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

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.

Weeeee! =D

I am having creativity issues tonight.

Anyways, I went to the barn tonight [duh!] I bought classy black polos for Sash for her back legs...leather open fronts on front, black polos on the back. It looks really cool lol! My mom had a lesson with her adorable Appy, and I just rode. My instructor let me do the course when my mom was having a break. He went "Go ahead and jump. I'm not going to really coach you, I'll just tell you everything you do wrong at the end."

-.-

Sasha was pretty good. My current "bad habit" [I always have one for a few months, then it usually switches to the opposite habit until I get a new issue haha just kidding....kinda] is I steady her with my hand to the jump a little too much, but then I don't support her with my leg enough and she stops. It sucks, I really need to work on that more.

Anyways, I did a little cavaletti to a crossrail, to a diagonal plank and pole jump, then to an in-and-out. She was pretty good, a little strong during her lead changes and through the in and out the first time or two, but she settled. Considering I wasn't really being instructed, I think we did fairly well.

Our next show is in two weeks on the first. I'll trailer in the day before so I can school over all the jumps. It's my old barn, it's possibly going to be awkward with my old instructor. It was awkward with the owner of the horse I used to lease when she showed up at the show with my friend. I was just like "....So....how's Midknight?" Tis barn also has very colorful jumps and a giant butterfly jump and a rolltop. Joyjoyjoy! ;)

Guess who was fantastic on Sunday?

SASHA!

I got to the show, and the outdoor was flooded, which made me very glad I was only doing the 2'. I did the Pre-Special Hunters and Pre-Children's Eq. I'm now doing those divisions without the "Pre". Only two others barns and a few individuals showed up, and nearly all the divisions didn't fill. >.< There was a show the day before, so we're assuming the weather/that show caused the emptiness. 

So anyways, I get on Sasha to just warm her up a little in the indoor. She was perfectly quiet, lazy, etc. A lot of people from her old barn were at the show, and they were petting and cuddling with her. Her old neighbor pricked his ears up at her and kept watching her. It was so cute! <3

Anyways, Sasha was stopping quite a bit during the schooling, so I really had to ride her up to all the jumps.

Later, I "officially" schooled her. I went in for my first eq round, and It was all going very well, but then I didn't send her enough out of a corner when she was getting strung out during a lead change, so she stopped. Besides that, it was a very nice round if I may say so. I did not pin in that class [there were seven people in my division.] I was satisfied with that round. Then, in my second round, she got fairly quick and started ignoring my hand, so I really had to get after her. We got fifth in that round. In my eq flat, we were having a very nice round, but then this little pony charged and then kicked out at her, so she freaked out and swapped her lead. I had to pull her back to the trot and ask for the canter again. Oh well, we still got third. ^^

In my hunter rounds, the first one I did the wrong course, but it was also a very good round D=. Then, our second round was AWESOME! Sasha crosscantered a corner and missed a distance, so we got second. I was very proud of her! We won our flat class, and overall got reserve champion. Not bad considering one round went off-course! =]

I need to head down to the local tack store now...Have to get her Vitamin E+Selenium supplement that is for her back. She had the slightest sore back when we got her, and apparently it's a muscle disorder from lack of those vitamins. Her back is better now, but yeah. She still needs them.

Bye! <3

Showing Debut!

Tomorrow, Sash and I are showing! We have had a rough and busy two-three weeks, which included a mare in heat, one rear, stress, Chiara being lost and then found, more stress, doing a 4-5 stride line in 3, doing a 3 stride in 4, and everything in between.

Yep, story of my life. >.<

Sasha was really strong and energetic the last two weeks, no matter how much exercise she got. I'm pretty sure she was in heat. I was going to do the show tomorrow, then I wasn't, and now, it's go time. We had a HORRIBLE set of lessons last weekend. The Friday lesson was okay, but Sasha was pretty strong, and we missed our ditances a lot. I figured Saturday would be better. Nope, couldn't even trot up to the line without her TEARING up it. I rode all week, and none of the rides were particularly soft or stellar like she has been going. After this week, I wasn't sure about the show.

Anyways, so I rode yesterday and did fairly well. Sasha was soft, quiet, more or less where we could have her be to show/"okay". She kept missing her change after one jump, and then was scrambling and rushing to get her back end.

Today, it was PERFECT! The only thing we could want more are sharper changes. She's been sloppy with her back end again. But Sasha was quiet, soft, quiet! My riding instructor told me "canter into this line in three strides, but close your leg a hair to get the distance, otherwise you'll get three and a half." Guess what? The whole lesson, we got four strides cantering in to that line. She never rushed any jump, didn't rush after, nothing! We got there! A few months ago, I was worried about cantering her on my own. Now, we're lazily doing courses!

I also started taking her on the trails. She was a little hesitant and worried at first, but she got through it.

I am so tired. I have been up since 6am, rode at 9am, and cleaned tack, stalls, buckets, the pony, anything and everything. I need to get my show stuff together and clean my boots....ugh, too much work!! 

So a full show report with videos and pictures should be expected tomorrow night. It's a home show [now people that know my area can stalk me lol]. I'm only doing the 2' eq this show because that way it is in the indoor arena, at a height she can trot if all else fails, and then I'll move up to the 2'6" eq next show.

Should be fun! Wish me luck!

Sorry I've been bad.

I know, I was bad AGAIN. >.< I'll try to make it not happen again [o.O]

Anyways: Friday's lesson was meh. Sasha got a little strong jumping, but I halted her a few times after the jump and that smoothed things out. Saturday's lesson [my Sunday lesson was moved to Saturday morning - horse show season.! My RI is teaching at shows on Sunday now.] went supercompletelyfabulouslyAWESOME.! I got Sasha going the best I ever have!

She was lunged for about 15 minutes and then I got on. I worked a lot on the flat - spirals, circles, the works! Sasha was very quiet and responsive, and I worked her on a loose rein. My RI wants me to do that to encourage her to stretch down, extend and relax so we can collect her later and get her on the bit. Baby steps. Anyways, the jumping went well. Sasha and I need to work on her flying changes a little - she was getting sloppy/I wasn't collecting her enough so she was getting lazy with her hind end. Uh-oh! That needs to go! =] I spiraled in after the jump, but Sasha barely needed it - she was nice and quiet to begin with! It was an exercise.

I have this week [and next week.!] off from school. I don't have Feb./April break though. I clipped Sasha's legs, whiskers, ears, and bridle path. I expected her to flip or spaz because it's Sasha and she is usually a spaz haha....she was really good! I did it over two days because she was touchy with her ears so I worked on desensitizing her. No ear plugs or anything, my mom and I were just like "let's try and clip her ears!" The clippers are really really quiet though - you can barely hear them over the birds tweeting and the horses trotting in the arena, etc.

I also have ridden Sasha bareback three times. I gathered up my courage Sunday night to cool out bareback, cooled out with a short trot session bareback Monday, and cooled out/more trot sessions yesterday. =D =D =D I was so happy!

It was chaotic in the arena yesterday, and Sash was very "up" especially at the canter, but I am a lot more confident than I was. I just sat up, half-halted, and continued on our merry way!

My dad may be looking at a 2002 Eclipse trailer on the way back from a business meeting, and if all goes well, it will be at my barn Friday night!

Well, those are the major events. Off to eat a bowl of ice cream and then ride!

Heart <3 you, Cruce

Please don't hurt me.

I know! I haven't blogged for about a week. I was busy!

Anyways. RECAP:

Last Sunday's lesson went well. I did a single vertical. I ended up trotting three foot. Um...it was interesting. It all went well, except at one point I over-slowed Sasha and then realized it, then tried to go forward at the last moment. We got a weird distance, and she stepped on the ground pole. She stopped because she was rolling around, but she was nice and quiet after the jump! Yay!

I was away for most of last week, so nothing exciting really happened. My riding instructor rode Sasha twice, so she would not magically "forget" everything lol.

Sasha was LAZY yesterday! She broke about three times at the canter [I rode for a long time yesterday]. She was really good, and I tried my two point for a few minutes at the canter. She was perfect!

I had a lesson today. I just did a little in and out. Sasha was really good. She kept getting a little quick in the middle of the two jumps, and she was thinking about doing things after the jump, but I just needed to "set her on her butt" and then soften. We are finally getting somewhere! Now, all we need to do is get around a 2'6" course like that. I do not care if I have to do a strong half-halt after the jumps. Hell, if I did not have to set her on her butt every now and then or send her forward, that would not be riding. I just want to do away with the excessive circling and halting. I really did not need to circle today. I did it just to make sure we were not going to have an issue.

Yay for progress!

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.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

I had a lesson today. I'm having two lessons/week for a few weeks probably until we can calmly do courses.


But, Sasha was incredible! I know I seem like I've been bragging a lot, but it is so nice to have a horse to have fun with and not stress over.


So, our flatwork was good. I ended up cantering her on a very loose rein on a circle, and she was almost LAZY! Sasha actually broke into the trot! =O My riding instructor made me do figure eights within the circle...at a canter. Um, yeah, we got lots of flying lead change practice! I just need to keep my inside leg on more because we both sort of ducks in after she does her lead change. It's nice - she almost auto changes, but she sometimes gets "scrambly," so I'll just work on really balancing her for them.


Jumping went well. I had the lesson to myself. We started right off with an in-and-out. I was pretty happy - we actually got some height today at 3'. I thought it was 2'6" lol, but Sasha gets SO ROUND and SO SO SOFT at that height! We had one refusal when I collected her trot too much around the turn and then didn't send her forward enough, but I was fairly balanced today so I didn't tip forward like I occasionally still do [oops.] Sasha was a little...rambunctious after the jump the first few times, but she settled after I made her walk at the end of the arena and we cantered around the corner the last round.


And I learned that the higher the jump, the rounder and quieter Sasha gets. Hmm. Interesting. =P


Though, quick random note, when the jump hit around 2'9", I think my brain was like "AHA! Not a baby jump!" and I ducked like crazy over it [only the first time, then I corrected it.] My RI said something like "What did you do over that last jump?" Me: "Ducked like crazy." Him: "Yeah, you ducked like it was 6'. It's not. Sit up!" So yeah. 


Oh, fyi, I'm going to do a chart at the end of my posts on "Achievements" and "Things to do Better." Some stuff may not be in my post - rather, they are reminders to me.

Achievements Hit the 3' mark Cantered nearly on the buckle Stayed fairly balanced even through refusals. Got Sasha soft/ROUND by the end.

Things to Improve Flying Changes Lift inside hand more through turns Be more proactive and react more quickly to what Sasha does. Try not to duck even over one jump! Desensitize Sasha.