Very busy here getting  the year end repairs and ranch upgrades done with  fencing, all new gaits up and   slapped 25 gallons of fresh fence stain done so far.

 After dragging my body to the house tonight  found my Uncle Bill had sent another great photo of my Mother as a child. What a nice end to a productive day and week for that matter, just hope this body can move in the morning! 

It's Official!!

The ticket of Sissy & Tony of the "Kibble Party" won the Shades of Oak elections by a land slide beating out Pretty Boy Floyd & Perfectin Gold Stryke of the "Hay Party"

Seems the main deciding factors by ranch voters were the non wasteful standards of the Kibble Party to not  allow one plate or morsel of treat to go unattended and managed properly.

The lack of support for the hay party was due to their unbridled behaviors, with no seriousness in any matter what so ever and felt leaping, running and rearing in a wide open manner at all times with disregard for themselves or others was not received well by voters.

Liz

New Helpful hints video

Memories of younger days!

Old friend Leon with a couple of his young stock and myself astride Sunny Bright Eyes on Silverbrook Ranch Middlebrook, VA

It's sure been a long hot time here this year and putting in 12-14 hours days in the barn since winter but getting the training horses thinned down a little bit and some going home now since I will to be gone most of Sept. I'm trying for a little more time for my own horses before that happens and will get back at it the end of Sept.

I ran across this  old photo in my files and it brought back some great old memories of younger times . Leon and Sunny Bright Eyes are both gone now, Leon was a friend I would ride with to get miles and experience on all our young stock. Leon was a Vietnam vet and had lost a leg in that war and it never slowed him down that I know of except this day. He and both his horses went over backwards and down in a steep ravine, and when the dirt settled and got down to him, horses and Leon seemed to come out of it  just fine but Leons artificial leg was still in his stirrup so that had to be rescued once his gelding was caught and help him get that back on and off we went again. That adventure gave us many a chuckle he loved to tell about it for many years after.

We rode often at Silverbrook Ranch which was owned by Helen Kleberg Groves of the King Ranch, Texas and was 5000 acres of rolling VA hills  and she would let us take our horse there to work . Every year she had a big horse sale and cutting event we were invited too.  With many old well known names of the times most don't know of or heard of  these days like Buster Welsh, Calvin Allen and the list could go on forever.  I sure dreamed of owning a lot of the horses that were run through those sales, but that was a very poor living back then  being a female trainer but it was my choice and it sure taught a gal to be tough in that country. 

Sunny Bright Eyes was a Two Eyed Jack X Eternal Sun bred Quarter horse I  used for everything like Bubba,  cattle work, showed hunter pleasure, English pleasure, trail, reining , anything side saddle. We used to be invited to Frying Pan Park to do a side saddle reining demo as entertainment for the DC politicians  while they were wined and dined  as fund raising event  for the American Horse Protection Association. 

Good Friends and Great horses sure make time gone by  special!

In a recent interview regarding issues in the gaited horse industry  I was asked many questions and many more transpired through the interview. There were a few that were easy to answer at the time but created great depth in thought after.I came away very troubled by it as well.  

I thought I would share some of them :

1st Question :Can a trainer of the gaited horse be too sound ?

Answer: To the people yes, for the horses no.

2nd question: So your saying  trainers of horses outside the padded industry can be to sound or natural for the general gaited horse public?

Answer: To the people yes, for the horses no. 

3rd question: Why? 

Answer: For some people yes due to what people are.  People are often motivated to feed their own emotional needs, financial needs, needs of power, control and the desires to fit in with other groups of people. Those types of people will seek out  those that will enable and support them in their fantasy of what developing natural gait is rather than what it really is. Some people just think it takes to long and to much work so shortcuts suit those individuals better. Those that do utilize short cuts or gimmicks in training often don't want an unsuspecting  clients (often beginners) to get educated.  They fear  loss of clients or are trying to bring clients and dollars to their  business so they very artfully regurgitate all the right terminology but enact  some or completely different methods in the practical application of training. 

For the horse no, when we teach a horse in a manner that it feels good physically, emotionally and reasonable to the horse, the horse lets us know in giving us what we ask the best  they can, within their understanding. The horse then can have the best chance of staying physically and emotionally sound. The horse through this, wants to be with us and work for us, they care what we think because we cared what they think and how they feel. By my definition that's as it should be for a horse and what most people voice what they want of and for their horses. 

4th  question: Do you feel it is true in some of the population, they believe they are sound and naturally gaited teachers of horse when they are in fact not.

Answer:  There are some that are in reality, some do in their self created fantasy yet are not ,and others use it as a marketing tool  purposely to deceive the public to keep their business open. 

5th Question: So in your opinion how does one go about bring people to understanding what a naturally gaited horse is and apply those methods in training their horses.

Answer: Education! The education is out there for those that want to learn it , it's the "want to" though that has to come first, and honesty in themselves when they are doing right by the horse.

6th question: I have heard in some circles you are respected for your reputation of straightforwardness and honesty  when it comes to whats right for the horse and in others your criticized for this. How do you feel about that?

Answer: I care what the horse thinks first, I try to teach folks this all the time. In who I am, to be any other way I could not  keep doing this as a business and as my livelihood,  it's whats right for me to live with myself, to look into a horses eyes  with honesty and receive their trust back.Teaching horses and people is my business, it's what my job is, I feel it's my responsibly to be this way when they come to me to learn, it's what I'm being paid  to do. My job in my opinion is not to play games and tell someone what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear.How a person receives  the straightforwardness and honesty when my opinion is asked  can be interpreted , defined or redefined in many different way depending on the emotional place that person is at that time. 

Sometimes being as diplomatic as possible is never enough for some folks, they just don't have the "want to get it" yet, they are still to much "of themselves" first. One just still keeps trying though for awhile and sometimes  just has to stop and let some people go or you will bleed your self dry in the frustration and have nothing left for the next person that really wants to get it right for their horse..

So in closing: 

A conversation I was reminded of recently  from this interview was with a naturally  gaited horse friend not to long ago. in which he expressed his frustration and stated, "Being  naturally gaited sure is a lonely place" .

My response back was " No, you will always have friends in horses".

Liz

Photo credit: Judy Hanson Nelson

To My horse friends:

There is nothing as special to me as letting my body sink deeply into a horses and feeling each others heartbeats. It's very hard to describe, so it's best to try it and feel what magic happen between you.

Elizabeth Graves

Important Press Release!

Important press Release from the  AAEP and AVMA

http://www.aaep.org/press_room.php?term=2012&id=487

I also feel it should include weighted shoes, turn backs, and bands. 

If some horses are able to be animated more naturally ,let it come through due to an individual horses conformation , proper clean training and conditioning of the horse. Good trainers don't need gimmicks to bring out natural gaits in any gaited breed.

It's time to prize good horsemanship not hackmanship.

Liz