Long time...no see!

Hey guys,
Sorry I have not been posting recently. So just to catch you up my lease with Matt is going really well. Pony club has started back up again, and like always, it's really fun! Matt Has been a good boy mostly  he listens to me very well now. I actually need your help.

I feel like all I write about on here is my lessons, I want to write about more. What do you think I should start posting about? Thanks so much!

You don't choose the horse, the horse chooses you!

Ok I know, I know, the title is super naive, but it's true. If you are thinking of leasing or buying, this is very important. Number one thing I'm gonna say, I'm not trying bring you down, but very rarely will you find a horse who is perfect, doesn't bite, does everything you want. However think about it, don't you love your leased or your own horse because of their personality. Sometimes Matt, can be a bit bratty, but I like that he has his own spunk, his own personality. So think about it, maybe you'll be looking for a lease horse, and you will see a kind-of ratty one, Maybe he's nothing compared to that Frisian you were going to lease, but give him a chance. Maybe there's a horse that pins his ears back when you walk by, but did you ever give him a chance to get to know you? All I know is just like humans, no horse is is absolutely perfect, well actually that could be debated because I think every horse is perfectly un-perfect!

I got this photo from: http://www.art.com/products/p13866919-sa-i2774694/allan-grant-jean-anne-evans-14-month-old-texas-girl-kissing-her-horse.htm

Matt :)

Yesterday I rode Matt, He was a really good, fisrt I was at the stump getting ready to get on him when Christina said "Nic..........what are you missing" Assuming she was referring to Matt I checked him over, he looked fine "I don't know" I replied.
"How bout' a helmet" Christina said
"Right!" I said. When I got on Matt I circled him around a few times changed directions, same thing. "Pick up a jog." Christina instructed. I cued Matt with my spur. "Good lower his head" I gave wiggled the reins until Matt's head was dropped down. "Keep it there.". I nodded and focused on keeping Matt's head down. "Pick up a lope" Christina Instructed. Matt picked it up, we loped and loped..until christina said "Sit deep, take a breath, and say it"
"HO!" I said, Matt stopped on the dime. The other thing I wanted to tell you guys about is the saddle I'm  using on Matt, It's fairly small about a 13" It feels like it weighs a ton. Thanks for reading check back soon!

remember, I-I-N-T-T-A-H (If in need talk to a horse!)

and I ask him "Are you trying to entertain yourself?"

Today Is Wednesday so guess who I rode.......that's right....Ding ding ding, You Win! Matt! The lesson went well. He was a really good boy today. The first time around I had a few problems with his lope, he kept breaking stride :( But the next time he went smooth sailing. We've been trying out this Really, Really, Really old saddle, and some days it works, and some days it feels really weird. The worst part is the weight, that thing must weigh 10000000000000000000 pounds! The interesting thing isn't really about the lesson, but after the lesson. I was grooming of Matt when he started to chew on the wall. I tugged on his halter "No Matt, that's NOT eatable" Matt looked at me like I was crazy like he was thinking I'm chewing on it, and it doesn't taste that bad, so don't tell me I can't eat it! Next he started chewing on his lead-rope. Again I yanked back on him, this time he tuned around and lipped me, Wait let me explain, I say he "Lipped" me because Matt doesn't bite, he gets you with his lips, and sometimes licks you with his tongue...Moving on. I give him a soft-but-hard-enough slap to tell him He should not do that. Wait it gets better. Then He went for the unlocked pad lock on the tack door, well since it was unlock he snatched it. I head him chewing on metal, I went to go see what he was eating OH MY GOD THE PAD-LOCK..now you don't have to study or ride horses to know if they swallow a metal pad-lock it's a big problem. I snatched it out of his mouth as fast as I could, and put it away. I looked at Matt, who now very bored was trying to scratch his leg. "Are you trying to entertain yourself?" Matt looks at me and throws his head. Of coarse I thought. then I thought harder, if I was a horse...I would get bored too. I then looked at Matt and patted him, "OK I said I'll make you a deal, no more eating metal and I won't get annoyed with you anymore." Thanks for reading and check back soon for my next post!

It's Picture Time!!!!

So today it was POURING  So when I didn't really roam the farm, the time I wasn't in the office, or in Matt's stall, I was on a horse, so the only new pictures I have are of Dutches the barn cat, or Matt. And all the pictures were taken today, they are all mine. However I would like to give credit to my friend Julia who helped me take some of the pictures.

Rey!!!!!

NOTE: I did have a lesson with Matt today, but it was pretty normal and I've been writing about his lessons a lot so I decided to take a break from his lessons.

Today I rode Rey! As I entered the arena Rey took off! I checked him. He slowed to a walk. We did our usual warm-ups then, we loped. Rey's lope is to die for he extends and scoops so perfectly you feel like you floating on his back. When I finished we jogged around then we did a pattern to practice extending the lop and jog. Rey did great at the jog, but he wouldn't pick up the lope. Finally he picked up his long smooth lope. As we dismounted he nuzzled me!

That's about all.....until next time!!!

Matt...up, up, and away!

Hey guys,

So yesterday I had a a private lesson with Matt. Now you guys know if you ride western you don't jump....well Matt changed that yesterday. Me and him were having a great lesson. "Keep your hands down...imagine your holding a ping-pong ball between your arm and ribcage....now ask for a lope." me and Matt shot off we circled once and started to go around again. Seeing that Matt was headed for a cone I asked with the rein for him to move over a little, he didn't budge. Getting a little agitated I asked him to move over again. Seeing that Matt was going to crash into the cone I braced me self, he took a long stride and jumped the cone! All and all it was a very good lesson, (I actually jumped for the first time in my life) Check back soon for my next post!

It's Picture Time!!!!

Hey Guys,

So every week I will try to post some new pictures of horses at Garrod Farms, If you have questions about them, just comment.

I give Credit to -http://garrodfarmshorses.wordpress.com, http://ilovehorsies.wordpress.com

Centuar!!!!!! & Matt!!!!!!!!!!

Today for my group lesson I rode Centuar. We did warm-ups, then she asked me to pick up a lope. I cued Centuar, he went into a smooth lope. "melt into the saddle, and whoa......" Christina said. I sat deep and said Whoa, Centuar stopped on the dime. After my group lesson I rode Matt!!! He had some issues when Christina lunged him, but when I saddled up and jumped on he was a little angel. After, I groomed him down, that proved to be difficult, it had been raining so Matt had mud caked ALL OVER HIM. I curried out as much as I could and brushed it off. Anyway all in all I had really good lessons!



This is Matt!!! For those of you who don't know!!!

----------------------->          

Matt!!!!

Hey Guys,
So I know I have told you that I was thinking about leasing Matt. The test rides have been going well, So we think in a couple of weeks I will!!! Anyway I just wanted to talk about leasing. Leasing is a very good way to have your own horse without owning it, or to get you ready for ownership. Usually you can pick how many days you want to lease for. Really a lease is like borrowing the horse for a certain amount of time each month! So if you REALLY love horses, but your parents don't want all the responsibility, ask them about leasing!

Quotes

Hey guys, this is really just a fun post with some horsey quotes, I hope you like them!!

"No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle" - Winston Churchill

"If you climb into the saddle, be ready for the ride" - unknown

"In riding a horse we borrow freedom" - Helen Thompson

"You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make it drink" - Unknown

Thanks!!! I hope you enjoyed!!!

Help With Horses

Hi Guys,

Sorry I haven't posted in a while I have been VERY busy. Anyway today I wanted to talk about some problems you might have with horses, and give some advice on them.

-Speedy Horse

If you are riding a speedy horse sit back. You might want to get very tense and worried, but horses can feel that, so instead sit back, take a deep breath, and relax. Another thing that people do is keep tight reins, you actually want to keep the reins loose, that will help the horse relax.

-Wont take the bit

If you have ever had a horse that throws his head and doesn't take a bit, you know how frustrating it can be. One thing you can do is bring you arm over their necks, this will usually keep them from throwing their heads. If you can't get the bridle on, and it's been a while, you can always grab a friend to help.

- Biting

Sometimes, horses will bite, for a lot of them they do it when they are scared, but some do it on a regular basis. First, you can't let you horse get away with it, is they lunge and snap, give them a little smack. It sounds kinda mean, but it's one way to get the message to them. You might also want to try to find out if it's something specific. Do they always snap when you brush their face? If so maybe they are face shy. Try to solve the problem

I hope this helped, until next time!
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My first Lease Ride

Ok, so I bet everybody reading this has the same dream, it is to have a horse of your own, but do you know what's almost as good as buying? Leasing! Today I had my first test lease ride on my instructor, Christina's horse, Matt. Christina met me at the office "Ok, You ready?" she asked I smiled and nodded. We went up to matt's stall and coxed him out. Matt is a tiny little chestnut horse, and the sweetest little thing I have ever met! I brushed him, then saddled him up, then we went for A ride. He was different to ride, he has all these little ways about him, that make him so hard to understand like if you pull back on the reins he doesn't stop but If you let them hang low and just say "Wowwww" he stops. Right now I am just gonna start by taking some privates with him, but hopefully later I will lease him!!!!!!!

  peace love horses

Buster Boy!!

Today I rode a horse named Buster at Garrod farms. We had a substitute so I didn't have my regular instructor Christina. Anyway my sub Chelsey was very nice. We really focused on getting a nice Western pleasure jog. "Good Nic, Loosen your reins, more, more, all most.... there! Now keep him slow. Check release, check release, make him drop his head, perfect!" Chelsey said as Buster and me got into the slowest jog I think possible. Then we loped, and jogged over some ground poles. Buster proved to be very good at that. he would pick up speed as we went over and slowed as we were over it. That's about it. until next time.

                           peace, love, horses

Oh Joe!!!!

Today I rode a horse named Joe, or Joe fog. Joe is a beautiful dappled grey Arabian. He is a VERY fast horse. I got my stirrups adjusted then walked into the arena. We trotted some laps, then lined up to practice leg yielding. After almost everybody went Christina my instructor said "Ok Joe, Just a trot....go"
Joe took off loping "slow him down, start again" I heard Chrsitina say, it went like that the next time, and the next. "Why don't you walk it" she said, and sure enough THEN he trotted it. That's all for now, until next time!

Peace, Love, Horses

WELCOME

Hi I'm Nic welcome to my blog, if you ride horses, have a horse, lease a horse, or just LOVE horses you have come to the right place! I ride at a place called Garrod farms. It is a great stable, and I just adore riding there. I currently take group lessons every week, and might be leasing soon! So have fun, look around, and If you have any questions or concerns just leave a comment.

                                peace, love, horses