Amber ride!

Well Amber has been in KY almost 3 weeks, so what have I been waiting for?  I don't rightly really know.  I know she needed her feet done to help and make sure she won't trip on me and from there.  I really don't know what has held me back.  So today I put it to myself I would leave Willow in the car and I'd at least get Amber on the lunge line and see how wild she's going to be.

Yep sure looks wild.  Beautifully both directions for a little bit, so was so focused on me.  SO I said to heck with it, what am I waiting for.  Amber's a good girl, so I got her to the block and just stood there.  One foot up and laid on the saddle-she moved a couple of steps but then stood there, so I swung my other leg over, sat up, adjusted on the horribly uncomfortable saddle and got my other stirrup.
     First thing out of my mouth "where's the damn horse?" as Amber is literally HALF the width Heidi is.

She should, with some time and work, build up more shoulder muscle but the tree size shouldn't change, so at least now I know what tree size saddle to start looking for.

I walked her twice around in each direction and that was when my rear was numb from the poor saddle and I figured that was enough for one day, maybe not for Amber but for me.  Got down and we walked back to the barn.  Shana showed up about the same time and asked me what happened.  Told her nothing but the saddle wasn't a great fit.  She said grab hers, it should fit Amber as Hope is a thoroughbred too.  Fits her way better than the one I have, she said I could use it if she wasn't going to be riding until I could get a new saddle for Amber.

Amber was my superstar yesterday!

Amber is here

Kylie has sent Amber down for me to ride and work on since I fully think I made Heidi ring sour trying to ride as much as I have been wanting to.  Amber will be 11 next month(Heidi just turned 8 yesterday) and she's full capable to jumping 3 foot.  Needless to say I won't personally be ready to be jumping for a while.
Here she is!

Snow- and Lots of it

We got lots of snow down here in the 'bluegrass', at least by Kentucky standards.  I've seen nor-easters in NY before but we were ready for it up there. Willow's second snow and for the longest time she loved it, leaping and bounding through the snow since it's above her chest level.
Not so fun to clear it though.

Dog Show!

Firstly, No we didn't show.  It was my first time ever being at one and I wanted to see what it was like and to see if it was something Willow and I could do.  Thanks to Aunt Lisa we got it worked out so I could bring Willow as well, see how she did in the environment as well.  She did good, now to just get some more of the training set down and we'd be good.

Training and romping

Willow, Tinks, and myself had another training day with Aunt Lisa at Lowes again.  Lowe's has some wonderful hospitality and we even worked some on Willow growling at people.  I asked her to sit and had two men come up to her and pet her, and she didn't even tinkle on the floor!  I was very proud of that.   Then after we got home and we ate lunch I took both Willow and Ayden outback and with Willow on the long cotton leash I let them romp and run.

Catch up

Well, I've been neglectful of this quite a bit.  About a month before Thanksgiving I got Willow, who has made an appearance in the previous post.  Aunt Lisa and I are now starting training with her and Tinks since the one person has failed to get ahold of me about actual classes.  I'm learning from her as well as teaching Willow.  Lowes was our place of training today.

Heidi's been awesome.  She was super for Thanksgiving for the kids to mess with her and get pony rides, and Misty came in with her since there was so many kids they could spread out amongst the two mares.  Photo's are courtesy of Brian.

And later December a saddle popped up that was deemed a good fit for her since nothing else has fit her quite right and it's a Thornhill Dressage saddle.  And despite the size being way bigger than I was even looking at, the saddle fits her and me really well.  We've been riding in it for a couple weeks now and I've ridden more with this saddle and longer than I have in any other saddle that I've bought for her.  Two hours in the saddle this past Saturday alone was two and a half hours before I got down and was only mildly sore.  Most wonderful so now hopefully I can get her fit and get some decent training in her.

I'm hoping to do better with keeping up.  I don't do much other than work, Willow and Heidi.  Every now and then bunny pics(Been too cold to bring the camera out there and there's so few now!)
I promise to do better!