Huge Recap/Catch Up Post!

It has been almost a YEAR since I wrote a post, good gosh! So I will attempt to do a brief recap of the whole year, ugh! That's gonna be fun!

Anyway, in whole I was so very pleased with Harold. I mean, I drug him out of the pasture being 11 years old and strictly a pasture/trail pony. And we ended up with ALL THIS in just a matter of months!

I have such a great instructor to help me along and she is always there for me when I need her and that is a huge part of our success! 

I was hoping to move us up to Intro C this past show season and also do some crossrail classes, maybe do the lowest combined training level after winter but then I went and got myself knocked up for the 4th time! LOL. So that all will have to wait until next year. I am due in September so am hoping I we can both be back in shape to do some showing by spring season. Our canter is a huge work in progress but it was getting lots better when we were able to work on it and keep him limber with massages from my bestie. 

So anyway I usually photograph everything. I'll try and recap through my photos which help me remember what went on when!

He was SO fit August through September. I was getting such good ride time in and he was really muscling up and getting stamina. L rode him a few times for me in lessons over jumps to try and get his timing etc better for me. I'm still so green at jumping myself he really needed someone to know what they were doing to progress him for me.

In September we had our third show. It went really well again! We just did Intro A and B. I think we got reserve champ again in our division. There are few adults at this particular show so it's not hard, lol. Ignore my wonky braids. His mane had grown out a bit too much by this time and I should have cut it before I braided it! 

We got to do our first clinic that fall also! Caroline Weaver is her name and she is so sweet and had a lot of new insights, or even just a new way of saying what L had already been saying, that made a lot of sense.

In October my suburban decided to break its tranny so we decided to trade it in on THAT beauty up there! Ive always wanted a truck and I flipping love it. Its an '08 four door Silverado. It pulls my trailer pretty good, although I do wish I had a 3/4 ton. One day!

So the next picture is from our last show of last year. We KILLED it with scores both in the 70's! Two blues baby!! I was so proud of us. It was the perfect way to end the season.

So after dressage season was over I started focusing more on jumping with Harold. We moved up in height a bit and he was doing really well! Jumping is NOT his favorite thing though, too much work, obviously. So I try not to do too much. The last pic was the last time we jumped that winter. It was getting dark and he made SURE he did not touch the pole, haha. I stayed on miraculously! And I was actually very early pregnant at the time, though I didn't know it yet!

So we took a pretty good break after that with holidays and cold and such. In late January we had a fun outing at a place my bestie was boarding her horse at the time. The lady that owns it does a lot of obstacle/Parelli type stuff so we had all kinds of things to play with. Harold did all of it with barely any hesitation. We even did a horse see saw twice! We played in the indoor first and I did my best position jumping yet, I think! Then I got pregnant and stopped jumping, lol.

In spring I did two shows, one this March and one in April. After that it was getting too hot and I was getting too BIG. I already had bought 30 inch used breeches (I wear 28) and had to leave them unbuttoned AND unzipped with a belly band, lol. So both shows went okay. The spring had been SO WET we had not been able to have but one lesson the entire time. It showed too, ugh. We got many comments about impulsion and forwardness etc. So my main goal was to move him out and forward our last show. I still didn't get the score I wanted but it was better.

So! Since then Harold has been a pasture pony again, lol. I haven't even been out to see him hardly at all. With three kids, a house and husband to take care of PLUS this pregnancy has kicked my butt, it has been really hard.

BUT! I'm super excited to say that he will be moving to pretty much right outside my door soon! We are FINALLY about to get the 'arena' pasture fenced in. It has a little less then half the wire up, and almost all the posts. We got some more corner posts this weekend and a few gates so hopefully another week or two and he will be out there! The husband builds houses all day out in the 90 degree weather so I usually don't make him go out and work on it when he gets home, lol. This summer has been brutal so far. Super high humidity and 90+ temps every day makes for a miserable existence outdoors. Even at 7 or 8 at night! Thanks, Alabama.

Anyway, it will be so much easier to get to him and I will be able monitor everything about him. He won't have anyone else stealing his food or biting him etc. Snowy is too small to push him around, lol. And I won't have to deal with the in laws untrained idiotic horses. Can't wait! 

I sold my white trailer we fixed up this spring and bought this baby! Sold my other for $2500 and paid $1300 for this one. PRETTY good deal, if I do say so! It's still not any where near NEW but definitely a decade or so newer, lol. It's a Cherokee brand and really neat! It has a decent sized tack room that I can change in, and a ramp and really roomy horse area. Much wider and taller then my previous. It is also definitely a fixer upper, but nothing too major! Needs a paint job, new springs on the ramp (that thing is freakin heavy!) and some new hub covers and new light covers. It is just chilling behind the shop for now since this mama ain't hauling anywhere anytime soon!

Snowy has been doing good too! The girls adore her, well, my oldest will pet her and that is about it. I'm pretty sure I ruined any chance of horse love with her when she fell off her trotting last year, lol. She was never my horse girl anyway, but that definitely put the last nail in the coffin!! My youngest, the last picture, looks to be headed to horse girl land with us, whoo hoo! Sorry, daddy :D. Shelby loves to ride her, brush her, tack her up, anything. And she is so good for her.

Well I leave you with a belly shot and a Harold grazing in his soon to be pasture. Hopefully update more soon! 

Great Lesson and Trail Ride This Weekend!

Hey all!

So lots has been happening, let me try and recap.

Riding lessons have been going good! We have been doing some dressage and jumping both in each lesson lately. I have been riding Goldie pretty much exclusively. Which is fine with me! We get along good and it's been nice to be able to concentrate on my equitation. Plus we are hitting our first show together the 23rd!

I was pretty excited when L said I was getting good enough at jumping that I can start being counted on to keep track of my horses stride and make sure to lengthen or shorten it if the distance isn't going to be right. 

Jumpy, jump!

Last night I rode Prince, a horse there for some training. He likes to pick up the wrong lead and also hasn't been rode right at home in regards to contact, etc. He's a QH that looks a lot like Harold size wise and color (although much less wide in the body, I felt like I was riding an Arab!).

He was a good boy! I got him going on the bit well and we just had a few wrong leads on his sticky side. I will be back on Goldie next week L said so we can get geared up for the show in a few weeks. 

So Harold news!! The last two Fridays we have had a lesson with L. The Friday before last was an 'okay' lesson. I didn't get to warm him up like I usually do at home and we just kind of jumped into work. I never did get him to settle into the contact like I wanted. We did canter some and it went pretty good, really. He was a calm, good boy as usual. Afterwards L was riding one of her new lesson horses so I put him in a pen with some hay to chill and watched her. It was neat to see her ride and work a horse.

Harold: "Nap time?"

In between the next lesson I did a lunge session in his pasture between Hailey's nap. I have been really interested in the art2ride program and think it would be great to help get Harold's back raise up and strong. Check it out! Art2Ride. I wasn't ever able to get him to do what I wanted though, gotta study some more and try again.

Not engaging like I want

So the program basically has you working the horse at a good pace to get them moving over there back, which in turn drops their head. The lower the head the more the horse can stretch and use his topline. After so long doing this (months? Year?) they say you can start slowly bringing the horses head up. If he stays engaged and rounded through his topline, he's ready. If not, you need to keep building muscle with his head down.

Anyway on to this past Friday. It was a awesome day. I dropped the kids off at Lee's moms and went on over to L's. Got mister Harold out and was able to warm him up by myself which was great. I did what we usually do at home so I had a soft horse ready to go when L got there. I still was having trouble at the trot so I remembered I wanted L to ride him for me last week, just to see what she thought, and to actually feel what he does so she can help me ride him better.

Well that was the best idea ever. She got him going SO WELL. She was able to work through some blocks we had had and unlock and put in some puzzle pieces we had been missing. After she rode him about 15 minutes I jumped on and was able to get him going well too! It felt amazing. She was yelling out how good he looked and that it was just what the judges wanted to see in First Level work. Hah! First Level! :D

Floaty feet!!

So anyway, was a great breakthrough and I was able to duplicate it two days later also at home. He wasn't quite as soft but his new 'buttons' worked and I was happy! Plus we were working in a uneven pasture, so I couldn't expect the same quality of work.

Go pony, go!!

That day was SO warm and I had time to give mister Harold his first bath in ages! He loved it because he got to mow the lawn at the same time, lol. The girls played in my tail soaking bucket and had a grand time also. I drug out their water table later and they loved that too. The day before we went to my parents lake house with a couple and their two girls that we are good friends with from church. We stayed the night and played all day. It was a great weekend! We are so blessed.

 So another fun horsey weekend is planned for this week! My friend A is having a birthday this weekend and she wanted to know if I wanted to go to a equestrian center/day camp to trail ride with her and also work in the arena. I was like uh YEAH! So Sat after 11 (she has a massage appointment early in the day) I'm gonna drive about an hour to the camp. I bet we will probably work in the arena first (she's bringing her young horse to work in the arena, and her older trail savvy mare for the trails) and then hit the trails.

I have never trail rode with Harold, which is funny since that was what he was used for exclusively, lol. So I hope he hasn't forgot and doesn't throw any shenanigans! I have never really liked trail riding per say. It has always made me a little nervous, which doesn't make sense because that's all I did as a young girl on a safe old gelding. Anyway, I'm pretty sure he will be great. Plus A will be there with her good mare to help us if needed. I'm excited about getting to work Harold in a good arena again.

Well that's all for now! We are supposed to get storms and tornado weather today, so no riding. Tomorrow or Friday I may be able to get a work in though.

Until later!

2nd Friday Lesson With Harold

So I know yall might be tired of me bragging on my horse, but he really is pretty darn awesome. Just sayin. ;)

So last Friday I decided split second as I was rushing over to feed Harold before driving my oldest to school, that I would just load him up and let him eat his breakfast on the trailer. That way I wouldn't have to go to school, drive all the way home again and then go back to town. I knew I would be a little early to the shop to drop off the kiddos (meaning, my mom doesn't get out of bed early well, lol and wouldn't be there yet) but I figured it was better to be early rather then running late.

Of course Harold was pretty excited he had grain in his manger and hopped right on, all four legs this time, lol. And after I got to the shop he just chilled in the trailer munching on his hay while I waited. I settled both kids in with some breakfast and put Hailey in her jumpy hanging from the doorway and Shelby watching some youtube and figured my dad could handle it until my mom got there.

I learned that morning that I would be sharing the lesson with a home schooled girl on her little gypsy vanner. He's so cute! But like pony sized, lol. He can have a bit of an attitude and I had never rode Harold in the arena with another horse before. Well, I've never rode him with another horse before period actually! I wasn't really worried but it did add a element of the unknown for sure!

So I pulled into L's right before the girl I was riding with and we tacked up pretty much at the same time. I have rode with her several times in lessons so we knew each other fairly well. She's sweet.

Harold did great standing in the cross ties and I had him ready to go in quick order. I decided to walk him around in the arena first before moutning up just to make sure he remembered all was cool. He makes me smile every time we walk into the arena when he puts his head down and checks out the sand, lol.

Harold did great with the other horse. It was pretty amusing how he would speed up to follow him and then slow down to wait on him when the other horse got behind him, but he quite doing that after a bit.

Uh, yeah, the arena is not scary, mom

My first ears picture in a lesson with Harold!!

So it's been more then one sleep since the lesson (hah) so let me see if I can dredge up what we did. I'm sorry but having a major brain lapse. The main thing I remember is we CANTERED! I know! He was so awesome. I was afraid I would have a lot of trouble getting him into it but he was actually better then Charlie is! And got both leads each time no problem! Go, Harold, go Harold! (I will say I had to imploy mister whip a few times, hah) He also gave me some great trot work yielding to the bit.

We did some trot poles again but this time in a circle like we do in regular lessons. He did pretty good! Here is a video of one of our canters and then the poles.

Yeah us!! Of course my butt was bouncing out of the saddle nearly the whole time and my heel was up, but hey, we did it! Poor Harold needs some definite muscle work to strengthen him up for better position, but all in good time! I'm just so excited we were able to get leads, no bucking or other antics, and pretty good departs! Those are all huge wins for me!

So I watched the other girl do some jumping and and let Harold get his breath back. We are definitely not ready to jump but it was fun to just chill in the arena and watch. After that it was time for some treats and a brush down and a drink for Harold (he drank like a bucket of water! Thirsty boy) and off to get my kiddos!

Whatcha doin?

Monday lesson! The rain stayed away and we got to get a lesson in, whoop. I was on Charlie this time, which I was happy about! I've been on Goldie for the last three lessons I think. I don't know if she thinks I like Goldie or what, lol. Anyway, I had a lot of trouble this lesson unlocking his 'give to the bit' button. He was being a pill about it, just throwing his head up and pulling. I finally figured out I could ask for it on a circle and usually he would give it to me. He did unlock his mouth a bit towards the end of the lesson but then it was time for jumping!

So I haven't been in my hunt saddle for like over a month now, it felt really comfy but I haven't jumped in forever exept for that bit in the lesson last time. And it showed! I was so loosey goosey over the fences with a swinging leg. Sigh. So I'm hoping to fix that next time! I know it just takes time and repetition. I was pretty sore the next day but not too bad!

Last night I was able to get Harold out for a short work out before church. I wanted to ride but knew I didn't have time so I just grabbed him and suited him up in his bridle and surcingle. I then stood on a feed bucket, jumped up on my belly and swung my leg over and rode him bareback to the round pen, hah! What a good boy. We even opened and closed the little gate to the pasture! 

So he was pretty up that night, it was windy and quite cool. I think he was also a bit nervous about round penning since the last time I worked his butt off. I made sure he wasn't afraid of the whip and then sent him around. This time I had a lunge line run through the bit and over his poll so I could have some more steering control. I warmed him up without side reins both ways and then hooked them up. He did a lot better then last time and I really saw a lot of improvement with his give. He hardly ever pulled on them and I got some good work out of him. I even had him moving out at the walk and trot a lot faster then normal. We may be able to canter a bit with them next session as long as the footing is good. But I may need to get his fitness up a bit more at the canter first, I don't want to overface him.

We also walked and trotted over three ground poles a bit too. It was kind of soft footing around them but he did good figuring out where his feet were. One time he hit them wrong and actually cantered two of them. Good boy!

I found out I will be showing Goldie at least at my first show of the season. I hope I can become better partners with her before then! L wants me to come and watch the March shows and then start showing myself in April. Can't wait!

Well thats all for now. I'm hoping to be able to work Harold with side reins again today, although hooked up to his dressage saddle, and then ride after. Since I know we can canter without dying now, I might do a bit of that if the ground has dried out enough!

Adios!

PS, If anyone is out there reading, I'd love to hear from you! Share your blog if you have one so I can read yours! :)

Training Days

So I'm going to skim over last Tuesdays lesson real quick. I rode Goldie, and had to ride in a Wintec of L's because of a miscommunication. I was thinking we were doing just dressage and it turns out we were also jumping, lol. It was an okay saddle but not mine, you know? So I felt a little off in it.

Lean back!! I think this was the free walk of Intro B

I'm really getting annoyed with myself. I feel like instead of getting better here lately I am regressing. I think it all started when we began to do more dressage. I have gotten so used to sitting in a 'hunter perch' that I have a really hard time sitting vertical and not forward a bit. What is the deal! I'm also still having trouble sitting the canter. I can two point or forward seat it all day. But keep my behind in the saddle? HAHAHA. Grr. Any tips anyone?? I know all about the scoop, sitting back a bit, etc. It's gotten better but still needs work. I want to get solid on the lesson horses before I try to canter mister Harold. I havent loped him since I rode him western two years ago. I feel like on a green horse I might want a 'o crap' strap on my cantle, haha. His mane is pretty long but farther away then I'd like if I lose my balance! I'm also wondering if it will help me anchor my behind a bit too.

Gosh, I just got back to this post and so much has happened. I'm so behind!


Anyway its Monday now and I had another lesson at L's with Harold on Friday and once again he was absolutely wonderful.

Anyway last lesson on Goldie we first did dressage and then onto the jump arena. Goldie wasn't real into listening to my aids for collection again but we did an ok test.

I decided to take my spurs off for jumping and so glad I did. But it was kind of disappointing because L said I was just letting her pull me over the jump instead of knowing where to take off. I wasn't sure how to fix it and left the lesson a tad morose. Although I was proud for staying pretty solid when she jumped a crazy jump and went sideways in the air over it to look at it, haha.

This last week it rained so no lesson on Monday. Today should be good to go though!

So! Harold news. I didn't get to ride the week after his first lesson and just got one side rein work out in. But this last week I was able to ride twice! Hailey was nice enough to space her naps perfect for me to he able to ride after work.

He did great the first ride, the side rein work had helped a ton already, plus I wasn't just throwing my reins away at him anymore like I used to when he gave to the bit so he had somewhere to direct his new energy when I asked for contact.

Pretty pony in 'school'

So each ride I could hear L in my head saying, elbows by your side, close your hands! Shorter reins! Lol, and I tried to comply every time I thought of it. I also asked more of mister Harold and didn't 'baby' him as much.

So fuzzy!

So thats about all for now! Next post I'll talk about our Friday lesson! And I also had a jump lesson on Charlie last night. 

Till then!