horse training

Belle is now proudly trotting with a saddle on. Okay, proudly may be the wrong word. More like, confusedly. (not a word, but works here). Everytime I work her I've been putting on the saddle, so she gets the idea that it's part of work. Then I walk her around with it, and let her know that she still has to obey me. Then we work on the longe. She was pretty good-- a little confused as to how to trot--she kept turning around and looking at her back, and was a little grumpy and irritated by it, but then she settled in and worked a couple of circles well.
The riding approaches...

The show season has officially ended for me--no more recognized shows, although I do plan to go to some schooling shows around New Mexico only. I was hoping to end on a brighter note, instead of with such low scores--nowhere near qualifying for regionals, which was the hope for the weekend. Still a long way to go until B is truly a second level horse. I guess, too, that his tense-ness hurts us--he never truly relaxes and comes through his back in the show ring, and that costs us major points.

1: Not just cleaning my bridle, but taking it apart and cleaning it. Reminds me of rainy days at summer camp. I love a clean bridle, and I don't do this often enough.
2. Morning feeding. Quiet, birds, munching horses.
3. Raking the barn aisle. Love to see it all tidy. Doesn't happen often enough.
4. Dragging the arena. There's something zen about going around in circles.
5. Mucking stalls. Good exercise. Keeps that middle aged flapping under my upper arm to a minimum.

What are yours?

The show approacheth... And once again, Baleno feels argumentative. That's the only way I can explain it. He's just feeling "stuck." And he's the type of horse that, the more I nag him, the less he pays attention. I have to find a way to work him up for the horse show without making him stiff, sore, stressed, or pissed off. This is my goal this time. Mellow, easy rides that translate into mellow, forward tests. But here's the thing: I'm not achieving that at all. I'm stressing us both out. Riding is so psychological.

So Belle wore a Western saddle today. Mike came back out to do part two of needle desensitization. We worked for a long time on ground work, playing with her in the front of the pasture where she would be quite distracted--she was pretty good, even though my neighbor was stnading ON TOP of his truck, through stuff off the back, and the sprinkler next door came on, and so forth. It was a pretty good session. Mike has a saddle pad that has silicone beads in it, and she thought that was pretty darn scary, but then she settled in, and by the end she was all cinched up in his big western saddle.

So here's how it went: Mike put a toothpick on his index finger and than wrapped it in masking tape so it would stay on. Then he proceeded to do a lot of ground work with Belle-yielding to pressure, circles, walk and halt using just a little rope pressure. Every now and then he'd poke her neck (MAD!

Next up: Dressage in the Rockies. Three days work of horse showing, and lots of hours in the truck. Is it worth it?

Still, still, still finishing the book. Getting much closer. It's a good thing it's hot as hell right now or I'd be lamenting being too busy to ride. Even with a few days off, I've got my sights set on the next goal: Going to Colorado Horse Park for the summer show in August. It's a big one, with lots of competitors in a beautiful setting. Today I sent my entry in, and then promptly went online to see who else would potentially be showing in my classes.

I wish I knew! He's just always been kind of a dink on the longeline. No amount of "forward" energy really comes through for him. The only thing that gets him going in a forward rhythm is me, going Trot, Trot, Trot, Trot (in the rhythm I want). It's pretty weird.

All of these things happened yesterday, when it was 96 at my house.

Your horse pulls the hose out of the trough so it's on the ground spraying up, and he stands over it so it's spraying his chest and belly. (true!)

You don't really mind scrubbing the trough.

You (as a normal late sleeper) get up at 6:00 am to get a ride in.

The dog goes swimming...in the trough.

Your three year old, who normally doesn't like baths, follows her friend's lead and stands over the hose, too. Then she puts her leg in the trough.