Bailey and the Indoor 2016

I realized while riding yesterday that while our flatwork training may not look all that different to folks on the ground, Bailey has made huge strides in the last year. Maybe it was the barn change, and maybe it was finally getting old enough to brain, but BB is really riding like a grown up horse.

This time last year, we were struggling with major "the number you have dialed is not in service" problems with contact. Bailey would tune me out, grab the bit, get looky and braced and then explode the minute something sensory set her off. She was super distractable, and I was so focused on keeping her packaged that I did a lot of riding around with what I now realize is false contact and getting overly fixated on keeping her head down.

As much as I love these pictures, she's still behind the vertical, albeit the test in the lower photo had plenty of non-behind-the-vertical moments, as well, and that ride was the product of several weeks of dressage boot camp, and after that... we kind of lost our mojo. I don't have any images from last winter, or from this year at all, but I can tell you... it hasn't looked like this:

Proof we weren't totally behind the bit all of the time. 

 It took riding in the Micklem the other week to really make me realize that, but even when she takes a good contact, it's not a confident contact. She gets flustered when asked to weight the bit, and a lot of the time, her tongue comes out as a result - almost like she goes "with all of this contact and bit and stuff, there's no room for my tongue". We've been working on it since then, and the picture is slowly coming together (though it's been hard to tell, since the mirrors are fogged over from cold).

Last night Bailey did a number of surprising things; she didn't jump sideways, throw her head up or even pop her shoulder when the BO came through a door with some horses. This is a huge improvement, even from a few weeks ago. When she did find something worthy of looking at (in this case, some very scary frost on the wall), she turned her head, and then I was able to close my leg, and the bend reasserted itself and we moved on. Transitions were calmer, and more through, instead of the back-jarring house of cards collapsing that they had been. Transitions were also prompt, and while she still used my hands as an e-bake sometimes, I'll take hanging on me over sucking back, at this point.

I received my 14mm bridoon in the mail the other day, and I'm looking forward to getting it on a bridle to test out my tongue theory. I need to get into the habit of videoing my rides, too, since I'm still waiting to not feel super poor so I can take some more lessons. Now that I've got my dressage saddle back, I think we can get into our flatwork that much more and come out next spring that much stronger and more correct. It's so strange to still be working on something so basic, while also knowing that my horse has a pretty much confirmed and lovely leg yield, shoulder in and that we're productively schooling haunches in, walk-to-canter transitions and even a little walking half pass.

Why are the basics so hard? Do they ever stop being hard?

BB and the Bridle

I've spent the last week working Bailey in a trial Micklem bridle from our favorite local tack shop. I was just planning to shove her back into a snaffle bridle from her BS of Sweden bridle at shows and call it good, but then a friend mentioned her mare didn't like her Mick(lie)m bridle after all, and said she was going to be selling it. And I happened to have some breeches she wanted. So we chatted about a trade, and I went, wait... I should probably ride my horse in this magikal bridle and ensure she likes it before I drop monies on it.

So I did.

First things first: I hate brown tack. Especially bridles. I guess I can't complain about the brown TSF girth that I know is coming my way for Christmas (I can deal with brown for a girth. It will just get dirty anyways, right?) but the brown Micklem? HORRIBLE.

Bailey was not meant to wear brown, in my mind. It makes her painfully plain looking and a friend and I had a hard time deciding if the bridle or the color was making her head look like an anvil. She was, however, freakishly soft while riding in an arena where she was normally very stiff/looky/spooky (the upper indoor is haunted, obviously) and had tons of white lipstick after ride #1. I wasn't going to count my chickens, so we kept using it... and I even, for science, slapped the same snaffle on a figure-8 bridle to see if things felt different. She continued to be soft, less confrontational about bit-related discipline and wasn't sucking back behind the bit nearly so much. Her tongue did come out a few times, but I'm hoping with more practice at taking a firmer contact, she won't panic so much. And if she does keep acting like her mouth is over full, we can always loosen the noseband and go in search of a narrower diameter bit.

So here I go throwing more fancy spoiled pony gadgets at my spoiled red horse. Divas! I swear. Since the Mick(lie)m I am buying has a fancy dutch drop browband that is missing some crystals, I took advantage of Small Business Saturday and am working with Amelia at Dark Jewel Designs to get B a fancy beaded browband. So far, we have a "fancy" strand worked out, and I'm delighted. I can't stop checking to see if we have progress on the other strand, though... Because life is never complete without some red and green!

The top one will be coming to a showground near you next year!

We continue to do a lot of work in the dressage saddle, which continues to be the love of my life. I've got it shimmed in the back, which has made it even more of a dream to ride in. I've had my front shims shoved into the back of my half pad, so I took advantage of Smartpak's sale to replace my rear shims that I (think) I sold with another Trifecta pad a few years ago. Bailey's back continues to not be sore, and while I have been (oh hai, actually doing stuff while riding) I'm happy to think that we're finally solutioning so I can just ride and not worry about equipment. The saddle still needs to see the fitter (note to self,  bother fitter) but once we're there, I think I will be able to buckle down and just... ride. For once. Won't that be grand?!

Catching Up

Once again, time is getting away from me. Since I last posted, the saddle has arrived(!!!) and I've ridden in it twice now. I haven't been getting the ride time I've been wanting since the hubs has been travelling for work this week, but it's been productive enough. In addition to needing some flocking work (which hopefully I will get accomplished in trade after shooting some really lovely photos for a local saddle fitter on Monday) the saddle also needed some MAJOR reconditioning.

Here's the saddle out of the box after some cleaning with an Effax spray I picked up this summer after having some major mold problems in the humidity. This saddle had some traces of mold, and the seller did mention already cleaning some off, so I went to work. It was very marked up under the leathers and was extremely dry and stiff.

At this point, I was very "FOR SCIENCE" and decided to try Effax Leather Soft on one flap, and Leather Therapy conditioner on the other. As much as I like the idea of the Leather therapy... the Effax is a lot more satisfying for my needs. The saddle legitimately drinks the Effax up and it has consumed the half bottle I had remaining. The saddle did darken, to the point where the flaps are very dark with black knee pads (even darker than they are below), but the skirt areas have stayed a lovely red brown. 

As I said above, I traded some photography for flocking from a local fitter starting out, and I'm hoping she is able to pull some flocking out of the wither, plump up the rear panel and generally smooth out the panels, which kind of have the consistency of cottage cheese. I think with some flocking work, the saddle will be just about perfect. I'm already in love with it, and it's not even optimally balanced yet:

It's a touch narrower than my jump saddle, but I am hoping that resolves with flocking. Both mares moved nicely in it and while there was some bucking from both girls my first ride, I am attributing it to the cold wind blowing up their booties vs the saddle. Am I biased? Probably. But I'm obsessed. And not sorry.

While rides have been light this week, the saddle is getting coated in oil in an attempt to soften up the stiff flaps and ensure that the panels are supple enough to withstand flocking and fitting tools without getting damaged. I'm going to see what I can dig up shim wise to see if I can even it out a bit more while continuing to try it out. I'm also planning to stop by the tack shop and take out their Micklem bridle they have for trials. While I probably won't buy a real one when a friend is selling a much more reasonably priced knock off, it will be good to find out if I need one, or if I can pull off sticking a snaffle back on one of my regular bridles for shows. I've had lots of time for conjecture this week... so I am hoping I have more time for riding next!

I Can't Even

Today is the day of I-Can't-Even. Work? Newp. Motivated to ride? Definitely not. Capable of normal human thought? Not really.

Since I can't sleep (I mean I could, but I would be in major danger of losing my job) I figure... blogtime. What's happened since I posted last? Lots. Clearly I am bad at blogging. 

Since my last post, BB got used in a Natural Horsemanship (Buck Branaman style) clinic as an example of a horse who is spooky/doesn't trust her hooman to keep her safe. She didn't kill the guy, for which I was grateful, since that would have been embarrassing. She also wasn't full on Bellatrix Lestrange crazy... but from watching the clinician and then working with her/riding her, I think I have actually figured that facet of her neurosis. 

Clinician basically started off defining his "bubble" of space, and then worked with the B to get her feet moving when she tends to freeze while staring at something scary. He progressed to having her move laterally to get her to soften her body. By the end (when he had the audience applaud and stop randomly and start randomly) she was showing progress and was also much more respectful of hooman space and hooman guidance. Things I didn't like? When he disciplined her for not backing up on his cue - she's been taught a different one, and I think it's kind of obnoxious to punish a horse for responding perfectly to a cue you don't use. I also didn't appreciate him whapping her in the face once or twice with his flag - I don't remember the exact context, but I feel he could have been more understanding of a horse who hasn't ever been worked with on the ground that way. I am a soft mom, though.

Post clinic, BB was lovely on the ground. I did some basic work again before my ride, and I felt she was better than she would have normally been - more tuned in to me. Our last ride (Monday) was surprisingly not crap. We had farmily photos done on Saturday (thus no weekend ride) and Bails was AWFUL. Spooking, snorting, half bolting on the lead, and of course I wanted her in her show halter so I didn't have a nice rope halter or stud chain to pop her with. We're still waiting on photos, but Monday's ride went pretty well. 

First change? BB felt like she was trying to be good. Drew lunged her while I took the Fox for a spin and I was honestly a little worried - she was a total doofus. Once I got on, we focused on the two door corners of the arena. Right now, I'm trying for the following under saddle:

1. Continuing to go forward at the same pace (not stopping or scooting forward)

2. Not dramatically throwing the body to the inside when passing the scary thing (usually followed by a scoot/bolt)

3. Not locking the base of the neck and the jaw

I'm hoping with 2 and 3, we get the desired result of not losing bend/lead/etc when spooking and that she learns to "keep it in her pants" so to speak. She does well when asked to do shoulder in or leg yield towards the scary thing so I think we'll get to going through normally. I'm also trying to boot her forward and through the spooks and reward her when she relaxes - I also discovered I'm holding my breath at the canter, so I'm also trying to keep breathing, keep my elbows soft and not brace for the spook through my own body. I am sure she reads tension in me and reacts, so I can definitely help us improve by being more in control of my own body while I teach her to relax through hers.

We're not getting much "work" done, but I feel like it's good for her brain to learn to chill out. Her canter will improve from her gaining balance and focus (and hopefully so will her problem of losing the lead in the back when distracted) and she's staying fit and getting sweaty each ride, so I think we're doing the good - if not the fun/desirable - work. She was a little weird through the contact on Monday, as well, so I'm tempted to toss her into the boucher or the waterford for a ride or three. We can only get better, right?

Indoor Strugfest, 2015

It's not even December yet, and I am already bored to tears when forced to ride in the indoor. I don't care if I am riding in sleet, hail, etc, I WILL be riding outside this weekend. I can't stand the indoor anymore.

Wednesday's ride was great; I didn't ride Friday because we left for a wedding that morning and I didn't want to wake up early (I like sleeping in. Even though I didn't, and I woke the FH up and he was crabby because of it). The wedding was great, and I picked up riding on Monday. 

Drew lunged Foxie, who had a case of the I-wanna-buck zooms while Bailey was similarly unhinged. They are starting construction on a lounge (don't ask me; I don't want it) and the contractor placed some items in the doorway/corner of the arena presumably to keep them out of the weather. These items are clearly horse eating and Bailey lost her tiny little mind whenever she was asked to go near them. Walking eventually got ok past them, and trotting was tough but she eventually got her kimchee together about it, but the canter was a disaster.

The only saving grace of Monday's ride was that once Drew left with the zoomy Fox, I could ride in the middle and far side of the arena. I finally got some semi-normal canter and some great lateral work out of the #FeralRedHorse. She did some very nice leg yields that were, again, mostly straight and not tense in the base of her neck, and I got some great shoulder in at the trot. 

The struggles of the indoor arena are real, and really freaking frustrating, ya'all. Idiot horse kicked sand on the Scary Corner Stuff and then attempted to spook-rear-bolt away from it, and while I shut that down, my saddle moved forward like 4 freaking inches in the process. 

I think I should just move to Florida. 

I iz not crazy I iz cute.

Through

I rode last night and it was actually a pretty awesome thing. I arrived just in time for the lesson kids to be wrapping up, and my horse was hardly muddy and actually seemed to be interested in me. I rode Monday, but with the deathcold, I rode for about 20 minutes and most of it I struggled to think and breathe at the same time. Last night I was feeling much more like myself - and I was ready to take on the inconsistency that I had felt in the bridle the last two rides I've had with BB. 

We started with a lot of walking warm up, and then trot and canter. I really focused on my own position issues (leaning forward, not keeping my heel down, leg under me and thigh applied. hands going everywhere, shoulders caved in...) and tried to use my whole leg to push the red mare up to and through the bridle, while also keeping my reins short and thumbs up. She's always been light, and unlike Foxie, has never really been the time to "hold" the bit and the contact like a handshake. I noticed two very positive things from these changes I made last night.

The first was that I was able to push her through a lot of lookiness and spookiness. I would prefer to not have to "muscle" her through turns or times when her attention wanders, but at the same time, we didn't lose nearly so much work, even though the doors were open and she was very interested in what was going on outside. 

The second was that I felt that I was actually able to push her into the bridle - meaning that she wasn't behind the vertical avoiding a more firm contact, and even when her head came up, I still had her face and was able to push her forward, and bam, the poll would relax and she'd go back to work. From this work, I was able to do a lot last night - it wasn't nearly so hard as I was expecting to get her into this much more malleable and workable frame and attitude. 

We schooled a rather poor dressage test (I mean, spooking in the two door corners, but it was generally obedient) and I actually got some collected canter to extended on one lead - the whole cadence changed, which was awesome to feel and hear as she's struggled with the canter since we started trying it. She also gave me some lovely lateral work at the walk and trot, and even did some somewhat-not-awful shoulder in, and really showed off with some stretchy trot at the end that was actually in the contact. 

Moral of the story: maybe I should ride more correctly before I see the problem as 100% caused by my horse. She's a weirdie, but a goodie. She also will probably end up clipped because I'm OVER her taking her approximately 18 years to dry. 

Weekend Catch Up

Whale hello, Monday. You came a little too fast for my tastes.

After my #GOALS post, I was all filled up with motivation and was ready to rock and roll on my plans. Naturally, the plans went awry. I rode Thursday last week - Drew lunged Foxie while I worked with the #feralredhorse. We were cursed to the indoor arena due to a late start to the evening and the fact that the sun goes down before 6:30 now. It sucks. I hate the indoor.

At least someone had watered.

But still. It sucks. Mostly because BB does this super cute thing where she spooks at everything, all day, erry day. The doors were open, and so our usual circle turned into "spook at the crap in the corner, spook at the human door, STARE OUT THE HORSE DOOR INTO THE DARKNESS LIKE WERE IN A HORROR MOVIE". And this happened at every gait, and for basically the whole ride. Same/similar thing the other direction. Even when we're at the end of the arena with less doors, we still had the most crooked circle ever from spooking at the open door and then scooting away from it like the hounds of hell were waiting in the darkness.

I rode in dressage tack, and once we got warmed up, I was already ready to quit because I finally got her soft and somewhat listening. Luckily, the arena cleared out (another boarder finished her ride, Drew finished lunging the McSassyPants Von Fox) and we did some walk canter work, and some counter canter. The left was really, really rough - she shut down on one end of the arena and just would not make a clean upwards transition for love or money. Mostly because every time she tried, she ended up on the wrong lead, or threw her front half up in the air or otherwise just put in crappy work and I kept shutting her down to re-balance at the trot. I moved her away from the door to the middle of the arena and was able to get it (finally) though it wasn't pretty. The right was pretty good - she gave me a handful of decent walk-canters with good leap and a nice counter canter loop. We did some lateral work (which was surprisingly straight and obedient for not having practiced... basically all summer) as well on both sides and the left is definitely a problem, as is the spooking.

I'm not sure what it is about our arena that makes the red horse insane; is she bored? Is she actually scared? It's pretty much crap regardless of the junk in the corners, the door being open or closed or the presence of a calm horse. A hot horse will set her off, as will people doing abrupt weird stuff like flagging a horse back and forth in the indoor. Last time, a whip helped. She loses momentum inside - and loses it further when spooking. My spurs are pretty much a daily wear item and she honestly doesn't seem to really care unless I'm doing something weird with them. Without spurs, she's lazy and obnoxious. I'd like to transition to smaller ones (I've already transitioned back from the smaller/slightly "sharper" spurs I had been wearing all summer to my longer, but very round/soft nubs) or maybe try something with plastic rollers. The loss of momentum is in part because of the weird uneven footing in the indoor, and probably encouraged by me putting SMBs on her to try to protect her legs in the weird ass footing. 

I think, if I am not able to have a decent ride tonight, I am going to look into doing something about the spooking and the crap. Ear plugs, maybe? Calming supplement? I am going to do my very best to remember to carry my whip, though I'd love to replace it with one that is a little bouncier and has a better handle. My current whip has a narrow handle with a fancy silver end cap. Pretty - but hard to hold on to. It's also got a stiff lash, and is very stiff in general. It's great for ground work but my hands already suck and they suck further when I'm trying to figure out how to make a whip lay nicely against my hip and do more than twang my horse in the face when I try to use it. The martingale is essential supplies until next spring - I've got them on clips now which is super handy, and I might as well protect my face from the idiot's head tossing. .

Tonight's ride will be pretty quick as I have some other things I'd like to do with my evening, but I'll be more in depth come Wednesday and Friday evenings. The horsey docket also includes doing the last of the laundry I need, hopefully finally clipping bridle paths and a jump school on Sunday morning. The Fox will also get some love and attention. She is sound and sassy post trim (which is a miracle, seeing as her feet SUCK). I'm considering a particular brand of hoof oil as a possible purchase for her, and will be doing the good work to continue rebuilding and maintaining her topline muscle. I'm happy to get her back into work and feel badly that she fell off the schedule as my other priority - the show horse - took up all of my time. No more! Fox will hopefully take Drew on a trail ride yet this year and will play all winter with riding and lunging. 

We'll see you later on this week.