I’ve been talking about it since 2007. Talking about returning to my Texas roots of riding western and four years later I’m actually doing it. Last month I phoned up a wonderful gentleman who I interviewed for HorseGirlTV a couple years ago and told him I was ready to get into reining and would he consider lessons. Now we’re not just talking any average reining horse trainer but a talent who’s consistently in the top 20, Mr. Mike McEntire (http://www.mcentirereining.com/).
Mike was gracious on the phone and told me to come out and he’d put me up on a horse to let me get the feel. Apart from my 4-H years, in which I massacred the reining test on my $250 grade mare who could barely neck rein (but thank goodness for the opportunity to have a horse at any price as a child), I’d been on a reiner once before at John Irish Performance horses for our “It’s Reining. It’s Pouring” webisode (which was one of the first webisodes and still one of my favorites).
I drove out 2 hours (which seemed like nothing considering I traveled with my horse for TWO DAYS to train in Holland this past fall) to his ranch, rode this awesome stud who I found out AFTER the lesson was qualified for the WEG qualifier. Holy cow! He put me on one of his GOOD horses. How neat. So… I was hooked and ready to come back the next week and the next week after. Week #2 I was on a cute 5 year old gelding by the same stud as his top horse (by Lil Ruf Peppy) and this last week I got to ride a 5 year old mare that was a very different feel from the week previous. So 3 lessons in all and I’m hooked, my dressage horses are for sale (of course I’ll continue to teach and love dressage) and I’m looking forward to a mellow winter of AQHA riding. After lots of hard work in dressage I think I deserve at least a little break to be a mellow cowgirl
The 2 hour drive is pleasant and filled with LOTS of the view below so I get quite a bit of thinking done and some HorseGirlTV phone meetings as well!
I don’t have any pictures of me riding yet but at some point soon I will and will share them. For now here’s the neat iron entrance.
And I’m SUPER excited to try this innovative new pad that I’m so honored to ride in by a legend in the reining world, Mr. Donn Leson. His wife is a dressage trainer and he’s been making the best western saddles in the world since 1966. This “Security Blanket” pad just seems too kewl and definitely innovative so I’m all about getting the best fit/ride possible whether it be dressage or reining. Can’t wait to try it out! If you want to check out Mr. Leson’s saddles his website is here http://lesonsaddles.com/ and the Security Blanket is on there! I get to ride in one of the Leson Reinmakers at McEntire ranch and can’t wait to have one of my own at some point soon!
