tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42044684125069172132011-04-21T14:34:10.040-07:00McFawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235553550337547844noreply@blogger.comBlogger21100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204468412506917213.post-68061955482403427112008-06-04T10:23:00.001-07:002008-08-15T06:46:18.932-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0n7xTx9mgME/SKWH3LpWm7I/AAAAAAAAACc/vnRHPWzWjU0/s1600-h/2008+5th+Grade+Convo+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234739523976862642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0n7xTx9mgME/SKWH3LpWm7I/AAAAAAAAACc/vnRHPWzWjU0/s400/2008+5th+Grade+Convo+009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Going through the whole background of my off-the-track horse, Shamus Fancy, and me would be a long, long post, and since this blog is mostly about present day training, I'd like to get to that. When I have a moment, I'll type up some of the key episodes from Fancy and my past (bizarre boarding barns, getting him stuck in quicksand and having the fire dept. come out, winning a jumper class even after falling off (!)). But for now, here's the quick version.<br /><br />I got Fancy when I just turned 14 and he just turned 4. He was fresh off the track and bought to be my hunter horse. Yes, my parents were totally non-horsey. And I was a beginner--I had been leasing a 26 yr old pony that would lay down when being ridden and drool like a zombie in the cross-ties. Green rider +green horse...<br /><br />Luckily, Fancy was hot and crazed but only for running and jumping. So I was able to hold on my whole youth and eventually Fancy and I did jumpers, and evented. We had good success in jumpers (Fancy is bold, fast, and dead honest. Turns like a cowhorse!) but our dressage was shoddy.<br /><br />Fast forward--I went through undergrad and grad school and took him with me. Now, he's 19 and still doing well. As a final capstone to our career, I'd like to get to 3rd level dressage. I know he can do it, even at his age. So that's the quick version. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4204468412506917213-6806195548240342711?l=tbdressage.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>McFawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235553550337547844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204468412506917213.post-74000428122124594472008-05-28T11:48:00.000-07:002008-08-15T06:41:02.249-07:00Shamus Fancy 19 years old French Thoroughbred<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0n7xTx9mgME/SKWHGffun2I/AAAAAAAAACU/Wbp2hMcgGFA/s1600-h/2008+5th+Grade+Convo+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234738687491612514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0n7xTx9mgME/SKWHGffun2I/AAAAAAAAACU/Wbp2hMcgGFA/s400/2008+5th+Grade+Convo+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I created this blog to chronicle my training with my Thoroughbred dressage horse, Shamus Fancy. We're a typical horse/rider pair except for one thing: Fancy is 19 years old, and I've owned him for 15 years. He's my first horse. And while most riders would be moving on, Fancy and I are pursuing a final goal together: Third level dressage by the time he's 20 and I'm 30.<br /><br />I hope my story with Fancy will reveal something about the strains and joys of longterm horse ownership, the particular challanges and excitements of working towards a goal with an uncertain amount of time left together, and I hope this blog will inspire other riders not to give up or retire an older horse if they've "still got it."<br /><br />I'll be posting about every ride with Fancy as a way to stay on track, and I'll also be occasionally posting abour other horses I ride, train, or just pine for.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4204468412506917213-7400042812212459447?l=tbdressage.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>McFawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10235553550337547844noreply@blogger.com0