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

Blackbird

The weather has finally been positively bi-polar. While the temps keep swinging from 30 to 65, at least it's dry enough to go for a few trot sets outside during the nice patches of warm.

We were all so sick of working just in the arena that getting into the fields was a huge relief.

While Sinari has been getting stronger in the collection and in fitness (she's finally getting the coordination for the pir's and the piaffe), her heat cycle has also become stronger and seemingly never ending. I think namely because of the weather and also the fitness level she's obtaining. Normally, she's an easy ride, but when cycling she pulls out the driving pony card and plows.

I don't blame her, cramps suck and she's using herself way more.

It also notes the start of going back to the summer program of Adequan, chiro, and other support system so we can continue on. But this year we might be adding something new to the mix, Reg-u-mate. I've never had her on any seasonal mare products because she hasn't cycled to the point where it became an issue or to where she was uncomfortable. But now, have to consider that too.

It sucks keeping her on the summer rotation, but to keep her comfortable in the work, she needs support. 

 Sincere is also scheduled to start back into the program. Officially bringing him in at the start of May to begin working again.

Between all of this, is scheduling the season out and travel plans. 

James Houston's clinic is almost full. I've had such a positive response for him that only two spots are left. If anyone wants to join, they would do well to speak up sooner than later. Going to try to have him back and the end of April or start of May if things work out well.

Christoph Hess is in May, and hopefully at the end of March, Shannon Peters will be doing something in Wellington. Never mind fall clinics at this point, getting through spring and summer is a priority. Then there are the shows, which I have a rough idea of at this point. I still need to roll through 4-2. 

I also have a few things to do in RI and CA, which is a long story, and I still have to do taxes, but for now, get through this week.

Shameless promotion: James Houston Clinic

For those interested and/or in the area, James Houston is coming to Lexington, Kentucky.

James is an FEI rider and trainer, who has ridden for Silver Wood Farms (Art Deco, Sympatico, Hall of Fame), has helped out numerous riders of all disciplines up the ladder. His students encompass everyone from adult amateurs to professionals, from FEI horses (eventing and dressage) to young horses.

I think this is a nice opportunity for people who want a low-key clinic to prep up for the first few shows of the season with a rider who has a good eye for not just riding a test, but really addressing and fixing issues.

Rides are $145, open to everyone.

Interested people should get in touch with me at: tempichange@hotmail.com or 859/699-7383