Cowgirl Definition

Nuff Said.

We did it!!

 We Went around in a circle one way..

We went in a circle the other way...

We competed with friends...

(I didn't win a ribbon in this class :-( Kim took 4th)

We waited together... And we had a BLAST. 

Grace won 3 first place trophies(Junior horse English, Adult Rider Equitation English, Novice Rider Walk/Trot Western) , 1 second (Judges command English) 1 third (Adult Rider Western Pleasure) and 2 Forth (Adult Rider Walk/Trot English, and I don't remember what the other forth was for...)

GRACIE and I Won this one!!!!!!  I almost fell out of my saddle!!!

My first Ribbon EVER and it was Blue.  Grace was amazing!  Can't wait to do it again!!

The New Barn....

GRACIE....Long time no post but I didn't really have a lot going on, but in the last week or so we've had some big Changes...

But First I have to show off my girl...

Yowzaaaa..... just breath taking

I think she is just turning into one HELL of a gorgeous Mare...

So here are the hay fields we ride in...acres and acres....in the background there...

Here is Ellie, this is Gracies half sister...they have the same sire.  Ellie is also as sweet as Grace!!

Here's Grace and I out for a stroll around the grounds after her bath tonight...

What a gorgeous evening for a lite snack...(not that she doesn't graze all day in her turn out)

Up this drive way is a trail to the upper hay fields...those will be our next adventure I think.  Some Sunset photos are in the near future.

So hopefully more blogging is in order!!  More adventures in Riding Yippeee!!

Fear

It was like going into a haunted house, or going to see a slasher movie, covering up your eyes but peaking through your fingers....Heart beating so fast because you know something terrifying is going to happen but being a little excited waiting for the moment when the Evil Clown jumps out of a closet or the stupid teen ager decided to go look for help alone when they know the insane asylum has lost a few of it's most dangerous of guests!!!

That's what it felt like when my trainer sent me this text "Your Going to Canter tonight". And I did. I have only cantered on Grace once before and we had a meeting of the heads.. she gave me a black eye.

So I have been doing some reading and decided the best way to do this was on the end of a lunge line. Like a 7 year old. But it worked. Here's how it went

K: Are you Ready

Me: uhhh

K: Take a deep breathe

Me: uhhh

K: Let it out

Me: uhhh

K: Kiss/Canter/whip

And off we went

It was not comfortable for me it was scary as hell, but I hear with practice it becomes second nature. So we are going to practice, practice, practice.

So I did not fall off, I did not get a black eye, and I felt like I had won the lottery after watching Nightmare on Elm Street (the original) in the dark alone.

A Gift...but we'll take it

Gracie and I had an open show this Saturday and we were signed up for 4 classes, the 18-39 English Pleasure and 3 western W/T classes.

I got to the Equestrian Center a little later than I had planned so Grace didn't get an opportunity to get a warm up in the morning. So when I took her out to get her ready she seemed pretty low key. Boy was I wrong.

I have to mention that this show had a LOT of horses participating. I don't think I've been to a show yet that had so many people showing.

My trainer hopped up on Grace in the warm up pen and I knew right away that it was going to be interesting. Grace gave a cow hop when Kim mounted and I almost right there wasn't going to ride her in the western classes she was that hot. There must have been about 20-30 horses in the warm up pen and Grace was just not having any of it. She would not relax and I was concerned about her going into her class. I went up to the stands to watch.

The English pleasure class was Crazy maybe 10 horses in the class and to be honest I thought it was Graces Worst ride in a class yet. She was just not relaxed and I could tell Kim was getting ready to SCHOOL her in the class.

So at the line up when she wasn't called at least 5th I thought oh well, next time. So I started down the stairs to get the gate so I could take the naughty mare to get ready for some serious lunging and I heard our Number....Uh what I couldn't believe it. She took First...and here is the trophy to prove it.

So on to the outdoor to do some schooling and work out the ants in her pants so I would feel comfortable mounting up for our 3 afternoon Classes...

After her lunge session she seemed to be much more relaxed. I mounted up and she was awesome. She felt relaxed and I thought okay...this might actually be fun and not complete torture for both of us..

We went into the Western Novice Horse class and OMG there were at least 25 horses in the ring with us before they decided to split the class into two. We had our best ride yet...I remember at the line up I was tearing up because I was so proud of her. I had no idea how the other horses did and to be honest I didn't care. OUR RIDE was amazing...and when they called us in the top 5 I about lost it. It's the first time Grace and I have placed at a show. To be honest if they hadn't called us I wouldn't have cared. It just felt good. Being Top Ten in a class of 40+ horses feels pretty damn good. (No we didn't ribbon but I still feel like I won big)

But she broke down after that class...all she wanted to do in the next classes was to race everyone in the ring, and when there are 20+ horses in a class you never have a slot where she can feel like she's in front and can relax.

But it didn't matter to me. We made it through and we both keep improving. That's all I can ask for.

Gotta love this face....

Had a great ride tonight...this was Grace and I watching my oldest Daughter have her riding lesson tonight. I have to say it was great to go to the barn with her and see her enjoy riding as much as I did when I was her age! I hope she can sneak in some more time to come hang out with me at the barn!

E-mail from a stranger...

Last year about this time I posted about my very first Mare, May.

http://beautyisgrace-y.blogspot.com/2010/04/meet-mabel-my-first-equine-love.html

I had been thinking a lot about May this past month and the other day I received an e-mail out of the blue.

Hi Heather,

I have no idea if this will reach you, but I was going through some old email and was pleased to find your posts about Myra. Thought you might enjoy seeing a pic of our gal “in action” – she is quite the worker bee…..

If this does arrive, and I hear back from you, I will bring you up to date w/her and her pasture mate, whom everyone mistakes for her sister…..it’s a pretty interesting story. And in the background on the left there is Marielle, my llama and their pasture pal who will be packing w/Myra this summer.

My best,

So I responded and was so pleased to see she is happy and has a twin!

Look a two headed horse!! I Cannot tell you how happy I am that this mare found a home. A home that respects her and has taken such good care of her. (May is the one on the left)

And here is May with Annie her long lost sister (Annie was a rescue that May's new owner took in and brought back to health) I just wish all horses were as lucky as May.

(FYI May's new name is Myra)

She's versatile!

Grace is an all around pony....Last weekend it was English Sport Horse Under Saddle at an Arabian Breed Show.

This weekend it was a great trail ride with some old and new friends.

There were 8 of us that left for the trail ride on Sunday. The weather was Amazing and we just headed off out the pasture and up to some groomed trails in the middle of a Christmas Tree Farm.
Grace was EXCITED. Trail riding is one of her favorite things to do. But she was a little more excited than I would have liked her to be. She just WOULD NOT relax and enjoy the ride. Maybe it was me. I may have been a little tense as it was our first Ride out this season and I guess I take as long to warm up and relax as she does but all in all it was a beautiful day and we all came home safe so it was a WIN/WIN.

Next weekend is another show weekend. Grace and I are doing our 'Western Pleasure' thing. Sparkly belts, shirts a my new cowboy hat. My horse can do anything. She is amazing! My Grace......here's to more beautiful weekends riding with friends! Bring on Spring/Summer!

Our First Breed Show!!! Results are in..

Well we had our first BIG show and Grace did fabulously. She earned a 5th place ribbon in the Half Arab Sport Horse under saddle class. I was a little disappointed in her placing as she had a FABULOUS ride. I could not have asked for more. Her transitions were great and the guy sitting next to me even leaned over and said...'I think that pretty bay has this one won' I knew she didn't have it won as the judge could not keep her eyes off of a pretty pinto gelding. I knew that horse had it hands down. But I was extremely proud of Grace she handled herself so well.

Her second class on Friday night was the Half Arab Sport Horse Show Hack Class. This one was fun. Kim was all dressed in tails and a top hat and Grace had on a Dressage Saddle and looked Quite impressive. It was so dark in the Arena that I couldn't get a good picture of her.

Here is a link to the pic I'm buying from the Show Hack class...she looks so fancy.

There were two horses in the class and her compition was a national champion Show Hack horse and Rider (or at least the rider was and the horse was at least a level 2 Dressage horse)

So I wasn't sad about our second place ribbon.

Then last but not least our Half Arab Junior Horse Sport Horse under Saddle class....They held it in the outdoor arena so I was a little concerned, but I made sure she had a nice walk around to get her at least one look see before going into the class. She did GREAT. A better ride than Friday night in the open class.

And here is the result!

Our Next show is May 7th and Guess what? I will actually be riding....It will be a total Western Pleasure show for Grace so we have two weeks to work on our Jog and Lope. Should be lots of FUN!!

Gracie's evaluation...

Today I had the pleasure of meeting a one time World Show Hack Champion Brenda Bureau. She came out to look at Grace and give her opinion on her potential in the Show Hack Ring.

She had lots of great advice.

She thought Grace had the body type and mind to do extremely well in the show ring. She watched Kim ride her under saddle and suggested that we lunge her for 15 to 30 minutes before she's ridden using draw reigns and get her to move forward using her hind end better. This will help her relax more under saddle and teach her how use her hind with ground work. This will also help with our bonding...

I'm really looking forward to learning how to use these new tools. I'm always excited to learn something new when it comes to horses and working them. I''m new to the English discipline so this will be fun.

After Gracies ride we let her loose in the arena so Brenda would be able to see her natural movement. She has a natural extended trot a that is to die for and has such natural movement. We just need to capture that movement and teach her how do do them on cue. If she does the SKY'S the LIMIT!!!

Grace and her imitation of Silver

So Thursday night Kim was going to ride Grace she was tacked up and ready to go. The weather was COLD 36 degree about. Kim hopped on and did a lap around the arena and right away I could tell it was going to be interesting.

Grace was extra spooky. Spooking at the gates and at the tractor at the cows at all the things she's seen a million times. Kim asked her for a trot and came around the corner and my girl bucked...I have never in her riding career seen Grace buck with a rider. She would not relax about the 6th time around the arena she spooked again Kim pushed her forward and UP she went. Doing her very best unwanted impression of Silver....

We checked her for saddle pain or back pain. But I think her teeth were still tender from her visit from the dentist.

Kim rode her Friday morning and she was fine.

I have never seen my Sweet, Sweet Mare behave this way. Totally out of character for her.

Grace-y Goes to the Dentist.

If Gracie could talk this is what she would have sounded like after Dr. Ron was done with her.

Poor baby tells me when she needs to have her teeth looked at. She puts up a minor fight with the bridling. It comes from nowhere. One day she bridles fine the next she is all high headed and will back up eventually giving in...she's fine once the bridle is in. She's pretty good at expressing herself.

She had 6 ulcers on each side of her poor mouth. She's been needing a float about every 6 to 8 mths. I hope this goes down to at least once a year soon.

She's very expressive about other things as well, she hates back straps on her blanket and isn't fond of getting her hooves picked out, but she loves her grain, and kickin' up her heals on a sunny days.

Anyhoo, she had yesterday off and will be back to work tomorrow.

My God has it really been since Sept..

Has it been since Sept that I have posted on this blog..I was bugging JP about her blog and realized I really have no room to be giving her a hard time. So much has happened since Sept.

Gracie is getting ready for her first Breed show. It's the AIM sport horse show. She'll be riding in 3 classes. 2 Hunter under saddle classes and 1 show hack.

She had her first ride tonight in a double bridle (Full Bridle) and she looked amazing. She still takes my breathe away. I should have taken pics but I was so fascinated with her that I completely forgot.

She has transitioned out of a snaffle and is riding in a shank for western. She actually looks really cute. At least cute enough for open shows...I have a goal to win at least one ribbon this year in a Walk/Trot/Canter class...

In June there are a couple of open shows that we are hoping to compete for High Point. Things are really coming together. Super busy show schedule this year.

The Picture above is from our first show this year my friend Kim rides her English (and will be riding at AIM) She had a second and a third placing at this show.

I hope all is well out in blogger land....I promise myself I will keep up more as I really want a diary of Gracie's progress. Boy has she come a long way!