Sweat equity: July-August goals and progress

[Kyra's Mom]

My goals were pretty minimal and I feel like I hit them. Her connection is better. The last couple of rides, she has been much softer and less braced picking up the reins in walk and staying soft and connected between walk and the other gaits.

I didn't get nearly as much riding as I would have like but I just do not tolerate the heat we have had well at all. I remember back in my younger days (20's-30's), it could be 100 degrees and I would be at a show (pleasure show...before dressage days) and ride 6 classes with 3 changes of clothes (none of which were cool)..costume, english and western and after getting home and showering being as fresh as a daisy. Yeah, that doesn't happen any more. Be out in the heat a couple hours, sweat buckets, go home and shower then be semi-comatose for the rest of the day.

Today, I had plans to ride only to find Kyra's fence down. She has a "keep away" temporary fence in her pen. Her last neighbor was just as bitchy as her and they fought through the fence and tore down the fence regularly . The BO's put up a temporary fence with step in posts about 4 feet from the proper fence to keep them away from each other. It works nicely as long as it is up. When I went to check to see what happened to it, one of the posts was in 3 pieces. She must of kicked it? No boo-boos on her thank goodness. Anyhoo...I didn't want to leave it down. She has a new neighbor that doesn't seem to be the fighting type but I didn't want to find out. The BO told me they always keep extra step in posts but I couldn't find them. I probably walked 1/2 mile from one side of the farm to the other trying to find a post and ended up getting in the car and driving to the local farm store a couple miles away to get a few (they are a whopping $2.69). It was really about a 10 minute fix but by the time I did all that walking then going to D & B then fixing the fence and cleaning and my riding time went poof and it was hot-ish and very smoky again to boot .

We did do about 5 minutes of work on Spanish Walk and I did some back up work to get her to stretch over her back. She was more interested in the apples I had picked for her than working but she did try .

Susan

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Exvet, Mountaineer and Ryeissa, sending positive vibes your way.

We I don't think I made goals this round, smartly. But we survived and I'm SO looking forward to having Lynx nearby. And I'm really excited about the two trainers I'll be working with. The Dressage trainer is accomplished but more importantly, from what I've seen a really lovely, compassionate rider. Perfect for a greenbean. And she seems to have decent amount of experience with offbreeds so that's nice. And honestly her rates are ridiculously cheap! I almost wonder if her text was a typo lol

The eventing trainer we also will work with a bit, is really experienced with green horses. And I was watching a dressage test of hers recently. It was at an event but gosh it was a good test. She also rode very quietly.

Now to figure out the saddle situation but I think we can get going here! The trainer he is with now recently touched on the canter just to see how he is. She texted me saying "I love his canter! This is why you bought him!" Pretty much ha ha!

We will be taking it slow so probably will wait another month or so to do much cantering.

[Lipsmackerpony88]

I forgot to add, I have a jumping lesson today at the barn I was taking lessons at in the spring. It was actually my daughter's lesson package... But she got bucked off and then another time bucked with but stayed on. So she lost confidence there and we moved to another program ( which will be my new boarding barn.)

So anyways finishing her package. I'm nervous because I didn't get much ride time in this summer due to everything. So I'm out of shape I'm sure. Hopefully instructor will take it easy on me. Lol

I have also realized that while I think the jumping lessons are good for me, it's not my passion at all. I simply don't enjoy it the same way that I do dressage. One of my favorite few lessons were helping a nervous horse get over some cavaletti that he thought was spooky for some reason. Like that was fun. Or when she would have me do like equitation type patterns or drop my stirrups and ride on the flat. So dressage type stuff ha!

[Chisamba]

well August is over , my personal health goals are ok. my horse goals are ok. it seems like it's been a bit of a plateau instead of climbing an exciting.mountain of success.

it will help to make more definitive goals for the next 60 days.

[StraightForward]

I have also realized that while I think the jumping lessons are good for me, it's not my passion at all. I simply don't enjoy it the same way that I do dressage.

Same. My jumping lessons are kind of like making it to a gym appointment. Maybe if I had a scopey horse I would feel differently, and it can be slightly fun, but I also would not miss it.

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Straightforward, yes exactly that feeling. "Do I have to go?" Lol

At first I was really enjoying them. Although to be honest I think at the beginning it was a lot of pole work and just a lot of dedication to the basics. And I know not every jumping barn is like this but the more I got into the lessons the more I was missing the focusing on the dressage. I would be riding around thinking "this is the perfect time to add some leg yield or a figure eight or something" But that wasn't an option because suppleness and everything else just wasn't the focus of the lesson.

I think when I start training with the eventer with Lynx, that will be a little bit different. Although I do understand that at some point you kind of just need time over the jumps to get better. If we did it my way my progress would be pretty slow lol.

[Ponichiwa]

well August is over , my personal health goals are ok. my horse goals are ok. it seems like it's been a bit of a plateau instead of climbing an exciting.mountain of success.

As the kids these days say -- same, girl, same.

Both Queso and I are firmly in that keep-on-keeping-on space where progress is incremental but slow. He's in that 2nd-level-closing-in-on-3rd space which is all body-building and improving balance day after day and no new and exciting things on the horizon; I'm in that keep-making-healthy-choices-every-day space which is not exciting but is necessary.

Plus, it's been miserably hot, so the both of us are wilting.

But here's what I said we'd do:

Stuff we're working on this time around:
- Go to a clinic in late July
- Transitions all day: esp between working trot/passage-y trot/medium trot as we develop strength and schwung.
- Hope the rain stops for a week or so (but not forever! I just want some weather moderation)

Stuff I'm working on this time around:
- Journaling exercise and food habits (still as ever trying to lose 10lb)

Queso:
- Clinic was cancelled in July, unfortunately, but we're signed up for one in Sept
- Transitions work is vastly improved although I incorporated many more variations (trot/canter, walk/canter)

Me:
- Actually lost 9lb, which is close enough to 10 as I'm counting it a win

[exvet]

We got into the Lilo Fore clinic; so, now it's time to get to work!

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Ponichiwa, I want to see some of you Queso!! You and Kelo and other QH dressage people are inspiring! Actually most here are too but it's cool to see fellow QH people doing it. And doing it well!

Yay Exvet! I'm so excited for you. I can't wait to hear about it.

I got invited to a Jessica Wisdom clinic in October. It's usually full so I jumped on the one spot. Probably taking my sister in laws horse so that it's not too much on Lynx.

[Lipsmackerpony88]

I posted a new video on my stifle thread of Lynx. I think he is definitely continuing to prove although I definitely see a difference going one direction over the other. I can see what Bob is saying about the bend maybe not being very beneficial at this point.

But he is moving to the new barn tomorrow and will be working with a different program and I'll get to kind of feel him for myself now. I do think we will drop down in the intensity of work just to be on the safe side. I think the trainer was given a hard deal... Rehab in a horse while the owner is 45 minutes away was not what she signed up for. But she did her best and I think we were still in a good spot now.

He gets PEMF and massage next week