So life has been interesting. Sasha has been schooling fairly well since her surgery, so I brought her to a show two weeks ago. She schooled super quietly, and everything was good. We hung out for a while, she ate hay, and drank, etc., everything was good. I go in for a schooling hunter round. She cantered off fairly quietly, and we headed to the first jump. I felt her tense up when I went to it, so I collect her to it but keep my leg on. She stops. Oh well, kinda my fault for boxing her up to much to it. I circle, and she grabs the bit and runs to it. I get her back under control, and ride up to the next jump - a single oxer. I rode up very aggressively to it, and the distance was right there. Yup. She stops. I get annoyed, and circle out and jump it. I do a diagonal line, and then ride up to another line. Again, I ride her up aggressively, the distance was there, she stopped. I reached back and smacked her with my hand. I finish the course, with her fighting the whole way around. The rest of the course was decent, but it was a struggle.
I get off, and swap her from a Happy Mouth D-Ring to a full cheek Dr. Bristol. She was a little better, but it was still a struggle for the next two courses. I then put her in a stall, figuring that maybe she needs to pee. Yep. I get back on, and she is still awful. I got her over the course with decent distances twice, and I somehow got a third and a fourth? Uhh. My last course for hunters was going extremely well, and I turned to go up the last line. She started rushing, so I sat down and lifted my hands. I softened a stride out. She prepared to take off for the first jump of the line, then suddenly stopped. I fell onto her neck, and I was staring at the flowers on the jump going "I am not falling off, there is no way I'm falling off..." I got back into the saddle, and finished the course.
Then, it was eq flat time. Yay. I took her martingale on, and she started walking off when I got on her.I lightly closed my fingers, and she flipped her head back extremely had and far, and then started prancing around, and flipping her head back if I closed my fingers or did anything with my hands at all. I then turned to my trainer and said I didn't think that the flat class was a great idea. He said that once she got moving she would be fine. Oh well. I went to walk into the arena. She threw a fit, back up and hopping. Normally, I can get her to snap out of it pretty quickly, but nothing I did convinced her to go forward, and we nearly wiped out a few people. >.< Anyways, by the time I got into the arena, we were both tense, worked up, and upset. Yeah, not going to go well. After a tense walk and trot, it was time to canter. First, she refused to pick up her canter. Then, she freaked out and leapt into it. I got her to settle it somewhat, and we went around. They asked for a walk. I sat down and back, lifted my hands, and said "whooaaa." She started hopping in place, flipping her head. My trainer looked at me and went "just bring her out." I (somehow) got her to settle and just walked out of the arena. I scratched my hunter U/S.
Then my trainer and mom proposed that I get another horse. It has been over a year since I bought her, and she'll school perfectly and then go to a show and lose her mind. After some convincing and tears I agreed.
Long story short, I found this horse, Pete. I brought him home Saturday as a lease. The problem is, Pete is for sale. He is a cheap, fairly nice horse that packs around and is bombproof. His owner wants him sold. Therefore, if I want to ride him this year, I have to buy him. My parents, trainer, and I, all like him. Thus, we decided to buy him. I am going to ride him and Sasha all year. Sasha will not show at all this year. She will stay at the barn and grow up, and there will be no pressure on her or me. At the end of the year, I have to sell her or Pete.
I think it will be Pete. He is perfect as a 2'6" horse (really, REALLY l-a-z-y though!) but he doesn't have a big jump in him like Sash does.
But yeah, it's just a lot to deal with atm. =/
Monday, March 12, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
6 days down, 15 to go.
Yes, that is the count until I can ride Sasha! =)
I visited her Monday night, and gosh, she was so cute! I got there, and she saw me and came up to the front of her stall, ears pricked, very happy to see me. I turned her out in the indoor. At my old barn, she would always pull back, rear, and go crazy when I went to turn her out, so I would have to lead her out of the arena, walk her in circles, etc., until she was calm when I went to take her halter off. This time, I reached up to take her halter off, unbuckled it with no reaction, and she stood for a second and then loped off.
She rolled , cantered around the arena once, and then came up to me. I started jogging, and she trotted after me. I stopped, she stopped dead. No lead rope, halter, nothing. She's so cute <3
Anyways, I lessoned on this appaloosa pony last night at my old barn. She was very good. She was a little resistant to my aids at first, but by the end, she was rounding up, going on the bit, and responding to a twitch of my finger or a light nudge with my leg. She is such a good girl. I only did a tiny little in and out, the last jump was only 2'3", 2'6". She was so good, super honest!
I visited her Monday night, and gosh, she was so cute! I got there, and she saw me and came up to the front of her stall, ears pricked, very happy to see me. I turned her out in the indoor. At my old barn, she would always pull back, rear, and go crazy when I went to turn her out, so I would have to lead her out of the arena, walk her in circles, etc., until she was calm when I went to take her halter off. This time, I reached up to take her halter off, unbuckled it with no reaction, and she stood for a second and then loped off.
She rolled , cantered around the arena once, and then came up to me. I started jogging, and she trotted after me. I stopped, she stopped dead. No lead rope, halter, nothing. She's so cute <3
Anyways, I lessoned on this appaloosa pony last night at my old barn. She was very good. She was a little resistant to my aids at first, but by the end, she was rounding up, going on the bit, and responding to a twitch of my finger or a light nudge with my leg. She is such a good girl. I only did a tiny little in and out, the last jump was only 2'3", 2'6". She was so good, super honest!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Tooth Updates!
The Lash-Ma is back from Cornell!
My parents brought her home yesterday, because I was at the end of year banquet, which was soo fun!
Turns out, she had an abcess under her diseased and extremely deformed molar...Yeahh, only Sash. She can't have sugar anymore, because some of her other teeth are messed up. I'm set to ride her in about 3 weeks! Yayy!
My parents brought her home yesterday, because I was at the end of year banquet, which was soo fun!
Turns out, she had an abcess under her diseased and extremely deformed molar...Yeahh, only Sash. She can't have sugar anymore, because some of her other teeth are messed up. I'm set to ride her in about 3 weeks! Yayy!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Happpyyy New Yearrr!
Yes. I did it for the 17th time. I disappeared. This is happening way too often. New Year's Resolution? Blog more.
Hiii so a lot has happened. Like a lot. My horse is on her way to Cornell as we speak (I type?) for mouth surgery, (Mum wouldn't let me go) we moved barns, hit our one year anniversary, are back to having awesome lessons, I had to let go and put to sleep my other horse (worst day of my life) and for the most part, that's it.
Let me go in chronological order. So, Sasha and I were having a super rough patch. She was getting extremely strong and fresh, shaking her head and getting quick after jumps. I could handle it and ride her through it, but riding her was becoming a chore, not fun. My trainer started riding her again, and he noticed she was particularly reactive to pressure on the left rein, especially if you picked that hand up high. He suspected a sore tooth or sharp edge, so the vet was called out, since it had been around a year since she last got her teeth floated. Indeed, she had a few somewhat sharp edges, but nothing that would cause such violent reactions. However, an odd lump was discovered on the top left side of her mouth, right around where a wolf tooth would be.
The vet came back out a few days later for x-rays. Indeed, it looked like she had a half submerged wolf tooth; odd, because she is seven. Either way, the vet sedated her, put her in the set up so he could work on the tooth, and got to work. As the vet started working on her, he realized this was more than a trapped wolf tooth. The tooth was practically bonded to her molar, and after an hour and two top ups of sedation and numbing, he decided this was a job for a specialist. He sent Sasha's x-rays to a specialist at Cornell. The specialist said the cause of her problems were the molar behind the wolf tooth, which trapped the wolf tooth, and was causing problems with the molar behind it. Wow. So her molar needs Either way, Sash is having her surgery done tomorrow, and my dad and I are picking her up Monday. Hopefully, this will solve her problems. I can't ride her for 4 - 6 weeks after, but it will be worth it to make her better.
Right. Then, on December 18 (the tooth thing started beginning of December), Sash and I had our one year anniversary <3
Made a video, so watch it, like it, subscribe to me on youtube, the usual (;
Next issue. Sasha moving barns. My old barn was a very busy lesson barn, with lots of kids, horses, and energy at all times. Sasha didn't do well, so I moved her to a quiet 13 stall semi-private barn, where my trainer also teaches. She has been doing sooo much better there, and it's been a week and a half. I moved her January 1. I lessoned Tuesday, and she was perfect, same with the previous 2 lessons.
Right, then Velvet...that was a horrible week. We got a call Monday, December 26th, saying that Velvet was down and acting odd. My mom went out, and sure enough, she was colicking. My mom gave her some mineral oil and banamine, and Velvet was fine and back to eating and drinking. Fine, end of story. Nope, got another call a few hours later, repeat the process. End of story yet? No. Tuesday afternoon, bam, another call. This time, my mom gets the equine doctor to come out. They stomach tubed a ton of mineral oil into her, and Velvet stopped drinking and wouldn't go to the bathroom (impaction colic). My mom slept at the barn overnight, and Velvet seemed happier, and was eating and drinking, but wouldn't go to the bathroom. Wednesday morning, she was brought to the clinic. Wednesday night, it seemed that everything would be fine. She went to the bathroom, got everything out of her system, was rehydrated, everything was fine. Thursday, we were told we could pick her up. Then, we got another call saying, never mind, she's still acting odd, let's hang onto her another day.
Velvet stopped eating. This horse SOMEHOW broke through her field everyday for a week at one point during the summer (no fencing down, gate was sound...jumped? possible.) just to eat some of the grass on the other side. She would eat no matter what...except, apparently not. They x-rayed her mouth, suspicious of a tooth problem. Sure enough, she had a tooth split vertically, and it would require immediate, emergency surgery at Cornell. However, Cornell was closed because of winter break, plus Velvet had cancer, and between that and the colic, we decided to let her be, and give her some peace. December 30, I didn't know you could feel so devastatingly empty. It was awful.
Hiii so a lot has happened. Like a lot. My horse is on her way to Cornell as we speak (I type?) for mouth surgery, (Mum wouldn't let me go) we moved barns, hit our one year anniversary, are back to having awesome lessons, I had to let go and put to sleep my other horse (worst day of my life) and for the most part, that's it.
Let me go in chronological order. So, Sasha and I were having a super rough patch. She was getting extremely strong and fresh, shaking her head and getting quick after jumps. I could handle it and ride her through it, but riding her was becoming a chore, not fun. My trainer started riding her again, and he noticed she was particularly reactive to pressure on the left rein, especially if you picked that hand up high. He suspected a sore tooth or sharp edge, so the vet was called out, since it had been around a year since she last got her teeth floated. Indeed, she had a few somewhat sharp edges, but nothing that would cause such violent reactions. However, an odd lump was discovered on the top left side of her mouth, right around where a wolf tooth would be.
The vet came back out a few days later for x-rays. Indeed, it looked like she had a half submerged wolf tooth; odd, because she is seven. Either way, the vet sedated her, put her in the set up so he could work on the tooth, and got to work. As the vet started working on her, he realized this was more than a trapped wolf tooth. The tooth was practically bonded to her molar, and after an hour and two top ups of sedation and numbing, he decided this was a job for a specialist. He sent Sasha's x-rays to a specialist at Cornell. The specialist said the cause of her problems were the molar behind the wolf tooth, which trapped the wolf tooth, and was causing problems with the molar behind it. Wow. So her molar needs Either way, Sash is having her surgery done tomorrow, and my dad and I are picking her up Monday. Hopefully, this will solve her problems. I can't ride her for 4 - 6 weeks after, but it will be worth it to make her better.
Right. Then, on December 18 (the tooth thing started beginning of December), Sash and I had our one year anniversary <3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvBxp6SL7_E
Made a video, so watch it, like it, subscribe to me on youtube, the usual (;
Next issue. Sasha moving barns. My old barn was a very busy lesson barn, with lots of kids, horses, and energy at all times. Sasha didn't do well, so I moved her to a quiet 13 stall semi-private barn, where my trainer also teaches. She has been doing sooo much better there, and it's been a week and a half. I moved her January 1. I lessoned Tuesday, and she was perfect, same with the previous 2 lessons.
Right, then Velvet...that was a horrible week. We got a call Monday, December 26th, saying that Velvet was down and acting odd. My mom went out, and sure enough, she was colicking. My mom gave her some mineral oil and banamine, and Velvet was fine and back to eating and drinking. Fine, end of story. Nope, got another call a few hours later, repeat the process. End of story yet? No. Tuesday afternoon, bam, another call. This time, my mom gets the equine doctor to come out. They stomach tubed a ton of mineral oil into her, and Velvet stopped drinking and wouldn't go to the bathroom (impaction colic). My mom slept at the barn overnight, and Velvet seemed happier, and was eating and drinking, but wouldn't go to the bathroom. Wednesday morning, she was brought to the clinic. Wednesday night, it seemed that everything would be fine. She went to the bathroom, got everything out of her system, was rehydrated, everything was fine. Thursday, we were told we could pick her up. Then, we got another call saying, never mind, she's still acting odd, let's hang onto her another day.
Velvet stopped eating. This horse SOMEHOW broke through her field everyday for a week at one point during the summer (no fencing down, gate was sound...jumped? possible.) just to eat some of the grass on the other side. She would eat no matter what...except, apparently not. They x-rayed her mouth, suspicious of a tooth problem. Sure enough, she had a tooth split vertically, and it would require immediate, emergency surgery at Cornell. However, Cornell was closed because of winter break, plus Velvet had cancer, and between that and the colic, we decided to let her be, and give her some peace. December 30, I didn't know you could feel so devastatingly empty. It was awful.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Lol, my horse is a mare.
Sasha was interesting at the last show.
She stepped of the trailer super relaxed, and she seemed very mellow. She schooled perfectly, and when we showed, our first round started out perfectly. It was a tricky course, and she was nailing it. Well, until the long approach to an oxer. Three strides out, she sucked back against my leg, so I closed it but not enough, and she stopped. Circled back around, jumped it, continued on our way. Perfect after that. Of course. So I got 5th in the class (half the horses refused, I was the "top" refusal lol) I figured, alright, she's being good, next course is our time. Nope, she got really strong and obnoxious, we left a stride out of a line, and she fought the whole time. Yayy, bit swap time.
My trainer tried to change her bit in the little waiting area. She flipped out and was backing up and rearing. Of course. Eventually we got her in her full cheek and then she settled down. However, she was swinging her butt out and backing up randomly in the waiting area, and all the horses gave us a large clearance zone lol! Our next two courses were a little better, but we didn't place in either of them. The last course we definately should have placed (quiet, all distances + changes, placed below horses that broke and were not pretty jumpers/movers), but the judging was super weird. Oh well.
In the eq flat, the first direction was a little fast, but the second direction was perfect, and my eq was good. I pinned 6th. Under people who's horse was bucking and crow hopping the whole way around. Woww. The hunter U/S had 13 horses in it. It was perfect until halfway through the last canter. A horse charged up bucking behind us, and Sasha freaked out and took off. Ohh boy. I was so so mad, I thought we bombed it. I placed 5th? Um, alright...not going to complain, but I so didn't deserve that!
Oh, and my lesson Friday was epic. I did a line around to a diagonal in and out. She was perfect through the line, but really strong through the in and out. Well. We jumped into the line, and she landed crosscantering. I couldn't figure out what she was doing until 3 strides out from the other jump (6 stride line) and so I half halted her a little late. She swapped her lead, and by then our distance was shot. I should have gone for the long spot. Instead, we got an itty bitty little chip, and she was practically under the jump. She stopped, slid into the jump, threw her head up and backed up. I was on her side with one foot in the stirrup and the other practically dragging on the ground. I knew I was either going to fall painfully or I could just sort of step off. I chose option two, and I got right back on and did it again.
She was perfect in my lesson Saturday. I'm going to just hack her around tonight, and I have a lesson tomorrow. Yay, funness.
It's been a crazy year. So many ups and downs, highs and lows. At the beginning of the year and this blog, I wouldn't canter her on my own. Now, we're showing 2'6" semi successfully. This year was all about getting her quiet and relaxed. I didn't care about ribbons, yet I ended up 5th in both my 2' divisions, and 4th in Open Pleasures even though I've done it twice. It's been a crazy journey, but it's only just started. I have several good years left to show with this horse, and it's only going to get better. We've both grown up and improved so much this year, and we've taught each other so much. She's taught me to be so much more confident with bad behavior in the ground and in the saddle, and my riding has improved so much. I've taught her to relax and quiet down, and that life isn't a race. I can't wait for what next year will bring.
Until next time,
Cruce<3
She stepped of the trailer super relaxed, and she seemed very mellow. She schooled perfectly, and when we showed, our first round started out perfectly. It was a tricky course, and she was nailing it. Well, until the long approach to an oxer. Three strides out, she sucked back against my leg, so I closed it but not enough, and she stopped. Circled back around, jumped it, continued on our way. Perfect after that. Of course. So I got 5th in the class (half the horses refused, I was the "top" refusal lol) I figured, alright, she's being good, next course is our time. Nope, she got really strong and obnoxious, we left a stride out of a line, and she fought the whole time. Yayy, bit swap time.
My trainer tried to change her bit in the little waiting area. She flipped out and was backing up and rearing. Of course. Eventually we got her in her full cheek and then she settled down. However, she was swinging her butt out and backing up randomly in the waiting area, and all the horses gave us a large clearance zone lol! Our next two courses were a little better, but we didn't place in either of them. The last course we definately should have placed (quiet, all distances + changes, placed below horses that broke and were not pretty jumpers/movers), but the judging was super weird. Oh well.
In the eq flat, the first direction was a little fast, but the second direction was perfect, and my eq was good. I pinned 6th. Under people who's horse was bucking and crow hopping the whole way around. Woww. The hunter U/S had 13 horses in it. It was perfect until halfway through the last canter. A horse charged up bucking behind us, and Sasha freaked out and took off. Ohh boy. I was so so mad, I thought we bombed it. I placed 5th? Um, alright...not going to complain, but I so didn't deserve that!
Oh, and my lesson Friday was epic. I did a line around to a diagonal in and out. She was perfect through the line, but really strong through the in and out. Well. We jumped into the line, and she landed crosscantering. I couldn't figure out what she was doing until 3 strides out from the other jump (6 stride line) and so I half halted her a little late. She swapped her lead, and by then our distance was shot. I should have gone for the long spot. Instead, we got an itty bitty little chip, and she was practically under the jump. She stopped, slid into the jump, threw her head up and backed up. I was on her side with one foot in the stirrup and the other practically dragging on the ground. I knew I was either going to fall painfully or I could just sort of step off. I chose option two, and I got right back on and did it again.
She was perfect in my lesson Saturday. I'm going to just hack her around tonight, and I have a lesson tomorrow. Yay, funness.
It's been a crazy year. So many ups and downs, highs and lows. At the beginning of the year and this blog, I wouldn't canter her on my own. Now, we're showing 2'6" semi successfully. This year was all about getting her quiet and relaxed. I didn't care about ribbons, yet I ended up 5th in both my 2' divisions, and 4th in Open Pleasures even though I've done it twice. It's been a crazy journey, but it's only just started. I have several good years left to show with this horse, and it's only going to get better. We've both grown up and improved so much this year, and we've taught each other so much. She's taught me to be so much more confident with bad behavior in the ground and in the saddle, and my riding has improved so much. I've taught her to relax and quiet down, and that life isn't a race. I can't wait for what next year will bring.
Until next time,
Cruce<3
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
...Well it's been a while!!
Hey everyone! I've been around. (; So anyways. So so much has happened! Sasha has been so perfect at shows lately, and we've moved up to 2'6". I've jumped her up to 3'6" in my lessons a few times, and she jumps it so effortlessly! She just canters to it, hops over, canters away without a second thought. I've ridden her with no hands: literally just dropped the reins and steered with my seat and legs. She has been amazing. I was reading through all my old blogs a while ago, and it's amazing how far we've come. This is the horse I was scared to trot and canter on my own, and here we are, cantering with no hands and jumping stirrupless (oh yeah, jumped stirrupless the other week.)
Here in New York, we have already had snow, and she's been wearing her light/midweight blanket. Yeah. I'm not sure if anyone's noticed, but it's barely November. She's already worn a midweight.
She was a little fresh last week, but I was really really busy and couldn't ride her a lot. =/ So I feel bad. I have a show Sunday at Skidmore College, last one of the year! The official "finals" (Eq only) were the other weekend. She was awful my first round; tense, running through my hand, not responsive to any aids, etc. She got swapped into her full cheek after being in a single jointed eggbutt for a while, and we shortened her martingale a hole. She responded a lot better, and I won the round. Then there was the "classic" round. I got a first round score of 75.5 and I was in the lead until the last person who got a 76. Yep. Well they decided to test. Sasha completely missed a change, which she has NEVER done, and then she wouldn't stop when I asked her to, which dropped us from 2nd to 3rd. I was really mad. >=( Then the person in front of us in the victory gallop wouldn't go faster than a lazy canter, and I wanted to go, but couldn't.
So yeah. She was perfect in my lesson last week -- shocking, because it was on a Wednesday and she hadn't been ridden since the show Sunday. We did a line because that was all that was set up in the arena, and then did a rollback to the second jump, which was 3'. She practically stepped over it. We did the same thing Saturday, but it was barely 2' because I was riding with my friends who have very green horses. She was really strong, but it was (hardly) kept under control.
My life, ttyl <3
Here in New York, we have already had snow, and she's been wearing her light/midweight blanket. Yeah. I'm not sure if anyone's noticed, but it's barely November. She's already worn a midweight.
She was a little fresh last week, but I was really really busy and couldn't ride her a lot. =/ So I feel bad. I have a show Sunday at Skidmore College, last one of the year! The official "finals" (Eq only) were the other weekend. She was awful my first round; tense, running through my hand, not responsive to any aids, etc. She got swapped into her full cheek after being in a single jointed eggbutt for a while, and we shortened her martingale a hole. She responded a lot better, and I won the round. Then there was the "classic" round. I got a first round score of 75.5 and I was in the lead until the last person who got a 76. Yep. Well they decided to test. Sasha completely missed a change, which she has NEVER done, and then she wouldn't stop when I asked her to, which dropped us from 2nd to 3rd. I was really mad. >=( Then the person in front of us in the victory gallop wouldn't go faster than a lazy canter, and I wanted to go, but couldn't.
So yeah. She was perfect in my lesson last week -- shocking, because it was on a Wednesday and she hadn't been ridden since the show Sunday. We did a line because that was all that was set up in the arena, and then did a rollback to the second jump, which was 3'. She practically stepped over it. We did the same thing Saturday, but it was barely 2' because I was riding with my friends who have very green horses. She was really strong, but it was (hardly) kept under control.
My life, ttyl <3
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Hey hey heyyyy!
So, I'm baaaaaaaaack!
Right. My first ride back was oh so interesting. ;) So I get on and am a little wobbly, I can't post right, etc, but it got better after a while. Sasha was really good considering I was flopping like a fish! Her canter felt soooo nice, my trainer said she has been really really good. It was quiet, but I could feel the impulsion and her pushing from her hind end.
I decide to pop over a few jumps. She's pretty good, so I decide to do a line. Well. I do it, she rushes a little, not badly, and we land and turn sharply because someone is on the rail there. I lean a little, and Sasha cuts in really fast and shakes her head and goes faster. I half fall off, but then pull myself back in the saddle, then all of a sudden I fly off. That was stupid. I hit really hard, and had the wind knocked out of me pretty badly. I was lying there moaning and I just couldn't stop! After I catch my breath, I get back on and do another jump. She was awesome, so I called it quits. OH! My friend was recording me on her iPhone and caught the fall! So I need to see if I can get that up.
The next day I have a lesson, and it went fairly well. I did a diagonal line and jumped a 2'6" oxer. She was pretty quiet, she got a little fast at one point but then settled down. It was raining, and she treated the rain like bugs and was shaking her ears and swishing her tail.
I rode her three days ago in my new monogrammed baby pad =) and it was pouring. I rode inside, and I couldn't get her to move! Not literally, but she kept breaking at the canter and I had to squeeze really hard. I ended up making her canter a really fast circle and then I just took my leg off and got a normal canter.
I rode in the mud two days ago. I trotted and cantered her over one of those little flower things that go under jumps, and she kept trying to go around it, but I didn't let her. I cantered her in a circle with one hand, and she was really good!
Yesterday, she was in the peak of her heat, which is when the backing up + rearing + bad refusals always happen. Also, the footing was a little slippery from the mud which makes her quick sometimes, the gate was open because a camp was visiting my barn for a field trip and they were getting pony rides, and the kids not getting pony rides were watching me ride and whooping and screaming every time I landed from a jump. Guess what? She was the best she has ever been. I put her in Noodle's (my friend's horse) bit as my trainer asked, and she was really good. It was a double jointed Happy Mouth D ring. She was going in a Korsteel Full Cheek Dr. Bristol before. I was amazed at the difference! She only got slightly quick twice, after a diagonal going home while doing a lead change in the middle of a mud puddle, and she hates going through puddles. I did a line to a single diagonal and jumped around 2'9", but it was really built up -- lots of poles.
=)) So I went to the local tack shop today and got her a D-Ring Happy Mouth (my mom calls it a baby bit lol), as well as new breeches (ripped a pair the other day -- snagged on my safety stirrup while I was dismounting! Oops!), a leather halter [spoiled myself!], a black lead rope (not paying $30 for a leather LEAD ROPE), more supplements, braiding bands so her mane lays flat for braiding next week, my mom ordered me one of those horse bracelets for my birthday in 3 weeks, and I think that's it. Yeah.
I'm riding later on today. Ugh, I have to do 14 stalls tomorrow, and I did 8 last Saturday (and next as well) and 8 on Tuesday. I'm at a show Wednesday - Sunday next week and am trying to pay it off. Sasha is also getting "married" tomorrow! Awww my baby is all grown up! You know what this means -- cake and carrot crunchies!
Right. My first ride back was oh so interesting. ;) So I get on and am a little wobbly, I can't post right, etc, but it got better after a while. Sasha was really good considering I was flopping like a fish! Her canter felt soooo nice, my trainer said she has been really really good. It was quiet, but I could feel the impulsion and her pushing from her hind end.
I decide to pop over a few jumps. She's pretty good, so I decide to do a line. Well. I do it, she rushes a little, not badly, and we land and turn sharply because someone is on the rail there. I lean a little, and Sasha cuts in really fast and shakes her head and goes faster. I half fall off, but then pull myself back in the saddle, then all of a sudden I fly off. That was stupid. I hit really hard, and had the wind knocked out of me pretty badly. I was lying there moaning and I just couldn't stop! After I catch my breath, I get back on and do another jump. She was awesome, so I called it quits. OH! My friend was recording me on her iPhone and caught the fall! So I need to see if I can get that up.
The next day I have a lesson, and it went fairly well. I did a diagonal line and jumped a 2'6" oxer. She was pretty quiet, she got a little fast at one point but then settled down. It was raining, and she treated the rain like bugs and was shaking her ears and swishing her tail.
I rode her three days ago in my new monogrammed baby pad =) and it was pouring. I rode inside, and I couldn't get her to move! Not literally, but she kept breaking at the canter and I had to squeeze really hard. I ended up making her canter a really fast circle and then I just took my leg off and got a normal canter.
I rode in the mud two days ago. I trotted and cantered her over one of those little flower things that go under jumps, and she kept trying to go around it, but I didn't let her. I cantered her in a circle with one hand, and she was really good!
Yesterday, she was in the peak of her heat, which is when the backing up + rearing + bad refusals always happen. Also, the footing was a little slippery from the mud which makes her quick sometimes, the gate was open because a camp was visiting my barn for a field trip and they were getting pony rides, and the kids not getting pony rides were watching me ride and whooping and screaming every time I landed from a jump. Guess what? She was the best she has ever been. I put her in Noodle's (my friend's horse) bit as my trainer asked, and she was really good. It was a double jointed Happy Mouth D ring. She was going in a Korsteel Full Cheek Dr. Bristol before. I was amazed at the difference! She only got slightly quick twice, after a diagonal going home while doing a lead change in the middle of a mud puddle, and she hates going through puddles. I did a line to a single diagonal and jumped around 2'9", but it was really built up -- lots of poles.
=)) So I went to the local tack shop today and got her a D-Ring Happy Mouth (my mom calls it a baby bit lol), as well as new breeches (ripped a pair the other day -- snagged on my safety stirrup while I was dismounting! Oops!), a leather halter [spoiled myself!], a black lead rope (not paying $30 for a leather LEAD ROPE), more supplements, braiding bands so her mane lays flat for braiding next week, my mom ordered me one of those horse bracelets for my birthday in 3 weeks, and I think that's it. Yeah.
I'm riding later on today. Ugh, I have to do 14 stalls tomorrow, and I did 8 last Saturday (and next as well) and 8 on Tuesday. I'm at a show Wednesday - Sunday next week and am trying to pay it off. Sasha is also getting "married" tomorrow! Awww my baby is all grown up! You know what this means -- cake and carrot crunchies!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Vacayyyytion
Yeah, I'm currently in the Outer Banks...no riding for me until the 11th haha!
Sasha update: Well, I had just been doing the normal, just hacking her and having lessons, and they were going fairly well until last Tuesday. She decided to be a witch, and not listen. When I half-halted in a line, she would fling her head up and rock back, then launch forward again obnoxiously. This escalated into her backing up randomly and shying away violently a few strides away from the jumps. When I would turn to circle her, she would resist then suddenly wheel around in a mini-rear and charge off. She was so obnoxious haha. I know I started it, but if she gets a little tense and does something wrong and you correct her too harshly, she will suddenly go downhill and be awful.
Of course, after this one awful day she decided to be PERFECT. She's always like that. If she/we have an awful day, she will be perfect for the next week. So after that day, it was really hot. I had to ride in the indoor. The horses got their hooves done Thursday morning, and I hacked her bareback after for 15 minutes. Our canter didn't go so well. >.< It wasn't awful, but she was a little fast and it took a circle to get it under control lol. There were a few "oh sh-" strides where I thought she was GONE and then she would settle haha!
Friday in my lesson, things were back to normal. I started riding like I normally do (I went through a week/phase where everything just felt...off. She wasn't as soft as normal, and I felt like a complete beginner again.) Well, I did lots of flatwork in my Friday lesson, and just did an in and out in the indoor. It was like 95oF out and humid. I only jumped up to 2'3", 2'6", but it felt PERFECT! My instructor and I were talking about it and we agreed that if she's quiet and it's hot, what's the point in proving we can go any higher? He said she can jump 3'6" any day, but why bother if I'm about to faint off her from heat exhaustion? =P
I rode around Saturday morning and did a lot of transitions and flexibility and bending exercises, and popped her through the in and out. I then left for vacation! I already missed her by 12 o' clock on Saturday. I left the barn at 11:30....I have my trainer riding her every few days, friends giving her treats, sending me pics of her, and free lunging her for me. Oh, and my trainer says his goal is to have Sasha ready to do the 2'6" when I get back. She can easily step over the height, but whether she can get around a course at a show CALMLY is the real question. Honestly, I feel that when it's not a baby baby jump she listens better. The next show is a week after I get back, a charity/benefit show. I'm pumped! I am going to work my butt off the week before. After that, the next show is a four day thing, then a handful of local shows, and then the Skidmore Finals! I am so excited for next year, I think she will be so responsive and good.
Oh, and Colby updates: Apparently, he's an awesome trail horse, just needs arena work. He got a few days off after doing a lot of trails last Saturday, and I didn't really have a lot of time/energy to ride him after that, but I'll keep working with him when I get back a little.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Fun stuff.
Helping out with my barn's camp is tedious haha.
Now that that's out of the way....
So there is a girl from Sasha's old barn who has been helping with my barn's camp [still not sure why...whatever haha]. Well, she rode Sasha a lot and was going to lease her if I hadn't bought her. I let her ride Sasha a little today, and they were both so good! ^^ I hacked Sasha a little before she got on, and it was raining on and off. Sasha was pretty good, I did some no stirrups work, and cantered her over some ground poles, nothing fancy.
Well, here comes the funny part. The girl who rode Sash and I were talking about how fun it would be to buy a green pony, put some miles on it, then resell it. We were talking about this while going through a pasture to grab some horses for the campers. There's this cute little four year old 14.1 ish bay gelding that was munching grass next to the horses we were getting. She goes "awww he's so cute!" I go "That's Colby, he doesn't really do anything." We instantly stare at each other because BAM! that's our pony! We won't buy or resell, but he's definately my project. Apparently, he bucked a buch of people off [no, really, he was barely broken in -facepalm-] I talked with the barn owner, and she's thrilled if I get him going a little. I rode him today, and it was interesting. We let him run around in the indoor, and then I went to tack him up. The saddle goes on without a fuss, and then comes the bridle. Well....that was interesting. He flipped out and started spinning around in the stall because he's so touchy about his ears and face. That will need to be worked on. I eventually remembered what we did with a horse at my old barn that had the same issue, just not as bad. We took off the noseband and browband, and so it was just the bit, the crownpiece, and the throatlatch. We [my friend helped] unbuckled the side, then flipped it over his ears and refastened it.
I bring him into the indoor arena, because he is awful in the outdoor. I start basically from scratch. I lay over his back, etc. I get on with my friend walking him, and then he was fine. I then have her let go, and I just walk for about 10 minutes. He was super green, needing big opening reins and very basic aids. After a while, I make my friend come walk/jog next to me for a trot. Again, he was being so good that I had her let go and I just trotted THE FREAKING MOST COMFY HORSE EVER around a few times, then reverse etc. It was a pretty short ride, but I want to take it really slowly with him.
Yeah. So you will get Sasha and Colby updates. He is honestly the cutest little thing, probably a Morgan or Arab cross, dark bay, long mane, gorgeous head.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Show News! And awesome lesson!
I promised I'd be a better updater!
Anyways. So Saturday comes around, and we're shipping Sasha and a friend's horse to the show. My instructor was supposed to be at the barn anyways, and he was going to make sure the horses got on without a fuss.
After a while of waiting, we call him. Turns out, the car he's had for two days broke down. Yeah. So he was carless. He is currently using my dad's car haha. So, we decide to load without him. I get Sasha on the trailer without a fuss, she just walks right in. The second horse, Music, would not go in second, as we later discovered. So we unload Sash, open up the partition, and eventually get Music on. We then try to put Sasha on, who also doesn't want to go in second. The whole thing took about 30, 40 minutes. -.- Oh well. We get the show grounds, and I have a lesson. That was, um, interesting. Normally Sasha doesn't care about new places, but she went berserk. She was spooking, fresh, backing up for no reason, flipping her head up in the air, and not listening AT ALL. My trainer ended up getting on her for a little bit she was so obnoxious. I was considering not showing at that point.
I do all my show prep anyways because we figured she might settle down by the next day. What do you know, she's perfectly quiet in the schooling ring. I had trainers that saw her Saturday ask if I drugged her. No, actually, I didn't thanks for asking. I got four thirds, a fourth, a first, and $10 from my stakes class. She was really strong one round, and started flipping her head up really badly and getting fresh, so her martingale got shortened a few holes. I'm quite happy, actually. I almost wonder if she was in heat because she was slightly obnoxious for a few days before the show. She wasn't awful, but she felt a little off from her normal way of going.
Right, so she got Monday off, and then I had a lesson today. It was awesome. I rode with Chiara and Noodle and one of my barn friends who just bought a super cute OTTB a week ago. She's a little green and has little jumping experience, but she's an awesome mover and can JUMP. Right, so the lesson started with some flatwork, then cavalettis. After going through those, a little crossrail was added at the end. Then, and in and out, then a triple, then a four jump gymnastic. Eventually, Chiara and I were just riding, and the girl with the OTTB stopped so that we could jump higher. It was so fun. The first jump was just a regular, meh crossrail, to a slightly bigger crossrail, to a 2'9"/3' vertical, to a massive crossrail. By massive, I mean the cups were set on the top holes on 6' standards. Biggest crossrail I've ever done haha.
She was really good, and she stop once and ran around once, but both were my fault. =[ But it was a pretty long, fun lesson.
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