Can Am, London Ontario

It was a lot of fun for Tommie getting back up to London, Ontario. Paul and the crew have been working real hard and it has paid off for their Can-Am show. Tommie performed in 3 shows along with his favorite student Lizzy Traband, Gudmar Pederson's Icelandic horses, and Clay Maiers. Here is a great photo of one of the demos Tommie did with Lizzy and a volunteer.

Tommie really gets the most out of people when it comes to their horses. They come in to demos and clinics a little timid and shy or not understanding what it takes to create a bond with their horses. Most think it is magic or the horse has to be smart, well.... It takes being a leader and to think like the horse thinks. Be one step ahead and know what he is going to do. I work with more people who want the horse to like them so they don't get forceful or demand respect. It only takes time before their horse is doing whatever he/she wants and they are wondering why. Being forceful isn't mean or terrible. Do you think it hurts a horses feelings when another horse puts his ears back or kicks out? No. They are communicating and saying "hey, you listen to me", and when the leader evolves they listen to them. That's their behavior and that is what they understand. Don't think your horse will hate you if you raise your voice or a whip. They will respect you more. Like any tool, it can become abusive when it is done without provocation or without cause. I don't use spurs, but I will if it becomes necessary. I don't use my whip until it becomes necessary. We train with these tools so we can ultimately NOT use them. Our goal is to be able to ride a horse without tack, saddle, bridle, bit, whip, spurs, boots, or neck rein. Sounds impossible? It may be more difficult for some horses, but our goal is alway that. Each training step we take is towards that end. Even with my chariot horses. We work them with the goal of getting away from tack. They may drive chariots with lots of tack, but as we roundpen or ride each time with the goal to build the relationship with them and give them the freedom. It's amazing what more control you have over a horse without tack than with.

I'm putting on another Sensory course here at Double G, May 9 and 10. This clinic is designed to give the horse and rider a place to gain confidence and work on their skills together under supervision and in a safe environment. At the beginning, most attendees and their horses are skidish and resistant to some of the obstacles, but with the right mindset and leadership their horses do whatever they ask. We ride the trails through water, hills and even a train. It's very empowering for the horse and rider. Hope to see you here.

Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Having fun with the boys!

Tommie had his best friend, Josh Lyons stop by this weekend on his way to Canada. They took the boy interns out in the woods for a little "paint ball" fun. Josh and Tommie teamed up to fight against the interns. (Photo is Ben, Tommie Turvey, Dennis, and Josh Lyons) It was a little wet and not much cover yet, but it was fun. They work well together and I'm glad I wasn't on the opposing team. We had the barrel series finals this weekend. It was awesome. Cal Vandermyde won the 1D title. This was the first year I did barrel shows and it was quite the learning experience. We got it straight about the 3rd weekend. I now can see how the divisions work. It gives everyone a chance to win and run, instead of just the best times. If we went on best times, then you would only get 10 people. This way the take the best time, add .5 secs and you have the next division and so on. It's good to see that it takes consistancy and you'll win. Knock a barrel, you get a no time. We had a lot of great prizes from our sponsors. Thanks to Ariat, Wahl, Montana Silversmith, Double G and M & F Accessories. We are already scheduling next years shows. Thanks to all the help and support you gave us over this hard winter! Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

The report is in on Callaway Premium Horse Bedding

Here is Blade, Maverick and Tommie.

Tommie makes sure his horses are well taken care of. Since October, Tommie has been testing out a new horse bedding from Callaway Farms in Rayle, GA. With their 3 sizes, Tommie and the crew have come up with the results... They love them! (The horses and I do too!) We tested them in trailers and stalls. We tested them on dirt, matts, and concrete. They do the job, are incredible fluffy and keep the horses happy and healthy. The biggest piece of mind for Tommie is knowing that Callaway does all the manufacturing of the product, from tree to bagged flake. They don't just buy the shavings or wood chips. They know exactly what is going into the bag. The Triple Crown is the favorite with 3 sizes of flakes in one bag. It's perfect for the stalls we keep them in at our facility. We used to mix 2 sizes flakes to keep it fluffy and managable, but that was a tedius process tring to get the right mix. Now we just add a bag of Triple Crown. The Sure pick is great for the trailer and for stalls. It's a medium flake with excellent absortion. The large flake, Derby Select is great for temporary stops, stalls, and when we need the trailer really fluffy. The great part too is they put 8.5 cf in a bag, so 2 bags fill a stall very nicely. They also put a convenient handle on it so you can carry 2 at a time. We have tried them all and have found that Callaway shines above them all. Tommie is also working together with them to create new ideas and keep the focus on what's best for the horse, not just for the wallet. As far as price is concerned, you might be thinking that it must be expensive. It's the same as most other brands at about $6 to $7 a bag. So, if you're thinking about horse bedding, then look at Callaway Farms in Rayle GA. They do it right. Well, gotta run the barrel show today. It should be awesome weather! Ride Fast... Take Chances!