Just a quick update

So I rode UK yesterday, which was very brave of me! The wind was whipping around with 30mph gusts, but for me it felt fantastic after all the heat. UK is somewhat spooky as it is, but add a massive temperature change to cooler weather plus the wind and it's a recipe for disaster. Thus I put him on the lungeline before getting on him. Good thing! He had a whole little temper tantrum which included bucking.

Then with a prayer to the heavens and a determined attitude I mounted my crazy beast. His whole body was tense, and just waiting to explode. I swallowed my nerves and buried them in the back of my mind. Lots of forward trot, and lots of circles while working on being balanced. Every step I had my weight sunk as deep into my heel as possible, letting my very long legs keep me anchored. My torn left ankle makes this a bit painful, but I preferred enduring that little bit of pain to the potential pain of being thrown. Eventually UK focused and started to relax a tiny bit. I rewarded him every time he relaxed, trying to get it into his head that paying attention to me and not the scary things outside the ring was best.

I had changed the big oxer from free jumping him the day before to a nice big crossrail that we could pop over if he continued being good. I knew he'd jump it, as it was a little bit too high to just trot over. However I was not expecting the massive jump that he gave me. We trotted up to it, with me holding my leg and then BAM he jumped it like it was the big oxer from the day before. Thank goodness for muscle memory! I admit, I wasn't able to catch up with him quite as fast as I would have liked, but that was mostly due to the fact I still had my stirrups long for flatting. Thus I caught his mouth for about a second before I let the reins slip through my fingers on the landing. I made him keep cantering afterwards and then walked to regroup.

We attempted to jump it again, but now he was scared off it and stopped when we approached it again. So I spanked him once with my hand. I think the reason he was acting off about it was the shadows were making it seem like there was something in front of it, thus making it look wider then it was.

Not wanting to fight him, I changed tacts. I made him pick up the canter, we did a couple circles and then went back to trot. Then I changed directions and trotted the crossrail tracking left. He was reluctant, but moved forward when asked. Lots of praise was given and then we cantered it, more praise after doing it perfectly. Then we turned back to tracking right and successfully trotted it that way a couple times. Then we ended on that high note.

I gave him today off, but I plan on doing something with him tomorrow as I dragged the ring today. All that fluffy footing is just begging to be ridden on!

Snow Days!

I'm just going to say it. I love the snow! I really really love large amounts of snow! I don't care if it makes life harder, I still love it! It's my favorite thing about winter (the second favorite thing being no bugs!). We've had snow every week now for the last few weeks. I can't get enough.

Last Saturday Kristy and I took advantage of a break in the wind to ride together. This was to be her first ride on Dacharia since trying her out in the beginning of December. She was nervous (understandably), but Dacharia was fine as was my expectation. The only hiccup was when a jogger came down the road, he was silent and showed up behind her, which immediately triggered the fight or flight instincts. She just skittered a little and was fine. The exception however was that she was immensely offended at Kristy yelling at her. Such a mare attitude! So she then proceeded to trot with her nose in the air to prove a point. Kristy was also having problems due to her saddle, which really doesn't fit her anymore. She's saving up for a new one thankfully.

What about UK? He started by not standing still for me to mount, which is not like him. Uh-oh! I then said a prayer before getting on and commenced to warm him up at the walk with a fleece cooler over my legs and his rear end. I figure taking a cooler on and off while in the saddle will help him with his fear of fluttering cloth *coughtarpscough*. When I finally took the cooler off and hung it on the fence he was fine, no spooking. He did eye it suspiciously when we trotted past, but otherwise behaved himself.

I could just feel he was full of "piss and vinegar" as I told Kristy. There was a definite attitude waiting just under the surface of his calm facade, I just knew it! He worked well at the trot, we worked on more suppling and moving off of my legs. He really did well due to his extra "energy" and was rewarded by getting to walk and stretch for a bit before we moved on to a quick canter.

As we were riding in the snow I wasn't planning on doing a lot of canter, especially as there was an icy spot we needed to be careful around. I asked for the left lead canter and he was good for a few strides.... then the bucking began. They weren't horrendous bucks, but they were still real bucks. I dug in and kept him moving forward while cursing inwardly as I felt my back kink. As soon as he returned to a normal canter we walked and then went back to the canter, being rewarded for cantering without the attitude this time.

Meanwhile as all that was going on, Kristy is laughing heartily! She said that if you hadn't been able to see his back end you'd never know he was bucking as his ears were forward and he never changed pace. I was less amused then her however.

We did our canter to the right, which of course was fine. I really think his earlier issues had a lot to do with him showing off for his new "girlfriend". Silly animal. He let me put our cooler back on from the saddle with no spooks. We walked for a bit while Kristy did some more trot and I tried taking pictures from horseback.

As for today, we got over two feet here at the house and there was about three feet up at the barn. The horses were in the majority of the day as Savannah really can't take the wind anymore. Dacharia and UK were overj0yed when I finally let them outside. UK kept burying his face in the snow like a dog does, it was very cute.

My husband was awesome and had come along to move snow with the tractor so I could actually make it all the way to the manure pile without being buried alive. I cleaned the barn and got things ready for when the critters would come back in. I also shoveled snow, which was up to my mid thigh in most places.

UK seemed quite at home in the snow, and Dacharia tended to follow him around. When the wind wasn't howling it really wasn't bad out. In the end I brought them in early as Savannah looked like she'd had about enough. UK and Dacharia had to be bribed to even get them near the barn. Oh Haystretcher, you are wonderful!

I'm not looking forward to having to go back to work tomorrow, it was really nice to have an extra day off! I hope to be able to ride on Saturday again, weather permitting!