Ever had a day that's completely unbelievable?
That happened to me today.
It was the strangest thing. I was thinking about Andre more than usual today, and as we were reminiscing about him on the way home, my mom got a call from an unknown number. Jokingly, I said "Hey, it's Andre, call him back!" So she did.
It was Andre.
I couldn't believe it! I screamed when I heard it was him! I've missed him so much, despite the tiny falling out he had with my family. He's essentially taught me all that I know and I definitely couldn't have gotten as far as I have with Harry, or even Brie for that matter, if it were not for him. I can't even conceptualize how lucky I am to have had him as a mentor from such a young age, pretty much turning me into a horse trainer at age 12, giving my brother and me his secrets, jokingly telling us that we would be his legacy.
He has a couple of clients and has built an indoor on his property, and his Querida has turned all white and birthed a foal a couple months ago! His own baby is getting big, now at 13 months. It's hard to imagine that we've been on our own for over a year now and are doing so well, also owning a third horse!
Away from the shock of the day, onto training. I started and worked Brie first. Her legs are looking kind of stocky. Is it possible that's from cantering? Do horses' legs do that when they're being trained to canter? Am I doing something wrong and over-stressing her muscles? I'll have to do some research. We mostly walked and corto'd today, and she picked up her own canter while she was on a loose rein. It was a fantastic speed too! But I had her stop after a couple of strides, not wanting to agitate her legs any further.
No Nina. Again.
Harry was significantly better today. They are all definitely happier once they've had their playtime outside first. He was not as collected, but at least he wasn't goofing around with his back legs today. We have a good three, maybe four more months to figure him out for show season, so I plan on taking things slowly.
Showing posts with label Andre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andre. Show all posts
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Sweet Girl
A nursery of foals running around in the pasture, wobbly on their new legs.
This is how I first met Dulce Nina, who we just call Nina for short. I met her as a foal one weekend, she had been born during the middle of that week. Not really standing out from the lot, my brother
and I just enjoyed watching them play because they were so adorable.
We never took particular notice to Nina until she was kept in the stall over the winter because she had an eye infection. More like 'Shy Girl' instead of 'Sweet Girl', she stood facing the corner, refusing to look at us, no matter how hard we tried to lure her out. Once she was released from the infirmary, she was let back outside to grow.
We never really planned on getting another horse. It just came spontaneously. When we heard that Lorraine wanted to sell the barn and auction off all of the horses, we asked Andre which one of the babies was the best. At the time, it was down to three babies: Obrero, Futur
o, and Dulce Nina. He said that out of them, Nina had the most potential other than his own baby, Elegante, that he recently bought from Lorraine at the auction at Nationals that fall.
Auction day was a blur. We walked in to find a crowd of people seated on hay bales in the arena; all the horses were lined up and wearing numbers on their flanks. My brother and I approached Nina in her stall and my brother promised her that he would buy her. A whirlwind of bids later, we were the proud owners of Dulce Nina. My brother and I rejoiced and took about a million pictures of our new family member. Nina was just over a year old.
So now we have this baby horse. What do we do with her? The first step we made was desensitizing her. We worked on our bond with her, my brother connecting with her the most. Andre suggested that we do Bella Forma with her. Bella Forma is a class in shows where you have either one or two people and you walk the filly or colt around the arena to show her or his gait. It's kind of like a dog show, only with a
horse. The first year we competed with her, my mom was by herself with Nina because Nina was still little. As Nina grew, she went on double lines and my brother joined in. We won a few classes, I believe we qualified for Nationals, but we decided not to go.
This past year was Nina's first year competing under saddle. We did well, but not as well as we would have liked to. Andre told us that she had a lot of potential and was even turning out better than Elegante. He told us that we had a pretty good Fino horse on our h
ands and we were thrilled. What luck we had to have a Fino horse bought at an auction! But something went wrong, and Nina became angry and unwilling to work. We thought, maybe Andre was over working her? But none the less, she flat out stopped in the middle of the sound board when we were competing in Kentucky this past year. She became angry and wanted nothing to do with us anymore. Shortly after that, we stopped training, and after that, Andre was fired from our current stable.
Now Nina is getting down to work. After having quite a few months off to play, bond even more with Brie, and not do really anything, she is very eager to learn under Ray. Ray tells us that at the least, we will have a very high quality performance horse, but that he doesn't want to make any promises about whether she is Fino or not. We're all very eager to see how she turns out, but she has now grown into her name none the less. She is certainly a sweet girl.
This is how I first met Dulce Nina, who we just call Nina for short. I met her as a foal one weekend, she had been born during the middle of that week. Not really standing out from the lot, my brother
and I just enjoyed watching them play because they were so adorable.We never took particular notice to Nina until she was kept in the stall over the winter because she had an eye infection. More like 'Shy Girl' instead of 'Sweet Girl', she stood facing the corner, refusing to look at us, no matter how hard we tried to lure her out. Once she was released from the infirmary, she was let back outside to grow.
We never really planned on getting another horse. It just came spontaneously. When we heard that Lorraine wanted to sell the barn and auction off all of the horses, we asked Andre which one of the babies was the best. At the time, it was down to three babies: Obrero, Futur
o, and Dulce Nina. He said that out of them, Nina had the most potential other than his own baby, Elegante, that he recently bought from Lorraine at the auction at Nationals that fall.Auction day was a blur. We walked in to find a crowd of people seated on hay bales in the arena; all the horses were lined up and wearing numbers on their flanks. My brother and I approached Nina in her stall and my brother promised her that he would buy her. A whirlwind of bids later, we were the proud owners of Dulce Nina. My brother and I rejoiced and took about a million pictures of our new family member. Nina was just over a year old.
So now we have this baby horse. What do we do with her? The first step we made was desensitizing her. We worked on our bond with her, my brother connecting with her the most. Andre suggested that we do Bella Forma with her. Bella Forma is a class in shows where you have either one or two people and you walk the filly or colt around the arena to show her or his gait. It's kind of like a dog show, only with a
horse. The first year we competed with her, my mom was by herself with Nina because Nina was still little. As Nina grew, she went on double lines and my brother joined in. We won a few classes, I believe we qualified for Nationals, but we decided not to go.This past year was Nina's first year competing under saddle. We did well, but not as well as we would have liked to. Andre told us that she had a lot of potential and was even turning out better than Elegante. He told us that we had a pretty good Fino horse on our h
ands and we were thrilled. What luck we had to have a Fino horse bought at an auction! But something went wrong, and Nina became angry and unwilling to work. We thought, maybe Andre was over working her? But none the less, she flat out stopped in the middle of the sound board when we were competing in Kentucky this past year. She became angry and wanted nothing to do with us anymore. Shortly after that, we stopped training, and after that, Andre was fired from our current stable.Now Nina is getting down to work. After having quite a few months off to play, bond even more with Brie, and not do really anything, she is very eager to learn under Ray. Ray tells us that at the least, we will have a very high quality performance horse, but that he doesn't want to make any promises about whether she is Fino or not. We're all very eager to see how she turns out, but she has now grown into her name none the less. She is certainly a sweet girl.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Brilliance
Brilliance. An intense brightness of light.
This is an odd name choice for a black horse.
Brillante - Brilliance in English - is my black Paso Fino mare. For 5 years, I've bonded with this perplexing animal with a mind like no other I've come across. She's earned a reputation wherever she goes as "the crazy horse", but she will never miss a beat (a quality
all Pasos want!) and will take care of kids.
She's been excused from show arenas for stopping and refusing to move, even when *sniff* I had to kick her. She's been placed last because she tried to run over a judge (you'd think we'd get excused for that too, right?). She's reared, almost kicked me in the chest, bucked plenty of times, and I love her to death. Why? Because I finally understand her.
It was at the point where my trainer, Andre, had given up on her. She was just "not a show horse, but would make a good trail horse". Hardly. She hates being away from the barn, a result of being acutely barn-sour. So, after a clinic with famous Dominic, I learned that she's just a very anxious soul, and like a human, needs to be dealt with in the appropriate way.
This all happened before I started this blog by the way.
Dominic told me that I should spend at least a half hour making her walk around, for at least a few months, and make this routine until I can feel her relaxed under me. I was vigilant about this, and come the show season...well we got excused from a couple of classes, but not as many as I expected! She's been doing really well with everything I've asked of her because I've taken the time to try to understand her, not to just force her into doing what I want her to, because oh boy, will she fight back.
And yet, despite al
l of my efforts, people still refer to her as "the crazy horse" which isn't exactly fair. Especially since I took third place at the last show of the season.
And still, despite these efforts, my parents still want to hire a trainer, a TRAINER! A "professional predator", someone who won't take the time to understand her mind and just throw a harsher bit in her mouth, tie her head down, and put on the spurs.
I won't allow that to happen.
My goal with Brie, the entire reason I'm writing this blog, is to get a blue ribbon, a first place, in a class of at least 10 horses. Only then will she show her true brilliance.
This is an odd name choice for a black horse.
Brillante - Brilliance in English - is my black Paso Fino mare. For 5 years, I've bonded with this perplexing animal with a mind like no other I've come across. She's earned a reputation wherever she goes as "the crazy horse", but she will never miss a beat (a quality
all Pasos want!) and will take care of kids.She's been excused from show arenas for stopping and refusing to move, even when *sniff* I had to kick her. She's been placed last because she tried to run over a judge (you'd think we'd get excused for that too, right?). She's reared, almost kicked me in the chest, bucked plenty of times, and I love her to death. Why? Because I finally understand her.
It was at the point where my trainer, Andre, had given up on her. She was just "not a show horse, but would make a good trail horse". Hardly. She hates being away from the barn, a result of being acutely barn-sour. So, after a clinic with famous Dominic, I learned that she's just a very anxious soul, and like a human, needs to be dealt with in the appropriate way.
This all happened before I started this blog by the way.
Dominic told me that I should spend at least a half hour making her walk around, for at least a few months, and make this routine until I can feel her relaxed under me. I was vigilant about this, and come the show season...well we got excused from a couple of classes, but not as many as I expected! She's been doing really well with everything I've asked of her because I've taken the time to try to understand her, not to just force her into doing what I want her to, because oh boy, will she fight back.
And yet, despite al
l of my efforts, people still refer to her as "the crazy horse" which isn't exactly fair. Especially since I took third place at the last show of the season.And still, despite these efforts, my parents still want to hire a trainer, a TRAINER! A "professional predator", someone who won't take the time to understand her mind and just throw a harsher bit in her mouth, tie her head down, and put on the spurs.
I won't allow that to happen.
My goal with Brie, the entire reason I'm writing this blog, is to get a blue ribbon, a first place, in a class of at least 10 horses. Only then will she show her true brilliance.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Brillante - A History
I realized that I never really went fully into detail about my horses. I'll start off with Brillante since we've had her longer. Her nickname's Brie, and that's what I've been calling her throughout all of my posts.
I got Brillante when I was in 7th grade. I was not too thrilled about her. I was never the girl that asked for a horse on her Christmas list (I always asked for a cat), and I was under pressure because I was trying to get into one of the most prestigious selective enrollment schools in Chicago. How could I focus on school when I was trying to take care of a horse?!
Anyways, we found Brie by accident at a horse fair up in Northern Illinois. We were already looking into share-boarding a horse in a place I can only describe as "the middle of nowhere" because I can't recall where it was. My mom was looking for hunter/jumper horses, just to see if she could convince my dad to buy one, but as we watched the breed demonstration, my dad was immediately smitten with Brie and sought her out right after she left the arena. Just a three year-old, everyone told us not to buy her, she was too "green", she'd hurt us kids (my brother and I). But my dad was sold on the idea of his horse and his kids growing up together (and keeping us out of the malls doing absolutely nothing on Saturday afternoons).
So now we have this horse. What do we do with her? And what the heck is a Paso Fino? Why did we buy this instead of an Arabian? Completely dazed and confused, my mom attempted to implement the methods of training Arabians she learned when she was a youngster, mucking stalls in return for one 30 minute lesson. Brie wasn't loving that too much, until one day, the trainer (who we originally mistook for the owner), our beloved Andre, asked us "What the heck are you doing? And why do you have that 50 ft rope?!" He rode Brie for us, like he did in the horse fest, and we wanted him to train. To make a long story short, the real owner of the stable we were at wanted Andre exclusively for himself and we had to leave to another stable.
Without naming names, that new stable was a DUMP. But we had to stay there since it was close to Andre's house and he had to do something with Brillante and teach us what to do with her since we had no clue. What turned out to be a 3 month deal turned into a long-lasting (until recently) friendship that remained even when things went completely downhill with the stable. In retrospect, we did a lot of stupid things with Brie that could have gotten us killed. For example, I remained on her after a day of full-on rears (which is actually kind of impressive). We started looking for new places when Brie's sweet demeanor turned nasty and she became extremely head-shy. The final straw? We up and left one day after we walked in only to find huge bite marks along Brie's neck line and chest. We still don't know what they were to this day (rats? a wasp? cigarette burns?).
Off we went to our third stable where another trainer was, Juan. We didn't hire
him because by then we thought we knew enough to work with Brie on our own, and we did fairly well. Time at this stable is really a blur, and all I remember is that Paco worked there (that's where we met him) and that the owners of the stable we're currently at were there as Juan's clients. Things were okay for a while, then immediately went downhill and we left back to where we started, the stable where Brie was born up in Northern Illinois.
Things were peaceful, quiet. The place was really beautiful, light and airy. It was more rustic and beautiful that I remembered. While back at her "home", Brie
had an encounter with laminitis. We caught it early enough, thankfully, and Andre was living on the property so he was there to give her medication everyday. It was then that we found out that Brie is insulin resistant and can't be getting apples everytime we go out or a multitude of cookies or an excess of grain. There was no rotation and we really lucked out with that one, and now we're vigilant about her weight and what she eats.
Aside from the chill in the winter, it was paradise. But since the owner died and his wife was too depressed by running the business without him, so she sold it, and we packed up and left to the stable we're currently at.
So this ended up being a not-so-short history of Brie's moves and medical condition. I was going to post more about her attitude and things I'm trying to work with her on but I'll save that for another post, coming soon.
I got Brillante when I was in 7th grade. I was not too thrilled about her. I was never the girl that asked for a horse on her Christmas list (I always asked for a cat), and I was under pressure because I was trying to get into one of the most prestigious selective enrollment schools in Chicago. How could I focus on school when I was trying to take care of a horse?!Anyways, we found Brie by accident at a horse fair up in Northern Illinois. We were already looking into share-boarding a horse in a place I can only describe as "the middle of nowhere" because I can't recall where it was. My mom was looking for hunter/jumper horses, just to see if she could convince my dad to buy one, but as we watched the breed demonstration, my dad was immediately smitten with Brie and sought her out right after she left the arena. Just a three year-old, everyone told us not to buy her, she was too "green", she'd hurt us kids (my brother and I). But my dad was sold on the idea of his horse and his kids growing up together (and keeping us out of the malls doing absolutely nothing on Saturday afternoons).
So now we have this horse. What do we do with her? And what the heck is a Paso Fino? Why did we buy this instead of an Arabian? Completely dazed and confused, my mom attempted to implement the methods of training Arabians she learned when she was a youngster, mucking stalls in return for one 30 minute lesson. Brie wasn't loving that too much, until one day, the trainer (who we originally mistook for the owner), our beloved Andre, asked us "What the heck are you doing? And why do you have that 50 ft rope?!" He rode Brie for us, like he did in the horse fest, and we wanted him to train. To make a long story short, the real owner of the stable we were at wanted Andre exclusively for himself and we had to leave to another stable.
Without naming names, that new stable was a DUMP. But we had to stay there since it was close to Andre's house and he had to do something with Brillante and teach us what to do with her since we had no clue. What turned out to be a 3 month deal turned into a long-lasting (until recently) friendship that remained even when things went completely downhill with the stable. In retrospect, we did a lot of stupid things with Brie that could have gotten us killed. For example, I remained on her after a day of full-on rears (which is actually kind of impressive). We started looking for new places when Brie's sweet demeanor turned nasty and she became extremely head-shy. The final straw? We up and left one day after we walked in only to find huge bite marks along Brie's neck line and chest. We still don't know what they were to this day (rats? a wasp? cigarette burns?).Off we went to our third stable where another trainer was, Juan. We didn't hire
him because by then we thought we knew enough to work with Brie on our own, and we did fairly well. Time at this stable is really a blur, and all I remember is that Paco worked there (that's where we met him) and that the owners of the stable we're currently at were there as Juan's clients. Things were okay for a while, then immediately went downhill and we left back to where we started, the stable where Brie was born up in Northern Illinois.Things were peaceful, quiet. The place was really beautiful, light and airy. It was more rustic and beautiful that I remembered. While back at her "home", Brie
had an encounter with laminitis. We caught it early enough, thankfully, and Andre was living on the property so he was there to give her medication everyday. It was then that we found out that Brie is insulin resistant and can't be getting apples everytime we go out or a multitude of cookies or an excess of grain. There was no rotation and we really lucked out with that one, and now we're vigilant about her weight and what she eats.Aside from the chill in the winter, it was paradise. But since the owner died and his wife was too depressed by running the business without him, so she sold it, and we packed up and left to the stable we're currently at.
So this ended up being a not-so-short history of Brie's moves and medical condition. I was going to post more about her attitude and things I'm trying to work with her on but I'll save that for another post, coming soon.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Day 21
(originally started Sunday night at 11pm)
I wasn't able to make it out yesterday.
But yesterday Andre got fired.
I feel really bad for him. I mean, he was a great guy. I genuinely liked his training. But he changed, and we all know who did that do him. He's not the same as he was when we met him, and I'm truly sorry to see him leave.
Apparently Brie was horrible with mom yesterday. When I rode her today she was sweet as a pea! Maybe she missed me.
I didn't do much riding though because we had an accident.
The owner's wife and daughter were galloping and playing on their horse Carmentea. Well his wife was falling off and she almost took her daughter with her. His wife fell off onto her hip then back and couldn't get up, and her daughter just sort of jumped/fell off. After a few seconds of realizing that there wasn't anyone on her, Carmentea bolted out of the arena. The new trainer, Ray, my mom, and I all ran after her. She jumped over a pretty huge mound, and I have to say that while I was breathless trying to catch her she was pretty beautiful! My mom finally caught her and we called an ambulance for his wife. She was able to go home yesterday, they said that she was lucky and just got some nasty bruises, but they'll still keep an eye on her. I hope that she's okay. It really kind of sucks because she was wary of horses before and now she might never want to get on one again. I really hope that's not the case. And I hope that his daughter doesn't blame herself for the accident for riding Carmentea because it wasn't her fault. It was an accident.
I ask you, whoever reads this, to keep their family in your prayers.
I wasn't able to make it out yesterday.
But yesterday Andre got fired.
I feel really bad for him. I mean, he was a great guy. I genuinely liked his training. But he changed, and we all know who did that do him. He's not the same as he was when we met him, and I'm truly sorry to see him leave.
Apparently Brie was horrible with mom yesterday. When I rode her today she was sweet as a pea! Maybe she missed me.
I didn't do much riding though because we had an accident.
The owner's wife and daughter were galloping and playing on their horse Carmentea. Well his wife was falling off and she almost took her daughter with her. His wife fell off onto her hip then back and couldn't get up, and her daughter just sort of jumped/fell off. After a few seconds of realizing that there wasn't anyone on her, Carmentea bolted out of the arena. The new trainer, Ray, my mom, and I all ran after her. She jumped over a pretty huge mound, and I have to say that while I was breathless trying to catch her she was pretty beautiful! My mom finally caught her and we called an ambulance for his wife. She was able to go home yesterday, they said that she was lucky and just got some nasty bruises, but they'll still keep an eye on her. I hope that she's okay. It really kind of sucks because she was wary of horses before and now she might never want to get on one again. I really hope that's not the case. And I hope that his daughter doesn't blame herself for the accident for riding Carmentea because it wasn't her fault. It was an accident.
I ask you, whoever reads this, to keep their family in your prayers.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Days 19 & 20
Day 19
Today was Paco's homecoming, in a way.
Andre wasn't there.
Brie and Nina were very happy to be outside today, even if it was a little cold. Taco's also back! He's limping though, so we'll just walk him until his limp is better.
Brie jumped today. The jump wasn't set up but she started to go towards where it normally is. I just let the reins drop and let her walk where she wanted and she started following my brother around the arena! It was so cute. He would run and she'd run after him. He'd stop and she'd dead stop, even after running. I think she's really happy now that I'm doing more than concentrating on shows and giving her a time to finally just be herself and calm down.
We also started her new vitamins. Time will tell how they work.
Day 20
Brie was limping a bit today. I think it's maybe because she may have stepped on a rock yesterday when we rode outside. Because of this, I didn't jump her.
Andre wasn't there again today.
There was also a farrier that the stable flew in from Florida, I believe. He looked at Nina and Brie's hooves and said that Nina was fine but that Brie's front hooves were just a little bit off, so he trimmed them. It was kind of hard to tell if she was liking how they were trimmed because I only rode her bareback because we were pressed for time at that point. I'll have to see how she does next week, because I don't think that I'll be able to get out this weekend.
I hope she enjoys the new hay that the stable got, because she didn't even touch the old hay she got fed this morning. That must mean it was really bad.
But Paco is here now, so I can rest peacefully knowing that things will be going uphill from here.
Today was Paco's homecoming, in a way.
Andre wasn't there.
Brie and Nina were very happy to be outside today, even if it was a little cold. Taco's also back! He's limping though, so we'll just walk him until his limp is better.
Brie jumped today. The jump wasn't set up but she started to go towards where it normally is. I just let the reins drop and let her walk where she wanted and she started following my brother around the arena! It was so cute. He would run and she'd run after him. He'd stop and she'd dead stop, even after running. I think she's really happy now that I'm doing more than concentrating on shows and giving her a time to finally just be herself and calm down.
We also started her new vitamins. Time will tell how they work.
Day 20
Brie was limping a bit today. I think it's maybe because she may have stepped on a rock yesterday when we rode outside. Because of this, I didn't jump her.
Andre wasn't there again today.
There was also a farrier that the stable flew in from Florida, I believe. He looked at Nina and Brie's hooves and said that Nina was fine but that Brie's front hooves were just a little bit off, so he trimmed them. It was kind of hard to tell if she was liking how they were trimmed because I only rode her bareback because we were pressed for time at that point. I'll have to see how she does next week, because I don't think that I'll be able to get out this weekend.
I hope she enjoys the new hay that the stable got, because she didn't even touch the old hay she got fed this morning. That must mean it was really bad.
But Paco is here now, so I can rest peacefully knowing that things will be going uphill from here.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Day 18
I failed in getting to the stall first. I need to start racing my mom to the stall.
Paco is officially moved in. It's so nice. And Ken is supposed to be making all the paddocks this week. I can't wait for Brie and Nina to get time outside every day, since Ken's be
en a slacker in turning them out all this time, which probably has a lot to do with Brie's anxiety.
Jane came by today! Taco is coming back very soon, he was at her son's farm just being a horse for this month. I'm so eager to ride him again.
Brie! She made me very happy today. We showed off her gaiting and jumping to Ray and everyone else, they were impressed, even though the jump was pretty much a foot off of the ground. She was more anxious outside though, and we had a fright when my mom was riding her and Brie kept backing up, almost into a barbed wire fence. I had to maneuver Nina over to her and pull her forward. Not very safe. Oh and another fright. I lost my stirrup while jumping this tiny fence and Brie tripped and while she got her footing I almost flew off the side of her because she turned so sharply. But I stayed on! And maybe we won't raise the jump for a couple more weeks.
Andre brought back a bit for Nina. She seems a little iffy about it after being bitless since July. She seemed very depressed while Andre was working her and a lot more happy running around outside with Brie. On one hand I feel guilty, because I want to let her just be a horse, but then on the other hand she really does need to be trained! She is just a baby after all.
I'm so eager to see how the stables look this weekend with Paco in charge =]
Paco is officially moved in. It's so nice. And Ken is supposed to be making all the paddocks this week. I can't wait for Brie and Nina to get time outside every day, since Ken's be
en a slacker in turning them out all this time, which probably has a lot to do with Brie's anxiety.Jane came by today! Taco is coming back very soon, he was at her son's farm just being a horse for this month. I'm so eager to ride him again.
Brie! She made me very happy today. We showed off her gaiting and jumping to Ray and everyone else, they were impressed, even though the jump was pretty much a foot off of the ground. She was more anxious outside though, and we had a fright when my mom was riding her and Brie kept backing up, almost into a barbed wire fence. I had to maneuver Nina over to her and pull her forward. Not very safe. Oh and another fright. I lost my stirrup while jumping this tiny fence and Brie tripped and while she got her footing I almost flew off the side of her because she turned so sharply. But I stayed on! And maybe we won't raise the jump for a couple more weeks.
Andre brought back a bit for Nina. She seems a little iffy about it after being bitless since July. She seemed very depressed while Andre was working her and a lot more happy running around outside with Brie. On one hand I feel guilty, because I want to let her just be a horse, but then on the other hand she really does need to be trained! She is just a baby after all.
I'm so eager to see how the stables look this weekend with Paco in charge =]
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Day 17
Well I didn't take Brie out of the stall today, my mom did, and apparently she walked right out.
I won't believe it until I try it myself.
She seems like such a different horse now, even though we've been jumping for only what, two weeks? Four days, really. She seems a lot calmer, even walking around outside. The only problem I have is keeping her away from the jump! I think she's happy that I'm stimulating her mind and just not going in circles all day. Which I, surprisingly, never though about before because that's what Andre and the other trainers do. But I mean, if I went in a circle all day and didn't do anything fun, I guess I'd be angry and anxious for it to be over too.
Today was a very good day. Paco finally is here! He was abandoned with Andre in Georgia until Thursday when Ray, another trainer, drove them and the horses back up here. The truck is still in Georgia being fixed.
The stalls were so nice and SPOTLESS for once! It was great, I was very happy. Now Ken is working outside making more paddocks before the winter really sets in over here. It'll be nice, I hope that he makes them bigger than they are now, because Brie and Nina can really only stretch their legs, not run around and have fun.
We ordered this calming supplement for Brie from Smartpak. Yeah, yeah, I'm usually against supplements, but this one is supposed to work in two months and we'll never need it again because it'll rebalance her hormones. I'll just have to wait and see about that.
Mega excited for Dominic to come up in two weeks! I can't wait to show him how Brie can perfectly gait, go on the soundboard, jump, and go right back to gaiting. As soon as she's calmed down, I have a feeling we'll be cleaning up at the shows in the spring with her.
I won't believe it until I try it myself.
She seems like such a different horse now, even though we've been jumping for only what, two weeks? Four days, really. She seems a lot calmer, even walking around outside. The only problem I have is keeping her away from the jump! I think she's happy that I'm stimulating her mind and just not going in circles all day. Which I, surprisingly, never though about before because that's what Andre and the other trainers do. But I mean, if I went in a circle all day and didn't do anything fun, I guess I'd be angry and anxious for it to be over too.
Today was a very good day. Paco finally is here! He was abandoned with Andre in Georgia until Thursday when Ray, another trainer, drove them and the horses back up here. The truck is still in Georgia being fixed.
The stalls were so nice and SPOTLESS for once! It was great, I was very happy. Now Ken is working outside making more paddocks before the winter really sets in over here. It'll be nice, I hope that he makes them bigger than they are now, because Brie and Nina can really only stretch their legs, not run around and have fun.
We ordered this calming supplement for Brie from Smartpak. Yeah, yeah, I'm usually against supplements, but this one is supposed to work in two months and we'll never need it again because it'll rebalance her hormones. I'll just have to wait and see about that.
Mega excited for Dominic to come up in two weeks! I can't wait to show him how Brie can perfectly gait, go on the soundboard, jump, and go right back to gaiting. As soon as she's calmed down, I have a feeling we'll be cleaning up at the shows in the spring with her.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Day 16
It's official. Brie loves jumping.
She does tend to veer off to one side when she lands, but we'll work on that.
Still bribing her to get out of the stall. I bribed her with an apple today! So not good, I wish I had time to watch the Parelli DVDs we paid for and never got around to watching. Maybe I'll bring them with me to my dorm next week, to see how this week goes so far.
Nina likes to jump too! She went by the jump after I stopped, and, with my brother on her, she jumped right over it. Without warning, so that may have been a little bad, but Anthony stayed on so it's all good.
We also put poles on the ground for Brie and Nina to walk over to teach them how to be aware of how high and where they're stepping. I think Nina needed it, because she kept knocking into them for a good few tries, then got the hang of it.
That's what people in our stables need to do. Just have fun with their horses, and enjoy themselves. Not constantly be trying to fix this and that about their horse's gait and make them absolute perfection. Maybe that's why we didn't win anything at Nationals, we probably wore them out for the months beforehand.
Well Andre is stuck in Georgia. The truck broke down and the horses are being kept in a stable down there. I feel so bad for them! Paco is supposed to be coming up with Andre too, so now he's stranded as well.
What I'm looking forward to most is Dominic coming again in October for a weekend. Can't wait to see what he has to say about Brie's progress!
She does tend to veer off to one side when she lands, but we'll work on that.
Still bribing her to get out of the stall. I bribed her with an apple today! So not good, I wish I had time to watch the Parelli DVDs we paid for and never got around to watching. Maybe I'll bring them with me to my dorm next week, to see how this week goes so far.
Nina likes to jump too! She went by the jump after I stopped, and, with my brother on her, she jumped right over it. Without warning, so that may have been a little bad, but Anthony stayed on so it's all good.
We also put poles on the ground for Brie and Nina to walk over to teach them how to be aware of how high and where they're stepping. I think Nina needed it, because she kept knocking into them for a good few tries, then got the hang of it.
That's what people in our stables need to do. Just have fun with their horses, and enjoy themselves. Not constantly be trying to fix this and that about their horse's gait and make them absolute perfection. Maybe that's why we didn't win anything at Nationals, we probably wore them out for the months beforehand.
Well Andre is stuck in Georgia. The truck broke down and the horses are being kept in a stable down there. I feel so bad for them! Paco is supposed to be coming up with Andre too, so now he's stranded as well.
What I'm looking forward to most is Dominic coming again in October for a weekend. Can't wait to see what he has to say about Brie's progress!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Days 7 & 8
Day 7
Brie was good today! She didn't even break into a canter as I rounded the corners of the arena. And I walked her outside. She seemed really happy. I think she really loves being outside but doesn't like being cooped up inside. I've been misinterpreting it all along as the reverse. Yesterday she was happy as a clam walking around outside but when she saw the barn, that's when she started acting up. She stopped and turned her head to the side, refusing to look at the barn. So now I think I'll make going outside more common with her.
Well yesterday this guy from Florida was up here. He looked at all of the horses and said what he thought of them. Now this guy is a trainer for one of the stables that keeps winning everything. Well he didn't really pay attention to Brie, which is okay. But he looked at Nina. Nina's having a hard time listening to what we want her to do. She just stops walking, refuses to back up, which I attributed to being a young horse who is tired. Well this trainer said that she is tired, tired of being pushed. Andre pushed her faster and faster to grow up and be a Fino horse (the most desirable of the Paso Fino breed) only because my father and brother kept badgering him to. So I don't blame him for that. Maybe I should start working with Nina, but then again maybe not since I'll be at school now. I only hope that my mom will take over for me and let Nina just be a horse.
I didn't work with Taco because of all the commotion with the visiting trainer. Perhaps I'll work with him tomorrow. There's really nothing to do other than let him out of his stall and stretch since Jane's already at the fair.
Day 8
So this trainer says that we should be utilizing the outside arena more. We don't use it at all, there's grass growing in it! So we all rode outside today. Brie was doing really well! I walked her around the property and she was doing okay but towards the end she started getting a little freaked out. I let my mom and dad rid Brie as well, she was pretty calm for them =]
Nina was a whole world different today. She was very good, didn't die out. We changed her nosepeice to a harder leather. So we'll see how that goes.
Taco? Well Andre changed his bit -.- I personaly didn't like it, Taco was pulling too much. But we'll see how Jane likes it.
The state fair's next week! I'm so excited, wish me luck!
Brie was good today! She didn't even break into a canter as I rounded the corners of the arena. And I walked her outside. She seemed really happy. I think she really loves being outside but doesn't like being cooped up inside. I've been misinterpreting it all along as the reverse. Yesterday she was happy as a clam walking around outside but when she saw the barn, that's when she started acting up. She stopped and turned her head to the side, refusing to look at the barn. So now I think I'll make going outside more common with her.
Well yesterday this guy from Florida was up here. He looked at all of the horses and said what he thought of them. Now this guy is a trainer for one of the stables that keeps winning everything. Well he didn't really pay attention to Brie, which is okay. But he looked at Nina. Nina's having a hard time listening to what we want her to do. She just stops walking, refuses to back up, which I attributed to being a young horse who is tired. Well this trainer said that she is tired, tired of being pushed. Andre pushed her faster and faster to grow up and be a Fino horse (the most desirable of the Paso Fino breed) only because my father and brother kept badgering him to. So I don't blame him for that. Maybe I should start working with Nina, but then again maybe not since I'll be at school now. I only hope that my mom will take over for me and let Nina just be a horse.
I didn't work with Taco because of all the commotion with the visiting trainer. Perhaps I'll work with him tomorrow. There's really nothing to do other than let him out of his stall and stretch since Jane's already at the fair.
Day 8
So this trainer says that we should be utilizing the outside arena more. We don't use it at all, there's grass growing in it! So we all rode outside today. Brie was doing really well! I walked her around the property and she was doing okay but towards the end she started getting a little freaked out. I let my mom and dad rid Brie as well, she was pretty calm for them =]
Nina was a whole world different today. She was very good, didn't die out. We changed her nosepeice to a harder leather. So we'll see how that goes.
Taco? Well Andre changed his bit -.- I personaly didn't like it, Taco was pulling too much. But we'll see how Jane likes it.
The state fair's next week! I'm so excited, wish me luck!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Day 5
Today was so damn hot out.
But I'm pleased. Brie did a really good job, I think with next weekend being the last weekend before the show I'll be able to finish tightening her reverses and controlling the difference between largo and corto.
I also worked with Taco and Jane today. Taco was a dream! Beautiful as always. Jane did pretty well on him too. I think all that she has to overcome is her self-doubt while riding. She's also firing Andre.
Nina is where the problems are. She's just a young horse so she runs out of energy quickly. We have to work on buliding her stamina.
As for tomorrow, we'll probably just go out to shower them since it's going to be 97 degrees. I guess summer arrived late this year.
But I'm pleased. Brie did a really good job, I think with next weekend being the last weekend before the show I'll be able to finish tightening her reverses and controlling the difference between largo and corto.
I also worked with Taco and Jane today. Taco was a dream! Beautiful as always. Jane did pretty well on him too. I think all that she has to overcome is her self-doubt while riding. She's also firing Andre.
Nina is where the problems are. She's just a young horse so she runs out of energy quickly. We have to work on buliding her stamina.
As for tomorrow, we'll probably just go out to shower them since it's going to be 97 degrees. I guess summer arrived late this year.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Day 3
So today.
I arrive at the stables and find out our horses' stalls haven't been cleaned. The person who's supposed to take care of the horses, Ken, decided to not come to work today. Already frustrated, I go to ride Brie. Bad Idea. I end up deciding to change her bit. So I go from the snaffle bit to this new Colombian bit that Carmello said I should use.
I guess it was my frustration that made it take so long for Brie to calm down. I ended up riding for about 2 hours. I decided to ride outside. Also a bad idea. She ended up getting more worked up, so I had to walk her more. Finally she calmed down. She walked and gaited really nicely. I just need to work on slowing down her corto (slower Paso gait) and largo-ing(faster Paso gait) her without breaking into a canter(almost a gallop, full out running).
So we're all cleaning stalls. Ugh. We find out that the owner of the stables is gonna fire Ken and bring in Paco to work and live in the apartment above the riding arena after Nationals. Which I can't even go to because I have to move in that week! Bad luck =/ But I really like Paco, he was at one of the stables we were at before. He really loves the horses and knows how to take care of them the right way, always keeps the stable clean. I can't wait to finally be able to go to sleep knowing my horses ate and get out.
Now here comes Jane. She owns Taco, a horse who I rode on a whim at a show once when his trainer asked me to. Apparently Taco has been horrible for Jane and Andre just keeps messing around with Taco and tryin to re-train him. Jane was so angry with Taco she was ready to sell him (I'd gladly buy him). So I asked her about him, how is he acting. He's acting just like Brie was before Dominic told me how to calm her down! Taco's just misunderstood by Andre and feared by Jane. So I offered to work Taco for Jane on the weekend when I'm there an maybe on wednesdays if I can get out there.
So I end this post disgusted with the hired help, disappointed in Andre's lack of patience, eager to work on Brie's gait changes before the state fair, and have myself my first client! Even if it's unpaid =]
I arrive at the stables and find out our horses' stalls haven't been cleaned. The person who's supposed to take care of the horses, Ken, decided to not come to work today. Already frustrated, I go to ride Brie. Bad Idea. I end up deciding to change her bit. So I go from the snaffle bit to this new Colombian bit that Carmello said I should use.
I guess it was my frustration that made it take so long for Brie to calm down. I ended up riding for about 2 hours. I decided to ride outside. Also a bad idea. She ended up getting more worked up, so I had to walk her more. Finally she calmed down. She walked and gaited really nicely. I just need to work on slowing down her corto (slower Paso gait) and largo-ing(faster Paso gait) her without breaking into a canter(almost a gallop, full out running).
So we're all cleaning stalls. Ugh. We find out that the owner of the stables is gonna fire Ken and bring in Paco to work and live in the apartment above the riding arena after Nationals. Which I can't even go to because I have to move in that week! Bad luck =/ But I really like Paco, he was at one of the stables we were at before. He really loves the horses and knows how to take care of them the right way, always keeps the stable clean. I can't wait to finally be able to go to sleep knowing my horses ate and get out.
Now here comes Jane. She owns Taco, a horse who I rode on a whim at a show once when his trainer asked me to. Apparently Taco has been horrible for Jane and Andre just keeps messing around with Taco and tryin to re-train him. Jane was so angry with Taco she was ready to sell him (I'd gladly buy him). So I asked her about him, how is he acting. He's acting just like Brie was before Dominic told me how to calm her down! Taco's just misunderstood by Andre and feared by Jane. So I offered to work Taco for Jane on the weekend when I'm there an maybe on wednesdays if I can get out there.
So I end this post disgusted with the hired help, disappointed in Andre's lack of patience, eager to work on Brie's gait changes before the state fair, and have myself my first client! Even if it's unpaid =]
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Day 2
What started out as a crappy, frustrating day turned out to be a little fun and informative.
I decided to put a snaffle bit on Brie. For those who aren't familiar with the Paso Finos, let me explain. Pasos are Spanish horses from Colombia and Puerto Rico. Hence, they use Colombian style bits. (if you really don't know, bits are the metal parts that go in the horse's mouth) Snaffle bits are mainly for English style riding, like dressage and jumping. Based on the knowledge from Dominic, Carmello, and my mother, who are all trained in dressage, I believe it's worth a shot. Because they offer explanations as to how what the trainers are doing wrong, and how a bit of dressage training would be good for these horses, I believe its worth a shot. And because the trainers in Florida are winning and catching onto the snaffle bit "revolution", I believe it's worth a shot.
And anyways, Brie started out with this snaffle bit. It can't hurt to go back to her roots. And hey, if dressage has been working for hundreds of years on all sorts of horses, why wouldn't it work now to help this Spanish breed have more finesse?
Anyways, I worked with Brie on the snaffle bit. She seems okay with it, but slightly shocked at the difference between it and the Colombian bit. I don't know how it'll work out, it's just an experiment.
New problem: getting Brie to willingly accept the bit.
Now with Nina. She's very unhappy. Andre pointed out that Nina has sores, symmetrical sores, on the inside of her mouth. Hmm I wonder why. Not. She's pacing and not in her natural gait. The only good part about that is that Andre gave us a way to fire him. He suggested giving her time off! His situation's complicated and I don't wish to go into it. But we all at the stable think that he's getting ready to quit right before Nationals because of his situation. That'll leave the stable in peril, but not me!
The fun part of my day? After getting really angry at Andre, I decided "well what the hell." I got out my hard hat, took some cones and a long 2x4, and made a small jump. At first Brie was hesitant, but once she got up to it, she jumped right over it! And she liked it! I think I might've found her calling! The smaller jump circuit. I'll keep it up for a while and see how it goes.
And for those who say a Paso Fino can't jump, I say to you this:
A horse is a horse and will do what makes her happy.
I decided to put a snaffle bit on Brie. For those who aren't familiar with the Paso Finos, let me explain. Pasos are Spanish horses from Colombia and Puerto Rico. Hence, they use Colombian style bits. (if you really don't know, bits are the metal parts that go in the horse's mouth) Snaffle bits are mainly for English style riding, like dressage and jumping. Based on the knowledge from Dominic, Carmello, and my mother, who are all trained in dressage, I believe it's worth a shot. Because they offer explanations as to how what the trainers are doing wrong, and how a bit of dressage training would be good for these horses, I believe its worth a shot. And because the trainers in Florida are winning and catching onto the snaffle bit "revolution", I believe it's worth a shot.
And anyways, Brie started out with this snaffle bit. It can't hurt to go back to her roots. And hey, if dressage has been working for hundreds of years on all sorts of horses, why wouldn't it work now to help this Spanish breed have more finesse?
Anyways, I worked with Brie on the snaffle bit. She seems okay with it, but slightly shocked at the difference between it and the Colombian bit. I don't know how it'll work out, it's just an experiment.
New problem: getting Brie to willingly accept the bit.
Now with Nina. She's very unhappy. Andre pointed out that Nina has sores, symmetrical sores, on the inside of her mouth. Hmm I wonder why. Not. She's pacing and not in her natural gait. The only good part about that is that Andre gave us a way to fire him. He suggested giving her time off! His situation's complicated and I don't wish to go into it. But we all at the stable think that he's getting ready to quit right before Nationals because of his situation. That'll leave the stable in peril, but not me!
The fun part of my day? After getting really angry at Andre, I decided "well what the hell." I got out my hard hat, took some cones and a long 2x4, and made a small jump. At first Brie was hesitant, but once she got up to it, she jumped right over it! And she liked it! I think I might've found her calling! The smaller jump circuit. I'll keep it up for a while and see how it goes.
And for those who say a Paso Fino can't jump, I say to you this:
A horse is a horse and will do what makes her happy.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Day 1
I'm sick of my horse being head-shy.
I'm through with chasing her around the paddock.
I'm tired of being cornered in the stall when I go to get her.
And I'm most tired of my trainer's "training"!
This is the account of one 17 year old girl's experience when she takes "training" into her own hands.
Impossible, you say? By the end of this blog, I promise to have won one blue ribbon in a class of at least 10. I promise to have solved the three problems I aforementioned, and any others that come up along the way. And, most importantly, I promise to have done it all without raising an angry hand to either one of my mares.
Maybe I should state why I'm taking on this project.
I've had my black mare, Brie, for 5 years. Don't get me wrong, my trainer did help in the beginning. Let's call him Andre. Andre started training her when she was 3. She's now 8. And while she is still very....easily excited, I have to give Andre some credit for calming her down. Now while she was in training, someone took her for a joyride and she's been headshy ever since. Back up as to why. Brie is a Paso Fino, a rare gem in America, land of the Quarter Horse. I don't want to go all out into her breed, but you may google it if you're interested.
About a year ago, an expert in the Paso Fino came to our stables. I'll call him Dominic. Dominic observed Brie and me and said that Brie is a very anxious horse. She needs to calm down. So I followed his advice: walk her, don't let her gallop, make her face her fears of the sunshine demons. And it got me to the point where I could ride her in the show ring without her rearing or freezing and getting excused. And while this is an accomplishment, I'd at least like a fourth place. Brie doesn't like other horses in front of nor behind her. Or in general. She only likes my filly (young girl horse) Nina.
At my most recent show in Kentucky, I met an elderly man I'll call Carmello who is packed with knowledge. To make a long story short, I'm following his advice combined with Dominic's: no more doing without reason. See, Andre, who was once very gentle, is getting very aggressive with his training. And when you ask him why he does what he does, he either doesn't know or answers simply "because everyone's doing it". He's not training Brie anymore, but he is training Nina. And I do not like what I'm seeing lately: scars on her nose and ankles. Good thing this is the last week of her training.
So to start off my tale, today I walked Brie for a good hour. I didn't use a bit, which she seemed to really like. After bucking and kicking while I warmed her up, she was really wanting to take off on me. But I managed to work with her and calm her down. Nina and my mom even joined us in our calm state.
So that's how day 1 went. Nothing big, but I guess it takes little steps. I plan on going thru all of the Level One Parelli DVDs this week while I sit at home and have nothing else to do! So that should prove an interesting challenge in the weeks to come. As will the state fair.
I'm through with chasing her around the paddock.
I'm tired of being cornered in the stall when I go to get her.
And I'm most tired of my trainer's "training"!
This is the account of one 17 year old girl's experience when she takes "training" into her own hands.
Impossible, you say? By the end of this blog, I promise to have won one blue ribbon in a class of at least 10. I promise to have solved the three problems I aforementioned, and any others that come up along the way. And, most importantly, I promise to have done it all without raising an angry hand to either one of my mares.
Maybe I should state why I'm taking on this project.
I've had my black mare, Brie, for 5 years. Don't get me wrong, my trainer did help in the beginning. Let's call him Andre. Andre started training her when she was 3. She's now 8. And while she is still very....easily excited, I have to give Andre some credit for calming her down. Now while she was in training, someone took her for a joyride and she's been headshy ever since. Back up as to why. Brie is a Paso Fino, a rare gem in America, land of the Quarter Horse. I don't want to go all out into her breed, but you may google it if you're interested.
About a year ago, an expert in the Paso Fino came to our stables. I'll call him Dominic. Dominic observed Brie and me and said that Brie is a very anxious horse. She needs to calm down. So I followed his advice: walk her, don't let her gallop, make her face her fears of the sunshine demons. And it got me to the point where I could ride her in the show ring without her rearing or freezing and getting excused. And while this is an accomplishment, I'd at least like a fourth place. Brie doesn't like other horses in front of nor behind her. Or in general. She only likes my filly (young girl horse) Nina.
At my most recent show in Kentucky, I met an elderly man I'll call Carmello who is packed with knowledge. To make a long story short, I'm following his advice combined with Dominic's: no more doing without reason. See, Andre, who was once very gentle, is getting very aggressive with his training. And when you ask him why he does what he does, he either doesn't know or answers simply "because everyone's doing it". He's not training Brie anymore, but he is training Nina. And I do not like what I'm seeing lately: scars on her nose and ankles. Good thing this is the last week of her training.
So to start off my tale, today I walked Brie for a good hour. I didn't use a bit, which she seemed to really like. After bucking and kicking while I warmed her up, she was really wanting to take off on me. But I managed to work with her and calm her down. Nina and my mom even joined us in our calm state.
So that's how day 1 went. Nothing big, but I guess it takes little steps. I plan on going thru all of the Level One Parelli DVDs this week while I sit at home and have nothing else to do! So that should prove an interesting challenge in the weeks to come. As will the state fair.
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