I have to apologize for my lack of posts over the past two weeks. My computer at home is in the slow process of dying, going to the blue screen of death about every hour or so that I have it open, and my work computers internet browser doesn't like Blogger.
Chilly is really starting to come along, and show that she's ready for the pressure that we're applying. I'm loping a bit, D is loping a lot more, but that's how we starting trotting as well. We've added trail obstacles (cones, back though, and multiple trot poles) as well as patterns under saddle and on the ground for showmanship.
Today though my glands in my neck started swelling (the ones right under my ears) which meant that instead of going to ride tonight I went to my doctor, got a prescription, and I'm now home 'resting' which means writing here, doing laundry and packing.
It would be so nice to not have to worry about my health for a while, I know I'm luckier than some but it still sucks not to be able to do the things I want because I'm always worried that I'm going to get sick, or I am sick, or that I'll be to tired...
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Saturday, May 17, 2014
More new stuff, and we loped, and loped and loped....
On Tuesday I finally got to ride again! We ended up outside and at first I was completely sure that I wasn't going to ride Chilly. She was having a ball, running and bucking on the lungline and I was convinced that the safest place to be that day was on the ground.
However after about 20 minutes of babyish behavior she settled down. I took some time to walk her over the outside trail course (about 5 different obstacles set up with painted poles as well as the trail bridge) which she handled like she'd seen painted poles all her life. You know how some horses have an issue with different colors, and how a plain white pole in the indoor looks nothing like the striped colorful poles in the outdoor. No big deal. So I figured what the heck, Lucy was an idiot the first 10 times she was in the outdoor and I still rode her, Chilly had 20 minutes of fun after having almost 2 weeks off....
So I got on, I have to apologize I half thought this baby stuff would be entertaining for you, my readers, but I'm afraid to say this turns out like all my other Chilly stories. I got on her and she was excellent. Walked and jogged all around the trail stuff and the outdoor like a big horse. (It did help that there were 3 other adult horses in the ring who we've ridden with several times, and I lent her turnout buddy Oscar to a friend so he was even out there too) We even walked over 5 poles in a row, her first time walking over poles with someone on her back. After about 10 minutes I was good. I conquered the fear bird, but it was IV week so I was drained.
D got on her for a bit and worked her a little harder than I did, and even jogged over some of the single poles lying around.
I got my IV on Thursday which killed my Thursday plans, no matter how hard I try I just can't do more than eat supper then watch TV until I fall asleep on the couch.
Friday we lunged and did showmanship (shes really doing well with it) then today we had another lesson with D. Some days I wish he would push me harder although while the lesson is going on I don't want to be pushed at all!
We did a bunch of jogging and walking on the rail while the other girls loped, then D used the trick we all use on little kids that arn't sure about loping, the game of 'catch up'. Every time you are the leader you have to lope all the way around until you catch up with the group of horses again where you become the last horse in the line. And it worked. We did almost run into a horse once, and we never loped more than 1/2 of the ring (mostly because it took 1/2 a trip around at a fast trot to pick up a lope) but we did it several times.
Once we changed direction, D had me jogging a small circle at either end (the other girls stayed in the center) and as we left the center of our circle, going back to the short end of the arena to extend to a trot on my urging, then once she was trotting to push her to lope off down the long side. We had some better transitions this way, when I asked for the long trot we stayed together more than when she just trotted off on her own, and she could really see that the lope cue was not just a 'faster' cue but something different. This meant that we were only really loping a long side before coming back to a jog, but it also helped both of us relax into the jog, we knew we had to long trot before we loped and that was very different from the slow jog circles.
All in all a good couple of days with the girl. Only two weeks until our first big show, stay tuned.
However after about 20 minutes of babyish behavior she settled down. I took some time to walk her over the outside trail course (about 5 different obstacles set up with painted poles as well as the trail bridge) which she handled like she'd seen painted poles all her life. You know how some horses have an issue with different colors, and how a plain white pole in the indoor looks nothing like the striped colorful poles in the outdoor. No big deal. So I figured what the heck, Lucy was an idiot the first 10 times she was in the outdoor and I still rode her, Chilly had 20 minutes of fun after having almost 2 weeks off....
So I got on, I have to apologize I half thought this baby stuff would be entertaining for you, my readers, but I'm afraid to say this turns out like all my other Chilly stories. I got on her and she was excellent. Walked and jogged all around the trail stuff and the outdoor like a big horse. (It did help that there were 3 other adult horses in the ring who we've ridden with several times, and I lent her turnout buddy Oscar to a friend so he was even out there too) We even walked over 5 poles in a row, her first time walking over poles with someone on her back. After about 10 minutes I was good. I conquered the fear bird, but it was IV week so I was drained.
D got on her for a bit and worked her a little harder than I did, and even jogged over some of the single poles lying around.
I got my IV on Thursday which killed my Thursday plans, no matter how hard I try I just can't do more than eat supper then watch TV until I fall asleep on the couch.
Friday we lunged and did showmanship (shes really doing well with it) then today we had another lesson with D. Some days I wish he would push me harder although while the lesson is going on I don't want to be pushed at all!
We did a bunch of jogging and walking on the rail while the other girls loped, then D used the trick we all use on little kids that arn't sure about loping, the game of 'catch up'. Every time you are the leader you have to lope all the way around until you catch up with the group of horses again where you become the last horse in the line. And it worked. We did almost run into a horse once, and we never loped more than 1/2 of the ring (mostly because it took 1/2 a trip around at a fast trot to pick up a lope) but we did it several times.
Once we changed direction, D had me jogging a small circle at either end (the other girls stayed in the center) and as we left the center of our circle, going back to the short end of the arena to extend to a trot on my urging, then once she was trotting to push her to lope off down the long side. We had some better transitions this way, when I asked for the long trot we stayed together more than when she just trotted off on her own, and she could really see that the lope cue was not just a 'faster' cue but something different. This meant that we were only really loping a long side before coming back to a jog, but it also helped both of us relax into the jog, we knew we had to long trot before we loped and that was very different from the slow jog circles.
All in all a good couple of days with the girl. Only two weeks until our first big show, stay tuned.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Farm Sitting...
While fun, it does remind me why I like having someone else care for my horse full time and why I now have an office job.
With my cold last week, and with C&D being gone from Friday until late tonight I didn't even get to ride once this week. Now I'm sore from doing chores so I most likely wont get to ride tomorrow.
And to top off this weekend, a lovely woman that I worked with for several years died. She had been sick on and off for several years but its still not something that we expected.
Hopefully we're back on track on Tuesday, I did get my show saddle shined up Ill post some before and after photos below:
With my cold last week, and with C&D being gone from Friday until late tonight I didn't even get to ride once this week. Now I'm sore from doing chores so I most likely wont get to ride tomorrow.
And to top off this weekend, a lovely woman that I worked with for several years died. She had been sick on and off for several years but its still not something that we expected.
Hopefully we're back on track on Tuesday, I did get my show saddle shined up Ill post some before and after photos below:
Monday, May 5, 2014
2ND clinic and first time off the farm
Well it was an interesting weekend. I was scared to death that Chilly would be crazy but she was absolutely excellent. We didn't get as much help as I would have liked from the clinic, but it was such a good weekend with Chilly that I didn't mind that much.
Stuff that Chilly has now done that she's never done before-
-got on a trailer
-ridden in a strange pen
-ridden in a huge outside pen.
-got used to an announcing system
-got used to crowds and people walking around the show ring.
-ridden in spurs
-Stayed in a new barn for a couple of nights
-Ridden with more than 3 horses in the ring (9!)
I really wished I had been loping more, and I would have gotten more out of the clinic but I just wasn't ready. Somtimes that happens. But J was very happy with the progress that she's made at the jog and that if we work as hard at the lope as we have with the jog we will be on our way..
Chilly was very board at being stuck in her stall all weekend though. We had a good ride on Saturday, but after that it was too crazy with the trade show to take her out and she was a bit stiff and pissed at me by the time Sunday came around.
The security guards told us she kicked most of the night so its something we'll need to keep an eye on at the shows. She also managed to kick a board out of her stall on Saturday night, but she didn't hurt her self, so that was a good thing.
And then even though I played it safe (bed every night by 9, staying warm and dry, not walking on concrete too much) I'm home sick today. This sucks. Why can't I have a good weekend with my friends and horses without getting sick?
Stuff that Chilly has now done that she's never done before-
-got on a trailer
-ridden in a strange pen
-ridden in a huge outside pen.
-got used to an announcing system
-got used to crowds and people walking around the show ring.
-ridden in spurs
-Stayed in a new barn for a couple of nights
-Ridden with more than 3 horses in the ring (9!)
I really wished I had been loping more, and I would have gotten more out of the clinic but I just wasn't ready. Somtimes that happens. But J was very happy with the progress that she's made at the jog and that if we work as hard at the lope as we have with the jog we will be on our way..
Chilly was very board at being stuck in her stall all weekend though. We had a good ride on Saturday, but after that it was too crazy with the trade show to take her out and she was a bit stiff and pissed at me by the time Sunday came around.
The security guards told us she kicked most of the night so its something we'll need to keep an eye on at the shows. She also managed to kick a board out of her stall on Saturday night, but she didn't hurt her self, so that was a good thing.
And then even though I played it safe (bed every night by 9, staying warm and dry, not walking on concrete too much) I'm home sick today. This sucks. Why can't I have a good weekend with my friends and horses without getting sick?
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