Overall theme of the day is ...

... Improvement!  My lessons w/ event trainer have been literally life changing, in the riding sense.  I got to ride both her stallion again!

AND ... I finally got to sit on the 4 star horse, woop woop!  Granted, the 4* horse was a trail ride followed by 45 minutes of walking, but STILL.  My butt sat on a horse bound for the Rolex CCI**** next year.  How lucky can a girl get??

So, I'm so thankful for the opportunity just to be able to experience that upper level feel and movement.  My old hunter trainer said her daughter didn't get to be the amazing rider she is today by riding the "bad" ones, as so many people say.  She got to where she is by having the chance to ride NICE horses, that taught her what a "nice" horse should feel like.

I've been riding lots of ponies; Puffin the puff ball Icelandic, Kiara (not so much since she got purchased.  BOO for me, but yay for her new owner!), and Kimmie (the gray Connemara).

When I rode Kimmie, it took me about 5 minutes to get her round, soft, and in front of my leg.  The previous 3 times I rode her, I EXHAUSTED myself TRYING to get her forward and round, and achieved maybe half a lap of actually having her engaged and her back up.  This last time, it was quick and simple, and she stayed nicely between the hand and the leg for most of my 40 minute ride.  The pony Puffin is mostly about WORKING him.  He's pretty fat, but he's super athletic.  I love to jump him around, and trainer is working with me on doing as little as possible.  I tend to want to "help" him by jumping up his neck, and we all know how that works out.

I took a lesson with honorary little sis Nicole on Rusty, and it was super fantastic.  I jumped around on a horse I'd never ridden, and it was just NICE to be able to focus mostly on ME, and fixing the myriad of bad habits I've developed over the years.  Rusty is another Pluto; an ex upper level horse of trainer's that is now a super lovely lesson horse that I don't get to ride hardly at all b/c she has to use him for her other students!  A year ago, I would have politely declined to jump around, focusing instead on flatwork, but I'm finally being brave and going for it!

I rode a SUPER nice older BTDT hunter named Partner last week.  He's another big, gray Trakehner, and though he has a bit of a spook to him, it was a lovely lesson.  Our first jump was almost enough to zap my confidence b/c he apparently HATES to trot jumps, and it was a horribly awkward and painful jump, but I took a deep breath, pushed back the fallen down brim of my helmet, pushed my heels down, and persevered until I was able to canter back and forth through a line perfectly.  He's just BIG, and I don't feel all that comfortable on a BIG horse.  Flat, yes.  Jump?  Not so much.  But it ended great, I'm happy. :)

Overall, I'm SO happy with the progress I'm making, and trainer treats me like any other part of the team.  I get to ride her 'fancy ponies' (for which she actually THANKED me, what??), I get to ride the nice sale horses, and I have my fun little pony project, which I'm loving.  Even though I miss my sweet, sassy little muffin man like crazy, it warms my heart to see him out competing with his new child at N, finishing on his dressage score like a good boy.  She's thinking of moving up to T this Fall, and I can't wait to hear all about it!  I'm lucky that I can still keep up with him, and I'm lucky the sale worked out and his new home is every bit as good as his old one was :)  I am very grateful for the situation I'm in now, and looking forward to continuing to improve and to sit on more fancy ponies :)

Enjoying the 2 week GA Spring

I think we get about 2 weeks of Spring here in GA.  You know, the fabulously sunny days with a nice, cool base to it?  It was positively magnificent today!  Warm, but not hot.  No pollen in the air.  Perfect day to ride the Muffin!

He's been off for awhile.  I didn't get to ride him last week before leaving for IEA National Finals in Syracuse, NY on Thursday, and LR hasn't been out lately, so his fitness level is waning slightly:(  Little booger was tired after his ride today!

I went up to the ring to set some jumps, but the ring was hard as a ROCK, so I changed plans.  I haven't ridden in his pasture since I did some hill work in the draw reins, so I decided to ride back there.  Tacked him up in his normal cavesson bridle, and set off at a brisk walk.  Tiki's pasture is fairly large; about 20ish acres.  I walked the entire perimeter of the pasture, going up and down hill, and weaved through rocks, holes, and ant hills.  After walking a full lap, reversed and trotted a lap each way, then cantered a lap each way.  The canter was tough!  He wanted to break a few times on me, and at the trot he was quite literally tripping over his own feet.  I'm not all that sure he's actually worked outside the ring since his Poplar horse trial.  As I knew he would, Tiki got with the program and finished up great.  As I pulled him up to the walk, I could feel him huffing and puffing.  Poor baby!  It's supposed to rain pretty good tomorrow, so maybe the footing will be good on Thursday.  I'd like to jump around a little bit this week.

Working towards Training

Ahhh ... Home!

Well, had two GREAT rides yesterday and today!  The weather has finally cooperated and I got to sit on Muffin for the first time since Thursday 2 weeks ago!  It has rained, rained, and rained.  This is a good thing ... but a not so good thing!

I posted the following video on the Chronicle forums:  Flat work
I got some very good and honest feedback about it!  To MY eyes, and hopefully to the long time followers of my blog, you will see a HUGE improvement from the early Tiki days.  It's been a  process, as y'all know. Slow and steady and all that.  One poster commented she felt like Tiki was moving more like a lower level hunter than a dressage horse ... Bwa hahaha!!!  I take that as a HUGE compliment, and at least I've been doing SOMETHING right lol.  It'll take too low and quiet over spastic sewing machine any day;)  Another poster mentioned maybe I've hit a plateau in my training, and how maybe it's a good thing.  Ya know, I think she's right!  I've got to kick things up, expect the boy to rise to the occasion, and CHALLENGE him again.  The training test B (the eventer test, not straight dressage) is a little more involved than BN or N, so I have my work cut out for me!

I feel like I really kicked it up.  Both days of course I rode in the dressage tack.  Unless something happens, I'm REALLY liking him in the mullen Happy Mouth loose ring, so that bit's staying on the dressage bridle for awhile.  Both days I warmed up on a long rein.  Yesterday, I w/t/c both ways.  I could feel how much he fell in at the canter, but I had NO contact!  After roughly 6 minutes, I came back to the walk, shortened my reins WAY up, and forgot about riding like a Hunter.  I used my spur, I used my seat, and I aggressively focused on pushing his hind end into the reins.  I actually felt quite a bit of enthusiasm from him, and he agreeably stepped underneath himself.  I spiraled in and out a few times both ways, and could feel when he tried to "cheat" and fall in on the inside shoulder.  Again, I forgot about sinking my weight into my heels and sitting soft and quiet, and pushed him hard into the outside rein.  I kept my reins taut, my shoulders back, and the tempo "UP"!

On a 20m circle, I tried to really ask for variation within the trot.  Sitting trot with collection; LOTS of flexion in the neck, LOTS of leg, seat sitting DOWN and following, shoulder slightly behind the hip.  Rise to posting, and visualize his shoulder REACHING as far as it could.  I have visual evidence he CAN have a gorgeous, open trot:

Sometimes I went right to the edge where he was nearly in a canter, and then I would bring him back down to a collected sitting trot.  In the canter, I went from a regular canter to a "gradual lengthen", and then back.  He felt a little strong, but when I settled back into the "regular" canter, he really sat down and lightened up.  Finished with a few stellar transitions from Canter/walk/ canter/walk.

Today was more of the same, but during my long rein warmup, and just concentrated on going FORWARD, and didn't canter on the loose rein.  For the most part, stayed on the 20m circle.  I worked HARD on that steady contact.  I lengthened my stirrups a hole, and focused on leg 80%, hand 20%.  I think my biggest mistake has been fixating on hand 80%, leg 20%, oops.  Within about 10 minutes, I could feel a nice steady reach through his shoulder, and his neck was "jelly like" in the bend.  I FELT LIKE his back was up, and he felt REALLY GOOD, but I was just going by feel.  

I practiced riding a 15m circle since I realized I really had no idea how to execute it.  I did a 'baby spiral' from 20m to 15m and back.  I practiced on bending him all the way through the body, and not letting him cheat and tilt that head/bend that neck.  Of course it wasn't 100% perfect, but he made an excellent, honest effort.  Good Muffin!  I ended with some big loop serpentines all the way across the ring, and they started a little awkward, but ended pretty good.  I then did about 4 turn on haunches to canter depart.  It was the BEST he's ever done those!  Absolutely NO shuffle/quick trot steps between walk/canter.  He was crisp, prompt, and oh so good.  I love his try and his heart.  I will get in a few lessons with Susan coming up so we can score under 40 at May-Daze:)  I think we have a good start!

And, the BEST phase!

Um ... where is THIS trot in the dressage???!!!

Sorry this post has taken FOREVER!  I've been a bit busy and not in front of my computer.  Sunday dawned clear and cold after a small rain shower Saturday night.  Tiki was clean and happy and snug as a bug in his nice heavyweight blanket and his snuggly neck cover.  LR took him for a little walk and he was happy and interested in his surroundings, but not silly or googly-eyed at all:)  Good Muffin!

We went down to the xc course and staked out a spot to watch the Intermediate and most of the Prelim.  The course seemed to be riding very well; I'd walked the Prelim coffin and was quite impressed by the sheer SIZE of it.  Big wide ditch, and big logs in and out.  It rode beautifully, with barely any peeks by any of the horses.  I really fell in love with PP, it's such a lovely farm, and the footing couldn't have BEEN any more perfect.  Saturday we'd walked the course, and without further ado, I present ... the course walk!

Lincoln logs; easy as pie!

Garden Gate, NO problem

3, teeny coop

4, little cabin I would have worried over 2 years ago:)

5 was through the water, he was PERFECT!  Even cantered through it:)

6, the "faux ditch".  He jumped this nice and big!

7 was a nice little bench with a bit of a down hill landing and a long downhill gallop to 8

Cute little hedge jump; he again jumped this LOVELY

A simple, solid log with a downhill straight ahead to the mushroom

Mushroom was a nice 10 or so strides down then up a hill.  He got a tiny deep here, but did great

11 was a cabin he's jumped many times (thanks Marty!)

12 were barrels he's pretty comfortable with by now

13 was the ONLY jump of concern.  It was a pretty big brush into the woods.  It was a light to dark question, and the jump itself was a little spooky.  LR was prepared to sit up, close her leg, and swish the crop if needed.

About 3' with the brush

Up to the armpit on landing!  No worries though, he was PERFECT

Next was the tiny little canoe; a little wider, but very small

15 was a quick pass through the water, up to ...

The world's tiniest log

a little palisade that he jumped well, finishing with ...

A planter that seemed WAY smaller than the one at May-Daze;)

He didn't hesitate, overjump, or otherwise act silly.  He marched around picture perfect, according RIGHT to plan, and LR got to feel how lovely he is over the solid stuff.  She wore my watch to keep an eye on time so he didn't incur any speed faults, and managed to keep a good and even rhythm and finished well within optimum time.  Another double clear moved them up 4 more spots to finish in 10th.  Not too shabby!  I'm SO proud of both of them, it was a GREAT weekend!  Tiki has grown up to be such a big man, and he's learned his job so nicely.  

I've made a crucial decision ... I'm 100% going to May Daze again.  AND ... moving up again.  We're going to go for Training.  No reason not to!  He can handle a trakehner, he can handle a coffin, he can handle big and wide and gallopy.  I've watched a few helmet cams from T, and I don't see anything he can't handle with grace.  We will work on our dressage, we'll go schooling one more time, and I will make it to where I've always hoped we COULD.  Exciting times!:)

Such a big boy:D

The stadium round

Walking, er, marching down to warm up

Final jump!

First of all, here are the pro pics from the weekend!
Horse trial pics

Secondly, here is the recap of the stadium round:  He was perfection:)  LR placed him exactly where she wanted him, and he said, "Sure!".  Her comment when coming out of the ring was, "I can't believe how stinking ADJUSTABLE he was!"  Wait?  No problem!  Go?  Sure!  I LOVED the course; it was a nice, long twisty course that looked like a lot of fun.  I was a little surprised there were no combinations, but that was a nice thing, too.

After watching a few super scary rounds with horses tearing around on the wrong lead and tearing around in general, LR walked in and laid down a trip worth of an equitation medal.  He looked at nothing, he didn't obviously hit anything, and he marched around like it was easy:)  Good Muffin!  A lovely double clear in the grass arena moved them up 5 spots to 14th going into XC on Sunday ...

The Dressage Test

Um ... Y'all?  XC is over THERE!

Well, we are home safe and sound!  Muffin was a ROCKSTAR, LR had a wonderful time, and I am STILL exhausted from playing horse show mom:)

As y'all know, I encouraged her to go BN since she's never done a HT before, and Tiki has only done 2 previously.  She's been preparing now for a few months, but unlike what I did, she hasn't had any lessons on him at all.  She's also only averaged riding him about once a week per month, so NOT much saddle time (on Tiki.  She gets PLENTY of saddle time on other horses).  I'm saying these things in defense of the fact that they were 19th at the end of dressage ... out of 19.

To be perfectly honest, I was VERY shocked they ended up dead last.  I feel like my May-Daze dressage test wasn't any better than what they put in Satureday, and I was somewhere around 9th I think after dressage then?  LR spent plenty of time early Sat morning schooling in a relatively uncrowded warm up ring. She just sat patiently and waited until he came down into the contact, and BREATHED.  Looked pretty good to me!  He was quiet, he was obedient, and he was calm.  No wild eyes, no kicking hind legs, no swishing tail ... he looked really happy.  All was well!

Their test was dead quiet.  THAT'S why they were last.  She's a hunter rider that's never performed a dressage test in public.  Actually, she's a hunter rider that's never performed a dressage test in front of any sort of trainer or ANYTHING, so what she did was GREAT:)  It was accurate, it was pleasant, it was even, and i was steady.  The ONLY thing it lacked was pace, a bit of impulsion, and a flapping, "loud" rider.  Final score was 41, which certainly wasn't bad at all!  Very respectable, in fact.  At least 10 of the horses in front of her was above 35; there were a LOT of 38's and 38.5's.  So despite the last place finish, we were happy with both HIM, and HER.  She shrugged and said she'd go home and work on it.  Lol!  Cool customers make me happy.

I just have to add in here, I had SUCH a good time!  LR's mom, SM (Super Mom) and her good friend MP (Mama P) took care of LR and I all weekend.  MP owns a beautiful little cabin in Calloway Gardens, just 20 minutes from PP.  She took advantage of having SM around, and invited all of us to stay with her for the weekend.  I just have to say, I haven't been so spoiled by even my OWN mother!  I am very grateful for having them there, and for having such a nice place to spend the weekend; made it feel like a little vacation weekend vs. just a "horse show" weekend.:)

Game faces

He was VERY good in the warm up!

Work!

It's almost time!  And of COURSE the muffin decided to injure himself, he wouldn't be normal without maiming himself in some way days before a competition.  Ever since his splint injury, he has been turned out/ridden/longed in some sort of protective leg wear 100% of the time.  This bloody injury occurred outside of the protective boots, on the OUTSIDE of the pastern.  How???  Sigh.  Fortunately, no heat or swelling and he moved completely sound on it, so I will just keep an eye for the next few days.  Tomorrow is supposed to be a 100% chance of rain/thunder storms AND 70 degrees, so I'm planning to do his body clip tomorrow.  I've been doing the "grunt work" this week.  LR rode on Sunday and had a nice ride in the dressage tack.  Monday I spun him on the longe line.  Well, that's too light of a word.  I really worked him pretty good!  Lots of transitions, lots of swipes with the whip to get him walking ON, and back and forth between all 3 gaits.  I tightened up the side reins pretty good, and kept him working hard until he came down and settled into the contact.

Today I did trot sets, but because I was "interrupted" by a phone call, I trotted for 18 minutes straight, 9 tracking left, 9 tracking right.  At 18 mins on the dot my phone call ended, so I did my 2 mins of canter right, then turned around and went right back to it left.  He felt so amazing, it was a good day:)  I feel SO good being more fit.  If you read back through the blog, trot sets typically kill me!  Today, I didn't feel so much as a twinge in my back.  It was like I wasn't doing anything at all. Cold hosed that booboo and determined the wound to be about thumb sized, but NOT a puncture.  Poured some HP on it, then gooped it up with an antibiotic cream, and will prepare to bathe him first thing in the morning.

Tomorrow it will rain, Thursday I plan to hack him in the ring in draw reins.  Friday we ship south!  Ride times are 2 something and 4 something on Saturday, then 2:30ish on Sunday.  XC on Sunday.  Can't wait!  Check back in for the course walk!

Rain, cold, and more rain

Exactly one year ago; popped splint.  Glad to not be dealing with THAT!

Well ... it's been a week since I've posted because I haven't sat on my boy AT ALL!  It's been raining all week long, MISERABLE:(  LR was able to ride Sunday and Monday, dressage of course.  He was super stiff on Sunday, no surprise.  LR worked him through it and ended up well.  Monday he was WAY better, and she had a nice, productive ride.  I hit him with 3 cc's of ace, and she pulled his mess of a mane, lol.  The weather is going to be HORRIBLE tomorrow and Friday, but I need to go ahead and fully body clip him because I'm not going to have time Mon-Wed of next week, and we leave to head south to PP on Friday.  Don't want to wait too long because I want to have time to touch stuff up if I need to.  I will just double up on the blankets if I need to.

He's ready.  She's ready.  Hopefully the weather cooperates SLIGHTLY this upcoming week so I can keep him loose and ready to go.  Already mentally packing the truck and trailer; dropped the trailer off yesterday to get some maintenance on it.  Picked it up today!  Excited about the horse trial, can't wait to see PP up close and to walk the xc course.  I know Muffin will rock it out!