Scratched

We were not able to show on Sunday due to Vashti having some type of reaction to what I surmise was a bug bite. Her right shoulder was swollen like a very large hive and was weepy. The girth would have covered the outer edge of the area, so we scratched out of the show as Vashti scratched the area with her teeth.

The first aid crew is now on the scene.

New Potential Career: Show Horse

We've been waiting for this moment for almost 3 years now... our very first show. See, we were scheduled to ride in a local show the very first year we were together, but torrential rain stopped us. Pumped up by our instructor at the time, I was determined to do a show and collect those ribbons! Three years later, we are returning to the ring - for the first time.

Our barn is having a schooling show - no show clothes allowed, just fun. I am like a giddy 12 year old girl. We will have our moment in the ring! Of course, my mare has now decided to give up steering - Me: OK, pick up the trot, and circle to the left. Vashti: UGH, OK, we're trotting, you said right, right? Me: Left.... Vashti: lah, lah, lah Me: LEFT LEFT and I'm pulling on her head and mouth as she doggedly turns away from all the cues.

Stay tuned for the results - will we get a ribbon, any ribbon? Or will I be laughed at by 10 year olds...

Clinics

This question was posted on a horse forum. After talking to a couple of trainers, horsemen and women and riders like myself about different clinicians, it got me thinking, who is your favorite professional horse clinician? What do you like about the way they work with horses, their teaching style, etc? And, what is the most important thing you've ever learned from them?

It made me remember the 3 clinics I have ridden in - one each the last 3 years. Here was my response.

I think right now my favorite clinician to ride with is Julie Goodnight. I have ridden with her twice now. She makes everything so easy to understand and my horse and I have become so better since riding with her. She does English or Western and believes in having a firm foundation of ground work. Here are the main things I have learned/remember from her

1. Look where you want to go - so simple, but how many of us do this EVERY second of our ride? It keeps you and your horse focused.

2. YOU chose the speed, direction and intensity of your gait at all times. No letting your horse wander or choose which way to turn. Now, I thought I had this down - nope, I let my mare chose our speed and direction more than I would have thought. Working on this put the two of us on the same page - my mare doesn't have to worry that she is left in charge anymore.

3. Ride with your seat and legs. I learned the beginnings of bridle less with this - amazing to work on the subtle shifts with your horse.

4. Groundwork, groundwork, groundwork. Julie stresses this and again, I thought Vashti and I were pros at groundwork. The number of holes we had in our groundwork were outstanding. I was floored and more than a little discouraged that first clinic in 2010. Now, we start our ride from the moment I bring her in from the field and her responsiveness is amazing. In fact, I can always tell when I haven't been paying attention (read letting her make decisions/walk over me - Mom, Grass!) during grooming/tacking the second I step into the saddle - we have a worse ride and it takes us that much longer to get on the same page and work together.

My other favorite clinician is Mark Rashid. I own every one of his books and had the opportunity to ride with him in 2009 for three days. He focuses on softness. I attribute my ability to ride my mare to him. We were a wreck waiting to happen and in just a few minutes, Mark was able to soften my horse and then teach me that I was the problem (of course). My mare feeds off my energy and Mark was able to show me how to remain soft and in balance. Whenever I get nervous, I rewind my brain to that clinic. He is an amazing horseman and teacher.

So who has inspired you?

I led her and she drank!!

Who says you can't lead a horse to water? HA! I was so taken aback, I took photos!

Payback

Demise of my ice cold coffee.

The culprit...

Why you should never leave a horse alone on the cross ties

Safari rescue

Yes this is a picture of a small stuffed Pumbaa on a jump standard. The other picture is a buffalo on another standard.

Today we played Safari Rescue. We set up six such stuffed animals and rode around the course rescuing them as fast as we can. Rescuing involves grabbing an animal and stuffing it in a horn bag. Tons of fun and we were able to work these issues: transitions, speed control, steering. This gave us a purpose to our ride and we had to side pass, trot, walk, canter, back, etc.

I had a blast!

Because painting horses is fun at any age

Even Vashti thinks being painted is fun. Mostly because it involves eating grass and studiously ignoring giggling.

Celebrating another year

Disgruntled birthday girl.  " Really Mom?  Could we NOT do this."

Another day

Another injury

Spring Cleaning

It's not just for houses any more!

I spent over an hour grooming and cleaning up Vashti the other day. Well over. Currying, shedding blade, the whole nine. She looked great!!

Guess how many hours until she was coated in mud...

Spring is here

And its a wonderful thing!!!!!

Finding something old and somethings new

I discovered something we had lost today. Or specifically something that I had forgotten I knew apparently. For months now I have been working only in the sitting trot. I know, I keep a log, last posting trot - December 5th, 2010.

Today, after I mounted looked a little like this:

Me: Walk on
Vashti: OKAY!
Me: Trot
Vashti: CANTER!
Me: While that was a great, soft transition with a beautiful canter, I would like to trot.
Vashti: NOPE! CANTER!

Somewhere in all of this, as we cantered first right, then left, I discovered something. I was giving leg cues at the canter. Now maybe I learned to ride too late in life or am still too green, as it were, after only 8 years of riding, but I have not ever been able to get my body to respond quick enough to give good leg cues at the canter. In order to push Vashti to the rail while cantering, I rely on my reins. About 10 minutes into our cantering spectacular today, I realized, I was moving her on and off the rail with my legs! I was thrilled! I have finally coordinated my body at speed! For today's ride anyway.

In moving her on and off the rail with my legs I made another discovery - I finally felt what inside leg to outside rein should be. It just clicked. And it made keeping her on the rail so much easier! It felt fluid, a simple inside leg on, pulse, and feel the "wall" made by the outside rein. We were straight. We were together. We were light and airy.

And that is when I found my long, lost posting trot. Asking for the trot for about the 20th time, only to hear "CANTER" from my horse, I performed a quick half-halt (which she tried to ignore for the 21st time) and started posting. She still cantered off a few strides later, from the posting trot, but all of sudden it started to come back to me. I can post! Yes, we ride western, but any discipline should be able to post.

Armed with this lost ability, we slowly began to stop cantering and just trot. Granted it was a fast trot, but that's where posting comes in. So I found one lost skill and gained two new ones. Not a bad day at all.

Winter updates

Plagued with injuries, I finally procure a ride to the barn by super-hubby, who gets Vashti out of the pasture and puts her in the cross-ties. As I get the grooming box, Vashti is busy nuzzling Bill.
Vashti: Hey Dad, got any treats?

As Bill walks off to explore, Vashti leans forward into the cross-ties - "Bring Back Peppermints!"

Me: Hi
Vashti: mmmm, he better not forget the peppermints...
Me: Hi Honey
Vashti: (throwing a glance my way) Um, hi there.
Me: Boy, I missed you! Lets get a good grooming session in, you must need a good scruffing
Vashti: (disinterested and straining to see Bill) Whatever you say random lady
Me: What? I'm not some random lady!
Vashti: Ok, random lady
Me: I have NOT been gone that long
Vashti: Where's Dad?
Me: (sighing) He'll be back
Vashti: I want Dad NOW!
Me: What? Why?
Vashti: I'm not comfortable with you. You're, well, you're making me nervous being new and all....... (muttering) random lady
Me: I AM NOT A RANDOM LADY

Bill appears from around a corner..

Vashti: DAD! DAD! Take away this person and give me treats!
Me: You are never this excited to see Dad...
Vashti: How would you know random lady??

And so my return to the barn was met with much interest.

It's been a long winter

Really long. Really, really, REALLY long.

• We got a lot of snow
• I got a nasty cold
• We got a lot more snow
• The barn where Vashti lived had its indoor arena collapse under the snow
• We got even more snow
• We moved Vashti to new digs, complete with outdoor board and an indoor ring
• There was snow
• I injured my hand (and baffled doctors)
• I fell and injured my knee

Yup, its been long.

The all knowing horse

She knows when you are happy
She knows when you are comfortable
She knows when you are confident
And she always knows when you have carrots.