Yellow Light

The super rides continued all week until Saturday, when she warmed up fine and then had a good sized spook at the scary corner of the ring (every ring has a scary corner!). I sent her forward and immediately thought she felt a bit odd. I asked someone else who was also riding what she thought and she said she also thought Lucy looked NQR, but there was no real "lameness" and no head-bob. I think she just tweaked something but I opted to play it very safe, so I cooled her out and put her away after a date with the hose. It was warm that day and she seemed to like the water. She even tried to drink it right out of the hose.

My plan was to ride today to see how she felt after a two day break, but it has turned out to be kind of a hectic day so realistically, I may not be able to ride.

My friend Cassie brought her horse Wind to the farm for a little two week tune up with Maddy. I am really excited to have them there! Maddy's horse is down at another farm for the two weeks getting his own tune up with the cowboy that re-started him last year. It's kind of like a game of musical ponies, but it's nice that all the horses are getting a good foundation on them for what will hopefully pan out to be a fun year!

Maddy and I are planning on going to a hunter pace in a couple of weeks. I'm very excited. I hope Lucy behaves herself.

Thank you for all the nice Mother's Day wishes yesterday :) I had a wonderful day. My parents visited and took us out to lunch and then we all hung out at the house. Here's a photo of my mum, myself, and Hannah:

Hunter Pace and Event Report

I've got to hand it to Lulu. She was superb this weekend.

Tyrone Farm Hunter Pace

On Sunday, my barn owner and I went to the Tyrone Farm Hunter Pace in Pomfret, CT. Lucy and I went to this one last year, too, and the footing was unfortunately just as horrific as it was a year ago! The mud was awful! We decided that if we both stayed on and the horses both came home with four shoes each, we'd be happy. Well, both those things came true but two other horses from our barn ended up lame this morning because of the conditions. Prudy and I were pretty careful and walked whenever we came upon bad mud, but even with just walking, the horses had to really labour at times to get through the mud. We were also very selective about what we jumped because some jumps had very slick footing on either side.

Lucy was hot, hot, hot. I had a LOT of horse under me at the hunter pace and I was so glad I used the Kimberwicke. She had a few tantrums and wanted to get silly after jumps, but she settled down about halfway through and used her energy to think and not leap around. We had to go up a LOT of hills and she used her hind end quite a lot!

Prudy and I somehow managed to get 9th place in our division and we were awarded the most beautiful silver ribbons! I was thrilled.

The forecast for the day had been lots of rain, but it turned out to be sunny and beautiful right up to the awards ceremony, and then the clouds thickened and it started sprinkling. We were in the truck snuggled up in our heated seats, ponies happily munching hay in the trailer as the rain really started coming down. We couldn't have had better timing!

Lucy loaded on the trailer in perfect form to go to the pace and to go home. Once back home, I wrapped her legs and fed her dinner. She was all tucked in for the night and I went home to get ready for today's event!

Valinor Farm Schooling Horse Trial

6am came waaaaay too fast today, but my alarm begged to differ. I got up, got ready, went to the barn and did all my barn chores, packed the last few things on the trailer, and got Lucy. She took one look at the trailer and was like, OH HELL NO. But she quickly came around and got right on. I was very happy with her!

We got to Valinor in time to check in and mosey around before tacking up. Lucy stood like an angel tied to the trailer, which was a first for us. I have been working with her on tying to things and she has been so good that I decided to try tying her to the trailer. She was very quiet and stood nicely while I brushed her and tacked up. We had started the day off on the right foot!

Lucy warmed up pretty well for dressage. She got a little excited at the canter but quieted down when I pushed her forward. I felt confident going into our test, but as soon as she got in the ring she tensed up and we had a rather unrelaxed test. Still, it was a vast improvement on our last test! She was obedient except for one canter. Our downward transitions were much much better and I was pleased that all our hard work has paid off at least a little bit. The final halt was nice too! The judge gave us a 47, which was probably fair, but I hope we can really improve over the winter and do better next year.

We had a ton of time between dressage and stadium, so we untacked the horses and put them on the trailer to relax while we walked the course and got organized. When it was time, we unloaded the horses and tacked them up, and then went down to the warm-up ring. It was INSANE. I stand by my mantra that the warm-up ring is the scariest thing about the whole show!! There were probably 10-15 horses in there zooming around in all directions, people were jumping the jumps the wrong way, and Lucy developed a particular aversion to this one little Haflinger that sounded like a mack truck cantering around. The horse passed us very closely and Lucy had a tantrum...sigh. At that point I just let her walk around and take a breather. Soon the person at the gate called my number and I was relieved that I could get out of the warm-up ring!!

Stadium went GREAT. We trotted about 50% of the time, which was my plan to begin with. The jumps were in an outdoor grass ring that had some pretty good-sized hills in it! It looked very challenging but Lucy handled everything so well. We jumped clean and I didn't forget any of them. PHEW. I was feeling so happy.

We went straight to XC and Lucy calmly walked into the start box on a loose rein. I have seen so many horses that look at a start box and lose their marbles, so I have very consciously NOT made a big deal of it. Everyone standing around remarked on how calm she seemed. They counted down from 10 and when they said "ok go!", I picked up the reins and we walked out onto the course. We picked up a little trot and went to our first fence! I was having a great time, and Lucy seemed happy and confident.

We got through the first half of the course with no issues, but we had to trot down a windy, hill path that opened out into a clearing with a jump. She refused it twice :( But I was determined not to be dq'd again so I got after her and we got over it on attempt #3. After that it was clear sailing and we had a blast!

I was so happy and relieved to cross that finish line that I threw one hand in the air and said, "WE DID IT!" Prudy was up waiting for me at the finish line and we congratulated each other, then happily walked back to our waiting friends and family. We were both on cloud 9.

I finished in 7th place, just out of the ribbons, but I was just so pleased with Lucy and also proud of myself for getting out there, getting her over that one "scary" jump on XC and narrowly missing getting disqualified, surviving dressage and improving on our last score, and of course staying in the saddle ;)

We met all our goals and overall I couldn't have asked for a better day!

Here are some photos:

dressage warm up (the test was in and indoor and we didn't get any
good shots)

Kenny came to support me and was such a big help.

in the stadium warm-up ring

tantrum...

cantering around like a lady, my barn owner and her horse Merlot
behind us

Merlot is so handsome! He and Lucy are in love.

ahh yes, there's the tail

a quiet moment in the ring; I took advantage and did a little jump

Prudy and Merlot showing off!

Lucy and I out doing our thing :)

the jumps were so tiny she basically cantered over them

all done! I was giving her a huge pat and saying good girl!

Prudy and Merlot showing off again. He is so fancy!

in the start box. she looks WILD, huh? :)

off to the first jump, a very inviting log

up a nice big hill to the second area of jumps

Prudy and I returning from XC, all smiles!

go team!

I love this shot, we both look so happy.

she was exhausted, but what a sweet face.

yay!

Over the river and through the woods...

No, really:

We had a BLAST today at the Tyrone Farm Hunter Pace. It was unseasonably warm, about 80 degrees and humid. The horses have both grown in a really nice starter winter coat already so they were hot right off the bat. I had kept the truck and trailer hooked up overnight to make this mornings departure as quick and easy as possible. Both horses loaded without any fuss whatsoever, which set the tone for the rest of the day. They both unloaded well at the pace and we quickly got tacked up and set out. The ride was ten miles long but it felt much longer than that because the footing SUCKED. The ground was very saturated and we were walking on dirt trails, which quickly became deep and sucking mud. It was very strenuous on the horses so we walked more than anything. There were a few spots that were dry enough to have a brisk canter, and we also tried a lot of the jumps! Lucy was such a pro today over jumps that were much different than the ones we've been doing in the ring. We did coops, a ton of logs, a little coffin jump, a box jump, a stone wall, planks, a step, etc. I was VERY impressed with her!

horses loaded up and ready to go. I think Lucy was a bit anxious to get moving :)

the first field we walked through. beautiful, huh?

approach to a pile of logs. she was very excited about this jump.

"airplane ears" hehehehe ;)

we had just finished the courseand walked back to the trailer when Claire
snapped this photo of Lucy and I. we were both dripping with sweat,
covered in mud, and exhausted; but we were also happy!

on the way out, I got the truck stuck in the mud! seriously, though, the field
they had us all park in was like a swamp!

Video!

Building up the resume

Lucy can add "save my human's rear end" to her resume.

We jumped around today but she was a different horse than she has been lately. There was a fall chill in the air, she had an easy weekend of walk/trot trail rides, and she was feisty. She threw a tantrum two minutes into the ride and I put her right back in her place. Still, a looming fear settled in: was Lucy's Evil Winter Counterpart ("Lucifer") going to return along with the cold weather? I guess we'll have to find out.

Our carefree fun rides may be winding down, but after the first tantrum, she settled down a bit in that she didn't try any more nonsense. She was still VERY hot and tried to drag me around the ring while Kenny was setting out the jumps. He suggested I take her out to the field and gallop around a bit, which was a great idea. She thoroughly enjoyed herself. Then we went back into the ring and schooled briefly on the flat to get her brain back on track. She perked right back up again as soon as we started jumping, like someone had lit a fire under her heinie and she was a lot of horse to ride tonight!

Anyway, we worked over a few smaller jumps first and then Kenny set up the oxer at 3'. We jumped that, then we jumped it at 3'3" a few times. She was doing great, showing loads of confidence to the jump and though she wanted to rush to the first jump in the line (a crossrail), she paced herself perfectly through the two strides to the oxer.

Wahoo!

The second time through, she was not paying attention at the base of the first jump and I thought she was going to ditch it to the left, and I made the mistake of overcorrecting her and getting way ahead of her. She flung herself over the crossrail, scrambled through the two strides, and we found ourselves way to the left very deep at the base of the 3'3" oxer. Both of us stared right at the top rail like "crap, where did that come from?!" and I put my leg on her and did my best not to catch her in the mouth. Bless her heart, she jumped it like a deer...and cleared it. She got lots of praise for that one. Many other horses would have simply stopped since we were halfway there anyway. What a good horse.

"Mom, could you have ridden that line ANY worse?!"

Not the prettiest...

The rest of the ride continued without incident. We didn't jump that oxer many times at all but I cooled Lu out thoroughly and applied Sore No More to all four legs up to her hocks/knees, and I also applied it to her SI area. Then she got a nice mash with carrots and apples mixed in :)

I am really proud of my position over this fence. I joked to someone on facebook that my plan was "jam heels down, don't jab the horse in the mouth, and hang on for dear life." In truth, Lucy makes it easy to ride her well over fences. She jumps very well and she is even and smooth in her stride. She's so tall that she doesn't even really need to try until the jumps are 2'6" or bigger.

She is going to get a day of flat work tomorrow, then Lauren is riding Wednesday and Thursday. I took the day off of work on Wednesday to go up to the racetrack with my friend who is horse shopping to be there for the vet check for her top pick, so cross your fingers that the horse passes! Very exciting. On Friday if the weather cooperates she will be getting a bath and then a tune-up session with the trailer, because on Saturday we have a hunter pace!! So exciting!! Sunday we have a beach ride tentatively planned and then on Monday I will spend the day in my pajamas and drink martinis. I'm not even really joking... and to be honest, I think Lu will probably do the same.

hunter pace report

Most importantly: we survived, and I didn't fall off! hah!

Now for the positive things:

Lu loaded GREAT at the barn, trailered quietly with Boe, and unloaded fine once we got to the hunter pace. She was excellent to tack up, had no problems with the bright blue tent that the hunter pace officials were hanging out under next to the warm-up area, and stood quietly for me to mount up. She was SO BRAVE on the ride itself and around mile 3, actually settled down and had the most lovely stretchy trot on loose contact. She wasn't fighting to go faster and really got into a rhythm and was honestly a pleasure and a joy to work with. We had three stretches of canter. The last one was excellent and I even let her "go" a little bit :D She got worried when a little Paso Fino that was absolutely out of its MIND ran up behind us but she listened to my "woah" and held it together while he passed us (running sideways, might I add).

Negatives:

I had to get off and get back on three times in the first 200 feet of the ride. The first one was because she refused to step down off the road we had to cross to get to the trail head and onto the trail itself. There was about an 8" drop and she was being stupid about it. I hopped off and led her onto the trail and got back on. The second time was about five seconds later when she flat out refused to go through a muddy puddle, so I had to get off and lead her through that (and the muddy water went right through my paddock boots, oh joy). I wiped them off as well as I could and got back on. About five seconds later a group of horses was coming back from the ride and had to pass us. This particular area was very narrow, with a fence on one side and thick brush on the other. There really was not space for horses to pass each other and I don't know why the ride organizers arranged for that, because Boe was incredibly unhappy about being passed in such close quarters and kicked out. Lucy is in RAGING heat right now (yeah, I know, perfect timing) and squealed and kicked out with her front feet at the horses going past her. I had to hop off again and pin her against the fence to let people by. Finally I got back on the third time and luckily I stayed in the saddle for the whole ride :D

The biggest disappointment was that after behaving so well for the ride, she flat out refused to get back on the trailer when we were finished. She has NEVER had an issue with trailering. She has happily walked right on every single time we've gone somewhere. She wasn't afraid of the trailer and this was simply a "I don't wanna and you're gonna have to make me!" moment. She decided she did not want to get on that trailer, and it took us 45 minutes to get her to change her mind. She fought. She reared up. She tried flying backwards and at one point got the leadrope out of Claire's hand and trotted off and behind some trees. I was like, come on horse, could we have one outing where you don't REALLY embarrass me?!?!?!?!? The funniest part was that she trotted off, disappeared behind some trees, and then a second later reappeared and trotted right to me looking totally lost.

Eventually we enlisted the help of a friend and she was able to knock some sense into Lucy. I say "knock" because that horse kind of got her hind end handed to her and she deserved every part of it. She was totally disregarding everyones' personal space and was running through people to avoid the trailer. At one point I was close to tears because I was so disappointed in her, but before I knew it she gave up the fight and literally walked on quiet as a mouse. Then she happily stood in there and munched hay for an hour with Boe while Claire and I had lunch. The fact she stood on there totally relaxed like that almost makes me more mad when I think about the 45 minute battle we had to have to get her to load up. She really was giving us all the proverbial horsey middle finger!

Overall, though, I am happy with her. She behaved herself impeccably on the trail ride and we even did a little jump! I was really proud of her for cantering so nicely along with Boe. She could have easily gotten upset about him running next to her, or gotten silly, or tried to take off, but she was very good.