Working on the lunge line and some recaps

     One of my favorite things about Jellybean is when she nickers at me when I drive up. She sees my little green car and calls at me. She also calls for me if I call out her name to bring her in from the pasture. Then she usually runs towards me. This is incredibly fulfilling.

Hey mom! Look over here!

    One a more focused note, Jellybean and I are sticking to the schedule. On Friday we completed a round pen session. Robert helped me lunge Jellybean and I rode her. We are still working very hard at understanding what it means when I kick/nudge her with my foot. She isn't learning this one too quickly. I'm hoping that repeated rides will help make the cue clear.

     Saturday was the Halloween playday, which I have already written about. Sunday we had another serious ride through the rainy farm land. The round pen was very wet, so I moved a little bit of dirt to encourage draining and got Jellybean dressed for our workout. We practiced what we already knew in the arena, then Robert stood on the ground and helped move Jellybean when she started trying to bite my foot instead of moving forward. We only did a little bit of trotting, since she was trying to cut the arena up to avoid the standing water.

     Monday was another work day for Jellybean. I put on her lunging clothes and we sloshed out to the large arena with the line and got ready to do some more work with the side reins. I am a little worried about over adjusting them and Jellybean revolting, so I have moved slowly with my adjustments. Turns out I have been worrying for nothing. The side reins only adjust so tight, and Jellybean is too small to feel any pressure from the tightest adjustment. Looks like I will be punching holes.

     I am going to ride her on Thursday I hope, unless the Halloween festivities take too long. Otherwise we will ride on Friday. Next week I hope to do some lunging over the trot poles and a couple of cross rails.

     In other news, we have been plagued by several obnoxious events which may have stolen Jellybean's breakfast a couple of days in a row. First we noticed that Jellybean's breakfast was being turned over in the aisle. Then a morning or two later, her grain was completely eaten! The next day she had no grain and minimal hay! This was getting obnoxious... then we saw her feed bin. WHICH WAS CHEWED THROUGH!

     We decided that the evil raccoons were trying to steal Jellybean's food, and then we found out some horses were not tucked in for the night and spent their evening eating everyone else's breakfast. We almost bought a game camera to see what was up, but it turns out we are going to instead catch the culprits. More on this story as it develops.

Happy Halloween!

     Many people take great pleasure in dressing up their animals for Halloween. Apparently I am one of those people. The barn decided to have a play day and costume contest, which turned out to be a great idea! Robert and I brainstormed cool costumes (well Robert did, I am sadly lacking in creativity). Finally after deciding Jellybean the sheep would be too hard to pull off, we decided to make dragons and be dragon slayers! (These costumes would also conveniently double as Ren Faire costumes)

     Now many people are worried about dressing up their broke, well trained horses. You can imagine we were a little bit apprehensive about dressing up Jellybean. We decided to pick up some "dragon" wings (aka fairy wings) at the store and then make Jelly some horns and spikes. We planned to secure these things with a surcingle and her halter.

     Jellybean was a champ through all this, she only put up minimal fuss as I tied on her spikes (connecting her mane to her tail) and then attached her wings. She didn't even care that much about her styrofoam horns. I call this a win. Once Jellybean was dressed, we started the costume contest! Jellybean and I won second place!! We were beaten by a very well done Cowboy/Indian pair! All in all a winning situation! And now the pictures:

     All in all, this was a successful day and Jellybean was a champion :)

First serious lunging session... and some lack of direction

     Last time I talked about Jellybean, I described my plan (or at least desire to have one). So Monday I got Jellybean ready and moved into the arena to check out the side reins I have for her lunging set up.

Mom, I know that picture isn't flattering...

     Once we had our boots and surcingle on, we moved over to the large arena and put on some side reins. They were adjusted to #3, which correlates to not at all. She only felt pressure when she dropped her head very low or very left/right. We practiced our normal w/t/c with voice commands. I think our weaknesses on the line are keeping a consistent distance (which I need to research how to perfect...) and downward transitions (which I also need to research and brainstorm). The other weakness I see is a lack of exercises floating around in my brain. So I visited one of my favorite online booksellers, and ordered my very own lunging exercises ringside flip book. It should be here next Monday, just in time for our next lunging session!

     In other news, Jellybean is getting ready for some Halloween fun. I won't spoil the surprise, but she's going to dress up as something ferocious. She will also be enjoying a clean stall when the new shavings get here. I think we're going to strip it ALL the way down, dry it out, and re-bed the entire thing.

     Stay tuned for the next riding update.

It rained, then poured, then flooded...

Howdy readers!   It has been awhile since I have regaled you with Jellybean antics.  Well rest assured she has not been quiet while it has been less than ideal for riding.

As the title suggests, we got a bit of rain around the barn the last week and a half.  well, Jellybean has certainly opened up her personality to let us know her displeasure at being in a stall all day.

She has started into her rebellious teen years with full force.  Amanda likes to have a neatly trimmed bridle path on her pretty little princess horse but, like every child, Jelly has decided she wants the exact opposite.  I present to you Jellybean's mohawk...   (much to Amanda's chagrin!)

Rear view

Side view 

Now, as you can imagine, being locked up in a stall can cause all sorts of mental fractures.  Here are a few pics of poor Jellybean having her day in the hurrr duuurrrrr  zone of stall life.

HEY!  HAY?  HAY?!?!

I am sooo  Emo right now...

Rawr!!!  I am pony give me hay!

Derp derp derp....   that is all.

I hope you enjoy this installment of better barns and stalls.  Tune in next time as we tour the great stalls of other famous horses.

Goals and Dreams

     Lately I have been revamping my schedule and trying to understand how I can be more productive. Now some of you that know me might say, Amanda, when do you ever take a break? And while that may be true, I think I can optimize my schedule and have time for some of this elusive relaxation of which Robert is always dreaming. So while I have been trying to become more productive at work (which is about five more blog entries), I also want to apply this to my barn time.

     Now the first step of optimization is identifying weak areas. My biggest challenge with riding currently is having a goal. Especially when it comes to Jellybean. I need a time schedule and I need planned exercises to stay on track. Aka Step One. Now when riding other horses, I have a similar problem. This is usually negated by riding school horses, who more often then not, simply need a confident rider to make them do. My other challenge is fitness. I need to work on strengthening my back and legs. This has been especially obvious during the recent jumping sessions.

     With the major problem identified, I guess I need to get started. So onto the Jellybean plan! With last weeks setback in mind, I want to get a regular schedule in place, no excuses. Jellybean is going to be my horse for a long (!) time and I don't want to skimp now. So, we will be riding twice weekly, and having a ground work lesson one more day. So three days a week to get going. Now for the short lesson plan!

Week	Review	Learn	Push	Other
One	W/T/C round pen	Going forward with kick	No person	Introduce Side Reins
Two	Moving off leg	W/T under saddle	Back up	Long lining W/T/C
Three	W/T directions	Introduce canter	Canter!	Lunge over xrails
Four	W/T/C	W/T cutting pen	W/T/C cutting pen	Lunge Transitions
Five	W/T cutting pen	W/T/C cutting pen	Transitions	Side reins
Six	W/T/C cutting pen	W/T/C directions	Transitions/directions	???

     Now this is exceptionally optimistic, but I think its time to be optimistic. I have been moving very slowly with Jellybean, and she has oscillated between boredom and over reactive. She needs more consistency, and I cannot commit to working her everyday. By the way, I forgot to mention, she is still growing! She was 14.2 1/2 and 800 lbs last time I measured her. And it looks like her chest is starting to widen. 

     I titled this post, Goals and Dreams, and I want to address the latter of those. Jellybean is somewhat of a dream for me to have. I always wanted my own horse. And sometimes it was hard watching others have their own horses while I hoped to have a school horse to ride. But I think everything worked out for me in the end. Jellybean is a great horse and we are going to do some great things. So, what are those things? For your convenience I present: a list (which also works out to a horsey bucket list of sorts).

1. Event. Maybe as high as novice.
2. Learn reining. Maybe not show quality, but be able to execute the necessary movements.
3. Tempi changes. Because why not?
4. Long distance trail ride

     I guess those jump quickest to my mind. In any case, the goal is really to be an all around rider. And do a little bit of everything :) 

Byron, our newest addition

A couple of steps back

     Jellybean is my first baby. And naturally, there are going to be some hiccups. We coasted past a pretty substantial hiccup last week. One of the challenges with the baby horses seems to be knowing when to move on and when to back up. Jellybean has been progressing well under saddle, we rode in the cutting pen twice with minor incidents. I decided I wanted to ride her in the pen again the other day, and she said not yet.

     Jellybean has a reasonably short attention span on a good day. She was especially impatient the other day. She didn't want to move in any direction, she just wanted to sniff the ground and try to eat. I tried to move her forward with the dressage whip, and she didn't pay any attention to it. Then she decided she was really bored and wouldn't move towards one corner of the arena. She jumped backwards/sideways and wouldn't move forward. 

     I had a moment of clarity. 

     With all my supposedly careful planning, I had jumped a few steps. Jellybean was excelling in the round pen, and instead of building her skills there, I tried to switch tracks and move forward too fast. Lets be real, if your horse won't move forward, you don't need to move to another arena. The dressage whip (unfortunately!!!) is not a substitute for learning to move off leg pressure. 

     In order to salvage the day, I decided to move back to the round pen and practice something we were both comfortable with. We lunged in both directions and called it a day. I think I will spend some time outlining our next steps. I'll keep you posted.

Bonus pictures from before the rain:

Jellybean being social... not

Hey!

Nom nom fresh grass!

 And after the rain...

What are you looking at!

I'm hungry and my stall is wet >|

Playing in the pasture

     Jellybean spent a few days in her stall lately, so Sunday I made sure she got outside to play in the cooler weather. Jellybean had fun playing all day long, and when I got back yesterday evening, some of the other instructors were jumping their horses through a gymnastics exercise. During a break from their practicing, I spent some time playing with Jellybean.

     We are trying to develop a "chase" game, where I run at Jellybean and she runs, then I turn around and run away from her and she chases me. I like to make it interesting, and try to convince her to jump over small crossrails, but Jellybean is much too smart for this. She even took it a step further and plopped her nose between the crossrail and starting eating some of the grass there... guess she didn't want any of my stupid jumping.

An interesting issue in the equine industry

     One of the many aspects of the equine industry is the constant buying and selling of horses. Since most people have a horse for a specific purpose, it follows that when that purpose is unavailable a change in ownership will be considered. I always like to think about the horse industry in tiers, because there are completely different attitudes and actions between tiers. First we have high level competition mounts. I'll be the first to tell you, I don't know a lot about this genre. So I'm going to glaze right over this one.

     The mid-range equestrian is the one that most interests me. These are the people that love their horses or competition and work on a budget (of varying size of course). Cost is always considered, but the health of the animal usually comes first. These are also the interesting buyers/sellers. This tier is usually interested in horses less than 10k, usually much less. Here we have clients trying to buy and cheap horse and get some training in order to sell or compete. We also have clients that aspire to achieve the higher tier, but cannot afford that level. Buying and selling horses in this tier has a lot of variation. I like to think I live in this range, even if my purse doesn't back up this notion currently.

    In any case, I am going off topic. I am currently browsing local ads for a suitable horse for Robert and I. I have fairly stringent requirements. I want a draft cross over 17hh between 4 and 18 years old, with training from green broke to finished all around. I do not care about the color or gender of the horse, but I require the horse to be priced fairly. While these requirements seem very lax, there are very few horses who even meet the 17hh description. I think it goes back to a trend in the high tier world.

     Currently, 'sporthorses' are very popular. This description varies greatly, but it usually means a horse with heavier bone than a thoroughbred that is athletically inclined, especially those with 'nice movement.' Now this horse can be anything from an Appendix grade to a Clyde/QH cross (really, I have seen it!). What many people like to think sporthorse means is fancy athletic warmblood, such as an Irish Sporthorse. Do you see where the price inflation comes in?

     So as I peruse the ads, I see green broke at the WTC selling for 5k. My friend over at 14hands has written an extensive article on the pricing structure that is based on the skills and value of a horse, so I won't trouble you with a rehash. I do want to highlight some of the key points.

• What does your horse know? Has it just been weaned but has been messed with quite a bit as a youngster (and also, see above rant for this to qualify)? Add $200. Is it a 2-5 year old and green broke with the skill to stop, start, steer, and transition between all three gaits? Add about $400. Give or take some depending on the level of knowledge and training the horse has. Is your horse trained to do a specific job and to do that job well and consistently? This is a hard price range to define.... For the sake of discussion we're going to assume you have a horse trained to do schooling shows (and has competed and done well). Add around $2,500. I am talking a horse that I could jump on and, with a little get to know you time, I could take this horse to a show and do well on it within 6 months.     

    This is a pretty key point here, that a lot of the ads I read miss. The value of the horse is determined by the training. Unfortunately it seems like a lot of people want to place value on a horse based on how they feel in their heart, or their size alone. I don't think I have seen a horse over 17hh for less than 3k.

     Another challenge I have reading ads is the misunderstanding about what constitutes a horse's size. When I view an ad, I would like a concise description of the physical characteristics of the horse. Including, but not limited to their breed, height, weight, injuries, and color. I cannot tell you how many horses I have seen advertised as a 'large horse' that is 15.2hh and 1100lbs. 

     This is the challenge in finding a new horse. Sometimes you have to traverse the tiers and try to speak another language. At the bottom tier, it might be 'a large horse that rides good without kickin' while the middle tier might describe a horse as 'willing sporthorse' or even the top tier that might say 'prospective jumper or hunter' or 'performance bred and push-button' It is always a challenge to interpret the ad and determine what the seller actually means, and how the price should correlate. And this, my friends, is why you should never buy or sell a horse without having a knowledgeable friend proofread and double check.

A Little Hiccup

     So most of the stories I have related are centered around something interesting Jellybean has done, and many of the stories are a celebration of something Jellybean has accomplished. Sometimes I relate the more interesting and dangerous things Jellybean decides to do. Today is one if the more challenging days.

     So today I got out to the barn around five and decided to ride Jellybean. Normally my handsome assistant is available to help me mount and lunge Jellybean, but today I enlisted the help of a substitute. This was very important, because Jellybean was found in her stall. Where she had been standing for over 24 hours. As you may imagine, she was probably ready to go run around and flirt with her many admirers. Another important factor in this evenings activities was the weather. We have started the cold front time of year, which is to say every week the weather gets rainy and windy and drops a few degrees. Many of you know cooler weather gives horses and energy boost. 

     So there I was tacking Jellybean up, trying to get her to focus long enough for me to cinch the saddle. She was decidedly unimpressed with my attempts to bridle her, and she promptly clenched her teeth and lips and backed into a corner in the stall. Unfortunately for Jelly, I am persistent, and I managed to get her all tacked up. We walked out to the arena and started the lunging portion of our workout. Jellybean was ready to go, and she showed off with a bit of athletics. I don't want to call it a buck, but she arched her back and jumped along with a canter-like stride as I pushed her forward. One of the occasional barn dogs was assisting with this annoying action, and I tried to shoo her so Jellybean would focus. 

    Of course, all horses favor one side or another, so when we lunged in the other direction she paid close attention to my commands. Then it was time to get on. I forgot my helmet in the tack room, so Jeannette ponied Jellybean around on Panda while I grabbed my dressage whip. She helped me mount and we were off! Tricked you! We didn't gallop off into the sunset, just walked off. Jellybean and I followed Panda around for quite some time, until a lesson was started in the same arena. Then Jellybean got bored and started spooking at the far gate.

     So I started out this blog talking about some naughty action, and here it is! Jellybean shimied away from the gate a couple of times, then decided the other direction was completely unavailable. Then she trotted off and did her popping/bucking/jumping thing while I was sitting there on her back. Boom! "Bucking" under saddle. 

     Jellybean continued walking another round of two and we were done. I think this is a sign that 1) Jellybean must be entertained and 2) I shouldn't ride the baby horse in a lot of chaos. Hopefully we will continue the up and up, and being trotting in the cutting pen soon.