Trail Ride for Confidence

Well, this week is the kids camp, so I am swamped and tired. BUT Kay sent me this photo and I loved it!! This really shows how much confidence these people had after two days of sensory and confidence training. All I can say is "WAY TO GO!" In this photo I'm in the front, leading the pack on a water crossing. We even got near a train as it went by. I saw a lot of improvement in the riders and the horses confidence. Don't try to fix horses overnight, just keep them heading in the right direction and it will come. Keep it up girls!

Ride Fast... Take Chances!

Karen

Weekend Sensory and Confidence Clinic

We had a great turnout for our Sensory and Confidence Clinic. 13 people participated to work with their horses and get their horses to overcome obstacles and spooky objects. There is all kinds of different horses and levels of riders. It is inspiring to see someone improve or reach their goals with their horses. The point where their horse understands them and they overcome is where they gain confidence. Once they get to this point they will be able to enjoy rides and face their obstacles with their horses. Be a rider not a passenger. Your horse needs you to be the leader. For those who said there horse "won't" do something like jump a log, I challanged them. I have never seen a horse that couldn't, just a rider who couldn't or wasn't abling the horse. Be positive and try. Your horse will achieve the task you ask. It's time to go on a trail ride. I'm gonna take them by the train tracks and wait for a train. How many will turn back? This will show who has really gained confidence. Here a few photos of the participants and us working.

Thanks to Kay Fellows for the great photos. I was too busy to take photos. Thanks girls for the help and to all the participants I hope this helped you understand your horse and reach a few more goals. Set your horse up for success. Remember, with horses it is not a race, small steps and small victories is what makes success! Ride Fast.. Take Chances!

karen

Tommie is having fun out West!

It has been pretty busy here at the Wahl Equestrian Center as we gear up for the upcoming shows, our own clinics, shows, and all kinds of fun. It has been pretty hot and very wet. We got the corn maze mapped out and cut. It is a lot of fun. We'll have a pumkin patch for people to come and get their pumpkins for Halloween. It's a lot more fun to take your kids out to a real pumkin patch and pick out a perfect pumkin, then to buy it at a supermarket. They can get lost in the corn maze and take a hay ride. This will be a very fun fall. I have a clinic this weekend on Sat and Sun on Confidence and Sensory Training for horses and riders. Then Mon-Fri we have an all day kids camp. We'll have lots of fun and activities for them all week in addition to learning the proper way to care, work, play, and ride horses. Then we have an Appaloosa Show the following weekend, followed by the Northern Illinois Cutting Horse Assoc. The Texas Kid, Rodney Hayes stopped by last night to lay over for a few days between rodeos. He's a rodeo specialty act and rides a bull to the top of his trailer. He travels with a horse, a bull and 4 minis. We're gonna go see him in a rodeo Saturday Night.



Tommie is in Salt Lake City. He just did a rodeo in Nephi, UT and said the rodeo was great and the commitee was awesome. He said they treated him like one of the family. When your on the road for a long time it is nice to be around friendly and accommodating people. As you might know Tommie loves to skydive. At the Folsom rodeo a guy landed in the middle of the rodeo. His name is Mark Schlatter. Tommie had to meet this guy, so he went over to talk to him. I thought Tommie has a lot of jumps with 125, but this guy has like 6000+ jumps. That is amazing. Tommie sent me some photos. He swooped in with this big american flag as you can see in the photo. Tommie was very impressed.

Tommie heads back to California next week for more rodeos with Flying U, then it's back here to the Wahl Equestrian Center for a show on August 25th. Come see us have fun and welcome Tommie back home. Ride Fast... Take Chances!

karen

New Friends at WEC/Turvey Horsemanship

I just got some great photos of our 2 newest friends here.


The first is our zebra. I call her Popsi. She is less than a year old and is really adorable. She may look like a horse, but has a very different personality and disposition. We are hoping to work with her and make her one of the family. Here is a picture of Jesse and our zebra.

Here is our intern from Australia, Giddy. When she was here she took care of the Sherman, our visiting kangaroo. He was born in the US and has been hand raised. He is less than a year old also. He is a very interesting character who loves carrots. We are learning a lot from him too. I want to thank Kay Fellows for the great photos.

I'm getting ready for our upcoming show tomorrow with the Whiteside County Mounted Patrol. It is a Horse show with all types of classes. Then we have our clinic on July 21 and 22. I'll be working with people to help them gain confidence and learn how to get over spooky obstacles. We'll be working in a safe environment and I'll get to see first hand any problems the horse and rider may have and help fix it. In my experience, it is usually just a few little steps you need to take to get over the "hump" or fear. Once you achieve this, you will be on your way to enjoying the summer riding and having fun with your horse. Ride fast... Take Chances! karen

Sacramento Western States Expo 2007

Western States Horse Expo 2007 - Saturday Night Show

When Tommie got back from Australia, he didn't waste any time. After flying for over 20 hours and getting home at 1am, we were loaded up and headed to Sacramento at 6am. Tommie was booked for the expo to do demos and to show them the excitement which can be created with a night show of top notch entertainment. Tommie and I did a little teaser on Friday night during the Mangificent 7 show, which was a competition with reining horses and cutting cattle. Come Saturday Night it was a full house! The line to get into the show was wrapped around the fairgrounds as people came to see the show. Our show went perfect. Tommie and Pokerjoe was the hit of the show. They even had a Jumbotron TV to show everything up close and personal. It was a madhouse after too. Everyone lined up to get Tommie's autograph and a photo. We had a bunch of videos and shirts for sale and Tommie stayed until he signed and talked to every last person in line. It was a fantastic turn out and show of support. Tommie and I grew up around these parts, so we love to come back here. Thanks again to Miki and the crew for all their help. What a great show. We'll see you next year!Here are photos of Tommis during one of his demonstrations with Joker, the 2006 Breyerfest Breyer Model Horse. Tommie talking with Linda Parelli during the expo. NOTE: People email and ask me "what is the WAHL on Tommie's shirts?" Well, it is non-other than the best grooming clipper company in the world. It is WAHL Clippers. Their corporate headquarters are in Sterling, IL and we reside and manage the WAHL Equestrian Center in Sterling. They are a corporate sponsor of Tommie and our facility. They are the best clippers I have found. The new Switchblades are my favorite. They cut through everything on our horses and stay nice and cool and quiet! I hope that answers a few questions. Though, someone thought it was a Radio Station WAHL fm. Thanks for the emails and comments. karen@equineextremist.net
Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Dolly is on her way!

Here is me and Dolly!

My parents and sister are almost at the facility. They are 90 miles away. They are driving up from Orlando for the summer and they are bringing my favorite horse, Dolly. She is retired now, but she was my trick riding horse at Arabian Nights in Orlando. She was born in 1982 and worked at Baseball and Boardwalk before she was bought by Arabian Nights in 1988. She performed every night for 15 years until her retirement from showbiz, which was in 2002. My parents took her in and have been letting her live her life just being a horse. They have taken her to events like the Mardi Gras at Universal Studios and have ridden her in many parades. She loves to work and be with people, but she also has earned her time to sit and eat grass all day in a pasture. What keeps a horse going is having a job and Dolly is a prime example of a horse doing something she loved to do. We don't want her to over do herself now, so we limit her "performing" time, but she just brightens up when ever she gets in front of a crowd. To me she is a star in her own right. She is a true performer. I can't wait to see her. Below is a photo of Dolly and Kim Cincotta, who also an amazing performer at Arabian Nights. Here is me and Dolly after the show. I would do alot of trick riding on her and really get her going, so after the show I made sure I took good care of her. They used our photo during Breyerfest for the card and we are also featured by Brandy Parfum. Fred Pignon (of Cavalia)also did a wonderful drawing of me and her in action that I cherish. I've got lots of carrots for her too when she gets here. Welcome Dolly! Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen