Equine Diaries

Gideon has been learning to jump more, and more! We are still just taking simple, low x's, but he has become less afraid of coming to the jumps, getting better at lifting his front legs up, bending and holding his knees up higher, and using more jump force--instead of only hopping or stepping over the jumps. I feel proud that he is listening to me and becoming more and more of a close partner :)

An Adorible Video!

Event!

CALLING ALL HORSE-LOVERS, OWNERS, ENTHUSIASTS, COWBOYS, OR ALL OF THE ABOVE!!!

If you have a love for horses like I do, then you're gonna want to gallop on over the Springfield, IL on March 4-6 for the Illinois Horse Fair, presented by the Horsemen's Council of Illinois.

It will be held at the state fair grounds in Springfield.

The schedual is as follows:

Friday 1pm to 7pm

Saturday 9am to 7pm

Sunday 9am to 5pm

Here is a link to the wedsite with more information, such as; the schedual of events, cost, clinicians who will be their, ticket sales, and more!!!

http://www.HorsemensCounsil.org/HorseFair

Hope you can make it, if so have FUN!

~please comment on this post, if this article brought you the the Horse Fair, and if it helped or not!!!!~

An Update of My Horse Adventures

I know that I haven't updated on what I've been doing lately with horses. So here's a quick on what I've been up to!
{Me teaching a "first lesson" to my cousin this winter}

{"Keep those heals down in the stirrups!"}

{"Way-to-go! Nice steering"}

Riding...No reins, No stirrups, No saddle!!!

An Amazing and Inspirational Vistory Run...

I recently recieved this video from a family member, who knows I am a horse-lover. When I got it I couldn't wait to share it with all of my readers. It is simply awesome. Just watch it and you'll see what good training, good horsemanship, and a lot of determination, patience, and perseverence can give you when you use all three to your best ability and can turn them into something beautiful.

An inspiration to all of us who yearn to be someone in, or simply thrive in the horse world some day.

(Ans please comment, and let me know what y'all thought of this cooool video!)

Equestrian Diaries

Dear fellow riders and hippophiles*,
Last time in equestrian diaries I was writing to you about how I was beginning dressage and what I was learning so far.
Well, as my trainer recently said, "Dressage isn't like other disciplines of riding, it's a journey," I found this to be true...even with such little experience with dressage I can see that it takes dedication and a LOT of patience. It really is a journey. When you decide this is the thing for you, that you can't possibly give up so easily, or that you've simply fallen in love with it...you have taken that first baby step into this journey. I've taken that baby step.


I just love it when God puts those perfect situations right in front of you when you are least expecting it! Recently, this happened when I got an opportunity to ride a horse-who is trained in dressage and other riding disciplines-from a very generous lady I met. I am so excited to start working with him! I will let you know soon about how things go through as soon as I start up with him...!

Nicole

*Greek for one who loves horses.

Fly Season!!!!!!

Now that it is officially summer, a day at the barn can be a very buggy experience. Flies, skeeters, gnats...you name it!
Because horse and rider alike would rather not be bothered by these incessant pests....there has been many concoctions made to deter icky insects, this is known to the horseman as "Fly-spray."
Now, in my opinion although many of these "fly-sprays" work well, thinking of all those many different chemicals going on to my horse's body-that could be potentially be harmful-makes me quiver. So, I have recently found a natural alternative bug repellent that *should not* harm the health of these animals so dear to our hearts.
Following is a recipe...

Mix one cup of warm water with one teaspoon of tea tree oil, add to a spray bottle and you are good to go. (For more than one cup's amount...keep adding more...a cup of water to every teaspoon oil.)

(Now take it into consideration that using a more natural spray might not work just as perfectly as might a chemical-rich spray, but it will work better than nothing...and your mind will be at peace knowing that your horse isn't at risk with any chemicals!)

*Tea tree oil, otherwise known as Melaleuca oil, is known to be safe for topical use....but should not be used internally! Here are some links to info on the substance: http://www.todayshorse.com/Articles/HolisticCare/TeaTreeOil.htm
http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/tc/tea-tree-oil-melaluca-alternifolia-topic-overview

Try it! I have and it works!

Below is a Video of a Grand Prix Level Competitor

This video is to give you a taste of the levels that basic dressage skills and tecniques can bring you to with your horse....read more in the last Equestrian Diaries segment.
So, sit back, relax, and watch this horse dance across the ground!

Equestrian Diaries

Dear Blog,

When I first started dressage lessons in late Febuary-begining of January I felt as if I knew nothing....as I said before it make you feel as if you're starting over.
We had been working on nothing but walking work in corners and circles, which sounds very "elementary" I know, but really isn't when you are not used to having good contact on the reigns and dressage reigning/steering tecniques. But once I got the tecnique better I was able to do the corner-curves better *too*!
Just two weeks ago, I had a really eye-opening lesson on a different horse(he is more resistent and less flexible than my usual mount, but knows a little more of the dressage aids...) I got my circles, which had once been maybe two feet wide, to grow larger and larger with good curve and more solid contact. It was a great feeling!
These are only the basics, but are first to come and probably the hardest to get down-for horse and rider. Nevertheless, once you have the small details nailed then you can go really far........even all the way to Grand Prix!

Nicole

Equestrian Diaries

Dear Blog,
Not long ago I started taking lessons in dressage at my new barn. If you have ever started riding in a different style and then later begin dressage, it is a bit of a difficult process. It feels almost as if you've started over.....and can't ride like you thought you could. Nevertheless, it has been a very beneficial and eye-opening experience for me so far.

Dressage is all about form balance, unity, impulsion from the horse, centered and quiet riding from the rider, the horse's athletic agility and ability, strong aids and contact from the rider, simply obedience from the horse, and an over-all oneness between horse and rider-it is the basis of all riding.

Dressage is a whole new game for me....but one I am determined to learn and win.

Article to be continued......

~Nicki

Also, this is my newest segment:"Equestirian Diaries"....I hope you'll enjoy reading.
Feel free to exert any thoughts or advice via comments :)

Things to see, Places to go...!

If you are a horse-lover and are ever in the kentucky area try stopping at The Kentucky Horse Park.

They have seasonal horse shows, and a breed show.(Although we were alittle dissapointed, because they claimed to have a show including 50 breeds, but there were only about 6 or 7 total when we were there!)
It was neat, but dissapointing...

They also have an all horse museum which takes you through many centuries of horses in various cultures, there various breeds and uses, and their impact on human life.



{side-saddle*}

Although it was a neat place I would recommend going there for the International Horse Games 2010 or after that has passed, because The Kentucky Horse Park was (and I imagine still is) under construction while we were there-which made it alittle harder to enjoy the grounds and to find things while walking around.

So, at a good time, it would be a interesting place to visit.*

Horse Fact

Did you know....

That when a horse has blue eye(s) it is called glass eye or wall eye??

Having a horse with glass eye was once looked down upon because it was thought that a blue-eyed horse was vision impared (or couldn't see as well as dark-eyed horses).--This was also the reason for the second name "wall eye". Sometimes when a horse was being sold and had one glassy eye the sellers would put "the bad side" of the horse to the wall trying to the make the eye "invisible" to possible buyers, earning the name wall eye.

Joys of the Horsemen

"Give us winter blankets that fit, hot-pink leg wraps,
a new brand of fly repelent or, better yet,
bugs that eat bugs, and were downright delerious with joy."



"A golden horse, the smell of leather, silly talk about mud
and manure-these simple pleasures bind equestrians together."


~Annette Israel~

Horse Fact of the Week

Did you know that horses see through a band along the retina, packed with photoreceptors called the visual streak? This lets the horse see very clearly in a horizontal band across his field of view, but less clearly above and below the visual streak.

The eye of the horse is simply amazing!

Horse Fact of the Week

Did you know that the total amount of bones
in a horses body are from 201 to 209 bones?

My Horse Show

On Sat. the 13th of September I participated in a Hunter Classics Horse Show. Here are some photos of the show:

(From left to right) Emily, Spock, me & Livy.

Two dear friends, Julia & Amy came to see me.

The Hunter Jumper/Equitation class^^ (sorry, it's a bad picture but it's the only one I have in this class.)

I won 4th place (in the jumper-equitation class)--(from left to right, dad,liv, & me)

Mom, Spock, and I all pose for the camera! --CHEESE!!--

Here we are in the Equitation flat(walk, trot, canter) class.

Spock and I work hard to do our best.

The finish>>>

And the results of the show are; 4th place in the equitation jumping class, & 2nd place (!) in the equitation flat(walk,trot,canter) class!!!!!! Yaaay!!!

And the results of the show are; 4th in equtation jumping class & 2nd (!) in the euitation flat class!!!!!!!!!!! Yaaay!!! :o)

Yaaay!....A horse show

I am finally going to be in a horse show agian!!

At the end of the school year, when I was thinking about summer and thinking of all the things I would do, I thought about doing alot more horse shows all throughout the summer but, I never actually got to. So, now in this coming September I'm going to be in a Hunter-Jumper Horse Show! --Yaaay!!-- I am alittle nervous, as with anything where you're being judged! I hope I do well... 'cause even though I pretty good at jumping courses now, it will still be alittle tricky (especially if the horse misbehaves-which I hope will not happen!!!)

Keep me in your prayers, that I'm not too overconfident or freakishly nervous during the show, just to do my best!

My bud Spock and I go to work. :oD