Dearest Gallifrey Family, I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season with your friends and family and are enjoying some quiet time before life resumes. These few days before schools and businesses reopen for the new year is my favorite time to reflect on what we have accomplished in the previous year and what new goals to set for the one coming. I take this thought process quite seriously and as an avid over-thinker I try to foresee all possibilities that would benefi

Whew. It has been a busy, stressful, exciting and productive eight months. Jeez, eight months. Yes, yes, I know. That is quite bad in the "grand blogging scheme” but now here I am, updating you in all things Fat Bottom. Firstly, I have (as of a week or so ago) completed graduate school. I rode horses and taught lessons all day, then did schoolwork every evening. I did this for 18 months—in the full swing of show season—with upwards of eight horses a day to ride and five lesso

As someone who hangs her shingle out and calls herself a horse trainer, I feel it is my responsibility when a horse comes in for training to address the whole horse. Most clients have a goal in mind; they want their horse to stop tucking tail and running in the canter, they want their horse to come back after time off, they want their horse to progress further in Dressage or with Dressage basics, or simply to start their horse under saddle. Regardless of these goals (or previ

If The Saddle Fits… When I first moved to Gallifrey I knew I was unhappy with the saddle I had purchased (and fitted) for William. It fit his back well, yes, but it fit me very poorly. It put me in such an awkward position that I was actually rubbing holes through the crotch of my underwear it put me in such an awkward position. I dealt with the pain because it fit my horse better than the previous saddle (which was a brand name off the rack Dressage saddle with air panels an

The weather here in Savannah has been a little kooky lately. Just this week alone we've had lows in the 20s but some highs in the 60s and today a few minutes of snow flurries! Though the weather may be unpredictable the training must go on! With our first show coming up at the end of February, I am focusing on pieces of upcoming tests and preserving the quality of William’s gaits in tense moments or hard movements. On Friday, I had the opportunity to ride with USDF Gold Medal

William and I have had a break from showing since November. At first not having somewhere to be every weekend tends to be nerve wracking for me. The down time the holidays brings always throws me into a bit of a tizzy of over analyzation of business and self. To avoid an anxiety meltdown, I busy myself with helping out in the barn, taking on more daily chores and opening up more time for teaching. I also take this time to plan my 2016 show season as much as I can and focus on

I recently had a new working student join Team Gallifrey and she brought along her adorable five year old OTTB. During our first lesson together, she told me all about the horse's training background, things she was struggling with, and areas where they are making progress. To me it was all typical youngster stuff and things I have seen with the several OTTBs that I have had a chance to work with. Then she says to me, "My last trainer told me not to expect anyone else to lik

Making the decision to do something in the horse industry is, for some of us, a “no brainer”. Making the educated decision to do something in the horse industry with a full understanding of just how hard it can be to succeed might be on the edge of a fantasy world. When I made the call to hand in my resignation to the equestrian school where I was teaching, the first thing many said to me was "Congratulations!"; the second being, "It's going to be so hard." Since I opened Gal

There are days, like today, where I get a frustrated with how my horses are going. It felt easier last week, suddenly things that worked before aren't working now or that wonderful feeling I just had is gone and I cannot find it again. It's stressful and a blow to the confidence and something I let get under my skin, though I know I shouldn't. I tell my students tough rides happen, it cannot be perfect everyday and the frustration just means you're on to something. Wish I cou

Last month... Well, okay, really this past August. Or was it July? Either way, this summer I was on a mission. A horse hunting mission. It was time to start finding my next little star. A new horse to try to bring up the ranks behind William. Sure there have been others. An Oldenburg mare with a horrendous arena attitude that made it not fun to even think about eventually showing, a draft/holsteiner mare who had the gorgeous movement and a sane brain but no drive what so ever

Thursday, my trusted assistant and groom, Mikki and I hit the road with William in tow to the 20 I was greeted by our friends and stablemates from Beyond Dressage and shared our excitment for making it this far with our horses and clients. It was so much fun seeing them again! Mikki set off to get some massages in for her clients and I got on Will to take a walk around the facility and find our arenas. The walk was fairly uneventful, lots to look at but true to his form he st

I know exactly when I fell for the big horses. I grew up riding and showing Hunters where fine boned Warmbloods and petite TBs were all the rage. I worked for over five years for a fabulous Grand Prix jumping team who imported massive beasts but still were springy, floaty and all over talented for their jobs. It wasn't until I went to Meredith Manor International Equestrian Centre that I actually came in contact with a draft horse or anything crossed with one. I fell in love

Whew. It has been a busy, stressful, exciting and productive eight months. Jeez, eight months. Yes, yes, I know. That is quite bad in the "grand blogging scheme” but now here I am, updating you in all things Fat Bottom. Firstly, I have (as of a week or so ago) completed graduate school. I rode horses and taught lessons all day, then did schoolwork every evening. I did this for 18 months—in the full swing of show season—with upwards of eight horses a day to ride and five lesso

As someone who hangs her shingle out and calls herself a horse trainer, I feel it is my responsibility when a horse comes in for training to address the whole horse. Most clients have a goal in mind; they want their horse to stop tucking tail and running in the canter, they want their horse to come back after time off, they want their horse to progress further in Dressage or with Dressage basics, or simply to start their horse under saddle. Regardless of these goals (or previ

If The Saddle Fits… When I first moved to Gallifrey I knew I was unhappy with the saddle I had purchased (and fitted) for William. It fit his back well, yes, but it fit me very poorly. It put me in such an awkward position that I was actually rubbing holes through the crotch of my underwear it put me in such an awkward position. I dealt with the pain because it fit my horse better than the previous saddle (which was a brand name off the rack Dressage saddle with air panels an

The weather here in Savannah has been a little kooky lately. Just this week alone we've had lows in the 20s but some highs in the 60s and today a few minutes of snow flurries! Though the weather may be unpredictable the training must go on! With our first show coming up at the end of February, I am focusing on pieces of upcoming tests and preserving the quality of William’s gaits in tense moments or hard movements. On Friday, I had the opportunity to ride with USDF Gold Medal

William and I have had a break from showing since November. At first not having somewhere to be every weekend tends to be nerve wracking for me. The down time the holidays brings always throws me into a bit of a tizzy of over analyzation of business and self. To avoid an anxiety meltdown, I busy myself with helping out in the barn, taking on more daily chores and opening up more time for teaching. I also take this time to plan my 2016 show season as much as I can and focus on

I recently had a new working student join Team Gallifrey and she brought along her adorable five year old OTTB. During our first lesson together, she told me all about the horse's training background, things she was struggling with, and areas where they are making progress. To me it was all typical youngster stuff and things I have seen with the several OTTBs that I have had a chance to work with. Then she says to me, "My last trainer told me not to expect anyone else to lik

Making the decision to do something in the horse industry is, for some of us, a “no brainer”. Making the educated decision to do something in the horse industry with a full understanding of just how hard it can be to succeed might be on the edge of a fantasy world. When I made the call to hand in my resignation to the equestrian school where I was teaching, the first thing many said to me was "Congratulations!"; the second being, "It's going to be so hard." Since I opened Gal

There are days, like today, where I get a frustrated with how my horses are going. It felt easier last week, suddenly things that worked before aren't working now or that wonderful feeling I just had is gone and I cannot find it again. It's stressful and a blow to the confidence and something I let get under my skin, though I know I shouldn't. I tell my students tough rides happen, it cannot be perfect everyday and the frustration just means you're on to something. Wish I cou