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

Snow and Sun and Such

Apparently I can only deal with so many media things at once, but the video is now submitted so I have enough brain power to blog again.

Majestic snow

Also, started reading the Outlander books again, I read the first one and a half while in Canada back in August and then forced myself to take a break.  You guys it was bad, I was reading until my eyes were in pain, AND I STILL COULDN'T PUT THE BOOK DOWN.  So, I'm back down the rabbit hole.  It is ok though this time since my arena is soup.

Charlie judging me, while using my pillow

 These books though, oh my goodness.  Can't even.

Dancer says he can't even either

 I went to Phoenix for a week and had a blast.  So good to see the hubby!  Also we won a race!  But, one of our favorite horses got claimed, it was nice to get a last win picture with him, but sad to say goodbye.

No more funny pictures of Blackie

The racehorses are doing good though, hubby has some new promising projects.  One project though is less promising and he is convinced that he should be an eventer.  Darnit hubby you should not be enabling me!  But really, the horse is already wicked good at snuggling.

Proof of the snuggles

 He is three and cute and super calm.  He will probably run for while yet, then I can't wait to play with him and keep or sell either way he will be great!  Hubby is also surprisingly good at picking out horses that will excel at their second carrer, soooo we will see.

Back home wishing it would snow instead of rain

 In case you had forgotten, Prisoner thought you should all know he still has the best mustache though!  I was so pleased with him when I got home and after more than a week off he was foot perfect for videoing in the snow.
 

Champion and he knows it

 Notice that cute bridle he is wearing???   Well, Alyssa ordered a bridle for miss Bacon and it was too small.  I had been lusting over it on the website as I'm convinced I can pretend Prisoner is my mini Blueberry (Valegro's barn name) if he is wearing a black and white patent bridle.  Anyways I mentioned to my husband that if he was wanting to get me something really neat that he could pretend Alyssa was his personal shopper and buy the too small bridle from her.   He went for it!  Happy 4 year anniversary to me!

Much shine, such sparkle

 I haven't even gotten to really ride him in it yet except on the snow adventure.  Can't wait to dress up with the dressage saddle and look fancy.

That face though

Well I'm afraid I can't concentrate here anymore, the swirling mists of the Scottish highlands are calling.  Not kidding, time to read.

When riding can't happen selfies do

P-Diddy is da bomb

Yep, when your 6 months off the track OTTB has a month off and then gives you two nearly perfect back to back rides sans lunging, you get to call him da bomb.

Who needs the sun when you have pink!

We walked around on the buckle and then gathered up the reins and did some halt transitions and lots of stretching down.

All the pats for this champ

In the trot we did lots of direction changes and transitions with in the gait and walk/trot transitions.  He had one moment where he thought that when I asked for the walk that he should stick his head straight in the air and keep trotting...I was like you may run into the fence now as apparently I could still turn.

So many lols

I really worked on using leg before hand and looking ahead, he had a few spots where he thought about spooking, but I added leg and he just trotted on.

In love with this Moxie quarter sheet

Also breastplate love

Cute even when blurry

Check out that engagement

He dressages like no big deal

All the happy colors

We took many walk breaks and had lots of snuggles afterwards.

Love his cute face

Selfie time

Hmmm maybe not

New Boots!

My mom (who is the best ever) gave me something I have been lusting after for years now.  Waterproof boots!  Luckily my tack store discount made them a pretty good deal.  After a few days of wearing them though I think they are totally worth full price, after they have survived the winter I will talk about them again.

They are the Ovation Alistair Country Boots.

Photo from Ovation Website

I ordered the 9.5 (41) and they fit perfect, I've worn them with breeches and over jeans and there is just enough room.  I have a 15 inch calf in most half chaps and such.  My feet have been toasty warm with wool socks and I love that I can do chores and stay dry!

Shut the front door

They may actually make me hate snow in November less.  The inside has cute plaid lining, granted no one knows it is there, but you.  Kind of like cute underwear.

All the cute!

The laces and buckles on the side make them pretty adjustable, they could tighten up maybe another half inch from where I wear them and loosen up about an inch.  Height wise they end just below the back of my knee (about a half inch).  I need 16 or 17 inch half chap.  You may be scratching your head about what I do for show boots...cry.  Yes I'm 5'3" with size 9.5 feet, let's just say that stock show boots are crazy tall on me.

Prisoner says stick a cookie on his tongue

I've pretty much worn them nonstop since I got them on Thursday and I haven't had one sore moment.  I don't think I will be wearing anything else until the end of spring, kidding, not really.

Happy!

Now if only they actually made me this awesome, thanks to sprinklerbandit for photo magic!

Greetings from the frozen Tundra

Well today we reached a toasty 16 degrees. This is miserable, but the scenery is at least breath taking.  Interview was a bust, company was a bit sketch.  I pretty much said peace out, not really, but almost.  No worries though, I now have my first interview out of the way.  Onwards and upwards.

What to do in the snow?  Bake pie. Take pictures. Drink coffee. Plan for the future.

I'm writing this on mobile blogger (practically useless) so I can't caption the pictures, I'm sure all a y'all can figure it out.

My other life

Good luck kisses from my main 4 footed man

In a break from my lamenting about snow...I have a job interview tomorrow!  So totally psyched!  Life has been stressful and I look forward to the day I can put my bills on autopay!  I know it is just an interview, but it is a step in the right direction.

Prisoner has mad balancing skills

Ok, well back to the snow.

Thanks to sprinklerbandit for snapping some fun pictures!

 So this was our first day of snow, by day two we ended up with almost a foot.  Now our lows are below 0 and highs are barely reaching 23.

Big Papa (Courage) chaperons 

 This weather is unheard for November in this area, much more typical of January.  That said I don't think I have ever seen this much snow from a single storm here.

P-diddy rocks the kisses

 Our ski hill is had the earliest opening in 45 years and this now ties the record for snowiest November with the year 1892, no joke.

Blanket icicles 

 Trying not to whine, but seriously... wtf weather!

Only the cutest face ever

I can't believe cross country on green grass was only a week ago!