CRK Training Times
Bits of News For Horse People
March 2015
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Important March Dates~
March 7- Free Open House- No afternoon lessons
March 8- Daylight Savings Time Begins
March 17- St. Patrick’s Day- Wear your CRK Green T-Shirts! Lessons as usual
March 31- Cesar Chavez Day- Lessons as usual
March 30-April 3- Spring Camp- No morning lessons due to camp.
Important April Dates~
March 30-April 3- Spring Camp- No morning lessons due to camp.
April 5- Easter Sunday- No Lessons
Important May Dates~
May 5- Cinco de Mayo- Lessons as usual
May 10- Mother’s Day- No Lessons
May 25- Memorial Day- Lessons as usual
Spring Camp 2015
Come to the Gallopalooza!
March 30- April 3, 2015
9:00am -1:00 pm
Ride Gentle Horses
Learn Horse Care
Learn About Horses
Create Cool Crafts
Learn About Ranch Animals
Enjoy Ranch Life
Yummy Snacks Included
Bring Your Friends!
Games, Fun and Horse Hugs Too!
20 hours of camp only $395.00! Register by March 7 and save $45.00 ! Spaces are very limited- Sign Up Today!
Register at- http://crktrainingstable.com/ranch-camp-program/ranch-camp-registration/
Why were lessons cancelled today? The weather was beautiful!
We know you are excited to ride and are disappointed if lessons are cancelled. When we cancel lessons it is always for the safety of our riders. Trust me when I say that we would much rather be working and making the money it takes to keep the barn operating! The horses eat, drink and need new shoes even if the wind is blowing or it’s raining.
Here in Orange County we are often subjected to Santa Ana Winds. These winds make our horses agitated and unpredictable. Also, when the wind is blowing the students simply can’t hear our instructions making lessons difficult at best and perhaps even downright unsafe. Even the staff doesn’t ride their own fully trained horses in the wind. It’s simply not safe.
The weather at CRK Training Stable is usually different from other parts of Orange County or even Yorba Linda. Due to our closeness to the hills, the wind always seems to hit us harder and longer than anywhere else. We will usually cancel lessons for the entire day because we simply don’t know when or if the wind will stop trying to blow us off the map. Even if the weather is good at the time of your lesson, many days of wind previously may have prevented us from working the horses enough so they are ready for our riders. For more information about how wind affects horses please read- http://crktrainingstable.com/?s=blow+hard
When the rain comes, everyone understands that they don’t ride in the rain. What people often don’t understand is that the arena will be too wet to use for many days after the rain stops. The pounding rain also packs the arena’s sand footing, making it very hard. Once the arena has dried out, we must rake the sand footing with the tractor to fluff it up so it is soft and safe for the horses to work on. This process may take several hours to complete and only then will the arena be usable again.
When it is raining or the wind is blowing, the horses must stay in their stalls. Our horses are healthy and fit. They are used to getting worked daily. When the horses have been kept confined for several days, they will have lots of built-up energy. This needs to be worked out before the horses can be safely ridden, especially for novice riders. Therefore; we need time to get the horses worked and ready for our students. With 4-5 horses this easily takes 4-5 hours to accomplish. Therefore, it can take up to a full day after the arena is dry and raked before lessons can resume. We won’t rush back into lessons just to make money. Your safety is much more important.
Hopefully now you have a better understanding as to why lessons are cancelled when the weather is beautiful. We don’t cancel lessons because we wish to inconvenience you or your student. We are simply doing what’s best to keep everyone safe and having wonderful riding experiences.
Welcome!
CRK Training Stable is pleased to welcome the following new riders who joined us in January and February- Mada, Majd, Han, Emma, Madison, Alan, Alex, Debbie, Bella, Olivia, Maggie, Cameron, Rachael, Ellen, Sarah , Catherine, Prince, August, Kelly and returning after spending some time abroad- Raul.
As you can see, we are getting busy! Please plan ahead when scheduling your lessons. We may not be able to accommodate changes easily.
Horse Expo Pomona~
All things horse invaded Pomona January 30-February 1, 2015. Athena, Cheryl, Suze and Penny all attended on Friday. We very much enjoyed listening to Julie Goodnight while our very own Suze Carragher and Penny were demonstration riders. The rain held off so Suze & Penny stayed dry and had a fantastic ride! Penny was a trooper, taking all the people, horses, grandstands, loud speakers and associated madness in stride. After the demonstration, Suze stayed with Penny while Athena & Cheryl made the rounds. They talked with lots of vendors, learning about new products and innovations. They also met up with many old friends and made some new ones. Things were purchased and presentations were attended. Overall a good time was had by all. Even Penny seemed to like the field trip.
CRK Tack Sale Coming Soon~
Over the 35 years we have been teaching riding and training horses, we have accumulated loads of tack and clothing. Some was purchased for horses we no longer have. Some was left behind by boarders who moved. Some was won at shows and raffles. Some if it we don’t even know where it came from! Now it’s time to LET IT GO!!!
Bridles, western saddles, English saddles, saddle pads, breeches, shirts, breast collars, English reins, split reins, roping reins, hackamores, bits, splint boots, bell boots, sports medicine boots, skid boots and lots more all must go! Some of it is new with tags still attached. So if you need some tack, keep checking the Facebook page and the web site. Date and time will be announced very soon!
Quotable Quotes~
“Do not fear mistakes, there are none.” – Miles Davis
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain
That’s all folks!