Worked on letting her have more rein on the flat so that when I have to giver her more over jumps in won't feel so weird.
Practiced both turns on the forehand and turns on the hunches both are improving, she's usually better to the left than the right, but she was good both ways today.
Another thing we are supposed to work on is having more left bend and less right bend.
I think we did okay. Lots of circles and serpentines, it seemed like she was doing okay on the circles but when we were on the serpentines I kept ending up pulling her to the left rather than having her bend her neck.
We did some cantering off the wall, that is something she needs to work on she always, always tries to drift back to the wall and it's hard to get her away from it.
Lots to work on.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Tuesday & Thursday
Pony was good on Tuesday. I need to write these right after the ride because I don't remember what happened.
I do remember she was a bit concerned with one of the jumps that had a plastic cut out of a dog under it, so she'd always jump off to the side. We still were able to make the lines though. She didn't even look at the fan jump. First horse I've had that just ignores it.
Thursday, as per usual she was fabulous!
She did have a bit of trouble with one of the largest verticals, just things like no having a distance or we were jumping at to much of an angle so she thought she'd run into the wall. But when we did get it, it was pretty damn perfect.
Had another fan jump, she jumped it like it was nothing. K says to think sports car not mini van when jumping her.
Pony likes to have her head when she's jumping, as do most horses, but she wants a lot more rein than I'm used to giving. Especially after Tommy. So that's something that I have to get used to, even if it feels super weird. Which it does. But I have to trust her not to be stupid yet at the same time try and protect myself from a repeat of our first jumping lesson.
Very proud of her. However, I have so really (potentially) horrible news.
Pony's owner may have found a buyer. K says not to worry (yeah right), that the owner is a bit dramatic and the buyer has not contacted her to arrange a test ride, or contacted her at all. Thank god.
I really love this mare and I want to be the one to buy her. She's totally perfect, and a good example of getting what you pay for. Except I can't remember how much she is. I was talking to another girl at the barn who had been interested but already has two horses and doesn't want another. She said either $12, 000 or $1, 200. I really doubt it's the second because of how amazing this mare is, but that's the one I want it to be.
The other point K made about not worrying about this other buyer (she doesn't know I'd like to buy Pony) is of how Pony acts when you first ride her. She test you and acts like a lunatic. Hopefully it will be enough to turn this other person off and give me more time to get things together.
I do remember she was a bit concerned with one of the jumps that had a plastic cut out of a dog under it, so she'd always jump off to the side. We still were able to make the lines though. She didn't even look at the fan jump. First horse I've had that just ignores it.
Thursday, as per usual she was fabulous!
She did have a bit of trouble with one of the largest verticals, just things like no having a distance or we were jumping at to much of an angle so she thought she'd run into the wall. But when we did get it, it was pretty damn perfect.
Had another fan jump, she jumped it like it was nothing. K says to think sports car not mini van when jumping her.
Pony likes to have her head when she's jumping, as do most horses, but she wants a lot more rein than I'm used to giving. Especially after Tommy. So that's something that I have to get used to, even if it feels super weird. Which it does. But I have to trust her not to be stupid yet at the same time try and protect myself from a repeat of our first jumping lesson.
Very proud of her. However, I have so really (potentially) horrible news.
Pony's owner may have found a buyer. K says not to worry (yeah right), that the owner is a bit dramatic and the buyer has not contacted her to arrange a test ride, or contacted her at all. Thank god.
I really love this mare and I want to be the one to buy her. She's totally perfect, and a good example of getting what you pay for. Except I can't remember how much she is. I was talking to another girl at the barn who had been interested but already has two horses and doesn't want another. She said either $12, 000 or $1, 200. I really doubt it's the second because of how amazing this mare is, but that's the one I want it to be.
The other point K made about not worrying about this other buyer (she doesn't know I'd like to buy Pony) is of how Pony acts when you first ride her. She test you and acts like a lunatic. Hopefully it will be enough to turn this other person off and give me more time to get things together.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Stiff?
Had a lease ride yesterday evening, mare was really good for the most part.
She had a really great canter to the right (no more crazy rushing canter!) so that was good. She had a nice forward trot and we worked on leg yielding a bit. She's wonderful!
I love this mare!!!
On the left lead though, she really didn't want to pick up the canter to the left. Pinned her ears and flicked her head around, she did get it after a couple tries and we just cantered half the arena. She was fine at the canter, so I'm guessing she's just a bit stiff from the show?
She also got vaccinated (for strangles I think) Saturday after the show, so it could be that too.
Hopefully she's feeling better on Tuesday.
She had a really great canter to the right (no more crazy rushing canter!) so that was good. She had a nice forward trot and we worked on leg yielding a bit. She's wonderful!
I love this mare!!!
On the left lead though, she really didn't want to pick up the canter to the left. Pinned her ears and flicked her head around, she did get it after a couple tries and we just cantered half the arena. She was fine at the canter, so I'm guessing she's just a bit stiff from the show?
She also got vaccinated (for strangles I think) Saturday after the show, so it could be that too.
Hopefully she's feeling better on Tuesday.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Awesome =)
Two lessons with Pony this week!
Tuesday: We did pretty good, the coarse wasn't to big, just complicated. The idea was to be able to navigate a complicated coarse and not go over the wrong jumps. We were successful every time, with two exceptions. At the same jump.
There was a diagonal at M a skinny between X and B and then another diagonal at F. The first time I thought we were going to fast over the skinny and panicked so we missed the F jump. After K thought we would have been okay to do it. The second time we really were going to fast so, again, missed the F jump.
But when we finally go over it she was great.
Thursday: She had Wednesday off and it snowed today so Pony spent the whole day in here pasture shelter. Thank god she's an indoor horse! She had A LOT of energy so took her into the arena to let her run around and chill out a bit. You don't even have to do anything, soon as you get her in the arena and take off the lead rope and off she goes.
She trots her self around, then pretends to spook at things and canters. After a while she'll come back to a trot and either scare herself some more or she'll comver over and say hi. She's so cute!
However, she also bucks and she canters. So I was a bit worried watching her do that. And they aren't little bucks either but HUGE ones...well, huge for a 13.3hh pony. Then she'll leap up in the air and buck in the air.
She was great for jumping though! Which were just under 3ft I think. There was a couple times over the bigger ones I thought I might die, but she was perfect! So pleased! She even collected herself a bit when I asked instead of doing what she did on our first jumping lesson and just freaking out. Had to do lots of deep yoga breaths over the longer canters between jumps to try and relax a bit, but I couldn't be happier with how she did.
Saturday: K took her to a dressage show today, I don't know how well behaved she was but they got two 2nd places with scores of 66 and 69 or something like that. Hopefully she was well behaved though. That was the great thing about Tommy, he was so sweet and quite at shows. And after the horses I had before him, that was the greatest thing ever. Diesel really wasn't to bad, he just went a bit crazy a couple times. Over all he was good though.
Also today was Registration 101!! I have no idea why I was so panicked and freaked out about it, but whatever. There was about twenty other kids in my time slot and all we did was sit in one of the Engineering computer labs, watched a presentation by some of the Arts faculty and then started enrolling in classes. Three out of the four people helping out were really nice but the last one was a bitch.
Oh well. I have all my classes and that's whats important.
Fall Term:
Animal Science 101-Introduction to Equine Science (doesn't count for my degree, but still very excited for it!)
English 123- Literature in Global Perspective
French 111- Beginners French I
Psychology 104- Basic Psychological Processes
Statistics 141- Introduction to Statistics (gross I hate math)
Winter Term:
Biology 108- Introduction to Bio Diversity
English 121- Literature in Historical Perspective
Math 113- Elementary Calculus I (at least after this I won't have to take math ever again!)
Psychology 105- Individual and Social Behaviour
Religion 101B- Introduction to Religions of the World
Also got to donate blood today for the first time too so that was fun. Not lying it was! Except I was talking to my best friend and she was likes "why would you do that?" but all snotty and bitchy and I said "because it's selfish not too" (it is!) and now shes all pissed. But I don't care, if I ever need a blood transfusion, I'm going to be damn grateful that someone took time out of their life to donate, so she can fuck right off. =)
Hooray for helping save lives!
Tuesday: We did pretty good, the coarse wasn't to big, just complicated. The idea was to be able to navigate a complicated coarse and not go over the wrong jumps. We were successful every time, with two exceptions. At the same jump.
There was a diagonal at M a skinny between X and B and then another diagonal at F. The first time I thought we were going to fast over the skinny and panicked so we missed the F jump. After K thought we would have been okay to do it. The second time we really were going to fast so, again, missed the F jump.
But when we finally go over it she was great.
Thursday: She had Wednesday off and it snowed today so Pony spent the whole day in here pasture shelter. Thank god she's an indoor horse! She had A LOT of energy so took her into the arena to let her run around and chill out a bit. You don't even have to do anything, soon as you get her in the arena and take off the lead rope and off she goes.
She trots her self around, then pretends to spook at things and canters. After a while she'll come back to a trot and either scare herself some more or she'll comver over and say hi. She's so cute!
However, she also bucks and she canters. So I was a bit worried watching her do that. And they aren't little bucks either but HUGE ones...well, huge for a 13.3hh pony. Then she'll leap up in the air and buck in the air.
She was great for jumping though! Which were just under 3ft I think. There was a couple times over the bigger ones I thought I might die, but she was perfect! So pleased! She even collected herself a bit when I asked instead of doing what she did on our first jumping lesson and just freaking out. Had to do lots of deep yoga breaths over the longer canters between jumps to try and relax a bit, but I couldn't be happier with how she did.
Saturday: K took her to a dressage show today, I don't know how well behaved she was but they got two 2nd places with scores of 66 and 69 or something like that. Hopefully she was well behaved though. That was the great thing about Tommy, he was so sweet and quite at shows. And after the horses I had before him, that was the greatest thing ever. Diesel really wasn't to bad, he just went a bit crazy a couple times. Over all he was good though.
Also today was Registration 101!! I have no idea why I was so panicked and freaked out about it, but whatever. There was about twenty other kids in my time slot and all we did was sit in one of the Engineering computer labs, watched a presentation by some of the Arts faculty and then started enrolling in classes. Three out of the four people helping out were really nice but the last one was a bitch.
Oh well. I have all my classes and that's whats important.
Fall Term:
Animal Science 101-Introduction to Equine Science (doesn't count for my degree, but still very excited for it!)
English 123- Literature in Global Perspective
French 111- Beginners French I
Psychology 104- Basic Psychological Processes
Statistics 141- Introduction to Statistics (gross I hate math)
Winter Term:
Biology 108- Introduction to Bio Diversity
English 121- Literature in Historical Perspective
Math 113- Elementary Calculus I (at least after this I won't have to take math ever again!)
Psychology 105- Individual and Social Behaviour
Religion 101B- Introduction to Religions of the World
Also got to donate blood today for the first time too so that was fun. Not lying it was! Except I was talking to my best friend and she was likes "why would you do that?" but all snotty and bitchy and I said "because it's selfish not too" (it is!) and now shes all pissed. But I don't care, if I ever need a blood transfusion, I'm going to be damn grateful that someone took time out of their life to donate, so she can fuck right off. =)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Much Better
Had a free ride with Pony today!
She was sooo much better at the canter than she was on Thursday. Still a bit to quick on the left lead, but to the right she was great.
I wonder if it has anything to do with there not being any other horses in the arena today or what.
Hopefully I have another lesson on Tuesday and that she's done with all this "testing her new rider" stuff, but we'll see.
She was sooo much better at the canter than she was on Thursday. Still a bit to quick on the left lead, but to the right she was great.
I wonder if it has anything to do with there not being any other horses in the arena today or what.
Hopefully I have another lesson on Tuesday and that she's done with all this "testing her new rider" stuff, but we'll see.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Fail!
Haha, not quite.
First jumping lesson with Pony today!
I was mistakenly under the impression that indoor horse meant a slightly cleaner horse. Sadly this is not true, Pony is filthy and clearly likes to roll. The good thing is by the time I get there the mud's dried.
So we started with smallish jumps (even by pony standards). She refused the first time but just ran out to the side. The second time she felt like she was going to jump and then changed her mind and ran out to the left and I fell off. It's been a rough couple weeks since Tommy left!
She cantered off and did a few small bucks, at least P stopped last week!
Eventually she relaxed K ran beside her and got her over the jump.
She was much better after that. One more refusal at the skinny jump with the pylons underneath. Which is understandable, it's a scary looking jump.
Although K says she hasn't got an excuse for running out since she was a derby pony. They have derby's for pony's?
After that she was pretty good for the most part. She's a completely different horse to any I've ever ridden. I guess she's had some great training.
K thinks that Pony just likes to test her new riders, so I hope that's it for the testing and that I passed! =P
On the flat though? She's got a nice trot but at the canter though? She's a bit crazy! Very, very, very peppy!! She does not want to slow down for anything! I'm going to have to get some really good gloves, I already have blisters forming. I tried not to brace against her and use "give and take" rather than constant pressure, but she didn't really want to listen and my arms hurt.
I like the challenge, but I hope she's better behaved at shows.
K is possibly showing her next Saturday, so I guess we'll find out.
Now I just have to figure out what's going on with the number of rides and lessons I get to do. Earlier she said I could have two lessons and they'd just be included in the lease price since her board has already been paid. And then lease rides whenever.
So I'll have to talk to K and see, because I'm not sure if that's still whats happening. I hope so though.
First jumping lesson with Pony today!
I was mistakenly under the impression that indoor horse meant a slightly cleaner horse. Sadly this is not true, Pony is filthy and clearly likes to roll. The good thing is by the time I get there the mud's dried.
So we started with smallish jumps (even by pony standards). She refused the first time but just ran out to the side. The second time she felt like she was going to jump and then changed her mind and ran out to the left and I fell off. It's been a rough couple weeks since Tommy left!
She cantered off and did a few small bucks, at least P stopped last week!
Eventually she relaxed K ran beside her and got her over the jump.
She was much better after that. One more refusal at the skinny jump with the pylons underneath. Which is understandable, it's a scary looking jump.
Although K says she hasn't got an excuse for running out since she was a derby pony. They have derby's for pony's?
After that she was pretty good for the most part. She's a completely different horse to any I've ever ridden. I guess she's had some great training.
K thinks that Pony just likes to test her new riders, so I hope that's it for the testing and that I passed! =P
On the flat though? She's got a nice trot but at the canter though? She's a bit crazy! Very, very, very peppy!! She does not want to slow down for anything! I'm going to have to get some really good gloves, I already have blisters forming. I tried not to brace against her and use "give and take" rather than constant pressure, but she didn't really want to listen and my arms hurt.
I like the challenge, but I hope she's better behaved at shows.
K is possibly showing her next Saturday, so I guess we'll find out.
Now I just have to figure out what's going on with the number of rides and lessons I get to do. Earlier she said I could have two lessons and they'd just be included in the lease price since her board has already been paid. And then lease rides whenever.
So I'll have to talk to K and see, because I'm not sure if that's still whats happening. I hope so though.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
First Ride With Pony!!
So today was my first lesson with Pony! She was awesome!
We only did a 30min hack lesson because she threw a shoe the other day, so no jumping until Thursday. But she is fun!! Lots of energy and spunk, but we are going to have to work on downward transitions though, it takes her a bit to go from canter to trot. Excited to jump!
She's only 13.3hh, so getting on was such a weird feeling. I used the mounting block, because the saddles usually slip and it's harder on the stirrup leathers. But it was kind of pointless because she is so small. Such a weird feeling.
She easily kept up with the much larger horses in the lesson and can jump as high, so Thursday should be fun.
My friend N was in the same lesson, she's the one I rode P for last week.
He bucked again today. Not good, I really hope he didn't learn that bucking is away to get people off. She did fall off, but the only injury she got was split fingernail. So, a bit worried about that. But I don't think he has, because as far as I know someone else rode him on Thursday and he was fine. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Thursday is both mine and N's next jumping lesson. Fingers crossed nothing happens....well no bucking or falling anyway.
I have a couple pictures of her, but still have to put them on the computer, then I can change the picture of Tommy...going to need a new blog name too...Chris and Pony isn't the same..any suggestions?
At least spring finally seems to be here! And the geese have returned home!
We only did a 30min hack lesson because she threw a shoe the other day, so no jumping until Thursday. But she is fun!! Lots of energy and spunk, but we are going to have to work on downward transitions though, it takes her a bit to go from canter to trot. Excited to jump!
She's only 13.3hh, so getting on was such a weird feeling. I used the mounting block, because the saddles usually slip and it's harder on the stirrup leathers. But it was kind of pointless because she is so small. Such a weird feeling.
She easily kept up with the much larger horses in the lesson and can jump as high, so Thursday should be fun.
My friend N was in the same lesson, she's the one I rode P for last week.
He bucked again today. Not good, I really hope he didn't learn that bucking is away to get people off. She did fall off, but the only injury she got was split fingernail. So, a bit worried about that. But I don't think he has, because as far as I know someone else rode him on Thursday and he was fine. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Thursday is both mine and N's next jumping lesson. Fingers crossed nothing happens....well no bucking or falling anyway.
I have a couple pictures of her, but still have to put them on the computer, then I can change the picture of Tommy...going to need a new blog name too...Chris and Pony isn't the same..any suggestions?
At least spring finally seems to be here! And the geese have returned home!
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