Thursday, June 28, 2012

Shurrup Shortening(:

So I have been riding. Mostly only like a half an hour a day because that's all my body can handle without dying from work and heat. But every day I can trot more, with better equ and just getting stronger. I was wrapping my legs with polo wraps suggested by a friend of a friend. She stated she did that under her half chaps when she was younger because she still got rubs. Well I am cheap and didn't want to buy chaps for a month or so of riding. So I polo wrapped, that lasted 2 days. My legs had NO grip what's so ever! Sliding everywhere. Horrible equ. Bad bad bad! So now I am just sucking it up and riding in my breeches pulled down and tall socks. Still very little grip but better then nothing.

When I first started riding again my sturrups were long, like dressage/western length. And about everyday I shorten them a hole when my ankle flexes better. And today during our ride, which was pretty awesome ride, I shortened my sturrups one more hole! To the hole that I was in pre-break. Yay!

On our ride today, and most of the week for that matter, Pippi has had an amazing head set. Tho she is a power house. She is having flash backs to when she was an OTTB in a past life I swear to it. Normally after she trots about a bit and we do some hand gallops she gets her act together, uhm not at the moment! She is a effing beast! But I am kinda not strong enough to stay with her while she gets the run out of her. I need to start lunging her before riding again. But we are getting somewhere again. Pictures will come at some point when mom and I can be there at the same time during riding.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Over All

So I went to the dr last Thursday and got new X-rays. Instead if seeing my normal dr, I saw his 2nd in command. My X-rays show some improvement but she wants happy with how slow it is going, or how I am walking. When I walk my foot either points in like a duck or I bow out at the ankle. So I got a new protective brace that allows me to bend but not bow out. And I can ride in it.

So I've been riding. Basically my equ looks like crap. Funny how my broken leg, even after all this, is still my stronger leg. My left leg has always been a bad leg. And Pippi is thrilled about getting worked, like she is having ex thoroughbred flash backs of something. She is hot trotting and speeding around the field. She was even crow hopping and bucking at the canter when I am holding her back. So is now back to the full cheek d-ring instead of a plain d-ring. I don't have enough leg to keep up with her without a little bit of bit in her mouth. Tonight Pippi forgot what ground poles were. I had them spread out like 3' and she would jump 3 of them then jump the next 3. Urg. She couldn't trot thru no matter where I put them or how I spread them out.

Chance has had some time off. With all the excitement of riding, and school classes starting again he got put on the back burner. Tonight he did get to jump. He is such a little bugger. He will be jumping a gymnastic line then stop in the middle not because he can't jump it but to get a quick bite of grass. Urg. So he got a little tug on his face a few times then was fine. Little brat. But man can he jump. And he loves it. I swear my horses have to be the biggest brats but I don't think I'd take them any other way. I love a horse with attitude. (:

Monday, June 25, 2012

Paint Worlds!

I know I need to update everyone on everything Miranda and Pippi and Chance but at this time I'm studying so it will have to wait. But as I am studying Youth Paint Worlds is going on and I may be watching it on my iPad live.(: Oh how I dream of taking Pippi to Paint Worlds Open (happens in November every year) and kicking butt even tho I live in Ohio and Paint Open Worlds is in Texas. I can even qualify for Worlds easy peasy for next year, this year is a bust with my ankle. So now that is my new dream. I will get Pippi and I to Paint Worlds even if I have to walk the 1,200+ miles there and walk back. And I truly think we will go before Pippi has to retire as a hunter jumper show horse. Heck if all goes as I wish we may go more then once. Fingers crossed!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Jumping Weird Things.

When we first got Pippi she was afraid of her shadow, as well as not being able to see the ground on the other side of the jumps. This becomes an issue when you have to jump flowers, bales of hay, ect. for a show. To get Pippi over her fear not only did we jump flowers and hay, we also jumped water buckets turned upside down, and put feed bags thru jumps and put rocks in the bottom so they didnt blow to much in the wind, traffic cones, logs, and coolers. Pippi soon over came her fear and learned that flowers were the lease of her worries under a jump.


When I started working with Chance, he was also a little spooky. When we started jumping I did a lot of the same things with him as I did with Pippi including bounce strides, gymnastic lines, and jumping weird things. Chance has jumped the exercise ball the horses have to play with, water buckets, feed bags, and tarps. Even tho at most shows we go to they use our jumps , if we ever went to a different show I wanted Chance to be prepared. Yesterday was our big show of the year. Side Note- Congrats for Donna for kicking butt and getting Supreme in her height division over the WHOLE show. In the jumping class they put flowers under 2 of the jumps, along with one jump having a gate. I wasnt super nervous about Chance, sure I thought even tho we jump weird things these flowers are a lot bigger then our flowers were but maybe he wouldnt care. A lot of people were afraid tho. Only a few horses jumped it with no issue, Chance being one of them. Unlike those horses tho Chance didnt even think about it, treated it like any other jump at home. 2 other horses from my barn jump as well. Sky who is jumped by Donna and Sunset who is jumped by TN. TN is a 15 year old girl who also does volleyball and has been showing minis a year or two longer then me. Sky also doesnt like blue, like Pippi not liking yellow so I understand. She ended up jumping it tho after some persuading. Sunset on the other hand jumped the first jump after a few NO moments and refused the second jump. Now TN doesnt work with her horses like I do mine. She never has Sunset jump weird things and often gives up even at home when Sunset refuses enough. I am not going to get into it with to much detail tho since she isnt here to defend herself but the point is that jumping weird things helps. Chance ended up winning out jumping class. I was so happy, he has quit the reputation as a jumper and I was afraid that some flowers was going to take that away from him.

Tonight I free jumped Pippi. I hadnt worked with her and weird things in awhile and after yesterday I thought it was a good of time as any. First we started up just warming up.

And Chance was in the other field eating grass, so lets be a bitch and charge him with ears pinned. 


Started off with a one stride gymnastic line but she got bored fast so we went to this jump.

And at first went to barely a trot and cleared it. Then started cantering and really trying.





Some of her distances were off (not like I was on her to help at all) but pretty good for a girl who hasnt been worked a whole lot over jumps in awhile. We measured it and it topped off at 3'1. Didnt phase her at all. She only knocked it down 3 times and really she barely touched it, but it wasnt that stable. She is so funny and really seemed to enjoy herself. Everyone was proud but Kevin is always the most proud of her.

As for me I havent been on her since last Sunday. I want to ride so bad but my foot is so big and walking is a pain in the butt. I really dont want to do any damage but......  Dr on Friday so hopefully they can give me some more guidance.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Gelding?

Why oh why do I love my mare? I mean she is far to small for me, by like a hand at least, and she can be a total bitch!,and is high maintance, and the list goes on and on. But let's face it, I'm not really the nicest person either and I'm to tall for my taste. But she jumps better then some 17hh horses can, and she loves to work, and get brushed and we are both competitive and love jumping and she will play with me and help me forget about my problems.


But why do I love her so much today? Bc even when she is out of shape (and I mean she is out of shape bad) people tell me how nice she looks and how muscular she is. We often get the comment that she looks like a late cut gelding.

Today the dentist came to float Pippis teeth. This was far over due, like it needed done in February but I put it off till March and then my leg got in the way and finally we got it done today. I don't care what anyone says Pippi knows the dentist voice means business and as soo as she hears his him, she darts to the corner of her stall, 3 times now over 3 years. Now Pippis afraid of needles. This may sound crazy but I mean it! She can tense her neck up like no other and make it impossible to locate a vein bc of her jumper muscled neck. She has been jumped 3(!) times in 90+ days and she still has it toned nice. It took him a good 30 minutes to get a vein and everything. And of course her teeth were terrible. This is the mare that got 2 sets of wolf teeth, no lie. Only 20% of mares get them and she got 2 sets in the first year of owning her. Urg. So most of her teeth were very sharp and she has a bad cut in the back due to a sharp point. Which is why she is tossing her head every which way with a bit in. Bad owner award goes to me for putting the dentist off so long. But our dentist is the one who commented on her looking great today and I just laughed. Yeah she has gained a good 200 pounds since we moved her to Donna's so she does look healthy, but not in shape like he went on about. In moms and my eyes she looks kinda bad in the "in shape" department. Oh well, we can take a compliment when we are given one, unlike the compliment about her being the hardest horses to get a shot in the neck. So yes I love Pippi, even tho she pushes buttons. She is my beast!

Monday, June 11, 2012

91!

Yesterday marked 91 days since I broke my leg and Pippi started her kinda sorta vacation. Yesterday on my 91st day I rode Pippi, like really rode, w/t/c in a saddle with my legs in the stirrups!!!!!!! AHHHHH.

Okay first recap incase you forget or didnt read the accident post. I was on a trail ride with Pippi and my Friend A on her horse Rodeo. Pippi took the lead on the ride after a bit, which isnt like her, so I let her go for it only to have her spook at a rock, tree, bird, cloud, grass, ect. and rear/back to Rodeo who took it defensively and kicked out (bc lets face it, Pippi is a bit of a Bitch and he needed to stand up for himself). I took the kick in my right leg right above my ankle and Pippi took off, I fall off, Pippi runs, I roll down a hill, A chases after Pippi as I call for my mom to hike 2.5ish miles in the trail to find me (bc at this point I totally forget the path we took). Mom finds me, A finds Pip, Mom tells me to cowgirl up and ride Rodeo (WHO KICKED ME) to Kevin and Donna who are waiting with truck and trailer at a near by rode. Ended up breaking both my Tibia and Fibula very nicely and missing Equine Affaire clinic and a bunch of shows. Urg.

Anyways, I rode in one cast for a month but nothing super exciting and mostly bareback. Here are the pictures (finally) from that when I thought riding in a saddle would be easier (so not true).

Bag to cover cast so no sand/hay/ect gets in.



When I got my walking boot I attempted to ride again in a saddle with irons after a week, FAIL. I should have known it wouldnt go well but I get my hope up with just about everything and since walking again was so easy, I figured riding wouldnt be next to impossible, LIE! So I spent the next week or so working on myself. Walking a mile on the treadmill every day, doing sit up/crunches (with the help of Haven laying under my head as I rise), swimming laps at the pool when I wasnt freezing to death. Really working on flexing my ankle.

Yesterday I decided it would be a great idea to try riding again. I had been walking fine without my boot at all for a few days, flex just fine for the most part, it was time. I went to the barn and set my mind into riding mode. Got Pippi ready and went to put my boots on to find that my fat ankle (gets swollen thru out the day and it has been so warm that it was pretty swollen yesterday) barely fits in my boots and when I zip them it puts enormous pressure and hurts like hell. So I rode in my rubber boots. Went out to the smaller feild and jumped on. First only walking, getting used to everything again. 2-point, trying to push ankle down, turn, whoa. Then I trotted, trot, trot, turning, trot, trot. Then I got brave again and cantered. It was amazing, a little bit super rusty but amazing. Pippi kept falling on the forehand at the trot and dropping her shoulder during the canter but still. As time went on my ankle went deeper and deeper. Started just flat then went a little deeper. Not so much sore joint, as sore muscle pain. Ignore my equ, Pippi's head up like a llama, basically everything besides me in the saddle, feet in the irons.


What is with my hands?

Good Head! Ahhhh she remembers.


So yeah. After riding a bit, I got tired and Pip was getting a bit hot so I called it a day. Even afterwards my leg didnt hurt all evening. I wont tell you at this morning my leg hurt so I put my walking boot back on after not using it for a few days. I was going to ride tonight but I think I'll give my leg some time to fix itself and it is kinda gross out thanks to rain. Wednesday I wont ride bc Pip is getting her teeth floated which is the weirdest thing in the whole world to watch.  So come Thursday I'll saddle up again. Pippi is a bit too fat, not muscled enough. I hope to show come August if I can talk Kevin into taking Pippi and I. Maybe suck up to him a lot till then(;

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Chance in Harness.

As stated before in a post about Chance, he was trained in harness/cart about 2+ years ago. He was still young and wasnt really feeling it then so the trainer or Donna and Kevin, didnt push it. Donna, along with most people, have told me to get him back into it again and after playing with Skye, I decided it was fun so why not.

Yesterday Donna and I set out to line drive him. He was pretty chill about getting the equipment back on and even took the bit just fine. Then he figured with all this junk on him he couldnt walk. It took some convincing but finally he decided to walk out to the arena. In the arena after he had walked some he decided he could walk with someone driving behind him. -And of course we forgot to grab a whip for some forceful  encouragement.- Donna walked beside his head, I driving from behind. When Donna let go of him head well, *lets turn around and look at how pretty Miranda is trying to keep up with his butt spinning around*. After sometime Donna took over driving and I went to fetch a whip. This made a huge difference. Tho Chance was walking forward, stopping when asked, and turning decent, he was tense and a little worried. We ended on a good note and untacked.

Today, Chance was a champ with everything I asked of him. The girls I babysit, C (9) and K (11) wanted to go riding Pippi and play with Chance. Pippi was fine, she normally just follows me or when they get brave they walk her around on their own and make her listen to them. They must be getting use to her and all bc she kinda tested their steering today. Chance on the other hand was great. I really noticed how different he is in just the 1.5 ish years I have been working with him. Girls said to trot and starting trotting beside him and he trotted off, girls sped up, he sped up, girls took him to a jump and he went over it like no problem with no pulling afterwards. I was so happy. This is the horse that use to drag me around, decide he would hot trot everything and at all times and was just a brat.

This afternoon when I went down to drive him he was great again. Our steering had improved and we were no longer fighting each other as much. He walked off mostly when asked, turned nicely, and wasnt nearly as tense. YAY! Now I dont know much of drive, just basically the basics from watching Donna and playing with Skye. But we are learning together (tho really he knows this it is just a reminder for him). Mom came down and even got some video, so without further ado.....



Very happy with him. Hopefully we can attach something to him to pull (besides a cart bc he will kick the shit out of it) and see how he does with it. Clipping for the next show starts tomorrow tho :p

Monday, June 4, 2012

2 posts in 1 day, WOW


     Today I went out to the barn - after taking mom out for her birthday dinner - to just do some more mane thinning/shortening as mom did her stall. We werent planning on staying there long since it was already late. I went out to get Pip only to find her in one of her moods. You know the mood, where the horse rather play around, run from you, then have you bring them in. URG. So I grabbed my lunge whip to go play bc really we needed a play day. She was running around, bucking, kicking up her heels, the whole nine yards. I decided to put up a tiny jump bc she has always loved to free jump. We are talking put her in an arena by herself with jumps set up and she will run around and jump all by herself. She has done that since day one. So I set up a tiny little 18"ish jump and she was flying over it. Running full blast for it then lift off! I click my whip like once I think to give her the OKAY and off she goes, no more encouragement needed. So I raised it to 2'ish and the same thing. So I raised it again to about 2'9 and again she shot over it like a champ. Thats the highest I have jumper her since I broke my leg 85 days ago. She was a CHAMP! Here is the video for proof.



     Sorry for quality, considering this was like last minute I didnt have my camera on me so cellphone was used. Doing this with Pippi is always nerve racking bc she knows she can clear the fence around the field, she has done this before while free lunging in the snow at a trot and the fence is about 4'ish probably.


 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


     This past weekend we had our 2nd mini show. Now in two weeks will be our Championship show. Exciting(:    Chance didnt do damage to the trailer like last time, till we took away his buddy. For this show Chance and I took 1st in Halter Gelding B division, Supreme for B Division, Failed terribly at obstacle (even tho those were our own stuff from our barn), and won our jumping class. I was very pleased with him. He was even pretty chill for clipping and bathing. I thought maybe my horse had been stolen and replaced with a clone. I hope he does well at the Championship show in 2 weeks but there will be a lot of mini's there. And I decided to restart Chance on cart. He was trained in this a few years back but was still in his "I am Boss" stage and didnt do great with the cart. I was playing with Skye at the show in cart and it is fun. This FUN with Chance starts tomorrow.

   
this is baby stuff for him.
2'9ish probably. Maybe 3'
Such a cutie(:

Jealous Much!

We had our second mini show this past weekend. More on that to come. On Friday Donna and I got the minis ready; clipping, bathing, ect. And of course it was raining so Pippi was inside. Now don't get me wrong, Pippi can be out in the normal rain, not this RAIN rain we had were it was basically raining sideways. So as we are getting Chance clipped Pippi thinks it would be run to swing the gate that we use when she is outside so that she has the option to come and go as she pleases. She was swinging it open then closing it again. Then she decided to taunt Chance with the fact that she has hay. She did this till the rain took I brake and I let her out. Next we did the mini Sunset and Pippi, who had the option to go outside and explore, thought it would be good to stand right in the doorway behind the minis. When we took a break, Pippi was so jealous she even bit me on the shoulder! Little brat! She has on,u ever bit me once when she was in pain and I was messing with her. Finally while Kevin was hooking up the truck to the trailer and moved it over to the barn Pippi got worked up again. This time since she was outside she ran, and ran and slid in the mud and ran and ran and spin around on her haunches then run some more. Huff and puff, runnnnnnnnn, spinnnnnnn, runnnnnnn, ect. All bc the truck and trailer were being moved. Finally she got ahold of herself and chilled out to eat hay again.


I know she wants to go to the show so bad and be worked again. Pippi really enjoys getting riden and jumping and the prep work that goes into it. She doesn't mind getting her mane thinned for the most part or getting braided. She loves her sleezy and jacket and likes to get bathes. Really she likes all the attention she gets. Plus Kevin babies her BIGGGGG time. Last night I was pulling her mane and she was just standing calmly and Kevin decided she was hungry for peppermints and hay. Of course he gave them to her and she ate, still standing. Such a good girl. But spoiled. I think by July maybe but def August we will go to a show and play around. (That is if I can get a ride there)


Oh I did ride last week. It didn't go as planned on my part. I figured and hoped it would be asveasy as it eas to walk again without my boots or even in my cast. I got my boots on - my broken leg ankle is still swollen and barely fits in my boots. I hopped on and tried to put my heel down, ehhhh not so much. They were level so that's a start. I first walked and did turning then I tried to trot. At the trot I noticed how much I was gripping with my knees. I don't want to start bad habits bc really I have enough of those as it is so I am once again taking a brake. I am going to work on swimming and flexing my ankle some more and try again later. No need to rush it and get in more trouble down the road.