Plastic ponies anonymous

I've been trying to find the time to write this, it seems so hard these days to find time/energy to write due to the schedule!


So other than putting about 2,000 miles on the truck and working odds and ends and dealing with an extremely busy schedule, there's been some news as of late.

A while back, Breyer (y'know the plastic ponies) announced it's annual festival at the KHP.

I have Breyers, and while I'm not a super-nut for plastic ponies like some of my friends, I do have a soft spot for some models that dot my book shelves and my nightstand.

I still have Erin Go Bragh, Black Beauty, Merry Legs and a limited edition arabian horse that a friend gave as a graduation present. I still pick up the yellow box to read the back stories on the model.

However, I normally avoid Breyerfest weekend at the park (these days I'm rarely in town to really do any avoiding).

This year's theme is British invasion (London 2012) and apparently since Sinari is technically considered British by default (Welsh), she came up and was accepted for Breyerfest.

Which leads to the dilemma-- what do you do for Breyerfest?

Enter one freestyle. There have been a bunch of ideas thrown about in the camp, but the one main requirement is that anything we do be, well, English-themed.

My initial freestyle is done to Dr. Who, composed by BBC, however I think the music is too serious for a bunch of girls who are in it more for entertainment than anything else.

Then we thought of Queen and while the guys thought it would be spiffy to dress up in drag (pleather full seats anyone?) and get sparkly Petries, again, age plays a factor. Beyond, We are the Champions, I don't think anyone remembers Fat Bottomed Girls.

The final decision went down to Coldplay. The modern band isn't my first choice, but a relation (e.g. my brother) pretty much booted a Paradise/The Scientist/The Verve remix that is total fun/high energy.

Riding has also been interesting as well, we ramped her up in VA, and this week we're taking it a little light due to an upcoming clinic and show. Doesn't mean the work isn't serious, just means that we're doing more suppling exercises.

Sincere is out long lining, the wee guy (well not so wee now) turned three yesterday, and he's been going on the lunge now (on and off) for the last three weeks. What a guy, just takes everything in stride. It's been forever and a half since I've gotten to play with a baby, and I've forgot how much fun it can be. Yesterday he went out long lining in the fields, took everything like an old pro.

I'm guessing his summer plans will include lunging, some free jumping, getting out on the trail in long lines and then by late summer/ early fall have someone jump on him a few times for some work, perhaps a cheapie in hand show to get him out there. 

May Goals (I'll cap April off this week):
-Above 60 percent scores at 4th level
-hone the pir's
-hold the count on the tempi's
-fitness
-up the balance point

All around the world

I've been really naughty and not posting. Partly for good reason, partly because my internet on the road is more than sketchy at best. 

Part of what I've become since last year is more active. I used to barely travel outside of Kentucky to ride, and now I'm hauling to the big East. My trailer time went from an average of maybe a once a quarter trip in the spring to now a once a month thing.


I blame Koford.

After last week's clinic with Houston, the pony and I traveled out again to VA to see Koford, Houston and Shannon Peters.


I was going to host Shannon (that was a whole another kettle of fish that was cancelled) that weekend and pick up more time training with Koford and Houston. While Shannon didn't happen due to a strange airplane cancellation, spending time with the amazing Morningside crew, Koford, Houston and company did.

Sometimes karma just works out in your favor.

We really ramped into training with Koford, the balance came way up and we rolled through PSG. Found out that the pony had a fitness issue and needed to work on condition for the marathon test ahead. But for the most part we both agreed that we would be ready to roll (barring a flop at 4th) PSG in July.

Houston saw us after the three day ramp in and still had stuff to tweak on my position and accuracy.

It's nice to have the guys in your corner pushing you and helping you go in a direction.

Between rounds, I had a Wednesday photoshoot with photographers Wendy Wooley and Matt Wooley. Since they participate in what I host I felt turnabout was fair play and became a working model for about 45 minutes for 8 photographers.

It was the first time I wore a shad in public. Not entirely too sure about it still, but we rolled through elements of fourth and the PSG (plus some half steps). The pony was braided up and looking spectacular. One of the images above is one of my favorites, I'm looking forward to seeing the entire results.

I'll recap April and do May's goals soon. But for now there's just too much going on.

Wheels on the bus

What a fantastic week!

Sinari just peeled off work after work after work that just kept getting better. I think we've got over the fitness hump and a few other things as well. She's looking svelt and trim.

With the one bad side effect of fitness with mares is that they come into heat harder. I used to remember the Sinari who would silently cycle and not bat an eye at anything. Sinari of today, who is now ramped into some serious fitness (30-45 minutes a day, six a week) schedules thinks it's muscle beach and everything is fair game. Go figure. Time to break out the Regumate.

I've also noticed that she definitely has an ego now. Which I blame being doted on by the barn ladies left and right and being told that she's the best. While that there is no dispute of this fact, it's nice to have her ego back into the game.  

Despite this, It felt so good that we rolled through strings of PSG toward the end of the week, and started choreographing with the new music.  Seriously can't wait to put it on tape and see how it looks. The new music is Coldplay.

This past weekend we did our second session with James Houston. Four straight days of clinic (and a grand total of 7 days of under saddle work) really pushed our limits. We worked through everything and despite me feeling like I mastered the last set of work, he pushed the boundary a bit further by picking on more biomechanics, and straightness. More work in the wings for May. We'll see him again this weekend during Shannon's clinic (bringing the pony along for more schooling time with Koford and Houston). 

Sincere came back into work yesterday, he arrived last Monday and took a whirl around the roundpen just to see what we have, and then yesterday I put him back on the lunge. He wintered well, but has zero muscle, however his gaits are really consistent. I think the next few weeks are just going to be spent getting him back up to speed and starting a lunging routine. I want County to look at him to see what kind of tree we're going to have to work with and he's started on a few other things to help with the nerves of moving (raspberry leaves). 

Last week really started our season, I put out the first entry, and started looking seriously at the upcoming schedule. May is looking slammed between weekends, visitors and work. This week we take a day breather and go into a photography session and then leave for VA. Don't even want to think about next week.  

Plus there's been more good news here and there, which I'll announce in due time.

Eyes wide open

It's been busy and not just gee, maybe I'll catch a break busy, but go to 11pm and wake up at 5am really busy.

Sinari is back under saddle from her bites, we spent the majority of the week last week just lunging, and while I really dislike being on the ground so much (my fridge and I are good friends during those periods) but the investment of the time is really paying off under saddle this week.

She's back to being super light in the bridle and collection is easier for her. She's even being a hair too smart about the lateral work and the pir's lately. I'm getting more giggly over the changes which we rolled through for the first time in about a month. She's really going to be fun when she gets the one's down.

I've been way anal about the insect bites, they are bathed every other day and coated in anti-biotic ointment and corona. She's ridden in the half pads under the square pad. It's been great for her skin the hair is growing back quicker and the blotchy patches aren't so blotchy any more.

But the concoction makes for nasty saddle pads.

So my weekend was again spent in front of a washer doing 14-15 pads and two half pads plus the left over winter wash. Not to mention polos.

A serious labor of love. 

It's been busy on the work front as well, with back to back to back scheduling moments with clinics (James is Rolex weekend, Shannon Peters is Derby weekend, breather, then James the third weekend of May then Christoph Hess and then KDA).

Not to mention having to throw together a completely new freestyle for something in July, it's going to be interesting times. So, we have to get cracking. Fitness is going to have to take center stage this month, we're going back to KESMARC for some swim time once the truck is repaired.

I find that low impact, high resistance is really handy for those who are really hard to condition. Plus it's hay season, and being chased by a thresher, while motivation for going faster, is not my cup of tea. 

So goal recap:
-Compression
Much better, but still has fading moments.
-Changes
Getting there, she still argues about the balance point on long lines. 
-Roll through 4-2 and PSG
Negatron, just lazy. 
-Rotation
Her left side pir is competition sized, her right I would like to say you can park a minivan in it at the moment.
-Soft connection
Girl is like butter now, no jacked necks or backs. 

Goals April:
-Roll through 4-2
-Choreography for FS
-Pir's.
-Changes
-Fitness

We've got the funk

Spring funk is here too.Unlike the weather, it's not a welcomed visitor.

Rain rot is one thing (it's up and down her legs and on her belly), but what happened on Friday and have been battling until now, is something different and kinda has me baffled as how Sinari did it considering that the last run in with ants there were visible mounds of them.

Friday rolls in and I go out to the field and Sinari is hanging out. Everything looks fine until I go and scratch her on her back and she about collapses on the ground. Looking at her whithers and back she had broke out in quarter sized lumps that were wrinkling and really hot to the touch. Confused

Fast forward a few days later, and well, things are better, the swelling is gone in some areas or down to almost nothing. Sensitivity is also gone, but now comes the fallout, the dead skin is sloughing off in patch work to red patches of skin.

Needless to say, under saddle work has been canceled, which sucks. So we're lunging to keep up fitness and other things. After the third day of walking circles you get fairly creative with your routine, you start to add poles, or work on collection, she's smart enough to do walk canter transitions and a few other things.  But until I can come up with some sort of solution (possibly involved a few lambskins) on the ground we stay.

Drive by

Normally, I'm a Sunday blogger. Sunday's are my day away from the barn where I get my laundry, house and billing done. I also get a coveted day of sleeping in to 8am and taking my morning coffee, with whip cream, on the couch (you can stop laughing now).

For the last three weeks I have been waking up at 5 or 6 am to do things. I don't regret it, in fact a lot of it was necessary, but by the end of last week I was more fried than anything. To the point where a vodka and cranberry sounded really good and turning off my phone felt fantastic. But I had one more push before I could really rest. 

Friday was the final edit for the Run Henny Run website that I retooled for Peter Atkins. I met Peter July last year through Jim Koford at the July Dressage at Lexington show. Peter, who is a great rider and a brilliant natural marketing guy, isn't so clever about his web presentation.

After that show Peter and I kept touch, and eventually I made it down to slow-cala to stay at his place where we really started sculpting the website. 

The end product is based off the iWeb platform, and will be switching over to another, more flexible one, but it's definitely better than the 1996 Geocities look that it was sporting. While the push was in the afternoon, I was pretty much spent after a full day at work. But I am very proud of that work and of the team it reps.

Speaking of, please go visit and support Peter and his chance to go to Badminton.

But because of the whacky schedule I carried last week, this week was a bit of a leftover.

Sinari is starting to regain much of the strength that we backed away from, the tools and exercises from the clinic have really helped in giving me a way to get myself settled and make things much easier on the girl. The suggested positioning in my body has really given me twice as much power with her especially in the lateral work. The collection that we felt in Florida is returning, and the half halt has been re-established. The trot work feels really fantastic.

I've decided to forgo the April show for a late May. I know this wasn't apart of the plan (I really wanted a PSG test at Kentucky) but really what is these days?

What also made us forego the April date was shedding season. It's out of control. The weather has caused most of the horses to shed either rapidly or get rain rot. So most of those working right now are half bald or really patchy, Sinari included.

Speaking of hairy things, Sincere is set to come back to civilization April 15. Can't wait!

Welcome to Oz

In Kentucky, the weather can go from blistering to sub zero in a span of a half hour. Within 15 minutes, we can go from tornadoes, hail, and flash flooding to rainbows, sunshine, partially cloudy and 65. This week alone we were in the high 70's and then dropped to 50's from a torrential storm.

Really, this weather is for the birds.

Because of the tornadoes there wasn't a heck of a lot of riding done and because of the travel (six time zones in a single week, plus clinic this weekend, so no rest for the wicked), there was more rail birding than actual saddle time. Which leaves both of us in a bind for the upcoming schedule of stuff and behind the eight ball for actual training.

This time last year we were in a similar corner, only less fit and on a different level entirely. Now I feel a huge amount of pressure to produce and go farther.

So I feel very much at a loss as to what to do for April's entry to the first show. Part of me wants to push back until late May, giving time to re-address the issues and the other part wants to jump in and just do it, and get through with it.

I feel like we've lost a lot of compression and sit over the last two weeks to the point where the pir's feel sticky. The half steps at the trot feel alright. But overall (and more truthfully) it was one crappy ride after another. It was becoming a serious bummer.

Enter one James Houston.

James comes from the same family tree as Jim Koford. The two have known each other for years and have worked alongside each other pretty extensively. Until this weekend I only knew him by proxy and probably still would if Koford didn't get the nod to go do World Cup. But life has a funny way of pointing you to the right people.

The first day I was still mentally checked out, we worked a lot on me, my position, and just had a 45 minute stretch session with the mare. In my push the collection, I forgot about the entire picture. Despite audience, it was a no pressure session. Just get unlocked and it was exactly what I needed.

Second day we picked up where we left off. It was seriously interesting to get his perspective from the driving world (he formally coached four in hands) and totally got the pony's driving background. Some minor adjustments here and there, and we were back to our old happy selves. Even got to show off a little and not look like total morons.

He's a seriously laid back instructor with a positive attitude and quick eye to make fine adjustments that have huge impacts on the horse. But what I appreciate the most is his honesty to get to the core cause of the problem and not BS the situation or the horse.

Thankfully, he'll be back in April. Until then we have our work cut out for us.

February:
-Compression: there and lost it.
-Half Steps: there but not there.
-Fitness: better, she's now on her spring diet.
-Changes: good, but needs more wait.
-Roll through 4-2, PSG: Negatron.
-Compression, rotation: Better. Should be much more comfortable now that she's had some work done on her.

March:
-Compression
-Changes
-Roll through 4-2 and PSG
-Rotation
-Soft connection