Regionals 2017

With my 2017 absence from the blog, I wanted to bring forth some positive things that happened in 2017.

One was showing at regionals.  The last time I showed at regionals was in 2014 and Chili was three years old.  We showed in two in-hand classes and managed to be regional champion in both of them.

I didn't have as high of expectations, but of course, it would always be great to place again.  There are some phenomenal horses in my region that usually take top honors on the national level. 

My dressage classes weren't as spectacular as I had hoped.  I failed to keep track of time and somehow managed to get on my horse as they were ringing the bell to go into the ring.  Because of my work schedule and illness, I hadn't ridden my horse for three days.  So I went into the ring on a blustery cold day with a storm on the horizon on a baby Arabian that hadn't been ridden in three days.

But to be honest, it was OK.  I am slowly learning to be more confident in different situations.  I need to work through my show nerves to be a more effective rider in the ring. 

But on the positive side, I did end up with a regional top five in hand and a reserve regional championship as well in amateur and open sport horse in hand.

Both mares that beat me are absolutely high quality mares.  One with a previous national championship.

I am proud of my little backyard bred, rough board kept, self-trained semi feral. 

Plus she does a pretty awesome bowing trick which looks pretty snazzy in rosettes. 

Our goal now is to keep improving our skills undersaddle with setting goals to attend the 2019 Arabian Sport Horse Nationals which will just be held a couple hours from us!

Lesson Reflection

I've had a few lessons lately on Mr Montana.  While it's a bit of a drive (1.5 hours one way, a big deal here), I feel that I've been trying to learn more feel to take back to my own semi feral horses.

One of my last lessons, I was working on simple changes, which of course, seems simple enough.  In theory. 

However, this isn't theory and this is my life, so nothing is ever truly simple.

Montana is well schooled, so by taking him across the diagonal, he was anticipating flying changes.  It was a good example for me to play around what truly a mysterious half halt is from horse to horse.  For me, I ended up having to close his shoulders with my knees, sink my weight back in my stirrups and then ask him to slow on the outside rein.  If I just stopped cantering with my body, he'd come to a halt and if I didn't close his shoulders and just changed the bend, he would do a flying change. 

It is also harder for me as I am very asymmetric from left to right.  Most of us have a strong side and a weak side, but I've had a plethora of injuries on my left side that have created a very strong right side and a left side that's along for the ride.  Riding a well trained horse points this out just about each time I ride him. 

At least at this point and time, I have stopped (mostly) running over my instructor while cantering to the left.  Some days it's a little suspect still.  

Much to still work on.  This was from this past summer.  Hopefully making progress.

However, I am making progress tweaking the small things like proper geometry and a good square halt.  It's enlightening to ride a well trained horse to realize I need to basically half halt and warn the horse before going from movement to movement.

Of course, you always hear about this, but always riding green horses, I haven't always been very good at preplanning what I need to do and subsequently, have at times, been unfair to the horse.

Oh look, I'm going to halt at X.  OK, at X I ask for the halt, the horse slams on the brakes, dumps on the forehand, and the head goes up.

This last lesson, I was circling and coming in to halt at X and a few strides before, my instructor had me prepping for the halt, reminding the horse, and amazing enough, by the time I completely closed my legs and asked for the halt, I was exactly on X, straight, and square.

Who would have thought?

My goal today is to ride Chili and do at least 5 quality trot to halt transitions, focusing on straightness with proper preparation and impulsion into the halt.

The Return 2018 Style

It's been a long time.

Probably way too long for anyone who may have previously followed by blog to still be around, but that's OK.

I have been here, doing my thing.  I often suffer from "too much on the plate" and then get stressed and frustrated when I ignore some aspect of my life and then ignoring it seems to be the best solution.

But I decided I like blogging.  I like seeing progress, history, and everything else.

I'll see if I can touch base on some of the major highlights of the past year, but the Semi Feral horses are still here and mostly feral.  :)  

I'm, as always, working on being slightly less feral one day at a time.

One goal in 2018 I've had is to try and develop a little bit better feel by riding a schoolmaster type horse. 

Meet Montana

Montana is a pony sized Morgan stallion who has been shown through PSG.  I'm 5'11" so of course, in perfect logic, I'm now riding a pony who I think is 13.3 or so. 

That's me above riding.  Obviously still much to improve :) 

But it's been enlightening.  I own Arabians and riding a smaller horse means I have to be much more aware of my seat and aids in order to be most effective.  To ask for a good transition, I need to get out of their way and not inadvertently dump them on the forehand. 

Previously, riding larger horses, I felt they could tolerate and handle some more ineffectiveness or instability in my seat than my little sport cars can.

I am also hoping to show Montana a couple times to gain confidence in the show arena. 

Let's see how it goes!

Registration Data

I am on plenty of horse groups regarding my chosen breed and a frequent topic of conversation is how do we increase registrations?  Breed participation?  Reduce costs?

Inevitably, the conversation steers to how the shows are too expensive, registration is too expensive, the horses are too expensive, and so forth.

This evening, while taking a break from (poorly) painting my bathroom, I decided to look more closely at what various registries charge to registry foals.

Before anyone gets up in arms, the chart below assumes a few things:

• Foal in question is six months old
• DNA must be done on the foal
• Registration is done via snailmail
• Breeder is a member of the parent organization
• Foal is conceived via shipped semen

The Gypsy Vanner registry I used is GVHS.  The Curly registry is ABC. 

Do any of these breeds surprise you?  What do you feel is a reasonable registration fee for a young foal?

Liberty Work

Clearly not at liberty, although Chili wishes she was

Here is a short clip taken off my cell phone of some of the sort of things we have been working on at liberty.  I've been having hip and SI issues so riding has been difficult.

Here are some of the things we've been working (but obviously not perfected yet):

-Standing up and reaching for halter, which she already knew

-Turns on the haunches aka perhaps we will be able to do showmanship some day
-Turns on the forehand

-Bowing

-Lining up at liberty at the mounting block

-Bowing on the right leg, which is her off leg and a lot more difficult

-Sidepassing

-Touching the terrifying flag or anything else that flaps and makes her anxious

Any suggestions for other things to do?  I want to teach her to lay down, but my attempts so far have been unsuccessful.  She doesn't lay down often, so asking her to do it on cue isn't very simple.

 

Black and White and Shades of Grey

I was clicking through some video that I took while riding the other night.

As in took--I mean I set the camcorder on top of a jump standard, so it wasn't particularly focused and the lighting in the arena leaves a lot to be desired as far as image quality.

So here are the images in black and white instead.

I have a handy dandy stick with the flag on it as seen in the first photo.  Chili is what I would call a noise-reactive horse.  She doesn't really like weird looking things, but weird looking noises particularly bother her.

This is unfortunate as I don't usually hear whatever weird thing is going on.  On the plus side, if we need to run away from a ticking bomb, she has us covered.

But back to the flag--the purpose of the flag was to be able to control and introduce a stimulus with a noise factor.  I originally began pairing the flag with a treat so that flag=treat.  Eventually, I established a verbal command of "Touch it", so she has to touch the flag for the treat.

She does some pretty impressive "carrot stretches" to touch the flag.

The other night was the first time I picked up the flag and rode with it.  Apparently carrot stretches still apply while in the saddle.  The goal is to engage "curiosity".  High fear animals often have high curiosity and I am hoping by engaging her curiosity in touching this flag that we can continue to establish a verbal cue to remove fear and instead seek it out instead and be reinforced for that behavior.  We shall see if it works out. 

Training and working with horses is all shades of grey and not just black and white, right? 

Just a Little Irish

Last year, I spent St Patrick's Day in Ireland.  This year it is a cold, dreary day outside and I'm not traveling.  It is just above freezing with a gray unpleasant drizzle.

In a day where many people will be wearing green and drinking green beer, I'm just reflecting on a fantastic trip to an incredible country.  Friendly people, an incredible history, and more than just a few castles just about everywhere.  I'd recommend traveling to Ireland sometime and just immerse yourself in a country that's a joy to travel, beautiful, and just think of the history that shaped Europe and in ways, parts of the world.