Week 35

Tuesday: 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Gave a lesson on Cliff and rode Lady.

Now I'm on a three week Christmas vacation. Hope everyone has a great holiday season!

Links:
Sunnyluck Farms Website
Laughing Buck Farm Website
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook

Week 34

Tuesday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Round penned Mercedes and Fiona, and rode Buster. Then 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Rode Lady and gave a lesson on Cliff.

Thursday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Braided tails, cleaned stalls, and round penned Apple and rode Hollywood.

Friday: 1 hour at Sunnyluck Farms. Cleaned stalls and rode Buster. Then 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm, I gave a lesson on Cliff and rode Lady.

Links:
Sunnyluck Farms Website
Laughing Buck Farm Website
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook

Week 33

Tuesday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Pesa and Buster, and round penned DG. Then 3 hours at Laughing Buck Farms. Rode Lady, and taught a lesson on Cliff and a lesson on Shadow.

Wednesday: 1 hour at Laughing Buck Farm. Taught a lesson on Cliff.

Thursday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Buster, and round penned DG. Then 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Rode Lady and taught a lesson on Cliff.

Bella riding Cliff in her lesson

Friday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Round penned Apple, DG, and Mercedes, and rode Buster.


Links:
Sunnyluck Farms Website
Laughing Buck Farm Website
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook

Week 32

Tuesday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Round penned DG, and rode Apple. Then 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Gave a lesson on Cliff and cleaned his pen.

Thursday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Buster, and round penned Mercedes and DG.

Friday: 1 hour at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Mercedes. Then 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Gave lessons to preschool aged kids, and gave a lesson on Cliff.

Riding Hollywood, taken a couple of weeks ago.

Links:
Sunnyluck Farms Website
Laughing Buck Farm Website
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook

Week 31

This week was Thanksgiving, so I had a few days off. Friday I spent 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm giving two lessons.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Links:
Sunnyluck Farms Website
Laughing Buck Farm Website
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook

Week 30

Tuesday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Hercules, Apple, Hollywood, and Buster. Then 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Worked with Lady and gave a lesson on Cliff.

Wednesday: 5 hours at Quick Performance horses. Did stalls, watered, and rode 2 horses.

Thursday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Buster and Apple, did stalls, and round penned Hercules.

Friday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Mercedes, fed, and lunged Buster.

On Mercedes. (Photo credit goes to Sunnyluck Farms)

Links:
Sunnyluck Farms Website
Laughing Buck Farm Website
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook

Week 29

Tuesday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Saddled horses, round penned Mercedes with her head tied and then rode her a little bit, rode Apple, and rode Buster. Then 3 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Gave a short lesson on Cliff, who wasn't feeling well, and coliced, so I stayed with him while the vet worked on him.

Baby slide tracks by Buster (with no sliders on!)

Wednesday: 4 hours at Quick Performance Horses. Did stalls, turned out horses, round penned 4 horses and rode 2. Then 1 hour at Laughing Buck Farm giving Clifford his grain and sand clear.

Thursday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode down the road on Buster.

Friday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Hercules and Mercedes.

Links:
Sunnyluck Farms Website
Laughing Buck Farm Website
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook

Week 28

Monday: 3 hours at Schwartzenberger Equine. I went down to talk to Steve about possibly interning there this winter, and got a tour of the barn and stayed and watched them ride for an hour or so.

Tuesday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Mercedes and worked on a lot of bending and giving to the bit, and then rode Buster.

Wednesday: 1 hour at Quick Performance horses. I went down to talk about interning there once or twice a week, and met with them, and rode one of their horses a little bit. Then 1 hour at Laughing Buck Farm. Round penned Lady with her head tied to try and help her pick up her bad lead. She picked it up about half of the time in the round pen, but when I got on her again to try in the saddle in the arena, she still didn't pick it up. I'm going to tie her head again on Sunday.

Thursday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Mercedes working on bending some more, and rode Buster.

Best view in town.

Friday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Braided and blanketed DG, round penned Hercules, round penned and braided Apple, and lunged and braided Buster.

Evening at the barn, Denzel always wants to say Hi :)

Saturday: 2 hours at Quick Performance Horses. Watched a young horse being round penned, and then rode a 3 year old and gave him a bath.

Sunday: 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Did stalls and fed.

Laughing Buck Farm Website
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook
Sunnyluck Farms Website
Sunnyluck Farms Facebook

Week 27

Tuesday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Hollywood for his sale video, and rode Apple, and then helped from the ground with putting the first real ride on Fiona. Then at Laughing Buck Farm for 2 hours, gave mini pony lessons to preschoolers, and then rode Lady for an hour working on picking up her bad lead.

Thursday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Round penned Hercules and Buster, and rode Hollywood. It was pretty chilly out, so they all had a little spring to their steps :)

Hercules in the round pen 

Friday: 1 hour at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Buster down the road.

Sunday: 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Gave a lesson on Clifford, and rode Lady, again working on picking up her bad lead, and walk to lope transitions.

Picture of me messing around on Lady from last week :)

Links:
Sunnyluck Farms Website
Sunnyluck Farms Facebook
Laughing Buck Farm Website
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook

Week 26

Tuesday: Three hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Buster, round penned and rode Mercedes, and round penned Fiona. Then 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Gave a lesson on Lady and worked with Lady and Sassy with desensitizing to Halloween costumes. Also spent 1 hour emailing different reining barns about possibly interning or just helping around the barn and sitting in on training.

Buster trying to drink my coffee

Mercedes in the round pen before riding

Fiona in the round pen

Bella learning how to collect Lady

Lady as a witch :)

WOAH

Thursday: At Sunnyluck Farms for an hour. Round penned Chanel, Buster, and Hercules. Then at Laughing Buck Farm for an hour to give a lesson on Cliff.

Saturday: Rode Cliff for an hour. He's pretty out of shape muscle wise since he's only been giving beginning lessons lately, so I worked on collecting him a lot, and we loped for a while.

Asking for a baby turnaround

**Photos of me on Buster belong to Sunnyluck Farms**
Links:
Sunnyluck Farms Website
Sunnyluck Farms Facebook
Laughing Buck Farms Website
Laughing Buck Farms Facebook

Week 25

Monday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Watched Fiona being worked from the ground, fed, and rode Buster.

Buster 

Tuesday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Fed, cleaned stalls, round penned Mercedes, rode DG, and rode Buster. Then 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Worked with the ponies and gave a lesson on Cliff.

Cliff with the tiny saddle 

Thursday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Fed, rode DG, rode Hercules, and round penned Fiona.

Friday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode DG and Hercules and lunged Buster for a few minutes.

Buster doesn't want to take his blanket off as long as he doesn't get sweaty :)

Saturday: Rode with a friend for two hours. Got to ride her cutting horse, and her BLM mustang. It was super interesting to get to see the differences and similarities of how cutting horses are trained versus reining horses, since I'm looking to do an internship with a cutting horse trainer in the future.

Links:
Sunnyluck Farms Facebook
Sunnyluck Farms Website
Laughing Buck Farms Facebook
Laughing Buck Farms Website

Week 24

Tuesday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Fed and cleaned stalls, and then rode my new leased horse, Buster. Then round penned DG and Hercules with their heads tied, and then rode Apple. Then spent 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Worked with the ponies, and gave the little girl who is now leasing Clifford a lesson.

Buster 

Hercules learning to give to the bit. We do this with their heads tied with the reins so that it's a clear message that giving to the pressure of the bit releases it. It's much better than trying to teach it on their backs which would get VERY tiring.

Hercules giving to the bit nicely. Notice the slack in the rein.

Friday: Worked on my resume and references for an hour. I was sick Thursday and Friday so I did not get out to the barn.


Sunnyluck Farms Facebook
Sunnyluck Farms Website
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook
Laughing Buck Farm Website

Week 23

Tuesday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Mercedes, round penned DG, and rode Dare. Then 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Gave mini pony lessons to preschoolers and worked with desensitizing Lady and Sassy to a sheet for Halloween so that they can be ghosts. Neither could care less, but the other horses thought that the sheet was eating Lady and Sassy and kept running up to the fence to 'help'.

DG starting to give to the bit

B riding Lady with the sheet trailing behind

Sassy with the sheet

Friday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Mercedes, and then rode Buster, who I am officially leasing! He's one of the most finished horses there and he's a blast to ride. I can't wait to further refine my riding with his help.

Buster!
**Photo belongs to Sunnyluck Farms**

Sunnyluck Farms Facebook
Sunnyluck Farms Website
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook
Laughing Buck Farm Website

Week 22

Tuesday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode a horse that Sabrina just got back in a trade named Mercedes, she was super good. Then round penned DG with her head tied so that she can start learning how to give to pressure with the bit. After that, I rode Hollywood. Then spent 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm giving lessons to two little girls.

Mercedes peeking through her stall after our ride.

Thursday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Hollywood and loped lines with him, cleaned stalls, and led Fiona for her first ride!

Friday: 4 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Rode Mercedes, rode Apple, and round penned DG with her head tied.

DG blowing off steam before I tie her head

Links:

Sunnyluck Farms Facebook

Laughing Buck Farm Facebook

Sunnyluck Farms Website

Laughing Buck Farm Website

Week 21

Tuesday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck farms. Rode DG, and sacked out Fiona with a bag full of aluminum cans. Then worked with the ponies at Laughing Buck Farm for 2 hours and rode Clifford.

Sweaty DG

Sweaty Fiona

Thursday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Sacked Fiona out again, and then Sabrina ponied her. We're hoping to have someone get on her for her first ride this week.

Friday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Groomed, clipped, and braided tails, and rode Hollywood working on rollbacks.

Laughing Buck Farm Facebook
Laughing Buck Farm Website
Sunnyluck Farms Facebook
Sunnyluck Farms Website

Week 20

This past weekend I hurt my wrist and have not been able to do my regular work this week because of it, so this post is not going to be quite the same as most of them.

I spent the week catching up on things that I do not need to move my wrist for, like finishing my 4-H record book for the year (the 4-H year ends this month) and writing up the community service project that my club does. I'm also working on a website for my horse services. For now, it will only offer things that I know I am experienced enough to do and expect payment for, and as I grow as a trainer, I will begin offering more services. Hopefully it will be up soon.

Week 19

Tuesday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Did stalls and rode Hollywood demonstrating some 4-H skills for a sale video. Then 4 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Taught 2 lessons and worked with some of the kids on Sassy and Shadow. I started Cliff on grain last weekend because he's starting to look a little thin because of some rotating horses during feeding time (i.e. he doesn't get to finish off slow eater's feed anymore) and he is thoroughly enjoying it.

16.2 hand Clifford in the 13" kids saddle :)

Thursday: 1 hour at Sunnyluck Farms. Braided horses and wormed. Then 2 and a half hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Grained Cliff and helped clean and reorganize the tack room.

Munching

Friday: 2 and a half hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Tied Fiona's head around with the bit for the first time, and rode Hollywood. Fiona is getting better about being saddled and her general ground manners and respect are getting much better.

Fiona

Sunnyluck Farms Facebook
Sunyluck Farms Website
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook
Laughing Buck FarmWebsite

Week 18

A lot going on this week, so here goes a long post :)

Tuesday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Worked with DG on desensitizing and touching around her mouth to prepare for the bit. I wouldn't say that she's headshy, but she doesn't like her lips being messed with, so I spent about 15 minutes just touching her all around there. There are many ways that people like to work with a horse that has a certain part of their body that they don't like touched, but I've found that the best way that works for me is to find a spot (usually on their neck or chest or withers somewhere) that they're extremely comfortable with having scratched, and then start resting your hand on the spot that they don't like being touched, and as soon as they keep still, remove your hand and scratch the place that they do like having touched. If you continue this for a while, gradually increasing the length of time that you leave your hand in the 'no no' spot, or increasing the activity (for example, with DG's mouth, I eventually practiced putting a finger partway in her mouth because that's what you do to ask them to open up for the bit) and then make sure you end on a good note. After that, I round penned Fiona and did the same kind of thing on her ears again. She was worse with her ears than DG is with her mouth, but after a few days of alternating scratching her neck (which she LOVES) and touching her ears, she's improved a lot, and  where she used to throw her head all over the place and try to get away if you touched her ears, now I can run my hands down both sides of both ears and she barely moves. After I worked with those two, I fed and then rode Hollywood, he did a couple of great stops today.

Hollywood

Cute picture of momma and babies!

Thursday: Was feeling a bit under the weather today, so I just stopped by Sunnyluck Farms to do stalls super quickly, but I also scheduled a jumping lesson for Cliff and I on Saturday! I've always wanted to learn how to jump, and Cliff loves it, but I have no idea what I'm doing so I'm super excited!

Friday: Two hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Saddled Fiona and tied her head around, and rode DG. She is on the lazy side (which is better than the alternative in a green horse, in my opinion), and we're working on keeping a steady canter. She LOVES to stop, and naturally just stops and starts backing, which is great, but we're working on not stopping until she hears the word "woah".

On DG

Apple

DG Stopping. *Ignore my position*

Saturday: A gal from my barn who is a really talented jumper gave me a lesson on Cliff this evening. We focused on my 2 point position and setting Cliff up to go over poles (I haven't jumped hardly at all, and I haven't ridden English more than 15 minutes at a time in years). Here are some pictures of the lesson:

Warming up

It's a start! :)

Working on using his body in the circle and keeping a bend around my leg without dropping his shoulder

Softening up

I forgot how much work English can be. My legs were burning by the end!

Clifford is not impressed. 

Sunday: Spent 2 hours at Laughing Buck Farm messing around and riding with a friend. I also put Cliff on grain because he's starting to look a little thin.

Just walking around on Cliff bareback because I was so sore from the jumping lesson yesterday :)

*The stopping picture of DG belongs to Sunnyluck Farms*
Links:
Laughing Buck Farm's Facebook
Sunnyluck Farms Website
Sunnyluck Farms Facebook
And, I'm excited to announce that Laughing Buck Farm's website is now up and running, and it looks amazing! Go check it out ((A short bio of yours truly is on the "Meet the Instructors" page))!

Beginning of the School Year!

This summer has been amazing and I've learned so much from my months working at Sunnyluck Farms and Laughing Buck Farm, and now the school year is starting again and unlike a lot of students, I can't wait to get started, because I know I'll be able to explore what I'm interested in!

This year I have a few projects that I am planning on. I'm going to be continuing to work at Sunnyluck Farms and Laughing Buck Farm (Laughing Buck Farm is adding some additional lesson programs this fall, and I hope to teach some of the new lesson students how to ride), I'm in 4-H with Clifford again, and I'm hoping to get a program started with another Innovation Lab student to let any kids ride and interact with horses that want to. Horses are expensive, especially with the cost of hay right now, so a lot of kids can't afford lessons or leasing, and very few can afford to own, however horses are also one of the best stress relievers around, so we believe that everyone should have access to them, because it can only be a positive thing. We have a meeting about that tonight, so hopefully we can get the ball rolling and I can provide more info soon!

Enjoy the rest of your summer, I'm ready to see the changing leaves and some cooler weather!

Links:
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook
Sunnyluck Farms Website

Week 17

Tuesday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Round penned and roped Fiona and saddled for the fourth time, and rode a new client horse, DG. Fiona did pretty well, and even went into the barn in a stall for the first time and stood tied after her session, and DG is an awesome little mare who should be really fun to work with.

DG!

Thursday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Fed and did stalls, and rode Hollywood.

Saturday-Sunday: Both Sunnyluck Farms' owners, and Laughing Buck Farm's owners were out of town on Saturday night, so I took care of all of the horses.


Sunnyluck Farms Website: http://sunnyluckfarms.com/
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaughingBuckFarm

Week 16

Tuesday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Worked Fiona in the round pen. Saddled her, and then Sabrina ponied her on Dare for a while. She was a little pushy with the ponying so we tied her head around in the halter for a while while we rode. I rode Hollywood. Then 4 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Worked with Bella and the ponies, and rode Lady English.

Thursday: 1 hr at Sunnyluck Farms. Did some feeding and cleaning.

Friday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Worked with Fiona on touching her ears. In about half an hour of alternating between scratching her neck and chest (her favorite thing) and approach and retreat with her head, I got to the point where I could run my hands down each side of both of her ears. Then round penned Hollywood with his head tied as a reminder and rode him in the arena a bit. Then rode Denzel who was extremely level headed, and extremely lazy (as was I). It was pretty hot.


Sunnyluck Farms Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunnyluck.farms
Sunnyluck Farms Website: sunnyluckfarms.com
Laughing Buck Farm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaughingBuckFarm

Week 15

Tuesday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Groomed and braided Ruby, Hollywood, and Calypso, rode  Hollywood working on counter cantering. Then rode my horse, Clifford bareback for a little while.

The light in back was doing weird things to my cell phone's camera, but here's a kind of blurry picture of Hollywood in the cross ties.

Thursday: 3 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Worked Fiona in the round pen and saddled her for the first time. She bucked a little bit in the beginning but once she started moving she was fine. Also but the bit in her mouth for the first time. She's a little bit head shy, so putting it over her ears was a bit scary at first, but she took the rest like a champ and I think she'll get over the ear thing in no time. Then rode Ruby and Apple.

Friday: 2 hours at Sunnyluck Farms. Went for a short trail ride on Apple then worked with Fiona a bit on bridling.

Sunnyluck Farms' facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunnyluck.farms
Sunnyluck Farms' website: sunnyluckfarms.com
Laughing Buck Farm's facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaughingBuckFarm

Week 14

Sunday-Thursday: Farm sitting Sunnyluck Farms. Feeding in the morning and night, stall cleaning, all basic duties. 

Tuesday: 3 hours at Laughing Buck Farm. Taught lessons, and worked with desensitizing ponies to barrels and buckets for upcoming games.

Clifford helped a student learn to canter

Here's a cute picture of Cliff with his bands still in from showing:

**Photo belongs to Laughing Buck Farm**

Laughing Buck Farm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaughingBuckFarm

Sunnyluck Farms Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunnyluck.farms

Sunnyluck Farms Website: sunnyluckfarms.com