writer. editor. speaker. consultant.
Paula Horsch had no way of knowing that when she went to Equifest at the Kansas Coliseum in March, 2003, she would be taking the first step toward permanently improving her relationship with her horse.
All she knew was that Clinton Anderson would be one of the event’s featured clinician. She had caught an episode of Anderson’s show on RFD-TV and was so impressed with what she saw that she took a day of vacation to see him in action.
“I was amazed with what he did with the horse he had in the amount of time he did it in,” Horsch says. “I went back the next day just to see him.”
Horsch craved information on how to work with disrespectful horses. On New Year’s Eve, she had bought her mare, Ima Fancy Dancer (“Fancy”). While it was love at first sight for Paula, Fancy, on the other hand, had already proven a bit too much for her previous owners. It soon became clear that she had no intention of changing her ways for Paula.
“I’ve only ridden for a few years,” Paula says. “I didn’t have any business buying a green horse, but I just loved her. I rode her a little bit before we bought her. She was very green and didn’t neck rein, but I had in the back of my mind that I just needed to put her in training for a month and everything would be fine.”
But shortly after coming to the Horsch farm, near Wichita, Kansas, the mare’s lack of training showed up in a multitude of ways. She pushed her way into people on the ground. She pinned her ears back when being saddled and mounted. She didn’t lunge with any consistency.
“I only rode her two times before I sent her off to a trainer,” Paula says. “I was really uneasy about riding her.”
In March, two days after beginning Fancy’s training, the trainer called Paula to report that the horse had blown up on him at a canter.
“I told him the previous owners said she had gotten bucky with his rider,” Paula says. “I thought, it’s early in training. He’ll get her over it.’”
Two and a half months later, Fancy showed no signs of improving her behavior. In the meantime, Paula had learned that she and her horse had been chosen to participate in a once–in–a–lifetime opportunity. Rather than leave the mare in training, hoping that someone else would correct her behavioral problems, she brought her mare home.
While Fancy was kicking up her heels at the trainer’s, Paula received notification that she had been chosen to be one of the riders featured in Clinton’s book project.
“I couldn’t believe it! I felt like a girl in high school again,” Paula remembers. “I was screaming and yelling and jumping up and down. To me, this book and the opportunity to work with Clinton, is a chance of a lifetime.”
Paula and Fancy made a lot of progress during their time with Clinton. Paula had ridden very little before they went and had cantered only a few times in her life. By the end of the week, she and Fancy were cantering all over the place – indoors and out.
The ride home to Kansas proved more interesting than either Paula or her husband, Shaun, would have liked. When they were three hours from home (after spending nine hours on the road), with the temperature at 106 degrees Fahrenheit, their recently–purchased truck lost oil pressure and the engine blew. They were stuck on the road until Paula's brother–in–law came to get them (and Fancy) and take them home. They had to leave their vehicle behind, and didn't get home until early the next morning. But she didn’t let engine troubles or 100 degree heat stop her. She rode Fancy almost daily after returning home. They went on trail rides, rode with friends and participated in a town parade within three weeks of returning home.
Paula currently rides with a local trainer who is helping her get Fancy ready for the show ring. Though Fancy hasn't been perfect since returning from her week of Clinton's "boot camp," she has been much more respectful and manageable — and Paula has a whole arsenal of tools to use when Fancy reverts back to her old habits.
08/01/04I am very proud of Miss Fancy pants. She was a well behaved young lady at a point show we went to this weekend. Without my knowing it, my trainer entered me in a couple classes we had not even prepared for or worked on! I was a nervous wreck but we decided to go for it. In our first event (Pinto-Paint Halter Mares), we got first! The next class was Showmanship. I was not prepared for it at all, and we had never done a pattern in practice, but we took third place! I was very proud of her!
In our riding classes we did Walk/Trot Horsemanship, again with a pattern with two pivots this time. Practice right before went terrible. I didn't care; we went for it. My trainer was so proud of us, it was a hard pattern and she clapped for us when we were done. We took fourth in it. Last class was in with the pro's -- she just threw us in, sink or swim. Fancy broke her gait once and we still walked out with fifth place! I am very happy with our results. I hope we can just keep getting better.
09/07/04
Fancy and I did really well at a two-day show this past weekend! We placed in every class we entered.
The first day, we took third out of 12 in Walk/Trot Horsemanship, with a ridden pattern. We also placed fifth in Beginners Western Pleasure.
The second day we won first place in Showmanship Halter, also with a pattern. My trainer showed Fancy in Leadline with a little 6-year old boy on her. They got second place in the class. In another Beginners Western Pleasure Fancy and I placed fourth.
The one I'm most proud of is my last class, it was Walk/Trot West Pleasure Open. There were 20 entries and a lot of trainers were in that one. We had to go three times. Fancy was very consistent. We took fifth place and beat out a couple of trainers! I was really proud of my girl and our fifth place.
10/19/04I finally have the book! It sure is reminding me of some things I need to go back and do with Fancy. I devoted all of last night doing bending and serpentines for a solid hour. She is still heavy in the face. I will ride every night this week and my goal is by Friday getting her a lot softer. It sure helps doing those serpentines in a jog. She has no choice but to get softer! I love every bit of my training I'm doing on her.
01/21/06Paula attended the Kansas Saddle Horse Association (KSHA) annual awards banquet where she learned that she and Fancy had placed 5th overall in Walk/Trot in Western Horsemanship and 6th overall in Halter for the 2005 show season!
05/01/07I showed Fancy over the weekend. We got two 1st places (I won $65 in one class!) and one 2nd place and one 3rd place.
We haven't showed in a year so I was pretty darn pleased.
Copyright © 2004— Ami Hendrickson. All rights reserved.
Please report any problems with this site to />Webmaster
Ami Hendrickson is a bestselling writer, award-winning screenwriter, writing coach, and writing consultant. Ami is in demand as a book author, ghostwriter, co-author, editor, and story consultant. Books written by Ami include "Clinton Anderson’s Downunder Horsemanship," "Geoff Teall on Riding Hunters, Jumpers and Equitation," and "The Rider’s Pain-Free Back." Ami is an engaging writing workshop leader and writing conference speaker. For writing advice, free articles on writing, and writing inspiration, visit MuseInk, Ami’s WEBSITE FOR WRITERS. For information on current projects, observations about the writer’s life, and the occasional tangental rant, visit Ami’s BLOG or check out her Press Room. Ami Hendrickson and her husband and daughter live with their "vast menagerie" on a 100-year old farm near Lake Michigan in Berrien County, Michigan (near Chicago, IL; South Bend, IN; Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids, MI, but still in the country!).