SADDLE RACKS!!!

So today was a great day for one simple reason: Saddle Racks.

Saddle Racks must be referred to as proper nouns because, well, they are amazing.

We got brand new Saddle Racks installed and our saddles and pads were on them when we got the barn today! We were so excited that we literally screamed and jumped around like psychos. Here they are!



















So along with that incredible excitement, we trudged out to see the boys and give them their peppermints...they were cozy warm despite the 5 degree night we had last night and everything looks good...with the exception of Aidyn's tail, which resembles barbed wire right now. Tomorrow he will meet Mr. Cowboy Magic and have it detangled to resemble a tail again.

If this beautiful sunshine stays out and melts the snow and thaws the ground we should be able to at least hack over tomorrow :) And here is Aidyn's grumpy face, which is how he looks right AFTER a peppermint is eaten...apparently, one is not enough.



















That's Echo in the background, the little Arab that is half Aidyn's size and still manages to push him away from his breakfast each morning :D

God Bless!
-Ry

Stressed OUT.

This has little to do with Aidyn and a lot to do with his rider, moi.

So I did hop on yesterday to take a little ride around the property with Katie and Jay-R. Got to use the new breastplate which doesn't quite fit correctly, or perhaps I just put it on wrong. We shall work that out at a later date. He did look quite handsome and *almost* like a real event horse. Both boys were very good in treading through the never-ending muck and seeing new parts of the farm. It was a lot of fun...beautiful day and we just laughed and acted like kids with no bills, schoolwork or stresses in our lives.

However...wake up this morning trying to recreate previously mentioned mood and failed miserably. As I have been, lately. I get to the barn and the last thing I feel like doing is riding...or getting out of the car at all. I feel thoroughly discouraged about some unknown aspect of my riding and either can't find the energy or can't find the enthusiasm to drag myself out to get him, bring his muddy self in, get him ready, ride to the barn, actually RIDE, come back, etc etc etc. It's cold and miserable almost every day and the mud is getting worse because of the constant rain and snow we're getting. I want to blame it all just on that, but I feel if I were truly dedicated a little mud and rain wouldn't bother me.

Grrrrr.

I love my horse, and I want to event again. I want to get back into this full force, the way I used to be...but how do you do that, with school all day and homework all night and church (which is going GREAT by the way) and housework and keeping up with everything else and everyone else in your life!?!

Another day of no riding. The weather went from *almost* bearable to freezing, windy and snowing in one day. Got to the barn late and even if we wanted to ride, it was getting dark quickly. Frustrated with the weather but I know it's just something we all have to deal with in the winter. Trudged out to get the boys and put extra blankies on. Aidyn stood like a gem minus a few mean/ugly faces aimed at Luke, the QH gelding who is on stall rest. Goober. After Jay got his extra sheet on, we said goodbye and headed to Target to check one thing off our wishlist: rain boots!

Aside from the fact that everyone on the planet has them, we "needed" them. Our daily treks out in the mud equal mud in our boots and all over our new half-chaps (when we get them!)...so rain boots were a necessity in our minds. I ended up with black and white "zara houndstooth" which is kinda like a cow. And Katie got a pair with whales on them. Ah, the small things in life.

So tomorrow is our day off from the barn due to classes (blarg), so Wednesday will be our next attempt to ride. Can't wait to use Aidyn's new breastplate! Until next time--

Aidyn tackles the big scary outdoor

Saturday was "jumping day"...which basically meant Aidyn would get to trot a cross-rail or two. We warmed up in the indoor arena but due to a lesson ended up riding in the outdoor for the first time. Aidyn found the bulletin board outside of the arena to be quite scary...but once we got inside he settled in and was *very* well behaved. His canter is getting so much better...well, at least his transitions to canter are! And after "jumping day" I believe we will hold off on future experimentation until my big guy can figure out where his feet are. He was quite willing to trot over poles and flower boxes, but our first time over a cross-rail was almost disastrous...forgot what to do with his feet and I (being a dumbass) threw my shoulders forward. Hello, ground...he fell right on his face. So we composed ourselves and headed back for it..this time he "jumped" it and we ended with that.

He is just so smart and willing to try anything and everything...I really think that once the coordination is down pat, he's going to be a dynamite event horse. And he always tries to take care of me. Such a good baby Thoroughbred.

Didn't ride today due to rain and me being in a yucky mood, so Katie and I spent our time tidying up the tack boxes and cleaning our tack. I really would like to know why my bridle is already falling apart after 6 months. Guess that's one more thing to add to our ever-growing wishlist. Bridle that does not fall apart.

Along with muck boots, a new saddle, clogs, etc.

:D

What's this? Aidyn jumps?

Well, he does...or he *thinks* he does. Hehe.

With all of the rain and muck we have still been hacking over to ride daily. After the four day hiatus we took at the beginning of the week, we have vowed to never, ever skip riding that much again. So off we trek, through the squishiness...which Aidyn is not fond of. At all. He walks as slowly as possible while looking everywhere and generally avoiding me at all costs. Hmm...too bad Aunt Katie lent me some spurs! Teehee.

Aidyn's newest fear is Mr. Stump. Mr. Stump is a deranged looking tree stump that lets us know we have reached the dressage arena. Mr. Stump is evil and terrifying. Mr. Stump sends us flying backwards into our buddy Jay-R.

Once in the indoor, it's time to assess the situation. Today was a mixture of things to work on. We started with a good working walk both directions, concentrating on straightness through his body and turning off my outside rein. Bulgy shoulder is our biggest problem tracking both directions. Didn't have him softening today as much as the last few rides, but I wasn't too concerned about that. He did go forward and was MUCH better in the canter departs today. Will get the wrong lead occasionally but eventually catches on. WHAT AN AMAZING CANTER MY HORSE HAS! I actually sat it today and was so excited at how lovely it is, even in it's current strung-out unbalanced condition. Yippeeeeeee....

Now for the big news which Aidyn was very proud of. A few little cross-rails set up in the arena of course were too tempting to pass up. We trotted over all three, even the super scary striped one, and I'm proud to say my little man couldn't have cared less.

One thing I have noticed is that if we take too long of a walk break, he mentally and physically shuts down..so I need to take shorter walk breaks and go back to work.

Better elbows for me today, but still focus on sitting up, back and keeping my eyes UP...

Aidyn has ventured into the land of the mysterious 3-beat gait...

Yes, Aidyn cantered.

First time cantering under saddle since his racetrack days. We weren't able to try it at the old barn due to the size of the arena, but today he was so forward and lovely that I decided to try it. It definately takes him maybe once or twice around the arena at a huge trot to understand that he has another gear in him...had to PUSH to get it....but what a nice, big stride he has! After the canter (which he could only hold for a few strides, but that'll come) he was so nice in the trot and offered a little acceptance of the bit. He impresses me more every day. This new barn has been such a blessing for us.

Him's gonna be a big event horse one day!

With new Tredstep half-chaps in the mail, I've already turned my attention (and empty wallet) to the next order of business, a new helmet. I currently have my gross Troxel with the Dial-Fit system (which I recently learned is actually dangerous)...and so...I have decided that with the sale of Faderlou (which is hopefully in the near future) I shall reward myself with a Charles Owen Jr8 helmet. The next purchase after that will *hopefully* be my new saddle, which is going to be my graduation present from my wonderful boyfriend and my parents. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

;)

First hack...EVER.

The kiddo was amazing today. Since I got him, the closest he's gotten to a "hack" was a walk up the driveway and back. So today, at 15 degrees with wind and snow, we decided to take the boys across the street, through a field, and up the driveway to ride in the indoor. This involved trying to mount my huge, goofy giraffe off of a stump next to a road. With his cooler flapping around. Somehow, I trust this horse...maybe a bit too much..but off we go. He pranced a couple of times and was very alert, but if I closed my leg he was like "Oh, all right..." and relaxed. By the time we reached the indoor I had him on a loose rein and he was totally chill. The mirrors in the indoor didn't freak him out at all...we rode for about ten minutes just walking and trotting. He was much more forward than at the old barn and very attentive.

Things to work on:
ME: Leg sometimes gets too far back when I'm really asking him to go forward. Must remember to keep it just behind the girth and be more supportive rather than putting my leg on, taking it off, and then putting it on again. That's just annoying to him. Also shoulders back, and wrists straight.

AIDYN: Definately wants to bulge his shoulder to the right. Counter bending for the five seconds he could do it worked wonders in straightening him out. Will be easier with a dressage whip next time to remind him to keep forward. He started to stretch tracking right, but while drifting a bit left...he seems to have an affinity for the doors of the indoor...must keep him STRAIGHT and conciously always ride him inside leg to outside aids. Transitions were fantastic today.

I love him. What kind of 3 y/o TB can sit in a stall for weeks and then hack across unfamiliar open fields with NO problems? He is incredible. I am SO blessed to have him.

New home for the kiddo.

Aidyn was moved to the new barn today. We moved for a variety of reasons...mainly because we needed access to better facilities and trainers. The barn is just adorable...older wooden barn with attached tack room, and big gorgeous (grassy) paddocks. Just a short hack to the neighboring farm where we have access to cross-country jumps, a *real* arena with *real* footing, a dressage arena and an indoor arena. So excited. The trailer ride was quite uneventful...both boys loaded up like pros and headed right for the piles of hay when they got there. Jay would go somewhere and Aidyn would be like, "Hey lover! Wait!!!" and trot after him. Dorks. They settled in beautifully and I cannot *WAIT* to ride tomorrow....I have a feeling he's going to start progressing now that we have an arena large enough for that big, goofy stride!