First Post!!

This is pretty scary for me. I have never blogged before, but after reading a few, I thought this might be a great diary for me to keep on my "Grand Experiments" As of right now I have two. I grew up around horses, and showed in the Buckskin circuit for a long time. However, I am now in the process of transitioning into AQHA shows, as well as breeding, raising, and training my own show horses. I have worked with different trainers in the past, and while I learned a lot of invaluable information, I always seemed to left with a nasty after taste.

I had one trainer, that messed up a horse of mine really bad. She swore he was a Western Pleasure horse (because he was lazy), not knowing any better, we believed her, she was supposed to be the professional right? I was 12 years old at the time and all my parents had ever done was trail ride. So showing was a whole new thing. Anyway, after about 4 years worth of chiropractics (to help with his back and neck muscles), and lots of time reviewing foundations with a different trainer. My horse started to be usable again. He is kind of my success story and basis for what I am doing now. Any way to make a very long story short, this gelding that I bought as a 3 year old with 90 days on him, is not a retired multiple ABRA/IBHA World Champion, All American Congress Top 10, and a bunch of other stuff.

In the last 6 years, I have been doing most if not all of the training on my horses myself. I am a professed do-it-yourself-amateur for better or worse. I really enjoy the process of taking a young one, and teaching them all kinds of things, and do perform them at a show quality level. I can not get enough of articles and clinics, and I really enjoy watching and picking trainers brains about how to improve different aspects of a horse. Its fun and frustrating at the same time, but I love it, and could not see myself doing anything else.

So onto my "Grand Experiments" I have 2 currently:

The first:

Fergie - The first foal out of my "broodmare" She is a 3 year old Grulla filly by Sweet Talkin Chip out of a Zippo Pat Bar/Poco Pine bred mare. She is a very sweet and modern filly. I have done everything on her to date, as I bred and raised her. She is a very balanced and athletic mare, that will make a great western all-around. She is only about 15 - 15.1 hands which sucks because I like the tall more hunter type horses. She is currently the best mover I have in my barn (which isn't saying much), but she moves like a Sweet Talkin Chip, great front leg, slow legged, good hocked. I like her a lot, but unfortunately I am looking to turn my "program" to more of a hunter type program because I love the over fence classes.

Which brings me to my next project:

Allie. She is a project mare that I am "trying out" and possibly trade for Fergie. She was bred by a local huntseat trainer in the area. She is a 4 year old buckskin Coats N Tails mare. I know I am still a sucker for the "golden horses" Anyway, she has been well started and just needs finishing. She is definitely a huntseat horse, but could possibly do some horsemanship and trail in the IBHA/ABRA circuits. But my goal with this mare is to start her over fences, get points on her, and keep her as an addition to my broodmare "herd". She is very cute and BIG, which I really like. She does not have a huge trot on her...which is okay...but she has a great canter with a lot of lift up front and push from behind. I think she will make a really nice fence horse, which is what I am looking for, esp. for the AQHA shows.

This is quite a Grand Experiment if I do say so. I love the starting of the colts and the first 30 days. The "in-between" part is definitely not my strength. What I mean by in-between is the time between being a green "colt" and learning to ride and become a "horse". It is a scary experience, but I am up for the challenge and will try to post more as my "experiments" come along!