and Round 2 goes to...

...Me.

I had a good lesson Tuesday. A big part of that was my trainer coming to me as I was grooming and telling me she needed Magic for a quick lunge-line lesson before ours. Cool, get some energy out. Then she reminded me that he pretty much is off Sun, only gets hacked by me Mon afternoon, and my Tues lesson, so maybe I should run him around the round pen a bit before I ride those days. Well, duh he was moved to a smaller stall in the mare motel, and I don't think he moves far from where the food falls from. So after the adorable little girl took her her lesson I ran Magic's butt off in the round pen. After some rodeo bucks, we proceeded quietly down to the outdoor arena. My legs were killing me, but eventually we had probably one of the best working trots I've gotten out of him, a nice consistent speed. Then we started jumping. I asked my trainer if I jumped well could I stop early since my sciatica was acting up.That got me a maybe and a few laps over a small vertical which quickly turned into a line with a panel and the vertical. I think my brain is finally starting to get the concept of adjusting and distance. I managed to not grab mane 3 strides out which gave me the ability to actually pilot, and yet still not be too stiff to go with the jump. I'm still totally chicken, but glad it went well.

Can i go home yet? 

Hack Friday (my lonely hack day lol)

Rain?!

Saturday-My bff Ashley got married. It was beautiful weather, on a beach, what's not to love. I need to give mother nature a big shout-out for letting us make it through her special day without a downpour (at my wedding it rained...hard). Eventually my DH or I will get around to editing some photos from the wedding. Found out sharing a king bed with a one year old is an adventure all in its own.

Yay!

Monday- Hack with Karley. Grabbed Magic through the mist (its June right?) and saddled him up. Luckily he was pretty clean so grooming was fast. Figured since the weather was weird and there  were all sorts of noises (i.e. the horse-eating Johndeerasaurus moving, rain gently beating against canvas, etc) we'd just circle right on around to the open side of the arena and get it over with. We walked past fairly uneventfully, so we went around and came back by both ways at a sitting trot. A little twitch here and there but otherwise not bad.

Then Magic decided somewhere mid-lap around the same f-ing corner he'd been ridden past already a million f-ing times but now there was idk, something different, and he was going to have a temper-tantrum that rivaled any toddlers. I felt him tense and slow, so I pressed him up with as much leg as I could muster at a posting trot. He spun, despite some pretty darn short reins, and I was just happy to still be on (yay full seat breeches). Then came the internal voice shouting at me to sit back, spur, put the dang reins in one hand and whip his ass..... I managed like one thing at a time, while Mr Grumpy was backing, turning and just being a brat. Karley reminded me to do things my speed-of-a-snail brain wasn't processing fast enough. Once I finally back off his face and found more leg we did LOTS of circles around the scary end, until we could behave.

SO that being settled, we cantered. There was a little ducking on the left lead, but with some strong aids, he went around, albeit his frame was rather hideous. Then I switched directions. In the mean time, an older lady on a little Arab came in and was trotting around, also not amused by the open end of the arena. Magic came around at a canter and I could feel him pulling us inward, but honestly I think I just am not rough enough, he 'spooked', causing the Arab to spook, and bounced me around like a kid. We did the whole temper tantrum again, and eventually my anger overcame enough of my annoying fear and we both got a grip, and circled until my inner leg was worse then anything outside the arena....

Cooled him off then made him canter a lap, because he tends to assume he knows what comes next, ah lesson horses. Made him as pretty as possible without rinsing him, gave him some loving and cookies, because he's really cute when he wants to ho home, and put him away.

Stewed on things as I drove home, feeling a bit defeated, I thought we were past these battles of will.
1)I know its me, I've seen the other gals ride him, he can be dirty, but I am just not the aggressive rider he needs.
2)I am not sure why I have such a hard time one-handing the reins to use a whip or crop, I started by riding western for pete's sake! I used to think split reining felt weird, clearly that's changed.
3)I don't want.... eh, how to put it... most days I just wanna putz around on the dang horse, not spend the whole time testing the depths of my adrenaline capacity. I have always been more towards the timid then aggressive rider, but now I lack that fire, that drive to push myself past it. I'm not sure how that fits with my currently leasing Magic and taking lessons jumping.

Oh well, fake it til ya make it (or find another path)...

Lesson tomorrow, hack Friday (hopefully)

Lesson learned

dating myself, but is was funny! 

 Monday- I ditched the barn (and adult things like dishes and laundry) for the beach yesterday. Realized we hadn't taken the boy to the actual ocean yet. Bad parents, cause he loved it!

Tuesday- Lesson night. Got to the barn and C was there grooming Louie, but no one else. slowly trudged through crazy wind to grab Magic. Everyone else trickled in and our trainer went back and forth on where we were riding so after a little warm up in the dusty indoor we all trekked down to the outdoor. Glad we did, I agree with C, its almost less spooky than the indoor, at least everything is moving out there, so they just get over it.

Magic was good mostly, I kept my leg/spur on him and kept him busy bending so we didn't have any funny

business. I had forgot my sunglasses so I was constantly trying to wipe dust out of my eyes. We moved on to a little cross rail. L, C, and I all went back and forth over the x. Magic was all rushy rushy, soooo not his normal self. Of course my silly little self was grabbing mane a stride or two out, and our first time over he, I'm not totally sure what, somewhere between rushed, paused, and threw himself over the jump. It was awkward, and totally proved my trainer right. Big girls don't grab mane early. Argh,ok even the packers have their days. I was stiff over the first few times, he rushed and required some backing after the jump a few times, then I finally found my chill pill, half halted his punk ass, relaxed and rode like I should. Trainer finally said I could quit and I got to watch L and her new boy and C on Louie take some bigger jumps. So easy to see a line from the sides.

Prob no more riding this week :( but Im working double Wed/Thurs and my bff is getting MARRIED on Sat in LakeTahoe so gotta get my girly on and get cleaned up a bit ;)

Slippery slug

And I get yelled at for heels down ;)

Monday- I went out for my normal hack with Karley and was pleasantly surprised to find J and R (whom is rarely out at the barn) were out as well. So we had Magic, Henry, Louie, and pony Shelby all hacking about the indoor. Magic was his usual push ride, I was actually getting after him a bit, but its hard when I'm happy to putz along myself. Of course my trainer looks when I'm trying out a trot/canter depart and yells at me not to do a sloppy walk/canter transition, ugh. My new response it either 'yea' or 'ok'. Maybe not real affirmative, but making myself spit out a quick yes, m'am type response, then clamping my tongue, keeps the whiny excuses behind my shut trap where they belong.

Tuesday- Went to lesson, with my normal turning gut, and slightly elevated heart rate, yep this is fun. Sigh. I really am enjoying riding more, could someone tell my mind that?! Tacked Magic up while Karley tacked Henry, then we both headed down to the outdoor and big round pen while waiting for our trainer and others to come. Magic was pretty good considering he was alone in a huge arena, Henry was cutting up in the round pen, and the western folks were getting rowdy on the ranch below ours. Finally L came down on Project horse, our trainer cruised the golf cart down and we got to it. Plenty of posting and two-pointing to be had, I felt like my legs were soaped, I couldn't maintain my heels down for the life of me. Surprisingly jumping was easier. We did an growing crossrail a bit... as in hey last time I turned that corner, there was only one side to that... hey look, oh goody, now its taller... I just squeezed and focused on relaxing my lower body and hot damn, if I didn't enjoy my cranky pants packer a bit, even when after a brief rest my trainer through up another small rail for L and I to jump. Then I got to watch Karley and J jump some real jumps. Yup happy with my little jumps for now.   ;)

(video of first warm-up rail)

Thanks to a little confusion no hack today, but hopefully I'll at least get something in next Monday, Tuesday...

1 year already?!

Friday- Finally had my lesson, it was an uncomfortably warm, windless morning, so at least we finally rode in the outdoor. The footing is super hard, and rocky, but at least there's more room since lately the indoor has been a bit cramped. There was a small wall with wings that was semi-blocking half way around, so it made riding the full ring a bit odd (mostly because I wanted to make sure he never ever thought I was pointing him at the wall to jump lol). I am a total red-faced heat weenie these days. I was huffing and puffing at the post, so when she let me hang a few laps in two-point, I was dying. I swear even though she was watching J take Henry through some awesome grids, she still managed to turn and yell at me every time I sat a few beats. I'm gonna get my trainer a big hat to cover the eyes in the back of her head ;) Lucky for me Karley came and watched J ride Henry and she was kind enough to get some cell video of me jumping.

 Ok, so it was only two little verticals, but I have only been jumping a single jump for ever, and since it was already super hot out, I was proud I didn't even whine. Magic really is easy to jump, its like driving an old car, push the gas hard, get it up to speed and steer. And ya know, stay relaxed lol. Not my strong suit, but I'm working on it. I think I am starting to look a little more solid, trying to get my butt back more in the two-point so I don't end up on the neck once the jumps inevitably start going up again.

Saturday- Since my son's B-Day falls midweek we had his party a little early, yay for 1st birthday parties!  (I haven't edited any photos yet so stole a few of my MIL's).

Hmmm frosting, how many things can I spread this on....

Cool hot rod wagon- thanks to daddy

Sugar kicked in!

Hack tonight with Karley and lesson tomorrow, then back to a extra busy work week.

Catch up

Ok so guess I am slacking... kinda busy and kinda not much to write about.

 So lets see.... Last Thursday I went out to hack but my trainer was still using Magic for a kiddo lesson so I got to sit back and watch him in true babysitter mode. It was pretty cute, the little girl was so small for the saddle she had to keep shifting around but just went with it. Magic was pretty well behaved, grumpy old man he is. After they were done, I grabbed my saddle and did a mid-arena saddle change and rode in the nice stretchy rubber reins the kids use. Not a lot to write about, basic WTC stuff, no real great or horrible riding, which is just fine by me.


Friday my mom had her neck surgery. I was at the hospital from 6am to almost 6pm... ugh.. I don't relish being in a hospital on a day off. It was weird because the hospital she was at was a nearly brand new hospital built next to the soon to be torn down predecessor, which I happened to have worked at. It was eerie seeing it with windows missing, all wrapped in chain link. All went well though, and she's recovering well, she's one of the toughest people I know.


Weekend flew by, did get to play in my friends pool with my little guy, he loved the water, I see swim lessons in our future :)

Monday was pretty warm, Karley and I hacked around without a ton of inspiration. Then we did a little hack around the property to cool them out. It was nice being out of the arena, I can only go in so many circles. I am so jealous of all those east coast (and other country) bloggers and their pretty woods to hack in. Its pretty dusty and dry at our barn.

Tuesday was supposed to be a lesson but my DH had a photography gig that ran late so I ended up on baby duty watching most of the lesson. I eventually got on and did a little very light hack. Magic did an awesome rollback when we first approached the horse eating corner of the arena. Impressive since I had him pretty cranked the other way. We did lots of work in that corner once Karley was done jumping and I didn't have to work about being in the way.



Phew, guess that was still kinda long for little info...


Hopefully I will have a rightful lesson on Friday, hope I can get my head back in the game, its not there right now...