Yes, connecting with people is half the fun, I have had so many meetings of wonderful people through this big horse passion! And when a collaboration develops and both parties share the fun and enjoy within a economical balance, then that's really the one recipie for a sucessful partnership! This week we had a visit from Molinete's sponsors that came to admire him for the first time under saddle and working out. They loved him, share the faith we have in him and looked very satisfied with our new project! Molinete is growing in all angles, he's a tall and classy guy and now setting muscles and his bodystructure and movements are transforming, it will be interesting to see his development, keep your eyes open! The breaking in of young horses is a job I very much like, especially the preparation groundwork, but the last one was a while ago now, 2004 to be exact so I decided to let the guys do the first month. They do a great uncomplicated job as this is something they do on a daily basis, but now two weeks has passed and I can't wait!
Here we are observing Molinete being ridden with good balance and nice form in roundpen.
   
Here Molinete has been ridden for two weeks, healthy outline don't you think?

Got a greeting from owner of Donoso's gorgeous son Buscado that says he's absolutely beautiful and the most charming PRE in the world!!

Buscado - what a guy!
    
 

...suits me fine! Yep, that's definitely my hours, especially now when we are having heatwaves here, it's very very hot. So I had to stay in most of the daytime today, did chores, emailing, phonecalls and called pool-man as even the machine that purifies the water (word for that?) seemed to be overheated and was very loud. I had to fill up with more water and of course I forgot the hose was on so now it is v e r y full... I have been giving my body laser treatment these days, the Festivo-run gave me a some extra pain but better now. Nighttime is my time so I went to boys in the late eveining, worked out a few and the others got to breathe in walker. Festivo is now through back and nice working shoulders and back nicely. 
Sweet Molinete got a fixi-fixi as his sponsor is coming to see him tomorrow!

Goodnight and sleep tight.

Had to wait for heat to pass, car showed 39 degrees today, woah!!  My garden has had some serious work done to it, it is now decorated with one pretty palmtree, one beautiful orangetree with 12 big oranges dangling from it and one lemontree with babylemons! I love trees and always dreamt of having these ones in my garden so it was very special to see them being planted and today I harvested my first orange - delicious! And now I have a swedish set up watering system that will NEVER fail, thanks to Maths and my dad. We will plant a pretty lawn later on this autumn, it is too hot for that now.

And so for the boys. Today Donoso and Festivo's was up and I started with Donoso, no warmup needed, we are enough warmed up here so we went straight into it and after a little while HE DID HIS FIRST CONFIRMED PIAFFE - PASSAGE - PIAFFE transition - woahhhh!! I saw it in the mirror and it was so beautiful I was really moved! (No smiley for that feeling..) And Donut was going  Only you with true passion for riding knows what it means to endure the ups and down on your own, getting on with it and believing in yourself that you can do it, and then the joy when something finally comes together - wiiiiiiii - IT IS SO WORTH IT!! I LOVE THAT HORSE - WHAT A GUY!! Donoso is a horse of a lifetime, I am so aware this. We finished with that lovely feeling.

And so Festivo... I decided to lounge with Pessoa, he is ridgid in shoulders, especially the left one wants to push out and he is NOT through in his back especially in the right hand, here he overbends to the right and does not want to stretch topline. SO, big darling, we need to STRETCH. Since he is big but very well mannered I thought it was a good thing to lounge in indoor, I was all by myself. I walk in and ... ping - the loungeline opens and horse is loose! Uff, it is not very interesting to have a indoor with two big entrances with no doors in this situation - adrenalin went in and up and I started to to get him down the shortside. Festivo is a cool guy, he does not go up in high energy but - he has BIG STRIDES, so fibromyalgia body had to work it, nothing else to beg for! I managed to keep him moving (and what movement with all that happiness!) on short side he was playing looking at the mares on the other side of the road. But after 15 min and many turns I had no body and I decided I have to go forward and see if he would join up with me. HE DID NOT. Off he went slowly and I did not even try to pass him. Trotting beautifully up the lawn where there was a southamerican party and a swimmingpool. Quietly he sailed through the garden, and the partypeople, and came out behind house where the outdoor arena is in process of being made. I managed to round up three partyguys that did not seem at all worried, I had to explain that I was not going to catch that horse on my own. The guys were very helpful and calm and did exactly what I told them, arms up, run left, down arms, stand still etc and we got him by the wall. But Festivo decided to have more fun and make bullfight move on one of the guys that he passed elegantly. He sailed down on owners drive in where I had to snap him in the Pessoa because cheeky F would not join up with me, he had too much fun! He was very controlled, he's a cool guy and a clever horse, no stress just BIG and independent. You can see how he thinks where to go most conveniently and REALLY who can blame him for wanting to stretch out after having worked hard at breedingstation several months? He was happy. Then we worked in the roundpen, stretching, stretching and some laps later work back popped up and shoulders were where they had to be! Super, Festivo had a good day too!!

And finally a picture of the youngest Molinete working hard doing the same job with all the gear on.
Molinete XI

Here some pictures from yesterday, wishing you all a HAPPY MIDSUMMER!
  
Festivo MR
 
            
  
  

I got these beautiful pictures today from my friend Beth in California, here she is on her blending white lusitano Roso advancing up to dressage elite, she has been training with hotshots like Conrad Schumacher amongst others and as you see she is really going for it, go Beth!
    

Now we're heating up and it was time for debute-dip in ice-cold swimmingpool - wiiiiii - so cold! Lots of housework being done, especially in garden, the swedish guys are now crayfish coloured but content as their work is being sucessful and v e r y appreciated. Later on in the lovely evening I went to see boys, I worked Hagge by hand and he did wonderful trot extentions on the circle without loosing even one leg, super balanced! I have lot of emailing to catch up on, sorry for delay but I will get back to you all tomorrow and thursday. Tomorrow we are picking up Festivo, so now we will be 5! 4 PRE stallions and Starti, the more the merrier!
Here Donoso, fair-playing with clever doggy Eme this evening;
1. Eme enters..

2. Eme is asking for more!

3. Donut tells Eme enough is enough..

This morning I started riding Donoso as he was very determined not to let me start with someone else of the gang, he had a glimpse of the mares before we started, then full focus, Donut knows when he can and can't relax. Baby Molinete is also being a good student, today he was ridden like the big boys in big indoor, no spooks and holding his body in one piece, well done Moli! Hagge was full on from not working the weekend so I had him in paddock and walker with Start in the morning. Around 11.30 we left to pick up visitors from England and Hagge showed Kate and Barbara what a PRE full of energy look like! Javier took british ladies to airport and I stayed for some more riding. Start is in love with a chestnut mare, she is sooo pretty, and lusitana.. So after saying hello to this girlfriend he gave me the most amazing ride, Start is gleaming, has those 'pingy' eyes and loves his life, I feel he is arriving to his peak performance.  Cheers to Kate and Barbara, you are most welcome to visit again!