Quiet Week.

Sorry for not posting in forever! It was the end of the trimester this week [yep, I had school. T.T] so I was crazy busy!

My lesson last Sunday went decently. There was some killer no stirrup flatwork. Fun. I think I bruised the inside of my thigh from stretching it down to where my stirrup leathers bulge....erghh. I worked on a little gymnastic/triple. Sash was GREAT through it, but she was a little quick after. I FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY after about two months of owning her, got pissed at her and pully-reined circled. Not the really tight circle, but when they are galloping and not wanting to slow down or circle, so you pull up the inside rein somewhat hard so they turn? Yeah, that. It worked AMAZINGLY! Sasha instantly quieted down, dropped her head, and cantered at the same pace we got during flatwork [aka quiet but with impulsion.] Oh, and I rode her sans martingale! Yay!

Today's ride was meh. Sasha was dancing around a bit when I tried to get on, but she was [mostly] good once I was on. She was nice and relaxed while we were trotting, but the cantering was a slight disaster. We picked up the canter, and all she would do was shake her head and barely go forward. Yeah....we didn't canter for long. The moment I got a half-decent few canter strides I let her walk. After that, she was tense. The vet said at the PPE that she had a SLIGHTLY sore back, but it only was obvious from pushing on it and supplements would fix it. Well, her back had been fine, but it seemed a little sensitive after my ride when I pushed on it. My mom gave her some Banamine [Sasha pulled some HILARIOUS faces! I felt so bad; we had smeared it on a treat and given it to her, and then she wouldn't eat anything but her favorite treat she was so suspicious of treats. =/ Even her favorite got a suspicious sniffing.] so hopefully that will help. I'll see how her back is tomorrow, which will determine if I have a lesson. =/ The cold weather has been making all the horses' joints/muscles wonky. Hmm.

On another note, I have to go to Canada for three [gasp!] whole days for a field trip! Do you think I can smuggle the poneh on the bus? I'm sure I can squeeze her into a suitcase. =P

Oh! I almost forgot! Ernest Dillon is coming and giving a clinic at my barn in May. Should be fun! I've heard he can be tough, but if he wasn't, I think I would feel it was a waste of money. If I'm going to do a clinic, I better learn something from it, right?! I'm already freaking out with excitement/nerves. I'm going to be wreck for a few weeks before I bet haha. I will probably clean all my tack about five times the night before.

Cruce out. <3

Yay for getting somewhere.

I had a lesson last night. It started out pretty well. Sasha was soft and almost -gasp- lazy! The nice thing about her is when she gets quiet, she will still go forward if you tell her. She just doesn't immediately leap forward. The arena was busy, so we were working down at one end of the arena. Noodle's owner and I were jumping on a circle, as well. We trotted and cantered the jump, it was probably about 2'3" - wow, huge, but it was tiny circle - and then things went downhill. The jumping of a single jump went well, but everything else didn't. Once an in-and-out was added, it just started not going well. I accidently over-bent Sasha going to the left and didn't support her enough with my outside hand, so her haunches swung out a little. She then was insecure because the midget crossrail was RIGHT THERE! and she freaked out and swung around and backed up and bucked. Yeah....my hands were shoved forward and I was was kicking her lightly but to little avail. She eventually went forward, but after that things didn't go well. When they did go well, she was perfect and soft, but every now and then, she would swing her hindquarters out and would ignore my attempts to correct her.

Arg. >.< It was frustrating, but we worked through it. I will admit, it was mostly my fault for over bending her, but she didn't have to back up and buck even when I was squeezing and doing everything I could to get FORWARD movement!

Today's ride was much better. It was just a hack, but my RI hopped on quickly beforehand. He is working on training her so she is quiet. She was so cuddly today, as an fyi. =P I rode her, and she was so nice and quiet and soft. Progress at last! 

Ho-Hum, Normal Week.

Not much happening this week.  I rode last night. It was a pretty decent ride! Well, there was problems getting on. =/ Sash occasionally swings away from the mounting block. Well, my RI was there, so he held Sasha. She sometimes backs up REALLY fast a few steps and then is fine. However, she kept doing this last night. Repeatedly. At one point, it looked like she was over it, so I put my foot in the stirrup and put my weight in it. Well, Sasha decided to FLY back ATM! I was hanging from the saddle going "oh s***!" I ended up slipping my foot out from the stirrup and dropping down. I think she is wary of my RI sometimes because he smokes [not around the horses] and so he smells like smoke sometimes. I know, I know, it's really bad, but it's his decision.

After that, Sasha was good. Nice and soft. I was letting her stretch down and out to get her to relax. I think she was trying to take advantage of this because she would stretch down, I'd loosen the reins and lower my hands, and then she would quicken. The one only not so great part of my ride was when I tried to canter the second direction. No matter what way, the second way she is always a little "up." I softened the reins and squeezed her forward lightly, and she eagerly sprung up in the air and did these weird giant, high canter strides lol. Other than that and a few quick moments, I think we are making progress. Sasha was soft, round, and relaxed.

Three good, three bad, right?

So, I had three good lessons, then three bad. Hopefully that means three [or four or five or infinity?!] good lessons are on their way!


Friday's lesson = not good. Sasha was rushing everything and being a little b i t c h. I ended up getting off half way through and my riding instructor whopped her butt [not literally] and got right up in her face for rushing and pulling around. He backed her up a few times, and gosh, she was pissy about it! She would FLY backward with her ears pinned and head up! I thought she would trip or fall backward!


I got back on. Sasha still was a little annoyed and showing it, but we ended up jumping 2'9"ish in an in and out off a diagonal, and I'm still alive to tell the tale. =] That has to account for something, right?!


Today's lesson....was very iffy. She was pretty obnoxious, not as bad as Friday, but still pushy over fences. My life didn't feel like it was in mortal peril this time, so that's good ha ha. There were a lot of horses cantering around and jumping and stuff, which was making her tense, which didn't help keep me calm either. =[


Oh, and I learned I can't go to St. Clement's this year. Financial stuff. Waah. =[ But I'll still be going to Northampton Hunter/Jumper Show in MA in August. Only problem is, that means I'm missing the big charity horse show. No way that I'm bringing Sasha for 3 days to MA then haul her butt back up here and show her the day after in another fairly stressful show. I'll probably give her a good two days off with hosing down and handwalking after Northampton. She's never shown at that level or for that long. She did HITS Saugerties, but that isn't a three and a half hour haul.


ALSO! My barn is going to host Outreach Medals, which are state-wide medal classes that are 2'/2'3"-3'3". I'll be doing "Silver" level - 2'6". Hey, I can pretend to do the bigeq without actually jumping 3'6" and spending $1000+ per weekend, right?


...no? Whatever, it's one step closer to my goal of doing that. If I even just trot into that Oncourse/Maclay ring one day, I may faint from pure joy!


Tomorrow is Valentine's Day! That means carrot crunchies/"Sasha's Treat!" and maybe a long hug for Ms. Sasha!


<3 you all my stalkers.!


-Cruce

Fake it till you feel it

That's my new motto. Sounds cheesy, but it works. When I ride, I think of this motto. Basically, I think to myself "Alright. I'm riding a completely obedient, well trained quiet horse that listens to my half halts. You can handle anything she throws at you, but she won't because Sasha's amazingly obedient." It isn't true; it's far from true. Yet, it works. I was riding Sasha yesterday and it was fairly busy. Sasha was a little quick at first, and I felt like I wasn't riding to the best of my ability [which isn't much, but meh.] I started thinking this, and wonder upon wonder! Sasha stretched down, accepted the bit, let out a snort, relaxed, and softened. I was amazed! Sure, she wasn't "push-button," but it was amazing the difference!

I think I'll go riding tonight. I can't ide for long/it's really cold, but I think I'll be adventuress and try some bareback riding. Hopefully I won't die. It will probably only be walking ATM because I don't think she's ever been ridden bareback. =]

Nothing like easing into the show year. =]

I rode today. I lunged Sasha quickly for about 10 minutes, then hopped on. She was pretty good, a little bratty at times. She tried to take off at the canter one way and was resistant to bending at the canter the other, but pretty good nonetheless. We worked on cavalettis, and she was PERFECT!

I've decided that my horse is accident prone. She somehow gave herself a small cut on her right hock. -eye roll- Of course she did. Sasha's an idiot. =P I think that she cut herself on some ice. There's a lot of ice, and she can be silly sometimes. Oh, and most of the gates have little ice droplets on them.

In other news: I looked at the show schedule again. There's a show at Skidmore College on February 27, but Sasha and I haven't even STARTED thinking about courses! I had a dream last night [really weird] that was a mix of Black Swan [I was watching trailers + clips yesterday], and then being told to go ride in French class. Hmm. There was this huge wide jump that was a mixture of poles and...pillows? that we had to jump, but I misjudged how big it was and Sasha and I fell but it was okay because it was pillows. She didn't hurt me. We were doing courses, though, and she was really good. Let's hope that mirrors reality. I cantered a 2'6" oxer with her when trying her out and she seemed better cantering jumps then trotting. =]

Anyways, back on topic. The next shows are March 20 then March 27. I WAS planning to go to the March 27 show - then I found out that I was away that week. =[ Next show?

May 3-8, then May 11-15.

Guess what big show in capital area NY it is. Just guess.

Yep, that's St. Clement's. I've never been before, and I haven't done such large "A" shows before. It's always been the slightly quieter "A" shows or local shows. So, I'll be riding a horse I've never shown at a place I've never been at a level I've never shown at. [Wow, that was appalling grammar.] But hey! It will be fun! Right?! AND I get to miss school! Whoot! Whoot!

<3 Cruce

Grrr.....Nature.

Sasha's in heat. That has...um....fun results.

Let's just say yesterday's lesson consisted of cross-rails. Just cross-rails. She decided it was HILARIOUS to prance sideways around the turn then ignore my hand and charge around after the jump shaking her head. No, she is not in pain. It was -sooooo- fun. Sarcasm intended. My RI was just like "....Let's not fight her hormones and just do cross-rails."

I was GOING to ride today, but stupid bipolar New York weather didn't let me. The day started out mid-20s, and Sash had her heavy weight on, and she was a decent heat. Well. I had a friend who's into horses hang around the barn with me today. I decided to ride later with my mom so she wasn't bored.

Well. Half way through the day, the snow turns to rain and it's now mid 30s. I get to the barn, Sasha is soaked. Yay. I pull her blanket off, and steam comes off her. Sasha is now sticky, wet, steaming, and cold somehow at the same time. I don't want a colicky horse, so I throw her fake Baker as well as her real Baker sheet on her and I lead her around.

TWO HOURS LATER she only is a little chilled, so I put her midweight on. Ugh. It took TWO HOURS to get her dry. TWO HOURS of walking. >.< I hoped I walked her energy out. =P

Not a fun evening. Then, my brother drags the family to Outback Steak house, which isn't vegetarian friendly. I had a small plate of French fries for dinner. So filling.

Should have fun stories after my lesson tomorrow.

FYE.

Isn't that a store? Whatever.

Here you go. For your entertainment. Ignore the video quality/my voice.

I wasn't able to see Sasha today, but my mom [a vet] said that her cut is healing and it looks like a piece of dried meat. Um...good? I suppose? 

Piccy of the baby girl.

You can see where she ripped off the skin, on the inside of her leg, just above her left knee. =[

TTYL stalkers that don't exist. <3

=[ Sasha's hurt.

Not badly, but I still feel terrible.


She was playing in the indoor arena, goofing around. Then, we brought in Noodle, my friend's horse. There was the usually kicking and squealing, but then they ran around and played. The indoor has a unstable stall guard attached to a lead rope on a broken hook eye over the entrance. My friend and I moved the mounting block and we were standing on it next to the door.


Long story short, Sasha tried bashing the stall gaurd - miraculously, it didn't work, so she jumped it and tore off a piece of skin on the inside of her leg above her knee. It's not bad, but I feel terrible. My mom told me to put the mouning block in front of the door but I ignored her.


I caught Sasha - she just went down the arn aisle - and lunged and rode her lightly. She wasn't lame, but I bet her cut stings. =[ She was pretty good during the ride though.


If YouTube ever uploads my video, you'll get a quick clip of Sasha "spooking" and leting out a huge bucl. Pictures are coming later tonight, but I need to eat dinner and write a 5 paragraph history essay for tomorrow. Oops.