>>The single main factor that kept me interested is realising that no matter 
>>what you do know.. there's always something else to challange you.
 
> I learned more in 6 months than I did in 6 years of
> 'owning' and going by the book. I like western for romantic
> reasons.
 
I like western for the comfort and frankly becuase I can ride it a little 
more lazy.. I like english/dressage to clean up my act and for the challenge.
 
 
> Bought a horse after leasing him a while at the stable
> where I am boarding and taking the odd lesson from the owner, who
> is into reining. Bought my present one from them, too. and here
> are my challenges:
 
I had Sonny off and on.. it was a mistake to buy him back after selling him 3 
years earlier... but he was my learning horse. I never have gotten serious 
about reining.. I'd go straight to cutting.  
 
 
> Shemmeek is a 16-hand+ Arabian with no papers,
 
Sony is a Morab.. I've ridden more Arabs then I'll discuss.. ;)
 
 
> years now, and we are both still improving bit by bit (I am the
> slow one). He is not perfect conformation-wise, and has a rough
> trot to which I am fairly well used to now (collection helps).
 
Collecitona alwasy helps both you and the horse.. the horse "uses" himself 
better and it's more comfortable to you.. Try varying the speeds of the trot 
and see if there's a comfort zone in there somewhere.  
 
 
> His best feature is that he is a rel "people horse" and pal. He
> will respond by whinnyig to my call - pasture or barn, and will
> come, sometimes at a gallop. When he calls from his stall, I am
> the one who trots up the isle to get him. He heels better than
> most dogs, even off halter.
 
Chuckle..  Yep Sonny used to get let out to graze.. he was known to wander 
into the house to see what we were up to at times.. ;) 
 
 
> I like trail riding and at present am trying to get us in shape
> for a 25 mile endurance ride in August. We (Shemmeek and I) ride
 
Good luck.. I used to trot CJ for hours up in the high desert.. now I've 
turned into a technical rider..  the trails are just to hazardous around 
where I am... and I do get bored easily by trail riding.. ;)
  
 
> mostly alone, since my wife had some bad luck with a wrong horse
> and suffered both psychically and physically by the experience.
> She is only slowly getting used to being on Shemmenk, who she
> trusts, but can't ride properly - he's too big, rough gaited, and
> too much horse for her - she has even less experience than I. So
> we are waiting for the perfect horse to find her some day.
 
Well might try finding a trainer with a "babysitter" and let her take a 
lesson once a month or something to help build her confidence up again.  
 
 
> Well now, sorry if I bored you with a long spiel, consider it
> charity to have listened to my ramblings. I am surprised at
> myself that I have to babble that much at my age (or is it
> _because_ of age, now? :-)).
 
ROFLMAO! ;)
 
 
 
> You sure seem to have a knack of meeting the greats - Hunt,
> Lyons,
 
Well I paid to "meet" John.. and Hunt..  and yes while it does nothing for 
the old income.. I do have a strange amount of luck in that area..  
 
 
>  wish he would come to Canada sometime and that I could
> afford the money.
 
Drop them a line.. I'm sure that a seminar could be put together and make it 
worth him adding a Canada trip to his schedule. 
 
 
> Still, even unskilled riding is better than no
> riding at all (kind of like sex, right?)
 
I can't agree with this since it's as dangerous and deadly as unslilled and 
unsafe sex. I've seen one to many ambulances carting off seriously injured 
riders.  
 
 
 
                                      BK 
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