Lauren Fraser Rath

Online selling

Lauren Fraser Rath — Thu, 12 May 2011 14:25:41 +0000

The saddleries here in Germany stock a lot of really nice horse and rider equipment, a lot of which is not available in shops back home. Given how well the Aussie dollar is doing at the moment I have been considering selling some things via ebay or an online storefront.

What I would like to know from you all, is what things you would and wouldn’t buy online as well as what brands and items in particular you would be wanting to purchase. Especially, what are some things that you have been looking for but just can’t seem to buy in Australia?

Let me know either by the contact form or in the comments below!

Busy busy busy

Lauren Fraser Rath — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 19:20:34 +0000

I have been so busy lately with getting all the horses ready for the upcoming competition season. I am really looking forward to being able to get my first taste at competing in a different country, I do need to make sure my German is a bit better so that I can understand what is going on – especially in the Young Horse tests! It is all very exciting and it is something that I have dreamed of being able to do since I was a little girl.

I am just enjoying my life here so much, being paid to ride lovely dressage horses all day every day, I wouldn’t trade it for all the money in the world. We have some new members to the Charlottenhof team starting this week, another two riders and a groom so now the horses will all be able to get a lot more attention which I have just been unable to give them – with 18 horses to work each day, well, there are only so many hours in the day!

When the winter has left us, we are also planning on building some small paddocks near the main barn so that the sport horses each have a chance to get outside each day. I think this is just fantastic and I am sure the horses will think the same.

I mentioned in a previous post that the Australian photographer, Kelly Bauer, came to visit a few weeks ago. She also wrote an article about my experiences here in Germany as well as in Portugal, and that has now be published on the Cyberhorse Virtual Equestrian website:

View the Kelly Bauer article

That’s about all for now, I am ready to crash into bed, ready for another day tomorrow!

Motivation & Inspiration

Lauren Fraser Rath — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:58:21 +0000

Sometimes maintaining motivation can be difficult, especially when you are schooling alone or struggling with a particular training issue. A blog that I regularly read is one written by the US dressage rider Jane Savoie.

http://www.janesavoie.com/blog/

The difference with this blog is that she writes it ‘on behalf’ of her Fresian dressage horse, Moshi, and her Labrador puppy, Indy. Moshi and Indi remind us that sometimes the most important things in life are not the time limits we set for ourselves, the Herculean tasks we try to accomplish, but the more simple things like keeping happy, letting go of resistances and really valuing our support networks.

It is easy to get so caught up in the details that we sometimes forget why we ride horses in the first place. I want to learn as much as I can, try and be successful at the highest levels; but when it all comes down to it what gets me out of bed each day is not the sense of glory that I can potentially achieve on the back of a horse, nor the ego stroking those achievements could earn me. What motivates me to wake up in the dark and go outside on those -15C mornings is the horses themselves, the pure energy and unconditional love they give me. Nothing beats a horsey hug!

Photo: Kelly Bauer

Meeting fellow Aussies

Lauren Fraser Rath — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 11:37:43 +0000

Last Sunday I had the fortune to be able to meet the photographer Kelly Bauer. Kelly is an Australian who has been based in Germany since 2006. It was fantastic to be able to speak ‘Australian’ again after so many months of speaking fractured English and the most basic of Deutsch!

While she was here Kelly took some photos which she has kindly allowed me to reproduce on my website. More photos are available in the “Kelly Bauer’ album listed in the ‘Photos’ tab above.

To see more of Kelly’s fantastic work please visit her website:

http://www.kellybauerphotos.com/

Introducing Weltlady

Lauren Fraser Rath — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 20:23:04 +0000

Weltlady has been here at Charlottenhof for just over a week now. She is a very sweet horse, and has been successful up to S level (Advanced) and PSG dressage.

Flooding back home

Lauren Fraser Rath — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:52:47 +0000

I wanted to express my condolences to all the victims of the floods in Queensland. It is so upsetting seeing such devastation ravaged upon our country.

My heart and thoughts are with all those affected, especially those who have lost someone, and those who are giving all they can to help out.

Winter has come to Charlottenhof

Lauren Fraser Rath — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:51:02 +0000

It has been snowing here for about a week now. It’s very beautiful but very cold – tomorrow is meant to have a high of -8C! I have now been back in the saddle for two weeks after getting the all clear from the hospital and my physiotherapist. I had a lot of muscle wastage and had lost a considerable amount of strength in my leg but I feel as though now I am starting to regain some power and confidence.

This is Isleen, a very lovely 4yo mare by Iberio. I think this photo was taken on my third ride back in the saddle so my left leg looks very unco-ordinated!

Setbacks

Lauren Fraser Rath — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 07:57:47 +0000

On Monday I suffered a fall from one of my horses which unfortunately resulted in a broken metatarsal bone in my left foot. I’m now out of action for at least four weeks while I rest and recuperate.

My two assistants, Ruben and Marina, are doing a great job of trying to handle 14 horses each day by themselves. A number of the horses are getting a small ‘holiday’, only getting some light lunging, walking machine or free time in the round yard each day. Hopefully next week I will be able to help a bit by sitting in the corner of the hall and giving lessons, although my main priority at the moment is healing.

I have plenty of reading material, DVD’s to watch and lots of different supplements and creams to help with my healing. Life presents us with these challenges for a reason, I just need to allow it to all happen!

October Update

Lauren Fraser Rath — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 13:36:41 +0000

Things are all going very well here at Charlottenhof. The weather is cooling down now so I am trying to ride my horses outdoors as often as possible before the ground freezes and the snow comes along. Living in the Schwäbische Albs means that most days have been very foggy until mid-afternoon, but when the sun does come through the weather is beautiful. The leaves are quickly changing colours so the forest is currently a beautiful mix of green, yellow, orange and red.

I now have 12 dressage horses to work each day but fortunately I have some help in the form of two trainee riders. I have managed to devise a timetable to get all the horses worked as well as give lessons each day to Ruben and Marina. It’s hectic but the horses make it all very enjoyable.

I am very happy with how my horses are all progressing. A bit of trust and love goes a long way to getting a horse wanting to work well for her rider. Out of my 12 horses, only one is a gelding and I am just loving the energy and emotion that I get from the mares!

I am just about completely settled here now at the stud and in Germany. I now own a car which makes life a lot easier, not having to rely on others to drive me to the supermarket and means that now I have the freedom to explore the countryside on my free day (and trying not to get temporarily misplaced – I think a GPS unit might be my next purchase!). I have also moved to a different room downstairs, it is larger, has more light and now has been filled with plants. It’s become a real peaceful haven for me after work.

I will try and get some photos taken this week of me riding some of the horses and will post them up here when I get a chance.

Settling In

Lauren Fraser Rath — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:45:02 +0000

I have now been working here for 2 weeks and am really enjoying my work. I have all my paperwork done, my health insurance and a German bank account. I am going to look at a car on the weekend, so everything is coming together very nicely.

The following is a rough outline of my typical day here at Charlottenhof:

7.00 Start work, help with feeding the muesli/grain to the horses
7.20 Prepare my first horse for the day, either lunging in the round yard or riding in the indoor hall – normally I prepare this horse under the heat lamps as the mornings are down around 2C or 3C at the moment, and I know it is only going to get colder!
9.30 Breakfast, I normally manage to work 2 or 3 horses before breakfast
10.00 – 12.00 Riding, riding, riding. If the weather is nice we might take some of the horses out for a hack through the forest.
14.00 – 18.30 Again, more riding! In the afternoon I often work the younger horses who have spent the morning out in the fields. If I have finished my horses early, I will assist some of the other riders with their horses, clean my tack or help with the feeding and final tidy up.

I have 8 horses to work each day, from 4 years old to 10 years old.