Clover Ledge Farm

...but the weather gods are NOT! After last weekend's gorgeous temperatures (which were certainly out of the ordinary and totally teased me...!!), we are back to freezing cold temps and now rain today and for the rest of the week! BLAH! At least the rain brought back "warmer" temps.!

It was so chilly this weekend, down into the 20s and 30s. I was unable to ride on Saturday, which was probably just as well. It bummed me out, but I had no childcare. :( On Sunday I was able to ride both of the mares, which was great. It was still chilly but the sun came out after lunch when I went out to ride.

Dreamy felt the best she has all year. She is becoming stronger, and our trot work was pretty darn good finally. Back to where we were in November. I felt she was strong enough to begin asking for more leg yield, which really helps engage her hindquarters and balance her quite well. She was pretty soft in the bridle too, which was nice. She still wants to be fussy in a side…

"A good friend once told me that she felt that working with horses is like being on a long trip. It's a journey with no destination -- an unending process -- and everything that is important is 'as you go,' not when you 'get there.'" -- Mark Rashid

This past weekend was GORGEOUS here in Maine! It was in the 70s which is crazy for March! The snow is pretty much gone, except a few areas in the woods and near the house/barn that gets very little sun.

I rode Dreamy three times last week, two of which we did dressage work in the field and one day on the trails. She was great, except we seem to have lost the right lead canter yet again. I am going to chalk it up to her lack of fitness, but it sure is frustrating. She can pick up the lead but cannot seem to maintain a canter. :( Rather than push her to the point where she is frustrated (and right she would be because she just cannot do it...) I just ask for a few canter steps, back to trot, then canter …

Happy 4th Birthday to Reva the Super Filly! Now I suppose we'll have to call her the Super Mare, though.


ETA: I know, I know, Standardbreds (like Thoroughbreds) officially age a year on Jan. 1. But I much prefer using their real birthdays.....so Dreamy is actually STILL only 18! ;-)

Long slow miles.....spring conditioning is always the same for me. Because I ride in one of my fields, which takes time to dry out each spring, the best way to condition the girls is to ride the trails! Thankfully I live at the beginning of a discontinued town road, so I can ride just over 1.5 miles to the end of it (which is in the next town over! LOL) and back. It is the perfect way to build up a horse each spring. The footing was pretty good the last two days, with most of the road now dirt. There were some areas of snow/slush, but nothing serious. There are a few gradual hills as well, which is nice.

So far I am having a great long weekend! :) Friday was a "furlough day" in my district, which basically means we got the day off from teaching without pay. :( It stinks, as I rather work and get paid, but a furlough day is a cost saving measure for the district. I rather take one day without pay than lose my job, of course. So far, it seems I will be employed for…

“Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.” - unknown
What a GORGEOUS weekend we just had here in Maine! :) The quote sums up my weekend!!! This weather is unheard of in early March...but I am not complaining! I'll take it! LOL! After such a fun weekend, I found out the first MHA class list is posted! YAY! I love getting the first class lists of the year...it means spring/summer and SHOW SEASON is really coming! :)

Dreamy was excellent both days. She was a little quick to the left in the trot (OMG I am so excited, look how fast I can trot Mom!!!) and her right lead canter was unbalanced in the transition, but that is to be expected from an out-of-shape horse! She was more "up" yesterday than today, because that is just how it is when we ride again after a few weeks off. LOL!

But today she was perfect. Still not a great canter to the right, but the footing was softer and muddier, and she is without shoes. Add that to being out of shape, which …

Make somebody happy today. Mind your own business. ~Ann Landers

I just love that quote. X-D And it applies so aptly in so many life situations lately......LOL!!!!

Life is good. Work is good. The ponies are doing well. Not much to update about this week. However, lately the weather has been great, so much of the snow is gone. Some of the frost is out as well. YAY! This weekend is supposed to be lovely weather too, so I hope to get in lots of horse time. Daylight Savings is coming, so our conditioning will soon begin in earnest.

Also, I have been working hard to secure sponsors for the Maine Horse Association's three shows with a Standardbred division. We have seven classes this year! They include in-hand, 2-gait pleasure, 2-gait equitation, 2-gait championship, 3-gait pleasure, 3-gait equitation, and 3-gait championship. So far we have four secured sponsors and three more that say they will sponsor but have not sent a check yet. It is great to be able to provide this…

Sunday, February 21 was the 2009 Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of New Jersey (SPHO-NJ) banquet! It was held at Freehold Raceway and it was SO. MUCH. FUN!

I flew into Newark the day beforehand. It was such a cheap flight and much easier than driving 8+ hours. The flight itself was just under an hour. My friend HG picked me up and I stayed with her and her husband J for the weekend. Ten of us all went out to eat on Saturday night, which was fun. I was in the beginning stages of my sinus infection, so I felt pretty crappy, but I did not let it stop me from having SO MUCH FUN!

H and I woke up early on Sunday to get to Hay Fever Farm to ride. You have GOT to see the website....this farm where she boards her gelding JB is out of control gorgeous! I am so jealous!!!! LOL! I got to ride JB and she rode one of the farm's horses. It was really fun and I am thankful H gave me the opportunity to ride her horse. He is a sweetie (except for the whole face brushing thing..…

Not only am I signed up to work with Reva with Chris Lombard in June, but I have also been accepted to ride Dreamy in two NEDA Flextime lessons this year! WHOOT! I am again riding with Gwyneth MacPherson at Pineland Farm in New Gloucester as I did last August. I am really looking forward to that! Also I am riding with Jennifer Wilson-Horr of Cedar Hill Farm in Springvale. I can take my two lessons anytime this spring/summer.

Plus, I sent in my application for the SMDA clinic with Heather Blitz! I have not yet heard if I got a spot though, as the closing date is not until March 31. The clinic is May 1-2 at Pineland Farm and of course I would ride Dreamy. I really hope I get to ride with Heather! I am hoping that if I get a spot, I will then try to ride the next month with one of my NEDA instructors and then the other the following month. It will be like having three dressage clinics for three months! LOL! And of course, I hope to work at least bi-monthly (but preferably wee…

Whew! Where did February go!? Not that I am complaining, because it is not my favorite month here in Maine, but this year it seemed to go especially fast!

I had big plans for February school vacation...but everything came to a grinding halt when my son came home Friday before vacation with a fever of 102. :( So, I spent the majority of vacation taking care of the little guy. It ended up being a double ear infection and nothing very serious, but still, all of our fun plans to go ice skating, to the movies, etc. went down the drain. And of course, I only got to ride twice the entire time. But hey, I am a mom first, so it is all good.

Both rides over vacation were great. Dreamy is well trained at this point and all I really need to do is get her in shape this next 6 weeks and we are good to go!

Then of course, not to be outdone by my son, I had to get sick! LOL! Only I was not as easy...I ended up with a nasty sinus infection and ended up missing most of the following week, our fi…