Saturday
I think that I forgot to post last weekend...terrible thing is, I don't even remember what happened! But I can't forget to post this weekend, the last weekend of 2012!
Today my mom decided that Harry is ready to be riden again. She was the only one who rode him while I dealt with Brie, who is feeling super good because she had her arthritis injections again. Harry sounded really good on the board and my mom said that he is paying a lot more attention to her now, which is really fantastic because for a while there he was ignoring us and just trying to follow Nina around. He looked like he was concentrating on her and didn't do any tap dancing and never broke gait on the board. It seems like his month off of riding and just doing groundwork has done him a lot of good!
I found out today that during the week, Samantha was out along with Jane and her grandkids to all ride. Samantha's mom was cleaning the stalls and the horse they were most scared of was Brie! That makes me kind of sad, that after all of this time she still is perceived as the crazy horse. She is an absolute doll when it comes to children and she has excellent ground manners. She is so polite when you go to clean her stall, she moves out of the way for you and everything. She even poops in the same spot all of the time so that there isn't a huge mess! So when I found out that Samantha's mom was terrified of cleaning Brie's stall because she was scared that Brie was going to hurt her, it really made me feel awful. Brie is very misunderstood. And it doesn't help that people still talk about her. We don't even show her anymore. I mean, just because she refused to walk in her classes and did her nervous crow-hopping that doesn't mean she's a dangerous horse. She's nothing like some of the other horses I've seen trained at the barn that are actually very dangerous, throwing their riders off of their backs and slamming people into walls while they're being groomed. I mean, Brie is even perfect for the farrier. I just don't get what makes people think she's this evil horse.
Sunday
My mom rode Harry again today and he was just as good if not better than yesterday! I can't wait to get on him and see how he is now.
I only rode Brie again today. She just wanted to fly! She is definitely feeling younger and spunkier now that she isn't in pain anymore. I had two reins on her today to try and work on her collection. She's gotten away with doing whatever for a pretty long time and I'd like to fix that. After we worked, I let her canter around the arena a couple of times and I could tell she was having fun! I swear, she should have been a Thoroughbred. She would've been a great race horse! She could have cantered for hours. Just imagine if I let her gallop!
Well, next time I post will be 2013. I hope that you all have a wonderful New Year's Eve and that your 2013 is filled with success!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Days 269 & 270
Saturday
My mom worked with Harry again today while I rode Brie and, surprise!, Nina for the second time this month! Brie is definitely feeling her arthritis now that it's getting colder and colder out, so we're having the vet come out this week to give her a cortisone shot. Poor Brie. I know how she feels! My knee is aching as well in this cold. I wish I could say more about training with her, but she's really just coasting along for now. She definitely doesn't want to give up speed, so now she just has walk and largo. So I guess I will be working on getting her to slow down again to a nice corto.
Sunday
I had the job of working Harry today. He is still taking his time off from riding. I think that maybe next month we might start riding him again. He is so much sassier with me than with my mom. He doesn't fishtail as much as he used to, but there were definitely a few times when he did and then he got that stubborn look in his eye like "No! I am not going by you!". We got that sorted out. I also did some Friendly Game with him in between lunge rounds. It was a nice little breather. He is still scared of the rope swinging at him from a distance to go over his back, so we're working on little swings right now. Unfortunately I canceled my Parelli Connect membership earlier this month because I just didn't have the time for it. Hopefully I am able to go back and use it again some more to get more ideas for Harry.
I rode Brie for a little bit today, as she was limping a little after my mom rode her. We put lineament on her, so hopefully that helped. I just realized today how young she really is! It's strange, because in the Paso Fino world, at least the part I've been exposed to, you never hear of horses over 15 or so. I don't know where they go, probably just out to pasture, but no one talks about them and if you have a 15 year old horse, jeez, you are knocking at death's door! But in reality, horses are supposed to live to about 30 ideally, right? Brie is only 11. If she lives to 30, that's a whole 19 years from now! I'll be 39! It's weird to think about it like that! I hope that she is still around when I have kids, that way they can love her just as much as I do.
My mom worked with Harry again today while I rode Brie and, surprise!, Nina for the second time this month! Brie is definitely feeling her arthritis now that it's getting colder and colder out, so we're having the vet come out this week to give her a cortisone shot. Poor Brie. I know how she feels! My knee is aching as well in this cold. I wish I could say more about training with her, but she's really just coasting along for now. She definitely doesn't want to give up speed, so now she just has walk and largo. So I guess I will be working on getting her to slow down again to a nice corto.
Sunday
I had the job of working Harry today. He is still taking his time off from riding. I think that maybe next month we might start riding him again. He is so much sassier with me than with my mom. He doesn't fishtail as much as he used to, but there were definitely a few times when he did and then he got that stubborn look in his eye like "No! I am not going by you!". We got that sorted out. I also did some Friendly Game with him in between lunge rounds. It was a nice little breather. He is still scared of the rope swinging at him from a distance to go over his back, so we're working on little swings right now. Unfortunately I canceled my Parelli Connect membership earlier this month because I just didn't have the time for it. Hopefully I am able to go back and use it again some more to get more ideas for Harry.
I rode Brie for a little bit today, as she was limping a little after my mom rode her. We put lineament on her, so hopefully that helped. I just realized today how young she really is! It's strange, because in the Paso Fino world, at least the part I've been exposed to, you never hear of horses over 15 or so. I don't know where they go, probably just out to pasture, but no one talks about them and if you have a 15 year old horse, jeez, you are knocking at death's door! But in reality, horses are supposed to live to about 30 ideally, right? Brie is only 11. If she lives to 30, that's a whole 19 years from now! I'll be 39! It's weird to think about it like that! I hope that she is still around when I have kids, that way they can love her just as much as I do.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Days 267 & 268
Saturday
I was super exhausted today from staying up really late the past two days working on finals. Finals week is awful.
I only rode Brie today. She was really good, I think she knew I was tired. She wanted to go really fast, so I let her because it felt nice to just let go. Nothing really productive today.
I watched my mom work with Harry. While I was in LA last week, she started working him on the ground. He is taking a break from riding. He was setting his head really nicely and looked like he had to think a lot. He didn't tap dance with his back legs the entire time she was working with him, so I think he's making progress.
Sunday
Today I got to work with Harry. My mom taught me what she was teaching him. We let him go out on the long lunge line to shake off his energy and stretch out before we switch him onto the shorter line. He is wearing bell boots on his front legs and weighted bracelets on his back legs. We're trying to make him remember to keep his legs in rhythm. So on the short line, we work on flexing his head towards us while moving away with his back legs, crossing all of his legs over as he rotates around us. After he does that, we hook him up to our makeshift Pessoa system and lunge him like that with a snaffle bit. He seems to be getting on pretty well. The true test will be when we get to ride him again, and I'm not sure when that will be.
After I worked with Harry, I got to ride Nina! I love riding her since I don't get to ride her that often. She is so cool! Of course since there are such long gaps in time when I get to ride her, she is always different in her progression. She got so fast! She goes as fast as Brie now! She seems really happy too. She is very responsive to the leg and such a smooth ride. Just the coolest little horse ever. If only Brie and Harry could get their acts together like Nina did!
I was super exhausted today from staying up really late the past two days working on finals. Finals week is awful.
I only rode Brie today. She was really good, I think she knew I was tired. She wanted to go really fast, so I let her because it felt nice to just let go. Nothing really productive today.
I watched my mom work with Harry. While I was in LA last week, she started working him on the ground. He is taking a break from riding. He was setting his head really nicely and looked like he had to think a lot. He didn't tap dance with his back legs the entire time she was working with him, so I think he's making progress.
Sunday
Today I got to work with Harry. My mom taught me what she was teaching him. We let him go out on the long lunge line to shake off his energy and stretch out before we switch him onto the shorter line. He is wearing bell boots on his front legs and weighted bracelets on his back legs. We're trying to make him remember to keep his legs in rhythm. So on the short line, we work on flexing his head towards us while moving away with his back legs, crossing all of his legs over as he rotates around us. After he does that, we hook him up to our makeshift Pessoa system and lunge him like that with a snaffle bit. He seems to be getting on pretty well. The true test will be when we get to ride him again, and I'm not sure when that will be.
After I worked with Harry, I got to ride Nina! I love riding her since I don't get to ride her that often. She is so cool! Of course since there are such long gaps in time when I get to ride her, she is always different in her progression. She got so fast! She goes as fast as Brie now! She seems really happy too. She is very responsive to the leg and such a smooth ride. Just the coolest little horse ever. If only Brie and Harry could get their acts together like Nina did!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Day 266
Yay for posting on the same day that I went out!
The farrier came out this weekend. He was actually only an hour late, so that is an improvement!
I am so proud of Harry. He didn't even need to be tranquilized to do his trim! Only Nina, but she is getting better at taking the tranquilizer. We didn't have to tie her to the H post today, we just were able to give it to her in her stall without her killing anyone, so that is a definite improvement!
After Harry and Brie got their trims, I brushed them up and played with them. I had Harry longe for a while and then asked my mom if she would longe him while I sat on him bareback. We never did that before and he was so good!!! He didn't try anything goofy at all and was actually really well behaved in response to me being on him bareback. So I am very proud of him. =]
Brie was stiff today, as we didn't make it out yesterday. She was bored with longeing so I ran around the arena with her a couple of times and over the board. Then I got the idea to teach her a trick so she could use her little brain instead of going in a boring circle (she is a pro at that), so I got some carrots and started to teach her how to bow! She was actually getting the hang of it and went so far down by the end that she was touching her forehead to the dirt as she bowed. Pretty soon I won't need carrots! And then she'll be able to lay down and get back up for people to mount her! That is wishful thinking right now, but it is entirely a possibility. I love teaching her tricks. Just like how I taught her to give kisses.
I won't be out next week (fingers crossed) because hopefully I will be in LA! But if I get stuck home because of flights, I will take a little video of her bowing to show you all =]
The farrier came out this weekend. He was actually only an hour late, so that is an improvement!
I am so proud of Harry. He didn't even need to be tranquilized to do his trim! Only Nina, but she is getting better at taking the tranquilizer. We didn't have to tie her to the H post today, we just were able to give it to her in her stall without her killing anyone, so that is a definite improvement!
After Harry and Brie got their trims, I brushed them up and played with them. I had Harry longe for a while and then asked my mom if she would longe him while I sat on him bareback. We never did that before and he was so good!!! He didn't try anything goofy at all and was actually really well behaved in response to me being on him bareback. So I am very proud of him. =]
Brie was stiff today, as we didn't make it out yesterday. She was bored with longeing so I ran around the arena with her a couple of times and over the board. Then I got the idea to teach her a trick so she could use her little brain instead of going in a boring circle (she is a pro at that), so I got some carrots and started to teach her how to bow! She was actually getting the hang of it and went so far down by the end that she was touching her forehead to the dirt as she bowed. Pretty soon I won't need carrots! And then she'll be able to lay down and get back up for people to mount her! That is wishful thinking right now, but it is entirely a possibility. I love teaching her tricks. Just like how I taught her to give kisses.
I won't be out next week (fingers crossed) because hopefully I will be in LA! But if I get stuck home because of flights, I will take a little video of her bowing to show you all =]
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Days 264 & 265
Saturday
I don't think I've gotten as upset as I did today in a long time. I don't understand what is going on with Harry. I had the draw reins on him but he stil kept throwing his head up in the air and was getting mad, so I eventually took those off and put on normal reins. He was still mad, so I changed his bit. I don't know if he's tired of working or if he's just being lazy, but he will not gait. His boards sounded terrible. He won't gait around the rail. He acts like you're stabbing him if you put a little leg pressure on. Is something wrong with him medically? I don't think there would be. He's acting normal on the ground. I just don't know what to do with him anymore. I had a terrible time and actually cried after I got off. He doesn't want to walk, but he can't figure out how to canter either, he doesn't largo, instead he paces. So he can't do anything right. I really don't know what to do with him and it's very upsetting because I feel like every time we take a step forward, we take three steps back. Is it because of the weather? Is he burned out?
Sunday
The farrier was supposed to come today. He didn't. He thought he was supposed to come next Sunday. So we sat around and wasted half of our day. We rode before we thought he was supposed to be there. I rode Brie today while my mom took Harry. She was very stiff and limping when we started, but after she warmed up she was better. I have to remember that my efforts do pay off, because I've been working so hard with Brie the whole time I've had her and she is so good now. She is calm and happy and responsive and does everything I ask of her. I have fun when I ride her, which is a lot more than I could've said a couple of years ago. I just have to figure out what is wrong with Harry.
He was obnoxious for my mom today too and kept trying to rear. She got mad too, so she got off and brought him out into the round pen and just made him run. By the time I got out there after I brushed off Brie, he was tired and just walking around her. I don't know what is his deal. Is it because he's off of the Calmex? He shouldn't be this stubborn, he is a gelding after all! Does he need a break? Should we leave him alone for a month? I really don't know what to do.
I don't think I've gotten as upset as I did today in a long time. I don't understand what is going on with Harry. I had the draw reins on him but he stil kept throwing his head up in the air and was getting mad, so I eventually took those off and put on normal reins. He was still mad, so I changed his bit. I don't know if he's tired of working or if he's just being lazy, but he will not gait. His boards sounded terrible. He won't gait around the rail. He acts like you're stabbing him if you put a little leg pressure on. Is something wrong with him medically? I don't think there would be. He's acting normal on the ground. I just don't know what to do with him anymore. I had a terrible time and actually cried after I got off. He doesn't want to walk, but he can't figure out how to canter either, he doesn't largo, instead he paces. So he can't do anything right. I really don't know what to do with him and it's very upsetting because I feel like every time we take a step forward, we take three steps back. Is it because of the weather? Is he burned out?
Sunday
The farrier was supposed to come today. He didn't. He thought he was supposed to come next Sunday. So we sat around and wasted half of our day. We rode before we thought he was supposed to be there. I rode Brie today while my mom took Harry. She was very stiff and limping when we started, but after she warmed up she was better. I have to remember that my efforts do pay off, because I've been working so hard with Brie the whole time I've had her and she is so good now. She is calm and happy and responsive and does everything I ask of her. I have fun when I ride her, which is a lot more than I could've said a couple of years ago. I just have to figure out what is wrong with Harry.
He was obnoxious for my mom today too and kept trying to rear. She got mad too, so she got off and brought him out into the round pen and just made him run. By the time I got out there after I brushed off Brie, he was tired and just walking around her. I don't know what is his deal. Is it because he's off of the Calmex? He shouldn't be this stubborn, he is a gelding after all! Does he need a break? Should we leave him alone for a month? I really don't know what to do.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Days 262 & 263
Saturday
I just can't figure out why Harry is acting the way he is. He is lazy and doesn't want to gait anymore. I tried everything I could think of today trying to get him to gait. He'll gait in a circle, but then when we get on the wall, he goes into pacing. He even paced over the board. Does he need a rest? Or does he need more work? I can't help him if he's bored with the arena, as it's going to get very cold this week and I'm guessing it will stay that way until the end of winter, and we won't be going outside as often. Any suggestions?
Sunday
My mom worked with Harry today. She put the draw reins on him and while it made him set his head, she said that he was still fighting and wanting to take off and not wanting to gait. She said he would gait for a little while and then go into pacing. I don't know what his deal is. He didn't pace over the board today, so that was good. Maybe we should put the bell boots back on him.
I rode Brie today and she was absolutely magnificent. It's rides like today that make me think she still has it in her to compete. She was totally responsive, had beautiful boards, and had perfect speeds at the largo and the corto. We even WALKED once we were done working, and for quite some time too, I might add, without stirrups and reins being loose. If she started to drift off of the wall I just needed to nudge her with my calf and she floated right back over. She was beyond good today, I'm so happy with her.
Meanwhile, Harry bit me! That snot! He bit my finger as I was petting his face. I was in too much shock to do anything, but I flicked him on the nose after I realized that he actually bit me! It wasn't very hard, thank God, but it still hurt! He even tore a little skin! He has got to learn manners and respect. Maybe that will fix him up in the arena as well.
I just can't figure out why Harry is acting the way he is. He is lazy and doesn't want to gait anymore. I tried everything I could think of today trying to get him to gait. He'll gait in a circle, but then when we get on the wall, he goes into pacing. He even paced over the board. Does he need a rest? Or does he need more work? I can't help him if he's bored with the arena, as it's going to get very cold this week and I'm guessing it will stay that way until the end of winter, and we won't be going outside as often. Any suggestions?
Sunday
My mom worked with Harry today. She put the draw reins on him and while it made him set his head, she said that he was still fighting and wanting to take off and not wanting to gait. She said he would gait for a little while and then go into pacing. I don't know what his deal is. He didn't pace over the board today, so that was good. Maybe we should put the bell boots back on him.
I rode Brie today and she was absolutely magnificent. It's rides like today that make me think she still has it in her to compete. She was totally responsive, had beautiful boards, and had perfect speeds at the largo and the corto. We even WALKED once we were done working, and for quite some time too, I might add, without stirrups and reins being loose. If she started to drift off of the wall I just needed to nudge her with my calf and she floated right back over. She was beyond good today, I'm so happy with her.
Meanwhile, Harry bit me! That snot! He bit my finger as I was petting his face. I was in too much shock to do anything, but I flicked him on the nose after I realized that he actually bit me! It wasn't very hard, thank God, but it still hurt! He even tore a little skin! He has got to learn manners and respect. Maybe that will fix him up in the arena as well.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Days 260 & 261
Saturday
I was concerned that Harry wouldn't be able to ride today because of his leg, but I made him longe before I rode and he wasn't limping, so I tacked him up to ride. He was so strange. He doesn't want to gait, really, and when he does, he goes way too fast. He hates when you apply leg to him, gets mad when you put pressure on the bit. I just don't know what to do with him. He only wants to do circles. Just circles. Circles of all sizes, but not around the arena. My mom told me that he ran out of calmex, so maybe that's the problem? He didn't even have that great of a board. My mom took him and tried to work with him, but he didn't want to cooperate with her either.
I took out my frustration by letting Brie canter around the arena. She loved it and so did I, so at least that was a nice end to the day.
Sunday
My mom took Harry first today and I worked with Brie. I worked on getting her to set her head a little better, since she's been getting lazy, and she responded well. I also did a lot of stretching from the ground with her before I got on. She wanted to go fast but I just kept working on keeping her calm and making her walk and she settled into a nice walk and then a beautiful corto. She had a wonderful board and her head was set so nice. We did mostly corto, I'm working on her reverses too, since she got in the bad habit of cantering those.
Harry was not too great today either. We're going to just continually keep him on the calmex now, since he seems more able to focus on what we're asking of him when he's on that. There was so much going on today for him to focus on, between music playing and people talking, things that shouldn't bother him, but apparently it does. When there's a lot of things going on, he just likes to chase around Nina and follow whatever she's doing, but that's not gonna happen in competition, so he has to stop wanting to do that.
At the end of our ride, we worked on walking over some poles on the ground. At first, not even Brie wanted to go over them, but we were able to get Harry and Brie over them without hopping, just walking over them. Horses sure do test your patience. I wish I could figure out what to do with Harry though. Hopefully he'll be better again once he's back on the calmex.
I was concerned that Harry wouldn't be able to ride today because of his leg, but I made him longe before I rode and he wasn't limping, so I tacked him up to ride. He was so strange. He doesn't want to gait, really, and when he does, he goes way too fast. He hates when you apply leg to him, gets mad when you put pressure on the bit. I just don't know what to do with him. He only wants to do circles. Just circles. Circles of all sizes, but not around the arena. My mom told me that he ran out of calmex, so maybe that's the problem? He didn't even have that great of a board. My mom took him and tried to work with him, but he didn't want to cooperate with her either.
I took out my frustration by letting Brie canter around the arena. She loved it and so did I, so at least that was a nice end to the day.
Sunday
My mom took Harry first today and I worked with Brie. I worked on getting her to set her head a little better, since she's been getting lazy, and she responded well. I also did a lot of stretching from the ground with her before I got on. She wanted to go fast but I just kept working on keeping her calm and making her walk and she settled into a nice walk and then a beautiful corto. She had a wonderful board and her head was set so nice. We did mostly corto, I'm working on her reverses too, since she got in the bad habit of cantering those.
Harry was not too great today either. We're going to just continually keep him on the calmex now, since he seems more able to focus on what we're asking of him when he's on that. There was so much going on today for him to focus on, between music playing and people talking, things that shouldn't bother him, but apparently it does. When there's a lot of things going on, he just likes to chase around Nina and follow whatever she's doing, but that's not gonna happen in competition, so he has to stop wanting to do that.
At the end of our ride, we worked on walking over some poles on the ground. At first, not even Brie wanted to go over them, but we were able to get Harry and Brie over them without hopping, just walking over them. Horses sure do test your patience. I wish I could figure out what to do with Harry though. Hopefully he'll be better again once he's back on the calmex.
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