Nothing beats a good brain

If you've been reading this blog long enough, you know that I bought Riley because on his 3rd and 4th ride post-track I took him on paper chases. He was foot perfect both times and I was left grinning ear to ear on a horse I knew nothing about. I was sold (and so was he!). Two years later and it's that brain of his that makes me so happy and proud to call him my own...

New farm (not all pictured due to privacy)

We've settled into the new place nicely, and of course just as I was about to put a first ride on Riley he pulled a shoe! He turned out now on wayyyy more acreage and it's really hilly (which is awesome -- he looks great) but that also means a higher chance of pulling shoes AND not being able to find said shoes when they come off. Ah well, it's a trade off.

So he got a new LF tacked on and we saddled up for a first ride at the new place. I know it probably seems like I'm always going on about how my horse has hardly been ridden, but it's true. With his head shaking finally all but gone, we are FINALLY able to think about getting back into a program together. My patience has paid off and I feel better that I didn't push him when his body was telling me no. As usual, he was quiet and happy to be groomed and tacked. I texted two friends to let them know that I was getting on in a few minutes (I was at the farm alone) and that I would send another after my ride. I brought lunging gear up to the ring prior to my ride, just in case he was silly. I try, in all scenarios, to set us up for success. I listen to him. I'm not some egomaniac that will just get on and ride anything in all conditions (especially alone) -- so I try to be thoughtful about the horse I have that day. I posted the photo of the farm above to sort of show the layout of the ring in proximity to the barn. His turnout field is below the barn and goes off to the right. His buddies have dutch doors that face out that way. The driveway (you can't tell in this photo) is VERY steep as you head around the corner and up to the ring. I hopped on, he took a deep breath and off we went. Quietly into the sunshine up the grass to the ring. He did think about spooking at a bunch of kids toy cars (the kind they can drive around in) that are marked by "danger" in my picture, but nothing more than giving them the hairy eyeball, and slowing his walk. I booted him forward and we got down to business.

I forgot that I left my saddle pads at home so we kicked it old school.

He felt really, really great. No head shaking to be seen, no real naughtiness (except for not wanting to GETOFFMYRIGHTLEG) and he was light and forward. I'm sure I looked like a big idiot trotting around with a stupid grin on my face, but guys, it's been so long since I got to enjoy my horse and not see him suffering. We mostly worked on spiraling in and out in both directions, with some transitions for good measure. I was about to start some canter work when I saw something shiny in the grass...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS?!?

He never took a weird step (the grass footing is great) and he didn't feel lame/off at all. Yep, he pulled the OTHER shoe. You see, while the farrier was there he noticed that his LH was looking a little long (it's only been 2 weeks since his last trim) and he has a quarter crack in that hoof that he wanted to keep at bay so he rasped it a little. He left the other hind alone and wouldn't you know it was just long enough, and Riley was tracking up well enough to cleanly rip the shoe off. I hopped off and decided to save the canter work for next time. Congratulations Riley, you win... again.

Luckily, we had already put in a solid 30 minutes of quality trot work, so it wasn't a total wash. I texted my farrier the picture above and said that Riley misses him already. He'll get that tacked back on today. *Lest you worry, his feet and hoof walls look great -- I think it's just a coincidence that he lost two shoes back to back!

But other than our wardrobe malfunction, I couldn't be happier about our first ride at the new place. There was no screaming (apparently Riley screamed and screamed when his buddy was taken away for work the other day -- he was happy to work -- and that makes me very happy in return.

Because this is the best view in the entire world.

It got me thinking about where he and I have been and what we've done together (not much)... but days like that make me so grateful that I have a horse with a good brain. He is not an easy ride, or uncomplicated by any means... but he shows up for work and I can trust him. I know when I swing my leg over what kind of horse I'll have for the day.

It has not always been easy with him, for a myriad of reasons. He used to be god awful for the farrier and now he and I joke about that.

You've come a long way baby.

This is a horse who once, while being shod, freaked out so much in the cross ties that he peed, spooked, slipped in the pee while the farrier was holding his hoof and nearly fell over crushing him. Yesterday, the farrier already had him out standing quietly, and I literally held him for two minutes while he fit the shoe. Riley happily snoozed away.

Wild OTTB getting shod.

I deal with a lot of professionals these days, both horse dealers and sellers and I am constantly dumbfounded by people they have to interact with who do not appreciate the quality of a horse's mind. They think they know what they want in a horse and somehow get wooed by color, or movement, or height or pedigree overlooking the brain!

WW: Doug Payne -- from day 1 to Rolex in four years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njj39Wpl28I

Tantrums & protesting

this can only mean one thing...

You guys remember that lovely, sweet, kind, tolerant OTTB that let me climb on him bareback a few weeks ago?

Anyone?

No? Me, either.

Mr. Irish Goodbye got his shoes back on last Wednesday and Thursday I came out to see how he looked and put him back into proper work. We've been equicising and lunging (as much as his feet could handle), so he's not completely out of work, as it were. He was great about being tacked up (though inevitably, he always gives the lunging surcingle the hairy eyeball). 

Wait. A. Second.

Buddy, the vacation is over. He felt like being lunged in the small paddock adjacent to the barn was absolutely criminal. All his friends had their heads hanging out the windows and it just WASN'T FAIR.

Oh boo hoo, Riley you expensive pet!

I'm sure I've gone on a rant about lunging before, but whether I'm being redundant or not, I like it as a tool for young/uncoordinated/unbalanced horses. Furthermore, I really like the pessoa. It really helped Riley find his balance at the canter (without his jockey flailing about) and improved his straightness tenfold. I usually start by lunging in both directions, w-t-c with no engagement from the system. Once the buttons are reinstalled and he's obedient, I engage the pessoa. I like the setting that encourages long and low, but you can set it up a myriad of ways for various things. It's always set so his nose can be several inches in front of vertical when he's not fighting himself. In the 2 years that I've owned him, I've never really had to get after him with the lunge whip, nor have I ever lunged him DOWN from exuberance/naughtiness, etc. In the past, I would simplify the task until he got his brain back and make sure I didn't fry his little soul or he would get offended and just shut down and it was useless to push him through it.

VCBH: My Cubicle

Finally participating in one of these!

Still not 100% sure how all this works, but here goes.

For those of you that don't know, I am a photographer who works for the largest rare book dealer in North America. I've been at my job TEN years (how is that even possible) -- so I am very settled into my little cube. The art department is situated in between the sales offices and the research department, so we're in a little nook, so it's not quite a cube city, just three larger cubes in the space.

Pretty easy to tell which desk is mine (for reference those prints of Riley/Hugo are 24 x 24)

Riley + me, a photo from Kate and of course a cutting mat for special projects (ahem, not work related)

More Riley, a photos of my sis and I when we were little, a cardboard sign made lovingly by my former assistant and a Gary Winogrand calendar <3 br="">

More Riley, A Wabbit, the entire cast of Homestar Runner, and a photo signed by students from when the company donated a few rare photo books to my college. *Oh and that stack of stuffed ponies is from my 10 year anniversary party here -- my coworkers are awesome!

Just a few of the silly toys on my desk (pony ducks!)

Just a dragon eating babies, nothing to see here.

And lastly, we have arguably one of the best views in the city:

The view from our balcony on the 19th floor (courtesy of my coworker Ernest Hilbert)

New kicks, new barn... take a deep breath -- here we go!

This post is brought to you by the letter "H".

As in, my horse is a hunk:

June 2015. Three months out of work.

With the head shaking taking a back seat (I don't want to jinx it), Riley gets shoes on today for the first time in months. Which means, we're back in business for riding. He's been worked lightly in the equiciser for the last few weeks to keep his brain intact and he's been workmanlike about it, but I think I'm going to have a lot of horse on my hands once he's under tack! He's lacking serious muscle in the photo above, but his topline still looks decent and he gets fit, REALLY quickly. I am beyond excited to start riding again!

Which leads me to our move. Moving again you say? Yes. This time to a farm a full 20 minutes closer, smaller barn with more turn out (and hilly fields) and a beautiful GRASS RING. The fact that the farm will be closer is huge. My current commute without any major traffic is at least an hour. On weekend mornings, I would guess I could make it to the new barn in 35 minutes!!! That means a lot more riding for me, and with a smaller barn to care for I won't be so tired after chores that I won't want to ride!

The next couple of weeks are going to be plenty hectic around these parts, organizing current barn, moving everything to the new barn and trying to leg up Riley again! Once we get settled in, if everything is going smoothly, we can set our sights on some events this fall (that is, if I ever dig myself out of the financial hole I'm in).

Stay tuned!