Not the red kind you but on french fries, but the kind that needs to happen when I haven't blogged in ages...
Quick recap
1) Bijou and I went through a pretty nasty phase where she was being a huge idiot almost every day no matter what I had done with her previously. I put her back on a Vitamin B1 supplement and now we have more of a two way communication and not just me yelling at her at the top of my lungs
2) during that phase we went through total canter meldown. Canter = gallop + head toss + leap sideways + gallop faster. Canter rehab is currently underway with moderate success so far
3) I started taking lessons! I decided that I needed SOMEONE to keep me accountable week by week. This also has the added bonus of someone being on the ground to be eyes and giving suggestions. So far she's not the 'wonder trainer' but has been SUPER helpful and I'm glad I'm back under a watchful eye.
4) I started feeding my horse grain again. I started a bit early this year and just in the nick of time it seems as she's already lost some weight with the pastures dying out.
5) Lunging is my friend. What do you think of lunging?
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Bijou's 100th blog post.wmv
Wow, I know it's been quite a while since I last posted. I figured that I could put off posting until I had something really special to post about, and then I realized that my 2 year anniversary with Bijou was coming up. I figured I'd do a double whammy and have my 100th post be the 2 year post too. It's a little sad since that means I've only averaged 50 posts/year or approximately one post a week. I'm going to make year 3 count and do lots of blogging!
I've read through most of my blog over this last week, from when I first got this little lady all the way until now. I may not be where I thought I would with her, but I also didn't see having two horses for the first few months I had her, or breaking my ankle in the cards for us. We have had our fair share of ups and downs, successes and disappointments, but overall I'm happy to have her.
After years of feeling like the horse world could throw anything my way and I could take it in stride, I've finally found my match. Bijou tests me and challenges me in ways I didn't think were possible. I've learned so much about myself and the way I work with horses because of her. She's taught me quite a few new tricks to put in my training bag, and she's also taught me that sometimes it's alright to ask for help. She's humbled me in many ways, making me think some days that she's too much horse for me, but then I go out the next day and -as if she knows that I'm giving our partnership one more chance- she's turns around and gets her act together again. She's always surprising me, for better and worse. If we've done something all week and I expect her to execute perfectly - she'll throw a wrench in things and make us go back. If I take her somewhere new and scary she acts as if she's been there, done that. Never a dull day with this girl.
So I put together a video of (mostly) pictures and (a few) video clips from when I first bought her to November of last year. Through this period she went through the most dramatic physical transformation since I've had her so it shows up in pictures better. I realized that I don't have a lot of recent pictures or video of her (and trying to organize and find 1 years worth of pics was enough!) so I'll have to get on that to make a 2010-2011 slide show too. I'm hoping to get some video of us this week to give a comparison... we'll see if I can persuade someone to hold the camera :P
I've read through most of my blog over this last week, from when I first got this little lady all the way until now. I may not be where I thought I would with her, but I also didn't see having two horses for the first few months I had her, or breaking my ankle in the cards for us. We have had our fair share of ups and downs, successes and disappointments, but overall I'm happy to have her.
After years of feeling like the horse world could throw anything my way and I could take it in stride, I've finally found my match. Bijou tests me and challenges me in ways I didn't think were possible. I've learned so much about myself and the way I work with horses because of her. She's taught me quite a few new tricks to put in my training bag, and she's also taught me that sometimes it's alright to ask for help. She's humbled me in many ways, making me think some days that she's too much horse for me, but then I go out the next day and -as if she knows that I'm giving our partnership one more chance- she's turns around and gets her act together again. She's always surprising me, for better and worse. If we've done something all week and I expect her to execute perfectly - she'll throw a wrench in things and make us go back. If I take her somewhere new and scary she acts as if she's been there, done that. Never a dull day with this girl.
So I put together a video of (mostly) pictures and (a few) video clips from when I first bought her to November of last year. Through this period she went through the most dramatic physical transformation since I've had her so it shows up in pictures better. I realized that I don't have a lot of recent pictures or video of her (and trying to organize and find 1 years worth of pics was enough!) so I'll have to get on that to make a 2010-2011 slide show too. I'm hoping to get some video of us this week to give a comparison... we'll see if I can persuade someone to hold the camera :P
Sunday, September 4, 2011
I've been a bad blogger
So... I realized one day that my to-do list was reaching multiple page lengths, so when I re-prioritized I ended up not blogging for like.... ever. This was mostly because I also ended up not riding either. I have a good excuse!! I was getting married! All that planning and scrambling and organizing and nit-picking; lets just say I only plan on doing it once. Now that its all over (it all turned out so perfect!) I plan on getting back to some regularly scheduled programming.
Well, now I've explained myself. I plan on getting back into the blogosphere soon, as I'm DYING to get back in the saddle after MUCH too long. I'll be sure to post new and exciting things (hopefully with pictures) soon. Hopefully things won't get too exciting - seeing as how I'm going to go back to a very very fresh TB who might have forgotten some of her manners and become a wild naughty mare again... maybe she'll surprise me yet again?
Well, now I've explained myself. I plan on getting back into the blogosphere soon, as I'm DYING to get back in the saddle after MUCH too long. I'll be sure to post new and exciting things (hopefully with pictures) soon. Hopefully things won't get too exciting - seeing as how I'm going to go back to a very very fresh TB who might have forgotten some of her manners and become a wild naughty mare again... maybe she'll surprise me yet again?
Monday, July 25, 2011
beach riding sucess
I had the greatest time at the beach the other day. It looked a lot like that, but with maybe just a tiny bit more room to run around and play with the ponies. Bijou took everything like a champ (after not having been ridden in like 4 days due to a crazy weekend) and only freaked out when Wyatt left her behind to deal with the big scary flappy umbrella all on her own. We even jumped up and down a small bank and went in the dunes as leader for a while. I love my horse.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Summer time
Whoever came up with the saying "lazy summer" was wrong. I don't know how, but I've managed to feel busier now that the summer is here and I'm not in classes anymore.
Regardless, I have been riding, although not with the frequency that I like (aka every day) so the beginning of this week was a little interesting. Bijou got put in a new pasture with grass up to my hip and I think that helped with her crazies. I thought I could take her out and just hop on, since she's been so good/lazy lately... boy was I wrong! She was a total nutcase, darting into trot and canter transitions without any influence from me, shaking her head wildly for no good reason, etc.
So I lunged, and then rode again which was much nicer and allowed us to get some work done. Somehow in the process of her head flinging and stuff she must have chewed a hole through her rubber bit, because now it's barely hanging on! Good thing I bought that fat D-ring snaffle a little ways back because I'll have to switch to that until I can get a new one.
The rest of the week we did pretty good work, I've been getting both canter leads pretty consistently and there's been a remarkable lack of bucking! We're still working on getting rid of the giraffe impression at the canter, but I'll take it over bucking any day.
We even ended the week on a nice long ride where we did our first crossrail in ages. She definitely looked at it, but I've learned that she does need a little support from my leg going up to things, and now that we've balanced her hesitation with my push we get over things just fine!
I'm really hoping to show in early July if this EHV thing doesn't stop us, there's a schooling show coming up on the 10th that I might be able to make it to. We would do walk/trot and just have fun, but that means I have to break in my new boots... yikes!!
Regardless, I have been riding, although not with the frequency that I like (aka every day) so the beginning of this week was a little interesting. Bijou got put in a new pasture with grass up to my hip and I think that helped with her crazies. I thought I could take her out and just hop on, since she's been so good/lazy lately... boy was I wrong! She was a total nutcase, darting into trot and canter transitions without any influence from me, shaking her head wildly for no good reason, etc.
So I lunged, and then rode again which was much nicer and allowed us to get some work done. Somehow in the process of her head flinging and stuff she must have chewed a hole through her rubber bit, because now it's barely hanging on! Good thing I bought that fat D-ring snaffle a little ways back because I'll have to switch to that until I can get a new one.
The rest of the week we did pretty good work, I've been getting both canter leads pretty consistently and there's been a remarkable lack of bucking! We're still working on getting rid of the giraffe impression at the canter, but I'll take it over bucking any day.
We even ended the week on a nice long ride where we did our first crossrail in ages. She definitely looked at it, but I've learned that she does need a little support from my leg going up to things, and now that we've balanced her hesitation with my push we get over things just fine!
I'm really hoping to show in early July if this EHV thing doesn't stop us, there's a schooling show coming up on the 10th that I might be able to make it to. We would do walk/trot and just have fun, but that means I have to break in my new boots... yikes!!
Monday, June 6, 2011
well that was interesting
We got an "unseasonable amount of rain" this past weekend, and thusly I have not gotten anything done with the mighty mare, except to blanket her for the unseasonable-ness.
Prior to the rain I had made a decision. I have decided that after the mud dries up I think I am going to put shoes on her for the summer, as it seems that all other soundness issues (I'm saying this at a whisper) are gone! And she's just a tad footsore on the gravely patches of the arena. So here's to hoping we can have a successful summer season, which I'm going to define as lots of riding.
I've also been seriously thinking (aka budget crunching) about doing some lessons this summer. I feel like my form is way out of it, and like Bijou and I could use the push of having someone who's going to critique as motivation through the week. So I'm going to go trainer hunting, which is going to be difficult because I feel like most of the trainers around here aren't respectable enough to earn my respect, which would not lead to a very good trainer/trainee relationship me-thinks.
Oh yes, I tried a figure eight with a metal (regular snaffle d-ring) bit. It was horrible. lots of head tossing and evading the bit and general unpleasantries ensued. I had a couple of hits when I put up an ad looking to try someone's bitless bridle or any other interesting bits they had but no one's gotten back to me after their initial responses.
Prior to the rain I had made a decision. I have decided that after the mud dries up I think I am going to put shoes on her for the summer, as it seems that all other soundness issues (I'm saying this at a whisper) are gone! And she's just a tad footsore on the gravely patches of the arena. So here's to hoping we can have a successful summer season, which I'm going to define as lots of riding.
I've also been seriously thinking (aka budget crunching) about doing some lessons this summer. I feel like my form is way out of it, and like Bijou and I could use the push of having someone who's going to critique as motivation through the week. So I'm going to go trainer hunting, which is going to be difficult because I feel like most of the trainers around here aren't respectable enough to earn my respect, which would not lead to a very good trainer/trainee relationship me-thinks.
Oh yes, I tried a figure eight with a metal (regular snaffle d-ring) bit. It was horrible. lots of head tossing and evading the bit and general unpleasantries ensued. I had a couple of hits when I put up an ad looking to try someone's bitless bridle or any other interesting bits they had but no one's gotten back to me after their initial responses.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Giveaway!
Not one of my own yet... but over at The Process of Learning there's one for a new Showsheen shampoo. I love showsheen stuff, and you should too. Plus, with show season coming up, who doesn't need more awesome grooming stuff right?
In other news, the whole farm decided that gale force winds out at the barn last night meant it was time to run around like crazy. I didn't know this until I found the evidence in the stocking up in Bijou's hind legs this afternoon. I contacted the BM about horsey news and she told me what they had been up to. I buted, linimented, and cold-hosed after walking her around trying to get the swelling down all to no avail. She did look a little funnier to the left when she trotted for a second in the round pen so I'll have to keep an eye on that.
I've been having a thought... well rather a series of thoughts. With Bijou being so short strided lately, and bucking to the right again, I think I'm going to just go all out to make her better. I have a feeling that it's a combination of two things. I hate that it's always a combination of many things because you always have to pay someone to do each thing and each person wants lots of money for doing their thing! I am going to have the chiropractor out again, as he really seemed to do a lot of good, and Wyatt really benefited from a second adjustment, so maybe Bijou will too. I'm also going to put front shoes on. This has really helped in the past, and allowed Bijou and I to get our best work done, I think she's a wet weather kind of horse, as that's when her feet grow the most and look the best. When it gets dryer out, like it has been, her feet just start to crumble away, no matter how much hoof moisturizer I put on them. I doubt its a nutritional thing since she's out on great pasture, so I think it's just genetic and this is the way things are.
Right now I don't have much cash to speak of, and she doesn't have much hoof wall to speak of, and we have to deal with this sore/puffy hind leg thing... so I'm going to save up for a bit while she re-coups and then put my combination approach to the test.
And if all else fails... Well you might be seeing another kind of giveaway (of the equine variety) up on this blog soon! :P
In other news, the whole farm decided that gale force winds out at the barn last night meant it was time to run around like crazy. I didn't know this until I found the evidence in the stocking up in Bijou's hind legs this afternoon. I contacted the BM about horsey news and she told me what they had been up to. I buted, linimented, and cold-hosed after walking her around trying to get the swelling down all to no avail. She did look a little funnier to the left when she trotted for a second in the round pen so I'll have to keep an eye on that.
I've been having a thought... well rather a series of thoughts. With Bijou being so short strided lately, and bucking to the right again, I think I'm going to just go all out to make her better. I have a feeling that it's a combination of two things. I hate that it's always a combination of many things because you always have to pay someone to do each thing and each person wants lots of money for doing their thing! I am going to have the chiropractor out again, as he really seemed to do a lot of good, and Wyatt really benefited from a second adjustment, so maybe Bijou will too. I'm also going to put front shoes on. This has really helped in the past, and allowed Bijou and I to get our best work done, I think she's a wet weather kind of horse, as that's when her feet grow the most and look the best. When it gets dryer out, like it has been, her feet just start to crumble away, no matter how much hoof moisturizer I put on them. I doubt its a nutritional thing since she's out on great pasture, so I think it's just genetic and this is the way things are.
Right now I don't have much cash to speak of, and she doesn't have much hoof wall to speak of, and we have to deal with this sore/puffy hind leg thing... so I'm going to save up for a bit while she re-coups and then put my combination approach to the test.
And if all else fails... Well you might be seeing another kind of giveaway (of the equine variety) up on this blog soon! :P
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