The Magical Flying Arab and other news

Angel, aka "The Magical Flying Arab" has been in Nacogdoches for three weeks now. We've done quite a few canter sets to get up her fitness and she seems to be coming along quite nicely. Flying changes were a breeze for this one... she seemed to just "get" what I was asking immediately. I challenged her a bit today by circling at one end of the ring and asking for the change on the straightaway in the center of the ring, and she got the change every time. The right to left change is still a little delayed, but the left to right is practically seamless and right on que. We jumped yesterday, her first time to ever try out bending lines and we were, for the most part, successful. I still need to work with leaving her alone 3 strides before the fence. I fussed with her a bit too much and caused a run-out on the second fence of the bending line twice. She seems to get flustered if I over correct. Her straightness over fences is improving, which has lead to improved jumping form. We're practicing a lot of jumping straight and then halting straight after the fence, which seems to keep her paying attention and waiting for my cue. She's never going to be a hunter, but I think, with work, she'd be an excellent lower level jumper prospect. We only have standards and poles here, so I'm definitely anxious to try her over some different types of fences and see what she thinks of those. She is still fussy with the bit and despises flatwork, but tough cookies.

Eli, the HUS prospect turned pre-Eventer, is doing FABULOUS. Leslye called him a "Steady Eddy" today. Who, Eli? Who would have thought. He is starting to accept this whole "job" thing and has a lovely attitude about it. He is sweet, kind, and seems to want to be friends. As he learns to go in a frame, his movement is really improving and I'm super impressed with his gaits, especially his big, ground covering, rolling canter. He looks like he could win the hack in good company. Yay Eli!

Had Lesson No. 2 with Jo this past weekend, which admittedly, was frustrating. One of my biggest issues is that I over-manage the horse, especially when fences are involved. Jo is a very "leave the horse alone" type trainer, which I find very difficult, especially when things are not going swimmingly. But, one of my goals this year was to learn to be more effective in the tack by being less micro managing, so I have another lesson scheduled for Sunday. Its hard for me, since I am definitely the But Why? type, and Jo is more of the Just Do, Dont Ask Questions type. In my head I'm thinking Whhhyyy?? but I am training myself to follow instructions. I am paying for Jo's opinion, not for me to tell Jo my opinions of her opinions, if that makes sense. Leslye and Jo are like night and day... Leslye is definitely an explainer. So, I have a balance of explainations and Shut Up and Ride.

Anyway... will probably do some low gymnastic work with Angel tomorrow. Since we're confident over 2'6"-2'9" oxers now, I'll take her back to cross rails and two foot verticals. Should feel easy-peasy to her and built her confidence even more.

Back to Basics

Woke up Sunday to pouring rain and grey sweatshirt skies. I hate when its cold - its almost May and jackets were definitely required.

After my usual stop at the 7-11 on the corner (for hazelnut coffee and the world's awesomest powdered donuts) I headed out to Leslye's. Plan was to meet her and another student to go look at a horse in a town about 30 mins away.

So, on paper (er, website) the horse seemed like a perfect match. EHarmony couldnt have done it better. Student in mind needs quiet, no-nonsense "I do not care if bombs go off next to me, as long as there is food" type. Horse - we'll call him "Blue" - looks lovely in pictures. Has been shown mostly AQHA judged local shows, and shown by a kid. He's done everything from western pleasure to huntseat.

We drive about 30 minutes to a 'public' indoor arena where we'll be meeting Old Blue. Pulling into the parking lot, we're all reciting the Two Wheel Drive Only Prayer otherwise known as "Please dont get stuck. Please dont get stuck." There are a few horse trailers parked outside, with a few sorry looking beasts tied to them. Leslye and I exchange the "I hope thats not him" look and walk inside to find Blue's owner. Luckily, she has parked on the other side of the arena, so NO, none of the horses tied outside are our Noble Steed. We collectively breathe a sigh of relief.

The optimistic little group that we are, we laughingly see this as a good sign! "Oh, he's over there! Phew!" Ha. Ahahaha. The poor little sorry soul on the other side of the arena looked like those 25 yr old broodmares you see at the auction. The ones who are being dumped since their babymaking days are over and some redneck, who hasnt bothered to worm them or trim their feet in 7 years, is yanking their back teeth out to demonstrate how 'broke' they are. I'd be 'broke' too, if you're 250lb butt was sitting on me, buddy... Anyway, I digress.

This poor guy just looks defeated. He's built like a limo and at least 150lbs underweight. Two white-blue eyes add to his half-dead appearance. He looks homeless - like he could use a meal and a shower. Apparently his owners were using that broken measuring stick that all horse sellers pass around, because "15.1h" was wayyy more like 14.3h. And, to top it off, his front foot is bandaged in vet wrap. Joyous.

We're assured that he "just cut his foot" and he's "fiinnneeee". Um, okay. What the heck, we're here. Saddle'em up. The saddle, honestly, looks laughably big and wide on him. Owner pulls out a full cheek single twisted wire snaffle. Yes, because Glue here has the energy to run away. *cough*

We're also informed that he needs spurs. As in, all the time, will not move without them. To recap, we just put a single twisted wire bit on this guy. Raise your hand if you're confused. Leslye elects to just get on him to "see what happens" - which we're betting will not be much. He's standing so camped under from back soreness, its just sad. A few good kicks gets him into a jog - and, shockingly, he's lame. The constant-tripping head-bobbing kind of lame. Poor creature. Owner assures us that he has "never taken a lame step" and seems rather irritated that we concluded, after 10 steps, that he is definitely not sound. Did she think buyers would be too stupid to notice? Or, furthermore, that for her $7500 (!!!) asking price, anyone looking to buy wouldnt vet him out?

I debated posting this, because its really not kosher to talk about someone's horse after you've gone to look at it. But then I thought, nah, she's not going to see this. And its just disgusting to me! That horse was NOTHING like the ad said he was. He looked like a rescue. If you're going to show your 150lb underweight, lame horse to people, then I feel like you deserve to get talked about. I would be embarrassed to say I owned that horse, much less show him to people with a $7500 price tag.

Faking It

Anyone that has ever met me would probably say "Yeah, she rides horses. Or something."
I've decided to do something about "or something".

Lately, the holes in my riding skill set are becoming more and more apparent. While I grew up riding a lot of horses and learned the basics - walk/trot/canter, jump little jumps, riding out - I feel like I never really learned how to RIDE. I learned how to not fall off. There is a difference.

When you grow up in a riding school and do not have your own horse, you ride whatever you can get your hands on. Loosely translated: Whatever no one else wants to ride. I learned to be sticky. I learned that some horses are good at some things, while other horses are good at other things. Trying to make those two horses switch places is next to impossible, and leaves you with a sour, pissed off horse. 1000lbs of pissed off is never fun.

While most of my riding friends had their own horse by age 12, I purchased my first horse at the ripe old age of 22. I've had a few since then. Most were very green. I feel like we often define a good rider as one who can ride a lot of horses, not fall off, and theoretically get the horse to do something it doesnt want to do, or doesnt do well. In that sense, I am a good rider. Sort of. I can ride a lot of personalities and I adapt well, but I dont feel like I really know how to do anything. Most of what I know is self taught, and conclusions that I arrived at via trial and error. In short, I've learned what will and will not get me bucked off.

It occurred to me last weekend that I do not know how to ask for the canter. I cant feel my diaganols, see a distance, or ask for a shoulder-in. I dont know how to ask for a flying canter, or how to balance a horse through a corner. I could TELL you how to do these things, but actually doing them would be purely the luck of the draw. I'm just faking it. I ride just well enough to make you think I know what I'm doing, without really knowing anything.

So, from this point forward, I'm considering myself a beginner. I had a discussion with my trainer, and asked her to not assume that I know anything. I want to go back to the beginning and work forward. Luckily, trainer is very understanding and didnt hang up on me or run away screaming. :)

I'm dropping all the excuses. My horse isnt too green to be ridden properly. I have the time, and the finances. I have a good trainer and an indoor arena. Cant blame my horse, trainer, time or the weather. Its time to either go on pretending I know what I'm doing, or actually learn something. I'm (trying to be) prepared for the fact that I will probably look stupid. There will be times that I will screw up, fall off, and get frustrated. But I'm tired of pretending to know things that I dont. I'm tired of people thinking they wont say anything to me, because I wont listen. I dont want to go on being that person that people think talked big, but never did anything.

On another note, Penny and Sky got massages today. Both girls were excellent. Penny has a lot of soreness down her left side, which is perplexing, although not surprising. She tends to start off just *eversoslightly* stiff on that side, and we've been struggling with that canter lead. My instinct is to have her checked out by the vet - but I suppose that is on hold until she actually belongs to me. Haha.

Sky, the pasture puff princess, got a clean bill of health. Almost zero soreness and no swelling, bumps, etc. One touchy spot in her back, but it was right by the Very Bad Bite spot, so I'm assuming that is the culprit. Quite a change from the tense and sore mare of a few months ago.