Saturday, September 26, 2015

Chiropractor & Celebrity Rides

Brantley had his first chiropractor appointment this week. Bottom line is that my English saddle was the culprit in the saddle game. Quick change in a gullet and problem solved. Thank you lady who sold me a Bates with an interchangeable gullet for $600 because if I had to buy I new saddle... Ugh...

My barrel saddle? Good news... and bad news. Good news is that my saddle fits perfect! And he loves the Diamond Wool pad I use which is even better because I love it it. Bad news you may ask? My saddle fits perfect so there is no reason to go saddle shopping at Equine Affaire this year. It's still okay to look right?


Brantley was very good for his appointment. Only gave Dr. K the wide eye when he first dragged his "step stool" over. But other than that you could see him relax with every change Dr. K made. The only changes we needed to make were with my English saddle and also to discuss a change with the farrier. He is a little overdue and I felt like a bad mom but there are reasons he's overdue... 

My current farrier is unavailable but luckily the barn farrier was happy to come out and do him this week which is a definite YAY! We'll see if we can get him back on the right track to support his conformation a bit better. Recheck in 6-weeks with Dr. K!


The next day I had a nice little bareback ride... I can't believe I can say that now. Just, hop on and go. We're still only at the walk but we can do our fence work and get his body moving laterally. I have no complaints about that ride. I did some in hand lateral work getting him to circle around me and then move his shoulders out away from me. Bending and lateral movement is just what the doctor ordered.


In other news... CELEBRITY RIDES!

We had 2 Celebrity Rides this week!

The day before B's chiropractic appointment, Kate got some free time and hopped on the boy. He was a little reluctant to move forward but once they got going he seemed to move his butt a little better. Ended up having a nice little jump session. He does so well with her, makes me a happy mommy!


Celebrity Ride #2!!! A friend from the animal hospital, one of the only horse people there, other than myself, came by to finally meet Brantley. Let me tell you... He loved her. She didn't even have to go through the usual "hey, let me toss this rope around to get to know one another". We brushed him down, tacked him up, and he stood their quietly as she threw a leg over from the mounting block. He even just stood there like a champ for me to change her stirrups and tighten her girth.

They had an amazing ride together and I am so impressed with him. I did have my camera but unfortunately while uploaded videos... I deleted all of them. BUT! Here are some pictures that I will end this post with other than... Still haven't heard from Equine Affaire :(



Tuesday, September 22, 2015

A Wedding & A Win


One of my really good friends that I've held on to since middle school got married this weekend. It was an incredible wedding. Probably one of the best ceremony's I've been too. One of my mother's piano students actually played for it and knowing K & A, there were some classical Blink 182 covers that were thrown in there. Of course I wore a dress and some killer heels but no... There is no proof. K looked absolutely beautiful and I'm am so proud of her. She's grown up into an incredible woman and it was an honor to spend that moment with her and the rest of our childhood friends.

Of course we partied... Till late. I brought my (hopefully) soon-to-be step brother... It's not weird. It was awesome ahaha. We ended the night at my favorite karaoke bar, all dressed up. The regulars had to take a second look when I walked in. Let's just say it was really late night... When I had a really early morning the next day.


Why you may ask?

Checking out the competition.
HUNTER PACE DAY WITH WENDY!


New group of trail riders and a new set of trails to run through. Douglas State Park, if you ever have a chance to go, take it! Absolutely beautiful. I had to down a ROCKSTAR (Earth's sweet artificial nectar) to get me through it but it was worth it. At least if I was hung over I would've had some fake energy instead of just running on an hour of sleep. Ugh. Anyway! I did take a quick pony nap when we got done.

Better than a lawn chair.
Brantley was a star but I don't think either him or Elijah got the memo that we were in the Hilltopper Division. He wanted to run every other pony on the trail down. I did get a little strong and kicked his butt at one point and I think he got the hint. One thing I hate doing is having a consistent pull on his mouth. Not even contact, just pull. I've created a Hunter Pace monster! Luckily most of the ride was on a nice loose rein like I was hoping for.


I had the helmet cam (trying out the Contour Roam 2 - still not sold because I keep having issues but the GoPro is just soooo heavy) but didn't put the big memory card in it. Dumbass. So I missed the stream we had to go through and the jump I took time to bring Brantley over. It was amazing anyway. Plus...


Thank god I took the time to do that. We came within seconds of not placing because once again, almost too fast! In all though, I am so happy with the boys. Plus! IT WAS WENDY'S BIRTHDAY! So it was even more awesome. Perfect birthday for the most perfect adventure friend!


So Monday I went to the barn to have a follow-up ride and a quick little jump session. I'm talking little. Not even a 2' vertical and a 2' cross-rail. Brantley hopped bigger things on the hunter pace. Here's the catch, I decided that I wanted to be all cool like and bring my stirrups up a hole... Like you incredible jumpers out there... Mistake. I thought we were all warmed up. Walk, trot, canter, some simple changes, ground poles. This little thing we could trot right over... Next thing you know I have nothing to balance with and I'm in the dirt, staring up at my horse. 

He had the face, "I wasn't ready. Try again."

I got up, scratched his face, cinched up my girth, and lengthened my stirrups back down.

Never change a good thing right?

He gave me no problem squaring up to the mounting block and letting me hop back on.
(Remember me a year ago? Crying... Wanting to vomit before getting back on, if I got on? Ha)

We hopped over the vertical, then over the cross-rail a few times. Got off, cooled out bareback.

#winning      #sayiwont        #andiwill

My mom is dumb sometimes but I love her.
Today we had a really nice bareback session after I took the pups out for an adventure in a new territory! Everyone was great and I got to spend time with a good friend too! Pretty happy with how things are going. Wish I had a little more work to do though (never thought I'd say that...)





Anyone have votes? GoPro? Contour Roam 2?

There are so many Pros and Cons about both. 

GoPro has a wicked battery life but is bulky...
and I'm afraid of losing it on a tree or having it pop off my head.

Contour is sleek and sits on the side of my helmet...
But last 2.5 maybe 3 hours.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

15-Mile Ride

Not being consistent for a few weeks and the a long hard jump session with the pony makes for a very slow trail ride. 15 miles may have been a little much. We made it in about 4.5 hours with some beautiful scenery, but definitely slow and steady. Brantley was actually not so sure-footed like he usually is. I wasn't pushing him to move very forward either but still, even Wendy was surprised by how much he was tripping and seeming to find every single rock he could slip on. 

Definitely will have to prepare better next time we do that. Was bit sore the next day so he had the last few days off. Played a bit in the round pen today, very very lazy. Lucky for him, this cold is kicking my ass so he got off easy. Ready to stop needing to carry a box of tissues everywhere! Hunter Pace in new territory this weekend with W & E! Can't wait.


Still no word about Equine Affaire, but I'm sure it'll take more than a week...

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Jump Session

Brantley and I had a nice simple jump session today after a couple of days off. Almost thought it was going to rain again before I got to ride! Waited all morning to get there to have a riding buddy. Luckily the clouds stayed away for an extra long ride. We set up a couple cross-rails, a vertical (that was too big for my mentality today), and the barrels. I was determined to go over the barrels today...

If you don't know my too well here's some flash backs. I've always ridden in an English saddle and it was only until Brantley I became really comfortable in my barrel saddle. I jump in it, gallop in it, trail ride it. Everything. My English saddle, I love. It's comfy, cozy, and I stick in it. Why my confidence goes down though? Who knows. And why I've lost my jumping confidence? Bigger question. Especially because we all know and have seen him go over whatever I point him over on the ground. I think he'd jump a brick wall for me. But I freeze up.

The cross-rails were complete cake after a nice trot warm up. Working on lateral flexion and he really relaxed into the bit and collected himself. Which I had video of that. I felt really confident. So I pointed him at the barrels and well... Failed over and over. Before I hit that wall though I asked N to hop on. She's a much better rider than I am and Brantley definitely deserved a rider like that.

Of course he did his usual, I don't know what legs mean. I don't know what direction means. I'm going to point my nose into the fence and do whatever I want. RUBBER NECKING IS FOR COOL PONIES! Why he does this... I don't know. But sometimes it makes me feel good-ish because I'm told I make riding him look easy. Once you get into his brain though and push him through that sticky spot, he's yours! She finally got there and he was great. Love watching people enjoy him.


To get to the end, she did get him over the barrels with ease a few times. I just need to get my confidence back up. That just means more English and more jumping! Planning on going to a barn with an indoor this window that's got some big, scary, jumps and standards. We'll get there. Eventing world... Are you ready?

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Eerrrrmmm...


I feel like this is all I do.
But blogging is never a part of it.


Kind of wish this is what my version of pet sitting was...


Instead it's like that... At least today.

The best part though is that... I'm not stressing. I feel great and I'm getting my life back. Life as in feeling full of life, not to be confused with social life. But honestly, as long as I get to throw a leg over my horse at the end of the day, I'm good. I didn't get to do much riding last week but a couple friends trailered in and we gave them a tour of Ryan Park - my pony was a complete stud the whole time and got a little frisky in the field but I'm okay with all of it.


That giant thing on the left... She's 2 & 1/2... Umm whaaaat??!!

Anyway, other than working and running around all the time, I've been working on a "Top Secret" project. As you know... Every year a bunch of us go to the Equine Affaire in Massachusetts for the weekend. This year though, is going to be epic. Not only because our lovely friend Lauren from My Life with Charlie nailed an awesome hotel room all weekend, but I have also applied to ride with Dan James from Double Dan Horsemanship - Obviously I have no idea if we've been accepted seeing as I popped it in the mail today, but it's still exciting to even have the chance to apply let alone be considered. Sooooo... For your entertainment...
                                                   Some awesome shots from Kate and our application video!





Keep your fingers crossed for us. Until then we will lay low and keep doing what we're doing and hit the trails this weekend with Wendy and Elijah. Whoop whoop!!!!!!!

http://www.controlhaltdelete.com/ Tear Drop Winken: September 2015

Tear Drop Winken