Saturday
Back from vacation! I've missed Brie, Nina, and Harry so much. I haven't ridden in two weeks!
Before we went to the barn, we went to John and Jane's barbeque at the yacht club and grabbed some lunch because by the time we all woke up and got out there it was already 1pm! I met up with Annie and her new boyfriend and cousins and we all just hung around for a couple of hours until we left and went to the barn.
I was expecting quite a handful today, especially when mom said that I should ride Harry first so she could tinker around with a new bit that we're trying on Nina. I gathered up Harry after giving everyone much love and brought him out into the round pen. As soon as I let him off the line, he ran around like a maniac! I was happy he was getting it out of his system here instead of while I would be on him. After he started slowing down, I hooked him back onto the line and lunged him some more and he was responding super well to just my voice commands and didn't really try to give me any crap, so I brought him back in, cleaned and tacked him up, and into the arena we went!
I was also anticipating that he'd be a little berserk when I would flex him because he has been lately before we left, but with just a little kick and throwing my weight backwards, he gave in very quickly and stopped trying to start spinning around to throw me off.
I was super super super surprised on how amazingly he worked today! He responded so well to everything I asked him and had a perfect board and wonderfully slow walk and cute little largo. I can only hope that he'll stay that way until Nationals are over and he'll get a nice break going into winter. We went to go walk around outside a little bit by ourselves, but he seems like he doesn't have a lot of confidence to go very far from the barn by himself, as whenever he reached a certain distance from it (about 30 feet), he'd spin around and start heading back, not even in a hurried way, just kind of saying "Nope, not going any further". We'll have to work on that.
The bit my mom tried to use on Nina didn't work out too well, so we're going to try a different one tomorrow. We're trying to get her head to come down more, and with our last show before Nationals coming up in two weeks, we don't have that much time to work with!
After all of this, we were all sweaty and icky and still had to go back by John for dinner and the fireworks show he puts on every year, so we took Paco (who was also going back), and ran to Wal-Mart. I'm not sure what happened, but I do know that I went in with breeches and tall boots and came out with a pair of shorts and child sized flip flops and headed to a lovely fireworks show and dinner of cake (the real food was all eaten by the time we got there...830pm!). In all, it was a nice first day back =]
Sunday
So since Harry was so wonderful yesterday, especially after a two week break, I REALLY expected him to be horrible today. Wrong! I think that a break was really all he needed, he might've been starting to get burned out, because he worked beautifully today too! I even got him to go all around the property (except for by the pond. It might suck him in, you know) by himself! To say that I'm proud is a huge understatement. I hope he keeps it up for Nationals! I might even put him in Pleasure classes for fun at the State Fair just to see if we'll get some blue ribbons if he keeps up this wonderful attitude!
Nina's bit adventures didn't go so well today either, but we've seemed to have settled on a simple Mylar snaffle and a tie-down. With only another weekend's practice until the State Fair, I would start focusing more on working on dropping her head for Nationals instead of short fixes. We've done everything we could think of, it's just been an ongoing problem since she's been broke to ride. If you have any head-setting/dropping suggestions, please tell me!
Brie's leg was a little swollen today, but my brother warmed her up while I rode Harry and she was walking fine by the time I got to her. We all went for a nice walk around the property and she seemed to enjoy it a lot. We even ventured out onto the little side street next to the property, much to my dismay. I was freaking out getting there, but had to pull it together and act like I wasn't scared that way Brie wouldn't flip over on the asphalt and run away. There's nothing to really be scared of, not very many cars drive there, but all I could see was that one scene from The Horse Whisperer.
Thursday we're going out to meet the farrier again for shoeing. Hopefully the tranquilizer will work on Nina this time!
Showing posts with label Annie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Annie. Show all posts
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Days 135 & 136
Saturday
Short day =[ I rode Brie today. Her canter is coming along so nicely! I'm so proud of her, she's really starting to realize she can't just bolt. I'm thinking of putting her in trail class when we take her to shows. There are jumps, you have to close gates, and do various things that you might have to on trail, like stepping over a tarp or something. It sounds really fun and I have a feeling she'd do great. She really seems to trust me except when the sunshine demons are out and we actually go outside haha.
Mom rode Harry today and got kind of annoyed with him. It looked like he was just a lot to handle. Tomorrow it's trailer time!
Sunday
TRAILER TIME!
We brushed them all off and took Harry outside to face the trailer. My mom had the first go and after a couple minutes of little rears, Harry finally realized that he had a chain lead on his nose and that he better behave! She got him in, but he kind of hopped backwards out. Paco led him in and out again, of course Harry was beautiful for Paco. So then my mom gave it a few more times and then I did and the even my dad did! He's getting better at it. With a couple more weekends of practice, he'll be going in and out like a pro. We also put Brie in there just for kicks to show Paco how we blindfold her and lead her in. Poor baby hit her nose on the inside because she walked too far. I'll have to take a video of us leading her in blindfolded sometime for all of you =]
I started off riding Brie. I was so thrilled when Annie and Jane showed up with Annie's new horse, Brenner! Annie went to tacking up Brenner and we were cruising around the arena, my mom working with Harry again. Brenner was kind of spooked at the noise of us going over the soundboard, so we stopped until Annie got on. Annie only took a couple of steps before someone when on the soundboard again and Brenner got spooked.
He bucked, and it looked like she had him under control, until he bucked again and lept over the soundboard, when Annie landed on the horn, he bucked again and it looked like she was going over his head when she half jumped/half fell off of him as he bucked again and I rounded him into the corner with Brie when he started to take off. Annie was okay, thank God, but she'll be feeling a pain in her butt, literally, tomorrow morning from that saddle horn. After that, she went in the outdoor arena to work him.
After seeing that, it really made me stop and think. Holy crap! He was a huge horse! He had to be at least 16 hands, which may or may not be normal to other people, since our little Pasos are around 14/15 hands. It really made me wonder if I could handle bigger horses. And Annie is a tough girl, her motto is "If I'm going down, he's going down with me"! For her to get half thrown off really shocked me.
After the whole accident, I switched Brie for Harry. Oh. My. Gosh. Was he AMAZING today! I got a really good video on my dad's phone, but unfortunately it was too big of a file to send to email =[ Now I have to figure out how to get it off of there. He was relaxed and worked beautifully and his gait sounded phenomenal! If he shows like that, we'll surely be cleaning up!
I switched Harry for Nina and just plopped along on her, cooling her off after my brother rode, and then we hosed them all off. Sadly now I'm back to classes. It'll be hard to get used to again. And this Saturday I won't be going out to ride because I'm going to a competition for an X Factor "front of the audition line" spot! I still have to figure out which songs I want to sing! Wish me luck!
Short day =[ I rode Brie today. Her canter is coming along so nicely! I'm so proud of her, she's really starting to realize she can't just bolt. I'm thinking of putting her in trail class when we take her to shows. There are jumps, you have to close gates, and do various things that you might have to on trail, like stepping over a tarp or something. It sounds really fun and I have a feeling she'd do great. She really seems to trust me except when the sunshine demons are out and we actually go outside haha.
Mom rode Harry today and got kind of annoyed with him. It looked like he was just a lot to handle. Tomorrow it's trailer time!
Sunday
TRAILER TIME!
We brushed them all off and took Harry outside to face the trailer. My mom had the first go and after a couple minutes of little rears, Harry finally realized that he had a chain lead on his nose and that he better behave! She got him in, but he kind of hopped backwards out. Paco led him in and out again, of course Harry was beautiful for Paco. So then my mom gave it a few more times and then I did and the even my dad did! He's getting better at it. With a couple more weekends of practice, he'll be going in and out like a pro. We also put Brie in there just for kicks to show Paco how we blindfold her and lead her in. Poor baby hit her nose on the inside because she walked too far. I'll have to take a video of us leading her in blindfolded sometime for all of you =]
I started off riding Brie. I was so thrilled when Annie and Jane showed up with Annie's new horse, Brenner! Annie went to tacking up Brenner and we were cruising around the arena, my mom working with Harry again. Brenner was kind of spooked at the noise of us going over the soundboard, so we stopped until Annie got on. Annie only took a couple of steps before someone when on the soundboard again and Brenner got spooked.
He bucked, and it looked like she had him under control, until he bucked again and lept over the soundboard, when Annie landed on the horn, he bucked again and it looked like she was going over his head when she half jumped/half fell off of him as he bucked again and I rounded him into the corner with Brie when he started to take off. Annie was okay, thank God, but she'll be feeling a pain in her butt, literally, tomorrow morning from that saddle horn. After that, she went in the outdoor arena to work him.
After seeing that, it really made me stop and think. Holy crap! He was a huge horse! He had to be at least 16 hands, which may or may not be normal to other people, since our little Pasos are around 14/15 hands. It really made me wonder if I could handle bigger horses. And Annie is a tough girl, her motto is "If I'm going down, he's going down with me"! For her to get half thrown off really shocked me.
After the whole accident, I switched Brie for Harry. Oh. My. Gosh. Was he AMAZING today! I got a really good video on my dad's phone, but unfortunately it was too big of a file to send to email =[ Now I have to figure out how to get it off of there. He was relaxed and worked beautifully and his gait sounded phenomenal! If he shows like that, we'll surely be cleaning up!
I switched Harry for Nina and just plopped along on her, cooling her off after my brother rode, and then we hosed them all off. Sadly now I'm back to classes. It'll be hard to get used to again. And this Saturday I won't be going out to ride because I'm going to a competition for an X Factor "front of the audition line" spot! I still have to figure out which songs I want to sing! Wish me luck!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
State Fair
Day 1
We were leaving at 11.
Yeah okay. It took two sweaty, 90 degree hours to get Harry in. I ended up not even putting him in. My dad reeled him in like a fishing line over the bar at the front of the trailer. It was complete nonsense for two hours: rearing and pulling and head tossing!
I ended up missing my first class, which was against all of the trainers. I was able to make the second class I was signed up for though! I think it was Pleasure Amateur Owners. There were 16 signed up and guess what! I got 6th place! He performed perectly and never once skipped out on me. The crowd roared when I was asked to back up. I was so thrilled and proud of Harry. This was our very first class together.
Afterwards, my brother rode Nina in Performance Youth and he took 4th place. She just snaps into show mode when she gets there, she absolutely knows what she's there for.
Day 2
Two classes today. I had Performance Youth and then the Performance Stakes class. Since I didn't get a place high enough for money yesterday, I wanted to win some today.
There were...I wanna say 10 kids in my Youth class. Harry skipped a couple of times and I kept trying to get him on the rail but he was going sideways. He wasn't paying attention to me and kept looking up at the audience. We got honorable mention.
I was going to ride Nina in the Pleasure Schooling class, since my brother didn't want to, but after riding her in the warmup for a while, I decided I didn't want to go in and make a fool of myself because I don't know how to correct her as well as my mom or brother do, so my mom rode her and took 4th again. She beat out Ray, so that pretty much made her entire year.
I definitely started warming Harry up too early for the Stakes class. I started when my brother was warming up Nina for the Performance Stakes class (they took 8th by the way). Close to the start of the class, I had to keep squeezing him on because he wanted to stop. In the class he never stopped skipping but we rode nicely on the inside of the rail and get this: there were 20 entries!!! We broke into a canter a few times but we diet get disqualified! Overall, I think it was a pretty good first show experience. He never got kicked out.
Day 3
Going home. Harry wouldn't load into the trailer still even with Annie and her mom Karla helping, so before we went to try a tranquilizer, Jane suggested that we take Taco out of their trailer and just switch horses on the ride back. So now Harry is in Karla's 2 horse trailer, all spaciously set up without the divider and Nina and Taco are having a lunch date in ours. It was too cute when Taco got in. He and Nina started nickering to each other in the most adorable way.
We were leaving at 11.
Yeah okay. It took two sweaty, 90 degree hours to get Harry in. I ended up not even putting him in. My dad reeled him in like a fishing line over the bar at the front of the trailer. It was complete nonsense for two hours: rearing and pulling and head tossing!
I ended up missing my first class, which was against all of the trainers. I was able to make the second class I was signed up for though! I think it was Pleasure Amateur Owners. There were 16 signed up and guess what! I got 6th place! He performed perectly and never once skipped out on me. The crowd roared when I was asked to back up. I was so thrilled and proud of Harry. This was our very first class together.
Afterwards, my brother rode Nina in Performance Youth and he took 4th place. She just snaps into show mode when she gets there, she absolutely knows what she's there for.
Day 2
Two classes today. I had Performance Youth and then the Performance Stakes class. Since I didn't get a place high enough for money yesterday, I wanted to win some today.
There were...I wanna say 10 kids in my Youth class. Harry skipped a couple of times and I kept trying to get him on the rail but he was going sideways. He wasn't paying attention to me and kept looking up at the audience. We got honorable mention.
I was going to ride Nina in the Pleasure Schooling class, since my brother didn't want to, but after riding her in the warmup for a while, I decided I didn't want to go in and make a fool of myself because I don't know how to correct her as well as my mom or brother do, so my mom rode her and took 4th again. She beat out Ray, so that pretty much made her entire year.
I definitely started warming Harry up too early for the Stakes class. I started when my brother was warming up Nina for the Performance Stakes class (they took 8th by the way). Close to the start of the class, I had to keep squeezing him on because he wanted to stop. In the class he never stopped skipping but we rode nicely on the inside of the rail and get this: there were 20 entries!!! We broke into a canter a few times but we diet get disqualified! Overall, I think it was a pretty good first show experience. He never got kicked out.
Day 3
Going home. Harry wouldn't load into the trailer still even with Annie and her mom Karla helping, so before we went to try a tranquilizer, Jane suggested that we take Taco out of their trailer and just switch horses on the ride back. So now Harry is in Karla's 2 horse trailer, all spaciously set up without the divider and Nina and Taco are having a lunch date in ours. It was too cute when Taco got in. He and Nina started nickering to each other in the most adorable way.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Day 70
Last practice before the Michigan show this weekend and I have such a good feeling about this! I rode Brie probably for the longest amount of time since we got Harry. It was oddly strange but fantastic at the same time. I never really realized just exactly how sharply she can reverse when you emphasize your leg rather than your hands. It's beautiful. I just hope she sticks to that little trick when I'm showing her this weekend! I also got to enjoy her love of largo (it's verrry close to a fast canter) which I haven't done in a while. We bought the local farm/show/overall event magazine today while we were getting thrush medicine for Nina and I saw all of these shows I'd love to go to. They're all non-pointed (sad) but it'd be so fun to do them with Brie. Like the Water In a Cup Class, Egg and Spoon race, you know, all that jazz...
One thing I'm really interested in is barrel racing. Not like the super competitive kind, just the kind for these little local shows. It sounds like a blast and Brie is a racehorse in spirit. Annie does barrel racing with her horses, so maybe next time she comes out I'll have her show me the ropes.
I worked with Nina today. I do not understand that horse. She's so easily bored, she was looking at everything else except me and I had to keep grabbing her attention. She was completely relaxed for the Friendly Game, as I suspected she would be. She's getting the hang of the Porcupine Game. She gets it more with the back end than the front end.
So I tried something new. I went and grabbed a bucket, which makes the same plastic noise as the hoof stand, and wiggled it around her legs. She was shaking like a leaf again, but she calmed down. I just kept shaking it and petting her, assuring her that it won't jump up and eat her. I looped a string through the handle and then started swinging it around her legs. She was pretty good with the front legs but very nervous with the back and kept trying to run out on me. After about a half hour of doing that, though, I was able to kind of knock it against her legs like the stand did yesterday without her really moving. I also was able to flip it over and pull her legs out to rest her hooves on it. I think it was a success.
There is something I'm more nervous about this weekend than showing Brie though. My brother is backing out of showing Nina, so I have to show her.
Literally, I can count on both of my hands the number of times I've ridden her. I don't understand the logistics of her training (I actually think they're kind of stupid, the ridiculous things you have to do with your hands and reins to keep her going) and I know I won't be able to get her out of a trot. I know we won't place. My brother, on the other hand, totally loves the logistics of her training and is just being a chicken about it. Maybe we'll just have to make him suck it up and ride.
One thing I'm really interested in is barrel racing. Not like the super competitive kind, just the kind for these little local shows. It sounds like a blast and Brie is a racehorse in spirit. Annie does barrel racing with her horses, so maybe next time she comes out I'll have her show me the ropes.
I worked with Nina today. I do not understand that horse. She's so easily bored, she was looking at everything else except me and I had to keep grabbing her attention. She was completely relaxed for the Friendly Game, as I suspected she would be. She's getting the hang of the Porcupine Game. She gets it more with the back end than the front end.
So I tried something new. I went and grabbed a bucket, which makes the same plastic noise as the hoof stand, and wiggled it around her legs. She was shaking like a leaf again, but she calmed down. I just kept shaking it and petting her, assuring her that it won't jump up and eat her. I looped a string through the handle and then started swinging it around her legs. She was pretty good with the front legs but very nervous with the back and kept trying to run out on me. After about a half hour of doing that, though, I was able to kind of knock it against her legs like the stand did yesterday without her really moving. I also was able to flip it over and pull her legs out to rest her hooves on it. I think it was a success.
There is something I'm more nervous about this weekend than showing Brie though. My brother is backing out of showing Nina, so I have to show her.
Literally, I can count on both of my hands the number of times I've ridden her. I don't understand the logistics of her training (I actually think they're kind of stupid, the ridiculous things you have to do with your hands and reins to keep her going) and I know I won't be able to get her out of a trot. I know we won't place. My brother, on the other hand, totally loves the logistics of her training and is just being a chicken about it. Maybe we'll just have to make him suck it up and ride.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Days 38 & 39
Saturday
Freezing! Ray isn't here because he's in Puerto Rico with his mom, so we can't do much with Nina without him here. It was very quiet and lonely at the stable today, only us and Paco really. Played around with Nina for a bit, rode Brie. Her cantering is getting better! Better as in synchronized, so that's good, now I just have to work on slowing her down.
Rode Ghandi today, who, I found out, is not really Ghandi, apparently his name is Jardinero, and we're calling him Harry from now on until we come up with a better nickname. He is so lovely! He has the prettiest hair ever, so long and graceful looking. If only he weren't a gelding.
Sunday
People were here today! Jane was here for the first time in pretty much EVER with Annie. They brought their horse Grace and played around with Taco. I feel so bad! I almost forgot that Taco existed! I mostly walked Brie today and let my family have their fun with her. My dad rode her for the first time in a lonnggg time. I could tell he was nervous. I think that's my little mission now, to get my dad better at riding Brie. Maybe it'll make him respect me more as an adult.
I rode Grace. I think I'm finally understanding what 'diagonals' means! I did it right the entire time I trotted, even though that was not that long of a time, as Grace didn't really want to move.
Rode Harry again. We're back to thinking of buying him. If the price is right, he would be a great addition to the family. He's so adorable and really sweet. My dad just brought up the issue of who's horse would he really be? It took me a couple of months to really bond with Brie while my mom couldn't ride because of her surgery. It took my brother and I a year to figure out that Nina was really "his horse" rather than mine. I wonder who's horse Harry would be.
Probably my dad's. He seems to be the most excited about Harry. So I'll keep you updated on this little colt (4 years old!) and am so excited that the show season starts for me in the next 2 months!
Happy trails!
Freezing! Ray isn't here because he's in Puerto Rico with his mom, so we can't do much with Nina without him here. It was very quiet and lonely at the stable today, only us and Paco really. Played around with Nina for a bit, rode Brie. Her cantering is getting better! Better as in synchronized, so that's good, now I just have to work on slowing her down.
Rode Ghandi today, who, I found out, is not really Ghandi, apparently his name is Jardinero, and we're calling him Harry from now on until we come up with a better nickname. He is so lovely! He has the prettiest hair ever, so long and graceful looking. If only he weren't a gelding.
Sunday
People were here today! Jane was here for the first time in pretty much EVER with Annie. They brought their horse Grace and played around with Taco. I feel so bad! I almost forgot that Taco existed! I mostly walked Brie today and let my family have their fun with her. My dad rode her for the first time in a lonnggg time. I could tell he was nervous. I think that's my little mission now, to get my dad better at riding Brie. Maybe it'll make him respect me more as an adult.
I rode Grace. I think I'm finally understanding what 'diagonals' means! I did it right the entire time I trotted, even though that was not that long of a time, as Grace didn't really want to move.
Rode Harry again. We're back to thinking of buying him. If the price is right, he would be a great addition to the family. He's so adorable and really sweet. My dad just brought up the issue of who's horse would he really be? It took me a couple of months to really bond with Brie while my mom couldn't ride because of her surgery. It took my brother and I a year to figure out that Nina was really "his horse" rather than mine. I wonder who's horse Harry would be.
Probably my dad's. He seems to be the most excited about Harry. So I'll keep you updated on this little colt (4 years old!) and am so excited that the show season starts for me in the next 2 months!
Happy trails!
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