Sunday, January 31, 2010

Out the Door...

I am now leaving a snowy North Carolina, for a sunny Florida... soon to be at Pat's Barn! :)

XOXO

Mariah

Thursday, January 21, 2010

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Healthy Stride Courses and Reina's Progress

I will be leaving for Florida on January 31, 2010 to start my course with Jim Crew along with my farrier Fred Cloninger for 5 days, February 1-5, 2010. We will be right beside Pat's barn, Walter Zettl is scheduled to be there too, and I will be right beside Pat's dressage arena. So hopefully I will get a peek of the master in action with the externs, interns and proteges... maybe even Pat and Linda themselves! How neat!

Pat wanted to spend some time with us, on Saturday the 6th, so I could spend some time with Reina and see what he had been doing with her the past couple months. I am concerned about introducing her into our herd when she gets home, as I have limited pasture space (at least for doing correct introductions!) and lots of horses. So hopefully Pat will help me figure out the best way to get her started here at Patch of Heaven Stables. It will be nice to also see exactly where she is, so Christian and I can pick up where they left off with her. I look forward to learning from her, I think she will be a wonderful teacher.

I don't think I have been so busy or tired in my life! I am finishing up high school, teaching, teaching, teaching! Feeding, working out.... then doing more school! I am hoping it will slow down soon, as I am not getting a lot of time to play with Sundance and Bebe. I'd like to progress a lot more, but haven't had the time. Maybe on Wednesday as I only have one client, then I have clients all day Thursday and Friday back to back! Oh, I will find a way... there's more than one way to skin a cat, right?

Fred Cloninger, my Healthy Stride farrier, will be coming this Saturday at 10:00 am to spend a day teaching me with the ponies. I am excited, I love it when he comes to teach... what a blessing. I will try my best to get pictures of this Saturday, and me in Florida that next week.

Well, that's all for now, folks! Until next time...

Thursday, January 7, 2010

2009 in The Past, 2010 in The Present...

Happy New Years

I think I started off the year pretty well! I sent in my Level 4 Online Audition, I am very excited! I sure hope I pass. Don't you think Fabio did well? I was very proud of him, he's a good little booger.

My holidays went very well, I turned 18 years old on December 15th and 10 days later celebrated Christmas with my family. I have such a wonderful family, and love the time I get with them during the holidays. I know the memories of these traditions with family will be imprinted on my heart and soul forever. I sure hope your holidays were as joyous as mine were!?

I do have to say I have been VERY busy with my clientele and taking care of the animals! I love all of my clients, good friends of course now, they are a wonderful people and such a joy to work with every week! The horses demand more care in the winter, and I have 8 horses, including the baby to tend to morning, noon and night! They wear me out, but I absolutely LOVE IT! I am so terribly in love with my job, what a blessing! The cold has about driven us southerners crazy, we are used to the warm weather, and now the highs around here lately have been 30 degrees! I know your northerners are calling me a wimp, but we are used to WARM weather down here. But I do believe I am beginning to like it, I have officially shown the cold my true stubborn streak, stuck my tongue out... went online and got some heavy duty winter clothes. I LOVE my Carhartt coveralls, jackets, gloves and my chaps too of course. So, Mother Nature can tell herself she's beating me all she wants, if it makes her feel better, but, she's telling herself a lie! I think it's so neat how our bodies adjust to the different temperatures we endure, it's amazing what our bodies can do... what a wonderful thing!

Little Aamira is doing wonderful, she's mostly been dee-doddling beside us on trail rides and trying to GROW. She's so stunted in her growth, I am just making sure she is going to develop correctly and not worrying about much of anything else. She's such a good little baby, she's got such a wonderful future ahead of her! I look forward to learning from her every day, what a great teacher.

Sundance and I are just trying to fine tune more of our Level 4, cantering sideways on long-lines is our current challenge. He is trying SO hard, but it really is very physically challenging for him, I am sure this is going to help a ton with our flying changes. Speaking of riding, I think soon I may whip out the Level 4 Finesse DVD, as I have had NO instruction on finesse at this level. That will be a blast, I love finesse. Sundae and I are going to shoot for our Level 4 Audition Liberty next, I am not stressing it at ALL like I used to with auditions but will take the opportunity as it comes. I haven't been able to play as consistently as I'd like, since I've done so much teaching and tending to, along with finishing up high school and trying to stay in shape at the gym and with dance. It seems as if Sundance is enjoying a break in the mundane pattern of the everyday play sessions we had going, I am too! We need a little mix in our schedule, it's good for us. I am learning more and more through everything I see and do with horses, and in situations outside of the barn... it's just wonderful. Who knew learning could be so addictive?!

I usually write out goals for the year so I am going to go ahead and do it now... Let's see! I learned, while I was in Florida, that I need to enjoy being a kid right now, learning and growing. So I am not going to beat the crap out of myself this year, this year I am going to promise myself that I am going to ENJOY this year and make the very best out of it! I know for a fact that this is the last few months before my professional career kicks off (As I leave for the ISC in November to start), and I am going to enjoy being a happy, confident, go-getting, dream-living, single, eighteen year old young woman! I am going to be my best, try my best, learn, live and have fun... let my hair down a bit so to speak... enjoy and suck the best out of every moment.

Horse Goals for 2010

Pass Level 4 (as much as I can before I leave for Fast Track #4 in November)

Spend one week with Jim Crew in Florida in February 2nd through the 6th.

Enjoy time with every horse, give each one what they need

Become better with Healthy Stride Trimming

Learn! Live! Laugh!

Give my students my all, help them live their dreams

Going to Fast Track #4 in Florida with Fabio

Keep on saving up money.


Personal Goals for 2010

Be happy with myself and who I am, so far so good lately!

Keep on eating healthy

Keep a good weight for laying out at the beach, soaking up the rays

Love my God, keep him with me and guiding me every second of every day

Continue with dance, learning more and becoming better physically and mentally and as learner

Learn, learn, LEARN! Do new things, learn more about what you are doing already.

Act like I know what I am doing, even if I don't, always present myself as confident... enjoy being me, radiate! :)

Enjoy life, everyday, don't worry if you aren't perfect to the "T".

I'd like to encourage you to write your goals down too, they help a lot when it comes to staying on track.

Bless all of you in every aspect of your life, I hope 2010 will be a phenomenal year for you!

XOXO

Mariah Helms

http://www.MariahHelms.com/