You Were Always on my Mind!

Gotta share an article by Jerry Finch just published on Going Gaited online magazine...entitled You Were Always on my Mind! I was amazed that a male writer showed such emotion toward horses, and even described a mare. A great article! I really enjoyed it. And now, I have to go spend more time with my own horses! Thanks for sharing, Jerry!

And here's the link:
http://www.goinggaited.com/Youwerealwaysonmymind.html

Sharing a Posted Online Article

Going Gaited online magazine is using some of my articles about mares. First one was published a few days ago, and you can check it out at this link: http://www.goinggaited.com/justbeingamare.html. If you have gaited horses, this is a great site to follow! All kinds of articles, columns, a forum, beautiful photos and more! My next article, probably published next week, will have a nice photo of Lady and me, taken by Linda Snyder of Bunker Hill. She's a great photographer! She took the cover shot photo for my second book, MARES! (ya gotta love em), as well as the photos of Lady and me used in the book.
I'm on the lookout for online sites for gaited horses as well as anything about and for mares. Drop me an email if you find anything, at goduseshorses@aol.com. Thanks!

That Winning Feeling

My November column has been posted on my website, at http://goduseshorses.com/that_winning_feeling_.html

It's all about my first ACTHA ride on Lady. That whole day was amazing. After the day was over, I looked back and saw how different Lady had been, and I keep wondering what really made the change. I hope she stays that way!

And only a few days ago, Lady and I rode into the woods behind our stable, and we went through the whole trail, just Lady and me. Our first time to go that far, after doing a little more each ride. Lady whinnied all the way to the woods, calling out to Boogey who is her new boyfriend. She has been in the round pen for a week or more, and Boogey has been giving her lots of attention over the fence.

Yes, I'm gaining my courage back, and it makes a difference. All those baby steps over the past few years have finally paid off. The fears still try to invade my imaginative mind now and then, but I can just go slower for awhile until they leave. Lady and I are doing better than ever!

Training to drag!

Lady and I have completed our first ACTHA ride! I’m working on my November column, and you can read all about it soon! ACTHA is the American Competitive Trail Horse Association. Their Competitive Trail Challenge events are growing in popularity all over the country. Each ride is six miles with six obstacles, and each obstacle is judged, giving horse and rider separate scores. I worked with Lady for several weeks, maybe five sessions or more, to get ready for this event. After looking over the possible obstacles on the ACTHA website, I decided to teach Lady to drag a log. Or something like a log. I started by walking around her in the paddock, dragging a long rope. Then I attached a piece of wood and dragged it around her. After a time, I dragged the rope and then the piece of wood while leading her. I also laid the rope over her back and walked her around, and touched her all over with the rope. Then I rode her and dragged the rope and flicked it all around her. It was a moment of elation for me as I dared to flick the rope beside her on both sides, then over her head while she stood quietly. Finally, I attached the piece of wood and dragged it around and around, letting the rope touch her rump and letting her feel the pull of dragging. One day, after she had been in the round pen awhile, I brought her back to her stall and since I didn’t want to make two trips, I also dragged the empty muck bucket from the round pen to the barn while leading her. That was much noisier than the piece of wood, but Lady was good. I knew then we were ready to drag something. I just didn’t know it would be a “body!” Be sure to read my November column for the rest of the story!

Twice this past week, Lady has been exposed to a big truck in close proximity without bolting! I'm still pondering the meaning of this; I know it isn't a total cure, but her calmness is a place we have reached after many rides and experiences over the past seven years.

I remember coming to the barn one fall morning a year ago, to see Lady standing at the back fence of her paddock watching a combine going back and forth in the adjoining soybean field. I took a photo to record the momentous event! She seemed more curious than frightened, which was so different from her usual excited run to the other end of the paddock.

On Monday this past week, as I unsaddled her at the edge of the road and the big truck was coming down the street, I thought at first it would turn in a few doors away. When it kept coming, I quickly led Lady off the road to a safer distance, and turned her to let her watch it go by. She stood very alert, but didn't move. We were probably fifteen feet from it as it passed.

Then, on Thursday, after I had ridden and put her back in her stall, a load of sawdust arrived for the barn. She probably watched it arrive from her stall, as the big double truck backed into the driveway and dumped its load. It comes in a double truck rig, two loads of sawdust in one trip. Our barn gets the load in the rear truckbed, and the main truckload goes elsewhere. Lady probably saw the dumping of the sawdust and probably heard the airbrakes. The driver parked the rig on the roadway, right in front of the driveway to Lady's stall, and I decided to take advantage of this opportunity. I led Lady out to eat grass between her stall and the truck. She did not seem at all spooked by the truck, still running, though she looked at it now and then as she grazed closer and closer to the road where it was parked. She was almost to the edge of the road when the driver got back in the truck and drove away. Lady and I followed it for a short distance. I'm not sure where this new courage is coming from, but I am overjoyed! Lady just turned 14 a few weeks ago. Some of us do get better with age.

Great ride with amazing ending!

The day before my birthday, I had this great ride on Lady, with an amazing ending! A wonderful fall day, about 70 degrees, with a cool breeze. Lady and I went down the trail to the woods, and went further inside the woods than we have yet this year. She seemed calm and I am enjoying our rides more and more. She did everything I asked, without a problem. Very pleased after our ride, I rode back to the car, asked her to stretch out and dismounted. As I was lifting the saddle from her back, I heard the truck coming down the road. Lady heard it too. She stood at attention, her ears forward, eyes on that truck coming down Kelly Road toward us. I threw the saddle and pad quickly into the car trunk, so I could be ready to hold Lady. I was sure the truck would turn in before it got to us, but it went past that driveway and was still coming. It was almost to the stable driveway, and we were standing on the edge of the road! I led Lady onto the grass, just near the front of our car, and turned her, ready for whatever she would do. She stood there, eyes on the truck as it passed within 15 feet of us, but she didn't move. This big grain truck, heading for a field past the stable, passed us and went on. Lady stood there, looking. I suddenly realized how close the big truck seemed, and yet Lady showed no sign of bolting. I still feel the wonder of it, after seven years of being afraid of Lady's fear of trucks--a fear which had become a huge monster within me--and now she stood there as this truck went by. I've told her before not to be afraid of trucks and tractors, that they come by on their way to working in fields. We will get out of their way and they will go on by and we would be safe. Did she really understand? Has she learned to trust me? It may seem like a small thing, but it isn't. It is like a miracle, and I am in awe!

Sharing a brave mare's war contribution

Just read a neat article on the Going Gaited online magazine about a special mare who deserves recognition! Sgt. Reckless was a former racehorse, purchased for $250, and she carried ammunition and wounded soldiers in the war, but without being led! Read the story! An oldie but goodie!
http://www.goinggaited.com/sgtreckless.html