Getting in Frame

"Nope, that won't work"

The hardest part about riding with someone new is that you have to rebuild that trust and relationship not just between you and the trainer but between your horse and the trainer. 

And then, of course, there is me set in my ways who was being introduced to things that I had never done before. 

I have always been against 'tools' (spurs, draw reins, side reins, chains, etc.) not because I am against those tools in general, but because I knew I was not an experienced enough rider to be using tools that could easily become shortcuts. More than that, Ruby has a personality such that I know she will freak out when put in a position when she feels 'trapped' (i.e. side reins are a hard pass). 

So, what seems to have worked for us (in our dressage newness without those tools) is to get her moving forward off the leg, keep contact, and encourage her to drop her head and bring her nose in (by 'in' I mean 'tucked in') by using the outside rein. However, she gets tight and will resist on her right side, so going left (counter-clockwise), I have to use my inside rein as well so she doesn't end up bracing. Technically, I think you are 'supposed' to ask using the outside rein only, but for now any positive response to the pressure is good, so we will work out the kinks later.

I have a tendency to lock up on her, so I will check myself by giving on the inside. Unfortunately, I do this by "dropping my hand" which you really should not do -keep those hands up and elbows bent!, but hey, I am focusing on her more than me at the moment. Remember to take and release- the goal is the have the horse carry his/her head this way without yanking or bracing. If your horse resists and throws his/her head up, correct it! That is rude and should not be tolerated: keep your hands still and do not give if your horse tries that. On the other hand, if your horse gets frustrated/upset in the early stages, relax and let him/her know that they have a place to go.

 

The opposite side of head throwing is curling- it is hard to see from this angle, but Ruby is actually giving me too much tuck here. In this case, release and reset your aids.

It is especially important in the early stages not to expect too much. Get a few strides then relax. As both of you get more comfortable, expand the number of steps until you can keep it regularly.

Also keep in mind that (in my experience) these training techniques are not the law: work with your trainer and horse to figure out what your particular horse responds best to. Some trainers will scream and tell you there is only one way- leave and find one that understands that cookie-cutter does not work. If nothing else, Ruby has certainly taught me that!

Homesick

"How many times can we start over?"

After any setback (time off, injury, or my case 'major change'), getting the motivation to get back on your horse knowing where you were before, can be a challenge.

I did have a mini Ruby-meltdown last night. Why? Well, let's look at our riding history:

Purchased Ruby and rode with same team for years- gained lots of confidence and jumped little courses no problem. Barn goes out of business= new management and uncertain future. Moved Ruby away from the horses and riders with whom we had grown together. Meltdown. Couldn't do anything, and found owner's son throwing WolfPack fireworks at my horse. Went back to previous barn (which had survived management change). Met Connie. Started over with training, and got to jumping 3' 3'3" courses after about a year- Ruby and I jumped everything from picnic benches, chairs, mounting block, tires, everything! Barn went under, so we moved. Meltdown. Started over (again). I left for VA Beach for work for 3 months and had other riders ride Ruby for me...came home and she refused EVERYTHING- cross rails, trot poles= our confidence was crushed (either Ruby was holding some major grudge or my riders asked her to do something she didn't want to/couldn't do). Moved barns again to get a fresh start. That barn closed shorty after our move (Jesus!) so we moved to be with CJ. Stared over (we're pretty good at this now). After about 6 moths, we were back to jumping 2'-2'3" with minor confidence issues (all on my end), but no more refusals. Moved 700 miles away, and now...

New trainer, new barn, new climate, new everything. I gave Ruby 2 months off to adjust (for both of us) to the move -my second ride on her since was last night. It has been hard, because I know I will have to start over again to build us both back up. After so many hurdles (pun not intended), sometimes I feel like we just can't win. Finding Heldergate (with CJ and Olivia), Connie, and Harry was the best thing that had happened to Ruby and I. CJ and Connie weren't just trainers- they were friends. I could show up to a lesson with CJ in tears about boy problems, work problems, whatever, and we would have a beer and chat at the barn (she always joked that I didn't need to pay for therapy, which I was doing at the time, because she and Ruby were better for me than any 'therapist'- so I did drop the psychologist and took more lessons/rode more- best decision ever). If you ever want to learn about the political situation in Zimbabwe, discuss government types, or just have an ear, CJ is your go-to on that front! Connie was the same way, and I actually stayed at her place for a bit after a really bad breakup (stacking hay beats moping). She didn't just teach me about riding/training, but about economics, politics, and finances. At either barn, I could spend all day with either trainer knowing that they cared not just about training, but about Ruby and I personally. This new barn is all about business so far, and I have only seen the owner/trainer a handful of times. I never realized how much a great group of trainers/friends made a difference in my riding! 

Ruby and I are still the new kids at this barn though, I am hoping we can find what we lost in the move.

(left): CJ and I sharing some jokes during the Heldergate "Friends and Family" horse show. I'm pretty sure someone could walk into the middle of one of our conversations and think we were both insane...add Olivia to the mix and witty snarky comments were flying all over the place!

(right): Connie and either I discussing changing riding standards in hunter shows, or me saying something funny about the people watching I did in the city. 

Lesson with Harry, where he constantly yelled (if you could call that 'yelling') 'plenty time, plenty time' and 'don't worry so much!' throughout my lesson.

What used to be 'heels down' was then 'chill out' as the most commonly heard phrase in my lessons by all three of them.




Change, although necessary, honestly can suck hardcore. Either way, I can always count on Ruby to be there for me through it all; everything else can change, but our bond won't. No matter what difficulties lie ahead, always remember that  if you can't go out and pick yourself back up for YOU, do if for your horse.

Ruby's Arrival

"Your pony is such a doll!"

Doug (Peace of Mind Equine Care & Transport) arrived with Ruby at about 7pm- he had nothing but nice things to say about her!

Top: Ruby getting ready to go in her new stall
Left: Edna (my car) and I made it to the new barn
Right: Ruby's first time seeing a mirror- she had better get used to them,  since both the indoor and outdoor rings are lined with them.

It was miserably cold (polar vortex and whatnot)- temperatures are well below the average. hopefully it will start warming up soon so Ruby and I can get back to our usual work schedule.

Last Lessons in Virginia

"When you get a plane ticket, come back and ride with me"

I had a lesson with Harry de Leyer last Thursday, riding his horse Sunday. She was a squirmy baby (only 3 1/2 years old!) but man could she jump! Very point-and-shoot. Harry's horses go with all leg and no hands which is always a hard concept for me to grasp, but Sunday and I worked out the kinks in the beginning of the lesson and ended with a job well done.

This picture was taken after the 4th fence in a diagonal line. As I mentioned in my previous post about Harry, there is no babysitting! As terrifying as this might be (I am used to doing hunter courses-6 or 8 jumps with plenty of time between, whereas these were 13 jump courses with maximum of 2 or 3 strides between each fence!) Harry's positivity really helps my confidence. I figured he wouldn't ask me to do something unless he really believed I could.

My last lesson with Connie was this past Sunday. I sure am going to miss her and Sully! We worked on Sully's jumping confidence- when you have a few jumps right next to each other, he will get worried when he is unsure which fence he is supposed to jump. Mad Tack also finished Connie's order of 'spooky jumps'- which ended up being spookier for me than they were for Sully. Can't wait to see how he has progressed next time I see him!

Barn Shopping in Alabama

"You flew down here to look for a horse barn...but didn't look at apartments for yourself?"

Funny story- I was super picky about where Ruby would be living, but not where I would be living. Granted, I know my place is going to be at least somewhat decent since Dan is living there, but my requirements are not quite as specific as Ruby's- I just need a bed and a kitchen really.

I have spent the past week touring facilities in the Huntsville area. My findings are as follows:

1. Flint Ridge Farm- nice looking facility, well-kept, lesson program. Won't work for Ruby and I because there are barn hours and I would have to be rush to be off the property by closing time.
2. Kildare Farm- smaller farm, very nice trainer, lots of riding opportunities if I wanted to ride something other than Ruby, good de-worming schedule, lesson program. Won't work for us because there are no lights in the outdoor and no indoor ring, so we would be unable to ride at night. Unfortunate because I really like both the farm and the trainer!
3. River Pine Farm- One of the nicest looking facilities with both and indoor and outdoor, lights outside, lesson program, trail access. Although this barn was nice, I did not agree with the de-worming schedule (not based on fecal floats), and the horses are not led back into the barn- the gates are opened and they all run to their stalls. Considering Ruby's issues with the field anyway, this is not a habit I want her to get used to. This is also the only Hunter barn I considered- trying to get away from trainers who still think the crest release is good riding form!
4. Cotton Meadows Farm- our new home!

Cotton Meadows is owned by the trainer Debi Crowley. Debi was very considerate, friendly, and helpful when I told her about Ruby's catching issues. She clearly knows horses! The barn is nice and has two outdoor rings and an indoor (with mirrors). Although I did not get to see her teach a lesson, she did offer help to a young rider in the ring- any time you see a trainer helping someone when they are not being paid for it, you know they have you and your horse's best interest at heart. I think both Ruby and I will fit in at this barn. Lessons are offered here, but it is a boarder barn which gets me away from the kiddie scene.

Horse Transportation Services

"why can't you just ride your horse there?"

Why not indeed! With all of this research on horse transportation services, that very well may be easier.

I have accepted a position as a Sales Engineer with a company based out of Vancouver, WA. I will be working for them remotely in Huntsville, AL. This means Ruby will need to find a ride from our home in Virginia to our new home in Huntsville!

Here is what I have learned- You have two main options:

1. Commercial carrier: commercial horse transportation services should be licensed (in their business's state as well as the state you are traveling to) and insured. If you aren't sure if a carrier is licensed, go to the Department of Transportation and see if they have a DOT#. Insurance coverages range anywhere between the $thousands to the $millions depending on the type of policy. Your best bet here is just to ask!  The only real downside I see from using a commercial carrier is that your horse will be on a trailer with a handful of strange horses. Your route will zig-zag to pick up and drop off other horses along the way. This can result in a one day trip turning into multiple days.

2. Individual carrier: individuals are usually not licensed or insured- this is why their prices can get so low; no insurance overhead. With individuals, you can usually find an A-to-B trip (meaning they will do longer trips in one sitting instead of making stops). Since they are not licensed, it can be really difficult to tell if the carrier is "legit." I highly recommend asking fellow riders to refer someone, or to do some heavy duty research- find reviews online if you can.

Here is my list so far:

Name	Licensed	Insured
Equine Express	Yes	Yes
Jimmy Parlier Horse Transport	Yes	Yes
JDiamondD Equine Express	No	No
Sallee Horse Van Transport	x	x
David Garnet	No	No
Dejarnette Horse Transport	x	x
Creech Horse Transportation	x	$2,000
Peace of Mind Horse Transport	Yes	Yes
Horse Jitney Horse Transport	DOT# 1721853	$1,000,000
C & E Horse Transportation	Yes	Yes
Brook Ledge	Yes	Yes
MJR Horse Transportation	DOT# 12485680	Yes
Travis Grubb	No	No

Most of these transporters will give you a free quote- the ones above range anywhere between $0.90 and $2.20 per loaded mile. Of the above, Brook Ledge and C & E Horse Transportation were unable to take us (they take horses up and down the eat coast, but do not go outside their routes). Unless you have a fancy horse going to Wellington/Ocala, don't bother with Brook Ledge- they were quite rude when I inquired. C & E was helpful, and recommended MJR.

01/08/2014 Update: I have decided to go with Peace of Mind Equine Care and Transport. Doug was very helfpul and understanding- for $590, he will take Ruby from VA to AL for me in one single trip. He is DOT licensed and carries a $750,000 insurance policy. Hoping for the best, and I will meet my pony at our new home on January 22nd!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays from Ruby!