For the second time in four weeks, my beloved Andalusian stallion Oyente’ (owned by Harry and Beckie Butler) and I made the trip from South Carolina to New Hampshire/Connecticut to continue the coaching of my eventing students who winter here in Aiken, S.C. As I am writing this, the gauge outside reads 102 degrees. I am hiding in the air conditioning, thank you very much!
Just a few days ago, I woke up to 66 degrees in Hollis, N.H. Oyente’ was so full of himself that he actually took off with me while we were galloping in the jump field in front of Shanon Baker and Steve Day’s house. He just loves to be allowed to goof around time and again, and we both enjoy it!
The sessions with Shanon were extremely productive. I get such a kick out of watching this longtime student (and friend) progress through the levels and become a successful teacher and trainer in her own right.
Next stop on this trip was Heather Carlson’s farm New Milford, Conn. As always, Heather had a fun group of her students, as well as some interesting horses she rode herself. The horse which impressed me the most this time was Charlotte Nagle’s athletic, and highly opinionated, Thoroughbred mare Leyla. Holy cow, what a horse!
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Finally it was Oyente’s turn. My longtime friend and coach Bettina Drummond has been my “go to person” for Oyente’, and each time we get together, she is able to open the door of comprehension a bit farther for me. His piaffe was almost too high and on the spot, so we worked on incorporating canter to piaffe to canter, tempis to passage to canter to pirouettes into the sessions.
And after driving 800 miles yesterday, it is back to reality today. Laundry is almost done, got to finish the new stall I started this morning, hay needs to be unloaded. Oh, the glamorous life of a horse trainer.
Stay cool, wherever you are!
