Zen and the Art of Hackney Wrangling

I've been working some ponies, and the older guy has been great - all I have to do is whip him into shape and we're ready to go show. the four-year-old however...

(insert really loud exasperated shriek here) Some days he's great, other days I just want to kill him! he's a beautiful pony, and sooooo talented, he's just so inconsistent that it's really frustrating me. I try not to let the bad days follow me home, but it can be hard not to let it get to me.

on the happy side, Duke has been good, and like I said before, Fire has been great.

Two weeks until the next show!

5.13.09 - First Show Aftermath

Well, we're home from Heartland Classic and enjoyed three days of rest, but tomorrow it's time to go back to work.

We had a decent show, with only some small mistakes (very small when compared to the past), but the headset Duke and I have worked so hard on all spring apparently stayed at home. I don't get it: he has been very responsive to the curb at home, but he fought it at the show. Oh well, gives me something to focus on for the next three weeks!

Next show should be Delaware Riding Club, which coincides with my best friend's bachelorette party. I'm skipping most of the "festivities" for the show - I'd much rather ride than watch my friends get plastered. Also, they're going to make me wear pink. I hate pink. I wear pink on pink ribbon day at the shows because it's for a good cause, but for any other reason you may as well be torturing me.

Yay for tangents. Anywho, it's back to practice as usual tomorrow!

5.06.09 - AEEEEEEK!

I was sitting here writing my going-to-horse-show checklist, and I realized I can't find my riding gloves! AEEEEEEK! I'm hoping they miraculously reappear before I ship over to Heartland Classic Friday morning, but I have bigger fish to fry.

My suit is clean, vest repaired, shirts and ties starched and pressed. Boots are clean, hat is still shaped, and civilian clothes are in the washer, soon to be packed. But...

Duke is a mess. He's filthy. I have a funny feeling the poor boy is going to be scrubbed pink a few times over before I'm done with him tomorrow! I bought new shampoo and conditioner for his mane and tail, and I've stockpiled purple shampoo all winter, and boy oh boy do I need it!

So of course I'm freaking out a bit, running around trying to get everything done, and Duke just looks at me like I've lost my marbles.

4.13.09 Video Day!

well, today may have been our last chance to ride for a few days, so Duke and I took advantage! After I had Duke all tacked up it started to drizzle pretty hard, so I loosened up the girth and caveson and threw a blanket over him to wait out the rain. Finally got to go out a few minutes later, and he was a pretty good boy! I got Julie to video us, so that I could see how we're doing - Duke looks pretty good, but I still look really out of shape... I see more Pilate's and salad in my future!

Video is a bit shaky, and gets grainy when it's zoomed in, but here you go:

4.8.09 - 50 questions

I found these on another blog, and thought it might be fun to fill out. You guys should do it too!

1. How old were you when you first started riding?
-wow, who knows: definitely before I could walk

2. First horse ridden:
-probably my mom's horse Mandy (Vanity's Night of Love) - she was completely bomb-proof.

3. First horse trotted on:
- probably Mandy

4. First horse cantered on:
- Maybe Mandy, maybe Sally - my pony

5. First Horse fallen off of:
- Definitely Sally!

6. Most recent horse fallen off of:
- Zoe (Promised Dance) about two years ago? Maybe it was three... anywho, an unlucky combination of train horn, thunder, and my being half-way through mounting resulted in my being on my back in a mud puddle!

7. Most terrifying fall:
- When I was in third grade I got tossed off Din (Penncrest Dinner Date) and hung upside-down from my left stirrup until my mom got me loose. Thank goodness Din didn't take off, otherwise I'd be toast! But yeah, that's how I got the scar under my left eyebrow.

8. First horse jumped with:
-most likely Sally, but I had another pony named Freshy (Ann named her Freixenet, after the champagne), and I tried jumping her for a while.

9. First horse who ran away with you:
- Sally: when she wanted to go in, she went in!

10. First horse that scared the crap out of you:
-Chachie. Kaladar coming in a close second.

11. First horse shown :
- Alexa Loudin's roadster pony Footloose.

12. First horse to win a class with:
- Don't know for lead-line, but I won quite a few walk-trots with Allie (Altavista's Alouette).

13. Do you/have you taken lessons:
- I had a lesson with BJ Taylor when I was very young, participated in a clinic when I was 7 or 8, and that's about it.

14. First horse you ever rode bareback:
- *shrug* don't know.

15. First horse trail ridden with:
-my Mom

16. Current Barn name:
- Spring Meadow Farm, but I don't think anyone actually uses it...

17. Do you ride English or western?:
-Saddleseat all the time, but I've ridden hunt and western as well.

18. First Horse to place at a show with:
- Footloose?

19. Ever been to horse camp?:
- Shamrock Farms Road Pony Camp!

20. Ever been to a riding clinic?
- Yes, when I was pretty young.

21. Ridden sidesaddle?
-Not on an actual sidesaddle, and at nothing more than a walk.

22. First horse leased:
- Technically Uno (He's a Masterpiece), but I don't think it was ever official.

23. Last Horse Leased:
- Uno

24. Highest ribbon in a show:
- First

25. Ever been to an 'A' rated show?:
-Yes, several. Even been tossed at one right after winning.

26. Ever competed in pony games/relay races?:
-no, but I always wanted to!

27. Ever fallen off at a show
-yep, but only twice: I got tossed off Din at Morgan Gold Cup in '92 right after they took my picture with the ribbon and trophy for lead-line, and Uno tossed me at Springfield a few years ago because he decided the ribbon was going to eat him.

28. Do you ride Hunter/Jumpers?:
- Nope, but it looks like fun.

29. Have you ever barrel raced?
- Never. Doing. That. Ever. Again.

30. Ever done pole bending?:
- never timed

31. Favorite gait:
-Rack!

32. Ever cantered bareback?:
-isn't that the only way to do it?

33. Have you ever done dressage?:
-very basic movements.

34. Have you ever evented?:
-No, but it's fun to watch.

35. Have you ever mucked a stall?:
-too many to count.

36. Ever been bucked off?:
-Oh yes, many a time before I grew legs long enough to hang on with.

37. Ever been on a horse that reared?
-yes, and it's something I discourage.

38. Horses or ponies?
-horses for riding, ponies for driving.

39. Do you wear a helmet?
- Only where it's required by barn rules.

40. What's the highest you've jumped:
-something in the 2 ft range.

41. Have you ever ridden at night?:
- That would be when #7 happened. I also show at night quite often, so no biggie.

42. Do you watch horsey television shows?
- if they aren't too hokey or just plain bad, yes.

43. Have you ever been seriously hurt/injured from a fall?
-Some scars and bruises, a concussion or two, but no broken bones.

44. Most falls in one lesson:
-none. Is it common for people to fall a lot during lessons? Seems to me like they should re-evaluate if they fall multiple times a week.

45. Do you ride in an arena/ring?:
- Yes, but I ride trails as well.

46. Have you ever been trampled by a horse?
- Nope, I am one with the herd! that, and I can dodge out of the way very fast!

47. Have you ever been bitten?
- Yes, and it's never fun.

48. Ever had your foot stepped on by a horse?
- Yep, even during an In-Hand class. What can I say, Duke and I both have Big Feet!

49: Favorite riding moment:
- Too man to list!

50. Most fun horse you've ridden:
- Globetrotter's Fantasy, Harlem's Leading Star, and of course Duke!

4.4.09 Good to be Home

well, after a week of being tortured with wedding plans, I have been home from Texas for a few days. I rode Roy today, my aunt Ann's pleasure horse. He's always a pleasure to ride, and I absolutely adore his canter - it's such a big feeling canter, but he's very collected at the same time. And Duke was fantastic! Galloping a quarter-horse full-tilt has got nothing on a Saddlebred's trot!

and speaking of Quarter Horses, let me introduce you to my friend's barrel-racing boys, who, despite being very different from my guys, quite possibly saved me from wedding-planning induced insanity!

The guy in this picture is Jango, an 11 year old quarter horse- he runs high 13's when he's in shape, and he is built like a tank! He also looks a bit like Duke's shorter, darker, much scruffier cousin.

The guy I usually ride is Rip: he's about 18 now, but he's still got enough fire to keep me entertained. He's also the horse who took me on my one and only trip around the barrels at full-speed. It was fun, but once is enough for me!

And last but not least we have Major. He's 25 now, and is the one we trust kids and beginners with. In fact, the only person he doesn't like riding him is my friend's fiance, who he has tried to dump in a lake, and has actually laid down on in the middle of the ring while fully tacked - twice!

3.26.09- Vacation

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while, haven't had much of anything to report. The last few weeks have been uneventfully in a way that scares me when I spend too much time examining it. as for the next week or so...

After what was supposed to be a 2.5 our flight that ended up being 6 hours (diverted to Little Rock, Arkansas - which I'm convinced is two shacks and a ladder- for re-fueling) because DFW temporarily closed due to inclement weather, I am in Texas for a week. Life with Quarter Horses is much less fun than life with Saddlebreds, but boy can they sprint! I'll be back later!