Weekly Words from Gail: (or when she gets a chance) ---} Monday, July 19, 2010 Hi! So this has been quite a year so far!  The farm had been busy with horses coming in for training. Katie had Kugar in for a month,  I have had a few right now, Debi Gould's daughter, Sami Jos' horse Gunneris currently in for a month. Drialyn and Beautiful Gypsy Cobb  that is for sale is in with Keri Giles and Haley Loving working him.  I have quite a few more adult students riding, they are all motivated to ride and learn it is a lot of fun working with them! The Junior riding club was a great success and my working students have students that they are starting on the path of riding. The combination of younger student and working student is great. The working student is a great mentor for the younger student. Our working student gets the experience of helping guide a younger person and it is unbelievable how it builds the working students confidence and builds self-esteem. Also the working student can earn lessons and a salary, hard to come by in a rural community for a teenager.       Ashley Shaffer and Dixie have made the ASEA championships in Georgia! We are very proud for this great team and the dedication that The Shaffer's as family show Ashley with her horse endeavors.   Jen Hastings has made the cut and is going to Eastern States!! Yay Jen and Kya!    The Foxcroft Pony Clubbers have had good year too! There are a lot of new members and the families are getting their feet wet with how Pony Club is run they are all doing a wonderful job and the kids AND parents are working hard.     Judy Westlake has been coming to our area as much as she can this season; she has been extremely busy teaching and educating riders. Judy has a great way to get to what needs to be fixed with a horse and rider within one lesson.      I have been lucky to continue to ride Orpheus this year. We showed at Isaac Royal recently and got my instructor certification scores (they need to be 60.00 % or higher at 2nd 4 and Orpheus received 65.%, so that was a big *phew*) am going to continue the USEFUSDF shows and get as much time in front of the judges as I can. although I go in and do my tests I am always thinking about how is the best way  to ride the test and what the judges like to see or not.  I use the experience in accordance with the training scale and get many AHA moments that I share with students.  I also having been traveling and teaching out and about. It is a lot of fun, I enjoy it.    Haley Loving and her horse Diamond have been having a great time out at shows .The mare has come a long way, Haley has worked hard with her mare. Konner Wilson has been cantering and jumping Dafyyd, a miracle for the little Fjord who came to us acting like a little bulldozer! Brooke Boeglin and her horse Flair, have been living with Chris and I at the farm, Brooke just fit right in at the farm. Hannah Rothlauf has been riding Woodie and doing great! Amanda Snow brought Suzie and Smooch to Camp Fairhaven where Mandy works in the summers. Mandy BTW got 61..% at her first dressage show at first level!    Maddy Kelly is getting to know her new horse Galaxy and learning to ride that BIG trot they look awesome and her 1st level test also received 61%.!  Courtney and Kiwi are getting in their groove and receiving mid 60% training level and will be going 1st soon.    Chellie Oldfield and Scrappy are working on 2nd-3rd level and Chellie has been running the camps here at the farm. She is doing super dedicated has a professional manner and teaches and campers so they learn much at camp.   Jenna Jones and Orpheus are getting out and about getting to know each other on the show scene. She also has her horse Aria that she enjoys showing novice at MeCTA events. A third horse a WB, Luke, is here right now and Jenna is getting him going also. Keri Giles has her gelding Zeus here they have been working on their auto swaps. Keri has also been exercising many of the horses here and becoming very adaptable in riding different mounts.   Zane Jones has joined the showing crew with Bubba (Euro) and we look forward to seeing him "on the scene". Nick Bishop has been helping out at the farm and riding his mare, Abby. He and she are learning so much of working off the seat.     Emily Taylor and Abby are getting to be quite the team .Keep an eye out for these two!  Ali Conroy is doing a great job with Ranger. She is working him over his back and getting him so much more relaxed and thru. Ali has great feel and scope. The Anderson Girls are riding riding riding! These towheads lasses always bring much energy to the farm! Gracie Davis and Ella also have been getting know each other and Ella is a gorgeous jumper!!!!!!! Gabs has been in Nova Scotia for a few weeks, she will be coming home soon and start showing her horses. Miss ya! Kimmy and Rumble are coming a long way and Kim really works does her homework. Norma and Gwen Wilson have been really getting into the mechanics and buckling down to improve their positions and learn as much as they can. One thing about riding, you will ALWAYS work on your position! I KNOW that I need to talk about more of the students, will for next time!!! If I didn't get a student this time, no worries I will cover you soon and please let me know if there is something you want acknowledged. I am really happy with how all are progressing Great Job everyone!    Until next time Chris and I wish everyone well!!! Gail ---} Monday, July 05, 2010  Hellooo!! I realize now more than ever this is where I need to be! Kept up with my education of teaching and training ...check! I have been attending USDF workshops for instruction and have learned thru USDF and Judy Westlake (my instructor and regular clinician at our farm) the "system" that USDF/USEF USPC approve of (check). I am at the point in my instruction that I understand getting a national standard and teaching it. It is great! I an talk with my students about what is expected for their level of riding, how to achieve this and the thought process to gain understanding of why we ride the way we do. We develop an independent seat necessary for the upper levels. I will write soon about how much I LOVE our working students!!! Gail ---} Wednesday, May 12, 2010 Hello, Well spring sprung, then went away..... Hmmm, wondering what happened with the warm weather! April was very busy with four horses in for training. All did well and where we start many horses here at the farm, it is always good to see how well the horses do in understanding what is asked of them. All had different personalities and made a big difference in how you approach with your training.  We should see some of them out and about with their owners at shows.   The end of April I saw myself in New York attending a USDF instructor work shop. It was great fun and I met peers that have the same dedication and passion for teaching. I LOVED and learned a lot. Also ended up driving thru New York City during Friday night traffic, years of driving in Boston, put me back in time and fell right into city traffic driving. (A lot different when your current town of the last 20 years has 2 traffic lights!)  I will continue this pursuit it gives me much insight to teaching and is great to have firsthand conversation with the USDF faculty. Then May came and we had our Spring-Fling 2-phase, with Judy Lenihan judging dressage and Katie Bragdon judging the jumping portion.  The final tally was 45 riders and 54 rides. Most of the riders were from the farm, they all did a great good no one fell off and it was for the most part, on time. Many thanks to all that helped that day, it helps out soooo much! Thank you thank you!    This summer we will have Infinity Farm camp, I will have the dates posted and we have 1/2 leases available with our school horses.    Memorial weekend Judy Lenihan is hosting her adult clinic, if you want forms let me know it is a fun weekend to get out and see your other horse friends. It is $300.00 for the weekend really good food included. Val, Kathleen, Diane and I will be at the Judges workshop thru USDF. It is $50.00 to audit. Beth Ruksznis, Ashley Shaffer, Chellie Oldfield will be demo riders, that is an appreciated task!   Then the 31st is the Foxcroft Pony Club Jumper Show .Meg Black will be judge, this will raise money for the pony club and every one can jump! Jump! Jump!!!!  The working students are doing super, teaching and training locally. Everyone is impressed with them and they do a great job and are sophisticated in their riding. The students all listen well and take the riding seriously enough to make a difference in a horse but also enjoy the passion of riding. The students that are coming out and working hard are all making progress, adult and younger. I LOVE how they are in for the long run of learning and when they work hard and see progress it is rewarding for both rider and instructor. So call, come by and let's ride!!! Gail  ---} Friday, March 19, 2010 Happy Spring! Ok We had some warmth and are somewhat optimistic but we know Maine, take what we have each day and it's Ok..... Whatever Mother Nature throws us it won't last long.   All is well here; have four horses coming in for training in April, two in May. Becca Bourgoine has been coming out helping out with working horses that need exercise and doing an awesome job. She is getting her own following of clients; it's great to see her finding her niche. She is a hard worker and is figuring out how she wants to succeed in the riding profession. She'll do well...!  Motivation is key!   Am letting all know about camps this year we are having April camp as well as summer camps. Please look on our website regarding dates and what is offered. Becca Bourgoine will be running most of the foundation camps and I will be running the specialized clinics. Katie Bragdon is teaching here on a regular basis. Please call or e-mail and whatever your interest in riding is, we will get you started.   Show season is starting up for those who are interested. Once the omnibuses come in we will be having a barn meeting to talk about a show schedule.   Happy to see many of our younger students come out and start riding again. Welcome back!   I am thinking what is best for all students all the time and feel 2010 will be a great year for all of us!!!   We love horses, talk soon, Gail  ---} Monday, March 08, 2010 Alrighty then! Winter FLEW by! I am feeling good and motivated for this year. Feel so blessed to be able to ride with Judy Westlake; she is a wealth of information and all in accordance with USDF. The environment in Florida to learn with Judy and her husband Brian's' facility is so accommodating to all of us that come and go from their place thru out the winter. Our visits are comfortable, laid back and chock full of knowledge, I am thankful! Jenna and Amanda had a great time and were just great to spend time with. I truly enjoyed the time we had together and I feel that we created some super memories as well as being involved in the observance of their riding knowledge grow!  I enjoy the younger folk and enjoy their company. Although it can be a reality check that I have someone else's daughter in my care and always need to consider all safety, social aspects, it inevitably works out great and it always is a positive experience for the students.       This winter I am sharing what I learned this season.   First, riding correctly is hard!!!  Movements are easy that can be taught easily and if you get a horse that knows it all and you ride regularly you will climb up fairly easily up the dressage tests and do  "OK". This is absolutely FINE, it ISN'T right /wrong, especially if you LOVE horses BUT need to work /raise a family and/or run a business AND do something that you feel so strongly emotionally about riding.  PLEASE, get a schoolmaster that can help you, so you can enjoy riding while keeping train frustrations to a minimum. Let a knowledgeable instructor help you with the nuances of riding, working on your rider position to positively affect the horse and your ride.    For us in the business though, it is our obligation to get all the knowledge we can absorb, in order to be truthful, accurate and give our students the BEST possible instruction that we can.  With this insight, I feel for me, is the want to learn learn learn and help as many people thru the many emotional /riding levels with their horses that they love so much, to get to where they want to go. Where this journey takes me personally, I don't know, as all doors are open and want to include as many people that share the same passion as I do.    Secondly, POSITION - POSITION - POSITION, period.  Every day, EVERY rider will work on their position whether you are training level or Grand Prix you will be constantly re-adjusting, checking in with, looking in mirrors or getting consistent regular lessons with knowledgeable instructors on position.  As a rider you have to be taught to self correct yourself somehow. This has to be addressed for the level that the rider is ready for. There are many levels of positioning of horse and rider and if you introduce it all at once you will blow a student's mind if you go too quickly or push a student too much.  As an instructor, it is a great responsibility to balance your students safety, while introducing knowledge and theory. It takes experience to know when a student show move on to the next opportunity or when to revisit an ideal to make sure the rider understands a basic foundation area.  To help a student be able to stand up to riding physically and tell them what the path ahead is going to look like, the different issues they will confront and how they may feel emotionally. I try to keep an "open door policy" with your students so they can come to you with ANY question regarding training, instruction and any feeling they may be having.     Thirdly, learn all you can and keep an open mind. Information can come from the oddest places! I always listen to what people have to say I appreciate and try to comprehend the theory behind the belief, and then I process how it applies to me, my horses and my students. Some things mesh in well, others I may not feel it in the best interest or work in how I feel that is the best learning process  or may be more advanced for the level a student is riding at.  There are many roads to Rome!    At the farm as is business as usual. SADLY, Barb Chambers who had worked here at the farm feeding every AM and PM Monday thru Friday for the past year is leaving to move to Bar Harbor with her daughter. Barb did an EXCELLENT job here, she was so dependable and the horses ADORED her. We wish the best of the best and will miss her much!     Now to fill Barbs shoes; I feel really positive and welcome are Kim and Bobby Bubar. Both have horse experience and Kim has a horse of her own that will be living here at the farm. Kim and Bobby have a lot of horse sense and Kim wants to learn about the horse industry and wants a future in instruction and training. She came to the RIGHT PLACE!!   I love people that are serious about their riding as I take them under my wing and open all opportunities I can for them!    Student news: There are some really awesome stuff going in this department!  The Taylor family bought Abigail for their daughter Emily.  Abigail was one of our school ponies that Debi Gould and Smi-Jo Brawn had owned at one point. Now Abigail who now I think is about 6 yrs old , Debi and her husband Mike had gone to see Abi a few yrs ago for Sami and just felt in their hearts had to get out of the situation the mare was in. Long story short Deb gave her to the farm where Jenna Jones and some of the other working students (Ashley Shaffer too ) worked her. Abi is about 13.3 hands and can jump a 3' ft course! She is young so we don't jump that high often ( although ask Pam P about jumping her 3'6"!) Emily LOVES her and she is doing a great great job brining the mare along.     Michaela Beach, one of Katie Bragdon students, just got a beautiful Pinto mare that seems like a great match!!!!!!! SO happy for Micheala as she has to have the "horse fever" and wants to be around them all the time!     Cleo, Norma Wilson's mare is doing well I LOVE this mare. Jen Hastings has been working with her and she is just a super nice mare.    Maddy Kelly and Galaxy are getting to be quite the team .He has been super,super and and really excited for them both and Maddy LOVES her horse!    Ashley Shaffer got a new horse Keiko and I keep telling her I CANT WAIT to help them get going and am motivated to work with them both !  Amber Anderson has been working her sister (Beccas) horse, Scouts Honor, that they had bought last year from me ( I showed him the prev. yr he is a blast to ride) Look for their name out and about.    Rebecca White got accepted to quite a few Vet schools. We are really happy for her! Becca worked hard and deserves the opportunity!    Eva Peach is now the proud owner of Ruffy! This gelding I let Becca Bourgoine start with my help and Becca did and awesome job! I think Becca may show him some this year along aith Baby (J'Adore) Becca, BTW, got MDS 1st level champion AND 2nd level champion!      Val Philpot was T level champ MDS go Val!    Kathleen Fox had many accomplishments in MDS and EMDA lots of pats for Ray too.    Diane Rosell, Aremis and Chellie Oldfield are quite a team working with Aremis. Diane is a super person and she and Chellie click, working well with Diane's horse.  Congratulations Ali Conroy for getting a $1300.00 scholarship to peruse her riding education! She is a dedicated rider and deserves this opportunity.    Haley Loving had Diamond at home right now, this is big for them as she worked MUCH with Diamond and has done a great job!  LOVE that mare!     Konner Wilson has been riding Lilly recently and looks awesome on her and done well, Lucky Konner!   Keri Giles has been riding Turtle she does a great job with him, I forget Keri is only 12 and rides these horses SOOO well! She started Houston jumping and they look like a great team.  Can't wait to see Gabby Fevens back @ the farm! She rode in jump group on Jack and was super.  I want to get the working student program going full swing for the summer if you are interested please let me know I am setting up a date with the next 6 weeks.    I know there is more news and will write again... sooon! Gail ---} Thursday, February 11, 2010 Hi ho, hi ho, its off to Florida again we go! Jenna and I came back last Friday, we had a great time down in Loxahatchee /Wellington area. I showed Jenna around and we were able to see some Grand Prix jumping as well as Qualifying dressage shows with some great riders. It is just awesome! Jenna LOVED it she was a great comrade to pal around with! We saw Lauren Briggs Kramer who we see for jumping lessons. Lauren, a "r" hunter/jumper judge, is super nice and the kids love her. We have been going to Lauren for a few years now. Saw Jr. with Ashley, too. Ashley is starting to show Jr. for sale. Ashley has gotten him out this past summer jumping and hacking out. They went to their first hunter pace and won! Ashley has been having fun with Jr. Becca Bourgoine and her mom Cindy also came down to the "sunshine" state. We met with Judy Lenihan. Kathleen Fox came down as well as Kate Sherrill and Judy L's friend Sam. We all had a good morning, one morning, working out to "camp Judy" exercises that Nan setup for us. Nighttime turned us toward dining out and talking horse theories, clarifying questions and good talk all around. Christina Gordon and Ashley Davis met up with us and joined in the conversation. Turning to the last legs of winter it's a good time to take advantage of the school vacation and take Amanda Snow to Florida. We will be there for two weeks and back by the 29th of February. As we have done in the past we will be staying with Eric Richman who has great accommodations and spending our days working with Judy Westlake honing our riding skills. We are lucky again this time, as we will be seeing some going to CDI shows. Eric has leased his barn and ring to a couple I know as "Joe and Linda". Joe has a Grand Prix horse he rides as well as riding and selling young horses internationally. He will have his young horse at this CDI so we will be cheering him on through out the weekend.   The barn is doing well, everyone is just doing a great job keeping the horses happy and well fed with ample water available at all times. I am impressed how our crew is diligent on making sure the water tubs that aren't heated are clear of ice and scrubbed out twice weekly. Nice job!!! Water in the winter is hard work! Chris kept the home fires burning and he is a great guy to roll with how the barn operates. So lessons have been kicked up a notch and everyone is in on the knowledge part. It is amazing how the students pick up difficult concepts and apply them. This weekend will be auditing the Judges program in Pownel at Pineland. I had thought about applying but don't feel that is the direction I want to go. Going and listening in though will be great to help teach the students for when they go in the competition ring. So start cleaning up your tack and making sure your show clothes are in good condition, 2010 show season is right around the corner! 'til next time! Gail ---} Monday, January 04, 2010 Hi all and Happy New Year!! So far this year already feels better than last! I have been having great rides with the Jones' horse Orpheus, riding Eva Peaches' Horse Molly and Ray, Kathleen's horse. It has been great and I am really happy with how the knowledge of riding is going! Everyone is great here at the farm. The barn workers are doing a great job, especially with hands on care of the horses and blankets and making sure all the horses are taken care of and tended to. Special thanks to Barb, Lori, Eva, Sally, Andrew, Kelly, Courtney, Grace, Nicole and Nick as well as the working students' thanks thanks, thanks!!! You all are awesome! Everything is going steady here at the farm. Over the holidays Mike came home from the Navy. He is doing so super am so happy for him and feels that he is in a great place. He got married and has really settled into his career. We are so happy for him and Casey his new wife.  The kids were off the holiday too and the last weekend we had about 10 of them here playing indoor soccer in the ring and coming up to the house for a movie and pizza. After the movie, half went out sliding on the hill and everyone stayed overnight and rode then next day. It was great!  Jenna Jones and I are going to Florida the last week of January and then the last two weeks of February, Amanda Snow and I will head down. I will have a laptop with me and as long as I figure out the technology part, will write while we are down there.  We have our new boarders in and lessons as usual. Have great exercises that everyone "loves". They are hard a little hard to grasp at first but with the knowledge that we discuss, everyone is starting to ride to their next level, it is just amazing!    Learning to ride and go up the levels, whether dressage and/or jumping is HARD!!!!!! I give lots of credit to all that stick to it, it is difficult!!!!    Hope everyone a prosperous year. Life will go along and we with its tide..... Gail * * * For other enteries in Gails Journal: Current || 2009 || 2008 || 2007 || 2006 || Call 207.564.7046 for more information or email gail@InfinityFarm.US