Deezie Update and the Tulsa State Fair

Hello my YaYa Sista's! My Kansas travel schedule has really kept my yaya rides limited this past summer but I keep hoping for good riding weather at the same time as my riding availabity.

Meanwhile, after several months of founder-recovery, Diez has been calling from the round pen for attention and moving around pretty well. So, Sunday afternoon, Alaina rode her at a walk around the arena and over some cavaletti poles for 10 or 15 minutes. Diez seemed to enjoy her outing and Alaina was happy even without trot or canter. Later this week, we will visit Doc Shipman for a laminitis checkup. I hope her reversed shoes will have done the trick and that Dr. S will release her for some more riding workouts.

The girls rode in the Tulsa State Fair Horseshow on Sat. so Splash and I didn't get our party lesson at Patty's. But Shannean rode Splash in both western and english classes - even placing 8th in Hunter Under Saddle - very impressive. However, Hunt Seat Eq didn't have the required canter - surprise-surprise. Ivy rode Pico well with her cast but the Judge didn't look twice at the arab cross with correct canter leads. Alaina and Sunny got placed in Showmanship, Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Seat Eq, and Wst. Pleasure even with a couple of incorrect leads. Sunny's (OSU Taris Two Grand) half-bro Charlie (OSU Triple My Check) was there with Madison from Ponca City and it is always fun to have the palomino girls riding together. Charlie used to be Amanda B's mount in 4-H back in the day. We also got to see Ruthie and Istari and hang with Jean.

I worked Splash a little on Sunday afternoon, a little leg yielding and some turns on 4hand and haunches. Leftover puddles from last weeks 4-in rain hampered canter work. Ruthie dropped by and worked Pico, who was VERY good. Now, if we can get just plain Good at the next dressage show, Ruthie will be sitting pretty.

Looks like I will miss the ride this Wed. (Ks again) and that Patty will be at a clinic this weekend (so no party lesson) but I will work Splash SOMETIME.. So, until we ride again..... YaYa

GCC Ed. Program- Tai Chi for Equestrians!!!

Howdy all you sista's! Today was the Tai Chi program for equestrians at Kay Kamish's lovely Rivendell Farm. First Kay explained to us the basic concepts of mind and body control and finding your center. SO that we can join with the horses' center! Tension is as we all know, a no-no!
Then we did ground exercises which I found very beneficial. We learned how to breath letting our stomachs get soft and breath deeper into the abdomen(well not really but you let your center of gravity fall this low...) Then we learned how to stand and meditate and step side to side without leaning to keep our balance. We did single iron arm stretches and lifting/pressing exercises with our breathing. This last part can be very beneficial to helping one sit the trot as it helps get that center lower and channel it's power. Some hip circles and bending with an arch then rolling the back finished off our ground exercises. Next were some partnered exercises which we mostly opted not to do in lieu of taking a short break before watching Jennifer demonstrate Tai Chi on horseback which you see up top. Then Shannean rode Finnegan to demonstrate how we can easily learn Tai Chi to help us allow the horse to perform.


If you missed this program, we missed you! Still an enjoyable, educational, fun day was had by all as we soaked up some early fall sun. Laughter was included, free of charge.

Hope to see you all again soon! Marsha

Fair Report

Ah, the 2009 County Fair was here and we survived. Ivy got to ride some classes even with her right arm in a cast.

She got buckle fractures in both bones a week ago racing with the neighbor kids and her sister. Her doctor gave the OK for riding - I said NO jumping, speed or halter/showmanship.

Both girls had some good rides - most impressive were their 3rd and 4th placings in trail and Ivy's 1st place in Hunt Seat Eq. Shannean rode Splash and had some good moments.

He was not so good in the pattern classes - being very resistant to prompt canter transitions.

The fair ended with the fun show and cloverbud show today and it's a good thing - I was getting tired.

At the fun show on Sunday, the kids did the Magazine Relay, Water Cup Relay, Tennis Ball relay, and TP races; in the TP race, Alaina and Ivy rode their horses around the barrel holding a length of TP between them without breaking.

GCC Sept Show at Wind Valley 9/19

Well it was a wonderful day at the GCC schooling show at Wind Valley! If I could have gone to both it and the fair, I would have but Ms Tender Lil had banged up her left hind leg kicking through the fence at another mare at home so we counted it good to make it to one show today! And what a show it was! Mild temps, good scores, good company, beautiful horses! You just cannot beat that! Patty had good looking rides on Silka and Denise and Jurgen were looking fantastic as well. A rider error or two and a sore left hind leg may have cost Lil and I our ever illusive score of 60 in T4 but our walk scores have improved and we even got a 7 for our FXH change rein working trot! The judge put straight and active! WooHoo! Hope all went well at the fair, sorry we missed it but we may come out for cloverbuds show tomorrow.

Until next time, happy trails to all!

The Rogers Co. Fair is ON

The girls and I are riding in the horse show starting at 2 pm and will show halter at 10. Sunday's schedule is the fun show at noon and cloverbuds at 2. Come on down and share the lovely weather. To bad we miss the dressage show at Sandy Thompson's tomorrow.

Splash and Stuff

I will start with the good stuff - Splash and our lesson yesterday. I worked without the famous German Neck Stretcher and Splash was fairly responsive - for him. And, compared to his performance at the show last week, he was lovely. We worked on walk/trot transitions and then some canter/circle work. Splash tends to come above the bit both up and down but improved during the lesson. Our circles tend to be unbalanced and cut in but because Splash wants to stop constantly, we have lots of work keeping the canter; transitions from straight to circle keeping the canter is difficult too. But, all our leads were correct - which was a first.

Then we worked on leg yields from C to B/E followed by a turn on the forehand. Both directions, Splash was very resistant the first time but then did several lovely turns promply and without resistance. Lesson over on a good note.

Now the bad stuff - Ivy broke both forearm bones Friday evening, but refused to admit to much pain until Sat. morning when the swelling was really hurting her. So, we headed to St. John/Owasso to check and hoped for a sprain. Steve posted the xray on the As the world Turns blog - but both the ulna and radius have buckles along one side. St. John put a temp splint on her right arm and we are referred to an orthopedic for the real cast. Although painful enough, Ivy is really upset about the likelyhood that she will not be able to ride in the Rogers Co Fair (the last 4-H point show) or the Tulsa State Fair or the rest of the Dressage shows for the year. We will ask the Doc if riding is permissable - cross fingers, but for sure, there won't be any halter or showmanship since Splash is very pushy and a right arm is really needed. Oh, the injury is not horse related - there was a 3-kid pileup at the round bale when Ivy, Alaina, and Riley were racing; Ivy was 2nd and trying to pull a Michael Phelps win by reaching over Riley at the finish - Alaina was in hot pursuit.

So, cross fingers for rain to stop and yaya's to be go.

Colorado

We didn't go riding or anything in Colorado. However we did see a bunch of Elk and a Pica.  

When growing up in Colorado, I never saw Elk or a Moose.  Elk are so beautiful and this time of the year they are getting their herds together. The big guy on the right and about 20 of his herd were in downtown Estes Park tying up traffic.  I just hate that when it happens!  ha

We hiked up to Dream Lake.