8.01.2010
Kiki's weird lump
And here is a photo of it:
We first thought this was maybe a tooth growing in strange. She recently scraped all the hair off catching her halter on something in turnout. I treated the wound which is healing nicely, but the hair still has some growing to do. Any thoughts on what this could be? It's hard and doesn't seem to be painful at all.
I got her to stand still for a few seconds with my thumb next to it for scale.
7.30.2010
inspired by: iamthesprinklerbandit.blogspot.com
1. How old were you when you first started riding?
I started riding when I was 4, prompted by my desire to keep up with everything my best friend Christine did.
2. First horse ridden:
Candyman, a shaggy paint pony. I cried when he trotted.
3. First horse trotted on:
Ha, see above...I begged to go back though, despite being allergic to hay, and dust, and horses, and grass, and...you get it.
4. First horse cantered on:
Cleo, a chestnut mare (who knew my life would come full circle)...she packed me around for several year in the Bahamas.
5. First Horse fallen off of:
Sterling, a tiny grey pony (oh weird, a GREY PONY got me off after 11 years of riding). We were doing a jump course and she was incredibly barn sour, during a turn away from the barn she blasted through my outside leg and slipped in the footing near the gate, we both went down, I didn't really have a choice. Yes, I got right back on and finished the course.
6. Most recent horse fallen off of:
Eeek, I am trying to find some wood to touch...I haven't fallen off since I started back riding, and before that, I can hardly remember...riding so many ponies growing up built in a strong knack for STAYING ON. NO. MATTER. WHAT. I did complete an emergency dismount a few weeks ago mid-rear/spook...that counts I guess.
7. Most terrifying fall:
I was once kicked while riding bareback by another horse and subsequently, so was the horse I was riding, she bolted and I fell off/abandoned ship. I remember thinking my leg was broken (my ankle certainly looked that way) and I was scared to death. To this day, one of my biggest fear is horse behavior in close quarters...luckily riding an alpha mare keeps everyone at bay.
8. First horse jumped with:
This is really tough to remember, I know I jumped a lot in England, but substantial jumping...probably Turbo Pony.
9. First horse who ran away with you:
Shamber. The same horse I was on when I got kicked. We were doing a dressage test and she (another barn sour horse) decided she was finished and bolted over the little fence and back to the gate. She had an iron mouth so it was useless trying to stop her. I was mortified.
10. First horse that scared the crap out of you:
It took a really long time for this to happen. When I was young I was completely fearless...but one summer riding in Southern Pines, NC I met a horse that I was completely scared of. He was an OTTB named Tix, nuts after a sinus infection where he had a drain put in his skull, and no one would ride him. After the horse I was riding that summer sold, they put me on him. We bonded in a way I have yet to experience with another horse. There was one day that we were jumping for the first time together and it started to POUR. I could feel his whole body tense up and my instructor told me to expect him to refuse...he didn't. It was a lesson in humility. He was terrifying and beautiful...it's a combination I really enjoy now.
11. First horse shown :
Cleo.
12. First horse to win a class with:
Growing up I had to work to ride and almost always had to catch ride at shows usually on bad ponies that my instructor was offering up for sale. I think the best class I one as a youngster was an equitation class on Tix. Of course he spooked at the ribbon.
13. Do you/have you taken lessons:
I took lessons consistently from 4-19, and for the last 2 years.
14. First horse you ever rode bareback:
Cleo dressed as Maid Marion. But when I lived in England we would ride all the horses bareback in a halter and lead rope to their turnout fields a half a mile down the road (totally reckless looking back), so I rode lots and lots of horses bareback!
15. First horse trail ridden with:
We rode trails quite a bit in Florida, but nothing is like trail riding the therapy horses at Pegasus...there is something magical about galloping a Belgian Draft horse through the woods.
16. Current Barn name:
Should keep this anonymous for now.
17. Do you ride English or western?
English, though I do enjoy riding in a western saddle when I don't want to think about anything else, it's been ages though!
18. First Horse to place at a show with:
Cleo!
19. Ever been to horse camp?
Not as a kid because I never had my own pony, or parents that were really that supportive of my expensive hobby...but this year at the ripe old age of 31, I went on a Ladies Riding Camp in VA...it was NOT expensive, but it was amazing and would recommend the experience to anyone who reads my blog!
20. Ever been to a riding clinic?
I rode in lots of clinics in Florida, but I would love to do some with the mare!
21. Ridden sidesaddle?
Yes! At the recent camp I attended...it's humbling to say the least!
22. First horse leased:
Kiki! I am fairly sure we leased Cleo when I was younger, but I don't remember the financial details!
23. Last Horse Leased:
Kiki! We are a work in progress, plus everyone else is scared of her.
24. Highest ribbon in a show:
Overall highpoint during that summer in North Carolina!
25. Ever been to an ‘A’ rated show?
No, sadly.
26. Ever competed in pony games/relay races?
Yes. Super fun.
27. Ever fallen off at a show:
Never, but then again, I will (try to) stay on no matter what.
28. Do you ride Hunter/Jumpers?
Yes, and I hope Kiki and I can get to some shows doing so before we try eventing!
29. Have you ever barrel raced?
Yes. I used to exercise ride a quarter horse named Rebel who barrel raced...when I would get bored of trying to teach him English we race around for fun.
30. Ever done pole bending?
Nope!
31. Favorite gait:
Definitely canter...just not Kiki's (it makes me feel like a beginner)
32. Ever cantered bareback?
Yes! I love riding bareback and try to take bareback jumping lessons when I can. Nothing makes you more appreciative of your saddle (and stirrups).
33. Have you ever done dressage?
Yes, and I would like to get much, much better!
34. Have you ever evented?
Just cross country jumping, not the full 3-day.
35. Have you ever mucked a stall?
It's the only way I was able to ride horses...40 stall barn? No problem, as long as I get to ride. I have the same barn work ethic now and it still confuses my instructor.
36. Ever been bucked off?
Yes. A thoroughbred named Mr. Wonderful. He snatched the reins and was able to completely bronc across the arena and send me into orbit.
37. Ever been on a horse that reared:
yes...and it's my number one fear. Cleo once reared when I was 6-7 at a horse that was bolting around the ring. Kiki has offered a couple but nothing too big.
38. Horses or ponies:
Well, ponies made me the rider that I am today. I will always have a soft spot for them. Until I was 16 and went to North Carolina for the summer I rode ponies almost exclusively for my instructor getting the them into shape, but I do love horses, the bigger the better! Kiki rides like a pony so maybe that's why I love her!
39. Do you wear a helmet?
Always.
40. What’s the highest you’ve jumped:
A little over 4 foot. Again, the summer in NC that made me brave riding giant horses (they weren't giant, but huge for me coming off ponies). That instructor really pushed me as a rider and took advantage of my fearlessness. Now a 2'6" vertical makes me a little queasy...but I love, love, love jumping.
41. Have you ever ridden at night?
Yes, lots of places I have ridden at have lighting, but last spring our trail ride got really late and we got caught in the darkness...it was both lovely and terrifying riding through the woods like that.
42. Do you watch horsey television shows?
I taped Rolex, and used to watch Jockeys...now I just troll youtube and read horse blogs.
43. Have you ever been seriously hurt/injured from a fall?
Just the fall where I got kicked.
44. Most falls in one lesson:
I got dumped a couple of times schooling a horse over a ditch...I got a good view of the inside of it too.
45. Do you ride in an arena/ring?
My current farm has a nice indoor with lights and an outdoor riding "space" It's a big field flanked on either long side with paddocks...I like it out there.
46. Have you ever been trampled by a horse?
No, but it worries me sometimes when I am handling youngsters.
47. Have you ever been bitten?
A lot. Some of the horses at the Equine Therapy center release their frustration by biting the handlers, and apparently my forearm is pretty damn tasty. Kiki gets pretty mouthy, but I am trying to stop that habit!
48. Ever had your foot stepped on by a horse?
Again, lots. The worst was last year by Sergio (my favorite mount at the therapy center)who's belgian/haflinger...he broke my pinky toe stepping on my foot and then twisting into a stall to grab hay. Nerd.
49: Favorite riding moment:
Wow, it would be hard to commit to just one. Most recently it would be riding the big event mare in Virginia. She was just amazing and we jumped everything we could find together.
50. Most fun horse you’ve ridden:
I think I will have to give this to Turbo Pony...that little guy and I rode together for so long my instructor stopped letting me ride him in lessons (because I wasn't learning anything)...he would jump anything...even the largest cross country jumps we had on the property...it makes me really love the spirit of a small horse (like Teddy O'Connor or Snooze Alarm)
I started riding when I was 4, prompted by my desire to keep up with everything my best friend Christine did.
2. First horse ridden:
Candyman, a shaggy paint pony. I cried when he trotted.
3. First horse trotted on:
Ha, see above...I begged to go back though, despite being allergic to hay, and dust, and horses, and grass, and...you get it.
4. First horse cantered on:
Cleo, a chestnut mare (who knew my life would come full circle)...she packed me around for several year in the Bahamas.
5. First Horse fallen off of:
Sterling, a tiny grey pony (oh weird, a GREY PONY got me off after 11 years of riding). We were doing a jump course and she was incredibly barn sour, during a turn away from the barn she blasted through my outside leg and slipped in the footing near the gate, we both went down, I didn't really have a choice. Yes, I got right back on and finished the course.
6. Most recent horse fallen off of:
Eeek, I am trying to find some wood to touch...I haven't fallen off since I started back riding, and before that, I can hardly remember...riding so many ponies growing up built in a strong knack for STAYING ON. NO. MATTER. WHAT. I did complete an emergency dismount a few weeks ago mid-rear/spook...that counts I guess.
7. Most terrifying fall:
I was once kicked while riding bareback by another horse and subsequently, so was the horse I was riding, she bolted and I fell off/abandoned ship. I remember thinking my leg was broken (my ankle certainly looked that way) and I was scared to death. To this day, one of my biggest fear is horse behavior in close quarters...luckily riding an alpha mare keeps everyone at bay.
8. First horse jumped with:
This is really tough to remember, I know I jumped a lot in England, but substantial jumping...probably Turbo Pony.
9. First horse who ran away with you:
Shamber. The same horse I was on when I got kicked. We were doing a dressage test and she (another barn sour horse) decided she was finished and bolted over the little fence and back to the gate. She had an iron mouth so it was useless trying to stop her. I was mortified.
10. First horse that scared the crap out of you:
It took a really long time for this to happen. When I was young I was completely fearless...but one summer riding in Southern Pines, NC I met a horse that I was completely scared of. He was an OTTB named Tix, nuts after a sinus infection where he had a drain put in his skull, and no one would ride him. After the horse I was riding that summer sold, they put me on him. We bonded in a way I have yet to experience with another horse. There was one day that we were jumping for the first time together and it started to POUR. I could feel his whole body tense up and my instructor told me to expect him to refuse...he didn't. It was a lesson in humility. He was terrifying and beautiful...it's a combination I really enjoy now.
11. First horse shown :
Cleo.
12. First horse to win a class with:
Growing up I had to work to ride and almost always had to catch ride at shows usually on bad ponies that my instructor was offering up for sale. I think the best class I one as a youngster was an equitation class on Tix. Of course he spooked at the ribbon.
13. Do you/have you taken lessons:
I took lessons consistently from 4-19, and for the last 2 years.
14. First horse you ever rode bareback:
Cleo dressed as Maid Marion. But when I lived in England we would ride all the horses bareback in a halter and lead rope to their turnout fields a half a mile down the road (totally reckless looking back), so I rode lots and lots of horses bareback!
15. First horse trail ridden with:
We rode trails quite a bit in Florida, but nothing is like trail riding the therapy horses at Pegasus...there is something magical about galloping a Belgian Draft horse through the woods.
16. Current Barn name:
Should keep this anonymous for now.
17. Do you ride English or western?
English, though I do enjoy riding in a western saddle when I don't want to think about anything else, it's been ages though!
18. First Horse to place at a show with:
Cleo!
19. Ever been to horse camp?
Not as a kid because I never had my own pony, or parents that were really that supportive of my expensive hobby...but this year at the ripe old age of 31, I went on a Ladies Riding Camp in VA...it was NOT expensive, but it was amazing and would recommend the experience to anyone who reads my blog!
20. Ever been to a riding clinic?
I rode in lots of clinics in Florida, but I would love to do some with the mare!
21. Ridden sidesaddle?
Yes! At the recent camp I attended...it's humbling to say the least!
22. First horse leased:
Kiki! I am fairly sure we leased Cleo when I was younger, but I don't remember the financial details!
23. Last Horse Leased:
Kiki! We are a work in progress, plus everyone else is scared of her.
24. Highest ribbon in a show:
Overall highpoint during that summer in North Carolina!
25. Ever been to an ‘A’ rated show?
No, sadly.
26. Ever competed in pony games/relay races?
Yes. Super fun.
27. Ever fallen off at a show:
Never, but then again, I will (try to) stay on no matter what.
28. Do you ride Hunter/Jumpers?
Yes, and I hope Kiki and I can get to some shows doing so before we try eventing!
29. Have you ever barrel raced?
Yes. I used to exercise ride a quarter horse named Rebel who barrel raced...when I would get bored of trying to teach him English we race around for fun.
30. Ever done pole bending?
Nope!
31. Favorite gait:
Definitely canter...just not Kiki's (it makes me feel like a beginner)
32. Ever cantered bareback?
Yes! I love riding bareback and try to take bareback jumping lessons when I can. Nothing makes you more appreciative of your saddle (and stirrups).
33. Have you ever done dressage?
Yes, and I would like to get much, much better!
34. Have you ever evented?
Just cross country jumping, not the full 3-day.
35. Have you ever mucked a stall?
It's the only way I was able to ride horses...40 stall barn? No problem, as long as I get to ride. I have the same barn work ethic now and it still confuses my instructor.
36. Ever been bucked off?
Yes. A thoroughbred named Mr. Wonderful. He snatched the reins and was able to completely bronc across the arena and send me into orbit.
37. Ever been on a horse that reared:
yes...and it's my number one fear. Cleo once reared when I was 6-7 at a horse that was bolting around the ring. Kiki has offered a couple but nothing too big.
38. Horses or ponies:
Well, ponies made me the rider that I am today. I will always have a soft spot for them. Until I was 16 and went to North Carolina for the summer I rode ponies almost exclusively for my instructor getting the them into shape, but I do love horses, the bigger the better! Kiki rides like a pony so maybe that's why I love her!
39. Do you wear a helmet?
Always.
40. What’s the highest you’ve jumped:
A little over 4 foot. Again, the summer in NC that made me brave riding giant horses (they weren't giant, but huge for me coming off ponies). That instructor really pushed me as a rider and took advantage of my fearlessness. Now a 2'6" vertical makes me a little queasy...but I love, love, love jumping.
41. Have you ever ridden at night?
Yes, lots of places I have ridden at have lighting, but last spring our trail ride got really late and we got caught in the darkness...it was both lovely and terrifying riding through the woods like that.
42. Do you watch horsey television shows?
I taped Rolex, and used to watch Jockeys...now I just troll youtube and read horse blogs.
43. Have you ever been seriously hurt/injured from a fall?
Just the fall where I got kicked.
44. Most falls in one lesson:
I got dumped a couple of times schooling a horse over a ditch...I got a good view of the inside of it too.
45. Do you ride in an arena/ring?
My current farm has a nice indoor with lights and an outdoor riding "space" It's a big field flanked on either long side with paddocks...I like it out there.
46. Have you ever been trampled by a horse?
No, but it worries me sometimes when I am handling youngsters.
47. Have you ever been bitten?
A lot. Some of the horses at the Equine Therapy center release their frustration by biting the handlers, and apparently my forearm is pretty damn tasty. Kiki gets pretty mouthy, but I am trying to stop that habit!
48. Ever had your foot stepped on by a horse?
Again, lots. The worst was last year by Sergio (my favorite mount at the therapy center)who's belgian/haflinger...he broke my pinky toe stepping on my foot and then twisting into a stall to grab hay. Nerd.
49: Favorite riding moment:
Wow, it would be hard to commit to just one. Most recently it would be riding the big event mare in Virginia. She was just amazing and we jumped everything we could find together.
50. Most fun horse you’ve ridden:
I think I will have to give this to Turbo Pony...that little guy and I rode together for so long my instructor stopped letting me ride him in lessons (because I wasn't learning anything)...he would jump anything...even the largest cross country jumps we had on the property...it makes me really love the spirit of a small horse (like Teddy O'Connor or Snooze Alarm)
7.29.2010
stick-o-persuasion gets an upgrade
I have been feverishly reading horse blogs all day instead of working (tsk, tsk) and I have decided that tonight I will ride Kiki with a dressage whip. If I never post here again, you know know something went terribly wrong...I am certain she'll be good. I may also film my ride, I haven't done that in ages.
ok, off to the farm!
ok, off to the farm!
How I let go to get her back
Words to live by:
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face...You must do the thing you think you cannot do. -Eleanor Roosevelt
I know I have been a bit absent in updating, but I thought that writing about each ride would somehow get painfully boring...then I discovered a blog that I read from start to finish (http://rockandracehorses.wordpress.com/) and was inspired by not only her amazing photography, but her calculated way of keeping notes on each and every training ride. I can't say I will ever have that kind of dedication but I really should write more often.
A few weeks ago I was riding outside and Kiki was just fighting me every step. I had given her a few days off and she was not keen about having to work and she insisted on being a giraffe and running around leaning on my hands inverted (if that's even possible). We had brief moments where I pushed her forward enough that she finally relaxed her head, then her neck, and finally her back, but it would be for just a few strides...then back to the fight. I know it's only been a few months of training, but I felt like I was at an impasse with her...why couldn't she just relax and stop fighting, why can't she carry herself around without leaning on me and stop relying on her forehand? Is she lazy...yes...I think often horses that are young and out of shape will try to go the easy route...but she's getting a little more fit and come on, I have seen her out in the pasture carrying herself around beautifully, flying lead changes and all...but all the leg in the world won't get her to move out, or off my leg (that is another fight) and even a small smack with a crop will some times send her into a fit of crow hopping and defiance. What is confusing about her is that she IS actually sensitive to aids...when I first get on I don't let my calves really touch her sides because she is so sensitive, as we start our walk warm up I gradually increasing my leg on her, wrapping her barrel with my calves and asking her quietly to step under and use her hind end. I digress, but on this particular day another girl was cooling down her mare and she said, "have you ever trotted her around on a loose rein?" Ha! Loose rein? Are you nuts? So she can grab the bit and buck me off? No way! Wait...what WOULD happen if I did just that? I don't have to make my reins 6 feet long, I can lengthen them without throwing them away, so let's see what she'll do. It wasn't until the next ride that I tried this and after we warmed up a little, I let the reins slip through my fingers and stopped holding her. She sucked back, I pushed her on, she trotted around choppy with her head up, I pushed even more, she lengthened her trot and dropped her head -- FINALLY! I asked for more and more trot, posting light and big, staying out of her way and forcing her to hold herself up. She seemed confused that I wasn't supporting her, but she met me half way and that's really all I wanted. I knew she wasn't going to run away with me (that would be entirely too much work) but I was concerned she'd fall flat on her face without support from me. she didn't try to crow hop or buck, never shook her head in defiance, didn't throw a temper tantrum and seemed to enjoy her new found freedom with me on board.
After riding her that way for a few days I had a lesson where B had me work on trot lengthening and collecting and she was floored by the difference. She asked me what I was doing differently and I said, "I had to let go to get her back." I explained my a-ha! moment riding alone and how it was making sense and she was thrilled to see me apply it in the lesson. The end of that lesson involved Kiki down right refusing to pick up her right lead canter and building up into a huge explosion...B saw it brewing and had me give her a good swat with the crop, much to Kiki's disliking represented by a series of bucks and leaps almost getting me off. I think Kiki has finially figured out that I WILL NOT give up and will push through even the biggest tantrum and, when needed, the dreaded stick-of-persuasion can back me up!
Fear manifests itself differently for each rider...I would say that my biggest fear (outside of a horse with a rearing problem) is contemplating the "what ifs" when I ride. I figured out through this little exercise that I have to trust the relationship I have built with this mare and consider those what ifs, and push through to the other side. The only thing I can count on is this moment, right now, on her back...not what will happen in 5 or 10 minutes, or if a deer bursts out of the woods, or a horse bolts, if the hay truck arrives, or her friends get turned out while we're riding...I have to rely on this moment. I cannot be defeated by the possibility of what MIGHT happen. I can only try.
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face...You must do the thing you think you cannot do. -Eleanor Roosevelt
I know I have been a bit absent in updating, but I thought that writing about each ride would somehow get painfully boring...then I discovered a blog that I read from start to finish (http://rockandracehorses.wordpress.com/) and was inspired by not only her amazing photography, but her calculated way of keeping notes on each and every training ride. I can't say I will ever have that kind of dedication but I really should write more often.
A few weeks ago I was riding outside and Kiki was just fighting me every step. I had given her a few days off and she was not keen about having to work and she insisted on being a giraffe and running around leaning on my hands inverted (if that's even possible). We had brief moments where I pushed her forward enough that she finally relaxed her head, then her neck, and finally her back, but it would be for just a few strides...then back to the fight. I know it's only been a few months of training, but I felt like I was at an impasse with her...why couldn't she just relax and stop fighting, why can't she carry herself around without leaning on me and stop relying on her forehand? Is she lazy...yes...I think often horses that are young and out of shape will try to go the easy route...but she's getting a little more fit and come on, I have seen her out in the pasture carrying herself around beautifully, flying lead changes and all...but all the leg in the world won't get her to move out, or off my leg (that is another fight) and even a small smack with a crop will some times send her into a fit of crow hopping and defiance. What is confusing about her is that she IS actually sensitive to aids...when I first get on I don't let my calves really touch her sides because she is so sensitive, as we start our walk warm up I gradually increasing my leg on her, wrapping her barrel with my calves and asking her quietly to step under and use her hind end. I digress, but on this particular day another girl was cooling down her mare and she said, "have you ever trotted her around on a loose rein?" Ha! Loose rein? Are you nuts? So she can grab the bit and buck me off? No way! Wait...what WOULD happen if I did just that? I don't have to make my reins 6 feet long, I can lengthen them without throwing them away, so let's see what she'll do. It wasn't until the next ride that I tried this and after we warmed up a little, I let the reins slip through my fingers and stopped holding her. She sucked back, I pushed her on, she trotted around choppy with her head up, I pushed even more, she lengthened her trot and dropped her head -- FINALLY! I asked for more and more trot, posting light and big, staying out of her way and forcing her to hold herself up. She seemed confused that I wasn't supporting her, but she met me half way and that's really all I wanted. I knew she wasn't going to run away with me (that would be entirely too much work) but I was concerned she'd fall flat on her face without support from me. she didn't try to crow hop or buck, never shook her head in defiance, didn't throw a temper tantrum and seemed to enjoy her new found freedom with me on board.
After riding her that way for a few days I had a lesson where B had me work on trot lengthening and collecting and she was floored by the difference. She asked me what I was doing differently and I said, "I had to let go to get her back." I explained my a-ha! moment riding alone and how it was making sense and she was thrilled to see me apply it in the lesson. The end of that lesson involved Kiki down right refusing to pick up her right lead canter and building up into a huge explosion...B saw it brewing and had me give her a good swat with the crop, much to Kiki's disliking represented by a series of bucks and leaps almost getting me off. I think Kiki has finially figured out that I WILL NOT give up and will push through even the biggest tantrum and, when needed, the dreaded stick-of-persuasion can back me up!
Fear manifests itself differently for each rider...I would say that my biggest fear (outside of a horse with a rearing problem) is contemplating the "what ifs" when I ride. I figured out through this little exercise that I have to trust the relationship I have built with this mare and consider those what ifs, and push through to the other side. The only thing I can count on is this moment, right now, on her back...not what will happen in 5 or 10 minutes, or if a deer bursts out of the woods, or a horse bolts, if the hay truck arrives, or her friends get turned out while we're riding...I have to rely on this moment. I cannot be defeated by the possibility of what MIGHT happen. I can only try.
7.20.2010
7.13.2010
new books!
I received 101 Dressage Exercises, 101 Jumping Exercises, and The Rider Fitness Program (this one I am most excited about)...there will be posts about how Kiki and I get through these together!
emergency dismount
Today I headed to the farm early to go over some of the little things for my farm-sit this week. It's about one million degrees in Philadelphia and the humidity is completely out of control...we've had crazy thunderstorms for over 24 hours but there has been little reprieve in the temperature. B was running behind on some chores so I started helping out right away. She was kind enough to print a VERY thorough set of instructions for am/pm barn activities. And then she wrote lots and lots of notes. So I think tomorrow I will bring that to work and rewrite it in more of a checklist format. I have done most of the chores already, save for walking a few of the babies in and out...oh, and then there's the new mare hanging out on stall rest...she's the kind of horse that scrapes her teeth across the gate at you...MEAN!!! You have to feed her in a tub and slide it under the door like she's a prison inmate! So I fed everyone, switched some horses in turnout, even taking two of the biggest boys out together (luckily they are both big goobers), and mucked some stalls to help B get ready for her first lesson. Before I knew it I was grabbing Kiki from her field and getting ready. I was riding with 3 other girls who are all terrific riders and since they are getting ready to head to a show on Saturday, we were going to work on dressage. Kiki warmed up sooooo quietly, really giving to my leg and soft and supple in the bridle. I was hopeful that we would have a really nice ride...and then...L comes in with the "colt" (he's not a colt anymore but he was starved and mistreated, and came to us as a stallion at 2 years old and now he's getting broke for the track) Anyway, he nuts...you can lead him, pet him, hose him, whatever...but he has really resisted being ridden...once, after weeks and weeks of training with a western saddle, he was backed with an english saddle, it may have even been a training saddle, he freaked out and jumped over a paddock fence trying to get the saddle away from him to no avail. After that, he calmed down a bit, accepted our exercise rider (who has balls of steel and a butt made of velcro) and has been doing fairly well since then. He came into the arena acting like a maniac -- I think the big drop in barometric pressure had something to do with it -- the rider got on and he lost it. We were all at the other end of the arena and I pointed Kiki at him and kept walking so she had something to do...it got worse and all of the horses in my lesson freaked and did some sort of a rear, spin, buck so we decided to go to the outdoor and as we left the arena, the colt burst into another fit...I was walking behind a big gelding and Kiki didn't trust him to follow, so she stopped, the mare next to me who lives off property freaked, the dominant gelding behind me lost his mind and Kiki went into a bucking/rearing fit, during which I saw every possible outcome flash in front of me. Did I mention I was now wedged up against the back of a pick up truck? At one point during this debacle, I started an emergency dismount whisking my right leg out of the stirrup and over her neck, then I changed my mind when she put her feet back down and I sat back down, then I decided to get off...I think it was the best decision. I wasn't sure what was going on behind me, or what would happen next, I figured I could at least throw the reins over her head and stand out of the way. We all recovered, B came out to see what happened and we headed over to the outdoor. I knew I was going to get back on (of course) but she was really amped up now. She started spinning around and throwing herself everywhere because she was so worked up, no one could get near her so I had to work her in small circles just to get her focus on something else. I opted not to canter her, especially since L brought the colt out to walk around us, put he started posturing and getting nutty so they took him away. Then one of her mares came out for the next lesson and I could barely get her to move forward. We finally got a nice, big, moving trot with some focus. I think my instructor was a bit disappointed that I didn't push myself (or Kiki) more, but I wasn't up for it today. It was too damn hot, I was too stressed out after the craziness, and I wanted her to end on a really positive note. We went back inside and I rode a basic dressage test foiled by Charlie (big gelding) knocking over a blue barrel and spooking the crap out of Kiki...oh well. I am still pleased with not getting totally mauled and having her get through all of the mayhem.
I stuck around and watched another lesson and decided that I need to take a lesson on one of the fun school horses so I can remind myself that I AM a good rider. That's what going to Virginia did for me, and maybe it's good to tap in to that every once an awhile. Riding a green horse can really make you doubt yourself.
I am looking forward to spending lots of quality time with her during my visit!
I stuck around and watched another lesson and decided that I need to take a lesson on one of the fun school horses so I can remind myself that I AM a good rider. That's what going to Virginia did for me, and maybe it's good to tap in to that every once an awhile. Riding a green horse can really make you doubt yourself.
I am looking forward to spending lots of quality time with her during my visit!
7.12.2010
the mares get a new turnout
I arrived at the barn Sunday evening to ride and B and L were in the middle of rearranging the horses and their turnout spaces. They didn't move the mares that night, but their new space is where the school geldings are currently. One of them hurt himself maybe two weeks ago (*I don't think I wrote about this yet)...he's a small black thoroughbred gelding who is super fun to ride named Bucky (a very silly name for a horse that is an angel). L was feeding the boys who were grazing in the aisle attached to their paddock and Bucky, who can be a bit of a grump at feeding, decided to push past L and into the aisle, immediately realizing he was free, he bolted -- the mares in the adjacent field got riled up and he took off toward the barn. At this point he could have turned toward the barn (or the driveway -- yikes), or make a hard left half way and turn into the outdoor riding area, which he did...heading straight at another big turnout where two yearling colts live. He ran head first into their fence...full speed...needless to say he was caught shortly after in pretty dire shape. He needed over 100 stitches to close up his chest and leg and there lacerations in his groin that couldn't be stitched up. He had a drain put in and is obviously going to be recovering for quite some time. He has since ripped out the drain and the wound on his chest is more or less a big open gash that is pretty gruesome. Bucky is being fairly good about his treatment, and will hopefully make a full recovery. It certainly could have ended much worse...and L said if it had been Kiki they would have returned from the vet with an empty trailer (I think he was just winding me up, maybe)...but now they are down another school horse which puts lots of pressure on Kiki and I to get our act together. I know there's really nothing we can do NOW, per se, but it would be nice for her to be used in some lessons maybe next spring. I alone have brought 6 riders with me to their farm and I know they are pretty busy this summer. It will be nice when she and a few of the other green beans are more stable. There's a little girl who just started riding there who reminds me so much of myself as a youngster and she grew up riding all the bad ponies like me...B and I have decided she'd make a great rider for Kiki next spring!
Phew, I digress...turnouts...so now that Bucky is staying inside, it makes more sense for the two remaining geldings to be in turnouts closer to the barn that are a bit smaller and for the girls to have the really big turnout further away...Kiki's herdmates include a retired horse and a racehorse in training so only Kiki and one other mare are used frequently. It will be pretty interesting to see how far she'll make me go to catch her in the new space and whether or not the distance from her mares will help with any remaining herd bound issues. She has come so far with all of that nonsense and I hope we don't regress! There was a time where she would scream and holler and throw herself all over the place to figure out where they were...she rarely does that now. Sometimes she lets out these half-hearted whinnies that just makes me laugh. So Sunday I took it a bit easy on her since she was so good on Thursday and I lunged her briefly before hopping on. She doesn't really need to be lunged, but it's been a little while since we did (beside a few days ago) and I wanted to see where her balance was at now -- plus the last time I lunged her a month or so ago we got into a stand off where B had to step in and take over...it was the first time I really saw B get her serious horse-face on and it was impressive! Tracking left she's great...we did lots of transitions up and down and she was just lovely and quiet. Switch the lunge rope over, she scoots away from me and starts cantering...ugh. At this point she has 5 ft of line to work with, silly girl. I push her out and the second I pick up the whip she bolts...here's the thing, I have never cracked that whip anywhere near her...I just use it to guide her out and to keep her moving forward, she was being ridiculous. What I did notice after she settled in to a 20 meter shape (I won't say circle) is that she doesn't want to carry herself in that small of a space at the trot, and the same place each time she would break into 4-5 strides of canter, then I'd bring her back to trot, rinse, repeat...over and over. I was a bit disconcerting to see her fall into the circle and break into an unbalanced canter...but it makes sense to see it now after so much work under saddle. She really struggles balancing herself tracking right and the only way that is going to get any better is with lots and lots of riding and strengthening. I got on and worked on some leg yield exercises that we did in our lesson Tuesday and she was moving off my leg really nicely. We walked outside because it had rained for two days straight so the ground was no longer concrete. It was a bit of a fight to keep her attention on me and I felt like she was just trotting around like a giraffe. She naturally has a nice way of carrying herself and even if I give her all the reins she fights me...it can be quite frustrating. We did have a few nice moments out there and one of the advanced girls commented on how nice she looked. She was setting up some jumps for her lease ride and had me help her with striding. She had never really learned how to count strides (which I think is a bit nuts) but she set up two jumps fairly close together and asked me what it looked like, and I said...hm, a short 4 or long 3. Then she asked me how to count and she paced it out and I was exactly right...ha! But I told her she should make it a 2/3 stride so she can work on lengthening and collection between the jumps. The horse she leases is lovely and has a big jump, but she has a tendency to chip in instead of taking the long spot. So a little more trotting around for us and I decided to take Kiki on a little hack around the property because I knew she'd start getting goofy when the other horse came out to ride. I've only ridden around the property once with her and I was with my instructor and a schoolmaster as the leader, but she was really listening to me, so I figured I'd try. What's great about the barn I ride at is that there are LOTS of things that they horses there get over that would scare most...for example, a giant white tarp covering a building next to the barn, a jungle gym set up next to the outdoor riding area, wild turkeys that lurk in the bushes, goats that live on the farm, oh...and a pool with a slide in the yard that meets up with the barn entrance! So we just started walking...past the goats (she lives next to them so nothing new there), over to the broodmares and the babies, she looked (because she has to challenge everyone), continued on...now this is where I got a little nervous. Now we were leaving all the horses and heading away from the barn in the opposite direction. She got a little light on her feet, but never actually started jigging. Beauty (the bane of my existence) started calling to her and even though she called back she still held it together. We turned left and headed parallel to the property where see saw the geldings up on the left. I don't think she recognized them at first because she seemed to get her underwear in a bunch. We walked past them and headed back toward the barn passing her field last. There is a teeny, tiny part of me that thought she might spook and bolt (even thought she never has) to get home, but the more we walked the quieter she got and the looser the reins became. I was really proud of her and of myself for just sticking with her.
And what good ride would be complete without some bad behavior? She proceeded to act like an idiot on the ground, even threatening to kick me when I removed her saddle (something that seems to be getting worse) and that kind of activity will not be tolerated! We had a bit of a discussion about her getting hosed off but I came through on top.
I really hate the stupid halter that's on her now...even though it's fairly good quality she gets soooo dirty that I have to pull it over her head because the buckles get so dry. I think it's time to get her one of her own! She already has so many silly issues with her head the last thing I need is to be fighting with a halter as I trying to bridle her!
**In other super fun news I am farm-sitting Thursday and Friday for B and L! They are heading to the beach and I will be staying there to watch over everyone. I am a little nervous, but I know the horses really well and their schedules, so we are going over turnout/feed stuff tomorrow for a bit before my lesson, which should be a piece of cake since I help feed almost every time I am there. It's going to be so lovely to wake up on the farm and walk a few feet to feed the horses! I have never been so excited to muck stalls! When you grow up working to ride that work ethic sticks...it's rare that you will ever find me twiddling my thumbs around the farm!
***I am going to bring my camera so I can take loads of photos of everything!
Phew, I digress...turnouts...so now that Bucky is staying inside, it makes more sense for the two remaining geldings to be in turnouts closer to the barn that are a bit smaller and for the girls to have the really big turnout further away...Kiki's herdmates include a retired horse and a racehorse in training so only Kiki and one other mare are used frequently. It will be pretty interesting to see how far she'll make me go to catch her in the new space and whether or not the distance from her mares will help with any remaining herd bound issues. She has come so far with all of that nonsense and I hope we don't regress! There was a time where she would scream and holler and throw herself all over the place to figure out where they were...she rarely does that now. Sometimes she lets out these half-hearted whinnies that just makes me laugh. So Sunday I took it a bit easy on her since she was so good on Thursday and I lunged her briefly before hopping on. She doesn't really need to be lunged, but it's been a little while since we did (beside a few days ago) and I wanted to see where her balance was at now -- plus the last time I lunged her a month or so ago we got into a stand off where B had to step in and take over...it was the first time I really saw B get her serious horse-face on and it was impressive! Tracking left she's great...we did lots of transitions up and down and she was just lovely and quiet. Switch the lunge rope over, she scoots away from me and starts cantering...ugh. At this point she has 5 ft of line to work with, silly girl. I push her out and the second I pick up the whip she bolts...here's the thing, I have never cracked that whip anywhere near her...I just use it to guide her out and to keep her moving forward, she was being ridiculous. What I did notice after she settled in to a 20 meter shape (I won't say circle) is that she doesn't want to carry herself in that small of a space at the trot, and the same place each time she would break into 4-5 strides of canter, then I'd bring her back to trot, rinse, repeat...over and over. I was a bit disconcerting to see her fall into the circle and break into an unbalanced canter...but it makes sense to see it now after so much work under saddle. She really struggles balancing herself tracking right and the only way that is going to get any better is with lots and lots of riding and strengthening. I got on and worked on some leg yield exercises that we did in our lesson Tuesday and she was moving off my leg really nicely. We walked outside because it had rained for two days straight so the ground was no longer concrete. It was a bit of a fight to keep her attention on me and I felt like she was just trotting around like a giraffe. She naturally has a nice way of carrying herself and even if I give her all the reins she fights me...it can be quite frustrating. We did have a few nice moments out there and one of the advanced girls commented on how nice she looked. She was setting up some jumps for her lease ride and had me help her with striding. She had never really learned how to count strides (which I think is a bit nuts) but she set up two jumps fairly close together and asked me what it looked like, and I said...hm, a short 4 or long 3. Then she asked me how to count and she paced it out and I was exactly right...ha! But I told her she should make it a 2/3 stride so she can work on lengthening and collection between the jumps. The horse she leases is lovely and has a big jump, but she has a tendency to chip in instead of taking the long spot. So a little more trotting around for us and I decided to take Kiki on a little hack around the property because I knew she'd start getting goofy when the other horse came out to ride. I've only ridden around the property once with her and I was with my instructor and a schoolmaster as the leader, but she was really listening to me, so I figured I'd try. What's great about the barn I ride at is that there are LOTS of things that they horses there get over that would scare most...for example, a giant white tarp covering a building next to the barn, a jungle gym set up next to the outdoor riding area, wild turkeys that lurk in the bushes, goats that live on the farm, oh...and a pool with a slide in the yard that meets up with the barn entrance! So we just started walking...past the goats (she lives next to them so nothing new there), over to the broodmares and the babies, she looked (because she has to challenge everyone), continued on...now this is where I got a little nervous. Now we were leaving all the horses and heading away from the barn in the opposite direction. She got a little light on her feet, but never actually started jigging. Beauty (the bane of my existence) started calling to her and even though she called back she still held it together. We turned left and headed parallel to the property where see saw the geldings up on the left. I don't think she recognized them at first because she seemed to get her underwear in a bunch. We walked past them and headed back toward the barn passing her field last. There is a teeny, tiny part of me that thought she might spook and bolt (even thought she never has) to get home, but the more we walked the quieter she got and the looser the reins became. I was really proud of her and of myself for just sticking with her.
And what good ride would be complete without some bad behavior? She proceeded to act like an idiot on the ground, even threatening to kick me when I removed her saddle (something that seems to be getting worse) and that kind of activity will not be tolerated! We had a bit of a discussion about her getting hosed off but I came through on top.
I really hate the stupid halter that's on her now...even though it's fairly good quality she gets soooo dirty that I have to pull it over her head because the buckles get so dry. I think it's time to get her one of her own! She already has so many silly issues with her head the last thing I need is to be fighting with a halter as I trying to bridle her!
**In other super fun news I am farm-sitting Thursday and Friday for B and L! They are heading to the beach and I will be staying there to watch over everyone. I am a little nervous, but I know the horses really well and their schedules, so we are going over turnout/feed stuff tomorrow for a bit before my lesson, which should be a piece of cake since I help feed almost every time I am there. It's going to be so lovely to wake up on the farm and walk a few feet to feed the horses! I have never been so excited to muck stalls! When you grow up working to ride that work ethic sticks...it's rare that you will ever find me twiddling my thumbs around the farm!
***I am going to bring my camera so I can take loads of photos of everything!
7.08.2010
4 months and 4 days...
Although the time seems to be crawling by with Ms. Kiki, when I look at my google calendar I can appreciate every hour that I have spent grooming and riding her. Each moment is now etched in that space and here on this blog...I am glad that I started keeping a journal of our adventures together...it's starting to take shape into something I know I will look back on and enjoy after our first show together, and fingers crossed, first event next year!
So after a very obedient lunge and ride at a very quiet barn today, I thought she deserved a nice bath and some new photos to show how she is coming along. It's a bit hard to appreciate unless you are me, because it's been such a labor of love. But she did look like a broodmare when I started with her. Maybe if she could stop getting into fights with her herdmates she'd look a little nicer!
ok...some photos from April (I started working with her in the middle of March):
And a few from today...I will take more another day when the sun isn't beating down so much...(almost) everyone at the barn is afraid of Kiki so even though I had someone hang on to her and attempt to set her up for a confirmation shot, she was fairly uncooperative...enough so that the handler was getting nervous...but we got a few basic shots, and then I took some while I was hand grazing her!
So after a very obedient lunge and ride at a very quiet barn today, I thought she deserved a nice bath and some new photos to show how she is coming along. It's a bit hard to appreciate unless you are me, because it's been such a labor of love. But she did look like a broodmare when I started with her. Maybe if she could stop getting into fights with her herdmates she'd look a little nicer!
ok...some photos from April (I started working with her in the middle of March):
And a few from today...I will take more another day when the sun isn't beating down so much...(almost) everyone at the barn is afraid of Kiki so even though I had someone hang on to her and attempt to set her up for a confirmation shot, she was fairly uncooperative...enough so that the handler was getting nervous...but we got a few basic shots, and then I took some while I was hand grazing her!
7.07.2010
adrenaline can only take you so far...
Since my last post about our rodeo-esque lesson we have only gotten 2 rides in. It has been ungodly hot here...yesterday it was 106 in the city and still 98 when I got to the farm. B's idea was that it would be so hot that Kiki wouldn't give me much trouble...ha! So let's recap...last Thursday, Betsy and some of the girls from Virginia came up for a few days so we decided to have a fun day where everyone played games! There were 9 of us mounted and I was excited about playing with Kiki because she seems to really like lots of stimulation and activity and although she acted like a nut getting ready (the vet was there working on a horse what ran through a fence two weeks ago, the trailer was pulled in front of the barn and was open, and horses were being brought in and turned out, and there were 8 other horses being tacked up)...once we got to the outdoor ring she was fine and she warmed up nicely. We played a bunch of silly games and it was really neat to see her watch the other horses and figure out what to do next -- she's incredibly smart that way. She broke into a few fits of crow hopping with excitement but I actually felt comfortable letting her canter back to the group! What a champ! At one point during a relay race where we had to grab silk flowers out of a jump, one of the other young horses spooked, ditched his rider, and bolted...I was standing with Kiki next to said horse's herd mate and I started to freak out a bit. I was trapped between the fence line and a jump and watched as this other horses galloped, bucking and squealing around the property heading straight for us. Kiki got pretty nervous, as did a few other horses, and she started moving around in a way that felt like she was either going to rear or bolt, but once the horse stopped (and was caught), I took a deep breath and she calmed down too. I really let my mind go to a worst case scenario during all of it, but I stayed on and didn't panic which certainly would have made things worse. I need to trust her, because she relies on me to tell her that things are safe. Our team ended up the winners and I got a sweet pair of socks with a little chestnut horse on them! We had a bonfire and a bbq which was an awesome way to end the day. It's strange to think that just last week it was cool enough to have a fire!
I gave her the weekend off, mostly because of the heat, though I did stop by and visit her on Sunday to give her some treats and love. I took a friend of mine and his son to visit and sadly his son got stung by a yellow jacket shortly after we arrived, so we headed home! I thought because it was a million degrees yesterday she might be tired, or quiet, but nooooo...I walked out to get her and she raised her head with a huge chunk of hay in her mouth, let me get a few feet in to the paddock, turned squealed and bolted. Nice. I try to get near her to show her that I have a cookie (it's useless trying to catch her empty-handed), she turns, bolts and goes bucking across the field, now with another mare in tow. Ugh. Finally she stops and just looks at me, snorting. I walk up, hand her the cookie and get going. Silly girl. She's all kinds of snorty heading back up to the barn and although she tacks up fine, I can just tell she got a wild hair up her behind. We had a lesson with the two other heads of herd on the property, which she was NOT ok with. She came in to the ring dominant, and without any of her herd around she could barely contain herself. If there's one thing I have learned about her body language is you can't trust MOST of what you see...the snorting, spooking, screaming, that I can handle, but it's her telltale wobbly legs that give away what she's really capable of. When she starts losing her mind her front legs will get really wobbly and shake, and well, there she stood, front legs going everywhere as I tried to mount. She dragged me around the arena looking at the sky for the first 10 minutes until I could get her to focus and take a deep breath. But the lesson was a good test for both of us...mostly, I was cursing myself for giving her so many days off...but we worked on lots of little things to make her think, and to learn some patience. Some solid leg yields (she's finally listening to my leg) and a few successful tuns on the haunches! We did a small bit of leg yielding at a trot and I thought we were done for the night...nope...B insisted I canter her, and I was nervous...where had my bravery gone??? But you know what, she watched the other horses go and she said to herself, "Niamh, I've got this, we go over here, pick up our trot and then left lead canter at M" and off she went, and we cantered around (albeit a little sideways) a few times...I really felt her canter, and now in a new close contact saddle, she felt comfortable for the first time! We did a few transitions on the left lead and then tried the dreaded right side! Though it was difficult getting her in to the canter, she actually felt more balanced in that direction. It's extremely hard for me to think of leg yielding her into the wall with my inside hand and leg while asking for the right lead canter, but once we got it, I could push her over with my inside leg and pulse the inside rein to keep her straight!
I was really pleased with her in the end, and if my flipcam caught any of it, I will certainly post, though the moment is etched in my mind! She finished off the evening by trying to maul me as I hosed her off, chain over the nose and everything...nerd!
*In other exciting news, I am going to farmsit for B and L next Thursday and Friday. I can't wait! Is it weird that I am excited to miss work for the opportunity to wake up and muck stalls instead?
I am such a horse girl.
7.01.2010
Overdue!
Life has been a bit crazy since returning from my little vacation to Virginia, and I am just finally settling in after getting caught up at work and life!
I didn't have ANY cell phone/internet reception at Hunter's Rest so updating in a timely manner was just not possible.
The trip was incredible. I went with a couple of horse friends I know from Pegasus, one of B's students, and a lady that flew in from Washington State (who is an event rider and a vet -- she was awesome). The driving portion was super fun and I had created a trivia game (horse themed) to keep us entertained on the boring 3.5 hour drive. We loaded up with refreshments at Total Wine in Delaware to sustain us for the vacation! For anyone who has visited Middleburg, Va this is not news, but it is just gorgeous...rolling hills, mountains, stables everywhere, and it would appear that EVERYONE who lives there rides...EVERYONE. We stopped at a little bakery/sandwich place so our motorcade could unite, called Upper Crust. They are famous for their cookies (they even have horse shaped ones) so we bought one of each and chomped on fresh sandwiches. We regrouped and walked around the various tack shops near by...including the Middleburg Tack Exchange, where I would have been happy to spend the day. For those of you that don't know, it's a HUUUUGE used tack shop. Rows and rows of used (and some new) breeches, coats, bridles, hunt stuff...everything...then, you go downstairs and the basement is filled with saddles and boots...all used in great condition and cheap! Sadly, none of the boots fit, which was a disappointment, but slightly expected, and I am pretty sure I rubbed my face on a few saddles down there! I did get a nice pair of ultra thin devon-aire summer breeches for $29! And finally, a martingale stay for Kiki (I have been using a hair tie - so ghetto). I loaded up on rain-maker at another tack shop and we headed off to Flint Hill and Hunter's Rest to get settled in.
Betsy and her mother Jackie live on a beautiful farm on 25 acres of hills that back up to miles and miles of hunt land, essentially giving her place infinite property lines. We were originally supposed to be paired with a particular horse for the entire weekend, but that changed quite quickly (which I was happy about because I wanted to ride lots of horses)...so we got assigned a horse to go for an afternoon hack. I was assigned Tip...a dark bay who is an experienced fox-hunter. A sweet horse indeed, with a VERY light mouth, which is fine, because I have light hands. I think altogether there were 8 of us that day heading out into the woods. Betsy instructed everyone to ride on the buckle...and she meant it. Her horses are all well schooled and understand what is expected of them at all times...not kick-a-longs by a long shot, but seasoned to say the least. Around her farm are loads of hills (that would be excellent for conditioning) and miles of galloping paths with nice footing. One of the best parts about where she lives is that because it's in the middle of hunt country there are coops separating everyone's fields...so you can jump in and out of properties, or use gates of course. We didn't do much of anything but walk and trot a little and at one point the mare that was following Tip decided to get too close, he let out a well-placed kick (a big no-no for a hunt horse) and she (a new arrival to the farm, and an event prospect), swung around in a millisecond and double-barreled him...it was all totally chaotic for about 5 seconds. After that settled down we cantered a little through the woods, but one or two of the girls decided to let their horses go, which just caused problems for me and the mare following me. All in all it was a nice ride.
*I am going to refer to the schedule I posted a few weeks ago so I can tell you what we did and didn't do on the trip.
We did not end up having a confirmation lesson that night, we were all pretty exhausted after a long drive and what turned out to be a 2.5 hour trail ride! We had a delicious dinner, settled in and watched a hunt movie based in Ireland -- it was completely nuts watching these little kids hunt!
Friday we had a cross country lesson, which I was super excited about. I rode a quarter horse (who looked like a ISH/quarter horse cross) named Frosty. Also an experienced hunt horse, Jackie assured me I was in for a really fun ride. We started off pretty easy since a few of the girls with us are fairly new to jumping, much less cross country. Everyone had a brave face on though and that made everything more fun. Vicki and I led a lot of the ride through each element, and I got to cheer the other girls on and watch! At some point we got to an area of huge hills and one of the girls suggested we go cantering up it, Besty didn't think that was a good idea, but after some pestering she agreed to let us trot up and if our horses cantered a little to get their balance that was ok...well, off we went, and as soon as the lead horse cantered the others followed suit...I had a pretty good feel on Frosty who was getting pretty amped up, but he was still under control...the horse next to me bolted (but Vicki was quite capable and brought him back easily), and then I felt thundering hooves coming up the hill...I turned around and everyone seemed to be flopping off of their horses left and right. Three horses were loose, and three stunned girls were laying in the grass...Betsy (now at the top of the hill) and my instructor (at the bottom) were shocked...what the hell happened? Well, one of the horses (who was next to the horse that bolted) started bucking...the two others lost control of their horses and abandoned ship. At least one of these riders is used to riding in a group with horses going fairly fast, but never has full control of her horse, and it definitely influenced the outcome. I am all for going fast and having fun, but I always need to be in control...I don't need the horse making decisions for himself, or getting caught up in herd mentality and losing the plot. Everyone got back on, and bruised body parts and egos aside, we headed onward. The girls recovered pretty quickly but they were all pretty reluctant to try any of the jumping elements initially. I really wanted to do everything I could and tried to make the most of each challenge. Frosty was more than game...what's odd about a hunt horse is their eagerness to follow another horse over a jump...I guess since I have never really hunted and we don't school jumps that way, it was a little unsettling at first, but once I trusted him and just sat up and rode I was in good shape. We did a really fun combination of logs that had a one stride in and out to 3 logs (one stride in between the first two and 2 or three to the next one) around a tree to turn back towards the group, over a hanging log and then to a little bounce that could have also been ridden as a corner. We rode over to a neighboring farm where they had a huge field filled with stadium and natural fences!!! We rode a couple of combinations there including a really fun coop heading up a hill. I think the highlight of the ride was getting to jump on of the hunt coops from a big field into the woods (and complete darkness) where the landing was a little downhill. It was super fun!
Later that day we had a polo lesson and I opted to ride a green bean named City. He was afraid of the balls (we were using dodge ball size ones), the mallet, the mallet's shadow...but we pushed through and we was very brave in the end. We played referee for a little while so he could watch and we got to hit the ball back in when goals were made. Sometimes he would see the mallet and start backing up to get away from it, which was more funny that anything. We did win the long ball contest we had, because as it turns out, I have a pretty good swing!
Saturday we had a side saddle lesson! Since there was only one saddle (and one very tolerant side saddle horse) we all rode different horses while each person got to take a turn...then we were allowed to either stick with our original mount or swap with someone else...we played a game where my instructor pretended she was a client looking for a horse and we had to get to know enough about our horse to give her a description of why he/she would be good/bad for her...I rode PB to start, who is a lovely, huge homebred grey thoroughbred. He's young, but very willing and has a puppy dog personality. Riding side-saddle was awesome...Betsy said I was a natural!
It's a very strange experience and you feel of balance the whole time, but once you figure out how to lock your right calf against the saddle, you feel very secure. I even trotted a little! I got to ride a few other horses, but really just wanted to play around on PB. We headed to the Upperville Horse and Colt show to watch the side saddle hunter division! Super impressed!
I may have the details a bit mixed up here, but we went to the Old Dominion hound puppy party later in the afternoon. Each season they introduce the new pups to the huntsmen...mostly, I just wanted to play with puppies...and I did...rolling around in the grass getting them to chase my camera!
**The trip took a bit of a turn here and some of the girls started fighting with each other over horses and silly things...I started to separate myself a little from the group because I just wanted to have a good time and make the most of my experience there (this plan really worked out for me). we headed back to the farm for evening chores, where I climbed into a hay loft, via a stall in my nice clothes...I am always going to be a tomboy at heart, sigh. We grabbed a picnic dinner on our way to polo and set up on a hill to watch a twilight match! It was arena polo (I have only ever seen it on grass) but it was quite incredible! During the first match someone broke a mallet and half of it went flying across the arena. I discovered that there was a ledge on the opposite side near the entrance, so I walked over and perched myself there with camera in hand to get some action shots! Now I can say...you're not getting the full polo experience unless you're getting hit in the face with dirt with the mare waiting for the next chukker rubbing her face against you.
Sunday, we had a jumping lesson...and I got to ride my favorite mount of the weekend! I have to say she's probably the closest I will to riding a horse like Ms. Go-Go and although this horse was a thoroughbred, you could have sworn she had something else in her...she was a massive 17.1 dark bay...bought as an event prospect for someone looking to go advanced. She's pushy on the ground, but just a dream to ride. After spending the last 4 months almost exclusively riding a green, feisty, small mare, it was like driving a sports car. She had big, forward movement, asked for contact with me and was bold to the jumps. She didn't want you hanging all over her, but she wanted you to ride her, to stay with her. We worked on some fun courses and then I got to take her along the "Aiken line" which is a long strip of small cross country fences (maybe 10 jumps in a row) a few times, including partnering up with a little girl on an impossibly cute dark bay pony! It was bittersweet walking the horses into the river for a drink to finish our last ride at Hunter's Rest...and that mare...well, getting to ride her made the whole trip worth it! We spent the final hours of the trip at the Upperville Horse Show to watch the $150,000 jumper classic.
***I cannot wait to go back. I'm sure sure if everyone that went on the trip feels the same way, but I got so much out of it. In fact, my instructor has been suing the confidence I gained while being down there to push Kiki and I each lesson. It was nice to be reminded that I CAN ride...somehow riding a green horse that you feel invested in can consume you with feelings of self-doubt...and that has no place on an inexperienced horse!
I would really like to go back in the fall and hunt! Also, it would be great to bring Kiki there for a change of scenery and some new training!
****Oh yeah, I DID manage to find field boots, new breeches, a show coat, and show shirt...so you know what that means for Kiki and I?????
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