From Pony to Horse in one day.

Well Monday I spent the day in Aiken, SC with my great friend and trainer Cathy Fox. She is down there teaching, training, and working with some young sale horses with her friend/partner Chris Taylor. The two of them both rode on the 1999 PanAm Games dressage team for Bermuda.

So they were moving barns and I offered to help while I was in town. I was really just in for the day as I arrived late Sunday after spending my weekend in Camden at a massage seminar (which I'll talk about in another post!).

We moved a total of 5 horses, hay, shavings, tack, and an assortment of other things. It took us about 3 trips to get them moved. The new barn though is phenominal! I wanted to move in and just sleep on the couches in the lounge (yes they had a lounge that is nicer than my house!)

This is the front entrance of the 20 stall barn.

So after I picked my jaw up off the ground I spent a bit of time working with Roy, Cathy's talented German Hanovarian.  Being that he is very fit and ridden correctly he generally only requires a good tune up with the massage.  Cathy though believes in my work and always has me work in him.  She knows that it keeps his muscles in good working order to prevent any potential strains or injuries.  So she is my favorite kind of client!!

I then watched her ride him which to me is always a treat.  He is such a big mover and is lovely to watch.  And Cathy as a rider is also a joy to see as well.  Very classical in her seat and position and I get so much from just watching her.  Her horses are always very straight and balanced and truely do over their backs and are forward. 

His piaffe and passage are coming along in leaps and bounds...its amazing to see what she has with him.

Roy hanging out in his field waiting to go to his new home.  Love the face.

While in Aiken I got a call from my dear friend Kate.  She had fallen off and knew she was going to be a bit too sore to ride for a few days.  This would of course happen right before she was taking JoePony to Regional Championships to show in BN this weekend.  So she asked me to come and ride him just to keep him on his toes. 
So on Wednesday I made the trip out to McCord Farms to ride the Joe! He is a great lil guy and was a ton of fun to ride.  Such a willing attitude and nothing phases him.  I of course only did dressage/flat work with him, but the silly boy wanted to veer off to the jumps as we passed them.
We did work alot of going to the outside rein and staying under himself during transitions.  He tended to want to dump (but hey so many of them want to do that right?), but he reallys started to use his lil tush by the end.

Kate put her eventing cap on me as she said I will event one day.  Ha!

What a lovely lil trot he has. :)

I love him and will beg Kate to ride him again without a doubt!

So I then went from pony onto my mare Gracie...hence the horse.
She had spent a wonderful week OFF from work.  Wasnt she shocked when I brought the saddle back out.  I saw the smile fade from that pretty face of hers. Oh well I had planned a day of hillwork so figured she would enjoy herself.
And she did..though a bit too much for my liking.  I will say it was stupid of me to take her out in the fields after that long with no work.  But hey were told fresh air is good for them and it was a nice day.
All was fine just walking up and down, and even with trotting up the hill. 
BUT...BUT when you add the canter in it was just too exciting.  First time up at the canter, she perked her ears and you felt the energy buzzing in her, but she was good and steady and balanced.
So went for a second time.  She went right into the canter and then right into bucking. 
I could feel her trying to wiggle her head further down to put in some better bucks.  But I just sat back, held her head up, and hoped that Charlie had 911 on speed dial. 
Funny how things run through your head in moments like those...
But I guess I had superglue on my ass because I didnt come off.  Even when she continues to put in small bucks at the top of the hill and kept tring to bolt forward. 
Abandoned the hillwork and just stayed at the top and made the damn mare really work.  She got the picture and settled down and stopped trying to bolt.  Mares....

So today I went back to the ring.  Gracie has been in our indoor a bizillion times.  But today the monsters had taken it over.  I swear she was spooking at everything and nothing.  The entire ride she was like "OMG IM GOING TO DIE!!!!" It was one of those rides that kinda sucked the whole time but I was okay with where it ended.  I went in with one game plan and it changed almost immediatly.  In the end I just wanted her forward and listening. 
The canter work is getting there though.  I was not together to the right so the up transition was hard for her.  I just couldnt get her and myself where we needed to be to have a successful one.  I got it eventually but I really need to work on myself when it comes to that.
To the left?? Well it was really good.  Which is suprising as it was the harder one for the last few months. 
She picked it up each time and in the canter itself stayed fairly well balanced.  I even got her to do a walk/canter transition like she was an old pro at it!!
Goofy mare...I must say I love her. 
My friend Julie says the two of us have a bizarre and sick relationship. ;p;p

She does have such a pretty face when she's not making evil eyes at everyone.

Really Mare?

Well this past weekend was supposed to be our time with Cathy Fox.  But Gracie decided to be lame for two days and those two days were during the clinic. 

Ugh.

I swear that mare went into her field and stomped up and down on whatever rock she could find so she was just slightly lame enough NOT to ride.  I mean she loves her Granny Cathy, but that also comes with lots of work. 

And we had gotten somewhere and I was looking forward to Cathy seeing that.  Pooey.

But then again I am just happy she isnt lame anymore.  I think Bill laughed at me when he found nothing with the foot testers and then she lunged out sound as a dollar.  Little does Gracie know but we are going back to work in the morning!!

But it was a good weekend full of horsey peeps, great lessons, and in general spending time at the barn.
I was able to hop on a good friends horse, Merlin, for a few minutes.  He is the coolest little warmblood who is a great schoolmaster. 
Even in the most uncomfortable saddle I have ever had the displeasure of sitting in, I was able to do my first flying changes!!
The first one sucked.  Oh goodness did it suck.  I was like, "what am I doing?  Half halt, legs, what?" Merlin changed in front but not behind.  Yea I got like a 1 on that one.
So we circled and tried again with Cathy barking at me that I knew what the F a half halt was so use it!
And I used that great tool, put my leg back, and BAM! Lead Change. 
I laughed like a fool, Merlin looked at me like I was crazy, and Cathy told me Good job. 
So it wasnt all for naught with my mare being lame.

Tomorrow I am planning on riding early in the morning.  Then heading out to Crossville to watch the oneday clinic with Cathy there.  I have a few horses who are lucky enough to get a massage too.  So it wil be a fun and productive day for me. 

Gracie just better realize she cant play possum all the time....wait...no possums...The two of us hate possums...no more EPM, bad possums....

Gracie being too cute with her new flymask.  Even if she was playing at being lame. ;p

Having to not be such a nice guy

That is my main focus right now with Gracie.  I am just too damn nice to the mare.  She is such the horse that if you give them an inch they take a mile.  It is a slow thing, so slow you dont even notice.  Till one day things just dont work anymore.  So this last week has been about me sitting up and riding.

Mainly I go around and am a bit too open with myself.  I was told I looked like I didnt want to offend her and was trying to baby her.  And I was I am sure.  I can get her to move and all, but I dont get her to really work.  There is no engagement of her hinny and that back never really gets up under me.
I have let that mare start slowing laying on my hands and not being truely on the bit.  She looks it but she feels like a ton of bricks in my hands.  Throw those reins away and she would just land on her nose.

This all I am positive is related to why the canter was once again an issue.  I will say the first time was the EPM, but that is long gone.  Now it is just her stupid rider.  She is the kinda girl that if she isnt through the canter is not possible.  Ask and all you get is that giant extended trot she is so good at because it is all she can give you.  So to get a canter depart you have to sit her on her ass and make her work. 

So this last week I have done two things to make this easier on us both. 

One- Started with a lunge line lesson because I know my position is related to shit most of the time. 
Laura Wolfe came out and did a great job of pointing out my many faults.  Mainly I seem to pinch with my knees.  How can I have an active working seat if it isnt really in the saddle?  Well I cant and Gracie must be ridden off seat and leg.  She will kill anyone if they get into using their hands too much.
So lots of work minus stirrups and learning to let go with my knees.  I have worked most of my rides alone the same way without stirrups.  Sure my abs are on fire but it is a good thing.
I know that my position inhibits Gracie alot of the time.  As Cathy Fox and Jim Koford have both told me she is a mirror and will show all my mistakes.  And lordy lordy isnt that the truth.

Gracie showing that sometimes I do ride correctly.

Two-  Help Gracie be able to help me in the canter work.  So after each ride I have been putting her on the lunge with sidereins.  Doing lots of trot/canter/trot transitions to help her gain the strength she needs to balance herself better.  So we do equal amounts of work in both directions.  I had also stopped working the canter under saddle for a week to just let her focus on the lunge work.  Today was the first day I tried it under saddle again..more on that later.

So how are the results? 

I think good.  We will see what Cathy thinks this weekend as we are riding with her in a two-days clinic at our barn.  Then I will know if I am doing better or if I am still doing in circles with the same issues.

But really I feel like she is respecting me more and her work ethic increases with her respect for you. 

Today was a good ride.  Within 5 minutes she agreed to step up and accept the contact and go forward.  I was turning with my outside rein/leg and she was bending evenly in both directions.

After the warmup I worked a bit without stirrups.  Started with shoulder-ins and haunches-in at the walk.  There are not good yet but she has the idea.  And for a mare who couldnt use her right hind well at all 6 months ago she is doing great with her stepping under. 

Then some sitting trot work for me.  Had her going on serpentines, diagnols, and small circles.  Went well, but I could tell my muscles were a bit fatigued from the sudden correct use.  I can tell now the difference between me sititng in the saddle and gripping with my knees.

Then I got it in my head to see about the canter.  She wasnt being all sneeky about getting out of the contact so I thought it might go well.  And it did.  She went into both leads 2-3 times each as soon as I asked.  I felt more secure asking her too.  She didnt pop her head too bad, and she didnt race around like an idiot.  I kept the canter brief..no more than a 1/2 circle before transitioning down to ask again. 

After that I praised her big time and went to something she LOVES to do.  Lengthen her trot.

BUT I had a stipulation.  She was to do it across the diagnol only after she straighted and balanced herself.

Then I would let her.  Took her a few tries to get that point but when she got it she really got it. 

And with that outside rein I had sure she would come back in her trot before we hit the corner. 

Can I say it is amazing what one can do if they are truely on that outside rein and really connected over their back???

Who knew!!

So a few more days and Cathy will be here.  I hope she is as pleased as I am.

The sun! It does exist!

So after so much time of nothing but rain, snow, and gloom everyone here in TN was blessed with seeing the sun!!  I am not sure about everyone else but I was damn sure going to go enjoy it with my horse.

Sadly her sole bruise in the right front lasted well over a month.  This stopped us from going to the schooling show at RiverGlen this past Saturday.  But such is life and there will always be other shows.  I am only happy that she is now sound and coming back into work. 

So today was my first day on her...in over a month.  First she tried the sucking back and not moving.  Just for old times sake, and to see if I REALLY meant that her vacation was over.  She learned it was. 
Next, she decided to spook at the vet working at his truck as he floated a few horses teeth.  Gracie's idea of a spook is to hop forward in her "look at me I have standardbred in me" trot, so it is totally managable thankfully. 
But that got her fire going and I used it to my advantage.  I like them a bit UP as it is so much easier to get them in front of your leg and working.

So today I just focused on forward and straight with a good steady rythmn.  We got the first two fairly early on, but she loves to zoom once she hits the open end of a circle or say going down the longside.  So half-halt, half-halt was my solution. 
I guess I finally asked her in the right way as she finally became steady eddy and the rest of the ride was quite nice.  Just stayed in the walk/trot. I will add the canter back in tomorrow or Wednesday I think. 

Though as we were ending the ride on a nice long and low stretchy trot the CAT OF DOOOOOOOMM jumped out of a hole in the kickboards of the indoor.  Holy hell that mare shot out from under me and was across the diagnol in 2 seconds flat!! Good thing I stayed on.  LoL.

Oh and the spoiled little mare got a very long massage before our ride.  I am jealous as I need one too.  She just better be happy her mom is a massage therapist.  ;p;p It is the only time Gracie will stand still for that long and be happy about doing it!

So we are getting back on track for our plans. 
Have a clinic with Jim Koford in a few weekends, and then right after with Cathy Fox. 
I better get my butt back in shape and soon!!!

In the land of mud

So for one I have been a very bad blogger.  I will try to explain myself for that, but first let me speak of Gracie.  Since she is FAR more interesting than I am.

First off the mare has been doing fantastic this winter.  She is so much more comfortable in her body and is a very happy camper.  It is amazing to see her transform after battling and winning against the EPM.
Her work ethic has improved alot and she hasnt sulled up on me in months.  The canter is slowly coming along and the transitions are becoming alot cleaner.  The trot work is really really good most of the time.
So I am quite happy with my little maremare!!

Though I have to say she has had off for almost a week now.  On Saturday I went out to clinic with my trainer Cathy Fox and she was lame on the lunge.  Only to the left at the trot, but it was definetly her right foreleg.  Ugh.
So all the signs pointed to an abscess.  And I have been managing her since then like that.  Farrier came out Tuesday and found a soft/tender spot and dug just a little to find the bugger.  And found a nice bruise instead.  But she seems quite okay on the leg but I am going to give her a bit more time off.  Keeping it wrapped so it stays clean to hopefully ward off an actual abscess forming. 

Other than that I am living the life of horses now.  I finished my six month Massage Therapy course with Mike Scott in SC back in December.  So I am focusing all my energy into getting that off the ground and running.  So far things have been going pretty well.  Making lots of contact and networking quite a bit.
Only thing is the rain/cold/snow/mud is keeping everyone from riding and indoors.  Including myself.  But I can still ride as I love that fact I have an indoor at my barn. 

Plans for 2010???
-Start off the show year March 6th at local schooling show.  Go out at Training 1 and 2.

-Plan on my club's May/September Schooling shows to see about moving up to other tests.

-Clinic as much as I can afford with Cathy, Tom Poulin, and Jim Koford.

-Make a show schedule to some rated shows that friends are attending and catch a ride with them.

-Start year off at Training Level.  Shoot for Regionals.

-Test the waters of First level at end of summer into fall.  It is all there except for the canter transitions.

-Grow my massage business!!!

-Take Gracie out on trail rides across East TN for a nice break for us and to just relax. :)

But shes my friend mom!

It was a rainy day here in TN and I was glad that we have an indoor at my barn. 
"Sooner Stadium", as it is named, is a god-sent.  Regardless of the weather I can still ride, and it is hard to make excuses not to.  I have even been out there late into the night riding when life gets in the way.

So my friend B and I tacked up our mares and made our way into the indoor for a nice midday ride.

Gracie was actually kinda frisky today. 
In the last few weeks we have been doing a very long walk warmup and then slowly going into the trot.
For one there is her EPM we are rehabbing from. 
And two she is usually quite resistant about picking up the trot...and sometimes the walk.
So I felt this was a good time to find a better way to approach our rides.
I am slowly learning what she needs to get loose and relaxed and ready for the real work.

Here is the short and the sweet on Gracie.  I will tell the longer tale later.
She can be a bitch.  If she doesnt want to work, or if she is in pain she has NO problem telling you all about it.  She will stop, kick out at your leg/whip, crowhop backwards, and do anything BUT go forward.
She came to me this way...it was her "issue" that I knew all about when I took her.
But over the last year we have found two really good reasons for this behavoir to arise. 
The latest being the EPM, the previous was bad pain caused by her heat cycles.

I have to come into every ride with the goal of always being forward.  If nothing else is there she has to at least be moving.  I have had both Cathy Fox, Tom Poulin, and Jim Koford all tell me so long as she is moving it doesnt matter where her head is. 
Though once she is going and working THEN I can ask her to work over her back and be on the bit.

So as always that was my goal today.
Though ironically that wasnt an issue today.  The only time she ever even wanted to stop was when the other mare Rosie, a field-mate, was going in another direction.  She wanted to go with her.
I had to put my foot down and say "NO we are going the other way thank you very much!!"
I got a few middle hooves pointed in my direction, but in the end she got my message.

Today was a very good ride. 
I got to do a fair amount of sitting trot too.  This for me...and I know for alot of riders... has been my achilles heel.  But I think I am starting to get the feel and stay moving with her not against. 
I can always tell as if I dont stay with her, that back goes hollow and her straight up.  She loves to tattle-tale on you. She will not pack you around thats for sure.
So maybe the riding sans stirrups once a week is paying off for me.  But damn do my inner thighs kill right now!

The only thing I really had to work on today was going to the right she was popping her left shoulder out.
Not sure where that is coming from as she is usually quite straight.  It must be something I am doing...or at least I like to blame myself.
So I worked alot on counter-bending her to the right on a circle and then gradually doing some haunches-in on the long side.  It seemed to really help "pop" that shoulder back into place. 
It may have been a fluke of today, so I will have to keep my eye on it and see if I am causing it somehow.

So all in all a good day.
The only downside was I did feel her right hind drop out from under her once.  This is the leg that was most affected by the EPM.  We are a month into treatment at this point.  She is doing alot better, but still have a long ways to go.  I dont see us cantering until at least this winter sometime.  *sigh*
It is just a day by day thing right now and I am just glad I can do this much with her.

I am going to try to take her a local schooling show at the end of September and do the Intro tests.
Just to get her out and about some more, and see new things.
Plus if I can get another good score at that level we could possibly get a year end award with the local club.
Sure its just Intro, but at least we could salvage something from this year of dissapointment and injuries.

Tomorrow I have to work all day so no riding planned.  Just her daily EPM meds...which I am sure she is getting quite sick of.
Then back into the saddle on Sunday.
If I remember I will try to get some pictures for this blog.  All my Gracie pics are kinda dated at this point. ;p

A Milestone

So today I left my twenties and have entered into the next chapter of my life...the thirties.
Doesn't really feel that much different I have to admit.  Funny how some people get so bent out of shape about this particular birthday.
Oh well....

I have to say I am just happy that I hit my thirty mark being a horse owner.
Growing up owning my OWN horse was always my wildest dream and honestly even just over a year ago it seemed quite unlikely to happen anytime soon.

But then Gracie entered my life.

I had met her back in 2007 but only once. 
My trainer, Cathy Fox, was at the barn one weekend doing a clinic.  Gracie's original owner decided to bring her over to get Cathy to work with her some and then make a sale video.  At this time Gracie was only 5, and her owner was not keen on taking on a green horse.
But I still had only heard tales of Gracie and had never met her in person.
That was till I was walking down the barn aisle and a dark shape leaped from the back of one stall with teeth barred trying to kill me!!
I got out of the way just in time.  I look back and see a very snarky dark bay mare giving me the evil eye as I walked on.  What a bitch I thought.
This ended up being Gracie of course.  Go figure that she was to end up mine within the year.

Ok....lets back up a bit here.
So Gracie is a nursemare foal baby.  She was orphaned at 3 weeks old and placed into a rescue up in KY.
A very good friend of mine had called said rescue just before Gracie had arrived and asked if they ever got "dressage" prospect babies in.  They said not usually but would call if something came in like that.
Well...gracie arrived soon after.  She was home in TN within a week.
To the best of our knowledge Gracie is 3/4 Thoroughbred and 1/4 Standardbred.  Her sire was full TB, and was a big time stallion on the farm Gracie was born at.  They just wont reveal his identity.  So her daddy is probably famous to some degree.  Her dam on the other hand is a normal horse of no real note which is just fine of course.

Gracie's mom ended up not selling her at that time even though she did have a few offers.
Instead Gracie stayed in TN and spent some time living with a local teenager.  Things never did work out and she returned back to her home.  Though it was no fault of Gracie's that things didnt last I might add.
Granted the mare had some issues especially with sucking back, but that is a tale all its own.

So fast forward to last May.
I was leasing a great gelding by the name of Junior.  He was a solid citizen at 16 and was helping me restore my confidence in the saddle.  But I was starting to feel that it was time to move on to my next horse, though at the time I had no way to purchase a horse. 
So again it was a clinic weekend with Cathy Fox.  I had just finished riding Junior and was untacking him up in the barn.
Gracie was actually the next ride after me so I was not there to see her go. 
All of a sudden one of the other boarders comes up to  find me exclamining that "we have ALL decided that Gracie is the horse for you.  It's just too perfect..you have to take her."

????????!!!!!!!????????????
That about sums up the look I had on my face.
ME? With a young green horse that has some issues under saddle already?  I was quite convinced everyone had been hitting the bottle all morning and were not thinking straight. 
That or I was getting the brunt of a very mean joke.

But in the end they were all serious...including Cathy my trainer.
So the next day I rode Gracie.  And I fell in love with her.  I felt some connection with her, and knew that I could get her through her troubles.
Within a few weeks she came back to Merry Hour as my horse.
Her owner, who is also a good friend of mine, gave her to me basicly.  She had raised Gracie and just wanted to see her go to a good home.  I was that good home.

It has felt like an eternity since that day in May she became mine, and the road has been long and hard.
But the mare loves me, and I love her.  And at the end of the day thats what gets us through.

So on my thirtieth birthday I am happy to say I am a horse owner.
Dont be supirsed to know that all my bday money will be spent on things for her...not me.
I have learned that being a horse owner means that buying things for yourself is long gone. 
But I am soooo ok with that.

Tomorrow I plan on riding her again...
Im sure Ill update how that goes...