Busy spring day

Busy day today.  I met with two new students after doing a lot of outdoor chores.  Trying to soak up every bit of sunlight possible!


Duster arrived yesterday and has already settled in nicely with Piero and Astro.  Piero remembered her and Astro is in love! :)  They make quite a cute couple.  Duster yields to Piero, (who wouldn't with that kick a** fast backward walk and buck!)  And Poor Astro is yielding to Duster.  Since we are expecting rain I have all 3 ponies at the next door barn, aka the Pony Barn.  They really are quite the site all together there!


Things are picking up here, I'm getting lots of calls.  Thank you to those who are referring their friends.  I really appreciate it!


Loretta


the natural horseman
clear communication/visible results

Take the time it takes

Ah, what a beautiful spring day. The sky was so blue and the air had a new crispness in it. The perfect day!

I spent a lot of quality time with Scottie today. We did 30 minutes of ground work and at least another 30 of grooming time before heading out on the trail. Scottie was beautifully behaved, and considering it has been so long since he's been out, that's pretty good! Of course, if he had been acting up I would have done more ground work with him and/or decided not to ride him. This leads me to one of my favorite ground work/pre flight check topics.

Picture this scenario. You are excited and anticipating a fun ride with your best (equine) friend. It's the first really nice day and the ground is pretty dry. You go to catch your horse and he runs off when he sees you coming with the halter. You finally catch him and are feeling a bit annoyed by this. While grooming he can't seem to keep still. He is very antsy and startling at almost anything. Since you are so excited to ride, you continue getting him ready.

I'll stop there because that usually only goes from bad to worse. You can get lucky. Maybe nothing will happen. So next time, you behave the same way. But I can assure you, one day will come when something unfortunate WILL happen while you are on that horses' back. The actions highlighted in red are clear warning signs. You can choose to ignore them or to heed their advice. It takes longer, but it is worth it.

Doing a pre-ride check can:

• Alert you to the state of your horse's mind
• Give you a chance to reclaim his mind
• Allow you to get to know him better
• Help form a closer bond

A wise horseman I know says, "It takes the time it takes". Sometimes that might not fit into our schedule. But our horses don't run on our schedule. Trust me, you are better off physically and mentally to take that time. You will benefit in the long run, even if you don't 'see' it on a daily basis.

Happy trails,

Loretta

the natural horseman
clear communication/visible results

Lessons on as scheduled

The bluestone paddock is clear and dry, yeah! For those of you who are more advanced, i.e. trotting on your own, we will most likely be meeting at the ring behind my house. I will give you directions before our next lesson is scheduled.

I also have a little news. A dear friend of mine will be boarding her large pony here for a while. This mare used to be Piero's herd mate. I will be using her in lessons with some you. She is a very well seasonal pony, did pony club for a few years and has shown a lot. For those of you who were riding Stryker, if Duster is not an option, then I will have you ride Gus, who lives at the barn where the ring is located. Gus is a Belgian Draft / Quarter horse cross. He is wide and large enough to hold a man.

Lots of fun things will be happening around here with the onset of spring. Some tree branches in the front ring area will be cut down to make for more riding space. A new gate/door will be put up on the open run-in area. I will be scheduling an open house/fun on the farm day, along with a spring show for students. I will also be holding a week or two of summer camp.

With this in mind, please schedule your regular lessons now. The phone calls from new clients are spilling in already and we still have snow on the ground! Surprisingly I have a few Sunday openings, which are hard to come by, and also one or two after school time slots available. I'd like to give my current students the chance to pick their lesson times first.

Don't forget to check the website for details on the referral policy and the packaged lessons discounts.

Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you soon!

Loretta

the natural horseman
clear communication/visible results

Riding on wet trails

As the snow melts away please avoid riding on wet trails. Riding on wet trails can damage them. The hoof prints left behind collect water accelerate erosion. While we all can't wait for better weather and the chance to ride the trails again, a little consideration now will be appreciated by your fellow trail riders, hikers and the parks who work to maintain the trails. --Brian

Right now - even though the temps have been climbing into a comfortable range - there is snow pack - below the snow is ice (usually) and below the ice is mud....while the horses are totally capable of walking through this type of terrain, and the weather is tempting - please stay off the trails until the conditions improve - your fellow riders will thank you - as will those precious tendons on the bottom of your horses legs!

Loretta

the natural horseman
clear communication/visible results

20/20 TSHIRTS!

I know some little girls that would LOVE a tshirt with Piero on it! Check it out at the link below. I can place one large order, let me know!

Custom T-shirt designed with CafePress Groups

bit.ly

Loretta

the natural horseman
clear communication/visible results