Tesla!!

When I was 19, I got MY first dog, if you knew me way back when, then you remember my husky, Birk – he was unforgettable. When Birk died at age 11, I felt really vulnerable, it’s hard to explain but if you’re used to having a big dog around, you know what I mean. A friend of mine who was on a multi-species training list that I was also on in yahoogroups was also a dog breeder and trainer, dobermans. She had a middle aged female, Katana, and brought her all the way here to Easton from somewhere deep in the Cascade Mountains in Washington State. She walked me through Katana’s extensive training and cueing sequences (obedience and personal protection), made sure that we were a good match, that was the start of my family’s relationship with Julie and Mark and Talisman Kennels.

Over the next decade, we had 3 Talisman dobes – Katana, Aslan (her son), and Chaos (her daughter). Sadly Teresa came out to put Chaos down last April, the day before her 13th birthday (that’s very old for a dobe).

When you’re used to having an “armed escort” everywhere you go, it’s an absence you always feel. I wasn’t in a rush to replace Chaos, truly she was one of a kind. Last fall, Regan let me know that he was going to be breeding his female doberman, Indy – I had a good feeling about that. I asked him to reserve the second largest male for me. Indy’s breeding didn’t take the first time, but the second try, she whelped three gorgeous puppies in early March. Today is the day that Tesla arrives, on Larry’s birthday so we won’t forget our “anniversary”. Thank you to Regan and Conleth and of course Indy for this new blessing. We can’t wait to meet him (at midnight, in New Jersey….which is better than driving to Idaho!).

Happy Birthday to my dear husband, Larry, you are the best.

“A Poke and a Stretch”

Here is the flier for Regan’s upcoming one day class hosted by Carrie Eastman – 5/19/12, Gettysburg, PA, $55.00 includes light lunch.

AncientWisdom2012May

I first started working with Regan and Carrie in about 1999, learning about bodywork or hands-on work for the horses, but training on people (other seminar participants) for the feedback of what works and what really doesn’t work. I remember the first time I met Regan, I needed help with Phantom and Bailey, they weren’t right, and our vets were very dismal about their future careers. At the time, I knew that just was not good enough for either of them, so I kept searching for answers.

Over the years, I’ve devoted more hours and miles than I care to add together practicing “the work” and continuing my education, expanding my skills.  It’s funny because for all the intense work, to watch me work on the horses it doesn’t really look like I’m doing anything. I get excited over licking and chewing, deep breaths and horses yawning. One of my clients recently asked me if I could give their horse “a poke and a stretch” if I had time. While there is alot more to it than that, I admit that’s probably a good description of what it looks like. It is subtle. But, the proof is in the pudding. I consider that this work I have learned from and shared with Regan and Jeffra, et al., is the cutting edge offering of my program, and the awareness that accompanies the work makes me a better trainer and rider. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with all of these people over the years, and to still consider them my friends above all else. Cheers, catch Regan’s one day seminar in Gettysburg next Saturday, May 19th. I was hoping to go but will not be missing Frankie’s Prelim at Fair Hill HT, or Chris Talley and his Comanche’s very first Prelim.

Shameless Promotion of My Daughter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkPSDcmrEc8

From The Ryan Show, to The HAW Apprentice Show, to “UNSTOPPABLE” on the youtube channel. Enjoy Emily singing her heart out.

And she cleans stalls, tack, feeds, turns in-out, and is one heck of a young rider/trainer. I normally keep my kids and family out of the blog, but this was a fantastic performance by Em that deserves to be shared with all of our friends! Enjoy. Charish

Friday Night Fun @ HAW

Beginning on Friday, May 25, 2012 we will be hosting a Dressage Improv and Open Barn each month and signing up new participants (all ages/levels welcome) for our programs. So far, it’s just us putting on a show here for guests, Musical Freestyles and demonstrations, nothing really fancy and mostly improv, but a fun and wholesome activity for the whole family. It’s good for the horses to perform regularly whether casually here at home, or in front of the judge at the bigger shows. Believe it or not, some horses develop stage fright!

We invite guests to bring a covered dish, or some kind of food or drink to share – after all, it’s a party!

The dates for the Open House are May 25, 2012 and again on June 15, 2012. Hope you can come!

Shameless Promotion of Team HAW

I spend alot of time in my office, I probably at least for the past 3 weeks, have spent far more time in my desk chair than in the tack. My latest freelance work had me feeling overwhelmed (= being a pain in the butt for everyone around me…sorry), so I decided that I should train my apprentices Devon and Julia to be able to also produce the quality of video that I always strive to produce. Artistic, technically correct, fun to watch, touching in some small way – those are all of the qualities that I try to incorporate within my alloted time, to music that hopefully is NOT annoying.

We produce schooling video for ourselves, we study it and then we make changes to our riding/training and make it better. Video is an excellent way to see for yourself what is happening from a more objective perspective than when you are feeling it. In my videos, I’m studying the biomechanics of the gaits and the transitions, and looking to make it better, softer, and sharper.

In this video, the assignment for Julia and Devon was to make a youtube shortfilm for our Apprenticeship Progam, so that prospective applicants can get a better idea of what goes on here every day. We post alot of “big” stuff, but this little stuff is the glue that holds the big stuff together.

Richard Cooper has been working for my parents since I was 12. He is family to us. For all of the videos that I have produced, I believe this is Richard’s first appearance – rockin’ out to Fat Boy Slim…. Go Richard!!

Devon Duvall has been my student since 2009. Before we met, she rode with Jen Fox, and before that Nancy Cummings, one of my oldest and dearest mentors. I proudly take credit for Devon’s mastery of longeing, and look forward to helping her reach the next level with her riding.

Julia Jesu has been working out of here with her “Close-up Show Stables” since January 3 of this year. She is a good instructor, she teaches Colt on her school and show pony, Severn Dior, who belongs to breeder/trainer Kelly Brooke Nolte of Salisbury, MD. Julia had a very strong hunter/jumper background, she has learned so much about bio-mechanics, and her riding grows more elegant each week.

Both Julia and Devon are professionals in their own rights. Now, enjoy their video, they produced it entirely on their own, over two days. Good work, ladies!

Sea Lord Update!

Big Bird’s sense of humor (showing off) was not lost on me and Devon, you really had to see it, but when I told Becky about it – well, she didn’t think it was very funny. Techically if it had happened in the showring it would been a “disobedience” and for sure would have gotten spanked in our score for it.

So, it worked out well that before we worked on lead changes in our lesson, we worked on holding the leads across the long diagonal (where all tempi changes are ridden, so where horses will anticipate flying changes the most) and riding to a quiet, forward, hopefully square halt. Then, we worked on getting the changes straighter, it is a challenge for me to keep his shoulders straight especially going from the left to the right lead. He gets a little stuck, it feels like - or maybe I collapse on my left side? It is getting better.  My main priority with his changes at least for now is that he stays relaxed and that he performs the changes on my aids.

In the trot, we worked on really keeping him coming forward and pushing with his hind legs instead of pulling with his front legs. We have worked it out well when we work alone, I always warm him up long and low, and when he is good and ready I can feel him shift his weight back, then his back gets swinging, his neck gets softer, and he carries me around and I don’t have to do anything but just work on my position and dream up fun things to do next. Becky and I have never worked with his piaffe or his passage. Mostly we work on keeping him coming forward.

We are coming together as a team, me and Sea Lord, more and more each day. He is very happy and very healthy. It is rewarding to be making so much progress lately, I don’t regret taking it so slow one bit! I can’t wait to show him.

HAW Has a New Team for 2012 Season!!

As things are heating up around here, and new students and clients are showing up, Julia and I got a little overwhelmed. So, I have invited Devon Duvall to come back in as a PT Apprentice, as well as one of my newer students, Danielle Fisher, who rides Logan very well and is in training for the paralympics (dressage).

What a blessing it is to have such a good team! Between us all, the horses want for nothing, and I can save my energy for the rides. Yesterday, Devon and I knocked out 4 horses by 1:00 p.m. and I was able to go and spend a couple of hours with my mom. What a treat!

Duell gave BB a run for his money yesterday with the tempi-1 flying changes. Go Duell!! BB, not to be out-done had the idea to show off for Devon, who hadn’t seen him go in more than a year, and actually volunteered tempi-1 changes down the long side in our left lead warm-up canter! I was very surprised and in disbelief told Devon “This is all his idea! I’m not doing anything!!”. Of course, they weren’t the best changes – because I was merely his passenger, but what a character he is! Wish we had the video camera for that. Today we video and Becky is coming this afternoon.

I am always interested in talking to people who are interested in being a professional in the equine industry. Hundred Acre Wood’s Apprenticeship program is a great way to get your horse and yourself into our program, to share in our opportunities and to enjoy the protection of the TEAM. The Apprenticeship Program requires that you bring your own horse to work with, and a time commitment of 10-15 hours per week. Duties include everything from barn chores to graphic design. I only ask that you “save the drama for your mama”, we have alot going on and on a good day no energy leftover to whine, or talk smack about people.

The networking opportunities associated with our Apprenticeship program set it apart from other programs. Apprentices learn proper Classical Longeing Techniques; care and maintenance of horses, equipment, facility; bodywork, bodywork and more bodywork; wrapping legs with all types of bandages; coordinating care, services and supplies for 16 horses; communicating effectively with team members; and more, I am sure. Commitment is 30 days.

“Time to make the donuts…” (1980′s Dunkin Donuts Commercial)