all that really matters ~ 3rd in trail course series

A break from frigid WI weather came just in time for the January Trail Course Challenge! We arrived late morning, and instantly felt the high energy. For some reason the energy was much thicker then previous courses. Koda's ears were on high alert. We tried to get acclimated to the obstacles, and not get run over. The host just smiled "this is the horse show, without being at a horse show". We focused on learning the new trail course pattern, instead of whatever was in the air that day.

Arena doors were open, the cool breeze kept the green & gold streamers a float, at times not so gently. The course decor theme this month was based on our NFL team, the Packers. The last obstacle was too cute. The hosts daughter had decorated two Packer posters to use as goal posts. We were to end the course by scoring a goal!

Packer fun with horses

January Trail Course:
Start: Walk over Bridge
Walk into Box, 360 turn to Right, Walk out of Box
At cone, Lope Left Lead into Chute
Side-pass left and back out of Chute
Walk to Gate, Go through Gate, Left Hand Push
Jog to spiral poles, continue over, Stop at Cone 
Perform a 360 Spin to Left
Right Lead Lope, over Pole, around Cone, over another Pole and Stop at Cone
Walk to Ball, use horse to Push Ball through Goal Post
Exit at Walk

January Course

Snapshot of how our horses did:
Our trainer took one look inside the arena before joining us, then had Cierra burn off some excess energy outside in the round pen. It was a good call. Cierra handled everything so much better this time! When riding more then one horse, they justifiably keep the higher score and toss out the lower one. Cierra would have placed otherwise, with our trainer.

Cierra & Trainer on course, making the tight lope over
Nemo (L)

Nemo was his usual rockstar, and placed first with Brad and second with our trainer. He is being remembered as the "white appaloosa" and is in first place running for high point with his owner, the horse whisperer.

Koda & I were having a smooth run until we got to the spin, my demise!! Our spin has gotten so dysfunctional. I don't know how/if I'll ever be able to get it fixed, without paying someone to fix it for me. Sad, but true. I tried not to over think the technical aspects, something I am frequently guilty of, but we spun right out and into the cone marker. Oops! What a sloppy mess that was. We got scored way too low on two other completed obstacles. Our trot over may not have been perfect, but neither myself nor our trainer could figure out what was incorrect about our lope over. We may have been scored low simply because those two obstacles were pre/post to our big spin flopola. Makes me no difference. Koda listened to everything I asked, all that really matters.

Young horse overcoming ball fear, with help from judge 
Nemo & Brad (L)

After days of cajoling from my hubby, I failed at placing higher then him on the course. Sigh. I even had a string of backers, but nope. I can come up with a whole list of excuses. For example, both his horses are ridden by a trainer blah, blah, blah. Nemo isn't in training, but ends up getting little tune-ups by default. Whenever Brad rides Cierra, they flip-flop horses. Let's face reality, it's really because he is a natural. Hence the horse whisperer nickname he has earned from more people then myself. I'll never do anything horse related even half better then my husband. Not that it's remotely important. After the show he endured some return commentary from the funny farm. Now what are we gonna do?! Next month we could bet if I win he makes supper, and if I lose we go out for supper ;)

Overall, the numbers and those attending were pretty similar to previous months. About 16 different horses competed, 20-ish courses ridden, and a handful of horses joining in during practice. It was once again a great learning experience, with good challenges, conversations & fun!!

Koda's new friend

Link-backs to the Winter Fun Trail Course Series to date:

November Trail Course

December Trail Course


Edited: adding photos from the January Course, courtesy of High Pines

Pow-Wow during practice by the Packer Goals
Brad on Nemo & me on Koda

Practice Time
Cierra waiting to do lope-overs

just being together ~ happy new year

After a full day of indoor arena riding at the trail competition on Saturday, we wrapped the weekend up with an outdoor relaxing trail ride on the farm...sigh. We thought about giving the boys the day off, they certainly earned it. But a leisurely ride felt like the right thing to do. Just being together outside, without expectations. We have no snow, and therefore no ice. The sun was shining, it wasn't too cold, the air was mmm fresh...oh how I miss trail riding!!

Last Trail Ride of the Year
Sunday, December 28, 2014

2015 is going to be a fun horse-filled year, I'm so looking forward to it! Thanks much for riding along, and sharing this past year. It means a lot to me. Wishing each of you a Happy & Healthy New Year, full of all the things you love!!

changing the story ~ 2nd in trail course series

Everything feels different towards the end/beginning of a year. There are gatherings filled with memories, anticipation, and reflection. Schedules shift, and everything feels a bit peculiar. When the December trail course date finally arrived, we welcomed the day away and all that it offered! A learning experience filled with challenges, friendships new and old, fun and laughter - lots of laughter - was sooo good for the soul!!

Interestingly enough, there was only one returning rider (besides us) from the first November course. The hosting facility called our trainer to see if we were coming. With only two signed up (guessing the sign up is at their barn?) they were thinking of canceling. Can't blame them, hosting is a lot of work! Good thing they didn't. They ended up with 13 different horses entered to compete, 15 courses ridden, and 2 horse/rider's practicing but not showing. We made sure the host knows now, consider us signed up for the series!

Cute tail on that roping dummy!
The gate rope had attached bells.

Thank goodness we arrived early enough to get some solid practice in, before the arena got busy. They had set up a challenging course, with things none of us thought to practice. Roping? duh! A teardrop back through? what's that? My hubby & I have never seen one (our trainer was kicking herself) and ohhh my, that was one tight serpentine!!

The December trail course:
Start: at Mailbox, retrieve & replace mail 
Walk to gate, turn at will, Work Gate, left hand push, close gate
Walk to 3 cones, turn at will, back through & around in a teardrop shape
Trot to poles, continue & Serpentine 5 poles, circle left & over pole, stop at bridge
Over bridge, stop at roping dummy
Swing & toss rope 
Walk to cone, 270 turn on haunches
Lope off right lead over pole, circle wide between back through cones & bridge, over pole, stop at beginning pole
Side-pass right, over pole
Exit at a Walk

The course was wide, and almost used the entire arena.
When not showing we were asked to use their extra stalls,
or hang out in the aisles or corners.

A snapshot of how our horses did:

Cierra was much better overall. She was great starting out, but as the arena filled up so did the stimulation, and her ability to deal with it. Typical of a young horse. They just don't know how to deal with heightened emotions. Brad has come a long way with her, and helped Cierra deal with the added energy. Our trainer Patty & I watched them work as a team, so proud of both of them! He chose to take the course second with her, completed the course as we cheered them on! Cierra still struggles with standing at the gate, altho she's had lot's of practice. Brad & I gifted our trainer with a new homemade sturdy gate for Christmas, but it only helps so much in new surroundings. Our trainer also showed her later in the course, with similar results.

New gate at our barn!

With Nemo, what can I say? Altho he had trouble dealing with the back through cones in practice (because of his personality) with help he figured it out, and rocked it by show time! Brad & Nemo placed 3rd, our trainer & Nemo placed 5th. He continues to prove to be the amazing horse that he is!! 

I was much more relaxed with Koda this challenge, altho I got the usual lack of effort on his part. When asked if I needed any help near the end of practice, I told our trainer I was struggling with keeping the trot through the serpentine (it was tight, the horses had to work) and of course the lope off. Yes I know, more leg. She offered to ride the practice course with Koda. She did, and made sure I knew afterwards that altho I always blame me, it isn't. She feels he isn't doing his part, meeting me half way. I know that, but I feel it's my lack of ability to get him to want to meet me halfway...I have no doubt, it will be a long road but we will figure it out together. I was very proud of Koda for not buying into the craziness a couple of the horses expelled, or better said, their young riders created... 

The two main things I got docked for: The dreaded (270) turn on the haunches...the move we've been struggling with...oh well, I'll keep trying. I also made a mistake on the pattern. Altho we nailed the lope off (I heard the supportive whistles, thanks guys!) I didn't circle wide, and instead took the harder version of the pattern ~ oops! Altho we completed it, I clipped the second pole. I can't complain, we placed fourth!!! 

We made a couple new friends throughout the competition, and ended up watching & hanging out in the "musical corner" (had to be there) where Brad eventually joined us. He picked up on it from across the arena...funny how those with a common outlook find each other without even trying.

Fun corner group

On the way home my hubby told me that now I'll have to change my showing story. I'm sure he's sick of hearing, "I've only ever shown once at a camp show, when I was 12..." I had sooo much stinkin' fun at the trail course competition, learned a bunch, even more then the first course...I didn't even know this was possible.

hand made Christmas equine cards

Sending wishes in the form of hand made cards has all but become a lost craft. Online photo cards are now the norm. These days I receive more of them, then even standard boxed holiday cards. I get it, anyone can create them. Photo cards are a simple way to showcase you & your's, and if you are a labeler, you don't have to write or sign a thing. No doubt, a relief for many in this busy crazy world we live in. Digital anything is fantastic, and who doesn't like to see smiling faces when they receive snail mail?!! Much more fun then opening bills.

While grumbling talking to my mom the other day, surrounded by mounds of carefully selected card parts, I mentioned I had no idea why I was spending countless hours hand making cards, that people promptly throw away December 26. Hardly anybody hand makes cards anymore. With her wise wisdom she said "it's something you enjoy, so just keep doing it"...thanks mom! I almost forgot. I really do enjoy the creative obsessing, process of details, searching for that one missing thing, even the methodical hand work of doing the same sequence 30 times in a row, and finally seeing it all come together in the end!

My cards all start with the photo. This year I wanted to feature Cierra. I've taken many photos of her this past year, but this one stood out. Such a happy beautiful girl, that loves galloping across the field. Then comes finding a sentiment that fits, the hardest part for me. Some years I flip flop the order, and find or take a picture to fit a pre-purchased saying. If I find stamp messages I like, I buy them. I am p-i-c-k-y, and they are hard to find. Enhancing photo's digitally, is always a delicate balance. I was able to make the grass kinda sparkle, and had way too much fun adding warped floating snowflakes! When I do volume, I print out of house since printer ink is so expensive. Card stock is matched, selected, trimmed to size and glued in place. I usually add more background layers, but not this year. I stumbled across a new snowflake corner punch, sitting all by itself. I think it had my name on it? I've never used die cuts on actual photos prior to this card. I'm so glad I experimented. I had previously found snowflake embellishments, in the button aisle, but wasn't going to use them. As you can see, I changed my mind. Something that happens frequently throughout the card making process. A person really can't have a saying like "Sparkle and Bright" and not add sparkles to the words, right? that doesn't take any time at all...and wouldn't it look nice to glue a crystal in the middle of the snowflake? It was then I realized, I must be nuts!!

But it truly makes me smile inside to see my handmade cards. My mom leaves them up all year long, and occasional I hear sincere comments from friends that also display them. If not with these, perhaps other cards I've created just for them. Photo cards, handmade or digitally, are a snap shot that chronicle where we are in our life journey. Many times the chosen photos have special meaning, that only those closest understand. Special memories, captured in time, taking us back to that feeling...

Merry Christmas blogger friends, wishing each of you a sparkling bright 2015!!