Val Littfin
12-16-2007, 10:41 AM
As FrancaV requested, here's a bit of info about me. I've horsed around since childhood. Mom says the horse virus infested me when she and dad gave me my first stick horse.
Arabs are my first love - started with an Arab-welsh gelding who could do anything! I had no idea what a jewel I had in that guy until I hit my 40's. Lucky for me, I was actually able to see and ride him when he was in his 30's. Lucky for him, he only 2 owners after me and his last owner kept him for his life span.
At one point in time, I truly thought I"d never have another real live breathing horse, so with Hubby's input, I purchased an incredible bronze sculpture showing a horse that was either struggling to get up or struggling not to go down. I'm still not sure which it is, but I do know one thing, he is still trying. When I saw him for the first time, he brought tears to my eyes. On occassion still does.
Every time we moved, I'd think about getting rid of all my horse gear. Never did. It moved with us and moved with us, and I'd check it over, and mositize it, repack it, and wonder why I was keeping it.
When we moved to Grand Marias, I got active in the local saddle club as a timer and go-pher. A couple of those individuals hooked me up with a "local" dressage trainer - so for the next 18 months, I drove 2 hours each way for a one hour lesson. At some point Mike, hubby, and I agreed we could get me a horse.
Days, hours, months on websites. Lists developed. Contacts made. Weekends on the road, sleeping in the car, trying out horses. Two vet checks that caused me to back out of sales. Finally I said to Mike and my contacts, I'm taking a break, the search is exhausting me.
A day later the phone rings and a local business owner and horsemans asks if I'm still looking for an Arabian. He explains that a woman whose parents have a cabin up here has a gelding she wants to seel before she heads out.
Mike and I agree whey not look at this Arab gelding as he's only 8 miles away. Can't hurt and it's a pretty drive. We pull into the driveway and tied to the trailer is this scruffy, unmuscled, young horse. Owner comes out of the cabin, says here's his tack, feel free to take a ride, and goes back into the cabin. Hummmm.
I groom and saddle this gelding. Take him for a ride. Figure, for what she's asking for him, if I don't like him, I can always turn around and sell him for the same price. I have a friend look him, he kicked her. (warning)
The next morning and I made an offer on him. It was accepted, and owner told me she'd deliever him to me, no need for me to come and get him. (warning).
Another friend opened her barn to my new Arab gelding. And a few weeks later, he settled into the local boarding stable.
First trail ride on him, he reared up and smucked me in the face. (warning)
After trying a new fangled idea called "round penning", and being charged by him a couple of times, I decided he knew more about it than I did and I needed help. (time for help)
Just so happened the dressage barn where I took lessons had a natural horsemanship clinician coming in for three days. I borrowed a trailer and hauled the gelding down to the barn to learn about this new flangled natural horsemanship stuff.
Ron Olson was my intro to this "new"idea. After three days, I saw major changes in my horse, and spent the whole freezing-cold Minnesota winter working in the barn aisle way with my gelding. Teaching lateral flexion, learning about release, teaching direct and indirect movement and pressure, learning about timeing. etc. By spring I had a different horse.
So I started working toward my dream of having a dressage horse. Trouble with canter departs brought Stacy Ennegna-Stricker into my life.
Five plus years later, Stacy is still my horsemanship and dressage instructor. She has helped to me create a soft, responsive, work-from-the-rear-legs, back moving, correctly muscled dressage horse out of the opinionated scruffy Arab.
He caused me to learn about saddle fit, hoof care, non-traditional medicine alternatives. He helped me to learn to listen to the horse. He's been my lab-partner and best friend through this never ending journey on the Road called Horsemanship.
Next, The Crew.
Val
Arabs are my first love - started with an Arab-welsh gelding who could do anything! I had no idea what a jewel I had in that guy until I hit my 40's. Lucky for me, I was actually able to see and ride him when he was in his 30's. Lucky for him, he only 2 owners after me and his last owner kept him for his life span.
At one point in time, I truly thought I"d never have another real live breathing horse, so with Hubby's input, I purchased an incredible bronze sculpture showing a horse that was either struggling to get up or struggling not to go down. I'm still not sure which it is, but I do know one thing, he is still trying. When I saw him for the first time, he brought tears to my eyes. On occassion still does.
Every time we moved, I'd think about getting rid of all my horse gear. Never did. It moved with us and moved with us, and I'd check it over, and mositize it, repack it, and wonder why I was keeping it.
When we moved to Grand Marias, I got active in the local saddle club as a timer and go-pher. A couple of those individuals hooked me up with a "local" dressage trainer - so for the next 18 months, I drove 2 hours each way for a one hour lesson. At some point Mike, hubby, and I agreed we could get me a horse.
Days, hours, months on websites. Lists developed. Contacts made. Weekends on the road, sleeping in the car, trying out horses. Two vet checks that caused me to back out of sales. Finally I said to Mike and my contacts, I'm taking a break, the search is exhausting me.
A day later the phone rings and a local business owner and horsemans asks if I'm still looking for an Arabian. He explains that a woman whose parents have a cabin up here has a gelding she wants to seel before she heads out.
Mike and I agree whey not look at this Arab gelding as he's only 8 miles away. Can't hurt and it's a pretty drive. We pull into the driveway and tied to the trailer is this scruffy, unmuscled, young horse. Owner comes out of the cabin, says here's his tack, feel free to take a ride, and goes back into the cabin. Hummmm.
I groom and saddle this gelding. Take him for a ride. Figure, for what she's asking for him, if I don't like him, I can always turn around and sell him for the same price. I have a friend look him, he kicked her. (warning)
The next morning and I made an offer on him. It was accepted, and owner told me she'd deliever him to me, no need for me to come and get him. (warning).
Another friend opened her barn to my new Arab gelding. And a few weeks later, he settled into the local boarding stable.
First trail ride on him, he reared up and smucked me in the face. (warning)
After trying a new fangled idea called "round penning", and being charged by him a couple of times, I decided he knew more about it than I did and I needed help. (time for help)
Just so happened the dressage barn where I took lessons had a natural horsemanship clinician coming in for three days. I borrowed a trailer and hauled the gelding down to the barn to learn about this new flangled natural horsemanship stuff.
Ron Olson was my intro to this "new"idea. After three days, I saw major changes in my horse, and spent the whole freezing-cold Minnesota winter working in the barn aisle way with my gelding. Teaching lateral flexion, learning about release, teaching direct and indirect movement and pressure, learning about timeing. etc. By spring I had a different horse.
So I started working toward my dream of having a dressage horse. Trouble with canter departs brought Stacy Ennegna-Stricker into my life.
Five plus years later, Stacy is still my horsemanship and dressage instructor. She has helped to me create a soft, responsive, work-from-the-rear-legs, back moving, correctly muscled dressage horse out of the opinionated scruffy Arab.
He caused me to learn about saddle fit, hoof care, non-traditional medicine alternatives. He helped me to learn to listen to the horse. He's been my lab-partner and best friend through this never ending journey on the Road called Horsemanship.
Next, The Crew.
Val