[Indy]

Yesterday, Neverland & I walked around the indoor on our own...today we TROTTED!!! Both directions, willingly, and wonderfuly. I'm soooo excited and soooo proud of her. She's the smartest pony-mare ever (can you tell I like my new pony? ).

Look out everybody....today the trot, tomorrow the world!!!

[Duffy]

Major Congrats! Wish I'd been there to cheer you on!

Hmmm...Let's see...Well, I had a lesson at home for the first time in months. I jumped the gymnastic several times with success. Then, just as his two other equine barnmates left the ring, we headed to our first line of the day. We jumped in fine. We jumped out fine. Then, evidently Gramento decided it was time to vacate the premises and join his buddies. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img] (We did know that he didn't like being "left". But, I truly thought we'd come along enough that I'd be able to keep him concentrating on me. Oh well.) Of course, when he saw me in the nice wet sand, he only stood over me looking like, "Huh? Watcha doing down there? Ooops! S***!! I think I'm in trouble now! I really didn't plan on this happening..." [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Oh well. The good news is that I was able to get back on, work on the flat (encouraging those shoulders to go exactly where I was telling them to go) and jump both the gymnastic and line several more times, successfully. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

We're still hoping to play at a local show this coming weekend. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

"I can justify anything!"

[pinkhorse]

I rode yesterday morning when no one was at the barn. The pinkhorse was energetic and a little spooky. She got really bummed when the barn manager showed up and walked through the ring with the food tray(!) and in order to get her attention I did some smallish circles around a grid that was set up with some poles on the sides - so 15m circles over 2 poles. She got really up and engaged - did 2 FABULOUS canter transitions and came back down to the trot really sitting down!! And for a qh mare who's built about 1 inch downhill that's pretty amazing. Even moreso, she kept it through all the tricks I did with her - transitions within gaits, half pass at the trot (we do it at the walk as part of our warmup every day but she's only gotten a few steps at the trot only to the right) - BOTH directions! and a 12 or so meter turn down the center line, perfection straight, to a perfectly straight flying change to the other 12 or so meters the other direction. I was so excited! I was riding around laughing and grinning and saying things out loud like "whoopee!" and "yee ha!" and "good girl!" etc etc.

Too bad I'll probably never reproduce this - it was a real planets in alignment moment. Probably one of the most wonderful few minutes I ever spent in my life.

[Miss Perfect]

My dog's daughter from last year's litter is on the cover of September's 'Dog Fancy' magazine!! The covergirl, Sara, is owned and showed by my mother-in-law. Sara's mom (my dog, Noel), was shown in the Westminster Kennel dog show a few years ago. Sara already has a Best-of-Breed (Welsh Springer Spaniel) and a four-star-major under her belt. Yeah Sara and Noel!! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Fred]

as a friend of mine, frequently says, "thank God for Fred!" (and she is talking about HER life!)
We had a good breeding season.
We're having an excellent show season, and (touch wood!) looks like we're qualified for the Royal Winter Fair.
Six of my own mares are in foal (all who were bred are in foal, one slipped and was rebred and caught again...so we are keeping our fingers crossed)
The Fred babies who are showing are doing really well, particularly the eventers......
Ti Amo is a lovely big boy, intelligent, kind and so so smart.... (now if the Little Prince would just eat his pellets!)
and I got my pony "Blaze" back after four years...so I can start riding again!

"when I feel weary, but I can't sleep
I count my blessings, instead of sheep..
and fall asleep, counting my blessings...."

good thread Tin girl!

[Fred]

for the first time in years!
She is just as uncomfortable and choppy as I remember her! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[DH]

I took my still-green mare, who was backed at 10 1/2 y.o., to a dressage show last weekend and we scored 60+ and 61+ in two different tests! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

The good part is that this mare, who had no purpose left in life when I found her, and was scared of everyone and barely even halter broke at 10, scored a whopping 7 for the collective marks for both paces and submission! The best part is that she really was a happy happy girl (not to mention her happy happy person).

Gotta love it when a TB mare is truly "on your team". I don't know what I did without her.

[dmj]

I haven't ridden w/ my trainer in a couple of weeks, as he has been away at shows. I lucked out last night & had a private lesson with him. My horse was amazing! So good. We jumped around a 3'9"-4' course, which we hadn't done in a little while...gave me tons of confidence. We had a great conversation about how far he has come in the 2 years that I have had him & Mickey has been working w/ us. Sory to be cheesy, but it was just a really great day at the barn! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[Gucci Cowgirl]

my trainers have been getting me to ride pretty much every horse in the barn(s), which is truly amazing, because I am still in awe at how talented these horses are.

They know so much more than I do, but I found that my riding has really improved this summer, what with riding 5-7 schoolmasters a day!! (I should hope so!)

One of my trainers said to me while she was giving me a lesson on her personal GP horse " I've noticed that your riding has really improved, you've become much more effective" THAT made my day!!

I have mastered correct 4-tempis, almost mastered 3-tempis, and have done a couple lines of 2's, and 2 lines of 9 1's. 1's are SO difficult, you have no time to half-halt and regroup during them. you just have to set up your horse and line properly and keep going forward! Phew!

the mare one of my trainers was training got a double diploma at her inspection a week ago, and the owner and I are good friends, so that made me really happy too.

One of my trainers is getting a PSG/I1 gelding for me to ride this winter, while my other trainer takes 3 of the horses that I regularly ride to california to do the dressage curcuit there. Then a couple months after the first trainer goes, my other trainer is taking 4 or 5 more of the horses that I regularly ride to california too! (I am going to be so bored when all my horses and my trainers leave though [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img] )

another great thing is that I am getting to ride another amazing horse, who I will post a picture of. sorry it is not that great quality.

So that is my good news of this past summer. next summer will be exciting as both my trainers and one of my best friends are (hopefully) competeing at the Pan Ams, with my best friend being only 20 years old, and her mount is my buddy, Ivor (You all have seen pics of him, hes the chestnut with the blaze)

that's it I think.

I'm so happy that the rest of the BB'ers have good things to share too!

PS - The pic is of the 17.3 DWB that I am also riding in addition to my Ivor,Foxtrot,Mark,Dior and Seafox

[This message was edited by Living it Up on Sep. 05, 2002 at 12:36 PM.]

[JAGold]

I had one of those wonderful rides last weekend... We went XC schooling on Sunday morning at FPP, in the rain. I rode one of the working student's horses (she was out of town grooming, and is heading to a show when she gets back, so the horse needed to get out). We jumped around the prelim course, and everything clicked. I was particularly pleased with the one-stride, a narrow-to-narrow on a bit of a rise. I rode it very accurately and the horse just locked on.

Funny how one wonderful ride can stick with you a whole week [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] --Jess

[SillyHorse]

My horse was badly injured in April 2001 when another horse kicked him and shattered the lateral splint bone in his left hind leg. After several unsuccessful tries when he couldn't stay sound, he was finally able to go back to work in mid-July, and it looks like he's really sound!

I had owned him for less than four months when he was injured, so this has been a very long haul. I think we're in the clear this time! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

SillyHorse
~ Even on a fast machine, an infinite loop takes a while to run.

[Fred]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DH:
I took my still-green mare, who was backed at 10 1/2 y.o., to a dressage show last weekend and we scored 60+ and 61+ in two different tests! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

The good part is that this mare, who had no purpose left in life when I found her, and was scared of everyone and barely even halter broke at 10, scored a whopping _7_ for the collective marks for both paces and submission! The best part is that she really was a happy happy girl (not to mention her happy happy person).

Gotta love it when a TB mare is truly "on your team". I don't know what I did without her.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

it's great to read about everyone's good news - sometimes the sadnews/badnews is just so overwhelming.
Ti Amo ate his first piece of carrot today!
[img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] I loff him!!!

[DH]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Fred:
you go girl!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks Fred!

I'll attach a photo of my girl because that also makes us happy [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

P.S. Fred, I'm going to email you and see if I can't find a time to come visit - I'll bring Tim Horton's and you can put down your chore du jour and stare at Ti Amo for a little while [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]