We jumped!

The last few days of warm and sunny weather thawed our outdoor ring to the point that it'd gotten a bit muddy. However, muddy meant the ground wasn't frozen solid for once! So instead of riding western and trail riding like we usually would do, I tacked Mister Yuke up english and set up a couple jumps in the ring. 

We'd been doing a lot of bareback work (for my benefit, as bareback is even more of a workout then no-stirrups) with collecting and extending, circles, bending, etc. So I didn't bother doing a lot of flatting before getting to work (also, I have low energy reserves because I'm sick. Again.). UK and I haven't jumped since the beginning of December, so I wasn't entirely sure how he'd react. Would he get excited? Or would he stop? I had no idea, and he's never had that long of a break before. 

Well, all my worrying was for nothing. UK was excellent. First we trotted a little crossrail, and he popped over it nice and neatly. We did it again, cantering away after landing, doing some canter work on the right lead, simple change across the diagonal and then back to trot to do the crossrail off the left. After we cantered the crossrail off the left, we did some canter work that direction and then another simple change back across the diagonal. We walked half the ring then we trotted the vertical (2ft or 2'3" ish), then we cantered it, then the same thing the other direction. As soon as we landed after cantering the vertical one last time, we walked, halted, and I hopped off, so we could walk out together. 

When UK is truly excellent I get off quickly, praise him, and loosen his girth right away, so he learns that doing his job right the first time means we finish quicker and he has to work less. This approach has really worked for him, as it makes it very clear that he won't be forced to do the same thing over and over again (which is why he used to be miserable doing western pleasure). 

It was so nice to get to ride my horse over some jumps again! I love jumping so much, and it's even more enjoyable when my horse loves it too!

February is for trail riding!

Well... this winter has been anything but usual. Temps have been hitting 50 on and off for weeks, with occasional days of severe temperature drops and rain/snow, but it always return to partly cloudy and unseasonably warm. All this nice weather (which I abhor, FYI, because I love real winter) has made it so UK and I have been out on the trails quite a bit. Whether we go out with some friends, or by ourselves, we've had some great rides.

We even crossed a river Monday before last! It was not planned, however. We went down a different trail-head then usual, only to find the trail we were on was blocked by a large fallen tree that it wouldn't be possible to go over or around. So we had two options, look for another trail, or retrace our steps. We opted for the former, which led us to the river. I knew where we were, as the river crossing would bring us to a trail that led to the main trail we normally rode.

When presented with the river, Dakota forged his way across as he knew home was that way. That was all fine and dandy except for the fact that UK was trembling, not even willing to get his toes wet. The river was about a foot and half deep, with lots of rocks, which was a lot more formidable then any water we'd crossed in the past. After a few minutes of urging, he still couldn't be persuaded to wet his feet, and I suggested to Chrissy that she come back across and we'd take the long way home. Dakota, however, had other ideas. He didn't care if UK was left behind, home was the opposite direction of his terrified comrade.

So suddenly we had two horses on opposite riverbanks, refusing to cross... (it sounds somewhat like the set up for a bad joke.)

A hiker showed up on the top of the hill behind UK and I, which seemed to make him realize that if something terrifying and horse eating were to show up, he'd be safer on the other side of the river with his buddy. Still shaking, he put his feet in the water.

I immediately praised him, and steered him to the break in the steep bank which was diagonally across the river, UK had other ideas. He charged, at a fast walk, sending water everywhere, to the nearest bank, which was two feet above the river and covered with trees. I grabbed mane as he scaled the bank, front feet on dry land, back still in the water. We were almost vertical, to the point that my saddle slid back (thank goodness I never trail ride without a breastplate!), and all I could see were trees and branches. UK hesitated, unsure about what to do with the situation he'd put himself in, I suggested turning and putting those front feet in the river, he did not like that suggestion at all. Instead of the logical solution, he opted for brute force and just shoved himself through the branches and saplings. I held onto mane, ducked my head and said a prayer, hoping he wouldn't slip and dump me in the river. (It's times like these that I desperately wish Jake was still alive so I could pony UK and let him see how these situations should actually be handled.)

We made it, but UK was a little traumatized, so nervous he was still shaking, and didn't want to stand still, or receive a treat. The further we got from the river, the calmer he got. Once sufficiently calmed, his ego began to show and suddenly I was mounted not on regular old UK, but UK the River Conqueror. It's very hard for me not to laugh at him when he gets like this, but manly pride is easily crushed, so I usually manage to restrain myself.

Dakota began to give Chrissy problems when we headed farther up the main trail instead of turning home, so UK got to do more ponying. The spillway didn't even get a glance from UK, who was apparently still the River Conqueror.

We solo trail rode that Friday, and had a good ride despite lots of dog encounters, including a loose dog with no owner in sight. Then on one of the warmer days I broke out the english tack for the first time since December and gave UK a real workout, complete with circles, bending, and lots of transitions work. Then I had Stef get on him, to help her prep for her lesson the next day (Stef has nice light hands, which is why I was certain UK would like her). She went from being extremely nervous to not wanting to get off, as after all his hard work he was just sort of flowing over the field and eager to please.

Stef on UK

Riding UK solo has been a great deal of fun, mostly because just six months ago he wasn't able to handle it. I'm extremely proud of his progress! He's matured so much, finally actually acting his age instead of a greeny. He has confidence in himself now, which has given him the ability to trust me more in stressful situations, and just be happier overall. This happiness has made him look incredible, as he's nothing short of glowingly healthy now, all my extra feed and work having paid off.

Now I'll leave you with two pictures from our last ride. Boy does UK look good tacked western! (Okay, he looks good tacked in anything...)

Groomed to the nines and tacked up.

At the end of our ride UK looks around.

This weather is not helping.

We get some snow, then it rains for a couple days, and then we get more frozen mud. Then things warm up to the low forties and the horses get excited. This pattern has not been good for my health, or anyone else's.

I supposed to join Jean and Chrissy for a trail ride yesterday. Jean was on Rebel, her son, Jake, was on Dakota,  and Chrissy was on Harley. I'd tacked up quick and already warmed UK up with some trot and canter in the driveway, as most of our ride was to be walking for Jake's sake.

Once everyone else was mounted we started to go down the driveway, Jean and Jake in the lead. We didn't get more then twenty feet when Harley spun, bucked, and reared for no good reason (in my opinion he was just pulling some classic TB crap). Chrissy stuck with him, but everytime she touched the reins or tried to move, he'd act up again. Harley was so bad she couldn't get off.

So I put my leg on and marched UK into Harley's face and grabbed his bridle so Chrissy could dismount. Then I grabbed both reins and dragged his badly behaved ass down the driveway, determined not to let him get away with his temper tantrum. I have never used UK to pony before (that two times with Maggie don't really count as I did all the work and Jean was still steering her), but I rode with a keep seat and a firm leg, which told UK we could handle it. Harley was forced to walk and trot up and down the driveway until he settled down. Then Jean said she'd take him in the ring and school him, so I turned UK around and we headed that way. We were doing good until Harley decided to bite UK on the flank after I wouldn't let him charge ahead of us. UK bucked a little bit, but then settled. We successfully handed Harley off to Jean and then went back out into the parking lot.

UK had been nothing but good, so I wasn't about to make him go in the ring with the others. So we went down the driveway (one small fit, as he thought maybe I'd just let him be done), and then up the road pass the trail-head. We climbed up and back down a bank, then turned around and walked home.

So overall it was a win for UK and I as he was forced to do something he'd never really done before and he did just fine.

Tomorrow Chrissy is going to take Dakota and go for a trail ride with us. Here's hoping it goes easier then yesterday! 

Freezing rain, ice, and snow.

Today was damp, cold, and miserable. I cheered myself up by pulling UK away from his hay after taking care of the barn this morning to brush him and switch blankets. UK wasn't terribly thrilled as hanging with his buddy is far more interesting then me putting Thrush Buster on his feet and putting detangler in his tail. But then I went to the car to get my camera and when I returned there were treats in my pocket, suddenly I was much more fun! UK has learned to associate the camera with treats, thus he poses shamelessly knowing that if he's cute enough I'll reward him after snapping some shots.

I took him out to the snowy ring to get him to stretch his legs even though it was misting nasty half frozen stuff. There was ice hidden under the snow in some spots so I let UK stick to a relaxed trot so he'd be able to handle himself if he slipped.

Even though he's a wuss about the cold, he was born up here in the north so he knows the snow won't eat him (unlike a certain TB I used to own who was terrified of untouched snow). He slipped a few times but wasn't overly concerned as it's normal this time of year to encounter ice. 

We did some follow the leader and he tried to eat my camera, hoping that maybe it had turned into a giant banana rounder. No such luck. He's matured a great deal in the last year, he's much braver and has a calmness about him in the ring now that he used to lack. Part of it is because he's learned to trust me a great deal, finally understanding that I will never put him into a position or place that will get him hurt. 

We finished up and I put his blanket on, returning him to LD and the rest of his AM hay. Hopefully the weather will get better soon and we'll be able to go out for a ride. 

Oh! His feet are really starting to improve. By late spring/early summer he should have amazing feet again. Yay for mother nature! 

Sorry for the lack of updates!

The holiday season was a bit of a whirlwind for me, and it ended up with me being pretty darn sick for two weeks starting on New Year's.

Due to the alternating cold snaps and deluges of rain, ring work hasn't really been an option. Once I was able to leave the house without coughing up a lung, we started trail riding at least once a week. He still pulls a couple temper tantrums during the first half mile or so, but they're nothing like the tantrums of a few months ago, let alone the ones from the summer.

All the mud gave his sensitive skin a lot to deal with, and he's only just now starting to recover. His feet are toughening up, slowly but surely. I've had him on Smartpak's SmartHoof pellets since early fall, and by spring his feet should be greatly improved.

We're finally getting some snow (we got some last week but it was followed by two days of rain, yuck), so I hope to be able to do more with him soon.

Until then have a picture of fuzzy ponies!

LD & UK bundled up for the single digit weather.

Holiday season!

UK got the week after the hunter pace off, due to the weather and Thanksgiving. On the sunday after Thanksgiving I took him out on a trail ride with a couple of the ladies from the barn. He threw a  couple of temper tantrums but I had a tiedown on him, and my spurs on. Once we got a little ways down the trail he started to enjoy himself.

Susan on Vega, & Jen on Cody ahead of us.

But then we cantered, and I got what I should have been expecting... bucking. Someone's ego had tripled since the hunter pace, then with the added energy of his week off, he was rather fresh. Everytime we cantered, he had a bucking fit. I was very grateful I was riding western when he did the last one, as it was a buck-slam-on-the-brakes-drop-my-head-and-buck-again-buck. Our last canter was buck-free so at least he wore himself out.

Later the following week I had some extra time after feeding, and decided to try to trail-ride solo again. He threw his temper tantrums in the road, and started doing some down the hill until he slipped and a back leg went in a ditch. After that he was a rockstar. 

First successful solo trail ride!

Afterwards I spoiled him for a bit, rewarding his good behavior with both banana rounders and a studmuffin. 

Nomming his treats.

Then the farrier showed up and I had his shoes pulled for the winter. I let him have a couple of days off and then tried to ride him in the ring. Because of all the rain we've been having his soles were soft from standing in all the mud, and thus he was a bit ouchy. 

Fuzzy boy!

The barn girls were riding at the same time as me, and I ended up giving them an impromptu lesson of sorts. I let one of them walk UK around while I babysat him, and then another girl practiced her half-seat over poles on him. 

Then I let Mattie get on him. Now, as Mattie is one of my students I made her work. She's so tiny so UK didn't mind doing some trot for her, because it was like there was nothing on his back.

Mattie on UK

She even cantered him a tiny bit after doing some trot work over poles. I let them finish by having her ride UK down the driveway to walk him out while I chatted with some of the other boarders. 

UK adores Mattie, and she loves him too. She dotes on him, and will go into his pen just to hang out with him. And he follows her around like the giant dog that he is. 

Hopefully things will dry up soon so UK and I can go out for another ride. I might try a trail ride again soon, depending on the weather. We'll see! 

Oh! I got a picture from the hunter pace!

Happy Holidays!

Hunter Pace!

We survived!!!

I feel like a great weight has been removed from my shoulders. There is nothing quite like bringing a green horse to an event to make you  feel  some pressure.

I left UK in last night so his legs would be dry for this morning. Jean and I met at the barn for six-thirty-ish and grained all the critters. I'd packed everything on the trailer the night before, so I didn't need to do much. I brushed UK and then turned him out on the grass while Gail hooked up her trailer and positioned it for us to load.

Chilling while we wait for our turn.

After Bubba and Rebel were on it was UK's turn. He wasn't sure how he felt about a slant load, but after some encouragement he got on and settled in for the ride.

We arrived at the pace with some time to spare. We walked down to get our number and lunch tickets, and were informed that we could take our time if we needed (this made Jean relax quite a bit!). This ended up being a very good thing, as a horse in the trailer next to us had managed to get it's hind leg stuck over the divider. I lent a leadrope, Gail provided a jack and other people did what they could. The mare had bitten her tongue so her mouth was bloody, luckily that seemed to have been the worst of it one they got her off. 

UK ready to unload.

Once that horror was taken care of we unloaded our horses. Stef was with us to help and watch the pace, so with her assistance all three of us got tacked up and mounted. As soon as I got on UK I could feel all the tension and excitement coursing through his veins. He then tried to do some hops and spins, but I was having none of it. We started down the road towards the start gate when Jean asked where our number was. Oops! I'd completely forgotten to put it on after the hoopla with the horse stuck in the trailer. Stef came to my rescue and I managed to get the number on just in time. 

We were then informed that the first jump was the photo jump. Jean and I both expressed our disapproval loudly before leaving the start gate. We walked. Bubba hadn't been completely sound so we wanted to take it easy (we were signed up for the hack division anyways) and I also didn't want to give UK the opportunity to misbehave. He was completely prepared to jump the photo jump when he saw another group of horses. He was so distracted and disconcerted by them that I was forced to just ride on without jumping the photo jump. :(

For the next half hour or so I had to use every ounce of skill I had to stay on my horse. Other teams would come flying up behind us without calling out first and UK hated that. Bucking, spinning, small rears, bunny hops, you name it he probably did it. I was more then a little annoyed at these people. If you're going to pass or overtake another group of horses you not only announce your presence but you tell them how you're going to pass them. Not gallop up their asses and then pass by inches away. At one point I snapped at a group of approaching riders as UK did a rather impressive series of levades followed by some spinning, "CALL OUT BEFORE YOU COME UP ON A GREEN HORSE!!!" I really thought I was coming off during one UK's worse fits, and pulled a muscle in my ass thanks to my attempts to stay with the bucking bronco. Meanwhile Bubba continued to be the fantastic rock that he is, and helped calm UK between groups of horses. 

Then came the water crossings. As long as UK didn't have to go first he was ready to do it, albeit reluctantly. With every crossing he got a little braver, and a little more confident that he wouldn't drown if he got his feet wet. We crossed everything from small trickles of water to rivers ten feet across and at least eight inches deep. The further we got into the course, the calmer UK got. I took most of the go-arounds, as the footing was wet and slick. We did however jump the small coops that were scattered throughout the course when the footing was okay. He'd never jumped a coop before, we had one stop because he wasn't paying attention but after that he was a champ. 

At the halfway point Gail decided to retire Bubba who was getting a little too tired. Jean and I continued on without her and took advantage of the better footing in the higher fields. We finally got to do some real canter and a decent amount of trot. The view was amazing, the sun had come out and there was a slight wind. It was perfect riding weather. We had a few more hiccups (including one caused by a cyclist flying up behind us on the road) but overall UK was a champ. He even lead through some deep mud and across some water before we got to the finish. 

I really wanted to jump UK more, but both the take off and landing points at the jumps were more then a bit treacherous. UK is pretty good at being careful in bad footing, but I wanted to have him feel safe and not have anything horrifying happen. We were aiming for a positive experience for him, so he'd want to do this again. So I didn't jump much at all. Hopefully next year it won't be quite so muddy. 

I really wanted to jump this one, but the mud on the landing was very deep.

We cantered the last little bit home, with UK in the lead and Rebel happy that it was almost over. We untacked and brushed our muddy-sweaty beasts. I even managed to find a hose to hose his legs off after going for a little walk. We loaded the horses and then went to get our lunches. 

A tired but happy UK.

UK was exhausted mentally, but amazingly he had tons more physical energy. All our long trail rides, muscle building and trot work had really paid off. After a ten and a half mile hunter pace he could have done a lot more if I asked it of him. 

In between his little meltdowns he was a superstar. He could jump and then halt if I asked. We could to a nice forward canter/hand gallop and when I asked him to lengthen or shorten he did. I was able to stay off his back and out of his way but still be there for him when he needed me. There was a few minutes while hand galloping through a field that felt like I was riding cross country somewhere. We had a fantastic rhythm and balance, and it felt like we could go on like that forever.

Over all I'm very proud of my boy. He wasn't perfect. He was in fact quite the opposite of perfect but he tried to be good. He didn't do anything dirty on purpose and he put his trust in me and did things he'd never done before. Even though he want to go at all times he kept walking calmly, and even on a long rein, when I asked him. 

I'll give him tomorrow off, but ride him Tuesday to make sure he recovered okay.

I'm going to go to bed now! I'm all cut up from multiple encounters with thorny branches, and that muscle in my rear end needs to rest.