Robert Taylor Clinic

I can say with a fair amount of confidence that Penny probably isn't anemic anymore. I'll find out for certain soon (she got blood pulled yesterday.) Last weekend we went to a Robert Taylor clinic in ABQ. I really enjoyed the clinic. It was at just the right pace (lots of resting) for me and for my furry pony. Pony was full of energy, to the point that she was being fast to the point of almost scaring me. She's been really energetic lately and it was only this weekend that it occurred to me that lack of anemia is likely the reason. What it means for me is I'll be able to take her off the blood builder she's on, one less supplement to feed.

Back to the clinic: on Saturday we did stadium and the jumps stayed on the low side. Robert focused on basic issues that were affecting the whole of one's ride. The local pony club coach has been teaching everyone to keep their hands high, something that Robert said was okay for stadium, but not okay for XC. I have the opposite problem after all my months of dressaging. I'm just starting to bring my hands back up and had to really think about it when I was riding. Penny was a little scary. She spooked twice and threw in a really good buck. I stayed on. My friend that was riding with me said that Robert said a lot of good things about my pony, I couldn't hear because of the wind rushing past my ears as she galloped around. It again illustrated that Penny needs to listen to the bit better. She had her teeth done yesterday and there was enough amiss that her teeth could be the reason, we'll see on that one. I have my fingers crossed. Robert said I was a good rider, which was nice to hear.

XC was fun and Penny was raring to go. We did some of the novice fences and I think a training fence too. The big thing we worked on, and I'm so glad we did, were drops. They're the only thing that I'm nervous about, so getting some good experience with them was priceless. We also did a jump with a roof. R said that the horses don't care about them, the riders do, so just jump the fence like it's not there. Penny and I fought a lot. She wanted me to let her go, but I knew she'd take off at warp speeds, so I didn't. Hence, fighting. R told me I really just need to let her have her head, I know that. We don't have a problem when we're out on course, because she gets enough running to settle. Schooling, because it's jump the fence, stop, jump the fence, stop, was just pissing her off.

I feel confident going into the season. St Johns is in a little more than two weeks. Penny is home this week. She got vet stuff done yesterday and I clipped her and pulled her mane. The farrier should be out today to put shoes on her. She's back to Pony Boot Camp this weekend to get our dressage polished up and then off we go.

Did you know you can <a href="https://www.facebook.com/betterthanicecreampony">
like Penny on Facebook?</a> I think she needs legions of fans.

Yay!

Things are finally coming together for Penny and I. We've had lovely rides the last two days. Not that she's not being her little opinionated amoeba self. But she's listening. And, I finally understand things. Riding R has helped immensely. I also discovered spurs mean I can give a more subtle leg aid and on a pony who does not want to be fussed with subtle is good. We can now trot with her using her body properly. We had some canter today with her using her body too. We've got a gorgeous free walk and medium walk going on.

We have a busy couple of weeks coming up. Clinics and our first event of the year. Yay!

This is me on a Grand Prix dressage horse! I got to warm up DC for JM today. He warmed me up more than I warmed him up. He is one of the slowest horses I have ever been on. The fact that his owner wears spurs and carries two whips makes sense now. I walked and trotted him and got to do a few steps of piaffe (which was awesome!)

I get to ride such fabulous horses. And I am so not worthy.

(I do wonder when the heck my stomach got so big though.)

Eventing Nation had a post this morning about Teddy O'Connor. Sometimes, when I question whether Penny can jump something, I tell myself: Teddy went Advanced and she's the same height. Then I have to add, in my internal monologue, that Penny has no problem with jumps; it's my problem. She did jump 4'6" out of her corral from almost a standstill. Different than carrying a rider of course, but I really don't need to worry about her getting around BN fences.

While I say I have no ambitions past BN I occasionally fantasize about higher levels:
Novice? Likely doable.
Training? Possibly.
Prelim?  Oh goodness, what am I thinking?
Intermediate? Okay girl, now you're really dreaming, but if someone with experience wanted to take her...
Advanced? My husband letting me buy a $20,000 horse is more likely.

But then I think again of Teddy... Penny has a lot going against her, most of that being my experience. But if someone thought she could go Advanced if I'd let them? Oh yes, I'd let them. I'm never going to ride at Rolex, but if my Pony competed that would be pretty awesome.

I dream big. I've always dreamed big. But then I don't follow the dreams because when I've achieved them others like to make me feel like a villain because I have. I'm getting over this (thank you therapist) and it's really what Year of the Pony is about. It's about dreams and hopefully achieving them and not letting anyone make me feel small about it.

Penny's Twin!

I have found Penny's twin. And she's for sale.

http://www.csquarefarm.com/lazer-lavender-grey-connemara-cross-mare-2002/

 Penny and her best buddy Zaya. They're sort of an odd looking couple. I wish she'd soak in some of his awesomeness. He has an absolutely spectacular canter and is in general just a good guy. He takes exemplary care of his owner. For anyone looking at those halters thinking "how dare she turn them out in halters!" They both have leather parts.
 

 

 Western Scrub Jay (or so I think.) There have been tons of them down in NM lately.

Down in working student land yesterday I lunged and rode Penny, who was fine. I really think I'm missing something as far as communicating with her is concerned. Something is just not there. Then I rode R. Riding these big dressage horses is like learning a foreign language. I could not get R to trot. He takes the contact with the smallest cue, but getting him to move? Not so easy. I know it's just a communication problem, he obviously knows how. With help from JM's hubby S and a whip I got him moving. And oh, did we move. I thoroughly enjoy that horse. I remembered on my drive home that R's saddle has some of those flexible stirrups on them and when I had normal irons I didn't have an issue. Will be switching them out next ride to see if things go better.

Meatball wonders why I'm not feeding him something

Z's owner wants me to ride him on the days JM doesn't and DC's owner would like the same when she's out of town. I'm definitely not going to turn down a ride on DC, the Grand Prix horse. He's said to be a tough ride, but it's a technical tough as opposed to behaviorally. It couldn't be the latter, as his 87 year old owner does just fine with him.

Argh! Boots

I have been having the hardest time finding boots. I loved the Tredstep Donatellos last summer, until the leather started ripping out from the stitching. I tried on a bunch of boots at a tack shop and wasn't really happy with any of them. So I decided to order Donatellos again in a medium calf size and had a hard time zipping them up. Got the larger size (wide.) I can zip them up, but I can also fit my hand down in them. Nice if they were pull on, highly annoying in a zippered boot. They do not make my legs look at all elegant.

I'm wondering if the zippers on the medium calf were having issues and that maybe they really did fit. But now I'm remembering how well the Ariat Volants with the front zip fit. I talked myself out of them because the Donatellos were cheaper and fit perfectly decently. But now they don't. Of course the nearest tack shop is 4 hours away so I'm doing this all by mail. Argh!

Penny and I have been in serious training for months. Yesterday I decided I needed a pseudo day off where I didn't ask for much. I got on and had a lovely, rhythmic, calm pony. She was using her body, her neck long, if not all pretty. I'm perfectly happy with straight out in front of the withers right now, because she didn't bring her head higher than that until we started jumping. And yes we finally jumped as I brought my standards down. Definite downside of dressage land: no jumps hanging about. Penny was still my awesome "steer and hold on" pony, taking me to the jumps like she does. I also made JM's day because she loves to jump, but has focused on dressage for so long she doesn't get to do it much. She took Zaya over a tiny, tiny jump, perhaps the first jump he's done in his life. I'm trying to get her to bring Rialdi to an event this summer. And darn, I'll have to jump Rialdi too to prepare him.

Hmmm...

Las Cruces Horse Trial has changed their closing date to February 10th. We'd decided not to go, but now...