Full Circle Stables

10/26/2020

As the equinox changes, the light becomes magical. Sunday morning, coffee in hand, delighting in the morning light. As Sara Stenson taught me, each step on these mornings (to feed all their leggeds) is a opportunity to practice walking meditations. How can we not? The light invites us to savor and celebrate each moment. Namaste

08/29/2020

Rainy afternoon, reflecting on the hardships of those folks around the country from fires and the recent hurricane, Job and income losses, family and friends suffering from the virus, riots and hatred being spewed where not deserved. Watching the country be divided.
It is the connection with nature and horses that center me at this time. I am teaching of the intricate flora and auna around us, and our connections being renewed. To see folks coming here to find peace and start the cure of nature deficit, renews my soul.
Each day here at FullCircle I marvel at all the life around me, from the micro to macro. Delighting in the sharing of the gentle and often funny intellect of my equine friends, to the awesome nature of every day insects its that pollinate my flowers and keep the pests away.

In this turbulent time,take your shoes off, feel the earth under your feet, go place your hand gently on an old tree and close your eyes. Listen. Feel. Smell. Recenter and breath deeply the gifts that surround us.

04/25/2020

Happy birthday Landano. My best equine friend is 20 today. He still frolics and shows off his gaits, and makes me laugh deeply with his wonderful sense of humor. 17 hands and 1500 lbs of talent, good nature, silliness and love. In the 15 years of our partnership he has survived serious illness, colic, and career threatening lameness and he is still happily with me . He still makes my heart soar and my knees weak. (Some of us never put grow our ponies!). So fortunate to have him in my life. Thank you Minna for breeding and raising this youngster. And the trainers that have helped us on our journey, and people like Lena that understood his quirks and didnt mind him in their barn. I am blessed and grateful.

11/24/2019

Newly refurbished 2 bedroom cottage and dry stalls/barn available. Treat yourself to Ocala's beauty and ample tidings opportunities. Stay here, ride, train, relaxation for you and your horse. Offering equine body work, balance seat riding and better connection with your horse.
PM me for more information and prices. Have an additional lovely, 1 bedroom 2 level barn apartment with upstairs porch as well. Hope to see you here.

12/07/2018

Winter has come to Full Circle! The temperatures have dropped and the skies have the crisp clear views of cold highs.
Anita aka Bobette joined Dano and I for our morning hay time.

05/10/2018

Another beautiful day in Ocala! Early morning fog shrouding the trees and fields as the waves of ground fog roll over the land. Heard coyotes yipping last night and me hoping new born foals and calves all ok. But coyotes get bad name, they really do great work to keep rodent populations down. Check out wonderful read "Prodigal Summer" by Barbara Kingsolver. You will look at coyotes and moths with a different eye of appreciation.

Landano is thriving here with so much turn out and trail riding. Joined Linda Petz on woodland trail around her farm this week, the bromance between Forrest and Dano keeps us laughing. The long-reining workouts for him are making such a wonderful difference! Lateral work getting easier while on-line, and under saddle changes as now very calm, clean, easy and fun.

04/02/2018

Twilight and evening peace settling in. The last couple weeks have been idyllic spring weather . Slept outside under the stars and no mosquitoes! how is that possible right? Its Florida.

03/23/2018

Spring is coming slowly and am enjoying every minute of it! wonderful changes to the property are also happening with the greening of the land- new fencing with covered run-ins to individual paddocks; added native trees and flowers; and the continued quest of learning horsemanship. Our talented neighbors include dressage, reining, combined training, para-riding (rock-star Charlotte Merrill-Smith) , driving and currently long-lining lessons from a gifted teacher Claudia, in which I get to enjoy watching Dano move from the ground! He can be poetry in motion, and I never tire watching him.

We offer lodging as well as boarding, and via Airbnb -guests have been delightful. Come visit, have coffee with Dano and enjoy learning

01/19/2018

For those of you that know Landano and I are not know for our tolerance of cold... Well we are loving it! As Karen Gostenhoffer has repeatedly said, no cold days just the right equipment... He has fleece under that Rambo, and sleazy. And no grumpy faces, nor paced stall. Yes, that is hay sprayed w hot water, he won't drink so found ways to keep him hydrated.
We LOVE it here. Hacking the trails has been toasty warm too. Karen was right, equipment makes the difference. Thank you to my Dover Saddlery Wellington peeps for out-fitting me. Lol. I know those of you in the sub- zero temps north are smirking...hey it's 23!

11/12/2017

Welcoming those seeking quiet refuge from northern climes (ok any where really) to train, hack, and enjoy your equine partner.

11/12/2017

Full Circle has a new home... Will post more as we go. Please come visit!

10/07/2017

03/20/2017

Spring is here, with the renewal of the season, I find myself "renewing" ideas and theories about the art of riding. Often am remiss writing about the wonderful lessons I learn from my equine teachers and human instructors. Since I am over due- a thought to throw your way.

Recently, my training under the patient and talented eye of Danielle Gallagher, of Brilliance Stables (you may have seen her "Grace under pressure" ad for Romfh clothing; and yes, she is really that nice). Her most recent lesson reminded me of my favorite adage- "less is more". Landano, my sensitive and wickedly smart equine partner long has tried to teach me the fine art of quiet. With students I am so quick to help find avenues of less, and quieter. Yet- many very talented and well meaning instructors think because I am so petite and Schmans so big- I need to sit heavier to keep him grounded.

Not so. As in always striving to use the least amount of aid possible, it only makes sense that as the seat is your #1 aid- so it too should be soft and quiet. I could not get my head around the instructions of "bear down", " sit heavier" . I ended up with a resistant horse that either loudly protested, or seemed to wither under the pressure. Yes, there are instances the ride should sit heavier to help the horse sit- but as in all aids, apply and release. The release being the "YES".

Going back to my basics learned from Morven Park, be a feather upon their backs to allow for the freedom of movement has much merit. Do not confuse this with lack of connection- yes you can be connected and light.

May this spring weather find you in the saddle delighting in the day and time well spent with your horse(s). And Think Less!

12/21/2015

Facebook has become the newspaper of sharing joys, tears and much of our lives as a way to stay somewhat in touch with those we are akin to (akin= people that share an understanding). I am often reluctant to write about myself or personal journeys, though have shared significant events from time to time.

This is one of those times. It is a recognition and appreciation on several levels. This past weekend was one of assurance that my big four-legged-best-bud has indeed overcome such huge physical setbacks to show that he is indeed an extraordinary horse. As well, a thanks to the team of people that have helped us along this road. Please bear with me as I give well need thanks and appreciation nods to those that have helped Landano (aka Dano, Schmans, bubba, ect…) and I over the years. The list is very long. I am grateful to all. Maybe in this time of blogging I recognize separate individuals that make quiet significant impacts that otherwise do not get their true due.

As with all of our lives, there are so many significant people that help guide, mold and nurture us on our adventure of life. My Christmas present to karma is to try to capture in words the great appreciation of these folks.

Today I would like to thank Natalia Martin, the woman that has been a consistent teacher, caretaker and friend over the past year. Under her tutelage, Landano has returned to his capacity as a very special horse athlete. Equally, she has helped me regain confidence in my riding abilities and talent help horses heal and thrive through massage/body work.

We all have had teachers that impact our lives more than most any other influence. How many out there can reflect upon a teacher, coach, mentor that changed their lives? I am going to bet we all have examples that we still strive to honor through our work and actions.

Natalia took on Dano and I on at a rather difficult time, he was coming back from what should have been a career ending stifle injury (tear in the meniscus comparable to human’s severe knee injury), and I was suffering from several difficult afflictions not excluding severe depression. The welcoming and caring atmosphere that she created at her barn offered a healing place for us both.

Natalia is one of those rare individuals that combines incredible talent with complete humility, compassion only equaled with the joy of teaching and zeal for laughter. A good teacher teaches; and great teacher inspires. Not only is she a great teacher, she has allowed for my rather different approach to dressage training and riding (this is to be taken up on another blog thanks to Sara Stenson). As a result, Schmans has excelled in recent shows- despite my interference!

Landano, a talented athlete has very clear opinions and has never hesitated to make them known. Natalia, has had the good grace to not react negatively to them but to offer acknowledgement of these options with laughter and encouragement. I finally found a coach that got him. His confidence is so obvious when watching him dance under me this past weekend, as he also seemed to impress our judges as reflected by our very respectable scores. The pictures posted this weekend will show a woman that does celebrate the talents and individuality of her students- 2 and 4 leggeds.

I am grateful. So very grateful. And hope that this rather inadequate public acknowledgement hits its mark. So thank you for letting me express appreciation in a manner not comfortable to me, though feel it is overdue and well warranted.

11/12/2015

I want to thank Sara Stenson and Prairie Winds Art of Equine Massage Therapy for showing me a whole new way of listening, understanding and helping horses. Over the past 5 years she has taught me the skills that allow horses become released from pain due to muscular tension (blocked Chi).

My focus is gravitating to massage/body work as I am finding the rewards so great as my horse patients become freer moving, happier, and more willing to work with their people. The partnerships flourish!

04/23/2015

Up in the Panhandle, so good to be back, just too short of a trip. a couple visits with friends and students (they are often one and the same) - and it occurred to me that so often we unknowingly ask too much. Don't work so hard- remember they are sensitive and want to understand and answer your requests. As a reminder to us all- think of the most important part of the aid- the RELEASE... soften through your breath and body so they too are free to answer with softness and" throughness".

Think of the work in the round pen, ground and astride as a dance.... feel the exchange of energy. At first when you introduce an idea or exercise, understand it will take a bit of time for them to comprehend and understand what you are asking.
Ask gently and repeatedly. Understand cognitive response time will become quicker as they get understand the YES through the release of the aid/ask. Allow for that process. Again, be clear in your release of the ask so he understands the yes. Happy training.

01/16/2015

A new year and changes. Change is inevitable. and that which makes make our lives rich. Full Circle Stables is no longer based in Palm City, nor any physical place as I have decided to quietly take a new path.

The teaching and training philosophies I subscribe to will not go away- but will continually evolve. It is my hope that folks will continue to seek paths that inspire them to become better horsemen and women, and find harmony with their equine partner. Landano and I will continue to explore the balance, harmony and freedom of expression on the trails, in the ring and where ever we find ourselves. Teaching is and will always be my passion just as is my continued learning.

11/05/2014

Hard to imagine time has flown by and I have been behind in posting so many wonderful happenings! stay tuned for more postings- but quickly, Wonderful people continue to become part of the Full Circle: :Lousia McKown will be returning for the winter season with her part mustang dressage pony- Tony, and hoping Melissa Lowe Cestaro will also visit for a few weeks
Tara Jacobs has joined us with her two horses,
Amanda Scullin, my wonderful friend and former working student turned manager is getting married in a just over a week ,
Lori Hemmings has taken over the local feed shop now named Horse and Hound and has added wonderful products and great feeds for all of us! and her Abby (Trekahner) still has a home here on a regular basis.
many wonderful new students this summer form my work in thr panhandle, and a wonderful re-connection with Jacque Hamiliton that has helped so many young women achieve their dreams of showing horses,

ahh more to come on new folks and the many more that are part of this community of firends. keep watching