Oh we can be calm!

Well, calm-ish :)
Some people were out at the school barn today fixing the roof [oh thank goodness] so I opted out of riding miss Gypsy in the arena. Thought she wouldn't appreciate the banging and loud noises too much. So seeing as it was the only sunny day we've had in some time [sad sad rainy day], I decided to try riding outside again. As if I don't learn. But she was actually much better today!
Instead of going through the gate and then to the field and around, I went backwards today! Up the road, through the field, and then to the gate! And somehow, this was better in Gypsy's mind.
Either that, or the recent new development of her training has really put a better handle on her. Maybe a combo?
But yes she walked nicely up the road, and then [I was happily shocked] she walked calmly through a grassy path thing! I was very excited for this seemly easy-as-pie event. Because in Gypsy's little head, it certainly isn't easy as pie. Its more like making this extravagant multi-layered pie of goodness. But anyways. She picked up her usual prancing when we got out in the more open field. Eh, but it wasn't her worst prancing. It was semi-controlled prance, if there can be such thing! When we got to the path thing that led to the gate, she kinda came back down and walked half the time or so. But that is major progress for Gypsy! yay!

And speaking of Gypsy...I think I forgot to mention here the wonderful progress that is her training of late. I had been hitting a bit of a wall again, and her walk was falling into the abyss. But then my wonderful buddy came and gave me a mini lesson, to help her collect up and use her long-forgotten back and hind end, and come more on the vertical. I've been riding her like that since, and she is doing FABULOUS!
And I am really getting the feeling now that I've already written about this actually....
But whatever.
Had a couple days of just walking and learning to reach and like the bit contact, and now I'm adding trot back in very very slowly. And she is keeping her new lovely frame in the bit of trot I've done! Success! So lots and lots of walk-trot-walk-trots for Gypsy in the upcoming weeks. I would love to bring her to a schooling show and put her in a walk/trot class after this. Just to see what she would do :)

A different sort of Gypsy...

AHHHH!!! Massive excitement! I can't even describe it! Well yes I can...

A wonderful lady that lives in my hometown invited me to come and see her new horse, and so I did just that today. Now this new gelding is a Gypsy Vanner. YES! A Gypsy Vanner- the spots, the hair, the bigness, the everything! And she said I could play with her new horse, and ride him if I'd like, because he is very well trained. Well yes, I'd like that veryyyy much!!

So I played with him, brushed him, and he was the picture of good manners! He's a big boy, but held his feet up just like a perfect gentleman for me to clean them out. Bridled him easily, saddled him up no problem. His owner didn't know if he rode bareback, because they haven't tried, and the people that sold him had never tried either. So I rode him western a bit, and he was fabulous! You know how sometimes the bigger horses are lazy and dead sided?? NO! Not at all! Not one tiny bit! This boy picked up the trot off nothing but vocal cues, and came right back down no problem!
I AM IN LOVE! Is it terrible to say I'd trade in a heartbeat? Ha! I was smiling and laughing the entire time I was riding this wonderful, beautiful boy! And then I stripped off the saddle and rode him bareback, and he was a champ! Perfect! And his trot was so so fun bareback! Haha, If only I could go trail riding on him! It would be epic, trust me.

And so of course he couldn't get away without getting a million pictures taken with my low-quality camera phone. I have never wanted a horse so bad :

Ah if I only owned this horse :)

I would trail ride him 360 days a year, and take him to parades. He would be so tired of being ridden haha.

I wanted to stuff him in my car's trunk and drive away!

...I wish someone was there with me, so I could have pictures of me actually riding him, but thats all right.

Whipple Creek Wednesday

Well Im home on spring break now, and I had to leave Gypsy behind! Sad day, I miss her! But she could probably use a little break, and I've got a friend keeping good care of her. In the meantime, I went trail riding with one of my best buds today! Took her two morgans out, and boy was that trail insane! I was riding the ex-park show horse, and my friend was on the baby lol. But all went well....after going down STEEP steep hills, and back up them, and crossing a few bridges, and navigating some squishy mud! It was great fun, Its been way too long since I've gone on a fun trail ride. So that was fabulous. In the picture, the left horse is mine, and the right is hers.

This horse is her little baby in training- she did great! Crossed the scary bridge and walked nice and calm. The horse I rode is in the background back there...

In other news again... Haha, well I just have some random photos to share, actually. Last...Saterday it was, I went with the lady I work for to get a couple of her horse's teeth floated at the vets. I went to help out and such. And so the mare we work with in training class was there, and she got done last. The vet cleared her to load in the trailer and leave. We got her in, and she proceeded to almost fall asleep! She had her eyes closed and was leaning all her head's weight on the trailer tie! It was hilarious! :)

I was rather amused....

And last but not least, I went to the wonderfully fabulous Canby tack sale over the weekend, and bought things I don't really need...and stuff I actually did need! Success! I bought Gypsy a riser pad that is the full length of the saddle, instead of the ghetto cantle one I was using. Lets see....also got her a new bit (a D snaffle with copper rollies in it!), some polos, and the rest slips my mind. Also ended up with a saddle, which is great, since I've been borrowing someone elses saddle for months, since my old one was ruined. This one actually fits her and looks nice, and is mine! Yay! And the polos...hehe, are purple and pink. I am slowly turning my horse into a pastel easter egg! A blue/purple blanket, a purple/green/pink stable sheet, a purple halter, and now pastel polos too?!?! Ha, but its so adorable. Now I just want to buy her a dark purple saddle pad, and my evil plan will be complete..


But come on? How can you resist this cuteness??
I love watching her trot in these polos...hehehe
Oh and this is her new saddle too.

My friend is holding her for me, and making her all pretty :)

Pictures attack!

Well, fairly exciting news! I have been to work the horses every day for the past three days or so, and they are both doing fabulous!
I rode TB outside for the first time, and he was a good boy! He was very eyes-and-ears at first, everything was fascinating, but he was listening to me and minding his manners. We had a little trot outside too, and he was calm and wasn't trying to run off whatsoever. Rode him outside again today, and he was great again. Didn't even lunge him before our ride. Why? Because I was tired and didn't feel like it. A great reason, no? Anyways, warmed him up in the arena again, putting him through his paces. Then outside we went, into the field, and trotted big circles. Walked through a big giant water puddle thing in the field, and he didn't bat an eye. I think I smell a good trail horse! Here's a picture of him after our ride. He's sticking his tongue out :)

What a cutie.

And possibly even more exciting is the news of miss Drafty! I rode her sans assistance yesterday, and it was mildly like a real ride for the second or so time! Had her walking and such. Today, she was walking forward off leg pressure much easier than yesterday...Ie didn't take so much whapping with the lead rope I was using as an 'over under' type thing. Ha. Drafty was walking and turning, giving her head laterally at the halt, and was backing up. So...I decided we would trot. She took some big convincing haha. But we got a little bit of some trot, it wasn't all that pretty, but she did it! No bucks either, just one little hop after one of my whacks that was saying 'hey, you really actually DO have to move!'. I am so proud of her! The owner, who wasn't around when I did this, was [I think anyways] kind of shocked I trotted a tiny bit on her. But a happy shocked...

And here she is! Tied up! And calm! Although I don't groom her tied right now. BUT she stood wonderfully for grooming and her feet today. PROGRESS YAY!

And here she is all saddled up!

And last but not least, my bipolar little Arab. She was very iffy today...possibly residue from yesterdays venture outside. Sometimes she's kind of like that. But anyways, She was trotting very nicely in the arena today, but felt like walking was an unimportant waste of time. She got in trouble for that one. Eventually I had her walking a little better, and then started doing a lot of walk-trot-walk transitions. Hopefully that will help, I think I'll do a lot of those. Then I walked her outside to the field where she thought she was going to die, and lunged her a little bit right out there in the grass. Oh yes Gypsy, you can trot calmly outside, what a miracle. She did great. I am thinking maybe...If I lunge her a little out there, and show her you can trot nicely, will she be better under saddle out there? I'm not sure, but what can it hurt to try, right?

Miss Gypsy deciding it actually IS possible to be calm.

NOT a trail pony, mom!

When will I get it through my think head? Never! Wishful thinking that Gypsy was a good trail horse I suppose. But it was too nice outside to ride in the arena, and it was crowded in there anyways! So off I walked Gypsy to see if the trail to the river was...well, passable. And after walking through some squish, found that no...No, you couldn't really get to the river yet. There's still a rather large and deep puddle-lake thing in the way, and the bottom of this steep little hill. And seeing as I didn't feel like dying today, I avoided that like the plague. So instead off Gypsy and I went down the field, back to where I trail rode with the other girls a week or two ago. And Gypsy was a class A airhead. Trying to prance all over, head in the air, overall dummy. And so I decided we would work, and trot in a circle until she decided that she could be calm. HA! Well... It was a good theory, but Gypsy instead tried to canter said circle, all with her nose up so high...In hindsight...How does she even move with her head so high up there? You'd think that would be uncomfortable, but whatever. Maybe 5, maybe 10 minutes, who knows really, she 'calmed' down. Well, she was trotting with a resemblance of control, and wasn't tying to canter anymore. So we turned around and went the over direction, and it started all over again. Eventually I let her stop and stand for a bit, then we kinda wandered back home, by going through the field back to the road, and taking the road back to the barn. And let me tell you, that much prancing is kind of hard on your knees and back. But I suppose I didn't die, so I can't complain?
I am thinking I will try and do a lot of this with Gypsy this year during the sunny season. Being outside and using your brain at the SAME TIME!
...As if I couldn't have picked a harder challenge.

Problems Answered...

OH. Well, a revelation. The farrier came out to work the other day, to do all of the horses. And remember ginormous Clyde mare, who we could not get to move out at all? And we were so very confused, because the girl who put the beginning training on her said she wasn't lazy at all. Hum. Well, turns out she had terrible abscesses on her feet, and a bad crack too. AH! I felt terrible for trying to ride the poor girl, and so did her owner. Poor thing must have been aching something fierce, no wonder she kept stopping and refusing to move! So she is laid off riding for an indefinate amount of time, until we can nurse her big ol feet back to health.
And the farrier also did my little drafty mare's feet as well. And let me tell ya, I was so sure that she was going to kill said farrier. But no, she gave a little bit of trouble at first, but then decided to stand nicely! I was in shock! Amazing shock, and I wanted to hug that farrier to death!
And today, I went and worked her again, and curried and brushed her without tying her up. Just made her stand still in the middle of the arena, and she was great. If she tried to scoot away, I just made her move her butt away for a bit, then asked her to stand again. She stood rooted to the spot! And then I picked out her feet, and you know what she did?? She stood still! Fabulously still! Tried to give a few half-hearted 'kicks' with one back leg, got reprimanded, and was perfect for the other back leg. SUCCESS! I have never been so excited about picking out a hoof, I swear. So I had to just post about my exciting hoof picking time, and what turned out to be wrong with poor Clyde mare.

Ye Olde Video Log

Haha okay, well the video is a couple weeks old. Not exactly ancient history. It is the ever-promised video of miss drafty mare from work! This is her first time being mounted. She did fabulous! Calm as calm can be, as you can see. Don't mind the strange commentary with me, my boyfriend, and my friend who was video-ing! The owner was unaware that her mare was being mounted that day, and we were having fun with the idea :)
Since this video, the mare has been mounted twice more. In her last ride, I got her moving forward off my leg, without any assistance from someone on the ground, got her to stop, and turn a little!