I keep telling myself that I will update the blog, but then I fall asleep (or into a stupor until I fall asleep) I come home at the end of these already surprisingly busy days ready to melt into the couch and not move til morning (and again, I now have a mountain of laundry awaiting my motivation!)
Lessons have been picking up ad the horses are shedding out and getting beauty treatments and getting fitter. Everyone is working on strengthening their noodle winter legs and doing exercises that will help both rider and horse regain balance and harmony on the flat and over fences.
We have finally sold two of the thoroughbreds, Evil and Red, and now just have Doc left. So focus is now starting to shift toward the pony projects we need to get prepped to sell.
Buster is getting the hang of working undersaddle and is now starting to work on figures. He's starting to get comfortable so now he's starting to test his boundries. I still need to figure out how to get him cantering with a rider but I'm focusing on getting his walk trot as consistent as I can before I work on the canter.
Bear is slowly coming back into work, working on losing weight and building strength. I'm just focusing on balance and obedience right now and not fussing on details at the moment.
Bubbles is a brat...but a champ at the same time! He has some bad pony habits like being barn sour if he thinks he's done working or trying to canter off when he's asked to trot, but on the flip side he's uber quiet and laid back and for a plain ol' nothing fancy potentially part Tennessee walker pony that needs to learn to not move and jump hollow, that boy can jump! He's already quite surprised me with his abilities and his very laidback additude about jumping no fuss, no rush, no hesitation or panic. In fact he did his first grid today in a lesson, and I had to jack the fences up just to get his attention...otherwise he just tries to lazily trot over everything. He has no problem with height, and he will only get better once he learns to stretch his top line over the fences. He's a cool little pony...but apparently too snotty for most of my kids! Bad pony!
Gabe is doing quite well. I wish I had took video of his first lunge and first ride so I could have a before and after video. Our first ride he was so anxious I thought he'd shoot out from under me or rear...he was clacking and grinding his teeth like a maniac and bobbing his head...everytime I'd touch the rein he'd panic, and I could barely get him to move forward. I also had to do a flying dismount as he wouldn't halt without freaking out. But several rides later and now we are walking, trotting, cantering, halting, and doing large circles in a fairly calm, consistently forward manner. So I am very pleased, and he has some fun gaits in there so I'm excited to see what I can get out of him. He has a long way to go and it will be a very delicate process...but I'm really happy I get to work with him. I've always liked horses with some problems because I like figuring out how to get the best out of them, it's very rewarding! Thanks for the opportunity Karly!
Moose has been all over the place! Some days she's fabulous, others she is just so bored with everything that she's a royal pain to ride because she's so busy fussing over one thing or another. I have found that she's the type that you can't baby when she's being unfocused...I have to tell her right out to do it and do it now because I said so. She's now going over jumps a little better but now she is apparently a show jumper...she approaches nicely, then looks on to the fences, puts her head up and rushes the last few strides and puts a ton of air between herself and the fence. Oh geez. But at least now she is being careful about her jumps! I signed us up for our first event at Olde Hope on April 15th in the into horse division, so the jumps will be 2'3". I'm not expecting much from this event, I'm chalking it up to a good schooling show. I think she's the type that just needs to get out there and start doing her job and get a bajillion miles of experience under her belt before she will actually be competitive. Hopefully we will at least get a pretty picture or two put of it :)
Off to veg and prepare for another day of riding and teaching!
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