Thursday, May 28, 2009

Click, Click, Boom!


So, today was not nearly as eventful as the beginning of the week. I rode a few horses, cleaned stalls, cleaned some tack... the eventful life of a working student.

<= The El Paso scenery. Evidently, the area near the mountains is government property.

I started the day with RC, as usual. Today we worked on getting those shoulders up and in line with his hips. It's really tough for him to lift those fat little shoulders, but by the end of the lesson, he was starting to get it. The other thing that MD thinks will really help him out at shows is to really nail those transitions. He CAN do it, he just needs to learn that hes HAS to do it EVERY time. Evidently MD thinks that's where RC can pick up the points that judges don't feel they can give him for not having the extravagant gaits of those big warmbloods. All he has to do is move forward in a consistent frame through both the up and down ward transitions.

On the plus side, MD thinks that thanks to RC's lack of self preservation instinct, he could be the perfect training project and might go farther then his build would suggest. That he lets the rider contort him into any unnatural shape is actually a good sign for his future training. MD thinks that he's practically a second level horse, and may just be learning the third level movements by the end of summer. She even told me that he might be able to go all the way to PSG, though I shouldn't expect 68% scores... that's ok, I'll take it!

After working RC to a panting lather (poor guy), I took him on a little trail ride around the property and down the road. He's liked exploring before, so I figured that he would enjoy it again. Imagine my surprise when i heard thunder. In the desert. Weird. then RC went stiff and spun, i nearly lost my stirrups! The I saw the clouds of dirt about 50 feet in the air. As it turns out, the land to the north of us is a military training establishment, and they were setting off blasts. Huh. That explains all of the helicopters....

After that excitement, I got to work with the cremello mare. She got to wear the bridle for the first time. As it turns out, she is not nearly as calm as she seemed yesterday. When I walked her around with a halter over her bridle, she was ok for about five minutes, then she went nuts. She reared and lunged away from me while MD was riding, and all I could think was "How embarrassing would it be to lose this horse right now". So I hung on... She dragged me about thirty feet, before she chilled out enough to just stand while I cooed at her. I got one hell of a rope burn for my efforts too. I think that she's going to be a tad harder to break then Deli seems to be.....

Later, I rode Diva. I really like riding that little mare. I just feel like I really need a lesson on her from MD. That way MD can tell me how to sit correctly. I fee that the whole issue is how I hold my hips... but who knows.

Finally, guess what Deli did today?

Deli lunged in a saddle and bridle! I introduced her to a bridle yesterday, and she has only learned to lunge in the last three days. As it turns out, she might have a few bucks in her as I bring her along, but she is really really eager to please. She just doesn't like it when either me or MD does something that she thought that she made clear she didn't like (like being touched with the lunge whip). Oh, I'm so excited. MD said that maybe on Monday I'll sit on her. We'll see.. We shall see....

Do you like fish sticks?
You must be a gay fish!!

OK, I'm done.... PS: leave a comment if you actually wasted time to read this! I wanna know!!!

1 comment:

  1. I read all your blogs--how interesting--good to know you got bucked off--makes me feel a little better!!!!
    Terri

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