1 hr to hitch, 5 minutes to drive

Roy and I and Legacy in her "red harness pads"

Just one of those days I suppose....training horses often does not go in a straight line....we often go forward making good progress, and then just when you think you and your horse have "got it" you take a mighty step backwards. This was the week for just that...here is how it went.

When Legacy was at Trainer Roy's , Roy put harness pads on her harness for her. She just seemed more comfortable with harness pads, and after all, horses are all about comfort. The harness pads he had, were red, and he warned me that "red" was not an acceptable color for showing in any class. He told me about the harness pads, the maker and where to find them to order the acceptable color of black. I did not need encouragement, as I think black is much more suited to Legacy anyway. The Red pads are great for Christmas time, but I really prefer black for the rest of the year.

Now...when I bought my harness, it came with some pads....black neoprene pads....so, my brain got to thinking, and though the pads were not near the quality of the red ones, why not cover them with Sherpa fleece for a suitable pad...seemed logical right? HA!

I got busy, covered the neoprene pads with black sherpa and put them on my harness. Legacy noticed the difference right away. She fussed and wiggled and let her opinion be know. Since we had a good couple weeks off, because I was ill, I figured it was just the lay off time. We harnessed, hitched and off we went.

Second hitch with the black pads went fairly easy...but it was becoming clear to me that there was a whole lot of fussing going on....Legacy began refusing the bridle, and frankly, when a 15.3HH refuses the bridle, there is not a whole lot you can do.

Before the third hitch with the pads I decided I must go back to the red pads. I now, have on order, the black pads from LaSalle Harness....these pads have much more padding than what I have seen in other places, and we already know Legacy likes them, as that is the brand of her red one.

So....I put the red pads back on, and attempted to harness and hitch. Harnessing went better, Legacy showed a little more relaxation when it came to the point of bridling her.....we long linning around a bit and I deemed she was ready to hitch.

Hitching alone is a challenge, but it does, in fact, allow you to really listen to what your horse is telling you, if you bother to listen that is. Legacy was not convinced that I had switched back to the red pads. I would get her in perfect position, but when I brought the shafts up over her back, she would wiggle and squiggle and move just enough to be out of position. We did this dance for well over an hour. I never lost my temper ( hey, I can grow as a person! ) and I made sure that we both stayed safe. Finally I placed her in a different spot in the arena, something grabbed her attention and she stood like a rock for me to hitch her up....victory!!! course, by now I am nearly beat!

I rewarded her with about a 5 minute drive, checked all systems as I watched her turn and make her corners and then gave her a big reward with a job well done and turned her out.

I am happy to say, the next day went a bit easier. We hitched on the second attempt, and I suspect that our future hitches will go even smoother yet. and PLEASE ...no one tell her when I switch from the red to the black..they should arrive this week......

Snow day, snow play

We had a nice snowfall of 10" earlier this week, and I also had our Grandson out for a visit..so, when I headed outdoors to take photos of AJ, the horses also made their presence known.

Legacy is making snow angels here, she made sure she made an angel as good as she could.

Another try at it......

Here Legacy gives me the "Bev Dolittle" effect...you may have seen Bev's style of work, it usually involves horses and background that the horses disappear into....here is Legacy's best effort at camo....

The girls spent a whole lot of time racing each other, bucking and general well...HORSE PLAY !!!
AJ thought watching the girls was a whole lot of fun!!!!

Ready to Move on

Well, I knew this day would come ;-) Legacy has informed me that driving inside our tiny (for driving a full sized horse) arena is much too boring and no longer a challenge, so, we are ready to move on. Our next venture will be driving at a friend's place. Virgil not only has a larger indoor arena, but he also has several acres of FLAT, something we know nothing about here on our place. So, next week, after my bronchitis has left me, Legacy and I will venture over to Virgil's and drive with a little more room. This is a great spot to practice our trust and togetherness. Virgil's fenced pasture, is beside a busy county road, we will practice learning to drive with traffic, all in the safe confines of a fenced area, but with the same feel as being out on the road. The pasture also has a "exercise track" from the days when Virgil had racehorses and breezed them at home, so, we can drive the track too.....the possibilities are limitless, a couple acres of large, flat space, a good training spot for traffic and all fenced for safety, and an added bonus, a guy who LOVES taking photos as much as I do, in fact he has been my mentor for years, horses and photography are what Virgil does best. After Legacy and I get comfortable in this situation, we will take the drive we have waited for, down a quiet country lane, different location again, and all part of "our" education.

My Christmas card for you!

Merry Christmas to all and a Very Happy New Year....may all your holiday wishes come true, and may you have quality time with your friends, family and herd members through the Holiday season....MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!

"Driving Miss Legsy"

Trainer Roy takes Legacy out on the trails

Well, it is official, Legs and I are a driving team ;-) We wrapped up lessons and training last week and we headed home to find our future as a driving team. I did have the opportunity last week ( the weather was spectacular! ) to take a few photos....I also had the added bonus of having Liz Mattke come and watch my lesson and take a short drive with Roy and Legacy on the trails behind his house, Liz looks a bit cold, it was barely 20 degrees! and..now those photos!

A couple days later, Legacy, Roy and Liz take a trip around the trail loop

Legacy and I take a lesson in the indoor arena

Liz was kind enough to take a few photos of Legacy and me! Driving outdoors is a WHOLE lot of fun......can not wait to try it at home!

*Tekara's sire wins big!

Congrats to *DCC Traveler and Liz Mattke on their 2011 CSI "HOY" win !!!! Our filly *Tekara is a Traveler daughter, and we expect great things from her too......congrats on a job well done!!!

another pinto in the pasture

Sometimes it just happens....a small ad seen, a photo that you suspect the equine is better than represented...and an inquiry.....That is how another pinto arrived in the pasture here at Creekside Curlies! We are proud to introduce you to *Tekara. When I saw the ad for this mare, it got my wheels turning....Perhaps this would make a good frozen semen candidate for our stash of "HeartBreaker" semen...perhaps this mare would make a nice riding horse...perhaps......

But.....it was love at first sight...the mare was not the height stated in the ad, but every single thing about her screamed "take me home" her temperament is one of the best I have ever encountered...she is gently broke to ride and she handles like a dream. Mike is smitten, he already has big plans for her, learning to pack and camp ( he swore he would NEVER horse camp again...LOL ) he is just sure that *Tekara will be a gentle mount for August James in the future, and he is probably right..he generally is!


I find it very ironic that this mare, a true medicine hat marked mare, very well may be a Native American's mount...August is 1/2 Native American....seems Mr. August will start with what the Native American's considered to be a highly prized equine.
My camera has been in the shop, and I took most of these photos with my older camera....but, I had battery trouble and only got a couple shots in, before the end of the daylight, and now we are into a wet/muddy weather pattern...oh well! no more photos until spring I guess.
Gotta love this photo...it shows just how comfortable they are with each other, and *Tekara has only been here a couple days....this is going to be a relationship made in heaven ;-)