Good News, Bad News...

Well, the one thing that we all share in common with all of our other horse owners, friends and barn managers is that we have our good days, and our bad days - we just all hope the bad days are few and far between!

On the plus side, we just came home from another great Gold Creek show, where our riders and horses went out and put down some great rides in all of the divisions in which we rode. We had several new riders to the barn and even some showing for the first time and we were pleased to come home with a lot of great ribbons - including 2 Championships - 1 in Crossbars for Bailey; 1 in Pre-Children's Hunters with Aly and 1 Reserve Championship for Ella in the Tiny Hunter Division. All 3 Championships were won with Cookie who brought her "A" game and showed off what makes her a barn favorite. Both Cookie and Finesse were great and Maia also moved up a level into the 2' division for the first time and earned some more 1st place ribbons in her flat classes - she is doing great and getting lots of experience for her 2011 show season! Go Baby Horse!!

Unfortunately, this last week both Finesse and Cookie came up lame. They are both enjoying some well deserved time off to heal and will get to see the vet on Monday to make sure they get on the road to recovery ASAP. We are fortunate enough that Pink/Dia has been able to step up and fill some pretty big shoes with the help of both Farley and Wally who have stepped in for a lesson or two. Hopefully our regular ladies are up and running soon, but how lucky are we to have such great horses in the barn that the mares can get a break to heal!

Horse show season is dwindling to a close. We are still looking to see if anyone is interested in the Gold Creek show in October on the 29th & 30th, and are, of course, looking for folks to sign up for the barn work party this month on the 17th . It's work, but it is fun and a great time to come out and help get your barn ready for winter and next spring. We'll be painting jumps, pulling weeds and lots of general clean up - make sure you come out, help and hang out with your barn teammates! We are also looking to go to the Susie Hutchinson clinic in November - if you are interested in riding or auditing the clinic, let us know ASAP so we can get you on the list. Clinics are a great way to see some of our top riders and hear their feedback and ideas, so come on out and watch and cheer on your teammates that are riding!

In other barn news, Boo has graduated to cantering and longer turn out times. She is practically a "normal" horse now in the program and we are so excited that she is coming along so well. We are hoping to get some ground poles worked into her routine soon and be able to change her turnout to all day like the rest of the horses as well.

Wally's lease with Erica ended which was sad and we were all sorry to see Erica leave. We are hoping, as she is spending time on her new home improvements and additions, that she will come out and get her horse fix every once in awhile so we can visit! However, being the popular boy he is, Wally has a new lease with Teague and we are really excited to see them work together. Wally even stepped up and let Bailey finish her lesson on him this last week, which was a pretty cool ride for her as well. Great Job Wally! We are so proud of how far he has come during his time with us!

Titan/Sinatra had a great week as, with the help of Vera and Aidan, Danika's bake sale was productive and he has a nice savings to draw from for his next item. Ella donated a beautiful indoor sheet for him, which fits him beautifully and we have heard rumors that the folks from SAFE will be bringing him an outdoor sheet as well so he will soon be outfitted the same as the rest of the horses. His riding continues and we even cantered this week - he was very good and seems to enjoy a nice light seat. He is very quiet and with some more miles will be a great project for a kid looking to have a fun pony.

All of the horses had their shots and worming, and Finesse and Pink had their teeth done and Phalcon had his stitches out and returned to work - which was fun for Aidan, but now they both get to get in shape all over again - amazing what a week off will do! But we are glad he is feeling better and it is fun to have Aidan back out at the barn again.

We'll be adding another layer of clothes for the horses next week - check with us if you aren't sure if you have the right clothes for your horse or not. We will also be doing a major cleaning with the work party this month and will be reducing the amount of trunks in the aisle way, so if your things have spread out on their own, take the time to look through and see what you need at the barn and what can go home for the winter.

See you out at the barn!

Another Horse Show? What?!

Yes, we have officially wrapped up the away season, but for those of you that can't get enough of horse showing fun (who can, really??), Gold Creek is this weekend - hopefully we will see all of you there, either cheering on your teammates or riding in the show ring with us for the first time. We have riders in the X-bars, 2' & 2'3" divisions, so come on out & enjoy the fun! Danika will also be setting up her donation booth for Titan (aka; Sinatra) & his growing stash of items, so come on out and help her sell some goodies for his cause! I would love to see a nice indoor sheet for our boy for the winter!

Speaking of our favorite foster horse: the girth continues to be a success & is holding that saddle firmly in place! After spending the week on the line getting used to saddle and rider, Titan graduated to some trotting and was great. He is very quiet and has relaxed so much - we are so glad we had the time to really work through his fear on the lunge line and it seems to have paid off as Danika was thinking she'd probably need some spurs to get him to actually keep going - a great quality in a kids' horse! Hopefully we'll have some video up on FaceBook soon of him trotting around like a pro - it is fun to see him making such great progress - fingers crossed he can find a home that will keep working with him and enjoy his funny little personality!

As for other barn news, all the horses had their shots on Monday and had their teeth checked. Only two made the list this time around for tooth work and the vet will return on Monday to take care of them, remove Phacon's stitches and give us our Fall wormer - it is nice to get everyone all set up for a healthy winter.

Speaking of winter, although it is nearly impossible to predict the weather in this area, the big fuzzy coats some of the horses are starting to sport make a chilly winter seem likely. Now is a great time to check your winter blanket supplies - right now all of the horses at the barn should have one outside sheet, one inside sheet and a cooler - if the last time you brought a blanket out to the barn was the beginning of the summer, now would be a good time to send them away, get them cleaned and waterproofed before the rain sets in for a stay. Your horse, and the people that touch those blankets, will appreciate it!

In other barn news, Boo has finally been given the go-ahead for some canter work and longer outside time - something we are all excited about for her and her Mom! It is fun to get to have her be able to work like a "real horse" now! All the other horses are working toward the Gold Creek show this weekend or starting on winter projects to prepare for next show year. If you have any interest in riding in a clinic this winter, make sure to let us know - we are considering riding in the Susie Hutchinson clinic in November and it would be a great opportunity for riders to either ride or come out and audit - any interest, let us know and we can get you all the details! Clinics are a great way to hear new ideas and refresh your technique and keep the winter fun and interesting while waiting for the sun to join us again!

Don't forget, the barn work party is October 10th - this is an all day, yearly tradition where YOU get to come out and help make your barn beautiful for winter. Everyone is invited! We will be working on painting the jumps, digging up some weeds and overall cleaning - the more the merrier and the faster the work goes - and yes, there will be food! Sign up in the tack room and just ask if you have questions!

 Make sure you all come out to the barn and enjoy the beautiful fall weather before it goes away for the winter! See you there!

It's a Girth!

OK, yes, we went to a show and yes, it was super cool, BUT, the big news this week out at the barn is Titan (aka: Sinatra) finally has a girth to call his own!! Thanks to a wonderful donation from his friends at S.A.F.E., we were able to buy him a brand new girth. It is a size 38 - and yes, he probably could use a 36 depending on your saddle - but it fits and the saddles stay on and we are excited to actually get to see a person on his back. We've put him on the line with the saddle on to make sure it would stay in place (it did!) and yesterday, after a short lunge lesson, Danika stepped up into the irons for the first time. We did a nice lead line lesson with him and he was wonderful, so we are super excited to see what is next for our funny guy. Hopefully we get a chance now to put all those hours of getting him broke on the line to transfer to a happy and calm pony under saddle so he can find a wonderful kid to love him forever - needless to say we are excited to see how the next few weeks go for him!

As for the shows, we just returned from our last "away" show at Octoberfest and had a blast! The sun stayed out and the horses were great - including earning 4 Championships and 1 Reserve Championship at the show. Wally was great in his hunter classes - earning a Championship in the Pre-Green Division as well as a 3rd in the Hunter Derby and a 5th in the Open Working Hunter Classic. Nicholas and Finesse moved from the .75 jumpers to the .80 AND .85 jumpers and - outside of winning all their classes on Sunday - were Champions in BOTH divisions. It has been quite a year for those two as they have been Champions at every show they attended this year - wow! Chelsea and Farley had a good show as well, earning a Championship in the .95 division and a Reserve Championship in the 1.00 classes - lots of fun jumps and courses made for good days in the jumper rings for everyone.

Phalcon was hurt when he was lunging and had to sit the show out so we missed him and Aidan during the week, but it looks like he will be better soon and able to get back to work in order to be ready for next season. And Maia attended her very first "A" show and came out and schooled with the "big kids" - no bucking or bad behavior and some impressive jumping in the schooling ring as well made us all excited to see what she can do next season. Now she is preparing to go to Gold Creek and debut in the 2' division next weekend.

Dave and Marla returned with their horses and we got to enjoy some exciting rides with Clover and Webster as they tackled the challenging 1.00 courses - rocks, black and white checker jumps and some wacky turns out there. Overall it was a great show for them - with some good ribbons and even better rides throughout the weekend - and, as always, their great, smiling faces - no matter what! We have been excited to have them join the Team this season.

For everyone else, Gold Creek is next weekend! We are getting ready to show off some fun hunter rounds and take some newer clients to the show - make sure you all come out to partake of Danika's Titan fundraiser at the show! Now that she has a girth, she can look forward to filling out the rest of her wish list for Titan.

Vet day next week means up to date horses at the barn and a well deserved day off for all of our equine buddies on Monday. Make sure to come out and enjoy your horse and the sun while it is still here and stock up on some warm gloves and socks for the cold that is coming soon!!

See you all at the barn!

We Did It!

Well, after months of prep work we loaded up the majority of the horses in the barn and headed out to The Evergreen Classic! With lots of riders and horses ready to go, we enjoyed a lot of great rides, good food (the breakfast sandwiches were a Chelsea favorite!) and fun! Thanks to everyone who came out, rode, played and cheered Team Sundance on during the week! Big thanks to Rory for bringing out his amazing wings for the aisle party and to Amy for the great pizza fest during the Hunter Derby!!  Special congratulations to Emma and Finesse on their Reserve Championship in the jumper ring - Good Job Ladies!!

This coming week we wind up our away show season with Octoberfest at Donida Farms in Auburn. If you aren't riding, head down to watch! We will have riders in both the hunter and jumper rings at this show as well and there will be lots to see. This show packs a lot of classes into 2 days and is a great wrap up for the bigger show circuit. After that we will return to Gold Creek - if you are interested in the September GCEC show make sure to sign up at the barn ASAP!

In other barn news, Pink arrived at the barn in August. Katherine has known Pink for years as she was Candy's horse and then Heidi's and she is now looking for a lease so she can stay at Sundance and play in the Pony Jumpers with Finesse. She is fast and fun and she has pitched in on some lessons as well as getting to play some with Vera as they test the waters for a potential half-lease. If anyone else is looking for a fun Pony Jumper, make sure to let us know!

Boo has graduated to being able to be outside for a bit - something we are all excited about for her! She is sharing a small space in the turnout field and slowly getting more time outside. She has been very good about it and we are delighted that she finally gets to be out of her stall a bit! Fingers crossed she continues on the road to recovery.

In sad barn news, Laura (Wally's Mom) moved to CA this month. But, on the bright side, Wally gets to stay with us and keep playing with Erica - we are so excited to get to keep Mr. Walter in the barn! We are looking forward to seeing him show at Octoberfest and planning on spoiling him rotten while his Mom is away!

All the horses are looking forward to getting their shots updated this month (well, maybe not looking forward to it!) and their teeth checked as well so we can start the Fall off on a nice healthy note! Make sure that your horse has the right clothing out at the barn (check with Staff) and take home any fly masks that you may have had out there - yep, summer is gone! This is also a great time to take home and wash all of your saddle pads!! If you don't want to wash them at home, the Blanket Express will take them for you so just leave them down at the barn - if you aren't sure how to get that done, check with us and we will get it together for you.

Looking forward to Octoberfest and Gold Creek this month! Good luck to All!!!

More Showing Fun!

We are back from another fun horse show down at The Emerald Classic at Donida Farms in Auburn. We had a great time with the horses down there and had some highlights, including Wally's Reserve Champion in the Pre-Green Hunters and Laura's 1st place finish in the Long Stirrup Derby on Sunday! Chelsea and Finesse did well in the .90's & the 1.00 jumpers - even if they weren't crazy about the optimum time - and Marla and her adorable horse, Bud Light, did great as they moved up the jumper divisions to the .90's! Jasmine and Finesse enjoyed a fun relay and placed 3rd as they had the chance to run the course together - they made quite the pair!

Now we are getting ready to go to the Evergreen Classic. Most of the horses will be joining us at the show, so if you are planning on coming out to the barn expect to get the place all to yourself! Hopefully, while we are away showing Javier will have lots of extra time to get the place ready for Fall - yes, Fall is just around the corner - shudder! For now, the horses are enjoying getting to be without blankets and sheets and having the windows open day and night in the barn.

We've had some new students join us and are currently looking for a horse for a couple of students to lease in both the hunter and jumper divisions so hopefully we will have a new horse or pony soon!!

Titan continues to do well on the line. Danika has to get out to the tack stores to buy him a girth, but if you know of anyone who has a small girth they would like to donate, it would be much appreciated - he is definitely ready to do MORE! :)

We've had some interest in the Gold Creek show in August as well, so if this is a show you are thinking about, make sure to let us know now as things will get busy this next month and we want to make sure we have everything planned so nothing falls through the cracks - believe it or not, show season is winding down - but not before a great turn out at the Evergreen Classic - remember, if you aren't showing, we'd love to have you out to cheer everyone on while they show! Go Team Sundance!!

Our big summer barn party is Friday, August 6th at Wild Waves! Hopefully you are planning on coming out and joining us for a day of fun - and hopefully sun! This is our 3rd year at Wild Waves and we do tend to get cooler weather, but nothing deters Team Sundance from making everything we do FUN! Come on out and play!

We will see you at the barn - remember, it is nice and cool out there during the summer so enjoy it!!

Summertime at the barn

Well, we are back from Thunderbird and getting ready to head off to The Emerald Classic! This is our first year showing at Emerald, so we are excited to see how the show goes!

Thunderbird was a ton of fun - not only in the show ring, but at the exhibitor's bar-b-que and bull riding and the horseless foot race as well! Our group won in both the bull riding and the foot race so we had some other fancy items to add to our Thunderbird weeks - as well as 3 Reserve Championships: Chelsea and Finesse in the .90's, Vera and Finesse in the Pony Jumpers and Aidan and Phalcon in the Short Stirrup Hunters - a great couple of weeks for all!

At home, Farley continues his struggle with his "lumps". He is quite bumpy for anyone who hasn't seen him, but is under the care of several different vets - hopefully they can all decide on what will return him to show form before the shows are over for the year! We are truly blessed to have Finesse to take over for him while he recovers.

Jasmine tried her hand out in the Grand Prix field at Thunderbird - although she was quite sure some of those jumps were out to get her, the experience, over-all, was a good one and hopefully we will get some fun pictures out of it as well!

Titan/Sinatra has progressed so much on the line! We are so exited about him! He is now able to canter calmly and quietly as well as trot like an old pro -we are all very proud of him and the work the Danika and Chelsea have put into him. With the addition of his new bridle, we were able to add the rig into his routine this week - readjusting him to work with bridle and tack in order to prepare for the day we can hop on for real! Danika is planning on trying to raise some more money in order to purchase a girth to fit her saddle - if anyone has a size 40 that they would like to donate or loan to a good cause, we'd love it!

Everyone else is getting ready for the Emerald Classic this coming week, followed by Wild Waves on August 6th and The Evergreen Classic in August - make sure you get signed up at the barn if you haven't already!!

We are breaking out the fly masks and fly spray so that means summer is officially here! Enjoy it while it lasts!!

See you all out at the barn!

Horse Showing Frenzy!

Well, it's been awhile! Things have been busy at the barn lately....

First off, a big "Welcome!" to Boo and her owner Michelle. We have enjoyed getting to know Boo and her family and helping Boo in her re-hab as she increases her trotting. We are all excited to get her to the point where we can try out her canter! She is super cute and seems to be a great neighbor to Wally.

We've also been showing a lot here - we went to another Gold Creek show as well as The Bainbridge Island Classic and are currently up in Canada attending the Thunderbird horse show. Hopefully, if you weren't showing, you had a chance to come out and cheer your fellow Sundancers on while they were showing! Everyone has been quite successful - with Championships for Nicholas and Finesse at Bainbridge, Maia and Danika at GCEC and some fancy ribbons for Phalcon up in Thunderbird this last week. We've also had quite the string of Reserve Championships at Bainbridge for Phalcon, and at GCEC in several different divisions for Grace on Cookie, Ariel on Finesse and Erica on Wally - what a great show month everyone has had! Great Job Team!

Danika was also, with the help of Vera and Aidan, able to raise some money from her Bake Sale for Sinatra/Titan and, with the donation of a bridle from Sue (and the bit from Vera's bridle) we finally have a bridle for Titan! He has started his work on the line with that and we are hoping that Danika raised enough money to purchase a girth soon - and some sun block! Poor Guy - his nose is sensitive to the small amount of sun we have seen! But we are excited to finally get him working under saddle so he can find a permanent home - remember, if you know of someone looking for a horse he is available for adoption!!

We are excited for the 2nd week of Thunderbird starting this week and for the sun to make an appearance - might even be time to get out the fly masks....?