Nayborly Farms Horse Training

Arron's in the Paisley Pony Magazine

2011-11-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce that this fall our old man Arron has been featured in Paisley Pony Magazine! On the magazine's request, we wrote a brief description about Arron and his accomplishments and Patti, Arron's current rider, wrote a short article about her "Perfect Pony." The article is featured on pages16 and 17, along with photos of Arron in action. A photo of Arron and Kelsy performing extended trot during a dressage kur demonstration is also featured on the cover page. Arron, with his adorable looks and eye-catching presence is not new to print fame... In the past he has been featured on the cover of Gaitpost Magazine and the front page of the Olympian Newspaper.Way to go Arron!

Arron: 28 Year Old Super Haflinger

2011-10-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

Our most distinguished horse at Nayborly Farms has got to be Arron, who at 28 years of age has a life history that reads like a good novel. This October Arron proved once again how impressive his strong pony genes are by taking first at the Briarwood Pony Club One Day event at Novice level, with rider Patti Mize aboard. This was his second event this year, and his second win! He just keeps on going, and out on cross-country you could easily mistake him for a four year old. Congratulations to Arron and Patti for a great session.

Arron was born in 1983.

He started his eventing career at age 19, nine years ago.

And his joints seem to be working well!

A Halloween-themed event, Arron shows off his "My Little Pony" clip design.

Jumping Zebra!?

2011-10-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Three day eventing zebra! (Or horse painted like zebra...) Bricolage and Chesna at the Briarwood Pony Club "Spooktacular" Halloween-themed One Day Event, October 15, 2011 at Northwest Equestrian Center. This was Brico's first Training level event; he went double clear in the jumping phases :)

Photos courtesy Eric Weishaar

Vientos is Homeward Bound

2011-09-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce that this September our Lusitano gelding Vientos, rescued from the Carpe Diem herd in Oregon, found a loving new owner. He successfully made the long haul down to Utah, where he will continue his training and be used for dressage, Parelli horsemanship, and all around pleasure riding. He's found the perfect place to flourish. Best wishes to Vientos!

Cows and Company

2011-08-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we hauled down the road to our good friends Tom and Theresa's to help them sort their cow herd. They have a beautiful 40 acre farm, complete with hayfields and hills. We had a great afternoon moving the cows around and then playing on the hill afterward. Here are some of the photos by Chesna.

Pippin and Kelsy

Lucky wanted to help out too!

Dressage cow

Kelsy and Cheryl sorting.

This was Brico's (ears in photo) first time working cows.

Cheryl riding Theresa's cow-savvy QH mare Ray.

Pat and her gelding Joey.

Pat and Joey. Photo by Kelsy.

Patti and Specks

You might remember Parkay, the orphaned calf. She's all grown up but as friendly as ever. She spent the afternoon next to Tom, and reluctantly joined the herd at the end of the day.

Brico and Ches. Photo by Kelsy.

Lusitano Mare For Sale - Barbada CD

2011-07-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

Barbada CD is a 5 year old, grey, Purebred and Registered Lusitano mare. Beautiful looks, lots of talent, and a winning temperament. She will excel as a sporthorse or add refinement, great bloodlines, and athleticism to your breeding program. She is well started under saddle as of early June, and shows great potential for working disciplines. She's a dream on the trail. With more training she will be suitable for a beginner or younger rider. You can read more about her on her dreamhorse ad here: http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1704307

You can visit Barbada's photo album by clicking here: http://s1013.photobucket.com/albums/af254/mikeybuckaroo/Barbada%20CD/

You can visit Barbada's short video by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEGmTaev-Dw

It has been a pleasure working with this mare and we are excited to see how her future develops; she will make someone a winning partner. For more information, please contact nayborlyfarms@gmail.com

Lusitano Gelding For Sale

2011-07-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

We are offering for sale Vientos CD, a 2002, 15 hand, chestnut rabicano, purebred registered Lusitano gelding out of the imported dressage stallion Quarteto de Top. Vientos has been going under saddle since the end of May and shows great promise as a dressage prospect. He is built for collected work thanks to his excellent breeding. He is light and forward to ride--perfect for a sensible, smaller rider who wants a Baroque horse. He is UTD on everything and easy to handle. To find the right home where he can continue his training, Vientos is priced at only $4,500. For more information, please visit his dreamhorse.com ad by clicking here.

To see all of Viento's pictures on photobucket.com, please click here.

For more information, video, or to set up a time to come and meet Vientos in person, please email: nayborlyfarms@gmail.com.

NW Horse Blanket Repair - Open for Business!

2011-07-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

If your horses are anything like ours, then your winter horse blankets take a beating! We are very happy to announce that our friend just launched NW Horse Blanket Repair, serving Thurston and Mason counties in Washington State. Whether its rain sheets, show sheets, or heavy winter rugs, NW Horse Blanket Repair can wash and fix them! For barns with more than five blankets, NW Horse Blanket Repair will offer free pick up and delivery. You can also register your boarding or training barn as a free pick up site. To learn more about NW Horse Blanket Repair's services and pricing, please visit: http://nwhorseblanketrepair.com

Inavale One Day Event

2011-06-08T23:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while since we last posted, but don't be fooled--we've had plenty of horsey happenings taking place! This past weekend we kicked off our event season by attending the Inavale One Day Horse Trials in Pillomath, Oregon. Talk about a fun weekend! We took Huxley and Brico, along with Jess and Bravo (carpooling to save gas!). The weekend was fun and successful--perfect 80 degree + weather, good company, and very well-behaved horses. Kelsy and Huxley finished on their dressage score of 26.6 to take first in Training level. Brico finished on his dressage score of 31, placing second in Novice.

Bricolage and Chesna warming up for dressage.

Huxley walking to cross-country.

We arrived on Saturday afternoon so Jess could attend her Pony Club rally meeting, and so our horses could settle in. Once we got organized, Kelsy and I took our horses out for a low-key school over part of the beautiful and fun Inavale cross-country course. It was awesome to try out new fences we had never seen before and explore Inavale's winding back wood trails. Afterwards we let the horses get cozy in their stalls, set up camp, walked our courses, barebequed, and hung out with friends.

Sunday was an early morning for Jess (Pony Club has rules and all) and Kelsy had an early ride time too, so we got up and got going to another sunny day! I had some extra time that morning to braid Brico before dressage and snap pictures of Kelsy's dressage test. Hux and Kelsy looked relaxed and steady during dressage and earned a great score that put them in the lead. The show-jumping course was in a small outdoor sand arena, which added a little extra challenge for the bigger Training level jumps--plenty of tight turns and related distances. Thankfully, the show-jumping practice Kelsy has been putting in really paid off and Hux cruised through for a clear round. That afternoon they tackled the cross-country course with style--no trouble through the downhill coffin, over the large trakehner or corner fence. They also made it inside the optimum time with about 20 seconds to spare--a great accomplishment considering they had never ridden against the watch before. At the end of the day they took home a blue ribbon, a handy brush bag, and some brushes.

Huxley and Kelsy during dressage.

Hux and Kelsy take on the stadium course!

Brico was the most laid back and obedient he has ever been for dressage--a big improvement from last year when he was pretty sure the white dressage fencing, judges box, letters etc. where out to get him. He put in his personal best dressage score, landing him in fourth place after phase one. He jumped around the spooky stadium course with plenty of confidence, and he really settled in to cross-country to have one of his best rounds yet--albeit, a bit faster than necessary for Novice. After his two clean jumping phases he moved up to second place, earning himself a red ribbon, a halter, and some horse cookies.

Bricolage

Jess and Kristi had good weekends also, representing Baywood Pony Club along with Piper Newman. Jess placed fourth in the Training division, and thanks to her low scores took home Pony Club Champion at Training level. Kristi was Reserve Champion. Jess and Kristi are gearing up for the Pony Club Championships in Kentucky this July.

Kristi, Bravo, and Jess in the Pony Club vet box after x-country.

March Aspen Farms Derby

2011-03-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

The original plan for the March Derby was to take Brico, Huxley and Specks, however that did not pan out like we thought. Ches came home from work Thursday not feeling well and by Friday was too sick to do much, let alone ride. This left Hux and Specks, but come Saturday morning as Patti was about to load Specks she noticed he was lame. So that left just Hux, who wanted to know why he had to be the only horse going!

Huxley and I started with the Training level class and because he was so good in Training I decided to enter the Prelim class as well (see videos below). I guess all the work we've been doing over the last month has paid off, his canter and balance has improved tons. All the classes were judged on fastest time wins.

The Training course was just big and gallopy so we did just that and he was great, I even had to pull him off a XC fence (which he normally hates and spooks at) because he came around the corner and locked onto it even though it wasn't our next fence. Our Training Level time was five seconds faster than the 2nd place persons. Then came our Prelim round. Hux has never jumped a whole course of 3'6+ fences so I was just going to take it easy, make wide corners, and work on giving him a good ride to the fences. At the first fence he jumped long but not flat like normal, I figured if he had that kind of scope in him then we could go for it a bit. Hux of course agreed whole heartily. I did trust him a bit too much on the up bank combo and he got a few sidesteps in on me but made it over all the fences clear anyways. The last combo on the course was a two-stride and had ridden short for him in Training. About four strides out I tried to shorten his stride but just ended up messing him up. I really should have left him alone and everything would have been fine, I have no idea how he didn't land in that oxer, as it was a good sized oxer, but to top it off he didn't even take the rail. Good boy for saving mom when I messed it up so badly. In the Prelim we ended up tied for first.

Not bad for Hux and I seeing as he's never jumped a full 3'6 course. We jump 3'6 and 3'9 at home, but I don't have room to set a course in our arena. The first video is from the Training class and doesn't start until the fifth fence due to the camcorder having technical issues. The second video is our Prelim round.

February Snow

2011-02-24T17:54:00.000-08:00

Some people may laugh at what we call snow around here, but this is our version and what I woke up to this morning--a whole inch! I think every other part of Western Washington has more snow than us right now. Oh well. Snow is unusual in February.

We even had a few moments of blue sky; I had to take a picture! Mikey 25 years old (back), Arron 27 years old (left), and Precious 23 years old (right).

These faces are what I call their "cookie faces".

Sewick wanted someone to play with him but the old guys weren't having it.

Brico says "Hi".

The big bays out in the snow.

Hux says "brrrrrr".

My attempt at artsy photos (Huxley's eye and Gus's mane).

Pips had to go out for snow pictures and the all important exercise/fitness training.

Now for the real pony abuse; Passage.

Chucky showing off his passage too.

I love this picture; snow makes everything so pretty.

The neighbors' llama and goat running circles around their rock pile. So CUTE!

First of the Aspen Farms Event Derby Series

2011-02-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the first of the Aspen Farms Event Derby Series and took Brico, Hux, and Specks. All three were stars! As you can see below, Hux clearly thinks he is.

Specks started out a little chargey in his first round at Beg. Novice but wasn't looky or spooky about the fences. He and Patti did a second round to work on control, and he settled right down and listened nicely. Their Beg. Novice class had 20+ people in it and because of their fast first round they placed third. Not a bad way to start the season off! Congratulations Patti and Specks; you guys have come a long way in a short time.

Specks and Patti

Chesna and Brico finished their event season last year at Novice and they started back up at the Derby with Novice this season. Brico was great, more solid and game to the fences then he was last year. I know this pair is hoping to move up to Training by the end of summer. After his round everyone was surprised that Brico placed second out of 20+ riders. He and Ches were not going for a speedy time, just a steady clean round with some inside turns.

Huxley and I went in the Training level class, also picking up at the level we left off at last year. The placings were given to the fastest time over the entire course. As we are looking at moving into the Jumper ring it was a nice chance to test our inside turns, jumping angles, and long gallops to single fences. Hux was right there the whole time (a bit fussy, but hey it's Hux) looking for the next fence and making nice turns. Hux and I got first place and beat the second place horse by three seconds. It of course started raining by the time I rode so the pictures aren't great (the camera does not like rain).

Huxley and Kelsy

We are all looking forward to getting to the next Derby in March. Thank you so much Aspen Farms for putting on these valuble schooling series :)

Road to Kentucky Benefit Horse Show

2011-02-10T14:06:00.000-08:00

How about this for news! On April 9th, 2011 our two friends Jessica Bryant and Kristi Cetak will be hosting "The Road to Kentucky Benefit Horse Show" to raise funds to attend the 2011 United States Pony Club Championships in Lexington, KY. The show will take place at Forest Park Equestrian Center in Olympia, WA, and have hunter and jumper classes from ground poles through 3'3"--there's a class for everyone!

Bravo (TB x Draft x Hungarian WB) and Jess.

Jessica and Kristi are both members of the Baywood Pony Club, and last year these two talented young riders traveled with their horses (Bravo and Wes) to represent Washington at the Pony Club Championships in California. In addition, they both had very successful USEA event seasons at the Novice level, with Jess finishing first in the nation at Novice Adult Rider and Kristi posting the High Score in Dressage at her last event (she finished on only 22.5 penalty points). We would love to see these girls and their geldings make it to the Champs in Kentucky this summer. All show proceeds will go to pay for Jess' and Kristi's competition and travel costs. Kelsy and I will be there on April 9th with our horses to compete, and we'd love to see you and yours take part in the fun too!

For entry forms, fun facts, and all the show details, please visit: https://sites.google.com/site/theroadtokentucky/benefit-show-info or contact Kristi at: bigbuxskinhorse@aol.com

Kristi and Wes (Thoroughbred gelding).

Questions for Your Horse Trainer

2010-12-28T20:51:00.000-08:00

If you are considering putting your horse in professional training, it is worth your while to find someone who can meet your needs and the needs of your horse. To find the best trainer for your situation, here are some simple questions you can consider asking a prospective trainer:

What are your fees?
What sort of experience do you have? What is your training background? Your methodology?
May I see your facility? How will my horse be kept and what sort of daily care will he/she receive?
How frequently will my horse be worked, and for about how long?
What sort of tack do you use? Should I provide my own tack? Do you use training aids?
Where will my horse be ridden?
Will other people be riding my horse, like working students or assistant trainers?
Does groundwork and lunging count as a training session?
May I ride my horse while he/she is in training with you?
What can I do to help prepare my horse for training?
What will my horse be fed while in your care? Do I need to provide the feed?
What veterinarian do you use? What is your procedure for handling health concerns or emergencies?
Can I observe the training sessions if I contact you ahead of time?
What happens if you are having trouble or difficulty working with my particular horse?
Do you have a training contract or paperwork?
Can you recommend any other trainers in the area for me to consider?

Most trainers will be happy to answer your questions and talk about their training program. Remember, you want to find a trainer who you are comfortable with, and who is a good fit for your horse.

November Snow

2010-12-04T01:23:00.000-08:00

This November we had our first snow of the season, just in time for Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

Summer Success :)

2010-10-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

We've had a great 2010 summer season full of horsey fun. Here's a quick wrap-up:

* The fence got painted, with some help from our friends...

* Kelsy and Huxley (age six) put in a solid event season at Training Level; winning their last show of the season together.

* Brico (age six) made the official transformation from a track horse to an eventer; ending the summer with a second place finish at Novice level.

* Sewick has been sound all spring and summer, and he's enjoying his new training for Western Gaming!

* Arron, 27 years young, completed two Novice level events with Patti. They finished first and second!

* Pip and Ches competed in two recognized USEA events, winning Area VII Training Level Championships on Pip's dressage score of 25.5. Pony Power :)

* Kevin, our Westphalian Warmblood prospect we bought and trained for resale, found a wonderful new owner. He'll have a career in trail riding and dressage.

* Bravo, one of our first Nayborly Farms Summer Camp graduates, had a fantastic USEA Novice Level event season with our friend and his rider Jessica Bryant. Together they won four of their six starts, placing third at Area VII Novice Level Championships, and representing Washington at the Pony Club National Championships. Awesome!

* We had the best trip ever to the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky!

Now we're settling into a fall schedule. We ride our horses year-round, and much of their training progresses in the wet, dark months of winter when we are confined to our outdoor arena or the dryer fields. We're hoping to attend some schooling shows throughout the winter, and we are already looking forward to summer next year!

The Beach, as Hux Sees it!

2010-09-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

As told from Huxley's perspective...

At first glance the "beach" or what I like to call "The Land of TERROR" seems harmless enough, a lot of sand, logs and a few sticks. But this is un-true!

There are things lurking in the sand, you have to watch out for them!

OMG it's over there you dumb people... There is a horse eating dragon disguised as a log in the sand! What wait, you want me to jump it? Yea right lady it will eat me! At best grab my leg and rip it off.

OMG OMG OMG we are so close to the horse eating dragon it could grab me at any moment! Watch out Specks these people are NUTS.

Maybe if I creep over the horse eating dragon it won't notice me and eat me for lunch... Wow that was a close call!

That's a funny looking river... Real big too, I can't see the other side, odd.

Hey guys I don't think that's a river... the water is moving all weird like maybe its coming for our legs!OMG RUN! It's got Specks, save yourselves!

Oh dear, oh dear it's got me too, I can't outrun it! What kind of terrible place is this? Log dragons and now the water is trying to take me.

Okay so maybe the water didn't eat me, but it still moves in odd ways and I don't trust it at all, plus they say I can't drink it. So it must be poisonous or something.

Whoa dude what the heck is that! Do you see that?

No way am I jumping up that, that is not a bank that is a sand cliff just waiting to swallow me whole!

This is so uncool, I can't believe you guys are making me do this, you'll see when this thing gives way and we go to the fiery pits of "The Land of TERROR"!

Well I didn't get eaten, swallowed, or drug out to sea by the oddly moving water. I am still convinced this is not a safe location for horses though, so everyone be warned!

Ocean City, Our 2010 Beach Trip!

2010-09-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

Today we loaded up Huxley, Specks and Brico for a beach ride. It has been years since any of us have ridden on the beach; Hux and Specks had never been before. As always it was great fun and the horses were better behaved than we thought they would be. It was however typical Washington beach weather, despite the fact that at home it was close to 80 degrees and sunny; cloudy, foggy, windy, and rain at times but still tons of fun!

Patti & Specks, Ches & Brico

Patti & Specks jumping

Brico & Ches jumping

Patti & Specks

Ches & Brico

Hux & Kelsy jumping, it might eat his feet you know!

Specks & Hux commiserating

Brico: "This water comes at me... I don't think it's safe guys!"

Wee!

This is how a Thoroughbred trots...

and this is how a Warmblood trots...

Go Specks go!

Hux has his big boy trot going on

What is this place? Mars?

Okay maybe the water doesn't eat horses after all.

Hux says dry land is still safest

Pippin's a Champ - Officially!

2010-09-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

Today Pip proved that he's the best in the Northwest, at least when it comes to Training level eventing! He finished the Equestrian Institute Horse Trials on our dressage score of 25.5, leading the Area VII Training Championship division from start to finish. We competed against sixteen other horses and riders, and Pip was the only pony in his division. Also, to our knowledge, Pippin is the only Haflinger in the U.S. to have won a Training level event.

Despite the threat of rain, dressage day on September 17th turned out to be just right! Kelsy and I spent 40 minutes splitting Pip's long, thick mane in two, braiding an arched running braid on each side, and sewing it in place. Patti also helped with the finishing grooming touches. Once groomed, tacked, and braided, Pip looked the part! We put in a steady, error-free test. He scored all eights on his bottom marks and even a nine on his lengthened trot. I was stoked when I saw his score of 25.5; it was a personal best and put us 4.1 points ahead of the second place horse--a Warmblood who has been leading Area VII Training level all season.

Pippin and Adler (Haflinger gelding ridden by McKena Knott at Prelim Young Rider).

Sporting the official colors of lime green and hot pink, we set out on the soggy cross-country course first thing on Saturday morning. It was gray skies above, but warm temperatures with no rain. Kelsy used a rasp to give Pip some extra traction on his bare hooves, and he did just fine in the less than perfect footing. Pip did not hesitate at anything on course--right down the Snowy River hill, through the combos, and straight over the trakehner. Twenty jumping efforts all clear and inside the time; only one jump that was unstylish (I jumped long, he jumped short, and of course the professional photographer caught it all on film). All in all, it was super fun! Pip was a little upset about having to cut in to breakfast time (our ride was at 8:18 a.m.), but he was rewarded with a full haynet and more than his fair share of treats. We stayed until the afternoon on Saturday to watch the upper level classes compete.

Pippin's approach to number seven; you can just barely see him peeking over the top of this large brush jump!

Pip on his way to the dreaded Trakehner; we were committed!

Kelsy and Min watching on cross-country day. Pip has jumped this Intermediate level house before!

On Friday Kelsy converted one of our double stalls into "Fort Knox" for Pip--including two strands of hot wire--in an effort to keep Pip clean and dry for three days. It lasted for two... In typical Pippin style, this morning he protested by escaping "Fort Knox" and helping himself to green grass. He may be a show champion, but he's also a barn trickster.

For show jumping today we had more wet footing and caught some rain in the warm-up, but the round went by without incident. This is great because I was nervous; even though I know Pip is awesome. We could have dropped a rail and still maintained first position, but Pippin did his thing to jump clear and win it!

Headed to stadium warm-up. Photo courtesy Jill Daniel.

Pippin and Cheryl try to stay dry while waiting for his stadium round. Photo courtesy Jill Daniel.

Thanks to the support group/fan club who came out to watch, rain and all! And thank you to the well wishes that came from afar.

Pip won a mahogany colored leather halter, engraved with Area VII Champion. I won an embroidered Kerrits jacket. We also were given an engraved frame, and will get to select a photo from the professional photographer to fill it. Also, a huge congratulations to Kristi Cetak and Wes, who won the Novice Rider division with an amazing score of 22.5. Also, congrats to Jess and Bravo, who took third in the Novice Championship division! It was a great weekend for many :)

Pippin (Waidring SCH) is a 14 hand, ten year old registered Haflinger gelding owned by Chesna Klimek and Cheryl Smith of Nayborly Farms. Out of Suki by Wynston M&B, Pip was bred by Southern City Haflingers in Olympia, WA; foaled on June 15, 2000. He is trained by Chesna Klimek and Kelsy Smith. Besides eventing, Pip likes to go on trail rides, jump big fences, perform tricks, chase cows, and among other things, bother his four Haflinger uncles at Nayborly Farms. You can see more pictures of Pippin, here.

Photo courtesy Jill Daniel.

Pippin's Going to Championships

2010-08-31T23:51:00.000-07:00

Ready or not, September 17-19 Pippin will be attending the Equestrian Institute Horse Trials Area VII Championships at Northwest Equestrian Center. Pip hasn't been to a single horse show since he qualified at Training level in early May, but I've been riding him regularly all summer around the farm. All of my competition focus the past several months has been on getting Brico out. Now that Brico has finished his first show season, I'm finding it a strange (and welcome!) transition going from jumping a green, unbalanced 16 hand Thoroughbred back to jumping my 14 hand super pony!

I held off deciding about taking Pip to Championships because it requires a lot of money and energy, and also Pip has a shady history with the NWEC Training level trakehner--a required jump in the Championship division. A trakehner is a suspended log with a ditch underneath it (see picture below, taken from above the jump). Though I can get him over trakehners elsewhere, he had his mind made up that he could not/would not jump this one (thankfully we found this out schooling a few years ago, not at an actual show. Knock on wood, but Pip has never had a refusal in cross-country competition). I have no intentions of paying all that money to enter Championships and then get 20 penalty points on cross-country!

So, over the past few months, Kelsy and I have hauled Pip to NWEC a few times to work out the kinks with the dreaded trakehner. With persistence and creativity on our part, Pip's been soaring over the thing without much trouble.

I realize that to be competitive in a Championship division, we need to put in a really good dressage score. I was bummed to see that the dressage test for this division (Training Test B) is heavy on the canter work, which is not necessarily Pip's strongest gait. Regardless, Pip is perfectly capable and deserving of a strong dressage score. It's my duty to make sure he performs up to his highest standard! We are perfecting our upward and downward transitions, working on the (in my opinion exaggerated) stretch down circle, and nailing down our square halts. I need to keep my head up and "sit pretty." It also wouldn't hurt if the dressage judge has an appreciation for ponies ;)

When it comes to jumping, I admittedly leave that up to Pip. I haven't been jumping him up over large fences perhaps as much as I should have been this summer, but I trust he'll have it in him. He seems to be happiest when I simply stay out of his way. I suspect that the Championship show jumping course will be big and probably technical. Undoubtedly, we'll have to clear a triple bar (at Training Level, a triple bar jump can be 3'3'' tall, and 4'11'' wide!) and some horse-strided combinations. I'll be schooling him 3'6" in prep for the show and buying him a pair of spring loaded shoes (ok just kidding on the last part; he'll be barefoot as always!). I hope my show jumping nerves don't get the best of us!

Pippin, age 4. Bareback and bridleless at his first cross-country schooling session ever.

Pippin, present day. He's still got it going on.

No matter how the Championship event unfolds (or how tacky this sounds), we all know Pip is a champion in his own right. His whole life he's been an all around horse, and living proof of pony power. Not only does he win ribbons, he packs beginners down the trail, drags the arena, performs tricks, does passage, jumps easily over four feet, gets out of all manner of fencing... In general he's willing and smart and incredibly athletic--and that's despite having grown up with Kelsy and I!

Our goal is to put in our best showing effort this September, and have fun doing it! Who cares if we are the shortest, cheapest, or least prepared :) Again, a big thank you to Haflinger Horses Community for sponsoring Pip's lifetime USEA membership, and to Briarcroft Haflingers for their support in qualifying. Also, of course thanks goes to Kelsy and Cheryl, since everything around Nayborly is a team effort--Pip's especially.

Hanoverian Sporthorse For Sale

2010-08-31T13:02:00.000-07:00

Our friends Kathy and Jessica are offering a lovely 6 year old, 16.1 hand Hanoverian x Thoroughbred sporthorse mare for sale, "Winney." Winney is out of the Hanoverian stallion Winnetou.This mare has fabulous gaits and amazing natural jump talent. With her classic looks and open stride, she would clean up in the hunter ring. That said, her athleticism makes her well suited for dressage or eventing. She is well started in basic dressage and over jumps.You can visit her ad on dreamhorse, here. The ad features a video.

To see more photos of Winney, please visit her Photobucket account, here.

Painting Party

2010-08-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

This summer Kelsy and I were faced with the daunting task of painting the dog yard, paddocks, and outdoor arena fencing with two coats of white. We know from past experience that this can take a significant amount of time and energy. With part time jobs, horses in training, horses of our own, limited summer weather, and in my case the approach of Fall Semester; we were despairing about how to get it all done. But in the depths of our despair we saw a glimmer of hope--we came up with the idea of hosting a Painting Party. Honestly, at first our plans to invite friends, family, and friends of friends to a Painting Party were all in jest. After all, who in their right mind wants to come and paint other people's fence? Nevertheless, we opened a painting invitation to anyone and everyone, offering free food, beer, soda, and farmy fun.

Much to our surprise, the Painting Party on Sunday, August 22nd was a wild success! It started out with just Kelsy and I, two paint brushes, three buckets of paint, and dark clouds above. But one by one, cars started rolling down the driveway. Before we knew it, we had a whole painting crew and the time was flying by! When one of our reinforcements went home, someone else seemed to show up as a replacement. We want to thank every single person who came and volunteered to help us paint--Thank You so much. It was great to spend time with friends, eat, drink, and be merry. To top it off, we got all the painting done for the year and the weather even held out. We couldn't have hoped for more.

Thanks again to everyone who trekked out... We hope we haven't turned you off of farm life, and that we can still consider you a friend!

Baywood Pony Club Demo

2010-07-30T00:47:00.000-07:00

In the middle of July we did a small demo with the Baywood Pony Club at their annual summer camp. This is the third summer we've been to the Baywood Camp. This year the pony clubbers had a chance to try out tricks with Pippin, Huxley, and Arron. It was a great group of riders, and we had a lot of fun!

Huxley and Kelsy

Pippin and Huxley had a stretching contest.

The pony clubbers tried out a few vaulting maneuvers...

Horse swap!

Four riders, one horse :)

Arron with the neck rope.

Pip shows his tidy jump style with our good friend Melissa.

Max's first ride on Pippin with mom Melissa.

Pippin and Melissa. Mel was an instructor at this year's camp.

Pip and Ches jumped a course bridleless.

Pippin, a trusty steed :)

No trouble with balance here!

To finish off, the kids did a team rescue relay with Arron and Pippin.

Brico Goes Schooling - Pictures

2010-07-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

On July 11th, after our demonstration with Baywood Pony Club, I took Brico for a quick schooling session on the Rainbow Meadows cross-country course. He's been there before, but this was another opportunity to get him some more much needed cross-country practice. We stuck with Beginner Novice and Novice level jumps. Pictures courtesy Kelsy and Hux.

Calm about the ditch...

Not so calm...

Congratulations Kevin!

2010-07-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce that last week we sold our Westphalian Warmblood sporthorse prospect, Kevin. He will remain local to Western Washington and continue training in dressage and trail riding. He has a wonderful new owner and a bright future ahead!

Westphalian Warmblood For Sale

2010-06-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

***Kevin was SOLD as of summer, 2010.***

Raju's Whit, bred at Copper Spring Farm, is a 3 year old super star! "Kevin" is out of a German import stallion, Rodioso, who currently competes in FEI dressage (schooling Grand Prix). His dam, Whitney, is a gorgeous grey who excelled at hunter/jumpers and is still sound at age 22. Kevin is the ideal young sporthorse prospect. He has a solid start under saddle and has more talent than we could ask for. Excellent movement, correct and sturdy conformation, and a temperament that does us proud.

Jumping is second nature to Kevin. In free jumping, he has the boldness for cross-country and foxhunting (he would make a stunning hunt horse), the scope for show-jumping, and even the style for hunters.

Perhaps the best thing about Kevin is his winning personality. Why bother with a Warmblood prospect that has all the athleticism but not the brains?! Kevin was incredibly easy to start, is great on the trails, in the herd, and to handle in every way (clips, hauls, bathes, ties, etc). He has always been a "people person" and is eager to please--no funny business under saddle. You will have a willing companion and competition partner in this young horse. Perfect for an Amateur who wants a talented (but also safe and sane!) prospect. Please feel free to visit his Advertisement on Dreamhorse.

Please contact us at (360) 264-2553 or KelsyMarieSmith@gmail.com for inquiries about Kevin. We have more pictures and video available upon request.

Brookwood Hunter/Jumper Schooling Show

2010-05-23T11:03:00.000-07:00

Like everything else on the blog, this post is just a bit late in being posted. On May 1st Ches and I loaded Huxley, Brico, and Kevin for the Brookwood Hunter/Jumper schooling show. It was a low key show which was a great way for both Brico and Kevin to get their feet wet in the horse show world. Huxley did two small jumper classes and used the courses as what they were--schooling rounds--to learn that we don't always go away from home and stop listening to the rider. Brico did several little Hunter classes and one Jumper class, and was great for all of them. Poor guy barely has any jump training, but we keep taking him to all these little jumping shows. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right? Below is a video of his Jumper round.

Before and After

2010-05-17T16:56:00.001-07:00

So many times we see horses advertised on websites such as Dreamhorse, or even in magazines, with terrible for sale pictures. Oftentimes, these horses will be listed with a pretty hefty price, but look like a backyard nag. People do not want to pay a lot of money for your backyard nag. However, you would be shocked what a little elbow grease, and some professional looking pictures, will do to help make a "nag" look like a fancy show horse. We have several examples from over the years of horses that we have been asked to clean up and market for clients.

Below are some before (left) and after (right) pictures of a Paint gelding we where asked to market last. The time difference between the pictures is only a week. It really is amazing what cleaning a horse up will do. We pulled his mane, banged his tail, clipped his chin/bridle path, and gave him a deep cleaning bath. Toss a nice leather halter on and you have a totally different looking horse!

The next horse was a two year old Haflinger gelding we took pictures of last spring. The before and after pictures were taken on the same day. He was washed, clipped, had the uneven parts of his mane neatened up and got a nice leather halter put on.

Below is was a Yearling Haflinger filly, all her pictures were also taken on the same day. She got the same treatment as the gelding above.

Take note of the backgrounds for the before and after pictures of all the horses. It really helps to have a pretty background that is clear of random stuff distracting from the horse. You also always want the horses ears to be up and for them to have a peppy look on their faces. Get out a bucket of grain, jug with rocks or whatever it takes to get them looking fancy... it's like the difference between smiling and frowning in your pictures. None of the things done to these horses were hard or special, anyone could have done them, and its totally worth it when you see the before and after pictures. I mean really, for the same price, are you going to call on the before or after horse first?

Show's Over!

2010-05-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

Our stadium round today was clear and inside the time. Though Pip was a bit behind the leg (and required a few love taps with the jump bat), he didn't have any trouble getting around the course without faults. I have come to realize that I will probably never own another horse who can jump like this pony can! We finished second in Training Horse on our dressage score of 32.7, .4 behind the leader. Pip won a red ribbon and a much needed white dressage pad with embroidery.

I'm very happy with Pip's double clear performance, he is pretty awesome :) I was hoping that he could have taken the blue, but regardless, Pip's score was better than all of the final scores in the Training Level divisions, except for the horse/rider who beat us in Training Horse. I also think Pip's second place finish means he is qualified to compete at the Area Championships later this summer--though I'll have to do some research to confirm and decide if it is worth the effort. Pip gets to enjoy some relaxed riding over the next couple months, as I will be shifting my focus on getting Brico much needed show miles. We also have training horses again this summer, and Sewick will be returning home soon! And for anyone wondering... Pip rolled in the dirt the second I turned him out at home.

All three of Pip and my "moms" were in attendance at the event today for Mother's Day: my mom Brenda, and also Cheryl and Barbara. Barbara and her family bred Pips at Southern City Haflingers and gifted him to me when I was fourteen--couldn't have asked for a more perfect gift! Cheryl is Pip's co-owner and trusted "food lady." He had a good time being the center of attention today and even doing some tricks for his following after the competition was over. A big thank you again for the support from the Haflinger Horses Community Website and Emily Gibson; Kelsy for serving as unofficial trainer/groom, and for all the well wishes from friends. Eventing, and riding in general, is definitely a team sport!

Update: Pippin's Video, courtesy Kelsy...

On that note, a congratulations is in order for our friend Jessica Bryant and her horse Bravo. They got first place this morning in Novice Rider on a double clear score of 33! Brav was one of our first horses at Nayborly Farms Summer Camp years ago, and Jess and her mom have brought him along ever since. This summer Jess and Brav are hoping to qualify for the Pony Club Event Championships at Novice level, which will be held in California.

Another great horsey weekend! We'll post about our other events and happenings this summer as they come. Thanks for reading.

** Both Pip and Bravo competed barefoot, without horse shoes, in all three phases **

Pippin's Cross-Country Update

2010-05-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

Today we had perfect May weather for Pip and I's Training level cross-country round. Though Pip seemed a bit lackadaisical in warm-up, he perked right up when we galloped towards the first fence on course--a large table with flowers on top. My plan was to get up some speed early on and we cruised up the big hill and over the first three fences without much trouble. Though I had hoped to trot down the "Snowy River" hill, Pip cantered down the drop and hill--it wouldn't have been worth the trouble to try and stop him. He galloped straight through the water complex and hugged the turn for the galloping stretch. There was no slowing him down through the mid-field and we didn't check up our speed until the coffin complex at fence 17. Despite taking the long route option for the Trakehner (fence 14), at the end of the ride we were clear and well inside the time! In fact, Pip had the fastest time in his class (we finished in 5 minutes and 18 seconds, the optimum time was 5 minutes and 39 seconds). Others in our class had jump penalties or incurred time faults, including the overnight leader. Now we are in second place, only .4 behind the new leader.

Pip had a big cheering squad and we really appreciated everyone coming out to say hi and help! We always say the reason Pip has a big head is because he gets so many compliments. We can't go far at a show without getting a "cute pony" comment in passing--one rider even said Pip looked like he could be a Unicorn.

Tomorrow we'll be competing in Stadium jumping. I am always a bit nervous about this phase just because it is the last one and the jumps fall down, but hopefully Pip will be himself and carry us through cleanly! To maintain our second place position we must jump without a rail; I think if we have one rail we will drop to third place and more rails would push us farther down the bunch. The only way to move up is if the leader incurs penalties. Side note: I'm a little bummed that I didn't enter the "Training Rider" division instead of "Training Horse," as Pip would have been leading in that division based on scores (same dressage judge), but hindsight is 20/20. We had a great day and are looking forward to the final tomorrow on Mother's Day (Pip can't wait to be able to roll in the mud again)!

Pippin's Event Day One - Dressage

2010-05-07T21:06:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Pip and I competed in dressage at NWEC Mother's Day Classic Three Day Event. Since our ride time was late this afternoon, I was able to give Pip his bath this morning. It was great to sleep in and not have to worry about keeping his mane white overnight! We'll see what he looks like tomorrow morning (he's in a body suit--sheet, hoody, and tail bag).

Kelsy and I are used to competing in the Pony Club sponsored One Day Events. They run all three phases in one day--dressage, cross-country jumping, and stadium jumping. It feels strange and drawn out to only do one phase a day. Thankfully we live a mere seven miles from NWEC, so it's no trouble to drive in each day and save the price of overnight stabling; plus Pip gets to sleep at home. This evening when we got home Kelsy and I had time to ride our other horses and do chores.

Pip's dressage test today went fine. It was a good ride but not great. We scored mostly sevens (Fairly Good) and a few sixes (Satisfactory), finishing on a score of 32.7. I was disappointed not to see any eights in our scores, as we usually pull out at least a couple. We are currently placed third in our division (Training Horse). The top five scores are all very close--within one or two points of one another. There is no room for error, so hopefully we'll have two clean jump rounds! I'll have to be careful not to incur any time faults on cross-country tomorrow. The way event scoring works, we can only move up in the placing if the horses and riders scored higher than us mess up and we do not.

On a side note, Pip stirred up some trouble in the warm up ring today. There were a couple of horses who were frightened by him when we cantered by. Gotta watch out for the golden ponies! This is not the first time that we have seen other horses startled by the Haflingers at shows. Once when Kelsy and I were competing Mikey and Precious, we were asked to leave the warm up by a trainer because we were "scaring her client's horse." Our Haflingers were behaving well, but it must have been their bouncy manes or something that set some horses off.

Kelsy, Cheryl, and I walked the Training level cross-country course this afternoon and there aren't any major surprises. I anticipate that Pip will back off the first two fences because they are big, bright fences with flowers (but thankfully Pip knows the power of Mr. Snappy!). Other than that, I plan to trot him down the drop jump on the "Snowy River" hill and also through the coffin complex (Pip hates ditches). We are opting to take the option on the Trakehner as Pip has had bad experiences there schooling in the past. There's a lot of room for galloping so if I keep my eye on the event watch our good friend Melissa is letting me borrow, I hope speed won't be a problem :) Cross-country is my favorite!

The April Aspen Farms Event Derby

2010-05-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

The April Aspen Farms Event Derby has come and gone and I am very late in updating about it. Sorry!

Over all it was a great day! Arron, Huxley and Pippin ALL won their divisions. Bravo and Jessie got 3rd in Novice, Specks and Patti got 5th in Beg. Novice. Brico and Stewie both did a couple of 2ft schooling rounds and were stars--well who are we kidding, we knew Stewie would be a star! Huxley and I even rode a dressage test, and it was decent! We got a score of 34 in Novice Test A. Anyways, without further adieu here is everyone's videos from the show.

Schooling at Rainbow

2010-04-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

April/17/10 was the first Cross-Country schooling of the season for us, we had planned to go a few weeks ago but got rained out. The weather report was rain in the morning and then clear in the afternoon. For most of the morning it had just been spitting rain but nothing to stop us from doing stuff around the farm. So at 1:00 we loaded up Huxley, Brico, and Pippin to go schooling, figuring the weather would be fine. We decided that Ches would ride Brico first while I rode Huxley and then Ches would ride Pippin after the other two got finished schooling.

Huxley hadn't been jumped in 3-4 weeks because of an off and on swollen, hot leg, and hasn't seen a cross-country fence since last summer. He started off a little fresh but settled into jumping nicely and was overall very good for the first cross-country outing of the year.

Brico had never jumped cross-country before and doesn't have much jump training to start with. He was however very well behaved and handled things well, he was a little looky at the fences but after about halfway through the ride seemed to figure things out and start to enjoy himself. The hardest thing for him was jumping down the banks, as he doesn't even like stepping out of the horse trailer, but by the end he was okay with the small drop banks. Huxley of all horses gave Brico a few leads over some of the "scary" small fences, such as down the banks, over the ditch, and a couple of painted 2'6 house type fences.

Towards the end of Huxley and Brico's schooling rounds it started to rain a little and then rather hard. By the time we finished with them it was POURING rain, Ches changed her tack over to Pippin and started to warm up a little bit. Within two minutes we were all soaking wet with some very unhappy horses. There is absolutely no shelter at Rainbow to hide under on course, not even a tree! Poor Pippin had to go and school in the pouring rain and even hail at times. Ches brought him with the plan of warming him up and jumping the course like she would at a show, paying special attention to school him over the ditches, trakehners, and berlin walls.

When all was said and done everyone was soaked--our tackroom in the trailer looked like a lake and had clothes, pads, and boots dripping water every where. However all the horses were really good in spite of the weather.

Huxley over the tiger trap \/

Huxley down one of the banks \/

What Huxley thinks of ditches \/

and what Brico thinks of ditches \/

Brico over the small tiger trap \/

Poor Pippin after he was done looking like a drowned rat \/

Pippin Update

2010-04-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

As promised, I'm trying to stay on top of the Pippin show prep updates. Last week was a very busy week for me with work and school, but of course I still squeezed in a little time for horsey affairs. Can't wait to get in more riding time!

Like I detailed in my last post, Pip and I are signed up to compete Training level at the NWEC Mother's Day Classic less than one month from today. What primarily makes Training level stand out from Novice or Beginner Novice is that the jumping gets more technical. The cross-country course is longer (2000 - 2600 meters with 20-24 jumping efforts), ridden at a faster rate of speed, is a bit higher (3'3"), and the types of jumps get more complicated. For example, we will be expected to jump in and/or out of the water jump. There will be a coffin complex (fence, then a ditch, then another fence, all in a row). We also will see trakehners, drops, and ski jumps.

As for stadium jumping, we will face ten to twelve jumps (3'3" high up to 4'1" wide), one or two combinations on course, and possibly a triple bar (which can be up to 4'11" wide!). This is basically the show jumping level I have been competing Pip at all winter, so I know he can do it. However, with show jumping you never know when you might miss a distance and have an unlucky rail down--that's the name of the game.

The weekend of April 3rd we had hoped to get out for some cross-country schooling. Unfortunately, the Washington weather was not cooperative, so instead we hauled over to a local indoor arena to do some grid work. Kelsy (Pip and I's unofficial trainer and riding instructor) set up a grid that would challenge Pip to engage his hindquarters and put in some extra effort (vertical, one stride, oxer, one stride, vertical). With grid work, we always start low and gradually build up the height of the jumps until the horse is jumping at the edge of their comfort range. By the end of the session we had a 3'6" or 3"9 grid set up. Pip actually had several refusals at the final (large!) fence. He's a perfectionist and isn't used to struggling, so when he is faced with a real challenge, sometimes he falls apart. It took us a little while, but he got it figured out and was nice and tired by the end of the ride!

When we prepare for jump shows--events in particular--we always school at least a few inches higher than what we'll be jumping in the competition. This is a fairly standard practice for anyone in the sport, but it should be said that if you or your horse aren't comfortable jumping a little higher than what you will be facing at the show, you are riding at the wrong level. You never know when a course designer will throw in a maxed-out fence on course, and keep in mind that jumps always seem to grow impossibly high when you are hit with some horse show nerves the day of the competition!

The nice thing about Pip is that he's trained, and by no means is he a green horse. He's seen a lot in his little lifetime and he's confident and secure in his own skin (maybe too much so!). I don't have to worry about him getting nervous at a show or acting up because he's overstimulated. Pip is just going to be Pip. Along the same vein, I realize that no work or training we do between now and the Mother's Day Event is going to significantly impact his (or my) performance there. Yes, there are small things we can improve--we can work on getting square halts 90% of the time instead of 75% of the time, we can jump more complicated courses, practice riding a balanced collected canter when going down a hill--but basically I know that when we go to the show, we're going to be ourselves and fall into our usual patterns and behaviors; hopefully that's good enough to do well! My job between now and the show is to keep him fit, keep him jumping on the weekends, and polish up our dressage.

Here's a quick run-through of the past week...

Sunday I ran through our dressage test several times to memorize the pattern - Training Test A. There's nothing there Pip can't handle, but we've got to practice stretch down at the walk and trot, since these are not things I usually do in our rides. We also need to practice cantering across the diagonal without changing leads (the test calls for a simple change, not a flying change). Pip had Monday and Tuesday off due to my busy schedule and the bad weather. Wednesday Kelsy took him out for a fitness gallop (with Arron in tow as a pony horse). Kelsy also worked on Pip's stretch down circles for me. I don't think he was ridden on Thursday. Friday Pip and I got in some dressage practice; we cranked up the radio and jammed in the outdoor arena (good thing we don't have nearby neighbors). Saturday I took him out for some more fitness laps in slow canter and trot sets. Sunday, in our outdoor arena, I set up a four bounce grid for him to jump through. I also rode with my stirrups extra short in an effort to break in the pair of tall boots I never wear (they were kindly donated to me last summer by Jen). This Monday, I took Pip out for some more galloping and cantering in the morning before work. You can get a lot done in thirty minutes. And finally, just tonight we practiced dressage to music again.

That's the update for now!

Pip to Compete!

2010-04-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

On May 7-9, Pippin and I will be competing in the Mother's Day Classic Three Day Event at the Northwest Equestrian Center in Rainier, WA. Pip's coming off a very strong winter show season--he won his 3'3" Jumpernite classes in December and January, his Training Level class at the Aspen Farms Event Derby in February, and the 3'6" jumpers class at Sandmar Farm--and he's looking for a challenge this spring.

To our knowledge, not many Haflingers are represented at the Training level of USEA eventing. Though we can name a handful who compete at Training level; it is the exception, not the rule, to see Haflingers jumping above Novice level. In all fairness, Haflingers are not really designed for upper level eventing (Preliminary level and above). Despite being able-bodied jumpers, they are too heavy to meet the endurance and speed requirements at the higher levels--they are not hot blooded horses. Even though you won't be seeing a Haflinger (at least not a true Haflinger) competing at Rolex CCI****, there is no reason why a Haflinger can't be successful against the larger horses at Training level.

Membership is required to compete in USEA affiliated events. The Haflinger Horses Community Website very kindly sponsored Pippin's USEA lifetime membership. Also a big thank you goes out to Emily Gibson of Briarcroft Haflingers for her generous, continued support of Pippin and his goals. On that note, thanks to all of Pippin's friends and fans out there!

Pippin was bred at Southern City Haflingers by my good friends the Baker/Maddox Family. Their mare, Suki, is a Folenhof M&B Haflinger and a half sister to Precious, Mikey, and Arron. By the stallion Wynston M&B, Pippin was Suki's last foal of seven. I was thirteen years old when he was born, and was given the task of taming and halter-breaking Pip.

When Pip was a year and half old, the Baker/Maddox family gifted him to me as a college investment. Their thinking was that I could train Pip for several years, eventually sell him, and use the money to help offset my eventual educational expenses. Even though I'm in graduate school now and could easily get a substantial sum of money to offset university expenses by selling Pip, I just can't bring myself to sell as we say, one of the only "good horses" on our property! Cheryl Smith has graciously supported Pip over the years as his official co-owner; and Kelsy has spent as much time as me with him in his breaking and training.

Pip has always been a talented jumper. In fact, the first time Pip ever officially jumped was at a local horse show--on a whim Cheryl encouraged me to enter him in a small two foot hunter class, and thanks to his willing disposition, he won the class. We started competing Pip at Pony Club sponsored events his four year old year at the Beginner Novice level. As a five year old he moved up to Novice, and as a seven year old he made the jump up to Training level. In 2008 Pip placed second at a Training level event, and last year Pip won his Training level class at the Chehalis Valley Pony Club event at Caber Farms.

Pip, now nine years old, measures in at exactly 14 hands tall. He is by no means a "modern, sporthorse-type" Haflinger. In fact, his dam Suki stands only 13.1 hands tall. What Pip has going for him is trainability, correct confirmation, and above-average movement for a Haflinger. Plus he likes to show off! Though Pip is commonly the only pony-sized competitor in his classes, there is no doubt in my mind that he thinks he's the biggest and best horse out there. He, like all our horses at Nayborly, competes barefoot.

We'll keep you updated as the event approaches, and you can watch for short updates on our Nayborly Farms Facebook Page.

Sandmar Farms Jumper Show

2010-03-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Febuary 27th Chesna and I loaded up Pippin and Huxley and headed north to Olympia to pick up our friend Jesse and her horse Bravo. Fellow horse enthusiasts, we have known Jesse and her mom Kathy for many years. Bravo, a Hungarian WB x Thoroughbred x Draft, was actually one of our first summer campers!

Anyways, we picked Jesse and Bravo up and made the long drive up to Poulsbo, Washington to Sandmar Farm for the Hunter/Jumper winter schooling series. We got there around 2:30, but that was clearly too early as the Hunter part of the show was still in progress. The poor horses had to stand around before we got to ride, which was well after dark. There was a break between the Hunter classes and Jumper classes for us to warm-up in the lighted indoor arena; however, we then had to wait a good hour and a half before our classes began. All of our horses lacked any kind of re-warm-up (besides walking around the driveway) before going into their Jumper rounds.

Huxley went in first for the 3' class. At first he was a little shocked that he was jumping again but only tapped the first two fences before he realized that he was indeed on course. He went clean without taking any rails. Good boy Huxley! Hux went on to the jump off round and had a clear, forward, and steady jump off round to win the class as the only double clear performance. His second class was the 3'3" class. He was on the ball this time and knew that he was jumping when he went in the arena. He jumped a clear first round but took the first rail in the jump off down, though he still ended up getting second place in the class because it was a small group.

Pippin's first class was the 3'3". He too went in the arena with no warm up, though unlike Huxley jumped the first two fences like an old pro. However, he hit a funny short distance to the third fence and took a rail, he then came around the corner to the fourth fence (a big vertical heading into a two stride) and slammed on the breaks. He was mostly just offended that he had hit the fence before and expressed his displeasure with a "no thanks" refusal. This only got him hit on the butt and ridden more attentively to every last fence on the course. He did finish in fourth place in the class because, as in all the classes, there were few entries. Pip's second class was the 3'6" class. Much more alert, Pip won this class with a double clear round.

Bravo's first class was also the 3'3 class and once again he went into the arena with no warm-up or idea that he was jumping. Even though he took two rails in the class he ended up in 5th place. Jesse and Brav's second round in the 3'6" class was going great until the last two fences on the course--Brav took the last two rails. Regardless of the rails, they had a nice forward round and both kept their composure. They'll be competing lots more this spring and summer. Jess and Brav are already qualified for the regional Pony Club show jumping and have their eyes set on qualifying in Novice eventing as well.

Elk Alert

2010-03-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday night we went out to feed the horses dinner and they were all riled up. We didn't have to look far for the source of their anxiety--turns out the elk herd was just off our fenceline on the neighbors' property. The elk are used to us and the horses, so they wander close when it's not hunting season. The lighting made it difficult to get clear pictures, but some turned out alright...

Arron Gets a New Hair Do

2010-02-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

Last week Arron got a new spring hair do, which is some version of a body clip. Hopefully now he won't get too hot on those warm spring days before he sheds out all the way.

Saturday February 6th we headed down south to a Jumper Playday in Salkum, WA. We took Pippin, Huxley and Arron. Sadly there are only pictures of Arron because the camera ran out of batteries and we were lacking a camera person by the time Hux and Pip started jumping. Here are some pictures of Arron, sporting his new hair do, and Patti. No one believed that Arron was 26 years old (soon to be 27!). Yay for old ponies!

Nayborly Farms on Facebook

2010-02-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

For better or worse, Nayborly Farms has taken a dive into social media. If you are a member of facebook, you can now visit our farm page. Become a fan, leave comments, post pictures, join our discussions... Not only will we be keeping you updated on our horsey happenings daily, we'll be posting equine information and news that interests us (and hopefully you too). We would love to have you be a part of it all!

The Top Twelve Things That Only Haflinger Horses Can Do

2010-02-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

We were digging through old files the other day and stumbled upon this article by Chesna. The article won a 2003 haflingerhorses.com essay contest.

The Top Twelve Things That Only Haflinger Horses Can Do

12. Only a Haflinger can gain weight by breathing.

11. Only a Haflinger can keep their golden coats clean, while at the same time transforming their white manes and tails to black.

10. Only a Haflinger will climb over, under, through or between any type of fencing simply to get to the other side.

9. Only a Haflinger can be measured in as a pony but wear horse-sized halters, blankets, shoes, and saddles.

8.     Only a Haflinger will learn to perform a trick in a matter of seconds for a cookie, and then a month later ask for a treat by bowing.

7.     Only a Haflinger can be dirty, fuzzy, and wet while also being completely adorable.

6.     Only a Haflinger is smart enough to learn all the wrong things we accidentally teach them as well as all the right.

5.     Only a Haflinger would believe that they are ten times bigger, faster, and better than a Belgian.

4.     Only a Haflinger will come cantering over to see you after you have been gone for a week.

3.     Only a Haflinger can get their riders to laugh so hard that they fall off from at the halt.

2.     Only a Haflinger can bring about their owner's need of anotherÖ and anotherÖ and just one more?

And the number one thing that only Haflinger horses can do?

1.     Only a Haflinger can be so cute, so smart, eat so well, perform so well, have so much personality, and be such a Haflinger that it makes their owners happy every time they see them.

January Jumpernite

2010-01-10T17:13:00.000-08:00

After a delayed start to the day (the horse trailer did not feel like hooking up to the truck) we made it to Jumpernite with Chucky, Pippin, and Huxley in tow. Unfortunately Patti had to work and therefore couldn't take Arron, but she is looking forward to taking him in February.

This time around the weather was 100 times better than last Jumpernite--about 30 degrees warmer. To start the day off our good friend Melissa rode Chucky in the Pony Jumpers Class (2'6"-2'9"). We have known Melissa for close to 15 years and all grew up riding together. Her current horse can no longer show because of an old injury, so Cheryl offered Chucky to Melissa for any shows she wants to take him to this season. Chucky enjoys getting out and doing stuff, especially going fast and jumping! Chucky and Melissa had a great clear round with a speedy jump off time to finish in second place overall. They won a red ribbon and some prize money.

Next to go was Huxley and Kelsy. First they entered the Young Jumpers Class (3') which is an Optimum Time class for horses aged six and under or riders aged fourteen and under. After that they competed in the Warm-Up Jumpers Class (3-3'3) which is a Power and Speed class. Huxley is starting to get the idea of going out and jumping a course, proving his progress by placing eighth in both of his large classes without even pushing for a fast time. Sadly the videotape ran out of space just as Hux went into the Young Jumpers class, so there is only footage of his second class.

Our final pair, Chesna and Pippin, did not disappoint. Due to the high volume of competitors at this month's Jumpernite it was well into the afternoon before their Novice Jumpers Class (3'3) started. This class was a Speed class, meaning that the entire round was timed and that the fastest clear round would win. Not at all intimidated by the Warmbloods and Thoroughbreds in his class, Pippin made every last inside turn, jumped from some very odd angles, and cleared every fence with style to have a time that was four seconds faster than the second place horse and rider. Gotta love pony power! Ches hopes to bump Pips up to a 3'6" class at the February Jumpernite.

Play Time

2010-01-04T16:03:00.000-08:00

Hux and Brico.

Hux wants to play...

...and play fail!

Hux says "Brico is no fun maybe mom will play with me?"

"Mmmmm maybe not?"

"But please, look how cute?"

"Okay how about I nose bump you instead?"

Brico thinks we are crazy. Who chases horses over jumps anyways?

"It's bigger!!! What do I do with my feet?"

New Addition at Nayborly

2009-12-31T10:59:00.000-08:00

We have a new member of the Nayborly Farms crew! Because of Sewickley's lameness, in October I decided I would look for another Thoroughbred event prospect. I wasn't in a rush to find another horse due to my busy work/class schedule. On top of that, I own three horses already (Mikey, Pip, and Sewick). Nevertheless, we noticed "Don"--a 5 year old Thoroughbred--for sale on craigslist.org and decided to drive down to Longview, WA to check him out. We figured between the three of us--Cheryl, Kelsy, and I--at least one of us would come up with a good reason NOT to buy the horse once seeing it in person.

Well, long story short, the three of us drove down to Longview in the middle of October to try "Don" out (above photo is from the day we went to look at him). When we arrived we were surprised to see that "Don" didn't have a pasture--he lived in the driveway area with no fences or gate at the end of the property. If our Haflingers had that sort of freedom, we'd never see them again! The people who owned "Don" had bought him from California to continue his race career at Emerald Downs or Portland Meadows. They had had him for several months, and though they hadn't gotten around to racing him again, they had ridden him on and off for the past several months. He seemed like a nice enough and broke enough horse. I rode him briefly on extremely slick, muddy footing. We didn't get a chance to lunge him over a jump or flex his legs, but we all liked what we saw. When we drove home later that day none of us could come up with a decent reason not to buy him!

All Thoroughbreds who have raced are marked by an identification number tattooed on the inside of their lip. Using this ID number, we discovered that "Don's" registered name is Domoron Domoron. Yes, you read that right. His unfortunate name aside, he was born April 15, 2004 in California. He raced 28 times in California (including at Santa Anita), winning just over $35,000 total. He does not have a strong race history, but he did best in races at least one mile in length. Thanks to our friend Katie Merwick of Second Chance Ranch (a Thoroughbred racing industry expert!), we also learned Brico has some very successful siblings. His sire, Smokester, has produced several stakes winner, and it looks like many of Smokester's foals have had long racing careers (a testament to soundness). Domoron's last race was in February, 2009.

I knew right away that I wanted to rename "Don." When we got him home we spent a few weeks brainstorming names before I settled on Bricolage, Brico for short. Bricolage is a french word meaning, "to make creative use of what is at hand." In France the word is used like "Do-it-yourself."

Brico is sound, fit, and ready for action. He's 16 hands tall, dark brown/bay with two white socks on his hind legs. Ever since he came home he has been enjoying his time in the field with the other geldings. I have been trimming his hooves, which look strong and healthy considering their race history. We keep all of our horses barefoot. Under saddle I have been basically retraining him. I have done some small jumping with him, and he shows some definite promise there. Everyone here on the farm, including our friends and visitors, have been helping him overcome his old track habits such as headshyness. He is proving to be very friendly and easy to deal with.

I'm happy to have this handsome and athletic horse; he's an interesting addition to the rest of my little gang. This spring and summer I'll be taking Brico to some local schooling shows and events. By the end of the summer I would like to be going steady at Beginner Novice level. Since he's changing careers, I want the transition to be as smooth and easy for him as possible.

**Since we're talking about horse shopping, I'll take this opportunity to say that we strongly recommend that you take at least one knowledgable horse person with you when you go horse shopping. This person should be familiar with your riding experience and goals. Not only is it a good safety measure to have someone you know with you, it is always better to have more than one assessment of a horse if possible. Also, taking someone educated in horses with you may help counteract the "Black Beauty Syndrome" (falling in love with a horse at first sight, even if it is not at all appropriate for you or you for it).

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-20T16:07:00.001-08:00

Jumpernite in December

2009-12-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

Jumpernite is held at the Trails End Arena in Tumwater three times every year. We've been competing at Jumpernite since the days of Mikey and Precious. Though somewhat expensive, it's one of our favorite shows to attend.

One of the reasons we like Jumpernite is that they offer a warm-up course before the competition begins. This is an opportunity for horses and riders to practice the course and get used to the arena. If you and/or your horse are nervous at shows, doing a non-judged warm-up round is an excellent way to get your feet wet with minimal pressure. Patti and Arron and Kelsy and Huxley all rode a schooling round early in the morning before the show got underway.

Patti and Arron entered the 2'6" Pony Jumpers division. This was a large class of sixteen horse and riders. Arron and Patti had a smooth first round and advanced to the jumpoff. Though they weren't as fast as some of the other pairs, they stayed on course and had a clean round. They finished in seventh place and won a purple ribbon for Patti's growing collection. Arron is twenty-six years old.

Kelsy and Huxley entered the 3'-3'3" Warm-Up Jumpers Power and Speed class. Power and Speed is a class in which the first half of the course must be jumped cleanly (no dropped rails or refusals). If the first fences on course are jumped cleanly, you then proceed immediately to a timed jump-off round over the last half of the course. The fastest clean round wins the class. Hux hadn't jumped a course since August and had never jumped a 3'3" course in competition. Nevertheless, Hux was a super star and jumped a clean first round to advance on to the jumpoff. Though they didn't take any of the inside corners, their jump off round was clean and forward putting Hux in 6th place out of about fifteen riders.

Chesna and Pippin also entered the 3'-3'3" Warm-Up Jumpers class. In his typical style Pippin had a clear first round and advanced to the jumpoff. In the jump-off Pippin made a statement about "Pony Power!" and put in a smoking fast jumpoff to win the class. Though they had a little bobble at the last fence--which was really Chesna's fault--they pulled it off to beat the second place horse's jumpoff time by a respectable four seconds.

We had a great time at Jumpernite and are looking forward to attending Jumpernite in January. Hope to see you there!

Fall on the Farm

2009-11-30T20:52:00.000-08:00

Tino

2009-11-22T11:20:00.001-08:00

Okay a quick update from Bellingham about Tino the rescue horse. Tino came the middle of last week and is settling in well. He has already gained a bunch of weight since the rescue program got him 3-4 weeks ago. My best guess as to what breed he is is some kind of Grade Quarter Horse or a Quarter Horse cross. We will be able to tell more once he gains all his weight back and sheds out this spring. He is currently about 13'3-14 hands and according to his teeth approximately 4 years old.

Congratulations Flech

2009-11-18T11:49:00.000-08:00

We just received word that Flech found a new home this week! We wish Flech a healthy and happy future with his new owner; he deserves the best.

This means that all four of the geldings we helped market for sale this summer/fall have been rehomed. Good horses are good horses, even in a rough economy. Whether or not you seek professional help when marketing your horse, we recommend that you always get clean and quality photos, write up an accurate and informative text ad, make sure the horse is healthy and up to date, and be realisitic about your target buyers and pricing. It goes without saying that the most important thing you can do for your for sale horse is sell them to an appropriately matched new owner. If you have any specific questions about selling horses, please feel free to leave a comment below.

An Update From Bellingham

2009-11-16T11:21:00.000-08:00

Chesna worked for a holistic small animal vet--housesitting and exercising her horses--while she was attending Western in Bellingham. Thanks to that, I get to board Huxley at the vet's farm this quarter.

It's a small private barn that is not open to boarders, but Hux and I have lucked out in the fact that the owner was willing to board him for the three months I'm in Bellingham finishing school this fall. The barn has four stalls, hay storage, a feedroom, a tackroom, a guest bedroom, and a full bathroom. The loft is someday going to be a HUGE dance floor. I've told Huxley this is the nicest place he will ever live!

The arena is a good sized outdoor arena that is mostly sand with some hogsfual mixed in, and it has been holding up nicely to the Washington weather. The turnouts are large hogsfuel paddocks with big run in sheds. For pasture there are four fenced acres of beautifully kept grass.

Huxley's new best friend is the barn owner's Thoroughbred gelding, Charlie. Though Charlie is in his late teens, he seems to tolerate Huxley's antics well and even plays with Hux from time to time.

Just down the road from the barn there are some logging roads that go forever up into the foothills. The barn owner and I have gone on several long rides that took us along scenic routes that overlooked the valley below, as well as provided great views of Mt. Baker.

Currently Hux has been working on getting steadier with his dressage and jumping bigger fences consistently. His goal for this winter is to go to JumperNite, a local jumper show, and make it around a 3'3 course without scaring me, him, or anyone watching. I think we can manage this goal...

The second weekend in October my friend Alyssa came all the way up to Bellingham from Portland, OR. She is also a horse person, so besides the normal college student stuff we did horse things as well. Saturday we went on a trail ride. Alyssa rode Huxley and I borrowed Charlie from the barn owner. We just followed the gravel road behind the barn to where there is a look-out overlooking the valley below and the Nooksack River. Alyssa used to do Hunters before she moved out west, but hasn't jumped much in a few years. So of course I made her jump Hux, and there had to be pictures! For not having really jumped in a long time and not jumping over 2'6 when she did, I think she did great. And Huxley was great about having someone else jump him.

Though we don't have a truck and trailer in Bellingham, Hux and I happened to find a ride to the last Cubbing Fox Hunt of the year with the Fraser Valley Hunt. It was a lot of fun to be able to get out and gallop in a large group of horses. Hux really needed a good run, because after a few hours of galloping he came back sweaty but far from tired!

Winter has finally arrived with tons of rain and wind in Bellingham. Huxley has decided that he would like to grow a short winter coat. His extra coat really isn't working well for me because he gets sweaty if I work him hard at all. We really need to be working hard on our canter for dressage next year, among other things. So to help with the sweating, Huxley got a modified blanket clip. He doesn't mind too much as long as I promise to keep him blanketed and warm. (Before and after pictures below).

The barn owner has decided to rescue a little three/four year old gelding who goes by the name of Tino. Tino will be coming some time this week. I am told he is just a bag of bones right now, but Tino couldn't find a better home. He will be loved and have plenty of food. Pictures will be posted when he arrives.

A New Home for Slick

2009-10-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that Gunnabeslick, aka "Slick," found a new and loving home this week! We had Slick here at Nayborly for a few weeks this summer for tune up training. We also took marketable photos of him and created a for sale video of him in action. He was a wonderful horse to work with, and we are glad to hear he has found a great home! He will be doing trail riding and dressage. Below are some photos from his time with us over the summer.

...and One More

2009-09-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Wow this hasn't been updated in forever. Sorry folks! I will try to get it updated this weekend/week before classes start. As of today I'm packing and leaving for Bellingham with Huxley, and Chesna has already started graduate school.

I just wanted to post that we know of one more horse for sale this summer/fall. He is a great, great horse; anyone can ride him. His name is Flech and he's a 14 year old Paint gelding. Flech is show ready if you know of someone wanting to do that, and he's just overall a fun ride.

Flech's Dreamhorse Ad

Photobucket Album

Recap

2009-08-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

So much happens during the summer that it's hard to keep track and up to date! Here's our attempt at filling you in on some of the goings on at the farm...

At the end of July our friends Carolyn and Marilyn came to camp here for their annual horsey vacation. They spent several days with their horses Gunnar, Bear, Sky and Dash and got in lots of trail riding. We always forget to take pictures of these ladies, probably because we're having too much fun! The best we got was a picture of their base camp.

One of our favorite trail rides takes us off Thompson Creek Road along a wooded ridge, down a hill, and out underneath the powerlines with a view of Mt. Rainier. Below Cheryl and friend Theresa got ahead of us on the trail for a little perspective.

We have five Haflinger geldings here at Nayborly Farms: Arron, Mikey, Precious, Chucky and Pippin. They're kind of like our farm mascots. During the day the boys tend to nap or crowd around and watch us ride the training horses, until it is their turn to ride that is!

One of the best times of year is when the Skookumchuck hay fields are mowed and baled. The fields become pristine turf for galloping and the hay bales are fun to dodge or jump. If you have a need for speed, open mowed hay fields are horse riding heaven!

Our friend and fellow rider Jesse came and spent several days with us earlier this month. She brought along her two horses, Stuey and Bravo. Both Stuey and Bravo are past summer campers, so we love having them around! Below Jesse and Brav strut their stuff.

When Jesse was here we decided to practice our jump positions and work on our horses' technique. We set up a grid of fences and built the height of the jumps up as we rode. Gridwork is great for horses because it allows them to work out jumping challenges fairly independently of their rider; gridwork is great for riders because it allows them to practice their position, balance, and truly "going with the horse."

Sandy, a Trakehner x Quarter Horse mare shown below, was here for three weeks and spent time working on consistency in her trot and canter work. We now have Blaze, her Thoroughbred cross colt, for a month to start under saddle.

Spencer was here for a month. He boarded at Nayborly Farms during his yearling summer so he could have some youngster playmates, and the following year we broke Spence out. This year he came back for a month for some continued education. Below Spencer demonstrates "bumping up" to the trailer. We teach horses to step over to the fence, the trailer, and/or a mounting block so that we can easily get on and off of them. Spence is a pro at bumping up from his first summer with us, but we make sure to challenge him from time to time by asking him to do it from the right side (generally people mount on the left and horses get in a habit of doing things from that side).

Our friend Melissa brought her niece and nephew out to do some pony riding on Mikey. We thought this picture was cute with Kelsy and Bravo in the background!

As the months change so do the weeds and flowers around the farm. Now we mostly have ugly stuff like tansy, thistles, and ragwort; but whatever this weed is looks pretty.

Some horsepeople don't believe in feeding their horses treats, but that is not the case around Nayborly. Our horses are expected to have manners when it comes to hand feeding, and if done properly hand feeding does not make a horse pushy or harder to handle. In fact, we like to teach our horses tricks and use treats as a reward. Below Hux demonstrates his flexible bowing skills.

Our old little farmhouse is also home to all sorts of animals, some by invitation and others not so much. This was the first time the frog made an appearance.

Our summer is not over yet and there's still lots of horse activity taking place. We've also already started a waitlist for horse training next spring/summer. Thanks for reading!

More Nayborly Birds

2009-08-23T19:56:00.001-07:00

Update on Sewickley's Lameness

2009-08-22T23:46:00.000-07:00

Shortly after we x-rayed Sewickley's lame right front hoof and determined he had a small fracture, I consulted with a lameness specialist for a second opinion on treatment options. Much to my surprise, the lameness specialist did not believe that the spot on the x-ray was indeed a fracture, rather he thought it was likely a spot that didn't develop properly into bone during adolescence and is NOT the cause of Sewick's current lameness. He recommended we keep looking for other causes. Thereafter Sewickley went back to our local vet to finish up the x-rays of his hoof, all of which came up clean (the first x-ray image below is his left front hoof for comparison, and the second is his right front from the back showing a clean navicular bone).

Sewick has been sounder than he was, but he is not 100% and some days he's more sensitive than others. We have also started to notice the lameness show up slightly on a straight line. He sometimes responds to the hoof tester on the front half of his hoof, but this could be because we have started soaking the hoof to see if an abscess will draw out. Save rest and good care we are mostly at a loss for treatment since we don't know the underlying problem. He remains in his small, soft footing paddock and overall his morale is good. He looks forward to his daily grain, hay, and cookie snacks (the photo below shows him after his favorite soaked pellet meal).

For Sale: Gunnabeslick

2009-08-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

Gunnabeslick is a seven year old registered APHA gelding for sale by owner. He is currently here at Nayborly and then will return to his home in Ocean Shores. "Slick" is a big, sturdy, pleasant horse with beautiful red dun color and an excellent temperament. He has a solid foundation and is ready for more! Click here to access his dreamhorse account. You can also take a peek at his photobucket pictures or youtube video. If you're interested in Slick please contact us or his owner Nancy at nansea@horseplant.com.

Update on a Past Training Horse

2009-08-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

Three years ago a good friend and Haflinger breeder sent us two of her three year olds to get broke out. Both youngsters had been troubled and difficult to handle from day one, particularly the gelding Stuey. Stuey was hard to catch in a stall and generally scared of EVERYTHING. Here is Stuey's Training Journal from three years ago.

After two months of training Stuey remained with us at Nayborly Farms to find a forever home. Well September came and the weather was changing to cold and rainy, and no one was showing any interest in poor Stuey. However, our good friend Jesse had been out several times that summer and had ridden Stuey well (below pictures are from the first time Jesse rode Stuey).

At the time, Jesse and her mom Kathy were not looking to buy another horse, in fact they had a horse to sell. But Stuey with his Haflinger charm and Jesse's begging finally talked Kathy into taking Stuey on a care lease for at least the winter months. The deal was Stuey would remain with them unless we found a buyer for him, at which time Jesse had first right of refusal to buy him. After Jesse had Stuey for only a month someone emailed Chesna about wanting to come out and look at him. Of course by this time the whole family had fallen in love with Stuey, and Jesse bought him.

Now three years later Stuey is primarily Kathy's riding horse. Kathy does mostly dressage with a little bit of jumping here and there. Husband Chuck, family friends, and pony clubbers also ride Stuey. And to top it off, Stuey is being evented by Jesse and is competing very successfully at Novice level. He has won both of the Novice Events he's been to this year. We at Nayborly Farms couldn't be happier with how Stuey turned out or the home he ended up with!

Stuey we knew you had it in you man!

What to Wear?

2009-08-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

When you start a green horse, you have a lot of decisions to make. One thing you must decide is what you are going to ride the horse in for the first time. Now we're not talking about what you personally are going to wear (thankfully horses don't have an eye for fashion), we care more about what your horse is going to wear the first time you climb aboard. When we do preliminary groundwork with young horses we usually introduce them to a bareback pad, English saddle, and Western saddle. Each has a unique feel and gives the horse a chance to experience different sensations. When it comes to actually riding them for the first time, you must decide which "outfit" works best for you and your horse.

English Saddle:

PROs: English saddles are generally much lighter than Western saddles and less cumbersome. They give the rider more freedom to use their leg and develop a strong independent seat. If you get into trouble on a young horse, it is pretty easy to do an emergency dismount from an English saddle. In a really bad situation, English saddles have stirrups that pull off to avoid an unfortunate dragging.

CONs: Like any saddle, an English saddle that doesn't fit properly can do a lot of damage. The most common ways English saddles don't fit are either by bridging (the tree panels do not lay evenly across the horse's back and instead bridge in the middle) or by creating pressure points in the shoulder/whither area.

Below is a picture of Chai in an English dressage saddle at the Nayborly Farms Trail Challenge. Though he is very comfortable bareback, riding in the saddle gives us a bit more support should he have difficulty with any of the obstacles.

Western saddle:

PROs: Western saddles are usually designed to hold you very securely in place. Your leg has minimal range of movement and you have a deep seat and horn to hold onto if you get into trouble. These saddles can also be quite comfortable to sit in. In addition, properly fitted Western saddles are meant to distribute the weight of the rider more evenly across the horse's back. Riding in a Western saddle may familiarize the horse with extra leather straps and different noises.

CONs: As mentioned before, Western saddles hold you very securely in place (some brands more than others). This means if something goes wrong, you are in for the ride. Think about it, cowboys use Western saddles to stay put. It is not easy to do a clean emergency dismount should you need to, especially since you must watch out for that horn. If you or the horse falls, there is a chance your feet may get caught in the stirrup (which does not break away) and/or you can get hung up on other parts of the rigging. Plus, just because Western saddles are holding you in a secure position does not mean they are holding you in a good position. Also, many Western saddles do not fit horses in the shoulder and can create unpleasant pressure points. On a young/small horse, Western saddles can be too long and push down uncomfortably on the horse's lower back. Western saddles are heavy to lug around and are extra weight for a horse with developing back muscles. Also, a Western saddle in the hands of a weak rider may be dropped heavily onto the horses back during saddling. This can make the horse sensitive to the saddling/girthing process (watch for signs of head tossing, nipping, tail swishing, and ears back). We have never started a horse in a Western saddle, and I can't imagine that we ever will.

Below is a picture of Katie during her last month of training at Nayborly Farms. Kelsy is riding her in a Western saddle on this trail ride because her owner rides Western, and Kelsy needed to make sure that her cues were understood through the extra leather. Plus, this saddle fit Katie better than our English saddles.

Bareback:

PROs: Bareback is cheap and easy. If you can ride your horse bareback, you have the freedom to ride anytime and anywhere. You can feel the horses back and they can feel you. You have a wide range of movement and most importantly can easily get on and off. If it hits the fan, you are free of any equipment (stirrups/horns). You will not be stuck on your horse's back, you don't have to worry about getting dragged, and you'll never have to watch an expensive saddle get beaten up. A bareback pad doesn't add extra weight on a developing back. In our experience, if you break a horse in bareback they have no trouble adjusting to a saddle (if they can tolerate you bouncing around bareback, then the saddle is nothing!).

CONs: Bareback requires that you have a very secure seat and good sense of balance. It's not a wise idea to ride a youngster bareback if you aren't able to have clear and effective aids. If you are bouncing around too much, this will not encourage a horse to lift and use their topline correctly. Some horses have uncomfortably shaped backs (padding can usually help this, but let's face it, there are some horses that will always give you a wedgie!).

Below is a picture of Kahuna, a three year old Arabian gelding in for training, learning to trot and follow a direct rein on his second ride. We chose to start him bareback due to his diminutive size and smooth gates. We start the majority of horses at Nayborly Farms bareback, at least for the first couple of rides. Please note that we do not recommend anyone use bareback pads with stirrups because bareback pads are not known for their stability. Also, don't expect the small handle on the front of some bareback pads to save you if you are falling, always reach for the mane!

In conclusion, we suggest you put some thought into the way you start your horse. We also believe that if you cannot ride effectively no matter what your tack is, then you have no business starting young horses. Safety first!

Lincoln Creek Pony Club Event

2009-08-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Patti and I loaded up Arron and Huxley and headed out to the last of the Pony Club Events of the year. Sewickley couldn't make it to this one because he's still on lameness recovery and Pip sat it out too because Ches was busy. Patti competed Arron at Novice level. It was her first time Novice and only her second event in many years. Even though Patti was nervous Arron pulled through and earned himself the title of "Perfect Pony" instead of "Practically Perfect Pony."

It was hot--well in the 80's--for Cross-Country, but as you can see in the pictures neither the height of the jumps, distance of the course, or the heat slowed old man Arron down. He completed his Novice courses just fine and was still perky at the end of the day. Not bad for a 26 year old!

Huxley also competed at Novice level. He had a very fussy dressage test and an even fussier/spooky cross-country round. He was sure the tiny Grasshopper level jumps next to our Novice fences were going to eat him. Nevertheless we made it around the course with no refusals, though it was not from lack of trying on Huxley's part. The round was reminiscent of eventing my Haflinger Precious and having to WORK to get the horse over EVERY fence. Huxley did redeem himself a little in the Show Jumping and finished the day with a sixth place ribbon. Though it wasn't the highest finish he's ever had, oddly enough Ches and I where excited about it because neither of us have a sixth place ribbon and we always thought the green ribbons looked neat!

FYI: Traffic

2009-08-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

If you are planning on traveling out here to Nayborly Farms in the next few months, please be advised that there is road construction taking place on Skookumchuck Road. Currently, part of the road is no longer paved and instead is just gravel. Expect delays if the construction crews are working. We apologize for any inconvenience and can't wait for the project to be complete!

To Hobble or Not to Hobble?

2009-08-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hobbles seem to be one of those things in the horse world that people either love or hate. At one time or another all of our horses have been hobbled. Some have spent a considerable amount of time hobbled and others have only been hobbled once or twice. There are many reasons to hobble a horse. For example, you could use hobbles if you're camping and want your horse to be able to graze on grass and not leave you in the woods to pack yourself out. Lots of people hobble train so if their horse gets caught in fence or wire said horse hopefully won't struggle and cut its legs off. Others hobble if they have a horse who paws while tied.

The majority of our training horses don't get hobbled unless the owner asks us specifically to hobble train them. Even on the best of horses hobbles can leave rub marks the first few times as the horse gets used to the idea of having their feet tied together. Most people are not fond of their horse having hobble rubs. Unless we find a specific training issue that truly needs to be addressed with hobbles, we don't hobble other peoples horses.

The most common issue we address via hobbles are horses that have trouble with giving to pressure. When you hobble a horse you take away their ability to run from a predator or away from a situation they do not feel comfortable in. Hobbling done correctly can make a big mental change in some horses; for them to let go of their flight response is HUGE.

Before we hobble any horse we first make sure the horse is okay with having ropes on all four feet. The second thing we do is teach the horse to give to the pressure of a rope on their foot (as seen in the picture below). We do this by asking them to lead forward with each foot. The horse pictured is Sandy, one of our current training horses, who is here to improve her flat work, be exposed to new things, and maybe start some jump training. Sandy's owner asked if we would hobble train her.

Once the horse is relaxed about leading by all four feet the only thing left to do is put the hobbles on. As a rule I do this in an arena or enclosed space with good footing in case the horse decides to have a panic attack and try to run.

I also always keep the horse on the halter rope until I am sure the horse isn't going to have a panic attack and try to run. If the horse does panic I will try to get them stopped via the halter rope, however horses with hobbles that are paniking generally do not have a lot of control over their body. So stay out of their way, never get in front of them!

Often when the horse tries to move for the first time they will lose their balance because their feet are tied together. Many horses will go down on their knees the first time they try to move. Stay relaxed, the horse will regain its balance. In the picture below you can see Sandy trying to work out the constraints of the hobbles.

Once the horse has the basic idea that it can't move, walk around the horse holding onto the rope. Make sure not pull on the rope. If the horse follows me with its head but does not try to move its feet, then I will take the halter off. You can see in the picture how Sandy is watching me walk around her but has no plans to move her feet.

In the picture below you can see Sandy is standing relaxed looking around at the other horses. She later figured out how to shuffle her feet along and munch on the grass at the edges of the arena. We will repeat this experience a few times to make sure she has truly grasped the concept. Remember, just like any new thing, training your horse to hobble is a process that requires understanding and patience.

Hear it from us: HELMETS!

2009-07-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

All of us here at Nayborly Farms wear helmets when we ride. Always! We don't need to read safety articles or check out horse accident statistics to know why it's important to wear a helmet, we've all had experiences that proved the point.

One day back when Nayborly Farms was located in Olympia, we were all riding alongside the Chehalis Western bike trail, a concrete pedestrian path. Kelsy was riding Arron, who at the time was 20 years old. Arron doesn't buck, he doesn't often spook, and as far as horses go he is the safest one on our property. Grandmas, children and dead beginners can ride him. Anyways, we were trotting single file on the grassy area next to the concrete and out of the blue Arron tripped and fell over. Kelsy fell next to him. Cheryl was riding next in line behind Arron on Gus, her 16.2 hand Thoroughbred. Everything happened so fast that Gus (who was in a forward extended trot) had absolutely no time to steer around Kelsy. I watched from behind as he trotted directly over the top of her, trying his best not step on her.

Miraculously, both Arron and Kelsy got up off the ground apparently no worse for the wear. It wasn't until a few minutes later that we all noticed the big hole in the back of Kelsy's riding helmet. At some point during the accident one of Gus' hooves must have smacked directly into the back of Kelsy's head. If she hadn't been wearing the helmet, the hole on the helmet would've been a hole in her head!

All three of us have had experiences where helmets helped or saved us. We have all fallen off, and we have all had horses fall under us on more than one occasion. It doesn't matter if you're jumping, riding in the arena, or out on the trail, unpredictable things can happen. You may be the most experienced rider on the most experienced horse, but that doesn't guarantee you will be 100% safe in every situation. Do yourself a favor and put on your helmet!

Sewickley's Mystery Lameness: Solved

2009-07-27T11:30:00.001-07:00

In 2006 I bought a tiny two year old, chestnut, Thoroughbred stud colt. Since then he has grown considerably, been gelded, trained, and renamed Sewickley. He is a fun, sweet, athletic little horse often mistaken for a Quarter Horse. Last year I competed him as a four year old alongside his best friend Huxley, and he placed first and second at his first Beginner Novice events. I was hoping to continue his event training this summer, but he had other plans!

Late in the spring when I was still boarding in Bellingham, Sewickley came up slightly lame on the right front. It was so subtle that Kelsy and I wrote it off as a mild stone bruise or emerging abscess. A week later he ran hard in the field and came up a little lamer. Strangely though, he was only lame on a right circle and perfectly sound in a straight line. He seemed worse on hard ground, but we could not find a sensitive spot with the hoof testers. He had no swelling, heat, cuts, scrapes, or areas of concern on his leg or shoulder. We continued to think it must be a hoof issue and left him to rest.

Once he was back at Nayborly for the summer his lameness was unchanged. We decided to try bute and also try isolating him in a small paddock (away from Huxley, who he loves to run and play hard with in the field). His level of lameness stayed about the same, which thankfully was nowhere near severe. Several weeks ago we called out our vet, and he flexed him (with no result) and then blocked Sewick's heel and hoof. When Sewick's hoof was blocked he trotted sound on the right circle, meaning we had successfully located the source of his lameness. Our vet suggested isoxsuprine (to increase circulation in the hoof), and we also started booting him with a padded boot each night.

The isoxsuprine and padded boot helped, but Sewick was still lame. Our vet recommended a digital x-ray for further diagnosis, so today we hauled him over to another local vet for the images. Low and behold the third x-ray image showed us exactly what was causing this mild mystery lameness...

Sewickley has a small fracture located on the right wing of his coffin bone. Thankfully it is nowhere near the coffin joint and is quite small. According to the vet fractures like this can heal without invasive surgery. With months of rest and proper care we are confident he will return to soundness, at least for flatwork, so his prognosis is as good as we can expect at this point. However, in the meantime it's a boring waiting game with unfortunate timing. Looks like old Mikey is going to be getting a lot more riding in while Sewick works on healing up!

If anyone has any sort of experience with broken coffin bones, especially wing fractures, we would love to hear from you in the comment section or via email: chesnaklimek@gmail.com. Thanks.

Skooter Gets a New Home

2009-07-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Cindy on purchasing Skooter! We hope you two have a great time together and can’t wait to see you out on the trail and in the show ring! Even though we will miss Skooter, we know he's found the perfect home with you.

Show Update

2009-07-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, July 18th Kelsy and I attended the *Chehalis Valley Pony Club One Day Event at Caber Farm in Onalaska. For those who may not be familiar, events include three phases: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. The horse and rider with the lowest score (penalty points) at the end of the three phases wins. We love eventing because it's exciting, challenging, and fun; plus you get to run fast and jump. The weather for this event was sunny and hot, the show had a good turnout, and there was no traffic on the way there or back. We had a great time and the boys were awesome!

Huxley competed in the Senior Novice division with over twenty other competitors. He had a respectable dressage score of 31.5 which tied him for fourth place after the first phase of competition. We were pleased to see how much his flatwork has improved since his four year old season.

BELOW: This event chose to run show jumping before cross-country jumping. Last season Hux had very little jump experience since he had a late four year old birthday (we don't jump our horses until they turn four). Even though he was a clean jumper last season, this season he looked much more composed and did not hesitate to canter over all his fences. He and Kelsy's jump practice through the winter really shows. Thanks to his clear round, after show jumping Hux moved up to second place.

BELOW: Huxley and Kelsy blended into the sea of bay and chestnut horses jumping around the warmup ring. However, Hux never fails to stand out thanks to his big white nose, aka "the beacon." Hux was very calm and relaxed at the show and this carried through to his cross-country round. He did not have any major bobbles over the Novice course, easily putting in a clear round. Hux maintained his second place position and finished the competition with a red ribbon!

BELOW: Hux shows off his second place red ribbon. He also won a lunge line and some Cowboy Magic Detangler and Shine which he will have to share with his Haflinger friends back home.

By far the smallest competitor in his class and representing ponies everywhere, Pippin competed in the Senior Training level division. After dressage Pippin was in third place on a solid score of 29.5. We were especially happy to see he got an eight on his gaits, not bad for a Haflinger!

BELOW: The training level stadium course was fair sized and somewhat challenging. It included a fan fence, a triple bar, lots of turns, and two combinations (the triple combo was a one stride to a one stride). Despite being 14 hands tall, in a forward canter Pip never has trouble making the horse-set distances in competition. He's also a naturally gifted jumper, so it was no surprise when he made all the jumps look easy with a clear round. The two riders placed before us after dressage had some faults jumping so Pip moved up to first place!

BELOW: The training level cross-country course was fun to ride and Pip put in another clear round. The course included a coffin combination, water complex, and a few big oxers; fifteen fences total. Thankfully, I school Pip over larger Preliminary and sometimes even Intermediate fences to "over prepare" for Training level. His only fault at cross-country is that he sometimes likes to look at ditches and trakehners. Since I know this about him, any time we approach a fence with a ditch (or even a ditch-like shadow) I ride him firmly to the base of the fence and don't let him drop his head to look. Otherwise, he's a cross-country machine! His clear round meant he finished first in his division.

BELOW: At the end of the day Pip shows off his winning smile and first place blue ribbon at Training level. He also won a fleece exercise cooler and a sponge. Though he has won at Novice level, this is the first time Pip has won at training level. Last season he placed second.

* We attend the pony club sponsored one day events instead of the approved two or three day events because the one day's are a fraction of the cost. The one day events have the same requirements, the same courses, and often the same judges, but you don't have to pay to be a member of USEA and you don't have to pay to stall your horse overnight. Instead of spreading the three phases (dressage, cross-country, and show jumping) out over two or three days, at the unapproved events you do everything in a single day.

Week Three & Four Update

2009-07-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

This post is terribly late in the coming, but better late than never. We have lots of photos to share and some updates.

Daisy's one month of training was up last last weekend. She has a great foundation of skills and is ready for more riding back home. We tell everyone with greenbroke horses that the only way they will truly be trained is if you continue to work and ride them, they need the experience. We know Daisy is going to do very well!

Belle has also finished her month of training. She too knows all the basics and has made fantastic progress from where she started. Even though she is much more comfortable with people on the ground and under saddle, she still has confidence issues that require time and dedication. Over the course of her month in training we did loads of groundwork with her to overcome her skittishness and teach her to give to pressure. One activity that greatly reduced her over-reactiveness to leg under saddle involved using an orange barrel on the ground. We tied a rope to the barrel and looped the rope around a Western saddle horn. Then we let the barrel drag behind her AND come up and bump into her sides. The first times we did this she reacted by flying sideways, but after many rounds of repetition she got better and better. This helped her respond less fearfully to my leg under saddle. We also made sure to always end Belle's training and riding sessions on a positive and relaxed note, even if it took a couple of hours to get to that point.

Cowboy went home after a month of riding here at Nayborly. We are pleased to have already heard from his owners that he's doing great! We look forward to hearing more about this future pony club star.

All the horses on our farm practice going through the Skookumchuck river at some point. For any eventers out there, trail riding through water is excellent cross-country water jump preparation. If your horse will enter a moving river with deep water via a muddy embankment through the brush, then a shallow, manicured, easy entrance water jump doesn't seem like that big of a deal!

In other news, we have delicious 'organic' berries popping up around Nayborly Farms. The local cherries are especially perfect for a mid-ride snack.

We have seven chickens who produce eggs and add character to the farmyard. On hot days they like to explore the barn area and eat any stray kernels of grain.

Our new roommate, Carl, joined us two weeks ago and settled right in. He enjoys looking out the windows at the wildlife, taking naps, and rubbing his face on things.

A litter of little wild bunnies hatched in one of our gardens this spring. We are a bit nervous since they roam very close to our dog yard fence, and we have two cardigan welsh corgis that would love a rabbit snack...

Lots of flowers out this year. These are weeds, but the rule of thumb around Nayborly is that if it looks pretty it can stay.

Pip hates bath time, but his long white mane needs attention before we go out in public. After owning Haflingers we have a fear of owning grey or white horses; white is too hard to keep clean!

Katie, on the other hand, enjoys her baths. If you have a horse who doesn't like water, try to make bath time positive for them. For example, wash them on a hot day after a long ride. They will appreciate getting the sweat off. If it's cold, hook up the warm water for them and throw a cooler on them afterwards. Also, if they have scratchy spots, try to scrub those areas during bath time.

Two Wednesdays ago Kelsy, Eric and I went to three man ranch sorting at the Trails End Arena. This is a fun, inexpensive, low-key event and a great activity to try with any horse. It was Skooter's first time working cows, but he went perfectly for Kelsy. It was also Eric's first time sorting cows, but Pippin helped him get the job done. We had two clean runs out of three. Go team!

Before you Ride Checklist

2009-07-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a simple training manual that worked to train every horse? Some trainers lead you to believe that if you do certain things in a certain order your horse is guaranteed to end up trained, but realistically every horse is an individual and there are many ways to get the end result you seek. We don't think there is one perfect or correct way to start a young/green horse. However, having started quite a few horses, here are some things we think you should be able to do with your young/green horse before you try and ride them for the first time:

Touch them allover, including sensitive areas such as the ears and between the hind legs
Lift all four of their legs (side note: it is not your farriers job to train your horse to do this)
Spray them with water while they stand still
Get them to do something they don't want to do (for example, if your horse doesn't like puddles, make them walk through a puddle)
Make sure they can tie and stand quietly
Teach them to accept a bridle and wear a saddle at all paces with no tension
Desensitize them to strange things, strange noises, and strange movements
Be able to 'change eyes' with them; that is, move quickly from one side of their vision to the other

And here are a few questions that you can ask yourself before you break in a green horse:

Does my horse have any soundness issues or other physical problems?
Does my tack fit correctly, especially my saddle?
Does my horse give to pressure?
What's my horse's typical response to new or uncertain things?
Who is the boss at feeding time, me or my horse?
Who's leading whom?
Do I communicate confidently and clearly with my horse or am I vague and insecure?
Am I ready for a challenge if training my horse proves to be one? Am I ready to work hard?
What are my goals? What kind of relationship do I want with this horse? What exactly do I expect from them?

Actually, the above questions may be valuable to ask yourself about any horse you ride or work with!

"This Horse is Mad Fun to Ride"

2009-07-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

This summer we've had some of our friends out to ride, and we are grateful to have EXCELLENT horses to accommodate them (we do not do riding lessons with our own horses, but we expect our horses to carry anyone when we ask it of them). Some of our friends have ridden as long as we have, for others, this is their first ride ever! Here are some of our favorite friend pictures from this year (horses featured are Pippin, Arron, Skooter, Chai, and Chucky).

Baby Birds: Watch Them Grow

2009-07-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

This year Kelsy and I came home from school in Bellingham and found that a swallow family had moved into our covered front porch area. The nest was located only three feet from our front door and easily within arms reach. In the past we have had trouble with aggressive swallow parents (imagine us waving tennis rackets at miniature missiles with wings), so we wanted to move this couple's nest. Alas, the swallow parents had already laid their eggs for the season, so we had no choice but to let them stay.

BELOW: Mom and Dad hunkered down for the night with their newly hatched babies. The grey fuzz at the top of the nest represents the chicks. At this point, we had no idea how many had hatched, we were just happy that Mom and Dad didn't seem to mind us using our front door.

BELOW: As the chicks grew, we started to see their mouths popping up over the nest at feeding time. We thought there were four chicks, a big batch!

BELOW: The swallows grew quickly and space in the nest got cramped. Turns out there were SIX healthy chicks in the nest, I guess their luxury location made raising babies easier. We were worried chicks would start falling out of the nest... We have seen chicks in the barn push one another out when space becomes limited.

BELOW: Still growing and all still sharing space! The chicks sat on one another and waited patiently for Mom and Dad to bring food.

BELOW: As of today the chicks are almost old enough to leave the nest. As you can see, a few opt to sit on the edges of the nest instead of on each other. Any moment we expect they will start their flying lessons and leave home for good.

We've enjoyed our swallow family, except having to wash away the poo. Best of luck to all six chicks. And thanks to their polite behavior, Mom and Dad have already signed a lease with us for next year.

Congratulations Chai

2009-07-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Chai for finding a new home with Katie and Donna. Can't wait to see you guys out in the show ring this year!

Stretch Down

2009-07-08T00:54:00.000-07:00

Perusing through our photo batch from last week, we discovered two interesting pictures of Hux stretching out during his dressage warmup at the combined test. Ideally, horses ridden correctly in dressage stretch across their toplines and engage their hindquarters. One exercise many riders like to do with their horses is a stretch down, which may be performed at the walk, trot, or canter and sometimes is required during dressage tests. A stretch down is a way to see if your horse will follow the contact outward, maintain balance, and use the appropriate muscles. Unfortunately, a stretch down performed incorrectly is useless at best and physically detrimental at worst. The first photo of Hux is an excellent example of a good stretch down for a horse of his training. For comparison, the second photo shows a poorly executed stretch down.

CORRECT:

In the above photo Hux shows us what a stretch down should look like. He is light and springy, stepping forward nicely and tracking up from behind. His head is lowered but is not dragging. He is gently taking the contact (he could reach out past the vertical even more if he wanted). Even though he's stretching downward, you can see that the muscles at the base of his neck are lifted correctly and that he is moving upwards (whithers lifted, engagement from behind). His body in motion looks like an arch, and Kelsy is clearly not forcing him uncomfortably into this position. If you could zoom in on the photo you would see that Kelsy is smiling. She's smiling because when Hux is moving correctly, he's really fun to ride!

WRONG:
In this picture Hux looks heavy, downhill, and therefore unbalanced. His hind legs are not tracking up, and he lacks true engagement. While we are happy to see that Hux can in fact put his head that low (his natural tendency is to fling his head high into the air), we would not want to see him moving in this fashion for extended periods of time. He looks like a peanut-rolling Western pleasure horse. It would not be fair (or fun) to ask Hux to do anything especially athletic like jump or half-pass from this position, he is simply too heavy on his forehand. Use of incorrect stretch down over time can add unnecessary strain on the forehand, the opposite of what dressage wishes to achieve.

Cross-Country Schooling with the Boys

2009-07-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

I woke up Monday morning to misting rain and grey skies. I can always count on Washington for rain when I have outdoor plans. Despite the weather, Chesna, Patti and I loaded up our brave steeds and headed to Rainbow Meadows Farm just down the road for a cross-country schooling session.

Chesna had Pippin who’s goal for the day was to school all the ditches, Trakehners, and Berlin walls. Rainbow has several of each in all different sizes, which is great for schooling young horses over, or in Pip’s case horses that just don’t like ditches. Pip also got to school over the larger Training and Prelim level fences. And of course being himself was pictures prefect over every fence.

Patti took Arron, her "Practically Perfect Pony." Arron is 26 years old this year and Patti has been riding him for almost two years now keeping him in show shape while I’m away at school. Arron and Patti go to jumper shows in the winter and have been eventing during the summer. Patti’s goal for herself this summer is to go Novice at an event. Even at age 26 Arron is more than capable of competing at Novice level. And he sure didn't look 26 years old yesterday!

Finally I took Huxley who's goal is to event Novice level this summer. This goal should be achievable since he’s been jumping 3’3 all winter. However seeing as he hasn’t been out and about to see many cross-country fences or courses, I thought this would be a good warm up for the event we will be attending in a few weeks. I was happy to see that he was not at all looky about the fences and just cantered down to them. He even packed me over the Trakehner and Berlin walls that I hate. Good pony! But in true Huxley fashion the fence that got a huge spook, and an “OH MY GOSH, NO WAY LADY!” was a tiny tiny 12-inch tall log. Go figure that’s what would scare my horse. Over all I was very happy with how steady Hux was to the fences, now I just need to work on my position. Aren’t pictures great!

Lessons from Cowboy

2009-07-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

Since Kelsy had our horse trailer hooked up to the truck for the schooling show last weekend, we decided to practice trailer loading with several of the trainer horses over the course of last week. In particular, Cowboy has had issues loading in the past, so we wanted to make sure he got in some good practice. When Cowboy was dropped off here at Nayborly he was sweaty and a little nervous from his trailer ride because he hasn't had extensive trailering experience.

One morning after I rode Cowboy, I spent twenty minutes practicing trailer loading with him. He was hesitant to get in our four horse slant load trailer alone, but we danced through the trailer loading motions until he understood what he needed to do. The first time he stepped into the trailer I rewarded him with a snack and let him rest peacefully. When he was calm I turned him around and had him stand facing out at the doorway of the trailer. We don't let a green horse unload themselves, they need to learn to wait until they are asked to leave the trailer. When Cowboy relaxed (head down, chewing, heavy sigh), I let him step out of the trailer. We finished that morning by loading him up several more times to make sure he had mastered the trailer loading lesson.

For the next week we practiced loading Cowboy into the trailer after all his rides, and he always just walked right in. Cowboy's a great horse because once you work through an issue he pretty much stays over it; if you are effective the first time with him you don't have to keep having the same discussions over and over. For several days we let Cowboy spend an hour or so chilling alone in the trailer. He wore his flymask and flyspray and the trailer was shady and comfortable with shavings on the floor. We tied him between two closed dividers so he had to stand still in a confined space. Some days I fed him his grain or some treats inside the trailer before I unloaded him. Basically, we wanted him to learn that the trailer isn't such a bad place and there's no reason to be fussy about it. With any horse, the more you practice the better they will get. Below is a picture of Cowboy doing his time behind bars...

Cowboy has a fun personality, and he brought up another topic for our blog... We are very casual with our horses in the barn because we have an honor system with them. If we leave them untied or "ground tied" they are expected to stay put (not help themselves to the grain, hay, or run free out into the yard). Sometimes Kelsy and I forget that not all horses know the same honor system that our horses do, but usually over the course of a month the horses we have in training pick up on the honor system on their own.

On the third day that Cowboy was here I took his bridle off in the barn and stepped away from him for a moment. Opportunity knocked and Cowboy decided to canter out of the barn to freedom. Instead of panicking (which some people do when they see a loose horse running away with a quality dressage saddle on their back), I calmly walked out the barn after him and herded him into the nearby outdoor arena. Once Cowboy was in the arena I closed the gate and roundpenned him there for several minutes. At first he was totally enjoying cantering around wildly with his mane flying in the wind, but after a few circles of work he was beginning to look to me for a break. I made him canter several circles more than he had in mind and then let him trot up to me to be caught. I gave him a quick rub on the neck, and he followed me politely into the barn. Cowboy learned that if he wanted to run away he could, but he would have to work harder than he anticipated. As you can see from the picture below, a couple of weeks later Cowboy has no problem standing in the barn on the honor system.

Horse for Sale: Jetin N Joken

2009-07-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

We have a great 12 year old, 14.1 hand, Registered brown quarter horse gelding for sale on behalf of owner here at Nayborly Farms. Jetin N Joken, aka Skooter, is a fun horse and we are looking to find him a good home. If you would like more detailed information about Skooter and his suitabilities, please check out his Dreamhorse ad. You can also take a look at his Photobucket account for pictures or check out his Youtube video.

First Shows

2009-07-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

Last weekend on Saturday I washed up my horse Huxley (an almost five year old Dutch WB x Quarter Horse gelding) and Chai (the black Paint gelding we have for sale) and headed south to a combined test and dressage schooling show. Huxley has been to a handful of shows in his short life and has never had an issue going new places and being in a show environment. Chai on the other hand has never been away from his previous home in Bellingham. But because he is such a chill guy Ches and I both figured he would be fine at show and that it would be a good thing to put on his resume. When I got there I unloaded the boys who both just looked around and started eating out of their haynets.

Chai's dressage test was first so I got him all tacked up and headed to warm up. He didn't even flick an ear in Hux's direction when we left the trailer. Yay for none herdbound horses! I'm sure it helped that Hux didn't care at all that Chai had left, it meant more hay for him.

Chai went right in the small, dusty and very busy warmup ring just like he'd been doing it his whole life. He wasn't worried about where Huxley was or the other horses warming up around him. Our test was on the grass outside the warmup ring. Chai of course was his normal self and his test was just as good in the ring as it had been at home, which I was glad to see. After his test he went back to the trailer and got tied up for the rest of the day, lasting a good five to six hours, poor guy!

Then came Huxley's turn. In normal fashion Hux went into warmup and decided that EVERYTHING was going to eat him: walls, fence, bleachers, even a man door. But after a couple of walk laps around each way he settled down about all that "scary" stuff. Yes folks this is my big brave event horse, feel free to laugh. In true style Hux was fussy in warmup, and of course continued the be fussy throughout his dressage test. Guess I couldn't expect two horses to both be great, and I can always count on Hux.

Then came the long long long wait for my jumping rounds. The people putting on the show had never run a show before and therefore had no idea that they should always do the higher levels first and the lower levels last. That way the one person at Training level and handful at Novice can finish and leave early and the very popular smaller classes can stay late.

It was late in the afternoon by the time I got on to warm Hux up for his jumping rounds. We had two rounds to do; one for our combined test and one jumper round. Oddly enough even with a fussy dressage test his score was good enough to put him in first place. Our combine test jump round went fairly smoothly, I was very proud. He went in the ring normal Huxley style, looking at all the "scary" things, but when the time came he cantered right down to his first fence like a champ. He even made the corner to the last jump with style. Turning and cantering at the same time is usually not Hux's thing! Our jumper round went much the same way, a few odd striding's, a few prefect ones, and a couple of inbetween. He did drop one rail when I let him get a little flat and long into one vertical, but he just barely ticked it with a back foot. Stupid flat jump cups are very unforgiving!

When all was said and done Chai ended with a score of 63% and won his first ribbon ever, which just so happened to be a first place. Huxley won his combined test class and placed second in the jumper class even with the rail down. So over all for a first show ever, and a first show of the season, I think things went great.

Week Two Update

2009-06-30T18:05:00.001-07:00

Week two of Nayborly Farms Summer Camp went by without a glitch. In fact, it was just your average busy week of farm life, riding, and good weather. This is what Huxley thought of it...

Below: The horses are all turned out in fields across the 31 acres, and the horses in the back field sometimes have to give us rides in from the pasture. This time Tiny kindly gave Chesna's legs a rest and Cowboy and Skooter practiced ponying. The only rule for this cooperative effort is that everyone must have "happy ears" to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Below: Here the boys wait in the barn for their turn to ride. "Patience is a virtue," and we make sure that every horse at Nayborly has their fair share of patience. We like it when the horses stand quietly and comfortably in any given situation, as this translates over to riding. If they throw fits and fuss when we expect them to stand tied, we wait to untie them until they have calmed down. For horses who don't tie safely, we have a highline in the show jump field were they can move around and pull without hurting themselves or others. This is great for herdbound horses. As you can see, these three don't have any issues standing around, though occasionally the odd brush or saddle pad lying around the barn falls victim to their curiosity.

Below: We are fortunate to live in a beautiful part of Washington AND have access to so much great riding land. Our property is surrounded by timberland and wildlife preserve. Our neighbors are the best and let us romp around their Christmas tree patches and hay fields. We often see wildlife out on our rides, which is fun for us and great exposure for the horses. Animals we often encounter include elk, deer, bunnies, birds, coyotes, and occasionally skunk and bear. We joke that if we were hunters we'd have quite the trophy collection... By now lots of the "regulars" see us riding and don't even move. Both of the pictures below were snapped during the same ride via horseback (a type of photography we have mastered over the years. The hardest part is keeping pony ears out of the shot and making sure the camera makes it back in one piece. We have designated camera safe horses and also blacklisted those who aren't aloud to carry such precious cargo).

Below: Eric and Murray knocked over a dead tree in the Haflinger turnout, chopped it up, and built us a new cross-country jump! Pippin tests it out while Eric takes a break in the shade (kids, don't try this at home, at least not when your parents are looking).

Below: Daisy braves the boats and tractors on her way out on a trail ride. She is proving to be a great little riding horse and is now working on getting more miles under her belt while improving her repertoire of skills.

Below: Cowboy's also trying to get in plenty of ride time. The woodpile on our neighbor's property can be troublesome for a few horses, but Cowboy got up close and personal without much fuss. With clear direction this little horse is pretty much good as gold. He is working on things like giving to the bit, moving more crisply off aids, and leading the way past "scary things" out on the trail.

Below: Katie's goal is to relax when she's on trail rides and learn that she has to work through her issues. Here Katie looks magestic, though perhaps not exactly calm, on one of our favorite trail riding spots just around the corner from home.

Below: Kelsy and Huxley. A post about Hux's (and Chai's) first show of the season is coming soon!

Belle, the other Haflinger mare, continued to work on desensitization during week two. Both she and Daisy are now very easy to catch in the field, in fact they even walk over to us. We have been riding Belle walk/trot in the arena, but she is still startled easily by leg cues and needs to let down a lot more. The best thing for her at this point is repetition: we shake the flag at her until she doesn't react, we jump next to her until she doesn't move away, we get on and off until she is relaxed about it, we trot until she is willing to stand calmly... Slow and steady wins the race with this mare as we teach her to give to pressure better and accept more and more stimulus. She has definitely made overall progress, but nevertheless we know that she requires more work to truly be ok with everything we are teaching her. This may be attributed to the way she was raised, her natural temperament, but most likely is due to the fact that she spent her first twelve years living her own life without having to cope much with people and their strange requests.

"Flooding"

2009-06-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

Last week Cheryl recommended we try a technique called flooding with Daisy and Belle (the Haflinger mares in for training who've had little handling and were nervous around people). Cheryl learned this technique years ago for timid show dogs and thought it may help (and certainly not hurt) the two mares. The way flooding works is someone holds the animal in a safe location, a group of people line up nearby, and then one at a time people from the line walk up to the animal. When a person reaches the animal they offer them a treat and stroke them as they walk past. The line of people continues to "flood" the animal in this manner until it becomes noticeably more relaxed and accepting of contact. This seemed like a great way for the mares to get exposed to people besides their usual handlers and also for them to associate people in general with positive rewards (treats and petting).

Since we needed a group of volunteers, during the potluck lunch break of our Trail Challenge we asked some of our friends and fellow riders to help out with the flooding process. We appreciate everyone who volunteered to socialize with the mares; both Daisy and Belle responded very well. Daisy is a little bit head-shy so it was good for her to have people stroking her face. She also didn't mind when towards the end of the session groups of people stood around touching her sides and chatting. Belle, the more nervous of the two mares, did better than expected and even appeared to enjoy herself. It is nice to see that within a week at Nayborly she has made positive changes. Also, true to their food-loving breed, neither mare ever refused a treat offering. Thanks again to everyone who helped out!

Below: You can see from her expression that Belle was comfortable with strangers feeding and petting her. She became more nervous when groups of people approached, but even then she kept her composure.

Below: Cheryl and Belle talk about the experience...

Below: Daisy was unconcerned with the flooding from the beginning, and after a few minutes she decided to take a nap...

Keep in mind that if you ever try this technique or something like it, your horse should always have an out. That is, they should always be able to move away if they are too scared. If you confine a frightened horse they may react dangerously by kicking, striking, biting, etc. Also, the point is for the horse to choose to accept the process on their own rather than be forced to accept the process.

Nayborly Farms Trail Challenge Results

2009-06-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

To follow up the horses training themselves post here are the first through fifth place finishers of the Nayborly Farms Trail Challenge. We had around fifteen horse and rider sets, not bad for an invitation only Trail Challenge. All horses and riders handled the trail course well, and I think almost everyone braved crossing our creek and going up and down the hill. Thank you everyone who came, now get out there and ride your horses!

In fifth place we had Denise riding Chez.

In fourth was Tiffany on Roanie.

Third place was Rebekah (in her first ever riding competition) and Pippin the wonder pony.

Second place was Patti riding Arron, her practically perfect pony.

First place went to Peggy with her horse Tiny. The pair led the Gambler's Choice challenge from start to finish with their excellent use of strategy, skill, and smooth riding.

And finally a group shot of almost everyone who attended...

Horses Train Themselves

2009-06-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the Nayborly Farms Friendly Trail Challenge last Saturday, we set up obstacles the day before the competition. Some of the geldings were turned out in the same field as the obstacles. Apparently, if you leave horses alone they train themselves!