Here is a slide show of photos from the PPWHA  clinic held in Dillsburg PA last weekend.

Great , great weekend!

http://lizgraves.org/dillsburg_pa_2012/index.html

Ranch Happening!

It's been a busy and fun winter and very mild for us here In MN.

The above is JP a  RMH that came in for a spring tune up. He sure grew taller since last year and still has lots of filling and maturing to do even yet and may need a 4 step mounting block before he is done!

This is Bucky a RMH executing just under an 8 meter volte at a canter. Yes gaited horses can canter beautifully and should, and having  good basics in lateral work and straightness training makes doing  a canter in such a small volte possible, one talented and smart fellow he was.

This is Diego the PP that I loved teaching him to use his top line and find relaxation, He was a heart stealer in that he was so personable and loved humans so much. What a reach behind he had!

This is Tia Maria and RMH which was long in body length, yet tied together so well from back to front that her walk to bring into a collected shape was beautiful, ground covering and could do  her RMG gait with so much ease just on a loose rein, self carry in snaffle bit or side pull she was so strongly gaited. My Zaldi Spanish schooling saddle fit like a glove on her too since she had an unusual shape, more like an Andalusian. Our  PB Floyd's sister too!

Now this is living! Our friend Noah came and cooked us the most amazing Cajun dinner and I had seconds which is rare for me. The guys cleaned up the kitchen too, I had to do nothing in the kitchen. I could get used to that!

This is Marty giving Tony and Sissy organic beef bones she brought them. I know they then believed all their little dog dreams really could come true, those bones are very small now!They both received their spring hairs cuts a week after this so they are half the dogs they were here.

So it's been a busy place and all these horses have gone home now and still have a bunch here we have to get photos of  and hope to before they leave.

Liz

AVMA's press release

Please help the AVMA by sharing their Video , it will take a community effort  to help make change happen for the horses and education is one of the avenues to do so.

AVMA’s policy against soring

The American Veterinary Medical Association has worked to end the cruel practice of soring in show horses for over 40 years, and soring has been illegal since 1970. In this video, AVMA leader Dr. Nat T. Messer IV, a professor at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, and Elizabeth Graves, a horse trainer with experience judging horse shows and rehabbing sored horses, explain why soring needs to stop.
847-285-6781

Link to AVMA's web site with Video, the video is an educational video is just over 4 minutes in play time.

http://www.avmamedia.org/display.asp?sid=436&NAME=AVMA%92s_policy_against_soring

Rehabbing the pace into Fox Trot

This is a video that I hope will be helpful to many folks, not just gaited horses or specific gaits, there is useful information for all. It is educational not entertaining in its nature. I know most don't watch things like this until one starts having issues. There is a lot of information here that can be valuable before one gets to that point. It’s not fancy in its production, just off the cuff in rehabbing from pace to gait of Fox Trot. A huge thank you too David Genadek for taking time he truly does not have in filming, editing and uploading to YouTube. It will also be posted to my web site on the articles page for future reference. It’s 36 minutes long but does move along pretty fast to watch . The good news is it's free and just about helping any way I can.

Liz

Pop Wagner will be teaching Mohair Cinch making classes here  at Shades of Oak  Ranch June 29-July 1 , 2012 to be held in About the Horse Saddle manufacturing  shop on the Ranch.

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This is a great opportunity for those who are seeking in-depth exposure to this art form.

To register (for 1, 2 0r 3 days) 

Pop

612-817-5898

PS, Some time in June www.popwagner.com will be moving to another location. You can preview the new site while it is under construction by visiting  http://popwagner.wordpress.com/  While you are there feel free to “follow” this new site (by clicking on the "follow" button in the lower right hand corner) so that you will be informed of all the latest updates. 

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Think Spring!!

Bet if  the riding public thought of helmets and safety vests as status symbols and just cool lots more folks would use them.

Wonderful old roots!

My Mother Louise  1949

This photos was taken at one of the military bases my Mother grew up on and learned to ride at as a youth. Her father was US Calvary 2 years before being accepted to US Air Force which he retired from as a WW 2 vet and went on to serve and retire with Federal Civil Service.

I love her real Angora Chaps and this must be one of the Calvary horses since it is a photo taken on the base.

She  grew up learning to ride English forward seat, classical and side- saddle yet brought me up teaching these same seats and skills but always  in stock seat or Mexican tack, hence my vast passion for  and back ground in Bosal work. This photo screams she was drawn to and later sought out those disciplines in her knowledge base as well.  

My Mother as a teacher and trainer here in MN was a very poor living and  one she made by choice giving up much for her passion, back then a trainer was considered one step above the garbage pick up  profession.

A bale of hay was .25 and a trim all the way around was $1.00 she received $30.00  per month for training a horse. I think she did better than most  and as a woman doing this as a living was not normally taken seriously but her Military upbringing being US Calvary trained gave her a respected creditably in the profession that otherwise would not have been.

Having roots is an awesome thing!

Liz