All The Poles

I'm apologizing in advance for big pics with no captions. Blame mobile blogger. Also pics are from last week as there's no photographic proof of my lesson.

After last weekend's canter pole excitement I was determined that we could show off our fancy new skills in our lesson this week. Unfortunately right as my lesson started it began to rain and we had to move inside. While McKenna is normally better behaved inside (not as many distractions and/or spooky things), doing poles/jumps inside tends to make her more nervous. 

I had warmed up prior to trainer's arrival so we trotted a lap or two while she set poles (one on each long side) for us. We started cantering just one of them and halting on a straight line. Mare got a bit strong but after she bumped her nose into the wall she realized stopping was a good thing. We then moved on to cantering a circle after the pole really exaggerating the bend because she was convinced she was a motorcycle.

After we proved we could go both ways trainer used our little rail raisers and put one of the poles up to 1' and told me to go for it. Our first canter fence! McKenna didn't realize "the jump went up" and demolished it the first time. But after that she was foot perfect. 

Towards the end of the lesson she had a tantrum because she was tired and done. She started flinging her head and her bonnet was flapping up and down. It was pretty funny and distracted me from gettting mad or picking a fight with her about her head. I was told to just stay steady and ride her through it and she finally quit. 

Visiting the Old Man

Went back out on Sunday to spend some time with Phoenix.  PO and her husband were gone so I was able to have interrupted pony time! As I was driving up the long ass driveway three deer came bounding out from the pastures, across the driveway, and over the fence to the neighbor's property.  All the ponies were on high alert, staring after the deer.  I wasn't able to get my phone out fast enough to take any pics :(

Hi Mom!

Phoenix was very happy to see me, and after stuffing peppermints down his throat we had some cuddle time.  He's always been a pretty affectionate horse and loves getting attention and cuddles but he seemed way more into being loved than usual. I'm going to take that as he missed me, and not the peppermints left in my pocket.

Please be my friend

 One of PO's cats was hanging around the barn, following me and demanding her own cuddles.  The only problem is this is a sneak attack kitty; she lures you in then strikes when you least expect it.  PO has an awesome party/karaoke/bar (like an actual bar that came from a former whorehouse around the turn of the last century) room on the property and hosts great parties every few months.  JaJa, attack kitty extraordinaire, always manages to sneak into the room and then goes after everyone's food.  Phoenix really wanted to make friends with her, but she wasn't having any of it.

Derpiest of the derps

Turning a Fail into a Win

We've had a pretty mild winter this year, drier, warmer, and sunnier than normal.  The weather was foggy in the morning all last week, but would burn off in the afternoons.  I rode McKenna on Thursday, starting inside because she had had a few days off.  She was good, a little excited but listened to me and offered no baby moments.  It was sunny and I hadn't worked her outside for a few weeks so outside we went.

I had heard the neighbor's lawn mower going, but McKenna has to grow up and deal with distractions at some point.  Right as we walked outside one boarder pulled up and then one of the 4H girls' dad drove up in his work rig, a big excavating truck.  The boarder tends to leaver her border collie in the cab of the truck when she's at the barn and McKenna's spooked pretty hard at him barking and running around the cab before.  Then the neighbors started their tractor and were grateing new gravel for their driveway. 

I decided to hand walk McKenna around the ring a few times till she stopped looking like a deer in the headlights then got on.  She was so tense and obviously distracted but she couldn't decide what was scariest. We did another two laps at the walk then I got off and told her she was good pony for not freaking out or trying to kill me.

She says "I wasn't scared". Don't believe her.

Friday I was able to get off work early and get out to the barn to ride in the sun again.  She seemed to be calm so instead of starting inside then going out, we just headed to the outdoor.  But again, right when we walked down the barn aisle one boarder's horse (the same one with the barking dog) ran out of its stall.  Luckily she was right there and caught the horse but her other horse, in the stall next to the escapee, started rearing and freaking out.  So of course McKenna freaked out and bye, bye cool and calm pony.

I threw her on the lunge and she spent  about five minutes being a complete spaz and running till she was blowing.  Once she came back to reality she was pretty lazy and just loped along so I stopped her, got on, and put her right to work.  Lots of circles, figure 8s, transitions to get her baby brain focused.  She was still tense, but didn't really pull anything naughty.  We finished by trotting over a little pile of poles and a small cavaletti.

I got lucky Saturday and other than my BO doing some spring cleaning of tack and blankets I had the barn to myself.  A quick lunge and I got on outside.  She was much more relaxed and willing so we did a quick walk-trot including the pole piles and cavaletti before cantering.  We did a few circles then added cantering the pile of poles.  This is only the second or third time cantering poles and every time before she would be strong/rushy/nervous/a baby.  But yesterday she was quiet and calm about it.  Even when I couldn't find a distance and sat there like a lump she just quietly figured it out and kept going.  My BO said she was looking great and I was able to convince her to video us with my phone.

She still needs some strengthening in the canter, especially going left, but that will come.  I'm just so happy we went from beyond freaked out baby on Thursday to quiet, calm pony on Saturday.

Horse Survey

I'm currently stuck at home, waiting for the delivery men to bring me my new washing machine and don't have much else to talk about so I figured I'd do one of the surveys floating around.

 

 

ABOUT YOU
Name?  Molly
HAVE YOU
galloped:
Yes
fallen off:
Many, many times
rode a bucking horse:
Yes
rode a rearing horse:
My most hated thing, but yes
been badly injured in horse accident:
All different falls: broken toe, cracked helmet, jammed shoulder, unable to walk, and that time the EMT though I broke my neck. 4/5 of those were Phoenix induced.
jumped: Just a bit
hacked: Yep
ran barrels: For funsies
rode bareback:
Yes
rode english:
Yep
rode western:
My poor unloved western saddle is calling my name
rode side saddle:
No
stood on a horses back:
No, and probably never will
flipped off of a horse:
No

One of my favorite pics of Phoenix and I, 2006.

RANDOM
how many saddles do you own?
2
how many halters do you own?
4? I think...
how many saddle pads do you own?
Oh dear God I don't even want to know....
what color are they?
Pink, navy blue, baby blue, black, green, white, blue stripped..and I'm probably forgetting some.
how long have you been riding?
21 years...good lord that sounds like a long time
where do you see yourself horsewise in 10 years? 
Hopefully McKenna will be a mommy and/or showing in the 3'-3'3" jumpers
does your horse come on command?
Not really, but they both know my voice
what do you love most about horses?
Everything. There is no possible way I could give you my favorite part of a horse.
how high have you jumped?
3’6"
whats your biggest horsey dream?
To show and ride as much as I can for as long as I can
nightmare?
Being seriously hurt and not able to ride.

TB's are best at grazing

HORSE/S
Phoenix and McKenn
Registered Name?
Phoenix- JC name is Grand Gamin, USEF name is Out of the Ashes
McKenna- JC/USEF (once I get her registered) is Many Little Kisses
Show Name?
See Above
Barn Name?
RaEl Farms
Nickname?
Phoenix- Phe Phe, Pheeny, Phonenix, pony boy, old man
McKenna- Kenna, mare, honey, babycakes
Gender?
Gelding and mare
Age?
Phoenix will be 20 this year
McKenna 7
Height?
Phoenix 17
McKenna 15.3
Breed?
Both TB but only McKenna gets to add the OT
Color?
Phoenix- dark bay
McKenna- black

Phoenix about a month or so after I got him

Discipline?
Both are jumpers at heart, but will/have shown in the hunters and eq rings.  Phoenix has also done 4H western and trail.
Compete?
Not for a while...till baby McKenna grows up a bit
Why did you buy them?
I had been leasing Phoenix for 8months and he was going up for sale and I couldn't stand the thought of him leaving.  He was my heart horse and best friend.  McKenna was a free, bough sight unseen Facebook find that my BO really wanted so I agreed.
Were they already trained?
McKenna had been restarted off the track western and could kinda w-t.  Phoenix had been in training and jumped up to 2'6" but had had 4yrs off so we had to start over and fill in some pretty big holes he had.
Do they love what they do?
Yes
Whats their favorite human food?
Both love peppermints.  Phoenix also loves watermelon rind.
Has he ever came close to death?
Phoenix had cellulitis over the summer and my vet was worried that if he went down, he wouldn't be able to get back up.  It was the most miserable I've ever seen him and I was worried that he wouldn't make it.  McKenna, in the sense that she was dumped off the track on a feed lot waiting to get shipped to Mexico.
Ever been sick/injured?
Many, many times for poor Phoenix.  Only a few scrapes and bumps for McKenna. *knocks wood*
Whats their personality like?
Phoenix is a momma's boy, straight A student, do anything to please pony.  He hates getting in trouble and knows he has to behave.
McKenna's still a bit of a wild child, but thank god not a mean, nasty, alpha mare.
How long have you owned them?
Phoenix will be 10yrs in July
McKenna, just over a year

The cutest of the mares

 

Bad Blogger Strikes Again

Last week was pretty much a bust on the riding and blogging front.  The arena was busy every day in the afternoon when I went out to the barn, making it hard to lunge and then ride the horse.  And after a couple days off, there is no way in hell I'm getting on the mare without lunging her first.  The only day the arena was free when I was out was Friday, but I had a work banquet an hour and a half away that I had to run off to.

So McKenna got to do her best black stallion impression

But when I got back home Saturday I had an Etsy order from The Preppy Polos to make everything ok.  After a nap (too much indulgence at/after the banquet) I set out to the barn to lunge McKenna in her new polos. 

Every diva needs blue and red polka dot polos

Sunday I went out to check on Phoenix, and being the bad blogger I am, I again spaced on taking pics.  I blame it  on chatting with PO and her husband as well as trying to give Phoenix all the love.  He was more interested in his breakfast. He seems happy and health, and other than whacking his eye playing with his new neighbor, PO said he settled in just fine.

PO's driveway.  It was super foggy and felt like an enchanted forest.

What We've Been Doing Photo Dump

What have we been up to in the past couple weeks?  Not a whole lot and some big changes at the same time. 

Not impressed with new bit, but look at that foam!

First up, I switched McKenna's bit.  She was in a French link D-ring but was quite heavy in my hand not at all prone to listening to half halts with us.  We were doing some trot poles and after the second time of blasting through both them and my hands I figured we needed something more.  She's got a cob sized head and wears a 4.75" bit.  I've had a hell of a time trying to find bits in that size that aren't plain/French link snaffles or big twisted/waterfords/gag type bits that I don't really want her in right now.  She's also very mouthy and I wanted something that would keep her entertained, as it were.

So I bought a 5" double jointed snaffle with a copper roller and those rubber bit guards to help prevent it from sliding around.  While she was very not happy with it for our first couple rides, she's gotten better and not only listens to my hands but doesn't seem as hard mouth as before.

She haz all the cute

We've also had some use of our Christmas presents, some more than others.  We had a week or so of cold temps and got to try out our new quarter sheet.  I was kinda worried that she's freak over being ridden and having it flap around, but she was fine.  Since then its been warm and we haven't had to use it.  I also got a Swanky Saddle script name plate for the back of my saddle but it didn't come till after Christmas.  I've never had a name plate before, and I'm not super into monogramming all the things (I know I know) but I loved these the first time I saw them.

As for our other big changes, my truck died yet again almost exactly a year since it died the first time.  Apparently my electrical system likes to break down.  I told my mom after last year's fiasco (it ended up taking almost 2 months to get my truck fixed) that I wasn't going through this again and she agreed that it's time to start looking for a new truck.  So hopefully I'll have a new to me 3/4 ton truck sitting in my car port soon.

RIP little Red. On the plus side I wasn't hysterically sobbing on the phone to my mom this time

The biggest change of them all (and I'm a bad bad blogger because I forgot to take pics) is that I've moved Phoenix out of the barn and into a new retirement home.  He's happy and fine hanging out in a stall at my barn, but it would be better for his arthritis to have turnout and be able to move around.  My BO is good friends with out dental vet (PO) and I've gotten to know her and her husband pretty well too.  They have her retired horses (3 of them) at their house, with a big run in barn and individual paddocks.  In the summer they can all go out together in the big field.  Unfortunately PO had to put one of her horses down and was looking for another companion because the other two are old and she wants to have another horse there in case one of them goes downhill.  She called my BO who suggested Phoenix.  We worked out boarding terms (small board payment, me paying for his hay and farm sitting if/when PO and hubby go on vacation) and moved Phoenix over on Saturday.  He walked off the trailer, spent about a minute trotting around the paddock, sniffed noses with one of the others and then started eating his hay.  He even let the other horse reach over the fence and steal hay without caring.  I haven't heard anything so I'm assuming all is still going well.

I am seriously going to miss seeing him everyday and being able to take adorably cute pics like this

2015 Q1 Goals

I'm going to try to stick with our quarterly goals this year. I have some longer yearly goals which I'll post as well but a lot of my long term goals are all dependant on how McKenna does/grows up. 

For McKenna:

• work at least 4x/week.  Have one lunge in vienna reins day and one "jump" (poles, cross rails, etc) day a week.
• Continue working on our canter. 
• Get her out and go places!  I haven't taken her anywhere in the year that I've had her and I want to start exposing her to new places before hitting our first show. 

For Phoenix:

• Stay a happy, somewhat sound, old man. 

My year long goal for McKenna would be to start doing course work, canter fences, and attend our first show.  While not super ambitious, and right now I'd be happy showing in the cross rails I think these are relatively attainable.