A young friend rode Monte for the first time today. I was very nervous about how he would react to someone new, but I really shouldn't have worried. He was a perfect little gentleman, remaining calm and lovely throughout her ride.
Thinking back to when we first purchased Monte, I really had no reason to think he'd misbehave. When Emily began riding him she was very timid and had limited skills but he took care of her none-the-less. As her skills improved, he became more challenging, which in turn helped her become an even better rider. So it seems that he is capable of understanding when he needs to be more of a babysitter and when he can be the more wild pony. :)
The other thing I had to remind myself about was that most of his wild moments occur when he is in pain or terribly frightened. In fact, I can't really remember a bucking incident that we didn't later trace back to him being in some sort of pain (usually related to poor saddle fit).
I'll have to make sure I tell our young friend all of this....I really would be pleased if they decided to keep him and love on him as much as we have. I'm convinced that she would be a wonderful owner for our wonder pony. :)
Saturday, December 29, 2012
At the fence...
The ponies have been unbearably cute the last couple of months every time I come to the barn. They must recognize the sound of my vehicle because when I park this is often what I see waiting for me:
I feel all warm and happy thinking that they actually look forward to seeing me.
I feel all warm and happy thinking that they actually look forward to seeing me.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
New teachers
Every once in a while a new instructor will come out to our barn; I've been trying to take advantage of this by taking a lesson if at all possible. And yesterday it was possible! I got to ride with Sarah Lorenz from Stone's Throw Farm.
Thursday (the day before the lesson) had been BEAUTIFUL! Seriously, I couldn't have asked for a more glorious afternoon - the sun was shining but it wasn't too warm, there was just a slight breeze and the footing in the arena was great. Friday, however, did not continue in the same vein. The wind was gusting, the temperature was dropping and the clouds were spitting rain the whole afternoon. But I was determined to ride....
I came home early from work (like 9:00 am!) because of a crummy tummy. I was feeling a little better by the afternoon and with the help of my friend Pepto Bismal, I decided I could make it through a lesson. (Besides, I can always leave my horse safely with the instructor if I need to dash to the latrine. It's a bit more difficult to leave a group of students when I'm teaching!)
I always get irked when Zoe finally settles in half-way through a lesson so I gave myself extra time to get ready and planned to ride for about 20 minutes before it even began to make sure I had Zoe's full attention. The gusting wind was not helpful, however, and Zoe - being the super-reactive mare that she is - was a nut-case from all the thumping and moving around of the junk pile that sits next to the round pen. I decided that I really did not want to ride an out-of-control pony, so I ended up just leading her around the barn yard while we waited for our lesson to begin. So much for being proactive.....
The lesson went fine in spite of my rushy-spooky horse. Sarah had me working on trot-walk (and then trot-halt) transitions, first in a small 15 m circle and then in a larger circle. My directions were to ride the trot at a slow, steady pace and the moment Zoe began to rush I was to transition to the walk (or halt). Sounds simple.... :)
We will continue to work on this exercise. By the end of our lesson she and I were beginning to achieve a better pace and smoother transitions. But there is still so far to go. Sarah commented that I did have a challenging horse (To which I replied that she was actually being pretty good at the moment - that got some raised eyebrows!).
I'm hoping to ride with Sarah again next Saturday.
Thursday (the day before the lesson) had been BEAUTIFUL! Seriously, I couldn't have asked for a more glorious afternoon - the sun was shining but it wasn't too warm, there was just a slight breeze and the footing in the arena was great. Friday, however, did not continue in the same vein. The wind was gusting, the temperature was dropping and the clouds were spitting rain the whole afternoon. But I was determined to ride....
I came home early from work (like 9:00 am!) because of a crummy tummy. I was feeling a little better by the afternoon and with the help of my friend Pepto Bismal, I decided I could make it through a lesson. (Besides, I can always leave my horse safely with the instructor if I need to dash to the latrine. It's a bit more difficult to leave a group of students when I'm teaching!)
I always get irked when Zoe finally settles in half-way through a lesson so I gave myself extra time to get ready and planned to ride for about 20 minutes before it even began to make sure I had Zoe's full attention. The gusting wind was not helpful, however, and Zoe - being the super-reactive mare that she is - was a nut-case from all the thumping and moving around of the junk pile that sits next to the round pen. I decided that I really did not want to ride an out-of-control pony, so I ended up just leading her around the barn yard while we waited for our lesson to begin. So much for being proactive.....
The lesson went fine in spite of my rushy-spooky horse. Sarah had me working on trot-walk (and then trot-halt) transitions, first in a small 15 m circle and then in a larger circle. My directions were to ride the trot at a slow, steady pace and the moment Zoe began to rush I was to transition to the walk (or halt). Sounds simple.... :)
We will continue to work on this exercise. By the end of our lesson she and I were beginning to achieve a better pace and smoother transitions. But there is still so far to go. Sarah commented that I did have a challenging horse (To which I replied that she was actually being pretty good at the moment - that got some raised eyebrows!).
I'm hoping to ride with Sarah again next Saturday.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Fall Sunshine
"Sunburn Watch 2012" is now officially over, thank goodness! The harsh summer sun has morphed into a gentler fall one and Monte has begun to grow his winter coat, both of which have led to an end of pink, peeling skin on the poor pony. His mane has begun to grow back as well and he is now sporting a jaunty little mohawk on the lower portion of his neck.
Monte has also been getting some exercise the past couple of weeks. Two young women are now riding him to help him get back into shape, "tune him up" and remind him of all his skills. I was a little nervous when Courtney first rode him, afraid that he might be a handful but he quickly settled into the ride and performed beautifully. After her ride she wondered why people have said he is challenging! Gabrielle rode a few days later and he was again well behaved. She did notice that he's not quite as soft in the mouth as he had been the last time she rode him (about 2 years ago), but we think that is something that can be regained.
I'm hoping that Courtney's karma with horses follows her with Monte. In the past, all the horses she has ridden have sold not long after she begins to develop a relationship with the horse. So come on, Courtney! Work your magic! :)
I've been able to ride Zoe at least 3 times a week for the past few weeks. The consistent riding is definitely making a difference for both of us. But I do need to schedule a lesson or two soon as I think I'm beginning to develop a few bad habits (like leaning too far forward as I ride). Another set of eyes would be good.
Miss Zoe has been a pig lately and tries to get to her neighbor's grain each night. That wouldn't be such a big deal except that she now has half-dollar sized sores on her front ankles that won't go away. Dropping onto the concrete to reach under the rails is not helping them heal at all! Cathy and I have been brainstorming how to get this problem fixed but so far we haven't been too successful.
Monte has also been getting some exercise the past couple of weeks. Two young women are now riding him to help him get back into shape, "tune him up" and remind him of all his skills. I was a little nervous when Courtney first rode him, afraid that he might be a handful but he quickly settled into the ride and performed beautifully. After her ride she wondered why people have said he is challenging! Gabrielle rode a few days later and he was again well behaved. She did notice that he's not quite as soft in the mouth as he had been the last time she rode him (about 2 years ago), but we think that is something that can be regained.
I'm hoping that Courtney's karma with horses follows her with Monte. In the past, all the horses she has ridden have sold not long after she begins to develop a relationship with the horse. So come on, Courtney! Work your magic! :)
I've been able to ride Zoe at least 3 times a week for the past few weeks. The consistent riding is definitely making a difference for both of us. But I do need to schedule a lesson or two soon as I think I'm beginning to develop a few bad habits (like leaning too far forward as I ride). Another set of eyes would be good.
Miss Zoe has been a pig lately and tries to get to her neighbor's grain each night. That wouldn't be such a big deal except that she now has half-dollar sized sores on her front ankles that won't go away. Dropping onto the concrete to reach under the rails is not helping them heal at all! Cathy and I have been brainstorming how to get this problem fixed but so far we haven't been too successful.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
The Lunchtime Dash
School has started up again and I love being back with all the kids. It really is wonderful to see them growing and learning.
And I'm ready for the sun to switch to fall mode NOW!
Monte is still burning on his neck and in the rubbed-out portion of his mane. So everyday I rush out to the barn (8 min.), put sunblock and fly spray on him (10 min.) and rush back to work (8 min.). That leaves me a total of 4 minutes to wash my hands and eat something.
I'm so ready for some cloud cover.
And I'm ready for the sun to switch to fall mode NOW!
Monte is still burning on his neck and in the rubbed-out portion of his mane. So everyday I rush out to the barn (8 min.), put sunblock and fly spray on him (10 min.) and rush back to work (8 min.). That leaves me a total of 4 minutes to wash my hands and eat something.
I'm so ready for some cloud cover.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Barn Chores
After this weekend, the fantasy of owning a large equine facility with rolling, green pastures, big numbers of beautiful, long-legged horses and miles of white fencing has now been delegated to my "anti-bucket" list!
Our barn owners, Cathy and Larry, needed to attend a wedding in Bend this Saturday and asked if Em and I would be willing to do barn chores Friday evening through Sunday morning. Of course I said yes - they have done so much for us these past years that I was/am happy to reciprocate in any way at all.
I'll be brief and just say it took 2 hours to get the horses into their stalls Friday and we were quite happy that only 3 escaped during transfer from field to stall. I also only confused the identities of 2 of them (thank goodness they know more about where they are supposed to go than I do!). Turnout the next morning didn't go too much faster - 1.5 hours. But by Sunday morning, we had that down to a respectable 45 minutes. :)
And we were doing just the bare minimum that keeps the barn running! No mowing, no irrigating, no prepping of arenas....just moving horses and feeding grains and meds.
I was tired by Sunday.
Had to call the vet out on Sunday for Zoe. She had some eye goop on Saturday, so I cleaned her up, put on her fly mask and sent her out to the field. On Sunday morning it was tons worse - all yellow and crusty. Yuck! A couple of other boarders independently told me that I really should call the vet (even though it was Sunday and would cost a ton more!)...so I did. I was really hoping Dr. Adams would say, "Oh, this can wait 'till Monday." but no such luck. Everyone told me horror stories of what it could be...but thankfully, it turns out that she doesn't have anything too terrible. Just conjunctivitis. So 5 days of eye ointment and all should be good.
Monte is dealing with that same bug bites on his back issue that he had last summer. I think it is commonly referred to as "sweet itch," not that there's anything sweet about it at all. I've been applying MTG, which seems to help but we don't dare put a saddle on him right now. He has also rubbed out a good quarter of his mane. We put him in a stall during the day for a couple of weeks to help with sunburn and he discovered that if he reached under one of the bars he could pull a bunch of hay off the bales stacked there. He looks really pathetic right now with part of his mane missing, pink, peely patches on his shoulders and dirt everywhere.
I was sad that he is currently un-rideable as my friend Kate came out to meet him this weekend and thinks she might like to try riding him. Yeah! She spent time grooming Monte and then learned how we round pen him for exercise. I then saddled up Zoe and Kate spent some time with her in the arena. Hopefully, Monte will be ready to go in a week or two, and we can then ride together. :)
I've had a few more calls for Monte but as usual, it's for children who are too young and small to handle his spirit. The last person said she was looking for a calm horse. I replied that Monte was "gentle, but has the high energy of an Arab." Seriously people, don't you read the ad that says "for experienced riders" ?!?
Summer is winding down and I'll be sad to see my week-day barn time dwindle with the daylight. Looking back, I wish I had taken more advantage of the lazy days I had and ridden Zoe a bit more, but I'm happy that I did get to spend a fair amount of time with her. And truthfully, I love riding during the crisp days of fall oh so much more!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Dreadlocks and more
Poor Monte has been left on his own for many months now (although I don't think he'd complain too much about the lack of human contact!). When we pulled him out of the field the other day for some exercise I discovered that his beautiful mane was full of dreadlocks. So I spent some time this week washing and conditioning his mane and tail - an activity that he abhors!
Look at that clean mane! :)
A favorite past-time at the barn this spring has been searching for kittens. There are three litters currently, all very shy and difficult to spot, let alone pet. One of the momma cats decided that the wood pile over by the round pen was a better home than the barn:
Looking for kittens. Patience is the key....
Zoe and I have been relaxing this week. Only one ride so far in which I practiced circles more. She has begun to do a head-toss thing and pulls out of the circle whenever we go to the right. Is she sore? Something going on with her teeth? We will investigate further.....
Some Pony Club drama this week. Unfortunately by taking too long to think about an issue others assumed I had made a decision about something.....
The barn swallows are zipping in and out of the barn these days, caring for their hungry babies. It's fun to stand in the doorway and have them fly overhead. I can hear chirping all throughout the barn...
Monday, June 18, 2012
Dressage Princesses
After a week of preparation and last minute practice, I participated in my first dressage schooling show.
And Zoe and I placed second in both of our classes! Woooohooooo! I am so excited and force everyone who enters the front door to look at my beautiful ribbons. :)
So here's a brief recap of the week leading up to Saturday's show:
After the Friday trail ride with Jennifer, I ended up taking the weekend off from riding - too many other commitments to squeeze in any good rides. (We did have an awesome afternoon up at the Bruner's and had a killer hike up and down their mountain side, though.) By Monday, I was beginning to panic over the limited number of days left to ride....what was I thinking entering a competition? I'm not ready for this!
So my solution was to take one of my precious-few practice days and go on another trail ride. :) Makes perfect sense! It was a good ride, though, and I totally enjoyed spending a few hours with Angelia and her horse Dawn. We see them at our barn almost every time we go out there, but I had never ridden with her. Zoe and Dawn did wonderfully together and I am thankful to another friend who was willing to babysit us on the trail. Zoe only had one spook - over a snake-like stick - and actually ignored the deer we saw along the trail. Such a good girl!
Wednesday was the first time I actually tried riding the tests. Angelia and Trish, fellow boarders, happened to be out in the arena at the same time and generously coached me for a short while. It was good to have the help but also a bit nerve-wracking to realize how much I still needed to accomplish!
Thursday, Emily came out to help me practice. She quickly informed me that I do not know what a circle looks like....to which I replied that it has been over 30 years since I had geometry! Her input was useful, however, and I now know the difference between a circle and an oblong-ish shape. ;)
Friday brought a lesson with Pat. And by the end of the lesson I felt even less prepared. All the advice and input from everyone throughout the week made me see that I have so much more to learn. At the end of the lesson Pat offered to read the tests for me, so I knew that at least I would get the pattern right....even if I did fall off or did some other egregious thing!
Several boarders at the barn were riding in the show too, so Friday evening brought on a cleaning frenzy. I decided to wait until Saturday to bathe Zoe...which was good as it gave me something to do while I waited anxiously for my test time.
Matt and the girls came out to see me ride. I know that watching riding competitions like this can be about as exciting as watching grass grow, but it was really nice to have their support. I'm very proud of what I've accomplished over the past year and I liked being able to share it with them.
(Matt took some video of my two tests, but I can't seem to upload them at the moment....)
Final results: A score of 63.12 on Test A and a score of 61.25 on Test B. (Before the test Laurie B. and I had been joking that we would be satisfied with a 40, happy with a 50 and ecstatic over a 60!)
I love the comment Pat made at the end of my first test, "Who would've thunk a year ago. Who would've thunk!"....and it's true. Who would have believed a year ago that I would be riding a dressage test. I was so afraid every time I got up on my horse and truly needed someone to lead me around. And here we are now, Zoe and I, learning to work together as a team. I still get afraid but I'm learning to conquer that fear and to push both of us a bit farther each time I ride.
Now on to the next challenge: cantering by the end of summer!
And Zoe and I placed second in both of our classes! Woooohooooo! I am so excited and force everyone who enters the front door to look at my beautiful ribbons. :)
So here's a brief recap of the week leading up to Saturday's show:
After the Friday trail ride with Jennifer, I ended up taking the weekend off from riding - too many other commitments to squeeze in any good rides. (We did have an awesome afternoon up at the Bruner's and had a killer hike up and down their mountain side, though.) By Monday, I was beginning to panic over the limited number of days left to ride....what was I thinking entering a competition? I'm not ready for this!
So my solution was to take one of my precious-few practice days and go on another trail ride. :) Makes perfect sense! It was a good ride, though, and I totally enjoyed spending a few hours with Angelia and her horse Dawn. We see them at our barn almost every time we go out there, but I had never ridden with her. Zoe and Dawn did wonderfully together and I am thankful to another friend who was willing to babysit us on the trail. Zoe only had one spook - over a snake-like stick - and actually ignored the deer we saw along the trail. Such a good girl!
Wednesday was the first time I actually tried riding the tests. Angelia and Trish, fellow boarders, happened to be out in the arena at the same time and generously coached me for a short while. It was good to have the help but also a bit nerve-wracking to realize how much I still needed to accomplish!
Thursday, Emily came out to help me practice. She quickly informed me that I do not know what a circle looks like....to which I replied that it has been over 30 years since I had geometry! Her input was useful, however, and I now know the difference between a circle and an oblong-ish shape. ;)
Friday brought a lesson with Pat. And by the end of the lesson I felt even less prepared. All the advice and input from everyone throughout the week made me see that I have so much more to learn. At the end of the lesson Pat offered to read the tests for me, so I knew that at least I would get the pattern right....even if I did fall off or did some other egregious thing!
Several boarders at the barn were riding in the show too, so Friday evening brought on a cleaning frenzy. I decided to wait until Saturday to bathe Zoe...which was good as it gave me something to do while I waited anxiously for my test time.
Waiting for our call time....
Matt and the girls came out to see me ride. I know that watching riding competitions like this can be about as exciting as watching grass grow, but it was really nice to have their support. I'm very proud of what I've accomplished over the past year and I liked being able to share it with them.
(Matt took some video of my two tests, but I can't seem to upload them at the moment....)
Our final warm-up lap before the bell starts the test...
Final results: A score of 63.12 on Test A and a score of 61.25 on Test B. (Before the test Laurie B. and I had been joking that we would be satisfied with a 40, happy with a 50 and ecstatic over a 60!)
I love the comment Pat made at the end of my first test, "Who would've thunk a year ago. Who would've thunk!"....and it's true. Who would have believed a year ago that I would be riding a dressage test. I was so afraid every time I got up on my horse and truly needed someone to lead me around. And here we are now, Zoe and I, learning to work together as a team. I still get afraid but I'm learning to conquer that fear and to push both of us a bit farther each time I ride.
Now on to the next challenge: cantering by the end of summer!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
A fine start to summer....
Summer vacation began yesterday and I'd like to think I started it off by doing something I'll get to do a whole lot of this summer - riding my pony!
A friend and co-worker, Jennifer, invited me on a trail ride up at Bennington and I must admit that I was a bit nervous about accepting. I've never ridden with Jennifer but I know that she is a fairly accomplished rider and I always hate being the "drag at the party" and didn't want to ruin what would be her first ride of vacation as well by forcing her to go at a beginners pace....but she was very kind and gracious and truly just wanted to make sure I had a good time on the trails. In fact, she purposefully didn't give me her cell number so I couldn't back out at the last minute!
My last ride up at Bennington was NOT fun - Zoe spooked and pranced the whole way around the lake. I now know that large groups are not the thing for us! But yesterday's trip showed me that small groups of 2 or 3 horses are just fine, especially if one of those horses is as calm as Jennifer's quarter horse, Dutch. Zoe only jumped twice and actually walked calmly by a couple of things we were sure would get her (a blue heron taking flight right next to us and a momma deer standing over her newborn fawn). Go figure! Overall, I had a great time and was actually quite relaxed by the end. Thank you, Jennifer, for babysitting me! :)
I haven't posted in quite a while, but that doesn't mean we haven't been busy. I rode in a couple of clinics with Jim Briggs...and was called an under-achiever by him during one of the lessons. I have to say, though, that I don't mind being called that during that particular lesson since I'm the only one (including Jim!) who actually stayed in my saddle! I'll take caution over being tossed to the ground any day!
Weather has been (and still is) wet and chilly. I am looking forward to some warm, sunny days. I'm a little worried that I won't get enough practice time in before the dressage schooling show next weekend. Yup, I signed up to take two intro tests. And that makes me even more nervous than the trail ride yesterday did! Zoe and I are totally unprepared to be judged. Just the thought of trying to ride a perfect circle makes me tense! But I have to put myself out there sometime, right? :)
Sure hope the rain lets up this week so I can get some practice in.......
A friend and co-worker, Jennifer, invited me on a trail ride up at Bennington and I must admit that I was a bit nervous about accepting. I've never ridden with Jennifer but I know that she is a fairly accomplished rider and I always hate being the "drag at the party" and didn't want to ruin what would be her first ride of vacation as well by forcing her to go at a beginners pace....but she was very kind and gracious and truly just wanted to make sure I had a good time on the trails. In fact, she purposefully didn't give me her cell number so I couldn't back out at the last minute!
My last ride up at Bennington was NOT fun - Zoe spooked and pranced the whole way around the lake. I now know that large groups are not the thing for us! But yesterday's trip showed me that small groups of 2 or 3 horses are just fine, especially if one of those horses is as calm as Jennifer's quarter horse, Dutch. Zoe only jumped twice and actually walked calmly by a couple of things we were sure would get her (a blue heron taking flight right next to us and a momma deer standing over her newborn fawn). Go figure! Overall, I had a great time and was actually quite relaxed by the end. Thank you, Jennifer, for babysitting me! :)
I haven't posted in quite a while, but that doesn't mean we haven't been busy. I rode in a couple of clinics with Jim Briggs...and was called an under-achiever by him during one of the lessons. I have to say, though, that I don't mind being called that during that particular lesson since I'm the only one (including Jim!) who actually stayed in my saddle! I'll take caution over being tossed to the ground any day!
Weather has been (and still is) wet and chilly. I am looking forward to some warm, sunny days. I'm a little worried that I won't get enough practice time in before the dressage schooling show next weekend. Yup, I signed up to take two intro tests. And that makes me even more nervous than the trail ride yesterday did! Zoe and I are totally unprepared to be judged. Just the thought of trying to ride a perfect circle makes me tense! But I have to put myself out there sometime, right? :)
Sure hope the rain lets up this week so I can get some practice in.......
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Canceled for snow?!?
We are in the middle of spring break - always a much anticipated vacation time around our house. My plan was to spend the first few days carting the kids around to various activities and then taking a day or two for myself with the intention of going to the barn to ride, ride, ride.
Sounds like a nice plan, right?
Here's what happened to my plan:
Yup, it snowed. For like an hour. And then it rained most of the day. And it was cold. Oh, and then it hailed and thundered like crazy.
So much for riding today.....
Crossing my fingers that there will be at least one afternoon that is barn worthy.
Sounds like a nice plan, right?
Here's what happened to my plan:
Yup, it snowed. For like an hour. And then it rained most of the day. And it was cold. Oh, and then it hailed and thundered like crazy.
So much for riding today.....
Crossing my fingers that there will be at least one afternoon that is barn worthy.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
I'm in charge!
When I started taking lessons with Pat a year ago the mantra I said to myself (and the direction that was often called out to me) was, "Breathe, Vanessa!"
The mantra officially changed during my lesson on Sunday. I now say, "I'm in charge!" (while humming Mary Had a Little Lamb, of course). Every few minutes, Pat would catch Zoe and I doing whatever Zoe wanted and she would call out, "Who's in charge?" or "You set the pace and direction, not Zoe!"
I consider these new directions to be a sign of growth and improvement in my riding...I mean, I'm remembering to breathe now at least! :)
The mantra officially changed during my lesson on Sunday. I now say, "I'm in charge!" (while humming Mary Had a Little Lamb, of course). Every few minutes, Pat would catch Zoe and I doing whatever Zoe wanted and she would call out, "Who's in charge?" or "You set the pace and direction, not Zoe!"
I consider these new directions to be a sign of growth and improvement in my riding...I mean, I'm remembering to breathe now at least! :)
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Mary had a little lamb.....
Had a lesson with one of my favorite instructors, Pat, on Sunday. She was with me when I first started riding Zoe, coaching me through all my nervous hyperventilation. :) I haven't ridden with her in quite a while so I was looking forward to showing her that I'm doing so much better and can handle my horse now. Which I was sort-of able to do....
We were up at Black Walnut again, but riding with only three other riders this time. Zoe was better about the mirrors and wasn't too energetic but she wasn't the most cooperative of animals either. Pat kept calling out that Zoe was being rude (which she was) with her non-compliance to my requests to stand still. Gradually, as the hour wore on, Zoe settled in and did her job....sort-of.
My big challenge of the day was to be the one in charge. (Ha! Isn't that always my challenge with Zoe??) When trotting, Zoe wanted to go fast-fast-fast. My job was to bring her back to the pace I wanted. Oh, and to remember to breathe! Finally, Pat had me recite "Mary had a little lamb..." while posting. This helped me accomplish two things: 1) I could keep a steady pace while posting and begin to control Zoe's speed, and 2) I had to breathe in order to say the dang poem! And it totally worked. When I told E about this, she said that she's been reciting Row, Row, Row Your Boat for the same reason for years. :)
So if you ever see me riding in the future don't be surprised if you glance over and catch me mouthing the words to Mary Had A Little Lamb...
We were up at Black Walnut again, but riding with only three other riders this time. Zoe was better about the mirrors and wasn't too energetic but she wasn't the most cooperative of animals either. Pat kept calling out that Zoe was being rude (which she was) with her non-compliance to my requests to stand still. Gradually, as the hour wore on, Zoe settled in and did her job....sort-of.
My big challenge of the day was to be the one in charge. (Ha! Isn't that always my challenge with Zoe??) When trotting, Zoe wanted to go fast-fast-fast. My job was to bring her back to the pace I wanted. Oh, and to remember to breathe! Finally, Pat had me recite "Mary had a little lamb..." while posting. This helped me accomplish two things: 1) I could keep a steady pace while posting and begin to control Zoe's speed, and 2) I had to breathe in order to say the dang poem! And it totally worked. When I told E about this, she said that she's been reciting Row, Row, Row Your Boat for the same reason for years. :)
So if you ever see me riding in the future don't be surprised if you glance over and catch me mouthing the words to Mary Had A Little Lamb...
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Pony Club Games
We had a play day rather than a formal lesson at Pony Club this past Sunday. One of the parents organized some games for all us riders - things like pole bending, backing through obstacles and relay races.
It's always fun to do something that is not so focused mentally. Playing games like this forces me to just ride rather than try to do every little thing perfect....which in the end makes me a stronger, more confident rider and helps my fussy little mount get over herself and just do the job. :)
Having said all that, the ride didn't start out all that well for me. I was nervous riding with a big group since I had decided that the whole group thing is what made the trail ride so awful. Plus, Zoe and I were experiencing a new arena together (Black Walnut, up on Cottonwood), which is okay except that this particular arena has mirrors along two of the walls. Zoe freaked when she came up on her reflection - just who the heck was that other horse that appeared out of no where!!! So with my nerves and her hyper energy, we weren't a good pair. I had trouble bringing her back to me and just plain making her stand still.
Cathy M. saw all of this and kindly offered me the use of her horse, Traveler, while she got Zoe under hand. I quickly agreed to the switch. Traveler is notorious for his complete lack of enthusiasm for anything taking place in an arena. Getting him to just. move. forward. at. a. walk. is a challenge.
So imagine my surprise when after going around some poles Traveler decides that the bag on the barrel ISGOINGTOEATHIMOHMYGOD! He quickly backed up a step, flipped a 180 and started to move off in the opposite direction of that horse-eating-bag! I was already starting to lean down to get an envelope out of the bag when all of this started, which really was a good thing because I had a good hold of him with my legs....so I managed to sit his whole freak-out. I'm quite proud of that, actually. :)
After that I never was able to get him to approach the barrel (although we tried several times) and he was very, very skittish when any envelopes were brought towards him.
I jokingly commented to Cathy that if I'd wanted excitement, I could have just stayed on Zoe!
So, lessons learned from my ride on Traveler:
1. Don't assume that just because a horse is normally quiet it'll stay that way!
2. A solid seat is based from the waist down - my hands weren't all that necessary to stay with him as he moved off that barrel.
3. My connection with Zoe is stronger than I thought. I discovered while riding Traveler that I take some of the things I easily do with Zoe totally for granted. Like just turning - I don't even have to think about it with her. I look in the direction I want to go and we just go. It's amazing, really, when I think about it.
It's always fun to do something that is not so focused mentally. Playing games like this forces me to just ride rather than try to do every little thing perfect....which in the end makes me a stronger, more confident rider and helps my fussy little mount get over herself and just do the job. :)
Having said all that, the ride didn't start out all that well for me. I was nervous riding with a big group since I had decided that the whole group thing is what made the trail ride so awful. Plus, Zoe and I were experiencing a new arena together (Black Walnut, up on Cottonwood), which is okay except that this particular arena has mirrors along two of the walls. Zoe freaked when she came up on her reflection - just who the heck was that other horse that appeared out of no where!!! So with my nerves and her hyper energy, we weren't a good pair. I had trouble bringing her back to me and just plain making her stand still.
Cathy M. saw all of this and kindly offered me the use of her horse, Traveler, while she got Zoe under hand. I quickly agreed to the switch. Traveler is notorious for his complete lack of enthusiasm for anything taking place in an arena. Getting him to just. move. forward. at. a. walk. is a challenge.
So imagine my surprise when after going around some poles Traveler decides that the bag on the barrel ISGOINGTOEATHIMOHMYGOD! He quickly backed up a step, flipped a 180 and started to move off in the opposite direction of that horse-eating-bag! I was already starting to lean down to get an envelope out of the bag when all of this started, which really was a good thing because I had a good hold of him with my legs....so I managed to sit his whole freak-out. I'm quite proud of that, actually. :)
After that I never was able to get him to approach the barrel (although we tried several times) and he was very, very skittish when any envelopes were brought towards him.
I jokingly commented to Cathy that if I'd wanted excitement, I could have just stayed on Zoe!
So, lessons learned from my ride on Traveler:
1. Don't assume that just because a horse is normally quiet it'll stay that way!
2. A solid seat is based from the waist down - my hands weren't all that necessary to stay with him as he moved off that barrel.
3. My connection with Zoe is stronger than I thought. I discovered while riding Traveler that I take some of the things I easily do with Zoe totally for granted. Like just turning - I don't even have to think about it with her. I look in the direction I want to go and we just go. It's amazing, really, when I think about it.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
This is fun?
Pony Club and Horsemasters took advantage of the recently clear weather and went on a trail ride at Bennington Lake. E and I were both very excited to join in; I love a chance to ride somewhere other than the arena at our barn and I'm sure the horses like the change as well.
I wasn't worried about taking Zoe (or Monte, for that matter) up to the reservoir since they have both been before, and we actually had a decent ride then. So my nerves were not jingling as we loaded up. (I'm basically trying to say that my energy was calm, so my horse shouldn't have gotten anything spooky from me....)
The moment we unloaded, Zoe started to jig and dance around. Just getting her tacked up was a bit of a challenge, but I thought that once I got on her and we started moving she would begin to calm. Boy was I wrong! And by the way, Monte really wasn't much better...
There were about 10 other riders going along with us. Most were calm; only Zoe, Monte, a Tennessee Walker and a very green Morgan were having any visible issues. Right away my girl decided she needed to be near the lead, but not actually in the lead. The baby Morgan got that position. But I had to work to keep Zoe off his tail; I felt like I was yanking on her mouth almost the entire ride! I tried keeping her busy, side passing back and forth, but she was still frequently jigging and spooking.
Monte decided that he needed to be right behind Zoe. But she decided she hated him and actually kicked out at him a few times when he got too near! (That's not a fun feeling, by the way, having your horse kick out while you're on them.) It's safe to say I had one of the worst behaved horses on the trail.
Luckily, there were no run-away moments for Zoe and I. E did have to dismount once when Monte just plain refused to go down a somewhat icy/slick hill. Zoe stumbled and fell to her knees at one point (she was too busy watching imaginary monsters and didn't pay attention to the trail!), which scared me a bit, but we quickly recovered.
On the final stretch of trail (about the last 100') a dog jumped up in the brush. That was pretty much the last straw for Zoe; I could feel her bunching up under me, so I dismounted and chose to walk her down to the parking lot. I had to remind her of her ground manners, but once we did a little re-schooling (only about 20 seconds), she was her wonderful self again.
If only I had had that wonderful pony for the rest of the ride!
A friend taking pictures commented that even though I claimed this was a far from stellar ride, I am smiling in every single picture she got of me. What can I say? Any moment spent on my horse makes me deliriously, irrationally happy! This is true in lessons as well. All the other students will be so serious and stone-faced and there I am, laughing and talking to my horse the whole time.
I'm crazy, I know. ;)
...And to answer the first question: Yes! This is fun!
Group shot, with Molly's ears in the foreground (Isn't she a great photographer?) ;)
I wasn't worried about taking Zoe (or Monte, for that matter) up to the reservoir since they have both been before, and we actually had a decent ride then. So my nerves were not jingling as we loaded up. (I'm basically trying to say that my energy was calm, so my horse shouldn't have gotten anything spooky from me....)
The moment we unloaded, Zoe started to jig and dance around. Just getting her tacked up was a bit of a challenge, but I thought that once I got on her and we started moving she would begin to calm. Boy was I wrong! And by the way, Monte really wasn't much better...
There were about 10 other riders going along with us. Most were calm; only Zoe, Monte, a Tennessee Walker and a very green Morgan were having any visible issues. Right away my girl decided she needed to be near the lead, but not actually in the lead. The baby Morgan got that position. But I had to work to keep Zoe off his tail; I felt like I was yanking on her mouth almost the entire ride! I tried keeping her busy, side passing back and forth, but she was still frequently jigging and spooking.
Monte decided that he needed to be right behind Zoe. But she decided she hated him and actually kicked out at him a few times when he got too near! (That's not a fun feeling, by the way, having your horse kick out while you're on them.) It's safe to say I had one of the worst behaved horses on the trail.
Luckily, there were no run-away moments for Zoe and I. E did have to dismount once when Monte just plain refused to go down a somewhat icy/slick hill. Zoe stumbled and fell to her knees at one point (she was too busy watching imaginary monsters and didn't pay attention to the trail!), which scared me a bit, but we quickly recovered.
On the final stretch of trail (about the last 100') a dog jumped up in the brush. That was pretty much the last straw for Zoe; I could feel her bunching up under me, so I dismounted and chose to walk her down to the parking lot. I had to remind her of her ground manners, but once we did a little re-schooling (only about 20 seconds), she was her wonderful self again.If only I had had that wonderful pony for the rest of the ride!
A friend taking pictures commented that even though I claimed this was a far from stellar ride, I am smiling in every single picture she got of me. What can I say? Any moment spent on my horse makes me deliriously, irrationally happy! This is true in lessons as well. All the other students will be so serious and stone-faced and there I am, laughing and talking to my horse the whole time.
I'm crazy, I know. ;)
...And to answer the first question: Yes! This is fun!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Pig Pen
Zoe, rolling in her favorite dirt spot in her pasture.
Remember the character from the Snoopy cartoons, Pig Pen? Always dirty and traveling around in his own cloud of dust? Lately, it seems that my Zoe is channeling her inner-Pig Pen full time!
Even after a full brush-down, she is still dirtier than most of the other horses at the barn before they are groomed! My mare just loves to roll in the dirt. It's the first thing she does whenever she is put into her pasture and by looking at her muddy coat, I assume it is a favorite activity throughout the day as well. :)
I love watching the horses stand up. Such an awkward process, actually.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Christmas boots
Last November or December, Zoe actually cut up the heel bulb on one of her front hooves during a ride. She has a wonderful, full stride but sometimes overreaches a bit and clips her front hooves with the hind. I'm sure this can't feel all that great and it definitely could lead to infection, so I needed to have a way to prevent this in the future.
So for Christmas I specifically requested some bell boots to protect those precious feet. :) And look at the wonderful boots E picked out! (Tiger stripes makes total sense since she still sleeps with a giant stuffed tiger every night.)
I also got a new helmet (Yeah! My very own helmet!) and some very nice riding gloves. It was a great Christmas, indeed.
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