Horses, Chickens and Facebook friends! Oh My! by Robin Janney

This past week has been beautiful weather.  A bit of rain here and there is nothing to complain about after the snow we had this past winter!  A lot of sunshine though, and no day was more beautiful than last Sunday.  Mostly because I went on an adventure.

I was on my own that day, as Mr. Janney couldn't be persuaded to join me.  His loss.

Sonny

First I drove up to my friend Carol's home, where had I moved fast enough I could have seen their resident ghost.  I mean, all I had to do was step around the corner and peer down the hallway.  I was close enough to have goosebumps and that was good enough for me!  Today was a research trip for me and it wasn't ghosts I was interested in researching!

From there, Carol and her daughter Sydney led me to Foxwin Farm just over the border into NY state.  The reason for my research trip can be seen to the right.  Horses.

As I have been working on my third novel, I came to a point where I realized I needed to know more about horses since I had given my main female lead (Angela) a love of horses.  I had been able to fluff  my way through those parts of Ring of Fire, but the moment that Angela walked into the stables at the beginning of three...I knew I was in trouble since it's been a long time since I've even been near a horse and the only time I've actually been on a horse was when I was still in diapers!  Angela's horse Belle, a thoroughbred show horse had been instrumental in her healing from the traumatic ending of my first novel.  In the third novel, it will be a horse named Buster that gets more of the spotlight.

The horses at Foxwin are Morgans, and odds are once I get to know Buster a bit better he'll be one too.  Buster is a trail horse, with a mind of his own and an attitude to match Angela's independent flare.  Belle was her jumping horse, as is Lily.  Angela does not have the same rapport with Lily that she had with Belle, and because of a spooking incident early in Ring, she and Buster have a rocky relationship at the start of 3 and there will be focus on that being mended.

Pat and me posing for Carol

Pat Ross, owner and instructor at Foxin, was a pleasant guide that day.  She drew the horses close to us by filling the water trough.  All three horses in that section of pasture meandered over with a 'Don't mind if I do'.

The four of us spent a few minutes chatting while the horses wandered over,  I was given a crash course on who was who.  Diva was the first one to make it to the watering trough, her mother Twinkle taking her time.  Twinkle, I found out, is Diva's mother. The other horse in the background is Gem, who is related to the other horses.  Gem, Sonny and Twinkle share the same sire - the late Foxwin Jericho, also known as Tank.

Diva wasting no time

Sydney, who is classified as a "working student" at Foxwin, separated Twinkle out from the trio and led her off to be prepped for riding.  We of course all followed.

Something I will have to correct in my novels is saddling a horse by cross tying them.  The one time I show Angela saddling Belle they never left her stall!  Hmm, well she was upset at the time and Belle wasn't your average horse.  However, this didn't always work in Angela's favor as this lack of cross tying is what contributed to her incident with Buster.

Beautiful Twinkle!

Anyway, back to the real horses!

Isn't Twinkle a beaut as she stands waiting for her saddle and rider?  I don't know how it felt for Twinkle to be brushed down, but just watching Sydney run the brush over the horse was therapeutic to me.  Just the time she took, showing the brushes to the horse before using them was calming.  I did get brave enough to step closer and hold my hand out to the horse, but it wasn't until she was saddled and outside that I was actually able to pet her.  Whether she was able to tell I was nervous, I don't know, but she wasn't impressed with my attempts while she was tied here.

Once done with the saddling, we returned to the outdoors where Sydney donned her safety helmet and used a mounting step to climb onto Twinkle's back.

While Syd was trotting and cantering around the fenced in corral, I was given a brief lesson on the different strides horses have, the difference between posting and sitting.  Posting is rising up out of the seat every other step to take some of the stress off the horse, while sitting is exactly that.  Then there was something about diagonals and inside legs and outside legs that for whatever reason went right over my head.  I don't think I'll ever go into that kind of detail with Angela's riding, but if I do I know who I'll be messaging on Facebook for a clearer understanding!

One bit of interesting trivia that we learned is: the reason why horses are usually mounted from the left side, and led for that matter, is because of the placement of cavalry swords!  Which made sense after Pat said that. Which also means I'll need to come up with a good reason why Buster spooks when he's approached from the left side, something I wrote into Ring without much thought.  I don't have a fully realized thought yet, but I've been batting stuff around.

It was a great experience and I enjoyed meeting Pat.

Carol, myself and Penny <3

Afterwards Carol led me down the highway a stones throw so I could meet one of her friends, who I only knew through Facebook.  Penny was generously giving me one of her old Tracfones so I could activate it and have some kind of phone while mine is turned off.

The one I held is the gold one
hiding in the back

We were highly amused to realize that all three of us had all chosen to.wear purple tops that day!  Hey, great minds think alike right?

I've seen of Facebook where Penny has chickens, but somehow I missed the fact that she has two Silkies living in her kitchen!  And let me tell you they live up to their name as Penny didn't hesitate to hand one over to me despite the fact I'd never held a chicken before!  She also sent me home with a dozen of her homegrown eggs; she also has outdoor chickens.  Three of the eggs were from the Silkies though.

After this we all parted ways.  Carol and Sydney took off in their direction, Penny of course didn't go anywhere as she was already home, and I took of to go to Walmart to buy some minutes and activate the phone she'd given me.  I'm still learning how to use the thing as it's far different from the smart phone I had been using.

Out for a Sunday drive

On my way home, I was hit with another special treat.  While I am not into antiques as much as some of my family, one thing both my husband and I appreciate are antique cars.  And while I was sitting at a traffic light, look what I met!  Of course, the light turned green while I was trying to get my old smart phone out and the camera turned on so I just pointed and clicked, and amazingly got a somewhat decent picture of this oldie.

All in all it was a great day, one I won't soon forget.  I met some pretty cool people, got up close and personal with some beautiful horses, and breathed in plenty of fresh spring air.  As much of an indoor person I am, I do enjoy getting out and about.

What kind of adventures have you been on recently beloved readers?



Author's note: this was actually 90% done yesterday, but because I was spending time with my family it didn't get polished and finished until today.  Sorry for the delay, but I hope you all understand.  :)

But I Don't Want to Grow Up!! By C.P. Stringham

My Best Friend and me.

My oldest is a high school junior. Not only do I love her because I’m her momma, but I love her for the young woman she has become. My husband and I really can’t take all of the credit for the end product we’re seeing. While we know a good upbringing, in a loving and supportive home, plays a role into creating a thoughtful, kind human being, so much also happens in the outside world to shape them as well. Situations they are placed in during the school day can have a large influence on who they will become. Let’s face it, as parents, we can’t be with our children to coach them on their decisions all the time. We need to have faith in their ability to choose right from wrong. Trust that the values and lessons we’ve instilled them with are used in the process.

I worked outside of the home when Syd was little. We were fortunate to have a wonderful private babysitter whose family loved her like she was one of their own. On my days off, I maximized every moment spent with her. She was this amazing sponge. I found that even while I worked on household chores, she was content being set up nearby with her toys or craft items and interacting with me. The sponge part comes into play because I could say almost anything to her and she’d retain it. By two years old, she could count to twenty in English, Spanish, and German. Learned her colors in English and Spanish. We sang together all the time. Itsy Bitsy Spider was her favorite. Syd spent most of her time around adults. Even when the opportunity to play with kids her own age came about, she usually abandoned them to hang out with the adults—although she was terribly shy. It took her forever to warm up to others. Instead of interacting with new acquaintances, she preferred observation. Her vocabulary was incredible and, at times, colorful.   

The first day of kindergarten was hard on both of us. I had to take her to Mr. Gorman’s classroom with her wrapped around my leg, limping along, while she screamed her head off, “No! No, Mommy! Don’t leave meeeeee!!” Gut-wrenching. I was crying as badly as she was. Thankfully, Mr. Gorman, a fresh-eyed new teacher, was kind, patient, and creative in getting her to come out of her shell. As she matriculated, my husband and I loved watching the evolution of our daughter The Student. Many say it takes a village to raise a child. I will go so far as saying it takes a school to raise a child. Syd has had many wonderful teachers. With some, it goes beyond the standard classroom lessons and special shout outs should go to Mrs. Sherwood, Mrs. Heffron, Mr. Nichols, Mr. Learn, Mrs. Stern, Mr. Hafer, Mrs. Stropko, Mrs. Silverstrim, and Mrs. Bustin. *I needed to add Ms. Duncan, Ms. Acla, Mrs. Hill, and Mr. Wakely--4/8/14* These select educators are the ones responsible for molding the young adult her father and I see today. Education is about more than jamming specific facts down a student’s throat for standardized testing regurgitation at a later date. It’s about amazing teachers selflessly giving 110% of their time to their students. Going that extra mile. Daily lessons can be fun, interesting, and inspiring. A teacher’s passion (or lack thereof) for their subject is infectious. They challenge, encourage participation and even want a good debate when appropriate. They know that valuable skills like organizing, prioritizing, self-motivating, and giving and receiving respect are just as crucial as reading, writing, and arithmetic.  A student’s success is their success and brings on a tremendous amount of pride. Syd keeps in touch with some of her past teachers since true friendships have developed.

L to R: Mrs. Stropko, Lesley (her BFF since Kindergarten,) and Syd dressed as famous women in history (Syd was Margaret Thatcher.) Seeing The Iron Lady. Being inducted into National Social Studies Honor Society. 

Syd has other amazing people in her “village” who have helped shape her. Obviously, there would be too many to go into detail, but I would be remiss to leave out a few from this blog post. Her godmother, Andrea, was present for her birth. As a labor and delivery nurse by profession, she served as more than just friend/godmother/coach. She assisted with bringing her into the world and her nurturing hand has been a constant in Syd’s life ever since. Syd’s honorary grandmother, Andrea’s mom, Inge, has been another dynamic force in her life. My friends, Michelle, Vivian, and Jennifer, fill in as aunts by association. They bring rich conversation, comic relief, and emotional refuge. I can’t leave out the best teacher/home tutor ever, Miriam. She came by every Tuesday evening to work extra with Syd, from 5^th through 8^th grade, to give her an academic boost. Perhaps her greatest support person has been her riding instructor, Pat. Pat came into all of our lives when we were hurting as a family; still reeling from a truly horrific experience—an experience affecting Syd the most. When your child is hurting, you, as a parent, are hurting, too. A wolf in sheep’s clothing entered into our lives and threatened to virtually destroy everything that was our beloved daughter. An adult we trusted with our child’s physical and mental wellbeing was not who we thought. After the experience, we learned just how strong Syd really was. The largest part of her healing came about due to a 5’4” horsewoman with fifty years’ experience in the Morgan Horse world under her petite belt. Pat’s soft-spoken style and empathy reversed 99% of the damage done. We will be forever grateful to Pat for her friendship. Unfortunately, the 1% that lingers on, will most likely follow Syd for the rest of her life. If anything, that 1% has taught her not to be too trusting or naïve like her father and I were.

L to R: Her winnings from nine horse show series Summer of 2008. Working beside her riding instructor, Pat. 

We’re in college mode now at the Stringham house. PSAT’s, SAT’s, and college visits consume our free time conversations. Last night, Syd and I poured over the college brochures she’s received in the mail. We had three piles going: Out-of-the-Question, Worth-Looking-Into, and Strong-Possibilities. Numerous considerations went into the selection process such as: distance (because she wants to be able to come home frequently,) total enrollment (she feels she’ll be able to thrive more at a smaller institution,) cost (because college is freaking expensive,) sports programs (she’d like a chance to compete on an equestrian team,) and, of course, undergraduate programs offered. She wants to be a high school teacher. I know. Not a wonderful job market out there for teaching with budget cuts, but she’s passionate about teaching. Has been that way since second grade and knew since 9^th grade she wanted to teach high school students. She’s gone back and forth between history and English. Currently, history seems to be winning out since it fits in with her interests and hobbies more.

While Syd is transitioning into this next phase of her life like any typical high school junior, with excitement and a touch of fear for the unknown, I am not handling it at all well. First and foremost, my seventeen-year-old is my best friend. Sure we have our mother/daughter moments of raised voices and clashing personalities, but those moments usually end with us laughing at each other and hugging. My husband likes to say she and I love each other one minute and hate each other the next—only to be cuddling with each other afterwards. I don’t know what to attribute our closeness to other than to say it’s just the way we are. When I travel, she rides shotgun. I don’t know how many miles the two of us have traveled together: out of town horse show series where she competed and I played horse groom, cultural trips to cities so she could experience life outside of Bradford County, concerts, musicals, and even PTA meetings and school events. If the wheels were rolling, she was in the passenger seat. We’ve consumed numerous bags of Twizzler’s, cans of Pringles, and M&M’s, as well as sipped gallons of Dunkin’ Dount’s coffee while on the road. At any rate, I’m prematurely suffering from separation anxiety. I’m Lorelai Gilmore losing her Rory. Edina Monsoon losing her Saffron. Joan Crawford losing her Christina. You get the idea. I don’t want to let her go. But I have to because she’s growing up. It doesn’t mean I’m going to grow up though. 

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L to R: Syd, with her girls, She Knows Shesa Star (Maui,) CocoMaya, and Foxwin Gemini (Gem.) Showing Maui in 2009.

Are there any words of wisdom about sending your first child off to college from our blog readers? Please comment below! I’d love to hear from you.                

A Weekend of Horses (and Hockey) by C.P. Stringham

Monte Nicholas and Nancy Epler shortly after closing the
sale on their new horse farm. (Photo courtesy of Rockin' N)

Busy, busy, busy...
As most on-the-go families can attest, weekends are a huge juggling act of accommodations.  Within a forty-eight hour period, we attempt the near-impossible feat of fitting each activity into some form of itinerary that makes everyone happy.  Between our work and school weeks, we find ourselves living for the weekend—AKA: our not so leisure leisure time.  This past weekend, while jam-packed, was incredibly satisfying.  We spent hours at a nearby horse farm and even managed to squeeze in a hockey game on Saturday night.  How can you go wrong with horses and hockey? 

Monte Nicholas and Robin Muzzy, riding Jean's horse,
Smarty, chat during a break. 

    

Horse heaven...
Our friends, Nancy Epler and Monte       Nicholas, recently began living their dream of owning a large horse boarding and training facility.  The former Round Top Stables, located on Wolcott Hollow Road in Athens, PA, is now called Rockin’ N Stables & Ranch (Click on name for link.)  Nancy and Monte are no strangers to the horse world.  For them, it has been a lifelong love—both of their fathers were horsemen so you can say it’s in their blood.  In business for a little over four months, this horsepower couple has already built up a great client base and a good reputation.  From my outside perspective, they have reached this early success, in part, due to their willingness to network with fellow trainers and barns.  They understand how important it is within our small horse community to build friendships and collaborate.  The other reason for their success is due to Monte’s training skills.  Many of the barns in our area have hired Monte to come in and break their young horses and desensitize them.  While the words break and desensitize may sound harsh to those outside of the horse world, they are anything but.  Especially in Monte’s capable hands.  While he demands respect from the horses he’s training, he also treats them with respect.  When he introduces new horses to situations, he doesn’t force them to do it in a heavy-handed manner.  Instead, he works on the horse’s natural curiosity to lead them to the end desired result.  My family and I have witnessed him work wonders.

Since Rockin’ N’s opening, they have hosted three well-attended riding clinics.  Each clinician featured has been brought in from other established local barns.  Patricia Ross (my children’s riding instructor,) of Foxwin Farm LLC (click on name for link,) presented the first clinic at Rockin’ N during

From left to right: The clinicians Pat Ross riding Foxwin Jericho 

"Tank," Richie Fisher judging a 4-H show at 

Alparon Park, and Robin Muzzy, Carolyn Mosher,

and Jean Lindsey with Craig Cameron (second from left.) 

(Photos courtesy of Pat Ross, Caitlin McBratney, 

and Jean Lindsey)

the grand opening event.  Pat is a Morgan Horse breeder and dressage instructor with over fifty years of experience and a recipient of the prestigious American Morgan Horse Associations’ Masters Certificate for her “long-standing commitment and involvement with the Morgan Horse.”  She and Monte covered basic horsemanship and training tips with an emphasis on communication and partnership-building for horse and rider through fun group and individual activities.  Their second clinician, Richard A. Fisher, instructed participants on barrel racing and horsemanship.  Richie is the owner and founder of Fisher Equestrian Center and is known throughout the area for his involvement working with 4-H exhibitors by presenting clinics and judging shows as well as training and instructing for novice amateur, amateur, and open showing.  
This past weekend, Rockin’ N hosted an Ultimate Trail Challenge clinic instructed by Jean Lindsey with the help of Carolyn Mosher.  Jean got her start as a young teen under the guidance of Dick and Tete Burleigh of Burleigh Quarter Horses and has since been a clinic student of Craig Cameron, Joann K. Long, and Denny Wilcox.  With her former AQHA gelding, Light Brunch “Leo,” Jean won numerous circuit championships and AQHA Region Five Regional Experience Championships.

Sydney and Leah lead the way as Nancy Epler and Carney follow while
Jean Lindsey has fun during the Ultimate Trail Challenge. (Photo courtesy
Lea Halderman)

My oldest daughter got to participate in two out of three of these clinics.  She lives and breathes horses.  As a non-horse owner, the generous and kind-hearted folks in our horse community help to indulge her obsession.  For this past weekend’s clinic, Jean offered her the use of her three year-old filly.  Needless to say, she had a smile plastered on her face the entire time her butt was in the saddle.  Everyone knows what an honor it is to use one of Jean’s well-trained babies. Sydney was on cloud nine.

Part of the line up during the Ultimate Trail Challenge

As a spectator, my heart literally gushes over with love and admiration while I’m at these events and I witness the teamwork and camaraderie taking place between participants.  This clinic was no different.  Take fifteen riders and fifteen horses, all with their own unique personalities and experience levels, and put them into an indoor arena with obstacles and sensory hazards and you’d expect chaos, but that wasn’t the case.  Through careful planning by Jean, Carolyn, Monte, and Nancy, the clinic was a huge success for both participants and those auditing in the spectator section.  Advanced riders honed their existing skills and knowledge base and novices made giant gains by meeting new challenges.  It was great visiting with old friends and leaving the event having made a few new ones.  Nancy and Monte assured us they are working to bring many more of these wonderful events to Rockin’ N. 

Sydney riding Chief and Mackenzie riding 

Nancy's horse, Carney. (Photo courtesy of Rockin' N)

My daughters get to reap the rewards of being Pat’s lesson students and riding and learning at Foxwin Farm while also enjoying our friendship with Monte and Nancy where they can ride at their farm as well.  Friday night was spent at Rockin’ N while Pat and Monte worked with one of the young Foxwin mares and Sydney got to ride Jean’s AQHA palomino filly, Leah, around the arena while Jean and Carolyn set up for Saturday’s clinic.  On Saturday, we attended the clinic as a supportive family while Syd participated.  Rounding out this great weekend of horse time, both of my girls returned to the barn on Sunday afternoon and rode two of Rockin’ N’s lesson horses.  The greatest part of Sunday’s ride for Sydney?  Talking Monte into letting her ride with an English saddle on his Western gelding, Chief.  Who knows, maybe by summertime, Monte will get into the hunter/jumper spirit and he’ll buy a pair of jodhpurs or breeches for himself—but I wouldn’t count on it.

                                                                                                   Bring on the hockey!!

Syd, Viv, and Mackenzie waiting for the game to start.

Facing off..

During our weekend of horsey Zen time, we fit in an Elmira Jackals game on Saturday night.  Our local ECHL hockey team hosted the Wheeling Nailers.  We had excellent seats right on the glass and loved every minute of checking, hooking, and slashing—and a fight or two.  Although the Jackals lost 1-3, the girls left the game upbeat with the give-away prizes they were able to grab.  Mackenzie even got to take home one of the game pucks after it managed to squeeze between the glass and the net and landed in front of her. Thank you, My Gal Friday, for sharing your tickets with us!