Sagebrook Farms, Wrong Turn Ranch, Arianna progress and flu!

The past 6 weeks since I came back from France have flown by!!!

New job at Sagebrook Farms
I cannot tell you how happy I am with my new job. It's been quite a while since I've done any proper teaching and it didn't take me long to remember how much I enjoy it. It's easy to enjoy work at Sagebrook though, the horses are super nice, the clients are keen, happy and love the horses more than anything, and Julie who runs it and keeps everything running smoothly and the horses in tip top condition, is possibly one of the nicest people I've ever met.

Handsome Brody

I've become particularly fond of a little bay quarter horses called 'Brody' who's only been with Julie for less than a year but he has so much try in him it makes your heart melt!

Wrong Turn Ranch
I've made several trips up to Santa Inez every couple of weeks to spend time with Seth and Angie of " Murray horsemanship" to see how Arianna is progressing.

Seth and Angi's place is, no word of a lie, like a small chunk of horsey heaven! I absolutely love it there and as well as working with Arianna, I've been able to work with some of the other horses Angi has in for training.

Happy Horses

The View from Seth and Angi's veranda is stunning and so peaceful and serene..(apart from the odd "he haw" from the donkeys!)

Angi has so many interesting things to expose the horses to and groundwork is an integral part of every horses training. Most of all I love their attitude and passion for their work, and how the horse always dictates the speed at which they progress in their training. Often, Angi will detect holes in the horses understanding or an area of fear and the training may even go off in a new direction depending upon that individual horses needs at that moment in time. They truly are both amazing trainers and to top it off, just awesome people as well!!!

Out of trail (American for going on a hack) aboard Stella

Doing the "wocket woy" western style aboard Stella

Cecilia is about 3 months under saddle and we worked on softness to the inside leg, she's super smart and sensitive and learns things very quickly...

"Bug" is full of character and this was his first time in the bit (other than just wearing it over the halter) and he did so good! He likes to "hop" when he gets excited but thankfully he's not very good at it!

Seth's little arab 'Ghia' has bags of talent and could turn her hoof to anything, we did a bit of dressage training (in just a halter!)

All horses are ridden in a halter before they ride in a bit, which is a rare concept to us British but actually it makes huge sense, and even without the bit, they are trained to incredible levels of lightness. Horses are also started in a western saddle which I'm pretty comfortable with now, even if I have on more than one occasion, got off too fast and hooked my clothes (and even one time my bra!!!) over the saddle horn and had to detach myself with much haste!!!!

One horse I'm crazy fond of is Freddie, who's a 14.2 gelding who's in for training through a charity called "return to freedom". He's got a super attitude and amazing paces (technically he's a mustang as he came from a feral herd) with great hind leg action but also huge cuddleability.

Freddie loves cuddles....

....and kisses

check out the size of that stride on a just broke baby!

Arianna
Arianna is doing great!. She's much calmer and more confident generally and is clearer to say when something worries her than trying to hide it or pretend it doesn't exist.

She's done obstacles including the "teeter-totter" bridge, huge blue hanging tarp, fake green grass, inflatable crocodile and huge fluffy monkey whilst she's been there. She confidently learned to wear a rug, the western saddle and we tried the English saddle for the first time also which she took all in her stride. We've taken her up to the arena and Seth has led her up and down some scary steep slopes! And she's been mounted bareback and with the stirrups!!!

The giant hanging blue tarp....

Practising with rugs....

and rugs that make crinkly noises....

working in the Western Saddle....

and the English saddle.

Working in the arena with Mummy....

and playing the "forwards and backwards one foot at a time over the pole" game!

Over the wobble bridge!!!

Down super steep slopes!!!!

and even under a huge flappy blue tarp with a giant fluffy monkey over her back!!!!!

All aboard!

She's going to stay with Seth and Angi until I return fro Europe in the new year to continue her training.

Flu
This last week I've been a bit grouchy as I've had flu the last three days! I'm not a very good patient either and I've been moany and leaving trails off tissue everywher I go and now I think I've given it to David also! I've only 48 hours left until I fly back to France for Christmas so I'm trying my hardest to recover fully before then, or I will feel sorry for who ever gets lumped with sitting next to me!