Chestnut Mares

Gigi is doing great post foot abscess.  I think the break was actually good for her, she just seems more ready than normal to work each day.  I've been really pleased with the progress she has made this summer in really using her back and also her self carriage.  She is lighter in the bridle than she was 6 months ago, and more consistent through her transitions.

Engaging the hind end

All the uphill

Matching tails

Redheads on fire

Canter halfpass

This mare has the most incredible lateral work

Free walk bliss

Shoulder fore

Love her in Diva's bonnet

As usual thanks to Alyssa for the great pictures!

There is always room for more work.  I would like to get her hind end even more under her, and to get more relaxation through the underside of her neck.  More work stretching down and lots of transitions (always the transitions) will help with this.  Also transitions within the same gait, forward and back while keeping her sling (tummy) muscles engaged and neck low.  She has such a great work ethic, it is really enjoyable to work on each small thing and then watch the whole picture improve.

Like a Boss

So believe it or not I haven't jumped Prisoner in about a week, I can't wait to go over some (thinking Wednesday).  His flat work is really improving.  He seems to understand what I am asking of him, and what the general expectations are for each ride.

Expectation #1: Look cute!

This one month off the track walk/trot/cantered around the pasture like no big deal.  It was so much fun!
 

Then he had Sunday off, and today we dressaged.  I use the term loosely, but we even had some legit sitting canter.

BAM!

To the right he feels great, to the left he is willing to bend, but not actually give.  What he is doing is popping his outside shoulder, so if I actually do a little counter bend here and there he stays on top of himself better and starts to give and stretch down.

Also, check out who is finally back to work after fighting with a hoof abscess for over a month!

YAY Gigi!

 Last week we won two races in one night!  It was a good time, check out all the smiles.

Me, Sprinklerbandit, and Alyssa.  Photo credit: CLS Photography

Sunday Funday

As I mentioned before, Sunday was awesome!  Alyssa came to the track and we groomed and hung out.  Then we ran back to my house so I could so a little homework (boo) and grabbed some lunch.  Then we headed to the barn for all the riding.

I rode Gigi first and she was great, I took her to the fancy dressage barn for a lesson on Friday (where she of course decided to act like a redhead) and we continued to work on things from that.

Video still

I was actually quite pleased with the lesson and the instructor worked us hard and was very complimentary of what I've done with Gigi.  We even did some trot half pass that she told us was perfect, yay!  This mare has the most incredible lateral work in the trot, and her canter is finally getting strong enough to work on a little there as well.  That stronger butt is also helping her trot lengthenings.  One weak spot we are working on is the free walk to working walk transition.

Fancy feet 

Love this 

Incredible lengthen for her, now to keep the mouth shut

quiet moment

Master of freewalk

Building up the topline

Check out that shine!

After Gigi, I tacked up Miss Priss (Diva).  She started out much more amiable than the day before, but still very much in heat.  We walk trot cantered and she was forward and more consistently on the bit.

Air time

Such a classy looking mare

All the pink

Must get my shoulders back!

Then we started jumping.  The only one she hesitated at (but still went over) was a cross rail with placing poles in front and behind it.  She got up to the jump and was all 'what is that pole doing over there?'  After that she was game, and more coordinated than last year.  I look terrible over fences on her, lots to work on there.

Flowers are no big deal

Hello tail swish

Black tubes are no big deal either

I will start putting the fences up for her as she doesn't even have to try with her long legs.  She can literally just trot over a large cross rail.  We also did two small verticals, one with a black tube under it and one with flowers under it.  Diva picked up this cute slow canter towards several of the jumps, I think she actually has an easier time figuring out her timing in the canter.

One of my very favorite pictures

Monday I rode her again (no pictures:( this time) and tried sprinklerbandits kk bit on her.  She has been fussy and I just wanted to try a few things.  The main thing I need to try is getting her teeth done.  Anyways she seemed to really like it to start and then she didn't seem to like it, lots of fit throwing.  Between fits she again jumped quite well.  Sprinklerbandit and I were discussing Miss Priss and came to the conclusion that the beautiful bridle I've had on her the last few rides (also sprinklerbandit's) may be causing some of the strange head issues.  She usually goes in a figure 8 which eliminates pressure along many of her teeth where as the crank (which is well padded and not that tight) goes right over the top of them.  So if she is already having teeth issues the crank isn't helping.  Back to the figure 8 it is, until the vet comes and floats her teeth.

Thanks to the amazing Alyssa for all the amazing pictures!

Time Flys

How on earth is it already Monday night?  I've been meaning to post here and I kept falling asleep.  Getting home after 9 pm each night hasn't helped any.  Last week was spring break and on top of being crazy busy there was a death in the family (very old great uncle) which turned the rest of the week into an impromptu family reunion.  With a somber start, yet full of full with my crazy family the rest of the week flew by and suddenly I'm confronted with school again.  I had more awesome riding through Wednesday and then the rain started and didn't really stop until yesterday.  Today I rode Gigi and she was phenomenal!  Seriously!  She finally understands self carriage and we even threw in some canter half pass.  I'm really excited to continue to watch this mare develop I think she has a lot of untapped talent that we are just scratching the surface of.

So much power!
Thanks again to Ellie Cook for the great photos

Wednesday morning I had a couple of great gallops and it wasn't even too cold!

The most kissable white nose ever!

I wish I could gallop her without blinkers cause her face is just too cute to cover up

But that would be like taking the railing of stairs because the building looks nice

Check out dat a$$ (the horse's)

So. Much. Fun!
Thanks to Alyssa for the racehorse pictures!

Ok Ok I'm off to bed, lots to gallop and ride tomorrow and a lab practical for anatomy and physiology.

Happy sore muscles

Before I get excited posting a million pictures, I need to say thank you to Lauren over at She Moved to Texas for running the Equestrian Coach giveaway!  I won a month of learning and have already enjoyed a few videos.  After I explore it more and have used up my month I will do a review.  Also she is also running the blogosphere march madness and my bracket is up!

Today is going to be chestnut horse day.  I have pictures of me working our first set of the season this morning, the pictures are actually from before we got going fast, husband said watching was more important than picture taking (fine fine you are the trainer and all...but I wanted more pictures!).  Note: working is racetrack lingo for going really fast.  A regular ride consists of a slow gallop, 'working' involves pushing for speed or letting them out.  When someone talks about qualifying times for a race a 'work' is how you get them.  Today was just two furlongs, or blowing them out down the lane.

It was so cold!

Getting ready to let 'em go

It was fun, but completely freaking cold!  I'm talking it was 25 degrees, the sun had literally just peeked over the mountains and I'm going flat out on a horse.  My hands were like claws when we got back to the barn, I couldn't even get the saddle off the horse.  This was with leather gloves lined with thinsulate!  I had one more horse to take before I headed off to work and I didn't think I could do it (claw hands and all).  Good news, my husband has some great ideas.  He handed me a pair of latex gloves to put on under my warm gloves.  I was super skeptical that it would make any difference, but it did, it did!  My hands were so toasty warm they were sweating when I got back on horse number two.

On Thursday I rode Gigi in some howling wind yet beautiful sun and a friend took some amazing pictures!

Her muscles are bulkling up!

So shiney

I really enjoy riding her 

Like a boss
Thanks to Ellie Allen Cook for the Gigi photos!

She had a few chestnut mare moments in the HOWLING wind, but overall it was a great ride.  I love how she continues to improve her self carriage with each ride and how the dip between her neck and withers is filling in with muscle.  This mare is going to make a great partner for some one.

Tomorrow is fencing day out at the 100 acres and before that starts I'm planning to ride my guys.  I rode Diva this afternoon and it was very productive.  We walked long and low for several minutes before I picked up the reins.  Then we worked on contact and bend and picked up the trot.  She was a bit fussy, but mostly pleasant.  Then we cantered left no problem.  Then we attempted to canter right.  She takes issue to my right leg occasionally and acts like a total mare.  It started at the end of last fall and so never really got addressed as we entered winter tundra mode.  Today we addressed it and suddenly she can move off my right leg and canter on the right lead all while saying 'yes ma'am!'  Goofy princess!

Cooling out with a nice hack

So many happenings!

First of all, Husband is home! YAY!

Two fillies checking out the mama and papa duck that return every year to hatch their babies

We have so many fillies and mares this year, it is seriously going to be a 3:1 ratio girls to boys!  Good thing I like mares.  It is such a long trip up from Phoenix that we won't start riding them until this weekend.  A few more horses will arrive this weekend as well.

A couple days ago I rode Gigi and the sprinklerbandit had impeccable phone camera timing!

Her canter keeps getting better

A great lengthening for her, I'm loving the progress

In love with this picture!

She is such a lovely mare, and should be coming up for sale soon.  We got some video as well, but I haven't processed it yet.  Sorry it is a short post again, I've got homework to do and horses to ride between rain storms:)

Also: Send out some thoughts and prayers for Silva Martin (Boyd's wife and dressage rider extraordinaire) who is suffering from a head injury after a fluke fall (thank goodness she had on a helmet!)

Introspection

I'm not going super crazy deep here, but I've had some thoughts/quotes/insights rolling around in my head.  If you follow my pinterest then you know I love me some thought provocation and then humor in the next breath.

Learn to be content without being complacent.

There aren't enough days in your life to do something that makes you miserable.

Fight for the positive, don't dwell on the negative.

The sun will always rise.

Unless you can be a unicorn, always be a unicorn.

There we go, that's what I have been thinking about.  I just finished up with two tests last week, three this week, and am looking towards two more next week.  Those professors are keeping me hopping!  I rode Gigi and Gunner today.  Gigi was super duper and Gunner was pretty good (he began with an aversion to my spurs*).

*Sprinklerbandit found an extra pair of roller ball spurs.  I have been waxing on about how I want to try them so she brought them with to the barn, woot woot!

Love her caramel color with the shave

tail action

So many fun happenings!

Do I need to be studying for a Molecular Biology of Cancer class? Yes.  So it seems like a perfect time to finally update my blog.  I've been slacking I know, but my house is cleaner and my long time friend who lives in Georgia is in town!  Also I was baking up a storm of pies for thanksgiving. YUM!

Apple raisin

Caramel apple

Peach

My kitchen is still recovering from the mess!
I was able to ride all of last week, Yeah!  But now it is raining and that is supposed to continue through tomorrow and then by thursday our lows are supposed to be in single digits.

wtf

I rode Gunner and Gigi and both are doing so very well, makes me happy!

Who needs to see where they are going?

Working on some halfpass

I love my pink scarf

Such a good boy

Redheads unite!

I also did a lesson with Diva, but that will be in the next post:)