July 22, 2008

Look at me, updating the blog the morning after riding. Progress baby, progress. It was another good night, though not as amazing as Monday night.

The Bad:
-she was very barn sour. I had to keep a steady seat and really keep her moving steadily away from the barn and not rush as we headed in the direction of it.
-the FLIES! Poor girl kept trying to shake her head or reach back to bite where they were nipping her. The fly spray never seems to help much :/
-she was more rushy at the trot last night, and the canter as well. I almost lost a stirrup at one point.
-I kept feeling my hands want to turn over, and I was having trouble circling her and keeping an even seat at the trot and canter.
-She'd "blown up", so at one point I realized the girth was really loose, so I had to hop off, move the saddle, tighten the girth and get back on. She was not please at having to work more.

The Good:
-She was listening well, and had a beautiful headset at the walk.
-She was a good girl again when grooming and tacking up.
-She stood very well for mounting, and it didn't take long to have her stand where I needed her.

I hope Lucio is willing to come out Friday or Saturday with me to take some more progress photos. I want to see how I look at the fast gaits, and especially at the walk now that I'm going with her movements more.

July 23, 2008-I'm so behind!

I really need to get into the habit of writing these entries the night I get home from riding. Otherwise I'll get lazy and there will be huge gaps like these! Things have been up and down with Spree, and based on the feedback I've gotten from the Horse Forum, I've been working hard on my own position while trying to keep her steady in her gaits. She's been a huge pill about standing still for anything (grooming, saddling, mounting, etc) and I've been too lax and let her get away with it. We just did groundwork on Sunday, because I felt she needed a refresher course on how to be a lady.



I went out last night with a really positive attitude. I was really soft in my approach with her, and she responded. I don't know if it was her mood, the weather, the fact that's she'd been ridden a lot the day before or what, but it was an all-around great day. I decided not to lunge first, just to see where her attitude was without it. I brought the tack out, and tied her inside. Mind you, I haven't done this maybe but once or twice. She stood totally quietly, even falling asleep while I untangled the burrs from her mane. Very sweet. She stood well for grooming, and I was able to keep Chance out so she didn't bother her. As we tacked up outside, she did try to circle while I was putting the saddle on, but a few sharp pops to the lead rope had her standing still. The bridle was very effortless; an improvement over the fight she's been putting up lately. She did seem antsy after I had her completely tacked up, so I lunged her in a circle around me until she would stand. Maybe 1-2 minutes tops.

Her moving while I'm trying to mount has gotten annoying beyond belief, so as I was standing on the platform and she was in a good position, I just put the reins over her head, nothing more. If she tried to move, I told her to stand, bring her back with the inside rein. Repeat until she got it. Then I took her mane in my hands, same process. She stood well at one point, but still walked on the minute my butt touched the saddle. We need to work on that next. I actually had to hop back off because her saddle was too far back on her back, but fixing the saddle and hopping back on happened in a jiffy.

Our ride was fantastic! I'm so happy about it. I am realizing that I really do need to be working in all 3 gaits every time I ride, because walking the entire time will help improve my seat there but won't help me learn at the others. After we warmed up, I did some circling and trotting, working on keeping her collected and working on my posting. I can't see what my form looks like, which is unfortunate, but my hands felt soft. When we worked on her canter she definitely hops into a fast one at first, but after we made some big looping circles she slowed down nicely. I definitely bounced all over the place at a few different points at the trot and canter, but as we kept practicing I felt better and more secure. I didn't feel like my feet were flying forward at the canter like they have before either.

I won't know for sure if my form in all gaits is improving until I can have someone take pictures again, but it was so much fun. She was such a good girl from start to finish. She also didn't take off immediately after I untacked her either. I don't want to assume it's because we're finally forming a relationship, but it would be sweet if that were the case. I'll be back out on Wednesday!

June 14, 2008

I have been severely neglecting this poor blog! Things have been a bit of a roller coaster ride in the horse world lately. Spree has been being so much of a brat while lunging (read: charging me and rearing) that I got scared and had to call in Jenn to help me out. On Friday night, I went out to work with them both, and she saw how Spree was acting (though it was far better than she had been) and saw my fearful reaction, so she showed me ways I can stand up to her to show I'm the boss/ It's simple stuff, like actually tossing the lead rope at her chest if she's coming at me, cutting her off with a brisk, no-nonsense walk if she's not listening when I ask her to change directions, etc. We worked with her together free lunging, and Jenn watched as I worked with her and said I was doing well. She free jumped her over a really loww crossrail, which was fun to watch; Spree seems to enjoy it!

Saturday was a great day. I had all the time in the world, so I headed out there and grabbed my girl. I wanted to scope things out next door, so we went for a walk on lead to the farm next door, and walked all the way to where the (unfenced) outdoor arena is. I worked with her there, lunging on lead, and I'd give her a C, grade-wise. She was distracted, understandably, but she also wasn't respecting when I was asking her to change directions every time. It was tough to cut her off, because there was no fence and we weren't in a round pen, and she wasn't responding to the lead rope swinging near her face. After we got back, I put her bridle on, and had a pretty easy time with the saddle, considering how long its taken in the past. Jenn had warned me that after not having the saddle on for a week, she might freak out, but nothing of the sort happened. I hopped on and headed back to that afore mentioned outdoor arena. She did excellent for the first half of our ride, listening to everything I asked, but she got progressively worse: trying to leave the arena, trotting fast and having minor freak outs at certain points in a circle, and generally fighting me like a fish on a line. We ended on a good note (my making her stand still right before leaving the arena, and if she didn't, kept her moving), but she walked way too fast on the way back, and almost knocked me off by running me under tree branches.

I also hate the saddle I'm using. The pad is old, scratchy and thin, and the saddle itself has the hardest seat ever and today it feels like someone literally kicked me in the ass. My first new buy will be a new pad, and I'm keeping my eyes peeled for an AP saddle. I'm also chatting with Jenn's friend about leasing her mare, but considering she wants her to be completely taken care of so she can bring in her new horse, I don't think my pocketbook can afford that. We're meeting up again this week; I'll know more then. I also encouraged Jenn to keep Spree up for sale, though she had thought at first she wouldn't during my lease. I don't see why she shouldn't work to find her a good home, and postponing that for a year doesn't make much sense. It's both of our first priority to find her a good home, so I'll be putting an ad on Craigslist this week.

June 4, 2008

You know how I was mentioning PMS? OHMYGOD. I was a little shocked at how bad this was. The minute I went out to get her from the field, I knew I was in for it. She did not want to walk away from Chance, kept stopping as we were walking, and kept crowding my space. 

I had already gotten all of the tack out, so I was just free lunging her at first. Ugh. She would try to change directions on me at the same point every single time around the circle, and when I'd get in her face, she'd flatten her ears and sometimes kick out. This kept repeating, and only got a little bit better with time. I decided she was listening well enough to bring out the saddle. She acted like she'd never seen the thing before! At first she wouldn't even let me put it on her back, so I kept lunging her with the same results. Then, when I was finally able to put it on her back, she freaked out when I barely touched the girth to her belly. Backing away, snorting, and when I backer her like I normally would, she ended up rearing a little. I kept lunging her after she did this a could of times, and she was so determined that she was choosing the direction she was going, her aggressiveness was scaring me a little bit.

I tried to end it on a good note by having her follow me around without a lead on and then just put her away. I was an AWFUL horse mama though, because I didn't tie her securely enough in the enclosure, she took off, trailing her lead rope, which she ended up tripping on and scaring herself. :/ She was awful, and I hate the fact that I got scared of her actions.

I'm headed out there later this afternoon, so hopefully her attitude will have improved and we'll have a lovely afternoon.

June 2, 2008

Somebody has a case of PMS, and it ain't me! Jenn had left me a note warning me that they thought Spree might be in heat. Well, her attitude certainly seems to indicate that she is! She did ok free lunging, though she made it quite clear by her pinned ears, swishing tail and sometimes deliberately going the wrong way that she was not happy listening to me. I had already decided that today was going to be English tack day, so I'd gotten Jenn's friend's AP saddle out of its bag, changed the reins on Spree's bridle, and had my gloves and helmet ready.

After I free lunged her for awhile, I tried the saddle. She's actually been standing really well for the saddle recently, which is refreshing. However, she's really pissy about the girth being tightened, and certainly displayed her displeasure about it tonight. When she went to move, I would snap the lead rope back under her chin and back her up. If she kept moving, I'd start lunging her again, letting the saddle fall where it may. I was making progress, but Jenn showed me up to back her up while standing more at her side then in front of her, so as soon as she stops I can start trying to tighten the girth again. Genius. I'm happy about her responsiveness to me while lunging, and I feel much more comfortable with it now, both off and on lead. Once I'd gotten all her tack on and secured, it took me an embarrassing amount of time to actually mount. I seriously need a mounting block there. I'm having to climb up onto this little platform and have her stand at the right point next to it, and the whole thing is really awkward. I also should work on improving my flexibility on that front.

Because everything to this point had taken awhile, she was sweaty and I was about to kill every fly and mosquito in the state of Michigan, I didn't want to ride too long. I felt so at home in an English saddle, and actually feel more secure in it than a Western saddle. The saddle and pad themselves are pretty crappy though, so maybe I'll make an upgrade of my own sometime soon. She was much less barn sour than last time, though a little bit still. She was very responsive to the leg aides, and since I'd switched to English reins, I found myself using the subtle rein aides you're supposed to and not moving my hands. Whew! I felt like a much more competent rider today. I decided to give a canter a go, and had her canter back toward the barn. Not ever a good idea to move a horse quickly back to where they want to be going. I then circled her, walked and trotted back out into the field and canter/galloped back again. So fun :) Next time I think we'll definitely head next door, new tack and all, since it will be raining on Wednesday. My only fear is not being able to lunge her first. We'll see...

May 31, 2008

The last ride of May! I was determined to try riding bareback, something I haven't done since I was a kid, and even then it was on a lunge line and with a bareback pad. I was honestly a little nervous, but all you have for security is the mane and your seat. I wasn't planning on going any faster than a walk, because that way I could work on my balance and seat and getting a feel for her movements. We started with some free lunging, and she did excellent. Listened well, changed directions every time I asked, etc. I did this for about 15 minutes, then went and grabbed her bridle. She moved away the first time I went to put it on, so I sent her off for some more lunging. When she was listening and coming to me to stand, I put the bridle on and led her to the weird platform I use as a mounting block. It took a few tried for her to understand I wanted her to stand right next to it, but she didn't move as I mounted without a saddle.

And we were off! It's a pretty incredibly experience, riding completely bareback. I was wearing really thin tights, so there was little separating me from her skin. And to feel that much powerful animal underneath you is inspiring. I'm going to try and do it once a week. I actually did a great job of maintaining a good center and seat, because there were a few times when she'd break into a trot when I hadn't asked her to, and I was able to sit deep and slow her down without jolting around on her back. she did well listening to me seat and leg cues, but man was she barn sour today! She kept wanting to head back to the tack room every chance she got, and it took some serious circling and strong legs/rein aids to get her back out into the field. I had interest in going next door to Prarie Farms, but I figured it would be really crowded on a Saturday and my desire to ride bareback was more than my desire to have an adventure next door. As I was grooming her, she wasn't letting me pick up her back feet at all. I just let it go, but what I should have done was take her out and lunge her some more until she was listening and willing to let me pick them up. Gah :/

I think I'm finally ready to try her in English tack. I just prefer riding in it, I don't like the Western saddle that Jenn has, and I am starting to hate the Western reins on that bridle. So next time I ride, I'm going to lunge her in the English AP saddle that's in the tack room, then ride her a little in the arena and then head next door to see how she goes in the indoor arena. I'm excited!

May 28, 2008

All after work experiences should be this good. I got there around 7 pm, finding Spree alone in the left field. Chance, her pasture mate, is off at the breeders getting knocked up by some handsome Paint stud. The 2nd time I came out to meet Spree, she and Chance took off like rockets, avoiding Jenn and I like the plague. This time, as I walked through the gate, Spree walk/trotted over the greet me. I didn't even have any treats! She was super interested in me and what I was doing, which was charming.

Jenn had just gotten home, so I worked a little on what Parelli calls "The Friendly Game," which is basically where you're touching your horse all over, soothingly, just to see what they'll accept and what they won't. Obviously the end result is that you want to be able to touch them anywhere you want to, and with bags, blankets, etc, and not have them spook. Spree didn't mind being touched anywhere that I tried, and she let me hold her hooves for a decent amount of time as well. After that, I decided to free lunge her myself, my first time doing so. I tried to stay very aware of my body language, and if she did something I didn't want, I made sure it was because SHE was being pesky and not my asking incorrectly. I then had her follow me around without a lead on, and she did exceptionally. She'd been listening, responding and being respectful the entire time. When Jenn got there she worked with me on lunging on lead. I need to remember to KEEP MY FEET STILL. Keep them still when I'm asking her to back away from me, keep them still when I'm asking her to move out of change directions on lead.

After a little more lunging, we tried the saddle. What an improvement! Jenn's worked with her a few times since last time, and if Spree tried to evade (which only happened a couple of times), she jerked the lead rope hard up under her chin and backed her up. Then she stood very still. She had a moment of crabbiness when Jenn was tightening the girth, but more lead rope snapping and backing up cured that! I put her bridle on, and figured out that I could use this half-platform nearby as a mounting block. She was still pretty full of beans, so we worked in the small lunge pen, having her make figure 8's and small circles, keeping her at a walk because she kept wanting to break into a trot.

After we moved into the big field, I started concentrating more on my riding than anything else. I do well when I focus on being balanced and really letting my body go with her movements, but I catch myself riding wayyyyy too much with my hands, and my hands keep wanting to turn over into bear paws. I feel like I need a lesson sometime soon, so a trainer can kick my ass and tell me everything I'm doing wrong. Spree is such a responsive, willing and sweet girl, and I wouldn't want to me her sour from anything I'm doing wrong. I wish I'd gotten to ride longer, but everything else took awhile and I needed to get home to dinner. I plan on spending a ton of time out there on Saturday for sure. Maybe Friday night as well, depending. It was a really encouraging evening though, and I'm totally smitten with her.