About this Blog

Meet my very 1st horse, Lazarus.
I couldn't wait for Santa anymore or ask one more time for a pony for my bday (after age 30 it got embarrassing). I took matters in my own hands and I finally decided to pick a pony that needed a new home. Laz found me as I contemplated with this idea. He was sweet yet very sassy, fresh off the track, Thoroughbred (OTTB).
Join us for our re-training, rehabbing from laminitis and testing all parts of mixed up horsemanship and partnership, and luck...

Friday, March 29, 2013

Typical week

Laz and I did lots of little activities this week, just he and I (and sometimes Mason)
After our trail ride last Saturday, we had a spot where I asked Laz to cross an iced over puddle. It was wide, frozen on top and about 8" deep of mucky water. He didn't love doing it but he did it. Slowly. He let Pito go first, he pawed at it (breaking it up/testing it out) and then crossed slow and careful. When it came to re crossing it on our way back, both ponies said "NO" so we found a different path. I circled back and asked him to take just two steps toward it, he did and we retreated with lots of neck pats. That spurred me to continue our 'desensitizing' that we ALWAYS work on.
So, below was a hand walk for Laz, Mason and myself
We walked, trotted and cantered. Yes, WE. You try to run along side your horse at a canter, it's funny.
Here's a quick video of it:
I'm still such a fan of hand walking exercise.
1. I don't have to do a heavy groom session and sometimes in between my work day, it's all I can do to get him out and moving.
2. It allows me to study his foot fall, hoof balance and landing
 
3. We work on confidence and 'touch it' games
"Iz tuchen itz"
"Lez tuchen dis toooo"
Wasssa milk? Alll dis plasdicz for me to cheu"
I'm sure the neighbors appreciate a 1200 lb fur ball digging through their trash
4. We worked on our water/icy puddle crossing
"Uh whad dis?"
"I can no see so I can no walkz on"
"Okai onlee one toez"
"Or one futz ana time"
"I smardest horz in wurld"
March 25th was my Bday! 
Booyah to waking up to this per my Hubbie
 Red Velvet cupcake for breakfast. Yes please
Coffee in my kermit mug that I've had since I was (4?)..yup.
And holy Kate Middleton, I got these from Hubby (is he smart or what?)....literally too nice to wear to the barn, but I'm no poser and I don't wear Hunters to run errands, unless said errands are after barn time...so for now they are on display in my home office so I can drool daily at them before they get smeared with Laz DNA and put to the test.


Groom session; Laz is shedding about 80 lbs of fur a day
Here he is nuzzling Pito in a tender moment..
And the truth 3 seconds later lol
FuzzyLazzy
Kindergarten hair cut--yes I don't pull his mane, I CUT IT (gasp!! the horrors!)
 
and on a nice 50 degree day, our ride
I rode him bareback pad, with bitless bridle and he did awesome. Warmed up a bit spritely but we did LOTS of bending, lateral work and transitions from w/t/w and w/c/w and he was a super chill star.
 
We rode in the large pasture where the ground is flatter because I really wanted to work on being clear with my aides/seat and I'm better on the flat bareback vs hilly and bareback 
(am I alone with that? #thighsofbutter)
Pito pretending to be mad
Sniffy sniff and then he napped while we rode around him
We chased the busy squirrels with no issues, weaved in/out of trees forwards, backing up, laterally (our lateral work needs MA-jor practice)
This is part of my frustration with my bitless lately, a few minutes into our ride, it slips or is uneven by some reason. Me/riding too heavy one side, stoppers not working, etc
See the difference between left and ride, that pulley/ring should be equal on both sides. I had 100% refitted/readjusted hoping for better results but within minutes, this happened. 
Bless Laz for not dumping me or throwing a deserved fit
He was so tired after our 1 hour ride, and I think it was because I was asking for more mental riding. He also got his feet trimmed right after and was falling asleep during trim, lol
                              With our upcoming day long clinic, he's going to be ZONKED

13 comments:

  1. A cut mane????? Stop the Madness!!!! LOL

    You should see the hack job I did on my paint last year to get rid of the waaaayyyy to many bot eggs to remove by hand. He looked like a straw pony.
    Laz's doesn't look so bad. I like how it goes both ways.
    Great post.

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  2. Please tell me what this crazy app is you have on your phone that tells you all that cool stuff.

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    1. It's Endomondo-they have riding (biking, running, etc) it has a GPS so on the trails it's awesome!

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  3. I love you B-day gifts and I soooooooooooooooooooo super love the Kermit mug!!! OMG, awesome!!!! xoxoxo

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    1. Thanks! I know, I love my kermit mug so much. It's about 32 yrs old!!! I hand wash it. They makes ones new with horses in them and dogs-so cute! It's such a little sweet thing for morning. I grew up drinking milk out of it b/c I hated milk (still do) and my Mom used it as a "get to kermit and you can stop" bribe. LOL.

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  4. Omg, red velvet cupcakes and Cadbury eggs?! Literally two of my absolute fave things ever. My b-day is in February and I had a Cold Stone red velvet cake--SO good!

    Love the Hunter boots; they are such a British barn-chic classic. A bit $$$, but definitely nice to wear during your XC course walk, with your breeches after you're done showing, or heaven forbid actually @ the barn in the muck/mud. Your hubby has good taste. :-D Happy belated b-day!

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    1. cold stone red velvet cake...YUM!!! Those Hunters are way $$ I would have never spent the money BUT then I thought; My Kitts have lasted 4 years, and I wear those about 4 days a week..so for expensive boots, they will get WORN :)

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  5. What a nice week you and Laz had. Walks are great when time is lacking... I try to pretend canter alongside (like when we were kids) - thank goodness no one can see. ;D

    Happy birthday (belated) to you Kristin! The husband is very wise I think - lucky you.

    I will also be cutting off major mane at some point, then thinning ends with shears and trimmer to fake the pulling look. Laz's both sides mane is awesome - love it.

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  6. You have the happiest blog posts...I love them!

    I also love your boot liners and that awesome kermit mug.

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  7. Wonderful times with Laz and Happy belated birthday! You and Laz are doing so well. Much respect from here for your hand walking -and hand trotting and cantering!!! The work on the ground out on the roads right beside them is truly the best. They get confidence that way - look at Laz in the neighbor's trash! Not only hysterical, but it makes him realize that man-made things aren't scary. Pie has to touch everything out there in the world. Very funny!

    Love the birthday presents too. Oh, how wonderful - all! So great on the wellies. Billy is a smart one!

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  8. Hand cantering? Good for your! The ground work with puddles, trash, etc. are quite funny, but it appears to be working too. Sometimes putting myself out front is the only way to get Harley past "scary things". Cute pictures with Pito.

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  9. Happy Birthday! Cupcakes for breakfast are the best!!!

    I love handwalking too! :D

    I'm glad Laz is doing so awesome.

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