Ahote, Mac and Me FINALLY on our new journey!

Hello to everyone! Congratulations to jobs well done. There has been so much progress has been made by so many curly owners. Very exciting times. I have been outta touch for some time, but am joining the group in getting our curly horses out there....

Brief recap: between surgery (Feb: cadaver ACL installed), physical therapy (March-June with NO riding), horse therapy (July-September--first on an electronic horse progressing to being lead around on horseback, then classical lunge line lessons and finally actual lessons) the big question was I ready (both physically and mentally) to tackle training and riding again? After two months of struggling at home, the decision was made to bite the bullet (and the bank account!:~) with structure and consistency-and a professional to supervise our progress. It has been a long, long time coming. God willing this will continue for many years to come.

November 7th, two of our curly stallions, Ahote and Mac, along with myself, began our new journey in classical dressage with Mario Contreras...head trainer for Medieval Times, Chicago. I may be a bit, ahh, slanted :~) in my opinion, but as a proud mom I must say the boys are doing very well.

They have settled into this new lifestyle (stalled more, turned out less, although know how much they always LOVED their stalls and training time) very, very well. Mom is trying to keep up!

I find the "new schedule", 4-5 days a weeks at the new barn (which is a 45 minute drive one way)--after taking care of my own herd at home (and Mario wants me there by 8 a.m. two of those days--tough for me!:~), then taking lessons on both the boys, rushing back to take care of the herd at home again--well simply put, a lot for me to adjust to. Fortunately my home bound herd is extremely patient as I have been too exhausted to work any of them (as of yet) and sometimes fall into a deep sleep after arriving back at the ranch, only to wake sometime between 10p.m. and midnight to take care of the night feedings. This learning curve is steep, but my stamina is slowly getting better...very slowly! LOL!

The exhilaration I have been experiencing certainly helps with my energy levels and is only enhanced by the number of questions and comments I am getting from other boarders who learn the new kids on the block are stallions; especially the woman whose mare is stalled next to Ahote! FYI-it is a stallion barn with concrete walls between the stalls, and not enough stallions to fill it's 50+ stalls.

Most boarders have never seen a curly before. Those who have were extremely impressed with my boys temperment and movement. It's very exciting to have the breeders (mostly Andalusians, Lusitanos and Friesians at this barn), other trainers, their equine chiropractors and massage therapists, farriers, even vets comment positively on the movement of "those curlies". I am floating on cloud nine!

Another extremely exciting, although

initially extremely intense moment was

the first time I rode Mac in the arena side

by side with Ahote being ridden by 18

year old Mauricio (sorry hubby was so

excited himself he didn't get those

photos....but more to come!:~) That's

Ahote and Mauricio (very tiny) in the background. That moment was only intensified by another woman working her Andalusian mare around us as we stood quietly in the center of the arena--and then another of Mario's students long lining a Freisian stud!

WOW!!!

Mario and his students are enjoying my boys laid back nature, smooth gaits and ease of trainability...OK Ahote gets bored quickly and gets a little defiant...by simply standing and doing nothing! I realize I must spend more time with him, changing up his routine, figuring out different ways to get him enthusiastic about repetition...so that he doesn't get sour.

Yesterday, Sunday, was yet another thrilling day.Mario called this team to the barn for TV filming. Tierra de Caballos TV (oh well, not the ABC, NBC, CBS prime time we were all expecting-lol) spent several hours shooting footage of Mario and his students.

OK, I, nor my boys, are certainly NOT at a

level ready for TV time, but the camera man

did his best to make make us feel a part of the team! Who knows, perhaps the Curly Studs will their own reality show with this introduction! LOL. Either way it was a ton of fun leaving us wanting for more! And although not TV, the boys performance may not be too far off....we are preparing for a possible dressage demo at the Midwest Horse Fair, April of 2011.

Mac almost has his bow down pat, so I will make sure to get a photo once he has that perfected....leg yields are coming along so will try to get some video of that over the holidays....the passage and piaffe, Spanish walk and pirouettes will be for RAC 2011 and 2012!

Speaking of bows and other dressage movements, another topic not curly related that I am so excited to share, so please excuse me for bringing up a non curly announcement-- Rocky, stage name Rocky El Blanco, one of my mini stallions (have to find a curly mini mare for him) is the "star" of Noble Horse Theatre in Chicago....he is performing in their horseback production of the Nutcracker, under the training of Laura Amandis and learning dressage!

All in all it has been a long year and a half of recovery. Needing another surgery, but trying to put it off as long as I am having such a grand time bursting at the seams with excitement (and the waistline!:~)

I will do my best to keep in touch and updating our status with photos and video....Betsy I don't know how you do it, other than skill and practice, asI tried to take document my first ride with Mac--video on my phone and if you want to see some shaky tape of either his mane or the ground I can post it! vcLOL.

Please follow our training at Big Sky Ranch on facebook as well.