25 Questions

Sometimes I have a tough time enjoying reading through this sort of question and answer post but I've actually really enjoyed reading everyone's answers to this one. Based on that I decided to go ahead and do this as well even though I'm REALLY late with it!

Hopefully more updates soon after I make some progress this weekend.

1. What is the first thing you do when you get to the barn?

Normally maintenance things that I don't want to try to remember after a ride. Usually I grab empty supplement baggies, get my tack all uncovered and make sure it's ready to go (put my reins back on my bridle if I lunged last etc.), grab some Tums peppermint to help head off any ulcer issues, and set up my grooming bag.

2. Is there a breed that you would never own?

Personally I'm not interested in owning a gaited horse.

3. Describe your last ride?

I went on a trail ride with a friend :)

4. Have any irrational riding fears?

All of them. I have high anxiety so it's normal for me to imagine the worst case scenario with anything and everything. I'd say worst would be getting trampled since Katai's groundwork is her weakness and, while we work on it ALOT, she's much more ridable than she is handleable from the ground.

5. Describe your favorite lesson horse?

Probably the small, white, Arabian mare (can't remember her name) that I rode when I was 9. I've only taken lessons on other horses very rarely.

6. Would you ever lease out your horse?

No, not sure who I'd get to lease her. I'm a bit of a control freak, and she's a tricky ride. She's too small for most adults and way too much horse for a kid. I'm happy when my trainers climb on her but she usually gives them grief so I'd worry about having someone lease her. 

Moshy climbed in by the garbage can and then couldn't turn around to get out

7. Mares: Yay or neigh?

Oh yeah. If I have my druthers I'd only ever own mares.

8. How many time per week do you get to see your horse?

I could be going more. My goal is to be back to 5 days a week by the end of June! This year 1-3 has been more typical.

9. Favorite thing to do on an “easy day” with your pony?

A good spa day including doing all of the maintenance stuff such as washing legs, trimming her bridle path, trimming feathers, pulling chestnuts, and trimming feet.

10. Conformational flaw that bothers you the most?

Hmmm, downhill is a big one for me as are necks that are put on wrong.

Adorable puppy loves her bear

11. Thing about your riding that you’re most self conscious about?

All of the things. If I had to pick I'd say that I can tend to a have a chair seat and my right toe sticks out more than my left.

12. Will you be participating in No Stirrup November?

No, I don't want to die ;)

13. What is your grooming routine?

Hmmm, I don't have a great routine really. Prior to riding I typically use some sort of curry. A flower shedder for shedding season, a rubber curry for summer and a jelly scrubber for her legs. Then I'll go over everything with a stiff brush paying special attention to her back, girth, and legs. 

After riding I'll use a curry if she's sweaty and otherwise just stiff brush and then finishing brush. On spa days I do more. I have been known to just brush the most critical parts with a stiff brush and during the winter when she's blanketed and shows up clean I do very little.

I always forget to brush her face.

Wanting this again!

14. Describe a day in the life of your horse?

Normally she gets breakfast supplements in her stall and then goes out around 7:30ish AM and gets a ton of hay in a paddock with four other mares. She comes in around 5:30ish PM and gets more hay and a handful of alfalfa pellets in her stall. If it's a weekday and a barn day for me I normally get there around 4:30 which interrupts her dinner. 

On those days I bring her in, groom, and either ride or lunge. Usually by the time I'm done the horses are in so I put her in her stall.

15. Favorite season for riding?

Definitely the fall. Winter is also nice as long as it isn't too cold since there aren't bugs and I handle the cold better than the heat.

16. If you could only have 1 ring: indoor or outdoor?

Definitely indoor here otherwise there would be at least 3-4 months where we couldn't ride much or at all.

17. What impresses you most about the opposite discipline (english vs. western)?

I'd say that a lot of western riders are more about the utility of the horse and are less fussed by little quirky things that english riders seem to spend a lot of time and worry over. 

18. You have unlimited funds to buy one entire tack set for your horse, what is he/she wearing?

I'd say I actually have it now. I've saved and work hard to have the tack that I have and while it's always fun to shop what I have now is gorgeous, fits, and is everything I've wanted.

More sparkly broadbands would always be nice though and I'd really like one with pearls.

19. How many blankets do you have? When do you blanket?

So many!! My current count is;

2 turnout sheets

2 liners (one light and one medium)

2 medium turnout blankets (one with a high neck and one with a detachable neck)

1 heavy turnout blanket with a high neck

2 quarter sheets

1 fly sheet

2 cotton sheets

1 fleece sheet

I do need to replace one of the turnout sheets since it's quite old and not as waterproof anymore plus has a few tears.

20. What is your horse’s favorite treat? Favorite place to be scratched?

Mac Muffins for sure. They're made by a local couple and are the very molassesy kind with oats and often some sort of candy in the middle. Her favorite place to be scratched is her udder but sometimes she'll threaten to kick me if I try. Mares...

21. Something about your barn that drives you crazy?

Hmmm, unfortunately at this barn that there seems to be more drama than what I've dealt with at barns in the past. Also, not having a heated barn or arena, the very tiny arena, and the fact that both outdoors are rocky.

Oops, that's a lot.

All of the things I need to bring with me to the
barn (well except the vest since it's ungodly hot out now.

22. Roached manes, pulled manes, or long flowing manes?

None? I'd say pulled except I don't pull and neatly trim Katai's mane instead.

23. Can you handle a buck or a rear better?

Probably a rear since that's Katai's move of choice.

24. I would never buy a horse who ___________________?

Was taller than 14.2 hands or who was really jumpy and spooky.

25. Favorite facial marking?

Big, wide blazes

Heatwave

I'm having a great Memorial weekend overall but seriously, this crazy weather needs to stop MN! Several weeks ago we had that huge snow storm.

Just in case you don't remember, this happened in under 24 hours

Then, the following weekend we hit 90 on one day and I think everyone thought it would be a fluke. However, for some reason MN decided that after an especially cold and snowy winter that broke records it would be fun to go immediately to record breaking highs. Between the end of April where we were still getting highs in the teens and this weekend with highs in the upper 90s (we hit 100+ today) we've swung over 80 degrees in just about a month. That's crazy and I'm pretty confident that humans just aren't meant to adapt to that sort of weather change. Last year this same weekend was in the mid 40s so it's at least twice as hot this year.

My barn team even showed in that weather this weekend and I have to admit that while I was really jealous that they were showing and I wasn't, I certainly didn't envy them being out in the heat.

Very fitting for Katai's mood today

At any rate besides dealing with the temps I'm still feeling like crap from a bad cold that started a week ago now so needless to say I haven't been able to make it to the barn as consistently as I'd like. That led to a very forward, rushy pony today (even though it was already in the 80s at 10am when I rode) who would not listen to half halts or halt cues. We ended up working harder than I wanted to but she got a nice cool shower to cool off at the end and then I hand grazed her in the shade.

I stuck around for the Memorial Day picnic at the barn which honestly wasn't as much fun as it could have been because of the extreme heat. Luckily all of the food was in the air conditioned lounge so we could get out of the heat for brief moments but it was still miserably hot.

It looks like the temps are supposed to be in the low 80s this week which is still extremely hot for this time of the year but much more doable. I'm also feeling more motivated than I have in awhile so I can't wait to get some good rides in!

Prepping

I've been weirdly ambivalent about prepping for this upcoming show. I just haven't put the amount of attention into getting everything together that I have in the past. I think part of it was being out of town for two weeks recently since I feel like I'm just getting caught up in my personal life much less getting show things together.

I also just feel like work has been so nuts that my energy for anything outside of work has been fairly limited. It's not that I won't have things ready, I just won't have it ready as early as I typically do and I've just been putting less attention into it.

I am extremely happy that my ride times are 1:40ish and 2:40ish! No early mornings and not having to deal with the 4-6 hour wait between tests will be fantastic :)

I have been doing important things like painting my toenails pink
(pony solidarity) and washing my lucky unicorn socks of course ;)

I've got my first level test memorized but need a refresher on training 2. I was really hoping my Mattes pad was going to get here but it won't so I'll likely use my black pad since I like that more than the white one. I've just got to swap out Katai's broadband, finish cleaning tack, remember my training level test, and bathe the pony. I also have to decide if I'm going to braid.

Unfortunately it's supposed to be cold and rainy (which I actually prefer to extreme heat) and possibly stormy (which isn't so great). Normally it wouldn't be a huge deal but Katai is tough enough to deal with at a show on a good day that trying to deal with her if it's pouring rain is going to be quite the experience.

I'm also sort of just trusting my pony and I'm hoping it will pay off. I had a meh ride with her in the outdoor arena where she was more tense than I'd hoped she would be at this point. I also know that my standards have gone way up in the last few months so that's part of it. I loaded her the other day and she was really pretty good so I'm sort of trusting that too. The rain won't help but I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping it doesn't rain while we're scheduled for our test or just doesn't rain in general.

Who knows, we might crash and burn but I'm guessing she'll be as good as I ride and I'm really just hoping that she doesn't go backwards after a few months away from the show ring.

Last Ride at the Old Barn

I went out to the barn on Saturday to ride my pony before her world turned upside down. The weather was finally cooperating and it was a toasty 22 degrees. The last few times that I've taken her out to work her she's felt a little off. Either a little stiff, a little ouchy on her feet, or possibly just a little crabby. I've been concerned about her and actually have a chiro appointment set up for her but last night she came out of her stall raring to go.

She actually started off a little naughty. For the last three months while I've been at this barn she hasn't ever reverted to the behaviors that she was doing at the previous barn. I'm sure it's because of the lack of tension in me and in her and because I haven't been putting as much pressure on her.

I thought I started out Saturday night the same way and actually my only plan was to walk and work on lateral stuff but something must have been different because she wanted SO badly to just canter around. Stiffly and with her head in the air. 

We got into a little bit of a fight, both of us are headstrong females so that does happen sometimes. Eventually after several minutes I got my point across that she needed to either listen to the bit or, preferably, my seat and then she turned into soft, forward, butter pony. After that we had a REALLY productive night and had some really nice moments of lateral work at walk and trot as well as some really nice moments of canter.

Then we did a photo shoot.

Pony brat loves admiring her pretty self in the mirror.

She is still seriously shedding as you can see by the pile underneath her. I did spend some time shortening and thinning her mane after this picture and its probably a little too short now but it'll grow out and it looks adorable :-)

Yesterday the move went really, really well! I didn't get my traditional pony in trailer picture because I led the way. This new barn seriously feels kind of like Area 51 or something. No one knows where it is and there's a secret Facebook group that I'm now a part of! Katai loaded on the first try with no balkiness and stepped off the trailer like she owned the place. We put her in with two other calm, nice horses and they proceeded to walk around ignoring eachother and grabbing bites of hay. I dropped my stuff off in the tack room and went home since she really just needed some time to settle in.

The owner sent me this picture later.

I took the whole day off today because I wanted a three day weekend and it seemed like a great way to celebrate being at the new barn. I'm planning on going out early in the afternoon to organize my stuff, that I just left in a pile yesterday, and ride.

It'll be interesting to see how she adjusts to the new barn. She was a wreck two barns ago and then at the last barn she was calm and quiet but of course she also spent all night every night in that barn so that's not too surprising. I'll have my fingers crossed that she settles right in on the crossties and I don't have to deal with bouncy naughty pony tonight.

More pictures to come!