Meet Abby and Theo

Hi eveybody!  My name is Blaine and I have two Cutie Pie Curlies named Theodore OBI (Theo) and YS Kawaii(Abby). 

Theo is crossed with a Hanovarian which gives him his nice 15.3 size.  In pervious years I did Dressage and Jumping with him but I'm not sure he enjoys the limelight of shows.  He has been to the Midwest Horse fair as well but it's not his cup of tea.  He has been in training for 7 weeks learning how to focus and just fine tune control.  In that time he has worked cattle, been roped off of and they are asking for lead changes.  I plan on trying out endurance riding with him as he has so much stamina and seems to really enjoy trail riding.  We may do some Dressage shows this summer as well but that will all depend on him. He is the prime example of a puppy dog horse. I'm pretty sure he would sleep in my bed with me if I'd let him.



She was the Big Bad Wolf...you can't really see her teeth



Abby is my breed demo star.  She is a wonderful representative of the Curly Breed.  We attend the Midwest Horse Fair and this year we will be at the MN Horse expo as well.  Abby can do it all she drives, does dressage, we've started some reining, she shows western pleasure, hunt seat, I've jumped her, trail rode, given lessons, camped, and roped off her and she does them all really well!  This spring I have decided to breed her as well so you will all get to be updated on her baby's progress.  She does have a condition where her stifles lock and unfortunately it's worse in the winter.  I'm looking into having surgery done in Feb so she will be comfortable when carrying the baby. 

That's me and my horses I didn't get a chance to ride last night but I plan on logging some hours tonight!

Getting ready to ride...

For the last two months or so, we've had so much rain our fields and riding areas were under water. A lot of the sand in the roundpen washed out, and it was just too dangerous and slippery to do anything. Finally, this week, temperatures dropped and it started to snow. I've been waiting patiently for the ground to freeze, and today, it was hard enough that the horses could go back out onto the field. Here are some pictures of the mare band enjoying some hay after romping about. I'm out there in a minute checking the ground to see if I can ride. -Karen Zierler

Well, a couple hours later, and we did it! I was able to get some pictures too, but not great ones, as the batteries on the camera started to die in the cold. I had to put the camera inside my jacket to warm it to get these shots. But, anyway. This is Warrior Vaquera Lark. She's a lesson horse, and the first horse we trained years ago. She's had a break for several weeks, and so I saddled her and we did some lunging in the roundpen. She bucked and had her tail flying while it was snowing, then settled down to a nice working trot and canter. Lark has been in a snaffle and also a snaffle with shanks for years, and I've been wanting to work toward a finished horse (something new for me too). I have a borsal and want to get a mercate to start, but in the mean time, today I used a thick rope halter and lead line as reins to see how she went. It went really well, and she didn't resist, she backed just fine, and we did some light hand work, turns, and a tiny bit of collection. The rope halter gives a bit too much, but still, Lark has been a lesson horse for years and has picked up bad habits with the bit and students, with the rope halter these did not show up, which is a great way to correct again. Anyway, it was snowing like crazy, as you can see while I was up! -Karen Zierler

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!

My name is Tammy Fitzner, and I live in Livingston, TN and I can't wait to start hitting the trails this year!!! My back is finally well enough for me to ride at all speeds, and my favorite speed is turbo on my Curly horse, DE Shya.  You know, that speed you hit after the ground eating canter, when the wind begins to whistle in your ears and all you can think is "Lord, please don't let a squirrel or deer run out in front of me because it will surely hurt!!"  A little over a year ago I was told that I may never ride horse again because my back was in such bad shape.  When I went to the chiropractor he told me that my spine was twisted in a corkscrew and that in all probability I would have to have surgery done on my lower back.  In his words "your back is crap".  I had taken a nasty fall off a horse 3 years prior which ruined my lower back, followed by numerous other falls which proceeded to ruin my neck, upper back and one that caused my hip to pop out of place. I endured painful manipulations for 4 months during which time I was not allowed to bend, twist, lift or pretty much do anything other than sit in an effort to avoid surgery.  All the while, my goal was to see if I could ride horse over Labor Day weekend.  I was finally given the go ahead but was told I would have to wear a corset style back brace (which I will have to wear for the rest of my life when I ride) and could only ride at a walk.  I rode that weekend and haven't looked back since, working my way up from riding at a walk, to a slow trot, to an extended trot and now a canter.  Throughout it all my Curly mare, Shya, has kept me safe and has taught me how to completely trust a horse again.   We have grown together and have established a mutual trust.  She is my horse soul-mate and I am so glad I am able to spend time on the trails with her.  What is really great is that we also own her sister, DE Woehnta (or Pickles as she is called), who is my husband's horse soul-mate!  Here's to lots of hours on the trails!!!

What a Start!!

Loving all the posts already!!
Thanks so much Denise - it's awesome to be back at it!! And congratulations to Jessica for the great new logo! I think it resembles the RAC perfectly!!
For those who are new, my name is Donna Wilson and I am from Lunenburg, Ontario. My kickass Curly, HCH Make My Day (Linus) is from Stirling, ON! I purchased him prior to him being weaned and visited him until he was ready to come home. Once here, we started on groundwork and ground driving. We went for lots of walks and built a bond that is stronger than I've had with any other animal. He's my boy and he knows I'm his person! He stays between me and our Arab mare that belongs to my father.
I live off farm (not by choice! My husband has many allergies!) but nearby. My Dad and I raise Black Angus and Linus loves it when I ride him in there and for fun we will cut a heifer or steer out. He seems to have some natural cow sense. He's very good at it!
Linus is a smooth coated Curly and will be 4 this year. I've done all his training and have learned so much from him. They say once in a lifetime, you will have that one horse that is your "equine soul mate". For me, its Linus. We drive, though I still have to replace his now too small cart, and we love to trail ride! Linus loves doing obstacles too. He has the funniest personality and a knack for finding trouble! He would walk right into the house if you'd let him! But he is gentle as can be and my now 4 year old son has ridden him for about 3 years! My niece and nephew loves rides too and Linus LOVES kids!!
I was so delighted today when I finally had a light day on my mail route. Once chores were done, we saddled up and had a ride!! First time the saddle has been out since November!! We've had a couple of bareback rides in there but a massive snow storm took care of having anywhere to ride! Our January thaw has given some space back!!
We had a pretty spirited ride today. Linus was loaded but he always listens well. We checked a bit of fence and just meandered around. It was so great to be on his back again!! Our goal for this year is to step it up a notch. Linus is ready for more action and so am I! There really is something to be said for growing with your horse!!
You'll notice I post from my mobile a lot. As such, I cannot place my pictures so you'll have to bear with me!! All were taken today. From Linus before the ride waiting at the gate for me to checking on our herd bull, "Mac" to our goofy head shot!
Donna Wilson
Lunenburg, ON
Canada!!
Sent from my BlackBerry® phone powered by Koodo Mobile®.

Great Fun!

Hello everyone,

My name is Cyndi Morin and I have just entered into this Curly world!  I'm excited to be here.  After having a 'hot' Arab for years previous, I was very exctied to hear about this fantastic breed.  So level headed!  I bought my curly 'Sunny' from people who had kept him for 4 years but had put no training on him.  When I met him, he had good looks ;-), was social and curious but very respectful.  He was not saddle broke and had only one experience with people on him (no sadde) and apparently it was 'quick' however,  I could tell, that his temperament was good.  Little did I know HOW good!  I dove into curly information and tracked down his breeder and pedigree.  After reading about the breed I knew I was bringing home.  Once home, I started his training ' Parelli style' and within 10 short days (and I'm NO professional!) I was mounting him, in saddle, with no one holding him.  I learned that his breeder, Karalee Bell aka Whirlwind Curlies had put an amazing start on him as a colt.  I could tell!  I was amazed how fast he learned and how willing he was.  She has continued to be a tremendous support and advisor!   I have had him just 3 short months but we are doing all sorts of tricks, trail riding, road riding, he takes my kids for double rides and we go walk, trot, canter and the occasion, albiet very fun gallop, all on a rope halter with reins.  No bit.  With two small children, I don't get to ride him as often as I like but I do spend a lot of time with him so this year, I would like to (hopefully) put more mileage on (in the saddle or bareback ;-), teach him to lie down (already underway!), train his gaits to be more slow and steady and possibly get a nice western 'spin' going.  No plans on showing him (other than to the 25, 000 acres of forest we live in ;-) but it's fun just to do new things and develop a stronger relationship.  I would like to start him driving too.  We have a nice red sleigh that would be nice for him to pull next winter!  For now though, he's learning to actually take me riding through deep snow. 

Cyndi

Let's Go Fellow 2013 RACers; Curlies Rock!

 

Hello Fellow 2013 RACers!  For those of you who have not participated in the RAC in past years, let me introduce myself (Susan Lejonhud) and my Curly partner.  My 11-year-old Curly gelding *RCR Ah-D-Das (pronounced "Adidas" but affectionately known as Ah-D or Didder)  and I live in a small town in Maine, and we enjoy trail riding on the many back roads and trails near our home, as well as occasionally going to the ocean beach or camping out at the scenic Acadia National Park.  In years past,  we virtually always ventured out on the trails alone, but now we are blessed with many horse and human friends and family with which to ride. We head out to enjoy Mother Nature twelve months out of the year.

 Didder and I have quite the history together.  He needs a strong  and confident leader and is extremely personable, quirky and challenging; thus I have worked harder for him and learned more from him than any other horse I have ever owned.

Last weekend, we had very unusual weather for January in Maine, warmth and fog!  Saturday at dusk, when I was done with my work, I tacked up Didder and then skipped across the road to invite my 2nd grade neighbor Megan to join me on a ride. Yep, she was all for it!  We rode in the fog and mist until it was dark.  Megan is a beginner rider, and she is working on her hands and seat and posting, not to mention keeping her butt in the saddle.  Didder's buddy Allie takes good care of her, and a week or two ago he treated her to her first ever canter!  Wow, was it ever fun to share in her excitement! I planned the whole thing out of course, picking the right spots on the trail and getting Didder at just the right speed to egg on Allie (who has much more whoa than go), and my Curly cooperated fully.  What a good boy he is!

On Sunday afternoon, I rode Allie down the road in more fog to meet up with my neighbor and riding buddy Kate and her horse Jax.  We came back to our barn, where I exchanged Allie for Ah-D, and proceeded to explore the snow-laden trails behind my house.  Kate has only been riding for about a year and never in the winter, so it was her very first ride in the snow.  We had such a good time.  My Didder was a doll.  He has so much personality, that one, and he did an excellent job of containing his energy and behaving himself.  We took every trail open and available to us, avoiding any spots where there might be hidden ice under the snow.  We also avoided a really steep hill in the interest of safety because the snow was so wet and heavy with all the melting that we may have just slipped and slid all the way to the bottom, on or off our horses.  Not something we wanted to do...although, at one point when I was fiddling with my camera timer to set up a picture of us together, Jax thought that the snow looked so inviting that he laid down with Kate still in the saddle.  For once the shoe was on the other foot, and it wasn't me who was stepping off onto the ground and flailing my arms to get my horse to get the heck up!  Kate didn't step off, though, she just yelled at Jax to knock it off and he stood right back up.  Pretty funny!

 

We rode around here and there until dark, observing the evidence of deer highways and other wildlife out in the woods.  My Labs joined us, and all of them were very good girls and a joy to watch as they played and tumbled about in the snow.  After our ride, when each and every one of us was tired and happy, Didder and Allie were surprised to learn they had a sleepover!  Yep, Jax spent the night at our house because all three horses had a dentist appointment yesterday.  Didder had a wolf tooth removed, so next weekend's riding will be sans bit.  Now THAT should be interesting.  I'll have to scrounge around in my tackroom and see if I can find either that old hackamore or bosal I have hanging around. (I am a packrat).

 

 

I am so looking forward to reading your RAC introductory posts.  It's going to be a good and fruitful year for all of us!  We can all learn and ride/drive vicariously through each other as we enjoy our Curlies the world over.  Let's go RACers; Curlies rock!!!

Hello RAC 2013 !

My daughters Katie (14) and Charlotte (12) and I are planning on a busy year with our Curly horses - hopefully they will do their own blogging but I thought I'd start off with an introduction for us and our Curly herd.

We live just outside of Calgary, Alberta on a farm - our love affair with Curly horses started due to my husbands allergy to horses.  Six years later - his horse allergy is gone - and we have a large herd of Curly horses and Warmblood sport horses (Hanoverian, Trakhener, Thoroughbred)

We have lots of big plans with our horses this year:

I will be starting under saddle our lovely gelding Alias - he will be 6 yrs old this spring.  He came to us in the fall of 2009 as a gangly 2 yr old - who was headed to auction at a time when hay prices were so high many trained lovely horses were ending up in meat trucks.  I took cash & my horse trailer to bring him home.  That winter he grew - the next summer he grew more - and the following year grew some more - he's 16+ hh and AWESOME !!!  He is smart, confident and willing - he's had lots of ground work and this spring I'll continue his training under saddle.  

My daughter Katie - who is turning 15 this spring - will be logging miles on her Curly boy Charlie.  We don't have much history on Charlie - no papers - supposedly he was a trail horse with the National Park Service - he's around 15 yrs old.  He is a great project for my daughter - he's a great boy who tries hard - but its obvious much of his training was hard and fast.  Katie does lots of ground work with him - building his mind and confidence.  Charlie is a 4-H project horse for her this year.

My daughter Charlotte - who just turned 12 - has put in a lot of time with her little Curly mare Misty.  When we went to look at Misty over 2 years ago - she was being sold as a rideable horse - but not one that I'd willingly ride.  After talking to her previous owner getting her history - hearing of her fear of women & of her "ranch" work - Charlotte said "I LOVE HER" - so Misty came home with us.  First we turned her out and let her be a horse - then I did months of ground work and desensitizing her to ropes (which she was terrified of).  Slowly she gained confidence in herself and trust in us.  Charlotte completed a 4-day ground work & round penning clinic with Misty this past summer - and has started riding Misty in the round pen bitless and bareback at walk and trot.  However - Misty still gets agitated - so we're going to try doing some ground driving - hopefully bridging some gaps that still need work in her training and confidence.  We have all learned so much from Misty - the connection between Charlotte and Misty is the magic we all want with our horses.

We also will be getting our rescued Curly gelding Cannon started under saddle.  Cannon was in the Zillah Feedlots in Washington Feb 2012.  He is an sweet gentle boy - someone has given him lots of care & attention in his past.  If anyone has any info or ideas on where he may have come from we would love to hear it !

Along with these big Curly projects - we also have a some very well trained "been there and done that" Curly horses that we will also put miles on  :-)  Looking forward to a great year sharing all of our adventures - Chris, Katie and Charlotte

Good Morning RAC !!!

Hurray!  RAC is back !!!!  I bet there are lots of new faces this time around. Let me introduce myself ;-)

Hi !  My name is Linda VavRosky and my husband and I operate "Creekside Curlies" For over a decade my Husband and I ran a successful curly breeding farm. We decided to retire from the business and enjoy our remaining, hand picked horses ourselves. I have always wanted to learn to drive a horse AND to have my very own driving horse.I also discovered you could "drive" a dressage test...I was hooked !!!   In 2011, my curly mare "Legacy" started her training at one of the finest harness training facilities in the North West. In 2011 Legacy came home from the trainer, and we have been driving ever since!  2012 was spent driving lots and lots of hours, and our first competitions as a driving team. There is just so much to share about driving I am excited to be on board for the 2013 RAC! These photos were from last summer's Dressage Festival and clinic,  our very first competition. We proudly brought home our first ribbon of the season. My THANKS to Denise for bringing RAC back for 2013. I am looking forward to hearing everyone's news and see those photos.

Fun and Exciting Year

Hello to all the fellow Curly Lovers out there.  So excited for another year of meeting new people and sharing in our ups and downs through the year.  I enjoy reading others experiences with their horses and learning new things from others along the way as well.  My name is Dana Leibfried, I'm from the frozen tundra, right now, of Minnesota.  The rest of the year is much better!  Any how, our family owns 2 curly geldings, Larry (who we use to ride double with our youngest son) and Marley, my main guy.  Our family does alot of camping and trail riding during the spring, summer, and fall.  Marley and I also am members of a mounted patrol unit so we do many hours of training and we also do competition.  This year my goal is to get better at horsemanship, keeping my legs more steady, and getting Marley more consistent at his gaits.  With Larry my goal is to get him so I can put the rear cinch back on my saddle =)  My husband hurt his hand last year so we didn't get much trail time in so he got a bit pudgy.  We have a few new places we have found we would like to explore this year with the kids and horses so more miles in the saddle, I can't wait!!  Well let the fun begin, I just cant wait to meet all of you =)

Hello World?

I hope I'm doing this correctly! My name is Karen Zierler, and I've been involved with Curly Horses since 2003. We are breeders in Austria, having imported horses from Canada and the USA. I've been involved with breeding associations, and this year, I'd like to spend more time and focus on riding, that is the reason why I chose to join the RAC. I plan to ride several horses this year, some of which are at the beginning of their training. I hope to get to know more people, and have a lot of fun. I've been riding western for several years now, and do a lot of Natural Horsemanship work, starting many horses. Two years ago, I started training with a Classical Dressage trainer during the winter after a bad fall. This year, I plan to continue with that trainer, I'm looking forward to that! In addition, I want to expand on my western riding in the direction of maybe trying out Cowboy Dressage, and California Vaquero. This year, for me, is a year of adventure and exploration in the saddle! I really look forward to sharing this with everyone, wish me luck!

Let the games begin!!

Welcome to the Ride-A-Curly Adventure blog where you will experience a year of fun, sharing, motivating, inspiring and promoting the incredible Curly Horse!

This year we have SEVENTY ONE zealous, excited and determined Curly Horse Owners looking forward to sharing their curlies with you. These riders are from all over the world! I don't know about you, but I can't wait!

We hope you will sign up to receive email notifications so you can stay current with new posts from the riders.

Also to the right, you will find more information about the RAC as well as participants websites to further explore those that are involved. Many are curly breeders so they often have horses for sale, so be sure to check them out. 

Without further adieu, I'll close with saying thank you all for your support, encouragement and participation in this contest, whether a rider, public visitor or cheerleader! We are all part of this journey and goal and I appreciate all of you!!

Sincerely, Denise Conroy

Announcing RAC's 2011 CHAMPIONS!

The time has come to announce the 2011 RAC Champions!!

Great job and congratulations everyone!!

GIDDY UP GALS: (Ladies Division)

Grand Champion: Tiffany Beechinor 
Reserve Grand Champion : Zoe Lirakis 

JACK BENNY: (55 and over)

Grand Champion:  Betsy Lirakis
Reserve Grand Champion : Ann Washington

CURLY TEAM (1 curly, 1 rider)

Grand Champion:  Donna Wilson 
Reserve Grand Champion : Susan Lejonhud 

THE COWBOYS (Mens Division)

Grand Champion:  Jim Washington 
Reserve Grand Champion : Tom Baldwin 

WRANGLERS: (17 and under, boys & girls)

Grand Champion:  Ashley Ostman
Reserve Grand Champion : Ashlee Bell 

GROUND DIVISION: (optional add on division)

Grand Champion:  Donna wilson 
Reserve Grand Champion : Betsy Lirakis 

SPECIAL AWARD:

COMMUNITY BLOG: 

This award was given to the person that posted & commented the most on the RAC blog. The blog is an essential part of the RAC because it encourages, motivates and builds friendships. Thank you Susan!!

Susan Lejonhud

*****************************************************************

INCENTIVE AWARDS: 
Medals are given based on the RAC point system (riding points only). 1 hour = 4 points. Awards given when a rider reaches the following point goals: 150, 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1250, 1500 etc. Points are rolled into the following RAC year if you continue to pay to be in the program.

Ashley Ostman: 3250
Betsy Lirakis: 5750
Laurie Bryan: 1500
Susan Lejonhud: 2750
Zoe Lirakis: 6000
Marlene Elliott: 150
Dana Leibfried: 2750
Jessica Venhorst: 1000

Visit: http://curlyhorsecountry.com/RAC2011_winners.htm to view all 2011 winners, including mini challenges.

Staying Connected in 2012

Good Morning! 

The RAC will not be held in 2012. This blog will remain live for visitors to read and as a resource via the search engines for those looking for more information about the Curly Horse. But all authors have been removed for the 2012 year, which means no more new posts.


To stay connected, please visit http://curlyhorsecountry.com/curlyhorse_links.htm#blogs where I have some personal blogs listed and you can stay in touch that way. (if anyone is not listed there, please email me and I will add you asap: denise.conroy@gmail.com)


Also, if you are a curly horse owner, some gals have developed a new facebook page to continue sharing, posting challenges and encouraging riding/promoting. https://www.facebook.com/groups/202807299798132/


Please visit Curly Horse Country regularly for the latest in Curly Horse information.


Blessings to you all in 2012!


Enjoy those curlies!

Thank you RAC Team!

Happy New Year!


I had to post a public Thank You to all of you!! I received a beautiful photo calender in the mail yesterday! It was so stunning and so amazing. Pictures of so many of you, I was touched as I flipped through each month. Thank you all for being a part of this gift - it meant the world to me!!


Thank you once again for an incredible year. I hope we can do many more ride with me rides and find a way to stay in touch.


Blessings to you all in 2012!


Denise, Reese & Bear. ♥

Ride with me in California

It was a beautful day here in Cali but I got called into work. I wasn't ableto ride until it was cold and dark, but I was able to ride in my arena with lights. Happy Curly New Year to All!

Calm before the Storm - ride in Michigan

Good Evening Everyone - what a long awaited for beautiful day here in Michigan. 32 deg (sih), sunny and fresh snow for good footing. Storm coming in tomorrow!

Erin, my riding buddy was home from college so I invited her to share the last ride of the year and end of RAC 2011 with me, Reese and Bear. Our boys were VERY laid back today. Due to the mild weather we were actually able to ride for a couple hours before getting cold. It was absolute heaven. We even had a few good trots which was fun.

Hugs at the end of the ride after unloading and untacking.

Ruby of course joined us. =] Such a good girl!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!! And thank you again for an amazing year!!!

Ride With Me Denise, in Hebron, Maine

Well Denise, our ride today was a good one! Rainy, cold and icy, but we made due and had a grand time meandering here and there on familiar trails in the woods. Didder absolutely loves the special treats you gave him for putting up with me through all that November fun. I kept them in my pocket for this special last RAC 2011 ride. This is his..."Is it time for a treat now?" look. Our trails were slippery, so we didn't do any cantering or galloping today. We passed a small beech tree in full fall regalia that made me think of Betsy. Isn't it a beauty? AhD was full of vim and vigor today. I think the treats in the pocket were one of the only things that keep him from acting foolish. It feels darn nice to have a fresh horse underneath you when the chilled air hits these early winter days, doesn't it? We had five dogs along, sniffing here and there and discovering things that I have no inkling of what they could possibly be. The stone walls show up quite well this time of year. Beautiful and functional, leftover from older times, adorning the woods and offering a challenge when one wants to cross. Denise, I hope you enjoyed the last ride of the year in Maine. I reminisced about all the fun I have had sharing with my fellow RACers, and the special friends I have made through the RAC. Thank you, Denise! Here's looking forward to 2012; may we all have as much or more fun than in 2011. ~Susan and Didder~