9

Ok first...how effing ADORABLE are these things?! They are even hairier than my mini and she is yak. I want.


So, 9.

Yeah, my favorite number.

That's what we will be getting on our dressage tests this year, I know it!

Yankee was exceedingly brilliant yesterday in our early morning school, I was blown out of my saddle so to say. I kept thinking, "Is this MY horse?"

Extensions, trot sidepasses, flying changes all nailed like metal in wood.

I WISH I had someone there to film it or take pictures or something because I am pretty sure no one would believe me. And I want some pictures!

He was so fluid, I felt like I was riding a river and it was powerful. Yankee was doin work yesterday for sure. I began with a short lunge, 2 min on each side, stretchy walking and lateral movement warm up. The bulk of our workout was extended trot down center line, collected trot down a long side-sidepass L, side pass R, canter from walk in corner, extend down opposite long side, free walk. Did that each direction about 5 times and called it quits after that. I probably only rode 25 minutes total (with lunging) but I went before class and had to scuttle to campus and it was BALLS HOT.

Wait.

Did I just say hot?

Yeah I am really confused too. It is mid-February. In the midwest. Missouri.

It was already 66 at 8:30am and we were both sweating profusely after only 25 minutes. That day it reached 70 degrees....wtf. Today it is 48, but still, freakish weather!


Yankee after our ride. Like the tail? haha.

I was elated, and was more than happy to go to class after that ride. I am defiently feeling some confidence on dressage scoring this season. My goal is to get AT LEAST one 9 on each test. We have never gotten a 9, usually 7's, 8's and the random 5 or 6 (rarely). Our training this winter has really progressed so I am going into the season feeling quite ready :)

I have been working out too! Not only to be fit for XC but to fit into my darn tall boots! I have only had them one season and they were like $500 so I can't just up and buy new ones. Basically I gained 30lbs and need to lose 10 more!!


I'm ready I'm ready

Riding (do work)...and Not Riding (sore & lazy)....

Yesterday was a be-uuuutiful day so I skipped math (shhh don't tell anyone) since I had the HW done a day before and turned it in, and its like a 25 min walk to the class that is only 40 min long then another 25 min walk back to my car and it's all BS anyways....whatever, I skipped, the world is not going to end.

So I debated heavily on what to do.....couldn't jump since no one else was there, didn't feel like doing dressage and since I didn't want to I thought Yanks wouldn't either and it was too wet to do canter sets in the field. I ended up doing a conditioning day with some looooooong trots and a few canters down our road.

First lemme say that the road is amazing to work down. Its all small little ground up gravely thingys in dirt....its like a race track but straight and hilly. YAY! It' slike everything I need....hills I find are amazing if you use them to walk and slow trot.

I wish I had the thing Klein mare and Stacey (yes I learned how to link!) have so I know how fit he is getting and all that fancy stuff it does.. I'm pretty sure it's expensive aaand I'm not made out of dinero.

So back to the road, Yanks LOVES road work. I wrapped him in polo's, bell boots and his jump tack. I started off free walking for the 1st 1/8 mile, then trotted on the flats, walked the 1st two hills, then increased to no walking, trotted the next 3 hills, then trotted the straights and cantered 2 more hills, then walked an 1/8 mile. At the end there is a 1/4 mile dirt path and we hand galloped on each lead, 1/4 mile one way, turned around and hand galloped on other lead 1/4 mile, walked, then trotted straights, cantered (altering leads) 4 hills then trotted the remainder and walked the last 1/4 mile home. Altogether we did 5 1/4 miles ( I checked with my car....ghetto fab!). I have been doing about 2 miles once a week just walk/trot, and gallop sets at least once every 2 weeks so he has been pretty fit as well as reg. work and he was barely breathing.

A major win, this is the 1st time he hasn't YANKED my effing arms off! He was so relaxed!!! He just settled in to a nice rhythm and did work. DO WORK :) Yay for being a grown up ponyface! OTTB success. Also we got like 5 compliments on my boy from people driving by /walking their dogs.

Anyways, it was 67 yesterday so he sweat a bit, and I was able to hose him off, which was nice, got all the grimy dirt out of his coat. I think he liked it. I gotta post a picture of him drinking straight out of the hose...adorable. Also gave hima good rubdown and hand graze.

Later that night I went to the gym and blasted out a massive workout (for me). 30 min. cardio and 30 min. circuit training core and upper body.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SOOOO today was a different story. I woke up feeling like I drank an entire keg. Yeah I didn't drink. My eyes hurt, head gonna explode, body was thrashed and I was like, WHAT did I do yesterday then remembered I beat the shit out of my body by riding for a solid hour and working out for a solid hour. Major calorie burn=major ouch.

Cutting to the chase, I zoned out in classes today, and had ZERO energy to go ride (or do anything else for that matter). I felt so guilty but it was like 70 today (yes SEVENTY. IN FEBRUARY. In the MIDWEST) and I was not ready for this. -5 last week, 70 this week.....sweaty and gross on top of feeling like a trainwreck

Yankee was feeling about the same. Poor guy was sweating just standing in the shade. He was not ready for this weather either as he has a full winter coat (clipped of course). I groomed him, lunged for approx 3 min to see if he was sore...only a little stiffness to the left. Which was good, I was thinking with all those hills he might be more sore, but he wasn't. Might be fitter/stronger than I thought.

Question for anyone. Eventer that I am, I have never had to condition really hard for any season, since he is a TB and remains pretty fit just in reg. work. But since I plan on going prelim this year I am doing a little extra than just our usual trot sets and hills. Is it normal/preferred to get a horse sore? Like with humans you usually want sore, since you break apart the muscles to build them up. But I actually don't know this one about horses. I feel a little ignorant asking...but hey better to ask and find out than not know and ruin a horse.

He was not heated in any legs and I gave him a massage as well. He seemed to enjoy that :)

Anywhoo I hope you all are enjoying the weather, if you are having nice-ness. Ta-ta for now.

BAH, Spriiing is comiiing!

I should be studying spanish but I HAD to write this down real quick...

In light of the recent melt of the ice age, warmer temperatures and stocking up on show supplies I find myself chomping on the bit to get competing again...

ALL effing day today I could not get my mind off this upcoming season. I was daydreaming about show schedules, braiding late at night before dressage day, warming up, the excitement of XC day, long road trips, moeny going down the drain all in the name of horses, dressage tests, stadium rounds, training techniques on and on and on.

I just CANNOT wait to be doing this again!


Minus being super rich, I feel this year will be our year. I feel extremely confidant in our recent success's and I hope to continue getting better. I know I can't rush things, and I have till May for the 1st event of my season, but I would love to hit up the (cheaper) dresasge and jumper shows.

I've been a zombie for about a week now in classes...zoning out when it gets too boring and try to meticulously plan everything out for this season. I have so many shows lined up! I know I won't be able to do all of them, but the more I plan for, the more that I will actually be able to attend.

First I need to convince my mom to let me come and get the family horse trailer 2 months early....I REEEALLY want to do some shows in March. Puh-leez mutty??

I found it funny whilst daydreaming, that I can remember exactly what supplements and rations to feed 20 horses, or the exact dates of every show in April-November, the rules for eventing, or when I last wormed-what kind of wormer it was, the last time the farrier came, and when he is due again but I for-the-life-of-me cannot conjugate the spanish verb 'ser' or what the range and domain of a function is.

Horse people are funny like that.

Don't you agree?

I definitely wouldn't have it any other way.

Jumping Win

You heard it, great jumping today!

I really think that 2 weeks off did him well :)

We did some gridwork and 2 stride combo and video recorded it for my app. to Equine Affaire.

I'm not gonna say much more because I am still working on the vids for EA as well and I have massive amounts of HW...but here are some pics!

My position still needs major work, but that's why I am applying to EA.

I really let him just JUMP today. I didn't nit-pick with his stride or try to get the right leads on landing I just let him jump....turned out well :)

Enjoy!


Yeah this was a beast to set up by myself...it took me 40 minutes and I sweat like a mofo. They are HEAVY. Adn I had to drag it all from a shed... Then again it was 50 degrees today so that was like a heatwave compared to -2 to 10 regular temps the past week.


Warm up


4th jump in the grid


2nd jump of the 2 stride


2nd jump of 2 stride


4th jump of grid


H and Pronto

He is such a cutey :D

All in all, fantastic jump day :)

Photo Update

Our ride today was pretty much the same as yesterday, but with a little more work extension wise.
To summarize, as yesterday, warmed up with laterals, and stretching.
I continued the work I did yesterday, solid outside rein soft half halting when appropriate inside rein. Clean transitions, suppleness, calm.
Extensions weren't great, they never are under saddle, but we are getting there!
Afterwards we went for a little jaunt outside in the deep snow before it melts this weekend.
Great ride again :D
Jumping with H tomorrow (filming for my equine affair application)


Walk stretch


Some awkward looking trot stretch


Fuzzy vid stills of our 'extensions'...


...They need work, but they aren't hateful...


.....I'd like to see more lift but I'll take the extension we are getting...




"Hey mom this snow is reeeeally high..."




Minus the snow this would be an epic trot...too bad we can't do dressage tests in foot deep snow!



Speaking of Equine Affair...I FINALLY figured out how to edit videos, so Dressager, you won't have to do it for me! YAY! I will upload vids as soon as I send them out.
Wish me luck, I will be working on the application all weekend.

Dressageyness

Today was a nice ride of epic proportions :)
I wore my breeches and tall socks with winter boots at class and on campus all day. I swear, breeches=so comfy=live in all day. I don't know why it is underlining my type...I can't get it to stop. Pout. Anways, went stright from class to the barn. It was a great feeling to finally get there with enough light in the day to not feel blah.

The goal for the day was relaxation and throughness through his back with well executed transitions.


I had to snap this picture, he looks so ridiculously (cute) I couldn't resist. What face is that :P?



The boots I use on a regular basis, remember my boot post?

So, to recap the extraordinary ride.

I began with no lunging, since I had limited time to spare (extra amounts of homework...I just pumped out a tough paper in less than 2 hours, did my spanish HW and studied for the exam tomorrow, and did my lab for comm class...but I still feel guilty for even posting this tonight...). Stretchy walky began the ride, along with some stretchy trots and limbering lateral work both directions. He was SO relaxed and so willing to seek contact I was like 9's in dressage here I come! I could not believe the overstep we achieved and how swingy his back was.

I tried new things tonight that really helped and began to cement some cues for us.

Firstly, I used a heavier outside rein, meaning extra contact, not pulling, but soft, direct contact and a lighter inside, half halting when appropriate, rein. I felt I really had a hold of his mouth but it was great because....he LOVED it. He really just clicked tonight, like holy-hell-this-is-what-you-have-been-teaching-me-for-five-years-now. And DAMN did he connect, I felt like I actually had a solid dressage horse under me. I didn't feel he was sucked back in the bit and trotting up and down or walking up and down but reaaaaaally WTC through his back, and back into my hands. I felt like I had SOMETHING. Not a wavering little OTTB who couldn't engage and be really into the contact. Wonderful feeling indeed :) The half halts were perfectly executed when I felt he needed a little more support. It was just lovely. Everytime I asked him to seek contact, he did.

Secondly I wanted to work on our transitions. Our canter departure had been extra sticky lately, and I figured out why by accident about 2 weeks ago but since I gave him time off, this was the first time I had the chance to try it out. I had been going about asking him all wrong. I used outside leg pressure and inside leg bend...and EVERYTIME he would buck or tense and come above the bit...he always would resettle but the transitions were...shit. Unacceptable. So, by accident, I discovered I was doing too much. WAAAy to much for his liking. In trying to fix a problem, I was creating one. All he wants (and needs) is my leg to move back, too many signals were frusutrating him and creating more crookedness... Simple as that, no pressure, no rein change, no seat change. Curious, since I trained him with all those cues but I am guessing since he is no longer a hyper naive racehorsey crazyface he doe snot need all those cues to help him canter. He knows, by years of repition that leg back means canter. A-DOI. That was retarded on my part. Us riders are so stupid sometimes.

Thirdly, I tried a new way to ask for sidepass. Since he was liking the solid contact on the outside rein, I decided to try this concept with lateral movement. Since he likes that pressure, why not 'change rein' right before asking for sidepass and then ask. Like If I am traveling counterclockwise, and I want to sidepass left, i switch rein from Right outside to Left 'outside' and half halt the new inside rein slightly. He completely understood this way better than keeping the initial inside rein. Hard to explain unless you see it or feel it in action, but he went "OH YEAH, I CAN SIDEPASS ALL SEXY LIKE". It was great!

The only bad part of the lesson is when barn worker began cleaning off the drive to the manure spreader (FINALLY!) which is right outside the arena. Yanks did not appreciate the loud scraping sounds of death that screeched nasty devil whispers to my little yankee ears. It apparently freaked him out a little and he went galloping, snorting, crow hopping across the arena in the opposite direction. Almost unseated me since he rarely spooks at anything besides imaginary ghosty goblins in the woods. HAHA. He settled after that initial spook but was still a little wary and not totally soft the rest of the time so I got a nice stretchy trot and called it a day.

Looks liek time off was the right idea :D




Our XC colors! This is his undersheet,, since it is approx. 0 degrees tonight.

This weekend 50s though....it can't be...

Equine Affaire Ohio

I NEED HELP! helphelphelphelp!

I am sending applications in to ride in Equine Affaire this year and I just thought of doing so TODAY. Apps are due the 21st of this month. ACK!

I had not planned on applying since it is 8hrs away in Ohio ( I am in Missouri) and mom has my trailer...in Ohio...
BUT I got an offer to represent New Vocations (the OTTB rescue I adopted Yankee from) for the eventing OTTB in the TB breed demos. Hell to the YA.

The demos are only 15 min and I would hate to drive 8+hrs to do JUST the demos, so I am applying to do some jumping clinics. I would like to work with Neal Shapiro on "Diagnosing/Fixing Jumper Problems" as well as "Improving Form Over Fences". I am also applying (in case I don't get accepted with Neal) to Daniel Stewarts clinic "The Stride: Jumping well under pressure and stress in the show ring". If I get accepted to the breed demos, I get half off clinic prices wich are already WICKED cheap. FTW!~

Anyways, I need to know what you people use to edit vids. I simply do not know! PLEASE FEED ME INFO!
If I get accepted into these clinics I am one step closer to getting my name and my horse out there and seen by TONS of people. I rode in Equine Affaire a few years ago with Spirit in a Darren Chiacchia Clinic and I was blown way by how many people loved and recognized Spirit even years after, Plus I got to work with Darren for 3 days. WIN again!


Spirit and I jumping a massive fence. Darren thought it would be funny to set up a huge fence for a little pony, thinking he couldn't ( since I was being a snark and 'bragging' a little about how he could jump, Darren was not impressed at the moment since Spirits flatwork was terrible) but he blew the crowd away. They literally collectively gasped. He was barely 15hh, but could jump the moon. Darren was impressed.

I would love to get accepted again but I am going to be one of the later applicants so I need to blow the selectors out of the water with my vids.

GOSH I WOULD LOVE TO RIDE AT EQUINE AFFAIRE AGAIN. And spend money and see all the pretty ponies and eat fair food and see pretty ponies and meet people and see pretty ponies.