I think spring may actually be here... Shocking!

It was beautiful today!

Hard to believe just last week we had single digit temperatures! Oh New England and it's ever changing weather!

The Wednesday after that last entry, I jumped UK again and used him to help Stef learn how to relax and let jumps come to her. UK was very patient while she worked on her position while trotting crossrails. I jumped him over verticals, and we did more simple changes. Even though we got some awesome weather after that, I didn't get to ride. I had a nasty cold/flu thing that I preceded to battle for two weeks straight. I managed to lunge UK on one of the better days, but other then that he had a little vacation.

Then this week I rode him more, doing flatwork on the barn's dirt driveway (ring was a lake, and the field wasn't much better), as it's a gradual hill. Lots of trot work! UK then tried to get me to take him on a trail ride by heading to the trail head while we were walking out on the road. I would have loved to, but I had other places to be. Damn normal life getting in the way of my riding time!

Today, as I'd forgotten my cell phone (which I will not trail ride without), I tacked UK up english and took him in the ring. I'd set up two verticals, one on each diagonal, a single barrel as a skinny jump with nothing on the sides, and there was a crossrail on the outside line. We warmed up and started by trotting the crossrail, which the red horse insisted on actually jumping because he was so excited. He was a very feisty pony! At least it was happy feisty, and not rebellious feisty!

We did the crossrail at the trot the other way, and then cantered one of the verticals. Then we did the barrel at the trot, and he never even considered running out! So I gave him major praise and we didn't do it again. Next was our other vertical, which had some shadows in front of it. UK decided to jump those too, which made the thing about three feet wide, and he jumped it like it was 3'6". Boy does he have a rocket pack for a rear end! I stayed with him, granted a bit behind the motion, but I stayed on and didn't hit his mouth or anything, despite the serious airtime I had! UK then realized he'd oopsed a bit, and got a little nervous. I calmed him down, and assured him it was okay, and we went back and did it again, this time jumping it's actual 2'3" height.

I made us a simple course, and we were doing great, until UK decided that rather then stopping at it's end we should really keep going and do them all again. He'd been so good lately that I've been jumping him without a standing martingale. Well, after some irritated head tossing because he didn't want to stop, I think we'll be bringing it back for awhile.

Well his freshness meant no more courses, and that we'd wrap things up by jumping a jump and halting in a straight line, relaxing, walking, and then we'd do another jump. He found this hugely unfair but eventually got the idea.

Overall I was rather pleased, as even when he was frisky, he'd still settle down and keep a consistent pace to each jump, only getting fast after landing, which is an easy fix. I think we'll do more halting, and then work up to lines where we halt in the middle to teach him to wait. We'll do either flatwork, lunging, or a trailride tomorrow or Tuesday, depending on how my non-horse things go.  

Spring time fun!

For Mother's Day I went with my friend Robin, who owns The Gifted Pony, LLC to help her with her booth/tent at a horse show up in Mass. I was really impressed with the little show, and love the fact that they have a green horse division. I'm seriously going to try to bring UK up there for his first show. Not too big, not too small and nice people.

I rode him western this week as I was trying out a used saddle. The tree was too wide so I ended up giving it back, but it was tons of fun riding him western. His pokey western trot is so comfy, and then his canter was fun, as he just kept getting lower and lower as I gave him more reins. I wasn't even riding him in a bit with a curb, just a sweet iron eggbutt snaffle. I think he was partially showing off for his girlfriend as Kristy was riding Dacharia at the same time.

Yesterday I decided that I should start getting him ready for a show environment... I purchased fake flowers at the local dollar store. *Evil Laugh Here* Because I know with my luck UK would have a heart attack if his first time dealing with them was at a show.

As predicted, UK was not sure how he felt about them when I first presented them for his inspection.

What do you mean they're not for eating?!

I brought the plastic bag full of the fake flowers with me to the ring and left it sitting in the middle of the ring while I had UK do some free-lunging flatwork. He did really well, listening and reacting to my voice commands better then ever. He actually worked instead of just running around the ring like a crazy man. When he'd gone both directions, I let him chill while I put up an outside two stride line with flowers underneath each. Because I knew he'd be chicken at first I left them as little half rails, so he'd be able to stay safe if he got awkward.

Turns out I was right. He cantered right up to the first jump like a pro, then BAM he saw the flowers, threw on the brakes and booked it for the other side of the ring. He repeated that twice, I just talked him through it and then with a great show of nerves he jumped the first jump but cut out in order not to jump the second one as he didn't realize that one had flowers too! I talked him through it, and he came back and did the line. We then changed directions and did them the other way. Lots of praise ensued and he got to take a break again while I put poles up so they were now verticals instead of half rails. 

It's not the best video, as I used my cell phone. But it still shows how cute he is, and how much he loves to jump. I'm not even holding the whip, or urging him forward with my hands. All I use is my voice and I just stand in the middle. 

It is so satisfying to see all my hard work start to pay off. He's less fearful and more confident of himself, and I'm so very proud of him! 

Now hopefully it'll stop raining so I can ride him again soon!

I think it may be spring finally!

Be quiet though, wouldn't want to scare it away! So on and off for the past week the weather has been generally 50degrees and upward, with occasional days of rain and gloom, like today. Yesterday was almost 80degrees at one point, it was so nice to not have to wear multiple layers!

I've been lunging UK pretty regularly now. I'm going to try to ride again soon, the last few times I tried to get on it started pouring on my drive to the barn. Talk about feeling cursed. Then the weather was finally nice enough but I had to be other places and doing other things. Damnit. Oh well, I'll ride him again soon.

Ok, this is just so cute.

Om, nom, nom, nom. 

So last weekend I decided to take some extra pictures to show you all a bit of 1832 Farm. It is our own little horse heaven. Most of Connecticut is either, woods, swamp or pavement these days so I count myself lucky to have a place where there is some actual room for my horse to be a horse.

Ok, so a big chunk is swamp, but they sure learn how to be surefooted. 

The above view is  looking towards the back of the barn from across the swamp. To the left, behind that fencing is where our ring is. Betsy's house is to the right, you can just see it.

See, it's not all swamp.

A view of the area around me. The fence you can see to the left is the border between us and some neighbors. Soon this will all be beautiful green grass, yeah!

And if I turn the other way, more grass! Behind those trees directly ahead is another paddock they usually can play in, but at the moment it's fenced off. The winter did a number on the fencing back there and it is literally falling apart.

All together Betsy owns a very large chunk of land, and the horses get to use the majority of it. When the grass comes in, it's lush and plentiful. There is a constant breeze due to it's high elevation, which is a blessing in the summer and a bother in the winter.

Well, I'm going to attempt to get some good photos of UK free jumping soon. I'd really like to get him to jump the tarp without spooking, but we'll see.

Toodles!