The Summer- In Recap

So, working full time and riding full time and attempting to dabble in eventing didn't leave alot of time for blogging. I don't want to abandon the blog- so i'm going to do a big photo blog about our summer. :-)

As for Boomer's update now- I am back in school away from my boy once again. It's just as painful every time I leave him. He has a wonderful leaser who is a sweet and laid back rider with a solid seat and quiet hands. She is taking amazing care of him, better than I could ever ask for! My best friend is riding every other week and tacking him up for my coach to ride on the alternate weeks. He is staying in great shape, he's in his rainsheet (new! he now has 2 so that when one gets wet they are changed!) and fleecie which is super warm and comfy for him! I'm heading home in a weekend and can't WAIT to see my baby.

First set of photos: Step One 'Learning'

At Home

Me and Boomer <3 style="text-align: center;">
Random pic of H & I, with our horses Dakota and Boomer at our farm

Riding up the ridge at home, end of a day of training

3 day Pony Club clinic a.k.a. "C-Rally"

First time coming out of the water at Pony Club Clinic- 1 m up onto a sloping bank, a little nervous!

Better this time, working on giving him some head.

Boom & I over a little drop

Drop again

Coop. Sorry bud on the mouth :-(

"Testing the Waters"

Post Jumper Clinic-Learned a lot

Jumping clinic, learning to cuddle, cuddle, cuddle

First Show Off Property, Short Course June 1st

Warming up

Putting Boom's fly sheet on "Room For Error" Boomer and I miss calculating the smallest jump on course

My Team- The best people to have with you on show day!

Boomer and I waiting for Cross Country

A great end to the day with a red ribbon! (First place)

Last Show of the Summer- Boomer was perfect all day :) Perfect end to the season

Boomer and I warming up- BLURRY picture but we're both happy campers :)

My Favourite Picture!

That's the end of the photos for now. Summing up I would say our greatest triumphs this summer were stregnthening our bond and communication, learning how to 'gallop home' and trust each other when it's just us with the trees on a x-c course. He learned how to load by simply following me on... HUGE difference from the 2 hour loads we did last summer. We excelled in dressage. We hacked out every day on our own and had some great lessons. We pushed each other, and in the end I am SO happy with our summer. We got a first, but more importantly we surpassed our own 'personal bests' by FAR. We're way beyond where we could ever expect to be. I'm so lucky to have such an amazing horse with so much heart. :)

Rest In Peace, Jenny and Tony

Very unexpected news came tonight, my two ponies Jenny and Tony were put down by my grandfather yesterday. At 10 and 12 years old this is shocking, disturbing, and heartbreaking... What vet would put down two animals of an 80 year old man with Alzheimers without consulting his family members is beyond me. Especially his family members who have knowledge about horses. It is beyond my comprehension. Learning that my two ponies have passed on in an after-the-fact kind of way- i dont think there could be a worse feeling. They had founder, bad, and apparently no one in my family felt the need to update me or my cousin (who is the other 'owner', we were given them as children by my grandfather) that it was a near death situation. Apparently they hadn't walked for a week. My cousin lives down the road, no one even bothered to let her say goodbye. We are both stunned, absolutely stunned. If i had known it had come to this i would've been up there in a heartbeat with a trailer to take them away, to find them proper help, to do what i could for them. To, at least, say goodbye.

It's a complicated situation because my grandfather has alzheimers. Originally he took wonderful care of all his animals, he always had 5-6 horses, chickens, ducks, cats, dogs.... but the clan has diminished as his health has gotten worse. We knew that taking the ponies away from him would make things so much worse, for he would undoubtedly go to the barn every morning looking for them and either realise they were gone and re-live the greif, or panic and begin searching for them. Now that time has come. Their time came too early. They were sweet, sweet ponies put in a horrible situation. They provided him routine, purpose and companionship in exchange for worse and worse care. One of the good things about alzheimers is it is routine-depandent, so thankfully because he had been feeding and watering horses everyday for the past 50-70 years he always remembered to feed and water them. It's in his blood. What he started to forget was turnout, calling the vet and farrier, de-worming, winter blankets. My cousin and I tried to keep on top of everything for him, and our family who lives near him chcked up on the ponies as often as possible to ensure they were taken care of. They weren't neglected, by any means, but they weren't doing well. Founder got worse and worse, standing in stalls and not getting exercised anymore took a toll. We used to have two sulkies which my grandfather would hook them up to everyday and take them out, but he had a garage fire last year which claimed both sulkies along with our pony-buggies and sleighs. Everything has seemed to fall apart over the past year, and me moving to away for university sent me five hours further away from them.

I will never forgive myself, my grandfather, or my family for letting it come to this. I thought they had founder, but i thought it was like it always was- permanent but not life threatening. It was always worse in the spring, but much better in the summer/fall/winter. Last summer i saw them cantering around their field, this winter i saw them trotting threw the snow a couple times. I feel sick to my stomach with guilt and greif as i write this, because i dont know how to handle not knowing. It was too early for them to go, they were too young and could have made it. If i had taken them away from that situation, they might have made it.

I would like to remember a few special memories i've had with them, and will continue to fill this blog with photos of the two of them. It's hard to even think in past tense, and i dont know how much i will be able to write. They were great, wonderful ponies to have growing up. We did everything with them, hacks, bareback with shorts and sandals, pole bending, barrel racing, showing western, showing leadline minature classes at the local fair, many many parades with our buggies. One special parade was with their mother Peggy, tony was only a yearling and he trotted along side his mother in the parade. The ooohs and ahhs came from everyone, the crowd loved the cute little baby, and so did we! As we grew up we grew out of riding them (at least in saddles) and started barebacking them minimally and really focusing on lunging. We got them going over all sorts of jumps, going every speed, it was so fun to have that connection with them through the lunge. We'd take them both out in the sulkies and give rides to neighbours and friends around our corral. I had birthday parties and taught all my friends how to ride when i was younger. Everytime i was there my cousin and i would brush the ponies and take special care thinning their manes, trimming their fetlocks. They always looked beautiful. Summertime baths were their favourite, we'd clean them up so they were ready to go to a show, and then laugh as they rolled in a mud puddle a few minutes later. Tony was mine, and Jenny was Val's. Tony was cheeky and silly. He nipped as a young one, but it didn't throw me off. We had a special bond, he would do almost anything for me in any situation. There was something underlying between us that we understood each other and loved each other so much. Jenny was Val's because she was easier to train, she was less stubborn that Tony and more agile. While Val and Jenny were jumping and cantering Tony and i would stop for a snack and i'd sit in the grass with him for hours. Val and I's safe place was in their barn. We'd go in there and talk for hours while the two of them munched their hay and listened quietly. We expressed everything there, planned our future co-owned barn down to the paddock fencing, and just hide from real life in our cozy pony barn. Ever since we were kids we loved sweeping the barn and picking out their stalls. I liked feeding them grain because they were so greedy and funny to watch eat. One of my favourite parts about them were their feet, so tiny and delicate, it was heartbreaking to watch them get the tell-tale red of founder. We got Peggy when she was carrying Jenny, so both ponies were bought on the farm. A couple years ago we tried to breed Jenny but she didn't catch. Tony was born on the farm too a couple years later. We watched my grandpa train the silly little boy, and one of us were the first ones on him. He was hilarious to ride, the typical pony trying to get your off on a low hanging tree branch or ducking into a near by hedge. It made things more fun, to us, i don't remember ever falling off either one of them. They were ponies, but they were also our caretakers. They knew how far to go without hurting us. They could tell when we were still having fun.

Things You Should Know About Founder, also known as Laminitis.
All ponies are at risk of developing founder. Please take the steps to prevent founder, research it, understand it, and protect your babies. This exerpt from the book Diseases A-Z will give you important information. "Laminitis: Inflammation of the sensitive laminae which lie between the hoof and the bone of the foot (pedal bone). Taditionally a disease of fat ponies grazing on lush pasture, but it can affect any horse. It can be caused by over-eating, retention of foetal membranes after foaling, or even excessive trauma to the feet. It is an acute and chronic condition. It is important to start treatment immediatley to avoid any permanent damage, irreversable changes occur to the laminae within the first twelve hours.
Treatment:
Administering large quantities of liquid paraffin help to prevent further absorption of endotoxins, bute reduces the pain, and will increase blood supply in the foot, ner blocking the feet will increase blood-flow by exerting a vasodiliator effect, light exercise, stabling with litter that supports the sole is crucial, heart bar shoes will support the pedal bone, surgical removal of the front wall might be neccessary. Treatment concentrates on controlling the pain with anti-inflammatory agents combined with regular corrective trimming and shoeing so that the pedal bone assumes a more normal position.

Blunt facts: Do not overfeed your ponies. You may think your pony needs "Something" to eat while the other horses are eating, but that is where we went wrong. Feeding a couple roughage chunks instead of sweet feed may save your ponies life. Do not put ponies out on lush grass, even if they dont have founder. Control them to 1/2-2 hours morning and night, depending on their size and weight. Ponies develop laminitis easily and quickly. Don't risk it. Have a farrier who knows what they're doing. Our farrier once told my grandpa their feet looked fine. Get an expert, push for the latest and most effective shoeing treatment. Measure their weight, track any weight gain and find the cause. Exercise is essential in providing a balanced lifestyle for your pony. Keep them healthy, for i hope no one ever experiences what i am now.

We got the two of them new blankies this winter; look at them showing them off! Tony discovers a sleigh in the field.

Are you coming, or what?

Tony and I a couple falls ago.

Welcome to the world baby Tony. (Born on the night of Haley's Comet)

I beleive this was a "before" picture. ;)

A couple shots from a B&W series I did of them.

Jen's rainboots!

Rest in peace you two, we love you so much.

As things move along...

Well the pictures from last time refuse to upload so i'll do that in another post. Things have been moving along at a semi-average pace. We had a set of about five days where he blew my mind with his talent, athleticism and heart, and then a set of about five more days where he was stubborn, unwilling and cautious. We've been hacking out lots, going in the pond as much as possible while it's still fresh and enjoying each other's company in the "sun". (It's been miserable, rain and cold until today when the sun peaked out but the temperature sure didn't.)

My Tuesday lesson is now shared with my best friend. We did a line of X's (gymnastic). It wasssss "eehhh". I struggled to find a balance and rythmn, but apparently we looked like we were improving. I need to focus on keeping my core strong and my shoulders back, according to my coach, letting him flow, taking my calf off and balancing that with more upper thigh. I need to bounce in my knees over every jump. I don't exactly understand how that works, but God am I trying. He was good though, and his canter felt really nice and deep when we were warming up without beeing too strong or heavy. A bit of a "fiasco" when his herd came galloping up from the grazing paddock, Dakota the horse we were riding with had a bit of a hissy fit. My friend isn't as enthusiastic about hacking so we cut our usual route to about 1/4 which was disappointing for both of us, and she didn't want to swim either.

Today i had a training session with the coach. JUMPING! All i can say is WOW. He looked fabulous. She had him moving in front of her leg, instead of behind like me, and he carried himself at the canter in a beautiful frame which aloud him to get every spot perfectly. My coach has never jumped Boomer before, so it was really great and interesting to see her ride. I loved how quiet she was, and positive reinforcement was plentiful. Both of these aspects surprised me slightly, in a great way! She did some gymnastic work to warm up over big x's, then played over different elements of our hunter course, keeping the canter flowing the whole time. He was very tierd and panting so she cut it short when he had had enough. Great to see, great to aspire to. THe way she gets him to hold himself through his transitions is something i can't quite grasp yet, but i want to so badly!

Tomorrow i'm heading out early to possibley work through the dressage test. I was going to do XC in the morning but without someone to spot me it just felt to dangerous. After the ride i'm picking up some pony club friends and we're making a day-trip to Greenhawk to pick up some things for C-Rally in July and horse shows coming up in June.

I'm officially signed up for my first event! It's June 14th. We're doing the 2' division so that we have no challenges except me fighting nerves and Boomer focusing and enjoying himself. I really look forward to the opportunity to explore off property in a fun and positive environment. Lots of friends from Pony Club will be there and competing so we'll be happy to catch up with them as well. I'm off to bed so i can get an early start.

All Things Green and Happy Birthday Boomer

So before i start saying GREEN GREEN GREEN i want to talk about these wind puffs or wind galls that he has. They have developed on his front legs as well. They are small and not visible on any of his legs, but by running your hand down you can feel the soft fluid buildup. Apparently there is nothing that can be done to stop them, horses who are outside will be better off because they aren't confined to stand overnight, which causes them to be more irritated. Some people i have read suggest you use witch hazel on them, some say you should sweat them with a bandage, others say you should put MSM in their feed, but basically everyone says they can drain them but it's only a temporary relief and they almost always come back. It is suggested that there be a drastic change in the workload of the horse with wind puffs. My coach has said that his are probably caused by his increased workload but she doesn't think i should change what i've been doing. [I ride 5-6 times a week, usually jumping once sometimes twice under 3' so far, the other rides are always flat and non-strenuous, and there is lots of walking hacks throughout the week.] She said many horses of hers developed them with age and that they do not cause lameness or alot of irritation to the horse, especially the small ones he has.

Secondly: Happy Birthday Boomer! On May 16th 2009 he turned 9 years old! It's so exciting seeing him grow up and become more and more beautifull with age. I've owned him for three years on May 28th, and i've been riding him since he was 5 years old! We've been together for a long time and i will own him until he is an old retired grandpa. :] Boomer was born on an island near where i live. I'm quite sure nothing happened to him for the first three years of his life except eating, sleeping and pooping. When he came to our farm he was three turning four. He was broke to ride, but had no further training. He belonged to my coach until his past owner bought him. She rode him and and showed for a while, then i started leasing him the next year.
:) The rest i've already told you many times.
I'm lucky to own such a gorgeous 9 year old boy.

And now GREEN. Boomer has finally been let out into his first grazing paddock! It's absolutley gorgeous back there. Grass up to my knees, and everywhere! I love it. There's a shady treed in area on one side of the paddock, a little stream running through with super-lush grass, it's just perfect. When they get fed all the barn manager has to do is call BREAKFAST and the herd comes running. All of the horses seem happier than ever, after months of so-so hay and freezing temperatures, i don't blame them.

I took my camera out to the barn the day before they got let out into their grazing field. Please disregard and don't judge the state of the paddock. We let the grass grow up to its full potential before letting them into the next one. If it means keeping them in a disgusting, muddy paddock a couple weeks longer to save them ruining the good paddock before it's ready, i say, good. The weather has been rain non-stop. Those horses would have torn up the young grass and been on hay bales all summer. None the less, the paddock in the photos is a bit of an embarassment!

More Updates

The show didn't go as well as i'd hoped.
In Road Hack and Show Hack he would NOT pick up his lead. I literally went around the ring setting him up for it, asking, transitioning up and then down again when he picked up the wrong lead. He wouldn't switch them either. He was leaning like a madman against my inside leg the whole time we were cantering. I think he was overwhelmed and i was stressed because of his actions. In show hack the judge said this is a show hack horse. He would have placed higher if he'd gotten his leads! Damn. (Since it was a schooling show the judge gives you feedback. I did not agree with much of what the judge said and neither did my coach. One horse was on the wrong lead every time and placed 3rd overall... ?) I believe the judge did not like Boomer's knee action. We did amzingly in pleasure and hunter hack. I came forth in pleasure because i was the only one there who knew what the judge was looking for in a pleasure horse. I truly belive we should have placed higher, her comments were let go of the contact, yet i had no contact. The girl who placed second had her horse in a "frame" with his poll basically at eye level. Definitley not a pleasure horse. Ah well. Riding a big-ass Percheron is not about winning when you go into a hunter show. It's about learning and letting him get a feel for the ring. Our first time in a show ring in three summers. Pretty damn good feeling, even if we didn't place. I do love my horse, so much, he's a star in my eyes. My coach had a good pep talk with my after the show, she said listen we didn't buy him to be a hack horse. He's going to event and he will shine. Just wait, keep doing little shows to prepare yourselves. You'll see. I hope she's right!

He developed windpuffs literally in the show ring, when i came out they were hot and swollen. Definitly due to the footing in the indoor. Our outdoor rings are super soft and sandy whereas the indoor is packed after a long winter of riding. It must have been a shock to his legs. We treated them with some cool hosing and a linament wash. There isn't much to do about windpuffs, but you can deal with the heat and swelling which we did. I gave him Monday off and Tuesday they were still there but not causing him to be off or sore to the touch so i rode.

Jumping lesson Tuesday was FABULOUS. We did all of the hunter jumps which were set up and filled wtih flowers and gates from the show. He was sooo so good and I was good! I was confident and happy for some reason. We did combinations of lines, courses, popped over everything a couple times. He isn't coming into the jumps straight, we need to work on cantering in the ring and going straight. My coach said i need to translate the gorgeous to-die-for canter we have on a 20-m circle into cantering through a course. I totally agree. Everything was better than last week, my position was better, his movement was better, we were in sync and loving life! The jumps were 2'3 -2'6... my coach said she liked seeing me do things between the jumps, adjusting, thinking, working him... and soon when we put the height up everything will fall into place.

I rode the next day and his windpuffs were swollen and sore again, but still, he was not off so i walked and trotted and gave him a linament wash and let him graze for an hour and consume as much "green" as possible. We're getting them ready to move into their grazing paddock so letting him graze is a daily routine.

My ride yesterday was excellent as well. It was flat , he was working with me instead of against me as he does sometimes when we're alone, he moved beautifully, we had a nice big canter around the ring, we explored different areas of the ring. It was a great ride. My position felt okay, better than it usually does when i'm on my own just riding for fun.

I'm off now for another ride!

Several Rides and Lessons Later

Since i last posted Boomer and i have had many rides together. So as not to bore you, i'll give you the rundown of our overall progress and some good rides. He has been generally fairly well behaved. Our lessons have been a test of my patience, determination, muscle strength and ability to ride. He tests me. In the lesson if he believes he can get away with mischief.... he'll try until i show him that i am ready to fight with him, and win. The fights aren't psychical or violent, mind you, merely mental. I'm a taurus, naturally stubborn, and he is a percheron cross. We tend to butt heads when we both have something in mind we want to do. It's the only time Boomer and I don't get along; when we work on expanding and learning really technical, advanced flat work. As my coach says "You love him! He knows that, and he uses it against you." She wants me to be slightly more a more agresssive rider. (Again, not phsyically ARGH! agressiveness, but mentally dominating and agressivley using the correct aids with the correct amount of pressure to be in control.)

Boomer & my coach had a training session last Sunday. A training session for those who are unfamiliar with the term, is when my coach rides my horse for an intense 45 min -1 hour session every couple of weeks to tune up and assess how he's doing. If he responds beautifully to something i haven't been able to get him to do, we try to isolate what she is doing and i'm not. It gives me a great starting point for my rides. It's so hard because Boomer and i are struggling with alot of things i NAILED last summer and didn't even have to think about. Having 8 months off has really thrown me for a loop and made me quite negative about my own riding abilities. Watching my coach ride him really made me realise i need to work alot harder and apply my knowledge because the two of them took my breath away! He really is beautiful, talented horse.
A couple things that stood out to me that she could do with him and i either can't, or want to improve on:
-They worked some shoulder in's at the walk to get him all loosey goosey through his shoulders and neck. I found shoulder in's made him really responsive to her leg aids. I can do a shoulder in, but don't usually apply them in every ride. My coach said that she rode mostly with her legs in that ride, and instead of alot of calf msucle like i tend to use, she engages the back and inner thigh. He seemed to be very agreeable to this type of muscle and i've been really working on changing the muscle groups i'm using. I need to take all of the tension and gripping out of my calf and apply my butt & thigh muscles.
-She isolates her muscles and uses them. She would say, here i am only using my right butt cheek. Then i would observe what effect this muscle had on their movement. Isolating and using each leg muscle independantly is a really important technique to master in order to improve one's riding.
-Transitions transitions transitions! Gorgeous, he stayed in a beautiful frame, floated in and out of canter without any resistance or hesitation. It was amazing to see him be able to not only hold himself in a frame, but also hold the rythmn and impulsion of his stride w/t/c. Very impressive and something i definatley want to learn how to do! With us transitions are super awkward. It's all me, i know that. Actually most things are all me, which is disappointing. He's in great shape and ready to rock and i'm just not quite there yet. Anyways, today when i go out to the barn i'm going to focus on transitions.

Our first show is this sunday! It's an in-house schooling show, hunter/jumper. We are doing just the Hack Division. Hack consists of four classes; show hack, road hack, pleasure hack and hunter hack. Hack classes are usually at hunter shows. Whats important about a hack class is engaging with the different elements of each class, instead of riding your horse one way for the whole hour you're in the ring. Three years ago when Boomer and i showed we aced the pleasure hack and road hack. This year i'm hoping we do well in these classes (he's calm, quiet disposition is always awesome for those two divisions) but that we will also place in the show and hunter hack classes. Now that i have him working out of the hand and activley using his hindquarters i'm hopeful that we will do well all-round. This is a link to a basic and useful definition of each hack class if you're ever interested in competing. It's good to review each class before entering the show so you can show off the specific qualities which the judge will be looking for.

We are not jumping in this show, which is a huge disappointment for me. Our first time out jumping on Tuesday went horrendously. I was nervous, gripping, tight through my back and shoulders and just not riding well at all. We were schooling over a 2'6 line. It was embarassing and i wish no one had been watching. Boomer was ready to jump but my hesitiation was causing him to get flustered and upset. He tried to throw me after landing most of the jumps. I keept spurring him somewhat accidentally while trying to stay on as he bucked, which just made him more upset. It was really frusterating for me because my seat isn't all there yet, and my first time jumping he lands and starts not only bucking but THROWING his head down and trying to get me off. I know you may be thinking he had a sore back, which was my initial thoughts as well but the more times we jumped (especially after i removed those damn spurs) the more confident i got. The more confident i got the more i held my core and went into a proper position. Anyways, he was a star the last 3x we did the line. I was feeling better and so was he. Still, i feel really negative about the ride. My coach wasn't pleased with my position and was annoyed with my nervousness but she did say 1) you stayed on 2) it's your first time jumping and 3) although you weren't all there he really shouldn't have been bucking. he was merely taking advantage of the situation. SO her advice would be to keep jumping as much as possible until we're comfortable jumping together again. I need to start feeling my position and really feeling good about it or there won't be any showing this summer done by us!

Two Rides

Monday
Monday's ride was interesting. It was a windy morning, dreary, grey... pretty unappealing. Our barn manager was around, working, but she was about the only person at the farm. I don't mind riding alone but i was for some reason i was a little bit nervous about it. When i caught him and brought him back to the barn he flew backwards as we approached the doorway... he then treated the barn like a trailer he didn't want to go into... side stepping, running backwards, using his strength against me, and spooking. It was VERY odd. Our barn manager K was like, WHAT is he doing...!?! It seemed random, and completely out of character. I have NO idea why he didn't want to walk inside. The only thing i can think of is that it's not the door we usually go in through. K's puppy was sleeping in the middle of the aisle at the usual door and i didn't want to wake her.

When we started riding he was pretty well behaved at the walk, i let him out on a loose rein and made use of all the space we had. I didn't apply much contact, even when i transitioned to trot because i wanted him to move out and loosen up first. When i did begin to add some contact he was quite unwilling a stubborn. Some circles and bending exercises loosened him up through the neck and made him more comfortable going round and he's was working on the bit quite nicely after about twenty minutes of trot work. We worked through some trot poles. One of the standards actually almost fell on him, it was such a gusty day the standards were falling down everywhere, it looked like a hurricane had blown through! When i asked him for the canter he picked up the wrong lead. I brought him back and he did his jittery-bouncy i know we're going to canter again soon trot. I tried to use some half halts and contain his trot but when i asked him to pick up the correct lead he threw a massive buck. I did my automatic sit back and kick him on... and ended up jabbing him pretty damn hard with my spurs. (Mind you I was taken completely off guard... but I still feel bad for getting him with the spurs!) I felt like i couldn't properly deal with the situation from his back, and my nerves only make him worse in these situations so i threw him onto the lounge quickly and asked him to canter from the ground. He threw some pretty big bucks, and then turned in and kicked in my direction. That just pissed me off, so I made him canter until he understood what i mean when i ask him to canter. He is a big and powerful horse. When he's pissed off at me like this is the only time i realize it. I'm actually surprised that i held onto the lounge! Suddenly he switched gears and began to canter beautifully and down transitioned like a complete angel to a nice working trot when i asked. Then back up to the canter willingly, moving at a nice forward face. He was equally perfect in the other direction. I got on and walked him out feeling frustrated and mind boggled!

This is my compiled list of why he bucked:
-Wind
-Being ridden alone and not liking it
-Being stubborn and rude
-Trying to take advantage of me when i'm not at my strongest (nerves)
-Recently on grain, last time he was on grain he became very buck-happy too
-Having too many riders asking him for things in too many different ways lately
-Being asked for hard, real work after slacking off with two younger riders for 8 months, his muscles are probably sore and his brain is well, blown away probably

Anyways, i'm probably over thinking. Boomer bucks once in a blue moon. It's something that he does, always has. It never becomes a regular habit... just enough time in between incidents to get me comfortable and unsuspecting again ;) I'm hoping, and not even putting it on my list that he has a sore back again. I did the tests the chiro recommended to check how his back is after i got off and he didn't seem to reveal any discomfort or pain. I did some leg, neck and back stretches when he was in the barn and some massage techniques i learned in a clinic to relax his muscles.

Tuesday
I e-mailed my Coach, C, to see if she had time for a private or training session today because i wanted him to get a thorough workout and i know she would reveal if it was my fault and help me fix any problems. She was running behind so i ended up warming up for almost half an hour at the walk and trot, not asking him for anything other than to move forward and freely. This really helped relax both of us and he ended up getting into a beautiful ryhtmn which my coach noticed and praised. After he created this gorgeous trot i began to package him together and ask him to collect and extend the trot. He came into a nice, relaxed frame and i didn't feel like i was over-asking, which is something i often do. We worked through a line of trot poles, and after we were ready we began doing canter transitions over the last pole. We did about a million of these in both directions. He was fabulous! He was picking up a really great, round canter which felt really powerful. There were a few moments when i felt him get really strong and lock his jaw and apparently this was only happening when i held my core too tightly and blocked him with my hips. Interesting! His canter was great and our transitions by the end were getting praise from my coach, which is something she doesn't compliment us on. We need to work on our down transitions though, i'm not strong enough in the core to hold him together in his down tranistions and they end up being a scattered, falling apart trot to walk transition where he just goes WOOMPH and he's walking. Very unattractive and won't do much for us in the dressage ring!

This lesson was a success in boosting our confidence and also improving our transitions. C also wants me to majorly focus on rotating my feet so that my weight is on my big toe. Apparently if i do this at the flat it will greatly improve my jumping position later on. I'm supposed to e-mail her with a list of goals for the spring/summer so she can help me achieve them. What i love about this coach is she is organized and goal oriented, which is also how i am.

Overall, it's progress. I have barley been home a week i can't expect him to accept me and want to do beautiful things for me yet. I must accept a struggle. Last summer, starting him from 6 months off it took us two good months to get back into the groove with each other. I feel confident that this summer things will come along much more quickly, Boomer is my main priority and i want to really improve my position and skills because i know that his fitness is already there. He's just waiting for me!

Tomorrow the leaser rides, so I'm hanging out not doing much. Handing out resumes! Fun! NOT. My room is still not unpacked.. i have two big boxes to put.. somewhere! Who knew settling in back home would be such an effort, all i want to do is RIDE!

:)

A Day for A Friend

Today was all about my friend. She's had some rough luck with her horses over the past three years. She gave up one only for the other to pull a her groin muscle and have to be permanently retired. I wanted her to have a "good" ride because she doesn't feel confident or comfortable riding anymore. I've talked about Boomer so much and she's seen us together, she was dying to try him out.

We went out to the barn this aft. I knew it was going to be busy, a girl was making a dramatic exit from the barn, there seem to be a lot of those recently. Around 6 horses have left in 2 months? Not for reasons that i am concerned about though.. it seems like petty teenage drama. She left, so i should leave, because i dont like that girl ect. There has also been alot of facebook barn bashing, which i read and feel increasingly uneasy about. What has made us the generate of internet hate?

Drama or not, we tacked him up and she rode him for a good 40 minutes. She popped over an x a couple times and did some trot poles. It was her first real ride in three years and she was just ecstatic afterwards. I'm so happy she could benefit from Boomer, she said she knew within a minute of the trot that she could've raised the jump to 3' and it would've been fine. She just felt comfortable and happy, it was obvious. Boomer is such a good boy, so adaptable to other riders. He just knows.

I'm off to bed now; dentist, ride and handing out some resumes tomorrow. Hopefully i can land myself a job sooner or later for the summer. With this economy i'm expecting it to be quite difficult. Ah well, i wouldn't mind just riding for five months. (It seems i am avoiding all social connections since being home...) :-)

First Ride of the "Summer".

Before

SO! I'm officially done first year of University, and what a great feeling it is! I was feeling pretty down last night and I am currently avoiding unpacking my countless boxes, but the day at the barn was all that i expected. I arrived around one and got my cross tie "spot" organized. The plan for the "clean up" day included:

-Sheath Clean
-Clip beard/ random long whispy hairs
-Bridle Path
-Pull Mane
-Evaluate Fetlocks, decided whether or not to trim them

First thing i realized is that i forgot my clippers, so i couldn't do much about that. I trimmed his beard with scissors... it actually made a huge difference. His face looks so clean and defined. I'll clean that up when i go out tomorrow with clippers. It was hard to do much grooming/shedding because it was a wet, rainy day. He had his rainsheet on, which was soaking. I don't know if the waterproofing has quit working or it was just too rainy, but that blanket was very wet. He wasn't wet underneath, but damp. I decided not to touch his fetlocks because they were muddy and once i rinsed them off they were damp and i didn't feel to keen to get down there. I'll leave that for when i bring out the clippers. Everything else went well!

After!

Boomer never really minds hanging out on the cross ties.. but today he seemed a little on edge. He was terrified of the hose being dragged by him (the person dragging it of coarse paid no attention to this and continued on.) This is very uncharacteristic of him. He's seen that hose a million times, walked over it.. drank buckets being filled by it... maybe its just one of those unpredictable "horse" things. He was a bit flinchy as well, which worried me more than the spookiness. When i touched his back leg he pulled it away SO fast i also flinched away from him. I'm used to him being a tank, letting me proad and poke where ever whenever i feel like it. There were a couple other instances, nothing serious, but i'm going to keep my eyes on him. If this is a side effect of being on grain it's something i'll just have to get used to.

All tacked up :-)
He says "don't look at my dirty boots pls!"

The ride was definatley the best part of the day though. Had to ride inside again, because of the rain. We warmed up by walking around with a friend, chatting and catching up. I walked him out on a loose rein, just feeling him out. I put his figure 8 bridle on, which has these amazingly nicley worn in reins and they're so long- i just love them! I added a bit of contact (and i mean a bit) and he immediatley refused it, throwing his poll up extravagantly. 8-) Silly boy, he forgot who's riding. The most important thing about riding Boomer is to realise when he's sending you a message i'm not warmed up enough! or i don't wanna! This was definatley one of the i dont wanna! messages, so i asked him again, to accept contact. He responds amazingly well to authority. If you half ass your aids, a little leg, a little hand, he will absolutley ignore you. I do not smack or kick my horse. I don't use force. I simply ASK. One strong ask is always enough, once he gets the picture, you can resume lighter hands, seat and leg. He understands a reward system, he likes working from his bum and carrying himself, he just forgets sometimes. It's so much easier to resort to putting his poll in the air, locking his jaw and bracing against my right leg.

After this discussion he moved quite beautifully. I felt our trot wasn't bad but the girl i was riding with was quick to compliment us. "I love how nicley he works for you! He's in such a pretty frame." is what she said. I appriciated her compliment, and worked from it. After he was warmed up at a working trot (we start off with big loopey circles, serpentines, figure eights anything that gets him moving and loosening up.) we settled into a 20m circle and i focused on getting him to bend move freely through his neck. My biggest pet peeve is a horse stuck in a "frame" with no movement or freedom. It helps so much to get him bending around a circle, thinking about where his body is. His trot was really gorgeous, I appriciated it. When i asked him to transition to canter i didnt expect much. I always ask from a moment that feels good. He lunged forward into the most powerful, gorgeous canter. I'm falling in love with this new canter. It's like all the energy he used to throw every which way is now packaged into a controlled into a powerful, frame-filled stride. WOW. I ended it by popping over a small x a couple times, letting him take it however he wanted to. He is really a talented jumper, it's my nerves that hold him back. I plan on changing that, which is why i just let him have fun today and run around over the X before cooling out. I think horses enjoy that fun, easy change of pace after a technical flat ride.

Overall a successful day. Looking back, writing it out i'm alot more positive about the ride than i was driving home. I think we have a lot to work on, and work for. I realised our first in house schooling show is May 10th.. not May 26th so im hoping we can get it together by then.

Hope everyones making the most of this rainy weekend. :)

Last Post at University

People are beginning to move out of residence as I type, exams are coming to a close and everyone is heading home for the summer! I think a huge reason why I am so excited to go home is that Boomer and I have a plan for the summer. I'm not dreading going home, like some others, because I have something to look forward to. I would much rather being riding than partying here, and I guess that is the difference! I need a break from school anyway, it's been a year of huge changes for me and it will be nice to spend a quiet summer at home.

I wanted to wrap up a few ideas I've started in previous entries, before i get caught up in the actual riding and conditioning that will take place. Boomer's feeding schedule for the the spring/summer season 2009 consists of free access to hay and water, 24/7. This is one of my favourite aspects of outdoor board. The horses can access as much of what they need, whenever they need it. They are fully capable of monitoring their own feed and water intake. The main downfall, of coarse, is that i have no record of it. He has now been on grain for two weeks and seems to be doing well. With my best friend jumping him up to 3'6 occasionally, and the upcoming show season I think it's best for him to benefit from grain. Unfortunately I don't have any say in the kind of feed, and the whole field has to have a universal amount of grain. He is receiving a standard sweet feed. From the C3, H/HA Nutrition Block "Pros of sweet feeds: More palatable to horses, ingredients partly recognizable, easier to add medications to, manufacturer less likely to change ingredients. Cons of Sweet Feed: Shorter shelf life, more vulnerable to heat and cold, horse can sort feed." A benefit of being at a large horse farm is that we go through bags of feed in a day, so the shelf life shouldn't be an issue. Another con we will have to face is that Boomer and Thor have the run of their paddock, and seem to gobble of their own feed in record time, enough time to get to the feed piles of the lower horses in the hierarchy.

(I'm sure this information is very basic for those knowledgeable nutritionists... please bare with me!) The primary source of energy in a horse's diet comes from carbohydrates, which he will be igetting (now) from the oats and corn in his diet. Fats come from corn, his protein from oats, corn and barley. His other needs consist of water; they have an electric waterer which is checked daily, and vitamins and minerals; which are provided by commercially produced vitamin/mineral blocks. These vitamins and minerals supplement those which he gains from his natural diet. His hay comes from a round bale, which is replaced daily. The hay is decent quality, i know where it come from and trust the quality. It is stored under tarps, which is less than ideal. The problem about boarding for me is that one of my goals in life is to have my own place, and i constantly think of improvements which could be done to the farm. The farm we're at is designed for the satisfaction of clientele, and i would much prefer it was designed for the benefit of the horses. I'm always sketching out barn plans and researching information so that someday if i have the opportunity of building my own place i can make it as perfect as possible for Boomer!

So all of this information, but the most important question is why is Boomer on outdoor board?Is it a money issue? No. Is it all that is offered at my barn? No. When i originally started leasing Boomer his prior owner had him on indoor board. Other than that year he was inside, he had always been outside. When she bought her "upgrade" horse she put him back out, completely off grain and back outside. I believe she had him inside for her own convenience, not his well being. When i bought him she actually advised i keep him outside, she said that in her experience having him inside he made him unhappy, bucky and frustrated. She said that he paced his stall nightly, creating not only a huge mess but an actual track around his stall. I agreed that he was happy outside, but i was somewhat skeptical about the extent of his unhappiness inside. He was healthy, fat, and content in his field so i left him there. I didn't want to change things for him until i saw reason to. When i went to a 3 day eventing clinic last year he was boarded in the show barn. It was a lovely, spacious stall with a window, and all the soft shavings he could ever need for a bed. It seemed to be like luxury compared to his usual paddock! In the morning i walked him for almost an hour on the lead to stretch his legs and get him accustomed to the property. When he came back to the stall he literally put on the brakes. That boy dug in his heels and he would NOT go back into that stall. It took four of us to SHOVE him in, and he sulked in the corner of the stall until I took him out to ride. That was enough for me, seeing him on the verge of depression for three days to understand that he is an outdoor boy at heart. He paced, he sulked, he held his head low and surged for the door everytime it was opened. Constant walks and hard rides twice a day were not enough to satisfy his dersire to be back in his field. Outside he has shelter, he has his boy-friends, and all the fresh air he could ask for. I'm often under scrutiny for other riders for having him on outdoor, and as far as barn politics go they try to put us at the bottom of everything. My tack locker is on the highest level, where you have to climb a small step ladder to reach. My blanket cubby is so high i have to pull out an actual ladder to reach it. This is "because i'm on outdoor board" I actually noticed there were available blanket cubbies at a lower level but i was not aloud to touch them because i pay $75 dollars less/month board. Really!? Other than one other rider at the barn I have been at the there for the longest of all the boarders. It's so unfortunate to me that I am continually looked down upon, receiving no credit for my dedication and support of a farm which has caused many, many others to move away due to it's politics. I do not get involved, though. I support my decison to have him outside and do, unlike many others, what's best for my horse. I'm simply there for my horse and the use of the gorgeous facilities and property.

As for upcoming events, my first schooling show is May 26th. This is the goal i'm curentlylooking towards and working for. I want to be capable of placing in the top three of one of my classes, whether it's flat or over fences. I will be hopefully competing in the 2'9 Hunter Division and the "baby" Jumper Divison. I want to try out a jumper course, starting out low to get us accustomed to the "jumper" way of life. Low stress is key. We'll need to learn in order to ride our courses at the events this summer. At my last show, which was 2 summers ago (shocking!) i fell of three times and made quite the fool of myself. I was nervous, strung out, unprepared and under pressure from another girl i was riding Boomer with. It was right after i bought him, and she had already signed up for the show so i said she could compete. She decided to "teach" me how to ride Boomer in the warm up ring, a very distorted version of dressage i might add, and got me quite confused and uptight right before i went in to do a round. Quite an awful experience, so i decided the next summer would be different. That i would take a year to truly understand Boomer as a horse and a competitor. We've gained so much knowledge and experience since that show, focused mainly on clinics, training sessions with my coach riding him and 2 private lessons a week. It's done wonders for both of us and i feel confident that this year we can shine, and prove ourselves to everyone. Our lineup this summer includes a couple schooling shows, C-Rally, and roughly 5 events. I'll be continuing with weekly private lessons and training sessions as well as as much time spent in the field getting comfortable as possible!


This is more than enough for now, all the best to everyone! I will update after my first ride at home. :)

A Quick Weekend at Home, Gym & Exams at Uni

So i went home last weekend and finally got some good rides in. The girls don't lease ride on the weekends so it's nice to have him all to myself.
My first ride was definitely my most successful. It was the first nice weekend we'd seen without the area being too bogged down to ride. Our hunter & jumper rings do not have a fence between them and they're probably about 400x600. Absolutely MASSIVE... biggest rings you'll ever see. They make about 4 full courses side by side. It's amazing.

We warmed up at a loose rein, i tried to feel out his energy and excitement. Not only because being outside for the first time is always exciting but also because Boomer has now been put on grain. He was not on grain, a decision of my coach/barn owner. I did not support it but also couldn't put him on indoor board (he hates stalls.. but that's another post altogether..) So i let him be off grain. He seemed to cope amazingly well, and my coach is an intelligent woman. If he NEEDED it, she would've done something. ANYWAYS, after much persuasion and research on my part on the nutritional needs of a working horse we have put his whole paddock, the outdoor boarder paddock, on grain. 1 scoop a.m. and p.m of standard sweet feed. I know a lot of competitive riders have something against sweet feed, but to me it's more natural, with no animal bi products which is definitely important I will post my next post on the nutritional value of sweet feed and its benefits and faults. We will consider cutting down their grain intake a bit when they're put out on their grazing paddocks. It all depends on their weight and necessity. Sadly Boomer's best friend has been moved out of the field, Gonzo (they've been attached at the hip since we moved back to the farm.) The paddock has been completely rearranged, his new field mates are Thor (another Percheron cross, chestnut with a flaxen mane- VERY different look from Boom. Never trained, so quite the handful but a sweet gelding none the less) Melo, Rolex and Justin (My coach's TLC school horses) and Guinness, a friend's horse. When i was there on the weekend Thor and Boomer were stuck together, seeing as they were the only two left in the field form the original group. (The rest were re-located to a new "schoolie" paddock.) While Boom and I rode Thor watched us intently from the fence. A downfall of this field is it backs onto the ring, and Boomer is always distracted along the fence line looking at his friends and whinnying.

I let him out into a big trot, he stretched his neck and did one of his big, loopy extended trots. We went around like this for a while, feeling each other out. We did some serpentines, circles, figure eights, whatever it took to get him loose and flexible. I find the winter is always hard on him, being an outdoor horse, and so i like to warm him up as best as possible and loosen up his back even in the springtime. When i asked him to engage his hind end he responded immediately. It's luxurious for me that Boomer is being ridden six times a week; his bum is fantastic! He began to come ground and really move off my leg, it was quite beautiful. I was touched by how responsive he was being. The slight shift in weight, pressure of my leg and spur and correct pressure on the rein put him into a lovely working frame. We trotted for quite a long time. When we cantered, well it blew my mind. The sheer power of that horse never ceases to amaze me. When i ask him for a canter transition i do not move my leg, as he gets confused by that aid (strange i know) I simply make sure he is balanced and ask him to move forward. If i lean back precisely at the right moment in his stride he becomes a rocking horse. If only i could describe how amazing it feels to have that under me. He was powerful and graceful and working off the bit. Best canter we've shared in a very long time!

I walked him out up the driveway, and he constantly wanted to turn home and seemed uncomfortable. He doesn't seem nervous, but her certainly doesn't like being alone. This worries me because i plan on riding him alone a couple times a week over XC and through the trails over the summer. I hope he will be more at ease when he's working and focused on his work in the field.

Our second ride was shorter. The arena was booked at two. I was on by one but my coach seemed annoyed that i was in the arena. Our barn manager was in and out with the tractor and a hoard of screaming younger girls, who were setting up the course for the gymnastic clinic. I love that i can ride my horse, and have him truly working and focused despite all of the distractions and potentially scary activity! We had to ride in the indoor arena because it was teeming with rain! Now it's gone and snowed on us, so who knows what we'll do!

As for my training, fitness program, when I'm away form Boomer at school. Last week i went to the gym 5 x. I would do an hour each time, half elliptical and half on the bike. I was really building my endurance but this week hit with three big exams and i haven't found a chance to get out there. When i get home in A WEEK i plan on getting onto the weights and working my core as much as possible. I also look forward to weekly yoga sessions! Right now exams run my life, i've been studying 12 hours a day and sleeping around 6 hours so it's been very tiring and stressful. I'm home this weekend for Easter though, and April 17th for good. So i keep that ahead of me and continue working towards it!

Here are a couple shots of Boomer & I, the couple times i've had a chance to ride this winter. My jumping position is terrible, and will be under great scruntiny once i have a chance to ride for more than an hour every couple months. He on the other hand is in great shape! :-)