Fjords at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo 2012

WARNING:  This post contains pictures of really cute Fjords.  If you are easily overcome by cuteness this post is dangerous!!!

Fjords are so cute!  I squealed when I saw them coming out into the arena! 

Their manes are so Trojan looking with the dun stripe running through it and the spiky way they are trimmed.  Most people with Fjords shave the mane so it stands up and shows off the cute little black stripe!  I've seen pictures (posted below and not my pics from the Expo) of even crazier designs where they make a zig-zag cutout from the white part of the mane or a block cutout.  Either way is neat and so is just leaving the manes long.  So many options with these guys fun manes...talk about my little pony!

Close-up of the cute dorsal stripe and the little Fjord ears.  They are very sturdy horses that even full adults can ride them when the horse is only 13 or 14 hands. 

They were all on one side of the ring by the fences, I tried to get some good angles but it was difficult.  I only had my 100-300mm lens so I still had to be farther away so it was a challenge to get some photos.

This stallion below was so beautiful.  His cresty neck really emphasized the shaved mane and dorsal stripe.  He was very pretty!

His owner is a breeder and gave me her card asking if I was willing to share photos.  I said sure....I just hope these pics are decent enough.  Given the challenges I'm pretty pleased though.

Below is one  of the cute mares.  She just looks like a teddy bear!  Kids were petting on her to no end and she loved it!

Here's another pic of the stallion....he's magnificent!  Look at that neck!  How can a horse be so cute and so handsome at the same time?

Back at the barn the Fjords were just as friendly as they seemed.

Nummy, nummy hay!  Looks like a teddy bear, eats like a horse!

I love the Fjords, so cute yet nice sturdy little steeds.  I haven't seen any in the rescues or many even on dreamhorse.com.  I would certainly consider a Fjord as my first horse but I do love my Arabs....only time will tell which horse I end up giving my heart to.  The expo definitely showed me that when Steve and I have property we'll have a huge assortment of breeds to love I'm sure!

Making your dream come true!

My mother-in-law sent me an article that was in the Tampa Bay Tribune.  She said it reminded her of me.  This gal, Michelle, was 42 when finally realized her dream of owning a horse!  I wanted to share this article here on my blog, it really hits home with me!  I emailed her and recieved her permission,

"I would be honored for you to post my column on your blog! I am very touched that your mother-in-law took the time to send you my story."   

Michelle comes to Colorado a lot ,and since we have family in the Tampa area....maybe someday she and I will meet up and talk horses!  Well here is the column...enjoy!


Always Say Giddy-up to your Dreams!
By Michelle Bearden

There it was, absolute proof of the very beginning of a lifelong obsession.

I found it after my dad died, while going through old boxes stored in his closet. A black-and-white photo, slightly yellowed with age, of a giddy 10-year-old me sitting on a pony. I was grinning ear-to-ear.

I apparently wasn't self-conscious about my lack of front teeth, and my spotted pint-sized steed certainly wasn't camera shy about his awful haircut. He looked a little like Moe from The Three Stooges.

With a cowgirl hat perched on my head, I was obviously trying to channel Dale Evans, one of my childhood heroines. Never mind that ol' Moe and I weren't galloping across the Western plains in pursuit of cattle thieves. Instead, we were firmly planted in front of our very suburban brick house in Royal Oak, Mich.

Moe was just a rent-a-pony. And I was just a birthday girl living her dream.

A lot of little girls love horses. Hasbro has made a lot of money capitalizing on that with its "My Little Pony" line. But most usually grow out of it. I never did.

It only got worse when my parents tried to placate me by sending me off to summer camp at Black River Farm and Ranch in Croswell for several years. They thought the hands-on horse experience you got there for a few weeks each summer would be enough. Not even close. I cried buckets of tears when the session ended, knowing another girl would be taking my place in the barn and the riding ring.

Life wasn't fair!

****

I grew up and became a newspaper reporter, a job that didn't require a saddle. The career required that I live in cities, and I never made enough money to have a horse of my own. So the dream stayed alive only in my imagination.

I made friends with people lucky enough to own horses, and I rode whenever I got the occasional invite. I shelled out a considerable sum of money for trail rides when I went on vacations to the mountains or beach. I bought horse books and went to horse movies. I even bought a house near a local stable so I could see and smell horses when I took my dog on her morning walk.

But a horse of my very own? It seemed so elusive, so impossible.

Larry Jacobson understands. As a boy, he fixated on sailboats, staring at the majestic vessels moored in the docks off Long Beach, Calif. He dreamed of living on the high seas and visiting exotic ports all over the globe.

Real life got in the way. He rose up the corporate ladder and his passion took a back seat. In his mid-40s, he decided it was time to make it a priority. His book, "The Boy Behind the Gate: How His Dreams of Sailing Around the World Became a Six-Year Odyssey of Adventure, Fear, Discovery and Love," tells the story how he came up with a plan that would change his life.

Through sacrifice and determination, he accomplished his goal on his 50-foot Stevens sailboat. He no longer feels as if he's chasing something elusive. If he died today, he says, "I would know that I did everything I wanted to do."

The book is a fun, inspiring read. "Maybe it sounds a little trivial, but I believe if you can dream it, then you can do it," he says. His advice: Write it down. Overcome the fear. And most important, persevere.

****

Now I'm in Larry's club. A few years ago, I took the plunge and made my dream come true. It meant changing my lifestyle and redirecting my finances. I knew if I had waited any longer, it would not happen.

Forty-two years after sitting on that pony, I got my first horse.

A year later, I got a second one. And a year after that, I fell off the first and broke my pelvis. (This is a rite of passage for cowgirls. I'm back in the saddle again and a much better rider.)

I sometimes have to pinch myself and say it out loud — "I have two horses !" The experience is everything and more than I imagined it would be. The time spent with my Rocky Mountain girls, Coco Chanel and Savannah, is precious and exhilarating. The more I seem to learn about horses, the less I seem to know. So we're on this wonderful journey together that brings new challenges and builds happy memories.

My horses have put an exclamation point on my life, which was pretty darn good to begin with.

Whether your passion is sailboats or horses, or something else that seems completely out of reach, don't let your dream fade away. Do what it takes to make it happen. You will never regret it.

Happy trails.

The Mane Event at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo 2012 (Friday)

Steve and I attended the "Mane Event"  hehehe, that's cute, on Friday.  The same program occurred on Saturday but Friday had mini horses and Saturday had vaulting apparently.  It was packed!  I was shoulder to shoulder with the lady next to me and had no room to get my big camera out.  Later towards the end Steve and I saw that people had moved to the cordoned off area and we figured we should get some more room.  Then I was able to spread out with my camera and 300mm lens.

On Friday the event was opened with a bridle less rider going over a series of obstacles.  There was a teeter-totter that the rider took his horse on forwards and backwards, a string gate to open, a kriss cross of poles and a bridge.  All this was done without a bridle to use for cues.  It was pretty impressive.

There were pretty Friesians pulling a wagon, along with a pair of draft mules and Percherons. 

Then we got to watch a lady with a rescue Andalusian (sweet!) and a man on his stallion doing a Spanish dance on horseback.  It was awesome.  The gal had only been riding a year and had her mare trained quite well, she even did rears under saddle to go with the music.  When they first came out I was pissed at over hearing some lady say that "Oh that's definitely the rescue horse".  Sure she was a rather plain Andalusian mare compared to the cresty black stallion but lots of well bred mares are when standing next to a flashy and cresty stallion!  I wanted to smack her!

There was also a Grand Prix dressage free style that honestly I wasn't too impressed with.  The timing for the music was off and though I can't do anything near like what she did I still have seen better presentations.  Pretty horse none the less.

Next were some gaited horses!  Peruvian Pasos, Tennessee walkers, and Mangalarga Marchadors.  I didn't see the lateral leg movement or "termino" that Peruvian horses are well known for but it was interesting to see similarities of the gait. The Peruvian termino is the swinging out of the shoulder, much like a swimmers arm and provides a really smooth gait. I would love to ride one sometime! Most gaited horses' gaits are a modification of either the running walk or amble.  The difference in gaits is style and speed...therefore there are a million terms for a gait that has a similar footfall but a different feel and slightly different look to an observer. 

Mini horses pulling fancy little carts were next.  They did a synchronized number much like a marching band.  It was entertaining and VERY CUTE!!!

Another gaited horse, the Icelandic Horse, was next.  I enjoyed seeing these sturdy pony sized horses Toelting around the arena.  Yet another ground covering smooth gait.  I recently read an article in Trail Rider that traditionally Icelanders would ride their horse in a herd and change out mounts every few miles.  It was an efficient way to travel the country and still a tradition...they have a yearly festival for these horses!

Then there was a beautiful black Morgan horse I think.  The man riding did a precision show with a long pole where he maneuvered his steed in circles around the pole without the rider lifting it from the ground.  It's hard to describe!

The next presentation left me in shock, The Cat's Meow".  I'll sum it up for you.  A lady in a cat suit riding a horse and doing "dance" moves in the saddle like she was attacking the horse.  The music was like that of a horror film interspersed with loud cat howls and whinnies of frightened horses.   HUH?????  I was in so much shock that I didn't even think of recording a video with my iPhone....YouTube fodder for sure!!  The following act was weird too but not horrifying.  It was a lady on a Peruvian with the music Wings of Love.  She road around with golden wings...at least it was visually appealing to  a certain extent...

A man on a beautiful horse and a lady doing a Spanish dance were the next show.  It was quite electric and I tried as hard as I could to get some good pictures.  They had the lights off and only used the spotlight to give a dramatic effect but I couldn't get a clear picture.  So I made it into a "painting".  I haven't done this before so I didn't take too much time to play with the settings but I see the potential of some of those "fuzzy" pics I got....I could make them into something I wouldn't mind hanging on my wall!

I squealed at the next group....Norwegian Fjords!!!  They did a routine that was very much a dance, like synchronized swimming.  See the Norwegian Fjord post to come!

Just a Fjord butt teaser!!!

The next act was a lady on a Shire with her daughter on a Peruvian horse riding around the arena to Celtic music and performing some movements with their horses and their bodies in a lyrical music interpretation kind of style.  The horses and costumes were pretty but a lot of that lyrical stuff just didn't seem to work as well on horseback. 

Finally the end showing was three Andalusian horses with two men and a little boy riding.  They were in sombreros and typical Mexican fashion.  The horses were to die for gorgeous!  The little boy, apparently age 7 but actually looked 4 was riding the biggest stallion who had a mane and tail that Lady Godiva her self would envy!  If you chopped off the mane I bet it would weigh more than the little kid on that horse. 

After the show was over, all the horses came back out for people to come down and meet them and their riders.  People were able to pet some of the horses and this allowed me to take lots of pictures.  The lighting still wasn't perfect for handheld photos with a 300mm lens but I got a few good shots I think.  Honestly it was beautiful pony overload!!!!

Other Fun Horse stuff at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo 2012

Steve and I mainly went to Julie Goodnight talks at 10am and then 2 or 3pm on Friday and Saturday.  The rest of the time we went to some other presentations but then just walked around at the expo exhibitors (aka Fun Stuff to Buy!) or went to the barn (aka pretty ponies to pet!)

One presentation was about obstacles that you took your horse over with speed, so instead of just the walk the lady demonstrated trot and canter.  I never did get to see what she did with the second horse that was pawing at the ground while tied.  He was not very happy! 

Anyhow, she had a tarp, a bridge type obstacle and then something I'd never seen...a channel with balls in it!  Hmm.  That makes a horse really have to see where their feet are going, I bet it's great training for trail riding particularly in rocky areas.

As for obstacles that I could "make", the tarp or the balls and PVC pipes would be easily transportable.  The bridge....not so much, it's heavy and hard to move so something that would need to be more or less permanent at a boarding facility.  I wonder if I could build one and then just store it at a facility for all boarders to use?

Steve and I also stayed to watch some of the mini horse show.  We unfortunately missed the costume class, we did see them headed towards the arena but I think we were running to a Julie Goodnight thing.  Anyways to see the cute costumes check out Braymere's blog!  The costumes were so cute!

I loved watching this little girl and her horse.  She was standing in the gate area between her runs and holding her cute pony while swinging her legs out and about. Here's what I think was going on in her mind.   " La la la, holding my little pony....la la la, do de da!"

Then later she had issues getting her pony over this one jump.  Apparently a couple of the ponies did not like those fake flowers!!

Temple Grandin was also there on Saturday giving a talk.  The seats were full and the curtain they had set up was pulled back in areas as a ton more people stood to listen to her talk.  She is an amazing and very smart person.  She has a doctorate in Animal Science...she now teaches at Colorado State University I think.  She is Autistic and in her book, "Animals in Translation" feels that this has attributed to her being able to really understand animals.  Autistic people tend to think in pictures rather than words or thoughts like the rest of us.  I seriously think you should check out the movie "Temple Grandin", not only is it well acted but it's about her amazing life with a "disability".  Wow.

Next was a polo match between University of Kentucky and Colorado State University.  I've never seen a polo match before.  It was very fast paced!

It reminded me of Quidditch...or perhaps Quidditch reminds me of polo!  The girls were brutal!  They would ram their horses up against each other in a way that I was so surprised that the girls did not fall off!

The tack had lots of straps but the one think I found most interesting was they didn't just wear polo wraps.  The horses also had a boot on the front legs and bell boots over the front hooves.

Most of the game was just a jumble of horses and riders...I had no idea what was going on.  Then the ball would suddenly be free and loose and the pack would disperse and the riders would chase the ball again.

Lots and lots of galloping!!  It was hard with the lighting to get these action shots, I am going to have to plan on going to one in the outdoors so I can get these action shots!  Again we didn't stay for the entire match since we had another Julie Goodnight thing.  She must be one of my favorite clinicians you'd think!  More posts about the expo to come!!

First try at a banner

Okay so here's my first attempt at a banner (thank you Mare!) with no idea exactly how I want it to look and what pictures to use.  I think it needs to be shorter...the width seems fine but it's too big height wise.

What cha'll think?

Julie Goodnight at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo 2012

I was so excited about seeing Julie Goodnight at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo!  We went up Thursday night to stay at a hotel and be there for Friday, Saturday and Sunday....well we only did Friday and Saturday.  We slept in on Sunday but that's another story!

The first day we went to Part 1 and 2 of the "Natural Ride"  Julie demonstrated the physics of riding and why we position ourselves the way we do.  It was a refreshing new look at riding for me, at least the way she explained it.  There were two horses and riders in addition to Julie and Twyla.  There was a cute Pintabian and a palomino.

 Julie explained the footfalls and demonstrated her body movements with the gaits using exaggerated movements of her body as she rode.

What really helped me was learning how to feel the diagonal that you are on by feeling the horses outside rear leg as it pushes you upwards...your outside hip is lifted and this is the correct time to rise.  This seems to work better on a curve since that outside hind leg would indeed need to move forward and cover more ground but if you pay attention to the lateral side to side motion you can feel your hips lower and rise with the horse (kind of like you are trotting too!).  I'll have to do some practice!  I wish I had my own horse to practice and feel the trot and know what diagonal I'm on even in a straight line!

Then Julie went onto the canter in another one of her presentations.  This time it was just Julie, Twyla and the gal who had the Pintabian.  They worked on stopping with little rein use, Julie had a neat way of explaining and showing how to really work your seat and not so much the reins.  It's still easier to say than do but watching her presentation and her standing on the ground showing our body positions during different cues was a lot of fun. 

The canter is something a lot of us fear and it often has to do with that first swinging up and then down of the head as the horse begins.  That makes sense.  She stated that you lift the inside rein as you press with your outside leg to help lighten the horses shoulder to get the correct lead.  I think that's the order...see I need to pay more attention rather than take pictures huh!!

Most of what she went over is in her principles of riding DVD set that I plan on purchasing.  I really enjoy watching her show on Mondays so seeing her at the Expo was awesome!  I will certainly have to attend clinics and perhaps at a future date when I have my horse go to some with my horse.  I know that things will come up that I will like to have the Goodnight eye on!  She also has several weekend Yoga and Riding vacations where it's several days of concentrated riding, yoga and good times.  How fun would that be!

I was also pretty impressed that my husband never picked up the magazines he brought to read when "he got bored", he was captivated the whole time watching Julie!  Awesome!!  And of course knowing me, I just have to say I really appreciated and applaud Julie for wearing a helmet during her clinics and encouraging others.  The other riders wore helmets as well, it's most likely a Julie Goodnight requirement!  Rock on!

Yielding Circles

Saturdays have been really busy for me lately but this week I got an email from Laurie saying "there was an opening at 9am and would I like it?".  I replied back right away "I'm there!".  Pstar is usually the first horse to greet me at the gate, she's such a sweetheart.  In another few years perhaps I would feel I'm at the level to take on a young untrained horse.  I love her dearly!  Several times I have a cuddle session with her in the paddock before getting Divine.  I wish she could be just as calm with me when we were alone away from the herd.

Today it was Divine who came right up to see me and get haltered.  Hmm.  Did the stirrup incident create a bond with us that wasn't there before?  Nah, couldn't be that.  Maybe we are just getting into the work groove together or maybe she was just having a lovie moment.  Either way I loved on her and stroked her silken mane. 

Since coming out to ride has been inconsistent it seems everytime I do come out I forget to bring Lauries Christmas present....and here it's March.  On the homefront I never did get around to sending out Christmas cards to my family and friends...it's just been one of those years!  Uge.  I had Lauries present with me today so I was very happy.  Hope she likes it, I got her colored cones....don't worry she's already opened them so this isn't a spoiler post!

Divine and I walk to the barn and I get her "cross tied".  Laurie had showed me a trick where we have her cross tied on the one side but just loop the other lead line onto the adjacent stall to make her think she's cross tied.  The door isn't sturdy enough to use as an actual cross tie post but it gives the same general feel and a bit more control of the mare.  It seems to work but she still is antsy during grooming and tacking up.  She paws her front feet and wiggles forwards and back but I've gotten used to her antics, persistantly moving her back in position.  When the saddle is on and I'm trying to straighten it out before tightening the girth it can get quite annoying to have the mare move back and forth.

Bridling was quite easy today!  I lowered her head a couple times and held the bit as stable as I could against her lips and just held it for a moment.  Then I proceeded to wiggle my thumb in her mouth and it didn't take much to get the bit into place and the bridle settled over her ears.  I was very happy and praised her.  Of course I did better not being so fumbly, I'm so not coordinated so it takes a very patient horse to deal with that but I want to become more coordinated bridling anyways!

The lesson was again leg yielding on a circle at the walk and then trot.  The trot was harder but eventually we made some headway.  We took a step back and trotted down the center of the ring and worked on the lateral movement here instead of on the circle...more space to work with.  We achieved success a little bit at a time.  There is so much to think about!  Laurie always cracks me up when she tries to show how the horse should move using her body as a demo.  Human bodies are not horse bodies but the mental image I gain from her demonstrations always seems to help me visualize what I need to do.

After the lesson Uschi was up next.  She switched out to ride in her own saddle and hopped up on Divine.  I couldn't stay since Steve and I were having friends over at the house at noon, bummer.  I still would love to see a lesson with Uschi and her beautiful chestnut mare Orchid.  I have enjoyed watching lessons of Uschi's...you learn even from just watching others.  I gave Laurie a hug, kissed Divines soft gray muzzle and headed home. 

Hopefully I can ride again soon but uge....schedules....I'm going to the Denver Horse Expo this coming weekend so Thursdy-Sunday I'll be in Denver.  Expect several posts on this event!!!

Ramses

I tried out a another riding instructor, Vicki, of Cloverleaf Farm.  It was also a potential boarding facility...

The stable was closer than I thought.  I thought I would be driving to Monument but I ended up at Woodmen and Marksheffel.  The facility is not too bad of a drive if I wanted to board there.  No indoor arena though and that's a big deal for me.

The day was pretty windy and cold...I really missed riding inside, I've gotten spoiled but I know the boarding facilities that have an indoor come with a price tag...one I'm SOOO willing to pay!  Ramses was a 15.3 light bay gelding that Vicki had me riding.  We tacked him up outside of her trailer/tack room.  Then headed to a dressage size (I'm guessing) outdoor arena with letter stakes.

I'm not too familiar with the lettering scheme, I just know that certain dressage movements start and end at specific points.  Vicki had me begin posting trot in a figure 8 and I made the same mistake I always make with Laurie, I did a figure eight in mathematical terms not a dressage figure 8.  Dressage figure 8 is actually two circles bumped up next to each other, not the swirling figure 8 like the number I just typed.  Ooops!  Well at least she's seeing that I'm not a big competition person. 

Apparently Vicki is and competes cross country with a rather handsome dark bay thoroughbred gelding.  Ramses was very tall to me and I was glad there was a mounting block to use.  I love her reins, they were a rubber weave I think...very grippy.  I'll have to look for that when I buy my headstall.  The braided reins I had when I rode Willy were nice but these I think I liked better, they were smoother feeling than the braided reins but still had a nice grippy feel. 

Vicki had me post the trot doing circles using the letters....I so was not even training level dressage I guessed by the look on her face when I was confused by the lettering!  LOL.  She set up cones and had me aim to ride between the cones as a point to help me better visualize where my circle should be.  I did improve and she had me do figure 8's, dressage ones, and then an hour glass shape around the ring. 

Ramses was not responsive like Divine but I think I was just feeling him out.  I really needed to push him to keep him trotting, a hard task as I was beginning to tire and would have been perfectly content if he'd come to a dead stop and fell asleep standing in the middle of the ring with me perched on top catching my breathe.  But alas I had to keep pushing him as Vicki kept pushing me to keep the bend and trot around the ring.

When we were done with the lesson I untacked him and brought him into a stall where Vicki had his dinner waiting.  It was a nice lesson and I could see going to her again to occasionally supplement Laurie's lessons.  Honestly I feel more comfortable with Laurie but it is good to try new things occasionally and ride a new horse.  As for the facility, I'm not interested in exploring it mainly because of no indoor arena....I need one since I don't want weather or darkness to interfere with being able to ride.  An indoor arena is a major priority for me, it just is!

Anyways, I just want my own horse.....NOW!  That way I can ride every day of the week, when ever works out for me!  That time is coming soon....I just can't wait!  Until then, happy riding!

The Stirrup

I had a lesson a few weeks ago that was all walking but working on lateral transitions, on the round and on the straight.  I circled Divine and then would move her off my left leg and press with my right seat to get her to move sideways.  Obviously there are opposite cues to leg yield her to the other direction.  When she's collected and soft it feels like we are ice skating in the arena!

It was a cool lesson with lots of hard concentration.  Even though it was only walk I was tired after from the mind work and then the leg pressing.  The next interesting thing that occurred at the end of the lesson involved the far side stirrup.

Then I dismounted, ran the stirrup up on one side and started to walk around the front of Divine.  She swung her head to the far side, like she had an itch or something.  Then she pulled away in a freak out moment, her mouth was caught on her stirrup!!  She pulled back with her head up trying to free herself.  I called for Laurie and tried to calm Divine.  She stood still as Laurie came over and then gasped a little at what she saw.  What in the world!!! 

We pulled Divines neck over to the far side, her training in sideways flexing majorly payed off and she remained calm as Laurie unbuckled the stirrup so we could release it from the mares mouth.  After she was freed we both looked at each other in amazement.  I've never heard of this and neither has Laurie.  It happened so fast that I don't even know how it happened!  Laurie inspected her mouth, luckily no teeth or major injuries occurred.  Her lower lip had a cut on it and was bleeding slightly but nothing to call the vet over at least.

Standing in the arena after all was done and calm again I could feel the surge of adrenaline in my veins.  What a crazy feeling!  I was just standing there and all of the sudden felt a wave come over me and my body began feeling very shaky.  That was scary!  Divine was such a good girlthough, I was very amazed.  She and I have had our differences, she can be a little reactive to silly things but this instance really impressed me.  Such a good girl!  I was so glad it all turned out well.  Phew!  You never know what can happen when you are around horses!

To My Readers

Laurie does not read my blog but others do and have misread statements and made assumptions and then caused worry and potentially some unneccessary hurt for Laurie by mentioning some posts to her.  I don't care who it was or why, I know you had good intentions but believe me, so do I.  I have no idea what posts have been taken out of context or blown out of proportion but apparently word has gotten back to Laurie and the word has been that I'm unhappy in some way with her.

What???!!!!????

So I have gone back over some of my posts to see if perhaps my wording may have made my thoughts sound different than I meant.  I have been frustrated of late because of my work schedule, life, some riding technique issues and wanting my own horse but deciding to pay for a Cancun vacation with family (choices....) but Laurie has been nothing but understanding and pateient with me, one good example is the big mistake I made thinking I was ready to lease the young Pstar.  My blog is not a blog where you need to read between the lines, I'm pretty upfront or try to be and perhaps I didn't proffread very well but here are my best guesses at to what may have upset some people....

Is it upsetting that I was open about being frustrated with schedules?  I'm frustrated that Laurie and I's schedules aren't meshing with each others so it's harder to get out for riding lessons.  I stated numerous times that I know it's not her fault.  My schedule changed and hers did too...that's life, I just need to figure out ways to get more riding in (including taking an occassional lesson somewhere else)  When Laurie has had an opening she's sent me an email letting me know.  Sometimes I can make it sometimes I can't.  It's still frustrating even when it's no ones fault, its just a part of life getting really busy!  I'm hoping when I have my own horse, even before I have a trailer, that I can continue to work with Laurie, paying extra or what ever to have her come to my boarding facility for lessons.  I love her style of teaching.

The bathroom comment I made during my Vantage Point farm post, was that upsetting?  I'm referring to potential boarding stables where I could show up at 7am or 8pm and want to ride my horse and have to use the bathroom facilities.  One ranch I looked at the gal stated her house was always open even if she wasn't home and I would end up having to trapse through her kitchen and dinning room to use a bathroom.  How odd would that be to barge in when they were having family dinner or breakfast?  I did not feel comfortable with that idea nor the idea of going into the house when no one was there....it's a liability thing for me.

Lauries house and bathroom is different because she knows I'm there for a lesson and I can run and use the restroom and it's not barging in on a family having dinner who had no idea I was there!  It's not like  her family doesn't know I'm there for a lesson.  It still feels like I'm inconveniencing others, that's my issue though.  I'm the person who hates carpooling and having to ask the driver for a pit stop because I have to "go" yet again. I've always had a small bladder I guess and I try to drink a lot of water so my urination schedule is always well known to people....I wish it wasn't but that's my issue.  It's my insecurity not anyone elses.  But it feeds into my criteria for what I want in a boarding stable...complete convenience where I don't have to bug anyone, and I feel I would at Jennifers farm. 

It kind of goes along the lines why I bought my own tack for Willy.  I felt like I was a bother having to always track down Susan to get into the tack room to ride Willy.  I wanted to be completely independent and therefore I took care of it by buying my tack.  It's just a me thing that's all and I think the statement was read but not understood (particularly the reference to Jennifers boarding farm post which I have no posted that link on the Vantage Point farm post) and people just ran with it and made their own assumptions....and worried Laurie in the process.

The horse canter and longeline?  Is that something that people thought I was upset at Laurie for?  No...just me trying to figure out my own psychology and "talking outloud" on my blog to figure out what might be the best way to conquer my fear.  Should it be on a longeline or does that make me feel totally out of control?  Should I ride in a western saddle since I don't have to reach so far for security grips?   Do I feel like I'm not as trusting of Divine as I want to be?  These are just thoughts trying to figure out my fears so I can get over this hurdle.

I have no idea what posts made people think it necessary to worry Laurie over instead of getting clarification from me or just staying out of it.  I like Laurie as a riding instructor.  Her stable is too far out for me to consider boarding my horse there, just if anyone was curious why I haven't mentioned boarding a horse with her!  I'm frustrated with my schedule and hers, who wouldn't be, and the inconsistent times I can come ride but am I mad at her for having a life?  Am I upset that she can't bend over backwards and give me a lesson when ever I want?  No of course not!  I miss my friday mornings because it was so conventient.  But life changes and we just have to keep trying to find the times that work for both of us.  I'm throwing in a wrench this week since I leave to head up for Denver on Thursday for the horse expo, so even fewer chances to ride but at least I made it out Saturday and had a great lesson....post to come soon! 

Anyhow I just wanted to post some things to clarify any misconceptions people had about what I'm saying.  Please feel free to contact me if what I said doesn't make sense and please don't try and read between the lines...there's nothing there!  Happy trails to you all!