A Barn Party

This afternoon My husband , Mike and I along with our little foster dog Carlo went out to Journey's End to attend the annual Christmas Barn Party.

There were lots of really nice people and tons of wonderful food. Mike had not met the Ace man but he did today, in fact he asked to meet him and wonder of wonders Ace likes him. Ace is not always a friendly guy, he is not always friendly to everyone, but he was out in the paddock and came up to the fence to check us out. Me he likes, of course, what's not to like/ LOL I am sure there are folks reading this who really do not like me and the feelings are probably stronger than that but I really do not care.

Anyway, we had a great time. Now we are in and hunkered down as it's BLIZZARD time here in Southern RI.

Wanna Ride????

Anyone up for a ride?? Ths is Ace playing in his paddock. He is very active and athletic as you all can see.

Bri rides him and as far as I know when you have your hands on him he is as good as it gets but boys will be boys ya know.

He has a couple of new friends that he is turned out with and that is working out very well. He needs another trim, he is very wooly so I think this weekend I'll trim him up a bit.

Under Saddle

Bri rode Ace the other night. We had talked and I told her to go ahead and do whatever she felt comfortable with.

I am still not strong enough, but that is getting better.

I rode duncan yesterday for the first time in 9 weeks and then today had a great ride at Journey's End with Bri. I was even doing sitting trots.
I am stiff tonight but am hoping to ride both days this weekend on Duncan weather permitting.

I am so pleased she is riding Ace I still would like him in the show ring in 2010 time will tell, but I know it can be done.

He is looking great, fit and frisky, he is a pistol for sure.

Beautiful Weather

The weather here in RI has been just wonderful for the last few days and with any luck it will continue for a few more.

It is deer season here in RI so trail riding in the woods is a bit iffy at best.

Duncan is looking great, just really dirty, but he is at his happiest when he is a walking pig pen, just a big happy guy.

I did some ground work with him this weekend and I am going to try to ride tomorrow or Wed. I have a lesson on Wed morning and then will go to the barn and ride him for a bit.

Things have calmed down on the upset front and I can only hope it stays that way. It won't but I'll take calm and quiet when I can get it.

The 21st of this month I go to Maine for an awards banquet Duncan has an award comming from the Maine Horse Assoc and I am looking forward to spending time with my friend Brenda.

I'm Back, I think

I am pretty sure, I am as back to healthy as I am going to get. I did ride last Wednesday for a half hour and was not too sore afterwards.

Ace is doing well learning how to relax and enjoy his life. He has a new toy, so Bri told me this am, a Coyote. Yes, that is correct a Coyote. It was in his paddock the other afternoon and Ace man decided this could be fun and proceeded to play with the poor thing.

This am when we turned him out he was running and bucking and just plain having fun. They tell me he does this every morning.

I just looked at Bri and laughed. She's gonna be the one up on him and I have a feeling it's gonna be a ride for sure.

Healthly Again I Hope

It's been a nasty few months between getting injured and then gettin some kind of a bug. But, November is about to start and I am hopeful that I can pick up and get going again.

Ace is doing well at Journey's End. I can not recommend this barn enough. If you are in the RI area and need a place to spend a night, weekend of longer you can not put your horse in a better place.

The farrier came Tuesday am and we trimmed his toes. This is the 3rd time since August and they are comming along well.

He has pulled off a bit of weight and that is also a good thing, I think it's the change in the atmosphere of the barn, as this is a pleasure barn and it is mellow.

So, I am back and promise not to be a stranger on by own blog.

Winter Clothes

Sorry it's been a while, but I have not been up to snuff.

Bri, the wonderful barn manager has been working with Ace.

This morning I took a trip to the local tack shops, yep, I hit 2 yippee. Came home with new fleecies for both Ace and Duncan and Rain/Wind coats, coolers and ordered slinky blanket liners.
Hopefully, that will be it for the winter. Except I have to get Ace a winter parka.

He looks great, and I am hopeful that my shoulder will be calmed down and the other issues will be dealt with in a couple of more weeks. I hate not feeling well.

Bri tells me Ace can be a wild man, LOL, but she also tells me he seems to think jumping might be fun and for him. So, time will tell what the boy wants to do and when he lets us know that is the direction we will head in and see what happens.

A Slight Setback

For me. One of my dogs is a bit hyper and early this morning she ran outside and when she reached the end of her extenda-a-leash my left shoulder took all the torque and that is my bad shoulder so I am laid up for at least 4 or 5 weeks. It's happened before but never when I am starting a horse.


But, thankfully Bri, the barn manager really loves Ace and she will help me with him.
He is doing well and has settled into the world of a pleasure barn and loves everyone. He hardly ever makes evil faces so that makes me happy.

A Slight Set

Back to Ace

I went out to Journey's End Farm this morning and we put the saddle on and lunged and worked Ace for about 20 minutes. He learned about mounting blocks, and I pulled and pushed and tugged and hauled on the equipment NOTHING... He was like he had been doing this all his life.

I'm thinking tomorrow I might just climb aboard and see what happens. I'm betting NOTHING, he has settled into life in the Pleasure Barn well and Bri, the manager just LOVES him. Hey, what's not to love he's a Standardbred.

I did take pictures and will up load them this evening and post some for you all to see.

National show

Please enjoy these pictures taken at the National Show of Slam Dunk Lobell. He did well, the competition was wonderful and we had a great time. I got to meet some people from The Gaited Horse Sense Board that I belong to, they came up from Delaware. So the show is done now let us get back to Ace.

Shots from the National Show 2009

Back from the National

We had a nice show. The competition was top notch and we pulled a 2nd in 2 gait western pleasure and a 5th in 2 gait western horsemanship.

Some people that belong to another board came up from Delaware to meet us and we had a wonderful day with them.

I will write more later, it is Monday night and I spent most of the day doing laundry most of it Duncan clothes.

The Count Down Begins

In a week we ship to The Horse Park of NJ for 2 shows really.
On Saturday the 29th we will be taking part in the Battle Of the Breeds, TBs against STBs, should be a fun event. Then On Sunday is the Standardbred Show.

So, this am I was at the barn early to clean Duncan up and ride him before the Farrier arrived. He had never seen him go English and really like the huge Trot. He trimmed and reset the fronts and trimmed the rears. Then my Instructor Bri and our friend Nate stopped by. I was going to have a lesson with Bri but by then the sun was out and the weather was at least oppressive so we just discussed what to do with his disgusting mane and pulled it a bit. I also banged his tail.

So, that 2 things off the To Do List. Have to make a run to the tack store and then pick up shavings and start packing up everything. A friend is trucking down from Maine and we are going together from RI to NJ for the weekend.

More On Duncan

As I stated we are getting ready for the National Show. Time is getting short. Yesterday (Tuesday) we took Duncan up to the RI SPCA to get his health certificate from Dr. F. the head of that group.

Dr F. is a big Duncan fan and last night he e mailed me and in the course of his e mail he told me that Duncan is in the top 5 horses of his all time favorites. A HUGE honor for my big horse. It meant a lot to get that kind of a comment from this man.

It was a great end to a great day as I learned yesterday that Slam Dunk Lobell aka Duncan is the Maine Horse Assoc's Champion Standardbred In Hand for 2009.

Ace has some HUGE tracks to follow in, but I know he will be up to the challange.

There is lots to do over the next week so I might not be posting for a bit I am hopeful for a nice and peaceful trip to NJ and a nice calm show with NO stupid people doing really stupid things. There is a group out of one of the NE states that don't like me and some of my close friends all that well and last year they were a huge embarrassment to us hopefully IF they come to the show they will behave in a good way. JMO. Remember I control the posts on this blog so keep it civil folks.

My Tack Sponsor

For the last 5 years I have competed on Slam Dunk Lobell in National Barrel Horse Assoc events here in RI. He has qualified to go to the World Barrel Racing Championships for 4 of the 5 years.

I have a wonderful friend from Gleason, WI who asked to be our Tack Sponsor.

She does custom work with semi precious gem stones. Every year something new and wonderful arrives at my home at the start of the season and then again around State Championship time.

For the last 2 years I have gone to the National Standardbred Show in NJ and she always sends along more wonderful, one of a kind pieces for us to wear. Coupled with her daughter who does most of my show jewelry I am just one spoiled lady let me tell you.

I LOVE bling, can not get enough Bling and Gail makes sure I have all I want and MORE much more.

The picture above is her latest creation for Duncan. It is a Weaver Headstall decorated with Montana Silver add on buckles and Smokey Quartz beads. the Teardrop Pendant is REAL Topaz that was a gift from a friend in IA who likes to "help" out on occassion.

To have a sponsor is a wonderful addition to competition and Gail has always LOVED Standardbreds and is fast becomming the dresser for the Perfomance Standardbred Society as all the founding members horses sport her work in different colors and designs.

Even my everyday tack is Gail Travis orginals. The work stands up and she stands behind her work and will fix, replace, rework or do whatever it takes to make you happy.

For the last 2 years Gail's work has been the official equipment awarded to Miss Rodeo American for her year in office.

I am proud and honored to have this wonderful woman as my friend and Sponosor.

If you would like to see more of her work go to www.redturfranch.com and PIG OUT!!!

Duncan's newest Bling

A Bit Off Track

As I have said Ace is learning how to live in a pleasure barn. He is settling in very well and his feet are comming along nicely.
He has been moved from his quarentine stall and is in the real world of all the horses and people.

He stands in his stall with his head in the aisle snuffling all the kids who just happen to have treats for him.

I am going to go out tomorrow morning and do some ground work with him and maybe put a saddle on him time will tell.

In the mean time, I am getting Duncan ready to go to the National Standardbred Horse Show held in the Horse Park of NJ on August 30th. That's TWO weeks and we have lots to do.

We will be traveling down to NJ with my good friend E and her wonderful mare Dreamy Starlet, on Friday the 28th. On Saturday the 29th we will both be showing ing the first ever in NJ Battle of the Breeds, a series of classes between TBs and STBs, it should be a fun event.

There is a lot to do between now and then. But, this is the big show for those of us who show Performance Standardbreds and I am excited. This is the Third year I have taken Duncan and the 2nd for Dreamy.

This morning I received a new custom western headstall from my Tack Sponsor and it is beautiful Smokey Quartz with Montana Silver show buckles on it. I will fit it tomorrow and post pictures tomorrow night.

So, please bear with me as you are going to be reading a bit about my finished show horse and a bit about the show horse in training.

Feet

When Ace came to me he had been on or at the track until a few days before he got delivered. Racetrack farriers trim and shoe for speed and racing. It is a world away from what we want or need for a pleasure horse.

My farrier came out last Sat and we pulled the shoes and started to trim him for how he needs to be for the work I will be doing with him. This change over will probably take 12 to 18 months to be done.

I, in no way, am making any judgments as to the whys and wherefores of the track farrier.

It is now Wednesday and Ace is still a bit sore, but time will take care of that issue. However, it is not much improved by the beginning of next week my farrier will come back out and we will put shoes on his fronts.
The pictures posted are before and after shots. As we go along I will post new pictures of how his toes are doing.

Also, Ace is learning patience. I do not think a horse must be tied to be worked on and I train them to ground tie. Ace got his first lesson in this concept on Monday. It did not take him long to figure out exactly what I wanted him to do. Then there is the issue of who is doing the thinking for us. That proved to be funny but he got it pretty fast, it's ME.

Feet

The End and a New Beginning

On August 3, 2009 I took delivery on DAs Bad Boy a 9 year old Standardbred Gelding. I call him Ace. Here is is at Plainridge Race Track in Mass at the end of July.

Ace has decided he doesn't want to be a racehorse anymore so he is going to be a Performance Standardbred.

His shoes have been pulled, and he is learning about life in a Pleasure barn.

I want to thank the wonderful couple who owned him and thought enough of me to allow me to be his next caretaker. Ace joins my other Performance Standardbred, Slam Dunk Lobell aka Duncan.

I hope you enjoy the ride on the way to the making of a Performance Standardbred.