Great...I need to find my big kid pants!

Our AWESOME new Sponsor Banner from Wits End Eventing,
they are breeding your next event horse!

Anyone who knows me, knows I am a bit of a worrier.  I am fully convinced that novice is now more like training level, training more like prelim, etc. etc. So, naturally, when I go take the babies to their first novice I tend to get a little light headed and forget that breathing is indeed required. I am always fine when I get going, but taking a horse from the ground up is a bit nerve wrecking the first time at new levels.  You know they are capable, obviously (!!), or else you wouldn't have them there; but going from tripping over the first cross rail to bouncing around their first cross country can be a bit worrisome.  Are they good enough? Did you do  a good job? Are they confident? Are they happy? Is your helmet on? Is your air vest going to inflate? Can you turn left? Actually, can you turn right too?! Can you stop? (stopping at fences does not count). This, pretty much, is my checklist; plus, Do I have my neck strap!???!!!?!
So next weekend my checklist will be in overdrive!  Irish and Maddie are doing their first preliminary HT.  While I did not bring Maddie along, I still love having her and think the sky is her limit.  I expect her to have a fabulous outing and come back happier (but hopefully not any more cheeky about her abilities!). Irish is my little energizer bunny.  I am so happy, excited, nervous and proud of her- she has more heart and try in her than most horses will ever dream of and you cannot train that, replace that, or buy that (unless you want to spend about six figures...and no I am not including the cents!).  She's so much fun and I have very high hopes for her, so hopefully next weekend will be the start of many fun things for her! And hopefully, the start of my overdrive checklist doing back into first gear!

Our first sponsor, we are so excited!

Most exciting is that HI Eventing just got a great new sponsor! Natural Horse Organics has amazing products and they are green! These products are amazing for your horse, healthy for you to use, and easy on the environment.  No harsh chemicals, no need for gloves and constant hand washing to rid yourself of nasty goo! These are wonderful, economic products that you cannot beat! Check them out at http://naturalhorseorganics.com/.

Royal Report aka Harry! (Baby Harry!)

We also have a fabulously flashy little addition here! Royal Report, or Harry, was born Sept. 9; he is out of a half sister to the lovely horse Sloopy, Report to Sloopy) by Royal Alyance (Wits End Eventing's lovely jumping grey stallion).  We are so excited about this very cute, very prissy little red headed boy! Watch out 2020!

Also we can't forget our newest addition! Lord Willing, Will, is a half brother to Tess- he was rescued from the slaughter house in early September and is now here to get fat and learn to be an event horse!!! He is SO sweet and is quite lovely, all be it a bit boney as well!

Here are some videos for entertainment purposes only!
I will check back after I have two new wonderful prelim horses!
Hillary

Huge THANK YOU to Dale Hinman for taking the videos and "A" Classen for being the master You Tuber!

Irish jumps big: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V49i6EpUbdA&feature=relmfu
Africa jumps super:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_OZsW2X5_A&feature=relmfu
Clif and I get reuinted for the day:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlcIvazb9V8&feature=relmfu
Doby's Fab SJ from Augus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omygy1KCwKs

Both of these two are for sale and are FANTASTIC!!!!! Don't miss out!
Nic's 25.5 from Full Gallop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w73DtXhSnU&list=UU64ZZkHK9YGpc4RpBpOyKeg&index=1&feature=plcp
Nic:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9yyBj2_dFs&feature=context-gfa
Copperfield:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jffg6LfA_VY&feature=relmfu

Just giving you time to breathe....or travel the world.



Poor Nicky needed a rest after all his hard work!

I have been a bad blogger! I have been better with updating the facebook, so check that out for more regular, quick updates @ Hillary Irwin Eventing.  I also joined Twitter and...if I EVER figure out how to work it, I will update there as well!

So now to the good stuff:
The horses are absolutely wonderful.  I cannot say enough about how happy I am with them all.  Irish is being awesome, go figure.  She is now doing some more serious dressage work, and as usual, she has handled it with total grace and class- sitting her trot is actual fun! HA! Her jumping is getting stronger and more correct each time. There is not really ever much to complain about with her and I haven't come up with anything yet! (She plans to keep it that way because she has discovered a new love of peaches!)
Nic has been perfect, as only Baby Nic can be! He is just the best horse to have around- I am so, so, so very sad to be selling him, but he is just lovely and unfortunately, my most saleable horse! I adore him and will make sure that he is going to live like royalty wherever he goes. He is too special not to.  Next up for Nic will be Full Gallop next weekend. 
Doby has gone from a bit of an "awkward" duckling shall we say, to quite the little swan.  He is absolutely amazing to ride, he is going to be something seriously special- especially when he stops having red headed moments of "WHAT! WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE SCREAMING VOICES IN MY HEAD!". I am quite excited to have him and my hopes for him keep getting higher everyday that I ride him...no pressure little dobs, no pressure.  :)


Doby loves red and green jumps!

Africa has also grown up tons.  She is a sassy little Irish lady, who sometimes prefers the sassy over the lady part! She is getting much stronger on the flat, and cause of that is jumping quite well.  She is hands down the bravest horse I have ever ridden, so as long as I can channel that she is going to start making a big name for herself! She has a big future ahead of her, that is for sure.
Maddie is also back for the fall season.  She had a good showing at River Glenn.  The thing with this horse is that she has yet to try...ever, and she is a total knockout on the flat without effort and an incredibly good jumper.  When the effort starts to come through I think I might need some sticky glue for my dressage saddle and a seat belt for my jump saddle- I also think it would be great to have those devices as standard options on all saddles!
Also, we have a new little man hanging out around.  Kilbeggan is Clif's little cousin (or cuz' as the young kids like to say) and Bellamy Road's 3/4 Sibling.  He is seriously stunning and I could not be more excited to see what he can do! I have put a link to his big arrival below.
Enough about the horses, here is the good stuff!



Nic in his dancing shoes!

Here are the results since I last updated everyone! (at least I hope this is all of them!):
VA HT- Irish 9th in the Training, Nicky 2nd out of 17 in the Novice (at his very first recognized show!), Africa 11th or so in the Novice, Maddie 1st in the Training (out 16 at our first show together!)
Champagne Run HT- Irish 2nd in the Training on her dressage score of 36; Nic 1st in his very first novice on a 27.5!! Go Baby Nic!
Hillcrest CT-Doby 1st at his first novice CT on a 33!
CHP HT Juny- Doby 4th at his first event in the Beginner Novice
CHP HT July- Doby did his first novice, Irish went to do some dressage tests.  She was SUPER, scoring a 31 and getting called a lovely mare! She was just so excited that she asked me to frame her test and hang it in her stall, I told her that's what Grandmothers are for!
River Glenn HT- Maddie 2nd on a 31.5 in the training, Nicky 7th on his dressage of 37 in the novice, Africa 5th in the novice on his dressage score of 32.5 (Go Africa!), and Doby 5th in the Novice with a dressage score of 33 and an unfortunate green rail in the 2 stride.


Doby is showing off his bouncy feet!

Here is your YouTube overload; and the answer is no, I have never put this many videos on anything. Ever.

Doby's Big Novice SJ Debut!

Irish's Super SJ at Champagne Run HT (Training)

Baby Nic's 27.5 on his 1st Recognized Novice!

Nic's Winning SJ Ride at Champagne Run HT (Novice)

Kilbeggen's Big Arrival!

Nic loves his XC!

Complicated Is The Spice of Life!

It would appear that it is in fact the spice of life.  Well at least my life, despite the fact that there is nothing I detest more than complicated.  Very funny, world, verrrrrrrry funny.

So many things have happened since I could last type with two hands...that has been about 8 weeks for those of you marking off the days on your calender like I was.  While I do now have two hands to type with, they are still really not very useful as far as anything else goes.  Zipping up a jacket is actually quite difficult one handed, go ahead try, I'll wait.  Try shaving with only two fingers on one hand, and no there was no way I was not going to shave for 8 weeks before you even ask that question. Even better try taking care of 10 horses, 8 of which are in full work, and riding all of them....I have mastered one handed polo'ing, saddling, and blanketing.  None of those things I ever wish to do again...well after I heal. 
I initially hurt my hand in February when I was XC schooling a horse for a friend and my hand just slammed into her neck...the horse people, not the human. I went to the doctor, they said it's not broken.  Ok. I go to Pinetop three weeks later, hit my hand again on little Nic's neck when he couldn't decide which foot he wanted to put forward, so he just put both! Back to the doctor...looks like I tore ligaments.  Four weeks later...cast comes off and my hand hurts worse than before.  Back to a specialist (getting fancy, I know), looks like: 1- Torn ligament 2- Torn Tendon 3- Bones separated in the back of my hand 4- Thumb is broken through the joint (Did I mention during this little catastrophe that I also manged to fall and get carried a ways by a lunge line?-- breaking my thumb).  So now, all my hand questions have been answered, but my hand is still not healed....obviously, since each visit to the doctor results in a longer list of ailments.  I am still riding, haven't stopped riding, and will continue to ride until someone really lets me have it that it is a terrible idea--all my horses are so well behaved, I see no harm!

The fun news is that Tess is pregnant, Aly is the baby daddy! She wants to be  A BABY MAMA! YAYYY BABY MAMA'S!  I am already coming up with names, I'm so excited to be a grandmama!

Clif is also back in light flat work, which I find quite fun.  It only took 8 years, but has completely figured out his job and what exactly I expect from him, which he will gladly do for about 20 minutes until he is bored, good thing is light flat work only lasts 20 minutes!  He will start full flat work in May and hopefully start playing around jumping in June.  At some point I guess I have to give him to my mother...but I'll wait as long as possible for that...she did break her ankle after all, wouldn't want her rushing back to riding! I'm so thoughtful... I know.

Little Doby is turning into a real horse.  He is now jumping, putting his little head down and hacking all alone! So Cute!!! He is seriously a beautiful horse.  He will do his first shows in the next month.  I am trying to find him the perfect home, he needs to be someone's child.  He is 1/2 horse, 1/2 lap dog.  If you gave him a bed I have no doubt he would sleep in it and make it every morning before going back out to his pasture. He trys SO hard to make you happy, and he would like everyone to know that cookies do not hurt, in fact, they heal!!

Africa is also going quite well.  Still building lots of muscle, but she has figured out her job in general and is starting to think dressage rings might not kill after all.  She is going to have a very fun future ahead of her, I am very excited to be able to ride her! Check out www.witsendeventing.com for more info about their great breeding program.

Little Nic is great.  He is really starting to come into his own.  He actually loves to work, loves to do a fancy trot and jump big!  He thinks he is pretty cool, if he were a person he would be a Ralph Lauren model.  They seem to always have the most classically good looking people! Go Nic, maybe Ralph will give you some extra bucks for shopping, which I will gladly talk off your hands.

Baby Irish is no longer a baby!  That said, her name is not changing.  She went to KHP two weeks ago where she was just completely beside herself all weekend that she was actually at a show! She loved it!  She loved the atmosphere and the competition. She was very consistent and obedient in her test, just a bit tense so she was in 5th on a 33 out of about 23 or so horses.  I was very happy with her score, especially since I know there was at least 5 or 6 more points there with a bit of relaxation! Show jumping was highly entertaining, she went like a little dirt bike through all the turns and just kept going forward, which was the goal.  She jumped a very solid clear round.  If she wasn't so young I'd says she is ready to go prelim! Which in reality, she will be soon; but me being me, she will have to wait until at least the fall!  XC was, once again, quite awesome.  She storms around like an old pro; I let her actually gallop a bit and she finished way under the time, which I was happy with seeing as I was still in a cast and had a broken thumb!  Irish is convinced she is the best thing since sliced bread, and unfortunately, I do not do a whole lot to tell her otherwise.  Irish will do the training at VA HT, possibly something in June, Champagne Run HT in July and from there I will pick and choose another training or two to get her very solid before her big prelim debut sometime later this fall! Very exciting! Her ego barely fits through the barn as it is so I will leave that bit of info out of our conversations until she is getting ready to go into SJ at her prelim. I highly doubt she is going to notice a difference on XC, she'll just think someone got a personality and made the courses more fun!

Overall, everything is going well. In May we will be at the CHP Unrec. HT, Hillcrest Farm CT/Derbycross event, Fenridge Unrec. HT and Virginia HT---think my head will spin?! It will be quite fun I think, everyone here will officially be an event horse by the end of the  month! There are lots of horses here, lots of things going on, and lots of lessons being taught! It is nice to have such great people around all the time, I'm so lucky! 
Hope all is well-
Hillary

I Think I Still Live in NC....

BUT IT'S HOT! It's like.... liiiike totally hot in March! Maybe I got my previous wish of global climate reorganization! That Genie had better come back- I've got 2 more wishes!!!!!!

It is actually quite nice to get all the horses sweating in March- it makes their coats so shiny and they love to not wear their rugs every day all day!  They think their negotiating tactics of ripping blankets have worked...clearly they are delusional- if it's 80 outside you don't have to wear a blanket ya ding bats! One day they will learn...one day....but, I am not holding my breath.

Africa!

It has been so nice the last few weeks having a bit of a quiet schedule- I needed a break, I have not stopped since the 2nd weekend in January and it was nice to be around the farm on the weekend.  My poor Mom also managed to break her ankle- so it is a good thing I have been home I suppose.  She has been cripple hobbling around, she went to the barn the other day and cold hosed Clif's knee that was the size of my face (The horse really should learn some more evasive defensive tactics by the age of 11!).  She somehow also managed to get him from the wash stall to his stall; I am not sure which I more terrified of, the fact that my mother will lead a horse on crutches with a freshly broken ankle or the fact that Clif could possibly be dying because he let someone on crutches lead him around.  Maybe 2012 really is the end of the world.
All the horses are really growing up. Aly and Africa are jumping real courses and doing real grid work; they are big kids now! They both love to jump- they were bred to jump, so it's all natural to them I suppose!  They will both be going out in May to really get their careers started, until then, it will be all about getting their education more well rounded.  I'm sure they are ecstatic about the opportunity. Who wouldn't be?!

Irish and Nic went to Pinetop this past weekend; they were both amazing.  I probably have never been so proud of both my horses- they could not have tried harder. Irish got a 29 in the Open Training, which I was so happy with! She jumped great in the SJ, even managed to save her mother once, leaving all the rails up in a very large SJ course (the TRAINING OLYMPICS :).  The most fun was that she was a total machine on XC- she did not put a foot wrong and I could not have asked for anything to be better.  She was just a blast to ride all weekend and finished 6th! Nic was also perfect, he doesn't know there is an option!  He got a 32 on the flat because he was adorable and tried so hard! He did have one fence down in the SJ, his body and half strides do not mix at the moment! He, like Irish, has already started to love getting all decked out in green and red to go blast around XC. Nic was great and finished 3rd at his first recognized show!  I have very high hopes for these two little monsters!



Shandy!

Unfortunately, I am now sporting an awesome blue cast.  I will be in it for next 2 to 3 weeks, and a brace will follow for a good while! Everyone will have to pardon the late/short blogs! It is painstaking to  "hunt and peck" type!

Hope all is well!
 H

Full February Brings March Madness!

Baby Nic learning to canter!

February has been busy!  Everyone has officially gone to high school and done their first show! How exciting!!  On Feb. 11th Nic had his very first big kid lesson off the farm with Bonnie Mosser.  He thought that was great fun! He got to jump his first real course with all the questions, he isn't sure what the question was, he was just happy to get a pat on the other side of every jump.  He is just far too adorable for his own good!

One day that trot is going to be quite fun going down the center line!

The following week nearly everyone went to Hillcrest Farm for their first ever outing; or in Irish's case, her first training of the year.  Aly, Nic and Africa did the beginner novice. Irish was absolutely super the entire time- she won the flat where she tried quite hard and was incredibly obedient and accurate in her test.  Her show jumping was quite good- we just had that "can't miss" kind of day- and as we all know, that doesn't happen often to anyone so enjoy it while you can!  The most fun, was that she was a little dirt bike on XC, she thought it was great fun and seemed to build up confidence during the entire round, she even had a giant LEAP off the drop into the water. She was quite fun to ride all day and did end up winning her division on her dressage score.

Show Jumping is Show Off time for Nic!

Nic also had a super first outing, I could not be happier with him.  He just loves to do anything you ask, as long as it does not require too much energy :).  He was 2nd on the flat with a 34- there is SO much muscle to be built that it's nice to know he can score quite well while not yet having that muscle to really do anything with his body.  He was super for his show jumping and seemed to really get more and more into the XC the further around he went!  Nic ended up winning his BN division- such a fun feeling to have the horse you bought for $1 win his first event ever!


Baby Nic says I LOVE JUMPING!

Aly, the little grey jumping stallion machine, also had a great first outing.  He had a minor baby testosterone moment in the dressage, but still ended up with a 9 and 3rd after his dressage!  He was so much better and more ridable than the previous weekend in the dressage ring, that I could have cared less about our little "moment".  His show jumping was wonderful; you would never know he was just learning anything about jumping, he is such a natural!!!  The same goes for his XC round, he was a bit green (surprise at this first show, eh?!) at the beginning, but then settled into a rhythm and seemed to have a great time the entire time to end up 3rd in his BN division!
Africa also showed her true colors and showed everyone that she really does love jumping more than dressage!  She is quite a fancy little horse when she relaxes, she had several lovely moments in her test and overall, I was happy with how she went.  There is a lot for us to improve upon for the next time, but isn't that always the case?!  She had a great time with both jumping phases- she really thinks its all quite boring!  Little does she know....it is boring because I think she should learn more before it gets more interesting!  She and I disagree about the educational process.....at the moment I'm winning....I have no doubt that she will try to change that!


Just last weekend Irish and Nic headed to Jumping Branch Horse Trials in Aiken to get their feet wet.  Irish went to do the training and Nic to do  the Beginner Novice.  Irish was, once again, absolutely super.  She was 2nd out of 12 on the flat on a 35- I could not be more happy with her.  She, as usual, tried so hard to do what she was asked and I really tried hard too dang it!  I am working quite hard to ride her better and better to help her gain more correct muscle and a bigger step. The show jumping was actually a bit on the tough side to my surprise.  I did have a mini gulp when I went cantering around the ring!  In true Irish fashion, the more I wonder if she can do it, the more she tells me that I am in fact dumb and she can do far much than "just do it".  She jumped a super clean round.  She did the same for the XC, she blasted around like an old pro- the bigger the jumps the better she jumped; that is probably my favorite feeling in the world!  She finished on her dressage score to end up 2nd.  A blue ribbon and a red ribbon on back to back weekends- Go baby Irish- apparently my peppermint bribery has been successful.
Nic was had a good weekend as well.  He was quite tired from the previous weekend so his dressage needed a bit more energy.  He had a great time jumping- he decided that was quite fun, he loves XC.  I've decided he only loves XC because he is just so glad it is slower than the race track!  He did have a baby stop at the water- obviously, I'm really not all that concerned!  He is learning quickly and I am very happy with how we went and how much better he felt than the previous weekend.

Clif's happy ears!!

Most exciting is that I have now ridden the big, muddy, fat, grumpy, dramatic mess of a favorite horse in the world.......Clif ......people....you should know this by now!  He was soooo excited that his ears were up the entire time and he didn't even try to buck me off!  Well.....the first day.  He is now back to being incredibly happy and is up to his old tricks.  He seems to not have caught on to the fact that every time he gets hurt I am riding better by the time he gets ridden again.  Fortunate for me I think, unfortunate for him because he has yet to spend his time off plotting and figuring out a better way to get me off- silly boys, they never plan ahead! 
I hope everyone has is enjoy the great non winter like weather and the beginning of show season!
Best to everyone!
Hillary

Ready, Set, Insanity!

I hope everyone has been keeping busy outside with this non-winter like weather we are having at the moment! I am all about the 60 in January and the 64 in February, it's like a little chunk of Florida moved north! I'm all about global climate reorganization. I happen to like the mountains covered in snow, I just want to see them from 2 miles away where it is 70 degrees! And yes, I do want my cake and to eat it too!
The last few weeks have been a bit intense.  All the babies headed out for their first XC schools- which you would never have known from the way they acted! They loved it!  Ramble went to Full Gallop the first week of February as well.  He was super on the flat, tried very hard in the SJ, and had a great XC round- he is a little stallion xc machine, batteries not included!  Cookies are his re-energizer.
Last Saturday all the babies- Irish, Nic, Aly, and Africa- went to TTC for their first show!  Aly and Africa did the combined test, they scored a 31 and 29 on the flat and jumped super.  Not a bad way to start out their little careers I'd say!  Nic and Irish just went along to do a jumper show class; both of them were quite good as well; Nic is still trying to do some weight lifting so he can actually carry that big ol' body of his around! We need to get him a personal trainer- oh wait, I think that's supposed to be me! Cut off shirts don't look good on me though. Bummer.
Most recently, Irish went to Full Gallop last week to do the novice.  She was actually quite good- we had an unfortunate shoe pulling in front of a fence that didn't work out so well for jumping the fence the first time....but she was super every where else- I am trying very hard to ride her like I would want her to go if she ends up going advanced.  No reason to have to retrain them later---so Irish leaps into the water.... jump or no jump! 
This week Aly, Africa, and Nic are all heading to their very first event on Saturday at Hillcrest Farm.  They are just so excited, they are squealing! Squeals of excitement ....anger....one in the same I'd say.  Irish is also bumming a ride so she can go do the training.  It will be a great place for everyone to do their first real events/real events back.  Irish is looking forward to being the experienced one of the bunch! She will probably tell all the babies to do bad things so that 1- she gets more treats, 2- people tell her how great she is compared to everyone else, and 3-so she can watch me nearly falling off out the trailer door when she has finished her day (Hillary is for entertainment purposes only1)! 
While all these fun, happy things have been happening there has been a major upset to my plans and my daily routine.  Tess has managed to break herself yet again! It really is quite impressive, we should be the world record holders at this point.  So, in true redneck fashion, Tess will become barefoot and pregnant real soon ya'll, real soon.  She is actually quite sad not to be getting the attention- however, her stall rest seems to have made up for her lack of normal attention, so she is quite happy to sit there with a full hay net and clean stall all day and night!  She sleeps more than any horse I have ever seen- she will have shavings in her ears, up her nose, and covering her ENTIRE body several times each day...I"m waiting for the snoring to start!
I will update everyone after the big debut this weekend, and after Irish and Nic head to Jumping Branch Farm for another unrecognized event the following weekend. Busy times for all of us here, except for Tess....little does she know what is to come....
Hope all is well.
Hillary

Resolution......Fail.

Like the majority of people I attempted to make some New Year resolutions.  I said, "I will try to eat healthier"; unfortunately, I put the word try in there.  My thought process goes like this: "Hillary, eat better, you are going to hate sitting trot if you bounce any more"...when eating lunch..."I can't find anything healthy....Oh well, I tried!".  I might or might not be very good at finding the loop holes in my resolutions.   I do need to eat healthier; if I eat better then I feel better (not that my healthy is a normal person's healthy, but you get the idea).  I LOVE prime rib, bagels, pasta, cheeseburgers, pizza, ginger ale, fruit juice, chocolate oranges, nerds and garlic mash potatoes! If I could cut all those out I would quite literally die-- I would have nothing to eat and that would be so sad.  So I am trying to slowly learn to like things like lettuce, tomatoes (not ever going to happen), and spinach. Vomit.
Other than my epic failure of keeping my New Year's resolution, I have been working on sitting a bit straighter, using my "weight" aids better, keeping my body slower when jumping, and making my horses really use their hind ends all the time.  At the moment everyone is living in a grid; if they are on their best behavior they do a line in different striding each time- even the babies, they have to learn sometimes, guess it should be now!  Everyone is heading out the first week of February for their first shows of the season- that week is going to be INSANE! Tess will head to Full Gallop I Feb.1, Irish/Nic/Africa/Aly will head to TTC Feb.4, I am teaching a clinic Feb.5 and Tess will head back to Full Gallop II Feb.8.  Anyone betting on when I collapse? I'm betting Wednesday at 5 pm.  Luckily, I am escaping for 2 days the next week with some friends- it will be my first actual day off since my Christmas vaca! So Exciting!!!!!
This week I saw a facebook status that said "life's hard, get a helmet".  After I stopped laughing, I went on reading, but kept thinking about that quote.  SO TRUE.  It does you no good complain- somebody has it worse, always, so just give it up (because in reality if you have a horse your life cannot truly be that bad!).  Things never go as planned and sometimes they do just smack you right on the head as they are crumbling around you.  When you think you have it all figured it out your wrong, and no matter what it usually turns out just the way it was supposed to.
I also recently saw something that Will Smith said- "even if your in the right lane, if you don't move, your going to get run over".  I have decided that I love these quotes (along with "if you don't have time to do it right the first time, when do you have time?")- I have put on my helmet and am going in a lane, I might not be speeding on the Audubon, but damn it I'm driving--your supposed to enjoy the process right?!
So as this season really starts to take off I'm going to make like Nemo and just keep swimming.  My horses will get better and stronger everyday; I will get better everyday, and attempt to eat healthier...maybe; I will make an effort to have more in my life (genuine laughter=happiness=healthiness), people are incredibly unique and is good to keep yourself surrounded by them, you can learn so much; the more you know the less you know, so start working harder (at least in my experience; maybe I should wear one earplug so info can only go in one ear but not out the other!!)! These are the things that I am going to center myself around for the year, with the ultimate goal at the end of the year being: My horses are better and I am better. This is as serious as I get and I thought writing it down would force me to really work on it!
I hope everyone has found something to work towards this year whether it is to curry your horse more often, keep your thumbs up, see better distances, actually clean your car....or your house, or just in general live life a little more like a "normal" person :), so I wish everyone Good Luck with those resolutions...and remember your greens!
Hillary

If it IS the end of the world, you've got nothing to lose!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and an awesome New Year.
I was lucky enough to escape to Florida for a few days around New Year with Tess and Irish and my family.  We were all just SO excited for 60's and 70's- who doesn't love some sun and sweat!? Irish had not been back to my grandparent's farm since they brought her to me as a 3 year old- I think she was a bit nervous she was being returned, so she was on her very best behavior for the week! Good thing she hasn't figured out how much I like her and she still appreciates her life, maybe she should explain to Tess that that would be a great attitude of her to adopt as well!!!!

The Family On New Years Day

All the horses are super, everyone is growing up and is a year older now. Clif is having a WONDERFUL time being outside- but I'm sure that will soon grow boring and he will then want to be ridden, (this is when I want a working student- a poor soul that I can say "hey, that's my best horse, he's a blast to ride" --I will inaudibly mumble that he's a blast to ride when he is fit and in work and that when he is unfit he's an absolute monster- what you don't know can't hurt ya :)).

Baby Irish

Ramble and Nic also had their first outing of the year.  Ramble went to TTC to do a Preliminary combined test.  I know he has been getting stronger, more correct and more connected, but I have to say I was a bit surprised that he got a 21.9 on his test! He was VERY good; he was very obidient, polite and happy the whole time, and he tried so hard.  He really is an incredibly special stallion.  There are still several things I thought could easily be fixed in the test, so we will work on those and hopefully come out doing some fun stuff at shows this spring!  Ramble was also super for his show jumping-I, for the first time, did a good job of keeping his feet moving, which for him is so key.  That was the positive, now to work on all those pesky finer points. The devils in the details right?
Video of Ramble's dressage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXpfQRKixLs&list=UU64ZZkHK9YGpc4RpBpOyKeg&index=2&feature=plcp
Nic also got drug along because I had room on the trailer and he needs to know that a racetrack is not lurking around every turn.  He was SO good, he was a completely different horse than when he went last month.  He hacked around on a loose rein, xc schooled on a loose rein, and didn't ever seem to get nervous--he even hung out on the trailer by himself!  By now, it is not really a secret that I adore this horse, maybe it's the fact that we are both a bit of an old soul or we both have decided there is far too much to do to worry about everything.  I'm not sure what it is, but he is an incredibly neat horse and I have very high hopes for him.
Baby Nic's first XC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uGarZ7oBCQ&feature=related

Jac on his pony! SO CUTE!

I hope everyone is enjoying this unwinter like weather and getting back in the swing of daily life that does not include the holiday chaos!

Hillary

Red and Green is just sooo popular this time of year!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and is going to have a wonderful New Year!
Everything is going well here- all the horses had a few weeks of very hard work so that they could have an easy holiday week! Such skillful planning on my part, I know. 
All of the babies are little jumping machines; they have all cantered their first little course and are ready to be four year olds so they can learn some fancy new tricks. Africa and Aly are great- Africa really wants to learn and Aly is such a little freak to jump, it could not be much easier (Don't forget to check out Wits End Eventing if you would like to learn more about them!) Nic is just so wonderful- he is starting to stretch and he LOVES to jump.  He made his first visit to Sharon's a few weeks ago- he was a superstar! He jumped the baby logs and the baby ditch, and thennnnnn the big ditch- he thought that was pretty awesome and nearly bucked me off with his emotional outburst!  Little Doby is getting ridden now too, he is pretty cute and is going to be very fun soon.
Clif is now going out all day with his friends, Nic and Doby, and the love of his life.... Sammy- he and Sam stand with their noses touching, it is a bit odd to be completely honest.
Irish is coming back into work well.  She has now jumped a few times and is most excited that she finally feels a bit less neglected!  Her time off did her good, she feels much stronger in her body in her flatwork and, the best part, I can catch her again! The little brat!
Ramble is going quite well.  His flatwork is really getting stronger and I am starting to ride him a bit better when jumping.  He says FINALLY!  Little Rambles is the best behaved horse I have ever had, how he is a stallion I do not know.  He is a lot of fun just to have around the farm.
Tess is also getting back into the full swing of things- she had a lesson with Linda Zang and then a jump lesson with Sharon the next day. She still hasn't completely forgiven me for that one.  Linda helped Tess quite a bit- Tess thinks Linda should be locked in a tower far far away.  The next day Tess had a super jump lesson with Sharon.  Sharon loves Tess and Tess loves Sharon--she always has such good insight into what I need to do to make the princess happier and more cooperative!
So this holiday season I am thankful for my awesome horses- my great family- my wonderful friends- my crazy dogs and everything else I have in my life. Clif wanted to remind everyone just how lucky I am to have him, even if he is just sitting in the field being demanding and unreasonable. 
Also a quick Happy Birthday to Nic, Africa, Aly, Doby, Clif, Tess, Irish, Ramble and Sam--I will now have 3 four year olds, 2 five year olds, a nine year old, a ten year old, an elven year old and Sam will be 23! That seems like a pretty full house to me!
Enjoy your New Year and eat some good luck food!
xo
Hillary

Special Treats.

So, as a horse person, I know I am weird.  It is a fact, I have come to accept it, I no longer try to fight it.  I would rather be at the barn than out at a party, most of my best friends have 4 legs and weigh more than 1,000 pounds (for the ones that don't- thank god because you wouldn't fit in my little Saab if you did!), and I can tell you the weather 5 days out because I have already planned out everyone's blankets for the week.  It's a bit insane, kind of strange, very unique and makes people wonder exactly how hard you were dropped on your head as a child- apparently I was dropped repeatedly or else I fell off one too many times.  Over the years you tend to get all kinds of comments about horses- I think these are some of my favorites:

---"Is there someone there" ? No, that would just be me...by myself.... talking to the horses.  I didn't forget to take my meds and no, I do not expect them to answer.  I just like to pretend they understand me, it makes me feel better.  And being alone for 10 hours a day can get kind of lonely, so I try to not lose my ability to speak by talking to them.  I usually am yelling at someone, dog or horse...or cat, and telling someone else that I'm not yelling at them just because I am closest to them.  I'm sure they understand.  They know all my secrets by this point.  So if they could talk, I would paying them not to.


You need special treats to be so cute!



--In the 8th grade I got made fun of constantly for riding horses- most of the details can be left out because they are just too ridiculous to write- but, it somehow ended up that I was going to have "Hillary's Horses" when I grew up and ride in the Kentucky Derby.  Sadly, no one realized that by the 8th grade I was already too big to be a jockey- and I was not insane, 6 to 14 horses going 35 miles per hour 4 inches from each other- No Thank You I will not have another. However, they did seem to have get the Hillary's Horses right- I like it better as Hillary Irwin Eventing, but you take what you can get I suppose. 

--"You missed Homecoming for a horse thing?".  Yes.  I mean really? It's a gym that smells like sweaty feet with a few decorations to make it magical, filled with boys who still haven't figured out they need more deodorant if they are going to attempt to dance for that long and girls crying because their boyfriend broke up with them for the girl in the shorter dress.  So yes, I passed up that magnificent opportunity to take my 4 year old to his first show (Clif at the time) and my horse to a training (Monty--which he won on a 24!).  I did go to prom twice though, so that was all good fun. I went to my senior prom by driving back and forth to The Fork- my poor mother actually did the driving, surprise!-I was late for the pictures and complaining by midnight that I had to be up in 4 hours. I was a charming date I'm sure.



Monty, my homecoming date! ( I was the senior attendant and.....yeah...I have no

other excuses for this picture existing)

---"You do that thing with the hurdles?" I will be so happy the day a random person calls them jumps, but I have, for the most part, given up all hope of that.  So, usually about every month I end up explaining to someone that I do jump those hurdles and the horses do enjoy it (because as much as I like to think I'm big and tough, I am far too small to make a horse do much of anything they don't actually want to do--but I will win any battle- just ask them :) ).



--"Were you in a car wreck?".  No, I got stepped on because I fell off.  A car wreck would have been far less pathetic and more dramatic, instead I apparently just land like a dead body rather than rolling away from the 1200 pound animal throwing feet around like he is doing a line dance.  So, I graduated high school with a cast covering my entire right arm arm and bandages covering my left hand that had been split open due to a nice hoof stepping on it.  My dress was black and white- I like to think the white matched my pale white appearance and black matched the bruises. I coordinate so well.



Clif- 5 Points Int.

--"Here are your special treats." This would be the UPS man every month when he delivers the horse's Smartpaks.  He hands me to huge boxes and says " here are your special treats for those horses- they sure are lucky."  Special treats? Seriously? Do I look like the kind of person who order gourmet treats for my horses? Don't answer that- because you will probably say yes, and let's not add insult to injury.  I laugh and say Thanks, because I am not about to explain that they get electrolytes, some get omega, some get calming aids, some get joint supplements, some get tendon supplements and some get none because they are just not that special at 3 years old to warrant a monthly bill...... yet. 



Clif- 5 Points, XC Int.

 Everything is going well here.  All the babies had their very first outing.  They were all surprisingly well behaved. Africa, Aly, Nic and another horse in training all went- they all came back happy and with a good experience.  Poor Nic could not figure out why there were so many horses and no race track--he's so sweet.  He wanted to absolutely explode so badly, but he held it together- it's so nice when they trust you completely and you've only been riding them for 2 months...
Ramble and Tess went as well to get off the farm and do some flat work. (Tess also got her first set of back shoes in a year and a half, so she was pretty excited about her new Steven Maddens). They were very good as well.  Most all my horses are now going the Micklem Bridle- I think it's about as great as nerds (which I eat religiously).  Everyone who goes in it LOVES it. So for now we are the freaks in the strange looking bridle, but we are happy about it!
On the exciting news front Clif is all healed.  He is starting to go out with his friends next week, he is just so excited he is actually being nice on occasion!
I hope everyone is keeping warm and getting that Holiday shopping done!
Hillary



And So It Begins...

And so it begins... that long winter- where all you do is try to fix things that are just slightly off....it is that process that makes us lose our hair, get premature wrinkles, and does not let our competition season ulcers heal.  It is that little bit more of a tilt in your pelvis, bringing your left shoulder back half an inch, putting your right hand down a inch, keeping your outside rein in your lateral work, or keeping your outside leg just slightly behind your inside-- instead of looking like a human gumby. It is putting a bit more step in your horse's stride, pushing their inside legs further underneath them, asking for more use in their backs, making their hocks bend, jumping a bit straighter, keeping a better rhythm, or keeping them a bit steadier in your hand. It is figuring out who might like a different bit, a different noseband, a different back pad...or, to my horror, no back pad, who needs a bit more attention, who really wants me to go take a hike, and who might like a different schedule than the rest of the horses...most likely Tess. Or in my case, you do all of these things with all seven of your horses on a daily basis. 



Baby Irish at her first Training- she's my little pogo stick!



Despite all my complaining, I am quite excited about this winter.  It will be the first winter I can take the time to really focus on what my horses need and want; I can process and apply all my knowledge from working with Jimmy, Linda and Sharon.  I will also be able to take some trips to Sharon's for some valuable, much needed advice.  Also, I am lucky enough to have been riding with Bonnie Mosser the past few months and this winter will surely bring out more of her helpful comments that the horses seem to love.  Bonnie has been such an asset to have since moving back home- it is a bit of a no man's event land around here, so having her so close has been wonderful.  We had a clinic with Bonnie at my farm last week, it was a great opportunity to ride a bunch with her and watch her teach as well.  All my horses were great. 



Ramble at VA H.T.



Poor little Ramble had an 8am flat lesson and 2pm Jump lesson so he was exhausted at the end of the day, but as they say "no pain, no gain" (and let me tell you, the next day I was having some pain!)- he had a great flat lesson and a very helpful jump lesson.  It helps me to see what I am doing wrong or need to change, so Bonnie got on him and popped him around, after that we seemed to click a bit better- he is very different ride than all my other horses, so we are both still learning!  Tess had a mini flat lesson then a mini jump-it was her first proper jump back.  There is a video up on the youtube channel!  She was a bit opinionated on the flat, as any successful women should be (she has read far too many quotes), but it carried over to her jumping as happy and forward.  She had a good time jumping for real, she seemed a bit appreciative after the lesson- and that happens rarely unless treats are involved!!!!  Little Aly had his first lesson, and Hillary had her first 3 year old stallion rodeo.  It was a great experience for him to have new horses on the farm and lots of commotion, he settled in after a bit and had a very productive lesson- he did 3 bounces in a row to a one stride! Big kid stuff.  Wits End has a video up of his lesson on their youtube channel, check it out if you want to see a very fun, natural jumper- that horse is going places.   Baby Nic also had his first lesson- it was good experience for him as well- he is so territorial it good for him to have to share- as my friend Tim says, carings sharing....and I don't care!  That is Nic to a T.  He was actually very well behaved for a baby race horse- he even jumped and landed on both leads, what a champ!



Ramble the XC Machine!

Irish is just coming back from her little vaca so she escaped the lessons, but she is happy to be back, she was getting a bit grumpy!  Doby is having fun and getting quite the little red head attitude!  Everyone else is doing well and starting to get busy and down to the winter work- time to share my premature wrinkles and hair loss!

Almost everyone is off to TTC for a dressage show/hunter show/xc schooling next weekend- the babies will be attending to see how fast they can make me a lawn dart.  It will be good for everyone to get out and see what they are in for as big kids!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and was able to get some rest!

 Hillary

Here are the links!

Ramble Jumping: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iaii4s5bv3g&feature=related

Tess Jumping: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f0nRo0LyKQ

Aly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3eM1w7GsmQ

Going Crazy? Can't go where you already are!

I probably have completely lost it; but my barn is full, my horses are happy and I am in need of sleep so all is well in the universe. 

In the barn there are now 4 geldings, 4 mares and 2 stallions- yes 2 you read it correctly the first time. And that is ten horses! (I find if I type ten is looks like far less a number than 10!)  There are 3 off the track TB's (One Irish, one Kentucky, one Florida), 1 unraced TB (also FL bred), 1 New Zealand Sport Horse, 1 German warmblood, 3 Irish Sport horses, and 1 Oldenburg. It's like the United Nations in my barn! I'm glad they can't talk- there would be a serious amount of accents and foul language going on with those nationalities- probably the most coming from the Kentucky boy...who am I kidding, it would totally be the Irish.



Schooling at home!



Everyone here is doing pretty well.

Clif is healing very, very well. He has a little routine of going outside and when he's ready to come in he starts screaming, and by god you had better get there within the time he has allotted or he is going to make you regret it!  He is still enjoying all the hay, being inside and getting some extra treats (especially peppermints, I have turned the horse into a monster- the damage appears to irreversible). 



Clif after his 5 Points run- looking for cookies already!

Doby is going back to work as of this week; news I am sure he was thrilled to hear!

Nic is becoming a big kid- he did his first little jump and he loves it!  He's thinks he is a pretty cool kid- unfortunately, he seems to be right so I have done nothing to decrease his ever expanding ego.  He is a bit possessive- I find him staring at me while I'm riding other horses.  It has gotten to the point that if he were human I would have gotten a restraining order- he's like an over enthusiastic boyfriend that beats up any potential competition. 

The horses in training are all well and they are all three!  Everyone is getting big kid manners, some big kid dressage moves and some big kid jumping boots- they are all just so excited. It's like they are having their first day of high school- the attitude and egos are out of control, they almost don't fit through the barn door!  In all serious- they are all quite good looking horses and look like they will all have a very big future in front of them.

Ramble is my new little dirt bike!  He is a little XC machine, he has been quite fun at the two shows he went to.  He goes, he jumps, he passes flat out in his stall.  That's his motto and he is most definitely sticking to it! He had a good final go at River Glenn- he won the flat by almost 5 points on a 29, so that was exciting, know there is much more there for the taking!  His SJ was lacking a little, no thanks to his rider!  We will spend the Winter fine tuning our communication and muscles!  XC, as usual, was a great time- he really is like a little dirt bike- just pick a gear, point, and go.  He loves it, it's nice to know your horse is having just as much fun as you out there!

Baby Tess gets some sleep!



Tess is loving life, she is jumping now so don't be too shocked by that loving life statement.  She is going quite well on the flat, I finally feel like she can go hold her own in the dressage- key word there being can!  Hopefully, she will WANT to show off; because, we all know if Tess doesn't want it, it ain't gonna happen!
She has been so, so much fun to jump!  I am so glad she seems like the same horse-actually a bit more of a horse- I'm getting a little pull at the end of those reins towards the jumps, which did not used to be her style, so that is fun.  She will keep on keepin' on and hopefully all is well and she will be competing again this Spring to the best of her ability!


Irish is the little star of farm. I'm sure no one saw that sentence coming =).  She was a machine at Virginia HT- she was great in the dressage-the judge and I will agree to disagree (at some point this sport went from obedience to fancy as the key point of dressage).  In both XC and SJ she completely took over and jumped two wonderful clean rounds- I did get drug around the XC, she is on a mission out there, it's a bit intimidating!  The following weekend she went to River Glenn to do her first training (EK!).  She had a very good and educational weekend. She was quite good in the dressage- she got several 8's, mostly in the canter work- which put her in 3rd out of about 11- so exciting for her first one!  Her SJ and XC rounds were very good- she jumped like a freak all weekend, I was grabbing some serious mane!  She ended both rounds as a better horse and really, that is all that we can ever ask of ourselves and our horses.  My goal was to ride her to the best of ability- I am not sure I totally lived up to that, but I did bring back a better horse than I left the box with; so that, to me, is a success.  She seemed to love it- she was a bit backed off at the first few XC fences (the hardest fences were in the first 6 fences, which were all quite large!), but seemed to settled into a great and confident rhythm by mid course and maintained that the rest of the way.  So she ended up 7th at her first training, she a huge purple ribbon!, and I couldn't be more proud of her!



Irish the Tangerine Machine! No I didn't change my colors, I was just
a Tangerine!)

Now it's time to spend the Holiday's with the family, work on the dressage movements, set up some gymnastics and come out better horses in the Spring than I ended with in the Fall!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Hillary

Smile Like You Mean It!

I think I have finally realized that I must be terribly obnoxious to listen to in the warm up of show.  The only thing I say is good girl, good girl, good girl-----I think you get the idea!  Irish is so great, she does everything you ask- a bit more leg a bit rounder, a bit more inside rein a bit lower in her frame, she's too funny.  She had a great time at the Carolina Horse Park the other weekend. She had a super dressage test, the judge didn't seem to like her too much-we'll agree to disagree!  She was also very good in the show jump, she loves to go show off.  Most fun is that she is a little cross country machine!  I was just kind of along for the ride, which is so fun because how often do you get that on a 4 year old novice horse that is doing their first event in 6 months? Oh right, almost never!

Africa, my little 3 year old in training (notice the my...hehe) is coming into her own.  She won her first big blue at Morven Park!  She won the best 3 year old filly, go Africa- she shakes what her daddy gave her (because she's bigger than her mama!).  She also has found her groove jumping- she loves it, she jumped her first oxer, vertical and cross rail all at both the trot and canter- so fun!  There are great expectations for this little mare!

Now for the little children...Doby is doing ok- he seems to have activated his self destruct button.  He ripped out a tooth the other day, got kicked by a horse the day before in the shoulder, and just keeps trying to find ways for more attention. He hasn't figured out that if he stops hurting himself he will get ridden, which provides much more attention!  Nic is awesome- he got ridden for the first time a few days ago- wow.  He is so fun- he walks, trots and canters (on both leads, mind you!) on a loose rein, I think he just loves to do anything but race!!!=)

I just arrived home from a few days of S. White training sessions!  I am so lucky to be able to go up there.  Sharon has this great way of giving you insight into your horse- and insight into you!  I love my lessons so much because I always get at least 2 or 3 things that change the way I am training my horse- poor Irish is now a counter cantering machine!  While, I was there I tried a horse for lease, and wouldn't you know it, it is now in my barn next to Clif.  Clif is loving life next to him, he is a stallion and as we know, Clif would loveeeeee to be a stallion- there is a serious idol situation going on.  Ramble, the stallion, is adorableeeeeeeeeeeeeee, he is like teddy bear- Completely  adorable when your riding him or just on the ground.  I really enjoy riding him and think we both have a lot to offer the other- he is so small that he will teach me to stay still or else I will probably tip him over!

So I now have two 3 year olds, two 4 year olds, an 8 year old and a 9 year old in work--but I few weeks it look as though I will have 2 more 3 year olds! Starting to get busy! 
I hope everyone has been able to ride in the great weather!

Hillary

I have no need for the gym. I ride Tess.

Hope all is well with everyone!

Everything is going here....yep, just going.

Irish on one of her little adventures!

The little horses are both well- getting chunky and getting WI-L-D (think Animal House).  They will both start work sometime soon, I'm sure they are both ecstatic for the opportunity to work- who wouldn't be?! Especially for me!? HA!  They are both the sweetest horses I have ever met (except for maybe Irish..) and I am sure they will get me off at some point, but it is going to be fun teaching them and to have them teaching me something--you never stop learning from the babies!! Whether you learn to hold on tighter or fall off a little more gracefully, your bound to learn something! I am going to get some fun pictures of them doing ridiculous things (hopefully without me on them!!!) and I will be sure to put them up! So cute, so excited!

The horses in training are so going super too!  Forest is doing great- he has finally been tracked down! He is a 14 year old OTTB-he is very loving and wants to make you happy.  He is starting to jump and has decided he might just like it...he has also decided he might actually like putting his little head down to do circles!  He is going to make someone a fun, fancy project pony and all around horse.  Africa is also loving life. She has decided she quite likes doing big kid things.  She is starting to play around with big kid circles and transitions and even jumped for the first time! She is adorable, and couldn't be easier or more fun to jump!  She is going to be a great little eventer--she jumped her very first ditch (it was natural people-don't have a stroke!)  with her little ears up. She has been quite proud of herself over the last few weeks, her ego continues to get even bigger! EK!  To learn even more about either of these two visit http://www.witsendeventing.com/. 

Clif is tolerating his stall time..and by tolerating I mean scaring everyone.  He is doing quite well for him, though.  He is turning into a chunk! I am quite happy about that.  He is getting better and better and enjoying his vet visits and daily attention-such a playboy! Also, he is greatly enjoying the amount of mints he gets on a regular basis!  Anytime he hears the wrapper he goes nuts--knocking things off the sink and being rude until he gets one....he looks like a small child in search of a lollipop!

Clif is still going out a bit each day-mostly for my safety!

Irish is doing quite well as usual!  She did her first show since July---her dressage show..she was great! She got a 29 on her Novice test and a 31 on her very first training level test!  I am so proud of her-she never stops trying and learning.  It's neat to have a horse that wants to always do the right thing no matter how hard it is.  She is also jumping like a little freak, she is doing so well that she is going to go to an unrecognized Novice next weekend, a Novice at Virginia HT, and then hopefully training at River Glenn or an unrecognized training at TTC in November!  So exciting!!

Did I mention that he also terrorizes the dog's water bowl?

Tess is also doing well.  She is starting to be a very fancy...when she gets the fancy trot she can still only hold it for a few steps, but in those few steps I wonder what happened to my little monster and who is this horse!?  Even more exciting, she is starting to be able to really canter....without totally falling on her front end.  Riding her everyday is like a full body workout, and we still are not past the point of smaller than 20m circles and one gait transitions (like walk/trot, canter/trot, walk/halt, no trot/halts).  I am honestly in pain by the end of my ride and cannot feel my abs for a few minutes, then when I feel them, I wish I didn't!  She's such a fun horse though, I am sincerely hoping she can have a good comeback and go show off for herself (yes she would have a gigantic mirror placed in her stall to brush her hair and paint her nails if she had thumbs!)!

Well, I just read Jimmy Wofford's Practical Horseman article and I was quoted. My life is complete.  I highly suggest you read it ;-).  Enjoy this great weather and great footing-go have a gallop! (even though the rain is annoying!)-

Hillary