Katherine on The Hit Maker
Mary and Beast flying high!!!
The peanut gallery!!!

Questions!!!!!!

Good start to the New Year!

OMG!
What great lessons we had!
Our first group was me, Katie C. and Laney. We did a grid, jump, one stride, bounce, one stride oxer.
All the horses were fabulous! Callie was back to her angelic self!
Riley looked like a million dollars. Katie did a great job getting, and keeping his motor going. On top of that she had "perfect" position (as Stephen put it).
Laney of course did AWESOME with Patsy. She's the best. Stephen was able to give her some tips on the flat also in the beginning
I have made an amazing break through with my riding. The last few weeks I have been working on hip openers with my Yoga. So two days ago, I was flatting Beast and I thought "oh, I wonder if that's what Gretchen and Susan always meant?" So I opened my seat, and settled the ligaments around my hip sockets. Holy sh#*! I didn't know Beast could canter that way!
Anyway I did it on Callie today, good stuff. I learn so much every time I ride this amazing horse.
We finished the lesson with cantering a vertical a few times, it was great!
The second lesson was Skyler, Sharon Ossi, and the wonderful Alison. I didn't get to see much, I had to go get Beast. All the ladies seemed happy. I'm sure they did amazing, as they are all amazing riders.
The last group was me, Katherine Rizzo, and Hannah.
I was impressed with how both Hannah and Katherine looked. Stephen and I talked about how good Katherine looked. He was impressed with the work she has done with Beckett. Beckett although very talented, is a bit quirky.
I agree completely with Katherine in her description of Beckett...Scrappy. He sure can jump!
Beast, second time in the hackamore was incredible. Just incredible. I forgot how hard this horse tries. Stephen loves her in her new gear. I feel like I can actually ride her. I imagine we will have to re-learn each other to a degree, but its going to be amazing.
I was really happy. All though it is winter, I must say I feel good! My mares feel great!
It was good motivation to keep pushing through these months.
I am now in comfy clothes, on route to my sisters and I am ready to relax! I will try to make it til 12 tonight, but more likely I will be asleep by 10. Tomorrow will be spent doing nothing. I can't wait!
Hopefully this week will bless us with more warm days. We can keep up our lessons and riding.

My "ladies" all had a great lesson on Wed pm. Highlights...
Alison on Mikey, the whole time. This pair, especially Alison, continues to have breakthroughs.
Annie on Rae. Also her whole lesson!
Off for now!
Photos and video soon.
Happy New Years to all!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Katie and Riley at Stephen clinic...

More to come
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Poor Bobby

Scruffy wouldn't share the seat. Maggie was on the other side. Bobby is going to have a sore neck.
Scruffy and Bob are kinda like me and Dave.
Ones low key, laid back, and low maintenance.
The other, ..... Not so much.
3 hours in, 5.5 to go.
We had a wonderful trip. Maggie Macklin must have been on Santa's "nice" list! She also apparently is a fan of real butter and Santa's left over cookies.
Gearing up for nice weather this week!
Lessons at Darenth, and lessons with Stephen on Friday "across the street"!
I missed my ponies and students. We are coming back with our batteries recharged, and our bellies and car a little fuller then when we left Md!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

IMG00123-20101225-0841.jpg

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Holidays

Off to Michigan today!!!
Hopefully my wonderful friend and rider Kari will be able to get on Callie and Beast a few times while I am gone. Summer has the winter off, then will start back up in the spring. She is a holsteiner, a BIG one, so we are giving her extra time to have her knees close a bit more, just for everything to grow a bit more! I cant wait until the spring. I am soooooooooo excited about this girl! Plus she runs up to me every time I go out to the field!
When I get back, I will be ready to pick up where we left off, traveling almost daily to Serra Valley.
My horses got ridden 5 times this week between Darenth and Serra Valley!
I am having a blast going over there. It can be a lot of work, but totally worth it!
I have new friends to ride with! Kristen Parris brings her horses, and I think the horses she has in for training. Her horses will be great company for my two. Her horse Ivan will be a great match for Callie. To bad hes gelded ;-)He can show Callsters the ropes. They both have the same air about them, and Briley and Beast will be good buddies also.
Did I mention how hard Beast has been trying lately?
Alison and Michael are fun to ride with OF COURSE! And the new boarders at Serra Valley, I know from a past life at another barn!
The young rider extraordinaire, Skyler Decker is there on her mare Nicky!
Skyler is always fun to ride with (in her t-shirt.....crazy) and her mom is always fun to chat with!
The Neese family is there also, and they are a wonderful family!!!!
These are all Hunter and Fancy's friends also, so that will be nice for them , when I drag Hunter along with me!

I can not wait for Maggie to have this Christmas, she is going to have matching PJ's with her cousins. As my sister in law said "so stinkin cute".

What a happy time!

Im so excited spring is around the corner, butterflies, eventing, flowers, gardening yeaaaaaaa!

I feel like Im standing at the light at the end of the tunnel! (In a good way ;-)

So anyways, I'm off to do the family thing in Michigan, but I would like to wish my family here a HAPPY HOLIDAY!!!!!!
I have the best husband and daughter in the world! I cant wait to see my in laws, and my sister, nephew and brother for New YEARS!!!! I am very thankful this holiday season. (I'm also thankful for the new yoga pants that will be waiting for me when I get home)

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future. ~Author Unknown

"Don't pity the girl with one true friend. Envy her. Pity the girl with just a thousand acquaintances."
---Katie Obenchain

"It doesn't matter what people say. To me, you're ALWAYS a somebody."
---Sam Baker

This ones my FAVORITE!!!!!

"The best part of life is when your family becomes your friends, and your friends become your family."
---Danica Whitfield

Sometimes I think my husband is so amazing that I don't know why he's with me. I don't know whether I'm good enough. But if I make him happy, then I'm everything I want to be.
Angelina Jolie

Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly. ~Ambrose Bierce

"WHEN I MET MY MUSE"

William Stafford

I glanced at her and took my glasses off---they were

singing. They buzzed like a locust on the coffee table and then

ceased. Her voice belled forth, and the sunlight bent. I felt the

ceiling arch, and knew that nails up there took a new grip on

whatever they touched. "I am your own way of looking at things,"

she said "when you allow me to live with you, every glance at

the world around you will be a sort of salvation." And I took her hand.

The cast of characters today!
Katie C, Alexis, Annie, Alison, and Laney had an awesome jump lesson!!!
Everyone just gets better and better!
Katie jumped a big beg novice oxer with a 3 ft spread!
Laney did the same with Patsy, they both also did grid work and skinnys.
Laney is getting tight in the tack on this grasshopper of a Mare!
Katie is getting Riley in gear!
Alexis was amazing as always! She has such a natural eye.
Annie looked incredible, I haven't seen her ride since she has been away at school. Her and her horse looked AWESOME!
My happy birthday bestie Alison, looked so good. She does such a good job with that Michael. Alison is becoming a very dynamic rider!
My sweet mares were wonderful. Callie was her amazing self.
Laney and I are like little kids when we ride together, opting to jump "fun" stuff. Callie was up to the challenge, jumping like a prelim champ, with a laze-fair attitude! (Loves the bit, NO grinding!!!!)
Beasty tried so hard for me on the flat! Real progress!!! Then the sweet girl loaded onto the four horse in the pitch black for me! I picked up her foot and put it on the step up and said up! She went right on and waited while I got Callie. I turned lights on for the Callsters! She is only 4!
Thank you to Sharon Dawson who helped me this evening, and through these busy two weeks!
Time for Christmas!!!
Mags can't wait!! (Either can Dave)
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

The other Two

I didn't have a photo so here they arrrrrrrrrrreeeeeee!!!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

four

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

IMG00094-20101221-1516.jpg

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Home

How cute is that? Dave's making stove top and accidentally made the whole box (6 servings). He justifies it by saying the 2 of us need at least 4!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

My Pretty Girls!

My mares were wonderful today!
Somehow our ring is still ride-able, at least at the walk and trot!
Callie loves her new bit, its like jewelry!
I saw it and just knew she would! Hopefully good riddance to excited grinding.
We have gotten rid of it for the most part on the flat and show jumping. Today, she played with all the rollers on it. It made her mouth very soft and pliable, talk about a lot of saliva! I felt her new "back on track" saddle pad when I was done riding her, it was almost hot. Very cool product, I am definitely a believer! Callie loves Christmas this year.
We had lessons at Serra Valley tonight, everyone did so well!
The light bulbs burned out in the four horse trailer, all our ponies marched right on to go home, no problem! It just warms my heart how good they are.
Tomorrow is another busy day!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

WARM(er)

Fridays craziness! I rode three horses Fri afternoon/early evening!
It was like the dry snow insulated the heat in our rings footing. The horses were wonderful.
Saturday morning, Alexis, Katie, Kari, Alison and Laney did a lesson at Serra Valley. Breanna and Annie came with us to ride in the indoor.
It was a blast. I made everyone do REALLY tough exercises and everyone did perfect!
I tried Beast out in a Hackamore. It was like the clouds parted and the sun shone down. Beast loved it! I didn't do much since she is very unfit and still recovering from that sole bruise!
She was so adjustable, but without being overly dramatic. Like I said a dream come true, time will tell if it sticks!
Callie got out of the Stephen clinic yesterday. My number one girl Mags had an upset tummy (probably from the cake her and daddy had with every meal on sat :)
I must say I enjoyed the family time. We watched movies and stayed in our jammies all day!
Today I will ride at Darenth and plan an indoor trip before the pre holiday week gets too CRAZY!!!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Yea indoor!

This is where we spent our Wed night. We brought two groups over and it sure was warm! Its crazy the difference four walls make!
The girls did an amazing job with the horses. The horses did an amazing job also!
They were all so sweet about loading in the freezing cold, and pitch black! We love our horses.
Yesterday was a bust. I had planned on taking Packer and one of my mares to ride in the indoor. The snow had other plans.
Callie got her Christmas gifts instead. She is a little princess, and DESPISES the cold. I have never ridden a horse that gets so cold backed. Her sister used to be a bit tense in the winter.
Anyway, I'm excited to try the "Back On Track" products. I hear rave reviews of them, but they are something you definitely have to save for!
Beast is doing well, and this questionable footing is great for our partnership. It forces us to work on the basics, walk, half halting, transitions, coming together etc. The red head likes to go fast and jump big solid things. This "coming together" is a work in progress.
So today, I will ride from 3 to 5. That is the window of opportunity at our farm. I suppose the ring will be ready before then, but me and Mags won't!
Stay warm!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Maggie laughs at Alison

Alison was getting ready for the Boyd Martin clinic and thought she wasn't going to be the star. Maggie thought this was sooooooo funny!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Brrrrrrr.

So I rode yesterday. Our ring still holds up until about 5pm.
Callie HATES the cold. HATES. The wind bothers her and I think she wonders what is wrong with me. She try's her hardest but I can feel the objection in the hump that's always present in her back.
Beast was a good girl...sort of. She is sound and feeling good. The wind REALLY picked up when I rode her and I think Beast thrives in chaos. Like her little head is so busy, that when everything else gets crazy, her mind slows.
So I thought it would be good to do "jumping flatwork". Callie jumped last Friday at Serra Valley, which started well while her back was warm. Then she was over it. Still jumping well, but bronking in between the fences. I worried because she has been SO good for months! Was there something wrong? Did her back hurt? Did she pull something? .....Not so much.
I lunged her, she looked good. Got back on her and when she went to catapult her slinky rear end in the air, I got after her. She was good then but grinded her new big girl teeth that are growing in. We had her baby tooth pulled because the one was loose and would bleed when she shoved it to the right. Always to the right.
Of COURSE this new tooth is not stable so it bled a bit. Arghhhh. Now I'm waiting to see if I am going to need to pull this tooth!
After all that drama, I got stuck in the snow storm on the way home. After I dropped my girls off thank god. That was scary driving in that friday! All the roads were closed!
ANYWAY ....Beast did dressage on Fri at the indoor,(she was amazing FYI) so yesterday was her turn to do something jump related. Beast seems to have forgotten what a half halt is. She's a drama mama sometimes. Her stifles and hocks feel a bit weak after her 6 week hiatus. She won't be ready for the Stephen clinic on Sunday. :-(
Callie will. She just might be a bit more naughty then usual. I better go dig out my quarter sheet and some super glue!
I'm teaching my ladies and Hunter tonight at the indoor at Serra Valley. It will be warm in there but cold in the transport!
Getting ready for the jumper show on Sat, starts at 9!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Cozy!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Yeaaaa Indoor

Well, we had a great night on Wed at Serra Valleys Indoor!
My ladies, Alexis,Alison,Katie,Julia, and Lanie had a jumping lesson and everyone looked fabulous!
Alexis was in top form. Literally. Packer looked amazing in his form, especially when we closed our leg to hand!
Alison and Serra Valleys Michael really looked incredible. Its amazing how the dressage really affects the jumping. The practice and hard work was evident in this pair.
Katie rode Riley perfectly through a 3 element grid and two tough angled lines. Just think, she just started jumping at the end of summer! Now she's doing 2'3 - 2'6" easily!!!
Julia brought her mare "Princess" and boy is she cute. They looked great! This team will be getting ribbons in no time!
Lanie rode her paint mare Patsy. Patsy and Lanie have quite a relationship going, and god can this mare jump! With that said, boy can Lanie stick to her!!!! Lanie is doing such a good job giving Patsy confidence.
Can't wait to do it again next week!
My mares are going to school in the indoor tomorrow, although our ring at home is still holding up every day till about 6 or so!
Then next weekend (the 18th and 19th), we have the jumper show at Serra Valley, in the indoor, and the Stephen Bradley clinic!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

IMG00300-20101123-1618.jpg

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Winter in full force!

Winter is here!
I already long for the spring warmth, flowers and event season. I suppose I am getting a bit ahead of myself......
I was dreading riding yesterday, and also wondering how numb I would be once I was done teaching.
I walked out to get Beasty from the field and checked out her legs as I got closer. Her latest act of masochism resulted in about 10 lacerations to three of her legs. Its always a little surprise with Beasty. Other then a teeny eeney bit of swelling, she looked good to go!
Beast recently had a mani-pedi, and this time, she received pour in pads. This darn bruise she had went on FOREVER!
Kevin can see a bit of bruising starting to grow out on the sole of her foot by her right heel.
Anyways, team Oyarzo did the pour in pads, Beast didn't run away ( sometimes she likes to take an unprompted break-sie from farrier services) , everything was a success!
I rode Beast for the last four days and yesterday I was wondering if she would still feel fabulous. She did! Yeaaaaaa!
I think this break Beast and I have had will work in our favor.
First off, I really missed my quirky little mare! I have a fresh perspective, and I can't wait to tackle our flat work. The dressage is hard for Beast, but with time and patience, the little red head can compete with the best of them.
Secondly, riding my old soul of a four year old has helped ME with MY dressage. I'm feeling great about all of it!
So I rode both the girls and I was toasty warm! We have trees surrounding 3 sides of our ring, and a hill above us, so I was blocked from the wind (for the most part).
Our footing was great, partially due to a recent delivery of new footing. Next year, we will be getting even more RUBBER footing. Yea!

I taught my lesson and stayed comfy in my car harts and down jacket. It was a great day. I think the thought of going outside when its cold like this is worse then actually doing it.
We will be making use of Serra Valleys indoor a few times a week, good to have them 2 minutes away!
Knick and Summer are doing fabulously, and so are all my wonderful students and their ponies!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

It is with a heavy heart and a sick stomach that I have learned of Colin Davidsons passing.

This is yet another reminder of how precious life is. I will hold my friends and family close, and cherish my time with them.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Colins family.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

IMG00010-20101203-1828.jpg

The view of mikey from knick
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry