back to normal

So I guess my previous ride was just one bad ride. She was doing a lovely walk. It was very nice. But when I asked her to turn, she was like what is this turn you speak off? I just know how to go straight.
For a moment I thought I was asking her wrong. Been riding for 13 years and when your horse does something as wierd as not turning you question your riding first. No it was just her. Apparently I do know how to ride (sometimes *x*).
So I asked nice twice, still confused mare. Finally I tapped her with the crop when she didn't respond to my leg aid. That got an interesting mini-air above grounds reaction. I pushed her forward with my leg and we trotted around the arena and when I asked her to turn, oh my goodness she remembered how to do it.
Lol. Mares.
So for the rest of the ride, she was great. She really was using herself and we dabbled a little bit with leg yielding.

I think one issue that I have with switching to dressage is that sometimes the aids and cues are different. Will my teaching my mare something I learned from my western or hunter trainers, totally contradict an aid further down in her training.
When I rode hunters to move laterally I'd do outside leg outside rein. When I rode with Jennifer Mutchler, I tried that on her 4th level dressage horse I got a side pass across the damn arena.

Cantering transitions.
When I rode hunters and how I begin to train Lilly inside rein, inside leg at the girth, outside leg behind the girth and kiss and off you go.
When Budi was riding her he'd never got her to do a nice canter transition, because he was asking outside rein, outside leg cues.
When I was working with Kelly she asked me to start asking her that way. So I have. Having a smart horse helps, because she has caught on.

???

I rode Lilly yesterday. It was interesting to say the least. I'm not sure where she's getting these new issues. But sigh. More work. She's framing up well, but it felt like she was reverting to when she was a young horse. I put my leg on her and she wanted to take off. I'm like what in the world.
And her halts were non-existent. I sat back deep asked for a halt and I was still trucking along 5 strides later. So next half an hour, trot-halt transitions.
But when I was walking her I did my western riding halt. Sit back jiggle the reins and she halted immediately.
::shakes head::
So I dunno add it to the needs to be fixed column. That column seems to never get smaller.

Also add to the scrapes is she has rainrot all over her cheek. Thank goodness for Microtek. Though I need to get some of the spray.

All summer, no cuts or rain rot now she has it on her face and a little on her legs. But it's really only on her left hindleg and it's almost gone.

scraps

Back on Sunday I came out to ride Lilly and she had three scrapes alongside her right hindquarter. The biggest scrape is three inches wide and six inches long. It looks worse than it really is. So instead of riding I had to clean it all up.

The flies have been horrible too. I tried riding and I couldn't. They kept on biting and biting and she just didn't have the mental ability to work. Those things hurt too! Couple of them bite me.

I hate summer. I hate the heat and the flies. I can't wait until fall. I'm starting back up with my trainer and all winter all we'll be working towards the 2010 show season.

I've decided my first recognized show will be Dressage at Doswell hosted by the VADACC May 15-16. A barrel racing friend of mine said the facility is awesome. The show grounds use to be part of Secretariat's farm I believe. My friend is helping with set up for one of their first shows in October.

Begining to look at winter stuff. Gotta stay warm this winter. :)

Equine Massage

So my trainer recommended her equine massage lady Susan Greene. She's awesome. I liked her better than the lady I had come out last year. Plus she's like 10 dollars cheapier. Can't beat that. Not only did she give Lilly a massage she taught me how to do it myself. She told me it'll make her improve better if I can give her relief in between sessions.

She loved Lilly. Everyone does. She was being suprisingly great. She's sore at her poll, which Susan showed me how to work out the knots. It's kind of cool. She said she was sore in the hindquarters, but it was a good sore. She liked that she was sore in the hindquarters, it told her that she was actually using her hind quarters. She said she had a lot of clients who have dressage horses that were sore in front, because they weren't using them properly and riding them too much in front.

So I guess I'm doing something right for once. lol.

At the end of the session she put liniment on her left hindquarter and I guess it was too strong for her and she started spazzing out. The right she was fine with. I guess the tingling sensation was too much. She gave me two things of liniments, one already dulited and the other a brand new bottle.

As long as the pony is happy I'm happy. :)

31 days til Devon.

sigh

Lilly as a baby-->

Not much has been going on. The humidity has been atrocious. My friend who's mare is lame rode her Saturday and Sunday. There was a clinic that the barn hosted on Saturday. Of course no one took video. :( But apparently my pony did real well.

I guess the girl has shown up to 4th Level and Preliminary eventing. Annie said that she said that Lilly was very tense in the neck (not news to me) and gave her some excercises to help her get looser. Of course Lilly bedazzled the trainer, because she's such the attention hog.

Lilly is getting a spa treatment Saturday. My trainer's massage chick is coming out. I have to manage our gymkhana show. But hopefully I can get away from the show for at least 10 minutes. Sometimes my barn has a heartattack when I step away for more than a second. But with the current show crew hopefully it won't be so bad. And plus we got wokie talkies, so they can always page me.

Saddle

Found a Wintec saddle for $250. Has some fittings. I'm going to get it. It's not my dream saddle, but it'll at least it'll be something.

Been looking at Black Country, Jaguars, and Stubbens. But I need to start saving my money first. April I think I'll buy my "forever" saddle for Lilly.

I have a Quickens account and I took a gander at my spending. I need to reduce the dining out. Some things I can't reduce like transportation, car is where most of my money is going. But hopefully the small changes I can maximize my savings.

2009 QRC Training Level Champion

So yay! Lilly and I are Training Level Champions at Quantico Riding Club. Our average was like 63% something. There weren't many people who qualified for the year end awards, but pretty ribbon.

I'm 4th as overall scores go.

Next year world domination. haha.

Shows

So 2009 has flown by. It's amazing how much us humans put dates in such high regards.
I'm a psychotic planner, but I know sometimes planning can't be perfect. Life get's in the way. I do want to get a new truck so I don't have to depend on my dad, but I need to clear up some of the credit cards.

Rest of 2009
Sept. 22-24th: Dressage at Devon. Our class is on Thursday the 24th.
Oct. 10th: Pascal Martin clinic, with Vada/Nova
Oct. 17th: Fun Show
Oct. 24th: Cedar Run HC Show
Nov. 1st: VADA/NOVA Schooling Show
Dec. 5th: Cedar Run HC Show


2010
I want to show, show, show, show!
I want to do a combination of recognized shows and schooling series.
Plus if Rachel Alexandra runs, I want to see her run. :)

good pony bad pony

So last night Lilly was awesome. I was pretty darn good too. I'm sitting up not leaning all huntery forward. In turn Lilly is coming more underneath herself and going onto the bit. Our canter depature to the right is a little flakey.

So I get off and is rubbing her with liniment and I feel this hard knot on her right hindquarter. I ask my friend Candice to come over and see what she thinks. Candice says its a knot and shows me some massage techniques. Lilly is like yes!

I had wanted to get her massage treatments last year, but wallet was a little slim. So hopefully I can get the gal who did it last year to come out next week or so.

Bad pony incident.
So I bring Lilly in before work. I had her stall cracked so I could just grab her grain and go back. Yeah I turn around and she's trotting down the barn aisle and then she's like I'm FREE!!!! Runs all around the paddock line. Finally goes into a paddock and illudes capture for another 15 mins.
Since I'm late I figure round pen training session and I make her work. Finally she let's me capture her. Looks so sad. She knows mom's mad. Mom's in her work clothes.

Diet

I needs to go on a diet. Everyone says that. But I think that horse riders are athletes so they needs to be in shape. I'll never be a stick thin girl, don't wanna be, but I think I'm packing an extra 10-20lbs. So my goal is to lose 15lbs by April. Which is going to be the start of show season.

So I'm trying to eat a good breakfast, cut back on the bacon. I have a weakness for bacon. Have a nice healthy lunch. Dinner is odd, I'm not a huge dinner person. I usually eat dinner to make my mom happy. But I figure if I cook it, I can save it for lunch the next day. Which also helps on the budget. Because lunch in Alexandria is expensive. I'm spending like $10 a day at work. So need to slim the waist and the boost the budget.

so many things to buy

Switching sports is hard. Hard on the wallet.

I have to get a new saddle, new clothes, new everything. I have a bridle, but it's not show quality.

I was going to get a new bridle this paycheck, but I accidently paid my car note twice. Was on the phone all day with them. Dontcha hate misinformed workers. They're sending me a check as a refund Aug. 10th. My friend was like you're gonna be ahead a payment, but I'm getting rid of my Highlander in Sept. I need a truck, my dad is getting rid of his. I found my truck, F150, bright red, a little foot step thingy for short peeps. :) So that's going to go into savings. So I'm living off of $100 until my next paycheck.

So I have a wishlist on Dover Saddlery. Will cringe to see how much everything adds up to be.

I'm thinking I need either to win the MegaMillion or get a sugar daddy. *ewe* lol.