KHA at Fallbrook Silver Spurs Fall Schooling Show

The day before the “big event” our riders were busy cleaning tack, washing horses, and practicing last-minute “posting on the correct diagonal” – for a couple of young riders, this was to be their very first show!  Everybody was so excited!  And to add to the excitement, there was going to be a Halloween costume contest during lunch break!!  And the costumes were so cute and creative!!

And, now… here it is!!

Wow!!  Girls and their horses!!  Gotta love ‘em

When the Workin’ Day is Done…a Little Horse Play

When the working day is done…a continuation of  what to do during “down time”…..

So bring on the entertainment!!!  As you can see, some love to entertain us, i.e. Emmy, the little pinto miniature horse is a real ham when it comes to jumping.  Flash and Zim, well…we know from past experiences how they love to free jump and run around.

Tango is not really into it.  He jumps very well, but really doesn’t want anything to do with this three-ring circus.  He keeps coming up to me saying, “help, help, save me!!  Get me outta here!”

Harley, the big baby, doesn’t really know how to jump, yet.  But he does try a few times.  Still, he’d prefer to stick close to me, if he can.

Jessika, still sidelined with her foot up, coaches the horses over the jumps!

A nice ending to another wonderful day in paradise!

Oh, What to do in “Down Time”?

So assistant trainer/instructor Jessika gets 1,400 lbs of shod horse hoof  (Jack) landing straight down on her toe the other day (ouch). Here she is giving the thumbs up, “I lived through a horse jumping onto my big toe and can still (barely) smile“.  Oh, it was bad, but she’s better now….sitting in my chair…watching my TV…drinking my sodas….

Jessika, keeping that foot elevated!

Next couple of days are pretty low-keyed and not much horse interaction going on.   We decided it was the perfect time to spruce up the place with fresh paint; so here we are painting chicken coops, rabbit hutches and flower boxes.

Kristin,who loves to hang out with us, but tires quickly of the more menial mundane tasks, is off roping goats….

Jessika painting the little chicken coop and other stuff

Kristin lassos the goat

Halloween Costume Contest at Fallbrook Riders Field

Just a quick snippet of the cute (and scary!) Halloween costumes at Fallbrook Riders Field today at the Fallbrook Silver Spurs Fall Schooling Show…

All of Kids Horsin’ Around entries got ribbons – Jessika is the beautiful Renaissance lady on Challenge; Jolie is the Viking w/mini-Viking Emmy – and they won first place overall!! – Erin is the cat on Tango the mouse; and Kristin is the zombie leading mini-skeleton Sugar!  The costume contest took place during lunch break, after we had completed the English part of the schooling show.

Kids Horsin’ Around had several first time riders at the show and they all did very well!!!  We are so proud of our horse and rider teams!!  More pictures and a video to follow.  (But I just couldn’t wait to share these cute, creative costumes from today’s show!!!)

Show Prep!

Today family, riders and staff spent all day preparing for the Fallbrook Silver Spurs Fall Open Schooling Show scheduled for tomorrow at Fallbrook Riders Field. We did a practice run on the classes the riders would be showing in.  For some of the riders,this will be their very first show!  It’s so exciting for them!  (and a bit nerve-racking!)

Then we spent a good part of the day washing horses, cleaning tack and trying on show clothes.

We will also have some really great entries for the Halloween costume contest to be held during lunch.  And there was a lot of fitting and adjusting and getting the horses used to their costumes.  Wait ’til you see the creative costumes we’ve got in store for the show!!!

DLaw Productions will be with us to capture the entire day on film!

Erin’s Birthday Party

Another fun birthday party at Kids Horsin’ Around, wonderfully captured on video by DLaw Productions.  As some of you may know (from personal experience!) YouTube is pretty picky about publishing videos that have an audio you may not have the rights to!  This video was not even done processing when they snatched the music from it!  Original was so much better!  Miley Cyrus singing “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”!!

What you’re hearing is an “audio swap” by YouTube...it’s better than nothing!  (It is incredibly strange watching these videos without any music!!)

The birthday girl, of course, got the original, cool version!

Petting Zoo Anitcs

Here’s a little clip from our petting zoo. It was taken with my iPhone and you can see the phone case blocking the lens on the bottom right corner.   Sorry, I know that’s very annoying.

In this clip you’ll meet Buzz and Woody, twin Nubian goats about 3 months old.  Then there’s Wilbur the Pot Belly pig and his harem of chicks!  And numerous onlookers of the equine persuasion.

Wow! San Diego Polo Club! These People Know How to Have Fun!

The San Diego Polo Club Closing Day USPA Spreckel Cup Finals at Rancho Santa Fe

This weekend, our field trip took us to the Closing Day USPA Spreckel Cup Finals at The San Diego Polo Club in Rancho Santa Fe. A fast paced game on horseback, with incredible feats of “how-the-heck-did-he-stay-on?” surrounded by people who obviously know how to have a good time. Boy!  This was fun!!   Polo is played on a field that could hold 9 football fields!  The riding was spectacular, although Sally Swift would have been aghast at their lack of apparent “balanced and centered” riding.  I say “apparent” because these riders never fell off going at break neck speeds with arms and legs flailing  around, so they had to have good balance; they certainly were amazing to watch!  The horses – thoroughbreds – were athletic and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the game.  Horses held on the side lines for change out, never took their eyes off the field, and intently watched the ball in play.  At half-time the fun and informative announcer beckoned the crowd out onto the field to fill in the divets.  The match went into over time, with Tri Tech scoring the winning goal.  They rode victoriously off the field to The Black Eyed Peas “Let’s Get it Started”. My kind of people – now if I could just get a polo pony!!

Next weekend we’ll be attending the annual REINs benefit Hoedown!  Join us for a night of good food, fun friends, dancing, silent auction – all for a great cause!!

Erin’s First Horse Show

Southern California Professional Horseshow Association – Camp Pendleton

Erin’s first show!!!

This was Erin’s first horse show and she and Tango did such a good job, thanks to help and last minute show advice from her instructor, Jessika!

Jessika also showed in the English Country Pleasure class.

Congratulations to both on a job well done!!  Kids Horsin’ Around is so proud of our horse and rider teams!

Wilbur gets an Attitude Adjustment

One of the first things you’ll notice about our new pot belly pig is that his behavior is somewhat inappropriate for a children’s petting zoo – he is constantly seeking out a new “friend” to love on.  Sorry, Wilbur, but that’s gotta stop!

So, as the doctor’s snapping on his plastic surgeon gloves he announces the bad news – Wilbur’s cryptorchid.

Why is this such bad news?

1. It will cost more money to find the missing orb.

2. It will take more time to find the missing orb.

After much searching, the doctor found what he was looking for but it was in such a precarious location that he couldn’t remove it safely, and so left it there, deep inside the abdominal cavity.  Which means…

3. Wilbur may only get half an attitude adjustment!!

The one outside came off easily. (Easy for me to say!)

Wilbur was given a shot of antibiotic in the butt, sprayed with some silvery topical antibiotic; about an hour after it had all begun, he woke groggily stumbling around, not really sure where he’d been.  Good pig!