G's New Home

Well, we packed up and hit the road at 10:30 this morning, and G walked off the trailer 30 minutes later in horsie paradise.  I took a bunch of pics, hope you don't mind me sharing! 
Driving up the driveway to the barn



Pastures to the right of me pastures to the left, here I am, stuck in the middle of grass lol!


This side has the winter pasture and a larger one behind the trees. Its accessed from around the back side of the barn.  Its really cool how she set up these paddocks and gates.  She can channel them through to any area she wants.

This is G's temporary digs for the first week or two as he is transitioned onto grass.  He has the ability to go in and out of the stall, with a hot wire running between his area and the other two stalls where the head mare and gelding come in and out of.  They have access to the pastures during the morning hours and then again at night.  On the other side of the gate behind the barn is Willy and Candy, both ponies.  G and Candy have been flirting all day over the pipe gate.  This is where G will have access to the winter pasture with Candy on Sunday.

G learning to eat out of a hay feeder

Inside the barn, G is in the last stall on the right.  There are two wires that cross over the back door so the ponies can't come in the aisle, but they have access to the stall on the left, as well as the run in that will be G's winter home should we decide to stay here rather than find an indoor arena for the winter.

The fence line continues behind the runin with a lane that takes the horses over to the winter pasture.

The view from the barn....you can't see the owner's house



 So far I'm thinking that G is going to just love this place.  He didn't whinney at all when we got there; we had a few squealing matches with him and the head mare, and the pony mare Candy, but that was about the extent of it.  But, when the owner opened the gate and the other two horses hightailed it out to the pasture G finally became unraveled.  He ran to the end of his paddock and whinnied loudly several times; out came the runny poop and he ran back to the barn.  Rut ro I thought to myself this could be a problem.  As I was standing in the aisle of the barn, G looked out to the pastures and whinnied again, and within 10 seconds both mare and gelding were running back to the barn to see what his problem was.  Heavy sigh, and he was happy again.  So the game plan is that they will have access to the pasture all night and Candy his fence buddy will still be out there so he has a buddy.  I sure hope he respects the hot wire and doesn't try to get out there.  We're not afraid of him getting hurt as much as getting sick on over eating this lush pasture!  I'll hand graze him again tomorrow, and Sunday he'll go out with Candy for an hour and a half.  She'll do that for a couple of days and then increase it 20 minutes every couple of days until he's up to 3 hours.  She'll try to add a second horse, then a third.  Once he's there, he'll be able to be introduced to the herd as a whole.  Fingers crossed this works.  Our favorite vet will be out next Friday for his final two spring shots and I'll get to talk to him about nutrition now that he's off grain and eating grass. 

The bummer is I can't store my trailer there, so its in our yard.  Probably not so bad though as I can keep the windows and roof vents open and not worry about it getting rained in. 

Hubby called me as I was driving home to tell me there was something waiting for me when I got home. Our new Sky Chair!!  These are soooo awesome, and boy did it feel good to end the day with my feet up and a smile on my face!  More fun tomorrow!
 

The Hackamore Journey

It has been in my head for quite some time that I wanted to try G with a Bosal.  He has a typical Pusher mouth (for those who don't know, Pusher was a Tennessee Walking Horse) which many will say, isn't a great mouth.  Some horses just have wonderful mouths, one that will take just about any bit and be responsive.  Well, Pusher mouths are fussy mouths, that go along with their sensitive natures.  G always seems more relaxed in a bitless setup, but I haven't found one that he doesn't seem feel sluggish in.  Hence the Bosal.    

Liz Graves was wonderful enough to spend a lot of time with me on the phone to a couple of times and she filled my head with as much Hackamore knowledge as I could handle, and then some.  Although she had told me a few years ago that the Bosal was not something you just use without knowledge, I didn't understand why one would fail without it.  How hard could it be, right?  

So where does one start?  With the construction.  A good working Bosal is made completely from rawhide, from the core to the plaits.  An exceptional Bosal is generally made of Kangaroo, as it is softer, yet strong.  Bosals come in a variety of sizes, both in the diameter of the rig, to the interior dimensions.  Diameters are 3/4", 5/8", 1/2", 3/8" and 1/4" which is called a Bosilito (these are used with a fully trained bridle horse and a spade bit).   A horse is generally started in the 3/4" or 5/8" and as they progress, the diameter goes down to the 1/2" or 3/8" once a horse is considered "finished".  The rawhide core can be soft, medium or hard, which will determine how well a Bosal will shape and maintain its shape overtime.  Liz recommended I start with the 5/8" Bosal with a medium core.  The next consideration when purchasing a Bosal is the plait count.  What's a plait?  Plaits are the braided strands of rawhide covering the core.  The higher the plait count the smoother the Bosal will be against your horse's face.  A cheaper Bosal will be 12 plaits or under, a high end Bosal will usually have a 36 plait nose, 24 plait cheek.  16-18 is still considered a lower end Bosal.  G's is a 32 plait nose, 16 plait cheek.  Why not use a cheaper Bosal?  Well, simply stated, you can rub your horses face raw with the coarseness of the braids.  The horse should feel the pressure/bump from the Bosal and respond, but not be hurt by it.

The key to a good fitting Bosal is that it fits the horse similar to a hat.  Not too loose, not too tight.  Now how do you get one to fit.  I was fortunate that Liz has had her hands on G and told me what size she thought would work for his face.  There are plenty of sites that explain how to measure.  Once you have one with the right dimensions, fill your kitchen sink with hot water and weight your Bosal down into it.  Let it sit for 30 minutes.  Place a Bosal shaping block to the interior, strap it, hang it upside down in a shady but warm spot and let it dry for a few days.  For G's Bosal we used a 5.5" wide x 6" long pine block.  Hubby used a 2x6 piece of pine and just cut the length.  He also grooved the bottom corners to accommodate the Bosal (he's such a sweetie).  You may need to adjust the block size to get the right shape for your horse's face, but you can start out with a standard block.  Try it on your horse and adjust your block and fitting as needed.

 

Especially when starting out, it is important to use a Fiodor.  The fiodor's purpose is to balance the Bosal on the horse's nose properly as the rider gains the proper feel of the reins.  (the black and white candy stripe throat latch is the fiodor).  The fidor goes over the horses poll like a throat latch and is attached to the heel knot of the Bosal.    This particular one is made of Mohair, and very soft.  

The mecate are also very important to the balance and feel of the Bosal.  The diameter of the mecate should be the same as the diameter of the Bosal.  So if you're using a 5/8th Bosal, you would want 5/8th mecate.  As with the Bosals, mecates come in a variety of materials and quality.  It was recommended I buy the best quality I could afford.  What you see here are Joe Ortiz, 5/8th 6-strand mane hair mecates.  I bolded the word mane, as some braiders use tail hair, which is much coarser.  As you can imagine, these little hairs feel prickly to your hands, until such time that they break off, which they are meant to do in time.  You can wear a pair of lightweight gloves if it bothers you, but I found the prickly hair makes one hold the reins with a ligher feel.  These little hairs also signal the horse when they touch their neck, and when they touch under their jaws.  As far as strands, just as plait count is important in the quality and feel of the Bosal, the strand count is of importance to the mecate.  The 6 strand gives you a good feel, without being too stiff, nor too limp.  The key is the slightest flex of your fingers on the reins should elicit a response.  This won't happen right away, same as when you introduce a horse to a snaffle bit, you need to do lateral and vertical flexion from the ground before attempting to do the same under saddle.  A friend of Liz's who is has been riding his horses in Bosals for many many years, recommended that I check into Richard Caldwell.  I picked up his DVD Jaquima a Freno Series - Part 2 Starting the Horse in the Jacquima (Bosal) and it has been very enlightening.  There are those who use other materials for Mecate, but I think the horse hair are not only more traditional, but they do have a purpose feeling the way they feel.   One more piece of the puzzle is the Headstall.  It should be soft and very pliable as the Bosal needs to fall forward so it releases at the chin groove (see pic above).  Using a regular headstall doesn't work well as it doesn't allow proper movement of the Bosal on the face.

So far I've been sticking to working with G in the arena where he feels safe and relaxed.  Unfortunately, if a horse runs through the Bosal immediately, they will never respect the feel.  That said, yesterday it was a beautiful afternoon and G was super relaxed so we walked out of the arena and down along the paddocks.  When we got to the end I cued him to lower his head and graze, I sat and relaxed as he grazed down and around the corner.  I rode him up the hill out back and then back down, paying close attention to his body and any time I felt him get a little bit tense we did some lateral movements to get his mind back on me.   I'm not sure G will ever be a confident enough horse to ride the trail in the Bosal, but you never know.  And if not, we've both learned a new art form!  

There is so much more we need to learn in our journey, but I feel that with Liz and Mike's help, we're on the right track.

 

2011 Winding Down

Although 2011 started with too much snow and not enough riding; it is coming to a close with no snow, 40 degree temps and plenty of riding (so far).  My hopes are that 2012 won't be a repeat of last year and we won't have as much snow as we did.  Afterall, we've had over 69" of rain in 2011, the highest amount recorded since they started recording back in 1905.  Enough moisture!  If I remember right it was at least 3 months of no riding with the indoor arena roof tearing.  It was a long winter. 

 

After 20 years with the same company, I finally decided it was time for a new beginning and went to work for the very same Aerospace company where my dad worked for 25 years.  I ended up in the same division, helicopters.  Although there is no one left there that worked with my dad, there were some old timers from other divisions that remembered some of the names that I remembered from my childhood.  It's like deja vu walking some of the same halls that my dad walked; seeing helicopters that he helped design.  It's life coming full circle.  I'm totally enjoying the new company and the people I'm working with.

I finally got to audit a Mark Russell clinic, did numerous solo off the farm trail rides, but the highlight of the year was being chosen to ride at Equine Affaire in all three of Liz Grave's clinics.  G was wonderful and he proved to me that he is indeed a super star.  At least he will always be that in my heart.  Sharing our success with Liz and enjoying her company along with the others who participated in her clinics was simply joyful.  Its a weekend that I will never forget.  

We lost our fourteen year old Pomeranian Buster in mid October, which broke my heart.  He was the biggest dog I've ever met, even if he only weighed 5 pounds.  He was a tough little guy, but with that sweet face of his, he melted your heart.  Buster will always be in my heart.

 

I was very proud of my weight loss but somehow got sidelined in late October when we got hammered with a freak snow storm on 10/29 that left us without power for 8 days.  I've been eating wildly ever sense.  So 2012 will take me back to Weight Watchers and me paying closer attention to what I'm eating.  I'm hoping to begin weaning myself off of red meat completely in 2012 and eventually all meat.  I'm not sure its something I can do, but its a goal I would like to reach toward.  If it means I'm eating more veggies & fruits and eating better overall, that in itself will be a great thing.  

After 37 years without a real haircut, hubby had his ponytail cut off in celebration of his 50th birthday.  But he took it a step further and had his head shaved completely.  I think he looks awesome without hair, and he donated the ponytail to Wigs for Kids.  I think he's a sexy guy.

It only took us 4 months, but we completely gutted and renovated our main floor bathroom (Circa 1953).  It was hard work, and there were times I didn't think we'd get it done but when it was finished all the blood sweat and tears were worth it.  On to the next project!

Tonight we're going to First Night 2012 in Hartford.  We started going back in 1998 and the last year we went was 2002...we thought it was time to go back and celebrate a little (plus its supposed to be 40 degrees, woohoo).   2011 was overall a very good year for us.  I'm hoping that 2012 will be as kind; bring us all more peace & harmony; and all our heart's desires.

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Equine Affaire November 12-13, 2011

Where do I start?  It was such an amazing weekend, with an array of experiences and emotions, and I’ve been walking on clouds for almost a month now.

The first new experience was trying to load G into the trailer in the dark.  It was a first for us both.  Seems I remember thinking it sure would be nice to install an interior light in the back where those two wires are sitting, but somehow we just haven’t gotten around to it.  After the fourth failed attempt, I tried putting on my headlamp to shine some light on the dark box I was trying to get him into.  Well, that was great as long as I was standing still - now there was a dancing spotlight inside, and G said “heck no, I’m not going in there, that light beam eats horses you know”.  It finally clicked in my brain to put the headlamp on the divider against the wall so the light would be still.  After three more attempts G finally relented and got in.

Now I’m certain that 45 minutes later he regretted his decision to get into the dark box.  He was being off-loaded onto pavement, walked into a dimly lit, strange barn and put into a simple 8’x8’ stall with bars all the way across the front.  “Whoa, what happened to my spacious 12‘x12’ room with a window and open door front?”  He whinnied several times and got no answer.  I could see the panic setting into his eyes.  You could see the lid above actually twitching with tension.  I knew he was in for a long night.

We set him all up with enough hay to last the night, a full bucket of his own water, and sat with him awhile talking quietly in reassuring tones.   One horse whinnied three aisles over and the chorus ensued.  It was like listening to an echo rolling through a canyon.

The Canadian Cowgirls were in the next aisle behind G and there was a lot of activity as they got ready for their Pfizer Fantasia performance.  Of course we had to stop and let them know how much we’ve enjoyed their performances over the years and wished them luck.  After an hour or two we decided we needed to get home to get some sleep, as 5 am would come pretty quickly.  As we were leaving, I stopped and asked the Cowgirls if they could do me a huge favor.  I explained that this was G’s first time at such a large event, and if they heard a ruckus after their show, if they could just take a peek and make sure he was okay.  They said “you bet, we’ll even stop and talk to him”.  I left my boy, and I had a better understanding of how mom’s feel when they leave their child at summer camp for the first time.  Here's G with some of his new girlfriends:

When we got home, I knew I needed to shut down my brain or other I would never be able to sleep (yes, I am an overthinker) so I took two Tylenol PM caplets and headed to bed.  They worked their magic.


As I thought, 5 am came real quickly.  We arrived at the Exposition grounds at 6:30 and began our barn chores.  When G heard my voice he responded with a nice big nicker.  When he got his morning grain, he was even happier to see mom.  G was fed, groomed, and ready to ride by 7:30.  I called Steve Lunoi and we agreed to ride in the Coliseum.   

Riding inside the coliseum was probably another thrill for me.  Although G wasn't so crazy about it when the other three horses left.  He went from relaxed and walking, to stressed and side passing.  But hubby caught a cool shot of us that gives you a great perspective on how big an arena it is:
 

We ended up side passing all the way over the the exit lol.

What an incredible weekend!  I'm not sure I can truly put into words how proud I am of G, or the feelings of pride that I have for how he performed for me in each of the three clinics, and handled the whole circus atmosphere of EA.  I'm still walking on clouds and have so many emotions that I can't sort them all out to put them down in words.  I've just been smiling and yes, bursting with pride.  I think it gave me a slight inkling of the high that people get when they show a horse and are awarded a ribbon.  When a stranger walks up to you and tells you that you have a wonderfully gaited horse, and you later find out that he's a reputable gaited horse trainer, well it is such a high. 

One of the things that I loved about Liz and her presentation is that she includes a little bit of each horse's story, so the audience has an understanding that not one of us got where we are today without a lot of blood, sweat and tears.  This weekend wiped out all the nights that I sat on the couch in tears, telling hubby I had to sell G cause we just weren't connecting or I just wanted to give up cause I didn't think I was the person that he needed.  I told hubby that I thought I would keep him    Hubby was awesome, took lots of pics and video.  And he was even taking photos with Liz's camera for her...he was a busy guy this weekend, and I have thanked him a hundred times for supporting us the way he did this weekend.  Not every woman, or their horse, have a groom boy :)  Heck, I have to thank him for supporting us the past 9 years.  Without him and his encouragement, I'm not sure I would've experienced the kind of high I've been on the past two days.  Beyond the fun, I felt rewarded for all the hard work the pst 9 years.  It goes to show you that sometimes there really is a diamond under that black rock.  You just have to keep chiseling away until you start to find the small glints of light that keep you looking closer and chipping away at it.  I know I still have some shaping and polishing to do, but the diamond is finally in my sights.  Here's a couple of short videos of two of my favorite moments.  Like Liz, I love the big ole' head on my boy and I almost got a trot out of G yesterday afternoon.  When Liz asked me to try and get him to do it again, I couldn't repeat it.  But that's okay, I like his gait just fine!   Liz is just so awesome, and she truly makes you feel like a part of something special that's for sure.

 

 
I hope I don't bore you with all the videos (see below) but the fact that it wasn't just a few steps, or a few passes of wonderfulness, is still blowing my mind!!  I only wish we could've been in a larger arena to not have to deal with the tight corners.  But the GFS footing was to die for!  I have to send the video links to David & Lisa Taylor, as I know they will be pleased as punch to see the beautiful horse that G has turned into.  I knew back then that this horse was special, and can now thumb my nose at the 5 people before me that passed on him saying he wasn't worth a damn. Another example of why one should always trust their gut and stick to their guns.

 
Hubby and a friend of hers (Sue I think) took pictures with Liz's camera and Liz put a slide show on her website.  Some really nice pics which brought back lots of memories.  If you look closely in one of the early arena shots where we're all lined up, you may see some snowballs near Liz's feet.  Liz was razzing Steve about New Jersey getting snow before her in MN, so he made some snowballs from the October storm and put them in the freezer to bring to EA.  While Liz was talking, Steve took one snowball at a time out of a bag and gave them to each rider.  When Liz came to a pause, Steve said "hey Liz, remember you were making fun on me getting snow before you?" She turned with a smile on her face, and we all threw the snowballs at her feet!  Totally shocked her, she laughed and said something to the effect of "see this, this is how great gaited horse people are".
Here's the link to Liz's slide show (ignore the opening shot - hubby needs to learn when not to take close up shots lol): 

Liz Graves 2011 Equine Affaire Slide Show

The following morning I took G back to the coliseum to ride (you can ride between 6:00-8:00 a.m) and as we turned to go in the entry, here comes a drill team of 6-8 riders with flags all waving straight for us.  Up Periscope went G's head and he took two steps back.  I decided today wasn't the day I wanted to desensitize him to flags, so we went around the corner to the covered arena at C barn.  Steve was there warming up Pavo and DJ.  I told him about G and the flags and he gave me some advice on how to go about it at home.  So a little while later Steve comes over to G's stall and asked me if I was ready to desensitize G to flags.  I'm like really now?  He said no, for our afternoon session I'm like what?!? Well. apparently the announcer for our sessions was referring to us riders as "Liz's Calvary" (as we know how she likes to reference the Calvary training manual). Since Steve had his flag shirt and American flag with him, he thought it would be fun to ride into the arena in formation.  And so we did.  G walked right up to Steve with his flag, and once under saddle never gave it a second look.  Goes to show you that following the spooky item is never an issue.  Again, Liz's smile said it all when she saw us coming in.  Good stuff, the whole weekend.

It was short, but I got to ride with Liz, woohoo - boy would it be fun to trail ride with her.  I think she wanted to make sure this horse really could hold a gait, as Bob couldn't keep him up beside G at a medium walk.  Amazing how "intent" alone can change a horse's motivation.  She may have been talking about using her pinkies on the reins here, not sure, but I'm paying attention to her hands (box what box?)

 

Saturday night we got together with the other riders and Liz at Storrotown Tavern, which is one of our most favorite restaurants.  Old world charm, New England stick to your ribs cooking, great service.  What a fun evening enjoying conversation with old and new friends.  Each time we go here we have another wonderful memory of our visit:

 What an incredible experience, G not only met, but far exceeded my expectations. My not so solid trail horse, is in reality one heck of a show pony!  Put him in an arena with other horses and it's like he's a super star.  I've never ever experienced a ride like what I experienced.  Not once, but all three clinics.  I do attribute some of his shine to the incredible GFS footing they had in the arena.  So level and cushioned.  I think G felt very confident about where he was putting his feet.  There were a lot of wonderful moments, and so much to digest.  A month later and I'm still trying to write it down and its turning into a novel.  G worked harder on gait these two days then he has in awhile. 

Links to YouTube Videos:

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Video 4

Video 5

Video 6

And I think my most favorite picture of the weekend, which Liz was gracious enough to send to me.  Me & G with Liz sharing a laugh before our first clinic.  This summed up the weekend, yep, we were relaxed and happy!

 

I think I have an inkling of what it feels like to win a Grand Prix or Freestyle dressage competition.  When you're in that zone with your horse, there is nothing that breaks the magical connection that you have.  I have G to thank for that, as he has made me step up and become a better horsewoman for him.  I know I still have so much to learn, so much to work on, but boy does it feel grand to be in such a wonderful place.

I walked away from this weekend with such a wonderful sense of pride and accomplishment, and just when I did't think I can burst with any more pride or emotion, the one horsewoman I admire more than any other horse person who has walked this earth, paid me what I feel is one the highest compliments I could ever receive on Facebook this evening.  Words that brought me to tears. I hope she doesn't mind me sharing them, but it's the equivalent to a blue ribbon from the weekend to me!!

Elizabeth Graves-Kate Taylor
I'm home Kate although a long day traveling but I did want to share one thing I feel it important you know. You and G did a national title performance this weekend! I knew you would even though you you questioned your self at times in getting there I never, ever doubted you for a minute over the years. Thank you for being the student you are and share your journey in hopes others will grow also and follow you in theirs.

 
These words alone, are as big a reward as the magical connection that I felt with G this weekend.  I don't know if we'll ever be in the same magical place in the same way, but I think I got an inkling of what an Olympian must feel when their horse runs the perfect course, or performs the most magnificent freestyle dressage performance.  These words from Liz are like having a trainer patting me on the back and hugging me with joy.  The pride that one feels in their accomplishments with their horse in these moments is just surreal. 
 
The past couple of years I've talked a little about how much I would love to work with Liz out in Minnesota as she does apprentice/internship week long programs, but knowing it would more than likely never happen.  As we were trailering G back home from the expo grounds Sunday night and we're talking about how great a weekend it was, hubby said "I think you should work with Liz".  Huh?  He said "I know you've dreamt about going to Minnesota and working with Liz, I really think you need to go, you deserve to take it to the next level in your journey".  I was floored.  So, if we did it right and Uncle Sam gives us enough money back next spring, I will be making plans to fly out to Shades of Oak Ranch to continue the journey.