Angie and Amigo as St Lucia and Swedish Daha Horse

Hello all, 

Last Saturday we had our annual volunteer riding show at Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship Center in Wylie, Texas. It is great fun to compete with good friends who are great riders and wonderful horses. Every year we dress in costume and this year I asked Amigo to be a Swedish Dala Horse. 

Sweet, Amigo being such the good sport agreed. A Swedish Daha horse is the bright, happy little animal that probably originated in the 1700's. During wartime many soldiers were quartered in private homes in Sweden. Tradition has it that one such soldier carved a Dala horse in the home where he was staying for the children. In return for the bright toy, the woman of the house gave the soldier a bowl of soup. Soon word of his success in bartering for food reached the other soldiers, they too began carving and painting horses in exchange for food. Thus, the Dala Horse is credited in part with the army's surviving the cruel,cold winter. 

 

For this year's show I decided to dress as St. Lucia or Saint Lucy. St Lucy's Day is celebrated on the 12th of December. She was martyed for helping hide the Christians from the Romans. She worked with the sick and in order to use both hands wore a headband of candles for which to see in the dark. She is dressed in a white with a red waistband which signifies her martyr’s death. In traditional celebrations, Saint Lucy comes as a young woman with lights and sweets.St. Lucy's Day is observed on in an all night celebration called Lucevaka. Celebrants would party all night between 12th and 13th and guard oneself against being taken by Lucifer, lord of darkness. 

 

When the light arrives with the morning you are safe again. In Scandinavia and other parts of the world, a procession is headed by one girl wearing a crown of candles (or lights), while others in the procession hold only a single candle each.


By the way.....we took First Place in Costume and First Place in Holding an Ornament in a Spoon (Amigo is awesome at neck reining)....Fourth Place in Equitation(out of nine participants)....Happy Holidays to all.....Angie and Amigo

Blossom - A partner for life

Hello everyone,

I love reading about the ground work Betsy and Zoe are doing at Top of the Hill and I have learned so much from reading everyone's notes. I am hoping to incorporate the some of the suggestions in my working with Nevada Blossom and her mom, Golden Red. Here, are a few photos where I am working with Nevada's Blossom but the first obstacle is food.....she acts like she is always starving and insists on grazing ...so I try to get her attention....

Nevada Blossom is not only a beautiful girl but she has a wonderful calm personality. I have been watching the interaction between her and the other horses and she is not in the top of the leadership poll but she is tops with me. I love her softness and desire to please.

Blossom is a fast learner and a great student. Most importantly she is teaching me how to be more confident in my requests. I know she will respond positively if I ask the right questions. I can tell from her movement she is listening to me. I just hope I am hearing her correctly.

Nevada's Blossom is a sweetheart. I love working with her and she is teaching me so much. A few months ago, I was standing behind her and my cell phone rang....I didn't think twice...but I should have....it startled her and rightfully so ...it had only been a few weeks since she was in a BLM holding pen with her mom, Golden Red....well, she instinctively kicked ....and I limped ....for several weeks and we all the smarter for it....It is a lifetime of learning with horses and I am finding it cannot be hurried but instead appreciated for the small accomplishments we make and when we make a partner for life....well that is what it's all about...

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:
1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don't hurt.
3) Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts
4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground..
5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.