Oh Pippi

I had my lesson Sunday with Autumn for my flying lead changes. And I fell off in the first 5 minutes. Yes thats right, 5 minutes was all it took. See I got to the barn early to warm up and get the buck out of Pippi before Autumn got there. Then Autumn put ground poles in the corner. The point was to circle at one end of the arena, go over ground pole and change lead and circle again, go over ground pole, ect. Well it was early so the grass was still wet and over ground pole we went, change lead, back legs slip put from under us, Pippi catches herself, gets pissy and bucks bucks bucks towards the fence. I, in a weird position with no leg straight am losing it thinking Pippi is going to jump the fence but last moment turns on her haunches and off I go in the other direction. Straight on my butt/back. And just sat there. Of course I got back on and had a wet butt. Just peachie. So we worked on getting the lead change. Pippi did get one but then switched it back to the original lead. Urg! Pippi was super pissy that day too. She made if loud and clear that she was pissed that she only got worked once all week. She was crow hopping everywhere and bucking. Her ears were pinned and her expression was clear as day, Eff You!



Today I tried again. And I must say, this crow hopping thing is getting old quick! She is going to get in loads of trouble it she doesn't knock it off! I started out today with bending and curving around my inside leg. She started off nice then got bored and proceeded to make a fuss. I started trotting then moving to the canter. When I started asking for a lead change she was running thro my half halts, running thru the simple change, crow hopping again the whole nine yards. She did get one lead change in which she was crow hopping and either had to change leads or fall on her face. And I gave her lots of pats and praise till I asked again so she crow hopped even more. Tomorrow I am going to try a different method with jumping so maybe she will like it better(:

Show Weekend

I have to have the best friends ever(:  Last week we decided that we would go to a hunter jumper schooling show for the weekend after I got approved from my doctor to ride in boots again with no brace unless I was in pain! (PS my test results came back. Thyroid is fine, kidneys are fine, everything else is fine besides my Vit. D intake which was really low. which is weird considering  I am outside all the time.) The plan was to steal my friend Donny's truck after he unloaded and mom would drive his truck, get the trailer, get Pip, and go to the show all while I was working. Well Donny ended up bringing his trailer to get Pippi just as I am getting off work because his ball didnt fit our hitch. Like I said, I have the best friends, be jealous(;

Friday-
   After Donny got Pippi, I went to unload everything from the trailer that I had just put in there a few hours prior, to the car and drive to the show. When we got there my other friend Kole was on the phone all upset. Well by looking at her horse I would have been too. Her horse cut his eye BAD. It looked like he was trying to take off his eye lashes if he had fake ones on. Six stitches later he is just fine but no show for him. Anyways I decided school that night because Pippi is Pippi and she is a hot mess if not riden often and I had rode her twice this week. I tacked her up and off we went. Pippi hates to be lunged now, really always has hated it but now I figure it is easier to just ride the hot out of her then try and lunge it. Donny starts to watch us and Pippi is HOT WALKING around. This is not how Pippi was last year and Donny got a great kick out of it. He finally left me alone to get the Hot worked out and I rode and rode and rode. Finally I got tired of holding her back at the trot and I just hand galloped her around a few times. By now Donny has come back in and is watch our canter/hand gallop and has a smirk on his face and asks if I want the jumps raised as they are only at 18"/2'3 ish. I declined and kept running around. He left again and I started taking fences one at a time then stringing them together. Pippi was Running at them but we werent a total mess. So I hoped Off and raised them to around 2'6ish which we had not jumped yet even at home the whole 2 weeks we have been jumping again. haha. Again I start one line at a time and string things together. Oh I love my mare! Our spots were HUGE and we were speeding around but it was a consistent speed. Donny came back in and asked for me to take some jumps to watch. I did and he had the same smirk on his face.
Finally I said "what?"
He replies with "What am I going to ask you?"
UHM?
"Where were my spots? What Speed did I intend to take this at? Where was my half seat? How about a 2-point and a release? Does Pippi think she is a jumper this weekend and not a hunter?"
"No, what are you doing Labor Day weekend?"
Like I really plan that far ahead in advance.
"Delaware is having their Ride For The Ribbon show and Sherman and I are going, you and Pippi should go."
Delaware is the BIGGEST Hunter Jumper show in the State! Donny thinks if I work a bit on my legs and all that junk we will be ready for it. OH MY GOODNESS!

So I called it a night, fed and went to bed.

Saturday-
   Got at the barn at 6:30am to school again, feed, wash and chill before my division. Pippi must have gotten a lot a rest because once again we were a hot mess and ready for the race track. Oh Paint Mare, you are a PAINT not a OTTB! If you OTTB people saw her I swear you would start to wonder. She acts more like a OTTB then Sherman does who raced till he was 9 and just got off the track in February and was fit to race again in March. Schooling was not exciting, tho thinking back I should have schooled way more. I didnt want to loose Horse because I have little leg so I didnt over school like I should have. Then I fed her, and gave her a quick bath.

I decided to only do 2' and if I had plenty of horse and Miranda left for Sunday I would do 2' and 2'3-2'6. Well again Pippi and I were racing around at a consistent speed of FAST. But we got 3 firsts in over fences out of three classes with 4 riders in them. Whoooo. Like I said we were consistent and got most of our leads.  In my flat class Pippi had no head set, no speed control, nothing. We were trotting in place at the walk, hand galloping at the canter, hot trotting at the trot. URG. But we managed a 2nd out of 4 because thankfully we got our acts together the second direction.

Mom decided she wanted to do the english pleasure class. Well Pippi was still very hot and it didnt go as well as expected. 

Sunday-
   I got to the barn again at 6:30am and fed first because the course wasnt set and then schooled. I decided it would be better on my arms to just walk a few laps then canter/hand gallop around a few hundred times before trying to control the trot. I worked wonders. I schooled till we were just right. Then mom wanted to do the ground poles class. You can read all about her classes HERE!

For my classes Pippi was being lazy, not listening to my spots or my legs. We ended up having one refusal which was all me. I had my leg on her, leg, leg then my ankle gave and she was like UHM, WHAT?!?!?! and quit. Totally me. I probably should have only done one division again instead of pushing it. We even knocked a rail which we have never ever done at a show. WTF Pippi! It probably does not help that Friday I started to get sick with a cold so by Sunday it was roaring strong and I was having a hard time breathing at a walk let alone at a canter thru a course.

After the show I talked to the judge who has an ISHA team and an IEA team. She said I started out strong and had some really nice classes but then we knocked a rail or had to do a simple lead change which cost me. I ended up getting second or third in my classes. Here is a few courses that I approve of.

Please remember I have been in a saddle for a month by now, riding in boots for 3 days, and jumping 2 weeks. I now know that I forget to half seat at all while jumping! I dont know were it went but it was not there. And now I am having my friend Autumn, who does Dressage and Eventing, come get a flying lead change on Pip. I have tried everything and it just isn't working and she is really good at that kinda thing so she is coming Sunday. We must have a flying change by labor day so we can go to the show and kick butt!

Last night I rode her again and set up a single oxar to work on getting leads over the jump. This is our first oxar since February and it was great. LOVE MY PAINT MARE. Sunday starts boot camp with Autumn and hopefully it is a minor detail to get my flying change.

Show Queen

Sunday was the Big day of small showing(:   But of course a real horse show starts the day before with preparing the trailer, and washing the horsie. Bathing is really not that exciting so we will cut straight to Sunday. Since this was just a local horse show and jumping normally doesnt start till 11ish we got to get some sleep and have a quiet morning. Only I woke up to big puffy eyes that looked like they were going to get pushed out of my head. Luckily the puffy-ness went down as the day went on. When we got to the show I went and got my show bill so I could sign up for all my classes, a total of 7. Which really isnt a bunch for Pip and I. But I didnt want to pay for my classes till I talked to the judge and made sure she didnt care about me showing in half chaps around my brace and tennis shoes.  This particular show is, well, a pain in the royal butt! If one person doesnt like something then they like to bitch about it and get it changed. They dont like when new people come and show and they really dont like it when they win. I was told by one person that it isnt safe to ride in tennis shoes, which I am aware of but come on. Ive been doing it for 3 weeks now and thats the only thing I can do. Luckily the judge was perfectly fine with it when I told her I had broken my leg and still need the brace for support. I also made sure to walk Pippi around the show grounds a lot before tacking up and such. She hasnt seen Big horses since the accident and we thought she might get worked up. But not SHOW PIPPI. She was a champ.

Once tacked up I went into the ring for the warm up. No lunging before hand. Which at the time I thought "OH NO" and at first I was half tempted to get off and go lunge. Pippi was a weeee bit....."trigger happy". Any leg pressure sent her flying as fast as she could into the trot. We did lots of circles at first and half halts which she listened politely to each but wanted to go. Her canter was the best canter ever tho. Oh so nice and soft and flow-ie and Oh to have that canter every time we ride would be amazing. Once she calmed down I took her out to stand while the other classes started out. I opted to not do the big pay back class (and the only walk/trot/canter class) because I figured it would have been a waste of money. Now I wish I had done it.

Our first class was Walk/Trot Hunter under saddle. And since Pippi got to stand around she got excited again. And was trigger happy again. Her head set wasnt super pretty, she was hot trotting around some but we still managed a 4th out of 9 horses. I was very pleased. Next was Walk/Trot Equ and Pippi was more manageable and I pulled a 3rd out of 8 or 9 riders. While they set up the jumps I went and talked to the judge and her suggestion was mostly about Pippi and having her more on the bit at times and not so forward which I knew was an issue but she really liked Pippi. Yay(:

For jumping they only have four jumps. Yes thats right 4. Like I said local small schooling show. In cross rails first class (w/t hunter) Pippi was jumping round and cantered off every jump but pulled down nicely and we got a 1st out of 4 horses. In the Equ course we got 2nd out of 4 and I think thats because I didnt sit the trot. For the Equ courses on the opening circle you are suppose to sit the trot, well I am a little out of practice and forgot. So I'll take that 2nd place proudly. Then there was hunter hack and they raised the jumps to 2'ish. For hunter hack you are suppose to stop at the cone, wait for the judge to nod at you, canter off and take the 2 jumps assigned, then hand gallop off around to the cone, stop, back, drop your reins to show that your horse listens and look at the judge again. Our distances to the jumps were off, our hand gallop was awesome till the stop that wasnt. The cone was like 2 strides behind us. We got 2nd out of 4 again. 2' Hunter over fences we managed another 2nd out of 4 with bad distances to the same jumps again. We kept chipping in no matter if I held her to pushed her forward. Grrrrr. In 2' Equ we got 1st out of 4 which Im not sure how because I was super tired and my legs were everywhere.

So very good day. I was super proud of Miss Pippi. I love how nicely our flat work is coming along. Considering we only jumped twice before the show that wasnt bad at all either. I have videos of the jumping but havent edited it so you'll have to wait. I did get 2 PAC points that will need to be turned in. And Pippi got Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow off so Thursday I will hack around some hopefully. Or maybe tonight I will ride her bareback some. But super proud of my girl<3

First Aid

Because I am crazy, protective and a nursing student, plus very accident prone, I decided to make a first aid kit for my car. But why stop there? Pippi has had a first aid kit since day one but it has dwindled down and needs an update. So today is about what I have in my first aid kits.

HORSE AID:
In Pippi's and the mini's first aid kit I have 5 large gauze pads, 5 small gauze pads, 3 nonstick pads, 2 vet wraps, antibiotic cream, gloves, and aloe cream. I got the gauze pads and nonstick pads from when I was sick with my auto immune disease and had to scrub my ankles hard core. The gauze would be used to clean mostly then the nonstick pads to places over the boo-boooo before the vet wraps. Speaking of vet wraps, those things aren't cheap for being nothing at all! $2.40 for 1! wrap or $7.50 for 4. So I bought a bag of 4 since we will more then likely use them. And of course they are cheetah print. They also had pink camo but I HATE PINK so cheetah it is(:   I also packed the gloves because I may not want to touch whatever happens to the horses or get crap on my hands. And everything fits in one of those school supplies bags from when I was in school.

Another reason I made a first aid kit is because I was look at Needs for a Horse Trailer online and Duh, First Aid kit is needed. Goodness.



HUMAN AID:
In my first aid kit for my car and will also be placed in the trailer for shows, I have 7 large and small gauze pads, 6 nonstick pads, many band-aids, antibiotic cream, cotton wraps, tape, pain pills, tums, and gloves. Again I used the gauze from my sick days. The tums because I get so worked up at shows that I need something to help me out (and if you get waxed like your eye brows, if you take tums you have less bruising and red-ness, My eyes always bruised BAD and I looked like a racoon!). Gloves in case I help someone else because I do have my first aid certification.

I was very pleased with it till.....

I went to school last night and burnt my hand on a microscope slide that had been in the fire. Nothing in my kit for burns. I am putting one of Pippi's aloe creams in it now. My poor three fingers were on fire! Not literally but it hurt like they were. I thought my partner was handing me the slide to stain the tissue but really she wanted to know if she had dried the slide out enough in the fire. So I grabbed the slide without thinking and then dropped it. Last night I slept with yogurt on my hands (yes yogurt!) and woke up with it everywhere. The yogurt pulls the burn out. I tried to use a ice pack but my whole hand was frozen and my burn still hurt. Urg!.

That Little Devil!

So I have been riding a lot. Working on my legs being up under me and sitting on my whoooohaaaa and not so much on my butt. Hands up, no pinching with the knees, heals down, head set Pippi, Canter without crow hopping Pippi, Hands! Legs! Half Seat and finally JUMPING! Yes thats right. I decided it was safe and I was strong enough to jump. A whole 18"-2'ish. YAY! It was a freaking blast. Yes my equ kinda sucked. I should have folded more, head up, release, heals down, legs back. BUT I didnt fall off and I had so much fun and Pippi loved it. I even put traffic cones laying down under a small small oxar to "scare" Pip and she went right over it, super round and looking but didnt refuse so YAY. Lots and lots of YAYs. We had taken the camera out but of course I never gave mom the okay to film so it never got used.

Now onto Pippi being a devil. Sunday I went out nice and kinda early to ride before the heat. I rode and everything then mom came down. We got her new water, cleaned her stall, turned her out to the grass field, and went home. I had planned to jump that evening after dinner when mom would be available to supervise. Later that day Donna called and said Pippi had gotten out of her field and was in the back yard. UHM...WHAT! But Kevin and Trigger got her into the stud field (mini's werent out yet) but she wouldnt let them catch her to put her halter on to go into her field. So I went down, entered the field, to have Pippi run the opposite direction. Little Booger! So I free lunged her around till she decided I was right and came to me. I put her back away and made sure the fence gate was shut right. I guess Donna, Kevin and Trigger (neighbor friend) were sitting in the backyard enjoying the breeze when Donna noticed Pippi by the water hose. They went down and Pippi let them come near her and put their arm around her head till she figured out that they were taking her back to the field. Then she trotted away but they got her in the stud field. Thats when I was called.

And if that wasnt bad enough Monday I went to the barn to feed before going to babysit and Pippis stall door, that must weigh 100+ pound,s was off the wall and on the ground. WHAT! Buckets were everywhere, salt block out of its holder and door, with hinges included, off the wall and on the ground. And here I am attempting to move the dang thing away from her stall so I can check her legs, body and feed her and get to work. I finally got the door slid to the other side and checked Pippi who didnt have a mark on her or swelling. Mhhhhh....   I fed, texted mom to call me and off I went to watch my Rugrats.So we think she may have laid down and got stuck against the wall. Or she spooked at something and freaked, Or she attacked the door and wanted out. who knows. We made a contraption to keep her in last night since she ripped off some of the wall and all. Like I said, Little Devil.

Finally getting in shape again. TANK!

I think this is where she came up with the plan to open her gate and get out.

On a completely different note I decided to show this weekend. A local local show, like ten minute drive from the barn to the show, is having their show this weekend and they have like 5 jumping classes (cross rails, 2') and a few flat classes and thats it for English. And only like 3-5 people jump and I figure what the heck. Everyone knows my leg situation and really I am going just to have fun and get Pippi out. She is so bored and wants to do something oh so bad. Plus every time we get the mini's show ready and move the trailer she gest worked up and pissed when she finds out she isnt going. Plus I have to wear half chaps and my tenis shoes because of my ankle brace. But what the heck. It shall be fun and low-key. August I want to go to bigger shows is I can get my legs under-control. YAY!

Ahhhhhhh!

Since I am a Facebook addict, I am apart of many many Facebook pages that sell horses, tack and all equine stuff. I have never bought anything from them but it seemed nice to look, like window shopping. Well looking thru the pages, a guy listed a 3 horse slant load trailer for sale. I asked for more details. It is a 6year old trailer, bought new to them, taken care of and got lots a pictures sent to me. I, in return, sent them off to mommy. She agreed to go take a look at it in person. So last weekend we did and found out that we loved it. Yes it has some wear, hey it is 6 years old. But it really is in great condition. Sadly thanks to the storms banks were down and we had to put off finalizing the trailer. Yesterday was the big big big day! Kevin and Donna took us to get the trailer. Kevin even approved of the buy, with was super nerve racking. If he didn't like the trailer I doubt we would have gotten it. So now we have a trailer sitting in the back yard. Hopefully next spring we will have a truck sitting with it and we will be official! We have waiting 3 years to get a trailer and finally the time has come. Yay yay yay!

A Little Rusty

This past weekend and the beginning of the week we had some BAD storms. Friday Ohio, and West Virginia along with other states on the East coast were hit by terrible summer storms that knocked trees down, power lines ripped out of homes, fires, and power outages. And along with the power outages, people freaked and started stocking up on ice, and gas. Most gas stations ran out of gas when they could finally open and could only take cash. Issue for mom and I since we have dept/credit cards and never carry cash (well at horse shows is the exception). Power was out Friday evening till Sunday for us, power back on at the barn a whole mile away on Monday morning and Donna and Kevin who live 100 yards from the barn got power back Monday afternoon. We were lucky that no trees went down on our property, and none on the barn tho Kevin had some tree limbs down but safe horses and house. Crazy weather.

We have had a few storms since Friday but none that server. Crazy how fast a storm can brew in the summer.

I have been working Pippi a lot and even Chance Man some. I have had issues getting pinched tho and as a result my legs are forward and not under me. I am also posting funny at the trot. Like my upper body is so stiff. I figured out why Tuesday when I went to ride Sherman (OTTB 16.3hh) with Donny. I am a nervous wreck. I guess I didnt notice so much on Pippi but with Sherman I was so afraid of falling off, without a cast to protect my leg. Yeah I still have my brace and thankful Donny is such a great friend and lent me half chaps to use. Finally after Donny told me to chill, I started breathing and Sherman and I got our act together. Donny fixed my posting some and over all just felt better. And with feeling better Tuesday with Sherman, I felt better with Pippi Wednesday morning and Pippi acted so much better. No more running off, or jumping trot poles. We def need to work on transitions tho.

I got Chance in harness last week as well. He hasnt been on harness in  weeks due to weather and just being busy. He was a champ tho. Great movement, transitions and listening so well.

 

 

I love my Haven(:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I went to the Dr's today. I was told I am walking better and got blood drawn for labs. We are checking my kidneys, thyriod, and Vit. D. So today I went and bought....
 

10 yogurts, 10 protein bars, and Nesquik for chocolate milk. Hey, Chocolate milk is better than no milk at all. (: Hopefully riding pictures coming soon.