Updates - the Trial

The trial of 3 days of riding in a row with one day of bute weren't the best. Each day he still tripped, still wasn't putting his hind legs under him, and he still wasn't extending his front legs. The toes in the front were still dragging, and he did have the stifle lock each day, but at different points in the ride.

Day 1 was just bad. He didn't want to move out, he didn't want to back up, he was having trouble on incline/decline, and he was a shuffling, tripping mess. He kicked out while being tacked up and was just an irritated mess.

Day 2 was better, he didn't trip coming out of the paddock, but he did kick out after moving away from me while tacking up. He had a stifle lock issue as soon as I got on at the walk, and he had two significant trips in the front. His front toes were still dragging, but he was WAY more willing to move out and back up. Incline/decline was better than the first day, too. He was moving into the bit on his own free will and listening to leg. Backing up was decent, too.

Day 3 was different in that it was hot and that it was feeding time. I wish I got consistent weather (and times) for the test, but you can't help that. He tripped coming out of the field, but he didn't kick out when being tacked up. He didn't have a stifle lock until I tried to canter because he had a good attitude. He was dragging his toes in the front more than the day before, but there were no significant trips while moving. He was willing to back up, too.

So which day was bute day? Well obviously day 2 or 3. I guessed day 3 only because he seemed to have a better attitude about being tacked up. So did the bute help? Was it just a lucky day? We have behavior issues mixed with something else? ...but what is the something else? I called the vet to update her, but I forgot to let her know that he has a clicking shoulder (oh great, add that to the list). I'm looking forward to a call back to see what I'm supposed to do next. Why can't they just talk and tell us what's wrong? *Lost and upset*

Tuesday Ride

Before the 4-H meeting, I decided to ride. I fed Spyder a little bit of grain before we headed out, and the ride started OK... He was peppy. The air was cooler than it has been, and it was breezy. As I said, it started off OK, and then, he wouldn't move. I pushed him a bit which got him irritated, and he wouldn't listen. I finally got him moving out on the track and he kept tripping in the front (even with his feet done that day). We worked on transitions and listening since it's been an option lately.

I decided to take it easy as I was worried about him tripping and just trotted up and down the long side of the track. He took off with head down towards barn after he pulled the reins out of my hands. He did a bucky/reary thing yet again, and I kept on him until he calmed down. Once we walked towards barn, listening was over so we headed back to the track. I worked on his turn on haunches... that went bad AGAIN. He was kicking out and doing the opposite of what I asked him to do. I got him to give in and then I got off to end on that "good note." Are we going to have any overall good rides in the near future? It's getting old.

Gah!

And so Spyder went back to the grump on Sunday. Stubborn and annoyed as ever, it was a frustrating ride which involved not listening towards the end, doing the opposite of what was asked, and kicking out like he was trying to murder something. COOL! We went out to the big ring and worked on the canter transitions after turning on the haunches. It went OK, but he was mad... the whole ride was a bit ehh until we headed towards the barn. Spyder was Mr. Pep again (near feeding time) and didn't want to stop or back. On the track, we did a ton of backing up and moving off leg which made things WORSE. He kept pushing into my leg and wouldn't give up. I pushed and pushed until he kicked out and then he finally gave in. What a jerk horse sometimes, blah! I fed him and left him in for the feeder to turn out. He's lucky I left the carrots in his bucket.

Let's hope that this week and coming weekend change his mind/attitude if I even get to ride. I plan on switching it up to see if that helps, but time will tell. Anyways, spring is here along with the pollen! The heat is kicking up and the pool time is so close. I can't wait to get in more rides and jump in the pool after a crap ride to relax. It'll help my nerves, for sure! The sun has been doing a lot for that, and I'm hoping it brings motivation to ride.

Teleporting

Can I just teleport to the farm so I can get home and get to my school work? I completed my final, and now it's just my final project, BUT courses start for the summer session start right after this. I get no break for riding in any sort of pattern, but I do have the hunter pace coming up. Remind me why I signed up for school again? I've been enjoying pushing through, but I find it hard to get everything I need to get done and what I want to get accomplished taken care of. The reward has certainly been the farm time I've had.

I'm certainly no where near reaching my March mileage due to the lack of motivation and Spyder's bad attitude. Honestly, there has been nothing to rave about. I rode 2 days last week which were OK. I can't even remember what I did because it was that uneventful. I remember being frustrated and making my broken finger ache again due to Spyder deciding it was a good idea to rear/spook for no reason other than seeing another horse. Ok, maybe there was something eventful now that I'm recalling last week.

I rode out to the big ring and started in the dressage area when the trainer at the farm rode by on the track with a TWH. She ended up coming around the track by us and going up a small hill by the cross country jumps and Spyder spazzed! He stood up on his back feet with a nice rear, and she shouted. "Oh, wow! Are you OK?" and came in the ring so I could settle Spyder. Yes, the horse gaits different and it's a "different" color, but it's similar to a horse in his field and I am sick of the spook/excitement over NOTHING! This is exactly the reason I broke my finger from the "scary" deer that we see all the time. Once I got him calmed down, 30 minutes was more than enough fun for me.

The other day I rode I went out to the same ring to make sure I could tackle the attitude he gave me before. I could tell he was bored since he was listening for w/t/c so we jumped a bit. There were deer all over the place and he was jumping a higher placed cross rail like it was 3 feet so I hopped over the jump until he calmed down and jumped it like the size it was. It's been feeding time after work when I get to the farm so I'm sure we'll begin to get those issues back. JOY! He always gets a little more pumped when he hears the grain bins going so I have been feeding him a little before we ride so he thinks he's had his grain.

This week I rode once so far. I hope to get out again, but this project is stressing me out! I went out to the big ring after warming up on the track to get a feel for Spyder's attitude. There was no argument with my leg so we went out and did some trotting while giving the deer looks. Cantering was decent in a circle and he was moving off my leg, but he was gearing up for some bad behavior. He did throw some rocking horse squealy bucky/reary/whatever the heck he does moves in there so we came back to the trot until he decided to go nicely once again. On the way back to the barn, I practiced moving him off of my leg. We went all the way to each edge of the track using each leg to push him over then we worked on stop, walk, trot, walk, stop, trot, back type exercises. I kept turning back towards the ring then heading back to the barn with some spins (moving off leg with the front of his body and not the back) in either direction so he had to listen and take his focus off of feeding time.

It's really getting old having to dance around his buttons and moods, but I hope to get him under control and move forward. The hunter pace should go smoothly, and hopefully we'll get back to putting in miles.

Life updates in picture form:

We made a fire pit for the back yard Saturday

The grass is getting green and Spdyer has a big butt.

I swept and organized my tack area at the barn

Kaiden sun bathes in his fluffy mess of toy destruction.

Kaiden killed the Easter lamb.

Quick Ride

I have words for this Wednesday ... and I haven't ridden since last Tuesday. I hope to ride tonight if it's dry enough after our April ice/hail/snow storm ordeal last night...

Last week I went to the farm for the 4-H meeting and had a little bit of time to ride before the meeting. It's been spring out (finally.. but not really after last night), and I was worried about Spyder listening since he's been so out of it lately. We went out to the big ring because there was another rider, and Spyder couldn't get over the other horse being out there the whole time. We worked on going towards them, away from them, and listening when that horse left. Oh, poor Spyder, he has to work when another horse is not. Before the other ride left, I decided to work on the canter transition. Since I haven't been riding much, I wanted to make sure that we were safe if something bad was to happen. He was SO GOOD except for the fact that he kept his ears back and kept pulling on the reins. He hasn't been wanting to work lately, but there was no buck. I can say that was an accomplishment? Ugh, what is the deal?

Finally, a Nice Weekend

Sunny Saturday with the pup

Finally - the 50's! The temperature has been a little bit more consistent, but the nights still feel like winter at times. It's just so damp which makes things so much worse (and soggy). Saturday and Sunday were busy for me with running around and making plans so I didn't get in much riding time. The dryer decided to break right when I was going to leave so I had to hang everything which took up more of the time I had to ride. It's always something, right? For whatever reason, I found the motivation, and I'll say it was the sun. The goal was just to have Spyder cooperate and not give in to his fussiness. I'm not sure why he's been so sour, but I have been, too. It seems when you put in more riding time, that mood always turns around.

GREEN!

Both days, I worked on the track since I wanted to remind Spyder of our exercises. I started Saturday with a dressage whip, and he was already a better listener just holding it. Another boarder that hasn't been out in a while was riding her trail horse on the track, and she was having some listening and "up" issues. I wished I had time to ride with her, but I had to get home to get ready for beer fest - priorities. We did a lot of walk, halt, trot, halt, back, and I felt like I had to really lay into his mouth to get him going backwards. I feel bad having to go back to these basic commands, but it's best to "start over" until the baby horse's mind can catch up to his adolescent self once again. We also did a lot of open rein turns in both directions and some were even in a tight canter. He certainly kept his feet moving with the whip in hand! I find it funny because he acted like he couldn't do it in our lesson earlier in the week. He knew I meant business that ride. I had about 30 minutes of really testing him before I had to cool out and head back.

Smoke over blueberry fields

Sunday, I had a very short ride because I had breakfast with my parents, sister, and her boyfriend and was heading into Philly for lunch. The sun was shining, but like the day before, the wind made it feel cooler. Spyder wanted to buck SO bad, and so we turned and turned until he decided to chill out. I had 20 minutes in total so we worked on transitions again. I did get in some cantering with angry ears, but no buck! I wasn't feeling my finest since I was running off little sleep and even less hydration so I took it easy and ended it when he was nice and calm. We cooled out, and I snapped a photo of the green grass. It's finally starting to grow and makes life feel so much happier. On the way home from Philly, there was a HUGE fire which I found out burned what they think was 1,500 acres. They were working on controlling it through Monday. It was in a remote part of the forest which took 35 minutes for fire crews to get to, and they still don't know what caused the fire. It was back behind Batsto where there are no homes, but it is still devastating to the area.

In total, Saturday was just .75 miles because of all of the stopping and standing that was nearly 40 minutes of boring! Sunday was a bit more exciting with 1.5 miles in 20 minutes. I really want to surpass my March count for miles, but I feel like this month has so much going on that I won't be able to do as many long rides. I do need to keep conditioning for our hunter pace the first weekend in May but not nearly what I thought I had to do for the 30 that didn't happen. Hopefully in the fall, I can get back in gear and do a 15 or 25, but horse life will depend on the trailer status for the time being. The picture for miles is for both riding and a few shorter dog walks. We've been taking the dog to the lake by our house and to Bass River State Park so he can get some off-leash running time. It wears him out fast!

He watches TV

Few weeks ago at the lake by our house

Older shot of Kaiden being "free" in Bass River.

Rabbit Run!

This was nothing on the way in

And so it didn't work out, but volunteering was so wonderful! I got up early on Saturday and put on my snow pants, yes, snow pants! It was on the chilly side, and I didn't have anything else to wear for pants that were waterproof. I had a wind breaker which did nothing for warmth, but it was going to get to 55. 55 degrees with rain wasn't very warm, and it was SO nice that the NJTRA group had lunch and SOUP! Soups galore and COFFEE and tea! Wow, what a treat! I had no idea that they did all of that for the riders. The drive up to the place was sketchy with the cranberry bogs, mud, and rain, and it was AWFUL coming out after the long day of constant rain that never let up. I was sliding all over the place with the real wheel drive truck - not fun!

I worked as a timer for the pulse down area. Everyone that was there to check pulses was super nice, and they all had a lot of great advice for me. I was happy that I wasn't riding in the bad weather, but I was also disappointed because it makes me want to do this SO BAD! It is a beautiful area to ride in, and a few of the volunteers want to ride with me. The vet gave me some great input on what she was looking for so I could plan ahead in any future rides. I can't wait to participate in my first ride, my horse or not. I have a feeling I'll like it and be exploring all new gear so the weather won't be an issue on the tack.

I didn't ride Sunday because of more rain, and I felt so bad for the Bunny Hop riders.Since it rained all day Saturday and trailers were in and out on the muddy road, I can only imagine what their day was like. I did get to the farm on April fool's day after work which hasn't happened in a while. It was a short ride, and I was in a bad mood. Spyder was a grump, and I ended being happy after the ride because we worked through a buck and him being a jerk until he was calm and would stop and stand still when I asked (especially by the gate headed back). As soon as he was listening, I decided to end it before I went back to having an even worse day. When I got to farm, the tack area was cleaned out from the other person's stuff. The woman I trail rode with a few times left so now I have a 3 stall area, tack room, and cross ties all to myself!

Mine, all mine!

On Thursday, April 3, the trainer at the farm sent me a text about a last minute lesson. She was on the track with a Tennessee walker that she rides for the owner and was available for a lesson if I wanted. I didn't plan it, but it's just been awful as far as motivation goes for riding so I committed. Spyder bucked because I handed it to him for not listening whatsoever so we worked on that. I had to turn him with an open rein every time he did something bad. It was a lot of putting his head down to get leverage, putting his head up to evade the bit, or trying to figure out a way he could kick or get his head back.

His signature move is cantering when he's angry because he thinks he's not allowed from on the track. It's hilarious that it's his defense, but we pushed and just kept going with it. Within a very short (but felt like FOREVER) five minutes or so, he was back to listening (soft of). In ten minutes or so he was responding to my leg and cooperating better. We stuck to w/t and canter when he felt like it until we got back to listening. I wish I packed my crop because my legs were on fire. Next ride, take the crop! I knew that I had to get out to the barn and work him on the weekend because he has some serious "I don't want to do what you say" issues so I made some time both days (next post).

Weekend 2 Weeks From the Thirty

The weekend after our "perfect trail ride," I got moving to get to the tack shop with my future and fellow hunter pace team members. One needed a new show shirt, and it was a great day for me to check out the trail riding gear since the ride was in 2 weeks. (yea, I'm slacking - grad school is screwing me up). I was looking for a pad with pockets and something that could attach to the saddle to carry water. Everything they had was expensive, cheaply made, or wouldn't work with an english saddle, but I did score Spyder some treats and leather cleaner wipes (my new FAVORITE leather cleaning product - no more paper towels and rags and hours of cleaning/conditioning). The wipes have a lot of conditioner on them, and I didn't think they would be as good as they are. Lexol will be getting a lot more of my money.

When we were through with the tack shop, the girls came to ride at farm the farm with me. I was even able to score (borrow/was given) a pad with pockets that the one never uses to use for my upcoming ride (which is no longer happening, we'll get to that). Spyder would NOT listen! He had a rearing fit before they got there and wouldn't back down. We warmed up by the barn since the wind was making all of the horses crazy. Once they got there, we rode out to the big ring to have more space to work. Spyder was OK out here as far as spooking goes, but he was not liking the fact that I'd ask him to work while the other horses were standing there. He REFUSED to walk away from them, and something was off with his trot. He did get his feet trimmed nice and short for out upcoming ride, but it was days since it had gotten done. I took it easy since he was temperamental.

Sunbathing Saturday

We went out on the track because we were bored in the ring and he kept bulging at my leg. He would turn his body all sideways and literally side pass into the woods in the middle of the track. He was aggravating me so bad that I jabbed him with my spur, he kicked out, then he got over it. He was better for the rest of the ride, but certainly not perfect. They rode back to the trailer, and I decided to try to make him move. Yeah, "try" is the key word there. He kept bulging and would not walk on the track because he knew he'd be put to more work. I got to the point where I got his two feet on the sand, then he moved the other two. After we got to that pitiful moment, we walked around the barn and trotted around the area to end on that "good note." Ha, yeah right. I put his cooler on to see how it fit, and his mane was really getting out of control so I started to pull it and make him look less homeless.

Tried it on for the ride.

Worked on that mane because it was awful!

Sunday was trailer fixing day to get that situated for the following week/weekend so I could practice with it prior to my ride. It seemed to be one issue after another with the wiring, but that got figured our, and it got put back together with the new tires. It looked so great and was getting me excited for what the next two weeks would bring leading up to my ride. I talked to a few people about meeting up to trail ride the following weekend, and I was also getting nervous for my 30 miles! AHH! I headed out for a ride late in the day and had a decent ride with no fuss. We did about 6 miles with no arguing so I took it easy with his cooperation. If his feet were an issue, I didn't want to hurt him for the ride in two weeks. He needed a mental break from the day before, and taking it easy makes him easier to deal with. I worked to straighten out his mane a little more, but I still have a lot to do with it. Yikes! They always have their ups and downs, and I'm into that thought process to help me to look ahead and ride each ride like the one before was decent (even if it wasn't).

I'll get to the trailer in my next post...

Happy New Year

I got to the barn after some much needed sushi and shopping to get in a ride on my day off. It wasn't perfect because Spyder was a grump, and he decided needed to kick out. I am angry with the weather and a grump about it so I can't blame him! He was a bit up, but not when it came to cantering. He didn't want to go so I didn't push him too much. Again, I was the only one at the farm riding and I didn't want to get hurt. We worked through his one episode, but that didn't stop the pinned ears and obnoxious grunts. We did some sitting trot to change the work a bit.

We worked through some transitions and didn't push to keep moving at the canter. We worked down to a trot from the canter, and we did a lot of w/t transitions. From there, we moved on to jumping. Spyder wasn't nearly as peppy as he acted when I first got on so we worked on picking his feet up over fences. I really need to get off his face, but his rushing is so frustrating so I sit back as far as I can. Since he wasn't too enthusiastic, we went out to the track. I did a lot of trotting in two-point and was trying to get him into an extended trot. Clucking, ears back, squeezing, ears back... he wasn't happy. I think he may have thrown in a few steps of pace to be spiteful, but I got him right back to trot. It was feeding time so I decided to leave it on a good note as he was actually listening (even though he wasn't happy about it). We went on a mini trail through the middle of his old paddock and the new muddy paddock, and I think he liked changing it up.

We cooled out around the barn, and he went in his stall to eat while I cleaned up the dried mud all over his legs. He was actually looking decent because I got off most of the dirt. I waited for him to finish to turn him out because the sun was starting to set, and I knew it would be the last of the sun for a bit. Our temperatures are dropping, and we are getting a snow storm tonight into tomorrow. GREAT! I hope everyone and all of the horses stay warm! I posted a picture below of our crazy changes in temperature. If you remember, I had a post about the 60's... now this! 22 one day, and 50's a few days later.

On another note, I completed a few of my "wish list" items from my page above. I ordered new boots because I found a great deal from a site where you could get a giftcard, and they would add 20% to the amount. That was like getting them for 20% off (but they were also the cheapest I had found so far), so I ordered riding gloves while I was at it! Chris cleaned up the garage so I have a crate to use as a mounting block for the trailer, and I found a hay bag on clearance from the same site. :) Happy New Year!

These changes are crazy.

Tuesday's Fall

This is the last week before daylight saving time ends to ride after work with some light. I didn't want to ride, but I forced myself to the barn because I know it always is fine when I get there. I tacked up after getting Spyder fed, and was ready for an adventure since it was cool out and I gave him off a few days after the hunter pace. He is always good with time off, and he seemed to be happy to move. We worked on the bit and pushing him into it and off my leg which was easy at the trot. I thought, great, let's move to canter!

To the left, he kept breaking gait. He was being lazy and didn't want to keep going so he kept stopping himself and trotting. The first few times I asked him to get back up to canter, he was fine. Kissing sounds weren't making him happy and my leg wasn't either. I gave him his head instead of trying to canter in a frame just to get him moving, and he kicked out! He startled me a little, but he kept moving. We moved on to the right lead to see if that way was any better. He was fine! Back around the circle to the left, he did the same thing in the same place and came down to trot. I asked him to move back up, and he didn't listen. I TOLD him to move back up, and he had a big buck waiting for me. I lost my balance because he decided to STOP immediately after. Had he been moving forward, I would have been fine as I almost always catch my balance. I'm quite good at staying on in times that I should bail!

I went over his neck, and I think it was almost a front flip. For whatever reason I ALWAYS hold my reins when I fall, and I remember looking up thinking, "I hope I don't pull you on me." I hit my left elbow first as I tried to catch myself, and then my head (with helmet) hit soon after. Spyder decided it was a great time to eat some grass since he had his head. I got back up and got right back on, but I did feel dizzy for a moment. I continued the canter to the left with two circles and no bucking. He rode off like nothing happened! I believe this is fall number four from Spyder in the 2+ years I've had him. This was probably the worst fall I've had from him, and I'm not too happy about his new buck that I've never seen/felt before. Hopefully this can be put behind us, and we can keep moving forward. I'm glad I already had a chiropractor appointment scheduled for Wednesday. It's like Spyder knew I could get fixed the following day. I feel a bit sore still!

Good News!

The vet was out yesterday for shots, and I got great news! The bumps are Spyder's back are just bug bites that got hardened from a reaction to them. Funny thing is, it could have been a spider, and they are just cosmetic. My 3 options are: 1) surgical removal 2) steroid injection 3) leave them alone. I think I'm going to leave them alone being that they don't bother him and they have shrunk on their own a bit. Why irritate him with procedures since everything seems to irritate him?

Spyder was Mr. Grumpy coming out of the field. He didn't want to be bothered with what work he might have to do or who might be poking him with needles. He's BEYOND easy to catch, but he's beyond grumpy when you get him (unless it's feeding time). The BO texted me about this and thought it was funny when she grabbed him for the vet! Yes, he hates to work so that's what we worked on! Walk and trot were nice (only because he ate his grain before I got on), and he didn't pull back towards the barn much. We rode in the xc field by the water where he had a head tossing fit, but he didn't flinch at the deer running through the water.

After his head tossing came to an end (very short because I was not having it), I got him back together and pushed forward. Forward was quite the issue for him so I kept moving him off of my leg in a circle. Since he was reacting well to getting off the leg and going, I asked for a canter. He was a happy horse about it which was good, but he didn't want to keep going. He responded negatively to leg pressure and was even more upset with kissing which made him walk. GREAT, Spyder... not at all what you're supposed to do. I  picked him back up to a trot, and he wanted to canter! I kept him trotting until he listened to my cues, and brought him back down to a walk, each time asking for something different to get him listening. He's going to need A LOT of transitions to keep him thinking and excited.

The ride was a quick 30 minutes, and it may be one of the last for some time as we have a storm rolling in. It looks like rain just about every day for the next week or so which will make for a fun time getting back on with him being out of shape. As long as it's not raining, I'll still do the trail ride on Saturday, and I just found out there is a 4-h open English show the week before the hunter pace. We always do the "older and bolder" classes since they are walk/trot, but it's a REALLY long show day as they spread out each age group and keep the classes together. I usually end up showing against people that have been riding for their whole lives 40+ years which is never fun. They are always so competitive and I just go for fun. Behaving is a win for us! IF it's nice out, and IF I have time, I'll do all 3 events! :) We'll hope for nicer weather!

The sun sets behind Spyder's paddock.

Hay time and this beautiful scenery as I looked for Spyder's missing halter!

The Weekend Riding Continues

This is long, but I have a lot to catch up on...

Friday, I went to the farm to practice for the dressage test on Saturday morning. While Spyder was eating, I decided to clean up my dressage tack better so I could get a ride in the saddle again prior to the test. I put the test that I printed out in my pocket, and we rode to the ring. I went through each step that I could remember while I walked through the ring. I did this twice, and then thought we should get in some canter to make sure that he wouldn’t kick out again. He did try in the dressage ring to kick out, but we worked through it. I was happy that he was behaving decently so we had a quick 35 minute ride.

Fits him well, I think?

Saturday, schooling show day, I got to the farm and brought Spyder in to eat his grain. While he ate, I cleaned up my dressage bridle since it wasn’t in good shape. I forgot to mention that both were used, but that makes for broken in comfort. Since the tack sat in the barn, it got a bit of mildew on it so I never rode in it being that I never had the time to clean it up (or the desire because we’ve been working on some jumping, and I love my jumping saddle). I got a cover months back thinking that if I cleaned it and covered it, I’d actually use it. Never happened. Now that it's clean, I plan on using it more often.

After Spyder ate, I had to rush to get him brushed and tacked up. The saddle looks so nice on him! Now, I know nothing about this sport, but I think that the buckles should be further down? The straps are really long so we can definitely get a shorter girth, but since I am not sure if this is correct or not, it works for the time being? The bridle was giving me trouble since it hadn’t been used, but we got it figured out with just enough time to get over for our Intro A at 9:18.

It was just a schooling show at the farm, but it was held next door so we had to ride over. Headed down the driveway, Spyder was very up. He stopped a few times, and I had to push him forward to keep going. He listened well, but he wanted to head back to the barn so bad. I kept pushing forward until he spooked at a car that was going fast down the driveway. He always gets funny near the marsh that is on both sides because it’s taller than him and the wind blows through it so it moves a lot. I don’t blame him, but we needed to get over there. I kept pushing even though I wanted to hop off and walk over. We got to the street, and the scary part was over. A car was headed towards us, and he was OK with it passing by which was great!

Once we got over there, the BO asked if I wanted to warm up or go for it. I decided to wing it since I thought I could remember the test, and it wouldn’t have made a different either way. I was SO happy with how we got through both of our issues that I didn’t even care how the test went. Spyder rode into the ring like he had been doing this all along. Although we weren’t straight, we changed from grass to sand, and I was sure he was going to pace (which he didn't.. whoo!). We got a decent transition back to trot at C, and he was perfectly bent down the line. The 20 meter circles were more like squares, but his pace was fairly consistent, and we could at least get the commands going that were given in time. Our halt was perfect (Spyder’s favorite… stopping). 

It was great to hear what the judge had to say, too. She could tell that Spyder resists me asking him to work as he sucks in. She suggested transitions to help with his listening skills and getting what I ask for on point. Schooling shows are the best when you have a great judge because they always offer such wonderful advice. I decided to hang out at the farm for a bit since there was a lot going on: cars, trailers, trucks, unfamiliar horses, unfamiliar jumps. It was all SO wonderful for both of us to experience together. We trotted around the jumping ring, and Spyder didn’t flinch a bit. He did, however, not want to stand still which was annoying. I need to work on standing in one place as he likes to turn his rear end in the direction opposite where he wants to face thinking I won’t notice that just half of him is moving! He’s young and social so I can understand his desire to check it all out, but he doesn’t respond to leg pressure when he’s into what he "needs" to see. He backed himself into a few things moving, but I let him do it hoping it would teach him a lesson. Nothing bad, but annoying. Just stand still! He loves being lazy and stopping… but then he also likes to be antsy and social.

One of the girls from over at "Barn 2" where Spyder is stopped to chat, and her mom decided she didn’t want to wait for her so she drove over to get her  daughter's horse out and brushed for her to ride. It worked out perfectly because she had to walk over to the barn so I went with her thinking it would keep Spyder calm, and it did. We’ll have to work on riding over from Barn 2 to Barn 1 more often, but I usually only do it when I HAVE to. He’ll get better so I need to suck it up and do it.

I let Spyder graze for a while and took pictures of him with his 3^rd place ribbon! We were schooling with 7 people in Intro A for the 18+ division. I was THRILLED with third and just happy that we did everything we needed to do even if it wasn’t pretty. We ended up getting a 66.25%, and a great comment sheet with items to work on. What better? I was unsure of why I decided to do this test prior, but it made me feel like we accomplished something (and it got my saddle and bridle cleaned). I put the cover on it so now I plan to ride in it more often. It was pretty painful since I don’t have the right muscles developed to work in it, but we’ll be working on those. My jumping saddle puts me so far forward that I’m accustomed to bad posture when riding. I’m thinking about looking into Spyder’s saddle fit per my last post, but I am still unsure how I can give mine up (I'm going to end up getting the SAME exact brand/saddle). It’s going to be so hard because it was the very first large purchase I had ever made on my own… and with my very first credit card! :) I’m just in the beginning stages of thinking about this, but I’m also going to wait for what the vet has to say next week.

Had to get the ribbon shot

Sunday, I got up early so Chris and I could go out to breakfast together. We have both been so busy it’s been hard to spend time together so we’re going to try to make a point to set time aside for some relaxing each day. We talked about everything going on including Spyder and my test yesterday which made me happy to talk about overcoming so much. We set out our separate ways – Chris to go mountain biking in Delaware and myself, riding. I am in Georgia for work now so I wanted to get a ride in before my flight. The Atlantic City airport is about 15 minutes from the barn so I had to get tacked up quickly and get in my ride to head there. We rode out to the big field where I noticed the brand button on the saddle flap came off. It's no biggie because it’s not broken (the metal is still there), but the button/cover for it with the brand came off. UGH… I think that’s what got me thinking about a new saddle even more. I know it’s just cosmetic, but I’m driving myself crazy looking at the way it fits him.

Out in the field, we headed into the dressage ring and rode through the test again. I wanted to work on our flaws, and we fixed most of the suggestions I was given.  We rode out to the field and worked on trotting at a steady speed, and went over a few x-rails. Spyder was listening so I moved up to canter, but something is REALLY bothering him there. He is not only grumpy but looks uncomfortable so I can’t wait to get him checked out, and I’m happy he’s getting time off while I’m away. We did not get any kicking out which made me happy, but he’s having a really hard time keeping the gait. Because something is up, I didn’t push hard, but I asked him to pick it up and shortly brought him back to a trot and patted him. He stood nicely to be untacked so I was really happy we only worked for 20 minutes. I got to the airport, and of course, the flight was delayed. It was SO nice and it will be so nice this week so I wish that I looked before I left the farm. I could have been going through my tack trunk since I never finished doing that the day prior.

I’ve been noticing an issue with my ankle, and I can’t decide if it’s from riding in my dressage saddle with the long stirrup or from the fall I had where I tried to catch myself. It wasn’t bothering me much since then so I’ll hope it’s just feeling like I rolled it from the strain in the new saddle, but time will tell. It’s always something, good and unfortunate.

Tired from his mental awareness of all the commotion

Thursday Night's Ride

Thursday night, the horses were starting to get fed so I let Spyder eat first. Again, he was eating like it was his last meal. While he was eating, I decided to clean up my dressage saddle so I could ride in it. Since I committed to schooling Intro A on Saturday and I still had NO idea what the pattern was or where those letters can be found! Anyways, I thought that my dressage saddle was going to have stirrup leathers that were too long, but they were perfect. I worked in the round pen since I couldn't seem to find my safety stirrup rubber bands, and I wanted to use them in the event I didn't ride in the saddle well. It is SO comfortable! Spyder seemed to move in it just fine as I lunged him for a minute to see if he was comfortable.

He's always thrilled

He was bending perfectly and listening to every leg cue, awesome!!! ...until it all fell apart. He was doing w/t so well that I decided to see how the canter felt in my new (last summer purchase, and still had yet to use it) saddle. It puts me in a great spot for my posture, leg, and back so I can sit nice and tall to ask. Asking had gotten a TON better... he gets it! We're back to the kicking out issue. UGH! Last week, you probably read my post about coming off (in my jumping saddle which is forward to begin with), and yesterday, he was trying to get me on the ground again. I got kicking out in BOTH directions, and kept pushing him through and making him go on until he stopped. I was getting tired so I decided to hop off and see how he was without me on him. Perfect. No bucking/kicking out, and jumping the mounting block and water tub like a pro (crazy horse).

Oxers? No problem.

I got back on, and we got more kicking out so I worked him until he was too tired to do it. I was at the farm and working in the dark, oh joy. And this was supposed to be a quick ride to practice for Saturday? I cooled him out for a while because he was so hot/sweaty, and then he was just too cute in his stall. How could such an evil horse turn around and be so sweet again? I posted on Facebook with, "My ride started off with 'omg, I love this dressage saddle and Spyder bends so well!' and ended with 'I hate this horse today!' And so the questions come... what's wrong?

-Is he young and trying to get one over on me?
-Is he hurt? If so, what is bothering him?
-Does my saddle fit properly? If not, what do I need to do in order to find a fitter?
-Am I nagging him with my spur which is setting him off?
-Is something wrong with his teeth?
-Is his leg bothering him so he is exploding? He's not phased when I'm not on him.
-Is he frustrated because it's hard?
-Was working in the round pen too small?
-Is this just a phase like it was before?

All of these questions frighten me. I can't pinpoint what the issue is, and it seems like a lot is in the way of figuring it out. What steps do I take to start the process? The vet is coming on October 8 so I am looking to start there. Suggestions? This is all overwhelming and makes it hard to think about. Leading up to the saddle fitting issue, those bumps are still there. They are not sores, and they did not lose hair. They don't bother him, and I just don't get it. Then, I noticed that Spyder's winter coat is starting to come back in. Where the pad goes, there are a lot of white hairs. Is the saddle too tight? Is the pad irritating him? What's going on? Why now? He has filled out and gotten a lot of muscle so it COULD be the reason, too. I'm so stressed, and I'm probably just over thinking it. Let's hope that Saturday goes well.

Oh, and April has a blog about her Standardbred, Shadow. Check it out!

Here Comes the Sun

Yesterday, we headed out to the big field and he was peppy the whole way out. He trotted around nicely, but wasn't getting a consistent tempo so we worked on that. I was fighting his speed so much so I decided to go back to it after cantering to calm him down. I know, I should have stuck to trot and made him work it out, but he had energy so i went for it. We saw a lot of deer, and he didn't care watching them run which was one positive of the ride thus far. He was great to the right which was always his worse side, but his balance there is better.

I switched to the left and he decided it was a good idea to kick out like he used to. Oh, the cooler weather. It was sunny, but a little chilly. I rode through his first kick out or two and then he got in a good one. He used to be so ungraceful and think about it, but he snuck this one in without thought. I was working on sitting out of the saddle to see if that would help his attitude, but it gave him the opportunity to get me off. He doesn't mean for that to happen, but when my balance is off, it's never good. This is the third time in 2 years that I've come off. I tried to catch myself so my ankle hurt, but I got right back on. We cantered a smaller circle so I could keep control and balance then we moved to jumping because I figured I'd leave the canter alone after he went around a few times without trouble. We did 2 different x-rails that I set when I came off (yes, I'm lazy and never get off to do this so it was a "great" opportunity). The first, a huge buck (deer, not a buck from Spyder) came running out of the brush in front of his. He looked, but that was all. WHOO! I really need to attempt a trail, but I think I might wait until it gets a bit more bare in the woods so I can see better, and then we'll wait for cooler weather for the chiggers. I got a few again yesterday and i'm SO itchy!

Headed back to the barn, it was feeding time, and he was getting very strong so we worked on shoulder in/shoulder out down the track. He kept pulling towards the barn so we worked on a nice circle on the track while I counted for our tempo. He did fairly well, but kept leaning towards the barn so we worked until he could forget about feeding time. He was excited to be turned back towards his stall so we went past it and around the barn to cool out. He needs to learn!

More Track Time

I got some time on the track this week, but this wedding is really cramping my riding and "what I want to do" schedule. This week has been a lot of what you HAVE to do vs. what you WANT to do. Anyways, I got on for a quick ride as the humidity is KILLER! It's finally cooled off into the 80's, but that doesn't stop the sticky gross air we have this time of year. Spyder was visibly miserable being tacked up so I know it'd be a fun ride.

On the track, we warmed up in our 20 meter circle. I put him into the bridle and made him work on suppleness as he had off 6 days. Moving off of my leg was too much to ask, and since he wasn't too motivated to do anything, we worked on a lot of w/t/halt. FUN... not. From there, we did get into the canter, but the sand is a lot of him to work wit. He's much harder to the right still, but we'll get there. Need to work on that balance and steering! We worked on moving parts of his body so I pushed over his shoulder and did a few spins then worked on moving over his hind end. We need to get back at riding and practice because he wasn't too responsive. We cooled out on the track since the ground was soggy.

He looks thrilled.

I hope that it dries up a bit to get out in the field again after the wedding (Saturday) and get back to jumping. Next week promises more riding. :)

Stop and Smell the Manure

I had a nice ride Friday where I got to work on moving over, getting on the bit, and getting Spyder over the fear of the folding chair... AHH! When I walked into the ring, he noticed the only thing that changed, and that was a folding chair at the end of the dressage ring. We rode off like it was nothing and did our circles to work on bending getting closer and closer to the scary chair. Eventually. he got over it, and I was happy we worked through it. We got to canter past it, and he was so well behaved that I did one whole jump! Oh, the joys of having a horse that you have to train. He jumped the small vertical like it was 2'3", but he cantered off like it was nothing so we ended the ride with cooling down and riding quietly down the track.

Oh, I almost forgot to point out the reason for the title. On the way out to the ride, Spyder pooped along the track. Pushing and prodding to get him to move (keep walking). He continued to walk as he went to the bathroom which always used to be on the cross ties, but now, I feel like it's a "stop" tactic. He acts like he can't walk and do it at the same time to get out of work (we're working on it). Well, on the way back in to the barn, he kept putting his head lower and lower as we got closer to his pile of manure. He just HAD to stop and smell it. What is he, a dog? This happens fairly often with his own mess. Is it another "I can't walk any further" trick?

Sunday I rode early as it was going to get hotter than it has been. We had to work on excitement for this ride. Spyder didn't want to move or do anything (even though he had eaten breakfast). I did a brain exercise that was walk, trot, halt, trot, halt, trot... just to get him thinking. This made him angry at first because I went from asking to telling with my spurs, but it made his reaction time a lot better working through the pattern. Next, we worked on moving over the hind end. This was so easy! We did a few circles in which he didn't even move his front feet much. We worked on a square which was walk to halt at the corner, then pushing the hind end to continue walking down the next side of the square. This is something we'll move to the trot with, but for now, the walk is going to have to be the speed where we practice because he chose to ignore me a few times. I did try it at the walk (rather than halting at the corner) to push the hind over to turn while moving, but it wasn't all that graceful. We'll get there.

Next step: front movement. At first, Spyder thought that the pressure in front of the girth meant move over the hind end, but he got a few front steps. His hind still moves, and he did back up a few times, but this is where we were when we started the hind end exercise. I worked through it until we got a full circle, but he does still move his hind end a lot. We took breaks with trot circles to get his mind clear in between the frustration of learning something new. To end the ride, I worked on the canter a little and we cooled out for a while. We even got about 10 feet away from the scary chair where he spooked before. Oh, horses.

It's a Hot One

Yesterday was the first day that NJ got above 90 degrees. I love hot weather so I am not complaining! Of course I had planned to ride so I didn't let that stop me. The breeze was nice, but it was not cool enough for Spyder. I was sweating tacking up! Oh boy, this was going to be a fun ride.

At first, I stuck to w/t and worked on that bit pressure business. I think Spyder is starting to catch on... you give, I give. What's so difficult to understand? He got a lot of walking time out in the field, and we worked on the canter for just a few strides in each direction. UGH! When it is hot, I know he is lazy, BUT we needed to at least pick it up. He didn't want to go, but I hadn't ridden since Monday and I spend a lot of time and money on this horse. He needs to listen (if only they could understand).

And so I kicked and kicked and kissed and kissed, and Mr. Grump has his ears back. I used my spurs, but 90 wasn't making him move. I'll have to use a crop when I ask him do so something that he doesn't want to do because we don't need to get in the habit of not doing something that's being asked. Once he picked it up (finally), I brought him back down to a walk. Hopefully he'll start to get that if he at least tries, he won't have to work that hard. We're going to go when I tell him to and stop before he feels like stopping on his own free will (his favorite move). I hate riding with a crop, but when it's hot, we'll save us both the trouble of getting hotter and more tired than we need to.

We walked back to the barn where I hopped off, and he was DEAD. He didn't move while I untacked, and I put him in his stall while I put everything away. I was so surprised that he didn't even move to check his grain bucket like he always does. He waited a few minutes and checked like I knew he would! If he didn't, something would have been VERY wrong.

I took him over to the outside wash stall to hose him down because he was so miserable and sweaty. He stood perfectly like he always does, but the bugs really get to him so he was aggravated. I made sure that I got every inch of him and he looked like he was so happy to be getting wet. He is REALLY loving this new hose trick, and he makes faces when he wants a drink. I put it near his face and he learned to put the end in his mouth to get more water! He used to just put his nose through the water or stick his tongue out to try to get it, but he's learned that biting the end of the hose, the water goes right in. I wish I had a video because it was too funny, but I didn't want to ruin my phone at the farm.. again.. for the third time.

I walked him back towards the barn to get my phone in the event he did something else cute and hilarious. I was about 10 feet away from it, and I felt a tug. I look behind me to see why he stopped. HE SAT DOWN... like a dog... butt on the ground and front feet on the ground still straight! This is the second time I've seen him do this, but I never thought it would be on the lead! He was in such "distress" from his relaxing/easy ride in the heat and his hose that he HAD to sit, lay, then roll in the grass while on the lead! I have a big dog. I was laughing, but REALLY? I had the shank on him (just because he can't help but help himself to grass the entire walk to/from anywhere) so I tried to get him up, but nothing was stopping him from rolling all over the clover. Hey, at least it wasn't dirt. It's just too bad I was [     this      ] close to having that on camera.