Sunday Funday

Sunday means lesson day in my world. If my trainer isn't at a show. And I'm not hungover.

Steady's mom and I hatched plan to jump lesson this weekend because we caught the fever. And she got her trailer. So it was on.

Exhibit A:

The one in the dunce cap is mine

Our sexy gentleman trailered pretty well in her beast of a trailer and I've decided she's adopting me. She has no choice.

I still am in disbelief that we are friends and do stuff together now, after "knowing" each other online for so long. A true love story, if you will. We currently are hatching showing and lesson plans left and right for our pretyy red boys. Especially after this lesson.

What are you humans getting us into

PerfectTrainer got us right to work on a rather tough exercise to "warm-up". Essentially its 2 very low jumps on a circle and you MUST use your outside aids (aka outside leg) to turn. OTTBs tend to fall in or out on the shoulder and this really helps them be straight and forward. At one point she even had us put the reins in one hand. Apparently way too dependent in inside rein.

The Boys picked it up after a few rounds, with no help from their potato sack riders. If theres one thing I learned today, Crossfit does not keep you fit enough to steer a 1100lb animal with one leg for 20 minutes. #dead

I'll let Amy speak for herself on her lesson, but mine was rather helpful. I wouldn't say it was perfect. But good. I discovered a few things about my horse today.

1) Hes an amazing animal.
1a) This horse can JUMP
2) He's a grade A asshole
2a) He can throw some rowdy tantrums

I had an inkling his attitude/issues over winter was partially something, partially him being a douche and I think we learned today that that is exactly it.

If something is scary to him, he will lock up and refuse. To be expected with a greener than grass greenie with a "new" rider. However, he takes our understanding of this and exploits it with refusal after refusal or, randomly refusing something he's jumped 27 times and is literally a foot tall. No. Just no.

Generally, he will just putter out after swinging his hindquarters in and just nope all the way to the base of the fence. Its not nasty, just annoying.

After doing well over the circle exercise, we pointed him towards the Oxer and He gave a hard nope to it. So we disassembled it into a plain X-rail. Which he took several times. Then we built it back to an oxer.

After a few really nice jumps over the small oxer, he hard refused it when we put the white blocks back underneath it. After  a few times, PerfectTrainer was like, "OK now he's just being a dick. Remind him nicely with a light tap why he's here with *this* dressage whip".

And all it took was two flicks, and he got the message. Literally, a tap and Bacardi had a 5 minute meltdown.

And then he stood there lashing out with that lightning RH over and over and over. And then he flicked his tail at a fly and freaked himself out and started over.

After gathering my young child back up and regrouping I pointed him back at the oxer, held the whip by his right side and...

UMMMM, holy scope.

Few more times to the right, because that seemed to be his problem direction. No surprise. #OTTB

Knees. Neck. Scope. So wow. Very horse.

To the left he was pretty brilliant. And we ended on a good note with that, Never did touch the grid, but since this was our first serious jumping lesson together, we decided it was best to leave it there.

A very productive lesson full of learning!

The battle plan for now is to take The Baby to as many schooling shows as possible until Champagne Run where we will tag along as a Non COmpete and then school XC that Sunday. Thats a ways off yet, so until then I hope to continue lessoning every other week or so and really making this horse into an eventer!

Its been almost a year (holy shit) but I think we are starting to really connect. I'm his person and he's my horse and I'm his person.

Love them

Such bond

Bacardi Adulting

The weekend was super productive in the ways of riding, sweating and obtaining epic sunburns. Brace yourself for pictures on pictures on pictures.

No but really, Bacardi put his best foot forward Sunday; I'm feeling pretty great about it.

Amy from Slow and Steady was gracious enough to spend half of her mothers day with myself and my three crazies and we had a TOTAL blast over at her place. We seriously live in horse heaven and I'm beyond stoked I have a horse friend to pester play with whenever I want. (If you don't follow her already, you need to. She's kind of my hero and a total badass in all aspects).

We snagged my beasts out of the field, drove the short drive to her place and put them to work. Lilly was less than thrilled about it, but was a good sport.

How stinkin cute are they, really

If you insist

Amy has ACTUAL jumps, nice trails and a  pretty bitchin riding field and we took full advantage of all the things. I wanted to actually work his ass, but take it easy as well since he's not quite in shape and it was stupid hot (where did spring go? Were you ever here?).

Goal again was forward & straight. Continuing working on correct carriage and just being forward. Lightness and balance will come in time.

Littel behind at first, per usual, but still sexual

Um, equitation where did you go??

I noticed that I have some glaring issues to work on as well. As in, look the fuck up and what are your hands doing.

Bacardi had some great moments, more great than "bad" and truly was wonderful. Bye bye winter fucktard, hello big beautiful behaving baby!

Isnt Amys beautiful? I'm moving in.

DAT TROT

Favorite trot of the day

Beautiful boy

I know I know, enough trotting pictures. But just...LOOK at him, I'm swooning. I knew inside him there was a perfect creature waiting to be the event horse I knew he was!

I love his hair long

Cantering like an ADULT

And then....we JUMPED. I couldn't not jump when they were right there. It was a bit moist outside, but we kept the jumping to a minimum. I just wanted to see what he would do, because in the past (in my field) he has been a complete fuck about jumping. Aka refusing, bolting, more rearing, etc.

Pointed him at the baby X-rail and BOOP, nothing. Easy as pie.

"WHEE this is fun!"

Sooo I was mildly blown away. Amy was like "Do a vertical" and half of me was like "nah, lets quit while we're ahead" but then the eventer in me/devil on my shoulder was like "Just try it, like once man, it'll be fun." So we did.

Plz look at horse and not rider

And maybe a  few more times before I called it quits...

Could I look MORE like a hunter though

I still think he takes off too early/takes a large step over it, but hot damn he was SO good! He refused one time and that was my fault. Bacardi really was enjoying it immensely, even with me flopping around on top of him. Cant wait to take him XC and bump them up, hes quite the jumper.

I haven't jumped in so long I kind of forgot how to when presented with an awkward distance. Totally my bad. I also feel like my eq is all over the place. He has a massive jump/lurch thing going on and I'm still getting used to it. WAY better than we were together back in the fall. Plus, jumping a greenie that you've owned less than a year and jumped only 3 times is like an awkward first date. We got through it though and had a blast.

And we have turning!

And keep shit together on landing!

Afterwards to cool out, Amy took me on a tour of her beautiful trails! I was stunned it was all right behind her house. That plus the river, she got it made. I'm moving in.

Yes definitely moving in

So now that I've caught the feels, and can;t wait to get back on my horse (DAMN YOU RAIN) I'm just sittin here daydreaming about shows and whatnot.

Oh to dream.

The Gods Adore Me

Today was a good day

After bitching for an entire post, my fortunes changed and the Verizon gods bestowed upon me an iphone 6 two weeks early. I almost cried with joy.

I honestly think I deserve a medal or an award, or an adult beverage, or at the very least a fucking cookie for enduring that nonsense. Never again. Thank you EDGE plan and Verizon.

That being said, you know what that means...pictures!

The camera in this 6 is pretty bangin, but thanks to my inability to set it out of direct light of the sun, the quality wasn't great. Regular photos were pretty stunner though, and they made B look fly as fuck. I'm more than a little excited.

At Rolex I obtained some pretty awesome deals, and now finally have pics to prove it! I've ridden in the tack 3 times now, &  I think I'm beginning to become obsessed with Stubben. The quality is amazing and I honestly really like the orangeish look. The breastplate is also so fugly its sexual.

Bacardi modeling breastplate and reins

 I also peruse Ebay constantly at work and found a super super expensive bit I've always wanted to try for less than $20. I obviously bought it.

Also, modeling BoT headband in addition to new bit

One of these days I will buy the PS of Sweden jumper bridle and it will all match. Tack whoring at its finest.

I'm still on the fence about the bit. Bacardi has always seemed to not quite like bits in general and always tosses his head at initial contact. Today seemed a little less than usual, but he was also fussy. Good, but fussy.

fatty

Considering this is our third "first day back" after winter/extended time off, I gave him the benefit of knowing he is VERY out of shape and slightly weak behind. He also hasn't shed out all the way and worked up a good sweat in less than 15 minutes. Can't blame him, it was almost 90 today (in May...what is going on!)

I started off with shoulder -in exercises and trying to have soft, following hands. He really likes being put to work right away. If we waffle about, I notice B works himself up, whereas if I give him "a job" he gets right to it. Handy.

Once We loosened up, I kept it simple. Trot circles, trying to maintain proper bend and cadence, with forward energy. Seems simple, but he was all over the place wiggly. Again, because fatty and out of shape, so I maintained even contact and kept my aids supportive & let him figure it out

A little downhill

A little behind the bit

A little racey

B was  obviously a little downhill, behind the vertical and a little rushy in places at first. But I concentrated on keeping my aids steady and asking him to work into the contact properly.

Asking for some push

After 5 minutes each way, he really settled nicely and maintained a semi-steady tempo and rhythm without too much loss of balance. Doesn't help that my lawn is extremely bumpy and wonky, but I considered it an extra challenge ;)

Fav of the day

Billowy shirt adds 10lbs

Look at dat trot doh

I wanted to try the canter, even though I knew it would be a mess, simply because I miss it. All those winter hacks, there was no cantering. Goals today were no popping shoulders and minimal head tossing. I knew contact and carriage was a little out of the question with him being so weak, but I just wanted the basics.

Not a horrible transition

I like that even though hes a bit weak, he still really steps under himself and listens to my aids when I ask him to move the shoulders.

Another fav

Lovely, good B

Looks like a wild man here. Letting his locks grow out

What a good baby

Bacardi was a little more wild to the left and I had to administer some pretty strong outside aids to keep him on a circle that resembled a circle. I could really feel the weakness to the left & here is where I encountered some protesting.

Overall, a good ride. I'm not sure how well that BoT headband is really working, but both times I've ridden with it, he's resembles an actual horse instead of a complete idiot. It also is not hot outside, so who really knows. I guess the horse gods have bestowed their mercy on me finally.

"Was I a good pony?"

Always more to work on. Especially now that most people have 2-3 shows under their belt and I'm not even close..but hey. Whatever, better late than never.

I leave you again, with good thoughts and an adorable picture of the Levi dog.