Horse Blogging #15- If you could speak to any horse, dead or alive, what would you say?

Probably Secretariat to ask him how big his heart was. A tragic oversight meant that his heart was never weighed, but it was estimated to be around 22lbs. A missed opportunity, that.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, now we're in crunch time. I have two worksheets, two papers, and two finals, all within three days of each other. Eep. But, I'll still be able to go to the MN Horse Expo for the Parelli Demo on Saturday and I'll try to at least see the Big Fuzz a few times during that time. Maybe I'll be able to ride tomorrow, maybe not. We shall see.

Horse Blogging #14- Your dream barn/farm

Lots and lots of lush green pastures, with non-poisonous trees, undulations, and separate stalls for feeding time. A 100' x 200' Cover-All arena, a 200' x 300' outdoor arena, and a large playground/cross country course complete with water, jumps, bridges, and a honeycomb round pen. A small barn with a few stalls, tack room, and feed storage. A small house for me and my dog(s) and cat(s). I think I would be very happy.

Didn't have a lot of Royal time this weekend, since I was busy with school stuff and my summer internship at an equine vet clinic. I won't name the clinic, but I think I will learn a lot both about veterinary techniques and business management. There was one big first in that I drew blood on purpose for the first time. It was a Percheron-cross mare and she was very patient with me.

I did get some time with the Royal Fuzz but it was just hang out time. No riding or anything. That will have to wait for a few days.

Horse Blogging #13- A video of your worst riding

Really? I suppose it would be the video I got of me and Royal cantering on the left lead. He's always had problems with it, although it's been getting better. I filmed this to send to an Instructor, and got pretty much no feedback from it, other than "how has your riding changed since watching this?". So, as usual, had to go and solve my own problems.



Why I don't like it: I have a lot of excessive movement in my upper body and my butt keeps coming out of the saddle. Royal has a tendency to canter on the forehand, which makes nice riding really hard. But, like I said, it's been getting better and yesterday was a nice breakthrough.

After lab (I! Had! Crystals! Go me!), I went out to the farm, hoping to do some riding. The arena still has a few wet spots, but nothing too serious. I put on both pairs of his splint boots, and, just for fun, the royal blue bell boots. Combine the cotton pad with royal blue trim that I use under my Theraflex, and my horse has more matching accessories than I do. He did a bit of the goose-stepping with the hind boots and didn't really know what to make of the bell boots, so my ground warm-up/pre-ride check mostly consisted of convincing him that he could still move like a sane horse with all of this stuff attached to his legs. Once he was suitably sure of this, it was time to ride. I decided to use my show bridle and just kept the noseband really loose. We looked like a Reale Englishe Horsey and Ryder, instead of the unkempt and wild pair we really are.

I tried out the Cloverleaf pattern at the trot, which he started to get pretty well. The indoor is too small for canter; that'll have to wait until I can use the front field. I also played with contact, which Royal had become a lot better at tolerating. He used to basically panic with even the slightest hint of contact; now he just kind of chews on the bit in a perplexed but pleasant matter. It's times like these I wish there were a mirror in the arena, since I can't really see what's going on. Maybe I should sent up a video camera.

The big breakthrough came at the canter. As you can see from the video, Royal tends to canter with a high head, and often goes very fast. So, I use the Game of Contact to try to help him lower his and canter more on his hind end. I wasn't trying to get him to stretch all the way, just stop looking like a llama. It didn't take long for him to start cantering better and give a big snort/sigh going to the right, but the left was a big more challenging. He kept breaking gait, trying to counter-canter, and got emotional. I just hung in there until I felt him start to relax and start to lift his back. Good boy!

Of course, my little cotton pad was absolutely filthy after the ride, even I got Royal as clean as I possibly could. And he had some dry spots, so it's time for more shim experimentation. But he was still a fabulous boy.

Horse Blogging #12- Favorite horse color

Bay! All varieties, from Royal beautiful red to a dark chocolate brown. If I were to color a horse, it would be a chocolate bay with a star and opposing mid-cannon bone socks: one on the right fore and one on the left hind. Or vis versa.

Meanwhile, the lovely spring has gone away! It's been cold the past few days and we had some snow last night. This depresses me and I shall make my sad face now.

:(

Plus, I'm starting to get into finals crunch time now so I may not be able to spend as much time with the Royal Fuzz as I would like. Hopefully, we'll be able to play tomorrow.

Horse Blogging #11- Find a horse for sale online that you would want to buy

I'm more than happy with Royal and have absolutely no desire to acquire any more horses. Although, if time and money were not factors:

She's a 5 year old Trakhener-Thoroughbred cross and she would be lovely. I'd be concerned about her being started and competing so early, but if I got her, it would probably just be very easy stuff for the first year or so. Most horses are started quite early and they turn out okay. She does look yummy.

Not much going on with the Royal Fuzz. We did the rest of the spring vaccinations and he was an absolute angel. The vet said he (Royal) was the best he's ever been. Yay for Royal! And my Theraflex pad (which I've had for years) got the approval of the vet. It's a long story, but my barn owner wanted him to take a look at it since she wants to get one. So he did and said it was one of the better pads he's seen. Which is kind of a big deal, considering how damn near everything I do with Royal gets shat on by everyone else. To hear what people have said to my face (not even thinking about what's said behind my back), Royal should be a wild and spoiled hellion with a broken back and blood spurting out of his hooves. Instead of the well-mannered and polite athlete with a healthy back and fabulous hooves that he actually is.

Obviously I've been able to push on despite the insults, but it was nice to get some external validation for once.

Horse Blogging #10- How your family/friends feel about your riding

I think they've all finally accepted that this is not a stage that I'm going to grow out of. Of course, my mom and sister encouraged my riding since pretty much forever, my dad humored me and now fully supports my desire to compete. My brother has been the most stubborn about it. He used to always make fun of me and my passion for horses. He would call Royal a "nag" and urge me to by a racehorse so I could make some money. He also made fun of Parelli. But, now he seems to be okay with it and even wants to come at watch me at shows. I'm somewhat suspicious but I'll go with it.

But, hardly anyone ever comes out to the farm to watch me play with Royal. I have to mostly tell them what I did. That's been the way of things for a long time, so I don't that'll change. It's why I have so many pictures of just Royal and so few of me with Royal. Sigh.

This week is not going to have a lot of Royal-time. I'm fairly busy this week and weekend with work and vet appointments and my internship. I did go on Monday and just took Royal for a walk in his new bridle. I experimented with noseband tightness and while he can chew with the noseband at the proper tightness, he doesn't want to. Damn. Now I have to decide how much I want to practice with it on. I definitely need feedback, especially in Finesse.

Could I get a noseband with elastic inserts please?

Horse Blogging Challenge #9- Any injuries that occurred from riding

So far, I have not had any dramatic physical injuries from my sport of choice. No broken bones, soft tissue injuries, head injuries, nothing. I've gotten plenty of minor bruises and cuts, but nothing that required extensive treatment. I consider myself very lucky and do my best to keep it that way.

Meanwhile, in Royal News.

The world is melting and Royal is molting. He briefly stopped when we had the blizzard and freeze last week, but he's started again. I'll be coughing up hairballs before you know it. I tried to get some conformation pictures for my Equine Physiology class, and they didn't turn out too great. Mostly because I was taking them with my cell phone, but also because Royal was very confused by the whole thing.

Then we went for a bareback ride on the road. Royal's getting braver about going through water but he still wants NOTHING to do with the Horse Eating Garbage Cans. Apparently he was traumatized by Sesame Street as a foal and never got over it. And it doesn't help that the garbage cans in this neighborhood are yellow and green, so that just adds to their horse eating capacity.

Maybe if I filled a garbage can with food and left it in his pasture...

Horse Blogging Challenge #8- A little about the barn/stable you ride at

A little about a little stable. And it is little. It's pretty low-key with pretty much only recreational rider, since I'm the only one with any competitive goals. So, it's Royal, BJ (my dad's horse), GQ (the 2-year-old Royal hangs with), Gabe (who's very rude and pushy), Sassy the nervous Arabian, and Shady the pretty Arabian who's been just short of abandoned by her owner. Like I said, teeny.

I have a lot of freedom to do whatever I want, including setting up jumps in the front field. Compared to the last barn I boarded at, where individualism and riding without paying someone $40+ to scream at you were frowned up, it's quite pleasent. And Royal is the picture of health. It's very nice.

Horse Blogging #7- Your favorite ribbon won at a show and why

I haven't done much showing with Royal apart from two schooling shows, but my favorite one earned no ribbons. It was last year's Carriage House Schooling Show and we were very well prepared. I knew exactly how to calm Royal down and we had three pretty good 2' hunter rounds. I didn't stick around to find out if I won anything, but I didn't care if we did. The experience was enough.

Horse Blogging #6- All the tack and riding clothes you have (brand/color/other details)

Oh boy. Before we start, can I just say that I sell pretty much everything I no longer wear and I see all of this stuff as necessary in some way, shape or form? That being said, it's still a lot. So, here we go.

Tack

Parelli:
Royal blue halter
12-foot line
22-foot line
45-foot line
2 Carrot Sticks
Savvy String (this item is the one I've had to replace the most often. Royal has a tendency to chew them and the leather poppers can become brittle and break in the cold. I think I'm on my fifth)
Black Hackamore
Country brown snaffle bridle with Horseman's reins
Confidence (French-link) snaffle
2 sets of Finesse reins (having an extra has really come in handy)
C3 Cradle bit
Cradle headstall
Theraflex pad, English
Bareback pad, black
Dark Brown Fluidity Saddle

Other:
Dark brown Crown bridle
Myler Comfort Snaffle
Royal blue polo wraps
Royal blue Davis Splint boots, med and large
Royal blue Professional's Choice Ballistic Bell Boots
Black Eskadron Open Front and Ankle boots
Roma White Dressage saddle pad
Royal blue standing wraps
White No-Bow Wraps

Clothing:

F.I.T.S All Season Full Seat Breeches in Black, Sahara, and Expresso
Equissentials Full Seat in black with brown leather
Equissentials Full Seat Winter Arctics in black
Ariat paddock boots in black
Ariat Cameo half chaps in black
Ariat winter paddock boots in black
Tipperary Eventer Vest in black
Charles Owens AYR8 in black/black
Various T-shirts, sweatshirts, vests, and jackets.

I tend to like black because it goes with everything and I think it looks pretty classy. I've never really liked the look of brown tall boots and I think the brown would not look as sharp next to Royal. Not that I'm a fashionista or anything like that. I would make George Morris cry for days on end.

Horse Blogging #5- Your first fall

What a lovely subject. It was within the first six months I seriously started riding. I had been taking lessons at a saddleseat facility and was riding a new lesson horse. The horse was an excitable Morgan wearing a German martingale and a twisted snaffle. We'd been wrestling all lesson and when a horse kicked its stall wall, he freaked and bolted. Somehow during the course of my lesson, the girth had gotten loose, and the saddle slipped. I fell towards the rail and landed on my head just in time to see his hind hooves flying in front of my face. It was really scary and I will never forget it.

The instructor caught the horse, I brushed myself off, and got back on. I rode that horse again many times and was never scared of him. And I got a lesson in the emergency stop. Which has come in handy more that once.

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Back to the present, it's Spring Break! And the weather is halfway decent so hopefully I'll have lots of playtime with the Fuzz.

Horse Blogging #4- A ride that impacted your life

I'm not sure what this means. Does it mean a ride that changed the course of your life? I suppose the Confidence Shattering Fall would fall into that category. My life was definitely not the same after that.

Horses did well for the vet. Royal had to get 4x the normal amount of sedation for his power float. And he still wasn't fully out, from the way he noticed every single time someone talked or a horse moved. Figures. That's why it can be so hard to get him to pay attention: he just always has to know what's going on.

Horse Blogging #3 - A video of your best riding

I've posted this before, but this is my L2 Freestyle audition from 2009. I think Royal and I have improved since then, but this was pretty good.

Horse Blogging #2- The last time you rode a horse and what you did

That would be a week ago Sunday and lots of partial disengagement. I'm trying to set the baseline early, so Royal makes a habit of being relaxed while under saddle, and we can start working on other things. It's no use trying to do anything with a tense Royal, because it's a fight the whole time and nothing gets accomplished. So, it's relaxation or bust.

He's starting to get it. The previous time I did PD with him, it took 30 minutes for him to do the Big Sigh and relax. This time, only 20 minutes, although I had to do a few short repeats when he tried to do the fast tense walk again. Patience, patience.

Horse Blogging Challenge #1- When and why you started riding

I'm feeling better, although still groggy and stuffy. But, no rest for the weary/wicked so I'm just surviving on cough syrup. But, on to new things.

I started riding waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when I was a wee little tot. My first ride ever was when I was 3ish on a dude string horse named Jug. Yep, Jug, but this was in Arkansas so it was par for the course. I loved riding and started going to horse camp when I was seven. My mother has pictures of me with Dot, "my" pony for the week. And by "my", I mean I groomed and tack and rode her every day for a week, and even in a fun show at the end. I went back to that horse camp for six years, until a spider bite incident landed me in the hospital and it was so poorly managed on the camp's part that I never wanted to go back.

I started taking weekly lessons when I was ten. I started at a saddleseat barn that one of my friends rode at, then started jumping lessons at a private barn two years later. I switched from that barn to a different h/j and dressage barn until I started leasing Royal at Last Chance Farm. And the rest, as they say, is history.

I tell people I went through the horse-loving stage almost every girl goes through and never grew out. I hope I never do.

PNH (And Horse) Blogging Challenge

A person on the Savvy Club Forum posted a list of 30 topics related to PNH and 30 other general horse-related topics to blog about. I thought it looked interesting, so I'll give it a shot. Here they are:

Day 1-How did you find PNH
Day 2-What is your favorite savvy and why
Day 3-What is your partners favorite game
Day 4-One BFO (blinding flash of the obvious) moment you've had
Day 5-What is your favorite DVD, Celebration, Tour Stop etc..etc…moment
Day 6- What is your dream with your horse
Day 7-A time you turned a moment of frustration into a moment of "Hmm How Interesting?"
Day 8-What is your horsenality, what is your partners horsenality and how do you make them work together
Day 9-A moment you have had with your partner that would not have been possible without PNH
Day 10-Post your favorite picture of you and your partner and write about it
Day 11-Pat and Linda don't where a helmet….do you? Why or Why Not?
Day 12-Your favorite horsanility to play with and why?
Day 13-Post a video (could be an audition) of you playing with your horse
Day 14-What PNH tools, clothing, tack etc. do you own?
Day 15-How is PNH perceived where you live, board or ride at?
Day 16-What is the most challenging horsenality for you to work with?
Day 17-What is your favorite game
Day 18-A time you have seen Pat & Linda live. If you have not seem them live would you like to, what do you think it would be like?
Day 19-A time you were able to help a "normal" horse or horseman using PNH
Day 20-A PNH clinic or lesson that was inspirational. If you have not been to a clinic or had a lesson what educational material has been particularly inspiring
Day 21-Criticism you have about the PNH program
Day 22-How do you explain PNH when people ask what you are doing with your horse
Day 23-SADDLING: do you use the PNH saddle and/or theraflex pad if not what do you ride in and what does your horse think of it
Day 24-A time PNH made things harder for you and your horse
Day 25-What is the most challenging aspect of your relationship with your horse
Day 26-What is your favorite obstacle to play with
Day 27-A time you have impressed someone with your PNH skills
Day 28-Love, Language, Leadership: what is the easiest for you and what is the most challenging
Day 29-If you could ride one of Pat or Linda's horses which one would it be and why?
Day 30-What have you learned about yourself since you have started doing PNH?

Horse-related

Day 01- When and why you started riding
Day 02- The last time you rode a horse and what you did
Day 03- A video of your best riding
Day 04- A ride that impacted your life
Day 05- Your first fall
Day 06- All the tack and riding clothes you have (brand/color/other details)
Day 07- Your favorite ribbon won at a show and why
Day 08- A little about the barn/stable you ride at
Day 09- Any injuries that occurred from ridingDay
10- How your family/friends feel about your riding
Day 11- Find a horse for sale online that you would want to buy
Day 12- Favorite horse color
Day 13- A video of your worst riding
Day 14- Your dream barn/farm
Day 15- If you could speak to any horse, dead or alive, what would you say?
Day 16- Your most recent fall
Day 17- Your equestrian idol
Day 18- Your grooming routine
Day 19- A discipline you would like to do that you’ve never done before
Day 20- Your favorite horse show
Day 21- Your perfect schooling outfit
Day 22- The importance of riding in your life
Day 23- Critique a famous/well known equestrian’s jumping round of your choosing
Day 24- Your best riding friend
Day 25- Your dream trailer
Day 26- Biggest riding pet peeve
Day 27- You know your an equestrian when….. (Give 5 original ones)
Day 28- Helmet or no helmet?
Day 29- A style/trend in tack/riding appearal that you don’t like
Day 30- Your Future With Horses

Not sure I'll be able to do one per day, especially with classes starting up on Tuesday, but I'll try to work through them as best I can.