Prisoner's first fit

ROFLMAO!  He throws fits like a teddy bear.
Two weeks ago if I asked for right bend he would canter a stride, this week he has right bend down pat, but left bend has become difficult.
 Funny babies, I figure as long as some problems improve and different ones arise than we are making progress.  After reinforcing bend each direction at the standstill he went back to work like a champ!  In case you are wondering about my somewhat sloppy and unattractive riding, I was wearing brand new tall boots for the first time.  They are crazy tall and slippery, but comfy at the same time.  I believe the next post will be about them:)
These pictures are all from after the video, love his prancy pants!

Video Tuesday

He needs all the kisses!

I have a couple videos of Prisoner that I thought I would share with you. He had today off, but yesterday I did some solid flat work and then cruised around the jump course again because sprinklerbandit was there ready with a video camera (my phone).  He was feeling great until he got rolling along and suddenly the blue barrels were surprising.  The video shows the runout and then the awkward second attempt where we make it to the other side.  We actually jumped it again quite well, but my phone chose that moment to swap from SD card to phone memory and glitched it out.  I was really impressed by how unfazed he was after the shenanigans, he just continued on with life like no big deal.  Bad jumps are going to happen no matter what, but it is how we recover that dictates the next steps.  Hmmm, sorry got all pinterest quotey there.  Tomorrow is going to be a spin in the dressage saddle again with beautiful white polos wraps, I love dressing up!

In-case you don't want to watch the video

In case you are wondering about the SSR Prisoner as the video title, I'm following in sprinklerbandit's ideas and using Prinsoner's race trainer's initials plus an R for racing.  Seems to be popular for horses to have initials and I think his have a good ring with Prisoner.  Like I said, I'm terrible at changing names so Prisoner has stuck, but he goes as P-Diddy as well.

Sunday Funday

Y'all may get sick of Prisoner pictures because Alyssa's long weekend means two more days of pictures!  Yay!  I rode him again Friday, but we just walked with a few trot circles each way.  He was in need of new shoes which actually got put on right after our ride.  Also it was his third ride in a row and he said that was an awful lot of brain work.

Smiles all the time

Work dat butt

Such fanciness 

Like I said after this ride he got his feet re-shod.  My cowboy farrier was really impressed with the quality of Prisoner's hoof wall!  Yay, winning feet! *funny aside: his one black hoof was worse than the three white hooves.  Also he stood like a gem.  I have had orangutans for the farrier for years, I could have cried at his laid back attitude.  Cowboy farrier's little 4 year old son was in end of the day rare form and Prisoner didn't even flinch at the flying roll of tape, high pitched squeaks, and general blur of blonde hair running around.

Finishing the last foot

Day after perfection

Saturday was work at the tack store, lunch and shopping (for wedding cowboy boots) with the girls, and then 4 horses in the races, so no Prisoner riding.  Sunday was just Alyssa and I at the barn (I hauled Bacon over for a visit).  The sprinklerbandit had set a course the day before so I had to jump around it.  First I coached Alyssa and Bacon through some dressage/flatwork and they finished over a course of 2'9"ish jumps.  They are a truly pleasant team to watch improve.  Then I got on P-Diddy, he was totally chill from the start!

We even trotted around while I fixed his bonnet

Looking for a jump to jump

Perfect little canter

All the loft

It was quickly getting hot so I opted for a quick warm up and made sure we had forward and back and the ability to bend.  After a week without jumps we were ready to try the course.

Cute over a cross rail

Relaxed over a vertical with flowers

He had radar ears looking for the jumps.  Warm up was difficult because he was constantly locking onto the fences!  It makes for really fun jumping though.

Relaxed over the blocks

Anyone want to kiss his nose, I do!

Like no big deal

And finally the creme de la creme

Hell yes, blue barrels like a boss!

We even cantered about half the course before having to trot to re-balance.  Also, kudos to sprinklerbandit for a great course, lots of options, fun to ride!

All the pictures!

I love everybody's topical posts.  They are interesting and cohesive and feel like they have a point.  I keep meaning to do one or some, but I get distracted by this:

Channeling his inner unicorn

Can't say no to this

So there you have it, my myopic world view.  Really, it isn't, I had the best ride ever on Diva the other day, I could practically feel the butt and neck muscles developing while I rode her!

We also enjoyed some clouds and cooler temps!

I've also ridden Bridger and he was passable, which is actually really good considering how long it had been since I swung a leg over his back.

More pretty clouds!

We have also had some great nights at the races with wins, seconds, and thirds!  I need to scan win pictures so I can share them with y'all.

And here I come full circle back to P-diddy and his OTTB adventures.  After his epic jumping on Sunday he got Monday and Tuesday off.  Then Wednesday the my friend who owns the 100 acres came with to meet Prisoner and ride him.  It was a fun day at the barn as Sprinklerbandit and Alyssa were there as well.  Prisoner was a bit more tense than other rides, but was still ridable and relaxed pretty quickly.

A quiet moment

His first time trotting through multiple poles

All the beautiful brass

He says hard work is hard

Oh babies

Loving the pastel hues in the whole picture

Then my friend got on and I was so impressed.  They got along great and even had some nice trot work!

I was planning on giving him another day off today, but then the urge to dress him up (in a dressage saddle no less) took over and we had a mostly walking and some trotting ride.  I am really working to supple his body so he can continue to improve his self carriage.

Great angle, so spoiled by Alyssa and her camera!

Yes, I am grinning

Look at him not me

Again, what a trot!  Again, wtf am I doing?

Love this, he is going to be so fancy!

Hello engaged hind end!

I'm in love

Yes, I put in a french braid, because why not!?

And he snuggles, winning!

There you have it, another progress report with epic pictures thanks to Alyssa!  Maybe a topical post will happen later, something along the lines of: 'WTF arms and legs, the story of how I fixed my new and comical position errors.'

Did someone say BONNET?

I forgot to include two things yesterday.  One, Alyssa took all the great photos of Prisoner again:)
Two, she is running a contest!
What?  Yes, go over to fourmaresnomoney and enter to win a custom bonnet!  On second thought don't go enter, I want to win!  Kidding, you should check out all her adventures with Bacon and their discoveries in the world of jumping!
I love bonnets if you hadn't noticed, I blame sprinklerbandit for nurturing that addiction.

This fugly bonnet needs replaced!

My husband blogs

This afternoon I was eating a little lunch and the hubby was napping on the couch.  He rolled over and asked what I was doing, to which I replied, "blog stuff."  "Ooo, important things," he says.  Then he followed with this:

Today I jumped Bridger.  I felt the wind rush through my hair as we approached, I felt his legs lift for take off.  Woosh.  Thud, we land on the other side.  I pat his neck, good boy Bridger!

Little did I know he thought about such things.  He really doesn't even seem to understand the difference between facebook and blogging, and I haven't tried to explain.  If I am on my phone he asks how pintagram (pinterest and instagram) is doing.  Oh to live a life without social media, not sure what I would do.

Maybe in the near future I will do a husband style in the moment blog post!

BTW, in case any of you were wondering....Prisoner is still doing awesome!  In-fact we jumped all manner of interesting new jumps and he was stupendous!

Such fanciness!

Borrowing Sprinklerbandit's Ogilvy

First time over the scary black tube (not so scary)

First time cantering a jump

First time over the wee baby oxer, wheee!

Second wee baby oxer, much better

First vertical

So yeah, that's him, two weeks off the track.  LOVE LOVE LOVE!