The lessons we ride for

Although we never really have a 'bad' lesson, our lesson tonight was extra fabulous! It was our first one back after our month and a half unplanned vacation due to abscess issues and we both agreed that it was some of the best work we have ever gotten. I have felt that over the last week our work has been getting really nice and to me it seemed like we were making good forward progress but I never really know until I have someone knowledgeable on the ground telling me, especially with the newish stuff we have started working on.

We started off by trying on our trainers old dressage saddle to see how it fit Pony and it seems to fit really nicely and unlike my current saddle it sits nice and even on his back (mine tips forward). An even bigger bonus to it fitting Pony really well is that it fits my leg so, so much better. Pony definitely showed up to play tonight and gave me some awesome work! One key thing that I need to really be conscious of is really making sure I get him carrying himself instead of me holding, or trying to, him up with my reins. Once I get him carrying himself he uses his hind end much better and doesnt try to swing it around every which way. Although I have gotten much better I still have the tendency to want take up on the inside rein to 'fix' our issue, when I am really just making it worse. The really fun part about tonight was that I could really feel the differences in everything we worked on and could really tell when we had everything put together just right!

He got a big gold star from his favorite teacher and I am already looking forward to our next lesson in 2 weeks! I have been online looking up show entry dates and such. Maybe we will be able to squeeze in a recognized dressage show before Heart of the Valley in May? So excited to show Pony 2nd level this year!

Spa Day!

Pony got a much needed partial spa day tonight! He was staying nice and clean (except for his pee stains... dont even get me started on those!) while on stall rest but once he was released from jail it of course decided to pour down rain for several days straight. That means the pastures, especially by the gate, got muddy which in turn gave me a nice brown horse instead of white. Not only does his feather get nasty but the bottom half of his tail does also. I know it will just get all nasty again tomorrow but the more often I can wash and condition it the nicer, and less stained, it will stay. It actually cleaned up pretty decently for how bad it all was!

He has been working really nicely the last few rides. A few things are harder for him to do but overall I think we are improving. That being said I am so ready for a lesson so I get some thoughts on how to work through some harder stuff and make sure everything else is going as it should be! I have noticed how some old bad habits have come back since coming back to riding (such as pulling with my left rein too much) so I have been working hard to be conscious about that. It is hard to make your body do everything opposite of what it wants to do! But I think I am doing a good job. One big thing I have noticed is how the knee rolls on my saddle are really starting to interfere with my leg position and how effective they are, especially with all the new buttons we are getting. My legs are SO long its ridiculous. To all you normal sized people out there, be thankful! I have never had a saddle that fit my legs perfectly, someday...

He is the cutest

I had a nice relaxed bareback ride on Pony this afternoon. It was a gorgeous day here with the sun out and everything, an amazing January day! We hopped on and walked around the hay field a couple times with some barn buddies before hitting the arena to do a little work (I stress the word little because we really didnt do much). We did do a cute flying change and it was pretty easy too!

Lola is one of my favorite mares ever, and just happens to be a gorgeous blanket appy that has an amazing tail (for any horse let alone an appy!), and is a fellow boarder at NDF with us. Her mom and I ride together a lot and generally keep the barn fun and a little crazy haha. Anyways, we want to do a pas de duex this year together! Talk about a flashy pair. They may not match very well but they sure will catch the eye of a lot of people! We will see if we get around to doing one but I have always thought it would be fun. Not to mention we could have some pretty good music!

Back in the swing of things

Finally I had a great ride yesterday where I actually felt like I knew how to ride! Pony was on fire and we got some really nice work (perfect timing since it was my birthday!). And there were foamy green lips involved by the end (him not me haha) which is really hard to get with him. We even played a little with some collected canter, simple changes, and even got a few flying changes. We have slowly started doing more and more work and he is coming back really nicely. He is also officially back out in the big pasture and is loving it.

"Did you say COOKIES?!"

I also picked him up some new grain (actually my brother bought it for him how cute is that) that I was recommended to try by my vet. It is low in starch and sugar but high in protein. It is expensive ($30/bag) but they only get 1-2 pounds a day so it lasts all month. He is still getting his 1 flake soaked hay at night, now has his new grain, and I need to order him another grazing muzzle since his last one bit the dust. Operation make fat pony skinnier has begun!

Chub a lub no longer

Last night was my 21st birthday so needless to say he will get today off work :) He desperately needs his hair done so I may just go do that. It amazing how much being outside in the Oregon mud for a few days can ruin a guys hair!

Getting Back on Track

We are now 6 days back into work, 2 days back out in turnout, and all is looking good! Well Im sure that the riding part isn't looking so great. You dont really realize how much a month and a half of no real riding (I do ride an AQHA for a guy once a week but its western and is nothing like how Pony and I were working) does to you and your horse until you get back on. Talk about UGLY! Ok, he goes around fine and Im sure he looks worlds better than he feels but I feel like I have never ridden a dressage test in my life. You know, like those gamers that just flop around on top of their horse? Yeah thats how I imagine what I look like riding at the moment. We are both out of shape for the work so I try to keep the work hard enough that we are working for it but with lots of little walk breaks in between. Honestly its so bad that our down transitions are crap, he is throwing his body every which way, and he tries rooting the reins out of my hands so there are plenty of 'easy' things to be working on without worrying about pushing him back into work soon. It really is amazing how much correct dressage work can improve a horses gaits, it will be really nice once I have the same horse back pre-month and a half off!

A nice bareback hack

He gets serious hang time being so wide haha

He has been doing great with turnout also which I have been semi worried about. On Tuesday I turned him out loose in the arena after our ride so that he could have a little run/roll if he wanted. He is so cute, if I start right next to him and run he will canter behind me all around the arena. I was even doing roll backs and such and he stuck with me, adorable. Then just to be careful I asked if he could be turned out alone in a smaller pasture. The boys pasture tends to get rowdy and Mystic always get picked on/bugged by the other boys and is total low man in the group so I didnt want to risk just turning him straight back out with them. He will stay in the smaller pasture alone for a couple of days before going back out in the big pasture. One thing I have enjoyed about the stall rest is how clean he stays, for the most part! Its amazing how muddy he can get even in his full body armor blanket!

All dressed up to play in his Christmas new black dressage pad

I am hoping to get a lesson on the last Monday of the month to start helping us get back on track. Hopefully our rides until then will keep improving! Applications to be a demo rider at the Horse Expo for the dressage clinic are due mid February and we have to send in a video of us doing all our 2nd level work so we need to be back up to speed before then if we want to have a chance to go. Who knows if we would even get picked but it is worth a shot for a free clinic spot!

Feels like home

Today was the day! It felt so good to get back in the saddle and in true Pony form he acted like we hadn't missed a day. We spent the majority of the time walking (mostly because Alanna came to ride and we were talking haha) but I figured that it wasnt bad to take it nice and slow for our first day back. We of course did some trot work also and I was impressed with how forward he wanted to be, for him, and seemed super happy to be back in work. I didnt push too much but worked on moving his body around at the walk by doing leg yields, travers, and working on keeping him in shoulder fore. He was super willing and was moving right off my leg.

That face though! And his gorgeous brow band. I already have my eyes on the next bead strands I definitely NEED!

I was very happy with how he felt and after our little bit of trot work we walked again for some time. I was probably on him for 45 minutes but we were walking for probably 35 minutes. Can I just say how much I love this horse? He has been in a stall for 1.5 months and I just hopped on and walked on the buckle until we were done talking, picked up the trot with no attitude or sillyness, then proceeded to cool out on the buckle. Not that I would expect anything less from him, but it is so nice to have a horse that I trust 100 %! What a good pony!

The beast has been tamed!

Yes! Today was the first day that Pony has looked 99% sound on the lunge line! He is maybe a touch sore with his right front is on the inside, but if you didnt know him you might think he was fine, but boy was he feeling good. I also heard back from our vet and nothing major is going on! I think I forgot to mention this before but when she originally came out and was checking him out she noted to me that he might have side bone and that was confirmed with the X-rays. I guess it is super common in the draft/cob breeds and majority of the time does not cause any further problems. It is yet another reason to get his weight down (which is hard to do when you are sitting in a stall all day everyday). It is, however, a good thing to know about.

In the picture on the left you can see the abscess on the right side (darker portion). And in the picture on the right you can see the side bone on the upper right hand corner, it is pretty easy to spot especially if you compare it side to side.

 Im not really quite sure why there are cones set up in our arena but I was lunging him on a circle around them and as he trotted by one he got all sassy and kicked at it and got all excited. Normally I dont take too kindly to be drug around the arena, actually I dont take kindly to it at all, but he got a short pass today considering his circumstances. He tried pulling that trick again the other direction before I hard core shut him down and told him if I was going to let him stretch his legs he better not make me regret it! 

Currently we have super high winds (like blowing you over winds!) along with nasty rain and he was super good about all the commotion for it all despite all that pent up energy he had. Tomorrow I get to ride! We will just keep it to walking and trotting, after all he is super out of shape, but I plan on sharpening him up to my aids as after long periods of time off he gets really lazy and super heavy in the bridle. So he will be reminded that he does in fact know how to be a dressage pony!