JR is in Horse Heaven

Zips JR Mint “JR”
April 8, 1988 - January 5, 2011

I got an email earlier today that one of my daughter Sara's past show horses, JR, died yesterday. He was fine in the morning during chore time, but they found him gone at afternoon feeding. At the fine age of 23, I pray he went to sleep peacefully.

JR was a gelding by Zippos Mr Good Bar. He had that stunning red roan color. And he had that Zippos Pine Bar movement.

Sara and JR had a wonderful connection. JR was a fun horse to ride. And he wasn't always the easiest horse to ride. Sara made it look easy. It's just sad when you start seeing the horses that your kids rode and showed, die, and you see your kids, and other young adults, sad and heart broken.

JR was Sara's main show horse. Being outstanding in showmanship, she did wellin many classes. The highlight was winning State 4-H Sr. Showmanship. It was amazing to see her practice, which she did every day, treating this event as important as a riding event. I loved watching her do showmanship halterless, with JR in step with Sara. That special day when she won at State 4-H, they were an incredible pair. I remember JR put his head level with Sara’s, and he matched her step for step. When their name was called, they made a beautiful pair, moving together.

JR was also Sara's Horsemanship horse, and when he was on, he was on! He could stop, and turn, and go on a dime. He could perform in a slow, deep lope for western or with a long sweeping canter for English/Hunt Seat classes. Sara and JR performed in Aksarben's Advanced English Equitation class, and had an outstanding flawless performance. It was just breathtaking to watch their partnership and the two of them together.

But when JR was off, he was off. I remember the day, actually evening, at State 4-H, when they were in line up for Senior Horsemanship finals. JR was tired and he didn’t want to be in that line, waiting. He was kicking out and bucking in place. Being the rider that Sara was, she sat calmly, keeping him from disturbing the other horses. She had a smile on her face. She had nailed the pattern, sat on him quietly during line-up, and rode relaxed during the rail work. Sara placed 2nd and received Reserve Champion Senior Horsemanship that year.

JR took Sara from Capitol City playdays, to 4-H shows, to Open shows, to QH shows, and finally to the AQHA Youth World. He was an all-around horse, performing in showmanship, horsemanship pattern classes, pleasure classes, trail, and western riding. Sara taught him to do flying lead changes. As a team, they were competitive at the QH shows in all the pattern classes.

Sara learned how to keep him calm during qualifying season. We parked the trailer in a quiet spot. We left him tied to the trailer, eating from a hay bag. We had him saddled and he was calmly eating. He stood at the trailer until the class before her class was in the arena. Then Sara bridled and mounted him, and took him slowly to the gate. He was ready to perform, and didn’t need or want to be loped into the ground before the class.

I remember when JR first came to live with us, he didn’t even know how to graze. We had him in a small grass lot, and there was still grass in that lot months later. That winter, we had him in with the other horses for a few months. He had to learn to live in a herd and to act like a horse.

JR taught many young riders how to ride, as he was a gentle giant. When Sara's youth years were over, and she was off to college, I knew JR had to continue to teach another young girl to ride. And he did, with another show career with another special girl for the next 8 or 9 years. This was about the same amount of time that we owned him.

JR will be missed. He was one of those special horses that you had a specialbond with. Hugs to both Sara and Subbi. JR was a wonderful horse.

Goals for the 2011 Year

January 1, 2011

Happy New Year everyone!

I have thought of the year behind us now, and I'm thinking of the year ahead. What dreams do I have? What would I like to accomplish? What will I like to do different? Ride different trails? Go different places?I have thought of what I did last year, what I want to change and what I want to do this year. I'm thinking where I want to be next year, in 5 years, maybe even in 10 years.

Maybe some goals shouldn’t be made for just 1 year, but may take years to complete.For now, some of my New Year's thoughts and goals, as I'll change and add to thisduring the day today, through next week and the following months, are:

1) GET MY CENTERED RIDING CAREER GOING!!! I will attend a clinic this spring, and an update clinic if I have to. I want to qualify to be a Level 2 Instructor. I want to develop an outline that I will use for each lesson. I think when people can take home a description of what they have just practiced, they will remember what to practice and how to do something

2) GET HORSEMANSHIP CLINICS ON THE CALENDAR AND PROMOTE THEM!!! I have decided that I will just set some dates to hold some Horsemanship Clinics, where I can teach the CR exercises. I need to send out emails and try to get some out-of-town clinics together. I’ll try to do a free 4-H clinic, maybe more, and from there, work on getting some extra lessons scheduled.

3) ESTABLISH ONCE A MONTH ADULT RIDE TIME/LESSON TIME/TRAINING TIME, probably at a local arena. I have loved all of my adult lesson times. I just need to establish something here at my barn and maybe at a few local barns, on a schedule.

4) START A TRAIL RIDE GROUP, maybe a once a month time, with emphasis on IMPROVING HORSEMANSHIP ON THE TRAIL. Watch for details. I’ll start with a winter ride, here in February, weather permitting. No storms allowed.

5) KEEPING MY CALENDAR ORGANIZED!!! Write down ride times, training times,mileage etc. I love a calendar, that when you open it, has the week on 2 pages. My last calendar also had a month calendar before the weekly part. But I used my monthly part too much andmy weekly part not enough, ending up with a messy calendar!

6) 5 or 6 CTR's. I will try to attend most of the ones in our region. I see that this year, they have ride in July! I really hate competing during the summer months. I ride in the morning, and done by noon! But CTR’s start early, so maybe July isn’t out. It will all depend on whether the temps are in the high 90’s or not.

7) 1 or 2 ENDURANCE RIDES - maybe 1 50 and 1 100, or 2 50's. Enough said. I hope I can last the distance!LONG TERM GOAL...SEE TEVIS! This one may have to be on my Bucket List, but I want to go see Tevis, or see the area, or ride some of the trail, and within the next few years, ride TEVIS! But I'd be content riding the Tevis route some day! Traci, get ready. I’d really love to get out there this year to see it, ride the trail next year, and compete next year or the year after!!! Big goal!!!

What would you like to do this year with your horse or horsemanship goals?

I would always appreciate ideas on how to accomplish my goals too.We need to work together and encourage each other, and by the end of the year, we are better horsewomen, whether or not we even do a goal, because we are always on a journey, which changes and takes on new directions!

Start to get better organized! check! Well almost, as I’m thinking about it, but I don’t even have my 2011 calendar bought yet!

Happy New Year today and through the year!

2010 Comes to an End

As 2010 comes to an end, I think about the year that I have had. I think about happy times, and about some sad times. I think about what I am blessed with. I think about all the wonderful times that are now part of my memories of 2010.

I’ll start with my saddest times, as I’m hoping that, as the year ends and another year starts, the sad memories are replaced by acceptance and happy thoughts. This past year, with each moment that I thought about Finny, I have been sad. As the year went by, I thought I would be over the hurt and anguish of losing him. But as a good friend and some of my family know, I’m still very sad. I understand everything that they tell me, and I would tell another horse owner the same things, but it doesn’t lessen the pain yet. I pray that 2011 brings me some of the peace that I know my heart needs.

Some of my wonderful family times include a vacation in the sun and beach for hubby and I,

traveling to Colorado for Easter,

and again in June and December to watch the grandbabies play together. We were there for the birthday celebrations of 2 year old Makenzie in CO in December


and 2 year old Caden later this month in Nebraska.

We had many summer afternoons swimming with Jacob, Amber and Caden.

They were also able to come with us to CO for Makenzie’s birthday, and we are so thankful that we had that family time together. Micah wasn’t able to come, as he is still in College and going through finals, and I look forward to the time that we are all together again.

Micah was able to be at Caden’s birthday party and I enjoyed seeing the 2 brothers together, if even for a short time. We tried to get together to watch football on Saturdays as often as possible. We miss seeing Sara, Jake and Makenzie often, but this week, Hubby and I are spending the last 5 days of the year with them at their home.

We traveled to PA twice this year. Sara and Jake were able to bring Makenzie in February and we had a gathering with both sides of the family.

Once again, it was great to see family members that I haven’t seen in a long time.

Tom’s mom is in great health at the age of 90 and my parents are 83. That is wonderful that they are here to enjoy our children and grandchildren with us.

We celebrated my parent's 65th Wedding Anniversary in October.

For my horse business, I have the memories of another vendor booth at the Nebraska Horse Expo. I attended a AAHS, American Association of Horsemanship Safety, clinic in Georgia in May. I rode Shaggy in a Centered Riding Clinic in Colorado in June and I rode him for 4 days at a Peter Campbell Clinic in Omaha in September. I also took my 2 year old gelding Duster for the Foundation Class.

I got my first gaited horse, 4 year old Savannah, a TWH (Tenn Walking Horse) in June.

I competed in 2 CTR’s with Savannah in the fall, and I was thrilled with the rides she gave me, as young as she is.

I purchased Dixie in May, as a backup trail horse and as a lesson horse.

I also took a mini out to Makenzie in June and it’s great to see her love of horses, and of all animals, blossom! She sure loves her bunnies, and chickens, can kitties, and dogs, and horses, and Pody! Caden is enjoying seeing the horses too, and loves to pet them whenever we walk to the horse lots.

I have wonderful memories of Tom and I on a quiet Thanksgiving Day, giving thanks to our family, even though they couldn’t be with us that day. We enjoyed a movie together and some down time. With another grandchild on the way in April, we are remembering that we need to spend more time together with our children and grandchildren. The babies are growing too fast and we don’t want to miss out on too much of their lives.

Centered Riding continued to provide the path of the journey that I am on. I am and hopefully, will always be, searching for the life with horses where I was meant to be. I am teaching other riders the Centered Riding exercises, and will continue to train on horses with that same centered and balanced principles. As I study and learn, horses get deeper and deeper into my soul. The lessons that I have given this year have shown me, that with a Centered Riding influence, we can change how we ride and how horses respond to us.

I want to wish all of you a Happy 2011 Year. I pray the New Year bring you the love and peace of family and friends. I pray that you have the life of horses that you are meant to have also. Remember to enjoy what you have, as we are all blessed by the quality of what we have and what life gives us.

“Embrace the Journey” that you are on.

Caden's 2nd Birthday

December 26, 2010

Caden Thomas is now 2 years old! Pop and I, along with Micah, went to his birthday party on Monday.

Caden was running around, playing with his cousins. He sure was excited! Laughing and playing, and looking at the presents.

More? More? Caden kept asking. Lol Once he opened a gift, he asked for more.

Pop and I got him a stuffed horse, but when a cousin took it, Caden was instantly sad and started crying.

But then he saw the dump truck that was in the bag and wasn’t sad any longer.

Caden loved his cake.

He blew the candles out, with Mommy and Daddy’s help, and wanted them “on” again.

He loved his piece of cake, first starting to eat it with a fork, then finishing it off with his hands.

I think he is going to be neat like his daddy.

We enjoyed seeing Caden running around and playing. He was being silly. What fun to see him at this age! I wondered how long it took him to go to sleep that night?

Happy Birthday, Caden. We love you!

Baby Jesus draws us back to Church

I wanted to go to church Christmas Eve to feel closer to Jesus. I wanted to go to church Christmas Eve to sing Silent Night at the end of the service. I wanted to feel the peace and quiet of the church. I wanted to feel the “specialness” of the church during Christmas time.

But we had a misty rain that, when the temps decreased to below 32 degrees by 4 pm, left a slick, icy layer on everything. When I stepped out on the gravel driveway, my feet were slipping on the slick stones. When my son came to spend the night, he said he was spinning coming into the driveway. I wondered if that was because he was coming into the drive too fast???

Regardless, I figured by 11 pm, the roads were going to be ice. Even though the small town church was only 5 miles away, I didn’t want to be out on icy roads. Christmas church would have to wait until the Sunday after Christmas.

Hubby and I went to church religiously every Sunday morning. When the kids were toddlers, we rarely missed a Sunday. While the kids were in grade school, they had Sunday School, as well as the parents. Then horse shows began to take our Sundays, and before we knew it, the kids were teenagers, and Church attendance decreased. We had summer shows and winter barrel races. We still went to church every Sunday we were home.

Over the last 2 years, hubby and I have gotten into the bad habit of “just existing” on Sunday mornings. His work schedule was terrible, sometimes 7 days a week. When we had a free morning or afternoon during the winter months, we wanted to sleep in, have a good breakfast and do nothing.

On one hand, that was good. We needed down time. But on the other hand, we started to attend church less and less. Then that became habit. Then something was beginning to be missing.
I need church in my life. I need to say the Apostles Creed. I need to take Communion….the actions of Communion. I need to sit quietly in church, feeling the presence of the Lord.

I needed Church during Christmas time. I love tradition. I love Christmas songs and decorations.
We attended church this morning. It wasn’t the same, since our old pastor moved on to another church. We have a new pastor, and I wanted a sermon based around the birth of Jesus. As he preached on the Old Testament passage, I daydreamed about the time when Jesus was born.
It doesn’t matter where we remember the baby Jesus, we just need to remember Him. He brings us hope and peace. He brings the peace that we search for.

During this holiday season, bring Christ into your life. Remember what He can do for you. Serve him and rejoice. Baby Jesus is here for everyone. Joy to the World.