What Makes A Great Show Day?

Just got back from the Youth and Open Show at Columbia Riding Club in Columbia, PA.  Adam and I showed all three horses and we drove off of the show grounds with a healthy stack of ribbons.  All three horses contributed to that stack.  But horse shows aren't just about how many ribbons you win. During the hour drive back to the barn, I thought about what made this such a great show.  It certainly was well-run and nicely organized.  But the primary thought that popped into my mind was that each horse remembered its training and did its job.   You can't ask for much more than that.  

Riding Into The Wind Didn't Slow Us Down

Well maybe it did just a little.  We went to Evergreen Farm for our training lesson on the horses today and it was so windy it felt as though Tempo, my sorrel appendix QH, was struggling to carry us into the wind.  We were up on the hill in the outdoor arena.  Adam was riding Melody, who goes along nicely on the rail and seems well-broke,  but when you bring her off  the rail to pass another horse or cut across the ring or circle in the center, she loses confidence, wants to take charge of the ride and speeds up.    Trainer Terry Helder said she is somewhat insecure.  She's leaning on the rail too much so he wants us to work her more in the center or stay 20 feet or so off the rail.   Also, he had us work on teardrop reverse turns.  When you're on the rail you circle back the other way, slow to a trot or walk and then push the horse back to the rail.  It gets them listening and if they start to speed up you slow them to a walk or trot.  When you canter across the middle of the ring,--away from the rail--they have to maintain the same speed.  If they start to speed up, you drop to a walk .  The idea is that you don't keep letting them speed up when they feel like it.  They're not the driver, you are.  If they don't do what you ask for, you've got to stop them right away so they understand that you are in charge.   I worked on the same thing with Tempo, which Terry said will bring some variety into his training so he doesn't get bored.        

Haven't You Learned How To Ride YET?

I've been riding for 30 years and people can never understand why I still take lessons.  Every week we trailer to Terry Helder's place in Wrightsville, Pa.   Terry is a trainer, breeder and show judge and he runs Evergreen Farm with his wife, Peg.  They are both wonderful teachers and we have learned so much from them.  During the show season, Terry watches us perform and then tailors our lessons to any problems we had during the show.   When show season is over, he takes a more long-range approach, giving us riding exercises to work on and helping us to train both ourselves and our horses.  When we look back over a year of lessons, we can clearly see how we have progressed from one show season to the next.      

This Little Racehorse Needs A Name

This filly is only eight days old and she's already practicing for her first race, running through the field as her mother sets the pace.  She needs a name that reflects her winning potential and celebrates her Indian heritage, which includes one family member named Cherokee Baby.   Any ideas for a name? 

Heather's Newborn Filly

It's hard to look at this little one and not see a sunny future.  In just a few days, she should be outside starting her new life  in the field with her mother, Hazy.       

Check out these great round bale feeders!

Horses are high maintenance animals and it can be frustrating when you spend more time on barn chores than you do in the saddle perfecting your equitation skills.   We decided early in the winter to try long-lasting round bales so we wouldn't have to haul small square bales all over the farm every day. Each of our three horses has a private paddock with a run-in shelter. We planned to put the round bales in the shelters to keep them dry but our hay supplier also suggested that we needed to put each bale in a feeder or there would be a lot of waste.   The metal or plastic feeders we saw online take up a lot of space and cost hundreds of dollars each. We needed three.  So we decided instead to order three "big bale buddies, " which are heavy-duty nylon bags that cost less than $100 each.  We couldn't be happier with our decision, although we do wish we had ordered the biggest bags available.  The big bale buddy fits tightly and is a bit challenging to get on.   If the bale is huge, you may have to peel off a layer of hay.  But it keeps the hay fresh and inside the bag and there's very little waste.  One bale is enough for one horse for at least a month.  That's at last four weeks for us to forget about hay and focus on getting our horses flexible and in the bridle for show season. 

Love This Trailer

We trailered our three horses in the Eby today and everything went smoothly--a big relief because this new transportation for them was a big ticket item.  It's a stock trailer that we customized to give us two forward facing side by side stalls with chest bar and head space in the front.  A floor to ceiling door separates the two stalls from an open area for one horse in the rear. It seems to be a very workable design.  I started jamming saddles and other supplies into the back seat of the truck and then I remembered the dressing room.  How can it get any better than this?