Day 2

Yesterday was jump school day.

We love jump school days. Hehe. It was a gorgeous day too, warm but not too warm, and it cooled off quickly by the time I was turning River back out a little after 7. He was quite giraffe-y and looky at the beginning but chilled out eventually and we put in some nice work over two baby cross-rails. Set up some cavaletti too, but they were too close for anything but walk (I'm still figuring out his stride) and I was too lazy we didn't have time to get off and change them.

I do believe he may learn to be a jumper despite me--it's adorable to watch him already start to prick his ears and lock on as we come onto the line for the baby rails. Right now it's leg, leg, leg to keep him from slowing down and walking over, but he never ever stops. Just very slow and very careful to organize all the legs before we jump over the thing. ;P

I on the other hand am obviously weak in my position and was kind of flailing all over the place. More two-point drill for me. I'm also going to watch a lesson with another instructor tomorrow--she is a hunters and jumpers instructor and we'll see how it turns out, if it's good I will try to start riding with her occasionally.

Overall a good day and we had fun. :)

We're Back, Hello Hello

Proof that he's alive

Huh well then that was a bit longer absence than expected.

Contrary to what may be popular opinion, the Creature is still here and quite alive and we found a splendid part-board place for him that I am quite tickled with. He's maintaining weight beautifully, his feet are much better (even though our new farrier is not so good as our old one), and I am even getting back into riding lessons periodically. Some dressage work is doing us both good, and he's popping over baby cross-rails like no big deal. We've been on a few little trail rides and we even gave my best friend her first unofficial riding lesson.

I'm having a tough semester for reasons that shall be elaborated on later perhaps. For right now I'll just say I'm not currently teaching and that was not my first choice. But it gives me more time for Monster. I don't know how long we'll be here, but it is a good place for him and I'm trying to enjoy it while we've got it.

As part of trying to hold my mental and emotional game together (lack of outside structure + incredibly unstable future plans = highly stressed me), I'm throwing some more jumping and dressage practice in. Much as I do enjoy dressage, I'm no good at doing it independently yet, and jumping will always be my first love. I know enough dressage to mostly hold us together at the moment, so I think it's time to diversify and experiment. And as part of trying to remain accountable to myself (ha ha), I'm going to try to post on our rides, even just a little blurb. So here's to returning to blogging (maybe)!

Happy 2015!

From sunnier days...our hunter pace :)

Happy 2015 everyone!

River and I celebrated in our typical boring way--we did some groundwork New Year's Eve Day and then ate our suppers and went to sleep. ;)

This year hasn't been much exciting in the horse department, at least not as far as huge progress or breakthroughs made. But we moved to a new barn we love, we rode a lot more than last year, and we've found a discipline we love and plan to continue riding and competing in. I think those are pretty big things!

Looking forward, this year is going to be a year of big changes. I'm beginning my student teaching semester in two weeks and then graduating college in May, and who knows where we'll be going after that. Of course I have every plan to keep River around, but at the same time I know there's no guarantee. There will be new barns to find, new experiences to have, new friends to make, and new problems to work out; I know that much.


So our goal for this year is to keep riding as long as possible and to have fun in the process. To take one day at a time and live each one to the fullest. :)

Short Version

We finished our second ACTHA ride on October 26, and placed SECOND in our division!!! And that after a ride that I was 90% sure we weren't even going to place in! He tried hard but it was a tricky course...well, apparently it was tricky for other teams too! :D

We finished our first hunter pace (minus the jumps) last weekend, November 2, and placed fifth! Just because of time; we were one second behind our friend, so no big deal. He was a champ at "chaperoning" our less-experienced friend (S and a borrowed horse) and I am super proud of him.

Now we are planning nothing for 2-3 months, because November is his hardest month to keep weight on, December is my hardest month to stick with a schedule, and January I begin student teaching and probably will have next to no time. Hopefully in late January or February we'll be able to get back on a routine to gear up for springtime events.

Maybe I will get some pictures of the rides up one of these days. :)

Rides

Going to try and post maybe once a week these days??

Last week we did actually ride three times! Trail on Sunday, bareback field jaunt Tuesday, and a walk-trot-canter "let's-actually-do-something-productive" ride Thursday.

I knew Sunday would be fun when he started spooking at the bushes walking up to the barn from the pasture. Tacked up, put on his boots, and headed out through the field behind the house. Saw many scary things including a water tub, the mounting block, and the volunteer girls moving a jump. Had to dismount and lead him through the gate up to the gallop hill because he would. not. go. Ugh. Once we got out there he decided it was time to go back home but I got a little firmer with him and he headed up. Once he got moving I was able to get him into a trot and we trotted up and walked down three times before his brain kind of returned. Second time down he started blowing out and relaxing a lot, so we went up one more time and then headed into the woods to do the highest completed trail. Came down the really steep slippery "Man from Snowy River Hill"--fortunately it wasn't muddy--and he was a trooper! He was lathered by the time we got to the back of the fields, though, and breathing hard (for no particular reason other than nerves, I think). Paused and stood and waited for the BO to finish mowing the field. He waited very patiently, blew out a lot and relaxed. Then we headed back to the barn. Perhaps not a relaxing ride, but I felt good that we'd worked through it!

Tuesday he was relaxed and I was fried mentally, so I just threw on the fitted pad, slipped on bareback, and we went out and played in the jump field and the hay field. Chatted with a friend who was leaving for grad school on Thursday, briefly disagreed over whether we should walk or trot round the hay field, and settled for a nice brisk walk around. Perhaps nothing major, but the occasional bareback ride--even just at a walk--does wonders for my seat, so I like to keep it up.

Thursday I wanted to ride him barefoot so he got some stimulation on the tootsies. So we saddled up and went to the grassy spot and did a basic walk-trot-canter circles ride. Nothing special except that I discovered that wonder of wonders, when I get my act together and RIDE, he goes pretty well! Amazing. Even our left-lead canter was good! He will fix my weak canter riding yet--I can't hold his mouth or he will haul on my arms till they come off, so it's a good incentive, ha.

Overall a good week! Then I got sick on Friday. Boo. So I really don't know what's going down this week. We will see!

New Leaf

The bestest ears

So I have written and rewritten this post maybe half a dozen times and the long and short of it is this:

Nobody wants to hear me try to explain my brain, and

I already know what I'm thinking, so...

Riv and I are officially turning over a new leaf, and going full-time into (competitive) trail and (not-so-competitive) dressage. With maybe a little up-to-25-mile LD endurance stuff thrown in if we can find a friend who does that.

Because:

• We knew from the beginning Riv has some arthritic changes. Why push it?
• I'm somewhat more aware of the importance of living staying mostly in one piece being safe and so jumping is not so much a Big Thing, though I still enjoy it and we will practice little stuff.
• Eventing is just not going to be our thing, for a lot of reasons, and that is the main reason I started and continued jumping, so why go there if we're not going there?
• COLORS. I CAN BUY BRIGHT COLORED STUFF AHHHHHH!!!
• Lower stress (for me anyway it's lower stress)
• Not-boring for our ADD selves ;)
• Riv loves trails.
• I love trails. Whether on horseback or on foot, or any other way.
• Dressage is good for us.
• Did I mention we love trails? And exploring new places? YES.

And anyway, why not?!

Especially when your grandparents have offered to buy you a new saddle (!!!!) for a graduation present! Which is good because current one feels like I'm going to be permanently maimed after an hour's ride (I didn't ride for a week after our 6-mile ride!).

Any suggestions in that area?

Proud

You know what makes a girl (this girl, anyway) very, very happy and very, very proud?

This. [can't insert the picture because they won't let me!]

And this.

Long-time readers, recognize that face?

Yep, that's my Rhapsody girl! (Click here for all the stories...)

(And yes, I have been sleuthing the interwebs ever since I left that barn to try and figure out what became of her...)

Going off the bright new halter and the girl-riding-who-I-never-met, I'm guessing that's her new owner.

I'm going to go with that anyway.

Because if any of my ponies can sell on to a teenage girl who needs a friend and if they will let her play around in a halter bareback, then I'm very, very happy and proud!

We Are Hooked!

So yesterday River and I went to an ACTHA (American Competitive Trail Horse Association) Competitive Trail Challenge hosted by our barn!

...and this happened:

5th in our division in our first "real-life horse" competition ever (for both of us individually and together), with no coaching and not much exposure to the obstacles ever! I am SO PROUD of my boy!

...and I think I'm hooked! And Riv came cheerfully up to meet me in the pasture today, so he must not think it's too bad either. ;)

More details coming! I'm hoping for pictures from my friend's parents and from the ride photographer before too long. :)

Happy One Year! (& photo dump)

One year ago today, I drove down to Georgia to pick up a certain big bay gelding! Happy Anniversary River! 

We've come a long way, and we have a long way yet to go, but it's been a wild and crazy and wonderful ride...I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story. :)

He led (or didn't lead) like he needed a stud chain!

Distracted distracted distracted

So stiff and ouchy

Started coming to me in the pasture

Loves his trail rides :)

His ground manners are perfect now!

Just because he's adorable

Long way to go, but better!

He even gives pony rides to grandmas :)

And very-stiff-and-nervous younger brothers ;) 

I don't have pictures, but when he gets in the mood he's also a huge snuggle buddy. :) Where from here? Who knows! But we're going to have fun no matter where or what it is! 

Good Rides, New Things, Question

We haven't been riding as much as I'd like (do we ever?) but our rides have been great!

We've been out in the fields, trotting in the fields with no runaway nonsense, on trail rides, and in the arena. River's trot-walk transitions are doing much better and he's beginning to learn walk-halt properly (right now we do a lot of circling!). Canter is still a work in progress--his canter is sooo lovely but he doesn't have the strength to carry himself properly in it for very long, so we don't do a lot of it. He played lesson horse when my grandparents and brother came out to see him--and decided he doesn't like that at. all. ;) He was good though!

Sunday we put him over his first tiny baby crossrail under saddle! He's been over them in the round pen before, but not with me aboard. He was an absolute champ, very brave on the approach, trotted right up and over it, no big deal at all.

The grass sugar has been doing a bit of a number on his feet. :( They're not bad--he's fine in the arena or on softer surfaces--but he is a bit more ouchy than he was during the winter. I may need to get him boots for summertime; we'll see. However, he is gaining lots of weight and otherwise looking fantabulous, so I'm not complaining!

And, finally got a decent sweat mark on him and my saddle apparently bridges on the middle sides. It's not making him sore but still. :( Boo. I'm thinking a shimmed pad may be the way to go since he's still gaining weight and also since I don't have the money for a new saddle right now! Any suggestions? What have you used and like/don't like?

Can You Help?

We just got a message from our lovely barn manager. You can read it here.

The gist of it is that the property owners have received an offer to develop the farm into a subdivision. Though they do not want to sell, they need to if they're ever going to be able to retire. Our barn manager and her husband (she's the daughter of the owners) are trying to raise the money to counteroffer and buy the farm themselves. They are proposing creating a "a non-profit that serves the community and beyond as a place of healing and rejuvenation for mind, body, and spirit." Besides horses, it would possibly involve equine and non-equine therapy programs, cabins, and a larger CSA operation.

This has been the most wonderful place for River and I to be, and we would be SO sad to have it go! Though we've been invited back to our previous barn with no strings attached, it would not be the same. Do you know of anyone (or might you be someone) who could help out?  Contact Tara at 423-488-3993 or tara@hiddenhillsfarm.com if you can!

Can-TER!

So Thursday we cantered in the arena, on purpose and for a reasonable time, for the first time!

River was feeling good and I had set myself a goal to canter in the arena before spring break was out, so I asked for it and he happily (and reasonably smoothly) popped up into his amazing "third gear."

No seriously, it is probably the most amazing canter I've ever ridden. He has a massive stride and it's just unreal. I just want to ride it again and again and again! The one small detail is that I'm apparently unable to sit it to save my life; I have to two-point or half-seat. Haha! I'm hoping to get some video on Sunday so I can figure out exactly why (maybe also a lesson soon); all I can say right now is that I'm apparently totally out of sync with whatever's going on in his hind end because it just springs me right up out of the saddle. Ha. Hopefully we'll figure out why fairly soon! In the meantime, two-point it is.

We didn't do a lot at a time; I let him tell me when he wanted to transition down and we did. Very nice ride though and I can't wait to feel it again! It's addictive! ;)

Stay tuned for what happened today! Hint: It involves getting up close and personal with some good old Southern red clay dirt...but no one's hurt!

Who Needs a Superbowl When You Have an OTTB?

River in the snow we had last week!

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but while River is very good on the ground, and mannerly under saddle (i.e., he doesn't tend to bolt, buck, rear, or otherwise be totally obnoxious), he is VERY GREEN under saddle. He has three gaits (mostly) but that's about all. ;) I discovered that he's had groundwork but very little actual riding since he came off the track, which explains a lot. He doesn't understand lateral work very well, or that he has variations in speed and tempo within a gait, or that when I go into two-point it doesn't mean that he has to win a race, or even (usually) that he can truly back up under saddle. His downwards transitions are rough and often include a lot of circling when he gets his freight-train mindset on (he doesn't run off, he just keeps going!), and he doesn't understand bending, stretching, or using his body much under saddle at all.

I finally got my mind wrapped around the concept that nothing but time and miles is going to fix any of those issues! And some good lessons, of course, but Coach is in New York right now and anyway is not keen on tackling issues that I have tackled myself before (love her!). So now I am officially motivated to go ride the Beastie. I know, I know, it took long enough!

So today I went and rode. Much to River's chagrin, because I gave him some hay while I tacked up before the ride instead of grain (he'd been munching in the pasture, but I thought maybe it would keep him busy...it didn't). So by the time we got into the arena he was quite put out, tossing his head and being quite feisty. He spooked at the chickens, spooked at the gates, spooked at the barrels outside and spooked at I don't know what else. Fortunately his spooks are not frightening, lol. But with a lot of walking all over the place--big circles, little circles, half circles, straight lines, figure-eights, ground poles, etc.--he calmed down very nicely and we ended up doing some trot both ways in addition to all our walking. I focused on engaging my core, stretching up, breathing (always my nemesis when I'm trying to focus!), and pointing my body and energy the way I wanted to go, with very nice results, I'd say. We even had a couple half-decent halts. Afterward, he got his grain and was very calm and relaxed going out to his pasture. Score!

Now I'm more motivated than before. ;) Lunge tomorrow, rest Tuesday, and another ride Wednesday!

Game Plan

So much lined up I don't know where to start, lol!

School is crazy this semester--we are heading into intensive practicum time so lots of reading and lots of field experience--but fortunately still pony time too!


River is having some issues with the new barn building itself. It's rather small compared to our old building (low ceilings, narrower aisles, and smaller stalls) and as he's a big horse, and rather claustrophobic, and prone to being a [big] fire-breathing dragon when he gets claustrophobic, that poses some problems. We had a Very Bad Night trying to feed him Monday evening, but nobody was physically hurt and now that's been temporarily resolved by feeding him outside--he can eat in the dark, and I can mostly groom him and switch blankets in the dark, so no biggy really. I plan to reintroduce the inside of the barn slowly and hopefully he'll learn to see it as a good place and be okay in there.


We have a game plan now, though! It goes somewhat as follows (my game plans are very flexible):

1. Hill work 2-3 days a week on the lunge or under saddle

Right outside the back gate to River's pasture!

You can't see it as well in this pic, but this is an awesome pasture for hill work--some gentle slopes and some steeper ones, plenty of room to adjust and play with. I noticed improvement in River's way of going and ability to do more balanced transitions even with the intermittent hill work we did at the old barn, so I hope that with regular work on the hills he'll get even better!

2. Ride Sunday-Wednesday-Friday at least. 

I would love to ride more, and maybe we will (we have an arena with lights now, after all!), but those three days are definites. Saturday and Tuesday are River's days off from formal exercise/riding, but we might go on a quick bareback trail ride or something on Saturday also, if it's a nice day and we're in the mood. We're not going to do anything fantastical yet, just work on rhythm and relaxation in our forward gait (probably start with trot), and my position. River is great at moving forward, but he doesn't "get" rhythm or relaxation and has had very little serious under-saddle work from what I've learned, so we need to start with baby stuff. :)

3. Stretches, Massage, & Foot Upkeep

Just continuing to try to keep him at the best he can be. :)

4. First schooling show this spring/summer?

Our new barn doesn't have their event schedule up yet, but I'm eagerly awaiting it to see what we might be able to go for. Planning to do some little flat classes and maybe a w/t hunter hack class for his first show experience, depending on what he's ready for. I'll have to see how his under-saddle work is coming before I can set any goals for end-of-year, but we'll see!


And for me:

1. Work out routine every other day--I have a good one I've figured out, just need to stick to it!
2. Stretch routine every day I don't work out
3. Walking/running/hiking would be great, just can't figure out where to put it in......

So that's our game plan as of now--hopefully it won't have to change drastically this year! 

2014: Year of the Horse!

I think it's pretty cool that River's and my first full calendar year together is the Chinese Year of the Horse! :)

from Pinterest

For this year's riding, I have one major goal:

 

Have riding be a low-pressure (generally) activity: make it about having fun and learning something, and giving River the best activities/rides I can

If that sounds like we won't be going to shows or really working on anything, have no fear: There are big changes in the works that should lead to us actually attending some events, taking semi-regular lessons, and improving our horsemanship greatly this year! (Stay tuned!)

Teaser pic! :)

But I don't do well under pressure, and therefore neither do my horses. River especially will get very stubborn and resistant if you put a lot of pressure on him and don't respect what he wants to do of a given moment. So my focus needs to be on having fun and learning, for both of us. And that's what it's gonna be! Horses aren't my job at this time, and they're too expensive and time-consuming for me not to (usually) enjoy myself and my Buddy. :)


Happy 2014, everybody! We'll be back tomorrow (hopefully) with (hopefully) exciting updates! :)

2013: Year In Review

Wellll everyone else is doing it so I will too :)

River is starting his hill-work-on-the-lunge regime as of today. He was agreeable but decided that hill work is tiring, thank you very much!

Also, I found that our local Ace Hardware store just started carrying Tribute feed! YEAH!! Finally something decent quality with low NSC and high(er) fat (right now I'm transitioning him to their Kalm-N-Ez, so it's not super high fat, but still about twice as much as he was getting), and it's no more expensive than plain whole oats! Thanks Saiph and Jen for your positive comments on this feed so I can be excited! :) 

ANYWAY on to the Year-In-Review!

Started off 2013 at my second barn in Tennessee, riding with Coach. I had Rhapsody and Brandi as unofficial project horses. Brandi struggled with working in the arena (I later decided it was probably a saddle fit issue), and Rhapsody learned to be catchable (at least by me). Fringe (my 2012 project horse) regressed and I fell off during a lesson on her.

Adorable baby face

I didn't post about this on the blog, but in late February Coach moved out of the barn and stopped giving lessons there. I was on my own--a little nervous, a little excited!

In March I "inherited" Coach's project, Surge, as my own third project horse. I learned to listen to horses, especially Rhapsody, who wouldn't take anything else! Rhapsody really started bonding to me, and we figured out the stretchy trot! I rode her bareback in a halter, and though she didn't like the halter idea, she did very well.

In April, I started having issues with Surge (still not sure what was at the root of those, wish I'd been able to figure them out). Fringe sold to a new home. I experienced a rearing horse for the first time, and decided I'd rather not experience it again! 

May, things started changing. I left that barn and started looking for my own horse, all in one fell swoop! I looked at horses...and more horses...and...

In June I finally found a horse I thought might work!
Coach liked him!
And River came home! 

First full day back: Needs to learn manners, anyone?!

The shot that sold me on him...

I debated whether to take him barefoot or not (and got many good opinions). Decided to try it, got a very sore pony, and went on vacation for two weeks while he healed and toughened up. Came back and he was overall better!


July and August: River got an abscess, but it blew out eventually and he felt much better. So did I, when he could go out on pasture again and I didn't have to feed him twice a day! River started putting weight on and feeling better yet. We tried a new trimmer (who I "fired" later because he couldn't come out often enough). I rode at last! We went on our first trail ride and River rocked it. 

Need to see this view more often!

September and October were more trail rides, and I tried riding bareback. I started working with some Arab babies at a boarding school. Sadly the colts have not been gelded yet so I haven't been back...the agreement was that they would geld the studs in return for my work with them. Came up with some goals for River and I.

November and December we struggled with Daylight Savings Time, and I started auditing lessons at a nearby dressage barn. River had his first big spook, and I almost fell off, but didn't quite. Then there were finals, and now it is break! And here we are!

In all our derpy donkey greatness...

A lot of ways, I feel like I'm starting all over again. I feel like I got to June, bought River, and stalled in my riding. I don't know what to do for goals for this spring; I don't even know where to head River (post in the works about why). But I know I'm one blessed girl to have this Beastie and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it! :)

In Which We Go Public

...sort of.

You can see our YouTube channel here! It's nothing professional, for sure--just some basic stuff for the folks that are working with my project babies when I'm not there. So constructive feedback is welcome, but no snarky comments por favor! Haha, not that I expect that from any of you but y'know... :)

Last week was a zoo but we rode anyway! My new challenge is getting River comfortable in our new schooling area. He is decidedly nervous of the big-open-area-without-rails and is skittery and tense and gnaws and chomps on the bit like nobody's business. To the point where he's literally flinging drool all over. It's crazy.

This slobber is greatly reduced from when we were actually riding...!

It'd be lovely if it was from a really relaxed jaw instead of a nervous one!

So I scrapped my plans of working on walk/halt/back transitions and now we're just walking around up there, round and round and round, till he relaxes. No biggie. I'm flexible--we don't have anything we have to be ready for!

I am so sad Daylight Savings Time is ending this week!

Shaggy pony and late-evening sunbeams

But we are enjoying the time we've got. Today was my evening to feed, so after giving everyone their grain at the barn, I went down to get River and check on the pasture horses. Saw him first, so gave him his carrot and then went off to make sure nobody else was broken or bleeding.

Turned around and Mr. Food-Pony was marching off to the gate on his own! He did stop halfway and deign to give me his most disgusted look...I call it the Moose Look and it's pretty much this:

From earlier in the year...

Saying plain as could be, "Hurry UP, lady, why u so SLOW?!"

He walked all the way up to the gate then without any halter or anything. Ha. Got his yums and then we rode a little bit--walking around in the schooling area--and I did his feet. It was a good evening.

Those Goals

The other afternoon I went down to the local TSC (all we've got for feed store, but better than nothing right?!) to get River some thrush medicine--he had a very minor case going on and making him ouchy. It's much better now! Anyway, while buying many things I didn't initially intend to (oops, lol), I met some folks I used to ride with at the old barn. And that made me lonely for Coach, and for my old riding buddies; even if they weren't my level, they were someone to ride with. And that almost made me sad, so I came up with some goals instead to distract myself. Besides, it's getting toward winter and we need something to keep us going. Winter here is theoretically much easier than in Michigan, but really it sucks because nobody in my immediate area has nice indoor arenas, so you have to ride in the frigidness. Well, nobody has them except the really-expensive-barn-folks, which we are decidedly not.

Anyhow, without further ado, the goals:

Both of Us Goals:

• One or two lessons with Coach over Thanksgiving and/or Christmas breaks (depending on how River's goals go...)
• Dressage video lesson sometime this winter??
• Increase fitness
• Regular riding schedule

River Goals:

• School walk/halt/backing transitions till they're soft and easy(ish)
• Hill work, trot/canter sets, and general conditioning work
• School walk/trot transitions 
• Stretches and massage regularly--loosen up that back and hind end!

Me Goals:

• Finish out the 2-Point Challenge this month!
• No-Stirrup November next month?? (eeks...can't believe I'm actually thinking about that...)
• Figure out just how River likes his feet trimmed so they continue to improve
• Strength training and stretches/yoga--alternate days so I'm doing something 5-6 days a week

We'll see how all that goes, especially my fitness--it's one thing for me to work on getting my pony fit, quite another to commit to my own torture. Haha. And if I can really find the time, especially after the time change!

Three Babies

Sooo, promised an update on my new projects! Well I don't have any pictures (I know, shame shame), but here is the back story! 

They belong to a private school for boys with ADD/ADHD and/or behavior problems. I found them by responding to an ad on my college job board for "volunteer horse training and maintenance." Called because I couldn't imagine anyone just posting a random ad for such things, and because I couldn't imagine anyone else picking them up as a project at this time of the semester. Then discovered that there were three babies--and I mean baby babies, the oldest is barely three, the youngest right about a yearling--two of which were (still are, but for a limited time!) stud colts. And there's nobody there who knows anything about horses period, let alone baby horses. Woowweee, fun fun fun.

So a week ago Sunday was my "eval" trip, to see if I thought I could handle this or if it was quite beyond me. Turns out there is one kid at the school that knows a little bit about horses in general and has been working with them. Mostly consisting of giving them treats and petting them and getting them used to halters/picking up feet/etc. Not a bad start, except that now they have NO concept of staying out of one's personal space, or doing anything else in fact except eating. The filly (oldest and most definitely the boss) will tie and lead (sort of, except when she doesn't) and usually deal with having her face pulled into all kinds of contortions with the halter and lead-rope-reins (again, except when she doesn't), but the colts won't do much unless the others are nearby, and don't do a whole lot even then.

But none of them are dangerous, so I said sure, I'll come up once a month or so and help you as long as the boys are gelded and someone's willing to work with them when I'm not there. Will be interesting! I won't be getting anywhere unless this kid, J, and his friend are willing to join in and do the footwork, so we'll see. First day we worked on moving off pressure and handling scary things appropriately. Now we are taking some video of River so they can understand what is supposed to be and to help them remember somewhat of how to get there. Though the Beast isn't perfect, he's pretty good these days, and demonstrates the need for all these skills quite well--nothing like getting run over by a 1200-lb. critter to convince you that your horse does need to learn to move when you tell him to...

He is not impressed by the videoing--thinks it's eternally boring. Lol. I did get his feet trimmed this week, though, and he is sounder than ever before, even on the little (quarter- to half-inch) gravel. Woot! 

Schedules

Hah, my schedule is I.n.s.a.n.e. And I had just got a lovely schedule figured out for River--school Friday, trail ride and/or break Saturday, school Sunday, lunge/groundwork Monday, break Tuesday, trail Wednesday, massage/break Thursday--and then my field experience (where we go out in classrooms and practice our teaching) got switched around and I have no free Friday afternoon now until 4 or 5, at least until early November. UGH. So I have to rethink the whole River-schedule thing. I think we'll go and ride in the dark sometimes :P

Thursday was massage day. River really got into it and I got some really good releases out of my work on his shoulder/neck/face area. He is learning how to stretch into the massage and get himself an even better release--really fun to watch. Smart little cookie. ;) The unfortunate thing was that I spent so much time on his front half that I didn't really get to spend a lot of time on that all-important back half. I will have to start giving him mini-massages on that neck/shoulder area more often--he had a lot of tight spots.

Friday I did homework so just worked on some sidepass/Sideways Game on the ground (he did really well for his first time ever, caught on quickly), and today it rained and the neighbors were shooting so I didn't really want to wander up by their place to get to the trails. :-/ So River just got his yums and turned back out. He is continuing to gain weight slowly but surely (!!!) and is really looking good. Shed out all his sunbleached hair and is looking super shiny and handsome. Even some faint dapples showing up! ;) Need to get some new pictures so we can compare!