On Our Way

As my 4 day weekend comes to a close I feel for once like Grace and I are right where we are supposed to be in meeting our goals. The AQHA Rookie show is in less than two weeks and after this weekend I am no longer convinced that I will embarrass myself. I made the most out of the long weekend; I rode in a show on Saturday, watched an AQHA show on Sunday and hauled out for a lesson with Sarah on Monday. I’m sure Grace is thrilled that I am going back to work tomorrow.

I hauled Grace to an open zone show on Saturday for Western Riding and Trail. I wanted to go to that show specifically as it would be my last chance to show a Western Riding pattern before the Rookie show. I also like to support any local shows that hold the class in hopes that they won’t drop it the following year. Luckily there is a trainer that has been hauling down specifically for that class so I’ve had other riders in the class with me. I made sure to give myself plenty of time to get any edge off Grace before my class, riding her in the morning during the English classes and again during the lunch break. The warm up footing at the show grounds was less than desirable; I had my choice between incredibly deep and heavy or hard and rocky. I opted for hard and rocky until I could get into the main arena at lunch; the heavy deep footing was a tendon strain just waiting to happen.

Grace warmed up well during the lunch break. At one point I had the arena to myself so I gave myself the equivalent of a barrel racing time only and schooled the pattern. I’ve made it a rule to not school patterns with Grace as she is too freaking smart and will anticipate, but at the last show I felt like if I could just go right back and ride it one more time I could have fixed my mistakes.  For the most part Grace stayed soft and quiet; she got much farther in the pattern before making a decision on her own. We had just executed a change when two strides later she threw in another one all on her own. I stopped her hard and backed her up letting her know that she wasn’t in charge. I then shaped her body up and loped off finishing the practice pattern without another incident.

When it came time for the class I already knew to plan on 2^nd place or lower as the horse the trainer was sitting on could do the class in his sleep. The gelding has gone to the AQHA Select World multiple times. I enjoy watching him on pattern; it’s like getting a clinic before my turn to go in the ring. I paid close attention to the lines the trainer chose with the way the pattern was set. When it was my turn I went in with a plan to use the room I had to best of my ability. I let out a sigh of relief when Grace jogged over the pole quietly and stepped into the left lead lope when asked without her usual commentary. The line changes felt really good and I followed my plan to shape Grace up in the corners before the crossing changes. Grace stayed in a consistent rhythm throughout the pattern. She never once took over or tried to run with me, even her stop and back up were quiet. It was without a doubt the best Western Riding pattern that we have put together so far. I parked Grace next to the trainer on the nice gelding so I could watch the next rider’s go. The trainer told me that I had made a big improvement over the last three weeks when she had seen me at the last show. She then went on to compliment me on my ride. That was way better than any blue ribbon! We still have a lot of work to do in the next two week, but I’m starting to feel like I might be able to pull this off!

When I'm Pushing I'm Winning

At the beginning of my lesson on with Sarah on Wednesday she said “let’s try this one handed”. Once again it took her all of 2 seconds to zero in on exactly what we needed to work on. That is why she is the trainer! Within a few strides I started picking at my horse, Grace was leaning out her left shoulder and I kept trying to get it back with my hand. Sarah told me to stop and roll Grace over her hocks. She explained that I didn’t have to be mean about it, but I had to make the point clear and get what I wanted. For the rest of the lesson we worked on correcting Grace and then letting her be when she got it right. When she was correct it was such a nice ride that I almost didn’t know what to do with myself. It allowed me to get into my body and focus on staying relaxed and keeping my back soft. My horse was able to carry herself which meant less work for me. Throughout the week each ride was better; Grace could be left alone for longer periods at the jog and her lope transitions were starting to come together.

On Saturday we headed to a schooling show, Sarah was also bringing students from the barn and Nina and Milo came to play too! Sarah reminded me to correct Grace in the warm up; to get 75% in the practice pen so I could ask for 25% in the show ring. Our first two classes were trail and Grace was an absolute pleasure to ride! She was slow in between obstacles and wasn’t anticipating the next gait change.  Any mistakes that were made were mine and she didn’t get excited about them. It was so nice not to have to spend my ride anticipating my horse’s anticipation. At one point she broke from the jog to the walk and I said out loud “Who are you??” Penny passed on a saying to Sarah “When you are pushing you’re winning, when you’re pulling you are losing”. Yesterday was the first time I had to “push” Grace in the show pen. The walk jog rail classes went well, I got tense at the lope in a 3 gait class and it started to fall apart. I was glad to have Sarah there who gave me a good visual for keeping my shoulders soft in the next lope class, which went much better.

I added the 3 gait Advanced Western Pleasure class to fill it with Nina. I may have to ride in that class from now on. I had no idea what the judge was going to ask for so neither Grace nor I could anticipate. At one point we had to lope without our stirrups and crazy enough I rode better! I see a lack of stirrups in my immediate future. The last class of the day was the 3 gait pattern class; it was the same pattern as last month. This time I rode the entire pattern one handed. We still have to clean up some technical aspects that were sloppy, but I was really pleased with how well the pattern went. Once again I had a judge comment on Grace’s lead changes. I think they are a little surprised by what we can do on a pattern considering how bad the lope can look in a rail class. I know I am! We are now one week closer to the AQHA Rookie show in June. I am started to feel less and less like I will embarrass myself there and I am starting to believe that I may actually have a good time.

Grace's Left Side

When I went searching for pictures of Grace from last spring to compare to pictures from this year, I was amazed by how many pictures I have of her grazing. Clearly I cannot get enough of looking at this horse, and seeing her without a blanket or a sheet is such a rare site I seem to always take a picture. Luckily I seem to have consistently shot her left side so it makes them easier to compare. I know that these were all taken at a moment in time and the next second the horse can posture themselves differently for a better shot. Still, I can't help but think that at 15 the mare looks better than ever.  Her body just seems to make more sense now. She looks and feels more balanced. What changes do you see?

April 2006

9/28/2008

5/10/2010

April 23rd 2011

May 14th 2012

Happy 15th Birthday to My Favorite Horse of All Time!

Today is Grace’s 15^th birthday! I have been told that horse years equate to 3.5 human years. If that is true that would make Grace’s age equivalent to that of a 52.5 year old human. Apparently someone forgot to explain the math to the mare, because this weekend I learned that my 37 year old body has some work to do to keep up with my now 15 year old horse!

Grace had too much edge on her when I took her into my classes at the show on Saturday. I fully take the responsibility for this one because I didn’t ride her the night before. It was pouring down rain and the outdoor arenas at home were slop. If I had to do it over again I would have paid the $15 to ride in the indoor next door. Our Western Riding pattern was much better than last year, Grace didn’t rush or run on pattern, but it could have been better. She also wasn’t as settled in her trail classes, even squealing at one point when I asked for the lope. I just shook my head and rode the horse I had. Gone was the horse that had been waiting on me the weekend before.

On Sunday we hauled to Sarah’s for what ended up being a 2 hour lesson. I quickly learned that one of us is out of shape and it isn’t the horse! Grace is not only fit, but she is fat and shiny – the chia seeds and hard work are paying off. She barely broke a sweat in the 2 hours. I on the other hand struggled to keep my core engaged and caused her to break at the lope. If I want to accomplish my goals in the saddle I am going to have to take my own fitness more seriously. We have a lot of work to do this show season and I do not want to be the one holding us back.

I couldn’t be more pleased with how good the mare looks at 15. She is more sound than she ever has been, and shows no signs of slowing down. I’m turning 38 this summer and I am going to have to buckle down if the same is going to be said about me. Happy Birthday Grace – thank you for inspiring me to be more than I thought I could be!

A Cowgirl and Her Horse Trailer

My little trailer left today for its new home today.  I’m thrilled to see it go to someone who treasures it as much as I did. The new owner is looking forward to a summer of being able to hook up and haul her horse on a moment’s notice.  Still I couldn’t help but feel a bit empty when looking at the vacant parking spot this evening.  It was after all my first trailer which represented the stage in my life when I learned how to cowgirl up, hitch it to my truck and never look back.

I first saw the trailer on a drive down a back country road. It was sitting at the end of an arena facing the road, for sale sign hung front and center. It had been replaced by a fancy slant load goose neck and was no longer needed. The Circle J was blue in color at the time; the wiring was a do it yourself job and the doors were creaky and rusted. It was exactly what I was looking for.  A few days and 700 dollars later it was in parked outside my kitchen window. My friend Jeanni encouraged me to get out there and practice hauling it. I believe there is still a blue streak of paint on a cedar tree next door from one of my first backing attempts. The first time I hauled Grace I took her to a lesson at Sarah’s. The top back doors rattled going down the road and must have scared Grace. She would not get back in the trailer when it was time to come back home. We took the top doors of right then and I never hauled with them again. The next time I went to haul Grace she refused to load, I had an emotional break down an hour into it as I was convinced that she thought the trailer wasn’t good enough for her. Jeanni came to the rescue and had Grace loading and unloading in a matter of minutes.  I couldn’t believe that after trying every trick I knew with no success that she could just get the mare to walk right in. Jeanni let me know that she didn’t have any emotional attachment to the issue and that Grace very much had my number. Soon after I had Grace loading on her own just by throwing the lead rope over her back and pointing her to the open door.

The more I hauled the more I noticed that my trailer wasn’t as pretty as all the others. It was often the only straight load in a crowd and the oldest one in the group. I found someone to replace the doors in the manger and tack area with new sheet metal. After that Jeanni and her husband helped me to paint it white, we did the trim in grey and I even had Grace’s name painted on her manger door. Still, something was missing, that is when I found the spinners! They were $40 on eBay and were made of shiny ABS plastic. I loved coming to a stop light, looking in my review mirrors and seeing them spin. Even better was the reaction of people on the side walk. When we bought the truck I had Jeanni’s husband redo the wiring on the trailer and update it to a 7 plug. It also received another coat of white paint. Over the next few years the paint started to again peel away, at the same time I found myself yearning for bigger and better.

When the owner of the Sundowner upgraded to an LQ trailer, I knew he would be selling the Sundowner and I knew that I wanted it. I let the Universe know I was ready and started to imagine what the 3 horse would look like behind my truck. I was only a matter of days before the deal was sealed and the new trailer of my dreams was now sitting in front of my kitchen window. I have spent the last two months washing and waxing it, picking out every new pile of poop, and organizing every square inch of tack room (there are two!) I love getting to a show and having everything I need within reach and still having the space in the walk in tack to change into my show clothes. Knowing how much I appreciate the new trailer made it even more special when the new owner of the little trailer referred to it as “Bessie” when talking of the adventures she plans to have this summer. Whether it is a 2 horse, 3 horse, straight or slant, vintage or new, there is a great freedom when a cowgirl backs up her rig, drops the hitch, loads up her best friend and heads down the road.

 

Asking for More

Today I took Grace to a schooling show and maybe for the first time ever at a show, I felt totally in control of my horse in the show ring. I can directly trace these results back to a lesson I had with Sarah almost two weeks ago.  Prior to the lesson we had a conversation where she told me that I needed to ask more out of the mare at home so that I could get more out of her at shows. If I asked for 75% consistently at home, I could ask for 25% at shows and still be ahead. When I wrapped my head around her concept it occurred to me that I had been hauling to shows still expecting it to just all fall together in the show ring when we still didn’t really have it all together at home. My expectation of Grace was not only unreasonable, it wasn’t fair at all. I am the epitome of the amateur rider, while my intention is to always be “nice” to my horse; i.e. not asking too much of her, it often creates more problems like my horse deciding that she had to be in charge since I won’t take the lead.

During our lesson I asked Sarah to get on Grace to show me the new cues she wanted me to use for getting control of the shoulder and hip. I knew that if I could put the trainer on the horse for even 5 minutes that my job would be that much easier when I got back on. I expected the usual “I couldn’t possibly!” fight from Grace when Sarah asked her for something new. To my surprised it was short lived and within minutes Sarah had my little mare jogging around the arena better than I had ever seen the mare carry herself before. The horse I saw in front of me was even better than the one I have been hoping would miraculously appear at every horse show. I’ve always thought the world of my mare, but I really didn’t think she had it in her to move as nicely as Sarah had her going. Over the next two lessons Sarah worked with me to make sure I was getting the feel, keeping Grace’s shoulder upright, knowing where her hip was at all times and correcting as soon as a mistake was made. It is the kind of riding that I shy from, it feels like micromanaging at first, but my real reason for not doing it is my fear of failure. What if I don’t “feel” my horse drifting to the left? What if I correct at the wrong time and accidently reprimand my horse for something she didn’t do?  This time I was willing to take the risk and do the work, I had to get that same ride that I had seen Sarah get out of my horse with what looked like very little effort.

For the last two weeks each ride has been better than the one before it. I do less micromanaging than I had expected as Grace is more comfortable in her body and quick to respond to a correction. I do feel when she drifts to the left, and my fears of asking more of her are slipping away. I put her on the lunge line one day last week and was blown away by how much better she carried herself on her own. She kept her shoulder up and was telescoping her neck on her own and would step into the lope with her head level each time. In typical fashion this breakthrough has occurred right before the show season. I have a zone show planned for May 5^th, and nothing freaks me out more than to totally change the way I ride right before a show. So I took Grace to a schooling show today at the same place the zone show will be held next weekend. I went with a plan, to school at 75% in the warm up and ask for 25% in the class.

During my warm up at the show another rider stopped to tell me how beautiful my horse was. I only mention that because it has NEVER happened before. Plenty of non-horse people tell me how amazing my horse is, but to hear it from another rider gives real meaning to it, something had changed in my horse. Our first class was trail, and while we did well (ok we won the class), I felt that Grace was rushing more than I would have liked, she needed to wait on me. I went back to the warm up and asked for more body control. Our next trail class was the same pattern but with a lope element added. That class was EXACTLY was I was looking for from the mare. She waited for me on each obstacle, and surprised me by how nice her turns on the forehand and haunches were. We also won that class. Our first rail class was not so good. I had ridden trail one handed, and was doing the same for the rail classes. Grace went back to being flat and rushing off her feet in the rail class. I knew I needed to fix it, but was at a loss for some reason. I knew this wasn’t the ride I wanted. In the next class I picked up both reins and asked for 75%, oh right SCHOOLING show! Grace broke into and unasked for jog, I stopped her and backed her up. When we walked off she lifted her head and broke into the jog again, I backed her up again and did not let her walk off until she gave me her head. We walked off nicely this time and the lope was called. Grace tried to launch into the lope; I stopped and backed her up. I loped her off from the back up and my nice soft horse appeared again. As the day went on, she was better with each rail class and I was able to ask less of her.

We ended the day with a pattern class. By then the show had thinned out and I was the only entry that would be riding the pattern. It was labeled as a Western Pleasure pattern and started out with lope circles with lead changes, similar to a reining pattern. There was then a back , turn on the forehand to a counter lope halfway around the arena, a halt, jogging, halt a turn on the haunches more lope before ending with a jog circle. I had never seen a pattern quite like this, it covered the whole arena. It was the perfect pattern to prepare us for Western riding next weekend. Lots of loping, lead changes and a pattern that Grace doesn’t know. I rode all but the counter lope one handed as it was on the left lead – give us another week for that one. Grace gave me the best lope she had offered all day and her lead changes where just wow! The judge even commented out loud on how nice they were. Grace was in her element on pattern and at the end the judge said “very well done!” I was thrilled with how consistent the mare was throughout the pattern.  She was an absolute joy to ride on pattern at a horse show!! Amazing things happened when I listen to the trainer.

Chia Seeds 4 Week Results

I looked in the mirror the other morning and I noticed that something was different. It took me a minute to figure it out, but then I realized that I didn’t have any new breakouts. My skin was clear. I cannot remember the last time I could say that. The constant red blotchy spots on my neck were now even with the rest of my skin tone. The only change I’ve made is eating chia seeds every day for the last 4 weeks. I’ve had acne since puberty in one form or another. For the last several years my break outs have been rather acidic and take weeks to heal. I’m 37 years old and for the first time and over 20 years I have clear healthy skin. I’m not drinking as much water as I was at first, but I am still drinking twice as much as I had been.

Grace has also been eating chia seeds for the last 4 weeks. After comparing prices and wholesalers I went with Equine Chia (please excuse the obnoxious side banner on the blog). Their price per pound beat out the others and when the seeds arrived they were a darker color than the ones I had picked up from the health food store. In the last week I’ve finally come in contact with Grace’s summer coat. It is incredibly soft and smooth. I’m really looking forward to her dropping what remains of her winter coat so I can really see the results. I see her every day so evaluating weight changes over a short period of time is difficult. I think she looks better, but I will have to get another set of eyes on her to be sure.

 Just maintaining Grace’s weight and not losing any in the last few weeks is an accomplishment. She’s had many extra stressors in her world from spring weather changes, hay that she refused to eat and now her new boyfriend. Our landlords have a beautiful farm next door. Their turnout pasture boarders the property and Grace can see but not touch any horse that they turn out. Lately they’ve been using the turnout for their rather majestic German Warmblood stallion. Grace could care less about him at first, even giving him the cold shoulder, but then spring happened. For a mare that I usually cannot tell is cycling, she sure has made fool over herself in the last few days. She even left her grain to call to him last night when he was being led back to the barn. He left for a horse show last night and she seems to be back to normal today. Luckily even in the middle of a hormone rage she is very ride able and gets right to work when I swing a leg over her. I now have hay that she is cleaning up, the stallion is gone for the week and fingers crossed the big temperature swings are on their way out. I’ll get some pictures this weekend so we can compare her summer coat to last years.

Neighbor's stallion - at least Grace has good taste!