My Winsome Renny!

Right after this photo, I gave this yearling a hug. Wouldn't you?

Full Celebration! My Breimer

So, on Friday, I had my first driving lesson at Gayla Driving Center. And my first lesson was with the handsome Breimer, a very trustworthy talented Norwegian Fjord. Here he is, taking his stroll to the Driving Arena where he would join his Pacific Training and Show Cart!

The Stare Down!

Sometimes my little guy will just lift his head and give me a big old pony look. He will stare at me with real interest, like he knows that I'm not at all the same sort of creature -- I'm not an equine. And here's a photo of him with that look -- his little pony stare and contemplative look.

Full Celebration! My Zen Perfect Day

Okay, so in these photos, you see exercise riders at the Thoroughbred Training Center in Lexington, Kentucky. Over 900 racehorses and 100 trainers quarter here to learn the ropes! These are racehorses learning their trade, or tweaking and refining their trade. Here is where they can get their "gate card" which is their official permission to run at our country's race tracks because they have proven they can load into and leap out of a gate. Here is where exercise riders earn about 10$ a ride to jump on novice baby race horses. The place has two tracks, one you see in this photo, and then a second which is only a 5/8th mile on the inside of this larger one. It was an amazing facility! We got to meet and speak with a trainer, Mike Cameron. We got to see Chris McCarron's North American Riding Academy, it was awesome.

Okay, so here was the perfect day, and it occurred on Saturday, April 25th, when I finally got in the zone on my Full celebration weekend. I woke up and felt the cool breeze of early morning. I heard horses whiffling and snorting. I made coffee and had my morning java and chocolate mousse with Revelry and the Paints and Palimino. I drove out to the Thoroughbred Training Center and took a tour. I took a driving lesson with Breimer. I visited a horse farm and talked with a young college student with two paint horses. I went to Rolex and watched the Cross-Country. I met David O' Connor's mother, Sally O'Connor, who was working as a fence judge! I visited the Kentucky Horse Park and saw Funnycide and visited John Henry's gravesite. I took a tour of the Driving Center and looked at all the amazing sorts of carts, carriages, gigs, and phaetons. I saw Secretariat and Man 'o War's statues and visited Violet's and Hailee's relatives, War Admiral and others at their burial ground. I went to an art museum and saw Scott Tree's photos of Arabians and Fay Moore's sports paintings of equines. I went home and had a glass of wine with the horses back at Gayla. And then I had a relaxed dinner at Galvin's in Georgetown while reading In Service of the Horse, reading how David O' Connor's groom cares for his horses. Then I slipped into a sleep, as horses snorted and puffed and made agreeable happy noises!

Renny and His Gals!

Here's a mid-January photo of my fella with his ladies. They are standing around, enjoying the snow, and wondering where all their green grass has gone!! Here's something that I know from watching him: Even though it's cold and wintery and frosty, he still likes to take a stroll in his little arbor hideaway! Darling boy!

Full Celebration! A Very Big Day!

Below you will see what I wrote on Thursday, right after I arrived in beautiful Kentucky. I write this on Monday, my first full day back from my trip to horse heaven!

Today (Thursday) was an amazing day. I woke up and the weather was beautiful. Zelia and I went for a walk. The cats were happy. I went out the stable and had a nice chat with Lexie. We put out the babies and they danced with happiness. We put out my herd, and Violet, Hailee, and Renny jockeyed and bumped each other to be the one who gave me love the first. Renny was especially lovey. On my drive home, Connie called me and we had a wonderful conversation. Barbie sent me a hilarious text message. I had coffee with Danielle. I chatted up Jorge. I emailed many people I really enjoy. My Limdep software and business cards arrived. The reception for Full was fun. I got a present from Winnie in the mail. I talked with mom and Aunt Vicki on the phone.

And then I arrived in beautiful Kentucky. In my first moments at the Gayla Driving Center, I met several horses and a beautiful Welsh pony. I met several cats. I drove into Georgetown and saw these beautiful old homes lining the street and had wings and a glass of wine with my New York Times at their local joint. It's been a seriously wonderful day. A miracle of a day.

Butt High on the Day!

Here's a mid-January photo of my darling Renny. Do you see that cute patoot? Practically every day, I make him stand on a level surface and I get beside him to see how tall that rear end is growing! Earlier this summer, I felt that every time I visited him, he was taller, though he stayed skinny, so that I could wrap my arms all the way around him and hug him, touching hands beneath his girth. Now he's a big old fat yearling and is growing taller more slowly. But I'm telling you, I can tell that he is getting a bit taller! And in this photo, you can see that he's growing like his mom did -- rear first!! You go, handsome boy!

Full Celebration! Bettina Hoy and Ringwood Cockatoo

Here is the team who took second at Rolex this year, the incomparable Ringwood Cockatoo and Bettina Hoy. They were fantastic. They did not flinch, but instead turned in a quiet sweet clear clean jumping round. Check out the snazzy Western sort of bit on that beautiful athletic gelding. Bettina, like Lucinda, is part of a fantastic team. Bettina is married to Andrew Hoy who won the 2006 Rolex on Master Monarch. In this photo, you can see Bettina's sweetness and Ringwood's happiness with his mom!

Full Celebration! Team Fredericks Win Rolex 2009 (and 2007)!

Here are photos of some very important Eventing Folk! In this photo, you see Lucinda and Clayton Fredericks, goofing around and showing off their Rolex watches, the watches they won in the 2009 and 2007 Rolexes, riding Headley Brittania and Ben Along Time, respectively. After these photos, I yelled out "cheers" and Lucinda said, "Come to Rolex again next year!" It was a pretty amazing event. The top three going into the final jump-off were Buck Davidson, Bettina Hoy (GER), and Lucinda Fredericks from Australia. No one flinched -- no downed rails. So, Buck earned his highest placing ever in Rolex, at third, Bettina took second on the lovely Ringwood Cockatoo, and Lucinda took first.

Here's what's amazing! Headley Britannia is a 1993 mare who is only 15.2 hands (just like my Violet). She is the first mare ever and only the second horse ever to win all four four-star three-day events! In these photos, you see such a happy group. Here you see the happy mare receiving a hug and kiss from her mom, the grooms and managers swirling around, the happy competitive athlete husband, and the hard-working winner of the 2009 Rolex!!

Full Celebration! First Post!

Okay, it is Sunday morning, April 26th, and I got up to the sound of horses snorting with a cool breeze blowing. I made coffee, walked out to the pasture to greet a handsome Dutch Warmblood. I went for a walk through the wet hay grass of a 1,000 acre farm as the sun rose. I played with a beautiful fat firm cat. And now I'm getting ready to go and enjoy the last day of Rolex, the stadium jumping. And this was a slow day. Over the next two weeks, I'll be posting news about my long weekend in beautiful Kentucky, celebrating my promotion and enjoying Spring. Namaste! I'm off to see world-class competition!

Grandma Surprises Renny!

Here's a mid-January photo and video of my little Renny, all handsome and growing up. You can tell by his confident fearless expression that he trusts that grandma will take care of him, that she's part of his herd, his family! What's nice is that Renny and I "get" each other!

A Snow Day Before the Storms!

Here is a photo and video taken on January 10th. We turned out the horses, even though it was gray and snowing because storms were brewing and a cold front was coming, and we wante to give the horses a chance to unwind and enjoy the world! And you can see that it's working with my big red girl! She just kept yawning and jawing about and trotting with loose joy. And she was bossy and goofy. What a lovely expressive sweet creature!

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Guard Cat and Boyfriend!

Here are late-night January photos of Jackie and Arcangelo, taking a peek into the wintery snowscape. My little guard cat is always on the job, taking care of us, monitoring us, and handling the household. We depend on his vigorous diligence! Arcy is very proud!

A New Year Dash About!

Here are some January 2nd photos of the babies going rickey tick in their frozen pasture! They are feeling lively, young, fresh, and joyful! This winter, Renny has had the opportunity to really learn so much about being a horse. He gets turned out with older girls, his mom and aunt, he gets turned out with Sedona, a coming 3 year-old, and he gets turned out with his age-appropriate gals, Lily and Bowman. And he learned that friends sometimes leave for new adventures -- when the beautiful TeAwa filly left for race training and when his first girlfriend, Ruthie, left for greener pastures. He knows how to get along!!

A New Year's Pasture!

Here are some photos from January 2nd of my Renny and his older girlfriend, Sedona. He's out and about in a frozen pasture, enjoying his life and thinking about his big transition to yearling!!! In February he'll be 9 months old, but on the day in this photo, he turned into a new stage of life -- suckling, weanling, yearling!!

Storms are Coming!

Here's a January 9th photo of my beautiful girl, Hailee. I am writing this post on January 17th and we've had nothing but a week of cold or snowing or blowing weather since this wintery day. The world is covered in inches and inches of snow and each morning that I drive out to the stable, the world seems whited out and fuzzy with winter. Poe road is an iced and snowed and blowing line past cold resting farms. It's truly a special magic time of year, very meditative, very restoring!

Violet's New Year's Eve Grooming Session!

Here is a photo of my beautiful but grungy dirty mares on New Year's Eve 2008, relaxing in the indoor ring and giving each other a grooming session. Look at her soft happy beautiful eye. She's a wonderful girl!

Sunday Morning Tenderness Report

I just finished eating some multi-grain pancakes that I made from scratch and ate with my preserved plums. I am drinking a cup of coffee from my Grandma Lillian's china cup and just thinking about my critters. I am truly blessed to have Miss Violet who works hard and loves trying. She loves her ma, she loves her sis, she likes to harass her nephew. She's a happy jolly thoroughbred girl.

Group of Girls on New Year's Eve!

Here's a photo of my very dirty thoroughbred on New Year's Eve. She's in the center of a lovefest, gossiping, grooming, nuzzling. She really knows how to ring in the new year!

My Dear Sweet Driving Girl!

Here I am so happy with my girl, Violet. We are driving around like the coolest of chicks! Barbie is taking the photo. Today was a true taste of Spring! Sunlit. Cool. Breezy. Lovely. Barbie had set up riding lessons for everyone, so it was a cheery day of me, Lexie, Angie, Lisa, Cassy, and Karla. We had a just the best time with Noah, Taz, Sophie, Violet, and Stanley. And what's really cool is that this week, Barbie taught Violet how to do a big relaxed long-ranging, sweeping road trot at a quick happy purposeful clip! What a life -- I have an Easy Jet mare, a Count Fleet mare, and I am a breeder of American Sport Ponies. In fact, I have the best little red pony and what made me really happy today is that Angie told me that she scouted out an Ann Arbor pony trainer who might be interested in leasing my guy, so that he can have a show life with children, but still I would get to be his grandma! Rock 'n Roll!

Bully at the Bars

Check out that wild-eyed boy! That photo is from December 22nd and I've just told him that Santa Claus will be checking to see if he's been naughty or nice! He snorted with surprise! Until he remembered that he's been nothing but nice! Sweet Christmas boy!

Baby Calling, Eating

Here are again some December 22nd photos of Renny relaxing, snacking, and shouting out!

Baby Ears Up!

Here's my baby boy, on December 22nd, relaxing in his stall, having a hay snack, checking his feed bin for any traces of foal feed, and giving out the occassional whinnies of greeting to his young friends here and there about the stable!

Ziva and Skippy Jon Jones

Okay, so I love this Spring photo of little Ziva, kissing her patient happy mama. Not only is she adorable, but you can see Skippy Jon Jones staring at her in the background, waiting for the morning when he gets turned out with her to play and romp! Namaste.

Baby Stall Graze

Here's my fat, filthy, winterized yearling pony, relaxing in his stall, having a little hay snack! These photos are from December 22nd.

Ziva in the Sun

In this photo, you see little Ziva, relaxing with her powerful mother, Sam in the cold Spring morning sun. I don't think she realizes that she's a little splashing beautiful miracle. She just seems like a happy tiny girl with her mom. I am writing this entry on Good Friday, and I have to say that I am feeling unsettled. The economy has been hard on everyone, in the United States and globally. Over the past few days, news bulletins are reporting that a man who is half-owner of Unbridled Song has been charged with 22 counts of animal abuse in connection with his treatment of 177 horses on one of his New York farms. Humane societies, vets, and equine people are reporting that the horses are in starved conditions without medical care or farrier work. A thoroughbred yearling was removed from the farm with a vet reporting that he was 350 pounds, half of what he should be at that age. This news breaks my heart. I remember standing in the beautiful warm summer sun in mid-July last year with Derek and we were laughing because Renny was already 350 pounds and he hadn't even been weaned from his mom. And he's a small pony. I can't imagine what it would be like to be a beautiful thoroughbred colt, starved to the size of nursling Renny.

Anyway, my point is that I hope that we all work toward a more stable, secure future for all of us -- for the many millions of homeless children on this earth, for the children and adults denied education, for the mothers and fathers desperately looking for secure work to feed and nurture their families, and, yes, even for the companion animals, stock, and pets who depend on us to make good decisions. They depend on us and love us and so I hope for a more stable future for them as well. Ziva is named for brilliant, beautiful light, so she'll be my little poster foal this year for that future! Namaste!

Renny Calls on One of His Girlfriends!

On December 21st, after sniffing and checking out the cat food, Renny continued on his stroll. Like any good courtly gentleman, he stopped to check in on one of his lady friends!

Third Foal of 2009!

This foal is an appendix, with a Quarter horse sire and Thoroughbred dam. And you can tell by those gorgeaus, long, elegant, well-formed legs that he's going to be a stupendous hunter prospect! And already his sweet temper means that he's going to be a blessing to his family!

Renny Likes Cat Food!

On December 21st, right before I left to spend the Christmas holidays with my family, I went to the stable early to visit my herd. And as an experiment, I let my brave boy stroll down the aisleway without his halter, since he's a sensible inquisitive boy. And he went right over to the cat water bowl and had a drink and then checked out their food. Though he gave it a sniff, he decided it wasn't as good as his Tribute Textured foal feed! What a smart boy!

Third Foal of 2009! Considering Rising for Breakfast!

In this photo, Tru Blu's baby has greeted me, nustled around in the straw, and is considering getting up for breakfast. He was so calm, relaxed and satisfied. And you could just tell that he felt right in the world with his mom by his side. And her entire demeanor made clear that she feels purposeful and blissed.

Easter Sunday

Here is a photo of Hailee and Renny, taken by Jane Marie in Ren's first week of life. I am posting this today, Easter Sunday 2009. Last year this time, I was anticipating and dreaming and planning for my little boy. I was driving out to the barn at night to do midnight bedchecks. I was sleeping at the barn to check on Hailee every two hours on a consistent basis. I was spending time with her in her stall, looking at her expanding figure and giving her love, my poor uncomfortable maiden mama. And I was praying and dreaming of a beautiful Spring. And it was a miraculous spring. Today, a year later, on this wonderful Easter, I had brunch at Barbie's with her kind family, I went for a stroll with I-Fen through our town and shared a cup of tea, and I planted sunflower seeds. Today was another miraculous day. Many warm blessings on the heads of my human family, my friends, and my darling family of creatures.

Grabbing at Sedona

Here's December 15th footage and photo of a wintery day for my horses! And here's a photo of Renny in his best game -- grabbing hold of Sedona's halter!

Third Foal of 2009! All Legs and Heart!

This foal was born Thursday night and, in this photo, I am visiting him about 10 hours later on Friday morning. I just cannot express in words how nice it is to sit in straw early in the morning with a fresh foal and satisfied mom, listening to the foal whicker and the mom munch hay. Namaste.

Sam's 1st Foal: Big Smiles All Around!

Namaste. Here is a photo of Sam, her good friend, and her first filly.

Good Boy

Here is mid-December photo and footage of my darling horses. I'm sitting here writing this entry in early January and feel such excitement about this year's new adventures! Renny will become a yearling, Violet is extending her skills, and Hailee is going to pick out a new stallion for her second baby!

Sam's 1st Foal: The Family Takes a Stroll!

Here's Lexie, taking Sam and baby for baby's first big adventure. She was such a good foal on her first outing. She walked behind mama, she trotted, and she even cantered, though she was working with the longest legs and it was tough! She's just as cute as pie and sweet, sweet, sweet. She sure likes her mama and calls to her all the time, nickering and calling. And Sam, good mama that she is, nickers back in a low grumbly confident fashion. Such a good mama!

Joe and Elayne's Passover 2009!

I am one of the luckiest most blessed girls I know. This week, I attended Joe and Elayne's Passover which is just so much fun and so very meaningful. Here is a photo of Joe and his sister, getting treats ready for everyone at the conclusion of the feast. And here is a photo of a chocolate Seder Plate with strawberries! Can you believe? Anyway, every year that I have attended has been so special. The first year, Joe sang and was spectacular. Last year, the Seder meal was very special for me because I was waiting for Hailee to have Renny. And this year, I really enjoyed attending because little Ren was 11 months old and has given me so much joy. I liked feeling the connection over that year. This year's celebration was also wonderful because Joe and his sister prepared the telling of the story, and his dinner companions sang and sang and sang. Two guests also played fiddle and piano, so the evening felt like the best of times in New Orleans.