This is a SUPER short update because it's late and I'm tired, but I just wanted to let everyone know that Johnny did something fantastic tonight...
HE JUMPED 2'9"!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was working him over some low fences to practice striding (riding the lines in the forward numbers and then in the add) and I also had a single set at 2'3" in prep for the upcoming CVPHA Horse Show next weekend. Johnny was jumping pretty well, so I put the 2'3" fence up to 2'6" just for fun...he jumped THAT so well that I though "hmmm...why not try?" and put the jump up to 2'9."
The first time to it I totally missed on the distance, but Johnny jumped anyway and snapped his feet up without even so much as tapping the rail. After that we jumped 2 more times with the correct distances. He was literally jumping me out of the tack he was jumping so well! wootttt!!
Peace.Love.Ponies.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Rough Day at the Office
Today has just been one of those days.
Work was filled with all sorts of excitement today...three loose horses, another one spazzing in the paddock and fifth that was running like a freak out on grass and slipped, fell and slid into the fence. The one horse that got loose was in the cross ties getting his feet worked on when he spooked at something, freaked out and went mache 10 backwards, hit the end of the cross tries which broke after a second of his weight against them. That sent him flying back into the farrier's cart of tools which he hit and then tripped over. The gelding practically flipped over backwards into the stall fronts and then fell, sending farrier tools and the rolling cart flying down the aisle to where I was helping a 13 year old kid take the bridle off her pony (which had just dumped her 7 year old sister, JUMPED out of the arena and then came kentucky derby style down the drive way back to the barn.) The pony I was standing with was cross tied with his butt turned towards the horse that had just fallen. I had just pulled his bridle off and was about to slip his halter on (the reins were still around his neck) when the commotion started and he FREAKED out at the horse and metal tools which were both suddenly flying at him. Of course, he bolted forward, right towards A, his little 13 year old owner. He was definitely going to trample her! I still had the reins around his neck and so I yanked back on them as hard as I could and then flung myself between A and the pony. I put the nearest part of my body (which happened to be my hip) into him with as much force as I could and he slammed into me just as A's mother grabbed her arm to pull her to safety. Luckily, no humans or horses were seriously injured, although it wasn't until after the fact that I realized my lower back was getting shooting pains. My back and my knee have been thobbing ever since :(
Johnny also pulled a shoe today...the little sucker! We are getting ready for the Chagrin Classic next weekend!
Work was filled with all sorts of excitement today...three loose horses, another one spazzing in the paddock and fifth that was running like a freak out on grass and slipped, fell and slid into the fence. The one horse that got loose was in the cross ties getting his feet worked on when he spooked at something, freaked out and went mache 10 backwards, hit the end of the cross tries which broke after a second of his weight against them. That sent him flying back into the farrier's cart of tools which he hit and then tripped over. The gelding practically flipped over backwards into the stall fronts and then fell, sending farrier tools and the rolling cart flying down the aisle to where I was helping a 13 year old kid take the bridle off her pony (which had just dumped her 7 year old sister, JUMPED out of the arena and then came kentucky derby style down the drive way back to the barn.) The pony I was standing with was cross tied with his butt turned towards the horse that had just fallen. I had just pulled his bridle off and was about to slip his halter on (the reins were still around his neck) when the commotion started and he FREAKED out at the horse and metal tools which were both suddenly flying at him. Of course, he bolted forward, right towards A, his little 13 year old owner. He was definitely going to trample her! I still had the reins around his neck and so I yanked back on them as hard as I could and then flung myself between A and the pony. I put the nearest part of my body (which happened to be my hip) into him with as much force as I could and he slammed into me just as A's mother grabbed her arm to pull her to safety. Luckily, no humans or horses were seriously injured, although it wasn't until after the fact that I realized my lower back was getting shooting pains. My back and my knee have been thobbing ever since :(
Johnny also pulled a shoe today...the little sucker! We are getting ready for the Chagrin Classic next weekend!
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Lead Fairy
I am thoroughly convinced that sometime in the very recent past Johnny must have had a run in with the Lead Fairy of horses. Each day he continues to amaze me even more with his sudden understanding of his canter leads. Not only is he picking them up on the ground and landing them off jumps, but today I turned him to the right towards a 2'3" jump and he immediately picked up his right lead canter and hopped right over it in perfect rhythm and balance and even landed the lead again on the back side.
Today we also did our first ever lead change (or at least, half a lead change!) Johnny landed off a jump, which I was planning on turning left after, but clearly he had different ideas and he landed with his legs cross cantering to the right, so naturally he ducked right and took off in an awkward canter. Just for kicks, I let him keep going and turned back across the field diagonally, pushing the canter out more and wondering if he might fix his legs. We were almost across the diagonal when I felt him bunch up underneath me and BAM he swapped behind so that he was on the correct lead to turn the corner! WOO HOO!!
Dear Lead Fairy: Please do not abandoned my silly gelding. I love it when you and him work together ;)
In other news, Emmy's leg has been looking pretty good. I rode her tonight and hopped her over a TINY little cross rail just to see how she would do. She was excellent and afterward I let her stand for 20 minutes in ice. When I took the ice off there was almost NO SWELLING at all in her leg, which is a great sign! I plan on checking it in the morning before work to see how it's looking :)
Peace.Love.Ponies.
Today we also did our first ever lead change (or at least, half a lead change!) Johnny landed off a jump, which I was planning on turning left after, but clearly he had different ideas and he landed with his legs cross cantering to the right, so naturally he ducked right and took off in an awkward canter. Just for kicks, I let him keep going and turned back across the field diagonally, pushing the canter out more and wondering if he might fix his legs. We were almost across the diagonal when I felt him bunch up underneath me and BAM he swapped behind so that he was on the correct lead to turn the corner! WOO HOO!!
Dear Lead Fairy: Please do not abandoned my silly gelding. I love it when you and him work together ;)
In other news, Emmy's leg has been looking pretty good. I rode her tonight and hopped her over a TINY little cross rail just to see how she would do. She was excellent and afterward I let her stand for 20 minutes in ice. When I took the ice off there was almost NO SWELLING at all in her leg, which is a great sign! I plan on checking it in the morning before work to see how it's looking :)
Peace.Love.Ponies.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
SCSHA Horse Show
Last weekend I took Johnny to an SCSHA Open Show. My friend D rode him in the walk/trot and I took him in his first ever canter class! It was D's first time on him in over a year and they won everything and Johnny and I were 5th in equitation :)
Johnny and D in the warm up ring
Johnny and D in Equitation
Johnny and I cantering in Open Pleasure
Johnny!
Me and Johnny trotting in Equitation
Peace.Love.Ponies.
Monday, June 7, 2010
A Rough Week
Sorry I've been SO inconsistent lately with updating. My life has been kind of a wreck lately, starting with Emmy being TERRIBLE with her penicillin shots (she's normally the queen of needles, she never cares about shots at all!) I can't blame her because the shots made her VERY sore, but it was a terrible ordeal to give them to her.
The second problem, is that, while the shots themselves were a pain, the biggest problem is that they didn't really help. I mean, the main swelling in her leg did go down, which is REALLY good, but the main problem spot below her hock (which I was originally concerned about) is still there, and is worse now then before. I called the vet again and asked her if it was possible for her to have injured a tendon sheath. The vet said that it was definitely possible and seeing as how she's not lame on it and the location of the swelling, I have a feeling that a tendon sheath is a real possibility and most likely what happened. I've been using a leg tightener on it daily (which doesn't seem to be doing much).
Johnny has been really good, although he hasn't gotten worked for a couple days because of the crappy rainy weather. The last time I REALLY schooled him I took him next door to the arena and set up little "jumps" (more like raised cavaletti with jump blocks), one each direction and we worked on trotting and cantering over them, both up and down the slope of the arena. Johnny was FABULOUS and we got a really good one cantering in on the right lead where he cantered in, jumped it, and landed in a perfectly balanced right lead canter! I called it a day with that! Yesterday I hacked him out on the road in the hackamore. Also got both canter leads and he was trotting excellent and up through his back :) We are going to the SCSHA Open Show this Saturday for our first walk/trot/canter flat classes...LOL wish us luck!
Outside of the horse world, my boyfriend and I broke up (we were pretty serious so this has been a REALLY rough time) it was really the last thing I needed on top of all the Emmy stress :(
And so, these are the reasons why no one has heard from me at all. I'm sorry my friends, I will try to keep on top of things better.
Peace.Love.Ponies.
The second problem, is that, while the shots themselves were a pain, the biggest problem is that they didn't really help. I mean, the main swelling in her leg did go down, which is REALLY good, but the main problem spot below her hock (which I was originally concerned about) is still there, and is worse now then before. I called the vet again and asked her if it was possible for her to have injured a tendon sheath. The vet said that it was definitely possible and seeing as how she's not lame on it and the location of the swelling, I have a feeling that a tendon sheath is a real possibility and most likely what happened. I've been using a leg tightener on it daily (which doesn't seem to be doing much).
Johnny has been really good, although he hasn't gotten worked for a couple days because of the crappy rainy weather. The last time I REALLY schooled him I took him next door to the arena and set up little "jumps" (more like raised cavaletti with jump blocks), one each direction and we worked on trotting and cantering over them, both up and down the slope of the arena. Johnny was FABULOUS and we got a really good one cantering in on the right lead where he cantered in, jumped it, and landed in a perfectly balanced right lead canter! I called it a day with that! Yesterday I hacked him out on the road in the hackamore. Also got both canter leads and he was trotting excellent and up through his back :) We are going to the SCSHA Open Show this Saturday for our first walk/trot/canter flat classes...LOL wish us luck!
Outside of the horse world, my boyfriend and I broke up (we were pretty serious so this has been a REALLY rough time) it was really the last thing I needed on top of all the Emmy stress :(
And so, these are the reasons why no one has heard from me at all. I'm sorry my friends, I will try to keep on top of things better.
Peace.Love.Ponies.
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