Day 120 & 121

Saturday

Baby!!!!!

 He's so adorable!! I wish my camera/the lighting was better =[ He's very very curious for such a little guy! We all stuck our hands by the stall, of course, and he just marched right up to us and let us pet him, and kept nudging his whole face into our hands! Sooo soft! Brie was very curious about him too, but the momma didn't let her get anywhere near him of course. She just settled for looking at him over the side, just kind of watching him.

I started Harry today again. He was better lunging, but we had our fair share of games. In the end, he lunged pretty well. His gaiting could be a little better, but it sufficed. I have a bittersweet thing with Saturdays: I look forward to them, but I hate them because we always have to leave early!

I rode around on Brie afterward. Nothing too big, just roaming around the arena for fun.

I can't wait until it's warm out. I want to give them all a good scrubbing, especially in their tails! So dandruffy.

Sunday

I rode only Brie today. My mom and I had a disagreement, but I'll get to that.

So I lunged her as usual and walked to warm up, did some figure eights and serpentines. We walked and corto'd a lot. Then we finally did some largoing and right at the very end, I wanted to work on cantering. She's really good at picking up the signals and everything, I just wanted to work on the pace because she canters super super fast and I just get scared that she'll slide in a corner or I won't have enough time to avoid a collision in the arena. So to try to remedy this problem while still keeping a canter (since she goes back into a largo when I tug on the reins), I did circles along the wall and it worked: she did slow down her canter a little bit.

Now, my mom said I worked her too hard today. Brie was pretty hot afterward and I had to put her under the cooling sheet. But I don't think that I did. It wasn't like I was fighting with Brie to canter. She likes going fast, she always has. I didn't run her around the arena over and over again. And I was trying my hardest to keep her from running like a bat out of hell, and it worked. I don't know. I'm just thinking about it now, because what if I did work her too hard? Then I feel awful.

Then there's the whole showing issue. She doesn't like showing...but I always thought that I would be able to work her up to it, and that some day I would be able to get her to win a class where it's not just herself in that category (costume class). I mean...that was the whole point of this blog. To chronicle our journey to a blue ribbon. If I just stop trying to get her to go to shows, what am I supposed to do? There aren't any trails around, and I'm not too keen on the idea of letting her just waste away in the pasture and becoming a wild child. I'm honestly at a loss for ideas.

Then I just keep going back to this afternoon and my mom telling me I worked her too hard. I mean, yeah she was sweating, but she likes running...she loves running around. The majority of her life, we've had to fight with her to keep her from running and pulling out on us...

I don't know. I'm just at a loss for words, for ideas...I really don't know where to go from here now.

Day 119

This post is for yesterday because I didn't go out today. I watched the Bears game and THEY LOST! Shoot. Next time it comes down to football or riding, I'm picking riding.

But read on! I have exciting news!!

Saturday

We stayed for a short while today, as all Saturdays, because my dad had to go to work. It was a mere 5 degrees and made me thankful that our barn is heated! I rode only Harry---for the first time in a while, I started him. I had a bad start lunging, as he got really excited and pretty much almost dragged me through the dirt, but I didn't get dragged and I didn't let go and I managed to get him back in and start over again calmly. He lunged well after that, and then I decided that before I got on, I would address his issue of not wanting to flex while I was on the ground. It took some work, he got a little angry with me, but we worked through it and by the end, he was flexing like a pro! I got on and made sure that he would give me his head and he was like a rockstar!

We walked around, did some figure 8s and circles, and took a few passes around while gaiting before we had to get off to get ready to leave. While I was brushing him off, the pregnant mare across the aisle from us started pacing and then abruptly squealed at looked at her stomach. My mom stated, "Yup, she's in labor, she's having contractions." So of course I started pleading to stay and watch! But sadly, we had to leave. She tried to comfort me with the fact that the mare would hold off until the night time when everything was quiet and people weren't around.

Well an hour later, Paco called.

THE MARE HAD A COLT!

I can't wait to go this weekend and take a bunch of pictures!!! It got my mom thinking of all these baby plans and possibly buying the colt and possibly breeding Nina and starting babies under saddle and it's just so exciting! I absolutely can't wait until this weekend! Hopefully the week will fly by!

Awarded!

Hello everyone! I wish I could say that I'm writing because I rode today, but it's for a reason just as nice!

I got an award from JJ over at The Joy of Horses! Yay! Thank you!

Here are the rules:
1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!


Onto the 7 things!

1. I would love to have time to expand my training to more than my own three horses. I could stay in the stables all day and train and never get tired of it. I might not ever make enough money to have a huge house and other things that most people want, but I would have my horses and the simple things I love in life.
2. I really started to get passionate about horses after I dislocated my knee and took a leave from the competitive dance world. During the three months that I was on crutches/couldn't ride, I took the time to seriously look at what my trainer, Andre, was doing and learned by his observation and look at what my mom was doing from her English discipline experience and began to really make sense of why we do what we do. 
3. I would absolutely love to own a dressage horse. It's been kind of my dream of mine ever since I saw the amazing dressage coats to wear one, and while I could technically just buy one and wear it around, chillin, that would be weird. So I need a dressage horse.
4. The most annoying thing in the world for me is to not be challenged. Except in the case of Brie: I'm perfectly happy not being challenged as much by her anymore, because her challenge has lasted for 5 years and now I just feel a huge sense of accomplishment getting on for a relaxing ride.
5. I have a hard time deciding what kind of style I want to stick with. Since Pasos generally go either way outside of the show arena (in which is a very specific style of clothing/tack), I have a hard time deciding whether I want to stick to breeches and paddock boots or Levi's and Justin's. This led to a huge collection of breeches in my closet when now I want to wear jeans all the time. Whoops.
6. My absolute favorite breed of horse? Fresian. Prettyyyy <3 I'd love to have a Fresia-Fino.
7. I spend a lot of time thinking up blueprints for my future dream horse farm in my spare time.

Onto the passing on of the awards! I might not be able to think of 15 horse specific blogs that I follow...(of course I'd give it back to JJ!)

1. A Teen's Dressage Dream
2. Dressa-crosse in Steel Shoes
3. Horse Whispers

Snap...I need to expand my horse blog circle. Anyways...Congratulations!

Days 117 & 118

Saturday

I only went out with mom today. It was a slow kind of day and I got to work with Nina. Today, we faced the oh so scary scissors for a trim! She was already pretty shaken up because the vet came out this morning, so I'm sure the last thing she wanted to deal with was me snipping around, but she has these whiskers on the sides of her face behind her cheeks that look like gills and it drives me crazy! So after a couple minutes of head tossing, she gave in and relaxed and let me snip off the gills and under-jaw whiskers and now she looks quite polished =]

Lots of round-working today. She tends to throw her head when you ask to flex and back up, so we worked on that. She trotted for a while until she got into gait. A fairly good ride, I'm sure as I continue riding her I'll get better at figuring out what she likes and doesn't like.

Rode Brie bareback today with just a bit! She was slightly thrown off by this and I almost slid off when I wanted her to turn one way and she decided she was going the other because of a big scary crate in the corner (the same scary crate that's been there for a month now...), and we just walked around. Super relaxing! But short because it was her dinner time and she was getting antsy.

Sunday

Everyone went out today and I rode Brie first. Now that she knows that sometimes I'll let her canter, that's her favorite thing to do! I would've worked on it more today, but I didn't think I should because I haven't really worked her since before Christmas, so we just walked for a while as a good warmup and then corto'd and got in quite a bit of a largo here and there. We were both pretty happy.

Harry was pretty good too today! I have to work more on getting him to give me his head to the left side. He fights everyone about that. He's gotten a lot better since we've started, he doesn't get so angry about it that he rears, but it should still be easier than it is. It shouldn't be this big production to make a small flex. So we will continue working on his flexibility/willingness.

I can't wait until it starts warming up. Everyone wants to go outside for a run and I feel anxious at the idea of going outside even walking because of hidden ice!

Day 116

The farrier was out today! So we didn't ride. I did do a little goofing around groundwork with Brie. I'm trying to teach her how to pirouette and figured it would be more effective to start it from the ground. She can do it a couple of steps in one direction and nothing in the other direction =[ She'll get it though! Patience =]


That's basically it...what a slow day! I'm glad that they got their hooves done today, they were getting pretty long!

Day 115

First things first: no foal yet =\ we all lost our bets now. The only bet remaining is Ray's for February.

Now then...

Today we defeated the evil crate demon!!!

Yes, it is a triumphant tale of how Brie, Nina, and Harry defeated said demon. There was a crate propped against one of the arena walls today, and though it seemed innocent it surely was not! Only they could see a problem with harmless looking crate standing there. They all snorted and tap danced around it and pawed at the ground until finally touching it with their noses, exorcising the beast! It was quite a production.

Harry also had the guts today to go after Brie--he kicked her! While they were all in the arena running around, he kicked her in the stomach and you saw the look of shock on her face turn into vengeance as she went after him, cornered him and started kicking and biting. My brother was on their end of the arena so he chased them away toward me. Brie was following him as he ran towards me and with one stern "Brillannnnteeee!" from me she ran the other way and Harry ran right into my arms. He can dish it out but cant take it! I'm just happy no one got hurt. At least Harry knows he can run to me if he's scared.

Everyone was kind of silly today because they havent worked for two weeks. I lunged Harry and he was fishtailing a bit but got over it. He rode nicely and stomped around in a puddle at one end of the arena. A tiny bit fast today gaiting for my liking but he needed to stretch his legs.

Nina was being super lazy for my mom and Brie just chilled walking around with my brother. I only rode Brie at the end without stirrups for some fun. To relax. It amazes me everytime I say I ride her to relax because I remember when she was definitely NOT the horse for a relaxing ride. But we walked around the arena and I told her about how I had to go to school. I don't think she really cared, but still.

Back to the old grind again this week. As much as I'm not looking forward to waking up early for work again, I need the money! Holidays have left me broke!