Wassup?

[Angharad]

Here's a place to record your day-to-day equestrian doings, musings, and adventures.

[carol machulski]

Wednesday's lessons have been at the barn where I was riding Coffee and most of the time I ride Killian. Well Killian gained weight over the summer when I wasn't riding there at all. He was being used in the summer camp and so I rode elsewhere. Last Wednesday I told you about my hip problem when riding him. Yesterday I had an idea while grooming and tacking him. I was thinking about how my hips would feel and dreading it. Then I thought about my leg position and how since I'm riding in a dressage saddle and my position is a longer leg, if I bring the leathers up one half hole it might ease the pressure on my hips. Well it worked and I had little discomfort. However when we were doing ground pole patterns around x-rail jumps, Killian suddenly decided to go over a half rail. I was surprised and a little momentarily unbalanced but stayed with him. My trainer and I were laughing at him and he was unperturbed.  

[Angharad]

Hahaha! The mind of a horse can be a mysterious thing. I wonder what Killian was thinking. "Uhhhhhhh, here? There? Here? THERE!"

I'm just glad you hung in there, Carol.

And I'm happy you came up with a way to ease your hip pain. Good thinking!

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are looking forward to an equally good Christmas.

[carol machulski]

Here's how this past Wednesday's lesson went.

[Angharad]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Perfect unconcerned equine indecision. "Here? There? I really don't care!"

LOVE the picture, Carol!

[carol machulski]

Began the New Year with a lesson on Nathan which went well despite the busyness of the arena. Today we are going to repeat the day by riding again and maybe it will be less crowded and we can do a test. It's hard to do dressage patterns or a test when jumpers are practicing too.

[Angharad]

I agree, Carol--pain in the ass. 

Although I did some jumping, I've never felt an attraction to it. I have an absolute phobia about horses getting hurt. I've seen too much of it at the higher levels of competition. Used to have nightmares about what I'd seen. My clients would attempt to push me toward eventing, but I just had to say, "I'm afraid you'll have to get another rider."

How did your next ride on Nathan go?

[carol machulski]

I started as a jumper and competed at the Beginner level but when I was 62 I fell over a jump when the horse I was leasing was spooked by one on the rail. It cost me 4 fractured ribs and since I couldn't muster the nerve to jump after I recovered, I switched to dressage. Occasionally I'll do a xrail or 2 just for fun. The next lesson wasn't that good as I kept blowing my transitions. So last Friday we concentrated on half halts and transitions. there's another problem too that has cropped up: Nathan and his friends are moving this week to another facility for the winter that has an indoor. I've been invited to continue riding him there, but I need to drive it and see how much further from my house it is. so this wednesday I'll be trying that. If it's successful, we'll continue together this winter with an eye toward doing a show or two this year.    

[carol machulski]

Today was the second lesson with Nathan at the new winter quarters. Like Wednesday he was a bit anxious but I had him on a lunge line to begin his warmup and he acted calm. Once I mounted, it was a slightly different story. He shied at a ladder and kept looking at the big doors as if something was going to jump out at him. When my trainer and I tried to analyze why he'd be so anxious, we counted at least 3 moves for him since I met him 2013 and before that several more. I guess being the new kid on the block or in the barn in this case has the same effect on him as it would for me. In the end we did work up a bit of a sweat.

[carol machulski]

Like most of us older folk, Nathan is a bit stiff in the morning and so  Friday I started him on a lunge line since I was able to get to the barn a bit earlier. I  even had time to warm up his bit some. He seemed ready to warm up as he started with a nice marching walk and moved into an energetic trot. His canters were smooth and not too forward. When we started working under saddle he became a bit anxious. I thought at first it was still nervousness over the new venue but when a horse also in the ring passed us, he pinned his ears and moved away a bit. Hmmm...not like the new horse? Maybe so I gave them a wide berth and things got a bit better when we followed them. Then I got nervous when they started jumping. Luckily it was near the end of the lesson and so we ended.  I plan on starting him tomorrow on the lunge line as I don't think that he's had turnout due to the snow plus his usual  problem with being stiff. 

[Angharad]

Good idea! I assume you did that.

Geez, sorry Carol that I haven't been around. Anything new to report?

[carol machulski]

,Yes we did...in fact each lesson at the alternate venue, which has an indoor, began with lunge line work. This week we've moved back to Nathan's regular home and our lesson yesterday was relaxed and he was fairly normal. A bit muddy from the previous days rain though. He's back in his old stall and turnout too. It's a good thing since we need to start gearing up for the show season. The first show will be June 12th.

[carol machulski]

Poor Nathan come up lame on Friday's lesson. When we started to trot, I could feel him coming down hard on his right fore and when I couldn't get the right lead canter, I thought it was my fault. it wasn't until we changed to left lead and his trot degenerated badly that we realized he was lame. Not sure what's going to happen this week.