Not to be

Still no truck of any sort, so I had to scratch Friday's show--the first recognized one of the year. Good thing I changed next weekend's 3-1 test to 2-2 because that's now two less times to get ring riding in. 

Ughhh, I'm so fucking pissed and defeated right now. I can't believe these mother fuckers have basically been holding my $20k truck hostage for going on five weeks now with zero fucking work being done. Like, what the fuck is going to be accomplished first at this point: my truck, my MRI for my knee, or my helmet from Mary's I ordered in March arriving? 

Trick question: ALL THOSE THINGS ARE NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN IN MY LIFETIME APPARENTLY.

I had two really good rides over the weekend leading up to what I had planned for my show lead up. 

Last Saturday BM and I met up to jump out in the field because it was the only spot the footing wasn't cement. I went in with plans to put in a solid flat school before jumping, but honestly I wasn't in to it plus I was breaking in brand new tall boots so it was a quick w/t before moving into the canter and popping over the X. He actually thought about stopping at it, so I laid my crop on his shoulder and he loped over. I did that one a couple more times with decreasing effort on Opie's part. Fortunately BM jumped off and put the two stadium jumps out there up to 2'6 (a vertical and a swedish oxer). 

The vertical was easy, we did the tire jump a few times, and then I had to give myself a little mental kick in the ass to go over the oxer--which we did with ease and zero issues. 

BM gave us the course she had her lesson kids do the day before which was a whole bunch of turning and a bending line. Opie nailed everything, including the flying change! I felt like I was riding like a fucking champ too which is a rare but awesome feeling when you put any poles in cups let's be real. 

watching momo be the one to make bad choices for once

The next day I schooled him in the double. He was on point and with me every step. It was maybe a twenty minute school hitting the simple changes, counter canter, medium trot, and some lateral work. 

Monday he had off as planned, and then I wanted to school Tuesday and Wednesday, give him Thursday off, and then show on Friday. 

I started Tuesday off with a bunch of work on the halt that somehow broke. 

the amount of drama it takes to get a square halt is unreal

Once that shit fit was squashed, we moved on to a god awful tense trot that I had to fix, then reeled it back in to the trot to get the SI and HI correct. 

LOL, or not.

He nearly got me off a few times, and there were a few times I thought he was going to flip into the wall. All because I asked for SI from the walk. 

Good times. 

I was eventually able to end with some canter to solidify the simple change, but needless to say both our brains were shot after that. Shit just wouldn't settle the fuck down anywhere else in my life either, and I was like, "Fuck it, I don't ever want to ride any horse pretty much ever again tbh."

BM bullied me into coming out on Friday for a flat ride which I was not at all enthused for. Opie went around like a First level horse, had the shittiest canter on the planet I forced myself to fix, and then I had another mental breakdown over the broken halt and still not knowing how the fuck to ride a turn on the haunches. In short, it did nothing for me. 

We're going xc schooling Monday so I knew I should responsibly put in some sort of ride between then and tomorrow, but it took everything in me to drag my ass to the barn before his body work appointment and put a saddle on. With the chaos of tree removing and a flooded outdoor, all I was left with was trail riding. I made the most of it and did some fitness work around the field--medium trot to collected trot over and over and over. I felt like my knee was going to fall off, but the puppy had a super time and Opie worked up a little sweat and then got to cool out with a couple friends when we were done so small wins. 

He was unsurprisingly very much into his full body PEMF session, so hopefully between that and a mental break with the xc school I'll have a right-minded horse for Houghton. 

And, you know, a god damned mother fucking TRUCK.

Lazy

It went from being rainy and perpetually stuck in the fifties to upper seventies and full sun forever and ever. Obviously this is SO MUCH BETTER! 

Unless you're poor Dopie Horse and seventy degrees feels like seven hundred so you literally cannot work in these conditions omg.

looking more awake than he was feeling, but the 
sentiment holds true

Yesterday BM had a big (as in, many jumps) course set up in the outdoor between 2'3-2'6 which is our preferred zero brain cells needed jumping height. Opie was dead to the world my leg from the get-go, but I made a concerted effort to get his canter going somewhere. Wow, what a fucking snooze fest tho. 

I got up into half seat and sat there like a mug while he loped over everything. I don't think either of us actually moved more than half an inch over jumps. I mean, cool for...balance and rhythm? Also kudos to the PVC poles for somehow staying in their cups the whole time despite the beatings they took. 

Hoping to wake him up at least a little, I took him out back and attempted a rip roaring canter around the field. Yeah, no. With spur and driving seat I finally got him into a hand gallop. He finally ended up getting bored waiting for the black dog to catch her equally lazy ass up to us, so when I turned him loose to run up the big hill, he was actually happy to oblige so that was fun--for me, at least!

This morning was a lesson to work on the fucking flying changes again.

I got on with every intent to do some w/t warm up with a little bit of lateral work and then touch the canter to make sure it was adjustable and relaxed. Only instead I got on and couldn't tell my brain how to trot a circle. It was...special. I managed to get that sorted right when BM pulled in, so I finished the trot with a halt--and then had to school that a hot minute as it was a fucking mess. I swear the basics are getting harder instead of easier, or my brain is just complete fucking mush at this point from everything else going on.

I had BM walk me through all the aids again, begging her to break things down like she was talking to a toddler. She threw out some fancy words like "oblique" and "longitudinal", but I was able to get the gist with the help of show and tell. Good grief, I am such a slow processer. 

I picked up the canter and within the first stride Opie got a bug in his ear so abort, fix that, restart. 

L-R first since that's his easy direction for now. He was cantering well, I took him across the diagonal and everything went just as it should--except he didn't change behind. Even BM was like, "You're set up perfectly, your hind end is loaded, you're super uphill, you're just too lazy to bring the butt with you."

We stuck on the 10m circle at the beginning of it to try to load the inside hind even more. BM reminded me to soften the inside rein (wow so hard) and soften my heavy, blocking seat (wow so hard), but it still took several passes with increasing aids to get the clean change because so lazy. 

A long walk break and to the R-L. He tried a whole bunch of nothing this way. Not even jumping up front and forgoing the hind. Instead flailing his legs all over in an attempt to act like he was doing something without actually putting forth the effort of doing anything. He finally got a tap on butt with Mr Tappy and the next pass he stepped cleanly over before immediately slamming on the brakes and nearly smashing into the jump we were beside. Because why, only Opie knows. 

Walk break, back to L-R. He was even lazier at this point, although to be fair we were both also drenched in sweat. He reverted back to his launch and bolt technique to try to get out of work, and BM yelled at me to instead of turning him into the fence to stop his ridiculousness to just bring him right back around on a circle and keep the canter going no matter what. Never ever does he get to stop the canter. 

With that evasion shut down, he tried half passing out of the 10m circle instead of going straight across the diagonal which was the fanciest dumb evasion ever as it was quite a nice canter half pass yet certainly harder than going in a straight line lol. 

Finally he gave in and popped over cleanly.

Once more with a break and the R-L!

It took a little more time to get the canter we needed, but it was only two half assed flail fails before he cleanly changed and got to be done. 

Overall it was actually a really, really good lesson. Opie probably disagrees, but mentally I felt like I was understanding in real time everything BM was feeding me which is a huge win for my brain. He definitely gets tomorrow off, and we'll see from there. So much to work on!

Deep Breaths

I can't believe it's the middle of May, we bought a fucking truck two months ago, and yet here we are--without a fucking truck and scrambling to figure out a solution to this cluster fuck of a problem. Starting next Friday, I absolutely cannot be without one for the rest of the season. I've already missed out on two hauling jobs and had to have Hubby use his company truck to haul me to the first show of the year. Next week there is either a show or a hauling job ever single week from now until...I don't even fucking know. September?!

black bear getting some solo barn time because i
can't trust her at home with the freshly spayed puppy
as she's started attacking the spotty dogs for no reason.

Obviously that's at the top of the list of shit to make magically happen, but that list is currently a mile fucking long and gets more expensive by the day. 

Opie got Thursday and Sunday off with Friday and Saturday's ride working on about ten bajillion transitions. And halts. We do so much halting lately.

she was actually a brave bear for once and followed
us for a trail ride past the terrifying electric death
fences and their demon occupants without any trouble

Friday the main focus was simple changes, while Saturday I tried to get the medium trot under control. Both still need fine tuning. The simples need to be cleaner on the down, and the medium needs to be going without blasting the fuck off. 

This morning I really just needed a win of any kind. I'm so mentally worn down right now across the board. I put Opie in the double and headed to the outdoor.

this long mane is driving me crazy, but i keep 
reminding myself how easy it's going to be to braid

In the warm up posting trot, I got to work right away on slowing and opening up the trot off my seat without letting it get dragging or rushing. Once I felt his back start coming up and him coming through, I started our halt transitions. I had him like butter at that point and oozed into the sitting trot, collecting him a little more. 

Into the SI to half pass movement from 3-1. Good both ways, SI better to the right. I need to insist more to the left where that LH doesn't ever want to do work. 

On to the haunches in where he suddenly decided he absolutely could not turn right. Fortunately that was relatively short lived and I got those sorted out.

Finally into the canter. Down the long sides I tried to really lift him up and make him jump out in the medium instead of just letting him go forward. He's got to be a lot more collected for those to become real extended canters. A few repetitions of those where at least he was very good about transitioning back to the collected canter. 

And then the 10m circle (soooo good to the left omg!!), aaaand....ask for the change!

L-R first, and he jumped up through it, but mother fuck--it was clean and on cue and he carried on like a proper gentleman. I kept him cantering through the short side before asking for the walk and heaping the praise on him. 

R-L after that dreamy 10m circle that made me think of pirouette fairies was a couple strides late behind, but he was reasonable figuring his legs out and never thought about bolting or having a tantrum so that was a win in and of itself. We quit right there and headed out for a trail ride.

Physically a fairly demanding ride (as asking my horse to do things correctly and prettily means I have to put in at least some modicum of effort which is the worst), but mentally exactly what I needed for a little bit of a breather.

Lesson on Wednesday. Hopefully a truck in my driveway by Friday. 

Step it up

After getting Monday off, I was eager to get back in the saddle Tuesday to see if I couldn't push Opie's buttons a little bit and get him lit. 

Or at least moving off my leg.

Of course he started off in a completely "Yes ma'am" mood which was good if also kind of eye roll inducing. Where was this horse when I needed him over the weekend, sir? 

I did have to really sit and ride him in the canter. Not in a bad way, just in an active should be doing it this way anyway way. I'm guilty of riding a lot of circles and forgoing the long straight lines. Watching my tests it shows as his canter is pretty cringe-y looking. That was my focus for this ride, and with some inside leg held steady against his ribs and a million half halts I got it much improved. 

Then I was all, let's finish with that lateral work! I have Mr Tappy in hand so if we don't feel like putting forth any effort, we gon' learn. 

Good grief, you would have thought I had asked him to jump into a pool of sharks. Or not, as he probably would have been down with that. I brushed the whip against his hip once in the shoulder in when he wasn't stepping under with the LH (hahaha alwayssss with this mother fucking LH), and he straight up lost his shit. 

Once I got that fucking defused, he went right around and did it just fine. I do so enjoy that as he's moved up the levels he's started really embracing #bobbyproblems. At least he gets over himself and gets back to work after his tantrum--a trait Bobby definitely did not possess. 

Throughout we also did about a gazillion halt transitions so that's what we wrapped up with as well. Stand square, stand quietly, and stay on the bit instead of staring off into the distance. 

after a long driveway cool out because homes was sweaty

Today I introduced him to long lining! He already knows how to drive and therefore ground drive, but obviously long lining is a bit different. I started with trying the outside line behind him, but he just took that as a cue to go fast so I brought it over his back instead. 

He was actually really good for it once he realized I could, indeed, still be in charge of steering. We worked mainly in the trot, getting it cooking without running and then coming back. A little bit of collected canter, a stretchy cool out trot, and then bammo--right into a perfect square halt on the bit. 

I changed our Third level debut on the last day of Houghton to 2-2 because after the first show of the year I realized I don't actually want to go in to that test without super confirmed changes after all. Good thing I emailed the secretary to change though as turns out they hadn't written her address correctly on the prize list and my entry and giant check were floating around in the postal system somewhere. Bless her, she got me sorted out in no time and was able to get me in with no trouble via email. 

CNYDCTA Informal Dressage Schooling Show

So turns out all that turnout time Opie got before he had to get loaded and go horse show was maybe not the best after all. 

He was a bit of a tool about getting on/staying on the trailer until I pulled out my trusted driving whip and walked him on with it in my hand. Didn't have to touch him with it or even lift it--he knew the game was up. Then as we were pulling out of the driveway that his pasture parallels, his BFF was running up and down the fence screaming for him which obviously caused Opie GREAT ANGST. 

He settled down fairly quickly at least, but when we unloaded him at the show he came off a million miles an hour and almost ran backwards off a hill into a drainage ditch. It was great. Fortunately he pulled his shit together and dug right into his hay bag for the short wait we had until I started getting ready. 

Once on he was his usual chill self and strolled up to the rings completely relaxed. I did our lately typical just get things moving blah warm up, and then parked it with two other riders. Turns out they were running twenty minutes behind by that point and it spiraled to almost forty minutes by the time we wrapped up the show.

A few tests out I got him moving and tried to put him together and get him fired up. It did not work. Rapid fire transitions, chasing him at the posting trot, SO MUCH SPUR SO MUCH LEG. Nothing.

I was kind of expecting to be managing tension and instead had this slug under me that I didn't really have a plan on how to ride.

Second 2

Really everything that was shit--which honestly was most of it that wasn't just blah--was allll tied in to him being so fucking behind my leg.

He didn't have enough angle to the lateral work because he was ignoring my leg/spur. The rein back had a shit halt, and his usually super high scoring walk was a measly 6.5 because it was going nowhere. The first TOH was a throwback to the wretched pivot which was a deserved 5 while the second one was slightly better for a 6. The canter needed to be rounder and more connected because its sloppiness led to sloppy simple changes. 

Unfortunately his first medium only scored a 5.5 although the second did get a 7. Poor Opie. He is just so short of leg, and buddy was trying his very best to reach. 

End comments: "Lovely pair - more collection needed at this level. Clearer transitions too! Much potential." 64% was the final score which was super seeing as he got a few 5.5s. Quite a few 7s to cancel them out at least! My GMO is participating in the Regional Schooling Show Awards so they hired some awesome judges this year, and I felt like she was scoring very much on a recognized level. Maybe not the flashy scores that make schooling shows fun, but on my end it was great to get a realistic read on where we are and where we need to be. 

Second 3

I tried to get him going a little more and clean up the simples in the two test break I had before my second test, but nah. Still no go button to be found. He came down CL bouncing between my legs and I was doing everything I could to make him appear sort of straight. 

Lateral work was shit because he would not move off my mother fucking leg. Medium trots were not as good this test and we barely made it the full diagonal because, again, GET OFF MY LEG. Better halt and rein back, and then he got stuck in the giant mud puddle in the corner for the second TOH which did nothing to help with the already stuck in the mud feeling he'd been giving me the whole test already. Canter still blah. Whole test blah.

Final comments: "Lovely horse - this level needs more consistent collection and impulsion. Keep practicing! You both can do it." Final score 58+%. I was bummed about that, but they're always going to score the final test of the level a bit tougher, and honestly he was even more dead than the first tests. 

Overall it was a good show for me despite my hors not really being interested in participating. I felt a little weird being in a real dressage court again after so long away from showing, and now I know the couple movements where I need to clean up my geometry. 

Opie's shape was quite acceptable at least, and that canter counter was never in danger of going anywhere. 

I'm looking forward to bringing the dressage whip back into rides and really establishing more power and more suppleness in the lateral work. I also need to rethink my warm up instead of dialing it in because I'm just happy I have relaxation. I would ideally not like to be under 60% at Second again this year.

It's happening

Double dose of good news:

1. The counter canter came back easy peasy and just as nice as before.
2. Hubby guilt tripped himself into driving me to the show in his company truck. Because no, I don't have mine back yet. Or even know where it is right now tbh. 

it's all coming up roses around here.
or dandelions.

I ended up giving Opie Tuesday off after our rodeo on Monday, and in fifteen minutes on Wednesday had run through a solid warm up followed by a steady, relaxed counter canter pattern from 2-2.

I originally planned on doing the cc diagonals again Thursday along with the serpentine with the simple changes, and then the cc serpentine from 2-3 on Friday with Saturday off. That wasn't the best plan, but fortunately things worked themselves out for me.

I went out first thing Thursday morning and he was going so well I hit all of those things in one ride with great success. When I brought him back to the trot out of all that canter, he was like butter in hands so we wrapped up with some sitting trot. Lateral work and the medium trots were A++. He was really feeling like a real deal Second horse which is--let's be honest--something that's always felt just out of reach for my piss poor riding skills and "off-breed" dressage horses. 

puppy watching lessons while waiting for opie's
pemf lady to arrive

Since he was so good, I ended up giving him Friday off which. Riding prooooobabllly wasn't going to happen anyway as I got my second COVID shot Thursday afternoon and I felt like a fucking zombie. I was SO TIRED that moving off the couch was a monumental task. I did manage to go grocery shopping, buy dog food, and stand there for half an hour while Opie got his PEMF done. I drank about twenty gallons of fluids to try to head anything serious off, and after twelve hours (from 8am to 8pm) it was like a switch flipped and my body was like, "Okay done with that nonsense! We're good to go now!"

I'm going to give a good stretch ride this afternoon and make sure the canter is adjustable within the gait as final prep for tomorrow. We don't ride until mid-afternoon to wrap the show up so he'll get several hours of turnout before we have to head out which hopefully does good things for his neurotic brain. You never know which #child is going to appear for the first show of the year with Dopie Horse.

It was bound to happen

Breaking the counter canter that is. 

Man, just when you think you can't sink any lower into flying change hell--SURPRISE, BITCH.

"my feelings are valid."
fake. news. drama. llama.

Forget the end of my last post as I gave myself an extra week until our first show. Turns out this is our last week. 

Provided I have a truck to go to it with. Which is not looking likely at this point and is causing me severe mental angst.

But I guess we'll roll like we're going for now? Eternal optimism never dies within me despite how much it should. 

first bath of the season was much needed

So with that in mind, no flying changes this week. The focus is going to be on the few different counter canter patterns and simple changes. He warmed up well so I kept it quick before moving on to the meat of the work. 

His medium trot all the sudden took on this hyper sonic power/speed, and I need to get the Pivo out to see what is going on there. It actually doesn't move me much in the saddle which makes me think that it's....acceptable? But I am suspicious of the quality of the reach. 

That ties in to the counter canter trouble as I ran into half halt trouble in trying to stem the explosion of "medium trot". I then had trouble getting a lid on alllll the counter. Straight fucking blast off down the long sides, and when I tried to half halt to bring him back he'd break to the trot. 

I finally wrangled him back and got him going in a lovely collected canter on a soft rein with a soft seat, but that was a fucking production. It made for a great three loop serpentine with simple changes across the middle though.

On to the counter canter. First time doing the little across the short diagonal hold it to F was okay. New direction--explosion. From there on out--explosion. We had fake flying changes, we had bolting, we had rearing, we had slamming on the brakes and refusing to move, smashing me into the wall, spinning, not picking up either lead because too busy spinning, and on and on and on.

passed out in the sun sebastian was me after
defusing that situation

I finally got him to pick up A LEAD across the middle of the ring and then turned him so he was counter cantering down the long side. Once he was in it, his little brain was just like, "Oh okay." and he carried on like no big deal in a really nice counter canter. I mean, the fuck, sir.

Had a long walk break and then changed directions and picked up the counter canter from the walk again, and again made a few laps of the arena easy peasy. Being the stubborn bitch that I am, we picked up the true canter and I asked for the fucking original counter canter pattern I was going for in the first place. 

He did it fine. Both ways. The first time.

I shoved a candy down his throat and gave him the bath of his life with an extra long grazing session afterwards. 

ugh he was so filthy. i swear he's a completely different shade and
so soft now! i just want to pet his fluffy mane forever.
also clearly no grudge held as i was trying to chase him off for a pic
and he just kept chasing me down for snacks and snugs

I'm mentally a bit stuck about how to proceed at this point without knowing if I'll have a truck. It certainly makes motivation difficult to come by.