Winter Motivation

Winter is wet and gray where I live. And it lasts more then a quarter of the year. This year I'm having a harder time getting motivated to get to the cold, damp barn. I don't know why. When I get there I'm just fine since I warm up quickly enough grooming my horse. I've been finding that getting in my hot tub for a good 10 mins warms me up pretty well. Then I get my riding clothes on and head right for the barn. Works to help wake me up from sleepy winter slumber too.

The other caveat is that I don't like being at the barn by myself. And even if there's someone there, if they aren't riding in the same area as me I tend to be a total slacker. I trot less, canter less, and generally get off my horse sooner. I definitely don't push myself for any extra effort.

I have arranged someone to ride with on Mondays and I take lessons 3 other days of the week, so it's not like I'm not getting to the barn at all. But in the summer, I was riding 6 days a week on average and it was WONDERFUL! Of course the weather was geared towards outside enjoyment. I do often wish my barn had a web-cam so I would know if someone else was there.

Keep focused on goals - like showing

I guess the key is to keep focused on my goals which is to show hunters and dressage this year. And since I'm pretty competitive, I'm going to want to show well. I'm not afraid to put in the hard work - especially as it doesn't quite feel like work to me. But I have to get myself moving to make any strides. This also applies to my #1 goal this year, fitness. As well as continuing this blog. I still need more sleep.

Here a clip, there a clip...

Over the holiday I had three great rides in a row. Sam was awesome, I was well positioned and I had a decent amount of endurance. I felt so confident that I asked to move the jumps up on the third day.

This week was the first back to work after vacation. Vacation for me usually means staying up until 3am, sleeping in until 1pm. I'm a night owl by choice. So it was pretty hard to get back into the early morning groove. My weekday jump lesson (always Tuesdays) was at 1:30pm this week with another rider. I had about 5 hours sleep and was just dragging all morning. I felt more awake by lunchtime so scurried off to my lesson.

We ended up using the 'scary' end of the arena (which doesn't scare my horse) because it wasn't as soft as the regular end, though it was still soggy from all the rain the last few weeks. The tractor is in the shop, so the arena hadn't been dragged in about a week. We made do and worked on lead changes after jumps. I was sucking wind after each of the 2 series of jumps we were doing. 2 jumps! Three days prior, I was doing 8 in a row! So, I just worked with lots of breaks. Which worked out ok with another rider in the lesson. Note to self, GET SLEEP!!

I also noticed that Sam was breathing heavy after a few sets of jumps. It was pretty darn warm that day, in the 50s. I could have easily worn a t-shirt. So I went out to the barn the next day and re-clipped him, that is, after I fought with the new, only used once before, clippers. I won't go into details but let's just say I *almost* threw them down the aisle-way. Thanks to a trainer to helped me tame them.

Sam clipped early Dec. My first clip job.

I decided he probably needed more hair off then last time, especially since the weather has warmed up to normal temps. So, in the last 15 mins I had left, I starting from the back legs and clipped towards the front. Ended up clipping his whole belly, hehe. Sam has fur, thick wavy fur. Plus I blanket him, so I felt ok about the clip job. And it visually came out ok too, considering it was my first time with a full trace clip, second clip ever.

Sam clipped early Jan. My second clip job.

I can see where I would make improvements, and maybe I will touch up when I go to the barn tonight. But I didn't use any guides because I'm lazy like that. :D  However, my shoulders and lower back are sore from bending over yesterday. Maybe I should sit on a stool next time.

*Please note, the clip lines are straight, Sam's wavy hair spilling over the edges makes it look really messed up.

Goals

1. Get fit & lose the excess weight, ASAP.
2. Compete in at least two hunter/jumper shows.
3. Ride often without stirrups. 
4. Transition to bareback pad when goal #3 has progressed far enough for trot/canter work.
5. Be schooling 2'6" by summer's end.
6. Try out a XC course before summer's end.

Merry Christmas

Dressed for the Festivities!

Today we had a group ride at the barn with about seven horses. There was lots of jumping and then a trail ride in the back 7 acres. I had a great time, though I had sea legs when I dismounted. Guess I'm not used to two hours in the saddle :D

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!!

Back to Bliss

Saint-Sam

Yesterday was the second riding day in a row and Antsy-Pants was back. So, I worked on schooling him with lots of leg yielding. But I could still feel the energy bundled somewhere beneath the sound of his grinding teeth. But at least I wasn't scared to take charge which is exactly what I did. After all, I wanted Antsy-Pants to move out. So I worked him to a pretty good sweat. Both of us really. He had a nice roll afterwards and even some carrots.

Today was day three-in-a-row. Today, I immediately knew Saint-Sam was back. In fact, he was summer-loving, Sleepy-Sam. PERFECT. Instead of getting a mini rocket ship when I asked for big steps, I could feel how he was safe and solid. Even his ears were doing a lot more listening my direction then they have of late.

After our ride today... so happy.

We did work a little yielding at the very beginning. But after some trot work, I was brave and jumped without supervision over several jumps. Sam was his angel self today. I was so happy. I gave him the reins and leaned down and hugged my pony. YAY, he's back. Just gotta keep him here. :D

I bet it had nothing to do with riding three-in-a-row and also not during dinner time, but instead it was all because we had a chat before I got on. I told Sam that I wasn't ready to move up yet and I wanted Saint-Sam today. Yep, that was it. :)

Antsy-Pants, a winter pet

It's becoming a regular occurrence that Sam has what I like to call, 'ants in his pants'. I ask for a trot, we go blitz forward like there's a carrot at the end of the arena. I ask for canter, we careen forward like there's a bee on his butt. I can feel the energy. He's pretty decent about listening, to collect, and get calmer. But I have to ask several times and while he's not doing anything dangerous, it takes longer then I like and I'll admit I'm a little nervous. Leftovers from the last horse I owned who would get very naughty when she felt her oats.

I've been riding less often, not feeling very motivated to leave my warm house. Feeling too tired to drive the four miles to the barn. Waaah, poor me. But also, Sam is in great condition and it's winter, so he's feeling great! In the summer, I have slug-pony. I am starting to correlate the multiple of days off in a row with antsy-pants as opposed to Saint-Sam when there's only 1 day between rides. In the summer, I rode about 5-6x/wk. Lately I've riding about 3x/wk, four if I get my butt in gear.

Since I hadn't ridden since Saturday's lesson, I wasn't surprised when I had antsy-pants today. We trotted some ground poles and I half-halted through them all. Yeah... no jumping today. (too scary for me) So, my trainer had me work some boring 'dress-sidge' as we call it while in jump tack. Shoulder-fore work this way, that way. All the while my pony was multi-tasking between moving his legs and grinding his bit. He does that. On dressage days. Little leg yielding here and there and look, soft, compliant pony.

Saint-Sam

We trot the poles again and I get a good listening, gentle pony. Saint-Sam is back! We press our luck, work 2 sets of ground poles and through in a small jump. Weeee!! Normal hunter pony!

Lessons learned:

1. Ride Sam at least every other day, especially in the winter.
2. Keep horse's feet moving sideways/crisscrossed when he wants to barrel around the arena.
3. Keep getting more comfortable barreling around the arena otherwise I'll never get to try cross-country.
4. Stop scaring my trainer with my poker face. She has no idea if I'm scared or not. So now I'm required to yell 'woah' when it's scary so she knows I'm actually trying to stop my horse and not just breezing Sam around the arena. Besides, then my horse will know what I'm trying to do too ;)

Sweet week

I had a great jump lesson on Saturday. We worked on distances between crossrails at the trot and canter, both in collection and regular. Sam was kind enough to offer leads when I yielded him, even if he didn't always get it right. :)

We then jumped in between sets of crossrails, effectively making figure 8s. We had several really nice distances. I still forget to count if I'm doing a course, but I imagine that will come in time.

I've only ridden dressage once over the last 8 weeks. Sam had that hoof bruise for three weeks, then I was busy getting my jump position back. I had a dressage lesson the week before and my posting trot was just all over the place. Doesn't help that a few weeks ago my jump trainer hiked up stirrups again, so hanging my legs long isn't really in my vocabulary right now. I took myself off the lesson rotation for now. I want to spend some time just getting familiar again. I like to be a very good student, which translates to practice 'at home' and bring my best work to class.

I'm excited for this week's jump lessons (I take jump lessons every Tues & Sat). Tuesday will be more confidence building - which I had lost during Sam's time off. But on Saturday, Christmas eve, we'll be having a group 'fun time' with my trainer and several other students all riding together. Maybe we can do a little drill team action as well :D

Sam won't eat these.

Sam LOVES these.

On Saturday, a barn buddy was saying how none of the horses except one liked the treats she just got. I was puffed how Sam would like it. He's a notorious treat-monger and unabashed beggar. So, she gave him one. Then he literally spit it out onto the ground. Wow. They smelled like they'd be yummy, but I wasn't going to try it. If it's not good enough for Sam... Luckily for him I had his trusty peppermint stick waiting in the wings.