April Showers - & then some...

Hopefully you're reading this and enjoying a small reprieve from the rain (and hail) that we've "enjoyed" over the last few weeks. The horses are enjoying a few moments of dryness outside and we have our fingers crossed that this next week will be a little easier on everyone than the last - needless to say, we appreciate our covered arena more and more during these types of "Spring"!

Proof that sun exists somewhere!

Next week, on Saturday, we'll be heading out for Dinner and a Horse Show. If you haven't signed up already, make sure to do so! This is a great barn event and a fun evening for all. We enjoy dinner together at the Monroe Red Robin and then head to the horse show to watch the Grand Prix. There are two going on at this show and it is a great opportunity to hang out with horse people and watch the big jumpers - not too mention get excited about showing your OWN horse!

Speaking of shows, we have quite a few weeks coming up in May/June (5/16-6/5) so mark your calendars now. We've enjoyed some down time at home after Thermal and have been prepping the horses to head back out to the circuit. In May, the majority of the barn will be heading out to Monroe to show in the Pacific Northwest Hunter/Jumper horse show. If you aren't showing with us that week, come on out to cheer on your teammates! We'll have riders in everything from the cross bar hunters to the 1.10 jumpers so there should be something for everyone to watch. Following the week at Monroe, your trainers will head up to Thunderbird to campaign the jumpers for 2 weeks. Danika and Katie will be holding down the fort again, so make sure to check with Staff about the schedule for those 3 weeks if you want to try and get some extra lessons in before/after we leave. It'll be a busy, but fun, 3 weeks.

Horses will be getting shoes on Monday (4/18) and then, at the end of this month, we'll have the vet out for spring shots and worming as well as a check up for teeth. Healthy horses are happy horses!

In other barn news, Ella has settled in and jumped her first jumps this last week. We are very excited about her quiet and willing personality and are hoping she'll continue to progress quickly. She'll be making her show debut at Monroe next month in the Walk/Trot division.

Abby is still looking for a lease (or a new owner!) so please keep your ears open for anyone who might be interested. We hate to have to see her leave, so if you know of someone looking for a fun pony to lease, let us know!

Bowling is still on the agenda as well! If you'd like to join the Sundance bowling team, let us know! It's a fun day out and a great cause as well.

With show season in full swing, make sure you continue to touch base with staff about scheduling. Show entry forms are quite often due well in advance and you don't want to miss your deadline. Also, make sure to take the time to follow along with Katherine's examiner articles. The last 3 have all been about show costs and are a great way to know what to expect and why. Quite often there is a lot of misunderstanding about who is getting paid what and why, and these articles are designed to help educate everyone on the mysteries of horse showing! Also, for those of you that do go out to visit at the Monroe show, make sure you check out the program - there's another article in there about what makes a great horse show. As always, if you have any questions, just ask!

Enjoy the small sun break - hopefully it'll stick around for a few minutes!

See you at the barn!

They're Here!

Well, it's official - as of this afternoon both Farley and Ella settled into their stalls and introduced (or re-introduced) themselves to the rest of the gang. Farley seemed glad to be home, and quickly marched down the path and strolled across the arena in that "Yes, yes I'm back, you may all resume your worshiping" way that he has. Good thing he's modest.... Ella seems to be settling in as well. Sue brought some blankets out for her today and she'll head to work tomorrow getting used to the new routine. It'll be fun to see what she has to offer!

In barn news we have some events coming up, so make sure you put them on your calendar! We are doing Dinner and a Horse Show on the 23rd of April. This is a great event with food and horses - what could be better? And this year, a special treat, in that Jill will be showing her two horses in the Grand Prix to give them some "inside" exposure so we'll have a chance to cheer her on again! Everyone can check out Katherine's (secret) favorite horse, Poppy, in the ring - shhh, don't tell the other horses!!

We have a couple of shows that we are looking at doing, so make sure you touch base with your trainers ASAP if you are interested so we put them on the calendar as "for sure". GCEC has a hunter show in April (30th) that we are considering, and then there is the Mother's Day Classic in Wilsonville (9th-15th) and, of course, the Pacific Northwest Hunter/Jumper show (16th-22nd) in Monroe. Both shows are in May, but forms will be due soon, so if you're interested in either show, let us know now so we can work toward getting you there.

We will be going to Thunderbird the end of May/beginning of June (5/23-6/5) to give the jumpers a chance to get some miles up there. If this is a show you're interested in, let us know. The show runs for 2 weeks, but horses can go for 1 week if you are unable to do both weeks - let us know and we'll help work out the details with you.

Nimh enjoys the view!

We're still working on doing some bowling (May 1st) - remember, if you are interested in joining the bowling team, let us know! It's a great way to spend a Sunday and a good cause as well!
Hope you have all been able to make it out to the barn through all the rain. The horses haven't minded staying in a bit during all the liquid sunshine - we have all our fingers and hooves crossed for some solid sun later this week.
Stay warm and dry and we'll see you out at the barn!

Spring has Sprung!

Well, for those of you who may have missed it, your trainers headed down to CA for a few weeks to experience some HITS (horse shows in the sun) action! All of the horses were wonderful - including Toby who moved up into the 1.10M division for the first time and Vince and Jill winning the PCHA medal class - which was quite an accomplishment when faced with the fancy CA horses! We had a great time and enjoyed the sun - hopefully you all had a chance to follow along on Facebook - and, for those of you who weren't able to ride or visit this year, put it on your calendar for next year - it is a once in a lifetime show, and a wonderful time of the year to get out of the barn.

In other barn news, we are getting ready for our annual "Dinner and a Horse Show" event. This is a yearly tradition where we all get together for dinner at the Monroe Red Robin and then head over to the Fairgrounds to watch the Grand Prix. It is a fun, relaxing night of horses and friends, so save the date (Saturday, April 23rd) and make sure to let your barn staff know you'd like to come so we save you a seat!

In sad barn news, our buddy Sinatra/Titan will be leaving the barn. We have loved having him here and wish him all the best on his new journey. We have our fingers crossed that he will find a permanent home soon! However, we have had to make room at the barn as we will be welcoming Farley back home soon and a new horse, Ella, will be coming in to start her training next week. We're always sad to see someone go, but are excited about bringing the new horse into the barn.

In SAFE news, we are putting together a bowling team! Yep, that's right, your trainers will be showing off their skills at the bowling alley! SAFE is hosting this event as a fund raiser and we would love to see a strong Sundance showing. Lanes are $200/lane for 6 people, so if you would like to be part of our lane, let your barn staff know! Bowling is Sunday, May 1st, so check your calendars and come out and support the horses of SAFE!

In exciting barn news, it's official! Both Farley and Jasmine will be for sale in the next month. This is YOUR time to head out there and talk up both of these wonderful horses to all of your horse friends - we would love for both of these great horses to get a home from someone we know, so help these 2 find a wonderful new place! And, there just may be a plate of cookies in it for you too! ;)

We're taking a bit of a show break for this month, but are taking sign ups for anyone wanting to show at the GCEC hunter show in April as well as the Thunderbird shows in May/June. Make sure you chat with staff and figure out which shows are best for you.

It's great to be home - we missed all of you! Hope you all had a chance to enjoy some of the spring sun, before those April showers show up for a visit!

See you at the barn!

Well, we THOUGHT it would get warmer....

Well, we all know how fickle WA weather can be, and this month has been no exception. After hinting around at MAYbe being able to shed a layer off of our four footed friends, the Weather Gods apparently thought we had spoken too soon and, although we have had some beautiful days, they have been chilly. Your trainers have truly appreciated the heater these last weeks and we promise to never predict warmer weather again!!

We were delighted to receive a lovely "Thank You" note from Allison who had known Titan/Sinatra from his early days this last month. She wrote to us to thank us for all the work that we have put into him and told us about what a cute little guy he was right from the start. It was a wonderful surprise to get such a nice note in the mail, and neat to get to hear about his past. We are very excited about all the progress he has made and have all our fingers crossed that he is able to find a new home soon. He has someone coming to visit him this weekend, so hopefully she'll fall in love - after all, how could she not?

In show news, we are preparing to leave for CA next week! The horses are ready and the trailer is almost all packed for the trip. The truck went off for some last minute repairs and is patiently waiting to get started on the long journey down - we are all very excited to get the chance to show in the sun and watch the best in our sport compete! The week we are heading into is sold out so we are expecting a huge turn out and long days with lots of horse show to watch - what a fun way to start off the season! For those of you staying at home, Danika and Katie will be manning the barn and handling the schedule - please check with us if you need to make any changes, and while we are away, make sure to touch base with Danika if you need anything. We'll do regular updates on the SE Facebook page, so make sure to check in and see how things are going down South!

In other show news, there is a GCEC hunter schooling show in March as well as the three weeks of Monroe shows in April coming up quickly. Let us know ASAP if you are interested in riding in any of these events!

Sam will be out to see all of the horses on Sunday. If you were planning to ride Sunday, please make sure that you do so before noon as the horses need 24 hours off after an adjustment.

In other barn news, Ella officially started her 1/2 lease on Pink and has been doing great! It is fun to have Pink back in the mix and for Ella to get the opportunity to ride more often. Cookie has also returned to some light work and we have our hopes high that she will get back into the lesson program soon - we have missed her!

We are also currently working on ordering sweat pants for the barn! These are warm and protect your riding clothes as well as being super cool and fashionable! You can get them with a cuff at the bottom or open and they run about $20/pair. Let us know ASAP if you are interested!

Hopefully you have all had the chance to get out and ride during one of these beautiful sunny days - it may be chilly but it is hard to be cranky when we have this lovely PNW weather!

See you at the barn!

January - world's fastest month??

Woosh! There it goes! As long as it seemed to take to get to the New Year, January has come and gone so quickly it has left us wondering if Spring will show up next - wait, let's not get too excited....

We've enjoyed some lovely sunny days at the barn - and even a week of one less layer for our ponies as they enjoyed some warmer temperatures. In true, WA winter fashion, they are bundled up again against the cold, but stay tuned to your SE Facebook page as there may be a blanket change for your horse before the month is over - we can hope!

Last month, after attending the TCP clinic (see last blog post for details), Katherine completed the process and became the 4th Trainer in WA state to get her certification (and the 9th in Zone 9). More bragging rights for a barn that is already SO cool! We've enjoyed the process, and, as the USHJA continues to work on the program, we will be investigating Level 2 for 2012.

We all had a long, but fun night, at the WSHJA banquet. Hopefully everyone had a chance to check out the photos - especially of the new trophy that Chelsea brought home this year. As a hint, it will be available in 2012 for the top 1.0M Open Jumper rider so..... Hopefully another Sundance rider can bring it home again!

In terms of shows, we went to our first one for 2011 at GCEC. We took Sinatra/Titan with us and he and Dankia were great in his showing debut! We are hoping to be able to take him again in February and see how he does - he handled the chaos of the schooling ring, the scary jumps and crazy jumper patterns like an old pro - who doesn't want this adorable pony? The folks at S.A.F.E. came out and took some more video as well, so we are all hoping, at some point, someone will step up and adopt him - he really is very deserving of a nice permanent home. The other riders had a good show as well - both Kristin and Ella stepping into the jumper ring for the first time, and already excited about doing it again in February! Aubrey and Finesse put down some great rounds and a special "Atta Girl" to Chelsea and her baby girl - Maia galloped around the ring over the bigger jumps and the exciting courses like she was born to do it (ok, she was!). We are looking forward to letting both Maia and Sinatra/Titan try some bigger classes at the next show.

Speaking of shows - February includes one GCEC jumper show on the 19th - if you are interested, let us know ASAP! We will also be heading to CA at the end of the month. Make sure you touch base with Staff about the changes in schedule during the last part of CA and the first part of March while we are away - hopefully you are coming down to CA to watch!

In other barn news, Richochett Rabbit returned home - we miss his cute little face, but are excited to have Pink back in the mix. Ella is hoping to start a 1/2 lease on her this month, so, if anyone is interested in leasing the other 1/2, make sure you let us know ASAP.

Fingers crossed that we can continue to enjoy some of this nice warm weather for awhile before the rains return! Come on out and enjoy your horse and some sun while it is still here!

See you at the barn!

We're Back!!

Just like the snow, your trainers came back to work after the holidays and then left for the weekend for a trip to AZ, only to reappear again this week. Unlike the snow, we came and went for an educational experience, and not just to make everyone's life a little more messy!

a shot of the pool (we didn't get to use) at the hotel :)

For those of you who do not know what your trainers have been up to, both Katherine and Chelsea participate in Continuing Education (CE) Clinics every year. The USHJA - which is the governing body of our sport - now has a program wherein they are certifying trainers in order to make sure every trainer has the proper amount of education necessary to safely teach their students. Although we have always worked to continue our education at this barn, there has never been a requirement from "the top" to do so, and, although the USHJA is not currently requiring trainers to take part in these classes, the idea is, some day trainers will be regulated - fortunately for our clients, we have a strong belief in CE here and are already ahead of the game! We had a great time with a wonderful clinician (Geoff Teall) and encourage you all to watch the Sundance Facebook page for some great clinic quotes. We have already enjoyed putting some new ideas into play in the lessons and hope everyone has enjoyed it as much as we have!

In other barn news, show season is officially here! After wading through the winter weather we have something official to look forward to as the show calendar is up and posted in the tack room. The best idea for a successful show season is to plan NOW, so make sure you make the time to chat with either Katherine or Chelsea about the shows that are available, your schedule, your budget and your goals and we can give you a realistic approach to the 2011 season.

Speaking of shows - we are underway and have officially signed up for Thermal in 2011! Best of luck to Toby, Jasmine and Jill's Vince on their upcoming trip down south and a fun filled (hopefully) start to the show season! To those of you not showing, this is a great show to come and watch, so plan on making some vacation days in March and heading down to the sunny skies in CA to cheer on your teammates!

In other show news, GCEC is underway starting in January. There is a jumper show that we are able to attend, but we need at least two riders willing to show in order for us to put it all together - make sure, if you are interested, to touch base with Katherine or Chelsea ASAP.

In barn news, our new ponies are an adorable hit! CJ (or "The Rabbit" as we call him) is super fun to ride and about as adorable as can be! He is still looking for a lease, so if you have been thinking about showing this year, grab this little guy while you still can - he is a winning ride! Our other new pony (Abby) has been lucky enough to secure a lease already! Congratulations to Teague on her new lease with Abracadabra! Can't wait to see the two of them in the show ring!

In sad barn news, Wally left for his new home in CA. Although we are super excited that he gets to go live with his mom, Laura, we will definitely miss him here. Laura promises to keep in touch and we all enjoyed getting to see her video of him enjoying his first roll in the sun! We're sure he'll be making new friends soon!

Farley also left the barn for a temporary job up in Canada. He moved to the Milner Downs stable for the next month as they try out some riders who have been looking for a fun horse to ride. We're sure that we'll see him again soon, but hope he is having a good time up North!

Lastly, this weekend in the WSHJA banquet. Congratulations, in advance, to all of the Sundance riders on their upcoming awards this weekend. We're looking forward to a fun evening of getting to dress up in something besides breeches and barn boots! Hopefully we will all recognize one another!

Hope you all had a wonderful New Year and are as excited about the upcoming year as we are!

See you at the barn!

Ring in the New Year!

Well, there is goes! 2010 has officially left the building and we are on the way with 2011!

2010, like any year had ups and downs, but, as downs are the norm in the horse world (for example, could it be any colder..? Wait, don't answer that!), we get to focus on the ups - including some fun and successful shows, lots of rider and horse improvement and some fun new additions to the barn in both the horse and rider category. For all of you who are new to Team Sundance in 2010, thanks so much for joining us! For those of you who have been around "forever", we love having you continue your riding careers with us and are looking forward to yet another fun filled year!

We decked the stalls for Christmas and Santa came out and visited all the ponies - guess that means they were all good! We had a great Holiday Party and are hoping to put up the video so that everyone who didn't get a chance to come to the party, will have a chance to see the year-end video!

We'll be celebrating 2010 in style at the WSHJA banquet on January 15th. This is that one time of the year where horse people get to step out of their muck boots and into their dancing shoes - congratulations to all of our horses and riders who competed in the WSHJA shows this year and earned their place on the podium at the awards banquet - all that work pays off in the end!

Chelsea and Katherine will be continuing their education by attending the Trainer's Symposium in AZ this coming week and are looking forward to coming home with even more fun exercises for the horses and riders out at the barn - hopefully you all kept in shape over the holidays!

The horses enjoyed some light work over the last couple of weeks in December and are all rested and ready to get to work to prepare for the 2011 show season, so it is now the time for their riders to make sure they fill out the barn show survey! This is online at Facebook as well as hard copies out at the barn. Make sure you get these done in the next couple of weeks as we will be putting up the show calendar in the tack room soon and you want to make sure your show choices are available in 2011.

And, speaking of showing in 2011 - we have started the year off with a bang by submitting all the paperwork for the Thermal, CA show! If you aren't planning on showing there this year, try to take the time to take a vacation down there during the first two weeks of March - great weather and a beautiful show, plus the chance to come out and cheer on Team Sundance! Come on... you know you want to!!

We wish you all the best for a wonderful 2011!