Finally have some time to breath and found this neat challenge.  What a great way to start withmy 4 season sustainability goal:
http://vegplotting.blogspot.com/2011/12/announcing-52-week-salad-challenge.html

Aug 27 2011 Dressage show at Tamarack Stables

http://youtu.be/R0MizX4G3c0

I had a dream fed by the movie Sylvester where a white horse danced underneath the overhead corral light and prayed God, help me do that.

Some days I want to ask God if he couldn't have given me longer legs, shorter torso and better balance. Mid age wisdom has pretty much revealed that I am what I am and although my goals still includes better physical strength and weight loss, I have determined that changes to my Irish-Oriental farming skeletal structure just isn't going to manifest into long, skinny European legs with stomachs up to their boobs and non-existent waists.

God's compensation was to give me a horse like no other, my Ind. Should you look at the video again, look not at the blisteringly white landscape but focus instead on the loyal Labrador in horse clothing. After just two weeks and recovering from a stifle problem, she is gamely trucking along and with ears strained, trying mightily to do what I ask while balancing this top heavy, not so balanced egg. She manages to make me look like I know something at last

All was not perfect but then Dressage does not mean perfection, no matter what some like me would like for it to be. It means that I care, I CARE, I care enough to learn how to ride my horse in such a way as to keep her strong for many, many years. It means that I have a trainer who listens even when I am very upset because through all the static is an intense love for the sport and the people at the barn. It means that two weeks back in training with scores going from 40's to 60's mean I am listening, practicing and learning as fast as I can but that Dressage does not mean easy.

I hurt today, disappointment in my memory since I forgot part of the test, my right side says "Hello, you ARE fat and forty-six you know and you rode me ALL week" but I am so very, very grateful for the blessings that have given me such passion at a time that I can concentrate on it for me and I am so lucky to have such a horse in my life.

What does life have in store for me now that my children are off and on their own? Dancing is but a 20 meter circle away!!!

Busy, Busy

Just some photo's

Spring has Sprung and building a new family

Now I remember why i don't blog, don't have time!

Sicker than a dog but bound and determined to have a great garden. Swallowing Peanut Butter toast dipped in Earl Grey tea since it's the only thing that can slide past my now touching tonsils.

Posted a peace picture on facebook so will post it here. Moon is finding her way into the herd.
Found out about this place:
Temple Nursery

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 591
Trumansburg, New York 14886 (United States)

Paper Catalog Cost: $3

Must remember to order the catalog! Doug fired up the garden for me, it rained so much last years, the horse weeds got taller than my horses! Love the brand new start I have and can't wait for the first tomato!

The hardest thing to do on a horse and in life is nothing at all!

March 7, 2011: Groundwork!

It continues to surprise me at the number of people who declare their horses “perfect” who have not taken the time to train despooking.

Moon and I spent the day on Sunday training her to go over poles and a little oxer. I really felt bad for the mare since it was very obvious again that she needs a good lesson on despooking. I plan to work on that this week since spook and spook is a bad combination. Her lunging lesson took the place of my lesson with Tammy this week but I did ride Amira. I am still trying to find the magic of keeping my body straight while leaning far enough into the left stirrup to get her to turn nicely. How to keep your body level but push down on the stirrup. I did try to keep my hands down below the front of my saddle but I am unsure if I succeeded. I really need to remember to take my video camera!

Lynnea came by and kicked our tails teaching yoga. Don’t know if it was the yoga or the riding/lunging but I was bone tired last night when I got home.

As fgor the petals part, the snow is finally starting to disappear from my gardens and I need to clean my room so I can start more seeds. I need another body with more energy I thinks!

First Ride on Moon and Lessons on Mira

Mira and Me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJlv6BEBOlg
First Ride on Moon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJOZZRskhWY

Lesson Notes: Hands need to be down!
Courtney Lynn Dye [http://www.courtneykingdressage.com/] happened to have posted about this just after my lesson:

I always tell students to EXAGGERATE the opposite of their problems. For instance, if their hands are constantly too high, I don't just tell them to put their hands where they belong, but to put them too low, so the right amount becomes easy. This is why Lendon and I got on so well together. If she told my leg was too far forward, I'd put it back to the saddle pad, so the next time she'd have to tell me it was too far back. It was, and is, my goal to have the instructor tell me the OPPOSITE thing the second time, not the same thing again.
In other sports, for example golf, if you're consistently hitting the ball too far to the right, try to hit it too far to the left to make it go straight. Eventually hitting it straight will feel straight.

This week was all about my hands. I really struggled to maintain a gait on Moon while trying to turn her and then also keeping my hands solid. Moon's trot has a different cadence than Mira so think I will ask Tammy to ride her so I can pick out a song that will help me count the posting. All in all, lots of things to improve on but Moon very much took care of me throughout Oddball's bombastic fart that scared all the horses and my lack of rhythm and focus. What a girl she is!

I truly feel like part of the Tamarack family - Moon is listed here: http://www.tamarackstablesiowa.com/boarding.html#boarders

Speaking to Nick and Belinda right now to perhaps schedule a clinic at Tam's, have to run!

Forward!

Since my last post, I've been more involved in posting to Facebook, rescuing Es and Magic and following Indie's hooftprints to Dressage. Es has just now been taken over to Ginger and Dave, Magic is growing strong and to my great dismay, Indie has a structural defect in her stifle that will not allow her to canter. Her tendons on her stifle is just too lax and I refuse to let such a kind and wonderful mare be ridden with great pain. She will now become my best friend, trail buddy and my intro dressage mount. Mira is at Tammy's getting a tuneup in hopes of finding a little girl to ride and love her. Eddie is busy teaching Magic the ways of horsedom until Doug/Dustin has time to ride with me.

With the ownership of a new horse formerly named Mindy, now called Moon, my daughter's engagement and my Dressage goals, I've decided that documenting my progress will help record my forward progress in this next upcoming year.

Some visual treats:

Galloping Winds Photo shoot at my barn (please respect her copyrights):
http://www.gallopingwinds.com/gallery/portraits10/mindy/index.htm

Be Happy!

Mindy