Grace is a Really Nice Horse!

Grace and I are as ready as we going to be for the show this weekend. We leave on Friday to overnight at the show grounds so we can particiapate in the clinics on Saturday. I ended each ride this week with a big smile on my face while repeating the words “that’s a really nice horse!” The mare continues to impress me by how cool and collected she is each ride, this is as level headed as I ever remember her being. Oh wait – maybe I’m the one who finally settled down. Either way it’s working.

Tonight I brought the Liberty Neck Ring with me with plans to reward the two of us with some bridleless work. There were two other riders in the arena finishing up a jumping session, which is a rare treat for us as we usually have the place to ourselves. Grace and I behaved ourselves and kept our tack on while the other riders jumped an oxer in the center of the arena. I stayed out closer to the rail and was pleased by how steady Grace remained when we started loping. She never once got excited or tense about what the other horses were doing, but then again neither did I. It gives me hope that one day we may be able to handle a pleasure class at the lope in an arena full of traffic.

I kept Graces bridle on when I slipped the neck ring over her head. The other riders were finished, but still needed to move out their jumps. I tied the reins to the horn, with no intention of actually using them. I always tune Grace up a little with my spur stop when I go to the neck ring, I’m sure it’s not the same methods that other people use, but for me it establishes my emergency break and ensures that I will not have to go to my hand. As we jogged off I felt Grace drift out with her right shoulder. With no rein to pick at her with I stopped her and made her do a 360 to the left with my body. I was thrilled with how she stayed in the ground and didn’t step out in the turn. She jogged off straight on my cue and made it halfway around the circle before I had to correct her with another 360. When we changed direction she dropped her right shoulder in so I stopped and did another 360 turn to the left. With each correction she held her shoulders up longer. That is the  exercise that I am supposed to be doing in the bridle, but I still find myself making small corrections with my hand. Without the bridle I feel the change in her shoulder much sooner and I have no choice but to stop and fix it or things will go downhill quick.

We moved up to the lope and Grace was as quiet and relaxed as she had been with the bridle. Her transitions were much smoother as my hand wasn’t there to get in the way. I used my body to control the pace, following Grace’s rhythm. We worked around the people moving jumps out of the arena with Grace never missing a beat. Just for fun I threw in a few flying changes and was once again left in awe of how relaxed and rock steady Grace was. We ended the ride with a nice smooth stop followed by lots of big pets and lots of praise for the “really nice horse” I was sitting on. As excited as I am about this weekend I know that we’ve already won at home.

CranioScaral Therapy – Incredible Results

At the end of our lesson on Monday Sarah had me untack Grace so she could give her some CranioScaral Therapy. Grace has many telltale signs of TMJ discomfort; she gapes her mouth when she is stressed, we know she had head trauma from being roped as a foal and she can be pretty darn snarky most of the time. Grace relaxed as soon as Sarah started the CranoSacral touches and was fairly quick to release. Sarah explained each touch to me along the way. At one point both of Grace’s eyes puffed up, it was one of the strangest things I’ve seen. She also made some very odd sounds through her nasal passages. At the end of the treatment Grace looked like we had sedated her. Sarah had me turn her out to graze before taking her home. When I pulled her out of the pasture both of her eyes were back to normal and looked softer, more relaxed then before the treatment. The next day Grace was just much more pleasant to be around. I could feel a shift in her energy, there was a tension that was missing. I was now looking forward to our group lesson on Saturday when Sarah planned to teach her students how to do CranioScaral Therapy on their own horses.

The horse that Sarah used for her demo had never had CranioScaral Therapy administered. She showed us how his tongue spilled out from his teeth, almost like he didn’t have room for it in his mouth. He also had some overdeveloped muscles on either side of his bridle path which were rock hard to the touch. Sarah made sure that we each had a feel for the amount of pressure she was using on each touch. She really put my mind at ease when she said that there was no wrong order for the touches and we were not going to screw anything up on our horses. Her demo horse would get really antsy right before a release and then he would let go, licking and chewing. At the end of his session his body posture had completely changed, he was now standing underneath himself. By placing a hand above his tail I could feel the wave of spinal fluid flowing from his tail to his head and back again. Sarah talked to us about the wave and reminded us that we sit on it when we ride. Any time we are out of balance or stiff in our bodies we split that wave, interrupting the horse’s natural pattern. I let that idea sink in as we went off to work on our own horses.

Grace was very receptive to the work, after an opening pass and leveling of her sacrum I went to work on her head. I had to remember to say in my body and make sure I was breathing. It didn’t take long for me to find her rhythm; I found my own energy changed as I became more grounded. Grace was quick to release in some areas and more resistant in others. At times she would gape her mouth and bite at the air right before letting go. While waiting for a release with my hand on the front of her head, my arms started to burn. I had to let go and shake them out a few times before Grace finally took a deep breath and let go. At the end of the session Grace was relaxed and calm; her energy had shifted to the point that she didn’t take notice of the horse running in the pasture to her right.

Sarah has us all get on our horses so we could feel the difference in their movement. I noticed that I was in a much better place in my body. I had a much better feel than I usually do in the saddle. Sarah had me slow Grace’s walk by slowing my own rhythm. Missing was the usual forward surge from Grace that I tend to get from her anytime I try to change in the saddle. Her jog was phenomenal, her hocks had so much bend, her head was steady and her rhythm never changed. I could have ridden it all day long. Onto the lope Grace surprised me with one of the nicest transitions of all time. Again there was no tense surge, just a rocking motion from behind and we were loping. I followed her rhythm and Grace gave me the best 10 lope strides that she has ever done under saddle. I seriously considered getting off her back right then in fear that I would only screw it up. Sarah has us continue to lope, each time I was surprised by the quality of the transition. A few times Grace went to the left with her shoulder, maybe it is always that way but for the first time I could really feel it. The left lead was more difficult, on account of my body being tense. Sarah worked with me until I got the feel and was able to again follow Grace’s rhythm.  

I was amazed at the end of the ride by how little effort it took for both of sync up together in each gait. My plan for the week is to do CranioSacral Therapy before each ride and then focus on my energy under saddle. I’m looking forward to one day turning those 10 perfect lope strides into an entire Western Riding Pattern.

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.