Horse expo

And I didnt buy too much! I bought a used neak sweat so Lucas goes into 'halter' prep big time next week. I think my biggest problem will be getting him working hard enough that he is warm enough for the sweat to work. Im doing chores at the barn tomorrow so I plan to spend most of the day out there and take some pictures of Lucas outside in the outdoor. I wont promise any video but if its sunny there will be pictures :)

And Im sick again.

Another sinus infection. *sigh* Which is probably why I've been so tired for the last week. The doctor said I caught it early and its not really bad yet, but more drugs and time off work. I only had a low fever but it seems to be staying down this time with Tylenol.

So it means I will probably not be riding for a couple of days. But hopefully I will be feeling top of the line by the first show! We have a horse expo/met and greet on Saturday so Im planing on riding on Sunday with the kids.

Showmanship practice

I was exaused yesterday and was in bed by 8! Tonight I just went out and did some showmanship practice in our show halter. Lucas was very good and seemed to be very happy about doing showmanship while all the other horses got ridden around him! We mostly did straight lines and some corners at a trot. I got a 'new to me' showmanship jacket/shirt for $5.99! Its a zip up front in creams, blacks, and golds. I left it with C so that she could take in the sleeves a little bit. It should look nice with my black showmanship pants and either of my hats. Ill take pictures when I bring it home!

Degas print or pastel

OK horsey art people this is a pastel that my parents bought me at an auction about 10 years ago. I haven't have it appraised although several people have told me it is a pastel, and not a print, and it is signed by Degas but how much is that worth if its a print? I did talk to an art dealer at one point, who said if it was real I would be a very lucky young lady but who knows for sure. Not a great picture just off my phone.

3 rides in 4 days

Has to be a new record for me, but I'm paying for it tonight! Just ehausted! I went for a ride last night outside, managed to get on by myself (backed him into the fence again, if it works, it works.) He got stuck a bit at first but moved out fine after that. We did some trot work to warm up, then worked on some walk, trot and halt transitions. Its funny that he tries getting stuck when I first get on him but did some great halt/trot and halt/canter transitions during the ride. Its very possible that hes a bit cold-backed, anyone ever dealt with one that couldn't be fixed buy lunging?

So we did a bunch of equation exercises with some cones that were scattered around the arena. It was good to work on as he often thinks that because he is near a cone he might be asked to do something and starts to anticipate. It will be hard to practice a pattern at a show, as he will remember what we are doing and really anticipate when we get in the show ring. His canter was better tonight, but still a bit slow. I just let him go last night, we were having a good ride and working on confidence, speed is an easy thing to add!!

Im trying to get a video but it may have to wait a bit, trying to coordinate a dry day (so we can be outside) with someone around who can operate my cell phone is apparently hard to do. Im trying though I promise!!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone. I went to the barn early this am and helped D and C do chores and asked if D could give me a 20 min lesson so I could deal with Lucas' issues from the other day. Lucas was so much better, maybe the crowed watching made me nervous but he was much better today.

D set some cones up with 4 in a square forming a 20 meter circle and one cone in the middle. We were to trot/jog the inner circle that the cones made and then 2-track out and canter the outside of the cones. Once you had cantered a circle or two, you come back to a trot 2 track back into the circle and continue to do the inner circle.

Lucas was good at first when we were both getting the hang of it, but as we progressed, and asked him to step underneath himself more he fought a bit harder. He was capable of doing it, he just didn't want to. At one point rather than trot correctly (as we were encouraging him to reach and not just 'jog' around) he decided if we wanted forward that was what we were going to get! So he thought he would canter the small circle (about 10-15 meters) well he only thought that was a good idea after I let him do it once or twice. If I tried to make him trot he just got hotter and hotter... once he tried it and realized that it wasn't going to get him anything but working harder he quit with the attitude and settled down and worked.

Were down to almost a month before the first show, time to get in the english saddle, but I did need one more confidence building ride in a western saddle!

Well Lucas was awfull yesterday. Did a bit more rearing and bobing than he's done in a long time. I took him out to lunge him and was just about done when D brought out a 3yo to lunge as well (and to ride with me) and the longer we made Lucas wait for me to get on the madder he got. We got though it and got some good canter/trot work in but when will we get out of this??

We were stuck inside again today as the outdoor was just too wet, oh well more to work on tomorrow.

In other news I got both of my hats done today at the local horse fair, and I bought a brand new helmet! Although my troxel only has 2 years of riding in it, it is over 5 years old. So I bought a Lami-cell helmet. Atleast my head will be safe!

Lucas tossed another shoe

I finlay got out to the barn tonight only to find out that Lucas was so pissed off this morning because he didn't get to go outside (he's been on limited turnout due to the snow/sleet/rain that we've been having) that at some point after his stall was cleaned in the AM and when they put him out for an hour he ripped his hind shoe off.

D is going to tap it back on in the morning, thank goodness it was a hind shoe! At least his back feet are somewhat normal and easy to shoe!

So instead of riding I spent an hour brushing him. Managed to get 2 shovels full of hair out of him, I hope hes done shedding soon. Its very rewarding to see a big pile of hair come out but its hard on my hands and wrists.

The western pleasure industry (or 'my beef with AQHA')

So recently a video was posted on the Fugly blog of a western pleasure horse (which actually may be APHA not AQHA) I stumbled upon it via a forum that I frequent based in Ont. All of you know who read this blog know that I have done the WP thing but that I also struggle with what people are doing to horses to show them. I wanted to defend the WP/stock breed industry but I agreed with what everyone was saying.

I go onto the pleasure horse forum and people are defending the person. No one should be bullied, but the video was awful.

I was disguised with the video. Poll well below the withers, behind the bridle, cantering almost sideways down the rail. The horse had potential, but will never stay sound enough now to preform the way it could have. How do I know that? Well recently a girl I know found out her horse will never be sound again.

He's 3

And he was sound 3 months ago, before he went to the final trainer...And his trainer rode him the same way that this horse was being ridden.

We see the horses that come out for a season then are never shown again, the ones that 'disappear' only to be buried on the trainers farm. The horses burnt up in a season of showing and can never be ridden again. I hate what we are doing to our horses.

And no one stops it.

I'd like to say that I'm better than that, but I'm not, I still do stuff that some people would think inappropriate. I ride my English horse in western spurs. I often ride him in shank bits. I do make him preform hip in at the canter occasionally. But hes happy, sound, and acting like a horse for the first time in his life.

Its the trainers getting caught, charged, fined, kicked out of the association but still allowed to attend shows and coach clients. Its trainers and riders breaking rules and still getting there picture on the cover of a magazine. Its a Professional Horseman regaining his PH status only a couple of years after getting caught drugging horses at a show. Its a trainer getting charged by one association for crulity only to be welcomed with open arms into others...

AQHA, NSBA, APHA, ApHC please get your act together, before some animal rights group does it for you.

Lifting the belly

Wolfie asked in the comments about how I lift Lucas' belly when working him. And there are a couple of different ways and a couple of different exercises that I use.

When he's on the lunge it mostly consists of transitions to keep him off his front end, and driving him from behind with the whip to encourage him to step underneath himself. (And I dont mean just whipping in general, the whip is as much a tool as spurs or a dressage whip are when you are riding!) You should be using short quick flicks to encourage impulsion and drive while not allowing him to speed out of the trot and into the canter.

The side reins encourage him to not avoid the bit, and to carry himself properly. Because Lucas is built with a lower neck, set mine are attached to my English girth right where it splits into the two elastics. Hes also on the longest setting because he has a long neck. You can do this without the side reins and in fact should always be encouraging the horse to lift and drive, but Lucas needs to be reminded that lunging should be work sometimes not just play.

Im very lucky in that Ive always been able to wrap my legs around a horse to physically encourage them to lift. You want to visualize that you are lifting the horses belly into your seat (sometimes if you have a horse that is a bit stiff or rest ant, rise the trot or think about tightening up your bum and allow your self to bounce slightly and let the horses back move as well. Sometimes sitting the trot improperly can cause a horse to resist using there back correctly.)

good and bad

D's mother had a stroke last night so my vist to the barn consisted of helping C with chores while D delt with some family stuff. She has been very sick for a while, but keep D and C in your thoughts as this will end up being a very long week for them.

In other news (the good part) Lucas and I had a good workout last night working him on the lunge, in sidereins working on getting him to really lift his belly when hes trotting. We didn’t do much but a nice little workout. I get my IV tonight so hopefully riding on Wensday, then if all goes well Ill be into my English saddle on the weekend! We have a local horse fair on the weekend that a bunch of us are going to, so Ill be getting my western hats re-shaped. I wish they didn’t keep changing the styles so fast! At least its not expensive to get a hat re-done…

Super star!

Well I took Lucas out into the outdoor for the first time on Saturday afternoon. We went out with Tanker (a 5 yo filly who he is in LOVE with) and one of the 3yo colts he was turnout buddies with last year. They've all been out in the outdoor to lunge but this was the first time we've gotten on.

Lucas got stuck as usual when I was pushing him around on his haunches but I was able to bump him though it without much fuss or fight. Other than that he was excellent! We did some good trot work and some bending and working on our change of direction and making it smother for both of us (something that I have to work hard on as I have one leg stronger than the other). Then we did some transition work, and then we finaly got to work on some true canter work!

Can I just say one thing... I love Lucas' canter!

The indoor is almost too tight to really get him out in the full stride that he needs. So we end up working more on the exercises that will make him a stronger canter without doing much cantering. Now that we are out in the outdoor I can really encourage him to use his body to its full advantage. He'll fight and fuss in the indoor but we both 'click' so well when we have the space. So it was nice to bump him up into a true canter and feel him really reach under himself! I hope to get a video next week of us working to post so you can see how hes doing.

In other news my BF came up this weekend for a local horse association meeting. We had enought time after the meeting for her to come see Lucas and we were going to try her Wenger training saddle on as she was going to lend it to us for a month until we got the first show over with. (She is laid up due to surgery on her knee, doing much better but not riding again for a bit!)

Anyways this is the saddle that I used on Lucas for a bit last winter (when my friend first got hurt) that fit him perfectly. Today it was much too tight! Thank god I didn't buy one! So were back to using D's saddle for a bit (which still fits Lucas!) His English saddle still fits, and I did get an adjustable saddle, but my BF thinks the same that I do, that we will be into another wider gullet by the time show season hits.

When you think that when he first came you could almost see his ribs, and now we are almost into a wide tree saddle.... And although she was the person that thought he was going to be too fat this year, she was truly impressed with how he looked, and that he was carrying the weight in all of the right areas this year where as last year it mostly settled on his belly. Could he be a bit fitter? Sure, but she agreed that we really don't want him too fit! I would be lunging him forever!

Back is feeling better.

Well I got my back and hips adjusted this afternoon. I did have 2 ribs out of place that she shoved back into there spots. I have one hip (my right) that is higher than the other and normally it doesn't bother me but I did notice that it's been locking up the past couple of rides so she adjusted it as well. Lucas got new shoes on his front feet yesterday, and didn't get out today as it was raining. So he was a bit stiff and a little full of it today when I lunged him. Im supposed be allowed to go riding tomorrow but we'll see how I feel. Its only 6 weeks until the first show!!! Time to get into that English saddle! Oh and hes on the downside of the shedding season!

Pictures from the weekend.

Just a couple of pictures of Lucas from the weekend. I gave him a bath on Saturday and on Sunday he had a nap in the sand, and sun! I love the turnout hes in now. Its a bit wet under the left over hay from the winter, and along the bottom edge of the fence, but the footing is all sand like the indoor/outdoor so perfect for a napping pony (and a pony that likes to play!)

Hurt my back

So I somehow managed to put a rib out of place last night. The inflamation from my RA does effect my back around my ribs so I seem to be more prone to have them get poped out of place. I tried putting it back in by my self, with a tennis ball rolling it up and down a wall against my back. No luck this time, although it did make it feel slight better. So Im off to the cryropractor on Thursday to see if they can do anything to it (if I cant fix it by then).

So I cant ride Lucas untill I get it fixed, which is just as well. The farrier is comming tomorrow to put new shoes on and I usualy give him a day or two off afterwords.

Our local AQHA affilate is making some big changes that are going to be anounced at the next meeting this weekend. We had a slot class for 2yo WP, the most the class has ever had in it was 6. They anounced last week that they need to presell 12 slots to "slot owners". The owners can lease but the lease must be aproved by the BOD. Who all have horses, and breed horses, not exactly an impartical group to aprove a lease of a slot...

First time outside! (well this year)

We finally got out to the outdoor today! I know that on a bunch of blogs that I read alot of you were outside a while ago, but we still have snow banks here! Lucas was great though, walked up with some of the other horses (we went up in a group to give the younger horses confidence) and it was like he was only out of the outdoor for a week, not almost 6 months. In fact all of the horses were good. Our outdoor runs alongside some of the turnout pens, so we were even expecting the young group of horses turned out there to want to play around (they wouldn't have seen horses up there last summer). But I guess there were enough older horses around that they didn't even kick up a fuss.

It was 15 degrees C here today so everyone's winter blankets were off, Lucas is back in his summer clothes for the summer! Well hes wearing his turnout with a sheet underneath it, but I think he's as happy as I am that we can finally start putting the winter stuff away.

Show season is coming

Today was the first warm weekend we've had in a long time. So some of the kids and I took advantage of the warm weather (and the hot water heater) and gave Lucas and one of the lesson horses a bath.

I did Lucas while they were finishing up with lessons and he was his usual self in the wash bay, not great but much better than how he acted the last time I had him in there. (when I had to soak his hoof and he freeked out) I then cliped his mussel, star, and then his bridle path. The only thing still looking scruffy was his ears so I put the twitch on him in his stall and did his ears in there. He wasnt to sure about it at first, but stood quietly at the end. Hopefully next time we can start working on doing it without the twitch.

Good news is that we might be finaly able to use the outdoor arena tomorrow! Im not sure if I'll ride him outside tomorrow or next week but it will be so nice to get out of the indoor finaly!

Ive been thinking about our ride on thursday and it was really the first time that hes really been solid on both reins, and that i really had controle of his outside sholder. Hopefully if we ride tomorrow it will be even better

Yippie!

Well tonight we did it! Although the goal is still a "stuck" free ride tonight we had a mini-stuck and I didnt get completly scared and freeze! I grabed horn and started kicking, it wasnt long untill he was behaving perfectly.

We did some good bending and pushing around his hind end (where we got stuck) and then worked on getting him lifted and light in the trot work. We then did a bunch of transitions canter, trot, canter, trot, walk, canter ect. got us working really well together.

Lucas gets his teeth done

Lucas got his teeth done tonight. Equine Dentist was very impressed with the quality of his teeth (not bad at all, and much better than she expected with how he was last year) He was much easer to sedate, and she thought that he looked fantastic.

I was home sick yesterday so he only got a bit of a brush when he started feeling more awake tonight. He also got his sheath cleaned out while he was still doped up. We didnt get his mane pulled so that will have to wait for another night!

One step closer to show season

I had a really good ride on thursday night. D got on him first and worked him for a bit. Then I got on. We really only worked on his trot, and lift from behind, we rode him more collected that night and it was good. He still resisted a bit going from one bend to another, so his teeth are getting checked on Tuesday. Today I'm off 'babysitting' my friend who is recovering from knee surgery. I'll be out at the barn tomorrow and do our western pleasure impression and then he'll be off for a few days depending on what the dentist finds. His trot was fantastic! Lots of drive from behind, he was throwing me out of the saddle when I was rising. All I had to think about was keeping my shoulders balanced, and lifting with my legs, and "boom!!" Trot!!