Jumping into Spring

 Spring made a brief appearance for a few weeks and thank goodness. We got some days in the 60s and some much needed sunshine, which lead to some much needed longer turnout times for the horses as well as the first baths of the season. 

Cinder was not nearly as amused as I was about bath time

Trainer M took a much deserved vacation, so assistant trainer I was doing the pro-rides and teaching lessons. AT I has a diverse equestrian background, and I really like her lessons as she takes a little bit from every discipline and has some fun and different exercises. She also really likes Cinder, as her own mare is almost exactly like Cin to ride, just in an Arabian barrel pony body. She made Cinder her pet project while M was gone, and the results are great.

We got to ride outside!

We had one ground pole lesson focusing on lead changes, and Cinder is about 80% of the way there. We can reliably get them over the poles, but I still struggle to get them without the pole while M and AT I can get them. I can either get her forward but lose the ability to move her laterally, or I can move her laterally but then I lose the impulsion. Doing both at the same time is hard. But thankfully now that it's warming up I can carry a whip or put on spurs, without Cinder blowing up, and that will help with the impulsion and lateral movement issues. 

I jumped the scary (to me) wall for the first time

 In prep for show season starting at the end of the month, we've been jumping a bit more as well. AT I set a fun gymnastic course for one lesson, mainly larger cross rails with bounce cavalettis on either side. Cinder really started using her hind more and I can feel more power in her jump. This past Saturday's course also had some large cross rails bounces, a couple oxers, and the wall. She actually jumped me out of the tack over one of the bounces and was really sitting on her haunches and just flipping around my leg in the turns. It's definitely the best she's felt and gone in a long time. 

Cinder gets her teeth done this week and then her Coggins and EEVCI next week and we should be good to go for the start of show season!

Word-Lite Wednesday

 I'm taking Emma's lead and doing a word-lite Wednesday instead of a wordless Wednesday. 

The past month's been rough but there's light at the end of the tunnel. The weather in February was cold, cold, and more cold, with a couple days of snow and then a shit ton of rain. It is warm now, thankfully. The horses stayed in for the two days of snow mainly because we got a thin layer of ice before the snow and walking outside was a slip and fall waiting to happen. Cinder was so wound up we spent an hour lunging and doing ground work before I could get on. We then trotted two circles before some snow slid off the roof and I elected to dismount before I was rocket launched into the rafters. 

Assistant Trainer I has been setting courses/exercises for us and draws them out on a little whiteboard next to the tack room. I appreciate that she puts what the strides are supposed to be. We did this course the week before the snow and except for coming in too quietly the first time and getting 6s across the diagonals, it was a lot of fun. 

Last Saturday Cinder felt much more like her normal self and we were able to do more than just trot a few circles, including a grid that was a bounce to a one to a one. We were the only ones in our lesson doing the grid, so we had warmed up over some other fences then waited while everyone else jumped. When we went to the grid the first time, Cinder thought she was done and was no where near in front of my leg which caused us to do a two in the first one, and then she had to superman launch out over the last fence. 

God bless her, she thought about bailing out to the inside but I put my leg on and did my best eventer impersonation and she got us out of it.

We were able to successfully go through the grid the way it was intended to be jumped. 

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. 

Transitions

Summer is transitioning into fall here in the PNW and I couldn't be happier about it. Temps are cooling, rain is in the forecast, and Cinder is feeling good. Its so obvious that she's a cold weather girl, and not a fan of hot girl summer. 

After her couple easy weeks, Cinder came out ready to work. We had a few great flat lessons where we were able to put a bit more pressure on her, ask for more, and she stepped right up. We played around with transitions within the gaits, doing the numbers game where 5 is a normal working trot and then going up to an 8, and back down to a 4, then a 7, etc. Trainer A wanted me to focus on keeping her connected and round, and we got some really, really nice trot work. 

I helped A out with her filly at the KWPN keuring and that itty bitty forelock braid is the cutest thing I've ever seen 

The highlight was our canter work. I was able to keep that rounder frame going into the canter, and it felt magical. Going left is Cin's easier direction, and once I got her where I wanted in the connection, she was able to keep it with minimal input from me. It felt so nice. The right lead is a little harder, but it still felt so good. 

#failfriday

Unfortunately all that flat work didn't quite translate to our jumping. In our lesson last week Cinder was a bit distracted and I couldn't quite get her fully connected. We did a few singles off a long approach, and the easiest was the square oxer on the diagonal, go figure. I started overthinking the ride to the single on the outside, as well as the outside line on the other long side. I was micromanaging her too much, without having enough impulsion. Trainer A told me I was working too hard to make the distances happen, and that I needed to get a good rhythm with impulsion, and let the distances happen. That was light bulb moment and everything became much easier after that. 

 

Mental Game

 After the show Cinder got a few days off, then a couple light rides by Trainer A. I had a lesson last Friday, and A wanted to pick up right where we left off at the show, and had us do a brief flat warm up, then got right to the jumping. I was 100% expecting a flat lesson after the show, so I wasn't mentally prepared to just jump right into the jumping and I let my anxiety get the better of me a bit. For the most part, my mental game lately with Cin has been great; I've been managing her spookiness and baby moments at home and at shows really well and I know I'm capable of riding her through just about anything and I know she's going to jump whatever we put in front of her. But last Friday I started doubting myself a bit. 

The show photographer hasn't posted anything or replied to the email I sent so all you get is blurry screen shots

Trainer A handled my mini meltdown really well, and had me do flat work and would occasionally call out for me to pick up a jump. Lots of transitions, figures, changes of directions. Basically she said she was treating me like a nervous horse and giving me a lot to do without time to anticipate anything. And it worked. We ended the lesson on a good note. 

Always pat your pony

I flatted her last Sunday and then asked A what we were doing for our Monday lesson. Usually our Monday lessons are flat, and we jump in our Friday lessons. A wants Cin to jump in the martingale, so I wanted to know A) so I could mentally prepare, and B) know what to tack her up in. A told me I could pick, and since she's gone at a horse trial this weekend and I don't have a lesson today, I said jump. I (always) need more help over fences, and I didn't want to go too long between jump lessons and let any insecurities build up. 

So tired

It was almost 90* during my lesson, and heat=a very behind my leg Cinder. We did a quick and dirty flat warm up while A finished the lesson before mine. Over fences we warmed up with a single on the center line before A had us move onto two single diagonal oxers. She had us do the long approach to both of them, working on getting our pace along the short side and maintaining it and not picking to fences. I kept seeing a slightly waiting distance to one of them, but I made it work and A said she was happy with it. The other one I was able to see farther out and could move Cin up to it. A had put the single on the center line up a hole and then had me take it from the opposite direction we had warmed up over. I kept not being able to see the distance and Cinder was fairly tired and we had a couple pretty awkward jumps. The first time Cin didn't realize it had gotten bigger and pretty much jumped into the top rail.  I finally started riding and packaged her a bit more to add a stride and it worked out much better. We quit with one nice one since both Cin and I were hot and tired. I was very happy that even though I couldn't see the distance to the center jump to save my life I trusted Cin to get us over till I could pull myself together enough to help her out. 

Feeling Good

 Cinder has been feeling really, really good lately. Between the bit change, body work, and injections, she almost feels like a brand new horse. And she's growing up mentally as well. 

She also looks very cute in her breastplate

Last Friday it was super windy, and one of the metal sheets on the side of the arena came loose. It would periodically bang against the wood beams pretty loudly. There was also a pipe at the far end of the arena that had broken, so a couple of the handymen at the barn were working on it. For the most part they were out of sight, but would occasionally drill/saw things making loud noises, and would pop around the corner of the arena and up from the ground at weird intervals. To say it was a Very Spooky Day™ was an understatement. 

I legitatmently thought about pulling the ammy card and cancelling my lesson, but I was already on and figured we could have a walk/trot lesson, at the close end of the arena away from the noises and people. Cinder started out pretty tense, and spun once at the metal sheet banging, but once the lesson started she settled. We worked on shoulder in and haunches in on a circle, going back and forth between the two before incorporating a set of raised trot poles into the circle. Cinder wanted to rush the poles, so I was instructed to bring her down to a walk three to four strides out and walk over them. We did this a few times each way before she got the idea and then were able to trot them without rushing. 

She got a massage on Saturday and was so relaxed the body worker was afraid she was going to fall down in the crossties.

  From there we moved on to trotting two diagonal piles of poles, figure eighting them. Trainer A then set them up to cross rails. My instructions were to treat them exactly like the pile of poles, and to not change anything. Cinder was great over them, and landed in a nice quiet canter each time. As I was coming around the corner to one of the x's (on the diagonal from the far end of the arena heading straight at the gate) one of the handymen drove up on the four wheeler, spraying gravel as he came into the storage space at the end of the indoor, right behind us. Cinder very slowly stopped, spun, and snorted at him. It was a very controlled spook, like she knew she needed to keep it together but was terrified at the same time.  We walked, then trotted a circle, jumped the cross rail and called it a day. Both A and I were very impressed with how well Cin handled the four wheeler coming up behind her, and that she was able to go right back to work. No need to pusher her anymore that day. 

Getting me more comfortable with the long spots

I had another lesson Monday night (we're switching from two trainer rides/one lesson per week to one trainer ride/two lessons per week this month) and it was the best lesson I've had in months. Cinder and I both felt on it from the get go. We worked over the raised trot poles from the previous lesson, and then started jumping a single cross rail on a circle, first at the trot then canter. I'm trying to work on letting go at the canter, and being more comfortable with a longer take off spot. We then went back to the two diagonal fences, which were now verticals with boxes under them. We did each a couple of times then moved onto a line of poles. I realized later A was trying to keep me on my toes, and not let me get too focused on one exercise or stress about doing something perfectly. It's a good strategy for me.

The line of poles was set as a five stride and A wanted me to get five, then six. Cinder isn't convinced that shortening her stride is a thing she needs to do, and it took me a few tries to get the six. It took a much more physical ride than I was expecting, but we got it done. To finish off the lesson, we did the line of poles in five, then did the other outside line which was a cross rail to some boxes. My directions were to let her flow, get the five and then don't change anything to get seven in the other line. I think I was so tired by this point, I couldn't do anything but let her flow. We go to the first pole long, but I just sat up and kept leg on her and the five worked out. We got a little short to the cross rail, but I let that go and focused on riding the rhythm to get the seven and it worked out great. Considering I haven't been jumping regularly since like October, I was really happy with how we did. 
 

End of 2022 Season, Start of 2023 Season

 We only made it to two OHJA shows last year, once in the 2' and once where we attempted the 2' and dropped down to the cross rails. So imagine my surprise when I got a text from Trainer M (the one I sometimes show with) that she picked up my year end ribbon for me from the banquet. I was totally not expecting anything, but we apparently earned a Certificate of Merit award, which is is for the walk-trot through 18" divisions.  

love me a big ass ribbon

I'm fully aware that this is basically a participation award, but since I love ribbons, and especially big fancy ribbons, I'll happily accept it. 

As far as our 2023 show season, we'll hopefully kick it off next weekend. There's a local jumper show that's a pony club fundraiser and I asked Trainer A if she wanted to take Cinder. Cin hasn't been out since our last show in August, so I figured this would be a great knock the rust off outing for her. A is still figuring out what height she wants to do with Cin. 

 

Cin's biggest fence to date. Wish I could have gotten media of it.

A hasn't been jumping Cinder that high, and we were actually talking a couple of weeks ago about how high Cin has gone. We figured she's done mainly 2'6", with a few 2'9" fences. I was supposed to go up yesterday to watch A jump her, but we forgot the IL lesson schedule had changed and A had to ride before I could get up there. A popped her over what was set up for the lesson, including this solid 2'9" oxer, which both A and I are pretty sure is the heftiest thing Cinder's jumped. 

Odie is A's second homebred, and she's hoping to keep him for herself

A said Cinder was perfect and ready for next weekend. I doubt we'll do a 2'9" round, but there is a 2'6"-2'9" gambler's choice class so maybe. Here's hoping for a fun and successful start to the 2023 show season!

Bouncy

 The theme of my last two lessons has been bouncy. Both in the sense of keeping Cinder more packaged and bouncy in her gaits, and in that we jumped our first actual bounces. 

The big h/j program at the barn uses their jumps in the arena, while most of A's are out in the XC field. So pretty much whatever the h/j trainer sets is what we jump inside. They get pissy if we move the jumps, or even change fence heights without resetting them sometimes. While I am allowed to jump outside of lessons, I usually don't because of this. If there's trot or canter poles set up I'll do those.

bounce bounce

Last week they had reset the course and had a line of five bounces set up on one long side. They also had three sets of raised trot poles, a couple cavalleti and a couple single fences set up. I told A the bounces looked like fun, but Cinder had never done a bounce before. She's done one and two strides, and bounce poles, but not bounce jumps. A started taking the bounces down while I warmed up on the flat, having me incorporate the trot poles. The poles were set slightly short, and the goal was to keep Cinder more packaged then normal to make the poles work. Tracking left was pretty easy, but I had a much harder time tracking right. It doesn't help that Cinder doesn't care about hitting the poles so pretty much every time through she ticked a rail. 

We started jumping by trotting the cavalleti, which were place on a short diagonal heading towards/away from the line of bounces on a bending line. We then picked up the line separately, which A had made just one bounce to start with. Cinder was pretty confused about what to do in the bounce and pretty much just trotted through it. The more times we went through the line, and I rode her a little more forward and confidently, she figured it out. A kept them small (see above) but added in the third cross rail. It was a fun lesson and I was glad I had the nerve to tackle the bounces. 

Went to a tack sale at a VERY FANCY BARN on Saturday and Ca-Pow was very friendly, even though he doesn't look like it this pic

The jumps hadn't moved by my Monday lesson, so we started again with the trot poles for our flat warm up and then A had me start figure eighting some of the single fences and cavalleti. Cinder looked hard at some ground rails before one of the fences and I accidentally caught her in the mouth, but god bless her she didn't care. I get worried that my mistakes are going to piss her off, or ruin her, but honestly this horse doesn't give a shit and doesn't know how to hold a grudge. I need to keep reminding myself of that. 

one of the stallions WT Leapfrog is so handsome

We then moved onto the line five bounces, which A had set tiny again. Coming in Cinder backed way off and seemed worried about all the poles. I didn't push her forward and we kinda stalled out over the third cross rail. A had me pull her out of the line and try again. This time I actually rode and kept my leg on, and while still a little nervous Cinder went through all five bounces. She then figured it out and the third time through was easy. We went through the line a couple time each way before calling it quits.

Spooky Season

The temps are still warm during the day here in the PNW, but it's definitely spooky season. The mornings are crisp and foggy, and the ponies have been feeling good. In fact A messaged me last week asking if I had ridden Cinder Sunday and Monday like I normally do (I had lunged her Sunday and had a good ride Monday) because apparently Cinder thought she was a baby OTTB instead of a baby warmblood during her trainer ride on Tuesday and had been quite full of herself. They had to gallop a many laps of the arena before Cinder's brain started working correctly. 

I don't like the sun setting earlier and earlier

 Cinder was pretty well behaved in our lesson on Friday; I was the one having a case of the spooky scaries. We warmed up on the flat pretty well, and then started jumping a few single cross rails, looping around the arena and picking them up as we went along. A started lowering some of the other jumps, and inadvertently spooked another horse who was hacking in the ring with us. He apparently spooks frequently when poles hit the ground and A had taken the back rail of an oxer off. I was taking a walk break and the other horse was directly in front of us when he spooked, then slipped, then bucked and dumped his rider. He started trotting towards us and Cinder grew about three inches wider and taller and I flung myself off just in case she got any stupid ideas. Thankfully she didn't, and A was able to catch the gelding and his rider was ok minus some road rash on her arm. But I was rattled and it followed us the rest of the ride. 

No media from my lesson, but I rode Peebs for the first time in 3 months and he wasn't amused.

We rewarmed up over the cross rails before attempting an outside line. A said it was a short 6 or forward 5 and she didn't care what I did. I tried the short 6 at first, but ended up a 5.5 so I decided the forward 5 was a better choice. We did the five nicely going off the left, but going off the right I had a hard time finding it. Then Cinder spooked a little at one of the barn workers pushing a wheelbarrow and while it wasn't a big spook, I let it get to me. I couldn't push her forward enough down the line and kept finding either a horrible chip to the second fence, or would pull for the 6 and Cinder would break to the trot. Eventually I asked A if I could just trot everything to get my brain back. She was fine with that so I picked up the outside line and the single cross rails until I felt a bit more confident. We ended with trotting in and cantering out of the line in a 6.

She likes smushing her nose on the mirrors

 

I'm annoyed with myself for letting the spooks get to me, but we've been focusing on flat work and haven't jumped for a month and I know I'm always rusty with a long break. I am however really happy with Cinder. She packs me around while I'm having an anxiety attack over finding a distance to a 2' fence like she's a 20yr old school horse, not a green 5yr old. I'm going to try and fit in a second lesson per week for a while because we have our last show of the season at the end of the month, and then hopefully a really cool clinic in December.

Breathe like a Dressage Rider

 We had a bit of a breakthrough in our canter transitions in my lesson on Friday. While we've had slow by steady progress on them, the first one or two each ride are still a bit rough. And while Trainer A has managed to do walk-canters, I've had a lot of trouble managing them. 

Mya, the other chestnut mare, is a very, very expensive International Hunter Derby hopeful and I told Cinder to soak up all of her knowledge when they were in the cross ties together

 

It didn't help that on Friday Cinder was very not feeling it. It was hot and oddly humid, and there was no breeze moving the air around. When I went to get Cin she was in the middle of her afternoon nap and reluctantly got up when I opened her stall door. She was behind my leg the whole lesson, even when we started jumping. While maybe not the lesson I had been hoping for, I did learn a lot on how to ride "behind-the-leg-Cinder."

Will work for cookies

During our flat warm-up, I was struggling more than usual with the canter transitions when A stopped me and apologized. She asked if she had told me about the double breath inhale. I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, and she explained that since you can't use your voice in dressage, a lot of dressage riders use breath cues with their horses. A does a quick double breath inhale, like two quick sniffs, as she's asking for the upward canter transition. She then sent us back out on our circle to try it, and what do you know, it worked wonders. Our transitions were much more prompt, and we even managed a decent walk-canter. 

Very happy with how she's looking right now

 As I said above, the jump portion of the lesson was a bit of train wreck. I kept seeing the long spot,  while Cinder, who has finally learned to wait and add the stride, kept seeing the short one. We had a couple spectacular chips, before I got after her and made her take the long ones. We ended with an outside line that was a long 5 or short 6 and since the jumps were 2' and Cinder was not inclined to go forward, A told me to do the 6. I came in thinking wait for the six, but we ended up waiting for the 7. Oops. The next time through I let her flow more, and even then on stride 4 I realized it was going to be long and I was determined we would not chip, so I sat down, dug my heels in and clucked like hell. We got the six and then did the line one last time to smooth things out. I still had to leg her down the line, but not nearly as much as the time before and we quit with that.  

Cinder DGAF

 In continuing with our good lesson vibes, we had another great lesson last week. It's been my first jumping lesson since Cinder has been up at SF and much needed, since we're showing this weekend. I have jumped her a little on my own, and A has been jumping Cin once a week or so and has said she's been great. Cinder really doesn't care about what you put in front of her or what the distance is. She's gonna jump it, and continue on like nbd. 

sorry for repeating myself, but this horse is amazing

We did a quick warm-up on the flat before starting over some crossrails. A wanted me to figure 8 two single fences on the diagonals and gave me the option of the short approaches or the long approaches. In an uncharacteristic move, I chose the long approaches since those tend to be the hardest on course. And what do you know, they were the easiest. Cinder has a really nice natural rhythm, and has finally started to find a nice balance, so all I really had to do was keep her straight and find our line and the distances were there. I do need to work on holding her out a bit on the landing side corners, especially if she switched her lead over the fence, but I think part of that issue was me being so happy about the approach and distance I forgot to ride the landing a bit. 

We then picked up an outside line that was a three to a one. There were placing poles down for the horse in the lesson before me, and A decided to leave them to see what Cinder did with them. Not going to lie, I was quaking in my boots approaching the line. I did let Cin get a little behind my leg coming in and didn't really help her out in the line, so we messed up the three and the poles kinda caught Cinder off guard a bit. But she gamely kept going and tried to figure out where to put her feet. Never felt like she was going to stop, or run out, or do anything naughty. And after we made it out of the line, she kept going like it was nothing. We came back around to it, after A pulled the poles, and she went down the line like we hadn't just royally screwed it up. I know A has told me before that Cinder DGAF, but this was my first time really experiencing it. 

Went up to ride Sunday but didn't feel like doing a hard ride, so we took a half hour walk around the property

 A then put the fences up a bit and gave me a little course. I had a brief existential crisis about it, but once again, Cinder DGAF. The fences rode the same as they did when they were crossrails. I just need to get out of my head and ride the rhythm and keep my leg on. Cinder feels much more solid and easy than I ever expected and I'm still in awe of her. Fingers crossed we can keep this feeling at our show this weekend!

Pride Goeth Before I Fall

 After owning him for 5 years and 11 months, Peebs finally dumped me last Friday. To be fair, it wasn't his fault at all. I'm sore, but no permanent damage and thankfully Peebs just stood there while I crawled around on the ground trying to find my glasses and phone that went flying.

So, to set the scene, I had gotten off work at noon last Friday for a doctor's appointment. I was slightly worried going into it, but got really good news so I was in a great mood heading out to the barn. I pulled Cinder out first, lunged her lightly, then hopped on. We've been working over ground poles lately, mainly so I can get comfortable with her canter and train my eye to her much larger than Peebs' stride. 

She was being super good, so I was brave and set a cross rail. I've only trotted her over two jumps outside of lessons, so this is a big deal for me. We also hadn't jumped in almost three weeks, since the show on Halloween. But being the good girl that she is, Cinder didn't act like she hadn't jumped in three weeks and our canter to the cross rail was the exact same as it was to the ground pole. While not every approach was perfect, hello drifting to the outside tracking right and dropping her inside shoulder going left, I was able to fix our issues and had reasonably good distances every time. I was able to see those distances as well, which is a huge win in my book. So I was on a huge high ending the ride on her, and moving onto Peebs. 

We've also been working on walking through and standing in puddles which Cinder is learning to tolerate

As per our usual, I hopped on Peebs bareback. We putzed around the arena for about fifteen minutes, me mostly checking social media, before doing our seven minutes of on contact walk, before I dropped the reins again and let him wander. I returned to my phone and was scrolling IG when out of the corner of my eye I saw his head shoot up and felt his back tense. The next second he was spinning sideways, and I wasn't. I don't know exactly what he spooked at, but when I came off he stood stock still, more upset about me on the ground than whatever it was that scared him. I landed on my left hip and rolled to my hands and knees and stayed there for second to make sure all my body parts were ok before crawling around to find my glasses and phone. He did walk over to me as I stood up and nuzzled me. I could tell that getting back on wasn't going to be a smart idea, especially bareback, so we limped our way into the barn and I put him away. 

Despite landing on my left side, my right hip/butt has been hurting worse. All weekend it felt like there was a flaming rock in the middle of my right butt cheek. I did manage to make it to work this week, and got back into the saddle (I am riding Peebs with a saddle from now on) last night. I still don't feel 100%, so Cinder is getting time off till I do. She might be a very good baby, but she's still a baby. 

1.25 out of 2

 Technically I had a lesson and jumped both horses last week, just one lesson was abruptly cut short. Peebs has been s l o w l y transitioning onto his summer paddock with more grass, and has had a bit of the fresh grass crazies last week. So before my lesson on Wednesday I lunged. He had a couple good sized bucks to let loose, but looked fine otherwise. 

We warmed up on the flat, felt fine. Trotted two crossrails to warm up, felt fine. Landed after the third crossrail and came back to the trot for a few strides before walking. Trainer told me to pick up the trot again and let him go on loose rein. Not fine. It was slight, but Peebs had a head bob. Changed directions, and yep, lame. Not drastically, but lame. Trainer came over and pulled off his open front boot (but not his bell boot) and didn't feel or see anything on the leg. Picked up his foot, and nothing. So we ended the lesson and I went to cold hose and wrap my pony.

Our first jump together

 

Before cold hosing, I pulled Peebs' bell boots (he normally lives in them) and what do you know? On the inside of his right front pastern (the lame leg) he had a small, fresh scrape. My working theory is that somehow while jumping the third crossrail he whacked himself through the bell boot hard enough to cut himself. I did cold hose, wash the scrape and put ointment on it, plus gave him a gram of bute just in case. He got Thursday and Friday off, lunged sound on Saturday and felt fine for a light hack yesterday. Fingers crossed it doesn't rain like it's supposed to this afternoon and I can jump him and hopefully do more than three crossrails. 

 

I had my lesson on Cinder on Friday, and as I was walking to warm up Trainer A asked how I felt about jumping her that day. I told her I felt great about it, provided I didn't make her go lame a la Peebs. In our flat work A had me think about channeling my inner DQ and ride Cinder a little more "collected" for a few strides, before softening and letting her go more huntery. We also started doing some baby leg yields in the trot. I was able to get her more put together in the canter than I was last week. 

 

When we moved on to jumping, A told me to just trot around and pick up fences as I felt comfortable. Cinder jumps way rounder over crossrails than Peebs does, and it took a little bit to find my balance with her and not get left behind. But as much as she tends to jump up over the fences, she lands quietly and continues on like nothing happened. Totally not phased at all by the fences or me flopping around up on her. At one point after a few fences A asked if I wanted to canter something, and then laughed at the look of horror I gave her. But I pulled up my big girl breeches and cantered the outside line like she told me to do.

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Cinder has a really nice natural rhythm that made finding the distance easy. Like I could sit up, keep my leg on and it was there. She's a bit like riding a drunken sailor down the line, but even knowing the second distance was going to be a little long, I just kept my leg on and trusted her.  She's so much fun, can't wait to jump her again!

Happy 4th Birthday Cinder

The sweat on her shoulder is from her fly sheet.

I kinda slacked a little on the birthday photos this year. But my mom came with me and brought Cinder a bag of carrots, a bag of apples, and a whole bag of cookies. So at least Cinder made out in the presents department! She's also getting bodywork today, but I don't think she considers that a present.

How she really feels about posing for pics

 

Trainer A sent me some videos of Cinder jumping this week. Cinder jumped her first gate, and the barn's watermelon jump, a bright green and pink poles with cut out watermelons under them. In true Cinder fashion, she didn't give a shit about anything. She has yet to really look or care about a jump. Hopefully that's a trait she'll keep forever!

Gates are NBD

In the video A lets Cinder make some mistakes, and she said you can really feel Cinder think about them. She got a couple long/awkward spots and after a few fliers, Cinder started adding in the extra step. And even with the iffy spots, Cinder never says no. 

When in doubt, leave it out

Full video below for your viewing pleasure.

Finally Feelin' It

 Honestly, I've been a little discouraged in Peebs and my progress relationship for a while now. We took a bit of a break at the beginning of lock down a year ago, then he put his leg through the fence and had more time off. We started to get our groove back in August, but then the fires and his two colics put us back again. And then he felt NQR and we put him on Previcox, which helped, but also made him a bit high. It's taken a while to figure out what dose works to keep him comfortable, without jacking him up. It's felt like we haven't been clicking since August, and haven't really been able to put in any good work in a year. 

We had a lesson last week in which we did more than we have sine Septbember, but it still felt like Peebs and I weren't on the same page. We did our first real course of jumps, but every time had some major mistake. I couldn't get his shoulder up, or we left a stride out of line, and by the end of the lesson he felt mad. We were able to get the correct number of strides in the line, but I wanted to go back and fix the left to right diagonal fence but he felt so pissy I was afraid to pick that battle. My trainer agreed, stating that he was probably tired and maybe a little sore after not having to work this much in a while. 

 

We were graced with this awesome rainbow at the end of the lesson, which was the only media I got

 I had been kinda sorta planning a show season for us, with the first one being on April 3rd. But after our lesson I started second guessing my self. Like if we can barley get around a cross rail course at home, why do I think we could show 2'3" in two and a half weeks?? I do really want to show him this year, and with Cinder in training and A showing her, $$ for Peebs to show isn't as readily available. I've had it in my mind that this will be my last "real" year of showing Peebs before focusing on Cinder, and probably leasing him out, and I want to enjoy it and do well. 

He is pretty good at hacking down the road

 But since that lesson, we've had some really good rides.  We mainly did flat work on Saturday and he was being forward without being spooky or hot, so I pointed him at a couple of fences. And in four jumps we fixed pretty much everything I wanted to fix at the end of our lesson. We nailed the left to right diagonal fence, landed on the right lead cantering quietly and continued on to the outside line which rode perfectly. I quit with that because when your horse is that good, you reward them. On Sunday, I put the fences up and while not as perfect as Saturday, we were able to get around the course with only minor issues and I felt good about it. And best of all, Peebs felt good. He still wants to get heavy on his front end, and drop his right shoulder, but he didn't feel mad about me trying to fix the issues. I have hope for us yet and am entering the show next weekend. Wish us luck!

Cinder Progress Report: Maybe Baby

I got the video below from Trainer A over the weekend and I'm still amazed that that's my horse in the video. I hate to sound like a broken record, but Cinder is so awesome. A called her a natural, and says she has a blast riding her. 

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We also may or may not be taking Cinder to her first show under saddle this weekend. There's a little h/j schooling show about an hour south of me that A is taking a couple of students to and Cinder will go along. The only issue is a threat of snow/ice between now and Sunday. Where I live, and where the show is, is supposed to just get rain, but Cinder's barn is a little farther north and could see a wintry mix. If the weather/roads are bad, it's not worth it to try and haul out.  Fingers crossed for rain only and a happy first show!!

Back to Full Work

Peebs is back in full work and feeling good. When we first started increasing his work he was definitely a little stiff and lazy. We had one CTJ ride where I broke out my spurs and reinforced the idea that when I ask, he needs to go. He was very insulted but got his rear in gear and has been more forward in our subsequent rides. 

Unimpressed ears

We had our first lesson and jump school two weeks ago. I wanted my trainer’s eyes on him to confirm my thoughts that his stiffness was more of a coming back into work fitness issue and not a lameness one (she agreed with me) and to help us through his first jumps in almost two months. Peebs was much, much more forward when he realized we were jumping and suddenly I was having to hold him back and calm the beast instead of firing him up. I swear at one point his legs were spinning like a cartoon animal about to take off.

 

Having fun on the barn's new derby field

In our lesson last week we were able to advance from trotting single cross rails to trotting in and cantering through a line of cross rails, then putting together a course of cross rails including a rollback and bending line. Super exciting stuff! Peebs got tired quicker than he normally would have but we managed to fix (most of) our mistakes and end on a good note. Our last time through, we counter cantered the bending line but it was a very well balanced canter with the appropriate number of strides and my trainer said it would have been great if we were in an equation class and they called for it. We debated about going back to fix the line, but honestly I was so happy with everything else and for how I rode the counter canter, we decided to not pick that fight and end on a good note. 

Plus we had an exciting adventure two days later and I didn’t want to tire him out or make him sore. But that’s for another post!