Saturday, November 16, 2013

Red Mares CAN Jump!


YAY! O's old owner saw my laments about her form over fences and sent me some encouraging pics:







So somewhere in there, she CAN jump! YAY! 

Here's my thoughts on this:
1) Her canter still sucks right now. I haven't spent nearly enough time working on improving the canter, so this is entirely on me. (It's SO FUN doing other things that buckling down and getting proper dressage-y work done isn't always high priority!) I spent a lot of time getting the walk from sucky to good, and now it is very good. I spent even more time getting the trot from sucky to good, and now it is also very good. The canter is still in sucky phase, and the golden rule of jumping is that if your canter sucks, your jump is gonna suck. You HAVE to have a good, balanced canter in order to have a good, balanced jump.
2) Aside from working on the canter on the flat, we need to do lots and lots of gymnastics. (Or, as horses probably like to call them, gym-nasties.) Lots and lots and lots of them. Winter of gym-nasties!
3) ME. I trust this horse now so I have GOT to let go of her face. Before, I spent a lot of time eternally half-halting, and I never felt like I was able to really give her her head and let her just go around, probably because she would have be in Egypt before I could have stopped her. 
4) Hoofcare. She's done super well barefoot, considering where we started, and in an arena she's great - but let's face it, we ride on rocks and hard ground ALL the time. I'm going to try the new Easyboot Transitions on her in an effort to try one last time to get a boot on her crooked feet that won't either turn or rub her raw, but if that doesn't work it is probably time to try some glue or nail-on synthetics. She's doing very well barefoot, but our progress has sort of leveled out. Can't hurt to give them a try, and perhaps it will give her that freedom to move out and land better.

Admittedly, she is already moving out pretty well though!: 





There is a 30 mile endurance ride in a little over two weeks that I think she will be ready for. She's been working super well over distance, but I'm sort of on the fence about deciding if I want to do this one or if I want to do one in January instead. This one is the first of the 2014 season and will count for miles towards it, so I would in theory like to do it, but I want to go into it just with the idea of completing. If I decide to keep eventing her - and I do want to! - I think doing LDs would be really fun cross training. Or, if I get more seriously into endurance, then LDs are a step towards even more mileage!





She looks pretty darn pleased with herself, even though I look a bit like a sack of potatoes. Details.
I think I might go about trying to endurance-ify the barrel saddle... I'm obviously not going to go hacking off the horn, it isn't my saddle, but I did get a few ideas.... 
The moste excellente Funder already sent me a new set of stirrups:


CAN'T WAIT TO TRY THOSE. I'd really like to get one of those butt-fluffy covers, but they are way too much $$$... S has a Cashel butt cushion that I might try though!


Seriously though, I can't wait to get some grids up and get going through them... Operation Jump Recon is coming to town! 



15 comments:

  1. I just realized that I know O's old owner... My world just got TINY. Wow.

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    1. I... wat. How! I thought the world was tiny enough knowing that she was in MI not too far away from where I grew up!

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    2. I can't believe you guys know each other. And that I grew up a few miles down the road from where you are now. WORLD TOO SMALL.

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    3. So totally way too small! Omg where did you grow up?!

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    4. Rochester Hills! Went to grade/middle school in Oxford, high school in Birmingham. Grew up riding outside of Lake Orion. My parents still live in my childhood home in Rochester but they now have a secondary cottage in Port Sanilac.

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    5. Oh wow, that's crazy! I grew up more east-side (Detroit, Eastpointe, went to school in Harper Woods) but was living in Pontiac till recently. Super super super small world.

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  2. That is so awesome to see that she does have the potential and that you are getting excited about eventing again. :D Also the endurance rides/LDs are going to be so much fun to read about. You got yourself such a nice little mare and you've done so much awesome work with her!

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  3. \m/

    It sounds like you're having so much fun with her! :D

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  4. Hey, I just wanted to mention that I've been using Ground Control Polyurethane Horseshoes, nailed on, with quite a bit of success. I foxhunt in them, my previously barefoot horse is quite comfortable and moves 110% better in them than she did bare, booted or steel shod. The are a fantastic option for those wanting an alternative to steel. I've posted about them on my blog, with photos. Might be something to consider if bare or booted doesn't work for the red mare.

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    1. I actually have a few Ground Controls in my truck right now! :) That might be the next step. I follow along on your blog periodically too, don't know if you remember but you and I met when I came out hunting with Daun a few years back :)

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  5. My blog is www.foxhuntingfriesian.blogspot.com. :)

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  6. great news about the jumping...maybe eventing is in the future again?

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