Before and After

Make over shows, or weight loss ads always tend to show a before that includes a dreary looking person wearing frumpy clothes, with lighting that makes you wonder if they have a liver condition. Then the after shows someone in fresh make up, a big smile, lovely lighting, and a nice outfit. Not really a fair comparison.

So I did an honest makeover. I took the before photo after removing all the mats. Here is the before. Cara with her lovely long mane. I will admit that it was hard to chop it off. Amanda must be getting to me.

And then the after:



I will need to get a photo of her out on the grass with her new look for her owners, to make it look a little more impressive, but I think it makes her neck look longer and more proportionate. And yes, it would have been better had a pulled it, but I cannot bring myself to pull the mane of a baby horse. Just seems mean.

One day I will braid her all up and do a real photos shoot for her sales ads. I think she would look very cute in braids with a little black dressage saddle and black bridle with a sparkly browband...

Karen

I finally updated a sales page with all the horses for sale at hillside...there are six right now, and it is time to see some of them move on to new homes for the summer...so you you know anyone looking we have quite the variety. From husband safe trail horses, to jumper prospects. Pintos, chestuts and bays!

So here is the list: http://www.compassionatehorsetraining.com/sales.html

Karen

Oh, DEER!

After tacking Charmer up, I decided it was far to nice out to stick to riding in the indoor, so I decided to head outside. Just as I led her out the barn, LR and Cara's owners drove up, so I led Charmer around back to show them where the girls were out on grass and we talked about their horses for a bit. Charmer started to get restless, so I got on and walked her a bit while we talked, and as I did this, we noticed the geldings that are out back on grass being goofy, with ears pricked and alert. They were however, all looking different directions, so I figured they were just being paranoid as Clare2 had taken Sunny in to ride, and they were left to defend themselves.

So after M & D left, I decided to head out on a trail ride. Ginger noticed, and of course followed. As we get into the trees, I discovered the boys weren't being silly for nothing....there was indeed a deer back there! Charmer didn't even flinch when it jumped out in front of us (I did!). Ginger on the other hand saw a lifetime supply of bones running away and started barking and leaping after us. I expected though, that the deer would be long gone in a matter of seconds, as they are very quick and agile...and sure enough, I did not see the deer again.

Rather than run after it across the hills, Ginger decided to look for the deer in the trees in hopes that maybe it left a leg behind or something. So as Ginger went on her search I continued my ride through the trees...but then I heard the dog barking just to the south of me and worried that maybe she had found another deer and was about to chase it my way...but it was NOT a deer she had spotted...it was a chestnut quarter horse mare and rider! And she leaped out of the bush barking right on our heels!

Seriously...what horse wouldn't react to that?!?

Poor Charmer. Her front half wanted to get the heck out of there, and her back half wanted to kick at the insane thing chasing her. I just wondered why I had put my flattest and slipperiest english saddle on for a trail ride...

Thankfully she is a sensible horse, and we regained control with me still in the saddle. She kept a bit of an eye on the bushes after that though!

Ginger on the other hand seemed to feel quite proud of herself despite her obvious error, and went prancing off for a swim in the dug out.

And this is another reason why cats are better than dogs...

Karen

Attack of the killer pintos!

They only look innocent...

But then...

They ATTACK!

Poor herd of chestnut fillies didn't know what to do...but apparently 200 feet of space between them was enough for them to feel safe.

Karen

A health warning

So it seems there is an epidemic of Appendicitis going around. DO NOT believe the medical community when they say it is not preventable...it is! The culprit? Chocolate. So, as a service to our clients, Hillside stable will collect and safely dispose of all uneaten chocolate.

Hope you feel better soon Beth!

Karen

??Bionic riders?

Hey, Amanda, you need THESE

Clare B sent me the link. Perhaps they come with the super powers needed to keep your horse motivated at shows?

The idea is interesting...but I am not sold on the look. I do like how they try to make them seem "classic" with the picture of the rider wearing them holding a violin. How does that make any sense?

Apparently they were afraid to actually put the boots on a rider on a horse for photos....

Karen

What a good day so far!

1) It wasn't raining. I was expecting a day of rain.
2) I cantered Triton for the first time under saddle today. He is horrid at cantering on the lunge, but was quite good under saddle and picked up both leads and cantered a 20m circle each way. First canters are interesting...either the horse wants to run, or they are super round and possibly a little bucky. I like the second way better as they tend to be more balanced that way...although it does feel like you are cantering through 3 feet of snow! Triton was the latter and his canter felt super collected and cool.
3) I leaned on Ricco for the first time. Likely could have got on him for all he seemed to care, but I didn't really plan for it and so just had a short lead rope on him...not enough to tie like reins.
4) Cara got her feet done. From unable to catch to being good for the farrier in 7 days! What a super smart filly!
5) I jumped YJ over a little course, with the biggest jump being about 2'3". He felt brilliant. Not sure what has happened to him, but he has really figured things out lately.
6) Charmer figured out how to use her back and bridle up at the trot. She seems to want to e an english horse now...but perhaps that is just the cooler weather talking.
7) While he was waiting for the farrier to come trim him, I decided to jump little Rocky. he was being so much fun I put a vertical up to 3' and he was so much fun! (3' feels big on a pony!) I think he was happy just to not be ponying another horse. I wish I could figure out his buck so I could use him in lessons.

Now I need a nap.

Karen

Dreams.

Do you ever have a dream where you are really mad at someone in the dream, so you wake up still a little (or a lot) miffed at them, even though you know there is really no reason for you to be?

Last night, my evil subconscious had me dream that I was at a horse show, competing with Tango and Brie. I had gotten there early to watch Amanda ride, and to help Christine with Brax, but had forgotten to recheck the day sheets. So as I wander back to the barn from the concession, I checked the sheets...to find my first ride on Tango had moved up to 11:05, and it was now 10:50. Could I get ready in 15 minutes? Likely not, but I still wanted to try, so when I got back to the barn I asked Amanda and Christine to help me get ready ASAP. Amanda jumps into action (despite her having a class at 11:30) and starts fixing Tango's braids. Meanwhile Christine just stands in the alley chatting away, Brax this and Brax that. I was ready to tell her she needed to find a new barn to take him back to if she didn't help get Tango ready...fortunately Amanda yelled at her instead and Christine came over to start picking shavings out of Ts tail...leaving the stall door open and almost setting her loose in the process. Then I woke up.

So Christine, if I start shaking shavings bags and dropping loud things in the barn while you ride tonight...it's not me, it is my subconscious.

On the subject of dreams, Amanda finally asked someone about blind person dreams. the person she spoke to, only dreams in sounds. No colours, no feeling or smell. Just sound and emotions.

I have full sensory dreams; touch, smell and all. And I always remember dreaming...usually many dreams. Sometimes my dreams are so real I don't really want to leave them and wake up. It is like having an alter life...one that doesn't envolve mud.

Next mission; deaf person dreams.

On a completely different note, I will be doing the summer lesson schedule up soon. Look for it on Thursday. It will be on the two month at a glance calendar. I WILL be teaching some day time times if people are available, and will only be teaching 3 evenings a week. I will NOT be teaching during the longer dressage shows as I don't want to over do it, so lessons will be rescheduled on those weeks. As well, if you are going away, let me know, so I can mark it on the Calendar.

Karen

You ever have a day when the advice you just gave someone else, that sounded so easy when given to that other person, later applies to yourself, and you realize it really isn't so easy. Then you consider that the other person must really have trusted you to have taken that advice...but apparently your own brain isn't as easily convinced. Fortunately you really did know what you were saying and it all worked out with a 100% survival rate.

And yes, I realize the above made little sense without context.

Another thought from today? There are certain statements that make me less enthused about eating an item of food: 1) It was my daughters science experiment (although the cookies were good so thanks Madison), and 2) "we better eat that soon or it will go bad". As soon as I hear that, in my mind it is already curdled and covered in mold.

And yet I will eat cookies or other food stuff I drop on the floor of the barn....go figure.

Karen

So Amanda has been telling us that Edgar is an Approved American warmblood, and formerly a breeding stallion. Inspected and branded and all. I was a little skeptical, but as he shedded, his brand did seem to be there. But now it has become clearer...and it no longer appears to be an A in a Crown as it should be...rather it looks like an "A" inside an apple.

Edgar is not a former Approve Warmblood breeding stallion....he is a kindergarten prop. One that was fired when he decided to move on to "B" for "bite me"

This could explain why he is good at dressage though; he knows the letters of the arena. Hopefully he doesn't try to do them in alphabetical order though...that would be a complicated test.

Karen

Call from a potential buyer:
"Is your horse bomb proof"
....no, I am pretty sure if a bomb went off he would incur damages....oh, you mean is he spooky? Well, if a bomb went off I am sure he would get the heck out of there....and me right there with him asking him to go faster. Things like big trucks, wild life, plastic bags and such that we are more likely to encounter he is fine with. Are you looking for a horse to take to Afghanistan?

"Could I ride him in bailing twine"
...you could ride him in a mini skirt for all I care, but jeans/breeches would be more comfortable. Oh, you mean "using" bailing twine? Why on earth would you want to?
"Because it means he is easy to control"
...Seriously? Perhaps TACK or a halter and lead rope even would be more appropriate and safe (bailing twine won't break as easy if something goes wrong, but is fine enough to seriously cut a horse)....although this horse could likely be ridden with a dandelion necklace and still be fine.
"What is the lowest you will take for this horse"
....Seeing as you have never seen him, $500 above advertised is now the lowest price I will take for this horse. Jeez. If the horse is out of your price range, TELL ME THAT. Such as, I only have $4000.00 to spend on a horse, would you consider taking that amount if I get along well with him? I have no problem with wording it that way. That is how Sam I Am's owners got him even though he was above their budget. I liked that they were upfront about it, and didn't do the annoying "what is the lowest price you will take". As soon as someone types that, it annoys the heck out of me.

On another note...PINTOS!

Crescent's two babies are here! Cara is two, and Lady Rose is a yearling. Same mom, but different dad, and you can tell. Lady Rose looks almost Arabian, whereas Cara is much bigger/thicker. Clare....you wanted a pinto right? And down the road you could breed her to a friesian!

The kids are here to be halter trained and looked after in general. LR is pretty good, but Cara is halter shy and not handled that much of late, so she has regressed. Still, with Rob and their owner's help, I was able to tie a make shift rope halter on her to get her into the trailer today, and once in the trailer and at our place I put a halter on her and dewormed her. Now she likely hates me...so here is hoping I can get the halter on her tomorrow! I think she is a very sweet horse, who just scared herself one day, and isn't sure how to trust...but once caught, she liked the attention Rob and I gave her while trying to load her, and we were able to do it with no whips or bum ropes. Just lots of grass, scratches, and Rob picking up her feet and placing them in the trailer. Certainly easier to take the time/patience to load when it is sunny out!

Before picking up the kids, we stopped by the owner's house to pick up their truck and trailer (nice 6 horse, with the back two sections set up as box stalls). We hadn't been to their house in about 4 years, as they have been slowly redoing it. It is the nicest house I have ever seen. Gorgeous open wood beams, concrete made to look like stone, big rooms, every appliance conceivable in the kitchen, horse statues and pictures everywhere, and a view of their own little lake. My favourite part though is their deck; it has gargoyles on the deck fence looking out onto the yard. Not sure why, but they highly entertain me! If I ever build a house, it will have gargoyles.

Karen

(oh, and in case it swells and bruises despite the ice, I think I broke my nose today by a certain impetuous 3 year old. Ouch. Not him being mean...just short attention span. Feeling a little concussed too. My first training related injury of the year! It is funny how most people are afraid of the first ride...it is the ground work that tends to cause me more injury!)

It was neat seeing Clare ride Magnus today. I hadn't really watched them go, and it is fun to see someone else progressing with a young horse. He looks very good!

Young horses are funny, and the warmbloods do seem to take the most time and patience. I am trying to get a head start with Coregel and Piper without over doing it, so on nice weather days, I am starting to pony them (one at a time!). At first Rocky was intimidated by Piper, but he seems over that, and was quite confident putting her in her place today...which made my life much easier! I took the girls for a walk out back...up and down hills to help build bone density. Apparently Mags is quite smitten with Coregel and he was posturing like crazy as we went by. He ignored Piper completely...poor Pi!

Bailey on the other hand, is a Quarter Horse. Training him is easy. He came on Friday. Six days later and he is trotting under saddle. The first time I asked him to trot it seemed like I had opened a whole new world for him...and thereafter all he wanted to do is trot! Not to get away or to be naughty, but just that trotting got him to the things he wanted to go see that much quicker! Ah...I love Quarter Horses!

Karen

SInce you asked...

Some of you have asked just HOW big I look on the very elegant and refined, 13.2 hand morgan mare named Sparkie. So here you go:

There are more photos of her on Photobucket: http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd89/HillsideStable/Sparkie/

Isn't she as cute as a kitten? She is also for sale for the steal of a deal of $1500.00 if anyone is looking for a very fancy 4 year old pony. She is quite green, but quite athletic, and tries hard to please.

Please note, that I did not say "cute as a button" or "cute as a bug's ear" which are the standard sayings...I have never seen a button and thought "oh, how cute!". And do non-cartoon bugs even have ears? Kittens are cute. No matter what they are doing.

Another saying that you will never hear me say: "Worked like a charm!" ; how many of you have a charm that works? When I hear that saying I think "what, it worked inconsistently based on fluke, luck, and superstition?"

"Happy as a Clam" is one I just don't understand. Are Clam's able to be happy? What about "snug as a bug in a rug"? yeah, until it gets stepped on. And who feels snug when someone starts talking about bugs in rugs? Bug in rug discussions make me itchy.

These sayings should be replaced by more relevant ones like "Happy as a horse in a hay shed" (that one has alliteration going for it!) and "Worked like a horse after a carrot"

Karen

More pictures from Amberlea!

From Sharper Images:
Edgar: He looks in some photos that he is pushing into the wind/rain. And he likely was if my memory serves me correctly! My favourites on this page are: 30, 31, and 44 http://www.canacal.com/sharper/2010Shows/AMSpringDressage2010SatP1.cfm

Tango: Ms Spooky Pants, Could her ears be more perked:
I like photos 7 and 38. I am every crooked/hunched in some of those. I think I was the one leaning into the wind...
http://www.canacal.com/sharper/2010Shows/AMSpringDressage2010SatP2.cfm

I THINK, the horse at the top of this page is either Magnus's dad, or his uncle. http://www.canacal.com/sharper/2010Shows/AMSpringDressage2010SatP3.cfm

More Edgar in the 40 range: Sadly you can see the snow in the photos, so they aren't the best quality. I like 45 and 46 though.

http://www.canacal.com/sharper/2010Shows/AMSpringDressage2010SunP2.cfm

More Tango:

123 to 132 are of us in the slop. Tango was not impressed, hence the high/stiff head/neck, but she tried. 129 is a decent lengthen. (compare the lengthen to the medium in the next set of photos...good example of the difference as you can see how much higher her neck and legs are for the medium). I like 123 and 125 as well. For this test I gave up trying to be fashionable, and had my winter gloves on....but maybe a picture of us in the goop is a good keepsake from the show?

Photos 198 to 204 are our attempt at 2nd level. 202 and 203 are me working hard to keep the counter canter. Why am I leaning forward? 204 is our Medium trot. I like that photo.
http://www.canacal.com/sharper/2010Shows/AMSpringDressage2010SunP2.cfm

Any votes for favourite photo(s) to capture this show? I would like to get one or two to frame with her super pretty RC ribbon to put in the barn.

Karen

It was nice to have the sun back out today. Might take a day or two for the outdoor ring to be dry enough to ride in, but the trails out back were nice today. I was happy to see that the little creek actually has water in it again, and our little aquifer is squishy all around it, so maybe the ground water has been replenished by the last dump of snow.

Do you think the cold and snow may have killed off the pesky mosquitoes or is that wishful thinking?

Do you think it is safe to plant flowers yet?

Took some pictures of Triton yesterday:

Isn't he cute?

Snow in May. Lovely. Cold and wet. The poor horse show at Whitemud was ended early due to the conditions.

Yes, we need the moisture for the wetlands and hay fields...but now I think we need sun and heat more than more wet or hay prices aren't going to be any better this year than last!

A couple new horses came the last few days; Bailey the 3 year old Chestnut came on Friday & Ricco the 3 year old bay draft cross came today. Fonzie seems to think Ricco is a girl, and really embarrassed himself with all his posturing. Bailey just looked away, embarrassed for him. Arriving yesterday was Brie. A 14 year old TB mare that will be living in Dexter's stall. Brie is here to be shown in dressage. Yes, someone is paying me to show their horse! Someone other than Rob! Not only that, she came with a tickle trunk full of tack and accessories, which was fun to go through. Sunny thinks the Tack box is frightening, so once I go through it I will have to lock it away somewhere safe where it cannot eat him.

Brie is apparently even more of a princess than Bliss, so maybe it is a bay mare thing? She definitely likes to call attention to herself in the barn.

I rode her yesterday, and it went great, but she is very out of shape, so I had to refrain from riding her again today.

Advice for the day: rubber boots.

Karen

I got my second horse show entry today!

Wet annoying day. New training horse came in the rain though; Bailey is a chestnut QH/Paint gelding here to be started. He has led a sheltered life so far, so the new environment is quite exciting for him, but he seems to be a sensible fellow.

There are pictures up from the Friday of the Amberlea show: http://www.canacal.com/sharper/2010Shows/AMSpringDressage2010FriP1.cfm

Near the top is a rather tense tango in the indoor, and an Edgar trying to keep the rain out of his eyes in the outdoor! Pics 125 and 126 are of Tango and I walking, and also feature the legs of my support crew; Amanda and Joan. Please note that Amanda and I were not wussy, and we showed in our proper show jackets! (but if anyone sees a nice show suitable rain jacket and gloves...let me know!)

I am looking forward to the jumping theory clinic tomorrow!

Karen

Pretty ribbons!

I just got the ribbons in for the Ride for Red horse show! They are so pretty!

The clear round ribbons are just basic red flats, with a card on the back to record the height it was earned at, and a string to hang it up. The classic ribbons are rossettes. I let the ribbon maker make some decisions based on what she thought would look nice, be a bit unique, and be in our budget, and she did a great job (Thanks Ringside Ribbons!). She made up a suitable logo for the button, and offset all the placing colours with deep burgandy. The 6ths and the 1sts are the most pretty in my opinion. You will have to come to the show to see them! I may have to ride in a class for a chance for a rosette myself....

Karen

Sunday

First off, I want to thank Laura (Courtney's mom) for making Amanda and I some horse show snacks, and a ready made dinner for Rob and I! It was great not to have to think about what to make for dinner Saturday and Sunday night!

So Sunday was SUPPOSED to be sunny and mild....instead I awoke to find it was raining here...and arrived at the show to encounter snow pellets blowing sideways in the wind. As much as being pelted with snow was cold and slightly painful, it was better than rain!

I didn't ride until mid morning, but Amanda's classes were early, so I got there in time to check on Tango and then watch her 8:18 class. She was in the middle ring, and as the 3rd horse in, the footing was still pretty good as it seemed to manage to dry a bit overnight, and they had harrowed it smooth. The wind and driving snow was a bit annoying though. My hands froze taking pictures! Amanda and Edgar looked good though, and the wind didn't seem to phase them; Edgar actually seemed to lean into the wind and trot all the better! That class was Amanda's high score, with them receiving a 70!

Amanda had her Training level class next, but this class was in the far ring...and the far ring was WET! They again had some lovely trot work (getting 7s for their trot loops!), but Edgar wasn't convinced he could canter through the muck that had developed at center line, and broke into a trot a few times. Still a good effort for the two of them.

Then it was time to get on Tango. Still blowing and snowing, but I felt the footing was holding up enough that I would give it a try. Tango was a little more comfortable in the mud and I was able to do a little warm up. Still not in the actual warm up ring, but in the lunging ring which had less deep footing. She didn't really want to canter, but I figure she may be trying to protect herself and her tendons, so hard to really want to push her past her comfort level.

I had a moment of panic when I looked into the ring I thought I was to go in, and saw the rider before me doing test 3 rather than 4....fortunately Amanda and Joan were there to double check for me and I realized I was in the far/mucky ring to start with. Tango dealt with it reasonably....didn't really want to lengthen, but she listened reasonably well, and dealt well with the snow blowing in her face, but did blow a counter canter and was a little hollow, so our score wasn't as great as i would have liked to finish up, but I guess the other horses struggled too, as we ended with a second.

Next I had my 2nd level debut in the middle ring. I had wondered if it was worth going in the class as I wasn't able to warm her up enough to really get her using her back, and 2nd level is done in collection, but I figured as I was there, I may as well give it a shot...and I am glad I did! Tango tried pretty hard! We struggles with the canter/walk transitions, and the medium gaits were still a struggle as she didn't trust the footing, but we got a score in the low 60s, with some very promising comments!

So we were done! But we couldn't go yet...I had to wait until 12:30 to get the marks from my first class which ran for two and a half hours...and we had to wait to collect Amanda's walk/trot overall CHAMPION ribbon and cooler, and Tango's reserve champion! Go team Hillside!

It makes it easier to take showing in the rain, snow and cold if the horses are good!

Fortunately the rain/snow stopped and we could load up in relative comfort, and I had picked a good parking spot so we weren't one of the many rigs that had to be pulled out by Gerald and his big green tractor!

Good to be home...even if it was raining when we got here!

Karen

(in occurs to me that some of you may not know how dressage scoring works, so here is a simple explanation: The tests are made up of specific commands/movements, that are each scored separate. Some movements are worth double. As well, there are "collective" marks for things like Rider, Gaits, Submission, that are worth extra. In a freestyle, the collectives are for originality, difficulty, music and such... Scores for each movement are from 0-10. A score of 5 means that the movement was done with no major errors, but nor was it anything special...just barely adequate. Below 5 means there was some sort of error or disobedience was seen. Above 5 means that the horse showed something better than just adequate; so was on the bridle, moving well and overall quite correct. A score below 55 means that either your horse had a tantrum or two, or that you likely shouldn't be competing at that level. A score of 55-65 is pretty good, and over 65 is quite good, and likely means you should be considering moving up a level!)

Tango on Sunday. Not the happiest horse, but she sure tried to muddle through the muck! Here we are trotting up center line, and attempting to lengthen across the diagonal. It was hard to convince her to do much of a lengthen, but it is hard to blame her...I think she was afraid of splashing mud on her nose!

I got to pick which Reserve ribbon I wanted....I choose an older "flower" rosette that looks like a sunflower! Eventually I want to box frame it and put it up in the barn....it is an impressively made ribbon.

Photos from the weekend: Edgar

Photos of Edgar's first Gold Dressage show:

The first two photos are from Friday, before it got too sloppy, the last ridden photo is from Sunday...you can't see it in the photo, but it was snowing when this photo was taken! Oh, and Edgar isn't swishing his tail...that is how windy it was when Amanda was riding!

Well...the rain stopped....finally!

Apparently it took a long time to stop raining at Amberlea, and was still pouring when Amanda went back to do night feed Friday night, and was still drizzling a bit today, but not nearly as bad as yesterday, so it was possible to stay dry. But the damage was done; the footing in all the outdoor rings were under water with muck and puddles.

Amanda and I stuck to a similar plan as yesterday; just a walk warm up and a brief trot once in the competition ring to prepare for the classes. We both avoided the warm up ring muck. I don't think Tango would have gone in the ring if I had asked her too anyway!

Fr0m team Hillside, Amanda went first again (with her resilient groom Joan, who came back for an another day of punishment and suffering). She had her Intro test first, and went ok, with just a few wobbles and mis-steps as Edgar dealt with big puddles and uncertain steps. Despite that, Amanda still managed to get a score in the 60's as the rest of the test was lovely, and placed 3rd. She decided to scratch from her Training Test as the ring that was in was even more under water!

Tango and I went about an hour later in the same ring that Amanda had been in. It was our First level test 3, and we were first in for that class...which I think was a good thing as a path hadn't been dug up too much, although I still opted to avoid the puddles that were there, so cut off one corner and one end a bit, but we managed to get in the 60s and another second place.

Then they announced that due to the rain the FEI classes would move indoors...which meant the Freestyle would also move indoor....which made sense due to the wet ring, but was not what I wanted to hear! I had prepared my timing and test to be outside, with the judges at the letters C, H, and E, but with it in the indoor, I had to start differently, and the one judge moved across the ring from E to B. Not a huge deal, but enough to make me even more nervous about that class!

I decided to flip my test around so it made more sense for the judge at B, and I listened to my music about 10 times to ingrain the timing in my head, so I felt more or less prepared.

So in I go for the class, and Tango is ok for our initial trot around (to the right), so we start our test...which starts with me trotting to X (the middle), halting and saluting at X, and then cantering off to the left and doing a lengthened canter down the E wall. I figured it would be an impressive start....but with it being inside, there were spectators along that wall...and Tango proceeded to jam her head in the air and canter sideways....not as impressive a start! And, her reluctance to go forward meant my timing was off for the music! My next moves were at the trot, and she got better, but still less forward than I planned for, so I was really glad I knew the music as I knew where I needed to make up time,, and adjusted my free walk accordingly, and got more or less back in the groove. She remained tense for the rest of the test, making our canter serpentine rough, but we finished ok, with a score that was lower than I hoped (58), but I did get some encouraging comments, so I think that if Tango had behaved as she would have had we been outside, it would have been more impressive.

All in all, I just wanted to get out and do a Freestyle so that I could be more comfortable doing them in the future, as I really think Freestyles are the ultimate goal and the most fun in dressage!

Amanda, Clare B and I watched some of the upper level Freestyles too; impressive!

After those classes, we notices quite a few trailers being loaded and leaving; the wet weather has led to a few people calling it quits, but I am hoping they manage to do something to make it rideable for Amanda and I tomorrow!

Karen

Wet and Windy

That pretty much describes today: Wet and windy.

Amberlea apparently got a lot more rain than we did at Hillside; as I drove up this morning I could see a lot of standing water on the warm-up ring...and still more rain coming.

My first class was at 8:16 in the indoor, with Amanda riding shortly after in the middle show ring. Edgar dealt with the conditions pretty well, but Tango did not trust the warm up ring footing at all, and trotted around like a 30 year old crippled lesson horse....so I didn't end up warming her up much...which meant walking around in the cold in my show clothes getting wet....so heading into the indoor to compete was a welcome respite from the cold! Tango walked reasonably well past the concession during our warm up lap...but as we approached "F" the bell rang, and Tango did a classic spook, spin and rear. Great. Then she didn't want to leave the ring which we needed to do before we started our test, so I had to let her sit and relax while the seconds ticked by, and finally got her out of the ring, turned around and headed up center line within the time allowed!

The result was a tense test, that I rode conservatively rather than risk another naughty moment, and we did OK, but not none of our marks were spectacular, so we finished with a 58 point something, which put us in 3rd at the end of the day.

Amanda and Edgar were in right after me in the outside ring, so I had to watch some of the test while the steward checked my tack, but I was able to get up to the ring so see the last 1/2 of her training test, and it was quite nice; correct and steady. I believe she got a 60 and a 3rd for that class...so two white ribbons for Hillside to start the day.

Tango's next class was outside. Knowing she hated the warm up, and hearing how hard the rain and wind was coming, I got on only a little before my class...but still managed to be soaked and cold before too long! Tango didn't want to go near the warm up, but we went in for a little trot, and then stood under the clock tower to stay out of the wind while I awaited my turn in the far ring.

In order to get into the far ring, you have to enter near the middle ring...and with perfect timing, just as I needed to enter, a poor scared little Halflinger had a complete panic attack, with its child rider in complete red faced tears. Tango wanted no part in going by that! Fortunately pony calmed down long enough for us to go by (pony scratched from the class much to the relief of the terrified child!).

Tango didn't seem to mind the footing in the outdoor show ring, and she felt brilliant as she trotted in (we got a 7 and an "elegant halt" for our entrance), and then as we turned the corner and did our half circle reverse the wind picked up blowing rain in her face and she had a complete head flipping, breaking into canter tantrum...and then settled back down for the next loop, earning another 7. And that was kind of how the test went; moments of brilliance (8s for our lengthen trots), and moments of wind/rain in her face tantrums where we earned 4s. Still, I think I would rather that kind of test than the playing it safe one I did earlier, so I must remember to take risks! She got a 64 for that test, which put us in 2nd.

Amanda's next test was indoors, and Edgar was again very good, and had a nice, accurate test, for a score of 61 and a red ribbon! Yea Edgar.

So, hopefully the rain lets up for tomorrow, and the warm up ring dries out a bit...but it seems neither Edgar nor Tango need that much of a warm up, so glad they are the two horses we have at the show! And I have my qualifying score for the Freestyle...which is on the one hand a relief, on the other hand now I actually have to do my Freestyle, which has given me a whole new set of nervousness! Hopefully just getting out and doing a few will give me the confidence to not be so nervous, but there is something about putting myself out there "artistically" that makes be shy/nervous!

Karen

Evil subconcious

I get nervous before shows. Well...let's face it, I get nervous about many things...I am a nervous person. If I was a horse, I would be S'argent, but with a roman nose.

So usually before a big show, my subconscious plays evil games with me, and I end up with annoying dreams of forgetting my test, showing up late, or running out of time to braid. Yes, I know...all of the above would be life ending!

True to form, my subconscious had its fun with me last night, and I dreamed that anyone entered in a freestyle was supposed to do a presentation complete with costume and skit, to set the mood for the freestyle. I had neither prepared, so I ran about in a panic, before enlisting Amanda to help me come up with a costume, and come up with a presentation...only to find out that by the time I had it all done, everyone was gone.

Tonight I will likely dream I forgot my breaches or something...

Evil subconscious.

Karen

Reminder that next Saturday (the 29th), we will be having a theory clinic for Jumper showing from 2-4 pm. $15.00 to participate. IF the weather is nice, then anyone who wants to come out early can also help paint some jumps to help get ready for the show! Let me know if you want to come.

Amanda & Edgar, and Tango and myself are off to Amberlea this weekend for the first Gold Dressage show of the year. I am sure Tango is thrilled to be pulled out of her semi-retirement and put back into competition. It will be interesting to see how she does as a dressage horse. I am feeling some pressure as I need to get a qualifying score in my first three tests so I can compete in the Freestyle on Saturday afternoon. Of course with how much I suck at matching music to my horse, and editing the music, if I don't qualify I will take it as a sign that I wasn't meant to embarrass myself.

I seriously understand why people pay big bucks to have someone else make their freestyles...it is harder than it sounds, but I am too stubborn/cheap....and I figure if I keep plugging away at it, I will eventually get better!

Karen

Clones?

So I met someone today who owns a cloned horse! They cloned the horse for breeding purposes (it is a stallion).

Anyone want to guess what sport this horse participates in that warrents it being cloned?

No, not a race horse.

Not show jumping or dressage either...

Not a reiner, western pleasure horse, or cow horse.

So what made this horse clone worthy?

It's "original" version....is.....a BUCKING HORSE!!

I had no idea there is that sort of money in bucking horses!

........................

What a weird evening weather wise. I was optomistic and went ahead and built the jump course outside...but 5 minutes into the 6:30 lesson lightenning appeared right overhead...so into the indoor! Did that ever come up fast...fortunately it left quickly too, and we did a nice hack inside, and then were able to head back out to jump, so kind of recreating a show type setting.

I then got on Charmer to demo her to someone...and 10 minutes or so into that ride it started to rain and thunder. Charmer didn't seem to care about the weather though....which is impressive...I remember the first time I rode Dexter outside in the rain, he shoved his head to the ground, stuck his ears out to the side and only wanted to face away from the wind.\

Meanwhile all the horses that were still outside took turns stopping, dropping, and rolling, so be prepared for some muddy horses.

Karen

Hot

It is hot.

I will be teaching outside unless it is crazy windy or pouring rain.

Bring water/something to drink. Wear sunscreen.

There is sunscreen in the barn by the water cooler for pink horse noses, and for humans that have forgotten their own. It is supposed to be the kid's stuff that is purple when you apply it...but I can't see the purple....maybe only kids can see the colour?

I will likely be wearing shorts while teaching, so sunglasses are also recommended.

Hope you are having fun stuck in your stuffy office. The trails were lovely out here :)

Karen

So I have already decided to specialize by only boarding for people without penises who have fully grown brains...but perhaps I should specialize further. I am thinking that perhaps I should be a chestnut only barn. Think about the horses that cause me stress...Mr club foot, mr kicky stall, mr bucky pants., mr put his foot through the gate and stand on it..all non-chestnuts!

Then we can change the barn name to Chestnut Hill!

Sounds like a plan to me.

On another note, I have my first entry for the ride for red show! Some crazy lady with a german sounding horse.

Karen

It is nice to be able to teach outside this week! I do need to develop my outside voice again though. Just to warn you though...if the weather continues to be warm I may opt to teach in shorts....and wow, are my legs pale!

This week's special project was to wean Coregel from Piper. The two fillies have just gotten too attached, but every time I try to separate them Corey pitched such a fit I was worried for her safety so I would cave. This attempt seems to be going better though. Coregel seems to be comforted by Tango, and Tango seems to be using Coregel as a distraction from having her buddy Java go home.

Piper could care less, and is happy to be out with Carma and the QH fillies.


Entertainment for the day: http://www.welcomehomeveteran.org/DamBeavers.html

Hope you are enjoying the sun!

Karen

So yesterday was a long day, with people coming to try out horses, owners coming to see their training horses, and lessons. I had packed things in from 7am-9pm, and things HAD been going well/smoothly, with everyone showing up on time, being accommodating, and the horses behaving as expected...until one goofy chestnut mare decided she should put me in my place by acting like being mounted was terrifying! This, a horse that has never spooked at being mounted before. Doofus.

I think that is why God made chestnut mares though...to keep egos in check. All teenagers should own a chestnut mare.

For the dog lovers out there, check out this link: http://www.pawnation.com/2010/04/16/even-more-creative-dog-grooming-shots-12-new-images/

This is my attempt to create a unique logo for the Ride for Red Clear Round Classic:

Drawing in general is not my strong point, but drawing in Paint is definitely not my forte!

Entry forms/prize lists are available for the show now if you are interested.

Attache's Sugar Daddy

That is Zander's real name. Attache's Sugar Daddy. I think I will stick with Zander. Through an odd twist of fate, it turns out Zander was previously owned by Natalie's cousin, and they hadn't passed his papers to the person we bought him from...so now I have his papers!

Now the trick is to get his papers and Tommy's papers in our names...neither previous owner bothered to transfer the papers.

On another note; Amanda jumped Edgar today! He was amazingly light on his feet. Amanda may need a parachute if she wants to continue to jump him...he got higher and higher with each attempt. We are going to try to make Prix Caprilli an Olympic Event.

And lastly, with this stupid weather, and my stupid cold/flu, I haven't felt like doing much productive once I get in from the barn, and my phlegm filled brain couldn't handle a real book, so Rob suggested I read this Comic collection he bought....Pearls before Swine. I had never heard of it, but it is a great comic strip! Sometimes funny, sometimes insightful, and sometimes a little disturbing. If you haven't heard of it before, here is a link: http://comics.com/pearls_before_swine/

Hope you all have a great Thursday!

Karen

This stuffy nose is tiresome. I am so glad I invested in a few boxes of Kleenex tissues with Aloe lotion when Natalie got sick. No regular brand tissue for me!

Anyway, decided to get some photos of Coco out and about, including being ridden over the bridge of death:

I can't wait to be able to teach outside...but it doesn't look like that is going to happen this week after all :(

Karen

Sick...again!

Youtube is good when you are sick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE

I seem to have a cold. Perhaps the flu that Natalie had. Not sure. Why is Rob always out of town when I am sick? Smart man...but if he were here he would be making me tea and bringing horses in...the cat isn't nearly as good at either of those things as he is.

So of course, because i am sick, today is hectic. Started ok. Played with little Coco, took Java on a trail ride, lunged a horse...

Also sold both the TB mares today. Natalie bought Secret and took her home, and Shinaya bought Dixie (now named Willow!). Yea!

Then Lana called as she and Ryan were going to haul the new training horse in for me. Apparently Ryan was giving the horse boosters today or something, and so they figured they could haul at the same time...and while they were doing that, they could haul my girls back for me. So had to get a pen ready for my girls. Of course Lana was going to call when they were on there way...but got on a call about a colic and forgot...so they showed up midway through a lesson while Natalie was busy with something else...

But the girls settled in quickly, and the new training horse (Fonzie...yes, a gelding at last!) also settled in, so back to teaching. Then, someone comes out to try a horse we have for sale...the thing is we hadn't set a time, only loosely mentioned Saturday may be possible. Showing & jumping a horse when I can hardly breath is not my idea of a good plan...but I survived.

Of course the horse we advertised as green and needing to be in a program...was too green for them. Duh. That is why we have her advertised as green. What exactly were they expecting?

Have I mentioned before I lack patience when I am sick?

Karen

Feel better about your own riding...

and check out this website for some funny jumping critiques:

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~masupple/hillbilly/critique.html

Karen

Rain!

Rain Rain Rain! Lovely rain! Ok, I am a little sick of it as it is so flipping cold compared to not that long ago, but the horse's hooves (and the farrier!) needed the rain, as did the grass and hay fields!

The rain does seem to be making the horse's a little crazy....YJ kept doing his goofy "eeeee" sound while I rode and did this poppy little canter that felt reminiscent of the dime store ponies that Safeway used to have (does anyone else remember these?). Even Calvin tried to play a little at the canter...nutty Quarter Horses...peppy, but still just want to jog....

.......

On the white board in the barn I have listed which horses will go out on the grass pastures this year. I decided to put less horses on the geldings field this year to make sure it isn't over grazed, but if the grass picks up a bit more, them maybe one or two more can go out there. I will likely start putting them out on grass mid May.

I will also be moving some of the geldings around, so the most obnoxious horses are together, and the other horses can get a break from them....

We also plan to deworm the horses with Ivermectin during the first week of May. If you want me to deworm your horse, the cost is $10.00. I will put a sign up list on the white board. If you want to deworm your own horse, you can buy the dewormer from me for $8.00 (it is a paste), or you can buy your own of course!

I am very pleased with the new jumps, and the horse's aren't as worried about them as I thought they would be, even though they are bright yellow and green! I need a big duffle bag or similar to store the jump cups though...so if anyone has one hanging around that they would like to donate, I would appreciate it!

Karen

it is so windy out here today that i feel like I am one of the little pigs whose house is about to be blown down by the big bad wolf.

I rode Tango outside today, and there were a couple times when the wind was so strong I thought back to the clinic on Friday "pretend there is a strong wind pressing on your chest and stretch into it". It must have worked as Tango was GREAT despite the wind blowing grass and blue barrels.

Karen

The Clinics

The Tellington Jones clinic I rode in on Friday was great!

There were two of us in the clinic; Cassie on a 4 year old draft cross, and myself on Tango. We started off just riding around the indoor ring doing what ever, both to get our horses used to the ring and warmed up, and to allow the Tellington team time to assess us and our horses. Tango dealt with the scary ring and all the people much better than Dexter ever did! We had time to walk/trot and canter, and she felt reasonable in that ring, and more stretched down than at home.

So then they pulled is into the middle to dismount and untack so they could work on the horses; starting with a light massage to feel for sore areas, then moving the horse around to check for stiffness, and finally working through the labyrinth to work on flexibility. The handler for Tango had a wand she would stroke Tango's sides and front legs with, the idea being it would help her think about her entire body. As hokey as that might sound, she was halting square by the end of the work! Tango was slightly stiff, but didn't show any soreness or tension which is good for an old grey mare!

Meanwhile I had been pulled out of the ring so I could work on my position in the bleachers. I was sat down and told to put my hips/pelvis in "neutral", and then we tested the positioning by having me press forward and then down against her hand. I could tell when I had it right as I would then feel the pressure going down into my seat, rather than into my lower back, shoulders or crotch. I was able to find neutral easily as this is a concept I work on already...but key was finding neutral in my seat, and maintaining a softness and correctness in my upper body; I tend to get stiff to hold to pose.

So she put a hand on my lower back, and one on my chest, and wanted me to feel and stretch into the pressure, like I was walking into a wind (fortunately I have had lots of practice with strong winds lately!). She then also wanted me to imagine that between my spine and my skull, there was a space that my head could float above....this feeling of lightness and tallness in my head really helped lengthen my spine and felt great...so why do I keep letting my head push forward and look at Tango's ears?!?

Finally she had me jump up and down, and consider if I was thinking more about the up or the down. I was thinking more about the up, so she told me to think more about the down...and in doing so I realized I started to use my core more to control the down...which is exactly what I should be doing when posting...so time to start thinking about the down phase of my post to.

Ok, so finally I was allowed back in the arena, where we put a body wrap on Tango to try to connect her more front to back...and to try to get a more enthused walk out of her. Did seem to help much, so we decided to tack her up, and put the wrap on over the saddle for me to ride with.

Once on her back, we again went over the neutral pelvis, and the feeling of her hand on my chest and lower back. We discussed how I tend to lean too far back on Tango...even though it feels upright to me! So we worked on finding what was truly sitting tall...with my head floating on top. Next, she had me think about relaxing my inside thigh, and outside shoulder. The change was amazing! Tango really loosened up, and had a lovely walk (and later trot)!

Then we were attacked by birds...and the hitching ring started to fill with donkeys...so Tango started to get spooky....so I started to get grippy....but then I was corrected...and interestingly, but softening the inside thigh and outside shoulder, Tango softened and relaxed considerably! Interesting...I am going to have to play with that concept!

All too soon time ran out, and I had to get off Tango to take off the body wrap. At which point I was asked to summarize what I had been working on for the crowd (as Robin had been giving play by plays on the green horse, not on Tango). A pop quiz in front of a crowd speaking into a microphone?!? I am not a particularly shy person...but speaking into a mike on something I JUST learned is the edge of my comfort zone. I just started blurry eyed at the mike being handed to me...but somehow I managed to organize my thoughts and speak coherently...or at least I think it was coherent!

On Saturday i got an invite to come back to ride for a demo (for free), but as I was already home with Tango that would have been complicated, so I sadly had to decline.

I can't wait what I learned on Bliss and Dexter too!

Now the jumping clinic:

Watched the last 3/4 or so of the jumping clinic. I liked what I saw, but I think I missed some of the theory behind what he was having the riders do, but this is what I took from it:
- He had the riders do a lot in two point, both to work on their fitness, and to free up the horse's backs.
- Did a fair number of transitions to help connect the horse's front to back.
- Had the riders correct the horse very simply with an upward bump on the reins (with leg too), and then soften. Reminded me of western riding....which makes sense for a hunter as you want to ride on a loose/soft rein.
- Didn't like riders who couldn't control their bums and let themselves bump on the horse's backs for downwards transitions.
- for the jumping he discussed 5 parts:
1) A good approach with a square corner, straight line, and good gait.
2) Either a steady rhythm to the jump, or a slight increase in pace if needed to get a good distance (remember it was a hunter clinic, not jumpers...in hunters you want slightly long distances so the horse can jump "cute").
3) Rider then lets the horse jump and stays out of the way.
4) Horse lands, rider stays off the back
5) After the jump the rider either halts the horse (if needed for schooling) or half halts before the corner to re balance and prepare for the corner/lead change.

I think step 5 is the one most often forgotten. Often riders are just so focused on the jump itself, that after the jump is left to take care of itself...so the horse ends up careening around the corner, possibly not getting its lead change, and definitely not being set up as well as could be for the next jump. This lack of re balancing can also lead to the horse's stride getting longer and longer and longer and the horse getting further and further on the forehand as the round continues...does that sound familiar?

Wish I could have seen how the jumping clinic progressed for day 2 and 3, but the farm called me home!

Karen

Cute video

Rob sent me this video of Einstein; a baby mini that is in the running for world's smallest horse. He is much cuter than the current record holder who is a deformed dwarf mini. This guy is cute...albeit big headed!

Now a horse that size COULD live up North with Rob in his tiny room....because I know how much Rob hates being away from the horses :)

Karen

Mane Event Friday

I had a GREAT time at the Mane Event on Friday! I hope many of you managed to go as well.

The day started out with lots of puddles and mud, so apparently the key to rain was taking a grey horse to an event. Fortunately Tango was very patient with me as I figured out the new Anivac bathing system...which worked great once I figured it out! It uses very little water, and leaves the horse reasonably dry...and clean! Very cool. It will be available for others to use with some sort of rental fee to help pay for its maintenance, so let me know if you want to give it a try.

Natalie then met me at the barn, and we loaded Tango and headed on our way. We had one stop...to pick up the new jump standards; wow, are they BRIGHT! I am excited to start using them this week coming up and I hope they don't give the horse's too much of a shock!

We got to Red Deer to find it was sunny out, and got Tango settled in...and then went SHOPPING! That will teach Rob to not come with me... :)

Found some great deals; bought a new sheet for Tango to wear at shows, some cheap black riding gloves, a Arista light weight jacket, and the find of the year; sheep skin lined dressage pads in black and grey! I had only been able to find them in white, but white pads on a grey horse just don't look that good to me, so I was thrilled to find these...and even more thrilled to see that they are made perfectly for my saddle. One thing with my mono flap saddle is that the straps that are supposed to attach back to the billet straps are of no use...with these pads there is just a little Velcro piece that attaches back to the D-ring! Perfect! I bought the only two there.

I didn't find a bosal as I had hoped...I had no idea they were so expensive....$150 and up for just the nose piece, and about the same for the reins! Ouch!

The Tellington Jones clinic went great for Tango and I, and I will write more about that later...so much one on one attention compared to the other clinics and I felt a noticeable difference in Tango from beginning to end...and she survived the Donkey invasion!

After the clinic we met up with Clare, Laureen and Suzanne (who is doing well, although she and Quanta are still adjusting to being at a busy barn!). I also met up with Helen Interman; my Very FIRST riding instructor. She taught Clare at some point as well. She was a very good teacher as I recall. Patient and knowledgeable. She is now in Jasper.

Natalie, Clare and I then watched the jumping clinic. It was pretty good, but I was disappointed with the horse/rider combinations entered as I expected it to be more of a hunter clinic, yet the horses were for the most part NOT hunters. The clinician was very good, and stressed that the riders need to help the horse balance and use themselves, and otherwise stay out of the way of the horse. The didn't really do much jumping; mostly poles, and a line of little x rails. Both Clare and I found his voice quite soothing. He would be good at reading bed time stories!

Then it was time to load up and come home. Tired, but a very good day!

Karen

Wow, rain! At long last...not much so far, but hopefully enough to give the grass more of a start, and to keep the dust down. I am taking full credit for the rain; not only did I hang laundry outside to dry, I also made plans to take a grey horse to an event and did not put a blanket on her. As we all know rain+grey horses=copious rolling in any and all mud!

Karen

I went to visit Coregel and Piper today. They are now out with an older, Palomino QH mare. Corey and Piper came marching right over when they saw me and were thrilled to be brushed! Corey has almost completely shed out and is a lovely dark chestnut...but not quite liver. Piper is still very fuzzy, but I think she may be the same colour as Corey...which is odd as Coregel was so much more orange last year and over the winter.

The little Palomino just started at me while I tried to brush the two fillies at the same time (they were very demanding), but then started to inch her way over...until she finally wedged herself between the girls fully expecting to be brushed as well! So then I had three horses all demanding to be brushed... but only two arms, so one horse was always left out and pushing on me, or trying to wedge her head in front of me.

It really was very cute and a nice way to spend the afternoon.

There was someone there working their Standardbred on the track which seemed to be of great concern to the kids, so I was trying to convince them to stay close to the track while the sulky went thundering by...but they figured 10 meters away was the closest they were safe. I can't blame them...they FLEW by!

I hope to bring the girls home the next time Rob is in town. I miss them!

Janine sent me this picture of Animal Cruelty:

If it wasn't for the blaze I could see this being Edgar if Amanda was left alone with clippers....

Karen

Larry duck has migrated West for the summer. We had planned to facilitate his return by driving him over, but he seemed content in our dug out...then on Monday I couldn't find him...and was slightly worried he had become dinner. Fortunately that was not the case, and he has made it safe and sound across the road and past the new dog to the pond at Donver.

So he is safe and sound, and hopefully he doesn't regret his timing when the weather cools in the next few days!

Karen

Update on "the kids"

For those of you that have been following the fillies' progress:

Coco's first ride outside Because of COURSE you want their first ride outside to be when it is insanely windy... I have to say this mare is incredibly smooth. If anyone is looking for a fabulously cute western pleasure/eq prospect who can likely do some of the more athletically demanding events, this is a nice one to sit on.

And Charmer's first canter. Yes, I know, we got the wrong lead. Shame on us. I try to end the ride as quickly as possible after a big moment like the first canter so she knows that she did well! This is her second time outside, and she has really started to balance herself nicely. Charmer is really a people pleaser and a nice mare to train. I wish I had cows to try her on, as I have a feeling she is a cowy mare (that is a good thing), and may have some reining or cutting instincts in her.

The little morgan filly who came in little after the two QH mares also got her video taken today. It all uploads as it should, then the video should be here. She is still in the bitless bridle, but I will soon switch to a bit. She seems to think she is wearing one anyway...she always opens her mouth as if to drop a bit when I take the bitless bridle off.

Karen

A skill testing day...

I had some errands to run today, one of which included renewing my driver's license...because I would have hated to get that done before the very last moment. So along with ID, the lady asked some questions designed to test if I was who I said I was. Now really, questions meant to make sure I am me, should not be hard for me to answer...but they were! I even started to doubt myself! "What work number do we have for you?" (I can't even remember where I was working 5 years ago, much less what phone number! Jencess maybe?) "What Registry would you have last renewed your license?" (Seriously?)

What happened to the standard "What is your mother's maiden name". I finally passed with questions regarding my former car. Phew. I am who I say I am after all....good to know.

Then, a little later, as I stepped out of the bank, I saw a new Frozen Yogurt shop. Frozen Yogurt sounded good for a hot afternoon, and I figured it would limit my silly snack purchases when grocery shopping later, so I headed over.

There were two people sitting down, but no staff present at first glance. Then I noticed a big sign at the back explaining how it works; you get a bowl, server yourself the frozen yogurt, add any toppings, then weigh it all, and pay accordingly. For some reason the self serve caused me some anxiety, but I really wanted the frozen yogurt, so I headed to the back for a bowl, and the yogurt machines. I browsed the selections. Caramel something or other, Green Tea, and a few others that didn't catch my fancy. By then the last machine had Bubblegum, Blueberry, and Pomegranate. Blueberry and Pomegranate sounded like a nice mix, so I headed to that machine.

Now the labels were such that Bubblegum was on the top left, Blueberry on the top right, with pomegranate listed just below Blueberry. So in my mind, that meant that Bubblegum must be in the far left spigot, and then the other two in the middle and right hand spigots. As I was after a mix, it didn't seem to matter enough to wait for staff to wander out to clarify, so I went ahead and started to pour the flavour that was in the far right spigot. This appeared to be Pomegranate. Goody. So I stopped it at the halfway point, and went for the middle spigot, expecting blueberry....hmmm....should blueberry really be bright pink?

For the record, Pomegranate topped with Bubblegum is not a good flavour combo.

I made up for it though, by getting myself a Tortoise Cheesecake for my birthday. Yes, I am a sad person who buys my own Birthday cake. Well...that way I don't have to share it! So much for the frozen yogurt curbing my grocery purchases though. (I think the grocery check out clerk thought I was all of 19 or something the way she condescendingly called me sweety and kept asking if I needed help or more bags).

Karen

I know they teach it differently in school, but the real way to define stress starts with an "A" and ends with an "a". And has orangish hair.

On Saturday, after Edgar's first test, the drug tester came up to Amanda to test Edgar. I didn't know they tested at Bronze shows, but it is nice to see our fees put to work. So, no big deal, the tester got to stand in his stall waiting for him to pee, and Amanda and I got to get a break from Edgar trying to destroy his stall.

After he dutifully peed in the cup, the tester left, and I mentioned to Amanda "I hope none of his supplements test" to which she replied "no, I checked them all out, and they are all labeled as "will not test." They are vitamins, joint supplements, and a cough aid, so it seemed likely they would be legal, so all was good.

Then, on Sunday night, at a little after 9pm...I get this call "Camphor TESTS". Only it was said with more exclamation points and bolder letters.

The assumption on my part was immediately that if she is calling me to let me know Camphor tests, then it must be in one of his supplements, presumably his cough aid. I tried the best I could to end the conversation politely and not blurt out what I was really thinking which was basically a much less polite version of:

Frick.

Having a horse test positive for something like Camphor, would not be the end of the world, but Amanda and I would have to miss a large portion of the show season and get our names published on the "bad" list. This, understandably, caused me some stress, and left me trying to detangle myself from the blanket I had contentedly wrapped myself in. I then printed off the banned substances list, wedged on my shoes, and ran to the barn.

The cough aid does not have Camphor in it. Panic averted. Which really should never have been started as Amanda had checked that the things she gave her horse wouldn't test...but her stupid boyfriend made her worry and check the list of banned things and that one jumped out at her.

So, the moral of the story? Boys suck.

Karen

I am still trying to work out who is who in the dressage world. At this weekend's schooling show, there were some faces I didn't recognize; perhaps new people, perhaps people who don't normally show in dressage. In an effort to get to know the crowd, I try to watch the various trainers, and see which ones I respect and can learn from, and perhaps work with and which ones to avoid.

There was one trainer who I was curious about as I did not recognize . She was across from Edgar, and had a nice logo jacket. Her student was body clipping her horse on the Friday. Seemed odd, but kind considering the temperature change that hit for the show. She seemed to have a fair number of "people", so seemed like she may be a somebody. On the Saturday one of her clients brought by new show curtains she had ordered made. Apparently they were made incorrectly, so she was understandably frustrated and swearing. I am not keen on swearing in public, but that wasn't the worst of it. What made it worse was the racist comment she made regarding the store name of the curtain maker, and how that explained the poor work. (gee...its not that maybe you didn't explain it correctly). Ug. If you are going to be that obnoxious at least be quiet about it!

So today I watched her coach the clipped horse and a student. She seemed decent until she yelled across the ring to the parents/other clients "well, you have noticed that ALL the top placings have been to Amberlea students haven't you? That is just the way it is." And not said in a way that implied, "gee, the horses at this barn are nice and we should learn from them", but rather in a "our poor placing has nothing to do with how green this horse is, and everything to do with the favouring the barn owner".

Which came across as pathetic, poor sportsmanlike, and also a complete fabrication! There were plenty of top 3 placings and championships on the show stalls! It made me consider how kids like Alexis likely face that sort of comment often enough to be hurtful.

Then later she furthered annoyed us by allowing a clients little dog and little child to bark in the indoor arena while very green horses were competing for likely the first time of the year....(no typo, the child was also barking".

Fortunately the good riders/trainers/horse people far outnumbered the bad and the show was quite pleasant in general.

Edgar was MUCH mellower in the barn today, so apparently being ridden three times a day is the key to improving barn manners. Or perhaps it was the steady dripping of water at the back of his stall....equine water torture. He was also good in the ring, and Amanda once again got some respectable scores and placings. Her best score was Sunday morning and was in the high 60s%! It was good enough for second....she was beat out by a Ri look alike who scored in the 70s.

Apparently Edgar just needs to be empowered to do well....this mornings empowerment came in the form of an annoying rider who ignored her trainer's many warnings to stop riding up behind other horses....I think she learned why when Edgar finally had enough and did his best "killer dragon" impression complete with arched neck and crazed snorting/blowing!

So now we have to find a way to recreate that without putting anyone at risk...

After a successful weekend we brought Edgar home and put him in his pen. Poor fellow just wanted to roll....but Brax would NOT leave him alone! "Hey buddy, what's up, hey there, hey, how you doing?" Annoying young warmbloods!

On another note, assuming this weather holds, plan to start riding outside in lessons May 1!

Karen

The Bridge of Death

Now that it is warm and dry out, it is time for the training/sales horses to meet "The Bridge".

The bridge, in case you haven't met it, was made by Rob after we put in the outdoor arena. It is basically railway ties laid over a drainage ditch. A deep drainage ditch. It has many scare factors:

1) It is quite high over the ground.

2) it is narrow

3) It has cracks between the ties, where sand, and potentially entire horses could slip through.

Ebony, Kokanee and Calvin were introduced to the bridge last week. Today I led Charmer and Coco over it. I thought Coco would be the filly to have more issues with it, but she seemed so keen to stick close to me that she summoned the courage to go over it beside me. I wanted to get pictures of the two girls going over the bridge, but both wanted to go beside me, rather than after me, so they were too close for photos.

Leading young/green horses over the bridge is interesting as the bridge is narrow, and young horses tend to think that the only safe place to traverse frightening footing, is where the human is standing. This leads me to always worry that the horse will end up knocking me off the bridge, which would not go well. Fortunately (knock wood) this has not yet happened, with the horses seeming to understand that my demise would greatly affect the quantity and regularity with which they would get cookies.