AMAYSing Graze Ranch

08/07/2023

Oh, I feel this deep in my bones!!

When a mama runs late in the morning, you can be sure she’s had a full day already. Murphy’s Law applies: if it can go wrong, it will. And it's safe to assume it's been going wrong since the second she opened her eyes.

If a mama’s house is messy, just assume she picks up constantly. Her beautiful little tornadoes follow behind her to scatter things about. And as soon as she gets to the milk someone spilled, the other one runs with the jelly. Stickiness for days.

If her sink is full of dishes, assume it’s all from just this morning (even when it’s not). Because, of course, the kids didn’t like the first few things they begged for, so she’s a full sink in by breakfast.

If laundry covers the floor, I'll bet it's been washed and maybe even folded already. Folded laundry, if you don't know this yet, is better than any toy on the market.

If a mama seems fatigued or frazzled, you can safely assume she knows it. Offer up those generous remarks about her radiance, her glow, her patience. Kindness beats honesty this time.

If her child is misbehaving, assume she has exhausted every possible resource to get him the help he needs. Assume she disciplines him perfectly. And that she shows him the exact right amount of love and support. And please, for the LOVE, find something good to say about this kid. They're both bone-weary and desperate for just one good thing to hold onto.

If you truly want to help her, assume she needs time and real support. She needs time to be a person, herself... and she needs to feel seen and heard. She also needs support as a mom. So if you can, hold back the little remarks that probably make her feel criticized.

If she says "no" to joining or helping or doing, assume her plate is full. Whatever she has on her list, she's met her mental and emotional capacity.

And when she flakes out, forgive her. And assume she’s disappointed. Know she really wants to be there, but whatever it is… even if it’s just that she’s lost the energy to put on real pants… it’s tough. Every bit of what she goes through, it’s tough. But she still wants to be invited.

All I'm trying to say

is that it's typically okay

to assume the best of a mama.

❤️

𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯 𝘍𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘐𝘎, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴.

10/26/2022

We’re getting a well drilled this week! Baby steps…!

06/19/2022

Water troughs double as swimming pools when it’s summer ☀️😎

05/09/2022

04/28/2022

04/14/2022

Dad, Murrel Lacey, used to say… “A horse would just as soon forsake you for a carrot as rescue you from harm”. This is right there. 😂

04/09/2022

Shannon Mays is the reason for the MAYS in AMAYSing Graze Ranch. Shannon married Lynae in 2012. Together they have grown into a family of 6.

Shannon is the reason we have a place to enjoy our horses and get to share them with you.

He’s the builder, the cleanup crew, the boo boo kisser and the one who keeps us grounded in our ventures.

Oh he rides too. Just don’t have pics of that. Lol.

Thank you Shannon for all that you do!!

04/09/2022

Here are pics of our family horsemen. From LeAnn’s dad to the youngest.
4 generations.

04/07/2022

Tara and Blaze. What an amazingly productive day for both🥰

04/04/2022

Helping Ranger deal with his fear of ropes on and behind him

03/26/2022

Riding lessons

Ground work workshops

Beginner horsemanship courses

Show ring etiquette classes

Summer day camps

Fair Grove MO
417-522-5062

03/26/2022

Hey guys. For those of you that have been taking lessons consistently and are ready to go to events (we can decide together) here is the schedule for the saddle club in Fair Grove

April 23rd updat: Due to the muddy conditions, more rain coming in, and unforeseen circumstances, we will be cancelling our first play day on April 23rd. We look forward to seeing everyone in May!

Make sure to mark your calendars and come join us for some fun!

03/20/2022

🐴RIDING LESSONS

🎠Summer and Spring horse and riding lessons, workshops, day camps and much more🎠

Enjoy the incredible experience of getting to know these magnificent animals,
called HORSES

GET ON THE SCHEDULE

Lessons
*Private
*Semi private
*Group
*30-45 min sessions for very young children
$$$-Lesson packages available at a discount

DAY HORSE CAMP-
1/2 day sessions
5/week
bring a lunch and a chair
Dates to be announced starting when school gets out

We focus on teaching overall quality horsemanship and skills resulting in safety and healthy horse/rider relationships.

We start with catching, leading, grooming and tacking (saddling) riding and ground work.

*Beginner horsemanship courses
2 hr sessions
6 week long sessions
Adult or child

Any age student welcome
*Youth and adults
*Pleasure or competitive
*English or western
*Horse or no horse
*Your place or mine

Our objective is helping horses understand people, training people to understand horses.

I’m LeAnn Lacey. I’m passionate about teaching safety and horsemanship skills and care in my lesson programs while having fun.

As a horsewoman of over 40 years, I have numerous championships to my name personally as well through my youth/amateur students on a local as well as National level.

However, my biggest reward is to watch my students grow as horsemen and horsewomen on a daily basis. Often times what seems to be a small break through to somebody else is a magnificent celebration for me and my students.

Fair Grove MO
417-522-5062

03/05/2022

Meet our horses

03/05/2022

Winter fun at the ranch ❄️🥰🎠

03/02/2022

LESSON TIME 😁🥰🐴🎠

03/02/2022

🐴RIDING LESSONS 🎠

Spring is almost here!!

Enjoy the incredible experience of getting to know these magnificent animals,
called HORSES

GET ON THE SCHEDULE
**** you can hold your spot with a small deposit ****

Spring break HORSE CAMP- weather permitting
3 hour sessions bring a lunch and a chair

We focus on teaching overall quality horsemanship and skills resulting in safety and healthy horse/rider relationships.

We start with catching, leading, grooming and tacking (saddling) riding and ground work.

$$$-Lesson packages available at a discount

Beginner horsemanship courses
2 hr sessions

Any age student welcome
*Youth and adults
*Pleasure or competitive
*English or western
*Horse or no horse
*Your place or mine

LeAnn’s objective is helping horses understand people, training people to understand horses.

As a horsewoman of over 40 years, LeAnn Lacey, has numerous championships to her name personally as well through her youth/amateur students.

Fair Grove MO 417-522-5062

02/25/2022

Region III Champion 2000
JTR Purebred Arabian Hunter Please 13 and Under

This is Lynae Mays when she was 12. The horse is Incendiary. Christy Powning was very generous to share him with Lynae. This was a huge win for all involved. I never thought to teach her how to do a victory pass, that is why she’s so high out of the saddle.

She’s posting on the correct diagonal. I should have taught her to post on the incorrect diagonal so she would be seated in her win picture 😂.

This win qualified her for The Arabian/Half Arabian Youth National Championships.

Good memories for the both of us as we did the road trip together. Only the two of us. Happy Birthday sugar.

02/18/2022

In German, there is a saying: “Reiten lernt man nur durch Fegen”, which translates as “Riding is only learned by sweeping”. I have often thought about this saying.

Wherever there are horses, there is a lot of work to be done: Cleaning, sweeping, brushing, feeding, repairing…It’s not only the fun sides of pushing yourself off the ground and into the saddle. Learning to ride takes commitment and discipline, and we might have to do a lot of things which are not very glorious. Sweeping teaches us humility and keeps us grounded.

For me, this saying is also about apprenticeship. You start at the bottom, you sweep, you get off your high horse and you become open to learn. You admit to yourself that you don’t know everything. Sweeping is good for our ego. If you are an apprentice, the master can afford be honest to you. You don’t pay for lessons and s/he has nothing to loose if s/he scares you off. And that kind of honesty we need if we want to develop.

When we do chores around the barn, we also have the chance to develop a more natural kind of relationship with our horses, or with horses in general. We are not directly focused on them and can observe how they interact and what they are doing.

Sweeping is also my zen practice. Whatever my troubles are, I usually feel better after the morning chores at the barn are done.

02/06/2022

Gotta love winter!!!😁

02/06/2022

The ranch’s new babysitter

02/05/2022

Jax feeding Minion snow

02/04/2022

Not much is more beautiful than a field of fresh snow!

10/18/2021

Enjoying some sunshine today at the ranch!

09/27/2021

Let your child have a bad ride.
I know you want to protect them from the hardships of this world.
I know you want to give them success and good experiences.
I know you don't want to see them get hurt. To see them fall. To see them fail.
But, hear me out, let your child have a bad ride.

Let them cry the tears of frustration.
Let them shake the sand out from the inside of their riding pants.
Let them face the fear building inside of them.
Let them step back on again.

Yes, let your child have a bad ride.
Let them hate the horse that challenges them.
Let them learn what fight and passion and ambition mean.
Let them realize that when they refuse to quit the horse will take the time to listen.

Grant them the joy of realizing that they are connecting with another living being.
Grant them the joy of realizing that they, although they are small, can be powerful.
Grant them the joy of seeing their hard work pay off, through the days of tears can come a love unspeakable.

Yes, let your child have a bad ride.
Afterall, life will grant us plenty of them.

*not my words or picture, but I loved them so much I just had to share.*

09/25/2021

Enjoyed our FIRST Fair Grove Heritage Festival parade!!

09/21/2021