Summer is here

The flies are out, the grass is growing, and the ponies are fat, shiny and happy!

And I also finally have time to do things like... you know... RIDE!! including getting Bijou out almost every day over the last week or two (time has a different meaning during summer, days of the week are unimportant, weeks and months are way too complicated).

We've been taking baby steps. I've done a lot of research over the last few weeks of being laid up and I'm trying to use what I've found and move forward. I tried side reins, partially because that's what I have, and partially because that's what I've always done. She really didn't seem to figure it out. She'll put her head down for half a second as more of a 'shoo fly' movement to rid herself of the pressure than actually stretch into the contact. I'm afraid if I make them any shorter she'll just end up behind the bit, and that's not a habit (or muscles) that I want to be developing.

I feel like my baby steps are so small compared to what I'm reading about on other blogs (for example, the whole bitless journey at Science Vs. Tradition or the path to barefooted-ness with Andrea) but I know that when I was looking for blogs I loved to hear about all those people who were right where I was, or one or two steps ahead so I'll continue on for you phantom readers. The normal day consists of walking the eight million miles to the FURTHEST pasture they could put my horse in (but whatever, she's on grass 24/7 so I'm ok with it) and walking up to her as she walks up to me - Improvement #1 - since it used to take me 20 minutes to catch her. I can't tell if the carrots or the neck and belly scritches did it.

I have been working on dragging her over to the trailer. She's pretty not enthusiastic about leaving her friends to go hang out with me, to the tune of tiptoeing her way slowly forward as I keep even pressure on the lead... not ok. Today I stood only at her shoulder, didn't let her get behind, and every time she'd get extra sluggish I'd take the end of the lead and flick it at her rump. Boy did that speed her up! All of a sudden she's so much happier to be following along :D. Then I park her near the trailer somewhere, tell her to "whoa!" and brush off the dusty dirties. She gets her saddle pad, with no flinching now, and her saddle, with only one or two steps to the sides rather than 10-15 like it used to be. Improvement #2 - I can tack up my horse without fearing a loss of toe, finger or both!

Depending on if she's been out the day before, I'll lunge or not lunge. Usually over a pole in the small arena. I don't know why but she does better in smaller spaces. Or maybe I'm just a wounded shrimp who's lost all her chutzpa? The big arena still scares me/us. We're putting that on the to-do list for a day I feel brave, in addition to walking the outer loop around the pastures where there are stinky cows! Lunging has become a non-ordeal - Improvement #3 - I can lunge in many surroundings and over obstacles!

Riding consists of a lot of head in the air and impressions of a giraffe. She'll happily walk over poles, although with much care taken to EXACTLY where she puts her feet. I'm glad she's careful because hopefully that translates to clean jumper rounds long down the road? My current sequence of thought goes something like:

"squeeze for a walk, Good girlie! now sponge the inside hand, hold outside steady. Use alternating leg taps to swing the barrel and keep her forward, sponge more inside hand, more more more there! Good GIRL!!"

"squeeze.... squuuueeeeze...... trot yay! keep hands steady against all the jostling around between her imbalance and mine, no really, steady hands! ok yay there was a moment of give at the poll! sponge inside hand, both hands steady, inside leg, inside leg, inside reign, outside rein supporting... awesome giraffe impression... then two steps of brilliance"

"sit, outside leg to canter, bumpity along for a moment while she thinks about which direction and hopefully picks up the right lead?! yay we have the right lead! Light in the saddle, following motion with the hands, must steady that lower leg that's swinging everywhere, little more contact, beautiful!!"

reverse, rinse, repeat. Her canter work is somehow stronger than trot work? She seems to get the being on the bit more. I'm wondering if it's a contact thing, I can keep contact better at a canter.

Overall, many important improvements with only more to come! I'd really love to hear what people are thinking the moment they ask for a trot, or when they finally get roundness from their horse. I feel like the thought process will give me clues to the series of perfect cues I'm supposed to be giving.

I'm happy with baby steps for now, its tough because I want to be progressing so fast, but muscles don't grow in a day, and neither does either of our patience. I'm happy it's summer time and I get to spend all the time in the world (after I'm off work of course :P) loving on my beautiful girl!

Back in the saddle again

I got on the other (slightly more sane) mare that I have access to today for the first time in 6 weeks!! She was only slightly naughty, but being able to figure it out gave me the sense that I could still hold my own even against a silly moment or two. I think Bijou would actually be easy compared to her because this mare is so bouncy and flighty. Bijou would be harder because she is more liable to spook, but less likely to take off. At least with the other mare I knew when she was going to get uppity.

Bijou did the sweetest, kindest, lovingest thing today. I went out into the pasture to grab the other mare, but I thought I'd get some scritchin' in on Joujou first. I walked about 30 ft into the pasture and Bijou met me halfway! Today is the first day she's walked up to me (other than the one day after I thought I'd ruined her face) since I've got her. She walked right up, and presented her shoulder (one of her most favorite itchy spots) and I gladly obliged. It's days like today when I feel like she and I will make progress eventually. I'm jealous of all those people who's horses are naturally just easy going, but I know that I need a little pep for when I get where I want to go: the eventing world.

Speaking of eventing... I need to buy new reins... and Doversaddlery.com has these adorable 'ice lavender' reins for a really good deal. They're rubber reins, which I like for x-country anyway, but then I got looking and they have the same brand bell boots, and the same color saddle pad!!! I'm such a dork, especially because I know that my eventing days are going to be a long ways from now (I'm still debating on whether I'll be able to do w/t and 18" in October at Twin Rivers) but I could be SO SPIFFY if I went all decked out.... We'll see.

It feels a little useless going out to lunge and only lunge, but I keep telling myself that it's good for us to build a bond (which definitely has grown) and that she needs to get out somehow. The trainer that I had coming out to ride had an old injury flare up, so she's out of the picture for probably as long as I am.

Lately I've been using lots of ground poles. It worries me that every day the ground pole is still something to be startled by. She's gotten better, but I'm worried about when I take her somewhere new and she has never seen the fences before and we're expected to have no refusals. It's so hard to think about jumping her because I know I'm a long way off from it, and especially from training a youngster because my left leg will just get run through every time. I try to set up interesting distances to make her think about her feet, and she's gotten pretty good at it. I think she's got a nice balance between getting excited over fences, and just lolligagging around them. I still want to set up some bigger stuff, but I don't think it'll really work out in the small round pen. Anyone have any good ideas of teaching them to jump stuff... even when you can't be on them?

Goals: get to the gym because I'm out of shape! Ride the other mare more to get my equine legs back, brush out the snarly tail...

Sanity

It is amazing the difference in a horse when she's been worked the day before. I goes from overreacting to everything, jumping many feet in any direction at the
slightest provocation, walking over her human for no good reason, shivering when the saddle is placed on her back, CAREENING around the round pen, and totally forgetting that she knows some english words (like eeeeaaasssyyy troooot, and WHOA!) to a calm and well mannered mare.

We had a good day, lots of arena stuff, had her following hand signals and voice commands. She really didn't want to jump over the pole but oh well. Got a few nice shots of her oh-so-green pasture with her buddies that she's all to familiar with. I think she knew I had carrots, that's why I got happy pointy ears instead of a big fat butt like I did yesterday when I showed up. She and I are really so lucky to be living somewhere so beautiful. Overall I'm really happy with her sane-ness after being worked only one day. It seems to really make a difference for her, and if that's all it takes then that is what I'll have to do. I did take some more time to braid her tail back up and put some moisturizer on her feet. I still haven't located my MTG, but I found my purple bucket, so one piece of the puzzle is in place. She does need her feet trimmed, so I'm going to try to have the kindly BM rasp her down a bit to minimize chipping (I thought she was supposed to be getting all the nutrients she needs for good feet?)

My ankle is not exactly happy about the whole process. I'm not super sure I should be trekking out into the very uneven pasture, but if that's what it takes then that's what I'll do. It keeps me sane too!



Here's more pics from work time:


yes, I think that's called suspension - no feet on the ground! Hope she keeps that up for when I'm sitting up there :D

Tomorrow is one month

from the break, and today I got Bijou out! I had a trainer who I trust come out to try to get some work done on her until I feel secure enough in the saddle to make sure I'm not going to come off/re-injure myself.

The bad:
- It took Shelly and the trainer 25 minutes to catch her :/ that's embarrassing. I think I'm making a pit stop for carrots for next time. I will get that horse to WANT to come to me. I think I'll practice by chasing her in the roundpen and then turning away to make her follow and 'catching' her and feeding her a carrot. Anyone got any suggestions? I know she's not afraid, but just likes to play that game.
- She snatched away from me just after I had gotten her bridle on and ran off with her reins dangling. I am going to brush up on all my pony club procedures because I know there are precautions for these kinds of horrific experiences (she didn't hurt herself, but the reins died) and I've just gotten lax with all my well trained mounts. And now those days are behind me, and it's time to take the dang precautions!
- Her feet are cracking, so I oiled them up. I thought being on fresh pasture she should be getting exactly what she needs for good feet, but I guess not. I'll have to have the BM, who's also a farrier, trim her up a smidge. (Sydney, I'd appreciate your input on this one, how do you get a horses feet strong?)


The Good:
- The trainer got on her with very little incident, but only walked around because she didn't want to get into a fight she couldn't win. Understandably, Bijou was a little hot.
- she's fat! And she's got so much shine to her it still shone through several coats of dust.
- She trotted out REAL big for me, and even paid attention to voice commands after over a month of not practicing. Took a few body language reminders, but we got them back after about 5 minutes.

I also found that I was capable of handling her, so I think we're going to be spending lots and lots of time in the roundpen. The only thing is I have to do a lot of stuff with her 'free' because I can't be tugged around.

I do have a Dr's appointment tomorrow, hopefully he gives me the go ahead to start hanging out with her, otherwise I'll probably do it anyway. I've missed my pony soooo much!!!

I also have someone who's not really a trainer, but just a rider who wants to exercise horses. She should be coming out Sunday, so we'll see. That way if she rides a few days a week, I lunge once or twice, and the trainer comes once a week, Bijou should mellow out really nicely and get some miles under her belt.

Goals: Check saddle fit now that we're fat, Shop for new reins, figure out the feet thing, and finish healing up!

Bad ideas that somehow never seem to go badly

I rode today. I hopped on Wyatt when Shelly was taking him back to his pasture. Couldn't help myself. I got a few funny looks, but there's no horse (or person) I would've trusted more to walk across the flat green grass with me in my broken state. It felt so good be up there again. Can't wait til next time.

I'm Broken

Last Thursday I finished up my ride on my other mare, and 'cantered' on foot (goofing off as usual) back into the arena to get my jacket with my barn buddy. We both decided to jump in tandem over one of the large cross rails on the way to get our stuff, only she jumped forward and to the left, and I jumped forward and to the right. To avoid totally knocking her over, I twisted midair. When I landed, still in twisted fashion, the twist transferred itself down to my ankle, where I popped the knob on the inside of it off.

I've broken my other ankle in this same place, only I fell from about 10 ft because I was jumping on a trampoline. This time the jump was only from about 3 ft, so I didn't tear or do any severe damage to the tendons or ligaments (hopefully). This is only a fracture, with a smooth joint surface and only one real fragment, which includes basically that whole knob. I've been on crutches for the last few days and at least my upper body is getting a workout. If all looks good, I should get a walking boot on Friday.

I'm considering putting Bijou in some kind of training in order to keep her going while I'm out of commission. It would be at the same facility that I keep her at, and only probably 1x or 2x a week. I don't really like putting her in training with someone else, because I want the 'bond' to form between us, and because I like being there for the 'aha' moments (and I like being able to say I did it all myself).

I know she can't just sit in pasture for 6 wks (OMG 6 wks!?!?!) so I'll do it anyway, but I'm just overall super bummed.

Anyone got any great time killing activities that don't involve walking/getting off your butt?

Following the leader!

Is what we played on Friday.

It all started with the trip to the trailer to tack up. We got to the last gate (after an arduous journey out through two rows of gopher-hole-ridden pasture) and all of a sudden all the slack goes out of my rope. I look back to find a Jou Jou with her head up in Giraffe imitation, nostrils flared and ears pricked so far forward that they point inward (which I find ADORABLE). Turns out she was oogling the newly constructed x-country fences in our mock course. The nearest one was a few barrels turned over that were new and scary.

I've been worried that her reactive nature will make it hard to go somewhere new and get her over a set of fences that she's never seen before, so I took this opportunity to test her. I got her to walk up to the barrels, let her realize they were just going to stand there, and then I hopped over them, and tugged along for her to follow me. She wasn't super game at first, but after another tug or two she came leaping over them after me. We went around the whole field playing follow the leader like this. She jumped almost everything both directions as long as I was paying attention and not letting her duck out.

Then I tried to 'lunge' her over things. This was really hard for a few reasons:

1) I was on the end of a 10 ft lead, so when she did jump it was hard to reward her by not pulling on her, although I did get the hang of it.
2) We'd never done this before
3) She's not so sure about what the concept of a circle looks like sometimes, even when there's nothing in her way.

But in the end I got her to jump the biggest scariest black irrigation pipe twice in a row. We were both sweaty from running around the field, so I walked her around and made up her grain.

All in all a fun day, and I hope with many more of these experiences I'll start to gain some real trust and respect that I'm not going to put her in a situation where she'll get eaten.

Goals: as always, ride more. We'll see with the dang on again off again rain