I'm back from Jamaica... meant to post this before Thanksgiving, but I left it a draft.
XC schooling was canceled for Sunday (last week) because it was FREEZING! The high was in the 30's, but we were getting wind gusts of up to 25 mph. When I woke up, it was in the 20's, but it said that it felt like 10 degrees. YIKES! I know this winter is predicted to be a bad one, and I'm not coping with it very well. My youngest sister moved to Alaska on base in Anchorage, and I'm not quite sure how she takes her dog out... ever. I give her a lot of credit for committing to a dog with the weather they get as I have rethought this puppy in the cold! Right now, he's still in the phase of us having to make sure that he goes outside for praise and reinforcement of the habit, and boy was it cold waiting with him yesterday. I'm SO glad we didn't go, but I do wish it was nicer as I was excited for the trip out of state.
I wasn't sure how Sunday would fair, but I knew I needed to get to the farm either way on Sunday. It was in the 40's... maybe 50's... and it was still COLD! Yes, my cold is 80 and below. I told my husband that I got the trailer to take myself and Spyder down to Florida like the rest of New Jersey. I sound like an old person, but it's practical, right? I figured since I hadn't ridden since Sunday, it was a good idea to get out so Spyder didn't sit another week. I was the only person at the farm since it was a bit cloudy, but I knew I had to suck it up because this week is cold.
From Saturday, looks nice, but it's so cold!
I did get in cantering with some grunting, but no kicking out! The w/t was lovely, and holding my crop gave me additional leverage for his attitude. I didn't even have to use it because he knew I had it, and he was giving me what I asked for with little trouble. I decided to get to jumping with choosing directions, and got really nice cantering after a few jumps, as well. He was all hyped up, and I had asked for a lot so we cooled out down the track and around the farm.
I decided to go to the farm Tuesday night because it was warm in relation to what it's been as it was in the 40's. I was going to head to the indoor, but I figured by the time I got there in the dark (and in the rain), my saddle would be just as wet as it would be if I rode in the round pen. I used the spot light to get in w/t, and AMAZING movement off of my leg. I pushed into the canter which resulted in pushing into the bit, and it was a round canter. What? My horse? Cantering nicely? I decided to work on this sitting trot thing that we suck at doing. I should have ridden in the dressage saddle since I got my jumping one wet (and it bleeds a bit). I was wearing full seat breeches so they helped, and it was AMAZING, too! I did what others suggested to slow the trot to almost a walk, but then, I would push back to the trot. It was hard to do bouncing around without yanking on his mouth, but I got him controlled enough to give him a break on the bit without running through it and speeding up.
Sitting trot was awesome, cantering was awesome, jumping's been awesome. We need to get spring back!
Please take a look at my wish list and let me know if you have any of the items on it. I'd love to help out another "horse person" that needs to sell some of the items I'm looking for.
What have I been up to? I don't even know sometimes. After the wedding, I just wanted to relax a bit. I was riding a lot when the weather was good and fall hit. It's been cold (for me, anything below 60 is cold), and this end of daylight savings doesn't make it better. It's dark before I even leave work, and I haven't adjusted well to the cold. Once I get to the farm, I'm fine, but it takes a lot for me to get there. I am going to have to use the lights like I did last year to get me through winter and the weekends better be nice! Hopefully I can get days to work from home and break up my day with some time outside (and with sunlight) to keep my sanity.
When he was a lot smaller in foster care.
We also got a dog/puppy! We adopted one that is about 6 months old, and he's a ton of fun. I get up early in the morning to get him fed and get him out so I've been getting a lot accomplished in the morning. I was riding before work some days last year, but this year, it's not an option with "morning dog duty." We have no idea what Kaiden is, but your guess is as good as ours. He's a great dog with all of the smarts and personality. I can see some terrier, they said hound mix, either way, he's just fun so we'll go with that for a breed.
On top of the dog, I started my second grad course. It's a great program, but it's so rushed with classes being 8 weeks. Right now, I'm on week 4, and it does not feel like I'm half way there because it flies by. My next course begins in March so I'm hoping that I don't feel the winter depression and "boredom" with a break in class. Skiing is set to keep my busy for yet another winter. I don't really enjoy it beyond getting me through winter, but it really does help pass the time. I say that because I don't have an urge to get out on a mountain in the summer like most people that love the sport would. Between the puppy, Spyder, and the pool, I can't wait for summer!
Yes, he chose to sleep right here. He's so cuddly.
Back to horses, I got back on last week and Spyder was decent w/t, but I was worried to canter and totally out of shape from not getting on since I had fallen. I was pretty sore for about 3 days, but my chiropractor appointment couldn't have already been scheduled at a better time. It was mainly my neck hurting from hitting my head, and it still is a bit stiff. The trot was consistent so I was pushing into a faster speed going straight and taking corners in a slower and collected trot by slowing my post. He needs to get speeds that I control vs. speeds he decides to set.
I got on Saturday this past weekend and decided to give the canter a go. I got a few kicking out fits, but we worked through it, (or I got very lucky) and they stopped. I didn't push too hard because we always end up having to work through something even worse than where we were. I trotted around the field and then went into the dressage ring to end the ride practicing the Intro A test to see if I could remember it. I think I did?
Today, it snowed/flurried for a bit, and it's just damp, dark, and cold! I wanted to ride since I try to get out there on Tuesdays, but I'll have to pick another night this week to get on in the dark and hope it warms up. This weekend looks beautiful so I plan on riding both days, if possible. Both days means I'll get out there one, but it'll be worth it since it looks mid to upper 50's for a change. There is a combined test (show jumping and dressage) with an optional cross country course at the farm this weekend. I'm not thinking I'm going to do it since I won't get to practice much which is a total bummer. If you couldn't tell by this post, the lack of riding is really bumming me out, and I worry that the canter isn't going to come along because it just doesn't seem to be working. Sigh, bring back warmth and sun.
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!
I did the treat trick again to save my boots from the mud. It look 1 minute and 30 seconds to get Spyder walking from the back corner to the gate... not bad. I'll take the little wait for the clean shoes!
I rushed to the barn to tack up since I had plans to ride with one of the girls that trailers in (the one I talked about prior that also feeds most nights) I ended up riding with the 2 K's at the barn: the other that I'm doing the pace with. We're all going to the hunter pace so it was great to ride together. We had another little girl from the other farm ride over with the K that trailered in to the farm next door. We rode out to the big ring to get in some riding time, and it was a ton of fun!
At first, it was like a circus. We didn't have rhythm and we were just riding all over the field. We were all jumping different jumps and turning towards each other so it made for some paying attention. What better practice for the show this weekend? Spyder and I did some of the jumps that we don't normally do since we were in the company of others - the stone wall jumps that are beat up (and are missing the top so they are extra scary), the wishing well, a bunch of cross rails, and the brush box thing without the brush. Spyder had no idea what was going on as we don't ride with anyone rather than 3 other horses, and he behaved so well!
Spyder's behavior was so great so K that feeds decided to get on him. She always wanted to ride a stb, and I got on Sassy, the pony she rides (last post talk). Sassy is a fun little pony, but I'm not really sure how K deals with her feisty attitude and endless need to canter everywhere. Her trot is so cute, but she tosses her head a lot. You almost feel like she might rear she gets it up and back so far. K is brave for jumping a pony like that! Her "going round" is backing up to no end. I do think she'll do that all day before she gives to the bit. They are going to get her teeth checked because she's not into the bit AT ALL! She loves riding her so much, and you really get used to the horse you are on.. this was proof! I then traded ponies with the girl that followed K over to get on the one I used to lease/lesson on in college and right before I found Spyder. He's AMAZING and I cantered him for a circle just to be on a "normal" horse.
Pony I used to lease with his owner & the brush/box jump
K that feeds
K on my hunter pace team
Once we got through jumping and trading ponies, we headed back, and Spyder was so happy to eat. For once, he didn't act out in rage because everyone else was getting fed. Again, no spurs called for some great riding, and K even got him to canter for her (and jump a cross rail). I'm excited to be getting my happy horse back. :) The hubby and I picked up the trailer last night, but either the wiring is wrong, the bulbs, or something is up with the truck. The parking lights stay on, but we drove 1.5-2 hours without blinkers and brake lights (through some rain), and it was not fun at all! I'm glad that it's home safe for us to work on the lights, and I think that we might fix the one part that could be reinforced to know it's over with and 100% safe. I can't wait to use it!
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!
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!
Ahh, this chillier weather is not making me very happy. The days are getting shorter, and daylight "savings" is NEVER making me any happier. When it's dark before I leave work, I'm miserable... and it's getting closer. Hopefully it'll stay dry so I can use the outdoor flood lights to get in a few quick rides before it gets too cold at night once it starts! I sound like a brat, I know, but I love sun, warmth, and being outside so winter kills the mood.
Anyways, yesterday, we worked on reinforcing what we learned on Sunday with bending and shoulder in/shoulder out exercises.This was in the side field which is near the barn so I had to work on pushing through a circle. He always sways back to the barn on that side of the circle which is annoying to say the least. I had to push harder to keep the pace with counting to keep the tempo I set. We went around until he was consistent then circled obstacles in the field. We started with the bush, tree, trakehner, roll top, and finally went to the brush box (which he was looky with so we circled that again). We went back to all of the others again to keep our cool since we haven't ridden out there in a while.
Spyder was the opposite of our lesson where he wanted to go forward and pull. I had to push to keep the speed which is the exact opposite of what I've had to do all along. He kept pulling me for Danny, and yesterday, he had more excitement than he has had in a while, but it was a collected and he listened despite the excitement. There were a lot of deer in that field, and he didn't care to look at
them. A few even splashed into the water along the field, and he kept
his cool. He didn't flinch which was a relief being that he FREAKED
out when I first got him and it was hot so the BO's
dogs jumped in. The splashing sound was obviously going to kill him so
he did all kinds of crazy moves. I was SO proud of him because he's
finally trusting me and listening so his focus is elsewhere. He's ready for a trail? Maybe?
Cooler weather has something to do with it, but since he was so good, I rode to cool out around the barn. We worked on being patient with me on board while they started feeding because I'm sick of him getting so anxious and acting like he will never get to eat. He went in his stall to eat (and was so rough throwing the bucket around like he was angry), and then I helped catch two horses that decided to take off when coming in to eat.
The take off: They are semi-new so they don't get the routine just yet, and the one is a runner. Normal horses stick to those that are close by, but I guess since they had each other, they went. They ran into the field by the house and took off down the track. I ran through trails on the track to meet up with grain, but they were too busy galloping all over the place. I was so nervous because it was getting dark and hoped they would be smart enough to stay out of the woods or stay clear of the street. I took off into field where the BO had her golf cart and was trying to herd them. The girls that were feeding helped chase them back towards the barn when I caught up to them out of breath (haven't ran like that in a while). We all went in the golf cart after them, and they decided to stop for a bite of grass. I hopped out with the grain and caught the "better" one's attention so he came towards me. The "bad" one followed, but was very cautious knowing I was going to grab him. Since I had one hand, I grabbed the calmer horse and we walked back leaving the one that decided to flea to follow. The girl feeding grabbed him once he gave up, and they got back into their stalls without grain until they cooled out. It was complete chaos for about 20 minutes, but I am thankful nothing bad happened.Oh, and chiggers... they are terrible! When I got home I showered as fast as a I could because I saw a few. Glad I realized to check after running through the woods, fields, and tall grass.
He can't let me go behind him without seeing what I'm up to. New cement!
April came to watch me ride since her stb is just started under saddle. I thought the Danny lesson would be good for her to see, and hopefully she came out of it with something to use with her horse. I hope to see her have a lesson in the near future with Dom so I can see him move and offer encouragement. She's already started her horse Shadow off on the right path, so I know he'll come along great!
I think this was the 4th lesson we had with Danny. First was just steering and stopping. The second was posture, steering, and stopping. The third was bending and getting him off my leg/into the bit which I have that video in prior posts. So yes, I think this is the 4th like I said. It started off with compliments! Danny knew that I'd been working on what we've learned as he could tell Spyder was more manageable, more flexible, and more prone to respond to aids.
We worked on the bit and did some steering, and Danny could see that I kept him in a frame well (last lesson this is basically all we worked on with moving off of leg). We worked up to the trot, and it was inconsistent with speeds as well as sloppy. I remembered the two items I was in control of so when I was asked, direction and speed. When Spyder would speed up, I had to turn him and continue the other direction. The turn started with me being sharp, but Danny let me know I needed to guide him and keep my leg with him to hold his balance. Oops. He was getting a bit off balance which made for a few pacey steps, but Danny told me to change my diagonal to put him back in balance. He said, "who cares what diagonal you're on for this exercise, that's for crap, like showing!"
I had to keep the rhythm and slow him every time that he wanted to speed up. I had to change the pace of my posting and work on squeezing my knees/thighs into Spyder's shoulder to encourage slowing the speed. We did this working in a circle, and when he was listening, I took him around the field to make sure it would stay consistent. It did! Another step that he added was always asking him something at every point of the ride. I would ask him for a transition up to trot, but push him into it moving him off my leg. When in the trot, I'd still ask him to move over with my leg, and then ask him to walk, but use my leg to move him out. This seemed to help Spyder a lot because he's paying attention. Instead of nagging him here and there, you're constantly working and asking. I think he was happy about it!
Now that we have the steering and the stop/go, we can work on the speed and consistency. It must be nice to be blessed with a horse with tempo. My legs, back, arms, and thighs can feel ever bit of the "slow down" steps that we took! I'd say we're getting somewhere... FINALLY! Walking back to the barn, a mini was following us/coming with us because the girl was going over to barn 2 to ride with others. Spyder was fine until we let the mini catch up to us and the moment he stepped in front, he looked at him like it was going to eat him. In his defense, the little girl did have a pink sparkly crop and used it lightly. I'm thinking that maybe Spyder saw that? I have no idea why he was OK with the mini following until it got a bit closer/up to him, but we'll have to work on being around other horses.
When we got back to our barn, I showed April his canter and was curious to know if it looked "normal." She let me know that it looks just like any other horse she's seen which makes me happy because she wasn't a standardbred person before hers (as was I - I had owned one, but never trained him for anything that mattered, I just rode him). It is great to know that someone else is exploring a new breed and trying to make it work. She saw that it could, and we have each other to talk about "horse problems" with!
Thursday: Warming up, Spyder was a bit bored. He didn't want to move out, up, or off my leg so we moved on to something that might beabout a bit more exciting... transitions! The trot was slow and steady so the transitions were bound to lift him up. We started one direction with 5 steps of walk, 10 steps of trot, and 15 of canter then came back down with 10 steps of trot and 5 steps of walk to start back up again. I went around about 3 times with that pattern before giving him a break and switching to the harder side.
On the tougher side, we did 10 steps walk, 10 steps trot, 5 steps canter, 10 steps trot, 10 steps walk, and we did this just twice. He was an angel and anticipated each new speed, but I wasn't asking soon enough. Going from walk to trot he wanted to canter, but I was able to slow him to a trot. His canter to trot is a little tough, but it'll get better. Each time we did a transition, it got easier the next time around so I know it was working.
I plan on having a lesson with Danny on Sunday which always seems to help us move along further than I ever thought possible. I hope this one goes as well as the others, and I hope to not get too anxious or nervous! Dom from other posts (and this blog) put me in touch with another rider of a standardbred from SRF. It turns out that her horse and Spyder are related per grandfather (I think? - No Nukes)! She's going to drive down to my house Sunday to head over to the barn for my lesson to see Spyder go. In the beginning of my training, I was right where she is now so it'll be good for both of us to chat and have support for the struggles! :)
Oh, and there was talk on a board on Facebook about bloodlines. I posted a little bit of Spyder's, and Dom let me know this: "Western
Paradise is a very famous standardbred sire. No Nukes had a nasty
temper but was a brilliant racing stallion. Many of his grandsons make
excellent riding horses. His mother comes from Tyler B and
Laag lines, both of which are very well bred. Abercrombie was one of the
founding sires in the breed."
There is a book out there that talks about the breed as a sport horse and looks into the lines which I might have to look into getting to read more about the breed. In the near future, I plan to get the links to all of Spyder's lines to see if there are photos available and/or breeding information. I know I came across TB and Morgan when I did a few quick clicks!
Someone on Facebook told me that grays run on his mother's side... She said, "you have some really good names there -- Albatross, Meadow Skipper,
Most Happy Fella, Abercrombie -- Laag is a great gray producer -- and
YAY! we're related! Tyler B is my boy's grandsire on his mare's side!" Me, "his mom, "little red light" is called "RED" for short.. but she's 100% gray now!" Her, "well, Arcane Hanover is a Bay and Painted Night is a Roan, which might explain "Red."
Barn 2 is the "adult barn"... it's a place where people have "pets" and not the hobby of horseback riding. OK... that's not true for EVERYONE there, but it is for the most part. It's nice, but I'm not there just to chat all the time. Again, it's not 100% true that all they do is hang out, but they definitely don't ride much. Those that ride are on a different schedule so I never see too many people at the farm.
The few that ride when I do are people that I wouldn't trust on a trail to react in a safe manner in the event something happened. Again, this is not everyone, but a general assumption. There are a few kinds of people: the ones that I wouldn't trail ride out with, the ones that won't trail ride, and the ones that don't even ride. That about sums it up. This really doesn't help with switching up Spyder's routine or getting him used to being in the ring with other horses. He's always been behaved at shows, but he gets bored there just as much as he is getting at the farm.
Now how could he be bored? Well, it's me. I won't go on a trail alone, and I very rarely ride over to the "kid's barn" where the indoor is located. The jumps over there are always smaller, but I've been too lazy or not had enough time to get over there. There is SO much to do all over, though - trails, water, track, rings, dressage, jumps, cross country, etc. Any barn closer (or further for that matter) doesn't have nearly the amount of amenities that we have at our disposal. This price is also hard to beat for less things to do. A huge factor is safety. I'm not going to ride out and get hurt and then hope someone finds me or I am OK. Am I scared or just cautious? Not sure.
The problem? The lack of people to ride with. It gets SO boring riding on your own over and over again. I don't try new things for fear of getting hurt and being alone when it happens, if it happens. Do i get a trailer? If I got one, would I use it enough? Would not having a truck limit me? This is debatable because my dad has an extra, in-laws have an extra, and brother-in-law has one; however, they are all within 25 - 45 minutes away - with another 25 minutes to an hour from each location I borrowed a truck. If I had a trailer, where would I go and who would I go with? Is there even a point to getting one?
There is a farm in my development. Yes, I could walk there,
BUT it's $100 more and it's just an outdoor ring and an indoor. The place has heat/air conditioning for the indoor, stalls, and tack area, but
you are so limited. It's a huge lesson barn, and where you can ride
depends on the schedule. Another fault, they only do 1/2 day turn out.
While each horse gets their own stall, they can only be turned out for
12 hours because there is limited field space. I think Spyder would go
crazy which in turn, would make me go crazy.
So, there leaves the dilemma, and I need a plan for the big picture and the smaller one. Where should we be? What do I want to be doing with my horse? Can that be done in the current situation? What are my smaller goals and how can I gear training towards them? I feel like we've lost this touch and I don't know what to do. Good think I have a honeymoon to go on. I'll have a lot of time to think about it.
So I take back what I said last post. Monday, I got on went to the track where Spyder didn't want to move. Now, I thought before when he stopped it was because he had to go to the bathroom... he went and he got over it. This time, there was no moving. Kicking, clucking, pushing, pulling - he wasn't moving. Is something wrong? Is this is his new trick? I almost got off to get a crop, but we kept turning until he would move and pushed through it.
Since he wouldn't move on the track, we went over to the field with cross country jumps and deer. He had a fit - jumping up in the front and throwing his head. Oh joy. I handled it well, but he was not steering and wanted to go back to barn. Great! Is my horse going to turn sour? We kept doing circles right where the deer were and pushed past the path to the barn. New idea - I trotted all over the field and then trotted to the track past where we worked (aka tried) making it *almost* to the big field where we usually ride. FAIL. He decided to stop again. There was not a care in the world that we needed to get there, but again, I pushed through it, did some steering work, and we got there.
We trotted and moved off leg and cantered our figure 8. We had a decent ride, and he was picking up the canter well in both directions so I decided to head back. He could not stand still after I decided to stop him from pulling me to the gate. He was being so rude; therefore, every time he walked and pulled, I'd ask him to trot. You want to go, Spyder, you can go! We went in the opposite direction he was trying to go. We came back down to halt, and he still wanted to lift his head and pull so we cantered..... and cantered... This was until he wanted to stop, of course.
It only ended up being a 40 minute ride, but we're back to the temporary (hopefully) struggles and asking for opinions. Could there be something wrong? Is this him trying to outsmart me? What am I doing wrong? Ideas? Hints? Tricks? We're always cycling. Again, I'm happy we're working through things, but this has got to end. One ride could be great and another could fall apart so we'll hope for the best next ride.
I quickly forget what we did on a particular ride if I don't take
noted right away so I'm probably missing a ton. Anyways, I got the farm
and I wasn't feeling 100%. There were two boarders that I usually talk
to that wanted to hear all about the wedding. I was happy to relax and
talk to them for a bit because I was feeling better by the time I got
tacked up. I got on Spyder a bit later than I was expecting to, but we
had a very short ride because it was perfect.
We headed
out to the big field where we worked on our trot and bending and
quickly moved to canter because he was so good. On the way out, Spyder
stopped and WOULD NOT move which was frustrating, but it was feeding
time so I figured this was his new tactic. He just had to go to the
bathroom... hahaha. After that, he was all for continuing on. Our figure
8 is helping with the command, but the horse of habit is getting the
hang of the spots in the field where we pick up the lead and go. I've
been thinking about how we can get strong at the canter, but the habits
are going to get in the way so we'll need to change things up.
I
headed back after about just 30 minutes since he was a good listener
and did everything we needed to easily. He didn't even flinch at the
deer that were out there taunting us. I'm proud of him for being less
fussy during feeding time, as well. I think my baby horse is growing up
and finally starting to mature. It's been SO much easier since he's lost
his "colt attitude." I did find out that they are just resting the
field Spyder was in for a bit to get the grass growing and the mud dried
up. I'm happy he won't be staying in the swampy field for long...
although it's been dry.
I didn't get to ride this past
weekend because I had a migrane Sunday when I woke up. Saturday was
nice because we got a lot done around the house and went mountain
biking. They took out a lot of the bridges and obstacles to discourage
riding where we go, but it was still a good time on the trails. Biking
helps a lot with cardio and leg which, of course, helps with riding! :)
I'll have to see if Spyder is afraid of a bike because Chris said he'd come with me to try out trails if that would work out. Yesterday was sunny and warmer than usual (but still not up to par with
the typical weather) so I had a pool day and relaxed. I haven't had a
migrane that bad, EVER. Back to riding this week and hoping for warmer
and dryer weather!
I got to ride yesterday which was the first day back since the wedding (and the week before). I left work a bit early to make sure that I had enough time in the event he had a lot of energy or wanted to act up from sitting for a week (and I couldn't find him because he moved to the field next to his since his needs a rest and that one has a ton of grass). He did not have a case of energy. Spyder was more peppy than usual, but that lasted about 15 minutes. What a lazy horse! He listened to my leg fairly well and remembered what we had learned in our Danny lesson. We had a smooth, comfortable trot that looked really great since he was staying round and putting forth an effort.
That lasted long... we had to push through some lazy spots. The rhythm gets lost when Spyder doesn't feel like going. I know it's still hot, but it's been low humidity and lower temperatures PLUS he sat. There is no excuse! The cluck is coming in handy to keep him listening and in a steady pace. When I am posting, my voice has to set the pace and keep him going along with my leg. Hopefully we can work through lazy, and it's good switching up the routine to keep him excited.
We did a lot of circles on the bit, and worked on w/t transitions. A figure eight around a jump with walking and changing the bend in the middle before picking up the trot again got his attention. He was very quiet, and I'm glad that I have a horse that picks back up where he left off. Level headed and quiet is better than a crazy peppy one. Go Spyder! I am looking forward to riding this week (only Thursday, though). I have a wedding in Virginia this weekend so next week should become a more steady schedule. I'm excited to get back to a bit of jumping. The jumps at the "adult barn" are always set pretty high because no one changes them so I am thinking of riding next door. The lesson jumps are better. Yes, I am just as lazy as Spyder and don't want to get back on after I get off to fix the jumps. I'm guilty.
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. :)
I updated my last blog with a funny comment from someone taking pics at the show. Warmblood/Standardbred... same thing, right? Hahaha
Tuesday, I got to farm and I was sweating just sitting there. We've had this crazy heat wave which should bring us into the 100's today and tomorrow. Sheesh! I am still hoping to have the wedding ceremony outside next weekend so I'm hoping it cools off for a long enough period of time. We should be seeing the 80's again next week. I feel bad because Spyder is probably sweating up a storm, but I have comfort in knowing he's the boss. He'll be the one in the shed, and I've also seen him play in the water tub.
Oh, and I am not happy with how he's looking. He's definitely more fit, but that's balancing down his weight. He's not skinny by any means, but he's looking more like he did when he raced. His food is up since he's working harder and he keeps busy stomping flies all day. I'm REALLY not happy with the "rib" look. :(
I tacked up quickly to get to riding and get Spyder hosed. His feet are looking better, as the hoof isn't as contracted. I've been working on it thanks to comments from that post. I put a check for the farrier at the barn so I'm hoping he gets done this week. His over reach isn't too bad, but the flies are giving him all kinds of cracks and chips. I got on after having to fight with him over grass, and I am teaching him that it is rude to put his head down when someone is trying to get on. I used my dressage whip to remind him that he wasn't supposed to eat. I got on, and the whip was a fun item to hold because he KNEW I had it. Again, we need to work on the fact that it means "do something" vs. "speed up". Obviously a whip with racing meant FASTER so it's been a fun process!
Another rider and pony came over to the farm for schooling jumps and xc so we rode in the big ring with them for a bit. Spyder was excited and acted up in the dressage ring, but I kept him focused and put him right back on task. I was proud of how I handled his attitude. All he wanted to do was look at the pony. We did w/t/c in dressage ring, and the canter to the right is still unbalanced which makes it less than enjoyable and not easy for either of us. I don't know what we're going to do to work on it, but I need a plan. We did some w/t/c in field, and worked over jumps. There were a lot of ground poles set up so we worked on a "course" which was basically making sure we could steer to all of the obstacles. There was a decent cross rail set up, and we did the wishing well. Spyder gets bored with jumps easily so we'll have to work them up higher. I just get lazy once I'm already on and don't like getting off to set jumps. Good horse! He got a hosing session which he's come to really enjoy with this heat.
Oh wow, 3 days in a row! This really never happens, but I am glad it has. With the wedding approaching in a few weeks (less than 3!), I need time to get away from the planning. Still, I have yet to become a Bridezilla and no one understands! Haha... Anyways, Spyder is looking fit, and we're really learning to work together which has made me so happy. He's a MUCH happier horse when being ridden, too!
Of course my drive over to the barn was a rainy one. After I changed into my riding clothes, it was still raining, but I was hopeful it would stop. I got all of my tack out, and sure enough, it stopped while I was grooming Spyder in his stall. He was already in and finished eating when I got there which sped things up. We did another quick ride (25-30 minutes) because he's getting it. There were so many "good notes" to end on that I had trouble stopping. With 15 minutes in, I figured I should push a little harder. Since everything was wet (yet again), I worked on the track in our circle from the day befor.
We're staying in the lines... kind of.
Again, walk with the bend and trot with the bend... then on to canter. We can steer to the left, but with the open space and new area, he tends to move towards the barn and really pull to the right. We end up on the grass and cantering sideways because his body goes left, but I turn his head right. We'll have to come back down a few speeds to work on steering and position/bend a bit more because we're both not getting it in that direction. I'd hate to see what it looks like from on the ground! Again, the right was a bit pacey as he couldn't hold it as long. I'm glad we've finally got that buck/kicking out thing over with for the most part because it makes the ride a lot more pleasant for both of us.
Monday's are always a drag, and so I went to the farm to lighten up the day and my mood.
Yesterday, my drive to the farm was into a storm. I got there at 530, and the 30% chance of thunderstorms led to a down pour until after 6. When I left work, it was 94ish, and it was 71 after my 25 minute drive through rain. Thunder and lightening scared some of the horses out of their sheds, and I just sat in my car to watch the storm pass. I enjoy a good storm! The rain lightened up so I went to grab my tack to clean it if it didn't stop. I saw Spyder in the shelter which made me realize why he stays so clean. He was hanging out of the run in because he heard someone coming. He didn't want to come out in the rain, but his ears got wet being so curious. He was happy to see me, but wasn't coming out to get wet.
Storm on the way to the farm
Spyder looking out at me in the rain.
I got super close to rabbit, too! I know, it's just a rabbit, but it was cute!
Cute little thing!
Since the rain stopped, I grabbed Spyder to tack up (of course, it's better than cleaning tack). I had a quick ride which was about 25-30 minutes on the track. I figured that was the least wet place since everything was saturated, and it is nice because you can see where you are working. The goal was to keep close to the same circle we started with. We worked on bending right and moving off of leg at the walk which I did without a dressage whip but not well. Up to the trot, we fell apart again, but I worked on it back at the walk and kept moving up until we got it.
Even when it rains, it's the perfect place to ride.
We were doing so well to the right, I tracked left, and again, the good side was on par. We worked up to canter and picked up a great left lead canter. To the right, he still can't hold it as well, but I cut him some slack since we were on the sand which he is not used to. I cooled out as much as I could before the crazy feeding time began where the one horse busted out of the gate (as usual), and there was another loose horse to catch. I put Spyder in the round pen to grab the one that was out, and then he ate while I put everything away. I didn't clean my tack for the benefit show on Saturday, but hopefully I will find time later this week.
Oh, and Spyder has a new tactic when he doesn't feel like doing anything. He'll turn his butt to me in his stall and put his head in the opposite corner. I have to walk over and get him! He's a smart horse which is always a challenge. Below is his "please let's not do this right now" face. :)
So Friday was a great ride. It was a bit warm, but we had the perfect breeze. Spyder wasn't in the mood for a ride, but he perked up quickly and was easy to handle. We started with w/t and got balance going. From there, we picked up the canter. It was AMAZINGLY easy to pick it up (to the left, of course). Once we trotted to the right, I was having trouble getting him off my leg. It took a few circles, but FINALLY, he started listening. Since he was moving over, I pushed up into the canter which was also very easy for whatever reason. He can hold it longer because he's finding his balance, and he's starting to get moving off my leg at the canter, as well. Whoo, maybe soon we can do BIGGER circles.
On to the Danny lesson yesterday - OH BOY! We walked over to the indoor very bravely, and he was just a bit perky/excited/nervous. It was100% my fault because I was nervous, but the heat made me realize that he wouldn't be moving anywhere too quickly. It was 95 degrees, and I had a 2:45 lesson. Had I known it would have been so hot, I may have not signed up, but I sucked it up because he doesn't come too often. The indoor was nice because we got out of the sun, and the ceiling fans were going which helped with air flow a bit. I'll have to go over to the indoor on days when it's really hot if I want to ride without the sun. Normally I wouldn't have ridden on such a hot day, but we had things to accomplish.
To start the lesson off, Danny asked me what I would like to work on. I had to think about it, because I'm not sure where we left off with our other two lessons. I remembered - the first was w/t/STOP because stop wasn't working... and the second was w/t/STEER because we worked on my posture, but steering was not an option. I decided to ask to work on rhythm and balance because I let him know we get a running walk or a pace when he's off balance (but it's also a laziness issue). We started off with a quick trot warm up in both directions around the indoor. Danny could see that I've been working with him as the trot was a lot better than prior lessons. It was great to hear I did something right since the last time he saw him move.
We worked on a circle around Danny while moving the shoulder out. I used a dressage whip to push his shoulder out when he wouldn't listen to my leg. At first, he kept speeding up with the whip in which case my outside rein had to dictate the pace. He kept trying to trot off which was frustrating so I had to keep bringing him back down. Danny let me know I let my horse get away with murder... bad habit, I know. Once he got over that the whip didn't mean SPEED UP, it means MOVE OVER, we were looking great. Danny was pleased with his form in the walk so we moved up to trot... failure. We looked like a sloppy mess, and he let me know it. Then I got asked, "why can you do it at the walk and not the trot?" Good question? It's because I was too busy flopping around. So lesson #1: Outside rein to set the pace, inside rein to pull in his nose for the bend. Easier said than done so we worked at the walk again. I had to keep my outside rein and hand at the saddle and close my inside hand until we got the bend.
Keeping my hands steady at the walk was easy, but the trot they were all over the place which was the problem. We then moved back up to trot once I got my hands under control. This time we got it, but Spyder was picking the pace. We worked on slower, slower, slower, and Danny assured me that there is no rhythm issue. Once he is balanced, his rhythm is great. I just had to learn how to keep him there and to keep his shoulder out. Spyder was getting frustrated on the one half of the circle and pulled a little angry/rear/hop up stunt, but I rode through it well (oh no, being asked to get off my leg is SOOO terrible). I am so happy that he pulled the act just once and that I could keep riding him like it never happened. We took a walk break, and I needed it! It was so hot, and I was bright red/feeling like I could pass out. Whew, summer is killing me.
I wanted to switch to the left because that's my stronger leg and the easier direction. So when Danny asked me to grab my reins to start up the same exercise, I said, "Same direction?" He said, "Of course, you think I'd let you do the easy way? I remember that the right is the weaker side!". I thought I could catch a break, but he let me know the once a month or so was not enough time to work on the "easy side". We were doing so well on the "hard side" so I got to switch direction at the trot. I had to keep using my weak right leg which was now the outside leg since he gets it so easily to the left. I knew I'd be sore the next day (but it's not as bad as expected). We kept switching back to the right since the "bad side" was getting to be so easy.
I REALLY enjoy Danny lessons because he's tough, and you get a lot accomplished in just one hour. You're always getting questioned and ideas handed to you that make you think. He's always asking you things over and over again so they stick. The next ride, you know EXACTLY what to do because you repeat what you're doing throughout the lesson out loud. It's a great way to teach because you can't forget unless you are not participating in which case he lets you know it. You might get asked (which I did), "Now what are you doing wrong?"... when you're puzzled because you're doing things right (so you think). The point is, you think, "What am I doing wrong?". Well, nothing. The answers are sometimes complex and usually simple, but you don't think to say, "Umm, I'm doing everything right." It's positive reinforcement to remind you that you know what you're doing while you're doing it.
I had to repeat to Danny (out loud) "this is the hard side" a few times while we went around to the right in a perfect circle to remind myself that we accomplished what we were looking to do. Also, "outside rein sets the pace, inside rein turns his nose" must have been repeated ten times. Then I got asked, "and what else are you doing?" I also had to add "if the inside rein doesn't make him move out his shoulder, then push him out with the inside leg." Saying this over and over again is going to help my next rides immensely. I'm looking forward to the next lesson because we were looking like a dressage team! The trainer/BO took a video of us once we got through the rough spots and changing direction. It's hard to see the difference between either side because he was so good in both directions! :)
We've got a lot going on. I plan on riding prior to my private lesson with Danny Warrington on Sunday, AND I have a ride with Dom scheduled on Monday! :) YAY! Hope both kick my butt into gear! The 13th, so that following weekend, we have a "fun/benefit" show. I will post updates on all rides and events when they happen, but wanted to wish everyone a Happy 4th! :)
Oh, and below is a picture of cute twin fawns that I saw last week and never posted!
Celebrating getting to ride 4 days this week! With the wedding coming up, I need to keep myself busy and focused... riding helps! I have yet to become a bridezilla, and with less than a month left, I am proud to say that! Saturday, I had a very quick ride because I had to meet up with the photographer and get to my bachelorette party!
I got the the farm around 10:30, and was ready to get up and go since I had to leave/get off around 11:15. Lucky Spyder because it was on the cooler side again (because it NEVER stops raining), and I had a time limit. I grabbed my tack and saw Spyder's face pop up in the stall. Umm, OK? What's he doing inside? Why was he being so quiet? I mean, I was happy because I was rushing and he was right there, but he's out 24/7. He comes in to eat, but he was just hanging out. "Oh hey, you're here. I'm finished eating... can you get me out of here?" I guess that when he came in to eat, they forgot to put him back out. I know that he comes in around 8 - 8:30 so he'd been in there without water (which I didn't think of until after).
I didn't bring it up to the BO because it's not THAT big of a deal, and I HOPE it was just this once. Do you think this is something I need to bring up? "Just so you are aware, Spyder was never put back out?" Just like the wedding, I'm lax about my horse. I don't tend to worry much as the BO lives on the property, and the vet lives up the street. I assumed since he was in that he was hurt, but I walked him around, and he didn't appear lame. I figured if he was hurt, I would have gotten a call... so I put him on the cross ties and checked out his whole body to see if maybe he was in for a cut or something. Nothing, he was just forgotten. I know it's not a big deal, but the water thing kind of upsets me. Had I not come, would he have been left there until dinner? Would he have been thirsty as the day got hotter? I know, I know, he wouldn't have died without hay or water for a day, but poor dude. Next time, Spyder needs to be a little louder and not hang out quietly in the stall next time. Good horse, yes... but make a scene if you're forgotten!
I got on and headed over to the track since the ground was wet. The sand was PERFECT for riding, and there were no puddles as they have been dragging it a lot. We used a huge area where we practiced our pace at the trot and the canter. The canter was a little rough since the sand makes it harder to move, but he tried his best. The left is still wonderful, and the cue is on par, but the right is something we need to continue to work on. Since it's not his best side, I feel like he's a little more hesitant to pick up the canter that direction. Nagging him with my spur seems to work perfectly, and I think I need to get something a bit more "wake up and go" so that we can pick it up that direction. I'll have to look for a new pair, and then bring them back down once he's a little better at being asked then responding.
Since he was so good and wasn't complaining about the right lead/nagging, I walked him around the farm to cool off. We went in the field with the cross country jumps, and he didn't throw any fits. The only issue we had was him drifting towards the barn, as usual. This happens on the track when he's unwilling to work, and I was just persistent in pushing him forward and looking where I wanted him to go to get him there. Once cooled out, I hosed him off and put him back in his paddock. He was happy to have water (poor dude), and to get to the hay that he looks forward to after his grain. I watched him roll (thinking he would do the sit like a dog move which he failed to perform), and then he looked at me and made me feel bad for leaving. Back to another week of a chance of rain/thunder/storms EVERY day!
