Sunday, October 12, 2014

Funky to Fancy, But a Hunter Pace


So maybe my 5-10 minute rides weren't enough for Mr. B this week. At all...

Got on yesterday and well, he jigged and had his tail tucked and I was nervous as hell. So of course that didn't help at all. But instead of getting off and working his feet like I'd normally do, I said "Nope, you're growing up and have to do adult pony things." So we trotted, and trotted, aaaannnd trotted some more.

He went to a funky horse to a fancy horse real quick. Using his back end, dropping his head and working his top line. I didn't have to push him to get up into the bit, he just found it. Yes he was excited but I rewarded his every little try to behave with a release. He curved neck and his body around my leg, and I finally got to work on spirals with success. Did little figure 8's too! He quieted and we picked up a canter. He really wanted to run so I used that and did some tear drop (hehehe) simple changes. We got down to a pause then switch. We had one fluid change... I need some lessons.

I pointed him at the jump I sent up the night before and he pricked his ears and pointed right at it. Boom! Gorgeous. Well at least it felt that way. We trotted off, he was getting tired, I didn't want to push it. Come around again? Boom! Nailed it. I had him go over it a couple more times from the other direction and then gave him a break. He was still soft so we did some back ups and turns on the forehand. I've started asking him to push his shoulders over from a back up and he nailed it. I thought he was ready to cool out but he picked up the trot again, my response... You can run a little, so I let him stretch out. Maybe it was the cool air... So I thought.

Today... Was our first Hunter Pace. Loaded great. Tacked great... Went to get on... Nope.

I had one foot in the stirrup and I went to throw my leg over and he started to hop. I fell off...

So I tried again... Oh did I mention that this was the first time I've been out in my new Bates since I bought it. I mean just on the trail. "Let's ride English" Wendy said... "Yes!" I said... Jerk throws her Western saddle on her pony... But I found my balls and threw my leg over. He jigged a bit but as soon as I got my foot in the stirrup I serpentined. She got on and we went to the start line. My boy was going to BLOW. I was like "Who the hell are you?!" But I just thought of the night before... This is what I want. He wasn't reluctant to move so I moved him in a good way.

We finally got up to the start gate and we trotted out. Got out to a field... He started to look funny at a log. Don't get me wrong... The log was big... But I had balls. So I turned him around, trotted him out, and we jumped it. He thought it was a lot bigger than I did so obviously I screwed up and popped him in the mouth. Yay! Go me! He refused the next one... But it was too big for me, then a ditch. We went around and up a hill and there was a small 3-rail vertical. EASY! Smaller than anything I've been jumping. Well, he didn't think so now that I grabbed his face over something bigger. I'm an ass.

On his almost 3rd refusal he went to jump but his feet slid and his knees hit the rails and knocked the jumped down. With this he dropped his head and slinked backward allowing me to not only softly hit the ground, but remove his bridle.

Yes... There I was... In a pile of jump poles, holding my $200 Micklem bridle, rubber reins, Level 1 Myler D-ring Snaffle... And no horse...

You'd think "HOLY SHIT! Begin panic mode!" right? Nope... He just stood there and looked at me. Something he's never done after a fall. His eyes said, "Um, hey, are you gonna get up and get back on or what." Quick footnote: I've never been able to get back on let alone touch this horse after a fall. Anyway, he lowered his head for the reins, slipped his head into the headstall, took the bit, and helped me put back up the jump. We walked to a boulder, and I got back on and we continued on our way.

The rest of the hunter pace went like this... Trot, trot, trot, spook at galloping pony behind us, canter, jump, jump, gallop up a hill, gallop through a corn field, trot, jump, make friends, blow down a dirt road, and boom done! Success? I think so. Lunch wasn't that bad either. Glad I wore my XC vest and Wendy and Elijah were there. What a support group. Elijah hit Rock Star status again today!

The end...

posted by Madeline C. @ 8:55 PM   6 Comments

6 Comments:

At October 12, 2014 at 10:06 PM , Blogger Kate said...

Not "The End"...

The Beginning!

 
At October 12, 2014 at 10:38 PM , Blogger T said...

That sounds like a very successful day, and how cute that he stood and waited for you! I wish our local area was cool enough to hold hunter paces - I'm super jealous but loved hearing about it :)

 
At October 12, 2014 at 11:32 PM , Blogger Madeline C. said...

They don't really have a lot of hunter paces where I live, but it's such a small state that it took maybe an hour to get to this one. It was a blast and I hope you get to experience it sometime. It was my 2nd time, but first with Brantley.

 
At October 12, 2014 at 11:32 PM , Blogger Madeline C. said...

Poor Brantley hahaha

 
At October 14, 2014 at 11:03 AM , Blogger emma said...

sounds like the rest of the ride went really well! good on you for using his high energy to your advantage. the falls are kind of a bummer - tho i guess he embarrassed himself into behaving after dumping you into the jump? anyways, sounds like a fun time and i totally want to do a hunter pace now!!

 
At October 14, 2014 at 3:54 PM , Blogger Lauren said...

I think your incredible rebound after the "dismount and de-bridling" episode totally makes up for everything else! Wish we could be doing these paces together!

 

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http://www.controlhaltdelete.com/ Tear Drop Winken: Funky to Fancy, But a Hunter Pace

Funky to Fancy, But a Hunter Pace


So maybe my 5-10 minute rides weren't enough for Mr. B this week. At all...

Got on yesterday and well, he jigged and had his tail tucked and I was nervous as hell. So of course that didn't help at all. But instead of getting off and working his feet like I'd normally do, I said "Nope, you're growing up and have to do adult pony things." So we trotted, and trotted, aaaannnd trotted some more.

He went to a funky horse to a fancy horse real quick. Using his back end, dropping his head and working his top line. I didn't have to push him to get up into the bit, he just found it. Yes he was excited but I rewarded his every little try to behave with a release. He curved neck and his body around my leg, and I finally got to work on spirals with success. Did little figure 8's too! He quieted and we picked up a canter. He really wanted to run so I used that and did some tear drop (hehehe) simple changes. We got down to a pause then switch. We had one fluid change... I need some lessons.

I pointed him at the jump I sent up the night before and he pricked his ears and pointed right at it. Boom! Gorgeous. Well at least it felt that way. We trotted off, he was getting tired, I didn't want to push it. Come around again? Boom! Nailed it. I had him go over it a couple more times from the other direction and then gave him a break. He was still soft so we did some back ups and turns on the forehand. I've started asking him to push his shoulders over from a back up and he nailed it. I thought he was ready to cool out but he picked up the trot again, my response... You can run a little, so I let him stretch out. Maybe it was the cool air... So I thought.

Today... Was our first Hunter Pace. Loaded great. Tacked great... Went to get on... Nope.

I had one foot in the stirrup and I went to throw my leg over and he started to hop. I fell off...

So I tried again... Oh did I mention that this was the first time I've been out in my new Bates since I bought it. I mean just on the trail. "Let's ride English" Wendy said... "Yes!" I said... Jerk throws her Western saddle on her pony... But I found my balls and threw my leg over. He jigged a bit but as soon as I got my foot in the stirrup I serpentined. She got on and we went to the start line. My boy was going to BLOW. I was like "Who the hell are you?!" But I just thought of the night before... This is what I want. He wasn't reluctant to move so I moved him in a good way.

We finally got up to the start gate and we trotted out. Got out to a field... He started to look funny at a log. Don't get me wrong... The log was big... But I had balls. So I turned him around, trotted him out, and we jumped it. He thought it was a lot bigger than I did so obviously I screwed up and popped him in the mouth. Yay! Go me! He refused the next one... But it was too big for me, then a ditch. We went around and up a hill and there was a small 3-rail vertical. EASY! Smaller than anything I've been jumping. Well, he didn't think so now that I grabbed his face over something bigger. I'm an ass.

On his almost 3rd refusal he went to jump but his feet slid and his knees hit the rails and knocked the jumped down. With this he dropped his head and slinked backward allowing me to not only softly hit the ground, but remove his bridle.

Yes... There I was... In a pile of jump poles, holding my $200 Micklem bridle, rubber reins, Level 1 Myler D-ring Snaffle... And no horse...

You'd think "HOLY SHIT! Begin panic mode!" right? Nope... He just stood there and looked at me. Something he's never done after a fall. His eyes said, "Um, hey, are you gonna get up and get back on or what." Quick footnote: I've never been able to get back on let alone touch this horse after a fall. Anyway, he lowered his head for the reins, slipped his head into the headstall, took the bit, and helped me put back up the jump. We walked to a boulder, and I got back on and we continued on our way.

The rest of the hunter pace went like this... Trot, trot, trot, spook at galloping pony behind us, canter, jump, jump, gallop up a hill, gallop through a corn field, trot, jump, make friends, blow down a dirt road, and boom done! Success? I think so. Lunch wasn't that bad either. Glad I wore my XC vest and Wendy and Elijah were there. What a support group. Elijah hit Rock Star status again today!

The end...