The letter P eats horses.

Since it wasn't a sauna outside today, I took the beast outdoors for an evening ride. The bugs were bad and right away I could tell he was distracted and not in the mood. The hayfield had just been mowed - so of course he is gazing in that direction because it looks so different and now you can see a lot more since the grass is short. *sigh*.

Even so, I kept working on transitions (a couple of rough "float your teeth" halts were needed because he was yanking the reins away from me and not bothering to slow down). I could tell it wasn't going to be the best ride - but that's ok. So ... at this point we have worked around the arena a dozen or so times in either direction. I tried the right lead canter first - got it on the first try! Stayed on the circle today and was happy with that. Ok, left lead time. Good transition - then upon approaching letter P (which we have walked and trotted by the entire session so far ..) BAM ... OMG there is a horse-eating monster there! Hampton does one of those "plant both front feet and fling your body to the left" moves. Then a buck, then playfully tosses his head. I managed to keep both stirrups but did end up a little forward at one point. If he would have dropped his head and kept bucking, I would have been a goner. Geez. Tried the canter circle again .. SAME THING. Bad poneh. One-rein halt put a stop to his antics this time. Made him walk by offending letter several times. Tried canter again. Ugh, no antics this time but he was majorly dropping his inside shoulder. I came back to the walk and trot and worked on that some. Finished the ride with some shoulder-in (went ok, wanted to come above the bit).

i tried to set my video camera to capture the ride, but it didn't really work. I got a few OK stills ... but the canter freak-out happened off camera. DANG! Anyway, the beast will be working outside as much as I can possibly stand it this week. The arena is smaller but such is life. He needs to focus out there.

Here's what I could salvage from my video. BOR-iNG mounting sequence, then a little clip of walking ... at the time I was trying to regulate his tempo at the walk from really slow, to forward, to slow, etc.

Oh, and here is a photo of him back in March (I think?) to compare his body condition ...

Will the real Right Lead Canter please stand up?

I think I've got most of the prep paperwork for Hampton all filled out and organized for next year. Now it is just a matter of coughing up the cash for it. *groan*. But I have plenty of time for that.

As far as riding, the horse has been beyond terrific. Our half halts have become much more sharp, and mostly off of my seat now with just a tickle on the outside rein. I do many spurts of forward and back in the walk and trot. It makes him so through and yesterday a fellow boarder commented how much more "push" he is developing behind. His trot lengthenings on the lunge are A-MA-ZING. I need to tap into that under saddle but haven't quite gotten there. We can get lengthening of stride, but not the "boing boing DRIVE" that he does on the lunge.

Today I played with leg yield at the canter. It was a little wobbly leg yielding left (on the right lead), but surprisingly quite solid leg yielding right. He understood what I wanted, I just think he lost his balance a bit. I also attempted our first few strides of counter canter. :-) Basically I cantered a circle on the true lead, then cut down the short diagonal and then counter canter on a straight line before the turn - when I would trot. We made it about one or two strides on the right lead - he lost his balance and broke into a trot. Left lead went much better - kept the counter canter until the turn, although still a bit unbalanced and wobbly. That is to be expected. I feel like counter canter is something I should start to think about schooling because it improves the true canter so much, and that is his weakness right now.

Speaking of weakness. For some reason, I am having problems picking up the right lead canter lately. Left lead - prompt, no problem. Right lead? He either will pick up the left lead, or not canter at all. I am reasonably sure the root is that he's not in front of my leg. And I am possibly not setting him up for it. I finally got it today but breaking out a few of my "young horse" tricks to pick up the right lead - post on the wrong diagonal and then step into my inside stirrup when I ask. Yup. Correct lead. So, I dunno. I'm sure it will work itself out. He has no problems with either lead on the lunge, so I blame this issue on my riding.

I'd like to include some hacking and a trail ride this weekend just to get out of the arena. Goals for next week? More leg yield at the canter, maybe a couple more attempts at counter canter. Shoulder-in. I know this probably sounds like a lot to ask of a 3-year-old, but I assure you I only do small spurts. So far nothing has over-taxed him ... he just merely loses his balance and goes on with it. I wuv him.

Houston, we have a problem

So after reading some material on the Young Horse Classes, it looks as though Hampton will need to be registered with an organization recognized by the World Breeding Federation for Sporthorses.

The Performance Horse Registry is not one of those. Since Hampton is basically a mutt, he's not really eligible to be registered for much of anything ... except the American Warmblood Society (or Registry ... whichever one accepts draft blood). The good news is, both of the American Warmblood registries ARE on the list for WBFS.

So I've got to get him registered, and possibly inspected. I'll likely still send in papers for PHR for record-keeping purposes, but I should probably get on the ball for AWR or AWS.

I am not sure if the horse needs to be nominated for participation? So much to do! Geez!

As far as work, it was a lunge day today since it was unbearably hot. Even at 5 am chores. Thanks, Indiana. Hopefully a real ride tomorrow.

Keep on truckin'

I need to start thinking about all the paperwork and fees that I need to deal with in order to show the horse in the USEF Young Horse 4-year-old class next year. Do I think we will qualify for the championships? No. But I'm still setting a class or two as one of my goals for next year. He's a nice horse, with good gaits ... and also, why not?

So here is what I need to do before next season:

• Renew memberships for me.
   - USEF
   - USDF

• Registration/membership for the horse
   - Performance Horse Registry
   - USEF #
   - USDF #

• Buy a friggin horse trailer.

Then I saw (his) face, Now I'm a believer

Finally climbed aboard the horse last night for our first ride after the chiropractor adjustment. I sort of half expected not to notice any difference at all ... but ... there was a rather dramatic difference to my delight.

• No twisting in the poll or tilting his head.

• No head shaking and tossing toward the middle of the ride ... or at all.

• Traveled much more straight

• Worked toward the bit, took a hold instead of "ping-ponging" off the contact.

• Forward, fluid, supple, obedient

• Right lead canter back to normal (soft and rhythmic)

Yeah, it was hot and we were both drenched by the end of a reasonably light workout. I even attempted a few steps of shoulder-in each way and pretty much nailed it (just a few steps, though). There is a heat advisory today so I don't know if I will suck it up and ride this evening ... we shall see. But I was pretty happy and it feels like Hampton is happy with it, too.

Now off to shop for horse trailers and a horse show to enter in the fall ...

Get your head on straight

Dr. Ziegler, a local chiropractor (and DVM) was out today to look at Hampton. I told her nothing about the issues I was having, but decided to just wait and see. His withers, back and hips were good ... but when she got to the poll, she spent a little more time there. She informed me he was torqued to the right (which made total sense to me, as that is the direction he was been twisting his head and poll under saddle). I was happy that I had listened to my horse and went ahead and had him examined. I was also impressed that she immediately found the issue. Luckily, it seems we have caught it early enough before it started to affect the rest of his body.

She cracked his head back on straight and the look on his face was priceless! In typical 3-year-old fashion, he was distracted, chewing on the lead rope, fussing around ... then SNAP! And he looked at me like "what the ..." and stood motionless for several seconds, bewildered at what had happened. Then ... licking and chewing. He is so hilarious sometimes.

He'll be rechecked in about a month or so and then put on a regular reschedule for check-ups. I realize some people think it's quackary, but frankly I am a believer in most alternative medicine treatments. Although I do think you should have a DVM perform any acupuncture or chiropractic work.

I'll likely just handwalk and graze Hampton this evening, then work him tomorrow to see if he is better. She said he might have been living with a mild, but chronic headache from being out of alignment. Poor guy. Annnd sticking with my "rule" ... I get to schedule a chiro appointment for myself, since the horse got the royal treatment. (My rule being that if the horse deserves special treatment, so do I!)

Sweating to the oldies

The beast was still mildly off today when I rode. I didn't lunge beforehand so he was also stiff and narly in the neck and mouth. Ugh. But, the good news is that he did work out of the hind end crap. He maintained his opinion that he shouldn't have to bend right, however, for most of the ride. I spent most of the time walking, doing turn on the haunches (hard work, Hampton says!), TOF and transitions. We did some trotting too - more transitions and straight lines. Kept it pretty easy today. (It's stinkin hot so for his sake and mine we took many walk breaks) Hampton will see the chiropractor on Tuesday to make sure that his resistance in the poll is not because he needs adjusted. If he doesn't need an adjustment, then I will get after him more about it. No excuses, buddy.

Oh yeah, and the July 31 show? It's been cancelled. Nice. Way to send out show bills and advertise your show .. and then cancel it. This particular farm does this a lot. I almost expected it. Oh well, there will be another show!