Tia and Lexi both rocked the combined test at Quintynhille Farm this past weekend. Tia dipped her toe into Preliminary level and won her division. Lexi was 2nd at Novice and felt much stronger since her first show a month ago. Both these girls will go to Highfields at the end of the month for some jumper classes.
I am super excited to announce that MZE has teamed up with Lara Anderson and her crew at Full Gallop Farm! I will be training and showing several sale horses from FGF so look for them this summer and fall.
I am thrilled at the opportunity to work with Lara again and very grateful for her support. Needless to say, the MZE barn is filling up quick. We will soon have 6-8 competition horses based here plus a few pasture ornaments of mine. Thankfully, we will begin putting in the fencing for the new pasture this week and that will progress quickly.
I still have the 5 rescue horses since we now have to go through the process of having a jury trial that the owner requested. The horses themselves are doing great and have homes waiting on them but it is very frustrating that this case keeps getting dragged out. The ignorance and audicity of some people is just mind boggling.
Overall, life is a whirlwind right now but filled with fantastic opportunities and projects. It is has been scary starting my own business but I am starting to believe that things just might work out after all. I have been overwhelmed at the support I have received from the people around me, my family, friends, Hadland Farm, Full Gallop Farm and can't thank them enough. Without them, this new chapter in my life would not be able to be written.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Busy Summer Here In SC
Again, I apologize for the delay in posts. I do not have a computer at home so getting to one that I can sit down too is not too often. I love my phone for short emails and texts but I don't have near enough patience to type a blog from it!
Okay, so where to even begin with what all has been going on this summer....well, first off it is hot as hades here in SC. I'm not complaining though! I will take the heat and bugs over being trapped in an air conditioned office when I worked away from the horses. I think I now just have a layer of sun screen and bug spray built into my skin. I bet I smell divine for my husband when I get home at the end of the day :-),LOL!
We've got some plans in motion for some new building additions here at Rocky Swamp. Just got in the lumber for the new pasture and will have a few more jumps built soon. Plus, my current little barn is getting a face lift with a new roof and insulation. Additionally, we are adding on to the existing barn with some more stalls. In our main field we have a very nice, fully lighted, enclosed run in shed with the dimensions to be a three stall barn as well. Not sure if I am going to mess with that in the near future or not. I am a big supporter of having horses turned out as much as possible but I do like to have enough stalls for when they do want to come in, storms, emergencies, etc. A huge thanks to my husband and father who are overseeing these projects and doing the actual building. I will help but I am not an expert in building like they are. I wouldn't trust myself to hammer together a barn for a My Little Pony!
The 2011 spring eventing show season wrapped up in May at Full Gallop Farm. Both Tia and Lexi were total divas! I've really enjoyed watching Tia come into her own this year and get very confident in her competing. I'm having daydreams of her at Preliminary level but am making myself be patient. My whole training philosophy, especially with her, is about basics and as she moves up the levels in eventing, I intend to do my best to give her every chance I can to succeed. Full Gallop was Lexi's first event ever and she rocked it at novice level. Lovely dressage but I had a moment of panic making the first turn off the center line because it dawned on me that she had never been in a dressage ring before. Therefore, with all of her H/J experience, she wouldn't think anything of trotting right over the plastic dressage ring rail like a caveletti! I definetly aimed for 6 inches inside the rail the entire test just to be safe! Both Tia and Lexi are going to the combined test at Quintyhille Farm in Aiken this weekend. They will do a PSJ show at the end of the month and some other CT's and such throughout July. Hopefully, we will start back the event season at River Glen in August.
I am over at Hadland Farm almost every day (Lexi is kept there) and have learned so much riding and jumping their many horses. Each one is unique which provides a wealth of information for me to learn from. Another blossoming super star we have from Hadland that will soon be eventing is named Blossom (pun intended :-)). She is a full sister to on of Trina's previous Grand Prix horses, Hellcat's Crackerjack. I LOVE this mare! She is unbelievably talented and special. She is five years old and we are spending the summer primarily working on flat work and building fitness. I would like to get her out to some casual unrecognized shows this summer for exposure. This mare will be one to watch this fall for sure!
There is more to write to catch up but I have got to go get another horse ridden before meeting Lara Anderson from Full Gallop for dinner tonight. Toodles for now! -Molls
Okay, so where to even begin with what all has been going on this summer....well, first off it is hot as hades here in SC. I'm not complaining though! I will take the heat and bugs over being trapped in an air conditioned office when I worked away from the horses. I think I now just have a layer of sun screen and bug spray built into my skin. I bet I smell divine for my husband when I get home at the end of the day :-),LOL!
We've got some plans in motion for some new building additions here at Rocky Swamp. Just got in the lumber for the new pasture and will have a few more jumps built soon. Plus, my current little barn is getting a face lift with a new roof and insulation. Additionally, we are adding on to the existing barn with some more stalls. In our main field we have a very nice, fully lighted, enclosed run in shed with the dimensions to be a three stall barn as well. Not sure if I am going to mess with that in the near future or not. I am a big supporter of having horses turned out as much as possible but I do like to have enough stalls for when they do want to come in, storms, emergencies, etc. A huge thanks to my husband and father who are overseeing these projects and doing the actual building. I will help but I am not an expert in building like they are. I wouldn't trust myself to hammer together a barn for a My Little Pony!
The 2011 spring eventing show season wrapped up in May at Full Gallop Farm. Both Tia and Lexi were total divas! I've really enjoyed watching Tia come into her own this year and get very confident in her competing. I'm having daydreams of her at Preliminary level but am making myself be patient. My whole training philosophy, especially with her, is about basics and as she moves up the levels in eventing, I intend to do my best to give her every chance I can to succeed. Full Gallop was Lexi's first event ever and she rocked it at novice level. Lovely dressage but I had a moment of panic making the first turn off the center line because it dawned on me that she had never been in a dressage ring before. Therefore, with all of her H/J experience, she wouldn't think anything of trotting right over the plastic dressage ring rail like a caveletti! I definetly aimed for 6 inches inside the rail the entire test just to be safe! Both Tia and Lexi are going to the combined test at Quintyhille Farm in Aiken this weekend. They will do a PSJ show at the end of the month and some other CT's and such throughout July. Hopefully, we will start back the event season at River Glen in August.
I am over at Hadland Farm almost every day (Lexi is kept there) and have learned so much riding and jumping their many horses. Each one is unique which provides a wealth of information for me to learn from. Another blossoming super star we have from Hadland that will soon be eventing is named Blossom (pun intended :-)). She is a full sister to on of Trina's previous Grand Prix horses, Hellcat's Crackerjack. I LOVE this mare! She is unbelievably talented and special. She is five years old and we are spending the summer primarily working on flat work and building fitness. I would like to get her out to some casual unrecognized shows this summer for exposure. This mare will be one to watch this fall for sure!
There is more to write to catch up but I have got to go get another horse ridden before meeting Lara Anderson from Full Gallop for dinner tonight. Toodles for now! -Molls
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
lewie back home!
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Venturing to the dark side of the H/J world
Good morning! I am definetly behind in updating what has been going on over the past two weeks, which has been some major changes, all GREAT! This morning I am headed in town to Aiken to the big time PSJ show that is happening this week. So the details of my officially leaving my office job will have to wait for a bit longer. Suffice it to say, I have been walking on cloud nine since I have traded my dress pants and heels for breeches and paddock boots along with changing from daily makeup for sunscreen :-).
By the grace of the horsey gods, several months ago I realized that I have neighbors that are also equestrians. Dustin Ball and Trina Green run Hadland Farm here in Neeses, SC about 4 miles from my driveway.They are two of the most entertaining, laid back people I have met in a very long time. Not to mention that they are fabulous horsemen and I have had a blast watching them fly over their huge show jumps. They have helped me with my show jumping and I am competing some of their horses to sell that show an inclination towards Eventing.
Today I am headed to Aiken to help them during the show this week, generally be the catch all person, warm up horses (that idea still weirds me out, can you imagine doing that in Eventing?,LOL!), fetch, switch horses, etc. I've never been to a true AA fancy H/J show so you can count on lots of photos and feedback. Hopefully, I can slip onto the show grounds without alarms going off with a loudspeaker proclaiming "Crazy Eventer on the premises, lock up your horses!". I've got on my Dubarry boots, bling belt and pink polo but I think the MZ Eventing hat may give me away, oh well ;-).
Ciao!
Molls
By the grace of the horsey gods, several months ago I realized that I have neighbors that are also equestrians. Dustin Ball and Trina Green run Hadland Farm here in Neeses, SC about 4 miles from my driveway.They are two of the most entertaining, laid back people I have met in a very long time. Not to mention that they are fabulous horsemen and I have had a blast watching them fly over their huge show jumps. They have helped me with my show jumping and I am competing some of their horses to sell that show an inclination towards Eventing.
Today I am headed to Aiken to help them during the show this week, generally be the catch all person, warm up horses (that idea still weirds me out, can you imagine doing that in Eventing?,LOL!), fetch, switch horses, etc. I've never been to a true AA fancy H/J show so you can count on lots of photos and feedback. Hopefully, I can slip onto the show grounds without alarms going off with a loudspeaker proclaiming "Crazy Eventer on the premises, lock up your horses!". I've got on my Dubarry boots, bling belt and pink polo but I think the MZ Eventing hat may give me away, oh well ;-).
Ciao!
Molls
Monday, April 18, 2011
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