Sunday, November 28, 2010

Free Ride & Some Other Stuff

Ended up riding alone today, =).

Over all it was a good ride. Though we should do some work on turning on the forehand and haunches. Also did the same transition exercises from Thursday. Seriously have to find some new exercises for us to do. I saw a book the other day called 101 Ways to Improve Your Riding. So might check that out, see if there's anything helpful. For me, not so much Tommy.

Also had training today. Lots of cardio today! Not sure if I'll be in any pain tomorrow or not. Have to work on my eating though, otherwise I'm not going to lose any weight at all. Though I've been told I look skinner =) so that's exciting. So I guess body comp is changing, even if the numbers aren't.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Thursday

It would appear Tommys' lead changes are still out in the snow.  Though he did manage to get one at the end.
Did an interesting exercises to warm up with. The arena has dressage letters up on the walls so we started out at a trot then when we got to the next letter we'd go down to a walk and then up again. Then we did the same thing going  walk-trot-canter-trot-walk. It was a really good practice for both me and Tom. He had a tougher time going to the right and having a smooth transition down to the trot.

Jumping was good. Only had one long, but that's the only distance we had, and it worked out well. Though it was only two jumps and we were doing a figure eight type pattern.

Have a free ride tomorrow, going to meet up with one of my other friends that rides there, since we just got a new horse.
 Going to have to figure something out with my lesson buddy though. She drove us out on Thursday and we were late...again. I'm only ever late when I go with her. So our coach told us if we were late again, we'd both owe Kelsey (the other girl we ride with) 5 bucks. So yeah, going to have to talk to my lesson buddy, and let her know I'll be driving myself out, until she proves she can show up on time. Since as I said before it's incredibly disrespect for us to be this late. And I'm also the only one who apologizes, even though it's not my fault she had to stop at McDonald's and refuse to listen that we don't have time of this.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

It's So Unfair =(

My friend from the stable (the one I complain about ALL the time), wanted to workout tonight after she went riding during her spare.

 She decided not to go. No big deal of course, her mare will be fine, just fat. Especially since she hasn't been to see her in like three weeks.

If I had my own horse, I would so be out there as much as possible, not skipping rides and lessons to hang out with friends. Of course, my case is helped since I like to be alone verses other people.

When I first started riding, about 7 years ago, my parents said they would put aside $1500.00 for a horse. The stable I first started to ride at was terrible though, and the board was outrageous compared to the quality of their property and services.
  A year later I moved to a different stable, it was all around 100% better. The stable horses weren't fat and neglected and cranky, and the coach is amazing. The two important bits: they had a great leasing option, and at the start, the most important thing to me: board was super cheap. Outdoor is $365, compared to the $500+ at RBR.
 While at RBR, my parents had said that board was to expensive and they didn't want to buy a horse. Plus I'd only been riding for a year.
  So once we moved, I was so excited, cheaper board?! That had to mean we would get a horse!! But no, we didn't. Over the next two years, we fought a lot over getting a horse. I really wanted one (and still do), and they were being so unreasonable about the whole thing.
  After that, the topic of buying a horse came up every once in a while, but then I started leasing Diesel and was really happy with him for about 3 years. I didn't really think about wanting my own horse, except when he miss behaved at shows.
   Last fall Diesel started to develop back problems, when we tried to put the saddle on his back did this weird twitching thing. Once we had the saddle on and he started moving, he was fine. But still....So she got acupuncture done. It did a lot for another mare at the barn, but it didn't do much for Diesel and he was put in the field and eventually sold to another barn.
   Then my trainer bought Tommy, and I started working with him. And I love him! He's the greatest, and just what I would have wanted in a horse I bought for myself.

Over those years, I never seriously wanted a horse of my own for the most part. Every once in a while though, I couldn't help it and looked through online ads, local and international (if it's not for really, why not right?). There wasn't ever much for under $1500 especially for a jumper. So for now, I just have to continue to look through classifieds and wait another four years when I start working and can afforded a horse.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Thursday and Sunday

Thursday was okay, not as good as our past couple weeks, where me and Tom did really good. He was again getting quick to the jumps even though we weren't doing a course. It's going to be a skill building winter I think. Really I don't mind, but I miss the challenges and fun of doing the a real course.
  It helps though, that I do understand why we are focusing on skill building, but the jumps...they're so small still.
  When I moved into the advanced class this year I was stoked, it's what I've been working for you know? But sometimes it doesn't seem like it. I suppose it will in the spring when we get back outside and use the massive outdoor ring. So yeah.
  Anyway, more work on holding him back to the jumps and it would appear that Tommy has lost his lead changes out in the snow this week.

I had a lease ride today, part of it was during this other girls lesson. Quick background before the story: This chicks horse belongs to her grandma/mum, who was paying my coach to show this mare, as well as train two of her other horses. This mare, is beautiful! I've never seen her jump until today, but she looks amazing. She's (apparently) a fabulous dressage horse too, since she's done will in the shows this summer.
  But I'm not sure about this girl, she looks about 14-15, and she's definitely 'one of those people'. You know that rider that thinks they're the shit? However it's really the horse that's the shit.
  I'm not sure if that's the case this time though, but her attitude is of on of those people, not to mention she probably thinks she's better than everyone else. She seems nice enough and like a pretty decent rider, I guess its just how she looks and acts.
...or maybe I'm jealous that she has such an awesome horse and from what her grandma/mum are saying, they have several others.

But whatever. Tommy did good today, but I need to find some more exercises for us to do.

Friday, November 19, 2010

More Stories About That Same Bad Friend

Ha, I might have ranted about her before on this same topic but I don't remember.

She sent me a text at 1am to see if I could go to the gym and go to the barn with her today, but I couldn't since I already have plans with another friend. So that's what I told her, but then she got all pissy, so I said I'd talk to my other friend and see. She couldn't switch our plans to tomorrow, so I sent my other friend a text saying I couldn't today, but asked if she could tomorrow, her text back? No.
 Like, seriously, fuck you. She makes me go out of my way to try and appease her, when I don't want to, then gets pissed when I can't, but if it's the other way around? She makes no fucking effort. I always have to have an excuses. But not anymore. Next time she wants to hangout, my text back will be No. And she can fucking take it however she wants, I don't even care anymore.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Snow!

Yes!! It's finally started snowing again today! Hopefully it'll stick this time, I really want to go skiing, and it just doesn't feel like winter without it.
   My mum lived in Australia for a while, she stayed with some friends in Sydney and worked at IBM. In Sydney they have this thing called "Carols in the Park' and she went with her friends, she said it was the weirdest thing, being Christmas time without the snow, and that it just felt weird.
I had a training session today. Oh my jeez, I'm sooo sore. We did lots of intesive weight training so my arms really hurt. For cardio I had to do Jacobs Ladder for 3 min at quite a high speed, so now walking is a bit complicated.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Damn Rain

I was so excited to take Tommy for a ride outside today, but thanks to the weather, that didn't happen.

So we stayed inside, I have to find some more exercises to work his haunches at the canter. He's so lazy. We've also been having problems picking up the right (or left) lead when we aren't in the corners. He hasn't had this problem before, and I'm not sure why it started.
  The good thing is, he's finally got his energy back. These past two weeks or some he's been he's normal energetic self again.

Had a training session today at the rec center. Oh my Jesus, I don't think I'll be able to walk tomorrow. Also have to get up early tomorrow morning and do a workout. Luckily it's just a run and some Pilate's stuff. I'll be really upset if I don't lose anything this week, since I have a workout pretty much everyday.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

So Much For That.

So I talked to my trainer and she said I can pick up some extra free rides on the weekends, so I'll just have to double check if I'm paying for them or not.

Apparently there is no way that I have any hope of a career in show jumping or any other equestrian sport for that matter. Unless I win the lottery or something.
  I've been wanting to do a lot more showing, and getting more advanced, but when I merely suggested to my dad that we get a bigger lease on Tommy, he completely shot it down. Which is really upsetting and completely unreasonable. My sister plays basketball 2-4 times a week and if she makes the school team, it will be more. Fuck, that's so not fair and I don't see the difference both are expensive and it's not like mines anymore expensive, or that I'm even asking for my own horse.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

PUNKY COLOR!

 I have FINALLY found it!
  I've been looking for the longest time and then I found I could buy Manic Panic here since I couldn't find Punky. But today I went to school with my mum and then she let me take the van, so I drove to the closest mall. They have a HUGE drug store and I was looking at the black dye and bleach kits, then what happened to catch my eye? Punky! It's only 8.99 verses Manic Panic which is 14.99 for a tiny little bottle. The unfortunate thing is, that they only had 3 or 4 colors, two shades of red and two shades of green.
   Lately I've been thinking that I would go with green and yellow, but I'm not sure yet. Grad pics are next week and they won't have a new shipment of Punky Color for a couple weeks.
http://www.punky.com/


What color(s) do you think I should go with?

Sunday, November 7, 2010

It's Tommy Actually

Unfortunately I forgot my camera today, I meant to take it out to the barn with me since it was so nice I thought I could get some cute pictures of Tommy, or at least of the pretty scenery.
    I also have a lease ride tomorrow, but I think I'm going in the evening again since I have to go help my Grandma start on my grad dress! Very excited.

As for our ride today, it was good. He only picked up the wrong lead once, and he picked up the correct ones. Lately he's been trying to run into the canter and gets a crazy fast trot, but we didn't have any problems with that today. I had to work more to hold him back heading to the out gate since the outdoor ring is on a slight slant towards the gate. I was going to take him out on the back trails but didn't. I might check with my trainer, now that it's hunting season I don't know if she wants anyone out there. I can't think why anyone would be hunting on their property and it is all fenced off, but all the same, I think I'll check.
The first two pictures are from October, before it snowed. The jumping one was taken last December/January sometime.



Friday, November 5, 2010

Thursday Lesson

We didn't do any real jump course yesterday. We did a lot of work on 'skill building'.
  At the front end of the arena, we had a two pillons set up in the corners and in the middle we had several jump poles on the ground. We had to trot between the pillons, the walls and then through the rails on the grounds. The idea was to collect in the corners and then lengthen through the rails and along the walls.
  We did well at the trot, until we had to jump the box that was but in the rail passage. He kept on scooting out to the right or left depending on our direction. But eventually we got it.

                     "                             "
                "                                      "
              ___   ____     ____   _____    
              ___    ____      ___      ____
Ha, so that's an attempted diagram of what we did. Without the box jump.
He did okay at the canter, we broke to a trot frequently, but that's not a surprise, Tommy hates having to use his hind end at the canter so it was good pratice for him.
   For that actually jumping bit, he did really well over the vertical. Only once did we end up trotting over it because we had a bad distance over the poles.
   The oxer was good, with one run out since I turned him to early and he broke to a trot. He clipped the oxer each time we went over, but we figured that it was because we didn't have a lot of the momentum we would have if we'd had other jumps leading up to the oxer, but he did well.
  Since I didn't make it out on Monday, I'm planning on going out on Sunday, hoping it will be nice out enough to head out on the trails.