I totally started writing a blog post this time last week, about how lucky I was and how I felt like everything just seemed to be going in the write direction. I took a break to go out and get stuff for dinner, and promptly got my first speeding ticket, ever. Even though he dropped it down to a minimal fine and no points were deducted (honestly, I'm surprised I'd never gotten one til then), it's a total pain in the butt. It also sort of made me feel like a complete liar/killed the writing mood, so I decided to wait til the end of this week to announce my exciting news: I managed to land an AMAZING riding job.
Through a connection - apparently I have them! - I was able to be hired by a warmblood breeding facility as a rider for their young stock and some of their older, more "going" equines. So far, it's been great. I mean, really, it's pretty much my dream job. I show up, the horses are groomed for me, I just throw tack on, and go. The atmosphere is phenomenal, and my boss doesn't belittle me if I happen to make any mistakes- something I've found fairly prevalent in the A circuit world. It's just so nice.
Needless to say, after riding 5-6 horses, 4 days this week, and two days last week, I am exhausted. I was once used to that sort of riding, but it seems oh so long ago now, and I wondered if I'd ever be able to do it again. It's pretty hard to get riding fit when you're only riding one of your own babies, three times a week. What's reallly nice is that I've managed to lose some of that weight that crept back to me over the winter- take that, flab! However, poor little Flora has mostly been ignored since I started.
It's funny how you manipulate things in your mind to make them seem just how you want them to. In my mind, because I'd get home exhausted, freezing, and starving, I couldn't be bothered to do anything with Flora. In my head, these purebred warmbloods I was working with were way nicer than her, and I got super bummed out, wondering what I was going to do with her, if doing anything at all was even worth it.
Well, today, I got a kick in the pants from yours truly. I managed to convince myself to go ride her, and what a treat! I couldn't help but think that my little dutch warmblood/tb mare was easily as nice, or even nicer than half the horses I've been working with. She understands what my leg means, not only to go forward, but to bend around it. She knows how to work in a frame, and lord does she ever have a big, beautiful canter. It's pretty crazy the things you (ie: me) take for granted, but it made me feel really lucky to have her, and was definitely encouraging.
After our ride, I decided to confirm my spot in the jumping clinic taking place at our barn on Sunday. We're just doing the 2' class, but I'm really looking forward to it :) Updates - hopefully good ones - on that to come later :)
Friday, February 17, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
A Day of Firsts and Lasts
I've been holding off writing a new post for a few days, because there's only been one thing on my mind, and I didn't want to jinx it. Jake, selling. But now that the contract is signed and the trailer is coming tomorrow, I think I can come out with it. It's such a strange feeling. I'm so glad I was able to sell him for his owner, and was so happy at first. But today, I had my last ride on him.
And he was soooooooo good :( What a nice horse. His new owners are so incredibly lucky to be getting such a nice, talented and well mannered horse. It's not very often (like, almost never), that I choose to go back to my dressage roots, but Jake honestly made me think about becoming a serious dressage rider again. I am so looking forward to following his progress with his new owner this summer at the shows. And I hope I can hold it together tomorrow and not shed any tears when he leaves.
On a happy note, FLORA IS AMAZING!!! I don't ride my young horses very often, but today was the first time I've ridden her two days in a row. She is such a princess, that I thought she was going to be really mad, but she was a-mazing. She was willingly bending in both directions, and, for a horse who is normally very fussy in the mouth, was sooo soft and quite consistent in the mouth. It made me think there was hope after all ;)
I decided to do, or at least attempt, a small exercise that I did with all the babies at Looking Back Farm. All it is, is a 9' rail in front of a cross rail, with five strides to the next fence- a small cross rail or vertical. Trot in, canter out. Of course, Flora had never done more than one pole in a row, so we first had to get her used to trotting over poles that were 9' apart. No problem. It was like she'd done it a million times before. Then we had a 9' rail set to a crossrail, with just a pole on the ground 5 canter strides away. Again no problem, except Flora believes in using as little energy as possible, and therefore did not canter away from the cross rail even once. She didn't even bother actually jumping the cross rail after going over it a couple times, apparently it wasn't big enough to bother.
So then we put the pole on the ground that was five strides away up to a small, very small vertical. It was the first time Flora had even faced a vertical, and she took it like a pro.... even though she hit it down about five times in a row. Her stride is, apparently, larger than I thought. In my opinion, when a horse is learning to jump lines, they shouldn't need to also think about the striding. They're too busy thinking about where to put their feet as it is, so we moved the jumps out until it was a perfect five stride for her. Then she loped down the line (I had to canter into the exercise so that I could canter down through it! Normally I'd be against it, as I think cantering in too early might make a horse rush the fence. Not in Flora's case, though.) in five perfect strides, and left the jump up. It felt like a pretty cute jump! So we left it at that.
That's the fun thing about babies: small accomplishments. I mean, only with a baby would you be ecstatic to hit down the same jump five times in a row. Seriously. I started to get a little disheartened, but then, it's only her first time going down a line, and the distance wasn't great until the end. Might call for some free jumping to let her figure out her feet on her own. Again, I don't think free jumping is for all horses, but judging by the way Flora has been taking all this new jumping stuff in, she will be fine. In fact, I was cantering down the long side on her in our warm up, and she actually veered off the track to canter over the pole!! I'd say it's a good thing :) I can't wait to do more with her.
And he was soooooooo good :( What a nice horse. His new owners are so incredibly lucky to be getting such a nice, talented and well mannered horse. It's not very often (like, almost never), that I choose to go back to my dressage roots, but Jake honestly made me think about becoming a serious dressage rider again. I am so looking forward to following his progress with his new owner this summer at the shows. And I hope I can hold it together tomorrow and not shed any tears when he leaves.
On a happy note, FLORA IS AMAZING!!! I don't ride my young horses very often, but today was the first time I've ridden her two days in a row. She is such a princess, that I thought she was going to be really mad, but she was a-mazing. She was willingly bending in both directions, and, for a horse who is normally very fussy in the mouth, was sooo soft and quite consistent in the mouth. It made me think there was hope after all ;)
I decided to do, or at least attempt, a small exercise that I did with all the babies at Looking Back Farm. All it is, is a 9' rail in front of a cross rail, with five strides to the next fence- a small cross rail or vertical. Trot in, canter out. Of course, Flora had never done more than one pole in a row, so we first had to get her used to trotting over poles that were 9' apart. No problem. It was like she'd done it a million times before. Then we had a 9' rail set to a crossrail, with just a pole on the ground 5 canter strides away. Again no problem, except Flora believes in using as little energy as possible, and therefore did not canter away from the cross rail even once. She didn't even bother actually jumping the cross rail after going over it a couple times, apparently it wasn't big enough to bother.
So then we put the pole on the ground that was five strides away up to a small, very small vertical. It was the first time Flora had even faced a vertical, and she took it like a pro.... even though she hit it down about five times in a row. Her stride is, apparently, larger than I thought. In my opinion, when a horse is learning to jump lines, they shouldn't need to also think about the striding. They're too busy thinking about where to put their feet as it is, so we moved the jumps out until it was a perfect five stride for her. Then she loped down the line (I had to canter into the exercise so that I could canter down through it! Normally I'd be against it, as I think cantering in too early might make a horse rush the fence. Not in Flora's case, though.) in five perfect strides, and left the jump up. It felt like a pretty cute jump! So we left it at that.
That's the fun thing about babies: small accomplishments. I mean, only with a baby would you be ecstatic to hit down the same jump five times in a row. Seriously. I started to get a little disheartened, but then, it's only her first time going down a line, and the distance wasn't great until the end. Might call for some free jumping to let her figure out her feet on her own. Again, I don't think free jumping is for all horses, but judging by the way Flora has been taking all this new jumping stuff in, she will be fine. In fact, I was cantering down the long side on her in our warm up, and she actually veered off the track to canter over the pole!! I'd say it's a good thing :) I can't wait to do more with her.
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