Circe the water hippo

https://youtu.be/zsk97nGA158

Soka's first ride out of the round pen and "trail" ride

I took Soka out for her first "trail" ride. Over a tarp and our dry stream into the woods and where the arena eventually will go. She went bravely and willingly. Of course, it took me 30 mins to catch her this afternoon, but once I climbed on her she was super. 

I think if you look closely at a few of the pictures you can see her middle finger about not wanting to be caught. Unfortunately, she is now quite a bit fitter than she was a few months ago. So I can't tire her out so easily any more. About thirty mins of walking her down she was still going strong... So I went for her more primal needs. I pulled out a credit card wrapper from my pocket and crinkled it. She stopped immediately and let me halter her. I gave her a handful of grass and walked her quickly into the barn so I could actually follow through with the peppermint promise. 

While she canters just fine out loose, and is getting better in the round pen, I could not seem to get her to canter tonight while lunging. I did make her wear Cher's crupper. And that helped keep her saddle where it needed to be and she didn't mind it at all. Steering was good. Bending and softness needs work. But she was excellent for her first time working out of the round pen. 

Big days

Some days are small days. But Tuesday was a big day for Soka and I. We have played a lot with mounting and unmounting. But tuesday, I set up round pen. And then I free lunged her in it for ten minutes( and to show how out of shape she is- she was pretty sweated up and huffing pretty bad at that point) so then I go the brill and idea that to cool her down, perhaps I should take advantage of her being tired and climb on her. 

So I went and grabbed her halter and leader pe. And first tried to lead on her from the pile of dirt in the middle of the round pen, but I am not hat athletic even though she is fairly short. And then and lead her over the the edge of the round pen panels. And stood on the top of them and rubbed all over her. And she was very quiet, and pretty relieved that she could catch her breath, frankly. So I held on to the round pen with my upper body and touched her all over her back and neck with my leg, and she was still quiet and stood stock still. So then I inched my weight over her until I was sitting on her 75%. 85%. 95%

And I was on her. And I sat there. And she cocked her foot... And I grabbed the fence and pulled my myself off real fast.. And then laughed at myself. Because all she did was get herself comfortable, because she was tired. Because she is fat and had just worked hard. And working hard is hard... and I know this- because of the last 8 months of my life. 

So I repeated rubbing her with my foot again and eased my weight back on.. And she stood like a stone for me. So I turned her head and asked her to walk on and gave a light squeeze with my legs. Which means nothing to her yet. 

She was confused. She shifted her body under herself, trying to balance under me. I slightly pulled the halter's lead rope one way and then the other to get her to take just a single step as I lightly squeezed and clucked to her. She took a step. I stopped and praised. And scrubbed her neck. 

I squeezed again, said walk on and clucked. It only took her a second to process this time and soon we were walking around the round pen. 

I soon was asking her to stop and restart again and start to turn the other way. After a few laps, I ended the session. Proud of what we both had accomplished. Hopeful for our future. 

Took the beast out yesterday for her first short road trip to a beautiful farm. Many thanks to Blue Horse Equestrian! Luckily, she loaded, travelled and unloaded wonderfully. Behaved herself while at the farm and jumped right back on the trailer to go home. It is always nice when training pays off.

Brunch ride

I had a fantastic ride on Tyrone Farms Brunch ride. Was allowed to ride it twice. It was a fantastic day and couldn't ask for a better day. Cher was fantastic, and is tolerating water much better than she often does. Schooling water was good for her, but with the amount of water we have had recently, she doesn't have much of an option right now. 

https://youtu.be/hjaEEgnSEhQ

Baby horses are fun they said.

Baby horses are fun they said... I knew better but I love a good challenge. I this is one reason I could perhaps afford her. Good thing I love her and she is sweet. 

She did eventually find her brains again. Learning to lunge is hard. 

My tags from Haltertags are here! They are beautiful quality brass and much deeper etched than smartpaks... But it also took much longer to get them!!! 4 weeks! First world problems? Are we getting too impatient? I am not sure.

Breeches for sale.

Breeches for sale!!!

 All pictures show a bit of dust from table. Excuse my poor housekeeping;) 

IRIDEON SIT TIGHT AND WARM FULLSEAT- Brown. 2X.  In good condition. But has one small hole on thigh. See picture. 

IRIDEON SIT TIGHT AND WARM KNEEPATCH-black. 2x. Looks brand new! Not my favorite color so I don't think I ever used them. Suede is totally unworn.

IRIDEON SIT TIGHT AND WARM KNEEPATCH- brown. 2x. Worn but very useable! 

Kerrits Microcord full seat 2x. Cadet blue. Brand new, never worn.  No tags though- because I planted the carrots last year;) 

Kerrits flex II- full seat. Herringbone. Used but in excellent condition. Ridden in a handful of times before I went down a size. 

Kerrits tights knee patch 2x. Blue herringbone. Well used. 

Wordless Wednesday

Beauty Shop Barbie

Beauty shop Barbie's report card for the day... 

Trailer loading- A++. 

Clipper tolerance-C. Which is much better than the other day. But we still can't actually cut HAIR....but at least we no longer leave the building and can keep our 4 feet planted still and just need to make ridiculous faces. 

Spot bath/tolerating the hose-D-... Someone has introduced the princess to a chain shank and she tolerates it better so maybe that ekes her up to a D... 

Being showsheened- nice solid A+.

She is still learning on how to properly socialize with other horses. She still is learning that hay dropping from the sky is not going to kill her. But she seems like she isn't a terribly slow learner. 

She has has gained some muscle and weight. 

And when she is naughty... At least she has a cute nose...

And the I go and do something silly like buy something big, black and fuzzy....

25 Questions

25 Questions

Hopping on this blog hop.

1. Mares or geldings?  Why?

I love mares. I love the conversation between me and a mare. A bit more intelligence, a bit more challenge. The sense of accomplishment getting the alpha mare to give herself over to me because I have proved myself. 

Geldings are just a bit goofier

And less likely the THINK things through all the way. I would prefer a horse that is willing to think before they do. 

2. Green broke or fully broke?
I love a fully broke horse.

3. Would you own a hotter breed?
Duh! I own Arabian!

 

4. What was your 'dream horse' growing up?
A buckskin draft cross or a friesian. 

5. What kind of bits do you use and why?
Bit #1: D ring German silver bit for Cher

Bit #2: Loose ring mikmar french link Cupreon snaffle for Gunny. 

Bit#3: Either full cheek snaffle or loose ring kk snaffle for Boh

6. Helmets or no helmets?
I never rode without a helmet... Or gloves.

7. Favorite horse color?
Buckskin or black.

8. Least favorite horse color?
Double dilute anything.

9. Dressage or jumping?
 Dressage

10. How many years have you been riding?
I first rode when I was about 3, but started lessons at 9 years old.

11. Spurs/whip or no spurs/whip?
Whip if needed.

12. Your first fall?
The horse spooked and took off and ran down the driveway at Greystone Farm. I think. On a horse named Charlie Brown A LONG TIME AGO.... probably 22 years ago.

13. When was the last time you rode and what did you do?
Last weekend. Trail riding Cher. 

14. Most expensive piece of tack you own?
My western saddle.

15. How old were you when you started riding?
I started lessons around 9, I think.

16. Leather or nylon halters?
Leather all the way.

17. Leather or synthetic saddles?
I liked the Wintec, but I prefer leather if possible.

18. What 'grip' of reins do you like?
I prefer buttery soft laced reins. I am a traditionalist.

19. English or Western?
I like both, but prefer the close contact of English.
20. How many horses do you currently own/lease?
Own 5 horses and 1 donkey.

21. Do you board your horse?  Self-care? Full board? Half board?  Home board? 
I haven't had to board since I was a junior in high school. And prefer to keep it that way.

22. Have you ever put down a horse you loved?
Too many times. It never gets easier.

23. How many saddle pads do you have?
Too many. Mattes, Thinline, Moxie... the list goes on and on and on...

24. Slant-load trailer or straight-load?
I have a 4 horse slant right now and it gets the job done and is nice when other people want to ride with me, but it is a BEAST. Sometimes I would really like to downsize to a small two horse straight load just so I wouldn't have to worry about how to get in and out of tight spots all the time.

25. Why do you ride?
It's changed at various points in my life. It used to be for ribbons. Right now, because I enjoy exploring new and exciting trails with my horses and making us as well rounded as possible.

 

 
 

 

 

Luckiest squirrel

This is the luckiest squirrel in the entire world. She just dropped 60 feet out of the tree dropped ontothe Peacock pen, bounced on the game netting 30 feet landed on the ground and lived.  she might've just gotten the air knocked out of her she's making funny noises but then she climbed up the tree and is yelling at me because it is my fault I scared her. 

Pomfret Hunter Pace 2015

It is another year gone and another fantastic hunter pace. It was a lovely cold, crisp morning. I got up early. Fed Cher. She knew something was up and started to fuss in her stall and turned her nose up to her breakfast. (which is why I fed her at 6am- 2.5 hrs before we had to leave so she had time to relax) I tossed her hay, picked her stall and filled her water bucket. I sang to her as I did so, and she started to breath a little. She stopped weaving in her stall and I could hear her start to rustle in her bucket as I walked out of the barn. It was empty when I came back in two hours. She does best when ignored like this. Sometimes princesses need to have their temper tantrums and then eat their breakfasts.

She tried to walk over me as I walked her out of her stall. She hurumphed over her blanket coming off. She fussed as I braided her forelock, but she likes being fussed over. She started to warm up as I scratched her chin and curried her. Soon enough she was ready to have her blanket back on. She dove her head back in her blankie and helped me flip it back over her body. She does not appreciate being cold. She lead me to the trailer. I am not sure who put who on the trailer first, and it doesn't matter.

She came off the trailer and announced to the world she was an Arabian princess. She had her tail over her back and snorted. There was an enormous amount of both human and horse adrenaline and it instantly put Cher in heat.... brilliant. I longed her by the trailer for 3 or 4 laps to let her settle, she realized she was about to have to expel energy and quickly decided to settle. I tacked her up, putting the girth on backwards once, but luckily quickly seeing my mistake, and once I mounted up on my excited steed and met up with Doc, I  realized I had forgotten to put on my number but a lovely gentleman was willing to retrieve it from my trailer and hold Cher so I could put it on.  After my minor gaffes, we rode out to the start.

The horses were quiet to the Start. That all changed once we got going. There was a lot of running sideways out of the start, for about a half mile. I tried to straighten Cher out and get her to run straight, but she wanted to curl and threaten to buck. She could see other horses that were more than halfway finished runnining the the cornfield through the woods and she wanted to break through the woods and race. I started singing Christmas songs because they were the only things that could instantly come to my head and she started to settle into a rhythm and we say the path and started to canter in a straight line. From there on were were pretty golden for about 4 miles!!!

4 miles in, we came along 2 bay horses that were walking. Cher was intrigued, and being a busy body about it. I was able to keep her with me, until we broke out into the open fields with the cross country jumps. She started to buck and want to gallop. I apologized and asked to pass. Cher knew exactly were we were and pulled me up the hill. I tried to pull down the hill to folllow the arrow, but I had totally and utterly lost steering.

I grabbed her mouth rudely to try to spin her to the right. She adeptly showed me exactly how flexible she could be as she flexed her head to my knee and continued running on her planned track. "Nasty little bitch" I yelled. You taught me everything I know- show rolled her eyes gleefully at me and tossed in a buck. I slammed my heel into her left rib and then gave a less polite kick. She gave a very nice canter pirouette and started acting like she was listening again. So helpful. We galloped the rest of the jump field at a full gallop. I realized that the photographer was down at the bottom of the hill. This was both exciting and scary. I wonder what she heard me say... And I hope she got some good pictures!!!! 

The rest of the ride was brilliant. Once Cher had that very hilly gallop out of her system, she was very obedient for the rest of the ride. We ride 9 miles in 1 hr and 43 mins and 42 secs. We came in second place in trailblazers!

Idiots among us

I went out for a nice ride with Shannon today. She rode Cher, and I rode Gunny. She hadn't ridden in over 3 years and so she will be sore tomorrow, and Tuesday, and I hope she doesn't need to pick anything up off the floor on weds, but Cher took care of her. Gunny wanted to buck like a dolphin when we had a brief trot/canter/leap up wolf den drive and wanted to try to race, but I knew Shannon wasn't up to that. So we were able to keep to a nice half-pass/saddle-seat quality trot up the road. As soon as we got back into the woods, he settled back onto the buckle as he always does.

Driving home was a bit interesting though. As I pulled up to the intererction of 101 and 169 the light changed. A pack of motorcyclists pulled up. They must have had a benefit ride, and two riders blocked both the left and right sides of the road so that they couldn't go. I needed to take a left but was unable to because of the motorcyclists. The blue van behind me started honking.  I am not sure if he was just an asshole, or if he really thought I was purposefully just not pulling out I front of the hundreds of motorcyclists that kept a pouring down the road. Gunny kept bouncing around in the trailer as the hundreds of loud motorcyclists sped, roaring, past us. The light above us kept changing but the motorcyclists were ignoring them. Vehicles were backing up all around three sections of intersection. The idiot behind me kept honking. I yelled back that I couldn't go forward. 

Finally the motorcycles past. The lights cycled and the car on my left and right went through my cycle. I STILL needed to turn left. The oncoming traffic wasn't going to give way, so I had to wait. Idiot behind me kept honking. 

The light changed. Left and right had their turn. The light turned back to me, I finally got to go. I pulled wide and turned. Asshole behind me started to clap and hoot and holler. I guess he thought he was hilarious. He earned himself a good middle finger and the FU! I wish people could learn some patience and respect for the other people on the road. 

Suspicious minds

I played unfair today. I parked at the airline trail station instead of our normal spot because it was closer, and I was tired and in a hurry. The sun is going down faster now, and I am still learning my new schedule with my huge diet change.

Cher unloaded well but snorted as a few bikers sped past us and went to their vehicles. They never said a word to us. I wish we could educate bicyclists that they are inherently scary to horses BECAUSE they are so silent, but as soon as they talk, most horses are able to file them as HUMANS, and therefore, not ALIENS. Luckily, Cher is not usually bothered by the average biker.

So I tacked her up, and I was able to get her trotting down the trail fairly quickly. She definitely wanted to mention that this was NOT her trailhead and NOT her evening trail spot and that there was a possibility that she was not coming back alive, but she is a good mare and settled into a working trot and working canter pretty quickly. 

UNTIL, we hit the third section of trail- Covell Rd. to the RTE 44 bridge. I am not sure what she heard or smealt, but she suddenly acted like there were bears in the woods. She started to breathe hard, I could feel her heart pounding through my boots. She braced againstthe bit to peer into the woods, she skittered off one way and then skittered off the other, I kept her going forward into a trot to see if she would settle into movement. She rattled her nostrils in dismay. She was in control but not happy. I asked her if she wanted to go faster. She leapt forward into a glorious gallop. Absolutely in control, totally straight, and just wanting to not be where we currently were. I could feel her panic slow. I made her slow to a canter, then trot and then a walk as we came up to the bridge. The echoes of the stream and cars above us bounces on the water and the cement around us but she was quiet as we walked under the bridge. She blew as we past the bridge from her exhertion, but was finally back to her normal self.

After that we had a fairly normal ride past the swamp, turned around. She was up and slightly nervous again in the same spot going back, and immediately calmed down as soon as we crossed Covell Rd., so I wonder what was in the woods right there.

This is my peach and I may have to cut you if you try to take it away from me. Did I mention I am am trying to figure out my new diet.