Tag: fun

Seven Half Diamond, 2010

Posted on by Stefanie in Blog

Ok. Ok….Apparently I cannot help sharing some of these great photos from all these Camps. Each one I swear was my favorite, each one special and full of the best kind of people….Enjoy! So these are from the Seven Half Diamond Camp in August, and what a blessing to be at a higher altitude during the hottest week in Merritt in the summer! In town was 36 degrees Celsius, up at 7.5, a balmy 30….MUCH more conducive to hanging out and learning with horses.. The Cabin was cool and such a focal point, with its lake views, shady porches and all the comforts of home in a beautiful, lovingly hand made way. With enough privacy, yet camaraderie, good food, laughs and tears (yes, all the really good camps have tears, don’t they?)were in definite abundance, it was one of the best parts of this week. Four good friends, 2 from the Island, 2 from Pritchard came together to meet and re-unit with their horses and I left the theme of the week up to them to dictate, and I suppose it really should be no surprise that it ended up being all about Feel…hahahaha! It is simply inescapable and insistent in being brought to our full awareness……. So...what better way to start then with the (soon to be infamous:) Waiting Game? Once again peace descends upon the area, as horses await they time to come in at free choice to be with their human. Each one different in their methodology of the approach, yet each one intensely focused, almost in a microcosm, unsure, curious, seemingly indifferent at times, certainly unsettled at the turn of events and checking out what every other being is doing, until they all, horse and human alike reach stillness and presence….and that wondrous magic occurs yet again…..This is truly an exercise that will effect you like no other. We ended the first day with a casual trail ride up the pipeline, enjoying the shade and quiet time to be ‘with‘ our horses…. and oh ok! And a really good loooong gallop up the grassy hills…:) Long trotting out brought some interesting reactions from both species, horses adapting somewhat quicker the the humans to this seemingly innocent enough task and we dwindled to 1/2 the group rising with the sun to repeat the next morning. And what a treat! The cool, sweet smelling pines and damp grasses swishing as our horses hooves beat out a regular cadence as we rode the grassland trails, up and down hills, through stands of aspen and finishing up by the misty lake and the call of the loons…almost a surreal morning. The last day was a competition of sorts involving a course with certain requirements and obstacles that participants had a bare exposure to at the outset. As well as being timed, marks were added for exceptional feel and awareness of their horses individual needs. To watch everyone get so soft and connected with their horses was astonishing! To see the expansion of Consciousness; for the slightest try, the softest ask, the most generous allow and the grace of knowing when a threshold of confidence had been reached.
What a group!

One last ride out , experimenting with ponying and all it entails which is such a powerful lesson and boy! It sure allows us to be clearly the leader and how it can give that all needed focus and intention to our riding, not to mention exercise to that second horse always left at home…. moving a few head of cattle, a splash in the lake and then the sad packing up, cleaning and loading all our toys and memories up…and off to our respective corners of the world again…. Thanks Roma and Keeper, Tracy and Mesa, Deb and Topper and Cheryl and Magic !

Camp Update…Part One.

Posted on by Stefanie in Uncategorized

Well, not being one to rush things to much, to allow them to unfold as they best see fit, I hereby present the Official Summer Camp Update…..ta-da! 🙂

Part of me thinks I should do a blog on each camp separate since there are SO many cool photos and experiences to share, but then I decided that if you really want the whole picture that you will just have to come and do a camp yourself, if you weren’t there this year, this is all you get…..hahahahaha!

This opening shot is of Indys sexy ears as we overlook Lundbom Lake on the Pre-ride ride that Jeanne, her daughter Cathy and I did…..what a view!


The Connecting at the Dot Camp…….. June.

Four brave, devoted souls and their Equine partners explored greater depths of Connection through exercises in developing finer awareness and presence. These photos are from the Waiting Game….a fascinating meditation and reveals so much about ourselves…. I am honored and infinity thankful to be able to watch everyone , seeing into a deeper world, another piece of the mystery of this ethereal link we share with horses. It is a very personal and moving experience Vicki D. and Julio ( Cita’s Father by the way, happily enjoying his new Gelding-dom)Mark and Sirius , and Laurel with Fancy …..Jeanne and Gumby joined us a day later….

Encouraged to Journal feelings, thoughts, and set a clear written intention and mantra for the weekend and the future, everyone began to soften and relax before my eyes. We played in the Obstacle Field; Complete with the ever popular Water Jump. Even Arab’s can be allowed to find the joy in water…:) as Vicki found out. We rode down by the river, and played with lots of Human simulation games that really allowed us to feel “feel”…. and ended with a Fabulous dinner in a very eclectic restaurant in Spence’s Bridge…(YES! Spence’s Bridge!) I loved this Camp for the fantastic desire in everyone to find a way to look deeper, ask ourselves how we can allow room in our life and schedule for connection to grow; how by simply being ‘with’ our horses somehow, magically, allows them to be with us.

Grace and Sue’s Custom Camp….August

Two of my all time favorite Ladies and there very good mares, Velvet and Sue’s new mare Misty, returned for another intimate camp. I LOVE this special time I get to have with these to friends, exploring the edges of their knowledge and passion for their horsemanship. With just the two ladies, we really get to delve into what the next piece is for them and how best to have it unfold and become a part of their being. Slow paced, free formed and every bit a vacation, this week is not without its growing moments. ( that’s polite talk for emotional turmoil and what the heck am I doing here? moments) but that is what we love about our life with horses right? RIGHT????:) Although we had too cool a week of weather to allow us to swim like we did last year, none the less, I think the ladies and I had a GREAT time together and am so looking forward to having them back next summer….Thanks Grace and Sue…!

and so…now I am pooped and will have to finish this report another day,,,which happily, since I am the author, boss, chief pooper scooper, head feeder and hay pitcher,maid (well, kinda)and Editor in Chief….I can do that sort of craziness….!

Cita’s Blog

Posted on by Stefanie in Uncategorized

This would be Cita saying

“Thanks for allowing me to spend my life with Stef, Papa Terry and Mama Vicki! I love it here, I love Indy especially, and the dogs, and my big grassy field, and going for walks in the hills, and playing in the water jump and in the river, and splashing Espada (….she HATES getting wet🙂 . I Really like it when Stef brushes me with the super soft brush and
sprays Conditioner in my mane and tail so that I look as pretty as IV(….well, I AM actually WAY prettier then that cheap floozy with her wavy mane….and she’s such a pale washed out Palomino, too!) and I even like standing tied like the grown up horses do….but I am sooooo good at just standing quietly while Stef puts that heavy saddle on my back and I even kinda like that, because I think maybe I get to spend more time with her. Especially since she actually got on the saddle on my back and I was SO Proud and Indy was so surprised! and I just can’t WAIT to get going and doing cool things that all the other horses seem to get to do with Stef…..So Thanks Vicki and Terry! I LOVE my life and my human….and I am pretty sure she loves me, too….:) “

Cita is apparently quit chatty tonight, and has suddenly learnt the unusual Equine Talent of typing, which I can take no credit for……..but she has made a heck of a mess out of my keyboard typing with her big ole hooves…..

Fun….!.It isn’t a four-letter word

Posted on by Stefanie in Uncategorized


Lauren and I were yackin’ on the phone the other day ( something we are quite good at, truth be known…) and she was telling me about her ride the other day with a friend and how it was just a side show comedy act. The two horses were basically galloping down the trail with a vague level of direction maintained, bareback, halters and big Sugar Eatin’ Grins on their faces, laughing all the way home…I loved it! What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! No proper
flexion, probably no collection, more then likely not a shred of roundness.………….But were the horses having fun??????? And were they having fun together????? Hmmmmmmm…

I think we all to often seem to forget about actually having FUN with our horses….forgetting about ‘proper’ form and function. As well and fine as it is to have our higher horsemanship goals, places we aspire to go, and activities we participate in from showing to trail riding, I believe it is vital to just have fun and be with our horse friends in a silly, casual and non-structured way. Whether it was as Lauren and her pal were doing, madly galloping bareback, howling with laughter at the freedom of it, swimming at a great spot on the river on a HOT summer day, or maybe just sitting and hanging out with your horse, soaking up the moments of stillness and peace, without trying to make (!) anything happen…just allowing each other to be together…….


Part of the slippery deal about having fun as a grown-up is remembering how to be like a kid again and it can take a conscious effort on our part to Let Go of control, be in the Moment, let loose the child in us, Let Go of our fears, and just allow ourselves to relax! We so often want this for our horses, to relax and trust us, so imagine that! We have to be willing to do the same thing….and often we have to be the one that does it first…..

Be creative, be off the wall, be zany, be curious, be INTERESTING to yourself and your horse! Take your buddy for a walk or bike ride and actually allow them to graze to their hearts content ( ok, maybe not THAT long……:) Sitting around with your friends in the field, or in the evening at a clinic while you unwind, hanging out with your horse….and watch them become engaged with your ridiculous and highly unusual behavior…They love it! My horses and dogs share a very special relationship, and Indy and Sage totally have a rapport….they tease and taunt one another, and nuzzle and completely enjoy one another’s company. Sage will bark at Indy’s face while he is trying to catch one of her exposed body bits, both loving the game. At camps, to help people slow down and just be with their horses as well as actually allowing their horse to be the one that decides to connect, and do something completely different. I have people sit at the end of their 22ft. ropes, with their backs to the horse and……………wait. Always, always, always this is an amazing thing to do. What crazy thoughts go thru our heads, and how it teats our patience (hmmmmmm maybe it is like mediation…..) but the gift of connection it brings is sooooooooo worth it. (I also do this with the training horses, to help establish rapport and trust...both ways!) I do suggest good weather for this little experiment, or fun it may not be……

So. Maybe play (!) around with having some silly, non-structured fun……go ahead! embarss yourself! Be a silly-ass and laugh til your belly hurts! Do something so off the wall, your neighbors stare and then look the other way, the cat hinds under the stairs, the dog thinks you are the wackiest, coolest thing ever (well, he probably already does, so your off the hook there……….) and your horse just might get to thinking he wants to be with you, too. Not because you made him , but because you guys are having FUN !

And besides, its just darn near impossible to have a bad day when you lay backwards, bareback on your horse, with your arms folded across his beautiful bum, eyes closed while the rhythm of his eating lulls your worries away and peace and bliss enfold you………..