Trek West

Trucking once again across the country with ponies and crew. It seriously seems like we barely arrived in Kentucky and it was already time to go home. Time flies when you are living at a horse park I suppose. This trip combined two of my greatest loves: traveling, and horses. Not necessarily together but that's how it seemed to work out this time. I loved meeting all the interesting people such as my new Spartan friend, Cambell's soup heirs, old very German men, the "Paso Fino people," families that live on thoroughbred farms, making friends with the espresso shop girl, and even seeing my old couch surfing/climbing buddy who works in the Red River Gorge who took me to dinner one night. I loved seeing how other world class drivers worked with and managed their horses. Driving is pretty dang cool I must say. I learned a whole lot and had some really memorable experiences thanks to my amazing boss/mentor/friend Chris. And of course Phil!
During the drive I am reading some of the books we got! Chris let Emily and I pick something out of the gift shop and we both got some quality books. I chose "Thinking Riding Vol. 1," which is a classic and is geared toward teaching how to teach. I also found a paperback copy of Reiner Klimke's book,"Training the Young Horse" I believe. And then Chris got a book by George Morris also about how to teach. She liked it because they both say all the same things and she likes to be validated :) So basically I am taking lessons from George Morris, ha!
Tonight we bunk in Kansas City. Wooooo... Hoo.
Definitely the very worst and depressing low point of the trip was not being able to see my beautiful sister Amelia and her lovely baby Lydia. And her awesome husband Matt of course. Really bummed! We would have had our annual Harry Potter feast but alas, that will have to wait. Sad.

Kentucky Wonderland

Spent the last few days living life Kentucky style. Chris has a friend who LIVES on and runs a thoroughbred farm. It all really gives a whole new meaning to the horse Industry. These aren't just people who say, "Oh, I'd like to have a few baby horses!" This is like a machine, a system, and a business. Everywhere I look it's green fields and gorgeous thoroughbreds. Heavenly! They have to actually MOW the fields like 3 times a week, even with six horses on it. Mind boggling to us desert rats.
They were kind enough to invite us to dinner where we had some amazing lime and honey marinated pork, fried apples, homemade pumping AND pecan pie (yes, this is why the south and subsequently I am rollie pollie) and a little bit of "really nice" moonshine straight from a mason jar. Great horse stories shared all around. It was lovely.
The next day since our new friends run thoroughbreds all over, they had box seats at the grand Keeneland
racetrack. The horses were fabulous, the people looked rich, and the jockeys were sinewy little fellas. Everything I expected.
We also toured Three Chimneys farm where they have about 15 classy stallions they keep there. Seattle Slew being one of them once upon a time. Quite majestic.
But, I would say the highlight of the past few days was, the animal psychic!!!! So insane! I have always of course thought horses can sort of read your thoughts just because of how easily they can respond just by what you think. And obviously horses have such personality you can almost hear what they say to you just by their actions. But, as you know, we drive a four in hand and by doing so, we can really see their personality not just by how they respond to us, but we can see how they interact with their teammates while being driven. So, I feel like I know these horses pretty dang well. I like to imagine what theyr would be like if they were humans.
This psychic though was right on!! She says that by touching them, she is able to see pictures of what they have seen, and then tell about how they feel. She said so many things that she could have never made up, that I know she had something special going on. Overall, we now know that we have one incredibly vain horse, one that chatters too much in the trailer, two that think they are the fastest, they all think cows are dumb and slow, and they all love their new leather harness because it makes them pretty. All of their communication with her made me really love those little ponies even more. They really do have their own personalities, likes and dislikes, self image, interests, and attitude! I would definitely have somebody "read" my horses like that some time. Cooky, maybe, but totally awesome.
Tomorrow is our last full day living at the KHP. Sad day!

Hanging With the 1%

Currently, I am literally texting someone who is complaining about being so bored at a mansion in Florida that all he has to do is drive his friend's porsche around. Disgusting/hilarious.
Yup, the Kentucky Classic driving evet has come and gone. A flurry and whirl that was a fairly large amount of work, and also a huge amount of fun. A couple of 16 hour days strung together means that bathroom breaks really are the only breaks. Yay for sitting down !
Activities include riding bikes from the campsite to the horse park, feeding ponies, grooming ponies, walking ponies, cleaning ponies stalls, more walking, more cleaning, clean harness, polish harness, clean other set of harness, clean clothes, clean aisle... Yup, lots of cleaning. Chris says if it isn't perfect, it isn't clean. Another zen piece of advice is, "It's not the application of sponge to the tack, it is the absence of dirt." Basically, just because you did the action, doesn't mean it's really finished or accomplished. Sacrament talk anyone ? ;)
I did alright as a groom, I just need to polish up my act some more, as usual, and not be so forgetful but.... I will get it eventually. It's a pretty fun job really. As long as lots of coffee is involved.
Phil and the ponies did incredible!! Marathon was definitely the most exciting. We cruised around a huge portion of the park. At one point, it was letting the whole team really gallop to pull up a grassy hill set between two whitewashed four board fences toward a tobacco barn that really took my breath away! Driving is intense. Phil really did his best yet, and the team is coming together.
Then, there was the costume party after. Sheesh these people can have a good time! Its the adage that those who know how to work hard definitely know how to play hard. Seeing "old" people dressed up in great costumes, singing, dancing, and general merriment is seriously awesome. It's like, "Why doesn't everyone know how to get down and boogie like this eh?" it's not just young climber folks. Met some really interesting people, and hopefully made some lasting friendships. Especially with people who have amazing accents, yahoo!
Overall, the show was a huge success and we all learned a lot and had a fantastic time. This week (thankfully) is much more laid back. It's the National Drive at the Kentucky Horse Park. Everyone and their miniature miles can show up and drive. Updates coming soon!

Circus Flora

The crew continues East! Currently leaving lovely St. Louis. We stayed at Chris's friend Laura's Three Creek Farm. Talk about the antithesis to Knox Farm! Not in a bad way, but seeing at Laura and her husband run this amazing traveling show called Circus Flora, the farm was settled over 200 years ago, and they have a menagerie of animals including peacocks, a Bassett hound pack, goats, and Connemara ponies... There is just a lot of STUFF around. Not quite how Chris runs her place :) Three Creek Farm really has oodles of character, to say the least.
We played with the Bassett puppies for a much too short of time period. I didn't even know people hunted with PACKS of Bassets, what?!
She has a chicken that plays the piano in the circus that lives in her office. Anyone who knows me understands that this could pretty much be my dream home.
Anyway, so far so good! Knock on wood. Should be in Lexington by this evening yay!

Wonderland Continued

Wow! Only 1 week until we head cross country to our Kentucky adventure. But, that will be another blog for another day.
Currently, things are just going swimmingly on all fronts of my life.
Horses: to be discussed first because they are most consuming and all important. A few weeks ago I went to my FIRST dressage show, if you can believe it. Besides all the little events /!; dressage rally at Pony Club, I have never really ridden in a dressage how. How embarrassing, yes. If I ever become a total Dressage Queen, I am going to pretend I didn't know anything until now, ha! Either way, Bindi was a STAR and got a first and a second place in two different tests. We only it second because she decided a puttering moped going down the road behind her warranted a canter/leap/fling across the diagonal rather than a trot. Oh well, she was awesome! I also got to ride the driving pony Aly in Training test 3, and First Level test 1. We got two firsts and the highest score of the show. Not bad for my first show eh? But seriously, I watched my videos with Chris and wooooooaah nelly bell, I have got a lot of work ahead of me this winter. Also, it is about time to sell the Bindles, so pictures and videos are in the works, coming soon.
Uhhhh, what other fronts are there to my life again?
I DO have a great friend who is willing to drive a truck and trailer to Utah this weekend to pick up my little guy Gilbert. Dad is saying, "I am really going to miss this horse. I even want to hug him! Is this how you feel about your horses?" Yes Dad, that is a tiny taste of the disease I have been struck with since birth. Wanting to hug horse.
Winter is quickly approaching and with it means lots of prep for the snowed in period of the year. We had a big gathering of folks and closed the townsite for the winter. That means putting away items that can freeze or be eaten by critters, and boarding up the widows. And of course, a mountain of scones was prepared along with at least ten crock pots of different soups. Yes, we do things right around here. The pictures of the embroidery are from a quilt that is over a hundred years old! Totally fashionable though and could be sold in Anthropologie I am sure (for hundreds of dollars).
The people out here are really just incredible, incredibly funny, and really just funny. Oh! I have a friend who has been teaching me how to fly fish! Totally. Awesome. We caught a big beautiful rainbow trout the other night and cooked it up with lemons, butter, and peppers. Amazing. Loving life yet again and can't wait to see the fam this weekend!

My New Kentucky Home

And we are off! Once again it is like a large army is on a high tech cavalry caravan. Pretty much the same routine as getting ready for the other shows, 14 hour days leading up to it are no big deal. We did add some extra work by deciding to body clip all four ponies. Lots of prickly hairs down the shirt, and many peach fuzz feeling ponies were the result.
Tonight we stay in Nebraska. How joyful that should be. I am pretty excited though as this will be my first cross the country trek. Next time, it will be with my dog and climbing gear.
But I did make it to Utah this last w week to get my boy Gilbert!! Thanks to my incredibly helpful, up for a road trip friend Brett who also supplies the truck and trailer. Forever grateful! It was pretty dang great to have some of mom and dads Sunday dinner. Gilbert was a perfect, sane, lovely gentlemen and loaded within 5 minutes. It is a whole new world working with a horse that hasn't been ruined, let me tell you. So he got in and out a few times and then we were on our way. He is so happy at Knox Farm and I am so thankful I have an awesome job where I can have my horses with me.
Updates will be many as we drive for the next three days and I have nothing else to do. Yay!
Oh and apparently I can't use technology and thought I published a post last week. Alas, now I have two today. Silly.