Breakthrough? Maybe

Well, today C decided we should ride Aidynlou, and I immediately had this feeling of dread that either he was going to dump me, or be lame, or both. I tacked him up with trepidation and got on to find I had an audience of a client and my dad. Yippee. First we just got him going forward in the walk and kept a steady but light contact for him to go into. Then we started trotting and he was really fluid behind and felt strong. And for some reason I felt pretty stable in my position and my aids. We worked on putting his hindquarters to the left when he wanted to put them right...which means baby shoulder-in while tracking right and counter bend to the left. Then we did baby leg yields tracking right which he actually did...amazing! He listened to my leg aids and really tried to do as I asked. Then we cantered both directions and I almost laughed out loud going to the left, his canter was SO smooth and fluid! It hasn't felt that good since...ever. His left lead is usually a very choppy, uneven stride. I couldn't believe how good he felt and how much more responsive he was...the combination of the good injections and roping him all week really made a difference. Thank GOODNESS. Then he got his feetsies done and they look so darn good..my farrier seriously needs a medal for all the hard work he's done on this horse. I will post pictures tomorrow of the before and after feet...it's crazy.

:) So hopefully this will continue. And we have a new pony coming tomorrow...stay tuned for details!!
God Bless,
Ry

Catching up a bit...

Tuesday:
Today was Day Two of roping Aidyn to strengthen his hind end. I got the honors, which always makes me nervous immediately because each time I lunge him I don’t’ seem to have good results. It was made perfectly obvious today that my horse has no respect for me whatsoever. He plunked around the circle for ten minutes ignoring me until C came out to the ring, and almost immediately he surged forward into an energetic trot. After five more minutes C took the line and Aidyn was like 100% better. He was paying attention, going forward and bending. The SECOND I took the line back he went back to plunking. C would raise the whip and he would go forward immediately, but I could literally snap the whip at him and he just looked at me and continued plodding along. I was so frustrated. :-/ And had myself completely convinced by the time C came out that he was hurting and that was why he “couldn’t” go forward. C said I’m crazy and that he’s fine…I swear I see something off behind, but I think I’m just trying to make excuses or something. I don’t know. I do know that I’m frustrated. I have to make him pay attention to me and move out when I ask. I have to be more firm and be the boss mare. Tomorrow is a new day, I just pray I’m not wrong and that he really ISN’T in pain and is just lazy. Urg…really wasn’t a good day in general, I am feeling quite anxious right now and just want to go to sleep. So I think I will. :)

Wednesday:
Tried lunging on my own again, with a determined expression that said "Don't mess with me"...which Aidyn merely laughed at and started plodding along with his ears sideways. I got so mad and chased after him with the lunge whip, which made him buck and aim right for my head. Prick. I did manage to get him going forward but it took the full 20 minutes. At least I got something for my effort..I was sweating more than him at the end, which is sad since he has his full winter coat. Oh well, progress is progress, right? At least he looked pretty strong behind and there wasn't much tripping!

Thursday:
Aidyn had the day off today, tomorrow he gets his second dose of Adequan and new shoes, so hopefully both of those things will improve his work this weekend!
God Bless,
Ry

So I usually don’t ride on Sundays but today was an exception because A) It was beautiful outside and B) because we started him back yesterday, so I figured another day off wouldn’t be the best plan for his rehab. Tore myself away from my Lifetime movies to give him a nice long grooming (he is shedding like crazy!) and then tacked him up, got on and headed to the ring. Almost immediately he decided to take off and I had to make a sharp circle to slow him down (which I’m sure was really good for his stifle) and then I thought “What the heck” and just skipped the walk and picked up a trot. Speedy Gonzales is whipping around a 20 meter circle and my hands are jiggling all over the place. My hardest vice to break on this particular horse is my hands…his trot is SO bouncy and thrusty (which isn’t a word) and my arms bounce with him…it’s heinous and ineffective and I need to find a solution, but that is the topic for another blog! Anyways, we did about 10 minutes of trotting, changing directions and doing 20 meter circles around the jumps. He had a few more bolting incidents but nothing too bad, thank goodness. We practiced putting his right hind underneath him…he likes to put it to the inside tracking right and to the outside tracking left, so we do a bit of counterbend tracking left to straighten him out. You can tell it’s a strain on his stifle because his trot ALWAYS slows when I ask for counterbend and he tries to stall out on me. That immediately makes me worry that I’m hurting him and then I feel like a bad Mom..but then I remember that it’s never going to get stronger if he doesn’t work on it. So we kept working, and then after 10 minutes we were both sweating and I called it a day. He got a Bigeoil bath which burned my eyes and made him frisky, then let him graze for a while to dry which resulted in him trying to mount his friend over a paddock fence and striking at me. Crazy man. Tomorrow he begins his first round of Adequan. Fingers crossed that it will maintain him….and also that we can get him reshod in the next day or two because his toes are getting quite long (my fault) and I definitely don’t want that to get out of hand right when we’ve gotten them under control!
This weather is beautiful and amazing and a blessing and I’m excited to see what the week holds….God Bless!
-Ry

Updates!

So I wrote this yesterday on the way home from Florida, thus there will be an "update" at the bottom on today's findings!

The horse trials in Florida this past weekend was a great success and a super learning experience for me. It was my first time EVER packing for 6 horses to go 9 ½ hours from home for 5 days….and naturally, I forgot a few minor things (like a wheelbarrow, haha) but overall we stayed super organized and on top of things the whole weekend. Every single one of the horses behaved beautifully and showed that I think we’re in for a really fun season. Florida is GORGEOUS and I wouldn’t mind visiting again J There are palm trees and Spanish moss everywhere and everyone we met was super friendly. The courses were beautiful and everything was close to the barn area…a very well run event that I’m sure we’ll return to next year. Good start to the season, thank the Lord, and we are well prepped for Southern Pines coming up. Now if only the beautiful Florida weather will transfer back to NC…
So on the Aidyn front, we have unfortunately found a stifle problem (torn meniscus) that can be treated by injecting the stifle and then starting a regimen of Adequan and Legend. Yes, this is expensive, and I have to admit my first thought was “panic” and my second thought was “give him away.” After talking to C and my vet at length about our options, both agreed we should pursue this treatment and see if there is improvement, and if so, see how much talent he continues to show for the sport. If he feels better after the injection and the joint supplements, he will at least have a CHANCE at proving himself as a sport horse. If he turns out to not be “worth” the cost of upkeep, we will cross that bridge then…and if the regimen doesn’t work the way we hoped, well, we will cross that bridge as well. Best case scenario is that the injection works, the Adequan and Legend maintain, he starts improving and becomes a good event horse for me. I’m trying to focus on that scenario and not the others, because frankly, the thought of ANYONE else having MY horse makes my stomach turn. Obviously if I was a bottomless pit of money I’d just keep him forever regardless of his performance or soundness, but I have to be realistic when looking at the amount of money I will be putting into keeping him sound and happy.
So anyway, for now, the plan is to inject the problematic stifle tomorrow morning and then put him back into work (in addition to putting him on monthly Adequan and Legend shots) and see how he progresses. I’m a little disappointed in having yet another setback in his training but if I’ve learned anything at this job, it’s to take things slowly and you’ll be better off in the end. I’m not going to rush him or do anything with him that’s not in C’s program for him. Yes, he’s had a LOT of setbacks since I got him…his gelding, then an infection after his gelding, then a hard winter, a very serious hock injury, a brutal summer, shipping here and needing time to settle in, numerous hoof problems (that thank the LORD seem to finally be resolved!), another bad winter, and now this. But we will work through it only as quickly as his body and mind allow and we will set our sights on a promising outcome. And I’m sure Aidyn would never protest to another break from work. He is the Glutton King. C calls him “Snausage” and everyone in the barn can tell it’s Aidyn from the sound of his hooves on the concrete..he is the SLOWEST walker I’ve ever met in my life.
Now as far as my goals, they’ve been both changed and reinforced by this opportunity to manage a barn who is totally focused on competing. I want to compete again. I thought for sure I wasn’t interested anymore but truly, I can’t wait to be galloping cross-country again. I can’t wait for that adrenaline rush again. Would I like to do the upper levels eventually? Absolutely, but more than anything I want to learn more about training an event horse from all angles. And the rehab side of the sport continues to interest me more and more. I *love* working on the horses and helping them to feel as good as they possibly can. I have no idea how all of that fits together but for now, I’m happy as a clam, I love my job, and I love my horses very much. So if optimism can help Aidyn succeed, he’s a shoo-in!

*UPDATE*: Dr. H came to inject Aidyn's stifle today. He said that 1 out 10 stifles have fluid come out, and naturally Aidyn had fluid come out. Luckily the fluid was good fluid. When injecting where the miniscus is, Aidyn was very unhappy, which solidified Dr. H's diagnosis of that being torn. The protocol is one day stalled, then no work until the weekend..Bute in the morning, then Prevocox daily for two weeks, and he starts Adequan doses on Monday (IF I can manage to make money appear in my bank account by then). Just kidding, I will starve if I have to. Anyway, keeping my optimism up and I will do everything I can to make this work for him.

PS...the Truvia commercial just came on. It made me happy.
God Bless,
-Ry

Revelations on riding a horse that knows more than I do...

I'm priviledged to ride Monkee while C is away, and since he is trained to PSG in dressage, he is a real treat to ride. We headed out to the field this morning since the ring was a bit crunchy from the temps last night, and I warmed up with a nice big walk on a loose rein. So far, so good.

But wait, a truck hath passed and made a terrible noise. He starts jigging. I reach forward to gather the reins and the jigging worsens. Hey dumb lady, put your leg on. Oh, okay. Problem solved. Now to try trotting. Soften that jaw, Monkee...maybe you'll soften if we do some circles. Hmm...not bending through ribcage. Duh. Your hands are all wiggly and your leg is just sitting there. Crap, you're right. Ok, put leg on, move you over into my outside hand...why aren't you moving over? Because you have no outside rein, moron. Oh, maybe this dressage whip will help! *kick buck kick* MONKEE! *desperately tries to recover reins and said whip* *kick buck kick* Okay, fine, you don't like the whip. I don't like the whip when you use it for no reason and have nothing to back it up with. Let's just try to get a rhythm in this trot and then we'll work on softening. Well if you would post with some rhythm.... Ok, this is better. Good boy! Back to the circle...I know you know how to bend, Monkee... You're right, I do. But I'm not going to do it until you ask properly. I don't speak moron language. Hmm, ok, deep breath, little leg yield right, soften hands and leg on. YES! SOFT LEFT JAW!!! Ho hum, I like trotting this way...

Canter time! Best canter I have ever ridden...quite easy to get lost in it and forget that I'm riding. Here we go...*buck* Crap..oh, my flopping hands have activated the whip which has hit Monkee for no reason. Hands be still! Now sit up...relax...hey, this is pretty fabulous!! Counter-canter...the only reason I'm even staying in the canter right now is because I feel sorry for you, and I like cantering...but next time, you're going to get me breaking to a rushy trot because you forgot to RIDE the counter-canter.

Basically, he humbles the crap out of me, but man...after we walked home and my thighs were crying, all I could think of was how much I love this horse and how much I love riding. :)

Why yes, we do still exist!

So basically, blogging is one of those things I'm not too dedicated to...plus I only have one reader, Kateoh, and I can tell her things without having to blog. Nevertheless, she blogged for me, so I must blog for her...plus I had such a blessed day that I feel the need to write it out :)

This winter has been a rough one (albeit not as rough as last winter in Louisville, but then again, we don't have indoor arenas here). Aidyn's work schedule has consisted mostly of as much turnout time as the weather will allow, and as much work in the Pessoa rig as the ring will allow. The before and after in the rig is amazing. He started out tripping and stepping on himself and falling all over the place and now he not only SWINGS behind but he steps confidently into the contact and really lets go in his back. Surprise surprise, this carries over to our undersaddle work as well! I've only ridden him a handful of times this month but each time has been a "wow!" moment...for the first time, I don't have to hold him up...I don't have to gallump his sides with spurs and whip at the same time...I don't have the constant fear of bolting because my dog was in the bushes...it's like he finally grew up and realized where all four of his legs are at the same time. He's so much softer and more forward, although I still have to work on him, especially when he's tired. We have been trying to establish the forward in all three gaits but especially the walk, he's not allowed to stop marching even during breaks. He's just such a laid back guy and would rather chill out then be in a rush...a quality that I have come to appreciate after riding racehorses for so long! And his feet...oh goodness, what a long road that has been, but we are REALLY getting somewhere!! My farrier is a godsend and works his butt off to make sure Aidyn's feet are in tiptop shape...and Aidynlou has really adjusted to his bar shoes with the funky wire pads and Equithane. At first he looked like his feet were attached to blocks of concrete, but slowly he's realized they're not that bad after all. We also have had him on a great supplement for two months (Steadfast, by Arenus) and it has allowed me to take him off all his other supplements...we were worried for a while about hocks, but they seem to be fine now. I have no idea if that bad puncture from last spring did internal damage but he hasn't had problems since we put him on this supplement, so fingers crossed!

Anyways, since he had yesterday off, I just did the Pessoa today and had him trot over a ground pole to remind him to pick up his feet. I will (God willing) ride him tomorrow and practice our homework while C is away :)

I cherish this time when I get to ride all the horses while C is in FL...each of these guys is so, so special and they are such joys to ride. We did trot sets today and each of them was just so quiet and relaxed. They're all special in their own ways...D is so lazy and ho-hum until he spooks, and then I have the best energy underneath me and he really has all the buttons. Then there's A who is still young and sometimes unfocused but everything is so darn easy for him that even when he's not perfect, he still FEELS that way ;) and then my sweet Monkee, my little hack winner who literally gives 110% in everything he does...he is probably my favorite boy in the whole barn and every second on his back is a true priviledge. then finally Guppy who is a close second in the favorites category, I feel like we have finally figured him out and he's just such a blast once you unlock all his gears...and such a handsome boy, too :)

Ok, kateoh, I hope that was satisfactory! I think I'm going to go take the hottest shower I can stand...I'm so unfit and my back is reminding me of that at this moment! <3

Melting

The heat has been nearly unbearable for the last two weeks. Aidyn comes in sweaty every single night, and for the last few nights we haven't even been able to ride because of the heat and humidity. Luckily for Aidyn, I take pity on him and bring him in each day for a shower and for dinner. His dinner is even more fun now....he gets a half scoop of sweet feed mixed with the "organic mix", which is alfalfa pellets/beet pulp/oats. He thinks it's quite delicious.

He also enjoys his showers, although he won't admit it. He then goes straight to the dirtiest part of his pasture and rolls. The aftermath:



















Gross. Back to work for him tomorrow evening, weather permitting. A light ride in the paddock to get him ready for a weekend full of riding :D

Also thought Aidyn wouldn't mind sharing his blog with the four geldings I am caring for for a very kind lady. The gang consists of Bailey, a gray Rocky Mountain Horse; Undertaker, a black RMH; Rusty, a chestnut QH; and Otto, a Friesian who is obviously black. Today was so hot that I felt baths were in order for all of them. Bailey was a bit unsure of the hose and the way water just spurts out of it at random intervals...he stood like a statue though. I think he secretly enjoyed getting all clean and shiny. Undertaker was a bit more antsy but he seemed happy to be getting the attention. Rusty is the king of Seperation Anxiety Issues, so when he was taken away from Otto to get his bath I had to keep his attention on me at all times so he wouldn't call for Otto or dance around. He was a good boy...that is, until I had to take Otto away for his bath. He screamed the entire time, tried to tear the stall door off (literally....) and generally acted a fool. Otto stood quietly and ignored him like a good man. When they were reunited, Otto was like "Um yeah dude...enough." We're going to be working on being seperated a bit more each time, I think...after all, how am I going to ride Otto if Rusty has to be with him?

Undertaker after his bath, feeling pretty sexy:



















Silly boys. Can't wait to get back on my Baby TB tomorrow.
God Bless!

Engaging the inside hind...

...is hard. Really, really hard. Especially for a Baby Thoroughbred who frequently forgets that his hind end exists. We are constantly in an uphill battle for that hind end to swing-swing-swing (like the rhythm of my heart)...and not fall to the inside, and not collapse, etc. This is especially the case tracking right. Especially in the corners of the arena. Sometimes I feel like his entire body splits up into two separate horses...the one in front of his hips and the one behind them. The one in front is moving forward, seeking contact and attempting an inside flexion. The one behind is either running or barely shuffling, and likes to dive inside at even the mention of a turn. The trick, it would seem, is to find a way to "speak" to both ends.

Transitions help, in more ways than one. After a few trot/walk/trot transitions, he is starting to push from behind and is generally straighter in his body. Our nemesis, Mr. Outside Rein, is always mocking us and reminding us that we can't truly have anything without him. This is a hard concept for me, because I tend to want to either throw away my outside contact entirely and ride off my inside rein (BAD BAD BAD) or throw away my inside rein and hang on my outside rein (BAD BAD BAD). I have to remember that the outside contact should be steady, but my inside bend isn't truly going to be there unless I use both reins...and my legs, which I sometimes genuinely forget are attached to my body.

I wish we could just ride stretchy trot all the time. Life would be so much more simple. Baby Thoroughbreds love to stretchy trot...it feels gooooood and it is so swingy and lovely. I like to use stretchy trot after a canter, not only to relax him (preventing an asthma attack) but also to encourage a more lofty trot rather than a quick, runny one (which is what we tend to get if I come back to trot and put him "together" right away). The problem with stretchy trot, then, is that after doing a lap of it, Aidyn's brain refuses to let him come back up and work for a few more minutes. That's when we start curling and running. Naturally, half halts would come into play here, but when you're me and forget you have legs (not to mention an outside rein), sometimes you...forget.

Nevertheless, I'm happy with the kid right now. He's really coming along the way I want and slowly reminding me how to ride. And I can't even blame the racetrack for my intense desire to perch up there, because I did that LONG before I started exercise riding. I guess I could blame it more on my hunter background than anything...I was darned good at perching then. ;) Have to continually remind myself to try and sit back...even if it's just a millimeter back at a time. No one wants to be perchy on cross-country, if we ever get there.

WHEN we ever get there.

So Aidyn has been diagnosed with asthma...or something similar to that. He had recently started making some noise when I was riding him, especially on hot or muggy days. Dr. J scoped him and didn't see anything too abnormal, so she thinks it's probably a lower respiratory issue, possibly something going on in his lungs. Clenbuteral was the original drug of choice, but at $130 a pop for a small bottle, we decided to go with WindAid instead, at least initially. Hopefully it will do the trick. He got his first dosing today before our ride, and unfortunately it doesn't work miracles in half an hour. He was excellent today, albeit a little lazy and unresponsive, and started making his weezy sounds near the end of the ride. I'm sure it takes several consistent doses to really make any kind of a difference, so I'm not losing hope yet. I just hope it's related to allergies and pollen and muggy weather more than a long-term problem that we will always have to battle.

Some days he is so quick and rushy and ducking behind the bit, and then, like today, he is a kick-along ride that wants to lean and get heavy on the bridle. I prefer him like that, honestly. He was good today, trying to be straight when I asked and bent when I asked, good in his transitions, excellent with his halts(yay!) and very focused on what he was doing. Considering he's had three straight days off, this was good stuff. Very proud of him. Tomorrow will be a solo ride as K and I have different schedules going on, so it will be a good test for him.

I am enjoying taking my time with this horse. He'd be easy to rush, he's got a great mind and is very tolerant, but I want a long-term mount that doesn't have holes in his training. It may take us two years to get to the show ring, but so be it. The process of getting there is the fun part, and I'd love him even if he never made it.

God Bless!

Hello, baby event horse...

I don't know where I get my ideas from, but thank goodness I have a saint of a baby Thoroughbred to always pull through for me.

It was a beautiful evening yesterday, and I had this urge to throw on our "jumping tack" and go for a nice conditioning hack in the cross-country field at SP. Katie agreed because we have been looking for opportunities to school the boys alone and away from each other...she headed to the dressage ring and I headed to the field. We picked up a trot almost immediately and he was being very good...a little tense and look-y, but behaving nonetheless. Did have a major meltdown spook at the round bales (gah), but after walking up to them and snorting at them, we were okay. Trotted all the way to the bank, which has schooling elements for several levels...I pointed him at the section where you can just trot up and down. He hesitated but went...ears pricked, enjoying himself. So I thought, what the heck, let's find something to pop over. There was a small maiden sized fence over by the paddocks, so I headed for it at a trot. He hesitated, again, but then gave me a stellar jump that was much more promising than what he's shown me before in the arena. We landed in a canter, came back to trot and headed towards it the opposite direction. He jumped much better this time, right out of his trot stride and landed smoothly and calmly. At this point the horses in the paddocks were running around snorting like goobwads, so Aidyn started getting distracted and neighing...we popped over this fence again and I got the oh-so-brilliant idea to find a 2'3" fence to jump. About two strides out I panicked and figured my baby TB had no chance...but he surprised me and jumped nice and round over it. He did misjudge the width a bit but it was a MUCH better reaction than I thought I would get! Finished up over a little helsinki and up/down the bank again before we trotted towards the barn..by this point he was worked up a bit and I needed to do some 20-meters around the ditch complex to get him calm and listening. We trotted through the water to cool off (and he loves the water), and despite being brutally attacked by Papa Goose, we headed towards Katie and Jay-R.

Such a good boy. He is so brave and so willing. I feel like we might be able to do this eventing thing after all. :)

Hello, terrible twos!

Well, technically it's the terrible fours, as Aidyn is quickly approaching his fourth birthday on May 30. That combined with the spring sillies, his ever increasing fitness level, the new feed he gets at night, his new (and better fitting) saddle, and the very aggressive deworming schedule he just went through has left me with a new horse..one that runs from me in the field, runs from me under saddle, etc. Not sure who this horse is, but he's not the sluggish baby TB I brought home in August!

We've been doing a lot of riding at the Blue Barn just due to time constraints, and I've noticed Aidyn being a bit more rushy than usual...combined with lots of ducking behind the bridle. Nothing fun about flying around on a horse whose mouth you cannot feel...translate to Friday evening when we trekked over to Stone Place. We usually ride a bit through the cross-country field on our way to the outdoor, and Aidyn has recently decided that everything over there is scary...things that never bothered him before. So, naturally, he decides to take off on me for no apparent reason...he has *no* mouth when he's spooking, so thank goodness we hit a wet patch of ground and he decided it wasn't worth the effort to keep going. From that point on, he whinnied and spooked and ran forward and ducked behind the bridle and basically ignored every aid I gave him. Frustrated, I jumped off and attempted to longe him a bit...not a good idea with a particularly short longe line and an arena full of jumps. Got back on and just concentrated on getting a quiet trot around the arena. Every time I felt him start to relax, he would find something else to scoot away from. When another horse came in the arena, he mentally shut down and it's pointless to fight with him after that. Headed home with Jay-R and Katie, who had a great ride in the dressage arena. We got home, it got dark, I got a longe line (per advice from Katie who has dealt with the terrible twos before when Jay was 6) and proceded to longe him for about 20 minutes. We ended up leaving the barn quite late...but at least he finally paid attention to me and longed well.

After pondering his behavior the entire drive home, we concluded that a flash noseband might help a little bit with the control issue...and the head flipping crap that he has recently started. Longed him BEFORE our ride this time, he was quite laid back and listened to voice commands very well. Was halting quickly, which is really good considering he usually ignores the halt command as long as possible. Rode over to SP with Jay-R and another OTTB gelding named John (and his owner, of course) and things went well...got to the arena and he started neighing. Did my best to ignore it and concentrated on just relaxing my hands and posting nice and slow. Um, hello hunter horse. He stretched down and poked his nose out and trotted around like we were hacking. He was a completely different horse than the day before! Walked and trotted all over the arena, doing changes of directions, half-circles, etc...then began incorporating poles and small cross-rails into our path...just trying to get him used to stepping over things and not getting excited about it...he just trotted over everything without changing his trot rhythm at all. Then he stood and watched Jay-R for a little bit, and walked home like a gentleman.

So, I guess it's a good thing that my horse is not a psycho all of a sudden. He's just feeling good and isn't quite sure how to express himself...so for the time being we will be incorporating longing into every pre-ride ritual, and working a lot less with my hands and more with my seat. Hopefully this will encourage him to seek contact again and not run scared from my hands.

*sigh* He's such a goob.

We've had a lot of "I'm baaack" moments this winter, only to be further delayed by yet another snowstorm. Or frozen mud. Nevertheless, the last two days we have trudged through about 1' of snow (up to our knees) just to get to the indoor and ride. The snow isn't even the worst part (even though it makes your thighs burrrnnn), but the ice on the driveway (which is about a mile long) is terrible and we have a lot of "alternate paths" that we have to find. By the time we actually get to the indoor, I'm physically exhausted but with Katie's encouragement I've been pressing through. Yesterday was a very encouraging ride...have diagnosed my problem with unsteady contact to the fact that my hands are WAY too high and far out in front of me for a green horse seeking contact. This has been my biggest position flaw for a long time...I have a tendency to lean forward and collapse my shoulders, and my elbows are in front of me and not nearly as elastic as they should be. So yesterday, on a 40 meter circle, we did loads of transitions and I gave myself an outloud "lesson" to remind myself of my flaws...and he brought his back up and streeetched...it was beautiful!

Today was a little bit harder on my part...I worked out last night (more on that in a second) and was really sore and stiff today...so naturally my body reverted back to its old standby, what I will refer to as the "tippy rider"...so naturally I panicked when things weren't going right. Well, I keep working at it and Aidyn was patient and we finally got some great stretchy moments at the end of the ride. :)

Got back to the barn and found that his cracked heels situation has gotten worse...now we have crud all over his ankles and heels. Gross. I curried as much off as possible and covered him in Vasoline (which is also on his blanket rubs...all five hundred of them)...went to the tack store and got a jar of cracked heel creme. Should have done that weeks ago before it got this bad...grrr...poor kid.

So that brings me to the workout plan...aka get fit enough to ride racehorses again in a month. And be better for Aidyn. Anyone who knows my track record knows I have a horrible time keeping up with my workout plans....so feel free to drop any motivational tips you have. Basically, it's looking like this:

Monday: Cardio
Tuesday: Weights
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Cardio and Weights
Friday: Cardio
Saturday: Weights
Sunday: Off

I've started out doing 1.5 miles running on the treadmill and doing 60 reps of 10 lb weights...(30 each arm). Also incorporated reverse crunches today...managed 20...thank you Katie for the idea!

As for Aidyn's "to-do list":
1. Responsiveness to aids. When I ask you for a walk, you don't just kind of shuffle along..you WALK. As forward as I ask you to. When I say halt, you halt. When I ask for a trot, you do it! No slacking off, mister lazy pants!

2. Turning...him likes to bulge his shoulder. ;) Both directions. Must concentrate on not losing the energy in a turn and keeping his body as straight as possible with the outside and leading inside rein.

3. Haunches drift inside both directions...usually on a specific end of the arena. Today it was mainly on the far end of the arena, tracking right. When this happens, ask him to step left into my outside rein, and then go forward.

4. Start incorporating canter work next week (Thursday?).

*Phew*. It's nice to be busy again!
God Bless,
Ry

He's BACK!

Finally, maybe, we're on the right track..again!

We have made an important decision to stay at our current barn instead of moving across the street...for several reasons. First of all, we can't beat the care the boys are receiving right now. Everyone at the barn is completely wonderful, and go out of their way routinely to make sure Aidyn gets all of his feed and supplements, and all of his hay, as well. Plus, if anything is ever amiss we can trust them to call immediately. Secondly, Aidyn is happy. He's like a different horse and to subject him to another move with new horses to meet and a new herd to settle into, plus a new feeding schedule and different hay...just not worth it to me. Besides, the hack isn't really THAT bad. For instance, we did it today in a foot of snow. :D

First things first. Aidyn is now on Chondrogen EQ for joint maintenance. He's a big horse, and his joints have already been stressed on the track...and since I am planning on eventing him, I figured we should start preventing joint problems now. My pocketbook cried about it but he's more important than me eating out. He seems to like it, and I forgot how amazing it smells!

Aidyn got his new shoes on yesterday...K said they looked wonderful and gave me some suggestions for a "sealant" to put on the nail holes to keep his feet nice and dry in this wet weather. I had been concerned about that since he has 4 white feet, so one day this week I will have to make the trip to Stockhoff's to get some sealant.

And...we finally got back in the saddle today! Had to walk through the foot of snow previously mentioned, which was a workout for both us and the boys. Finally got to the indoor and had a nice, if short, ride. Aidyn was quite quick and "rushy" in his trot today...partly due to feeling good, I'm sure. Definitely need to concentrate on finding a rhythm in his trot now that we have established the forward button. He was great to the right and was very flexible...did not canter him as we were sharing the ring with a beginner lesson and a fresh pony...but it was a positive first ride back.

Tried smearing Vaseline on his heels to protect them from the snow and mud that is chapping them a bit...hopefully that will work...if not I may have to get some cracked heel formula from Dr. J!

'Til next time--
--Ry

Kids and Horses

Aidyn has recently started showing clear signs that he is not actually a horse, but rather a bratty 3 y/o child.

Since we started pasture boarding, he is turned out in a huge field with Jay, Helix, Smoke, Stormy, Jamie, and Lady Di. Before what I will call the "transformation", he was happy to see me and always stood for me to catch him. Since the transformation, he has become one of THEM. He now does what the herd tells him to do. Which is, namely, run away from Mommy as fast as you can.

This behavior has persisted for several days now, but today was the worst. Katie and I trudged out to change blankets. Jay was caught fairly easily, led in, and fixed up. On the way back to the pasture to grab Aidyn, we noticed a buffalo-like creature galloping up the huge steep hill in the mud. Well, that buffalo-like creature was, you guessed it, Aidyn.

We walked all the way up the hill. This hill is seriously like a mile long and really, really steep. Even our rain boots couldn't get traction on the slippery mud. When we finally reached the top, halter in hand and peppermint at the ready, we were virtually attacked by Stormy and Helix...Helix because she wanted the candy and Stormy because he rules all creation. We finally got to Aidyn, who was ready to take off AGAIN until he heard the crinkling of the peppermint wrapper. Ah ha, caught! Until he refused to come DOWN the hill so I could fix his blankets.

My horse has become very similar to a child after a few days at school. He has decided that his new "friends" know better than his mother does, and he is going to run from me to gain their approval. Hahaha. Okay, I'm done laughing.

Big Jerk. Maybe he just likes to watch me struggling in the mud.

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.

;)