As I mentioned last week, Cam just turned 17 and got her license. The first thing she asked me was if she could come up and ride along with me for the day. Of course, I agreed. I love to have company when I do all my driving, and this would let Mike off the hook for the day. Yesterday was MLK Day, so Cam had off of school. It happened to be a pretty good day for horse training, too.
The night before, Lynn messaged me to ask about bitless options for Pearl. I recommended an s-hack and offered to let her borrow mine. It just so happened my vet would at Lynn's barn for a lameness exam, and I owed him money. Plus, Lynn's barn is relatively local to Cam, so it would be a good place to meet up to have her follow me home.
It just so happened that Ozzy's s-hack fit Pearl's bridle and face perfectly without adjustments, so that worked out. Of course, my vet was happy to get paid (in cash, too!) And Cam learned a bit from watching the lameness exam (and was definitely not complaining about hanging out in the fancy barn with the fancy horses).
Pearl's exam was interesting to watch. She's moving well, but her attitude is awful. She was trying to bite and kick Lynn in hand, and she was bucking and kicking out on the lunge line. This is a horse that is literally the sweetest, kindest, most patient mare I know, so this was very unusual. She is definitely sore all over, despite being sound. Given that she has regular saddle fitting, chiro, acupuncture, etc. this is a very frustrating thing for Lynn to go through. The vet left Pearl with a prescription for Robaxin to see if it helps. If it does, I have a few theories of my own, but I'm not a vet.
This week, I decided to try something completely new. Actually, I've tried a few completely new things this week, but no spoilers, so...
On Monday night, I took Ozzy to a Working Equitation clinic at a local Andalusian farm.
For those of you who are not familiar with Working Equitation, it is a sport derived from Spanish riding. It is a popular sport in Europe and South America, especially in Spain and Portugal. The idea is that the competition showcases skills that horses and riders would use during their daily fieldwork. It's similar to western riding and competitions being derived from ranch work. The big difference is that ranch work deals with cattle while fieldwork in Spain deals with fighting bulls. Needless to say, these horses need to be really agile and smart or they end up dead. At this point, they've taken the actual bulls out of the equation. Originally, the sport featured baroque breeds ridden in traditional Spanish garb. The sport is relatively new to the United States and is very much in its infancy here. As a result, the community is very laid back, welcoming, and supportive. All breeds and disciplines are welcome, though I imagine some will have an advantage over others.
Working Equitation consists of four phases:
Dressage: this tests the horses' basic training. While it is similar to traditional dressage, the movements tend to be more practical and, therefore, simpler. Typically, this phase is performed as a freestyle to music, with a specific time frame.
Ease of Handling: this phase consists of several obstacles, designed to simulate things a horse might encounter in the field. This phase showcases the partnership and communication between horse and rider.
Speed Phase: similar obstacles done at a gallop. This is the cool part to watch and looks like this when done properly:
Cow: basically team penning. This phase is only done during team competition.
My goal for the summer was to get Ozzy off the property for a real trail ride. We haven't been on one since his EPM diagnosis in 2014 and I wasn't sure we'd ever do it again. When I got back on him this spring, trail riding was my end game.
I haven't been on Ozzy very much this year. He is at the bottom of my to-ride list, after client horses and endurance rides. The facilities at home are great for keeping my horses, but there's not much riding to be done outside of the round pen. We took a ride down the dirt road across the way a few weeks ago. I also tried to take Ozzy on the trail out back over the course of Memorial Day weekend. We didn't get very far because the stallion started to fuss the second I pulled Ozzy out of the paddock, and he set JR off so when we got into the woods, Ozzy was focused on his distressed pony friend, and I nixed the entire idea.
I also rode Ozzy in the pasture one afternoon. I was too lazy to go through all the steps of locking up the stallion and figuring out a ride plan, so I just pulled my car down to the pasture and tacked up there. JR tagged along as Ozzy and I circled the pasture, and I wished Mike was there to get some photos. It was pretty cute.
And that's about it. I don't have a truck and trailer (I should probably get on that) so my options are limited. I am trying not to pester anyone about taking me anywhere since Ozzy is very unfit and still has some neurological deficits. We will mostly be walking and I need to start with boring rides on flat ground. Needless to say, this isn't going to work for my endurance pals who are conditioning and working over technical terrain.
Yesterday, Lynn messaged me to ask if I'd like to join her and Pearly on a ride. I was delighted! We agreed on a time (noon) and a place (Mercer Meadows). The park is just around the corner from the house and I know the trails well from walking them with the dogs on multiple occasions. Horseback riding is allowed, but I rarely see anyone actually riding out there. The footing is good (crushed stone) and the trails are flat with a nice mixture of open fields and wooded lanes. It seemed like the perfect place for our first real ride. The trails would allow for a longer loop if things were going well or the option to cut the ride show if Ozzy showed signs of discomfort or fatigue. Lynn was ready to take it slow with Pearl, who would appreciate a leisurely trail ride for a change, and the weather promised to be beautiful.
I got Ozzy cleaned up and covered in Swat while I waited for Lynn to arrive. I think he knew we were about to go on an adventure, and he whinnied to me when I came down to the pasture.
I think he looks pretty good, though I should probably do something about that mane.
Lynn pulled in the driveway just ahead of schedule, and I quickly loaded all my tack into her trailer, then went to fetch Ozzy. I was a little concerned about loading him. Unfortunately, he is the whole reason I got so good at loading problematic horses. He hasn't been on a trailer since we moved him home two winters ago, and he fussed a bit the last time.
I shouldn't have worried. As I said, I think Ozzy knew what we were doing, and he marched right onto that trailer, seeming happy to see Pearl. They used to live together, back in the rescue days and I think they recognized each other.
"Hi, mom. I'm in the box!"
Tookie was running around the pasture and screaming. I think he knew there was an actual mare on the property. JR gave a sad whinny as Ozzy disappeared from view. Mike stayed home to make sure everyone would be ok. He said JR didn't fuss at all, and Tookie settled down in about ten minutes. Good to know!
The drive to the park was uneventful and we parked in the main parking lot by the pole farm exhibit. Ozzy backed quietly off the trailer and tied patiently while we tacked up.
I was prepared for Ozzy to be a little looky or silly the first time out, but I shouldn't have worried about that either. The second I put my foot in the stirrup and swung a leg over, he was all business. He was eager to get going, and barely waited for Pearly before marching purposefully towards the trail head.
We ended up doing a five mile ride! It took us roughly an hour. We rode the perimeter of the main part of the park, and Ozzy had plenty of go left at the end of the ride.
We saw lots and lots of dogs and walkers and joggers and bicycles, and neither horse batted an eye at any of it. You wouldn't know that Ozzy hasn't been off the property in a year and a half!
Lynn and I stopped to let a little boy pet the horses, then asked his dad if he would mind snapping a picture of us.
I was pretty emotional for a moment there. I have waited a very long time to get this view back.
I think Ozzy was just as happy as I was to be out there trail riding again. He put those happy ears on and never put them away. He also started 'singing' just a few minutes into the ride, and kept doing it the whole time.
Things were going well so we picked up a little bit of a gait. One thing I've noticed since the EPM is that Ozzy is more prone to gait under saddle now, even though he's trotting-bred. I was delighted when I gave him a little more leg and he happily picked up a trot and held it. It has been a very long time since I trotted this horse and it felt so good. We rode out to the road crossing, then decided against going out to the lake on a holiday weekend. There would be lots of people picnicking and fishing and probably squealing children. We retraced our steps and went back to the main loop.
We rode down by the dried up creek and took a moment to let the horses graze. That's when Ozzy had his first of two neurological moments for the day. He bent one knee to reach for grass, and both knees sort of buckled over and got stuck in bent position. Lynn said it looked like he was just bending down for grass, but I could feel him wobble and hesitate as he tried to stand upright again. He didn't panic and he stayed upright, but there was definitely some fumbling as his front legs failed to straighten.
We crossed the 'insect walk' and rode over to the barn where I usually park while dog walking. Ozzy checked out the barn and seemed to ask, "Is this where I live now?"
"Doesn't look very weather proof, mom."
On the next section of trail, Ozzy had his other moment. He stumbled at a walk, tripped, and went down to his knees. I stayed on, even though I was riding one handed on a loose rein, gabbing away. He seemed no worse for the wear and the stumble didn't seem to bother him, but it was a reminder that he's not 100% and definitely not ready to be cantering or tackling any kind of technical trail.
Next up was the wooden walkway. I told Lynn I wasn't sure how the horses would feel about it, but we'd give it a try and see how it went. Again, I don't give our horses enough credit. Ozzy marched right onto that bridge, leading the way like he's been trail riding every day for the last two years. Good boy!
From there it was a short jaunt back to the trailer. It was getting hot by then and I was glad we'd saved the shady part of the trail for last.
We got passed by some more bikers, went over a few more bridges, checked out the bird blind, and appeared next to the trailer in no time.
Ozzy seemed super happy to be out, and was making smiley faces as I fed him apples and carrots. He was beyond relaxed and did his ridiculous foot cock that makes him look double jointed.
We offered the horses water (Ozzy, who had peed twice on trail, drank like a good endurance horse) and then let them graze for a little while before loading them into the trailer for the ride home. Ozzy self loaded like old times and was eager to share some hay with Pearly.
At home, I unloaded Ozzy and my gear, and let Lynn be on her merry way. I gave Ozzy a quick bath, and he begged to drink out of the hose so I let him. I put him back in his paddock, where JR greeted him eagerly. Of course, Ozzy had a good roll, which JR though sounded like a marvelous idea. They wandered back to the shed together, leaving an anxious Tookie behind.
I am thrilled to have my Ozzy back! It's good to know that he can hold up to some trail riding, and I am happy if this is all we ever do together. I'm hoping that more work and miles will help him become a little more balanced and coordinated, but I understand that that may not happen. It's still a risk to ride him, but it's one I'm willing to take right now. I hope this is one of many trail rides this year, and I'm hoping for more adventures in years to come.
The first thing I did when I quit my day job was take a lesson for myself! It was long over due and something I really need to do more often. I got lucky because Lynn was going away and wanted me to ride Pearl for her twice that week. When she offered to have one of those two sessions be in a lesson with her dressage trainer, I jumped on the chance.
I took a lesson with this trainer several years ago, when Pearly was still at the old barn and I was still working at the rescue. I walked away from that lesson feeling like I needed to go back to walking on a lunge line. I think the trainer felt bad about it. We both knew that my defensive riding style came from riding lots of remedial horses that would hurt someone if given half a chance.
I have taken a handful of lessons since then, but nothing consistent. Mostly, I audit clinics when I get the chance, and watch other trainers around me teach. I am constantly reading and watching videos etc. It's not ideal but I firmly believe in furthering your education all the time, regardless of who you are (not that I'm anyone special). The benefit of having so many photos and videos of myself riding is that I can really critique myself. Still, I really need someone on the ground to work on me for a change.
The good news is that I've been riding green horses, not remedial ones, these days. I have also been getting to ride some really nice endurance horses, and while it's not a schooling situation, riding for hours at a time does help with all different aspects of riding. Having a few sale horses and a few young horses that I've started with blank slates has helped too.
This lesson went really well! I was tacked up and warmed up before the trainer arrived. I was determined to be a good student. Per Lynn's request, I put Pearl in her new endurance bridle and her fancy Prestige endurance saddle. I had never ridden in one of these flap-free designs before but it honestly felt just like any other saddle.
The trainer had a headset for us to wear, which was really awesome for communication. We could hear each other clearly without either one of us having to shout. I should probably invest in one myself.
Pearl has come a really long way in the years that Lynn has had her. At this point, she definitely qualifies as a trained horse. She is extremely responsive and obedient, which gave us the chance to really work on me. If I did things right, the horse responded accordingly. She has gotten very steady in the bridle, and nobody would have guessed she's a standardbred if I didn't tell them. Despite the fact that it was really hot and humid that day, she held up really well for the entire hour.
I was thrilled that I no longer seem to have any major holes in my riding. My elbows are apparently not a problem any more, which is great because they're something I made a conscious effort to fix. I did find myself behind the motion on a few occasions, which I've noticed in my photos and videos in the recent past. I also had a little bit of a rogue hand going on for a while there. During the lesson, I started to actually notice it on my own though, which should help me correct it over time. As usual, I had a bit of a chair leg to start, and I had to make an effort to correct it without tightening all my leg muscles about it. I still struggle with turning my toes forward, a problem that has grown worse since I broke my leg. (Good turn out in ballet is not a benefit in horseback riding. Ugh.)
The thing that helped me the most during this lesson was the concept of half halting into my outside seat bone. Making a conscious effort to focus on my seat bones and really filling my outside rein has made a huge difference for me already, in just one lesson.
We did a lot of lateral work, which was really great. It also confirmed that my instincts are good. Half the time, I would be making a correction just as the trainer was instructing me to do it. I could also feel when things fell into place before she said anything. The trainer praised me on how much I've improved over the years, which was a big compliment, and also a weight off my chest. Sometimes, I worry that I'm coming unraveled without regular instruction. It's really easy to talk about how everyone should take lessons, but good instruction is not in my budget, and it doesn't help that both of my horses are currently half retired.
The other thing I found helpful was the analogy of a rolling a ball down hill. You give the ball (horse) a push to get it rolling (doing a movement) then gravity (the horse) takes over and you don't push again unless the ball slows down (horse needs correction). It's less work for the rider and makes for a softer horse. Of course, the theory makes a ton of sense and goes with what I teach my students, but I really needed a reminder to put it into practice myself.
The lesson left me hungry for more and I asked the trainer if she has any horses of her own that she teaches on. Sadly, the answer is no, and I really can't afford to buy/lease a horse specifically to lesson. However, some of my students came to watch me get my butt kicked into gear, and I may be borrowing one of their horses to take a few lessons this summer. It would be beneficial to me and to the horse, so it's a win-win for everyone involved.
This lesson cemented that I really want to take more dressage lessons. I have always loved dressage best of all the English disciplines, so this should come as no surprise. I really do need to take some jumping lessons too but I am torn about who to take them with, and would really need a schoolmaster to lesson on if it was to do me any good.
I really just need to win the lottery so I can take lessons instead of giving them. Haha.
Sadly, there are no real photos of my lesson. Mike was at work. But Cam did snap a silly photo of me fumbling with my dressage whip at one point.
It seems that 2015 had one last mean trick up its sleeve, and the year ended with some tragic news. Without going into too much detail, Mike and I will be going to a wake tonight. It hasn't exactly put me in a blogging mood lately.
With that said, Brooklyn continues to do well. We've been doing a lot lately, and he's really turning into a riding horse and a pet horse. In fact, after a wonderful jump school last night, he excitedly made his first ever "cookie face" as I was unwrapping some treats that a boarder left tucked in his blanket as a surprise. His personality is starting to really blossom and I enjoy working with him. I am sure that he is going to make someone a fabulous horse.
Part of educating Brooklyn has been letting other people ride him. He has gotten very used to the idea that any random human might hop on him at any given point, and that it's his job to figure out what they're asking for.
Cameron, especially, has taken a liking to the little bay. I told her she is welcome to flat him any time she wants, but I also had her jump him around last week. I told her, "Your job is to make him believe that cross rails are sooooo boring," and by the end of the session, she had him loping over the cross rail like a saintly old school horse.
Last week, I also got a pleasant surprise when Kristin and Rachel came to visit. They are home from college (college!) and the barn is not far from where they live. It was wonderful to catch up. Of course, I let the girls take a turn each on Brooklyn. Kristin was on her school's IHSA team last semester, but hasn't ridden since May, and Rachel continued to volunteer at the therapeutic riding center, but hasn't sat on a horse since August. They are both very good riders, but were rusty from their time off. Brooklyn was a pro nonetheless.
Brooklyn got some surprises of his own last week. The first was a new friend:
He is now turned out with Cameron's four year old OTTB, Slang. Despite the fact that neither one of them had previously lived with another horse, they hit it off immediately. They instantly became best buds and are basically joined at the hip all day, every day. I even caught them napping together this week. Luckily, neither one is so attached to the other that it causes any kind of problem. When we pull one out of the field, the other simply looks on as if to say, "Alright, catcha later then!"
Becky also super generously gifted us with a new dressage bridle! I bought a used dressage saddle a few months ago and have been planning to outfit it so that I'd have two sets of tack ready at any given time. When I discovered that Brooklyn goes well in a flash, I started planning to get a dressage bridle to complete the set. Becky beat me to the punch! I'll get better photos once I put a bit on it, but we did snag some cell phone shots of Brooklyn looking very blingy in the barn aisle. Thankfully, there is no video of the giddy, squealy jumping up and down that I may or may not have been doing (but you can't prove it).
We finished off 2015 on a good note with a lovely New Year's Eve trail ride. At first, it was supposed to be just us with Lynn on Pearly, but it turned out that the day worked for April and Kristen as well. I was a little worried about riding Brooklyn out in the open with so much company, especially after a week-long monsoon left us confined to the indoor day in and day out, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to ride with some of my favorite girls. Kristen is coming back from some medical stuff, and it was wonderful to see her in the saddle and get to see Arrow again. As for April... despite an awesome two and a half year relationship, we have yet to actually ride together! It was very exciting.
We were twinning super hard that day.
Lynn came to pick me up (thank you, Lynn!) and we drove over to meet Kris and April at Perrineville Lake. I had seen the park in Lynn's photos, but had never actually been there. I was excited to ride on new trails.
Turns out Lynn has great taste in parks and this made for an excellent second trail ride for Brooklyn. It was much more interesting and varied than our first outing to Colliers Mills, and the ride was about twice as long, but it wasn't too technical or busy. We got to see dogs, some bikes, and even a pair of other horses coming head on, but there wasn't much to spook about. Although, I have to say that Brooklyn is one of the least spooky green horses I've ever ridden. He gets forward and racehorsey at times, but not much scares him.
The parking lot was quiet and we tacked up and took advantage of the conveniently located picnic table for mounting.
As I suspected, Brooklyn was pretty concerned about the other horses at first. Mostly, he was worried about getting left behind, I think. He didn't do anything terrible, but he did do some jigging in the beginning. I simply got down and hand walked him until he was relaxed, then hopped back on. I probably could have just stayed on him, but jigging annoys me and I don't want him to make a habit out of it. This way, he learned that jigging means other horses leave you behind, and walking nicely means you get to keep up with your friends. Plus, it's good for him to learn to stand for ground mounting while other horses do their thing around him.
Shortly after we settled down, we got to our first big, open field of the day. The edges were mowed and I think Brooklyn and I were both thinking the same thing when we emerged from the trail head.
Turf course?!?!
By the end of the day, Brooklyn definitely got the memo that we were just going to stroll leisurely along for the rest of our lives. He seemed perfectly fine with that.
We went on to have a lovely ride. We laughed and chatted and took goofy selfies in the saddle.
We rode along through woods, up and down hills, around fields, past the lake, and through sand, mud, and rocks. Brooklyn led, followed, and went in the middle of the pack. Sometimes we rode together in a cluster, and sometimes we broke off into pairs. Brooklyn got comfortable even when another pair of horses would put some distance between us. I soaked up the mild temperatures, nice landscapes, and good company, and took my mind off the hard news we'd received that morning.
We arrived back at the trailer smiling and having a good time. I took a moment to photograph Brooklyn's new Manly Halter. (Horses who don't want to wear flowers shouldn't break their perfectly respectable beige halters.)
This year, we've gone back to work as usual. I have goals and plans for each ride, but I tend to keep them quiet and adjust as needed. I ride the horse I have that day, not the horse I expect to have, want to have, or had the day before. Sometimes he blows me out of the water. Sometimes we just work on having brakes.
I'm consistently working on getting him quieter and more relaxed to fences. I know the height will be there when he's ready. As we've established, scope is not a problem. We're doing lots of cross rails, lots of trotting in and cantering softly out. Not surprisingly, my posture has improved now that he's jumping less like a deer. (Raising my stirrups two holes and waiting for the gosh darned jump has helped too.)
I made Mike come out on Sunday and take pictures of us schooling in the outdoor for the first time in a couple weeks. This week, the temperatures are well below freezing and I'm back to hiding inside, even if it's daylight when I go to the barn.
O yeah... and I'm making him wear all my ridiculous polo wraps because he's actually a riding horse and I've collected an alarming number of them over the years. These particular ones were gifted to me by one of my favorite clients :)
