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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Spring day but winter trail ride

All week, the weather claimed to be warm, sunny and 40's for this weekend.

More like cloudy, low 30's and damp.

I have somehow lost, yes LOST, my warm down ugly brown winter barn coat. How? Where? WTF? It was so crusty I can only assume at this point, it literally walked off on it's own to die somewhere.

Now, I'm left with layering myself with under layers upon over layers and vests. Grrr

Oh, and it's shedding season. If you own a Yak like myself, you clearly know that. I have eaten more horse hair than food lately.

Saturday, E and I met up for a trail ride. We both have had a hard, long week, and she was really missing her Justin. She wore her riding coat to the barn and remembered she hadn't washed it, Laz would not stop smelling her and rubbing his face all over it. It was sweet and very sad...

if people think that animals don't connect specially with certain ones, they are wrong. 100% wrong. Laz misses his buddy. He hasn't played with the others. He and Justin played with each other every waking minute. Red has been adopted to a great home (my friend who runs a young girls riding facility about an hour away) and is being fawned over daily. So, now it's just Pito and Laz. They tolerate each other, but there is no love there. I hope it develops.

So, E grabbed Pito and we headed out...

The trails had broken trees that blocked some sections entirely, and some iced over puddles that we had to maneuver the ponies through. They did not like that, but they did it eventually. Laz pawed at the ice, broke it up, smelled it, and then walked through. Good boy!

The trails were quiet, with the exception of one loud busy woodpecker hammering away

Footing was not great, so despite the ponies wanting to RUN, we could only canter in a couple of short spots.

I rode Laz in our borrowed bit/bridle and he did really great. Loose reins for most of the ride, and a quiet mouth. My goal is for ME to not hold him as much like I've been doing for some reason in my bitless bridle. I had MUCH less head tossing and frustration from him on this ride.

You can see how narrow some of these trails are, it's great weaving in and out

The ride was fun, but I was FREEZING so I rode so stiffly in my body despite trying not to.

The trails are so densely treed that it felt at least 15 degrees colder in there

Here was our ride:

My cow poke tired pony.

He is a perfect cross between a future Hunter/Jumper (lol) and a Western Trail pony. He's my versatile OTTB

P.S. Thanks to Gen for his boots which we use ALL the time!!!

Mouthy Laz would LOVES to knock over my crate/mounting block

(side note; look at that fat belly, that untamed mane, his fuzzy fur..he is a fraggle rock pony)

"We iz DON, no more ridez today, I needz nappie"

Such a good boy!

Monday, March 18, 2013

Mirror Mirror

Yesterday we took a Sunday stroll. It was COLD, but we have an exposed dirt road back and I wanted to start getting Laz's hooves back on it.

Garbage day must be on Monday, because one of the neighbors had their trash out in front of their home, including a toppled old desk with a mirror....

To my knowledge, Laz hasn't seen how fat he's gotten ;)

Click below for Video

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Spring Lesson

Finally the weather (semi) cooperated so I could have my lesson that I've had to reschedule 3 times now.

I was so excited!

2 hours of a private lesson with my trainer Meggie, who is kind, quiet and such a talent.

We started tacked up, and warmed up on the ground. I had Laz's BOT saddle pad on to help keep his back muscles warm and supple. It was a cool 32 degrees and windy on our lesson day but thankfully the pasture dried pretty quickly for decent footing.

Meggie had me work on having Laz stop on his circle with and without facing me. Without facing me helps him stay confident and not always looking to me for 'what's next'

Below I'm using my stick to yield his shoulder back onto circle. Pictures can't always translate, but the stick never touched him and is used slowly and as a request. Nothing vicious, or demanding.

What this picture does say is Laz has a big belly! Eeesh

Here he is stopped on his circle. He understood quickly and did great with it.

Lots of licking/chewing=processing and contentment

Mid snort, lots of releasing for Laz during our 2 hours :)

Yuck on the toe first...we need to hit our gravel/dirt roads for some hoof conditioning now that they are unfrozen

After about 15 minutes on the ground, I hopped up to ride in my bitless bridle

The 'issues' I hoped to work on were Laz's head tossing and 'feisty behavior' I've been experiencing on our last few rides out in the pasture and out on trails.

I put it all in quotes because I'm sure it's him trying to say "HEY STUPID!!! DO this or STOP doing that!" So, it's all part of figuring it out.

What I am not happy about, it I feel I'm causing him some discomfort in his bitless by over using reins and putting to much constant pressure on. Riding a flighty head shaking horse that wants to run may lead to that poor riding skill ;/

So Meggie had me w/t/c with him to assess what I'm doing.

Aside from being super happy that I'm riding my horse and having my Mom there to document it all (Thanks Mom!)

Sweet Laz. So so tolerant.

Sweet Mason, followed us for almost the entire 2 hours.

We warmed up tight. No, correction, I warmed up tight. Held my reins like a beginner. She urged me to 'loosen rein' 'loosen rein' 'loosen again' until we had this below on the buckle

Lots of releasing from Laz.

Duh, me not nagging him or over asking or over reminding him, made for a happier mount.

I forget how long his neck is. On the buckle I still have contact. It's the 'fear' of when he 'acts' up that he leaves me feeling behind. Again, see a common theme.

It's me. Not him.

Bare tootsies

Once Meggie reminded me of position, leg, LEG, USE YOUR SEAT, loose rein, turn shoulder, chin up (you know everything one forgets when out of working lessons) Laz was a happy, bouncy trotting boy. Walked, halted, cantered from a walk or trot and never 'acted' up. She thinks I ask him something, and then I don't release it. He gets annoyed by the ask and push and hold. Who wouldn't!??

Then, we tried something new. Something I requested. I had previously talked to Meggie about a bit option. I know..shocked?? I am as well. My Chiro mentioned that Laz's poll seemed sore and asked about my bitless. It made me think; if I'm using it incorrectly, then sure it would probably make him sore. I wanted to explore a bit as an option to give him a change of feeling, as well as having it as an option for our training, and trail riding, etc. Options people.

"Wazz a BiT?"

Meggie brought the 3 different bits that are for different type of horse personalities

We tried out one, he did very well, but she thinks the less ported one is a better option. We'll try that out next lesson in May

"Meggiezz u smelsss nicccce"

This was the cradle bridle/bit we rode in for anyone interested. I was surprised how well Laz did. He hasn't had a bit in his mouth for 4 years.

Bridle is UGLY, I hate the look of it, but it did seem to function well.

Meggie left us her C2 or C3, I can't remember...but C1 she thinks could be the winner.

Holy $$$$ for Myler bits

How nice that she loaned me her bridle/bit--um very. I'm returning it April 6 at our next clinic (more on that to come--Laz and I are doing a clinic!!!!!!!!!)

Anyone know of a similar bit/bridle by another maker that isn't an arm and a leg?!

I'd like an option but seems SO costly....maybe it's worth it? I don't know yet.

Laz in the cradle bridle/bit combo

Look who's a Western pleasure fatty boom batty pony!? WTF?!

But, he had great slobber, chewed it a bit, never gaped (I have video but it's on my Mom's phone so I don't know how to upload to my youtube...darn) and we rode like super super soft and seemingly well connected.

No head snaking or acting up. He acted like he had a pacifier in his mouth!

We worked on w/t/c and transitions and he was great. Meggie commented on how soft and sensitive he is.

She wants me to use (as I feel comfortable) the bitless alternating it with bitted to give him options and get him used to it. This is from a trainer who rides in both, and bridle less so I trust her skills and training.