I can't believe I forgot to do this yesterday.
I'll just write this from a "sunday" approach.
So today, Harry got in the trailer for me on the 2nd attempt! He was such a good boy, I'm so proud of him. We'll be on the road in no time flat =]
While it looked like a beautiful day, the ground was very soggy, so no outside romping for us =[ My mom wanted to start Harry today, so I worked with Brie. She's super furry after the winter and sheds a ton whenever I brush her. I come home covered in horsehair. Lovely.
We worked on just walking since her leg looked a little swollen and we hadn't worked yesterday because of the vet. Nice and relaxed walking was the goal, so whenever she started to rush me forward I just gently pulled back into a halt then started right back up. We took this to the outdoor arena where she did this wonderfully! I was so impressed, she usually kicks the dirt right up when she gets out there because for Brie, outside = TIME TO RUN! So after I got a nice relaxed walk outside, we went back inside and worked on a little bit of corto. Her corto is turning into a half-canter looking thing, so I just checked her side to side to get her to change her step until she was in gait. I love how much she's come along...I just hope she's like that when we take her to the show!
I rode Harry afterward. He was a little stiff in the neck from the shot yesterday, poor thing, he was probably sore around the injection site because when I hugged him he got really antsy and tried to spin me off of his neck. So for being stiff, he worked quite well! You could tell he wanted to work, so we let him work. After being a little disappointed with his board, my mom reminded me about his neck, so I was actually pretty pleased. I can only imagine what he would've been like if he wasn't sore.
Two more weeks until the Springfield Show! I'm kind of nervous -- I hope that I do well with Harry.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Day 142
I wish I had something more exciting to say that this.
The vet came out today. Everyone got their teeth floated and Harry got his, ahem, parts cleaned. While they were sedated we also shaved their ears, because everyone knows that there's no way we're able to do that while they're awake. Harry was hit the hardest with the sedative -- while it took a couple minutes to hit Brie and Nina, I let Harry stand for all of 30 seconds before I asked him to move and he started stumbling! I was trying to get him in the wash rack (how embarrassing) and he wasn't having it, so the vet just decided to sedate him right there in the aisle, then move him in afterward. Hopefully that will have a lasting effect!
It was a gorgeous day out today. I hope it's as beautiful tomorrow as it was today.
I also got new boots! Which is awesome, because my old ones started to get holes in them and it's safe to say they're not waterproof anymore. My mom found these beauties on sale at horseloverz.com!
I've wanted them foreverrrr.
Hopefully they're not super warm...they need to be summer boots!
The vet came out today. Everyone got their teeth floated and Harry got his, ahem, parts cleaned. While they were sedated we also shaved their ears, because everyone knows that there's no way we're able to do that while they're awake. Harry was hit the hardest with the sedative -- while it took a couple minutes to hit Brie and Nina, I let Harry stand for all of 30 seconds before I asked him to move and he started stumbling! I was trying to get him in the wash rack (how embarrassing) and he wasn't having it, so the vet just decided to sedate him right there in the aisle, then move him in afterward. Hopefully that will have a lasting effect!
It was a gorgeous day out today. I hope it's as beautiful tomorrow as it was today.
I also got new boots! Which is awesome, because my old ones started to get holes in them and it's safe to say they're not waterproof anymore. My mom found these beauties on sale at horseloverz.com!
Hopefully they're not super warm...they need to be summer boots!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Day 141
Have I ever mentioned that I hate Saturdays?
Harry got in the trailer so well today! I knew he had it in him =] We even put Nina in there with him. Of course she was happy as a clam, just looking at him like "Oh you'll love this! When they start moving we'll be somewhere new and exciting!" except we didn't even hook it up. But I'm sure she didn't care either way. Harry seemed to immediately calm down when Nina went in next to him.
I tried to work with Harry today and had a little bit of a meltdown. I'm so disappointed with myself, I haven't gotten that upset in a while...and it wasn't even his fault, it was just that we had so little time to ride and that I was stressing out that I wasn't able to work the kinks out for a beautiful ride in time before we had to leave. So after trying to rush and fight my way around the arena, my mom came back from her ride outside with Brie and made me just do circles around the pole until he was turning on the forehand, pat him, and then get off, that way we would both end on a good note.
Tomorrow we're not going out because it's Easter...I'd rather be riding than eating a ham.
I suggest that we leave my brother and dad home on Saturdays and just go out by ourselves, my mom and I, that way we can actually do things.
Harry got in the trailer so well today! I knew he had it in him =] We even put Nina in there with him. Of course she was happy as a clam, just looking at him like "Oh you'll love this! When they start moving we'll be somewhere new and exciting!" except we didn't even hook it up. But I'm sure she didn't care either way. Harry seemed to immediately calm down when Nina went in next to him.
I tried to work with Harry today and had a little bit of a meltdown. I'm so disappointed with myself, I haven't gotten that upset in a while...and it wasn't even his fault, it was just that we had so little time to ride and that I was stressing out that I wasn't able to work the kinks out for a beautiful ride in time before we had to leave. So after trying to rush and fight my way around the arena, my mom came back from her ride outside with Brie and made me just do circles around the pole until he was turning on the forehand, pat him, and then get off, that way we would both end on a good note.
Tomorrow we're not going out because it's Easter...I'd rather be riding than eating a ham.
I suggest that we leave my brother and dad home on Saturdays and just go out by ourselves, my mom and I, that way we can actually do things.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Day 140
I didn't go out yesterday because we went to the Midwest Horse Fair in Madison! Talk about a change of weather -- while it was 80 last week, it was snowing yesterday! It was really fun, I'd never been there before and there were DOZENS of vendors! But the time we got through with most of them, all the horses were done with and you had to pay extra to stay and watch the night shows. So we left. But not without getting free tickets to the Dancing Horse Stable! Looking forward to that!
As usual, started Harry off getting him into the trailer. He was a punk today and did a pretty large, unacceptable rear while my mom was trying to get him into the trailer. I tried with him first and he was just not having it, so after his stunt with my mom, she put on her "If you don't get in this trailer right now, we're selling you" face and he went in like a lamb. I figure that by our first show next month he'll have no problem...hopefully.
I got to ride all three of them today! I started off with Brie. She was kind of skipping with her back legs which had me worried so I didn't do much except walk her and get a little bit of corto, definitely no canter, especially since we weren't out yesterday. She was limping more when I switched with my brother to ride Nina, so we ended up putting her away with some lineament. Now we know why she was limping though -- she was kicking her stall all night! Naughty girl.
Nina just trotted along and I got yelled at by my brother for posting instead of sitting the trot. "Don't post! She might get the idea that she's not supposed to gait!" So I enjoyed quite the bumpy ride.
Then I got to work with Harry. I was a bit disappointed with him today, as my mom had been having awesome rides with him the past two weeks (and I didn't take the opportunity...grrr), and he was just so-so today. Also, probably because we weren't out yesterday. But overall he's a huge improvement. He doesn't really tap dance anymore or any of the bad things he used to do. He's calming down quite nicely and only got antsy when Ray passed him on the horse he was working. I hope that within a month we can get his gait to tighten and for him to calm down even more, then we'll definitely do well at shows with him!
As usual, started Harry off getting him into the trailer. He was a punk today and did a pretty large, unacceptable rear while my mom was trying to get him into the trailer. I tried with him first and he was just not having it, so after his stunt with my mom, she put on her "If you don't get in this trailer right now, we're selling you" face and he went in like a lamb. I figure that by our first show next month he'll have no problem...hopefully.
I got to ride all three of them today! I started off with Brie. She was kind of skipping with her back legs which had me worried so I didn't do much except walk her and get a little bit of corto, definitely no canter, especially since we weren't out yesterday. She was limping more when I switched with my brother to ride Nina, so we ended up putting her away with some lineament. Now we know why she was limping though -- she was kicking her stall all night! Naughty girl.
Nina just trotted along and I got yelled at by my brother for posting instead of sitting the trot. "Don't post! She might get the idea that she's not supposed to gait!" So I enjoyed quite the bumpy ride.
Then I got to work with Harry. I was a bit disappointed with him today, as my mom had been having awesome rides with him the past two weeks (and I didn't take the opportunity...grrr), and he was just so-so today. Also, probably because we weren't out yesterday. But overall he's a huge improvement. He doesn't really tap dance anymore or any of the bad things he used to do. He's calming down quite nicely and only got antsy when Ray passed him on the horse he was working. I hope that within a month we can get his gait to tighten and for him to calm down even more, then we'll definitely do well at shows with him!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Day 139
What a GORGEOUS DAY!
Of course I forgot my camera =[ It was warm and sunny and there was a warm breeze and everything! We let them all out to romp in the paddocks and they loved it! They all got a pre-riding grass snack and we worked with Harry to get him into the trailer. He was a little bad today, but we got him in without very much fuss...in and out 3 times in a half hour is way better than no times in 2 hours!
I got Brie saddled up and headed out to the outdoor arena for some warm-ups before we roamed around the property today. She walked so nicely in the arena, just taking in all the sunshine and warmth. She was pretty good when we went outside too -- she didn't really pull on the bit at all. I have to keep remembering though that whenever we go outside, I have to rely on my legs more than my hands because once we're out in the grass she's pretty unresponsive to the bit unless it's a yank and I only like to keep those for the most dire of consequences (like almost running into the creek). We even cantered a bit and I was so surprised that she didn't try to take off at a gallop outside! She normally likes to do that.
After a while, Harry and Nina came out into the outdoor arena and Brie and I went back in there with them for some follow the leader games and just generally cooling down. She hit that arena and slowed down like nothing else, like she knew "Okay, arena time means work". I would've ridden Harry but I was just having too much fun on Brie since she was being so good today. Harry and my mom were going to go out in the front pasture for some walking and I was going to join them when my brother said that Brie had blood on her foot. Sure enough, she did. After much inspection and a full bath later, we came to the conclusion that it wasn't her blood and that it must've been a frog or a toad she stepped on. Ick! I feel bad now.
We gave them all baths and fly sprayed and show sheen-ed and MTG'd them, and let them on a leadline for some grass before we let them in. My brother and I brought out the big exercise ball we bought to sit on and everyone except Harry was completely fine with it! We had to move extra slowly and not wave it around in order for him to not be scared and eat his grass. The funniest thing happened though: just picture it. He's chewing absolutely obnoxiously with his mouth open and a gust of wind comes by while his mouth is open and out flies the grass! He looked so confused! That'll teach him to eat properly!
Of course I forgot my camera =[ It was warm and sunny and there was a warm breeze and everything! We let them all out to romp in the paddocks and they loved it! They all got a pre-riding grass snack and we worked with Harry to get him into the trailer. He was a little bad today, but we got him in without very much fuss...in and out 3 times in a half hour is way better than no times in 2 hours!
I got Brie saddled up and headed out to the outdoor arena for some warm-ups before we roamed around the property today. She walked so nicely in the arena, just taking in all the sunshine and warmth. She was pretty good when we went outside too -- she didn't really pull on the bit at all. I have to keep remembering though that whenever we go outside, I have to rely on my legs more than my hands because once we're out in the grass she's pretty unresponsive to the bit unless it's a yank and I only like to keep those for the most dire of consequences (like almost running into the creek). We even cantered a bit and I was so surprised that she didn't try to take off at a gallop outside! She normally likes to do that.
After a while, Harry and Nina came out into the outdoor arena and Brie and I went back in there with them for some follow the leader games and just generally cooling down. She hit that arena and slowed down like nothing else, like she knew "Okay, arena time means work". I would've ridden Harry but I was just having too much fun on Brie since she was being so good today. Harry and my mom were going to go out in the front pasture for some walking and I was going to join them when my brother said that Brie had blood on her foot. Sure enough, she did. After much inspection and a full bath later, we came to the conclusion that it wasn't her blood and that it must've been a frog or a toad she stepped on. Ick! I feel bad now.
We gave them all baths and fly sprayed and show sheen-ed and MTG'd them, and let them on a leadline for some grass before we let them in. My brother and I brought out the big exercise ball we bought to sit on and everyone except Harry was completely fine with it! We had to move extra slowly and not wave it around in order for him to not be scared and eat his grass. The funniest thing happened though: just picture it. He's chewing absolutely obnoxiously with his mouth open and a gust of wind comes by while his mouth is open and out flies the grass! He looked so confused! That'll teach him to eat properly!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Day 138
Yay for warmer weather!
Starting off with working on getting Harry into the trailer, he started up kind of iffy and angsty, but then he went in like a dream! I'm so proud of him and his progress.
After we let them out to play for a bit, I had to lovely task of cleaning Brie post-roll. Disgusting, I tell you! After she was as clean as she was gonna get without a rinse, I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and go outside to work with her. We lunged on the grass and did our warm up in the grass close to the barn, then went out in the pastures for a little adventure. Of course she had to step in every. single. puddle along the way just to make me clean all the tack afterward! She wasn't very crazy, I only had to really correct her a couple times, but her attention definitely was on everything and anything else besides me.
We power-walked around the property and in the back, then we walked around in one of the smaller pastures. I worked on getting her to get close enough to the gate and stand still for me to open and close it without dismounting and she did very well! Better on the closing it while we were leaving than entering, but I was still pretty happy with her. She was so sweaty afterward and her feet were caked in mud, so I had to give her a nice rinse, which she seemed to really enjoy. =]
My mom rode Harry and said that today's ride was the ride that made up for all the ickiness he's been going through the past couple weeks. So jealous that I missed it =[ Hopefully tomorrow he's just as good!
Starting off with working on getting Harry into the trailer, he started up kind of iffy and angsty, but then he went in like a dream! I'm so proud of him and his progress.
After we let them out to play for a bit, I had to lovely task of cleaning Brie post-roll. Disgusting, I tell you! After she was as clean as she was gonna get without a rinse, I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and go outside to work with her. We lunged on the grass and did our warm up in the grass close to the barn, then went out in the pastures for a little adventure. Of course she had to step in every. single. puddle along the way just to make me clean all the tack afterward! She wasn't very crazy, I only had to really correct her a couple times, but her attention definitely was on everything and anything else besides me.
We power-walked around the property and in the back, then we walked around in one of the smaller pastures. I worked on getting her to get close enough to the gate and stand still for me to open and close it without dismounting and she did very well! Better on the closing it while we were leaving than entering, but I was still pretty happy with her. She was so sweaty afterward and her feet were caked in mud, so I had to give her a nice rinse, which she seemed to really enjoy. =]
My mom rode Harry and said that today's ride was the ride that made up for all the ickiness he's been going through the past couple weeks. So jealous that I missed it =[ Hopefully tomorrow he's just as good!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Day 137
It was so beautiful and warm!!!!
I didn't go out yesterday because I was at an audition (hopefully I get it!), so being out today was wonderful.
We let them all out to run and play. I'll have some pictures up soon, maybe sometime this week. They loved it! It was windy and sunny and warm =] we decided not to try the trailer because of the wind though.
I rode Brie inside. I wanted to go outside, but decided to stay in. She was full of go today, but I only cantered a little because I wasn't out yesterday. Other than some pulling on the reins, she was very good.
Onto Harry. He is getting soooo much better! His gait wasn't as tight as I wanted it to be, but he still sounded great.
We bought an exercise ball for them to play with. We had it in the arena and Brie and Nina were playing with it just fine, but Harry was having none of it! He didn't want to go anywhere near it, so I just played with it and rubbed him with it when he was on the cross ties. He's so amazed and shocked by everything the world has to offer!
We finally got all of them scrubbed. I'm so happy that they're all clean now. We started using MTG for hair growth on them. Hopefully it works, I don't want them smelling like bacon for nothing!!
I didn't go out yesterday because I was at an audition (hopefully I get it!), so being out today was wonderful.
We let them all out to run and play. I'll have some pictures up soon, maybe sometime this week. They loved it! It was windy and sunny and warm =] we decided not to try the trailer because of the wind though.
I rode Brie inside. I wanted to go outside, but decided to stay in. She was full of go today, but I only cantered a little because I wasn't out yesterday. Other than some pulling on the reins, she was very good.
Onto Harry. He is getting soooo much better! His gait wasn't as tight as I wanted it to be, but he still sounded great.
We bought an exercise ball for them to play with. We had it in the arena and Brie and Nina were playing with it just fine, but Harry was having none of it! He didn't want to go anywhere near it, so I just played with it and rubbed him with it when he was on the cross ties. He's so amazed and shocked by everything the world has to offer!
We finally got all of them scrubbed. I'm so happy that they're all clean now. We started using MTG for hair growth on them. Hopefully it works, I don't want them smelling like bacon for nothing!!
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