Good morning Kentucky

Went to teach Susan and Re last night and this am. Both are making great strides forward....no pun intended!LOL
Really I was very happy with their progress.

Clinic at Riding Right Farm Cambridge, VT

What a beautiful weekend it was for the clinic held at Riding Right Farm in Cambridge, NY>
The sun was shinning the whole weekend, and the temperature was mild for upstate NY.
All the students were eager and fun to teach. The Dressage team had worked hard to raise money so the kids could partake in the clinic. I was very impressed with the good riding skills, the wealth of information they knew and the seriousness which they showed in their lessons. Everyone worked very hard to learn new skills while still having a good time.
They hosted a pot luck dinner on Sat night, enjoying not only great food, good company, and also sharing wonderful horsey stories.
I thank each and every student for making the weekend a joy for me to teach.
I especially want to thank my hosts Hollie and Michael for inviting  me to their farm and making me feel right at home.
Thanks Hollie and Michael.

From the Mooses point of view!

Ms. Baker,

I am writing you to express my extreme contempt and distain for you and you beloved Balimo. I think it is crap. I am a SPECTACULAR dressage horse that is pretty much the most beautiful equine chiseled from stone you will ever lay your eyes on. I don’t need help from you or your fancy teaching to know that I am perfectly capable of doing Grand Prix…….I don’t feel the need to get there. I have great 3 gates…… on my farm and I only need to be concerned about one…….the one to the grass field. Judging my movement and quality is none of your business.  I though we where friends, I came and stayed with you and I got no thanks for attracting people to your farm one couple in particular thought I was so expensive and exquisite they stayed in their pretty black Volvo to admire from afar, that to me is worth way more than a trot around the arena “balanced”.  As far as your teaching my human and I have had some pretty good discussions on the matter some having to do with my “potential” and where she wants to go” well what about where I want to go!!!!!! Back in my stall!!! So for gods sake MISS BAKER!! For obvious reasons we should not continue this relationship consider us broken up, we are done if you decide to come back I will be forced to call the various associations that are out there to protect the fancier equines PETA, ASPCA, and the NCAA. Consider this Black History month because I am black and I am history.

Good Day!!
the fantastic, luscious, and beautiful.

MOOSE

This is an email for Marcie who rode in the clinic at His Royal Farm in MI last week.

Dearest Nancy,

This email is about your evolution in to a verb. It is official you have left the land of us normal folks and entered a league filled with the elite such as Google, among others. I have been Nancy-ed enough times to equate the experience to other things in life, one of them being involved in an Indian sweat lodge. You would go in not expecting anything other than some time with the steam and your thoughts (which for me is scary enough) and you come out with this whole spiritual awakening and new sense of empowerment. To be Nancy-ed it much the same, you walk in to the arena you are expecting this nice little lesson with your nice horse with this nice lady, and you come out feeling like you have been roofied and put through a rock tumbler and you are damn excited about it. On your way out of the arena, heart rate is elevated you are still sweating like crazy and your horse looks at you as if to say “damn, you figured it out!” I was so excited to know that although not talented or athletic on the extremely crooked and screwed up two legs god gave me, with 4 legs you can do anything. Being Nancy-ed is worth it I will be the first one in the ticket line for the next time.

 Marcie

His Royal Balimo Clinic

Being Nancy'd
By Rachel Mimosa
I recently went away with my best friend Janine Holmes, to a horse clinic in Howell. Or Pinckney rather. There I met a lot of her colleagues and friends and a load of new people. We enjoyed the 2-day Balimo tm clinic taught by Nancy Baker and I was honoured to hear her personal accounts of her and her family's journey, struggles and successes through equestrian life that lead her to the 2010 World Equestrian Games - and her daughter representing the States in the para team! I was touched by her thoughts, emotions, openness and trust with the group around the bonfire on opening night. Saturday and Sunday held the clinic days and I was overwhelmed by Nancy's intellect and intuition with both horse and rider and her professionalism and personalised support while tutoring. Saturday night was a group dinner hosted by Jennifer Horvath at her beautiful home (and HQ of Pet Ritz) where we ate, drank, enjoyed some comedic entertainment (from me ) laughed, talked, debated, performed some reconnaissance work on Nancy and got to know each other. During this I gave my personal 'non-horsey person' opinion of Nancy's clinic and my impression of her from the riders POV beforehand, during and after their rides... and ended up using my verbashun method (see earlier post) by verbifying Nancy. I said that 'we'd all been Nancy'd. They enjoyed this and Nancy laughed out loud, long and lustrously! Quite unexpected to me, being quite used to verbashun (in my own word) in everyday conversation nowadays. What with Google and wikipedia being used over and over by myself and everyone I talk to I thought everyone was doing it?? Turns out some towns are safe from the new age English and the 'word germs' that rot old Shakespearean/Queen's English. Though they do have their own local version of English (see later post) that is very interesting between the States of America. We all learn from each other
There have since been emails shot back and forth through horsetown and this verb has already been used! In a sentence! ha ha. Thank you everyone for a wonderful weekend. Nancy, Jennifer, Erin, Sally, Elaine, Dave, His Royal stables, Janine, Colleen, Marci, Kailey, Barb. My time in the U.S. is made more colourful and more memorable.
Peace and love

Returning to the WEG

It has taken over 2 weeks to recover from the intensity of the 3 weeks at the games.
It was amazing to watch the big boys ride to near perfection. The scoring on the other hand was a bit strange. I would love to know what they were thinking.....if the worlds best only receive 6 what are we mortals going to get.  I was very proud of Ravel and Steffen....the relaxation the horse shows is wonderful to see...especially when some of the top horses were clearly tight and tense.
I just loved Mistral, what a wonderful pair and so young.
The para's from all over were just amazing to watch. It makes you never want to complain about anything. What they overcome, there drive to persue something they love and there determination is something to behold.
Jen and Kranak did a fabulous job. I was a very proud Mon and coach. With the limited time they had together they performed like they had be together forever. Kranak is a master and gave confidence to Jen. She could trust him to go out there and try his best and his best was wonderful.
My son Justin & wife Becky Jo came to support Jen. It was a great reunion and fun was had by all.
Now we are looking forward to what is next.........

WEG'D OUT

I have so much to write about but it this moment I am going to dinner with Sandra.
Talk later.

Para-Equestrian National and Selection Trails

Well it was a long week, but the results were worth all the hard work. Unofficially, Jen has made the US Para-Equestrian Team for the World Equestrian Games. Duel was a star and she rode him beautifully.They make such a beautiful picture.
I am a very proud Mom.

May 18 2010
Lots of news to share.
Jennifer and Duel went to there first show this past weekend. Jennifer did her Para-Equestrian test and scored at 68% and a &70%! How wonderful. She won 3 blue ribbons.
Joanne also went and she won 3 blues as well with scores of 74% and 70% . They were very happy to say the least.
Here we come Canada.
I was in Bay Harbor, MI attending and instructing Balimo at the Bay Harbor Eq. Center. Karin Offield organized and ran a Tool Box Symposium. It was very informative with wonderful instructors, lots of info was shared. Looking forward to participating in another one in the future. Thanks Karin and all her gang for a wonderful job!

Clinic Schedule

We are offf to the races! Jen's new horse Duel is getting prepared for the WEG's with vet and shoeing treatments, massages and extra special TLC for the gang.
He has settled in nicely and beginning to find his personality and relationship with Jen.
We are going crazy getting all the paper work in for the CDIPE in Canada only 4 wks away.
Keep your toes and fingers crossed that all goes well.

Orion and Cavu have there new shinny shoes and are feeling better.

Clinic Schedule

Latest Clinic Schedule:

• Aug 28-30   
•  3 Day Retreat at Equistride International, Fenton, MI
• Sept 24-27   
•  Devon Horse Show
• Oct 16-18   
• Balimo Clinic at Pepper Ridge Equestrian Center, Holly MI 810-714-0439
• Oct 23-31   
• Global Dressage Forum in Holland
•  Apr 16-18
• Balimo Clinic atPepper Ridge Equestrian Center, Holly Mi 810-714-0439
• Apr 23-25
• Susan Stanley in Montague, Michigan
• May 1
• Judging @ Dancing Horse Farm, Lebanon, Ohio
• May 15-16
• Tool Box Symposium at Bay Harbor Equestrian Club, Bay Harbor, MI 231-439-7100
• May 20-30
•  CDIPE Ashburn Canada

Update on our new horses

Susan found new muscles
Cavu and Susan doing wonderful work. He is so handsome and sweet. Boy does he love the green grass in Kentucky.
Nancy and Orion had the first ride today and both did great.
Jennifer has found a new horse to work towards her qualifications to compete in the WEG games. He is black and beautiful.