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JUNE 2007

Ride-A-Curly (RAC) Adventures

RAC ADVENTURE ARCHIVES - Select a month to see what the Contestants have been up to!
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Note from Brie: Sage and I had our first REAL ride today!!!! I rode him for about 40 minutes, and we walked and trotted, did barrels, a keyhyole, and practiced backing up. After owning him for 3 years it is so amazing to finally know what his gaits feel like! He has a nice energetic walk, and a very smooth trot. I have a hard time sitting to even a trot like his since I haven't ridden regularly in about ten years, but he was so smart, he slowed his trot right down to a baby jog until I could sit it perfectly. I couldn't believe this was only the second time ever he's been ridden. He was so responsive, but not overly-sensitive or spooky. And I felt safer on him than I do on my lesson Curly (who's been under saddle for years) because he was just so darn calm and unflappable. And I admit it, I cried after we trotted for the first time. I have just been waiting so long for this moment. I am very thankful to have such a wonderful horse...he makes it so easy to get back into riding, even though I am a little timid after a decade away from the saddle. I am floating on a cloud...

Note from Cindi: I am very thrilled that i have taken my Chester off the farm and into town twice this week.........very big deal to us as these are his first times......i met my Chester when he was 3 days old. we trained him to drive first. i wanted to take is slow on riding until he matured physically. he has enjoyed it all and been very level headed and forward going in spite of many new things........we cross a good size highway and he is very patient .........not to mention being a very handsome guy while we wait...........my retired mare is an Arab.......loved dearly and rode many hours on trails/road the past 12 years........and she is a wonderful companion on the trails.....but i gotta say, Chester is so very different and is definitely special.

Note from Sophie in FRANCE! Hi Denise ! Here is a picture from my "home-made" filly Quick Strawberry Desys ! She is just 3 years old, then i don't ride her a long time. She is a real pleasure and want everything you ask. She is very sweet and has blood, a perfect girl ! We are happy to have a sunny day this sunday, we had rain all this weeks before and it was nut funny for riding... CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

Note from Brie: My original goal for June was taking Sage out for his first trail ride (with me). Well, I have to set a new goal because we did that! We went two days in a row in fact. The first day, I was semi-petrified the whole time as I have only been on a few trail rides my entire life, and I knew I was riding a really green horse. But Sage was great. We went over a stream (he did a big flying leap over it on the way out, but I made him WALK through it on the way back), through muddy suck your hooves off sections, splashed through swampy areas, picked our way over fallen trees, went up and down some steep sections in the woods (where Sage tried to take my knee off because he hasn't learned to gauge where he and I will fit through the trees, he just knows he'll fit. Good enough right? Eek.) and trotted across some beautiful rolling meadows. Oh, and we also went over gravel / stones.

The second day we did the same loop again, but I enjoyed it a lot more. Over some of the same terrain as the day before, and then onto the 'waterfall trail.' Sage was so cute because he wanted to be the leader, and my riding instructor said to let him; it'll help him build his confidence. So I did, and you could tell he was just soooo proud of himself to be leading the group. He strutted right along, but also really thought about where he was placing his feet, and what path was best for him to pick his was down the mountain. He actually got a little pissed when the other horse took the lead again. But we were headed onto the waterfall trail, and my riding instructor told him he wasn't allowed to lead on a trail he'd never been on before. :-)

The other exciting event was our lesson the next day. Sage and I worked on some reining stuff, barrels, keyhole, and I'm not sure what it's called...pole weaving, or pole bending? I know more about piaffes and renvers, pirouettes and half passes than I do about this western stuff!

Anyways, the lesson after ours was with the other Curly...the mare that I rode in my lessons before I brought Sage for training. It was so neat to have 2 Curlies in the ring at the same time! What a sight! I'm sure it happens on Curly breeding farms all the time, but at my barn it was quite the event. I've attached some pictures of Nina and Sage, and Heather.

So...anyways, our new goal is to get to Sage's tenth ride with me before the end of the month. Now that we're home, I figure setting goals like that will help keep me motivated. :-)

Read more about Brie's 1s trail ride on her Blog: http://penella22.livejournal .com/39775.html

Note from Sue: Gunsmoke's first show!

Note from Cara: Sunny and I went to a parade on Saturday, and after the initial checking things out he was perfect. He behaved just like we were riding down the road at home! He was the only horse in the parade, but not the only animal. We were walking with my 4-H group, and there was also a calf, a sheep, and a chicken. He thought the calf and the sheep were fascinating. :) I kept him overnight at a friends house and the next day we went for a ride to a show (we didn't compete though, hopefully next time) and then on a trail ride. I had forgotten his bridle, so I rode with just the halter and 2 leads. He was such a good boy, he didn't try to test it at all (though I didn't attempt to speed beyond a foxtrot!) Cara +Sunny :-)

Note from Laura: Had a wonderful time on Billy last night! Saddled him up and rode around the yard. Not comfortable enough with the new saddle yet to head out on the trail. Both my kids were outside playing with the new kittties. Willie was going to a friends house and they came to pick him up about a half hour into my ride. Next thing I know, there are three kids flying out of the car with a little black and white dog following behind. They were running all over, hitting each other with water noodles, jumping on the trampoline, riding the dirt bike, jumping off of the barrel, playing basketball. The two girls were squealing about the kitties. It was nothing but commotion!!! I stayed on Billy the whole time and let him nibble grass here and there. But as I talked with the mom of the friend, I worked on him being patient and NOT having to eat every second. It was a challenge at times, but when he got anxious, I would just do little figure eights with him. At one point, I turned around and actually took in what was going on behind Billy and I could not believe that he was so calm!! Not once did he spook! One of the girls was just fascinated by Billy - especially with his mane. As I was taking his saddle off, she was rubbing his neck. I asked her if she wanted to ride him. Her eyes lit up and she said "yes!!!" She has horses of her own, but as she said "I have never been on one so beautiful!" She rode Billy around the yard bareback with a halter and I had no fears about it at all. The only time I got nervous was when my son went whipping by her on the dirtbike, because, as you know, he loves to chase dirt bikes. But, Billy stood his ground and controlled his urges! She rode him for about a half hour then the other girl got on and they rode double for awhile. Billy was truly amazing!! I told them all about curlies and went and got pictures of him in the winter. She could not believe how he looked! She said she is telling her mom that she wants a Curly!!

Note from Cara: I wanted to share my RAC June goal. (nothing really big, sorry) It was to ride Sunny in the parade, and for him to stay calm and focused on me. Well... that goal was met! I should have made it my goal for ME to stay calm beforehand- I was freaking out! ("what is he going to do?, wow, look at all those noisy flappy things, hope that doesn't scare him, are those kids going to run out in front of him?" etc. and yes the kids did and he was great :) Cara

Note from Bretta: Just to let you know how the camping trip went, and what Erin saw on the trail. Erin went on 2 trail rides, one for an hour with me and all we saw was a daughterus sittis on equinesis (Erin sitting on horse) in the evening. Then Erin went on a 2.5 hour morning ride with her Dad and a group of saddle clubbers and she saw 4 deer being ran by a group of dogs. Erin's Dad thought they were coyotes, but then he saw the dogs.

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