I'm not dead!

It's been over three months since I last blogged! Yikes. Lots has happened in that time, and life has been super crazy lately. Spring at work is always busy, with schools trying to fit in school tours at the museum I work at. Our last tours of the year were on Friday, so now things have slowed down a lot.

My personal life has added a bunch of extra stress too, and between that and some health issues, I had a hard time getting out to the barn more than twice a week or so in April and May. But now I'm buckling down and focusing on my show goals for the year. Our first rated show is this coming weekend, and we're planning on showing third level test three. We've had a couple of awesome schooling show opportunities, earning a 63 and 66% at 3-3 in March and April. Here's hoping I can break 60%, so I can qualify for my freestyle, earn my bronze medal scores, and qualify for Region 6 championships. Our canter half passes are baller, but our changes are...well, they suck. Hopefully, the parts we're good at can overshadow the iffy parts!

I'm hoping to get back into this blogging thing this summer. For now, here are a couple of pictures of Lines being adorable. He turned 22 on May 1, and has been feeling great!

Practicing button braids...I've never done them before! 

From freestyle schooling. So excited!

Feed Blog Hop from Spotted Dressage

I love seeing what other people feed their horses. There are so many options out there! So I saw this Blog Hop and decided to hop in :)

Spotted Dressage asks:

What Do You Feed and Why? 

Tony (2006 Haflinger Gelding)

• 2 flakes of local first cutting grass hay twice a day
• 1 pound LMF Super Supplement once a day (when in work)

Weight is just fine on no food. But he has no muscles!

That's it. Ah, easy keepers. When he's in work, I the LMF Super Supplement. It's meant to supplement a Northwest grass diet (they also have an alfalfa formula). It added a bit to his topline and made him nice and shiny last summer. He'll start on that again this spring. When the grass in the pastures are at their fullest, he will get no hay but will be on pasture instead. That's when he gets FAT and needs lots of extra exercise. 

Lines (1995 Westfalen Gelding)

• 1 flake alfalfa, 1 flake Timothy hay AM and PM, 1 flake Timothy at lunch
• Soaked feed AM and PM
• 1 quart Beet Pulp
• 1 quart Alfalfa pellets
• 1 quart rice bran
• Smartpaks are added to his AM feeding
• Smartflex II
• G.U.T. Supplement

I should say that he is supposed to get the hay listed above. My trainer's dad feeds hay in the evenings on weekdays and is notoriously bad at keeping track of what everyone gets, even with stall cards (Lines is living outside, but his stall card is in the hay storage area). Pretty sure most evenings he just gets the alfalfa. At first he was only getting the Timothy, then he was told he needed alfalfa too, and for a while was getting both, but now that he's moved outside, I have no idea. I know the weekend people feed him the right hay, and I'm almost positive the morning people do too. He's been talked to multiple times about this, but can't seem to get it. So I just bring Lines extra hay when I'm out. He gets to hang out in a stall with a run during the day, and the horse who lives in that stall at night never finishes his breakfast, so Lines ends up getting extra that way too, so I'm not too worried. It's more the principle of the matter. Anyway, rant over. 

Needs moar belly!! 

I recently upped Lines' rice bran from a half quart to a full quart to get some more fat into him. The vet was out doing teeth on Tuesday, and he got a condition score of 5, which is good, but I like the look of a 6 better ;) 

State of Affairs

So, I'm not dead. I was struggling through some depression at the end of December/early January. Then we traveled to see family in January, then I got sick. Then we had RIDICULOUS amounts of snow (for our area anyway. It's been gross). Then I got sick again. Then we got snow again. And now here we are. It's March already. Yikes. So I guess this is our state of affairs/goals post with some random media interspersed.

So cute.

The last thing I was writing were my 2017 goals. I got about one sentence in. At the time I started writing that post, I wasn't sure what I was going to be doing this year. My 6-month lease on Lines was meant to be up on March 16, and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to afford to continue to keep him. His owner and I chatted last month, and we decided that I will keep him for another 6 months. In September we can talk again. Most likely he'll go home at that point. I am planning to have a season at 3rd level (possibly 4th by the end of the season), do a 3rd level freestyle and qualify for championships. I don't think I'll be competitive at championships, but I do want to at least go and compete.

Swishy tail! Not enough bend for a half pass...

With that, I'll lay out my goals/show plan for this year.

March:
-Lines and I will do one schooling show at WEC. While we are there, we will video our freestyle pattern so we can start mixing the music.
-Tony will get restarted after 6 months off. I'll be farm-sitting at his farm, so will have two weeks of living with him to get him going again.

Little better angle and bend.

April:
-Another schooling show at WEC
-Ride in my GMO's ride-a-test/schooling show
-Put music to our freestyle and iron out any wrinkles in our pattern

May:
-First rated show of the year at WEC. Qualify for our freestyle (need 60%+ at 3-3)

June:
-Rated show at WEC. Ride 3-3 and ride our freestyle in a show for the first time

We have a normal, attractive canter now!

July:
-Dressage at Devonwood. One of my big goals for the year is to ride in the freestyle night at Devonwood

August:
-WEC show. If needed, get last qualifying scores for champs

September:
-Championships in Idaho. 3rd level AA and 3rd level freestyle
-Lines goes home

October:
-Tony's turn again. Schooling show at the end of the month (1st or 2nd level, depending on how much work he's done over the summer)

November/December:
-Possibly bring Tony to my trainer's barn, as we only have an outdoor at home and winter is the worst.

Shoulders-in at a decent angle!

Throughout the year. I'll continue riding with JW. We've been consistently riding with her once a month for the last 6 months, and we've improved so much. Our last lesson with her was last week. It was on a Thursday/Friday so I only ended up riding one day (also I'm super broke). She said it was our best riding yet, and I felt like the quality of our work wasn't quite what I've been getting in my rides alone, so that's actually awesome. She helped with my issues with our trot lateral work, so I'm headed in the direction that way.

Our changes will forever look like this. Oh well. 

Old man temper tantrum

2016 Year in Review

I was going to write a month-by-month year in review, but I only posted 33 times over the entire year. Once in January, no posts in February or March. 4 in April and 7 in May, where I thought I'd actually start writing consistently (spoiler alert- I didn't). I didn't post at all in June, I posted a total of 11 times in July through November, and then a record 10 (now 11) times in December. I'm finally getting into blogging now. I really want to do more ride recaps for my future self so I can see where I've come from.

So here's a general recap of the year, not necessarily from the blog and mostly in pictures:

January: 

Tony feels like a First Level horse for the first time. Here is a quote from my facebook page: 

"Today, Tony felt like a real, live first level horse, plus some moments that made second level feel possible (and not too far off). He got walk-canter transitions to the left for the first time (he can do it to the right pretty consistently), and did canter serpentines a up and down the arena with lead changes through the trot. Who knows if we will be able to recreate it again tomorrow, but today I'm happy!"

February:

We plod along at home in the outdoor arena with bad footing. We get a few okay rides in. Winter sucks.

March:

We try Working Equitation for the first time. Tony is overly excited about lancing the bull. He is mostly good. Observers judge us for using a double bridle. I mentally tell them to screw off. Strong/spooky horse + obstacles + other horses in the ring + lots of people in the ring = better safe than sorry. 

April:

We attend our first schooling show/ride and review of the season and earn a 66 and 68%. We feel on top of the world. Judge tells us if we can control the lateral movement a bit more, we could be looking at 2nd level.

May:

First ever Jessica Wisdom clinic. I am nervous. But it was a success. Tony was amazing.

June:

Karen Pavicic clinic. Tony's really feeling like a dressage horse. We're out doing the things and being awesome. Start feeling extra depressed second half of June. Lose lots of motivation.

July:

Power through the first half of the month to make it to our first rated show. I thought Tony was great. Our scores did not reflect that. A few sub-60 scores and some snarky comments brought on disappointment. Still happy with the pony. He was a good, broke pony and felt great.
A week after the show, I had intense pain while farm-sitting. Rushed to ER, had appendix out. Went home the next day. No riding for the next month. Get even more depressed.

August:

Scrape myself together to ride Tony in another Jessica Wisdom clinic. He was great. I don't remember a lot of it. I was on a lot of drugs, this being the first weekend I am allowed to ride again after my appendectomy. 

Go to the beach with a friend and ride her horse. Mostly just relax and enjoy a vacation. Feeling extra depressed. I pretty much don't ride for the rest of the month.

September:

On September 1st, we were in a major car accident on the way home from Seattle. I sprain my wrist pretty badly. I ride Tony maybe once a couple weeks after the accident, and then go to a schooling show. It's not a disaster, but it wasn't good. Scores in the 50s. Once again, on a lot of drugs so I don't feel the pain in my hand. Things aren't going well.

I bring this guy home on September 16, and am forced to ride again. My motivation starts to come back and my mood starts to improve. After a pretty sucky summer full of hospitals and bills and car problems, finally something good. 

October:

I start learning to actually ride dressage. Lessons with my trainer and JW. I'm broke, but not broken, and finding joy in life again.

November:

 More of the same. Another JW clinic. I momentarily lose my half pass. It comes back better than before. Saddle searching sucks. 

December: 

I find a decent saddle. Lines is much happier. We start improving more. A trip to JW's barn for some lessons helps me learn how to actually keep my leg on and stop riding so defensively (a bad habit from Tony).

I realize I miss Tony like crazy and am excited to start back up with him in the spring when the days are longer. I am healing in both body and mind and feel ready to build our relationship back up.

Christmas!

Well, the holiday is over! It felt a bit anticlimactic this year as it was the first year not spent with either my or my husband's immediate family. It was nice to have a nice quiet holiday, and we did spend time wth my extended family, but it was a little different. When my family comes to visit, we usually go out and do things before or after Christmas (they're school teachers, so get a long break). We've done things like Zoolights, the aquarium, Circue du Soleil, etc. And when we see husband's family, we have to travel to get there (they don't ever visit us as his mom has some sort of inner ear thing and can't fly or drive over mountains). Anyway...onto the festivities and gifts! The real reason for the season. Right? Oh wait, I think that's not quite right. Oh well...

We always get a real tree now (something we never did growing up, but my husband's family does every year). This year we went to a different tree farm and ended up with a beautiful 7 ft tree. I about choked when they rang it up, but you can't exactly put it back in the field...so I'm like...we better be keeping this freaking thing up through February. I'm Dutch, I need to get my money's worth.

I can see you, kitty...

Firstly, I got my Secret Santa gift just before I left for my JW lessons last week. I of course immediately used it without taking pictures, so had to dig it back out of my barn locker and take a picture when we got back. Thanks so much to Carey at Me Jump Pretty One Day. She sent this super awesome Dapplebay bag. I've been coveting Dapplebay gear since I heard about them a couple years ago from my friend, one of their ambassadors. So I am pretty stoked :) I used it to carry my polo wraps and am excited to bring it along on my adventures. Lines and Tony are pretty excited about the Mrs. Pastures treats. I went to a barn party, my GMO's Christmas party, and did another Secret Santa, and I think I got pony treats from each, so the boys are set for a while. They're pretty pleased about that (as am I- I tend to forget to buy them cookies when I stop at the feed store and mooch off of my trainer).

Thanks Carey! I love it!

My husband did well this year on gifts. I got him tickets to an NHL game and he was pretty excited (we went the beginning of December), so he got me lots of good stuff. The Noble Outfitters grooming tote has been on my wish list for a long time now, but I couldn't justify spending the $50 on a grooming bag. But now I have it, and husband even ordered a pretty colored one. Good man. I LOVE the mesh bottom and big middle section for spray bottles.

Here my kitty is modeling the Canada scarf from my in-laws. It came with a patriotic hat and gloves as well. She is also sitting on the super handy car seat warmer from my husband. Yay for a toasty post-barn butt!

Prudence says "How do you turn this thing on? I demand heat!"

Possibly my favorite gift this year came from my in-laws...it's a unicorn robe. It even has a tail, and I can prance around and be magical.

Lines even got in on the Christmas spirit with a pretty red bow and red polo wraps for our Christmas eve-eve ride. 

And for the first time since we've lived in Washington- we had a white Christmas!

Dog enjoys snow. I mostly enjoy snow. Except when I have to drive in it. Or work at the barn in it. So really, I just like looking at it.

I even hopped on my poor motherless pony on Christmas eve. Poor dude has been feeling neglected lately. He's hairy and dirty. His tail touches the ground and he has a giant hay belly and no muscles. He's like "Um, who are you? You're dead to me." But obviously he came around and mostly behaved for a few pictures. I'm excited to start working him again when the days are long enough to ride two horses. I miss my pony man!

He's just the cutest thing that ever lived.

December 10 Questions

Thanks to L. Williams for providing the blogosphere with content!

Does your horse need shoes?
One does, one doesn't. I wouldn't think about pulling Lines' shoes. He's got super funky heels in the back and enough other problems, I'm just not going to touch that. Haflingers generally have good feet. Tony's are ok, but I'd love to try front shoes on him (his owner would prefer he stays barefoot). He stays sound enough on soft ground, but any prolonged exposure to hard ground and he'll be ouchy on gravel. I'd also like to see how his gaits differ with shoes and without.

What do you think of the barefoot v. shoes debate?
I don't think it should even be a debate. Many horses need shoes, many don't. Do what's best for your horse and treat them like the individual precious snowflake that they are.

Favorite season for riding?
Late spring through early fall. After the rains of April/early May, before the rains of mid-September and later. We don't get too many days that are too hot to ride. Maybe one or two a summer. I'm allergic to the sun (no, really) so I'm happy that sunshirts are so popular right now, and that my sport involves covering basically every inch of my body ;) Thankfully, living in NW Washington, I don't have to worry about too much sun exposure.

How many shows do you think you've gone to?
Well, I did IHSA in college...so however many I did there. Like 30-40ish? I didn't show before college, and have done lots of schooling shows and one rated show since then. For a total is 50ish, we'll say. That doesn't include the ones I've gone to as a groom/moral support...then it's...a lot!

Do you consider yourself a good rider?
Well, I have painfully low self-esteem and am often consumed by self-doubt, so I'll say no. But objectively, I'm not terrible. I'm not hurting the horses, and I can generally point them in the right direction. Not always, though. I haven't screwed anything up too badly...yet...

Tony says, "My mom only kinda sucks, but I'm teaching her."

How experienced do you think someone needs to be to own a horse?
I don't think experience is as important as a willingness to learn and dedication to a horse's well-being. There are lots of experienced people who shouldn't have horses, and lots of newbies that can offer horses and comfortable and loving home.

Have you ever gotten in a fight with your trainer? 
No. Well, once I suggested we eat at a different restaurant, and she said she wanted to eat at the same one we had been eating at all week, so I said "Okay" and we went to the same restaurant. So the answer is still no.

Describe your dream horse.
I have two- something tall, dark, and handsome. A beautiful neck that is easy to ride, 10+ gaits, stellar personality, sounder than sound, perfectly healthy, competitive at Grand Prix, a personality that says "yes ma'am" and loves to work.
And- a 15-hand Grand Prix Haflinger. Basically Tony with an attitude adjustment and no more submission issues. He has nice conformation and really good gaits. He could do it, he just doesn't want to do it.

Basically I want Pippin's brain in Tony's body. Their first ever USDF show- broke 60 in 4th level and PSG. Because why not?

Does anyone in your family ride?
My cousin rides Western casually. I have a 2nd cousin that used to run barrels. No one in my immediate family rides.

If you could ride one horse in the world, which one would it be? Why? 
Valegro. Because duh, he's Valegro. Or Cardi. Because...Grand Prix champions, that's why!

I'd give my right arm to ride this. But then I couldn't ride...so, moot point I guess. 

Another Day, Another JW Lesson

My trainer, her working student, another boarder and I all traveled down to JW's barn Monday and Tuesday to take lessons (and the boarder was trying out one of her ponies). It was my first outing with Lines since I brought him home in September. When we went to pick him up the first time, it took 45 minutes and 5 people to get him into the trailer, so we left plenty of time to coax him in if needed. I was prepared with lots of treats and a stud chain. It took him one step up and one pull back, and then he hopped onto the trailer with just a little pressure on the chain, and two people behind him with brooms making a back barrier. On the way home, it was just me and trainer loading him, and he hopped immediately in. Good boy! He's learning trailer rides mean I stuff his face with treats.

Getting ready to kick some loading butt in our fancy pink wraps! Under the wraps, he is wearing homemade pillow wraps- navy blue with pink anchors. A man's gotta have nice things!

We were a little nervous heading out as there had been snow over ice down south, but it was supposed to heat up to a balmy 40* by the time we went down there, so we ventured out. The drive down was thankfully not too bad. We took it slow as there were some slushy areas, but we made it in just over 5 hours. On the way home, it took us nearly seven as we hit Seattle rush hour traffic at just the wrong time. And let me tell you- city drivers do not realize that trucks pulling horse trailers cannot stop fast. They just pull right in front of you. We will squish you like a bug!

Anyway, onto our lessons... Because I am not always super good at organizing my thoughts, I'm bullet pointing my highlights. Sadly, we didn't get any canter video and it was some of our best work! The video I got is super helpful to me, but not super pretty...so I'll use screen-shots instead ;)

• Keeping "drag"on the reins. Not dragging on the reins. I struggle with connection on Lines. He is a funny dude. Too much pressure and he'll curl behind the bit, too little and he'll giraffe his neck up into the rafters. The feel in my hands should be as if I was dragging a fishing line through the water. Just enough to keep a consistent feel, and allowing my elbows to be the "end of the reins" or that the reins are an extension of my arms. Connection is the name of the game right now. If I can't keep it, I don't have Lines where he should be. 

  

  Trying to keep consistent contact and have him reach for the bit. Not so easy.

• Get your effing right leg back. Pretttty much the theme of both lessons. I finally started to get it at the end of the second day. There's so much drilling on "heels down" in the equestrian world (especially hunters, where I started), that I tend to jam my heels down and push my leg forward, which makes my leg (especially my right leg) stick out like a sore thumb. I can see it in almost every picture of me riding. JW had me swing my legs back and forth to loosen up my hip, and keep my right leg back as if I was asking for canter or a haunches-in. It finally clicked in when she had me do nose-to-the-wall leg yield and then slowly change that to renvers. Finally, my right leg was on and where it was supposed to be for appropriate bend. I am now sore today as I actually had to use my leg effectively. 

  

  Yikes. Those legs. Not cool.

• Put your effing hands down. JW is not shy about using strong language. I need to invest in a bucking strap so I can hold my hands down. Some of my best steps of canter came when JW told me to keep my hands on my saddle pad and bend Lines with my legs. Apparently she knows what she's talking about or something... 

  

  Lower than that. But getting better...

• "Rear up" in canter/walk and walk/canter. I need to feel as if Lines is rearing up in both the upward and downward. It puts me in the backseat and then I can set him down (or pick him up) nicely. Also more leg. No really, MORE leg. That's not enough leg. Canter to walk or halt uses the most leg of anything. 
• "Could you turn right?" in half pass. I tend to hear "half pass" and get frantic and drop my outside rein. I need to keep enough of a feel on the outside rein that I could turn the opposite direction in counter canter. We had our very best half pass at the end of our first lesson. I was getting frantic, as I do. We were going to the right, and broke gait. JW had me pick up the left lead on the long side, turn in counter canter up the quarter line and then flow to the wall in half pass. Boom. Perfect. She was like "Walk, you're done. That's it." We both had big smiles on our faces. She said "That's not just a good half pass for Emily and Lines, that's a good half pass." Success! I'm still super green at the level, and Lines is NOT an easy horse (he has so many little evasions and quirks that are hard to figure out), so that was a HUGE compliment. So happy! 

It was a pretty exhausting two days! We made it back and my poor old man was pretty stiff. I let him run around in the arena. Lets just say that Lines at liberty isn't exactly the picture of elegance. Ahem. What can I say? He's an awkward dude! I've got a video, but I need to wait until it's backed up. Tomorrow will be video day :)