Arizona Horseriding Adventures

01/29/2022

Aidan during his first lesson this new year. He loves the trot and canter. He says he's "happy" when Trinidad does it.

01/29/2022

A few videos from Winter Camp 2021.

01/29/2022

Winter Camp 2021 group photo!

01/29/2022

Rebecca riding Trinidad during a recent lesson.

01/29/2022

Rebecca, age 67, riding Trinidad during a recent lesson in the new year.

01/04/2021

Josie keeping Freckles on the rail at the canter. She was so excited!

01/03/2021

We just finished Winter Camp and the girls did Great! Due to the pandemic, we kept enrollment down.

10/16/2020

So, I've recovered from the total knee replacement of my right knee just in time to start lessons back up. However. I have a torn labrum in my right hip that was quiet due to an injection in June, but the effects have worn off, giving me a lot of pain. I see the doctor today and I hope and pray he can give me something to ease the pain so I can teach. I just started last Thursday and it was great to be back with my students.

08/09/2020

I am recuperating from a total knee replacement and am so thankful for the volunteers who are coming out to feed the horses, muck, and make sure they have plenty of clean water.

Plus, I am so thankful for friends who have helped to get me to physical therapy and bring me meals every now and then.

06/29/2020

Josie got one last lesson before the summer break. She had a blast!

05/03/2020

After being locked up in the corral, my horses get to enjoy the back pasture. It's not actually fully grown, but it will give them a little bit to graze on and stretch their legs out more. They're certainly not complaining!

05/03/2020

My big baby Plata, formerly the Silver Bull, turned 15 years old a few days ago.

05/03/2020

Working on digging and pulling weeds in the front pasture during this shut down. A big thanks to one of my student's dad for coming out to help.

04/24/2020

There have been no lessons since the middle of March. The horses are enjoying lots of pasture time, while I've been enjoying lots of mucking time. I am so thankful that I got cortisone injections in my knees March 11th.

The horses are in need of good brushing, so if any of my students or their parents want to come out to brush one or two, let me know. You would still need to practice social distancing and I would ask you to wear a mask. I will supply you with disposable gloves. Let me know if you would like to get some horse time.❤🐎❤

04/14/2020

This is Josie riding Trinidad just before our lock down of lessons. She did awesome. It was her best ride ever on Trinidad!

04/14/2020

Yesterday was Trinidad's birthday, my handsome, sweet, trusty steed. He is one of my greatest blessings in life!

03/24/2020

Almost finished!

03/24/2020

Before the big bang!

03/24/2020

With finally getting a dry sunny day after so much non-stop rain, it was time to clear all the muck and mire out of the corral and stalls. So, I set out doing that last Friday with two young volunteers helping out. While I operated the tractor Ana and Nina took the stall panels apart so I could get the tractor through all of the stall areas. The horses were all in the back pasture so they were out of the way. Everything was going so smoothly until we heard this loud crashing sound. The entire back end of the corral came crashing down. Lol... (Actually, it wasn't funny then. )

I immediately called my friends Ben and Jen (Ana's parents) and told them what happened, asking if they could come help. I was scared that the horses were going to be able to escape out of the once fenced area, but thankfully, we were able to get then to go into the front pasture and I was then able to close that gate so they would be contained while we worked to fix the big mess.

Fifteen minutes later the Calvary arrived! Ben and Jen brought two of their big strong neighbors. Wow! They got to work undoing the fallen panels and out everything back together while I continued to drive the tractor clearing out all the muck and mire down to a clean base. We got it all done in about two hours. They were amazing! We were so busy with the task at hand that we didn't get many pics but here are some before the back panels came crashing down and when we were about finished.

03/18/2020

Since Freckles is taking a few weeks off to recover from a serious case of colic, Josie rode Trinidad Monday. She did an amazing job going from walk to trot to canter, keeping good posture and leg contact. In fact, she is velcroed to the seat! (Not really. That's just a phrase...lol.) I'm so proud of her and of Trinidad!❤🐎❤

03/16/2020

In an effort to protect my students, families and me, I came up with these protocols.

Greetings! With all of the information about the coronavirus pandemic, in an effort to protect each of my students, their families, and me, I am asking that certain protocols be followed so that we can safely continue lessons. I followed those protocols today and we had a very successful day.

1. If your child or amy member in your household is experiencing a fever of 101°F or more, a severe cough or shortness of breath, please do not bring your child in for a lesson. Instead call me or text me and advise me of the situation and the lesson will be cancelled. If you arrive and your child or any member of your family present shows signs of a deep cough, fever or shortness of breath, the lesson will be cancelled immediately.

2. To limit exposure to possible coronavirus, all students will be given a pair of disposable gloves. Students may participate in grooming the horse; however, I alone will handle the tack (saddle, pad, and bridle).

3. Please encourage your child to avoid touching their face with their hands and if they need to sneeze or cough (simple cough), teach them to cough into their arm. If they need to wipe their nose, teach them to use their sleeve, not their hand.

4. As much as I love my students and am proud to see their accomplishments, I will no longer give hi-fives or hugs, until this passes. I will however, give them all the praise and smiles I can.

It is my sincere desire that we can all get through this period without any serious consequences. I hope that every family limits their social contact and stays safe. If you or any member of your family gets sick, please get immediate medical care.

Let's do our best to stay safe and healthy!

03/12/2020

Monday morning started out as a routine day with an hour lesson for one of my special needs students who rides Freckles, until Freckles went down with colic later in the day. My student had a great ride. Then he gave Freckles a bath to wash off loose stools that had run down the back of his legs earlier that morning. Then during the afternoon sessions around 2:30, one of my students got Freckles ready to ride, but before she got on him, we could tell he was in pain. I checked to see if I could hear any guttural sounds and hearing none, we unsaddled him and Josie began to walk him in the arena. Concerned that he was in colic, I called the vet while Josie walked him in the arena. However, Freckles could no longer tolerate the pain and went down in the arena before the vet arrived. We waited for 1 1/2 hours as he was on another colic case.

Freckles looked miserable and was struggling to stay alive. I was down on the ground with him propping his head up, praying and crying, asking him to hang on and fight. There were several times during the wait that it looked like I was going to lose him. The vet arrived around 5:00pm, checked him out, gave him banamine and tubed him with water and oil. He had a normal heart rate and a lactate level of .06 which was a good sign; however, he was clearly in distress and dehydrated.

By 8:30pm, after watching him just lay on the ground, get up for a moment and walk to another part of his stall only to go back down and also not even try to drink any water, I decided I needed to take him to the equine clinic where they could give him an I.V. and any other life-saving measures, as well as monitor him through the night. By the time I got him to the clinic his lactate level had gone up to 1.6 (still considered ok, but evidence that things were changing.) What would have happened if I had not taken him in? I fear he would have died before morning.

He received 20 litres of IV fluids as well as being tubed two more times. By mid afternoon on Tuesday, he was on the mend, peeing and pooping and eating small amounts of grain and hay. I picked him back up at 4:00pm and brought him home. He is doing better; eating hay in gradually increasing amounts, taking his meds, peeing and pooping, and drinking water.

I am so thankful that I did not lose him to colic, which is the #1 killer of horses. Freckles is a faithful friend to me and my students and does such important work here in the equine therapy program as well as for my regular ed students. Even the doctors and vet techs complimented how sweet he was with everyone, even though he wasn't feeling well.

I would not normally ask for help (donations), but the vet and clinic bill came to $1641.00. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. If you would like to help with this, you can go to Zelle through your bank and simply enter the Arizona Horseriding Adventures phone number which is 623-640-3814. Any amount would be appreciated. I may also post this to GoFundMe for anyone who would rather do that.

Again, I am so thankful that the Lord heard the prayers of those who were praying for his recovery. He is truly an amazing horse and it's a blessing to still have him with us. He will have a few weeks of rest, no riding, but should be back to the therapeutic lessons soon.

01/12/2020

Nice form!

01/12/2020

Happy, grass fed cows!

01/12/2020

Aidan's first ride in the New Year 2020!

01/01/2020

12/20/2019

The Myers-Walters family are absolute angels. Although sweet Diamond is in the hospital having just gone thru major surgery, Grandma Grace brought Rose Marie and the boys, David, Tyler, and Tyson, out to the ranch to unload and stack hay, and while they did that Rose Marie mucked stalls. They have become pros helping out. Not only are they a huge help, especially while I am healing a fractured foot, they are so joyful when they are here! What a blessing!

Thank you all so very much!!!💖💖💖

12/17/2019

Josie working on trot to canter on Trinidad. Josie has grown so much in her confidence, skill, and love for the horse.

11/26/2019

11/26/2019

The Myers-Walters family is such an awesome and enthusiastic team of volunteers! Thank you so much for all your hard work!!!❤❤❤