Spring In Winter

Got home from work this afternoon, ran upstairs (3 flights) shrugged into my breaches, raced back downstairs, pulled on my boots, jogged outside, snagged my gear from the tack room, and met Lyra at the gate for another ride. And I do mean that I met her at the gate, she saw me coming from across the way, abandoned her round bale and companions, and met me at the gate, it was lovely of her!
Today we continued with a lot of walking. Really working on trying to get Lyra to relax through her top line, work from my inside leg to outside hand, have nice walking steps pushing through her top line, and working on balance. Lyra has a tendency to tighten up, through her head up in the air, and well, do the upside down neck game, which I'm a particular NON-fan of, so we are working on it. Today she managed quite a few strides with me getting to completely release her inside rein. She also followed my hand down rather well, especially towards the end of the ride. We are both a work in progress, but getting better with practice. I hope we can ride again tomorrow, lots happening though, so we shall see. :-)

Brandon and Dorothy swapped off on the camera (which I think actually worked to make for a not as wonderful as last time ride, since I was a bit tense with getting talked at for angles for light purposes, rather than just focusing on Lyra, good to keep in mind for next time, good to have a couple pics though, will help with my before and after reality checks in a couple of months when I feel discouraged that we've accomplished so little.) All in all, I had a great time with Lyra and am really looking forward to our continued rides. Looking into taking a few lessons myself with a local dressage trainer here, hoping that will help Lyra and I, might even see about getting Lyra over there for a little training herself, will see about that one...
Hope everyone else had a great day!!
As you can see in the one pic, we're starting to see green again, it was close to 50 and somewhat sunny intermixed with overcast today, Spring on the way so soon?, Dare I Hope???  And... we got a square halt! :-), seems the more I try to ask for one, the less likely it is to happen, but if I just move my seat to ask for a halt, she does a square halt pretty much every time, recon for Lyra, the less I interfere, the better.

Also, stopped at the local bookstore on my way home, for the new Chet and Bernie Mystery, by Spencer Quinn (really good books!, are mystery novels told from the Detective's Dog's Perspective, very quick, fun read).  While there, I looked through the horse books section (I always do) and came across a conformation book, "The Horse Conformation Handbook" by Heather Smith Thomas, which looks pretty good, has a lot of information in it along with clear descriptions and explanations and diagrams.  I haven't had time to spend a lot of time with it, but so far, it looks very good.  I also came across "The Rider's Fitness Guide to a Better Seat" by Jean-Pierre Hourdebaigt, it also looks like it's chalk full of useful information.  I'm always happy to learn a new little exercise or stretch I can do while at work or sitting at my computer or in my car or on dark, rainy nights, when I can't ride, to help improve my riding when I can ride.  Thought I'd pass the titles along.
Hay getting delivered tomorrow. 
Best,
~Heather

Leg Yields and Bending

I'm going to try to use this blog to help keep a training log, so on those days when I'm feeling like I've accomplished nothing, i can go back and see what all has been accomplished, along with keeping some semblance of a direction for what we're doing.

Short note and apologies ahead of time for there being no pics from yesterday, was home alone today...but here's a pic of us from a ride at the end of December 2009, with Lyra's filly, Rogue in the background, very exciting way to ride, having her tag along.  Xandra was out with us that day as well. I DO NOT recommend riding with loose horses, it definitely poses some unnecessary hazards, that said, I had a lot of fun doing it.  Good to have Lyra to myself now though and able to go out for riding sessions without Rogue.

I took Lyra out yesterday, first time without Rogue (her five month old filly), third time since last March. Our first two rides were just walking about, calmly ignoring her child romping about, enjoying her freedom on drier footing. We finally started getting down to business though. Spent the majority of the time at the walk. Lyra started off with her head straight in the air, resisting, wanting to go back to Rogue. However after a great deal of resistance didn't pay off and required her to work more, she finally settled down to a nice, relaxed, very forward, swinging through her back walk. After getting her really comfortable and relaxed in this forward walk, we worked on some bending around my leg exercises and then moved into some bending going from my inside leg to outside rein, which I've never really worked on with her before. We finished off with serpentines through seat and leg cues and a very forward walk, bending beautifully right around my leg and springing forward again. All in all, this was, possibly, the best, most in tune to each other ride, Lyra and I have shared to date. I am so excited for our next ride, hopefully soon, was low 40s and pouring rain today, ugghh :-(
After riding I groomed everyone else, was nice to have a dry day where I could scrub all of them, get their hair all fluffed again and admire their lovely curls. Riot, Star's fourth month old colt, has recently decided to go through a rebellious stage where he doesn't like being caught, so he earned himself a drag line, which his sisters (Rora, Ravyn, and Rogue) along with Xandra immediately thought would be immense fun to grab in their mouths and head off in different directions with. Not sure how that's going to work out, I did request that while it was fair to give him a hard time about it, if they could resist actually hurting Riot, that'd be appreciated. They promptly ceased playing tug of war with his line and he took up, trying to pick his own line up and somehow finagle removing it from himself, he's smart enough, I won't be the least bit surprised if he figures that one out. He's yet to keep his rain jacket on longer than an hour.
After working some with Riot and reminding him just how wonderful it is to have me near him scratching all his itchy spots (ie his entire body), I worked with all of their hooves. Seems to be an ongoing thing, the more it's done, the easier it is,and the less time it takes. All of them were exceptional about offering their hinds without any effort on my part, their fronts they were good about but not quite so much on cue. I was happy with all of them being so easy about it though, they were loose, so could have walked off instead of playing my little stand around on three legs game. I think they new the quicker they did what was being asked, the quicker their reward of wonderful scratches would be in coming. I finished the afternoon standing quietly with Xandra, my cheek pressed up to her neck curls, just breathing in and out with her; observing the babies romp with each other, glad to be alive and so well blessed with the Curls in my life.
I hope everyone else is getting out and enjoying their Curlies. :-)
Best Wishes,
~Heather

Time's Wings again...

Can't believe I haven't posted in so long...
In a nut shell for 2009...
Sandor joined our herd in the Spring time, he hails from Shelly White's Curly Standard Place, he is sired by none other than the sensational *Sandman's Magic and is out of the lovely, fluid, forward moving Dutch Warmblood/Arab mare, Vanity (aka Legacy). We are still in joyous disbelief at having such a quality incredible stud colt here. We have very high hopes for Sandor's future in the dressage and eventing rings as well as for being our future herd sire. Thus far he has proven himself to be incredibly intelligent, have an expansive and giving heart, movement to die for, and is perfect in every way; we are smitten with him to put it mildly and couldn't be more thrilled to have him here. Thank You Shelly!!!

In July and August we had four foals, all sired by our lovely Curly stallion, *Rhys.
Lyra gave us a lovely gray filly, Rogue (Rogue Sky Warrior).

Epona gave us a gorgeous miracle, a pinto palomino filly named Rora (Rain Dancer Aurora).

Tiska (our Hungarian Warmblood) gave us a stunning bright bay filly, Ravyn.

Star gave us our only colt this year, not sure if he's true black or a very, very dark bay, he sure is snazzy with a lot of chrome though! Riot (Riot Storm Chaser).

All of the foals are extremely intelligent, very social, easy to train and work with, filled with character and spunky personalities, just an absolute wonder to interact with each of them every day.
None of our mares are bred back for 2010, although we do plan to breed back a couple of them for 2011 foals. We shall see how all of that plays out when it happens!
We also have a wholly unexpected addition, hailing from the south, our little Georgian Peach, "Memri" (aka Enjolique Remember Me) from Lisa Wytiaz's Bash Curl Farm II. Memri is a rich bay filly, born Memorial Day of 2008. Memri is sired by the Dutch Warmblood, Dressage Horse producing phenomenon, Ruben O, and out of the exceptional Curly mare, BCF Exantheus Keoke. We have very high hopes for her following in her siblings' hoof falls, competing at the highest levels of dressage at the least, possibly eventing, depends where her heart lies, we can not thank Lisa and Bash Curl Farm II enough for making Memri's entrance into our lives such a smooth and uncomplicated transition, not to mention having the foresight to put her parents together in the first place to create such an exceptional being!! Thank You Lisa!!; we are eagerly awaiting her cross country traverse and subsequent arrival, pics to follow upon her arrival!
Since I've no pics, here's a link to her most current Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp-4EHpcbjY
This year we will be focusing on continuing Rhys, Lyra, Epona, and Star's under saddle training. Ground work with all of the youngsters, and lightly starting Xandra under saddle.

We will be getting out to as many in-hand competitions with the youngsters as possible and hope to have a re-appearance at this year's Puyallup Fair.
I will try to be more diligent at keeping this blog updated this year!
Best to You all in this New Year!!
~Heather

My first "Ride with Me" adventure, January 25, 2009

Whew; ok, so at the last minute, Robyn (Caryn's sister and a good friend of mine from HS days) decided to join Caryn (Good friend of mine from HS days and also my brother's other half, she owns Star and Zypher here) and I for the ride today. So, Robyn rode Epona (as she is my surest riding horse here), while Caryn rode Star and I rode Lyra.

When we started out it had just stopped flurrying lightly, later on it started sprinkling, but then stopped completely. Was fairly chilly, but nice, about 34F or so. As Denise mentioned I am recovering from being pretty sick lately, beware the plague is what I say. Getting better though.
We rode out to the end of "our" driveway, across the street and were promptly "pulled over". Our driveway is half a mile long, the last quarter mile being an easement through a state park. Across the street is another easement leading to another person's gate and to their house, through the same state park. My understanding, and say what you will, but I did check at my college and it does work this way there, but the signs say in the actual park part that "all pets must be on a leash" not "dogs" but "pets", we weren't in the park part, we were on the easements. Our "pets" were on leashes. Anywho, apparently we can't leave our house as horses aren't allowed in the park, so to even get off where we live, the horses have to be on wheels. I'm considering teaching my Curlies to roller blade. Ridiculously we can ride our horses down town, any day, any time, just so long as we don't go over the speed limit (yes I called and spoke to a police officer to make sure on this one, they had to call me back about it) yet we can't ride on our own driveway in the middle of no where. Anyway, this on top of our current land lord changing the rules here so we only have the one paddock for use here (is about three, very wet, acres as opposed to the originally agreed upon twenty seven, mostly drier; which of course none of the particulars are written down, so we have nothing to stand on), has us house hunting. Very frustrating. The park ranger said if we were caught riding on our easement, "driveway" to the road it would be a huge fine. Unbelievable, since we are the only ones who use the road to get to and from our house, they don't do any upkeep on it at all, and well, it's all very frustrating.
Onto a better note.
As I said I was on Lyra.

Caryn and Robyn are fairly new riders, which Star and Epona are more than happy to exploit. Lyra is the least experienced riding horse here, hence I was on her. There is a huge grassy field we pass, then our driveway goes through a gate and you are in a bunch of trees out to the road. None of the horses like passing the point of going through the gate and into the treed area. Knowing this and also that all of them are well behaved on the ground, I decided to have everyone ride out with a lead rope attached to their mount, I then ponied Star and Epona through said trouble spot and then the rest of the ride went smoothly. The ponying went very well too, so easy! Anyway, I wish someone else had the camera at that point, really fantastic! I should have a snap doing a double bridle when/if I ever have a dressage Curly trained to that point then. I always carry two dressage whips, so had Lyra's reins, the dressage whip in each hand, and then the lead rope from Star through one hand into the other and Epona's lead rope through the other hand and through to the other, managed to work everything just fine though, ahh!!, what fun!! I am hoping that a couple more times of that and Star and Epona will figure out that balking and turning back home at that point isn't an option, that their riders aren't getting off anymore and so their little antics there are not going to help. I've ridden all of the horses through this area, they don't give me any trouble, it seems it's a little treat they save for anyone they know isn't as experienced. So, we will see if it helps. Also has me hopeful that from now on when I ride out alone, I can pony two other riding horses so they also get to exercise and I can trade off who I'm riding, extending the whole trip rather than repeating out and back, we will see. I am tickled pink by the whole thing though.
So after having our trail ride cut in more than half of what I'd hoped and planned for, we came back early and worked in the field that belongs to the same land lord we have and we are kind of allowed to use, for now, before the Spring grass comes in.



If we stay here 'till then we will have to negotiate further use of it.
In the field I worked with Epona, Lyra, and Star on some trotting, some bending, and some canter. I know it doesn't show here, but I was pretty much grinning from ear to ear the whole time. I just love getting to ride my own ponies and do things with them. Until recently none of my horses were cantering under saddle, so this was particularly wonderful for me. Made me feel like a little kid. Next step is getting everyone else comfortable riding at a more advanced level so we can all trot and canter and do more advanced things; all in good time though, and really, all of it is fun for me. :-)
The last picture here is of Epona doing an extended trot, when I see pictures of what she is doing under me while I ride her, I am always amazed, she has incredible movement!

Brandon and I watched some Dressage clips from the Olympics last night. Every time I see some of the more advanced riders riding the extended trot, sitting to it, I am always amazed. Last night I said, wow, I wish I could actually do that rather than immediately going into posting trot. Brandon said "You can do that, just do it." Granted while riding Epona I was in the western saddle (love that thing btw, it's an old working cow/roping saddle, doesn't move on the horse's back at all and built to pull down a house) but I sat her extended trot, as well as Star's, very exciting for me! So I am glowing. Very happy.
Off to house hunting now.
I hope everyone else had an absolutely wonderful day; riding or otherwise!

~Heather
http://hk3day.blogspot.com
http://www.skygazerranch.com

Personal vs. professional

As of today, I have two blog spots, not that I've been perfectly punctual with one. However, this blog spot will primarily revolve around my personal life. As opposed to my other blog, Stargazer Ranch, which will primarily revolve around my business, which is budding and new and still trying to breath. We will see though, life is nothing if not an adventure.
I hope you enjoy.

Time with it's enormous wings...

flies by without my seeming to notice, the more that passes, the quicker it seems to accomplish it's disappearing act.
So much has happened of late, where to ever begin... going to try to make this semi-quick.

In August I moved to a new home, it is a huge house on 27 acres, three sides have a state park abutting them. The atmosphere is tranquil in it's seclusion.
With me, I brought Epona, Lyra, and Xandra. Next Tiska came to join my little herd, she is a breathtaking Hungarian warmblood, who sustain an injury years ago, however has been very successful as a broodmare. Next came Rhys, he is on a long term lease, he is an absolutely gorgeous Bay Curly stallion. Lastly came Star (who is Xandra's mom) and Zypher (who is Xandra's full brother), they belong to my brother, Ryan, and his girlfriend, Caryn. We are expecting four Curly foals next summer and I can hardly contain myself in anticipation of their arrival.
Almost immediately after finding this house I landed an incredible job training German Shepherds and some of their owners even, was a lot of fun. Sadly it was not all that it seemed, not all activity was ethical and some not even legal, so I had to leave, no amount of money is worth my soul.
I am now working very part time in a book store (dangerous place for me to be, I love books almost as much as I love horses!) and am working on training my rideable horses for a potential future career for them in equine facilitated programs. I am really enjoying my time to finally actually spend with my horses.
On a sad note Callie past on October 24, 2008. It was devastating for me, more than I think anyone really knows. To help deal with the grief I went out and got a German Shepherd puppy, Iris. In mythology Iris was the Goddess messenger between heaven and earth, she rides the rainbows for transport between. I thought with Callie having traveled the rainbow bridge, Iris was a fitting name for this little girl. She is such a joyous, happy puppy, very quick to learn and is doing her job in helping me come to terms with Callie's passing.
Once again, I will try to stay a bit more current with this blog. I apologize if things get a bit backed up. :-)

Rest in Peace Callie, My Love.

I lay there, our last night together, in the bed we'd shared countless nights cuddled together on, hearing a heart beat entirely too fast, mine or hers? Definitely hers, her heart beat too fast, her breathing too shallow. Stroking my hand through her hair, along her body, I could feel every bone, each vertebrae, she hadn't eaten in days, too sick to keep anything down. Burying my face in the mane of her neck I cried, thinking of the life we'd shared to now.

Recalling running down the trail to the beach; hopping over fallen trees, avoiding banana slugs. Callie would run into the sound, tail swishing, snaking from side to side. She'd look back with a glint in her eyes, trot out and find the biggest stick possible. It always amazed me to see the logs she would come prancing over with.

Out in the woods, up a trail to some peak, and around the bend and rolling next to a mountain bike. There was no adventure Callie would pass up. As a puppy she used to adamantly request to join in on car rides, despite the fact that they made her violently ill. Out on trail rides with horses, or just crossing a small field, she would happily trot alongside or just behind them.

She was born on the fourth of July, 2000, the only dog I've ever met who truly didn't mind fireworks. I met her in October of 2000, despite the fact that she was the one puppy who ran over joyously as I pulled up, I did not take her home until almost December, two weeks prior to flying across the country, from NY to WA. She was laid to rest October 24, 2008. During the Winter of Callie's fifth year she was diagnosed with kidney failure, we were given six months, despite the odds her will to live and carry on pulled her through the next three years, showing only marked decline in the last couple of months.

Callie has been the best friend, confidant, and guardian a young woman could ever hope to have. She traveled across the country with me on my first adventure away from home, 3,000 miles away on an airplane, riding first class do to her status as a Search and Rescue dog. She accompanied me on countless adventures to the beach, to the creeks, on trails, on hikes, bikes, and trails. Callie stood guard as I went through many a social adventure and intervened on three separate counts when my personal safety was jeopardized.

Callie escorted me from the realm of teenager, hopeless romantic, and naïve high school graduate through my real testing grounds of growing up into a mature, more realistic, grown adult woman. Callie was the guardian I pray my own child(ren) will have to escort them through the fires of their own training ground as they learn who and what they are and who accompanies them through the passing of their final years of adolescence.

Callie was obedient, intelligent, sympathetic, regal, aware of her self physically and others mentally, and above all, she was always there. She was the perfect companion at all times. Callie was frequently an ambassador, not just for other dogs, but for other humans as well. To those who had lost trust in the human race or those who had terrible past experiences, she always seemed to know what was needed to bring them back to a whole place. Callie's impeccable manners gained her entrance to many places most dogs are not allowed and gave her the ability to interact with a great number of people whose lives are richer for having also been able to know her.

The loss of Callie is unbearable at times. I was blessed to have been loved by her, to have had her in my life for the brief time she was. It was an honor to have been her person. I know she is here still in spirit, I trust she is running through fields after tennis balls, finding enormous tree branches and "rarfing" in the snow she so loved to play in on the other side of the rainbow bridge.

Until we meet again my beloved friend, I miss you dearly, wish you could accompany me in physical form on the next chapters of my life, and look forward to your brief visits and continued guidance in time of need. I love you now and always.