Pretty Ribbons

Oh boy, back to back to back pony weekends!  What a rush!  After Mane Event, we had a few days to recoup and get organized to take Ritchie to Ponoka to our very first show together.  The PAADA hosted an EC-sanctioned sliver rated show at the new facility and boy was it ever fantastic! 

PAADA Ponoka

Originally I'd planned to take Ritchie just down to Maple Leaf Meadows for their schooling show, but they'd cancelled the show on Monday :(  Fortunately I was able to get the boy into Ponoka on very short notice.  I booked my hotel and off we went!  Ritchie was fantastic.  He was a little tense and unsure, but handled the environment exceptionally well for such a young horse.  He didn't even spook at the judge's tables.  We rode conservative tests on Saturday earning a third and fourth place ribbon but Sunday we were ready for more.  We rode solo in our two hack classes, but again, good experience.  When we headed back down centreline for our first-level test 1 after the hacks, he felt relaxed and confident.  We rode to a 66% and FIRST PLACE!!!  I cried I was so excited for him!  A fantastic experience and environment.  I absolutely recommend the PAADA shows in Ponoka to anyone who's looking for a silver or bronze EC show for their horses.  So well run, fantastic!! 





AJYR day 1

Ritchie and I got 2 days off and then straight back to work with a reset of his shoes and off to Red Deer for the AJYR dressage show.  I registered to ride training and first-level tests on Friday and Sunday as I had a first-aid clinic to teach on Saturday.  The weather wasn't in our favour and the entire environment at the Westerner was so overwhelming and BIG that Ritchie and I had one heck of a time finding our balance together.  Thursday's ride actually found a BUCK during our schooling ride!  Fortunately for me, it was one and he stayed under me.  The wind came up, horses were moving around, broken tents were flapping away in the wind and my confidence was seriously shaken.  We worked and worked and finally found a happy place to leave our ride for the night, but Friday saw me back in the same place, feeling unsure on a distracted young man.  The gods, however, smiled upon me and sent me an angel in the form of one of the best friends a girl could ever ask for.  We double checked the rule books with the Steward and show office and Renate got up on the pony for me.  After about 10 minutes of hacking him around, she handed him back to me and we were both way more relaxed and focused.  We had scratched our first 2 classes (training test 1 and our 4 year old Materiel class) because I didn't feel confident that morning, but we were ready for our first level test one.  It wasn't our best ride, but it was consistent and earned us a 67.7%!!!!  HOORAY!!!!

Saturday Renate hacked the boy while I taught my course and I took him for a walk with a few tricks in the evening when I got back to the grounds.  It was so windy, but good for a change of pace.

Sunday was off to a fantastic start and our warm up felt so good that I was sure we could take our training level test, until a gelding walked past us in a 2-tone scrim sheet that Ritchie just couldn't get past.  It was so odd, but he was totally disturbed by that sheet!  It broke his concentration significantly and shook my confidence again.  Immediately we had to go in for our test and our ride suffered.  We came out with a 54%, 2 4's on our score sheet for terrible halts (and they were!) but a 3rd place ride in the end.  He went back to his stall to settle down and get back to zen, which he did, thankfully! 

First-level test 1, two tests, both first

When we brought him back out for our first-level test, I had Mr. Dependable back!  :)  We rode a far more determined test and had some bobbles (but good baby bobbles) in our lengthen trot (canter steps) and our lengthen canter (a clean flying change - totally my fault!) earning us 4's again, but all in all a far better test.  We finished with a 64% and another first-place ribbon!  I'm so glad we got to finish on such a high note. 

I had the pleasure of not only having one of my very best friends come to help me ride, braid and otherwise be mom 2.0 to Ritchie, but Anthony surprised me and came home from work early and spent the day with us at the show!  He even bought the boy a new bridle, which looks just fantastic on him!!!  It mean the world to me to have him there to watch and cheer me on. 

Now, a short week of rest as we take a mini family vacation down south to Okotokes.  It will be great to have some family-focused time together.  I think the next show on the calendar is the bronze show at High Thorn on June 7.  Sounds like a good time! 

Happy Horseing! 

MANE EVENT 2014

Wow what a weekend!  It's so good to be home but I'm a little sad to be away from all of the incredible horse-enthused environment!

Jose Jalapeno and I headed down on Thursday and settled into the barn.  We had a nice ride in the arenas and ended up riding alone in both rings.  No horses anywhere, but a tractor came in.  Jose was great!  We walked through the parking lot and half way down the race track, no issues!  Jose was interested in looking around but had a loose rein and kept to a walk.  My best boy!!!!  He had a bath and snuggled into his stall while I went to see what the CSN team had done with the booth.  WOW!!!  Man alive are those girls talented!!!! 

Friday Jose and I performed a Standardbred demo solo in front of the crowd.  He was perfect!!!  We had rear, lay down, play dead, sit, everything!  Couldn't have been more proud.  Right after, we got tacked up and met Peggy Brown for the Balanced Rider clinic.  What a lovely lady!  It was likely the best clinic I could have picked for the boy and he was fantastic!!!  Energetic, like always, but focused and brave. 

Saturday was less busy for us, we got to do another solo Standardbred demo and Jose was certainly more ramped up with the packed stands and energy from the crowd.  He wanted to perform, for sure, but just a little too excited to stay in his lay down and play dead.  He was still so fun to perform with and the crowd seemed to really like him!  <3

Sunday we got to ride with Peggy again.  By his 4th day in the stall, Jose wanted to go OUT and PLAAAAY!!!  He had gotten a treatment and massage in the morning from the incredible Jody Schulze-McMann of Broken Spur Equine Therapy so he felt FANTASTIC.  Again, he was very energetic and wasn't very interested in standing still and relaxing.  I can't blame him.  Still, he was with me, trying to do what I was asking for, and being a joy to work with.  Peggy said she quite liked him too.  :)

My family had come down to spend Saturday evening and Sunday with me!  <3 It really meant the world to me to have their support. 

In two weeks I'll be back down to the grounds with Ritchie this time to ride in the AJYR dressage show.  Woo hooo!  Better get out to the barn and get on him now. 

Happy Horseing! 

A New Hole in My Head!

But sometimes the universe just tells you something needs to happen and so you throw your hands up, thank your lucky stars your family is so supportive and head off to Grand Prairie to pick up a colt and bring him home. 

Yep, we have a new addition.  Right now we will call him "Eddie" and see if something more permanent sticks.  Eddie came with the name "Sam" but I'm afraid I've already had one heart horse with that name, so it's effectively retired.  "Eddie" came from Pomeroy Arabians, what an INCREDIBLE facility.  It was a true pleasure to be out there. 

I got a call from the beautiful and very kind Jill Jardie about this colt being available to a good home.  He's sound, bred to the nines (seriously, OMG) and all sorts of eye catching.  He just hasn't been worked with and no one has the time to commit to him.  He just needs his own person.  I agreed to bring him home, for whatever purpose, and see what life would have in store for him.  When I met him, the strangest thing happened.  I really felt CHOSEN by this little fella.  I walked into his stall, he looked at me with both eyes and both ears and within 5 minutes, I had his face in my chest and we were hugging.  If I'm outside now, he watches me.  Not with suspicion, but with curiosity. 

I had taken Jose up with me as I knew he would be a very reliable and trustworthy travel buddy for the little fella to bond with.  By doing that, I was able to teach a mini trick clinic/demo with him to 5 wonderful people and their group of supporters.  The team at the Pomeroy barn is just wonderful.  Such an inviting and welcoming feeling. 

We made it home without incident, unloaded and fed up the fellas.  Today is farrier day but we will let the new guy settle in a few weeks before we talk about farrier work.  He'd never left the property before, this is a big deal for him.  Just lots of snuggles and being around him for now. 

Anyways, I am looking for any name suggestions as I will get to register him myself.  He is purebred Arab out of Insinuating HJE (Ffamess x Psyches Seduction and by Jiuliusz De Wiec (Debowiec x Jiullya el Jamaal).

Happy Horseing!

Hey! Remember Me?

Greetings virtual friends!  I recently had a very dear friend remind me that it's now been over a year since my last blog entry.  My goodness how time has flown!  Incidentally, this friend has not entered in her own blog  since before my own last post... just sayin is all! 

So!  How are ya?  What's new in your world?  Exciting plans for this year?  Yes, us too! 

This past weekend was a big one for us.  Two big events, two different horses and only one of me.  Man I wish I could clone myself BUT the second best thing is certainly to have a best friend who is enough like me to be able to take one of my horses to his very first show.  Let me back up and tell you about it. 

Northland's Farm and Ranch Show

Photo Credit: Natural Dynamic Photography

Jose Japaleno, my incredible Standardbred gelding, and I were invited to perform a mini clinic with Horseplay and Harmony at the 3-day trade show.  Caylyn and I had an incredible time with our boys and Riley and Jose performed like champs for the crowds.  I'm so fortunate to be part of such an incredible partnership, with my horse and with Caylyn in our venture. 
Northland's was a fantastic host and set things up for us to be incredibly convenient and safe.  The horses were stabled directly across from our booth, the round pen only 25 feet away, water station and rest rooms just at the end of the stall ally too!  My barn baby was incredible and played and amused herself for the duration of the show.  What a good kid! 
We were followed on the first day by a gentleman from Northland's with a video camera.  I would assume that somewhere we will appear in some promotional material for them in the future.  It will be cool to see!  On day 2, a reporter from the Western Producer came and spent time with us, talked about our horses, our clinics and what we do.  We'll have to keep an eye out for an article to show up there too!  All in all, one incredible opportunity and we're so proud to have been able to be part of the show. 

Maple Leaf Meadows Schooling Dressage Show

Have I mentioned I'm one of the most fortunate people in the world?  I have an INCREDIBLE and supportive husband, a WONDERFUL and beautiful daughter (who will be 5 in just over a week!!! OMG) and two SUPERB and AH-MAAAZING friends!   It just happened that Maple Leaf Meadows was hosting one of their fantastic schooling dressage shows on the same Saturday that Jose and I were at Northland's Farm and Ranch Show.  I couldn't resist the opportunity to get the Ritchie boy down centreline and Renate offered to take him for me!  YES!!!!  The boy is just coming 4 in June and we're aiming to show training and first level this summer and see if we can get his lifetime stallion scores. 
Renate had only been on Ritchie about 6 times before taking him down centreline for this show.  We put them in Training Level test D (CADORA) x 3.  First test, first thing in the morning and, he was tense, poor fella.  Certainly can't blame him.  He then had a rest while Renate and Sarah went to the Pony Club Tack Sale - another event I wish I could have attended, but forfeited.  Upon their return, Renate took Ritchie down centreline for 2 back-to-back tests and he relaxed considerably.  The judge's comments were on par and scores were fair - Thank you Sarah for taking pictures and videos of all the tests for me!  All  in all, I couldn't be more happy with the show, the horse and the whole experience!  Only thing that would have made me more happy would be to ride my horse at the show or, at the very least, be there to see it myself.  Regardless, I'm grateful to capable and skilled friends for helping me and my horse out! 

That's the biggest news.  Jose's been accepted to ride in the Balanced Rider clinic at Mane Event at the end of the month, I'm looking forward to that opportunity.  We have 3 mares currently in foal to Ritchie.  Both my Arab mares are in foal and Jose's half sister, Promise is carrying her maiden foal.  We are so excited to meet them all in the next few months!  In the mean time, HAPPY RIDING!  :)

Best Wishes to You All!

Well, we had the most anticlimactic appocolypse ever, and I haven't heard of a single zombee sighting either, so it looks like Christmas and new years will happen just as planned. 

This Christmas we will be having some down time, quiet family time and just enjoy the season.  My favorite part is always the gift GIVING.  We will be having Christmas supper with my sister and her husband.

It's been an incredible year but I'm not sad to see it end.  I know there are a lot of incredible things lining up for next year! 

Thanks for reading along (RP!) and I hope you have a fantastic holiday season too.  All my best to you in the new year!

How Priorities Change

Now, you need to remember that I did not have a horse growing up.  I rode everyone else's horse.  I would do anything to be around horses when I was a kid and I didn't get my first horse until I was 17.  I got a yearling PMU filly named Gee Page.  PJ was great, I loved her and learned so much from her.  Unfortunately I also loved dressage and she was not going to be a suitable dressage mount. 

And so my journey to find the best dressage horse started.  My Sam, best boy EVER, competed with me to 3rd level and we would have gone higher if not for his incredibly unfortunate injury that cut our journey together far too short.  He was by an imported German stallion out of a Standardbred mare.  Here was my first incling to the importance of HEART in a horse.  He had more than his fair share, for sure.  But, even while I had Sam, I knew that I was going to need something even more to be successful in dressage.  So I bred Ritchie.

Now something accidental happened in the last few years.  When I lost Sam, I knew that I would need to find a horse that I could feel safe on, love, and just enjoy riding and some low-level training with.  I purchased a horse who seemed to fit the bill exactly, a draft cross mare.  However, she had other ideas in mind and decided that she was not going to be a safe horse to ride at all and even fractured my husband's wrist, jaw and bruised some ribs when he went to ride her one day.  No warning from her, just piled him HARD.  That was just not fun.  Need to find something fun. 

Ah Northstar!  I'm forever grateful for the time I got to spend with him.  With Northstar I got to learn so much again, I learned trick training, and I got a lot of confidence back . I also found that Ritchie needed a buddy so I picked up Jose.  As luck would have it, Jose decided he was more of a lover than a fighter and did not do very well with Ritchie, who is very much a rough play kind of guy.  So, can't have him sitting around doing nothing, so Jose would get started under saddle. 

Northstar sold, had nothing to ride for a few months, got Jose sent to a lovely trainer and started under saddle.  Now, here's where the wierd thing happens.  All this time I'd been so super excited about Ritchie and what this wonder stallion will do and dressage and Grand Prix and WOW, but I've found that having a super sensible and workable young horse (Jose) is FUN!!!  It doesn't matter if Jose shows dressage well.  He will have limits for sure.  I'm ok with that because he's got incredible heart and try.  I have FUN every time I work with him, every single time.  I really hope Ritchie is as much fun when he gets going or I'm going to have a hard time convincing myself to get working with him.  Of course I still want to train GP dressage, I want to be able to say that a horse I bred and trained did this with me, but I really want to ENJOY it every step of the way.  And I want my horse to be fun to work with.  So there you have it.  My dream of coming down centre line doing single tempis is not important if I can't pop on my horse bareback and go hack in the hay field.  My dear Ritchie, you have big shoes to fill. 

The Target

I have to say, I'm totally in love with my little feller. 
Yep, just a track-barn reject who wouldn't pace.  But he's a superstar!  That's right, my José.  Tonight I had one of those sessions that left me feeling on top of the world.  We worked on all the tricks I'd taught him so far (wave with both front feet, smile, hug, kiss on the cheek) and then got to working on the pilon target training.  The idea with the pilon is for him to touch it with his nose, no matter where I put it.  I hold it in my hand out to one side or the other and he'd target it just fine.  But when I'd put it down on the ground, he got confused.  Well he connected it tonight and we worked liberty to run together and I'd drop the pilon, give the command, and keep running.  He stopped right away and went to the target.  Good boy!!!!  He got it so solid that I put the pilon on the end of my dressage whip and put it up in the air.  He thought about it and then reached waaay up to touch it.  Up next, target training for him to stand front feet on a target.  The target right now is a white baby pad.  I think a flutter board would work really well too though. 

I've been thinking lately about putting together a trick training clinic.  I'm no Jackie Johnson, but I have some ideas on helping people get success out of the trick training by tayloring their program to their horse's personality.  Some horses are just more inclined to engage and do silly things like wave and lay down and such. 

Tonight I also got to work my horse with other people at the barn!!  This was the first time since I got to the barn.  Really nice people, from diverse backgrounds.  Everyone respects everyone else and just has a good time with the animals they love.  That's what it's all about afterall!  Can't wait to go tomorrow.  Maybe I can talk someone into taking pictures or video!!