Whew! What a crazy life! We've all been go, go, go for what feels like weeks. (My other mode this past month has been sick, sick, sick. Uhg! Worst case of the flu ever and I'm still sniffling - probably allergies now.)
So this will need to be a short, short, short post.
Spring is only beginning to arrive; the days are still relatively cool and definitely wet. Consequently, not too much time has been spent out at the barns. I did have a lesson with Marla last Sunday. I was plenty nervous about it (first time riding with her) and my high-strung, spring-fevered pony didn't calm me any. But let me back up a little.....
E had a lesson the hour before mine. Monte was feeling a bit energetic (she hadn't ridden in almost two weeks) but didn't appear unmanageable.....until they got into the arena. As soon as they got past the gate, he became a pretty good imitation of a rodeo bucking bronc. He bucked about half-way 'round the arena before she got a chance to attempt an emergency dismount, and just as she started to dismount, he bucked again, making her fall to the ground. (She was okay, just shaken, although she did end up with a nice bruise on her shoulder.)
He then proceeded to run like a crazed animal around the whole arena several times, going so fast that he actually fell on a corner. It took a few minutes before E could catch him. We thought something must be wrong, but the instructor (also a vet) checked him over and declared that he was fine....and that E needed to work him so that he didn't learn he could get away with such awful behavior.
So E decided to go on with her lesson and Monte behaved beautifully for the remainder of the afternoon. Go figure.
After seeing all this, and then having my pony start out all high-headed in the round pen, I was plenty nervous. But once she was tacked up and I was in the saddle, Zoe settled nicely. My first challenge of the day was to ride her from the dressage arena (where I was warming up) past the various wood piles (where all the trolls and gremlins live, according to Zoe) to the big arena for my lesson. And we did it! I know, sounds minor, but really it gave me a bit of a confidence boost.
And then the two-point torture began. :) Marla asked us to get into a two-point position and ride...and ride and ride and ride. This is the first time I've ever done this, so I was plenty off-balance. Zoe was not appreciative of my beginner ways and about half-way through the lesson began to lose patience with me. I was able to stay in two-point for most of the hour, though, and even managed to trot while perched on my stirrups. This was a lesson where a steady-eddy schooling horse would have been nice. Zoe is so reactive that any shift in my balance caused her to change her pace....which then made it even harder for me to maintain my balance!
By the end of the lesson I was noodle-legged and could barely walk upright. :)
And I will no longer give E a hard time when she has a lesson like this and then complains. I have a new appreciation for the skills she makes seem so easy.....
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Off the couch
I've been down with a nasty flu virus for over a week now. After E got sick during the clinic, I was doing okay until Monday morning, then it hit me like a truck full of bricks. I literally stayed on the couch for 5 days, feeling like I was going to die.
But Horsemasters started last Sunday and nothing was keeping me from my horse! I got dressed (first time out of pj's in a week!), groomed my horse (hope no one looked too closely at her!) and climbed into the saddle for a lesson. I only lasted 30 minutes before exhaustion got the best of me, but I was so happy it didn't matter. Riding my horse definitely has a restorative effect on me.
But Horsemasters started last Sunday and nothing was keeping me from my horse! I got dressed (first time out of pj's in a week!), groomed my horse (hope no one looked too closely at her!) and climbed into the saddle for a lesson. I only lasted 30 minutes before exhaustion got the best of me, but I was so happy it didn't matter. Riding my horse definitely has a restorative effect on me.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Clinic Weekend
This weekend was a big fundraiser clinic weekend for our pony club. We hosted Jim Briggs and invited participants from all over the region to take a lesson or two with him. E was signed up for both a jumping and a flat lesson with him.
Unfortunately, Monte was not up to the task of jumping by Saturday; his withers were still painful under saddle, so she decided to not use him for the lesson. Luckily, we board at a barn with many generous owners of many capable horses. E rode a pony (who really is a pony!) named Oscar on Saturday.
E and Oscar
Now Oscar has a bit of a reputation around the barn. He's not exactly a beginner horse - you could rightfully call him "Oscar the Grouch" - but he does know his stuff. He's very headstrong and takes a strong rider to make him go through his paces, however. After her ride, E compared him to Curly in that it took quite a bit of strength in both her arms and legs to keep Oscar doing what she wanted. Not exactly a willing partner, you see.
To make this all harder for E, she started to get pretty sick in the morning and by the time she rode her lesson she was achy and feverish. But she insisted on going through with the lesson. Oh, and it was cold and rainy. Not exactly ideal conditions.
But they did it. Oscar did not refuse any jumps and did a respectable job on the course. E managed to get through the lesson before collapsing in the truck. And Oscar's owner was quite happy that her pony had behaved well and redeemed himself, even if only a tiny bit, in the eyes of the spectators.
Sunday's lesson was impossible for E (high fever, sore throat, etc.), so we gave it to our barn owner C. Ends up that the lesson was pretty miserable since it was full-on raining and the horses were a little nutty. C's horse Maxwell bolted at one point and dumped her in the corner of the arena - a scary moment to say the least. But all was well in the end and the clinic has been deemed a success.
We will have the chiropractor out again to take a look at Monte. I think it's just lingering muscle pain, but we want to be sure.
Unfortunately, Monte was not up to the task of jumping by Saturday; his withers were still painful under saddle, so she decided to not use him for the lesson. Luckily, we board at a barn with many generous owners of many capable horses. E rode a pony (who really is a pony!) named Oscar on Saturday.
E and OscarNow Oscar has a bit of a reputation around the barn. He's not exactly a beginner horse - you could rightfully call him "Oscar the Grouch" - but he does know his stuff. He's very headstrong and takes a strong rider to make him go through his paces, however. After her ride, E compared him to Curly in that it took quite a bit of strength in both her arms and legs to keep Oscar doing what she wanted. Not exactly a willing partner, you see.
To make this all harder for E, she started to get pretty sick in the morning and by the time she rode her lesson she was achy and feverish. But she insisted on going through with the lesson. Oh, and it was cold and rainy. Not exactly ideal conditions.
But they did it. Oscar did not refuse any jumps and did a respectable job on the course. E managed to get through the lesson before collapsing in the truck. And Oscar's owner was quite happy that her pony had behaved well and redeemed himself, even if only a tiny bit, in the eyes of the spectators.
Sunday's lesson was impossible for E (high fever, sore throat, etc.), so we gave it to our barn owner C. Ends up that the lesson was pretty miserable since it was full-on raining and the horses were a little nutty. C's horse Maxwell bolted at one point and dumped her in the corner of the arena - a scary moment to say the least. But all was well in the end and the clinic has been deemed a success.
We will have the chiropractor out again to take a look at Monte. I think it's just lingering muscle pain, but we want to be sure.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Little Big Man
Monte is a pony...okay, he's really a "small horse" since Arabians can be below 14.3 hands and still be considered a horse. But in his mind, he's the big guy in the field.
Consequently, he frequently feels the need to assert himself with the other horses pastured with him. This would be all well and good if he were the head honcho...but he's not, really, and in the process of being put back in his place he sometimes gets hurt. Nothing serious, just a few scrapes and the occasional pulled muscle.
We think that is what happened recently. Last Friday, E saddled him up for a fun ride but as soon as she tightened the cinch on her Western saddle he became a bucking fiend. Luckily she was able to quickly loosen the straps and get the offending tack off of his back - also luckily, this all happened before she got on his back! We've seen him buck before, but this was a show worthy of the broncs in the rodeo.
It was quickly discovered that he had extreme pain in his withers, so a call was made to the chiropractor. We finally had our session with her yesterday afternoon (yes, the poor boy had to suffer for 5 days!) and the relief he felt was almost immediate.
He had a very worried look in his eyes when the chiropractor began but as soon as she did a few seconds of work on his shoulders and then his withers, he relaxed, gave a big sigh, and closed his eyes. He started to fall asleep by the end of her visit.
E is hoping that he is back to 100% by Saturday; she is signed up to ride in a clinic with Jim Briggs and wants to ride her pony rather than mine. Don't blame her, really, since she does happen to have a pretty awesome little guy.
3/26 update: Monte is still hurting - poor boy. So E will be riding Zoe for the Jim Briggs clinic, which is fine for the flat, but questionable for the jumping. Oh, and C corrected me about Monte not being big-man-in-the-field. She says that although he doesn't kick and bite the others as much as another pair out there, he does "growl" at them quite a bit and they all pretty much get out of his way. But unlike most other alphas, he doesn't mind not being first to go in for dinner. So she called him a "benevolent leader." Ha! Benevolent is not a word I would ever have thought to use to describe Monte. :) I kinda think it might have to do with the fact that he defers to the human handling the horses and if that human says he has to go last, then last he will go. Now that's a well-trained pony!
Consequently, he frequently feels the need to assert himself with the other horses pastured with him. This would be all well and good if he were the head honcho...but he's not, really, and in the process of being put back in his place he sometimes gets hurt. Nothing serious, just a few scrapes and the occasional pulled muscle.
We think that is what happened recently. Last Friday, E saddled him up for a fun ride but as soon as she tightened the cinch on her Western saddle he became a bucking fiend. Luckily she was able to quickly loosen the straps and get the offending tack off of his back - also luckily, this all happened before she got on his back! We've seen him buck before, but this was a show worthy of the broncs in the rodeo.
It was quickly discovered that he had extreme pain in his withers, so a call was made to the chiropractor. We finally had our session with her yesterday afternoon (yes, the poor boy had to suffer for 5 days!) and the relief he felt was almost immediate.
He had a very worried look in his eyes when the chiropractor began but as soon as she did a few seconds of work on his shoulders and then his withers, he relaxed, gave a big sigh, and closed his eyes. He started to fall asleep by the end of her visit.
E is hoping that he is back to 100% by Saturday; she is signed up to ride in a clinic with Jim Briggs and wants to ride her pony rather than mine. Don't blame her, really, since she does happen to have a pretty awesome little guy.
3/26 update: Monte is still hurting - poor boy. So E will be riding Zoe for the Jim Briggs clinic, which is fine for the flat, but questionable for the jumping. Oh, and C corrected me about Monte not being big-man-in-the-field. She says that although he doesn't kick and bite the others as much as another pair out there, he does "growl" at them quite a bit and they all pretty much get out of his way. But unlike most other alphas, he doesn't mind not being first to go in for dinner. So she called him a "benevolent leader." Ha! Benevolent is not a word I would ever have thought to use to describe Monte. :) I kinda think it might have to do with the fact that he defers to the human handling the horses and if that human says he has to go last, then last he will go. Now that's a well-trained pony!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Ambivalence
E is a busy girl. She has lots of school activities and projects as well as being a part of two horse groups and having a weekend job. Next year will probably be even busier since she plans to add debate team and more music/choral stuff to the schedule. She's even talking about trying out for a team sport at the high school.
And some days, she just really doesn't want to go out to the barn. I get that.
But she also has a pony who really needs to be kept busy. He's not the sort you can leave in a pasture for several weeks and then expect to have a good ride. Ideally, he should be ridden at a minimum of three times a week; we usually manage two. And both of those are usually for a club meeting/lesson, not because she wants to go out and practice some skill or even just ride around for the fun of it.
So here's the rub: given the horse she has, along with the big investment we've made in the sport of horseback riding in general, I really think she should willingly, happily and eagerly be wanting to interact with Monte several times a week. I don't want to have to drag her there like I did yesterday. In the end I think she had a very good time out at the barn, but I don't think it's right that I have to initially force her in that direction.
Consequently, I have a bit of a "deadline" in my head these days. If E doesn't get over this ambivalence she has about horses by the end of summer, I think we will seriously consider selling Monte. I can't justify the expense of keeping a horse "just in case" she might want to ride. She has to show some commitment and step up to the responsibility of owning this animal.
(If we did sell Monte, I would be happy to share Zoe with her for those times she might want to ride, btw. I don't want to deprive her fully of the joy of riding. It's just that since we don't own our own property and have to pay monthly board, keeping a horse for those occasional riding moments is too darn expensive!)
Off topic, but when I rode Zoe yesterday she had a major spook moment, dropping and bolting to the side for a few steps before I could stop her. Funny thing is, I didn't really get all that scared. I had a bit of an adrenaline rush, but no lingering fear or racing heart. I stayed on and kept walking her around the round pen, trying to get her to approach the gremlin-spot (not very successfully, I might add). Overall, it was a great ride for me as I saw that I can manage her spooks.
And some days, she just really doesn't want to go out to the barn. I get that.
But she also has a pony who really needs to be kept busy. He's not the sort you can leave in a pasture for several weeks and then expect to have a good ride. Ideally, he should be ridden at a minimum of three times a week; we usually manage two. And both of those are usually for a club meeting/lesson, not because she wants to go out and practice some skill or even just ride around for the fun of it.
So here's the rub: given the horse she has, along with the big investment we've made in the sport of horseback riding in general, I really think she should willingly, happily and eagerly be wanting to interact with Monte several times a week. I don't want to have to drag her there like I did yesterday. In the end I think she had a very good time out at the barn, but I don't think it's right that I have to initially force her in that direction.
Consequently, I have a bit of a "deadline" in my head these days. If E doesn't get over this ambivalence she has about horses by the end of summer, I think we will seriously consider selling Monte. I can't justify the expense of keeping a horse "just in case" she might want to ride. She has to show some commitment and step up to the responsibility of owning this animal.
(If we did sell Monte, I would be happy to share Zoe with her for those times she might want to ride, btw. I don't want to deprive her fully of the joy of riding. It's just that since we don't own our own property and have to pay monthly board, keeping a horse for those occasional riding moments is too darn expensive!)
Off topic, but when I rode Zoe yesterday she had a major spook moment, dropping and bolting to the side for a few steps before I could stop her. Funny thing is, I didn't really get all that scared. I had a bit of an adrenaline rush, but no lingering fear or racing heart. I stayed on and kept walking her around the round pen, trying to get her to approach the gremlin-spot (not very successfully, I might add). Overall, it was a great ride for me as I saw that I can manage her spooks.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Road trip for Zoe
The horses had all their shots on Monday, so when we pulled Monte out for 4-H last night I wasn't too terribly surprised that he wasn't feeling so hot. When E took him into the round pen prior to loading him in the trailer, he was practically dragging his head on the ground. Kinda scary actually - I'm so used to his high energy! There are several horses that have had varying degrees of adverse reactions to the shots, however, so I understood why he was feeling the way he was.
Zoe, on the other hand, did not have any noticeable reaction to the shots, so E and I made a quick decision to take her to 4-H instead. E had to pull her out of her stall and away from her dinner and Zoe made her displeasure over this disruption apparent by kicking out at E. Not a great way to begin an adventure! But the horse settled down in the round pen (E wanted to make sure Zoe had a brain before making the final commitment to riding her!) and loaded into the trailer fairly well. Of course, a manger of hay in there helped considerably. :)
Neither of us had high expectations for this ride night. Zoe has led an easy life these last few months, with little being asked of her. We were also taking her to a new arena, with new horses and people. All of these factors combined did not build a solid foundation for the promise of a smooth ride. But Zoe surprised us! She only had one incident of spooking (the traffic cone in the arena was going to eat her and caused her to back up several feet, snorting the whole way) and really gave E a nice ride. Being that she is so out of shape, E did have to finish up a lot sooner than she would of on Monte, but that ended up being okay too since our trailer buddy was riding a young horse who also pooped out after an hour of work.
I'm so glad that Zoe proved to be adaptable enough for E to use in a pinch!
Zoe, on the other hand, did not have any noticeable reaction to the shots, so E and I made a quick decision to take her to 4-H instead. E had to pull her out of her stall and away from her dinner and Zoe made her displeasure over this disruption apparent by kicking out at E. Not a great way to begin an adventure! But the horse settled down in the round pen (E wanted to make sure Zoe had a brain before making the final commitment to riding her!) and loaded into the trailer fairly well. Of course, a manger of hay in there helped considerably. :)
Neither of us had high expectations for this ride night. Zoe has led an easy life these last few months, with little being asked of her. We were also taking her to a new arena, with new horses and people. All of these factors combined did not build a solid foundation for the promise of a smooth ride. But Zoe surprised us! She only had one incident of spooking (the traffic cone in the arena was going to eat her and caused her to back up several feet, snorting the whole way) and really gave E a nice ride. Being that she is so out of shape, E did have to finish up a lot sooner than she would of on Monte, but that ended up being okay too since our trailer buddy was riding a young horse who also pooped out after an hour of work.
I'm so glad that Zoe proved to be adaptable enough for E to use in a pinch!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Finally spring?
This weekend totally feels like spring - 30s at night, 40s to 50s during the day. And sunshine! That's the best part, having sun shining on your shoulders until well after 5:00 p.m..
I didn't plan on riding today but when I got out to the barn this morning it was just too nice to not pull Zoe out and at least groom her. And if I'm going to groom her, well I might as well as lunge her...and if I'm going to lunge her I might as well saddle her up and get on!
Really, she was just so cooperative and sweet that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to hop on for a short ride. I think the high strung, spooky horse I've been experiencing the past month or so must have been the result of her cycling into heat combined with a bit of windy, variable weather. Today she calmly waited for me to put on her halter, was attentive while we walked, and even lowered her head for me during bridling. What a good pony!
E also took a short turn on her and managed to make Zoe sweat a bit. Zoe is in much better shape, though, and was able to maintain a canter for a longer period of time. She's not quite as flabby when she runs past now. :)
Zoe did give a little buck when E cantered in the left lead. Nothing major - I'm sure even I could have sat it. E says you can totally feel Zoe rounding her back just before she tries to buck, so you have plenty of warning. We think she might be a little bit sore and was complaining about the cantering. Just a guess though.....
Lots of Pony Club happenings these days. I'm coordinating our region's Quiz rally, which will be taking place next weekend. Looking forward to the event - and to its conclusion! :) I also joined Horsemasters, the adult version of Pony Club. I'm totally looking forward to riding on a regular basis with other adults. We'll start taking Sunday lessons along with the kiddos in a couple of weeks.
I didn't plan on riding today but when I got out to the barn this morning it was just too nice to not pull Zoe out and at least groom her. And if I'm going to groom her, well I might as well as lunge her...and if I'm going to lunge her I might as well saddle her up and get on!
Really, she was just so cooperative and sweet that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to hop on for a short ride. I think the high strung, spooky horse I've been experiencing the past month or so must have been the result of her cycling into heat combined with a bit of windy, variable weather. Today she calmly waited for me to put on her halter, was attentive while we walked, and even lowered her head for me during bridling. What a good pony!
E also took a short turn on her and managed to make Zoe sweat a bit. Zoe is in much better shape, though, and was able to maintain a canter for a longer period of time. She's not quite as flabby when she runs past now. :)
Zoe did give a little buck when E cantered in the left lead. Nothing major - I'm sure even I could have sat it. E says you can totally feel Zoe rounding her back just before she tries to buck, so you have plenty of warning. We think she might be a little bit sore and was complaining about the cantering. Just a guess though.....
Lots of Pony Club happenings these days. I'm coordinating our region's Quiz rally, which will be taking place next weekend. Looking forward to the event - and to its conclusion! :) I also joined Horsemasters, the adult version of Pony Club. I'm totally looking forward to riding on a regular basis with other adults. We'll start taking Sunday lessons along with the kiddos in a couple of weeks.
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