Work, Work, Work

"I think your candle is burning at both ends."

Happy Holidays! Sorry for the absence- I picked up a new, very time-consuming project at work and have had no time to do anything really! My loaned-to manager actually said to me 'you need to learn how to say no"- and he really isn't wrong.

Here are the pictures from the Riverdale show back in October :) We entered in the 2'3" division, but the jumps were on the small side so stayed for one of the 2'6" classes. Pony was awesome, but I obviously need to work on my pattern memorization haha (whoops).

Thanks to Savannah for the photos, to Caitlin/Dan/Valerie/Shane/Amir for the support, and Nance for the trailer ride!

Finding Pony Distances

"Go for the long five or the short six?"

Shout out to my best riding buddy Caitlin for putting together this course, and to Caitlin and Ashley for babysitting me as I tried to figure out how the heck to get through it!



1a to 1b was a related distance that was the most difficult for Ruby and I- it was either a long 5 or a short 6, then a 3 stride from 1b to 1c (which was also occasionally wonky based on what we got from the first part. Five strides through element 2, the scary green roll top to 3, six strides though element 4, and the mini grid at 5 (2 stride to 1 stride).

We practiced the first element a few times before doing the course to get a feel for how it would ride. At first we added in each, but that gets harder for us to do the fewer strides there are between jumps...so we pushed for the actual distances for each. We got them, but she did get a  little bit flat (which she tends to do in these situations). The first time through, I think we also added at 4. The second time through the course, we did very well! Ruby made some good decisions and took a long spot here and there instead of the usual horrible chip. Go pony!!

We are tentatively scheduled for a show next Saturday. Yikes! It's been almost a year since we competed, so I will of course have some serious show nerves. However, this is a small local schooling show- the key is to go in with 0 expectations.

9 Year Anniversary!

"pony is rockin' the blue!'

I did a sappy post last year, so this one will be quick and to the point: I love my pony, pony sometimes loves me (when I have treats), everyone wins!

Glad to have found my 'Heart Horse.'
#almostadecade

Thanks for the photo Valerie!

Position Issues

"whyyy do my toes do that?!"

The best way to see how well you really ride (which may be different than how you think you ride) is to have a friend get a video. Unfortunately, I don't yet have an SD card (which has since been ordered from Amazon) to write HD video to my camera fast enough to take more than 10 seconds of video. Second best option: pictures.

From these pictures, I have learned a few things:

1. My right foot is retarded and has a mind of it's own (I've mentioned this before in past posts)- I don't know if I lean left or what, but my right leg/foot is never where it is supposed to be...but both toes turn out the stride before (and over, apparently) the jump.

2. I sometimes tilt forward instead of folding over at the hip when I jump (yikes). This causes my leg to swing back, my center of gravity to go forward, and my pony to rush off with me because I can't stop her on the landing side.

3. My landing pictures show that I have a hunch that would put Igor to shame (damn).

The first part of improving it knowing that you have things to improve upon! Cheers to the upcoming training where I will attempt to fix my gimp-legged, stiff-backed, hunch-shouldered self.

Thank you to Caitlin, my riding buddy and schooling coach for the pictures and the input :)

Horse DNA Testing

"What if she isn't really a Connemara and we have been living a lie???"

As some of my friends know, I have been brain-storming tattoo ideas- something that will be meaningful and incorporate my partner in crime (without the usual 'horse' template tattoo). The easiest would to be look at things that are associated with the Connemara breed- like Celtic lore/knots.

Ruby was sold to me as a Connemara, but there were no papers or registration, so it was more of a 'well what do we think she is?' decision on the dotted line. If you Google search 'buckskin Connemara,' she looks pretty darn close. In these past 9 years, I have gotten into the habit of telling people she was a Connemara cross (likely QH), but I don't actually know what she is.

Wouldn't it be neat to know for sure?

I found that Texas A&M has a genetics laboratory, which includes horse breed DNA testing.

Here is the catch: like dog breeds, there are very few 'unique' horse breeds- they are just different mixtures of the same breeds. After speaking with Dr. Cothran, my understanding is that the lab takes your horse's DNA (through skin bulb samples attached to hair pieces) and runs a DNA comparison against 50 different horse breeds. Of these, Connemara is not one; however, Dr. Cothran did say he could add the Connemara genetic comparison to the 50. The trouble is, if Ruby were to have any Connemara in her, it would not say "Connemara," but would show the top 2 breeds used in Connemara breeding- could be Morgan, Arab, or any number of breeds that make up what we now call the 'Connemara Pony."

For only $20, I say why not? Even if the test is not conclusive, does it really matter? Maybe my perception of her (Ruby's own 'personal branding') is good enough for me!

Maybe...

Riding Crooked

'my left leg knows what it is doing, but my right leg never got the memo!'

Caitlin and I rode together last weekend (she set jumps for me and took photos, and I did the same for her after) -great system! Since riders don't usually get to see themselves jumping, pictures (and videos) are a great way to evaluate your riding position.

Back story: I have a personal trainer at the gym that does my strength training. We noticed that my left leg can single leg press a solid 15-20lbs more than my right leg. I am right handed, so assumed right foot dominant but then figured maybe since I mount on the left side each time I ride, that this was the reason why my left leg was stronger.

Maybe not.

Right leg doing whatever...

Left leg, looking on point

Easyyyyyyyyyy pony

Most of the pictures were taken on my right side since the grid we were jumping (5 jumps, one stride between each) was facing in a way that the easiest way to get pictures was on the outside, my right. Going through them, I noticed that in the few from the opposite side, my left leg position is pretty damn good- stays near the girth, heels down. The you see my right leg. WTF is going on? Leg swings back, heel up. It's something that I sometimes notice when I ride but geez I did not know I was that gimpy. At least I know that I have something to really work on. Most riders do this- you have one dominant side where you want to lean or distribute more weight...a hard habit to break because when you do force yourself to sit straight you will feel crooked.

On another note- Ruby is getting more confident about jumping in the sense that she...jumps. With the grid, I have noticed that she get more flat and more speedy with each jump. Knowing Ruby, it seems like I am lining her up to go down the grid, and she hyper focuses on the last jump (the end goal) and then sort of rushes through whatever is in the way.

Thanks to Caitlin for the guidance :) She suggested Ruby and I focus on only a few of the jumps (we dropped the last few down to poles) and focus on keeping the same rhythm. At first I tried half-halting between the jumps- which worked but sure looked ugly. What ended up helping the most was talking Ruby through the grid (lots of 'whoas' and 'easys' (like the last pic!)).

Working on the flat this week to see if I can keep her round over the jumps. Then off to Poplar Place to school with my peeps! If we survive, I will post about how that goes later...

Bigger, Not Faster

"A bigger canter doesn't mean you have to be going faster"

Our last lesson looked something like this:

The Jumps 7, 11, 12, and 13 were done in the lesson before me, but are not part of the course that Ruby and I did. They are there for reference.

Jump 1, Jump 2, 6 stride (7 for Ruby) to Jumps 3; lead change over 4, lead change and angle over 5, go around 10 and 7 to lead change and jump the angle at 6, (7 was a barrel that we skipped), lead change and Jump 8, Jump 9 (barrels) 4 stride to the gate at 10. We stopped here, but the other class had to lead change over 10 and angle 11, 12, 13.

The biggest issue we had was the four stride between 9 (barrels) and 10 (gate). Sure, we could get the four, but Ruby started rushing over the barrels and getting flat (not fun) and inverted (even less fun). Looks like we will be needing another flat lesson to remind her (or both of us) how to get a bigger canter without falling apart!

Saddle Search- Dressage Edition

"Can I afford this one?"

With tax season upon us, many friends are already advertising via social media 'how much money (my) refund is!" Thinking I would be in the same group, I decided to start looking for a dressage saddle (tax refund well spent, in my opinion)...

Here's the thing: Ruby and I don't do much dressage. Sure, they are part of horse trials. Sure, Debi is an amazing instructor. But do I REALLY need a dressage saddle? Probably not...but hey, you try riding a dressage test in a jump saddle- while everyone else at the show gawks at you like you're some country bumpkin (no offense intended)- and let me know what you think!

My original budget was $800. Note the 'was.' I combed through craigslist, scoured ebay, and harassed half a dozen saddlers and fitters in the AL/GA/FL/SC/NC area (hit most of the SE USA with even a few in PA and VA from my jump saddle fitting days!). Speaking of, I did look at Hastilow to make me a dressage saddle since I love my jump saddle so much, but that was no where near the budget. Anyway, $700 of increased budget later (up to $1500, for the mathematically-challenged), I was coming across some nice leather saddles that had good reviews online (because yes, I read reviews about everything before I decide to buy- thanks Amazon for grooming me for that habit). County, Black Country, Custom, Albion, Amerigo, Hastilow; all the brands fellow boarders recommended has something that fit the bill:
1. 17-17.5"
2. Wide tree
3. Leather
4. Black
5. Used in good condition
6. Lots of thigh support

Here is where I hit my first snag: I tried a few saddles (as I recommend you ALWAYS do when saddle shopping) and found out that sizes vary greatly between brands: County Fusion W was too narrow; Amerigo MW worked- but Albion MW was too narrow, Custom W worked for the Advantage but was too narrow for the Wolfgang Solo...and that was just tree size, not to mention panels, gullet, length to the last rib, etc. Unless someone wanted to let me take a saddle on trial (ebay didn't have much wiggle room here), there was no way to know for sure if the saddle would even fit. I had to calculate here: I could get a used saddle I really liked (Albion SLK) on ebay for $1100. Plus $135 saddle fitting. Plus pads if needed. Plus stress...I decided it was best to try to find a saddle through a friend or fitter so there would be no doubt about fit for Miss Ruby.

Enter Catherine at Embrace Saddle Fit. Catherine is a County rep that covers my area and whom I have used to annually to check my Hastilow (another thing I recommend since your horse's body changes- I mean, do your clothes fit exactly the same as they did a year ago? I know mine don't!) Catherine knew I was looking for a saddle and brought a few for me to try.

The first was a Custom Steffen's Advantage. I loved it! It was like riding in a couch, put me in a great position and fit Ruby nicely (with some flocking adjustments). The second was a Karl Niedersuss. Not bad; did not have the thigh support like the Custom, put me in a good position, but the twist was too narrow for me. The third was a Schleese. I came in biased about Schleese because I have heard mixed reviews but gave it a shot- well balanced, not a ton of padding, but pitched me forward. At this point, I already knew I wanted the Custom.

Snag number 2: Tax refund. Yeah, the large bonus I got last year tipped me over because it was not taxed at the correct bracket. Let's just say that I actually owe a decent chunk of change. Damn you federal government!

Saddle is on trial for 10 days while I figure out how and if I can pay for it. My birthday is this Thursday so I made my family very away that the best gift was money :)

Update: Went ahead and bought the saddle! Still having a little buyer's regret, but I know that this saddle will help Ruby and I work more on our dressage.

Snow Day!

"It's not the end of the world!"

We got hit by snowstorm Jonas (seriously, who the hell names these storm systems??)- and buy hit I mean, we got a couple inches of show. Redstone shut down, work got off early, and there was the general mass exodus of idiot drivers panicking about the presence of snow.

Meanwhile, Caitlin and I headed out to the barn to play with ponies!

I think this was maybe the first time in a few years that Ruby WANTED to be caught by me haha- walked up to the front of the field and waited for me. By the time I got her tacked up though, I think she was rethinking her decision :P

Super cold but had a blast. Thanks to Dan for the pictures and to Caitlin for dragging me out of the house!

Oh the Weather Outside...

"Is frightful..."

Merry Christmas and happy New Year! No Christmas photos this year- the weather here was akin to a monsoon. Flooding and general gloominess killed the mood for us, but at least I did make it out to ride a bit over the past week off work.

My last lesson was a group lesson where Ruby and I were the 'noobs' (everyone else had done the course before):

The only tricky parts of this course were the angle from 4 to 5 and the two corners. At our first attempt going from 6 to 7, I went riiiiiight past 7...by the time I started to turn for the jump it was too late! We figured it out by the next one but geez, tons of outside aids which you have to have already started at the approach to the first jump.

Jumps 10 and 11 were barrels that for sure eat ponies, so we did have a stop at 10 the first time. Let Ruby look at it, and we went over it on the second approach just fine.

Leads are still difficult for me, especially on courses where we are constantly changing directions. I have this really bad habit of leaning to the outside when on the right lead canter; even if I look the correct way over a fence, I am still leaning the wrong way so Ruby picks the lead based on my leg (sorry Ru, I know that's confusing!). Time to sneak a few bareback rides in to work on that.

I know Ruby saw me maybe a little more than she would have liked over the holidays, but I hope everyone was able to enjoy some pony time as well.

Here's to 2016!