training> training notes from elizabeth > august 14, 2004

This is the page where Elizabeth and Barry will share training tips and give updates on the horses currently in training at the farm.

Cross-Country Gallop Training

Each weekend the boarders and the "Friends of Bits & Bytes Farm" do a group training lesson. We grab every horse and rider at the farm and work on our grids and jumping with Elizabeth as instructor, June as jump crew and Jan as photographer.

Our hostess Julie Montgomery guided us around the extensive well maintained property.

Thanks to the invitation of our hostess Julie Montgomery, who is a very good "Friend of Bits & Bytes Farm", this week we were able to practice our cross-country and fox hunting skills by galloping over the rolling hills of her Deerhaven Farm.

The setting is pastoral and park-like. It is beautifully maintained and peaceful.

We rode through wide roads in the woods and galloped across manicured pastures after enjoying a picnic overlooking the well stocked pond.

Gertjan and Big Money gallop around the pond.

One of our newest off-the-track Thoroughbreds, Grayboo, was a perfect

gentleman for Elizabeth. He loved galloping cross country and was easy to slow down with just voice commands. He did not need to be tied to the trailer and at the end of the day he loaded himself for the short ride home. What a good boy! Thanks to Marie van Roekel for taking many of these photos.

Fort Mason and mom Lise Matte cooling out after a great ride. Grayboo wandered loose among the horses enjoying the fresh green grass.

A great big THANK YOU to our hostess Julie Montgomery for making this one of the best outings ever for the Thoroughbreds and Friends of Bits & Bytes Farm!

UPDATE: This weekend (August 21st) Grayboo and Elizabeth worked on water obstacles at the Shamrock Hounds Poker Ride. Grayboo willingly went into the pond without hesitation. But, while Elizabeth's attention was focused on saving Darcy's galloping boot (see it floating in the water) Grayboo decided to drop and roll. Grayboo loved galloping over the beautiful Shamrock Hounds hunt country. He learned to jump stone walls and coops at the Poker Ride.

Photo by Marie van Roekel.