Don't Ever Just "GET OFF YOUR HORSE"

One piece of advice I got from an old boss of mine that has always stuck with me was, "Never just get off your horse at the end of the day. When you ride up to the barn and just get off, you're teaching him (and you), to be lax, that the barn is his safe place and he can behave anyway he likes. Either get off him a ways before you get to the barn, or ask him to perform a little."


Since then, depending on the horse and the level he is at at the time, I always ask for a little something before I get off and put him up for the day. This horse is in the two-rein, so I ask him for a little more than I would a colt that's in the snaffle bit. Because this horse knows more, I ask more of him before I put him up for the day. I normally ask him to turn around slowly and correctly both directions, and then ask him for the same turn around, just a little bit faster. I also ask for a smooth and correct back up before I get off. If I was on one of my snaffle bitters, I'd probably ask them to step over their hip, give at the poll, and play around with placing their feet anywhere I ask with the lightest amount of pressure possible.

This has really helped me out with keeping my horses free from being barn sour, staying sharp, and keeping their weight shifted towards the back, even when they're "done for the day."

I hope this is something you all experiment with if you're not already! 

 xo xo Liz 

Freedom and A Fast Rope: Branding Part II

You might have noticed that I haven’t been posting as frequently as I normally do…like, posting frequency has dropped by about 75%. I’ve been a very bad blogger and I apologize for my sins! Snicker, snicker. But in all honesty I have not gotten used to the freedom of being able to drive again, and I’ve been going out and playing and having a grand old time. Take last weekend for example...

Adrian and I packed a bag, jumped in my tiny pickup and drove up to Bakersfield to brand with the Smith's again. So much fun! We were going to go up through Taft and take the scenic route, but halfway up there we had to turn back because the road was shut. That sucked.

I-5 isn't nearly as pretty as 33 

On the way to the camp we branded at the second day. Much prettier!

This didn’t suck at all. In fact, it was quite fun.

And now I have to quite stalling and finish my Pediatrics practice dictations so that I can send it in and get brownie points for a good student. Not really, but you get my drift. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and that it is special in some small way…even if that's just by eating steak and homemade French fries like me.

If you’re interested in checking out the folks we’ve been branding with, head on over to Granite Station Saddlery and look at Jack’ssaddles and Sarah’s silver….you won’t be disappointed!

xo xo Liz