It just occurred to me that I only have one Wednesday left going to the stable until I go back to school. That I only have one entire weekend left before I go back to school. Next Saturday I have to do fund-raising for the equestrian team. And it's only hit me today that I'll be gone for almost all of October's weekends. I'll only get one weekend that month. So now I have a huge issue to face...
Who's going to ride Harry?
He's so easy for me to handle now. It's amazing how far we've come since April. I like to think that my work with him did more than his testosterone levels decreasing from being gelded in February did. I have to take full advantage of this weekend, finding someone to ride him, either my brother or my mom (maybe even my dad...). I can't help feel like while I'll be gone, one of them will always be a bit neglected. My dad doesn't usually ride, so that leaves my mom and my brother to split 3 horses between themselves.
Will Harry even remember me come November? How much will he have changed? I'm really only worried about him because Brie is...well...she's not changing much. She's had her attitude for 9 years already, so I don't think it's going any where. I can read her like a book. But Harry...I'm more than reluctant to let him go. If only we could afford to board closer to school! I could ride almost every day.
Enough of my sadness. Let's talk about training.
We got Harry a new jaquima and changed things up with the barbada and bosal (please refer to Paso Fino encyclopedia link). His bosal is stronger now and has a ring sticking out for me to lunge him from. I can say it worked out pretty well! He only pulled out once and he didn't travel much as he circled like he usually does. He was perfectly in gait today, although a little fast paced. I'm so proud of him though! We all went on a mini trail ride through the back of the property and while I remained on guard for him to spook at the slightest thing, he was perfectly fine! He walked most of the time until he saw the barn on the way back, then he started moving a little quicker, but nothing extreme like Brie. She was giving my mom an arm workout! And Nina, she just plopped along like always.
But wait. I forgot to say how we started this day: by putting all three of them in the same paddock. Yes folks, even though Brie seems to dislike Harry, I put them all in the same paddock. It was slightly unnerving and ended up within a minute we began to try catching them all, but it was progress. First, Brie and Nina chased Harry around. I believe Nina was playful but Brie was a little aggressive with her ears pinned back. She took a few nips at his butt but never went after him when they skidded to a stop in one of the corners. It was Nina who then had a problem with Harry rubbing up against her (because boys have cooties, don't you know) so she got in a little kick to his butt. I figured that as long as no one was lunging for each others throats then it was fine. Then Harry proceeded to chase Nina and Brie around. I think it was a good first time exposure all at once. No one got hurt, but they were breathing super hard afterwards from all that running! I might try again on Saturday and see if they can handle being nice to each other for a little longer than 5 minutes.
I didn't get to ride Brie or Nina today because we were pressed for time. No one wants to get stuck in rush hour traffic. I'm just thrilled about Harry's new jaquima. Finally he doesn't have to ruin his show bridle or be stuck with one where the cheek straps keep sliding into his eyes!
Showing posts with label jaquima. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jaquima. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Day 71
At the end of the day, I smelled like a wet dog, sweaty horse, and dirt.
Let me explain (all but the wet dog part...I don't know where that came from). Today is the first time Harry has been worked for two weeks since we didn't bring him to the show last weekend. I expected him to be kind of crazy.
I didn't expect him to run away.
I was in the arena trying to lunge him. He had on Brie's old jaquima, the first one that we ever had that Andre made for us. He was very excited and then I noticed a little too late that the pisador (leadline, if you will) doesn't make full contact to get his attention if I pull on it (kind of like a lasso). It doesn't tighten as far as it needs to. Also, that jaquima has a nylon pisador, not a rawhide one like Brie's or Nina's current jaquimas.
The result? Harry was getting a little out of control excited, I tried to pull him back in with the pisador, it totally didn't get his attention, he ran out on me which resulted in rope burn. I still clung to it until he ran around one of the poles in the middle of the arena where I was lunging him, knocked it over, freaked himself out even more, wanted to rear yet not trample the flowers, and headed for the door, knocking me over and pulling me behind him. I was not about to be dragged through the dirt and get even worse rope burn by that point so I let go, and yelled "HE'S LOOSE!!" (as if they couldn't already tell) to my family and the electrician as Harry ran out one of the doors.
I jumped up, wild-eyed, and barked for my brother, who was on Brie, to go after Harry one way as I ran out the other (as if I could catch him). No where in sight, I ran back down one of the aisles where my mom yelled that he was coming around the back, so I ran out again. Saw him, he saw me, and he kept running, nearly jumping over one of the landscapers on his riding mower. He ran back into the barn (after being barricaded by our Jeep and my brother) and headed for his stall when my mom caught him.
All through that, his reins, which were tied to his saddle, didn't even come loose. Thank God for Andre teaching me a knot that ACTUALLY WORKS! It's secure and can be easily pulled off! I can just see what would've happened in my mind: the double reins flying over his head as he nailed a corner, him freaking out at these ropes suddenly flying over his head, rearing, getting caught in the reins, breaking his legs....*shudder*. The pisador didn't even get caught around his legs, thank God.
After all of that, he was shaking. I brought him outside into the round pen and worked. I lunged him with the rein instead of the pisador, tying that and the bit rein to the saddle, lunging with just the barbada rein. He was pretty shaken up, what could you expect from a mini Derby? I got on him and tried to just keep him from taking off in the pen and eventually got him to walk for a good 10 minutes (which is like 2 hours in Harry-time) after about an hour. I figured with the mini-Derby combined with the intense barbada lunging and then actually training plus the fact that it was 90 degrees out just about did it for him and didn't venture into the arena today. I'll leave that for tomorrow, now that I know not to ever lunge with the pisador on that jaquima again.
As for Brie, I told her today that since she doesn't want to show, she's going to be good for something: trail riding. It's either one or the other. So I cantered her around the arena a couple times, let her catch her breath, then it was outside! OH MY GOD she might get murdered by the sunshine demons. Just saying. It's that scary for her. We swerved all the way to one tree line until she got too close to the barbed wire for my liking then took off for the next tree line. She galloped *ahem* to the fence line and practically into Gary's house for dinner. After she got that out of her system, I made her walk as calmly as possible back to the barn so she could break her habit of charging it. She did pretty well. So that's our new mission: acting civilized outside.
Worked with the bucket and Nina again today. It got caught between her legs again and she freaked a little less severely, which is progress. I also managed to do some Parelli with Harry. Here's to hoping I don't get dragged through the dirt again tomorrow.
Let me explain (all but the wet dog part...I don't know where that came from). Today is the first time Harry has been worked for two weeks since we didn't bring him to the show last weekend. I expected him to be kind of crazy.
I didn't expect him to run away.
I was in the arena trying to lunge him. He had on Brie's old jaquima, the first one that we ever had that Andre made for us. He was very excited and then I noticed a little too late that the pisador (leadline, if you will) doesn't make full contact to get his attention if I pull on it (kind of like a lasso). It doesn't tighten as far as it needs to. Also, that jaquima has a nylon pisador, not a rawhide one like Brie's or Nina's current jaquimas.
The result? Harry was getting a little out of control excited, I tried to pull him back in with the pisador, it totally didn't get his attention, he ran out on me which resulted in rope burn. I still clung to it until he ran around one of the poles in the middle of the arena where I was lunging him, knocked it over, freaked himself out even more, wanted to rear yet not trample the flowers, and headed for the door, knocking me over and pulling me behind him. I was not about to be dragged through the dirt and get even worse rope burn by that point so I let go, and yelled "HE'S LOOSE!!" (as if they couldn't already tell) to my family and the electrician as Harry ran out one of the doors.
I jumped up, wild-eyed, and barked for my brother, who was on Brie, to go after Harry one way as I ran out the other (as if I could catch him). No where in sight, I ran back down one of the aisles where my mom yelled that he was coming around the back, so I ran out again. Saw him, he saw me, and he kept running, nearly jumping over one of the landscapers on his riding mower. He ran back into the barn (after being barricaded by our Jeep and my brother) and headed for his stall when my mom caught him.
All through that, his reins, which were tied to his saddle, didn't even come loose. Thank God for Andre teaching me a knot that ACTUALLY WORKS! It's secure and can be easily pulled off! I can just see what would've happened in my mind: the double reins flying over his head as he nailed a corner, him freaking out at these ropes suddenly flying over his head, rearing, getting caught in the reins, breaking his legs....*shudder*. The pisador didn't even get caught around his legs, thank God.
After all of that, he was shaking. I brought him outside into the round pen and worked. I lunged him with the rein instead of the pisador, tying that and the bit rein to the saddle, lunging with just the barbada rein. He was pretty shaken up, what could you expect from a mini Derby? I got on him and tried to just keep him from taking off in the pen and eventually got him to walk for a good 10 minutes (which is like 2 hours in Harry-time) after about an hour. I figured with the mini-Derby combined with the intense barbada lunging and then actually training plus the fact that it was 90 degrees out just about did it for him and didn't venture into the arena today. I'll leave that for tomorrow, now that I know not to ever lunge with the pisador on that jaquima again.
As for Brie, I told her today that since she doesn't want to show, she's going to be good for something: trail riding. It's either one or the other. So I cantered her around the arena a couple times, let her catch her breath, then it was outside! OH MY GOD she might get murdered by the sunshine demons. Just saying. It's that scary for her. We swerved all the way to one tree line until she got too close to the barbed wire for my liking then took off for the next tree line. She galloped *ahem* to the fence line and practically into Gary's house for dinner. After she got that out of her system, I made her walk as calmly as possible back to the barn so she could break her habit of charging it. She did pretty well. So that's our new mission: acting civilized outside.
Worked with the bucket and Nina again today. It got caught between her legs again and she freaked a little less severely, which is progress. I also managed to do some Parelli with Harry. Here's to hoping I don't get dragged through the dirt again tomorrow.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Day 49
We were supposed to go out on Saturday, but a wind storm knocked over my tree and we had to get rid of it, as it was laying on the power lines. Not good.
We went out Sunday. I'm just gonna write it in present tense at times, it's easier to remember things.
First thing we see as we drive up to the stable are people outside! Yay! I was mega excited to be able to use the outdoor arena for the first time since winter, it was beautiful out. Ray approaches us and says for us to not ride Harry and Nina because since he's not training next month he wanted to show us what he's been doing with them. So we just brush them off, Brie was SOOO DUSTY by the way, and get Nina first. He has this really rough looking jaquima on her, at least the underpart (I forgot whether it's bosal or barbada, but the part that goes under the chin). He told us that she might get scratched up today but that he doesn't use it all the time. He also was using a different bit on her. He worked Nina really well outside and she had her head set really nicely.
Then I noticed that she was bleeding under the chin from the bosal/barbada. My brother rode her, she was okay, then I rode her. Obviously I didn't want to move my hands or do anything really because all I could think about was that she was bleeding so she wasn't that great.
Ray got Harry next and worked with him. Harry was a little wild, he reminds me a lot of Brie. I rode him really well though, maybe because of Brie, and Ray even gave me compliments on him.
Ray also did this really backwards apology type thing which resulted in my parents considering keeping him as a trainer up until May. We're going to start Harry on the same calming supplement that Brie is on and see if it makes a difference.
Brie was FANTASTIC! Well I mean, she still didn't want me to take her out of the stall, but we rode outside in the arena and she had fun, I think. She didn't want to walk, but I managed to get her to a slow corto. We cantered! It was probably the best cantering experience with her so far because I know what I'm doing now!
Show Update!
Memphis: Week of April 19th
I don't think we're going to bring Nina or Harry to this one. If anything, I'll convince my parents to trailer Brie down there and I'll show her. Otherwise we'll just go and be spectators, which might be kind of fun. I don't know yet.
Spectrum- Miami: Memorial Day Weekend
I'm super looking forward to this one! It's bigger than Nationals, almost as big as the bi-yearly Mundial. Horses are coming in from Puerto Rico and Colombia to compete. Naturally, we'd go as spectators, but it would be one hell of a weekend! I can't wait for this, especially because when we get bored of the show, we can go lay out on South Beach. =]
We went out Sunday. I'm just gonna write it in present tense at times, it's easier to remember things.
First thing we see as we drive up to the stable are people outside! Yay! I was mega excited to be able to use the outdoor arena for the first time since winter, it was beautiful out. Ray approaches us and says for us to not ride Harry and Nina because since he's not training next month he wanted to show us what he's been doing with them. So we just brush them off, Brie was SOOO DUSTY by the way, and get Nina first. He has this really rough looking jaquima on her, at least the underpart (I forgot whether it's bosal or barbada, but the part that goes under the chin). He told us that she might get scratched up today but that he doesn't use it all the time. He also was using a different bit on her. He worked Nina really well outside and she had her head set really nicely.
Then I noticed that she was bleeding under the chin from the bosal/barbada. My brother rode her, she was okay, then I rode her. Obviously I didn't want to move my hands or do anything really because all I could think about was that she was bleeding so she wasn't that great.
Ray got Harry next and worked with him. Harry was a little wild, he reminds me a lot of Brie. I rode him really well though, maybe because of Brie, and Ray even gave me compliments on him.
Ray also did this really backwards apology type thing which resulted in my parents considering keeping him as a trainer up until May. We're going to start Harry on the same calming supplement that Brie is on and see if it makes a difference.
Brie was FANTASTIC! Well I mean, she still didn't want me to take her out of the stall, but we rode outside in the arena and she had fun, I think. She didn't want to walk, but I managed to get her to a slow corto. We cantered! It was probably the best cantering experience with her so far because I know what I'm doing now!
Show Update!
Memphis: Week of April 19th
I don't think we're going to bring Nina or Harry to this one. If anything, I'll convince my parents to trailer Brie down there and I'll show her. Otherwise we'll just go and be spectators, which might be kind of fun. I don't know yet.
Spectrum- Miami: Memorial Day Weekend
I'm super looking forward to this one! It's bigger than Nationals, almost as big as the bi-yearly Mundial. Horses are coming in from Puerto Rico and Colombia to compete. Naturally, we'd go as spectators, but it would be one hell of a weekend! I can't wait for this, especially because when we get bored of the show, we can go lay out on South Beach. =]
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