RAC (Ride-A-Curly) Adventure Blog

Kudos to all the other fellow Curly riders - getting out there in this inclement weather and working their horses! I am inspired and feel it's about time to "get with the program." We returned from vacation in February and I was happy to find an "early" spring - which lasted for about 10 days. But I started riding and have been trying to every since, with the winter weather back - it's definitely more of a challenge.

What we have been up to....Traveler (my trusty Curly stallion) and I have started up again with flat lessons, dressage and jumping. We have been jumping several times and are working our way back to where we ended the season in November. I am happy to report that we have been able to hit the 3'3 mark on the jumps and it's just the beginning of the season. My goal with him this year is to start out Novice - our first Event is in May (and I am already nervous thinking about it) and try to get 3 or 4 solid Novice Events in, ending the season with a Training Level competition. Ambitious, I know.....

Next weekend Traveler and I start our intense 2-Day training clinics for Eventing and I guess that we will really see then, how much more work we will have to do. And the following weekend, we head down to our first Endurance Race. It's hopefully a pretty flat ride and we are only going 25 miles, so it should be fun. More fun than work, anyway.

Now, what my "boys" are up to. Let me tell you what they were doing all winter, snowbound in the paddocks - check out their tails. I know Curly horses can shed out their manes and tails, but mine do not. I have beautiful show pictures of them this last summer with tails almost done to their hooves. They "skiied" all winter by chasing each other around and grabbing on to the other's tails and dragging each other across the snow & ice. I am so not kidding. When I saw the destruction this had done to their tails, I cried. (Well, I felt like it.)

On to happier things - I have ridden each of the colts, twice and successfully - meaning no kick, no buck and no rear. Here is my 3 year old Curly Arab gelding - my "endurance experiment", with my daughter. Since he is so young, I just get on him for a couple of minutes, get him used to the saddle, having a rider on him and turning left & right and circles. I ride him with a halter and lead rope. My daughter wanted to ride both of the colts and so I let her, after I rode them first. What she really wants is to ride, Traveler. Nobody but big mama rides Traveler.

I love this picture of my daughter, Luna age 5, with our 3 year old gelding, Timbuktu. He is asleep, I think and here she is fooling around with him. I just love Curlies - so calm and kind.

Luna riding Timbuktu.

This is my 4 year old, Khatmoondhu, working in the round pen. I just taped him and he is 15 HH. I am hoping he matures to 15.2. (note the tail) My boys, all tied up and waiting for their turn.
And finally, this is the true purpose of a round pen.