Monday, August 5, 2013

Oh I Like This Voodoo Magic Shit

Funny how the thing I was so against HAS really made a difference and made me feel guilty for ever hating it/not doing it sooner.

Yes. Voodoo magic.

AKA injections.

They have helped like uhhmazingly. Its a little mindblowing and concerning that I thought all my horses' problems stemmed just from being an OTTB (crooked, flat knees while jumping, slightly unbalanced canter etc etc)...not an OTTB with bad hocks.

Since the Games we've gotten back into jumping. I wanted to give it about 3 weeks before I did anything too strenuous after the voodoo was applied.

In the meantime since the letdown that was the Games, we attempted to school flying changes over 2'3 fences in a figure 8 pattern. It went...okay.

Yanks has a severe mental bock against flying changes and it irks me. AS SOON as we start trying he gets all in a tiff. NOTHING I've tried has worked. On the flat he has yet to get a change. He has spectacular simple changes...like really freaking fantastic. He has mastered the "not-even-taking-one-full-stride-of-trot-inbetween-leads" like a pro. He also can counter canter all day.

Over fences he can get R-L every single times but L-R is a bitch. He got it maaaaybe 80% of the time. I think. It wasn't great. Most of the time he was like "eh fuck you I'll just counter canter" with a swish of his tail.

After 25 minutes I was happy with a little progress and called it a day.

"Changes? No thanks"
We may never get changes...so thats cool. Just in case you forgot Yankee, you're 11 now.

A day of rest inbetween and then we went for a hack/gallop. I love this new route we found! To the gallop field its about a mile and a half, which I use to warm up. The gallop field is 180 acres and it goes straight back with a nice, hole free, flat path. I guesstimated we went about 1/2 down, so when we did down and back twice, that equaled 2 miles. Probably. Either way, Yankee and Levi had a blast! I worked on rating him- letting him go full out, then bringing him back.

Tired boys

It always blows my mind that dog can and does keep up with us for the whole 5 mile loop. Love him.


Oh and just in case you guys were wondering, my drunken Ebay purchase is beautiful. And fits. Try not to stare at my guns, theyre pretty huge.

No moar pictures mom
Yesterday we had a LOVELY jump school. I set up a windy course and wanted to test the magic a bit.

A few of the oxers were 3'9, the rest were about 3'3. I had a few airy verticals, a one stride and a lots of rollbacks.

Levi insisted on staying by my side and it actually was very adorable. Normally he warms up with us and then lays down while I do courses, but I guess he was feeling extra clingy. He knows to stay out of the way and he runs by us as we jump. Pretty freaking cute.






So. Adorable.

Yankee jumped like a dream and was attacking the courses with precise energy. He tucked, he was round, he was light and he was perfect.






Gosh he's just the best.

Don't make fun of his tail sock, he's super embarrassed about it.

13 comments:

  1. The dog is adorable! omg! Also, you guys are badasses.

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  2. I love the first jumping picture -- Levi and Yankee are in the same pose!

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  3. I had the same reaction/guilt after I gave in and had my 13 year old warm blood injected!

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  4. Glad to hear you found a solution! Don't beat yourself up for not trying it sooner <3

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  5. Love it!! You guys look so awesome. Levi si super cute too. :)

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  6. Your dog is SO CUTE! We have a healer too :)

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  7. I am a longtime lurker, but I just wanted to say how great his form is looking since the injections...what a jump!

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  8. He's looking great! Glad the "voodoo" worked out for you guys :-)

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  9. holy hell those pics are GREAT!!!!!Love Levi leaping side by side with Yanks. Yay voodoo!!

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  10. Love the pics!! You guys look super.

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  11. Levi is soooo adorable!!!!!! You guys look great! I love all of the pictures!

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  12. Oh and forgot to mention I have a friend who used to have a TB/Appy who was her dressage horse. He could NOT do flying changes. They stressed him out so bad. She eventually sold him because she wanted to progress in her dressage.... :(

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