I've been pretty busy with daily training, giving lessons and even held a Trail Clinic last weekend. I squeeze time in for Punkin and Hubble.

Two weekends ago I took Punkin to a schooling show at Ranchotel in Vacaville. It was an extremely positive experience with her. She is quite the little horse! So smart and very willing. I have some photos of her in the warm up arena. On one side of the arena were some hiker/bike trails. Every once in a while a bicycle would come along from "out of nowhere" and she would be startled but held it together and kept her frame. At one point a couple of young pre-teens came galloping- I mean a full gallop- into the arena and went around and around and around. When they first came into the arena they came up on her backside... she stayed in her frame and held it together. I was pretty impressed! Ranchotel is situated alongside I-80 and she handled all the big rig trucks and heavy weekend traffic really well. There were people and horses and excitement everywhere. The loud speaker would go off with some announcement and she didn't react to it at all. For a firstimer she was a pro. I was proud of her. She was exposed to a variety of things and all in all she handled it like a seasoned show horse! I think she has the potential to be a fantastic horse for someone who can keep her in a pastured situation. She is a confirmed cribber and does NOT do well in a paddock or stall situation and in my opinion never will. She needs to be out on a large enough pasture to where she won't get bored and where she won't feel confined and stressed. I am regretful that I am having to turn her back into the rescue due to her excessive cribbing. She has ulcers due to her cribbing (something that goes hand in hand) and apart from being expensive to treat - ($50.00 for a 4 day supply) I can't work her when she is experiencing stress and ulcers- it only makes her physical condition worse. I don't have an open pasture appropriate for her. I feel good that I have gotten her to a point in her training to where just about anyone can ride her that has experience. The Grace Foundation has pasture that she can be kept on... and hopefully either they can use her in their riding program or they will find her a good home. She is EXTREMELY sweet and personable! This is what breaks my heart with her. She has stolen my heart. She always gives me hugs and buries her head in my chest and just stands there pressing her head into my chest- so cute! If only she didn't crib...
I am disappointed that I won't be able to compete with her at the Help Rescue Me Trainer's Showcase at Horsexpo. Maybe next year with a horse that isn't ill?

Hubble is my Hubba-Hubba man... He like Punkin is personable too... don't forget he chose me? He really likes the interaction and seems to enjoy his grooming time and the long walks we take around the ranch. Hubble has been quite ill since I first brought him to the ranch from the rescue. He was only 750 pounds- starvation condition. He was low man on the totem pole with bite and kick marks over almost every part of his body... so it was no wonder he was thin- he'd been chased off the food; plus he had a heavy parasite load. He's in "heaven" now. He gets good groceries and I'm building his body internally with good nutrition through high quality hay and supplementation with vitamins, herbs and grain. He is healing. His coat has begun to grow back in and he's gained a considerable amount of weight. The other day he actually "looked" at me. I could see in his eyes he actually was "seeing "- he had awakened to life! Up until now he has felt so weakened and poorly that he has had this sort of glazed over look about him. I am hoping he will feel good enough next week for me to begin his training. We'll take it slow- short periods and mostly walking... We'll progress at his pace. He still has a very long way to go to a healthy horse state.

I had hoped to have taken two horses to Horsexpo but it doesn't appear Hubble will be at a point to where I would consider him healthy enough either. We'll see- we still have a month to go. If he isn't well enough to go I would like to continue with him over the course of this next year and bring him back to the Help Rescue Me Trainer's Showcase next year and present him fully rehabilitated and trained- as an example of how far these horses can come back to... and to demonstrate there is always hope. I have documented Hubble's condition through photographs and video footage. I'm hoping the Grace Foundation will see the value in my idea and allow me to do this with him. If you would like to see this let us know... your support and interest means alot to me and to the Grace Foundation.