Hey all!
I decided to start this journal to document my progress with my two geldings, Stitch and Cole. I figured that this would be a good way to keep track of my riding lessons, horse shows, and day to day barn shenanigans.
So I have quite a bit of background. Most of it about my barn, my barn really isn't your typical boarding situation and is a key part in my journey with my horses. So I don't feel I could tell you guys about them and our life together without some context of who we are!
I'm 20 years old, and from Northern California. I have been riding since I was nine years old, and basically grew up at the same barn. My barn is nothing fancy, really. We don't have lots of stalls, or an indoor arena, but its a good place. A place that really truly cares about the horses and the students who take lessons.
So I moved to California when I was nine from Maine. I took the move horribly, I had trouble making friends in my new school, my parents were working all the time and I was sad and lonely in my new environment. My mom told one of her coworkers about my current state and she suggested that we give her neighbor a call. A woman in her 50s, who rescues horses and hosts summer camps for kids to help for the costs. The very next week was my first day at camp and let me say I was immediatelynhooked. I found a solace and peace in horses even from a young age that i struggled to find in other places. During the week long camp, the BO, lets call her Jan, had apparently taken a liking to me. She offered me to come back once a week and help her with chores. I quickly obliged and became her shadow. We quickly became close, and to this day she is one of my most cherished role models and friends. I even made friends at the barn as well! There were three other girls who Jan had also taken under her wing.
Eventually, she taught me how to ride. She taught all of us. We each had our "own" horse of Jan's that we called our project horses. We could go to the barn whenever we wanted as long as she was home and could watch us. We did everything for our horses by ourselves, and I mean everything. I have learned so much and experienced so much from this woman! Over time Jan's barn evolved! She started hosting official lessons, us original girls became "Interns" and we worked for her. We went to shows, team pennings, barrel races, gymkhanas, trail rides, trail trials, sortings, any place Jan could take us and our project horses she did. Her 15 horse strong herd of rescues turned into today's 5 pastures with 40 horses total, consisting of rescues turned lesson horses, kids project horses, and personally owned horses. Us three original girls became a close knit group of 11 who grew up to each other, and to this day, are either still with Jan, or they're at college and their horses are. Today we are officially a non-profit rescue/lesson barn!
Most children who take lessons from her eventually get their own project horse, and from there they can lease either that horse, or one of her other ones. And that's the great part about what she does. Every old horse that comes through this barn, no matter what their background gets to experience love and kindness. I rode many horses at the barn and went through multiple projects until Jan decided it was time for me to least my first horse.
An Arabian gelding in his mid teens named Cabari... I leased him for about half a year until eventually Jan gave him to me on my 13th birthday! He is also still alive today, and still with me. But I'm choosing to include him in this because this is probably going to be his last winter. He's getting to the point where it would be kinder to put him down. As hard as that thought is, an even harder one is deciding when the time is right. Even with Jan's guidance and advice, i'm still worried that I may make the wrong choice for the horse who gave me so much. He seems happy. His eyes are still bright and he still is energetic and he scarfs down what food he can chew, he even gives lead line lessons once or twice a week. But hes not putting on weight, and hes having more trouble getting up and down.
By the time I was 14 I had became enamored with English riding. Jan, who is a true die hard Texan was not happy. But regardless, her and one of the trainers at the barn helped me get set up with a trainer. She even loaned me one of her trailers (and still does weekly!) so me and my dad could haul Cabari to my lessons! Flash forward a year and a half and I was now showing in hunters, jumpers and even some low level cross country! (Lucky for me in Cabari's life before we came together he was another child's all around English show horse). When i was 15 we decided It was about time for me to get my own horse! I wanted a horse that excelled at jumping, but that was versatile enough that I could still ride western and dabble in other things at the low level. I didn't really get quite that. I ended up with Stitch, a 6 year old 16.1hh, green broke, hot headed TB/Paint Horse cross. I only found him because one weekend the barn went to a local team sorting, and the man who puts them on out of his own arena, showed me him and said he was for sale. I felt awful for him. Poorly muscled, could've used some weight, covered in flies, had scars from spurs, terrified, flew away from any pressure under saddle, carried his head so high he could hit you in the face with it, flinched if you looked at him too fast. He was just a wreck. But what really got me about him, was he tried. He tried so hard for me, a stranger on his back. And he learned quickly. His mind was exactly what I needed. Brave and honest. I mean this is what I've been preparing for this whole time right? A true project. A vet check was done that day, and he was home the next.
Here is little me and little baby Stitch right after I test rode him!
Since then we've had a long road! When he first came home it was horrible. I was so discouraged. He never offered to buck/rear/bolt, but he was a mixture of green and a level of totally screwed up from bad riding and poor handling that I had not experienced before. And I had grown up riding some snotty horses. Stitch taught me the importance of utilizing and seeking resources. I worked with three different trainers not including Jan, I trailered to lessons and sessions with these trainers once a week every week, and I was at the barn every day working with him. Once I got my license, this turned to twice a week, I started riding in the park, going to shows by myself, attending clinics (He's been in a Buck Brannaman Clinic twice!) and conferences. Anything that I could. I took bits and pieces of all of this information (even some from the forum!) and found what worked best for my horse.
And the result I have today is everything I have ever wanted. Stitch has been a solid show horse, staying competitive and winning even at rated shows! He's a trooper on the trail. Nothing scares him, he'll go out first, last, alone, doesn't matter. You can ride him western, work some cows, go team sorting, go to a trail trial, go swimming in the pond. We even won runner up for Rodeo Queen in 2013. He is my heart horse. I'm proud of him because when I look at him I see all the hard work I put into him, I see all the successes, and failures and things that worked and things that didn't. I see all the tools I've picked up since then, I see who I was before and who I've involved into today as not only a rider but the woman I am.
In 2014 my world stopped spinning. Stitch had a bad pasture accident, he spooked, attempted to jump the fence and then suffered a completely rotational fall over it. Almost breaking his neck. And then, after this he ran around the entire neighborhood, on main roads and everything like a mad man. He couldn't be ridden for 8 months. This was devastating, but we worked through it. 2015 I spent reteaching and solidifying everything that he knew before. This year we started him back over fences again, and so that's where we're at now. Going to lessons weekly, and some local shows on the weekend!
But we're not out of the woods yet, Stitch has some confidence issues that we have to overcome. And I have some of my own. Getting back into lessons and showing it was thrown right in my face how out of shape and rusty I am. I have a lot of cleaning up to do in my riding, and the way I ride greatly effects Stitch. He is not a forgiving horse. If you look down, he will stop. If you hang on his face, he'll quit, and I wouldn't hold it above him to buck you off for that too. He's the kind of horse who requires his rider to ride him correctly. Right now we're schooling 2'6 and showing 2'3. Previously we showed 3 feet and schooled maybe a little bit higher but that is as high as I ever intended to go so we're going to document the journey of getting back there
Here's some recent pictures of him! Wish I could share some action shots with you, but my cell phone got stolen recently
In March of this year, Jan brought to my attention another potential project horse. A 14 year old 16.1hh Chestnut TB. Cole was an ex- A circuit show horse, but his owners were selling him has a husband and general riding horse because he apparently started bucking people off at shows for "no reason". So I test rode him (He's trained BEAUTIFULLY), got him vetted, decided he was a steal and brought him home to see what he would do. I let him settle and rode him on strictly on the flat, in the arena and out on the trail for a couple months; and then I got some chiro work on him, got him cleared for jumping by the vet, then I tried to jump him one day at a lesson with my trainer and nothing happened at all. I've been showing him up to 3'3 ever since. He's never offered to buck once. I assume they were causing him some sort of pain. So this was just an extremely lucky find, their loss my gain!
So although this journal will probably be mostly reconditioning Stitch, Cole will surely make an appearance as well. He goes to a lesson with me once every other week and I ride him 3-4 days a week!
Thank you guys so much for reading my long introduction about how I got into riding and my three horses!
Today I had a riding lesson with Stitch, and a crazy day storm proofing the barn for a big storm we have coming up. I'm going to write up a little something about that either tonight or tomorrow morning!
I decided to start this journal to document my progress with my two geldings, Stitch and Cole. I figured that this would be a good way to keep track of my riding lessons, horse shows, and day to day barn shenanigans.
So I have quite a bit of background. Most of it about my barn, my barn really isn't your typical boarding situation and is a key part in my journey with my horses. So I don't feel I could tell you guys about them and our life together without some context of who we are!
I'm 20 years old, and from Northern California. I have been riding since I was nine years old, and basically grew up at the same barn. My barn is nothing fancy, really. We don't have lots of stalls, or an indoor arena, but its a good place. A place that really truly cares about the horses and the students who take lessons.
So I moved to California when I was nine from Maine. I took the move horribly, I had trouble making friends in my new school, my parents were working all the time and I was sad and lonely in my new environment. My mom told one of her coworkers about my current state and she suggested that we give her neighbor a call. A woman in her 50s, who rescues horses and hosts summer camps for kids to help for the costs. The very next week was my first day at camp and let me say I was immediatelynhooked. I found a solace and peace in horses even from a young age that i struggled to find in other places. During the week long camp, the BO, lets call her Jan, had apparently taken a liking to me. She offered me to come back once a week and help her with chores. I quickly obliged and became her shadow. We quickly became close, and to this day she is one of my most cherished role models and friends. I even made friends at the barn as well! There were three other girls who Jan had also taken under her wing.
Eventually, she taught me how to ride. She taught all of us. We each had our "own" horse of Jan's that we called our project horses. We could go to the barn whenever we wanted as long as she was home and could watch us. We did everything for our horses by ourselves, and I mean everything. I have learned so much and experienced so much from this woman! Over time Jan's barn evolved! She started hosting official lessons, us original girls became "Interns" and we worked for her. We went to shows, team pennings, barrel races, gymkhanas, trail rides, trail trials, sortings, any place Jan could take us and our project horses she did. Her 15 horse strong herd of rescues turned into today's 5 pastures with 40 horses total, consisting of rescues turned lesson horses, kids project horses, and personally owned horses. Us three original girls became a close knit group of 11 who grew up to each other, and to this day, are either still with Jan, or they're at college and their horses are. Today we are officially a non-profit rescue/lesson barn!
Most children who take lessons from her eventually get their own project horse, and from there they can lease either that horse, or one of her other ones. And that's the great part about what she does. Every old horse that comes through this barn, no matter what their background gets to experience love and kindness. I rode many horses at the barn and went through multiple projects until Jan decided it was time for me to least my first horse.
An Arabian gelding in his mid teens named Cabari... I leased him for about half a year until eventually Jan gave him to me on my 13th birthday! He is also still alive today, and still with me. But I'm choosing to include him in this because this is probably going to be his last winter. He's getting to the point where it would be kinder to put him down. As hard as that thought is, an even harder one is deciding when the time is right. Even with Jan's guidance and advice, i'm still worried that I may make the wrong choice for the horse who gave me so much. He seems happy. His eyes are still bright and he still is energetic and he scarfs down what food he can chew, he even gives lead line lessons once or twice a week. But hes not putting on weight, and hes having more trouble getting up and down.
By the time I was 14 I had became enamored with English riding. Jan, who is a true die hard Texan was not happy. But regardless, her and one of the trainers at the barn helped me get set up with a trainer. She even loaned me one of her trailers (and still does weekly!) so me and my dad could haul Cabari to my lessons! Flash forward a year and a half and I was now showing in hunters, jumpers and even some low level cross country! (Lucky for me in Cabari's life before we came together he was another child's all around English show horse). When i was 15 we decided It was about time for me to get my own horse! I wanted a horse that excelled at jumping, but that was versatile enough that I could still ride western and dabble in other things at the low level. I didn't really get quite that. I ended up with Stitch, a 6 year old 16.1hh, green broke, hot headed TB/Paint Horse cross. I only found him because one weekend the barn went to a local team sorting, and the man who puts them on out of his own arena, showed me him and said he was for sale. I felt awful for him. Poorly muscled, could've used some weight, covered in flies, had scars from spurs, terrified, flew away from any pressure under saddle, carried his head so high he could hit you in the face with it, flinched if you looked at him too fast. He was just a wreck. But what really got me about him, was he tried. He tried so hard for me, a stranger on his back. And he learned quickly. His mind was exactly what I needed. Brave and honest. I mean this is what I've been preparing for this whole time right? A true project. A vet check was done that day, and he was home the next.
Here is little me and little baby Stitch right after I test rode him!
Since then we've had a long road! When he first came home it was horrible. I was so discouraged. He never offered to buck/rear/bolt, but he was a mixture of green and a level of totally screwed up from bad riding and poor handling that I had not experienced before. And I had grown up riding some snotty horses. Stitch taught me the importance of utilizing and seeking resources. I worked with three different trainers not including Jan, I trailered to lessons and sessions with these trainers once a week every week, and I was at the barn every day working with him. Once I got my license, this turned to twice a week, I started riding in the park, going to shows by myself, attending clinics (He's been in a Buck Brannaman Clinic twice!) and conferences. Anything that I could. I took bits and pieces of all of this information (even some from the forum!) and found what worked best for my horse.
And the result I have today is everything I have ever wanted. Stitch has been a solid show horse, staying competitive and winning even at rated shows! He's a trooper on the trail. Nothing scares him, he'll go out first, last, alone, doesn't matter. You can ride him western, work some cows, go team sorting, go to a trail trial, go swimming in the pond. We even won runner up for Rodeo Queen in 2013. He is my heart horse. I'm proud of him because when I look at him I see all the hard work I put into him, I see all the successes, and failures and things that worked and things that didn't. I see all the tools I've picked up since then, I see who I was before and who I've involved into today as not only a rider but the woman I am.
In 2014 my world stopped spinning. Stitch had a bad pasture accident, he spooked, attempted to jump the fence and then suffered a completely rotational fall over it. Almost breaking his neck. And then, after this he ran around the entire neighborhood, on main roads and everything like a mad man. He couldn't be ridden for 8 months. This was devastating, but we worked through it. 2015 I spent reteaching and solidifying everything that he knew before. This year we started him back over fences again, and so that's where we're at now. Going to lessons weekly, and some local shows on the weekend!
But we're not out of the woods yet, Stitch has some confidence issues that we have to overcome. And I have some of my own. Getting back into lessons and showing it was thrown right in my face how out of shape and rusty I am. I have a lot of cleaning up to do in my riding, and the way I ride greatly effects Stitch. He is not a forgiving horse. If you look down, he will stop. If you hang on his face, he'll quit, and I wouldn't hold it above him to buck you off for that too. He's the kind of horse who requires his rider to ride him correctly. Right now we're schooling 2'6 and showing 2'3. Previously we showed 3 feet and schooled maybe a little bit higher but that is as high as I ever intended to go so we're going to document the journey of getting back there
Here's some recent pictures of him! Wish I could share some action shots with you, but my cell phone got stolen recently
In March of this year, Jan brought to my attention another potential project horse. A 14 year old 16.1hh Chestnut TB. Cole was an ex- A circuit show horse, but his owners were selling him has a husband and general riding horse because he apparently started bucking people off at shows for "no reason". So I test rode him (He's trained BEAUTIFULLY), got him vetted, decided he was a steal and brought him home to see what he would do. I let him settle and rode him on strictly on the flat, in the arena and out on the trail for a couple months; and then I got some chiro work on him, got him cleared for jumping by the vet, then I tried to jump him one day at a lesson with my trainer and nothing happened at all. I've been showing him up to 3'3 ever since. He's never offered to buck once. I assume they were causing him some sort of pain. So this was just an extremely lucky find, their loss my gain!
So although this journal will probably be mostly reconditioning Stitch, Cole will surely make an appearance as well. He goes to a lesson with me once every other week and I ride him 3-4 days a week!
Thank you guys so much for reading my long introduction about how I got into riding and my three horses!
Today I had a riding lesson with Stitch, and a crazy day storm proofing the barn for a big storm we have coming up. I'm going to write up a little something about that either tonight or tomorrow morning!