On Saturday morning, Willig and I went to Shelton to ride in another Poker Ride with Janis and Erin. I got too excited and couldn't sleep, then miscalculated the time I needed, so I got there an hour early. I was the second person there, and the first person was friends with the organizers.
I had to lunge Willig twice, and every time he saw horses leave on the trail he started thrashing around tied to the trailer. But once I got on him, he calmed down a lot. He even walked through big ol' puddles.
The trail was really fun. The long loop was "4 hours" but only took us 2, and there were awesome, incredible views of the Olympics. I'm going to try to figure out how you do one of the horse packing trips through the Olympics. Janis said she'd be interested. Willig started out pretty good (while Erin was passaging), but he either a) got tired and crabby, or b) got worked up when he saw horses ahead of us that we could never catch up to, or c) got worked up the short burst we cantered. I think b and Janis thinks c. But he proceeded to toss his head and sweat most of the last 1/3 of the ride.
It was a great experience for him though, and I got some local corn and won a couple things and got to see a Christmas tree farm and the Olympics.
Then Sunday, before the downpour started, Kevin and Mercury went on a trail ride with me and Willig. Mercury was his normal, placid, reliable self while Willig was one of those aggressive drivers who you are supposed to call the cops about when you see them on the interstate. He was riding Mercury's ass, then wanted to zoom around him and go slow, and flashing his headlights and beeping. He doesn't have any trail manners. Sam and a friend of hers were at the barn, so they hung out with him for a while and Kevin fixed some stuff in Willig's stall (the broken salt lick holder and restrung the wire I hang the jolly ball/Jimmy's ball on). They stayed inside because it was pouring most of the day, and then, becuase Kevin left his wallet in my locker, we got to go out and check on them a second time!
The bummer is that Sam left me a message today saying Mercury was lame so she didn't ride him. I'm starting to be pretty frustrated with this. He's either the gimpiest, most useless horse or something is going on. I don't know if maybe Sam is being extra cautious (but usually a trainer is there too), or if Mercury is acting up or what. It's hard for me to believe that after one trail ride he went lame. I'm planning on being out tomorrow and Wednesday, so I'll check him (and hopefully ride him) both days.
I really don't want to have to sell him, but I can't afford to board a horse who can't be ridden reliably. I don't really know what to do. He has a pretty easy, posh life. He has no reason to be going lame (if he is lame).
Charlie with the long sought after cooler
Spring NWEC 2013 Novice
Monday, August 25, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
An excellent jumping session with Willig today
Yesterday was super hot (around 90), so I rode in the morning and Willig had a touch of the crazies, which seemed right after pretty much two weeks off and an increase in his diet. The barn manager told me he lost 40 pounds, which was news to me since I've never measured him with the weight tape. So we added a 1/4 scoop of alfalfa pellets to his a.m. and p.m.
Today I set up a jump exercise from the 101 Jumping Exercises book (thanks, Dad!) - I think #28. It was three trot poles (4'9" apart for Willig), then from the third trot pole to the first jump, double the distance (but I made it 10' which I think was too far), then 18' to a cross rail that later I switched to a 2'6" vertical.
Then on the other side of the arena I set up a 2'6" vertical with the two barrels on their sides under it, and a pole 18' on either side.
First, I lunged him over all of it (and did the combination with just a pole on the ground, then as a half cross rail, then as a vertical). Then I rode him over the combo as a cross rail, and after three near perfect rounds, I rode it as a vertical.
It turns out Willig is even easier to ride over something that's higher than 12". He was great!
I registered him for the Hopeful derby at Happ's at the end of September, but I can't find any local shows or other unrecognized derbies between now and then. If you know of any (local means near Olympia, WA and shows means dressage or show jumping), please post a comment and leave a web page. Thanks!
Poor Mercury has had a week off now because they told me he was lame last week (incredibly, while I was gone), and then I lunged him the one day I was out during the week, and when I went out yesterday, his left front knee is swollen. There's no heat and he's not lame, so I hosed it today and kept him in half the day (with lots and lots of hay), but I think it might be a sting. He also seems to have some bumpy skin - almost like a rash - he's in a new pasture so I'm wondering if he's rolling in something he's maybe sensitive to.
Today I set up a jump exercise from the 101 Jumping Exercises book (thanks, Dad!) - I think #28. It was three trot poles (4'9" apart for Willig), then from the third trot pole to the first jump, double the distance (but I made it 10' which I think was too far), then 18' to a cross rail that later I switched to a 2'6" vertical.
Then on the other side of the arena I set up a 2'6" vertical with the two barrels on their sides under it, and a pole 18' on either side.
First, I lunged him over all of it (and did the combination with just a pole on the ground, then as a half cross rail, then as a vertical). Then I rode him over the combo as a cross rail, and after three near perfect rounds, I rode it as a vertical.
It turns out Willig is even easier to ride over something that's higher than 12". He was great!
I registered him for the Hopeful derby at Happ's at the end of September, but I can't find any local shows or other unrecognized derbies between now and then. If you know of any (local means near Olympia, WA and shows means dressage or show jumping), please post a comment and leave a web page. Thanks!
Poor Mercury has had a week off now because they told me he was lame last week (incredibly, while I was gone), and then I lunged him the one day I was out during the week, and when I went out yesterday, his left front knee is swollen. There's no heat and he's not lame, so I hosed it today and kept him in half the day (with lots and lots of hay), but I think it might be a sting. He also seems to have some bumpy skin - almost like a rash - he's in a new pasture so I'm wondering if he's rolling in something he's maybe sensitive to.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Willig's first derby!
Willig exceeded my expectations for his first derby, though he also gave me plenty of ideas on things we need to work on.
We rode senior grasshopper, which, based on our score and the two other riders', was actually about right. He got a 50 on his dressage test, no faults in stadium, and one refusal (20 faults) in cross country (on the first "fence" which was a telephone pole on the ground).
There were only two other senior grasshoppers, so depending on whether you're a glass half full or half empty person, he either kicked ass (2nd place! woo!) or he was kind of pitiful (he was 2nd out of 3, and for a while there, he was 3rd, so basically, uh, last place).
The other two riders got a 45.5 and a 49.5 on dressage, and then one rider had one stadium fault, and then she had two refusals (first log, second log), so even with our xc refusal, we eked into red ribbon territory.
Most of the judge's comments on dressage had to do with him "bending to the outside". Unless I'm missing something, that was him spooking at every flower pot at every letter. I went past them approximately 2000 times on the outside (and one million times with the daisies at home), but apparently they were very scary from the inside. Overall though, he did really well, with mostly 5s and 7s. My score (that one that the rider gets) was a 6.
Then for the stadium, we went second, and although three fences has fake flowers, they apparently aren't as scary as real flowers. We had one close call where they did a combo, and he stepped over it from almost. a. stop. but. I. squeezed. and. begged. and we made it.
There were no time limits on either stadium or cross country, which was nice too. Oh, and speaking of nice, the weather was perfect. Cool in the morning (for the "real" lunging and riding with the jacket on), and then sunny and breezy in the afternoon. And they sold AWESOME $1 giant pickles and mt. dew. My two favorite foods. (You can't see it in the photos, but I braided last night, which was another ordeal. He doesn't like standing still and knocked me off the stepladder thing twice. I kept meaning to take a picture because it was such an effort, but forgot.)
Cross country was just 6 flat boring poles - 5 of them were like telephone poles (one was tricky and short) and one was a PVC pipe with concrete on each end.
I lunged Willig before each phase, and he was tired by stadium, but REALLY tired by cross country, and his power steering went out after the second jump. So I was really lucky we didn't have more "refusals" because he just quit responding and I had to flap my arms all big and cling with my legs and we had the ugliest course ever. But I think it was him just being a kid, doing too much, being overwhelmed, and then the lunging before each phase.
Since I came for the day, I also had to deal with not having a helper, so how did I leave him to use the bathroom, walk the course, etc.? I solved that by leading him everywhere I could, and putting him in the trailer to eat hay after stadium so I could walk the xc course. A lot of people left their horses tied to their trailers, but I don't trust him.
He was not thrilled about getting in and out of the trailer (like 5 times), but if I wait, eventually he walks in on his own. He also had a few panic whinnies, but overall, he was much, much calmer and better than I thought he'd be.
I'm definitely moving him up to Hopeful, but I'm pretty sure we're going to "lose" (i.e. not place) for at least a year or two. And I'll do Hopeful for one or two shows and then move him to Beginner Novice.
It's the experience he needs now - the miles under his girth. So I think I just need to bite the bullet and pay a lot of money for shows where we're going to be in the bottom half.
What worries me is that he'd progress faster if I had more money to spend on him - take him to school xc courses, to unrecognized shows, to clinics, to recognized shows ... Then he'd be ready to go in just a couple years.
The other thing that worries me is I felt like I rode terribly. What if I'm just not a very good rider? Like grasshopper is really my level? But I definitely don't have money for more schooling AND lessons, so I'm not sure what really needs to happen next.
I hope I can take him to the Happ's Derby in September (at Hopeful), then that will be it for this year, and then I'll spend the winter working him and hopefully ride next summer for the experience, and then start working with a trainer again to improve me and him together after that.
He is, in some ways, so easy to ride, that if I am good enough, I think once he "gets" it (it's ok to jump it and the flowers aren't going to kill him) that he'll progress very quickly because the height is not the obstacle.
Here's the number of riders in the senior levels and the dressage score range (for future reference):
Senior Hopeful (16 riders), Dressage range 24.5 - 49
Senior Beg Novice (16 riders); I couldn't find scores
Senior Novice (17 riders), Dressage range 27.89 - 41.05
We rode senior grasshopper, which, based on our score and the two other riders', was actually about right. He got a 50 on his dressage test, no faults in stadium, and one refusal (20 faults) in cross country (on the first "fence" which was a telephone pole on the ground).
There were only two other senior grasshoppers, so depending on whether you're a glass half full or half empty person, he either kicked ass (2nd place! woo!) or he was kind of pitiful (he was 2nd out of 3, and for a while there, he was 3rd, so basically, uh, last place).
The other two riders got a 45.5 and a 49.5 on dressage, and then one rider had one stadium fault, and then she had two refusals (first log, second log), so even with our xc refusal, we eked into red ribbon territory.
Most of the judge's comments on dressage had to do with him "bending to the outside". Unless I'm missing something, that was him spooking at every flower pot at every letter. I went past them approximately 2000 times on the outside (and one million times with the daisies at home), but apparently they were very scary from the inside. Overall though, he did really well, with mostly 5s and 7s. My score (that one that the rider gets) was a 6.
Then for the stadium, we went second, and although three fences has fake flowers, they apparently aren't as scary as real flowers. We had one close call where they did a combo, and he stepped over it from almost. a. stop. but. I. squeezed. and. begged. and we made it.
There were no time limits on either stadium or cross country, which was nice too. Oh, and speaking of nice, the weather was perfect. Cool in the morning (for the "real" lunging and riding with the jacket on), and then sunny and breezy in the afternoon. And they sold AWESOME $1 giant pickles and mt. dew. My two favorite foods. (You can't see it in the photos, but I braided last night, which was another ordeal. He doesn't like standing still and knocked me off the stepladder thing twice. I kept meaning to take a picture because it was such an effort, but forgot.)
Cross country was just 6 flat boring poles - 5 of them were like telephone poles (one was tricky and short) and one was a PVC pipe with concrete on each end.
I lunged Willig before each phase, and he was tired by stadium, but REALLY tired by cross country, and his power steering went out after the second jump. So I was really lucky we didn't have more "refusals" because he just quit responding and I had to flap my arms all big and cling with my legs and we had the ugliest course ever. But I think it was him just being a kid, doing too much, being overwhelmed, and then the lunging before each phase.
Since I came for the day, I also had to deal with not having a helper, so how did I leave him to use the bathroom, walk the course, etc.? I solved that by leading him everywhere I could, and putting him in the trailer to eat hay after stadium so I could walk the xc course. A lot of people left their horses tied to their trailers, but I don't trust him.
He was not thrilled about getting in and out of the trailer (like 5 times), but if I wait, eventually he walks in on his own. He also had a few panic whinnies, but overall, he was much, much calmer and better than I thought he'd be.
I'm definitely moving him up to Hopeful, but I'm pretty sure we're going to "lose" (i.e. not place) for at least a year or two. And I'll do Hopeful for one or two shows and then move him to Beginner Novice.
It's the experience he needs now - the miles under his girth. So I think I just need to bite the bullet and pay a lot of money for shows where we're going to be in the bottom half.
What worries me is that he'd progress faster if I had more money to spend on him - take him to school xc courses, to unrecognized shows, to clinics, to recognized shows ... Then he'd be ready to go in just a couple years.
The other thing that worries me is I felt like I rode terribly. What if I'm just not a very good rider? Like grasshopper is really my level? But I definitely don't have money for more schooling AND lessons, so I'm not sure what really needs to happen next.
I hope I can take him to the Happ's Derby in September (at Hopeful), then that will be it for this year, and then I'll spend the winter working him and hopefully ride next summer for the experience, and then start working with a trainer again to improve me and him together after that.
He is, in some ways, so easy to ride, that if I am good enough, I think once he "gets" it (it's ok to jump it and the flowers aren't going to kill him) that he'll progress very quickly because the height is not the obstacle.
Here's the number of riders in the senior levels and the dressage score range (for future reference):
Senior Hopeful (16 riders), Dressage range 24.5 - 49
Senior Beg Novice (16 riders); I couldn't find scores
Senior Novice (17 riders), Dressage range 27.89 - 41.05
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