Or the "educational hand" as K calls it.
The lesson was to hold our reins like we were driving a cart horse, which felt really awkward at first but was actually kind of fun.
It wasn't the best ride with Spencer though, he stopped/ran out several times so in the end we only had 1 good round.
It sounds like we'll be doing the same thing again this week, so hopefully we can have a better ride.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Excellent!
I got to ride my friends mare for her today, her horse is sooooooo fantastic!!
I've ridden her a couple times before so this time I knew a bit more about what I should expect, so we worked really well together this time.
She's got such a nice jump! We did well over the course but she didn't want to pick up the left lead through the course but she would on the flat. Second time through she did pick up the lead, so we don't know why she wouldn't do it the first time, but she did so well even on the wrong lead that no one is to worried.
Thursday I ride Spencer, maybe I can get to really good rides in a week?
One of the girls in my lesson today was riding Kokanee, so it was kind of interesting to actually be able to see him and watch his style.
And on an irrelevant note, we are safe from the terrors of the WildRose party! No doubt to the strategic voting of left wingers who voted for the PC's who had the best chance of beating them. Plus Allison Redford (the PC leader) wasn't so bad prior to being elected, so hopefully she stays the same (or gets better). The PC leader before her stepped down and she took his spot, which is why she was in charge without being elected without us. Did you perhaps see the fail of the WildRose campaign bus? It got rather a lot of attention apparently....
Fail.
I've ridden her a couple times before so this time I knew a bit more about what I should expect, so we worked really well together this time.
She's got such a nice jump! We did well over the course but she didn't want to pick up the left lead through the course but she would on the flat. Second time through she did pick up the lead, so we don't know why she wouldn't do it the first time, but she did so well even on the wrong lead that no one is to worried.
Thursday I ride Spencer, maybe I can get to really good rides in a week?
One of the girls in my lesson today was riding Kokanee, so it was kind of interesting to actually be able to see him and watch his style.
And on an irrelevant note, we are safe from the terrors of the WildRose party! No doubt to the strategic voting of left wingers who voted for the PC's who had the best chance of beating them. Plus Allison Redford (the PC leader) wasn't so bad prior to being elected, so hopefully she stays the same (or gets better). The PC leader before her stepped down and she took his spot, which is why she was in charge without being elected without us. Did you perhaps see the fail of the WildRose campaign bus? It got rather a lot of attention apparently....
Monday, April 23, 2012
Lead changes, House Hippos & other stuff
Spencer got a flying lead change last Thursday! Finally we seem to be getting somewhere, slowly though, but somewhere. Unfortunately he seemed pretty confused by it and did a simple change any way, but it still counts!
That's about all I remember from that lesson unfortunately.
Saturday I rode Kokanee, that was...weird. He's never been so fired up before, but it wasn't the good kind. He was fast with not much control and not much style over the jumps. We got everything done, but it was pretty messy and he had a lot of tantrums. wiping he's head around anytime I tried to collect him or get him to do a downward transition. He had his teeth done recently and he doesn't show any signs the saddle is bothering him or being sore any other way, so I'm not sure what is up with that. The other girl rode him last Monday and it's spring and nice out, so maybe he's just a bit crazy. Sadly he's ridiculousness meant we didn't get to jump higher than 2'3" but we might have otherwise because N is in my Saturday lesson now. But instead I was stuck down at sad, small heights with the other girl. It's sooo much fun being treated like a beginner despite having ridden for 7 years. I want Pony back...or even Rocky.
Sunday was just a free ride with Spencer, he gets so much sweatier after ground work than he does when jumping. We did a lot of trot work, trying to get him to collect and engage his back and strengthen his stomach muscles because he's got a bit of a pot belly. Lots of circles, some serpentines, leg yielding and walk/trot trot/walk transitions with a bit of a canter at the end. He was very well behaved despite being alone in the arena and the horses outside whinnying.
It's finally nice enough that we should be riding outside this week! A friend has asked me to take her horse in a lesson tomorrow because she has (another) concussion and needs her horse ready for the clinics this weekend.
This weekend is the Mane Event and she's in a few of the clinics and asked if I would go with her for the weekend. Kind of excited because there's supposed to be a lot of really cool stuff to see (and buy) however, the friend I'm going with has a really, really intense personality, so 3 full days with her may be a bit...exhausting. Hopefully I'll at least get some good pictures to share.
What else is new and exciting?
I only have one exam left and my first year of uni will finally be over!! At last! Psych went well today, anthro was okay, art history was just terrible. I find it hard to care about that one because it is so incredibly irreverent to a degree in psychology, but the Arts faculty likes it's students to be "well rounded".
There's also a provincial election today and I finally get to vote! To bad 4 out of 10 Albertan's support the WildRose which are waaaaaaay to the far right and they are just a disgusting group of people. The leader is nuts and her party members are full of hate and American style policies. No offense American readers, but they are just terrible (the WildRose, not you guys). If they win they will privatize health care (which is terrible and stupid and just causes even more problems than long ER wait times), legislate on "contentious moral issues", she says they wont legislate on anything the supreme court has passed decisions on (ie. gay marriage and abortion), but just wait they will. They'll also probably cut funding to universities because there's nothing like an uneducated population!! But that's who is voting for them. People who are to stupid to understand what that party is. I may have to move provinces if they win and depending on what they actually do, I have other friends that are already looking at other universities outside of the province depending on what her party does if they actually win. I kind of am to, but I really like the university I'm at and don't want to leave. We'll see. The only conclusion about the % willing to vote for them is that 4 out of 10 Albertans are retarded. Is that offensive? Sorry, but there's no other word really. But anyway, never mind that.
Look! House Hippos!
haha, can't stand Harper.
Indeed, it's an unfortunate problem
yes, yes it is. It also looks like the correct spelling of Fahrenheit is a confusing and impenetrable mystery for some people...
Not sure they are a problem so long as the behave like nice, polite Canadians as well. I actually feel a bit bad that they have to do that. A friend was traveling in Australia and they meet a group of Americans who did that because the Australians would treat them better!
Told you. They are real.
That's about all I remember from that lesson unfortunately.
Saturday I rode Kokanee, that was...weird. He's never been so fired up before, but it wasn't the good kind. He was fast with not much control and not much style over the jumps. We got everything done, but it was pretty messy and he had a lot of tantrums. wiping he's head around anytime I tried to collect him or get him to do a downward transition. He had his teeth done recently and he doesn't show any signs the saddle is bothering him or being sore any other way, so I'm not sure what is up with that. The other girl rode him last Monday and it's spring and nice out, so maybe he's just a bit crazy. Sadly he's ridiculousness meant we didn't get to jump higher than 2'3" but we might have otherwise because N is in my Saturday lesson now. But instead I was stuck down at sad, small heights with the other girl. It's sooo much fun being treated like a beginner despite having ridden for 7 years. I want Pony back...or even Rocky.
Sunday was just a free ride with Spencer, he gets so much sweatier after ground work than he does when jumping. We did a lot of trot work, trying to get him to collect and engage his back and strengthen his stomach muscles because he's got a bit of a pot belly. Lots of circles, some serpentines, leg yielding and walk/trot trot/walk transitions with a bit of a canter at the end. He was very well behaved despite being alone in the arena and the horses outside whinnying.
It's finally nice enough that we should be riding outside this week! A friend has asked me to take her horse in a lesson tomorrow because she has (another) concussion and needs her horse ready for the clinics this weekend.
This weekend is the Mane Event and she's in a few of the clinics and asked if I would go with her for the weekend. Kind of excited because there's supposed to be a lot of really cool stuff to see (and buy) however, the friend I'm going with has a really, really intense personality, so 3 full days with her may be a bit...exhausting. Hopefully I'll at least get some good pictures to share.
What else is new and exciting?
I only have one exam left and my first year of uni will finally be over!! At last! Psych went well today, anthro was okay, art history was just terrible. I find it hard to care about that one because it is so incredibly irreverent to a degree in psychology, but the Arts faculty likes it's students to be "well rounded".
There's also a provincial election today and I finally get to vote! To bad 4 out of 10 Albertan's support the WildRose which are waaaaaaay to the far right and they are just a disgusting group of people. The leader is nuts and her party members are full of hate and American style policies. No offense American readers, but they are just terrible (the WildRose, not you guys). If they win they will privatize health care (which is terrible and stupid and just causes even more problems than long ER wait times), legislate on "contentious moral issues", she says they wont legislate on anything the supreme court has passed decisions on (ie. gay marriage and abortion), but just wait they will. They'll also probably cut funding to universities because there's nothing like an uneducated population!! But that's who is voting for them. People who are to stupid to understand what that party is. I may have to move provinces if they win and depending on what they actually do, I have other friends that are already looking at other universities outside of the province depending on what her party does if they actually win. I kind of am to, but I really like the university I'm at and don't want to leave. We'll see. The only conclusion about the % willing to vote for them is that 4 out of 10 Albertans are retarded. Is that offensive? Sorry, but there's no other word really. But anyway, never mind that.
Look! House Hippos!
You will never convince me they aren't real. I don't care what the commercial says. It was on all the time when I was a kid.
Also some delightful(?) pictures a friend sent me!
Biggest pain in the ass.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Spencer
Spencers' owner came out to watch my lesson with him yesterday, and even though she's the nicest person ever, I was actually pretty nervous.
He did really well though so she was happy.
The excersie was kind of like a B shape, there was a 5 stride down one of the long sides and then a diagonal jump between F and B, then through the pillions at X and then another diagonal between M and B and then through the little run way of poles at the C end.
He did really well, we had one run out at the white jump (between F and B), he almost did it but he looked at it a second to long and by the time I clucked at him it was to late. He stopped in front of it but tried to do this weird hopping motion into and knocked the rail down. Over all he did really well when I could get him going at an enthusiastic pace but for the most part he was pretty unenthusiastic about the whole jumping thing. So was the other girls horse in my lesson, they are pasture mates, so we thought they might have just been playing a bit to much in their pen since the groundis was finally dry. Not anymore though, it started raining last night and is supposed to for the rest of the day.
He did really well though so she was happy.
The excersie was kind of like a B shape, there was a 5 stride down one of the long sides and then a diagonal jump between F and B, then through the pillions at X and then another diagonal between M and B and then through the little run way of poles at the C end.
He did really well, we had one run out at the white jump (between F and B), he almost did it but he looked at it a second to long and by the time I clucked at him it was to late. He stopped in front of it but tried to do this weird hopping motion into and knocked the rail down. Over all he did really well when I could get him going at an enthusiastic pace but for the most part he was pretty unenthusiastic about the whole jumping thing. So was the other girls horse in my lesson, they are pasture mates, so we thought they might have just been playing a bit to much in their pen since the ground
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Better Already
I had my second jumping lesson with Spencer yesterday, and he was already better than last week!
We set up a low vertical in the middle of the ring to try and get him to do a flying change over it, but we only got one out of several tries. And it was even the ugliest jump that got the change.
He's great on the flat work usually, it makes him sweat more than jumping does, but he's so much smoother than Kokanee, which is a nice break. He's part cob, so he's got a really lovely trot but just an okay-ish canter.
We did the course twice and the first time through he did so well! They jumps were about 2'3", so rather small, but high enough for him.
He's got a really, really annoying automatic simple lead change so through most of the course, when we didn't get the lead, I tried to keep him going on the counter canter. For the most part he did keep going, but it took quite a lot of effort. Still, it's good though because keeping him cantering, he's got to think about the next jump and keeps his mind from thinking about breaking to a trot, this is what K tells me anyway.
The second time through was not as good because he was really tired. He's quite out of shape, so it was much harder to keep him cantering if we missed the correct lead and form over the jumps was lacking, but we did it.
As for my lease horse, I'm now almost 100% sure that I'm going to pick Rocky.
I'll try and get a picture of Spencer for you soon, but I said that about Kokanee too and that took several months. I promise to do better with picture taking this time...
We set up a low vertical in the middle of the ring to try and get him to do a flying change over it, but we only got one out of several tries. And it was even the ugliest jump that got the change.
He's great on the flat work usually, it makes him sweat more than jumping does, but he's so much smoother than Kokanee, which is a nice break. He's part cob, so he's got a really lovely trot but just an okay-ish canter.
We did the course twice and the first time through he did so well! They jumps were about 2'3", so rather small, but high enough for him.
He's got a really, really annoying automatic simple lead change so through most of the course, when we didn't get the lead, I tried to keep him going on the counter canter. For the most part he did keep going, but it took quite a lot of effort. Still, it's good though because keeping him cantering, he's got to think about the next jump and keeps his mind from thinking about breaking to a trot, this is what K tells me anyway.
The second time through was not as good because he was really tired. He's quite out of shape, so it was much harder to keep him cantering if we missed the correct lead and form over the jumps was lacking, but we did it.
As for my lease horse, I'm now almost 100% sure that I'm going to pick Rocky.
I'll try and get a picture of Spencer for you soon, but I said that about Kokanee too and that took several months. I promise to do better with picture taking this time...
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Spencer (Thursday & Saturday)
Spencers' owner asked if I would ride him every once and a while for her, and he's a sweet horse and it would be a good experience, so I said yes.
I rode him once ages ago while she was in Africa and he was great, until we started jumping where he was really choppy and you couldn't tell when he was going to take off, but he has improved loads since then despite not doing a lot of jumping. He did run out twice (or maybe three times I don't remember) on Thursday, the jumps were quite small, but he got over it eventually. He's quite similar to Pony in a lot of ways with how you ride a jump course, so that's kind of fun. Kokanee likes to have his neck when jumping but Spencer would rather have the support and know you're there.
Today he was really good, no running out even at the sun spot on a jump, the only annoying part is that he has an "automatic simple lead change" and it suuuuucks! Rocket does the same thing but it's really smooth but Spencer it's really jarring and unpleasant. He was much smoother over the course once we got going but at first he was a bit backed off because he's not used to being ridden "aggressively" over a course (at least that's what K thinks) , eventually he got over it and did well. Occasionally he takes off really weirdly and you get your but thrown over the back of the saddle and look like this guy.
I also have to figure out who I want to ride/show this summer and right now I'm leaning more towards Rocky over Kokanee.
Also, a story about Pony! So, she was down in Calgary being leased to disabled girl who was jumping her (and everyone who knows Pony was like whaaaat the f?! Pony is crazy!), but apparently it was going but that's started to change. The girls fallen off to many times so now they are cancelling lease. Sadly she's not coming back to me, they think they've found someone else to lease her instead.
I rode him once ages ago while she was in Africa and he was great, until we started jumping where he was really choppy and you couldn't tell when he was going to take off, but he has improved loads since then despite not doing a lot of jumping. He did run out twice (or maybe three times I don't remember) on Thursday, the jumps were quite small, but he got over it eventually. He's quite similar to Pony in a lot of ways with how you ride a jump course, so that's kind of fun. Kokanee likes to have his neck when jumping but Spencer would rather have the support and know you're there.
Today he was really good, no running out even at the sun spot on a jump, the only annoying part is that he has an "automatic simple lead change" and it suuuuucks! Rocket does the same thing but it's really smooth but Spencer it's really jarring and unpleasant. He was much smoother over the course once we got going but at first he was a bit backed off because he's not used to being ridden "aggressively" over a course (at least that's what K thinks) , eventually he got over it and did well. Occasionally he takes off really weirdly and you get your but thrown over the back of the saddle and look like this guy.I also have to figure out who I want to ride/show this summer and right now I'm leaning more towards Rocky over Kokanee.
Also, a story about Pony! So, she was down in Calgary being leased to disabled girl who was jumping her (and everyone who knows Pony was like whaaaat the f?! Pony is crazy!), but apparently it was going but that's started to change. The girls fallen off to many times so now they are cancelling lease. Sadly she's not coming back to me, they think they've found someone else to lease her instead.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Saturday and Uni
The crap winter weather has returned so I missed my ride on Thursday because the high ways were so terrible.
But it cleared up by Saturday so I got some riding in at least.
Kokanee was really good for the most part, he picked up his left lead every time and we had at least 1 successful flying change, which is great. Jumping was not bad, but the jumps are tiny so it's really, really boring. They have been for a while, it's not just because we missed Thursday. Part of it is the two other girls I ride with can't jump that high but still, it would be nice if me and Kokanee at least got to do a bit more. It sometimes feels like we're moving backwards being in a group with them because we do such little jumps and he's come such a long way from October/November that I don't see the point of these tiny jumps when they don't push us to do anything. And this is why every year (except last year because Pony was awesome) I'm stuck showing between 2' and 2'6" (usually 2'3"). Yeah you can really tell that I've been riding/showing/jumping for 8 years. Soooo much progress you can hardly stand it right? It's funny, my one aunt always comments on pictures from horse shows saying things like "oh you're so good" or "that's so high!" and I always just want to say "are you f****** kidding me?". So as you can tell I'm rather bitter about this, but I don't want to/can't move barns right now, and I'm not even sure if I'm going to do any shows other that Ride For Red, if that. Might just go help out if I can, it kind of depend on how this whole find a job situation goes.
But yeah, Saturday, he did well, lots of work on counting strides and getting him deeper into the one corner he always likes to cut. He hasn't done any weird Diesel stopping since he got his teeth and sheath done a few weeks ago, and we've got a new sheep skin pad under his saddle because it doesn't fit quite right (and being a lease horse, getting a new saddle is not a top priority I guess. If I had money, I would attempt to find one) although it never seemed to bug him a whole lot (yet) but he does seem to move a bit better with it.
We get to sign up for uni classes for next year now, no interesting horse related ones this time, which isn't totally bad because the prof was terrible. Thus far I've got Sociology (Canadian Culture), Art History (Pre-Renissance (the Faculty of Arts feels we should be "well rounded" so I get stuck with a load of sickeningly irrelevant and boring classes)), Abnormal Psychology, (there is a Mexican band singing about apples and bananas in this building right now and it's really weird/annoying), Intro Swedish, and a random Women's Studies class.
Winter: Some English class I don't really care about (the Arts faculty being wonderful again), and then four psych class (Social, Lifespan Development, Perception and Principles of Behavior)
But it cleared up by Saturday so I got some riding in at least.
Kokanee was really good for the most part, he picked up his left lead every time and we had at least 1 successful flying change, which is great. Jumping was not bad, but the jumps are tiny so it's really, really boring. They have been for a while, it's not just because we missed Thursday. Part of it is the two other girls I ride with can't jump that high but still, it would be nice if me and Kokanee at least got to do a bit more. It sometimes feels like we're moving backwards being in a group with them because we do such little jumps and he's come such a long way from October/November that I don't see the point of these tiny jumps when they don't push us to do anything. And this is why every year (except last year because Pony was awesome) I'm stuck showing between 2' and 2'6" (usually 2'3"). Yeah you can really tell that I've been riding/showing/jumping for 8 years. Soooo much progress you can hardly stand it right? It's funny, my one aunt always comments on pictures from horse shows saying things like "oh you're so good" or "that's so high!" and I always just want to say "are you f****** kidding me?". So as you can tell I'm rather bitter about this, but I don't want to/can't move barns right now, and I'm not even sure if I'm going to do any shows other that Ride For Red, if that. Might just go help out if I can, it kind of depend on how this whole find a job situation goes.
But yeah, Saturday, he did well, lots of work on counting strides and getting him deeper into the one corner he always likes to cut. He hasn't done any weird Diesel stopping since he got his teeth and sheath done a few weeks ago, and we've got a new sheep skin pad under his saddle because it doesn't fit quite right (and being a lease horse, getting a new saddle is not a top priority I guess. If I had money, I would attempt to find one) although it never seemed to bug him a whole lot (yet) but he does seem to move a bit better with it.
We get to sign up for uni classes for next year now, no interesting horse related ones this time, which isn't totally bad because the prof was terrible. Thus far I've got Sociology (Canadian Culture), Art History (Pre-Renissance (the Faculty of Arts feels we should be "well rounded" so I get stuck with a load of sickeningly irrelevant and boring classes)), Abnormal Psychology, (there is a Mexican band singing about apples and bananas in this building right now and it's really weird/annoying), Intro Swedish, and a random Women's Studies class.
Winter: Some English class I don't really care about (the Arts faculty being wonderful again), and then four psych class (Social, Lifespan Development, Perception and Principles of Behavior)
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