I Believe I Can Fly

Sometimes riding in a big group is fun. Sometimes it's pretty damn embarrassing, but we'll get to that...

I have no media of my own, so I have utilized Tumblr to assist my rambling storytelling.

Lesson last night was pretty packed. We were in a holding pattern to run crazy ponies around the round pen, and not wanting to crowd Karley meant I got bumped for someone who needed to spend the next hour + desensitizing his horse in the dark (and desensitizing all of our horses as well). I ended up lunging a wild pony in the "scary" end of the arena, which really is kinda nice since she doesn't spook as much afterwards.

Got on and joined the...1,2,3...no 6 or 7 (I think?) horses we had circling the indoor. Holly was pretty fresh and forward, but at least in the slow-twist I have some stopping power without completely offending princess, so we did lots of halting and backing, while trying not to cause a pile-up of ponies.

Moved on to jumping. There were 3 little jumps set up in the middle-ish of the arena, all we had to do was go over the center jump and turn left or right after, then back around again. Since Princess Holly has been a brat about lead changes, and I'm a weenie, my trainer wanted me to just slow to a trot before turning.

What did Princess Holly want to do?

FLYING LEAD CHANGES!!!!

It's like she was determined to show me what she learned, even as I was trying to stop her she decided she needed to pick our direction the harder way and swap leads. Going towards the open end wasn't terrible, we actually had an incredibly balanced, soft lead change she snuck in before slowing... and OK, a big part of the problem could be my nasty habit of standing a bit and leaning forward when I'm nervous and trying to stop/slow a horse. 

ok, maybe not this bad, 

but it feels that way when you're on 

Yep, it got worse going towards the closed end to the right. We were just a smidge closer to that side, making the turn feel really really tight on a green horse determined to swap leads. 

She started jumping like a tea pot, head down, pulling me forward, and then bouncing my unsteady self around as she tried out her new FLYING lead changes. 

Look what I can do mommy!

I know one of the times I got really out of balance and in an effort not to sound like a sailor I made some sort of aah noise. Yes very proud of myself. 

Then of course we had to go again now that I was completely unsettled as was she (Reactive+ Reactive= Hot mess) I panicked mid-bouncy turn to the right, yanked her left and pretty much ended up running her into the corner of the arena and her BFF horse Blue who was sitting politely in the corner watching. 

After sheepishly apologizing to E and Blue, I of course, went one more time, this time my trainer was nice enough to let me go left, and since we didn't royally F anything up, we were done. Then I got to watch L and Karley do some really fun looking courses with the three jumps, making me feel even more lame, that I was panicking over the one. The another trainer sweetly came over and told me Holly reminded me of one of her reactive mares, and that like her and her horse I will learn not to react, it just takes time. 

How I feel we are right now

Soo... After some cool down time, of feeling like a failure and wanting to sell my problems away, I feel a little more grounded. I wanted green, I got green. I have to remember Holly and I are similar, we are both reactive, so if I like her calm, and it calms me, then the same runs true for her. I have to be the calm, steady one. 

How I want us to be :)

Bright side, I've been SHOPPING! Pics to come :)

Hopefully trainer ride today and Friday, lessons Thurs and Sat. 

I need to write out some goals for my princess and I. 

Thanks to those who made it through one long, slightly whiny post :)

Blown Away- 1st Ride of the New Year

Saturday lesson didn't feel like it was going to be that bad. I was still tired from a stupid busy work week and a little hung over because my alcohol tolerance is pretty pathetic these days.

Got to the barn and it was prob almost 50F out, but quickly the wind kicked up, making our lesson a little more challenging. I was kinda dragging butt and since I was riding the incredibly fuzzy Magic, I was last on.

As we got started I could feel Magic had decided he had exerted enough bucking like an idiot in the round pen, and was going to be a slug the rest of the lesson. We managed to do all the WTC stuff, lots of working on frame and forward, neither of which Magic was keen on when facing 30 mph wind. Finally got to jumping. I had been kinda looking forward to it, until it got windy enough to take out a few jumps, and I saw the big barrel sitting in the middle of a cross rail. We warmed up . over what I can finally agree is a tiny x. Its funny she lowered the one jump I had jumped higher last week and felt perfectly comfortable at the higher height.

Its not big, not sure why I was so scared of it

Did the baby x to a vertical. No biggie, just couldn't keep the hairy beast moving at a decent pace. Watching the video I see just how slow we were. Then we did the barrel jump, nothing new to him, but I kinda sucked back and he ducked out. Then I remembered frustrating my trainer is scarier then the jump, and pushed him over it. It became a vertical to the barrel jump.

Soooo sloooow... but hey we did it. Then did it back around to the first line. It wasn't pretty, but I remembered to breathe most of the time, and didn't die, so I'm happy.

My mare on the other hand, was being beastly, luckily the WS was on her, not me ;) Decided to include some of her naughtiness in the video clip. She really was just freaking over the barrel down the line from the vertical, but still, sassy pants needs to learn to suck it up just like her momma does.

We both had Sun off, trainer ride today, lesson Tues and Thurs, trainer ride (hopefully) Wed and Fri. Maybe ride Sat, depends on how bad work kicks my butt the night before.

Holiday Blur...

Ok so I'm so far behind, I really don't even remember where I left off, and what's been done since. Lots of rescheduling do to the holidays, so lessons have been kinda scattered. Before Christmas I had a few meh lessons on Holly. Not much media coverage since it was freezing and didn't want to drag the boys out with me just for photos/ video... ok I wanted to, but have some restraint...

Holly has been getting schooled more by the WS since she is on school break, so she's been having to work on her lead changes heavy and has no breaks) and a slow twist full cheek, which she was very nice in but its technically another horses's bit, so if trainer likes her in it enough I may go buy one (SHOPPING!). 
and getting some bigger, more complicated jump schooling, which I happily leave to my trainer and the WS. We have been playing around with her bits, instead of staying in the snaffle with the gag, we have ventured into a big rubber snaffle (which I hate her in with a passion because she gets

I have to work on straightness, me, her, down the line, in a turn, after a jump... I even asked to jump during a lesson last week. Yes, little timid me wanted to jump. Of course I then got told to get my shizzle together and not screw up what the WS was fixing..ugh...

This week I also rode Magic, man he feels small and easy now. Funny how your perception changes as you grow as a rider. Did some little courses in the outdoor since the weathers been really nice for December/ January. I have to work at not staying leaning forward in a line, I'm pretty sure I hold my breath the whole time too.

Lesson on Sat, then hopefully back to a more regular routine.




So really I will leave you with random media excerpts of my holidays.

My boys :)

Friend's pony Checkers- want!

                                        (Me on Magic- sorry cell video- camera died)

                                          (WS on Holly, who was being a brat)

Moving along

(Awesome screeners I know)

Lesson Tuesday night was cold and dark, but no where as bad as it has been. L was running late so Karley and I jumped while she warmed up. Holly already had a pretty intense jump lesson earlier in the day with the WS so she was pretty nice and tired for me. Not dead tired, just actually needed a little push, and not acting like everything was going to kill her. It was sooo nice.

At least I'm not looking down anymore

We jumped a baby X, a vertical, and the lattice panel. Holly really only disliked the little baby X. Dag nabbit, she likes bigger jumps. Great, guess I'm not going to stay in the baby jump classes. We worked on lead changes. Ugh. I really have to get my ass back in the saddle and just suck it up and push her. If you make it through the video, you can just barely see her do a super smooth change at the end. Little princess can do an awesomely smooth changes... if she wants... We will get there.

Wednesday morning I had another lesson. It was actually super nice out, so we went down to the outdoor arena. It was pretty dang hard, but dry, and since was a bunch of old barn girls back on winter break, we kinda needed the space. Holly was really good, soft and responsive, and slowly she's carrying her head higher where it should be more and more. I was dog tired, so I appreciated her not being silly or stubborn.

OMG I'm working again?!

I expected to jump, but then our had me hop off and cool a pony so the WS could jump Holly through some lines. I was nice seeing how she goes for someone else. She really is quiet to jump if you don't pick or apply too much leg. J stayed on Holly and I stayed on pony while we all went for a walk around the property. It was super nice getting to

enjoy hacking out a bit in the sunshine in December.

Sweaty girl finally filling out

I'm out of town this weekend, so it will be all trainer/ WS rides until I'm back. Poor poor Holly.

First "Show" and other such things...

Quick catch up...

Lesson Wednesday that was so exciting, I can't even remember much of it. Lots of halting and backing, and avoiding the rope jigglers wiggling their horses across the other end of the arena.

Saturday I was super late and we rode in the lower arena, so Holly was wound up. After bounding around the lower bullpen and a few little spooks later, she realized we were going to keep working and settled in. I love that she had her blonde moments, but works through it. Jumped a little x, right towards where she was spooking. Another rider's man was standing there (what she spooked at) and finally he was Vanna White-motioning me past him, down the rail (face-palm). Finally got it right and quit.

Sunday = Show! One of the other trainers had her little schooling show. It was very small and low key. It was also in the 40's and windy as all hell out. Awesome. I had ditched work a couple hours early, squeezed in a power nap, ditched the kid, and dragged the hubby toting our camera down to the barn.

I got lucky and was able to snag the trainer's Butet. Cleaned it up, applied very generous amounts of Vetrolin Shine to my fuzzy beast and tried to run some of the crazy out in the round pen. Walked her down the the arena since it was so crazy windy and there were people milling about in blankets carrying chairs etc. Got on and got straight to work. Lots and lots of trotting....

Ended up doing the W/T, W/T poles, and W/T/C classes. They went really fast. Got 2 seconds places and a first. Not exactly a big wins (we won candy), but hey I'll take them since I don't have anything else under my H/J belt. We had great representation from our barn, two adorable kids, and Karley, L, and I, pretty much half the people in the show.

And on to pics... just a little sampling....

Yup, super brave pole trotting ;)

Sigh.. flap flap flap... darn elbows

avoiding super scary tree area

the elusive smile