Beach Trip

Kacy from All Horse Stuff and I took our mares to the beach over Memorial Day weekend. She has a friend that owns a beautiful beach house near Tillamook Bay on the Oregon coast. I went last year, and things went really well, she was a little amped, but she worked through things. This time, Maddy was cool as a cucumber. She settled right in and buddied up to Washashe. We had a first ride on Saturday and even with the wind, she just plugged along and had some really nice, relaxed canters on beach. She is still a bit nervous about the water. I have her going in, but not above the knee and when a wave comes in, she wants out. We are working on that. On day two, we let them open up along the beach. I don't think I have ever gone that fast on a horse (even my old barrel horse never got that fast!)...a little fun, a little nerve racking, but exhilarating. Day three was a shorter beach ride with a little more focus on some pattern work in the sand. I really had a wonderful time and really proud of the mares...they really shined this weekend. Enjoy some pics of Kacy enjoying the sand.

My latest video project

I was hired by a local equine body worker last week for a promotional piece about his practice. His name is Jeff Moore and he works locally around Portland. The day I was with him, he worked on a horse that had flipped, a horse with a previous shoulder fracture, and a horse with a possible stifle injury. It was really fascinating to watch. For me on a limited income, body work for my horse is a bit out of reach at $135 an hour, with sessions sometimes up to 2 hours. It seemed very effective and Jeff was so knowledgeable. We are working out a trade for services, so next week he is coming out to Lundervold to take a look at Maddy. I want him to evaluate my saddle fit and see if the coffin bone fracture two years ago has any residual effects on her movement. Have any of my blogger friends used a body worker? Would love to hear about your experiences. Also critiques of the video clip are welcome...it is still pending approval from Jeff, so I am sure he would appreciate any feedback from viewers as well.

Making Cavallettis

I am working on making Cavallettis. It started with a trip to Home Depot and checking out all the "plastic." I found these 4x3 drain basins, drilled two 1 inch holes on each side.Next, I cut 3/4 inch PVC pipe into 16 inch long pieces and stuck them thru the drilled holes. I lined them up and then used electrical tape to keep the pipe in place. Just kept going around and around until the pipe was secure.I capped the ends of the pvc pipe with little caps they had at Home Depot for 13 cents a piece. It gave it a finished look. Then I cut a 10 foot by 4 inch PVC pipe in half and stuck them into the drain basins. They were ready to go, but I decided to put on three strips of white vinyl tape to help with visibility in the arena. I think they turned out really nice. I made four and have used them all week. The only other thing I am thinking of doing is taping the basins to the big pvc pipe just so they don't come loose. Each one costs about $18 to make, which isn't too bad. They are nice and light and easy to move around the arena.

We have moved

A lot happened this week. Maddy and I moved over to our new barn, Lundervold Stables. It is about 4 miles down the road from Templeton Equestrian Center, so I am still close to all my old friends. The move went pretty smooth. We got off the trailer and I let her take everything in. I took her over to graze and we got visit different spots on the property and then back to her grazing spot. It was a good tactic to get her adjusted. It went smoother than I expected. I need to quit underestimating my horse:-) I just love my new place. I am paying $350 a month and saving alot without sacrificing. It is a beautiful place with good people and trails right out the back door. Today I went on my first trail ride with my new barn owner, Tammy. I wish I had my camera. The trails are amazing. When we got back I let Maddy graze out in one of the pasture. Look at that grass! Up to her knees...and that is just one of 5 huge pastures they rotate around on. She was in heaven. Her ears flopped to the sides and her eyes half closed and she just had huge mouthfuls of horse candy:-). We are doing about half hour on the grass and then out to a "mudd pasture" or her run. We are both very content and happy even though we left a wonderful place with lots of good memories, I am ready to try something new...feels a bit like leaving the nest off on a new adventure. Check out my new round pen....can you say "liberty!"