Renegade Off-road

Successes this weekend -

~ Lateral movements and opening the gate without him RUSHING and pushing through it!
~ Flying lead change :) Only got one really clean one but that's a start.
~ The realization of how desperately I needed a shorter girth. Saddle slippage improved drastically (duh.).

Saturday's Adventure ~
Anyone reading this knows I've had some issues with my horse being nervous on the trails, mostly due to my nerves and especially in the woods. We've come a long way in more ways than one. Saturday confirmed that in leaps and bounds.

That morning I had picked 15/16 stalls (two of which are 12x24) and two massive run in sheds, water buckets (~32) and all that comes with cleaning up the barn for 15-20 horses. I was a wee bit tired, my lower back was tight and it was 90 degrees with high humidity. After doing Gator's stall and cleaning his waterer, I was soaked with sweat again. I decided we weren't going to work hard. However, I had (FINALLY) received his smaller girth and wanted to see how much difference it would make. I decided on a trail ride - walking only. We hadn't done that in a long while, I didn't have more than that in me and I was sure he'd enjoy it. I tacked him up and let him pick his path.

He chose a direction out of our normal - down the driveway and along the road. Despite the cars whizzing by the only thing he even ogled was a pine tree that was apparently untrustworthy. The BO's daughter is building a house on that side of the property and there is a driveway in to the site. Gator decided he wanted to go down there and then back to check out where they had dug utilities in through the upper hay field. We'd never been all the way up there. As we headed back toward the horse fields, the mares went crazy over something. I think, for good measure, he decided to spook - he did a 360, pretty much in place but didn't go anywhere. I told him the mares were just crazy and he should stop it. He did. Good thing for the new girth though! On we went past the BO's house and onto the logging path.

So, pretty uneventful so far right? Yup. I'm pretty pleased and singing out loud like an idiot - relaxed and happy as we ease along down the path on a loose rein. The deer flies weren't even too bad.

We come to a very large tree mostly blocking the path fallen in one of the last few big storms, I hadn't thought of downed trees. It was high enough we could only just duck under on one side. I hoped it wasn't loose but pushed him forward. He ducked, I duck off to one side; we don't even touch it. I was proud of our successful obstacle navigation. If I only knew.

Shortly thereafter, Gator stops to listen. I had assumed to the deer I heard running far up ahead. Gator wasn't phased, just listening, so I thought.

In retrospect I believe he was actually predominantly using another sense. His sniffer.

He started again, but with a purpose. You know when a horse OBVIOUSLY has something cooked up between those perky ears? Yeah. That sort of purposeful walk. A few strides in he swings his head in the direction I had heard the deer running, ears perked but relaxed. He was looking up into the woods over a 5 foot vertical embankment to our right. I didn't think much of it at all. He was just looking right?

Not so much. Suddenly, we were cresting it! As he heaves one last stride we top it we're in the thick of the woods and he's just walking on, ears still perked still relaxed as ever. I didn't even have time to react.

I was in shock. What the...? These are pretty thick, no actually, REALLY thick woods. We've had some good storms lately - trees are fallen all around us. So we have lots of thick trees, mixed with many fallen crisscrossed trees, plus saplings and holly bushes interspersed.

My brain kicks in and I curse him for his 'idea' in complete disbelief we're in the midst of these very dense woods with only more in sight. I knew I had better keep my wits about me and stay calm since I knew we were both complete novices when it came to navigating thick brush.

He scraped between a narrow opening between two trees and my left toe catches and I lose my stirrup as I'm still shaking off the shock. Uh oh. As I scrambled to pick it up he continued picking his way through and - he worked us farther in and off path. Shortly after I pick up the stirrup, he stops, then flat foot jumps a log. Awesome. I curse him again but can't help but sort of chuckle, and just concentrate on directing him as best I can. At some point he ducks down under a large fallen tree where I thought he'd just stop, and I have no choice but to hang off the side of him. Thank GOD for the new girth. He crushed through small fallen trees and pushes past saplings. He hung up a couple times on bent green saplings but carefully worked himself loose and on we'd go. Then we found ourselves in essentially a chute - trees on all sides, with two fallen crisscrossed in front. I back him out of that and turn another way to another dead end. We back up again and try door three. We're finally navigating back toward the path. He continued to crush small trees with his legs and chest, skirting around larger trees - but responding to me very intently. Slow down a smidgen, stop, back, turn, side step this way turn your head a little, to the left, now turn sharp right... We both remained oddly calm. Several times I directed us into tough spots but we had to work together to get out he tried everything I asked of him. He was impressively surefooted through all of this too, despite a couple understandable stumbles. He has been known to trip at a walk in a freshly groomed arena, after all.

We finally (it probably only took 5-10 minutes but seemed like an eternity) make it back to the path at a point where we were up on a roughly 2 foot embankment. He hesitated but scooted down it and tried turning back the opposite direction we'd come up the path. Um, no, butt-head. You aren't choosing where we go anymore today!

I couldn't help but burst into laughter once we were safely back on the path. I could NOT believe him! Seriously? Had that just happened? Finally after another minute or two of continuing on, ahead I saw the 'issue' of which I believe was his concern.

Mud. The normal 'mud stretch' at the lowest point on the trail was HUGE compared to normal due to tons of recent rain . He must have devised a plan to tromp through the woods to avoid the mud that wasn't even within sight yet; he had only smelled it. Is that even possible? Do horses have that much forethought? I think it has to be what he was doing, though I guess it's a possibility he also has a sick sense of humor.

He went through the mud with no hesitation, just a forlorn look down. This caused me to burst into laughter at the irony.

Shortly thereafter, we come to a fallen sapling ~2 inches in diameter stretching bank to bank across the path ~2-3 foot high . I figure, he'll step over it. Nah, he crushes through it. I about fall off of him laughing again and decide I'll never jump him. Ever after that display of through the obstacle instead of over.

We head up the hill and out of the woods, I'm STILL laughing my ASS off at him. In the open fields, I lean over one, then the other shoulder to see if he's scraped or cut. Nope. He didn't act or travel remotely injured either. I keep laughing all the way home. He wasn't even dinged. Actually, neither was I except for the tiniest scratch on my tummy from a limb.

I started compiling all the ways it could have gone poorly as we walked calmly along the big hay field. What if a green sapling didn't break or he got more tangled than he could handle getting lose from. What if he freaked when tangled. Or he stepped in a hole. Or he stepped in/on a bees nest. OR we spooked up a deer. OR he freaked at the very narrow enclosed areas. Or he scraped me off. Why hadn't I thought to dismount? I had to stop.

I was still smiling for some reason.

We had worked together to get out of that mess. Really well. We were perfectly calm. I had trusted where he put his feet, he trusted where I pointed him. We were walking back to the barn in one piece. I chalked it up to a good experience actually and reminded myself to pay a bit more attention in the future when I can tell he has an idea.

Living up to his name RS Renegade? I think so.

Pictures for the Saddle Fitter

Is my saddle tree too narrow? I'm hoping Kitt from Trumbull Mountain Saddlery can help me out via the intertubes!

Interesting Articles

Body Cues

Heart Rate (you may or may not be able to access this entire article)

It never ceases to amaze me that people don't realize these things. It somewhat perplexes me that we need to do research to confirm them. Then again I guess some people need concrete proof. I personally do appreciate the heart rate study though. I have worked hard on my nerves in the saddle. As in pretending they're not bothering me but typically if I was very worried, no matter if I concentrated on my body staying relaxed, though it helped, my boy was still on edge. Guess he was paying attention to my heart beat. They know that doesn't lie and horses, if nothing else, are honest. That is at least in my experience. I still don't know how I've slowed my heart rate, but that tigthening in my chest is long gone these days. I am able to laugh when he side jumps at a bird; he jumps, splays, I laugh and tell him he's silly, he walks on. It didn't used to go that way. Anyways, I found those two very interesting and thought someone else might too.

As GoLightly and FernValley suggested, I stretched my boy today as I mentioned in my previous post after tightening his girth. I think he appreciated it very much. He actually seemed to walk and trot more freely, sooner... maybe his long warm ups were partly working the girth so it wasn't pinching the skin behind his elbows. Pulled out the D level Pony Club Manual I bought when I started with my second instructor. I guess I didn't read that part carefully. Good stuff in that manual. I guess no one thought about telling me about it in my lessons before either. Same with tenting my saddle pad... Ah well, I'll just keep learning and trying to be better for my boy. Afterall, they say he is watching and listening...

Cuteness per Gator

Last night I was grooming my boy. No one around. My favorite time with him. He fell asleep while I braided his forelock with his head just at the perfect height for me to reach. He's a good boy that way. Well, I finished up, stepped back and looked at him. For some reason I thought of stretching out his front legs. I never have before but I thought, you know, he might enjoy it.

I reached down and picked up his left front leg behind the knee. He lifted it for me easily, seemed unsure though of what I was doing but as always was willing. I looped my hands around his knee and brought it up and forward to my tummy and just set my weight on my heels for 15 seconds or so to slowly stretch his shoulder. His eyebrow went up and then relaxed as if to say 'Oooh! That's niiice...'

I set it down. Tapped his right knee so he'd shift his weight and he easily lifted. This time he almost shut his eyes blissfully as I leaned back.

After I set down his right foot, he stuck out his left foot and I swear he batted his eye lashes at me. I guess he did enjoy it. Maybe it was a routine he'd gone through before and missed. I know we worked pretty hard this weekend so he very likely was muscle sore. We'll be sure to do it from now on.

We did this twice more per leg. By the end I had his knee almost to my chest just lightly setting my weight against his muscles and he seemed to really like it. He looked disappointed when I didn't go back for the opposite leg again. However, at some point we had to get that saddle on...

We had a great ride, worked on same things as our last lessons after a warm up of trotting the perimeter of our loop. He was more responsive on the trail and in the ring. I still wasn't perfect and I think I need to work on canter departs - don't rush him!

I'm still playing with stirrup length (though now they're at least even!) and working on simple changes.

I'm not sure if I'm not sitting his saddle forward enough which caused it OR he needs a wider tree... I had dry spots just behind and on both sides of his withers on his back Sunday; maybe yesterday? To think his previous saddle (same style and brand) was a size smaller than mine ... I did check for soreness after yesterdays ride. He bent away from sharp pressure as he should and didn't show signs of pain when the spots were massaged deep. I'll be mindful of it though. And he'll have today off.

Though I may go stretch him out, just for fun.

Another ride, another lesson...

Saturday ~


Saturday did not start well. I got up, a bit late but not too late. Hopped on the computer with my coffee to check a favorite blog only to find ALL my files gone. All. None too pleased at the discovery I messed with it longer than anticipated with no real resolution. I got ready to head to the barn, fuming.

Driving there I have often seen this pair of Gray Toulouse geese. They stand in a bad place, always together. It's in a curvy part of the road, with no shoulder near a culvert that runs under the lowest point of the road. I always worry when I see them just standing there. I always hope they both head to a safer place each time I see them. Saturday, there, in the road one lay. That did not contribute to me feeling any better about the morning. I was hoping I didn't get to the barn to find a disaster there as well.


Gator was well. I tacked him up and off we went. I had switched to my new stirrup leathers. LONG long time over due. HUGE difference.


He was very forward. Walking wasn't something he was interested in. This awarded plenty of opportunity to work on maintaining proper position at the trot and making him listen. I had even thought, after two laps (~1 mile each?) of going into the ring. I hopped off to get the gate (his propensity for NOT wanting to stand still needs to be mastered before I can open and close gates off of him) and he was DRENCHED. I was too I realized. It was crazy humid after all so I hand walked him out and hosed him. He, for once, seemed to really enjoy the hosing.



Gator had already made my day 180 degrees better but hubby also called to say he restored my computer. Even better still.





Sunday ~


Up early. To the barn by 7am. I let him graze a few minutes, my instructor had texted she was 15 minutes behind. Then I tacked him up in the outside cross ties - we had never used them before. They're smack in the middle of the 'good' grass. He was pissed but only pawed a occasionally in protest at the injustice.


My position was MUCH better for this lesson. He was listening pretty well even during our warm up - though he still takes a decent warm up. We then did large figure eights - extending trot through the middle, collected on the ends. I was getting some pretty good extension out of him. We then cantered both directions. Occasionally I got the extreme extension which I maintained sitting - I heard my instructor mumble something about dressage again. Had to kick him pretty good at least once, he kicked back and then departed. Monkey. She was more pleased with my position. Apparently I am rolling my shoulders - not collapsing or roaching my back but rolling my shoulders forward, pushing out my elbows, lifting my hands. Okay, I can fix that. Relaaaaxxx.



We worked on the three loop serpentine again. Nice working trot, walking in the middles where we would do a canter transition, then back to trotting. Then, she asked if I felt ready to try it at the canter.



Sure! Why not? She was impressed with our first go had gone as well as it had. She pointed out the issues to improve upon. Our last was actually pretty good. I actually impressed myself with that one. We ended on a really good note. :) I might actually be able to do a flying change after all. That will be spiffy.


I have some stuff to work on and am excited to ride this week. I tend to work best with a goal or at least a 'To Do' list. The weather is supposed to be nice so here's hoping.

I'm also excited to find out that I'll be able to attend some dressage clinics as a spectator in September. I will REALLY enjoy that. I need to read up though... there's a lot to learn. :)

I'm also hoping to win the lottery and I will buy THIS. A girl can dream right? That would be my heaven me thinks...

Back in the Saddle

So, I haven't blogged in a few weeks. Big whoop. Wanna fight about it? No? You didn't notice? Oh well. :)

So, night before last I tried to ride for the first time in a week (I was out of town/he had shiny new shoes put on) and a thunderstorm rolled in. Gator was being his ho-hum self warming up, as in, trot? forward? What ever do you mean? We didn't get past that because he'd slow to a walk and stop to stare at the super dark cloud producing sharp cracks of thunder and daggers of lightening whenever we were facing that direction. I decided he was smarter than I, and we called it a day. I guess I groomed him; that's a good thing.


Last night though I HAD A LESSON!!!! :D It's been awhile since I've had a lesson. I have needed a lesson or 30. Gator had been telling me I needed a lesson. My instructors two other lessons canceled because of the heat and she was totally free. She's also a good friend and I had called to chat she told me about her cancelations and sounded dissapointed. I casually joked I'm no wuss, I was going to ride in the heat. She wanted to get her kidlet out of the house and we met around 6:30.

Our warm up was ugly. It was obvious I have not been riding him in the ring a lot lately. Especialy not with much direction. He pulled out all the stops when it came to being a butt head. Stay on the rail? Nah. We'll veer to this jump and just stop. Trot? Nah. Oh, you're serious? Well I'll kinda trot, but I'll make you work harder than me. I need more rein, contact? No I'll just pull these RIGHT out of your hands, thanks! Grrr...

My stirrups were uneven and too long. He's lost weight. I've lost weight. I knew that changed angles. I knew they didn't feel right but I just couldn't get them right on my own. I had reverted to a somewhat chair seat partially due to the stirrups. Lovely.

I pulled up next to my instructor as she was telling what to do next after we had fixed my stirrups and we had struggled around the ring warming up. She stopped and looked at me funny.

'What's wrong?'

'Huh?', I answered.

'You look... pissed. Really mad.'

'Oh. No, just frustrated and concentrating. I let my position go to crap and he's being a butthead. Just frustrated and concentrating.' I was also distracted by the other rider who had just entered the ring slightly. I have um... not really shared a ring a lot. She didn't seem to have had either. Her instructor was being loud and obnoxious.

So, I took my instruction to do a three loop serpentine at a posting trot, concentrating on indirect rein and directing with my legs not my hands. God we had been hideous warming up. She didn't even think I could steer anymore. :(

Off we went. Loop de loop around the haphazardly placed jumps as best we could. I was keeping an eye on the kid in the ring. I noticed they started cantering on the rail. I noticed it wasn't so pretty. On one of my middle loops I was heading toward the rail, making my turn and starting back to center. I started to turn to pick up the other rider - they had come around a lot faster than I expected. She was not on the rail. She was headed exactly where I was. She was RIGHT there. Shit. Gator and I slowed and she tried to give me the rail. I was actually realizing that because I was watching her horse (and so was Gator). Her horse jumped to the right, still at the canter, having no leg she fell on his neck and stayed there. He wasn't a fan of that and ran. She came off, rolled nicely but he did run the hell over her. Shit. Gator and I had stopped long since. Girl was okay, thankfully. Loose horse caught. Gator and I walked around as she cantered him again. Both directions.

Her instructor made a bit fuss about making sure we 'came at each other again' to be sure he wasn't a freak about it again. Um... no horses freaked when crossing. Don't act like it's a big deal, they wont' either. One just had no direction, made his own decision and she couldn't sit it. Bah. We waited until she had cantered both directions, Gator didn't mind the break. I clearly explained what I was doing to the instructor so she could explain it to her student so we didn't do that again. Once she was coming up a on a jump and we were *going* to cross in front of it. I noticed and stopped. She screamed at the student to pull the horse up - good anyways as he was strung out as all hell but... over react much?

Anyhoo... back to my lesson finally. So, on to cantering. Something I felt I had made a vast improvement on and was excited to show my instructor. See, I always got forward. I had had trouble cuing him for awhile. He doesn't canter unless you're balanced and cue properly. He's a good teacher like that. We'd been doing GREAT! Shorter stirrups, while more effective felt different I think for Gator and myself. So, I was actually getting BEHIND the vertical when asking. Craptastic! Our first attemps weren't so nice.

However, at one point I had asked and he rolled into what many people refer to as the death trot. I sat it. Whatever. Big Whoop. He wasn't strung out, I was keeping him collected so he could pick up the canter but he was E-X-T-E-N-D-I-N-G. I cued again, and he stepped into the canter. After we cantered a few laps my instructor called me to pull him up and come over.

'What's wrong?'' I asked.

She put her eyeballs back in their sockets and un-swallowed her tongue. 'THAT... THAT was GORGEOUS... I mean the extended trot. Your ass was STUCK to that saddle and he... HE wow! He has an AMAZING extended trot!'

Huh. Okay, so my screw up was awesome. My canter, once I wasn't behind the motion (TOTALLY opposite of what I've always done before!) had been nice. She was impressed at how I really moved with him. I didn't bounce anymore. *whew* I thought I'd sucked too much to tell.

Reverse. Okay... walking, cue, canter, he picks it up, few strides...

'HALT!!!!!!!!'

I look over my shoulder. Kid slumped against the fence. Loose horse. Holy shit balls! AGAIN?

'OH my GOD!? ' says the other instructor to the kid. 'I don't know what went wrong! He jumped big and YOU just didn't stay with him.' She couldn't correct her position at the canter when she got in trouble, why was she jumping again? She was okay. Got back on. I went on.

Better canter, had to half halt the booger though. He was feelings good.


Kid and other instructor finally leave. Many exclamations about horse jumping big and the kid not staying with him follow from the other instructor. The kids nose is swollen. I tell them to have my instructor (Lifeguard, teaches CPR etc) look at it. Girl is freaking a bit about it from a looks perspective. *sigh*

Back to the lesson... time for a dressage pattern. We usually suck at this. I have a hard time keeping him at a trot once we'd cantered. She wanted extended walks and trotting only. We HAD gotten better about this but he'd been such a butt before...

We nailed it! He decided he could actually do a nice working trot after all. My position was making my instructor exclaim things like 'THERE! That's the trot I was talking about! That's what we want! Nice trot!' Thank heavens. I needed to hear that something I had done on purpose wasn't crap.

When I finished, she again brought up our extended trot and the awesomeness that it was. She went on about HOW powerful it looked. How he was REALLY throwing me out of that saddle - so much she said she felt sorry for me... but my ass never left the saddle. She gushed about how my ass was glued there and joked how no other sport do you hear someone say that. I think I blushed a little.

She said there are some lower level dressage shows around. She thought we'd do really well, with some more practice of course. Plus he needed to be more collected less, hunter show ponyish...

I hadn't been really asking for collection. He's simple to get into a lovely collected frame. Hell, I know I can do that.

But a dressage test? Me? Show? She really, excitedly and genuinely thought we could do that and do well?

Crap. I hate white pants.

Too much Happy and a Sad

Miss Lily seems to have had too much happy on Saturday when we had family over for a cookout. Her tail is sprained from all the wagging. Must have put too much wig in her wag. I can't help but giggle about it. She's steadily improving from super droopy tail back to her normal perky expressive tail. I feel bad for her but it's just so funny that she 'over wagged'.

I am, though, glad she is actually happy to SEE people. The little terrified 4 month old who had obviously been beaten, severely, when we met, has really transformed. That's a pretty good feeling that she was SO happy to see people, the species who so very much abused her early on in her life. They know a lot more about forgiveness than we do, don't they? I hope Miss Lily is always so happy but she doesn't making spraining her wig-wag something regular.

The last two are the night and following day I brought her to my place to see how Autumn would react to her. Nelly (my roommates Aussie) went after Miss Lily very aggressively... Autumn protected her. Sealed the deal for me. At least for awhile, I was sure Autumn regretted doing it but I'm sure now she loves her sister. I'll tell all of Lily's story another time...

Autumn was three legged Sunday morning (as most people reading this probably already know). I presume she and Lily played too hard Saturday night OR in the night she jumped off the bed/ran down the stairs in a less that optimal way, while I slept. Doc doesn't think it's her cruciate (thank the heavens!)and she was using it yesterday afternoon after being crated all day and taking her Rimadyl. She continues to improve. Limiting her for the rest of the week is going to be tough but she's handled it surprisingly well for her level of hyper.

Gator's butt is looking grand. I MEANT to take pics of it. I will tomorrow. I swear. I'm shocked at how much hair is already coming back in. :) I might actually try cantering him with just the bareback pad this week or weekend... yeah... that was my goal for the summer. Sunday I realized, I am ready to do it. I think. I'll let you know.

Finally... today is always a rough day... August 4th. It's been 13 years since I lost my Paw-paw today. Exactly HALF my life has passed without him in it, as of today. That's really hard for me to believe. He is and was my hero. The farm looks so different now from when I was a kid but I'll never forget it. I can't even start to recount everything he taught me there. I can still hear him say 'Hey, Baby!' and see him light up. I was the youngest grandchild... or am. He never meant to favor me but he doted on me and I just adored him. Still do. I know he's still with me - I swear on more than one occasion since his passing, he's been my guardian angel.

The day we lost him, my life was truly never the same. I never told him, that I can remember, that I loved him. I finally accepted that he knew, because I don't remember him telling me he loved me either, but I knew. Without a doubt. He wasn't a man of many words, so they weren't necessary. I loved that about him. I was the last person he spoke to - 'Hey, Baby!' The nurse said he hadn't been able to do more than whisper 'yes' or 'no' but I got to hear him say that one last time... I know what he meant.

I miss you Paw-paw. With all my heart. Every day.

Harold Eldin King - 1916-1996

That is one of my favorite pictures of all time, by the way. Yes. I have a mullet. I had no say in it, I was five. I blame my mother and my disdain for having my hair untangled. That was somehow the 'compromise' haircut. Despite that, I love this picture. I now own that hoe myself and use it in my garden. He said it was 'ours'. It always will be... until I see you again...