CLOUD 9 WALKERS

"Go Be Joyful" or as she's known around the barn: "Joy"

Sweet-natured 4-1/2-yr-old 15H Stocky Chocolate and White Tobiano

Spotted Tennessee Walking Horse Mare

(Double registered TWHBEA and SSHBEA)

Direct daughter of SPOTTED ALEN AGAIN

Doing it all BAREFOOT or keg shod!

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our working day on 11/21/12. 

We gave Joy about a year off to have a baby and nurse it. This is pregnant Joy during a shade tree break in the hot Texas summer.

Joy's first day back on the job, overseeing cattle, trail riding.

Dee joins us at the Halloween Airport Ranger ride at the Houston Intercontinental Airport on 10/29/11. Next is Starburst and Huey is astride Pia, holding Starburst since I am taking the picture, and Madysen is riding Joy (far right).

 Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see Joy, Pia and Starburst on the trail at the Houston Intercontinental Airport on 10/29/11.

Far left:  Larry riding Joy, while Karen is riding Briscoe the buckskin, and closest to the camera is Huey riding July on our camping trip the week of 2/23/11 at Lake Sam Rayburn in Texas.

This is where Soldier, Joy, July and all of the rest of the horses (8 of them!) spent the night on our recent camping trip the week of 2/23/11.  We rotate them into a stall, some get tied outside the stall, some get tied to hitching posts, some get tied on picket lines, and sometimes we use our trailer as a stall.  Our horses are taught to stand tied quietly for hours so that we can camp anywhere.

THIS is what we do.  We recently put together a "reunion/refresher" camp, which several previous customers brought their horses to, rode with us, we offered pointers and helped with any issues they might have questions about, and had a very, very LARGE time!  Gourmet meals at camp, fellowship dinners, singing and laughing around the campfire.  Click on the above embedded arrow to ride along with us.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our trail ride at a cattle ranch in Brenham, Texas on 1/29/11 (2nd & 3rd rides).

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our trail ride at a cattle ranch in Brenham, Texas, the weekend of 1/28/11 (1st ride).

Purty girl won quite a few blue ribbons in her first show on weekend of 10/23/10!

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our 'reunion' camping trip (lots of customers, friends, and horses purchased from us) at the Angelina Forest during the week of 11/4/10.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see everyone and a granny riding Joy (LOL to Althea!) in the forest, leading, riding in the middle, and following (on our camping trip during the week of 11/4/10).

Sometimes it's hard to pick one picture, so you post them both!

But this one is so gorgeous!

When you have a spotted horse, you just gotta show both sides! 

In the arena showing off her blue ribbon win. 

Just a winning combo . . .

And then she carried the Texas flag for opening ceremonies on Friday night.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see Hannah winning her class at an NWHA horse show on 10/22/10.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see Hannah working Joy for the first time on 9/25/10.

Cody rides Joy at home in the pasture on 7/13/10.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see Cody riding Joy on 7/14/10, and doing a darned good job!

Spending time on the hay rack/hitching rack (teaches patience, makes it safe to tie them overnight on camping trips because they are already accustomed to this discipline).

Joy on the trail at Lake Somerville, weekend of July 4, 2010.  Huey is riding Cajun and Jackie O is being ridden by her new owner, Ann.

Ann on Jackie O and Karen on Joy under some beautiful moss-covered oak trees in Somerville, Texas.

LEFT:  Huey pumping water along the trail at Nail's Creek for Joy and Pearl . . . . RIGHT:  Ann on Jackie O and Karen on Joy riding into Lake Somerville.

Headed down the trail at Nail's Creek in Somerville, Texas the weekend of 7/4/10.

Jackie, Pearl and Joy share a pasture on our camping trip in Brenham the weekend of 7/4/10.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our trails near Somerville, TX at Nail's Creek Park and a beautiful ranch in Brenham, Texas on July 4th, 2010 weekend.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our trail ride at Swampy Trail Pass in the West Elk Wilderness near Crested Butte, Colorado on 6/19/10.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our trail ride on 6/17/10 at Oh Be Joyful Pass in Crested Butte, Colorado.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our Steamboat Springs trail ride on 6/15/10.

Click on arrow ABOVE to see a short video of our adventures at Palo Duro Canyon, Texas on 6/12/10.

Click on arrow ABOVE to see a short video of our adventures at Caprock Canyon, Texas on 6/11/10.

Cody rides Joy and Huey rides Bon Jovi while I follow (with the camera) during our camping trip in Palo Duro Canyon on 6/12/10 right at sunrise.

Heading up above the canyon

Single file on the trail for awhile.  The panhandle of Texas is beautiful!

This area is rich with history, and these pictures don't fairly show the beauty.  The air is heavy with the scent of junipers and mesquite, and makes a wonderful experience for all the senses!

Cody hamming it up, as usual!

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see Becky's first ride on Joy on 5/27/10.

Bud works Joy out at home in the pasture on 3/29/10.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see a beautiful video of Joy's versatility and talent on 3/29/10.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see Joy on the trails, and then an exhibition of her gaits (on 3/18/10).

LEFT:  Joy stands ready for the trail ride to start on 3/27/10;  RIGHT:  They head off down the trail.

LEFT:  Learning to flex at the poll and ride with beautiful headset;  RIGHT:  Riding relaxed.

Big stride for this girl, ground-covering smooth gaits.

Learning to tuck her nose.

Huey riding Joy and his grandson, Cody riding Kitty (also for sale) on the trails on 3/18/10.  Both horses have been trained with natural horsemanship methods, from the very beginning, and both have been taught that when you lower your hands on their neck, they are allowed to relax and walk along in a comfortable, easygoing gait.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see our fun times with Joy on our camping trip the week of 3/15/10.

On the trail in East Texas on our camping trip the week of 3/15/10.

Click on embedded arrow ABOVE to see Joy's training session in the round pen on 12/22/09.

"Joy" -- 4-yr-old mare true head-shaking, walking machine!  This beautiful Tennessee Walking Horse mare is one of those talented horses that can perform the true walking gait, as well as an exhilarating fast rack, and then as a bonus, she slow canters like a carousel horse.  This is the kind of horse with the conformation and gait that we need to be breeding for. We have chosen to breed her to our young buckskin homozygous tobiano spotted Tennessee Walking Horse stallion "Alen's Painted Desert" and she should foal in late April, 2012.

Because of her training, this horse not only hasn't been allowed to, but doesn't even know that she can buck, rear or be barn sour.  When a horse is started this way, slowly, the horse is never allowed to develop bad habits.  Moreover, the horse is taught to THINK, and not just REACT.  Stay tuned for updates on Joy on her page (click on her picture to go there).

Direct daughter of Spotted Alen Again

Incredible big-striding smooth true running walk

Will rack beautifully

Slow, easy, athletic canter

$9500

TOP FIVE REASONS TO LOVE THIS HORSE:

1. Her gait is PERFECTION!  Smooth as silk, all natural, BAREFOOT and 4-beat;

2. Sensible and sane, sweetheart disposition, gentle natured;

3. Great conformation (wide chest, nice rump); hard, healthy hooves; beautiful spotted pattern;

4. Excellent care all her life, not started until she was 3 years old and then with natural horsemanship methods;

5. Excellent bloodlines -- direct daughter of Spotted Alen Again out of Ebony Masterpiece mare.

 Joy has had the best of care, hooves trimmed, dewormed on a regular basis, and current on her vaccinations (Encephalomyelitis, Influenza, Rhino, Strangles, West Nile, Rabies, Tetanus on 4/1/09).

First time being ridden in 3 weeks due to snow, rain and muddy conditions.

All this, barefoot, and just in her early stages!  This is no pitty-pat horse!

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

In her first three days in the round pen, Joy learned to go, and then to go at three different speeds, and turn to the inside to show respect.  She was worked on a "tree of knowledge" (cedar pole in the middle of the round pen), with a concept of driving with one rein.

The next few days, she learned to drive with the long reins, learning to get up, whoa, turn, flex and back.  She learned to tolerate the girth with the bitting rig and to pace herself at speeds that she was commanded to perform.  She was taught to stay focused on her trainer.

In the next few weeks, she learned to accept the saddle and be driven with the driving lines through the stirrups, as well as accept someone mounting her from both sides of the saddle, with lots of 'accidental' brushes across her rump as she was mounted and dismounted.

The fourth week is all about settling down, walking relaxed on command, running walk relaxed on command, relaxed canter and smooth, obedient transitions.  The goal is to get her to stay in the requested gait until she is given a cue to change gait.  When she is asked to reverse, she is trained to reverse always at a walk.  Hours and hours in her training are dedicated to teaching her that it's okay to walk slow and stand quietly, as this is the optimum window of opportunity for this training.

The fifth week, a "dummy" rider is introduced -- the first riding lesson, a rider is asked to be dead weight in the saddle, with the trainer giving instructions from the center of the ring.  This dummy rider is asked not to touch the reins, not to move, not to talk, not to be involved other than just simple weight in the saddle.  The second riding lesson, the rider is asked to give cues in a very subtle way AFTER the trainer gives the cue.  The third riding lesson, the rider is asked to relax, is allowed to hold conversation while riding, and gives cues at the same time that the trainer is giving them from the center ring.  Circles and go's are introduced, stopping and backing two steps is asked.  This is all using only a halter and lead rope for reins.

The fourth riding lesson, the rider gives the cues and the trainer is simply there to reinforce the cues if needed.  By the fifth riding lesson, the trainer is pretty much just there to observe, and then for the next few weeks, the trainer takes over and rides with just the halter working on turning in a circle with nose to the inside with no pressure, ride squares, continue backing training, yield front, yield hindquarters.  Before Joy ever left the round pen, she understood all these commands, and by asking to yield both front and hind, she easily learned to side pass on cue.

After a couple of weeks of intensive handling, the bit was introduced (with tasty molasses!), and now double reins are introduced (one to a leather noseband and one to the snaffle).  Another week or two in the round pen on the bit, after the horse is taught that she is being allowed to stop (instead of commanded), she knows the one-rein stop, and understands transitions, she is taken to the trails to be ridden alone -- no other horses with her.

HIGH SCHOOL:

Riding her first few rides out on the trail solo (without other horses around) teaches her to think for herself, as opposed to just learning to react.  She learns that she can trust her rider, that she can be courageous in the face of her perceived danger, that she can cross creeks, step over logs, encounter deer, squirrel, rabbits, motors, bicycles, etc.  She learns to pace herself and not use up all of her energy at the beginning of the day, and she learns to hydrate along the trail.  She learns to gait perfectly without the distraction of the stress of other horses, feeling like she needs to be where they are.  When her gait is fast enough to keep up with her peers, she is then taken on group rides and taught to ride at the back, in the middle, and at the front, all on a loose rein.  She is taught that she should not panic when she is ridden a lot further back from the group, leaving the group and then rejoining.  She is being trained to canter on both leads along the way, but that if asked, she should not increase her gait even though the other horses are getting ahead on the trail.

Next comes Highway 101, where she learns to tolerate busy traffic, dogs, 4-wheelers, garbage cans, whatever scary obstacles she can be exposed to.

All along the way, the goal is to get her to round her back, break at the poll and tuck her nose, drive her hindquarters forward and have a perfect four-beat gait with loose reins, light touch and all while BAREFOOT!

COLLEGE:

Now, this pleasure prospect will be hauled on camping trips, working on perfecting her gait, consistency, confidence, obedience and always, continuing respect.

Flexing before, during and after her workout.

BABY PICTURES:

What a cute little elf!!!

A beautiful pair, wouldn't you say? 

Joy's Sire:

JOY'S PEDIGREE:

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