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Showing posts from June, 2011

Wentworth Hunter Pace - June 6, 2021

After Margaret and I had such a fun time at the fall hunter pace, we opted to go again this spring! This time, while I rode Rejoice again, Margaret rode her horse Jester and had a friend ride Ladyhawke. All Kennebec Morgans!! Jester and Rejoice have the same dam and Jester and Lady share the same sire. Unfortunately instead of a lovely late spring day, we had one of the first intensely hot and humid days of the year. It was definitely a bummer, but the ride was mostly in the shade of the woods and we had a great time!  most of the fences were 3' coops but we found a small log and this hay to jump haha Until we didn't. 😑 We brought along a third friend who rode Margaret's older mare, Ladyhawke. She's a good rider but hasn't known Ladyhawke for very long and didn't realize how much of a cranky boss mare she could be at times. She kicked Jester right in the front leg just about halfway through the ride, and while the cut itself ended up not being a big deal in the

Cuteness

My seven year old son loves to play with my iPhone.  I am usually pretty hesitant to allow him to use it, but the other day he convinced me to let him video me riding Reva. This is too cute not to share!  :-D Horse Car Wash from Elizabeth Tewksbury on Vimeo . *Note - My dad built the "noodle curtain" pictured here and both he and my son called it the "horse car wash".  LOL!!!

Downeast Horse Congress - June 17-18, 2011

I adore this show!  :-)  The Downeast Congress (DEC) at the Skowhegan Fairgrounds is one of the largest shows in the state of Maine, as it is a Class AA double judged show.  There are two judges in the ring, which means riders get TWO sets of ribbons and double year end points for each class!  Yay!  :-)  I have always had a blast at DEC, not to mention really good ribbons with my mare Dreamy.  She was the 2-Gait Double Champion in 2009 and the 3-Gait Double Champion in 2010 .   While Dreamy has always done well at DEC in both the Standardbred division and open classes, she has never been crazy about the Coliseum there, which is essentially a covered ring.  She has had her perfect pony moments, such as winning awesome ribbons in tough competition, but she has also had very naughty mare moments too.  I have since heard stories about other horses who dislike the ring, so there must be something "scary" about it that us mere humans cannot identify.  Who knows?  :-)  Plus, Dream

SMDA Dressage Show #2 - June 12, 2011

Dreamy's second SMDA show of the year was on June 12.  Unfortunately, like the first one , it was raining and the ring was a complete mess.  :-(  We did the Prix Caprilli again, and this time we did First 1 and First 2.  I know that First level is hard for us, and First 2 is really pushing it, but I am happy to be pushed out of my comfort zone this year.  I figure we might as well try it out.  We can at least school all the movements, sometimes quite well and sometimes not so well.  ;-D  Plus the way I look at it, Dreamy has proven over and over and over again that she is a good mare.  For a failed racehorse and retired broodmare who was started under saddle at age 15 by an average, insignificant adult amateur (that'd be me), she has talent that I am sure no one ever thought she would have.  She is not the best Standardbred out there by any means, but I am exceptionally proud of her.  We have nothing left to prove, in my opinion, so I want to have fun playing around with Fi

Change of Scenery - the historic Cornish Trotting Park

There is a great little facility in my town called the Cornish Trotting Park (or Cornish Fairgrounds).  We have a larger fairgrounds in the next town (Hiram) called the Ossipee Valley Fairgrounds.  I have talked about the Trotting Park before here and here ...complete with photos in case you want to see what it looks like.  Basically it is a pretty decent half mile track with a huge grass infield and a 120x210' sand riding ring.  There is a very cool restored grandstand and judges' stand .  There is even an underground tunnel, most likely one of the first of its kind, to bring people from the outside fence into the infield. I love history.....so here is a little information I found: In 1876 the first fair association was formed in Cornish (Maine) to promote and display goods in the area. One of the most influential founders was B. Franklin Pease, the great grandfather of Royden and Rebecca Pease and Helen Bradeen. He also founded the Cornish Grange the year before.  Li

Riding Lessons!

While Reva has been busy being a show horse and learning to be a trail horse, Dreamy has been gearing up for dressage shows this year.  We've only shown once so far, but I have taken two lessons with my really fabulous instructor Judy .  We have been working on her canter, of course.  The biggest thing this year is really slowing everything down.  She cannot collect her frame if I am allowing her to blast along in her powerhouse trot.  And when we are really thinking S L O W, I can get a pretty decent canter from her.  But I really need to think about riding every stride.  It was one thing to tool around at Training level, but since I am really aiming to do First Level this year, I have to refine what I am asking her to do. So far, I have discovered that cantering Dreamy is really about half halts.  I am asking for the canter departs from a very small trot, so that her hind end is able to really get underneath and strike off in a balanced transition.  And then it seems that after

Reva's First Trail Ride

This has been a huge year for Miss Reva!  I knew she would be a good mare, but I am very surprised at how well we have done so far at her first two horse shows.  She has been super well behaved and sensible, just as she is at home.  It is NOT about the ribbons, but how exciting to actually win them!  LOL! I have been hoping to get her out and about on the trails, but seeing as I keep the horses at home, I am always alone.  I trust her MUCH more than most 5 year olds, but I am still not crazy enough to ride her off into the woods on my own.  So I was pretty excited when my friend Tania invited me along on a trail ride this past Sunday, June 5.  It would have been easy to just bring Dreamy, who rides along on the buckle and doesn't bat an eye, but I knew it would be a great opportunity to take Reva out into the great outdoors! We left from Tania's father and stepmother's house, which was just a short 5 minute trailer ride from my farm.  Reva was pretty surprised to show u

Reva's Second Show! Hollis Benefit - May 22, 2011

Whew!  Funny how fast blogging time goes out the window when life is busy!  Sorry for the hiatus, dear readers! Reva was a star at her second show of the year.  We went to a benefit show at the Hollis Equestrian Park, put on by the Maine Horse Association for the benefit of the park!   We did four in-hand classes and three riding classes.  Reva was very good and I was pleased with her attitude.  She is super sensible and very easy!  She did come off the trailer a little more "up" than I wanted, but a quick walk around the grounds proved to be enough to settle her down.  Once we began showing in-hand, she was totally fine.  I think it works out well to do the in hand classes with her, just to get her in the ring before I actually ride.  I am not a huge fan of in hand, but whatever works!  :-) 1st Standardbred In Hand 1st Hunter Type Horse In Hand 1st Trail 1st Adult WT Equitation 2nd Adult WT Pleasure 3rd English Horse In Hand 3rd Adult Showmanship   Katie, a fello