We haz been werkin

Porkchop and I continue to chip away at all the things. Our Aiken trip is quickly approaching and we both need to be fit and sharp so we can get the most out of our lessons there.

Here's some stuffs we been workin' on:

Adding power, but keeping the poll up: This has been an issue since ... um ... forever. Hampton has an amazing hind end that fires like a Lamborghini, and what happens is that I push him past his balance and he ends up pushing himself onto my hands. That results in his poll diving and our extended trots look like this:

He is putting in max effort, it's MY fault for letting him go past what he can balance with his poll up. So I've gone back to add power, but not too much, until he gets better balance and maintain his poll at the highest point. It will ALWAYS be a work in progress but it's getting better! He loves the extended trot and it's hard not to get carried away and enjoy the ride. But I think we can get a few more points here.

That's better

The One-Tempis: These need to be more reliable and rideable. Because I have made A Big Stink over occasions when Hampton does a good line of these, he likes to now throw some ones in randomly when I am trying to do the 2s. Or he will start doing ones, but not stop when I ask. He has to wait and listen and let me ride him. All normal stuff, and I'm not at all worried about it. It's just a matter of time and practice. But right now do I know with 95% certainty that I can go in the I-2 and get 11 ones? No. Nope it's 50/50 lol.

Getting to know the I-2: I know a lot of people skip over the I-2 and go straight to Grand Prix, but I feel like this test is a good stepping stone for a green horse and rider. It's not nearly as terrifying as the GP and sets you up for success. Hopefully it will give me some confidence so that I do not totally shit my pants when I do finally try the GP. 

I probably will still crap my pants though let's be honest.

Welp, it's no longer 2020

 Happy New Year everyone! 

(said with caution ... as things don't just magically get better when the calendar rolls over)

Hampton and I are ramping back up after having a really easy November and December. He was only working 3-4 days a week, and most of our rides were stretchy rides, forward and back, long half passes and pole work. 

But now I am starting to up his fitness and will go back up to working 5 or 6 days a week. 1 or 2 of those days are hack and/or pole days. He really does not seem like he has lost much fitness. He's going really well. I, on the other hand, find myself puffing a little too much and I need to get back in FEI riding shape. I don't feel comfortable going to a gym until I am vaccinated, so I guess it's jogging outside for me. That's hard for me because I thrive on routine and structure. But, I'll make myself do it!

New Years Day ride!
Was 35, rain, wind, nasty at 10 am
Naturally by 3 pm is was sunny and 60.

Our first big thing for 2021 is our trip to Aiken at the end of Feb. I am SUPER excited this time because now I know what I am in for.

We have plans in place on following covid protocol, and what to do if someone gets sick when we are down there. One bonus is that nearly half of our group will be vaccinated by the time we go (hero healthcare workers), but we are still putting all sorts of backup plans in place.

My media game is so lame. Plus it's constantly 35 degrees raining and/or cloudy here in KY every damn day. We've got a trail ride planned with the barn girls next week so FFS let's hope it dries up enough that we can go. At least then I will have SOMETHING to blog about!

Ralston has settled right in as a housecat! There have been some ... disputes ... with Buckley, but it's getting better. 

Buckley being a dick. He likes to randomly smack Ralston.
Sucks for Buckley tho because Ralston, being a cat from the hood,
cleans his clock and has drawn blood once! I try to referee as best I can, but
Buckley is a fat bastard.

But sometimes there is peacce

Anyway, wishing everything good health in 2021. Please everyone stay safe and healthy - and your horses, too!

Cheers!

 Happy Holidays!

Love,

Karen & Hampton

Rescuing Ralson

 After Hunter died, I decided I would wait until after our February Aiken trip to maybe look for another cat.

That did not work out, because I saw this:

Adoption photo!

This poor guy had been loitering behind a local pet store. They finally were able to trap him, and after the usual shots, blood tests, neuter, and a bath they put him up for adoption. He is a rack of bones under all that fur, but otherwise doesn't appear to have any health issues. 

I stopped in to look at him one day and just could not resist taking him home.

his face just melts my heart

So, everyone meet Master Ralston the Second.

Unbeknownst to me, my parents had a cat named Ralston back in the 70s.. Which is why this guy will be Ralston II. lol. It is my dad's middle name, and the name Ralston goes back quite far on my dad's side. I found it fitting. 

My dad and the original Ralston lol

He's still very shy, spending most of his time under my bed where he feels safe. But he is eating like a champ, uses the litter box and is as quiet as a mouse. (As opposed to Buckley, who is an AUDIBLE breather, snorter, talker and makes loud thuds when he jumps on and off things).

Who du fuq are u

Speaking of Buckley, he is being very good to Ralston. We are just giving him his space for a while as I am sure his life has been turned upside down. He does enjoy pets and head scratches when I am down on the floor on his level. He still seems pretty timid about me walking around and being above him. That's ok though, I respect his space and will earn his trust with time.

He may take a little more time than the other street cats I have brought in, but that's ok. I'll have him fat and spoiled in no time.

Example of Fat and Spoiled

Destroy mode

 Hampton is in destruction mode lately.

1) He is destroying the one-tempis:

Yes I need to seriously quiet my body, and it's a work in progress. But not bad for two noobs!

2) He also destroyed his sheet. (Thanks to SmartPak guarantee, a new one will be on the way!)

3) And he also had his hind heel bulb sliced up to hell. (Mild gore below) This happened while I was out of town, so by the time I got back and found it, it was too late for stiches. The vet may still have to come out and deal with this. Sigh. Did a round of antibiotics, but I'm not sure this thing is going to heal well on its own. It seems like it's just a really bad hangnail.

4) Then Hampton lost a front shoe.

FFS. Horses!

Can't be too mad at such an adorable face though haha.

What makes you rich

We had a last hooo-rah of warm weather here in the midwest and I took advantage.

I did a cleaning rampage of my tack locker, trunk and tack. And have enjoyed working Hampton out in the field, around the farm and a few arena rides, too. We did 12 one-tempis one day! And have also been working on canter pirouettes on the centerline, and the zig zag. He's been feeling pretty good with the help of the chiropractor and some polyglycan. 

I also did a botch clip job on him. Was mostly done but my clippers crapped out on me. Soooo he looks like a 4 year old gave him a clip but it's honestly not worth stressing about.

The Porkchop is now enjoying a few days off while I'm up helping my mom out after surgery. In addition, my aunt had some weird event and has yet to wake up from it. It seems she is nearing the end of her life. (Not Covid). It's my mother's sister, which seems especially unfair and cruel since it hasn't even been 3 years since my father died.

Watching your mother say goodbye to her sister via Facetime is shattering. Heartbreaking doesn't even cover it.

I'm sort of disassociated from everything currently. 

So grateful to have Hampton, Buckley and amazing friends.

If you have your health, you have everything.

LS Clinic: Less perfect, more sloppy

Photos: John Borys

Last weekend was a clinic with one of my all time favorites: LS.

She is just one of those teachers I just click with and makes such a big difference in both me and the horse in just two days.

I don't have any media, so Regionals photos will have to suffice.

Day 1: Be sloppy

Today was a canter day and we focused on keeping the jumping, itchy FEI canter through all the work. We touched on some pirouette work and had some lovely pirouettes after I stopped being so rigid and trying to be perfect all the time. 

One great exercise - especially for me - was a 6m schooling pirouette and for me to "ride sloppy." So, give my elbows, take my leg off, put it back on, put "air in my seat", move his neck. LET HIM make the mistake and then correct him. Pretty soon, I could just it chilly and he would do the work himself. Instead of me trying to make it happen and hold him up. He has to take more responsibility. And by letting my own body be loose, he was more loose and far quicker behind (because he had to carry himself). This got rid of our issue of the slow, labored, head bobbing pirouette! I just need to keep schooling them this way, so when I get in the ring I can sit still and turn it.

he needs to keep his hind legs closer together.
work in progress

Then we moved on the changes. Threes and twos looked good, so she said let me see some ones. 

By the end of the lesson we had done ten ones! She gave me a couple of tools to use to help improve them, since Hampton likes to slow down a little too much in them.

-- Do 3-4 ones, then refresh the canter. Make it itchy. Then another 3-4 ones. Eventually take out the "refresh" in between.

-- One-one, ride the shit out of the canter, then another one-one, then refresh, another one-one.

-- If he steals a change, trot and pick up desired lead. Don't do another flying change for the correction

-- Maintain balance out of the piros, we have a tendency to sort of run out of them.

Also forever my theme in any work: Keep your poll up!! Christ.

Day 2: Experimenting

Since we did mostly canter on Saturday, we made Sunday the Trot Stuff day. His piaffe is absolutely spot on for the I-2, and just needs to be a tad more on the spot and snazzier for the GP. But for now, I need to let him creep a little since he has tendency to suck back. We worked a little on keeping him off his left side, which he likes to lean on in the piaffe.

We worked quite a bit on passage and which method works best with him for adding more lift.

I tried:

-- Flap my calves (no-go, I just ended up flopping like a pathetic white girl dancer and Hamp could not keep the cadence. I can not blame him)

-- Put spur on and hold it there. Somewhat ok, but not there

-- Squeeze with just my ankles. Ding ding! This method worked the best for us. Hamp developed more lift, and less of a "trotty" passage. He is getting there, but just needs to work harder and add expression.

At the end of the lesson, she gave me some great pointers for the GP trot half pass zig zag.

-- You need to have your bend before the corner, so then all you have to do is steer across the ring.

-- Set him up like there is a huge jump out of the corner

"Well, that was lovely," she said once I actually, you know, used my corner.

I know he's on the forehand, blah blah blah. Poll is in China.
But I love his happy face and effort he he putting out! 

LS is probably one of my favorite clinicians ever. She is spot on, observant and has a tool for everything. She called Hampton a "gem" (I mean, duh. He charms everyone). And gave me the green light to go for the I2 (and GP!) in 2021. I love riding with her because it is about horsemanship, thinking outside of the box and riding with feel instead of overanalyzing.

Hamp is really in this super fun stage of training now because he knows the tricks and movements, now it's just about making him strong and expressive. And more about ME learning to ride at this level.

... next project is to finally body clip this poor horse. My clippers broke so they've been in the shop. Sorry, Hamp! (Not that he's complaining about being feral and nekked and furry)