Spot's THIRD Ride!

Annie came and rode Spot, she walked and trotted a ton in the round-pen. She asked for canter, but he couldn't quite get it in the round-pen; too small. He tried a couple times. At the end of the ride they rode out of the round-pen into the small arena and rode around a bit. He was super chill. Before she got on, she was leaning on him getting ready to mount and a helicopter went by low overhead. He didn't even flinch!

In addition to trotting and the usually walk/turn/stop/back, they worked on turn on the haunch, turn on the forehand, and side-pass....he was getting it! I couldn't believe it, I was very impressed. She said by the end of the ride he definitely knew what he was supposed to do depending on where she bumped him with her leg. I'm very excited. I can't wait to ride him myself!

Our immediate future plans are to take him to Walla Walla County Fair and do halter and showmanship, and sign up for two green-horse classes that we can scratch if he's not ready. I'm excited about that. Especially about not having to be the one showing, I love to groom, but I'm SUCH a nervous shower!

My Little Foal is Growing Up!

Great news; I found someone to ride Spotless and he LOVES her! The first day she worked him on the ground for 30-45 minutes, then was able to get on and she rode for at least 30 minutes at the walk. They halted, turned, and even backed a couple steps. He even let her get down without any issues.

No More Appys For Me =(

Spotless is coming along great in training and is growing into a lovely young gelding. I decided to make a big decision and I gave Spotless to my best friend Michelle as an early birthday present. She is living with us and so Spotless is staying here, but she is taking care of him and paying for his feed and doing his training herself. She has never owned her own horse before but has lots of experience with them. I am here to help her out if she needs it, but she is getting to be a good horse-trainer.

We are getting to borrow a round-pen which is amazing! Michelle has been teaching him to ground-drive in the round-pen with the side-reins and long-lines so that he knows how to steer before she tries to ride him again. He's made leaps and bounds in that.

On Mother's Day, Michelle put a ride on him and he does best with contact on the reins and then leg contact to urge him forward if he gets confused. He did really well. They went about 10 or 15 minutes doing walk/halt/walk transitions. Then she got on him again about 3 days later and he got flustered and she ended up coming off and it shook her, so she decided to do more ground-work to get her confidence back up. I suggested attacking the issue he has with not wanting to listen to the bit or stop well to the reins, so she's been focusing on that. I am really impressed with their progress.

I had not been able to take him out of the arena much since I always had Dazzle getting my main attention, so Michelle has been working with him taking him on walks. The first day we walked over to my grandma's house he was terrified of the cows and screamed at Marigold who we left in the arena the whole time. Michelle had to lunge him in the yard and keep refusing him to get him to pay her any attention. Yesterday was our 4th walk I think, and he is still nervous of the cows, but she didn't have to lunge him at all. He just eyed them well as they walked by the pasture. She put side-reins on him to help get him accustomed to the bit since he hates it and also because he likes to pop his head up and go into zoned-out-appy-mode. I wouldn't have though of that, but it worked really well. Our goal was to make it to the road on the other side of the property and let him see cars going by.

She let him stand and watch cars from about 20 feet from the road for awhile, then we walked up and he stood next to the road for a few cars, then she walked down the road a ways and back and let cars pass by. He didn't spook at all and didn't care at all. I was really impressed with him. I've never walked him on the road before and he acted like it was nothing. Michelle was very heartened by it and I got some video of him walking down the road with a car going by.

After our successful car walk we came back home and he wasn't even sweaty, so she put him in the round-pen to show me how their ground-driving was coming. She had made some good choices in how to do it that I hadn't thought of when I'd done it before and I really didn't have many pointers. Just to use a driving whip to tell him forward when he "stalls" and not to slap the reins as the go-forward cue since you need to be able to have contact on the reins like you would when riding him. She can have him halt/walk/trot and even turn left/right. He stops and thinks about the turning, then does it. It was really neat to watch. She's getting it to go way better than how I was doing it. She has the side-reins on him, which I didn't think of, and it helps keep him from putting his head up and twisting himself up in the lines. She also has the lines attached to the top rings of the surcingle instead of the side rings and then they don't get stuck on his butt when he turns.

Better A Late Post Than Never!

Dazzle was a shining star for Karol and her friends! We took pictures and Melissa rode her in the arena at Red Barn to show them what she could do Dressage-wise and then they loaded her into a shiny trailer and headed off! They made it home safe to Northern WA the next day.

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm sad, which of course I am because she's an AWESOME horse, but I can't begrudge her the new wonderful home she's won herself. Karol is going to spoil her completely! Turn out in a pasture, all new blankets and equipment; she's going to be in horsey heaven with her.

So, Dazzle has gone to a better place (really!) and Spotless should be home from training in a week or so and then Melissa will be riding him till he sells.

In baby-news, Desmond hadn't budged and wasn't a good candidate to manually turn him into a good birthing position so yesterday I went in for a c-section. In the pre-op room my Dr. did a last ultrasound and he had turned himself around! So I got to come home! So no baby yet, but I am starting to have little painless contractions and they haven't quit, so hopefully within the next few days I'll have a baby!

I've decided the best way to encourage a baby to come is to ignore him, so Melissa and I are going to look at a Paint gelding for me tonight at the fair-grounds. Should be fun, he sounds perfect, so hopefully he's as nice as he looks in his pictures. If we love him tonight we might get to bring him home on trial for a few days which would be really nice.

If the Paint gelding doesn't work out and Spotless sells, a friend I ran into Wednesday night offered to half-lease a gelding she has to me to share. So it looks like I won't have to be horse-less long, whether I own one or lease one I'll get to be riding somehow.

Spotless Training Update!

I just got to chat with Spotless' trainer! He only has 12 sessions/rides on him so far because he's been busy with his other job. I think the first 3 sessions were ground-work. He said he's been good; no bucking or naughty stuff at all. He said so far Spotless is taking everything in stride and being a good boy. He said they've walked and trotted under-saddle and should canter for the first time this weekend. They're currently working on giving nicely to the bit. He seems pleased with how things are going. I get to watch this weekend if the weather is nice, it's been raining so far this week. So, hopefully I'll get to see them canter!

Training Update!

Yesterday I got the report that Spotless got his very first ride on him! AJ got on him bareback, then put the saddle on him and AJ's wife lunged them a bit, then he rode him by himself. She said he thought about nothing more than nothing, but overall just looked confused but willing. So that is promising! Yey! With the way the weather was I think he only got about 4 sessions maybe this week, so that means he should get close to 25 rides in his month of training! Woo!

Quite the Adventure

Sunday was the new Appy regional club's playday at a local arena. They had an awesome extreme trail course set up to play on. I took Dazzle for Trudy to ride and Spotless for me to walk through. I want to trailer him a few times before he goes to the trainer. So we got Dazzle ready to go and I turned Spotless out to run before we went since he hadn't gotten worked last week. When I went to catch him, he just ran. He only grazed while I turned him out and then wouldn't let me catch him. Melissa finally caught him and he was all sweaty by then.

We got to the arena, a whopping mile down the road or so from my house, and Spotless was drenched in sweat. This is why I wanted to take him somewhere before he goes to the trainer, lol. So, Trudy took Dazzle in and started walking her through the obstacles. I walked Spotless through them. He had giant eyes and was jittery, but amazing went through almost everything first try. Over bridges, through the tarp tunnel, etc. He was nervous about the mud pile to walk over and wouldn't walk in the water box. AJ, the man who's going to train him, took him and ponied him around and then got him to go through the water box. By the time I put him up he was doing everything. Even big swinging hanging bags that other horses were freaking at. I tied him on the side of the arena for the rest of the time and he watched everyone. Overall, I was really pleased with how well he did. He tried everything even though he was scared and wasn't dangerous.

Dazzle and Trudy did great. Trudy was really nervous so she walked Dazzle around a long time. Finally she mounted up and walked through everything but the water box. Trudy got down and Melissa got on and walked her through everything again for me to tape and then got her to go through the water box, which is apparently much scarier than the puddles we played in last week or the chest deep water she plunged right into on the Trail Ride last year. Melissa got her to walk through the water box several times and she calmed right down about it. Nothing else really concerned her at all.

It was really neat and I really wish I could have been able to ride it myself! I really felt I was missing out! Hopefully we'll get some similar playdays next winter or something when I can ride again.









Videos of Dazzle and Spotless are now up on Youtube.com!

Nice Spotless Session

On Tuesday I lunged Spotless because it was sunny, even though it was muddy. He was awesome! He was listening, we actually got to focus on transitions, and he looked great! After a lunge session we went for a walk and he was very good, didn't try to climb on me for safety at all. We encountered a scary puddle and it took me about 10 or 15 minutes to convince him it wasn't going to drown him and then he walked back and forth over it with me several times. We went down the lane and saw the scary neighbors and he watched them, but still listened when I stopped and started and back, etc. He was paying attention to me.

Melissa came and rode Dazzle after I worked Spotless. It was muddy so she was being careful, but she behaved nicely, just no swinging movement like we've been able to get on dryer days. I got some video of her lunging. I haven't put it up yet though.

The big news that day was I talked to the trainer that Spotless (and Mister and Britches are supposed to go to) is going to and he is all set up to go. He is going as soon as the weather permits, hopefully the beginning of March. Then Melissa will continue him Dressage and his first show will be the 17th of April if he's done at the trainer by then. Yey! I'm excited!

Tomorrow, Melissa and I are going to haul Dazzle and Sparkles to Bennington Lake and Ted is going to ride the 2nd horse and I'm going to walk and video tape. Should be fun. I'm looking forward to getting out in nature. Hopefully it's dry and sunny for us and not freezing!

Awesome Ride For Sparkles!

Melissa had Wednesday to ride since this is a long weekend and she's gone home for it. So, of course it rains! Before the rain she got a ride in on Sparkles and I handled Spotless and had time to lunge him all of 5 minutes before it starting raining.

Spotless was himself again, no bouncy baby or being stupid at the trailer. I brushed him, left him tied a while, then lunged him on side-reins. He was darling again. He just has to remind me he's a baby sometimes, lol. I'm working on getting his appt. with the trainer scheduled. I really look forward to seeing him under-saddle. He looks great on the lunge with side-reins and the dressage saddle on.

Sparkles had a great ride with Melissa. I had her out and tacked up when Melissa got here from class. She trotted, CANTERED, and trotted, CANTERED the other way, then walked her out. She was way tired even though it wasn't really a long ride. She is just that out of shape. They all are, haha.



She This was the first ride where Melissa cantered Sparkles and I expected it to be a disaster. Formerly, she has been known to take the wrong lead and ignore the transition. But, with Melissa aboard she took the correct lead every time, right when she asked, and stayed it in till she asked for trot. It's not finished for sure, but it was a great start! She will definitely be training level ready soon. Very promising ride. It was quite encouraging. She is actually stretching down after being on the bit, starting to engage her top-line instead of giving a false head-set, etc.

We Saw The Sun!

I pulled out Spotless who was COATED in mud. He acted all spooky which is totally unlike him. I did some moving his shoulder and making him back up and then tied up him and started brushing him. The dirt came off in clouds. So nasty. Melissa arrived and took Dazzle to the arena (I had already tacked her up for her) and Spotless spazzed. I had him half brushed, but being I'm pregnant I wasn't going to stick close if he was being stupid. He pulled on his rope a bit, but I had it tied to twine so he couldn't break the lead-rope (try this trick, it's awesome!). I told him he got to be alone if he was going to act like that and I went to the arena to watch Melissa ride. He whinnied a little and pulled his rope more and tried to be a drama king. After a few minutes he settled down and stood quite until I was done photographing Melissa and Dazzle. I finished brushing him, took his tail out the bag (and forgot to put it back in when I put him away), AND I tackled his mane! He had that long gorgeous mane but he had ripped a lot of it and it was FULL of mud. I brushed it best I could, cut about 6 inches off, then sprayed it with water (which he stood tied for like nothing), and then brushed it to the wrong side. I cut it to it's about 5 inches long, then brushed it back onto the right side. He looks all grown up now! I saddled him up, but on a bridle, side-reins, and lunge line and took him to the arena. I asked him to move out and he...took off down the arena. He ran the length twice before letting Ashley catch him (I wasn't gonna chase a bratty baby pregnant). He didn't try it again, but he fought the bit and look atrocious. Once he settled down and trotted nice and stopped fighting the bit he looked adorable! He looks like a TB. He looks like a horse now! Unfortunately, the camera didn't want to take a picture by then, so the ones I have to post are adjusted from very dark and don't look good. We'll try again another day. This was his worst work session in probably a year. I hope he's got it out of his system! I'm hoping for nice weather like today for awhile so I can get him worked everyday and then he'll be himself again. I want him an angel for AJ to get under-saddle.






Melissa worked Sparkles after Dazzle and she was like a different horse from the last session! She was forward! Melissa didn't have to spend the whole session driving her forward like last time so she could concentrate more on her roundness. Sparkles looked relaxed, she had floppy ears, a soft eye; it was amazing! A very promising ride for sure. It was dark by then, so no pictures, but next ride I will try to get some.

Dazzle had an AMAZING day! She was stiff at first, going like a horse with peg-legs, but after about 2 minutes she relaxed, started using her back and rear and looked SO good. She was reaching from behind, tracking up at the walk, etc. She did canter both directions and Dazzle was forward enough without rushing that Melissa could ask her to go on the bit. It was probably the prettiest canter I've seen from Dazzle. Melissa said there is a show in March we could hit if I wanted. That's how good she did. Instead of waiting till the April show, hit one in March because, basically, Dazzle is ahead of schedule in her progress.






So, it sounds like the plan is to hit the March show doing 2 Training tests, not sure if she's going to try a 1st level yet. Probably not yet. A couple Training tests would be a nice start to the season. Maybe she will sell at the show, you never know. I can't imagine how awesome she'll look in another month. If the weather holds and Melissa is able to ride her several times a week, she'll be pretty much solid Training level by then and they'll be able to start seriously preparing for showing First!

FINALLY some decent weather!!!

There was finally decent weather a few days so Melissa got a chance to ride Dazzle. They had their best ride ever! Then I paid for Melissa to get a lesson from Patricia on Dazzle on Saturday and it went really well. I videoed it and I'm working on getting that onto YouTube, edited of course because you can't put a 45 minute video on there.

I took Spotless out and reviewed all his training. I lunged him with a bit and side-reins and saddle and he was awesome. I had Ashley hang in the stirrups and stand on a bucket next to him. He is so ready to get going. I'm working on finding someone to start him by the hour because I don't think he'll need a whole month and I'll be able to hire Melissa to ride him.

Melissa got a ride in on Sparkles, also. They started out looking horrible and by the end of the ride looked pretty decent! I took some pictures. She is going to come along quickly if the weather stays nice enough for her to ride regularly here. Look at the difference between the first shot here and the second; that is only about 15 or 20 minutes of riding in between. Melissa is a miracle worker!!!

How Goes The Groundwork?

Whatever your preference of trainers and styles, no one with any horse experience can deny that groundwork is invaluable. Melissa and I have joined Giddyup.com and have been renting Clinton Anderson's groundwork DVD's. The exercises seem really simple, but it's amazing the reactions you get from your horses. They teach the horses really simple things; move away from my intense energy, move out of my space, move when I tell you, stand still when I tell you, and most of all: PAY attention to MEEE. All stuff you think you're teaching them all the way along. This stuff makes SO much sense to the horses. Some of them were NOT pleased about the new clear expectations, but they got over it pretty quick.

Some of it is desensitization, another thing that is great for horses. I tried his tying methods and it's been awesome. My horses weren't bad about pulling back to begin with, but it was awesome to try everything I could think of to try to make them pull back. The most surprising thing to me was that my riding horse Dazzle had more hot buttons than Spotless the baby! I never did find anything that phased him much. I ran at him screaming flinging a bag on a whip. He looked at me like I was retarded, licked his lips, and came towards me for a hug.

In 3 sessions he now has a respectable turn on the haunch, a near flawless back, both beside and in front of me, no longer tries to drag me on the lunge line (I had been having to lunge him on a stud chain or with a bit before).

One of the things Clinton advocates is rope halters. I hate messing with them, I love my pretty pink halter I can quickly slip over Dazzle's ears and off we go. But, I dug out a skinny rope halter for the exercises. He says it makes it easier and faster. It sure did! I no longer have to use a chain when working Spotless, he doesn't try to drag me off. It's not just that is hurts enough he doesn't pull that hard, he is actually starting to leave slack in the rope. He doesn't want to hit that halter at all. I'm very hopeful that by next spring Spotless and I will be able to show in Showmanship and look like we know what we're doing. I'm going to start hunting for a Showmanship teacher so I know exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.

Dazzle was easy to do the despooking with the string on the stick and rope. She only tried to move like, once. That was it. Didn't try to run around me or anything. She's pretty sensible about that. Plus, doesn't have much go. Spotless I had to start with low intensity, but after about 10 minutes he was good. Now he's great. He has more go though, being half TB. The worst one I've worked with is FAITH! Ashley's kid's horse. She was AWFUL. Reared several times, possibly tried to bite me once. She is VERY high reaction and still needs lots of work. But she is getting better.

Yesterday Spotless did so well with all the Clinton Anderson stuff I had him drag a tire. He did awesome. He started spooking when it followed him at the trot so I tugged the rope and got him to halt. Then he walked, stopped, walked stopped and realized it was stopping whenever he did and calmed right down. Even when he was scared he wasn't trying to take off, he just canter really slow around me on a loose rope! Then we switched directions and he was the same calm that way. Then the tire hit something and started to bounce in the air. It started spinning in the air and flew through his paddock fence and back out. It spun and wound the rope up against Spotless' butt. I told him to HO and he did. I unclipped the rope from him and realized that the rope had twisted up into his tail bag. He stood perfectly still and let me untangle it. I was really glad I had done work before attaching the tire with pulling the rope tight around his rear, letting it get up under his tail, etc. and making sure if he was scared he would let me stop him to "save" him. I would NOT do this with Faith at this point. Faith was watching the whole thing and FREAKING out in her paddock. She was snorting and prancing with her tail flagged. Spotless was really relaxed. After I took the tire off his surcingle I walked him around and he was quite relaxed, not upset from the experience at all. It is promising that he will be able to pull a cart later on.

If you have a horse that is pushy or disrespectful on the ground OR undersaddle, get your hands on the Gaining Respect and Control on the ground DVD's. They rock. You don't have to have anything fancy or a round-pen to do them. I have a flat spot in front of the tackroom where we do them and a cheap rope halter and a lead rope to do it with. I don't even have the tie-ring for the tying stuff, I have a horse trailer that is a rock hooked to a truck and I just put the end of the leadrope through the tied ring twice so it can be pulled out like the ring. I don't even use a 14 ft leadrope. I have one, but I am not coordinated enough not to get tangled up in it, lol.

A First For Spotless

Michelle came over to ride with Ashley and I on Wednesday the 8th. With her there to spot, I tacked up Dazzle western, but a chain on Spotless' halter and...ponied him for the first time. Dazzle hasn't really ponied before (other then Thunder once to cool him down after a trail-ride for a circle or two) and Spotless has never ponied in any form. I had the chain on because he tends to like to try to drag you across the arena when lunging. With the chain he behaves really well.

I got on, Ashley handed me the lead-rope and we went several circles getting Spotless used to staying with his head at my knee and not getting ahead or behind us. That went well, so we jogged and he did that fine, though he thought it was way too slow. We went both directions and he was so super I decided to try canter. We took a nice lope, probably the slowest lope-iest lope Dazzle has ever done and Spotless...trotted to keep up, lol. After I finally stopped laughing over that I called it good and we put him away. WHAT a good boy. While we were standing before I got down I leaned off Dazzle onto his back and he didn't care at all.

Next, Ashley tacked up Gypsy and I got on for about 15 minute and warmed her up. She was WAY better than the last time we worked Dressage. I worked her to the right which is her harder side, then was sore from her and had Ashley get on. I yelled instructions from a lawn chair, Michelle watched from the small arena where she was walking Dan around. He refuses to stand tied to the trailer; he breaks his twine and runs to Mister's paddock.

Ashley did really well, got her on the bit a lot more consistently. So, I told her to canter. It was her left so should be easier. I warned her not to get scared because her gait is so much bigger and to remember she cantered her western so she can do it English. She got the canter without TOO much jarring trot before hand and I was very proud of her. She did a couple circles and then walked her around to cool her down.

Next, we tacked up Dazzle in the Dressage saddle and I warmed her up, then Michelle rode her and then Ashley rode her. Michelle enjoyed how easily she goes on the bit. Ashley cantered her for the first time ever. They did great. I'm secretly hoping she will comfortable enough to show her next summer.

Dan Meets The Group

Dan is a 14.3H Arab gelding owned by Wrenn, my new boarder. Michelle is training him Dressage to show for his owner. He is going to board here and Michelle and I can school together; very exciting!

Tuesday the 7th Wrenn and Michelle came over to see how Dan was settling in. He ran right up to them from the paddock but told them he had made awesome new friends. They brought him out to walk him around and brush him. Michelle lunged him off his lead-rope with a bag-on-a-stick.

Wrenn has a nice gel-seat western saddle for trail-riding and she let me try it on Dazzle. It feels a lot different from mine, but it's not bad. I might get to take it on the ride. That would be neat. I figure if I use a different saddle every day I won't get as sore. I rode a few minutes in that saddle, then Michelle spotted for me and I worked Spotless.

I groomed Spotless, then put my spare Dressage saddle on him. It was his first time in a Dressage saddle. It didn't fit too bad. He couldn't have cared less when I tossed it on and cinched it up. I lunged him with it on and stirrups banging. Then I put on side-reins and lunged him some more. He was great. I can't wait till he's three!