Video of Tax

Here's the link. Check it out and let me know what you think. He's out of shape and green but I still think he's pretty. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXPP_O8K5QU

Creating a sale video and new prospects

I took Tax to my trainer's barn this morning so her advertising person could make a sale video of him. He was really good both getting in the trailer and while we were there. The assistant trainer rode him and he looked amazing. The trainer liked him more than I thought she would and thinks I've got him underpriced so I may repost his ad and see what happens. I should have the link in a couple of days so I'll post it and you guys will get to see Tax hard at work. Yay!

I've been looking at horses for my second prospect. :) Here's pics of a yearling the trainer wants me to buy. I'm not sure about a baby but the trainer is really good with them and I could start the APHA shows slowly with a year of halter, showmanship or lunge line. I don't know... He does have a nice butt though.

They says he's got nice movement and will be a good WP prospect. I'm kinda thinking for a second horse I'd like a HUS horse though. I feel ridiculous in a cowboy hat.

She also has a gelding in training for sale that I love but he's registered AQHA. No one from the barn shows AQHA and I really feel like I'd like to have support when I start showing. I'm a wuss that way. Anyway, he's 3 and already 16.3. He's built like a warmblood but moves like a quarter horse. He's dark bay and beautiful. Yep, love. I heard they're also getting his half brother who's steel grey and just as big. I may not be able to resist... I do not need a gigantic quarter horse, I do not need a gigantic quarter horse, I do not need....

Here's a picture of our new puppy Bella. She's seriously the best puppy ever. Great personality and wonderful with the kids. Our barn owner found her running around stray. I wish I'd gotten a pic when I first got her and now so you could see how much weight she's gained. I have no idea how she got the way she was, but people suck sometimes. You could feel every rib and every knob of her spine. Her back in was so thin she looked sucked up. I haven't even had her two weeks and she pretty much looks like a regular dog again.

I told Nikita, our older dog, I'd post her lovely pic too so she wouldn't be jealous. Pretty girl and playing so nicely with the new puppy. I'm proud of her.

Our First Showmanship Clinic

Did I mention Grace isn't finished in Showmanship? We had fun anyway and it gives the trainer something else to do. They're going to work on it. Yuck and I think I gained back all the weight I lost before the surgery so I have a project too.

Here are the pics. I traded off with my niece and we used Gracie and Reggie. Reggie is another client's horse. He's a beautiful mover and wonderfully trained so please ignore his lack of conditioning and his awful haircut. He came back to the barn looking like that.

The Reginator. The funniest part is his owner calls him Armani now. Not exactly what I think of when I hear Armani.

And Miss Grace. I love this horse.

Gracie with the neice person.













Hanging out together with our horse buddies...

I also got a new show saddle. It looks so pretty on Grace. Please try to ignore whatever the kid did with the reins. We had a long lesson about keeping her hands down with the curb bit in unless she's asking for something. Her Eq is actually improving pretty quickly. Now we just need to convince her to be more commanding but Showmanship should help with that.

The neice trying on show clothes. These were pretty darn funny. We're so not cowboys.

Good news. A trainer came to try December today and liked her. She asked me to do a 30 day trial so she can have a couple of her students try her out. I decided to give it a shot against my better judgement but I liked her, and she rode December really well. I've seen her place and it's very nice. I'll be out to check on her frequently to make sure she's being cared for. Please pray for me it be a good fit. I know they liked her training but were worried about the fact she's a windsucker. I keep a collar on her in the barn and she doesn't do it in the pasture. I hope they get over it. Also, they were worried about the scars on her leg. They do look pretty ugly, but she admitted she was happily surprised that she's totally sound.

I need to get money in the bank for at least one of the TBs and I have my eye on a pretty little paint pleasure horse already. She's the mare I took my first WP lesson on. She's come a long way and is an amazing little horse. Great personality too. Keep your fingers crossed that I get one of mine sold before she gets sold. I figure if its meant to be it will happen. :)

Also, I got a puppy for Valentine's Day. She was just a stray one of the girls at the barn found but I like her. She's a black lab mix and has curly hair all down her back; maybe a Chesapeake Bay cross. Cutest little thing ever. I'll get some pics. She's the best puppy I've ever met. So sweet and doesn't jump, bite or get rough at all. She's about 4 months old and she already comes, sits and walks on the leash ok. Now, we just have to get her to learn her new name...Bella.

Haven't been around for a while...

I realized I haven't posted since December. Hopefully some folks hung in there with me. At the beginning of January I started having problems with abdominal pain again and ended up in emergency surgery. Turns out that I had adenomyosis, a condition where the lining of the uterus grows into the wall. Mine had ruptured my uterine wall and was extremely painful. That meant doing the surgery the old fashioned was instead of getting to have a minimally invasive surgery so I haven't been able to ride for the last 6 weeks. I just started riding Grace again because I'm less worried about her acting up and it's going well.

The good news is I feel like I'm getting the hang of the pleasure thing. Got to the barn early this morning and Beth, the assistant trainer asked me if I wanted a lesson. Perfect. Grace is in a new bit, something with a little more bite. Beth asked me to jog her and pull up to bump her mouth if she sped up. We worked on the timing so I'm doing it right before she really speeds up. Grace's head dropped long and low. I smiled; after the first time I bumped her down she seemed to realize I was going to make her do this. She moved nice and slower than ever before for me. Next we worked on stopping. Stopping for real. Beth and I laughed about how whoa for jumpers means to slow down for a couple strides before an fence and has nothing to do with stopping. Some H/J riders who move on to other disciplines have a bad habit of saying whoa without actually expecting a stop. I'm guilty. I'm learning to feel it when she stops with her butt underneath her. The first one was bad and Beth told me to really pull her up and back her. I caught her pretty good with that bit and finally got a reaction from dull Ms. Gracie. "Bet she stops the next time," Beth called out. "That's what we wanted." I must have looked a little shocked. After that I didn't have to ask hard for a whoa. Next up was the lope. I actually got a WP lope from my speedy little mare. The first take off was beautiful. We practiced half way around the arena and whoa. Then walk, lope and whoa again half way around. It was good to stop before we had time to fall apart. I felt like I was sitting better than ever before and not falling over with every stop. And I did all of it one handed!

Tomorrow I was invited by Grace's trainer to attend a showmanship clinic she's teaching. I love having a trainer that's involved and helpful. She helped me find a show saddle and bridle and offered to take me to find show clothes. Have I mentioned I love this? I've made a difficult decision to sell both December and Tax. I really want to focus my time and money on something I'm loving so much right now. I thought I had December sold then I had the surgery so unexpectedly and lost contact with the buyer. She got another horse while I was laid up. Maybe I'll have better luck next time?