Holy CRAP it has been hot these past two weeks. At the beginning of September (and end of August as well) we got a fairly significant amount of rain, and we were told that there was now going to be a cooling trend and we could all rejoice.
Halleluiah! Pumpkin spice for everybody!
Except... not. It's been nearly a hundred degrees every day with 70%+ humidity. The heat in and of itself would not be such a big deal, but when you add in the humidity.... no.
Just no.
It's been too hot to bother working with the babies. I'm in no rush with them anyway, so if they have some time to hang out and relax, that's just fine. The only real priority is Dylan, come heat, rain, or whatever Texas throws at us. Yesterday was the first day I actually pulled Lendri out in two weeks, and played with Zoodle too, although I do try to mess with him a little bit every day.
As for Dylan though, he is not off the hook despite the heat. We don't go full steam ahead when it's a million degrees, but we work regularly.
Speaking of work regularly, I fully intend on making blogging at least 3x a week a high priority in the coming months. I haven't been terribly diligent about it and this irritates me. This is my story and I want to document it, if for nobody else but myself, and I forget things if I don't write them down. Like with this post, I feel too scatterbrained now to consolidate my rides very well, so mostly pictures and some jabbering notes will have to do. But this needs to change. I want to be better! I want to write with more clarity and detail.
Dylan's secret admirer sent him a present last week... a beautiful new bridle!! He says thank you very much! <3 <3 <3
I also found a KK Ultra bit on English Tack Trader that I scored for $30. He loves it and once again I feel like I am excellent at finding bargains. I should do a blogpost on that...
This past week, despite the heat, I trailered out to WD four times. That's about what I want to do per week, plus a hack at home. Especially now, I try to be mindful of his legs and footing, and feel that because I can't get out and bomb around in the field much, his fitness isn't where I want it. It's not critically important that he be super fit - not like an event horse or a driving horse needs to be certainly - but he does need to be strong enough and fit enough to make it through his shows. To bolster this I am going to add in long walk hacks before and after rides. Walking is boring but it's such good low impact fitness work. Back when he was walking the fence 24/7, he was SUPER fit. Now that he doesn't walk the fence at all.... all that walking muscle is gone!
I've also decided that I'm going to plan on showing in the snaffle bridle, especially when we first start showing and I am trying not to look like too huge of an idiot. I asked K what she showed him in and she said mostly it was the snaffle at 4th, but that I should bring the double along and gauge him the day before - if he needs a bit more, I can always switch to the double. As usual, with Dylan I find that if I am riding well, he goes perfectly well in the snaffle. I can tell now pretty clearly when I am not riding well, because I can feel myself starting to rely on my reins instead of my body. He requires a lot of body strength - probably not anywhere near as much as a giant bouncing warmblood, but he is incredibly strong.
I rode on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I felt great especially on Wednesday and Thursday - I felt like a centaur. We were just *together*, you know? My rides were short and sweet - a few clean changes, a few half pirouettes in canter and walk, a few half passes and boom, done. I felt that he was working well and what was the reason to push when he was already doing so well? On Thursday I also moved 18 freaking TONS of gravel by hand in my driveway, and by Friday I felt like I could barely move. I rode anyway, but could feel that I was relying on my hands and letting my legs get swingy. I just didn't have the physical strength to keep it together after the enormous effort of moving all that gravel. Again, I kept it relatively short - about half an hour. While we did most of the same things - more changes with an emphasis on keeping them clean, a few not-spectacular pirouettes, and some decent half passes, I felt that I wasn't really giving him a great ride even though he was being a good boy for me.
I did get a few video stills from that ride though!
I decided after Friday to take some really hot epsom salt baths and take a day off!
This coming weekend we have a first: a working equitation clinic with Tarrin Warren. This will be my first clinic with Dylan, and also my first WE clinic. We're in the "beginner" section, because that is where the organizer told us we should go. When I rode at the WE practice a few months back, the people putting it on told me I should go right into Intermediate, but now I'm being told I should actually be doing beginner things, so basically I have NO idea where I'm supposed to be. There is a schooling show on the 22nd, so I am going to ask Tarrin where exactly she thinks I should be - which level she thinks I should be in after she sees us go. That's about the best option I think!
As for Dylan though, he is not off the hook despite the heat. We don't go full steam ahead when it's a million degrees, but we work regularly.
Speaking of work regularly, I fully intend on making blogging at least 3x a week a high priority in the coming months. I haven't been terribly diligent about it and this irritates me. This is my story and I want to document it, if for nobody else but myself, and I forget things if I don't write them down. Like with this post, I feel too scatterbrained now to consolidate my rides very well, so mostly pictures and some jabbering notes will have to do. But this needs to change. I want to be better! I want to write with more clarity and detail.
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| Other homestead projects I've been working on.... regraveling the carport/carriage barn! |
Dylan's secret admirer sent him a present last week... a beautiful new bridle!! He says thank you very much! <3 <3 <3
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| The silver is perfect! I have a black show pad with silver piping too! |
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| Also wearing a mule tape halter... because why not. |
This past week, despite the heat, I trailered out to WD four times. That's about what I want to do per week, plus a hack at home. Especially now, I try to be mindful of his legs and footing, and feel that because I can't get out and bomb around in the field much, his fitness isn't where I want it. It's not critically important that he be super fit - not like an event horse or a driving horse needs to be certainly - but he does need to be strong enough and fit enough to make it through his shows. To bolster this I am going to add in long walk hacks before and after rides. Walking is boring but it's such good low impact fitness work. Back when he was walking the fence 24/7, he was SUPER fit. Now that he doesn't walk the fence at all.... all that walking muscle is gone!
I've also decided that I'm going to plan on showing in the snaffle bridle, especially when we first start showing and I am trying not to look like too huge of an idiot. I asked K what she showed him in and she said mostly it was the snaffle at 4th, but that I should bring the double along and gauge him the day before - if he needs a bit more, I can always switch to the double. As usual, with Dylan I find that if I am riding well, he goes perfectly well in the snaffle. I can tell now pretty clearly when I am not riding well, because I can feel myself starting to rely on my reins instead of my body. He requires a lot of body strength - probably not anywhere near as much as a giant bouncing warmblood, but he is incredibly strong.
I rode on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I felt great especially on Wednesday and Thursday - I felt like a centaur. We were just *together*, you know? My rides were short and sweet - a few clean changes, a few half pirouettes in canter and walk, a few half passes and boom, done. I felt that he was working well and what was the reason to push when he was already doing so well? On Thursday I also moved 18 freaking TONS of gravel by hand in my driveway, and by Friday I felt like I could barely move. I rode anyway, but could feel that I was relying on my hands and letting my legs get swingy. I just didn't have the physical strength to keep it together after the enormous effort of moving all that gravel. Again, I kept it relatively short - about half an hour. While we did most of the same things - more changes with an emphasis on keeping them clean, a few not-spectacular pirouettes, and some decent half passes, I felt that I wasn't really giving him a great ride even though he was being a good boy for me.
I did get a few video stills from that ride though!
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| He's basically perfect. Even though I can't grow any more mane on him than that |
I decided after Friday to take some really hot epsom salt baths and take a day off!
This coming weekend we have a first: a working equitation clinic with Tarrin Warren. This will be my first clinic with Dylan, and also my first WE clinic. We're in the "beginner" section, because that is where the organizer told us we should go. When I rode at the WE practice a few months back, the people putting it on told me I should go right into Intermediate, but now I'm being told I should actually be doing beginner things, so basically I have NO idea where I'm supposed to be. There is a schooling show on the 22nd, so I am going to ask Tarrin where exactly she thinks I should be - which level she thinks I should be in after she sees us go. That's about the best option I think!
Good luck at the clinic! He's so handsome
ReplyDelete"I felt like a centaur"
ReplyDeleteI actually died at that comment, lol!