Back on the same page

 For the moment at least.

all about soft foamy mouth pics right now

Yesterday I managed to sneak in a ride before the contractors were supposed to show up--and then they didn't for the second day in a row. Well done, guys. This construction work is going to be done in no time!

I couldn't resist the allure of my squishy, pretty double anymore and was still riding the good feel vibes from Sunday. I played around a little with the fit of the curb bit again because it looks weird from the outside, but when I opened his lips and wiggled things around inside it looked right how I wanted it. No complaints from Dopie once we started going.

We started with ten million walk-halt transitions with a quick discussion at the beginning about how we do not halt by throwing all our weight down. Good from there, and then into the trot where I spent a few laps letting him coast while I focused on my equitation...which actually is starting to feel like something I can control finally! #whatareabs

I moved into the sitting trot fairly quickly once we started doing trot-walk transitions, and his back stayed soft and round. 

A little SI, some HI, 10m circles, and finish with a medium trot across each diagonal. On the second/last one I actually giggled out loud because it was perfect. So balanced and rhythmic and I could tell he just got it.

FINALLYYYYYYYY.

Not sure I'm ever going to quit riding the high of a real medium on this horse. I feel like it's our biggest win ever. Maybe one day the changes will make that transformation LOLPLZGOD.

We finished there because he was on point for the whole ride and I didn't want anything to spiral out of control.

Nobody Panic

OK, good news, my horse isn't permanently an anxious rage monster that's resistant to life and everything being asked of him under saddle. 

I mean, we've had one whole ride where things were super casual and relaxed so I guess you could say he's totes fixed. 

soft, happy, foamy lips

Normally I wouldn't ride the day after a show, but the way things were set up over the past week and the tense shit show I was sitting on while "huntering", it felt like it needed to happen. And I'm so glad I got on again. I pulled out our dressage tack, spent fifty hours grooming beforehand, and headed to the outdoor for a bare bones flat ride. 

He's really come a long way in the steadiness in the connection--when he's relaxed. This ride reiterated how much his tension comes out in his mouth and the bobbing up and down off the contact. When he's relaxed, he's metronome. I'm not sure where to go with that because I can't just w/t/c without asking one single other thing for the rest of his life. The work gets harder, the questions get more complex, he's got to work with me a little bit on the not building and building until we're throwing Bobby tantrums around. 

bobby level posing

We did accomplish some counter canter serpentines both directions that didn't involve ridiculous theatrics for the first time in eternity. We finished on those after about a twenty minute ride.

I decided to bite the bullet and do a month of lessons with BM--one a week. I want her to work both of us hard on the basics. More push, more connection, more forward and suppleness in the lateral work. I'll also have the chiro out as soon as he's available.

I have the funds set aside for those two things, and then I'm maybe going to reach out to a local-ish dressage pro about bi-weekly lessons. I have to work myself up to that. And hope that she's not too expensive. And that she's still down with trailer-ins. 

The barn is under construction all week so no riding unless I go back in the evening. We'll see what my motivation level is.

In-barn Hunter Show

 A repeat from last year's in-barn hunter show, and while we did quite a bit of jumping the month leading up to this year's edition, I also got on my horse for the first time in a week the morning of. I had actually planned on him having a couple more days off on top of that, but at the last minute we went out on the barn's hunter pace with Easy. 

Fortunately that was (as planned) very low key. We only jumped a couple things and never picked up the canter. Opie and I were both pretty blah about the whole thing, and I was more than ready to leave everything in NY behind for our vacation. 

I got to the barn Saturday morning and my horse was standing at the back of his stall weaving instead of eating his hay because the barn was bustling and his routine was changed and his life was ruined. I washed his tail, scrubbed his fresh poop spots, and we headed over to the barn on horseback with H and Puck (The barn is directly behind ours, separated only by a couple of fields.). He spent the entire walk over snorting like a dragon, and then wanted to challenge the other barn's horses that were turned out to a duel, but we made it over without issue. 

He was super strong on the flat warming up, but I just kept him trotting and coming round while controlling the rhythm if not the pace until he settled. Our first few jumps were a certified shit show. At one point he biffed the distance so badly that he tripped on landing, hit the ground face first, and then launched up and bolted with his head in the air as a wad of chewed grass went flying by my head.

H told me it looked like he kept putting in canter strides over the jumps instead of jumping them, but he did eventually settle in and we jumped down the lines straight (did not happen on our first attempt), and were able to come off the long approach to the diagonal singles.

always a good time when our back legs don't work

I quit once I felt like we were in a good spot, and we hung out for about twenty minutes while everyone else finished warming up before going in for the hack division--three flat classes.

I felt like Opie was pretty solid for the first hunter flat, but we placed 4th out of 5. For the next flat, an equitation class which is hands down my absolute weakest point as a rider, Opie spent the whole ride gnashing his teeth and occasionally cranking his head sideways. He did enjoy the "extended" trot portion though. We won that class.

"lengthen stride, yes, thank god i know this one!"
--opie, probably

We finished the hack division with a hunter pleasure flat where Opie felt very chill and responsive and we once again came in second to last--fifth out of six. 

We had to wait around awhile for our turn to jump in the 2'3 division that was actually most definitely only 2'. Opie snoozed for most of that wait and was not at all pleased to be woken back up and asked to go to work. The first round was hunter and it was awful. 

We went from zero to Rage Monster in 2.5, took a rail in one of the lines from trying to do the aforementioned canter over the jumps instead of jumping them, and were just generally going about ten thousand miles too fast. We got a fourth out of 10 for that class.

The next jumping round was an equitation course. It went even worse than the first! Actually the first jump was very good and as we approached and jumped it, I was like, "Phew! Here's my quiet jumping horse I have at home." 

#fakenews

I asked for the simple change to get the left lead after landing from the first jump and it took me the whole length of the diagonal to get him yanked back long enough to switch it over. We came into the first line next and he supermanned that ho:

Launched the jump out:

Got in kind of tight to the next jump, and then refused to be rated enough to change leads let alone slow down even remotely:

At which point we were supposed to jump the first jump in the line, roll back to the other first jump in the other line, and then finish by going down the line. None of which I remembered as I attempted to get this runaway train back on the tracks, and ended up just continuing down the line.

gotta work those courtesy circles

We finished with an equitation flat at which point we were both very much done with each other. I don't even remember specifics. It went fine, we placed 8 out of 10. 

Overall the judging was straight up fucking stupid. I say that not just for myself but for everyone there. None of the placings made sense in any of the classes. 

Another take away is that I need to find a new jumping bit for Opie for off property. The slow twist he's currently in just lets him sit there and lay on it without actually giving me any brakes. Same for the jumper derby earlier in the year. He's just not the same horse to jump at home as he is at shows. 

Discipline Switch

 I brought my brand new double home so it wouldn't get dusty or moldy sitting in the barn unused, and every time I walk past it (It's hanging on the back of a kitchen chair because where else do you store extra tack?), I'm like, "Wow U R SO PRETTY." 

Maybe give it a little pet.

And then forget about it again because this is the month of the jump tack.

The outdoor has had a tiny one stride to one stride grid set along with a single X on the diagonal that we've been taking advantage of most days that I ride--which is not a lot in the interest of not overexerting Opie's ass or my back again. But the jumps are very small and it's been a really good way for him to just lope around staying soft and in rhythm while I work on staying in half/light seat to the jump...and also staying STRAIGHT with my upper body while jumping. 

If there's one thing I love, it's twisting my upper body over a jump to face the direction we'll be turning when we land. Does that actually accomplish anything besides making me look a fool? Negative. And yet still a surprisingly hard habit to break.

He's been great through the teensy grid if incredibly lazy and disinclined to put forth any real effort because they jumps are too small to be worth his effort:

Yesterday we moved to the indoor so I could make use of the mirror to hold myself more accountable in my body position while flatting. Do my hands need to be so wide? Do I need to be posting so high? Will my shoulders ever come back? All the mysteries of switching to a jump saddle that may never be solved tbh. 

I also had a 2' vertical set up a E to finish over once I got done punishing myself by trying to ride like I sort of knew what I was doing. #theworst

Long approaches in half seat and Opie never missed. It was honestly too easy because the jump was so small he was basically just putting in a big canter stride over it and carrying on. Not like that's a bad thing tho! No pulling, no racing, just metronome up and over while I chilled with my ass out of the saddle and worked on doing nothing but being straight.

can't be bothered to put in effort over such boring jumpies

We finished by angling it from off the rail both ways to see if we could land the new lead, and if he didn't then do a flying change before the turn. Yep, flying changes both ways. I know they're in there. I just need to figure out how to bring them over to dressage land.

He had today off in preparation to going to the park with BM and Farrier tomorrow. I'm hoping this goes more smoothly than the last trail ride...

Just a little bit better

 As per my last post, we did finish out the week on Wednesday with a trail ride down the road.

It was not low key.

It was fucking awful.

I was ready to push both Opie and BM off a cliff within about two minutes. I'm not sure who pissed me off more: BM with her constant inane chattering and complete lack of ability to read the fucking room (AKA I am in extreme pain, my horse is being a giant asshole, but don't worry--I am so glad you're having such a great time!), or Opie who was in a halter and yet still gaping his mouth, grinding his teeth, and/or whipping his tongue around in the midst of flinging himself sideways while fake spooking.

new bridle finally came! 

I had to go back to the barn Thursday when the barn girl bringing him in texted me to let me know that he was tight in the LH. Yeah. I bet he fucking was. I rubbed him down with liniment and set out Bute for him for the rest of the week. He was on that for six days with five days off. 

I spent my time sitting standing or laying flat on my back as sitting killed my back. I also stewed over BM and her "help" with the changes. Fortunately I think she finally took the hint last Tuesday to walk away when I was working on them when she was like, "Just take him over a pole!" and I may or may not have very snidely yelled back, "I AM NOT EVER TAKING HIM OVER A POLE."

I finally got back on this morning in my new (to me) jump saddle. Fifteen minutes of w/t/c was all either of us needed/were capable of. 

(And then BM texted asking if I wanted to go galloping around Mendon tomorrow morning. With her and her horse who has been ridden two whole times since the middle of July. After she knew how awful Opie was all last week. And knowing that my back was fucked up. Like, no. Sorry I won't do that to my horse, and sorry when I say I'm in pain I actually am, and not that I'm just trying to one-up everyone.)

finally his own jumpies saddle!

I scratched from the barn's hunter pace this weekend because neither one of us is physically up to it, but two weekends from then is the barn's hunter show. I've made that my goal--the hack division. It's good for me because I'm the type of person that has to have something to work on/towards. This will mentally force me to ride him in a longer frame while still making sure he's pushing for big gaits but a heavy emphasis on relaxation and looseness. 

He was actually really great today. I had to get him loosened up bending left right off the bat, but it felt more like, "I don't trust this" than not able to do it. He finished supple that direction, and his canter both ways was to die for. 

So while I felt very broken all last week and weekend--my back and my brain--a new, easy goal to work on and a vacation to Maine on the near-horizon has me patched back together for the moment. Fingers crossed nothing ruins that. 

GVRDC XC Schooling

This schooling was the definition of last minute. It ran from 10-2. Hubby and I spent the morning tidying up the last few things from our cancelled Utah trip (#sobbing), and I decided that if we managed to get that wrapped up by 10:15 I would go. It ended up being more like 10:30, but the appeal of doing something by myself got us out the door anyway. 

I threw a borrowed jump saddle in the trailer with water and a loaded hay bag, grabbed Opie out of the field, and off we went. 

Pretty much everyone was already back at the trailers getting ready to leave or heading off the course when we got there, but I was fine with that. Opie kept an eye on any horse he saw, but he never made a peep or got distracted from the jumping by them. 

He was pretty lit though, so I went ahead and sent him into a big hand gallop and let him do a couple of giant laps to get that out of his system. He was with it from there on out. I, on the other hand, was obviously very out of practice with the whole jumping package--I didn't trust that Opie was going to go over anything even as he was dragging me to fences, and just generally felt loosey goosey in the tack. Jumping more than once a month usually helps with that...

After jumping the Intro log for the first jump, we came around to the BN first fence which had a little line of mulch with some yellow flowers poked in front. I was sure Opie would take offense to them and stop, so of course the correct course of action there was to pull him to a stop in front of it instead of just letting him jump it. He stood there very confused for a second before obligingly giving the fill a quick snoot and jumping it with zero issue two times in a row. 

Moving on, we did the second Intro and then I was "brave" and jumped the BN bench as well even though I have a deep seated dislike of them. 

me: ohgodohgodohgod

opie: wheeeeeee!

We did the next two Intro jumps (a cabin and a log stack) and skipped the third BN jump which was a table-like thing covered in straw with a log on top. Opie probably would have jumped it because he was game for whatever, but I wasn't mentally ready for it. We did do the next two BN jumps though.

intro cabin

bn table

bn house

He did stop at the above house the first time--his only refusal of the entire day. The sun was blasting off its light grey top and I think it just took him a bit by surprise. He came right back around and jumped it twice without issue. 

We took a quick break to play in the water:

watching a horse disappear over the horizon but who cares because water

opie says this is why i'm here

We did a couple more BN fences:

he is the gamest horse with the cutest form.
i should really get on his level.

And then we moved on to the bank complex which was one of two things I wanted to work on--the other being ditches. He started off wiggly and uncertain about the tiny step down, but after one successful drop off, his confidence rocketed right up every time after until he was picking up the trot on his own as soon as I pointed him in that direction.

"ohgodohgodohgod"

"actually that wasn't so bad"

"bish i got this"

no drama

the actual most handsome

I decided to wrap that up with going up the Novice bank on the other side and cantering off the tiny drop we'd been doing. (I actually didn't even see the flagged BN up or I would have worked on dropping off that, too. Oh well.) It was hands down the most giant up bank Opie has ever seen in his life, but bless his Dopie heart he launched us up it no questions asked and went right off the other side.

Ditches were next. He could have cared less about the BN ditch and cantered over it without blinking multiple times.

That was such an unevent that I brought him around to the Novice ditch which was the same width but significantly deeper. He was like, "Yeah, yeah, it's just as ditch." until he went to jump it and saw the gaping chasm beneath him and launched it. But still went without question because A Very Good Boy.

"I AM CLEARING THE DEATH CAVE"

I was disgustingly overheated by this point and feeling a bit queasy from it. Fortunately we'd jumped the vast majority of the BN course by this point and were at the very end of it. We went through the hedgerow, did the last two jumps on the Intro course:

And then finished with jumping the last jump on the BN course twice (because the first time we got in too close and I wanted to finish on a good note).

So BN is definitely well within Dopie's wheelhouse even with both of us having way too much time off and me riding like a worried monkey the entire time. Not that that matters since I won't be paying the obscene fees related to USEA events around here when I want to have a full dressage show season. And that whole stadium thing being literally the worst on the planet.

As we were heading back to the trailer, a woman I know was the last to arrive and didn't have a partner or groundsperson so asked if I would go around the Intro course with her quick. I agreed, but on the condition I could grab a gatorade first. I snagged one of those, ditched my vest, and Opie and I trotted the short loop around with her, chugging cold liquid with one hand and neck reining on the buckle with the other. 

Did I mention he's A Very Good Boy?

Four Ring Horse

Opie really carried the weight of the adult ammy horse this past week. Listen, sir. I don't always ride so great, often I get distracted by shiny things, and sometimes I need you to carry all the weight. In return I will give you every cookies that exists and make sure your physical and mental wellbeing when I'm not in the saddle are the best I can make it.

well. i do the best i can with the mental side. i can't be held accountable for
his own choice to lick the fly spray off the bottle.

There were a whole bunch of factors going on both at the barn and at home that had me pretty much over everything in existence. All I wanted to do was ride my fucking horse in a peaceful and solitary way, and as much as I tried to plan around that, it wasn't to be. 

But we did end up doing all sorts of things, in all sorts of different tack.

roof construction next door made for great posing

Ring 1: Dressage

I ordered Dopie a fancy new double with lots of padding and a monocrown awhile ago because he still feels a little sore in the poll area, but alas it has yet to even leave PA yet. Fuckers. On Monday I just put him in the Micklem anyway because I was destroyed both mentally and physically after a weekend of being at an event with a bunch of barn kids. We did a short warm up, ran through BN A just for funsies, and had a quick stretch before I had to cut our ride off to hold BM's asshole horse for the farrier.

The next day we went back to the double and had a really good w/t ride in the outdoor. I wanted to work on him really pushing into the bridle and taking the contact instead of being wiffly waffly with it. He had one moment right when we started where he wanted to bounce off of it, but instead of just throwing the reins at him and being like, "sorrysorrysorry" I took more contact and booted him up. You're capable, do the work. And he did.

was really hoping the rear cinch would make him look legit. instead it just
made him look fat lol. but the saddle did seem much more stable!

Ring 2: Barrels

I had wanted to play with the barrel pattern on Wednesday, but as I was turning horses out a full on monsoon let loose. Aside from flooding the outdoor, it also flooded me and I went home and bought my troubles away with Dopie's first very own jump saddle (which will hopefully arrive sometime this year). 

I regrouped the next afternoon. Since it was his first time with the rear cinch on, I stuck him on the longe first to see if he would react to it at all. He could have cared less. I got on and started warming him up with some circles and bending. Right when I was ready to start working on the pattern itself, BM came in the ring and commandeered the path between the first two barrels while on a rant and would not get out of my way. 

I was trying very hard not to get pissed, but I was pretty fucking annoyed that I ended up on my horse for nearly an hour and got to run the pattern two whole times. 

Ring 3: Show Jumping

I saw that there was a cross country schooling at the show grounds where the event was held last weekend and vaguely thought about doing it over the weekend. I figured if it was even going to be on the table I ought to at least throw some jump tack on for the first time in a month and see if my horse was feral and if I could find my way over a fence without being a complete mess.

Once again, despite my best attempts, I got waylaid by BM but finally managed to scurry out back to jump around in the field. I had set everything at 2'3-2'6 and fortunately that still remains our happy spot. Nothing looked big despite the time off which usually leads me to mental anguish. 

I did my typical not enough pace to most of them, but fortunately everything still came up pretty easily. Good Boy Dopie went no matter where I put him, had his head firmly attached, and we put several courses together with zero trouble.

Ring 4: Cross Country

I didn't commit to go xc schooling until about 10:30 the day of. It ended up working out well because even though it was blazing hot by the time we got there, everyone was finishing up and we pretty much had the place to ourselves. 

That will be its own post though, but the long and short is that Dopie packed my ass around like a better boy than I probably deserve and got rewarded with being parked in front of his fan with half a bag of carrots and couple of apples thrown into his pile of hay when we got home. 

I'm so grateful for this horse sometimes. I mean, I had to quit our ride on Friday early because my back still gives me trouble sometimes from him fucking it up with his rabid changes, but most of the time 11/10 would recommend a Dopie Horse.