Heading South!

I was accepted to graduate school in Nashville, TN, so Svenna and I will be making a big journey south! I got into my first choice school and my first choice program, so I am thrilled to gt to go. 

My new school!

I'm sure Svenna is going to be happy too, as there is a lot of delicious rich grass and big fields to frolic in.

I went back to San Diego over Christmas break, and right before I left Svenna was giving me the BEST work I have ever gotten from her. She was even starting to lower her hind end a bit and offer a few steps of "collection" here and there. I say "collection" and not just collection as lowering her hind end just makes her travel more level since she is so front end heavy to start with. Its not a deep sit with light shoulders and beautiful expressive front end, but it's a lot better than where we started, so I'll take it!

Apparently she forgot it all while I was gone though, as she was very nearly feral when I got back! I swear, I still have not had a solidly good ride on her, and I've probably put 10 rides in since I've been home. It's definitely frustrating, but I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt that some of her resistance comes from lost muscle mass rather than straight up belligerence. My original plan was to start a jumping bootcamp of sorts when I got home to give the dressage a rest for a bit, but now I feel like I may need a month before she's even ride-able enough to jump. 

She's not all naughty though, as I've been able to give a few lessons/pony rides to some of my nonriding friends. I am convinced giving lessons is her favorite job- she hardly has to work, gets tons of treats and pets, and there are no consequences to blowing off the rider! As usual, she looks damn cute doing it. 

I have been having a lot of fun just enjoying her since I got back, without stressing if her contact is steady, whether our transitions are active, or if she's ready to show training. I like coming out and hopping on bareback, socializing, and hacking out on the farm. I'm hoping that when I move to Nashville that I can find a stable near a lot of trails, I really miss wandering around in the backcountry for hours. 

If I do get around to jumping her I'll make sure to have a witness to take pictures...its been a long time since we've had a photo day!

Belated clinic recap!

I'll cut right to the chase and say that it went AMAZING! Svenna really brought her A-game and got lots and lots of compliments. She wouldn't have it any other way. She did scream a lot when she was in the stable, but was energetic and focused once I got on. I was very strategic the week before with my riding, I worked her hard Sunday, then left her alone till Thursday when she had a light hack, then off again Friday. I wanted her a little bit jumping out of her skin for the weekend; my biggest fear was running out of pony. 

Jeremy really liked her, and I will give you the main takeaways in bullet form:

• More forward! Even more! Squeeze! Forward! Now! Go! 
• Poll up, she is past the long and low stage and ready to really get to work
• Use head to the wall leg yield, shoulder in, and shallow loop to engage the outside hind leg
• Don't waste the lateral work, really hold that outside rein! 
• Half halt HARD and reallllly take the outside rein going into and during the canter, and don't let her putter out, she's strong enough to keep going now
• Let her take a stronger contact
• Do a thousand transitions. Then do a thousand more. 
• My pony is really, really fun to ride and I love her

I was most surprised by having to ask her to raise her poll, I really didn't think she had it in her to work that hard, for that long, in that frame. But she did, two days in a row, without getting very tired, a clear indication that she's ready to step it up! The way he had me working her forward was different than I'm used to- there was a lot stronger contact, but it helped me harness her power- she felt more like a real horse and less like a rinky dinky pony. 

The video is like watching paint dry- I apologize for not having pictures. I wish I had more pics, we looked so beauteous and clean (for once!) but I was there alone so was only able to trick someone into videoing the second day, which was admittedly less sparky than the first.

Also I just noticed that my title is a pun...Beale-ated, get it?? 

Did I get a new pony??

Or did Svenna get a haircut? I was going to just trace clip her, but once the hair starts flying I just can't stop myself. I think she looks amazing, fit, healthy, and cared for. As a bonus it's been so nice and warm here I haven't even had to blanket yet. I also cut her mane, washed and waterproofed her blankets and bought her some new outfits. It's been a good month to be Svenna (although isn't it always?- she's such a princess). 

What is all this fuss for? Well in only THREE DAYS we have our Jeremy Beale clinic! I wanted her looking as beautiful and proper as possible...I know she is not the typical horse that shows up at a dressage clinic so I was hoping to make up for that with good grooming!

The hairy, unkempt "before"

I took some pics a few days before of her looking all hairy and drafty and uncared for. I think the clip makes her look like a little sport pony. If she didn't have the stripy Fjord mane I think I could call her a QH cob cross- she's just a fat little dun pony. I also like her mane a lot shorter like it is in the first pic, I think it makes her neck look much more refined. 

On the training front I'm happy with where we are for the clinic. She really feels like she's starting to get with the program- as long as I can get her going forward she's quite pleasant to ride. She got a lot of time off this week to rejuvinate, only worked Monday and I'll ride her tomorrow, but off Friday too. I'm hoping that all this rest means I'll have a speedy pony on Saturday. I really worked her hard the last three weeks to try and increase her fitness and I do think it paid off, although I wish she had more endurance in the canter. She huffs and puffs less, so I'll take what I can get- getting all that hair off seemed to help with her breathing too.

Svenna says "cheese!!"

My roomate bailed on taking pictures for Saturday, but she's going to do Sunday, so I'm hoping to get some good pics as well as feedback out of the whole thing. I love having pics where we are both turned out nicely and looking good!

Cross your fingers for us that everything goes smoothly and we learn a lot!

Svenna becomes a DQ

Right where I want her right now

Miss Svenna is signed up for a Jeremy Beale clinic in early October! Guess that means I'd better get to work! Even if I had to go this weekend though, I'd be happy...she has been coming along steadily and just getting better and better. She is inconsistent in the bridle, but definitely starting to understand what is the right place. I finally had someone around to take (admittedly crappy cell phone) pics and she looks much better than she feels! As my friend said, she'll probably always feel like a stiff short strided pony to me, even when she's being pretty darn good. But I'm SO SO SO happy that she is starting to be down in the bridle and come not just over the back, but up in the back. It makes her a lot more rideable and lighter in the bridle.

I've been riding her out on the grass track a lot since the weather has been so nice and man that gives me a totally different horse! Not to say that the fundamental issues aren't the same, but they express so differently. For instance, she is heavy in the bridle and in the ring she just bears down and gets stiff, but on the track she is nearly running off with me! It is not that she's really going very fast, just that I can't stop her haha. It's great to have her so forward though, makes the ride much easier.

It is interesting how much riding on straight lines only, like when I'm out on the track (no room to circle), really magnifies training flaws. Like how little Svenna understands (or respects??) the half halt. She dosen't shorten her neck, or slow down, or shake her head....she just completely ignores the aid. Its like pulling on a damn brick. I think in the ring I kind of cover that up by really bending her in  and out on a 10-15 meter circle, but on the track that is not an option. So anyway all this half halt practice on straight lines over the last month or so on the track has really helped establish a half halt. Which obviously improves everything.

Not a great pic, but shows how much she's coming under from behind which is really hard for her!

Also I finally beat convinced her into going trail riding again. Something we had no issues with until a less than ideal experience with another really green horse. She was being such a cow, she is absolutely NOT scared, she just tries to intimidate me by backing up into stuff. Hitting/clucking for forward did not work, she just plants her feet and does not move and tries to use backwards against me. So my plan of attack was to praise and reward (with cookies) forward, and when she backs, I make her back for a LONG time. Then stop and politely ask for forward again. She pulled out all the stops to evade: backing into ditches, fences, and prickly berry bushes but I just let her. It's her butt, if she wants to drag it through some super prickly bushes I'll let her! I certainly never asked her to back up anywhere dangerous, the trail is also a bike path- plenty wide enough for her to back up in a semi straight line without hitting anything. So after about 20 minutes my pony gave up and went forward and then was an absolute gem and we had a great time. I can't wait to try again, I really hope the lesson stuck and we won't have to fight again. It really freaks the pedestrians on the trail out to see me growling and and beating up the cute pony!!

We have a jumping lesson on Thursday, I can't wait! I'll make her into a sport pony yet.

Svenna, then and now!

Wow has she changed a lot! I ran into her old back tracing while cleaning and it really shocked me, it is hard to believe now that she was ever that small and A framed. Now she's shaped like a propane tank! Today after her bath I got a barn mate to take some pictures, and I dug up some of the first square pics I took of her last December-two months after I bought her. I think she looks like a totally different animal!

In the picture where she's facing right she is sort of bowing towards the camera trying to look at the photographer which makes her neck look kind of hollow. 

 The top curve is her now, the bottom curve is from December. Crazy!

It's good to look back and remember what we came from- I was not happy with our ride today, but compared to only a few short months ago it's like a different horse and I need to give her credit for that. She is SO much more flexible and strong, even though she has a long way to go. My main goals are to develop more strength to be steady in the bridle, become more consistent over the back, and develop more submission...she can be such a little snot! All in all though she is making great strides and I can't wait to see where she'll be in another 6 months!

A bazillion pictures of Svenna- and a few updates too

Well, it's been a long time since I've posted. But school is out, I have a degree, and just when I thought things would be mellowing out they got even crazier! I spent a week at home in San Diego, then a week in Yellowstone NP...I've been back a few weeks but studying furiously for the GRE. Spending 5+ hours a day studying for a standardized test is not my idea of fun!

Luckily, I have a very cute pony to distract me when I need a break. I can't decide if she looks really muscular or really fat haha...the BO said she thinks its fat over muscle, which is probably the most accurate. Despite being LAZY in the hot summer weather, she'd doing really well. Much steadier in the bridle, more consistent, and starting to travel over the back without being rigid 100% of the time. We are still struggling with side to side flexibility and leg yielding is her nemesis, but even that has improved. It's amazing what 5 days of work a week will do! The canter is a little all over the place (you can see in the pics she's really up in the bridle), but as she gets stronger it gets better, so I'm not worried.

Little bunny foo foo

One thing she has not improved on, to my dismay, is her spookiness. She is just a spooky horse, and half the time it is totally out of nowhere. She's kind of a little shit about it too, she just curls her neck up and whirls around or scoots off. I mean, she's not really super athletic, so it's not what I'd consider dangerous, but I can never go hack her out on the buckle, I'd be on a runaway train in no time. A very, very, slow and tired runaway, but a runaway nonetheless. I don't even think she is genuinely fearful most of the time, she is just trying to change the conversation to get out of whatever I'm asking her. To fix it I'm basically just riding her. A lot, and all over. Out in the XC field, out on the trail, out on the track, in the outdoor. I can't really tell if it's helping yet, but I'm just so happy to be out of the indoor for a few months that I don't care.

Me yelling "GOOD GIRL!" as she makes a minuscule effort to go sideways. That is her (super cute) thinking face. 

Spooking at the bushes. At least that gets her going forward!

I've also been jumping her once a week or so. She really likes it, for like 6 jumps, then she's done. Such a prima donna!  It's really just trotting stuff, very minimal cantering singles as her canter probably needs another 6 months before she really has the balance and step to jump around. Right now I'm just acclimating her to the idea of "over" without starting a fight. She hit one for the first time last week and threw an absolute fit afterwards, leaping and bucking and scooting around. It was too funny, but she went right over the next time which was great. The BO has offered to help me lunge her over some of the smaller XC obstacles when they are done bringing the hay in...I can't wait! Not that Svenna would ever be a good eventer...she is literally the SLOWEST horse I have ever ridden, even when she is running her little heat out. It'll be a fun thing to play with though, and you never know, maybe she'll enjoy it too.

OMG SO TIRED FEED ME

Honestly, I'll admit that now that I'm feeling more confident, I really miss Sid. I am feeling pretty underhorsed, even though I'm just trying to enjoy her and not think about showing. But I miss it, I have never not had riding goals and aspirations. Sigh. What problems I have! haha I'm thinking of doing some lessons with a trainer I took Sid to a few times. She has a GP horse that she let me ride, and it's always good to have someone yell at you about your eq once in a while.

Anyway, I had a friend out at the stable the other night to FINALLY get some pictures of Svenna in action. They are not great, but wow she has come a long way. There is a show in September I'd love to hit, but I supposed to be doing more traveling so we'll see. More updates soon! Even though I always say that and never do!

Damn girl, heels down. Finally a pic of her on the bridle though. 

Svenna jumps, and shows off her new haircut

I think she's rocking the jumping and the haircut. Today was her first time over fences while under saddle! I can't wait to keep it up, I think it's really good for her mind; she's always been a busy brain and it gives her something to focus on. We have another show in July, and I'd love to hit a few schooling jumping shows too if things keep going smoothly. She is just so much softer and more rideable than she was a few months ago.

She has been really, really good under saddle lately. She consistently gets the correct lead both ways and almost never pulls on me anymore. We are starting to really work on lateral work at the trot, which is helping her to be a little more flexible. Another thing I'm realizing I really have to start cracking down on is her head bobbing. She does it even when she's running around free, she just really likes to sort of pull her nose down and in and shake her poll side to side just a bit. It's super cute and cheeky looking, but probably something that needs to stop. 

My school schedule has been so hectic I only get to see her 3 days a week, but she's coming along really nicely. I think her body is looking way fitter and overall better since I got her. She's all shed out and sassy from all the spring grass, but has not gotten too fat, cresty, or showed any heat/sorness in the feet which is a HUGE relief. I've never had a pony on pasture before so I was really nervous when the grass started coming up. 

I've been off in various parts of WA doing field work for the last couple of weeks, and then dealing with the mess of data retrieved when we got home. It was good to get out of the lab, but it was very emotionally and physically draining. There was one day where we got a few leisurely hours in the evening to explore, and I snapped this pic on the beach:  

Only 3 more weeks till I'm out of class for the summer! I can hardly wait to ride and show and go backpacking...and other less fun things like the GRE, MCAT, summer school. At this point though, I don't care as long as there is SUN!