Resolution

I am no longer leasing Pstar.  Laurie was completely sympathetic about how I felt while working with Pstar alone.  I feel terrible that I didn't realize how much horse she was.  She's still a sweetie in the paddock and I can love on her when I go out for my lessons and even have a lesson lunging her but I won't be having the one on one time of a lease that made me feel a bit unsafe.

Whew!!!!  Laurie is getting moved into the new place and so are the horses.  I can't wait to go back out to the new place to ride Divine.  I'll take lots of pictures to show you the nice new digs that Laurie and her family have!

For now I'm considering what my next move will be as far as leasing a horse goes.  I could find one close in town to ride during the week and on the weekends perhaps.  Perhaps a nice trail horse, any breed.  Spring is coming along and the hubby and I have a lot of yard work to get done plus hiking season should start in a few months and we wish to get back into that full swing.  We'll see how things go.  Still paying down debt and awaiting the day where I can search for my first mount!

Pstar is a sweet girl, we just aren't a good combo when she's out of her comfort zone and I'm out of mine!  I look forward to loving on her and giving her carrots and not getting irritated at her!  LOL. 

Biting off more than I can chew

I arrived today with a little bit of worry about how things would go with my first day leasing Pstar.  The mares and Eksodus were in the arena, no cars were in the drive so it was just me.  I had my green halter with me, so I went into the arena to get Pstar.  Eksodus came trotting right up to me and I pet his neck, expecting his usual nibble but he didn't seem even interested in nipping.  Excellent.  Pstar was over by some hay munching away.  I wandered over to her and put the halter on.  She was sweet and dutifully followed me to the barn.

I brought her into the crosstie area only to find the crossties were gone, most likely Laurie had moved them to the new place.  I figured I would quick release knot Pstar to one of the poles and begin grooming but Pstar had other thoughts.  She didn't stand still enough for me to get her tied and kept swinging her hind quarters around as she paced in the area.  I brought her into the aisle instead and tried to tie her to one of the poles on the stalls.  She again swung back and forth, neighing at the top of her lungs.  I kept trying to get her tied but each time I was nearly getting tied I had to duck out of the way or defend my space so I wouldn't get smooshed against the side of the stall.  The tears began welling up...second time that I've felt this frustrated with her and been brought to tears (though I didn't describe pulling over on the side of the road to ball my eyes out after the first incident but now I'll admit that since it's becoming a theme).  I can't seem to work well with her unless Laurie is there, which doesn't bode well for a lease where I will be with her alone most of the time. 

Finally Pstar calmed down, perhaps she sensed my tears and decided to behave so I could begin currying her coat.  The grooming went well for the most part, I used the shedding tool and rid her of a lot of hair.  Hoof picking went pretty well, I was prepared with the two hands and able to get her legs calm much faster, yippee for small victories.  Then I brought out the Mane and Tail and went to work on her mane and tail.  Her hair became very silky and glistened.  I grabbed the western saddle pad and put that on her back, then I grabbed the western saddle and placed that on her back.  As I worked to slowly tighten the girth the fire came up in her again, she lurched to the side bulldozing into me.  I backed away and let her feel the saddle and girth and then went to tighten it some more, same thing.  Uge.  This isn't fun.

I finally felt the saddle was at least snug enough so I took her halter off and placed the new rope halter I had.  Rope halters have a series of knots that are supposed to be at pressure points and are good for training.  Pstar was tossing her head a lot as I tried to tie the halter.  Finally we were set so I brought her outside.  Since the mares were in the arena and Gadiel was in the round pen I figured I'd work on leading ground work with Pstar.  She skipped around as we approached a flatbed trailer and my parked car.  I walked her past the offending objects many times.  Several times Pstar would ram right into me and I tried to get big and get her out of my space.  Things went well and then issues would pop up, then things would go well and she'd walk nicely beside me, then she'd jig some more.  So went the next half hour. 

Laurie showed up about then and was excited since some people were coming to look at Eksmisha.  Laurie had suggested I get the lunge whip and walk Pstar down the driveway.  I looked for the whip and found that it was in the crosstie area.  I brought Pstar up onto the platform but she began dancing about and skipping around (I really don't know how to describe it).  I tried to reach for the lunge whip amongst the chaos but got a pole between Pstar and I in the mean time and when she jerked out to the aisle I got stopped by the pole....ouch.  Finally I led her out of the stable as two men in suits were heading in to discuss Eksmisha.

Walking down the path with the whip; I kept trying to gain control, find a comfortable grip and figure out how to position it just right.  I felt I had even less control of Pstar so I said screw it and tossed it on the ground, I'll come back for it later.  I walked Pstar down the driveway.  She jigged and skipped next to me, and kept crossing in front of me as she was interested in the mares back at the stable or in what Laurie was doing with the men and Eksmisha.  I remembered from Julie Goodnight how to deal with an unruly horse on the ground, and moved my hands with the lead up in front of her face to get her out of my space.  It worked a little but was very tiring.  I got tired of it and moved her in a small circle several times then proceeded to walk straight again.  Things went a little better but I had issues turning her away from me and out of my space.

The wind was picking up and it was getting cold.  I decided to take her back to the stable.  I brought her up into the crosstie area again but again she was acting like a nut case, I couldn't get the lead anywhere near anything to tie.  In the stable aisle I had the same issue.  Laurie mentioned she was being a little pill and suggested I tie her in the stall.  I accomplished that, eventually, amidst her swinging body and screaming neighs.  I took the saddle off and ducked out of the stall only to have Pstar push her way out of the stall and swing around the aisle while she was still tied.  I quickly chose to place the saddle on the side of the adjacent stall; the way she was acting I didn't trust her to have me walk to the tack room to place the saddle where it belonged.  The last thing I needed was for her to get loose on me.  I brought her back into the stall and tried to groom her and calm her but her constant piercing neighs blotted out all my efforts.  Several times I had to move pretty quick as Pstar swung one way or another.  I stood at one side of the stall for a few minutes, catching my breathe and choking back tears not sure what to do.  What have I gotten myself into?

Eventually I finished grooming her and was able to pick her feet.  Laurie asked me to put her into the outdoor stall so I did but had issues yet again.  I brought her in and turned her around to reach for the gate but Pstar bolted through the gate.  So I turned her again to get into the stall and tried to grab the gate while having a closer hold on Pstar to prevent her leaping through the exit.  She moved about quickly and stepped firmly on my foot.  Ouch!  Laurie came out of the stable and closed the gate for me.  I took off Pstar's halter and slipped out of the gate as Laurie closed it.  To finish up I cleaned up the last bits of poop Pstar had left in the aisle and crosstie area then went outside to fetch the lunge whip.

I was soooo ready to go home.  I cried all the way home.  This was not what I wanted.  It seems that every time I work with Pstar with Laurie things go pretty well.  Alone things just go to shit.  She's too much horse for me.  Too young, too spirited and not trained enough.  I did not feel safe today and am not sure if I'll want to go out again.  I don't know what to do.  I have this lease contract for a year (why did I do this?).  She's not under saddle, what was I thinking?  I'm stuck.  I know there is a two week notice clause and I can end the lease.  I just feel bad but perhaps I had romantic views about how leasing Pstar would be like, I didn't listen to the voice in the back of my head.  Truth is I'm not a trainer and I don't know how to deal with such unruly young behavior.  I need a well mannered, well trained horse for a lease or to buy.  I don't know what to do at this point.  Laurie may have the confidence in me but I don't and I also don't have the desire to train a horse from the ground up.  I don't know what to do.

Pstar is sweet to pet and love on in the pasture but to work with, I just can't deal with a horse that freaks out at a parked car, crashes into my as we walk and swings her body blindly for no apparent reason.  I miss Willy, a nice calm horse that I didn't have to worry about and that I felt safe with.  What am I to do now?  I have a lot of thinking to do.  I don't want to back out on Laurie but again, I can't pay $300 a month to be miserable and scared.  I feel I've made a terrible mistake...

The Pstar Dance

I had my lesson on Friday.  Since I had issues with Pstar last time I was out I asked Laurie if we could work with her.  We got Pstar in the cross ties and I started grooming her.  Again lots of hair shed out...it's that time of year!  In areas around her neck I could see the smooth and metallic brown hairs coming in for her summer coat.  I can't wait to see her in her gleaming color this summer!  When we came to the feet I learned a few things...I was a little panicky about how quickly a young horse picks up their feet, it's unexpected and Pstar was most likely feeding off of my fear.  Also, two hands are better than one!  Normally with older horses I just use my inside hand, while my outer hand awaits with the pick.  When I was able to get Pstars feet I praised her and then held her hoof with one hand while rubbing either her shoulder or butt with the other.  That seems like it should be the mode of operation while she and I are still getting to know each other. 

I then got the western saddle to put on Pstar, I started the cinch and Laurie finished up, slowly getting the cinch tighter.  Pstar, and apparently most mares don't like the idea of the cinch so much.  A little bit of movement back and forth was all the irritation Pstar seemed to show.  Then she was fine.  Laurie showed me how to take the chain for her halter and loop it around the top nose band so it was not too severe.  She still thinks with a young horse it's best to use the chain for now.

You can still see she has hairy goat hairs on her cheek!

Out in the arena I struggled with the whip and lungeline in my hands, afraid of whacking Laurie, Pstar or myself.  We worked on backing first.  I wasn't too successful...I'm not forceful enough, I'm more like "pretty please with a carrot on top?" when I should be "Back please...I mean NOW!"  Laurie demonstrated wtih a more dominant way of making Pstar back without the clucking and hand motion.  Pstar kept looking in my direction and I wasn't sure how I should view that!  I know as I work with her she'll start seeing me as a dominant mare rather than a friend...but I still want to be the friend!  I took up the lungeline and worked on the back again....much better success.  Pstar is such a good teacher/student!
I then lunged her in both directions, asking for the trot and again not being dominant enough.  I often found if I started looking at Pstar's face for shoulder she would slow down, I have to remember I'm working on moving that butt!  I need to use the body language that says move this way, point whip to move horse outwards from the circle and use my body to walking along side her to move about the arena in a more straight line.  As Laurie says, "drive her" forward.  I was getting the knack of it!

We did well together.  I brought her in, untacked her and groomed her down.  I worked on her hooves again and used the two hand method to steady her leg faster, picked her hoof and then rubbed her while praising her as I held her foot before placing it back down.  While picking one of her front hooves Pstar lipped at my back, at least the area where my shirt came up on my back from bending over.  No teeth, just little lips, it was cute...was she trying to groom me back?  I feel much better than things have gone well.  The only question is to see how she is when it's just me there but at least now I have a few more "tricks" up my sleeve and a better understanding of what was going on before.

Cute little mare coming to say goodbye to me!

On Saturday I went out to see Ushi ride, got a tour of the property that Laurie and Dan closed on (YIPEEE!!!) and went over the lease contract with Laurie.  First off the property was amazing!  The indoor arena was so nice!  The house...let's just say I'm gonna try and move in with them!  The lease for Pstar will be for one year, at which time I will hopefully be able to make a decent offer on a horse that is well above my price range.  I have to look at this lease as an opportunity to grow and learn about horses, work with a fantastic horse and support a business I fully believe in.  I hope the stars will align next year and Pstar will indeed be mine but mentioned to Laurie that I don't want to impede her from selling Pstar for what she is actually worth (monetarily).  There is only so much I can offer on a horse, with my debt I'm paying off I can't them turn around and go back into debt.  As I've said on here before, I don't care about bloodlines or even if I find a purebred Arabian, that's why I've set my limit.  I'm sure I could go a little more for Pstar but we have to see. 

I have a year to work on the three main bills I want to pay off and then save as much as I can so I can make a cash-in-hand offer to Laurie.  I fear it won't be enough or someone else with the funds will give her a home before I can.  the thought of Pstar going to another home before I can claim her is less hurtful though than buying her, creating more debt for myself and then something happens (job loss, etc.) and I have to sell my beloved.  If it's meant to be it will be.  For now I'm paying for her care, working with her and learning as much as I can.  Naro Elinsalka lirima! (Elvin: To Ride Pstardancer will be lovely!)  Yes I'm a dork!  At least it's not Klingon!

Heels down, toes in and SHA-WING those hips!

I had a great lesson on Divine today.  I was on the lungeline again and Laurie had me work on my leg position again.  Keeping my toes in, REALLY in is very hard, I feel like I'm twisting my legs!!  Then as I posted it seemed to help when Laurie said that as I rise to "push" down with my heels.  Alright, I can do that!  But the toes invariably would point out a little as I asked for more trot or squeezed to keep Divine in the trot.  All in all the lesson went quite well and Laurie and I high fived!

Afterwards I groomed Divine down.  She is starting to shed majorly....tons of white hairs, clumps from the curry comb littered the matt below her.  I gave her some carrots and giggled are her cute muzzle.  She has the softest and smallest little muzzle.  It's a nice gray color, no pink from markings, and perhaps that's what makes it too so soft.  It's like silver velvet!

I led her back to the arena to finish her hay breakfast.  Laurie said if I wished I could groom Pstar.  I jumped at the chance.  I wasn't officially leasing her but any time I can spend time with her I was happy about!

I got Pstar out of her stall and put her in the cross ties.  I curried her, tons of hair in clumps showed up all over her coat, you can see them in the pictures since I had not stiff brushed her yet so the clumps were still where they lay.  I used the shedding tool that Laurie has, a very useful tool indeed!

Then I started on her front near foot to begin picking her hooves...that's when all went to &@*#&!!!!  She kept pulling her hoof away from me even though I was supporting it properly and telling her she was a good girl.  As I kept trying to gain access to her hoof, I tried the other side as well things just got progressively worse.  Pstar bulldozed me by taking several steps forward as I leaned down to get her hoof.  Many times I was afraid I would get conked in the head with her back hoof.  I kept trying and trying....I took a few breaks to chill out and stroke her neck while talking with her.  Still nothing worked.

I got frustrated and ended up putting her back in her stall as Laurie's daughter came out to put Psylk in the arena.  I certainly didn't want to get angry with Pstar since that wouldn't help but I'm sure she sensed my irritation and frustration.  I have no idea what I did wrong or why she was being so testy.  She stood stock still while I groomed her, even Divine isn't completely still while I groom her!

I left hurt and dejected.  I didn't want to bother Laurie, so I figured I'd email her later.  I didn't know if this was something I could get past or even why it was happening.  I felt like a complete failure and questioned whether I could take on a young horse like Pstar.  After Laurie responded to my email I felt much better.  She mentioned it was a young horse thing and a new person thing.  Though Pstar knows me she doesn't really trust me just yet and that would come in time.  I guess my question is how can I work on the lungeline without picking her hooves?  Couldn't that injure her if there is a rock and I haven't been able to work with her hoof to get it out?  I'll just have to see how Pstar is the next time I'm out there.  The lease is for 6 months and in that time it will be great that Laurie will be right there with me to coach me as I work with Pstar and build the relationship.

I need to be patient with myself and not so hard on myself.  I'll try to be patient with Pstar, that's a little easier to do I think than with myself.  I'm constantly thinking I'm doing something wrong and thinking "Why can't you do this?  What's wrong with you!?"  That's not a fun way to be with myself.  I've been like that a lot at work, very hard on myself if I don't immediately know how to do something or how to handle a situation.  I'm out of my comfort zone both in work and with a young horse like Pstar....I have to realize what that really means and give myself a break!  Anyhow, I will continue on.  Hooves...that can get worked on.  Pstar is sweet and responsive on the lungeline.  She doesn't nip or anything like that, I have to keep it in perspective!  Throughout the 25-30 years I would know her if I buy her she and I will have many disagreements and off days, that's just how relationships are.

Whip it...into shape....shape it up!

Today's post is about two things mainly...whipping my leg (heels down) into shape and whips left on the ground throughout the property.

First off, I arrived as usual and got set up in the indoor arena for tacking Willy up.  There was a whip on the ground and a few piles of horse poop that someone didn't clean up.  Uge.  If the rules are to clean up after your horse in the common areas of the property why do none of the Youth Ranch kids do it? 

Anyways, I tacked up Willy and headed to in the smaller arena to work on the trot and the "angles in my ankles".  As I headed over to the ring there was yet another whip just laying about on the ground.  Granted after my ride I picked up both whips and some extra poops along with those left by the Willy Goat.

In the arena I got Willy into a trot, not quite the BIG trot but that was fine.  I worked on keeping my toes in and heels down.  I glanced at my feet a few times to make sure they were doing what I wanted since I didn't have an instructor on the ground to help me out.  It sure was a work out as I worked hard to stretch down into my heel and also squeezing to keep Willy moving on.  Finally I decided to move on and just play around the property.

I did some more trots, and also a walk serpentine up one side of the big arena.  Then I did a couple canters.  I think Laurie is right it's that big trot that scares me and gets me tense before the canter...and then I guess it takes a lot of will power afterwards to relax again back into the sweet canter stride.  I've worked with Willy a bit to get him to transition to the canter from not such a big, fast trot.  I'm able to stay relaxed better since he's not doing that huge trot and making me tense up.  I love the canter and Willy does have a nice one when he doesn't try to kick into high gear and gallop up the hills!  He seemed very content and responsive after working at the trot in the arena so he was happy to canter in a nice rocking horse sort of way.

The day was getting pretty chilly so I called it quits, untacked Willy and groomed him down.  The goats in their pen were being noisy, clopping up and down a ramp in their area and butting each other on the heads.  It was cute to watch.  I call Willy, Willy Goat since he has very long shaggy hairs under his face for his winter coat. 

I mucked out his pen, said hello to Two Socks and Misty.  Two wheel barrows later the area was nice and clean so I gave carrots to everyone, including the cute little minis.  I feel like today was a pretty successful day.  I worked hard on my heels, not sure how good the end result was but I did my best and that's what counts.  I had two very nice canters that I felt relaxed during, the second having a better transition to the trot on my part.  Very well balanced and smooth.  Until next time...I only have 3 more visits with Willy, it saddens me but we knew at the beginning of the lease that it was not going to end up with me buying Willy.  He was just going to be my lease horse.  Pstar on the other hand could very well end up being my first horse after a period of leasing her...we shall see.  I hugged Willy goodbye and headed home to a nice warm house!

The BIG Trot (kind of akin to the BIG salad)

I headed out to Laurie's today with the determination to work my butt off and get a good canter.  I had told Laurie I wanted to learn how to tack up the western saddle and that the horn might be a better comfort for me during the canter since I wouldn't have to reach down on the pommel as much. 

When I got to the stable I went directly to the house.  Laurie and I talked a bit in her kitchen while I loved on the her cute chihuahua.  We talked about the lease a little, she'd sent me the contract the evening before.  Everything seemed pretty good.  I was excited and anxious about leasing Pstar but this is a great chance to really get to know her and work with her.  The lease will go until September and of course I can renew it if I wish at that time.  By then I will have a good feel about what a match she and I are.  I'm not sure I'll be able to buy her at that time, I'll still be paying down debt but I can lease her again and continue to save up so I can make a good offer.  On another note it sounds like things are going well with the new place Laurie and Dan are buying; closings rarely go off without a hitch so I was glad to hear that things worked out and it looked like they'd be closing in the next week or so.  I'm so excited for them!

Later in the arena it was nap time for all the mares (darn it I forgot my camera so I didn't get pictures of the cuteness!).  Brownie was lying down, Pstar plopped down as well later followed by Divine.  Laurie and I went in to say hello.  She walked up to Divine and loved on her, I walked over to Pstar, startled her slightly but she relaxed and just stayed laying there while I stroked her.  She's a special mare that's for sure!

Picture from the 2007 Scottsdale Arabian Show

In the stable I got Divine all groomed up and ready for the saddle.  Laurie showed me how to put the far side stirrup up on the horn so it was easier to place the saddle on Divine's back.  Then the cinch, after seeing some videos and watching her (and untacking Divine later) I feel I understand the western saddle cinch technique a little better.  It's good to be familiar with different tack!

The lesson was based off a similar lesson that Ushi had earlier that day.  The transition to canter is where I and apparently Ushi tense up.  It's during that bigger trot where you really feel the energy and power.  So Laurie had me work on the lungeline where she had Divine trot and we worked on the posting trot at the BIG trot.  I fell behind the rhythm a lot (not fell to the ground!  I bet that's what you thought I was gonna say!  LOL).  My leg kept coming forwards and my toes would start to point down as the tension crept in. 

I need to work on the ankles and get the angles correct.  My ankle is not as flexible as it was when i was a kid.  There are pictures of me on a horse with my heels WAY down.  Another thing I was feeling during the ride was releasing the tension in my knee and hips.  Towards the end the BIG trot was going quite well and I moved well with Divines changes in pace.  I was pretty happy.

Green just looks good on a bay horse!

After the lesson and ridding Divine of unwanted hair (a lot of it!) Laurie and I sat and chatted about breeding and lineages.  I can see that if I bought Pstar it would just make sense to have a contract with Laurie for a retained breeding.  Pstar is fantastic and a cross with her and Legs would be amazing.  I get excited just by Laurie talking about it.  I doubt I would ever breed a horse of mine on my own, there's a lot more that goes into caring for a pregnant mare and dealing with the birthing etc.  Still it would be neat to be a part of in some way.  Someday I would love to have a baby though, getting to know a horse from birth, seeing it through growing up and training.  But that is for someday when Steve and I don't have to consider buying a horse and having to board it.  I can't wait to have the property where we can have a little herd of horses but I don't have the expertise to have a breeding farm, I'll leave that to the experts.

I ended the day with giving all the mares carrots.  Divine got a good share since she worked so hard today.  I stroked Pstar as I said goodbye, someday I'll be riding her!  Wow!  That's scary and exciting!  She'll be fantastic I'm sure...how could she not be?

Centripetal Force and The Saddle

I had a lesson on Divine this past Monday since I had the day off and it worked out for Laurie. I did two lessons back to back. The one on Divine and then one following where I worked with Pstar.

Laurie had me on the lungeline and had me work on my leg. It doesn’t seem to stay back where it should. I wonder if my cheap English saddle I use on Willy puts me in a different position or I just don’t concentrate on that unless I have Laurie there to pick apart my seat. She had me doing trots on the lunge and use my seat in the posting trot to encourage Divine to go faster, take longer steps and then also to slow down. By creating more energy in my rise and fall it makes Divine speed up to catch up to me. It was a lot of fun.

One bad thing that I still don’t understand why it happened (actually I do, tension and leaning forward) I fell during a lungeline canter. Laurie had me hold onto the front of the saddle with my inside hand while she had Divine begin the canter. I think it was something about cantering in a small lunge circle that threw off my balance. Usually on Willy I’m cantering in a straight line, not a circle. Perhaps I should work in the round pen with him and see if I can work better on my seat at the canter. I’ve mainly just farted around with the canter on Willy; I can’t work much on collection with him because of his head tossing, nose to the wind style. I definitely feel with the canters on Willy I’ve done well, moved with him well and tried to at least work on loosening my seat and going with the movement. Why did I tense up so much? Was it holding the saddle instead of having reins and going with the movement of the horses head with my hands? Was it the centripetal force pushing me out of the circle?

No matter what it was I was pretty embarrassed about the fall. Laurie said it was almost in slow motion as I pretty much rolled off Divines left shoulder. I kind of hit the reins and the lungeline so I was worried that Divine got jerked by me…that was the first thing I asked when I popped back up was if she was okay. I felt bad but at least the fall didn’t hurt and Divine was okay, a sandy arena is a nicer place to fall than a hard gravel road! I needed to get my thoughts together since my face flushed and the tears of embarrassment and frustration welled up. I know Laurie doesn’t judge and she’s on my side, she’s a horse person and has had her share of falls but still, falling on your own is one thing but falling in front of someone is downright embarrassing. I’ll continue on though… “just keep swimming!” as Dori the fish would say!  At least I'm in good company! A year with horses  and then Simply horse crazy have had recent "falling" posts!  LOL.

Next lesson was with Pstar. I got her groomed up, hoof picked (which went a little smoother this time, though the back legs where a challenge with getting underneath quick enough while she “kicked” out) and front legs wrapped. Laurie had put a saddle on Pstar once during a lesson with Robin who had questioned how long it took to train a horse to ride. She had explained that all the work leading up to putting the saddle on a horse would make it a pretty "easy" transition. Apparently Pstar had done fine with getting the saddle on and just stood tied with it…that was all. Today Laurie was going to put the saddle on, tie her and if all went well we’d get her moving on the lunge. All went well!

Laurie lunged her at the walk and then the trot. Pstar didn’t very well! Then I got to try and had Pstar change directions many times and also did the two eyes game by having her back away from me and then come towards me using body language. I still need to work on that one. I just received a ground work book in the mail that I got off Amazon. It looks like it has a lot of games to play! I also want to work some “bombproofing” things. Tarps, plastic bags, bikes, umbrellas…scary objects to get her desensitized to weird things or at least to stop and think first.

The more I think about it I think I am up to the challenge of leasing Pstar, working with Laurie to get her worked on and eventually to the point of riding her. I talked a little bit about what I would do with her if I leased her and Laurie told me some of the games we’ve worked on among other games would be good to work on. I could do a lesson with her every other week, with the off week being a riding lesson for me since I’ll not want to lose much ground with that, and can then work on Pstar with what we did on the lesson. I’m excited at this thought! What an opportunity! Pstar is the only “unbroken”, I don’t like that term, horse I would consider buying and here I have the chance to lease her and get my feet wet (kind of have my hand held by Laurie) before I go head first and buy this young mare! I love her and am impressed with her smarts so far!

So what can I do with her during the week after work? I can do groundwork, spooky object work, perhaps get her used to being led by the halter while I jog…something she’d need to do as an endurance horse. I’d like to get her out to a couple new places but I’m sure that will come later on in her training, perhaps as a “lesson abroad” so to speak with Laurie. Since she’s not under saddle and not been on trail rides I want to test all these different things with her before deciding she’s my horse. This lease is going to be a great way to determine that!  Now I just have to talk seriously with Laurie and figure out when to start this since I also have to give notice I assume to Susan that I won't be leasing Willy anymore.  I'll miss him but working with Pstar....SIGH!

Autism and Horses

My coworker came out on Sunday to bring his grandson Brandon out for a ride on Willy. Brandon is 6 years old and autistic. He loves horses and other animals. Rich has told me about him going out to another friends stable to have him ponied around on her old gelding but it’s been cold lately and they haven’t gone out, so I invited him out to see Willy since there is an indoor arena.

The day was really windy so I was glad that I had access to the indoor arena. I got Willy groomed up but kept going outside to check if Rich was out there wandering around lost…so it took me longer to get Willy cleaned up. Rich showed up as I was picking Willy’s hooves. I gave him a brush to see if Brandon wanted to learn how to brush a horse. As Brandon loved on Willy I worked on the other side wrapping his legs in the polo’s. Then I put the saddle on. I had Rich go sign the release Susan had left out for him to review for Brandon and also to look amongst the helmets for one that fit Brandon well. Then up went Brandon!

We led Willy around the indoor arena, Brandon sat like a little pro! My stirrups were as short as they could go but I wanted to figure out how to make them shorter even since Brandon kept trying to put his feet in the stirrups…he knew what they were for! The gal that leases Ladybug came over and showed me an old trick, wrapping the stirrup leathers around the iron. It's been so long since I worked around kids and horses …it's also been a while since I was a kid and needed to get my stirrups that short! It’s a good trick and I cannot believe I’d forgotten it! Once that was done I think Brandon was much happier.

Towards the end of the ride Brandon was getting a little antsy so I asked Rich if he thought we could try a little trot. He said sure. It was a mistake though. Brandon didn’t have much to grab onto in the English saddle so he jammed his little fingers. I felt horrible! So did Rich but we didn’t know.  I really enjoyed being with Brandon...it took me back to the days in middle school and high school went I worked with my mother at the therapeutic riding program in Leesburg, VA.  Next time I’ll borrow a western saddle so he had the horn. I’ll just need to learn how to cinch it up!

After the ride Rich took Brandon to visit the little ponies and I rode Willy around the property. He was acting pretty spunky and when asked to canter he took off along the side of the arena almost at a gallop. This irritates me because he just ignores my commands to slow down. I worked him in small circles and doing neck flexes and releases to get him mind back on me. We then did some trotting around the arena and he seemed to calm down a bit. It just seems that horses get frisky when it’s windy!

Rich headed back home with Brandon. I continued riding inside. Willy didn’t want to canter in the indoor arena so I got down and free lunged him. He cantered, it didn’t seem like the area was too small for him. Maybe I should work on that with him! I was pretty much done with the day, the wind and chill just didn’t make me happy so I called it a day. It was fun to have Rich’s grandson come out and get some joy riding a horse around. Hopefully we can do it again sometime! Only issue is I think I’ve decided I’ll be ending my lease with Willy by April and starting to lease Pstar!!! Since she’s young and untrained I wouldn’t want to lead Brandon around on her for quite some time. Not sure how she’d react. Well, leasing Pstar is another blog entry all together!

Much to write about

I have much to write about.  I've seen Willy and had a friends grandson ride him which was a lot of fun.  I've also had a lesson with Divine where Laurie had me canter on the lunge and I fell....oh my gosh the embarrassment!  Then I had a lesson with Pstar where Laurie put a saddle on her and then we did some lunge work.  I was so impressed with how relaxed Pstar was with the saddle....more and more I'm feeling like she's my horse but I can't do anything about claiming her as mine!  Uge!  I will write more soon.  It's late and I should get to bed soon!

Willy with Brandon on board and Rich leading

Pstar walking with the saddle on towards the arena where she did AWESOME!

Darkness Decends

I went out to ride fairly late on Friday.  4:30pm lesson.  I was riding Divine.  She was a bit antzy in the cross ties today, wiggling around and pooing a couple times. 

Today Laurie had me working on keeping collection with Divine and a consistant trot while I posted and sat the trot.  I definitely notice the difference when I ride Divine compared to Willy.  Since Willy doesn't collect much and I'm not a trainer I don't think about collection when I ride him.  I just ride and have fun.  With Divine I get challenged.  I can't wait to have my own horse to take lessons on where both me and the horse are getting challenged and then I can continue on that path during the week on my own!

Divine and I had a few minor arguments while doing some circles but we went pretty well together.  I certainly got a workout! 

Laurie was excited that things were moving forward with the new property and I am estatic for her!  I dream of having land and an indoor arena some day so I know she is just through the roof with excitement!  I can't wait to see the new place!

Pstar in a fly mask from last summer

After I groomed Divine and brought her to the arena with the other mares I visited Pstar.  She was sweet as ever and her sidekick Psylk joined us, her black coat just a shadow.  The only way I could actually "see" her was by a reflection in her eyes.  She was black as the night!  Then all the other mares tried to gather around me and I found myself surrounded by mares in the dark...with the boss mare Sala getting a bit testy that the others were nearby.  I was out of there!  Not a comfortable situation!  Safely on the other side of the fence I gave each mare a carrot and then headed over to see Eksodus. 

Laurie said Eksodus had already been acting much better since the surgery.  When I went over to pet him he came up with his bright eyes twinkling in what little light there was.  A few pets and he made to nip me again.  I tried one more time and he tried nipping again.  Perhaps he still needs more time to mellow or he just senses my timid feelings, I don't like the idea of getting bit.  I don't feel like he respects me and I haven't given him a reason to yet, he always scared me a bit when he went to bit me.  Hopefully as the gelding fully takes effect and he gets put out with the mares he'll start to chill and I can get to know him a little better.  I just don't know what to do around young horses!  I'm certainly not ready for one that's for sure!  Someday I'd love to "raise" one but not anytime soon!

Floating and Gelding

Tooth floating in horses simply put is sanding down the rough edges of a horses teeth.  Horses teeth continually grow throughout their lifetime and being domesticated they don't grind on grass and forage as much as they would in the wild, therefore their teeth don't wear in quite the same way as wild horses.  The lower teeth tend to get sharp edges on the inside, near the tongue and the upper teeth tend to get sharp edges on the outside near the cheek.  This can be an issue since it can cause painful sores and then of course an unhappy mouth can cause bitting issues.  It's best to have your horses mouth checked out once a year and depending on the horse any dental care or floating that occurs will be based on their needs.  Young horses, like any baby animals, can have baby teeth still present when the adult on erupts and therefore need the baby tooth removed to allow the adult teeth to come into the correct position. 

Legs is so sweet as he has his heart checked...he is so cute!

Horse skull showing the wolf teeth and the "gap" area for the bit

Another thing that horses can have are what is called "wolf teeth".  In a horses mouth there are the front teeth (incisors) that tear off the bits of grass and then the back teeth which are the molars that grind the grass.  In between the front and back teeth there is a gap with no teeth present, this conveniently allows a bit to rest across the tongue and be used to transmit aids in the form of pressure to the side of the mouth, tongue and bars (lower gum line on the jaw) of the mouth.  While having teeth floated it's also a good time to remove these wolf teeth that sit right in front of the back molars, where the bit would sit.  It interferes with the bit and can often get broken by the bit which, I'm assuming, would be a more expensive dental cost to remove a broken wolf tooth.  Not all horses develop a wolf tooth and they appear at different ages.

Pstar nose, you can barely see the wolf tooth but it's right in front of the molars

The process was pretty simple.  A halter with a lower cushioned bumper is hung from a rafter in the ceiling so the horses head can be held up at the proper height.  Each horse is sedated, placed in the halter and then a mouth speculum (I looked up the term, I knew it reminded me of the gynecologist!!) it used to open the horses mouth.  Then the vet uses a drill looking tool that has a circular rasping plate on the end.  Then it's just like sanding wood in a sense!

The speculum (shutter...)

The rasping tool (more shutters...)

The victim (shutter...poor Legs!)

The tooth pulling meant that local injections of anesthetic were administered.  Some of the wolf teeth were tiny, others were huge...Pstar had pretty big ones removed.  I wonder if that means she has the spirit of the wolf in her...one who is social and loyal...yep that sounds like Pstar!  LOL.

All in all it went pretty quick and it's a necessary maintenance, same as humans going to the dentist.  The poor babies though!  At least they were sedated for it!  I wish I could be whenever I go in for just my cleanings!

Next it was Eksodus's turn.  He's just  yearling who will turn two in July I think.  I hadn't seen him up close in a while, he's almost as big as Pstar is and she's 4 going on 5!  What a handsome boy!  Since he's still pretty young the vet thought it best just to check his teeth since he still had a lot of baby teeth.  His wolf teeth would be removed but the main job today was gelding (castration).  I've seen castrations before in Leesburg, VA back in 2000 when I worked as a tech in an equine operating room one summer.  Usually the castrations were older horses.  I guess doing it in the OR, instead of doing it in the field, was because of the amount of fat and size of the vans deferens. 

Handsome boy!

Eksodus was sedated, then given another shot that made him even more sedated to the point where he plopped onto the ground.  The vet moved him to a safe location and cushioned his "fall" by holding his head up and then helping him roll down onto his side.  It was pretty much the same procedure as in the OR just not with the nice cushioned walls that you wedge the horse in between or with the cool hydraulic table.  It was quick and easy though.  Make an incision, pull out one testicle, cut the vans deferens and clamp for a few minutes, pull out the next one and do the same.  Then the doctor tidied the area up so fat and other skin wouldn't hang out of the wound.  It's left open to drain, and the swelling that will then happen helps to close up the wound.  I don't remember if they stitched it up in the OR or not but in the field since it's not sterile it's best not to sew up the area.  Esksodus then had his wolf teeth removed.  Shortly after, he started to get up, he layed on his belly for a little while before fully standing and then was led to stall for 24 hour stall rest with two weeks of hand trotting exercise.  It will be interesting to see how Eksodus is as a gelding, hopefully he won't be as nippy with me!  He'll be three next year, still very young and compared to Pstar it would be hard to think of buying a three year old I couldn't ride when I could buy and be riding Pstar.  2012 is far away, yet very close....must keep my head in the debt reduction game (aka Project Buy a Pony!)

An iodine scrub to clean the area

Eksodus: "Yikes, that was a horrible dream I just had!"

I was so happy that Laurie let me come out to witness all of this!  As a future horse owner I want to soak up as much information as I can to learn about the proper care of horses.  I subscribe to Dressage Today, Practical Horseman, Equus and now as a member of the Arabian Horse Association I will be getting their Modern Arabian magazine.  Each horse magazine has articles on behavior, training and care of the horse but nothing beats seeing things firsthand!  Thanks Laurie!  Hope the horses are feeling better after their dental appointments, reminds me I need to get my Jack Russell in for his!

So I'll end this post with a cute pic of Pstar.  Awe!

Pstardancer Lunging Lesson

This Saturday I had my regular lesson with Laurie but the exciting part was I was going to use Pstar as my lesson horse!  She's not under saddle yet so this was going to be a lunging lesson, both for me and for Pstar.

I arrived at the stable and saw the mares in the arena.  Pstar's ears were pricked forwards, she was looking very fuzzy and cute.  I retrieved her from the arena.  She seemed surprised I was leading her out of the arena and kept looking at me with an excited look in her eye.  I brought her into the cross tie area.  She hesitated but stepped up and I turned her around to get hooked up to the cross ties.  She sniffed around the area and watched me as I clipped each side onto her halter.  I wasn't sure if she'd been up there or not so I stroked her and talked softly. 

Funny angle, her head looks huge in this pic but she's really almost perfect in conformation! 

To really get good pics of horses you can't be this close to them, it's better to be further away

 and use a longer lens but of course this is just a cheap point and shoot.  I'd love to do a real

 photo shoot with the horses someday!

Then I started to groom her.  She'll be five in July and she's a dainty little thing.  I guess she's about the height of Divine she's just very slim and refined.  I wondered if I would be too heavy for her if ever I rode her!  Her neck was upright and her head inquisitive as I worked around her.  She stood pretty still, much more so than Divine on most days.  I was pretty impressed. 

Laurie arrived at the stable as I was grooming.  She then told me that Pstar had not been in the cross ties before and how she thought she was being really good.  Pstar did poop several times, definitely a little nervous at this change in situation and change in handler!  I then worked on picking her feet.  Divine just has to have her legs touched and she's ready to give me her hoof.  Pstar wasn't so sure so Laurie showed me the way she had her trained.  Pstar was a little nervous I wouldn't give her hoof back or something, she was a bit reluctant to give me her foot!  The back feet were the most difficult, I wasn't quick enough to get my hand and leg under her to support the leg and she sort of panicked with a "kicking" motion.  Later after my lesson the kicking motion nearly got me several times.  Talk about adrenaline!  Anyways, once the hooves were done I wrapped her legs with the polo's.  Her cannons are nice and short so I had to adjust how I wrapped them, with some help from Laurie as to the tension I put into the wraps as I worked my way around Pstar's delicate leg.

Laurie did some lunging with her, playing the "Two Eyes" game from Clinton Anderson.  Pstar was pretty frisky and even reared (first time ever!).  I admired how beautiful Pstar was as she trotted in circles and pranced about at times.  She was very feminine looking but with a sense of strength, like a taunt rubberband, you could feel her energy ready to burst forth.  She calmed down a bit but always was a spring ready to release.  I lunged her at the walk and worked on changing directions now and again.  Then Laurie showed me how to have the horse back off from my space and also to follow.  I'm not using the correct terms but the whole thing is you get the two eyes on you and then wiggle the lead and walk with a big posture towards the horse.  They should back up.  Then you change your posture to a meeker position, back up and the horse should follow.  Pstar did quite well and I guess so did I.

After the lesson I groomed Pstar again and I put her back in her stall to eat some hay.  Then Laurie and I talked a little about breeding, bloodlines etc.  We also discussed a possible lease.  I would pay Pstar's board and thus have access to work with her.  Laurie would also work with me to get her under saddle.  It could be an interesting prospect, I would get to really know Pstar and see how we work as a team before committing to buying her.  I liked how she worked today though I was so nervous about messing up that I feel we could have worked even better. 

I do have concerns though, I would want to see her in many situations.  Loading on a trailer alone.  Taking her on a trail alone.  How would she react to traffic?  Bicycles?  Dogs barking at her on the side of the road?

Many times while out with Willy I've had barking dogs run right up to us and he's been really calm about it, granted he's 19 years old but can you get a younger horse at least pretty safe and reliable in that situation?  How do you get them used to the Santa Fe Trail where there are bikes, joggers, dogs and children that may not be "horse smart".  How do you progress with a young horse's training?  What if I do something really wrong and screw her up somehow?

I don't know if I'm ready to take on a young horse I might feel more confident with a horse that has a couple years under the saddle.  Maybe I'm just scared and this is the learning experience I need to just dive head first into.  I know I can lease her and if I feel things aren't working out the way I want I could end the lease.  But honestly it's hard for me to think about quiting the lease on Willy and look how many complaints I have about him! 

At least I don't have to decide to lease her this second, I still have my lease contract with Willy.  I'll be leasing Willy at least to the beginning of April (as per my contract), and at that point I can decide if I want to lease Pstar.  I'll ask Laurie to do a few more lessons with me and Pstar in the next couple of months and then see how I feel about her and the prospect of working with a young horse....to include less time in the saddle for me as we work on ground work with her.  It's an exciting thought starting from the ground up on a horse, and a potential life riding partner but also I'm not sure I want to take that on.  Do I want a horse that is a few years older that has been on several trails and seen a bit more of the world?  One who has experience dealing with changes in their lives?  One who I can get up and go riding down a trail in Black Forest or take into the mountains right away? 

I also don't know what price Pstar will be next year.  She only just came into my range over Christmas and will most likely go up in price as she gets more training.  I'd hate to fall hopelessly in love only to end up not being able to buy her in the end.  Uge.  I just need to take this one day at a time.  There is a lot of ground to cover between now and even April when I will be able to change what horse I lease if I so desire.  I have to think sensibly and remember that Pstar is a wonderful mare and I love her affection and cuddles but I have to be objective about myself as a rider and her as a horse.  What mount would be the best match for me to accomplish what I desire to accomplish in the horse world?  I also think it's a good idea to see other horses on the market, kind of that "dating around" to find your match theory. 

Anyways I can ramble on, I just have to be patient and not let my emotions and desire to have a horse of my very own take over my logical thoughts. 

On a completely different note I'm excited for Laurie since she and her husband just put an offer on a 40 acre property with a nice house, stable and indoor arena!  How cool is that!  I hope the offer is accepted and Laurie gets the dream property!  She deserves it so much! 

Well until next time, I'll keep this blog updated with my workings with Pstar.  I have time to figure out if taking on Pstar as a lease horse is more than I can chew or if it's a challenge I can face right now.  I just need to get comfortable with the idea and if not move on at least knowing that I fully investigated the possibility.  Happy trails!

Wallpaper

I've had various wallpaper at work.  Some gorgeous, nameless Arabian of one sort or another.  I figured why not give little Pstar a chance to be on my screen.  Laurie has great shots of her when she did photo shoots of all the horses.  This is my wallpaper right now.  Copyright of Quintessential Arabians.

My lesson this next Saturday will be with Pstar.  I'll be lunging her and learning some groundwork.  This should be fun!

Snowy Ride

Riding in the winter can be a challenge for most riders.  Only those insane enough about horses will face a cold, snowy day.  It helps remarkably to have a indoor arena at my disposal, otherwise on days like this I doubt I'd get riding in at all.  There are some things though about riding on a cold wintry day that warms the heart.

• Snowflakes in pony's dark, fuzzy coat

• The tabby cat sleeping on the seat of an old western saddle
• Horse breath in your pockets searching for carrots

• The warmth of a horses back as you ride without a saddle
• My warm, fleece lined winter jodphurs
• The silence of the barn yard
• The protection and subtle warmth of the arena while you and your horse are bundled up in jackets, looking into the cold outdoors

• The black dog curled up in a pile of hay, so content and deep in sleep he doesn't bother to look up as you trudge by carrying your armful of tack

It was just me and Willy today, I didn't see anyone else aside from the horses, dogs and cats.  We stayed in the indoor arena, which I am so glad to have access to this during the winter.  Any place I decide to board will have to have one of these!  I'd pay extra just for that luxury!  I rode Willy at the trot mainly and worked on my leg position like in my lesson on Friday.  Then after about an hour of riding I took off the saddle and rode him around bareback at the walk.  On days like these I wish I had a bit warmer, the cold bit in my hand is freezing and then also is cold against my stomach as I warm it up within my jacket.  I know Willy appreciates not having a cold bit in his mouth, I would just love to have something that did it quick and easy!

I thought about Pstar today though.  I really can't afford her.  On paper I can but my budget would be so tight that if something happened, a car issue, a doctor issue...I would be living so tight and never able to make headway on getting my debt down or taking care of other obligations.  I owe it to myself, Steve and my future horse, whether it will be Pstar or someone else to be in a better financial position when I take on horse ownership.  In 7 months I will have $300 more a month after paying off one bill, in about 6 or 7 more another bill paid off will give me yet another $200.  This is on top of the money I have each month that makes it so "I could afford a horse right now" and pay $250 board and a payment on the horse.  If I bought her now my financial cushion would be a rock...a year from now, it will be a pillow top mattress with a heavy down comforter on top!  I will be sitting in a much better place to keep a horse and build my savings....and yes even have a life outside my horse. 

I owe it to Pstar to not be hasty in buying her but by getting set up right so I can indeed offer her a forever home.  Again she may not even be the horse for me but if she turns out to be I don't want to have remorse in anyway when I do claim her as mine.  Hopefully I can get to know her better in the next year so my worries about whether we'd be a good match or not can be calmed.  She is for sale and I know Laurie needs to get some of the sale horses moving so she can get another lesson horse.  If she is sold to someone else, it wasn't meant to be between us, if she isn't sold by the time I can buy her then perhaps she is my dream horse.  Only time will tell.  I'm glad I have Steve to talk to me sensibly, he understands the emotional side of me and that the feelings I have around Pstar can get me thinking with my heart more than my head.  I need to get the stuff my head is concerned about squared away and then I can think all heart and choose my riding partner for life!  Oh the heartache!

Misty, one of Willy's new paddock mates.  He's not nice to her though!

Heartache

I finally made it out to Lauries today, holidays and really bad weather have kept me away.  How I've missed the lovely Arabians!  I had a little Christmas gift for Laurie so I came totting that and forgot carrots!  Eksodus and Pstar were in the first two stalls.  So I greeted them with a pat, Eksodus being his little saucy self!  Laurie came in and we hugged, catching up on our holidays.  Then she had a gift for me...a beautiful ornament her mother made and an awesome teeshirt with Gadiel pictures on the front and back!  I have a pony shirt to wear with my pony PJ bottoms!  I gave Laurie her gift, the size and shape of the horriblly wrapped present sort of gave it away, I'd gotten her a new riding whip/bat.  I'd been at Big R a couple weeks ago and saw it.  I thought it was perfect since she wanted one a little longer than the one she currently had.

After our gift exchange I got Divine from the arena and began getting her groomed.  She was so fuzzy she looked nearly pure white instead of the flea bitten grey/white color she is in the summer.  I rode on the lungeline today and Laurie had me working on my leg position.  It still comes forward a bit when I post so we worked on that with posting trot, sitting and two point.  Towards the end, I guess after I'd warmed up a bit my legs relaxed into the correct position.

Laurie and I talked a lot about horses, as usual.  I asked about Ekstasha and she said she wasn't sure if one of her younger students was interested in her.  Ekstasha is Eksodus's mom whom someone else owns but is giving up their horse because of a move...honestly that's the excuse, I think they just don't have the interest anymore.  Then Laurie mentioned that she had told the family that Pstar would be a nice match maybe for their daughter.  My heart fluttered a little.  I talked to her more about horses and buying a horse not under saddle, how to judge the fit of the horse. 

Apparently a statement I'd made on my blog about Pstar not being a good fit for an endurance or trail horse was a misunderstanding.  Laurie doesn't know how she'd be.  Pstar isn't herd bound as they say, she just likes to be around other horses but Laurie said that if she's alone with no other horses she may be the kind of horse, since she's so human oriented, that would be fine with her human as the boss mare.  I'm not saying this really eloquently.  It sounds like Pstar could get accustomed to be "alone" on a trail with just me and be perfectly fine.

After the lesson and I'd gotten Divine in the cross ties, untacked and partially groomed Laurie tested out some treat samples.  Divine ate them readily but did a funny smacking motion with her mouth, the treat pieces must have stuck to her roof and teeth in her mouth, it was so cute!  Pstar didn't seem to like them, I gave her one twice and each time she just turned it around in her mouth and then dropped it out.  Eksodus did the same.  Later while talking with Laurie I was petting and snugging with Pstar, her lips toyed with the zipper on my jacket.  Horse lips are so funny!  It was so nice with her in the stall, when she's in the run in shed it's harder to get to her, since because of the design of the door there is also a little electric fence strip.  She's gotten pretty fuzzy too and has that extra poofy hair under her jawline like Divine does.

After saying goodbye to Laurie and the horses I headed home.  My mind wandered to conversations we'd just had about horses and finding that connection with a horse.  Nearly home I started to tear up with the thought that Pstar could be purchased by someone else and I would never see her again.  When I walked into my house the tears started running.  Later when Steve came home I talked with him a seriously about Pstar and he seemed a little hesitant but said he wouldn't stand in my way.  I just don't have the money for her right now, I want to pay off some debt but I do have a small raise coming.  I pondered options that might sound reasonable to Laurie, part ownership or leasing etc.  Steve and I will go over the budget and figure out what we are willing to do.  My debt will still get paid off, just a little more slowly if I have a horse to pay for too.  I haven't felt a connection like this since BC, my favorite lesson horse when I was younger.  Of course I don't want to get ahead of myself, Laurie has said that I'd have to work with Pstar and see if she works well with me and I want to get some idea of how Pstar might act in a new situation or place so I can assess if she'd be a good trail horse.  I know training and positive reinforcement is good and then repetition as I grow in a relationship with her and bring her to new places she'll gain the confidence that it's okay. 

Am I being crazy?  I pay all my bills monthly and on time, I'm not hurting in that sense.  I just want the bills gone, so I wanted to increase the payments on them to get in a better place.  I just don't want to lose Pstar if she's the mare for me...I've felt something in my heart about her for a long time and the scare that someone could sweep in and take her away forever is just heartbreaking to me.  Lots to ponder, some soul searching to do and the practical financial plans to construct....

Lull in riding followed by double lessons

I didn't ride for a period in November, there was a break-out of meningitis in Fort Collins so my Emergency Preparedness team had to coordinate our health department volunteers to go up and help at the POD's (point of dispensing, aka shot clinics).  Anyways I had to cancel some of my Friday lessons and then on some Sundays I was way too tired or out of town that weekend so I couldn't see Willy.

Willy's fuzzy and sweaty coat all ruffled up!

I saw Willy during a Thursday before leaving for Thanksgiving break.  He looked cute in his blanket!  We did some trail riding in the neighborhood.  Only thing to report that was annoying was that I was tacking him up in the indoor arena and Susan comes in and demands I tack elsewhere so she can bring a horse in there.  The other arena's and round pen were wide open, not sure why she had to have the indoor arena.  Anyways I went to move Willy and then came back to get my supplies but she already had the horse in there galloping around....how inconsiderate, I had to reach quickly through the fence polls when the horse was on the other side to get my gear.  This woman just amazes me at her rudeness!

The most recent ride I had with Willy I was working on getting a nice consistent trot out of him.  Susan had mentioned I should use a martingale to help with h  is head carriage issues but I disagree I'd rather do some real work with him rather than use a tool that he could brace against and not learn anything.  I pressed him forwards up into my hands and did the half halt, one two, one two on his mouth...rewarding when he put his head down.  I was impressed and decided I would not buy a martingale but a surcingle with side reins instead to start working on him.  I have no idea what I can do with only seeing him once a week but I'll try what I can.  As I was in my car just about ready to pull out the little gray tabby kitten jumped up on my car!  I was imprisoned in my car by a panther!  Hehehehe!



I then had a lesson on Divine and a lesson lunging Gadiel, Lauries big dapple grey stallion.  That was fun!  It was a bit unnerving lunging a stallion especially one that knows to rear on cue, I was afraid of doing the wrong thing and accidentally asking him to rear.  Several times when he faced me in the ring I felt like the snake on the island in the Black Stallion must of felt, a little helpless!  But it was fun to work on the lunging again and to see Gadiel with all his power trot and canter around me!

My latest lesson with Divine was a almost perfect.  I did walks and trots, working on my seat.  Laurie has had me sit more on my crotch since I tend to sit a bit back and that restricts the movement of my lower back.  I could feel the difference for sure.  So I worked on Divine and did figure eights, halts, sitting trot and a little posting trot while trying to keep her collected and my seat in this better position.  It felt great!  I felt I did really well and Laurie said I did awesome...that I next leveled!  Sweet!  I don't really want to ever show but at the same time getting judged can sometimes help one set goals.  I know with my future horse I'll have me and the horse to continue with training.  What fun!  Still trail rides and gallops in the open fields is what I ride for...feeling the wind in my hair and the strong muscles below my seat that respond to my cues.  What a great day riding!



I wish I could buy one of Lauries horses right now, I know Eksodus is pretty nippy with me and Laurie says that would go away if he was gelded.  Plus I need to learn how to deal with that, I've never had to!  Pstar is still my favorite mare but Laurie was honest that she wouldn't be the best choice for my trail riding/endurance goals.  I wonder about Psylk though, Laurie bred her specifically for breeding to Gadiel but I love her laid back personality.  I have to keep reminding myself that my horse will come...maybe it will be one of Lauries horses but I can't feel guilty if all her horses she has for sale are sold by the time I can buy one.  Someday I can see buying a weanling from her or paying for a breeding and the care of one of her mares so I can have the foal.  Oh to dream!  For now I'll just work with Divine and Willy and continue to think about what I want in my own horse.