Yep - I signed us up for a local Pony Club/Horsemasters XC clinic. They said I was welcome to sit there and observe if I felt the need....in other words, its ok if I'm a total pansy.
I decided I'd better try on the old close contact saddle and at least trot over some crossrails in preparation - so that's what we did last night! I could tell Skate was a little confused by my position in the cc saddle. There's no way to ride as tactfully as you can in a dressage saddle due to the need to keep your legs a little tighter over fences and your seat out of the saddle more. It was funny, I had a lot more trouble getting him to stay in the canter w/out using my seat! That's the only thing that works...more leg just gets him pissy and can sometimes cause him to break to a trot. Plus, I've been working SO hard on staying centered that I fear that this might get me back into my hunter perch tendencies.
He's a good pony over fences...easy to trot up to them b/c you know he's going over. Sometimes he can get a little exhuberant afterwards, but I'd attribute that to lack of practice. I set up a tiny little crossrail and just trotted back and forth over it until we cantered away quietly. Maybe tomorrow I'll set up a little 2 fence gymnastic so I can work on my position.
I also forced him to walk through the pond at the end of the ring in anticipation of water complexes. He always puts up a little fight when i ask him to do this...by fight I mean that he tiptoes right on the edge of the puddle until I can get him off balance enough to sorta stumble into it! Once he realizes its not a bottomless pit and gets tons of praise, he'll slosh right through it.
Anyway, it was fun to try something new with Skate. I'm really excited about being out on a XC course; even if I only manage to trot a couple eensy jumps - its more than I've done thus far in my riding career : )
Off topic - I am a little concerned with Skate's recent weight loss. We noticed his ribs were showing a couple weeks ago...about a month after switching him to straight alfalfa pellets, along with his vit/min/jt supplement. Of course, it also coincided with a significant change in how much he was getting worked and his turnout situation, which went from the small winter paddock with constant hay to the huge hilly pasture with moderate amt of grass. His bloodwork looks ok...so it's not likely to be something serious. I'm going to have the vet do a fecal count to make sure he's not wormy...and I've put him on 2 cups of rice bran/day. Hopefully we can get him back into shape.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Baby Sliders!
I know it isn't the best picture but these are the sliders that my wonderful farrier made for Andy. They will help him use his hindend more and also protect his joints. The toe is rolled so that it doesn't jam into the ground, the shoe covers his heels so that they don't get sore from sliding. and the nail heads are sunken so there is nothing that grabs.
We didn't get to ride much this weekend. It rained all day Saturday and then Sunday we rode a few minutes to show a potential client we knew what we were doing. The rest of Sunday was getting a new horse settled in and doing anti-mud chores. YUK.
This weekend there is a team penning at a local place that I would like to start going to work cows but I have kayaking lessons Saturday morning so I don't think I'm going to take Andy. Just go watch and socialize.
Anyone who is familiar with AQHA lines will be interested to know that the new horse I was getting settled it is an own son of Zips Hot Chocolate. He is Appendix bred and a 3'6" hunter. He is going in the consignment paddock and will start work this week. He is going to be so much FUN to mess with.
Sorry for the short post. Hopefully I will get to try out the new sliders tonight and get some pictures. Its going to start raining again Wednesday. :(
Friday, March 27, 2009
The ring was ridable! :-o
I was sort of figuring that the weather this week would force me to keep Kate's vow of not riding until Gayle had time to give one of us a lesson. But I'm going to be horseless for a week because of a trip for work next week and the ring was in great shape last night and the rain had stopped... So I rode!
He started out being an idiot. He over-reacted to every little cue. A soft box with my inside leg resulted in jigging and/or his haunches spinning out. So I put him on a circle and spiraled in and out a couple times. What I noticed was that he was much less freakish when he was on the small circle, but freaked out at about 15m+ or when doing the turn on the haunches. So I put him on a bigger circle and checked his bending. The goober was totally locked up in his head/neck - asking him to yield to the inside rein got a set jaw and a "no way". So I'd ask, tell, make him yield to the inside rein. If he didn't soften on the first two his head got pulled to the inside until he relaxed. After about 10 minutes of this in each direction he was starting to soften and reach down and chew some. Ok, it was more an angry gnashing of teeth, but his jaw was moving! I let him trot a little and also asked him to go by the bunny tree. If he freaked out about the tree we did the inside-rein softening on a tiny circle until he'd walk past the tree without coming above the bit before going back to the 20m circle/figure 8/whatever. At the end I did some work asking him to lift his back from my leg or the whip and he was back to his previously normal, happy self.
After the ride was over I rubbed his neck/poll some because Kate noticed it's looked funny and he dropped his nose to the dirt and just stood there looking like he was in horsey-heaven. I don't think it's entirely a physical problem (more likely his mental problems aggravated a physical problem) but it never hurts to have a professional check so Kate's going to get Gayle to see what she thinks when they have their lesson next week.
He started out being an idiot. He over-reacted to every little cue. A soft box with my inside leg resulted in jigging and/or his haunches spinning out. So I put him on a circle and spiraled in and out a couple times. What I noticed was that he was much less freakish when he was on the small circle, but freaked out at about 15m+ or when doing the turn on the haunches. So I put him on a bigger circle and checked his bending. The goober was totally locked up in his head/neck - asking him to yield to the inside rein got a set jaw and a "no way". So I'd ask, tell, make him yield to the inside rein. If he didn't soften on the first two his head got pulled to the inside until he relaxed. After about 10 minutes of this in each direction he was starting to soften and reach down and chew some. Ok, it was more an angry gnashing of teeth, but his jaw was moving! I let him trot a little and also asked him to go by the bunny tree. If he freaked out about the tree we did the inside-rein softening on a tiny circle until he'd walk past the tree without coming above the bit before going back to the 20m circle/figure 8/whatever. At the end I did some work asking him to lift his back from my leg or the whip and he was back to his previously normal, happy self.
After the ride was over I rubbed his neck/poll some because Kate noticed it's looked funny and he dropped his nose to the dirt and just stood there looking like he was in horsey-heaven. I don't think it's entirely a physical problem (more likely his mental problems aggravated a physical problem) but it never hurts to have a professional check so Kate's going to get Gayle to see what she thinks when they have their lesson next week.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Shedding season!
Well, it's official. Everything I own is now completely covered in white hair! Ah, the joys of paint horses.
I got out to the barn last Thursday (? my days are all mixed up) in the hopes of riding before the rain started, but sadly as soon as I had hauled the tack outside, it began pouring. So I splashed out to the field, gave Tango a cuddle, and informed him that he was saved by the bell. I finally got back out to the barn on Monday, and again yesterday.
Monday's ride began well, but about halfway through, Tango's owner came outside and we chatted for several minutes. When I finally picked up the reins again, Tango was of the opinion that his services were no longer required... so he gave me the most head-tossiest, driftiest, choppiest bad-horse trot he could muster. I basically just kept him moving on a 20m circle until I got at least 2 full laps of non-jerk-trot, and called it a night. Ugh.
Things went much better during our ride yesterday. We warmed up at walk and trot on a nice long rein, just to get the motor running and calm him down. If he's not well warmed up, he tends to want to jig at the walk at even the slightest hint of an aid, and his trot is a mess. Fortunately we shook most of that over-responsiveness off in our warm-up. Next, I put him over 3 parallel ground poles at the walk and trot, with the poles forming one long side of an ellipse-shaped figure. He really gave me some nice trot work with this exercise -- he was paying much more attention to his own balance, and he really stretched forward into contact for the first time in weeks. That was a HUGE deal -- he has a tendency to avoid stretching and instead overflex a few vertebrae back from his poll. Someone taught him how to get away with a false frame, and it was great to really feel him stretch forward. I have also begun working square turns into our rides -- Tango is still trying to get the hang of it, but it is beginning to help lighten his front end. All in all, a nice ride.
Still noticing problems with our suppling -- the usual stiffness to the right, and "overflexing" to the left. I think my next few rides will involve a good, long, exhausting work-out under saddle in the round pen. No room to drift, fewer ways to evade... just circle after circle after circle to get him stronger and more supple on both sides. I'm sure Tango won't be nearly as excited about it as me :-D
I got out to the barn last Thursday (? my days are all mixed up) in the hopes of riding before the rain started, but sadly as soon as I had hauled the tack outside, it began pouring. So I splashed out to the field, gave Tango a cuddle, and informed him that he was saved by the bell. I finally got back out to the barn on Monday, and again yesterday.
Monday's ride began well, but about halfway through, Tango's owner came outside and we chatted for several minutes. When I finally picked up the reins again, Tango was of the opinion that his services were no longer required... so he gave me the most head-tossiest, driftiest, choppiest bad-horse trot he could muster. I basically just kept him moving on a 20m circle until I got at least 2 full laps of non-jerk-trot, and called it a night. Ugh.
Things went much better during our ride yesterday. We warmed up at walk and trot on a nice long rein, just to get the motor running and calm him down. If he's not well warmed up, he tends to want to jig at the walk at even the slightest hint of an aid, and his trot is a mess. Fortunately we shook most of that over-responsiveness off in our warm-up. Next, I put him over 3 parallel ground poles at the walk and trot, with the poles forming one long side of an ellipse-shaped figure. He really gave me some nice trot work with this exercise -- he was paying much more attention to his own balance, and he really stretched forward into contact for the first time in weeks. That was a HUGE deal -- he has a tendency to avoid stretching and instead overflex a few vertebrae back from his poll. Someone taught him how to get away with a false frame, and it was great to really feel him stretch forward. I have also begun working square turns into our rides -- Tango is still trying to get the hang of it, but it is beginning to help lighten his front end. All in all, a nice ride.
Still noticing problems with our suppling -- the usual stiffness to the right, and "overflexing" to the left. I think my next few rides will involve a good, long, exhausting work-out under saddle in the round pen. No room to drift, fewer ways to evade... just circle after circle after circle to get him stronger and more supple on both sides. I'm sure Tango won't be nearly as excited about it as me :-D
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Naughty pony
I'm still trying to fit in a lesson with Gayle. The alternative is driving Pro over to I-85 and letting him loose on the highway. He is a bad boy.
I did try to give him the benefit of the doubt today but he was having a totally immature meltdown by the bunny tree and being a moron. He was starting to throw hissy fits and rather than get into a fight I couldn't win, I moved back down by the pond end of the arena and just worked him on a 20m circle for the rest of the ride. At that point, I didn't care if his back was up right then, or if he was being rolkured, or pseudo-rolkured, all I cared was that his head was DOWN. He was totally giving me the equine middle finger by throwing his head in the air so I figured submission took priority over correctness, at least for today's ride.
Luckily, my plan worked! I fully admit that for a good five minutes, I just CRANKED his head down and let him freak out and get mad. I wasn't expecting him to have a mental turn-around and join in on my original plans for a good ride. All I cared about at that point was that the silly crap stopped and that he submitted psychologically.
But then that little mental switch went off and it's like he said ohhh, okay, I'm not going to win today. I felt him relax, and then from there I was able to bump him up, send him forward, and work on rhythm. We worked on turning off the outside aids and getting him to stretch over his back at the trot - lots of chewing. He felt good by the end of the ride! But goodness, what a baaaaad boy...
I did try to give him the benefit of the doubt today but he was having a totally immature meltdown by the bunny tree and being a moron. He was starting to throw hissy fits and rather than get into a fight I couldn't win, I moved back down by the pond end of the arena and just worked him on a 20m circle for the rest of the ride. At that point, I didn't care if his back was up right then, or if he was being rolkured, or pseudo-rolkured, all I cared was that his head was DOWN. He was totally giving me the equine middle finger by throwing his head in the air so I figured submission took priority over correctness, at least for today's ride.
Luckily, my plan worked! I fully admit that for a good five minutes, I just CRANKED his head down and let him freak out and get mad. I wasn't expecting him to have a mental turn-around and join in on my original plans for a good ride. All I cared about at that point was that the silly crap stopped and that he submitted psychologically.
But then that little mental switch went off and it's like he said ohhh, okay, I'm not going to win today. I felt him relax, and then from there I was able to bump him up, send him forward, and work on rhythm. We worked on turning off the outside aids and getting him to stretch over his back at the trot - lots of chewing. He felt good by the end of the ride! But goodness, what a baaaaad boy...
Monday, March 23, 2009
Two Parts!
Part 1: The Show
My plans to take Jay to the show almost got derailed before they started. I took Jay Friday for a lesson and a "makeover," and when I got him there I realized he was missing a shoe and was a little off. I put a call in to my farrier who is wonderful and said he could come out Saturday morning, and proceeded with Jay's beauty treatment.
When I pulled Jay out Saturday morning he was definitely sore and pointing his foot. I didn't think it was looking good for him going to the show. As soon as he got his shoe on, though, he jogged out sound, and we were still able to make it to the show in time for Ellen's first ride. It was really nice to meet Ellen and Skate, and they did a wonderful job, especially with such a hectic start!
Before lunch I rode Jay over to a corner of the cross country field to ride for a bit. I love this horse, he goes into "show mode" and is easier to ride at a show than at home! Wonderful! I could feel him perk up when he saw the cross
country jumps. Its not time for that yet, Jay!
Jay still doesn't like a crowded warm-up, but this time did go smoother than last. There was only one instance when two horses were coming at us at the same time, and rather than letting me have the rail one rider cut to the outside so that they were passing on each side of us. Jay grunted and jumped sideways. He just doesn't like other horses coming at him, poor guy. I can't say that I blame him, and I can't foresee wanting to be out there in the mix jumping the fences during a schooling break. Even if I end up doing some hunter shows like this over fences, I would prefer to stick to the warm-up area (which I am hoping wouldn't be as wild...it hasn't been at this show and most others I have been to in the past), and then go in for the jumping round without schooling the horse over them first, like it is done in eventing. I have also decided that I DEFINITELY want to get back into the dressage ring, too.
After the schooling break, I found out my class had been canceled because I was the only entry! Oh well. So Ellen, you didn't miss much! I took Jay back out to the cross country field and rode some more. It was a fun day even though it was long, and Jay was a super star!
I hope to have the video ready to go soon. The software that came with the camera is not very good, and it is hard to use, so John and I need to get it converted to a format that is compatible with Windows Movie Maker, which should be much more user friendly.
Part 2: The Trail
Sunday I took Jay for another trail ride with my friend who has the older QH, expecting another easy, low pressure trail ride. Ha Ha. This time her granddaughter couldn't come, and there were three other riders. We took a different route, and came upon a small, pretty, grassy field that in the past would have been calling my name for a good gallop. Well, we walked along it and back into the woods.
At the next nice grassy field, my friend told me the other riders were going to go faster...just as they were taking off! Thanks for the warning people! My heart jumped into my throat, and my friend said "Just turn him in a circle if you don't want to do that." Good advice. Well, with only one horse walking and three cantering, Jay wanted to go, too! Jay and I ended up cantering in a circle there near my friend. I must say I was thankful for the time I have been spending at the Y, because I think that in the not very distant past I would have just crumbled and popped off. I felt stronger and MUCH more in control of my body, and even though my adrenaline level was off the chart it ended up being a rather nice canter under the circumstances! The other riders cantered back and rejoined us at the walk. Jay was still a little "up," so I trotted on ahead of them to the end of the field rather than try to hold Jay back and make him more unhappy.
When I spotted the next field through the trees, I knew what was coming. I was nervous! This time, though, my friend asked the others to go a little further over from us before they took off, and I was able to take Jay out behind them at a trot. Jay is such a GOOD boy! I was just concerned about how he would react if I cued him for the canter, just because of recent past experiences and because three other horses were taking off in front of us. Would Jay take off with me? I must admit that I was wondering when, or if, cantering through a field would be fun again.
At the next field everyone walked...there was a ditch in the middle of it. Then we crossed a road into another field. This time we all needed to stay along the edge, so I bit the bullet and took Jay out behind the others at a trot. When he smoothly and politely broke into a canter, I just eased into two point, planted my hands on his neck, and vibrated the reins just a bit to rate him. Yippee, it WAS fun! *BIG grin*
The next field we came to was a bit down hill, and I still just didn't trust MYSELF. The three others took off cantering all over that field, but Jay was happy to stay at a walk with my friend. That was a good experience, too. We don't always have to GO just because others are!
So overall it was a fun ride and a GOOD experience with a breakthrough for me! Jay is so good, and so well behaved. Most of the ride I had him on the buckle. We crossed three streams. When the other riders stopped to let their horses have a "snack," Jay stood quietly on the buckle resting a hind foot. (I am just not used to stopping on a trail ride to let my horse graze for a "treat," no matter how appreciative I am of him carrying me on the ride!)
It was a GOOD weekend!!!
My plans to take Jay to the show almost got derailed before they started. I took Jay Friday for a lesson and a "makeover," and when I got him there I realized he was missing a shoe and was a little off. I put a call in to my farrier who is wonderful and said he could come out Saturday morning, and proceeded with Jay's beauty treatment.
When I pulled Jay out Saturday morning he was definitely sore and pointing his foot. I didn't think it was looking good for him going to the show. As soon as he got his shoe on, though, he jogged out sound, and we were still able to make it to the show in time for Ellen's first ride. It was really nice to meet Ellen and Skate, and they did a wonderful job, especially with such a hectic start!
Before lunch I rode Jay over to a corner of the cross country field to ride for a bit. I love this horse, he goes into "show mode" and is easier to ride at a show than at home! Wonderful! I could feel him perk up when he saw the cross
country jumps. Its not time for that yet, Jay!Jay still doesn't like a crowded warm-up, but this time did go smoother than last. There was only one instance when two horses were coming at us at the same time, and rather than letting me have the rail one rider cut to the outside so that they were passing on each side of us. Jay grunted and jumped sideways. He just doesn't like other horses coming at him, poor guy. I can't say that I blame him, and I can't foresee wanting to be out there in the mix jumping the fences during a schooling break. Even if I end up doing some hunter shows like this over fences, I would prefer to stick to the warm-up area (which I am hoping wouldn't be as wild...it hasn't been at this show and most others I have been to in the past), and then go in for the jumping round without schooling the horse over them first, like it is done in eventing. I have also decided that I DEFINITELY want to get back into the dressage ring, too.
After the schooling break, I found out my class had been canceled because I was the only entry! Oh well. So Ellen, you didn't miss much! I took Jay back out to the cross country field and rode some more. It was a fun day even though it was long, and Jay was a super star!
I hope to have the video ready to go soon. The software that came with the camera is not very good, and it is hard to use, so John and I need to get it converted to a format that is compatible with Windows Movie Maker, which should be much more user friendly.
Part 2: The Trail
Sunday I took Jay for another trail ride with my friend who has the older QH, expecting another easy, low pressure trail ride. Ha Ha. This time her granddaughter couldn't come, and there were three other riders. We took a different route, and came upon a small, pretty, grassy field that in the past would have been calling my name for a good gallop. Well, we walked along it and back into the woods.
At the next nice grassy field, my friend told me the other riders were going to go faster...just as they were taking off! Thanks for the warning people! My heart jumped into my throat, and my friend said "Just turn him in a circle if you don't want to do that." Good advice. Well, with only one horse walking and three cantering, Jay wanted to go, too! Jay and I ended up cantering in a circle there near my friend. I must say I was thankful for the time I have been spending at the Y, because I think that in the not very distant past I would have just crumbled and popped off. I felt stronger and MUCH more in control of my body, and even though my adrenaline level was off the chart it ended up being a rather nice canter under the circumstances! The other riders cantered back and rejoined us at the walk. Jay was still a little "up," so I trotted on ahead of them to the end of the field rather than try to hold Jay back and make him more unhappy.
When I spotted the next field through the trees, I knew what was coming. I was nervous! This time, though, my friend asked the others to go a little further over from us before they took off, and I was able to take Jay out behind them at a trot. Jay is such a GOOD boy! I was just concerned about how he would react if I cued him for the canter, just because of recent past experiences and because three other horses were taking off in front of us. Would Jay take off with me? I must admit that I was wondering when, or if, cantering through a field would be fun again.
At the next field everyone walked...there was a ditch in the middle of it. Then we crossed a road into another field. This time we all needed to stay along the edge, so I bit the bullet and took Jay out behind the others at a trot. When he smoothly and politely broke into a canter, I just eased into two point, planted my hands on his neck, and vibrated the reins just a bit to rate him. Yippee, it WAS fun! *BIG grin*
The next field we came to was a bit down hill, and I still just didn't trust MYSELF. The three others took off cantering all over that field, but Jay was happy to stay at a walk with my friend. That was a good experience, too. We don't always have to GO just because others are!
So overall it was a fun ride and a GOOD experience with a breakthrough for me! Jay is so good, and so well behaved. Most of the ride I had him on the buckle. We crossed three streams. When the other riders stopped to let their horses have a "snack," Jay stood quietly on the buckle resting a hind foot. (I am just not used to stopping on a trail ride to let my horse graze for a "treat," no matter how appreciative I am of him carrying me on the ride!)
It was a GOOD weekend!!!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Show time!
Skate was wonderful (I love that little horse!) - a little tense and spent some time calling out (he loves little ponies - esp. gray ones), but overall, he was very easy to deal with. He stayed tied to the trailer munching hay most of the day with no problems. He loaded absolutely wonderfully; I don't even have to line him up to the ramp - just sorta aim him in the general direction and he follows. I have never had a horse that loaded that well, so this is such a treat.
Our first test (Intro B) was a little hectic. The judge got there 30 min late after getting lost, so my ride time was pushed back. I was getting saddled up 30 min prior to my new ride time and heard "dressage riders, we are back on schedule. Please show up at your originally scheduled ride time." What? Ridiculous...so I trotted him down to the ring with NO warmup and did my test. Scored a whopping 54 and won a blue ribbon! The overall comment was that I could pull it all together by riding him into the contact. Sorta tough when he's stargazing. He definitely did a nice llama impression! I'll leave out the drama on that description - since there really was none.
This is what Skate thinks of his ribbon:
Second test - TL1- I warmed up in a quiet spot on the XC course (he canters quietly in a big field - I think he WILL make a good eventing pony!). I thought he seemed much less tense and was fairly supple, although still mostly above the bit. The test went rather well, but I only scored a 50 on that one. I got a lot of "above the bit" - that may have been on every single movement. One comment was actually "very lazy" on his freewalk. Ha. Still managed a fifth place out of about 10 or so, as all the scores were low. I was very happy with Skate, though, as he was relaxed and easy to ride. Less stargazing, but still not at all round and on the bit.
So, overall, I'm really excited at how fun the day was and I'm ready to do more little schooling shows. I need to work on riding him the same at shows as I do at home...I know I could have used more bend throughout my tests to help with the stargazing.
I got to meet Christie and her hubby and lovely horse, Jay . They were nice enough to video my tests - so that will be coming soon for everyone to view! The sucky thing was that I had to leave before she got to ride...the crew I drove in with was ready to go after a long day and I was trailering one of their horses, so off we went. Jay and Christie looked good in the warmup, though, so I hope they did as well in their class.
Our first test (Intro B) was a little hectic. The judge got there 30 min late after getting lost, so my ride time was pushed back. I was getting saddled up 30 min prior to my new ride time and heard "dressage riders, we are back on schedule. Please show up at your originally scheduled ride time." What? Ridiculous...so I trotted him down to the ring with NO warmup and did my test. Scored a whopping 54 and won a blue ribbon! The overall comment was that I could pull it all together by riding him into the contact. Sorta tough when he's stargazing. He definitely did a nice llama impression! I'll leave out the drama on that description - since there really was none.
This is what Skate thinks of his ribbon:
Second test - TL1- I warmed up in a quiet spot on the XC course (he canters quietly in a big field - I think he WILL make a good eventing pony!). I thought he seemed much less tense and was fairly supple, although still mostly above the bit. The test went rather well, but I only scored a 50 on that one. I got a lot of "above the bit" - that may have been on every single movement. One comment was actually "very lazy" on his freewalk. Ha. Still managed a fifth place out of about 10 or so, as all the scores were low. I was very happy with Skate, though, as he was relaxed and easy to ride. Less stargazing, but still not at all round and on the bit.So, overall, I'm really excited at how fun the day was and I'm ready to do more little schooling shows. I need to work on riding him the same at shows as I do at home...I know I could have used more bend throughout my tests to help with the stargazing.
I got to meet Christie and her hubby and lovely horse, Jay . They were nice enough to video my tests - so that will be coming soon for everyone to view! The sucky thing was that I had to leave before she got to ride...the crew I drove in with was ready to go after a long day and I was trailering one of their horses, so off we went. Jay and Christie looked good in the warmup, though, so I hope they did as well in their class.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Back from the flu...
Word to the wise - never say you're "too busy" to get the flu shot. :P The hour it takes to get it will save you TONS of time later on. I'm finally starting to feel better after, although it should take another week to get my full strength back.
I tried something new today in honor of the good weather...I hooked up my iPod! I know, shocking! I NEVER thought I'd ride with music with Pro since I always want to be aware, but it worked out well. I only put one earbud in so I could still keep tabs on the outside world. I think the music helped me to relax and get in that mindset of "alright Pro, however long it takes to get down to business is your problem, not mine". Pro is definitely not a horse when you can ride if you only have 30 minutes because if stuff goes down, you HAVE to stay on until the argument is resolved and you can come out on top. So when he started to act a bit fussy today I just focused on taking a deep breath in, letting it out slowly, and just focusing on keeping my demands consistent and pushing him through.
He started off wanting to gawk at the bunny tree but I pushed him through and kept my lower legs off. I also worked hard today on keeping my hip flexors OPEN. I had a "duh!" moment last week while sick as I was contemplating my riding progress...yes, I'd been keeping my lower legs off, but I hadn't been keeping my hip angles open! Tilting forward was just giving him what he wants. So I lifted my legs off his sides and then streeetched up to open those flexors (ow). I did lots of "follow my inside rein" to remind him that he's NOT allowed to just fake neck flexion, but that he's really supposed to come through his back. And I think we got it! We also worked a lot on cliff-halting, in which you halt and just push "pause" on the energy remote instead of "stop". So that you feel like you're standing just at the edge of a cliff, balancing, until you walk on.
We even trotted for five minutes! I was out of breath after that ;) but at least I got him to stretch down and over his back and step big. All in all, I was pretty pleased with our comeback ride, and it feels good to return to the blog again.
I tried something new today in honor of the good weather...I hooked up my iPod! I know, shocking! I NEVER thought I'd ride with music with Pro since I always want to be aware, but it worked out well. I only put one earbud in so I could still keep tabs on the outside world. I think the music helped me to relax and get in that mindset of "alright Pro, however long it takes to get down to business is your problem, not mine". Pro is definitely not a horse when you can ride if you only have 30 minutes because if stuff goes down, you HAVE to stay on until the argument is resolved and you can come out on top. So when he started to act a bit fussy today I just focused on taking a deep breath in, letting it out slowly, and just focusing on keeping my demands consistent and pushing him through.
He started off wanting to gawk at the bunny tree but I pushed him through and kept my lower legs off. I also worked hard today on keeping my hip flexors OPEN. I had a "duh!" moment last week while sick as I was contemplating my riding progress...yes, I'd been keeping my lower legs off, but I hadn't been keeping my hip angles open! Tilting forward was just giving him what he wants. So I lifted my legs off his sides and then streeetched up to open those flexors (ow). I did lots of "follow my inside rein" to remind him that he's NOT allowed to just fake neck flexion, but that he's really supposed to come through his back. And I think we got it! We also worked a lot on cliff-halting, in which you halt and just push "pause" on the energy remote instead of "stop". So that you feel like you're standing just at the edge of a cliff, balancing, until you walk on.
We even trotted for five minutes! I was out of breath after that ;) but at least I got him to stretch down and over his back and step big. All in all, I was pretty pleased with our comeback ride, and it feels good to return to the blog again.
Friday, March 20, 2009
As requested......cutting kids
These pictures are from Wednesday's ride. I didn't get to ride last night before the rain hit. I have decided not to show this weekend. I don't think Andy is in good enough shape and from looking at these pictures he isn't using his hind end as much as he needs to. A lot of that has to do with footing and the fact that he doesn't have sliders on. He will be getting them in the next week or so though. Then we can really "lay 11s".
We did a lot of work on collection that night. He wasn't so sure what I wanted at first but after a few times doing the drill he was really using his back and hind end more and coming up into my bridle instead of leaning.
We had a small conversation last night about which side of the poles to pass. LOL
We did a lot of work on collection that night. He wasn't so sure what I wanted at first but after a few times doing the drill he was really using his back and hind end more and coming up into my bridle instead of leaning.
Tracking her and getting ready to cut her off.
We had a small conversation last night about which side of the poles to pass. LOLThursday, March 19, 2009
Multiple Updates on Christie and Jay
This is a multi-faceted update! First, Jay and I had a great lesson last Wednesday (3-11-09). We had a lot of variety! After warming up at the trot, we did trot poles with a cavalletti at the end. After we did the poles/cavalletti a few times, she had me trot a little cross rail, but for the first time we didn't have a placement pole. It doesn't take much to increase my anxiety these days, but it went fine. Then we worked on the canter...a lot. I have finally realized that it is not so much the canter that is worrying me (only occasionally if it gets too fast), but the transition from trot to canter. I think it is because that is where my past problems with other horses have happened, whether it be a bolt or a buck. I am not worried about Jay bucking, because he has NEVER given ANY indication that he would even think about doing that, but sometimes during upward transitions he gives me a little more impulsion than I expect and it worries me some. Last week she had me actually grab some mane going into the transition. Jay raises his head right now as we transition, and if I am holding mane it will help me not brace against him and create tension for us to feed off of as we keep cantering. We had some pretty decent transitions after that.
Yesterday I had another lesson. Lately I have been feeling that Jay is not responding to my leg very well, and has not had good impulsion at the trot. I have even been tempted to carry a whip, and mentioned it to my instructor, but she didn't think we needed it. I am wondering now if it was just that she didn't think we were ready for it! During our trot warm-up yesterday she asked me how I felt about a crop/whip, and we both agreed that it was time. As soon as I had the dressage whip, Jay responded better without me even having to use it. Smart boy!
We started out yesterday the same as last week: trot warm-up, trot poles/cavalletti, small cross rail. Then she she said we were going to work on cantering, but just as quickly changed her mind. Uh-oh. Somehow I knew even before the lesson started that the vertical that was set up in the ring was coming, and when she didn't start moving anything around after saying she had changed her mind...well, I was glad that I had actually already started psyching myself up for it! I do have to say that everything came together well, and it felt good! Jay seemed to step it up and take it more seriously, and I think I got myself together because I was afraid about what would happen if I didn't! So I guess we both took it more seriously! We did it three times. I was very happy (as was my instructor), so we stopped for the day on that good note.
I do have to admit that I am actually frustrated with myself, though, after seeing the video from yesterday. I have really lost riding skill. I guess it is not surprising after 11+ years of not being well and everything that goes with that, including the loss of conditioning and weight gain. I realize now that I really was over-estimating my skill level, so I guess it is no wonder that I ended up with confidence issues!
I would REALLY have hated to see myself even a couple of months ago, though, even more so than now! I didn't want to mention what else I have been up to until I actually knew I was going to see some results, but I AM seeing some results, so I will share. My husband and I joined the YMCA on December 31st. We have changed our eating habits, too. Including riding, I am working out at least 5 to 6 times a week. Even when the weather has been too bad to ride, I have been going to the gym. I have been doing a lot of spinning because I can do it with my ankle limitations and I enjoy it, but DH and I have also been doing a variety of other things, too. I am very happy that I can tell that my stamina and endurance has really improved. My first lessons with Jay back in December I could barely manage to trot around the ring more than once before I was exhausted, and a couple of times we pretty much had to stop after 30 minutes because I was worn out. Last week we went for a full hour, with only short breaks. I have lost almost 25 pounds! Right now we are participating in a program called "Y-Weigh" which is like their version of The Biggest Loser. As part of that program we plan to participate in a 5K on May 2nd.
As much as I have been enjoying my lessons, I have been missing doing dressage work, and have started checking into some options for dressage instructors, with the intention of still working with this H/J trainer/friend some too. After seeing myself, I know I really want and need to get my finesse and tact back. However, now I am wondering if I should stick with just her for a little while longer, until my fitness, weight, and ability improve some more. Opinions?
Yesterday I had another lesson. Lately I have been feeling that Jay is not responding to my leg very well, and has not had good impulsion at the trot. I have even been tempted to carry a whip, and mentioned it to my instructor, but she didn't think we needed it. I am wondering now if it was just that she didn't think we were ready for it! During our trot warm-up yesterday she asked me how I felt about a crop/whip, and we both agreed that it was time. As soon as I had the dressage whip, Jay responded better without me even having to use it. Smart boy!We started out yesterday the same as last week: trot warm-up, trot poles/cavalletti, small cross rail. Then she she said we were going to work on cantering, but just as quickly changed her mind. Uh-oh. Somehow I knew even before the lesson started that the vertical that was set up in the ring was coming, and when she didn't start moving anything around after saying she had changed her mind...well, I was glad that I had actually already started psyching myself up for it! I do have to say that everything came together well, and it felt good! Jay seemed to step it up and take it more seriously, and I think I got myself together because I was afraid about what would happen if I didn't! So I guess we both took it more seriously! We did it three times. I was very happy (as was my instructor), so we stopped for the day on that good note.
I do have to admit that I am actually frustrated with myself, though, after seeing the video from yesterday. I have really lost riding skill. I guess it is not surprising after 11+ years of not being well and everything that goes with that, including the loss of conditioning and weight gain. I realize now that I really was over-estimating my skill level, so I guess it is no wonder that I ended up with confidence issues!
I would REALLY have hated to see myself even a couple of months ago, though, even more so than now! I didn't want to mention what else I have been up to until I actually knew I was going to see some results, but I AM seeing some results, so I will share. My husband and I joined the YMCA on December 31st. We have changed our eating habits, too. Including riding, I am working out at least 5 to 6 times a week. Even when the weather has been too bad to ride, I have been going to the gym. I have been doing a lot of spinning because I can do it with my ankle limitations and I enjoy it, but DH and I have also been doing a variety of other things, too. I am very happy that I can tell that my stamina and endurance has really improved. My first lessons with Jay back in December I could barely manage to trot around the ring more than once before I was exhausted, and a couple of times we pretty much had to stop after 30 minutes because I was worn out. Last week we went for a full hour, with only short breaks. I have lost almost 25 pounds! Right now we are participating in a program called "Y-Weigh" which is like their version of The Biggest Loser. As part of that program we plan to participate in a 5K on May 2nd.
As much as I have been enjoying my lessons, I have been missing doing dressage work, and have started checking into some options for dressage instructors, with the intention of still working with this H/J trainer/friend some too. After seeing myself, I know I really want and need to get my finesse and tact back. However, now I am wondering if I should stick with just her for a little while longer, until my fitness, weight, and ability improve some more. Opinions?
Point and shoot?
Pro finally got put back to work last night! Between the weather and Kate being sick, he got another week long break. I wasn't willing to let the beautiful weather last night go to waste, though, so we saddled up and headed out.
Yesterday's pole exercise was going to be a square of ground poles (so 2 on the ground, then 2 on top of those to make the square) but I decided he's been doing so well with poles that I put another on top in the middle. So we had an 8' wide stretch with 3 poles where the middle one was raised ~6-8" off the ground and then we also had the option of going through it the other direction where there were 2 4' wide sections with 2 poles spaced 8' apart. I figured it'd be an extensive "discussion" to get him over the 4' wide section, but he actually went quite happily over it without trying to run off once. He seemed very happy to bounce through the grid in either direction and didn't really struggle with it. He picked his back up going through it really well initially and then got sort of lazy with it after the novelty wore off.
So that set off the 2nd part of our ride where I insisted on back UP. Not however much he felt like giving me (which was probably 33% of what I wanted) but until I said it was up. Gayle has us using the whip as an inside aide for getting him to lift his back so I'd tap with the whip very lightly behind my leg and keep at it until his back was up. Initially his head went up more than his back and there was lots of unhappy jigging and trying to scoot sideways, but I kept up with it until either a) his back was up or b) he was about to explode. Then he got no taps unless he started to drop his back and then back we went. One downside to this was it ended up making him rush, so I swapped to inside-leg taps and outside rein half-halts. I'm not sure the outside rein half-halts are the correct solution (is outside rein ever supposed to be used for half-halts or is it just a steadying presence and the inside rein does the work?) but Pro seemed to understand. I was very excited when I pulled off his saddle and he was standing there with his back mostly up even after the walk back into the barn.
I also have to give him a complement on his feeding manners. They ate outside last night and I expected that leading a hungry Pro while carrying his grain bucket and a giant flake of hay was going to be a disaster, but he did not try to mug me a single time for a mouthful of anything. I guess the barn manager must do that with him every morning so I shouldn't be surprised, but well, how many horses are that polite about their dinners?
Yesterday's pole exercise was going to be a square of ground poles (so 2 on the ground, then 2 on top of those to make the square) but I decided he's been doing so well with poles that I put another on top in the middle. So we had an 8' wide stretch with 3 poles where the middle one was raised ~6-8" off the ground and then we also had the option of going through it the other direction where there were 2 4' wide sections with 2 poles spaced 8' apart. I figured it'd be an extensive "discussion" to get him over the 4' wide section, but he actually went quite happily over it without trying to run off once. He seemed very happy to bounce through the grid in either direction and didn't really struggle with it. He picked his back up going through it really well initially and then got sort of lazy with it after the novelty wore off.
So that set off the 2nd part of our ride where I insisted on back UP. Not however much he felt like giving me (which was probably 33% of what I wanted) but until I said it was up. Gayle has us using the whip as an inside aide for getting him to lift his back so I'd tap with the whip very lightly behind my leg and keep at it until his back was up. Initially his head went up more than his back and there was lots of unhappy jigging and trying to scoot sideways, but I kept up with it until either a) his back was up or b) he was about to explode. Then he got no taps unless he started to drop his back and then back we went. One downside to this was it ended up making him rush, so I swapped to inside-leg taps and outside rein half-halts. I'm not sure the outside rein half-halts are the correct solution (is outside rein ever supposed to be used for half-halts or is it just a steadying presence and the inside rein does the work?) but Pro seemed to understand. I was very excited when I pulled off his saddle and he was standing there with his back mostly up even after the walk back into the barn.
I also have to give him a complement on his feeding manners. They ate outside last night and I expected that leading a hungry Pro while carrying his grain bucket and a giant flake of hay was going to be a disaster, but he did not try to mug me a single time for a mouthful of anything. I guess the barn manager must do that with him every morning so I shouldn't be surprised, but well, how many horses are that polite about their dinners?
Monday, March 16, 2009
Finally - Shoulder In
Yep - we finally got to try something new! I have never actually attempted a shoulder in, until my lesson on Saturday!
The ponies have been in since it started raining, so when I got on I immediately regretted not lunging the nutcase. To top it off, my barn owner's family was there watching. I thought it would be a great time to get dumped and scare the crap out of the four year old : ) At least there would be people there to scrape me off the ground! Anyway, I just went straight to business with a forward trot to focus his squirrelly butt. Amazingly, after a few hairy eyeballs towards the barrels, poles, door, etc etc etc, he settled down.
We got some really nice stretchy trot going, moved on to an equally nice canter, and then came back to the sitting trot. She had me make a small circle at the end and then push him out to a bigger circle and bigger trot and continue the 'circle' straight down the long side - to attempt a shoulder in. The first few attempts resulted in a crappy leg yield...finally, it dawned on me that I was pointing my hips towards the inside and opening the door for Skate to sneak out. Once I understood that I had to be sitting straight and just asking for him to bend around my leg, we got it! My instructor said she didn't think we'd actually get it so soon...but we actually did and it was pretty good! Sweet.
Anyway, I turned in my entry for the TTC show this weekend - Intro B and TL 1. I need someone to call the tests, though! Yikes...
The ponies have been in since it started raining, so when I got on I immediately regretted not lunging the nutcase. To top it off, my barn owner's family was there watching. I thought it would be a great time to get dumped and scare the crap out of the four year old : ) At least there would be people there to scrape me off the ground! Anyway, I just went straight to business with a forward trot to focus his squirrelly butt. Amazingly, after a few hairy eyeballs towards the barrels, poles, door, etc etc etc, he settled down.
We got some really nice stretchy trot going, moved on to an equally nice canter, and then came back to the sitting trot. She had me make a small circle at the end and then push him out to a bigger circle and bigger trot and continue the 'circle' straight down the long side - to attempt a shoulder in. The first few attempts resulted in a crappy leg yield...finally, it dawned on me that I was pointing my hips towards the inside and opening the door for Skate to sneak out. Once I understood that I had to be sitting straight and just asking for him to bend around my leg, we got it! My instructor said she didn't think we'd actually get it so soon...but we actually did and it was pretty good! Sweet.
Anyway, I turned in my entry for the TTC show this weekend - Intro B and TL 1. I need someone to call the tests, though! Yikes...
Friday, March 13, 2009
Double Update
Here's my update from Tues and Thurs. I've been very busy at work so blogging hasn't been a high priority. :)
Tuesday Pro gave me the same rushing crap that he'd given Kate on Monday. We didn't ever get into a discussion of who gets to dictate the rhythm though because he was also being very defensive/angry about the inside rein. So I spent most of the ride reintroducing it to him. Biiiiig opening inside rein until he relaxed into it and then hand forward and scratch his neck. If he didn't listen to the 'come here' gentle reminder next time he started to set his head/neck then he got the big reminder again. As he relaxed his head/neck the rushing mostly took care of itself.
Thursday I decided I didn't feel like getting into a pissing match with him so I dragged out ground poles and put them in a "W" shape with the points cut off. So it was 4 poles that angled towards each other. This let me pick the stride-length I needed by aiming for one edge or the other and gave me the option to do 10m circles over half the poles. Pro was certainly looking for a fight 'cause he came out rushing again. And then promptly planted his feet and tried to spin away from the oh-so-scary poles on the ground. It was extra stupid of him since I'd walked him over the poles on the way into the barn to get tacked up. He enjoyed going over them and relaxed himself during the 10m circles over them without me having to do massive inside rein reminders. I've started working him on longer reins (3rd stop on web reins) so he doesn't have to collect as much and am mostly focusing on getting him to stretch down and over. He wasn't going over as well as I'd like, but he was, on average, better than Tues I think. I was mostly just very pleased with how quietly he went through the poles and handled being asked to turn in/out halfway down the line of them. He's very much NOT a point-and-shoot horse about anything resembling a jump so I was happy that I could channel him over an 8' pole set on an angle approaching from an angle!
Still no lessons set up for us and Kate's now out with the flu. With this weather though lessons are nearly impossible. I imagine Pro will get the weekend off and hopefully we can start riding again Tues next week.
Tuesday Pro gave me the same rushing crap that he'd given Kate on Monday. We didn't ever get into a discussion of who gets to dictate the rhythm though because he was also being very defensive/angry about the inside rein. So I spent most of the ride reintroducing it to him. Biiiiig opening inside rein until he relaxed into it and then hand forward and scratch his neck. If he didn't listen to the 'come here' gentle reminder next time he started to set his head/neck then he got the big reminder again. As he relaxed his head/neck the rushing mostly took care of itself.
Thursday I decided I didn't feel like getting into a pissing match with him so I dragged out ground poles and put them in a "W" shape with the points cut off. So it was 4 poles that angled towards each other. This let me pick the stride-length I needed by aiming for one edge or the other and gave me the option to do 10m circles over half the poles. Pro was certainly looking for a fight 'cause he came out rushing again. And then promptly planted his feet and tried to spin away from the oh-so-scary poles on the ground. It was extra stupid of him since I'd walked him over the poles on the way into the barn to get tacked up. He enjoyed going over them and relaxed himself during the 10m circles over them without me having to do massive inside rein reminders. I've started working him on longer reins (3rd stop on web reins) so he doesn't have to collect as much and am mostly focusing on getting him to stretch down and over. He wasn't going over as well as I'd like, but he was, on average, better than Tues I think. I was mostly just very pleased with how quietly he went through the poles and handled being asked to turn in/out halfway down the line of them. He's very much NOT a point-and-shoot horse about anything resembling a jump so I was happy that I could channel him over an 8' pole set on an angle approaching from an angle!
Still no lessons set up for us and Kate's now out with the flu. With this weather though lessons are nearly impossible. I imagine Pro will get the weekend off and hopefully we can start riding again Tues next week.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Soggy Ride
I rushed out to the barn last night after work to get a ride in before the rain comes. I'm not looking forward to 10 more days of rain!
Andy was super mellow last night. He was super calm during the warm-up. I think he is getting the hang of it. When I crossed my reins over he was ready to work. We worked on long trotting some more and he has started loosening up.
Earlier I had gotten ahold of his last owner and found out about his training and history. I get to meet his sire next weekend and I think I'm going to join their show series.
They had started him as a cutting horse and said he had been worked on cows a bunch. Since there were tons of kids running around the barn I found a volunteer! I got the smallest little girl to run back and forth. OMG what a rush! He wasn't as sharp as some and isn't ready for you to drop your hand 100% but OMG he knows how to work a cow(little girl)!!! I am SO excited.
Right after this it started raining. We worked for a little longer and then took our cool off around the property.
Is it Friday yet??
Andy was super mellow last night. He was super calm during the warm-up. I think he is getting the hang of it. When I crossed my reins over he was ready to work. We worked on long trotting some more and he has started loosening up.
Earlier I had gotten ahold of his last owner and found out about his training and history. I get to meet his sire next weekend and I think I'm going to join their show series.
They had started him as a cutting horse and said he had been worked on cows a bunch. Since there were tons of kids running around the barn I found a volunteer! I got the smallest little girl to run back and forth. OMG what a rush! He wasn't as sharp as some and isn't ready for you to drop your hand 100% but OMG he knows how to work a cow(little girl)!!! I am SO excited.
Right after this it started raining. We worked for a little longer and then took our cool off around the property.
Is it Friday yet??
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Pro gets triple tag-teamed
So on Friday, Pro got a big surprise when Andrea and I brought a guest to help with our tag-teaming - our very own Dare from the blog! :) Unfortunately it was just about dusk so we didn't get many good pictures, but we at least had a good time. Andrea warmed him up for us and despite a few pissy moments in the beginning, he settled right down and behaved. We've been really focusing on keeping his back up. Dare seemed to have the magic touch with finding the right spot under his belly, so she made him do a few back-lifts before the ride and also while Andrea was in the saddle. Then Dare got on and we walked her through the routine - she had him looking quite good! I was pleased that we had him working decently over his back.
Then came the fun part - jumping!! I was only brave enough to do a crossrail (haha) but Andrea was bold enough to get back on after me and take him over a small vertical. He's a tricky jumper because you never know if he's going to go over it or not, if he's going to jump it or just trot it, if he's going to launch from a long spot or chip in, etc. Combine that with my rusty jumping skills and my position left a lot to be desired ;) but Andrea was much better.
Monday's ride was more of a 30 minute discussion centering around who has the authority to dictate rhythm. I won, but he was quite insistent on trying to dictate it himself. What helps me a lot is to think back on watching great dressage - where it looks like the rider dictates not only every stride, but every footfall. So I imagine my seatbones dictating, or at least giving a stamp of approval, for every stride. He was much better by the end! Can't wait for our lessons to start again. :)
Patterns and Anticipation
Last night I got started on Andy later than I had wanted to. YAY for sunlight! I have a new horse in for consignment and I had to work him first. If anyone wants a registered QH that is SLOW let me know. HAHA
When I went out to catch Andy he came running up to me. When he first got here he would walk away and tolerate being caught but wasn't willing to go with me. I think he changed his mind after I brought him in during all the snow and ice. He has started watching me brush him and being more nosy. I'm glad to see his personality come out some. Once his bridle is on though.....he is all business.
I have decided to start a warm up procedure that will help keep him steady in the beginning. I'm not one of those that believes all horses need 20 minutes of warm up but I do want the blood flowing and their mind engaged so we can get to work.
I ride in split reins and I start with them crossed over his neck...one hanging on each side. This is how we warmed up the day before too. We do lots of teardrops, moving shoulders, ground poles, stops, etc just to get him ready. Today I kept "warming him up" after I knew he was ready to go. He doesn't get bad but he does start looking for cues instead of really waiting on them.
The day before when I was ready to get to work I slid the reins to one side only and got my hand more situated. Today when I did it I could feel him get ready. We started out with a nice jog. I would really like to get him to pick up a full trot but every time I post he half-halts on all the ups AND downs so it just slows him down more. HAHA We will work on this more.
Since he was looking for cues earlier I decided that we would ride patterns today. I started with figure 8s. I would jog one loop and then bring it down to a walk in the middle. Walk that loop and then jog/canter in the middle. The middle was my transition area and I did something every time. I would put some smaller collected circles and the top/bottom of the 8 periodically but other than that we rode the 8s. He was a little sticky on his left lead at first. He would prefer his right lead but once I corrected it the first time he was solid the rest of the ride. I kept waiting for him to get up or guess what the next gait was going to be at X but he never did. He would ride past it or switch early if I asked him to.
After this we worked on simple changes in serpentines. I could only get 3 good loops in the arena, we would bring it down to a jog and then grab the other lead. He was VERY balanced through this.
We were both sweaty and tired so after we cooled down and helped another rider we headed down to the barn. As soon as the bridle came off he started scratching his ears, I reached up to help and he jerked and froze like he had been caught doing something bad. I hosed him off and when I turned him back out I took his halter off and stood there for a few minutes and scratched his face and ears. He did the lip thing but didn't try to rub on me at all.
It was a great ride!
When I went out to catch Andy he came running up to me. When he first got here he would walk away and tolerate being caught but wasn't willing to go with me. I think he changed his mind after I brought him in during all the snow and ice. He has started watching me brush him and being more nosy. I'm glad to see his personality come out some. Once his bridle is on though.....he is all business.
I have decided to start a warm up procedure that will help keep him steady in the beginning. I'm not one of those that believes all horses need 20 minutes of warm up but I do want the blood flowing and their mind engaged so we can get to work.
I ride in split reins and I start with them crossed over his neck...one hanging on each side. This is how we warmed up the day before too. We do lots of teardrops, moving shoulders, ground poles, stops, etc just to get him ready. Today I kept "warming him up" after I knew he was ready to go. He doesn't get bad but he does start looking for cues instead of really waiting on them.
The day before when I was ready to get to work I slid the reins to one side only and got my hand more situated. Today when I did it I could feel him get ready. We started out with a nice jog. I would really like to get him to pick up a full trot but every time I post he half-halts on all the ups AND downs so it just slows him down more. HAHA We will work on this more.
Since he was looking for cues earlier I decided that we would ride patterns today. I started with figure 8s. I would jog one loop and then bring it down to a walk in the middle. Walk that loop and then jog/canter in the middle. The middle was my transition area and I did something every time. I would put some smaller collected circles and the top/bottom of the 8 periodically but other than that we rode the 8s. He was a little sticky on his left lead at first. He would prefer his right lead but once I corrected it the first time he was solid the rest of the ride. I kept waiting for him to get up or guess what the next gait was going to be at X but he never did. He would ride past it or switch early if I asked him to.
After this we worked on simple changes in serpentines. I could only get 3 good loops in the arena, we would bring it down to a jog and then grab the other lead. He was VERY balanced through this.
We were both sweaty and tired so after we cooled down and helped another rider we headed down to the barn. As soon as the bridle came off he started scratching his ears, I reached up to help and he jerked and froze like he had been caught doing something bad. I hosed him off and when I turned him back out I took his halter off and stood there for a few minutes and scratched his face and ears. He did the lip thing but didn't try to rub on me at all.
It was a great ride!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Ah - the weather is NICE.
I rode last night and even had some daylight left. It was great to be riding in short sleeves, too.
Skate was a very good little pony. I worked hard on making him think forward since he likes to get rushy and quick...my instructor likes me to keep him slow b/c he tends to get so quick, but I think that just makes him get rushier since I have to half halt so much. Last night I just felt like letting him move out instead of checking him constantly. He needs to learn to move bigger, not faster! Anyway, I was actually quite surprised at how much longer his strides were last night - at least in comparison to what he gives me when he's tense and nervous.
We worked on the usual stuff - moving off my leg, spirals, poles. Then we moved on to trot canter transitions. He gave me some lovely lovely cantering - by the end I just threw him the reins and got in a half seat and let him canter around as a reward. He never got quick! I was surprised at how much stronger he is now....He even has a nice butt muscle crease. I'll have to show before/after pics of his butt - it was all fat and dimply when I got him!
Skate was a very good little pony. I worked hard on making him think forward since he likes to get rushy and quick...my instructor likes me to keep him slow b/c he tends to get so quick, but I think that just makes him get rushier since I have to half halt so much. Last night I just felt like letting him move out instead of checking him constantly. He needs to learn to move bigger, not faster! Anyway, I was actually quite surprised at how much longer his strides were last night - at least in comparison to what he gives me when he's tense and nervous.
We worked on the usual stuff - moving off my leg, spirals, poles. Then we moved on to trot canter transitions. He gave me some lovely lovely cantering - by the end I just threw him the reins and got in a half seat and let him canter around as a reward. He never got quick! I was surprised at how much stronger he is now....He even has a nice butt muscle crease. I'll have to show before/after pics of his butt - it was all fat and dimply when I got him!
Libby and Tango
The good news is that I worked out the half-lease with Tango's owner. The bad news is that between weather and work, I confess I haven't been doing much riding lately!
I finally got out to the barn on Saturday with the hope of riding, but Tango was just plain filthy... I mean, every inch of "white" on his little tobiano self was BRIGHT orange from rolling in the clay. And he stuuunk. I couldn't put a saddle on such a filthy horse, so I gave him a good thorough bath. Of course he rolled as soon as I turned him out, so now he is vaguely calico-colored, but at least some of the white markings are still white!
But I did get to ride yesterday! We worked on suppling exercises, which went as well as could be expected after a hiatus for both Tango and me -- we had the the usual issues with stiffness to the right and overflexing to the left. Also, he stumbled pretty spectacularly on a 20m circle. I think he was just focusing so hard that he forgot to pick up a hoof... so ground poles are definitely on our agenda for Saturday's ride!
I still think a big chunk of our issues can be attributed to tack. The saddle doesn't quite suit either of us, and I think the bridle bugs him. My Stubben bridle would fit him better, but it is so nice that I don't want to use it all the time for schooling. So I am now on the hunt for tack.
I finally got out to the barn on Saturday with the hope of riding, but Tango was just plain filthy... I mean, every inch of "white" on his little tobiano self was BRIGHT orange from rolling in the clay. And he stuuunk. I couldn't put a saddle on such a filthy horse, so I gave him a good thorough bath. Of course he rolled as soon as I turned him out, so now he is vaguely calico-colored, but at least some of the white markings are still white!
But I did get to ride yesterday! We worked on suppling exercises, which went as well as could be expected after a hiatus for both Tango and me -- we had the the usual issues with stiffness to the right and overflexing to the left. Also, he stumbled pretty spectacularly on a 20m circle. I think he was just focusing so hard that he forgot to pick up a hoof... so ground poles are definitely on our agenda for Saturday's ride!
I still think a big chunk of our issues can be attributed to tack. The saddle doesn't quite suit either of us, and I think the bridle bugs him. My Stubben bridle would fit him better, but it is so nice that I don't want to use it all the time for schooling. So I am now on the hunt for tack.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Andy and I working hard
What a gorgeous day!! Thankfully another boarder showed up while I was riding Andy so I have tons of pictures to share. I LOVE this horse.
We started on the poles while walking. I wish I had videos of him the first time. He is a COW horse and did NOT know what to do with the poles. He stopped and was shaking and very confused. A gentle nudge had him leaping over it. After that he ignored them and was wonderful.
Then we worked on more shoulder work while warming up. See how far he reaches OVER with his left shoulder? He doesn't step forward he reaches over.
He isn't big on warming up. I'm pretty sure he hasn't gotten much of it at all.......ever. After about 2 min of walking and shoulders he is ready to get going!
Then we took a stroll around the farm. I like mixing it up with him. He has been such a ring horse, I need him to be able to handle all that I throw at him.
Then we headed back to the arena for more work.
Then we worked on me. No stirrups for me to get used to his moving and stopping. I can't go embarrassing myself and getting slung out of my saddle at the cutting show. LOL
All finished and ready to walk cool. I can't wait to ride him tomorrow. Think he'll look good in english tack??
We started on the poles while walking. I wish I had videos of him the first time. He is a COW horse and did NOT know what to do with the poles. He stopped and was shaking and very confused. A gentle nudge had him leaping over it. After that he ignored them and was wonderful.
Then we worked on more shoulder work while warming up. See how far he reaches OVER with his left shoulder? He doesn't step forward he reaches over.
He isn't big on warming up. I'm pretty sure he hasn't gotten much of it at all.......ever. After about 2 min of walking and shoulders he is ready to get going!
Then we took a stroll around the farm. I like mixing it up with him. He has been such a ring horse, I need him to be able to handle all that I throw at him.
Then we headed back to the arena for more work.
Then we worked on me. No stirrups for me to get used to his moving and stopping. I can't go embarrassing myself and getting slung out of my saddle at the cutting show. LOL
All finished and ready to walk cool. I can't wait to ride him tomorrow. Think he'll look good in english tack??
He Finally Has a Name!
Introducing Andy!
My goal this week is to ride him as much as possible. I am taking him and the new horse I got in yesterday to a cutting show saturday afternoon. We won't be doing any cutting but we will be working turnback and moving the herd some. I hope to have a friend come with me and a camera so I can share it with you guys!
These pictures aren't the best but they are all I have. I can't wait to get him fit and muscled up. He is really upright in his feet, I'm hoping my farrier can address that when he comes out. I am SOOOO glad the time changed back and now I can ride later and later.
Yesterday Andy and I worked on go and go where I point. I didn't rate him much or get too picky. There were a ton of other riders in the arena and once or twice he wanted to pull towards his favorite mare but other than that it was a great ride. For a horse that isn't quick he isn't one that wants to stand either. Periodically I would ask for a whoa and stand somewhere in the arena and expect him to stay. When he wouldn't I would spin him or work on his shoulders and then offer to let him stand again. He is a smart guy and picked up on this really quick.
I wish you guys could see how SMOOTH he rides. But since you can't capture that in a picture you will just have to come ride him! HAHA
My goal this week is to ride him as much as possible. I am taking him and the new horse I got in yesterday to a cutting show saturday afternoon. We won't be doing any cutting but we will be working turnback and moving the herd some. I hope to have a friend come with me and a camera so I can share it with you guys!Friday, March 6, 2009
Pro the jumping pony
For something different, I decided to play with him on the lunge line tonight so that I could jump him. I saw a thread on COTH that talked about how jumping was good for strengthening your dressage horse's back. Plus it was a break from the usual routine for him!
He actually warmed up great on the lunge - I made sure he was tracking up and kept reminding him with the lunge line to give to the "inside rein", so after a bit he was stretching over his back and really tracking up and moving along. Then I set up a crossrail (with a guard pole to the outside so he couldn't run out) and we walked over it a few times, then trotted it in-hand. Lunging him over it is tricky because he has a knack for getting "behind" and then getting nervous and backing up, so it's a lot of patience. When he does get behind me and starts to back up, I just gather up the lunge and stay calm, focus on getting him back moving forward again.
All in all, Pro really did enjoy the jumping, he just didn't want to admit it. ;) He jumped everything from the middle to the blocks side, but he was pretty enthusiastic about cantering it (once I got behind him enough to "chase" him forward). It was actually fun to watch him get a little jazzed up and try out his jumping skills! Too bad I couldn't get pictures...
He actually warmed up great on the lunge - I made sure he was tracking up and kept reminding him with the lunge line to give to the "inside rein", so after a bit he was stretching over his back and really tracking up and moving along. Then I set up a crossrail (with a guard pole to the outside so he couldn't run out) and we walked over it a few times, then trotted it in-hand. Lunging him over it is tricky because he has a knack for getting "behind" and then getting nervous and backing up, so it's a lot of patience. When he does get behind me and starts to back up, I just gather up the lunge and stay calm, focus on getting him back moving forward again.
All in all, Pro really did enjoy the jumping, he just didn't want to admit it. ;) He jumped everything from the middle to the blocks side, but he was pretty enthusiastic about cantering it (once I got behind him enough to "chase" him forward). It was actually fun to watch him get a little jazzed up and try out his jumping skills! Too bad I couldn't get pictures...
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Also, Not Bad (but not great, either)
Skate had less time off than Pro (thank you indoor ring), but he was in his stall with limited turnout in the indoor for 4 days. I still expected him to be a little less loopy than he was! I opened the giant sliding door at the end of the arena to get some air in and he spied the light shining off the snow and just knew it was going to get him. So we worked worked worked on getting him over that for the first half of the ride. I have to say again, that he is so obvious that he's going to spook that I really have no excuse for getting caught off guard. He gives me a full 2 seconds of head up, ears at high alert - he may as well say, "hang on, I'm going to do a pivot to the left". Always to the left. He only bolts forward a few steps if we're tracking so that the wall is to his left.
Then the barn owner came in to chat and we had a few minutes of just hanging out...and the parade of cats followed the barn owner in and got Skate all riled up again. Off topic: there is a hole from where a horse kicked the indoor wall and the cats LOVE to climb in the wall, then jump back out at the most inopportune times. Most of the time, Skate is fine with this, but last night, he was on the idiot train and was just looking for crap to spook at (yes, I just ended on a preposition). So...we got back to work and had to start all over again with the terrifying snow, made exponentially worse by the cats jumping out of the wall. While hilarious, it was also annoying that I couldn't get Skate off that damn idiot train.
I did decided that my new favorite exercise for nice repetitious calm work is this (out of the dressage exercises book): Pick up a slow sitting trot on the short side. When you get to the center of the arena, do a teardrop back to the other direction. Circle at A. When you get to the center of the arena on the other side, do another teardrop back to the other direction. Circle at A again, rinse repeat. I try to do this all off my outside aids so we almost do a sort of reinback instead of a big teardrop once he's really listening.
Anyway, once we got some decent (not great) canter work in with him not trying to bolt and bulge away from the scary snow, we quit. I did do some groundwork afterwards, trying to get him to move his shoulders away from pressure - a turn on the haunches. We suck at that. He wants to walk forward or pivot his butt around. I can get a step or two of good crossing over in the front, but that's all. I guess I'll take what I can get.
Then the barn owner came in to chat and we had a few minutes of just hanging out...and the parade of cats followed the barn owner in and got Skate all riled up again. Off topic: there is a hole from where a horse kicked the indoor wall and the cats LOVE to climb in the wall, then jump back out at the most inopportune times. Most of the time, Skate is fine with this, but last night, he was on the idiot train and was just looking for crap to spook at (yes, I just ended on a preposition). So...we got back to work and had to start all over again with the terrifying snow, made exponentially worse by the cats jumping out of the wall. While hilarious, it was also annoying that I couldn't get Skate off that damn idiot train.
I did decided that my new favorite exercise for nice repetitious calm work is this (out of the dressage exercises book): Pick up a slow sitting trot on the short side. When you get to the center of the arena, do a teardrop back to the other direction. Circle at A. When you get to the center of the arena on the other side, do another teardrop back to the other direction. Circle at A again, rinse repeat. I try to do this all off my outside aids so we almost do a sort of reinback instead of a big teardrop once he's really listening.
Anyway, once we got some decent (not great) canter work in with him not trying to bolt and bulge away from the scary snow, we quit. I did do some groundwork afterwards, trying to get him to move his shoulders away from pressure - a turn on the haunches. We suck at that. He wants to walk forward or pivot his butt around. I can get a step or two of good crossing over in the front, but that's all. I guess I'll take what I can get.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Not bad for a week off
So now that most of the snow has melted, and the weekend monsoon is over, I finally got to ride Pro again! He hadn't been ridden since last Thursday, so I wasn't expecting brilliant work. Considering that it was dark by the time I got on, and quite cold, Pro was good with the bunny tree. While I was falling asleep the other night I had a mini-revelation and realized I haven't been as good about LIFTING my hands when he does his drama llama impression. So when he tried to do his drama llama impression tonight, I lifted my hands right up (which kept the bit in the right place) and he remembered that drama llama is a no-no! He put his head down and moved on. I was pleased with his big steps at the walk, and spent a bit of time really paying attention to the fine difference between big steps and trying to rush.
For some reason he was incredibly pissy about my hands tonight. Which means one of two things - either my hands are doing bad things, or he's overreacting when he shouldn't. Ugh. Or a combination? I worked on walk-halt transitions and he would SPAZZ if I used the reins along with my seat. But if I just stopped the seatbone motion, he halted. Hmmmm. At least it meant I was plugged in.
This all just reminds me of how much I need Gayle. :( She's like a drug, and Pro and I have become quite addicted. More tomorrow, and then Andrea and I are tag-teaming him on Friday. Which means...pictures!!!!! And a tired Pro.
For some reason he was incredibly pissy about my hands tonight. Which means one of two things - either my hands are doing bad things, or he's overreacting when he shouldn't. Ugh. Or a combination? I worked on walk-halt transitions and he would SPAZZ if I used the reins along with my seat. But if I just stopped the seatbone motion, he halted. Hmmmm. At least it meant I was plugged in.
This all just reminds me of how much I need Gayle. :( She's like a drug, and Pro and I have become quite addicted. More tomorrow, and then Andrea and I are tag-teaming him on Friday. Which means...pictures!!!!! And a tired Pro.
Monday, March 2, 2009
No Name Yet
Well my new horse still doesn't have a name. Nothing fits yet. He is a little distant and his personality hasn't come out and really shown itself. Once it does his name will come to me. Corny I know!
Since I don't have an indoor I don't have progress reports for riding the no name horse or pictures. I decided to post a few pictures of what I do have. These are from the barn monday morning.
Since I don't have an indoor I don't have progress reports for riding the no name horse or pictures. I decided to post a few pictures of what I do have. These are from the barn monday morning.
Thank Goodness - this lesson was better.
I had two lessons this week! That is the most I have EVER taken in one week. I wish I could afford it all the time.
Skate was a good boy...even though they were all stuck inside due to the crappy weather. I had worked hard on getting him to promptly move off my leg so this lesson was much more productive. We actually got him to start moving on two tracks. When I first starting asking, you could tell he was NOT getting it. We both just ended up getting tense. My instructor hopped on and 'showed him the way' so when I got back on I didn't have to ask so strongly. We ended that with some excellent stretchy trotting - which is major for Skate. When we first starting his stretching consisted of stretching his nose to the sky!
Anyway, my instructor said we're back on track, thank goodness. And, she gave me "Straightening the Crooked Horse" to read.
Skate was a good boy...even though they were all stuck inside due to the crappy weather. I had worked hard on getting him to promptly move off my leg so this lesson was much more productive. We actually got him to start moving on two tracks. When I first starting asking, you could tell he was NOT getting it. We both just ended up getting tense. My instructor hopped on and 'showed him the way' so when I got back on I didn't have to ask so strongly. We ended that with some excellent stretchy trotting - which is major for Skate. When we first starting his stretching consisted of stretching his nose to the sky!
Anyway, my instructor said we're back on track, thank goodness. And, she gave me "Straightening the Crooked Horse" to read.
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