Mae!

Mae has, since June!!, been lame to some degree. All told, I haven't ridden her that much. Her lameness has resulted from strained ligaments in one or both of her front fetlocks.

We tried box rest, a mix of box rest and quiet turnout and full turnout. She was sound for a brief time in September, but it didn't last.

Anyway, she was vetted on Wednesday as being sound and recommended to longe her gently at walk and trot for 15 minutes a day.

Mae is hilarious on the longe. When you send her away at first, she usually squeals and humps her back with what I presume is excitement. Sometimes she squeals and runs, pumping her legs and scrambling around the circle. Sometimes she waits until she's done her first walk and trot and then flips out on her second trot when I ask her to pick up speed.

Today, I longed her outdoors in the snowy manege. The ground was firm but not frozen. She squealed initially but seemed settled, until...her second trot on the left rein. She went to trot and then jumped off the ground on all four feet, struck out both her front legs, and went to put her head between her knees.

I shouted at her to get down - it's like having a ginormous salmon on the line! And she did, and was fine after that.

I find it hilarious. I know not to let her get away with it, and I always correct her behaviour, but it's so funny, listening to her noises and watching her play. She's one fun girl, and I've never bonded with a mare, but she's pretty cool.

Winter! This winter!

The girls coming up to be fed.
Look! Schneeeee! Or neige, as I should say, in my current French state. I think I took this picture on the 1st November, so my last post about how hot it was neglected to mention that we'd had our first snow! The photo ponies are, l to r: Mae, Gracie and Amber, clearly not feeling the pose at that time.

Today when I went out to do the morning check it was -8c, so we're getting there!

The water buckets were all deeply frozen this morning so I went out with my bales of hay and my hammer and fed the horses and smashed their ice. When I went back a couple of hours later, they had refrozen, but Chelsea had kicked through her ice, Ella was in the process of kicking through the ice in the bucket in the big field, and Lilly had created a hole just about the size of her muzzle and was biting and crunching on the ice around the edge of the bucket. She's very enterprising!

Clipping has begun and Dee Dee and Tatoum, the two hairiest hardworkers are fully clipped out. It's nice to work normally and not end up in a gross sweat! Tatoum is still enjoying hardcore trails and also lateral work. She's working very hard at flexions to the left and I'm beginning extended trot and simple canter lead changes.

I'm working a couple of times a week with Dee Dee now. She's a 3.5 year old Kentucky Saddle Horse but she is not ridden gaited. She has a nervous mouth and tends to tuck her nose into her chest so she is being ridden in a combination of a bit and a bitless at the same time, so the signals are lessened on each area and she can focus on different sensations. I'm also working with her on listening to seat aids, as this effectively negates the need to pull on her mouth at all. In an ideal world, our horses would respond to tiny aids that were invisible to anyone watching. The tensing of muscles or an exhale. She is doing well.

Also doing well is Ella, who is also doing hardcore trails, although we had a blip where twice on the same trail she flat out refused to walk over a small ditch, having to follow another horse. Today though, we cracked it - literally, in the case of the icy puddles! - and she went over without a hitch. Ella has a new sense of self, it seems, with her increasing fitness and strength in her back. Where she used to be sluggish and uninterested, she is now prancy and has purpose to her paces. Her canter has improved to the point where she only pops out behind if she loses focus and spooks, and I do lots of medium size circling and straight lines with her to build this up. I recently learned how to ask a trained horse for a spin - thanks, Chelsea! - and the other day, as Ella has learned how to show a few steps of pivot, where she crosses the front legs whilst pivoting on the back, I put the rein to her neck at the halt and squeezed with the same side leg. Sure enough, she instantly gave me a few steps of crossover! I was thrilled, as I've never 'formally' taught her to neck rein, although we have done a little of turn on the haunches, as well as turn on the forehand.

My plan for her is to keep things easy, whilst increasing her strength and fitness. She won't be 4 until August, and she already knows a great deal, so I think it important not to keep adding things on to this until she has matured more. Over the winter I will work on the difference between tolt and trot, perhaps introduce some poles and logs to hop over, and do as many trails as possible.

Stormy the crazy has recently been clipped and become a barn horse. She'd gone through a good period but had rapidly become impossible to catch without coralling all the horses in the field at once and weeding her out! After that incident, she went straight into a single paddock and instantly became a 'please catch me!' horse, when she realised food came from the human! Her training is going from strength to strength, although of course she still has her 100% crazy moments, like being scared of a hose running behind her, or forgetting what 'over' means and then panicking, or a chain clanking on metal or, well, whatever scares her that day. But she's getting there.

Also, the big mare herd is much happier without her! With her, there were two distinct groups, her buddies, a momma and 3 year old daughter, and the other 3 Rocky mares. Stormy and her momma buddy would pick on the 3 girls and the girls would pick on the 3 year old. Now Stormy's outta there, there's harmony. The momma is the boss, the 3 year old is tolerated by the others, and there are no snake-faced attacks at the hay feeder. Bliss.

Winter? What winter?!

So, it was 18.5c today. It was my day off so I was running errands, not riding, but still! It's winter! In Canada! The snow will be here soon enough I'm certain!

I'm sat watching the Royal Winter Fair World Cup Qualifier. Pretty interesting. They just had the retirement ceremony for Special Ed and the tribute to Hickstead, both of which were very moving. I didn't know much about Hickstead, but I was fortunate enough to watch the CN International this year at Spruce Meadows - only on the TV, mind - but seeing him win from last draw, needing a clear round showed me exactly what a star he was, and the way Eric Lamaze gave him all the credit highlighted a superb partnership. I grew up watching horses like Milton, Dollar Girl, Jus de Pomme, It's Otto, Goldfever (to this day I'm in awe of Ludger Beerbaum's lower leg!), Mon Santa in show jumping and Hickstead is obviously up there with all of them. Horses such as Ready Teddy, King William, Murphy Himself, Bounce in eventing, all big hearted, big character champions. I like that a lot in a horse. Reminds me of Frankie's attitude, if not his scope. But he's only 14.3!

In farm news, we now have a stallion, a black, Rocky Mountain stallion named Dee. He's been nicely trained and will cover mares from April 2012.

Bond the wonder horse progressed on to more intense canter work, so intense it nearly made him piaffe, but he did well. He's now taking a break to see if that helps him mellow out.

Stormy the scared is working hard with us, mainly the other girl, not me! She's ridden 5 times a week now and is learning to flex and go steady between the reins, as well as a little bit of lateral work.

Ella's canter is literally going from strength to strength and I've even tried a little trot - as opposed to a gait - with her, which she's managed easily.

Tatoum, the big Canadian, is working hard on her lateral movements, mainly shoulder in and leg yield at trot and canter, but I'm introducing haunches in and half pass.
Tatoum and I, forging the way.

We discovered new trails on adjoining land last week, so we bandaged the horses up, donned the trail saddles, pocketed the marker tape and off we went into the unknown! Boy, was it thrilling! It was wet, muddy, rocky, boggy, hilly, everything you could want. I took Tatoum and we led the way, crashing through undergrowth, splashing through endless mud, leaping over logs and ditches. She's a brill trail horse, sometimes needs a bit of encouragement to cross rushing water, but she's game.

Bond. James Bond.

Bond doing his utmost to show 'look, I am relaxed, honest. Even my ears are forwa...oh, wait.'

Meet Bond. Baby Bond, as he's known, although he's rising 5. Bond could be a movie star. He's very photogenic, always has his cute little ears pricked for the camera or if he thinks you have a treat. If you don't, he's quick to switch to his grumpy face, which is believable, but not becoming of such a pretty boy. He parks himself beautifully in cross ties or when he's stood in the field, and he has a beautiful blonde mane and tail. He's gorgeous.

He is also the first sale for the farm, and he'll be leaving us to go to Quebec City at the end of the year.

Bond arrived here in May, looking rather skeletal and just over 700lb, all bony and dull coated, massively long feet with ridiculously built up shoes that looked, well, homemade and homeshod. He was nervous. He was scared of sudden movements, flapping things, raised voices, just about anything.

We fed him and he got proper hay and grass for the first time in his life. The girl who breaks the babies here took him on as her project and did weeks of groundwork with him, teaching him to load, to tie, to go out on trails, to not be scared of flapping things. She re-backed him and found out what a bundle of nervous energy he really was. She alone rode him for 3 or so months, until, with interest in him from a potential buyer and a new baby on the block to start work, he was passed on to me.

My first ride with him didn't go so well. She watched and explained his many foibles and what and what not to do to really gee him up. It was important not to get into a fight with him. He became claustrophobic if you took up a contact with his mouth and would fling and hop around violently. He would also charge off if he so much as felt your leg on him, and this girl is GOOD. Calm and insistent, gentle and firm.

Yet, he was still a massive freakout waiting to happen. So, if he rushed, he circled until he calmed. Sometimes this was 2 or 3, 6 or 7 circles at the walk. He had the smoothest, yet fastest gait I'd sat on. Again, circles, because to pull on his mouth was to start a genuinely annoyed tantrum. I didn't canter him the first day, but when I did, sheez, he had one of those canters where you feel they're going to bolt every stride, and I wasn't allowed to pull!! Bigger circles this time... not crazy, just narrow.

We had a couple of calmer rides that week, and then it was over to me on my own. I was starting lessons with the reining and general young horse guru, and, as weeks passed, she and I both could see progress. He eased up on his canter. He needed fewer and then not even whole circles. His gait relaxed and collected. Until one Monday, I was schooling and working on nothing new, but I asked him to leg yield. Something he'd been doing for weeks. He'd grown to tolerate gentle leg pressure and understand a firmer contact. But not this time. He reared. Not high, but he reared.

FORtunately, the trainer was there, working on another horse so I called her over to ask what the heck I should do with this ultra-sensitive horse who was being extra sensitive. She told me to put him back on the wall and leg yield at an angle down the wall until he gave a few strides, then leave it. He tossed his pretty head, he jammed his tiny, cute little ears flat back on his head and he was frantically playing with his baby-friendly bit. This is his usual reaction to pressure, but it's still frustrating. Anyway, he gave me the steps and we quit soon after.

The people who've now bought him were coming to meet him two weeks after this so we stopped with the leg yield for that time. Now, we've started again, just on the wall, or a step or two at an unexpected time, but boy, ask once, and then I cut down the quarter line or from B to E and he tries to blast sideways. Then I ask him to straighten and he blasts the other way. His sensitivity annoys the hell out of me at this point, after so many months of patient work. He's improved in so many ways, but his first reaction is always to go 'WAAAAAAAHHH' and shoot off.

But...

I love riding him. He's got so much sass and go and he's so supple and round and gorgeous. We have to cool down at the whoa, because he doesn't do relaxed walk. He'll go on a long rein, sure, but it's always a power walk. It takes him a good few minutes to relax enough to not be stood all tense and waiting for the off. Maybe 10 minutes to get the big ol' 'ahhhh' sigh and cock a foot.

He's excellent on a trail. Even if he's spooked by something, he'll march on past it. You have to have a good seat though, because he's nimble as anything. I asked him to turn around on a trail and he spooked as he was turning and I completely lost his right shoulder. He'd be incredible at anything involving speed and agility, if you could just get him to trust your hands and feet.

If these people hadn't loved him and bought him, I'd have seriously considered it. He's a little powerhouse, and I'd love to try him over a jump or two, once his canter was ready.

Still, there'll be others!

middle of October.

Things are working ok.

I rode Stormy again today, this time on her own in the indoor, and she was good. A little more spooky and reactive than she was with two other horses being ridden in there, but still responsive to me. She has a habit of just stopping dead, for no apparent reason, but that's not the worst thing she can do, so we work through it.

Ella, the 'best' Rocky we have here is doing so well. Her back is quite weak - she's young and long backed - so she sometimes 'pops' her back legs in canter, so she becomes disunited and it's very uncomfortable, probably for her too. So, I don't canter her a lot when I ride her, I work on her tolt and circles, canter departures, but not actually cantering for more than a circle, a full go round the arena and maybe another circle. Until she can do this without breaking, I'm not going to push her, but still work her back in walk and tolt flexion circles and trails when they're passable.

Today I went exploring as it wasn't tooo wet and Ella did the creek crossing and walked past a big pop-up garage that was all white and crinkly. I then worked Chelsea, did some more, slower, spins and also went for a trail.

It's nice to be back in the rhythm.

I'm back!

So, things have changed since I've been away. Bond has been sold, although he's staying here for a little while longer until his new owner's barn is built. He's going well and different people are riding him, so he's getting used to leg on and is starting to work with more of a contact. Everything stresses him out, really, so it's repetition and staying calm on our part that's going to get the break through.

Chelsea, the palomino paint who is an accomplished but very lazy reining horse is being worked a mixture of English and Western, in the hope she'll be more attractive to buyers if she does both. She's pretty easygoing and responds to a snaffle and light contact no problem. She does just have the low head set, but I don't really want to change that if she's going to a beginner rider. She's been brilliantly trained so she does everything from very simple aids - I did my first ever spins on her this week - so much fun! like leg yield at all gaits, rein back, flying changes, all the stuff. It's pretty similar to English training but her way of going is much different and she's quite slow anyway, so I'm just asking her to move out a bit more at the trot and to stay relaxed.

There have also been changes in staff so now we have all but two horses in work, there's another girl here working with me and we're sharing the rides. While I was on holiday, she 'started' Stormy under saddle!! which is so awesome, after the crappy times I had on her - she could probably feel me being unsure but still, after three rides from this girl, Stormy needs leg to gait and produces relaxed snuffly sneezes as she's walking around, not snatching at the bit or freaking out. Unreal! She's also working pregnant Gracie, as she's a bit too fat and needs some gentle work outs to make her healthy enough for her baby.

I'm also riding Dee Dee, starting her after her 5 month break on very basic flatwork, Ella, who learns very quickly and will start showing next summer - she's like the poster child for the farm! And Tatoum, with whom I will do dressage with next summer. She's so big and chunky, but she's mega keen to learn and willing to try anything I ask of her. She does shoulder in and leg yield in w/t/c, Her transitions are improving - she's a little, um, forward - and my next aim is to get an extended trot out of her. She's ace.

terrible

I've been a terrible blogger. I have excuses, but it all comes down to me not being inspired to write when I'm finished my day's work.

I spent a weekend in Boston with an old school friend, then I went to Montreal for a weekend, then my boyfriend came to visit and the Canadian family went to HK, leaving me with sole charge of not only the 11 horses but their 5 year old son as well!! I spent the mornings working the horses, the afternoons sightseeing and the evenings amusing the child. Then my Mum came to visit and my boyfriend went home, repeat for another week, then the Canadians came home and my Mum and I got outta there for a holiday, which hasn't been relaxing, but has at least given me a few lie ins and chance to eat some delicious food, although I have had the most nagging and annoying cold for over 3 weeks now.

The last thing I wanted to do was sit and write about how horses were going!

Next Tuesday, I'm back to the day job. Tomorrow I'm going to buy some Sorel boots to continue my preparation for winter. When I was in Vermont I went to Tractor Supply and bought a real nice Carhartt jacket for around the barn, so I'm getting there...