Ghost horse

She arrived in the rainy mist of early morning...a pale horse against the trees. YJ almost fell over trying to get a look at her, and then spinning to run off. She, on the other hand, maintained her decorum as she walked up the driveway to her new home. Horses lifting their heads from their hay to stare in wonder.

....

We have our first "white" horse at Hillside. I have never seen a white horse before. Not sure if she is Dominant White, or Maximum Sabino, but she is definately white with pink skin all over. Rhiannon should get a sunscreen company to sponsor her. Very pretty horse despite the butcher job of a brand she had done to her at some point in her young life.

Hopefully she adjusts to life in Canada without incident.

Karen

Wow...some storm! Sure came up quick and rained hard. Fortunately it ended before I had to feed night hay. Poor Edgar could not understand why I wasn't rushing out to get him in, and stood in the rain the entire time staring at the barn, thereby allowing Rocket and Tommy sole use of the shelter.

I now have 11 entries for the horse show.

Country Boyz is willing to bring out Pizza to the show if we so wish. I need to let them know by Friday afternoon. Other than that, I am just planning to provide beverages and snacks. Ideas welcome.

Also looking to borrow things like tables, chairs, extra coolers...looking for an easy set up gazebo thing too...looked for one today, but could only find the ones that take some building. I just want a cheapy unfolding one so the show office can be outside but out of the sun/rain.

AND! We are very fortunate to have none other than CHRISTINE THEW judging the horse show! She does accept bribes in the form of payments towards her board, vet, or farrier bills.

Karen

Paint is on my nose. I went shopping with paint on my nose. And my arms. and hands. At least I wasn't wearing breeches at the time. The jumps are getting closer to being completed...the poles are almost all painted so now the focus is on the fill and finishing the logo jumps. I think the paint fumes are helping me get a better nights sleep.

Fingers are cramped from being crossed hoping for nice weather.

Karen

Well, I have two more entries for Ride for Red, so unless Mother Nature ruins it for me, the show is a go!

Of course that means I better get the jumps ready and painted! Apparently I was in Easter mode when I picked the colours...

Planning to have each jump noticeably different from each other to help make remembering the course easier. Also to give Sunny more things to spook at.

I lack any original thoughts today.

Must be the paint fumes.

You know what else the paint fumes do? Attract masses of bugs. It is sick how many bugs have lost their lives to the jumps....

Karen

Was it something I said?

Zero boarders out today. Zero. None. And it was a LOVELY day! I imagine Amanda was too crippled, but what of the rest of you? Sheesh.

Karen

Pick a picture...

Photo 1: Charmer heading out to the road Photo 2: View from the saddle

Photo 3: View from the saddle...less sunny.

Photos 4: Riding past Donver. I am saying hi to Jinx.

Photo 5: Crossing the road.

Photo 6: Being passed by traffic.

Which pictures would catch your eye the most if you were looking for a nice (but still green) trail horse? I need something to catch people's attention for Charmer...she is a LOVELY trail mare and I can't believe nobody has snatched her up!

Karen

Mood Shot by Natalie

Any guesses who this horse is?

Rocky's lot in life

In case you wonder what it is exactly that Rocky does for us at Hillside; this is his main job...ponying bratty training horses. I usually start them off in the outdoor arena so they can't get away if things go awry. (I find the indoor too restrictive and boring).

But at some point they ALL decide to give Rocky a taste test! He is far to polite to correct a young lady like Cara though, so he just takes it. I need to get him a neck guard like at the track.

So on Rocky's behalf I explained to Cara that tasting Rocky was wrong. She looks suitable chastised.

So off we went for a little walk in the wide open.And we survived!

Karen

Triton as a Western Pony.

finally!

You may have noticed the severe lack of updating of the Hillside Website of late...we changed the hosting service and I just NOW figured out how to update it. Why we couldn't have stayed with Yahoo? No idea.

Anyway, to start with, I have put Ride for Red on the website: http://www.hillsidestable.ca/HorseShow.htm

With links to entry forms and the list of horses entered so you can check if you received your entry.

I will admit, I am starting to panic that it will either rain, or I won't get enough entries!

Karen

Triton is in denile

I decided that today would be a good day to introduce Triton to a Western Saddle. He is good out on trails, and very surefooted, so I could see him one day heading up a mountain, and most riders on such a path would prefer a western saddle to a dressage...even a grippy equisuede one.

Triton looked pretty good in the western saddle. Not as good in the english, but not out of place either.

I lunged him first off, and wow...he was his Friesianist Friesian self (take that spell check!). Prancy and neck archy beyond what I have ever seen! He was NOT going to admit to his Paint heritage...he was all Friesian! His impressive trot hung on even while I rode him. He felt like almost as big a mover as Jelt. Perhaps I will have to get Sunny to have a chat with him and explain that even big dressage horses can go western once and a while...

Karen

Where did June go?

Is June seriously almost over? It is those darn kids again...speeding up time so that school will be done sooner.

But...that means my show is in under two weeks! Yikes! The entry total for it is 6 so far, with the deadline for entries being a week from Thursday.

If anyone would like to Volunteer at the show, help would be greatly appreciated! I will have a sign up sheet in the barn or you can talk to me, or sent an email!

Help is needed for: Show office, jump crew, in gate, timer and such. You can help for the entire day or just for part of it. You don't have to have special knowledge for any of these positions.

We also need people to pray for nice weather for the 4th!

Karen

here's a shocker...

Some of you may remember the 5 (or maybe 6) year old Standardbred being sold as a "good confidence builder" for someone wanting to learn to jump. So calm and quiet. Even good for beginners! Sellers told someone who called that advertised herself as a beginner that he would be prefect. (fortunately she wasn't that naive!)

Now it seems the horse is being advertised as suitable only for an intermediate or advanced rider who has ridden more than just lesson horses...

Gee, you think? Maybe once skinny auction horse put weight on and got fit that he may actually have some green horse issues typical for his age and level of training?

And I LOVE the snarky little paragraph at the end of the ad admonishing people for over selling their riding skills.... seriously...when you advertise a horse as good for beginners and a great confidence builder, who exactly do you think is going to show up?

*sigh* I AM glad this seller has come to their senses about selling such a green horse to a more appropriate level rider as so many don't. I am shocked though that people actually considered this large green broke horse for a beginner rider, as it seems apparent they did have beginners out to try him.

I am equally shocked by the number of people who came out to look at the very green broke fillies I had here for sale and brought along their young kids to try them out! Fortunately they heeded my advice that these horses would need to be in training to be suitable for children and passed. Hopefully they weren't ensnared by a less honest seller though....people seem so desperate to find a pretty little horse for their princess that it really wouldn't be hard to mis-sell a pretty horse...or a tall horse.

Age doesn't always equal training and trustworthiness, but it does help.

Karen

Is it wrong?

Is it wrong to be jealous of a cat?

This is how Milo spent his ENTIRE Sunday; asleep amidst blankets and laundry on our bed. Sounds like a good way to spend the day to me...but Rob had other ideas. Silly things like fencing. Cats can sleep pretty much anywhere, through anything and look peaceful and comfortable. And for some reason they possess some sort of power over me where I cannot displace or disturb them...despite the fact I KNOW that a pampered cat such as Milo has no pressing engagements he must rest up for. So rather than disturb a sleeping cat I will contort myself so as to not disturb them...occasionally only to discover that the lump I thought was a sleeping cat was, in fact, a lump in the blankets.

Karen

Evil show organizers....the organizers of the Amberlea Dressage Festival just HAD to make the closing date for entries BEFORE the start date of the Gold Rush show. I was really hoping to use Gold Rush as a test of Brie's dressage skills and to see if Tango really was ready to do Second Level and then enter this show accordingly. But no. Entries close July 14. Gold Rush starts July 15.

Show costs are a little less than Gold Rush, but it is still over $200 WITHOUT any classes entered!

As an aside, I really like the art work on the cover of the prize list, although I find it odd when they picture horses all braided for a show, but with the polos/boots on. It not as if the drawing risks a bowed tendon...so is it just that polos are easier to draw than tendons?

....

I think someone should leave work early today and go with me on a trail ride once afternoon chores are done. Really, what is so important about your job that can't wait until Monday?

Karen

I like June. It is a nice month. Warm, quiet (kids are busy studying to make up for 4 months of slacking!), and a nice summer to look forward to. On the flip side though, June drives me crazy. Every year the longer days drive me over the edge with lack of sleep. My brain just can't seem to comprehend that I CAN sleep even though it is light out. By July I seem to have adjusted, but until then, if I call you by the wrong name, just deal with it...I am half asleep and semi conscious.

Whilst riding outside I saw all of the horses in the grass fields laying down for a nap...and I was jealous. Yesterday all I wanted to do was pick grass for the horses (no complaints from them), but I did find the energy to get on Ricco for the first time. Natalie videoed Ricco is oddly unconcerned by my presence on his back considering the things that DO concern him. Of course as soon as I was on there, he was like "hey, Karen's gone...I am SO out of HERE! Hey Natalie!" Today I didn't have Natalie in the arena and he was better able to recognize that I was on him and actually telling him to do something.

We did a video of Triton yesterday too...but I lack the energy to edit it down to a more reasonable length, so it will have to wait.

Karen

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