Training elves

Last week Sprinklerbandit came and had lunch with my mom and I and then came to the barn with me, yay friends, food, and pictures!

That stretch though

I was soooooo thrilled with my horse!  I kept it easy since he is rather soft after a couple slow months, but he answered every question I asked.  His walk was forward and swinging, his trot was ground covering and loose, and his canter was worthy of a dressage test.

Stupid hands

Ok ok, so maybe not dressage test worthy yet (as in what the heck are my hands doing), but overall a great ride.  I swear that the snow elves were training my horse while the arena was unusable.  Also, can we just notice how great he looks in this bridle?

Pink, purple, and snuggles

I was working hard to stretch my leg down as it has a tendency to creep up in the winter months, also I obviously need to get my hands out in front of me.  I am excited to be planning on some dressage lessons with my old dressage trainer.  I grew up in his barn and over the years have taken some of my client horses in for occasional regular lessons, but I haven't ridden a horse of my own with him in something like 7 (?) years.  I am really pumped to have one nice enough to be worth the cost!  He is someone who I can communicate with nearly no words.  He gives you excersices that you can do on your own time, and quiet moments during the lessons where you can think and absorb the information.  Often during walk breaks we discuss theory and ideas before picking up the reins again.  He is unapologetic, but never berating.  If the word 'good' actually escapes from his lips you know that you have truly earned it.

Life advice at the wedding

Yeah, you know I wore a princess dress.  Even when I don't see him all that often he is still there for me, he is my second dad.  Anyways, can't wait to get his help guiding Prisoner in his training.

Also he can yell at me to sit up

Snuggly pony dressage

Holy hind end

You see him reaching with his hind end in the canter?  We have worked very hard to get there.  I have to give time off its due credit though.  Nothing like a nice winter break for muscles to heal and the mind to be revived.  Now to get rid of my winter break flab!

Time flies

When you are having fun, and that I have.  My mom came and visited for a few weeks and I even took her on a trip to Phoenix to see the hubby and racehorses.

Dancer dancing

You really can't go wrong with racehorses and palm trees.

Dancer showing off his muscles and reach

Yes, the rider is sticking his tongue out at me.  Winter seems to me loosening it's grip here in Idaho which thrills me to no end.  I was in serious need of some saddle time.

Bits of pink to brighten a grey day 

The first few rides were in an arena sloppy to two inches down and then frozen, it seemed divine after weeks of being under snow and or frozen solid all day.  Prisoner was a good boy albeit tentative about the footing.  We walk trot cantered about and enjoyed ourselves though.  He was just slightly dragging his hind toes and not quite stepping all the way through with his left hind.  I wonder if he will have some stiffness in that leg from when he sliced it to bits this summer, either way now that the footing is truly good he is perfectly marvelous.  

Tiptoeing through the slop

 I can't remember if I shared with you guys about that leg slicing incident.  It was the day after I returned from our week in Montana (Rebecca Farm) and Prisoner promptly lost his mind in turnout.  I just missed seeing it happen (which I think I am grateful for), but I could see where it happened.  He had gone careening around the pasture and misjudged a turn.  He slipped into/over the fence line.  It was a t-stake so it bent over which probably prevented more damage and thank God it had a cap.  With out the cap there is a high probability that my horse would have been put down.  He had one shallow slice across his belly and with out that cap it might have just stuck right in and gutted him, but it didn't for which I am forever grateful.  The main injury was slice down the front of his left hock.

Day after it happened

The top T shaped part almost needed stitches but not quite.  I doctored it up, assured my barn owner I wasn't upset with her (horses will be horses) and he promptly got over a week off.  He was lame for a couple days and then we haven't looked back until the other day in the cold and bad footing.  Something I will be keeping in the back of my mind.  It took a while to heal.

A few weeks later

He still has a white scar running down his leg, but compared to a dead gutted horse I am thankful.

He says no worries

 Total rabbit trail there, sorry guys.  The beautiful grey boy has also been lovely to start legging back up.

Hugs for Tudor

More plans

Somehow December came and went and I only posted twice.  I was busy though making this:



Totally a joint effort with Aimee and Alyssa, thank goodness for good friends willing to play in a snow storm!
I still haven't gotten a response from Practical Horseman, but fingers and toes are crossed.  I mean seriously, how cool would it be to get the Martins way out here in the wild wild west.  Joking...but not really.

yep, not totally joking

Anyways, I mentioned 'more plans.'  How does Kentucky in October sound???  Hopefully some of you are guessing correctly.  I just submitted my application to be one of the 500 trainers for the 2016 Thoroughbred Makeover!  

Double thumbs up

So yeah, more fingers and more toes crossed that I get accepted, then the search is on for a suitable horse (with plans to sell him (or her) at the Makeover).  AANNDDD then, I'm thinking a totally epic meetup with east coast bloggers!

Hopefully the new horse will also be amazing at selfies

What is life without plans, dreams, goals, and friends?