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!
:)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
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...) :-)
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...) :-)
Saturday, April 18, 2009
First Ride of the "Summer".
Before-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. :)
Monday, April 13, 2009
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. :)
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. :)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
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!
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!
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