WINDY!

Woah, yesterday was insanely windy.  I mean move my car while waiting at a stoplight, shake the house, knock over a semi-truck windy.  Note: none of those are exaggerations.

Making our own wind

The weekend was again awesome (well Saturday was).  I galloped at the track, worked the big tack sale,  rode Gigi,  took pictures of Courage, rode/groomed Mojito,  and groomed Diva.  Sprinklerbandit actually did their manes and I did lots of currying.

No clue why his owner chopped off his tail 

Dressage horse?

Vroom Vroom!

Sunday started with a trip to the hospital with grandma,  but she is doing better now.  I rode Mojito again and then the hubby and I went to dinner.

I was still really sore on Saturday which ended up being a good thing for my ride on Gigi.  

Rub from my brilliant idea to gallop with no chaps

I work on her staying light on the reins during each ride,  but when she gets a little fussy or comes up I can just do a large half halt with the reins, soften, and continue on.  Well,  my arms were too sore to hold much weight so I had to really use my seat, leg, core, etc.  By the end she was going better then ever,  we even did a lengthen trot with me sitting!   Thank you sore arms for making me ride better!

From a few rides ago

Mojito continues to improve.  I finally punched more holes in his bridle so it fits right and I lunged him for a few minutes before each ride.  I need to video him lunging so y'all can see his delicious trot and canter!  He stood still for mounting and walked off in a good mood.   He is stretching down well and moving forward in all the walk work,  about 45% of the trot,  and 50% of the canter.   Yes peeps that's right I said canter!   He just picks it up and feels perfectly balanced.  He wants to get all fussy at the trot and then throws mini fits.   They are getting smaller and further apart with each ride.   I have to work to not get in a fight with him as he is such a princess!

Up hill without even trying

Post ride snuggles

This one cracks me up!

Love the baby blue pad on him

So there we have it an actual post with words and pictures again.  I actually typed the words on my phone at school between classes and then added the pictures at home.  It may be my new posting routine.

Whew!

I don't even know where to start!  It has been an insane, but awesome week!

Last Sunday I had a blast doing a jump school on Zida, she is the sweetest mare.  I finally experienced her left drift and worked on it a bit at the end.  I was also working on her not taking the awkward long spot.  It was a lot of riding her hind end towards the bit.


At the track I have continued with a bit of galloping and boy am I sore!  I'm looking forward to the middle to end of the coming week when the soreness will dissipate and leave strong muscles behind.  I don't have any pictures of me galloping yet, but fingers crossed there will be some tomorrow.

This is from the first year I galloped (thanks mom for the picture)

I've been snatching a few moments here and there to read all of y'all's updates, seems like the weather is slowly getting better across the country so we can all get back to riding our horses.  I was planning to ride Diva this week, but instead she decided to slice her hind leg up on who knows what.  She will be fine, and I will probably ride her around at the walk tomorrow, but it is ugly.  I've got to throw in a little husband brag here.  We were going to bring her a shot of dex tonight to help with the swelling and such, but it turns out we were out (on the list to pickup tomorrow).  The hubby still draws up a syringe and I ask what it is, "oh just some adequan (the generic kind) I bet she is sore and it will be good for Mojito too."  Just like that, matter of fact, lucky ponies.  Also, I was watching hunter derby videos while eating lunch at 3:30pm and he sat down and watched them with me, making comments about their jumping form and such. *swoon*

I did all my usual Gigi and Gus and Gunner riding this week, but frankly I'm too tired to go find photos at the moment.

Thursday was pretty epic in the riding and exhaustion department.  I galloped the same red filly that is in the picture in my last post, but this time she didn't have any ace.  Talk about two different horses!  On ace I could gallop her with one hand, without it she was cantering in place and snorting to go.  I got her backtracked and turned around to gallop and thought that if I could hold her for a while she would give it up.  I was wrong.  I held her down the backstretch and into the turn and she was still pulling so I let her pick up the pace down the lane and then got her pulled up again on the backstretch.  OMG I thought I was going to die, not due to speed or anything like that, my muscles just felt like they were made of painful spaghetti.  Also it was cold so my lungs were burning and my arthritic hands were stuck in claw shape.  OOHFF, not as fit as I thought.  Then I rode one more for a different trainer and just trotted as I was still dying a slow and painful death.  Then I went and jumped Courage, promise me not to judge my horrendous position (remember, my muscles almost died an hour earlier and they had not yet resurrected).  He was a total rock star!  Then I rode Gigi and Gus and my old man Roanie pony.  I also did chores all over the place and by the time bed came around I collapsed.
 Yesterday was great too, but that is for the next post.  I'm still instagramming even when I haven't been on the blog, check it out @redheadlins

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!)