Conference noted::equitation

    Please type in lower case. It's EASIER ON THE EYES.
    
    Thanks.
    

    
    	I am sorry about that.  I have been told many times today.  
    	It would have been nice to have a little more to you entry than a
    scolding on all caps.  maybe next time.

    I rode today, I like to work in the ring but the horse likes to go on
    the street and visit the neighbors, so we did a little of both.  We
    wandered around the neighborhood and through some fields and then went
    to the ring. I practiced trying to keep my butt in the saddle when we
    cantered, and she practiced staying on the bit :^)
    
    My dog is insanely jelouse sp?, jelous sp?, jealous ?,   well, he
    doesn't like it when I talk nice to the horse so he follows us, in
    front of us, trying to predict which way we'll go.  It drives me crazy
    cause I fear some day we'll step on him.
    
    Other than tripping over the dog we had a great time!
    
    Sharon 
    

    Now that I"m leasing a horse for the summer for the Finals, I've been
    riding pretty much every day.  I've been battling foot abcesses the
    past month so riding Congo has been an off and on thing.  My
    instructor has been letting me ride an old jumper he has in the barn to
    use as a school horse so Rewind and I have gotten to be friends.....
    
    Fortunately I think the last abscess Congo has opened up yesterday.  I
    hacked him a bit just to see how sore he was...almost 100% sound.  So
    I keep soaking and wrapping and hopefully he'll be sound enough to show
    this coming weekend at South Shore Hunter....
    
    See, Kiirja, this is all your fault....    ;^)
    
    Kris  

    I didn't ride today but I did ride on Saturday (7/11).  I had been
    riding a hunter/jumper (Eagle) for a while at Brindle Ledge but
    decided to go back to my original instructor (Gretchen Caldwell) for
    the day and found that I made a wise move.  She put me on an incredible
    humter/jumper (Grasshopper) and the name truly fits the bill.
    
    For the first time in 2 months, I rode this mare over an complete
    hunter course (3 - 3.5 feet) and she was unbelievable.  Boy did that do
    something for my confidence.  I'm with Gretchen to stay and couldn't be 
    happier.  Gretchen used to be with Brindle Ledge and has now gone on
    her own.  What an incredible day.
    
    Denny  

    Rode Saturday (7/11) with the new leasee of my other horse.  She
    was chomping at the bit (; to go on a trail ride, so I took her
    out for about a 1/2 hr one.   She did well.  She will be over tonight
    for another ride.  Unfortunately, no trail ride tonight, as the deer
    flies wil be horrifying after the rain and with the heat & humidity.
    She'll just have to suffer and ride around the ring! (:
    
    L- 

    I never made it to the desert this weekend.  My car, which is a Mustang
    ('66), had a break problem and is still in the shop this morning.  I
    hope to have it back by tonight.  I realy was disappointed because I
    haven't been riding in a few months.  My partner has gotten a new mare
    too.  I was supposed to ride her.  Well, next weekend.
    
    
    vlm

    I ride my 14 h, 6 year old paint mare and my friend rides my 15.2 h
    appy gelding....(He's like a truck also)
    
    We were cantering through the woods when someone on the other side of
    the trees shot off a 22.  Well, Willie, the gelding, was so startled
    that he almost threw my friend, which in turn scared Jessie (the mare)
    and almost lost me.  But we didn't land on the ground, which at our
    ages (40 ish) would hurt for more than just a few minutes!!!!!
    
    Anyway, we rode in the woods, then hit the street and went for ice
    cream and then hit the woods for some more cantering and jumping stuff
    and 2 1/2 hrs later landed home.  We had a great time as we always
    do!!!  We both really love riding...can't wait to do the beach in
    Kennebunc this fall.
    
    Caryl

Rode Sat.  Since my husband doesn't ride and we wanted to get together out we went jogging
/riding in woods together.  I rode my mare while he jogged. My mare wanted desperately
to be with him and in the lead.  Also, I found after 30 minutes it was much harder work for her than him.
We parted and I went on riding for another hour alone.  Our trails our beautiful
and it was a wonderful beautiful day in Mass.

Darlene

I like this topic.

I lease an 18-year-old, 15-hand chestnut mare named Fawn
who is boarded at the neighbor's across the street from
my house.  My focus in riding is basic dressage.

I've been riding mostly in their small sand ring, but 
they just tore it up to install a garage and pool,
leaving me with a couple acres of pasture (or paved streets)
to ride in (on).

Saturday morning was beautiful (here in Massachusetts).
Riding in the pasture turned out to be fun.
Fawn really enjoyed it, she was enthusiastic and energetic
without being hard to control.  Actually, that was probably
our months of practice in the ring paying off.

I'm just learning to canter, so I'm missing the ring.
Cantering in this pasture is tricky for my level of 
skill and confidence - no place to make a large circle 
where I can just concentrate on breathing and learning 
the motion without worrying too much about steering and speed.

Sunday morning my saddle pads were still wet from
being (hand) washed, but I still wanted to spend some more
time with Fawn, so - don't laugh - I've done this many
times - I took her for a walk down the street.  She was
perfectly behaved and relaxed.  In the past, she has 
been nervous and balky when required to leave
the other horses, whether under saddle or being led.  
Was it just the weather, or a fluke, or have we actually 
gained a lot of confidence in each other?
Then I took her to my yard to graze on my overgrown 
lawn.  (She's always fascinated by the horse she
sees in my garage door windows - her own reflection!)

Back at the neighbors', I also got an encouraging 
comment from the neighbor, who said she watched me 
riding in the pasture Saturday and thought Fawn 
carried her neck nicely arched.

In addition to this, I went over to Winona Farm
(about 5 minutes away), which has schooling shows
almost every weekend, and watched some dressage
tests and jumping.

So I had a very pleasant horsey weekend.

    I'm glad you like this topic.  I wanted to start something that
    wouldn't die after a few months.  sounds like you had a great weekend. 
    I just hope I can get out to the desert to ride this weekend.  All
    these stroies are making me horsey sick.  
    	Good luck!!!
    
    
    vlm

    
    I rode on Saturday here in Mass.  We did a hunter pace trail to the old
    Hudson resivor.  We took the horses in swimming.  My 7yr old Arab
    Gelding and my friends 8yr old Arab/QH mare.  We got quit wet and it
    was a blast.
    
    I started to *try* to train my Arab over fences yesterday (7/12). 
    Carolyn (my barn mate) was nice enough to build me 5 new jumps.  We did
    great...we work them for 1hr..we did a coop, barrals, and 4 dif size
    jumps.  He seemed to like it once he figured out what I wanted him to
    do.
    
    I will be on vaca the awhile and unable to ride..i don't know if I will
    be able to handle it...
    
    Lou

    
    Well I haven't been riding for a few days, but I got kicked last
    week... My daughter and me had been out for a nice Sunday afternoon
    hack, we were stolling back together into the yard, when something
    bit/stung my daughters horse and she swung round sqealing and kicking!
    She caught my horse on her (luckily) ample rump but also caught my
    thigh a couple of times. So I am now nursing some really colourful
    bruising and feeling sorry for myself. Still, I suppose it could have
    been worse and I have managed to escape any injuries for 6 or 7 years.
    I can't wait to get back out there but it still hurts!

    
    	oooow pain!!!
    
    		I remember when I was about 13 a Shetland pony was turned
    over to me to "teach him some manners".  Well, he taught me that ponies
    are smarter than most people I know.  I'm not sure how it happened but
    I eventually ended up with two Shetland pony feet brusies on my rear. 
    It was the kind of thing you only see in cartoons but there they were,
    little hoofey marks on my sore little rear.  My mother wanted to take
    pictures too.
    	So, belive me, I can understand how you are feeling.
    
    vlm

    The Continuing Saga.
    
    I guess I got a little too overconfident last week when everything went 
    so well last week.  It was my first time on this incredible show jumper 
    (mare) and she just jumped everything in front of her.  Well yesterday
    it was a lot different.
    
    I was proved wrong and very vulnerable to my own ego.  I was jumping 
    a 7 fence hunter course last night and made a big mistake of not
    releasing the reigns for the jump when she refused and popped my chin
    with the top of her head leaving a nice gash in the bottom of my chin. 
    I thought I had dislocated my jaw.  It's nice and sore this morning. 
    To add insult to injury, after I had mounted again for another try, we
    had just finished jumping a fence when the right stirrup broke while
    turning to the left.
    
    Not a good day.  I've learned a real lesson here.  Fortunately, no
    other serious damage.  I've been humbled, suffice it to say.
    
    Denny

    I've had a rough week too, Denny....
    
    The horse I've been leasing for the finals, pulled up lame 2 weeks ago.
    We soaked and wrapped and drew out an abcess...we thought we had him
    fixed...WRONG!!  Not 2 days later he pulled up DEAD LAME, couldn't even
    walk out of his stall...found another abcess right above the first.  
    Put corrective shoes on (at $100/shoe)...no good.  Had the vet out
    poor guy can't be ridden for at least 3 weeks, and no jumping at all
    for the rest of the summer....so he goes back to his owner on Sunday.
    
    And I'm back to no horse for the finals....I haven't jumped at all
    since the Stow Horse Show in June and I'm getting frustrated....
    My instructor is letting me ride an old jumper he has in the barn but
    he's lame behind and can't be jumped...at least I'm riding though...
    
    Kris
    

    
    I ended up riding just by accident.  I was pretty horsey sick so I went
    to the local barn just to see the sights and smell that wonderfull
    smell.  I came accross a QH for sale.  He was a 3 year old colt.  The
    owner was going to "cut" him if he didn't sell soon.  No studs at his
    barn.  He had decent breeding:  Kip-Dee-Do x Poco Bueno.  He Stood
    about 15.2hh and could be built to a "Sherman tank" form.
    He had just finished his training and was said to be a good ride.  I
    just so happened to be in my "riding" atire and said "Saddle em up".
    
    Well,  I think I might be buying another horse.  He didn't even make a
    snort when we passed the mare pasture.  Barely even noticed!!!!  Now I
    just have to convince my partner that he is worth the money being
    asked.
    
    virginia

    
    I was on vaca for 1 week and I didn't get to ride....so when I got back
    on Saturday & Sunday I rode for 1hr and we had a blast...we did more 
    jumps and a coop!!!!  It was very weird not having to feed at 6:00am!
    
    Lou

    Sunday, we went out for a quick trailride, say for about 1/2 hour
    or so.  The deerflies were brutal, but the overall ride was nice!
    
    L-

    I have yet to make it to the desert to ride.  It seems my "partner" had
    decided to liquidate the stock.  Concidering we only have 3 horses I
    assumed he wants out of the horse business.  All the horses are for
    sale and we have had several inquiries.  I guess I'm out of the riding
    business for a while.
    
    I do have friend who has gotten an assignment in Washington and doesn't
    want to mover her horse there.  She may lease her to me until she gets
    back.  I hope to finish the details this week.
    
    virginia