Be back here with more to share very soon!

Yeah, it’s been a while since last I blogged.  I’m in Florida and am relieved to find the holidays behind me! Highs and Lows have abounded and I’m longing to get life onto an even keel again!

It is with enormous regret and sadness that last month I decided that after a good fight and some mighty wicked vet bills, it was the right thing to retire my beloved Rafi. I had to face the fact that she simply isn’t coming back. I really had to scramble to find someplace local to place her. My other retiree, Charly, lives so far away that I never see him. I’m hoping to eventually have Rafi home once my barn is built. But that’s at least a year away. So for the high season, Rafi will have to live at another facility until the seasonal people leave my trainer’s barn. Then I can bring her back at a reduced rate for the off-season. I’m a little nervous about this working but we’ll see.

So I have been horse hunting. And after a near disastrous fall from a spooking prospect, I have found a 2003 mare who is a worthy candidate to my fantastic Raphaela! Unlike the Christmas horse saga, I’m staying quiet about this one until it’s a go! I will say that she fits most of the criteria that I spelled out on a long ago post here. But she’s maybe a year behind in her training. So far, she’s proved to be safe, sensible and rather sensitive. I’m hopeful….I will get back here with the outcome!

Callista will finally make her debut at Prix St. Georges this month. Jen has made terrific progress with her. She needs two scores at PSG to get her Silver Medal. I’m hoping she’ll get them between the next 2 or 3 shows. I’m happy to give her this opportunity but I’d like to think that this spring I’ll get out to a show myself with Callista! Probably I’ll take her out First Level.

After all these years of no interest in ribbons and score chasing, I’ve decided that I’d like to go for my USDF medals after all. I figure, between Callista and the new horse, I OUGHT to be able to get my Bronze before the end of the summer. Anyhow, that’s the goal!

So tomorrow is a BIG DAY! I am pulling for this mare to be my next horse. But I am totally prepared to walk if she is naughty or if she turns out positive for drugs.

Except for the blip of the holidays, I’m doing well with food and fitness. There’s a lot to be thankful right now. Next week I have a big birthday coming. Maybe a big red mare will be a really good gift!

Jen took Callista over to Jim Brandon this past Sunday and won their Fourth Level Test Two class! I’m very proud of them!

This, of course, is from the summer. But I love this photo and now have an excuse to publish it …again! Jen said she was rather “up” when she got to the show and felt like she had a bit of a “hump” in her back. But she settled and Jen was happy with her. Callista hasn’t had too many outings off the properties this year! Nice that she “kept all her marbles!”

I’m struggling a bit with my diet motivation just now! Usually the weeks leading up to going to Florida are my psyched up time. I think it must be not riding all summer…..I can’t wait to get there and yet it’s as if I don’t believe I’m going yet…ah yes, maturity in action!

Hopefully, there will be more activity on this blog once I get down to Bella Blu Farm. Yes, I decided that this is the name. I’ve even created a page on Facebook for it. I also nabbed it as an e-mail screen name for the future!

Well, not much else going on! Packing tonight and heading to the city tomorrow. We’ll leave from there….

Next post will be from Wellington, Florida…..

Just some memories from today

Last day at Cathy’s Jersey farm! It was strange to know I wouldn’t be pointing my car towards Jersey anymore. Cathy competes at Devon this week. My girls get on a van Sunday and head for Florida….It’s the end of an era!!!

Today Rafi was actually the easier ride! She was pretty easy to keep forward despite the humidity and felt good. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Callista worked hard today with Jen. By the time I got on, she was a little tired although still game. But fun…we worked, as always, on keeping her relaxed, supple and up in the bridle.

Was lovely to ride both of them. Now have to wait three weeks until I see them again. I’m primed and ready to be in Florida and riding everyday…

That said, we heavy people have to forgive ourselves everytime we “fail”and just start again…

As regular readers know, I have often objected to the universal "cure" for obesity ("eat less, move more"), which ranks (and I choose the verb advisedly) with equally effective cures for depression ("cheer up"; "look at the bright side"), poverty ("earn more money"; "spend less than you earn"), and so on: simple injunctions with no explanations of how actually to accomplish the task. These picayune pronouncements are on par with an even simpler " … Read More

via Later On

I was watching the USDF FEI-Level Trainers’ Conference with Jan Brinks tonight. I was in desperate need of a horse fix! Nothing big stuck out from the viewing. But I did come away with a kind of mental picture of what I will ask for from Callista on our next ride. I found myself passively comparing myself to each rider. Of course Callista is not yet FEI although she is schooling PSG and Intermediaire stuff. I was just mentally riding along with the demo riders and found myself setting a few short-term goals for the Fall.

One is that I definitely need to assert myself as Callista’s primary rider. I’m good enough now. I need to take this Fall and just keep climbing on and pushing my own envelope. Callista is far enough along now and mature enough to accommodate a few mistakes from me. I just need to build my confidence more. I know what I’m doing and I don’t want to wait anymore.

I’m going to shoot for an early January show and will do Second 3 and Third 1. As I’ve shown through Fourth and so has she, this seems a good gaol. It will push me out of what Jan referred to as the “comfort zone” for the two of us and yet not stick us in the “panic zone!”

This gives me a few months to get control of her left lead canter. Then it gives me two classes of similar demands…one with the flying change and one without. Since we are a green pair despite all the years I’ve owned her, I think this gives us a challenge and a good chance of a good outcome.

So there it is! I’ve thrown my gauntlet down!

No indications yet on Rafi. We won’t have the vet out until Florida. I need to get on her and then see what I feel…

Jen sent me this lovely photo of Rafi this morning entitled, “Hi Mom!” Gads, I miss my girls!

Some good news after days of no water or power! We’re closing on the apartment in NYC. We’ll move in on the 13th….Of course, two weeks later, the horses leave for Florida! It’s just been that kind of summer!

Don’t know when I’ll be riding yet. Kassie sent me news of Arie….they wer at a show last week where they earned a whopping 83% at training Level. The judge was Linda Zang who was very impressed with my former Christmas Horse!

Kassie is en route with her boyfriend and will be here tomorrow! Can’t wait to catch up with her this weekend….

Callista! Ah my powerhouse! I watched Jen ride her first. I always spend a portion of my car ride to Cathy’s having angst over keeping up with Callista. She’s powerful, athletic, opinionated and when I watch the two of them being coached by Cathy, I have this feeling that I’m not going to get her on my aids and in what I call “happy compliance!”

But then I get on and it catches me by surprise that I actually CAN ride this wonderful, tricky mare.

So I had a real treat today on her as she said yes…over and over again.

Another great payback today…I have to go to the gym tomorrow and thank my trainer Teddy for all the planks he made me do this summer! My core is in a brand new place on the horses. You have to remember, I’ve barely ridden this last few months! Two times to be exact. And yet, I never felt so effective with my posture and with the independence I felt as I did today!

It was VERY cool!!!

My diet is under control, I am exceeding my exercise plans nearly daily,Rafi is still progressing in her healing, I am figuring out how to ride Callista, my trainer made in into the Festival of Champions at Gladstone the weekend after next…..and if Hurricane Irene blows east of Montauk this weekend, I’m a pretty happy camper!!!

It’s been a weird summer not seeing my husband at all during the week and only seeing the horses twice so far. Add Rafi’s lameness. Stir….not a good brew.

At least I worked out consistently! Still too heavy but feeling incredibly fit anyway!!!

I really can’t believe the summer is drawing to a close! I’m already getting into Florida mode. Week Two of pre-season is gliding by and I am hoping to drop 15 lbs. by October 1st! Only one pound gone so far. But my  trainer at the gym is going to write me up a six-day super clean plan to help jump-start. Fair warning to anyone reading. Don’t get old and heavy! It really is a lot harder to get it off!

I am so looking forward to tomorrow. I miss my girls so much. I’m hoping Rafi will be a bit improved! And every ride on Callista is a learning experience!