Green Meadow Farm

Breakfast in bed at Lake O

2009-08-03T23:11:00.000-07:00

Sure was a thrill to see Tracie and Percy rock the house with their first Grand Prix Freestyle. WOW -- and were those tears we saw, Tracie?

Of course, the horses were kept in as pampered a condition as is possible when it's hotter than you-know-what outside. The electric fans helped, and both Fritz and Percy seemed absolutely captivated by those cute little whirly things.

Lisa made a slurry breakfast treat for Fritz; here's a picture of him eating breakfast in bed. :)

Congrats to Lisa on her Bronze!!!!

2009-07-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo!!! Lisa earned her final score for her USDF Bronze Medal last Friday at the Letter Perfect Show! This is a big accomplishment -- everyone give her a big hug!

Getting ready for Letter Perfect!!

2009-06-23T18:26:00.001-07:00

William (Alex), Fritz (Lisa) and Ali (Tracie) will be going to the Letter Perfect Show in Ridgefield this weekend. We are leaving Thursday and have classes on Friday and Saturday. No ride times posted yet, but we'd love to have all the support we can!!

I'll announce ride times when I know them!

Tracie

Caught Percy drinking again...

2009-06-20T19:45:00.001-07:00

... Im just not sure what to do! Is there an E-AA group?

A little 'GoodLucl Bling' for Rexie ;)

2009-06-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

Holly's Warm-up-She is the hole a.k.a. "next !"

2009-06-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

Holly is ready!

2009-06-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

Holly's Test-Woo-Hoo !

2009-06-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

Blue Ribbon show prep

2009-06-05T18:27:00.001-07:00

The warm-up day for the blue ribbon show was today, and all the horses did really well!!

It is so wonderful to have a facility like Devonwood that not only hosts the "big" shows, but also provides a venue for schooling. We are so lucky!!

Can't wait to see how everyone does tomorrow!

T

Getting ready for BRS

2009-06-03T18:21:00.001-07:00

We are heading to Devonwood for the Blue Ribbon show on Friday. This one is a 2-day show, so we'll have the opportunity to ride both indoors and out. It is SO fun to have the group going to all these shows!

Who's going? Tully/Jen, Bella/Sarah, Rex/Holly, Ali/Tracie, Welka/Kathy

Did I miss anyone??

T

Musings on Ft. Vancouver show

2009-06-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a fun weekend we had at Ft. Vancouver!

As I watched videos and thought about the show, I realized something pretty cool! Every single horse and rider at this show was OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE!!! It would be so easy to sign up for rides that we have done before, but all of you pushed yourselves!

Sarah/Bella: had never done 2nd level before, and their tests were steady and accurate... and qualifying scores!!

Monica/Gen: had never done 1st level at a recognized show before and got 2 qualifying scores!

Lisa/Percy: Lisa rode Percy exactly TWO times before taking him to the show, and Percy had been off for 6 weeks! They did great, and got qualifying scores for ODS championships!

Wromeo: His FIRST real show ... he got a 62.8% at Training 4. What a great score for a horse that has only been in training for a few months!

Welka: Her FIRST real show ... she had scores in the 60s, including a 63.5% at Training 4. She was able to get this score after standing for 20 minutes, 2 warm-up circles and into the ring!

William: Had never done anything higher that PSG - several years ago. He went out at Intermediarre II (baby Grand Prix) and was AWESOME!!! We have some work to do on his Piaffe, but the ones were great (this had been his challenge!)

Ali: This was his FIRST real show, and he was very well-behaved! He went in the ring and gave it his all! His scores were mid-high 60s... quite good for first show!

What a great show.... I can't wait for the next one!

Tracie

Congrats to Martha and Fritz!!

2009-05-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

Martha and Fritz had an awesome go at Heart of the Valley this weekend! Qualifying scores on both tests... Congratulate Martha with a Margarita.... she needs more pain-killers... Ha! :-)

T

Blue Ribbon Show rides

2009-05-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

Duncan and Wromeo were great at their very first show! Wromeo was unflappable even with the big thunderclap in the middle of his test!

Terry and Cedar also had a great show, scoring mid 60's!! Way to go, Terry!

Construction is mostly done!!

2009-04-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

I excited. I think the construction is almost done.

There will be some little things that we need to do, but the bulk is done. Yeah!!

Crazy cats!

2009-04-22T11:06:00.001-07:00

I love these pics...

Loving the sun!!!

2009-04-21T08:59:00.001-07:00

WOW! It's beautiful out here when it is sunny! The flowers are blooming, and the horses are happily munching on green grass.

I need Lisa to take some pictures. I think I need a photography class...

Zonkey????

2009-04-19T00:33:00.000-07:00

I am an incurable seeker of odd photos. Here's one for ya:

Would it be a zonkey or a debra? Or possibly a zeburro?

Tuesday rides

2009-04-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

Rex was the star today! He was soft, forward, and connected.... all combined with steering! I had a blast riding him today. We had great shoulder-in and leg-yield as well. GREAT JOB, Holly! He is coming along very nicely!

New digs!

2009-04-06T15:04:00.001-07:00

Ali and Cessna moved into two of the new stalls today!!! How fun!

I can't believe how fast it is going.... I need to get some pics up!

For Kathy

2009-04-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

I ride because I rode as a child when life was simpler and somehow more complete. Only the whiff of a clean horse is needed to remind me of days gone by.
For always there have been the horses.

I ride because of all the great horse souls who have shared their lives with me and taught me more than I can say. Their names and faces flash before me as old friends. I ride because of all the horses I shall never ride. Those I have watched and marveled at from afar for all their grace and beauty. This is the stuff of a child's dream, the kind that doesn't die with time.
Always there are the horses.

I ride because the seasons call to me. Each unique in its appeal and all quite frequently best viewed from the back of a favorite horse. I ride because of all things, horses are my passion. They inspire and encourage, energize, and challenge in ways I cannot explain to the un-initiated. I ride because of the rush of stretching one's self just a bit farther today than before both mind and body.
Always there are the horses.

I ride because of those briefest of spans when the partnership comes to full promise. When the path twists and barriers fall, each footfall is measured and balanced between the tow as a dance. There are no others...only this moment and this single step to ride. The memories of those times stand vivid in my mind to be recalled with all the freshness of the day at will and in times less grand.

But if I must choose, I ride because I have dreams yet to live. I ride because I have dreams yet to have and what exactly they will be tomorrow I cannot say...
...but always there will be the horses.

AuthorUnknown

SWF cont. Percy

2009-03-28T18:37:00.000-07:00

And last but not least, Percy... He decided if his mom took a vacation he was entitled to one too
and so he began to hang out with the guys during there breaks from construction.

Stay tuned for Sarah's next babysitting gig!
Have a great weekend!

Welcome back Tracie!

SWF cont Those Crazy Cows...

2009-03-28T18:36:00.001-07:00

As we learned from Sarah's earlier post, Welka was quite taken with the cows to the point of
snatching a bit of hay and quickly turning to resume her steadfast gaze from the paddock.
We just did not understand why Welka was so enchanted and mesmorized by the bovine
creatures until we did night check...

SWF cont Young Horse Work

2009-03-28T18:34:00.001-07:00

Sarah was an old pro with the young horses, They really
drew for her confident nature. Ali really seemed to bond
with her so she took it upon herself to work on a few special maneuvers..

SWF cont. Hay Delivery

2009-03-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

Apparently Sarah was really disatisfied with the hay delivery so she tried a few new sources.

The first company was wonderfully old world but it sure did take awhile...

The second was some sort of bulk warehouse. Ooops Tracie, we thought you wanted 13 tons...

SWF cont. Larry's Diet

2009-03-28T18:29:00.001-07:00

Larry's diet isn't going so well. We think Welka is slipping him her food. Sarah thought it would
be good if we took him to the local track to some cardio. Encourage Larry to stick with it.
We all know how hard dieting can be...

SWF cont. Extreme Makeovers

2009-03-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

Since Tracie was getting
her hands tangled in the
unruly manes of some of
the young horses, we had
a few extreme horse make
overs at the barn. Here are
the before and after shots
of Diva.

It is amazing what a little TLC can do!

Sarah's First Week at GMF

2009-03-28T18:02:00.001-07:00

It was such a busy week, Sarah did not have time
to update the blog daily. She asked me to post on
her behalf the short version of the week.

That girl sure can ride. Is that Romeo?

Enjoy...

Spring Break

2009-03-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a TOTALLY goofy pic from Spring break that my kids took:

I'm glad to be back.

Riding Wistful Horses

2009-03-26T18:43:00.000-07:00

Sitting here and thinking how
My life much richer is now
For all the ones I've chanced upon
And the tapestry that was spun

There was a time when no one came
No friends to play in childhood game
No one to shelter from the rain
Nor the adolescent pain

Yet in my inner heart I knew
Secrets rare and secrets true
Were wishes horses, all would ride
Other dreamers by my side

Then one day I dropped my guard
I never did something so hard
In my heart I let others in
And found I had a friend

By one's and two's they gathered near
Soothing all my darkest fears
A tapestry we began to weave
And I once more believe

For youth need never fade away
As long as I can dream and play
On wistful horses I will ride
With other dreamers at my side

SID Show

2009-03-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all of your well wishes, support and help. It was truly a team effort :) Monica and Sandy helped me with my tests, Tina schooled me on keeping my nervous energy in check, Kathy was my cheer leader and emotional support... Sarah was the video queen, Jen and Terri cheered us on with Kathy reading tests and of course Tracie busy coaching and teaching lessons running back and forth between DWEC and GMF. And of course Martha and Fritz... what a tremendous gift from the the owner and breeder and from the half human super hero horse Fritz, a.k.a. "Fritzy", "Princely Boy". I feel like the luckiest person on the planet. Our barn is truly a place where anything is possible it seems. I am every day in complete gratitude that Martha allows me to ride this very special horse. There is only one Fritz.

Being overly paranoid on Friday night, I checked Fritz quite often... I thought there has to be a better way and so I created "Fritz TV". On Saturday night I hooked up the baby monitor and camera so I could watch "Fritz TV" from the trailer and know he was safe and sound all night. During one of the night checks, he was laying down in his stall. He let me come in and love on him and he nuzzled me-it was quite a special moment.

I will post pics and some video tonight. Thank you, thank you, thank you :) See you at GMF!

Day 1 - No Tracie

2009-03-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

And we're all still alive :-)

Everyone was really good today! A few of the horses were feeling quite energetic today - I'm sure the wind had something to do with that! But they were all good and well behaved.

If anyone wants to know what the cows did today, you can stop by Welka's stall and ask her. I think she's creating a play by play commentary of 'a cows life'. Poor girl would hardly come in her stall to eat, but she did come in for her dinner, so I think she's getting a little better about coexisting with them.... we hope anyway!

That's all - see you this week probably!

Way to go, Lisa!!!

2009-03-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Lisa and Fritz were GREAT at Spring into Dressage today! We all had so much fun cheering them on! Come out tomorrow and see them go again!

It was great fun. What a team!

Tracie

Construction Photos

2009-03-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos of our current state of construction! It's pretty exciting to see how fast everything is moving!

Good Luck Lisa!

2009-03-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

Sending happy thoughts and relaxation your way this weekend ;-)

You and Fritz will do great!

Totally cool!

2009-03-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

And here is Wromoe's video we put together last week...

Testing with Youtube...

2009-03-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

Nerd that I am, I'm trying to see if I can link between here and youtube. If this works, this is Ali's first test from a couple of weeks ago....

Jeremy Clinic

2009-03-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

Kathy and Holly braved the nasty weather today to go ride with Jeremy. Here are some short clips of their rides!

Miserable day!!!

2009-03-15T09:03:00.001-07:00

Yuck! I just got in from feeding, and it is nasty out there. Every horse had a dry blanket except Welka. We need to convince this girl about the joys of shelter! Ha!

The Jeremy clinic was really good last night. Holly, Monica, and Kathy rode. It is always so much fun to both ride and watch his clinics!

Jackie and Killiarc

2009-03-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

I was so sad to see Jackie and Killiarc leave us this week! But of course, we all wish her well in her new job in Spokane! I just wanted to share Jackie's email with you all.

--------------------------
Tracie,
Thank you so much for the beautiful saddle pad!!!! I can't believe how generous you were....it even has Killiarc's name on it!!! Thank you for the wine as well!! I can't tell you enough how much I enjoyed keeping Killiarc at your place....you do a wonderful job caring for the horses and I had so much fun taking lessons! I will miss you and GMF very much!! Thanks again for everything!! I hope to see you all soon at a horse show :)
Jackie
P.S. I hope you post pictures of the barns progress...it is always so fun to see!
--------------------

I'll have to get some pictures of the construction site up! I didn't even think of that.

Maybe we will have to find a show in Spokane this year so we can all crash at Jackie's place! Ha!

Breaking ground!

2009-03-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

We broke ground today on the new addition. I'm pretty excited! There was lots of noise and new sights for the horses to look at, but in general they all were pretty good. I was pleasantly surprised!

Just a few details: The horses on the west side of the barn have their paddock doors closed for a couple of days (probably til Wednesday). Larry's stall doesn't have a paddock anymore since all that fencing had to be removed. On Thursday I'm planning to move Larry into Killiarc's old stall, and then I'll put Wromeo into Larry's old stall. Since Killiarc's stall has a large paddock, seniority will decide who gets it if anyone else wants to move. Just let me know.

It is going to be noisy for a while, and we will need to dig a two foot strip in the arena along the wall to prep for the cement aisleway. So, we'll have some obstacles to deal with for a while. Sorry! I'll see if I can get an idea on timeframe for completion as soon as I can.

Great pics Lisa! The show was a blast!

Blue Ribbon March-Misc

2009-03-09T00:11:00.001-07:00

I had the most luck with Kathy and Welka
with the pictures. The timing and the indoor
lighting is a challenge.

What a great day-

BIG FUN :)

Blue Ribbon March-Kathy

2009-03-08T23:57:00.000-07:00

Blue Ribbon March-Sarah

2009-03-08T23:50:00.001-07:00

Blue Ribbon March-Tracie

2009-03-08T23:46:00.001-07:00

Blue Ribbon March-Teri

2009-03-08T23:44:00.001-07:00

Blue Ribbon warmup

2009-03-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

Everyone did GREAT at the show. I took some warmup clips, but I think Lisa got some great pics. Here are the warmup clips that I got.

Kathy and Percy

2009-03-07T21:47:00.000-08:00

This picture was a bit of an accident during
Kathy's half pass on Percy but I liked that it
alsmost looks impressionistic.

Hope you enjoy!

Cessna!

2009-03-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

We went to the show this afternoon, and I have to do a brag for Cessna. He was unbelievable!! He walked right in the trailer, and behaved himself the whole time. He lunged quietly and then I rode him in both indoor arenas. The big arena was very busy, but he was super! He was scared of the dressage letter pylons for about 5 seconds, and then he was all about business.

Erin - you did a SUPER job of breeding this horse. He is so fun to work with. No one will believe this horse has only been under saddle for 6 weeks!!

Tracie

Getting ready for the show

2009-03-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

Today was an exciting day! I got confirmation from my contractor that we are breaking ground on MONDAY to add the new stalls! I am so excited! I know it will be noisey and distracting over the next couple of months, but I ask you all to bear with me. We'll do the best we can to keep distractions to a minimum.

Duncan was really good today! He moved off my right leg without argument, and I got some really nice leg yields both ways. This has been difficult for him, so I was very proud of him!

I rode Wromeo today when there were quite a few people at the barn. Most everyone commented on how fast he has progressed. He is a very quick learner, and really wants to please. I'm looking forward to getting a video of him next week... he is really looking good!

Cessna was super today as well, and got almost all of his canter leads correct. I ran through both his tests for this weekend, and he was pretty steady! Last week he didn't want to turn right (and for some reason Ali had the same issue), but today he was a champ. He is such a great guy!

I got 14 ones on William today!! How exciting! I think we are finally making progress. I still need to position him shoulder-in right, but at least we are improving. Later, Lisa helped me with some piaffe work that was also a good improvement. He wasn't completely even in the piaffe work, but he did keep his hind end moving at all times. Thanks, Lisa! It helps ALOT to have a ground person!

Kathy had a marvelous breakthough with Welka tonight... in the beginning they wanted to "face fight", and Welka didn't want to go forward. BUT THEN..... Kathy really concentrated on her core muscles - enabling stillness in her shoulders and looseness in her hips. The difference was truly amazing! Welka immediately went steady, round, and powering forward. It was really fun to witness. I'm always learning with the sport - I guess that makes it both fun and frustrating, huh?

Anyway... tomorrow we are off to the Blue Ribbon Show. Monica/Gen, Kathy/Welka, Terry/Cedar, Sarah/Bella, and me/Cessna. We are all riding on Sunday, and it should be fun!

Speaking of shows.... is anyone planning to go to Heart of the Valley?

Whew! Where did the week go?

2009-03-05T12:51:00.001-08:00

The days are flying by! The Blue Ribbon show is coming up this weekend, and we all have been moved to Sunday instead of Saturday. Looking at the weather, I'm not sure that is a good thing, but we are in the upper barn this time (yeah!) so it should be very workable. I think we are all planning to haul over on Saturday. I'm planning to go late afternoon after I give lessons. The schedule is posted at http://www.devonwoodec.com/, so check it out. Cessna will be making his show debut this weekend! This horse is TERRIFIC to work with... I cannot think of any other horse that I would consider taking to a show with only about 5 weeks under saddle!! What a gem you have, Erin!

All the horses are going quite well right now, and I'm hoping to do a better job at getting specific updates out here next week.

We are very close to a date for breaking ground on the additional stalls! We will be adding 6-7 stalls and a second tackroom. There will be some noise and chaos while we are in construction-mode, but our contractor, Lisa, is very familiar with horses and the training environment, so she'll be able to make it as painless as possible. I'm going to try to keep everyone updated on what will be happening when so you can plan your rides accordingly.

More later!

2009-02-26T21:23:00.000-08:00

Hi,

I just have to say how happy I am with the progress Rex has made. I have had the best two lessons in a row, EVER! He is now more forward thinking and easier to get round. I even cantered 15 and 12 meter circles, with some nice jumping strides. Tracie has done so much with him and my lessons keep me from screwing up all her progress , ha.

There is a good article in the March Dressage Today by Ingrid Klimke about training . I knew it was important to warm up a horse well , but did not know it took 10 minutes for their joints to become lubricated with fluid.

Happy riding,
Holly

Wednesday musings...

2009-02-25T18:54:00.001-08:00

We had more paddock maintenance going on today, so more chaos! The paddocks are looking great tho, so lots of thanks to Manuel and his team.... even tho they took out one of the fences with the tractor. Ha! But all is fixed now....

Eternity was super today! She was soft and supple, and that is not an easy feat for this mare! I had soft, quiet changes, and even some good medium trot work. Lonnie must have tuned her up for me on Monday!

Gen was also good today. She started a bit rough, not wanting to be really round, but once I got her going she was stellar! I worked on her counter-canter as well as straightening her changes, especially the L-R change. She gave me super walk/canter/walk work today.

I surprised Sandy by showing up late, fresh from the dentist with a numb mouth, and then jumped into a lesson! Sandy had a great lesson and did 3's on Fritz! Woo hoo! How cool!

Lisa took a lesson on William and had some really expressive lateral work! Her shoulder-in work was FEI level, and was really nice! She also got ones on William without even trying... NO FAIR!!! And the best part was that William didn't even try to run away today.... maybe his time in the correctional facility (aka Percy's paddock) and behavior modification programs (aka lots of lunging when he runs away) are finally working. LOL!

Kathy had a lesson after Lisa. I had told her that I would ride Welka first today, but then switched it up on her. My tongue/face/jaw was still numb from the dentist, so I figured riding was not the smartest thing... I need my tongue to talk after all! Welka was wound up and very forward, but she wasn't too thrilled about working hard. Kathy did a wonderful job of making her focus on her work. I am so impressed with Kathy's position, relaxation, and steady hands! This mare demands perfection in the rider's position, and Kathy is delivering! It is a big change from riding the big, powerful geldings that she is used to! Welka was a bit argumentative at the end of the ride, but Kathy made her focus and work. It was SO cool!

That's all for now....

Tracie

Tuesday stuff

2009-02-24T19:27:00.000-08:00

We've had a couple of crazy days with all the paddock maintenance. The tractor has been going about 6 hours/day the last couple of days. It makes for an exciting atmosphere for the young horses!

Diva was pretty excited by all the stimuli, and was very forward today! She continues to amaze me because even when she is nervous she is well behaved.... just very forward!

Duncan in learning leg yield and shoulder-in. He does get confused, but he was much more consistent today. He is doing well!

Cessna was exceptionally good with all the chaos! He went about his job and had a nice workout today. I'm looking forward to taking him to the Blue Ribbon Show in a couple of weeks! What a great mind to work with!

I got 8 ones on William today, and was able to get it twice! We are making progress!

Fritz was a bit of a handful for Lisa today. He was really lazy! She was able to get him focused and working, but he certainly didn't give it up easily. Ha!

That's all I have time for tonight.... have a good evening!

T

Another Request for stuff!!

2009-02-24T08:25:00.001-08:00

Guys, I'd like to get photos of each of you with your horses so I can create a GMF Community page on the website. If each of you send me a photo and a short paragraph about you and your horse, I'll put together a page. It should be fun! The photo can be casual or more formal .... whatever you want!

Thanks!

Green Meadow

2009-02-23T19:48:00.000-08:00

Let's get everyone posting!

How about we say a few words or comments on why GMF is so great :)

Name Plates for Saddle Racks

2009-02-23T17:32:00.000-08:00

Please email me your name as you would like it
on your saddle rack and your horse's papered name,
and his barn, pet or nick name.

Holly glued up all of the leather backs-Thank you
Holly!!!!!! and so we will be putting up the brass
plates and names.

For example:

Lisa H. Daws
Larry a.k.a "Pooh Bear"

Test diagrams

2009-02-22T20:16:00.000-08:00

I found a great site that offers diagrams of all the 2007 USEF and 2009 FEI tests.

First, here are links to each of the tests. Each link brings up a PDF of the test movements.

Prix St. Georges

Intermediare I

Intermediare II

Grand Prix

Next, if you'd like to "practice" a test, click here for a sheet that has 12 arena diagrams on which you can draw your own set of movements. Make a few copies to plan a freestyle! :)

Need more posters!!

2009-02-21T17:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, guys! We need more post-ers! I've been doing all the posting and mine are boring! Let's get some more fun stuff up here. We need to have more cameras at the barn!!

Beautiful Day!

2009-02-20T18:10:00.002-08:00

Wow, what a nice day it was! It's alot easier to get motivated when the sun is shining. After battling a cold this week it was nice to feel good again! Let's see, here is the rundown...

Rex was quite good for the first part of the ride, but then when I started working on hauches-in to the left, he got mad at me! I'm still trying to figure out why the haunches-in is so hard for him. There isn't anything about his conformation that should make it hard. Hmmm... we'll just keep working on this, and I'm sure he'll eventually get the hang of it!

I rode Kreo today for the first time and gained new respect for how hard Robin has to work! He really doesn't want to be round or bend much. Ha! We spent 10 minutes or so with "yes you can"/"no I can't"/"yes you can"/"no I can't". Eventually we did get a round and forward horse! Later, Robin had great trot and canter work. She is definitely learning how to let Kreo do the work so she can work less hard!

Duncan started the ride wanting to drift to the walls ... it was like the walls were giant vacuums, sucking him over!! After some discussions about staying off the wall, I had a great ride. His canter is getting so much more balanced, and he is now able to canter a 10 meter circle without struggling.

Fritz came up with an abcess in his right hind today. Thank you Lisa for soaking him! I was able to find the abcess and open it up. Poor Fritz was literally shaking while I was trying to find it....what a good boy he was to stand still! When the pressure was relieved, we had a hard time getting his foot out of the warm water.... poor guy! It's funny how satisfying it can be to find pus! HA!

Lonnie had a GREAT ride on Eternity. We worked on getting her elbows in front of her waist so she carried her arms and let her hands be independent. Sound familiar? The difference in the way that Eternity went was really amazing. Lonnie also rode Rex for a bit, and cantered in both directions today. Awesome!

Cessna was a bit lazy today, but he is such an easy baby to work with. I'm planning to take him to the next Blue Ribbon show, so I worked on Training test 1. He sometimes has a hard time picking up the correct canter lead, but today he was perfect in every transition! I really love his attitude!

Gen was especially good today. I started working towards passage and she was getting it! She is really strong in her top line, and it is fun now to start working on the more collected gaits. I also started working on schooling pirouettes, and she is doing great!

Wromeo was also very good today, and MUCH steadier in the contact. Today I felt like he was stretching and reaching in all his gaits. He is such a fancy boy! He is still settling in, but today I felt like I got some very solid work. Once I get him steady in the connection and forward, I want to work on straightness. He is pretty good with his balance, but the next step is for him to learn to move off the leg.

I think it's time for me to feed horses... I didn't get to everyone, but I'll try to write more this weekend.

Tracie

Alex and stuff...

2009-02-16T17:47:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful clinic with Alex Gerding the last couple of days. You can check out his website at: www.alexgerding.com. I rode William and Kathy rode Welka. William and I worked on our ones (yeah... what else is new?). But I do think we got a bit better! I'm still confident that I will get it some day...

Kathy and Welka were super today! Alex really likes her horse, and says she needs to do the 5-y.o. test this year. The mare was great again - her second time out - and went right to work. I'm having such a good time watching Kathy and Welka grow together... they are such a wonderful pair with an unlimited future!

I rode Wromeo for the first time today, and he was such a good boy! He looked around alot, but he didn't spook at anything... not bad for only 2 days in a new place. He is such a pretty horse and fancy mover! I'm really looking forward to finding the perfect home for him.

Lonnie rode Rex today and cantered on him! She was nervous, but she did it, and Rex was very good. It's so helpful to ride other horses and gain both confidence and experience. I'm so happy to have a barn full of people who are willing to do this!

Thanks to Sandy for the camel dressage.... what a hoot!!

Camel & horse in a Pas de Deux

2009-02-15T21:29:00.000-08:00

I found a video that answers the burning question of "What does it look like when a camel does dressage?" Here's a link you can paste into your browser to view a Pas de Deux, complete and resplendent with flying changes...yes, the camel does flying changes: http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-videos/editors-choice-videos/camel-does-dressage.aspx

Enjoy! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

Today we welcomed Wromeo to the barn. Wromeo is a 6 y.o. Winterprinz gelding owned by Jeanne Streeter. I have worked with Wromeo in the past and really thought he was special. He is a half brother to Cessna.... They look completely different tho!!

Jeanne is planning to lease or sell Wromeo, and I'm hoping to find a good match for him! He is super talented and VERY pretty. I look forward to seeing how he goes!

Spring Into Dressage

2009-02-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys! I know we are busy signing up for schooling shows. I'm just taking a poll to see if anyone is planning to sign up for Spring into Dressage in March? I know Martha is interested, and I'm on the fence. Is anyone else interested? If so, entries are due soon!

Tracie

First Video!

2009-02-10T21:47:00.001-08:00

Hi! Here's the first video from the Blue Ribbon Show. It's of Tracie and Ali - they did SUCH a great job! Look at those 'articulate steps'!! But, of course, who's horse doesn't look great with Tracie on them?!?! Kathy - I'll post your video tomorrow :-) I'll also make DVD's and leave them at the Barn on Friday.

Let me know if you have any issues opening the file or if its slow? If not, I'll try uploading a bigger file for better quality.

Thanks!

Sarah

Back to work on Monday!

2009-02-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

OK... I was tired today!!! Ha! It was a really fun weekend, but I'm thinking I'm not a spring chicken anymore! :-)

Star of the day goes to GEN! She was fun today. I'm really impressed with how uphill she moves now! I can tell that Monica's hands are getting really steady, because Gen was solid in the connection right from the beginning. She is moving uphill and really starting to develop a powerful thrust from behind. I started working towards passage and Gen lifted her back instead of trying to leak out the front end. She is feeling more powerful and her gaits are getting more expressive each time I ride her. Cool!

The second star of the day goes to Diva!! I rode her off the line today, and she was perfect! Thanks to Lisa for helping me ... it is so important to have good ground help when starting babies. It makes them so much more confident.

Lisa, Martha, and I celebrated with wine after riding horses today.... happy hour at GMF is getting to be a regular thing!! You all need to attend!! :-)

More later!

T

Wow!! Blue Ribbon Show

2009-02-07T20:50:00.001-08:00

What a wonderful day!! Everyone had such a great show, and it was really fun!!

I think we got good pics and video that will be posted shortly.

Congratulations to all on a job well done!!

Whew!

Tracie

Friday rides and schooling show!

2009-02-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

Today was quite the busy day!! I had lots of horses to ride in the morning, and in the afternoon we went to Devonwood to get ready for the schooling show tomorrow.

Robin and Kreo started off the day with a lesson. Robin has come a long way to getting her seat softer! Kreo would love for Robin to do LOTS of work to help him go, but Robin is quickly learning how to make Kreo do the work. They had some really good canter work today with Robin's hands and shoulders very still, and her seat very soft.

After the lesson, Robin and Kreo headed to Devonwood to settle in for the Blue Ribbon show.

Duncan: This was Duncan's best day! He was perfect in the cross ties and was super under saddle! I did not get one buck or even a hump in his back.... he worked walk, trot, canter and several transitions. I was very pleased with him! Our next goals are to solidify his working without the resistance, and get better at balancing when asked to bend.

Cessna: Once again, Cessna put in a solid day of work. We cantered in both directions today with no resistance at all! He is still a bit skittish if he sees something unfamiliar, but I am very pleased with his progress.

Diva: With Sarah's help, we did quite a bit of trotting under saddle with Diva today! She was a little tense, but quite well behaved. Sarah had her on the lunge line while I sat on her. I think she will be ready to go solo in the next week or so.

Blue Ribbon Show:

We have a GREAT group at the blue ribbon show. We are all stabled in the "A" aisle down below at Devonwood. Come and see us tomorrow!! It is SO fun to have a group at the show.

Robin and Kreo got there first and Kreo was very well behaved! He must be a veteran! Kreo's task tomorrow is to listen to his mom and not make her work too hard! Robin stayed around and helped everyone else, including entertaining Kasen and Kyler while I was coaching... Thank you!

Lisa: Lisa helped haul horses, get ready for the show, and help with whatever was needed! Thanks, Lisa for all your help! Kasen and Kyler were watching DVDs in Lisa's truck tonight and I had to drag them out to bring them home! I asked: "Do you want to go home to have dinner and see Daddy?" "NO! WE ARE WATCHING MOVIES!" They begrudgingly agreed to go home with Mommy eventually! (hilarious!)

Holly/Rex and Sarah/Bella were next. Both of these pairs were super!! Holly and Rex have never been out together, and Holly has had a long sabatical from showing. Rex was super well behaved, but a bit inattentive. Holly was very good with her riding and made Rex focus on his work. I was really happy to see how well they worked this evening! They will have a great ride tomorrow.

Sarah and Bella were good as well! Bella was afraid of the geese that were walking around the grounds (pretty hilarious), but after she got over that trauma, she was super! Bella settled right into work and was as steady as I have every seen! She stretched over her back in all three gaits, and looked like a pro! It will be fun to see her shine tomorrow!

Monica/Gen were next. Monica had a quite funny brain-freeze in which she couldn't find her horse, but after that, everything was better. When Monica rode there were 12 other horses in the arena, so it was quite a circus. Gen was pretty forward, but focused on her job. I'm sure Gen will be a bit more settled tomorrow. ( and Monica will be more rested!)

Kathy/Welka: I was so happy to watch Kathy and Welka work tonight. Welka was a GEM! Kathy was able to get soft and relaxed, and the two of them were lovely! I couldn't have come up with a better pair in my dreams! How cool!

Tracie/Ali: I was so happy with Ali tonight. He was nervous but he gave me his best. Poor guy! This was a really big day for him, and he did his best! I'm really lucky to have him!

So... we'll see you all tomorrow at the show, and we'll have reports! Hopefully we'll have some pics and video too!

Tracie

Notes for this week...

2009-02-05T17:11:00.000-08:00

Thanks for posting the pictures, Sarah! It doesn't matter if they aren't great - it's always fun to see young horses under saddle for the first time!

We will definitely try to get some additional pictures and maybe some video when Sarah is here tomorrow.

Here are some updates from earlier this week:

Duncan: He is progressing each day! On Wednesday he was good in the cross ties and also pretty good under saddle. He still bucked one time on Wednesday, but after I got after him he was great. It is still relatively hard for him to balance in the canter, and he wants to fall on the inside leg. But with a combination of leg and moving my weight to the outside, his balance is getting more consistent. He's been very solid on the lunge line, and I know the lunging will help his balance. My goal for next week is to get solid work without any bucking! :-)

Cessna: We cantered on Wednesday!!! He was quite unsure about himself, but he did it! His steering is getting better every day. He sometimes has a hard time focusing on me instead of his surroundings, but that will get better. Next week I'll just continue to introduce more canter. He does spook once in a while, but because he is so BIG, it always seems like slow motion! Ha!

Diva: Wow, I have alot of young horses! Diva has been the exceptional one of the bunch. With Lisa's help this week we went from sitting on her - being led around - and then doing some trot on the lunge line! Of course it would be the girl that was the fastest learner!! If all goes the same, I'll probably try her solo this week. That's always an adrenaline rush!

William: William has been my challenge for the last couple of months. After seeing that Jeremy can get on him and get 18 ones, it is obvious that he can do it, but he doesn't do it with me! Ugh! Nothing like a little humiliation to motivate you... ha! Anyway, I've gone back to working on twos instead of ones and getting them really solid. I think I need to get my aids more consistent and I need to get William more forward in the tempis. Next week will be all about tempis!

Percy/Lisa: Lisa had a lesson on Percy on Wednesday and it is always so fun for me to see how he reacts for the first lesson! Lisa did a splendid job with him - especially for the first time! It is quite helpful for me to see how everyone's seat affects Percy's gaits. If anyone tightens up their hips, Percy will passage, canter in place, or do his famous lateral walk. He is a great teacher for soft legs and hips, and really makes the rider be honest. Lisa had some great work on him and did a wonderful job of figuring him out! Of course, he pulled his "I have to go pee" routine both before and after the ride!

Rex: I had a couple of really good rides on Rex this week. It really amazes me how much he has learned in a short time. I keep having to remind myself that dressage is completely new to him. At this point, Holly and I are trying to teach Rex how to disengage his neck from his shoulders so that he can bend without just following his nose everywhere. It has been pretty hard for him, but he is starting to get it. Once he softens in the base of his neck, his back comes up and he starts using his hind end. Of course, you always get the expressive grunts to let you know how hard he is working!

Tomorrow we will be getting ready for the Devonwood Blue Ribbon Schooling Show. I am really looking forward to this being a blast!! Come and join us for a glass of champagne on Friday or Saturday!

The brave souls are:
Monica and Gen
Holly and Rex (1st show together!)
Kathy and Welka (1st show together!)
Sarah and Bella
Tracie and Ali

This will be Ali's first time out, so any and all prayers are welcome!!

More later!!!

Tracie

Young horse progress - proof is in the pictures!

2009-02-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, here goes... Here are 2 pictures of Diva, and 2 pictures of Cessna. I took the ones of Cessna - Lisa took the 2 of Diva. I clearly need more practice with my action shots (Lisa - yours of Sandy and Diva put mine to shame, do you give lessons?!) I'll get one of Duncan on Friday - if someone doesn't get one before then.
~Sarah

Young horse progress!!

2009-01-29T17:26:00.001-08:00

I am so lucky to have some young horses in training that I am starting. I really enjoy starting the young horses. I probably need my head examined, but I keep my "brain bucket" on, and so far, so good.

I rode Cessna for the 2nd time on Wednesday and we were trotting around the arena!! Sandy is a witness. We didn't really have any steering, but Cessna was happy to oblige.

I sat on Diva Tuesday afternoon with the help of Lisa. She was more interested in the horses outside than me being on her back!

I'm going to ride Duncan tomorrow, and hopefully he will be good as well!

Hopefully we will have someone out to take pictures in the next couple of days so we can post pics of these newcomers under saddle!!

Tracie

Welcome Duncan

2009-01-24T18:09:00.000-08:00

We have a new horse in the barn and his name is Duncan. Duncan is a 5yo grey WB gelding who will be with us for a few months for some training. He came today and is hanging out in the run-in shed area. He and Diva are getting along fine, and right now I have Ali in the back pasture. Between Diva, Ali, Cessna, and Duncan, I'll be trying to find the right mix of horses for the run-in shed vs. stall.

Feel free to give Duncan a carrot to welcome him!

2009-01-22T19:32:00.000-08:00

Wonderful pictures! Thanks, Lisa!

It is amazing how much pictures can demonstrate about our riding! I was most struck by the fact that Sandy's position was GREAT in the trot work, and was completely different in the canter work! Her core was really engaged in the trot work, but her shoulders come forward (losing her core) in the canter. This might not be an accurate assessment of the overall ride, but the pictures give us great feedback. We'll be working on the canter next Wednesday!! :-)

H0lly was kind enough to video my ride on Ali on Wednesday, and I was amazed by what I saw! Ali was behind my leg the ENTIRE ride! Sheesh! I'm excited to ride him again and see if I can get him more forward. It was a perfect example of how video can make you see what is REALLY happening.

Pictures and videos are a wonderful training aids. I am planning to bring my digital camera out to the barn as well (and maybe someday I'll figure out my blackberry!)

On a completely different subject: I talked with Martha today and I am going to start Diva over the next month or two. I think starting young horses is one of the most fascinating experiences. Why in the world do they let us sit on their back and put a bit in their mouth??!! I am always in awe of their willing spirit...

More later.... kids need to go to bed! :-)

Sandy and Fritz

2009-01-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

These are pretty bad photos on my part-Sorry Sandy...I am working on my action shots... However despite the quality it shows your position as it relates to your discussion with Tracie on having your upper body well back so your hips and core are doing the work. Hopefully Tracie will be on tonight and can comment on Photos 1,2,3,4,&5

I think your position in number 5 at the trot is super. Your hands are together and quiet. Your shoulder, hip and heal are aligned well and Fritz is in a good frame-he is driving into your forward hand-way to go! Photos 1-4 were taken in the canter. I like your position in #1. Let's see what Tracie says.

GM's New Working Student

2009-01-21T19:12:00.001-08:00

Larry and Tracie

2009-01-21T19:04:00.000-08:00

Larry's first ride with Tracie! He is on the mend :) Please note we have our own papparazzi in the background aka GM Working Student ;) aka Kasen!

Larry's New BFF

2009-01-21T18:50:00.000-08:00

Trailride...

2009-01-18T17:47:00.001-08:00

So I heard the trail ride was very successful until the killer cow....

Maybe we need some (de)sensitivity training...

2009-01-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

I'm loving this sunny weather! Hopefully the west side of the arena will dry out. Thanks to Natalie for grooming today, so I could get all the horses done in reasonable time!

Maybe someone can bring a camera on the Sunday trail ride this weekend?? It would be fun to get some pictures up here! I was going to bring Ali, but since the playoff game starts at noon, I'll be watching football instead.... hard to believe, right? Ha!

2009-01-14T18:23:00.000-08:00

I love the nice weather... I'm hoping the paddocks will dry out at least for 5 minutes! I think Natalie got everyone clipped this week... yeah! A big thank you to her.

We've gotten a couple people who figured out how to blog (Lisa and Monica) and a couple people who figured out how to comment (Sandy and Kathy). We need more!! If you need any technical assistance to set yourself up to post, let me know. We can do it from the barn computer. I'm excited to get everyone set up so we can "play". :-)

Rex and Holly were AWESOME today! His trot was really uphill and supple. It is so exciting to see them both progress so quickly! :-)

Yeah Lisa!

2009-01-13T17:48:00.000-08:00

Awesome! Now we have Lisa blogging as well! Let's go girls.... the rest of you need to get signed up too!

Sunday the 25th works for me.... that's the weekend before the superbowl and there is no football. I will be going through withdrawals in February. :-(

Jeremy's analogy about dragging an anchor seems to have really helped everyone, including me! I found myself really keeping my core solid today when I rode. It gives a feeling of pushing into uphill contact. What I love about this sport is that you never stop learning... there is always a new piece to the puzzle - that "ah-ha" feeling.... or maybe the "high" to the addiction! Ha!

Video Afternoon

2009-01-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

Yeah! I'm blogging. How does Sunday, January 25th in the late
afternoon sound for looking at videos. There were some conflicts
with this weekend and after emailing ya'll, I realized I have out of
town guests. Any whooo, let me know via email lhdaws@gmail.com
if you would be available around 3:30ish after we ride.

Thanks, Lisa

2009-01-12T18:58:00.001-08:00

Awesome!!! Monica is blogging (I agree, a totally weird verb!).

Let's all get going... it will be fun!

Test Client Blog

2009-01-12T09:59:00.000-08:00

I think this is going to work. I already had a google account, so I clicked on the link from Tracie's e-mail inviting me to contribute to this blog, and signed in. I am now blogging! If you don't have a google account, you can create one from this same page.
Who whould have thought 'Blog' and 'Text' would become verbs in the 21st century.
OK, better say something about horses here... Jeremy was great. Keeping my shoulders back and thinking about being 'heavy' in the saddle helped me feel much more connected to Gen - more like a part of her vs. sitting on top.

Open Blog and More Jeremy

2009-01-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

I think I figured out how to open up this blog so we all can post to it. It will be MUCH more fun this way. Now you can all post pics, videos, opinions, or whatever! I really encourage you to join - I think it will be fun!

Lisa and I rode with Jeremy today. Chris called me with a last minute opening in the clinic. Lisa was already at the barn, so I came out and told her she was riding! Fritz looked absolutely amazing today, so I think I'll just surprise Lisa in the future..... :-)

I am determined to get the ones on William. I got a few more today, but now I'm on a mission!! (Poor William!)

Blue Ribbon Show

2009-01-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

The next Blue Ribbon show at Devonwood is February 7th, and the prize list/entry form is on their site, http://www.devonwoodec.com. This is a great venue, and it might fill fast. It opens tomorrow, so get your entries in!

Jeremy Clinic

2009-01-11T12:12:00.000-08:00

Once again, we all gained some wonderful insight from Jeremy Steinberg. I always come away from his clinics with a new sense of enthusiasm. Of course, when Jeremy hopped on William and knocked off 18 ones, it wasn't exactly enthusiam that I was feeling! How humbling! But now I'm determined to figure this out!

Lisa and Monica had great rides as well. Some of the really good information was about keeping your shoulders back in such a way to enable your hips to open and move more freely. It really made a difference in the softness of the seat for both Lisa and Monica.

What's great about Jeremy is that you come away motivated.... whether you are riding or watching. How lucky we are!

My favorite Pas de deux

2009-01-08T16:18:00.000-08:00

I was looking through some old videos today and came across my favorite pas de deux videos. This is Kasen, Fuzzy, Sandy and Fritz. Don't they look great!?!?

If only I had learned to ride when I was 5, maybe I would have the seat Kasen does! Look at those relaxed legs and soft hips! Ha!

Re-learning and Jeremy

2009-01-06T18:17:00.001-08:00

Today I had one of those "break-through" rides that are really inspiring. I was riding Eternity today, and I suddenly realized I was using my core too strongly throughout the whole ride. On horses that want to run through the bridle, you correct this by creating a "wall" with your seat, core, and hand. However, once the horse gives, you need to SOFTEN the wall. I realized with Eternity that I was holding the "wall" almost constantly! So, once I lifted my ribcage and softened my core and arms, I was able to get much better gaits. Such simple things we have to re-learn over and over again! It's amazing how complicated this sport is!

We are really fortunate to have a couple of extra rides with Jeremy this weekend! Lisa, Monica and Kathy are all going to ride. I'll have a schedule posted sometime tomorrow once Chris gets back to me on ride times.

William

2009-01-05T17:40:00.000-08:00

The star today was William. He was consistently giving me 4 and 5 ones today! This is a big improvement over last month. I'm still learning how to "fire him up" without working to hard, but today he was really great. We also worked on passage and piaffe. His passage gets better each week as he gets stronger. We'll be working with Jeremy this weekend, so hopefully we can get some good work in on his piaffe!

Happy New Year

2009-01-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

We had a WILD December to end the 2008 season. First a week of arctic temperatures and then the biggest snowstorm in 40 years! Since we don't see alot of snow around here, several of the horses really didn't know what to do with it. They walked around in only a small portion of their paddocks, creating paths in the snow. With all the cold weather, the water pipes froze and getting water to the horses became quite a chore. However, once the power went out and we had no well pump, it got even more interesting. We owe a big THANK YOU to Chris and Mike Feves for allowing us to come up to their farm and fill up garbage cans with water from their well. Mike plowed the driveway for us so we could get our truck through.

Thank goodness it is over, and hopefully the rest of the winter will be a bit more normal!

I'd like to introduce you to our "community". Hopefully we'll get some pictures to put up here as well!

Martha Caldwell has 2 horses here, Fritz and Diva. Martha bred both of these horses herself, and she did a fantastic job! Fritz is showing PSG, and he is very impressive. Diva will be 3 years old this year, and will be likely started under saddle this spring. Fritz also is ridden regularly by Sandy Grossman-Tobin who half-leases him.

Monica Borrell also has 2 horses in the barn, Tully and Gen. Monica is relatively new to dressage. She and both her horses spent the previous several years in the jumper ring. Going from hunt seat to dressage is actually a hard transition. Monica has been learning how to develop a correct dressage seat, and her horses have been learning how to accept contact. This is hard to tackle at the same time! Tully is also half-leased by Jen Miller-Davis, who rides him in all her spare time from her medical residency! Jen has had a long break from riding, but she is getting her "riding legs" back really quickly!

Lonnie Sexton and her horse, Eternity, joined (I should say RE-joined) the barn in July. Lonnie welcomed a new baby girl, Lauren, in August, and was back in the saddle after just a few weeks! She and Eternity are picking up where they left off. Maybe we'll get Lonnie back in the show ring again if she is done having children!

Jackie Anderson brought her horse, Killiarc, to the barn in the Spring. Killiarc has successfully shown at I-1, but is now rehabbing from a tendon injury. He and Jackie are doing well, and we keep our fingers crossed that his rehab continues smoothly.

Holly Schlepp purchase a new horse, Rex, this fall. Rex had a career as a jumper, so he is now learning how to accept contact, listen to the seat, and understand "bend". Holly has been riding for several years, and she and Rex seem to be a perfect match. Rex might just win the award for the "cutest" horse.

Alex Carey purchased the horse "William" from Green Meadow Farm in September. William is a PSG horse with alot of talent. Alex purchased William and then headed off to college, so she doesn't get to see him very often. She was home at Christmas, but because of the snowstorm didn't get out here much. Bummer! Once Alex gets home from school in the spring, she'll be probably riding non-stop. In the mean time, I am working to get William to Grand Prix, and Tina Johnson half-leases William. (Although she managed to take a tumble recently - hopefully she'll be back in the saddle again in February!)

Kathy Porterfield also has a new horse (seems to be a pattern!). Her name is Welka. Welka came to the barn the day before our 2 week snowstorm started. Poor thing! What a crazy welcome to a new home! Kathy was riding my horse, Percy, while we were horse shopping, but now she has a new, wonderfully talented horse to dote on.

Lisa Daws is the newest member of the barn. Her horse, Larry, just came to the barn a few days ago and is settling in just fine. Larry is also rehabbing from a tendon injury, so we have all our fingers and toes crossed as he starts the slow road to full recovery. Lisa is also riding Fritz, William, and Eternity, so she can get her "real" riding time in!

We will have a new horse in the barn in a few days. Erin Warren is bringing her horse, Cessna, to the barn so he can be started under saddle. Cessna will be 4 this year, and he is a big moving, flashy, tall, and super sweet horse. I'm excited to get him here!

The last 2 horses in the barn, Percy and Ali, are mine. Percy is a Grand Prix horse that I have had for about 6 years. Percy is one-of-a-kind.... those who know him understand why I say that! Ali is my baby ... I bred him and have been anxiously waiting for him to grow up so I could ride him. Ali has been under saddle for about 4 months, and is doing great.

Hopefully now that we've introduced everyone, we can get some pictures and/or videos up here as well!

2008-12-28T16:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome! Green Meadow Farm has been in operation for 12 years. It's amazing to realize it has been this long! What started as a hobby, has now become a career as well as a passion. I plan to introduce you to each of my students and horses through this blog, and share our experiences as we all learn about this amazing sport of dressage.