Sunday, May 29, 2011

May 28, 2011

Cindy and Gary drove to North Texas and back today because Cindy's sister was hospitalized. It was a very long day.

These are pictures of Gary & Cindy's trip last weekend to Kentucky.



May 27, 2011

LBR had another training ride today. He was FABULOUS. His flat work was perfect and his course work included flying lead changes.

After the ride, he did not want to go into the wash rack because the light was not working. Gary took him into the other wash rack and he stood quietly. After LBR dried for a bit, Gary took him down and they worked on trailer loading. Gary worked on half loads in/out and LBR thought that was what he was supposed to do. Eventually, LBR realized he was supposed to go in, stand, then back out quietly. YAY!

May 26, 2011

LBR had a training ride today. It has been 3 weeks since the trainer has been able to ride. LBR's flat work was excellent but he got a little forward over the jumps/courses so she dismounted and lunged him over a fence.

LBR was a bit silly today because there was a yearling that had escaped his paddock and been recaptured and put into a paddock next to the arena.

LBR eventually settled nicely and cantered quietly on the lunge line.

After the ride, Gary rinsed LBR and let him graze for a bit before returning him to his paddock.

May 25, 2011

It was 103F degrees when Cindy got home from work today. Gary had been working outside all day and did not feel up to going out to the stables.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

May 24, 2011

Today Gary headed over to have LBR's feet checked (it's been 6 weeks) and ride.

He is able to go another week without a trim. They had a great ride - doing flat work in the arena at the walk/trot/canter and then completing a few courses. After the arena work, they took a long ride around the property to cool down.

This is LBR's sire's picture taken when we visited him in Kentucky at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm:

May 23, 2011

No ride/visit for LBR today as it's Monday and we're sticking to his routine day off.

May 22, 2011

Yay...Gary & Cindy are back in Central Texas. They headed to the stables to pick up the truck and visited LBR for a bit. He was so happy to see them - he nickered as soon as he saw them and didn't stop until they were at the gate of his paddock.

They let him graze in the common area for a while as they groomed the mud off of him (it must have rained on Friday or Saturday).

May 21, 2011

No visit/ride for LBR as Gary & Cindy are out of town.

They drove up to Lexington, KY yesterday from Nashville. Today they visited Old Friends Retirement Farm and met LBR's sire. He is much stockier and shorter than LBR, but has the same wonderful disposition. A picture will be added soon

May 20, 2011

No visit/ride for LBR as Gary & Cindy are out of town.

May 21, 2011

No visit/ride for LBR as Gary & Cindy are out of town.

May 20, 2011

No visit/ride for LBR as Gary & Cindy are out of town.

May 19, 2011

April rode LBR today. She worked a lot on transitions up and down between the trot and canter.

He was very well behaved.

May 18, 2011

No ride or visit for LBR today. Gary flew out to join Cindy in Nashville where she is attending a business conference.

May 17, 2011

Gary rode LBR today. They had a great ride in the arena with walk/trot/canter flat work and trot-in canter-out courses.

After the ride, they took a trail ride around the entire property.

Monday, May 16, 2011

May 16, 2011

Today is Monday and it's LBR's day off.

May 15, 2011

The day started early again (4:45 a.m alarm for Gary and Cindy). April & the trainer met them at the show grounds at 6:30 a.m. for schooling.

LBR rocked in schooling.

There was a couple of hours break before his classes so LBR ate his breakfast and chilled out.

LBR was a stinker today in his classes - very forward in the first class so we decided just to school and call it a day.

His schooling inside was flawless despite a crowded small arena.

Gary and Cindy loaded LBR in the trailer after he rested for a bit. After that, Gary took Cindy directly to the airport for a flight out of Austin for a business trip.

Cindy is SO TIRED!!!!!

May 14, 2011

April showed LBR today. He did really well in warm up and aced his Schooling class. It was the first time for him to do 2'6 courses in the greens and he got a little flustered. Oh well...this is only his second "real" show and it has been almost a year since his first. His schooling class (2'3") was really good including 3 flying lead changes.

After his classes were over, LBR chilled out in his stall.

Gary and Cindy took him for a walk in the afternoon to a grassy area and let him graze. He really seemed to enjoy it.

May 13, 2011

Cindy took the day off from work today to help Gary prep LBR for the show and haul him over to it. They arrived at 11:00 and LBR had done a great job of enjoying the mud.

After bathing, grooming and drying (about 3 hours worth), they loaded up and headed to the Expo Center.

LBR settled in nicely to his stall. Due to the trainer's illness, April rode him in this show. LBR schooled well but was a little bit excited about 15 other horses in the ring and emergency vehicle sirens (at least 15 during a 30 minute ride).

After the ride, LBR was groomed and fed and left for the night to rest.

May 12, 2011

YAY!!! It rained in Central TX today - almost 2". No ride/visit for LBR.

May 11, 2011

Gary rode LBR in the sand arena today. They did w/t/c flat work and a few cross rails.

May 10, 2011

Today was supposed to be a training ride for LBR but his trainer got into some poison ivy and is unable to ride.

Instead, Gary took LBR on a trail ride through all of the paddocks. They had a great time!

May 9, 2011

It's Monday so LBR had the day off.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

May 8, 2011




Gary learning to collect LBR at the walk.

Out of focus, but funny...

May 7, 2011

Cindy had a 10:00 a.m. lesson on LBR so she and Gary headed over to the stables around 9:00 a.m.

LBR was still enjoying his alfalfa flake when Gary arrived at his paddock to bring him up to the stable.

Cindy had staged the tack as usual and helped Gary with grooming/tacking LBR. Cindy led LBR to the arena and mounted around 9:50. The trainer was showing/selling a horse so the lesson got started late...LBR was patient with the delay - happy to just stand on a loose rein and wait.

The lesson had a large number of horses in it - 5 plus another horse being ridden by a boarder. This doesn't sound like many horses but with the jumps, it can get crowded quickly.

LBR rocked at his walk, trot and flexing flat work. At the canter, he was good too, but a couple of the other riders do not know how to space themselves and would run up his butt which he doesn't like.

It was funny today. He was the biggest horse in the lesson (16.3 hands) but had the most collected/calm trot and canter. Cindy struggled to "lose" the other horses as they would all bunch up his butt.

During the course work, LBR & Cindy had some excitement. The first incident was making the turn at the end of the arean, a toddler came running towards the arena - just making it under the rail as LBR was about 30' away. LBR was awesome...no spook, but put on the brakes and stopped immediately.

Cindy & he regrouped by doing a circle and were approaching a crossrail when the second incident happened. The trainer was looking in her notebook for the coggins of the horse being sold when a 35 mph gust of wind blew all of the notebook contents up about 10' in the air (this was about 15' to the left of LBR).

LBR spooked away from it - about 5 feet to the left and just stood there with a "WTF" look on his face.

After the coggins papers were retreived from the arena and downwind paddocks, Cindy & LBR finished that course.

Cindy learned a HUGE lesson today. If it doesn't bother her, it doesn't bother LBR. He and she did their final course perfectly.

May 6, 2011

Gary & Cindy headed over to the stables after Cindy got home from work.

After grooming and tacking up, Cindy warmed LBR up at the walk/trot. He was being a bit "pully" on the bit so she worked him on flexing and lateral work.

He settled nicely and Gary rode him next. They had a great ride. Excellent flat work at the walk/trot/canter and then a couple of cross-rail jumps.

May 5, 2011




LBR had a training ride today. They worked on transitions a lot during the flat work and did longer courses today (up to 8 jumps).

After the ride, Gary rinsed LBR and returned him to his paddock for treats.

May 4, 2011

Cindy & Gary headed to the stables after Cindy got home from work.

Gary brought LBR up from his paddock while Cindy staged the tack. They were the only people at the stables when they arrived, but shortly after they started grooming LBR another boarder arrived and then the caretaker returned which caused her dogs to go insane...barking, growling, etc.

Cindy rode LBR in the sand arena and focused on ground work. LBR (and Cindy) are getting so much better about ignoring the distractions. Cindy works him on lateral moves (leg yeilds) at the walk/trot and on collection when LBR starts to become distracted.

This strategy works...they ahd an excellent round of flat work.

After the ride, Gary & Cindy groomed LBR and then returned him to his paddock for treats.

May 3, 2011

LBR had a training ride today. He did very well on his flat work. During his course work, the trainer tried a new strategy. She let him take a break of 2-3 minutres between courses.

LBR responded well to this approach. He got all of his flying lead changes and only got a little fast away from one jump going downhill.

After the ride, Gary rinsed him and returned him to his paddock for treats.

May 2, 2011

It's Monday so LBR had the day off.

May 1, 2011

Gary had a very nice ride on LBR today. They did flat work and some courses. It was extremely windy, but LBR and Gary ignored the blowing sand and falling jumps and had a good time.

AFter the ride, LBR got a nice cool rinse off and Gary & Cindy let him graze behind the barn for a bit - the only place on the property that has any grass left.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

April 30, 2011



Cindy had a lesson today on LBR. She and Gary headed over to the stables around 10:00 a.m. for her 11:00 a.m. lesson.

Gary brought LBR up from his paddock while Cindy staged the tack and grooming supplies. LBR was sore on his right shoulder/wither yesterday and didn't have the best training lesson.

Because of this, the trainer lent a thicker pad to Cindy to use for her ride. While grooming, LBR didn't seem sensitive at all.

The lesson went GREAT. The flat work was flawless with LBR getting his leads at the canter perfectly - they even cantered to the right first which is his more difficult lead to get.

LBR was perfect on his course work too...eventhough they trotted into all jummps, he actually jumped the green brush box and cantered away nicely.

After the lesson, Gary rinsed LBR and he and Cindy returned him to his paddock for treats.