Monday, March 11, 2024

New Rhythms

 Cinder seems to have settled in at MDT. The first few rides she felt wound up and a little manic under saddle for a bit, and then would settle. This weekend when I rode she didn't feel that way, even though we had a windstorm both days. 

We had our first group lesson last Thursday. It was just me and one other ammy, though there will usually be three of us. We started in the indoor arena working over some very narrow, about 3', trot poles. Depending on how we approached the poles, we were to turn on the rail and leg yield out to the them, or do them on the rail and then leg yield to the quarter line. Cinder was slightly confused at the tiny poles, but when we went to canter them she took full advantage and sidestepped them a few time. Definitely a test as to how accurate and straight your horse is. 

I watched a bit of the lesson before mine and Cinder was visible through the open window

We then moved outside and after a couple of laps to see everything, started jumping. Trainer M set one single fence that started as a cross rail, then a vertical, and then a bigger vertical. We did each height once each way. For Cin and I, it was mainly just for M to see where we were and how Cin goes. She was great, just hopped over the fence each time without any issue. The other horse in the lesson, a hotter OTTB jumper mare, had had some time off and was jumping for the first time in a few months and was very excited. They did a little more work than Cin and I did, and I'm 99% certain Cinder really liked that aspect of group lessons. Stand in the middle and chill while the other horse works? Sign her up. 


M rode her twice last week and noted a few things that I have also been wanting to work on. We spent a bit in my Saturday lesson talking about how Cin needs to have a bit more of a metronome quality to her canter, which is easier in the summer and in a bigger outdoor vs a smaller indoor, and how she can be a bit noodley to the fences.  In my lesson we worked on asking for more pace and impulsion in the canter, and then did some lead change work. We started by cantering a figure eight and asking for a simple change. Cin quickly figured out the game and would offer a flying, but would trail her hind end a stride or two. Trainer M then put out a cavaletti and had us ask over that which helped. Cinder was definitely getting tired, but held it together and  we were able to end on a good note. 

Monday, March 4, 2024

All Moved In

 Cinder moved to our new barn, MDT, on Thursday. And in true Murphy's Law, the weather has been absolutely horrible and all the pastures have been closed since, then so she's been stuck inside. We've had rain, wind, hail, snow, and little brief patches of sunshine that trick into thinking it's going to clear up only to dump rain on you five minutes later. But despite being in a new place, with new people, and being cooped up in a stall for days, Cinder's handled it remarkably well. 

All of our 2023 year end swag

 Trainer M rode her on Friday, and I got a good report. Cinder tried to pull the alpha mare/who the hell are you move on M, but gave it up rather quickly. M really likes her, and said Trainer A and I have done great job with her, which is always nice to hear. 

She only gets supervised open window time, since she will 100% chew that hose and drag it into her stall

I had my first lesson with M on Saturday. Cinder was quite manic in the crossties tacking up, moving around and almost constantly pawing. When I got on she felt like a ticking time bomb. Normally, I would have gotten off and either free lunged or put her on the line for a few minutes, but I decided to tough it out. Don't want to come across as too much of a weenie ammy for my first lesson. Trainer M and I talked for a bit about what we've been working on with Cin, and what I'd like to focus on going forward. During our talking, I felt Cin start to relax and that her brain was coming back into her head. 

The lesson mainly focused on my hands and position, and pushing Cinder out and into my hand. It was similar work to what Trainer A has been having me work on, just said differently and in more of a h/j way vs a dressage way. Cin did have a few spooks and dolphin leaped in our first couple of canter transitions, but I held it together and didn't let her antics bother me. We did end with some nice stretchy canter and trot work, which I was very happy about. 

Friday, February 23, 2024

Back in the Groove

 It seems Cinder's excitement in our first ride back wasn't a one off; she was amped for most of last week. I had my first lesson back last Friday, and Trainer A told me that she had already ridden Cin earlier in the day since she had "that look" in her eye when being turned out. And she was still really up for my lesson. Not going to lie, I had some major nerves, and almost asked A to get back on her for my lesson, but managed to push through. 

Finally got our ribbons from USHJA Outreach 

Cinder had Saturday off, and then was hoof perfect for our ride on Sunday. I did free lunge first, but from the start her eye was softer and she wasn't as manic in crossties as she had been on Friday. I even worked up the courage to use the whole arena, and trotted and cantered the ground poles set out. 


I had another lesson on Monday, and again, Cin was perfect from the get go. All the jumps had been taken down to piles of poles, so we warmed up quickly on the flat and then started trotting and cantering the piles before A set them back to jumps. We mainly trotted everything, as they were little and Cinder couldn't be bothered to actually jump them, except for a crossrail with brown poles that was evidently very impressive and she overjumped every time. I did get left behind a couple of times, but once I figured out she didn't like that jump, I was better about anticipating and staying with her. We finished by cantering a few things, and thankfully my eye didn't disappear in the few months I didn't ride. We quit early since Cin was being so good, and then I had me pose for the pic above since the sunset was so pretty. 


Monday, February 12, 2024

Back in the Saddle

Last Wednesday was four weeks post surgery, and my last dose of blood thinners was last Thursday morning, so I was officially cleared to start exercise and riding again. My first ride back was on Friday. 

Best view

Even though Trainer A had worked her three times earlier in the week, Cinder was fresh on Friday. I got on, went to tighten my girth, and she did her patented move of humping her back, squealing, and paddling her front legs, which indicates she needs to buck. I immediately got off and grabbed a lunge line and let her play. I don't trust her "I need to buck" feeling when I'm 100%, let alone after 2.5 months out of the saddle. After broncing and kicking out on the line, I girded my loins and got back on. And she was great. I felt like a sack of potatoes; I could recognize what I needed to do in the saddle but couldn't make my body comply. I thought my issue would be my core, since I have three holes in my abdomen, but it was mostly my thighs that didn't want to react like normal and my timing of my aids was a little off. 

What better time than moving barns to clean out all your shit?

I wasn't nearly as sore on Saturday as I expected to be, which was nice. Cinder got some bodywork and I got back on on Sunday for a light, stretchy ride. I did free lunge her first just in case. The temperature had dropped, and it was very windy which lead to some nice groaning noises on one long side of arena. The jump shed which was attached to the indoor, collapsed during the ice storm, and the debris hasn't all been cleared away yet, so it was moving around with the wind. I felt more connected in my body, and was able to mostly time my aids correctly during our ride. I signed up for our regular Friday afternoon lesson for this week, so fingers crossed it goes well. 

Monday, February 5, 2024

Program Found

 There really isn't a lot of programs that meet my criteria of price, location, and that attend both schooling and rated shows (or even just schooling shows) that have good trainers in my area. After calling three different trainers, hearing back from two of them, having one flake out on me, and going on one barn tour, I've found a new home for Cinder and I. We'll be moving March 1st to make everything easy. Trainer A doesn't have a departure date, but it most likely will be after the 1st, and I am absolutely not leaving Cinder where she is unsupervised, so to keep my stress levels somewhat manageable, March 1st it is. The new program is also significantly cheaper, so my wallet will be very happy. 


Really happy with how she's looking weight wise, mid winter.

We'll be moving to Trainer M's barn, the barn I initially tried to move into almost two years ago before deciding to go back to Trainer A's program. I like Trainer M, I just liked A more. M is h/j trainer, with a good group of juniors and amateurs, goes to a mix of schooling and rated shows, and is the one that hosts the MDT show series we've shown a lot at. I know a lot of M's clients, and everyone there is excited for us to move in. I'm excited as well, but still grieving the loss of Trainer A. 


Monday, January 29, 2024

This is Fine, Everything's Fine

 Why does it seem like shit always hits the fan in January?

When we left off, I was waiting for my ovarian cyst surgery, which happened a little over two weeks ago. It went way better than I expected; I wasn't nearly as sore as I though I'd be, and other than a rash from the support girdle they gave me, I was pretty much fine after a day. I'm back at work, but I can't lift anything over 10lbs for another month, and can't ride for another week and a half. 


Two days after my surgery, we got hit with a pretty bad ice storm. I was staying at my parent's house to recover, and we lost power for a few hours the second night, and subsequently the water pipes froze and stayed frozen for four days. On the third day we were able to venture out and my mom and I hunkered down at a hotel for a night. Where we live we got mainly ice, but up where Cinder is they got snow, then ice and it was really, really bad for a few days. Trainer A lives on the property, up the hill from the barn and it's normally a five minute walk from her house to the barn, but one of the days it took her over an hour to walk/crawl/slide down to the barn. The horses ended up staying in with some limited arena turnout/lunging for over a week because things were so slick and slippery. 

Between the storm and some issues with the barn owners, Trainer A has decided to move to the East Coast. I knew that has been her long term plan, but now she's looking to move in 1-2 months, not 2-3 years. So I'm on the hunt for a new barn and trainer. Peebs' barn is full, so I can't move Cin home either. I did have a small panic attack the night after she told me, but I have talked to a few trainers and have some barn tours set up and hopefully can have things figured out soon. 

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Rainier Equestrian Events: December 2023 Show

 At the end of November, right about when I stopped riding, Trainer A decided she wanted to take her new horse out to a h/j schooling show to get more rounds under their belts. She asked if I wanted to go as her groom/jumperland interpreter for the weekend and of course I said yes. We both were a little sad that I couldn't ride in it, then A asked if I wanted her to show Cin. I initially said no, as I still hadn't gotten my bill from the ER visit in September and I knew I had more medical bills looming. But my mom offered to pay for the show as an early Christmas present, so we entered Cin last minute. 


All photos bought from On Murden Cove Photography

Rainier Equestrian Events puts on USHJA Outreach shows on the west side of the greater Seattle/Tacoma area, and its about 3hrs from Cinder's barn. Neither A nor myself had been there before, but from what we could see online, their shows looked nice and they set fences to height. Most of the outreach shows around us tend to set soft, so this would be a good test for both Cinder and Surelock. 



 We left early Saturday morning, and it was absolutely awful in Portland. Pouring rain, strong winds, standing water on the roads, just flat out horrible weather. Thankfully the weather cleared up and when we made it to the show, it was sunny and dry, if still a little cold. We were lucky to get a good parking spot by the ring, and timed it right to slowly start getting Cinder ready after we checked in. It had rained earlier in the week in WA, so the outdoor arena that's usually used for warm-up was closed, and part of the covered arena had been blocked off for warm-up. It was a small space, but thankfully there weren't many horses warming up when A got on. Cinder was entered in a 2'9" round, and two 3' rounds and there was one other horse in the 2'9" and no one else in the 3'. 


Cinder was great in warm up. Walked right into the arena like she'd been there a hundred times before and got right to work. A big group of six riders came in to warm up for a costume contest/eq on the flat class and even with the small space and some wound up horses Cinder didn't care. I'm still so in awe at how professional she's become this year when showing. 


All three of A's rounds had the same course, so that made learning and discussing the course super easy. That, plus the lines being set on a 10' stride, would be my only complaints about this show. If you're going to offer two hunter rounds at the same height, make them different courses. And if you're setting to height, set the lines on a 12' stride, especially for the bigger classes. We've been working on getting Cinder to open up for the 12' stride without running off her feet, so to have to reel her back in for the 10' stride was a little challenging. 


Trainer A used the 2'9" round as their schooling round, to get a feel for arena and how the lines rode. Cinder was little distracted by people sitting outside the ring, but didn't care at all about any of the fences, or the shadows along the one far side. We knew the lines would ride tight, but overall both A and I were happy with the round. The other horse in the class was a very seasoned horse with a professional riding, and they rightly earned first. I asked A about doing one warm-up fence between the 2'9" and 3' to let Cinder know the jumps had gone up, but she didn't think they needed to since they had schooled 3' while warming up. I had my doubts, and was proven correct when Cinder jumped into the top rail of the first fence in the first 3' round. So now, even if A doesn't think we need to, I'm going to make sure we jump at least once bigger fence between rounds at different heights. Cinder also broke to the trot on the long approach to the single oxer when A asked her to settle a little, but they were able to pick the canter back up and had a decent distance to the fence. 


The third round was definitely their best round. Cinder was getting tired and the lines got a little tighter, and she missed a lead change, but even with the bobbles both A and I were super happy. Cinder was a total professional, marching right around a new arena with no hesitation or issues. She also settled into her stall after her rounds with no problem, and didn't care at all when Surelock left for his jumper rounds. I'm so glad we were able to take her, and hopefully we can make it back up to some of their shows next year.