So I had a good ride today, 4 of us got together and rode (unfortunately in the indoor, the outside was stinking wet) it was crowded but we made it work. Lucy was very good her transitions were awesome and the loping was good as well. We even did a bunch of work one handed.
Lucy got clipped for the show next weekend, and I got my straw hat slightly re-shaped into the new crease, just in case it rains on show day, I don't want to ruin my felt hat for showmanship!
OH and in BIG news I took Chilly out and lunged her for a bit, saddled and bridled, we sacked her out, D got up and down in the saddle then his daughter got up on her for her first walk around with someone on her! She's 2 and 1/2 now so stepping up the work a little is good for her brain. She's so much like both of her parents! Shes sensible like Lucy but quirky and fun like Chevy.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Little post...
I have my lesson tomorrow but I found an interesting blog post written by a doctor that I found really intresting...
A letter to patients with chronic disease/
A letter to patients with chronic disease/
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Missing in action
Riding the past two weeks has been spotty due to the death, visiting family on my end and Dr appointments (eye doctor completely routine). I did get a 30 min ride in last night, it was 30 degrees so I dragged out poles and we worked on jog poles and tried some lope overs.
The jogging poles are much better than earlier this week and the lope over was a little sticky but she got over it without jumping it, and although she broke to a jog every once and a while she still was willing and eager to go over it. Her lope is coming too but it was much too hot to do more than 2 trips around the indoor before having a walk break.
I've got a privet lesson on friday to work on the gate and trail and then we have a HUGE group lesson on Saturday to work on rail work and patterns... Last count was 10 horses!
The jogging poles are much better than earlier this week and the lope over was a little sticky but she got over it without jumping it, and although she broke to a jog every once and a while she still was willing and eager to go over it. Her lope is coming too but it was much too hot to do more than 2 trips around the indoor before having a walk break.
I've got a privet lesson on friday to work on the gate and trail and then we have a HUGE group lesson on Saturday to work on rail work and patterns... Last count was 10 horses!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
June 23 update
D's father died on Friday. He was a lovely man, who loved horses, and loved sharing his love of horses with those around him. The barn was quiet and sad this weekend in reflection of the loss for D and his family, but also for everyone loss.
So for that reason our group lesson for Saturday was canceled, although three of us and D and C's daughter went out and had a bit of a fun ride in the sun.
We did manage to find out whats going on with Lucy's lope, All that flexibility though her body, and slowness that I've been working on is paying off, but I just needed to push her hips a bit more to the inside to allow her to keep her stride and rhythm without loosing the cadence that the flexibility is building.
We also worked on the trail gate, we had someone open it and we 'pretended' and did all the gate steps with out actually using the rope, and then C picked up the rope and rubbed it all over her then stepped back, and handed the rope to me and I hooked the gate to the standard. So we still have some stuff to work on but we are leaps and bounds from where we were last week.
So for that reason our group lesson for Saturday was canceled, although three of us and D and C's daughter went out and had a bit of a fun ride in the sun.
We did manage to find out whats going on with Lucy's lope, All that flexibility though her body, and slowness that I've been working on is paying off, but I just needed to push her hips a bit more to the inside to allow her to keep her stride and rhythm without loosing the cadence that the flexibility is building.
We also worked on the trail gate, we had someone open it and we 'pretended' and did all the gate steps with out actually using the rope, and then C picked up the rope and rubbed it all over her then stepped back, and handed the rope to me and I hooked the gate to the standard. So we still have some stuff to work on but we are leaps and bounds from where we were last week.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Not such a hot day...
So yesterday we went for a walk at work to go and get ice cream as a treat. I managed to complete the walk in not a whole lot of pain but I'm feeling it today! Just body sore from walking so far and not being used to it. My hips and lower back are feeling it from trying to take the strain off my ankle...
On top of that turns out I'm allergic to something in the cotton candy ice cream that I got (my one treat for this week!). So I spent most of the afternoon running back and forth to the bathroom. I think its time to request an allergy test from my family doctor. I've eliminated a lot of things but every once and a while something catches me off guard.
I did manage to go out and ride last night for a little bit, Lucy's bump has gone down some but not enough to make me happy. She's loping really crappy to the right, slow, but not very correctly. I'm not sure if its her bump, or something that I'm not doing right. D will have to fix us on the weekend. Good news is that we did ride outside and had a good quiet ride. Lucy only got uptight on one side of the ring, but that was it, she was just 'up'
Anyways we're both taking tonight off to rest and heal, do some showmanship tomorrow night then the lesson on Saturday.
On top of that turns out I'm allergic to something in the cotton candy ice cream that I got (my one treat for this week!). So I spent most of the afternoon running back and forth to the bathroom. I think its time to request an allergy test from my family doctor. I've eliminated a lot of things but every once and a while something catches me off guard.
I did manage to go out and ride last night for a little bit, Lucy's bump has gone down some but not enough to make me happy. She's loping really crappy to the right, slow, but not very correctly. I'm not sure if its her bump, or something that I'm not doing right. D will have to fix us on the weekend. Good news is that we did ride outside and had a good quiet ride. Lucy only got uptight on one side of the ring, but that was it, she was just 'up'
Anyways we're both taking tonight off to rest and heal, do some showmanship tomorrow night then the lesson on Saturday.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
not the usual glowing post
I managed to finally get out to the barn last night to ride. Lucy was in the farthest pasture from the barn enjoying the lovely waist high grass. She wasn't happy to leave it and that kind of set the tone for the rest of the night.
Its not that she was bad, she just wasn't herself. I did notice when I was tacking her up she had some large fly bites on her tummy, and one was between her elbow and her girth. (a round raised bump about as big as my thumbnail and about 2/3 cm raised) I did use a fleece girth but I think that it was still pushing against the girth when she moved. She wasn't off (she trotted sound with the saddle on and with me on her back) but she just wasn't with the program. Normally I work on slowing her down, last night it was all I could do to keep her going at the lope.
I cold hosed her belly when I was done and C thinks that the minor swelling should go down in another day or two. Hopefully it was just an off day.
Its not that she was bad, she just wasn't herself. I did notice when I was tacking her up she had some large fly bites on her tummy, and one was between her elbow and her girth. (a round raised bump about as big as my thumbnail and about 2/3 cm raised) I did use a fleece girth but I think that it was still pushing against the girth when she moved. She wasn't off (she trotted sound with the saddle on and with me on her back) but she just wasn't with the program. Normally I work on slowing her down, last night it was all I could do to keep her going at the lope.
I cold hosed her belly when I was done and C thinks that the minor swelling should go down in another day or two. Hopefully it was just an off day.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
2nd ride outside
And we had a much better time this time. My older friend and I had a lesson and her horse is a super quiet and steady horse and we used him as a guide horse for Lucy. He went first around everything that was 'new' and we followed about 2 horse lengths behind him. So we got going on one end of the arena closest to the barn, then slowly working our way around the trail obstacles set up in the middle of the ring (bridge, 360 ring, gate, sets of trot poles, back though L and cones) and finally to the far end of the ring where we maneuvered around the 3 big blue barrels that were the rest of the trail course. Slowly we worked around until we could finally work around the entire ring on the rail!
We didn't work on too much else other than just getting around the ring! We finaly got to take a break and worked on some trail stuff, we did the bridge, trot poles, back though the L and the cones. I took Lucy to the gate to try it but she was a little twitchy, so we just stood quietly beside it on both sides. It took me and D a minute but then we finally clued into the fact that she hasn't done a rope gait since she got tangled in the electric fence 2 years ago. So once I got off her back I spent several minutes with her on the ground opening and closing the gate, walking her though it, and rubbing the rope all over her. She jumped the first couple of times it touched her but by the end I could unhook it and rub it all over her face without her flinching.
All and all it was a good day. I will hopefully ride again tomorrow am then off to the beach for fathers day!
We didn't work on too much else other than just getting around the ring! We finaly got to take a break and worked on some trail stuff, we did the bridge, trot poles, back though the L and the cones. I took Lucy to the gate to try it but she was a little twitchy, so we just stood quietly beside it on both sides. It took me and D a minute but then we finally clued into the fact that she hasn't done a rope gait since she got tangled in the electric fence 2 years ago. So once I got off her back I spent several minutes with her on the ground opening and closing the gate, walking her though it, and rubbing the rope all over her. She jumped the first couple of times it touched her but by the end I could unhook it and rub it all over her face without her flinching.
All and all it was a good day. I will hopefully ride again tomorrow am then off to the beach for fathers day!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Breakthrough!
We had a moment tonight! We warmed up pushing her hips around then moving into doing the same at a jog. We then thew in some jog squares pushing her front end around (almost a turn on a haunch at each corner) also mixed in some two tracking (I was going to do side passing as well but was so happy with her lope I got off before I remembered to do them!).
Her lope was great tonight, slow, easy, light and loose though her entire body but rocked back on her haunches enough to keep a good stride. She's really getting it! I could even pick her up and rock her back without her getting upset or breaking, she just sat back and slowed down. Such a smart little mare! I yelled at D to come watch from the other end of the barn I was so happy with her. I hope to ride tomorrow night then I've got my IV on Thursday. Hopefully the rain will be up by then as we really need some accumulation time in the outdoor before the show next month, And then back to a lesson on Saturday.
Her lope was great tonight, slow, easy, light and loose though her entire body but rocked back on her haunches enough to keep a good stride. She's really getting it! I could even pick her up and rock her back without her getting upset or breaking, she just sat back and slowed down. Such a smart little mare! I yelled at D to come watch from the other end of the barn I was so happy with her. I hope to ride tomorrow night then I've got my IV on Thursday. Hopefully the rain will be up by then as we really need some accumulation time in the outdoor before the show next month, And then back to a lesson on Saturday.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Crazy week.
So after getting the car unloaded on Monday and going back to work to find 20 emails that HAD to be answered (I was only gone for two days but I think the world ended while I was gone). After getting caught up at work on Tuesday and Wednesday, I picked up my Aunt on Wednesday after work who flew in from Alberta. I then got the 24 hour flu on Thursday (I seriously haven't been that sick in years, I hate throwing up!).
I spent some quiet quality time at the barn on Friday and lunged Lucy in the outdoor pen, and she was much better this time. I hope to be riding up there by next week so that she can get used to riding outside before the show at the farm on July 6th.
Saturday I helped with chores at the barn while Lucy had a lesson with an 8yo rider who is getting used to "bigger" horses (she had been riding a small hunter pony) while her parents shop for a new pony/horse. Lucy went awesome for the kid, D did most of the lesson the in center of the ring letting Lucy think she was on the lunge line. But she walked/jogged and loped for the kid (which was great considering the kids legs didn't go past the saddle blanket). I got on at the end and we jogged around for a bit and attempted some trotting poles.
Today (Sunday) I helped with chores and then had a privet lesson with D where we worked on getting Lucy more responsive to my spurs, without her just thinking they mean full foreword or full stop. We spent a lot of time moving her hips around, at the walk and jog then moving to working on a spur stop, and roll backs to get her lighter in her front end. We moved into loping and were able to finally get a hold of her mouth while loping and I was able to slow her down. She doesn't like contact and had been fighting it at the lope but today we were able to get contact, and the correct response to the contact! We got some great slow lope both collected and she even held it when we went back to a loose rein. We couldn't hold it long, but atleast we weren't fighting each other anymore. A lot of our problems are not helped by the fact that she's built downhill and has to fight nature to be light on the front end, and lope slowly. But that will bother her less and less as she gets fitter behind.
I spent some quiet quality time at the barn on Friday and lunged Lucy in the outdoor pen, and she was much better this time. I hope to be riding up there by next week so that she can get used to riding outside before the show at the farm on July 6th.
Saturday I helped with chores at the barn while Lucy had a lesson with an 8yo rider who is getting used to "bigger" horses (she had been riding a small hunter pony) while her parents shop for a new pony/horse. Lucy went awesome for the kid, D did most of the lesson the in center of the ring letting Lucy think she was on the lunge line. But she walked/jogged and loped for the kid (which was great considering the kids legs didn't go past the saddle blanket). I got on at the end and we jogged around for a bit and attempted some trotting poles.
Today (Sunday) I helped with chores and then had a privet lesson with D where we worked on getting Lucy more responsive to my spurs, without her just thinking they mean full foreword or full stop. We spent a lot of time moving her hips around, at the walk and jog then moving to working on a spur stop, and roll backs to get her lighter in her front end. We moved into loping and were able to finally get a hold of her mouth while loping and I was able to slow her down. She doesn't like contact and had been fighting it at the lope but today we were able to get contact, and the correct response to the contact! We got some great slow lope both collected and she even held it when we went back to a loose rein. We couldn't hold it long, but atleast we weren't fighting each other anymore. A lot of our problems are not helped by the fact that she's built downhill and has to fight nature to be light on the front end, and lope slowly. But that will bother her less and less as she gets fitter behind.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Before and after
Photos of Lucy. From the start in mid march to last weekend at the show. Will hopefully have more pictures by the weekend!
In march
At the show ( have ordered a copy of this for C and D for Christmas)
Bottom photo done by a friend
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
June show
So we went up to the show on Friday morning, and were able to get in and get the horses settled and the trailers set up by lunch time. Around 2 the arena opened up and we were able to have a ride. Lucy was amazing. She had a look around while I walked her around in hand, but was curious but not spooky.
Our ride on Friday night was great, and then I got her cleaned up and C's daughter banded her for me. Saturday was HOT (ended up being 34 Celsius, last weekend we were happy when it was 10 degrees!) Halter mares was first and the class ended up having 29 horses in it. We did not place, but Lucy set up quickly and stood quietly the entire class.
Showmanship was next and I was a little nervous about this class. It was both AQHA and an open class. We ended up going second, and Lucy did awesome! Her set up was good, her pivots were solid and her trot was good. Everything could have been a bit sharper, but I was so happy with her, considering that she hasn't ever done much showmanship. We ended up being 2nd and 3rd in AQHA and 4th in the open.
Lucy was born on a PMU ranch in Manitoba (Yes they do breed performance horses with pedigrees and movement) and as eligible for NAERIC funds for all of her placings. Hopefully the money she earned from this show will pay for her trailering!
We had a quiet ride that night, and it finally cooled down that night so that all of us were able to get a good nights rest.
The next day I went and rode in the morning, thinking back on it now I should have skipped the morning ride and rode her harder in the warm up right before the class (things you learn after the fact). By the time I had her somewhat warmed up for the pleasure class she was grumpy and hot. She still would have been hot either way but I think she didn't want to go to work the second time that day.
Our pleasure class was a mixed bag. Her walk and jog were good but she was way too quick at the lope. I knew the minute she loped off that we were going for a ride! I wasn't much help to her in this class either. I was trying not to pick on her and screw her up, but get her to slow down but also at the same time leaving her alone as she lopes better that way. I also didn't use the ring to my advantage and lost my spot on the rail a bunch of times, she rides better when we have a rail to follow. I also managed to have her break down to a trot for me for a stride because I tried to slow her down at one point. Dispite all that we managed to get a 7th.
Our horsemanship pattern was next and I was really worried about getting the wrong leads. My legs are not very strong (esp my right leg) and often Lucy picks up the cue to canter on the correct lead by what direction we are going. Its not always the best option but I have to work with what I have. The pattern called for a left lead lope in a straight line from A to B, halt at B 360 to the right lope right lead straight line to C, jog a circle to the right stop and back. Lucy got her leads but our lope ran out of gas before we got all the way to C. We also did rail work and her lope was much better at this point, so I think our warm up was not enough to get her ready for the pleasure class.
We ended up placing 1st and 2nd in the AQHA portion and 5th over all.
I have more pictures coming but here a few to hold you over until everyone uploads them.
Our ride on Friday night was great, and then I got her cleaned up and C's daughter banded her for me. Saturday was HOT (ended up being 34 Celsius, last weekend we were happy when it was 10 degrees!) Halter mares was first and the class ended up having 29 horses in it. We did not place, but Lucy set up quickly and stood quietly the entire class.
Showmanship was next and I was a little nervous about this class. It was both AQHA and an open class. We ended up going second, and Lucy did awesome! Her set up was good, her pivots were solid and her trot was good. Everything could have been a bit sharper, but I was so happy with her, considering that she hasn't ever done much showmanship. We ended up being 2nd and 3rd in AQHA and 4th in the open.
Lucy was born on a PMU ranch in Manitoba (Yes they do breed performance horses with pedigrees and movement) and as eligible for NAERIC funds for all of her placings. Hopefully the money she earned from this show will pay for her trailering!
We had a quiet ride that night, and it finally cooled down that night so that all of us were able to get a good nights rest.
The next day I went and rode in the morning, thinking back on it now I should have skipped the morning ride and rode her harder in the warm up right before the class (things you learn after the fact). By the time I had her somewhat warmed up for the pleasure class she was grumpy and hot. She still would have been hot either way but I think she didn't want to go to work the second time that day.
Our pleasure class was a mixed bag. Her walk and jog were good but she was way too quick at the lope. I knew the minute she loped off that we were going for a ride! I wasn't much help to her in this class either. I was trying not to pick on her and screw her up, but get her to slow down but also at the same time leaving her alone as she lopes better that way. I also didn't use the ring to my advantage and lost my spot on the rail a bunch of times, she rides better when we have a rail to follow. I also managed to have her break down to a trot for me for a stride because I tried to slow her down at one point. Dispite all that we managed to get a 7th.
Our horsemanship pattern was next and I was really worried about getting the wrong leads. My legs are not very strong (esp my right leg) and often Lucy picks up the cue to canter on the correct lead by what direction we are going. Its not always the best option but I have to work with what I have. The pattern called for a left lead lope in a straight line from A to B, halt at B 360 to the right lope right lead straight line to C, jog a circle to the right stop and back. Lucy got her leads but our lope ran out of gas before we got all the way to C. We also did rail work and her lope was much better at this point, so I think our warm up was not enough to get her ready for the pleasure class.
We ended up placing 1st and 2nd in the AQHA portion and 5th over all.
I have more pictures coming but here a few to hold you over until everyone uploads them.
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| at the end of our western pleasure class |
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| Lucy chilling in her stall. |
Lucas update
So I saw Lucas at the show this weekend. He looked good, way fitter than when I had him (and he was in halter shape then). His girl is having occasional minor behavior issues but I helped with some minor adjustment in tack which she said helped. She did very well, placing in halter, showmanship and getting second in her hunter under saddle class. Today she posted the following picture. Stuff like this makes me feel good about my decision. Lucas is the horse in the middle.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Home from the show
Very very happy with how Lucy went this weekend. All my worries were for nothing, she was calm and easy to ride and very much like she is at home. I will have a full post later today with a breakdown of the entire weekend (I need to unpack my car first!) but here are our placings...Open is open to all breeds, AQHA was only Novice Amature
Open Halter Mares - nothing, but there were 29 mares in the class
Showmanship - AQHA NA - 2nd and 3rd, Open 4th. There were 19 in the open portion I'm not sure how many showed AQHA
Open over 19 western pleasure - 7th out of 10
Horsemanship - 1st and 2nd AQHA NA. 5th in Open there were 7th in the open.
Open Halter Mares - nothing, but there were 29 mares in the class
Showmanship - AQHA NA - 2nd and 3rd, Open 4th. There were 19 in the open portion I'm not sure how many showed AQHA
Open over 19 western pleasure - 7th out of 10
Horsemanship - 1st and 2nd AQHA NA. 5th in Open there were 7th in the open.
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