I really haven't had much to update since Kirsten was home for the holidays, and the weather was crap both before and after she came home. I've been on Breezy twice since she went back, but we're not really getting anywhere this time of year. I'm generally pleased if she doesn't flip out after sitting around for a week or so between rides, let alone trying to progress.
We have been meeting with the chiropractor about once a month, and it is unbelievable what a difference we're seeing. A lot of the attitude is dying off now that she's getting straight, which makes me wonder how long she's been hurting. I think she'll always be a pain in the butt mare about things, but it's at a manageable level. Her movement has gotten better, and I think once the winter ends and we can get back to work we're going to have some real breakthroughs as far as her being able to really carry herself properly.
Kirsten is officially an adult by USEF standards, so we're aiming towards the local adult medal classes this year, and maybe some of the TB hunter divisions that have sprung up in the last couple years. She will be working/riding for a friend of mine over spring break, so I should have a few uninterrupted months of work with the mare before she gets home and I turn Breezy back over to her and move on to the next big project, which is of course ANOTHER TB mare!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Jumping Miss Breezy
It happened, as I kind of assumed it would even though I wasn't really looking forward to it.
I played hooky from work today since I've been working 5 days a week for the last few weeks, so I decided to be productive and ride Breezy during Shelly's morning lesson. They generally jump a good bit, so I figured I would do the same thing I do on Saturdays and just follow along for the flat portion and then go off on my own.
However, the flat portion turned into gymnastics pretty quickly (all poles, no fences), and so I decided to see how it played out. I've been really impressed with how Breezy is handling a lighter workload (going from 5-6 rides a week to 2-3), her basic personality and rideability hasn't changed at all. Now, that personality and rideability are occasionally suspect, so don't assume that she's all sweetness and light. We spook at everything, we pull, we have serious issues getting straight (although that may require a chiropractor visit or two, we'll revisit that topic at a later date), but when we are good, we are very very good.
Anyway, just as I'm commenting to my lesson partner that Shelly won't put real fences up because she knows I have mental issues right now, the jumps appear. I put my big kid pants on, because let's face it, despite my insanity, I do know how to jump around a course of fences.
Course #1, we learned how sensitive Breezy really is. I rode like a drunk monkey, and Breezy hopped up and down and acted like someone was killing her. Which I was, since I was riding with absolutely no leg and an 8 ft canter stride. Course #2 was more productive. I started breathing normally, and Breezy jumped some of the straightest fences she's ever done (per Shelly, who was standing head-on at the fences so she could really see where the mare was in the air). And honestly, it was kind of FUN!
So now Kirsten and I are going to have to brawl when she comes home and wants her horse back. It may get ugly over Thanksgiving.
I played hooky from work today since I've been working 5 days a week for the last few weeks, so I decided to be productive and ride Breezy during Shelly's morning lesson. They generally jump a good bit, so I figured I would do the same thing I do on Saturdays and just follow along for the flat portion and then go off on my own.
However, the flat portion turned into gymnastics pretty quickly (all poles, no fences), and so I decided to see how it played out. I've been really impressed with how Breezy is handling a lighter workload (going from 5-6 rides a week to 2-3), her basic personality and rideability hasn't changed at all. Now, that personality and rideability are occasionally suspect, so don't assume that she's all sweetness and light. We spook at everything, we pull, we have serious issues getting straight (although that may require a chiropractor visit or two, we'll revisit that topic at a later date), but when we are good, we are very very good.
Anyway, just as I'm commenting to my lesson partner that Shelly won't put real fences up because she knows I have mental issues right now, the jumps appear. I put my big kid pants on, because let's face it, despite my insanity, I do know how to jump around a course of fences.
Course #1, we learned how sensitive Breezy really is. I rode like a drunk monkey, and Breezy hopped up and down and acted like someone was killing her. Which I was, since I was riding with absolutely no leg and an 8 ft canter stride. Course #2 was more productive. I started breathing normally, and Breezy jumped some of the straightest fences she's ever done (per Shelly, who was standing head-on at the fences so she could really see where the mare was in the air). And honestly, it was kind of FUN!
So now Kirsten and I are going to have to brawl when she comes home and wants her horse back. It may get ugly over Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Time for an update
It's not that Breezy has been sitting around since the last update, it's just that things are kind of status quo. She has taken a little bit of a backseat to my own horse (or he who I consider to be my own horse), since he didn't really benefit from me only seeing him when I taught someone else on him. I could write an entire blog about how he now thinks he should canter around while looking like a comma, but this is Breezy's space and we know she wouldn't be pleased if Dundy was encroaching it. ;)
Thankfully, we have found a second rider for miss mare, as one of our juniors just sold her horse and needed something to take lessons on. She'd flatted her a few times previously when Kirsten was still home, and they appear to be getting on nicely. I watched her Monday for the first time and was really pleased with what I saw. She rides with my boss, so things are done a little differently than I would do them, but the aim is still the same. I think, judging from the rides I've had in the last couple weeks and watching Madison on her, that it's all working as it should.
It's painfully slow, but everyone is agreement that we are going forward. Which is a good thing given miss mare's tendency towards backward. ;)
Thankfully, we have found a second rider for miss mare, as one of our juniors just sold her horse and needed something to take lessons on. She'd flatted her a few times previously when Kirsten was still home, and they appear to be getting on nicely. I watched her Monday for the first time and was really pleased with what I saw. She rides with my boss, so things are done a little differently than I would do them, but the aim is still the same. I think, judging from the rides I've had in the last couple weeks and watching Madison on her, that it's all working as it should.
It's painfully slow, but everyone is agreement that we are going forward. Which is a good thing given miss mare's tendency towards backward. ;)
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Settling In
So things have been pretty status quo since the last posting. She's refused to be caught one other time, but in general has been pretty much her normal self.
In a mess of "can't catch another horse," I ended up using Breezy for one of my lessons on Monday. I was really impressed with her attitude there, as she had plenty of chances to be inappropriate in some form and kept it to a minimum. It was nice to see her with someone else up, I could see where the holes were filling in on what I'd been working on with her straightness, but that in getting that straightness we've lost some of the forward momentum. She's one of those that always feels like she's going somewhere, so I'm learning to be careful of keeping her moving.
I did another good flat school on Thursday (and then just a wander around the barn area yesterday, don't want her to completely hate me!), and we actually accomplished haunches-in in both directions. The lateral work was my big lofty goal for this year, as Kirsten can manage it quite nicely on a schoolmaster type but was having a lot of trouble teaching it to Breezy. The few times we've tried prior, it was a lot of bitchy mare syndrome and not much in the way of results, so I was really pleased.
I think this week we'll go back to jumping a bit. I can tell she's getting bored with the flatwork, and a bored Breezy is not going to be a fun ride for me!
In a mess of "can't catch another horse," I ended up using Breezy for one of my lessons on Monday. I was really impressed with her attitude there, as she had plenty of chances to be inappropriate in some form and kept it to a minimum. It was nice to see her with someone else up, I could see where the holes were filling in on what I'd been working on with her straightness, but that in getting that straightness we've lost some of the forward momentum. She's one of those that always feels like she's going somewhere, so I'm learning to be careful of keeping her moving.
I did another good flat school on Thursday (and then just a wander around the barn area yesterday, don't want her to completely hate me!), and we actually accomplished haunches-in in both directions. The lateral work was my big lofty goal for this year, as Kirsten can manage it quite nicely on a schoolmaster type but was having a lot of trouble teaching it to Breezy. The few times we've tried prior, it was a lot of bitchy mare syndrome and not much in the way of results, so I was really pleased.
I think this week we'll go back to jumping a bit. I can tell she's getting bored with the flatwork, and a bored Breezy is not going to be a fun ride for me!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
The Honeymoon is OVER.
I hate riding on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The whole "work 9-5, change clothes, and find the energy to ride" thing has never worked well for me. I applaud the amateur riders (and other insane dual-career pros) who manage to do it night after night, but my initiative disappears right around sunset.
That said, there is a pony that must work, so off I went tonight. I was actually looking forward to the ride, I haven't ridden since Thursday since I was at my cousin's wedding in upstate NY this weekend. I even busted out the tall boots (and broke the pull on a zipper. La Mundial, you are so not on my happy list.) Breezy had been great for me then, and had done a lesson Saturday with a good report as well, so I was excited to get going again this week.
Got to the farm, caught up with Shelly, and then headed to the field. Breezy actually walked up to me, which is a first. And then it happened....
She RAN.
Thankfully it was more of a jog, so I didn't have to worry that she was going to get herself or her girlfriends hurt. I tried again, and then went for the grain.
That little witch stayed out of arm's reach for 15 minutes, even following me back to the gate when I gave up. I was allowed to touch her once I hung the halter up, but there was no prayer of me even getting the lead rope up to grab her.
From now on I go armed with peppermints from minute 1. Or ask that she be kept in a stall after dinner. Or both.
Also annoying? When I texted her owner to tell her what a brat her horse is, Kirsten laughed at me. She's a brat too, obviously.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Ride 2.
Flatwork, flatwork, flatwork. Not really Breezy's favorite activity. However, today's ride was equally productive as Friday's. I didn't have a ton of time (riding between lessons is not really my favorite, but when I'm working both jobs in the same day it has to happen that way), so we just kind of tooled around. I'll be gone all weekend, so I'm trying to get a couple rides in before I head out of town.
We got a few steps of leg yield while we were warming up at the walk, and I continued with using a little counter bend to keep her straight on the right lead canter. Or at least thinking counter bend so that I keep her on the left rein/right leg instead of allowing her to talk me into hanging on the right rein.
I can always tell when I'm on the right track with Breezy - we go from quietly playing along into "I don't wanna do it this way." Today the temper tantrum simply came with an alternating head in the air/rooting the reins, which is easy enough to handle. I think tomorrow I'll put her in the Myler so I can have a little bit of leverage when she goes to root. Then Wednesday I'm going to have Susan ride her in a lesson so I can see what things are looking like. It's nice to have a friend who's willing to do things like that!
Also on this week's agenda: tack cleaning. I've been slack on my own stuff, and Breezy's schooling tack clearly as not been getting the same attention as her show tack. Time to remedy that before I go on vacation.
We got a few steps of leg yield while we were warming up at the walk, and I continued with using a little counter bend to keep her straight on the right lead canter. Or at least thinking counter bend so that I keep her on the left rein/right leg instead of allowing her to talk me into hanging on the right rein.
I can always tell when I'm on the right track with Breezy - we go from quietly playing along into "I don't wanna do it this way." Today the temper tantrum simply came with an alternating head in the air/rooting the reins, which is easy enough to handle. I think tomorrow I'll put her in the Myler so I can have a little bit of leverage when she goes to root. Then Wednesday I'm going to have Susan ride her in a lesson so I can see what things are looking like. It's nice to have a friend who's willing to do things like that!
Also on this week's agenda: tack cleaning. I've been slack on my own stuff, and Breezy's schooling tack clearly as not been getting the same attention as her show tack. Time to remedy that before I go on vacation.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Ride 1.
This ride actually happened yesterday, but after an 11 hour manic day at the farm blogging was kind of the last thing that I was interested in doing.
It wasn't a first ride in the sense that I had never been on Breezy, but a first ride in the sense that I could take all the time I wanted to sort through things. Generally when I ride for one of the kids I'm on to fix a specific issue that's popped up, so my focus is on whatever that is.
I focused yesterday on the known big issue, which is that she has a tendency to be weak in her right hind and therefore heavy and crooked, particularly in the canter. I have a feeling that if I can get her straight and even, the minor issues will more than likely sort themselves out from there. We did a little bit of baby lateral work at the walk and trot in addition to the normal routin, and then large canter circles. My intention was to change bend on the circle, but ended up primarily using a counter-bend to just simply keep her straight when going to the right. The difference between right and left with her is pretty significant.
She was less evil than anticipated about it all, which was nice. A lot of the time when I ride her it ends up a variation of WWIII. I'm hoping that if I walk a firm line with her as far as what I expect (without expecting more than is reasonable on any given day), she'll realize life is just easier working at that level!
I used the plain D-ring that was on the bridle already since I couldn't find either of the ones that we've been using (for the record, I don't look for bits in brush boxes.) I think I probably will stick with that for a while since I have no plans to do more than flatwork, and then use the others accordingly.
If it doesn't rain all day, the plan is to ride again tomorrow before lessons. I'm going to try and get a good bit done early this week since I'll be gone for the holiday weekend.
It wasn't a first ride in the sense that I had never been on Breezy, but a first ride in the sense that I could take all the time I wanted to sort through things. Generally when I ride for one of the kids I'm on to fix a specific issue that's popped up, so my focus is on whatever that is.
I focused yesterday on the known big issue, which is that she has a tendency to be weak in her right hind and therefore heavy and crooked, particularly in the canter. I have a feeling that if I can get her straight and even, the minor issues will more than likely sort themselves out from there. We did a little bit of baby lateral work at the walk and trot in addition to the normal routin, and then large canter circles. My intention was to change bend on the circle, but ended up primarily using a counter-bend to just simply keep her straight when going to the right. The difference between right and left with her is pretty significant.
She was less evil than anticipated about it all, which was nice. A lot of the time when I ride her it ends up a variation of WWIII. I'm hoping that if I walk a firm line with her as far as what I expect (without expecting more than is reasonable on any given day), she'll realize life is just easier working at that level!
I used the plain D-ring that was on the bridle already since I couldn't find either of the ones that we've been using (for the record, I don't look for bits in brush boxes.) I think I probably will stick with that for a while since I have no plans to do more than flatwork, and then use the others accordingly.
If it doesn't rain all day, the plan is to ride again tomorrow before lessons. I'm going to try and get a good bit done early this week since I'll be gone for the holiday weekend.
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