Special Horses, Special People and

Oh those special Dogs that bring it all together!

The little fella above is named Tank

on his Belgian horse Tom with his best human friend Mark Russell.

Theses three bring so much joy to all that meet them.

Liz

The Eye of a Horse

Do you just see an eye?

Do you see what a horses eye reveals?

Do you understand the Language of a horses eye?

DO YOU CARE!

Liz

Do the work!

Make it fun not only for you,
but for your horse.

It takes lots of time and many steps to have success.

This is a the reality to get to the fantasy.

Everything one does on the ground relates to what you will be asking when progressing to the under saddle work.

Even though the photos shown here are young starter horses, for the older riding horse reviewing from time to time pays off and also can fill in holes that may have been made in the basic work.

The Aussie photo is of our Tony I just added for fun as he loves the big chair in the barn office and more if he has someone to snuggle in and share it with.

Liz

My Favorite place is in the BARN!!

The Champagne is my special boy Styrker who makes me smile, laugh and re-enforces why I so love horses!

The black is Keno a rehab fox trotter gotten sound and riding again after much physical correction and emotional work. A few tears were shed along the way in his work learning what he had been through at the hands of humans in such a short life.

Liz

Here are photos of a saddle that came in with a rehab horse that has been bucking with this saddle, other than this issue the horse is kind, gentle and has had extensive previous under saddle training. Since the Blog is having problems with up loading videos at present I am also posting a link to a video relating to this saddle .

http://aboutthehorse.com/flextree.wmv

It is my opinion that products like this should be unacceptable on the market today. Due to the the risk of physical and mental damage possible to a horse and also the risk of injury or worse to horseman and horsewomen.

Liz

More On Horsemanship

Some Questions,

Some Thoughts,

and some of what I have

found for me.

Questions

What really is Horsemanship?

Do you think you know it?

Is it important to?

Do you want to be one of those truly trying to find it?

Are you one of those that try to destroy it in those that have it?

Are you one that does not get it but pretends too?

Are you one of those that denies it exists?

Are you one of those that are threatened that it exists?

Or just one of those that doesn't, but rides the wave of those that do?

Thoughts

One cant be a faker, a taker or breaker to get there.

It's about having the right attitude.

If you cant feel yourself , you cant feel your horse.

Ego, jealousy, hate, selfishness and anger will stop one from finding it.

Physical and mental abuse have no place in horsemanship.

What I have Found for Myself

The horse will tell you how well your doing by it's actions.

Making mistakes is part of learning and never deny when you make them, the horse knows anyway.

Don't miss seeing the willingness in the horse and reward it.

Reward any amount of try a horse presents and they will want to try some more.

Show the horse simple acknowledgement that they matter.

You will come to a place where you no longer care what other humans think or how they may try to influence your way of working, it will only matter to you what the horse thinks.

Believe, just believe.

You want to be a giver, as you want everyone to get it.

Touch the horse, you want to, you have to, you need to,you cant help yourself from doing so.

Elizabeth Graves

copyright 2008

Spring is on it's way here, slow but showing here and there and with it brings folks thinking horses again. The ranch is a buzz of being busy with lots of friends and clients non stop through the days. With this comes long discussions, sharing sessions of experience's, ideas,and observations, not only of horses but of life and living it.

We share those things that have or still do motivate us, help to carve our own paths and bringing us together as a community. With a desire help others that choose to be a part of our chosen path as students of this interesting and often challenging thing we know as life.

I myself find writings of others to be very inspirational to me and helps me find clarity in thought, emotions and striving to keep working on my self to be better as a human and better for my horses and my family of fellow horseman.

I today will share some that I have found along the way and read often to ponder.

Liz

With out trust, there can be no tranquil rest of mind.

With out trust there can be no belief.

-Joesph Campbell

What will happen, will happen.

There is time for miracles until there is no more time.

But time has no end.

-Unknown

Here's a sigh to those who love me.

And here's a smile to those that hate;

And whatever sky's above me.

Here's a heart for every fate.

- Lord Byron

Your gut is your barometer.

Your mind is your activator.

-Unknown

The world turns and the world changes

but one thing that does not change.

How ever you disguise it, this thing does not change:

The perpetual struggle of good and evil.

-Joesph Campbell

With grateful hearts we can say, in the language of oriental eloquence,

that a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night,

guided our footsteps to a land destined by heaven

for the protection of the innocent, and the asylum of the oppressed,

where now we enjoy, by the blessing of heaven,

the reward of all our patriotism and all our valor.

-William Sanford Pennington

The above was part of an address given by my

Great, Great ,Great, Great Grandfather

in Newark , NJ on July 4Th 1826

to celebrate the hero's of the Revolution.

He himself being an officer in the Continental Army and

eventually becoming the 6 Governor of NJ.

He passed this same year, Sept. 17Th 1826.

Just because I don't say it,

does not mean I don't see it,

or think it in my own mind.

I will know the best time and share

when I feel you are ready and need to hear what I see and think.

-Bertha Pennington Carter

Bertha was my Great Great Grandmother,

my own mothers riding instructor along with that of the US Calvary

being a child raised in a military family.

Bertha was a well known horsewoman in her own right .

Her last horse before her passing was "Bo jest" an Irish hunter

she loved to ride through central park, of course side saddle.