We’ve had a beautiful spring here in Iowa. Not much rain, quite a bit of sun, and lots of really temperate weather. April was a good month with the horses. Loretta I’ve continued to do work both with Loretta alone and with Loretta and her owner together. We are seeing a lot of really good… Read more »
Steen
All Three Gaits
It feels like we’re finally back in a good groove with the horses. Work is coming out of the first quarter crazies as well. That plus some nice weather have made it a lot easier to get out on horseback with more consistency. Last week we got out twice mid week and rode Piper and… Read more »
Texas and Buck Brannaman and Springtime
Last Saturday, Brian and I drove to Texas. His parents have moved to the Dallas area, and it was high time we got down there to visit. While this did mean we were away from our horses for a while, happily Buck was nearby. On Monday, we kidnapped Brian’s mother and all of us audited… Read more »
The Full Arena
This morning Brian and I went to look at a house. It was a small acreage about 20 minutes outside of town. It had an indoor arena and the land was already nicely set up for horses. On paper, it looked kind of amazingly perfect for us. In person, sadly, the house was … not… Read more »
A New Student
Last week, we had a cold snap. Like, highs-in-the-single-digits style cold. While I’m way hardier than I used to be, I find temps that low hard to be comfortable in. Nevada says, “There’s ice in my forelock? Really?” Still, I had to go to the barn on Friday because I had a lesson to give.… Read more »
Looking Ahead
Brian and I just returned from spending two weeks in Arizona, visiting my family. While it was a lovely vacation, I must admit I was missing Steen like crazy the whole time. Part of it is the setting. My parents live in a beautiful valley at the base of the Catalina Mountains, surrounded by the… Read more »
Nevada in Action
As I mentioned a few posts ago, Steen and I have been acting as a sort of mobile round pen for Brian and Nevada sometimes. When I’m setting a boundary and a cadence, Brian can worry less about those things and think more about keeping her in a proper bend and getting her more comfortable… Read more »
Warm October
We’ve had an uncharacteristically balmy fall. While the horses did come off the pasture a couple weeks ago, we have yet to have a hard freeze. This is pretty unusual for this late in the season. I won’t complain about the mild temps. Unfortunately, work always really picks up for me this time of year,… Read more »
Sunset Gallops
Lately I’ve been having this strange experience of feeling like I only have one horse. This isn’t true, of course. But we’ve worked out a deal with Brian’s student, K, and she’s riding Aiden three times a week, twice on her own, once in a lesson with Brian. This is great for her as she’s… Read more »
Big September
It is September 7. So far, this month, I have spent 10.5 hours in the saddle. This is probably a new short-term record for me. I’m not sure I’ve ever started a month off with such a bang. Mostly, I blame the weather. It’s been absolutely gorgeous out. We’ve had perfect temps, just enough rain… Read more »