# The Righteous Path to Awesomeness



## eclaire23 (Oct 26, 2010)

This journal will consist of anything relating to my horses. (Neigh Streak Flint & Lady) 

To kick it off i will start with today (June 25, 2011): 
Neigh​It has been absolutly beautiful out, so I decided to give Neighners a bath. All went well untill the annoying neighbor girl came to "help" Not wanting to be mean I said she could help, naturally, she emptied my fly spray.... :evil: Luckily she had to go home before she wrecked anything else. After finishing I went to turn Neigh out. So ofcourse he rolled in mud! He also showed his undieing love for me. When leaving the pasture after feeding he followed me to the gate; when I left he was neighing is head off, untill I came back to tell him "Good Night"
Flint​Flint is the newest "Family Member" He is a TWH yearling carmellow and looks just like Streak. His past: never ever been handled or looked at. Left in a pasture to die with another mare. The good news is he is SUPER GAITED & SMART! We have been working with him for 3 days now and he has completed John Lyons Round Pen Training achieving Join Up, picks up all four feet,and let me put and saddle and pad on (not cinched). I'm super happy with him. He will hopefully be ready to show by the time I need to retire Neigh.

Things I'm looking forward to:
-July 16- 4-H horse and Pony Club Completion Show
-Sept. 26-Oct 1- DeKalb Co. Free Fall Fair​ 
Improvments: (Neigh)​*walk,trot,canter transitions
*Cantering off the rail- refuses to canter off a rail. SUPER ANNOYING. Will canter in a feild but wont due it on intended lead.
*trotting in hand- for halter ect. He refuses to trot with me. Having a tailer is super embarrising...
*Jumping some pretty tiny jumps (ground poles for now) LOL

Flint
*Transitioning Home​ 
Streak
*Side Passing
*Trail Work- for trail classes ​


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

I love the title.  What kind of riding do you do? 

I <3 Walkers! Flint sounds cute. He's about at the same stage of training as my two fillies.


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## eclaire23 (Oct 26, 2010)

Brighteyes said:


> I love the title.  What kind of riding do you do?
> 
> I <3 Walkers! Flint sounds cute. He's about at the same stage of training as my two fillies.


Thanks! The title is my personallity in a nut-shell!
I do all saddleseat and lots of trail  Sometimes my high pressured ponies need to be reminded that they are horses so trail is our escape. My personal riding horse does a bit of everything though.

I can't wait for flint to come home- We can't really finish his ground training untill he is =/ Good Luck with your fillies!


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## eclaire23 (Oct 26, 2010)

Hopefully this is a picture of Flint with our extremly broken huntseat.


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## eclaire23 (Oct 26, 2010)

June 27, 2011
Neigh​Tonight was 4-H! We worked on eveything in our last improvment list. Our tranisitions are slightly better, cantering off the rail was highly exhilarating!!! It took us about 20 minutes But we got it! I found I was on the snaffle too much- I needed to use my leverage bit more. We also rode huntseat, which went well, But after a night of being cramped up. Im glad to get back in my flat saddle!​ 
Flint​Flint came home tonight. The Herd doesnt care for him much. But at least they didnt beat the crap out of him! He "gumbed" at them. (I have no idea if thats the word for it) But I learned thats how babies tell threats they're babies. LOL I only ever worked with horses ages 5-9. If they're younger or older we dont look at them. But Flint is one special guy <3:hug:<3​ 
STREEEEAK​I dont tend to ride Streak all that much because he is suppost to be my step-sisters project horse. But since she has NO desire to ride at all, I've taken my good ol' boy back =D He amazed me! worked like he has never worked before. It was like he was longing for a experianced rider. And we now have competion for our gaited class! The last 3 years nobody has had a gaited horse- now there's a RMH. Actually not too happy about this- mostly because she is going to ride saddleseat. And i dont want to share the ring! lol jk! She'll most likely beat us. Her horse is really nice and Streak is just Old. lol I love him.​ 
Anything else........ No Not Really......​ 
The pictures are of Neigh in our newest saddle. And my 2ft jump dont know where the other log is, but its usually a even cross-rail. Oh and my KittyCat!​


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## eclaire23 (Oct 26, 2010)

Tonight has took a turn for the worst... Flint has cut his front left leg bad enough for stiches. The injury in itself isnt bad at all, in two weeks it will be healed. What REALLY sucks- I am going on vacation tomorrow! And so is everybody else in the house... except my brother. My brother has been around horses as long as me but has a strong distaste for them. He'd rather be playing video-games. Now for 6 days he is the only one to take care of the baby. A little worried. But I have Faith! At least he wont have to change any bandages because the one Im putting on tomorrow should be able to stay on for at least as long as we're gone. 

I have pictures of the whole process. PS Yes he is in our porch. We dont have a barn only a lean-to.<- this has me worried too.


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## ilovemyPhillip (Apr 4, 2009)

I like your porch.  cute idea.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Wow, that a cut! Good thing it didn't hit anything important. I hope it doesn't scar too badly.


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## eclaire23 (Oct 26, 2010)

~Slaps Forehead~

Well my optimistic ways fail me once again. My brother didnt take care of the horses the way I thought he would... ugh. When we came home the water was completly gone- talking bone dry here. The colts 5 buckets of water are all gone. And the hay count isnt right-meaning there is more than should be after being gone. My dog had tried eating Flint through the screen... ripping at least 6 pannels. Now my mum is convinced he is going to be mean the rest of his life, and if he tries to attack anything else she says she will have him put down. (he is just a little bossy & spoiled, but so am I, she isnt going to put me down) Which then let all the bugs in, and he didn't have the sense to spray Flint... or the Herd. 

Needless to say, anything that could have went wrong did.

On a better note I got to spend the whole day with Neighners! He tried to "help" me de-nail/screw a bunch of poles. Really the only thing he did was knock over all the rusty nails/screws and step on the poles "holding them down" But I could tell he was just happy I was home to take care of him =)


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## eclaire23 (Oct 26, 2010)

July 8, 2011
Neigh​I am Happily in LOVE With My Boy! He Amazes Me Everyday! Yesterday we worked on giving to leg pressure, once again cantering in hand (epic fail) and lots of equitation patterns. The patterns were excellent. Next on our list is getting more action from his front... He looks like a huntseat horse in a saddleseat class- Bothers me soooo much... Today though was a lazy day! We went bareback to the river. It was a nice ride I was expecting him to be on his toes and ready to bolt, like usual- but he was calm! He's actaully been on a calm kick lately- Im waiting for it to wear off. I have some pics. Wish i had somebody to take pics of both of us.​ 
AS For the Others: I havent been working with them very much.~Tisk-tisk~ Flint is with the herd as of now and Mum has taken Flint into her hands too so I can work on finishing Neighners up for this coming show. Streak is just being a lazy bum! I trust this horse soo much- He is so push button i dont really have to do much for preperation. 20 mins warm up before the show day begins and we're ready! And I know I've never said much about Lady- soooooo- Nah... I still dont like her enough to write about her!- shes a pain.​Looking forward to:​*REALLY nervous for 4-H completion show. Mostly because the kids lookto me so much for guidence with their horses. Its not unsual to hear our leaders say "Go ask Her-(me)" We have to complete a Halter Class- which we are really bad at. Neigh isn't really correct for being Half-Arabian.​ 
*September 19th I go back to school.... yay....​ 
*September 24-October 1st Dekalb Co. Free Fall Fair​


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## eclaire23 (Oct 26, 2010)

This post will consist of many days Last Saturday to now-July 12

SAT: All of the horses went on the trails! I love trail! Where we go has a bunch of action! We're talking Huge hills (steep), Switchbacks, and Creeks. Unfortunally, I thought riding english would be the best option for the day... It wasn't. Neigh was feeling his oats! Managed to stay on the whole time but there were a couple of times when I thought I was going down! I was also with a VERY inexperianced group of riders :-x They didn't have the sense to go up steep hills one at a time-( I'm always first b/c my horse has a Superiority Complex) So when I'd say "hill- One At a TIME" that meant wait 2 seconds and let your horse fly up the hill into my butt!:evil: Once one other horse got in front of Neigh and let go up a hill- I managed to keep him calm till it was clear-But when he started up, he reared, Dug his feet in and bolted. In doing this I was leaning forward and I smashed my face! lol. from that point on we walked up hills! 

MON: Last 4-H meeting of the season. I had my mum coach me- which never happens. She was actaully nice and not yelling at me! I also had a well know coach from where I live. This coach had almost nothing to flaw me on. The only things she said need improvment was my hand postition ( I tend to ride saddleseat like huntseat), And a good active walk (Neighners tends to think I'm going to kill him after a good canter- and walks like a inch worm) Next I got Streak together... ugh. I love him. But sometimes that horse isnt worth making glue out of! We did a tiny warm-up- everything was spot on. BUT when it was time to try trail he acted like he'd never seen any of it before! :shock: We got over the bridge, did the mail box, trot poles were hard for him-he's gaited. Where we had trouble with him was at the sidepass pole and the L. THE TWO THINGS WE PRACTICE CONSANTLY! He wasn't listening- before leaving I got him through it. But it was a battle. 

TUES July 12: I feel suuuppper guilty. Neigh and I decided to jump the standard 2'6'' for 4-H. It turned out to be horrible. Yesterday we got told we would be jumping a cross rail and an oxer. Neigh has only been doing 2' cross rails and verticals- not very consitantly either. I'd never thought about an oxer  I got it all set up, horse tacked-thinking i was ready to go! But I wasnt! Its different to jump on a schooling horse-than on your own. I was in tears, afraid I was going to have him pull something! or he'd knock it and be lame- have a show Saturday... lol! I know 2'6'' is TINY but my horse's career IS ground work! I just couldn't have him do it. Blah. FAIL. We did do a couple verticals. He was okay- I had my reins too tight, hit his mouth... alot. Then we had a coming to god moment b/c he wouldn't stop charging in canter- hence why reins were tight. Kinda a bad night. Love him deeply though.

Don't know where my sudden "jumping fad" started but I can say it ends tonight.

I've decided to not jump him anymore. Too many things could happen to him. And I can't have that happen. I can be satisfied to know he can. But will I ever force my horse to do something he obviously hates? No.

But to keep his universal we will still be doing 2' every once in awhile :wink:


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## eclaire23 (Oct 26, 2010)

Exibition Show July 16th Placings:

Three 1st, Three 2nds, One 3rd One 5th<- I hate halter!

We placed in all classes 

Heres a pic of me in our hunter under saddle class


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## eclaire23 (Oct 26, 2010)

Honestly a Little angery. 

Only 4 people in my county Ride saddleseat. 

And in saddleseat it IS legal to use a double bridle.

So why is it everytime I go to some snooty Hunter/Jumper barn they banish me because of my bridle? 

I have 2 trainers working with me. One of which is every other week then the other is every time I ride= every other day.(unless it's above 90)

I just want to hit those certain people up side the head! How dare they tell me that I'm torturing my horse with my bridle! I use a bradoon and a single ring pehlem. Im extremly well trained to handle my friggen bridle- so they need to back off. 

They also seem to think ANY leverage bit is torture too. A Walker wearing a WALKING HORSE BIT isnt torture.

In my opinion they need to be useing a better bit with their horses- they have NO stop, noses are in the air, and their people are afraid to canter due to lack of control. An eggbutt snaffle isn't working. Another opinion of my is start with a more controlled bit then once the horse is trained bring him back down to the stupid snaffle. Once they will do anything you want them to do bareback and in a halter- then you can banish me- but when I have the better horse its not right to judge.


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## eclaire23 (Oct 26, 2010)

Just thought I'd update with I am going to make a tack box

I already have a old "wood" box on casters. The problem is that the box has been outside for a very long time. There's no rot but has been warped due to exposer to the elemets. I will also have to add new hardware. At one point it had been spray painted green.
Sooo
Step 1: Sand the entire box. By hand. No electric sander.
Step 2: Add rack bars
Step 3: Paint. Black Base with neat classical carosal horse in gold-and Boarder
Step 4:Apply new hardware- hinges and such\

Will have it dont before Fair!!!


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## eclaire23 (Oct 26, 2010)

I did a bit of ground driving a couple of days ago- Had no Idea how unfattering I looked- But Driving is Neighs past and LOVE. He loves to pull a cart! Sadly no cart at the moment. Sooo Heres a pic!


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