No horsey news. Wind, cold, ice and late work schedule = days off for Nina.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
well, crap...
When I left for work this morning I was wearing a sweatshirt and carrying my jacket. Sunglasses in my hand. By the time I got to the barn, THIS is what the day looked like.
Nina was glad to see me for about 2 minutes. Then she realized that instead of hustling as fast as possible to give her her beet pulp, I was actually setting it down in the snow and screwing around with a camera!!! The smile turned into a frown, to say nothing of pinned ears and slitty eyes. I think I may be fired.
Nina was glad to see me for about 2 minutes. Then she realized that instead of hustling as fast as possible to give her her beet pulp, I was actually setting it down in the snow and screwing around with a camera!!! The smile turned into a frown, to say nothing of pinned ears and slitty eyes. I think I may be fired.
trot sets
If I am going to get serious, and I am, fitness is the first step. I could just make up a program, but I think I tend to progress is a haphazard fashion when I do that, besides getting bored. I used to own Kursinski's book and Wofford's but they went the way of lent books. Does anyone have any online resources on fitting up a horse? I am not interested in buying a book right now. List em here!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
oh look, awards!
OK, it is really only one award but it came to me from three different fellow bloggers so that makes it awardS, doesn't it?
Much thanks to A Horse and a Half, Riding from the Ground Up and Calm Straight & Forward for passing this on to me. These are three blogs that I read every day and recommend that you do too.
5.I live in Colorado, which I like a lot. But wish I lived in New Mexico, which I love.
6. I was a skinny little thing until I was almost 40, since then I fight my weight constantly. I want to be skinny again AND eat like I used to when I was 20. Not going to happen, I know.
7. I had NO FRIGGIN business buying Nina, practically a derelict and nasty to boot. After Scotty died and a lease of a very nice Dutch Warmblood did not work out the WISE thing to do would have been to save my money and wait and buy a nice, broke horse and continue on with my training.
HOWEVER, I have learned a lot and it seems to be working out in the long run.
Much thanks to A Horse and a Half, Riding from the Ground Up and Calm Straight & Forward for passing this on to me. These are three blogs that I read every day and recommend that you do too.
Like every good thing in life, there is a price to pay. The requirements of this award are:
1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!
Seven things about myself:
1. My first horse was an off the track Appendix who literally ran out from under me the first time I rode him. We did everything from games to western pleasure and on to reining. There was no team penning or any such competition but we sorted rodeo stock back behind the chutes at the Little Britches and Junior Rodeos. Wonderful horse.
2. I quit showing horses because it got too expensive, took up dog showing where I managed to spend even more and 25 years later was back in horse showing.
3. I always wanted to learn to jump but did not have the opportunity. I lived in Albuquerque when there was ONE barn with English riders and jumping is something that came to the state fair. I mentioned casually to a friend when I was 46 that I regretted never learning and now I was too old. He made an appointment for a lesson for me, dragged me to it and I have never looked back. Totally addicted and loving it.
4. I own and show (used to breed) Afghan Hounds.
Seven things about myself:
1. My first horse was an off the track Appendix who literally ran out from under me the first time I rode him. We did everything from games to western pleasure and on to reining. There was no team penning or any such competition but we sorted rodeo stock back behind the chutes at the Little Britches and Junior Rodeos. Wonderful horse.
2. I quit showing horses because it got too expensive, took up dog showing where I managed to spend even more and 25 years later was back in horse showing.
3. I always wanted to learn to jump but did not have the opportunity. I lived in Albuquerque when there was ONE barn with English riders and jumping is something that came to the state fair. I mentioned casually to a friend when I was 46 that I regretted never learning and now I was too old. He made an appointment for a lesson for me, dragged me to it and I have never looked back. Totally addicted and loving it.
4. I own and show (used to breed) Afghan Hounds.
5.I live in Colorado, which I like a lot. But wish I lived in New Mexico, which I love.
6. I was a skinny little thing until I was almost 40, since then I fight my weight constantly. I want to be skinny again AND eat like I used to when I was 20. Not going to happen, I know.
7. I had NO FRIGGIN business buying Nina, practically a derelict and nasty to boot. After Scotty died and a lease of a very nice Dutch Warmblood did not work out the WISE thing to do would have been to save my money and wait and buy a nice, broke horse and continue on with my training.
HOWEVER, I have learned a lot and it seems to be working out in the long run.
15 Blogs that I enjoy and want to pass this award to:
with apologies to all the other blogs that I read and love
Monday, January 17, 2011
shoes!
No work today, had an appointment with the farrier. New shoes on the fronts, still barefoot on the backs. I think my farrier is almost glad to only shoe the fronts, in spite of the lower fee. Nina has a habit of standing quietly for 3 feet and then being less than well behaved for the last one. Her timeclock runs out. This is much faster, happier all around.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Mellow Sunday
There was a high degree of craziness at the barn today. LOTS of people and activity, a horse trying to colic, another one giving his young owner the big finger in the roundpen and rolling in his saddle. The 4-H kids and instructor trying to do their regular Sunday thing, limited riding in the outdoor arena, lots of wet still.
I have the place almost to myself Monday through Friday if I get there early enough, so why stress with the traffic jam. Nina and I took a walk. Around the barn, around the parking area, the trailers, up and down all the shed rows. She was a little excited when she first came out of her pen but then she chilled and just marched along, looking at everything, unfazed by a muck bucket that blew out in front of her, a swinging rope hitting her on the butt, lots and lots of water to walk through. (Remind me of this, please, when we start schooling xc and she doesn't want to get her feet wet.) All in all she acted like an interested tourist watching the locals. We walked for about 40 minutes, I borrowed some beet pulp from a friend because Nina's is STILL in my kitchen sink.
Good bonding time. Tomorrow, weather permitting, back to work.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Gamblers Choice
The Gamblers Choice was lots of fun and a packed stadium. Karen Cudmore and Southern Pride won it, that's two or three years in a row. Karen lived here at one time and is considered 'local' so she always gets a lot of crowd support. One of her competitors this year was her daughter. Here is Karen and Southern Pride winning the same competition last year at stock show.
Friday, January 14, 2011
indoors
I managed to get in a quick ride on Nina this afternoon. The outdoor arena is not rideable, or walkable... I nearly got stuck walking out to check it out. So we went in the indoor.
Now, Nina was ridden all last winter in an indoor arena and was fine, but she hates this arena. She has thrown hysterical fits and spooked like a runaway freight train at who knows what.
Today there were others horses in there, which helps and we walked around for about 15 minutes. Since there were other riders and there wasn't room for her to throw her first day back temper tantrum we just walked. She was very looky, but absolutely no spooking. I wasn't much help as I was waiting to see if I could hang on and was probably tenser than she was. It was a good first ride indoors. I will try to find a time tomorrow with just one or two other horses and put her to work.
Oh, and I won another round of the battle to re-install her ground manners. I don't know where they went but it has been a battle lately.
Now, Nina was ridden all last winter in an indoor arena and was fine, but she hates this arena. She has thrown hysterical fits and spooked like a runaway freight train at who knows what.
Today there were others horses in there, which helps and we walked around for about 15 minutes. Since there were other riders and there wasn't room for her to throw her first day back temper tantrum we just walked. She was very looky, but absolutely no spooking. I wasn't much help as I was waiting to see if I could hang on and was probably tenser than she was. It was a good first ride indoors. I will try to find a time tomorrow with just one or two other horses and put her to work.
Oh, and I won another round of the battle to re-install her ground manners. I don't know where they went but it has been a battle lately.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Gamblers Choice!
It's Stock Show time. You can tell because it's been snowing. Tomorrow night some friends and I will go to the Stock Show early in the evening, wander around and look at the exhibits, make sure to walk through the fancy shmancy (50k+) horse trailers and the barn interiors nicer than almost any home. Admire the art and the clothes, watch the kids watch the livestock. Then we will go and sit down and get comfortable and watch the pros go to work riding in the Gambler's Choice Jumping. Lots of fun and great riding to watch.
Check it out here, National Western Stock Show, Gambler's Choice.
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