Trail Ride!

Bobby and I headed out to the trails with Sarah and Blackberry today. What ensued was a lot of fun, but my ass (and I'm sure Bobby's) is aching and I'm not going to complain a single time about not having enough gas money to get to the barn again until Friday. We were out a total of two hours, ninety-five percent walking, and lots of turning around and guessing where the Hades we were.

getting off to open the "gate" at the neighbors, where bobby
saw his first SHEEP! his was impressed.

Our first road block was new fencing at the neighbors where their entire horse paddocks were made out of two strands of electrical tape that wasn't hot. One of their horses went under the fence where it was already torn and came trotting down the driveway to see the visitors. Fortunately, he refrained from squealing or kicking and Bobby and Blackberry were very well behaved. I gave Sarah one of my reins and she went chasing after the horse as it decided to take a detour towards the road. Of course, no one was home and no one picked up at the barn when Sarah tried to call.

sarah tries to get ahold of anyone while horsie comes back to
hang out with bobby and blackberry.

Eventually, Sarah wrangled the horse while I took the two Bs to the break in the fence and patched it together as best as I could. Once he was back in with his buddies, he lost interest in us and we carried on.

My trusty guide hadn't been out on the trails for two years, so she was not so trusty at all. We did a lot of guess work and made sure to stay far away from Posted signs and ended up circling back twice. She eventually figured out where she wanted to go and we had a long trot up a hill, much to Bobby's dislike. Oh, well, Fatty. Your stifles need work anyway. We walked for an hour after that, then on our final leg, Sarah turned Blackberry loose and let him gallop up a long but very low grade hill. Bobby started trotting after him, so I let him have his head and he cantered up it with amazingly little labor.

Bobby was retired because he bled heavily his last two races. His breathing is about 85 percent. He doesn't have heaves, he doesn't roar, he just has to work a little harder than most. I'm going to get him nasal strips to compete in to get him a hundred percent, and he'll look like a loser going BN in them, but that's ok.

drying off his sweaty face. he loffed it.

Sarah and I agreed that both boys need their booties to get in gear for their eventing careers, so we're going to go for a trail ride every Sunday. One day hacking, one day jumping, the rest flatting, and of course at least one day off. Booties in gear, boys!

Meh.

I don't know what's going on with me, but I've been really :/ the past two days. I haven't even put my hair under my helmet for the past two days, that's how unmotivated I've been. I had fun on our trail ride yesterday, but arena work was dismal. Today, I had planned on clipping, but when I tried, the blades were so dull I got about two hairs off of Bobby's shoulder in five minutes. To the dude who borrowed them: you did not sharpen them when you were done, dick. Just tell me and I'll make sure they're done, but don't get my hopes up. So now they have to get sent out so I can get around to doing a bib clip and keep Bobby from overheating in the jungle heat of central PA.

Hubby had dropped me off to clip while he went to see a friend, so I was at the barn with no car or cell service and nothing to do but either sit around by myself or ride. I didn't really want to ride. But I didn't want to sit at the barn for an hour alone either. I decided to ride.

Bobby was mehhhhh warming up. Not bad, not off, not naughty, just not great. I wasn't in an effort mood, so I stuck him on the longe with loose side reins and warmed him up at the trot and a little canter for ten minutes total. Next thing I know, Hubby shows up. Apparently his friend wasn't there.

I should have just called it quits there. Bobby had been "worked", and even kind of constructively. But I didn't. For whatever reason I decided to get back on. I trotted him around some, then had Hubby drop the back rail of an oxer with an X in the front and a vertical in the back. So it was a small vertical to a big X.

I did that twice without issue, then had Hubby put the back rail back up. I think it was 2'6, but it might have been 2'9. Pretty sure it was only 2'6 though. Bobby was fine, just lugging out a bit when we got to it at an awkward striding and I nicked the back standard with my toe as we landed and brought it down.

We went once again and he was determined to get his big booty over without touching anything. I've been sticking a new saddle on the bottom of the bills list for the past several months because my own big booty has gotten too big for my old 16.5", but I am going to get one this next paycheck. Landing with my ass on the cantle is not cool. I already have one picked out, an old Courbette for super cheap.

You can see that after Bobby's enthusiastic landing I reverted into racehorse mode to slow him down. It's a survival instinct. Slow down? Stand up with your knees locked. Back down to trot? Why post? Get into gallop position. Mehhh. I wasn't in the mood for good equitation either. (Speaking of, do I need to work on bending my elbows or what? Jeeze.)

at least he's starting to show scope?

I hope I get my groove back soon. I hate having "meh" rides. I'd rather have a really bad ride to improve on than one that's like, "Whatev. Rode my leaping mule again. Meh."

It's spring!

55 and sunny means it must be spring, right? Forget the fact that it's January and should still be ten degrees out. Olivia and I ventured up to the outdoor where it was still a little sloppy, but definitely ride-able. I led Bobby around once so he could see that there was nothing there to eat him (except the dogs, maybe).

"my toes are on the bridge. ask no more of me."

Even with the horses in the surrounding paddocks lined up to watch us go, Bobby went around on a loose rein at the walk without giving them a glance. However, once at the trot, he was a bull. He wouldn't get his head out of the clouds and he would either go really slow or really fast. I tried going on a looser rein, then a shorter rein, then half halts that would have stopped a freight train, but he would have none of it. I brought him back to the walk and regrouped. Once I felt he was finally paying attention, I asked for the trot again. He lowered his head and started striding out, but he was pulling on my hands super hard still. I did a million and a half trot-halt-back-trot transistions, but he still wouldn't slow down.

I'm glad I had such a nice ride yesterday because today was awful. I finally gave up the fight and finished our arena ride after twenty minutes with several walk-halt-back transistions, working on keeping him straight at backing. That accomplished, I packed up the doggies in the car and headed out to the trails for some fun riding.

Benton is basically one solid area of loose rock and Bobby has tender princess toes that need to harden again, even with shoes on, so the going was slow and a little mincy, but I wasn't looking to do anything more than walk. We were out for about forty five minutes and conquered this seriously intense hill/cliffside. I didn't get any pictures going up it because I grabbed mane, gave him all the rein, and kept my face in his neck to keep from getting decapitated. He was so amazing. He put his little booty to work and hauled ass up that thing without hesitating once.

the landscape to we waded through
at the top of the hill.

Since Bobby was pretty sweaty at this point and the trees were getting pretty thcik even on the marked trail, I jumped off and led him back down. There was no way in Hell either one of us wanted me on his back to go down. I snapped some pictures on our way down, but you can't really appreciate the craziness of this thing unless looking at it in person.

about to drop off the face of the earth.

so scary!

We ambled back at a liesurely walk even though it was feeding time. Bobby was super sweaty on his neck, chest, and his girth area, but he wasn't hot when we got back. He's a really free sweater (as in, he sweats a lot, not he is a free cable knit) so he got to hang out in his stall under his cooler with his hair in a curried mess while horses got turned in and out. He took about twenty minutes to dry, then he got brushed out, legs rubbed down with alcohol, tender toes packed, a gram of bute chased with an ounce of probiotics, then into his sheet for dinner.

headed home.

I think I'm finally going to suck it up and clip the beast tomorrow. I hate clipping.

Dressage Miracle

Today something miraculous happened in our flat/ dressage school. (I don't know which makes me sound more like an eventer. Flat? I do go "hacking". Hmm.) Bobby acquired the glorious sloppy white FOAM around his lips during our trot work!! And it was not just slobber from getting cookies before his ride. Oh, no. I saw him drooling a bit in the mirrors and upon further inspection I saw the white lipstick around his entire mouth. BO was teaching a rather wayward lesson while I was riding so I asked her if it really was FOAM and she said most definitely yes! AND she gave him her nod of approval. "He's makes a really nice dressage horse. He has such a huge overstep. Dressage riders would kill for that." Oh, Robert, you wonderful mule. You totally made my day. BO never says anything nice to anyone.

He hadn't been ridden in the past two days and was primed for silliness so when we got to the arena with BO on her horse doing flying changes across the arena in all directions, a 30 year old Morgan with a rocket strapped to his ass, and a 73 year old woman on a Quarter Horse who stops every time another horse enters his personal bubble (which extends about 60' in any direction), silliness ensued. It was like warm up at a hunter show. No offense hunters. I will love you always, but it seems to me like event riders seem to ride with their eyes up more than hunters. He was prancey and dancey and doing his silly Bobby snake head for the first ten minutes or so, but he finally settled down and got to work.

We did almost all circles and a few leg yields squeezed in where we could, then worked on stretching out at the walk. Bobby's free walk is almost as much of a disaster as his canter. Last show season he had the attention span of a fruit fly on crack during his dressage and spent every walking moment studying the wonders around him. So far, in the arena, he's stayed focused and today he was starting to sink his head down and out in an attractive way instead of a "My IQ is 10" way. We also did some sitting trot work for five minutes before my abs leapt up and punched me in the face and I called it quits. Shame on me. At least Bobby's not getting pushed beyond his limits. I'm too much of a weakling.

As I was untacking him and re-rolling polos and whatnot, he was playing with his jaw a lot on the crossties so I did another fun release Massage Lady taught me. If the horse needs to release its poll, he (or she) will happily let you take his tongue and hold it out of his mouth off to the side so he can work his jaw around until it releases. In Bobby's case, he crackles and pops whenever something breaks loose and he gave a POP after thirty seconds or so, after which he stopped moving his jaw and stared at me with the dumbest expression with his ears on sideways and his tongue still hanging out of his mouth. "I iz speshul."

On a completely unrelated sidenote: Has anyone seen the new Camry commercial where the British dude is being all different horses? I'm trying to find it online. I'll post it when I do. It makes me LOL.

2012 Goals

Once more it's freezing outside; yesterday it didn't get above 17 and this morning it's only 9 out! I've ridden outside when it's been as cold as this, but I'm being a wimp this year and keeping myself inside. It was so cold yesterday that my poor kelpie dog would not get off the couch all day. I had to literally pick her up and chuck her outside to go to the bathroom. She is a wimp.

more of darcy's style: 100 degrees with a pond to frolic in.

Anyway, I've sat down and mapped out where I want to take Robert this year. I'm still waiting for Bucks County Horse Park to get their schedule up (Note that Plantation has their whole 2012 schedule up and their website is under work. Come on BCHP!), so it's not one-hundred precent finished yet, but I'll have it up on the side bar as soon as they get it out. Of course it's all speculation at this point as ponies get injured and sick and fail to do their homework correctly, but I plan on doing a cross country schooling mid-April at Burgundy Hollow to see if he'll debut at Elementary or Beginner Novice there in May, then we'll push forward and do BN for the rest of the year. Maybe a Novice at Burgundy Hollow if he rolls right along. BH is a suuuuper easy Novice course and the whole atmosphere is really relaxed there. If he is ready to move up, that's where it will be.

2012 Goals:

1) Top 3 at an unrecognized event at BN. I think this isn't out of the question. His dressage work is really coming along and he's been so relaxed jumping the few times I've done it that I think once we're able to go out to the big outdoor, we'll really be able to knock out any issues.

2) Compete at one recognized event. I'm looking at Waredaca as a big longshot for their Aug. 18 and 19 event because of their T.I.P. event. Otherwise, it will probably be at BCHP.

3) Get consistent 7s on trot work on dressage tests. This will have to involve Bobby streeeetching his stride out more ,so it will be a good goal to work towards because it will also help him in general.

Nothing too crazy or ambitious, but still something to work hard towards. The chances of all of them happening? Puh-retty good, I think.

Oh, hey 2012!

Man, the holidays have been crazy! I've been a party animal, super social, out on the town, yada yada. You can barely keep track of me!
.................

I may have also discovered Netflix on the Wii. But I've been doing other things. Lots of other things. Like....cool, trendy, real people things. Really.

SO! Who wants to hear about horses?! I have been riding, and yesterday Hubby got dragged out to take some videos since my camera doesn't do indoor pictures.

I have a tendancy to rush warm up when I know I'm going to jump, but I made myself take it slow and easy with Robert and I think it paid off. He was super calm over every jump and didn't give me any problems (though he did try to dive bomb Emily once. Bobby doesn't really care for dogs.).

I don't mind that he isn't totally confirmed with getting his leads between fences right now, as long as he picks up the right one after the line. We started off with both jumps as ground poles and trotted over them a few times each way first, taking care to avoid the also-jumping spotted Pig Dog who is trained for agility and thinks jumping is great--even when she's about to get run over by a big dumb horse who wants to eat her.

We moved the poles up to a xrail and a 2' vertical and went over from both directions a few times, then upped the xrail to a 2'3 vertical. We only did this one from the right twice and he was such a super star that we ended there.

piggy says, "bring it on, donkey kong!"

bobby says, "i'll eat you, you little shit."

In good news, I was able to hike is girth up a hole since he's been here! I like it. I think he's right where he should be weight-wise. No more chunky monkey, but not even close to ribby. He's getting 3 quarts of grain 2x a day and unlimited hay so it''s not as if he's being starved to death, but he is getting regular work and turnout on a 15 acre hilly pasture with four other horses who like to go blasting around their paddock when they're bored.

"no more pictures! there's food in my stall!"

he's really not this awkwardly shaped in person.

I think I'm going to sit down today and pencil in a list of goals fo Bobby. He's been doing everything right so far (minus being able to canter, but it took us all summer to get some semblance of one so I know it's in there, it's just a long road to bring it out) and deserves to be given a fair chance at doing fancy things.

Adios, 2011!

I don't want to see the likes of you again!

2011 was the craziest year of horse ownership ever for me. A whole lot of bad happened sprinkled with some good moments, and a few really awesome moments.

that's right.
red's secret talent was that he was a serious barrel racing beast.

I completed my first year of eventing with a sixth on Bobby and an elimination, tenth, and fourth on Red. I did a few cross country schoolings, a dressage show (another fourth, this one for Bobby), and I made it around both a stadium and cross country course double clear in both phases in one day on Red. I got to do lots of trail riding through some really gorgeous State Gamelands, we bought an old ugly trailer that hauls like a dream,  and I'm now at a barn with an indoor, outdoor, cross country course, and enough stadium jumps to build a big course with.

sixth in starter horse at high standard stables horse trials.

one fence before getting eliminated at plantation starter trials.

However, I had to sell my OTTB Storm at the beginning of the year to move from a really dreadful  land leasing situation to a real boarding barn, only to have that barn feed the grain I was buying to any old horse in the barn, not feed Red and Bobby any grain period, and give them so little hay that Red dropped 100 pounds in eight months and Bobby dropped 200. I had to give Bobby away when I realized there was nowhere else I could keep two horses on my budget, but Red got to go out with a bang, putting on fifty pounds in just over a month.

in august.

also august. a month before we were finally able to move barns.

And, the worst part of all of 2011, was December 10th when I made the decision to have Red euthanized after a week long battle with colics following a month long battle with high fevers. The unofficial cause was a perforated ulcer, but I'll never know for sure if that's really what it was. Red Pony was my heart horse and he can't ever be replaced, but I'm starting to have fun with Bobby now that he's back in my life.

red gave the finger to 4'.

Goals for next year are to keep eventing, and take Bobby around a Beginner Novice course clear by the end of the summer. I don't have any high hopes for him like I did for Red, but I want to give him a chance and let him show me what he can and can't do.