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

And When You Least Expect It. . .. .

I am soooooooooooooooo glad the weather is finally cooling down! It's like Christmas come early!  The horses are all excited too, they now are wearing their sheets (hehe :) ).  At the moment everyone is happy, except for Clif and I.

It has taken me several days to actually sit down and write this because every time I do, I can't quite bring myself to type the words.  After Clif's amazing run at 5 points (more on that later...), he was not feeling so great-not horribly wrong, just a bit off and not happy.  He had a vet over on Thursday and what do you know, looks like your right front luck has returned.  This time it is a totally new injury to his suspensory, but while new and different, it is serious.  We are doing everything we can for him, helping him get back to normal as best possible.  While he could come back to do some upper level things, it does not seem fair to ask him for something that he would never ask of me.  My hope for him is for him to be happy, fat, sound and a novice/training level champion for my mom! (I already told him that I expect a serious amount of blue ribbons over the next 10 years).  It was like getting a good punch in the stomach when I saw the scans and like a getting another one just for good measure after talking to the vet.  I never actually cried until I talked to my grandmother...ever so wise...and she said "well Hillary, all you can do is thank him" and I completely lost it.  It is true-he has given me so so much and taught me so much, not only about riding, but about life in general.  He always was a class act; he was fun to ride, a monster for cookies and a beautiful horse even to just look at in the field. I did my first and probably last, long format CCI* with him- and for his performance there I will be forever grateful to him.  Clif won 5 of the 6 prelims he did in the Spring of 2010 (he was 4th in the other).  He (along with Tess-who would so furious to be left out of this, like seriously...I would get bucked off) gave me a 2nd amueter ranking in the country for 2010 as well.  It's funny that a horse can teach you about people, but he did. He showed me that a person has many different sides, you can choose to see them in any light you see fit; but if you try to be objective you tend to see the real deal--just like a horse, take a step back and you usually figure it out!  He has been my best friend for past 7 years and he will continue to be, now he will just be that best friend that you don't get to be around as much as you like and you can't ever seem to catch on the phone.  The good news there is that at least I can steal him from my mom and go hop around some jumps from time to time!  It would not be possible to ever put into words how much I appreciate him, adore him and will always try to do what is right for him. 
So for now, he is hanging out in the stall--- being completely unreasonable, rude and demanding....but hey I wouldn't have it any other way, where is the fun in being appreciated and adored?!

So back to 5 Points HT which I seemed to somehow deviated so very far from.  Clif had a pretty good dressage (Had I known it might be our last one I probably would have dared him a bit more...), I was very happy with how hard he tried.  His XC was awesome-if you had told me I would have that good of a ride I would have laughed.  He was truly perfect absolutely everywhere, totally game for anything.  Every fence was great, everything big felt easy, everything technical felt like gymnastics in a show jump ring--it was the best feeling, the most confident feeling I've ever felt, so I am sad I probably won't have that again for a while, but it's definitely something to work towards-it's honestly heavenly. His show jumping on Sunday was super as well- he had one of the few double clean rounds in his division, no thanks to his rider!  He is very special.

Everyone else is great. Irish is wonderful- she is going to a little dressage show this weekend...she doesn't know that, I'm just telling her it's a show so she'll think she gets to go show off in the jump ring, she will have a great big frown on Saturday going down that centerline....TWICE! HA!  Tess is going so well, I'm so surprised at how well she has come out of her lay up, she is doing light flat work now and will start real flat work in a few short weeks (that too will probably result in a very large frown, possibly even tears on her part).  Nic is getting fat and wild!!!! Doby is doing the same thing as well, fat fat fat, not wild.  So all our little small children our great.  My two horses in training from Wits End Eventing, http://www.witsendeventing.com/, Africa and Forest are doing well.  Africa is the 3 year old Formula One baby, she is named for a continent, so you can imagine her ego!   She is super though, she loves her job and she just lovessssss to push the boundaries, but in a nice way--she's a pretty fun little horse!  Forest, who is for sale, is getting better every day, I think he is going to make a super little event horse, hunter and dressage horse for somebody who wants to have some good all around fun!  He is incredibly gentle on the ground and only wants to please--and of course, I have turned him into a cookie lover :). 

Hope everyone is doing well!  I have included some pics since I have  been so bad about it lately!  Some are from now and some are from when I was at LFF!
Enjoy being able to tolerate being outside for more than 10 minutes!
Hillary

Dolly (aka Biggy Smalls! My little XC dirt bike!)

Tess's old habits die hard....but I can't bare to make her stop when she's so cute! ....I know my kids will be awful.



Kinley seriously wanted to go to the show!



Danehill Sunset (or as I call him, dobs)



Stompin' In My Air Force Ones

If Nelly said that I'm pretty sure it would be "Er Force Onessss", Clif is far too grammatically correct to be hip-hop fly, so he pronounces it right! He probably studies Webster's while he hides in the run-in shed if he happens to left out in the sunlight (maybe his last name should be Cullen). Clif has been battling a little bit of a heel soreness...and losing. That was until he got his fancy new kicks! I'm fairly sure they are like Patagonia trail running shoes (Now I have no idea what those look like, but I imagine them to be highly expensive, highly functional, and highly unfashionable) meets Gucci dress shoes (he is slightly metro). Needless to say, if they cost more than his usual shoes, make him stand out in a crowd and make his big ol' feet not hurt, I'm pretty sure he's enjoying them..until he can find something better on the market. He had a little outing at the Fork Saturday and had a good confidence building school, if I could do a mini XC school once a week, my life would be complete!

Tess is great. Very sound and very full of herself- so basically back to normal. If she were human I'm pretty sure she would be a CIA operative who attended Juilliard and then went on to get a PHD from Harvard or something- she's just a classy horse all around. She feels better than ever even though we are only trotting around gigantic fields at the moment! I actually just found myself laughing because I was thinking about Tess and when we dropped her off at the "cowboy" for her unwillingness to be broke. His words were "we go down drops you 3-day event people ain't even wanna see, umm k?" (think Sling Blade with that accent) and "she's not got much more attitude than most, she's just got a bit more will and talent". I'm sorry is there any worse combination for a bucker than will and talent? I'm fairly sure that's all they need! Maybe even just 1 of the above!

Irish is still a little super star, I'm lucky no one has caught on to how great she is or else should be gone! She loves her job; whether it is dressage or jumping, she is always excited to try something new. She went to The Fork on Saturday for a little XC school- she thought that was great fun and it would only be more fun if the fences were bigger! I think they were plenty big for a four year old!! I rode her for a bit and then my mom hopped on her and jumped over the ditches and all through the water; she loves ditches and water which is a must for an event horse! My goal with her all the time is to inflate that already gigantic ego of hers, the better she thinks she is, the more she likes what she is doing...and right now, she loves it so I must be doing my job!

On the business side of things. I have two new horses in training, so I am starting to get busy! YAY! One is for sale, so as I get to know him I will let everyone who just how much they need to buy him I'm sure! The other is a 3 year old Formula One baby who is just starting so she is a little wanna-be eventer right now, but she has the look of a very fun little horse! They have both been lovely since I have them for just over a week.

And my fun story.....My dad and I were visiting my grandmother in the way western portion of NC and he always gets those little classified papers. I was looking at the horses...you never know what you might find for $200! While I found nothing I wanted....I did find a 14.5 hand mare. Now that is seriously something! My Dad's thought was to start my business based on having the only 14.5 hand horse in the world, I think he words were "find a niche market Hillary, it will make you stand out". Stand out? Probably. For the right reasons? Probably not. It was a source of a few good laughs; I might have to start a circus instead of training horses...oh wait, that's my life already minus the exotic animals!

Oh geez! I almost forgot Nic and Doby, they would be so angry to be left out of something! They are both great too. I am completely wrapped around Nic's finger...or hoof. He's AFREAKINGDORALE. Doby is also beyond cute all the time, but he is my Mom's horse so it's hands of Hillary!

Clif will head to 5 Points next in a few weeks. Until then, I am off for a little 3 day vaca to Saratoga Springs with the family! YAY! Think good thoughts...it's almost September!

Hillary

Bad News Bears...then Good News Goldfish?

The week has been great!

Tess is now doing a whopping 10 minutes of trotting; I know some of the weight is starting to come off because I have to fear for my life the first 2 minutes, after that its pretty much back to me kicking constantly! It's like I'm on a thelwell pony! She does feel absolutely amazing though, she's moving big and fancy, very exciting! I am eagerly awaiting her first few real rides and jumps, I'm like a little kid waiting to open presents.

Irish is always the same-perfect. She continues to improve on a daily basis, she never stops trying and she never stops trying to please. She is just a fun horse to have a round, she adores people and having a job, what more can you ask for?!? She will be having an easy summer and fall. She might go to 5 Points in September, but she will most likely wait until Morvan in October, and then head out to a few more novices to end her season...that is if no one snatches her up before then!

Clif is doing well. He is moving super, improving daily and feeling very confident. He did Fairhill this past weekend, I am incredibly proud of him. His dressage was decent, not his best, but not his worst; it was by far his most obedient and forward thinking test yet, his lengthenings were finally there for the taking. His show jumping was very productive, it was quite a large course with many many rails coming down all day. Clif did have two rails, one was my fault for rushing him a bit, the other was a result of a lack of a half halt! Oops! We will have to work on that... His XC was super- I had a glance off at the second of a skinny wide angled bench, I was off my line--oh well, you live you learn. Clif was very bold, very forward and I couldn't have asked for him to be much better, he was incredibly straight which was very exciting!!! I am looking forward to Five Points in a few weeks!


I also got a new horse this weekend, yay! Nic is about the sweetest horse I have ever come across- he does not try to run you over, he always asks to be played with (he doesn't just give you a good whack so your paying attention!), and he is great about everything I have asked of him so far- and he raced 5 days ago!!! I don't think they get much better than him. He is stunning as well, he seems like the whole package! Nic's real name is Pray for You, which I think is the funniest thing ever and it will most definitely stay his name!

I hope everyone is enjoying the last bit of summer!

Hillary

One Year Later. . . .

Well, I am officially back home after my year of working for Sharon White! It is so strange to be back, I haven't been back since Thanksgiving, long time! It's funny now that I am home I am noticing all the differences in my riding and routine. I am more in tune to everything my horses are doing, especially the things they are not allowed to do (i.e. Clif's new leap/buck and spin to try to get back to the barn), but most importantly I am now so much better at fixing those problems because they no longer seem like a big deal to me. I think I might actually be a bit less OCD about everything as well, all my shampoo's are in a basket mixed with the conditioner...my breathing rate did increase while typing that, but it has quickly returned to normal.



I am so, so, so grateful for the opportunity to be at Last Frontier Farm for over a year. I met the most wonderful people you could ever hope to meet and I hope to keep them in my life even though I am far away, they were like my extended family for so long!!! And to all those people, Thank you for being so welcoming when I was new and never changing that through out the year. It is not only the people I became close to, but the opportunities I was given. Sharon is amazing. She allowed me to ride with Jimmy Wofford, Gerd Reuter and Linda Zang- opportunities I probably would not get if I was not here, these are the opportunities that changed my riding career. She also allowed me ride clients horses and her horses, even her good horses when she was hurt- it was probably one of the biggest benefits I have ever had. So to Sharon (who did not kill me when I'm sure she wanted to, and taught me so much about horsemanship), Millie (who I took to her first shows, and will have to go watch at her first Advanced!), Shu (who I also broke into the competition seen and completely adore and might steal one night, and who I will also watch at his Rolex debut!), Bounce (the only horse I fell off of while I was there...twice!), Patch (who jumps like a freak and taught me hang on while staying relaxed...or at least started that learning process!), Skip (who goes like Tess so it was great practice while she was on R and R), Jazzy (the old pro who was my main man when my horses were out), Keys (who I took to her first prelim, she has a huge heart and is a really lovely mare..that requires a seat belt for that jump!), Fuzzy (Giving me back some XC confidence!), Resume (teaching me about going forward ;) ), Whip (helping me learn about the hind end), and Dolly (the most adorable 15.1 hand eventer that has ever been, who is my little XC machine!!!), a huge thanks for exponentially increasing my learning curve.




I have been home for almost two weeks and yes, miraculously, I have unpacked/put away/organized everything (believe me, it was kind of embarrassing the amount of stuff I seem to accumulate!). Clif is doing well, loving his new pasture mate. Irish is great, she is also loving her own stall--she is still for sale, sadly I must sell her, I cannot keep developing a collection, as much as I'd like too! I have ridden Tess since the first day I arrived (I couldn't help myself!), she just started trotting and feels amazing, she is 100% healed--but she is so fat she might suddenly combust...so that could create a problem. We also got a new little OTTB for my mom-Doby (yes like the elf...and yes he has small ears....and further yes I feel like he would have a high pitched voice...with an Irish accent). He is from Herringswell Stable and Graham Motion, a classy place so no doubt he will be a classy little horse! Doby was imported earlier this year to race in the states, that didn't go quite as well as the owners hoped unfortunately for them...fortunately for us. He is very cute, very very sweet and gentle, and is super scrawny (much like the elf!)--he is loving this whole unlimited grass experience and his exorbitant about of food!



I do hope to be better about keeping everyone updated!

Until next time!


Hillary