Events

Mondays
Jumping Fun Classes at Canterbrooke, (Ames)

Tuesdays
Riding Communication Classes at The Paddock (Truro) .

May 8-9
Clinic at Catalpa Corner

April 10 and 11
Clinic at Catalpa Corner.

June 4-6
Clinic and Schooling Show Catalpa Corner
(Iowa City)

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Waiver form

"Only way that horses will win is to sit there and spend time with them. Show 'em that you're trying to help 'em. Love 'em. Talk to 'em. Get to know 'em. Now that's what you gotta do. You love 'em and they'll love you, too. People might call me crazy, but that's the way it is."

-Eddie Sweat, groom for Riva Ridge and Secretariat

Training Log for Graham Redmond

6/1/09 Graham went home.

5/28/09 Warm up work in the arena, asking him to come round and loose on the inside and outside reins. He was convinced this was very difficult, but came around nicely in all gaits. Then out for a hack, where he was light on his feet, but did very well.

5/26/09 Pouring rain outside. They are loving being able to stay out in slightly inclement weather, due to nice new shelters built by Jay. I rode him in the arena where we focused on standing up in canter and lateral work in trot. He was quite good.

5/20/09 Went out for a hack on a very windy day. It was probably 80 degrees, but high wind from the south. This makes horess particularly spooky, so I thought that today would be a good day to see how he is coming along in his confidence out on the trail. Well, a different dog jumped out today (really, they aren't everywhere here, I think they just like him!), and he reacted more calmly this time and the dog was bored and left. Then we hacked way out in the hinterlands at a walk. He was pretty on his toes at fist, but got better and better and was walking nicely flat-footed after 45 minutes. Good man.

5/19/09 Very windy rode in the indoor for warmup, where he did quite well, staying up in front and mostly through from behind. Then out for a short hack, where he searched the horizon for terrifying dogs, of which he found none, and got over himself quite nicely.

5/18/09 Out for a hack where two dogs popped out of the woods and scared him witless. He had a totally understandable bolt for 200 yards. He did finally come around and the dogs were like, "Oh, sorry." They got a verbal spanking and went home. Then on for the rest of the ride. He was a little on edge for a bit, but recovered nicely.

5/14/09 Some nice work, especially in canter today. He is getting more convinced that carrying himself is not optional. Yay.

5/13/09 Worked in the indoor on carrying himself in trot and canter. He did quite well and even did some spiral in and out on a cirlce quite nicely. He was justifiably proud of himself.

5/12/09 Out for a hack with much attention to staying on his hindquarters and balanced in canter. We did a fair amount of it and he was quite good. When he did have moments of anxiety, he recovered well.

5/6/09 Excellent work in dressage in the indoor. He could have earned a respectable dressage test score in competition today.

5/5/09 Out for a hack where he was really quite tight when I asked him to pick up canter, so we did a lot of 5 canter steps, halt, repeat. He got the hang of it and produced some very nice work in the end. Those deer give him a heart attack, the poor dear, but they do pop out from everywhere, so I can't really blame him.

5/4/09 Out for a walk hack where he was asked to remain relaxed in his neck despite the flushing deer and grouse and his rider getting off to pick up a deer shed (I've never found one before. I was pretty excited!). At any rate, he was quite good and become more relaxed as we went on. Good man.

4/30/09 Had some more nice work in self carriage in the indoor. He is becoming convinced that carrying himself is a viable option. Good horsie. Cookies.

4/29/09 Worked in the indoor where we had some very good success in self carriage. He produced some nice trot work that would have been acceptable in a dressage test. Canter work was light and relaxed most of the time. Very good. Cookies.

4/28/09 Worked in the indoor and had some moments of real loveliness in trot. Self-carriage and cadence. Niiiiiice. Canter work a little less lovely, but some good stuff there too.

4/22/09 Lovely day. Trail hack where he agreed to stay down in his neck. Ok, I made it a point that it was more pleasant to agree than disagree, and he accepted it. He earned cookies and praise and big hugs.

4/21/09 Dressage work in the arena where he did very well in all gaits. He wants to tighten his poll every time he is concerned (a bird!, what are you asking me? A cat!), but he is coming loose more quickly and I hope soon he will skip getting tight at all. He did very well and earned cookies.

4/17/09 Dressage work in the indoor with much work on flexibility. He did very well and stayed attentive and relaxed. Good man.

4/16/09 More hack work, focusing on him staying relaxed in his neck. It is coming along more and more all the time. He's really a good soul.

4/15/09 Out for a hack with more work on him staying relaxed in his neck. He did very well with only occasional reminders. Good man!

4/9/09 We had a serious discussion about staying relaxed in his neck on the "scary" part of the trailride. It took us 15 minutes to get 15 feet, no drama from either of us, but we did come to an abreement about proper carriage. Yay.

4/8/09 Out for a hack and had several halts with absolute relaxation. Excellent.

4/2/09 Went out for a hack and insisted on absolute relaxation in his neck. We didn't get as far as we usually do, but he did some good work and had some good relaxation. Quality over quantity and I am quite pleased with him.

4/1/09 Out for a hack in the relatively mild weather. He was occasionally relaxed and loose in his neck, but a lot of drama about demons in the pine trees. At one point I asked him to stop and negotiated with him until he took a breath and relaxed a bit. It was a pretty great moment. I'll have to do more of that. Very good.

3/31/09 Worked in the indoor while the winds howled outside. He was actually rather angelic today and we had some very good lateral work. Yay Graham.

3/24/09 Worked on dressage in the arena with much hunt deprogramming happening. He did quite well.

3/22/09 Hunted at Grand River. We had some discussions early about who gets to make decisions about the speed at which we cover ground. He wanted to let the herd make the decision, whereas I interjected that the human probably should make the decision. He ended up seeing it my way. He jumped well and by the end was quite lovely. I think he enjoyed himself.

3/20/09 Long hack in the back 40 including going through some mud where I required him to slow down and relax, which he, with difficulty, did. He is getting better about coming soft over his neck at times, which is great. He is really growing on Emma, who dotes on him no end, which he sponges up.

3/19/09 Out on a hack down the hill, across the street and to the park, where he dealt with mud, dogs, cars, terrain and water. He was quite stiff in his neck and concerned about a lot of things, but he was willing and he did improve throughout the ride. He can look forward to much more hacking in the future to get himi comfortable by himself. He did well and got cookies.

3/18/09 Long trail ride to the park across the road and around the lake with Emma on Sammy. Graham had to lead just because I said so and he was alarmed at some things, but managed to deal. He is the most upset by mud or really soft footing, so in retrospect, I am not surprised that he got very strong with you on the Joint hunt that I was with you on. I'll try to seek out soft footing for him to learn to deal with. All in all, he did very well. He kept going forward past scary culverts and other beasties and tolerated a herd of deer nearby. Very good.

3/17/09 He managed to stay somewhat clean overnight, much to Emma's (and my) delight. We went out for a slow hack in the mild temps. On the way out he passed sheep and 5 sheepdogs being trained. We flushed some deer which alarmed him, but he handled it better than in the past, and about half way through the ride her figured out tha the could let go in his poll and breath. That is great. That was the whole point of the exercise. Good man.

3/16/09 He was covered in dried mud today. He seemed quite pleased with himself. Luckily it is spring break and Emma was available to help chisel. I took him out for a hack in the 70 degree lovliness and required him to stay loose in his poll. He got better and better with periods of really tight, but he let go. He had one mighty spook at a "not found in nature" ribbon tied on a tree, which was fairly understandable and he recovered well. Emma rinsed him after the ride and he was a pill in the washrack, so she had some discussion with him about that and he figured it out nicely, settled down and tolerated just fine. Very good man.

3/10/09 Nasty north wind and some dampness outside so they were in for the day. We had a long walk warmup and then some dressage work. He was very good.

3/6/09 More hacking in the big big world. Came upon a herd of 8 deer and managed to keep going forward, which was great. He is starting to breathe a little better each time out.

3/3/09 Another hack in the big world. He was better about maintaining forward today and took a big relaxed breath earlier on the ride today than yesterday. Very good.

3/1/09 Out for a hack in the big wild world. The only rule I had for him was that his feet had to keep moving forward. He could look at stuff all he wanted, but had to keep marching. This was a little tough at first, but he started to get the hang of it. Twenty minutes in he took his first deep breath, where before that it had been short shallow ones. He got better and better. He was also wormed with oxybendazole today.

2/27/09 Much flexibility work in the indoor. Did some slow work in walk and trot to work on that and he responded well. Canter work, then, was very good.

2/26/09 I didn't notice at the end of yesterday's trail ride that he had gotten burdocks in his tail. So I spent some time removing them and put show sheen in his tail and fluffed it all out. It is so spectacular looking that I am afraid tha mares are going to tease him for being a girl. Poor thing. Rode in the indoor with a lot of work in walk to get him warmed up and relaxed, then on to trot work which went well and canter work that is getting lighter all the time. Very good.

2/25/09 Beautiful day, out on a hack on the trail. Methinks he has not done much trail riding alone as everything is scary. Oh gads a bird! Is that ice? A hole! I took him in the back land that has the marathon (for combined driving) course on it. The hazards have all sorts of crazying things in them (one looks like "Barrelhenge", like Stonehenge, but different). You get the idea. He was working himself into a pretty big pretzel and we were only walking. High pulse, high respiration, tight neck. But we kept on, working on having him relax. He needs to do a lot of this to become more confident. As we were out there, a deer flushed and scared him. He bolted about 10 strides, but came back eventually. Then back to the spot where the deer came out and go past it again. As the weather allows we'll be doing a lot more of. He needs more experience so that he can become more confident alone. It is a skill every horse needs to have.

2/24/09 Much suppling work in walk and trot and he did well. He did his best work yet in canter, all this while Jada was working a young horse who was throwing an occasional emotional outburst now and then (the horse, not the trainer). He was very good.

2/23/09 Long walk warmup with much bending and lateral work, which went well. Canter work is coming along nicely. He is learning to like the stretch. Yay.

2/18/09 He's feeling quite good these days! He saw me coming to the pasture with a halter and put his foot on the lower bars of the gate and looked eagerly at me. This from a horse who has 5 acres to play in. Brought him in and tacked up. Work in trot, with lots of bending to warm up. He was really quite good. Then a walk break and on to canter work. He is lettin go more often than bracing now, so that is delightful. He worked hard today and was quite good. Cookies.

2/16/09 Worked in the indoor with much emphasis on bending and relaxation where he did well. There was a person doing natural horsemanship games in the corner of the arena and he managed to ignore it quite well. ;-)

2/12/09 Hack out where we continued to work on maintaining the softness. He did quite well.

2/10/09 More very good work. He is more through in his body more often and for longer periods. Very good man.

2/9/09 Woowooo, woowoo, what's that sound? Why, its the engagement clue train and Graham got onboard! He had an epiphany today that everything is easier if he carries himself and stays unlocked in his front. He really had some nice work today. Much lateral work in walk and trot for warmup and then some very nice canter work and a cool down. He was very proud of himself and got even more than usual cookies.

2/8/09 Warmed up in the arena by dealing with all the stuff the natural horsemanship person had in the arena for the babies to experience. Tarps, hula hoops, a small jump, cones, barrels and a huge green ball. All was acceptable to him save the tarps which only took a bit for him to accept. Very good. A fair bit of work in canter after that, which went quite well. Yay.

2/4/09 MUCH bending and throughness work tonight. The throughness is really to be resented in his book but he did come around to polite horse way of thinking. He is such a card to work with. Even when he is arguing, he is hilarious . He had some very nice work.

2/1/09 Arrrg! I spent so much time refitting his blanket and getting the new straps on the back to be adjusted right that I ran out of time to ride. He didn't mind because he got what he wants most--attention and cookies.

1/31/09 He started off today working forward and soft right off the bat. Then we moved on to trot which went well with a few discussions then on to canter with some nice work (and a few moments of discussion). He is coming around more all the time.

1/30/09 Went for a walk warmup around the property and then did a lot of flexibility work, with some real discussion about going forward softly to the bit. There was some mention of the union steward again, but by the end he was on board and produced some nice work. I took his blanket in for repair since the weather will be mild tonight and tomorrow morning.

1/28/09 He was extremely interested in cookies today, so got more than his usual amount, the big beggar. We worked in the arena on flexibility and had some nice work, especially in canter. Good man.

1/22/09 Worked in the arena on flexibility and staying light on the aids. We had a lot of canter work after warmup and it went fairly well.

1/20/09 Worked in the indoor on flexibility and relaxation in the poll. Much encouragement about actually stepping from behind. By then end he produced some nice work and was proud of himself. A carrot and cookies.

1/19/09 Warmed up in the arena and then went out in the snow to see if we could keep soft and lovely out in the big wide open. There were some moments of tight and unfun, but he always came around quickly. Did some drift busting and had some fun too. He liked it. Cookies.

1/17/09 Long walk warmup, since he had had so much time off due to the extreme cold. We had a lot of emphasis on coming from behind and carying himself and staying soft in his throatlatch and neck and light off the leg. I do notice that it is easier for him to release in the poll since the adjustment. He did very well today, with some nice canter work. Carrots.

1/16/09 Weather finally warming up enought to think about riding. What a cold snap! He got his feet trimmed and reset with borium and snow poppers in front. He did not like hot shoeing (it doesn't hurt, just makes alarming smoke) one bit and I had to talk him down off the ledge a few times, the goof. He figured it out. Cookies.

1/8/09 Al Garcia, horse postural specialist, gave Graham an exam and rebalancing. On his right shoulder, his deltoid muscle was crossed over his pectoral muscle at the base of the shoulder. He had a subluxated bursa on his right shoulder. He was stuck where his jaw connects to his skull on the right, a version of horsie TMJ. He noted, as we have, that he lacks the depressions above the eyes that horses have because of their sinuses. His cranial lobe on the right is flat. Al surmises he may have experienced frequent headaches. All of the above was addressed, much to the delight of a relaxed and sighing Graham. It will be interesting to see how he feels next time we are together. He is to have tomorrow off.

1/7/09 Lots of slow warmup today with the usual emphasis on loosening the throatlatch and pushing from behind and carrying himself. Woo, that's a lot of work, says he. After that, we had some nice work in trot and some moments of excellent work in canter. Very good. Cookies.

Goofy log note. Yesterday morning Jada had only hooked the gate latch half through accidently. Graham, having finished his breakfast, was flipping his feed bag around on the end of his nose, impatient to get it off to get to the hay. While flipping it, he accidently knocked the gate latch and the gate opened, silently and slowly, on its hinges. He stood there in disbelief, then slowly backed away from the open gate, whistling to himself and looking to join the other horses, and muttering under his breath that the other kid did it. He didn't do it... Jada was nearby and saw the whole thing and she said it was hysterical.

1/6/09 Hi, My name is Graham and I'm a lockaholic. Hi Graham. I like to lock on to the bit and let my rider carry me. My current rider is not an enabler in this regard, no matter how hard I try to encourage her. Rats. I am getting better all the time, but it is hard for me. I am trying very hard and I get lots of cookies for trying. Oh, and kisses.

1/5/09 LOTS of work in walk with flexibility things. He is letting go more and more all the time. Trot and canter work, when we got to it, was quite good. Cookies.

1/2/09 Graham got his pyrantol pamoate wormer today that he just loved. Not. We worked a lot in walk today on yielding in the poll and bending in the body. Very hard work! Because of it, though, the trot and canter work were as good yet as they have been. Good man, Graimie.

12/31/08 Lots of work in walk at truly letting go in his body in walk. He is such a funny guy, he will tighten somewhere to such an extent that it helps to really slow him down and help him learn to let go everywhere. He is definitely improving, we are now starting to find some of the smaller ghosts in the machine, which is a lovely place to be. Canter work today was almost stretchy. Woohoo.

12/30/08 Lots of bending and flexibility work to get him just a smidge looser each day. It is like yoga for horses with him, I swear. "Wait, I could tighten this way!" Yeah, but wouldn't it be easier to just carry yourself? "Ooooh, I can lean on the right rein!" Or you could stand up. "Wait, if I carry myself, I feel, like, all proud of myself." Hmmmm. There's a thought. Coming along fine. Cookies.

12/29/08 Every day he gets looser in his neck and back and more willing to carry himself. He still will allow his rider to carry him anytime that is volunteered, but unfortunately for him, his winter rider is recalcitrant in that regard. The Union Steward has indeed left the building. All work is getting a bit lighter. Today we did a lot of bending and lateral work and he got better and better. He was almost unlocked in canter. In the walk warmdown I was asking him to move his nuchal ligament from left to right in a slow, methodical way. Since he is so tight there, it makes quite a dramatic movement when it switches. This is a handy tool to help tight horses. From his reaction, he seemed to indicate that it was enjoyable. He's so funny anyway. Cookies.

12/28/08 Grahmy might have turned the corner. He was quite good today on the ground, walking politely with his neck down. In the tack, he is keeping his poll relaxed and his neck low on a more consisent basis, and usually even in canter. He had some publicly acceptable trot leg yield and a fair amount of relaxed breathing throughout. Very good.

12/23/08 I had a dressage whip to lightly tap him to back up my leg and he mentioned the Union steward several times. Tapping, mind you. However, we did come to an agreement where he actually uses that tremendous hind end and carries himself and stays soft in his poll. It is not intuitive to him, but it is coming along. Emma comments that he is more polite to lead. Excellent.

12/19/08 Graham was given rhino/flu, teeth floated and sheath cleaned.

12/18/08 I can hear the freezing rain and drizzle hitting my window nearby as I type this and I am delighted that Graham and all the cuties are in their snug stalls at 3G tonight. Graham was quite unimpressed with the pony and carriage being drivin in the indoor as we worked today. All the other horses think carriages are scary, but G just handles it with aplomb. We did a lot of flexibility and bending work today and he definitely was searching again for the union steward. Sadly the steward has the winter off, I keep reminding him. We had some discussion about keeping his withers up in canter and he came around to that idea. Very good.

12/17/08 Hey, it got up to 12 degrees today, veritable heat wave compared to Monday and Tuesday. I was watching my assistant bring him in from the pasture and realized that a day of in hand work was due. I put on the rope halter (yes, darling, you have to pay attention) and did some bending and yielding exercises, as well as forward and back work. He started out with another imitation of Newton's Third Law. We discussed the appropriateness of that M.O. and when we came to an agreement he was quite lovely. I then brought in my assistant to work with him, at which point he really thought reverting to the old self would be fun. We worked through that and then there was peace and understanding in the Graham world.

12/13/08 Still some mention of the union steward, but getting in line for the clue train nonetheless. Had some moments of very nice self-carriage and some bending and flexibility that was pretty acceptable. Very good. Peppermints.

12/12/08 Less discussion about the union stewand and more good work today. We talked about coming through his back, letting go in his poll and carrying himself. Getting better. Apples.

12/11/08 I brought him in from the far reaches of the pasture. He has gotten a little feral about leading. We had a discussion about it, but not really one where we came to the agreement I would like. He's going to make me get out the rope halter again. Ok, can do. Worked in the arena on all sorts of bending and flexibility stuff which he is convinced is not in his contract and he mentioned he would like to speak to the union steward please. Sorry, union steward is on break for the winter.

12/10/08 Had a serious discussion about coming through from behind (by reacting appropriately to leg aids) and letting go in his poll (a favorite evasion to coming through). He wasn't too delighted to get the memo, but he did get on board. Good man, cookies. Oh and he posed for picture day, above. The D ring for his tail strap is missing somehow and it causes a slight breeze to be allowed over his left cheek as you can see above. The strap now goes from the right side, under his tail to the tail flap and it is ok for now. I am looking for a mild day where I can take his blanket off and repair it. Saturday looks possible.

12/8/08 He's gone a wee bit feral since I've last worked with him, decided that he gets to resist in his neck in the opposite direction to whatever asked. It is a bit like Newton's Third Law applied from a horsie sense of humour. We had a fair amount of slow, careful discussion about that, as well as the idea that when a leg is put on, the horsie goes calmly forward. An agreement was reached, but plenty of cementing remains to be done. ;-)

12/4/08 Worked with Mr. Fabulous Himself. It is so good to have him back. We did a lot of relaxation and stretching work as he is moderately tight in his poll. That is job one.

12/1/08 Graham is back! Yay!

6/1/08 Sort of bittersweet riding Graham today as I know he leaves tomorrow. He's the sort of horse that really grows on a person and I think he's a real treat. We went out and did some transition work which went well and then on a hack in the woods, which was fun for both of us.

5/28/08 He was a perfect gentleman for the farrier who trimmed his feet today. Then we tacked up and went on a hack where, other than a big shy at a deer that frankly surprised me too, he was excellent.

5/26/080 Hack in the woods. Everything we learned yesterday carried over. Excellent work and a completely enjoyable ride. Much praise and many cookies, grazing in the alfalfa.

5/25/08 Rode in the fields and did a lot of transitions. He got better and better. Turned him out for a nice graze in the alfalfa afterwards for a full half an hour. He was lovin' it.

5/23/08 Hack in the field, more work on relaxation. Coming along nicely and he is getting to be quite a good citizen about handling on the ground. Yay.

5/22/08 Hack along the road. He had some trouble concentrating, but it got better and better, and by the end he was cantering with his neck down and mostly relaxed. Yay.

5/21/08 He is getting better about being relaxed in his neck. After a warmup we went out and jumped some jumps in the xc area. He did very well. Then out to the field to do more work in canter and staying relaxed in that work. That went well too. Good man.

5/16/08 Out for a hack with a lot of flexibility work. Getting better all the time. Nice graze afterward. He is happy. The girls were out for a graze the whole time I worked him and afterwards.

5/15/08 Out for a hack with a lot of flexibility work. He had some moments of tightness, but also many moments of real relaxation and nice work. I put Kelsey, Graham and Claire out in a very grassy unused paddock for an hour while I rode another horse. They thought they were livin' large. :-)

5/12/08 Worked in the indoor on flexibility on working off leg aids. This is quite difficult for him, but he worked diligently and came around nicely. Good boy.

5/7/08 Road hack, working on flexibility. We had some discussiong about bending right especially. He came around quite nicely.

5/6/08 Wormed with ivermectin.

5/5/08 Went out on a dressage hack. Lots of work in staying relaxed in his neck and some nice canter work. Let him graze for half an hour when he was done. He liked that.

4/30/08 Dressage hack. Went out on the trail and helped him be relaxed in his neck. Every time he tightened, we did a small quiet circle until he let go and then he got to go forward again. He did a lot of nice relaxed breathing and had some nice work. We had a few moments in canter where he thought it would be appropriate to bully through the aids and I suggested that wasn't really his best bet at a fun time. He got over it and we had a nice ride. Coming along.

4/29/08 Hacked him in the hayfield, asking him to be soft in his poll the entire time. This is very difficult for him as he is convinced he needs to be on the lookout for bears or whatever. It got better and better throughout.

4/28/08 Worked Graham in the indoor, focusing on relaxation in his neck. Did a lot of slow work in walk and trot, focusing on correct work. He did just fine.

4/27/08 Worked in the outdoor with a lot of emphasis on him staying loose in his poll-a particular challenge for him and so important. When he is loose, he can relax better. We had some very nice canter work and good trot work. Very good.

4/24/08 Another hack, with much emphasis on keeping his neck down and staying relaxed. He did quite well.

4/23/08 Road hack on a beautiful day. He was quite tight in his neck at first, but came around nicely. By the end we had relaxed canter, which is where we're headed. Yay.

4/17/08 Took him out for a hack, and as is often the case after a hunt with horses, he was quite tight in his neck. We did a lot of bending an flexibility things, which worked quite well to relax him. However, he objected strongly to the mini-donk, which undoes a lot of horses. It was actually quite funny. He was alarmed at something that literally came up to his knees. He got somewhat used to it, but I wouldn't put money on them being best friends in the future.

4/13/08 Hunted at Grand River. Quite boggy, and he really thought the best solution would be to lock his neck and pull with his front end through it, but I managed to finesse him into considering getting off his forehand and pushing from behind. Ah, epiphany! One can bound easier this way! Yes, Graham, one can. ;-) Added coop jumping to our repetoire today and he did excellently at it.

4/10/08 Nasty horizontal rain and wind that is supposed to continue through tomorrow, with some snow. Blanket on. Much cookies. Day off.

4/8/08 Rode in the outdoor as the rain was holding off. We schooled a bunch of small jumps and a grid of jumps, focusing on him staying soft and relaxed in his jump and round in his canter. He needs help to do it, but he is clearing getting the gist of the idea of carrying himself. I like it.

4/7/08 Now that Graham has shown that he CAN carry himself in canter, he gets to do it all the time, with breaks of course. Today, after warmup, we worked on jumping--politely and staying light in the bridle. It took much coaching and reminding, but he had some very nice work!

4/5/08 Hunted at Grand River. We hung in the gate group, which, in our hunt, goes just as fast or faster than the jumping group, it just doesn't jump, and most of the time is right with the first flight. He was quite good, though occasionally got quite heavy in canter. When I refused to carry him and booted him under himself, he learned that he could carry himself and that it could be pretty nice to be light on his feet. He did a funny thing when he got what he considered was too close to the back of another horse, just decided to move away however he could. Not stupid, our boy.

4/2/08 Took him for a road hack in anticipation of hunting tomorrow. Stretch his legs a bit. As we were going along, suddenly many rounds of gunfire erupted at the shooting range at the Isaac Walton League that we pass by on the hack. He had a moment, but handled it well. He has more moments of relaxation all the time, which is amazing since I am constantly throwing new experiences at him (while reassuring him). Good man.

4/1/08 I had had a difficult session with a horse, which is very unusual, so perplexing. I brushed Graham in sort of a melancholy mood and he was very sweet to me. Right when I needed it. Sweet man. I got on and rode in the indoor. The therapeutic riding program was setting up so they were putting out cones and people were milling around or leading in horses or what have you. Graham was good with all the distraction and had the best canter work to date. One of the volunteers was watching him go and said, "Can you teach our horses to do that? What a good horse!" What a delightful change in the day. Thank you Graham.

3/29/08 Graham was quite suspicious on the first quarter mile of our road hack while we walked. I finally decided that, rather than discuss every bird with him at a walk, we'd canter a mile or two very quietly and let him burn off some of that inquisitiveness in going forward. He was alarmed for a bit in canter, but I reassured him and he recovered nicely. By the fourth mile on the way home (not all canter) he was quite lovely. Over bridges, past cows, meeting light traffic (2 cars on a Saturday morning leisurely drive) and he dealt with it and was proud of himself at the end. Very good.

3/26/08 He got his vaccinations yesterday. Wind died down today, and while overcast, still a pretty nice day. Went out for a hack and he had some very nice relaxation at times. Very good breathing and little overreaction. There was a big piece of tin that had blown into the field and it really did look odd. He looked at it, but managed to keep calm about it. We also experienced new horses in the back pasture and while they surprised him at first, he recovered very well. Also checked out a cable spool and dealt with it. I really should pay people to put out all this new stuff for him to learn how to deal with it, but it just seems to happen for free. ;-)

3/25/08 Very windy (if possible, worse than yesterday) and I didn't want to absolutely fry his lovely little brain, so we worked in the indoor. We did a lot of walk work on lateral work (leg yield and side pass) and a good deal of canter work, which went well. He is starting to let go in his neck more all the time. Yay.

3/24/08 Thirty mph winds, so a great day to get out and hack. Wind upsets horses and he needs to get out and see the great big world, so out we went. He was, predictably, quite tense. But we walked around and worked it out. Deer jumped out and he dealt with it. When another rider came galloping near by, it was just about his undoing and he did a short mini-bolt (now I know what you experienced!) and I got it under control without comment and put him back where he was and back to what he was doing. Playing the Miz Scarlet effect card doesn't get horses very far at Field Day, poor dears. We did a lot of walking and focusing on him breathing and relaxing while the wind roared. It was a lot of work for what we accomplished on the outside, but it will pay off. He ended up walking calmly and flat-footed back to the barn, which was nice.

3/21/08 Off on another road hack. He is very interested in his surroundings, but is getting better about looking without staring. We walked the first quarter mile and then heard a gravel truck coming and it was coming quickly and it couldn't see us around the bend as we were, so I pulled him aside in a driveway and got off. They driver did not even slow down. I figured he just didn't see us. Graham was very good. I got back on and we did some trot and canter work. The trot went very well. The canter work varied from lovely to tight, but at least we had some lovely. Went about 3 miles, past cows and bridges and all sorts of stuff. He did fine.

3/19/08 In the mid 50s and sunny. Out on a road hack. We did a lot of walking, focusing on him doing it correctly, with his neck down and relaxed. More experience with this will really help his confidence. After a half mile of that, we went on to slow trot, with the same intent--to do it correctly and relaxed. He did well, crossed a bridge, saw cows, abandoned farm machinery and a dog. On the way home we had to pass an idling gravel truck which he thought was quite disconcerting, but dealt with it. The biggest shy of the day was at a cat popping out from behind the barn when we returned. Goof. Very good day, though.

3/18/08 Quite muddy out, so worked in the indoor. We started with walk flexibility work, including leg yield and shoulder in. When he is unsure, he braces against the bit, but he is coming out of it more quickly and this will improve with more steady work. His trot work started out tight, but got better. His canter work was excellent today and it just got better and better as we went. We were cantering over a pole on a 20 m circle, which sounds easy, but to do correctly is really difficult. By the end he had it.

3/17/08 Happy St. Pat's! Light rain and fairly miserable, so worked in the indoor. We did a walk warmup where we focused on staying soft in his neck and some slow lateral work. Some trot work, including leg yield and then on to canter work which went very well, except in the corner where the scary goblins live. We did many canter circles there until he figured out he could relax and trust his rider to fend off the goblins. Blanket back on for outside.

3/13/08 Took a long independent road hack. On the way to the road, we went through the woods and crossed two seasonal streams, which he was not sure about, but he did them reasonably calmly when asked. He's probably done several already on hunts, but it is a different thing to horses when they are along. Then we went three miles, past barking dogs and farm machinery in driveways etc. He was quite tight in his neck, but had some times of relaxation. I asked him to stop and stand in a relaxed manner several times and that was difficult for him, but he tried. We'll do more road hacks now that the ice is gone. The more he experiences, the more confident he will become.

3/11/08 Worked in the arena on bending and staying flexible. He was quite good and seems to be becoming slightly more relaxed and trusting each time.

3/9/08 Wormed with oxibendzole.

3/5/08 Back with my good friend Graham. He is becoming the leading poster child. Wonderful. We rode in the indoord with 2 other horses and riders and he was quite good about that. We did a lot of bending work in trot which went quite well. On to canter work over poles. He wants to brace in his neck at times, but it is becoming less frequent. He did well and he knew it, which is always fun. Cookies all around.

2/27/08 Today I like how he leads. He was light and polite and responsive. Very good. Warmed up with walk flexibility work under saddle, asking him to follow the rein in a soft manner. Moved on to trot and then some canter work. Then presented a small vertical and jumped it on a 20 m circle, asking him to stay soft in his neck. This is a deceptively difficult exercise. He did very well for his first try at it.

2/26/08 Almost 25 degrees, so the indoor felt quite balmy. We warmed up with a lot of walk work, focusing on him staying soft in his neck and even between the reins. Then the same goal in trot work. The canter work is actually easier for him than trot, which is a little unusual, but not unheard of. He has a lovely canter. We moved on to some jumping over a pair of offset cross rails, with 3 strides between. He wants to brace and rush between them, so I had him jump the first one and halt with his neck down and take a breath. When he could do that in a relaxed manner, we went on to jumping both of them, in a much improved manner. Very good. I like this horse's attitude. He's very smart.

2/21/08 Seventeen degrees, but no wind. Brought him in and tacked up and rode in the indoor. Did a lot of work in trot, reminding him to stay soft and flexible and focused on the task rather than his surroundings. He did quite well, with some tight moments, but on the right track. Canter work was usually quite good with just a few tight moments. The ratio of loose to tight is improving every day. Very good.

2/20/08 Around 20 degrees, which these days is feeling balmy. Tacked up and rode in the indoor. Warmed up with walk work and leg yield, which went well. Trot work was a little tight, but it came around and canter work varied between tight and excellent, with a tendency more toward excellent as time went on. We did some jumping at the end. He is not a terribly straight jumper, but has very nice mechanics. That's great news, because straight is usually just a matter of confidence and we can work on that.

2/15/08 Around 20 degrees and snowing, but rode in the indoor. We worked on him letting go in his neck and being softer in general. He had some very nice canter work, really very good. His trot work seems a little harder for him, because for some reason, he thinks he can just barge right along. We are discussing that assumption and coming to terms. He did well. Lots of cookies. I let him eat hay and hang out with a cooler in a stall while I rode another horse, but he was really not into it. He had neighbors too. I put him out as soon as I was done with the other horse and he was happy.

2/13/08 Tacked up and went out for a trail ride. It is very good for him because there are deer everywhere and he likes to look at them and get tight in his neck. We had a walk warm up and then went out to the big pasture for a trot and canter around. It is hard for him to stay relaxed in his neck in canter, but it is coming along. He had the most hilarious shy at the bare spots the deer had cleared in the snow, but recovered quickly. Just needs mileage and he will become more relaxed and steady. Side note, some young girls were there tacking their horses and they saw me untacking Graham and they said they just loved him because he always greets them at the gate with those big eyes (mugging for cookies, no doubt, but let's let them believe it is personal). They always pet him and love on him, they said. Just another day as Graham Gorgeous Eyes.

2/9/08 I went out to the barn and put his blanket on and administer cookies. It was very nice overnight and 35 degrees in the morning. A front came through, though, and it had dropped to 31 by noon. Wind chills tonight expected to be 30 below zero.

2/8/08 Really lovely day so we went out on a hack. He was quite tight in his neck, especially when deer were nearby. He did very well though and believed me when I told him it was ok to relax. Long trailriding will be a big confidence booster for him, so when we can, out we go. Good boy.

2/7/08 Another very good session. He is not relaxed in his neck at all times, but the ratio of relaxed to tight is improving. He actually worked up a sweat today and I think he was proud of himself. He had a right to be.

2/5/08 Had a very good session today. He is getting stronger in his body, and thus better able to carry himself. We did a lot of lateral work which went pretty well. The canter work was quite good at times. Yay.

2/4/08 I tacked him up and rode him in the indoor. He produced some fair work in leg yield and shoulder in and some moments of real excellence in canter. He is figuing out that it is his job to carry himself and he sort of likes it. Very good. Lots of cookies and I gave him the hug you wanted me to and I told him it was from you. He looked for cookies in my pockets the whole time, the goof. :-) Kelsey log

2/3/08 Ok, I'll fess up that yesterday we hunted, then set up for the hunt ball, then emceed the hunt ball, and then boogied until the band refused to play anymore, so ran from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m., so today was a day of rest, quite literally. I went out to the barn to put their blankets on in the late morning, though, because there was some ice fog going on and some light mixed precip expected tonight. They are fine and liked the cookies. Back at it tomorrow.

1/31/08 Brought him and tacked up. The walk in is very icy, but he does very well on it. He is starting to relax in his neck and tune in, which is delightful. Our work today was very good. We did some walk warm up, in which he was relaxed, then some canter work, which varied from relaxed to tight, but that beats entirely tight, and is part of the process, and the trot work was good. We cantered over a pole on the ground and he is getting better about balancing. Lots of cookies. Claire and Kelsey are fine. I'll take their blankets off tomorrow in anticipation of a mild weekend (until Sunday night it looks like...)

1/30/08 Still cold, but at least not windy. Tacked up and went to the indoor, and after a warmup, worked over some poles on the ground. At first he wanted to brace in his neck and avoid the poles or be crooked over them, but he got through that to the point that he was trotting over them straight and mostly relaxed. Then we proceeded in canter where he wanted to fall on his left shoulder and miss the distance rather than balance, stay straight and take it in stride. My strategy for this has always been to let horses do it unbalanced a few times without comment. They always figure out how to balance over it and take the pole in stride, which he did the fourth time. Very good. We did it in canter in both directions and then a walk cool out since it was 6 degrees out. He is doing fine with the cooler weather as are the girls.

1/29/08 The weekend was mild, but today a cold front came in with a vengeance. The morning was tolerable, but by noon when I went out to put on blankets, NW winds were starting up and it was 6 degrees. I put on all their blankets and distributed cookies all around. Claire was, surprisingly, a little cold. Since Kelsey has moved out of her pasture she has dropped down in the herd hierarchy and was holding the position just outside the barn but mostly out of the wind. Three horses were in and three lower ranking ones were elsewhere. I put her blanket on and she was better. I talked to the barn owner about either moving Kelsey back in with her or moving her in with Kelsey and Graham. They don't want to move Kelsey in with her again because Graham is reportedly being a little pushy in the herd and they already had to move another horse out of his paddock because of it. I mentioned that they could move another low ranking one out and put it in Claire's pasture and put Claire in with the other two. He thought that might work and he said he'd think about it and let me know. The other two were quite warm enough. Graham seems almost impervious to cold. He was out in the middle of the windy pasture goofing off with another horse and Kelsey was smart enough to get in out of the wind. She was warm enough, but sure didn't mind the blanket either.

1/24/08 Out for a hack with Jay and Sangha. He was tight in his neck and it is coming along, but miles to go. He did lead bravely past a overturned watertank that Sangha was convinced would eat her. He was a perfect gentleman about it.

1/23/08 He is getting much better about leading. Still not right where I want it, but moving in the right direction. Tacked up and rode in the arena with two other people who were lunging their horses at either end, but leaving room for us to be on the outside. He was rather frazzled by this at first, but managed to accept it eventually. Did more work on bending and flexibility which is helping him come unstuck in his neck. Very good.

1/22/08 During the cold snap over the weekend I checked on them several times and they were doing just fine. Today was up to a relatively balmy 17 degrees, so I was back in the tack. Graham produced some good work today. We warmed up with walk work, asking him to stretch forward and down, which he did quite well. Then we went on to introducing walk leg yield, in which he has to carry himself rather than push forward into the bit. He had some moments of imbalance, but kept working at it and improved. Then on to a bit of shoulder in, which was pretty easy for him. Then on to trot and canter work, which is getting better. He is also getting better about leading. A very good day. Kelsey was moved into the paddock with Graham and a few other horses as was the original intent to have Claire and Kelsey separated. Kelsey seems to be doing fine. Claire seems a little depressed. I will watch it the next few days.

1/16/08 Brought Graham in and tacked up. Improving every day on leading. We worked today with a balancing rein that goes from the girth where it connects to the billet near the point of the shoulder, through the snaffle and back to the rider's hand's. The purpose is to help him let go in his poll and relax. He gets a release the instant her relaxes. He did very well, and understood it immediately. Between transitions, I encouraged him to just stand and relax and take a breath. I think he has less solid fundamentals than he lets on, and dong this remedial work will pay off. His canter work was quite good. Following see a picture. Note big snuggly blanket firmly in place in anticipation of the cold snap this weekend. Also note that he has snow on him because he was outside playing with the white horse you see behind him, not in the run in.

Now see the Missys below. Note that they do not have one speck of snow on their furry black selves. They were happy to camp in the barn when it was snowing. I adjusted all their blankets so that they wouldn't get any sort of unwanted breeze under them. The windchills this weekend are expected to be brutal. I think they're prepared.

1/15/08 Cold out, but not as cold as it is likely to get later this week, so in the tack. We worked on letting go in the poll and transitions. Today we also focused on sidepassing, going one step at a time and then stopping, then one step, then another step. Methodical, quiet. He did very well. Canter work was nice today. The Clarinator and Kelsifier are doing fine, running their paddock like the queens they are and mooching for cookies from underneath their warm blankets.

1/14/08 He was a bit of a pill today, starting out, but many of the horses were, could be due to the cold. After we got through the energy, he produced some nice trot and canter work, all going in the right direction. He is such a smart and willing horse. All three of the biggies got their blankets on this evening as the sun went down. It is dang cold out there and not expected to get better until after the weekend. They are all snuggled in, though, and have lots of hay and shelter from the wind, so no worries.

1/11/08 Brought him in and tacked up. Leading continues to get better. Yes, it is a thing of mine. A horse who leads well also usually does other things well. I've never met a horse that lead well that was unpleasant under saddle. I digress. Did a lot of trot work today, which went well. Focusing on him staying loose in his poll in trot, which is harder for him than canter. His canter work was good, with some really nice moments, that I look forward to becoming his general way of going in the coming weeks. He is highly amusing if I flick him with the dressage whip if he is a little slow off my leg. He sqeaks at me. "Eeeep. Don't do that, I'm going." I've had another horse who does this and it is endearing. He is getting lighter off the aids and he's also earning and getting a lot of cookies. Speaking of cookies, the Missys are doing just fine. Fluffy and happy in their herd. Cookies and rubs today. As far as saddles for Graham go, today I tried a County Eventer on him that a friend bought for her draft cross. It fits him nicely and is a lovely saddle. It is not forward enough for me, but may fit you quite well. The other saddle I would recommend is a Berney Dublin Jumper. I use this saddle for eventing and it is really a wonder for galloping and jumping.

1/10/08 Brought him in and tacked up. He is still tight in his neck when being led, but coming along nicely. We warmed up in walk and trot which went reasonably well, with moments of nice relaxation and some of tension. Canter work started out tight, but improved as we went along, ending with some relaxed work, which was great. Much praise. The big cute mares are doing well. I cookied and played with them. I scratched Claire's teat cleavage where the stuff gathers (yes, probably too much information!) and she was appreciative and quite amusing with her nose antics. Kelsey was not as enamored and didn't have as much buildup, but she did allow me. She got other scritches.

1/7/08 More than 40 degrees. I checked and cookied the girls and spent some time telling them how beautiful they are. They like that. Graham is doing well, ground manners coming along. Tacked up and rode in the indoor. Today was a little more difficult than yesterday because I had the end doors of the arena open, so every time he passed by one, he was trying to tighten his neck and look out. We had a few discussions about that and he came around nicely. Some nice work in trot, some really nice transitions to canter and some acceptable canter work where he let go in his neck.

1/6/08 He is getting better with his ground manners and with consistent work we will get there. I tacked up and rode in the indoor and today he figured out how to let go in his poll at a canter, which is fabulous. He doesn't have it consistently yet, of course, but we got a few strides of it, and where there are a few, there are eventually more. Very good.

1/3/08 Twenty-nine degrees and sunny! Blankets off all the biggies. Claire and Kelsey are fine and got cookies in the process. I led Graham in, carrying their two blankets and he did fairly well with only a light lead from me. He is getting better with ground manners. Tacked up and led him to the arena, insisting on him keeping his neck down in a relaxed manner while being led. He is getting better about that, but his nature is to tend to be tight. We did a lot of work in walk in trot, asking him to let go in his poll and he made good progress. Did some canter work. He is becoming lighter to the aids, but did manage to grunt at me once, as if to say, "I'm getting there fast enough," when I tapped him with the dressage whip on the hindquarters. He's very funny that way. He was very good leading back, with his neck down and relaxed. He earned much praise throughout and cookies at the end.

12/31/07 Brought him in and worked him in hand on flexing and giving to halter aids. He thought it was a lot of work, but did very well and earned much praise. He and the girls got their big winter blankets on, as it is supposed to be very cold the next 48 hours, with some wind. The good news is that later this week, we are supposed to get up to 40 degrees. Hang in there ponies! :-)

12/29/07 Almost 30 degrees so all the biggies got a break from their blankets. They will remain off overnight and tomorrow, but we are to get a cold blast Monday, so they will welcome them back then. Rode Graham in the indoor, working on relaxing in the poll in walk, trot and canter and being lighter off the leg aids. He said it was a lot of work, but was a good sort about it and earned lots of praise. His ground manners require strict attention at the moment, but they are coming along. He needs to be attentive and mindful of the wishes of his handler at times, and he is getting better and earning rewards. Cookies all around when I returned him to the pasture.

12/28/07 Snowing steadily when I arrived, but the trio of biggies was just fine in their snug blankets. Cookies all around. I brought Graham in, and in doing so, worked with him on his ground skills, which have a ways to go, but are coming along. He is very intelligent and a good sort. Then I tacked up and rode in the indoor. He was relaxed in his poll at a walk, which is a great improvement. In trot he had moments of tension and relaxation as one would expect as he learns this new skill. We did some canter work today. He has a lovely canter, and it is actually easier for him than trot. He likes to have you carry him in canter though, which I did not sign up for on this cruise, so he started to learn about carrying on until being told to stop. He picked that concept up quickly, though I am sure it will take some time to really sink in. Very good day.

12/21/07 No foot tenderness (in any of them). I brought him in and tacked up with the Wintec. I haven't remembered to bring out the Berney yet, but it will happen soon. Did some more loosening in the poll work, which is coming along. I spent a lot of time working with him when I lead him in so that he is soft in the halter as well as in the bridle, a concept that is coming along. We did some trot work under saddle today and he is doing well, though it is a paradigm shift for him to stay loose. After the workout I put his big thick winter blanket (that I labeled on the inside) on because tomorrow and Sunday are predicted to be quite nasty, with snow and wind, and the cold comes Sunday. Driving is not likely to be recommended tomorrow, so I may not get out to the barn, but the barn managers live right there, so the horses will be fed and checked, of course. I took him back out and then put the thick blankets on Shaniqua and Bat Girl too, who were being pills about it because it was hay time and they hadn't time for the primping. At any rate, everybody is set for the weather.

12/20/07 Lovely mild day. All three got their shoes removed. Will watch for tenderness the next few days.

12/19/07 Tacked him up and rode today. I have an extra wide Wintec that fits him acceptably. Tomorrow I am going to bring out Claude's (Claire's full brother) custom Berney saddle on the extra wide tree to see how it fits him. It is a first rate hunting saddle. I rode him in a french link snaffle and spent a fair amount of time walking in small circles, showing him how to let go in his poll. It was a paradigm shift for him but he made very good progress, earned much praise and was quite pleased with himself. He has a very likable, generous attitude. Picture of the goofballs in their run-in.

12/17/07 Worked him in hand in the snow with other horses nearby again. He was better about focusing and today we introduced the idea of loosening in the poll and backing up and also yielding to halter pressure to go forward, which was slightly less successful than backing was, which is fine, it will come. Claire and Kelsey watched over the fence and wondered what sort of karma Graham must have built up to have to work all the time. Divas.

Graham mugs for cookies.

12/14/07 When he arrived yesterday he had a spankin' new halter, but no leadrope. So on the way out to the barn, I bought him a lovely black and silver leadrope to complement his halter. He likes it very much, almost as much as cookies. I went out and checked on him and Claire and Kelsey who all are well. In fact, here is a picture of them, all in separate pastures, which share a run in that is divided inside.

Kelsey has to learn to make new friends rather than hoarding Claire to herself; Claire already has her pasturemates well in line as her minions and Graham was doing a fair amount of cantering about with new friends when I arrived today. I worked with Graham in hand today, on bending, yielding to aids and generally tuning in. He did well, though at times thought I was asking entirely too much for him to walk in a circle and keep his attention on me when there were other horses near him (Um, Graham, 100 yards is not near you.) It was a good getting-to-know-you session.

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