Jan Byyny Clinic day 2

Exactly two months and a day since the day 1 recap I bring you day 2.  I warmed up in the arena, worked on forward and back and some of the things from the day before, then I headed out to conquer my slipping on the grass fears.

Don't you just want to kiss his nose?

Not really sure why I think we are going to fall over on the grass.  Jan was great though, she challenged us to kick instead of pull, saying that slipping happens when we pull them off balance.  Let me just say this guys, Jan put the joy back in cross country for me.  By the end of the day I was grinning from ear to ear and eating up the jumps with my horse.  I need to get back to this, it was a rough summer.

Heck yes I got a picture with my new hero

Also, she totally loved my horse.  He did decide that standing still was for the birds and we walked the entire time while waiting for other riders.  He relaxed enough to sneak some bites of grass which thrilled me.  After our horrendous time in Ogden (future post) I was happy that he started to relax at all.  Anyways, she started us over little logs and we worked our way up to coops and such.

He is a bank rockstar btw.

 I really appreciated how she would talk about her own riding as well as the riding of other top riders that she admired.  I think every clinic I do I end up with one big takeaway.  The thing that really stuck with me from cross country with Jan was a theory for gallops and turns.  Get down in your gallop position and kick across the terrain, then ride your lines in a way that you can use the turn for your collection and set up.  Not only does it save time, it keeps you out of your horse's face and keeps your balance.  Watch videos of Michael Jung and Buck Davidson on xc, they are masters of the technique.

Look how relaxed

That way too

 We did come back to the trot for most of the jumps to help build his confidence and keep the sideways to a minimum.  I did kick for the gallop on landing, and suddenly I wasn't worried about falling on the grass, I was a grinning galloping maniac.  Jan commented on how much fun it finally looked like I was having.  I had been rather tense to start.  We even strung some courses together between fields and he was fine leaving and returning to the group.

Getting ready to prep for a jump

Kicking on

I love him

Peaking at the coop first time over

And attacked it the second time

 I was having so much fun.  Then it was time for the ditch.  I was nervous from our first totally failed ditch experience back in March, but after checking it out a few time he was a ditch master.

Sit up and look ahead

 He also was bold up and down the bank.

Fun on xc

 My confidence kept building and the day finished great.

Can't stop, won't stop smiling

One of my favorite pictures from the day, rawr

Over a log

From the start of the lesson, whee!

Bigger log is no big deal

Whoops, getting ready to smile some more;)

 The water he hesitated at (it is notoriously trappy at this course) and so before it could turn into a fight Jan just had another rider go past us into it and Prisoner happily followed.  Back and forth we went until he was  galloping in and out.  He really seems to enjoy water.

Why so wet

Joy all around

 And that my friends is how to have fun on cross country.  Next up, recap of the show the next day.

One month

Not sure how we got to the one month mark with Prisoner already, but we did.  I am in love.  It has been years since I have clicked with a horse like this.  I had truly forgotten what it was like to ride a horse with so much talent and aptitude.  I had forgotten how much joy could be garnered flying over a fence, feeling like a Pegasus.  I had forgotten the feeling of anticipation for the journey ahead, the feeling of total bliss while cruising around a course.  Every horse can't inspire this, but this one can.

Be still my heart

Hubby says he got me the horse because he wanted me to be happy.  I don't think he even knows how happy I am.  There are no words.

The flip side of this for which there are also no words is Mojito.  He was supposed to be the special one, we were supposed to go places and conquer the world, he was supposed to be the answer to my dreams.  I've been alluding to him for a while now, but I just haven't been able to type the words.  You have probably noticed how sporadic his riding was over the last year and a half, and even more so before that.  Before I was short on time, for the last year and a half I have been trying to get him going.  He used to be the easiest horse, so willing and amiable.  It hasn't been that way for a long time, first I blamed his teeth, but when they got worked on there was minimal improvement.  Then I blamed his back, again it got worked on, again minimal improvement.  I kept making excuses, but he is only 7, has nearly no miles, he lives turned out.  He looks like an old man.  He used to be a phenomenal mover, truly one of the best I had ever seen.  Now, he takes the shuffling stride of an old quarter horse.  When hubby got home this spring he watched him in the field for 30 seconds and then asked how long my horse had been lame.  Yes, I've had him looked at by the vet, and race trainers (if anyone can see something or think of something it is them).  No, they are baffled.  It is something degenerative, possibly neurological.  Could I spend thousands of dollars on diagnosis?  Yes, but I'm not going to.  I don't have the money to throw around to find out what I already know, he can't be ridden.  Bute did nothing, time off has done nothing, x-rays were clean.  Stall rest wouldn't help, as it is an issue of weakness.  He gets worse right in front of my eyes.  I believe it was so subtle for a long time that it wasn't really noticeable as a lameness, but instead appeared to be training (or teeth or back) issues.  He no longer plays with his friends and mostly just stands around.  He is going to need put down.  I've been pussyfooting around it for about two months, but he has only gotten worse.  I kept doubting myself, but even that is gone, everyone I know that sees him is on the same page.  I convince myself that I will be ok with it, but then driving down the road at the most random of times I start crying.  It sneaks up on me.

So yes, I am happier than I have ever been, but also completely heart broken.  Thank you Prisoner for gluing me back together.  And to Mojito, when the time finally comes, may Heaven's green fields be ever green and crisscrossed by the marks of your frolicking hooves.

A place for dreams

I went for another hike around the 100 acres, mainly down by the creek yesterday.  My friend (and barn pasture owner) and her son went too.  Their reason for the trek was rock and moss collecting for terrariums and I went because, why not?!  You should see the rocks in this creek, I wish I'd taken some sort of geology class during my insanely long career at Boise State University.

I keep expecting to find arrow heads!

That is the hay barn and everything way over there!

Why hello creek.

And future gallop path

All sorts of great water crossings out there

I found a jump!

So much terrain

Never gets old to go exploring here

*Swoon*

A great cut up to the top there across the creek

There is a future sunken road up there in the hole

Which way to go!?

SO MANY DREAMS!!!!

Thrilled!

Finally got the horses moved!  It was uneventful and they seem to love the new place!

First sunrise

Breakfast!

Love Bridger's tail here, swish

Aero is doing great, his stubborn streak is subsiding, thank goodness.  There is still some resistance in his body at times so we are going to have some body work done to really get him up to snuff.  The vet was out yesterday to brand Aero's little sister and while he was there we did flexions on Aero and video'd it to send to potential buyers.  He was totally sound, sweet!

Complete with cheesy hearts

Seriously love this guy!

On the Diva front, her feet are great...but now she has cut herself and is sore on that.  OMG, seriously!

 I would say maybe she doesn't want sold, but I can't keep feeding so many horses:/

The races finished up; bittersweet.  So nice to have some time to myself, but husband has already left for another track with a few horses.  I would like some time for just the two of us...but this love affair with horses makes that difficult.  I don't think I would change anything, something about already having cake and eating it, asking for fresh strawberries on top may be a little much.

Couple of Grey Guys

Hey, I think I'm finally getting back into the swing of blogging it up again, now for attempting smaller portion sizes (hah, yeah right).  So I just had another great ride on Bridger, it is giddy stuff to go from not liking his brain even one bit to really really enjoying rides on him.  He has this new chill attitude that allows for meanders around the field and loose rein trotting, suddenly instead of seeming hollow behind the eyes he feels like a kick ass 4 year old.

Whodathunkit?

Aero is also doing great!  His trot lengthenings are exquisite and he is light and balanced, I wish every horse could do dressage in this manner.  I work towards lightness on every horse I ride, but some are just heavier than others.  Aero is the type of horse on which I can think commands; mind, seat, leg, then hands with him.  Alyssa got some pictures a couple weeks ago, I love the candids!  I always joke that Aero pretends I'm not married, he acts like such a stud and is very possessive over me.  One time I was riding a rather rank horse (and by that I mean: rearing/bolting/bucking for every upward or downward transition) in the arena next to Aero's pen and Aero was rearing and spinning and whinnying/screaming, when the ride had calmed down he went back to his hay.
*the rank horse I was riding eventually got reliable enough for his amateur owner to ride:)

I just discovered
Pixlr express (for photo edits), love!

Those ears

Trit trot

True love

So handsome