Lessons with Karin

It has been a while since I have posted. We have been winterizing the property. Here is a photo of our new barn. You can see the dutch doors leading from the stalls. I will get some interior photos to post soon.

I have been riding Tokaj quite a bit. We have not hunted as we had anticipated due to the cost of formal hunt clothing and other issues. Tokaj and I have been trail riding with Sandy, working at a nearby indoor arena, and having lessons with Karin.

Last week I had a lesson with Karin and she confirmed something I had been feeling all along... that Tokaj travels crooked to the left. Karin helped me with some exercises to help her learn to travel straight (meaning properly curved to the left if she was traveling left... the horse's spine should follow the curve of any circle or turn). This habit is something that Tokaj has been doing, and re-training her to balance herself and carry herself straight will take time. It is like learning to write with your left hand if you are right-dominant. Anyway, we are definitely making progress!

In all her paces, Tokaj and I are improving greatly. She is becoming more connected, stepping under herself and carrying more weight on her haunch rather than on her front end. She is becoming more capable of stretching into the bridle and creating an elastic connection instead of being stiff and resistant. It is fun to ride her when she goes from stiff to suddenly elastic and bouncy... like hitting a tennis ball with the "sweet spot" on the racket rather than near or on the frame. She makes me glow!

I have had another wonderful opportunity presented to me. Karin is going to go to Chicago to work with a very high level trainer for the months of January and February. She is taking her two high level horses. She has a warmblood going Grand Prix, and an Andalusian horse who is young, but she just won a young horse National Championship on him in both Florida and Texas. We all need help and eyes on the ground... even Karin, so she is headed to Chicago. Karin offered me her stalls at Stonewall Farm. Stonewall is a wonderful facility with a large indoor arena with synthetic footing that is great for horse leg and joint health. I can only afford to take one stall for Tokaj, but this will afford me the opportunity to train during the worst winter months here in Missouri. I was not looking forward to trailering in snow and ice, so this will be great for us!

Dressage & Other Schooling

Tokaj and I went to the indoor arena nearby today. She did really well. I am very rusty and can tell that much of the time... more than 75%... I am in her way. The other 25% of the time she is just going great. We worked on me sitting straight. I am the Queen of Crooked as usual, and stirrup leathers that are not the same length sure do not help matters. How can I have done as much as I have with horses and still be riding in stirrups of two different lengths?? I am disappointed in my Stubben leathers though. They have really done some stretching. They were uneven by TWO holes from the mounting side and the off side. Thank goodness for arenas equipped with mirrors. Sigh.

Today I was not going to focus on big tasks as much as getting Tokaj and I more used to one another before we head off to our first dressage lesson with Karin Glynn next Wednesday. Karin is from Norway, trained for dressage in Germany, and has trained to Grand Prix... which is far more knowledge than I am going to need at the moment, but it is nice to know that no matter what level I reach, she can definitely help. Karin trains out of Stonewall Farm in Kearney which is about eight to ten miles from me. I went to look at the facility and am sure impressed. The indoor arena is very large, and has footing made of synthetics and rubber. Very nice on horse's joints and feet. I am going to have Karin help me develop a better partnership with Tokaj. We have many specific areas that need improvement, but I am not sure where to best start. Some of the areas might be fixed with improvement in others so that is going to be where I need Karin's help.

I did work on some basics today that are not so much dressage oriented as western inspired. Tokaj is learning to stop like a Quarter horse rather than having the rider drag her to a disorganize halt with the reins. I know that dressage riders often do not teach "Whoa" to mean stop right now... but I like emergency brakes and think they should be installed in the first few rides on a colt. I also like manuverability for riding outside of the arena. Tokaj is learning to be more manuverable, backward, and sideways. She learned how to assist the rider when opening a gate from her back today. I have never had a horse that I could not do basic trail riding manuvers on, and won't be starting now. Tokaj is very very smart and quick. Her thinking process is like this: 1.) Do I have to? 2.) Try a couple evasions to make sure I have to. 3.) Learn quickly and do it right so we can do less work. I can't say I dislike her thinking and she got the gist of opening gates in fifteen minutes or less. We can stop quickly and balanced on the hindquarter from the walk and trot, on a loose rein. We are still working on stopping from canter. We sidepass, turn on the forehand, and are working on turning over the hindquarter and disengaging the front end. I think these basic movements are key to any riding horse, and rider safety.

I will let you know how the lesson goes with Karin. I am anxious about making at least a decent impression... but Karin knows we are basically starting from scratch with an old rusty rider, and a horse from a different discipline. Hope she has LOTS of patience! And I will be sure to make sure at least my stirrup leathers are the SAME length!

;)
P~

Barn and Other Updates

Well it has been a few weeks since my last post. Nothing has been going on horse wise... at least nothing I have been wanting to talk much about. So here is the update on each team member:

ME: Healed from sprained ankle. Healed from minor possible concussion. Eating too much Halloween candy.

TOKAJ: Trail ride today. She did great. We were out for over three hours and she did wonderful. The warm up in the round pen definitely helped to convince her that it was time to go back to work! She has been off for a few weeks for various reasons: Rider ailments, Rain and slick ground, and some lameness from a cracked hoof. I bought Tokaj with a cracked hoof because the crack is horizontal to the ground and not vertical and going into her coronet band where the new hoof grows. I did not expect any lameness.... however.... after the rains and mud, her hoof softened and swelled and the crack enlarged somewhat. She started to get ouchy on it. So... she now gets her feet dried out at night and gets a thick coating of Tuff Stuff on the crack so it doesn't absorb water when she is out during the day. After a couple weeks of that she is good as new and the crack is growing out.

BAILEY (AKA Gus.... short for fungus): Bailey loves the wet weather. He is growing fungus everywhere! He has spots around his pasterns, and some even growing further up his legs. Sheesh. So I am busting out the fungus topical treatments to keep them away. Otherwise "Gus" is doing well and tomorrow will be going for his first ride in a while.

SAVANNAH: Found the only nail I did not find first in her new stall (new construction... they sure do drop alot of nails and stuff!!!) and rolled on it. She ended up with cellulitis on her hock and we thought for a brief moment that she had punctured the joint... but she's fine.

Training Update: After several rainstorms, I was finally forced to address the question of where I would train during bad weather. I had been wanting to board at Pine Hill where a very good dressage trainer is located, but then we built the barn etc, and money is short! So I found an indoor arena that is five miles from home. The arena is big, new, nicely lit, with great footing! It doesn't appear to get much use and for a small monthly fee, I am being allowed to use it at will! YEAH! Apparently it does not get any daytime use, so it will be like having my own! I am taking Bailey there tomorrow and will be taking Tokaj on Thursday or Friday. When I arrived at the facility I went to see who was using it and a very nice young cowboy came up and gave me the info on the arena. I don't think anyone else rides dressage or hunt seat there... so I did nto mention that I do. :) They will find out soon enough. I still plan on getting together regularly with a dressage instructor, but I will trailer in rather than paying full board at their facility.

Hunting Update: No more hunting for us yet. Now the formal season is here and although I am officially a member of the club... I don't have the formal hunt attire yet. So when I get that, and Tokaj is going good... we are going to try it again. I just know it will be great! ;)

Barn Update: The barn is up and being used each night. The horses like it in there and I have had no pawing, chewing, or stall walking so far. They go in at night and out during the day. The electrical, lights, and water are not connected yet, but I am working around that until the rain stops long enough for the contractors to dig a trench without getting stuck!

Happy Trails!

She's A Big Girl Now!

Savannah was ridden for the first time today! She was very good and accepting of the situation. She even tried to do some grazing while I was up there! I look forward to turning Miss Savannah into a riding horse rather than her being a full time hay burner. :)

First Fox Hunt

Great fun..... with one little hiccup.

Yesterday was my first opportunity to participate in a fox hunt. The regular season has not started so formal wear was not necessary. I missed the beginner lessons that are sponsored by the Fort Leavenworth Hunt Club (FLHC) due to not learning about them until they were done. So I decided to just go anyway. Trial by fire.... seems to be a running life theme!

Anyway, I washed and spiffed up Tokaj so that she was looking her finest, and cleaned tack and tried to make ourselves presentable. Knowing that the FLHC is very military affiliated, I was not going to be surprised by an inspection! I do not have the proper hunt clothing even for an informal hunt (called cubbing instead of fox hunting)... so thanks to some advice by the Hunt Secretary Gayle, I figured out how to economically outfit myself for trying out this sport, thinking that if I formally join the hunt, that I can upgrade my outfit.

We showed up bright and early Saturday morning in what is known as Easton Hunt Country which is West of the main Fort Leavenworth gate. The trucks and horse trailers were parked with typical military formation and precision so that everyone had room, but not too much room, and a way to leave efficiently when the hunt was over. I parked (thank goodness no backing up!! I am getting better, but would not want to be watched by a no-nonsense military officer.... that would prompt much nervous nonsense!).

Tokaj stepped out of the trailer like a regal Queen and was her quiet, calm self. I got tacked up and got on her to ride her around the trailers to guage her reaction to all the horses and commotion. She was perfect as usual. So I took her back to the trailer and waited for the start of the hunt.

Before the hunt started I got to know the people at the neighboring horse trailer. They were old hands at fox hunting. They had horses who were very quiet, capable looking horses. The gentleman's name was Keene (unknown about the spelling), and apparently they had been hunting with the FLHC since the early 1980's and supplied a bunch of horses for the other members. Keene's wife Susan told me about Keene's uncanny ability to find great horses from unlikely sources. Susan's six year old, huge, quiet horse was bought by Keene in South Dakota at a sale for failed rodeo bucking horses when he was three years old. They have a really great story, and you would never have any idea that he was not a well bred heavy hunter!

I also met a friend of Keene and Susan's, Marnie (sp?). Marnie's husband is in the military and they, like me, are from California. Marnie kindly filled me in on the details of the Hunt and thought I might like to hunt Second Field where there are some jumps. If you are not familiar, the hunt is set up like this: The First Field are official members of the FLHC and follow directly after the hounds (not dogs... you are risking your reputation if you call them dogs.), then the Second Field, which are members who don't want to be First Field, and guests or nonmembers, then there are the Hilltoppers who do not jump and stay behind the field.

Well, I figured going Second field with Miss Tokaj the super quiet horse would be fine. Then we could practice our jumping a bit. So Marnie agreed to let me follow her and she would keep Tokaj and I out of trouble.

We finally set out after the hounds and the first field and I was elated to be finally participating in a fox hunt. Tokaj started out quiet as a lamb.... and then... we started trotting as a group and even cantering some, and she revved up like a supercharged sportscar with nowhere to go... being blocked in front by a trotting horse, and on the sides by the trees and trailside vegetation. She did not understand why this big herd of horses was moving quickly, but there MUST be a horse eating thing behind and she did not want to be last! She became harder and harder to hold back from the horse in front's rear end and then we came to a halt. If you have ever been in a military style formation, you realize that the folks in the back are constantly either stopped or trying to catch up. Tokaj was definitely telling me that she did not understand this situation or what was expected of her. Then the horses started off again, and Marnie, who ended up behind me asked to go first and I held Tokaj to let her pass.... that was WAY too much for Tokaj to deal with... Didn't her stupid rider realize that the Horse Eating Thing was back there!?!?! I let Tokaj follow Marnie but she already decided that I was a hinderance to her survival... she jumped a ditch and put her head down and gave some enormous bucks! I went flying off and she bolted to the head of the line bucking all the way.

I picked my embarrassed self off the ground, did a momentary check to see if all physical systems were fine, and went to claim my horse. I got back on, put on a cheerful face, and became determined to ride as if I was on a colt and not on a super nice trained fox hunter (which I should have been doing in the first place since neither of us had ever hunted!). I understood why Tokaj did what she did and now my job was to convince her that she is not in any danger and to keep her brain and not panic.

Karen, the lead rider for the Hilltoppers asked if I wanted to join her slower, non-jumping group. I decided that definitely was a good idea! So I followed her. Don't get me wrong though.... Hilltoppers are still not out for a Sunday stroll, they trot, canter, and navigate rough terrain too.. And they stay in single file formation which is the hardest thing when your horse is full of steam and the horse in front of you is going slower than she wants to go. When the horses sped up and Tokaj got some maneuvering room she started bucking again, but this time I was ready, stayed on, and pulled her head up. That was the last time she bucked.

By the end of the ride (approx 2 hours with breaks), Tokaj was doing pretty decently. She was not crowding the horse in front as much, and she wasn't fighting for the rein as much. I could definitely see how Hunt horses make great eventers... and how even nice eventers might not make it in the hunt field. Despite my bruised body and ego, and the fact that my focus had to be on my horse rather than on the beauty of the hounds or the countryside, I decided this sport had the potential to be a ton of fun and was just what Tokaj and I need to form trust, and for Tokaj to be a truly trained and useful partner.

Fox hunting is the closest thing to the cattle drives I grew up being part of. Horses must learn to work alone, and in a group, they must listen to their riders regardless of their speed or what the other horses are doing. My great horse Monte (retired) was wonderful at everything I asked him to do after he was trained.... he drove cows, jumped, evented, did western trail, trail trials, shows, etc.... but the best thing was that I could try ANYTHING with him and knew behavior would not be an issue thanks to the ranch work. That is my goal with Tokaj. And she made great improvements in one day. I am sure it will take another four to six outings as a Hilltopper for her to realize that this is not all that exciting and settle down, but after that we are going to be a great team and I will get to focus on the working of the hounds and the countryside!

One great thing about Tokaj that I learned from the Hungarian Horse Association website is that Hungarians are sometimes used in endurance riding in a heavy horse classification. It seemed weird to me until I rode Tokaj on the Hunt. I was kind of hoping she would tire out after about 30 minutes. Horses that are tired will often start looking for an easier way of doing business ie., relax and do only the minimum required, rather than continuing on full jet power. But, Miss Tokaj never got tired. And when we walked the quarter mile back to the trailers she was not as sweaty or huffing and puffing like other horses... although she had done more work in all the bucking, and cantering in place that she did. She has the hallmarks of a great horse. We just need to get on the same page.

Once back at the trailers, Bob (big cheese) informed me that it was great that I just came out and hunted.. and survived it! He also mentioned that on my first hunt, I had made it into a very elite club called the Cropper's Club. Which means I fell off at a regular hunt and "met face to face with the crops" (we hunted on corn fields so now I feel very familiar with corn having met it face to face). Apparently there is a T-shirt that I am now eligible to wear, and that I will wear with pride!

I said goodbye to all of my new friends, Marnie, Susan, Karen, Keene, and Bob and drove home. Once I got home I started feeling my bumps and bruises. It is funny how you can just ride for two hours and not know that you have a sprained ankle swelling up in your boot and have gotten your bell rung pretty good. I was happy to be home and told my husband Jake, "Oh yeah they were very impressed with Tokaj and I. They mentioned that they had never seen a horse buck so high or hard especially after already getting the rider off.....".

So.... Fox hunting this Wednesday anyone??? See you out there.

Missouri Horse Country

Well, I am just tickled with the opportunities abounding for Fall 2007 equestrian experiences! Who knew that Missouri and Kansas were such great states for horse people! I have to admit while living on the West Coast, I always dreamed of Virginia and Maryland and thought that was definitely where the action was when it came to eventing, hunting, and dressage. And perhaps it is.... but there is a secondary Mecca out here in the Mid-West!

I have been riding Tokaj and Bailey and they are coming along quite well. Miss Tokaj and I went on a trailride with Sandy who I was introduced to by a family member who knew she was an avid rider too. Tokaj was just picture perfect from getting into the trailer like a lady (you forget when you have colts how nice it is for a horse just to load with no drama!), to marching down the trail without spooking at deer or turkeys. It was very nice and built a lot of trust between her and I. I will be trail riding again with Sandy this coming week and am contemplating taking Bailey. It is definitely time for him to get out and experience some things... but it sure was nice to kick back and relax on Tokaj!

Other good news regarding Missouri/Kansas equestrian community: There is so much to do! I found out that Fort Leavenworth has a Hunt Club (FLHC). I have wanted to go fox hunting since I first found out that it existed when I was a kid... problem was that there was no fox hunting anywhere in the vicinity of where I grew up or anywhere that I moved to! So, the FLHC is giving lessons to beginners on the etiquette of hunting... and wouldn't you know it... I missed the first seven of the eight classes! But I emailed the Master of Fox Hounds and asked if there were any more classes, or any way I would be allowed to hunt with them this season (season runs from mid October through Mid April). He thought I would not be a lost cause and has invited me to attend the last class this coming Saturday. I am nervous, but excited and trusting that Tokaj will be her usual steady-eddy self. I can't wait!

In order to do the hunt lesson, however, I have to forego an opportunity to school cross country at Longview Horse Park that is the same weekend. Fortunately there are two other opportunities to school Longview in the near future and I will go to those. :)

Although Tokaj and I are still getting to know eachother, I am considering entering her in a Schooling Combined Test at the end of October that will consist of dressage and cross country jumping. I will be entering her at Beginner Novice, which is well below her abilities for jumping, but we are just getting our dressage "connection" and I don't think she is ready for more than the Beg. Nov. dressage test right now.

Bailey is also doing great! He has been a such a star given the incosistent riding I have given him. Today he was much more consistent at all three paces on the flat. I am going to ride him tomorrow and introduce him to some more small jumps.

Savannah continues to eat and eat. Sigh.

Progress!!

The building crew from ESH Quality Structures has arrived to build the barn. They have done quite a lot in a half-day. They were not kidding when they said the barn would be up in five to seven working days! Here is a photo from today. Just a few short hours ago it was just a flat piece of ground!

The Second Chance Team definitely is looking forward to this barn! There will be three stalls, one for each horse. This is such a welcome development because currently when the horses eat their Strategy, Chops, and individualized supplements, I have to preside over the whole affair with a lunge whip to keep the "ladies", Savannah and Tokaj, from eating theirs, eachothers, and all of Bailey's too! So basically I have to stand out there for almost an hour while Bailey slowly nibbles his food, and the ladies AKA Gobble Guts, have finished and are circling Bailey's feel bucket like vultures. Once the barn is up, they will all be separated to eat their concentrated feed so I can return to the house for a workout and a cup of coffee before they are ready to be turned out for the day.

Barn Building and Team Building

Barn Building

The Second Chance Team is getting a new barn soon. The materials have been delivered and the crew is on it's way to build. I am excited about having my own barn.... but the costs of outfitting it have just hit me! Did you know that stall mats are $40 each and you need SIX per stall? Yikes. But, my critters will definitely appreciate some cushioning, and I will definitely appreciate their not being able to dig big holes that I would have to fill annually!

I am working with Jake to figure out how to set each stall up. I am thinking that corner feeders that allow the horses to eat in a natural head down position would be preferable over the trendy swing out feeders that look cool, but can result in the horse banging his/her head on it (Bailey has definitely lost some forehead hair to swing out mangers) and reaching up to eat their hay. I found some corner feeders with a place for grain and salt block on the sides that look nice and safe.

I am bucking the trend for automatic waterers because I just don't like them. Horses like to drink their fill and they can decide it is not worth the wait for the small bowl to refill so they can drink more, and then they can end up with colic issues. So... buckets it is! At lease buckets are less expensive right? :)

Tackroom organization is something else. The horses need their stalls to be comfy and user friendly, but when it comes to organizing the tackroom... although I have visions of brass bridle hooks, horse blanket hangers, saddle racks, a refrigerator etc.... I might have to put off having the tackroom of my dreams for a while. I am still considering myself lucky to have an actual "room" to put tack rather than the horse trailer, or the garage!

Team Building

Jake, Tokaj and I are planning on heading out for a cross country jumping day on September 30. I am going to introduce Tokaj to some cross country jumps at a leisurely schooling day. It should be fun and low key. I am hoping Tokaj takes to cross country jumps with her characteristic gentle enthusiasm. We have done some jumping at home and she is very willing and a good jumper. She has been helping me get the rust out without one complaint so far.

P~

The Team

Introducing the chief member of the Second Time Around team...... Tokaj! Tokaj is a lovely Hungarian warmblood mare who I recently purchased in Nebraska. Tokaj is 8yrs old, and such a sweet tempered horse. She was lovingly cared for and trained inthe past several years by the Berryman family in Lincoln, NE. She is a former hunter and definitely loves to jump. I thank the Berrymans for allowing me the opportunity to own such a promising and fun horse.

Tokaj and I will be working on our understanding of dressage training and principles as well as some cross country jumping. Tokaj seems to have the arena style jumping down pretty good from what I could see. I have been letting her settle in since bringing her home, but did ride her for a short time this morning. She seems to have a nice work ethic, and although there was a big spook at a cross country log that we were riding near... I am sure she is going to love to gallop and jump once she realizes what those logs are for! :)

And introducing the back up team:

The two characters above are Bailey (left) and Savannah (right). They are full sibling registered Paint horses. I jokingly say they are 1/2 triple crown winner (Spectacular Bid... yes I know he did not win all three races) and 1/2 champion reining/gaming horse (Apache Thunderbird)! With all that athletic ability, there has to be an eventer in there somewhere! ;) Bailey and Savannah were bred by my dear friends Tawni and David Limesand in Idaho. I worked in Idaho for several years and became friends with Tawni and David. They were breeding very athletic Paint horses for western sport, and found that their stallion Apache could throw a jumper as well.

Bailey is a four year old gelding. He is a pretty, fluid mover, is sensitive, and likes to jump. He has not been jumped under saddle yet. I started Bailey myself and have not been as consistent with him as I would have liked with all of the moving I have done. Bailey is working on rhythm and regularity in his paces, balance in his transitions, and becoming more straight. He is doing well and will be ready for work over cavaletti soon in anticipation of our first jump.

Savannah is a 2 year old mare. She is quiet, quiet, quiet, and a bit headstrong at times. Nothing spooks or scares her... or really gets her respect.... including me unless I really demand it. :) Growing is Savannah's main job still. She does it with a vengeance and eats a lot and often tries to eat everyone else's meals too. I look forward to some ground work and lunge training in the near future with Miss Savannah.

I have been perusing the event calendars with an eye out for Tokaj and I's debut, and there is actually a lot out there. I am excited, but know that I want to get us off on the right foot... so, before I decide to do any competing with Tokaj this Fall, I will work with her some more and make sure we have a stronger partnership and understanding of eachother.

P~

The Past

In order to move forward with my goals, I need to take a moment and recall the past. There are some important lessons there, and I am going to take a moment of time to remember them. First and foremost in a riding career, the horses are the teachers. I have been very fortunate to have had several wonderful equine teachers in my life.

I was fortunate enough to have been born into a horsey family. My mom is a great horsewoman and taught me much of what I know, and bore with me as I learned compassion, good sportsmanship, and the value of hard work. I fell off the wagon many times when it came to the qualities I was supposed to learn and she stuck with me and supported my goals.

I have also been lucky enough to have been influenced by many different horses. I am going to add photos of some of them:

My Teachers

I was put on a horse at an early age, I believe this photo was taken when I was just over a year old. Dixie Joe was a Morgan Quarter horse who was the best babysitter in the world. My mother owned Dixie's dam and trained Dixie herself. Dixie taught my brother and I compassion for horses and how to ride saddled, bareback, backwards, forwards, fast and slow. She was wonderful.
















My Best Bow was a 14.2 hand American Mustang. She was one of the top two horses I have owned to date. Bow taught me how deeply a person can be connected to a horse. I have not developed that intense "connection" with any horse saved one since Bow. With the help of my mother Peggy, I trained Bow for western 4-H shows. When my parents and I went to pick Bow up from the gentleman who adopted her from the Bureau of Land Management, it was quite a time getting her into our horse trailer. I believe she was two or three years old and had not had much if any work. She was quite wild, bucked, reared, bit, and would strike with her front legs. Once she trusted you though, she was a stellar horse and could anticipate your wishes and was brilliant at keeping her head in a bad situation. She was also very cute for a Mustang and if I had her today, I bet she would make an outstanding large pony hunter. I ended up growing out of Bow's size and selling her to another little girl so I could continue my progress. I still miss her.


















Kid's Mount-N-Hi (Monte) is by far my best horse ever. Some say you only have one in your life time, and I am hoping that is not true since I have already had one. Monte is an American Paint Horse. He has Thoroughbred in his background also. I met Monte when I was searching for a horse after selling Bow. When I went to Yvonne Morris's home to see another weanling colt who I ended up buying, I was presented with the opportunity to ride Monte for Yvonne. Yvonne was my greatest mentor, teacher, trainer, and inspiration of the human variety. She also bred wonderful Paint horses. Yvonne also introduced me to english style riding and jumping. Luckily for me, Monte was a great jumper. The photo is of him winning the Paint World Championshiop in 1995 for jumping. Monte taught me that hard work and perserverance can really pay off, and that a high dollar, fancy warmblood pedigree are not absolutely necessities for eventing and hunter/jumper success.

Monte and I had a lot of fun. I rode him from the time I was 13 yrs old, until I retired him from competition 14 years later. He is currently enjoying semi-retirement in California with my mom who takes great care of him. She ponies her yearling Paint colt off of him on trail rides and he is a wonderful teacher.

Cimarron was an American Thoroughbred colt who I traded colt starting services for. I was a poor college student and could not afford the hefty $1000 price tag. I put 30 days on five young horses in trade for him and was happy to do it! Cims was on his way to being a wonderful partner. This photo was of his first and only event. He was a trier and fabulous.

My lesson learned from Cims was that horses are fragile. Cimarron was diagnosed by UC Davis as having a genetic bone deficiency where his bones were brittle. Despite the fact that he had old fractures in both coffin bones, and a bone chip in his back.... he jumped every jump for me without complaint, which led to me not realizing that he was in pain. I did realize that he was just not quite "right" a short time after this photo was taken, and took him to Davis.... where they too initially thought nothing was wrong, but they listened to me and worked him up fully with nerve blocks and x-rays. Cims was humanely euthanized but remains a part of my heart.

















Piksienna (Sienna) was my first "fancy" sporthorse. Sienna is by Pointmaker, a lovely Hanoverian stallion who is succeeding in dressage and by an American Thoroughbred mare. She obtained a Premium rating at her foal inspection for Oldenburg and was registered. I purchased Sienna as a yearling. I could not afford a fancy warmblood who was also under saddle. When I purchased Sienna I was still in college with some time to ride. I owned Sienna when I finished college and went on to a career in federal law enforcement. My work involved long hours and little riding time.

Sienna taught me the value of matching the horse to the rider's resources. She was a very talented mare, and also opinionated and did not take to being a weekend hobby. This photo (not our best shot!) was at her first event where she took second place in Beginner Novice. She was awesome and focused while at work, but could not stand the waiting her turn part of the deal, or the part-time riding schedule.

I was somewhat disillusioned with my ability to make the most of Sienna's talent for some months and then was detailed to the relief efforts in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina.

I was gone for two months. The stable where I had her and another horse boarded did not care for them properly since I was not there to oversee. I returned from Katrina to find that Sienna and another horse were thin, and did not recieve proper farrier care. I was very upset that I could not even ensure the proper care of my horses.

I let Sienna go to a very great horse lady and friend who I knew would give her the best home. I continue to track her progress as she is ridden like she was meant to be for her temperament and talent. I have no regrets.

Nickolas is a lovely Canadian Thoroughbred who I bought after some medical problems put me off of Sienna for a few months. I was concerned about my ability to ride Sienna and get back into "riding shape" and needed a quiet horse to help me out. I went to see Nick in Idaho at a rancher's house during a blizzard. Nick had been ridden western and used in stock yards after his mildly successful racing career.

I loved him at first sight for his quiet demeanor and large 16.3h size, and the price was very low... so I bought him, loaded him into a trailer towed by a snowplow and took him home! Nick absolutely served the purpose of helping me rehab, and more. This photo was of his first dressage show three weeks after purchase, where he scored a 68% and the comment that "This pair has a lot of potential" from the judge as well as a second place ribbon. Nick's only downfall was that he could not jump to save his life. I affectionately nicknamed him "Gomer Pyle". Nick taught me that in fact a fast Thoroughbred who wins races and retires sound..... won't always jump at least 3 feet high!! Nick was also boarded with Sienna during my stint in New Orleans and went with Sienna to their new home with my good and trusted friend Molly who then found Nick the perfect dressage home with people who love him.

Post Hurricane Katrina

After my return from Katrina, I was at my lowest point ever with horses. I had not competed or ridden consistently since around 1998. I had not been able to take care of my horses as I would have liked. I could not trust boarding stables to care for them despite the big monthly price tag.

I decided to get completely out of horses and stop feeling guilty all the time (save one lone yearling colt that my mom was caring for and who I planned to give to her). It was both a relief, and disappointing to let go of something I had wanted so long.


The Second Chance


A year later, my life changed dramatically when I fell in love with a wonderful man and married him. He is also a federal law enforcement officer and was transferred from our home in CA to Kansas City, Missouri. I made the obvious choice to move with him despite the fact that I had to quit my job to do it. Now he is supporting my return to riding. It is the most wonderful gift.

We have purchased a home with acreage and are building a small barn... so I can take care of the horses to my own exacting standards and will not have to rely on anyone else.

Who would have thought at this age, that I would have the chance again? It is exhiliarating and scary at the same time. Am I good enough even for the low levels? What if I fail and there is not one good reason for it besides a lack of talent? What if this is what I was supposed to be doing all along and I enjoy great success? Will I love it as much the second time around? Who will my equine partner be?

I am determined to find the answers to these questions.

What an adventure!
P~

Is It as Much Fun the Second Time Around?

Yesterday I volunteered my time as a jump judge for the Heritage Park horse trials in Olathe, KS. It was a blast. The organizers were great and treated the volunteers like they were royalty. The weather was perfect, and the horses were beautiful. BUT, (and I guess this is a good thing considering the purpose of this blog), it was still hard to watch others ride while I was earthbound. I could see all the lines I would take, had an opinion on how I would have ridden that particular excitable, lazy, or difficult horse to get over that jump. I also realized that I was not out there... I was safely perched in my chair with my watch, radio, and score sheet. Hmmm.

For the past year, I have been debating whether or not to get back into competitive riding. I have always loved it, but found myself sidetracked by life's other challenges like money, family, career, education, etc etc. At this time however, I find myself with the ability to go and try again for a competitive career (no not the olympics.... I am 30+ and WAY behind... What sitting trot?) but I would love to just see how far I can go if there was nothing to hold me back. Now I haven't won the lottery or anything and eventing will be a financial strain AND somewhat of a gamble. But I really don't have any other excuse for not getting out there like my heart wants me to.

So having decided to risk it, I am dipping into retirement savings (yah I know, not smart) to buy the right horse. I have always bought young and green and started them myself only to not finish them due to the life challenges outlined above. This time however, I want a horse that has some experience, who is talented, and not so old that I would only have him/her for a short time before having to deal with where/how to keep my geriatric horse. The search continues. It may be a few weeks, but I will let you know how that goes! And in the meantime I will figure out how to make this blog look more interesting and put some photos up.

Oh, one more thing. I am doing this blog for several reasons like keeping up with family and friends who are far away, etc... but mostly I am doing it for the other returning or adult amature riders out there who are returning to the sport and feeling akward about just going for it despite the million reasons and excuses not to. Let's share the excitement, some commiseration, and progress together.