So my well trained horse has a little bit of an issue (pun intended). See, being new to horse ownership, I neglected to understand that a horse in a Pelham is not the same horse in a snaffle. And while I had her on trial for the month, my dressage trainer had her in a Pelham or a Weymouth. And I was excited to learn to ride with double reins. I brought along a snaffle one day, just to try it on her, and she was strong in it, but not so strong that I was worried about not testing well one day.
Fast forward to today, 5 bits and a German martingale later, we are going to be learning now to be soft and supple in a snaffle. In a snaffle, she doesn't listen to your seat, or your hands. She just goes, hollow, on the forehand. Sometimes in front of the bit, sometimes behind it. And if you call hanging on to the bit with your front teeth "on the bit" then yes, we've had a few episodes of that as well. My gorgeous, sweet mare, who is a dream on the ground either in the round pen or on the lunge line, becomes a...wait for it...headstrong mare with no brakes. Sound like any TB's we know?
Friday, June 1, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Back in the Saddle
After 3 weeks of rest, a vet visit with ultrasound, hand walking, cold hosing, bute and anti inflammatory leg massages, my girl is finally back to perfect. Bringing home a new horse wasn't supposed to end in an injury, but we've worked through it, started building a bond, and definitely created a friendship.
Of course, with any new horse, we have some things to work through. She's incredibly strong in a snaffle, and since I'm a lower level dressage rider, I can only test in a snaffle. Not that we'll be testing this show season, sniffle, sniffle. At her muscle condition, a 20 minute ride is pretty taxing. Our dressage career will come next spring. Right now our only goal is to get her body back into condition to possibly get into our state Morgan show by August. Hunter Pleasure anyone?
Of course, with any new horse, we have some things to work through. She's incredibly strong in a snaffle, and since I'm a lower level dressage rider, I can only test in a snaffle. Not that we'll be testing this show season, sniffle, sniffle. At her muscle condition, a 20 minute ride is pretty taxing. Our dressage career will come next spring. Right now our only goal is to get her body back into condition to possibly get into our state Morgan show by August. Hunter Pleasure anyone?
Thursday, May 10, 2012
From Dreams to Reality
Just as reality is so very different from dreams, so is horse ownership. It comes with things like injuries from a trailer ride (both a hurt fetlock and a cut above the eye), allergies (swollen watering eyes for two days) and the inability to ride due to lack of muscle and body tone. It also comes with sleepless nights, constant worry and endless expenses (but the horse NEEEEEEDS 8 bits, honey!).
Because my girl has hardly any muscle, and is so out of shape (not so different from her owner) she needs conditioning to work her way back into the the show horse she really is. We've started with ground work, twice a day. And this is how I've come to be sure that we're going to be a great team. As soon as I take her to the round pen, she's all business. One ear on me, an eye on me, and she walks, trots and whoas on command (more like an ask, she doesn't need anything firmer than a raise of a hand and a word.) And she'll go until you ask her stop. She just doesn't have quit in her.
What ground work also does for us is establish leadership. From her attitude and personality, it's easy to see she looks for a leader, she doesn't want to be one. She wants the guidance, and the praise. She knows I'm hers, and she needs me. What she doesn't know is how much I've needed her my entire life, and that I am willing to do whatever it takes to bring her back to perfect. The riding will come later.
Because my girl has hardly any muscle, and is so out of shape (not so different from her owner) she needs conditioning to work her way back into the the show horse she really is. We've started with ground work, twice a day. And this is how I've come to be sure that we're going to be a great team. As soon as I take her to the round pen, she's all business. One ear on me, an eye on me, and she walks, trots and whoas on command (more like an ask, she doesn't need anything firmer than a raise of a hand and a word.) And she'll go until you ask her stop. She just doesn't have quit in her.
What ground work also does for us is establish leadership. From her attitude and personality, it's easy to see she looks for a leader, she doesn't want to be one. She wants the guidance, and the praise. She knows I'm hers, and she needs me. What she doesn't know is how much I've needed her my entire life, and that I am willing to do whatever it takes to bring her back to perfect. The riding will come later.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Mine
How does one even title a post that is about realizing a lifelong dream? Every time I try to come up with something, the tears blur my vision, so a one worded title is going to have to summarize my last two weeks. Mine. MINE. MINE!!! Yes, I have a horse, registered to me, dependent on me. I can barely sleep at night.
Like a new mom, I'm thrilled and terrified. What if I mess her up, all those years of training erased by my amateur seat? What if Timothy isn't available and she'll have to have Alfalfa? When can we be ready for our first show?! Walking into her stall is like going on vacation, only better. Everything else in the world just doesn't exist, it's just me and my mare.
She rides beautifully. Needs only light rein and leg, and responds to my seat with little effort. Rides in a snaffle or a double bridle, both equally well. Non spooky (woah what's that like??), is sensible and so far was only curious about weed whackers, lawn mowers and tarps blowing in the wind. I have yet to find her vice (I'm not naive, I know it's there, but after 2 and a half weeks, not much has come up. Unless you count that she's 100 pounds underweight and shedding out like crazy.) Not show ready, but still, she's lovely. And mine. :)
Like a new mom, I'm thrilled and terrified. What if I mess her up, all those years of training erased by my amateur seat? What if Timothy isn't available and she'll have to have Alfalfa? When can we be ready for our first show?! Walking into her stall is like going on vacation, only better. Everything else in the world just doesn't exist, it's just me and my mare.
She rides beautifully. Needs only light rein and leg, and responds to my seat with little effort. Rides in a snaffle or a double bridle, both equally well. Non spooky (woah what's that like??), is sensible and so far was only curious about weed whackers, lawn mowers and tarps blowing in the wind. I have yet to find her vice (I'm not naive, I know it's there, but after 2 and a half weeks, not much has come up. Unless you count that she's 100 pounds underweight and shedding out like crazy.) Not show ready, but still, she's lovely. And mine. :)
Saturday, April 14, 2012
You Get What You Need...
Over the course of the last week, I've gone back to visit the mare a few times. Each time she has been sweet, friendly and so willing to work. Even though she's so out of shape, and skinny, she's shown me she has the moves to take me further than I had ever hoped for.
We've ridden in gale force winds, outdoors, and not one spook. We've ridden indoors, in the heat, and she didn't ask for a break. Her 10 meter circles are just as fluid and lovely as her 20 meters. She shoulders in before I even ask for it, I swear this horse can read my mind.
So over the course of the week, I have decided that I cannot live without this horse. I don't have one doubt in my mind and I know this is not a decision I will ever regret.
It's funny, thinking over the last few months of horse shopping, what I initially had on my wishlist: 17hh, gelding, dark, THOROUGHBRED, trained to first level. I was willing to trade off a couple of those items for the right horse, but all of them? This mare has not one of my desired traits, but has everything I need.
Pre purchase exam on Monday...I'm once again praying to the horse gods.
We've ridden in gale force winds, outdoors, and not one spook. We've ridden indoors, in the heat, and she didn't ask for a break. Her 10 meter circles are just as fluid and lovely as her 20 meters. She shoulders in before I even ask for it, I swear this horse can read my mind.
So over the course of the week, I have decided that I cannot live without this horse. I don't have one doubt in my mind and I know this is not a decision I will ever regret.
It's funny, thinking over the last few months of horse shopping, what I initially had on my wishlist: 17hh, gelding, dark, THOROUGHBRED, trained to first level. I was willing to trade off a couple of those items for the right horse, but all of them? This mare has not one of my desired traits, but has everything I need.
Pre purchase exam on Monday...I'm once again praying to the horse gods.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Underneath it all, there's a show horse...
After some horse trucking issues (tire blew out) the mare finally arrived at my trainer's barn. I strapped the family into the car, and off we went to get there as soon as I possibly could. We didn't meet her off the truck, but it sounded like she did quite well and caused no issues during the trip.
My trainer warned me on the way that she was skinny, and wooly. She wintered in a pasture, and hadn't had a body clip...at all. Nor had she had enough groceries from the look of her hips. I'm a horse-half-full kind of gal, so was able to look past that. Hubby is still trying to.
I walked into the stall, where she was facing the wall and obviously tired from the trip. She turned and looked at me, with a very kind eye. She liked being touched, so I touched her all over. Her legs looked good, and so did her feet which had recently been trimmed. Her face and ears had been trimmed as well, so at least I could tell she wasn't a yak.
We took her out to lunge, and she showed good manners, listened well, even though she was tired. I then took her for a walk on the lead around the farm. Although very curious, she wasn't spooky, even at the tarp blowing in the breeze or the chicken coop next door. She pays attention and keeps her space. Back in the stall she ate some grain and hay, and seemed to be settling in.
She's smaller than I wanted, and skinnier, and furrier, but something is still telling me that this one has potential to be the horse I'd been hoping for. This isn't exactly how I pictured I'd find my horse, I'm not sure what I expected in this process. But everyone has told me that when I find my horse, that voice inside would be letting me know. And the voice keeps getting louder.
I ride on Tuesday....I'm so anxious I had to open a bottle of 14 Hands Cab just to calm myself down enough to cook an Easter dinner for my family.
My trainer warned me on the way that she was skinny, and wooly. She wintered in a pasture, and hadn't had a body clip...at all. Nor had she had enough groceries from the look of her hips. I'm a horse-half-full kind of gal, so was able to look past that. Hubby is still trying to.
I walked into the stall, where she was facing the wall and obviously tired from the trip. She turned and looked at me, with a very kind eye. She liked being touched, so I touched her all over. Her legs looked good, and so did her feet which had recently been trimmed. Her face and ears had been trimmed as well, so at least I could tell she wasn't a yak.
We took her out to lunge, and she showed good manners, listened well, even though she was tired. I then took her for a walk on the lead around the farm. Although very curious, she wasn't spooky, even at the tarp blowing in the breeze or the chicken coop next door. She pays attention and keeps her space. Back in the stall she ate some grain and hay, and seemed to be settling in.
She's smaller than I wanted, and skinnier, and furrier, but something is still telling me that this one has potential to be the horse I'd been hoping for. This isn't exactly how I pictured I'd find my horse, I'm not sure what I expected in this process. But everyone has told me that when I find my horse, that voice inside would be letting me know. And the voice keeps getting louder.
I ride on Tuesday....I'm so anxious I had to open a bottle of 14 Hands Cab just to calm myself down enough to cook an Easter dinner for my family.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Bet on Bay
They say the right horse will appear out of thin air, or in my case out of a barn 3 hours away that didn't have a horse for sale as of yesterday.
My dressage trainer had remembered a big bay mare she had seen at a show in September, and called about her. As luck would have it the owner had been thinking of selling. After seeing some pictures, and hearing about her training and experience, we decided this mare was worth taking a chance on. The stars are so aligned that the shipping truck is only an hour away from there, and can pick her up this evening. She's going to be on trial with me for two weeks. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm boiling over with optimism. Perhaps its her bloodlines and training, or maybe it's the fact my trainer saw this horse show recently, but something is telling me to get my checkbook ready!
Thank you Easter Bunny!
My dressage trainer had remembered a big bay mare she had seen at a show in September, and called about her. As luck would have it the owner had been thinking of selling. After seeing some pictures, and hearing about her training and experience, we decided this mare was worth taking a chance on. The stars are so aligned that the shipping truck is only an hour away from there, and can pick her up this evening. She's going to be on trial with me for two weeks. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm boiling over with optimism. Perhaps its her bloodlines and training, or maybe it's the fact my trainer saw this horse show recently, but something is telling me to get my checkbook ready!
Thank you Easter Bunny!
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