My Pony's the BEST Pony in the World!!!

My Standardbred is incredible.  Have I said that?  In-freaking-credible!  So he's done his 60 days of training, which was lovely although he came home hella skinny (he's picking up quickly now though) and I've moved him to a new barn with a resident peacock, Mr. Peacock.  I was not sure what my poor pony would think of this bird, but I was obviously more concerned than the pony was. 
Score 1!

So we started doing tricks.  Since he's so young, I don't want to do too much on his back, but still want him really well rounded and we can do lots on the ground.  The smile is awesome!  He learned a very enthusiastic wave in 2 sessions and now we're progressing to giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  Sweet fella!
Score 2!

I think my husband's rifle target practise at home saved my life today.  Here's why:
At the new barn is a very old plastic step stool, the kind you would have found in a library back in the day.  I used in the last time I went riding and pulled it out again today.  I stepped up on it, put my foot in the stirrup, hand on his mane juuust stepping up on him when CRAAACK!!!!!  The whole thing SHATTERED under me!  I thought, oh crap, I'm dead.  But José Did. Not. Move.  Not even a blink.  I think he just held his breath and waited for me to tell him it was ok.  Boy did I ever!!  I praised that little feller from top to bottom!  Smartest boy EVER!!
Score 3 - 5, I think that deserves bonus points!

I had an epiphany this evening while actually riding my pony.  I've been working on trying to have him soften and supple to the right, he's very stiff this way.  I have the chiro booked for early December but, in the mean time, I want to continue to lightly work with him.  So we talked a little about yeilding the hind quarter to leg pressure, easy peasy he says.  And so from there, in the walk, I started to ride him straight.  Not to soften and swing his head (and really throw him off balance...) but straight with corners being more like almost a couple of steps around of pirouette instead of asking him to collapse the shoulder... duh!  Wow, what a genious.  And what happened when I rode him with light, even contact and balanced his hind quarter straight behind him?  He softened his jaw, thought more about taking bit contact and lowered and lengthened his topline.  Holy cow.  Man I'm an idiot... why did I not just do this before?  Ride the horse so he can balance us both?  No way!  That's logic!
Well, better at ride 4 than ride 439...

Score 0.5 for me.  :)

SNOW DAY!!!

Ah, lovely, tropical Alberta <3  How sweet your breeze sings, how beautiful the snow...

Ok, back to reality!  It's a BILZZARD out there!  Highways are closed!!  I'm 50 km away at work, my daughter's at daycare and I don't think it's safe to go home.  What to do...

Check into a local hotel for the night and have a mommy-daughter mini-vacation!  That's right, if you take a look around, you can usually find a good side of a bad situation.  Just have to get creative and improvise a little. 

A lady I used to work with me grumbled at me one day and asked me "You're on of those
the class is half full' kind of people, aren't you?"
I answered her very honestly, "Nope, my cup runneth over!"

Happy Weekend!

We wished out little boy of this year a very fond fairwell.  Monty (Sumthing Khompletly Difrent SE) is off to his new home with his new family. 

I'll miss that little feller but I think his new family is more excited about his future.  On last report, he made it home just fine, settled in with hew new buddy, a Paint gelding, in knee-high straw.  Life is so rough sometimes....

On other news, I got to ride my pony for the first time yesterday!!!  José Jalapeno is coming along so well in training. He's nearing the end of just 60 days with his trainer and I'm so pleased with how sensible and honest this little (16 hh little) guy is.  The vet was out to float his teeth and found him to be not yet 3 years old!!!  Oy!  So lots of playing and tricks and we'll take it easy with the riding for the winter.  Nice and slow and confident. 

Black does look good one me doesn't it?  Yeay José!!

My Review on Cavalia

Under the big top...
Well the show certainly had a circus feel.  All week my friend had asked me if I was excited to go.  I wanted to be, but couldn't really muster "excitement" for something that would likely not hold any mistery to me.  I'm an FEI-trained dressage rider.  I've trained horses to perform tricks.  I've performed at liberty with a young stallion... show me something new! 

Well, the tricks didn't impress me, and the riding certainly wasn't anything to get excited about.  I won't clap for 8 Andaluseans doing leg yeilds at a walk in a row with only 1 on the bridle.  I won't get excited for a bay Spanish stud's "dressage" movements when he can't keep a row of tempis, his pirouettes are very flat, and his "extended" trot is rushed.  His passage wasn't bad though.  The riding reminded me of the "World-Famous Lipizzander Stallion" show I'd seen a few years ago, only slightly less offensive.

But....

There was something so different, so special about this show. 

It gave me something.  Something I'd lost a number of years ago, and I didn't even know I'd lost it. 

It gave me back a dream.
A passion.
It gave me back the spark of magic that is possible with only a horse.  The gift of relationship between horse and handler that isn't for an audience, it's for that connected pair only.  It gave me a glimpse of what will be possible with my own young stallion.  It reminded me of the limitless nature of communication. 

I went and bought myself the zip-front sweater and a key chain from Cavalia.  I spent the money because I will keep them to remind me, when it's really hard and I want to throw in the towel and quit, that there's something beautiful that does happen.  Just keep working.

I have no desire to run away and join the circus, although I may have worked very hard to get in had I known about this when I was much younger.  I do love performance and it can exsist in all of its brilliance and glory outside of the 20 x 60 ring.  When I dance with my horse, on the ground or on his back, it is for me and my horse, not for anyone watching. 

I would go to this show over and over again.  I would love to spend some time with the crew behind the scenes and learn some of their training techniques as the horses were completely oblivious to the crowd just meters away from them.  I love the showmanship that the theatrics encorporated.  The acrobats, the clowns...

True Spectical. 
Thank you for the gift.

Inspection Time, mmm that lovely smell of burning hair!

Yesterday was the annual RPSI inspection, this year hosted by Tami Crane at the beautiful Emerald Equestrian in Calmar.  It was a first for this area of Alberta, but we were quite happy with the turnout.  Two lovely pony stallions came in for German Sport Pony approvals as well as 3 foals, another pony mare and some adult mares.  I took my two mares who I've bred to Ritchie, Stella and Bay Mare.  Unfortunately my mares didn't show as well as I would have liked, they were stressed and herd bound... It's understandable, and they still got their approvals.  My poor Bay Mare, 19 years old and first time ever doing anything like that.  It was even the first time she'd ever had a bridle on her face!  She did look lovely though, all braided up.  Even when she did an impromptu exit stage left, she was still pretty. 

Ritchie got his brand this year finally!!  I guess the irons are now all safe to cross the boarder...???  I'm very glad to report that it was a much calmer ordeal than I'd imagined.  I stayed up front with him, covered his eye a bit and Otto took the iron back to his flank.  He petted him and we talked calmly with him.  He put the iron on and Ritchie jumped away a second later.  We walked off and there were no issues.  No screaming, no losing his mind, just walked quietly and attentively back to the barn with me.  It turned out just lovely too. 

That's the end of my "show season".  Jose's currently out with a trainer for 30 days so I'm looking forward to getting him home to work, Ritchie's booked for April with a trainer, mares are bred, lessons are nearly wrapped up, judging my last show of the year at Maple Leaf Meadows this Sunday and then just continuing to teach the equine first-aid courses throughout the winter. 

Sigh, good year!! :)

I Must Have Sold Some Horses...

Cause I just picked up a new one!

I'd like to introduce the lovely Lilyana!  "Lana" is a 2-year-old Canadian Warmblood filly by Gervantus out of a Tango Selune x T-bred mare.  She's bay, she's very sweet, has incredible shoulder articulation and I think will make one heck of an amazing foal with Ritchie, in the future. 
Right now she gets to grow up. 

What a Weekend!

Just home from an instructor's weekend at the Higher Trails Ranch in Okotokes with Equi-Health Canada.  Met some INCREDIBLE people and had some AMAZING experiences. 

But let me back up a bit. 

Thursday I decided I'd make a travel day so I headed down south and arranged to see a very very dear friend for dinner.  Discussing with her where we were to meet on Wednesday evening, she told me that she didn't get to have a birthday party for her last (50th!) birthday.  So, as soon as I got off the phone with her, I called the restaraunt, talked with the manager and arranged that they'd decorate a booth for her and we'd have a "mini party".

I left home early, stopped at a doller store on my way down for party supplies and made good time to Calgary.  I found the Cactus Club Cafe without issue and the staff there were AH-MAZING!  They took my birthday goodies and did up a fantastic booth!  My dear friend was so surprised.  Just loved it!  Highly recommend them!!

Think she had a good time? 

Early Friday morning I headed out to Okotokes from Calgary found the "Home Ranch" and took a little nap before things got going.  I had the pleasure of meeting some incredible ladies and got to learn sooo much!  With the variety of different backgrounds and experiences, everyone had a lot to share.  Unfortunately a couple of the horses wanted to see how we worked as a team.  One decided to get cast in some trees, another got some scrapes and cuts after his sulky cart lost a wheel!  Thankfully our team worked very well together!! 

Sunday we assisted in instructing a first-aid certification course and I had to get the traditional rectal-temperature picture...

Oh!  And I had a follow-up on Stella too and she's still holding her foal to Ritchie. 

Yeah, the black blob is the baby...

Incredible experiences all in all, but I'm really happy to be home, in my own bed, with my little girl (and husband too...)
Glad it's going to be a 4-day work week!! :)