# Rebel and Noelle: Our Story and Journey



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Congratulations on your new(ish!) purchase <3 She's lovely! Subbing <3


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*First Ride of 2015*

Thanks!

Some of my goals for us include tracking all of our trails and mileage, and also competing in some trail competitions. Today, we went out and it was extremely muddy (and a little rainy at times), so doing a lot of trails was out due to just how extremely slick and muddy it is here. We did about a mile, just putzing up and down the driveway. Then we set up some barrels and worked on reining, leg cues, etc. I did some groundwork with her, but it was cut short when I looked over and realized I had a flat tire and the sunlight was fading.

So, not what I planned on-- but it was my first ride of 2015 and a learning experience!

Here's a pic of the little bit of sun I did see!


----------



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Wow, that sunset! <3


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Some cool things planned for this month and next...

The trails open back up after hunting season in a couple of weeks, so several of the girls I ride with and I will be going to a cabin + bringing the horses for a trail riding weekend. 

I was planning on buying a new saddle this weekend, but my flat tire fiasco has turned into a $1,000 expenditure. Not happy about it, but--what can ya do? Just chalk it up to life and move on. I'm still going to the tack store and can decide on what will work best for us, they do have a layaway option, which I feel silly for using... I'm a "buy it if you have the money and don't go into debt unnecessarily" type of person. But, it will just depend on what/if I find anything. 

Also, there's an indoor competition in February at our local university that a few of us will be going to in order to get some ideas of the obstacles they will be using and that we can work on with our trail rides.


----------



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I guess you've been to Bedford tack?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

gunslinger said:


> I guess you've been to Bedford tack?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Ohhh yes. Most definitely, and am planning on going lots and lots more. I'm considering purchasing a saddle from a friend of mine, which has been fitted to Noelle and I have been riding in the past 2-3 weeks. I might still try out some saddles this week at BT, but definitely need to get some new reigns and saddle pad. I foresee this being a costly trip all said and done

I do love how everyone from our part of the globe is so familiar with Bedford Tack! I had no ides it was there and then _boom_, my eyes were opened


----------



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Been to the winners circle? ( old national bridle)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

gunslinger said:


> Been to the winners circle? ( old national bridle)
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


No, I haven't been there yet. Just the usual around here with Bedford and also another very small tack shop in Triune. I will have to check that one out, though! Website looks nice.


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Saddle Situation*

This is the saddle I'm considering purchasing right now, it is from a friend of mine-- so I trust her and know she takes care of her horses and equipment:


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Well, this isn't exactly horse related but... did my first workout of 2015, woo hoo! It will benefit Noelle if I can shape up a little lol.

One workout down this week, two more to go!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Saddle Purchased!*

Well, good news-- bought that saddle this weekend and all new tack for Noelle!:happydance:

I was super excited Saturday to get her all outfitted in her new gear, especially to see how the purple looked on her coat (it looked great!!).

Saturday, a group of us went to the tack store and then lunch, making a day out of it. When we got back to the barn, a friend of mine helped me assemble the new headstall and we got Noelle all fitted exactly how she needed to be. Unfortunately, we ran out of daylight and I wasn't able to do much more riding than a few little turns in the driveway.

I was supposed to go out yesterday for a ride, but I was unable to due to a family function. This weekend I plan on putting in some good trails 

Here are some pics of one of her new saddle blankets and then the saddle on her.

Excuse how muddy and dusty she is, I was in a hurry to try all of her new stuff on her and didn't want to lose any more daylight!


----------



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Really pretty! I have an over the neck strap that helps hold Miss Lacy's breast collar up.....and also added endurance type stirrups and stirrup turners......that's part of the fun....getting the personal touch to your tack....

It may just be the picture, but is the saddle sitting a bit forward?

That pink is highly visible....but be careful during turkey season......

GF has a pink blanket...but the only time I've seen her ride with it was in the Ider Mule day parade....

Now you done it.....I want a new saddle......

Have you got a horse trailer?


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

It was sitting a little forward, we adjusted it quite a bit here and there because of the breast collar (will need to be tightened with another hole punched through most likely) and I bought a new girth piece that we were toying around with. Poor Noelle, she stood there like a trooper! It took me and my friend a good hour or so to put all of the tack together, fit everything and then adjust everything to my liking. But, it was well worth it!

I purchased two of the saddle blankets, the one in the picture and then another one that is purple, black and turquoise. It looks so pretty on her and really stands out against her coat! The sunlight in those pictures makes her look a little reddish, but in person she looks just like velvet 

No horse trailer yet, that's my next big purchase! There's a few for sale around here, but my buddy has a 4 horse trailer and only 3 horses-- so for now we will "carpool" the horses and I will give her gas money until I purchase my own. 

I'm still waiting on that money tree to grow in my backyard....


----------



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Money tree? Oh yea.....mine didn't grow very well....hope you have more luck with yours lol....I think it's the Tennessee soil, although some people seem to have found the spot for them....

I was hoping you and your friends might trailer over and join us for a ride in the mountains this spring...but it appears the logistics might be difficult to manage....

Anyway...hope you can join us for mule day!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Yes, I am still very interested in Mule Day! I might not be able to have a trailer by this Spring-- but I'm working on it slowly but surely


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Our First Big Adventure*

So, kind of a whirlwind weekend went by this past weekend. Some friends of mine from the barn do an annual cabin trip every January after the holidays, and I was so graciously invited this year to tag along. I will pause for a minute to say, it brings me a lot of joy to have found a group of women who not only enjoy horses and are accomplished riders-- but who are also extremely kind and welcoming to a "new" member to the group. It's been a lot of fun making new friends and planning rides together.

Anyways, we have had this in the works for about a month or so. We planned on going down to a little cabin about an hour from my house-- taking all the horses, packing enough food for 3 days and just going out and enjoying the first sunny and beautiful weekend of 2015 in Tennessee. I was a little nervous because, (1) this was Noelle and my first time out on the open trails together and offsite from her home/my friends property and (2) I knew that this trail was really for more advanced riders. There were some very steep pulls, and a couple of unpredictable aspects to this trail. 

So, the 12 of us set out after having a huge breakfast. It's about 10:30/11 AM and sunny. We start down the loop at the back of the cabin and make our way down the ridge line. As we are coming up, I'm, behind a "pokey" horse who is being ridden by a very experienced rider. He starts up this steep embankment and just cannot get good traction. Noelle is behind him and-- let me just say this-- she is extremely sure footed and solid. The girl can find good ground, and so she starts up. About that time as she is powering up, I feel my saddle start to slip. I try briefly to adjust it, but decide against it as I didn't want to hurt her by hanging off of the side of her pulling her with my weight all off of her right side. So, after a few second I just let go, and landed on some soft rocks 

It truly wasn't a bad fall. I have a thick Carhartt that I was wearing, plus some thermal shirts on under that so I didn't feel it too bad. After I got up and brushed myself off, the "line" had stopped and everyone was fussing over us. I was a little embarrassed because the reason for the slip was because the cinch wasn't tight enough on her  , which I did check before we set out. But apparently, miss priss takes mammoth gulps of air and I needed to double check (lesson learned). I _knew_ it would happen eventually, everyone takes a spill at some point, so I was glad to just get inducted and move on  I haven't fallen off a horse in about 15 years, so my imagination was giving me a harder time that the fall actually did.

Considering we were only about 30 minutes into a 4/5 hour ride, I got back on her and set off again down the trails. A few people asked if I wanted to turn back and go to the cabin, but honestly-- I just didn't want to give up and I figured I'd already fallen once ... so, her and I continued on. She did absolutely fabulous, as did I ( if I do say so myself ). We did some really steep pulls, cantered for the first time, she listened to me-- I listened to her and I truly felt like we worked through some things on the trails. There were times when I was just trusting her to find good footing and there were times she was trusting me to walk over things, around things, through things that were spooking some of the other horses. It was such a great learning experience and I seriously could have kissed her on the mouth when we were done with it that afternoon 

Here are a few pics of our adventures! One was taken right after the ride, she she is a little sweaty and spent-- but happy to have some hay waiting for her. Then there's one of us with our matching purple tack and outfit (Yes, I am that person that tried to color coordinate with my horse), and finally-- a pic from the top of the ridge looking down into the valley. I wish I had a better camera, but the view was breathtaking! Well worth the trek up to see it


----------



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

DW has done the same thing.....

You might possibly have a cinch that's to long......

If the saddle keeps shifting....try a shorter cinch....

I didn't realize what her issue was until I started riding her quarter horses and noticed the saddle kept moving on me.....


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Hmm. That's a good call, I'll keep an eye on it. Right now her cinch is a Smart Cinch that's 32 inches, which seems small-- but she isn't THAT big, pics can be kind of deceiving.


----------



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I can tell you had a great time. When are you going again?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Hopefully soon! We have some plans to eventually do Milky Way Farms in Pulaski and also Natchez again ( for them). The only other offsite ride I have done with this group was down around Steeplechase in Nashville. That was a fun ride, and the first time I ever cantered really on _any_ horse. I think my lessons will start up again here in the next 6-8 weeks, and then it will be show season. We have some shows in Winchester, Fayetteville and some saddle clubs locally.


----------



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Rebelwithacause said:


> Hopefully soon! We have some plans to eventually do Milky Way Farms in Pulaski and also Natchez again ( for them). The only other offsite ride I have done with this group was down around Steeplechase in Nashville. That was a fun ride, and the first time I ever cantered really on _any_ horse. I think my lessons will start up again here in the next 6-8 weeks, and then it will be show season. We have some shows in Winchester, Fayetteville and some saddle clubs locally.


DW and I watch a few local shows...mainly in July and August when it's to hot to trail ride....and we've been to the Celebration the last three years.....although we left early last year.....as it rained sideways....


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Bloodlines*

So, exciting news came this week. I received Noelle's official paperwork from the TWHBEA, and it is so cool to see it all displayed. She has 6 World Grand Champions in her bloodline  and according to my trainer, has excellent stock. So much so, they suggested I would want to breed her at some point down the road. She _just_ turned 10 a couple of weeks ago, so I still have time.

Now that I know her registered name, I was able to Google her and locate her previous owner who showed her. It was neat to see her way back when, years before I ever had her. She seems to have been very well taken care of, and I do know she had at least one colt. It's a little like reading someone else's diary, but...it was nice to see that someone else took a lot of pride in her and put in the work to train her.


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Riding Rain or Shine*

Ride #4 for the year down today! I am trying my best to capture as much of it through a lens as possible. My cell camera is pretty... uhm-- well, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Anyways, it was BEAUTIFUL today until about 2 PM. It was almost to 60, sunny, slight breeze and then the storm clouds started rolling in. My friends and I had a great lunch together, then we hauled it to the barn to try and beat the weather. No such luck, we did get some rain on us. But, no worries-- it isn't Tennessee if the weather isn't changing every five minutes 

Noelle was READY TO GO. Her ears were up and alert, she was just breathing in big breaths of crisp air and missy just wanted to go, go and go! We gaited a lot where we could so she could expel some of her energy.

While on the ride today and on the drive home, I was thinking a lot about life and some things going on with me personally. I talk a lot on the trails where only Noelle, God and myself can hear. It's been so releasing to be able to take some moments out of our rides and just... let it out. I am not here to shove my religion or Christianity on anyone, but I will say this--- nothing has brought me closer to my Creator than being in nature. It reminds me every time I see a beautiful sunset or rain cloud rolling in that life is bigger than just me. I recently came across this scripture and it was so fitting for the scenery of the day. It's found in Hosea 6:3 and reads:

"Oh, that we might _know_ the LORD! Let us press on to know Him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring."

This is the shot I took leaving the barn, which was very beautiful, in my opinion:


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*No Ride This Past Weekend *

I wasn't able to ride this weekend, which I am pretty sad about. I wanted to try and get on my horse every week, at least once, throughout the Winter. Oh well, the rainy weather and my schedule wouldn't permit so... I am going to try and get out there twice this week for some riding!

I did spend my rainy day yesterday painting some accent walls in my house. My mom gave me a beautiful canvas horse painting for Christmas, and I wanted to hang it on a focal wall in my house. So, after testing it out a few places, I decided on the wall and then decided to paint it a deep chocolate brown to pop against some of the colors in the painting. It does look fabulous, and made me feel a tiny bit better about not being able to go out!


----------



## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

Enjoyed reading your journey posts. Was the cabin trail ride at Natchez Trace State Park? I haven't been there yet. We did ride the Garrison trail head just off the actual Natchez Trace Parkway year before last but I didn't think there were any cabins available. 
I also want to visit Milky Way farms and ride sometime......not enough time or money to do all the horsey things available.
I'm considering signing up for the ACTHA AOC at Miller in Feb. also, I m still undecided.
Have you heard about the Pearls and Spurs rides? I haven't done one yet but they sound fun...... pricey but fun...lol...if you want to splurge and have some luxury and pampering with the ride. I've got till the 7th to decide if I want to sign up for their Feb. 14th ride at Terra Springs farm in Franklin. My friend wants to do it and it sounds fun but I'm afraid since its Valentines day there will be more couples and it will have a "romantic" slant to the event. She says her husband is a Valentines scrooge and I don't have a Valentine and we should go to just have fun an d try not to feel out of place if its mostly couples. She is going to call or email the organizer to see how the roster is shaping up...hopefully more "singles"... Lol. 

Fay


----------



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Have either of you heard of the Strolling Jim Trail ride?

Shelbyville Times-Gazette: Local News: Saddle 'em up! Strolling Jim Trail Ride draws hundreds (10/06/11)

Are they still having this? This is one I'd like to make......if they still are having it.....supposedly, over 500 horses.....and the video I saw has riders going by the camera for about 5 minutes....


----------



## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

I've heard of Strolling Jim..lol...but not a ride named for him. Yikes!!! That many riders would be over the moon too many for me! Do you know anyone who belongs to **** ? I'd imagine that would be a good source of info.

Fay


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

I haven't heard of that, gunslinger.... that's interesting, though! It's right down the road from me so would be interesting to check out.

Fay, I haven't been to Milky Way yet! We are going in March ( I think) and I hear it is super fun, very pretty and lots of wildlife. Almost too much wildlife as the last crew that went in the Fall had some crazy encounters with deer lol.
But it is funny you mention the ACTHA at Miller. I am going to that, just for funsies to watch the competition that Saturday. I am looking at the clinics to see if it is something I want to take off of work to attend. 
I do know my biggest issues will be shopping with the vendors lol

We have some girls who do mounted shooting so I know they are all excited to go!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Speaking of Shelbyville, my sister and I were driving through there on Saturday night, around 10 PM. We were coming up 231 from Huntsville and were almost to the south side of Shelbyville when my sister tells me she thinks it would be scary to live out there in the country. I was like, "why on earth is it scary?!" and she says because of the "mountains" and how it is completely dark except for a few "spots" of light ( from people's houses) on the mountainsides.

She, of course, is not built for anything but city life lol.


----------



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Mountains? In Shelbyville?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Haha, I should have mentioned that we are originally from Louisiana. A small hill to us is a "mountain" 

Put 3-4 hills together and all of a sudden we are in the mountains!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Ride #5 in the books!*

Yesterday was fantastic for riding. After a long morning sitting in a conference room listening to a seminar, Noelle and I went out with a group to finally hit the trails at the Pinnacle. Since it closed for hunting season and then was rainy and muddy, this is our first trip to the Pinnacle together! Noelle and I were trail bosses for some of the trip. We had one issue we worked through where she wanted to go left (and into some thorns/bushes) and I wanted her to go right. We figured out it and all was fine. It's been fun getting to know each other and her quirks.

One thing we did figure out together is that she takes MASSIVE breaths when I am saddling her up. So much so that I have to quadruple check her cinch to make sure it is tight. Then during the ride I need to check it again. I now can eyeball the cinch belt and tell how much air she needs to let out for it to be secure, which obviously only comes from experience with the horse and the saddle-- both of which are new to me

She starts her 30 day training next month, and we will get in the arena and work. So, this time has been beneficial for me to work on our trust relationship and set some ground rules. I know there are things I do wrong ( like let her run me into the bushes yesterday) BUT, immediately after that we had a disciplining moment and worked on some "listening" techniques. 

I always try to grab a picture, so here is the highest point in my county looking down over the city. This view only happens in the winter, as in the summertime the trees are nice and lush!

...and of course got her with her head in the food bucket-- her favorite place on Earth!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Arena Arena Arena*

Today, we had the option of doing the Pinnacle again or getting into the arena for the first time together. I opted to go with the arena because Lord knows when it will be dry enough to work in it over the next 4-6 weeks!

So, arena work we did. Considering all of the tough riding we have been doing since December, I figured this would give us an area to work on our communication some. We did some light exercises-- stopping for no reason and sitting, backing up towards and object, gaiting to the left, gaiting to the right. Changing gaits from high to low, low to high in between 3 poles that were set up. 

She did pretty good! Considering this is really our first true arena day together since I purchased her and there were a lot of distractions. She did have a good spook with me on her, which she kind of jumped and turned at the same time. No worries, everyone stayed on and we worked through it. It feels like every time I get on her, I learn something new  Overall, it was about an hours worth of work with an hour or so of grooming, feeding, turning out...

She is getting easier to catch in the pasture, and she is starting to know what I expect of her. I do spend a lot of time grooming, feeding and doing stuff for her out of the saddle-- but the minute I am in the saddle-- I try to make it known that I am the boss... even though I am still learning myself! :wink:

At any rate, got a picture today of her ears up and perky, with her mohawk growing out everrrrr so slowwwwwly...


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Soooooo wanting to go ride right now. Unfortunately, we have been having alternating snow and ice for the past 3 days here in Tennessee. For anywhere else, this probably is not big issue. However, here... it very much is! My road has probably _never_ seen a salt truck, and there is a nice sheet of ice with a pillowy snow top, no shoulder and lots of curves. Needless to say, I have been kept inside since Sunday night and finally went to work today ( very, very slowly!)

I saw Noelle this past weekend on Saturday. My aunt and uncle came in town from Virginia to visit, and they wanted to meet her. My aunt is a huge horse lover (she has an TB and a Racking horse), so she instantly fell in love with Noelle and helped me groom and feed her. Sometimes it's nice to just hang out with Noelle without tacking up. 

She is also getting easier to catch in the field. I don't know if it is because her and I are finally getting familiar with each other or what, but it seems like every time she trusts a little more and then a litttttle more. I have had her now for about 2.5 months, and have gone out on her a solid dozen times or so since she came out to the barn. Show season starts NEXT MONTH, so-- she will be seeing A LOT more of me then!!!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Snow Days*

A couple of pics I snapped of our ice storm here!


----------



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

^What beautiful pictures!

I forget, does your barn have an indoor?


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

They are building a covered arena right now. But Noelle is pasture boarded for the time being!


----------



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I just meant for the arena--looks a bit icy and cold to be riding! D: Maybe it all melts fast there ^^


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Oh no it was fine. That was from almost two weeks ago now and it wasn't nearly this cold! We didn't have any real ice problems up until this past week. Plenty of mud, though! !


----------



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Oh shoot! Hopefully that arena gets put up fast, then ;D! Mud is like the bane of my horsie existence!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Ugh, the mud and ice--- mud and ice. No riding this week, and it is killing me!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

It's been a while since I was able to really post or provide an update as to what has been going on with Noelle and I!

The past 5 weeks have been crazy! Lot's going on personally, then add on top of that all of the ice, rain, snow, ice, snow, ice and more ice we had. I was only able to really do groundwork and keep on top of grooming her for about a month there!

Yesterday we started lessons up again ( for me) and it was her first time with me having our 1:1 weekly lessons with my trainer. We worked on riding stirrup-less through the trails on the property. I am feeling the burn today! I was proud of both of us, she was pretty forward since it's been a while since she had been ridding, and I was/am working off this extra winter "padding" lol, so it was a kick in the pants for us both.

We are going out again tonight to build on that and really work through getting to know each other better. I have had her for almost 5 months now and just started feeling like I am getting a snippet of her personality and her characteristics on the trail ( one of them being she is virtually fearless when it comes to steep inclines or descending a hill. She takes one look, sizes it up... and off she goes. Which is a good and bad thing, because if I'm not ready then, we have an issue!) It's been just little things like that


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

After 3 days straight of stirrup-less and bareback riding... it's official. I am unable to properly walk! Noelle and I spent a good amount of time this week in the arena, on the trails and "exploring" around the pond on the property. I learned a few things:
1) Noelle has a little work to do when it comes to be desensitized to dogs. She's a little freaked out by them, and we have a lot running around the barn-- so it's something she'll need to get used to

2) When she is "lead" in line on the trails, she is all go, go, go! We have been working on her not trying to change gaits and blaze her own trails when we are lead. If she is following, she's perfectly content to mosey around if need be or gait if everyone else is. I'm working on holding her back, stopping her, just keeping her on her toes and listening to me at all times when we are out

3) She's a bit of a show off  When we are in the arena and she has an audience, she likes to show off a little. It took me some time to catch on to it, but if other horses are acting out-- it's like she is content to show how "good" she is in comparison.

More riding this weekend weather permitting, and also going to have my parents come out and take a look at her!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Roundpen Work*

I just have to chronicle some of the work we have been doing this week, it has been amazing:

Like I have mentioned before in several of these threads-- Noelle is new to me, and we are both learning each other. This past week has been such a lesson in "get to know Noelle", that I feel like we finally had our _AHA!_ moment.

We went over a lot of pressure practice in the arena-- yielding to left/right leg, flexing and disengaging when we [ my trainer and I] noticed she is super strong on her left side, but much more stubborn on her right. Not uncommon, just good to know. She spooked a few times this past week, so we got down and brought her into the round pen to work on desensitizing with a plastic bag.

This is the first time I have ever done this, so my trainer started off with the bag on the end of a crop and just gently waved it in the air prompting Noelle to turn towards her left. She made about 3 laps, stopped, allowed us to approach her with the bag, allowed us to touch her with the bag... we backed off, set the bag down, she followed and joined up perfectly and then we started on the right side. 30 minutes later she decides that she is tired of running in circles and that the bag is not a big, scary monster. By now it is dark, and we get her to calm down-- focus on us and allow the bag into her space. We don't force it, just gently get her to accept us/the bag-- which she finally does. Success! Then my trainer leaves the pen, and Noelle and I stay in and practice joining up. I walk to the left, she follows. I stop, she stops. I turn, she disengages her hind qtrs and turns into me. By the end, I take her to the opposite sides of the pen, approach her with the lead rope, attach-- and then we leave.

I could have cried. I felt like we finally began to "get" each other and learn how each other is ticking. She finally yielded to the pressure and allowed me to lead, even when she was scared. I finally began to understand some of her thought process and where is she strong and weak. She is extremely sound minded and intelligent, an alpha horse in the herd-- she just needed to understand _my_ place. And she needed to understand that we can trust each other, and that she can trust me. I'm not going to let the big bag eat her alive. So, it was a great week. We worked out almost every day for 2-3 hours and it makes me really happy for this year together. We got through the Winter, and got a taste of what each other is about-- but now it is time to really hit the pavement and start building that relationship-- and I feel like we already have a really solid foundation started


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Sunny Saturday*

Went out yesterday just to see Noelle, wasn't able to ride because I have some family in for Easter and we had some plans-- but I wanted to just go out and check on her after our lesson the day before. She did join up in the field with me and was happy as could be to just be petted and loved on for a few minutes. She loves her pasture mates, so most of the time when I go to see her I take her out of the pasture so we aren't distracted by her "boyfriend" AKA the mule. But, since he wasn't in there... we stayed and got some pictures together. Also, I just cut off about 8 inches of hair ( on myself!), so I wanted to get some pics with her of the new 'do.

The pic quality isn't that great but oh well


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Dad and Noelle*

Had a really fun experience this past weekend... my Dad came to visit and "meet" Noelle for this first time. He is the one who really introduced me to loving animals and always had horses until he became unable to care for them due to an injury. Anyways- this past winter was tough on him and he had not been able to drive out to see her. Well, yesterday he finally made it- and he LOVED her! I knew he would, but his opinion really mattered and I wanted him to see her when he was having a good day and feeling up to going out there.

We brushed her down really good. I gave her a bath on Saturday and really brushed her out. Her winter coat is shedding like crazy, so I'm trying to get all of the dirt clumps out regularly. Anyways-- she was filthy not even one day later  No surprise there.

He helped me groom her, showed him my saddle and all of my equipment, took her out to the arena and showed him some of what we have been working on. It was such a good memory and I'm so happy that we were able to do that. He is mid 70's and slowing down, so I'm not sure how many more times he will be able to make that trek out to the barn.


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Noelle and I have been FULL FORCE in the practice arena and out on the trails this Spring. We are entering our first competition come the first weekend of June for an Extreme Cowboy Trail competition entering as a novice rider. Needless to say, I am NERVOUS, but incredibly excited to put all of our hard work to test and see what we are made of as a team!
We have been doing so much saddle and ground work, as well as just spending large amounts of time together! The past 5-6 weeks has been so great weather wise, and we've spent many a afternoon together in the saddle and exploring some new trails!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Haven't been writing as much, but Noelle and I have been busy the past couple of months!

I'm in a weird spot right now because, there's a slim chance that within the next half of the year I will be having her come live with me full time instead of being boarded. Very slim, but kind of exciting to think about nonetheless 

She and I have been working very regularly on her canter and untangling her feet. I still have a lot of work to do to be a more confident rider, but this past week was interesting because I just couldn't quite get her into a good canter in the arena. We worked for a while and she would get into it, then fall out.
So, my trainer hopped on and cantered her pretty hard so I could see the mechanics of what she was doing, and then she offered me to ride a thoroughbred to see his canter. Riding another horse, in another saddle, with a different personality was the strangest feeling! I have gotten so used to Noelle and her movements, my saddle and her speed that it kind of took me by surprise to hop on another horse again and let them just go! Plus, TB's are pretty fast 

Anyways, still more work for us (mostly ME), but having a fun summer so far!

Miss Priss showing off...


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Milky Way Farms*

Half of the reason I like to keep track here is because I love to go back to read and see our progress together. This past weekend, Noelle and I had several new experiences with each other

*The Trailer*
Being new to trailering and only have had her in a trailer once before back in the winter, I was unsure how she would do given the fact that (1) it was pretty hot out still (2) we were taking a considerable amount more horses than the last time she trailered and I wasn't sure how she would react and (3) ya just never really know.
The long and short of it was... she did great. Loaded easily, rides super well. She's small so she can pretty much squeeze into a space and make herself comfy. She backed out just fine-- even in the pitch black.

*The Trail*

A group of us (around 15 people) went down to Milky Way Farms and did an evening/sunset ride. MWF has a very rich history and was unlike any "trail" I had ridden before. I say trails, but really--- a lot of it is open pasture and lots-- LOTS-- of room to canter and gallop. Noelle and I have been working very, very hard on her canter and untangling her legs. For the past 6 weeks or so it's been cantering lessons every time to give ME more confidence in her speed and her movements. 

I am very happy to say, we cantered full speed through the rolling hills with no issues whatsoever. Only one small hiccup when she was lead horse cantering and a rogue tree branch came out of nowhere, but nothing major  
Next step for her is... putting a good stopper on her. I knew from our trail rides that she doesn't have the best stop around, but putting her in an open field and letting her go first confirmed that it needs work! Good thing i'm pretty sticky in the saddle. We did not do the racetrack... and I'm not sure I would have anyways. MWF has a full sized racetrack that used to be for TB racing. I'm just not 100% sure we are at the level to be racing just yet.. but maybe next year! We go every year at the barn so, I will be really happy to see our progress from this year to next.

When it is all said and done, we have worked extremely hard this Summer so far on:
- cantering
- leg cues
- softness in the mouth
- consistent gaits
- trail manners

I'm trying to hammer down the aforementioned areas while we have plenty of long days, soft ground and lots of experiences horsey people around! When it gets cold and icy out, every one else has enough sense to stay inside

I will upload some pictures later of our trail ride... the sunset was beautiful!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Milky Way*

A few pics from Milky Way--- Noelle worked up a pretty good sweat (as did I). But, beautiful scenery all around!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Night Rider*

Had a pretty cool experience with my gal last night. After another cantering lesson (out in the pasture, no less!), a group of us decided to head back into the woods for a twilight ride. The weather was PERFECT, kind of crisp and a slight breeze. Very, very nice change from the sweltering humidity the day before.

Anyways, we headed up to the top of the big hill-- through the trails, trees, up and down pulls to the very top where we could look out for several miles and see the city lights as the sun set. Then, our or way back, we meandered the trails with the lightening bugs and moon light illuminating the way. It was very serene and not at all like I have experienced the woods before. I felt like I saw the world in a whole new light after that, and it truly was a lesson in trust to ride at night! Noelle did great, and she has such a fun-- FAST-- canter and gallop. We worked on listening in the herd and trying to be even softer in the mouth and responsive in group settings. Definitely a night/ride to remember!


----------



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Those walking horses do love to go don't they? GF and I often air ours out, sometimes for what seems to be a mile or more.....

So, sounds like you're having to much fun!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Yeah she is a quick one, we have raced a few of the other TWH's together and she always comes in 1st or 2nd. Now, against one of the TB's there... she isn't going to beat a thoroughbred , but it's still fun to race!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Join-Up Work*

So, Noelle and I tried our hand for the second time in the round pen doing some join up exercises. I am pretty new to them, so my trainer got in first and showed me what she was doing, then had me get in and talked me through it. Noelle, as it turns out, is the dominant mare in her pasture and it makes joining up in the field more difficult because of her tendency to correct and be focused on the herd.
We started in the round pen...
Moved to the open arena...
Moved then to the open driveway...
Then progressed into her pasture.

She did pretty good, I have to say! Went out yesterday to catch her just to feed--- and she was caught with no issue. I think we are finally getting that bond between rider and horse. I knew it would take time and experiences together, but over the past 2-3 months, I think we have finally built up that level of trust where she understand what I need from her and I understand what she is capable of. 

Anyways-- we are still plugging along this Summer  Riding, hanging out, working, chilling-- a little bit of everything! 

A pic my sister snapped during some of our arena work!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Haven’t updated in a while due to just so much going on, however; Noelle and I are still rocking out! She is starting to get the faintest hints of her winter coat coming in. She bleached out quite a bit over the summer and turned very brown, especially in her midsection. Yesterday as I was brushing her down, I could see a noticeable difference in her hair texture and also where a bite mark on her belly was starting to turn black again. One of my favorite things about her when I first purchased her last December was her absolute velvet coat, and she is solid black. She has no white markings on her, so she turns the most gorgeous shade of blue-black in the start of the cold season before she gets all fuzzy. I’m really looking forward to that!

The trails we usually ride are closed for hunting season, so we are limited to around the barn and a few short trail loops. I’m really working with her on collection, suppleness in the mouth, neck reigning and also desensitizing. Her prior background being shown in the TWH circles has her queued to “go, go, go!” when it comes to certain asks and other times (like cantering) she wants to just go at a very fast running walk. We’ve worked a lot this Summer to untangle her feet, work off of leg pressure and for me to get out of her mouth so much. Now that we have established some of those things nicely, we are refining it to work more off of subtle leg pressure coupled with neck reigning. We are almost there, we just BOTH had to learn it so it took probably a little longer than your average rider. I think in the past 10 months we have come such a long way together. 

I look at what we have accomplished and worked through on the trails, in the arena and in the pasture and I know this time next year I will be saying the same things about what we going to learn in the coming months. 

My long-term plan is to, in the next 2-3 years, sell my house and purchase a piece of land to build on. That is still the plan, but I am not sure if I will remove her from the barn if I do that. We both like it there, and the trails are awesome. She is well cared for and, by all accounts, very settled. I guess it is a bridge to cross when the times, but for now—we both like where she is!


----------



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

A few 10 to twenty mile rides will help take that go go go edge off. Miss Lacy was like that when I first got her. Now she realizes it's probably going to be a long day and she isn't as eager to give it up.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

gunslinger said:


> A few 10 to twenty mile rides will help take that go go go edge off. Miss Lacy was like that when I first got her. Now she realizes it's probably going to be a long day and she isn't as eager to give it up.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I'm _she_ can handle 10-20, but I'm not sure_ I _can 

Once I get a truck/trailer and can head your way then Miss Lacy can show Noelle how to take a chill pill. She's gotten better than she was even a few months ago. My good friend does the Extreme Mustang Makeover competitions and was training her mustang this Summer at my barn-- so she was able to show me a lot of techniques she was using to slow the mustang down to slow Noelle down, and they work!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

*Fall Rides!*

Got a good 7 person group trail ride in yesterday, and it was gorgeous! We are entering off season at the barn where evening lessons are moved to the weekends, and my 1:1 with the trainer is a little more minimal. BUT, that means a lot more groundwork practice and some good time for me to work with her 1:1 and get creative.

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the prep for the Holidays and also just gearing up for Winter. As a rule, I dislike the cold because I'm a huge wimp when it comes to it. But I do enjoy fires, comfort food, snow, bundling up... so have some fun stuff planned (cabin trip with the horses, Halloween ride, moonlit trailrides) over the next few months to keep us working towards something.

Signing off... here is a snap I took of Noelle after turning her out last night. She loves where she is-- and I do, too!


----------



## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

I'm just sad today-- would love to have spent a lot of time outdoors this week in the arena with Noelle or going on a trail ride. Instead, I have been spending ALL week repainting my house, landscaping and doing some general upkeep in preparation for an appraisal next week.

One thing that WAS fun a friend of mine decided to come out on Sunday and ride Noelle. My friend has only been on a horse once before, and it was so nice to share my love of animals with her. She REALLY enjoyed it and talked about how much fun she had and how much she loved my barn, horse, the whole experience. It is always fun to share it with people


----------

