I have a really bad habit and it started about 10 years ago. I am a chronic changer. In other words, I have been unable to stick with one thing over a long period of time – whether it be a particular horse, style of dress, even my hair has morphed from one end of the spectrum to the other. I’ve come to the conclusion that when I feel bored or unhappy, I try to change something in my life to make things exciting again. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve moved in my life.
So now that I have confronted my problem and have settled down with my husband, who is very stable, I’ve come to the conclusion that my hair is just fine brown and I’m the most comfortable (thus happy) when wearing my jeans and boots, and there is no reason to go on Dreamhorse.com to find my next great thing. I am really starting to settle in with Art and I can imagine owning him for life.
My change of heart came about slowly after I met and married Dave. He was more than happy to keep things in the “status quo” which at first drove me crazy. What kind of life is that? Always the same? Yuck! But then I started to see the positives of keeping things the same – stability. I can always count on Dave. Always. So then I started to look at my horse life with regards to the “same old thing.” Art and I could become the perfect partnership. We would know each other backwards and forwards. We could learn new skills together and I could count on him. Always. Of course my mind will always wonder over to Dreamhorse to see what’s new out there. I will dream of owning a reiner/cowhorse/cowboy shooting horse and feeling more respected as a rider (Western Pleasure & Hunt Seat is just so wimpy to most horsemen). But I will stick with Art and he will stick with me. And we will be very happy together.
Hi, my name is Rosemary and I’m a recovering changer…..
Monday, September 22, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Art's a Breadwinner!
Art is finally contributing to the pot with his 2nd place finish at the Futurity. We came in 1st under one judge and 2nd under the other two. We came away with about $270 and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I was actually the reason we didn’t win (of course) as I got nervous through the back through and wouldn’t let Art do it himself, even though he was on auto pilot. I stopped him and tried to inch our way around the “L” which caused him to spread his back legs and tick a pole. Otherwise, he was absolutely perfect. The rest of the show went as well if not better as we came away with several wins and 24 more points.
So Art has a big lead for the Ultimate SPB Yearling award and we only need two more judges to qualify (you need to show under no less than 10 judges to qualify for the award). So that means either the November show or the December show. I think it might just be November since December, though a really big prestigious show, is pretty darn cold that time of year – plus it’s ran during the week. Not good for us working people.
I’m also starting to think about Art’s schedule for under saddle training. I will be starting to throw a saddle & pad on him to get him used to the feel and weight as well as start driving him on and off the property. I don’t see me stepping aboard until after the first of the year. I’m excited to see him under saddle – he is really a special horse and I just know he is going to be something else. I was originally going to use my tax refund next year to put him into training for 60-90 days, but I’m thinking that I most likely will put that into savings or buy a good 2 horse trailer, plus I really want to keep things slow and simple and I know that I can start him without blowing his mind. I will start him with the thought that his first real show won’t be until the September 2009 futurity. Of course I will take him to open shows to walk around and enter here and there, but nothing to stressful.
Art is too dang cool!
So Art has a big lead for the Ultimate SPB Yearling award and we only need two more judges to qualify (you need to show under no less than 10 judges to qualify for the award). So that means either the November show or the December show. I think it might just be November since December, though a really big prestigious show, is pretty darn cold that time of year – plus it’s ran during the week. Not good for us working people.
I’m also starting to think about Art’s schedule for under saddle training. I will be starting to throw a saddle & pad on him to get him used to the feel and weight as well as start driving him on and off the property. I don’t see me stepping aboard until after the first of the year. I’m excited to see him under saddle – he is really a special horse and I just know he is going to be something else. I was originally going to use my tax refund next year to put him into training for 60-90 days, but I’m thinking that I most likely will put that into savings or buy a good 2 horse trailer, plus I really want to keep things slow and simple and I know that I can start him without blowing his mind. I will start him with the thought that his first real show won’t be until the September 2009 futurity. Of course I will take him to open shows to walk around and enter here and there, but nothing to stressful.
Art is too dang cool!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Charlotte's Web
There’s a lot of talk these days on the net about rescuing horses that are going to slaughter and retraining them for a new home. I’m actually doing that right now and her name is Charlotte. Charlotte is a 6 year old registered APHA mare and she’s a whole lot of mess. Her one saving grace is that she is a really cute color (minimal bay tobiano) and has the biggest doe eyes I’ve seen on a stock horse. This is one sweet little gal, but she has some major downfalls – her back is slightly bowed, she’s toed out in the front and just a mess in the back and her bottom lip droops when she’s relaxed. Her mane is very course and frizzy and her tail has been eaten off (probably from the last mutant she foaled – yes someone decided she was worth breeding – oy vey!). On the positive side, she has a really nice neck and just the sweetest face. Her jog is really smooth, but her lope is still pending evaluation as it’s nothing more than a leaping gallop that breaks into a trot every other stride.
I own this mare in a partnership with my friend and we’ve decided to try to train her and resale her as a nice trail mount. My main goal with her was to practice my starting skills again so that I’ll be prepared when Art is ready for training. What I didn’t expect is to fall in love with this little mare, which is slowly happening, ride by ride. I wish I could keep the kind ones like this as I hate to send her back out there with the possibility of abuse again.
We were not sure of Charlotte’s under saddle training, so like the chicken I am, I did a ton of ground work before the initial ride. She accepted the saddle just fine, but treated the snaffle like a foreign object. I could tell that something happened in this mare’s past that made her a little afraid of people (one tip was that she has white hair on her back that are not natural spots – most likely from an ill fitted saddle rubbing her back raw), but she so wanted to be our friend that she came around to our gentle handling methods very quickly. I made sure that I was always very quiet with her and gave her a ton of praise, even for the littlest of things. When I finally stepped in the saddle, she was ready to trust me, but I still spent the first couple of rides being walked around by my friend until I felt that I could trust her not to break in half. So now, after a month or so in the round pen, we’ve ventured out into the arena and walking from the arena to the barn. Again, she has never done anything to show me that she will be silly, although we are working on getting her to pay attention to me when we’re outside the arena. The biggest problem right now is that she won’t listen to Whoa when we’re out because she’s so concerned where her buddies are that she has a hard time concentrating on me and the matter at hand. It may be a while until we hit the trails. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy each and every accomplishment we obtain. Tonight I’m going to work on getting her to lope (and stay loping) in the arena. She’s got the 100 mph trot down pat.
I own this mare in a partnership with my friend and we’ve decided to try to train her and resale her as a nice trail mount. My main goal with her was to practice my starting skills again so that I’ll be prepared when Art is ready for training. What I didn’t expect is to fall in love with this little mare, which is slowly happening, ride by ride. I wish I could keep the kind ones like this as I hate to send her back out there with the possibility of abuse again.
We were not sure of Charlotte’s under saddle training, so like the chicken I am, I did a ton of ground work before the initial ride. She accepted the saddle just fine, but treated the snaffle like a foreign object. I could tell that something happened in this mare’s past that made her a little afraid of people (one tip was that she has white hair on her back that are not natural spots – most likely from an ill fitted saddle rubbing her back raw), but she so wanted to be our friend that she came around to our gentle handling methods very quickly. I made sure that I was always very quiet with her and gave her a ton of praise, even for the littlest of things. When I finally stepped in the saddle, she was ready to trust me, but I still spent the first couple of rides being walked around by my friend until I felt that I could trust her not to break in half. So now, after a month or so in the round pen, we’ve ventured out into the arena and walking from the arena to the barn. Again, she has never done anything to show me that she will be silly, although we are working on getting her to pay attention to me when we’re outside the arena. The biggest problem right now is that she won’t listen to Whoa when we’re out because she’s so concerned where her buddies are that she has a hard time concentrating on me and the matter at hand. It may be a while until we hit the trails. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy each and every accomplishment we obtain. Tonight I’m going to work on getting her to lope (and stay loping) in the arena. She’s got the 100 mph trot down pat.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
HEAD GAMES
So my futurity is in 10 days and I’m having issues. Nerves. Now I don’t normally have a big problem with nerves before a show, and certainly never two weeks prior, but here I am practically doubled over with stomach cramps just thinking about my class. Art is working wonderfully – doing everything I ask of him and he normally acts the same way away at a show as he does at home practicing. I have no doubt that he will do fine – as long as I stay out of his way and don’t screw him up. I’m suddenly panicked that I am showing against trainers and the top RR yearlings. I can’t help it – I’m becoming my worst enemy.
And the one thing I keep rewinding back in my head? Last year’s futurity. Let’s see, I was just fine, no worries until it was announced that the class was being held outdoors. Now all the other futurity classes were held in the indoor arena, but we’re being regulated to outdoors – and it’s windy. I just bought a new blouse to go under my very cute western blazer and the thing is too big and made of very light material. The collar kept flying up and whipping me in the face. That was driving me crazy as was the fact that my hat felt like it was going to blow off any second. I just couldn’t concentrate while practicing on the course before my class. Then to make matters worse, I was standing by my friend and her family when Ziggy supposedly tried to bite this girl and she whacked him really hard..IN THE FACE! Well that totally did him in and he threw his head every time I tried to turn him. Arrrggghhh! The piece de resistance was during the pattern when for some reason not even known to me, I decide to “jump” the X trot over and totally freaked my gelding out. Blew my class – last place.
I am repeating this scenario in my head over and over and over again. What if the Perfect Storm happens again and I blow the class? I know Art can win this thing if I can just relax and work the course like we always do. Maybe I should have a beer or glass of wine before the class – maybe the whole bottle. Maybe I should do breathing exercises like I do in yoga class. Maybe I should just tell everyone that we’ll be last and be pleasantly surprised if we come in somewhere in the middle.
Ugggh…I need to go throw up.
And the one thing I keep rewinding back in my head? Last year’s futurity. Let’s see, I was just fine, no worries until it was announced that the class was being held outdoors. Now all the other futurity classes were held in the indoor arena, but we’re being regulated to outdoors – and it’s windy. I just bought a new blouse to go under my very cute western blazer and the thing is too big and made of very light material. The collar kept flying up and whipping me in the face. That was driving me crazy as was the fact that my hat felt like it was going to blow off any second. I just couldn’t concentrate while practicing on the course before my class. Then to make matters worse, I was standing by my friend and her family when Ziggy supposedly tried to bite this girl and she whacked him really hard..IN THE FACE! Well that totally did him in and he threw his head every time I tried to turn him. Arrrggghhh! The piece de resistance was during the pattern when for some reason not even known to me, I decide to “jump” the X trot over and totally freaked my gelding out. Blew my class – last place.
I am repeating this scenario in my head over and over and over again. What if the Perfect Storm happens again and I blow the class? I know Art can win this thing if I can just relax and work the course like we always do. Maybe I should have a beer or glass of wine before the class – maybe the whole bottle. Maybe I should do breathing exercises like I do in yoga class. Maybe I should just tell everyone that we’ll be last and be pleasantly surprised if we come in somewhere in the middle.
Ugggh…I need to go throw up.
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