Silly Gypsy

Well, its been a little while. Ive been lazy, shame on me, about updating. But Ive been at it like always, Gypsy and training class and work.

Gypsy has been doing very well! Been riding her bareback/with saddle off and on a lot. She is strangely better bareback....not great saddle fit a possibility, but who knows. That mare wouldn't like a saddle that was zapped down from God. So yes, she's slowly learning to keep her head and neck nice and low, and actually use her hind end, oh gasp. Still a long ways to go, but is a lot better than she was. And she continues to remind me that she is NOT a trail horse. Took her out to the big field... was a little weird going out, not wanting to go forward in anything but zigzags...perhaps she was tipped off that a sniper was out to get her? Oh I'm sure that was it. Rode her into a 'little' puddle that turned out to be a heck of a lot bigger than a puddle. Rode her in to about her knees...then changed my mind! Gypsy was grateful for that. But then proceeded to prance and be a general idiot the whole way back. Very annoying.

Our mare in Training class has been doing well! Rode her english the past couple times, and she is doing better. Have a nice, forward moving trot, instead of her poke-along thing she attempts to call a trot. Getting more solid at the canter all the time, too. Yay! She is progressing so nicely. Gotta love that silly little mare. If she can be called little. Ha.

At work, some big progress too! Mr TB gelding got his toofers trimmed down, so the bit shouldn't hurt him anymore. He should be a much happier boy, although I haven't ridden him since he got done. Planning on doing that tonight, actually! And miss drafty mare, well thats the most exciting news of all! I rode her! Yes you read it. Rode. Ha well kind of. I sat on her, and she was led around. But she didn't hunch up once, and really couldn't have cared less. I was very suprised she didn't throw a fit. I have a video of her first ride, but haven't gotten a chance to upload it yet. As soon as I do, it will be here!

Ahh. So. I didn't want to ride Gypsy today...a bit tired...So I lunged her around, and then was messing around. Gypsy decided she wanted to wear my coat. She really did, I promise. So she did. I love my little mare :)

Haha, at first she wasn't sure about it covering her eyes. But decided it wasn't a big deal.

Doesn't she just look thrilled with life?

Productive Day

Well, today was a good day for horses! Hopped on Gypsy bareback today, and I am really starting to think she likes it better than riding with a saddle! She was very calm today, and we did bendy, movey stuff first. Worked on starting to teach her how to do a shoulder/haunch in! And she was trying for me, so I has muy happy!

Then we trotted all around, and she was nice and slow and calm- although she wasn't tucking her head as well as she has- but it definately wasn't all up in the air. Success! Sad note though- The martingale I just bought for her off ebay didn't end up fitting her :( Apparently she needs something smaller than a cob size? Gah! Tiny evil little pony- she probably did it on purpose! But yes, anyways. She was a good girl.

Then in training class today, we chopped off Miss Mare's nose whiskers, and she was a good girl too! A little uncertain, but let us do it. Also hacked her a bridlepath FINALLY! Yay! Life will be easier now. And loaded her in the trailer and let her chill there for a while, as well as teaching her to stand in stocks. Too bad we didn't get a chance to ride her today though. Ah well, theres Friday class!

Also, went to work today and worked with Drafty Mare, but not Mr Gelding. Drafty got to wear a saddle for the first time ever today! And you know what? She couldn't have cared less. Didn't even hunch up once. Stuck it on her, lunged her around a bit, and she was so chill. So I hooked some lines to her, and ground drove her for the second time in her life. And she did fabulous. Still getting the hang of giving to the bit super easily, but for the most part she is doing wonderful, and learning pretty dang fast! Ah it does my heart good to see her accepting and learning so fast. I will get pics of these two soon, I promise!

RIP cellular device

Ah yes, alas, my cell phone was trampled to death today. I was riding Mr. TB cross gelding at work today, and he did not feel the need to canter when I asked him to. And when I finally made him do it, he thought it might be fun to try and buck me off. And sadly enough, my cell phone was sitting in my jacket pocket, and out it fell, and proceeded to get stomped to death. I got thrown, and then oh boy was Gelding in trouble! I climbed back on that sucker and MADE him canter, and gosh dang it, he was going to like it!
So in the aftermath... I had to run to an At&t store and replace my diseased phone. And I have now discovered that the world's gnarliest bruise now resides on my leg. Sad day. Have a bit of a headache too, but besides that, I'm A-okay.
Besides that, today was a pretty good day! Ha. Rode Miss Mare in class today, and she was fabulous...maybe she knew her little brother was going to be a poop today, and was cutting me a break. Cantered her again today, and did the best yet! Was even riding western today again, and she actually listens enough to leg pressure that I can manage just fine now! Haha, my western skills are pathetic.
So yes, we will see how I feel tomorrow...might be kinda achey. Good thing my massage class at school is tomorrow!

Lazy Weekend

Well, I was very lazy this weekend so I didn't go train my horses at work- but I did do a little bit with Gypsy. In my defense, I was busy house-sitting the next town over. Yes. But anyways, Gypsy is doing pretty dang well lately. I should have started riding her in circles a long time ago, instead of clinging to the rail all the time. Continuing work on keeping her head low- getting better all the time! Have been loading and unloading her in the school's trailer almost every day...so that way next time I need to bring her somewhere, it won't be some long, drawn-out process! Now she is a dang pro at loading! She trots in half the time! Ha!

Oh, and my little mare is still pretty chill with me doing weird things on her. Hehe. I was riding her around bareback, and decided it would just be a fabulous idea to do an around-the-world on her. She didn't bat an eye, even when I took a little nap on her butt. And so, I got the also fabulous idea that Hey! I had stood on top of her with a saddle- I wonder if she would let me do it bareback?! And so, I did.

Success!

So maybe this week I will get back to actually working on things with her, instead of practicing for the circus :)

Madame Horse Trainer

Guesssss what! I am now officially being paid to train a couple horses for the lady who owns the mare that I am working with in my class in school. That sentence was confusing. She sent our mare to the school's program, but also has four more horses at home. She apparently likes how my partner and I work with Mare, because she asked if we would like to work with her other four. And of course we said yesyesyes!

So I am on two horses, and partner is on the other two. I have a Gelding who has about 20 rides on him, from another girl in our class [who is too busy with other things to continue training blahblahblah] but had pretty much no ground work put on him. Other horse is a big drafty mare who has nothing at all on her. So she is my starting-from-scratch horse.

Went and worked with them for the first time today. Ground work for the both of them. Sacking out with ropes, leading, backing, moving hindquarters away from pressure.... Some lunging. Took Gelding and put in him surcingle, and hooked lines to him. Ground drove him a bit at walk and a little bit of trot- he did fabulous. Was giving to the bit and turning nicely. Put surcingle on Drafty too, just let her wear it around...Free lunged her a bit. She is so out of shape! Ha! Next time, I think I will lunge her on a line instead...She was a tad distracted and disrespectful at times. Also, Drafty has bad bad habit of leaning to the point of falling down when you pick up her feet. Like...She purposely pushes herself back so that she falls over, while leaning all her [massive] weight on you. Problem! Anybody have some tips for helping that? Anyways, excited to be working with them!

In other news, played a little with Gypsy today. Took out the dreaded clippers, which I have never tried on her. To my utter amazement, she couldn't care less about them. I clipped her little nose whiskers off, and it made me happy inside.

No Whiskers! Success!

Also tried to do a bit of a bridlepath, but the clippers were very dull. Sad day.

Oh, and I almost forgot. In horse training class today, I decided to try and canter our Mare under saddle out of the round pen for the first time. Just about almost came off...Scared me silly! But our instructor helped me get a few good strides of canter in, and then let her be. Hopefully next time will go a little better!