Memorable Day

Sunday Montana and I went to our first show of the season. It was a combined training schooling show. We rode our Intro Test A in dressage and did the Intro crossrails jumping course. The weather was perfect! Because I was a late entry, we were the LAST ride of the day! We also were told once we were in the warmup before dressage that we wouldn't be placed because our bit was not legal. I thought that the Intro divisions allowed any bit, but apparently not here. So, I chose to show and get scored, but didn't get counted in the standings. I was just happy to get out there. Montana was wonderful as usual. She attracted her usual fan club. We scored a 69.5 for our test. We had 7's for every movement except for the last halt, a 6 because we cut the turn a little short. The collective marks were all 7's and she complimented Montana on how wonderful she was and also, my God I can't believe it, my position. I was impressed with her because our circles were actually circles and because we were the last ride, all the other horses had left the ring and she was suddenly by herself. She didn't care, and she stayed attentive to me the whole time. In the stadium round she had a lot of fun. She didn't look at anything-just went over and on to the next. We finished full of confidence, which I had been lacking since "the fall".

Lori was there with us all day helping me and taking pictures. I don't know what I'd do without her! Especially when Montana decided that she liked Buckeye Horse Park so much she didn't want to leave. With the help of Lori and a nice couple who offered to help, we finally convinced her to go home!

All in all a good day.

Things that make you go HMMMMM

Sunday Karen and I took our horses around the neighborhood together. It was a sunny, cool day and the horses really enjoyed it. Wes was the hit of the neighborhood, especially after he make a display of peeing for several 8-10 year old girls in their driveway!

We had a lesson in the outdoor later that day. Karen set up a small course of jumps that we'll see at our mini trials. We broke it down into tiny little parts, first walking the course, going into two point over each ground pole, staying on the line, in the middle, not letting her drift. Then we trotted them, then they were raised. I had a hard time remembering to press my hands into her neck for my crest release, Karen will make sure it's drilled into my head. Montana seems to have no issue whatsoever with the jumps. She tended to rush when going toward the open end of the arena, but I could get her back. We had to be reminded of our dressage when trotting a 20 meter circle and Montana was falling on the outside shoulder. I wasn't using my outside leg behind the girth, or my outside rein. As soon as we got it together, the circle improved. At one point, Montana spooked at a noise that Ricky made while he was brushhogging in the woods. It was a pretty big one, but I was able to stay on and get her under control. We continued on with the lesson and ended on a good note.

Yesterday, I went home from work a little early because I had to pick up Little Puppy from the vet, he had some tumors removed and his teeth done. I wanted to check in on him every once in a while since he was still under the effects of the anesthetic. So I tacked up Montana in the dressage saddle and snaffle and started to work in the outdoor. We started with our regular warmup, walk on loose rein 10 minutes, stretching, getting my legs under me. Went on to halt reinback transitions, serpentines at the walk. Picked up trot and tried 20 m circles. I used transitions from trot to walk to get her attention. She was rushing and going to the left, but the right was good. Coming around to right, I don't know what I was thinking, but she suddenly lost her footing, I don't know if she shied at something or what, but suddenly I lost my balance and went off on the left side. She fell also, on her left side next to me. I held onto the reins, and she got up and stood there. She was a little shook up, she trembled slightly. I dusted myself off, checked her out and got back on. Thanking God the whole time that I could. We finished our ride with a few 20 meter circles and then went on a walk around the property.

I'm still trying to figure out what happened. I'm sore this morning and I have a weird bruise on my elbow, but I"ll live. Montana seemed fine this morning.

Hmmmm.

Fab Filly

Wow. Gotta love the fillies. Karen and I watched the Preakness in the barn yesterday. What a race! While I was screaming at the TV for the filly to win, Karen was rooting for Mine That Bird. Alas, her heart was broken when the girl beat the crapola out the boys- another year without a Triple Crown. During the pre-race festivities, we just HAD to ride a thoroughbred and I have just the one to ride-Dancer! He was our victim, but not really. He loves to be ridden. I tacked him up in the jumping saddle and Karen jumped on him first. He loves her. She concentrated on suppling since he is stiff from being out of work for so long. He was very attentive and willing. Then the call to the post, and Dancer, Karen, and I watched the race. Then I jumped on Dancer and we continued with the suppling exercises. It's nice to be on my boy again.

Fun with trot poles!

After I got home from work last night I went on a 3 mile run. Mostly hills, it felt pretty good. After the run I was ready to ride. Tacked up for jumping-with the weather this weekend (stormy) I figured that it would the only night that I could go through some grids outside.

Then I grabbed the Jimmy Wofford gymnastics book and went to work carrying all of my poles down to the outdoor and with my trusty measuring tape, set up the first gymnastic exercise in the book. My new jump blocks came in handy too. Right before I started to warm up, Karen called and when she found out we set up the gymnastic outside she drove over to help. I'm glad she did. We accomplished alot more with her there than I would have by myself. So we warmed up with stretching and riding in two point until my legs were burning. Montana was just lugging around, I really had to push her. We trotted through the grid and Karen was able to get the spacing right for her. I originally set the poles at 4' 6" apart but Karen reset them at roughly 4'1". After a few times through, Karen raised the fifth pole and we jumped over that a few times. By then Montana was pretty tired and after she blew through the jump once, we sent over it one more time cleanly, and then quit. Karen went home to do her barn work, and I took Montana out for a short jaunt through the woods. All in all, a very good ride.

BTW- the gymnastic was set up like this:

4 trot poles 4'1" apart, then another pole at 9' and another pole at 19'. The pole at 9' was the pole that we raised to 18' for our jump.

LATE NIGHT LESSON

We had a great lesson last night. Dressage-whoopee! It took us a while to get it together, but then Karen had us run through our tests and they just got better and better. Our circles started out as long ovals, and with Karen's help became lovely round circles. Our drifting down center line became straight and Karen said we'd get 7 or 8's on our halts. She said there is hope for us yet-

We ended up the lesson at about 10:15 pm. Then Karen got it into her head that she just HAD to put my new tent together. She said it would only take her 15 minutes to put together. Needless to say, when we left the barn at 12:15- it wasn't quite soup yet! Our theory is that the poles are manufactured improperly and is causing a problem with the assembly . That's our story and we're stickin to it!

BEEN AWHILE

Okay, so it's been awhile. I know, I know. Well, we've successfully recovered from two hoof absesses in the past month. All of the horses have shed their winter coats, the grass has grown in, and we're ready to rock! Montana was laid up for a little while ( a couple of weeks) due to the hoof issues. She is all healed up. We have begun jumping lessons in preparation for our upcoming combined training event on May 31st. I'm mostly worried about the dressage test though. It is very simple, but Montana isn't. As sweet as she is, she can really pull you around an arena. Our lesson last Sunday was mostly Margie work, position in two point, balance, balance, balance. We worked over ground poles the entire lesson and cut it short due to a little bit of residual soreness in Montana's right hind hoof. As of last night, she is absolutely sound.

Tonight when I get home from class, I'll throw the dressage saddle on her and we will pick up where we left off. Light, light, light- just think light! Tomorrow another lesson with Karen.
Can't wait!

SATURDAY NIGHT LESSON

Tonight we had a very interesting lesson. I forgot how to ride! That happens sometimes, right? Well, it went something like this;

Warmup:

Walk on long rein 10 minutes. Stretching horse, stretching rider.

Walk halt transitions

Walk, halt, reinback transitions, keeping the halt to the reinback smooth. Big release into marching walk.

Trot on looonnng rein

Back to walk on contact, 5 loop serpentines, 4 loop serpentines

Then into laterals:

The laterals were supposed to be part of our warmup and then onto something else, but we apparantly had a brain fart tonight and I decided to forget how to use my leg and outside rein and outside leg and it was very crappy. We had a few moments of niceness, but I don't know what was wrong with me; Montana was just going along for the ride (excuse the pun). My excuse to my instructor for my poor use of my leg aids was that I hadn't worked out much this week and I was tight in my hip. BS. It was just one of those nights I guess. But she gave me some good stuff to work on. And complimented me on our color coordination for the lesson - me with a hot pink shirt and Montana in her hot pink saddle pad and hot pink Woof splint boots. At least I pulled that together. Anyway, the golden moment of the night was Lori and Teddy, he loaded in like 20 minutes tonight. He is also standing stock still for Lori to mount up now. No more dancing around the arena for 10 minutes before each ride. You couldn't get the smile off Lori's face. After her lesson tonight she showed off her bareback riding skills by vaulting onto and then off of the other side of Teddy's back. OMG, I thought I was going to pee my pants. Thanks to her we all had a good laugh. Here is a picture of Lori and Teddy and me and Montana (in the pink of course) at the Bath Hunter Pace. Smile!!!!!

Training Montana

My instructor and I have been working with my Clyde/QH cross, Montana. She is somewhere in the range of 7 to 8 years old and a PMU baby. More Clyde than QH. She has shown herself to be very smart, somewhat stubborn, and brave for the most part. I bought her for my hubby as a trail riding horse, and she is very good at that, but she also seems to have a talent for jumping. I experimented taking her to a couple of small mini-events in my area, as well as some intro dressage schooling shows last year. She did well at her stage of training, and I decided to see how far we could happily go. Happily being the operative word- I've spent too many years unhappily due to a bad trainer to waste my time and horse again. My intention is to diary our lessons and training here, and learn from our mistakes, and reflect on our aha moments. I haven't been doing so well at keeping up my handwritten diary, maybe this blog will motivate me to be more disciplined about it. Later when I have time, I'll post more about our backgrounds and our training up to this point.