Some Days are Tougher Than Others

Especially when you have a pony mare.

As mentioned the plan was to have a lesson with L's instructor who I'll call Jane. I had it scheduled on Friday for 7:00 but, totally my fault, never confirmed with the BM since I knew she planned on bringing horses over on Friday morning. However, when I got to the barn at 6:00pm on Friday night Katai was happily eating hay in her stall.

Worse, it was still extremely hot so I wasn't quite sure if anyone would be willing to help me move her. I texted my BM and called Jane to let her know that we either needed to cancel, and hopefully reschedule, or that I would at least be late. My amazing BM came through and lent one of the women who works at the barn her trailer so that she could haul us. Since there were other horses to go over we decided to take Katai and her paddock buddy to keep them both happy and get two horses over  rather than just one.

We loaded the other horse first and then went to load Katai. She hopped on so easily last time after my reminder about how to load that I figured she'd just hop right on. However, she decided that she didn't feel like it. We tried bribery, we tried using a dressage whip to tap her until she moved forward, we tried a stud chain (for the first time), I tried having someone else load her, and finally one of the other people who works at the barn (there were four of us working on this at this point and it was in the mid 90s) suggested that we just drug her (for the first time).

I agreed.

It really couldn't make it much worse and it's not something I've tried before. Since Katai was already upset the trainer gave her a cocktail of Dorm and Ace. She gave her a really small dose but Katai went to a very drunken happy place pretty quick and didn't seem to remember how to move her feet. Luckily she's an 800 pound horse and not a 1200+ pound horse so we were able physically push her up the ramp (thank goodness it was a ramp) and get her in the trailer.

When we got to Jane's barn I was happy to see that Katai was calm and happy and trying to nibble on a piece of hay that she'd found. Ponies...

She unloaded well with only a little bit of funnily stumbling down the ramp that may have made me giggle just a little. At that point, with my extreme level of embarrassment at the lengths that everyone had gone to just to get my pony in the trailer and near heat stroke, it was either laugh or cry. We got her settled in her temporary stall with some water and a fan on her since she was a little sweaty and then waited around for her drugs to wear off a bit so that we could make sure she was ok and get her some hay. She recovered quickly, dug right in to her hay and her whinny-er was working (it was only a little funny sounding) so she was drunkenly talking to her friends.

Clearly I didn't have my lesson that night so we rescheduled for this morning. Jane was at a schooling show with a different student so we scheduled it for when she planned to be home. So this morning I got to my barn early and watched some of the clinic on my way to my lesson. I have to say that I was expecting very little since in my experience, some big name clinicians seem to be more about shock and awe than installing good basics or working on things like straightness and getting the horses working through the back. Of course I think Janet Foy and plenty of other clinicians are amazing! But this particular clinician seemed more like someone that might focus on tricks.

However, I was extremely impressed to see that every single horse was working on filling in gaps and every single horse looked happier, more relaxed and was moving more freely by the time he was done. It was really educational to watch! He was also really amazing with the auditors and was the first clinician that I've audited that kept asking if any of us had any questions and giving us his full attention while the horse and rider took their walk breaks. He was a very good teacher and had a great way of explaining concepts. I'm hoping to go back tomorrow!

I headed out to Jane's barn and stopped for some Taco Bell (they have certified vegan fast food!) quickly before my lesson. We had been receiving weather warnings but they were pushed up from the afternoon to the morning which meant that they looked likely to hit during my lesson. I got to the barn a bit before Jane and made sure I knew where the light switches were and got my boots and helmet and everything inside so that I wouldn't need to carry it in if it started raining. Jane got there and let me know that she's not good with storms so that if started storming we'd have to call it. I agreed, it's not my idea of a fun (or safe) time to ride my horse in a new place during a severe thunderstorm.

Then it started storming. The clouds were scary and coming in fast and when the lightening started and the hail started falling we called it. I left pretty quick so that I could get home and we decided to reschedule for tomorrow morning. I can't wait and will share a recap!

Updates and PSA

I had this whole post done and then for some reason it wouldn't save or post. I, unfortunately, thought that it had so instead of copying it all to save it I just clicked away and lost all that work :(

At any rate my PSA is to please take pictures and videos for yourself of the bad moments. I went back through this blog and was disappointed that I hadn't done more to share the bad moments especially at J's. Katai was such a disaster there that it wasn't like I was all excited to get pictures of her worst moments. At the time I wasn't sure it was going to get any better and that was scary, but now I wish that I'd preserved more of that so that I could look back and see how far we've come. So, learn from me and capture that for yourself, even if you don't want to share it :)

For updates first I wanted to share that Friday and today I was at my parent's place to see them, my sister, and to work on my tack locker!

We added the bottom to the locker (at the far end in the picture above) and the main shelf which you can see as well. We've got a few more pieces to assemble in this main cabinet part but then the majority of the assembly will be in the door.

Making the cutouts for the polo wrap shelves

I'm enjoying this project so much! It's so great to be able to work with and learn from my dad and it's going to be fun to have something to show for it at the end of this.

I also wanted to do a show plans update. Unfortunately everything up until now has fallen through. I really hate not having a trailer and being at other people's mercy. I get anxiety when I can't trust that something like this is actually going to work out since it involves a fair amount of planning on my part and especially with the financial piece of it. It's not like schooling shows are that expensive but my budget is tight. It also takes enough for me to psych myself up for getting my silly baby horse to a show without me feeling like I'm not sure if the trailer is going to actually show up.

At this point I've decided to change my plans a bit for this upcoming weekend (which was supposed to be a schooling show) and take a lesson with L's instructor instead. I'm actually really thrilled about it, just disappointed that I'm not going to be able to make another show. It sucks but until I can get my own trailer that's sort of where I'm at.

The reason this came up this weekend is that my barn is hosting a big name clinician that has quite a few people trailering in. My BM needs several more stalls so some people, including me, have offered to let the BM trailer their horses to a barn just down the road that belongs to L's trainer. It's mainly a boarding situation but because I work with L the instructor has agreed to do a lesson with me. I'm really excited and can't wait to do this with Katai. I think it will be great for Katai's trailering experience and will hopefully be easier on her than a show but still give us the opportunity to practice working away from home.

My Turn

Now it's my turn to be off only for me it's the form of a very bad cold. I don't get sick very often and normally when I do it's not bad. This time though I really feel like crap.

I was feeling lucky that I returned from my work trip without being sick but on Wednesday I started to wonder, on Thursday in the evening I was really tired and starting to feel sick, Friday was rough and now today has been really rough. I've been sitting/laying in bed cuddling with my poor bored puppy and watching bad tv.

Although I really wanted to just lay here I needed to ride today to make sure that we're at least slightly prepared for the clinic on Tuesday. After a couple of spirited rides on Wednesday and Thursday I knew that I really needed a good one so I dragged myself out of bed and made it to the barn. Luckily with lots of good cold and sinus drugs I was able to make sure I was feeling half way decent by the time I got to the barn and seeing Katai made me feel better as always.



Just because it's adorable

I lunged first because all the horses were high as kites and but as usual on the lunge there were no fire works. When I climbed on, however, she was pretty up and for some reason was really worried about the horse that was, very calmly, being lunged at the other end of the ring. I started working on occupying her mind right away and after lots of small figures where I really concentrated on getting a correct change of the bend and keeping her shoulders up we got some good work.

Really good work actually, better than we've had since I started riding again. I got a couple of comments that she was looking good again and she sure felt good. After I climbed out of the saddle I just about hit the ground and it was everything I could do to keep myself upright. My poor tack didn't get cleaned but Katai got the good grooming that she had earned. I got home and immediately collapsed in bed.

Cue more bad tv.

I'm getting as much rest and vitamin C as possible today so that I can manage my lesson tomorrow. I've got my fingers crossed that I feel better by Tuesday so that I can enjoy the clinic. I took the whole day off so that I can audit the other riders and just not have to feel rushed with getting ready for my ride. I also got some amazing news! H was able to take some time off so she'll be able to watch me ride in the clinic and hopefully get some video!

Until then there likely won't be much blog content so I apologize in advance.

I Have My Pony Back!

I have a whole post typed up about drill team and my amazing day at the Janet Foy clinic today but first of all I need to catch everyone up on what I've been doing recently. 

Two Wednesdays ago, more than a week and a half now, Katai had her feet trimmed and was abnormally sore afterwards. She is often a little tender, especially on concrete, after her feet are trimmed but normally it goes away in a few days and she is still very comfortable on footing.

Unfortunatly that wasn't the case this time and it took her really until today to feel comfortable. I had planned on giving her Wednesday evening off and then riding in drill team that thursday since it's really mostly walk/trot. Unfortunatly that clearly wasn't going to happen so instead I just went out on Saturday and buted her. I also canceled my lesson on Sunday but lunged and she seemed pretty good, just a little short on the front right.

On Monday I tried a ride and attempted to keep it to mostly walk/trot but pony was bursting with energy so we ended up with a little canter. She still felt slightly off but was never at the point where I felt like she was lame or uncomfortable at any gait. 

On Tuesday I had a rescheduled lesson and she was clearly more off then she had been on Monday which made me feel like a bad horse owner. Because of that we just kept it to a walk and worked on flexions at the halt as well as her neck position and balance at the halt and on transitions from halt to walk. This was something that we really needed to work on anyway so it was actually a great lesson! I gave her Wednesday off and then rode in drill team on Thursday and she finally felt pretty good. 

I decided to be cautious and gave her Friday off as well and then rode tonight and she felt great! Again, she was bursting with energy and had forgoten a few things like how to not freak out with contact from my legs so I'm going to post this again just in case she decides to read this blog ;-)

I have a lesson scheduled tomorrow and can't wait to ride!! I'm pretty sure that the pony will be like a stick of dynamite but I'm hoping that my ride tonight took the edge off. Next week I plan to get back to my regular schedule since the only thing I have planned in the evening coincides with her normal day off (Monday). It will be so good to be back at the barn, spending time with my girl on a regular basis :-)

Ready, Set...

Anyone reading this blog knows that I had an issue with my previous instructor J but I have to admit that I've had a lot of personal doubt about if leaving her was the right decision. I was taught from a young age that instructors are always right and who am I, an intro level rider, to question such an accomplished rider and her methods. She had brought a few students up the levels too and that made me feel even more doubtful about leaving her.

Let me just say that after one lesson with my new trainer, L, I no longer doubt my choice.

In my lesson on Sunday it was like she was handing me puzzle pieces and with each one Katai improved in such a big way that it was like I was riding a different horse at the end of the lesson than the beginning. 

J always used to get both Katai and I worked up and both of us would get tense. After I decided to leave I noticed that every horse she works with and instructs turns into a fire breathing dragon in lessons because of the tension. This lesson with L was more like taking a yoga class. She was calm and still and other than reminders to me she stayed pretty quiet unless I was at a moment where I could take something in. She gave us both plenty of breaks and was just so reassuring that I never felt like anything was hard.

After working on trot in both directions she explained a bit more about her methods. She believes in praising the good and ignoring the bad. She said, "this will be hard for her, she'll want to break to a walk or get fussy but she's just trying to find the right answer. Just get her back into a trot or ignore the fussiness but don't punish her or make a big deal out of it."

I could have hugged her.

Then, at the end of the lesson (after we got to work on canter!) she told me that this would just take time. That I need to work on what she gave me for about 4-6 weeks to build Katai's strength and then we can start working on fun stuff!!

I could have hugged her again :)

Oh Mare, and Friends!

Last week was great, that is until I had my lesson. I had ridden on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday and she had the other days off. I had planned on lunging her one other day but we've had thunderstorms almost every day and I've just been lucky that some of them left my evenings free. My lesson on Thursday started off ok and she lunged well but as soon as I climbed on I found out that she was not going to be easy. She was speedy and then balky and she kept getting above the contact. She fought me and J on every. little. thing. We finally found a brief moment of harmony and quit while we were ahead. 

This look pretty much sums up the whole lesson.

Or maybe this one...

Ponies :-)

Then on Friday which is normally a day off for her I went to hang out with friends and I, ahem, indulged a little more than I normally do and woke up on Saturday just wishing I hadn't. I was pretty rough until later in the afternoon and I knew I wasn't capable of doing anything with the brat queen herself so I just left it. I rode yesterday and was waiting for her to try the evasions she had attempted on Thursday but nope, nothing, pony was a sweet little angel just like I know she can be. Today I rode as well and again she was sweet angel pony and again tried none of the same evasions she was pulling in the lesson. In fact she gave me time both days to work on myself which is great and very mature of her :)

I would say that the difference is my fault and that I'm putting more pressure on us during lessons, and I'm sure I am, but after thinking about it over the past few days I think it is more likely that she was upset because the mares had been brought in and given their dinner of grain and hay. She had been eating grass all day but of course grain time is her favorite. Most of the time J times it so that won't happen around lesson time but this time it did.

I can't wait for tomorrows ride to see if we can continue in this positive cooperative way.

In other news, one of my close highschool friends is coming back to town! Her name is Haley and I haven't seen her in around 7-8 years. I didn't see her much at all in college and now she's been in college in North Dakota but she moved back to the northern part of the cities and is going to be boarding with me!!! She messaged me a few months ago asking about good boarding barns and I gave her a whole list. I really didn't think that we would ever end up at the same barn but after watching my lesson as well as the three lessons after me she was completely sold on J's teaching style and the overall feel of the barn and is moving her horse here.

I am so completely pumped! She also has a 14.1 hand pony named Gryffin, isn't that adorable!, and it will be wonderful to have someone I know to ride with and hang out with. 

Gryffin :-)