RAC (Ride-A-Curly) Adventure Blog

Hello to everyone...

I must apologize for not having been in touch...my own issues...as it has been a long while since I have posted. And in attempting to catch up I see that everyone is doing such a wonderful job with their horses. So many curly owners working their horses and promoting the breed. I am thrilled to say congratulations to all! I hope this begins my contributions as well.

It has been a long recovery from my ACL reconstruction surgery end of February, then the physical therapy--and no one (hubby and my docs come to mind first) wanted to see me injured again--so I found it very depressing not being able to ride much less work my horses. Initially I followed the blog, to live thru everyone's great successes, but it only made things worse for me....so I went into hiding.

However after months of hard work, and some really cool therapy at The Royal Lusitano under chiropractor Nancy Holman on her electronic saddle, then lead-line with Nancy and Lisa Diersen I finally got the OK from my orthopedic surgeon to begin some closely supervised, light lesson work. My surgeon was too funny, "you don't really use your legs much for riding, right? I mean you won't be stressing your knee, will you?" Silly guy has only been on a horse once, some vacation trail ride many years ago!

Needless to say I was thrilled, but so wanting to get on one of my own horses. Following over a month of lunge line lessons on some of Nancy and Lisa's great Lusitanos working-on my core strength, building my seat and balance, I had the strength and confidence to make the big move. I decided to attend another of Laura Amandis's clinics (I attended one August 2nd, but let my son Dustin do the riding!:~) with not just one, but two of our curly cross stallions.

OH yeah.....First matter of business was to see if Ahote would load....he is a 5 year old stallion who has been a pasture ornament (since my accident Sept '09, along with all my other horses) and has never been on a trailer.

The night before the clinic Dan had a brain storm....we should see if he would load before trying to rush to do so in the morning rush. Me, I love a good story, so would have put it off till morning!:~)

It was around 10:00 p.m. when I finally got around to getting Ahote up to the trailer. It was pitch black both outside and in the dark "hole". But nothing like a curly! Ahote hesitated momentarily at the large step up, then hopped in like he had done so many times before. I love him! Sorry I didn't have my phone on me (as I had just bathed him and it would have been just like me to wash the phone as well) so no photos. We unloaded, donned our new cooler and bedded down in the barn for the night....Ahote and Mac, not Dan and I!

Morning came too soon with cleaning and putting together all my tack....had to find matching tack to make that great impression for our curlies.

I was a little apprehensive about trailering the two stallions, mainly due to the fact that I had never tried that one either. Then I remembered Laura Amandis telling me that after so many performances people will comment on how well behaved all the stallions are working together, only to see and hear the trailer full of them pulling out, rockin'and a rollin' with sounds of kicking and squealing! So nothing like the present.

Ahote loaded as well as the night before. Mac followed right in behind him. Ahote apparently had plans of his own with regards to being tied so as not to face Mac. He quickly figured out how to release the safety snaps, insisting on being nose to nose with his brother. The kicking and squealing soon subsided once we were on the road. Apparently keeping ones sea legs for the first time requires a bit more attention than that other stallion on board!

After an hour on the road we arrived, unloaded and put the boys into stalls. Fortunately it was "casual Friday" at the clinic, which put all the stresses of rushing out of my mind and my day!

Ahote and I were up first. He was very good walking along the paddock of the stallion in the background. While we warmed up with some lunging, Laura introduced the Curly breed to the audience. We had numerous questions from the audience regarding Curly horses. Everyone was amazed by his easy going demeanor and that he was a 5 year old stallion (there were mares in an adjacent pasture) who hadn't been worked in basically a year and only backed a few times then.

Laura took him for a few rounds, showing me new exercises to work with him on. Finding his "weaker" side in bending and learned even more exercises to use to improve that. It didn't take him long to relax and settle into finding the bit and beginning to stretch his topline and enjoy himself. She commented on how sometimes it can be more difficult with a horse that is so compliant--explaining that you want them to make some mistakes for both of you to learn from....

....Ahote must have been insulted by that comment as he got a sudden burst of attitude! Laura laughed and in her best eastern european accent commented "you see, I teach levade in one lesson" --as that is pretty much what he did! The audience got a good laugh from that and the lesson continued. Unfortunately we didn't catch it at the perfect moment in the photo..those dang delays on digital cameras!

The moment of truth had arrived--it was my turn to accomplish my next goal from therapy....to get back on my stallion(s) and make use of what I had learned from my lessons.

What a great rush that was! I was pumped, but not nervous. The audience was biting their finger nails as Laura explained to them that this horse had not been backed in over a year....they were able to see first hand the nature of trust and calmness in a curly horse. The audience applauded when I swung my leg over Ahote and he quietly stood waiting for his next cue.

We had a wonderful ride with Laura close at hand, offering step by step instruction. Ahote and I worked on small transitions from walk to trot, half halts to trying to find that nice, comfy sitting trot. It was awesome. I have a long way to go, but this was a wonderful beginning and I am ready to take on the task.

A few other horses and riders were up, the hours seemed to fly by and suddenly Laura was telling me to go get my other horse ready. Already???

Mac, our 4 year old curly cross stallion, had been to a Laura Amandis clinic in early August, so while I warmed him up she had fun telling the audience how I love to "surprise" her at clinics. The last time it was Mac who hadn't been backed in over a year and at that time only backed a few times. She commented that she was a bit concerned as to how that would turn out but learned first hand that the general nature of the curly breed IS one of trust and calmness.

I must admit that I was exhausted! Lisa may work me hard in our lessons, but this was a different kind of "hard". I sucked it up and got on another of my trusty steeds! Laura had us work a trot on the long side, then halt. Then shoulder in across the short side and to the turns, back to a trot on the long side, halt and repeat. After two full laps around the arena we would add a leg of trot before a halt. With two more rounds another leg was added until we were trotting the entire ring, shoulder in thru the corners. I was fading quickly....and perhaps my youngster was as well!!! Fortunately all our work gave way to lots of questions from the audience....this gave Mac and I the opportunity to rest!

As I said before we have a LONG way to go, (including our stamina) but I am so excited to make this journey with my boys....and YES, with Laura offering to come

to the ranch to keep us on track and progressing.

A fabulous day that was yet to end. Laura gave us a beautiful liberty demo with her incredible stallion, Acerito!

Then another gentleman, Victor Pozzo, the head trainer at Temple Farms, working with their Lipizzans, arrived to give a demo on showing in halter and then ride the host's Lusitano, Querubrim (who was originally going to WEG but unfortunately some medical issues prevailed)....it was an incredible way to end the day!

Hope to have many more stories to tell in the near future. Thanks!