Dressage Horse In Disguise

Since Ashley joined 4H and I get to take the lessons with her, we have been focusing on that. Yes, Dazzle and I have been learning *GASP*...Western Pleasure.

First, I was shocked to learn how similar to Dressage it is. Dazzle doesn't seem confused in the least and since it's what she's bred for I figured it won't hurt to let her do what she's made for and shine.

Ashley is making progress with connecting with Faith, her new TB, but she has a lot of tension to overcome. She is used to slow, old horses, not forward TB's. They'll get there. They will make their show debut next Spring.

Sunday, Dazzle and I will debut our new Western Pleasure skills at the Umatilla Sage Riders Arena Late Summer Schooling Show in Hermiston, OR. Should be fun! If I can keep my nerves controlled and Dazzle can keep on task, we should do okay!

Ted should be there to take pictures, so I should have photos to share! Ashley is going to be grooming for us, which is awesome; she is a great groom!

Training-wise, our walk/job is fairly acceptable, our lope is non-existent and our canter is getting there. She likes to veer off the rail, jumping into the gait, and get too fast. I have three more days. We'll be great. lol!

The Arab Kicks In

Tuesday, Ashley was finally able to ride and I had stolen Michelle. We all tacked up and headed into the field. Dan was spooky right off. He stood better for Michelle to get on, then shied going through the arena opening into the field. He wouldn't go into the grassy lane first and eyed everything down the lane to Grandma's. We went around the edge of the field and he was pretty good, then spooked himself walking over a sprinkler pipe. We went to the edge of the field by the road and Michelle walked him over the pipe several times until he did it without acting terrified. Then we went to go around the block. He spooked at everything. Michelle finally decided it wasn't the evening to work on this as she didn't have enough time so we went back and rode home. It took an hour to do all that, so it wasn't a short ride even though we didn't go far.

Ashley and Gypsy didn't have a completely smooth go of it either. Gypsy doesn't like standing very long for mounting. Ashley was taking too long to get on (by her standards) and took off. I had to catch her on Dazzle. I told Ashley she had to make it a swift, smooth movement and just get up there. She was really frustrated by this time as they'd already spent 10 minutes arguing over standing still, but she didn't complain, she just got up there, Gypsy starting to walk off and I told her to discipline her for it. She made her stop and got her foot in the stirrup and all was okay. They did well the rest of the ride. When we got to the gate next to Grandma's Gypsy remembered the training from the session they had a while back and stood next to it while Ashley pushed and pulled the gate. I was quite impressed she had retained it that well. Quite promising.

Dazzle was good the whole time. We were western and she likes that. I let Ashley ride in my Dressage saddle, so that was she and Gypsy's first trip out of the arena in a snaffle and Dressage saddle.

Western At An Arena

(Turbo at the outdoor tying station near the round-pens)

My two friends that have been boarding at my house moved their horses to a boarding barn across the highway that has a giant outdoor arena, an indoor/heated/sandy-footing arena, two round-pens, a hot walker, and a warm-water boath station. So, Friday they spent the morning moving all their tack from my tack-room and their horses to the new barn. In the afternoon, they came back and picked up me and Dazzle to come see the new digs.

Dazzle was upset that she couldn't see her friends and screamed like an idiot. I put her in the roundpen and she was happy there as she could see her buddies. I round-penned her a little. She was quite distracted, but walk/trot/cantered both ways. Ali and Melissa had round-penned Bayberry and Flash also, and then put them on the hot-walker. Bayberry went on first. She is an ex-racer so we guess she probably had been on one before. She put her head down and plodded along like nothing. Then, Ali added Flash. He tried walking on it backwards. Then he figure it out and followed Bayberry. Last, I added Dazzle. She waited until the rope pulled her, then trotted and stopped. Pull-trot-stop-pull-trot-stop. She finally figured out if she just walked out it didn't pull on her. Then she figured out if you stop and mule-stance against the rope the whole hot-walker stops moving. I yelled at her to walk and she gave me a You're-No-Fun look and started walking again.

After the hot-walker lesson Ali and Melissa hosed off their horses and tied them to dry in the sun. I tacked up Dazzle back at the trailer where my stuff was and she was not pleased to be out of sight from Turbo, Bayberry and Flash. She screamed, dug in the gravel, and finally reared. I yelled at her to knock it off. When I had her tacked up I had a moment of fear where I considered asking Ali to get on first, then decided she'd be fine once she saw her friends.

I lead her to where the others were tied up and she settled right down. I put on the bridle and my helmet and got on. She stood just fine. We went to the gate of the outdoor arena and opened it. The noise of the noble paneling scared her at first, but I assured her it was just a gate and we were able to finish opening it. Once in the arena she was great. I had a curb bit with a jointed mouthpiece and a fairly short shank. She had never been in one before. I was able to ride on a loose rein just fine. We jogged, whoa'd, turned on the haunch and forehand, jog-cantered, canter-whoa'd, everything I could think of. She took the correct lead even on the rail all but one time. She took her RIGHT lead when I asked for the LEFT. That never happens. We only rode about 15 minutes, but she was really good and it was hot and we were both sweaty, so I called it good. We opened and close the gate again going out and I took her back and untacked. She was again unhappy to be on the wrong side of the barn.

I took her inside the barn to the wash stall. She stepped in, heard the drain gurgle and backed out. She refused to go back in. The stall is plenty big enough to walk in, turn around to face out, and be put on the cross-ties, but she'd have nothing to do with that. So, I hosed the side she had half-way in and then that distracted her enough when I asked her to turn so I could do the other side she walked right in. I just held her as I figured being in the stall was progress and she's never been in cross-ties before. We'll try that again next time. After that she stood in the sun with Turbo and Flash while I took pictures of Melissa riding Bayberry. She was dry within half and hour and ready to go home.

It was a great ride and made me think that maybe by the end of the summer we might actually be able to compete in open schooling shows and have a shot at placing in western. Very encouraging.

First Day Neck-Reining

I have practiced neck-reining in the snaffle a little every once in a while, using lots of leg aids to teach her to neck-rein. She was getting it. Today, I decided to try the curb for the very first time. Next summer when we show she will be 5 so she'll have to be able to use a curb for western. This summer we aren't going to show much, so it's a good time to teach it as there's no pressure.

So, today I tacked up western, fitted the curb bit and we headed out to the arena. She turned easily and stopped nice. Backed beautifully. Better turn on the fore-hand and haunch then two-handed with a snaffle. We worked on walk/jog and then jog/canter and then walk/canter. She took the right lead almost everytime, to the point I forgot she had a bad side. She tried to dive in some, but I was able to push her out with my inside leg. We got so light she was getting hyper. Walk/canter/ho. Canter/ho/turn on the haunch. Jog/walk/ho/back. She was getting really light. It was a lot of fun. Then we practiced side-passing over a pole for trail class. I'm going to work on that one. Find the balance for leg and hands since I haven't done it one handed before. She is really good at opening the gate. She almost does it all by herself.

Since we were learning new things I only worked for for about half an hour again. She seems happy to be the center of attention again. I hosed her shoulder and back, sprayed some of the winter dried-on mud off, and put on her fly-sheet and put her in the arena. She is living in there untill there is a dry paddock availble. She is SO happy to be wearing a fly-sheet and getting pampered again. Yesterday I had brushed really well, then hosed her off and put her fly-sheet on for the first time this year. She was hardly shedding today. That is promising. I hope she gets naked for summer quickly!

Always Get Back On

January 28th I got a day nice enough to ride between snow flurries and rain. I tacked up western for a change and headed off in the field. Today was different for two reasons; I didn't have anyone with me, just my cell phone, and I didn't lunge first. We just headed out.

We walked and jogged to the far end of the field and I put us on a circle in the corner of the field to practice trot/canter transitions. She got mad and stopped, went up a little. I pulled her head to the side to short circuit her attempt at rearing and then kicked her forward to get the canter that had made her mad in the first place. She cantered. She tossed her head a few times, but didn't try anything naughty again. We trotted down the side of the field and did another circle about halfway down the length of the field. We trotted, cantered, trotted and as I asked for the canter again she started bouncing around and by the time I realized what was going on I was way off to the left and she was still bouncing and going forward. Crap. I grabbed for mane and ripped some out as I fell, I landed still holding the reins. She looked like she knew she'd messed up. Somehow my glasses broke in the fall. The right stem was barely connected. I bounced back up in the saddle and we went forward again. We trotted and then I asked for the canter and she started bouncing again. I short circuited her by pulling her head to the side, then kicked her forward into the canter. We trotted, cantered, trotted, did figure 8's with trot in the middle, and more circles of transitions. There were no more naughty moments.

I'm sure lots of people experience this all the time, but I make it a point not to ride naughty horses. Dazzle is usually good, but I pretty much always lunge unless I have been riding everyday. When she tosses her head or does anything that could knock me off balance I slow her down to a speed I can control better. At my riding lessons last winter I learned that I have successfully taught her to be naughty when she's tired or bored as I will let her slow down. I had never fallen off Dazzle before. She is usually pretty good. The big thing is that I have never fallen off and hopped back on with no worries and just determination in mind. I wasn't scared at all. We were just going to do what I asked. I wasn't angry, I wasn't shaky, no tears were rolling down my cheeks. I wasn't concerned about falling off again. I was ready for her. And it went well. I rode again the next day with a friend and she was just as respectful with no issues at all. We did the exact same pattern. Out to the far end for a circle, to the middle of the side for circles. She was a good girl.

So, I seem to have earned the respect from her that Melissa already had. It was very liberating. That's the best way I can describe it. I wasn't scared of her anymore. I feel like I can get so much further with her now that I'm not scared. I don't know what changed. Nothing that I can think of. I ALWAYS get back on when I fall off. But usually I'm weak and shaky and I will be scared the next several times I ride. It seems like that is over.