Rollin' with The P

I scampered out to Summer Camp yesterday to see The P and discuss our upcoming transition back to reality.  Also, I wanted to kiss her nose and go for another magnificent trail ride.  All good reasons for a drive. :)

P out front

I knew that Cowboy Man was concerned about having P come home as soon as October, but I'm feeling like I'm ready to commit to that date even if she's not 100% finished.

My motivations are pretty much threefold.

1) Dollars. 
When P went to Summer Camp it was approximately a $5k proposition (3 months room and board plus quite a bit of body work).  I don't know the actual current total because I stopped counting at $30k.  It's a scary number, but it also doesn't consider the money I would have been spending on "normal" training and board, so in reality the additional cost is probably closer to $15k.  Still not cheap.  (I really hate adding up "real cost of horse")

2) Stall Availability. 
There's a stall in "our" aisle at the barn coming available and it would be convenient to move P1 in when she can be close at hand and not on the other side of the farm.  This isn't really a huge factor, but it is giving me a tangible reason to press for a specific date.  Realistically, this is the least important variable.

3) Mental State. 
I think part of me is just ready to see my horse on a regular basis.  I'm ready to see what I can handle and how we work together.  I know that she's not 100% finished or back to a happy neutral place, but man.  It's just been so long (17 months in if we come home Oct 1).  I know that there's a big chance of Pia relapsing with some of her issues, but I almost think it would be easier to send her back to Summer Camp for another extended stay if I could see and feel that we still had lots to work on - and I wasn't capable of productively handling it myself.

In no way is my desire to bring P home fueled by a lack of results, or conflict with CM's theories, ideas or work.  And I also don't regret a dime that I've spent on this process. 

So - that's good.  I'm confident that I'd have no misgivings about sending P back to Summer Camp if it came to that, which makes me feel like I'm thinking (mostly) clearly and not being overly selfish. 

Our conversation was good.  CM is mostly concerned that P hasn't cemented her canter work (she still gets fussy.. maybe still in pain?) and that she's not 100% over her issues.  Mostly that means that while her world has grown considerably, and her mental flexibility is better than ever, she's still aggressive when she's in a stall, and often hangs back from the herd when they move around the property.  She also isn't comfortable to the point of really accepting pressure from her rider.  Most of her under saddle work is still "her idea" and there's not a lot of force.  (meaning she suggests moving up to the trot, or moving back down to a walk.. and she gets a lot of support from other horses).  Of course CM steers and corrects if she goes crazy but 90% of the time he tries really hard not to pick fights or ask for something that might start one.  (to clarify cantering a 20 meter circle would qualify as picking a fight at this point.  So would whapping her with a rein on the butt.)

So, he's nervous that I want to tack her up and start riding First Level dressage tests or jumping around courses.  Even throwing her into a frame and hinting at any sense of constriction would be questionable at this point.  Other concerns include how much Pia would regress once she's back in a stall 12 hours a day and leaves the social demands of the herd. 

All are really valid, probable issues.  Which makes me wonder (a bit) if October 1 really just is too soon and I'd be doing the mare a disservice.  Am I only bringing her home cause I want my pony? What's in her best interest? and am I doing right by her...

We did have a great ride.  First CM tacked up and rode Pia a bit on the property showing me her current gait work (VERY happy at trot... some snottiness with canter work) and we both noticed that the head shaking (and ensuing bucks) always happen on a downhill slope.  Balance issue? pain issue with increased weight on the forehand? hard to know... 

as an aside, I continue to be convinced there are no neurological problems in this horse.  She is striding out beautifully on uneven ground and really pushing from behind.  She's foot perfect over rocky trails and spins like a reining horse out with the herd... Did she look like a neuro horse in 2011? 
yes.  But her feet were jammed in baby shoes, and her body was compensating in weird ways.  Plus two rounds of general anesthesia left her misaligned and uncomfortable.

But there is NO way this horse has Wobblers.

 When we headed off property I decided that I would take the ride and I was glad to be on her back.  The last time I was actually on Pia was that beach ride a while back when she was still noticeably anxious at the walk, got sticky after about 30 minutes of walking accompanied by her weird neck stretch and irregular sweat pattern. 

Yesterday she was loose, forward and relaxed.  She was happy to lead or follow and she didn't even bat an eye when we disturbed some deer sleeping in tall grass who exploded up and bounded away. When I was trotting her out on the meadow she offered a canter and I took it but it was soon followed by some fussy head shaking although I didn't get any bucks.  The good news is she calmed right back down from it and continued like there had been no anxiety (something that would have never happened a few months ago).

happy relaxed mare in shoulder high grass..

 It's clear that she's light years ahead of where she was.  She's confident - and new places are no longer a cause for alarm.  She is still very dependent on the horses around her for support and will pitch a fit if they trot off and I ask her to stay put.  But overall it's obvious to me that her brain is unlocking and so is her body.  Her feet are fantastic.  Hinds are tough and have lost any hint of the negative plane/bullnose she had in spring of 2011.  Her fronts are still in natural balance shoes but she's expanded to a size 2 (not the 0 she arrived in). 

So I'm still a bit at a loss.  She's progressing so well, and obviously so happy.  But something in me still just wants her home.  I think I'm still proceeding with October 1 as a transition date, hopefully with a modified training plan (lots of ground work, lots of riding with a halter, lots of basics).  I need to be creative to keep her mind engaged and learning new things so we don't lose the flexibility she's finally gotten. 

Argh... decisions, decisions...

Love this face...

Flat Hacks

I had a quick lesson yesterday to go over the expectations for me and Prairie in our Hunter U/S  and Eq on the Flat classes.  I know that there are subtleties that were lost on my donkey-showing-extravaganza (aka: the IHSA) so I didn't really want to count on my coaching from that phase of my life (which can be charmingly summed up as having "Tits out butt back" hissed at me from the rail by my coach).

Effective though that may be, I figured maybe I should get a slightly more formal education in Hunter Land and also work through the priority of corrections

Hunter U/S - I get it.  Long and low, nose just in front of the vertical, slight loop in reins, make it look eeeaaaassssssyyyyy.

But then I wonder.  If P2 is tweedling out in the corners... is it better to take a contact, or let her look around on a loose rein (A: take contact)

When they are calling for a transition - Better to package her up for a moment and be late or get the quick transition but not as pretty... (A: depends where you are in the ring and what you can hide)

When P2 is going mach 2 in her ground covering trot, better to zoom around on an inside track or take more circles?  (A: we'll see how the jumps are laid out)

You get the idea.

Not exactly thought provoking questions, but I like to know them.

As inconsistent as our Dressage rides can be - I'm familiar with the discipline and what the "order of good scoring is" as well as where in the ring I can get away with stronger half halts, more outside rein, etc without waving a giant flag in front of the judge that I'm reprimanding my pony....  Although, even my best attempts to mask a distraction can't hide the fact that we just bolted down the longside. (whoops).

For example this fine moment - where I am assuring the judge that "we're ok!" after  her polite inquiry following a bolt down the longside.  Pretty sure we got a 4.

Anyway.  It was fun.  We practiced trotting into the arena (a concept that confused P2 to no end) and S called a typical HUS class as well as a typical Eq class.  (I got a compliment on my sitting trot).

I was mildly disconcerted that when we started our canter work Prairie kept swapping her hinds on the left lead.  She's never (ever) done that except on the lunge when I first got her.  I attributed it to a lack of balance and strength then, but it's never been an issue under saddle so I was a little concerned.  She held true on her right lead, and when I revisited the left lead the issue was gone.  But those first few minutes she wasn't holding a true left lead for more than 3 strides without falling out.  I'm hoping she was just stiff? But she had a light hack on Sunday and Monday off, so I wouldn't expect her to be super sore.  Who knows.  If it's back today I'm going to start worrying.

As for the rest of the week, I'll hack the mare today and work on our lateral work, tomorrow I'm off to see Pia the pretty, pretty princess and then Friday we'll school some low courses.

T-minus eight days!

Fun New Tools/Toys!

I've been accused of be spoiled before (although I prefer to use different adjectives myself..) but sometimes it's just hard to argue against the accusation. 

The Boy and I (and the rest of the family) were away for the weekend at a fabulously fun wedding out in Sundance, UT but when we returned home to a stack of UPS boxes, I knew fun was about to be had. 

The first few boxes were from Schneider's and contained the final components of my Tack Locker Makeover.  Last week my Dad spoiled me by grabbing his handyman kit and helping install some shelves in my (less than organized) tack locker.  While it's already a million-gazillion times better, the new racks and hooks should be the finishing touch.

(my husband thinks it's weird that I'm so excited about what appears to be a pile of scrap metal)

 Stay tuned for a final "after" picture, but just so you know how tragic it all really was, here's the before:

if that doesn't look like a mandatory trip to The Container Store I don't know what does...

The other box that was waiting for me was a fun surprise.  Supermom went above and beyond with her birthday gift and got me (and P1 and P2) a fancy-shmancy new camera! 

Most importantly - It's PURPLE.  (whew, must coordinate).

Color is trending HOT for Fall '12

(Apparently she was tired of all the iphone pics/videos I've been settling for on the blog)  ;)

So, from now on, this thing will be in my purse or pocket so I don't have to keep taking blurry pictures of the mares or their accomplishments...  Also, there appears to be a "pet portrait" mode and also 3D!!! I have no idea how the hell that works, but the notion of P2 jumping out of the screen at you, or P1 baring her fangs, is fairly entertaining!

So many fun things!! Very anxious to try them all out and make good use of everything!

With exactly two weeks to our "real" hunter debut (read: no ground pole classes!) the focus has been on increasing Prairie's softness as she approaches and lands from fences. Also- we've been working on our adjustability and *also* not being scared of weird things under the jumps.

So.. hardly anything to focus on at all :)

Warmed up with some shoulder in and increase-decrease to get her loose, stepping under herself and responsive. Then we bounced over the fences that S had set up.

I tried to take pictures but they were blurry so instead I drew a diagram. Cause I'm so good at that.




This is my outdoor arena. Although not to scale since its about 80m long and that circle-of-death that I've drawn was about a 20 meter "circle" or rhombus or whatever the correct geometric term is for a totally oddly shaped figure. Since I draw like a blind bunny here's what was in the ring:

Outside Line: four regular (not prairie) strides with the Flower-Pots-of-DOOM to the gate with white barrels.

Super Scary Skinny: narrow brush box stuffed with bamboo, flowers, garlands and monsters (two blue standards on either side)

Swedish Oxer: coming out of the corner with big flower boxes in the center.

Everything was 2'6 to just under 3'.

We warmed up over the outside line and Prairie was fabulous. She looked at the fences but stayed forward and every time she sat back and got 4 easy strides.

(cue confetti and balloons)

She was a bit more strung out when we took it heading home, but still, managed four strides without a fight.

Popped over the Oxer with a biiiiig look and then introduced her to the skinny. She squirted out to the inside on our first try. I didn't help much with ,y eye down and very defensive seat- but she bounded over on our second approach.

Perfect. All things are jump able. Time for courses.

Line away, oxer home, roll right back to the skinny.

Dandy. Then we added the Oxer again after the skinny which felt like it maxed out my steering. Then S got MEAN.

Oxer away, hairpin to the skinny, tight right to the barrels.... Hairpin back to the oxer

Wash, rinse, repeat.

We ran out a few times. Mostly because I would be pulling the mare around instead of pushing the shoulder in or I'd be staring straight down at the skinny. Whoops.

We nailed the other two fences just fine - it was just that damn skinny requiring us to be straight, correct and paying attention.

We finished up ok. A few revolutions each way without fuss was enough for me.

Remember 3 months ago when we could barely canter a circle without drama???

I do. And I have to try really hard to remind myself of that fact when prairie is less than perfect....

What a mare.



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Location:Scary Skinny of DEATH