Saturday
We got out late today because my car was dead at school and my dad had to come jump it. =/ Thankfully it's working now and he charged up the battery so it should work for a while!
That said, my dad had to stay home because he would've been late for work otherwise. It was so nice going and not having to rush. I got our new carrot stick in the mail, so I used that with Brie. She didn't seem too into working today. She barely came out of a walk on the longe. I think it was because it was so hot out today. We played a bit of the friendly game, yo yo game, and porcupine game. I can't get the front end down pat yet. Instead of moving sideways, she just goes forward and I don't know how to get her to change it. I need to look into it more.
She's been giving me trouble on the mounting block lately, so I squeezed her between the block and the fountain next to the sound board. She knew it was coming from last week, so she resisted, but I got her in there. I didn't get on and go right away, but got on and off a couple of times, that way maybe she would get the picture that I want her to stand still at the block. She was doing so well but now she's testing me again!
She had a wonderful walk and we walked outside a bit in the arena too. She was a little hyper walking around the fields, but manageable and good all the same. She got a bath afterwards and I led her out for some grass =]
Sunday
This is it. The last day of posting. I feel like maybe I should've done something more, but this was really a perfect day. What a great ride to make a last post about.
I played with the carrot stick more with Brie today and tried to do the driving game but she was not having it. I think she actually fell asleep...it was pretty warm out, so I don't blame her. The mounting block was better today and she was a little limpy at the beginning but worked it out. She had a wonderful walk, corto, and largo. I couldn't ask for more. If she keeps up calm like that, we'll definitely win at Michigan.
After we worked, we went outside and walked around. She actually walked!! We had a slow corto going too. She was absolutely amazing. No issues, no drama, just a great, enjoyable ride. Like I said, even though it was nothing spectacular, it was spectacular just in itself. I couldn't have asked for a better ride than that to make my last post about.
After the ride, I gave her another bath and grass, like yesterday, fly sprayed her up, and gave her carrots. Today was the exact kind of day that everyone dreams about at the barn, and I wish I didn't have to ever leave.
This weekend we might not be going out, because we're trying to go to Spectrum in Miami. It's a giant horse show down there, bigger than Nationals even, and we've always wanted to go check it out and now we have the chance, so we'll see.
This feels so weird, knowing I'm not going to post anymore. I'll see where we're at with shows at the end of the summer and make that my final update on this blog. I don't know what's in store for me in the future, with graduation next month and law school starting in August, but I hope that I still have time to ride. Riding is what I look forward to the most in my life, like I'm sure it is for many. It gives me time to focus on animals that need me to take care of them, a chance to bond with them, and a way to get away from all of the problems from the rest of my life to just focus on what is right there in front of me. I have to say that I'm sad, ending this blog, but I know it's just opening up for a new journey ahead. Who knows, I may start another one, and this time I may even be a real horse trainer. Not just a horse trainer in training.
So with this post, I wish you all luck on your journeys with your horses, wherever you may be. Don't ever give up on them, because even if it takes 3 years, you will get to where you want to be and you will never regret it.
With love,
Lexa
Monday, May 20, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Days 297 & 298
Saturday
Only two more days left!!!
Thursday was Nina's birthday! Happy 7th Birthday, Nina! =] She still is a little baby horse to me <3 p="">
I didn't really work Brie today. We mostly just kind of walked around a bit to stretch out in the indoor and then went outside to go find where my mom and brother went. My mom was working Harry in the round pen and he looked good! If there was a round pen class, he would win it. I don't get how he is perfectly okay going in a circle and pretty much okay going around outside, but when he is in the arena, if he largos, he has a tendency to pace.
After my mom was done, we went for a walk around outside. All was going well until we started to come back. My brother just lets Nina go wherever she wants to outside, even if it's away from us, but Harry always wants to be by Nina so if she starts to go away, he wants to catch up to her. Well Nina started to walk back to the barn and Harry was back with me and Brie, a ways away from Nina. We were walking back to the barn too, but Harry wanted to catch up to Nina. My mom let him go into a largo but he tried to start cantering. First of all, Harry doesn't even have the coordination to do a canter. Really, it's true! He never picks up the right lead! And it takes him a while to pick it up. So as he was trying to pick up his canter, my mom started bouncing in the saddle and started to fall over. She almost righted herself, but not enough, so she rolled out of the saddle and into the grass. Thankfully, she is okay.
When that happened, Harry turned around and looked at her on the ground and backed up a little bit before standing still and putting his head towards the ground. He was looking at her like, "Momma? What are you doing down there??" It was the cutest face! I was scared he was going to bolt, but he just stood there as I got off Brie and went over by him to hold him and help my mom up. She got back on and rode Harry back to the barn by the outdoor arena and worked him in there for a while, but he was pretty shaken up after she fell off so he wasn't really cooperating. We brought them all in and brushed them off before we gave them some giant carrots for Nina's birthday.
Sunday
Happy Mother's Day! I made my mom pancakes today before we went to the barn.
I worked Brie today. She was a little canter-y on the corners, so I was working on slowing that down. She was coming along great! I really want to show her at Michigan.
Mom and Harry worked more in the round pen before we walked around outside for a bit. Brie has gotten this nasty habit now of trying to race to the little hill in the back as soon as we get out the door. She likes to look over everything. But she has to know that she can't do that if I don't want her to do that! No one fell off today, which is great =]
We came in and Jane was having a hard time with Taco. She just got a new jaquima for him and he was acting up and cantering the board and generally not listening to her. My mom adjusted it because it was pretty tight and then raised the bit because that was pretty low. No wonder he was being weird, he was uncomfortable in the face and lax in the mouth! After that he was a little better for Jane, but still was being weird and spinning the reverse back onto the board, so my mom offered to get on.
Taco was super good with my mom! He was gaiting and looked fantastic. Super fabulous. I forgot how pretty he could look. And he sounded like a train! If that was a class, he would've one first place. After my mom got off, Jane got back on and he was better for her, but she needs to work on faking him out before he reverses back onto the board because he anticipates it and spins it, which could lead to Jane falling off if he goes too fast. After her short little trial, she was satisfied with him being nice to her and got off.
Then she offered him to me. I haven't ridden Taco in a long time, not since last year when I was trying to train to bring him to the State Fair because Paco was complaining about it. Paco didn't want anyone else to ride Taco and complained to Jane that I was screwing Taco up, even though he was getting better with me at the time. So I got mad and just stopped. So I was iffy when Jane asked me to ride him, but I did after my mom pressed me on. Taco was like a dream! He wasn't pulling like he used to, he was practically floating. I would love to show him, but I don't know if I want to deal with the sass and remarks from people about what I do when I ride him.
Finally, I don't know whether we're going to go to a Parelli clinic or the Michigan show...if we went to the Michigan show, I could show Brie for the first time in years, and I'd really like to because she's coming along great. I would also miss my friend's graduation...If we went to the Parelli clinic, we would bring Harry, and I think it would be beneficial for him in the long run. I could then potentially go to my friend's graduation. I really don't know what to do. I was so set on showing Brie this year and I'm not sure if I'll have the chance to again this season if I don't go to Michigan. I don't know what to do.
Only two more days left!!!
Thursday was Nina's birthday! Happy 7th Birthday, Nina! =] She still is a little baby horse to me <3 p="">
I didn't really work Brie today. We mostly just kind of walked around a bit to stretch out in the indoor and then went outside to go find where my mom and brother went. My mom was working Harry in the round pen and he looked good! If there was a round pen class, he would win it. I don't get how he is perfectly okay going in a circle and pretty much okay going around outside, but when he is in the arena, if he largos, he has a tendency to pace.
After my mom was done, we went for a walk around outside. All was going well until we started to come back. My brother just lets Nina go wherever she wants to outside, even if it's away from us, but Harry always wants to be by Nina so if she starts to go away, he wants to catch up to her. Well Nina started to walk back to the barn and Harry was back with me and Brie, a ways away from Nina. We were walking back to the barn too, but Harry wanted to catch up to Nina. My mom let him go into a largo but he tried to start cantering. First of all, Harry doesn't even have the coordination to do a canter. Really, it's true! He never picks up the right lead! And it takes him a while to pick it up. So as he was trying to pick up his canter, my mom started bouncing in the saddle and started to fall over. She almost righted herself, but not enough, so she rolled out of the saddle and into the grass. Thankfully, she is okay.
When that happened, Harry turned around and looked at her on the ground and backed up a little bit before standing still and putting his head towards the ground. He was looking at her like, "Momma? What are you doing down there??" It was the cutest face! I was scared he was going to bolt, but he just stood there as I got off Brie and went over by him to hold him and help my mom up. She got back on and rode Harry back to the barn by the outdoor arena and worked him in there for a while, but he was pretty shaken up after she fell off so he wasn't really cooperating. We brought them all in and brushed them off before we gave them some giant carrots for Nina's birthday.
Sunday
Happy Mother's Day! I made my mom pancakes today before we went to the barn.
I worked Brie today. She was a little canter-y on the corners, so I was working on slowing that down. She was coming along great! I really want to show her at Michigan.
Mom and Harry worked more in the round pen before we walked around outside for a bit. Brie has gotten this nasty habit now of trying to race to the little hill in the back as soon as we get out the door. She likes to look over everything. But she has to know that she can't do that if I don't want her to do that! No one fell off today, which is great =]
We came in and Jane was having a hard time with Taco. She just got a new jaquima for him and he was acting up and cantering the board and generally not listening to her. My mom adjusted it because it was pretty tight and then raised the bit because that was pretty low. No wonder he was being weird, he was uncomfortable in the face and lax in the mouth! After that he was a little better for Jane, but still was being weird and spinning the reverse back onto the board, so my mom offered to get on.
Taco was super good with my mom! He was gaiting and looked fantastic. Super fabulous. I forgot how pretty he could look. And he sounded like a train! If that was a class, he would've one first place. After my mom got off, Jane got back on and he was better for her, but she needs to work on faking him out before he reverses back onto the board because he anticipates it and spins it, which could lead to Jane falling off if he goes too fast. After her short little trial, she was satisfied with him being nice to her and got off.
Then she offered him to me. I haven't ridden Taco in a long time, not since last year when I was trying to train to bring him to the State Fair because Paco was complaining about it. Paco didn't want anyone else to ride Taco and complained to Jane that I was screwing Taco up, even though he was getting better with me at the time. So I got mad and just stopped. So I was iffy when Jane asked me to ride him, but I did after my mom pressed me on. Taco was like a dream! He wasn't pulling like he used to, he was practically floating. I would love to show him, but I don't know if I want to deal with the sass and remarks from people about what I do when I ride him.
Finally, I don't know whether we're going to go to a Parelli clinic or the Michigan show...if we went to the Michigan show, I could show Brie for the first time in years, and I'd really like to because she's coming along great. I would also miss my friend's graduation...If we went to the Parelli clinic, we would bring Harry, and I think it would be beneficial for him in the long run. I could then potentially go to my friend's graduation. I really don't know what to do. I was so set on showing Brie this year and I'm not sure if I'll have the chance to again this season if I don't go to Michigan. I don't know what to do.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Day 296
Sunday
We didn't end up going out yesterday because on Friday, our new puppy, Pepina, accidentally ate one of my brother's pills and she had to stay in the overnight ER. She is okay, thank God, but we stayed home on Saturday just to make sure that she returned to her normal, happy self.
I rode Brie today, since we're aiming to take her to the Michigan show next month, and I wanted to make sure that she stays focused and calm like she has been. We rode in the outdoor arena because it was absolutely beautiful out today, even a bit hot!
I never thought I would say this, but I think that Brie is pretty much finished. At 11 years old, I think that she is done trying to one-up us and has settled into the program -- we come out, we pet her, we groom her, we want to have a nice ride, we give her carrots, we go home for a week. Her attitude is completely relaxed in comparison to the whole rest of her life. I have to say, I think it's probably the magnesium that she's on that's helping break down the sugar in her blood so she's not so hyper all the time. But I also have to give us some credit. Without our understanding and patience, I'm sure she'd still be a crazy fool.
We had a beautiful ride and even did a slow canter...A SLOW CANTER. It was fantastic! And also she was strangely nice to Sadie today, and Sadie was nice to her...we think it's because there's a new mare on our side, Isabel. Brie and Sadie hated each other, but maybe they're teaming up against Isabel. Thankfully they're not all put out together!
My mom was having a hard time with Harry today. I blame it entirely on the wind, which is kind of dumb, but horses make up things in their heads to be afraid of, and it was pretty windy outside. So my mom took him in the indoor, and then the round pen, where he apparently had a magnificent largo. I wish I would've watched, but Brie and I were roaming around the property at that time. Once Harry came out of the round pen, he joined Brie, Nina, and Sadie for a ride around the property. We went a little ways down the street before a big gust of wind came by and Harry got a little iffy, so we turned around and went back.
Afterwards, we scrubbed them with a good bath! Brie was soooo dirty. When I was brushing her at first, the more I brushed, the more dust came up! She was pretty grey by the time she was "clean"! After a good bath, they all felt smooth and I took them out for some grass in the sun before bringing them back in and worming them. For me, it was the perfect day at the barn. Doesn't get much better than that!
We didn't end up going out yesterday because on Friday, our new puppy, Pepina, accidentally ate one of my brother's pills and she had to stay in the overnight ER. She is okay, thank God, but we stayed home on Saturday just to make sure that she returned to her normal, happy self.
I rode Brie today, since we're aiming to take her to the Michigan show next month, and I wanted to make sure that she stays focused and calm like she has been. We rode in the outdoor arena because it was absolutely beautiful out today, even a bit hot!
I never thought I would say this, but I think that Brie is pretty much finished. At 11 years old, I think that she is done trying to one-up us and has settled into the program -- we come out, we pet her, we groom her, we want to have a nice ride, we give her carrots, we go home for a week. Her attitude is completely relaxed in comparison to the whole rest of her life. I have to say, I think it's probably the magnesium that she's on that's helping break down the sugar in her blood so she's not so hyper all the time. But I also have to give us some credit. Without our understanding and patience, I'm sure she'd still be a crazy fool.
We had a beautiful ride and even did a slow canter...A SLOW CANTER. It was fantastic! And also she was strangely nice to Sadie today, and Sadie was nice to her...we think it's because there's a new mare on our side, Isabel. Brie and Sadie hated each other, but maybe they're teaming up against Isabel. Thankfully they're not all put out together!
My mom was having a hard time with Harry today. I blame it entirely on the wind, which is kind of dumb, but horses make up things in their heads to be afraid of, and it was pretty windy outside. So my mom took him in the indoor, and then the round pen, where he apparently had a magnificent largo. I wish I would've watched, but Brie and I were roaming around the property at that time. Once Harry came out of the round pen, he joined Brie, Nina, and Sadie for a ride around the property. We went a little ways down the street before a big gust of wind came by and Harry got a little iffy, so we turned around and went back.
Afterwards, we scrubbed them with a good bath! Brie was soooo dirty. When I was brushing her at first, the more I brushed, the more dust came up! She was pretty grey by the time she was "clean"! After a good bath, they all felt smooth and I took them out for some grass in the sun before bringing them back in and worming them. For me, it was the perfect day at the barn. Doesn't get much better than that!
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Day 295
Saturday
We switched Harry's bit today back to Nina's expensive bit. I went back and read posts from this time last year, when he was doing really well, to try to solve his pacing problem and that was one of the changes we had made and he was gaiting really well. So we did that today and he didn't pace at all in a corto! He had a hard time doing a largo, though. He's not a very fast largo horse, so all we can really do is make sure his corto is super slow, that way there is a difference in speed when they ask for a largo.
My mom and I both rode Harry, plus my mom rode him outside for a bit, so he was super tired when we were finished. I hosed him off and of course the first thing he did was roll around in his stall after that!
I also rode Brie, which was nice to do after not having ridden her for a couple of weeks. She gave me a bit of a hard time trying to mount, and I started getting angry and it wasn't working even more...so I really made myself relax, I pet her for a bit, which calmed both of us down, and after that she let me get on quickly. Just goes to show that anger will not get you anywhere!
Brie is doing really well and I can't wait to show her! I hope she doesn't have any show anxiety, because then we'll definitely win 1st places!
Update: Sunday
We didn't go out today...my mom had a headache and I was too nervous to drive out by myself...
My mom's also decided that we're not going to St. Louis for the show next week...Harry isn't prepared enough. Even though I would love to bring Brie instead of Harry, since I feel confident in her, we're just not going at all...
Now to wait until Michigan.
We switched Harry's bit today back to Nina's expensive bit. I went back and read posts from this time last year, when he was doing really well, to try to solve his pacing problem and that was one of the changes we had made and he was gaiting really well. So we did that today and he didn't pace at all in a corto! He had a hard time doing a largo, though. He's not a very fast largo horse, so all we can really do is make sure his corto is super slow, that way there is a difference in speed when they ask for a largo.
My mom and I both rode Harry, plus my mom rode him outside for a bit, so he was super tired when we were finished. I hosed him off and of course the first thing he did was roll around in his stall after that!
I also rode Brie, which was nice to do after not having ridden her for a couple of weeks. She gave me a bit of a hard time trying to mount, and I started getting angry and it wasn't working even more...so I really made myself relax, I pet her for a bit, which calmed both of us down, and after that she let me get on quickly. Just goes to show that anger will not get you anywhere!
Brie is doing really well and I can't wait to show her! I hope she doesn't have any show anxiety, because then we'll definitely win 1st places!
Update: Sunday
We didn't go out today...my mom had a headache and I was too nervous to drive out by myself...
My mom's also decided that we're not going to St. Louis for the show next week...Harry isn't prepared enough. Even though I would love to bring Brie instead of Harry, since I feel confident in her, we're just not going at all...
Now to wait until Michigan.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Day 294
Sunday
I rode Harry today! I worked with him the whole time, since we didn't have a whole lot of time. I woke up late...I couldn't help it!
He was a good little boy today. He wasn't pulling any tricks or anything. He was super energetic on the longe and I flexed him on the ground before I got on, just in case. Nick broke my carrot stick...so as soon as I order a new one I want to get back into Parelli stuff, especially because I will be staying here for the next three years. Yep, I'm staying here for law school, which I guess is nice, because then I won't have to stop riding and improving myself and the horses.
He was kind of poopy and kind of pacey riding, but I tried my best to connect with his energy and sit deep, urging him on with my seat and my legs while trying to relax his head through checking and circling rather than holding it down. He settled into it eventually. I just feel like now we're back at square two with him. Not square one, because his attitude has definitely improved, but square two, because he isn't performing as well as I know he can. Maybe I'll see how he does at this show next week and then decide whether or not to take him off of the calming supplement. The key is to get him relaxed but not so relaxed that he's a bump on a log, and that's a difficult balance to get right now.
His largo is pretty pacey again...so I can't really make a huge difference in speed between corto and largo in show without him pacing or getting anxious. I hope that doesn't prevent us from placing. It just kind of agitates me that I can't figure out, after a year off of shows, what to do with him to make him super performance ready. I'm really satisfied with how his attitude has come out and how he trusts us (to an extent. still hates the tarp and big ball), but now I need to get his spirit and confidence up to perform. Despite this feeling, I just have to remember that I'm making progress.
I rode Harry today! I worked with him the whole time, since we didn't have a whole lot of time. I woke up late...I couldn't help it!
He was a good little boy today. He wasn't pulling any tricks or anything. He was super energetic on the longe and I flexed him on the ground before I got on, just in case. Nick broke my carrot stick...so as soon as I order a new one I want to get back into Parelli stuff, especially because I will be staying here for the next three years. Yep, I'm staying here for law school, which I guess is nice, because then I won't have to stop riding and improving myself and the horses.
He was kind of poopy and kind of pacey riding, but I tried my best to connect with his energy and sit deep, urging him on with my seat and my legs while trying to relax his head through checking and circling rather than holding it down. He settled into it eventually. I just feel like now we're back at square two with him. Not square one, because his attitude has definitely improved, but square two, because he isn't performing as well as I know he can. Maybe I'll see how he does at this show next week and then decide whether or not to take him off of the calming supplement. The key is to get him relaxed but not so relaxed that he's a bump on a log, and that's a difficult balance to get right now.
His largo is pretty pacey again...so I can't really make a huge difference in speed between corto and largo in show without him pacing or getting anxious. I hope that doesn't prevent us from placing. It just kind of agitates me that I can't figure out, after a year off of shows, what to do with him to make him super performance ready. I'm really satisfied with how his attitude has come out and how he trusts us (to an extent. still hates the tarp and big ball), but now I need to get his spirit and confidence up to perform. Despite this feeling, I just have to remember that I'm making progress.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Days 292 & 293
Saturday
It was absolutely freezing today, such a difference from last week.
During the week, everyone got their hooves done...well, mostly. Nina didn't get her hooves done because the new farrier said that there wasn't enough growth to trim or put nails into, so he is going to let her grow until next time. He said that Brie's hooves were too small to support her frame, so he's going to work on letting them grow in a certain way so that they are more effective. I'm not entirely sure how much he wants them to grow, as they've never been very big her whole life. We'll see. And Harry was a good boy and didn't need to take the tranquilizer so I was proud of him =]
I didn't ride Harry today. I was more focused on Brie. I was super proud of her for not embarrassing me at the mounting block in front of everyone. She let me get on in one try! She was in a very fast mood today and we worked on reversing. She is getting better at not speeding through them and breaking into a canter. It took a while for us to get into our groove, but once we did, I felt her collecting a little bit. Not as much as those couple of times, but it was a definite improvement. I felt her rounding her back and really settling into it.
Sunday
Day to night, this weather is. It was 70 degrees out today, so I took advantage of it by riding outside. Brie is so much more relaxed now in the outdoor arena than she has been in the past and I really think it's because I take time before we tack up to go longe out there. I think it helps her set up where we're going to be for the day. I will have to try to get to the arena early at the shows so that we can do that there too. The main arena, not just the warm up one.
She was SO good walking outside today! We actually walked out in the pasture. AND on top of that, we all went for a mini ride down the street! Down the street from Gary's place is a dead end, so we rode down to the end and back. Everyone was super calm, even Harry. I can't even tell you how proud I am of everyone, especially with a barking dog in someone's yard. I feel like their good behavior out on trail means that they really trust all of us that nothing bad will happen to them, which is exactly what we want them to understand. It's nice to finally be getting there.
I suppose with our first show coming up in 2 weeks that I should start riding Harry more. I will have to make it a point to ride him each day every weekend until the show comes to make sure that we're on the same page. If he stays in gait, he will sweep the pleasure classes.
It was absolutely freezing today, such a difference from last week.
During the week, everyone got their hooves done...well, mostly. Nina didn't get her hooves done because the new farrier said that there wasn't enough growth to trim or put nails into, so he is going to let her grow until next time. He said that Brie's hooves were too small to support her frame, so he's going to work on letting them grow in a certain way so that they are more effective. I'm not entirely sure how much he wants them to grow, as they've never been very big her whole life. We'll see. And Harry was a good boy and didn't need to take the tranquilizer so I was proud of him =]
I didn't ride Harry today. I was more focused on Brie. I was super proud of her for not embarrassing me at the mounting block in front of everyone. She let me get on in one try! She was in a very fast mood today and we worked on reversing. She is getting better at not speeding through them and breaking into a canter. It took a while for us to get into our groove, but once we did, I felt her collecting a little bit. Not as much as those couple of times, but it was a definite improvement. I felt her rounding her back and really settling into it.
Sunday
Day to night, this weather is. It was 70 degrees out today, so I took advantage of it by riding outside. Brie is so much more relaxed now in the outdoor arena than she has been in the past and I really think it's because I take time before we tack up to go longe out there. I think it helps her set up where we're going to be for the day. I will have to try to get to the arena early at the shows so that we can do that there too. The main arena, not just the warm up one.
She was SO good walking outside today! We actually walked out in the pasture. AND on top of that, we all went for a mini ride down the street! Down the street from Gary's place is a dead end, so we rode down to the end and back. Everyone was super calm, even Harry. I can't even tell you how proud I am of everyone, especially with a barking dog in someone's yard. I feel like their good behavior out on trail means that they really trust all of us that nothing bad will happen to them, which is exactly what we want them to understand. It's nice to finally be getting there.
I suppose with our first show coming up in 2 weeks that I should start riding Harry more. I will have to make it a point to ride him each day every weekend until the show comes to make sure that we're on the same page. If he stays in gait, he will sweep the pleasure classes.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Day 291
Sunday
I didn't make it out yesterday because I was touring an open house for one of my law schools. Hopefully I will have the whole of next weekend, willing that I get back from another law school on Friday as planned!
I rode Harry today! It was super nice outside so we let them all run around outside first, which mainly resulted in them eating, but at least they got to stretch their legs before we started with them. Harry was beautiful when I made him longe. I was careful to work on flexing before I got on and he was much more willing today. I'm using my hands to directly push the points that need to be flexed, as he flexes just with his nose and not with his whole head and that seems to be part of the problem, so I push the top of his head too. He got kind of bugged by it at first, but when I turned it into a fun hug he went along with it!
I used the draw reins on him to see if it would help him keep his head down. He was compliant, but didn't seem too pleased by them as he kept bobbing his head forward throughout the ride. He was very relaxed and didn't really break gait, so that was great. I feel like he's a bit pokey, but I guess that's what we were going for back when he was hyped up. We're toying with the idea now of taking him off his calming supplement and seeing how he does without it, but I'm not sure now if we should change that so close to shows starting.
After we worked, I switched to normal reins and took him outside. He has such stubby legs, everyone else can walk faster than him! So he had to canter a bit to keep up with everyone, but they slowed down for him and he could just go at a brisk corto haha. What a short little guy.
This week, we're switching back to an old farrier that the barn flies in due to the whole vet v. farrier debate that happened a couple of weeks ago...I really am not a fan of this guy mainly because of his attitude and his unwillingness to answer lots of questions...doesn't seem like a people person. But we'll see how his work measures up after he trims and shoes them. I hate not being there for it. I like to think that the staff won't be rough with any of them, but I'm not 100% confident, and it is worrisome. We left tranquilizer for Nina and Harry though, so they should be okay. Brie loves getting her hooves done, but is a little wobbly on her bad leg sometimes. I hope they don't take that for her being bad...
I didn't make it out yesterday because I was touring an open house for one of my law schools. Hopefully I will have the whole of next weekend, willing that I get back from another law school on Friday as planned!
I rode Harry today! It was super nice outside so we let them all run around outside first, which mainly resulted in them eating, but at least they got to stretch their legs before we started with them. Harry was beautiful when I made him longe. I was careful to work on flexing before I got on and he was much more willing today. I'm using my hands to directly push the points that need to be flexed, as he flexes just with his nose and not with his whole head and that seems to be part of the problem, so I push the top of his head too. He got kind of bugged by it at first, but when I turned it into a fun hug he went along with it!
I used the draw reins on him to see if it would help him keep his head down. He was compliant, but didn't seem too pleased by them as he kept bobbing his head forward throughout the ride. He was very relaxed and didn't really break gait, so that was great. I feel like he's a bit pokey, but I guess that's what we were going for back when he was hyped up. We're toying with the idea now of taking him off his calming supplement and seeing how he does without it, but I'm not sure now if we should change that so close to shows starting.
After we worked, I switched to normal reins and took him outside. He has such stubby legs, everyone else can walk faster than him! So he had to canter a bit to keep up with everyone, but they slowed down for him and he could just go at a brisk corto haha. What a short little guy.
This week, we're switching back to an old farrier that the barn flies in due to the whole vet v. farrier debate that happened a couple of weeks ago...I really am not a fan of this guy mainly because of his attitude and his unwillingness to answer lots of questions...doesn't seem like a people person. But we'll see how his work measures up after he trims and shoes them. I hate not being there for it. I like to think that the staff won't be rough with any of them, but I'm not 100% confident, and it is worrisome. We left tranquilizer for Nina and Harry though, so they should be okay. Brie loves getting her hooves done, but is a little wobbly on her bad leg sometimes. I hope they don't take that for her being bad...
Monday, April 1, 2013
Day 290
Saturday
Ten more days until I finish writing on this blog. I can hardly believe it. It is going to be so weird to not write what's going on anymore.
It was such a beautiful day today so I rode Brie outside. She was an absolute doll, I am so proud of her. I think she is really coming along in her old(er) age. Now if only she can keep it up in the show ring.
The music was super loud today (ugh), so we put the pom poms in Harry's ears to try to help block it out so that he could focus. My mom was riding him first and then came outside by me, saying that he doesn't want to flex to the right. I wanted to work on that before I got on and got him to flex on the ground after some struggle. When I got on, I wanted to flex before we started moving and he was good on the left, but boy when he got to the right, he went berserk. He just about threw me off, he was trying to rear to avoid the flex. I got off and made him longe to the right and at first he was like a bat out of hell. After he calmed down, I had him stop and worked on flexing to the right again on the ground and he was much better at it this time. Once he was going easy, I got back on and tried again and he was hesitant but better at it. After he was giving his head to me easily, I walked around with him a couple of laps, took a pass on the board, flexed some more, and got off. I can't tell if he's just being stubborn or if there is some pain there. Everyone is now saying that he is not broke at the pole, so we have to work on that too now, along with the pacing, although I think that once he is broke at the pole, he will be more balanced and the pacing issue should work itself out.
Ten more days until I finish writing on this blog. I can hardly believe it. It is going to be so weird to not write what's going on anymore.
It was such a beautiful day today so I rode Brie outside. She was an absolute doll, I am so proud of her. I think she is really coming along in her old(er) age. Now if only she can keep it up in the show ring.
The music was super loud today (ugh), so we put the pom poms in Harry's ears to try to help block it out so that he could focus. My mom was riding him first and then came outside by me, saying that he doesn't want to flex to the right. I wanted to work on that before I got on and got him to flex on the ground after some struggle. When I got on, I wanted to flex before we started moving and he was good on the left, but boy when he got to the right, he went berserk. He just about threw me off, he was trying to rear to avoid the flex. I got off and made him longe to the right and at first he was like a bat out of hell. After he calmed down, I had him stop and worked on flexing to the right again on the ground and he was much better at it this time. Once he was going easy, I got back on and tried again and he was hesitant but better at it. After he was giving his head to me easily, I walked around with him a couple of laps, took a pass on the board, flexed some more, and got off. I can't tell if he's just being stubborn or if there is some pain there. Everyone is now saying that he is not broke at the pole, so we have to work on that too now, along with the pacing, although I think that once he is broke at the pole, he will be more balanced and the pacing issue should work itself out.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Days 288 & 289
Saturday
We got up and out super early. Surprisingly, I was full of energy! It was also super nice outside, so I decided that I would ride outside. I was a little hesitant, since they haven't been ridden outdoors since fall, but I took Brie out to do our little program like nothing was different and after a few bucks of happiness, she settled right into it! We got ready to ride and were out there riding before anyone else was ready and she was sooo calm! It was a really nice surprise. She walked so slowly and was just happily going along with no problems. She tried to speed up a tiny bit when we would turn the corners to face going towards the gate, but with a little correction she regained her focus and settled back into a beautifully slow walk. Our corto was equally as calm. It was fantastic! Once everyone else came out she got a little hyper, but not really badly. We went outside in the fields to walk around and she was not super crazy so that was a plus! She actually wasn't bad at all. Never tried to stop or run away on me, just plugged along in her corto. =] It was truly a great day.
In other news...we're changing farriers. Our current farrier, according to the vet, cut Jane's horses hooves at all different angles. This lead to mass confusion but when confronted about it, the farrier had good explanations (supposedly) for what he did. After talking more with Nick, he explained how just being off on angles a tiny bit can make the horse not gait well or go into a pace. Harry has been pacing...so now we're concerned. We've decided on going back to a previous farrier that Gary and Nick fly in from Puerto Rico who supposedly specializes in Paso Finos.
This whole farrier v. vet business makes me anxious. Do farriers and vets ever really get along? And I'm not entirely convinced that Pasos need a special farrier just for their hooves. If the farrier is good, he should be able to comprehend adjusting the angles as necessary for the breed and conformation of he horse, right?
Sunday
Rode Brie some more today. I didn't use the mounting block because everyone was standing around it like a herd of cattle. I don't get it, really. No one outside of my family uses the mounting block for their horses, but they keep it in an area where they all stand. I might just move it to the corner or something, that way I don't have to keep asking everyone to move so I can use it and then feel judged if Brie doesn't stand still the first time. Also, there is a gazebo in the middle of the arena for this gathering purpose! Can't they go in there?!
It was crummy out today, so as much as I wanted to go back out, we got stuck inside again. Oh well. I'm really confident that Brie is going to do well if we take her to Michigan. This whole spring and show season is getting hectic, at least for me. I want to go to Michigan to show Brie, but my best friend has her graduation on the second day of the show...I'm not sure if my parents will want to drive back on Saturday night so that I can go to graduation. Otherwise, I might just stay home and then Brie will miss another year of showing, since I think Michigan is the last local one before State Fair, which I won't be able to go to because of law school starting, so no one will bring her to show anyways...plus I wanted to be the one to show her...
Anyways. This weekend is Easter! Maybe we'll go out on Friday and Saturday to make up for missing Sunday.
We got up and out super early. Surprisingly, I was full of energy! It was also super nice outside, so I decided that I would ride outside. I was a little hesitant, since they haven't been ridden outdoors since fall, but I took Brie out to do our little program like nothing was different and after a few bucks of happiness, she settled right into it! We got ready to ride and were out there riding before anyone else was ready and she was sooo calm! It was a really nice surprise. She walked so slowly and was just happily going along with no problems. She tried to speed up a tiny bit when we would turn the corners to face going towards the gate, but with a little correction she regained her focus and settled back into a beautifully slow walk. Our corto was equally as calm. It was fantastic! Once everyone else came out she got a little hyper, but not really badly. We went outside in the fields to walk around and she was not super crazy so that was a plus! She actually wasn't bad at all. Never tried to stop or run away on me, just plugged along in her corto. =] It was truly a great day.
In other news...we're changing farriers. Our current farrier, according to the vet, cut Jane's horses hooves at all different angles. This lead to mass confusion but when confronted about it, the farrier had good explanations (supposedly) for what he did. After talking more with Nick, he explained how just being off on angles a tiny bit can make the horse not gait well or go into a pace. Harry has been pacing...so now we're concerned. We've decided on going back to a previous farrier that Gary and Nick fly in from Puerto Rico who supposedly specializes in Paso Finos.
This whole farrier v. vet business makes me anxious. Do farriers and vets ever really get along? And I'm not entirely convinced that Pasos need a special farrier just for their hooves. If the farrier is good, he should be able to comprehend adjusting the angles as necessary for the breed and conformation of he horse, right?
Sunday
Rode Brie some more today. I didn't use the mounting block because everyone was standing around it like a herd of cattle. I don't get it, really. No one outside of my family uses the mounting block for their horses, but they keep it in an area where they all stand. I might just move it to the corner or something, that way I don't have to keep asking everyone to move so I can use it and then feel judged if Brie doesn't stand still the first time. Also, there is a gazebo in the middle of the arena for this gathering purpose! Can't they go in there?!
It was crummy out today, so as much as I wanted to go back out, we got stuck inside again. Oh well. I'm really confident that Brie is going to do well if we take her to Michigan. This whole spring and show season is getting hectic, at least for me. I want to go to Michigan to show Brie, but my best friend has her graduation on the second day of the show...I'm not sure if my parents will want to drive back on Saturday night so that I can go to graduation. Otherwise, I might just stay home and then Brie will miss another year of showing, since I think Michigan is the last local one before State Fair, which I won't be able to go to because of law school starting, so no one will bring her to show anyways...plus I wanted to be the one to show her...
Anyways. This weekend is Easter! Maybe we'll go out on Friday and Saturday to make up for missing Sunday.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Days 286 & 287
Saturday
Yesterday was Brie's birthday!!! She is now 12 years old. It's incredible to think we've had her since she was 3. She truly is the reason for this blog and is the motivation behind all of my efforts to become a better horse trainer and to help others work with their horses. I've learned so much from her and although I've shed some tears over excusals and bad days, I've gained so much more happiness. She is incredibly smart and loving. I only wish that, when I have my own kids, that I will have a horse as special as Brie for them to learn from.
Enough with that before I cry, haha. For her birthday, we brought her a banana and split up the remainder of those Stud Muffins from Harry's birthday last week. It was only my mom and I today, so we didn't ride Nina. Out of the three of them, Nina is probably the only one who will be totally normal with an extra day off. I brushed her off and longed her for a while. My brother never longes her, just hops on and rides, so she was very hoppy and bouncy! I think it made her happy though =]
I rode Brie while my mom rode Harry. She is coming along better, getting way more relaxed walking. I'm finding that having a deeper seat and keeping my hands low is really effective on keeping her steady and her head collected, although it still could use some more work. I might use the draw reins next weekend and see how that goes, but mostly I just do more flexing and circling, but not too much because she gets dizzy easily.
We got ear poms for Harry. Not entirely sure if they worked, because he is pacing again! =[ I rode him and he paced pretty much the whole way, but kept wanting to bolt and go fast, but then we all know that he will pace in a largo too...We really don't know what to do, and it's awful to leave feeling like a failure, especially when you know he's not doing it out of spite. He genuinely wants to do what you ask him, but he just is not gaiting too well. Only in gait over the sound board, and in Pleasure classes they don't have sound boards, so it doesn't even matter. He will never place if he is so visibly pacing.
Sunday
Getting to the end here. Day 287. 13 days left before I officially close this blog. I don't think that will be after show season starts, so I might add a Show Season Summary at the end of the summer. I just can't leave this open-ended! Depending on where I end up for law school, if I end up here I might create a "Notes from a Horse-Trainer (In Training) Part 2", but we'll see.
After some research, we found that Harry is pacing because he has a hollow back. This is fixed by having a slightly lower neck position. Right now his neck is pretty high but his head is tucked and collected so he looks fine, but it's affecting his gait. There might also be some muscle tension, but we can't call out a chiropractor or a massage therapist because they're expensive =/ so we might just put lineament on his back and rub him a little and see what that does.
Brie was fantastic today. Near the end of our work, I felt her really suck herself under and collect, raise her back up and it was phenomenal. I tried to notice what I did differently, if I did anything, but it seemed like I was doing the same as usual! Have to keep noticing the little things until I figure it out.
My brother rode Harry and he was a little upset that he couldn't get him to stop pacing either. My mom used the draw reins and said they worked a bit, but my brother couldn't feel it so he took them off and Harry wasn't much better either.
I rode Nina today instead and she was harder to ride this time than last time! It was hard for me to keep her head set. I guess I should probably add in a ride on her at the end of the days so that I know what I'm doing if I get the chance to show her this season!
After all of the disappointment over Harry, it's hard to be sad when you realize how much he loves us. Some people say it's impossible for a horse to love people, because we're people and they're animals, but you can really tell that he loves us. He was still hot when we were going to put him away, so my mom put a rope around his neck and led him into the arena to walk him around just like that. She dropped the rope and kept walking and he followed her along everywhere! My dad has the video, but didn't send it to me, otherwise I would put it on here. After she got tired, I went in and walked around and he followed me too. I could abruptly turn and change directions and do serpentines, make like I was going one way and then go the other, and no matter what, he followed me! He even stopped when I stopped. And just the look on his face while he was following us was so sweet. Yep, he definitely loves us. That makes up for everything.
Yesterday was Brie's birthday!!! She is now 12 years old. It's incredible to think we've had her since she was 3. She truly is the reason for this blog and is the motivation behind all of my efforts to become a better horse trainer and to help others work with their horses. I've learned so much from her and although I've shed some tears over excusals and bad days, I've gained so much more happiness. She is incredibly smart and loving. I only wish that, when I have my own kids, that I will have a horse as special as Brie for them to learn from.
Enough with that before I cry, haha. For her birthday, we brought her a banana and split up the remainder of those Stud Muffins from Harry's birthday last week. It was only my mom and I today, so we didn't ride Nina. Out of the three of them, Nina is probably the only one who will be totally normal with an extra day off. I brushed her off and longed her for a while. My brother never longes her, just hops on and rides, so she was very hoppy and bouncy! I think it made her happy though =]
I rode Brie while my mom rode Harry. She is coming along better, getting way more relaxed walking. I'm finding that having a deeper seat and keeping my hands low is really effective on keeping her steady and her head collected, although it still could use some more work. I might use the draw reins next weekend and see how that goes, but mostly I just do more flexing and circling, but not too much because she gets dizzy easily.
We got ear poms for Harry. Not entirely sure if they worked, because he is pacing again! =[ I rode him and he paced pretty much the whole way, but kept wanting to bolt and go fast, but then we all know that he will pace in a largo too...We really don't know what to do, and it's awful to leave feeling like a failure, especially when you know he's not doing it out of spite. He genuinely wants to do what you ask him, but he just is not gaiting too well. Only in gait over the sound board, and in Pleasure classes they don't have sound boards, so it doesn't even matter. He will never place if he is so visibly pacing.
Sunday
Getting to the end here. Day 287. 13 days left before I officially close this blog. I don't think that will be after show season starts, so I might add a Show Season Summary at the end of the summer. I just can't leave this open-ended! Depending on where I end up for law school, if I end up here I might create a "Notes from a Horse-Trainer (In Training) Part 2", but we'll see.
After some research, we found that Harry is pacing because he has a hollow back. This is fixed by having a slightly lower neck position. Right now his neck is pretty high but his head is tucked and collected so he looks fine, but it's affecting his gait. There might also be some muscle tension, but we can't call out a chiropractor or a massage therapist because they're expensive =/ so we might just put lineament on his back and rub him a little and see what that does.
Brie was fantastic today. Near the end of our work, I felt her really suck herself under and collect, raise her back up and it was phenomenal. I tried to notice what I did differently, if I did anything, but it seemed like I was doing the same as usual! Have to keep noticing the little things until I figure it out.
My brother rode Harry and he was a little upset that he couldn't get him to stop pacing either. My mom used the draw reins and said they worked a bit, but my brother couldn't feel it so he took them off and Harry wasn't much better either.
I rode Nina today instead and she was harder to ride this time than last time! It was hard for me to keep her head set. I guess I should probably add in a ride on her at the end of the days so that I know what I'm doing if I get the chance to show her this season!
After all of the disappointment over Harry, it's hard to be sad when you realize how much he loves us. Some people say it's impossible for a horse to love people, because we're people and they're animals, but you can really tell that he loves us. He was still hot when we were going to put him away, so my mom put a rope around his neck and led him into the arena to walk him around just like that. She dropped the rope and kept walking and he followed her along everywhere! My dad has the video, but didn't send it to me, otherwise I would put it on here. After she got tired, I went in and walked around and he followed me too. I could abruptly turn and change directions and do serpentines, make like I was going one way and then go the other, and no matter what, he followed me! He even stopped when I stopped. And just the look on his face while he was following us was so sweet. Yep, he definitely loves us. That makes up for everything.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Days 284 & 285
Saturday
Yesterday was Harry's 8th birthday!! Naturally, today we had to celebrate =] We bought him special cookies, not those cheapie treats that they sell in the feed stores. They're called Stud Muffins!
He definitely enjoyed them. They seemed kind of sticky like peanut butter is when dogs eat it, because he kept sticking his tongue out.
Today was also farrier day. Nina had to be tranquilized, so we couldn't ride her, but my mom and I rode Brie and Harry for a short time after they were trimmed. I rode Brie, and she was super full of energy today! Her head is coming down better and I need to look for supplements that will help her gain muscle in her back end, because her butt is not as round and muscular as Harry's and Nina's. Her's is kind of not hollow but not filled in either. I think that increased muscle will also help with her arthritis.
Sunday
Today I got to ride Harry AND Nina!! What a treat! I rode Brie first. I'm really working on sitting back and deep in the saddle and not letting my hands get to high or lean too far forward. I think it helps with her balance. I feel weird, I constantly keep changing my seat with Brie. I feel like this current trend is going more back to her roots whereas I was sitting more forward during my jumping lessons and then a little further back after those ended. Now I'm finally really sitting back and deep again and I think it's helping with her headset a little bit.
Harry, we've decided, is going to go into Pleasure class. Rather than trying to work him up to be all excited for Performance class and risk him losing his gait, we'll settle for the pokey relaxed gait he seems to like right now and put him in Pleasure and see how he does. If he wins, it'll be a good choice! He is a lot more calm when I'm not trying to get him to move quicker but stay in gait. He didn't break much at all so that was fantastic. He is also walking very nicely finally. All we have to work on now is getting him to largo!
Nina was a blast. She is so funny, she will get into races with Brie if they're going side by side. She has a pretty fast largo! Not as fast as Brie though, but she will do wonderfully in Pleasure and Performance.
For the shows this year, we're seriously talking about bringing Brie! Our first show is the Midwest Classic in May down in St. Louis and we're thinking of bringing Harry and Nina to that one, since it's more competitive. Then the second show is in Michigan in June and we're thinking of bringing Brie and Nina to that one because it's more relaxed and while it's still competitive, not a lot of the big barns go to it so it's more smaller barns and families for a calmer atmosphere that I think Brie will like. She was in Michigan before though...tried to run back to the barn while I was still on her. But that was years ago. We have a little system in place. I think that as long as I longe her on the line for a bit and keep myself calm and just go in with the goal of making it through the class and staying as relaxed as possible, we will do well.
Yesterday was Harry's 8th birthday!! Naturally, today we had to celebrate =] We bought him special cookies, not those cheapie treats that they sell in the feed stores. They're called Stud Muffins!
He definitely enjoyed them. They seemed kind of sticky like peanut butter is when dogs eat it, because he kept sticking his tongue out.
Today was also farrier day. Nina had to be tranquilized, so we couldn't ride her, but my mom and I rode Brie and Harry for a short time after they were trimmed. I rode Brie, and she was super full of energy today! Her head is coming down better and I need to look for supplements that will help her gain muscle in her back end, because her butt is not as round and muscular as Harry's and Nina's. Her's is kind of not hollow but not filled in either. I think that increased muscle will also help with her arthritis.
Sunday
Today I got to ride Harry AND Nina!! What a treat! I rode Brie first. I'm really working on sitting back and deep in the saddle and not letting my hands get to high or lean too far forward. I think it helps with her balance. I feel weird, I constantly keep changing my seat with Brie. I feel like this current trend is going more back to her roots whereas I was sitting more forward during my jumping lessons and then a little further back after those ended. Now I'm finally really sitting back and deep again and I think it's helping with her headset a little bit.
Harry, we've decided, is going to go into Pleasure class. Rather than trying to work him up to be all excited for Performance class and risk him losing his gait, we'll settle for the pokey relaxed gait he seems to like right now and put him in Pleasure and see how he does. If he wins, it'll be a good choice! He is a lot more calm when I'm not trying to get him to move quicker but stay in gait. He didn't break much at all so that was fantastic. He is also walking very nicely finally. All we have to work on now is getting him to largo!
Nina was a blast. She is so funny, she will get into races with Brie if they're going side by side. She has a pretty fast largo! Not as fast as Brie though, but she will do wonderfully in Pleasure and Performance.
For the shows this year, we're seriously talking about bringing Brie! Our first show is the Midwest Classic in May down in St. Louis and we're thinking of bringing Harry and Nina to that one, since it's more competitive. Then the second show is in Michigan in June and we're thinking of bringing Brie and Nina to that one because it's more relaxed and while it's still competitive, not a lot of the big barns go to it so it's more smaller barns and families for a calmer atmosphere that I think Brie will like. She was in Michigan before though...tried to run back to the barn while I was still on her. But that was years ago. We have a little system in place. I think that as long as I longe her on the line for a bit and keep myself calm and just go in with the goal of making it through the class and staying as relaxed as possible, we will do well.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Days 282 & 283
Saturday
Got out late, so I had even less time to ride. There were also a ton of people at the barn, so I had small space to work in. I managed to force my way in there and longe Brie and work on our flexibility program, which she is getting better at. I think she's getting bored with it now, so I have to figure out something new to add to it.
She was fairly calm while riding, but we're still working on headset. She's gotten really lazy without the pressure to show, so it's taking a lot of work getting her back into show mode.
As show season approaches, I find myself in the same place that I usually end up at this time of year -- wondering if I even want to show. On one hand, it's fun, but it's only fun if you win, which I don't do too often...I can't help but get the feeling that, despite all of my effort, everyone thinks I'm completely incapable of doing anything "right" with horses because I continue to ride horses that don't place firsts while my brother, for example, took over Nina and always wins firsts. It's just very discouraging.
And while I like going to have fun with my horses for the majority of the day and spend all that time with them, I feel like I'd rather be going trail riding or something. I don't know. Since I started riding, I've had this shift in interest from showing to trail riding. It just gets so boring going around in the arena, doing almost the same things every week, constantly trying to make your horse perfect...maybe they just want to relax a bit and go sightseeing.
Sunday
I got to ride Harry today! He was a bundle of anxiety and no matter how many circles I tried to do, he never really calmed down for me...for my mom, he was better, but for me, not too great. He walked really nicely, so I guess that's a plus, since I've struggled with getting him to walk calmly. But he only stayed in gait going over the soundboard and that's just because he's vain.
Brie is putting my patience to the test, once more. Now that I know she knows exactly what I want from her (to stand still at the mounting block), she is seeing if I can keep making her do that. It took at least a few tries to make her stand still at the block, and even then, she wasn't right next to it and I had to scoot it over.
I found out recently that one of my friends got an internship at a barn in Florida. I'm so jealous of her...I wish that I got to go work under a professional and spend my entire day with horses.
I've also decided that, after much thought, I will be ending this blog at Day 300. I was going to do an entire year (365), but after 3 actual years of writing, I've lost a lot of interest in it. I feel my posts getting repetitive lately with no real development happening and want to focus more of my energies into seeing a change in attitude both in myself and in my horses. This blog has really been an inspiration for myself during times where I feel like I'm at a standstill and I'm thankful for it. But with graduation fast approaching and the impending uncertainty of life after college, I don't even know if I'll be able to make it to 365 days in the near future. So I would rather end on a finite note than to be constantly wondering if I will ever have the time or opportunity to come back to this again.
Got out late, so I had even less time to ride. There were also a ton of people at the barn, so I had small space to work in. I managed to force my way in there and longe Brie and work on our flexibility program, which she is getting better at. I think she's getting bored with it now, so I have to figure out something new to add to it.
She was fairly calm while riding, but we're still working on headset. She's gotten really lazy without the pressure to show, so it's taking a lot of work getting her back into show mode.
As show season approaches, I find myself in the same place that I usually end up at this time of year -- wondering if I even want to show. On one hand, it's fun, but it's only fun if you win, which I don't do too often...I can't help but get the feeling that, despite all of my effort, everyone thinks I'm completely incapable of doing anything "right" with horses because I continue to ride horses that don't place firsts while my brother, for example, took over Nina and always wins firsts. It's just very discouraging.
And while I like going to have fun with my horses for the majority of the day and spend all that time with them, I feel like I'd rather be going trail riding or something. I don't know. Since I started riding, I've had this shift in interest from showing to trail riding. It just gets so boring going around in the arena, doing almost the same things every week, constantly trying to make your horse perfect...maybe they just want to relax a bit and go sightseeing.
Sunday
I got to ride Harry today! He was a bundle of anxiety and no matter how many circles I tried to do, he never really calmed down for me...for my mom, he was better, but for me, not too great. He walked really nicely, so I guess that's a plus, since I've struggled with getting him to walk calmly. But he only stayed in gait going over the soundboard and that's just because he's vain.
Brie is putting my patience to the test, once more. Now that I know she knows exactly what I want from her (to stand still at the mounting block), she is seeing if I can keep making her do that. It took at least a few tries to make her stand still at the block, and even then, she wasn't right next to it and I had to scoot it over.
I found out recently that one of my friends got an internship at a barn in Florida. I'm so jealous of her...I wish that I got to go work under a professional and spend my entire day with horses.
I've also decided that, after much thought, I will be ending this blog at Day 300. I was going to do an entire year (365), but after 3 actual years of writing, I've lost a lot of interest in it. I feel my posts getting repetitive lately with no real development happening and want to focus more of my energies into seeing a change in attitude both in myself and in my horses. This blog has really been an inspiration for myself during times where I feel like I'm at a standstill and I'm thankful for it. But with graduation fast approaching and the impending uncertainty of life after college, I don't even know if I'll be able to make it to 365 days in the near future. So I would rather end on a finite note than to be constantly wondering if I will ever have the time or opportunity to come back to this again.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Day 281
I haven't been out for over a week =[ Last weekend we were all very sick. Yesterday we went to see the dog show that was in town. So today was the first day that I saw my babies in a long time!
Of course, something always has to go wrong.
We get in and Harry is sleeping on the floor. No big deal. He gets up and stretches. Seems okay. But then he stays like that, with his feet spread and keeps looking at his stomach and I know something is wrong. I bring him out in the arena to walk him around and he keeps pawing the ground. Yep, he's colicking. I longe him around and then my mom takes over, making him longe and walk and move around. We give him Bute and Banamine and keep him moving.
Meanwhile, I groom up Brie and get ready to ride her. She was like a firecracker when I longed her! After she settled down and after a couple of tries standing still by the mounting block, I got on and went to ride. Because I was so preoccupied with Harry, I didn't have time to do my little program with Brie. She was fine, but her head could have been set better. She had a largo race with Nina and afterwards, I got to cool Nina. =] I've said it before and I'll say it again: if only every horse could be like Nina.
We were getting ready to go, waiting around trying to see if Harry would poop, when, just as we were packing up, he finally did! Hopefully he feels better and that's the last of his colic. I felt much better knowing that happened before I left instead of having to go home and worry about whether he'd be okay or not. Next week sure will be interesting for him after not riding for 2 weeks! Especially if the farrier knocks out one day!
Of course, something always has to go wrong.
We get in and Harry is sleeping on the floor. No big deal. He gets up and stretches. Seems okay. But then he stays like that, with his feet spread and keeps looking at his stomach and I know something is wrong. I bring him out in the arena to walk him around and he keeps pawing the ground. Yep, he's colicking. I longe him around and then my mom takes over, making him longe and walk and move around. We give him Bute and Banamine and keep him moving.
Meanwhile, I groom up Brie and get ready to ride her. She was like a firecracker when I longed her! After she settled down and after a couple of tries standing still by the mounting block, I got on and went to ride. Because I was so preoccupied with Harry, I didn't have time to do my little program with Brie. She was fine, but her head could have been set better. She had a largo race with Nina and afterwards, I got to cool Nina. =] I've said it before and I'll say it again: if only every horse could be like Nina.
We were getting ready to go, waiting around trying to see if Harry would poop, when, just as we were packing up, he finally did! Hopefully he feels better and that's the last of his colic. I felt much better knowing that happened before I left instead of having to go home and worry about whether he'd be okay or not. Next week sure will be interesting for him after not riding for 2 weeks! Especially if the farrier knocks out one day!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Days 279 & 280
Saturday
Today, my goal was to get Brie on the makeshift Pessoa system that my mom created for Harry. In getting her to move her backend away from me, crossing her legs over each other, I've noticed that she is not as good going counterclockwise as she is going clockwise, but she is making great progress. She knows what I want her to do with that now and she is working to do it.
She was very confused when I put the makeshift Pessoa on her and only walked, but that was all I wanted from her. We did that only for a short while before I got on her. She is getting better at not cantering the corners, so I'm glad for that. Hopefully, I will be able to bring her to show this year. I'm also working on not letting her canter her reverses, since she has a tendency to do that.
Sunday
Spent a longer time with Brie on the makeshift Pessoa. She is also better going clockwise on that than going counterclockwise. She only walked counterclockwise, but was moving out going clockwise, so that was exciting! She collected her head today, but I didn't feel that same whole-body collection while riding like I did a couple of weeks ago. I took her off of two reins today and went back to using one rein. I'd been using two reins for a while now, I forgot when I started, probably late last year, but she responded very well to one rein again. It was also a lot easier to control her speed, probably because there was only pressure on the bit instead of split pressure between the bit and her jaquima.
I didn't get to ride Harry, but my brother did. He had a bit of trouble at the start, but came around. It's good that he got to ride Harry, he always only rides Nina and none of the rest of us ever get to ride her, so that was a nice change.
I wish I was able to go out and ride every day. We can only stay a couple of hours now on the weekends when we go out because my dad's work schedule changed and we have to come back home really early. It'll probably be really hard to be able to ride more than one horse now, because we all like to each ride for over a half and hour and we only have about an hour to ride if this weekend is any example. I'll have to alternate horses each weekend.
Today, my goal was to get Brie on the makeshift Pessoa system that my mom created for Harry. In getting her to move her backend away from me, crossing her legs over each other, I've noticed that she is not as good going counterclockwise as she is going clockwise, but she is making great progress. She knows what I want her to do with that now and she is working to do it.
She was very confused when I put the makeshift Pessoa on her and only walked, but that was all I wanted from her. We did that only for a short while before I got on her. She is getting better at not cantering the corners, so I'm glad for that. Hopefully, I will be able to bring her to show this year. I'm also working on not letting her canter her reverses, since she has a tendency to do that.
Sunday
Spent a longer time with Brie on the makeshift Pessoa. She is also better going clockwise on that than going counterclockwise. She only walked counterclockwise, but was moving out going clockwise, so that was exciting! She collected her head today, but I didn't feel that same whole-body collection while riding like I did a couple of weeks ago. I took her off of two reins today and went back to using one rein. I'd been using two reins for a while now, I forgot when I started, probably late last year, but she responded very well to one rein again. It was also a lot easier to control her speed, probably because there was only pressure on the bit instead of split pressure between the bit and her jaquima.
I didn't get to ride Harry, but my brother did. He had a bit of trouble at the start, but came around. It's good that he got to ride Harry, he always only rides Nina and none of the rest of us ever get to ride her, so that was a nice change.
I wish I was able to go out and ride every day. We can only stay a couple of hours now on the weekends when we go out because my dad's work schedule changed and we have to come back home really early. It'll probably be really hard to be able to ride more than one horse now, because we all like to each ride for over a half and hour and we only have about an hour to ride if this weekend is any example. I'll have to alternate horses each weekend.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Day 278
Happy Super Bowl, America!
I worked again with Brie today. I repeated the flexibility program and she is getting the hang of what I want from her. I think next week I will use the make-shift Pessoa system we have going with her. She was very calm today and, once again, no problems mounting today!! So we're making progress. She wasn't collecting like yesterday, only for a couple of strides near the end, so we need to work more on that. I'm also working on not letting her break into a canter on reverses in general and corners when she's at a largo. It will take time, but I'm sure we can get there!
Harry looked kind of sore today. He got a woodchip stuck in his hoof yesterday and I think it made his hoof tender. I put lineament on him anyways, just in case, and by next weekend he should be fine. He did the strangest thing today. He was standing on the cross ties and my mom went to put the saddle on him but he kind of sank back into his back legs like he was bowing, stretching out his front legs. What a goof! We all thought he was just going to lay down or something!
Nina is just a little powerhouse. We're aiming to bring her to Extravaganza in Jacksonville this year. We were going to last year, but things came up, plus I think our car had to go into the shop. Hopefully this year is our year!
I worked again with Brie today. I repeated the flexibility program and she is getting the hang of what I want from her. I think next week I will use the make-shift Pessoa system we have going with her. She was very calm today and, once again, no problems mounting today!! So we're making progress. She wasn't collecting like yesterday, only for a couple of strides near the end, so we need to work more on that. I'm also working on not letting her break into a canter on reverses in general and corners when she's at a largo. It will take time, but I'm sure we can get there!
Harry looked kind of sore today. He got a woodchip stuck in his hoof yesterday and I think it made his hoof tender. I put lineament on him anyways, just in case, and by next weekend he should be fine. He did the strangest thing today. He was standing on the cross ties and my mom went to put the saddle on him but he kind of sank back into his back legs like he was bowing, stretching out his front legs. What a goof! We all thought he was just going to lay down or something!
Nina is just a little powerhouse. We're aiming to bring her to Extravaganza in Jacksonville this year. We were going to last year, but things came up, plus I think our car had to go into the shop. Hopefully this year is our year!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Day 277
Finally, getting the chance to write on the day that I ride.
Didn't go out last weekend. I was in a car accident =[ So I was told not to ride for a week or so. Thankfully, I think I'm okay. Unfortunately, my car is not. For now it's back to hitching a ride with my parents back and forth to school.
I was beyond happy to finally see the horses after such a long time. They're all in different stalls now! The rows used to be:
Sadie Nina Harry Dora
Entrance way
Brie Tobacco Taco
Now it's:
Brie Nina Sadie
Entrance way
? Tobacco Harry Taco
The Question Mark is a new horse. We have new boarders!
But first, let me go over the change. Apparently, unbeknownst to us, Sadie and Nina didn't get along. Sadie has issues getting along with people in the arena, but I didn't think that she wouldn't be friends with Nina. Everyone is friends with Nina. But sometime this past week they must have gone at it and Sadie actually managed to get her leg caught above the wall, between the solid wall of the stall divider and the first slot for boards. The stall dividers are half wall and then every other slot is filled in with a board so that the horses could see each other. So that's where Sadie got her leg caught and cut a huge gash in her leg down to the bone. The vet came out and did his thing and now she's by herself, hopefully on her way to a full recovery.
I wanted to work on Brie today. She was already in a good mood because we brought her a banana, but I decided that before I rode, I wanted to start implementing the program that my mom made up for Harry. I want Brie to get more collected that way I could bring her back to show if I ever find a spot for her in someone's trailer, since ours only holds 2 horses. So I took her out with the longe line and my carrot stick and she cantered away for quite some time. She would be going steady and then just snorted and speed up to a gallop and then slow back down. She had a beautiful trot going once she calmed down a bit. At that point, my mom took my longe spot so I moved, took her of the longe line and onto a shorter line and had her move out on that for a bit before I started working on her moving her back end away from me, so that she was more turning on her front end. This works to round her out and stretch her back and neck, which she hates doing, without me pulling her to flex while mounted. She always cheats when she does that by bringing her head really low, not directly to the sides, but during this exercise she either had to keep her head up for balance or didn't realize that she wasn't cheating, but it worked! We did that for a while, stretched out, and then I went back to tack her up.
I was so proud of her! I've been working on getting her used to the mounting block again for quite some time and today I just walked up to it, pulled it out and put it next to her and got on and she didn't move! It usually takes a couple of tries because she walks away from it or swings her butt away so that I can't get on. So I knew this ride was off to a good start.
It took a while for me to figure out my seat again with her, I don't know why I was having trouble with that today but I just couldn't get in the saddle and work. So while I was trying to figure myself out, Samantha started riding Tobacco....and then he started bucking, and she started screaming, and eventually she fell off...she's okay, thankfully, and that's really weird for Tobacco to do that, but she got back on and rode him, so good for her.
After that, I somehow managed to figure out what I was doing and set off working. My goal: looser rein, Brie not pulling out, and maintaining a steady gait without speeding up without me asking or cantering. Mission accomplished! I never understood what riders were talking about when they said they wanted the back end engaged, but I could feel Brie engage her back end. She set her head perfectly, pulled her butt underneath her and really worked from her core. I felt like I was floating! She had wonderful boards, better than usual! She was responsive, we worked on transitions, and my reins were lose. I only had to check her every now and then, but she never pulled out and never tried to speed up. It was absolutely amazing. I can't wait to ride her tomorrow and try to recreate today's ride.
Didn't go out last weekend. I was in a car accident =[ So I was told not to ride for a week or so. Thankfully, I think I'm okay. Unfortunately, my car is not. For now it's back to hitching a ride with my parents back and forth to school.
I was beyond happy to finally see the horses after such a long time. They're all in different stalls now! The rows used to be:
Sadie Nina Harry Dora
Entrance way
Brie Tobacco Taco
Now it's:
Brie Nina Sadie
Entrance way
? Tobacco Harry Taco
The Question Mark is a new horse. We have new boarders!
But first, let me go over the change. Apparently, unbeknownst to us, Sadie and Nina didn't get along. Sadie has issues getting along with people in the arena, but I didn't think that she wouldn't be friends with Nina. Everyone is friends with Nina. But sometime this past week they must have gone at it and Sadie actually managed to get her leg caught above the wall, between the solid wall of the stall divider and the first slot for boards. The stall dividers are half wall and then every other slot is filled in with a board so that the horses could see each other. So that's where Sadie got her leg caught and cut a huge gash in her leg down to the bone. The vet came out and did his thing and now she's by herself, hopefully on her way to a full recovery.
I wanted to work on Brie today. She was already in a good mood because we brought her a banana, but I decided that before I rode, I wanted to start implementing the program that my mom made up for Harry. I want Brie to get more collected that way I could bring her back to show if I ever find a spot for her in someone's trailer, since ours only holds 2 horses. So I took her out with the longe line and my carrot stick and she cantered away for quite some time. She would be going steady and then just snorted and speed up to a gallop and then slow back down. She had a beautiful trot going once she calmed down a bit. At that point, my mom took my longe spot so I moved, took her of the longe line and onto a shorter line and had her move out on that for a bit before I started working on her moving her back end away from me, so that she was more turning on her front end. This works to round her out and stretch her back and neck, which she hates doing, without me pulling her to flex while mounted. She always cheats when she does that by bringing her head really low, not directly to the sides, but during this exercise she either had to keep her head up for balance or didn't realize that she wasn't cheating, but it worked! We did that for a while, stretched out, and then I went back to tack her up.
I was so proud of her! I've been working on getting her used to the mounting block again for quite some time and today I just walked up to it, pulled it out and put it next to her and got on and she didn't move! It usually takes a couple of tries because she walks away from it or swings her butt away so that I can't get on. So I knew this ride was off to a good start.
It took a while for me to figure out my seat again with her, I don't know why I was having trouble with that today but I just couldn't get in the saddle and work. So while I was trying to figure myself out, Samantha started riding Tobacco....and then he started bucking, and she started screaming, and eventually she fell off...she's okay, thankfully, and that's really weird for Tobacco to do that, but she got back on and rode him, so good for her.
After that, I somehow managed to figure out what I was doing and set off working. My goal: looser rein, Brie not pulling out, and maintaining a steady gait without speeding up without me asking or cantering. Mission accomplished! I never understood what riders were talking about when they said they wanted the back end engaged, but I could feel Brie engage her back end. She set her head perfectly, pulled her butt underneath her and really worked from her core. I felt like I was floating! She had wonderful boards, better than usual! She was responsive, we worked on transitions, and my reins were lose. I only had to check her every now and then, but she never pulled out and never tried to speed up. It was absolutely amazing. I can't wait to ride her tomorrow and try to recreate today's ride.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Day 276
Sunday
I rode Harry today! I started and finished with him. I could tell a huge difference in him from his free longe, he was very calm and collected and seemed very determined in his movement. It was hard to get used to riding him, since before I was encouraging him to be very relaxed and loose and to just go with what he feels, but that makes him walk and gait very pokey which is not good for show. So I have to now keep constant leg on him and be reminding him with the reins to keep gaiting by putting a little more pressure on them and check them if he starts to pace.
The first couple passes on the board were kind of pokey and then sounded even worse in comparison with the new Fino stallion who was also riding at the time. But after I readjusted myself to use more leg and rein, our last pass over the board was phenomenal. He sounded almost as good as Nina! So I was very proud of him. I can't wait to continue working on him now that I've figured out what to do with him and see how good he gets!
I rode Harry today! I started and finished with him. I could tell a huge difference in him from his free longe, he was very calm and collected and seemed very determined in his movement. It was hard to get used to riding him, since before I was encouraging him to be very relaxed and loose and to just go with what he feels, but that makes him walk and gait very pokey which is not good for show. So I have to now keep constant leg on him and be reminding him with the reins to keep gaiting by putting a little more pressure on them and check them if he starts to pace.
The first couple passes on the board were kind of pokey and then sounded even worse in comparison with the new Fino stallion who was also riding at the time. But after I readjusted myself to use more leg and rein, our last pass over the board was phenomenal. He sounded almost as good as Nina! So I was very proud of him. I can't wait to continue working on him now that I've figured out what to do with him and see how good he gets!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Days 274 & 275
Saturday
Brie was pretty stiff today, which might have had something to do with the weather. It was unseasonably warm today and although it was a nice surprise, I'm sure it affected everyone in some way. Except Nina! She was working fantastically! If only Brie and Harry could be more like her.
That's not entirely true. Harry looked like he was working really well. I didn't get the chance to ride him today, but I'm planning on it for next weekend. I think that the same groundwork program that we did with Harry would be good for Brie. Maybe not to give her a month off like he did, but to incorporate it into what she's doing now. She really needs to refocus herself and remember what she's supposed to be doing, not just running around all of the time, especially if I want to bring her to show this year. After this summer, I don't know when I might be able to go to another horse show again, or even ride again, once I go to law school in the fall, so I have to make the best of it now! That means enjoying every weekend and every ride to the fullest. I want Brie to be in great condition, physically and mentally, for this show season that way in case there is an empty spot in someone's trailer, she can take it! Maybe after a couple of years of not showing, she will forget how scary the shows were for her.
Sunday
The farrier came out today, which is Brie's favorite day! I think she really likes getting her hooves trimmed, she just looks so happy. While we were waiting for the farrier, I took Harry and the giant exercise ball that we have in the tack room and brought them into the arena. I wanted him to sniff it and eventually push it with his nose, but we got to sniffing it. I let him go up to it and pet him when he did. I started pushing the ball towards him but he was getting scared, so I started kicking the ball away from him and making him follow me and the ball so that way it would perk his interest. It seemed to work! He really needs to get over his timidness and now that he is better after his month off, I think that the next step is really focusing on overcoming his fears on the ground. Especially since they are so simple, like being scared of balls and tarps! Even puddles. We're going to work on those a lot because once we move (hopefully) out West, he'll have to get used to all sorts of new things, especially for trail rides!
Brie was pretty stiff today, which might have had something to do with the weather. It was unseasonably warm today and although it was a nice surprise, I'm sure it affected everyone in some way. Except Nina! She was working fantastically! If only Brie and Harry could be more like her.
That's not entirely true. Harry looked like he was working really well. I didn't get the chance to ride him today, but I'm planning on it for next weekend. I think that the same groundwork program that we did with Harry would be good for Brie. Maybe not to give her a month off like he did, but to incorporate it into what she's doing now. She really needs to refocus herself and remember what she's supposed to be doing, not just running around all of the time, especially if I want to bring her to show this year. After this summer, I don't know when I might be able to go to another horse show again, or even ride again, once I go to law school in the fall, so I have to make the best of it now! That means enjoying every weekend and every ride to the fullest. I want Brie to be in great condition, physically and mentally, for this show season that way in case there is an empty spot in someone's trailer, she can take it! Maybe after a couple of years of not showing, she will forget how scary the shows were for her.
Sunday
The farrier came out today, which is Brie's favorite day! I think she really likes getting her hooves trimmed, she just looks so happy. While we were waiting for the farrier, I took Harry and the giant exercise ball that we have in the tack room and brought them into the arena. I wanted him to sniff it and eventually push it with his nose, but we got to sniffing it. I let him go up to it and pet him when he did. I started pushing the ball towards him but he was getting scared, so I started kicking the ball away from him and making him follow me and the ball so that way it would perk his interest. It seemed to work! He really needs to get over his timidness and now that he is better after his month off, I think that the next step is really focusing on overcoming his fears on the ground. Especially since they are so simple, like being scared of balls and tarps! Even puddles. We're going to work on those a lot because once we move (hopefully) out West, he'll have to get used to all sorts of new things, especially for trail rides!
Monday, January 7, 2013
Day 273
Sunday
Didn't make it out yesterday because we were taking down the Christmas decorations!
Brie has this weird sticky spot on her flank and she doesn't want anyone to touch it. She nearly kicked my mom and I while we were trying to clean it, so I fed her carrots while my mom cleaned it off and put some medicine on it. I hope it's nothing! It was kind of hot when I touched it, but I hope it's not anything serious.
She was very full of energy when I when to longe her. She was bucking and galloping so fast, I had to reel her in and put her on the long line. After much running around, she finally calmed down. She is getting better at standing for the mounting block! Each day I work with her to stand still for me, she gets better at it, so I am very pleased with that. After all of that running, she was very calm and easy to work with today. She never tried to pull me and was willing to work with me. We worked on slowing down her corto and on not spinning her reverses and things went great!
Then I got on Harry. It is going to take some getting used to him again. I barely rode him for 30 minutes but I was frustrated. I just have to remember to be patient and not expect him to be amazing, especially after his time off. After failed attempts at a corto, I settled for just walking him without him pulling away from me. After that I was done. As long as I remember to be patient, I know we will make amazing progress. I just have to work for it!
Didn't make it out yesterday because we were taking down the Christmas decorations!
Brie has this weird sticky spot on her flank and she doesn't want anyone to touch it. She nearly kicked my mom and I while we were trying to clean it, so I fed her carrots while my mom cleaned it off and put some medicine on it. I hope it's nothing! It was kind of hot when I touched it, but I hope it's not anything serious.
She was very full of energy when I when to longe her. She was bucking and galloping so fast, I had to reel her in and put her on the long line. After much running around, she finally calmed down. She is getting better at standing for the mounting block! Each day I work with her to stand still for me, she gets better at it, so I am very pleased with that. After all of that running, she was very calm and easy to work with today. She never tried to pull me and was willing to work with me. We worked on slowing down her corto and on not spinning her reverses and things went great!
Then I got on Harry. It is going to take some getting used to him again. I barely rode him for 30 minutes but I was frustrated. I just have to remember to be patient and not expect him to be amazing, especially after his time off. After failed attempts at a corto, I settled for just walking him without him pulling away from me. After that I was done. As long as I remember to be patient, I know we will make amazing progress. I just have to work for it!
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