Hi everyone, 

Well I hope you are all enjoying the new year. I keep updating the course events page on the website and can’t help but wish I could go to a lot more of these events. Wow, there are some interesting courses going on out there. I often get asked by people to write more about my horses and what I am doing so this issue I thought I would give you an update. 

I have been playing around with two horses, both very different. The first is my main horse, Matey (pictured here and below) is a 13 year old paint gelding given to me by my husband, Danny. 

Matey, who I have been riding for a while now, is a ‘don’t fuss over me’ horse who would much rather you allowed him to have a roll after a ride then get a brush. He loves to have a job to do, so doing cattle work is his preference. 

My aim with Matey is to have a very versatile horse so I have recently started to do some dressage training. I want to keep improving the relationship I have with him, so for me it is all about cross training. I take Matey out trail riding a lot, probably 3 to 4 times a week but sometimes not for long.. 20 mins or so and often on a loose rein. 

What I love most about Matey is his honesty...if he isn’t happy those ears will be pinned back but he also lets me know when he is enjoying things. Matey is a bit of a scaredy cat but he is getting braver and braver all the time.  I am so proud of him when we ride out and he gets past things that I know he is truly afraid of. I think we forget sometimes how much we ask of our horses and what it must look like from their point of view. 

Recently I started playing with Lace, a 10 year old mare that has been pretty much left alone in recent years. Before she came to live with us, Lace had been forced to accept humans, for example, she was put in a cattle crush to get the halter on. This is why she is so head shy although you wouldn't really know that now.  She has learned to fight, so we just don’t go there, instead my aim is to keep things quiet and if something takes us an hour today I don't worry because I know tomorrow it will only take 10 minutes. I love playing with her and watching her gain her confidence. 

We are just riding in the rope hackamore and taking things steady at them moment but I am planning on taking Lace out to the Coast ‘n’ Country Natural Horsemanship playdays, this will allow her to get used to riding with other horses and gain confidence by going to different venues etc. Next issue I will try to get some photos of Lace. 

It is all a journey, I am loving it. I hope you are too! 

Cheers 

Lee 

 "We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It's one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it's another to think that yours is the only path.”

Paulo Coelho