Project Trail Ride

So last night the sprinklerbandit and I took Diva and Bridger on a trail ride around the 100 acres.  Diva won every first trail ride prize available.  No spooks, no jigging, no nothing, it was all head down blazing trails.  The only moment she needed a hand was figuring out the terrain change from grass to creek bottom with about an 18 inch drop.  Enter Bridger, he was passable, no spooks really, but lots of distracted wandering with his head straight in the air.  His time trail riding with the cowboy came through and he led the way during terrain changes, then Diva would cruise back to the front.

So chill

Diva also got to borrow a bridle with pretty blue bling, such a princess.

Bridger wasn't great, but wasn't terrible...until the headbutting incident. He was distracted, but they both dealt with the other horses running around the place like maniacs. He managed to lead the way through the creek bed.  He didn't leap around.  But he was a spaz, walking sideways checking things out, jigging, doing his rude I will pull you out of the tack move (also called head slinging).  I was wondering about his ability to deal with new cross country courses, but he is only 4 and may get better.  That said, Diva is only 4 and was perfect.  So we were headed back towards home, both were doing great, no speeding up, Bridger starting to relax and walk out with his head out of the stratosphere.  Then bam!  The sprinklerbandit turned around with rather large eyes due to the expletive leaving my mouth at high volumes, oops.  Bridger does some goofy move with ninja speed that involves smashing the front of my face with his, I'm still not clear on how he managed this.  I thought for sure I would be spitting a few teeth out between the tweety birds circling my head.  OUCH!  Good news, no loose teeth, no more headache this morning, just one fat and bruised lip (this will look really classy at school today).  We finished the trail ride and then I put him to work for a few minutes and after working through his obstinate streak we got this:

Photogenic dude

lovely evening

We didn't get a shot of the trail ride as no pockets were big enough for safe phone carrying.  I have a belt phone holder coming in the mail.

Yesterday started with the most glorious sunrise:

What happened to summer?

This isn't in the sense of temperature, still mid 90's here, this is in response to my first week of school commencing.  I had a friend text me today, 'what happened to our pinterest summer?'  We had grand plans of choosing projects or recipes from our pinterest pages and actually doing them...not one happened.  Maybe we will make up for it with winter and fall cooking.  My classes are going well so far and my schedule is pretty cool.  I've got Molecular Biology of Cancer, Forensic Biology, Advanced Developmental Biology, and Anatomy & Physiology.   Ology, ology, ology.   Two more classes in the spring and I will have a Human Biology degree!

Seriously!

So Aero passed his vet check with flying colors and now we are waiting on the results of the final wife/husband conversation.  Pins and needles here.

Gonna miss him

Last night I headed out after class and lunged Bridger and Diva with some sidereins (the leather and elastic kind).  I forgot my riding boots so it was a tennis shoe forced session.  It went well, Bridger was a champ and really started to figure it out.  This was a large improvement over his last session with them when he became part contortionist and still had his neck inverted and head in the air.  I've been planning on making a 'pessoa' for him but it hasn't happened yet.  His trot gets better and better, there is some real stretch and suspension starting to form.

So handsome

Diva did ok as well.  She hadn't been lunged since last fall and that was with the loosest of loose sidereins.  I put them on still loose but asking for her head to not be giraffe like and we went to work.  I forgot the lunge whip and she needs one, we muddled through.  To the left she was all business and put in some lovely head down trot.  To the right she was all, 'what is this bit in my mouth? I can't turn!  OMG, I can't breathe, these sidereins are going to kill me, ahhhhhh.'  Hmmm, ok. So I took them off and she was, 'la la la I'm trit trotting on happy happy circles with my head down.'  Mares.

Fast forward to today.  I rode the two of them and Bridger accepted the bit from step one right through the ride to the last step.  I was really proud of him, he has settled in and is even better than pre-move.  I was impressed with his soft mouth and flexed neck.  In fact I will not be using sidereins on him again soon as he was wanting to curl a bit.  Can't wait for happy medium.

Diva was also good, not as on the bit as Bridger, but starting to figure it out.  Her unflappable personality again blew me away today.  Mid-ride a neighbor showed up with truck, trailer, and horse.  Diva said, 'Whatevs.'  Seriously that's it.  We even rode over and said hi, (Diva, 'Yawn, don't waste my time with these plebeians').  Don't try and tell her it was another ottb black mare (it was).

And as promised a few more pics from tiara day.

Waxing poetic

Awkward faces

Um I need a tiara too!

The Pink Tiara

Yes, you read that right. I went to a friend's bachelorette party and we all wore pink tiaras, mine is now on Diva's browband.  Where else would it be?

Such a princess

 With the sprinklerbandit wielding the camera I went for a ride with the pink tiara and it was again amazing.  At this point in time she is so not for sale.

Omg this trot

She is still so green, has no concept of on the bit, can you imagine what this trot will be like when self carriage starts showing up?  Also, her idea of excited or spooking is so under developed it is laughable (and awesome).  See here:

She is so cute

Her so called friends Mojito and Bridger (mostly Bridger) decided to run pell mell around the field screaming her name and all she did was a quick shimmy sideways and then go back to walking.  You can see the culprits in the bottom left picture pretending to be innocent.  There are even more great pictures but I am off to hopefully clinch the deal on Aero's sale, she absolutely adores him!

Ok Ok one more, I went an the best trail ride with an endurance friend of mine on one of her arabs, so fun!

That is the most incredible red rock canyon with a creek in the bottom, actually it is the same creek that goes through the 100 acres.

Thanks

I have to thank you all for the sweet comments, they really reflect my own thoughts on the situation.  A day later and I feel much less emotional, but hold strong to my flat work for now stand.  Kitty Kat said it well, 'some horses jump as a hobby, not a job.'  I think that explains Gunner well.  A fun few jumps now and then yes, jumping with the pressure of a goal?  No.

Needing more smiles like this

I'm am excited to say that someone is coming today to look at Aero, keep the good thoughts coming in:)

Totally random here, I started and showed a 4 year old last year that ended up getting sold to a fancy barn in southern California and my mom just found some pictures she got at our last show together.  He was a total joy to ride.

So fancy

Young horse wiggles

He was always balanced 

Intense moment

Such a pretty horse

Short post today, enjoy your weekend!

Ready for Some Awesome!?

I have had the two most awesome evenings (with one bummer of a lesson in between).

It must be contest time and nothings like winning to a horse trainer (kidding...sort of).  So go check out Slow and Steady's contest and blog.  It is fun to read and now you can follow the adventures of a tiny pony too!
http://slowandsteadysmilerwinstherace.blogspot.com/

Yesterday evening the sprinklerbandit and I hauled our OTTB's over to our eventing trainer's for grid night.  What is grid night you may ask?  It is a chance to go school over fences with some light supervision (to not get dangerous), potluck, and socialize, FUN!  It started as grid work and over the last year has progressed from grids to full courses and everything in between.  Diva was so great.  She had a few minor thoroughbred mare moments but it consisted of a prance or push here and there.  We just went for a walk around, no jumps yet.

First time with other horses (post track) and there were at least 8 at one time!

So So So happy!

Diva is making a serious case for not being sold...looking more and more like a three horse winter.

Leggy girl...not me of course

so chill

Then tonight another friend came out and we got on Diva and Bridger (I rode him since it was his first time at the new place) and even with an encroaching storm they were great.  There was a little skittering here and there and then it was all business.  Proud mama here.

I also had some great rides on client horses this morning, babies finally taking the bit and stretching down and forward.

Sunrise on Horseback

"the wind between a horse's ears"

Now the downer from the day.  I mean serious downer, maybe even a few escaped tears.  I had a jump lesson on Gunner.  He was beyond bad and this is with a fresh shot of joint stuff.  He was just shutting down as we would make the turn towards the fence.  I could ride perfect and he didn't care.  It was really the last straw I think.  It has been three years of frustration, we did progress here and there and even jumped around 3'3" courses at home but recently he just won't do it.  It is 85% mental with him and I can't take it anymore.  At the end of the lesson I talked to the trainer, "Am I really this terrible a rider?" *sniffle sniffle*  what does she say? "Don't even waste your energy worrying about this, you are fine.  How many times have we talked about this horse?  Maybe he will get hit by a truck tomorrow."  At which I giggled, yes an exaggeration but sniffling me wasn't attractive and it did the trick.  We have talked about him many times, he is good just often enough that you think you should keep trying...but for right now, no more.  We are sticking to flat work/dressage for a while.

Oh Gunner why can't we have more of this?

and less of this?

Drum-roll Please

I rode Mojito and Diva!!!!!

Side note here, Nicku is running a contest about favorite things under 50$, check it out and congratulate her on 150 readers!  One of my faves for fifty is http://www.doversaddlery.com/woof-all-purpose-boot/p/X1-04348/  they are great for everyday schooling and in the land of fox tails, cheet grass, and general brambly things polos and fuzzy boots are quickly destroyed.

Ok back to the news.  I arrived, other human beings were present (working on the under construction house), and horses were calm.  So I fed grain and did a bit more tackroom work.  This involved getting saddle racks up, adding more clean pads to the 'clean pad rack,' adding more girth hooks, and hanging up more misc tack.  Then I assessed my lack of tacking up area and proceeded to create a semi circle with the back of my car, a wheelbarrow and a folding saddle rack.  I filled the area with brush buckets and tack and went to get Diva.  She was super chill and stood practically ground tied while I did some quick grooming and tacking up.  *swooning* over my  OTTB.   Then we wandered to an open area with mounting block in hand and got on.  That's it.  I just got on and and went for a ride up and down the pasture fence line, mostly for the boys sake here, she wasn't really caring about them.

Bridger pretending he can't see Diva being awesome

Wide open spaces

Love her!

It. Was. Awesome.

Then I got out Mojito, he was the calmest of the three for the in hand walk around.  So then I tacked him up, probably should have put him away after grooming.  He was impatient and wouldn't stand still, then I got on and he was pissy.  I know he still needs is teeth done, but he had on Diva's happy mouth bit and I had no rein contact.  He didn't care, he said I will walk back to my friends and then I will not move and I will threaten to rear and generally be annoying.  So I finally got him moving, stopped, got off and then worked him from the ground, stinker.

Before the ride

After getting on

Straight ahead to fit land

From the mouth of Diva, "Still think I'm getting sold boys?  You better shape up, gauntlet thrown."

All is quiet

The fire is still burning, but people are still somewhat safe, thank goodness.  I got saddle pad racks up and hooks for girths and my boots and polos organized.  Diva's cut is healing, she is sound.  Mojito is cute as ever.

Pic my mom got this spring, edited by me

Also, I got Bridger out and led him around on an adventure.  He tried to bring out his old naughty side, but with some patience and reprimands he shaped up and was cool.  Mojito and Diva ran around a bit when their friend left and then went back to eating, woot woot.

Surprise here: I have actually cooked good food twice this week!  I made some balsamic chicken and quinoa with red bell pepper:

Complete with a cat in a fish car salt and pepper shaker

 Then last night friends came over and I recreated the delicious balsamic chicken and made pasta with pesto + fresh garlic, fresh mozzarella, fresh Italian parsley, and feta...omg yum!  It literally brought me inner peace, no joke.

Pesto. Pasta. Perfection.

More fire

No where near my horses this time, but many of my friends are nearing evacuation over near Sun Valley where the worst fire in the nation is burning, the national guard has been called in.  Facebook is filled with images that make the fire here a few weeks ago look like child's play.

Rain, snow?

photo by: Nadia Novik

https://www.facebook.com/KTVB7?sk=photos_stream&app_data  more pictures here.
Really no words for this.

Risking sounding callus here, I worked on my tack-room last night!  I didn't ride because no one was around and I would rather not get on a young horse in a new place 13 miles from town with no one to handle a phone;)

And I cleaned tack

Impromptu saddle rack, real ones are tomorrow's project

Random carving I have yet to move out...maybe he should stay?

Great evening light

Sunflowers are always cheery

Ride tonight?

So I'm getting ready to head out for my rounds of evening chores and I'm thinking if all seems quiet Bridger and I will go for a romp (probably not a good choice of words here) around the new place.  Grinning.  They all seem so calm and settled, why not?

'Come on Diva you have more, share with me'

 Also, it is so smokey right now...bleck, meaning any shenanigans should be short lived due to lack of oxygen in our lungs.

There are supposed to be hills there.

I jumped Gunner yesterday, there were good ones and bad ones.  Typical Gunner ride.  When he is good he feels like the best Training level horse ever, when he is bad we stop 30 ft away from the fences and throw a fit, doh.

I love that I'm not jumping ahead here, but wtf is up with my back?  Defensive riding at its best/worst.

And then this

Bam goes the tail.

I think part of our issue yesterday is that he is behind on his adequan shot...so his owner was off to the vet to get some substitute for it since adequan is still missing on the market.

Check out this blog: http://www.thecaliforniacollegestudent.com/2013/08/4-girl-power-songs.html  She always has great posts about things like food, makeup, decor etc...my girly fix.  I'm in love with these songs too!

Ok off to have an adventure...wish me luck:)