Rain, rain, go away – in the mud we will play!

Sunday we were schedule to have a horse show. It was a rain date for a previous show that had to be cancelled due to the conditions. Lately it seems like it has rained daily here and of course Sat. night/Sunday morning we got another 2”+ and the arena was a mess. The show didn’t start until 2:00 but we had to let the judge know by 10:00 if we were going to have the show. We decided “what the heck” and held the show.



I showed up early to ride Lu around. She doesn’t much care for mud or puddles but she did well. DH and the boys stayed home so I was able to focus a bit more on her and not worry about other things. Surprisingly people started funneling in by the trailer load. They were thrilled we were having our show because “no one else in the state of Iowa is having one today because of the mud”. LOL

There were a lot of “higher end” show horses there and kids trying to get practice in before fair. It was nice to have some new blood there. I decided to take Lu in w/t, Jr. horse wp, and wp. We haven’t “shown” since last year due to her arena anxiety issues. I don’t remember how I placed as I wasn’t too worried about placing. In w/t she was perfect (for me)! She was soft, cadenced and not nervous! “Technically” she had an illegal headset (below the withers and behind the vertical) but then technically I shouldn’t have snaps on my reins either - I didn’t care. I’m pretty sure we placed 2nd out of 4 in this class.

In Jr. horse she did well again. I chuckled because on her good direction (counterclockwise) she picked up the wrong lead but I quickly corrected her but going her bad direction (clockwise) she hit the lead perfectly! Again we were behind the vertical or below legal and a bit too fast at the canter but she did well. I think we placed 3rd out of 5 in this class.

WP wasn’t quiet as good. She missed her bad lead 3 times right in front of the judge but did hit her good one. We placed last in this class but I was still thrilled with her performance. She stood in the line up (no turrets or fidgeting), no nickering, she wasn’t sweating like I’d ridden her hard in 100* weather for 8 hrs. Outside of the ring she stood quietly and calmly as well. It is like the beginning of a new horse!

One thing I did notice – I had my little bump spurs on and switched to my longer rowels spurs. She immediately became a pissy pony so I went in w/o spurs. She has some serious spur resentment so I’m going to have to watch that a bit. I wish I could have gotten some video or pictures but I was just happy riding!

Down for the count

I’m pretty sure I posted on NWC about Sis being down and out for approx. 2 weeks. But will do a quick refresher here in case. Last Wednesday night, for whatever reason, Sis decided to go from my back pasture to my dry lot. This normally wouldn’t be a problem but to get from the front to the back she had to go over a 4’ cattle panel that was placed ½ way over my stock tank. When DH found her he also found she’d punctured her front left leg. She had quite a few scratches on the other legs and was significantly stocked up but other then the puncture wound she was fine. She’s now off for approx. 2 weeks until she heals.

Since Sis is off MIL is w/o a horse so she decided to use Bella in the parade on Saturday. Bella had some loading issues but once at the parade MIL said she was great. That made me happy. I was a bit nervous about MIL riding a horse she isn’t comfortable with in a parade when we didn’t know how she’d do.

The saddle club was giving horse and pony rides to try to make money for the club and my trailer was used as the “office”. MIL rode back to tie Bell to the trailer and Bell did get very nervous about leaving the other horses but once she was tied up she was fine.

Loading up to go home we got to deal with the trailer issues again. I was so thrilled (sarcasms) because it had been a long day. I was burned (even though I used sunscreen) and I think bordering on heat exhaustion.

Berry busy weekend!

I’m going to break each night into a separate post – just because I want to. :D

Friday night the saddle club had an all games show. They needed help at the gate so I said I’d come over to help. DH decided to go and take Bell along to play. We got there plenty early so he rode Bell around in the arena. I tried not to look but when I did she didn’t look like she was doing too badly. He had signed up to run some runs but then scratched himself. He said she was a bit goosey when they talked over the PA system.

He tied her up to the trailer and helped out a bit. She stood very well. Every now and then he’d go jump on her and just ride her around and then he’d tie her back up. When it came time to load up the plan was for him to load up, take her to a friends house (just down the road), drop the trailer in town and come back to get me. That was the plan anyways.

As I opened the gate I glanced over to notice Bell refusing to go in the trailer. By this time he had a “crowd” around him offering up their assistance. He yelled at me to come help him so I found a gate person and headed over. He had decided that the trailer was too high for her and he would pull forward to lower the end of the trailer and then she’d go in. Ok. He tried to load her after that and it didn’t seem to help.

I finally got out my handy stick and tapped her on the butt until she went in. It took some time since I was releasing when she went forward. It was VERY difficult for me to sit by and listen to the suggestions made by others on how to load her. Finally she stepped on. I put my stick up and headed back to the gate.

It was a bit frustrating for me since trailer loading is one of my pet peeves. I work very diligently to get mine to load so I don’t look like an idiot when they don’t go in after a show.

Next post to come in a few!

So? What's the big deal?

To some, when someone tells them they’ve accomplished something their first reaction might be “so, what’s the big deal? I do that all of the time.” But for those who have accomplished it, it is a big deal for one reason or another.

Last night I had a “big deal” moment with Lu. It was 90 something degrees and muggy. The horses were sweating just standing in the pasture. MIL had drill practice and I really needed some me time so Lu and I decided to tag along. Typically when we go w/MIL to drill we don’t get much done because the only time the arena is “open” is when they are warming up or cooling down.

It was so hot that the team was just standing around their trailers when we pulled up so Lu and I were the first ones in the arena. She started off right on track! Head down, tucked and soft. She was moving very lightly and felt great. She still has issues staying on the rail but she’s learning to pick up her shoulder and move back over.

I decided to do a bit of cantering before leaving the arena. This is usually where our troubles come into play. She cantered off and stayed light in the bridle and was driving from behind. She wasn’t able to maintain this on a straight run but was able to keep it on a medium sized circle. When I took my legs off she immediately set back and stopped. I got a few compliments on her & how she was moving which of course always make me smile.

We left the arena so the team could do their run. By now the sweat was just pouring off of Lu anyways and I don’t need to kill her. I tied a rein around her neck and let her graze while we watched the poor hot ponies run. When I thought they were finished I hopped back on Lu to go back into the arena. They decided to cool off by walking the pattern so Lu and I headed to the dreaded puddle (mini pond) at the end of the drive. It took a few rollbacks but she finally went in so we rested in the puddle. We played in the puddle for 10 minutes or so and then went and stood next to the arena. She still can’t stand still! She fidgets. One foot forward, one foot back, flex to the right, flex to the left, pick up a hoof, put it down. It drives me batty but she is getting better.

When they were all done Lu and I went in the arena for a few more minutes. We’d gone counter clockwise prior to warm up so I wanted to go clockwise a bit. Her trot was lovely but she is a little more resistant to picking her shoulder up and moving over this direction. I decided a good lope and we’d go home. I got her to lope 3 consistent circles, clockwise, with her head down and tucked and driving from behind! When I sat and said “whoa” and took my legs off she sucked back and did a mini sliding stop! I immediately jumped off and called it good! Yeah I know – you are asking “so, what’s so special about that?” For starters clockwise has always been her bad direction at the canter. I’m lucky if I can get her to stay in it w/o cross firing or breaking gait so to be able to maintain it, while asking for collection was a HUGE accomplishment for us.

I wish I could have gotten video but the camera lens would have probably fogged over. MIL said everyone was commenting on how good she looked. I think the mix of road riding/training is helping her a lot more then I originally thought.

Too hot to ride!

But we did anyways! Saturday the storms moved through. By the time they passed it was very hot and humid. MIL had brought Sis back over so I asked her if she wanted to go for a ride. We decided if our horses (and ourselves) are to survive Texas in November we’d better not complain about the heat too much. DH and Chase passed on joining so MIL and I saddled up and headed out for the 7 mile loop.

I had troubles before we even got out of the driveway. My mom put little American flags on the mailbox so we had to do a bit of bending before they were accepted. Down the road we headed and then we hit another mailbox with wavy spooky stuff (ornamental grass), so we bended and did rollbacks again until it was no longer spooky!

I know, I know, Lucy isn’t normally this spooky you say………..well I wasn’t riding Lucy! I decided to try my luck on Cat. I told my dad I’d either be back in 5 minutes if she was really bad, 3 hours if she was good or he’d hear them call for life flight. I just looked back and May 3rd was her last ride! I knew it had been a while but wasn’t sure how long for sure.

I did very little groundwork before we headed out since it was so warm. I was a bit worried she’d spook at the cattle but she really didn’t care about them at all. Cars didn’t bother her a bit either. It took her some time to learn to carry me up/down hill since we’ve only been on level ground so far. We walked, trotted and cantered. What I really liked is that she wasn’t worried at all about Sis getting out ahead of her (this didn’t happen very often because Sis was moving at the speed of mud). Anytime she’d get too close to Sis we’d circle. Pretty soon when I’d pick up on the rein she’d just slow down.

We cantered up the big hill and I thought she was going to die! She was ready to let Sis continue on while she just walked but I pushed her through it. She got very nervous when we went past a herd of horses (2 ponies & 1 horse) but I just continued to circle her until she settled and that didn’t take very long. We passed a few more horses along the way and by then she was so tired she barely looked at them.

By the time we were on the road home she was moving with her head hanging on the ground. We were getting ready to pass another place with a horse and dog so I was prepared – or so I thought. She spooked and jumped forward like something bit her on the butt. I gained control (it really wasn’t that bad – just took me by surprise) and then the dog came out. I was surprised at how nervous the dog made her but we just continued to circle towards him and she finally relaxed.

I was VERY pleased with her behavior. When she did get nervous – it didn’t take her long to settle and come back to me.

Here are a few pics from the end of the ride and my tired pony. She had NO problems standing tied to the patience pole when we got done.

I wish she was this dark! She was just "that hot"!



Hasn't she grown up?





ETA: Ride 10

2+ hours, 7+ miles = 1 happy camper!

Last night I got home and headed straight to the barn. I got Lu up, cleaned up and then saddled up for a ride. As we headed out of the drive the other horses were nickering to us and running the fence line. Lu’s attention was on them so I decided to get it on me by kicking things up a notch.

Normally we walk a little ways before moving into a trot/canter but this time I started out trotting & asking for a nice, soft face. Anytime she’d sit on the bit I’d draw her to a stop and back her up quickly until she softened. She’s pretty smart so it didn’t take long for her to figure out that she needed to get off of my hands.

She was a little lookie Lu but not too bad. Anytime she’d loose focus we’d do serpentines, circles, etc. It was a lot of fun to “look” until we got to the top of the second hill. By then, nothing really bothered her. We saw wild turkeys on the road and lots of deer. We did LOTS of collected trotting and some cantering (not collected). By the end of the ride she was starting to look like a WP pony!

Before heading home we headed down the dirt path for some cantering. We really need to start focusing on this a bit more but then there are lots of things I need to be focusing on too. She got frustrated with me when she wanted to “charge” back towards the house and tossed her head in resentment. I quickly let her know that this wasn’t an option and she needed to do as asked. By the time she relaxed and settled she was covered head to hoof in sweat – but she was listening.

It was dark by the time we pulled back in the drive but it was worth every minute! Lu got her normal rinse to get the salt off of her coat. She LOVES playing in the water so I was just as soaked as she was by the time I got done. I sure hope we can get more rides in like this. We both need the long rides prior to November!

Quck update

It seems like things have gone hectic yet again. Sunday I drove to Emporia, KS to pick up some puppies for a fellow NWC mate. Monday she met me to pick them up so we went for a very quick trail ride. I offered Lu but she wanted to ride Abby. I got a good chuckle when she thought Chase’s saddle was the one she’d be riding in. I had to break the news that it was too small (she primarily rides English). When she grabbed DH’s saddle off of the top of the saddle rack you could see the shock on her face as her body adjusted to hold the weight. I was nice and tossed it up on Abby and saddled her up.

As we headed out Abby was being Abby. She didn’t want to go down the road and kept trying to turn back. One good whack would have solved that problem. We headed down the road to the small trail behind the house. Coming back we sped up to a trot for a few strides until Abby decided a lope would be better. I showed off the little that Lu has been doing and then we headed back to the house. It was a nice ride but it would have been nicer if we could have had more time.

Last night I took Lu to the arena while MIL practiced for drill. I really need to start working on her anxiety issues at the arena or I’m going to be in big trouble come November. She was awesome! She’s giving her head very well at the trot and when I sit back I have an absolutely stunning western pleasure jog! I was having fun so we jogged a lot! When practice was over I went in to canter. Her canter was ok but not wonderful (I have a lot of work to do there). I decided to ask for a little bit of collection and to my surprise I did get it.

My main issue on the rail is that she won’t track straight. She likes to go down the rail with her haunches in. I’m going to have to fix this at the arena because it is pretty hard to fix on the trail. For some reason she’s lost her “whoa” too so that is moving up quickly on our list of things to work on. I love getting compliments on how good she looks (moving and body wise). I know w/the right amount of CONSISTENT training she’s going to be an awesome horse. Look wise I can honestly say – if she doesn’t get worked more she’s going to have to go on a diet – she’s gotten FAT! I never thought I'd be able to say that.

It’s official!

PF now known as Bell or Bella is ours. DH picked her up Friday for a trial trail ride on Sat. When I got off of work we loaded up and headed to MIL’s. I left my girls at home. I figured I would stay back and watch Ty while MIL, Chase and DH rode. Then I didn’t have to see how she did to be part of the decision.

When we unloaded everyone at MIL’s we put Bell in the round pen. She didn’t seem too concerned about being in a new place. Later that evening we got the horses out and rode. Ty rode Nikki, Chase & MIL both rode bb w/a halter and DH on Bell. The worst horse was Abby. She was nervous around Bell. Since Chase was on bb and losing control he decided to get off. I hopped on and had a nice conversation w/Abby and all was fine. After that MIL got on Bell. Poor girl is going to be doing a lot of loping since she is so smooth.

The next morning we got up and everyone got ready to head out. Well what is planned never seems to work. FIL got into town early w/my niece and nephews. They are visiting from out of state for two week so MIL wasn’t able to go. Instead, DH, Chase and I loaded up and headed out to the trails.

When we got there I opted to ride Abby so Chase didn’t get killed and put him on Sis. The first 5 minutes was the worst of the ride. Abby HATES going from one surface to another and she is very aware of what she is stepping on. It took a long time to get her on the pavement and then over the cracks in the pavement and then finally onto the trail head.

Once on the trail Abby and I stayed out front doing some turns around trees, bending, etc. She was actually doing very well. A shy here or there at a pile of poo but nothing too bad, she is just very lookie lo. Of course Bell was being an angel. I can honestly say the way she was going that I would have trusted her to carry Chase. Kind of made me sick to my stomach she was being so good. She only spooked once and I’m not really sure if it was a spook or if she was just getting out of Abby’s way when Abby spooked at a deer and tried to land in Bell’s lap.

We didn’t stay out too long – maybe 4 hours. Bell is about as out of shape as Sis and I managed to sprain my ankle at the farthest point on the long trail so we opted not to ride the last trail. When we got back to MIL’s DH turned Bell loose w/the herd. Amazingly there were no arguments.

She is not perfect in any way. She has some tuning up to do. She has an iron mouth and doesn’t know how to neck rein. She also lacked a bit of confidence on the trail as a leader but seemed to do well by the end of the ride. That all being said – I think she’s a perfect fit for DH.