Attention Hidalgo Fans!

Tonight we've announced an exclusive offer to raise funds for our organization! You don't have to have a Facebook account to view. But I'll tell you here too!

A beautiful horsehair bracelet has been made and donated by Crazy4 ponytails.com out of Oscar's tail hair (our equine celebrity). It's gorgeous, with sterling silver charm and beads. It will be auctioned off on Ebay starting April 30 and ending May 8th.We'll post the link to ebay when we start the auction. The bracelet comes with Oscar's autograph, certificate of authenticity, and a Hidalgo dvd! Please share this info with your friends! http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10150565691390094&set=a.10150194877085094.433185.10150104999335094&type=1

Jeezum Crow, or is it Geezum Crow? (Vermont saying for you out of towners). Where'v I been? Fallin' behind on blog posts. For a day or so there I thought it was spring and got all excited about it. Turned to flurries the next day, but never fear ...spring is almost here. Down to three layers on the top today. Was one year ago exactly that I moved the horses to the Johnson land. The week before, Kara, Jo and I had spent our time pounding a few hundred cedar posts for fencing. Glad I'm not having to do that right now. Still got two feet of snow in some places. Top wire of the fence at the horses elbows in the back 40. Two different vehicles got stuck in the mud in the driveway today. Not too bad considering the traffic around the Center. Had a couple of horses up and down it, four or five trucks, a couple of cars, and a Subaru. Subarus don't count as cars around here, or as trucks. (They're the un-official Vermont car and are in a category all by themselves.) Can't drive up next to the Caboose for a bit of time till things dry up. Take note. Won't mention the site around the arena foundation. Might lose your boot if you walk in too far. Won't mention anything like that to the crew till they get here early next week... if their foreman gets out of the hospital. THAT has really held things up. Have learned alot lately about accepting those things we can't change. Like the weather and sick foreman. Found some used spring tiles on craigslist. They were practically right in our backyard and at a price I couldn't pass up. Funny language the guy spoke when he pulled in with a 36' trailer to deliver them and thought he'd make that narrow turn at the bottom of the driveway. Guess we gotta fix that culvert. Couple of words I didn't quite understand when he got his rig stuck in that mud a bit later. Dang...hope his day got better.

The Latest Scoop

Check out our newest e-newsletter! And pass it on...! http://centerforamericasfirsthorse.org/in-the-news.html

The little things in life

Sometimes it's not the biggy events that make my day, or leave me feeling accomplished and satisfied with my work. Successes can be measured in so many different ways. For example, I was looking at yesterday's accomplishments before I fell asleep and was thrilled of my find on Craigslist in the FREE section! Funny I thought, that here our long anticipated indoor arena arrived on two semi's and I'm all excited about a futon to put in my office. Not to undermine all the work that has been done by so many people to just get the arena here, but it still isn't tangible goods yet to me. On the other hand, this gently used futon and frame with a sun bleached cover is in the office, ready to sit on. There is security in knowing that in a horse health emergency, if I needed to sleep at The Center I could, and quite comfortably now, I will add. I have a little heater, all my paperwork in one place, awards, certificates and ribbons hanging on the wall. My little sanctuary. Once the arena goes up, which they tell me will start in a weeks time, there will also be security in knowing that income to The Center will be flowing again. Regardless of weather, lessons will be held, the horses will have plenty of shelter, event's can be planned, horses can come for training. Those are big things that can make a big difference and that's good.

It does seem like everything happens at once. I received a phone call tonight that the arena is going to be here Tuesday, and delivered Wednesday morning at 8:30. I had to give the truckers directions and tell them they CANNOT park two semi's on the side of Clay Hill Road overnight! The Northgate Plaza parking lot was my suggestion. These guys have no idea where they are headed...not only mud season and ruts and frost heaves the size of Volkswagons, (I didn't mention that part to them) but Mapquest directions that sometimes make no sense in Vermont. So the excavator showed up today to drain the water from the trench the foundation sits in. It never got backfilled because of the big daddy of a storm we got a few weeks ago. Now have to play catch up. So as the anticipation, ooops, I mean anxiety builds with the arrival of the arena, reality hits me square in the forehead and I get cold feet. Thank goodness I have an amazing board of directors who keep me focused and organized. And do a little hand holding when I need it! "The Caboose" has undergone an interior face lift. It really isn't a train caboose, we just call this 8'x26' construction trailer that because it's painted red and is on wheels. Johnson State College students volunteered 6 hours of time on Friday and we painted and spruced it up. Today I moved in a desk, an unwanted recliner, and tomorrow pick up a free futon I saw on Craigslist. Now there will be a place at The Center for me to rest my weary head on days when I'm feeling overwhelmed! Our summer schedule has been approved by the board so the announcement is coming out in our Latest Scoop newsletter in a day or two. Lots of good updates and news, too!

Summer 2011

Is this the winter that will never end? It's just not right. Snow squalls today, it's only in the 20's. Frozen water buckets? ugh. Why, why, why?

Looking ahead to warmer days, our summer schedule is real close to being announced. Thought I'd give my blog followers a sneek peek! Dates subject to change.Descriptions to follow in a few days.

May 21 - I'll be teaching a clinic for green/young/untrained horses and their people.

June 18-10 Problem horse clinic

June 27- July 1, July 11-15, July 25-29, August 8-12 Kids natural horsemanship day program

July 15-17 and August 19-21 "Woman's horsey weekend getaway!"

And in between all of those dates I'll be taking in horses for training, traveling to students out of town, attending public venues with the horses, giving tours, and enjoying all that we have to offer at The Center.

Please join us!

If you read the comment by Farmrust on the blog Pony dreams, Sharon is right. Simple words written 7 years ago by Eliza, our youngest daughter, changed our lives. But without Jen, Sharon's then 16 year old daughter, none of this would have happened either.

Many of you reading this probably know the story. And for those who don't, here's a real short version...It was Jen who won Adelantado in the Horse of the America's Registry raffle drawing. She gifted him to Eliza after learning about a little girl in Vermont who donated her birthday money to the HOA registry. Jen was determined that Eliza would win the colt somehow. She even sold raffle tickets to her friends at school in Eliza's name. Back in Vermont, we knew nothing about this. We didn't know much about Colonial Spanish horses at that time, nor did we know \ the Jackson family from Missouri. Or how our lives were about to change.

So now, fast forward 7 years and not only is Adelantado with us, but a whole diverse group which total 15 Colonial Spanish horses. The Center has been established, we've travelled thousands of miles promoting the breed, and on and on and on. visit our website to see the on and on and on!!!

We had the opportunity to meet the Jackson family at their home in 2008, on our way out to New Mexico. It was a reunion of sorts, as we had continued to correspond with Jen and her family after Adelantado arrived in Vermont.
The story still gives me goosebumps when I share it. And yes, sometimes my eyes still well up with tears. There is a whole other element to the story on the night Sharon called us, but I'll save that for another time.

Eliza is 14 now, her pony will be nine years old April 22. Jen is probably 23. And I feel like the last 7 years has been a whirlwind. On those days when I'm overwhelmed with the horses and all that is infront of us, I look at Adelantado and jokingly tell him this is all his fault! He smiles back at me and continues to eat his hay!