I had a dream about my Izzy pony this morning and when I woke up, I'm glad it is not true.
I dreamt that I had sold her, she was at the old barn and she looked like shit. I had gone to see her, she was in her stall and there was a woman trying to get her to come up to her so she could pet Izzy, but Izzy was having none of it and stood at the back of the stall. When I came to the gate and said her name, it all changed. Her eyes and ears perked up and she literally ran across the corral to me.
I went in to show Izzy some lovin' and she was all over me to get it. Her sides were all sunk in, her topline was too from muscle atrophy showing lack of care and use. There were long scabs of missing hair along both sides of her back and hind end.
Of course when confronted, the new owner was not interested in selling her back. They were not interested in hearing how to fix anything or how to get Izzy back to looking like she should. She even showed me the papers on Izzy and told me it was a signed and legal "Done Deal" and that I needed to get "Get over it." But they were interested in going back and signing a First Right of Refusal. In case anything ever happened to the owner, I would get Izzy back so that nothing bad would happen to her......
That's when my alarm clock decided to go off. Because I had set it early 3 days ago and forgot to change it. I'm glad the dream is not true. I'm definitely Not glad that Izzy is still gone, but I know that she never fell into the wrong hands and for that I am forever grateful.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Saturday, August 4, 2018
My thoughts on WD
Upon hearing about the Western Dressage show, I had decided to give it a shot and we would see where it went from there. Upon getting to the show and warming up, I had thought of something a friend of mine had said about doing eventing with Izzy. I also wanted to have Izzy trained to drive, I've really taken to dressage since showing her and thought- between CDE's, dressage, western dressage and eventing- it looks like the sandbox is going to be a way of life for us. 😁
I had found another dressage show to go to at the end of July but obviously now, with no pony that isn't going to work. I had planned on doing Intro 1 & 2 as well as doing Western Intro 1 & 2 and giving it another shot, but my honest opinion of WD? Well it's certainly different.
Western Dressage has been the topic of discussion many times over the past few weeks between me and my friends. One of them has a deeper rooted understanding of dressage and I'm kind of in the middle of the road. I'm always looking to improve, but I'm also trying to decide if we were going down this road and still forming my opinion of the concept in it's entirety.
From what I have seen and experienced at the show and thru our discussions, it appears that WD was created from people who didn't care for the way WP is going within their respective breeds. While WD is looking for more fluid and proper movement in the horse, it still carries with it some of the WP tendancies many of us would like to get away from, while creating a few more atrocities of its own.
I had gotten some insight about the judge being a very good one. "She's fair." Well I hope so because I really like that in a judge! The judges are really in a tough spot because not everyone is going to like their style of judging. Some are tough as nails and if you get good marks, it is because you worked for it and definitely earned them. Others are quite generous, not wanting to hurt anyones feelings. In a way I prefer the tougher judges. The generous judge seems like it's one of those where everyone gets a trophy at the end. Do we really learn from being babied?
Before sending in my entries, I needed to look at the tests so I could choose which of them I would be riding. In Intro and even some of the more advanced levels, everyone was allowed to post the trot. What? In Western Pleasure it is called the jog and you aren't supposed to be posting. WD ... incorporates western heritage and tradition... according to their website. Going back to heritage and tradition then, a true cowboys horse has a comfortable, ground covering jog that's easy to sit. No reason to be posting and in the upper levels of Dressage- they don't post the trot, they Sit the trot, even the extended or lengthened trot.
My biggest greif with Test 1 was obviously having the whistle bown at us. I was not happy about it, but I was glad she gave me the chance to correct things and go on, rather than DQ us and send us out of the arena. Kudos for that. Izzy was a little stiff, braced, fast at times and not paying attention to me at others. First class in a new arena so a total Baby Horse issue. NBD, right? What has mme a little confused s that we didn't get the comments of rushing and quick until Test 2 when she actually wasn't.
Another topic of discussion about WD was the idea that the use of 2 hands is allowed, even when using a curb bit. For Dressage this makes sense in the fact that you're using a double bridle and have the bradoon, typically being a snaffle, where using one rein or the other makes sense since it works on either side of the mouth independently. With a curb bit being one solid piece, pulling on one rein is like pulling on them both. There is no pulling 'left' or 'right', just pulling back and engaging the curb chain or strap.
On our one circle, the judge noted my reins were too long and when cueing my pony, my hands were in my lap. My reins were not exactly long, but when Izzy relaxed and was moving in self carriage, nice and round like she should, I dropped my hands and let her go. As long as she held it, I left her alone. If she started to lose it, I would correct her, get her back where she belongs and leave her alone again. Apparently this judge was not a fan.
My Dressage friend completely understands what was going on and since she knows how I ride and Why I do some of the things I do, her comment was, "The judge doesn't like your style of riding." At the moment, I didn't really think about my "style" of riding. This is still something I'm trying to figure out, so when I do, I'm sure it will be another post.
I had found another dressage show to go to at the end of July but obviously now, with no pony that isn't going to work. I had planned on doing Intro 1 & 2 as well as doing Western Intro 1 & 2 and giving it another shot, but my honest opinion of WD? Well it's certainly different.
Western Dressage has been the topic of discussion many times over the past few weeks between me and my friends. One of them has a deeper rooted understanding of dressage and I'm kind of in the middle of the road. I'm always looking to improve, but I'm also trying to decide if we were going down this road and still forming my opinion of the concept in it's entirety.
From what I have seen and experienced at the show and thru our discussions, it appears that WD was created from people who didn't care for the way WP is going within their respective breeds. While WD is looking for more fluid and proper movement in the horse, it still carries with it some of the WP tendancies many of us would like to get away from, while creating a few more atrocities of its own.
I had gotten some insight about the judge being a very good one. "She's fair." Well I hope so because I really like that in a judge! The judges are really in a tough spot because not everyone is going to like their style of judging. Some are tough as nails and if you get good marks, it is because you worked for it and definitely earned them. Others are quite generous, not wanting to hurt anyones feelings. In a way I prefer the tougher judges. The generous judge seems like it's one of those where everyone gets a trophy at the end. Do we really learn from being babied?
Before sending in my entries, I needed to look at the tests so I could choose which of them I would be riding. In Intro and even some of the more advanced levels, everyone was allowed to post the trot. What? In Western Pleasure it is called the jog and you aren't supposed to be posting. WD ... incorporates western heritage and tradition... according to their website. Going back to heritage and tradition then, a true cowboys horse has a comfortable, ground covering jog that's easy to sit. No reason to be posting and in the upper levels of Dressage- they don't post the trot, they Sit the trot, even the extended or lengthened trot.
My biggest greif with Test 1 was obviously having the whistle bown at us. I was not happy about it, but I was glad she gave me the chance to correct things and go on, rather than DQ us and send us out of the arena. Kudos for that. Izzy was a little stiff, braced, fast at times and not paying attention to me at others. First class in a new arena so a total Baby Horse issue. NBD, right? What has mme a little confused s that we didn't get the comments of rushing and quick until Test 2 when she actually wasn't.
Another topic of discussion about WD was the idea that the use of 2 hands is allowed, even when using a curb bit. For Dressage this makes sense in the fact that you're using a double bridle and have the bradoon, typically being a snaffle, where using one rein or the other makes sense since it works on either side of the mouth independently. With a curb bit being one solid piece, pulling on one rein is like pulling on them both. There is no pulling 'left' or 'right', just pulling back and engaging the curb chain or strap.
On our one circle, the judge noted my reins were too long and when cueing my pony, my hands were in my lap. My reins were not exactly long, but when Izzy relaxed and was moving in self carriage, nice and round like she should, I dropped my hands and let her go. As long as she held it, I left her alone. If she started to lose it, I would correct her, get her back where she belongs and leave her alone again. Apparently this judge was not a fan.
Western Pleasure, the judges want to see the horse working on a loose rein. My take away on Western Dressage is that they don't care for or want to see a loose rein. Just about every rider at every level that I got to watch, had contact thru the reins. Another thing I noticed was everyone's hands being on or close to the withers.
My Dressage friend completely understands what was going on and since she knows how I ride and Why I do some of the things I do, her comment was, "The judge doesn't like your style of riding." At the moment, I didn't really think about my "style" of riding. This is still something I'm trying to figure out, so when I do, I'm sure it will be another post.
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
A life too short
It is with deep sadness that I write this post. Two weeks ago on July 11th I had to put Miss Izzy down.
The end of June was her first two weekend, back to back shows. Because she's a young horse, she had some well deserved time off. She had done her best and I was and still am, quite pleased with Izzy's performance.
When I turned her out on Tuesday night, She had gone directly to the water trough. When her other two friends came out and went to the trough, she went over to a different part of the pasture and started to eat the dirt. She was crunching at it as if eating ice. I thought it as a bit strange and figured tomorrow I would get some of her manure and test her for sand in the gut. To do this, you put some of the manure in a bucket of water. The manure will break up and part of it will float, but if there is any sand, it will sink to the bottom. When you pour the water out, you will have your answer.
The next day she was seen laying down out in the pasture. It was strange for her so I borrowed some medication, injectible, from my friend and gave her a good dose to make her comfortable. It seemed to help and things settled down for a while. Later she was standing by the water trough drinking and splashing in the water incessantly. Her breathing was rapid as if she had been running and she was sweating. I brought her up front and rinsed her off to cool her down and clean the dirt off her, then moved her to the round pen where she could be watched more closely.
Izzy seemed to relax some but she laid down again and although she wasn't rolling and thrashing at first, she started to so she was made to get up. Things started to really go downhill. As she tried to stand, she was a little wobbly on her legs and went back down. She tried to stand again and this time couldn't straighten her front left leg. She stayed on her knees for a few moments until she could finally straighten the leg and stand up.
A call was made to the vet and it was decided to take her in. The trailer was hitched, she was loaded and away we go. Before leaving, she was given another dose of medication, IV this time. Stopping for gas, I checked on her and there was a trickle of blood from her neck where the needle had gone in. She looked ok otherwise, a little sweaty and still a bit stressed as if asking what was happening.
When we arrived at the vet clinic things weren't any better. After unloading her and trying to take her inside, it was as if now Izzy couldn't bend her front legs. She was walking very strangely and the vets seemed to think it was a reaction to the medication.
Inside the clinic she was loaded into the stocks to be assessed. She had blood drawn, temperature taken (normal), heart rate (a bit fast), gut sounds? (none), palpated from behind- lots of manure coming out although she hadn't pooped in a while and a tube went up the nose into the stomach to drain things. There was a bucket and half of water that came out. The skin pinch test showed she was also dehydrated and her gums were pink with good capillary refill.
The initial blood tests came back and the numbers for what is normal being 2, Izzy was at 17.5 which indicated she had likely twisted her intestine somewhere. They tapped the stomach and at first couldn't get anything so they used a longer needle. When they finally got a few drops, enough to test, her results? The test goes up to 20, but Izzy's numbers didn't even register. It kept coming back as Error. She was off the charts.
Surgery was the only answer and after some serious consideration on my part, I decided to go ahead with it to a degree. I was hesitant to do it and when they checked her gums again and ran another test, the outlook was turning grim. Her gums had gotten a darker pink and the tests showed her kidneys were starting to fail. IF she made it thru surgery, recovery would be more difficult and drawn out.
The cost of surgery- by the time she walked out the door it would easily be in the $8k-$10k range. Once a horse colics, they are prone to doing it again in the next 60-90 days. Due to the meds, they are also prone to ulcers which are also not cheap to treat. With all things considered, the only option- and the best one for Izzy, was to put her down and end her suffering.
You could see it in her eyes that she was hurting and confused. They gave me some time alone with her and I held her head, braided part of her thick mane and told her everything would soon be okay. She wouldn't be hurting anymore, she would simply lay down on the grass and go to sleep. She would be in Heaven soon where there are a lot of great horses and an endless supply of treats. I told her how much I loved her and that I promise to never, ever forget her.
I have tons of photos of her and I'm looking forward to putting them all together in a book. The book of Izzy the Wonder Pony. She was a great pony with a lot of heart and would always try her best. She was very much loved and quite fortunate. Izzy never fell into the wrong hands, never had a bad day and was always waiting there at the gate for me with a whinny as if to ask "What are we doing today?" I was lucky to have had her for the best year of our lives. She went out on top and truly lived the life of a spoiled Princess pony.
RIP my beautiful girl 💖 💕
The end of June was her first two weekend, back to back shows. Because she's a young horse, she had some well deserved time off. She had done her best and I was and still am, quite pleased with Izzy's performance.
When I turned her out on Tuesday night, She had gone directly to the water trough. When her other two friends came out and went to the trough, she went over to a different part of the pasture and started to eat the dirt. She was crunching at it as if eating ice. I thought it as a bit strange and figured tomorrow I would get some of her manure and test her for sand in the gut. To do this, you put some of the manure in a bucket of water. The manure will break up and part of it will float, but if there is any sand, it will sink to the bottom. When you pour the water out, you will have your answer.
The next day she was seen laying down out in the pasture. It was strange for her so I borrowed some medication, injectible, from my friend and gave her a good dose to make her comfortable. It seemed to help and things settled down for a while. Later she was standing by the water trough drinking and splashing in the water incessantly. Her breathing was rapid as if she had been running and she was sweating. I brought her up front and rinsed her off to cool her down and clean the dirt off her, then moved her to the round pen where she could be watched more closely.
Izzy seemed to relax some but she laid down again and although she wasn't rolling and thrashing at first, she started to so she was made to get up. Things started to really go downhill. As she tried to stand, she was a little wobbly on her legs and went back down. She tried to stand again and this time couldn't straighten her front left leg. She stayed on her knees for a few moments until she could finally straighten the leg and stand up.
A call was made to the vet and it was decided to take her in. The trailer was hitched, she was loaded and away we go. Before leaving, she was given another dose of medication, IV this time. Stopping for gas, I checked on her and there was a trickle of blood from her neck where the needle had gone in. She looked ok otherwise, a little sweaty and still a bit stressed as if asking what was happening.
When we arrived at the vet clinic things weren't any better. After unloading her and trying to take her inside, it was as if now Izzy couldn't bend her front legs. She was walking very strangely and the vets seemed to think it was a reaction to the medication.
Inside the clinic she was loaded into the stocks to be assessed. She had blood drawn, temperature taken (normal), heart rate (a bit fast), gut sounds? (none), palpated from behind- lots of manure coming out although she hadn't pooped in a while and a tube went up the nose into the stomach to drain things. There was a bucket and half of water that came out. The skin pinch test showed she was also dehydrated and her gums were pink with good capillary refill.
The initial blood tests came back and the numbers for what is normal being 2, Izzy was at 17.5 which indicated she had likely twisted her intestine somewhere. They tapped the stomach and at first couldn't get anything so they used a longer needle. When they finally got a few drops, enough to test, her results? The test goes up to 20, but Izzy's numbers didn't even register. It kept coming back as Error. She was off the charts.
Surgery was the only answer and after some serious consideration on my part, I decided to go ahead with it to a degree. I was hesitant to do it and when they checked her gums again and ran another test, the outlook was turning grim. Her gums had gotten a darker pink and the tests showed her kidneys were starting to fail. IF she made it thru surgery, recovery would be more difficult and drawn out.
The cost of surgery- by the time she walked out the door it would easily be in the $8k-$10k range. Once a horse colics, they are prone to doing it again in the next 60-90 days. Due to the meds, they are also prone to ulcers which are also not cheap to treat. With all things considered, the only option- and the best one for Izzy, was to put her down and end her suffering.
You could see it in her eyes that she was hurting and confused. They gave me some time alone with her and I held her head, braided part of her thick mane and told her everything would soon be okay. She wouldn't be hurting anymore, she would simply lay down on the grass and go to sleep. She would be in Heaven soon where there are a lot of great horses and an endless supply of treats. I told her how much I loved her and that I promise to never, ever forget her.
I have tons of photos of her and I'm looking forward to putting them all together in a book. The book of Izzy the Wonder Pony. She was a great pony with a lot of heart and would always try her best. She was very much loved and quite fortunate. Izzy never fell into the wrong hands, never had a bad day and was always waiting there at the gate for me with a whinny as if to ask "What are we doing today?" I was lucky to have had her for the best year of our lives. She went out on top and truly lived the life of a spoiled Princess pony.
RIP my beautiful girl 💖 💕
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Hella scores- Intro 2
Our first test was interesting because Izzy was rushing thu part of it, a bit nervous and excited to be in a new arena. She had a bit of a tough time focusing. Baby horse things so no big deal. The second test went a bit better, I used a caller to keep from having the judge blowing her whistle and screwing us up. I also had taken the chance during a short break to ride Izzy around the outside of the ring so she could see things and help her realize there was nothing to get excited about to help her focus.
Again she liked our halt and this time at least added that we needed a better bend in the corners, but I would have liked to see a comment of some sort with the score of 7 to know what she ws thinking was so nice about our circle. I'm also wondering what our score might have been if Izzy had stopped more square and we had stood for the exact 4 seconds.
We did wander a bit and our halt probably could have been more squarem but I'm okay with the score.
Again no comments on the Collectives which I would have liked, but what do you do at this point? lol At least she scored us higher where it counted and it was worth double points, again she liked Izzy and thinks we made a good pair. I'm happy with that. Monday, July 16, 2018
Hella scores- Intro 1
Izzy's person here- For our first attempt at Western Dressage, we did okay, but we also nailed down some really good scores too. We did two tests- Intro 1 and Into 2. One of the most memorable is on our first test at the very end. Working walk from X to G, halt and salute. We scored an 8 y'all! An 8!!
If that wasn't good enough, the scribe was using a black pen with the judge signing everything in blue. Comments all the way down the page were in black ink except for the last one.
Do you see that? So very awesome sauce!
Izzy has always had an awesome stop. I taught her early on to feel for my change in position- I would take my legs off her sides and slightly push back, sitting a little deeper before asking for a stop. It didn't take her long to figure it out. I shifted my weight a little and Izzy would shut it down. I didn't have to say a word. What I did say was what a good girl she was as I scratched her neck.
Test 1-
We also received a 7 for our Develop working walk. No comments though so no idea what was so good about it.
If that wasn't good enough, the scribe was using a black pen with the judge signing everything in blue. Comments all the way down the page were in black ink except for the last one.
Do you see that? So very awesome sauce!
Izzy has always had an awesome stop. I taught her early on to feel for my change in position- I would take my legs off her sides and slightly push back, sitting a little deeper before asking for a stop. It didn't take her long to figure it out. I shifted my weight a little and Izzy would shut it down. I didn't have to say a word. What I did say was what a good girl she was as I scratched her neck.
Test 1-
We also received a 7 for our Develop working walk. No comments though so no idea what was so good about it.
The 2 scores of 6.5, were decent, but what about the comments? Is the More Bend mean we need it or we had more of it than necessary? Inquiring minds want to know.
The two Errors on the test- I do not agree with. I could swear I was doing the test as it is laid out, yet the judge blew the whistle at us twice and had us repeat what we had just done. It was truly a WTF moment.
Our Collective remarks were pretty impressive with the exception of the 2 errors pinned on me in our WTF moments. Yes Izzy needed a refresher on what the cues were for a free walk. When she's on her game with the free walk- she has a lovely fluidity about her and her overstep is quite substantial. The judge did seem to like Izzy and how could any owner, rider or trainer not appreciate that?
Friday, July 13, 2018
Western dressage
There's this new thing that seems like everyone is doing. Western Dressage. My person found us a show the weekend following the last show and we gave it a shot. I liked this one so much better.
My person knows how to pack for a show. Look at my hay net! I'm Rocking that Sexy Round look in this shot too. Woot! Woot!
We had to remove the leg wraps before our tests. They are allowed only in colors to match the horses coat and not be distracting. No boots of any kind- No bell boots or SMB's.
My bosal is hanging on the saddle horn. We were the only horse showing without a bit. were were also number 13 which turned out not to be unlucky for us. We rocked some hella scores for the day!
I'm watching you. Don't think you're taking MY hay or taking me away from it! Hahahahaha
I look good from all angles. My person is really proud of me.
Saturday, July 7, 2018
Pool noodles and hula hoops
My person managed to get a few pics of the obstacles 1st the show.
In the foreground is the Ball Slide. We had to get close enough the rider could roll the ball down the slide.
The blue barrels to the left is a Push Cart. The horse was supposed to push this with their body. For us this didn't happen.
Above/behind the push cart you can see the jumps. We did these fine by the end of the day.
To the right of the jumps, you can see the Cowboy Curtain- a gate with strips of garden hose hanging down from the top rail.
To the left of the Ball Slide was the hoops. Four (4) simple black hoops to jog or trot thru. This was just not happening for us. I'm sure they were going to snap shut on my legs or something. They were not to be trusted.
Off to the right is the water box. We didn't have to do that, but we did go past it as part of our course. That was close enough for me.
In the foreground is the Ball Slide. We had to get close enough the rider could roll the ball down the slide.
The blue barrels to the left is a Push Cart. The horse was supposed to push this with their body. For us this didn't happen.
Above/behind the push cart you can see the jumps. We did these fine by the end of the day.
To the right of the jumps, you can see the Cowboy Curtain- a gate with strips of garden hose hanging down from the top rail.
To the left of the Ball Slide was the hoops. Four (4) simple black hoops to jog or trot thru. This was just not happening for us. I'm sure they were going to snap shut on my legs or something. They were not to be trusted.
Off to the right is the water box. We didn't have to do that, but we did go past it as part of our course. That was close enough for me.
At the far end of the arena, under the overhead stand, you can see the Tunnel (of death!) We did eventually get thru this. I didn't even die! Win
To the left of the Tunnel (of death) there was a roping dummy that we eventually conquered. Ground poles to the left of that- we did those.
On the far left edge of the photo is part of the Noodle Platform. I wasn't going to do that one at all. No way, No how. I got close enough to sniff it. That had to be good enough.
Thursday, June 28, 2018
New adventures
My person and I went to a show last weekend. It was like nothing she ever made me do before and I'm still not sure how I feel about it now. It was at an arena we have gone to before, but things were SOOOO different this time. There was stuff hanging on the fence and stuff scattered all over the arena.
We didn't warm up inside like normal and we weren't going in and out thru the gate where we usually did either. Another thing that was confusing was that there were a bunch of other trailers and horses there, with people running around too.
She took her time saddling and warming me up and soon it was our turn to go in and face all the scary things. The first thing was the tunnel (of death!) I'm sure it was going to eat me and I was having NO part of it. Even as we walked past it after my person gave up trying to get me thru it, I was facing it and keeping my eyes on it. No sneaking up behind me! Eventually by the end of the day I did relent and go thru the tunnel (of death). I was too tired to put up any more fuss. Obviously 1) it did not eat me and 2) I did not die.
There was also a Ball Slide. We would stop by this big wooden spool and roll a plastic ball down a kids slide. Again I avoided this thing at all cost and by the end of the day I was too tired and gave Zero shits. There were also four circle hoops on the ground. I think we were supposed to go thru them, but I avoided doing it as much as I could. I also jumped them a couple times.
There were also jumps. At first there was No way I was going near them, but again, by the end of the day I was going over them. One was some small white barrels laying on their side and the other one was a cross rail (which I have done before) but the poles had some shiny foil stuff stapled to it with fluttery pieces and that freaked me out at first. By the end of the day I gave Zero shits and jumped them both from whatever direction.
Another obstacle was the Cowboy Curtain. It was a gate with pieces of garden hose hanging down. I went thru it the first time around (actually I jumped thru it), was not having it anymore the rest of the day until the very last time thru the course and did it again for the In Hand, but only after my person put her hand thru and pushed those things aside for Her Highness -> Moi to get thru them unscathed.
There were also tires we went around instead of stepping over or thru them like the other horses did. A three tiered 'bridge' that I was having none of until I decided to jump it repeatedly back and forth without setting hoof On it, God Forbid! The Noodle Platform was also a NO-GO for the day. Two platforms to step thru a couple jump standards with pool noodles sticking out off them. PASS!
Ground poles we did a few different ways, mostly either walking thru them or jogging over them. The roping dummy- take the rope off the horn, step back, rope the dummy, gather the rope and put it back on the horn. Proud to say- my girl can rope! 😁
All in all it was a good day. We were in the ribbons for every class. My person was proud of me for trying and One of the people watching had come over to the rail to see me and told my person that I am a very smart pony. She had been watching me and could see me thinking about things and that she likes me. I had the warm fuzzies hearing that. People are starting to really take notice of me.
We didn't warm up inside like normal and we weren't going in and out thru the gate where we usually did either. Another thing that was confusing was that there were a bunch of other trailers and horses there, with people running around too.
She took her time saddling and warming me up and soon it was our turn to go in and face all the scary things. The first thing was the tunnel (of death!) I'm sure it was going to eat me and I was having NO part of it. Even as we walked past it after my person gave up trying to get me thru it, I was facing it and keeping my eyes on it. No sneaking up behind me! Eventually by the end of the day I did relent and go thru the tunnel (of death). I was too tired to put up any more fuss. Obviously 1) it did not eat me and 2) I did not die.
There was also a Ball Slide. We would stop by this big wooden spool and roll a plastic ball down a kids slide. Again I avoided this thing at all cost and by the end of the day I was too tired and gave Zero shits. There were also four circle hoops on the ground. I think we were supposed to go thru them, but I avoided doing it as much as I could. I also jumped them a couple times.
There were also jumps. At first there was No way I was going near them, but again, by the end of the day I was going over them. One was some small white barrels laying on their side and the other one was a cross rail (which I have done before) but the poles had some shiny foil stuff stapled to it with fluttery pieces and that freaked me out at first. By the end of the day I gave Zero shits and jumped them both from whatever direction.
Another obstacle was the Cowboy Curtain. It was a gate with pieces of garden hose hanging down. I went thru it the first time around (actually I jumped thru it), was not having it anymore the rest of the day until the very last time thru the course and did it again for the In Hand, but only after my person put her hand thru and pushed those things aside for Her Highness -> Moi to get thru them unscathed.
There were also tires we went around instead of stepping over or thru them like the other horses did. A three tiered 'bridge' that I was having none of until I decided to jump it repeatedly back and forth without setting hoof On it, God Forbid! The Noodle Platform was also a NO-GO for the day. Two platforms to step thru a couple jump standards with pool noodles sticking out off them. PASS!
Ground poles we did a few different ways, mostly either walking thru them or jogging over them. The roping dummy- take the rope off the horn, step back, rope the dummy, gather the rope and put it back on the horn. Proud to say- my girl can rope! 😁
All in all it was a good day. We were in the ribbons for every class. My person was proud of me for trying and One of the people watching had come over to the rail to see me and told my person that I am a very smart pony. She had been watching me and could see me thinking about things and that she likes me. I had the warm fuzzies hearing that. People are starting to really take notice of me.
Friday, June 8, 2018
3rd gear....
Lately we have been working on our cantering or loping. My person decided one day (thankfully), that she couldn't expect our canter/lope work to be good if we avoided it. Part of the issue is that I tend to give 1,000% when something is asked of me. When she asked for a lope- I gave her almost an all out Run. We would go around in circles at a quick pace. Appaaerntly that's not what she wanted. How was I to know????
Starting our work on the lunge line- I'm a bit short strided as I haven't loosened up yet
Aaaand before long I have loosened up and relaxed. So we change directions and keep going....
Then she asked me to lope
So I obliged and rolled into it.
I could understand doing this on the line. But when she gets on me, things changed. She would ask for 3rd gear and I gave her about 6th. We went fast. Really, really fast.
One day we both finally "Got it!" Things clicked and we Hit our Stride so to speak. What happened you might ask? Well she sat up straight for starters, relaxed her legs and seat, asked for the lope and when I rolled into it, she gave me a few strides to relax, sat up straight and slowly brought me back to her with her hands.
Her weght shifted back slightly and I shifted my balance back onto the rear end where it belongs, rounded into the bridle and softened, loping along all relaxed..... for which she Heaped on the praise! We got a few circles one direction that way and a few the other way too, all calm and relaxed so she quit us there.
Cropped from the above pic.
Jogging again before being ridden.
Our next workout, things seemed to fall apart all over again and I found myself racing around, braced in the bridle, tense and up tight. My person wasn't thrilled about it, but she let it go. I could tell she was disappointed, but at the same time it didn't seem like she blamed me. Our next ride we found IT again and I rolled into a nice relaxed and collected lope. Again she Heaped on the praise. When she does that, then I know I'm doing things right and she is pleased. I like making her happy.
Saturday, June 2, 2018
A day away
Recently my person took me on a field trip to a local arena. I have been here before and there was supposed to be a horse show on this day, but it was cancelled. Obv's my person wasn't on the list to be notified and we were the only ones there. Which means we had everything to ourselves.
Show cancelled she decided to use it as a schooling opp.
Lemons make lemonade.
There weren't any lunging pics, and only a few once she got on. 
Fuzzy ears. Don't judge. Part of it is my forelock.
Another pic from my back
My person has gotten me all ready to make the trip home. There was a bit of a breeze so my mane blew over to the other side, showing off one of my hidden spots.
She even wrapped up my tail because I rubbed it on the way there. 
This pic she was able to crop from the one above. 
She looked over and thought I had a 'big horse' look about me so she snapped these. Look at me all squared up. That was one of the comments on both of our dressage tests, "nice square halt". I am also still growing a little and starting to balance out. Not looking so much like I'm built downhill. Monday, May 28, 2018
Back to business
After having the Magnwave therapy and being worked over twice by the nice girl with magic hands, I was back to my usual self and my person started riding me again. With a bit of time off I hadn't forgotten anything, but I did try to push my boundaries a little. My person didn't budge and I got away with nothing. Well at least I tried!
One thing did change though, She started using a different bridle on me. This one didn't have a bit, instead it had a thick piece that went around my nose. This was nice because I have lost a few of my front teeth and my mouth was a bit tender. My person joked that I was now a first grader. (Whatever that means?)
Sporting my new headgear (These pics were from when it first arrived)
No it doesn't exactly fit like it should- yet.....
Not to worry, I did grow into it and my person tied the mecate a bit differently.
We always start with walking, both on the longe line and under saddle. I have really learned how to step out, reaching up under myself.
Slowly working into things
One thing did change though, She started using a different bridle on me. This one didn't have a bit, instead it had a thick piece that went around my nose. This was nice because I have lost a few of my front teeth and my mouth was a bit tender. My person joked that I was now a first grader. (Whatever that means?)
Sporting my new headgear (These pics were from when it first arrived)
No it doesn't exactly fit like it should- yet.....
Not to worry, I did grow into it and my person tied the mecate a bit differently.
I'm a good sport waiting patiently for my person to gather all our things.
Slowly working into things
We have a nice shaded area to work in, which means trees to go around in different patterns.
We also have sunny areas too to show off my muscles and definition
Friday, April 6, 2018
Bodywork
Two months after the Magnawave lady came to see me, another new face came to the barn to work on me. This time it was a girl who just used her hands to fix me up. My person had been scouring You Tube and learning all kinds of ways to help me feel better, relax my tight muscles and bring me some relief. I didn't mind because she hasn't been making me work. I'm enjoying the time off. What pony wouldn't?
I had also been to the vet and had my wolf teeth pulled. Now was a good time to do that since I wasn't being ridden and my mouth would have time to heal up. Part of the thing about teeth and bodywork, she was doing this thing she seen online and noticed one of my front baby teeth was loose. Next thing you know, it popped right out.The one on the other side is loose and should be coming out soon too.
Getting back to the body work, before this girl showed up, if anyone even put their hand on my right side in the girth area, I would turn to give them the stink eye and offer to bite them. My person stopped riding me becuse I was so sore. Putting the saddle on, although she is gentle about it, I was sore and it hurt. Her getting on- It hurt. Putting her leg on my side- it hurt. Everything made me hurt so she stayed off my back but I was good to go on the lunge line so I was still working to keep my beautiful curves.
This girl shows up and starts running her hands all over me. She asked me to lower my head, she pushed on things on my neck, dug her fingers in here and there- pushing on things under my skin. I did a lot of blinking, yawning, rolling my eyes, chewing and licking. The girl and my person would tell me I'm a good girl, but heck. They didn't need to say anything, I was just reacting to how I was feeling good. A few times I stretched my neck up, my back straight and stuck a leg out. Then I would yawn and grunt in a strange way. Ididn't want this to end because it felt so good. I felt so good!
When everything was all said and done, my person was putting her hand on my side and I honestly didn't care. It didn't hurt and I gave Zero shits about her doing it. I was having a Zen moment and just sooooo relaxed. I heard them say something about my eye being so much softer but didn't know what they meant (or care), because I had them half closed and was about to fall asleep. I hope this lady comes back more. I like her even if she doesn't have any cookies.
I had also been to the vet and had my wolf teeth pulled. Now was a good time to do that since I wasn't being ridden and my mouth would have time to heal up. Part of the thing about teeth and bodywork, she was doing this thing she seen online and noticed one of my front baby teeth was loose. Next thing you know, it popped right out.The one on the other side is loose and should be coming out soon too.
Getting back to the body work, before this girl showed up, if anyone even put their hand on my right side in the girth area, I would turn to give them the stink eye and offer to bite them. My person stopped riding me becuse I was so sore. Putting the saddle on, although she is gentle about it, I was sore and it hurt. Her getting on- It hurt. Putting her leg on my side- it hurt. Everything made me hurt so she stayed off my back but I was good to go on the lunge line so I was still working to keep my beautiful curves.
This girl shows up and starts running her hands all over me. She asked me to lower my head, she pushed on things on my neck, dug her fingers in here and there- pushing on things under my skin. I did a lot of blinking, yawning, rolling my eyes, chewing and licking. The girl and my person would tell me I'm a good girl, but heck. They didn't need to say anything, I was just reacting to how I was feeling good. A few times I stretched my neck up, my back straight and stuck a leg out. Then I would yawn and grunt in a strange way. Ididn't want this to end because it felt so good. I felt so good!
When everything was all said and done, my person was putting her hand on my side and I honestly didn't care. It didn't hurt and I gave Zero shits about her doing it. I was having a Zen moment and just sooooo relaxed. I heard them say something about my eye being so much softer but didn't know what they meant (or care), because I had them half closed and was about to fall asleep. I hope this lady comes back more. I like her even if she doesn't have any cookies.
Monday, March 26, 2018
Magnawave
A little over two months since the show, the lady with the magnawave showed up at the barn. It was a rainy week so I hadn't gotten out much. I was a bit excited when my person got me out. I had seen my friend the big black mare getting worked on. She kept turning around to put her head on the lady and I could hear her sighing, licking her lips and chewing a lot.
When it was my turn, I seen a box with a long white tube sitting in the aisle where I get tied up. My friend was back in her stall and standing right there. She looked so chill and relaxed. And I was so nervous. The lady reached up and touched me with the tube thingy. I didn't know what to expect so I flinched. She kept holding it there and I relaxed. She turned it on and I felt it start to twitch and click.
She moved the tube thingy all over my body, stopping at different areas that on me- were really sore. My sides, shoulders and rear end twiched and jumped, depending on what the settings on the machine were . She set it up over my hips and let it stay there for a little bit. It felt good and it helped my sacroiliac or SI. Her diagnosis? I was really sore in the right hind and especially in my hamstring.
When it was my turn, I seen a box with a long white tube sitting in the aisle where I get tied up. My friend was back in her stall and standing right there. She looked so chill and relaxed. And I was so nervous. The lady reached up and touched me with the tube thingy. I didn't know what to expect so I flinched. She kept holding it there and I relaxed. She turned it on and I felt it start to twitch and click.
She moved the tube thingy all over my body, stopping at different areas that on me- were really sore. My sides, shoulders and rear end twiched and jumped, depending on what the settings on the machine were . She set it up over my hips and let it stay there for a little bit. It felt good and it helped my sacroiliac or SI. Her diagnosis? I was really sore in the right hind and especially in my hamstring.
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Time off
After flipping myself literally out of the washrack, my person was concerned that I had strained something. We managed to get thru our two classes at the show and came home victorious, but she was touching my back and running her fingers back and forth towards my tail a lot.
The next few days she kept walking me and touching my back to see if I was sore. I was pretty sore down the back of my one leg. I was also sore on my right side where the saddle strap goes. While we were at the barn for the show, my person had seen a flyer for a lady that does Magnawave therapy. Thankfully she snapped a pic with her phone and reached out to her.
I had some time off, but there was a couple of times when she tried to ride me. I let her know right away that I was sore and I didn't want to work that day. As soon as she got on I reached around and tried to bite her. The time she used the saddle, I gave her only two or three strides of a canter on the right lead before I offered to crowhop. I got more time off after that. she still made me work, but she didn't ride me.
Instead she started trying harness parts on me. She borrowed these from one of her friends. This way she could still make me work in the lines, but she wasn't on my back. I remembered this from when we first started out. I've so got this.
The next few days she kept walking me and touching my back to see if I was sore. I was pretty sore down the back of my one leg. I was also sore on my right side where the saddle strap goes. While we were at the barn for the show, my person had seen a flyer for a lady that does Magnawave therapy. Thankfully she snapped a pic with her phone and reached out to her.
I had some time off, but there was a couple of times when she tried to ride me. I let her know right away that I was sore and I didn't want to work that day. As soon as she got on I reached around and tried to bite her. The time she used the saddle, I gave her only two or three strides of a canter on the right lead before I offered to crowhop. I got more time off after that. she still made me work, but she didn't ride me.
Instead she started trying harness parts on me. She borrowed these from one of her friends. This way she could still make me work in the lines, but she wasn't on my back. I remembered this from when we first started out. I've so got this.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Friday, February 16, 2018
Before the show
There's always things that go on either before, at or after a horse show, that many people don't ever know about. This was one of those things.
My person came to the barn and it seemed she was in a bit of a rush. I had gotten filthy as could be the night before. I had a feeling something was coming so if I was dirty, maybe she would mess with a different horse. Right? Nope she pulled me out, took me to the wash rack and started hosing me off. At least the weather was kind of warm.
While I was in the wash rack the barn owner man drove past me with a round bale on the fork of the tractor. I like eating round bales, but had never seen one moving around like that so I got a bit nervous and started wiggling around. My person spoke to me and tried to ease my mind. Because I trust her, I held it together. When she was done rinsing me off, she went into the barn to start gathering everything we would need for the show. That's when...
I lost my mind. All my person could hear inside was my feet slamming and stomping around. She had no idea what set me off, since the barn owner man had already gone back past me with the tractor and I still had all my marbles. When she came around the corner out of the barn I was still struggling a little, but hearing her say "Whoa" in her soothing tone, I stopped struggling and layed still.
I had broken my nice leather halter in two different places and ended up on the ground under the bar and in front of the wash rack half in the mud, with the rope between my legs and under me. Hearing her voice, I calmed down and layed still. I knew she would get me out of the mess I was in.
First she tried to untie the rope. I pulled it pretty tight in my struggle so she couldn't get it loose. The way everything was wrapped around and under me, she couldn't even see the snap on my lead rope so she went for my halter. Lucky for me, she doesn't ever put the tabs thru the rest of the buckle. In a time like this, it makes getting the halter off, much easier. Because of this, the halter came off pretty quick, which was good because it was starting to choke me a little and breathing was becoming difficult.
Once the buckle was undone and my halter off, I layed there for a minute to gather my thoughts. I've never lost my shit like that before so I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do next. When I realized I was free I slowly got up. Eveything felt like it was still attached and working so I ran back to the pasture gate. I got the hell out of there.
My person went and got a different halter and then came looking for me. I was scared and didn't want her to catch me, but she talked to me and pretty soon I had a halter on. She walked me around a bit to check for damages. I was okay so then I was back in the wash rack getting rinsed off again. This time she tied me up under the trees while she went to hook up the trailer and load everything up.
Before loading me up, she walked me around to check for lameness or stiffness and since there wasn't any, she put me on the trailer and off we went. Because of my little stunt, we were running way behind. When we got to the barn hosting the show, we had very little time to get ready. My person went to the barn and checked us in, and when she got back to the trailer, unloaded me, walked me around again checking for stiffness or lameness and found none. She had a plan and quickly tacked me up, changed her clothes and we headed to the warm up arena.
Unknown to my person, our ride times had been pushed back by 30 minutes giving us a little time to breathe. When she got on, my person took a few deep breaths and let herself be calm which helped me to be calm. We walked around a lot, trotted a bit and then went and stood in the shade to wait for our names to be called so we could go in and impress the judge. I kept hearing a lot of questions about me. A lot of people there were quite impressed with me already. They had no idea what had happened.
My person came to the barn and it seemed she was in a bit of a rush. I had gotten filthy as could be the night before. I had a feeling something was coming so if I was dirty, maybe she would mess with a different horse. Right? Nope she pulled me out, took me to the wash rack and started hosing me off. At least the weather was kind of warm.
While I was in the wash rack the barn owner man drove past me with a round bale on the fork of the tractor. I like eating round bales, but had never seen one moving around like that so I got a bit nervous and started wiggling around. My person spoke to me and tried to ease my mind. Because I trust her, I held it together. When she was done rinsing me off, she went into the barn to start gathering everything we would need for the show. That's when...
I flipped my shit.
I mean, for the first time at my new home, I literally. Flipped. My. Shit.
I had broken my nice leather halter in two different places and ended up on the ground under the bar and in front of the wash rack half in the mud, with the rope between my legs and under me. Hearing her voice, I calmed down and layed still. I knew she would get me out of the mess I was in.
First she tried to untie the rope. I pulled it pretty tight in my struggle so she couldn't get it loose. The way everything was wrapped around and under me, she couldn't even see the snap on my lead rope so she went for my halter. Lucky for me, she doesn't ever put the tabs thru the rest of the buckle. In a time like this, it makes getting the halter off, much easier. Because of this, the halter came off pretty quick, which was good because it was starting to choke me a little and breathing was becoming difficult.
Once the buckle was undone and my halter off, I layed there for a minute to gather my thoughts. I've never lost my shit like that before so I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do next. When I realized I was free I slowly got up. Eveything felt like it was still attached and working so I ran back to the pasture gate. I got the hell out of there.
My person went and got a different halter and then came looking for me. I was scared and didn't want her to catch me, but she talked to me and pretty soon I had a halter on. She walked me around a bit to check for damages. I was okay so then I was back in the wash rack getting rinsed off again. This time she tied me up under the trees while she went to hook up the trailer and load everything up.
Before loading me up, she walked me around to check for lameness or stiffness and since there wasn't any, she put me on the trailer and off we went. Because of my little stunt, we were running way behind. When we got to the barn hosting the show, we had very little time to get ready. My person went to the barn and checked us in, and when she got back to the trailer, unloaded me, walked me around again checking for stiffness or lameness and found none. She had a plan and quickly tacked me up, changed her clothes and we headed to the warm up arena.
Unknown to my person, our ride times had been pushed back by 30 minutes giving us a little time to breathe. When she got on, my person took a few deep breaths and let herself be calm which helped me to be calm. We walked around a lot, trotted a bit and then went and stood in the shade to wait for our names to be called so we could go in and impress the judge. I kept hearing a lot of questions about me. A lot of people there were quite impressed with me already. They had no idea what had happened.
Sunday, February 11, 2018
A day of 2's
A couple months ago, my person took me to a horse show. We did two dressage tests, Intro A & B. This was my second show and as it turns out, this was the second time my person had ever ridden a dressage test. It also happened to be on the 2nd of the month.
How did we do? Well we placed 2nd in both or our classes of 4 horses of course.
Not bad for a baby horse having only been under saddle a whopping 6 months. Or so I have been told. All I know is that my person was super happy and fed me a whole lotta cookies. Probably like half the bag. Of couse I snarfed them ALL up!
How did we do? Well we placed 2nd in both or our classes of 4 horses of course.
Not bad for a baby horse having only been under saddle a whopping 6 months. Or so I have been told. All I know is that my person was super happy and fed me a whole lotta cookies. Probably like half the bag. Of couse I snarfed them ALL up!
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
See me now?
Anyone reading along, probably remembers This post, showing Me when I first got here and then about a month later. At the end of the post I said , "You should see me now!" Well this is now.
With my eyes closed. lol
I keep hearing the word 'round' from my person
I have really beefed up.
Do I look amazing or what??? Am-I-right?!?!?!
The round pen was a bit muddy so I had to be extra careful.
I am really getting strong.
Comin' at ya! lol
Getting off the ground a little...
These are my friends. They are pretty cool.
Smooch!
Ha ha ha ha! I totally got you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)