I've been a bit of a busy busy bee the last few days; J and I dropped our entries into the mail on Saturday for a show that (technically) closed on Sunday, but it sounds like we're in! I haven't been doing as much as I want with the horses, and the days seem to get shorter and shorter.
Arya has been doing some ground work - I gave her a "day off to play" on the line last week Thursday after two sessions in a row of small jumps and poles, only to totally regret the decision. I got after her with the whip when she would jump the small and larger cross rail one direction and not the other, and managed to push her into a full on bolting sideways tantrum. Whoops. And then I managed to loose her, because I tripped and she was rope burning my hand. I got to watch, vaguely horrified and also kind of amused, as my well bred grand and great grand daughter of big name racehorses flagged her tail and went galloping off across the newly seeded hay field, leaving lovely hoof holes in the dirt. The seedlings are about 2 inches tall, and sparse at this point, in case you were wondering. She galloped in a nice long loop and ended up staring at her sister and Ginny across the fenceline, puffing and confused.
Srsly, mare?
She let me catch her (big win! BB definitely would have tried to keep running from me) and I lead her back into the ring, and we started with a ground pole. And she completely shut down again and refused to move going one way, while happily walking in the other.
So we spent 20 more minutes working on walking over a single pole, in hand, and not stopping and trying to fly backwards.
The next day, I brought her out again, and things got easier. I need to review tonight, and I plan to get on her again, if lightly. We've had torrential rain for the last few days, and coupled with her lack of being "quarter sheet broke" and the lack of daylight I've been enjoying, she hasn't been getting worked. She also came in for dinner with a fat hind leg (the black one, aka the same one she hurt last time she ran around like an idiot) the day after the three did some of this:
I wrapped with BOT Quick Wraps, threw her a gram of bute and figured I'd have clean leg in the morning. Instead I had TWO fat, swollen legs. I turned her out and tried to not have a meltdown after I got to work and started googling, only to start reading about Cellulitis and other fun swelling stuff. Luckily, the swelling is back to just one leg, and she wasn't running a temp, so I am hoping it's just the princess refusing to move because it's muddy as all get out in my paddock. She seemed off the first night I noticed the swelling, but she looked sound enough getting chased by Ginny in the pasture, so I am at least going to sit on her. (Addendum: We rode, she was mostly unswollen when I tacked her up and was sound. She did some W/T/C in Bailey's wonder bit (which isn't wonderful for either of them, boo) and walked over some poles both way, though required Ginny to be her lead going her "bad" way. Mares!)
Bailey has been jumping; though it's been a while, so I'm trying to not think too hard about the rough moments we've had. I am getting my eye back (slowly) and she's getting her half halts back, and if anything, at least she's still forward and brave. I even ended up popping a few fences in my dressage saddle (while wearing my Arctic Horse Tongass skirt again) and didn't die. Tuesday evening we schooled over fences in the partially flooded outdoor; Bailey was sticky and not very forward, so I am hoping for something a bit more positive feeling tonight.
The show is Sunday, so I am hoping I can find the time to hop on B quickly on Saturday for a 20 minute quick school, then we'll pack the trailer and be ready for the morning. Bailey is showing in a 2'6 jumpers course and doing the XC class (though I have no idea what that entails) so we'll be packing jump attire and an XC vest. Fun! Since the show is super informal, I can rock all of the XC colors I want, and I'm looking forward to it. J and Ginny are doing a mini CT - dressage and an 18" hunters course. I think they're going to do awesome:
Arya has been doing some ground work - I gave her a "day off to play" on the line last week Thursday after two sessions in a row of small jumps and poles, only to totally regret the decision. I got after her with the whip when she would jump the small and larger cross rail one direction and not the other, and managed to push her into a full on bolting sideways tantrum. Whoops. And then I managed to loose her, because I tripped and she was rope burning my hand. I got to watch, vaguely horrified and also kind of amused, as my well bred grand and great grand daughter of big name racehorses flagged her tail and went galloping off across the newly seeded hay field, leaving lovely hoof holes in the dirt. The seedlings are about 2 inches tall, and sparse at this point, in case you were wondering. She galloped in a nice long loop and ended up staring at her sister and Ginny across the fenceline, puffing and confused.
She let me catch her (big win! BB definitely would have tried to keep running from me) and I lead her back into the ring, and we started with a ground pole. And she completely shut down again and refused to move going one way, while happily walking in the other.
So we spent 20 more minutes working on walking over a single pole, in hand, and not stopping and trying to fly backwards.
I wrapped with BOT Quick Wraps, threw her a gram of bute and figured I'd have clean leg in the morning. Instead I had TWO fat, swollen legs. I turned her out and tried to not have a meltdown after I got to work and started googling, only to start reading about Cellulitis and other fun swelling stuff. Luckily, the swelling is back to just one leg, and she wasn't running a temp, so I am hoping it's just the princess refusing to move because it's muddy as all get out in my paddock. She seemed off the first night I noticed the swelling, but she looked sound enough getting chased by Ginny in the pasture, so I am at least going to sit on her. (Addendum: We rode, she was mostly unswollen when I tacked her up and was sound. She did some W/T/C in Bailey's wonder bit (which isn't wonderful for either of them, boo) and walked over some poles both way, though required Ginny to be her lead going her "bad" way. Mares!)
Bailey has been jumping; though it's been a while, so I'm trying to not think too hard about the rough moments we've had. I am getting my eye back (slowly) and she's getting her half halts back, and if anything, at least she's still forward and brave. I even ended up popping a few fences in my dressage saddle (while wearing my Arctic Horse Tongass skirt again) and didn't die. Tuesday evening we schooled over fences in the partially flooded outdoor; Bailey was sticky and not very forward, so I am hoping for something a bit more positive feeling tonight.
The show is Sunday, so I am hoping I can find the time to hop on B quickly on Saturday for a 20 minute quick school, then we'll pack the trailer and be ready for the morning. Bailey is showing in a 2'6 jumpers course and doing the XC class (though I have no idea what that entails) so we'll be packing jump attire and an XC vest. Fun! Since the show is super informal, I can rock all of the XC colors I want, and I'm looking forward to it. J and Ginny are doing a mini CT - dressage and an 18" hunters course. I think they're going to do awesome:
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| You can't deny that Ginny and J are the cutest barrel racers turned jumpers ever :) |
Oh, baby mares!!!! Glad that riding her was not a fiasco - hopefully things continue to go smoothly (AND STOP INCLUDING FAT LEGS, DAMMIT)! And good luck at your show on Sunday! :D
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