Sissy's birthday party

 Today was a good day! We took Funny to Ashland to pony her there for the first time. She was SUPER! (See her blog.... www.funbuns.blogspot.com for details from her point of view). And Dan was super! We met up with Liz and G and Peri And Cuart. Dan was polite and didn't try to eat either of them, which I was a little afraid of since he's been so protective of Funny. 

It was a beautiful day and we had a great ride. Dan was so good and led Funny through the creeks and over the bridges. We had one moment. ;) It was at the tiny creek and we happened across Missy, Indi, Marty and the dogs. We all stopped and chatted and Dan got super antsy. I'm not sure if he was worried about that many horses and Funny... mad that he didn't get to hang out with Indi, or... worried about Missy's dogs? Or maybe it's what happened next?? Anyways, Missy and Marti carried on and we got Dan and Funny over the creek. It took her a few minutes, but really that was it. But once we crossed the creek.... a goat started screaming in the woods. What?!?! They have dogs, but I've never heard a goat there. Dan couldn't see it and started freaking out. He was already backing into the woods with just Missy's dogs, and this was the same. He was backing into the woods... trying to spin.... I was afraid he was going to fall into the creek. So we let Cuart and G cross the creek and then they went back over it and we followed. Funny walked right over! Then we went back to the open field as now Cuart was freaking out too. They settled in the open field and we couldn't hear the goat anymore so that helped! We hacked some more and then went to the lake.  We splashed in the lake and had a blast. Funny enjoyed it and went right in. Then we went to the XC field and walked some ditches and banks. It was a great day!

Exciting news!

 Not too long ago, I asked around on facebook about installing arena mirrors.... how to, who to use, if you could do it cheaper, etc. And Dana said that I could have hers! She's put her farm up for sale and said that I could take the ones on her long side. She said one was broken in the corner, but I could have them for free! I just had to get them. Which... was not an easy task! Luckily, I know people. :) I got Mike and Josh to come help me! We managed to make it work and got the mirrors and the support systems all pulled out and back to my farm. We haven't yet put up the mirrors, but... hopefully in the next few weeks. But... y'all!!! I GET MIRRORS!!!! There are three 4'x 8' mirrors and then a fourth one but it's broken, so it's probably 4' wide and 4' long. So.. almost 30' of mirrors. How cool is that?!! It'll be super helpful doing our lateral work. So yay! It was a fun day hanging with Mike too. And Josh is a great guy. 

We managed to finish up by 5:30 so I was able to go for a ride. I opted to ride at home because it was getting late and tomorrow morning we're going to Ashland for Funny's birthday adventure. I walked Dan up to the arena and let him through the gate from the ground. Which meant I was able to keep Funny out! Hee hee. She was PISSED! She went bucking and farting off and ran around for a good bit before she gave up and went to grazing. Dan was wonderful and ignored her. 

We worked on our walk and did our warm up. Turn on the haunches, turn on the forehand, leg yield, shoulder in, haunches in... all at the walk. Then we trotted and cantered and got some nice straight work. Then we did haunches in and shoulder in at the trot and some half pass. Then we did some canter work and worked on collecting it. It was hard! He kept wanting to swap for some reason... when I collected him that much he either broke or wanted to swap, but we did manage to get some good work. I had to really focus on my body aids and keeping the bend, thus keeping his neck supple. We had what felt like good moments. After the canter, we went to the trot, which is easier after the canter. And got some good work. He still doesn't really want to quicken the hind feet, especially without someone encouraging him with a whip. But we got some sit and lift. Then we did some lateral work at the trot and canter. And guess what?!?! While we struggled with the counter canter, and we broke once, we did actually get a pretty decent canter half pass both ways!!!!! Yahooo!! Then we got a good half pass at the trot both ways, and then we did a lengthen at the trot... then tried for a few steps of "piaffe"... in an effort to collect. And then we quit! He was so good. I wanted to reward him, but because he was so good, he was so fun, and I wanted to keep enjoying it. But I was good and we quit.  :) 

Good pony!

More Fun!!

 I'm so blessed! I'm just over here, living my best life :) Today me and a friend went to Chatt hills to go XC schooling. We got up super early and the sunrise was pretty. We made it to Chatt and while we hoped to beat the heat, we did not beat the humidity. But it's okay. It's May in Georgia... at least it took until May. We warmed up and because the grass was dry and cut short, I had put studs in the outside holes. Good thing I did! Dan really needed more. He was slipping a good bit and felt almost lame. I panicked a bit because he was squirrely and stabby behind. But he was game and was sound when we trotted. We jumped some stuff and then moved to the other area with taller grass. Once we got onto the less slick grass, he was normal so it was very much slipping! Phew! Anyways... we jumped a bunch of jumps. My plan was to decide if I wanted to run BN or Novice so... I decided to push it a little. We warmed up over a BN jump or two and then went straight to the novice fences. He was so good. We jumped fence 1, which is always that intimidating log on a platform. Then we jumped the stone wall. He backed off the stone wall a good bit and chipped in but he went. And it wasn't like he was saying no.... he just didn't fire over it. We tried again and it was a little better. Then we did the scary blue and orange table, which he also chipped a little. And then we decided to try the V wing jump. The jump that we had the meltdown at last year.. or maybe it was two years ago.... the jump that he finally said "I hurt... eff you.... I'm done"! And I finally listened. So we started with the beginner novice one and 6 strides back he started saying no. I didn't ride aggressively enough and he was so wiggly, so of course he stopped. I got a more solid approach, with him more in front of my leg and pushed and he went over! We came back a second time and then did the the novice one. He jumped it fine. :) YAHOOOO!!! Big pats for the super star. Then we went to the banks and jumped those. We did the down bank with a log to a coop, then circled around and did the coop to the upbank to a cabin. He slid hard core at the cabin and I jumped up his neck, but he jumped anyways. Thank goodness! GOOD PONY! So that was the point that my friend said "he slipped". That's all it was. We did do the upbank again and rode it much smoother. So, in addition to him slipping, I probably was a little too tentative. What was it Kelly E always said..."when it's slippery/slick, ride like a unicorn on iceskates high on crack". ha ha. They were pretty sweaty and puffing at that point as the humidity was rough, so we headed out to the other water complex as there wasn't much in the big one. The grass was much longer and the footing much less hard over there, but unfortunately it was all upper level stuff. We did splash and canter through the water to cool them off and they had a drink. Then we found the bank complex and popped up and down those. Then we tried to find a table for me to jump out of stride with the better footing but they were all pretty huge! But we did do the training level coffin. It was a full coffin but with novice sized jumps. And he was super. Then we headed back to the big field and did another set of ditches. The novice line after that was tough. It was a dairy barn to a sharkstooth. Yep, the one we stopped at at Ashland and I fell off. I jumped a little cabin and then went to the sharkstooth but my approach was not ideal. And he stopped. It was a BIG jump! It was actually labeled Nov Ch, so... pretty big! We circled and came again and I rode bolder and he did it. So then we circled to do it again but the line was so much better we just did the dairy barn to it. yay! Then we decided to do the last two fences on the novice course, which was a decent sized roll top/cabin thing and then another log on a platform and then we continued up to the winged thing just to confirm. He jumped all three beautifully!!! I was riding much bolder and going for the "long spot" vs the chip and kept my hands low and he just soared over!!! YAHOOO!!! We're back!!! We just keep adding money to the bank. :) 

 

So yep... we've now entered the June 12th schooling show at Novice. That will be good prep for Area 3 BN champs two weeks after that. And then, we'll play and school until before AEC's and find another good prep to do and we should be good. Assuming we go clean at Area 3's and he holds up to two days of jumping in a row. :) 

I'm so proud of him. And so grateful that God gave us another chance to do what we love. I think he had fun too. :) 

10 years old!!!! How is he 10 years old???

 Birthday Boy!

Lesson working on collecting the trot and canter. Making him sit and get quicker behind and lift and be more free up front. Practiced trot half pass and was acceptable. Will need to practice and slowly build the collected works now. 

He uses his neck to brace, so.... I may have to overbend to prevent him from using his underneck. Not to get him bent. Ride him straight, with correct bend, on the outside rein, but if he starts to brace, then overbend to prevent it. 

Dressage is still hard. And now also hot.

  Dressage is still hard. And now it's hot too. :( Grrrr.... I know.. it's late May.. and it's just now getting hot and humid. So I'm VERY grateful for the beautiful gorgeous spring we actually had. But now I get cranky because the heat and sun try to kill me. At least there was a little bit of a breeze tonight. And I'm glad I got to ride. It was Mike and Holly date day and we had a day trip planned. We got home at 5ish, so I was able to sneak in a ride though. Cause you know... I have an arena at home now!!! Not bragging... just so excited about that fact! So anyways... we did some dressage. 

 

Funny snuck in through the gate again and ran amuck for a little bit. However, she mostly stayed out of the way. Dan was a good boy, but this heat is getting to him too. It just came on so quick compared to what we were having. But he was a good boy and a good sport. We got some nice trot after our walk work and got some really impressive haunches in and haunches out rapid fire. We did some nice trot half pass. So then we went to canter and got a nice canter to start. Then we tried Aubreys' suggestion of spiraling in and out at the canter. In other words.. half pass in, leg yield out. And it's a brilliant idea! Because we're on a circle, we have to keep the bend, it's easier for me to keep my inside bend aids, and it's that much harder for him to swap. And it worked!! It might not have been a perfect half pass, but they aren't on the straight line either. So yay! Helpful. We did try a few steps on the straight away and it went south again, so we went back to the circle. Then he was good so we did some canter to walk to canters. Then we did our trot half passes again and we're going to quit, but... then I had paid attention to my body position and wanted to try it at the canter again to see if it would help. And it did! Instead of trying to ride haunches in, I sat on my outside seat bone and did shoulder in, and then half pass. Like at the trot. And I kept my head turned back over my outside shoulder and kept my weight to the inside but my outside seat bone weighted, and it worked!! We got a few really good steps both ways! Yay! Baby steps still, but at least we're making progress again. :) 

Then we quit and after we finally got Funny out of the arena, Dan got carrots and a rinse. And then of course he rolled. Then I worked Funny a bit, and then they got dinner. :) We'll hopefully have a lesson on Tuesday, which is his birthday! And then we'll go XC schooling again on Thursday to celebrate too :) He gets to celebrate all week. :) 

Reinstalling bravery!

Yahooo!!!!!!!

We're getting there! Slowly and surely, we're making progress. :) Dan and I snuck over to Diamond K today and picked up Jacel and Piper. I wish I had a photo of them in the trailer. Piper is smaller than Funny and him and Dan next to each other were so cute. Dan and him had a good time on the trailer ride. We headed to Aiken to go play XC at the Vista. 

We warmed up over mostly smaller BN stuff, but tossed in a handful of novice fences. Including the neon rainbow lincoln log stack thing that I hate. But we did it. We might have chipped/added each time, but we went. Then we went and played in the bigger field and Dan walked off the prelim bank on his own accord. Hee hee. We jumped a skinny! It was not a wedge. Not yet! But we're getting closer. It was a skinny though and probably only novice height but super skinny, so probably a training question. We jumped a few big cabins too. Well, I thought they were big. Maybe big novice tables. We also jumped the tree. And the big prelim ditch. And the pimple at the top of the hill. And the at least novice brush fence. And then I told Jacel I wanted to do the ditch and wall. So we did! The first time up to it he added, but he was also getting tired. (It was so hot and humid so he was puffing). We came around again and rode braver and jumped it a bit more out of stride and then went around to the big flat wide table, which I hate, but we were brave over that too! 

I'm so proud of us. We're making progress. Yes, we could be braver. And I think we were before the very end. Because we felt much more like we were jumping out of stride. But we'll get there. We're getting better and I was not intimidated like I was the other day at Ashland, so that made me happy. And Dan was having a blast! Although he kept cross cantering behind. I may have to check in with Keelin soon and make sure we're not having any issues. But yay!!! It was a good day. 

#progressnotperfection

Dressage is hard

 Especially when sissy is running amuck.

Funny got in the gate.... did some nice half pass at the trot. Got a nice trot, but still slightly twisting at the poll tracking left and still biting at his shoulder tracking right. STILL can't consistently get a haunches in at the canter nor a half pass, but... at least we're getting some steps now. 

We jump!

 Jump lesson: 

He's waiting on me to help him decide to go for it and not add. But as long as I keep my shoulders up, it doesn't matter if I don't get brave and ask. He can add and we'll still be okay if I keep my shoulders up. BUt so much better when I'm brave. I also now need to "hold his hand" and support him. And this is accomplished by bringing my elbows slightly back. I'm NOT packaging... I'm just supporting. He's now in front of my leg so when I bend my elbows, I'm just taking a slightly increased connection, telling him "I'm with yah buddy". And he's braver that way. And yes, by default we probably are "packaging" him a little, but... because he's in front of my leg and I'm not riding backwards, we're not running into the same problems we did before.

Jumped 3'... v poles helped to work on his form. Also jumped a high lattice with trot poles... super round bascule!

fun day! Then quick hack to the lake. gorgeous weather still