Beautiful pictures of the horses that were killed today in a fire at True Prospect Farm.
So incredibly sad to lose these horses.
So incredibly sad to lose these horses.
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| Cagney |
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
how fun
This is from Rockley Farm. I forget exactly what prompted this - some sort of bet about riding bridleless, might have been out on a hunt. Any way, they have been practicing and put up this video.
Looking good.
Looking good.
Felix the Wonder Horse from Nic Barker on Vimeo.
Monday, May 30, 2011
one day at a time
Yesterday if you had expressed interest in a black TB mare you could have had her for 25 cents. I would even have stolen a trailer for you to haul her away with.
Yesterday she was nasty (as in aiming for me with her head) and high (as in repeatedly trying to bolt) and being the contrary b---h that she is, sucked back and reluctant to trot.
I finally got off and let her run and buck for a few minutes in a round pen, got back on and walked around for a little while.
I figured that would have blown her leg out for good.
Today she is a little stiff on her RF but only until she walks it out in about 5 minutes.
I tried something today to see if it will help. That leg appears sound, but there is a little heat after I ride. So today I wrapped her leg in Arctic Blast. I thought it might at least offset the heat generated by the jumping boots that she wears anytime she leaves her cell.
We just walked today, she was much better, able to walk out and when the head flinging started at the touch of my leg she managed to get it under control quickly.
I feel like we are back to.... maybe not step 1, but no farther than step 2. It is discouraging, but today was better than yesterday.
Yesterday she was nasty (as in aiming for me with her head) and high (as in repeatedly trying to bolt) and being the contrary b---h that she is, sucked back and reluctant to trot.
I finally got off and let her run and buck for a few minutes in a round pen, got back on and walked around for a little while.
I figured that would have blown her leg out for good.
Today she is a little stiff on her RF but only until she walks it out in about 5 minutes.
I tried something today to see if it will help. That leg appears sound, but there is a little heat after I ride. So today I wrapped her leg in Arctic Blast. I thought it might at least offset the heat generated by the jumping boots that she wears anytime she leaves her cell.
We just walked today, she was much better, able to walk out and when the head flinging started at the touch of my leg she managed to get it under control quickly.
I feel like we are back to.... maybe not step 1, but no farther than step 2. It is discouraging, but today was better than yesterday.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
countdown
Our barn fun show is at the end of June. Last year I judged the English classes, this year I told the barn manager that I didn't want to judge because I wanted to show. I also rewrote the classes so they are typical hunter divisions.
Nina has not been worked since the end of February and she has spent the last month injuring one leg at a time, 3 out of 4.
I will settle for trotting the crossrails class in some sort of reasonable order, not in total disarray or bolt mode. More would be wonderful.
Will we make it?
Nina has not been worked since the end of February and she has spent the last month injuring one leg at a time, 3 out of 4.
I will settle for trotting the crossrails class in some sort of reasonable order, not in total disarray or bolt mode. More would be wonderful.
Will we make it?
please read
Mustang Makeover Trainer wants to keep her wild horse, can you help?
Diary of a Wild Horse
Diary of a Wild Horse
Thursday, May 26, 2011
cranky today
Me, not Nina. Nina was fine, we did a little trotting. Apparently rearing is back on her menu, but it is back to what she used to do with about 5 minutes of warning, so she got kicked a couple of times. She would like to buck and gallop. I object to bucking at any time and galloping would not be good.
I might stop on the way to the barn tomorrow and pick up some VitaCalm.
No, I was the cranky one. People at work were cranky, including me. At the barn there were THREE of us riding in a huge outdoor arena and try as I might to just walk and trot ON THE RAIL I had to dodge some really bad stops from a reining rider who never looks where she is going and nearly slid into us once. At that point I did tell her to move and later when she asked me about it I told her to give us a little room. Another rider managed to canter between us and the rail (and on our right!), which meant that Nina had to scoot over because there wasn't room. She was wound up and a little explosive and I just have no patience with riders who insist on riding on top of others. Take your eyes off of your horse's mane and LOOK WHERE YOU ARE GOING!
So then I stopped at the grocery on the way home and people were nearly mowing each other down. Really really rude. Some old fat man yelled at someone else in the parking lot to 'get the F out of the way' Really? There are plenty of groceries to go around.
Phase of the moon? Gravitational shifts? Time warp?
I am safely home and not speaking to anyone but the dogs.
I might stop on the way to the barn tomorrow and pick up some VitaCalm.
No, I was the cranky one. People at work were cranky, including me. At the barn there were THREE of us riding in a huge outdoor arena and try as I might to just walk and trot ON THE RAIL I had to dodge some really bad stops from a reining rider who never looks where she is going and nearly slid into us once. At that point I did tell her to move and later when she asked me about it I told her to give us a little room. Another rider managed to canter between us and the rail (and on our right!), which meant that Nina had to scoot over because there wasn't room. She was wound up and a little explosive and I just have no patience with riders who insist on riding on top of others. Take your eyes off of your horse's mane and LOOK WHERE YOU ARE GOING!
So then I stopped at the grocery on the way home and people were nearly mowing each other down. Really really rude. Some old fat man yelled at someone else in the parking lot to 'get the F out of the way' Really? There are plenty of groceries to go around.
Phase of the moon? Gravitational shifts? Time warp?
I am safely home and not speaking to anyone but the dogs.
This needs to go viral
This asshat is threatening to sue Epona TV for posting this video. Although he was not at all ashamed to ride like this in front of an international audience.
I think we should all share this.
I also posted it on the FEI Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/the.fei?sk=wall
--------
I did a little more digging into the FEI site and found that this video is getting a lot of air time there. The FEI is looking into it and there is a committee reviewing and hopefully rewriting the rules.
http://twww.fei.org/Reining/FEI-World-Reining-Final/bokebergs
I think we should all share this.
I also posted it on the FEI Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/the.fei?sk=wall
--------
I did a little more digging into the FEI site and found that this video is getting a lot of air time there. The FEI is looking into it and there is a committee reviewing and hopefully rewriting the rules.
http://twww.fei.org/Reining/FEI-World-Reining-Final/bokebergs
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
what a difference
What a difference a real Nina correction with Nina's weight behind it makes vs. my wimpy corrections. If you have been following along you have heard that Nina and I have been having some tacking up problems. Yes, I caused it but she doesn't get to be an ass forever for one small mistake that I made.
What she has been doing is being quite agreeable about being bridled, but then when I go to adjust straps etc. she starts slinging her head around, then she just walks over top of me. Annoying, rude and makes me want to break my rule about not killing her. She will back off when I correct her until I go to adjust her tack again. It's a game and I am tired of it.
So yesterday the grooming area where I tack her up was full of horses, so I tied her in the round pen to tack up. I left her tied while I bridled her, just slipped the halter down her neck. When she turned to walk over me I stepped back and she hit the tie - hard. Backed up and tried to sit or rear but she was tied too short. Tried to walk over top of me again, this time with more enthusiasm and hit the tie really hard, it rocked her. She threw a little fit, but tied short she didn't have much room to play.
So today I decided to tie her and tack her up in the pen again. I can't do this in the grooming area, the only place to tie is a hitching rail that is way too low to work. I can tie her high in the round pen.
So today she was an angel. ONE time of hitting that rope with her full weight behind it had made more of an impression than all the corrections (including with a whip) that I had made. Took all the fun out of it (for Nina).
Had a good walking ride. Walked about four times as far as yesterday. More tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Riding, sort of
Finally got on Nina today. Between not wanting her to flip around and injure her leg and not wanting her to flip around and injure me; the previous rearing session; her being more obnoxiously in heat than I have ever seen her - it took a while to walk her around until she took a deep breath.
She was a jerk about being tacked up. I think she is setting a timer, anything over 5 minutes and her alarm goes off. Then she was fine until I started adjusting things to get on, then she didn't want to stand still. We just walked around until she let go of a lot of tension.
By this time, I had the adrenaline rush going and then when I got on her she lumbered around like an old plow horse.
On the good side, her leg seems fine and she was obedient and we got another 'first day back' out of the way.
She was a jerk about being tacked up. I think she is setting a timer, anything over 5 minutes and her alarm goes off. Then she was fine until I started adjusting things to get on, then she didn't want to stand still. We just walked around until she let go of a lot of tension.
By this time, I had the adrenaline rush going and then when I got on her she lumbered around like an old plow horse.
On the good side, her leg seems fine and she was obedient and we got another 'first day back' out of the way.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
EHV state by state
If you are interested in a state by state breakdown of what is going on with the EHV outbreak, here is it from the Dept of Agriculture. The charts are on page 2 and 3. 19 states are affected. The count here in Colorado is up by one confirmed case this weekend. Many many people here are just staying put and hopefully the virus will run its course and we will be done with it.
PDF here.
PDF here.
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