On a whim I entered the Riders 4 Helmets end of the year story competition. All stories had to involve helmets and have photos to go with the written words.
My entry was featured on their website! To see it click Here.
Of course the horse that flipped over on me was Tessa.
Happy New Year's Eve!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Looking Forward
So it's the last week of 2010 and I can't help but look back at all that's gone on this year. Boy has it been long and fraught with drama! I can honestly say that this year was one of the worst for me personally. When I compare it's major events to years past it is easily in the top three.
However, that doesn't mean it didn't have good moments too. One of the big ones were finding and purchasing UK (obviously). I mean, talk about things just falling into place. I think fate (or the powers that be) couldn't have done much more short of putting up a sign to tell me that if I didn't buy this horse I'd always regret it.
I know I sing his praises quite often, but he really is a honest to goodness good guy. I'm not saying he's perfect, every horse and every person have their faults. His are just minor compared to all his pluses.
So looking back at 2010 what am I happiest about (I'm sticking to horse related things for my own safety)?
1. UK (duh!)
2. Finding Tess a great home with a girl/woman that adores her. Which is more then a lot of horses get these days.
3. Finally being honest with myself about what I really want to do instead of letting other people's opinions overshadow my dreams. (I let that happen a lot when I was younger)
4. Remembering to count my blessings often so I don't loose sight of the real things.
Now then, looking to 2011 I do have some wishes and goals. Will I manage to do all of them? I really hope so, but as any horse person knows having goals just seems to tempt ill luck sometimes. So crossing my fingers, knocking on wood and saying a prayer before I put the pen to paper/ fingers to keyboard...
1. Go Eventing! Or a horse trial or SOMETHING that is actually a real riding competition other then a fair with my horse.
2. Actually take some lessons with an eventing trainer. (I have a history of reading a lot and then going it alone, which I'm getting too old for)
3. Take UK to a show and do a Halter class. Not only have I never done one, but I think it would be a great way to see how Mr. Yuke does in a show atmosphere.
4. Do a hunter pace, hopefully Ride for the Cure.
I know to some people those don't seem like huge goals, but they are for me. I've basically only been riding recreationally for 2 and a half years when it comes to my own horse(s). Sure I've been training, showing and teaching other people and their horses, but not my own.
Plus life keeps throwing up roadblocks, and I'm sick of having to tear them down or go around. Now I'm going to try to jump them! HA! (I can hear my husband wince at the mention of jumping, he can't understand why I can't be happy doing dressage like his mother and sister. Silly man.)
So Friday night I'll be at my good friend (and farrier)'s house for a new years bash, and I'm going to do my best to just look forward and leave this year in the dust.
-- On a separate note, I'm very excited to note that my good friend Kristy (the one who rode UK for me) is getting a new horse on Saturday! I will update and hopefully have some pictures once we get her settled. UK will be so happy to have a new friend! --
So.... I bid adeu to you 2010 and I'll do my best to Rise Up, Ride Forward and Not Be Afraid to Grab Mane in 2011!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
I know, I know... I've been bad about posting!
First off let me start out by apologizing profusely for my lack of writing the past couple of months. I had some really hard (non horse) things to get through.
Literally the day after my last post I had a life altering doctor's visit. I'll sum it up thus: There were complications and I ended up loosing my daughter who we named Faith Ann. I was in the hospital for almost a week and spent about a month recovering. Our family and friends were wonderful, supportive and helpful.
Then the holidays commenced and well, I'm sure all of you know how it goes...
As for UK, he's been a peach through everything. We have been working on his big fears (specifically tarps and their plan to eat him alive).
The above picture was a momentous occasion! His feet are actually on the tarp, and it was later followed by actually walking (quickly) over the tarp. (He later ruined all his calm by getting brave and pawing the tarp which of course scared the daylights out of him)
So I was mean and made UK work that morning. I was doubly mean as I moved the tarp from being on the ground to on the fence. The tarp is UK's sworn enemy, he is convinced of this and has been awaiting it's attack for months now.
He started out awesome, then once I started taping he got lazy, which I told him (I cut myself off in the video by accident).
His free lunging has come a long way, as has his jumping. And all that hard work has been paying off! I've now jumped UK undersaddle twice and both times he's been fearless and smart. Thanks to me making him learn how to balance and find his own rhythm he's confident in himself now. Big difference from when I first brought him home. He's starting to even have that wonderful "fifth leg", which has me all excited.
In October UK lost a shoe, again (this time it was my fault, with everything going on I sorta forgot to call the farrier). Here his is pictured reading the manual regarding the proper application of an Easyboot. However the Easyboot didn't last and ended up being returned in frustration as UK made it clear that he did not want it on his foot, not even for an hour.
The upside is his feet are in wonderful health now, and don't chip despite all the rocks...
Then UK was introduced to his new adopted sibling, a black lab mix named General. General is a year and a half old and from Tennessee. UK likes General a lot more then General likes UK.
Their relationship has improved since those first couple of weeks. General has tried chasing UK a couple times, and UK has been unimpressed. UK was even better when Gen escaped and came after us as I was cantering to a jump. I had a heart attack as I saw the black streak come flying towards my horse's back end. UK's reaction? "Whatever" Needless to say Gen was in BIG trouble for that little stunt, and he seems to have learned his lesson. Pictured below they can be seen in their Pessoa blankets... awww.
Winter arrived up here early, with bitter temperatures and biting winds. I sprained my ankle the day before thanksgiving and ended up riding bareback that weekend.
UK has not been staying warm enough, which is surprising, as he was born in upstate NY.
UK was wearing the pictured heavy weight Amigo on a 32 degree day and was not warm.... And I haven't even clipped him at all!
After trying him in my other blankets and finding that quite a few of them don't fit him, ugh. I was forced to order him a last minute Christmas present from the lovely people at SmartpakEquine.com. I got him the Amigo heavy weight stable blanket. It arrived Christmas Eve and he was a very happy pony after I put it on.
After becoming addicted to watching Peter Atkins and HJ Hampton aka "Henny" and joining their fan club, I started to once again pay attention to Eventing (this started in the summer and got worse after WEG). Anyway, I am trying to get to a point. I've decided that this coming year UK and I are going to try Eventing. I talked to my friends, including my friend Kristy who used to do horse trials. Everyone thinks he'd be fabulous at it, and I just know he's got the talent. Now it's just a matter of making it so I can afford it. Ha!
Jumping I've got down, and I know my way around a field with hills and iffy terrain due to the hunter paces I used to do combined with all the crazy stuff I used to do as a teenager. It's the dressage that I'm skeptical about... UK has the moves, but I've never been a big
fan of dressage. I did however marry into a dressage family and some of my closest friends do dressage. So it can't be that bad... right? I mean I'm big on flatwork, you can't jump well if you don't do a lot of flat work, but calling it dressage just gives me the heebe-jeebes...
Now I leave you with this festive and ridiculously cute picture of UK showing us how to rock the Santa hat. I mean, I don't think you could get much cuter without someone's brain exploding!
Also I'd like to mention Eventing Nation, this blog has become my new addiction and daily read. The whole crew there have a great sense of humor and make it easy to keep up with all the horse world news and drama.
Now I've just got to try to dig myself a path to the manure pile tonight in the 3 feet drifts left by the blizzard that hit Sunday. FUN....
Toodles, and I promise it won't be another two months before I write again!
Literally the day after my last post I had a life altering doctor's visit. I'll sum it up thus: There were complications and I ended up loosing my daughter who we named Faith Ann. I was in the hospital for almost a week and spent about a month recovering. Our family and friends were wonderful, supportive and helpful.
Then the holidays commenced and well, I'm sure all of you know how it goes...
As for UK, he's been a peach through everything. We have been working on his big fears (specifically tarps and their plan to eat him alive).
The above picture was a momentous occasion! His feet are actually on the tarp, and it was later followed by actually walking (quickly) over the tarp. (He later ruined all his calm by getting brave and pawing the tarp which of course scared the daylights out of him)He started out awesome, then once I started taping he got lazy, which I told him (I cut myself off in the video by accident).
His free lunging has come a long way, as has his jumping. And all that hard work has been paying off! I've now jumped UK undersaddle twice and both times he's been fearless and smart. Thanks to me making him learn how to balance and find his own rhythm he's confident in himself now. Big difference from when I first brought him home. He's starting to even have that wonderful "fifth leg", which has me all excited.
In October UK lost a shoe, again (this time it was my fault, with everything going on I sorta forgot to call the farrier). Here his is pictured reading the manual regarding the proper application of an Easyboot. However the Easyboot didn't last and ended up being returned in frustration as UK made it clear that he did not want it on his foot, not even for an hour.The upside is his feet are in wonderful health now, and don't chip despite all the rocks...
Then UK was introduced to his new adopted sibling, a black lab mix named General. General is a year and a half old and from Tennessee. UK likes General a lot more then General likes UK.
Their relationship has improved since those first couple of weeks. General has tried chasing UK a couple times, and UK has been unimpressed. UK was even better when Gen escaped and came after us as I was cantering to a jump. I had a heart attack as I saw the black streak come flying towards my horse's back end. UK's reaction? "Whatever" Needless to say Gen was in BIG trouble for that little stunt, and he seems to have learned his lesson. Pictured below they can be seen in their Pessoa blankets... awww.
Winter arrived up here early, with bitter temperatures and biting winds. I sprained my ankle the day before thanksgiving and ended up riding bareback that weekend.
UK has not been staying warm enough, which is surprising, as he was born in upstate NY.
UK was wearing the pictured heavy weight Amigo on a 32 degree day and was not warm.... And I haven't even clipped him at all!
After trying him in my other blankets and finding that quite a few of them don't fit him, ugh. I was forced to order him a last minute Christmas present from the lovely people at SmartpakEquine.com. I got him the Amigo heavy weight stable blanket. It arrived Christmas Eve and he was a very happy pony after I put it on.
After becoming addicted to watching Peter Atkins and HJ Hampton aka "Henny" and joining their fan club, I started to once again pay attention to Eventing (this started in the summer and got worse after WEG). Anyway, I am trying to get to a point. I've decided that this coming year UK and I are going to try Eventing. I talked to my friends, including my friend Kristy who used to do horse trials. Everyone thinks he'd be fabulous at it, and I just know he's got the talent. Now it's just a matter of making it so I can afford it. Ha!
Jumping I've got down, and I know my way around a field with hills and iffy terrain due to the hunter paces I used to do combined with all the crazy stuff I used to do as a teenager. It's the dressage that I'm skeptical about... UK has the moves, but I've never been a big
fan of dressage. I did however marry into a dressage family and some of my closest friends do dressage. So it can't be that bad... right? I mean I'm big on flatwork, you can't jump well if you don't do a lot of flat work, but calling it dressage just gives me the heebe-jeebes...Now I leave you with this festive and ridiculously cute picture of UK showing us how to rock the Santa hat. I mean, I don't think you could get much cuter without someone's brain exploding!
Also I'd like to mention Eventing Nation, this blog has become my new addiction and daily read. The whole crew there have a great sense of humor and make it easy to keep up with all the horse world news and drama.
Now I've just got to try to dig myself a path to the manure pile tonight in the 3 feet drifts left by the blizzard that hit Sunday. FUN....
Toodles, and I promise it won't be another two months before I write again!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Jake's Story (Part 2)
Ok, I know it's been a bit, but telling his story, even omitting huge chunks is exhausting. I have so many memories and I still miss him a great deal.
Also there will be a UK update soon, I promise!
----
So where was I? Ah yes, when he moved to the little private barn....
Like I said before, Jake was the king of his new domain. He lived with two other horses and they were out 24/7 as long as the weather didn't get too bad. His pasture mates were a young Standardbred gelding named Spencer who idolized Jake and a slightly older paint mare named Cherokee (aka Little Miss Priss).
I had also started looking for a new trainer and had gone to try a lesson with her. My friend who's mom had trailered Jake around during his nervous breakdown was going with me. We had a decent time but both of us pretty much hit a brick wall. The way we'd both been taught to jump was dead wrong. She who will not be named had taught everyone how to jump by jumping ahead. We basically needed to start from scratch.
So during that first lesson with this trainer I hurt myself. I'd groomed Jake to the nines in preparation for meeting this new trainer. He was as shiny as a new minted penny . When we went to jump a large vertical he tripped on the landing, and as he was all shined up and had a very short mane that offered no resistance, my right arm followed his body and slipped over to the left side of his neck, dislocating my shoulder. He kept cantering and I managed to pull him to a stop one handed. My right arm was dangling useless at my side and I was seeing spots. Everyone was freaking out, telling me to get off and generally looking shocked. I took a deep breath, dropped my reins and used my left hand to pop my right shoulder back into place. I informed them that if I tried to get off I would fall off. I took ibuprofen and kept riding. I later on went to see my chiropractor and was informed to keep my arm in a sling for two weeks. (This did not go over well at work, and the barn manager still made me move hay bales one armed.)
I eventually had a couple of lessons with this trainer after given the ok by my doctor and quickly decided she wasn't for me. We were pretty close to each other riding level wise. We talked and I agreed to trailer Jake up to share a lesson with her and try her new trainer. That's when I met Jess, who I ended up riding with for the next 5 years.
Also at that fall I ended up leaving Lee's as my full time job. I worked at a total of 4 barns (including Jess'), an orchard and a toy store in order to pay for my horse. I was killing myself but I managed to keep going financially and keep riding. I would ride Jake at home practicing what I'd learned in my lessons that I had at Jess' barn.
Then everything came to a screaming stop right after New Years... I had been snow shoveling the driveway after a storm, and suddenly I felt something in my shoulder snap. I was in an excruciating amount of pain. Over the next three months I saw doctors, had an MRI and was informed that I had torn my rotater cuff in such a way that it was inoperable. I wasn't allowed to do anything during those three months, I had to quit all my jobs and my parents had to pay for Jake.
Once April arrived I was finally allowed to work again. I worked at the toy store and got my old job at Jess' back. I still had to be careful of my shoulder (I still do to this day. If you grab my right hand and yank it to the left, my arm will pop right out of the rotater cuff). Eventually I ended up working full time at Jess' and moving Jake there. I became the barn manager and took over a large chunk of her lesson load so she could focus on her more advanced students.
-----
Ok, so I started this second post on 09/28/10 and I just couldn't finish it. To roughly sum it up, Jake and I started conquering the Jumpers and did very well on a very tight budget. My students loved him, and so did everyone else.
Eventually I had a second horse who was a rescue. I was planning on reselling her immediately but the economy wasn't cooperating.
I left the show barn and kept both horses at the small private barn so I could focus on my upcoming wedding.
The morning of my wedding Jake wouldn't get up for breakfast and I received a phone call. My now husband rushed to the barn to give him Banamine and get him up and walking. I had been dropped off at the salon with no way to leave. My maid of honor picked me up and got me to the barn a short while later.
I wrote this the next day:
"Jake had to be put down Saturday morning before the wedding. He coliced that morning and was beyond saving by the time a vet could get out to the barn. Surgery wasn't an option as the vet believed he wouldn't survive the trailer ride.
Jake was a fighter, and stubborn willed. He fought to the very end, struggling to his feet whenever he could, breaking to a trot, doing everything he could to fight the pain.
He said goodbye to all the other horses, and those who were there.
I will miss my horse, and I already do. He was my best friend. He was my savior. And he was my baby. He got me through a lot of bad times, and enjoyed all the good ones too. There will never be another horse that will touch my heart and soul like Jake.
He was so much a part of me, that I still can't believe he's gone. He did a lot of good for people, giving people of all ages love and his whole heart.
Jake was only 13yrs old and had never coliced before in his life. He was so healthy that the vet had to give him extra drugs to put him down. He wanted to live, he wanted to stay, but his body let him down."
That sums it up pretty well. Instead of typing how I felt, I ended up making this video last week...
So there you go. <3 you still Bakess....
Also there will be a UK update soon, I promise!
----
So where was I? Ah yes, when he moved to the little private barn....
Like I said before, Jake was the king of his new domain. He lived with two other horses and they were out 24/7 as long as the weather didn't get too bad. His pasture mates were a young Standardbred gelding named Spencer who idolized Jake and a slightly older paint mare named Cherokee (aka Little Miss Priss).
I had also started looking for a new trainer and had gone to try a lesson with her. My friend who's mom had trailered Jake around during his nervous breakdown was going with me. We had a decent time but both of us pretty much hit a brick wall. The way we'd both been taught to jump was dead wrong. She who will not be named had taught everyone how to jump by jumping ahead. We basically needed to start from scratch.
So during that first lesson with this trainer I hurt myself. I'd groomed Jake to the nines in preparation for meeting this new trainer. He was as shiny as a new minted penny . When we went to jump a large vertical he tripped on the landing, and as he was all shined up and had a very short mane that offered no resistance, my right arm followed his body and slipped over to the left side of his neck, dislocating my shoulder. He kept cantering and I managed to pull him to a stop one handed. My right arm was dangling useless at my side and I was seeing spots. Everyone was freaking out, telling me to get off and generally looking shocked. I took a deep breath, dropped my reins and used my left hand to pop my right shoulder back into place. I informed them that if I tried to get off I would fall off. I took ibuprofen and kept riding. I later on went to see my chiropractor and was informed to keep my arm in a sling for two weeks. (This did not go over well at work, and the barn manager still made me move hay bales one armed.)
I eventually had a couple of lessons with this trainer after given the ok by my doctor and quickly decided she wasn't for me. We were pretty close to each other riding level wise. We talked and I agreed to trailer Jake up to share a lesson with her and try her new trainer. That's when I met Jess, who I ended up riding with for the next 5 years.
Also at that fall I ended up leaving Lee's as my full time job. I worked at a total of 4 barns (including Jess'), an orchard and a toy store in order to pay for my horse. I was killing myself but I managed to keep going financially and keep riding. I would ride Jake at home practicing what I'd learned in my lessons that I had at Jess' barn.
Then everything came to a screaming stop right after New Years... I had been snow shoveling the driveway after a storm, and suddenly I felt something in my shoulder snap. I was in an excruciating amount of pain. Over the next three months I saw doctors, had an MRI and was informed that I had torn my rotater cuff in such a way that it was inoperable. I wasn't allowed to do anything during those three months, I had to quit all my jobs and my parents had to pay for Jake.
Once April arrived I was finally allowed to work again. I worked at the toy store and got my old job at Jess' back. I still had to be careful of my shoulder (I still do to this day. If you grab my right hand and yank it to the left, my arm will pop right out of the rotater cuff). Eventually I ended up working full time at Jess' and moving Jake there. I became the barn manager and took over a large chunk of her lesson load so she could focus on her more advanced students.
-----
Ok, so I started this second post on 09/28/10 and I just couldn't finish it. To roughly sum it up, Jake and I started conquering the Jumpers and did very well on a very tight budget. My students loved him, and so did everyone else.
Eventually I had a second horse who was a rescue. I was planning on reselling her immediately but the economy wasn't cooperating.
I left the show barn and kept both horses at the small private barn so I could focus on my upcoming wedding.
The morning of my wedding Jake wouldn't get up for breakfast and I received a phone call. My now husband rushed to the barn to give him Banamine and get him up and walking. I had been dropped off at the salon with no way to leave. My maid of honor picked me up and got me to the barn a short while later.
I wrote this the next day:
"Jake had to be put down Saturday morning before the wedding. He coliced that morning and was beyond saving by the time a vet could get out to the barn. Surgery wasn't an option as the vet believed he wouldn't survive the trailer ride.
Jake was a fighter, and stubborn willed. He fought to the very end, struggling to his feet whenever he could, breaking to a trot, doing everything he could to fight the pain.
He said goodbye to all the other horses, and those who were there.
I will miss my horse, and I already do. He was my best friend. He was my savior. And he was my baby. He got me through a lot of bad times, and enjoyed all the good ones too. There will never be another horse that will touch my heart and soul like Jake.
He was so much a part of me, that I still can't believe he's gone. He did a lot of good for people, giving people of all ages love and his whole heart.
Jake was only 13yrs old and had never coliced before in his life. He was so healthy that the vet had to give him extra drugs to put him down. He wanted to live, he wanted to stay, but his body let him down."
That sums it up pretty well. Instead of typing how I felt, I ended up making this video last week...
So there you go. <3 you still Bakess....
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Jake's Story (Part 1)
So back in July I promised to tell the whole story concerning my first horse, Jake. I want to write it, I never tire of telling stories about him, but that is part of the problem. How do you sum up such an amazing being as Jake is just a chunk of written words? Every time I think I have summed things up well, I remember something else that made him, him....
So let's start here: Did you ever have that horse (or dog, cat, etc.) that was so much more then a pet or even a friend? That once in a lifetime animal soulmate that transcends the boundary between normal human and animal connections? That one creature that you swear understands most if not all of your words and actions? Jake was all that, he was my best friend, he balanced me out, and he taught me so much. Jake was a family member, and he had opinions that people had to listen to because he was usually right. (More about that later)
So.... I had always wanted a horse, for as long as anyone can remember, not a pony, a horse. Whenever my family could afford it I got to take riding lessons and thanks to an anonymous donation got to attend a summer riding camp when I was 6. As I got older I rode a different barns, with different horse and trainers with different approaches. I volunteered whenever I could and even got to ride a friend's horse bareback as a reward for helping on her dairy farm when I was 8. Eventually my family and I ended up in CT and the cycle started all over again. A friend of my parent's from church got me a lesson package at a local farm as a thank you for doing gardening work for her. I was ten at the time. Years went by, I, as always, read as much as I could, volunteered as much as I could and took lessons when I could afford it.
By the time I was fifteen I was indispensable as a volunteer at the barn, I would be there from dawn to dusk or longer whenever I could. I was a groom at all the shows, I never missed a day due to bad weather and the horses loved me. My initiative impressed my parents (they were really hoping this was a faze, but they were just in denial). So they sat me down and we had a talk, they were thinking of working things out so I could lease a horse, and maybe even buy one. So I got to try a bunch of horses from the barn. I tried Nicky, a western horse that had a huge chip on his shoulder. Then I tried Willow, a beautiful 3yr old morgan mare who wasn't going to get tall enough for me. Next came Hurley, he was a fantasic TB gelding that had a heart of gold, but he was expensive and one of my best friends wanted to buy him, so I decided to pass on him (he died a few months later).
Then the farm owners daughter who ran the lessons looked at me and said,
"You know what, I forgot about Jake, you should try him!"
"Jake? Which one is Jake?"
"Oh he's the one who's out all the time, the stall next to PJ." (Ok, back then I trusted her, never stopped to wonder at the time why he was out all the time)
So I tried Jake, he did everything I asked, granted with a little attitude, but he still did it. He was a roman nosed blah looking horse with big ears, but his eyes are what got me.... You can tell a lot about a horse from their eyes, and a lot of people will back me up on that. He was 7 years old, dark bay and 15.2hh (barely). At the time I was 5'6ish almost 5'7".
I came home after my lesson and raving about Jake, I had ridden Nicky not long before trying Jake and Nicky had been trying to drag me to the center of the ring and doing the best impression of a donkey I have ever seen. I never thought much when my parents said they had to go talk to Lee (the farm owner). They came home later that night and looked me in the eyes and said,
"We bought Jake, a halter and a bridle, Lee said you can use one of their saddles for now."
I just stared and then pretty much told them they were funny and nice try tricking me (Dad had made promises in the past that were along the lines of "if you do this I'll get you a pony" or something involving helicopter rides). I probably took them a good 20 minutes to convince me they weren't joking....
Then the conditions came, I had to work to pay for his board and upkeep, they would pay for his purchase price. I had already started working for Lee a couple weeks before hand, hoping to start saving up money.
It took a couple weeks for it to really sink in that Jake was MINE! (It involved a stupid girl fight shouting "no he's mine!" back and forth till I offered to show her the bill of sale)
<---So this is us the first week I owned him, he was out of shape (so was I) and he had a bad attitude. He shoved people, liked to stomp feet and loved to itch his bridled head on you when you tried to let yourself out of the ring. Jake was a BRAT. The first time my father saw him he looked at my mom and I and said, "You didn't tell me we bought a Mule!" He was not joking, he was serious and I was offended (It's funny now however). I got to enjoy him for two weeks and then he went Lame..... Now then, as it was July a lot of the girls from the barn had been on vacation (see the stupid girl fight above). One of them was a girl a few years younger then me that had her own horse. She came back and congratulated me on buying Jake, apparently he was ringer in the Eq ring. But then she said "well he was when he wasn't lame, like he is now." I was shocked and I got more information from her (later confirming it with other sources). A sad and horrifying picture was painted.... Jake would do lesson after lesson, show every weekend, and this would go on for a few months. Then he'd go lame and be ignored till he was sound. This pattern had been repeated since he was first bought as a 3yr old. So for 4 years he'd be ridden into the ground and then ignored till he was sound.No wonder he had an attitude! Suddenly I felt like the biggest idiot, here I was, having worked my ass off for this woman (the daughter) for free and she had carefully omitted the truth and sold me a horse with chronic lameness issues. I was pissed. Not only for my sake but for Jake's.
Over the next three months Jake and I learned a hell of a lot about each other. He had a large abscess too deep to be cut out. He was on stall rest with Epsom salt soaks at least 3 times a day. There was nothing we could do but hope the stupid thing would move up and come out his cornet band. So we talked, groomed and fought over keeping his foot in the tubs. He knocked people over, he started nipping (and then went on a no treats ban for 4 months), he would try to step on you and share his misery. He even managed to escape and scare the crap out of me by running around on three legs like a mad man. Long story short the abscess just disappeared one day, which was mind-boggling for the vet.
So then his recovery started, and we go in shape together. By now a lot of his attitude problems were gone. He'd become a large lovebug and finally got to show his heart of gold to the world. We got back into shape together and really started progressing. I did even more re
ading and decided I didn't like the bit they had been riding him in, a twisted wire full cheek snaffle, I put him in a plain full cheek and he was fine (I later found out he had a hard time stopping due to his QH build, and they had stuck that bit on his bridle, he then proceeded to bolt with many students as he mouth would become painful from their beginner hands banging on it). I captained a Drill Team that winter to finish off getting him into shape, we were a huge success.
We preformed in 3 degree weather in a tiny indoor ring and I'm still proud of that performance to this day.---->
So we struggled over the next couple of years. I got my own english saddle that first winter and thanks to the saddle fitter's warning bought one with an extra long flap (I shot up to 5'9" that spring). I ended up moving Jake downstairs to the lower barn and refused to train with the owners daughter any longer (she refused to let me show in tall boots despite the fact I jumped and was over 16, it was humiliating as she made me show in garters and jods and this was a minor problem compared to some other things she did to us).
My bible was George Morris' Hunter Seat Equitation and I trained myself for those two years. We then dabbled in some western riding and I used him for my work as a trail guide. He was a customer favorite! I would jump off at our arrival back at the barn and leave his reins hooked over the horn. People would pet him and pose for pictures with him. He even made friends with some Japanese tourists and I later found out from their american friends that they had framed the picture of them with him and it was in their living room in Japan.
Jake slowly became famous, all the kids loved him, the other boarders loved him and the kids in the therapeutic riding program that I volunteered in loved him. Jake loved kids, and would be so gentle with them, treating them like they were made of glass. He would be fresh with me, because I was mom and then the calmest horse with a little kid on his back.
I ended up having to put a sign on his stall door "Please don't feed your fingers to my horse" as so many people were feeding him treats when I wasn't around that he was starting to get pushy again.
Somewhere in here Lee found his original Coggins from when she bought him as a 3yr old. It turned out he really was all QH and Canadian to boot.We tried to contact his old owner but were never able to get a hold of him.
Also he got kicked in the nose during a trail ride and it "fixed" his nose, giving him a more attractive profile.
Then we discovered barrel racing! The barn always had huge gymkhana nights as it was, at least 50 horses every time. I started Jake out slow as I didn't know how he'd handle things. My friend Julie and her appy Frank had helped us by teaching us the basics of can chasing. Each time I'd let Jake go a little faster.
Finally at our 3rd Gymkhana I let him go. Holy sh*t! Those of you who have truly fast horses can understand, but my gawd! The sheer power that came out of him was incredible! We left trenches in the sand ring from him taking off. Our turns were sloppy still but our speed was amazing. And then he didn't want to stop! I almost ran over the time keeper and then had to run him into the fence to get him to stop. We were second only to the seasoned Julie and Frank. I was on cloud nine! Then Lee's daughter had to ruin it, not wanting to be beaten by me she went and tacked up her new 16.2hh TB jumper mare western and ran the barrels on her after already having done them on her gaming horse Apache. Needless to say she trounced us and we both got bumped down a place. I was more then a little upset.
Jake and I barrel raced and showed english whenever he was sound. He would go lame on and off and was always unrideable after getting shod. I put him on a hoof supplement and was religious about hoof moisturizer.
Jake and I had been racking up the ribbons and so I entered him in the two day show at our barn. Jake was pulling double duty as I was showing him in the Eq and my little sister was showing him walk/trot (Jake was the walk/trot king). During an Eq over fences class that first day I had an epic fall. Jake tripped on a rock while heading to an in-and-out that was heading straight at the judge's tent. Jake wobbled and somehow manage to scrape together enough balance to jump the first jump, but thanks to his trip right before takeoff my legs had gotten too far behind me. We landed in the middle and straightened in that one stride, both regaining our balance. He jumped the second jump and my mind flashed "YES!" we were perfect! Then I had nothing.... Jake landed and I was flying, I hit the dirt so hard i scratched my brand new tall boots, and almost had my helmet ripped off. Jake slammed on the brakes, he always stood still when you fell. However what had happened was my stirrup leathers had slipped complete off the bars (never happened again) over the second jump and had literally fallen off my feet. The ends of the leathers however were still stuck in their keepers, when Jake stopped momentum kept the stirrups moving and they slammed him in his boy parts and underbelly. His eyes bulged out and he bolted, covering me in more sand. It took my 5 minutes to catch him, he wouldn't stop and the stirrups kept beating him until they each came off completely. He was a nervous wreck, I pet him and talked calmly as I walked around to collect my stirrups. It was then that I realized the whole crowd of people at the show had been silent this entire time. As I picked up the second stirrup I hugged my quivering horse, and people started applauding which pushed me over the edge and I started crying.
We tried to finish the show but Jake had snapped, he was nervous and scared and terrified. For the first time he got reserve in the walk/trot. At the end of the day I walked over to a friend of mine who would be trailering her son's horse home and asked if she would mind dropping Jake off somewhere for me. I had been helping a friend of my parent's with a couple of rescue horse he'd bought and he'd been pestering me to move Jake there. I had decided Jake need a vacation and that's just what he got. He spent two weeks at the quiet barn and just chilled. I had also decided to try a new farrier, deciding that no matter what people said the farrier I had been using was the problem not "Jake's crappy QH feet". Boy was I right! John did Jake and he was sound right after being shod and rideable! I was overjoyed (My current farrier later told me Jake had fantastic feet and that my first farrier's nick name in the horseshoer community was "The Crippler").
I brought Jake back to Lee's after his vacation, we did a 2-d barrel race at another farm and finished the english show season with a bang. I ended up moving Jake to the small barn that winter and he stayed there for almost a year enjoying being king of the barn.
So let's start here: Did you ever have that horse (or dog, cat, etc.) that was so much more then a pet or even a friend? That once in a lifetime animal soulmate that transcends the boundary between normal human and animal connections? That one creature that you swear understands most if not all of your words and actions? Jake was all that, he was my best friend, he balanced me out, and he taught me so much. Jake was a family member, and he had opinions that people had to listen to because he was usually right. (More about that later)
So.... I had always wanted a horse, for as long as anyone can remember, not a pony, a horse. Whenever my family could afford it I got to take riding lessons and thanks to an anonymous donation got to attend a summer riding camp when I was 6. As I got older I rode a different barns, with different horse and trainers with different approaches. I volunteered whenever I could and even got to ride a friend's horse bareback as a reward for helping on her dairy farm when I was 8. Eventually my family and I ended up in CT and the cycle started all over again. A friend of my parent's from church got me a lesson package at a local farm as a thank you for doing gardening work for her. I was ten at the time. Years went by, I, as always, read as much as I could, volunteered as much as I could and took lessons when I could afford it.
By the time I was fifteen I was indispensable as a volunteer at the barn, I would be there from dawn to dusk or longer whenever I could. I was a groom at all the shows, I never missed a day due to bad weather and the horses loved me. My initiative impressed my parents (they were really hoping this was a faze, but they were just in denial). So they sat me down and we had a talk, they were thinking of working things out so I could lease a horse, and maybe even buy one. So I got to try a bunch of horses from the barn. I tried Nicky, a western horse that had a huge chip on his shoulder. Then I tried Willow, a beautiful 3yr old morgan mare who wasn't going to get tall enough for me. Next came Hurley, he was a fantasic TB gelding that had a heart of gold, but he was expensive and one of my best friends wanted to buy him, so I decided to pass on him (he died a few months later).
Then the farm owners daughter who ran the lessons looked at me and said,
"You know what, I forgot about Jake, you should try him!"
"Jake? Which one is Jake?"
"Oh he's the one who's out all the time, the stall next to PJ." (Ok, back then I trusted her, never stopped to wonder at the time why he was out all the time)
So I tried Jake, he did everything I asked, granted with a little attitude, but he still did it. He was a roman nosed blah looking horse with big ears, but his eyes are what got me.... You can tell a lot about a horse from their eyes, and a lot of people will back me up on that. He was 7 years old, dark bay and 15.2hh (barely). At the time I was 5'6ish almost 5'7".
I came home after my lesson and raving about Jake, I had ridden Nicky not long before trying Jake and Nicky had been trying to drag me to the center of the ring and doing the best impression of a donkey I have ever seen. I never thought much when my parents said they had to go talk to Lee (the farm owner). They came home later that night and looked me in the eyes and said,
"We bought Jake, a halter and a bridle, Lee said you can use one of their saddles for now."
I just stared and then pretty much told them they were funny and nice try tricking me (Dad had made promises in the past that were along the lines of "if you do this I'll get you a pony" or something involving helicopter rides). I probably took them a good 20 minutes to convince me they weren't joking....
Then the conditions came, I had to work to pay for his board and upkeep, they would pay for his purchase price. I had already started working for Lee a couple weeks before hand, hoping to start saving up money.
It took a couple weeks for it to really sink in that Jake was MINE! (It involved a stupid girl fight shouting "no he's mine!" back and forth till I offered to show her the bill of sale)
<---So this is us the first week I owned him, he was out of shape (so was I) and he had a bad attitude. He shoved people, liked to stomp feet and loved to itch his bridled head on you when you tried to let yourself out of the ring. Jake was a BRAT. The first time my father saw him he looked at my mom and I and said, "You didn't tell me we bought a Mule!" He was not joking, he was serious and I was offended (It's funny now however). I got to enjoy him for two weeks and then he went Lame..... Now then, as it was July a lot of the girls from the barn had been on vacation (see the stupid girl fight above). One of them was a girl a few years younger then me that had her own horse. She came back and congratulated me on buying Jake, apparently he was ringer in the Eq ring. But then she said "well he was when he wasn't lame, like he is now." I was shocked and I got more information from her (later confirming it with other sources). A sad and horrifying picture was painted.... Jake would do lesson after lesson, show every weekend, and this would go on for a few months. Then he'd go lame and be ignored till he was sound. This pattern had been repeated since he was first bought as a 3yr old. So for 4 years he'd be ridden into the ground and then ignored till he was sound.No wonder he had an attitude! Suddenly I felt like the biggest idiot, here I was, having worked my ass off for this woman (the daughter) for free and she had carefully omitted the truth and sold me a horse with chronic lameness issues. I was pissed. Not only for my sake but for Jake's.
Over the next three months Jake and I learned a hell of a lot about each other. He had a large abscess too deep to be cut out. He was on stall rest with Epsom salt soaks at least 3 times a day. There was nothing we could do but hope the stupid thing would move up and come out his cornet band. So we talked, groomed and fought over keeping his foot in the tubs. He knocked people over, he started nipping (and then went on a no treats ban for 4 months), he would try to step on you and share his misery. He even managed to escape and scare the crap out of me by running around on three legs like a mad man. Long story short the abscess just disappeared one day, which was mind-boggling for the vet.
So then his recovery started, and we go in shape together. By now a lot of his attitude problems were gone. He'd become a large lovebug and finally got to show his heart of gold to the world. We got back into shape together and really started progressing. I did even more re
ading and decided I didn't like the bit they had been riding him in, a twisted wire full cheek snaffle, I put him in a plain full cheek and he was fine (I later found out he had a hard time stopping due to his QH build, and they had stuck that bit on his bridle, he then proceeded to bolt with many students as he mouth would become painful from their beginner hands banging on it). I captained a Drill Team that winter to finish off getting him into shape, we were a huge success.We preformed in 3 degree weather in a tiny indoor ring and I'm still proud of that performance to this day.---->
So we struggled over the next couple of years. I got my own english saddle that first winter and thanks to the saddle fitter's warning bought one with an extra long flap (I shot up to 5'9" that spring). I ended up moving Jake downstairs to the lower barn and refused to train with the owners daughter any longer (she refused to let me show in tall boots despite the fact I jumped and was over 16, it was humiliating as she made me show in garters and jods and this was a minor problem compared to some other things she did to us).
My bible was George Morris' Hunter Seat Equitation and I trained myself for those two years. We then dabbled in some western riding and I used him for my work as a trail guide. He was a customer favorite! I would jump off at our arrival back at the barn and leave his reins hooked over the horn. People would pet him and pose for pictures with him. He even made friends with some Japanese tourists and I later found out from their american friends that they had framed the picture of them with him and it was in their living room in Japan.
Jake slowly became famous, all the kids loved him, the other boarders loved him and the kids in the therapeutic riding program that I volunteered in loved him. Jake loved kids, and would be so gentle with them, treating them like they were made of glass. He would be fresh with me, because I was mom and then the calmest horse with a little kid on his back.
I ended up having to put a sign on his stall door "Please don't feed your fingers to my horse" as so many people were feeding him treats when I wasn't around that he was starting to get pushy again.
Somewhere in here Lee found his original Coggins from when she bought him as a 3yr old. It turned out he really was all QH and Canadian to boot.We tried to contact his old owner but were never able to get a hold of him.
Also he got kicked in the nose during a trail ride and it "fixed" his nose, giving him a more attractive profile.
Then we discovered barrel racing! The barn always had huge gymkhana nights as it was, at least 50 horses every time. I started Jake out slow as I didn't know how he'd handle things. My friend Julie and her appy Frank had helped us by teaching us the basics of can chasing. Each time I'd let Jake go a little faster.
Finally at our 3rd Gymkhana I let him go. Holy sh*t! Those of you who have truly fast horses can understand, but my gawd! The sheer power that came out of him was incredible! We left trenches in the sand ring from him taking off. Our turns were sloppy still but our speed was amazing. And then he didn't want to stop! I almost ran over the time keeper and then had to run him into the fence to get him to stop. We were second only to the seasoned Julie and Frank. I was on cloud nine! Then Lee's daughter had to ruin it, not wanting to be beaten by me she went and tacked up her new 16.2hh TB jumper mare western and ran the barrels on her after already having done them on her gaming horse Apache. Needless to say she trounced us and we both got bumped down a place. I was more then a little upset.
Jake and I barrel raced and showed english whenever he was sound. He would go lame on and off and was always unrideable after getting shod. I put him on a hoof supplement and was religious about hoof moisturizer.
Jake and I had been racking up the ribbons and so I entered him in the two day show at our barn. Jake was pulling double duty as I was showing him in the Eq and my little sister was showing him walk/trot (Jake was the walk/trot king). During an Eq over fences class that first day I had an epic fall. Jake tripped on a rock while heading to an in-and-out that was heading straight at the judge's tent. Jake wobbled and somehow manage to scrape together enough balance to jump the first jump, but thanks to his trip right before takeoff my legs had gotten too far behind me. We landed in the middle and straightened in that one stride, both regaining our balance. He jumped the second jump and my mind flashed "YES!" we were perfect! Then I had nothing.... Jake landed and I was flying, I hit the dirt so hard i scratched my brand new tall boots, and almost had my helmet ripped off. Jake slammed on the brakes, he always stood still when you fell. However what had happened was my stirrup leathers had slipped complete off the bars (never happened again) over the second jump and had literally fallen off my feet. The ends of the leathers however were still stuck in their keepers, when Jake stopped momentum kept the stirrups moving and they slammed him in his boy parts and underbelly. His eyes bulged out and he bolted, covering me in more sand. It took my 5 minutes to catch him, he wouldn't stop and the stirrups kept beating him until they each came off completely. He was a nervous wreck, I pet him and talked calmly as I walked around to collect my stirrups. It was then that I realized the whole crowd of people at the show had been silent this entire time. As I picked up the second stirrup I hugged my quivering horse, and people started applauding which pushed me over the edge and I started crying.
We tried to finish the show but Jake had snapped, he was nervous and scared and terrified. For the first time he got reserve in the walk/trot. At the end of the day I walked over to a friend of mine who would be trailering her son's horse home and asked if she would mind dropping Jake off somewhere for me. I had been helping a friend of my parent's with a couple of rescue horse he'd bought and he'd been pestering me to move Jake there. I had decided Jake need a vacation and that's just what he got. He spent two weeks at the quiet barn and just chilled. I had also decided to try a new farrier, deciding that no matter what people said the farrier I had been using was the problem not "Jake's crappy QH feet". Boy was I right! John did Jake and he was sound right after being shod and rideable! I was overjoyed (My current farrier later told me Jake had fantastic feet and that my first farrier's nick name in the horseshoer community was "The Crippler").
I brought Jake back to Lee's after his vacation, we did a 2-d barrel race at another farm and finished the english show season with a bang. I ended up moving Jake to the small barn that winter and he stayed there for almost a year enjoying being king of the barn.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Overdue Update (Again)
UK has been good. I've been alternating lunging and riding him over the past few weeks. Overall he's been progressing well. 2 weeks ago we were having a good ride, and my husband was watching us together for the first time. He did his spooks/tests while we were trotting and then we moved on. He was much more relaxed and we worked on going straight at the trot and canter (through instead of over pairs of poles). We were cantering on the rail, tracking left, when up at the far end of the ring there was a loud metal on metal noise right off of his flank coming from the other side of the brush. He bolted, and I asked him not too. He threw on the brakes so hard he lost his balance and his front end came off the ground with him dropping his inside shoulder. I tried but I couldn't stay on, landing fairly easily on my hip with my head never even touching the sand. Once he lost me as a counter balance he went over the other way and hit the dirt. Then he stood there quivering (I was up within seconds of falling), he was staring at me with fear and confusion and awaiting a beating..... I am so angry at whoever hurt this poor horse! I calmed him and got right back on (needless to say my husband was not happy). We walked, trotted and then cantered and he was fine. Poor guy felt really guilty and I just felt dumb. I had made the mistake of mentioning out loud that I hadn't had a real fall in over 3 years, what a jinx.
After checking UK for injuries again I gave him a shower and then brought him over to talk with my husband who'd been sitting in the truck looking angry. He agreed that UK hadn't spooked on purpose and even said he is a "good horse" (this coming from my husband is high praise for an equine).
So other than that things have been fairly normal. I did find out he is terrified of tarps and there is now one permantly living in the ring until he gets over his fear. I also discovered that someone used to beat him with a whip.... He was feeling fresh and defiant so I went to use one, as soon as it was in my hand he was a quivering nervous wreck. I had to get rid of it, he couldn't even trot on the lunge line while I had it in my hand. Jake had had the same problem and it took me 3 years to banish that fear.... GAH! Stupid people!
So that is pretty much it for the moment. Hoping to have some one to take pictures while I lunge him over jumps soon!
------
On a completely different note, I am terribly excited for this movie to come out! When most children were pretending to be faeries, princesses or superheros I was on the swings pretending to be Secretariat. He was and still is my Equine Hero. (Gem Twist is almost tied with him, but I didn't learn about him till I was older)
SO here you go, the trailer!
After checking UK for injuries again I gave him a shower and then brought him over to talk with my husband who'd been sitting in the truck looking angry. He agreed that UK hadn't spooked on purpose and even said he is a "good horse" (this coming from my husband is high praise for an equine).
So other than that things have been fairly normal. I did find out he is terrified of tarps and there is now one permantly living in the ring until he gets over his fear. I also discovered that someone used to beat him with a whip.... He was feeling fresh and defiant so I went to use one, as soon as it was in my hand he was a quivering nervous wreck. I had to get rid of it, he couldn't even trot on the lunge line while I had it in my hand. Jake had had the same problem and it took me 3 years to banish that fear.... GAH! Stupid people!
So that is pretty much it for the moment. Hoping to have some one to take pictures while I lunge him over jumps soon!
------
On a completely different note, I am terribly excited for this movie to come out! When most children were pretending to be faeries, princesses or superheros I was on the swings pretending to be Secretariat. He was and still is my Equine Hero. (Gem Twist is almost tied with him, but I didn't learn about him till I was older)
SO here you go, the trailer!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Barn Day!
So today was awesome barn and horse wise. My friend Kristy and I had planned ahead for her to come up and ride UK today. (Today was also the first anniversary of her horse's death. Shoamy Luv was a fantastic mare, and is greatly missed!)
So toodles till next time!
So Uke (as I've been calling him lately) got groomed and tacked up and then we went out to the ring. He got lunged a little bit first, as Kristy wanted to see him go over the cavalletti. Then I got on him and rode him through his spooks. He has a two main bad behaviors and I dealt with them both. It was so nice to ride him! Once we had gotten him focused and on task he was fun and I just looooooove his canter (and so does my poor back). We cantered a pole with me on him for the first time. He was, again, fantastic! He really enjoys doing new things!
So I only rode him 10 to 20 minutes, then it was Kristy's turn! She really hadn't ridden in over a year. It's funny, I'm such an equitation rider at heart, so watching Kristy ride is weird for me. She's such a dressage rider! XD
As I wasn't the one riding, I took pictures! YAY! It was so cool to see him go, as sometimes you just need to see how your horse goes with a rider on him.
Anyhoo, here's a slideshow of the pictures I took!
So toodles till next time!
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