Sunfire Ranch

Hugo would never be this naughty...😉😆

I missed Daisy’s birthday the other day. Look how much she’s changed in five years. Happy birthday to our oopsie Daisy! 😍

Time again for our annual "Tickets for Taal" Fundraiser!

This March, Dr. Kate will be travelling with a group of equine veterinarians to provide much-needed care to the horses on Taal Volcanic Island in the Philippines. To allow these horses continued access to good care, her team must purchase and deliver veterinary tools and supplies for local veterinarians and WE NEED YOUR HELP (must be Utah local to redeem prize)!

o How: Purchase $5 Raffle tickets (or 5 for $20!) for the chance to win a FREE Dental Float ($150 Value), FREE Chiropractic Exam with Adjustment ($90 value) OR Two FREE Acupuncture Evaluations with Treatments ($120 value) for your horse! (FARM CALL CHARGE NOT INCLUDED with PRIZES)
o Where: Purchase via cash or check (made payable to IVO) or online at https://www.flipcause.com/secure/event_step2/Mjc3NTI=/21357
o Who: Mountain Point Equine in partnership with the International Veterinary Outreach Philippines Project (www.ivetoutreach.org)
o When: Anytime between February 21 - March 31 (prizes good for ONE year)

Mountain Point Equine aims to raise enough funds to contribute to the purchase of medical supplies and equipment for the upcoming and future projects in the Philippines.

For more information contact the office or [email protected]

Loved this!

The curse of perfectionism, and the power of "pretty good."

All over the world, every day, riders are schooling horses.

Horses do not "want" to be schooled. If you think that, you are a dreamer, still thinking like an eight year old, which is OK if you are 8, not so productive as you become more mature.

And good trainers know that training is "hard" on horses, just as soccer practice or track practice or basketball practice or any sport that requires running and high energy expenditure is "hard" on human athletes.

It is called athletically induced discomfort, and any human who is any kind of athlete will remember (or currently be experiencing) the pain of tired muscles, racing heart, panting breath, the feeling that running hard down that lacrosse field "one more time" near the end of a game is taking her/him out toward the end of her/his strength and endurance.

But human athletes have goals, like earning a varsity letter, or having the esteem of the other kids, or winning a State Championship, and to attain those goals, they are willing to push through the pain.

Horses have "goals", too, to eat grass, and hang in pastures with other horses. These goals have zero to do with "pleasing my darling owner who loves me."

And when our horses are "being resistant", it is almost always because of either not understanding the aids being applied, or understanding them, but being tired and starting to get to that point, like the lacrosse player at the end of the game, where "one more time" is about the last straw.

But perfectionist humans tend to be all over "one more time", because that last attempt wasn't good enough. And neither is this one, so do it again. And again. And again-----

Learn to accept "pretty good" as good, and quit after a couple of "pretty goods."

Don't keep drilling and drilling and grinding for perfection, because that will make the horse hate and dread the work. Get a little, quit for the day. Loose reins, a nice little pat, go for a walk.

Lots of days of "pretty good" can turn into very good indeed, in ways that an insistence on "perfect" never can.

Every time I hear that "Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect", in relationship to horse training, it makes me cringe.

If you are one of those people with a visceral "need" to be perfect, take it out on some inanimate object like a musical instrument or a baseball bat, not on some living creature.

I’ve been thinking about what I want to accomplish this year. With little kids and upkeep of the barn I feel like my riding gets put on the back burner quite often. This year I want to be more committed to riding and progressing as a rider. I want to make goals and achieve them. I want to add tools to my belt, attend clinics, shows, get on the trail more and bring my daughter along for the ride.
But this quote was fantastic. It’s great to have goals and things you’re working towards but don’t lose sight of the joy in the journey. I’m truly blessed with the people I get to associate with and I want to acknowledge that.

What are your riding goals for this year??