The Work Outs Begin

When I did finally try to get my you know what back into the saddle, I couldn't even get my foot up into the stirrup without using both hands. My leg was so stiff it did NOT want to bend. It's a good thing my horse is trained and would stand still while I fiddled around trying to get this task accomplished. Who knew putting one's foot in a stirrup could be so difficult?

Once I had my foot in the right place, I couldn't seem to get any momentum to get myself off the ground and into the saddle. I was dragging myself up there with the saddle sliding my direction. Poor Legs looked at me with this question mark on his face. Don't know if he was wondering if I needed a little shove from him or maybe he was thinking I needed a diet. Either way I wasn't making it into the saddle that way at all. My arms gave out before I'd made enough progress to even think about throwing my leg over the horse. It was time to get the mounting block.

Maybe Legs thought he had been patient enough about this whole first attempt at climbing on his back because now he decided he wasn't standing anywhere near that mounting block. It's not like he's afraid of the thing. I've mounted the horse that way at least a zillion times. I guess he just figured if he had to work, then so should I and that meant getting on from the ground like normal folks.

Each time I moved the horse over to the block, he moved just as I asked. It was when I went to climb up on the block that the horse moved away. Just a nice couple of little side steps away from me, making it a monumental leap to make it from the block to his back. If I couldn't get on from the ground, I sure wasn't in any shape to be testing my spider man type skills.

I'm pretty sure my horse was howling on the inside. Obviously he didn't dare just laugh out load because I'd have killed him. Still I think his sense of humor was clearing involved in his evasive behavior.

I gave him a couple of chances to stand still before I smacked him. I got that great deep sigh Legs is known for and he planted both feet. Then, and only then was I able to climb aboard my horse. I was already exhausted and I hadn't even ridden yet. Getting older is indeed the pits.

I did my own deep sigh as I picked up the reins. I had already worked Rhet and Tag. Rhet I had lunged and Tag I worked in the long lines but just doing that had worn me out. I was wondering how I'd ever thought I could work a trailer load of horses on my first outing.

Luckily, my adrenaline kicked in as I began moving my horse off my legs. The very thought of finally working on the issue with Legs got me perked up enough to get my brain engaged. From there it was easy as I put my horse through the paces I knew would get him using his back.

Poor Legs was the one making noises then. The horse was grunting and groaning as he worked at lifting his back. That's always been one of those things about the horse I've appreciated. He always tells me when something is hard so I know I'm on the right track.

I began flexing and bending the horse off my legs like I always used to do before Richard began helping me with the horse. Once Richard began with his ground work, I guess I figured the horse was already warmed up and I had quit doing my usual routine except a horse shows or at home when Richard didn't touch the horse. Now, looking back I'm thinking this was probably a mistake. I should have been using my warm-up exercises every time I rode regardless of whether the horse worked in the lines first or was boxed.

Once I did the usual flexing and bending, we did worked on half passing back and forth across the arena at the trot and at the jog. At the lope we worked in circles moving laterally to the outside as much as possible.

Jody Strand had reminded me at his clinic about something I had learned from a QH trainer years ago with Dandy. When asking the horse to lift his back, it was helpful to have the horse's haunches to the inside. I made sure to incorporate that into this work out as well.

I also worked on lots of transitions. Getting the horse to round up well before asking for his lope departures and his transitions down. We started off with some resistance but before long the horse was accomplishing smooth fluid transitions. Before you know it, my horse was breaking out in a sweat. This work out had been so much more intense than what we'd been doing.

I took that sweat as a sign the horse had enough for one day. I didn't want to make him sore. I just wanted the workout to be enough to challenge him. I was hoping I was on the right track. I knew if I was, I should see muscle beginning to form before too long.

to be continued...................





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Just Too Much.....

The day after the Jody Strand Clinic , I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. To be more specific, I guess I felt more like the day I had just arrived home from . my Tulsa trip All of the recuperating I'd done over that few days had totally vanished. Both my body and my mind were wiped out.

It was at that time that I realized how much the trip had really taken out of me. I really should have stayed home to continue my recuperation than ride horses at the clinic. Even with that I couldn't wait to get out to ride Legs to begin working on reteaching my horse how to use his back.

Despite my best intentions I just couldn't make myself ride. First off, I knew my horse was exhausted too and he made that clear. Each time I got near his stall he pinned his ears at me. I knew the only fair thing to do was to give him some additional time off. I figured the horse needed at least a week's time.

The week came and went and I still wasn't on a horse. My horse was still pinning his ears for a couple more weeks. I tried to get myself to write all the entries for my trip and I couldn't even get that done. I was forcing myself to make entries each day......and as I'm sure some of you know I was not always successful. More days than I wish to admit slipped by without a post.

At least those days were sporadic. I was dragging so I think had I missed more than one or two a week, I could have easily allowed myself to stop posting all together. Because I do this blog out of my dedication to the Arabian horse, I managed to keep myself going despite how tired I was. It was not an easy task.

When I did get myself back to riding, I had to force myself to start. Getting out of bed in the morning seemed to take all the energy I had. Mustering up the added strength it took to load up the trailer to go to Angie and Richard's just wasn't coming easily. I also convinced myself if I went that I should at least make the trip worthwhile and fill the trailer.

I don't know if that thinking slowed me down or not. My desire to have Legs right for this show season is so strong, I doubt the added weight of working two more horses was enough to dampen my determination. I was just so darn worn out both physically and mentally that I couldn't even convince myself riding Legs would be productive at that point.

I think I debated myself each morning sitting in the chair in my living room. Would I or wouldn't I ride that day. The wouldn'ts just seemed to win over and over again. I think the telling part was through none of this time did I ever feel bored.

I am not a person who sits still easily. I am always up to something. During this time I found myself sitting and sitting and not noticing I was still sitting. The day would be gone and I hadn't even made my way to the barn. Something was definitely amiss.

I finally went to the doctor. I was so concerned about my lack of energy. He just laughed at me when he heard about my trip as he reminded me of my age. Whether I liked it or not I had to be content to sit until something told me I was ready to ride.

Eventually,I did manage to get some things done here that had been piling up. There's so much more to this business than just training horses. The paperwork part is the easiest for me to shove to the side so I got my records caught up with all the expenses from my trip as well as the stacks off my desk. A job that should have taken me a day or two ended up taking weeks.

At least by the time I finally did complete that jog, I was able to convince myself I'd rather ride than have to do anymore paperwork. Funny how such threats can get us going sometimes. I told myself at the start of the next week I was definitely going to begin working horses.

Then I had to decide which horses I was going to take. There's so many of them here that need work. Part of this job is constantly reprioritizing what's going to get done depending on what has happened and what needs to happen.

I didn't want Rhet to loose the condition I had worked so hard to attain so that made in a priority. Since Tag is the most likely candidate to make it into the ring as a junior horse this year, he was and is a priority as well. Then finally getting Legs fixed properly is at the top of my list. Those three Arabian horses made for my trailer full.

It might have been December before I actually began working horses on a regular basis.Before that I may have gone a day here or there but nothing consistent. I would come home so wiped out I couldn't pull off another day.

The plan was once I began I would work one load the first week. Then I would add a second load the second week but that just didn't happen. It seemed like the whole time I was working the first load I was worrying how I was ever going to make a second load. But by December I was able to keep myself moving forward at least to complete that one load a day.

I just couldn't seem to get my stride. After working three horses and getting them put away at home, I would drag myself back into the house to promptly fall asleep in my chair. Not being one prone to napping, this behavior seemed indicative of how much my trip to Tulsa had really stripped from me.

It was a long, slow recovery. One that would have been a lot harder to make, were I not finally seeing some improvements in Legs. The spark fueled by little snippets of ride that were what I'd been striving towards from the start gave me the ability to keep going when I was feeling so whooped! Funny how putting a name to a problem can change one's perspective.

Thank you Jody Strand............... details to follow.............



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Jody Strand Clinic - Tag's Impression

Part 1

When I'd first walked into the arena with Tag, Jody Strand commented he thought the horse had a very pretty face. Once I got onto the horse and Tag began to move, he commented again. Jody thought the horse was a pretty mover as well. Then Jody stood there just studying the horse for a bit.

Next thing you know he asked who I'd said his sire was. Before I could answer, Jody Strand answered his own question, "Did you say that stud you rode earlier today?" I replied with a nod and Jody nodded his approval, " Niiiiiiiccccceeee!" slowly rolled off his lips.

I think it doesn't get much better than that for a breeder. I know in my heart if I can get this kind of response from someone like Jody Strand I am on the right track. Sooner or later there will be enough of these horses in the ring people will want to know where they're coming from and I'll finally be getting my young horses sold.

I would think from the impressions I got of Jody Strand that he will not forget these horses he met at this clinic. I hope that will be helpful sometime in the future. That's part of the reason I've taken my horses to clinics over the years.

Jody made the comment the horse didn't have a really long neck but it was well shaped. The man had commented earlier in the clinic he preferred horses for his amateurs that didn't have those really long necks because it's hard for an amateur to keep a horse like that together.

That led to a bit of discussion about how slow these horses that I breed mature. The current length of the horse's neck is what it is because he's in the middle of a growth spurt. Jody asked "Didn't you say this horse was coming 5........well, he looks more like a coming 3 year old." I nodded in agreement with this statement as Jody continued those late maturing horses are sure worth waiting for.......again I nodded in agreement. It was nice to have a professional see what I see in my horses.

From the beginning of the ride the horse was strong I knew it was because he was unfamiliar with his surroundings. Tag was trying to do what I asked but his self preservation switch was in the on position. Getting the horse to slow-up so Jody could see the trot I knew was there just wasn't happening.

We talked some about what this horse's job might be. I mentioned Richard's belief the horse was western but Jody definitely thought pretty hunter. He commented about how forward a moving horse Tag was and I laughed knowing that trolls can make any horse go forward. Still Tag was making an impression and Jody thought I was right on in thinking he'd be a good maturity hunter horse for this year.

I'd explained that the horse's training had been sporadic from the point the show season began. Richard's told people at Region 4 that Louie had less than 90 days under saddle. That meant Tag and Percy were under that mark now since each was nearly a month behind Louie in the amount of days each had been worked.

I think with that amount of time under saddle Jody didn't expect much more from the horse than what he saw. The horse was stepping deep underneath himself and lifting his shoulder......and his back at all three gaits. Yet I knew there was a lot more there to give.

The horse had just barely been asked to bridle. Yet he knew how to get underneath himself and go slow if asked. Before I'd gone to Tulsa I'd had rides with a nice flowing gait at both the trot and the canter with moments where the horse rolled over into the bridle. Getting to that point on this day seemed like a more difficult task than I had energy for.

As I tried to push the horse forward into a barrier, he was dropping his head to avoid the pressure. This evasion the horse had not been doing before I'd left. Jody told me to pick him up saying the behavior can contribute to a young horse dropping its shoulder.

I was trying to lift the horsed. Tag was having trouble tracking what I wanted as he worried about what trolls might lay in wait for him. My body, having not really recovered from my Tulsa trip, was beginning to ache. I even began to worry I might have an asthma attack before I got the horse where I wanted.

Tag did eventually settle down. The pretty trot I remembered was back and sometimes the horse even rolled over into a nice frame. Jody stood there in the middle of my circle nodding his head in approval. It was clear he really liked this young horse and the job Tag had done on this day.

As I walked my tired sweaty horse from the arena, Jody Strand and I talked briefly about what it's been like for me as a small breeder trying to break through into the market. I explained people in the area seem to be stuck in their routines for finding new horses and those routines didn't include a "new" breeder like me.

With a concerned look Jody asked me if I had sold any horses. I responded in the affirmative and that expression relaxed some until I mentioned so far those horses had not realized their potential and that didn't help a breeder like me. Again he nodded in agreement but he commented I was on the right track. All I can say is I sure hope he's right.




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Jody Strand Clinic - Getting to the Second Horse

Part 1

Having someone with a reputation like Jody Strand like my horse was definitely good for my confidence. After the trip I'd had to nationals, it was nice to have a positive experience. The fact that Jody thought taking my horse to nationals even though he wasn't ready yet, was a good idea was even better . I felt bad my horse was so fatigued but I was really glad I'd brought him to the clinic after all.

There were several horses to work before I rode my second horse. With all the leg it had required to keep Legs together, I was grateful to have the break. The only thing that would have made it better would have been some place to take a nap. Since that wasn't happening, I watched the rest of the horses but doubt I took much information in. I was really exhausted.

The pretty bay horse from the day before was back for a second ride. I looked at this gelding again wondering about his mane but nothing registered.

I'd made the comment to Jody when I'd first gotten on my horse that I knew he would probably like to see my horse's mane shortened. Jody's response had been he thought Legs' mane was just fine. He said the way the horse carried himself the shape of his neck is clearly visible. I wondered what the difference was between the two horses.

It dawned on me today I actually took a few pics at this clinic and it actually turned out I took a couple of pictures of the bay gelding. Now that I'm not fatigued it's easy to see the problem is not the length of the pretty gelding's mane. It's the length of his bridle path.




People don't get why Arabian horses sometimes have their bridle path cut back as far and some either farther as Legs. It's been done that way so his mane does not cover his face or his throat latch when the horse is rolled over into the bridle. Sorry, no pic of Legs going with his mane side showing but you can see from the pic how far back his bridle bath is trimmed. Even from the off side you can see his mane is not far from those two critical areas when the horse is rounded up.

For those who think that it shouldn't matter, I used to feel that way. Then I found my horses seemed to be frustrated with mane hair hanging in their eyes and faces whenever they were bridled. Rhythm used to snort and blow trying to keep the hair out of his eyes. Dare shakes her head when bothered by hair. Storm and Reflection have each complained too.

I guess if I were a horse, I might not like hair covering one of my eyes or tickling my face either when I was trying to concentrate. As it is, I can't stand it when my bangs get into my eyes. I've had less complaining horses as they have learned about collection now that I've trimmed their bridle paths back .

Before that happens, however, I keep their bridle paths short. I really hate cutting back their manes like that. There's something so sad about seeing that beautiful mane hair falling to the ground ravaged by the clippers. I guess as long as I show western pleasure, I'll have to live with it.

One thing about Sunday clinics, people tend to leave just as soon as they're done. By the time I was ready to ride my second horse most everyone at the clinic was gone. The only ones left watching seemed to be the clinic organizer and the barn owner..........and me.

By this time I was really wishing I'd left that second horse home. Two days in the cold barn had taken their toll. Normally I take horses to clinics so people can get a chance to see them. I figure the more people that see them the more likely I am to get something sold.

This logic wasn't going to work at this clinic and I was beginning to worry about the fact his horse hadn't been worked in a couple of months. Knowing my horses are usually fine with time off I hadn't taken into account how green this horse actually was and that he would be somewhere new and strange. I was hoping I wasn't going to pay for that mistake.

To offset things I decided I better get the horse ready early so I could have adequate time to lunge him. I'd know when he hit the end of that line whether I had a raving lunatic or a calm quiet horse. As it turned out, I had something in the middle. Tag was feeling defensive about this strange place but cautious too. If he stood for me to get on, I figured I have it made.

To be continued...............

Tag's Impression



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Jody Strand Clinic - The Problem

The Adventure Begins

Part 1

Right from the start of my ride at the clinic my Arabian horse was not the smooth round horse he'd been the last time I'd ridden him. Instead of the ride I'd gotten for my class at the US All Arabian Horse National Championships, I had the horse I'd been riding about a month before I'd even left for Tulsa. Most of the progress since then seemed to be lost.

It was clear from this that my horse was indeed fatigued. It took everything I had to get the horse pushed together and then Legs didn't hold it. I was wishing I hadn't elected to ride him spur less. This horse at this time needed all the help he could get. The added reminder of my spurs lifting up his ribs would have been a big help getting the horse up underneath himself.

Jody Strand stood on the ground commenting when the horse looked good. He also let me know when he thought he needed to be just a bit more round. Even at that point where Jody thought he was good, I was still saying the same thing, "He may look right but he doesn't feel right." just like I'd been telling Angie and Richard.

I knew fatigue was definitely affecting this ride or I would have had the horse I'd been riding more recently. Legs is not a horse to digress without a good reason but fatigue didn't change the under lying issue. There was a reason the horse didn't feel right even when he looked good to those on the ground. That's why I was at this clinic..........to figure out what in the heck that reason was.

We worked a bit more until my legs were exhausted. Then I asked Jody if he wanted to get on the horse to see what I meant. He nodded, "Sure, I'd love to ride this horse."

We lengthened the stirrups another three holes which I've never had to do before. I'm used to shortening the things, but lengthening, never. We talked a bit about being tall but short waisted and how that affects the picture of such a rider on a horse. Because our length is from the waist down we can get by with a smaller horse.

The total picture of suitability of horse to rider is affected by someone towering over the top of a horse. Our legs may hang down but from the waist up we look much shorter than we actually are. It's that height over the top of the horse that judges really notice making it easier for people built like us to get away with riding a smaller horse.

Just for the record, that smaller horse must have lots of presence. A small horse with no presence will always look like a small horse. A small horse with a ton of presence most people won't even notice the horse is small unless they stand right next to them. My first show horse was only 14.2 and that's stretching it but he had a big attitude. We looked great together and did our share of winning in the ring despite my near 6 foot frame and his short end of the breed standard size because he carried himself like a big horse.

Once we'd finished our discussion on our tallness and the length of our legs, Jody Strand climbed aboard Legs. It didn't take long for him to have the answer. "He's not using his back."

At the sound of those words, the light bulb went on. It made perfect sense to me. Of course, the horse wasn't using his back. That's why I had found him not to have the correct muscle tone over his back and croup when I'd body clipped him for nationals. I'd forgotten about those findings in all the stress of my trip but now they jumped to the forefront in my mind.

Not using his back explained a lot of things. There were lots of symptoms to support this diagnosis. The horse wanted to raise up out of the bridle before he rolled over each time I asked for more. He needed that light support in the bridle. If I tried to let go of him, the horse just fell apart. All those things scream of a horse not using his back.

The one real question I had was how can a horse pick up it's shoulder without really rounding its back properly. Jody and I both agreed on the answer. The horse has talent, lots of talent..............a less talented horse could never pull it off. That's how the horse could look good from the ground but feel just "not right."

Jody continued working on Legs as my mind raced through all the signs I'd missed. Well, I guess I didn't really miss them. I knew they were a problem and I knew what I needed to fix them. I guess I just hadn't but the name to what was causing the problem. Having that information just made things a whole lot clearer. It gave me the courage of my convictions, if you will.

As Jody rode my horse, he commented with a laugh, "This guy makes you work." I nodded in agreement. It was nice to have someone understand what it's like to ride this horse.

Teaching Legs how to use himself properly has definitely been work. It's been the kind of work that means riding each and every step or else you never make progress. The horse literally needs to be held together with legs wrapped around him holding him, pushing him to get it. Once the horse gets strong enough to maintain he won't require that kind of work. Then he'll carry himself like he should.......but not until then.

By the time Jody was responding with solutions, they were already running around in my head. I knew exactly what to do to fix this problem. I'd put the horse back into the snaffle and work on lots of transitions and roll backs and even a little back now and then just to mix things up so the horse didn't anticipate. That's exactly what Jody said. Oh, and Jody said emphatically, "I'd be riding this horse with spurs!"

Once Jody had finished playing with Legs he handed him back to me. "Nice horse" was his closing comment as I took my horse and walked out of the arena.

To be continued................

Getting to the Second Horse

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Jody Strand Clinic - Legs

Part 1

I got to the facility at about 7:30 so that left me only a half hour to get my horses and my stuff all moved in. I was peeling off layers of clothing each trip in and out of the barn, I was working up such a sweat. I sure was glad Legs wasn't going to be the first horse that morning, I'd have never made it.

Once I had all must stuff in the barn, I set about clipping the horses. I always try to have my horses bathed and clipped whenever they present to the public. The baths hadn't happened but I wasn't going to skip the clipping. It's been my experience people may not remember when they saw your horse look great, they most certainly remember when they saw the horse look bad. I didn't want anyone thinking anything less than good about either of my horses.

Legs still looked pretty good with his clip for national's except for his bridle path and his muzzle. His body clip was holding much better than Rhet's. Even his ears had little hair in them. Cleaning up his bridle path and muzzle was a snap and I moved onto the second horse.

I decided I'd do a show clip on the face of the second horse. With all that winter hair, he still wasn't going to look great but at least people would be able to see his pretty face. That is if anyone was left at the time I rode the second horse. There was still the possibility someone might look at him in the stall if they didn't see the ride so I wasn't taking any chances.

When I turned the clippers on the horse jumped towards the back of the stall. He was snorting like he'd never even seen those clippers before. Now I was really beginning to wonder if this had been a good idea. Having not ridden this horse in over two months, was I expecting more from the horse than he could deliver?

With the horse bouncing off the walls at the mere sound of the clippers, I decided I better halter him before I tried again. Once the halter was in place the horse wasn't nearly as resistant as he'd been. There were a few jumps and twitches but overall he was pretty good getting his face clipped. I even managed to get it done without getting hair down my shirt. That was a big plus.

I went out to the arena to check on the status of my lesson on Legs. Jody was working with another horse but it was clear that wouldn't last much longer. I went back to the stalls to get Legs saddled up.

When I walked through the stall door with the pads, Legs let me know at the he wasn't impressed........ another one of those deep deep sighs rolled off his lips. When I threw the saddle up onto his back the horse actually groaned. For a brief instant I felt sorry for the horse. Within a few minutes I was feeling sorry for me.

As I led Legs into the arena Jody Strand commented "Now there's a handsome horse." Then as I began warming him up, he commented. "and he's a really pretty mover too."

Just as all the other riders have given Jody status on their horses, I wanted to do that too. For Legs it's not just about status, it's more about history. I explained the horse had been injured as a foal and the issue hadn't been rectified until he was nearly 4. Teaching the horse to use himself correctly after he'd grow up compensating for his pelvis being rotated like that had been a chore.

I also told Jody about the horse's reaction to the curb the first time I'd put it place. The brief time he'd been ridden in that bit by the now BNT had caused its own set of issues that needed to be resolved as well. The horse was coming along but still not where I wanted him to be. He looked good from the ground by something just didn't feel right.

I explained to Jody how I'd taken the horse to nationals even though I knew he really wasn't ready yet. I told him a little bit about our troubles with the horse getting spooked and how I felt about the ride in my class. Jody thought I'd made the right choice to take the horse when I was going anyway. All of this conversation we had while I warmed the horse up.

Once the warm-up was finished, I set about showing Jody what my problem was. He seemed to think the only issue was the horse was being a bit lazy. He chalked it up to fatigue. At this point I was using so much leg trying to keep my horse together, the horse is not the only one that was fatigued.

To be continued.........................

The Problem



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Jody Strand Clinic - Taking a Second Horse

Part 1

That evening after the first day of the clinic, Jody Strand was the guest speaker at the annual Daffodil Arabian Horse Association dinner meeting. While Jody had said at the clinic he wasn't going to speak, he relented when the actual time came speaking briefly about the Arabian horse and nationals this year.

One of his comments had to do with the quality of those horses competing at that level. He mentioned despite entries being down, the actual quality of the horses had risen dramatically over years past. The division that jumped out at him the most was the hunter pleasure division.

For many years on the Arabian horse show scene, the hunter division has been the dumping ground for those horses that couldn't cut it anywhere else. You'd see country type horses without enough trot or western pleasure horses just doing an extended gait making up the majority of the class. Seldom did you see a class filled with true hunter type horses.

Jody felt that had most definitely changed. He thought the overall quality had risen so much that the hunter division was now probably one of, if not the, toughest division out there. Jody said the calibre of horses in those hunter classes literally blew him away.

This comment interested me because one of the reasons I wanted to bring and extra horse to the next day's clinic was about this same topic. Richard had said the horse was a western pleasure horse. While I've been saying all along that I wanted to show him as a hunter, even though I believe he would make a great western horse as well. I was hoping for an opinion from someone who really understood what it takes to be a national calibre hunter horse.

I had to press and press some more to get the man in charge of the clinic to confirm that I could even bring the horse. Despite the fact all the spots were not filled, he was really hoping to leave them that way. The decision was finally made by him asking Jody what he wanted to do. Jody's response had been for me to bring the additional horse. Now with the door open about national calibre hunter horses, I was really looking forward to what the man had to say about one of my Legs' babies. Would he think he could hold is own in such a tough division?

No matter how hard I try to get home early from those annual dinner meetings, it seems like it always takes forever to get myself out of there. Since it wasn't until a conversation at the end of the dinner meeting that I got the confirmation I could bring my second horse, I was late once again getting myself home and into bed.

I thought it was going to take a crane to pick me up out of my bed and deposit me in the truck, I was sooooooo tired when the alarm went off. I knew I had horses to load and equipment to check before I could even leave, yet the cobwebs just wouldn't leave my brain. Then there was the issue of clipping that second horse. I hadn't even looked at him since my return from nationals. I tried to remind myself of that task as self applied pressure to force me up and onto my feet.

I finally did make it out of bed but I was moving in slow motion. The clock seemed to be doing double time and Legs was to be one of the first horses worked. The list of tasks running through my head were moving much faster than me. For the first time I was thinking maybe this clinic had not been a good idea.

My goal was to arrive at the facility an hour before start time. I expected I would need that much time to get my horses and myself moved in and the horses fed. We were leaving home before they'd had time to eat and there's nothing crankier than Legs when he's been denied his breakfast.

I remember as I grabbed Legs from his stall to load him into the trailer, the look I received. Not only did the horse not want to leave his stall, he didn't want to load into the horse trailer either. He put on the brakes right at the open doorway and glared at me. This was the first time I can ever remember such a refusal.........and the first time it occurred to me my horse might be too tired for this clinic.

Then I went to retrieve the second horse. "Yikes!" was my first impression. This horse was covered in so much hair even I couldn't tell what lay beneath. How was I thinking Jody Strand could tell anything about this horse?

The vision of the "icelandic pony" that Shannon Armstrong used to call Mark in the wintertime formed in my head. Yupe, this horse pretty much looked just like that picture. Back then I hadn't even been able to recognize the horse and he was a horse that I knew well. When I asked Shannon who the horse was and she replied with the "icelandic pony" comment I knew it was a horse I should know. When she told me it was Mark, I was shocked. Now before me stood one of my horses so transformed all I could think of was that story. Things weren't looking good for much success at this clinic.

At least the horse loaded willing in the horse trailer. He didn't even think twice about jumping right in and going for a ride with me. Then, he hadn't been worked in over two months. That tired voice in my head again played a now familiar resolve, "What were you thinking?"

To be continued........................

Legs



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Jody Strand Clinic - The Pretty Bay Horse

Part 1

There was a young western horse by Marwan Al Shaqab out of a Dark Victory daughter that belonged to a friend of mine. The horse has been professionally trained but was home for a brief winter break so the owner decided to bring the horse to the clinic.

The horse wasn't really at the clinic because of any issues. The owner is like me and always looking for new ways to learn. She was hoping riding her horse in a clinic with a nationally respected western trainer would add some dimension to her knowledge base.

This young gelding is the quality of horse one would expect from such breeding. He is a very dark bay with a great shock of hair in both his tail and his mane. His mane besides being thick was long and flowing. His tail carriage was much better than most making that tail look like a plume poetically accentuating the beauty of this horse.

He actually reminded me some of a much darker version of Scandalous Storm. Both horses have the attitude of a peacock. Their magnificent tail carriage like the explanation point at the end of their statement, "I AM the best!" Not many horses can command such attention on their looks alone.

What surprised me was that this horse was a nice mover as well. The Dark Victory horses are bred for halter and that board flat topline so many halter breeders seek. The problem with that is along with a flat croup comes a horse with hocks out behind himself.

Most horses built that way have difficulty getting deep underneath themselves so can not always do performance, let alone western. Those with a lot of heart will try and some will even make it to the point of collection required for a western horse. Many times those horses will break down. The hock can't take the extreme pressure on the joint that comes from such difficult work.

This horse was different, however. His hocks were placed much better than one would expect of a Dark Victory cross. His croup was more rounded than usual as well. That combination made him a great prospect for western pleasure. Then with his Marwan/Dark Victory good looks he had it all. The horse was not only beautiful but talented as well.

The plans for this horse are the Western Pleasure Maturity at US Nationals in Tulsa this year. The maturity classes are amateur owner to ride classes so the horse would be shown at nationals by my friend. Her plan was to send the horse back to the professional trainer to be finished. She would continue lessons throughout this process so hopefully they'd be ready to meet her goal.

It was obvious throughout the session with Jody, the horse was pretty sure of his job. He had lapses like all young horses but mostly he did what he was asked to do. My friend is an accomplished rider but does not usually do her own training. They made a pretty picture for the kids at the clinic to see. There's nothing like an example of how it should be to fire up one's enthusiasm, I think.

As Jody worked with this pair, he decided to share an opinion he knew would cause him some grief. He actually mentioned before he shared that he knew his opinion would not be a popular one.

Of course, a statement like got us all wondering what in the heck was coming next. I laughed and shook my head as Jody Strand said he would shorten this horse's mane. He said as a judge he want to be able to see the shape of a horse's neck. He thought the mane on this horse made it difficult to do that.

I won't tell you I understood this. It seems to me that the shape is seen by the view of the top of the neck. Yet, I understand that the shapeliness of a neck is not just determined by the top of it. What the bottom looks like is equally important. A base heavy neck is not pretty to me. Nor is a thick neck or a thick throat latch. I guess I have not really thought about seeing those features from the mane side.

I was not the only one that did not get it. Many of those in the audience groaned at the thought of shortening this horse's beautiful mane. Most horse owners on the Arabian circuit would "kill" for a mane such as this. The breed standard even states the horse should have a flowing mane and tail. The thought of shortening it just didn't seem right.

I must admit I have encountered this opinion from a trainer before. Way back when Dandy was with Kelly Alcorn, she insisted that Dandy's mane be shortened. I finally acquiesced only to find she didn't just shorten his mane. She shortened his forelock as well and I was livid. Neither has ever grown back to the original state.

Then when Legs was being shown in halter training with Eric Krichten, he wanted his mane shortened as well. Granted the horse's mane was down past his shoulder and it was impossible to see his shoulder from that side.......but it was soooooooo beautiful. It had grow like that on its own without assist with braids or any other hair saving techniques. I was reluctant but again I acquiesced with a stipulation on how much could be removed. Unfortunately, his mane has never grown back to that same luscious luxurious look either. There'll be no more mane shortening for me.

To be continued..............

Taking a Second Horse



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Jody Strand Clinic - The Red Horse Meets the Long Lines and Jody

Part 1

Up until this rearing horse at the Jody Strand clinic the issues with the horses and riders were the usual things you'd expect when amateurs and junior riders are training their own horses. The horses were not engaged properly mostly because the riders weren't asking enough from the horse.

Most of these horses when asked to give more readily complied. At first with some there was the brief resistance that comes when the horse hits a barrier that wasn't there before. As the horse realized the barrier was firm and the request to move into it was as well, the horses began to roll over and round up.

It seemed to be the routine to start off with some form of long uncollected horse that looked just like any other horse only to see that horse transformed as it began to round up and use itself properly. As the horses began to look more like show horses we'd hear Jody Strand's comments about the improved look. "He's got a cute look." "That's a nice picture" and sometimes it sounded like he was even admitted his surprise to see the horse and rider come together into such a nice look as they learned to work as a team.

A couple of the horses were young with few miles under saddle. Those horses were being asked to give as well, just on a much smaller scale. The emphasis was on them going forward when asked, which is a give in itself.

Once the horse had that request figured out, a little pressure on the inside rein was added to encourage a slight "give" to the bit. The only goal was getting the horse to understand that the pressure is about softening. Releases were encouraged if the the horse even considered a response to help the horse understand the slight pressure was indeed a request and not some unrelated thing getting in the way. Riders who understood this concept soon had horses responding to the pressure with a baby give. It was awesome to watch.

Besides being an outstanding trainer in an assortment of disciplines, Jody Strand is also a judge on the Arabian circuit. Once the horse and rider pairs began this transformation, Jody added not just training tips but tips of how to make the horses and riders look better in the ring. Throughout the clinic it was clear he wasn't just using his trainer eyes to teach, he was using those judge's eyes as well giving the riders a perspective they don't often get.

It was clear throughout this process which horses were the top quality horses and which were not. The differences weren't clear in the way Jody worked with each horse and rider, however. He greeted, schooled and spoke with everyone as if they were his friends and equals in his eyes. It was more in the form of those comments as they came together. If he didn't ask about the level at which some of the kids showed, Jody interjected what he thought their goals could be and the same with the adult amateurs as well.

It was done in such a way I doubt that most really noticed that he was doing it. I guess I tuned into it because one of the reasons I was there was I wanted to know what he thought of my horses. It was nice to see a trainer that stuck his neck out on each and every horse instead of just gushing all over the favorite as some clinicians have done. While others have been totally non committal and stuck strictly to training issues with no other lending of their expertise. The farther we got into this clinic, the more I appreciated Jody Strand who definitely shared himself with us.

With most of the horses we'd seen so far being the usual clinic scenarios, I was really looking forward to seeing Jody work with this rearing chestnut horse in the long lines. I know from experience you never know how the horse is going to respond when the doors are closed that allow him/her to escape. It would be interesting to see what tactics this horse used and what Jody's responses would be.

The horse stood quietly as the saddle was removed and the surcingle applied. From his quiet demeanor you wouldn't think this horse had it in him to do something so dangerous as rearing. It was no time at all and Jody was ready to send the horse out to the end of the lines.

Right from the start Jody put pressure on the horse to step it up a notch and get underneath himself. The horse responded by trying to flip his head up as he threw his shoulder to the outside. Jody countered so quickly snapping the outside line pushing the horse forward as he pulled the inside rein to correct the shoulder, the horse didn't have a chance.

One of the things I've noticed about rearing horses that throw themselves over backwards is they don't mind falling over if they are the one in charge of that fall. They hate, however, if they are caused to fall by a handler pulling them over. I was pretty sure that was one of the things Jody Strand was relying on. If he could make this horse rear and pull him down, he could teach the horse the behavior was too scary to attempt because it could be used against him. He could get this horse to avoid the behavior.

The more and more pressure Jody put on this horse, the less and less the horse resisted. He did attempt the same behavior he'd tried in the beginning to varying degrees but Jody was always right there blocking him.

Some horses might have fought in this situation but not this horse. He figured out quickly he did not want to take on Jody. This horse was smart and knew he'd been outclassed. Before long that horse was doing exactly as he was asked like he'd been doing it forever.

Jody took advantage of the situation to really put this horse through his paces. The horse rounded up beautifully going forward like he'd never thought about doing it differently. By the end of the session the horse was trotting and cantering both ways like a horse ready to go to nationals. It was a beautiful picture.

When Jody was finished with the horse, he rolled up the lines and brought the horse back to his owner. As he approached Jody confirmed my suspicion that he'd intended to pull the horse over given the opportunity. He said the horse was too smart to get himself into the situation and gave up trying before it ever reached that point. Jody chuckled as he said, "He's one smart horse."

I might add here this type of correction is not for the inexperienced handler. A horse could be seriously injured in an uncontrolled fall. Only someone who really understands how to safely do such a maneuver should ever attempt it. It's not something I would ever want to do.........but I was hoping to get the opportunity to see it done correctly. Guess that will have to wait for another day.

This experience with the horse in the long lines gave the owner the opportunity to see how she'd contributed to the horse's behavior. It also gave her the chance to see the horse really could be what she'd hoped. (I heard just this week the horse was sent to a competent trainer and is doing just fine.)

To be continued....................

The Pretty Bay Horse

Note: this picture is not the horse from the clinic. It is Louie in a pic from my archives.




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Jody Strand Clinic.....Scary Behavior

Part 1

This is probably a good place to interject my opinion about why horses take the easy way out. Some people think the horse is trying to cheat us. I think the horse is doing what Mother Nature programmed it to do.

A horse's instincts govern its behavior. It eats, sleeps, runs, breeds and defends itself based on instinct. Because horses rely on foraging for food for sustenance, Mother Nature has dictated they conserve energy so as not to burn more energy than they calories they can consume. It is this instinct to use a little energy as possible that causes the horse to look for the easiest way out.

Doing collected work is ONLY the easiest way out if we have figured out how to make it that way. Otherwise evasions like hollowing out it's back, dropping a shoulder and evading the bit among others are the easiest way for the horse. If we don't block those escapes, the horse will take that easier path.

It did not take long to figure out that Jody Strand is very much a believer in this same concept. He does not believe that horses are bad or cheaters just to spite us, they do it because they haven't been taught any better. If a horse is avoiding doing what we are asking it's rooted in a lack of understanding. Given the opportunity to do it correctly, almost every horse will do so.

Again, it is easier than it sounds. A perfect example was a very nice Echo Magnificoo gelding at the clinic. The minute the rider led that horse into the ring he caught my eye. He was a pretty chestnut with a gorgeous eye. He carried himself like he was something special.

This horse had a serious problem. If I remember correctly when pushed, he not only reared but wanted to throw himself over backwards. Obviously Jody Strand was not going to get on a horse with such a dangerous habit and he was hesitant about the rider getting on him as well.

The rider, however, wanted to show Jody what she was dealing with. She got on the horse and ask him to go forward. As long as she didn't push him beyond what he was willing to give, the horse was fine. Anything beyond that point and the horse evaded the bit, threw his head and approached that dangerous point where he might rear. The rider, of course, was intimidated by this behavior as most any sane rider would be. Unfortunately that only reinforced the behavior of the horse. Acting in that manner got the woman to back off which, of course, was a release. The horse learned the behavior was successful at accomplishing less work so he continue it any time he was asked to give more.

When I think about dealing with rearing horses, I know I want to work them for the ground. Working a horse in the long lines is a much safer way to teach the horse what I want it to do than trying from the horses back.

Most horses cannot rear and go forward at the same time. Those that can, cannot sustain it for long. Teaching a rearing horse to go forward has been the solution for any horse I have worked who has used rearing as a form of escape.
Knowing that rearing is all about a horse NOT going forward, I wondered if the situation with this chestnut horse could be recreated in the long lines. if that was the case, utilizing ground driving could help correct this difficult behavior in this horse.

As Jody talked a little with the owner about what it would take to push the horse through this bad behavior, he apologized for the fact it might be and even probably would be dangerous. He emphasized he did not want anyone to get hurt but he also emphasized the horse needed to be pushed forward through its resistance. He recommended she get someone experienced to deal with this telling her the intimidation she rightly felt was contributing to their problem.

Then Jody Strand made one of those statements that you rarely ever hear in the horse world today from professional trainers. He told her, "Normally I would tell someone with a horse doing things like this to sell the horse and move on. BUT this horse is worth fixing. He is a talented beautiful horse and will be worth the effort put into fixing him."

I cannot even tell you how surprised I was to hear those words. Most trainers think horses are disposable commodities no matter how good they are. I've seen many a good horse tossed aside because a trainer didn't want to take the time to deal with it. It was a relief to know there are good trainers out there who think a quality horse should be given the extra time to fix what needs fixing.

At this point the prospect of using long lines was mentioned to Jody Strand. As the words came out, I could see the light dawn on Jody Strand's face. The next words out of his mouth were a request for long lines.

To be continued......................

The Red Horse Meets the Long Lines and Jody




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Jody Strand Clinic - A Cold Cold Morning

Part 1

The morning the Jody Strand clinic began, I drug myself out of bed and forced myself up to go observe the first day of the clinic. My riding slot was not until the morning of the second day but I have always learned a lot by watching. Besides clinics are a nice way to touch base with other Arabian horse enthusiasts in the winter time. Those opportunities don't come often and I was looking forward to seeing some of my friends.

I dressed in as many layers of clothing as I could get on and still move. Sitting around in an arena for eight hours or so watching others ride is cold work. I threw my heatable cushion into the microwave to assure at least my tush was warm and folded up about four lap robes to take along with me. I grabbed a couple of bag chairs but I decided against my usual tablet and pen for note taking. At least I knew I was too tired for that. I justified it by telling myself I could hardly read my notes anyway............so what the heck. Then I stepped out into the cold moist morning air and wondered what in the heck I was doing going off to some cold barn when I could be snug in my warm bed.

Still I pushed to get myself into the car and down the road. I managed to get myself lost getting to this training facility...........a facility I'd been to dozens of times in the short time it's been there. I guess that should have told me I was too tired to be doing a clinic but when I'm tired, I guess I'm just not that bright. I had clinic on my mind and clinic was what I was going to do.

I had some trepidation once I got to the facility. I knew the woman who pretty much let me have it at the Region 5 Championships would be there. I hadn't thought about that when I'd decided to come. Now I just hoped she would be professional and leave me alone instead of preach at me about what she sees as my irresponsible breeding practices. We'd been in the midst of the horse show before so people around didn't seem to deter her so this time I was going to try and keep my distance.

Going through the front doors I realized not many people were inside even though there were a number of vehicles in the parking lot. The first person I saw was that woman I was trying to avoid and I was thinking I'd made a terrible mistake. Public confrontation is not my thing so I quickly headed off like I knew what I was doing, maybe I'd be OK. I couldn't help but wonder why people have to treat others this way. It makes things uncomfortable for everyone.

I was already thinking this clinic was not starting off well. Then I spotted my friends, Crystal and Mike Baker. Seeing them made me forget about the chasm between that woman who used to be my friend and me. I went straight over to where they were sitting and asked if I could join them. Crystal and I would be able to compare notes on what we thought about each horse and what its issues might be. That would be fun.

This clinic had been partially sponsored by DST Arabians. They had contributed funds so that kids could bring their horses to this clinic for free. Kids could also audit for free. DST had made this contribution a couple of years back wanting to help a child show who would not normally be able to afford it. The way the rules are written it wasn't OK to do this with show fees so it was decided the next best thing would be to provide access for the kids to a nationally known and respected trainer. Jody Strand had fit that bill perfectly.

Because of this sponsorship over half of the people at the clinic were kids with their horses and of course parents and even friends. There were 4-H level kids on up to those either showing or planning to show in the Arabian circuit. There were also people there who had brought their horses the year before. They were back to get more help from Jody. Others who had been auditing the clinic the year before had returned with horses this time. There were newly started horses and seasoned show horses. That made for a nice cross section of riders and issues to resolve.

I learned a long time ago that everything always goes back to the horse going forward. If the horse isn't doing that properly, it cannot do collected work. It might seem like an over simplification because a horse can exhibit more different behaviors in the avoidance of a task than one can count, but it is not. They may look like different issues...........but fundamentally they are all the same.

What is different is what it takes to communicate to each horse what it is we want. As riders we must find the way each particular horse understands before we can get it to do what is so simple for us to see. That is the part that is difficult. Each horse is different so each has a different way of evading lifting up its back and stepping deep underneath itself.

To be continued......................

Scary Behavior



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Jody Strand Clinic - Getting There

I arrived home from Tulsa Tuesday just before noon. The clinic started Saturday morning at 8 am at a facility about a half hour down the back roads from my farm. That meant there would be no Mickey D's on the way to grab a bite. I had to get up even earlier if I wanted to eat.

Considering how far behind on sleep I already was, I'm not really sure why I got it into my head that I needed to attend this clinic. I think it had to do with the fact Jody Strand had done a clinic for Daffodil the year before and I'd missed that one. I think it's the first time ever that I missed a Daffodil clinic other than the one done of showing sport horses in hand. (a clinic I now regret not attending.) Folks had said a lot of nice things about the Jody Strand clinic so I guess I wanted to see for myself.

Then there was the fact that last year my friend, Crystal Baker, spent a month at Jody Strand's training facility. She wanted to update her western pleasure skills for the Arabian show ring. She came home raving about Jody Strand. Crystal is like me. She is a tough critic and a kind hand. If she liked Jody Strand that much he was probably the kind of trainer I would like.

Also I really wanted some added input on Legs. Both Angie and Richard thought he was going well but I still wasn't happy. I was having trouble getting the horse to commit to the bridle and carry himself. I thought an outside opinion might be helpful in determining just what the issue was. I've learned from times past that those fresh eyes can see things those of us close to the situation miss.

I'd been mulling over attending this clinic long before I went to nationals. From the time they had confirmed Jody Strand would be returning for a second year, I had wanted to take a horse. The only reason I hadn't signed one up was my trip to Tulsa. I wasn't sure what that would cost me in the end and I didn't want to short myself. I left the clinic on my "wish list."

I figured if they still had a slot available when I returned, then it was probably meant to be. To be honest I really tested this theory. I didn't even call to see if they had room for me until Thursday night and then I only took one space but asked about two. I was told the clinic was full after my one horse was accepted. There were a couple slots at the end of the last day that could be filled if necessary. The guy running the clinic was hoping that would not be necessary. Me, I was hoping I could take a second horse.

I have always been a light sleeper and rarely am I able to sleep during the day. Even though my tail was dragging, I was not doing much napping during the day and only getting eight hours at night. I was getting in a power nap here and there during the day but certainly not enough for me to catch up on my much needed lost sleep.

I did, however, feel better during the day than I had during the drive home. I think that sense of "better" lulled me into thinking I was back to normal. Looking back, I was far from normal by the weekend.

Another thing I had not considered was how tired my horse might be. I was dragging so much I really hadn't thought about my horse along those same lines. I knew he was safe in his stall and happy to be home. I guess in my head it meant that he was fine. I'd checked to see how he was doing but more along the lines of how all the horses were doing.......not looking at him differently like a horse that had just completed a long, stressful trip. It just hadn't occurred to me that Legs might not be recovered by the weekend.

Looking back I don't remember what I had done those fourteen years ago when Dandy and I arrived home. I think I'd given him a couple of days of stall rest before turning him out with other horses. I don't remember Dandy showing me any telling signs that he was exhausted.

That trip to Albuquerque had been nearly one thousand miles shorter than my trip home from Tulsa. I guess I just didn't realize there was that much difference in the distance between the two trips or that my horse would be more affected by the additional distance. Before the weekend was over I'd have a new perspective on this.

To be continued..............

A Cold Cold Morning



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More Catching Up...........with a few Answers

There have been lots of questions that I haven't answered since I returned from Tulsa. I don't like to leave loose ends hanging so I thought I'd catch up with as many of those as I can before moving on to Jody Strand.

First off Molly asked about Scottsdale. We have talked about going and meeting there, however, this will not be the year. Scottsdale really just is a very expensive A rated show. It is as costly to show there as it is at the US All Arabian National Horse Show. The advantage of showing at Scottsdale is it is a great place to market horses and get what they are truly worth.

I can really only afford to go show there if I have a horse I want to sell that is ready to compete at that level. It doesn't do any good to take a prospect there. To sell, the horse has to be out there doing its job and looking great.

Despite the fact we started those three geldings in the fall of 2008, I wasn't even working any of them at the time the entries closed for Scottsdale. Even if I had been, I'm sweating whether any of them will be ready when show season starts this spring. Scottsdale will have to wait for another year...........hopefully 2011

Fantastyk Voyager didn't really ask a question but she was surprised when I said we were planning on attending US Nationals again this year. I thought I really should say that decision was made recently. When I first got home I swore I'd never make that trip again. Time heals all kinds of things........even trauma from the trip from h*ll.

With that being said if something isn't different this time around, I won't be going again any time soon. I have already figured out alternative plans to bet my horses out there. That would be Scottsdale and the Canadian Nationals. There is a possibility I will attempt the Canada show this year. They have added the select rider division for that show. It would be a shame for me not to utilize that while I still can.

Katee has suggested that I might find a teenager to take in and mentor. That would help me out while I helped the teenager learn. It would sure help with the issues associated with travelling to horse shows among other things.

As many of you know I tried that with my grand daughter(although Rachel did not live with me) and it didn't work but I'm not ready to throw out the idea just because of Rachel. I'm well aware she is one fish in a very large pond. I am certainly open to such a solution. As a matter of fact I have been considering it for quite some time. I haven't, however, been able to locate such a teenager. Most of the ones I know don't really want to work hard. They just want to have fun and leave the work to others.

I did think I found an appropriate young woman at US Nationals but she ended up used and abused by a BNT and went home early. I have her phone number but so far we have not been able to connect. If the opportunity should present itself and it looked like someone whose values would work here, I'd be open to giving it a try. That's for sure. If you know any prospects, send them my way, please!!!

"DJ" asked about a man, maybe my trainer to make the trip to nationals with me. I had to laugh if just for a moment. Part of me thinks a man is the last thing I needed on that trip........and as for a trainer, I don't really have a trainer so to speak. Richard has done training with some of my horses but he openly steps up and says he is NOT a trainer per se. It's probably a funny little line but we seem to collaborate on our training together. I don't think Richard thinks of himself as my trainer........but I'll ask him.

However, with that being said Angie and Richard are planning on going to nationals this year. They are planning on taking three horses. One of which just happens to be Scandalous Storm. They expect the stallion will be in the ring in western pleasure this spring. And, of course, I will post updates on Storm's progress.

Storm is not, however, the Legs' baby I was talking about taking to the show this year. DJ asked which one and in all honesty, I do not know. Who will depend on who is ready at the time the entries to that show close.

I am hoping that will be Tag for the Amateur Owner Hunter Pleasure Maturity........but he had a long way to go. Not to mention the twenty pounds I need to lose so I can get my custom made hunt boots on.............. I'm figuring the weight will drop when I get up to load number three a day. Wish me luck!

I hope that's all the questions. If I missed some, let me have them again and I'll try to get them answered. In the meantime I want to say I appreciate everyones support through this journey. Even though I didn't get to post this story as it happened, I knew you were out there "wishing" me through all the tough times.



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Catching Up...........

It's been two and a half months since I got home from my trip to Tulsa and the US All Arabian National Horse Show. While it's taken me a while to recuperate a lot has happened here.

Shortly after I arrived home, Dave was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes...not that it was a surprise to me. I've been warning him he was heading down that path. Since his diagnosis, he's lost about twenty pounds and would be feeling better if he wasn't haven't chronic problems with his back. Something he still wasn't willing to address at this time but it left Lindsay and I short handed.

The first clear day after my return home I was determined to put as many horses outside as I could get . Because we're on a small property for a herd the size of mine, the turnouts need to be in shifts. Sometimes those shifts can be in one day.......other times we alternate days to make sure all the horses get time to play.

Getting the most horses out at one time meant putting out mares and fillies. The boys would have to wait for another day. I was pretty sure with as much time as these horses had been cooped up they weren't going to ready to come in until dinner time.

My farm is cross fenced so I can keep horses that don't get along separated. Surprise never knows when to quit bossing her peers around so she's had to be removed from that group. Her knew pasture mate is Scarlet. Scarlet also believes she "should" be in charge but she is so enamored with the older, wiser Surprise that lets her run the show.

Surprise and Scarlet were the first pair of horses I put out on that day. Surprise minded her manners on the way to their paddock but she balked at the puddle in the gateway. Normally puddles can set poor Surprise on her ear but she was so determined to be free she didn't take much coaxing.
Scarlet on the other hand was having great problems controlling her excitement. All the way up to the paddock I was correcting her for rushing and wildly tossing that head of hers. Just before we reached the paddock the excited filly jumped in front of me, twirled around and nearly flattened me with a nasty assault with both hind legs.

I saw it coming and managed to turn just enough to partially deflect some of the force of the blow to both my legs. One foot glanced off my right leg and the other ricocheted from my calf to behind my knee on up to the inside of my thigh. Somehow I stayed on my feet, corrected Scarlet and got her into her paddock with Surprise.

In defense of Scarlet I'd like to say this accident really was my fault. I knew she was jumping out of her skin anticipating getting to run and play and I took my mind off of what she was doing. For some reason I was suddenly struck by how much she'd grown since I'd turned her out and I took a long look at her. That brief distraction was enough for her to get ahead of me.......and I paid the price.

I forced myself to get rest of the young fillies and mares out. The older mares I left to Lindsay. I knew that even though they had been cooped up like all the others, they would not give Lindsay a hard time.

When I was finished turning horses out, I headed for the house to survey the damage to my legs. As usually I did not go to the doctor. I figured nothing was broken and I'd do better keeping ice on my injuries than sitting in the doctor's office waiting for hours for him to tell me to ice them.

I normally do not really like ice on my body. I'm freezing most of the time and do not relish anything that will make me any colder but on this day and for days to come ice was my friend. My legs swelled so much I could hardly get my jeans up. The first day I actually wore jeans out of the house was for the Jody Strand clinic.

If I had any notion to work horses, this injury would have slowed me down for a week or two. I still don't believe I went to the clinic and expected to ride with both legs as bruised up as they were. This is definitely the most bruised I have ever been by a horse........aside from riding accidents of course. To this day I still have some discoloration on the inside of my left thigh.......but then I still have a little discoloration from my experience with Reflection and that's been two years ago.

Even though I started off slowly getting back into my routine of working horses, I managed to aggravate an old injury. I have irritated this injury before and its always managed to heal on its own. This time, however, not only did it not get better, it actually began to get worse. One night I was actually awakened by throbbing pain in my arm and shoulder.

Despite my best efforts to avoid the doctor's office, it seemed the only way I was going to get any relief. I was hoping my doctor would give me a prescription for muscle relaxers and I'd be on my way. Instead he gave me a referral for physical therapy.

I started the PT right before the Christmas holidays. Just the appointment to determine the status of my injury made me so sore it compromised my ability to work horses. While I would have liked to be up to three loads of horses a day at this point, I have barely made it to two and that second load I only added last week.

Throughout this time Richard hasn't been available either. There's been an assortment of issues there but the crux of it is that when I did begin to work horses, I have been working them alone at Richard and Angie's place. Last week was the beginning of Richard working any of my horses on a regular basis again. However, he's not working the number he was before, nor the days.

Dave's back issues have only gotten worse despite several trips to the doctor. He finally decided to listen to me and go to the doctor requesting a referral for physical therapy. He started that only last week. He still is unable to do any chores on the farm and both Lindsay and I are getting a bit fried.

The current horses being worked are Percy, Louie, Tag, Legs, Suede and Reflection. I will be posting specifics on the progress of these horses once I get the series done about the Jody Strand Clinic (which I promise is coming next!)

As a little teaser I'd like to say the safest ride yesterday turned out to be on Reflection. Tag reared and Legs did a flying broncy leap that would make any bucking horse proud. Both horses were in a lot of trouble. Tag's issue has to do with fear of other horses......and Legs' problem is the same old troll thing. This time the troll was dirt hitting a closed arena door that normally isn't closed...........poor baby.

Next I'm going to answer a bunch of questions from readers that have piled up. Then I'll be on to the Jody Strand clinic I must say I loved Jody Strand. I'm looking forward to sharing the experience.


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Blogging Milestones

This week I reached a milestone in my blogging career. I posted my 1000 entry. Since I still had not completed the series about my trip to Tulsa, I decided I would not interrupt that conclusion with yet another delay. That made my 1000th post part of the final chapter in that story, The Adventure Continues.........A Little Witching Hour

I would suppose given my history anything with witching hour in the title would be considered appropriate for such a milestone. Of course I say that just a tad bit tongue in check......but what the heck. For a farm that raises "scandalous" horses, it makes sense..........doesn't it.

That post is not the only milestone that has passed this month. My third year blogging anniversary landed right smack dab in the middle of the final leg of my Tulsa story. I began blogging on January 7, 2007 with Trash Talking Arabian Horses I followed it up with more of my opinions about Arabian horses. Then I introduced my readers to a man who has had a great influence in the way I deal with horses. Harvey Jacobs and Arabian Horses To this day those first lessons with Harvey still play in my head nearly every day. I also shared the saga of Trouble and Surprise Reflections on Foaling Season 2006 - The Twins in that first month.

I swear it doesn't feel like it's been anywhere near three years since I began posting. However, when I go back through the months and months of posts in my archives, it amazes me all the things that are there I had forgotten. I think I'm going to spend going back through those early posts to refresh my memory..........at my age, I can use all the help I can get with my memory!

While we're on the subject of memories, who knows which horse is in this picture?


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The Aftermath

In all, counting the added hours I picked up driving from the central time zone to the pacific, the trip took me about 56 hours. I figured most of those were actual road time. Many of my stops at stations for fuel where under fifteen minutes except some of those with Jesse (Those guys could drag out a stop! LOL) . I didn't make a single stop solely to get food. AND most importantly I'd slept at the most about six hours, although that's probably generous.

I will never do that again. I misjudged the miles involved between stops and ended up driving when it was dangerous. It was equally as dangerous to pull off in the pass. It was a catch 22 so I took my chances driving trusting myself more than some of those crazy drivers whizzing through those roads.

I'd like to say I slept the entire first week I was back. The truth is, I did not! I did sleep a lot those first three days but there were things to do here that were more important than sleep.

I went to a Jody Strand clinic put on by the Daffodil Arabian Horse Association the very weekend I got home. I didn't just go to watch, I took two horses to ride. Talk about not knowing one's limits.........here I go again. I'm sure that decision affected my recovery time.

In all it was over a month before I began working horses again. I was just too exhausted to even consider it before then. When I did, it was only a couple of horses. I still have not worked up to my usual schedule of three loads a day.

The horses were equally as exhausted. Even when we pulled into the farm, their response was not what I expected. Normally when we return after a horse show, sometimes even after a schooling excursion, the farm is electrified with the calls of horses. In this instance the horses at home had plenty to say, the horses in the trailer only perked up their ears. Even Legs walking up to his stall did not raise his head at the call of one of his mares, let alone vocalize a response.I've never seen the horse so tired.

I might add my help at home did not really take care of my herd the way that I'd wanted. Despite complete sets of instructions on what to do and NOT to do, some things were just not done. That old saying "While the cats away the mice will play" definitely rang true here.

The horses were none the worse for wear but it still bothers me their care was less than desired. Mostly it was about stalls that weren't cleaned daily. Part of them were done but not all..........not on any day. I don't know how that all worked. All I know is how much bedding was gone through when I was gone. That tells me it didn't get terrible.......they just didn't do all 26 stalls each day.

The other thing that didn't happen was horses did not get turned out. The entire three weeks I was gone my poor horses stood in their stalls. I got a call one day that Dare had grabbed Lindsay by her shoulder. It threw Lindsay off balance (Lindsay has impaired balance) and she feel to the ground. Now I know why. Dare was trying to tell Lindsay she was getting claustrophobic with that colt still at her side. (I'm not making excuses for the mare, it is what it is. BUT had she been turned out even a couple of times, it never would have happened)

Granted part of the time the weather was horrible but Lindsay and Dave did not take advantage of the good days. They just let the horses stand in their stalls and took advantage of me not being here to remind them of what the horses needed.......even though I was asking on phone calls. Before I can ever go again, this situation will have to be fixed.

The other thing I would hope to remedy is being at the horse show alone. It was not fun having no one to share this adventure with. Communications with people from home was limited.......not by me but by them. Sometimes I was downright lonely. I would certainly prefer to have a companion who cared about horses on this trip. Someone to sit at ringside with and talk about what's happening in the ring would have been really nice.

Not long after I came back I watched a show about former Biggest Loser contestants. On it one of the former winners talked about his goal of doing the Iron Man Triathalon in Hawaii. He made this comment about just once in your life pushing yourself beyond the limits of anything you've ever believed you could attain. For me..........that was this trip.

Not the actual being at nationals part, that part was easy compared to the actual getting there and getting home. Being a sixty-two year old woman in fairly reasonable health, that kind of trip is still daunting.........especially for someone who doesn't even go to the grocery store......unless forced.

For the record, I get forced about once a year........and that is usually horse show related or even that wouldn't happen. I not only don't like to shop, I just don't like to go. I prefer to be at home.

Add to that driving straight through.........and you've got a whole other issue. Both my body and my mind were pushed to the limits. I tried to show that as I wrote these posts. I hope it came across. It's sure not a trip I would recommend for the faint of heart. I have a whole new respect for myself that I even accomplished it!

I know I've mentioned this more than once but being geographically challenged figures into this. I hate being lost. I hate the uncertainty of what can happen when I'm not where I'm supposed to be. I don't trust that things will work out under those conditions. In other words, I hate feeling vulnerable to whatever life might throw my way.

I have heard horror stories about trips to nationals and Scottsdale ever since I got involved with showing horses. I have friends who have lost horses on these trips........and others who have lost trucks and/or trailers..........and still others who have had major repairs on these outings. It seems like everyone I know has at least one horror story about such a trip.

Maybe it's a right of passage............whatever it is, I now have mine out of the way. I'm hoping from here on out it will be smooth sailing AND you can bet I'll be doing everything I can to NEVER AGAIN make this trip alone. I have tested the fates as much as I dare.

Does that mean I am planning on returning to nationals again? Well, if I can scrape the money together, I'm really shooting for 2010. I believe my horse WILL indeed be ready by then............I'll just have to keep you posted. In the meantime I will be working towards that goal..........and this time along with Legs, I'd like to be taking one of his babies.


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The Adventure Continues.........The Final Day......

The Adventure Begins

As I pulled out of this rest stop within a state park, I figured I would only drive as far as I thought was safe. If that meant I needed to pull into the next rest stop, that's exactly what I was going to do. I was not taking anymore risks with my life or the lives of my horses by falling asleep at the wheel.

In those two hours while I was stopped, the weather had taken a turn for the worse. A storm had moved in, where it wasn't raining miserably with high, it was a very dense fog. I had trouble finding the white line to even guide me back onto the freeway whichever way it was.

When I reached the freeway, things were not much better. Visibility was in the toilet and I don't think it was because I was sleep deprived. Under any conditions this type of driving is bad news. I adjusted my rate of speed to suit these road conditions as well as my personal conditions.

Occasionally, a vehicle would whiz by me but they were few and far between. The driving conditions soon began to take their toll on me. Before long I was fighting nodding off to sleep with everything I had. It was time for another rest stop.

Mostly the rest stops in Oregon and Washington come about forty miles apart. I imagine that's about what it was when I saw that next green sign saying there was a rest stop in a mile. I counted on that mile going by quickly and I signalled my exit as soon as I caught a glimpse of the next time.

I was hoping this rest stop was the traditional kind of stop I expect to find in Oregon. Although as I weaved my way around some more winding roads, I began to loose hope of that. The area for the trucks as not paved and I saw no evidence of rest rooms. I was thankful I hadn't been drinking caffeine on this trip. I'd have been in a world of hurt by now not being able to use a bath room since the Hitchcock rest stop in the pass.

There was little parking available because most rigs were still hunkered for the night. I crept along slowly looking for any place that might accommodate my rig. From what I could tell there really wasn't any designated layout for this place. Rigs were just parked wherever they could.

About the time I thought I would have to give up on finding a place to park, I heard a truck start up. It turned out that rig was just a ways down from me. I had to wait until that rig was warmed up and had pulled out before I could park in its place but it was better than having to get back on the road to find another place to stop.

Once again I grabbed my pillow and my blankets so I could settle down to get some sleep. Just like at the last rest stop I slept until a horse woke me up. This time I don't think I made the two hour mark. It was more like an hour and a half..........and even that might be generous. The horses were definitely feeling the results of not stopping for an overnight out of the trailer at Jesse's farm. I felt bad for them cooped up in the trailer but it sure wasn't safe to get them out to stretch.

The skies had lightened up some by the time I got ready to go this time. I feed the horses and retied my load before I even tried to go back to the freeway. I could see more of the rest area than I had when I'd arrived. It looked more like a big vacant lot than any rest stop I've ever used.........but at least I got some sleep. That's what matters I guess.....still this isn't a place I would have willing chosen. Someone more familiar with this route would have had much better options. My ignorance about travelling was taking its toll.

As I pulled back onto the freeway, I checked my fuel gauge again. It was getting near the time I would need fuel. I remembered on the trip down diesel had been difficult to locate in this part of the state. My guess is that was because it wasn't marked on the state road signs that indicated stations, not because there wasn't diesel available. I planned to stop at the first station I saw and take my chances.

Again I found myself in a situation. Coming down the off ramp I could see the station but I couldn't tell which road led to it. I ended up taking the road to the right and it turned out to be the wrong choice. I found myself driving a couple of miles down a frontage road next to the freeway before I could find a place suitable to turn around.

Even when I got back up near the station again from this new vantage point, it was still confusing trying to figure out how to actually get to the station. I ended up driving around a bit before I got to the right place to enter the station's parking lot. Once there getting lined up with the pump that had diesel wasn't easy either. It's a good think I'd had some sleep. I'm pretty sure my patience would have gone and I'd have blown a big big fuse.

In Oregon there is no such thing as "self serve" at a gas station. It's the law there. All fuel must be pumped by a paid attendant. Supposedly this law is about safety. The powers that be think normal people aren't capable of pumping gas safely.

My first trip to nationals with Dandy those fourteen years ago, an Oregon gas attendant pumped gasoline into my diesel tank. As you might imagine letting someone else pump my fuel now always makes me nervous. I waited for this attendant to grab the green diesel nozzle before I raced off to the much needed rest room.

While I was waiting for the attendant to even come to my vehicle, I'd opened all three of the horses windows. I figured at this stage of the trip they should know how to hand their heads out together. It was quite a sight coming out of that station looking at all three of my horses studying the activities of the woman pumping my fuel.

The woman didn't know what to think. She didn't know anything about horses and was a bit intimidated by them. Although it was obvious she had some curiosity about them as well. When I returned she began barraging me with questions about horses.

A little ways into our conversation she told me that she didn't think Rhet liked Gypcy. I laughed as I explained to her that Rhet liked Gypcy just fine. He just didn't want her sticking her face into his space......since he didn't have all that much space to begin with.

This stop is when I took the picture I posted the day of my return. It's the same picture I posted on the top of this blog. The sun was not up yet but it was my last stop in the dark.

I stopped at the next two rest stops sleeping for as long as the horses would allow. Well, let me be honest here. The horse causing the problem turned out to be none other than Legs.

The stallion had had it with being in the horse trailer for over forty-eight hours without getting out. He was quiet when the rig was moving..........and only allowed me one hour breaks when it was not. Then the horse would begin jumping around so dramatically that the horse trailer would actually shake the truck. It felt like an earthquake with the whole vehicle heaving back and forth. The horse never said a word...........he didn't have to, I got the point.

I did try to look in to see exactly what he was doing. The horse would stop when I got within his field of vision. I never did get to see the "picture" of his contortions but my guess is he was a real bucking bronc and pro rodeo circuit bronc would love to emulate!

From this point forward my trip was pretty much about the same. I only had to make one more stop for fuel. That was the usual station I stop at whenever I travel to Salem. The rest of the way, it was about driving and one potty stop. I pulled into my driveway just before noon on Tuesday.

I was home........but nobody else was. I ended up without any help to unload the horses. I called Dave on his cell in a conversation I cannot repeat. By the time he arrived, he was able to help me retrieve my pillow from the truck and I headed off to sleep.

The Aftermath

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