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!

The Weather outside is....

Since our last post we have seen rain, snow, ice, some very chilly nights and some lovely sunny days! Hopefully you all stayed safe, warm and dry and have had a chance to come out and ride in-between snow days. There is a possibility that we may have some interesting weather this winter so some winter tips for the barn:

1) Our hill is SLICK. If it starts to snow while you are out riding, feel free to end things quickly if you are concerned about making it down the hill. Although we don't encourage you to leave your horse wet and chilly, keep an eye on the weather and make your ride shorter if you need the time to get down the hill safely.

2) Coming up the hill isn't too much easier. If you are concerned about being able to make it out to ride your horse or take your lesson, feel free to call. A happy barn is one filled with safe and happy clients, so don't worry about sending a text or calling to check on conditions. We can, quite often, have more snow and ice up here than they do "down below", so feel free to check. We do continue to teach and ride in the colder weather, but if you can't make your lesson due to icy roads, let us know as soon as possible.

3) When it gets cold, we turn the water off down at the barn - this keeps our pipes from breaking in the chill and keeps the water flowing during the day. If you are at the barn in the evening after we have closed or in the morning before we have started the hoses up, expect to not have running water and plan accordingly. You can bring some bottled water or cleaning wipes for your tack and there is hand sanitizer in the tack room.

4) Parking! Tis the Season for the neighbors to get their Christmas display up and running! Hopefully you will all enjoy the chance to get to see (& hear) it, but please remember, as we get closer to the holidays, it can get busy up there at night. It is important, if you are the last one out of the gates in the evening to close them behind you - otherwise we can get a lot of people thinking we are a parking lot for the event. If there aren't any cars up top when you go to leave, just close the gates - if you aren't sure, feel free to ask.

5) Our pastures will get snowy, but generally not slippery - however, the same is not true for some of the pathways - the one down to the barn in particular. There is a yearly stream that runs down the hill and it can make for ice under the snow - please walk carefully down to the barn - even after the snow has gone - just in case.

6) Riding in the snow! Although this sounds romantic and fun, remember snow can be slippery! Feel free to take your horse for a nice hand walk if you would like, but keep his (and your!) safety in mind! We don't want any ice injuries!!

As always - any questions - just ask!

We also have some other fun events:

The Susie Hutchinson Clinic - this was a great weekend for all horses and riders! Hopefully you had a chance to come out and audit and if you didn't, never fear, we took some great notes and will be practicing all of it on YOU!! Winter lessons are all about flat work and details as we prepare our horses for the 2011 show season - expect to work hard on the "little things" this winter!

Year End Awards - the results are in and, once again, Team Sundance had a great turn out for the WSHJA awards - the highlight going to Chelsea and Farley who were Champions in the 1.0M jumpers for the year! This division was HUGE so we are very excited that these two were able to dominate - even with a run in with hives for poor Farley!! Great job to them and everyone else who placed in the Top 10 for the end of the year - look for your name in lights coming soon to a magazine near you!!

Holiday Party - it's back!! We will be having our yearly Holiday Party at Katherine's house on Saturday, December 18th. The fun starts at 7pm and includes the annual SE Year-End awards for Most Improved Rider and the Sportsmanship award, as well as a slideshow and lots of yummy treats. Mark your calendars now!

The 2010 Survey - this is our yearly survey which we ask you to all fill out so we can plan the 2011 show calendar. This is YOUR chance to let us know what shows you liked/didn't like and which ones you want to go to in 2011. This is also a great time to talk to your trainers about YOUR goals, so start thinking on what it is you want to do with your horse in 2011 and beyond and fill out at survey ASAP. Look for the link on the Sundance Facebook page ASAP.

Lastly, we have started our plans for our final two fields up by the parking lot. If you see some posts sticking out of the ground up there, don't move them!! We have measured the fields out and are preparing to order supplies this month and are excited about having more fields for our horses to enjoy!

Hope you are all enjoying the Holiday Season - and, as a personal plug, that you have all had a chance (or will make the time!) to go out and cheer on the drummers (Nicholas in particular) at Snowflake Lane at Bellevue Square. It runs every night from now until the New Year at 7pm and is a fun, Christmas Cool Holiday event! 

See you at the barn!

It's raining, it's falling....

Well, we've had a nice break from all that wet stuff and all of our horses enjoyed just a little bit more outside time before the weather kicks in again. Looks like we may have a few wet days coming our way, but the horses are all looking sharp in their fall clothes. We may have to get warmer layers for next month, but don't panic yet - we will wait and see what December holds!

Speaking of winter clothes - Sinatra/Titan received a wonderful donation from the folks at S.A.F.E. and now gets to join the rest of the Sundance crew with a nice warm blanket for outside - as a side note, we are hoping he may stay a little cleaner - however, if he talks to Phalcon, he'll find a way to be just as dirty even with the clothes! Never the less, we love his new blanket! We are thinking about using some of Danika's hard earned cash for him to invest in a cooler unless someone has a pony cooler they would like to donate - just let us know - we are always up for Titan donations!

With the rain committing, we have closed the grass gates for the winter to allow the grass to get strong for next year. Never fear, they will be open again once the weather clears up, the leaves get cleaned up and the grass gets a nice strong foot hold. The horses aren't convinced, but seem to all have accepted their shortened turn outs for the winter with a good attitude - they know it'll be back! In other winter projects, thanks to the efforts of our great Sundance Team, with the hill being weeded, we have purchased all sorts of new plants from Vibrant Plants to get out there. Expect to see some new greenery this week - and fewer weeds next year!

With the winter months coming, now is the time to get out there and get educated!! It can be hard to keep motivated and focused on your riding goals during the off season, but there is never a better time - you don't want to start behind the ball in 2011! Make sure you ride or audit at least ONE clinic before the show season in February starts. We have three riders for the upcoming Susie Hutchinson clinic, so that would be a great one to come out and support your teammates and see what Susie has to say. The flier will be posted in the barn, so check it out and get signed up to watch at least some of the clinic - consider it your horse homework!

It is also that show time of year for those of you interested in Thermal - and if you can't show there, you should consider coming down to watch. Thermal is a show unlike any of the shows we can offer here in WA and an amazing chance to see some of the best riders our sport has to offer. If you are interested in showing, make sure you talk to the staff ASAP - if you are interested in coming down to watch - try and coordinate your dates with us so you have a chance to hang out with your barn buddies at some of the great events they host at the show.

In other barn news, in order to keep up with the "continuing education" theme, Jasmine went down to OR to visit Rich Fellers at his barn, Whip n' Spur, in Wilsonville and had the chance to buddy it up with Flexible and McGuiness - make sure to ask her all about her experience!! She had the opportunity to jump outside over the banks, table top and wooden gates and came home fired up and ready to head to the show in CA next year - hopefully she'll get the chance to travel back down there again before the show season starts.

As the holidays approach, if you have been thinking of a gift for your favorite horsey fan, now is a great time to order barn jackets and other items for the show season for both horse and rider. If you are looking for ideas, check with Staff and we will be more than happy to help get that information out to you - we have people clothes and horse clothes that will get you prepared not only to be awesome in 2011, but look as good as you feel!

Hope to see you all out at the barn - remember, with holidays, etc. during this month the schedule is a little bit different so please check with Staff about any potential date conflicts.

Baby, it's cold outside!

Well, the sun has kept shinning and even blessed us with a beautiful day for our annual work party - and what a lot what got done!! So many Sundancers came out and worked so hard that the barn pretty much sparkled with the extra attention! Jumps have been painted, the weeds are all off the hill, the wire has been re-strung, and five years of dust and disorderly have been swept away from the upstairs storage area - it's a whole new world out there! Thanks to all of you who came out and spent the day making YOUR barn the best barn in town!

Toby also joined the Sundance team this last month. He is Chelsea's new jumper horse and an adorable gentleman as well. We have been enjoying getting to know him and Maia and he are plotting all sorts of fun rides for Chelsea - as all good children do!

In other barn news, the Susie Hutchinson Clinic is coming up in November- if you want to ride or audit the clinic, touch base with us now as we have pricing and more details. Registration forms are due soon, so let us know if you'd like to spend your Thanksgiving weekend learning even more about your favorite sport! The winter is a great time to go and check these things out - make sure you get to at least one before show season starts!

The weather is beautiful, but chilly, and the horses are staying warm and dry with their sheets on full time now. We may look at warmer clothes next month depending on the weather trends - we will update everyone as we get closer to the end of the month.

On the horse front, everyone seems to be doing well. Mexico is getting the hang of her new home and has settled into the routine very nicely. Boo is about to graduate to full turn out this week and we are all super excited to see her get to be a "real" horse like the rest of her barn buddies. Pink wound up getting a great 1/2 lease with Elizabeth and her daughter Aly and is enjoying getting a little spoiled. She is still looking for someone to grab the other "1/2" so if you've been dying to lease a super cute pony, this is your chance! Titan/Sinatra continues his amazing riding routine - he is super quiet and is working hard toward becoming the perfect kids' horse in the future - hopefully he can find a fun home soon! The other horses are doing well - lots of flat work during the week now as we get ready for next season by staying in shape, keeping those legs strong and healthy, and challenging those horse minds with fun exercises for mind and body!

With November on the way, make sure to check with staff about some upcoming schedule changes for holidays and other staff events during the month and make sure to come on out & enjoy your clean and shinny barn!!

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!