This is Picollo not being a very good co-pilot. He might not be the best of help with loading and transport but he’s definitely cute and that makes up for much of his lack of ability to be of help with the horse.



We drive to Brent’s near DC and then continue on with the rest of the journey to NYC and JFK airport.

The journey began at approximately half past two in the afternoon today. Carrara, Picollo and myself drove away from the North Carolina stable to drive up to NYC, fly to Holland and begin training with Anky. It’s exciting beyond words yet it’s quite the journey so it’s also nervous.

This is the last time I am closing the gate at our stable in NC for quite some time.

We had a fun time yesterday with a casual photo shoot for FITS breeches. I really enjoy riding in my FITS and Sheryl was kind enough to send me a brand new pair in black for the shoot! Of course, what would a HorseGirlTV shoot be without something bright in orange, teal or purple and we just finished it off with my favorite ball cap from Devonwood! Just like all my FITS, they are too comfy and I get this deep close contact that really makes working on the FEI moves so much more secure and exact. Plus they are pretty darn stylish too!

It was a pretty North Carolina day with the recent rains really showing up on the green, green grass. Nope this picture is not photoshop enhanced. Not too hot or humid! First, we walk out to the arena. Miss C was super mellow today and a good thing as it was opening day of dove season.


I love this picture of the HorseGirlTV pad!


There were tons of warming up and early on schooling pictures but I thought this schooling pirouette was pretty nice. Working on that inside hind!


It was a great ride with everything coming easy and most everything soft and forward so why not school to the top? Just a few seconds of course! Yes, yes! She can sit and this is with less than 6 months of working with the Dutch system of movement after starting all over from the ground up on her training! Super mare!

So I haven’t been working on changes too much or getting too terribly stressed out about it. There are far more wacky things to get stressed out about lately. Hah! I’ve sorta been trying to have the western rider or jumper mentality of flipping the change instead of the dressage rider, spending the horses entire life to get that single flawless, straight, over two feet thru change. Again, I can only laugh. But today! Today!! Did I type TODAY???? Well, today all our changes were clean and pretty through and to the dressage classics relief pretty darn straight too! Of course they were all forward but there wasn’t that jumping through the change and speeding up or going on the forehand immediately. It was, dare i say, brilliant for where we are at in this training time? Ok. So I’m not saying I was brilliant, perhaps it was part me but perhaps it was part luck. Never the less, she changed, it was comfy and as one of the photo will attest, she was also thru!



Now and again we work on the halt trot transitions and sharpening the transitions. Perhaps you’ve read an earlier post which shows a darn good thrust coming from Miss C’s hind end. This day, and again I’m making no claims of miracles, I was able to do our walk to halt transitions with ONLY (yes I am 100% dead serious) core muscle. This was no pokey walk. This was a working walk and I would used my core to ask for the halt and she would halt! Wow! The trot halts are still with more of the entire body and sadly still a good bit of hand but we’re working on it. But, I digress. Back to the halt, trot transitions. In working these and when she feels like there’s some consistent give and lift I will ask for a wee bit of an extension to see if she’ll carry herself in it. Well she does carry. Her tall yet narrow withers lift like a car jack and she will carry. There’s not a super duper picture that expresses this as the extensions were too few but there is this pretty artistic shot of a working trot!



I am getting so excited to train with Anky. I wish I had more and more time to get better and better but wait, that’s what I’m going for so bring it on!

Ok. So maybe fall isn’t 100% here but I was sooooooo excited this morning when I was able to don my new Mountain Horse jacket to prep for riding! I haven’t had (don’t ask me how I went without it) a waterproof jacket for several years now but Chris at Equestrian Collection and the folks at English Riding Supply hooked me up with two amazing Mountain Horse jackets. They are functional and fashionable. I know as soon as it gets way cold I’ll be ready for summer again but I’m so looking forward to snuggling in these jackets and getting beyond this awful southern humid summer season! Whew! Nice job on the polos to eh? Oh and we can’t forget the awesome Devonwood cap! I sooooo miss my Pacific Northwest horsey friends!

So there’s been lots of controversy talk on the horse forums lately about Dutch rider Edward Gal and his tremendous mount Totalias with of course so many complaints about the Dutch system of movement. To each his own I say but I can’t express how excited I am about training first hand with Anky and studying this system like it was my Master’s Degree because quite frankly, to me it is my Master’s Degree in riding.

What I’ve been working on learning physically (after years of being told “rock them back” with the reins while driving with the legs) from this system is the very elementary concept of the brakes and the gas, the whoa and the go, and never using them together. That the mystical half halt should moreso be a fantasy term and that you work the brakes and gas so well together that your half halt (if you must use that term) comes from there.

If with all this training and working on myself I’m able to get this kind of sit with my mare then I can’t wait to see what professional world class lessons can help us achieve together. This is a great mare, no doubt. When I bought her she was honestly, completely confirmed in walk, trot, canter with excellent leg yields and a decent shoulder-in. We started all over from the ground up with the Dutch style (as best as I could of course) and well… just look at the push in those soon to be elongated and plumped up muscles of her hind end!