Swoll AF

Adjusting to working life is difficult and I am juggling extreme hatred, extreme exhaustion, extreme sadness and feeling like the smartest, dumbest and most organized person on earth all at once...but mostly I just admit defeat everyday and crawl into bed at 8PM like an old person after maybe riding and definitely not working out.

I have to know all the things about Medicare and its impossible. I thought I knew the ins and outs already but nah. Its been harder than any class I took in college and just when I feel like I am getting it, another nougat of info rears its ugly head and I am thrown for a loop again. Its exhausting and relentless and my brain is full.

I have no idea how to balance everything (sleep, riding, gym, sleep, work, chores) yet and my poor boys got almost another full week off. I rode B twice and we possibly could've had our first fight as a couple. I shrugged it off knowing he has barely been worked and was feeling his oats with the crazy drop in temp. Where's my Pumpkin latte and leggings?

No joke, I had 8 cups of coffee last Thursday & didn't even die

The good news is that even with the cold weather crazies we had a mildly productive ride last time despite my GLARING equitation issues & OTTB moments. Please ignore whatever the hell it is my body is doing in the following photos. #deargod

Now that his toes aren't sore, he's stopped sucking back, but has progressed into what I call the "awkward muscley stage" of OTTB retraining.

All the muscle oh my god

Now that he's swoll like a boulder he doesn't quite know how to move that muscle around in a graceful manner and as most greenies tend to do when imbalanced or nervous, he giraffe's the fuck out of his frame or falls on his face; as noted in the next 2 pictures.

Oh B, you are still beautiful #giraffe

ALL THE RIPPLING MUSCLES #face

Honestly, I would be more upset if this weren't part of the process of retraining a racehorse. They need extra time to figure out their bodies AND change gears in their mind and it can be overwhelming if you push them too hard! All youngsters have "that" phase and as long as he keeps trying to do what I ask I don't get too disconcerted with our semi-lack of progress. Plus he's so damn sexy.

You may now pause and gasp at my horrendous eq for 3 seconds.

Proceeding.

Like I said a few posts back though, even though he IS an OTTB and a BABY, he is the hardest working, smartest babe I've ever ridden. In the almost 4 months I've been riding him we've had MAYBE one ride where we regress, & a few "discussions" about barrels and ditches. Even then its not horrible and doesn't make me want to cry and give up on life. He gives me little moments where I still am riding high (har har) despite a few setbacks (awful transitions, loss of balance, sky high head).

For example.

wet noodle bendy body

Forward and round

Even more forward and round

ass ass ass ass

Can't even...FAV of the day

 Seriously blown away by this trot. Granted, it isn't consistent yet, but DAMN. When he's on he's on.

So shiny

I cannot get over the sinewy, muscley, swoll shoulders and cut, thicksolidtight haunches this baby is developing with such inconsistent work. (4 days on 4 days off..ish). Can only imagine what a hulk he would be with 6 days work. Guess thats what a good diet and turnout will do for you?

Lol at my position though for real. But claps for B.

And yes, I unintentionally intentionally matched boots and tank top. Once I realized my bell boots and shirt matched I dug out the blue polos because WHY NOT.

I guess where I am going with this meandering and gawking post is that while training is not always consistent and we have bad rides, there is ALWAYS improvement somewhere. Usually in more ways than one. One of the many reasons I am so freakish (ask the boy, my friends, parents, etc) about videoing at least once a week. Comparison comparison comparison! Its a magnificent training tool for yourself (*cough* equitation *cough*) and to see any glaring problems with your horse. I love it. I'm obsessed.

We still have miles to go in dressage land (get off the forehand more more more, even MORE topline, smoother transitions, consistent balance, etc) but just knowing he IS learning is a big confidence boost.

Sidenote: Yankee is lame and his feet look like hell. I'm dying inside. Need boots immediately.

10 Things

Because I don't really have any riding news, besides 2 hack rides squeezed in before the fading daylight and after brutally long days at real person job, I figured I would hop on the informal blogging train again!

Before I answer the 10 questions though I wanted to give a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who put so much effort into answering my SOS! Every single answer was so helpful and I feel confident Yankee and I can get over this minor bump in the road! Gracias gracias!

You may also have noticed some weirdness in my blog if you visit me on a computer...yeah, at some point during my last blogpost I fucked something up mysteriously and my entire right hand side is now below my posts, my font is messed up and I have to write these posts with fucking code!! Its a bitch and I am not happy. I have no idea how to change it back because I am clueless to how it even happened. #UGH

Without further ado though, my answers!

1. Is your horse spooky or bombproof?
Bacardi is really dumb and spooks violently at dumb things, like corn, or sounds. But could give give a fuck less if a chicken flaps madly around him. Yankee is about 95% bombproof...rarely spooks and when he does he just stops dead and stares. My preferred method of spooking.

2. Does your horse have a long or short stride?
Yankee is short in stature and stride. Bacardi is huge in all aspects.

3. Describe your current barn in 3 words?
Private, tiny, ratchet

4. If you could switch barns, would you?
Yes and No. Yes, because I LOVE facilities at boarding barns because anything is better than my ancient setup. I have no arena, my stalls are old chicken coops converted into horse stalls, bad wiring, etc etc. No, because I like controlling every aspect of my horses' care..that way I know whats going in their mouth, if their stalls actually get cleaned, etc etc...BUT its cheaper...
What it boils down to is that I need a barn fairy to come build me a spanking new barn so I can have nice things and be a control freak.

5. Favorite brand of breeches?
Kerrits all the way. If I wasn't poor I think I could really get into the Fits game.

6. How many blue ribbons do you have? (Red if you live in Canada or Britain).
I have no freaking clue. Probably over a 100 blues alone. I did a TON of rodeo and 4-H as well as hunters, jumpers, dressage and eventing...for over 10 years. NO idea. They live in a box under my bed. I really need to make them into a quilt or something. I have 10 "special" ribbons though, and they aren't all blues! One of my favs is an 8th place from a USEA event with Yankee. First time he had ever actually placed! I was so proud!

7. How many saddle pads do you own?
Jesus Christ how does a tack whore even keep track?? I just keep finding pads. They're everywhere. In every crevice of my barn, trailer, attic, garage...I literally think I have 50. I have a pad and bit problem okay, don't judge me!! I have about 10 "main schooling" pads I use though and rotate depending on dirt level and if I'm taking pics or not. My fav is a black USDF championship pad, and a thin jump pad with red, white and blue piping #merica.

The black pad

#merica

8. Is your horse your phone background/lock screen?
Yes! They're my lock screen. Luke The Boy is my home screen. I need my boys on the cellie always.

The meese & Levi

9. Do you go trail riding often? (weather permitting)?
Weekly. Its so beneficial and fun! Switches it up from constant drilling and the hills are great. Also I am really lazy and you can ride trails in non-riding clothes/less tack. And can you say, galloping paths?

10. Favorite horsey movie?
Seabiscuit by a landslide. Can I just say War Horse is the butthole of all horse movies, close second is Secretariat.

These are fun! More!?

Perhaps answering some burning questions (on your blog) I have will tickle your fancy? C'mon, everyone's doing it! (I gave short answers but I demand more from y'all)

1. If your horse was a person, who would they be? (you can generalize personality if you can't think of someone).
For example: Yankee would be Perez Hilton [snarky, flaming gay celeb blogger]. Bacardi would be a hypochondriac.)
2. What is one (or two...or five) piece(s) of equipment you CANNOT live without.
(crib collar, bell boots)
3. When did you start riding/ what discipline?  
(7 years old, Hunters)
4. Do you have a barn dog? If so, what breed?
(Levi! Blue Heeler aka Shadow Dog)
5. Do you like doing stalls or nah?
(yes. see above control freakishness)
6. What treat(s) does your horse go nuts over?
(Yankee is obsessed with mints, but will literally eat anything. He REALLY likes beer. B will only eat apple flavored shit from TSC)
7. If you've switched disciplines, why? If not, also why.
 (Um because eventing is badass and hunters wasn't for me.)
8. What is your least favorite discipline and why (yeah, I aint afraid to be scandalous)? 
(Western pleasure: peanut rollers)
9. Who is currently your favorite rider? 
(Famous people: William Fox Pitt, Hannah Sue or Doug Payne. Non-famous, my old BO...she's a boss ass bitch. Over 80 years old and still rides PSG everyday. The O'Conners will forever be my favorite though #PowerCouple)
10. What is your BIGGEST pet peeve regarding horses?
(Hard to determine...probably draw reins or the word "headset" or people making assumptions. I also hate when non-horse people call ALL foals "colts". Wrong wrong wrong wrong.)

So there we have it! Maybe something to spark your blogging if you're not doing much riding wise or need materials!

Much love.

SOS: Barefoot Toes

One of my favorite things about the blogging world is the access we all have to each other! Our experiences, tips, advice, knowledge & stories! I learn something new almost everyday reading, and discover new horsey blogs weekly. Its a wonderful little-big network!

This is mildly redundant, considering my last post. But a lot of you commented with advice and I wanted to formally reach out and ask for it! (Note: I NEVER dislike unsolicited advice and am always welcome to ideas and thoughts! Unless you're rude about then BAI)

If you read my last post (posted Tuesday) then you are aware that I am mildly losing my shit over the fact that my farrier and I co-decided the best option to fix Yankee's fucked up feet was to pull shoes. temporary for now, unless he improves and then we will keep him bare until show season.

Thats a BIG "if".

In the past, his feet have aggressively self destructed sans shoes. He can't go without them, but now he seemingly can't go with them either. But, over the years, repeated intrusion of nail holes and the ever slow contraction of his heels have basically created the worst pair of "healthy" feet out there. 

Meaning, he can't hold a shoe, but he is NOT lame.

My question to you all has many parts.

1) Anyone out there with equally as shitty OTTB feet to manage? How did you?
2) If recently barefoot, how did you manage the transition? Boots? Salves? Supplements?

1a) if you picked boots, PLEASE explain how
-brand
-where purchased

-HOW SIZING WORKS (so clueless I can't even)

1b) salves? 

-what kind/usage?
1c) Supplements?

-what kind

What my farrier gave me as our managed care plan (oh god, using Medicare terminology) was a bottle of turpentine, and his phone number. Basically said good luck, call me if he goes lame and we will tack shoes back on and hope his feet don't disintegrate.

What *I* would prefer is that this POA actually works and his feet grow back healthy and we can go about using shoes during show season, and go barefoot all winter. Thinking long-term here.

So I'm kind of flying blind here. Never gone from a horse who NEEDS shoes, to going barefoot as a treatment option.

ALL THE ANXIETY.

HALP.

**apologies for formatting...it went wonky halfway through and I am no code writing genius

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Rx; Shoes Forever?

Can't live with em', can't live without em'.

Especially if you are a thoroughbred named Yankee Wonder. Forever a battle with my problem child.

From day one we had issues keeping shoes on his pretty shitty horse toes. Thrown shoe after thrown shoes after thrown shoe. Sometimes I imagined him as a dainty gay unicorn running through the pastures going "FUCK YOU SHOES BAI" and flicking his toes around, trying to make me hate him. The situation steadily improved as he got older and with the move to MO (change in farriers/change in turnout??) I was able to keep shoes on for the majority of his existence.

Then we moved back to OH.

I haven't been able to keep a shoe on him for more than 2 weeks at a time. His RF is absolutely shitwrecked at this point, having tossed the shoe 6 times in 3 months. Half the time I would find them in his stall sheared clean off with the nails still in his foot. HOW. His LH and RH also magically, mysteriously and spectacularly threw shoes 3 times. Making the grand total in the 13 weeks we've been back NINE FUCKING TIMES. Keep in mind its $20 to nail a shoe back on. Every. Damn. Time.

Once, he tossed his RF twice in one week.

I was beginning to wonder whose fault it was....Yankee's, Ohio pasture or my farrier. lord knows he was making half his profit from me.

I still don't know, but after the last time Yankee jacked his RF up beyond salvation and we ended up yanking his shoes for the next 6 weeks.

I almost had a mini panic attack with the farrier about this decision.

The one time we pulled his shoes was when we first brought him home- his feet crumbled like sugar in water and he was lame for 3 months. That  shitshow took almost 2 years to recover from. We tried again 2 years ago and after 11 days he was lame as a one footed duck. Rx; SHOES FOREVER.

....Unless you can't keep them on and now you're back to square one, 8 years later. We weighed the pros and cons and decided that besides acrylic (aka $$$) the best option was to go barefoot, hope the softer fall ground pads his feet and see if he can regrow some hoof wall. Huge huge huge huge did I say HUGE, risk, considering his past success barefoot.

In addition, if he does well, we will keep him bare all winter and hope we can get his SEVERELY contracted feet to spread out a bit. His heels are...just the worst. In general his feet are just the worst in every way possible besides the fact they aren't rotting from the inside out.

This looks 10x better than before the trim too...

Deep clefts, soft walls, cracks, long/sloping and contracted heels should make my horse dead lame all the time but he's done well with shoes up until this point. Minus his horrible bouts with thrush every spring that wreak havoc on our lives, I am always mildly impressed that my typical horsebeast's OTTB feet don't create more problems than they do. Started him on a new hoof supplement 6 months ago, & you can see the newest  growth from the coronet down to the red arrows.. I'm not 100% sure if thats good growth or bad, but it looks thicker than the lower part of his hoof.

To say I'm anxious about this decision is a massive understatement. I might lay awake at night fretting about the soundness of my baby and if he will be gucci enough to be ridden in the next 6 weeks with no shoes on his toes. The other half of me is like,

Show season isn't happening for us, so I am chalking 2014 up to a loss along with 2011-13. Womp womp.

Luckily, my farrier is on call for me and the first instance we think this is a bad idea, he will come put the acrylic shoes on and Yankee will have all winter to recoup.

ALL THE WORRIES.

Both the meese getting their pedicures

 In addition to THAT horse, Bacardi has been increasingly getting more footsore in the front. Of course. When it initially started 3 weeks ago I thought it was from our trail ride, but he only got worse riding in the back field. The biggest change I noticed was in his trot...went from lofty and massive to short and choppy. I guess tufts of grass and hard ground make my delicate OTTB fall apart.

Luckily, his feet are dimes. Cuppy, big, and hard as rocks. He's been barefoot since he came off the track and I really wanted to keep him that way, but alas. As with Yankee, farrier and I debated and think that shoes are the best right now in order to keep in training with the facilities we have available to me right now. If he gets better, then that was the problem and thats the solution. If not, back to the drawing board.

It was HILARIOUS to watch B getting his shoes. He kept staring at his feet while farrier nailed the shoes on with a very quizzical and concerend look. Afterwards, he stood spread eagle and picked each foot up and just held it there, holding them up like,

I didn't even know horses had that kind of thought process, but I swear, that's what his brain was doing.

Trying to put all my worry aside on this particular incident and compartmentalize my anxiety about starting my adult job/commute tomorrow & all the issues that go along with that. I can't even explain the level of worry about not being able to ride everyday. Its like, I need a job to ride, but can't ride with a job. WHAT IS HAPPENING.

A separate issue will be keeping the baby hydrated while I'm slaving away at work. I will be gone from 7 am to 6 pm ALWAYS and they will no longer get lunch hay or water checks. Bacardi not only drinks an epic amount per day (3-4 buckets easily), he is also is a hay vacuum. I've never seen a horse his size slam down 3 flakes faster than he can. To remedy the situation at first I was goign to hang three buckets, but that was too much work. I opted for a muck tub full of water.

 Bacardi gets ALL THE WATER. I also put his hay in a slow feed net. Might slow him from mach5 to about 40 miles an hour, but its better than giving him it on the floor and him being hungry for 8 hours out of the day in stead of 11.

I might end up hiring the neighbor girl to give them lunch hay because I hate think about empty horse tummies.

So I solved that tiny problem, for now, hopefully.

I shall now retreat to my bed to curl up in fear about the future and all the drastic life changes.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Thoroughbred Moments

Considering that I've exclusively ridden OTTBs for the better part of 8 years, and basically forget what its like to ride a non OTTB (not complaining) I dub most things my wacky horses do as "TB Moments"...whether or not they are actually an "OTTB Thing"...eh, well. Yeah.

Routinely, I set my alarm for 6:15AM to "avoid the summer heat" but instead re-set my alarm sleeply about 15 times until I actually roll out of bed around 9AM. My excuses are that when real person job starts I will never get that pleasure (SIX DAYS EEEK), AND that this summer has behaved like spring, so no need to get up early to avoid heat.. Meaning, its never gotten above 78 degrees. Yes. Stay in bed.

Sadly, summer came down with a swift steamy fist this week and its the hottest temps recorded all summer. I'm sure you are all well aware.

Realizing this the other day as I headed to the barn at 9:30, I almost gave up the notion to ride that day.  I leave for TN on Friday so whats the point, I had mountains of work to do for real person job, and I really didn't want to shower again.. blah blah (I'm excellent at finding ways to not ride in the heat). But I trudged on to the barn to tack up my first victim horsebeast.

Pulled Bacardi out first and to my great displeasure, but no surprise, found a wonderful new almost- gash on his LH hock. Of course.

 What a baby OTTB thing to do.

 Bacardi is special though. Oh so special. This isn't the first time he has harmed his LH hock. In fact, its happened about four times before this and I am seriously perplexed as to how this keeps happening on the SAME leg. And on WHAT exactly.

White arrows are old injuries, red is the newest-AND worst

 Same leg everytime...seriously B?

Typical baby OTTB. I remember when Yankee was a baby and got himself injured on mysterious objects weekly. Once, I found him with both front feet stuck THROUGH the "horse safe" metal weave wire fencing.

I digress.

His hock was HUGE and hot, but he wasn't lame. I still played it safe and hosed it for 10 minutes.
And no riding that guy. Almost threw the towel in there. I was drenched just dealing with that and hadn't even touched ass to saddle.

Went to go get Yankee out and noticed he sounded different on the barn floor. Clip-clop-clip-.....

FUCKING SEROUSLY?!

Yep. Missing his RF shoe...A-FUCKING-gain. That makes 6 times in 3 months for the RF, and 8 times total (considering his other feet) in 3 months.

OTTB Probs.

Dear god what has my life become.

I opted to ride him anyways because he was not lame, and normally goes fine on grass with a missing shoe. Plus, I was already drenched and miserable, so why not.

I had had the hankering a few days ago to toss the double on him, so I dug out my bridoon and weymouth and tacked him up for a light, but more involved schooling sesh.

He was exceptional at first. Started off giving me the most beautiful stretchy trot. Relaxed, forward, and light. It had never felt better!

When I collected him up, he was ready. He shortened his frame, but continued moving out actively behind. I was impressed, since his trot is normally his worst gait. We continuously battle to keep impulsion & energy at the trot & stay rounded through the contact and not just "tucked". But he was really wonderful, accepting the double with light contact.

Seriously, how nice is this?

Ugh, I love him.

Once I got him working nicely, I played around asking him to shorten his stride, and lengthen it.

Shortened a bit

A little lengthen

His biggest issue is not rushing in the lengthen and maintaining the upward energy in front. German Rider Jessie was AMAZING at getting him to lengthen and we need a refresher from her hardcore. I MISS HER.

Still though, Lovin that hind-end action and his relaxed frame of mind..

The canter work was wonderful...at first

MMMM. Dat ass.

His canter is the reason I bought him, and it forever will be my favorite. It requires the least amount of work!

However, in typical OTTB style, Yankee had an epic meltdown when I asked for ONE flying change.

I know that he has issues with changes (I've discussed in posts before) and doubt we will ever reach the show levels where we need them because he has mental problems.

Seriously, this horse has a mental block when it comes to changes.

It took me years to get left to right change and I only get one. One. Thats it. Right to left still does not exist.

But he barely even gave me that. Haphazard squealing fit was more like it and then he bolted.

It was like his brain literally fell out of his head and he forgot how to horse.

After I asked for the change he refused to give me any kind of real relaxation in any gait. Usually if I ask for a new lead, or circle, or try counter canter, he chills out. NOPE. Jigging, dancing sideways, foaming at the mouth, veins popping kind of anxiety.

OTTB meltdowns are the worst. 

Contingency plan #2 is lateral work. 

Much sideways. Very bend.

For the most part her was very compliant. I completely dropped my curb rein to avoid extra stress on his fried brain for the moment. After a few sketchy passes, he relaxed a bit and started giving me more swing in his hips. He was a little dull to my leg (I ALWAYS wear my rounded rubber spurs for lateral work) but otherwise, it did the trick.

Nice crossover

He calmed down, straightened himself, and stayed forward.

Not sure what it is about lateral work, but it does something for him.

Thought it was safe to ask for the canter again. Plan was to get one good transition and 20m circle each way and call it a day. No need to overwork.

OTTB meltdown again.

I guess cantering was not in the cards after attempting a flying change and I gave up after some of the most ridiculous shenanigans I've seen out of Yankee since he was a four year old.

"Canter? WHAT IS CANTER?"

To say I was frustrated is an understatement. I will never grasp how this horse can have some tremendous backslides after all this time. its not like he doesn't know how or is incapable. Its like he literally cannot brain.

I went through my checklist. Everything was the same. Even the double I dismissed because he's gone in that before MANY times and he was going fine up until the flying change.

Perhaps changes will just never be in our bag of tricks.

Le sigh.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Informal Blog Hoppiness

Considering I haven't ridden in days and have no new material, and I like to jump on trendy trains, I decided to hit up the Informal Blog Hop.

I recently did a little blogpost about Bacardi and his 12 week transformation so staying true to the theme, why not throw in Yankee too?

I got Yankee as a bright eyed bushy tailed newly turned 4 year old (literally, had just turned four) and he was a bit cray. You can read more on his "about" page. It took us over a year to get to his first show. I believe it was in late 2006, or early 2007.

Nice. This test was wonderful and full of sqeals and bucks. I specifically remember the judge commenting, "lively". HA.

I have better pictures of his progress, but these are from our last dressage show together that we got  pics. Show Me State Games/ USDF Team Champs. 2nd level. July 2013.

 HUGE Difference. And is tail *crying emoji* RIP.

I have one pic of his first showjumping course over BN, in 2007. Sadly, this was before the "age" of the technology explosion, so we hardly have any pics from his early years. Only the ridiculous overly priced profesh pics taken at the shows.

wittle babeh fences

Jesus, we are both so little and adorable.

I don't have any recent and decent showjumping pics, even though we did 3 shows last year over fences, but here's one of him jumping 5ft last summer. That's a lot of height in 8 years.

 

 

So proud of this horse! 8 years is a long time to ride the same horse and I couldn't have asked for a better companion over the years. Love those OTTBs and their willingness to learn!

For shits & gigs, here's a "first ride" pic vs a "last ride" pic for Bacardi.

May 2014

August 2014

Presh <3 br="">

Friday, August 22, 2014

Red Nugget Perfection

I have 11 days of freedom left before I am succumbed to the perilous life of desk jockeys. Summer hasn't been all fun and games, getting licensed has been a BITCH, but I am pretty grateful for a job that pays actual real person money!

Also been really nice to have the freedom to ride whenever I please.

Really getting anxious about what will happen when my days are spoken for from 7am-6pm.

What I'm most worried about is keeping this big boy in constant work once my free time becomes essentially nonexistent. He's been improving in massive strides (haha equestrian humor) and I would hate to staunch that progression as he comes into his 6th year, with show season looming ahead in spring.

I already am exceptionally lazy and have to force myself to get outside in the humidity and ride the beasts. What happens when I'm exhausted from early mornings, the commute, being on the phone all day and other office fuckery?

 AND.....

Winter is no joke. I don't know about you, but as I get older, my tolerance for winter wind, sleet and snow gets lower and lower each year.  Virtually nonexistent. NO amount of vests and carhartt's make me want to venture outside and ride. GEORGIA I WANT TO BE IN YOU.

I was EXTREMELY spoiled in MO with a pretty warm, covered indoor arena with decent footing. Most days I would get off Yankee sweating and it was no issue to ride.

Here, I have a nice muddy field. Not exactly conducive to schooling dressage. Forget jumping alltogether.

When Yankee was a wee lad he spent all winter hacking out and learning the basics, like stopping when I ask & steering without careening. Luckily B has all that mastered already, so hacks would really only keep him in mild work. Not what I need.

I have another post about my winter plans, but what I really wanted to show was some more Bacardi progress! Last post was his weight, this time its his flatwork.

We had a huge breakthrough about 2 weeks ago with half-halts. His brain just all of a sudden made connections to inside leg-outside rein-supporting inside rein/outside leg and what a half-halt actually entails. Like sitting on your ass and stop plugging away with your forelegs.

Please, ignore my sexy faces in all photography. 

Learning half-halts through bend

 I added figure-8s and 3-loop serpentine's to our flatwork repertoire and at first he would blow out his shoulders in the turns and take off in his little racehorsey giraffe trot. AKA, losing balance and freaking out about it.

Bacardi.

After extreme patience on my part, and a weeks worth of flat rides, with consistent application of cues, he started to make the connection. I also made a discovery. He needs a HUGE amount of outside leg through turns, in exact coordination with half-halting so as not to confuse him to "go faster". Like, a lot more than a normal horsebeast. Like, all the way from hip, through thigh & calf contact down to heel.

Last week he gave me two BRILLIANT rides and on Tuesday it was the same thing. I can't get over the work ethic this guy has. (Sadly I haven't ridden since Tuesday because work stuff and torrential rain.)

SEXY trot

Working well through his back and moving forward with energy (look at those neck muscles!)

With Yankee, I never had this amount of progress in such a short amount of time. We continuously had backslides in training and more frustrating rides than productive ones. Bacardi just progressively builds and gets better each ride, a little at a time. IMO, it has to do with the difference in temperament. Bacardi has always been steady & calm. Sure, things scare him and those spooks are explosive, but he isn't a "nervous" animal in general. Yankee is definitely HOT. Always. He's obedient, but at a moments notice he will catch fire and fly. Like, if jumps are present. Or, I ask him to gallop. But he NEVER spooks. And once he's learned something he will do it. But, it takes longer for him to learn. Always interesting the difference in OTTBs across the board.

I also tried a little somethin' last ride and asked for a wee bit more of a trot. He gave me this...

I was so caught off guard by the power push that I fell back! What a good lad! It is so important the babies understand what leg means in addition to half-halts and that they actually RESPOND to it.

Trot work definitely improving by leaps and bounds!

We still have work to do in the canter. His normal gait is brilliant, but hes still on the forehand and a little behind the vertical. In time, with strength, this will improve.

At first glance, this looks pretty good. I always take note of toplines though. This one is not engaged and through. You can actually see the U shape from withers to croup. While this is in the "down stride" of the canter, he should still be more lifted in the shoulders. Also, I don't have a still of it, but his foreleg (RF) continues to land BEFORE his hindleg (LH) which indicates he's still leading with his front end. He is also sliiiiightly behind the vertical, but hasn't broken too far in the neck yet. Granted, this is me nitpicking, just the fact that he canters CALMLY now is an exceptional win!

This is a little better. His shoulders look more lifted and his back is more engaged through the bridle. AKA withers higher than croup. I LOVE the reach he has with his hind end, but he's still landing front first (in this still, his RH is juuuust touching the ground while his LF already is weight bearing). Still a little behind the vertical, and just a touch more broken in the neck. BUt again, this will improve!

The biggest win on this baby has been his transitions. When I first rode him he was ALL over the place at the canter. Crooked, legs flying everywhere and GOOD LUCK getting the correct lead the first four times.  Right lead was impossible in general. Both up & down transitions were messy and hard to ride. He would brace in the bridle, fall over and run sideways in all transitions. Now he's soft through most down transitions, great up into the trot, and even up into the canter he's gaining more and more balance. Left lead canter he gets the first time I ask, and about 75% of the time we get right lead on the first try. Good boy! I tried to upload my damn video but it worked all night and still was only at 49% this AM. Maybe one day.

Here's a link to my short instagram video I uploaded yesterday of one of our down transitions. Truly a huge win!

I feel so fortunate to come across a young horse with naturally brilliant gaits. With Yankee, his trot is lackluster and his walk is worse. Luckily, I won with his canter. But its taken 8 years to get him to sit back at the trot. Worth the work though!

As a final note, I added a social media button in the upper right corner of my page, so if anyone feesl the urge to stalk me on Facebook, or follow us on Insta, the links are at the top! Also, I finally updated the "About" pages at the top of the blog!

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