New Horses(Thursday/Saturday)

Well Rocky is officially on winter break so on Thursday I rode Roxy. I rode her a couple times over the summer when she first got to the barn and she's really come along way from how nervous she used to be. Her canter is still weird, it really throws your leg back and when you aren't along the wall she's really wiggly. For the most part she was good, she did start to rush at the yellow jump but after a few times over the other two she was good to go. She's still new to jumping so sometimes she forgets about her back end when she really tries to jump ahead/up with her front end. So grabbing mane = important on her. Especially with being new to it, I don't want her to think jumping is painful by catching her mouth. She was more fun than I thought she would be for jumping and she wasn't the horse I wanted to ride, although other than Rocky I don't know who else there would be. And really I should be grateful just to have a horse to ride at all. Although it's been along time since I've had to look at the white board to find out who I was riding, plus it will be harder to the get the whole "team mate/bond" going on since it seems like I'll be going between horses until winters over the snows gone and who the hell knows when that will be.

Today I rode Zander and I liked him a lot more than I thought I would! I'm not sure why I thought I wouldn't like him, but he was fantastic. He has a really slow walk but once he's trotting or cantering he's got a lot of go! I was a bit worried, since he was compared to a sports car on ice as to how he would be when we got going and he was great. Sports car with snow tires.
He also bridles up really well and riding with more contact is something I really have to work and trying to "ball up" their energy rather than letting them getting long and strung out. Supposed to think of them as springs, which was the analogy with Pony. So must work on that. It seems to help that he has a German martingale, it does something different than a standing martingale I don't remember what exactly but it has something to do with flexing rather than keeping them from throwing their head around. We don't use it for jumping, just flat.
Zander is a lot of fun to jump! He does slow down abit before the jump if you don't keep leg on, but he has such a lovely jump, and no pain at the trot!! So that's exciting. He feels so different than Rocky, he's so narrow with such a long neck and he keeps he's head pretty low, some adjusting to do I think. It will be a different winter that's for sure, I guess we'll see how it pays of in the spring.

that's what a German martingale looks like, it straps around the neck and then the other two straps loop through the bit and then clips to loops on the reins.

Riding and Awkwardness..

So, awkward stuff first.
I work at the barn right, and there's no set pay day, it's kind of just whenever really. And it's not such a big deal. I work like once a week so it's pointless to waste a cheque on that little amount , but it's been like two and a bit months so, I thought I would ask.
One of the most awkward moments of my life. Next to watching Sweeney Todd and my mum came in when they were singing about eating people. It's a good movie actually, but yeah, very creepy.
Anyway, so I sent my boss a text asking if she wouldn't mind paying and that I was sorry for not being able to find a less awkward way to ask that. Have you ever had to ask your boss for a check? Turns out there was no need to find it awkward she said she'd  pay me tomorrow, yay :).

Riding! From last weekend..
On Friday I had afternoon and night chores so I got to do my lease ride with Rocky. He was pretty good I guess. He kept spooking at this spot of grass the cat had been hiding LAST week, so that was annoying. And it seemed like no matter what I did, I couldn't get him to circle properly. It would start out fine, but he kept squaring it off, possilbly dropping his shoulder or something? But yeah, no matter what I tired to fix, we kept having problems. But he's not the greatest shape, so we couldn't keep at it forever, and I don't want him to end up hating work either.
Crazy dressage woman was out that night too, but she was practicing jumping in her dressage saddle, looked comfy [sarcasim]. Her horse is super cute and did really well too. Jumping about 2'6" or so.

Worked mornings on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday I was able to ride with L when she came out to test her new western saddle. We rode inside because it was blistering hot. Roxy was pretty good, she chomps on the bit when we're just walking around though but other than that she was good. She's getting much better the more she realizes I won't yank on her mouth or boot her, like she's worried about so we had zero rushy trot/canter stepping thing.

Still doing nutrition in Equine Science, eventually I'll make some nice long post about it. Been super busy with other stuff and haven't had a chance.

Nervous Mare

I worked on Sunday morning at the barn and got to ride Roxy again.

This time I go to learn more about her. She's here for training and eventually for lessons because the owners kid is afraid of her because she's a bit loopy but it's because she's nervous. K was saying she gets like this whenever a new person rides her because she's worried about being kicked and having her mouth yanked on.
Her weird nervous antics are when you're trying to get her to trot she does this weird canter step with her front feet when you sit down at the post, it took a lot less time this week to get her to come back to a proper trot but she's still a bit nervous. Then at the canter, she gets really scrambly or does a super fast trot. It's really hard to tell with her if she's on the right or wrong lead because she feels so weird and bumpy and the way she moves her body, she pushed your outside leg back to a weird angle and it's really hard to keep it still and in the correct position, so work to do there.

I took her over the trot poles that were out and other than get crooked to the second set she was really good. She stretches her neck out more over them and seems to relax a bit. I'm supposed to ride her again this weekend, so we'll be doing more of those. I'm trying (with little success) to find got trot pole exercises online for both her and Rocky so maybe I'll have to make up my own, unless you have some good ones to share?

As for Rocky, he was pretty good. We rode outside on Sunday since it was so nice. He was a bit more bucky because he had a lot of forward motion over the canter poles so I was trying to hold him back, clearly not the way he wanted, more things to work on! The poor girl that was taking lessons while I was riding! She said later she thought he was doing in on purpose or I was asking him to or something. Not sure why she thought that, but she's only been riding for about a month and I don't know how much time she's spent around horses before now. She's really nice though, she was like "that must be unnerving the first time he does it". I said yes a bit, but it's not. Because I know he does it, even if I think I'm not doing anything with my hands and he bucks, it just...no, it's not unnerving. It's just something that happens, like a weird take off or a fall, it happens and you have to get up and go again and fix the problem. I had a lesson with my friends mum the first time I rode Rocky and she was like "your so unphasable" when he had a few crazy jumps in a row and I'd said something about them being a surprise. I don't know that umphasable is totally correct, cause I was pretty freaked out when Pony had bolted and done her weird buck/rear thing but I still kept going, because what else is there to do?
I have friends that whine or complain when the course gets high or looks hard and I'm not a big whiner when it comes to stuff like that. Mostly I look at it and think "oh shit" but then ride it the best I can. Because whining won't change the course and being worried about Rocky bucking won't change that he does it, and worrying about Pony bolting won't stop her from doing it. Even when something like that comes as a total surprise, I try not worry about it and just be prepared for the next time. Besides, being unphasable may not always be a good thing. Or with the case of Rocky's bucking, ride better so he doesn't.

I'm actually quite pleased to be riding him and have had the time I did with Pony for all her insanity, she was a good teacher. You learn to expect the unexpected and ride better. She liked a quite rider who gave her head, and that's what I always tried to do, luckily that wasn't something I was new to doing (riding quietly I mean) same with Rocky because relying on your hands isn't the great, your supposed to ride more with your legs and body; using your weight and stuff to communicate with the horse not just your hands. So even just knowing how he reacts to to much hand use at the canter makes me more conscious of it and able to correct it when he does buck.
I always try to think of what the horses I've ridden before have taught me and Tangos lessons were loud and clear!
1. Do not look down at the jump because she will stop. Always.
2. Learn to fall. Because you will. A lot.

If it does take 6 falls to make a rider, I must be pretty damn good because there was a lot more falls than that. Diesel also reinforced the falling lessons, but the thing with both of them is they were easily 16hh, Diesel 15.3hh I think, so you have time when falling to catch yourself and try to control the fall. Less so with 13.3hh Pony, so with her there was a lot of falls on jumps or whatever because there wasn't enough time to try and land on my feet or not on the jump. 

I still have to get a picture of Rocky to put on here so you can see how cute he is! And the photos from Ride For Red that I still haven't posted...lazy lazy.

Rocky, Roxy and Spruce Meadows!

So I had a jumping lesson with Rocky on Thursday, and he was super good. He seems to be getting back into the working mood quicker than was first thought.

He took two longs, the first one I was ready for so I could stay with him and then the second one was a big surprise because there was a short distance so I don't know quite what he was thinking, but I'm glad he uses a bit less bridle instead, then I don't catch him in the mouth. (Side note! Watching the Spruce Meadows Masters today, and Eric Lamaze was using a bit less bridle with his horse! Not Hickstead sadly but I thought it was quite exciting because I've never seen a pro rider use one.)
Anyway I can't really remember to much about the rider, other than the jumps were larger and he was great!

Today I worked at the barn in the moring and got to ride Roxy as well! She's quite a lot of fun, not in great shape either so we didn't do a whole lot. She's a quarter horse and K's advice was not to think she would be slow just because she was one. She has a lot of pep and was ready to trot as soon as I got on! But we just walked around to start with and when I asked her to trot, she had this super weird stride/motion, she was trying to canter with her front end but trotting in the back or vis versa, and then trying to post and pull her back to a real trot was one of the weirdest sensations. Eventually she came back and we could trot properly. She's got a nice trot when she's not doing...well, whatever that movement was. She also has a really nice canter when she's not breaking to the trot but she's out of shape so it's not a big deal.
I also did a quick hack with Rocky, and not bucking today! Lots of sweat though, poor guy, he's got suck a thick mane and it was pretty warm this morning. Not like yesterday which was 35 degrees Celsius, but still hot. He did well over the trot/canter poles and only stepped away from the mouting block twice before standing nicely.

Speaking of Spruce Meadows! We used to go to the Masters, but we haven't the past couple years *tear* it's so much fun I loved going. This morning was Suncores sponsored event and the one tonight is the BMO Nations Cup and tomorrow morning is the CN National. There's so many awesome riders this year, and some are so young, it would have been fantastic to go! I even cheered for an American! But only because she's a student of Eric Lamaze, and cause she's so young, like 17 or something. But she did amazing and almost beat her coach out, I can't remember her name though, Catlin something. Eric Lamaze won though, of course, since he always done. They said he's won $3 million at Spruce, Ian Miller "Captain Canada" has won $2.8million.
There was a young Dutch rider who was amazing as well, Stephanie Van something.
But my favorite new rider is Canadian Tiffany Foster, she only found out three days ago or something she would be riding for Team Canada, but she seems like the nicest, most enthusiastic person ever, and she's an amazing rider, I really hope she makes the Canadian Olympic team.
Looks like Canada is in 5th for the BMO cup, France, Britain, Mexico and someone else in the forth, America? I don't know. Netherlands in 6th, but the first three have a rider left, so Go Canada!

Pony For Sale.

So yeah, Pony has been sold, or at least her owners found a buyer for her. Whether she's going back to her owners on Saturday or to her new place I don't know, but either way, she's leaving on Saturday.

They've already picked up her tack and stuff, so yesterday we were stuck in this awful synthetic saddle that's a bit to wide her for her and I just hate. So neither of us were to happy about that.

This is kind of what happened when I found out Tommy had been sold, when K would say to re do something we were having problems with all I could think was what the hell was the point? It's not going to do us any good since she's leaving. But oh well, eventually we got it.
It was a frustrating ride though, and Pony was being crazy but it might have been because the saddle wasn't hers and didn't fit 100%, but she stopped at a jump and I fell over her shoulder on to the jump. So as K said Pony was trying to make parting easy. I guess so too.

At least I won't be left without a horse when she's gone. There's a few options:
1. Rocky-my favorite he's so sweet. A smallish bay Morgan, he shows 2'6" but has jumped higher. He hasn't been ridden in about a year though, but K said he's usually pretty good to just hop on, even though he's out of shape. I've rode him once ages ago before Diesel and I quite liked him. He can't be used as a lesson horse because he sometimes bucks after jumping and he wasn't eve super well trained, but I really like him.

2. Zander- A big chestnut Arab? Arab cross? He's a decent jumper but used a lot in lessons so that's not a great thing I don't think other than him being in good shape. He's not my favorite horse at the barn but he's okay.

3. Roxy. She's less of a possibility I think. She's a quarter horse mare that's been out in a field a long time and is pretty much totally western. She's 15.3hh but only in the ass. K thinks she could be a good jumper but she might have to start at like cavallaties or something. Not that that's a problem, it could be fun and a very different experience. But I think she's there to be sold or to be retrained as a lesson horse I'm not totally sure.

So we just have to wait and see what happens next week.