Nature disaster nr 2

Ok, so we have another spanish 'nature-disaster' - three drops of rain. These clouds and one puddle in the arena are the reasons for cancelling the competition this coming weekend, uff, it is only one puddle come on! But no, the spanish riders are comfortable and will not endure this 'horrendous' weather conditions. I went to get my license the other day and I told woman in the office about last competition in Sweden that continued under rays of lightening and a massive thunderstorm, she lifted her eyebrows and I thought for myself that maybe that was a little excessive...
We are now preparing two stallions we have sold to Sweden for some real cold climate, tomorrow I'll announce which ones they are!

Caramba!

Congratulations to Zorro PRE!
Caramba has now had her baby filly foal! Mum is a Vinatero III mare we sold to Sweden 1999, dad is a exclusive pure black Escalera stallion. Such a pretty little thing!

Competiton coming up!

Stablegroom Hector always positive and never stops

Javier & Donoso VII

Jade
These are the LAST photos I made with my now dead phone. Yesterday I did a (unconscious) phone-test, we did a extended trot over it phone and it broke. Sorry Ericsson, no trot-extension scores, but I am happy as I now have the phone I always wanted and I know it will make me happy. Lesson; Never settle for second best. So at the moment one of my two collegues (computer & phone) are now cooperative. Let's see what test I can expose my computer to..

Start and I will do our first PSG next weekend! Very very exciting and the competitions are right here (above) - at home!
My new phonenr; 0034 616 314 307

Donoso VII to European Championships!

We have been invited to represent Sweden at FIECVAL 2010, Salón del Caballo y Salón del Toro - the first ever European Championships for PRE! The event will take place in beautiful Valencia the 15-18 of April, hope to see you all there!
Info Valencia & EU-Championships here;

More info here; http://www.fiecval.es/

Days longer, temperature rising..

Paola, Donoso, Start & meTodays training in indoor Jade, it is getting warmer and the days are longer now. I love my horses, they are such good students. Yesterday Start & I went to canter in the countryside, you cross a narrow passage with huge bulls next to you, majestic creatures, so happy they are on the other side of the wall! At the moment I am working Nr 361, I think I might keep him with me I really like his attitude and movement. It is a pleasure to ride a mature horse that is self-confident, you can advance fast. His canter is a dream, brings you forward and uphill. It is so easy for him to sit the hind which gives him piaffe talent. With the suspension he has it will not take long to develop a passage either. We'll see! 

Training again!

I had not seen my trainer for about 1 year so it was fun to see him and hear his feedback on my horses. I only had two lessons in Sweden with Elisabet Lundholm so I have been working on my own since March 2009. We started with Start. He said he was more fat. No I said, it is all muscles. This is the thing, I very rarely agree with my trainer, if he does not see every minute detail and understands me 100% I am not happy. But he does see the sensitivity in the horse and the rider and does not get offended when I go - NO, this that and the other. He listens, there is a two-way comunication and we work it out using both points of view. Very diplomatically he had me riding for a while so that he could see, and I could show, where we are and what we have to work on. He adapts to his client, I LOVE being the client and I am VERY demanding one because being 'at service' all day long makes you appreciate being served! Something to think about..

Anyhow, we went on and off he went with the half pass, changes, pirouettes, zick zacks, extentions etc, etc and I went STOP to accelerated - too many things and Start goes hot. Start is not easy, too much activity makes him go behind the vertical and he drops hindlegs and back. Too litte activity makes him floppy he goes loose and drops back and hindlegs. I want a PERFECT back and contact, otherwise not happy and no forms will be performed. Se worked on that one and then did the forms. He said he could see improvement in changes, in contact, in activity of hindlegs, in extentions and in forms so basically I have been doing a good job, but it is going to be much better now! Above Start and Eduardo same day he left for Sweden in March 2009.