Fall Hacks

It wasn't just the riding Jill loved, it was the opportunity to be in nature... Her roomie agreed. But added that it was even more magical on horseback. She'd had nice views, and a nice breeze and bird buddies while riding that morning. 

AJ knew that it was best to stay in the tractor tire tracks, when riding around the hayfield, because of potential ground hog holes. She’d been out around the property with the horse’s owner for the rules tour, when the grass was tall. Now that it had been cut, its true she had been making circles, and leg yielding zig zags in and out of the field along the treeline, with many other transitions, because the horse was so fresh. She could easily watch for ground hog holes to avoid. Would you consider it riding defensively? Intellectually? Pointing a horse that wants to take off in a straight line, with no exercise to think about, turned into a battle of wills pretty quickly. She wasn’t as strong as him, in fact she felt old and brittle, and at risk lol. How far would he run if he took off with her? And, how fast? They were new to each other. And, he was testing or challenging her, when they went out to the fields, that was certain. He was still slow off the leg, but extra spooky. Not too mention bucky/prancy/head shakey ha. Was it called a crow hop when they jumped into the reins?

It turned out that farmers had just drill seeded with alfalfa - “Ouch, sorry etc. As she returned to the sand ring, she explained to his owner’s mom, “I am trying to see if he will channel his energy into perky ring work.” she’d said returning to the sand paddock. ponies galloping off with friskiness in all paddocks around the outside, on and off, created some distraction also bounce bounce bounce,emergency dismount etc. Could her new accidental horse buddy be interested in setting trotting poles? She hoped so, and would look up the measurements.

On another recent trip to the farm, she had him loose in the arena, and all he did was run up to mirrors and look at himself! "Do you blame him?" AJ thought her Tuesday/Friday morning commitment was just as handsome as he did.

She brought some youngsters to the farm that day, and they made a two second hoofbeats radio report about the visit in to a portable recorder. She was also slightly offended to learn that the farm owner didn't want to loan draw lines. She said to the horse's owner's mom that she knew such reins in the novice could be very dangerous, and tried not to display her frustration. She'd thought they would be useful when riding around the crops, because he had so much forward impulsion from behind at those times, and the tack could help her round him up, while keeping control, with that forward energy directed into straightness and bending. She wasn't sure how give her mount a clue about what she wanted without them.

Jill was making a PSA at their campus radio station, to air in any future weather crises. It recommended you have at least one phone that does not require electricity to operate. Also to make sure you have battery powered smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and fire escape plans/access. The other tips included..
1) Stay away from downed power lines. Know how to report them.
2) Secure windows and outdoor equipment, park vehicles in protected areas if possible.
3) BBQS are for outdoor use only. Do not bring them inside.
4) Make sure generators are approved and has proper connection, carefully located outdoors to ensure exhaust fumes do not enter the home.
5) Use extreme caution during flood emergencies and power outages, as wet electrical equipment can be extremely dangerous.
6) Make sure stove elements and appliances are off or unplugged to prevent fires and power surges when power is restored. You could also unplug computers, televisions and such.
7) use a transistor radio check local media outlets for updates

She was also reminding AJ that they had never sent a thank you card to the guy that rescued their herd-member.

All Clothes Become Barn Clothes

It was only straw bales, but yes, AJ had finally jumped with Bobcat... more exciting was to walk through the archway left over from the recent wedding, ha. "thank you burn pile, for a hack with just the right amount of excitement," she'd said, filling Jill in on the morning.  She'd gone in her "street clothes" instead of any proper riding gear...
"And, I need some kind of holster for riding with my cell phone. For pictures and also emergency contacts if ever required."

Jill said "It's not too late to sign up for the schooling day. All three phases without the pressure! Jump the course as it was for the June event, then stick around and school the jumps that didn't jump quite the way you wanted."

The next day she reported "I really need to borrow draw lines. and, I think we could use some thrush remedies. I think I am going to bring up my own tack “trunk” and squish it in the tack room. I should really try and get in one more good practice before going around the fields with the farm owner.  Today, he was dead in the ring, but then tried to take off on me when we moved to trot towards home around the 2nd length of the hayfield. He trotted off fast, pulling, and then actually cantered a few strides against my will, and so I yanked him to the left towards to high grass line speaking whoa, sitting up and commanding he stop and it worked.   But I’m not sure it would work if he was trying a little harder because his mouth is so dead. How can I retrain it?" She definitely wanted to try draw lines...

Before attending to her riding horse, she'd visited at the breeding farm with her yoga teacher, who said 5 minutes with AJ taught her more than 3 years of lessons at the riding academy."  She had asked how AJ got started with lessons, and for days Jill felt sorry to have let her very first mentor/sponsor Victor pass without saying thank you.  She pointed out that Firefly is a spooky little thing, and turned out a big grey who needs a chain over her nose. She amused the stallion who actually was quite affectionate and very dressage-y with his naughtiness in the crossties.  And, she offered the bitless bridle to the head trainer but she’d already tried it and it was too small.  "See how the foal on the left is lying in the grass a little closer to its mother than the baby on the right? That bay is a week or two older than the other."

She could tell he was probably back in training, because he didn’t rush over for the affection.  How was his sarcoid was gone?  She thought that they had probably let his teeth get long over the winter, because he wasn’t as fat as the spring training season the year before.  "He is horse that doesn’t need his teeth floated as much as other horses." she said to her guests.  She said how she'd got started at that place "I just wanted to go and get the horse smell on me. And they let me stay, since I cobwebbed."

Have You Jumped Him Yet?

In stopping by to say hello to a mentor, AJ was sad to hear of the passing of the nicest horse she had ever met.  She had taught many lessons to beginners on him, despite the fact he was also a reliable event competition horse.  Marty was part clyde, so could carry men, but would also support even the tiniest little human beginner.  He was awesome with verbal commands, and had no vices in the barn, despite his super big feet and enourmous self, and despite being constantly hand fed treats by so many admiring folks on the ground.  He loved food, but was always agreeable, sensible, adorable and trust worthy.  (Except when he was sneaking out of his stall to get to the feed bins.  He had a talent for an amazingly silent tip toe.)

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When she went to visit other horse buddies, and collect her riding helmet to leave at a different farm for future rides, Lulabelle had come right over to where she was.  But her ex-project Mouse also came right towards her, and she had shooed away one of her favourite all time horses away, without recognizing her, because the mare was intimidating Mouse.  What a terrible farewell!  She would have to come by again soon to make nice with the bay she had seen grow from an unmanageable, underhandled 3 yr old to a successful, well homed brood mare.
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Showing up with her riding helmet at the new place, AJ had been joking in the barn that they expected her to ride bareback, just as the owner showed up with the saddle! Talk about earning that hug!!  The cats at the place were also very wonderful.  The head trainer was walking around the paddock with a metal detector looking for a lost shoe.  How much does a shoe even cost? AJ wondered, seeing how much time she was putting into it.   He moved around at the mounting block to ensure AJ was getting on from the "correct" side.  When she commented how well behaved and generous that was, she was told He tends to be quick off the mark.  You will good for him.  We aren't so good at fixing bad habits.  "I am very disciplined.  I find that if you insist consistently it can make a difference." 

Her third time riding her new horse project, A.J. worked him in the arena, because of the rainy weather, trying to stay off the track because the footing was packed and hardest on the actual track.  She mostly trotted thinking about getting his body straight and going forward.  She tried a little bending to the right and to the left... he seemed not to know what she was asking for with any of the exercises.   The farm owner said   "He can go straight.  He can round up."  its just that his owner/rider hasn't worked hard at it, and in fact that rider has to work really hard at everything because of her body shape....  Recently many tears have been shed over the 8yr old TB/Warmblood Cross, the rider's father thought they should just sell him.  The farm owner went on to say that the Grand Prix horse that people are coming up from the states to buy is out of the same stallion.  She was going on about how much potential AJ's new mount had, although his history was mostly that they had him out to the D-rally a few times. We “struggled” with the gate and went outside but we weren’t allowed to ride around the grass field - too much risk of making manure ha. There was a wedding planned on the farm for the weekend.   AT the end of the ride they fed him carrots down between his knees.  Horse yoga! AJ wanted him to start to use his body in new more-dressage like ways.

Meanwhile, in the barn they asked her, have you jumped him yet? 

Persistence Above All

She was thrilled that her recent car-pool-to-the-farm buddies were now regularly volunteering at the Pony Rescue. It was a follow up to their visit at the breeders with Jill. The shy foal sure wanted to have a good long sniff of the youngest visitor. Who was so lucky to get to pat that young one directly on the face! It reminded her how Lulabelle, the foal’s dam, used to give her a long head to toe sniffing, when she would stand near her in the paddock with the others… back then, she’d been trying to socialize a critter in need of it. It felt, out of time, and magical, like a whale approaching a human in water for complete examination. And, she liked to think it was useful to the equine’s development. Look at the life the mare was leading now!

Yes, AJ had posted a joke about cooking a naughty cat up for supper on Instagram. No, she did not know how to delete it. She decided to reminisce instead about the segment she heard on hoofbeats radio about the horse that spooked and executed a perfect rollback, ditching his rider.

When she’d showed up at the farm, just to sniff the air and look at horses to cure her agonizing jones for them, a generous part boarder delighted and surprised her saying “Do you want to hack my horse a bit this morning?” When AJ enthusiastically responded to the mounted rider, she added “Can you get on from the ground?” And so it was that AJ took a surprising, therapeutic walk on horseback. Apparently he was good any where you took him! To AJ he felt a little wiggy at the end of the fence line. Was it the yearlings come up alongside them? Was it the puddles of water? AJ had been able to actually hear the electricity buzzing through the paddock fencing, when she had been gazing over them instead of walking beside them, and considered that maybe the water was providing the gelding the threat of a little jolt as they walked towards the soggy ground. They probably shouldn’t step on ground that soft. Regardless, she insisted he walk on the forward straight line she was asking him for. After all, she was the human! But, she was also considerate of the farm and the horse’s concerns, and when he obeyed, she turned him around after a few steps to continue their march towards the comforting direction of the barn. She’d forgot to report in the barn when she got back that one of the paddocks had an electric waterer that was overflowing, she thought it might be of interest.

AJ lamented the irony of how the horse had given way to the motor car. She needed her car to keep functioning so she could get out to the horses! She remembered the university student looking for someone to take over her horse, “He definitely needs a strong personality.” Maybe her new goal should be to start riding in the fall. In the meantime, should she contact the yoga buddy who had offered an opportunity to try Western?

Despite the limited remaining use of her jalopy, she had taken a drive all the way out to the Therapuetic Riding Place, only to drive the long way back home without any recordings. It turned out it wasn’t the right environment to be thrusting a new surprise script at unsuspecting guests with special needs…. she would have to try another way.

Reversing

It was true she had once dumped a boyfriend for buying her diamond earings, after she'd had the audacity to ask him for her first guitar as a birthday gift. 

A.J. also admitted she felt the problems she was experiencing at the mounting block were her own fault.  In the groundwork phase of his unsoundness during the continued training, she'd made such a point of turning to face him, from the shoulder, and make him back up.  The movement was supposed to strengthen the stifles and was good also for his manners and attention.  But nowadays, when she was back to riding him, each time she asked him to stand for her to mount, he was misunderstanding.  Or, perhaps he was.  With him, it was also quite likely that he was simply resisting.  For naughtiness, or physical unsoundness.

Either way, as his personal physical therapist and trainer, she needed to fix it.

Today, she'd whipped him twice, each time as a command to stop or at least to move forward to address his unwanted backwards course.  And then, he'd stood - sort of - enough that she get on, and make him stop moving long enough to feed him a sugar cube.  Such a smart horse, so motivated by food, she was hoping to see improvement next time.

There was a helper willing to participate in helping him to figger out the expectation on Saturday morning.  AJ was keen for the effort.