Fabio is Home! And 100 Posts

This is my 100th post since starting Grace Equestrian! Since starting this blog I have gone from 1 horse to 3. I have had 5 different touching horses in my life. From my sweet Roxy mare who I will have the rest of her life. My Gideon came next. He is the most special little gelding I have and probably will ever meet. Next came Nova, who is my Roxy replacement and perhaps my parade horse. After was Blossom, the pony that loves me such an incredible amount. Unfortunately due to her tinny tiny size I just needed a pony that was a wee bit bigger, so enter the newest member of my herd- Fabio. Fabio is so sweet, I can already tell he is just a very gentle, methodical pony. I am excited to have a project pony and I see a lot of potential in this little fella.

We went for a hand walk yesterday, and he was a little anxious when we left the property, but did fairly well. I think he's used to driving and pulling because he'd just lay down on the lead rope and tuggggg. Hopefully we can break that habit. He is going to spend the rest of this week just cuddling with me, following me everywhere that I go. I am excited to finish up this cute pony!

Fabio's cute little blaze! 

In 100 posts from now I hope to have very little herd turn over, happy finished horses, and maybe even a Rodeo Queen. Where do you hope to be 100 posts from now in your own life?

The SidePassing Baby and Great Rains

My lack of blog spots has been due (in part) to the major rain storm that we've been having. It rained all last week, and most of this week. It rained and rained and rained. Which is fine with me, I put a synthetic saddle on my horses and ride in the rain all the time. However, when it rains a few days in a row, it creates deep slick arenas. I have never had a horse injure themselves in wet sandy arenas, because I have never ridden or turned out my girls in one. We have an open track that stayed dry, but I don't feel comfortable riding or lunging a hot Nova without some walls keeping her enclosed. So Roxy and Blossom have been out plenty, but Nova has been penned up.

Prior to all this rain Nova has been getting really good at side passing, and separating her body. Lots of great fluid movements and leading by the nose and shoulder. Here are some great pictures of her side passing the last time I rode her.

I love her baby face when she's trying to figure things out. 

She'll need a refresher on work after all this time off, but after that she'll be ready to start getting a headset put on her. I'm tired of her head flying in the air every time I ask anything of her- specifically backing up. Nova could use a lot of work on her back up.

Nova Needs Work

Managing 3 horses and a pony is quite a burden. The pony is currently going online for lease sometime this week. I even got her her own pony saddle. It's the most beautiful saddle I own, and actually fits me quite well on the saddle rack, despite being a 12inch- I have very little booty. Burden number 1 lifted.

My plan for getting the girls more work is ponying. Lots of ponying up the mountain. Nova needs to see trails, Roxy loves trails, I love both of them, why not combine all these needs and loves into one action. So Nova will be traveling via Roxy up the mountainside for some time.

In the arena we continue lunging over ground poles. Under saddle Nova is working on flexing. She moves like a robot horse right now, and I'd like her to separate movements in her head, shoulder, barrel, and hip. She's taken to playing lately, and since being laid up for a cold, she's yet to get into the rhythm of work. Some trails should knock that eagerness to learn right back into her.

In other news- I have chickens! My parents brought home 3 4 week old hens! Super cute babies! We have 2 rhodesian reds, and 1 buff orpington. They don't have names yet. The Buff is the palomino (ha!). Ok that wasn't even a little funny... She's the yellow one.

 

Nova's feed bucket was the only tub laying around for them to inhabit. They did not like being confined and popped up onto the rim fairly quickly. Their coop was built, and they spent the afternoon outside. Where my dog eagerly, and confusedly, watched them. 

Buff girl sleeping in my lap. 

My First Love

October marked the 6th year that I have owned Roxy. What a journey these past 6 years with her have been. I have had so much fun learning from, and teaching Roxy. We have both grown so much, changed, developed, maturity, and become great at our sport. It makes me terribly sad that at just 10 years old Roxy is no longer perfectly sound.

Barely into her prime years, and she's going to live with a stifle injury for the rest of her life. Thankfully it's not bothering her. We went on a trail ride, and I really pushed her, I felt terrible. We did a lot of hand galloping, and some steep inclines. But the next day she had zero swelling, tenderness, and was not lame. Today I lunged her, and she was so funny! While Dolly was obidient and well mannered, Roxy was prancing around. Her tail was held high and as floated around me. I have no clue what type of fancy trot it was, but I know that I enjoyed watching her do it. She bucked, and played with Dolly, and despite the fact that she was misbehaving I loved it.

I remember the day that I got Roxy. After my mother's year long quest to find me a horse, we finally settled on Roxy. A gorgeous dun mare, with loads of personality, and tons of potential. She also needed more work and training then we understood. I spent the first 6 months of horse ownership galloping entire trail rides with older women on experienced well broke horses. My filly was hardly 4 and 1/2 and I rode her in a full cheek snaffle bit. I ruined her. She didn't stop, she hardly steered, she had no clue how an arena horse should behave, and she had absolutely no ground manners. We needed help, so we reached out to my current trainer. Her barn was about a half hour walk away from where Roxy currently lived, so I trail rode over. My mother drove beside me the whole way, as the trail was the side of a road.

Soon after our first lesson, my mother and I moved Roxy to my current barn. This is when My mother fell in love with Dolly, but this is not Dolly's story- it's Roxy's. Roxy was obese, crazy, and had one speed GO FAST. So naturally I thought "Hey let's do gymkhana! Why not make the hot crazy horse that doesn't stop even crazier?" Well Roxy was really good at gymkhana. And my trainer wanted us to calm her down, so we also did flat classes. Roxy makes a divine English horse, but lacks in the western pleasure aspect. Despite my own disappointment in my mare, we always placed really well.

 Since stopping showing, I have spent the last few years loving my horses, collecting more, and always trying to remember that Roxy altered the path of my life. I am especially thankful for this little green mare, had I bought a finished gelding who knows how bored I would have been. Roxy has been feisty, sassy, and a challenge. Although some days I wanted a perfect, quiet horse, Roxy has always been what I needed. Now that I've learned from my challenging Roxy, I can really appreciate horse with a personality like Nova.

The first time we took Roxy anywhere was to our old ranch's Halloween show. We have not a single photo of me riding her, as I spent most of my time on my seasoned lesson horse Peaches Deck. 

Our First show was at the ranch down the road. 

My first blue ribbon! Awarded to me at the show my trainer put on for all her students. 

Roxy dreaded training for western pleasure, as this photo clearly depicts.

I spent a lot of time lounging around on his mare. 

My little girl looking quite dapper. 

She runs fast patterns.

Can't beat Roxy (or most appys really) when it comes to speed.

Roxy makes such a great trail mount. Point her in a direction and she goes over or under anything in her way. 

She makes for such an awesome mount in terms of working other horses. She ponies anyone, she acts around others with confidence that rubs off on them. It's just awesome to have a mare like this when I work so often with problem horses and babies. 

Our most recent adventure. Heading on a trail that I would rate at a 7/10 Roxy is an awesome mare! 

So I'd like to thank Roxy for all the times we've almost slammed into the rail trying to stop, the times we made my mother cringe thinking we were going to hurt ourselves, the blue ribbons, laughs, cuddles, snuggles, and all the sweet horsey things she does to let me know that she doesn't choose to kill me today. I will have Roxy until the day that she dies, hopefully in her old age she'll calm down enough to be the horse that my future children learn off of. I would love for them to hold the memories of her that I do. 

Green Broke

Today I decided that Nova is green broke. She has 15 rides on her, she has an amazing whoa. She actually slid stop yesterday a few inches! She has almost 100% steering. She stands still to mount, and saddle. She takes the bit ok. I need to bring a little honey out to flavor it with. We went out on a trail ride today.

All of my girls got to go actually! My mom took Dolly, a friend of mine took Roxy, and while I could have taken some other more broke horses, I wanted to take Nova. She did great! Nova has been on trail 3 days in a row, and she gets better every time. We usually just go around our block. Which constitutes a very quite back road, with some horse property on one side, and a very busy road with lots of large vehicles on the other side. It's perfect, you want a quiet ride go down and back the quiet road. Want to see some obstacles  go down the road side. But today we went far. We went all the way down under the highway, about 2 miles down the busy road. Nova was great. She spooked at a couch yesterday, didn't even flinch today when she saw it. She spooked at a car coming up behind her really fast once, and that was it. She amazes me. Roxy and Dolly were both great as well.

My girls before the ride.

Roxy has gotten out the last 3 days in a row, and I actually think that it's a little too much for her. Her leg seemed to bother her on Saturday. Which made her a really nice ride for my friend. Sometimes she can be a little spookish on trail if she hasn't been out recently enough. The mild discomfort kept her really calm. She was completely sound, just a little stiff. And the ride was by no means too much. It was a lot of walking, and less work then riding in the arena would have been for sure.

Overall I am super, super happy with Nova. She is amazing. However, she won't pick up her right lead. Does anyone have any suggestions for training techniques? My trainer's daughter says to ride more aggressively, but I really don't want to. Nova is so sweet, and so gentle, I really don't think riding her harder and reprimanding her is the right approach. She's not being naughty, I think she honestly doesn't know how to do it. Does anyone else have a gentle approach to encouraging picking up leads?

Poor Roxy!

A friend of mine came out to ride yesterday. I had also promised Roxy that I would ride her. I also was planning on ponying Nova for the first time. It was a very successful day! Roxy was good, she pinned her ears at Nova a little, but with a a little kick she'd stop. Roxy's a good mount for ponying- she knows that when it's time to work, it is not time to play.

We went around in the arena a few times, then about 200 ft down the road and back. That little baby is amazing! She has never seen the world. She lived way up in the mountains off the beaten path. On the trail we saw tractors, dogs, cats, cars, other horses, and in my opinion what's often scariest- dumpsters. Nova did not spook not once! She also let me pet her ears, her forehead, her neck, her back. She's not worried about me being on top of her at all. Successful day yesterday!

I feed Saturdays, so this morning I got up bright and early. And I felt awful, super sick. But I took some day quil, texted canceling my lessons, and I trekked out to the ranch at 7:00AM. I got there, fed the horses, and then I went to do Nova's stall (where Roxy is currently living). Roxy had barely her breakfast... And I even gave her alfalfa. She looks sunken in, and was standing camped out. I listened to her gut and heard good rolls, she wasn't dehydrated. Then I remember that yesterday when her and Dolly were out they played a lot. Roxy did a lot of bucking, and rearing.

I usually pull her out when she does that. But I've been getting pressure from my mother and trainer that 'Roxy's fine'. I can see the pain on her face, but I figured that they knew best. So my poor little girl was so uncomfortable that she didn't even finish her breakfast. Now I know that my instincts are best, and that I know my mare.

But today Nova did great! I was told that she doesn't tie, but was thrilled to see that she does. We used a lunge line and wrapped it around the arena panels. She stood calmly, and chewed my very line. She chews up everything, Nova is very mouthy. She is also very saddle broke. I was thrilled to find that out. This little mare really just needs help leading. I'm planning on going out Monday and getting a bit in her mouth, and lunging her with a saddle in the round pen so it can really flap around on her. Today was also the first time that my trainer saw her being worked. My trained told me before leaving that she was proud of me for banging out my stalls even though I was sick! Woohoo for me. Despite Roxy's discomfort and my sickness, it was a pretty good day.

I'm Back!

Sorry about that long hiatus. Life just got a little crazy. Let me give you an update.

Gideon- 
He had absolutely no interest in being an arena horse. So I didn't think it was fair to try to make him into one when he would just be miserable. So I sold him. I found him a fantastic home as a husband's first trail horse. He lives up in the mountains, I get pictures and updates about him often. He has a great life, and his new dad just loves him.

Roxy-
Roxy is retired. She still hasn't really come back from her injured stifle. She's retiring to the life of a lesson horse. And she's doing really well at it! She's in two lessons a week. Both girls love her- they are young teenagers. One of the girls had her first lope on Roxy last Saturday! It is so fun to have trained my horse well enough that these kids can ride her, and equally as fun that I trained the kids well enough to handle her.

And I have some very exciting news. *drum roll* I bought a filly! She is a 3 year old buckskin Appaloosa. Registered name is RER Justa Fantasea. Her sire was Justa Cowboy, dam was Sea Freckles. She is absolutely stunning. This mare has the most elegant floaty gaits I have ever seen. She's 15.1, and right now 990lbs. That will be changing- this mare is OBESE. Here are some photos of this beauty. She needs a name. She is very elegant, she needs a name that fits. Something hopefully fast since she's a gymkhana horse. I was thinking seriously about Comet and Melody but those just don't fit her. I was also thinking Fancy, but I feel like that's a big thoroughbred name. Also thought about Fantasea but I know that we'll be calling her Fanta. Any ideas?

Riding Roxy

Today Roxy was sound enough to be ridden! Hurray! I was so afraid that she would need the stifle injections. I decided to do something really easy. I thought I would do some flag work. Roxy used to carry a flag just fine, but she hasn't in years.

What a hot mess. It was awful! Roxy got big eyes and was snorting on the ground, but she calmed down ok. So I mounted up with the flag. And Roxy shot across the arena side passing as fast as hors-ishly possible. Not happening. I did not want that kind of movement with her injured stifle. So I instantly dropped the plan to do a whole flag, and my trainer suggested just holding a pvc pole. So I did that. Roxy couldn't have cared less. I rubbed it against her barrel, her neck, her rump, both sides, held it up into the trees above us so that it would make lots of noise.

Naturally I will be putting some 'decorative' flags up around her stalls. They are bright white, and will flap in the wind, they are loud, and they will be around her 24/7. Roxy is getting re broke to a flag.

Roxy horse gets to graze when she is injured. Being hurt isn't too bad. 

Update on the Herd!

Dolly is still awaiting her shoes. We are quite sad that she needs them, but she is getting older and it'll help her to have them.

Roxy is not nearly as lame as before! Two weeks later, and she is showing signs of improvement! I am so so excited. I thought for sure that she was going to need the $200 stifle injections. She is still quite lame, but so so much better. Please send happy thoughts her way.

It was super poor timing for Roxy to lame herself because if she was wound I would get to run flags at a rodeo! They are a girl short for flag runs. We literally don't have any other horses that will do it. So sad.


Gideon is doing quite well. I bought him some rice bran, so we can start packing on the pounds. He's looking amazing too. I emailed some photos of Gid to the boyfriend and he didn't even recognize him! All of the horses are 90% shed out, and Gideon is especially beautiful. He's looking less dappled on one side, but his other side looks very dappled, so it's a mystery! His coat is looking super shiny and beautiful too. I've had him about 2 months now, here are some before pictures.

Emaciated, depressed, and extremely poor overall. Gideon needed some serious TLC.

2 months later, I am happy to say he is doing great! His ground manners are improving drastically, his coat is so shiny (a sign of health), he has gained about 50 pounds, and he is such a happy little guy!

 Here is a video of Gideon turned out. 

I got a new phone! It's an HTC Vivid, quite a step up from my little samsung strive. This phone is super cool. I took that video with it, and most of the pictures that I have recently posted I took with it. I can give it verbal streaming commands, like "send text to mom, how are you?" or I can search google automatically. It's super cool, I highly recommend buying one. It's a million times better then the iphone and for far less moola.

Anything cool happening to you?

Ok, so I have always been into really cheesy phrases, and lately fitness. I borrowed this from a friend's tumblr. She is a fantastic person, and my best friend so I imagine that she will forgive me.

My birthday is coming up! I would really like to reflect on my 18th year of life and say that it was fantastic and magical. But it just was not that great. In fact, it was really difficult. I finished high school, I went off to college. I did awful there socially, emotionally, and my grades were bad. I wasn't as happy, healthy, or as nice as I'd like to be. Overall I am really sad that I didn't like college. I struggle with regrets, I'm consistantly trying to talk myself into not regretting things that I regret. During college I regret that I didn't learn as much as I wish I did, and that I didn't put enough effort into anything. But I think one of my strongest strengths is knowing my weaknesses. 

I have some personal goals for my 19th year of life. I would like to work harder & smarter, be more dedicated, and to slow down. I am constantly in a hurry everywhere I go, and everything that I do. I want to show Roxy, I want to train really hard. I want to take her to a rodeo to run barrels. I would like to run for bulls only rodeo queen. I think that would be really fun for both of us.

What are your summer goals? 

The Vet

Today was madness at the ranch. I left work early, hoped into my car, and then prepared myself for the crazy!
I as soon as I jumped out of the car I was giving a list of pretty much all of the horses to halter and leave in their stalls. My fantastic vet went from stall to stall giving 2 shots, and checking teeth on over 30 horses across the ranch. Some (like all three of mine) were getting a little extra. Here is what he said about them.

The hole under Dolly's chest is still open because there is some foreign body still in it. But he doesn't want to do surgery again since it's really fine (I've been meaning to tell Dolly's story forever! I promise I will eventually). My BO/trainer says that she wants it to close up. So we are going to shoot peroxide into it, hose it off, and blue coat it every day! I don't think that it will ever close up all the way, but at least her mouth did!

Roxy's lump will probably be there forever, and her lameness is in the stifle. It pops, and has fluid in it. He said to give it a week, my BO says she will probably need injections. This kills me. Only partially because of the cost, but mostly because Roxy isn't even 10 years old, she already has one condition and she doesn't need one that will affect her comfort for the rest of her life. She is a gymkhana horse, her stifle gets a lot of use. And she truly loves to be ridden, and to run. I would hate for that joy away from her.

So what about Gideon? I haltered him with a stud chain- he is super rude on the ground, so he'll be in a stud chain for a few weeks as he learns to be respectful. I told the vet that he was a rescue, we've had him for a month. The vet says just to feed him alfalfa to gain weight, but at nearly $20 a bale that's a little out of my budget. So I'll be putting him on red cell and rice grain, bran? I forget which. Beet pulp was suggested by a friend, but my BO instantly vetoed it. It is really hard on a digestive system, and Gideon is not strong yet. He does not need his teeth done, and I found out his age!

So how old do you think this handsome boy is? 

Wind Puff?

I head out to the ranch today to check on my Roxy horse, and to teach my favorite lesson. I do stalls, turn out my mustang- whom is in so much trouble right now, and then I go to look at Roxy. She's still lame, in her stifle, and the lump is still there on her cannon. So my trainer/BO says that Roxy's lump is probably a wind puff. I am so sad for my sweet Roxy horse (notice how she's 'sweet' only when she's hurt?). I don't know much about wind puffs, so I did some googling and some asking around. The internet pretty much just told me that a wind puff is fluid in the fetlock joint causing it to be squishy and puffy- not what Roxy has. She has a hard lump on her cannon bone, from an injury with my mustang.

The lump in question.

I think that there must be other types of wind puffs though- because my BO is so good. If she says that's what it is I'm guessing there is a 80% chance that is what it is. The vet is already coming on the 8th to give shots, and do checks. Roxy has lumps in her back again from her condition, but they aren't bad. I would try to snap a picture, but they wouldn't show up. In fact- no one except for me can even see them, you can feel them much easier. Back to the lump!

I am just so sad that this happened to her. My boyfriend tried to go with the perspective that it's a 'battle scar' but it's my Roxy, and I hurt her! As much as I would never again want another Roxy, I love this one. She's just 10 years old, and if it's a wind puff it will never go away. My BO says that it won't affect her soundness, but it'll be there forever. I guess I just have to wait for the vet and see what he says.

Oh did I mention Dolly is also lame? Her club foot is so bad that she needs shoes. Ughhh I like my horses barefoot.

I am sad for my little herd! Dolly needs shoes, and is so lame I can't even turn her out, or hand walk her. Roxy has a wind puff, and is lame in her stifle (I even gave her bute today). And Gideon is in the dog house for all of the ruckus that he has caused.

Not to mention I'm getting burnt out from work. I think I need a vacation stat! Maybe I'll talky my mom into an overnight horsecamp- that would be loads of fun, and it is much overdue for us both.

Please guys! What do you know about wind puffs? I need to gather up as much knowledge as humanly possible.

The Diaper

Oh my goodness, my colt is spirited. My BO just about killed me today over the mustang colt- WHOM IS PROUD CUT! Who the hell invented proud cutting? Just whack 'em all the way off the instant that they drop- that's my philosophy. If they aren't going to breed, don't let them think that they are. The mustang is literally the dirtiest horse I have ever met, and he is free fed right now, so he poops are pees all day long. Oh did I mention his favorite game is dump the water bucket often he does it THREE TIMES A DAY!! *sigh* Moving right along. Well my BO moved him across the way to see if he'd do ok there. He tried to jump the mare motel stall to get to the mare next to him. So he went right back into his shit hole. Don't worry I pulled out more then 2 wheel barrows of wet muck. Including dirt that was just so pee saturated, and that he had mashed his own poop into. It's a stinky disaster zone.

So I turned him out for a good 3 hours, and he ran the whole time. I figured that he would be nice and tired when I went to pony him on Roxy. Wrong. He was feisty as ever, and Roxy was in season recently- which he just loved. She is no longer in season, and she is no longer so forgiving of his shenanigans. But being a really well broke, solid mount, she puts up with him, and listens to me. She even angles herself how I tell her, and pulls him in the right direction when I make her drag him along. Roxy is fantastic, I love that mare.

Gideon wanted to pony super close, he always does. And it is usually fine, it allows me to rub on him, and get him used to me being above him- it is great pre-riding stuff. He was dropping behind us a little, and she didn't like his position, and what he was telling her. She usually just pins her ears, but I felt her kicking at him a little. Had I told her to stop, I know that she would have, but I let her because he needed to be put into his place. Well somewhere along the track he must have kicked, or struck Roxy's rear cannon.

When I put him away, I went to actually ride Roxy, and I could feel that she was lame. So I walked her around, let her really stretch it out. Took her around the block with a friend, then went to hop of and hose her leg down. Sure enough she has a huge welt on her rear right cannon bone. And it was rock hard.

Poor Roxy horse!

I took her over to my BO/trainer after running water over it for a while. And she asks if I have a T-shirt. "No..."
"A diaper?" She asks knowing it's a long shot.
Sure enough, I had a diaper in the car! One of my nieces was with us, and my sister sent one just in case she had an accident. I run to my car and grab it, as well as a standing wrap.
I rubbed some mineral ice on the lump, and then wrapped the diaper around it, and the stand wrap on top of that. My poor little Roxy horse! I'm not really too concerned, she'll heel just fine. I am heading out tomorrow to love on her though.

I suck at wraps. We'll see if they are still on tomorrow. My BO/trainer approved of my wrap job, and I was super excited that I actually had a diaper! Hopefully Roxy feels better tomorrow. And hopefully Gideon does not get any more spirited.

Roxy Rant #4

My girl has been making me do icky gross head on the ground pleasure stuff lately. I hate this, but I am (barely) a good Roxy horse so I listen. Today was gymkhana day! Roxy horses love gymkhana days even more then carrots, and almost more then grain. So first things first, I had to pee. Then I did super good all day and was a very happy Roxy horse. We trotted barrels, and then we loped them, then we went fast! My girl even let me gallop home once! Roxy horses get very excited about galloping so we don't get to do that much.

My girl's mom took this video of Roxy Barrels, but I had been doing other stuff right before and was a confused Roxy. 

After all that barrel stuff my girl ponied a bunch of little girls around on Dolly. Dolly knows that Roxy horses are in charge and did not challenge my dominance.

After the little girls all rode we did some reining. We did small slow, large fast- possibly my favorite exercise right now. I did a really tinny tiny small circle sooo slow, then we did a big fast circle. I was very nice and collected. I've been learning not to run everywhere I go.

After I had to pony wild horse around. He thinks he's in charge, bad horse has no respect for Roxy Dominance. Roxy is in charge.

Wild horse is getting fatter. 

My girl's mom says wild horse and I look cute together. Well duh Roxy horse makes every thing cuter. 

Ok wild horse, you are cute.

I was already sweaty from gymkhana day, but took wild horse onto the track. This was where he tried to seduce me. My girl reminded me to be a lady, and I put wild horse back in his place.

After 6 trotting laps around the big giant track my girl put wild horse away. She then un tacked me, hosed me off, and let me stand. I stood nicely for an hour, it's a nice time to catch up on some beauty sleeps. I caught a glimpse of her on a pretty wild horse that I had never seen before. Maybe my girl will tell you guys about that later.

Roxy horse is tucking in for the night, even though I get lots of beauty sleeps at the hitching post, I get most in my stall.

Owning a Horse

There are some things that you simply just can't understand about horses unless you have one. Horse ownership is like nothing else in the world. It's not like owning a dog, or a cat, it's my horse. Perhaps it's the fact that they are prey animals, while most pets are predators. But they are so amazing.

I love my horse so deeply, and she loves me too. She nickers for me when I arrive at her stall. She patiently waits for me while I groom, and saddle her. She's eager to be ridden, but not necessarily eager to please. She is patient and forgiving. She falls asleep at the hitching post while I help my students tack their own horses, or while I leave her there to go run and do a quick errand that turns into an hour of work, or while she's drying from a bath.

Here she is dozing off yesterday. Do you see that shoulder of summer fur shining?

Horses are peaceful, even if you don't ride, just being around them is peaceful. I have one mom who told me yesterday "I just like being here, I love to pet the horses."

I love Roxy so much. Just being in her peaceful presence is simply blissful. I love when I ask her to lope, and she releases in short snorts with every stride. I love when I ask her to trot, and she moves out in her Roxy quickness. I love when we finish running a barrel pattern and she walks out with her head nearly dragging on the ground, and she chews the bit due to the endorphins the pattern released. I love all of these things because they are signs that Roxy enjoys her job. Roxy loves her life. She isn't in pain, she isn't lonely, or depressed. She's clean, well loved, and so happy.

Horses are forgiving. Often times I get on Roxy a little too hard. She tries to graze while being lead, and I slap her with the lead rope a little harder then I had meant to. She forgets about it in a second, and tries to graze again. She nuzzles me as I give her kisses, and watches for me with loving eyes as I emerge from the tack room.

I love my horse for many reasons. Some that everyone will understand, some that only horse people truly get, and some reasons that I don't quite understand myself.

Why do you love your horse?

Wordless Wednesday

It's lady bug season--- 3rd one I've seen on Roxy this week!

A Beautiful Week

Last week was BEAUTIFUL. I helped run a birthday party with my trainer/BO. It went super smooth and was fun! I also rode Roxy pretty hard. I have decided to show her again.

We are going to take the summer to train the spots off of her! Oh wait she wasn't born with spots... I have started pleasure training her really hard. Really riding her ass and getting her to collect, and keep her head down. I'm using running reins through my super nice o ring snaffle right now. She does so good too. We had one horse at the ranch that would literally drag her dirt in the nose when you free lunged her, she was just a natural born pleasure horse. Roxy has a good head set, and with a little work it will be great.

The last of our Show Days (2009)

We are also doing a lot of reining. I am planning on showing the tumbleweed circuit next season. Roxy's 10, if I'm really serious about training and showing she'll start doing fantastic at shows.

On to Gideon! Wow my little guy is doing GREAT. He is so stinkin' cute too. He's growing quickly, tomorrow I'm picking up some red cell to feed him so we can really pack the pounds on. My trainer said another 50lbs and I can ride him! I put pressure on his back for the first time on Saturday. I brought him close to the railing in the round pen, climbed up, and then leaned over him. I stroked the opposite side of his barrel, and pressed with my hands against his back. Then, while keeping a hand on the railing, I leaned over him. He put his ears back slightly, and raised his head, but his feet didn't move! I am just amazed by his bravery. I imagine it'll take about 2-3weeks to get him 50lbs up, so I am using that time to get him super ready to be ridden. I want his first ride to be the most uneventful thing in the whole world. He still worries me a little. But lots of people love mustangs, they really are a completely different breed. His mustangness just continued to amuse me.

How's the weather where you are? Is it starting to warm up yet?

A Real Ride with Roxy

Usually when I ride Roxy, I just hop on, go through the paces, and do a gymkhana pattern. On Thursday however I had an extremely rough day at work. We had 8 babies instantly, 4 were teething, 2 were new (so they were fussy, confused, and wanted their parents). Believe it or not, I don't do well with crying. I know it seems crazy for an infant toddler teacher to not do crying, but I just don't. And usually our class has minimal crying. However, Thursday was madness. So what was going to be a day off from the ranch turned into a necessary day on.

Instead of the usual workout I chose to really do some training. Roxy did some reining work, and she loved it. Roxy is SO forward, sometimes I just want to lope, not hand gallop, I just want a nice little lope. However, Roxy interprets 'lope' as 'run as fast as possible without falling down'. So after warming her up really well I did some reining exercises.

I started by loping a spiral. Starting with a 30ish meter circle, and winding down to a very very sharp circle, under 10 meters. We ended with a slide, and did it in the other direction. She did great! The idea behind this method is that she physically can't run in a small circle. So as we continue to lope she is forced to take smaller strides and to collect.

After that we did small slow and large fast circles. I think giving her the cue to speed up is helpful, because she understands that a hand gallop is something that has a cue. Here is the exercise:

I used a barrel to mark the 'bottom' of my circles. Both circles had the same 'bottom'. The first circle was just the width of my arena, which I am guessing around 50 feet probably more, the second circle was about 1/4 of the size. I had her start at the small slow circle, repeating it on a loose rein until she carries herself nice and collected. Then, at the barrel, I asked her to speed up staying in a lope, just an extended lope. I only let her do one or two of these circles before asking her to collect again.

Now let me back up for a moment, I started her at the trot. We jogged a small circle, then trotted a fast one. I didn't focus on trotting it for very long because Roxy knows the difference between a jog and trot quite well. If your horse has issues staying consistent at the trot you'd want to start this exercise at the trot.

Tomorrow I plan on doing some pleasure work with her. Lets see how she does with that!

What exercises do you love to do? What issues are you trying to work through with your horse?