For the word geeks

If you are a word nerd like I am, you'll probably enjoy these. :)

From feisty to f'ing crazy

So I was out of town on Monday for bizzz-nasss and so I had my instructor, J, ride Hampton since he does not deserve need too many days off at the moment.

On my way home, I texted her to ask how he was. She reported back that he was feisty, but a pleasure to ride. Sounds about right - he's been a pistol lately thanks to the spring grass. Not naughty, or wild, but he does have a bit of a bug up his ass. This has been showing up by way of some spooking, scooting, bucking and sassy head tossing.

So anyway, yesterday a fellow boarder came up to me and says, "Your horse had quite a workout on Monday!"

Me: "Good! He needs the work."

Boarder: "Yeah, he was dripping with sweat and his eyes were bugging out of his head."

I took that as J must have really had an intense session with him. He sweats pretty easily still as he isn't 100% shed out. I didn't think anything of her comment.

So today I am doing morning chores and the barn manager comes up to me and says, "Oh, did anyone tell you that Hampton broke my side reins (on Monday)?"

Uhhh, waaa whaaaaat?

The barn manager reports that while J was lunging Hamps, he was a WILD MANIAC - bucking, leaping, snorting.

I guess J could not find my side reins so she used the manager's. WHY did he have to break her side reins and not my own? Also, what has gotten into him?!?!

Funny how three different people gave 3 different descriptions. Fiesty. Worked Hard. CRAZY!! I wasn't there, so I just asked Hamps what happened and he said he was a perfect angel, as always. Hmph.

I rode him today (and you bet I lunged first, having no idea what sort of animal I would have this morning); And he was just as pleasant and polite as can be. *shrug*

A quickie

I have told my closest friends about "THE NEWS" but I still need to hold off on announcing it to the world until some papers are signed. blah blah.

Also, I am trying to think of a really fun way to announce it on the blog. :)

I just want to say that even just the handful of people that know what's going on have been so supportive and wonderful to me. Sometimes I feel really unimportant and unloved, but frankly those thoughts are a bunch of BS because I have some incredible friends who are sending emails and texts with such wonderful thoughts and well-wishes, and some offering to help me move or help with Hampton.

Well I guess I can say this much: I will be moving OUT OF INDIANA.

More Hampton stuffs soon!

(He has been a PISTOL lately! Thank you spring grass with loads of sugar ...)

Jump around!

One of the other boarders had left a little course of jumps up in the outdoor. So I took advantage, threw on our jumping tack and decided to see what would happen. We have not jumped since our lesson with LAZ ... which was, uh, December?

Hampton was ... amazing.

Energetic, forward, happy. I pointed him at the jumps, he took me there. I kept leg on at the base, put my hands forward and rode forward after the jump. It was so effortless and FUN!!

I even raised the jumps to a whopping 2'3" or so. I had zero nerves, and thus Hampton popped over like he's been doing this for years.

Yes - we jumped this!! 

I wanted to keep jumping but rewarded him by cutting the session to about 30 minutes since he was being so wonderfully perfect.

I'm seriously considering going Beginner Novice this summer. (!!!)

Back to dressage land tomorrow. We have a lesson so that means hard work for the both of us.

Meanwhile, Hamps is starting to look like a sporthorse again and not a malnourished yak. I don't know if it's just me, but I think he is going through a growth spurt. His butt is MASSIVE. Like, it's not in proportion to the rest of his body. Yeah, obviously we work to strengthen the hind end but come on people, I'm not THAT good. I think he's growing.

He has gained at least 50 pounds since moving. (And lost a lot of fur) He still has more to go (his hip bones still stick out a little), but he's out on grass now and I have no doubt he will plump up very quickly.

Look at this booty!!

March 30, 2012. 

Prickly pickle

First: Even a $1600 bill to fix my truck - and by that I mean just to make it safe to drive - could not ruin my excitement and good mood this week. It's not 100% official yet, so I am not going to let the cat out of the bag, but my job hunt is very likely over. And wait until you here what it is. :)


Nope, not telling yet!

My instructor enjoyed her ride on Hamps today. She is the first person - other than myself - to actually get on and ride him. I've had a couple of friends sit on him and putz around, but she is the first to ask him to work. We ride very much alike so I thought it would be good for him. I think it's important for different people to ride a young horse so the horse learns to be tolerant. My instructor is an amazing rider but everyone has different timing, different weight aids, different ways of asking for things. He needs to recognize that and accept it.

She rattled his cage a bit. He tested her. He even threw in one of his famous canter transition bucks (a rather good one, I might add). He used to do this to be frequently as a 3 year old. Once bucking and kicking out so hard he knocked a dressage letter off the wall.

J was very complimentary of him and his training. He's really well trained, yet still has the attention span of a 4 year old sometimes. She called him a "prickly pickle" in that he can be sassy and opinionated (but not dangerous or mean) at times. He also has an awesome sense of humor that you can't really appreciate unless you ride him. She had some trouble picking up the right lead canter but I think it was a matter of communication there. I found it a real treat to watch her ride him. He still looks very much like a baby but we're making progress.

His trot lengthening across the diagonal were fan-freaking-tastic. Boy has he discovered a new gear! There is a big moving, fancy horse in there and it's slowing coming out.

He is gaining weight and still shedding but looking really great at the moment. He also has a lot more energy than he used to, now that he is getting calories he can spare.

The April horse show and clinics may have to be put on hold for this job situation ... that's yet to be determined. I should know more on Monday.

Thank you everyone for thinking of me (and Hamps).

Good things are happening. :)

Hampton spam!

My dear friend came out to watch me ride Hampton today. He hasn't seen Hamps in more than a year and promptly commented on how much taller he looked. Well, duh!

He was nice enough to take some photos of us.

Shoulder-in

Shoulder-in

Leg yield

Leg yield - rider is a moron and has overflexed the poneh.

Leg yield

Canter (BAD left toe!)

Canter. Lovely!

For comparison, the last time my friend took photos of us, this is what we looked like:

Out of the starting gate

I have officially entered our first horse show of the season! Yay!

We are going to do the Starter division combined test which includes USDF Intro Test and then a stadium course of fences set at 2 foot. Woot!

I've also entered First Level Test 1 and Test 3. Gulp!!

First-1 doesn't scare me, it's pretty simple. As long as I don't forget where I am going (like I do at, oh, every horse show), we should do fine.

First-3 I am mainly entering just to see what happens. The only tricky part is the canter loop. This movement depends entirely on whether I ride correctly or not. Hampton falls apart if I am not on it and really help him out. But if I do my part, we can do this movement very nicely.

I certainly do not expect the 67%'s we were getting at Training Level last year, but my hopes are to score in the 60s.

My goals for stadium are to get around clean. My confidence was really boosted after my lesson with LAZ and I think Hampton knows the job a bit better now. :)

In the meantime, Hamps has started shedding like crazy and has a beautiful, shiny summer coat coming in. He is working well under saddle and hasn't seemed bothered by the sudden heat. We've been working on ground poles, leg yielding, shoulder-in and trot-halt-back-trot transitions. Today I was shocked when our walk-canter transitions resulted in the most collected canter I have ever gotten out of him. So I took advantage and worked on counter-canter, too. I was able to pick up counter-canter at several random places around the ring. And he was able to maintain the counter-canter on each lead without an issue.

He is feeling fantastic with loads of energy lately (hmmm, could it be the good food?). I've having to half-halt a bit stronger now and I haven't worn my spurs at all for a couple of weeks.

I'm going to start really working on parts of First-3 to try to be as prepared as we can. Introducing half-pass is within my reach as well. Today as we were counter-cantering, I felt him offer some real jump - like he may have been thinking about a flying change - something I have never felt from him before. Counter canter has always been a "lets just try not to break into a trot" movement. But there was such balance and jump today.

I love how hard he tries for me. My instructor is going to ride him next week I think. I'll be sure to get pics because I know he will look awesome for her. :)

... in other news .... GREAT NEWS on the job front ... but not going to spill more because I don't want to jinx it. :) :) :)