Fawkes I

Fawkes is doing very well.  I decided that my goal for the two weeks would be to get him more accepting of the bit.  He is quite comfortable using it for balance any time he wants but the idea that the rider might be trying to tell him something is remote.
I am also working on him being more accepting of the leg.
So today we got our first shoulder fore - just a couple of steps and later moving the hip in response to leg, which had him flipping his head in my face until he accidentally stepped over and I patted him.  Then he did it several times.
He is very trainable, just a little confused.

ups and downs

Since I enjoyed Saturday apparently I had to pay for it on Sunday.  My car shut down, just refused to start, nothing happening and on a busy street in a not wonderful part of town.  It has a new battery but I called a friend and we tried to jump it anyway. 
Did not work, had dash lights come on, turn off, come on....
We gave up getting it to start, put the cables away, closed the hood and suddenly it started.
I spent last night going thru the manual trying to find something I could fix, no go.  It is apparently something wrong with the ignition/electrical system.  Since I don't have 2 cents to fix it I am just driving it and hoping for the best.  I hate this. 

Nina, on the other hand, fed my ego today by being thoroughly pissed while I was working with Fawkes.  She paced around in her pen enough to get her exercise for the day.  When I went to get her instead of greeting me at her gate as usual, she came to the gate and then stomped off and stuck her head in a corner.  She gave up and came back to me in a minute but kept her ears pinned and walked as far away from me as possible. 
She is funny.   We decided on Saturday that she may actually be a cat stuck in a horse body.  It would explain a lot.

hunter schooling show

In our third - or was it the fourth? - attempt to get a client to her first over fences show since she was a child and her horse to his first over fences show ever - we finally made it!
We had a plan, we stuck to it, she rode great, the horse got more confident with every course and it was a good day!
Unfortunately, no pics.  I find it hard to coach and take pics at the same time but another trainer from the barn was there and I didn't think to give him the camera. 
I also got to visit with people that I haven't seen since Scotty died, traded gossip, admired new horses and had a fun day. 
I think I need to get out more! 
And get out to the show barns, not the open shows that are from a different planet.  I had forgotten how encouraging the hunter people are around here.  My client had a refusal at a fence and had to stuff him over it, it was ugly but she got it done and got a cheer from the other riders. 
Good Saturday.

a horse to ride...

I am going to be riding Fawkes for the next two weeks while his owner is out of town.
I hesitated a little about it because I haven't ridden lately and he is as quick as a Quarter Horse in the sideways moves.  But now I am looking forward to it.
He spooks less than Nina, he just has a quicker spin -- so we will try to avoid spinning.  I hate clinging on like a monkey - it is .... hmmm ..... unseemly.
I want to get him more connected with his outside rein, which has not been a light bulb moment for him yet.  Hoping for good weather.  

crappy picture - cute trot

no title

So, here it is Saturday afternoon.
I was supposed to have two horses at a horse show today but I found out last night that the show was cancelled.  The organizers have been watching the hysterical weather forecasters all week and couldn't resist.
I stay away from the locals when they get hysterical.  There is some severe weather going on around us, but we - as in the Front Range, not my neighborhood - are supposed to get a thunderstorm and some rain tonight.  Later.
So I am sitting here watching the sunshine and wondering how in the hell I am going to make up for the lost money from cancelled lessons and shows in the last month.

A week's update

It had been a week of minor ups and downs.  We did get the cold and wet for a couple of days, but it warmed back up quick and the outdoor arena was dry enough for jumping by Thursday. 
Not being a cold weather sports person I am happy to have an early warm spring, but the ski resorts are closing early, which is not a good thing for this area.

Nina suddenly decided to let go of her winter coat a couple of days ago and is now shedding like a neglected sheep, big chunks of hair falling off of her.  Currying and brushing just seems to create a hair cloud, but I feel guilty if I don't try.  I have doubled the calories I am feeding in her extra meal by adding alfalfa pellets and Amplify and I am telling myself that she is gaining a little weight. 

A client and I hauled her horse to a H/J barn for a schooling show yesterday.  It was supposed to be his first over fences show.  We got to the barn and found out that they had changed the date of the show because they realized it was Easter weekend.  WTF???  We only got the info off of their website a couple of weeks ago.   Oh well, we wanted the outing to be low key and a confidence builder for the horse, who is a worrier.  I guess a long ride and no work is low key.
I have a schooling show scheduled for a couple of horses this next weekend, so we will try again.  Also this barn is closer.

I might have another horse to ride for a while this summer, I'll let you know how that goes.  I will be riding Fawkes in May, hoping to improve his outside rein contact while his owner is on vacation.  That should be fun.  Right now Nina is just on hold.

Nothing exciting this week. Nina can't decide if she is bored or thankful for her time off.

cold and wet

It was 39 degrees today when I got to the barn and with a cold wind blowing.  Since it was 85 yesterday it was quite a change.  I personally don't care much if it snows or rains down here in Denver but we really did need some wet to put out the fire in the foothills.

Nina gave me a little reminder again about her English skills.  I was dumping her feed in her bucket and wondering if she was going to eat it.  I added some alfalfa pellets to her beet pulp and messing around with the beet pulp can be a serious offense. 
So while I was scraping the last of it into her bucket, and without looking at her or stopping what I was doing, I said 'come here and taste this and tell me what you think.'  Next thing a black head slides into the bucket.  Since she does not eat until I tell her it is ok.... you just have to wonder.
Anyway, the alfalfa pellets were apparently edible and I left before I froze.