Yup, it was a disaster!

I must say, the boy was NOT good today. NOT good, at all. He is SO much better with consistent work, and he has just not been consistently worked due to all the rain. I decided that since it was SUCH a beautiful day, and I'd just ridden him Friday, he didn't need to be longed. Hmm.

Yeah, he needed to be longed. The goob stood still while I climbed up on the little step ladder and swung my leg over, then was good while I walked a lap around the pasture in 2 point, but as soon as I asked for the trot, that head went down, swung back and forth, and he tried to go fast. I half halted, got him slower, then he'd leap up in the air. We'd bend, go forward, try to run, buck. It was the crappy, endless cycle that went on and on. Finally, I removed my spurs.

For those of you shaking your head at the stupidity of big roller spurs on a fresh Thoroughbred on a late December afternoon, he's gone GREAT in them before, at Crazy Lady's farm. In fact, it had ben a real epiphany how well he went in them. Well, today, he was having none of it. So, I dismounted, removed the offending metal posts, and climbed back on. After attempting to trot in a big circle somewhat resembling a RING, I felt what it was like to Capriole. Let's just say I won't be applying to the Vienna School of Riding anytime soon. I finally slapped on a little good 'ol discipline; circling, yelling, and stinging my hand with a slap on the rump. I didn't give in to his shenanigans, and continued to ask for the trot, one rein stopping when he tried to run off, and attempting to work in a ring-like area. FINALLY, he gave up ... a little.

I was very grateful for the warm weather, because I had JUST enough sweat to stick really well, but I wasn't uncomfortably hot or anything. Tiki, on the other hand, was soaked to the skin. We FINALLY got in some productive trotting; I got some really good practice remembering how to maintain a consistent rhythm at the trot despite a non-consistent rhythm by the horse. We finally got a nice pace, a relaxed head and neck, and some relative straightness. Cantered a few times, and experienced lots of crow hopping, flat out bucking, and lots of switching out behind. Needless to say, I will be borrowing a saddle from the barn until I can get a new one that fits. It's a pain, but I'd rather be uncomfortable and the HORSE be comfortable until funds allow for BOTH our comforts. I don't know that that had anything to do with it, but I will be interested to see how he reacts to a regular tree saddle. We're planning that trail ride Sunday, but I hope to squeeze in another ride or 2 Thursday and Friday, weather permitting. No sense in having a horse if I don't ride him! Wish us luck.:)

Finally ... the rain STOPPED!

So, after an eternity of rain, rain, and more rain, I was able to more or less forget about my horrible bareback event, and actually ride. And he had another fat ankle. AGH! I just pretended I didn't see it, rubbed on some liniment gel, and fastened on his spiffy new boots. (The fat ankle was just a little soft swelling on the outer left hind; it was just stocked up, for anyone horrified.;)) I waited around on Joyce and Debbie, the 2 ladies riding with me, and we set off across the street to wander aimlessly through right of ways, and pray the hunters didn't mistake our chestnut and appy horses for deer.

Literally, as we traipsed through belly high grass, crossed over rocky dry creeks, and wound our way through the power lines, we sand loudly so the hunters wouldn't shoot us. Hunting season is almost.over. Woo Hoo! Tiki didn't try to kill me! He was very unspooky, didn't squeal at me, and didn't dance/jig/or otherwise act like a bone head. He DID want to be in front, but we had NO idea where we were going, so I made him walk in the back. He got a little anxious when Peaches the appy pony wanted to prance and jig, herself, but he just put his head down, snuffled, and power walked the whole time. SUCH a good boy!

I will enjoy the 65 degree weather tomorrow, and ride him in his pasture, hopefully doing some transitions and getting in some meaningful work. Some ladies are planning a Sunday trail ride in the 1000 acres across the street that will have been vacated by the hunters, so I am planning an actual hour plus ride then. I hope it all works out!!:) I love my pony.

Finally got to ride!

Double edged sword. GA needs rain ... badly. However, since I STILL don't have a ring to ride in, I haven't been able to ride in a week. Today, I said the heck with it! The pasture I ride in wasn't too bad, so I brushed out the rain and dirt, and longed him first just to be safe. He was his normal, calm self. So ... I got on bareback. Oh. My. Gosh. I will spare the embarassing details about how that was the MOST PAINFUL thing I've ever done to myself on purpose, lol. I managed to stay on about 5 minutes, and NO TROTTING! :) I think he still needs to put on a few lbs before I try that little trick again. Kudos to the boy, though, he walked on the buckle twice around the pasture and only jigged twice when big, scary trucks roared down the road. He is such a good boy, I just love him! I plan to ride tomorrow after work; the only thing in my way is the forecast which is calling for possible showers tomorrow, so I'm just hoping things hold off until at least 4. At that point, it can rain all it wants!

Exhilirated!!

I ... galloped! Yup, I aimed my pony across a huge pasture, got in 2 point, and held on for the ride! I had tears streaming down my face from the cold wind, but it was INCREDIBLE!! Very fun. My pony was great the other day. Lots of transitions, stayed very quiet at the trot, did some nice canter transitions on both leads, worked on straightness, attempting to do some bending. I definitely think he did have an ulcer, and is feeling better now because he DOES go more forward for me. I think he enjoyed his gallop, as did I, and I should have ridden him today, but I actually have to LIVE with my husband. So, I cleaned up some around the house, which I have been seriously neglecting lately. Maybe I'll get lucky and can ride in the morning before the rain comes, but that is supposed to come in tonight. Anyway, just wanted to update! My High school and Middle school riding teams went to a show this weekend and earned Reserve Champions/Champions, respectively.:) I'm the proud mama all the way around!!!!

Relieved:)

I'd had my saddle in the car all weekend long, and pulled it out on Wednesday before going to the barn. Once I finished cleaning the stalls, it was absolutely beautiful, and I was kicking myself in the butt for taking the dang saddle out!

In lieu of riding my boy, I groomed him and longed him. He was so filthy. He's looking a little bit more fat, though, and that makes me happy! I took him out to the grass ring and actually longed him outside the ring in the pasture. Happily, he would work, then leap in the air and buck. Then he'd squeal, canter forward and buck. Then we reversed, and he'd slip, then buck.

Why is this good? It's good because it means he was not bucking out of pain, just out of feeling good. I worry about my saddle on him; he's not fat at ALL, and my saddle's a wide tree. I've tried to sell it twice on ebay, but wide tree saddles are a more specialized market. I have a big felt pad on him right now that takes up a lot of space, so I'm thinking the saddle is fine.

Anyway, he's starting to stretch down into the side reins and round his neck a little. He still doesn't stretch down into the trot, but he'll get there. I'm proud of my sweet little guy:)

The last few weeks!

Well. I've ridden exactly 3 times in the month I've been at the new farm.:( That's definitely a bummer. I was riding way more than that at "crazy lady's" barn. As I said in my last post, the problem is that now I'm out physically working for 3 hours as opposed to brushing, grazing, hand walking, riding, etc. for 3 hours. School is over next week, so that will open up Tues/Thurs as days to go out and JUST be with Tiki.

I wanted to tell about the day we went out with the group. I was so proud. I showed up at the barn, ready to ride in the crappy little ring and there was a group of ladies getting ready to trail out. I invited myself along, knocked off the dirt, and threw on my saddle. As we headed up the big hill out to the road, Tiki jigged. Tiki has never jigged, that is SO un-Tiki-like. Granted, it was a HUGE hill ... and the boy WAS a turf horse, so that wide open hill of grass probably called to that primitive part of him that made him WANT to run. Anyway, I struggled to keep him at a walk; a nice, sedate walk. I ended up circling a lot. We tried to go out the gate, and he would NOT go behind the horse standing there. Said horse moved, and we were fine to go out the gate. We spooked at a car, leaped up a small hill, spooked at a dog when another horse spooked at a dog, and jigged a whole bunch. Once I let him get to the front of the pack, he settled down. We were up front sort of by ourselves, and he settled into his ground eating walk with his head down, snuffling. The second another horse came up beside us, he tensed up, jigged again, and became super-alert. Interesting. Rather than the other horses calming him, they just made him nervous. We worked in the neighbor's grass ring for about 15 minutes, and he was a good boy. SERIOUSLY counter-bent at the right lead canter, but what did I expect? I'd ridden him once in 2 weeks. We ended up well; all the ladies exclaimed about what a good boy he was, and how they were expecting much worse. All in all, I was proud.

So, I hadn't ridden in a week last Friday, and brought my stuff out to the barn. Nope, huge swollen leg. GREAT! I trotted him down the aisle, and he was sound. PHEW!:) Cold hosed it, wrapped it, and stuck him in his stall. Rinse and repeat Saturday and Sunday. Remove wrap Sunday afternoon; it does look better. Turn out Monday in the rain, pray he's fine Tuesday, Wednesday leg looks ALMOST normal. Turkey Day Thursday, go out Friday planning a light walk around. Leg looks PERFECT. Tight, cool, and perfectly normal. We go into crappy little ring, and he was HORRIBLE. Bucked every time I asked for a trot, walked all sucked up in this stupid, backed off frame, and leaped straight up in the air everytime he tripped (which was often). I played Clinton Anderson and rode on a LOOSE rein, then pulled him into a tight one rein circle each time he got quick. I want to grab his face and hang when he's fast, so it was very interesting to ME to ride him on no contact when I knew he was so fresh and forward. We ended up well. All I wanted was calm and quiet. I feel like we did end there. BO said footing should be in by next weekend; halleuia!!!:) I need to be more disciplined if I want my horse to be anything more than a pasture/stall ornament. Time to stop feeling sorry for myself because I have to WORK to afford my horse, and just do the work and the riding.

Anyway! That was yesterday; it's raining today and tomorrow so I won't see the boy until Monday when I go out to clean his stall. Depending on the conditions, I would like to hop on and repeat Friday's ride in the crappy ring. Hopefully he will have remembered, and will be a little better. Leg looked great after the ride; I rubbed on a little liniment gel just in case, but it was still cool tight. Yay! I just thank God for finally letting my have my pony; I do love him!!:)

First ride at the new farm

So the boy was definitely "up" the day I decided to hack him. Right now, there's a small, uneven grass ring to ride in. You can't do too much productive work in it, but he REALLY needed to be worked. I think he worked harder at NOT working, lol. I persisted for about 30 minutes, and finally he started to get with the program. Both leads worked, we cantered over poles, and even though I HATED all the up and down, it at least is good for his balance to constantly be changing.

I'm definitely missing riding him a bunch. Once I'm finished cleaning stalls, my damn head hurts too much to worry about riding. However, in 2 weeks, school is over. The ring is supposed to be finished by the end of this month, so hopefully I can start a regular program for him. Yesterday I got a little set back because Tiki had a horribly swollen RF leg. GRRRR. Hopefully it's a minor problem because he's not lame on it. I'll check it again tomorrow after my IEA show at Hilmar Farms. I've got him on ulcer meds, and he looks like he's gaining weight. I'll get some new pics tomorrow.:)