Ahead of Schedule

Sometimes it's been easy for me to feel discouraged lately. I so miss taking lessons and the consistent progress that you can make with feedback like that. I've also been lacking consistency this winter for a few reasons and of course that means a lack of progress as well. 

But sometimes it is so clear that we have come so far and tonight was one of those times.

Squeeeeee! Look at her :) 

(Not at my messy lines)

She was soooo good! From last fall when I couldn't get near her with a running clipper to tonight with her standing stock still, even falling asleep sometimes, while I got both sides clipped. Tomorrow I'm going to bring it the rest of the way back in more of a trace clip but this was a great place to end while she was still being good. It's a little higher in the front than it should be but for my first time clipping a horse I'll take it!

Look at her little clipped spots!! She is just the most adorable little thing in the world.

Before this we had a great, if slightly discouraging, ride (so much for my plan from last week). She was feeling fresh and slightly naughty most likely because it's the first time I've ridden in about two weeks. She didn't do anything really bad but she was resistant and was really having trouble bending to the left. This is normal for her but she was completely ignoring my leg and in January I was starting to feel like she really had that figured out. She was getting so soft and nice and bendy so going back to stiff pony was tough for me. It's not like I can expect her to just maintain on two weeks off but still rough.

Tomorrow my plan is to finish clipping and either ride or lunge. I'd rather lunge her but last week I was having trouble getting her to bend to the left on the lunge and at least when I'm on her back I have more ability to enforce it so we'll see. Then on Wednesday she gets a well deserved break :)

Slow Progress

Unfortunately I had car issues this week so I was unable to make it out to the barn until today. In this span of cold weather in the single digits and lower teens my car window decided to fail and I just couldn't make myself drive 40 minutes out to the barn with the frigid wind whipping in my window only to work out in the cold. Luckily I had dressed Katai up in her nice warm blanket so I wasn't concerned about her. It's times like this when I especially love full board :-)

I finally got my car fixed and got to see my pony tonight. I had decided that based on the recent lack of consistent work and the chance that her feet might still be a little tender it would be a good idea to lunge instead of riding. I ended up being happy that I had! She, for the first time since I've got her, threw out a HUGE buck. I'm not sure that she would have bucked with me riding but it certainly showed that she was feeling better. She seemed stiff but not nearly as tender and was moving out really well. I did decide that I'm going to do mainly lunge work this week to continue to give her feet some time and to get her body loosened up and her muscles working again before I ask her to carry me again.

My plan for the week is;

Saturday - Lunge the pony, using the whole arena, at walk trot and canter in full tack. Work more with the clipper, bring extra stuff from locker and start to organize for move.

Sunday - Lunge pony in full tack and maybe introduce some cavaletti. Work more with clipper. Wash saddle pads and blankets.

Monday - Day off

Tuesday - Possibly ride. Work more with clippers.

Wednesday - Lunge in full tack with cavaletti. Work with clipper

Thursday - Ride or day off - Clipper work if I ride.

Friday - Ride or day off - Clipper work if I ride.

Saturday - Ride but also would like to clip pony! I think she's almost ready now and after about a week of clipper desensitization I'm sure she'll be ready. Now that I'm moving to a barn with a heated arena, she'll be back in a more steady work schedule, and it's getting warmer outside. My plan is something like this,

 

only without the neck clip since I don't have a hood. I'll also leave most of her belly covered. Then as it gets warmer I could clip a bit more off.

I'm so excited to get more pony time this week!

Crazy Progress

In a few ways the last week has been about progress. First of all, I have a dressage lesson!!! It is on a 4^th level schoolmaster which will be incredible and it is at a barn that I would love to move Katai to. I set the lesson up partly so that I can figure out if I would like to take lessons with this instructor in the future and partially so that I can ask questions about boarding there. It seriously seems too good to be true with WAY nicer facilities than I am at now, closer to home, and although at a higher cost it is still reasonable. I am concerned that they may not have any openings or have a wait list so I am anxious to talk to the instructor at my lesson on Monday.

The other progress has been with Katai. We are having another nasty cold streak so I decided to just do ground work on Monday as well as treating hooves and feeding supplements. With my concerns about Katai’s heavy coat and my ability to ride her even lightly if it gets around freezing I’ve made clipper desensitization a priority. Since I seem to have misplaced my other trimmer I picked up one of those noisy little Wahl clippers at the feed store to use instead.

Mostly I have been able to desensitize Katai to everything but there have been two things that are so far that she wants nothing to do with and those are/were clippers and fly spray. NOTHING else has given me anywhere near the trouble as those have but for whatever reason on Monday she was extremely calm. I was able to rub them all over her while on and even trimmed a bit of her long mane hair since I needed to get her used to that other sound.  I was extremely impressed and gave her a break during our time tonight so that I don’t push too hard and burn her out.