2010 Is Almost Over- Its Goal Time

        In the last few weeks I have been thinking a lot about the future and the possibilities, both horsie and non.
        One of the current issues I have had to deal with has been "solved" and a plan of action has been "developed". Right now I am supposed to be a senior in high school, but because of health problems I am technically a sophomore credit wise. I was hoping to graduate the spring of 2012, but in reality there is a chance I get sick again and that would probably result in delayed graduation...again. So I have made the big decision to get my GED, which has been debated off and on for a few years.

My plan of action is as follows:
1. take the TABY test to see what I need to work on before I take the GED
2. take my GED and pass with flying colors
3.apply and get accepted into college, namely Montana State (I love their equine science/pre vet programs) and that way I can afford to keep my horse and compete
4.take the SAT/ACT
5. and then attend MSU in the fall :)
and above all - pray to God I stay relatively healthy

      Horse wise I haven't been able to ride much because of various reasons, but heck thats winter in Montana if you have an indoor or not.

Goals for 2011:
- Get Addie's awesome jumping back and keep it
- work on my release
- get nice, consistent dressage work (mid 30's at least)
- get my C1 in the spring and my C2 later in the summer
- take Addie to our first reg. event and manage to do as well as we do at home
- conquer my fear of Addie bolting by doing LOTS of xc work
- be competing at BN, which means I will  be schooling novice
- IF she is doing well go to an easy move up novice level event
- above else staying sound (for both of us, haha) and having fun!

Here's to 2010

Long Time, No Post

     Since my last post Addie and I have had a few set backs. I have been dealing with health problems, and Addie was having some behavioral issues (which kinda chipped away at the confidence I had gotten back after the accident).
    Addie's problems have been pretty much been fixed by moving her to a new barn where she gets almost 24/7 turnout with four other mares, and finally getting to see the pony chiropractor! Both of these things have really helped her tons.
   She was so excited the first day she was let out in the pasture by herself (before the she was introduced to the other four mares) that she galloped around it so hard and much that she managed to cut up the insides of both rear cannons. Fortunately they look a lot worse then they really are.
    At our new barn we will also be getting 3 lessons a month with our board. I am VERY excited for this, because I have never had lessons on a regular basis except for the short time I was a working student last fall. This will definitely help with us get to the next level!
    

Meggan Holloway Clinic

    This last weekend I took Addie to the FVPC sponsored Meggan Holloway Clinic. It was both Saturday and Sunday, but I only rode on Saturday. First I had a semi private dressage lesson, and about an hour or so later I had a semi private jumping lesson. Addie was very good for the dressage, but pretty lazy, from now on I will always wear my spurs for dressage. For awhile I had quit wearing them because she was being very responsive, but it didn't last long. Haha.We worked on using her hind end and transitions, she was pretty good.
For my jump lesson we did grids and little courses, the highest jumps being 2'6"- 2'9". She had no problem clearing them, she just was being a compete dork. So I will also start wearing my spurs for jumping again too, because they would definitely help re-enforce my leg aids when she is acting up.This is what she has been doing lately:

This is the after math of a helicopter/deer jump, the nose dive. Because of her current jumping style, Meggan has offered for us to come down and have a mini jumping boot camp. Apparently Meggan's competition horse, Cutter (Addie's half brother), went through this "phase" as well. He is now being campaigned at Training level, trying to qualify for Prelim.
All in all it was very productive, helpful, and fun. I cant wait for next month!

Recap

   In the last month Addie and I haven't really been able to do much anything because I have been sick off and on, so right now she is fat and happy. I have been lunging her at least twice a week to keep her moving, but it still doesn't cut it, especially with the last mini event of the season at the end of the month. I am pretty disappointed with my self being that I haven't gotten us where we ideally "needed" to be. If I hadn't been sick and had continued our training schedule that we had started at Meggan's back in July we would at least be rocking bn . Right now we only have one smurf (18") under our belt.
  Sorry guys, just needed to vent, now on to the good news.
  This weekend I am taking Addie to a clinic that Meggan is coming down and teaching. I am going to see where she thinks we are level wise for the up coming mini event. Right now I am guessing that we will probably go smurf again, but that may change.
   I am also going to talk to my Pony Club's DC about doing my C1 HM and Flat ratings (PC has a new rating system for those that may not have an appropriate mount for any of the 3 areas that one is rated on) sometime soon, because we are both more than ready for them.
  So here are my goals leading up to next spring:

• Take Addie to the Mini Event at either smurf or bn and end on our dressage score
• Have a dressage score better than 36
• Get my C1 HM and Flat ratings this fall
• Over the winter get both my C2 HM and Flat ratings
• In the spring get both of my C1 and C2 Jumping ratings, so I will have both of the original "eventing" ratings for both
 Thats all for right now, I will post more soon ;)

Just Another Day

        Didnt get to go ride today....Just had too much going on. Dang it. Oh well, so let me get you all up to date.
        This weekend is the mini event which I am completely psyched for, but also kinda bummed about. The reason I am bummed is because my goal for the summer was to take her BN on Saturday, and guess what? The mare and I are going smurf. Barf.
        I took her out to school last Sunday at the park and had a lesson with John. I had never had one from him before, but it was pretty awesome. I got over the fear of her bolting with me again, she was a xc machine, even though you really cant be at Smurf and BN.... Anyway I used the gag that Meggan let me borrow ( the golden wings gag we tried when we over to her place) and it worked very well. Half halt here and half halt there, no more having to haul on her to get some kind of positive reaction. Yay!
      Addie was still jumping the BN and Smurf stuff like it was prelim height, and acting like she could jump 8 feet, so she needs to learn to sloooow down and be patient. Thus the reason for Smurfing this weekend. Plus since we can both do it all with our eyes closed we have a very big possibility of kicking some major a** .;)
      I figured out what I am going to both register Addie under with the USEA and IDHSNA. Since her sire is Dry Creek Macha, the first Registered Irish Sport Horse born in North America, I wanted to carry on the Macha name. It is also customary to do so in so. Read here what Macha means. Its very cool because I was wanting something that went along the lines of Celtic/Irish female warrior/goddess names, so I came across Aife. Aife (also known as Aoife) was famous female warrior from long long ago. So Machas Aife she shall be.
     Another reason behind Addie's "new name" is because there are not very many mares in eventing, and even fewer as you go higher up the levels. For those that do make it they are very strong and hold their own against the big boys. I have always thought that Addie would max out at Training probably to some T3D's. But because of her current behavior and love for jumping I have been lead to believe otherwise. John also mentioned after my lesson that Addie and I are going to go far together, which also gave me some more new found hope that we may get to prelim and possibly higher together. :)

Our Week At Boot Camp

   Last week as most of you already know, was spent in Bozeman at Holloway's Pretty Good Horse Barn, with Meggan Holloway.
  The timing couldn't have been any better, because while schooling cross country with Addie, on July 9th, she bolted. I only had one stirrup for aprox. .5 mile (give or take), and managed to stay on until she jumped the drainage ditch. I preceded to fall onto the bank of the ditch, and bounce into the ditch face first. That felt great (not really)! An ambulance was called, and off to the ER I went. Thankfully nothing was broken, and no concussion. We were really worried that I had broken my collar bone and tail bone. I was back and riding on Monday. My lower back is still pretty sore, but it will heal with time.
  So back to Out Week At Boot Camp. We worked on Addie's "foot work", because she is still learning where to put everything. It didn't help that she grew at least 1.5" since I bought her in February. Then she was barely 16.2hh, and now she is just over 17hh. And dang does she look good. No one recognized her, and I don't think that her original owners even would have! I need to post some before and after pictures. Now she doesn't look like a propane tank. The Mare now looks like a real sport horse!
  We worked on jumping four out of the five days I was there. We did a lot of grids and bounce lines, at the end she was doing them very well. Early friday morning before lessons and when we needed to leave, we worked on jumping ditches. Since the xc course was pretty much invisible due to how high the grass was, Meggan pulled out her fake ditch, and Addie never refused! At the end she was "galloping" over it at bn/n speed with no problem.
  On our way back into Missoula, Meggan and I talked about my goal of taking Addie novice at Rebecca Farm next July. Meggan thinks that if I do the August Mini Event and Stanton Farm on Sept. 11-12th at bn, and  if she does really well, she doesn't see why I couldn't take her around novice at the Oct. Mini Event.
To be successful at Rebecca at novice in July '11 we need to do at least 2 recognized  H.T.'s before then next season. I am currently looking at the May events, and will be deciding on our first shortly.

Following Suit

So  after just reading my friend's recent blog entery, I am going to jump on the bandwagon too! You can check out her blog at Pura Vida Eventing.

Here are my goals for the rest of the Summer:

-Take Addie to her first schooling Horse Trial at BN on August 7th

-Dressage score in 30's (swiped this one from Pura Vida Eventing)

-No refusals in XC or Stadium

-No breaking from gait during dressage tests

-Not hesitating or refusing at ditches

- Schooling some novice successfully

- Attend Buck Davidson Clinic at Jarba Farms in August

-Either go to the Dressage show here or go to Rebecca for H/J show

- Getting nice uphill movement with nice engagement of hindquarters ON the bit

- Go recognized at Stanton in Sept, go double clean xc and stadium and end on dressage score (BN)

- Take Addie to my C1 rating (and pass) the end of the summer or early fall

Thats all for the moment, but I'll try to think of some more!

July 5 2010

  Yesterday was a lot nicer than it is today. I can believe the down pour we had. Good thing there is a nice, big indoor where I board Addie or we would have been outta luck.
  Addie was very much a mare while I groomed and tacked her up, even more so when I went to put on my Collegiate aka my Craptastic Saddle. I know it doesn't fit, so I had stopped by Crazy Horse (the "tack" store) to see if they had a wide gullet in. To my despise they didn't. If I could have I would have had them order me one, but because they are a consignment tack store I couldn't :(. So I rode in the same arrangement that I used yesterday, and boy is that fun to get all on straight so she wont have anything else to get upset about.
  First we lunged. This is because The Mare thinks she is so aaaaaaalooooonnneee when we are in the indoor, and likes to scream and be stupid. Surprisingly she was pretty good on the lung, and just because I had her side reins already hooked up, I decided she could work for a while in them. It always seems to help set the mood for her, and then she doesn't pull on her when I ask her to take up the contact when I get on.
  Wow, my mom just came in the door and gave me some Almond Joys! Yummy!
  Okay, back on track. Addie is really loving the french link instead of the Stubben KK. Go figure. I spend $75 on the Stubben, and just $20 on the french link that I bought for Dover last summer. Oh well, good thing I still had it.
   Her right lead is still kinda crappy, we need to really work on it, because it is her off side. Otherwise we had some awesome trot work, mostly on the bit and round, and she was very much in tune to me. So all in all we had a pretty darn good ride :)

My 4th Of July Ride

   Today has been an unusual Independence Day. It has been uncharacteristically dark, gloomy, and muggy while years past have always been sunny and hot. This year I had the chance to escape away to the barn and see my "pony". I was just planning on lunging her with side reins, and give her a good grooming because I hadn't ridden in two days, and the last time I rode her she was a compete a**.  Throwing her head up, down, side to side and any other way possible. Hollowing her back, not listening to half halts, or my other aids. Figured that it was just because there were other horses in the arena cruising around and jumping, and she was going to jump as well. I didnt think much of it because I had been thinking about getting her a different bit for jumping, or maybe just a running martingale. Then my saddle started to sit on her withers. I already knew that my Craptastic Saddle (that I bought in 2008 brand new and it was the only one that would "fit" the horse I had at the time and my long legs) it is a bit wide for her, but I had been using my quilted  Mattes Correction Pad which had been working out great. Now it is sooo wide I need to get the next smaller gullet. Arrgg.
  We no longer have an "real" english tack store in the area, the closest is almost 4 hrs away. I might be able to pick one up at the Consignment Tack Shop, because they got a bunch from our local tack store when they went out of business. So today I used one of my Navajo saddle blankets to take up some space inconjunction with my regular saddle pad and mattes, and boy that helped! It didnt solve anything, the saddle still was sitting on her withers a bit, and left dry spots on either side of her withers, but she was much happier. I also switched her to Dover's old bit, a loose ring french link snaffle. I lunged her for about 10mins before  I got on, because she hadnt been ridden and to give her a chance to check out the "new" bit. She has been in Stubben's version on a KK Ultra loose ring snaffle, ridden with and without a flash. Addie loves the french link! I tried it without the flash to see how she really liked it, and guess what?! She did wonderfully in it, and doesnt need the flash.
   I w/t/c her at large, and on 20 meter circles, both on and off the bit. She was very responsive, but the left was better then the right, but thats how it has always been , so no change there.
   Since she was so good, I decided that we would pop over these itty bitty jumps that had been set up (18"), and my gpa put the novice height fences down a few holes for us as well. There were some logs used as fillers that we hopped over, one vertical, a gate, a small square oxer, and a small corner with a "liver pool" set up underneath it. The only one she kinda hesitated at was the corner, but it was more because I didnt have enough impulsion in her trot. She contiued to pop over everything at a nice relaxed steady eddy trot (a little to relaxed really, but hey I cant complain), and then I precieded to take her over them all after twice around at a nice balanced canter.
  Addie has always liked to speed up at the approach to a jump, especially at a canter, so much so she becomes unbalanced and she takes a bad spot (despite my half halts) and ends up hitting it and/or knocking a rail down. Not today though! The only time she almost got a rail was when I was trotting her up to the jumps on the approach, so she was just being lazing and not really jumping. So today she really proved that she is ready to move up in height (has been consitantly jumping up to 2'6", but mostly 2'3"), now she is ready to be consistantly be doing BN height. Yay!
 

June 30 2010

  Addie was definitely the Big Red Mare today. I didn't ride yesterday, but dang she acted like I hadnt ridden her in three! She was definitely in La La Land today. I had to do lots of counter bending at the trot to get her head screwed back on, to remind her she knows how to be round and not bend like a 2x4. Maresy was madly swishing her tail during warm up at the walk, and bouncing like bees were attacking her. She finally she agreed with me that there wasn't anything bothering her.
 Today there were two other horses in the arena as well. That was very exciting for her, because she believed she had a reason to scream at them a few times while their riders looked at me like "cant you just shut her up?!". To say the least The Mare has a mind of her own and will scream until hell freezes over no matter how many times you "tell" her to shut up. Hopefully she wont ever do it in a dressage test.
 On the up side her canter work was pretty good, and she had some nice walk to canter transitions as well. Her canter to trot down transitions were another story. You would have never guessed we had just spent a whole ride on them the day before last, which were very nice if I may say so. Oh well. We did some free walking to cool her down which was wonderful, we then ended it on some turns on the forehand (which she apparently forgot how to do, but finally remembered) that were pretty nice as well.

  I thought I had figured out my saddle fitting issues, but they sprung up again today, so that didnt help my riding whatsoever. The pommel was really tipping forward. I switched from a SaddleRight pad I was borrowing from a friend to my Mattes Quilted Correction pad. That had helped for quite a while, but now I probably need to go a smaller gullet for my saddle (I have a crappy Collegiate Convertible Diploma I am trying to replace with a Stubben). Right now I have a X-Wide Gullet in it, so I'll have to get the next size down and see if that helps at all. When I go down to Meggan's on the 11th I am going to have her do a fitting to see what size she really is.

Long Time No Post

I am not being very good about keeping my blog up-to-date. So now I am going to promise to keep you all up to date.

Since my last post, Addie and I have finally begun to really click with each other. She has finally figured out that I am not just pretending to know what I am doing, to "okay you've got it boss" and tries her heart out. We still have our "red thoroughbred mare" moments, but who doesnt? There have more good days than bad, so I cant complain, but there has been reason to dub her "Mrs. Robinson". The show name "Sweet Adeline", is just that, too sweet for my fiery, big, red mare...So it just wont do. Now she is known as Mrs. Robinson, and Mrs. Robinson she shall be.

Addie has also been taken on her first xc school, and was great. She did everything asked of her, even though it was all new. I also took her to her first show, a H/J schooling show at the local equestrian park. Addie placed in three out of the five classes. We only did the 18" and 2' classes to keep things simple. She was also very hot, but "cooled down" after the first class.

I currently had to move Addie from the boarding facility to a new one, which I am very pleased with. It has a small scale xc course with a complete water complex, regulation sized outdoor dressage arena, and heated indoor- which will be great for cold Montana winters.

Moving up

Addie is doing great. Last week I jumped her up to 2'6" for the first time, including strange things like barrels and "picket fences" in them. Didnt even hesitate. I am so proud of her! I will post some videos asap.
I also took her to her first show last weekend. We did the following classes: 1)18" hunter under saddle w/t, 2)18" hunter o/f, 3)18" hunter o/f,4) 2' hunter o/f, and 5) 2' hunter o/f. We placed in the 2nd, 4th and 5th classes! We were going to do jumpers, but there were not any offered under 2'6". She was great, but I am definitely going to try a different bit on her! I will post some pictures from the show as well.
Ciao

Quick Update

  The weather here in Montana has been crazy. Last night it was snowing and last week we had several hail storms. Not fun weather to ride or even be out in. I was unable to ride all weekend because this "cowboy" came a gave a clinic on natural horsemanship. He was teaching people how to get their horses to cross tester-totters and jump on and off a large tire wheel full of sand. Huh. So the poneh got the weekend off, and boy is she getting fat. I am probably going to move her into a dry lot so she doesn't have access to pasture and because no one will clean out the shelter out there or the old round bale mess. Argg. I would do it but I would have to use a tractor. Its not healthy for her to be living out there.
  I also got my "new" '94 Logan Coach 2h, slant load on Sunday. There is a lot more that needs done to it that we first thought. Oh well. Hopefully we can make it safe for this weekend's h/j schooling show, and the Deep Creek Derby June 5th.

YAY!

So I have been trailer-less for almost a year now, and guess what! We found one! It is an older Logan Coach 2h slant load, that this cowboy had custom done for when he goes to rodeos. To say the least, it is awesome! It has a huge hay rack, permanent back tack with 3 saddle racks, lots of bridle hooks, blanket bars in the horse box (for when they aren't in there, a big front dressing room with a clothing bar, medicine chest style mirror, boot box, corner selves, and more! I am soooo excited! We went down to Ronan (where its located) a few weekends ago to take a look at it, and talked with the owner about making payments on it. Sure enough he let us put $1500 down on it, and hopefully we will be able to pay the rest of it and bring it home this weekend!
Since it is older, it doesn't have some cosmetic problems. There is a lot of surface rust that needs to be sanded off and primed over, as well as some nice sized holes that need cut out, sanded, primed, and welded. Otherwise it just got a new floor last year, has nice floor mats, and working drop down windows and vents. I will make sure to post pictures of it :).

Bozeman Here I Come!

In less than 12 days I will be making the 3 hour trip to Bozeman, Montana to hopefully find a horse. If Addie works out I will start the process of starting her over fences asap- to hopefully take her to Arrowhead HT in Billings Montana, in May at BN.
Also I may be attending Meredith Manor Winter 2010 in West Virgina to get teaching, training, and riding certifications.Wish I had more time to tell y'all  'bout it, but I have lots to do today!
Ciao

Countin' Down the Days

 After battling nausea and stomach problems for 3 years now it has all come to an end. On Jan 15th I had my gallbladder removed and as good as new! I have less than 2 more weeks to go until I can once again ride, and not be held back. I cant wait!! To know longer worry if I will make it through my pacing lesson because I may get sick all over my horse (almost did quite a few times galloping around), not fun.
 So know I am countin' down the days until I am able to go try out a Addie, the ISH mare I have told you all about before, and I get to start preparing for the season ahead.

This is her with her current owner doing some dressage.

Always Look a Free Horse in the Mouth

 After finding Addy, horses for sale seem to be coming out the wood work here in Western Montana. Even for free, and I am not talking about your average 25+yr old kid's horse. Nice young projects with potential- if you are willing to spend countless hours on teaching them how to pick up their feet, they could be very nice lower level eventers some day.
 Get this a nice young register Swedish Warmblood mare, for only $1500. And then the catch... she has a bone chip in her hock that tends to "tighten up" at times while jumping. Dang. If I had the money I would have bought her up, and at least make a nice dressage horse out of her. I'm sure that both of these horses will find nice homes here in the near future.
  It just goes to show that Addy, the nice ISH, 17hh, 6yr old sorrel mare with the little white star upon her forehead is probably going to be the one for me. I just have to ride this storm out and keep my eyes (and heart) on the prize before me.

Winter in Big Sky Country

  How do you describe Winter in Big Sky Country? Wet, cold, and icy. Short days and long nights, no more riding outside til 9 o'clock at night, unless you want to freeze both your self and your horse.
  I dont care, the wool tights, socks, long johns and winter breeches come out and are used on a daily basis to help keep the cold out.
  Unfortunately this year I am horseless and don't have the joy of being with a fuzzy equine this winter, hopefully one will make its way into my life.