About a week ago, the time came to cut Drifter’s mane. Yes, the long, flowing locks had to be chopped off in the name of hunter show ring style. (He gets to keep the Fabio forelock, though!) It really was a shame to cut it off, but he now looks a lot cleaner and even … More Drifter’s Major Haircut
It’s not dramatic when I say that riding in a clinic with Kirsten Nelsen this weekend was life-changing. Her whole philosophy is called Training for Optimal Balance, which includes both physical and mental balance for horses and riders. She is a follower of Jean Luc Cornille and his philosophy of the Science of Motion. The weekend … More The Life-Changing Kirsten Nelsen Clinic
In my lesson last week, Drifter was pretty lazy and dopey. I was actually pretty happy about this because the last three weeks or so, he’s been pretty spooky and revved up – particularly in one stupid corner where, apparently, there be dragons. (Screw you, winter in Wisconsin!) Anyway. He mostly ignored the Dragon Corner … More Drifter Jumps Like a Big Boy
Over the weekend, I had a jumping lesson on Drifter. He has been coming along so well, even after having three weeks off around the holidays while I was traveling, dealing with the awful mud we’ve been having and the fluctuations this week from sub-zero to 40-degree weather. It’s enough to make even the sanest person go … More Drifter: A Jumper in the Making
Oh my gosh, guys. In my most recent lesson on Drifter, we jumped for real! Not just cavalettis or even a single small jump; they were real, honest jumps! It was nice enough to ride outside, so our trainer, Leanne, wanted to have us experiment with going over the colorful, “spookier” jumps set up out … More That Time I Jumped Drifter (Again)
We are at a beginning, Drifter and I. It’s really more of a middle; after all, we’ve been working together for a year now. But this is the start of our partnership, I think. It’s certainly a new beginning in that my attention is now solely focused on him. It feels like a beginning because … More Drifter’s Diary: October 2015
Last week, Twinkle had a visit from the chiropractor, so I rode Drifter in my lesson. Usually we either jump or work on fairly advanced stuff since the lesson is a group of older competitive riders, so I was both excited and slightly nervous about riding Drifter in that environment. But I was mostly looking … More That Time I Jumped Drifter
Feel free to debate me on this point, but Drifter has become the handsomest horse in the world, as far as I’m concerned. He has shedded out into the rich gray-brown mocha-y color with dapples, and highlights in his mane and tail. Add in the dark points on his legs and face, the dorsal stripe, … More The Handsomest Horse in the Land
Wow, it has been quite a good three months. I can’t believe I’m about to officially turn 5 years old! I’ve been learning a lot with my Person and we’ve gotten really good at some things. I am starting to fill out and look like a real adult horse instead of a baby. These last … More Drifter’s Diary: Part II
I LOVE thinking of fun horse names. Will I ever use 99% of them? Nope. That’s okay, it’s still fun…which is why I’m so pumped for Hand Gallop’s blog hop! What’s the origin of your horse’s show name and barn name? Since I’ve begun working with Drifter with the goal of showing him (in like two years … More Hand Gallop’s Blog Hop: What’s in a Name?
Centered in the Saddle 