And All For My Knees
I started a bit of a walking program for my knees, and decided that since I don't have a dog to walk with me in the woods, why not a horse? Tucker has not been out on a trail in months, so I figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to handwalk him out on one in preparation for an eventual ride. And, it had the other benefit of my walking for my knees.
So, out we went. I put Tuck's bridle on him and then threaded the lunge line through the two rings of the bit under his chin, just in case. I figured if anything happened and he broke away from me, I'd have some fifteen feet of lunge line to hold him from running off. Turns out, I didn't need it.
I did have to repeat the halt and have him step back two paces exercise numerous times, reminding him not to walk too fast ahead of me. He was never out of control, but just wanted to move out a little more than my leg speed. That was nice in the sense the he was very positive and forward about the adventure. It only took the slightest correction to keep him where I wanted him to be.
I got my knees exercised, some exercise to take off some weight, and Tucker had a nice little trail "ride" with no stress.
After we got back, I changed from my walking shoes to my paddock boots and saddled Chance. Although there was a little wind today, it was sunny and warm, so the two of us headed out for our own hack through the woods. I took the same trail that Tucker and I walked, mostly because I'd cleared a number of branches out of the way and knew it was pretty clear. There are two huge fallen trees across the main woods roads, but both of them have pretty clear ways around. I haven't been on any of the other paths through the woods recently to see if they are blocked, so this trail was a good choice.
When I got back to the arena, I trotted a rather reluctant Chance around, working on my own posting trot which is equivalent to doing modified deep knee bends against the wall. Posting trot is much more fun and instead of the 40 or so I might do in the house, I counted 100 in each direction before I called it a day.
Add all that to pushing the wheelbarrow and riding the stationary bike for 15 minutes and I had a good day for the knees.
And two simply lovely trips through the woods.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
More of a Weather Report
Rain and Wind
Seems we are getting some of the same weather other areas of the world have been getting lately--at least for a day or so.
Yesterday, it rained on and off all day. As evening crept in, the winds began to pick up, and today it is very windy. Things are supposed to calm down by this afternoon, but right now it's a "rush" out there.
When the weather changes like this, I like to give the Boys bran mashes, so last night at late feed, I set up their buckets with bran and feed and brought them in the house. This morning, I added enough hot water to really soak the feed, a cut up carrot for each horse, and took the buckets out to the barn.
There is something delightful about both watching my horses dive into a nice soggy mash and listening to them kind of "slurp chew" it all up. I don't think any one of them pulled his nose out of the feed tub for a second once I'd put the mash in. I won't need to clean out those tubs. They are licked clean!
I was out with some other horsewomen the other night and the discussion came around to "where do you keep your horses." Two of us had ours in the back yard and when we were asked how we liked that, the duet of "Love it! Wouldn't have it any other way!" was loud and clear. We both admitted to being somewhat tied down--I, of course, have a marvelous horse sitter to call on now--but the ability to care for our horses exactly as we want to and simply be with them almost any time we wanted to was just too overwhelming.
I have boarded my horses at perhaps ten different barns in the forty years I've owned my own horse. I tended to stay at the good places for many, many years, and to be honest there were at least two places I still might be if the owners had not decided to sell their properties and move out of state. When the care was good and truly "caring" I had great peace of mind.
Still, there were always the disadvantages. In both cases, the farms were about 15 miles from my house, so travel time was always a worry when something was wrong with one of my Boys. More than once, I'd have to get up super early before work, go to the barn to tend to something, and then go back again after work. It was not that I didn't trust the barn owners to care for my horse properly, but as well all know, sometimes there are just things you have to tend to yourself, especially if your horse is ill or injured.
And then, there is the extra expense of boarding out. I never begrudge boarding stables the fees they charge, as long as they do everything they have promised as part of the agreement. But, it certainly is less costly to keep a horse at home once you have all the buildings and fencing built. I might have been able to continue to keep two horses boarded out, but Chance and Tucker never would have been part of my life if I didn't have the barn here at home. I simply could not have afforded three at one time.
You do have to have a "solitude" kind of mind, though. If you don't have other people to ride with or socialize with at your own farm, it can be lonely. And, at times, without the motivation of other riders around you, it can be hard to keep up the momentum of working your horse. But always having the arena to yourself or know that you're the only one who could possibly have lost that brush or lead rope certainly does afford a strange sort of peace of mind.
And just being able to look out the window to see the horses playing or simply drinking from the just filled water tub can be moments to treasure.
I really don't want it any other way.
Seems we are getting some of the same weather other areas of the world have been getting lately--at least for a day or so.
Yesterday, it rained on and off all day. As evening crept in, the winds began to pick up, and today it is very windy. Things are supposed to calm down by this afternoon, but right now it's a "rush" out there.
When the weather changes like this, I like to give the Boys bran mashes, so last night at late feed, I set up their buckets with bran and feed and brought them in the house. This morning, I added enough hot water to really soak the feed, a cut up carrot for each horse, and took the buckets out to the barn.
There is something delightful about both watching my horses dive into a nice soggy mash and listening to them kind of "slurp chew" it all up. I don't think any one of them pulled his nose out of the feed tub for a second once I'd put the mash in. I won't need to clean out those tubs. They are licked clean!
I was out with some other horsewomen the other night and the discussion came around to "where do you keep your horses." Two of us had ours in the back yard and when we were asked how we liked that, the duet of "Love it! Wouldn't have it any other way!" was loud and clear. We both admitted to being somewhat tied down--I, of course, have a marvelous horse sitter to call on now--but the ability to care for our horses exactly as we want to and simply be with them almost any time we wanted to was just too overwhelming.
I have boarded my horses at perhaps ten different barns in the forty years I've owned my own horse. I tended to stay at the good places for many, many years, and to be honest there were at least two places I still might be if the owners had not decided to sell their properties and move out of state. When the care was good and truly "caring" I had great peace of mind.
Still, there were always the disadvantages. In both cases, the farms were about 15 miles from my house, so travel time was always a worry when something was wrong with one of my Boys. More than once, I'd have to get up super early before work, go to the barn to tend to something, and then go back again after work. It was not that I didn't trust the barn owners to care for my horse properly, but as well all know, sometimes there are just things you have to tend to yourself, especially if your horse is ill or injured.
And then, there is the extra expense of boarding out. I never begrudge boarding stables the fees they charge, as long as they do everything they have promised as part of the agreement. But, it certainly is less costly to keep a horse at home once you have all the buildings and fencing built. I might have been able to continue to keep two horses boarded out, but Chance and Tucker never would have been part of my life if I didn't have the barn here at home. I simply could not have afforded three at one time.
You do have to have a "solitude" kind of mind, though. If you don't have other people to ride with or socialize with at your own farm, it can be lonely. And, at times, without the motivation of other riders around you, it can be hard to keep up the momentum of working your horse. But always having the arena to yourself or know that you're the only one who could possibly have lost that brush or lead rope certainly does afford a strange sort of peace of mind.
And just being able to look out the window to see the horses playing or simply drinking from the just filled water tub can be moments to treasure.
I really don't want it any other way.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Sorta Windy, Sorta Not
Sunny and Fickle
It was nice and warm today, except when the wind kicked up, which was now and then.
I decided to lunge instead of ride, just because the weather just couldn't make up its mind about what kind of day it actually was. Of course, while I was working the horses, there was just a nice gentle breeze...ah, well.
This time, I just worked Tucker and Chance, once again with the goal of fitness rather than any real training.
I did set up the little jump at about two feet, which Tucker took with grace and style. Too bad I am not much of a jumper rider anymore as it looks to me as if he'd be a really good one. He just naturally knows how to take a fence and stays calm about it. I haven't challenged him to any height, but I suspect he'd manage just fine over 3'6".
Chance, on the other hand, refused the jump at 2 feet, not because he couldn't get over it, but because he really didn't seem to know how. I lowered it for him and he popped it twice before finding both stride and style to jump it nicely. Maybe he just needs a little more practice to figure it all out, while Tucker just has a natural talent for it.
Doesn't matter much since my jumping days are over. But I do think its good physical and mental exercise for horses to jump now and then. And it definitely adds interest to the lungeing sessions.
Besides, once they get the hang of it, it really looks as if they are having fun!
It was nice and warm today, except when the wind kicked up, which was now and then.
I decided to lunge instead of ride, just because the weather just couldn't make up its mind about what kind of day it actually was. Of course, while I was working the horses, there was just a nice gentle breeze...ah, well.
This time, I just worked Tucker and Chance, once again with the goal of fitness rather than any real training.
I did set up the little jump at about two feet, which Tucker took with grace and style. Too bad I am not much of a jumper rider anymore as it looks to me as if he'd be a really good one. He just naturally knows how to take a fence and stays calm about it. I haven't challenged him to any height, but I suspect he'd manage just fine over 3'6".
Chance, on the other hand, refused the jump at 2 feet, not because he couldn't get over it, but because he really didn't seem to know how. I lowered it for him and he popped it twice before finding both stride and style to jump it nicely. Maybe he just needs a little more practice to figure it all out, while Tucker just has a natural talent for it.
Doesn't matter much since my jumping days are over. But I do think its good physical and mental exercise for horses to jump now and then. And it definitely adds interest to the lungeing sessions.
Besides, once they get the hang of it, it really looks as if they are having fun!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Another Day, Another Horse
Things Settle Down
Today was sunny, warm and calm--quite a change from yesterday.
I went out around 2 PM, and with my pocket full of treats, immediately attracted the attention of the little herd. All three horses came in from the pasture and, a bit to my surprise, Toby led the way right up to me, even though I had a halter and lead rope in my hand. I gave him a few treats, slipped the halter over his head and took him into the barn.
I gave him a nice grooming, brushing off quite a bit of shedding hair. It seems early to me, but all three Boys are shedding their winter coats. I thought shedding was triggered more by the length of daylight rather than temperature, but I'm beginning to think it might be a combination of both.
I fastened the lunge line on Toby's halter and took him out to the arena for a short lungeing session. Since he hasn't had an real work for quite some time, I kept it short. But, as always, I was delighted to see him move out with nice loose strides, and good sound gaits. He's 22 years old and doesn't show any sign of soundness issues. He does deserve to be retired, but I suppose I will work him a little now and then. But I do have to be fair and not ask for too much. If he's not really fit, I have to be careful.
Another day proved the right one for Tucker. He was quiet and calm.
I appreciated Muriel's suggestion about lungeing first, but as a rule, I don't. Particularly with a Thoroughbred, and Tucker especially, lungeing does not necessarily work the horse down. It might be a way of assessing the horse's attitude that day, but again, with Tucker, it's not much of a measure. He may play up on the lunge line and be just fine under saddle, or vice versa. Chance is another story, but lungeing him would just take any edge off and tire him out. He's pretty consistent when I ride, so I don't worry too much about him.
My horses are turned out all day and all night if they so choose, so it's not quite the same as taking a horse out of a stall and needing to take the edge off before riding them.
Anyhow, Tucker didn't need any special handling today at all. We warmed up for a while at the walk, then moved into a nice trot. It took a few times around before he started offering to go forward without too much urging on my part. I just asked him to stretch into the bit, tending to be round without too much serious "on the bit," beyond that. We did some nice suppling exercises--serpentines, shoulder-in, half pass, transitions--and then I did some canter on each lead. I decided mostly to focus on my seat, rather than worry about what Tucker was doing.
I still can't quite figure out what I'm doing when I fall over to the right, but I did find that by dropping my left knee and concentrating on where that leg was, my seat stayed more even. I think what I may be doing is shortening my left leg as my right leg slips back a little. (I think Muriel may have said something like that.) At any rate, as long as I thought about it, I stayed straight. Now I just have to get back to not having to think about it so I can ride the horse instead of focusing on myself.
I finished up riding Chance. I used the full cheek single link snaffle again and he seemed fine in it. For now, it's the bit of choice. He is a little uneven on the left rein, when his right hind is on the outside and I have to work to get his gait even. Some of it is due to his being a little stiffer in that direction. He drops his shoulder to the inside and the outside hind leg shortens the stride. This may be because he's a bit uncomfortable on that leg, but if I ride to correct it, I can.
What he does need it to be more fit and that will come with regular work. Curiously, his canter is quite nice on both leads, so that's a plus as in the past he had trouble taking the right lead.
I finished with walk/trot transitions on both reins, simply asking him to stretch into the bit and stay there going from walk to trot. Three nice transitions on each rein proved a worthy goal and it didn't take long to get them. Once again, he was a good boy.
I left the herd naked for the time being as it was really quite warm when I finished up. But we are supposed to have rain showers tonight, so I guess the sheets will have to go back on.
The last thing I want are cold, wet horses after such a nice day of effort from all three.
Today was sunny, warm and calm--quite a change from yesterday.
I went out around 2 PM, and with my pocket full of treats, immediately attracted the attention of the little herd. All three horses came in from the pasture and, a bit to my surprise, Toby led the way right up to me, even though I had a halter and lead rope in my hand. I gave him a few treats, slipped the halter over his head and took him into the barn.
I gave him a nice grooming, brushing off quite a bit of shedding hair. It seems early to me, but all three Boys are shedding their winter coats. I thought shedding was triggered more by the length of daylight rather than temperature, but I'm beginning to think it might be a combination of both.
I fastened the lunge line on Toby's halter and took him out to the arena for a short lungeing session. Since he hasn't had an real work for quite some time, I kept it short. But, as always, I was delighted to see him move out with nice loose strides, and good sound gaits. He's 22 years old and doesn't show any sign of soundness issues. He does deserve to be retired, but I suppose I will work him a little now and then. But I do have to be fair and not ask for too much. If he's not really fit, I have to be careful.
Another day proved the right one for Tucker. He was quiet and calm.
I appreciated Muriel's suggestion about lungeing first, but as a rule, I don't. Particularly with a Thoroughbred, and Tucker especially, lungeing does not necessarily work the horse down. It might be a way of assessing the horse's attitude that day, but again, with Tucker, it's not much of a measure. He may play up on the lunge line and be just fine under saddle, or vice versa. Chance is another story, but lungeing him would just take any edge off and tire him out. He's pretty consistent when I ride, so I don't worry too much about him.
My horses are turned out all day and all night if they so choose, so it's not quite the same as taking a horse out of a stall and needing to take the edge off before riding them.
Anyhow, Tucker didn't need any special handling today at all. We warmed up for a while at the walk, then moved into a nice trot. It took a few times around before he started offering to go forward without too much urging on my part. I just asked him to stretch into the bit, tending to be round without too much serious "on the bit," beyond that. We did some nice suppling exercises--serpentines, shoulder-in, half pass, transitions--and then I did some canter on each lead. I decided mostly to focus on my seat, rather than worry about what Tucker was doing.
I still can't quite figure out what I'm doing when I fall over to the right, but I did find that by dropping my left knee and concentrating on where that leg was, my seat stayed more even. I think what I may be doing is shortening my left leg as my right leg slips back a little. (I think Muriel may have said something like that.) At any rate, as long as I thought about it, I stayed straight. Now I just have to get back to not having to think about it so I can ride the horse instead of focusing on myself.
I finished up riding Chance. I used the full cheek single link snaffle again and he seemed fine in it. For now, it's the bit of choice. He is a little uneven on the left rein, when his right hind is on the outside and I have to work to get his gait even. Some of it is due to his being a little stiffer in that direction. He drops his shoulder to the inside and the outside hind leg shortens the stride. This may be because he's a bit uncomfortable on that leg, but if I ride to correct it, I can.
What he does need it to be more fit and that will come with regular work. Curiously, his canter is quite nice on both leads, so that's a plus as in the past he had trouble taking the right lead.
I finished with walk/trot transitions on both reins, simply asking him to stretch into the bit and stay there going from walk to trot. Three nice transitions on each rein proved a worthy goal and it didn't take long to get them. Once again, he was a good boy.
I left the herd naked for the time being as it was really quite warm when I finished up. But we are supposed to have rain showers tonight, so I guess the sheets will have to go back on.
The last thing I want are cold, wet horses after such a nice day of effort from all three.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Long Lines of Irony
Listen to the Horse
I was going to ride. I had a doctor's appointment in the morning and I went grocery shopping afterwards. (Got some Greek yogurt to try....yummy.) When I got back home it was sunny, warm and around 51F. Lovely day.
Went in the house to have some lunch and do a few computer thingies, figuring I'd go back out around 3 PM or so to ride the horses.
Well. Talk about finicky weather. The sun ducked behind some clouds--or the clouds ducked in front of the sun and from nowhere, a brisk, chill breeze picked up.
OK, it wasn't really cold, but it sure wasn't 50 anymore. I headed out, still intent on riding. I brought Tucker in, saddled him up and headed out to the arena. He spooked at something windblown in the woods. But then he settled again, sort of. I lead him over to the mounting platform and he balked, simply refusing to walk up beside it.
Now, it would have been a small matter to insist that he move up since he will respond very quickly when I insist, but something twirled around in my brain. I honestly think he was telling me, "Don't try to ride. I'm all riled up and I'm not sure I can behave. Don't ride me. Not today."
I decided to listen to my inner voice. I took him back inside the barn and switched the saddle for the lungeing surcingle and the long lines.
Good move. Tucker was perfectly capable of working well and just as capable of simply exploding into random bucks and bolts in between the good work. He never really tried to pull away or leap out of control. I had him well in hand, but there was no doubt he could not contain his leaps and bounds.
I am sure a ride would not have been pretty.
It is ironic because I just posted a comment on Caroline's blog that I have been just trying to treat Tucker like a "regular horse," which means, just kind of get on and ride--no questions asked.
Today, I asked questions, and I'm glad I did. I think the weather change had just been too abrupt. As a matter of fact, by the tine we were done and I came into the house to put some hot water in nice bran mashes for the Boys--something I like to do when the weather turns suddenly--the wind had died back down and the sun was hinting of a return. It was a bit into early evening by then, so it never did warm up again, but it did calm down.
In my daring youth, I would have ridden anyhow. Not so anymore. There is no reason to take a chance when I just have a feeling it's not the right thing to do.
It was a good longlining session and a good lesson to remember.
I was going to ride. I had a doctor's appointment in the morning and I went grocery shopping afterwards. (Got some Greek yogurt to try....yummy.) When I got back home it was sunny, warm and around 51F. Lovely day.
Went in the house to have some lunch and do a few computer thingies, figuring I'd go back out around 3 PM or so to ride the horses.
Well. Talk about finicky weather. The sun ducked behind some clouds--or the clouds ducked in front of the sun and from nowhere, a brisk, chill breeze picked up.
OK, it wasn't really cold, but it sure wasn't 50 anymore. I headed out, still intent on riding. I brought Tucker in, saddled him up and headed out to the arena. He spooked at something windblown in the woods. But then he settled again, sort of. I lead him over to the mounting platform and he balked, simply refusing to walk up beside it.
Now, it would have been a small matter to insist that he move up since he will respond very quickly when I insist, but something twirled around in my brain. I honestly think he was telling me, "Don't try to ride. I'm all riled up and I'm not sure I can behave. Don't ride me. Not today."
I decided to listen to my inner voice. I took him back inside the barn and switched the saddle for the lungeing surcingle and the long lines.
Good move. Tucker was perfectly capable of working well and just as capable of simply exploding into random bucks and bolts in between the good work. He never really tried to pull away or leap out of control. I had him well in hand, but there was no doubt he could not contain his leaps and bounds.
I am sure a ride would not have been pretty.
It is ironic because I just posted a comment on Caroline's blog that I have been just trying to treat Tucker like a "regular horse," which means, just kind of get on and ride--no questions asked.
Today, I asked questions, and I'm glad I did. I think the weather change had just been too abrupt. As a matter of fact, by the tine we were done and I came into the house to put some hot water in nice bran mashes for the Boys--something I like to do when the weather turns suddenly--the wind had died back down and the sun was hinting of a return. It was a bit into early evening by then, so it never did warm up again, but it did calm down.
In my daring youth, I would have ridden anyhow. Not so anymore. There is no reason to take a chance when I just have a feeling it's not the right thing to do.
It was a good longlining session and a good lesson to remember.
Monday, February 20, 2012
A Little Lungeing
Another Nice Day
It was a little chilly today, enough for my knees to feel it, so I didn't go out to the barn until late afternoon.
I decided I'd lunge Tucker and Chance, just to get them moving with a little controlled exercise. I lunge them in a halter for basic exercise. If I intend to really work them, I'll put on the long lines and use them to lunge. I'm not keen on side reins, mostly because they are fixed and I cannot change the contact while I am working the horse. If I am just going to use lungeing for exercise, I'd rather the horse have his head without being restricted by rein contact.
Besides, it's easier that way. I've pretty much taught all my horses to be responsive and reliable--barring a few exciting explosions now and then--in the halter and part of the fun is getting them to change gait with just a simple verbal command instead of all kinds of pulling or pushing.
I lunged Tucker first. He started off a bit lazy, but warmed up quickly and soon offered a relaxed, forward trot with his head stretching way down to the ground. I guess it must feel good for him to stretch like that, because he does seem to like it. His first canter depart was prompt on one simple command to "canter," but it took a few chirps along with one or two commands to "trot" when I wanted the downward. Not exactly disobedient, but it's almost as if once he starts cantering he kind of "gets into a zone," and just keeps going. We practiced a few transitions and in short order, he was responding with a change of gait from one simple command. Fun stuff, and it was the same on both reins.
I set up a small jump--about 2 feet--along the rail and set him towards it. He kept a pretty steady pace into in the first few times and jumped nicely. Then he got a little silly, rushed the approach, took off from a very long spot and hit the rail with his hind leg, sending the Blox atilt. Fortunately, he didn't try to run off after that, so I brought him back down to a quiet walk, reset the jump and from then on, his approaches and jumps were far more careful and controlled.--He controlled, them, not me.
When we finished, I lavished praise on him for a job well done and did some in hand leading work. Basically, his job is to stop when I stop, back a step and halt. Then when I move off again, he's to walk quietly with me at whatever pace I choose. He also has to back up and move over in response to either a verbal command or just a hand signal. Once again, he was "practically perfect in every way" with those exercises.
I did all the same exercises with Chance. He did look just a little "short" on his right hind leg when we started off, but as he warmed up his stride was pretty even. I think it's just a matter of getting him fit if something is bothering him in his stifle.
Chance is also pretty responsive on the lunge as well. Not quite as sharp to respond as Tucker, but just fine. The jumping, though, is quite interesting. He just doesn't pick up any impulsion on the approach, so that, unless I really get after him to move out, he sort of lunges over the fence, lands at a near standstill on the other side and then kind of trots off. It's not a lack of talent, just a too laid back effort and what seems to be a complete misunderstanding of just what it takes to really "jump." But, to his credit, by the fifth time over, with my chasing him into a forward canter, he made some nice efforts and we called it a day.
I did some in hand work with him, realizing that I really haven't taught him a whole lot about the "leading rules." So I did the halt/back exercise a few times, and then had him circle around me, moving away from my hand. We finished with the back in hand as well and he was really good about it. Again, his responses are not as sharp as Tucker's but he does try hard and seems to like the attention.
I did not do anything with Toby. He is retired, after all, but I am hoping that as he watches the other Boys work that he may actually want to do something too. I told him that if I hold up the halter and walks his head into it, I'll know it's time. He just has to let me know.
I truly enjoy working my horses in hand. Much of what I do on the ground carries over into my riding, and the basic handling skills are so important.
Reminds me...I need to work Chance on trailer loading when I get the opportunity. Trouble is, to be safe, I need to hook up to the truck. He loads all right with food, but my horses really need to be "point and load" without any kind of reward at the end. Sometimes you just don't have a bribe at hand.
We'll get to it. And I'm sure he'll be just fine. He's a good boy.
It was a little chilly today, enough for my knees to feel it, so I didn't go out to the barn until late afternoon.
I decided I'd lunge Tucker and Chance, just to get them moving with a little controlled exercise. I lunge them in a halter for basic exercise. If I intend to really work them, I'll put on the long lines and use them to lunge. I'm not keen on side reins, mostly because they are fixed and I cannot change the contact while I am working the horse. If I am just going to use lungeing for exercise, I'd rather the horse have his head without being restricted by rein contact.
Besides, it's easier that way. I've pretty much taught all my horses to be responsive and reliable--barring a few exciting explosions now and then--in the halter and part of the fun is getting them to change gait with just a simple verbal command instead of all kinds of pulling or pushing.
I lunged Tucker first. He started off a bit lazy, but warmed up quickly and soon offered a relaxed, forward trot with his head stretching way down to the ground. I guess it must feel good for him to stretch like that, because he does seem to like it. His first canter depart was prompt on one simple command to "canter," but it took a few chirps along with one or two commands to "trot" when I wanted the downward. Not exactly disobedient, but it's almost as if once he starts cantering he kind of "gets into a zone," and just keeps going. We practiced a few transitions and in short order, he was responding with a change of gait from one simple command. Fun stuff, and it was the same on both reins.
I set up a small jump--about 2 feet--along the rail and set him towards it. He kept a pretty steady pace into in the first few times and jumped nicely. Then he got a little silly, rushed the approach, took off from a very long spot and hit the rail with his hind leg, sending the Blox atilt. Fortunately, he didn't try to run off after that, so I brought him back down to a quiet walk, reset the jump and from then on, his approaches and jumps were far more careful and controlled.--He controlled, them, not me.
When we finished, I lavished praise on him for a job well done and did some in hand leading work. Basically, his job is to stop when I stop, back a step and halt. Then when I move off again, he's to walk quietly with me at whatever pace I choose. He also has to back up and move over in response to either a verbal command or just a hand signal. Once again, he was "practically perfect in every way" with those exercises.
I did all the same exercises with Chance. He did look just a little "short" on his right hind leg when we started off, but as he warmed up his stride was pretty even. I think it's just a matter of getting him fit if something is bothering him in his stifle.
Chance is also pretty responsive on the lunge as well. Not quite as sharp to respond as Tucker, but just fine. The jumping, though, is quite interesting. He just doesn't pick up any impulsion on the approach, so that, unless I really get after him to move out, he sort of lunges over the fence, lands at a near standstill on the other side and then kind of trots off. It's not a lack of talent, just a too laid back effort and what seems to be a complete misunderstanding of just what it takes to really "jump." But, to his credit, by the fifth time over, with my chasing him into a forward canter, he made some nice efforts and we called it a day.
I did some in hand work with him, realizing that I really haven't taught him a whole lot about the "leading rules." So I did the halt/back exercise a few times, and then had him circle around me, moving away from my hand. We finished with the back in hand as well and he was really good about it. Again, his responses are not as sharp as Tucker's but he does try hard and seems to like the attention.
I did not do anything with Toby. He is retired, after all, but I am hoping that as he watches the other Boys work that he may actually want to do something too. I told him that if I hold up the halter and walks his head into it, I'll know it's time. He just has to let me know.
I truly enjoy working my horses in hand. Much of what I do on the ground carries over into my riding, and the basic handling skills are so important.
Reminds me...I need to work Chance on trailer loading when I get the opportunity. Trouble is, to be safe, I need to hook up to the truck. He loads all right with food, but my horses really need to be "point and load" without any kind of reward at the end. Sometimes you just don't have a bribe at hand.
We'll get to it. And I'm sure he'll be just fine. He's a good boy.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Erratic Winter Riding
But Riding, Nonetheless
So, one day it's cold, the next it's sunny and warm. Winter is fickle here, but really mild compared to most years.
When it's sunny and warm, that's when I ride. It's a little easier on my knees at the moment, but in general they feel pretty good. They are still a bit sore--mostly behind the knee on the left--and can get a little stiff, depending on just how much swelling there is. If I sit too long in one position, they can hurt when I first move, but that is no worse than it was before the replacements, and actually better.
With the extra high mounting platform, getting into the saddle is pretty easy, although I have a little trouble picking up my right stirrup without using my hand. I don't think the new knee has quite the same lateral flexibility as my real knee did--but that may also change with time as the last of the residual swelling goes away.
Once in the saddle, I am comfortable, but not quite as sure of myself as I used to be. It's more mental than physical, and during the course of the ride, it usually goes away--except when Tucker decides to be a bit
"edgy." He was jigging at the walk today and got a little "I might buck" action a couple times. I corrected him, of course, but as we all know, he will continue to test the limits anyhow. It doesn't seem particularly crabby, but rather that he's a little too full of himself.
A consequence of erratic.
My biggest annoyance right now it that on both Tucker and Chance, I seem to be sitting off to the right. This is a problem I thought I had conquered, but, like every bad habit, it has once again reared its ugly head. Now, it could be that both horses carry me that way, but even if that were true (Hey, I have trained them so if they are crooked, whose fault is it anyhow???) it's my job to sit evenly.
What I have to do, then is figure out just what part of my anatomy is causing the starboard list. If I recall before, I was riding with my right leg a little too far back, causing my hip to rotate to the right. I am having a few back issues and my pelvis does have to be adjusted, but whether the rotation is due to riding crookedly or riding crookedly is a consequence of the rotation, it's still up to me to fix it. I'll get there. I did before.
Which brings me to bits. I tried Chance in the Myler comfort snaffle, and I don't think it's the bit for him. But I need to ride him in the regular snaffle again to further assess. When I am on the left rein, his trot gets "hoppy" and he keeps trying to break to canter. When I really focused on making him stretch into the contact, the hops largely went away. That makes me suspect it's more of a bridle/bit lameness--reaction to the bit contact--more than physical. (But I can't rule out physical 100% because he has had some issues with the right hind before.) I did not see any sign of it when I long lined him in his full cheek single jointed snaffle, but that's the bit he put his tongue over. I do have a straight bar bit to use on him and if I ride him in the snaffle and find that tongue issue happening again, I may go back to that.
I tried Tucker in the Myler as well as someone had suggested it was a really good bit to get horses on the bit. OK, that may be so, but first, the horse has to seek the contact. Tucker does not in the Myler. I swapped back to his lozenge bit and soon he was happily dragging me around the arena rather as if I was water skiing.
Which is both good and bad.
It's good in that his trot is very forward, but it's also potentially on the brink of "runaway," mostly because he's not exactly really balanced. What I should do is just kind of "go for it," when I get that trot, but he can be a little intimidating to me when he gets too strong. Fact is, I just don't trust him.
Too much baggage between us.
But, forward on Tucker is actually a plus and I need to gain the confidence to capitalize on it. And here's where the "erratic" comes back into play. Since I am only riding sporadically--erratically--I haven't quite gotten in sync with what I should be doing, and I'm certainly neither fit enough nor strong seated enough to ride as effectively as I need to.
So, I must be patient with both myself and the Boys. Once I figure out the right bit for Chance, we'll be fine. We went out on the trail yesterday--the same trail where I fell off--and had a nice ride with a bit of arena work afterwards. Tucker? Always a riddle. I am sure we will reach some sort of compromise with me in higher authority.
It's just going to take a little more time, a little more work, a little more fitness, and a little less erratic.
So, one day it's cold, the next it's sunny and warm. Winter is fickle here, but really mild compared to most years.
When it's sunny and warm, that's when I ride. It's a little easier on my knees at the moment, but in general they feel pretty good. They are still a bit sore--mostly behind the knee on the left--and can get a little stiff, depending on just how much swelling there is. If I sit too long in one position, they can hurt when I first move, but that is no worse than it was before the replacements, and actually better.
With the extra high mounting platform, getting into the saddle is pretty easy, although I have a little trouble picking up my right stirrup without using my hand. I don't think the new knee has quite the same lateral flexibility as my real knee did--but that may also change with time as the last of the residual swelling goes away.
Once in the saddle, I am comfortable, but not quite as sure of myself as I used to be. It's more mental than physical, and during the course of the ride, it usually goes away--except when Tucker decides to be a bit
"edgy." He was jigging at the walk today and got a little "I might buck" action a couple times. I corrected him, of course, but as we all know, he will continue to test the limits anyhow. It doesn't seem particularly crabby, but rather that he's a little too full of himself.
A consequence of erratic.
My biggest annoyance right now it that on both Tucker and Chance, I seem to be sitting off to the right. This is a problem I thought I had conquered, but, like every bad habit, it has once again reared its ugly head. Now, it could be that both horses carry me that way, but even if that were true (Hey, I have trained them so if they are crooked, whose fault is it anyhow???) it's my job to sit evenly.
What I have to do, then is figure out just what part of my anatomy is causing the starboard list. If I recall before, I was riding with my right leg a little too far back, causing my hip to rotate to the right. I am having a few back issues and my pelvis does have to be adjusted, but whether the rotation is due to riding crookedly or riding crookedly is a consequence of the rotation, it's still up to me to fix it. I'll get there. I did before.
Which brings me to bits. I tried Chance in the Myler comfort snaffle, and I don't think it's the bit for him. But I need to ride him in the regular snaffle again to further assess. When I am on the left rein, his trot gets "hoppy" and he keeps trying to break to canter. When I really focused on making him stretch into the contact, the hops largely went away. That makes me suspect it's more of a bridle/bit lameness--reaction to the bit contact--more than physical. (But I can't rule out physical 100% because he has had some issues with the right hind before.) I did not see any sign of it when I long lined him in his full cheek single jointed snaffle, but that's the bit he put his tongue over. I do have a straight bar bit to use on him and if I ride him in the snaffle and find that tongue issue happening again, I may go back to that.
I tried Tucker in the Myler as well as someone had suggested it was a really good bit to get horses on the bit. OK, that may be so, but first, the horse has to seek the contact. Tucker does not in the Myler. I swapped back to his lozenge bit and soon he was happily dragging me around the arena rather as if I was water skiing.
Which is both good and bad.
It's good in that his trot is very forward, but it's also potentially on the brink of "runaway," mostly because he's not exactly really balanced. What I should do is just kind of "go for it," when I get that trot, but he can be a little intimidating to me when he gets too strong. Fact is, I just don't trust him.
Too much baggage between us.
But, forward on Tucker is actually a plus and I need to gain the confidence to capitalize on it. And here's where the "erratic" comes back into play. Since I am only riding sporadically--erratically--I haven't quite gotten in sync with what I should be doing, and I'm certainly neither fit enough nor strong seated enough to ride as effectively as I need to.
So, I must be patient with both myself and the Boys. Once I figure out the right bit for Chance, we'll be fine. We went out on the trail yesterday--the same trail where I fell off--and had a nice ride with a bit of arena work afterwards. Tucker? Always a riddle. I am sure we will reach some sort of compromise with me in higher authority.
It's just going to take a little more time, a little more work, a little more fitness, and a little less erratic.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Such a Bully
Middle Child Syndrome
Tucker is such a bully with Chance. I'm not sure Chance really cares too much as he is an independent sort, but he certainly does have to submit to the "Bullybay."
Last night, when I went in Tucker's stall to feed him, Chance was outside, somewhere near the outside door. Tucker squealed and made an aggressive move towards that door. The trouble was, I was in the stall too. I gave him a shout and he instantly behaved, but the mere fact that he would do that when I was there really made me angry. ( I did not have to make any physical correction as my verbal reprimand was just fine.)
I've been watching some of the herd interaction out there and Tucker really does insist on bossing Chance around, even when there is no reason.
For his part, Chance doesn't really run away, but just kind of moves aside far enough to be out of reach and safe from Tucker's attitude. Tucker makes sure that Chance is reminded of his status when I go out to feed by herding him away from the barn. And Tucker makes Chance wait at the water trough until he has had his fill.
Often, when it rains, if Tucker and Toby are standing under the run in shed, Chance is left with part of his body standing outside, getting wet because Tucker will not let him in. This is not all the time, though. This week everyone was under cover, so there must be some sort of logic to it all. (Horse logic? Another oxymoron?)
And it's not that Tucker and Chance are enemies. They often play together and seem to be having quite the good time. And, when Tucker's blankets get ripped, I am more than certain Chance is the one who does it. (Toby is just not a "ripper.")
The other day, Chance and Toby were lying on piles of hay in the sunshine in the paddock, napping. Along came Tucker who "commanded" Chance to get up. Perhaps it was the "changing if the guard," and Chance's time to stand sentinel, but it looked more like just another bullying tactic.
Toby is herd boss, no doubt about it, and nobody fools with him when he says so. Middle child Tucker is ever the social climber. I guess Chance's mild manner makes him the perfect "whipping boy," for the schoolyard bully.
Not much can do about it, despite all my teacher skills from the classroom.
Think I need a graduate course in "Horse Bullies 101?"
Tucker is such a bully with Chance. I'm not sure Chance really cares too much as he is an independent sort, but he certainly does have to submit to the "Bullybay."
Last night, when I went in Tucker's stall to feed him, Chance was outside, somewhere near the outside door. Tucker squealed and made an aggressive move towards that door. The trouble was, I was in the stall too. I gave him a shout and he instantly behaved, but the mere fact that he would do that when I was there really made me angry. ( I did not have to make any physical correction as my verbal reprimand was just fine.)
I've been watching some of the herd interaction out there and Tucker really does insist on bossing Chance around, even when there is no reason.
For his part, Chance doesn't really run away, but just kind of moves aside far enough to be out of reach and safe from Tucker's attitude. Tucker makes sure that Chance is reminded of his status when I go out to feed by herding him away from the barn. And Tucker makes Chance wait at the water trough until he has had his fill.
Often, when it rains, if Tucker and Toby are standing under the run in shed, Chance is left with part of his body standing outside, getting wet because Tucker will not let him in. This is not all the time, though. This week everyone was under cover, so there must be some sort of logic to it all. (Horse logic? Another oxymoron?)
And it's not that Tucker and Chance are enemies. They often play together and seem to be having quite the good time. And, when Tucker's blankets get ripped, I am more than certain Chance is the one who does it. (Toby is just not a "ripper.")
The other day, Chance and Toby were lying on piles of hay in the sunshine in the paddock, napping. Along came Tucker who "commanded" Chance to get up. Perhaps it was the "changing if the guard," and Chance's time to stand sentinel, but it looked more like just another bullying tactic.
Toby is herd boss, no doubt about it, and nobody fools with him when he says so. Middle child Tucker is ever the social climber. I guess Chance's mild manner makes him the perfect "whipping boy," for the schoolyard bully.
Not much can do about it, despite all my teacher skills from the classroom.
Think I need a graduate course in "Horse Bullies 101?"
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Thawing Back Out
It's Getting Nice Again
Warmish again today. I took the Boys' winter blankets off so they would enjoy the sunshine and about an hour later the sun disappeared behind the clouds. I'll be putting their sheets back on when I go out to feed shortly. It is in the upper 40's F now and will only go down to about freezing tonight, so they should be fine.
I went to the chiropractor this morning so no riding today. I am walking for exercise, though. So far around my property with two fairly decent hills in the pasture. I walk briskly and even tried a little jog, but I am not ready for much of that yet.
I'm not sure what the horses think. I gave them some hay in the paddock while I walked, but they were on the alert to keep track of me. I did have a laugh a little when I got back, though. Peppercorn, the barnkitty, was stretched out in the sand, not too far from Toby, just kind of hanging out with the herd while they ate.
But, as usual, the camera was in the house. It would have made a cute picture.
I did have my camera when the sun was shining on the lake (sandpit) across the road, though. I only have a lakefront view during the winter when there are no leaves on the trees, though. The lake is huge--perhaps 200 acres and it looks turquoise in the sunlight. Later, when the sun changed position in the sky, it looked like a mirror.
I hesitate to post this, but one of the homeowner's insurance companies may have refused to cover my property because they figured it was in a "flood hazard area," due to the lake. The lake is below the water table and my property is probably 50 feet higher or more than the surface and I am probably 300 or more feet away. I figure we'd need a awful lot of rain for any of that water to reach me.
It looks like I have a smudge on my camera lens.
It shall be corrected. *G*
Oooops, I nearly forgot...
Happy Valentine's Day to All!
Warmish again today. I took the Boys' winter blankets off so they would enjoy the sunshine and about an hour later the sun disappeared behind the clouds. I'll be putting their sheets back on when I go out to feed shortly. It is in the upper 40's F now and will only go down to about freezing tonight, so they should be fine.
I went to the chiropractor this morning so no riding today. I am walking for exercise, though. So far around my property with two fairly decent hills in the pasture. I walk briskly and even tried a little jog, but I am not ready for much of that yet.
I'm not sure what the horses think. I gave them some hay in the paddock while I walked, but they were on the alert to keep track of me. I did have a laugh a little when I got back, though. Peppercorn, the barnkitty, was stretched out in the sand, not too far from Toby, just kind of hanging out with the herd while they ate.
But, as usual, the camera was in the house. It would have made a cute picture.
I did have my camera when the sun was shining on the lake (sandpit) across the road, though. I only have a lakefront view during the winter when there are no leaves on the trees, though. The lake is huge--perhaps 200 acres and it looks turquoise in the sunlight. Later, when the sun changed position in the sky, it looked like a mirror.
I hesitate to post this, but one of the homeowner's insurance companies may have refused to cover my property because they figured it was in a "flood hazard area," due to the lake. The lake is below the water table and my property is probably 50 feet higher or more than the surface and I am probably 300 or more feet away. I figure we'd need a awful lot of rain for any of that water to reach me.
It shall be corrected. *G*
Oooops, I nearly forgot...
Happy Valentine's Day to All!
Friday, February 10, 2012
Sugar Coating
I woke up yesterday to snow. Just a coating. Pretty, actually, especially since it didn't need to be shoveled and it was going to be warm enough to melt nearly all of it by day's end. We are supposed to get more snow tonight--perhaps several inches--but again when it warms up next week, that too will melt.
Here's what we had last year:
This year? Almost the same day? Here's Toby:
I'll be honest. After last year, we've earned a break. But winter is not yet over and some of the worst storms I remember were in March, so I am not counting on anything at this point. Instead, I'll just enjoy the beauty of nature when she is not being too cruel to us.
I longlined both Tucker and Chance the day before the snow. Tucker did some very silly aerial maneuvers, but gave me a lot of nice work in between. Chance was going absolutely beautifully until he got his tongue over the bit. This was his proper bit too. I don't know if I had it adjusted too low after fixing the bridle, or if he was having a problem with tongue pressure. I raised it up a hole or two for now, but I may try out the Myler bit I bought for Tucker some time ago and never tried.
First, though, I have to look the bit up on the Myler site to see what it says about tongue pressure. If it's the right one to relieve that, it's worth a shot. If not I still supposed it's worth the experiment.
I hope to ride a little today as it's nice out and the snow is not scheduled to arrive until evening. But time's a wasting and I still have to eat lunch--just heard my casserole timer ding.
And here's the "Can You Spot The Ball?" quiz from the other day.
Here is the "reveal."
Wonder exactly how it got there?
It wasn't very windy that night.
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Two Rides, Two Horses
And the Return of the "Magic" Ball
I played with Tucker and the ball the other day. He really understands about pushing it with his nose and is getting better and better at it. The only flaw it that he is also very focused on getting a treat afterwards, and tends to crowd me to make sure I give him one. We'll have to work on that.
Chance doesn't seem to get the concept of pushing the ball yet, but I haven't worked with him alone in the arena as Tucker has also been in there, kind of hogging the attention. I will do some individual work next time I go out to see if Chance can get the idea. He doesn't actually pay much attention to the ball when I push it at him and just sees it as "something in the way." Nice that he's not spooky, but curious that he doesn't interact.
Toby still thinks the ball is a "monster." *sigh*
I left the ball outside overnight and in the morning, it was gone from the arena! I found it up against the fence in the pasture. Accidentally blown by the wind? H-m-m-m. One suspects not, but with no proof, it's hard to say. *S*
I rode Tucker and Chance yesterday. It was lovely and warm again.
It took Tucker a few moments to "get into gear" when I started off. As soon as I picked up contact, he balked. But just a little persuasion convinced him to walk off. He kept wanting to trot, though, so I kept the walk warm up short and then trotted off. At first I kept the rein long, just letting him stretch out into the bit. But as we worked, I gradually shortened the contact so we could maneuver better. We did a little shoulder in, some half pass, serpentines, a modified Intro level test pattern, and then some spiral in and spiral out on a twenty meter circle. He stalled on the right rein in the spiral in. I'm not sure if he was a little tired at that point--he was getting very forward and we were about 15 minutes into the ride--but it was relatively easy to fix. I did a canter depart with about one circle of canter on each lead, then trotted up the center line for a really lovely square halt. 20 minutes for an unfit horse and an unfit rider were just fine.
Tucker is really taking a lot of contact. That's good and bad. But for now, as long as I can contain the energy, I'd rather have that than stuck and not going at all. I'll just have to see how much he can actually rock back on his hocks and carry himself more as time goes on. If it makes him sore, we'll just stick to playing dressage instead of actually working at it.
I rode Chance next. I have to give him some slack because I still didn't fix his bridle with the single joint bit. He was very fussy with his head, but I didn't accept it completely. My goal was to get transitions from walk to trot and back down without his tossing his head or coming up off the bit. It took a little doing. He would walk nicely into the rein, but as soon as I asked for the upward transition, up went his head and down went his back. I'm pretty quick at correcting things, so it only took a stride to get him back, but a stride was one too many. We took it slowly and methodically and eventually, I had at least two moderately good transitions on each rein. We cantered about a circle on each lead, mostly because Chance much prefers canter to trot, and then finished up with a nice walk to cool out. Once again, it was about 20 minutes of work all told.
It's amazing how time flies when I am in the saddle concentrating on accomplishing one goal or another. I have to watch the clock to make sure I don't overdo for either the horse or me. I easily could have kept going with Chance on those transitions as I still had a number of options in my "bag of tricks" to improve them, but I'm satisfied with the progress so far.
Next time, though, he will be in his bridle with the bit he prefers.
The right equipment always makes a big difference.
I played with Tucker and the ball the other day. He really understands about pushing it with his nose and is getting better and better at it. The only flaw it that he is also very focused on getting a treat afterwards, and tends to crowd me to make sure I give him one. We'll have to work on that.
Chance doesn't seem to get the concept of pushing the ball yet, but I haven't worked with him alone in the arena as Tucker has also been in there, kind of hogging the attention. I will do some individual work next time I go out to see if Chance can get the idea. He doesn't actually pay much attention to the ball when I push it at him and just sees it as "something in the way." Nice that he's not spooky, but curious that he doesn't interact.
Toby still thinks the ball is a "monster." *sigh*
I left the ball outside overnight and in the morning, it was gone from the arena! I found it up against the fence in the pasture. Accidentally blown by the wind? H-m-m-m. One suspects not, but with no proof, it's hard to say. *S*
I rode Tucker and Chance yesterday. It was lovely and warm again.
It took Tucker a few moments to "get into gear" when I started off. As soon as I picked up contact, he balked. But just a little persuasion convinced him to walk off. He kept wanting to trot, though, so I kept the walk warm up short and then trotted off. At first I kept the rein long, just letting him stretch out into the bit. But as we worked, I gradually shortened the contact so we could maneuver better. We did a little shoulder in, some half pass, serpentines, a modified Intro level test pattern, and then some spiral in and spiral out on a twenty meter circle. He stalled on the right rein in the spiral in. I'm not sure if he was a little tired at that point--he was getting very forward and we were about 15 minutes into the ride--but it was relatively easy to fix. I did a canter depart with about one circle of canter on each lead, then trotted up the center line for a really lovely square halt. 20 minutes for an unfit horse and an unfit rider were just fine.
Tucker is really taking a lot of contact. That's good and bad. But for now, as long as I can contain the energy, I'd rather have that than stuck and not going at all. I'll just have to see how much he can actually rock back on his hocks and carry himself more as time goes on. If it makes him sore, we'll just stick to playing dressage instead of actually working at it.
I rode Chance next. I have to give him some slack because I still didn't fix his bridle with the single joint bit. He was very fussy with his head, but I didn't accept it completely. My goal was to get transitions from walk to trot and back down without his tossing his head or coming up off the bit. It took a little doing. He would walk nicely into the rein, but as soon as I asked for the upward transition, up went his head and down went his back. I'm pretty quick at correcting things, so it only took a stride to get him back, but a stride was one too many. We took it slowly and methodically and eventually, I had at least two moderately good transitions on each rein. We cantered about a circle on each lead, mostly because Chance much prefers canter to trot, and then finished up with a nice walk to cool out. Once again, it was about 20 minutes of work all told.
It's amazing how time flies when I am in the saddle concentrating on accomplishing one goal or another. I have to watch the clock to make sure I don't overdo for either the horse or me. I easily could have kept going with Chance on those transitions as I still had a number of options in my "bag of tricks" to improve them, but I'm satisfied with the progress so far.
Next time, though, he will be in his bridle with the bit he prefers.
The right equipment always makes a big difference.
Monday, February 06, 2012
Things I Wish I'd Known
Lessons from My Horses
When I look back on my riding and horse ownership career, I am largely satisfied. I competed very successfully with my hunter/jumper/event all around horse, Russell R. to the tune of over 150 grand and reserve championships with many many first place finishes. My years with PJ's Folly took me to Intermediare I, with mixed success, but I got there, as I did with Toby. My competitions with Tucker were somewhat spotty with victories here and there, but far more failures, all of which taught me more than any trophy I could have ever won. I've ridden with international trainers from nearly every corner of the world, and benefited from hours of their expertise and critique.
And yet....
Gee, do I wish I knew then what I know now.
First and foremost is the concept of a treeless saddle. My Russell, despite his phenomenal success in the hunter jumper world, always proved less of a winner in the dressage arena. He did compete through third level and won many an event based on his dressage scores, but the curious thing was, he always went far better when I rode him bareback. Bareback, he would round his back and simply go "on the bit" with no effort on my part. I am totally convinced he would have loved working in my Ansur and could have been a star all the time working treeless. I got the Ansur many years after he passed away, and did get to ride PJ in it, but I never competed him in that saddle either. I have a feeling his show arena performances would also have been so much better without a tree to interfere with his incredible trot and perhaps even his more difficult canter.
But PJ's performance in competition leads me to the another thing I wish I'd known about--ulcers. PJ was the obvious candidate. He was erratic from day to day in his work and under the stress of a show, more often than not proved a tricky ride. He had a ton of talent, but it was so hard to bring it out when we needed it before a judge. PJ was a perfectionist, and a worrier. I to totally convinced a good part of his attitude was due to ulcers. But, back then, I'm not even sure many horsemen, much less vets I knew, ever even talked about that. It wasn't until I got Tucker and Patrice Edwards, a trainer from Britain, told me he was suffering from ulcers based upon his behavior that I discovered how common they were in performance horses.
I'm pretty well convinced Toby started cribbing as a a symptom of ulcers too, considering the long story behind his vice. I've treated him since, but at this point the habit is so ingrained, there's no stopping him. At least I feel a little confident that he feels OK internally. It would have been nice to have been able to give PJ that gift too.
I did give PJ the gift of acupuncture and chiropractic, however. He was lucky that way as I owned him when equine acupuncture was just starting. The vet who treated him has since gone on to a well respected career--no names here as there were some issues surrounding alternative medicine at that time. In fact, the small animal vet who owned the farm where I boarded refused to let a chiropractor work on a horse on his property, so the owner and chiropractor went out into an adjacent field for the adjustments.
I've since used both treatments on Toby and Tucker as well and know how much they can change a horse's behavior. A joint slipped out of place or a sore muscle can be painful, as we all know. Now add the bulk of a horse's body and our expectations for athletic performances and it often ends in training nightmares. There are plenty of stoic horses out there that just keep on going no matter what, but I feel a lot better knowing mine don't have to.
Russell R. was on the "cutting edge" of the discovery of glucosamine as a joint supplement. I had a perna mussel powder imported from, I think, Australia or New Zealand. He also was treated with Isoxsuprine for navicular in the first years it was discovered to be of value. In both cases, I knew then what I know now, so for a "first horse" he did OK.
I am sure as years go on, there will be more and more discoveries to help our horses and us become sounder, happier athletes. Perhaps there will be a cure for laminitis and a guarantee against colic. Someone might discover a fly spray that really works, or a bit that puts a horse into a Grand Prix frame with no pain and total comfort while still allowing him to develop his muscles properly. Maybe someone will find a way to give riders perfectly balanced seats, educated hands, and instant sensibility to our horse's responses.
Who knows?
I wish I knew then, what I know now, and I rather imagine that ten years from now, I'll be saying the same thing.
When I look back on my riding and horse ownership career, I am largely satisfied. I competed very successfully with my hunter/jumper/event all around horse, Russell R. to the tune of over 150 grand and reserve championships with many many first place finishes. My years with PJ's Folly took me to Intermediare I, with mixed success, but I got there, as I did with Toby. My competitions with Tucker were somewhat spotty with victories here and there, but far more failures, all of which taught me more than any trophy I could have ever won. I've ridden with international trainers from nearly every corner of the world, and benefited from hours of their expertise and critique.
And yet....
Gee, do I wish I knew then what I know now.
First and foremost is the concept of a treeless saddle. My Russell, despite his phenomenal success in the hunter jumper world, always proved less of a winner in the dressage arena. He did compete through third level and won many an event based on his dressage scores, but the curious thing was, he always went far better when I rode him bareback. Bareback, he would round his back and simply go "on the bit" with no effort on my part. I am totally convinced he would have loved working in my Ansur and could have been a star all the time working treeless. I got the Ansur many years after he passed away, and did get to ride PJ in it, but I never competed him in that saddle either. I have a feeling his show arena performances would also have been so much better without a tree to interfere with his incredible trot and perhaps even his more difficult canter.
But PJ's performance in competition leads me to the another thing I wish I'd known about--ulcers. PJ was the obvious candidate. He was erratic from day to day in his work and under the stress of a show, more often than not proved a tricky ride. He had a ton of talent, but it was so hard to bring it out when we needed it before a judge. PJ was a perfectionist, and a worrier. I to totally convinced a good part of his attitude was due to ulcers. But, back then, I'm not even sure many horsemen, much less vets I knew, ever even talked about that. It wasn't until I got Tucker and Patrice Edwards, a trainer from Britain, told me he was suffering from ulcers based upon his behavior that I discovered how common they were in performance horses.
I'm pretty well convinced Toby started cribbing as a a symptom of ulcers too, considering the long story behind his vice. I've treated him since, but at this point the habit is so ingrained, there's no stopping him. At least I feel a little confident that he feels OK internally. It would have been nice to have been able to give PJ that gift too.
I did give PJ the gift of acupuncture and chiropractic, however. He was lucky that way as I owned him when equine acupuncture was just starting. The vet who treated him has since gone on to a well respected career--no names here as there were some issues surrounding alternative medicine at that time. In fact, the small animal vet who owned the farm where I boarded refused to let a chiropractor work on a horse on his property, so the owner and chiropractor went out into an adjacent field for the adjustments.
I've since used both treatments on Toby and Tucker as well and know how much they can change a horse's behavior. A joint slipped out of place or a sore muscle can be painful, as we all know. Now add the bulk of a horse's body and our expectations for athletic performances and it often ends in training nightmares. There are plenty of stoic horses out there that just keep on going no matter what, but I feel a lot better knowing mine don't have to.
Russell R. was on the "cutting edge" of the discovery of glucosamine as a joint supplement. I had a perna mussel powder imported from, I think, Australia or New Zealand. He also was treated with Isoxsuprine for navicular in the first years it was discovered to be of value. In both cases, I knew then what I know now, so for a "first horse" he did OK.
I am sure as years go on, there will be more and more discoveries to help our horses and us become sounder, happier athletes. Perhaps there will be a cure for laminitis and a guarantee against colic. Someone might discover a fly spray that really works, or a bit that puts a horse into a Grand Prix frame with no pain and total comfort while still allowing him to develop his muscles properly. Maybe someone will find a way to give riders perfectly balanced seats, educated hands, and instant sensibility to our horse's responses.
Who knows?
I wish I knew then, what I know now, and I rather imagine that ten years from now, I'll be saying the same thing.
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Saddle Up Again
What Incredible Weather!
Who can ignore the weather when it's about 60F and sunny! I took the Boys's sheets off early this afternoon so they could enjoy the sunshine--and, from looking at Toby about a half hour later--the mud.
I lunged Chance, and even had him jump a little one foot high rail just for fun. He did really well and seemed to enjoy the attention. He's not happiest lungeing, but he works just fine and I think the jump made things a little more interesting for him.
Then I saddled up Tucker. He was quite willing to have the halter put on and seemed to want me to do something with him, so saddling was not too fussy. Sometimes he gives me a hard time about the bit--he was trained to do it right at Kenny Harlow's but does need remediation now and again--but today he was fine. He had been watching me lunge Chance and I think he decided he deserved some special attention too.
We started off at a walk which I soon asked to be round and stretchy into the bit. He resisted a few times and then dropped his head and took the contact. I did a lot of circle left, circle right, changing him from one outside rein to the other, asking him to step forward into the contact at each change of direction.
Then, still insisting on round, I gave the cue for "trot." I got "balk." I cued again. "Balk." Bummer. I'm not sure what it was all about because with minimal persuasion he was soon trotting off, quite forward and quite connected to the bit. He will take a lot of contact when he's going like that, so I was working as well.
We did some half halt hesitations, some trot/walk/trot transitions and eventually progressed to a little canter. He did not resist at all on either canter depart but for a moment on the left canter he was "strongly suggesting" that he was going to buck. Since that wasn't exactly in my riding plan for the day, I brought him back to trot for about halfway around the arena and cantered again, keeping his head up a little more. All was well, but I don't think I would have pushed the issue to do too much more to add to the excitement.
On the plus side, he was forward and willing on both reins. I don't know if that means his hocks are feeling fine for good, or if the time off has just eased any soreness he may have had. Regular riding and the expectation of his working more off his hind end as he gets more fit will tell the story. So far, so good, but I am not jumping to any conclusions at this point.
I had to laugh a bit at Peppercorn, the barn kitty, who really thinks he is "big stuff" around the horses. Today, while I was lungeing Chance, he was lying at the side of the arena snoopervising the whole process. He finally decided to gallop across the arena to watch from the woods side for a while until he disappeared on some sort of adventure or other. He is not afraid of the horses and they seem to take care around him, but I do hope he doesn't get careless enough to get stepped on.
He is getting friendlier and friendlier, so it looks like a trip to the vet is in the near future. I should do it before Spring really does arrive as he is prone to wander in search of ladies and for both his and their sakes's he needs to stay closer to home. As it is, I am sure there are probably a few black gened kittens already in the area. I'm not sure how old Pepper is, but it's not all that important since cats can start breeding at pretty young ages.
I plan to do the right thing for him, but it's taken quite a while to gain his trust and I don't want to lose it too quickly. That's why I am handling him as much as I can and cementing our relationship.
Meantime, I can enjoy his company and the affection of all three Boys who seem to think I'm OK as long as I bring carrots. *G*
Who can ignore the weather when it's about 60F and sunny! I took the Boys's sheets off early this afternoon so they could enjoy the sunshine--and, from looking at Toby about a half hour later--the mud.
I lunged Chance, and even had him jump a little one foot high rail just for fun. He did really well and seemed to enjoy the attention. He's not happiest lungeing, but he works just fine and I think the jump made things a little more interesting for him.
Then I saddled up Tucker. He was quite willing to have the halter put on and seemed to want me to do something with him, so saddling was not too fussy. Sometimes he gives me a hard time about the bit--he was trained to do it right at Kenny Harlow's but does need remediation now and again--but today he was fine. He had been watching me lunge Chance and I think he decided he deserved some special attention too.
We started off at a walk which I soon asked to be round and stretchy into the bit. He resisted a few times and then dropped his head and took the contact. I did a lot of circle left, circle right, changing him from one outside rein to the other, asking him to step forward into the contact at each change of direction.
Then, still insisting on round, I gave the cue for "trot." I got "balk." I cued again. "Balk." Bummer. I'm not sure what it was all about because with minimal persuasion he was soon trotting off, quite forward and quite connected to the bit. He will take a lot of contact when he's going like that, so I was working as well.
We did some half halt hesitations, some trot/walk/trot transitions and eventually progressed to a little canter. He did not resist at all on either canter depart but for a moment on the left canter he was "strongly suggesting" that he was going to buck. Since that wasn't exactly in my riding plan for the day, I brought him back to trot for about halfway around the arena and cantered again, keeping his head up a little more. All was well, but I don't think I would have pushed the issue to do too much more to add to the excitement.
On the plus side, he was forward and willing on both reins. I don't know if that means his hocks are feeling fine for good, or if the time off has just eased any soreness he may have had. Regular riding and the expectation of his working more off his hind end as he gets more fit will tell the story. So far, so good, but I am not jumping to any conclusions at this point.
I had to laugh a bit at Peppercorn, the barn kitty, who really thinks he is "big stuff" around the horses. Today, while I was lungeing Chance, he was lying at the side of the arena snoopervising the whole process. He finally decided to gallop across the arena to watch from the woods side for a while until he disappeared on some sort of adventure or other. He is not afraid of the horses and they seem to take care around him, but I do hope he doesn't get careless enough to get stepped on.
He is getting friendlier and friendlier, so it looks like a trip to the vet is in the near future. I should do it before Spring really does arrive as he is prone to wander in search of ladies and for both his and their sakes's he needs to stay closer to home. As it is, I am sure there are probably a few black gened kittens already in the area. I'm not sure how old Pepper is, but it's not all that important since cats can start breeding at pretty young ages.
I plan to do the right thing for him, but it's taken quite a while to gain his trust and I don't want to lose it too quickly. That's why I am handling him as much as I can and cementing our relationship.
Meantime, I can enjoy his company and the affection of all three Boys who seem to think I'm OK as long as I bring carrots. *G*
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Heigh Ho, A Riding We Will Go
Gorgeous Day
The temperature was up near 60F today with sunshine, blue skies and no wind to speak of. Perfect for the last day of January.
I had a rather lengthy meeting in the morning, then stopped at the supermarket to use my $10 worth of Purina coupons...cat food, and headed home to make eggplant parmesan for lunch and dinner. I ate, relaxed a little then headed out to the barn to do the chores and....ride!
I saddled Chance up this time and gave him a perhaps 20 minute school in the arena. Most of it was at the walk, but I did a good session of trot. I have to laugh a bit at me, because I was actually getting winded as we worked--a pretty sad commentary on my general fitness at the moment. But aside from the barn chores, I haven't been doing any really serious exercise, so I'm not all that surprised. We finished the arena work with 50 canter strides on each lead and then went out for a super short loop on the trails directly behind my property. It's basically a hairpin out and back.
When we got back, I was surprised to see my farrier's truck in the yard. Apparently, he had arrived just as I was leaving to go out the gate and I never saw him. Meanwhile, Toby and Tucker were all riled up, galloping and bucking wildly along the arena fence putting on quite a show. Toby, the herd boss, was quite upset that Chance and I had left, and Tucker was joining in just for the heck of it. I guess at that moment, Scott figured there was no point in trying to catch either one for shoeing, so he decided to wait for me to get back.
Everything settled peacefully as soon as I returned, and we put Chance on the crossties at one end of the barn for Scott's assistant to trim while Tucker stood on the ties at the other end for Scott to shoe him. Kevin, Scott's assistant, fell in love with Chance almost at once and spent the rest of his time there trying to buy him. Some of it was joking, but he was also serious.
Both he and Scott kept remarking at what wonderful feet Chance has--the kind you dream about. And, of course, Chance's steady personality and nice chunky, solid body add to his appeal.
It had been 12 weeks since Tucker's last shoeing, and his shoes were still on nice and tight despite the many rains/snows/muds we have had. Either we were really lucky or his feet are improving. He has been on the Purina Healthy Edge for about a year now and I'm wondering if that has helped his feet. I held off on the shoeing so he could grow some good hoof, which he did. Since I really wasn't riding much, the extra length didn't matter too much and he was moving just fine, so the wait may have been worth it. I guess we will know if these new shoes manage to stay on for the duration.
Toby got his trim, I played with Mick, Scott's border collie for a good long time, and we shared some good stories all the while.
As for my ride, my knees felt all rubbery when I got back--not bad at all, just tired--so it is just as well Scott had come. I was considering riding Tucker as well, and that might have been a bit too much for my legs. This way, I had an excuse to just ride Chance and let the rest go.
I don't know what the weather is going to be like for the rest of the winter, but we are in for a mild spell again. I will try to do some riding as long as it's nice, with no real goals or plans to accomplish much except some general fitness.
No pressure. Just pleasure.
The temperature was up near 60F today with sunshine, blue skies and no wind to speak of. Perfect for the last day of January.
I had a rather lengthy meeting in the morning, then stopped at the supermarket to use my $10 worth of Purina coupons...cat food, and headed home to make eggplant parmesan for lunch and dinner. I ate, relaxed a little then headed out to the barn to do the chores and....ride!
I saddled Chance up this time and gave him a perhaps 20 minute school in the arena. Most of it was at the walk, but I did a good session of trot. I have to laugh a bit at me, because I was actually getting winded as we worked--a pretty sad commentary on my general fitness at the moment. But aside from the barn chores, I haven't been doing any really serious exercise, so I'm not all that surprised. We finished the arena work with 50 canter strides on each lead and then went out for a super short loop on the trails directly behind my property. It's basically a hairpin out and back.
When we got back, I was surprised to see my farrier's truck in the yard. Apparently, he had arrived just as I was leaving to go out the gate and I never saw him. Meanwhile, Toby and Tucker were all riled up, galloping and bucking wildly along the arena fence putting on quite a show. Toby, the herd boss, was quite upset that Chance and I had left, and Tucker was joining in just for the heck of it. I guess at that moment, Scott figured there was no point in trying to catch either one for shoeing, so he decided to wait for me to get back.
Everything settled peacefully as soon as I returned, and we put Chance on the crossties at one end of the barn for Scott's assistant to trim while Tucker stood on the ties at the other end for Scott to shoe him. Kevin, Scott's assistant, fell in love with Chance almost at once and spent the rest of his time there trying to buy him. Some of it was joking, but he was also serious.
Both he and Scott kept remarking at what wonderful feet Chance has--the kind you dream about. And, of course, Chance's steady personality and nice chunky, solid body add to his appeal.
It had been 12 weeks since Tucker's last shoeing, and his shoes were still on nice and tight despite the many rains/snows/muds we have had. Either we were really lucky or his feet are improving. He has been on the Purina Healthy Edge for about a year now and I'm wondering if that has helped his feet. I held off on the shoeing so he could grow some good hoof, which he did. Since I really wasn't riding much, the extra length didn't matter too much and he was moving just fine, so the wait may have been worth it. I guess we will know if these new shoes manage to stay on for the duration.
Toby got his trim, I played with Mick, Scott's border collie for a good long time, and we shared some good stories all the while.
As for my ride, my knees felt all rubbery when I got back--not bad at all, just tired--so it is just as well Scott had come. I was considering riding Tucker as well, and that might have been a bit too much for my legs. This way, I had an excuse to just ride Chance and let the rest go.
I don't know what the weather is going to be like for the rest of the winter, but we are in for a mild spell again. I will try to do some riding as long as it's nice, with no real goals or plans to accomplish much except some general fitness.
No pressure. Just pleasure.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
In Real Life
Meeting A Fellow Blogger
Stacey, who writes Behind the Bit, is in search of a new saddle for Riley, her young dressage horse. As matter of course, I recommended she try and Ansur, and sure enough, she got in touch with me to arrange a demo ride.
I drove to her farm yesterday. Stacey is as genuine in real life as on her blog. While I'm not sure about the rest of the Internet world, I have a feeling most other horse bloggers I know are as real as they are in their writings too. There's something about the connection to horses here. If we talk about our relationships to them on an everyday basis, I think it's kind of hard to pretend to be someone else. Our horses will never let us be anything less than honest.
I'm sure there are some charlatan horse bloggers out there somewhere, but I don't think I have any on my "reading list."
But back to Stacey, Riley and the Ansur. She may well post about the experience, but on the whole it was a good one. But as a representative, I have a problem. As with many riders who are not 100% convinced that treeless is "the way to go," one demo ride is really not enough. Ansur does have a policy where, after you order and pay for your saddle, you have a seven day trial period, but that's only after purchase.
That makes it a bit frustrating for riders who need more time and more rides to make a decision. I have one client who has now had two test rides and would like a third. I understand completely. An Ansur, and most any good saddle, is a big investment. The trouble is, she is a nearly two hour drive away for me. I will definitely go there for her, but it would be so much nicer if there were a way she could borrow a saddle to try for herself for a week or so.
Most saddle companies do not offer that option. Liability, lease contracts, etc. are just to complicated. There are tack shops that offer trial periods, for sure, mostly on used saddles, but Ansurs do not show up very often in such places, nor do a number of other excellent saddle brands out there.
I keep thinking, if I had the money, I would buy another Excel--the Ansur dressage model--and create some kind of leasing arrangement for clients. I'd certainly have to look into all the ramifications, but it would help people more easily "take the leap of faith" to treeless saddles if they could ride in one for more than just the few hours of a demo ride.
For now, we just have to deal with the situation as it stands.
Regardless, I am glad the Ansur saddle allowed me to meet my fellow blogger. That, in itself was well worth the trip.
Stacey, who writes Behind the Bit, is in search of a new saddle for Riley, her young dressage horse. As matter of course, I recommended she try and Ansur, and sure enough, she got in touch with me to arrange a demo ride.
I drove to her farm yesterday. Stacey is as genuine in real life as on her blog. While I'm not sure about the rest of the Internet world, I have a feeling most other horse bloggers I know are as real as they are in their writings too. There's something about the connection to horses here. If we talk about our relationships to them on an everyday basis, I think it's kind of hard to pretend to be someone else. Our horses will never let us be anything less than honest.
I'm sure there are some charlatan horse bloggers out there somewhere, but I don't think I have any on my "reading list."
But back to Stacey, Riley and the Ansur. She may well post about the experience, but on the whole it was a good one. But as a representative, I have a problem. As with many riders who are not 100% convinced that treeless is "the way to go," one demo ride is really not enough. Ansur does have a policy where, after you order and pay for your saddle, you have a seven day trial period, but that's only after purchase.
That makes it a bit frustrating for riders who need more time and more rides to make a decision. I have one client who has now had two test rides and would like a third. I understand completely. An Ansur, and most any good saddle, is a big investment. The trouble is, she is a nearly two hour drive away for me. I will definitely go there for her, but it would be so much nicer if there were a way she could borrow a saddle to try for herself for a week or so.
Most saddle companies do not offer that option. Liability, lease contracts, etc. are just to complicated. There are tack shops that offer trial periods, for sure, mostly on used saddles, but Ansurs do not show up very often in such places, nor do a number of other excellent saddle brands out there.
I keep thinking, if I had the money, I would buy another Excel--the Ansur dressage model--and create some kind of leasing arrangement for clients. I'd certainly have to look into all the ramifications, but it would help people more easily "take the leap of faith" to treeless saddles if they could ride in one for more than just the few hours of a demo ride.
For now, we just have to deal with the situation as it stands.
Regardless, I am glad the Ansur saddle allowed me to meet my fellow blogger. That, in itself was well worth the trip.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Having a Ball, Part 2
The Weather Turns Again
Once again "Spring in Winter" is here. All the snow melted within about two days except for an odd pile here and there mostly left by the plows.
I substituted on Monday and then had the day full of doctor's appointments on Tuesday, when it was about 50F. Today was sunny and in the mid 40's F, so I went out in the afternoon for some "play time" with the Boys.
But first, I needed to clean the stalls and poo pick the riding arena--part of their turnout area. I realized once I started that it had been well over a week since the last pick and the Boys had been hanging out in the sand based arena quite a bit because of the iffy footing elsewhere. That meant a good bit of work to do.
I filled the wheelbarrow with cleaning about 2/3 of the arena and just managed to push it out to the manure pile. Since the ground was wet, the poo was wet and heavy, and there was mud on the way to the pile. I kind of made it all the way...sort of. But it's OK. There is more to clean up, but the area where I ride or work the horses is clean.
Then I got "The Ball" out for a play session. I had a pocket full of peppermint treats and two very interested horses--Tucker and Chance. Toby still thinks "The Ball" is "Killer Ball."
Chance was not really interested in the ball, but kept focusing on my pockets where the treats were. If I rolled the ball at him, he just let it careen off his legs and made no move to interact. Tucker, however, seemed to remember that somehow touching the ball had earned him a reward in the past, so it didn't take long for him to make contact. This time, though, he did not get any praise or a treat for simply touching. He had to actually push the ball with his nose.
All it took was about three tries with rewards and the game started to fall into place. Each time I rolled the ball to him, he gave it a shove with his nose and got his praise and a treat. Step one complete. I need to reinforce that and then start getting him to actually roll the ball back to me so we can play "catch."
I'm not sure what to do to get Chance into the game as a three way would be a ton of fun. I do think I'd have to get him alone in the arena without Tucker nearby to get him to think about perhaps giving the ball some attention. Right now, Tucker's very focused and determined attitude about both ball and treats kind of backs Chance off.
Once the ball game was over, I got out the lunge line and lunged first Tucker, then Chance for just a bit. Nothing much except perhaps five minutes of trot and canter--a little in each direction. Both Boys looked nice and sound and fairly willing to move along for me.
Chance does, however, have the most relaxed little "rocking chair" canter I've seen in a long time. While it does get a bit "up and down" instead of forward, it is just amazing that he can canter that slowly. I'm not sure what the pleasure horse class judges are looking for nowadays in the show arena, but there was a day when he would have been a star. If only he were a Quarterhorse.....*lol*
I thought about riding, but my knees are just a little sore this week. I'm not sure why, but the exercise of pushing the wheelbarrow for the stalls and arena was enough of a workout for now. Perhaps on the weekend or next week. The weather appears to be pretty calm for a while again, with rain in the forecast, but nothing more dire.
Once again, as it often is in the winter, we'll just have to wait and see.
Once again "Spring in Winter" is here. All the snow melted within about two days except for an odd pile here and there mostly left by the plows.
I substituted on Monday and then had the day full of doctor's appointments on Tuesday, when it was about 50F. Today was sunny and in the mid 40's F, so I went out in the afternoon for some "play time" with the Boys.
But first, I needed to clean the stalls and poo pick the riding arena--part of their turnout area. I realized once I started that it had been well over a week since the last pick and the Boys had been hanging out in the sand based arena quite a bit because of the iffy footing elsewhere. That meant a good bit of work to do.
I filled the wheelbarrow with cleaning about 2/3 of the arena and just managed to push it out to the manure pile. Since the ground was wet, the poo was wet and heavy, and there was mud on the way to the pile. I kind of made it all the way...sort of. But it's OK. There is more to clean up, but the area where I ride or work the horses is clean.
Then I got "The Ball" out for a play session. I had a pocket full of peppermint treats and two very interested horses--Tucker and Chance. Toby still thinks "The Ball" is "Killer Ball."
Chance was not really interested in the ball, but kept focusing on my pockets where the treats were. If I rolled the ball at him, he just let it careen off his legs and made no move to interact. Tucker, however, seemed to remember that somehow touching the ball had earned him a reward in the past, so it didn't take long for him to make contact. This time, though, he did not get any praise or a treat for simply touching. He had to actually push the ball with his nose.
All it took was about three tries with rewards and the game started to fall into place. Each time I rolled the ball to him, he gave it a shove with his nose and got his praise and a treat. Step one complete. I need to reinforce that and then start getting him to actually roll the ball back to me so we can play "catch."
I'm not sure what to do to get Chance into the game as a three way would be a ton of fun. I do think I'd have to get him alone in the arena without Tucker nearby to get him to think about perhaps giving the ball some attention. Right now, Tucker's very focused and determined attitude about both ball and treats kind of backs Chance off.
Once the ball game was over, I got out the lunge line and lunged first Tucker, then Chance for just a bit. Nothing much except perhaps five minutes of trot and canter--a little in each direction. Both Boys looked nice and sound and fairly willing to move along for me.
Chance does, however, have the most relaxed little "rocking chair" canter I've seen in a long time. While it does get a bit "up and down" instead of forward, it is just amazing that he can canter that slowly. I'm not sure what the pleasure horse class judges are looking for nowadays in the show arena, but there was a day when he would have been a star. If only he were a Quarterhorse.....*lol*
I thought about riding, but my knees are just a little sore this week. I'm not sure why, but the exercise of pushing the wheelbarrow for the stalls and arena was enough of a workout for now. Perhaps on the weekend or next week. The weather appears to be pretty calm for a while again, with rain in the forecast, but nothing more dire.
Once again, as it often is in the winter, we'll just have to wait and see.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Well, It's Finally Here
Winter, That Is
We have several inches of snow on the ground. But that would not be too bad. The "bad" is that it is already starting to rain on top of that and the rain is mixed with sleet, so we may be in for a coating of ice.
Ice is not good. My biggest worry is the Boys. If the footing gets dangerous with ice, I will have to keep them in the barn until things thaw. This happened a few years ago just before Christmas and the Boys were in for three days or so. We also had bad ice one year when I was boarding out and that was dreadful. I finally made a path all the way to the indoor arena by lugging buckets of extra sand from the arena. It was a long haul, but at least the horses were able to get out for a while to stretch their legs.
Here, I have no option like that. It's either in or out. So right now it's just a matter of wait and see.
I also need to make a decision about whether or not to plow the driveway. Once before, I let the snow sit and it froze over and all I had was a mess of ice for at least a week.
On the plus side, it's supposed to go up to 53 F on Monday, so there is a good chance the worst of whatever falls will melt quickly. Tonight is the bad one as it's predicted to be around 18F, so frozen is definitely the norm. Tomorrow, it may go up to 36F or so, and if there is sunshine, that's good too.
Ah, well. My other problem is that I will be doing some substitute teaching next week so I will not always be here to monitor the Boys or see to their needs. I'll just have to see how the whole thing plays out. For now, all is well.
The Boys are fed and have hay to keep them content.
But, all three of them were coated in snow and little icicles when I went out to feed. As usual, instead of sheltering during the little storm, they had been standing outside somewhere. They are all dressed in their winter blankets, so that's not a problem except for their icicled manes and wet necks. You'd think they'd take advantage of all the roof options they have--three run-in shed roofs and the barn itself.
One of my former trainers said when the weather is bad, horses actually want to be outside because the noise of wind and rain falling on the barn roofs upset them and they needed to be out where they could see what was going on. I suspect a part of that is true. As prey animals, horses would not want to be trapped if there was danger about. They would want to be free to run. As well, when it snows, in particular, visibility is limited and being out gives them a wider range of vision to see any predators that may try to take advantage of the weather's cover.
Could be.
The Boys too tend to take shelter when it rains--at least some of the time. I suppose I need to monitor exactly what kind of rain brings them in and what kind of rain keeps them out as there have been many times I've seen them standing outside as well.
It's all just another one of those mysteries of horse behavior we simple humans cannot fathom.
We have several inches of snow on the ground. But that would not be too bad. The "bad" is that it is already starting to rain on top of that and the rain is mixed with sleet, so we may be in for a coating of ice.
Ice is not good. My biggest worry is the Boys. If the footing gets dangerous with ice, I will have to keep them in the barn until things thaw. This happened a few years ago just before Christmas and the Boys were in for three days or so. We also had bad ice one year when I was boarding out and that was dreadful. I finally made a path all the way to the indoor arena by lugging buckets of extra sand from the arena. It was a long haul, but at least the horses were able to get out for a while to stretch their legs.
Here, I have no option like that. It's either in or out. So right now it's just a matter of wait and see.
I also need to make a decision about whether or not to plow the driveway. Once before, I let the snow sit and it froze over and all I had was a mess of ice for at least a week.
On the plus side, it's supposed to go up to 53 F on Monday, so there is a good chance the worst of whatever falls will melt quickly. Tonight is the bad one as it's predicted to be around 18F, so frozen is definitely the norm. Tomorrow, it may go up to 36F or so, and if there is sunshine, that's good too.
Ah, well. My other problem is that I will be doing some substitute teaching next week so I will not always be here to monitor the Boys or see to their needs. I'll just have to see how the whole thing plays out. For now, all is well.
The Boys are fed and have hay to keep them content.
But, all three of them were coated in snow and little icicles when I went out to feed. As usual, instead of sheltering during the little storm, they had been standing outside somewhere. They are all dressed in their winter blankets, so that's not a problem except for their icicled manes and wet necks. You'd think they'd take advantage of all the roof options they have--three run-in shed roofs and the barn itself.
One of my former trainers said when the weather is bad, horses actually want to be outside because the noise of wind and rain falling on the barn roofs upset them and they needed to be out where they could see what was going on. I suspect a part of that is true. As prey animals, horses would not want to be trapped if there was danger about. They would want to be free to run. As well, when it snows, in particular, visibility is limited and being out gives them a wider range of vision to see any predators that may try to take advantage of the weather's cover.
Could be.
The Boys too tend to take shelter when it rains--at least some of the time. I suppose I need to monitor exactly what kind of rain brings them in and what kind of rain keeps them out as there have been many times I've seen them standing outside as well.
It's all just another one of those mysteries of horse behavior we simple humans cannot fathom.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The Shredding Continues
But This Time.....
When I went out to feed this morning, I saw a puff of white stuffing by Tucker's outside stall door. Aha!! The Boys were all dressed in winter blankets. The detective in me suspected the worst, so I first examined Tucker's blanket.
Fine. Nary a rip.
Then I checked Toby.
Fine.
That meant...yes, Chance, sporting a brandy new (Rhino) (Edited it's an Amigo) midweight I had just purchased about two weeks ago.
No longer is it a brandy new Rhino. It had a large, L shaped tear in the left side.
*sigh*
Fortunately most of the stuffing is intact and the rip is pretty clean, so a stitch up job is quite possible. I now have said blanket on the back porch awaiting my tender loving care and the sewing machine. Meantime, I put an old Roma thinsulate on Chance since it's not supposed to rain until tomorrow night. (Romas are not waterproof.)
I had a doctor's appointment this morning, then went to get my hair cut and ended up at a friend's house to see his new kittens. (Shy little ones but cute as bugs. They were born in the wild and are a bit wary of strangers, so all I really got was fleeting glances and one quick pet.)
All this occupied the better part of the day, so the blanket still waited for me. I just did a straight stitch job on it, with the seam on the outside since there was now way to sew the top layer with the seam underneath since the lining was still intact. It's not the best job in the world, but it will do fine provided no one decides to strike again.
I can testify, Amigos are not indestructible, despite any ads to the contrary. They are not the top of the line in the Rambo family, but I would have hoped it would have lasted more than a couple weeks.
But, these are my Boys.
I think someone bred a little shark into my equines.
When I went out to feed this morning, I saw a puff of white stuffing by Tucker's outside stall door. Aha!! The Boys were all dressed in winter blankets. The detective in me suspected the worst, so I first examined Tucker's blanket.
Fine. Nary a rip.
Then I checked Toby.
Fine.
That meant...yes, Chance, sporting a brandy new (Rhino) (Edited it's an Amigo) midweight I had just purchased about two weeks ago.
No longer is it a brandy new Rhino. It had a large, L shaped tear in the left side.
*sigh*
Fortunately most of the stuffing is intact and the rip is pretty clean, so a stitch up job is quite possible. I now have said blanket on the back porch awaiting my tender loving care and the sewing machine. Meantime, I put an old Roma thinsulate on Chance since it's not supposed to rain until tomorrow night. (Romas are not waterproof.)
I had a doctor's appointment this morning, then went to get my hair cut and ended up at a friend's house to see his new kittens. (Shy little ones but cute as bugs. They were born in the wild and are a bit wary of strangers, so all I really got was fleeting glances and one quick pet.)
All this occupied the better part of the day, so the blanket still waited for me. I just did a straight stitch job on it, with the seam on the outside since there was now way to sew the top layer with the seam underneath since the lining was still intact. It's not the best job in the world, but it will do fine provided no one decides to strike again.
I can testify, Amigos are not indestructible, despite any ads to the contrary. They are not the top of the line in the Rambo family, but I would have hoped it would have lasted more than a couple weeks.
But, these are my Boys.
I think someone bred a little shark into my equines.
Friday, January 13, 2012
What a Difference a Day Makes
Winter Makes a Move
Seems the winter blogs turn into weather reports more often than not. Same here, I fear.
I woke up to the sound of sleet--heavy sleet--hitting the skylight in the sunroom. Once fully conscious, I could hear it beating down outside my window as well. Weather forecast called for rain. Darn it.
Yesterday was in the mid forties F with calm, still air. Today? Sun in, sun out, snow showers now and then, the sleet attack, of course, and then wind. All off and on, reminding us all that winter in New Jersey is a fickle visitor, not sure whether to sit down to make a statement or to hurry through with quick comments.
I'm not sure which I prefer, sometimes. I switched the Boys back into their insulated blankets this morning, putting the sheets aside for the time being. Each Boy poses his own challenge. Chance simply refuses to stand still when he is free in his stall for a clothes change. He walks about in a circle or makes a break through the gate into the barn aisle to meander about with straps hanging before I've managed to do them up.
Now, I could to the right thing and put each horse on the crossties to change blankets, but it's just as easy to do the work when they are eating. And, for the most part, they tolerate it pretty well. I've always made it a point to bother my horses now and then when they are eating anyhow. While I can understand that they do like to focus on the food, I also want them to know that I am in charge and though food may be their priority, accepting both my presence and my control at all times is a part of their lives.
Toby and Tucker take a rather dim view of this idea. At least Tucker does. While I try to buckle blanket straps on him, I get his "snake face," a tossing head, and some pretty good efforts on his part to bite me. Biting is not his option, of course. I correct that by "biting" him sharply--usually on the neck--with my stiff fingers. If I can get a little pinch in there it makes the point even more effectively and he usually stops. The best reward is when his ears go up and he assumes an innocent expression as if to say, "OK, Boss! Who, me? Nope, I'd never bite you."
Toby, if eating is fine, but when he is engaged in his cribbing, as he was this morning, he too will react with an annoyed snap at the air in my direction. Depending on how much he's actually aiming, and how much of it is intentionally in the air, I will either use the finger bite or a simple verbal reprimand. He is herd boss and understands the responsibility of power, so he does not challenge me as much as "wannabe herd boss," Tucker. And, Toby has a much more sensitive personality than Tucker. He will overreact to things much more quickly.
It is an interesting contrast in personalities and reflects each horse's reaction to "The Ball."
Chance was not at all intimidated and though he spooked a little from it at first soon just ignored it, even when it bounced into his legs. Instead of interacting, he just kind of wandered away, off on his own "walkabout," despite "The Ball's" presence.
Tucker, was at once fixated on "The Ball" and alternately spooked wildly or did repeated approach and retreat. He simply could not leave the strange pink thing alone and needed to touch it and eventually push it around, taking charge of its presence in his life.
Toby wanted nothing to do with "The Ball." It spooked him and still spooks him. It is "something dangerous," to be watched out for and avoided. But, I am sure that if "The Ball" went after him in earnest--say if it trapped him in his stall or a round pen--he would try to kill it. That is exactly what he did when Kenny Harlow challenged him with a mylar balloon. Despite the fact that Kenny introduced the balloon and got Toby to accept it, when he turned his back and the balloon trailed to the ground on the end of its string, Toby attacked full force with two incredibly quick and accurate forefeet and blew the balloon to smithereens.
It's for that very reason, that despite all his super ground manners, I always use a little extra caution when working around Toby. The key is not to corner him so that neither he nor I have an escape route. Kenny told me to always be careful if there was something Toby was afraid of, and I am. "The Ball" will eventually become something Toby accepts, but I am not pressing the point. So far, he has eaten a carrot off "The Ball" even though his body was in "I am going to fly back in a split second of that thing moves," but I have not challenged him further.
Today is not the day. The wind would make "The Ball" a lively adversary.
I'll wait until winter decides to leave the room again.
Seems the winter blogs turn into weather reports more often than not. Same here, I fear.
I woke up to the sound of sleet--heavy sleet--hitting the skylight in the sunroom. Once fully conscious, I could hear it beating down outside my window as well. Weather forecast called for rain. Darn it.
Yesterday was in the mid forties F with calm, still air. Today? Sun in, sun out, snow showers now and then, the sleet attack, of course, and then wind. All off and on, reminding us all that winter in New Jersey is a fickle visitor, not sure whether to sit down to make a statement or to hurry through with quick comments.
I'm not sure which I prefer, sometimes. I switched the Boys back into their insulated blankets this morning, putting the sheets aside for the time being. Each Boy poses his own challenge. Chance simply refuses to stand still when he is free in his stall for a clothes change. He walks about in a circle or makes a break through the gate into the barn aisle to meander about with straps hanging before I've managed to do them up.
Now, I could to the right thing and put each horse on the crossties to change blankets, but it's just as easy to do the work when they are eating. And, for the most part, they tolerate it pretty well. I've always made it a point to bother my horses now and then when they are eating anyhow. While I can understand that they do like to focus on the food, I also want them to know that I am in charge and though food may be their priority, accepting both my presence and my control at all times is a part of their lives.
Toby and Tucker take a rather dim view of this idea. At least Tucker does. While I try to buckle blanket straps on him, I get his "snake face," a tossing head, and some pretty good efforts on his part to bite me. Biting is not his option, of course. I correct that by "biting" him sharply--usually on the neck--with my stiff fingers. If I can get a little pinch in there it makes the point even more effectively and he usually stops. The best reward is when his ears go up and he assumes an innocent expression as if to say, "OK, Boss! Who, me? Nope, I'd never bite you."
Toby, if eating is fine, but when he is engaged in his cribbing, as he was this morning, he too will react with an annoyed snap at the air in my direction. Depending on how much he's actually aiming, and how much of it is intentionally in the air, I will either use the finger bite or a simple verbal reprimand. He is herd boss and understands the responsibility of power, so he does not challenge me as much as "wannabe herd boss," Tucker. And, Toby has a much more sensitive personality than Tucker. He will overreact to things much more quickly.
It is an interesting contrast in personalities and reflects each horse's reaction to "The Ball."
Chance was not at all intimidated and though he spooked a little from it at first soon just ignored it, even when it bounced into his legs. Instead of interacting, he just kind of wandered away, off on his own "walkabout," despite "The Ball's" presence.
Tucker, was at once fixated on "The Ball" and alternately spooked wildly or did repeated approach and retreat. He simply could not leave the strange pink thing alone and needed to touch it and eventually push it around, taking charge of its presence in his life.
Toby wanted nothing to do with "The Ball." It spooked him and still spooks him. It is "something dangerous," to be watched out for and avoided. But, I am sure that if "The Ball" went after him in earnest--say if it trapped him in his stall or a round pen--he would try to kill it. That is exactly what he did when Kenny Harlow challenged him with a mylar balloon. Despite the fact that Kenny introduced the balloon and got Toby to accept it, when he turned his back and the balloon trailed to the ground on the end of its string, Toby attacked full force with two incredibly quick and accurate forefeet and blew the balloon to smithereens.
It's for that very reason, that despite all his super ground manners, I always use a little extra caution when working around Toby. The key is not to corner him so that neither he nor I have an escape route. Kenny told me to always be careful if there was something Toby was afraid of, and I am. "The Ball" will eventually become something Toby accepts, but I am not pressing the point. So far, he has eaten a carrot off "The Ball" even though his body was in "I am going to fly back in a split second of that thing moves," but I have not challenged him further.
Today is not the day. The wind would make "The Ball" a lively adversary.
I'll wait until winter decides to leave the room again.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Rain Here
But Not Cold
It's kind of "Springy" outside with rain and fairly warm temperatures. That, of course, curtails the horse activity, although the Boys were out frolicking before breakfast. I'm guessing that standing in the stalls or under the run in shed for most of the night inspired some activity this morning when the rain let up.
I had to take Tucker's orange sheet off and put on another waterproof one--fortunately I found a spare that was not too torn--because all the repair work I had done, including the rip in the side, had been undone. The surcingle was gone again as well. I did get the sheet off before it got wet, but it's lying on the back porch for now until I figure out just what to do. I am wondering if using the zig zag stitch on the sewing machine is the problem. This time I will used a smaller straight stitch to see if that holds better.
I just saw the garbage collect truck drive past and suddenly realized it was actually Thursday, pick up day, instead of Wednesday. This is a sad state of affairs, but not totally shocking for me. When I was teaching and had the summer off, it often happened that I'd lose track of just what day it was. Now that I am retired, the whole concept of the week can get "misplaced" pretty easily. Without a set schedule dictated by outside forces, what day it actually is really doesn't matter.
All that being said, I did have appointments this week and should have realized that I was at the eye doctor for a check up yesterday--Wednesday, and not Tuesday. Ah, well. My garbage and recyclables did not go today so I will have another week to collect a more impressive amount. And, I will remember to go to choir practice tonight as well--Thursday......
Of course, the Boys don't care what day it is. Seven days a week, they still need the same care and regular feeding. There is now weekend sleeping in late for me, although I have made the morning feed a little later than it was when I was teaching every day. Having animals at home is a big responsibility with some drawbacks well outweighed by the advantages.
At least that's my opinion. I don't have to drive anywhere to check up on them and I know exactly what they are being fed and when. I am aware of every aspect of their care and maintenance from veterinarian to farrier to trainer and handler. Nothing is left to chance--well, aside from Chance who has his own agenda in life including ripping Tucker's blankets. But it also ties me down or challenges me to find alternatives if for some reason I can't do some of the chores.
Thankfully, I have found a wonderful horsesitter, Debbie, who took care of the Boys after my recent knee surgery and so far has been available on short notice for a day here and there. She took care of the Boys on Christmas Day so I could go to my cousins's house for the day, for example. While I do have to pay her, it is well worth the money to have someone I can depend on in a time of need.
Meantime, it's all up to me, no matter what day it is.
Even if it is Thursday.
It's kind of "Springy" outside with rain and fairly warm temperatures. That, of course, curtails the horse activity, although the Boys were out frolicking before breakfast. I'm guessing that standing in the stalls or under the run in shed for most of the night inspired some activity this morning when the rain let up.
I had to take Tucker's orange sheet off and put on another waterproof one--fortunately I found a spare that was not too torn--because all the repair work I had done, including the rip in the side, had been undone. The surcingle was gone again as well. I did get the sheet off before it got wet, but it's lying on the back porch for now until I figure out just what to do. I am wondering if using the zig zag stitch on the sewing machine is the problem. This time I will used a smaller straight stitch to see if that holds better.
I just saw the garbage collect truck drive past and suddenly realized it was actually Thursday, pick up day, instead of Wednesday. This is a sad state of affairs, but not totally shocking for me. When I was teaching and had the summer off, it often happened that I'd lose track of just what day it was. Now that I am retired, the whole concept of the week can get "misplaced" pretty easily. Without a set schedule dictated by outside forces, what day it actually is really doesn't matter.
All that being said, I did have appointments this week and should have realized that I was at the eye doctor for a check up yesterday--Wednesday, and not Tuesday. Ah, well. My garbage and recyclables did not go today so I will have another week to collect a more impressive amount. And, I will remember to go to choir practice tonight as well--Thursday......
Of course, the Boys don't care what day it is. Seven days a week, they still need the same care and regular feeding. There is now weekend sleeping in late for me, although I have made the morning feed a little later than it was when I was teaching every day. Having animals at home is a big responsibility with some drawbacks well outweighed by the advantages.
At least that's my opinion. I don't have to drive anywhere to check up on them and I know exactly what they are being fed and when. I am aware of every aspect of their care and maintenance from veterinarian to farrier to trainer and handler. Nothing is left to chance--well, aside from Chance who has his own agenda in life including ripping Tucker's blankets. But it also ties me down or challenges me to find alternatives if for some reason I can't do some of the chores.
Thankfully, I have found a wonderful horsesitter, Debbie, who took care of the Boys after my recent knee surgery and so far has been available on short notice for a day here and there. She took care of the Boys on Christmas Day so I could go to my cousins's house for the day, for example. While I do have to pay her, it is well worth the money to have someone I can depend on in a time of need.
Meantime, it's all up to me, no matter what day it is.
Even if it is Thursday.
Monday, January 09, 2012
Grin and "Bare" It
Saturday Through Monday
Saturday was at least 60F, perhaps more in the sun. I took the Boys's sheets off and let them go bare.
We started off with a little photography session, and some ball play, neither of which merited much action. I do, by the way, have a movie option on my digital cameras and I have a camcorder as well. I just haven't taken the time to fool around much with either of them. Without an extra camera person here, it's kind of hard to get much good stuff and I always miss the action when the Boys are playing on their own as the camera is usually somewhere else. By the time I get it, the games are done.
At any rate, even working with the still camera, it's not an easy task to get pictures of my little herd. Every time I hold the camera up to get a shot of someone, said someone turns and walks directly to me. It's as if the camera were some kind of horse nose magnet. I did get a few OK views of naked horses, though, so here they are:
Toby, heading for the camera.....
Toby showing what he thinks of having his picture taken.
Tucker thinking about entering the arena while Chance mugs the camera.
Chance, encounterint "The Ball."
Chance, starting to turn towards me for another camera "assault."
Tucker and Toby caught in a candid moment. Note the missing fence rail. Surprise!
Tucker, front shot as once again, he heads towards me.
Tucker and his new best friend, "The Ball."
OK, enough nude photos. I hope you aren't blushing.
I need to add.
I rode.
I saddled up Chance on Saturday and meandered around the arena for about five minutes. He was rather wiggly mostly because not only did he want to go out on the trail instead, but I was using Toby's bridle and bit, not his. Chance goes much better in a single jointed snaffle instead of the lozenge bit He broke part of his bridle when I fell off and I just haven't gotten around to fixing it yet. Why not? Heaven only knows, but since I wasn't riding, it didn't seem a priority. We walked and trotted a little and despite being very fussy in his mouth, he was a good boy.
Sunday was a bit more brisk and I didn't really do much outside at all. Then today, Monday, I headed out in the early afternoon to do a bit of ball playing.
Once again, Tucker was the most interested in the ball and by rewarding him with treats, I got him to push it around just a little. I don't know if he connected the pushing the ball with the little carrots, but he surely was involved in the whole affair.
Then, I put the ball away and saddled Tucker up for a short ride in the arena. Since he stood quietly at the mounting block until I was seated, I offered him a peppermint horse treat as a reward.
Error. Did you know Tucker cannot walk and chew treats at the same time? *LOL* At least that's what he tried to convince me to believe.
We soon sorted that out and walked around in a few simple patterns before going into the trot for some experimental work. I did a little sitting trot now and then, did figure 8's, serpentines, leg yield and then a little half pass in each direction. As usual, the left half pass is a little sticky compared to the right, but both of them were certainly acceptable at this point.
Then, I decided to try just a bit of canter. We are talking perhaps 20-30 strides on each lead. I am pleased to report that from the trot, he struck off in both directions without any fuss. This is a good sign as the canter depart is where he shows any discomfort in his hocks. These were, of course, not fully engaged, rock back on the haunches canter departs, but nice prompt relaxed ones, so that is a fine start for us at this point.
My knees felt fine when I was riding with just a tiny bit of soreness now and again at the posting trot, but it's so much less than before the replacements I hardly notice. They are less stiff than they were when I first tried to ride, but not yet as flexible as they need to be. The main issue is when I swing my leg over to mount. Fortunately, my horses do not seem to mind if my foot brushes them on the rump as I get on or off, so no real problem.
I don't know how much I will ride now. The weather will be a factor as will the rather long list of doctor appointments I have this month--three this week. But I will take one day at a time.
Meanwhile, we do have the ball to play with.
Oh, yes. Here is one more picture. This is Peppercorn, the barn kitty who now lets me pet him when he is eating and upon occasion elsewhere. He is a well fed little critter.
Saturday was at least 60F, perhaps more in the sun. I took the Boys's sheets off and let them go bare.
We started off with a little photography session, and some ball play, neither of which merited much action. I do, by the way, have a movie option on my digital cameras and I have a camcorder as well. I just haven't taken the time to fool around much with either of them. Without an extra camera person here, it's kind of hard to get much good stuff and I always miss the action when the Boys are playing on their own as the camera is usually somewhere else. By the time I get it, the games are done.
At any rate, even working with the still camera, it's not an easy task to get pictures of my little herd. Every time I hold the camera up to get a shot of someone, said someone turns and walks directly to me. It's as if the camera were some kind of horse nose magnet. I did get a few OK views of naked horses, though, so here they are:
Toby, heading for the camera.....
I need to add.
I rode.
I saddled up Chance on Saturday and meandered around the arena for about five minutes. He was rather wiggly mostly because not only did he want to go out on the trail instead, but I was using Toby's bridle and bit, not his. Chance goes much better in a single jointed snaffle instead of the lozenge bit He broke part of his bridle when I fell off and I just haven't gotten around to fixing it yet. Why not? Heaven only knows, but since I wasn't riding, it didn't seem a priority. We walked and trotted a little and despite being very fussy in his mouth, he was a good boy.
Sunday was a bit more brisk and I didn't really do much outside at all. Then today, Monday, I headed out in the early afternoon to do a bit of ball playing.
Once again, Tucker was the most interested in the ball and by rewarding him with treats, I got him to push it around just a little. I don't know if he connected the pushing the ball with the little carrots, but he surely was involved in the whole affair.
Then, I put the ball away and saddled Tucker up for a short ride in the arena. Since he stood quietly at the mounting block until I was seated, I offered him a peppermint horse treat as a reward.
Error. Did you know Tucker cannot walk and chew treats at the same time? *LOL* At least that's what he tried to convince me to believe.
We soon sorted that out and walked around in a few simple patterns before going into the trot for some experimental work. I did a little sitting trot now and then, did figure 8's, serpentines, leg yield and then a little half pass in each direction. As usual, the left half pass is a little sticky compared to the right, but both of them were certainly acceptable at this point.
Then, I decided to try just a bit of canter. We are talking perhaps 20-30 strides on each lead. I am pleased to report that from the trot, he struck off in both directions without any fuss. This is a good sign as the canter depart is where he shows any discomfort in his hocks. These were, of course, not fully engaged, rock back on the haunches canter departs, but nice prompt relaxed ones, so that is a fine start for us at this point.
My knees felt fine when I was riding with just a tiny bit of soreness now and again at the posting trot, but it's so much less than before the replacements I hardly notice. They are less stiff than they were when I first tried to ride, but not yet as flexible as they need to be. The main issue is when I swing my leg over to mount. Fortunately, my horses do not seem to mind if my foot brushes them on the rump as I get on or off, so no real problem.
I don't know how much I will ride now. The weather will be a factor as will the rather long list of doctor appointments I have this month--three this week. But I will take one day at a time.
Meanwhile, we do have the ball to play with.
Oh, yes. Here is one more picture. This is Peppercorn, the barn kitty who now lets me pet him when he is eating and upon occasion elsewhere. He is a well fed little critter.
Friday, January 06, 2012
Having a Ball
What's That?
I bought a big play ball for the horses today. The saddle shop had a pretty good price compared to what I have seen advertised on the Internet. And, it turned out the only one in stock was already inflated and covered, so it was even better for me not to have to assemble it all.
We did have to let a little air out to stuff it into my car, but we managed and home I came.
Reactions from the Boys were mixed, but curiosity won out in the end--except for Toby who never did quite manage to touch the ball. To my surprise, the boldest moves were made by Tucker. Chance, though, did not seem at all concerned about the ball when I pushed it into him, so he gets good scores for the "scare" factor.
Tucker, though, was really interested. Several times he pushed the ball across the arena and later, when the other two Boys had left, he pushed it around a little on his own. There was no real play interaction going on yet, just inquisitive tests of what the ball would do if approached and touched. I decided to leave it out for a while longer and bring it in later tonight. The weather has taken a turn to the warm side again, and I am hoping to ride a little tomorrow. So having the ball out there will be a good diversion to keep the Boys occupied and maybe even a little exercised.
Here are some pictures of the introduction to the ball:
Chance checks it out.
Tucker takes a look from a distance.
Tucker approaches.
Contact!
Toby watches from a safe distance, just in case the ball attacks.
Tucker's not so sure as Chance takes charge.
But once again, it's Tucker's turn.
And later, all on his own, Tucker pushes the ball across the arena.
I think this is first introduction again, but you can see that Chance is not at all intimidated.
The colorful array of pink and orange is kind of dramatic. *LOL* They had two covers for sale. The other one was blue and red. I might have gone for that, but the ball was already "dressed" in the pink cover, so I was quite content to get it.
Now we have a toy. All I need to do is figure out some fun games to play.
I bought a big play ball for the horses today. The saddle shop had a pretty good price compared to what I have seen advertised on the Internet. And, it turned out the only one in stock was already inflated and covered, so it was even better for me not to have to assemble it all.
We did have to let a little air out to stuff it into my car, but we managed and home I came.
Reactions from the Boys were mixed, but curiosity won out in the end--except for Toby who never did quite manage to touch the ball. To my surprise, the boldest moves were made by Tucker. Chance, though, did not seem at all concerned about the ball when I pushed it into him, so he gets good scores for the "scare" factor.
Tucker, though, was really interested. Several times he pushed the ball across the arena and later, when the other two Boys had left, he pushed it around a little on his own. There was no real play interaction going on yet, just inquisitive tests of what the ball would do if approached and touched. I decided to leave it out for a while longer and bring it in later tonight. The weather has taken a turn to the warm side again, and I am hoping to ride a little tomorrow. So having the ball out there will be a good diversion to keep the Boys occupied and maybe even a little exercised.
Here are some pictures of the introduction to the ball:
The colorful array of pink and orange is kind of dramatic. *LOL* They had two covers for sale. The other one was blue and red. I might have gone for that, but the ball was already "dressed" in the pink cover, so I was quite content to get it.
Now we have a toy. All I need to do is figure out some fun games to play.
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Training Thoughts on a Cold Winter Night
My Brain Does Work Even When I'm Shivering
Cold here in New Jersey. I put winter blankets on the Boys for the night. Hopefully they will be comfortable.
But, on to the topic of the post.......
Interesting comment from Muriel on my last post about the western riders and flying changes. She noted that they do not worry about collection and such for training or teaching the exercise.
I am in total agreement. In fact, aside from a few of the upper level dressage movements that might require collection to be done properly—piaffe and passage, in particular—most of the “tricks” of dressage do not require the horse to even be on the bit.
Now, hardcore dressage riders/trainers may scoff at that. There is a certain mystery to teaching the horse according to the “training scale” and at each level of expertise, there are specific exercises that should be mastered. According to their theory, a horse cannot master, for example, a walk/canter transition when it first begins its training.
But, horses walk/canter in the field all the time. They do flying changes, as Muriel noted, and some of them even passage across the pasture. They are certainly not “on the bit” and the only collection they offer is whatever their bodies need to do to maneuver. Why should it really be any different under saddle once the horse is comfortable about the idea of how to carry a rider on its back?
I remember being taught and reading about how to get a horse to take the correct lead at the canter. It’s a rather complex process according to some experts. The cue to canter must be given as the off hind leg strikes off to encourage the inside hind to take a larger stride. The horse must be positioned “just so,” with a proper half halt to gain balance for the depart. You support with your inside leg and cue the lead with the outside leg (some people do use other cues, by the way) and if you do everything just right, you will get the lead you want.
Out in the field, horses take the correct lead for turns all the time, and if they change their minds about direction, most often will fly the change to make the new turn. Why not? They want to be in balance on their own and would much rather do it right than do it wrong.
Yet, we get in the saddle, and suddenly, we can’t canter on the correct lead at all. In all my serious riding experience, I can only recall two horses that posed a problem for me about taking their leads. One was my friend’s horse that turned out to have a permanently injured stifle, so he was actually too lame to take the lead, and the other was my very on PJ, who had apparently broken a bone in his front hoof at some point and had developed the habit of never taking that lead. I overcame PJ’s issues with lots of training, but other riders who rode him often could not get the right lead for “love or money.” Otherwise, I have never found getting the correct lead to be a big issue. Sometimes, it might require a little mental work to find the right exercise to encourage the correct lead, but that’s about it.
I think too many riders—dressage riders especially—make too much of what needs to be done to simply ride. Certainly, creating a beautiful Grand Prix test does demand all the “magic,” but for just plain old riding?
All it really takes is the proper cue to ask the horse to do what comes naturally.
Monday, January 02, 2012
Resolutions
Just A Thought
I don't, as a rule, make New Year's resolutions.
I am not a "far into the future" planner and never have been, usually letting life kind of take its course as it comes.
All that being said, when I was competing my horses, I did plan, especially for eventing. I knew then that my horse's fitness was an essential ingredient to both success and safety. And, back then, even if I were not eventing, I assured my horses' fitness by riding a varied program 5-6 days a week.
I still have to laugh about the time I attended a jumping clinic with a prominent trainer. My horse, PJ, was a bulky Thoroughbred and the trainer began his group clinic with a lecture about how most amateur hunter/jumper riders never really had their horses fit enough for competition. He railed on about that for a moment, then walked over to PJ to poke his shoulder muscle to prove his point, planning to demonstrate just how "soft" my horse was.
He almost broke his finger on PJ's solid, well developed muscle. "Well, I'm not talking about this horse," he said, finally.
That was then. This is now. I have not ridden my Boys since last Spring--except for the ill-fated after surgery week before I took my tumble. They are far from fit, but do benefit from 24-7 turnout with lots of playtime. (As their sheets and my poor fence prove.)
I plan on riding, of course, so that means I need to give my Boys some basic fitness.
For that, I do need a bit of a plan. Trouble is, January in New Jersey is not exactly the time or place to start a fitness regimen for horses when you don't have an indoor.
But, I can think a bit about some training goals. I'm not at all sure about what Tucker can do since he has shown some chronic soreness in his hocks. Still, I would think that we could master flying changes this year. So, once I get him in shape, that's a plan.
Chance just needs a good solid foundation in all the basics. I'd like to have him trainer to at least first level competence, with, perhaps some flying changes as well. The first level competence is not a problem but the changes might be a bit much, depending on how he progresses.
Toby? Hard to say. He deserves his retirement, but I think being ridden now and then is good for him. He's definitely a "take it as it comes," fellow at this point. He can be very obvious about not wanting to get caught sometimes, so I guess I can just let him tell me what he wants to do.
Nothing grand here. There may be an opportunity for a "despooking" clinic in the Spring that would be decided fun for Chance and there is the outside chance I may decide to show him a little. I really don't have any ambition in that direction, though. Shows have gotten super expensive and there don't seem to be too many fun little schooling competitions around any more. We'll see.
So, that's it. No real resolutions, per se, but some goals. I am hopeful that my new knees might spark some more ideas once they are fully recovered. And I also hope that new legs will help me get myself more fit and even lose some weight.
Only time will tell.
I don't, as a rule, make New Year's resolutions.
I am not a "far into the future" planner and never have been, usually letting life kind of take its course as it comes.
All that being said, when I was competing my horses, I did plan, especially for eventing. I knew then that my horse's fitness was an essential ingredient to both success and safety. And, back then, even if I were not eventing, I assured my horses' fitness by riding a varied program 5-6 days a week.
I still have to laugh about the time I attended a jumping clinic with a prominent trainer. My horse, PJ, was a bulky Thoroughbred and the trainer began his group clinic with a lecture about how most amateur hunter/jumper riders never really had their horses fit enough for competition. He railed on about that for a moment, then walked over to PJ to poke his shoulder muscle to prove his point, planning to demonstrate just how "soft" my horse was.
He almost broke his finger on PJ's solid, well developed muscle. "Well, I'm not talking about this horse," he said, finally.
That was then. This is now. I have not ridden my Boys since last Spring--except for the ill-fated after surgery week before I took my tumble. They are far from fit, but do benefit from 24-7 turnout with lots of playtime. (As their sheets and my poor fence prove.)
I plan on riding, of course, so that means I need to give my Boys some basic fitness.
For that, I do need a bit of a plan. Trouble is, January in New Jersey is not exactly the time or place to start a fitness regimen for horses when you don't have an indoor.
But, I can think a bit about some training goals. I'm not at all sure about what Tucker can do since he has shown some chronic soreness in his hocks. Still, I would think that we could master flying changes this year. So, once I get him in shape, that's a plan.
Chance just needs a good solid foundation in all the basics. I'd like to have him trainer to at least first level competence, with, perhaps some flying changes as well. The first level competence is not a problem but the changes might be a bit much, depending on how he progresses.
Toby? Hard to say. He deserves his retirement, but I think being ridden now and then is good for him. He's definitely a "take it as it comes," fellow at this point. He can be very obvious about not wanting to get caught sometimes, so I guess I can just let him tell me what he wants to do.
Nothing grand here. There may be an opportunity for a "despooking" clinic in the Spring that would be decided fun for Chance and there is the outside chance I may decide to show him a little. I really don't have any ambition in that direction, though. Shows have gotten super expensive and there don't seem to be too many fun little schooling competitions around any more. We'll see.
So, that's it. No real resolutions, per se, but some goals. I am hopeful that my new knees might spark some more ideas once they are fully recovered. And I also hope that new legs will help me get myself more fit and even lose some weight.
Only time will tell.
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