SAWDA

We are now at Sawda :) I am very happy about it. Klassy loaded pretty good. No tnatrums or fits. only took about 30 minutes.

She is all settled in her new stall, she gets daily turnout, she didnt get that before.

Hope everyone is having a great New Years. I will be getting more pictures here soon. But just wanted t let everyone know we made it there safe and sound, she was a very good girl and everyone loves her. I start lessons in about 2 weeks :) VERY EXCITED. Also Am selling some of my tack and stuff that doesnt fit or work for me and Klassy will be getting about 100.00 bucks. :)

I will be going tack shopping soon for leather side rains, a set of boots, new bell boots, and looking at blankets. I got my new saddle pad from a good friend! Its in our show color, red!

Here are a few pictures. I am going over saturday or sunday idk yet but will get pictures of the barn and such :)

YAY.

Its been way way to long!

Okay well for those of you who dont know, i am back from Canada, It wasnt for me and I didnt agree with the training methods, but I did learn alot of things and wa able to work alot n my own riding and that made me really proud to come home and see and feel how much better and relaxed I was. I ettend alot of horse shows with the trainer along with the honor of going to the Spruce Meadows Masters. I relized 3 days away from home driving distance is just to far, but I wouldnt have known with out trying it out so I am glad I did. I have to say though after having Christmas over I am so glad I was home with all my friends and family, I would have missed out on alot.

I am so sorry I have been so absent from my blog, "Bad me! BAD!" I will work on keeping it updated alot better.

It has now been 10 months since I my Superstar has comeinto my life, and really it doesnt feel that long. In almost a years time I have brought a un-broke little bay filly who you couldnt really touch with out amost getting sat on or tepped on due from no handling to a horse who loves trail rides, frliking ina open pasture with her buddies, can stand in the cross ties and so much more. When I think about it we have really come so far, yet when I am cought up in the moment I dont really see that and can get frustrated witha "bad day". Klassy is now about 15.2 hands and her shoulders are really growing in finaly.

I am happy to anounce that we now have a great trainer and will be moving to her barn on tuesday the 29th. I will be getting bi weekly lessons and paying for Klassy to have a training ride by Meghan our trainer on the other week. I m very excited because along wih lesson I will be going to clinic a month with Kim McGuire and a few other clinics with Meghans Grand Prix Dressage trainer who comes to our barn.

I hope everyone hada very good Holiday!

Here are the most recent pictures on Klassy, The one on the bottem was taken on the 27th of november and the top was atken in OCtober when I came home from Canada.

Sandridge Pictures

<-- One of the Many Large pastures

<-- Welcoming barn logo and sign

<-- Outdoor arena

<-- New house

<-- Indoor&insulated arena

<-- This is the barn isle

Here are some pics I have had sent to me from another girl who works at Sandrdige and rooms right above me :)

PLAN CHANGE...Off to Canada We GO!

Well seems like our plans have made a turn..... as we are now getting the awesome chance to go and work with Tricia Dahms, in Canada...for a year! I haventhad time to write on here, due to my frantic running around getting everything ready! I will be moving on sunday (August 30th) and arriving in my new place on monday aternoon. I am so excited! I will be loacted in Edmonton, Alberta, about 14 hours away. Sadly I can not make it home or Christmas, as its the buseist time for us! I start at 5:30am and end around 6ish every day, Though I get one day off a week I will be spending all my time with all the horses!

Who is Tricia Dahms? She is a former Canadain Olympic Rider, Very well known rider. She hasa working student Program and i just so happend to get in this year!

Yes, Klassy is comming! SO im even more excited! I have to wait till Oct to get my monster up there, and it will be hard with out her there for suprot in that first scary month, away from home and everyone/everything I have ever known.

I will write on here AS MUCH AS I CAN. I will also explain more about this program later.

Here is the link to my new barn. Pics coming soon! feel free to email me, sunnylittlejumper@hotmail.com Id love to keep in touch. http://www.sandridgestables.ca/ is the site. THANKS!

Updates! Its about Time Right?!

Well yes I know its been a long time since I have really had the time to sit down and tell you ow me and Klassy are doing, but here I am, and we are doing awsome! We have explored trails with our friends, put maney hard working, sweat producing hours in on the loungline, and are finaly starting to move farward from behind and are even cantering undersaddle now! We no longer walk all over people or kick out when wraps are being applied to legs or toss are heads when the bridle comes out, no no we are much improved and moving forward in our jurney. I am so proud of how far we have come as a team, and I am am finding it hard to see the improvements as much as others do around me just simply because I get so caught up and dont look back at were we started from, now 7 months into our adventure and friends and family are telling me we have come so far, yet I keep telling them we are just starting out still. I have been taking pictures and such since the last time I wrote on here.

Our 1st show or undersaddle work and ground work will be in Sept as I get ready to go on Vacation to Cali for two weeks, Miss Klassy will be gettinga month off.

This summer (mainly this past two weeks) it has been un barable with the heat, we are breaking records and trying to stay hydtrated as much as possiable, so we havent been doing a whole lot, thought this week it has really started cooling off and we can slowly start up again. We have deffently grown and we dont have that "Baby face" anymore, we havea horse face!

More when I can write!

~S

10 Days

Its 10 days till we move the girl to TRP (The Riding Place) and im pretty excited. I have a horse I am getting back into shape and working and will be showing this year. He is a 16.1 hand QH gelding named Spider. Lanny and I are also getting in another horse. A four year old Morgan mare. she is black witha brown mane and tail, just like my old mare Millie.

Lanny also works at TRP. He does stalls the five days I dont. He has his horse named "Not" and they are very cute together. Lanny and I go pick Klassy up on the 30th.

Here are some pics of Spider and I, Lanny and his horse. More commin soon.

S

Well hmm

Its all crazy here, life has been very hectic, as my cat had kittens and they all died and so I spent 3 days with the babies that lived, and then they just couldnt make it.

Then I had a reat lesson last sunday with Bo, she tok her time to get to know Klassy and I was really pleased with her, and Klassy.

This last week has been great and hectic, I have now Gotten on and ridding Klassy twioce, and she was so good, she didnt try anything the first ride and loved it and was great fun to ride. The second time she got a bit more frisky, and did a little playin around and bucked the smallest bucks I have ever felt! but I just worked her through it and ended on a good note.

I am sad and sorry to say I had a horrid day on Friday, as I saw Hutch o off completly on a boarder, only 2 years older then me, in front of al the other boarders, and it was just a scene and I felt unsafe, for me and my horse and I know thats not okay, I wont put myslef and my horse in a place I cant feel safe at. Not that this barn was for us to be at for a year or two or even tree, it was all in the plan to stay just for a few months. But I wishI didnt have to leave this soon, we just got here!

Money, transporrtation, time, and saftey..... all comes into play when I look at this.... Its hard for me to get out as much as I would like, its costin alot of time, Klassy isnt feelin safe around Hutch, I dont feel safe around Hutch, and its just pretty messy. I would like to trust Hutch, as he is a ood person, and I respect him, he means the best and Im sure he works well with his horses and with his clients, But from what I saw, and heard and how my horse shy's away from him, It's like sins are pointin to to move on..... So........... I talked it over and showed the good and bad with the barn we are at now with my mom.... and she arees, so I just went and took alook at this other barn with my mom today, In port orchard..... well we fell in love, its clean, safe (he has cameras EVERYWERE!) I can work off the board, it only a 30 minute boat ride away, and theni take 15 minute shuttle to the road and its right there! There are LOTS of kids there, they host shows, they havea on site, 24/7 cartaker who lives in the barn property! So I feel great about that, they havea horse they want me to ride, and work with and show in the summer and fall. His name is Spider, he is a 16 hand Foundation QH gelding, witha blaze, and look in his eye that will get him trouble. Also... Asia Thayer is a trainer there... also I worked with her about 2-3 years ago when I had a morgan mare on vashon, and I highly respect her, she is amazing, she is one of the best trainers I have ever come across, and makes me want to be a great trainer like her somday. Oh I am not done YET! They want me to start a kids camp there! they are great lovely people, who know all about horses, and saftly and are very family based, He built this amazin barn himslef and his wife and him breed QH and they have some very nice horses,

I cant wait, also My friend Brooke ( this sweet 19 yr old, my friend, wsa the oone who was harrased by Hutch.) is also moving her horse, and is looking into moving Miley (her Irish Draught Sport Horse) with us to the new barn, Its called the riding place. I love it here. more then Hutchs, adn OMG is Hutchs place nice.

well thats all for now, I havea lesson tomarrow. with BO, im looking forward to it. Yet i do have to say i am nervouse to go out there because of what i saw with hutch. and it just made me feel unsafe. and i hate that feeling. so nite loves.
miss you all

SPRING BREAK! almost 1 month w/ Super Pony <3

Here are some great pictures I got at the barn today of Super pony and her horsie "boyfriend" Marco. He is alot like my morgan mare I owned for 3 years! He is in the stall next to her, and they get turned out togther with Cheif and PJ. He is very in love with Klassy, and protective over her, its just adorable to watch.

Today I sat on her again and she did great :) Just worked on the same old, wrapping legs, and she stood still, walked on the trail, all tacked up with her cooler over her, and she enjoyed it alot :) and did our ground work. We have our lesson on Sunday and hoping for good weather and a postive fun time with Bo!! I am thinking on moving her to the island alot sooner then planned... Its proving hard to get out to Fall city, Klassy needs lots of work and day to day training to keep up practicing what we have learned so far and getting to do more muscling work to get her in shape. Hutch's is a great Place and has really been great for us.

I live 5 minutes from the vashon/Southworth boat and its a easy bus ride (10 minutes or less) to the dock and then I can easyly walk to the barn were id like to keep her. Just want to stay out of the "Vashon Horse Drama" or VHD lol

Hope all is well with everyone! enjoy the beautiful fun pictures!

sam and Klassy

Spring break :)

I start my spring break tomarrow :)
I will at the barn pretty much ALL week, I brught my westernt saddle home from my grandma Lori's and will be letting her get used to it, I am going to start breaking her this week and i am hoping for sunny warm weather, so lets all cross our fingers, ITS MARCH ALREADY! LETS SEE SOME SUN!

Wish us luck, and yes I will take tons of pictures:)

Lesson cancled :( 3/22/09

(Horses coming to say "Hi" to us on our walk)


Well I will keep this short, as my lesson with Bo was canceld due to her being sick, as am I, or at least I have a good cold. I should have stayed home today but no, i went and took care of my brothers dog in Clumbia City and took my two mutts to the dog park along with my brother's dog Magoo. Then headed out to the barn.



I free lounged her in the arena and then did some ground work with her, and she is really smart, she is remembering alot of what I teach her.

We can now walk, halt, set up, hind end turn 180 degrees. halt. Trot forward and halt set up. and back. It sounds all very long but very straight farward, the main thing I am working with her on this pattern is keepin her head and shoulders straight. She is one to look at you and ask did I do it right?!



So then I decided to work with her on bridling. When I first worked with her before I bought her she wouldnt let me bridle her. she would stick her ead up and turn away, she was only used to one person doing it. So every day I am out working and playing with her and getting to know her more and more I have been teaching her to put her head down. So i expected the same behavior as before, head up and not wanting to except the bit or have the bridle put on over her ears.

I was so proud of her when she just stood there, her head at my level and she excepted the bit as soon as I showed it to her and slid the crown peaice over and she was fine, she even let out a sigh on relife! i was so proud of her!!

So i still had her halter in under the bridle, and I took her for a walk on the trail that we walked on the other day just leading her with the lead rope. she was so good.



she also just stood there and let me wrap all her legs in polo's again, even stood still and played witha bucket when I hosed her legs off when I brought her in.



SH eis now no longer in the paddock, Hutch has put her out in a pasture, she is out witha morgan gelding who looks alot like Millie!! A huge fat bay gelding, and one other horse, also a Bay. She seems to love it vey much. she now has 12 hours of nibbling on grass with her buddies.

Pics of the barn

Front of the main barn (were arena dn Klassy are, out door arena is further to the left, to the right of the barn (by the car) are all the pastures, round pen and trails are out there :)

Outdoor arena

The main back pastures ( 8 pastures 17 horses 20 acres

In the earna looking into the barn, Klassy's stall is in the left isle

Klassy's stall is the closet one on the right

View from Upstairs to arena

Upstairs of barn, 2 bathrooms, and it over looks the whole indoor arena

What a great day 3/20/09

TODAY WAS SO AMAZING!

I got to the barn around 9ish and its was just cold and icky...BUT NEVER LET THE WEATHER GET YOUR DAY DOWN! NEVER EVER!!

Some how.. i have no clue how I got there and (drum roll please!) she was not caked in gue/mud/wetness!! just dried mud.. easy enough to brush off! way better then a ewwy gooey pony.

So I braught her in the barn from her paddock, she was eating her munchies (hay) next to her big ol' friend Milie, He is a HUGE grey gelding in the paddock nect to her. Anyways... We met Pancho.. a Black and White paint gelding (9 years old) and he hs one blue eye, and let me tell you! BOY IS MY GIRL A FLIRT... maybe she takes after me? haha kidding... so so kidding.. okay maybe not. haha

After meeting Pancho and his mommy we went to the arena and met Katie. SHe is a trainer at the barn, a hunter/jumper and dressage trainer. She is very sweet and pretty.. and NICE.

Today I worked on showmanship... square up, stand still and straight. turn on the hind end, back 3 steps, halt, trot forward, halt and square up to present. By the end of the day She had it down like a pro. I worked on that for an hour and thenturnned her back out to finish eating since it was all of a sudden sunny out!

I ate my luch, orginzed and cleaned my tack and sat and texted friends while she ate for 2 hours. Then I took her ona walk on one of the trails, its was so nice and she loved it, when we got back up to the pastures all the horses came running over to say hi and she got excited to say hi back but was more fasinated by the green grass I let her eat. Then we went back to barn and I worked with her on being okay with me handling her legs and hooves. I was able to wrap all four legs in polos and she stood still for the most part, sh ealso was alot better with me picking her feet and rubing her legs, she doesnt like have her right side handled, mainly her legs, she was so good though.

I also free lounged her in the arena to get her jollies out, she did a few handstands and flew around the arena, i wasnt even chasing her!

That was our awsome day, I was so proud of her and had so much fun!

I have a lesson at 11:30 on sunday with Bo, and am really looking forward to it!

More sunday!

Klassy's first lesson 3/15/09

Today Klassy and I had our first lesson with Hutch. He had us work on the "seven games".

Klassy wasn't sure at first and got frustrated a few times, but after I gave her a five minute break a few times, when I could see she was having a hard time geting the concept of what I was asking, and its was better when we went back to it she really listened and tried even understood even more and came through, we worked a lot more on stepping under and over, and we got a few steps in a row!!

When I got to the barn she was covered in mud and wet, and since we don't blanket the horses at the barn she is having to adjust to being "naked" lol so by the end of our lesson a lot of the mud and dirt had dried so I gave her a good brushing and she was so good, it was pouring down rain I think maybe even hailing, it was SO SO loud and she was just a little fidgty, but she started playing with her lead rope and entertained herself till i got all the mud of her rump and belly.

I decided to take her for a walk and let her eat some grass, since she is in a large hogs fuel paddock next to a huge grey horse. She enjoyed it so much, the rain and hail had decided to give up and so it was great, the smell o the "after rain and dew" and watching her graze and looking at all the green pastures with the groups of horses grazing or playing together. You can tell these horses are so happy here, and it brings a smile to my face whenever we pull up to the barn.

There are about thirty horses at the barn, all breeds and all colors. and all sizes.. though I don't think there are any tiny ponies there though. We have 3 shires, one is a cross, she is a bay and her name is Willow, she has a big blaze and is so sweet. One of the other two shires is a vaulting horse, I watched the little kids do some vaulting work on her and it was very fun to watch! There is a grey Arab named Abbey that Klassy and I met yesterday.

When you first come in through the front gate (that open for you on there own!!) you see two duns, three paliminos and four bays. They are ina huge three or five acre pasture and the first time we showed up to look at the barn to see if it worked they suddenly took off, all of them a huge herd and it was so pretty, It was just amazing.

When you drive down the driveway, you see Hutch's house on the right, its also huge and pretty. To the left you have the front pasture and barn, the front pasture goes all the way down to the bridge over the creek. once you are over the bridge you have play pens to you right and to you left some grassy area and the out door arena (its fence less) and then next to that is the barn Klassy is in. It was heated tack room, ten or so stalls, all new ceder and matted stalls. and there are two isles for the stalls and at both ends there is gate to the covered arena, see the whole barn is really the arena, but the barn is inside the arena, built inside, concrete floors and cedar walls. The arena is great, and big. There is giant upstairs to, its were the two REAL bath rooms are, complete with showers, for clinics. and lots of room.

That's all for now, I wont be out to the barn until Wednesday, because, yes I am going to be with friends for two days after I take my WASL.

I would have gotten more pictures today but lets cross our fingers for bright sunny and maybe even some warm weather!

Sam & Klassy

PICTURES (3/14/09)

Showing off her stride

"Hey whats up"

Playing with sticks

In the indoor arena

Klassy's head shot

Bringing Klassy in from her paddock after breakfest.

Our First Day 3/14/09

Well today was Klassy's and my first day together to really spend time together so far. She has had two weeks of no handling really, and before that she had been in a stall with maybe 2 hours of work or just "human" time being handled in the last four months, before that she sat in two different pastures in Kirkland, She was originally sold by her breeder who I was told through the grapevine of past owners that she wanted her to be on the track, but we don't really know why she never made it, I am guessing on her size, she is a smaller TB and pretty lazy when she wants to be...kinda like the whole SeaBiscuit story... only I am not training her to race, no no ladies and gentlemen this little horse will become a SUPERSTAR OF A JUMPER!

So about this little filly, she was born this month (March) in 2006, not sure what day, but hey lets say it was the 14th since that was my buying date, why not! haha

Klassy is a 3yr old bay, TB mare, and right now in March 09 stands about 15.0 hands, and is "downhill" at the moment, her booty sticks up just a little, but her tail makes up for it like none other. I have never in my life seen a young TB with such a thick tail, its so beautiful, and her mane is so "poofy" and think it very cute!!

Klassy is such a brat, but we love her for being such a cute sweet brat :)

Here are what I have found as her "Likes and Dis-likes"

LIKES :

*Lots of treats, anything edible that is in you hand... or pocket..or a bag

(carrots,mints,horse cookies,apples...I'm sure you could give her a pickle and I'm sure she would gobble it all up before you blinked!)

*Lots of pets and brushing..in a quiet place with just the two of us

*Her neck.. on the right side.. in only one spot. Oh my does she enjoy that.

*She can't live with out nosie Kissie's, she loves to blow sweet horsie breath right in you face, it always makes me smile :)

*She loves the two words : "GOOD...GIRL" she thinks it means "I must be done so I'll stop and let you love on me and look cute"

* She is very talkative friends, she also carries conversations on with me if I am out of sight from her.

DIS-LIKES

* Having her feet picked or held (we will be working with that)

* Horses right behind her...she might be one of those persnickety mares..hm how-a-bout that.

* Getting the bridle put on (I think she was roughly handled or just lack of consistent work on it)

Klassy and I had great fun today, at 8:20 I got to the barn and pulled her out of her stall, and since the barn owners had stuck their horses in the arena, I couldn't lounge her and get her used to the feel of her shipping boots, so I decided to spend time with her and groom her.

THIS MAY BE A LITTLE HORSE... BUT HAS SO MUCH HAIR YOU COULD MAKE A STUFFED ANIMAL FOR A KID FROM ALL OF IT! She enjoyed her "massage" very much, and if it hadn't of been for her hunger she would have fallen asleep in all her glory. (The barn owners somehow skipped her while feeding all the other horses am feed) ugh!

After 20 minutes of grooming we found some hay and put her in her stall to eat while we all waited for the hauler. (we being her old owners, my mom, and my godmother Kathy and I)

Her old owner gave me all her old tack and brushes and vet care stuff, and wraps, bridle,lounge line, pads,and leather girth.. oh and her winter blanket. THANK YOU BETH!

By 9:30 the hauler pulled up.... 5 minutes later I had Klassy in the trailer safe and sound, and for all you who know how my Millie was with loading.... or heard the stories of Dakota loading... and unloading.. you would think I might pick another horse who thought "oh no.. trailer... must refuse to get in for a hour..at least" But no, again this little horse proved us all that she may be small but she can handle anything, no hay, no grain, no other horses, she just followed me up and in and rode so well.

After unloading and paying the hauler, we went for food to let her settle her into the new barn and her neighbor horsie friends in the paddocks next to her.

I came back and she was so muddy, even with her blanket on she had some how managed to get the two belly straps off and well her belly was so wet and muddy she looked like she had pasted 2 pounds of mud on her to look "cute".....not.

I played with her in the arena after an hour of just brushing and talking and giving her treats. We worked on moving away from me, I would ask her to move her shoulders to the right, away from her and at first she played with the idea of "back...?....forward?...no back..wait huh?"

So within 20 minutes I had her taking one -three steps over, crossing her front leg closest to me over and giving more space between me and her, I was so proud.

We worked on a few other little things, such as, back when I wiggle the lead, move the hind end and shoulders away from me when asked, trot, halt and back and trot again.

Hutch who is Klassy's and my new trainer and friend (He is the owner of the barn) came to play with her, seeing what all she might know and not know and to see what kind of horse she was. I watched and was so amazed with how I could see Klassy thinking and figuring out everything Hutch asked her, she tried so hard, every time she did the right think Hutch would pat her on the head and you could see her think " oh look I did right!"

I was most impressed when he worked with her on back when you wiggle the lead rope, trying to use as little movment of the arm and lead rope as you can, if you can get your horse to back just wiggling your pointer finger while holding the lead rope at the end and the should horse back up calmly, you have succeeded! Well at first Klassy had no clue, and was so confused, so after some BIG WIGGLES and some wide eyed looks of the long lead rope I watched Hutch wiggle the lead rope pretty small, and she took three steps back and sighed, dropped her head and chewed. I was so happy to see she was a fast learner and understood it after a short time. Afterwards, Hutch mentioned how impressed he was with Klassy, that she had a good mind and was a good mover.

After Hutch left, I worked on the same thing (backing) and she was so much more responsive to what I asked, I can see we will move faster then I thought. YAY

I spent a lot of my time taking pictures and videos of her, also making new friends, Abbey, a grey Arab, her owners name is Ashley and her mom was really nice, they were having a lesson at one end of the arena and I had fun watching what she learned and worked on.

Well that is all for now, I am off to bed here very soon. I hope you will enjoy fallowing me and Klassy on our big adventure, marking today as just the start to a long journey. Here is the web address of where I currently have Klassy, in Fall City: http://www.nwnhc.com/ I will be busing out to the barn on my school days (Monday-Thursday) and with my mom out there on the weekends. I will be posting pictures, videos and news as often as I can. Enjoy!

Sam