Do You Ride Horses? V.4

[June Bug]

@SassieC
could you try tying him up short in a head collar then putting the bridle on?

It's actually a really bad idea to try to do things by force like that. All that you accomplish by doing so is adding to their fear, making the situation worse and escalating their avoidance behavior. You have to lead horses to the correct behavior and reward for getting it right. Force does not work.

I had a great lesson today, except all the horses were super fresh and didn't want to listen. But at least my horse (Smoochie) has gotten used to the heater at the back of the arena, she has been really hesitant to walk by it for the past few weeks.

And on a really exciting note, the barn owner said she's trying to get the horse I share leased over the summer, Hayes, back to the barn. I am so excited!

Have they been off a lot lately? xD We've had a few spazz out lately too because of all the days we've had to cancel classes.
Did you give her lots of pets for being brave? x]

Congrats! I hope she succeeds! :D

________________________________________
Little pissed right now, but a little happy too.
First off, I'm only getting to ride Grande once this coming week, which is ridiculous when I'm paying for four rides a week. Especially since I've been sick this week and haven't ridden since Sunday. :/ Apparently, this is normal for people leasing a popular horse though. I talked to one of the other owners yesterday about her leasing experience and she said it was exactly the same for her as her horse (who she bought after a 6-month lease) was also very popular.
Ugh.
I also talked to my dad about what's up with our own plans to buy and he admitted he didn't expect me to hold up my end of the deal and be so prepared. He says he's put aside a good chunk of money for him now, but he wants to wait one more semester and then we can buy him for my birthday. I'm a little peeved that I'm being made to wait longer, but as long as we buy him before summer camp starts, I'm okay with it. I seriously doubt he'll make me wait any longer so until then, I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope no one approaches the barn owner to buy him before us. We still have our first refusal down on him, so they won't just take him out from under me, but if they do that, we'll have to either buy or let them take him. If that happens, I don't know if he'll agree.

[country.girl]

@junebug - I know how you feel about buying a horse you are leasing. When I first started looking for my new horse, a local group had an ex barrel horse who had a pedigree that was amazing. He was up for sale but was being leased too. She offered him to us but then took him right out from under us, took him off the market and didn't sell him, definitely made me peeved.
I hope everything works out for you with him though.

[stirrupirons]

I'm going to go take a shower super quickly and then go to bed, so I don't have time for replies :( I'll reply to everyone ASAP!

Today I had a great ride! <3 Seren was SO GOOD. We had a bunch of eureka moments! My trainer told me I was pinching with my knee a lot and she lengthened my stirrups to the point where I couldn't rely on them for posting, almost like riding stirrupless but still with them because Seren's not bombproof. xD It was great, though! I thought 'what is she doing' at first but I noticed that when I wasn't relying on my stirrups, I started posting from the back of my thigh and my knee and hip angle opened up so much and Seren loved it! She was so relaxed and I could use leg and she wouldn't bolt off. It was so great :) I even asked for a little bit of a frame and even though she shortened her stride a little, she still softened and gave to me and that is PROGRESS! I feel so good about her now, she is such a good little mare <3 only rooted twice today, and only spooked once! And that was because she was so relaxed she was almost asleep and when someone walked by it startled her xD Poor baby.
I got a few pictures!
Cody, my baby PRE that's for sale :((( I love him. I wish I could buy him but he's just a liiittle out of my price range xD [read: HE'S $30,000. ridic]
Roman started eating the snow when I turned him out. Omg what a weirdo. (his buddy was coming up on the right side of him and he was like wut)
Roman and Dewey running towards me because they wanted their pictures taken. so cute <3

[Rebel Love Song]

@monchele, I'm glad to hear you're having a good time with your horses! You are lucky! My trainer TOOK my stirrups from me and made me learn to post with my knees post xD

[Dolphinlover~]

Wow, look a new thread! Hi guys, I have been really busy lately but had some free time and thought I would check in (: I've been MIA for so long that I have no idea what's going on with everyone, but I hope you all and your horses are doing well!

I just wanted to share some news: First of all, I finally found a horse to lease. His name is Jake and he is a 15 year old Selle Francis gelding! He's a lovely equitation horse, but was really out of shape when we got him. Now he's look wonderful, though! We have been competing in the Children's Hunters, Equitation, and Medal classes and have had lots of success thus far. We are hoping to qualify for two Children's Medal Finals by the end of this year.

And the most exciting news...have any of you heard of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF)? It's a huge international horse show that the best riders in the country and world come down to and spend the winter there riding and showing! I got to visit the grounds over winter break and since then I have been fantasizing about just getting the chance to ride, not even show, there one day far off in the future. It has 12 rings and the grounds are immaculate. The riders there are so incredible and many Olympians and top riders in our sport show there. It's the coolest! Well I received the opportunity of a lifetime from another trainer and she invited me down there to ride and show with her and one of her students o____0 Well, to make a long (and amazing!) story short, my parents are flying me down to WEF next week for 4 days and I have a horse lined up and I'll be riding and showing surrounded by the best riders in our sport! I'm over the moon and still in shock. I just can't believe it! I'll be showing the Children's Hunters, Medals, and Age Group Eq. Happy early birthday to me (:

[Namikaze~Sin]

@monchele That sounds like a lot of progress in one go! Amazing :3 And those photos are lovely! Cody Is gorgeous :O But that is really expensive I found no stirrups/long stirrups really does help with leg position, it also reminds you of how much you don't actually need the stirrups for rising (or posting) trot! As my riding progresses I've found I prefer a long a stirrup, meaning I may end up veering towards prefering dressage as a disipline when I thought I'd be more interested in show jumping!

Speaking of jumping/dressage...

Had my second jump lesson on Friday. The horse I was riding was mental, so excited at jumping as all she really ever does is endless boring flatwork. She was literally hurtling around all over the place all the time. The horses I've been given for the two jump lessons I've had are really not what I need. They both love jumping and have been really strong with me, sped off and gotten really excited. Being a slightly nervous jumper I need a calm horse that wants to jump but wont take the mick! Doesn't help that I've only ever jumped Fred (14hh) and these horses have been 16.3hh which makes it feel a lot different.

And on the dressage front, the past two thursdays at lunch times in the arena (where we sit in the gallery to eat at lunch) there has been this amazing dressage rider schooling his horses. It really inspires me! The horses are so well behaved and clearly enjoy what they do. The man riding is only 22 (And the fact that he rides so well somehow makes him very appealing! Does anyone else find this?) and apparently when he left school he went straight to be trained on Carl Hester's yard! How amazing is that! Makes me consider a future in dressage, although I'll never be able to reach such a high level the discipline still interests me!
Here's a picture of him and his horse Zandiego (Trevor)

He does this funny thing when he breathes and puffs his cheeks out x3 aww. This is actually in our arena


@Dolphin Wow thats utterly amazing! Lucky you If you can take loads of pictures for us! I'm genuinely really happy for you!


After being on Tumblr for a few weeks I have amassed the total of 4 followers. One is a non-horsey friend. Fail. xD Gah! How do equine blogs get followers? Any help would be much appreciated!

My blog: http://saddleupsin.tumblr.com/


Oooh and I'm getting some new horsey stuff soon, I feel the need to share :3




What do you guys think? :3

[northy.]

I feel upset and Depressed somebody is buying and taking away my Indi girl, I love her so! I just remember hearing her (She has never made a noise since the day I started work there until yesterday) neighing after I had said my final goodbye, I have cried buckets, and I will always love her. Does anyone have tips on how to make my grief less painful?

[Hime]

I'm so beat(yet, you guys get a novel to read, as typing it cured my headache XD).... 330km, 5h 23min, of driving today(trip ate 2/3 of the full gas tank, as your car apparently has issues in winter when it comes to pulling loaded trailer). x_x I was up and around for about 8 hours total, before getting home. But Tý is safe and sound in the new place, and was quite happy to have TON of new friends after he got over the first shock. Herd of 8 other colts(2 two year olds, rest are yearlings like Tý) is no way near as scary as steep slope to the 'playground' area. XD But with the budies, mommy was totally forgotten as we thought. And when Tý went quiet so did Heta, though she did not like to be 'forgotten' in the trailer by herself and complained about it by pawing.

We had little issues though. The trailer was supposed to be so that you can remove the dividing wall. Well it had, but if you did so there was also no places to put any sort of beams... And that wouldn't work. So change of plans, Tý and Heta would stand in their own slots. Tý was soundly sleeping, when I came. But then woke up and started terrorising Heta('cause hanging on your mother's rug with teeth is so much fun). So he was in total wild mood when it was time to start loading. R told him off few times and the loading went actually pretty smoothly. Heta was first little hesitant to walk up, like 'I dun wanna'-kind. But then I bribed her with bread. : P Then Tý walked up pretty nicely after her, with oats as encouragement and reward. We first though about letting Tý travel loose(with no front beam on his side), but then saw he was actually big enough so that traveling tied up would work, but to do it safely(so that he couldn't get over or under the beam) required some heavy duty tying.(Sounds harsh, but better that than foal in panic and stuck somehow) ^^' In the end she was tied on both sides of the halter and had a collar on to keep him from jumping up. During this whole process of thinking, adjusting, fixing, searching and tying, he stood nice and still. He was little nervous of course, but that cut of the rebel edge. ;D But still, nice to see he has some good sense in him. Then off we were, Heta eating hay not caring one bit of us fussing around. The drive went decently, our car is a butt when pulling trailer in winter apparently(ate up tons of gas, front wheels didn't have that good grip, I had to keep heavy gas just to keep us going steady 80km/h speed, and even then had to rely on smaller gear every now and then), but that's minor thing and I kinda saw it coming...
The place was pretty cool, banana shape would be fitting for the property's shape maybe, with road going through it on the edge. XD They had fillies at one end of the property, some paddocks, riding arena, stable, houses and then the colt paddocks at the other end. The gate was few meters of the road(that only the property's people use) so we could park right there and unload, with short walking trip to the paddocks. Then there was the big boys side and to it's left there was the little boys side, empty slot in between their gates. Both sides had higher and lower parts. The higher had shelter, food and water, while the lower was some sort of pasture I think. Basically big flat playground for them to run. c:

The unloading went pretty smoothly, except Heta would have also wanted to come out and Tý decided he didn't want to really go alone.... -_-' Well, at least he stayed on all 4 legs, instead of 2. R took him to the paddock, while I closed off the trailer, so that Heta wouldn't get any escape ideas, so I didn't really see all that. Then Tý was all worried and called after mommy, even though there were bunch of new friends excited to meet him in the lower part(they stayed put there, because one person kept them herded there). But Tý didn't have the guts to go down the steep slope to them. XD We even tried so that we let the other come and kinda pick him up and show how it goes, but nope, Tý didn't go... In the end R had to walk(=drag) him down while the guy gave him little push from behind. But boy was Tý happy when he got to really meet the others. They had so much fun, yet were very civil with each other. And Tý out ran a 2 year old. XD He also showed sooooo much nice trot and tolt, and canter/gallop(with maybe pace here and there hard to say). <3 The half-Icelandic couple said some things in Iceland to each other while watching the boys play, which left me and R quite curious. : P Tý also tagged along with one yearling(also had a blaze, but light chestnut or red dun) pretty fast, so I think he'll get a buddy pretty fast. Though he was little suprised maybe when someone actually minded ig he jumped on their back and that someone might also jump on him. XD There was this pair of foals(palomino and black probably going gray) that looked little pitifull, as they didn't really mix in with the others while playing(nor did they even try) and stayed closely together. But the others were playfull bunch, the little ones had their own plays while the older two tested out each other more(the other one had been only added to the herd about 5 minutes before Tý). We really could have just stood there are watch the boys for ages, but Heta was getting impatient and we still had to drive home.

On way home we stopped at gas station and picked up some sandwitches to eat in the car. Heta apparently though we were home and started banging in the trailer. >_< So we kept going, nothing eventfull happened(except someone was an idiot at one spot, so we almost had to hit the brakes hard, but as we were far we survived with just slowing down a bunch).
We had rugged Heta at home with fleece cooler, as she was already sweaty(free hay+'warm(-6C)'=Heta sweating without moving a muscle) when we left. Then when we dropped off Tý she was all wet, so we threw a wool rug on top of the fleece. Then when we got home she was almost dry, gotta love the wool. XD But we still rugged her with dry fleece before putting her inside for the night. Though I did take her to little walk before that, so that she may not be totally stiff tomorrow(she got to stretch that neck down too). She was pretty cool to be at home without Tý. Though I think she was tired for sure and when I went to say good night, she came to me right away with little neigh as well... So maybe she does miss Tý a little, but I do think she's happy that she won't have to be his chewing toy anymore. Well, she might have to babysit the fillies when R and L start weaning them soon. XD

[ninjapony]

Yay!!!!! new thread!!!!

@Blue wolf,
I am sooo sorry for you, my best advice would be to remember the good times you had together and think that she will be loved all over again by a new family and another little girl/boy

[stirrupirons]

@Sin: Yeah :) One of my trainers isn't my favorite and my other trainer knows her and has told me she does everything backwards, and I've found that it's true xD So my trainer (the one who made me lengthen my stirrups a whole bunch, the good one lol) has been working with me and re-establishing my dressage position and everything's been clicking and going smoothly :) I also tend to pinch with my knee when I post but now I've been opening my hip angle up much more and have stopped bracing into my stirrups it's stopped :)
And that's good that you like a long stirrup, lol! Short stirrups should generally only be used when jumping because I find that short stirrups sort of tense up your positioning and if you're not gonna need to get out of the saddle, then there's no need to have short stirrups. Of course, when show jumping you need short stirrups over fences. You can still be a jumper, though! My trainer told me that jumpers need to be able to transition to dressage for flatwork and hold themselves with their core instead of their legs. Oh wow that horse is fantastic! HE TRAINED W/ CARL HESTER??? Introduce me to this man. xD
And lovely stuff! :) I love those breeches! I need a pair of new white gloves too xD
And about Tumblr: I have about 1600 followers now on mine and the best way to get followers is to take your own pictures and tag them in popular horse tags. And promos! Follow a whole bunch of people and talk to them, don't be afraid to enter yourself into promos, and make sure your blog is attractive. For equine blogs, I prefer grid (two-three column) blogs that have a clean design and a simple background. It took me a while to find a good theme for my blog, but I finally found one and it even has a dropbox with an unlimited amount of links for all my horse tags :) Oh, and another tip: have a queue! Since I can't be on 24/7 reblogging things, I just stuff my queue full of posts and leave it. I have like 30 posts a day and right now I think I have around 300 posts in my queue? It helps a lot to have a constant flow of posts :) (And I followed you from my main blog! it's ryankerrigans)

@Rebel: Haha I know how to post, I just learned a few bad habits and my dressage trainer is fixing them :) (heads up: don't post with your knee! xD)

@Dolphin: She lives! xD Welcome back. Good to hear you have a new lease horse! I remember you wanted a good one :) and OMG. That's so amazing about WEF! Have fun and kick some butt! :)

@Horse things we need to buy: (totally stealing this from Sin and making a topic about it c:)
Roeckl Chester Gloves in white: These are THE BEST gloves EVER. I have them in black and white and omg they're absolutely perfect <3
Roeckl Summer Chester Gloves in black argyle: Since I'm obsessed with the regular Chesters it's only natural that I'd need a summer set ;D
Ovation Premium Show Bow in Black Twist: Cause I need one for shows :)
Dublin River Boots: I need a pair of these so bad Dx I hate working in Sperry's.

--

Just got back from the barn! :) We went on a trail ride and I rode Apollo. Nothing eventful happened, it was just SO COLD. I had four pairs of socks on and after I got off, I couldn't feel my feet. D:
I'm gonna ride Thinker tomorrow! He looks better so we're gonna ease him back into work :) I'm not gonna have too much of a ride on him, just walk/trot and we're going to go out in the woods.