5/29

Time with Kris - worked on moving the fore and hind from the ground, then the hind in the saddle.  Also played with the send on the circle.  Then rode up the driveway and let her leave on the trail between Jena and Sue.  She went alone and felt for Rio to hit a threshold.

I had Starlet for the lesson.  Starlet struggled to find a neutral and she worked hard to eat grass.  She got better and her mouth feels improved and less hard.  She's getting quieter in the bit.  We'll keep working on it.  These quiet sessions are doing her good.

Gem, for the first time since I've owned him (5+ years), called for us as we left.  He stood at the end of the pasture and watched us leave.  He was the there the whole time until we returned.  I've never, ever seen him do that.  I wasn't sure I understood it, but I thought it was probably because he didn't want to be left behind.  He wasn't calling for the horses and he wasn't happy when we returned.  So I finished with Starlet and pulled Gem out, tacked him up and took him down the rode.  He was happy and didn't think about home a single time.  It was so interesting!!  He wanted to go out and do something!

5/24

Kris with her Billy Cook saddle.  Played with the send, also.

Rode Z for the lesson.

Played online with Z on the 45'.  Progress!

5/21

2 hours with Kris.  Went up the road.  Worked on figure 8 at the trot.  Played with moving the fore.  Then sideways from the saddle after leaving the property.  Rio struggled to move his hip to the left.  Hopped on him to help him figure it out.

Gem was a fantastic partner throughout the lesson!  so proud of him.  Did a 15 min dressage ride in teh arena afterwards.  Worked on light transitions and opening up the trot.  He did great.

Dentist

Phil checked:

Gem
Z
Rain
Fantzy
Cowboy
Rio
Sky
Starlet

Gem and Z needed some minor work.  Rain was good to go except for a hollowed out tooth that will probably crumble over time.  He didn't feel the need to pull it.  Fantzy will probably need some work done in the next round (6 mos).  Cowboy, Sky and Starlet were good.  Rio had a little work done.

Teaching and Learning

Helping Chrissy and Kris, Kristina watched

sideways on the ground. both chose to improve distance (gave them the choice of quality, distance, speed)

then isolating the ends

ended with follow the leader with lots of bending

Great day!

Z was a great teachers mount. Love her.

walking and riding

with chrissy and kyle

cowboy, rain, z

walked 4 then rode 2 back

rode cowboy a bit

chrissy did great

kyle walked rain some (i think he and Rain were not getting along great)

lesson with kris in the morn

she and rio did 20 mins of passenger!!

great, great sideways

figure 8

mounting is improving

rode ellie - great ride

lots of trot and feeling her move out

rope hack, want to get back to the bit

she's ready for more

coaching and riding

Kris trimmed Rain today.

Tougher day with Rio and Kris - so much wind!

The arena was flapping, but the horses did ok.

Rode Ellie, also. She did great with the distractions but was not as partnered up as I'd like today.

Maintenance

Got Rio and Cowboy dewormed with Equimax. Should have done this weeks ago. Realized today that I bought it but forgot to administer it.

Applied thrush meds to Rain, Gem and Z. All 3 need a soak - which is no surprise. The ground has been the worst I've seen it since moving in. So much snow and they are living in a small area, off the track. Need to do some trims and soaks this week.

What a GREAT day...

Finally, some horse time.

Taught Chrissy and Kris together on Z. Sideways, figure 8, then riding.

Then Ellie with the bit for the first time. She was a little bothered, but we worked through it.

C'mon Spring!!

Out go the LIGHTS!

Rode Ellie while I coached Kris and Rio today. Ellie was a great trainers mount. She's coming along very nicely.

For Kris and Rio, tracking their programs:

sideways #4

figure 8#2

passenger #1

In the middle of the lesson the lights went out. Luckily, everyone stayed calm. The generator ran out of gas! It was absolutely pitch dark, but it was great to see how calm we all stayed. It could have been a mess.

Kris trimmed Rain before she left.

Teaching with Z

Gave a lesson today with Z in the indoor. The wind was atrocious and the indoor arena was miraculous!!

Worked with Kris on circle game and sideways. Also, Rio now knows the "smile" trick - which Kris loves. Rio loves it too - he gets treats. We had some good laughs over it. Rio's sideways was beautiful. He's made some very nice changes! I played with Rio a bit on sideways and try to show Kris how soft it can be. Rio is such a nice horse - a great, willing mind.

Kris rode Z for a few circles and got to feel Z's big trot. Z was especially annoyed today with all things - maybe her cycle?

Helping out Rio and his human

A good session with Rio and Kris! Zarah is great as my "teacher's mount", too. Kris is still working through trust issues with Rio, but it's time to push the envelope a little. We rode around the front a little bit and worked on Rio getting relaxed. We were right by the barn, but still farther than ever before. Rio was certainly on edge, but I had Kris ride patterns and the 2 of them settled in. We've got to do much more of this type of session.

Gallopin!!

Fun day! Picked up Deb (in her truck and trailer) with Z and did a FAST 7.5 miles at Hidden Mesa. Then, got home and gave a lesson to Kris and Rio.

Deb and I galloped a few times and Z was stretched out and racing her heart out! Fun! I cut my finger pretty bad just before we tacked up at the trailhead, so I had a make-shift pressure bandage made of vet-wrap and an old mitten. I was not going to miss the chance to ride, darn it!

Kris and Rio worked on circle game and sideways with porcupine game. We also played with the smile trick a bit. Fun lesson in the indoor arena! This was a tough day for Kris, however. She was struggling with her trust in Rio more than usual. I'm sure the next lesson will be different as she really pushed her bubble today.

Kris also trimmed Rio.

Z and Rio back to Dr Wagner

Great follow-up visit with Dr Wagner. Z has gained some balance and her frogs are much closer to being symmetrical. I was so glad to see a positive change! She did more acupuncture and said that after a day off, she'd be ready for the 30 mile endurance ride. The trailer rides are very good for helping the adjustments hold. Z really seems to enjoy the adjustments! So interesting.

Rio still has hock lameness, unfortunately. We talked about hock fusing and now I know how to perform the Churchill test on a hock. Very educational visit with Dr. Wagner.

Holistic Chiropractor Visit

First, I took a short ride on Z around the property using the Barefoot. This saddle is interesting and it's a lot like riding bareback with stirrups. It doesn't balance you or keep you on, you have to do that yourself. However, it's so comfortable! Z also seems to like it.

Then, Gem, Z and Rio loaded up to see Dr. Wagner. Gem turned out to have a nice report of balance with some tightness associated with his left hock weakness. He's perfectly sound and the dr. decided that anything she'd do would potentially impact the balance he's created for himself.

Z, on the other hand, needed help. She was out of balance and the dr. felt strongly about her poll being locked up. She also tested positive for stomach. Her frogs were very out of balance (each measured at least a qtr. inch different than the others). Apparently, when she's more balanced, her frogs will measure equally. She seemed to enjoy the acupuncture and treatment. I'll be watching to see if she improves.

Kris trimmed Rain and Cowboy. I got Kholo's hinds done. I trimmed one of Rain's fronts and Kris and I compared notes.

I also rode Kholo and practiced isolation of the ends. This seems new to him, but he was beginning to understand the ask.

A HUGE day for Kris and Rio

... while Kholo was my "coaches mount". During the session with Kholo and while coaching Kris, I worked on bending and more vertical flexion.

With Kris and Rio, we started with saddling, in the barn aisle. Rio was quite reactive and decided to buckle his knees and go down. I had put the Barefoot treeless on him and I guess it felt more rigid than the Bob Marshall. I also may have started with the cinch too tight. I loosened it and he was able to walk off.

I played with him on the ground for a bit, then Kris did. He got used to the saddle after about 10 minutes and got his thinking brain back. He has some serious baggage with saddles, poor guy.

I had Kris do a passenger lesson at the trot and this was so good for both of them. Rio and kris both relaxed into this and I saw some great changes occur. I introduced the idea of bending Rio to get a softer feel from him (snakey bends, sort of). This helped Rio engage his back and lower his head. Afterwards, we went outside the arena and rode in the grassy area by the barn. This was Kris' first time riding Rio outside the arena and it was huge!! She and her horse have made such positive changes and I'm ecstatic to see the progression.

Kris and Kholo

Today was Kholo's first session with me. We both had to get to know each other a little so I took things slow. My back was sore, so I didn't want to do anything overly strenuous. I also didn't want to throw him into the deep end without an understanding that he's safe.

I bridled him and he took the bit nicely. For horses starting in the bit, I follow the bit with a sweet of some type. Surprisingly, Kholo couldn't figure out how to get this treat past the bit so he fiddled with it in the front of his mouth and then gave up. This tickled me! I picked a piece up and put it behind the bit for him. He'll sort this out in time. It was pretty cute, though.

We went into the arena and I started with lateral flexion. He didn't quite understand so I helped him along. He has a great nature - he tries and doesn't over-try. He's confident and calm and he doesn't get worried while learning. I know it's going to be fairly easy to help him understand what we riders are after. We played with isolation of the ends after he started to get a feel for the bit and what to do with the sensations in his mouth. I played the most with backing from my seat combined with bit pressure. Improving his backup will make the most positive changes in his halt. His backup and slow and tentative, so I'll be working on getting his backing motion more fluid and confident.

Kris and Rio were in the arena with me and I coached them along while I played with Kholo. One of the things I've really wanted to get Rio and Kris playing with is passenger riding. Kris has been challenged by Rio's sensitivity and trust has been hard to attain. Over the past year, we've built on Kris understanding how little it takes with Rio and now she can do soft transitions on a loose rein. Rio, in turn, has become a softer horse. He's much less reactive and takes things more in stride. He's pliable and willing to learn. He's a very nice horse and he fits Kris nicely. He has a lot to teach Kris. So, this evening, I was able to get Kris riding as a passenger for the first time. This means, in my large arena, Kris asks Rio to trot. Rio's job is to maintain the trot. Kris' job is to simply ride. Rio can go wherever he pleases and if he breaks gait into walk or canter, Kris responds by bringing him back to the trot. I could tell by Kris' expression when I asked her to try this that she was unsure. I've been waiting to get her doing this type of riding until I felt they could handle it together. It's perfect for this type of scenario - lack of trust in the horse.

Well, they did it and they were great! Rio covered the entire arena after realizing there was no comfort with me and Kholo. He trotted around and seemed to keep asking Kris what he was supposed to be doing. Kris kept him trotting beautifully and a few minutes in, Rio let out a huge blow of relief. I know I had the biggest smile on my face watching this. I'd like her to start each session this way for 7 sessions. She agreed to do that and she was convinced it was a good thing to do. She and her horse have some great times ahead.

Kholo was with me through all of this - feeling of the bit, learning me and beginning to understand. He's a smart boy and tomorrow will be a nice leap off the foundation we built today.

Kris got Cowboy and Rio trimmed after the lesson.

Kholo and the Herd

I don't like to introduce horses to the herd if they aren't going to live here. The herd is a tight knit family with an established heirarchy. Newcomers don't fare well and I keep them safe by separating them from the herd. Kholo had been in the stall and run for 2 days and I wanted to let him out to explore and move. I put my herd in the middle of the track and gave Kholo the track to himself last night. Well, this morning, when I came out to feed, Kholo was with the herd. I'm guessing he jumped the fence as no fence was down. The track is only electrical ribbon on fiberglass posts, so it wouldn't be terribly difficult to get through if the horse didn't mind the electricity. I guess Kholo decided he'd rather be chastised and pushed around by the herd than be on the track alone. I don't know how long he'd been with them, but they were all (especially Rain, surprisingly) telling him to "piss off"! I haltered him out and put him back in the stall and run. He sustained a couple minor bites, but he was fine. All the bites were on the left side, which I found interesting. He also carries his tail to the left. I'll be watching and studying that.

Herd behavior is so fascinating to me. I could watch the dynamics play out all day.

Gem reaches a new height!

He's made it to the title of trail horse! We had an amazing ride yesterday and I hopped on Gem and ponied Z at Hidden Mesa. We went for 7.5 miles and he handled being my main mount beautifully. I was just so proud of him and how he's developed.

We didn't ride too fast, which was good. I met Deb and her 2 horses and she wasn't up for riding crazy fast, either. Also got to see my great friends Lynn and Nancy.

Before we left for the trail, I gave Z and Gem each a quick trim.

When I got back, Kris was here ready for a quick lesson. First she trimmed Starlet and Rain.

Then, I taught Kris the catching game. Rio caught on so quickly to that game, as did Kris. Afterwards, we went into the arena for some sideways and then some mounted work on transitions. Rio is so smart and he's learning to relax very nicely. Pretty impressive.

Sharptail with Kyle

Took off with Kyle and my 2 mares for a great day on the trail! The weather was absolutely perfect and the trail was all ours. We got started and Sharptail's tough climbing was tough for Rain right away. Rain isn't in great shape right now, so Sharptail was challenging. Kyle and I switched horses for a bit so I could feel Rain and see what she needed. I think she was seeking a way to stop and Kyle wasn't sure how to handle it. This was the very first time I've let anyone ride Z on the trail. Once in a while, I'll let someone mount her to understand a feel or to lead them around. But never have I let someone ride her on their own like this. Still, Kyle has a great seat and I thought he'd be ok.

And at first, he was. We walked and trotted along and he was find with my mare. He wanted to canter, so we talked about how to transition her up and back down. He was ready to give it a try. Well, Z wouldn't stop for him. And they cantered off. And Kyle had to just hang on and ride it out. Shoot!

I stayed slow with Rain, hoping that Z would realize she'd left us. She eventually stopped and Kyle hopped off. They probably went about 1/2 mile! He was a little shaken, but handled it quite well. We laughed it off and I apologized profusely. I never expected Z to do that. He definitely gained a new appreciation for my endurance horse.

We went about 10 miles in total and it was (all-in-all) a fantastic ride. We sang, we moved out, we talked about life. I love riding with my kids.

Afterwards, we stopped for ice cream. It doesn't get better! :-)

I met Kris at home after for a session with Rio. The family wanted to play some tennis, so I was feeling pressure to hurry the session along. However, it worked out perfectly! It was windy, but I really was hoping to get Kris to hop on her horse. I taught her yo-yo from the ground, sideways and when she seemed ready, she hopped on bareback for some time to play with transitions. Rio was awesome. He was sensitive and yet relaxed. She was able to work on transition down and up with only her seat. We started with her just riding him as I asked him to play circle game with me and it evolved into her leading the game and adding transitions. Nice to see them develop!

Dr Phil

Had the equine dentist out to take care of the herds teeth. He did dental corrections on Z, Rio and Starlet. Gem, Rain and Cowboy held their balance from the previous work.

Z was so anxious she had to be sedated. Yep, she's a Thoroughbred-Arab cross. Her teeth had held some of the balance he put in place last time, but he still needed to do a decent amount of work.