Almost a month

It's been almost a month since I have posted an update. Mostly because it's been very hot and I have been very busy and hadn't ridden in two weeks. Yes, Drifter got a two week vacation in the middle of summer and show season. I am hoping to get her back to the Thursday Evening show this week.

After having two weeks off I figured it would be better to start back a few steps and establish our working relationship again. On Thursday, she came right out to see me and I lunged her for 20-30 minutes. She was very forward at first, but amazingly cantered on her right lead for several times around without breaking. I was wondering if I had gotten the correct horse from the field or if I was having trouble telling my left from my right.

Friday was a second lunge day with improvised vienna side reins. This was also good, although she had some more trouble with the right lead this time. She was forward and mostly responsive to voice commands. It was very hot and she got a bit of a hose off at the end.

Saturday was our first ride day and she was super good. No issues during the first few minutes after mounting. She was certainly stiff when asked to bend and a little more above the bit. We got both leads correct the first time and cantered about half way around the arena. She was very good and I kept it a short ride.

I expect to ride again on Tuesday and pack for the show on Thursday.

Jumped a course

Sorry for the delays in posting- it's been a tough and busy month!

I lunged Drifter on Sunday- it was really hot and she still had some issues getting the right lead. I have to find/buy a nice pair of side reins again. She got a quick bath after lunging so the flies didn't try to eat her sweaty butt. Here are some pictures of her from Sunday.



Tonight I got a ride in before it was supposed to rain. She was a little nappy when I first got on, not sure if she didn't want to leave the barn, was sore from lunging or had a horse fly. She kicked/bucked on the way out to the outdoor and I was wondering what kind of ride we were going to have. Once in the outdoor ring, I dismounted to check for flies (I forgot to spray her) or other obvious issues. None seen, so I remounted (working hard to have her stand quietly beside the block) and went on with our ride. I took a few trot laps, popped over a few of the little jumps and then needed a breather break. While resting I created a jumping course out of the smaller jumps available. It was a downhill vertical to a left turn over the white jumping blocks jump to a left curve over the palm tree jump to a broken line over the red jump with a tight turn back to a blue cross rain with a sweeping turn between two other jumps to a straight line of flower boxes. The last jump we hadn't jumped today and was the largest. She trotted and cantered the little course and went around really nicely. It was a great ride and a great highlight to my week.

Horse personality

Drifter is a ... SLAF - The Wall Flower

Wrap these sweet, kind, gentle horses up and keep them safe. They are not very brave and tend to internalize their worries. They want to please and will try very hard for you, but they can be pushed too fast very easily. They make few demands of you and are quite content to perform the same tasks repeatedly as long as you are pleased with them and the jobs are not to strenuous. Quiet enough for the beginner once they understand what is expected of them. Find out about your horse at: http://www.horsepersonality.com/quiz.html

69.5% a huge success

Now I just need help figuring out how to keep her white... suggestions?

She loaded up pretty well, but when I arrived she was dripping sweat- not sure if all the windows in the trailer should have been open (might have helped) or it was just nerves. She unloaded pretty well and stood to have her soaked shipping boots removed. She was alert, but calm.

I walked her around the grounds and she was looking around, but quiet and well behaved. We came back to the trailer and I tied her up with her hay net. I didn't have a lot of time, so I started to tack her up. I also sprayed her with Skin So Soft- mistake! It kept off the flies and green heads- but we looked SO DIRTY by the time we got to the ring! I am showing alone- so no one to wipe down or brush off my horse for me.

She was great going into the new ring and trotting by the judges booth. She was so good for the test. She was calm, straight and forward. The judge commented that she needs more impulsion in her medium and free walk. Our lowest score- a 6- was on one of our medium walks.

After the test we hung out, she grazed, I watched a few other people from our barn ride. She trailered home like a dream without sweating too- I opened a few more windows. I am so proud of her!

Horse Show

Hopefully tomorrow will be our first horse show. I had to give her a bath on Tuesday and hope that it held out pretty well for tomorrow. It is a dressage show and if I can get an evening time slot we'll be doing the walk-trot test.

No riding!

What?

No riding... I have been sick since last weekend and haven't been out to the barn to ride. I can't wait until Friday.

Remember this from last year?
Oh, how far we've come!

Lunging did the trick

I lunged on Sunday. I was perfect for Drifter to break up the riding boredom. It was great to work on cantering on the right lead on the lunge. Having to canter over a pole helped her to change to an keep her right lead. It was very successful break in our normal routine.

I skipped riding today, due to the heavy rain- we do have an indoor, but Drifter is outside and in her fly sheet and probably very wet today. I am aiming for Friday.