I’m pretty sure almost every equestrian has been been in the position of being puzzled, perplexed and frustrated when their horse reacts and evades our requests, turning a deaf “ear” to our aids and marching on (or in some cases, not budging an inch) to his own tune. I know I’ve been there, and I remember the consternation it caused me, wondering how I could resolve the problem without causing harm to either myself or my horse.

Once we gain a good foundation from our education in the classical approach to horsemanship, we soon find almost all problems can be corrected by using the new skills we’ve developed. We also find that it becomes easier to spot difficulties that others may be having with their horses, noticing the little things that should be corrected with patience and practical application of correct training methods for both horse and rider.

It’s been a genuine pleasure to meet Jan and her horses Wiseguy and Boss. Wiseguy is a sweet, itty bitty miniature horse that Jan has had lots of fun with, he has a special little cart that he can easily pull, and it must be a blast to take a tour of the ranch from this view! I hope I get to watch the two of them in action this coming Spring. Boss is her new, very first, full size riding horse, and she has spent the last couple months getting to know him better and forming a bond. A smart lady, she took riding lessons before buying a horse and continues to hone her skills as she rides and works with him, visiting him at the stable almost every day. Her goal is to be able to ride comfortably and safely on the nearby trails, to have a good relationship with her horse, knowing he is trustworthy, obedient and happy.

Boss is a former working ranch horse and has a good temperament, but lately he has shown a bit of negative attitude when under saddle. As at most stables, many well intentioned folks have offered Jan all kinds of advice, but it seemed like nothing was improving. We know that it doesn’t take long for situations to get out of hand, the problem intensifies, and we soon become even more confounded. The frustrated rider thinks, “what am I doing wrong, what is my horse trying to do and why is he doing this?”

Flicka and I went on a little arena ride with Jan and Boss, the first loop around the ring went fairly well, but soon he was acting a bit naughty, nothing horrid, but rather resistant and uncompromising. I offered to get on Boss just to see for myself exactly what he was doing under saddle. Within a few strides I was pretty well convinced of what was going on…that old evasive move that Flicka loved to pull on me, yep, the stiff neck, shoulder out, “gotcha in the corner” move. I learned from Feather how to correct this problem before the horse goes crooked, but even with that knowledge I still appreciate how GOOD horses are at evading us. Boss caught me off guard several times before I could fix him and keep him straight. Phew, I thought, “this needs to be fixed soon, before it becomes a real problem”.

I told Jan that this was no fault of hers. Like all horses, Boss has found an evasive tactic that worked and allowed him to make the decisions. He says to her, “I’m done working and I don’t want to do this anymore”.

I mentioned to Jan that she might want to read a few of the posts on this blog, specifically a couple posts by Tammy and Sherrie C, just so she could see that her situation isn’t unique and all of us have been in her position at one time or another. And then Feather offered to give a brief evaluation of Boss on the day she was coming over to help me with Sage’s training.

As Judy, Cherie, Jan and I looked on, Feather worked with Boss on the lunge line, side reins attached to surcingle. He’s a smart boy and soon figured out that nothing harmful would occur, and presently he gave a nice marching walk, his stride lengthening as he relaxed and loosened his back muscles. Trot was also asked for and again he was soon moving out of the short, choppy jog and into a better rhythm with lengthened stride.

Jan observed and had several questions that Judy adeptly answered, and as usual, Feather kept Boss quietly moving around her, even as she gave us commentary on what she was asking and looking for as he responded to her requests.

I want to mention that there is a great little book titled, “The Art of Lungeing”, by Sylvia Stanier (it can be purchased online), and reading through sections of it tonight, I’m struck by how closely it coincides with the way Feather has instructed us during our groundwork classes. There is so much that we can do for our horses, and ourselves, through excellent groundwork.

After the lunge line work, Feather surprised Jan by asking her if she had time for a brief lesson in the saddle. Heehee!
She’s good at pulling that one! Better too, Judy, Cherie and I all got to join in for a quick, mini-group lesson.
We had fun, I hope Jan had a good time too, but best of all was that even though all of us are a bit rusty, our horses all got into the swing of things and we had a great little refresher course just working at walk, halt and even a tad bit of shoulder-in. I wonder what Boss thought about being in a Feather Touch class?

Happy New Year to all!

ps: Feather asked me to remind Jan, “Keep it simple, straight, and even”. I think we know what she means by that, but if anyone else would like to explain these rudiments to Jan even further, please do so in the comments at the bottom. Thanks!

Time has flown by since the last post, so here’s a quick report on what has been going on over the past 2 months.
Along with several new students we’ve also had a number of horses stay at the Ranch, some newcomers and a few old timers.

Paula and Petra brought their horses Jake and Red back for another lesson in early May. It was apparent that both ladies were more confident and relaxed in the saddle since their previous lesson, and consequently their horses were much more obedient and cooperative, quietly and calmly working in the arena. Paula decided that Jake should stay at the ranch for a few more weeks of training and it was a pleasure to have him here. He is a sweet boy who seems appreciative that someone finally understands what has been going on in his past and is helping his humans gain the skills to communicate with him.

Paula also brought out her gaited horse, Nugget, a beautiful buckskin (I do apologize, but I’ve forgotten what his exact breed is. Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse, perhaps?) whom she acquired a few years ago after he had bounced from home to home.

Paula riding Nugget

Nugget was dressed in surcingle, bridle and sidereins for his evaluation and, while working with him in the round pen, the Tall One showed us what he could REALLY do when properly asked to go through each of his gaits. Paula was excited to see that he could stay in gait (he also has a lovely trot) as long as he wasn’t rushing about – by being patient and quietly asking him to slow his pace each time he tried to rush he was able to keep the smooth, even, 4-beat gait. Soon it was time for Paula to saddle up and find out how that gait would feel while riding. Staying on a 20 meter circle and under the guidance of our teacher it wasn’t long before Paula had Nugget in gait – and it was then that we learned Nugget had never before given her more that a few strides of this lovely, smooth amble!

We waved goodbye as Jake and Nugget loaded into their trailer for the trip home, but we’re looking forward to seeing them in the arena again.

Our dear friend Tammy brought her gorgeous horses (Sonny, Black Jack, and “Princess” Daisy) over for a few weeks while she vacationed. In fact, Ms Personality herself, the ever expressive Daisy, celebrated her 14th birthday while at the Ranch. A scrumptious carrot cake was brought to her paddock gate (OK, so it was really just grated carrots)..which she immediately gobbled up.

Judy and I enjoyed working with Tammy’s horses in the round pens. In addition to her gait, Daisy has a gorgeous ground covering trot (as does Black Jack) plus a delightful canter. And although they were content during their stay with us, the threesome appeared quite happy to see Momma when she arrived to transport them home. I’m pretty sure I saw Daisy turn around and stick her tongue out at me as she waltzed into the trailer.
ps: We recently got word that Tammy and Daisy took 3rd place in Trail Trials, so we’re looking forward to hearing about their big day!

Working student, Destiny, riding Tea

We had another surprise when we were contacted by a former student of Feather’s who was in town for a few days, on leave from her duty in the Marine Corps. Destiny was a senior in high school when she attended a few group lessons with Feather, but she never forgot her time under saddle with the Tall One. She has been taking dressage lessons in the various areas where she’s been stationed and hoped to continue her education while visiting family and friends. As a working student she joined us almost every day of her leave, riding several of the horses and cleaning up after all of them. Not only did Desi ride and work, but she actually got to spend some time giving our friend Aubrie her first English riding lesson (which went tremendously well). We all had fun that day! Thank you, Destiny, your help was appreciated and it was great fun to ride in class with you.

Destiny instructs Aubrie in the art of Classical Riding on an obliging (?) Flicka

Becky hauled her big Tennessee Walking Horse, Memphis, over for a lesson one weekend and we heard it went very well. She later brought Encore out for some work in the ring and the graceful, high spirited thoroughbred mare ultimately had a mini vacation, staying on with us for a week to establish a daily routine of working at liberty in the round pen. Gave her Mom a break too!

Becky riding her lovely mare, Encore

Right now we have Apache staying with us, and boy has he put on weight since the day Margie found him wandering down by the river, a rack of bones with the dull eye of a lost soul. He nickers constantly, always asking for a little more hay, a little more grain, probably worried that he may not get fed, as that appears what most likely happened in his previous “home”. He’ll continue to work slowly at walk/trot for his physical therapy (his scars show us that he had a previous injury or two) until he gains muscle tone and better athletics. In the meantime he seems content to hang out with our bunch and is learning that not all humans think he’s discardable.

That about covers the past two months, but with July around the corner we should have much more to report in our next post. Thanks again for joining us at Feathertouchranch!

Good ole Jake

Sunshine, blue sky, and pleasantly warm temperatures greeted us last Saturday for the start of Spring Semester training.
Judy and I quickly got the routine chores finished in time for the arrival of Paula and Petra, two equestrians who brought their horses out for a semi-private clinic with Feather.

Both horses unloaded quietly and didn’t seem at all concerned when led into an individual round pens. The horses had some time for a good, long roll and to explore their respective round pens before being asked to work at liberty by their human partners.
Observing them working “at will” it soon became apparent that it was time to dress them with surcingle, bridle and side reins.
It’s always enlightening to hear the Tall One discuss the reasons behind the Method – why we request moves in a certain manner, be it a voice command or our body language, even placement of our lunge whip and the timing of a “cluck”. It’s like taking a refresher course and this was the perfect time to review so many of the intricacies that are often taken for granted.

Judy, Cherie and I got to sit on the sidelines and take it all in, watching as Feather spent time working with each horse in the round pen, and as usual she made it look so easy.
I’m always reminded that it doesn’t matter what we intend to do with our horses: trail riding, showing, etc, the aim is to have a quiet, willing, obedient and athletic partner. Good communication skills creates positive energy for both horse and rider.
Paula and Petra spent the second half of the session in the saddle and the three of us retired to the shade to watch them as they worked on the fundamentals of walk, halt, straightness, trot. A short trail ride was taken, a well deserved break for both horses and riders, but soon they were back to work in the ring.

While the ladies continued their lesson we three saddled up Flicka, Relentless and Tea so we could join in on a trail ride after their class was completed. And in spite of having had only light work at liberty over the past 3 or 4 months, our kids were pretty well behaved, which says a lot about the time we have taken to learn how to be effective teacher/trainers. Sure, Flicka pranced and flirted, Relentless got a little worried (Tea was very well behaved!) but each of them took their turn at leading the line or bringing up the rear, and so very happy to be out on a wonderful Spring day. And so were their humans.

Stefanie riding Medina one Autumn day

We just received the sad news that Malia, an equine member of our group, passed away over the weekend. Our dear friend Tammy inherited this beautiful, refined Swedish Warmblood mare from a friend several years ago and generously gave her a loving, caring home to live out her sunset years.

Stef on Malia and Tammy on Daisy – off for a trail ride

Whenever Tammy made the long journey from her home to attend our group lessons she would often bring along Malia as a companion for her mischievous gaited mare, Daisy. And though Malia’s quiet nature had a calming effect on Daisy, she also seemed to keenly observe us with a sense of eager anticipation as we readied the other horses for classes. Our Mentor felt it was the right time for Malia to start a program of physical therapy to regain the athletic abilities she once had in the Dressage ring. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to learn what this lovely mare could teach us about the art of Classical Riding.

Amy on Malia – trying to learn to be less rigid and importance of a deep seat in canter!

Malia taught us how to request a move with quiet, well timed aids; she made allowances for us as we floundered about, struggling to gain our skills in the saddle, helping us to feel what it means to ride a horse who is “light and airy”. Malia was a gracious, patient teacher who truly exemplified the meaning of school-master horse. We will all miss this lovely mare.

Bobby

It is also with great sadness for me to report the passing of another equine friend, Bobby, a retired polo pony who lived in Aiken, SC with my cousin Linda and her family.

Beautiful Bobby

As some of you know, a few years ago I learned I had family on the East coast, and I was delighted to discover that not only is there a history of bicycling in my family tree (a great-uncle who was a champion racer) but also that several family members are equestrians.

Linda and her sister Joyce both ride, and they’ve posted many photos on their Facebook pages of their horses; including photos taken at local shows and hunt club events. I’ve enjoyed talking to Linda by phone and learning about her and the animals in her life; horses, donkeys, dogs, many of them rescues – we have so much in common!

Bobby sharing his grain with Sammy the rescued poodle mix; the donkeys obviously waiting for leftovers!

Linda had been looking for an easy going, trustworthy horse for trail riding in the gorgeous countryside where she lives when she found Bobby, a retired polo pony. As can be seen from the photo above, he fit right into her little menagerie, even sharing from his grain bucket with the dogs and burros. Bobby and Linda spent many days together, enjoying each others company and going on several trail rides.

Unfortunately Bobby became very ill over the past week, confounding the vets with his symptoms of swelling and fluid retention until a sonogram confirmed their suspicion of an enlarged spleen. Linda and her husband had to make the difficult decision we’ve all faced when our animal friends are suffering. Bobby was peacefully laid to rest – his spirit now happily roaming the green pastures of Linda’s farm.

Sending out kind thoughts and sympathy to Tammy and Linda in the loss of their loyal and steadfast friends. From all your friends at Feathertouchranch.

Bobby

Work, work,work. Muck, gripe about cold, trudge around, muck some more, gripe about snow, too windy, deal with icy water hoses, put up with unwanted mouthfuls of hay when the wind blows it back in our faces while feeding. Cold hands and frozen ears, every little chore seems at least five times harder in the winter! Turnout is a must, even if only for a short time, as every horse needs a good stretch and a chance to limber up legs with a trot or gallop, plus the opportunity to have a long, vigorous roll in the sand to loosen the back. We trudge back and forth in the bitter cold from paddock to paddock, taking each horse to the turnouts and later we lead them back again to their stalls. The remorselessly chilly, gray days of winter. If we didn’t have horses we could be puttering about in our nice warm homes, or maybe getting our aerobic workout while watching TV in a comfortable climate controlled gym.

Photo taken of wild band I saw while on a mountain bike ride – note the Appy coloring on one!

And then a horse nickers softly upon seeing us arrive, another one loudly whinnies her impatience for the grain bucket, “and make it snappy, please”. Yearning brays can be heard clear across the court as the donkeys ask us to hurry over and give them a little scratch around their long, fuzzy ears, inquisitive lips nimbly searching pockets for an extra treat.
It’s our equine friends who make the winter days tolerable.

grooming – Flicka gets the works

February has been a particularly difficult month because of the inconsistent weather pattern (or maybe that should be “consistently cold weather”). Colds, flu, snow, rain, wind – you name it, we’ve had it!

Yes, the horses have been on a light training schedule (they’ve all been willing and obedient during their liberty work) and when the chores are done I’ve had plenty of time to think about the future and what we might look forward to this coming Spring and Summer. Can we incorporate some bicycling (balance, agility, fitness) along with our pursuit to become accomplished equestrians? That, along with the standard daily chores of mucking, watering and feeding, should be a decent cross-training plan for our all around fitness.
The beauty of the high desert mountains and plains, clean fresh air, healthy diet, plenty of exercise, our horses and the Tall One to help us along in our equine education – what more can we ask for? Maybe a few 70 degree days…
See you in the court, and don’t forget to halt at X!

Flicka told me she’d like to talk a bit about what’s been going on at the Ranch the past month, so I’ll let her take the helm once again (“let” her? she’ll do it whether I give permission or not.)

Flicka, aka Lips Potter

“This has been another winter where we’ve had to face day after day of bitter cold temperatures, several snowstorms, a brief spell of dry but cold days, followed by rain, then bitter cold, snow again, and lots of cloudy, gray days. These conditions don’t help my old bones feel springy, but since I’ve been getting goodly sized meals I can’t complain much. I’ve even been keeping the shavings in my stall fairly tidy so I have a soft, dry place to stand or to lay down in. And at least with the nice, roomy paddock I don’t feel cooped up as if I’m in a prison.”

Breeze talking to Judy,’where’s the treats?’

“When I go into the turnout I have a good roll, maybe a little bucking around to kick up the heels, and then a noontime nap if the sun comes out. Will warmer days ever return? My mistress assures me they will, but I think she has her doubts. The Tall One and her students go about the daily chores, trudging around in several layers of bulky clothes and mucking out our paddocks, breaking ice in the troughs and trying not to freeze their little hands and feet. We all wish for Spring when the sun warms our backs and we feel like playing and even working in the arena. Well, that’s about all I have to say, but I do also want to remind my friends, horses and humans, how nice it is to live here with the Tall One who tends to us with so much care, compassion and kindness. It makes this lousy weather bearable”

Thanks, Flicka, for your informative report. And I do appreciate that you’re taking care to keep your shavings clean.
Yes, all the Featherettes are anxious to get back in the saddle. At least we’ve been able to keep up with some liberty work, giving every horse time in the round pens to get the kinks out, stretch out a bit for a little trot and perhaps a canter if the temperature allows it. By the time the day warms up, we barely have enough time to give everyone a bit of light exercise before the sun starts heading over the mountain and the temperature plunges back into the teens.

Why are these girls smiling?

Here we are on one lovely day in December when 3 of us got to take 3 of the horses out for a trail ride. A pleasant day, indeed. We had a short class beforehand and I’ll admit that I felt VERY rusty! I could have become frustrated by this, but patience and knowledge has taught me to look at the positive side of every session. Even in spite of the layoff from riding, our horses were agreeable and accepting of us, not grumpy or irritated about being back in a class or out on the trail. There can’t be enough said about the benefit of laying a good foundation when it comes to horses and horsemanship.
We often become so obsessed and preoccupied about obtaining a perfect move or achieving success in the show ring that we forget the most important facet of sensible, classical training; To help our horses be safe, calm, obedient, and happy partners.

Sherrie C gets a lesson on a rare, not so cold day

It’s wonderful when we do get to have frequent classes because our skills (quiet seat, independent hand and leg, balance – just to name a few of the technical aspects) and comprehension increase more rapidly. However, under the watchful eye of our teacher we have been gaining the secure, solid base to build upon. Just knowing that we do have a good foundation is
a boost to our confidence. Lucky Featherettes.

Cherie says mucking is a better workout than going to the gym!

I’ve come to realize how much there is to learn from the horses when we’re spending every day caring for them, leading them to turn out, feeding, grooming. Really paying attention to what they’re saying (it helps to have our Equine Interpreter around when I don’t understand what they’re telling me), how each one reacts in a different manner to situations. Every nuance means something and it’s so easy to miss it. What fun to spend time hanging out with them, talking, listening and laughing!

Staying fit for riding can be fun, too. I’m just as rusty on my skis and mountain bike as I am on the horses, and I almost felt like the snow had a mind of it’s own when I got back on skis last week. Last month I thought my mountain bike was purposely going to send me OTB (over the bars) when I rode it down some icy singletrack. In both cases, “going forward will cure most problems”, yeah, but “fear stops training” (or biking, or skiing…). This could be a great time to review the Alphabet on the Arena page, as it applies to our horses and training it could also apply to other aspects of our lives.

Cabo’s first shoes

A banner day for our little Cabo who got his very first shoes, fronts only, last week! Thank you, Judy, for expertly handling Cabo while Randy worked on his feet.

Fellow Featherette Margie is also anxious to start working her horses, particularly her new boy Apache. From the looks of this photo it appears he will soon be going into dressage training. We’re looking forward to having Micahh, Cinnamon and their new friend Apache in class as soon as the weather warms up.

Here is our mascot Hush Puppy and one of his kitty friends. What a good boy he is, always accompanying us as we make our rounds in the paddocks, letting us know when the Wild Ones are coming over to say hello. Thank you faithful Hush Puppy.

Everyone is working so diligently to keep the horses happy and healthy, and I want to thank all of you for the effort – it’s much appreciated by our horse friends. Stay warm, think good thoughts and dream of the wonderful year ahead!

Cabo says, “Thank you, auntie Judy

Meet Apache, the newest member of Feathertouch Ranch.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving about 4:00 in the afternoon, I received a frantic phone call from a neighbor.  She stated there was a horse running around by the river and what should she do.  I told her Greg and I would drive down there with a halter, lead rope and some grain and see what happens

We drove the mile down the road passing the herd of 10 mustangs along the way.   A little further down, sure enough, there was a Buckskin horse meandering by himself.  I got out of the truck and slowly walked towards him.  He walked away, very disinterested.  I was thinking he must be a stud who was kicked out of another herd from over the hill.  After closer inspection it was obvious he was not a stud.  He then wandered over to a trash can and started pulling trash out of the can.  No wild horse would do that.  I shook the grain bucket and he walked up to me.  He very gently ate out of my hand.  He was about 200 pounds underweight, ribs showing and hip bones sticking out.  I slowly slipped the lead rope over his neck, he was not bothered in the slightest.  I put the halter on, and quickly took it off.  My biggest fear was he would panic and be running around dragging a lead rope behind him.  All this time Greg was watching from a distance still in the truck.  I put the halter back on and we took a few steps.  He was very trusting and quiet.  I looked at Greg, shrugged my shoulders and started walking.  As we slowly walked the mile home, I kept reassuring him that he was a good boy, and that everything would be ok.  He never hesitated or spooked, even when the wild horses tried to come running up.

Apache is slowly gaining weight

I called my neighbors from my cell phone and told them we were headed home.  They offered to let me put him at their place, as we had taken our third stall and converted it to storage.  He settled in with their  2 horses and happily started munching on hay.  The next day I called animal control and reported finding him.  I placed an ad on Craigslist and contacted the brand inspector.  To date no one has been looking for him.  The assumption is he was brought to that area because there is a known herd of wild horses, and he could go live happily ever after with them.  Nice fantasy, but just doesn’t happen.  It is unfortunate in these economic times that people have to resort to such desperation.

He has since been integrated at my house with Micahh and Cinnamon.  Micahh is infatuated with him, and Cinnamon wants to kill him.  Go figure.  I have not done much with him as I am letting him acclimate.  Initially his eyes were dull and he would gaze into the distance as if wondering “where am I and what happened’.  But lately that look has changed.  He has a spark  now.  He is putting on weight and is settling in.  He loves to be brushed and is good for his feet being picked and cleaned.  He runs around the property kicking and bucking and has a nice smooth trot. I am looking forward to a little warmer weather, and my final brand inspection showing me as the legal owner so I can trailer  him out to Feathertouch Ranch for the Tall One to evaluate.  Can’t wait to see what he can do.  It is pretty obvious he was cared for and trained at one time.  He does not act like he was abused at all.
It is going to be a fun Spring/Summer/Fall 2011.
Happy New Year!

My lesson was scheduled for 11 am, knowing that it only takes a 1/2 hour to get to the stable, I gave myself a good hour just in case. As it turned out the exit that we needed to take was closed and we were trying to find out how to get there with an alternate route. We finally arrived and we found a Starbucks so I could change into my riding gear in the bathroom. Hind sight…maybe next time come in riding clothes. Anyway, we pulled up the the stable and got out, it was a beautiful area, green rolling hills and big trees. I was nervous and excited to get out of the car. I walked over to the covered arena and saw two women working a horse with a trainer standing next to them. They could see me watching but did not come over to say hello. At this point I doubted whether he was the trainer I was looking for so I asked a women and she told me that was him. Hmmm, I thought, first impressions do tell a lot. So I walked over to him and introduced myself. We exchanged pleasantries and started the lesson.

I prepared the horse; grooming and tacking, then grabbed my helmet and headed to the arena. After mounting it was apparent the bulk of the lesson was going to be vocabulary. Jim explained that it was important to know muscle groups and terms in order to develop a good seat. To be honest, I was not familiar with any of the muscle groups and the terms that I understood he thought were too vague. I felt like I was so deficient in this area that I wanted to take some time to study before I would want to proceed with anymore lessons with him.

Moving on with the lesson, I did a couple of circles at walk and then a little trotting with posting. He would ask me my diagonal and I would look down, but he told me not to. He explained that I should learn how to feel which one I am on with my riding. He explained that one side feels wrong and the other will feel right. After analyzing this statement with my instructor at home, she explained that If the horse is balanced then there isn’t really a wrong side, but I should be able to feel the horse underneath me moving me forward. Then I am on the correct diagonal. Next, he asked me to do a sitting trot and was actually impressed with my ability and said that looked pretty good. He went over body position and more terms. All in all he said, I had a good seat and was a pretty good rider.

He said that this is how he liked to conduct the first lesson to asses my ability as a rider and establish a vocabulary. I untacked the horse, brushed him out, blanketed him and put him back for the day. Mr. Dimilte encouraged me to study and know the terms from the USDF website and become more involved in judging. I thanked him for the lesson and he offered to travel to Nevada to do a clinic if my group was interested.

I headed back to the car with a great sense of accomplishment in my heart. I had gone to a new place and taken a lesson from a new trainer on an unfamiliar horse and I did it with confidence and pride. I realized that I already knew that I was a pretty good rider and had a decent seat but it was good to hear it from someone else. I already knew it in my heart I just didn’t have the confidence in myself to trust it.

I realize this concept also holds true in other life situations. I already know what is right but have difficulty because it’s hard to believe in myself or because it is scary to make change. Deep down I know that I am strong and I can do anything I set my mind to.

So the lesson within the lesson is to follow my heart and believe in myself because deep down inside I already know what’s right.

Medina happily munching her lunch in her large, clean paddock

Horses’ homes are such an important part of their attitude toward training….
Flashback! Winter 2009! Standing in a pool of urine…Freezing–water totally frozen–
Filthy hay–fed with a stingy hand–no way out–
STRESS- ULCERS-COLIC–MISERY-

NOW!

Sage is learning to relax and not be worried

NEW HOME! – Being invited to the Horse Listener’s Home: big paddocks–3 to 4 meals a day– work 6 days a week — RESULT: Totally healthy, obedient horses; always progressing, always happy…..

Desire and Willingness = Harmony

EPIPHANY!!

The Feathertouch mascots, Thelma and Louise, with Hermie in the background: they love their home!”

Flicka gives Amy a hand with the mucking

The first thing I had to do was determine where I should go. Feather helped by directing me to the USDF web site which gave me a list of dressage instructors in the area of Atlanta.
I located them on a map and looked to see which were the closest and the furthest from Atlanta. I checked out those who had websites, and in the end that was the deciding factor, not the distance. After stressing myself out because it was a  51 mile drive from Atlanta”,  I discussed it with my husband and we decided Garland Farms was the place I would try first. Not the closest, actually almost the farthest from Atlanta, but the one that felt the most comfortable to me.
After reading their website I felt that the people who run the farm, Gina Krueger and her husband John, seemed like regular folks. I called and made arrangements to take a lesson on Friday at 11:30am.

Friday morning comes and armed with my map and instructions from Gina’s husband I head out. I had dropped off a friend first, and the map showed a 20 mile connection from where I was to the freeway I needed. It looked like a regular highway on the map, so I figured approximately 20 minutes, then another 40 minutes on the other highway, and I should make it with 15 minutes to spare.

I learned a valuable lesson . All highways are not created equal. My 20 miles of “highway” had a stop light at 1/2 to 1 mile intervals, and I hit almost every one when it was red. It took me an hour to get to the other freeway and I still had another 40 minutes of driving. And only 10 minutes to get there to be on time.
Now here at home I’m normally running late but everyone knows that about me. I was trying to not be my “normal” self. I had to call and ask if it would still be OK if I came late.
Pressure is off! Gina says that it’s fine, she’s just doings odds and ends today so whenever I get there is OK. After our phone conversation I am able to relax and enjoy the beautiful drive to Dahlonega.

My first impression as I turn off the road onto a narrow one lane drive surrounded by trees is, “how can this be a place to ride dressage when all I can see is dense forest”? A minute down the road and the trees opened up to pasture and soon I see the barns. I had stopped the car as I didn’t know which way to go when a nice lady came up and directed me to a parking area near the lower barn.
I am introduced to Maggie, my noble stead for the day, and given a grooming box. Feels just like home! I meet the trainer Gina, and after saddling and bridling we’re off to a covered arena with mirrors!

First I ride at a walk and I can’t quite get Maggie to the rail. Then I go on to rising trot. After one time around Gina stops me and tells me that my upper body position looks good (I’ve heard that before) but…. Here it comes…My seat needs work. She proceeds to adjust my leg and takes away my stirrups, then asks me to post. I thought, “how??? I have no feet!” But I did it anyway. It was very hard, especially when the horse wasn’t moving. I would like to say my leg stayed in that perfect position for the entire lesson and now I have a great seat, but this is real life and proper position takes time and patience. so I tried to maintain that leg as best I could.

We worked on posting and an exercise to take back for homework called the “mast position”, which is like two point only straight up and balanced, (which I could only maintain at the walk and a few steps of trot before falling back into the sitting position, but practice makes perfect). A lot of things were said which I know I have heard before and probably will have to hear again about a zillion more times before I finally get that “aha’ moment when it finally sticks.
Overall I had a great time. This lesson was the highlight of my trip. I felt that I learned a little more on my journey towards the goal of being the best I can be for my partner, the ever patient horse that carries me along as I slowly try to get it right.