YaYa Dirty Santa

We talked, ate, played dirty Santa until our checks hurt from laughing - a fitting year-end party for the YaYa Sisters Riding Club - hosted by Kathy B in her beautiful home on Sunday evening.

We missed a few members last night but (l-r) in our 2011 group shot are Paula, Cathy, Kathy, Rita, Juli, Judy, Janet, Krystal, Sherry, Joan, Christiana, Tammy, Lila, Donna, Patty, Nancy, and Marsha.

Tammy didn't give up until she located the DS.

And, our group sure can COOK.  And EAT.

Weather permitting, we will ride the range at the Walkerosa Ranch on New Year's Day, so mark your calendars.  Just the beginning of many wonderful rides coming in 2012.

Meanwhile - The holidays are in full swing at the Wild Orban Ranch.  The Orban Twins turned 13 on Saturday and had several friends over to ride, watch a movie and eat cake.  But also wanted to have the Saturday Party Lesson (worked out for Mallory and Me with our new Friend Mary since we got a lesson too) and we managed LAL as well.

Now that the birthdays are past, we even cut down a cedar tree in the pasture to use as our Xmas tree this year.  And help clear a couple of Eastern Red Cedars (scurge of OK) from the Wild O Ranch (Ivy needed to cut a little practice tree first).  I guess I better start shopping NOW.

Is it time to panic? 

I am not in Kansas Anymore

But I just got back from my last trip of the year.  Just in time for Steve's birthday tomorrow and then the girls' birthday on Saturday.  Then I can start the Christmas preparations.

Last weekend was packed with horsey events but no actual riding.  The rescheduled parade started the weekend early on Thursday evening and the Horse club accompanied Peanut the wonder pony in his 2nd annual outing.  Again he is The Cutest Pony EVER.

The 4-H Horse Club banquet was Saturday so I met other board members Friday to set up and have a lovely lunch with the 4-H ladies.  Then, we had a great visit from Jetta (Steve's sis) and David Friday night. 

SaturDAY we spent at the banquet - food, awards, elections, wooden nickle auction, and fun.  Ivy is the new Historian and Alaina was re-elected as VP (she took over VP mid-year when the post needed a mid-year replacement).

Saturday night was spent in Owasso at the ODS/GCC Party where we played DIRTY SANTA and found out our year-end standings.  Ivy and Pico were most improved as well as 14 and under First Level champs winning a cool chair and lovely leather halter.  Alaina/Sister and me/Splash recieved 5th place standings and very nice show pads.  Then - HUGE surprise - Splash and I won reserve VINTAGE Intro Level and a cool bag (thanks for my very considerate friends who were not quite old enough).  Kathy B does a great job choosing awards!

Just when you think no more fun could happen in one weekend, I joined my WY Hot Flash friends at Tami's to have a Dirty Sock Santa, along with Michael Jackson Wi as well as a bit of wine and yummy food.  I think photos should have been forbidden during the MJ Wi exhibition....

It looks like the weather will be fine for riding in the Sat. Party Lesson as well as for the girls to play around in the yard with their friends in the afternoon.  Next week, cold is expected.  Maybe I can squeeze a ride in tomorrow in between the big party preparations. 

Finally, and best of all, the annual YaYa Dirty Santa - Fun - Food - Christmas gathering is Sunday afternoon.  I can't wait.

December is Here

And it is snowing on Monday evening and the temperatures are BELOW FREEZING...  OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

My formative years were spent in South Florida so I am very wimpy about the cold.  However, I have riding boots and riding breeches designed for sub-zero temps so I will have to be brave, but only if it is above freezing.  By late January, I will have the courage to say "it's almost 40" as I head to the Rocking C for the Party Lesson and LAL.

Meanwhile, it's beginning to look alot like Christmas.  And December is already flying by.

Mallory and I worked our mounts Friday - Clinton Anderson groundwork and some riding in Mallory's hilltop arena.  Splash is dull and resisting energy in the ground work but, even so, seems to be improving energy under saddle.

Huge thunderstorms were forecast for Saturday so Claremore postponed the parade scheduled for Saturday evening but we headed to Inola hoping to finish the Party Lesson and Lunch before the storms rolled in.  Mallory and I were halfway through our lesson when the monsoon started - no lightning - so we continued our ride.  Splash was pretty good for leg yields out in the circle, had good energy at the trot, and even had decent transitions.  Canter to the left is still labored and hard to keep.  Afterwards, the horses munched hay in the trailer with rain beating down while we lunched at Graham's (the temperature was near 60 so they were happy to stand and wait). 

OSU won the bedlam game Saturday night as the temperatures started to plummet.  Footing was beyond soggy on Sunday, so we didn't brave the cold.  I guess WINTER is here but we have the YaYa Christmas gathering to look forward to in a couple of weeks and, hopefully, a New Years Trail Ride at the Walkerossa Ranch in Inola.  Stay tuned for details.  YaYa - Yeah.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving means cooking, baking and eating....  Mighty preparations..... Fabulous Food.....  Wonderful Family Visiting....

Then, suddenly, its the day after Thanksgiving - the sad day that we bade our friend Christian fond farewell.  We will miss Christian's beautiful barn keeping as well as his horsetraining advice.  Sister owes a huge debt of graditude, without Christian's help last year, I wouldn't have been riding her and Sister would have had to move on down the road.

The weather on Sat. was very rainy and the girls and I went to Patty's for the party lesson together.  We worked on shoulder-in, travers, renvers (very hard for all of us) but we made some progress.  Splash was fairly good; correct canter leads; some bend and pretty good leg yeilds.  Hmmm, hope this trend keeps going.

The YaYa Sisters will gather at Kathy B's for the annual party and dirty santa gift exchange on Dec. 18.  Mark your calendar!  YaYa!

TC Likes to Escape

Every time we take Sunny (TC's pasture mate) or Pico/Splash (next-pasture neighbors), TC walks through the electric tape to see where "they" got to go.  Who knew he would be so restless in his retirement? 

I had another KS trip last week and fritered away Friday w/o any horse play/work.  But, we DID manage a party lesson on Saturday a the Rocking C with LAL at Graham's.  Roxy, Ivy, and Alaina worked their horses at 10 and Mallory and I took the 11 o'clock.  We worked short but the work was good.

It could be that the Clinton Anderson ground work has been influencing Splash.  Or perhaps Splash forgot his main mission (standing still as a beautiful pasture ornament).  Splash was forward, responsive, picked up correct leads, and was relatively "on the bit."  Wow - if I didn't know better, I would think we were making progress.  Happy Thanksgiving.

 

Time Flies When Its the Weekend!

November weather was windy but mild and I played with the ponies three days in a row.  Alas, we didn't get the Saturday Party Lesson since Patty was in Stillwater to help with the equine special olympics but I am hopeful that next week will work out for LAL with my horsey friends.

After a couple of days in Kansas, I had Friday off so Mallory and I met for lunch in Catoosa and then worked some Clinton exercises on Raffles (Mallory) and Sister (me).  Sister was very responsive for ground work including yeilding the hindquarters and forequarters, lunging, backing, and de-sensitizing.  We added flexing on the ground and then I mounted up and tried some "one-rein stops" from the walk and trot - I did not try that at the canter.  Sister was a little snarky with one rump-hop the first time I used the "spanker" end of the lead.  Overall, she seemed to get the concept and we ended the lesson with cruising at the trot.

Saturday morning and - moving like a herd of turtles - the girls and I took Splash, Sunny, and Pico over to Che' Cheval spend the day while Steve held down the OSU football fort at the Wild Orban Ranch as they stomped again.

The girls rode their horses while I worked Splash in the round pen - lunging for respect.  Although better than the first attempt last week, Splash just couldn't bring himself to comply.  So, MUCH later, he finally realized that he better get with the program so we could stop before we dropped.  Whew!  So, THEN we mounted up and went to work in the big arena with Mallory and the girls.  We worked on walk/stop transitions mostly trying for submission and no back / prompt trot-off.  Then to took a lunch break before moving on to the next horse victim - Sister.

Sister is getting much better with her ground work and we breezed though the basic warm-up exercises and then Mallory tried to teach me "yeilding the forequarters."  Sister seems to get the concept although there was a lot of operator error on my part.

More horse torture on Sunday when Ivy started Pico in the Clinton Anderson exercises.  Poor Pico isn't the sharpest tool in the shed.  So I jumped in to help.  We free-lunged in the round pen until he figured out turning in and following.  Then, we concentrated on de-sensitizing with the stick and string and some yielding the hindquarters.  Pico got to stand at the trailer and ponder things while I worked with Splash in the round pen.  We started with lunging and then moved on to yielding the hindquarters and backing.  We finished goundwork with flexing.  Splash is very stiff (especially to the left) and we had to lower expectations a-bit.  But, we did manage a little flex and then mounted up for more work to minimize head-bob in the transitions.  Some progress so, lets hope for more improvement next week at the long overdue PARTY LESSON!  YaYa!

Schooling Show Championships!

Kathy and Call

Kathy B and Call did us all proud competing in the GCC/SSC Horse Show held in Claremore Saturday afternoon judged by "r" judge Amy Jablonovsky - they are the Reserve Champions at Training Level!  Judge Amy's pet peeve?  Spreading and lowering the hands for stretchy circle and free walk - she calls that a fault.

The girls and I rode in the open show portion in the morning.  Alaina and Sunny rode T-1 and recieved a 58.75; Judge Amy says "quiet horse just waiting for directions."  Ivy rode Pico in F-3 for a score of 58.064; they recieved 7's on the first lengthening at the trot, the second canter lengthening, and the last halt.

Splash and I rode Intro C - for a 65.0%!  Since I was only doing one test, I decided to work Splash in the warm-up like I was riding a lesson - aiming for 30 minutes of "lesson" leading into the test without a break.  The show was running on-time so we went right in to the arena and Splash was a good boy.  Our first canter transition (right lead) should have been our good side, but was slow to develop and lacked bend; the second canter was hollow and above the bit (although prompt).  Splash was forward (YES!) and showed good bend in trot circles and was an "8" for the first corner after X-C, "7"s for both trot circles and the second canter circle.  Judge Amy says "Lovely horse has loads of talent - develop differences in the paces, smoother transitions."   Ya!

So - that really was the last horse show of 2011.  No more baths for the equines until next spring.

One more thing to report.  You can dress the girl up....  I bought some Ariat paddock boots last year.  They were zip front and half price (they were brown).  I wear them for shows only, and until this past show, with black half chaps.  A few weeks ago I found some Ariat half chaps on SALE for HALF price.  They were Brown so I was all set for my next show.  I put the new half chaps on over my brown paddock boots for my ride.  They didn't fit the same way my old pair did - they were very bulky under my knees and the zipper seemed to be in a strange place.  I figured I would need to break them in.  My knees got a bit bruised.  Good News!  Mallory pointed out that I had the half chaps on backwards.  They fit a lot better when they are worn correctly.  Whew - operator error.  HeHe.