Dawn are the proud owners of Mills Farms and Canine Retreat in Bonneau. They are the gracious people who have provided us a place to stay, and our horses grass to eat. We are getting settled in nicely and will be back to business as usual starting next Monday. If anyone has questions about lesson times, or boarding please drop me a line. I am furiously working to update our website, but for the time being this will be the most accurate source of information.

I am packing 5 riders to the state fair tomorrow. A couple of the highschoolers are competing for a college scholarship this weekend.

I can't wait to see y'all again, and show you around the new farm. Mark your calendars the farm Christmas party is Dec. 19th at 6:30pm. Everyone is welcome. We'd love to have some of our "old" family come for a visit.

I'll post pictures of the farm just as soon as I can.