Remember to breathe

If you have ever gone through a veritable desert of good jumps (as in nearly no good jumps for years) due to the horses you have been riding you will probably understand the joys involved when you finally have a horse that likes to soar again.  JUMP ALL THE THINGS!  Prisoner and I had a couple of mediocre jump schools, the kind where you wish no one was there to see.  While they ended well, they just weren't pretty.  They were rides that probably should have been flatwork or tiny jumps, but like mythical sirens calling sailors towards rocks, the jumps were so very tempting.  All that said, he still learned, I still learned, and then a few days later we had a great jump school.  Our issues stem from too much aggression (joy?) towards the fences, P-diddy and I need to chill the F out.  So we did and then the jumps were awesome.  Today though I am going to share pics of the flatwork (dare I call it dressage) we have been doing.  Goodness knows it always always helps the jumping.

The fall colors are really starting to come in

Sitting canter!

Mid ride petting session

I love how accepting of the bit he is

Probably my favorite trot picture

He is going to be so fancy!

Soft and light and everything nice

Um hello all four feet off the ground

So there you have it, dressage with Prisoner.  Stay tuned for for more awesome pictures from a sunset photoshoot!
*Pictures today taken by sprinklerbandit and edited by Ellie.

My Princess

Love my sweet girl

Is for sale.  I'm shocked to be uttering those words, but the budget demands it.  I've been in a bit of a funk all day after posting the ad, but she is a great horse and I think finding her a great home will not be that difficult.

She even wins prizes with faces like this

 She can cruise around a 2'6"/2'9" course easily and as she gets a stronger hind end I'm sure she will soar over much more.

Fun with colors

I adore her on trails, which is saying something since I'm a trail whimp.

Ribbon not for kicking, just for looking cute

Last year all my hopes and dreams were tied up with this mare and this year they have moved to Prisoner.  That said she is still a dream to ride and a really good friend.  Like, I would sit in a stall and read a book with Diva.  She has soaked up my tears when life has been hard and is always there with a sweet look on her face.

Look of eagles

So if you know anyone looking for a very special mare send them my way.

Will miss my quiet moments with her

3 Months

Yep, P-diddy has been off the track for an official 3 months.  I can't believe it has only been that long, he has become such an integral part of my life.  I adore him, teddy bear fits and all.

Chillaxin in the field.

Last week I took a lesson and it was great.  We finished with a 3' one stride one stride and some bounces.  We worked on me leaving him alone, letting him figure things out so I don't make him dependent on me.  A forward canter into the one strides, then after the last jump I had to drop my stirrups and come back to the walk and then pick up my stirrups and the canter and make the turn to the bounces.  No media proof of the lesson.

So we will use pictures from yesterday

Dressaging

Right now I need to focus on flatwork and footwork with him.  I want to keep refining his athleticism.  He is bold, but needs to still listen to what I'm saying.

Doesn't mind strange jumps

Bam, knees!

Hmm, oxers at an angle, ready for corners?

Seems that barrels no longer demand tight knees

Guileless blue skies of fall

I posted some transformation shots a couple weeks ago on instagram (@redheadlins).

July 4th at the track, sexy boy

September 12th, already growing his winter coat

I was blown away when I saw these two pictures together.  Someone is getting his sporthorse curves in a hurry, but we will have to wait until sultry days with a summer coat next year for curves and those incredible dapples.

2pointober is on!

Shoutout to L.Williams for hitting the magical 1000 posts on her blog!
When I mentioned to the hubby that it was Twopointober again he says without missing a beat, "Are you going to beat 31 minutes?"  *Swoon*  How does he remember random stuff like that!?  I have my baseline time, I ground it out for 15 minutes and 21 seconds.

Thumbs up!

I also took a totally awkward selfie as challenged by Sarah over at Eventing in Color, while in minute 13.

Yup, awkward

Well, I suspected that Amanda would be serious competitor...she blasted my time out of the water.  Prepare for a month of insanity!  Maybe this will help me get toned up for Thanksgiving in L.A.

Also a sneak peak for you from jumping yesterday:

All the cutes

Yes that is a heart on his butt.  He is as fuzzy as pony so we took liberties before he gets a clip job.

Look at the heart, not that release

Thanks Alyssa for awesome pictures!

That moment

I saw this quote and it just resonated.

Because at one point everything you did was exactly what you wanted~Marilyn Monroe

Life is great, but also difficult.  I'm traipsing around the noman's land between training horses and getting a legit job in the medical community.  It is really a #firstworldproblem rant here.  I am thrilled at the prospect of a regular check, you know like I could put my bills on autopay like a grownup 'cause I will know when my checks are coming.  It is also really freaking scary, I will be the newby, I won't be a big fish in a small pond.  I look forward to the challenge and also fear failure.  I have this college degree that is pretty much useless without another one, to get another one I need hours working in a hospital.  For good hours in a hospital I need some sort of tech certification.  I need to make money, but apparently to make money you have to spend money.  Gah, rant over.

Prisoner still lights up my day and my night.  Seriously can you wear your phone out looking at pictures?

Just keep tossing your heart

This horse is what my dreams were made of, I just didn't know.

Because this

Sorry to get all mushy on you, that is what happens when I blog late at night.


Did you catch the awesome jump before the jump?

Yes, this is from two strides away

Gotta love babies.

P-diddy masters the selfie

And yes, I am wearing pearls and a Charles Owen.

That time of year!

What what, the leaves are changing, the temps are dropping, the horses are growing entirely too much hair and today is October first.  Wait, scratch that, it is the first day of 2pointober!  Those of you new to the blog might have been wondering about the fun badge on the right side with the time 31:03?  Yup, that is last years winning time, I thought I would sit this year out...but then I saw the sweet loot on Viva Carlos and Equestrian at Hart.  So, yeah, I'm throwing my hat in the ring.  Don't have my initial time yet, but I will have it before the October 6th deadline.

A 21 minute practice run on Diva last fall

My winning 31 minute ride on Bridger

Let the craziness commence!!!!!

Raising the jumps

I went to 'jump night' on Wednesday with Prisoner.  It is at Steph's and is usually a grid.  With a totally laid back atmosphere (not a lesson) it is such a fun way to go on affordable field trips.  The grid was set as a one stride, one stride, two stride, one stride on a very open stride.  We worked on me allowing him to really cover the ground and then right away settling back to me after the grid.

Love his knees and ears in this

and this

Nice quiet jump over the last

It started as just cross rails and then bumped up to verticals.  The fourth jump was tallest and we finished with it set as an oxer...at three feet tall!!!!

SO MUCH JOY

Up up and away

P-diddy is all, no big deal guys

 He was perfect, it didn't even feel like a challenge for him!  In all reality I could get him around a three foot course, but his little brain has no need for that.  We will keep working on straightness, rhythm, and pace over smaller jumps so that when he is ready we can really soar.