Happy Easter!!!

Ya know, just mowing the lawn on a Sunday morning lol

I hope that you are all having a fantastic Easter! We are waiting for B to get up from her nap to celebrate.

Make sure to go over to Viva Carlos and enter the contest!

Saturday I had a lesson a lesson, it didn't rain till later in the day. I was slow moving for sure. Got Henry- was worried I would have a really dirty horse since I left him naked but he wasn't woo hoo, groomed, tacked up, went to the really really big round arena to lunge- he was NUTS, got on and went to work in the lesson.

He was better on the flat and lead changes weren't as rough.

Working Student hopped on and jumped Henry a little since she didn't ride him Friday. He was good for her... so It was back to my turn.

Lets see the boxes were one in front of the other so the jump was skinny but wide, does that make sense?

I honestly can't remember all the courses/combinations we did so just know we jumped it all lol :)

Henry was great! He is getting better and better and I love it! The swedish oxer was def big for me and airy but he didn't bat an eye at it and we did it both ways and did it well :)

Off today, hack tomorrow, lesson Tuesday, off Wednesday, lesson Thursday, trainer ride Friday and turn out/lunge Saturday. This week I will be out at a customer site all week so it should be interesting with my riding schedule but I am going to do my best to stick with what I have laid out above and hubby won't be home till Saturday night from work so no riding Saturday for me.

Yep, One of those rides! and VIDEO :)

I was not looking forward to riding in my lesson Thursday. I don't want to mess up all the work that I have done (with my trainers help) on Henry and after Tuesday was worried I'd suck again. But I knew I had to do it, I need to be pushed so that I don't become complacent or a chicken- this is one of the things I love most about my trainer.

Got to the barn, no one was there so I groomed, tacked and lunges. Just as I was getting on my trainer got there so we headed down to the big arena and got to work. Henry was spookie but I was able to deal with it better then Tuesday (didn't get scared and was confident).

We worked on lead changes a bunch- going from right to left. This is his "bad" way. But really we are refining him and asking for changes on the straight away because he gets them great around turns or when jumping.

Then we move onto jumping... this was the BEST part!

Warmed up over the X turning left and right after it, alternating sides. Then we did the X to the 4 stride line, then around to the oxer around to the boxes. Then we did the boxes to the 4 stride line. Then the one stride line a couple time.

It was one of those jumping sessions that we didn't have to harp on anything, just kept adding or changing the course and it was awesome.

Of course then I asked for my trainer to take some pictures of my jumping the boxes, she opted for video instead and we had some rough distances and I really need to get my back flat but here are some videos for ya! :) Not perfect in any way shape or form but better! And that is my hood flopping around, not my hair lol!

So I went from leery about my lesson to telling myself to deal with it to it being a great lesson and just what I needed!

Henry got turned out today and a lesson tomorrow (if it doesn't rain).

Doubt?!

I didn't think the antics from Sunday were going to affect me but I guess subconsciously they did..

Tacked up and lunged- he was dead despite me trying to get him run around. Got on and headed down and of course he lit up when I got into the big arena. He was looking and spooking at who knows what- seriously there was nothing there sometimes. One time he slammed on the brakes and then went backwards a bunch- ummm Henry there is nothing there! Stressed me out!

Trainer told me to go gallop him and then do some half halts and stops to make sure I had his brain- I was SO not stoked about this. I defiantly didn't let him fully gallop, not going to lie.

Once we jumped his brain was back in working order... Praise the Lord!

Warmed up over 1 to 2.. then did a course 1 to 2 (in 5), right turn to 3, left turn to 4. Did this a couple times and he was good.

Then we did 4 on a figure 8, left turn then right turn then left turn and right.. you get it.

Cooled out, untacked, cleaned up, grained, kissed and put away.

Off today, lesson tomorrow, lunge Friday and lesson Saturday.

Is it only Monday?!

You know it's going to be a long long week when you are already done at 10:30 on Monday morning LOL!

So last night when I went to blanket Henry had rolled in pee and poop... ugh so much for a clean horse! I had cleaned him up so nice after our ride ugh! Maybe tonight I can do a little damage control with water and a sponge.

I think I am going to take Henry down to the big round pen to get his run on.. after him taking off Sunday I thought that maybe he needs to get that speed out. No babysitter tonight, she canceled on me so I can't ride.

Last but not least check out SprinklerBandits contest here :) Riding Ninja baby!

Lesson Tuesday, off Wednesday, lesson Thursday, trainer ride Friday and lesson Saturday.

95 woot!

95 followers! 5 More and i'll do some sort of give away/contest.

Back to the good stuff...

Saturdays lesson got moved to Sunday.

Saturday was turn out for Henry.

Sunday's lesson.... I set my alarm for Saturday instead of Sunday so I woke up late.

Got to the barn, got Henry, brought him up to groom and the "barn manager" cornered me and basically told me that I was not to complain about things and that my complaint about the turn outs was not true (attempting to intimidate me I guess). Funny I am pretty sure I PAY you to give me a service and I walk by the turn outs EVERY DAY so I know what is going on with them- she even admitted that she hasn't been down to look at them after I stood my ground with her.

Tacked up, lunged and headed down to the lower arena.

Hacked around and warmed up with the group. Henry was pretty good... then lead changes and that is where the fun began- we worked hard but got them.

Warmed up over a baby vertical (1) with the group, turning left and right after to get the leads.

Then L went and did a more complex course that I did in the end but I started out with 2 to 3 around to 6 straight lead change to the right lead roll back to 5 to 4.

Then I did it backwards 4 to 5, roll back to 6 around to 3 to 2.

Then I did the course L did first- 2 to 3, angle over just 4, roll around 5 to 6, left turn around 1 to 5 and 4. Did that twice and it was much better.

Then the boxes- which were actually at more of an angle but I couldn't figure out how to make them angel lol. Did them back and fourth and the second or third time over after the jump I asked for the lead change and Henry did it and proceeeded to take off with me- of course I lost my stirrups and knew that if I turned him into the rain he would prop and my ass would be in the dirt, I tried to get my irons back but could only get one so I sat up and turned him into the rail (this whole time he was getting faster and faster and despite my whoaing and PULLING on the reins he didn't seem to remember I was up there). I was super shaken up and pissed at the same time.

Did the boxes a few more times to get a good ending and then was done... ugh this horse!

He was great jumping but that taking off thing is NOT cool.

I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned today- horse- washed his legs and tail and vetrolyned his body, tack, grain room, a bit of cleaning my box and organized a few things. Also put on Henry's new pull on bell boots- I seriously go through a pair every 2 months of the ones with velcro... the velcro comes off of them b/c the sand cuts it and it always happens when I am out riding so I lose the pieces.

Everyone's bridles waiting to be cleaned :)

Maybe a hack Monday, lesson Tuesday, off Wednesday, lesson Thursday, trainer ride Friday and lesson Saturday.

Wide Open Spaces...

Wednesday I did a quick lunge with Henry.. just wanted to give him a chance to stretch his legs and get some crazies out.

Thursday I had a lesson.

Groomed and lunged and then got on. We went down to the big arena and there were 4 jumps set up and A LOT of wide open space. Henry was lookie at the jumps piled outside of the arena, the random chairs and flapping paper courses stapled on the arena fence- left from the pony show.

*jump on soap box*
If you hosted a horse show, wouldn't you clean up after your event?! Also wouldn't you make sure that the people that came to your event parked their trailers in the designated, LARGE open area and not in the middle of the road and parking area for the boarders cars?! When I go up to blanket my horse I don't expect to have to cater to the trailers parked in the middle of the road blocking the way so I can't drive in!!!

All of the distraction in the arena are fine... I am totally ok working through these things with Henry (he really wasn't that bad, Louis on the other hand, poor Clare!) and they are helpful for our future at horse shows but I think it's rude and disrespectful for someone to leave a mess and not think about the people who PAY TO KEEP THE PLACE RUNNING!
*jump off soap box*

We trotted a little and then went to cantering and keeping his attention ON ME haha!

Then we worked on lead changes.

Then onto jumping...

Not to scale.. we used like half of the BIG arena

Warmed up over 1 back and forth.

Then did 1 right lead to 2 left lead to 4 all the way around on the left lead to 3.

Then we did1 left lead and a bit of a roll back to 3 six strides to 1 right turn to 4 right turn to 2.

We worked on lead changes a bunch especially over 2 and going right to left lead.

Henry took a lot of work today but it was a good lesson :) He jumped well and I love riding him!

Trainer ride tomorrow, turn out Saturday and lesson Sunday.

A Little Break...

I decided to forgo the lesson last night to spend some time with B and have a night "off". We still turned Henry and Louie out and blanketed them but the time at the barn was an hour not three :)

Thanks Kat for the pic :)

Tonight my goal is to lunge Henry if the weather holds and if B will cooperate :) Let him blow off a little steam since we have a lesson tomorrow.

Lesson Thursday, trainer ride Friday, turn out Saturday and lesson Sunday.

Starting off the week right...

First I watched the HITS Thermal AIG $1 Million GP live and it was awesome! Meredith Michaels won and what an amazing, beautiful and awesome horse Bella Donna is!!

Hubby asked if I wanted to do stuff "like that" one day- cause he watched some of the GP with me.. I laughed and asked if he was going to win the lottery ... He said "oh good, I'm glad you are realistic about money" ... haha one day maybe I'll be able to go watch :)

Monday I hacked. It was short as I was really missing B and wanted to get home to her.

I tacked up, lunged and got on. Henry was good overall and I just went through the paces- nothing fancy- just wtc and a good basic but solid hack.

Cooled him out, untacked, groomed, cleaned my tack, let him graze while I filled his water, grained him, blanketed him and gave kisses.

Lesson tonight (I am really missing B again today, so contemplating bowing out), off tomorrow, lesson Thursday, trainer ride Friday and  going to watch my BFF show Saturday.

Corned Beef!!

Corned beef, carrots, potatoes and cabbage is a cookin!

Friday Henry got turned out and a much deserved day off!

B and I went out to dinner with some friends

Saturday was group lesson day, only 4 of us- nice small group.

The fog was crazy on my way to the barn

Groomed, lunged and got on. Hacked around with the group, Henry felt really really good.

We move onto jumping...

Warmed up over 1 making a right or left turn after going through the ground polls.

Then we did 1 to 2, around to 3 and over the ground poll on the right, then over 1 to 4. Henry was really good! We had jumped a lot this week so after we did that a few times my trainer said that was enough for him and Erica and I went for a walk to cool out.

The weather was awesome! I gave Henry a vetrolyn liniment hose down and then lots of grazing :)

Sunday was turn out day .. at home we are starting off the week right with a delishious meal in a little bit :)

Monday hack, Tuesday lesson, Wednesday off, Thursday lesson, Friday trainer ride and Saturday idk...

Thirsty Thursday...

oh wait no drinking on a work night. Actually I like never drink haha!

Escape Artist - this is why I have the chain...

Thursday I had my weekly torture session I mean lesson. I always like my Thursday lesson a lot AFTER the lesson. This is a private lesson and my trainer pushes me a lot more then she does the other times in the week.

I had lots of time to groom, pet/give kisses and dress up Henry :)

Lunged and got on- got a text from my trainer that she was running late so I warmed up on my own and was ready to head down to jump when she arrived.

We went down to the big arena and I cantered around a bit more and through the jumps then we got down to work.

What we jumped:
- vertical
- one stride line (verticals)
- in and out/bounce (x to a vertical)
- 3 stride line (vertical to an oxer with a wall in the middle)

Warmed up over the vertical back and forth.

Then did the one stride a couple times then did the one stride, short turn to the vertical to the bounce to the 3 stride. Did this a couple times and then we went to the 3 stride and getting that right.

Henry gets the strides no problem, most of the time I even have to whoa in the line and then I really really have to whoa after the jump, he isn't being bad but he gets going. So we worked on pace to the first fence and then whoa in the middle with a half halt and then lots of whoa after the jump. We did the line both ways and off both leads.

Another lesson where I can say I love my horse- he was such a good boy even when I couldn't see a distance to save my life :)

I bathed home boy after we took a nice long walk around the property to cool out. A clean horse is my FAV! Let him eat some grass while I cleaned his stall and filled his water.

I am on Louie duty cause his mom is gone so I blanketed both horses, love their matchy matchy ness :) Gave kisses and headed out.

Turn out today (Friday) and a lesson tomorrow.

Is it March or May?! (updated with a video)

Loving this warm weather!!!

Wish I lived here!

Monday I was told Henry was a rock start, really really good. Here is a video my trainer sent me.

Tuesday I had a lesson. I got to the barn early and groomed the life out of Henry :) Tacked up, lunged and got on. I had a nice 30 min hack on my own.. then E and L came in and we headed down to the outside arena. We hacked around around again with the group.

Then onto jumping... warmed up over a baby vertical back and forth.

Then I war instructed to do a line. It was 4 jumps, 1 stride between each. Henry was awesome! We went back and forth over it a few times and it felt great.

Then we working on the beloved wedge. He was good, my eye was off and I kept getting long distances.. got a few good spots and then called it a night.

Seriously LOVE my horse! :)

Wednesday - just got a text and was told he was really really good.

Yeah Henry!!!

Thursday lesson, Friday off (and hopefully the chiro will be out) and Saturday lesson. Henry has a hard week this week but last week was light so we are making up some lessons.

Saturday, Sunday... and the loss of an hour

Saturday aka group lesson day... The Hawley clinic was going on outside so we rode inside.

Groomed and tacked up Henry... 

At one point he had both back feet in the bucket but i wasn't quick enough to get a picture.. such a random horse! He carefully pulled them out of the bucket when we left the cross ties.

Flatted as a group... we started the lesson off with a long 2 point at the walk, sounds pathetic but my legs were burning. Though I am convinced from what I saw that Erica and I were the only two who did it the whole time out of the 5 of us who were out there.

Onto jumping- we did 1 back and forth as a group. Then the group did 1 to 2 to 3.. then I added to the course for myself... 1 to 2 to 3 to 1 to 4 bending line to 3. Henry and I did that twice and he was awesome so my trainer said to end on that.

             

Erica and I went for a short walk and then I groomed and put him away.

Came back up to the barn and cleaned all my tack.

Made sure I picked up all my stuff and headed home to get ready to drive to Clovis with my hubby and daughter for my bff's daughters bday party.

Sunday was Henry's off day and he got turned out to enjoy the awesome weather!

I love the longer days but hate the loss of sleep!

Monday is a trainer ride since they didn't ride him Friday, Tuesday is my lesson, Wednesday is the weekly trainer ride, Thursday is my lesson, Friday is his day off and Saturday idk...

A set schedule

Thursday I had my lesson...

This is what we jumped

We started out flatting around with some lead changes sprinkled in. The moved onto jumping.

Started with the "normal vertical" back and forth a bit.

I forgot to add the wedge in the picture but we did that too after the warm up vertical.

Then moved onto the vertical to the oxer one stride a few times and that went awesome. Then we added in a right hand turn after the oxer around the airy vetical with the polls in front of it. I was intimidated by it at first but when we jumped it it was no big deal :) Thankful that my trainer pushes me!

Then we did the one stride to three strides to the bounce. The one stride is forward so the first time that I did the bounce I was going to fast and it was um interesting- Henry did awesome but then I came back around and we remembered to have a good pace to the one stride then WHOA three strides to bounce.

It was a great lesson, cooled him out and put him away.

Friday was supposed to be a trainer ride but the WS canceled at the last min... yeah not to happy about that.

I am not sure about tomorrow as the Hawley clinic is going on but i'll prob hack no matter what :)

Good Bye Warm Weather

The cold is rolling in... ok I know it's nothing compared to what some of you have been enduring :)

Grabbed Henry, groomed, tacked and lunged before I got on. He had two days off so I wnated to make sure that all his wiggles were out. He wasn't really that wild but I did make him burn off some steam.

It was just Erica and myself in the lesson and I love riding with her!

We kinda flatted on our own with a few comments here and there from our trainer. Then moved onto jumping.

Warmed up over and X and and forth alternating the turn left or right after. Then we added in another X.. doing both X's both ways. Then added in a line... Henry's fav lattice panels. It was an open 3 stride or slower 4 stride. My horse has a good stride and man that 3 felt very forward and fast but it was great for us to do the 3 and then come back to the 4 and then the 3 again.. you get the picture. We did that line both directions.

Good lesson over all.. didn't jump anything massive but working on the "finer" things haha!

Erica on Blue and Me on Henry

We walked a bunch and cooled them boys out.. un tacked, groomed him really well, loved on him, gave treats, wiped down my bridle, made grain, blanketed and took him home.

Came back and cleaned up all the jumps and headed home.

Off today, lesson tomorrow, trainer ride Fri and idk about Sat at the Hawley clinic is going on.

Question: Have any of you BoT users found that the pad makes your horse uncomfortable? Henry has felt a little funny lately when riding and the only thing that I can think of is the pad is to hot or making him uncomfortable I feel like I have ruled out everything else that I can (i am having the chiro come out just in case). I am going to ride without it and see... his back was REALLY warm where the saddle sits when I un tacked him last night.

The Good and The Bad and The Ugly

The blanket arrived!

Friday- Trainer ride. He was good.. they even jumped this BIG wedge. 

Saturday was a crazy day- Lesson and tending to all the Henry chores in the morning, rush home to take a shower and get ready for a baby shower, go to the baby shower which lasted 3 hours (well went longer but I left after 3 hours), dinner with friends and then I got sick...

So back to the lesson... as I was on my way to get Henry I watched two horses kinda not getting along and then one of them kick the crap out of the fence, kinda getting stuck and then getting free and taking the whole fence down- I started running to help but then noticed that one of the guys was running too and he said he didn't need help... I made sure he was really ok and then continued on to get Henry.

Got Henry, groomed, lunged and headed down to the big arena. There were 7 of us so a decent size lesson. Henry felt a little funny- we think his back in a little sore from jumping so much Friday.

We went through the paces... and jumped the same course that I jumped Thursday but the jumps weren't as high- which is ok since he was a little back sore.

Cooled him out and went for a walk up to our old barn with Erica.. there was a loose dog up there so we didn't venture far past the barn.

Waited my turn in line to give him a bath- everyone had the same idea that I did lol.

Let Henry graze while I cleaned his stall and filled his water

All clean! Proud of this tail :)

Dumped over his grain... why Henry?!

Hoarding!

Saturday night I got sick, Sunday I didn't get out of bed all day and today (Monday) B is sick so we are home together.

Going to try and lunge just let Henry stretch his legs today, lesson tomorrow, off/turn out Wednesday, lesson Thursday, trainer ride Friday and maybe a lesson Saturday.

In bed

sick and it sucks...

Passing the time watching the FEI $150,000 Grand Prix CSIO 4*

Hope you are all having a better Sunday then me...