Moving day is coming up - and plans for the winter

Good news is that we are not pounded by the East Coast Storm – not so good news: The weather here is pretty miserable: 28F, snow, ice, extremely high winds. Luckily we still have power! That can change any moment, so JP made sure our generator is ready to go if needed. My heart goes out to the people (and animals!) on the East Coast, it is just brutal there. We were talking just this morning on how we could possibly evacuate the 11 (!) of us if needed. Wow – good thing we are not close to water, mud slides, or forest fires!

I had been dragging out the moving day for the boys, mainly because I just love having them at home. Realistically, though, there is nothing I can do with them and they are getting pretty bored. Our outdoor arena is way too soggy, and with these high winds every one of them would be flying higher than a kite on the longe line anyway. So, they stand around and eat hay. The dogs and cats won’t even lift their heads when I go out to feed at 5 a.m. Too cold and dark!

Our lessons with Judy are going really well. Both JP and I love her approach, and most importantly, we all are progressing in a positive way. Saumur is happy and relaxed as can be, I have a hard time believing that yes, we can work in the big arena with all the windows, and NOT be worried! Remy, the feisty one, is improving his manners. And it looks like JP and Chambord will soon eclipse us J. So, the moving date has been set for Saumur and Remy: November 10 it is. Chambord and Teddy will stay home, with JP trailering Chambord for twice weekly lessons. And then over the winter one of my boys will get a week vacation at home while Chambord comes to Judy’s. Juggling so we won’t break the bank!

In the big scheme of things it’s a good thing that my second week at George’s didn’t work out (see note about the bank above). At first I was pretty disappointed (George switched barns and there is no room for ‘temporary’ students at the new place right now), but it also means I can focus on working with Judy. In addition, I will see Karen Robinson, the freestyle designer, on Friday to get started with Saumur’s freestyle.

Unfortunately the freestyle clinic was full, but it shouldn’t be a problem to work with Karen remotely. Judy will also work on her freestyle, so we can have fun with this. I am thinking “James Bond” for music. It fits because Saumur is quite the Ladies’ Man and also a tormented soul (as is Bond in Skyfall). And, minor detail: Thinking of Daniel Craig will certainly help me re-focus my show nerves J

Fence celebration (baptism?) - and a freestyle on my bucket list

Our new fences look spectacular, if I may say so. A little piece of Kentucky in Michigan. To celebrate the completion of the project we invited friends and neighbors to a "Fence Celebration Get-Together". We had full house and a great time. Thanks to Josef, the wonderful German baker, we were able to introduce our American friends to seasonal German food: Zwiebelkuchen (Onion Cake) and Zwetschgenkuchen (Plum Cake), in addition to 'free-flowing' French wine and German beer. Luckily, we didn't have to beg anybody to eat the unfamiliar foods!

The weather was true Michigan: The heavens opened and we had heavy rain all day. Looking for the bright side, somebody remarked "Now your fences are even baptized!"  In that case: Great!

Now that the fences are completed - off to the next project. I contacted Karen Robinson, the freestyle designer, telling her I have a freestyle on my bucket list! After many starts and no completion I decided it's now or never. The MDA freestyle clinic in November is full, I am on a waitlist. Even without the clinic we can get it done by working remotely, getting started once we move to Judy's for the winter. So, now my head is already spinning with music ideas. Of course, what I think might fit is purely on an emotional level, and has nothing to do with beats per minute. James Bond came to mind...

Ode to the horse vacuum - and keeping it together in high winds

Always having owned horses that loved to roll and grew heavy winter coats to top it off prompted me years ago to invest into a vacuum cleaner for horses. Not the big stationary kind, but the one you sling over your shoulder like a purse and then go about cleaning. Even though it’s pretty noisy the horses just love it. Even skittish Saumur leans into it. A friend asked me why I didn’t just use my ‘shop vac’ (the industrial grade vacuum we use for the barn and garage). Well, that one would probably suck the horse right in!

Glorious fall days with high winds… add dusk and deer to the recipe and things in the riding arena can get animated. I was very proud of Remy, aside from a buck at the longe line he handled everything like a pro, even the stroll down the road. With Chambord I was the one who had to do the animation, as he clearly was bored and not inclined to put too much effort into exercise. After all, it was close to his dinner time (what was I thinking?!).

Saumur was last to go (not my usual choice) and he alternated between being fascinated by the lights of cars and bikes going by and checking out the wildlife around us. At one point Saumur jumped so high he had his front leg over the longe line. In the old days this would have driven him into a blind panic. This time though he stopped abruptly, looked at me, and waited for me to untangle him. Then he went back to work as if nothing had happened. That called for a ‘sweet celebration’: Mrs. Pastures cookies for him and Ritter Sport for me!

Checking into other horse sports - and finding a great quote

Tis' the season - for foxhunting. I had a ton of fun riding to hounds in Germany. No fox ever got killed, as all hunts are drag hunts where the dogs follow the scent of a line laid be the huntsman before.

Reminiscing with our farrier the other day he told me that he goes out sometimes with the Metamora Hunt. It would be perfect starting in the 2nd field (no jumping). While checking more into this and  an instructor that could prepare us for it I went to Fair Play Farm's website and read this quote that just fits so perfectly:


"There's no better place than a stable, I've found. It's the only place with solid footing. When I'm standing beside a horse, I feel that I'm neither girl or boy; child or adult; strong or weak. I'm accepted just as I am. And there, and only there, I can breathe."

Earning the cookie - and a new job for Little Man

While working with Remy Judy’s comment “he has to earn his walk break” came to my mind. I thought about how liberal I am with treats and praise. And a lot of times I am guilty of giving in too soon, rewarding a half-hearted try. That does not teach the horse much. Rewards are only meaningful if they are issued after a job well done. Too much praise, and it doesn’t mean much anymore – or horses (and people!) might get complacent and not try as hard, because a reward is doled out anyway. On the other hand, not rewarding good efforts is de-motivating.

My focus with Remy recently has been getting him better on the aids, expecting the requested response right away. That starts at the warm up on the longe line.  When I ask him to do any of the frequent transitions, I want the response to be almost instant – and not “hmm, maybe… I’ll think about it”. Especially with a horse that tests his boundaries it is important to stay consistent and focused. Obviously, I don’t want him to lose the joy of working, but I think with clear boundaries he is happier – as long as I’m still handing over the cookie!

Little Man (aka Teddy the pony) needs a job and more exercise. So, we decided to get a pony cart and harness. Granted, neither JP nor I (or Little Man for that matter) have much of an idea what we are about to set off to do, so stay tuned.  Fortunately, there seems to be quite a choice of used carts and harnesses out there. I’ll keep my body protecting vest and helmet handy … just in case the pony decides to go on a joy ride without passengers!

What comes first - horse relaxation or rider relaxation?

Guess it's like the chicken and the egg.

Yesterday I took both boys to Judy's for lessons. It was a cold and windy day, and due to our visitors from Germany and -yes, as usual, work- the boys didn't get much structured exercise during the week. I longed them on Thursday in the windy outdoor arena, and it felt like holding on to a kite with both of them. So I wasn't sure what to expect in our lessons.

Remy has been a little rascal lately, trying to test the boundaries. Judy reminded me that my outside rein is my best friend. As long as I have him steady there he can't goof off too much. We worked on shoulder fore, shoulder in, leg yields, canter transitions. Remy has a tendency to decide when it's time to make a downward transition, which really is not acceptable. So I focused on getting him right back into the canter when he broke. At the end Remy decided it was enough, and perhaps a spook at the mounting block would get him out of the work. No such luck, because once he figures out that this is a way to stop working we won't see the end of it. After going by the mounting block a couple of times he decided it wasn't worth the effort.

Saumur surprised me. He was soft and relaxed throughout. This is what brings me to the 'chicken and the egg' comparison. Was he relaxed because I felt good or was I relaxed because he felt good?? We both hit it off, and to me it felt like we had moments where we really achieved unity. There is nothing else one could ask for!

The relaxation question doesn't come into play between JP and Chambord, these two are working together like an old couple. Last week JP came back after his lesson just beaming. Judy had given him an '8' for his riding! She texted me that I should have seen how straight and balanced he got Chambord and how well they both worked together. Somehow I wouldn't be surprised if I come home one night and find Chambord relaxing next to JP in front of the TV.