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StraightForward

We had a nice jump session on our own Saturday. Without 100 instructions rattling around in my brain, I rode a little more naturally to the fences and T literally took things in stride. I didn't measure, but I think they were all set around 2'6" and she was pretty much just loping over them qui...

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Moutaineer wrote:I don't know how anybody ever gets to Grand Prix before either they or the horse dies of old age.

LOL, that is kind of how I feel right now. Like, we've come so far in the last year and yet we have so much more work to do at second level.

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Thanks for the new thread! #1 = Get my arse back into the gym! Demand more of T. I think this looks like slowing and getting the articulation in the hind legs. I watched a bit of video from yesterday, and with her play at half steps, she is not sitting enough, and I need to work on that. I think it ...

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Closeout time! My goals were a little vague, but I'm happy with our progress this go-round. Tonight in particular, I decided to get on with it and get T really stepping up into the bridle, and I think it's payed off. There has been progress with our half passes. I got some good lessons between my re...

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Glad to see the board is back up! I've been thinking that one of these days, I need to go back through all of these threads and C&P all my posts as a training journal for T. It might be useful if I ever say, get a head injury and go buy another two year old and start this journey all over again....

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Chisamba, interesting observations from riding client horses! I am not surprised, as I'm fumbling around into unchartered territory. I've never had a schoolmaster to ride or anything, so a) I'm sure my aids leave something to be desired and b) I'm not always sure about the feeling I'm going for. But...

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Exvet, I identify with a lot of what you wrote. I need to get past riding more carefully because T might throw a tantrum. She is also not unsafe, and can handle a little more pressure these days. Today's ride was interesting. She started out stiff and heavy on the bit, which is totally out of charac...

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LSP, glad you had a good ride. Cool you'll get to ride with CS. My instructor has started working with him as well and really likes him. She seems to be in a groove of riding with him and Lilo monthly. I'm excited to see how the shows go for her this summer! Moutaineer, interesting with the UG. Boo ...

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Got T's full shoe package on last night. I stupidly left her tricky RH for last, and she really went to snatching it away and stomping down before I could place the shoe. Finally got it done though set just a little more forward than I'd like. Now she is in leather wedges in back, and flat leather p...

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Aleuronx, sounds like another good exercise. Glad you have a great lesson and K got a bath to boot! I often do things lately and reflect on how T would have thrown a tantrum or shut down over these requests a year or even six months ago. We have awhile to go to get to staying on the aids with rapid ...

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That sounds like something I need to try, Chisamba, thanks! T was out of her funk today and jumped really well. She was just excited enough by the neighbor's alpacas that it gave her an energy boost, but she stayed focused on the job and didn't bat an eye at the fillers that she hasn't seen since fa...

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Geeze Exvet, I think I would be curled up in a ball in the corner after all of that. You are one tough cookie! Moutaineer, hope your boys are both fine and Potter's mood improves. They can never let us relax completely! Aleuronx, great your trainer can see the improvement while you've been flying so...

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Hurray for boring, Goldhorse. I hope it continues that way! Exvet, jingles for Ace. He sounds like such a good boy, I hope his colic problems are solveable. Second day of the Carrie Harden clinic went well. When I got there they said they were running 15 minutes behind, but that turned into 45 minut...

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LSP, it's generous of you to share your horse. Jingles for your friend's horse healing up! And of course congratulations on the nice compliment. Adding some notes from this morning's clinic ride before I forget things. First, T loaded nicely, which was a relief, because she was a royal pain about it...

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Exvet, exciting that you are sitting on Troy! I'm sure he'll be riding around with you in no time! T is a lot of fun for me even though she wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. Even though she can be a pill, she is a pretty safe pill and doesn't fly off the handle and do anything too crazy. We had a g...

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Glad it is clicking for you M! We had a great ride tonight too. I pulled T's hind shoes last night since my welds on the tabs were failing. I couldn't get it together to prep a new pair of shoes, so I stuck some Sole Guard in and she got a little back massage, red light and stretching while the stuf...

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Half pass positioning to the left is the devil for me, Moutaineer! I find if I weight the inside seat bone it blocks us, but when I lift that seat bone, my inside leg comes off. Once I get the position right, I lose the swing and she just powers down and all the impulsion goes. Oh well, we won't be ...

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Oh Dang! Glad he is generally OK. Fingers crossed for no abscesses or other complications! Chiro was out for the first time since maybe December. She said T is generally in good shape, with a few ideas for things we can do for her hind end. She was a little stuck in C3 and a couple other places that...

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Exvet, glad you have a productive lesson, and that Troy seems to be turning into what you've been looking for. Blob, what do you think is at the root of RP's HI struggles? Does he have the same struggle in HP? No ideas, just curious. We had fabulous weather this weekend, and I had a good jump school...

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I'm getting ready for a tack sale next weekend. Thought I'd share the price list here in case anyone is looking for something I have. Happy to send pics and info if you are interested in an item, and make some deals to get this stuff moved! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z5I0ytHf66rI_0N6cyegu5i...

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Thanks for sharing the video, Aleu! Nice forward and back. I know Kora had some lateral canter issues similar to Tesla, so I am very encouraged by your progression! Today Susan (Kyra's Mom) and I went to the Idaho Horse Expo to watch Jim Masterson's demo on releasing tension to improve performance. ...

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Dressage Boot Addicts Anonymous is a wild place, LOL. I am bummed tariffs are going to jack up the price of any boots I might order to match my saddle, but I'm glad that overall I have the tack I need at this point.

Moutaineer, we will need pics of those boots. They sound gorgeous!

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Interesting conversation on the various training styles! I think matching the type of horse to the training style is a big thing too. Chisamba, your mare is lovely, and you are looking fit and trim! I had a pretty good ride today. I think we're just working through another of Tesla's tough spots. I ...

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Jingles for Rip! I get it with the retiree expenses. I have to admit that I am giving poor Obie the side-eye lately, but he is the same as ever. He will hit drinking age at the end of this month. T is kind of in a phase. Very glad I won't be riding in front of Leslie this weekend. My ego is a little...

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Mari - Jingles that no other horses get sick. Sorry to hear about the loss of the foal. Exvet, sorry the show didn't go better. It sounds rather tough, but I know you'll work all angles to get through the issues. SF- glad Tesla settled down and focused. And yay for more solo shot videos soon! Well, ...

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Heddy, jingles for your little piggy! EV, hope you are having a great show; can't wait to read all about it. LSP, it sounds like your daughter is getting a great foundation and will become a quality horsewoman. Moutaineer, glad you are having good rides, and I'm sure your red boy will be sleek as a ...

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LSP, Miss T tends to throw her haunches left, and sometimes I find it challenging to capture that inside hind in SI. Like, she is making the shape but I can feel that she's cheating the inside hind. Sometimes changing to renvers will help, but I actually have better luck straightening her body out a...

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Sounds like a good clinic Blob! Can you remind me who the clinician was? Mari, sorry your scores didn't measure up to expectations. I agree that letting it go for a few days, and then reviewing the tests to figure out where you might pick up points would be good. I've been there done that. But it's ...

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What would we even be doing if we weren't worrying about something, right?! We had a good lesson today. I was the last ride of the day and started late, so we had an extra long warmup. Maybe not a bad thing. She had me get T a little deep and trotting more slowly thinking baby HI on a 10m circle, an...

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I had a great ride on Junior today. We worked on the most recent homework that I received from Molly. Unfortunately when I untacked Junior I found rub marks on the hair on his loin/croup. Because of the location I'm sure it was the saddle pad but was it because the saddle was moving too much as in ...

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Dragged ass out to the barn tonight just to make sure T got out of her stall and moving a bit. It was windy and somewhat cold, and I was tired, so I was just going to lunge, but since she wasn't being too wild on the lunge, I sucked it up and signed up for an exercise ride. Actually ended up getting...

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ExVet, always great to see the photos! I heard from a colleague in NM today, and it sounds rather apocalyptic down there with the dust storms. I remember being pelted in the legs with sand when I was in grad school down there. Definitely not a fan. Moutaineer, exciting to be staring down the barrel ...

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Got shoes back on Miss T today, and she seemed happy. Some funkiness here and there in canter, but no swapping leads in back, so I'm hoping that is a good sign that they are giving her some support that she needed. I got a taste of the ALCAR while making some cookies for her last night, and that cra...

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Of course, I was probably riding with more determination and less "fa la, hello trees, hello birdies, let's all be nice and enjoy the spring sunshine." He just needs a full-on mentally and physically engaged ride, or he decides to take over, I guess. Ha, I feel seen. I am trying to decide...

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SF, glad T worked out of it and hopefully she just needs a way to enjoy her ALCAR more. Horses, man. Yeah, I'm thinking I need to roll it into a cookie along with her Vitamin E. Last night we had a pretty good jumping session. I set up a bending line with three jumps, which we could get through as ...

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It doesn't seem like you have anything to lose with that experiment, Chisamba. Moutaineer, glad you are back in the saddle, and Exvet, fingers crossed that you've found the right saddle! T was a little grumpy getting tacked up last night. She never acts girthy, or specifically reactive to the saddle...

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Sorry to hear about the effects to everyone else. There are so many connections, other than XXXX feds being fired. Everyone will be feeling it soon enough. I have some interesting calls to make to my contractor clients on Monday. If there is a professional avenue to do so, please make it as clear as...

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I had a good ride today. She is still liking the new saddle and I'm able to sit pretty well with the new saddle + stiff boots. Our arena is a little chopped up, but not under water like some others. The other day we worked on some cavaletti at a shorter distance. She is starting to get the point of ...

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Double post.

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Moutaineer, I hope you're feeling better soon! LSP, how fun that your daughter can hop on Lyx. Exvet, I hope Ace is OK, and you can get this saddle stuff sorted out. So excited for everyone getting ready to level up in the show ring this year! I think my goal this time around is to get T driving int...

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I'm just glad this period is over. All in all, it turned out pretty good - rode most of January, and got to go on an out of town adventure to get a few lessons. Acquired new saddles. Was pretty consistent about getting to the gym 3x a week. Eating was OK but could still be better. I'm afraid my wine...

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Well, we haven't gotten lower egg prices. I'm beyond freaked out. My husband is also a fed and eligible for VERA, and will probably take it if offered. I'm a couple years too young to get it, or I'd consider it. I knew things were going to be bad, but I didn't expect this full frontal assault on fed...

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I like to say that sometimes lunging is the better part of valor.

Tonight was good. Lightbulb moment realizing I'm blocking with my seatbone in the left halfpass. Duh. Tomorrow I should have more time to set up some jump gymnastics.

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LOL T was a monster yesterday too. I got to the barn and ppl said she was doing her dressage moves in her pen, so lunging was on the menu. She demonstrated her signature move of bucking while leaping backwards. Decent ride after she got it all out. The arena needs to drain more and get groomed though.

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Wooh, I got to ride today! The arena is still pretty sloppy, but at least we could W/T/C. Thursday we were plodding around on the buckle just breaking up the snow, but I made the best of it by seeing how subtle I could be with my aids and still steer accurately. T started out a little sticky today, ...

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Chisamba, I like that thought! I have not but that's simply because so far I haven't found one with short enough panels. The N2, mostly because it's a 16 inch seat, is short enough and wide enough (5.5) for Junior. The other issue I have with saddle fit at this point is that they need to be flatter ...

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Exvet, the only N2 I've ridden in was I think a Cardhu. The seat seemed true to size, but definitely a deep, locked in feel. Have you looked at any Patricks? They make some pretty wide saddles, and have a cob tree. Flying Star in FL sells them, and tends to have some used stock. Interesting on the W...

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Aleuronx, what a pretty tailcoat! Thanks for sharing the pics.

Exvet, that sure is a lot to handle, especially without a helpful sibling to carry some of the load.

I am itching to ride, but heading out of town tomorrow. Fitter coming next Saturday for the new saddle.

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Tanga, glad you are doing better. Maybe it is just several small things compounded. Fingers crossed you can continue to peel the onion. Kind of like unwinding issues our horses have, isn't it? Blob, thanks for the lesson report! I was able to get a ride in last night - after exorcising the fire brea...

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