Saturday was my first ride back since BC, and Spencer was great!
He'd had the whole week off because his owner isn't riding him for some reason. We all thought she would be super psyched to ride after getting back from her clinic, I guess not.
I was surprised he wasn't as lazy as I expected and he put in a lot of effort over the canter poles, which he usually doesn't like, so that was exciting!
K had her "hunter queen" out to work with and she's apparently got a very strong dressage back ground so that's what she was doing with him and she used a dressage whip rather than a crop and K said he was just wonderful. How much she used it I don't know, maybe it was just that she had that he was better.
We did a grid and it felt kind of like he'd forgotten how to jump. As each new jump was added he seemed very surprised to see it. He tired though, hard. No running out or stopping, which is hard in a grid, but not impossible for him! Our last time through was perfect and he seemed happy enough to be back at work.
We always trotted into the grid which sometimes feels like a problem because it feels like there's no rhythm and I find that a hard way to start a jump course, he isn't to keen on it either but he has been doing much better when he was and even is able to keep cantering over poles when previously he always dropped to a trot. Over the poles on Saturday he was even doing lead changes, they weren't what was supposed to happen, but the fact he's doing them is amazing.
When i first started riding him, if ever ended up on the wrong lead he immediately did a simple change, but it was really jarring and it took a long time to get him to keep going on the wrong lead but in the end we could do it and now he's trying for lead changes!! I've only ever got about two deliberately with him, so this is great!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Sorry for being such a terrible blogger.
Last weekend was the big River Valley Classic and L was riding in the 3' hunters, so I went with her on Friday to help out.
It started off pretty good but her horse refused a jump mid course and then again on her last course. Her second round was good and she got 8th place but they only give ribbons to 6th. Her courses looked really good, but they didn't get the leads and her mare is a paint...and snotty hunters and hunter judges don't like paints. Nor do I really, but I just mean I wouldn't buy one, not that they some how don't belong in the ring. She was the only paint there too, not even another in the jumpers. There was some adorable ponies in the jumpers, I wanted to steal them and take them back to the barn with me!
I didn't get any photos of L and her mare since I got to use her fancy camera, but I do have some of the other riders and once I find my camera cord I can post them.
We were quite pleased there was guys there, sadly they turned out to be pretty big circuit bitches too. Nice horses though.
So many beautiful warmbloods, TB's and sport horses! It actually looked like kind of a fun show to ride in! Shame Spencer is out of shape, hasn't got a passport and I don't have four hundred bucks to through on a show like that!! He's probably been there before from what it sounds like.
We had a lesson last Thursday and he was amazing!! He had a great forward canter, got all his distances and his leads during the jumping. It was really the most fantastic ride :) shame it's probably the only one we'll have like that. His owner is back on the 27th, so she'll be back to ruin him. Even K said she thinks the reason he did so well was his owner hadn't been there to screw him up and rip on his mouth so I didn't have anything to fix. I texted her telling (or kind of bragging) about how great he was and she replied with something about how he must be feeling good and fit or something and I'm dying to reply NO! IT"S BECAUSE YOU AREN'T HERE TO RUIN HIM. As you can see I'm still refusing to see this from her point of view. Because its stupid. Even if she does sell him she's going to end up falling off another horse one day and then she's going to freak out and have to sell him too. I want her to realize he could do for her what he does for me if she stopped being such a coward.
The bad thing is I'm gone for a week after she gets back so I doubt I'll hear about where she's deciding to sell him or not until I get back and by then he could already be gone. But if she does text/call to say she's going to sell him and right away while I'm gone, that will just ruin the whole trip! Lets just hope she grew a pair and can get over what happened.
Last weekend was the big River Valley Classic and L was riding in the 3' hunters, so I went with her on Friday to help out.
It started off pretty good but her horse refused a jump mid course and then again on her last course. Her second round was good and she got 8th place but they only give ribbons to 6th. Her courses looked really good, but they didn't get the leads and her mare is a paint...and snotty hunters and hunter judges don't like paints. Nor do I really, but I just mean I wouldn't buy one, not that they some how don't belong in the ring. She was the only paint there too, not even another in the jumpers. There was some adorable ponies in the jumpers, I wanted to steal them and take them back to the barn with me!
I didn't get any photos of L and her mare since I got to use her fancy camera, but I do have some of the other riders and once I find my camera cord I can post them.
We were quite pleased there was guys there, sadly they turned out to be pretty big circuit bitches too. Nice horses though.
So many beautiful warmbloods, TB's and sport horses! It actually looked like kind of a fun show to ride in! Shame Spencer is out of shape, hasn't got a passport and I don't have four hundred bucks to through on a show like that!! He's probably been there before from what it sounds like.
We had a lesson last Thursday and he was amazing!! He had a great forward canter, got all his distances and his leads during the jumping. It was really the most fantastic ride :) shame it's probably the only one we'll have like that. His owner is back on the 27th, so she'll be back to ruin him. Even K said she thinks the reason he did so well was his owner hadn't been there to screw him up and rip on his mouth so I didn't have anything to fix. I texted her telling (or kind of bragging) about how great he was and she replied with something about how he must be feeling good and fit or something and I'm dying to reply NO! IT"S BECAUSE YOU AREN'T HERE TO RUIN HIM. As you can see I'm still refusing to see this from her point of view. Because its stupid. Even if she does sell him she's going to end up falling off another horse one day and then she's going to freak out and have to sell him too. I want her to realize he could do for her what he does for me if she stopped being such a coward.
The bad thing is I'm gone for a week after she gets back so I doubt I'll hear about where she's deciding to sell him or not until I get back and by then he could already be gone. But if she does text/call to say she's going to sell him and right away while I'm gone, that will just ruin the whole trip! Lets just hope she grew a pair and can get over what happened.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Show Day!
Spencer did fantastic at the show on Saturday!!
We hauled with another lady from the barn who was bringing her 17hh Clydesdale mare, who is so adorable! She has the nicest trailer with a ramp and big jockey doors to let in lots of light so Spencer was happy enough to walk in, although he did try to follow me out side door after he was loaded!
He was calm and well behaved the whole time at the show, which is fantastic because he's only the second horse I've had that hasn't gone crazy at a show. There was about 8-10 people in the division, so there was some competition...even if one of the girls was about 5.
We got third in working hunter, first in handy hunter and third in the hunter stake! They even had proper hunter courses, which was nice and their footing wasn't as deep as it was last year but it was still not that great and he had to work much harder than he should have to get around such a small course.
We wont know for sure if he's being sold until his owner gets back in about two weeks, however she'll probably need a bit of time to decide after she gets back and if that takes more than about two days, I won't be here to find out and because his owner has never said anything to me about selling him, why would she if she decides to actually do it? I doubt K will say anything either since I find out pretty much everything from L, because even though she has nothing to do with me and Spencer she some how knows everything.
For example, K has this friend who is the queen of hunters and appearntly she is coming out work with Spencer while W is away. But she never bothered to tell me, so I have no idea when this woman is riding or anything. Great.
I'm so sick of having horses sold out from under me that last Thursday it fleetingly crossed my mind to just quit.
I don't know what will happen after he's sold, so we'll just have to wait and see for now. Not sure how fast he'll sell though, all that's on the market is fancy show horses or green horses right now.
Hopefully K will email the photos from the show soon because I can't figure out how to get mine from my blackberry on to the computer. Sadly it's bluetooth is not as simple as the old phones was.
We hauled with another lady from the barn who was bringing her 17hh Clydesdale mare, who is so adorable! She has the nicest trailer with a ramp and big jockey doors to let in lots of light so Spencer was happy enough to walk in, although he did try to follow me out side door after he was loaded!
He was calm and well behaved the whole time at the show, which is fantastic because he's only the second horse I've had that hasn't gone crazy at a show. There was about 8-10 people in the division, so there was some competition...even if one of the girls was about 5.
We got third in working hunter, first in handy hunter and third in the hunter stake! They even had proper hunter courses, which was nice and their footing wasn't as deep as it was last year but it was still not that great and he had to work much harder than he should have to get around such a small course.
We wont know for sure if he's being sold until his owner gets back in about two weeks, however she'll probably need a bit of time to decide after she gets back and if that takes more than about two days, I won't be here to find out and because his owner has never said anything to me about selling him, why would she if she decides to actually do it? I doubt K will say anything either since I find out pretty much everything from L, because even though she has nothing to do with me and Spencer she some how knows everything.
For example, K has this friend who is the queen of hunters and appearntly she is coming out work with Spencer while W is away. But she never bothered to tell me, so I have no idea when this woman is riding or anything. Great.
I'm so sick of having horses sold out from under me that last Thursday it fleetingly crossed my mind to just quit.
I don't know what will happen after he's sold, so we'll just have to wait and see for now. Not sure how fast he'll sell though, all that's on the market is fancy show horses or green horses right now.
Hopefully K will email the photos from the show soon because I can't figure out how to get mine from my blackberry on to the computer. Sadly it's bluetooth is not as simple as the old phones was.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Show
There's a (hopefully) small show this Saturday, so me and Spencer are riding in the hunter cross pole division (how incredibly exciting).
The nice thing is I really don't care at all about this show, so I'm not that nervous!! Which is always nice, but I mean it's cross poles, so who cares?! Hopefully it will be a laugh and a way to see what he's like at shows.
In the past this series of shows has been tiny, my barn was pretty much the only one there besides the host stable, which is not that big either!
The only bad thing is whoever designs their courses, are just a little bit mad. They have crazy turns and weird lines and stuff, but again at 18" even Spencer could handle it. Their footing is really, really deep however, so that will probably be a pain in the ass.
Now he just needs a show name... L likes "The Earl of Spencer" but I kind of like "Obvious Flair" although he really hasn't got much. But we'll see...
The nice thing is I really don't care at all about this show, so I'm not that nervous!! Which is always nice, but I mean it's cross poles, so who cares?! Hopefully it will be a laugh and a way to see what he's like at shows.
In the past this series of shows has been tiny, my barn was pretty much the only one there besides the host stable, which is not that big either!
The only bad thing is whoever designs their courses, are just a little bit mad. They have crazy turns and weird lines and stuff, but again at 18" even Spencer could handle it. Their footing is really, really deep however, so that will probably be a pain in the ass.
Now he just needs a show name... L likes "The Earl of Spencer" but I kind of like "Obvious Flair" although he really hasn't got much. But we'll see...
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Selling Spencer
You did indeed read that correctly.
I've spent the last few days trying to think of how to polity write this, and have come to the conclusion there is one. (That's the heads up there will probably be a plethora of swearing)
The good stuff first I suppose:
Spencer has been pretty well behaved these past few days! He had an amazing triple combination on Thursday! Which really was the best part of the course but he didn't spook at the boxes, the blue pole (he doesn't like blue) or the tree jump!
Today we didn't have anything that felt as good as the triple combination, but he still did great considering how hot it is and how hard he was working. The course was slightly longer and higher but no rails down, no refusals! He's cantering is meh. He still doesn't want to pick it up when you first ask from the trot, but once he gets going he's fine and generally picks it up the first time you ask. We've been working on getting a bigger, smoother canter, which has helped his jumping loads (he's kind of like Pony that way).
The bad stuff is that he doesn't behave for his owner the way he does for me. This is entirely her fault. He doesn't pick up the canter very well for her and when he does "he goes so fast its like he's in the Kentucky derby". That is a legit quote and are you fucking kidding me?! He's a cob! He's not capable of going that fast!!!!!!! She thinks he's going too fast so she gets nervous and yanks her hands up towards her chest and rips on his mouth so of course he fucking stops! But then she gets all pissed, I mean come on, what the hell else is going to do?! She doesn't get yelled at like any of us would because she's already nervous and she's about 50. (That's probably another reason that he doesn't want to start cantering with either of us but once he figures out I'm not her, he's like oh, okay, you aren't going to rip my face off for doing what you ask). She also rides very stiffly because she's nervous, he hates to be ridden like that. My understanding is she hasn't jumped since the first time when she was super stiff and wouldn't give a release. She doesn't trust him, which is stupid because he's mostly very well behaved. She got bucked off once and now they (her and K) think that everything she does wrong stems from that, but GET OVER IT!!!! If you can't handle that, you don't belong in this sport and need to gtfo right now. Everyone falls off, you have to get back on and get over it. There's no point thinking about it and worrying about it, it doesn't help. So K thinks they are both frustrated with each other, probably, but I'm on his side. The only reason any of this is happening is she can't relax, just pop a vallium and get on with it. Or better yet, trust him and get on with it. I have no patients for this kind of thing, it drives me nuts. We couldn't even tell her about when I fell off and got that huge bruise b/c she would probably stop riding or something. K wants to video me and Spencer to show her what he can do and that he would be like that for her if she just relaxed. L is the only one who seems to share my view. Everyone else is like "oh she's just nervous and scared, it's probably good to get a different horse". She shouldn't have bought him at all, she had only been riding for a year and he's to advanced for her. She hasn't said anything to me about selling him, just to K, how apparently has a horse for her to look at. Great, now I'll be forced back to Kokanee. Lucky me.
Ugh, I'm so pissed about this. It's all her fault and if she quit being such a baby, none of this would be happening, but as it is, she's wrecking her own horse.
So I guess we have to wait and see.
I wonder if she feels bad when she gets update texts from me saying how great he was, when she has (causes) all these problems with him.
I feel kind of bad being so nasty, but at the same time it's all true at the same time....
It gets really, really frustrating having horse after horse sold out from under you. Rocket and Tango were my choice because I wanted to ride someone else. Diesel had such a long back that he started to get sour in the end, so he got retired and sold to do light trail (which he loves apparently), Tommy had slightly clubbed front hooves so he was sold to a dressage home so he could have a longer career, so even though he was sold out from under me it wasn't so terrible because then I got Pony and it was best for him to go somewhere else. Pony was incredibly frustrating because she was and is my all time favorite but her owner thought it would be cheaper to send her to Calgary (and now Manitoba apparently, yeah that sounds cheap...) and now Spencer. He's probably the most frustrating because there's no reason for this to happen if his owner would fucking relax.
I've spent the last few days trying to think of how to polity write this, and have come to the conclusion there is one. (That's the heads up there will probably be a plethora of swearing)
The good stuff first I suppose:
Spencer has been pretty well behaved these past few days! He had an amazing triple combination on Thursday! Which really was the best part of the course but he didn't spook at the boxes, the blue pole (he doesn't like blue) or the tree jump!
Today we didn't have anything that felt as good as the triple combination, but he still did great considering how hot it is and how hard he was working. The course was slightly longer and higher but no rails down, no refusals! He's cantering is meh. He still doesn't want to pick it up when you first ask from the trot, but once he gets going he's fine and generally picks it up the first time you ask. We've been working on getting a bigger, smoother canter, which has helped his jumping loads (he's kind of like Pony that way).
The bad stuff is that he doesn't behave for his owner the way he does for me. This is entirely her fault. He doesn't pick up the canter very well for her and when he does "he goes so fast its like he's in the Kentucky derby". That is a legit quote and are you fucking kidding me?! He's a cob! He's not capable of going that fast!!!!!!! She thinks he's going too fast so she gets nervous and yanks her hands up towards her chest and rips on his mouth so of course he fucking stops! But then she gets all pissed, I mean come on, what the hell else is going to do?! She doesn't get yelled at like any of us would because she's already nervous and she's about 50. (That's probably another reason that he doesn't want to start cantering with either of us but once he figures out I'm not her, he's like oh, okay, you aren't going to rip my face off for doing what you ask). She also rides very stiffly because she's nervous, he hates to be ridden like that. My understanding is she hasn't jumped since the first time when she was super stiff and wouldn't give a release. She doesn't trust him, which is stupid because he's mostly very well behaved. She got bucked off once and now they (her and K) think that everything she does wrong stems from that, but GET OVER IT!!!! If you can't handle that, you don't belong in this sport and need to gtfo right now. Everyone falls off, you have to get back on and get over it. There's no point thinking about it and worrying about it, it doesn't help. So K thinks they are both frustrated with each other, probably, but I'm on his side. The only reason any of this is happening is she can't relax, just pop a vallium and get on with it. Or better yet, trust him and get on with it. I have no patients for this kind of thing, it drives me nuts. We couldn't even tell her about when I fell off and got that huge bruise b/c she would probably stop riding or something. K wants to video me and Spencer to show her what he can do and that he would be like that for her if she just relaxed. L is the only one who seems to share my view. Everyone else is like "oh she's just nervous and scared, it's probably good to get a different horse". She shouldn't have bought him at all, she had only been riding for a year and he's to advanced for her. She hasn't said anything to me about selling him, just to K, how apparently has a horse for her to look at. Great, now I'll be forced back to Kokanee. Lucky me.
Ugh, I'm so pissed about this. It's all her fault and if she quit being such a baby, none of this would be happening, but as it is, she's wrecking her own horse.
So I guess we have to wait and see.
I wonder if she feels bad when she gets update texts from me saying how great he was, when she has (causes) all these problems with him.
I feel kind of bad being so nasty, but at the same time it's all true at the same time....
It gets really, really frustrating having horse after horse sold out from under you. Rocket and Tango were my choice because I wanted to ride someone else. Diesel had such a long back that he started to get sour in the end, so he got retired and sold to do light trail (which he loves apparently), Tommy had slightly clubbed front hooves so he was sold to a dressage home so he could have a longer career, so even though he was sold out from under me it wasn't so terrible because then I got Pony and it was best for him to go somewhere else. Pony was incredibly frustrating because she was and is my all time favorite but her owner thought it would be cheaper to send her to Calgary (and now Manitoba apparently, yeah that sounds cheap...) and now Spencer. He's probably the most frustrating because there's no reason for this to happen if his owner would fucking relax.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Winners!
Me and Spencer won the obstacle course challenge today! Our time was 58:64seconds, only team to break the 1 minute mark! He was so good today!
Our first time through the jump course after that was great but the second time both of us were pretty tired so it didn't go as well. He got two lead changes during one of the excersies which was exciting because he's starting to figure them out, so hopefully there will be less automatic simple changes.
He was good about picking up the canter right away but not so good about doing his turn on the forehand. Rather than just doing it and getting it over with he does stupid things like back up. Still really happy with him.
There's a show next Saturday but I have to close Friday and Saturday night so I'm not going to have enough time or energy to show as well. But both K and his owner and L are bitching at me to go. If it means so much to you show him yourself.
Granted she only jumped him for the first time last Monday and it didn't go well. She's to stiff and he doesn't like it when you ride like that so then he was backed off the the jumps at the start on Thursday. Hopefully she gets over that soon.
Also they caught the uni shooter trying to cross into the US without a passport, still driving truck but with the license plate he stole from his mum.
Our first time through the jump course after that was great but the second time both of us were pretty tired so it didn't go as well. He got two lead changes during one of the excersies which was exciting because he's starting to figure them out, so hopefully there will be less automatic simple changes.
He was good about picking up the canter right away but not so good about doing his turn on the forehand. Rather than just doing it and getting it over with he does stupid things like back up. Still really happy with him.
There's a show next Saturday but I have to close Friday and Saturday night so I'm not going to have enough time or energy to show as well. But both K and his owner and L are bitching at me to go. If it means so much to you show him yourself.
Granted she only jumped him for the first time last Monday and it didn't go well. She's to stiff and he doesn't like it when you ride like that so then he was backed off the the jumps at the start on Thursday. Hopefully she gets over that soon.
Also they caught the uni shooter trying to cross into the US without a passport, still driving truck but with the license plate he stole from his mum.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Uni Tragedy & Horses
Three people were shot and killed and a forth seriously injured at the university I go to early this morning. The first emergency alert when out around 3am.
One of the residences is located above the 'mall', basically a really long building with loads of stores and food shops, also where most of the bank specific atms are and there was two armored trucks there dropping off money or whatever and one of them shot and killed the others, so now there's a massive man hunt and last I heard the had warrants out and were searching his parents house. He's only like 22 or something. Luckily there's a hospital on campus so there wasn't a long ambulance trip for the survivor. They interviewed several of the people who live in the residence and they were understandably freaked out however, several of them complained about "the police being rude" when they told everyone to leave the building. Really? Are you fucking kidding? The police were 'rude' to you, you over sensitive baby. Three people were just killed and your upset because the cops were rude?! These are the same ones who are all like 'oh no, it's so unsafe here! I'm going to have to move residence halls"...ummm no?! This wasn't someone going after students, it was all about the robbery (according to the news) so it's hardly an unsafe. This kind of shit doesn't happen here..that often. This is like second time this has ever happened and the last time it was at a school in Quebec where the students were deliberately targeted. Hopefully they catch the ass hole quickly, the last update on the police website was about the mum asking her son to turn himself in.
Some great press for Canada, university shootings and cannibalistic psychopaths that mail body parts to schools and politicians.
Regardless, I'm still counting down the days until I get to quit my crap job and go back to class. It's all I've wanted since about a month after exams finished.
I really hope that the one guy pulls through.
Onto horses...
I've been really lazy about blogging because I've been busy with work which makes me sooooo tired and to lazy to type, which is kind of pathetic. But I have so many stories to share!
Spencer has been pretty good these last few weeks. Last week we discovered he really likes racing! We had two jumps up beside E and B in the middle of the ring and two pylons down by A and we started at C, cantered down over the jump around the pylon, back over the jump. Spencer won both times and it was probably the best he's ever jumped! Not that Gody (like Cody but with a G), it's terrible I know.
The I jumped Kokanee outside for the first time and it was incredibly frustrating. That's about all I remember. Did the same course later with Spencer and it was much better. Then this Thursday we did an obstical course that was a lot of fun and me and Spencer are currently in forth place with 1.11.64minutes. He jumped well but every once in a while he gets this really weird 'stabby' canter. He's some what better about picking up the canter, but not always. He was good yesterday, but bad on Sunday, so it just depends I guess. We'll see how he does tomorrow....and I'll share some of the more 'interesting' stories from work..oh the classy clientele of the liquor store...
One of the residences is located above the 'mall', basically a really long building with loads of stores and food shops, also where most of the bank specific atms are and there was two armored trucks there dropping off money or whatever and one of them shot and killed the others, so now there's a massive man hunt and last I heard the had warrants out and were searching his parents house. He's only like 22 or something. Luckily there's a hospital on campus so there wasn't a long ambulance trip for the survivor. They interviewed several of the people who live in the residence and they were understandably freaked out however, several of them complained about "the police being rude" when they told everyone to leave the building. Really? Are you fucking kidding? The police were 'rude' to you, you over sensitive baby. Three people were just killed and your upset because the cops were rude?! These are the same ones who are all like 'oh no, it's so unsafe here! I'm going to have to move residence halls"...ummm no?! This wasn't someone going after students, it was all about the robbery (according to the news) so it's hardly an unsafe. This kind of shit doesn't happen here..that often. This is like second time this has ever happened and the last time it was at a school in Quebec where the students were deliberately targeted. Hopefully they catch the ass hole quickly, the last update on the police website was about the mum asking her son to turn himself in.
Some great press for Canada, university shootings and cannibalistic psychopaths that mail body parts to schools and politicians.
Regardless, I'm still counting down the days until I get to quit my crap job and go back to class. It's all I've wanted since about a month after exams finished.
I really hope that the one guy pulls through.
Onto horses...
I've been really lazy about blogging because I've been busy with work which makes me sooooo tired and to lazy to type, which is kind of pathetic. But I have so many stories to share!
Spencer has been pretty good these last few weeks. Last week we discovered he really likes racing! We had two jumps up beside E and B in the middle of the ring and two pylons down by A and we started at C, cantered down over the jump around the pylon, back over the jump. Spencer won both times and it was probably the best he's ever jumped! Not that Gody (like Cody but with a G), it's terrible I know.
The I jumped Kokanee outside for the first time and it was incredibly frustrating. That's about all I remember. Did the same course later with Spencer and it was much better. Then this Thursday we did an obstical course that was a lot of fun and me and Spencer are currently in forth place with 1.11.64minutes. He jumped well but every once in a while he gets this really weird 'stabby' canter. He's some what better about picking up the canter, but not always. He was good yesterday, but bad on Sunday, so it just depends I guess. We'll see how he does tomorrow....and I'll share some of the more 'interesting' stories from work..oh the classy clientele of the liquor store...
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