Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Following A Feel

Today I got a great lesson in "following a feel." Flyboy did, too, but I think I may have learned the most. Marleen did a wonderful job helping me to see what it means for a horse to follow a feel rather than to be driven into it. I really think this was a timely lesson for me. Fly does not always follow a feel which is why he tends to pull back against pressure at times. I will be working on this with him a bunch these next few weeks. This is a difficult concept to describe in words. It's about feel. About energy. About bring down the energy. About letting Fly figure out the right thing, and about "making the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult but not impossible."

After a short session on the ground, I saddled up and we worked on very similar things from his back-- following a feel. He actually did quite well and showed marked improvement even within our short lesson. He did show resistance again going to the right a few times; something is bothering him and I need to get that figured out. Saddle or pad or soreness somewhere? I'm not sure, but since I know my saddle pad situation with the treeless saddle is not ideal, I'll start there and see what I can get fixed up for him. I also need to get longer reins--more like dig them out as I'm sure there are some lurking around here somewhere.

The cool thing about this lesson is that it put Fly into a frame of mind to load in the trailer without any of the significant anxiety I have seen the last few days due to the incident we experienced a week ago. (I'm sure this has to do with the frame of mind I was in, as well.) I sent him into the trailer, let him come out again, sent him in, let him back out, sent him in, asked him to stay in, backed him out, sent him in and closed the slant panel. He was quiet throughout, calm, relaxed, and did not fidget. I tied his lead from the outside just in case he tried to turn his head, but he showed no sign of unease. Wow. Wow. 


I have homework: get longer reins, change/fix the saddle pad, expose him to different situations (i.e. get him down to the arena when other riders/ropers are there), and bring a couple of old tires to my next lesson. (I have plans for Monday to begin our equine soccer fun with a couple of friends so that should help with the new situations exposure.)

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

A Big Mountain

Well, Flyboy got to climb his mountain today--the mountain he needed yesterday! A couple of friends and I rode a few miles up a dirt road in the canyon this sunny, lovely, warm-for-the-end-of-November afternoon! It was a great ride even though Fly and Janie got "stuck" when they first spotted Tammy and Joker way up ahead. They could not figure out why Tammy was off her horse and walking--something about that just couldn't be right, so neither horse wanted go closer. It took a few minutes to convince Flyboy that it was just a person and they were OK. Once we got close enough, Fly let out a big sigh, "Oh yeah, I know them!" I wonder if horses get embarrassed.

We rode all the way up, up, up to the cattle tank on top. Fly was good boy, but it was a workout! Long winter coat + unseasonably warm weather + big mountain = hot, sweaty horse. I got off and walked part of the way down to give him a break. We met my husband hiking up the road as we headed back to the trailer. He was not nearly as scary looking as Tammy and Joker. Go figure!

I am going to have to spend some time doing some trailer-loading practice with Fly again. He is quite upset about the incident last week. He needs to regroup and start from the beginning. He needs to gain confidence all over again. Today he travelled loose. Hopefully Marleen can help me tomorrow at my lesson; I just needed an extra hand today.

But I did get my slant panel fixed already. A great handy-man here in town repaired the slant panel and even the old dents in the fender! I dropped the trailer off at his house yesterday afternoon and picked it up when I got off work this morning. You sure can't beat that! Thanks, Jack!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Spook and Spin

Owie is healing, eye draining a bit.
Flyboy went back to work today, and boy, does he need some work! He needs a big mountain to climb. This guy was quite full of himself today despite his recent injuries. (His head traumas are actually healing quickly and don't seem to be bothering him much, thank goodness.)

We headed out to Dog Valley this afternoon--solo, since it's not like I could invite a friend to come along until my trailer slant panel gets fixed, but Flyboy loaded into the trailer and traveled loose, since the panel is tied open for now. Fly has not been out on a trail ride for a couple of weeks and he hasn't been solo for even longer, so I pretty much knew what to expect and wore my crash vest as a precaution. I also carried my SPOT Tracker as always, in addition to my cell phone.

I saddled up with the new treeless saddle and Equipedic
pad with the extra foam inserts. I attached the breast collar, too. In order to bridle him with the least amount of disturbance to his sutures, I unbuckled the headstall before asking him to take the bit. It worked like a charm. No bumping any sore spots at all! We headed out on what in my mind should now be a familiar trail to Flyboy.

Well, familiar or not, he was on the lookout for the bogey man again. Thought he found him once, too, when he decided to do a quick spook and spin (with the intention of skedaddling back the way we came!) But I interrupted his plans quickly enough and stuck to the new saddle pretty well, and we carried on. But you know, where there is one bogey man, there are usually more, so he was looking behind every cedar tree and sagebrush. We headed up the Sugarloaf Hill to give him something else to think about. Something like millions of rocks and some steeper terrain. That did the trick. He settled a little by the time we made it to the top.

Coming down the trail was very interesting. Fly has never been comfortable going downhill with me before--always stiff legged and jolting and hesitant--obviously uncomfortable. I assumed it was because of the saddle not fitting well, and my assumption was absolutely correct, because today he went just as powerfully down the hill as he did on the way up! He flowed down the hill! Yay! Nothing was blocking his shoulders so he could move freely. And he definitely did.

Fairly even sweat marks
We climbed a couple of other hills, stepped over a few logs, bushwhacked through the sagebrush, and had a couple of good trot stretches. He felt great, even though he was still looking for that illusive bogey man. He powered over all kinds of terrain--no boots today, and he was very forward. He only got a little sticky a few times when he thought he saw something, but with a little encouragement he carried on. An hour and a half total, and he worked up a medium sweat with his winter coat.

I am very comfortable in the new saddle. I would like to see a bit more wither clearance without having to have so much padding in the saddle pad. I may have to invest in a new pad--something like the Grandeur Vario or equivalent, but I have a couple of other things I can try first. I would have to say Flyboy seemed comfortable in it today based on his forwardness. He did duck his head and root on the reins quite a bit, but that is not new behavior. (We are working on solving that issue, too.)


Some rubbing over the loin from the pad

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Fly's Eyes

Luckily Flyboy's eyes are no longer very swollen. I know the one deep cut over his left eye is still pretty sore since he won't let me touch it. He is still sensitive about the top of his head, too, poor guy. But he's been pretty active and even ran out to the fence to greet Keno when we returned from our ride, so overall, he is healing and will hopefully be back to work under saddle by Monday.

I have been playing with saddle pad options for the new Black Forest Shasta saddle. Right now I have added 3/4"' closed cell foam inserts to the original memory foam inserts in my Equipedic pad. (This pad has had hard use for four years, so I know the original foam can't be in great shape.) This combo seemed to work pretty well for Keno today--it kept the gullet off his high withers for a short ride. He could probably use shims since he has such a steep wither to shoulder slope! Although he feels much wider in this saddle than in my treed English saddle, I am quite comfortable, and the saddle feels very stable.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Trailer Disaster

Oh, man. This was not supposed to happen.

My husband and I headed up the canyon this afternoon--he would hike and I would ride Flyboy for an hour or so. He wanted exercise, and I wanted to try the new saddle again. But it was not to be. Two miles up the highway the trailer suddenly started rocking and jerking and I knew Flyboy was in trouble. He was thrashing about like crazy. I pulled off onto a side road to check on him, but looking through the window, I could see blood running down his face and in his eye. We turned around and headed back immediately. I was afraid of what I would see when I unloaded him. I knew his face was bleeding, but what else? The way he scrambled, I knew it could be serious. I said a prayer and pulled up to the barn.

We unloaded Fly and I held my breath as I checked him out. He had a deep cut above his eye that was bleeding badly. He had scuffed hair on both hips, but no broken skin. A few strands of forelock hung loose on his face. I tried to check his poll, but he was too upset to let me look. He was breathing hard and every couple of minutes he would swing his head at an angle to the side and sort of stagger sideways. My husband tried to help me wash the cut above Fly's eye, but it obviously hurt him too much to let us touch it.

I decided the vet was needed; although the cut was not more than an inch wide, it was very deep. I called to let them know I was on the way. The slant partition was badly damaged in the scramble so I had to tie it open all the way. It will have to be replaced. Fly would have to travel loose anyway, since I didn't dare to tie him or close him in tight. He was obviously stunned and traveling loose would be safer. A good friend met me at the freeway exit and rode with me.

The vet was waiting. Fly was very brave about going inside with all the lights and people. I led him into the stocks and the vet administered a tranquilizer. He was then able to get a close look at the damage. I held my breath. After palpating the facial bones and adding dye to the eyes to check the corneas, he determined Fly had no facial fractures and no damage to the actual eye. Both eyes were good. OK. Breathe again. The cut was deep and would have to be stitched. He also had a nasty trauma laceration on his poll and another cut near his other eye that was deep, too. All would have to be stitched, but should heal up fine. No other serious damage could be found. Legs were good, shoulders, back, barrel, all good. Whew.

Antibiotics, Bute, and Neosporin for five days. Bute for the massive headache and certain body aches Flyboy must have. Antibiotics and Neosporin to ward off infection. My poor boy. I am grateful it wasn't worse.

Flyboy had been doing so well with the trailer; it has been a non-issue for several weeks! I don't know what happened today, but I think he must have tried to turn around and then got into trouble and panicked. There are pictures below if you are brave enough to look.


He's gonna look like a prize fighter tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

OK, The New Saddle Is Here!

The new Black Forest Shasta arrived today! It was shipped two-day priority, but still took three days. And I had to chase down the mailman and ask him to hand it over since I could not wait another hour till he got to our street! He didn't believe me that the box contained a saddle--it wasn't heavy enough he said! I unpacked the saddle and was so happy it is not heavy! Woohoo! I loaded the horses and headed to the arena with my fingers crossed to try it out.

I rode Keno first. I know him and his gaits so well it's easier to feel what's what with a new saddle on him. He felt wide. He is wide, of course, but after multiple mounts/dismounts to adjust/readjust stirrup length and saddle placement, we got everything right and I was comfortable. (Mounting a 15.3H horse from the ground is a stretch, but this saddle was completely and totally stable. Not even a millimeter of slippage which is actually more than I can say for my treed Stubben!) I think Keno was comfortable as well, although I believe I had the saddle too far forward on both horses. (More on that in a minute.) I only rode him for a few minutes, then hopped off to try it on Flyboy.

Other than adding the breast collar, I used the same saddle and Equipedic pad on Fly. Even the same girth amazingly enough, although it was like five holes up on the billets! He is not the bulk that Keno is that's for sure!

Oh, wow. Comfy, comfy, comfy! I felt totally with him--not sitting on him, but with him. As I warmed him up, Fly blew ten or twelve times, which I took as a good sign. He moved out willingly, and after making a few adjustments to get myself settled, we worked on the circle at the trot for 10 minutes or so. My husband came down and shot some video and took a few photos.

However.... when I asked Fly to canter, I met resistance! That was a new thing; this guy likes to canter. But to the right, he broke to a trot several times. He bulged out his shoulder toward the gate as we passed, tossed his head, and was just generally resistant. Hmmm. To the left he was better and kept the canter. I didn't have a lot of time today, so I'll need to ride again and see if I can figure it out. But check out these photos:



Maybe my still-green Flyboy wasn't mentally warmed up? Maybe he needs a trail ride and a break from arena circles? Maybe his rider's position was not right? Maybe something about this saddle was bugging him? Bingo. This evening I called Vic, the owner of the Black Forest Saddle company to talk about a few questions I had. I asked about wither clearance, since there was not much at all on either horse. (Treeless saddles don't need the same amount of clearance as a treed saddle, but they do need some, of course.) We talked about saddle placement and determined that I had the saddle too far forward. I emailed him a couple of photos including the one at the top of this post, and he said I should definitely move it back. (I am used to my Aussie saddle, which has to go very forward.) Hopefully tomorrow I will get a chance to try it again. I want this saddle to work for Fly! I can already tell it will work for me, but it has to work for him, too, of course. Vic also suggested I may need to change the foam inserts in my Equipedic pad to a closed cell foam that would provide more stability. We'll see. I'll play around and see what works.

As far as the saddle goes, I am impressed with the quality; the leather is nice and soft and I felt very secure and stable in the "grippy" seat. The size is right for me. The weight is definitely right for me at around 15 piece-of-cake-to-pack-around pounds! I love it and will see what I can do to help Fly love it, too!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Bob Marshall Sports Saddle

Near gale force winds made it impossible to ride anywhere but in the indoor arena today. Just getting the horses loaded and unloaded in the wind was an adventure! However, all was quiet and calm inside, and of course I was the only one down there. I only have my friend's saddle on loan for today and tomorrow so I had to try it out!

The Bob Marshall Sports Saddle is a treeless leather saddle. This one is an endurance model belonging to a good friend who has logged over 20,000 miles with the American Endurance Ride Conference. I assume most of those miles were done in this saddle. It has been modified by a saddle maker to have a cutback pommel.

I rode Keno first and after struggling with the western cinch for ages, finally mounted from the ground with a loose cinch. No slipping amazingly enough even though Keno is 15.3H. I tightened the cinch from the saddle with a bit of a struggle. Keno immediately moved out very well--forward, big trot, relaxed. The arena footing is too deep and hadn't been worked today; usually Keno is sluggish and less motivated when it's hard going. Today he seemed willing and happier. Hmm. He also felt quite wide, which he is, but I am used to a saddle with much more twist. I don't know what size the saddle is, but it may be too small for me; the front of my thighs bumped the sides of the pommel when I was posting. Not a problem in the arena maybe, but not good on a long ride.

My friend Tammy stopped by the arena and actually showed me how to do up a western cinch. Well, duh. OK, now that was much easier! It's been a while since I have used a cinch, I guess!

Flyboy also went well in this saddle, although I think something was bugging him a little. He was soft and very forward, but he swished his tail every so often like he was agitated. He hasn't done that much before. I do think the length of the Bob Marshall is too long for him. He has a short back and the saddle pad rubbed across his loin a bit. Other than that, he seemed comfortable. I was very comfortable on him. He's not nearly so wide as Keno, so I was in a more familiar position. We rode walk, trot, and canter. No slipping, mounted from the ground, and I felt quite secure. I also felt like it put me in a very good position. I am very impressed with the saddle! Too bad they are out of my price range for now.

The good news is I have purchased a different saddle already and it will arrive on Monday! After days of research and study, I bought a Black Forest Shasta. It's also treeless, but has a built-in gullet, takes a regular dressage girth (one I know how to use!) and weighs less than 15 pounds. I have been quite impressed with the online reviews. I will give a report on that saddle next week. I am hoping one saddle will work for Flyboy, Keno, and me. Fingers crossed and waiting!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Lesson Time Again

I have got to get a better photo!
Fly and I had a fabulous lesson with Marleen today. We really worked on getting him bending and softening, and me being clearer and getting a quicker response to aids. We worked on me keeping my focus (and therefore my horse's) and not paying attention to distractions, and today was a good day for that! Our normally quiet outdoor arena was quite a busy place today--dump trucks, a riding lawn mower, horse trailers, a passing horse, and semi trucks crossing the parking lot! Lots of distractions to ignore! I am going to have to practice because it doesn't come naturally to me. But Flyboy did great--only one or two small spooks and right back to work.

Marleen also suggested I get Fly down to the arena when there are activities going on. Usually around our little cowboy town that means jackpot ropings, high school rodeo practices, etc. I can just tie him at the rail and hang out for an hour or so. That will help him and it will definitely help me, I think. Nine times out of ten I ride alone at the arena in the afternoons, so I guess I better start mixing it up even though I love having the place to myself!

We had a few glorious moments during this lesson. When Fly softened, he really softened and his movement felt different. Using different muscles to carry himself properly was hard work!  He started stretching down, too. At one point his canter was like flying: his shoulders came up, he was coming under himself from behind and it was the coolest thing ever! We mostly got short "glimpses" of things to come, but when we can sustain that movement it is going to be awesome! His muscling will change and he's going to look buff.

I have decided I just can't ride in the new Aussie saddle. It has to go back. I'm sad since I have enjoyed the Longreach so much and thought another Aussie saddle would feel the same. Sigh.... The search goes on. I am looking at a couple of treeless saddles again. I used to have a Freeform, but sold it to help pay some vet bills. I am going to ride in a Bob Marshall Sports Saddle over the weekend (borrowed from a generous friend.) I am seriously considering a Black Forest Shasta as well. I want my boy to be comfy and enjoy his job. Of course, I want to be comfy, too!

By the way, the new slow feeders are working out well, especially for Keno. Fly tries picking up the metal gridwall with his teeth, but so far he can't get it out of the wooden box!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Out With The Boys

Sunny and warm!!
It's hard to believe it's the middle of November with temperatures in the mid fifties! I totally love it! I rode Keno and ponied Flyboy out in the west hills for an hour of trotting. With occasional shoulder yanking going on. Grrrr! Keno was feeling quite good, and Fly was, too, but sometimes he would hang back a little and my poor shoulder took a beating. He got the hang of it though (no pun intended!), and Keno quit shooting bossy glares at Flyboy, and we all trotted happily along.

I got back to the trailer and decided my shoulder and arm hadn't had enough so I pulled out my rasp and did a quick touch-up on all eight feet. The sunshine was just so nice and the sky so blue and I just could have stayed out there all day.....

Eventually I did make it home and got started on my new feeder project. (Yet another version of a slow feeder--I am perpetually experimenting to find the perfect feeding system!) I have seen a couple of these online, and just had to have one of course! The feeder seems to work quite well on Day One, but time and hungry horses will tell. I will update my opinions on this system again in a few days. I hope it is Keno-proof. And I know Flyboy can't beat up in this gridwall like he does the small mesh hay nets. Hopefully it will allow for "grazing" around the clock.
The new saddle arrived in The Big Brown Van this evening! I'm tempted to go try it out in the dark. It looks beautiful, but I must say it looks rather wide in the seat like the Master Campdraft I tried a couple of weeks ago. I hope, I hope, I hope the twist is narrow enough and it will suit both Flyboy and me!

Can't you just feel that sunshine?

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

C-c-cold Canyon Ride

OK, so I have brave friends after all! I didn't coerce, bribe or threaten. I just called and suggested a ride up in the canyon and three of them showed up! The horses were all feeling good and energetic with the cold. My dog Duke was excited, too, since he hadn't been on a ride with me for a couple of weeks. Flyboy was very good. We were saddled and ready to ride before everyone else arrived, but he was relaxed as we schooled a few circles and figure eights while they saddled up.

Flyboy was wearing Easyboot Gloves on his fronts, and for the first time I wonder if they really are a good fit. I haven't had any boot failures, but he was definitely not walking out the way he should have. It felt like he was short-striding on his left front. Or at least not giving me a heel-first landing. I know the saddle fit is poor (the new saddle is on the way), and that could have affected his way of going, too. But at the end of the ride I removed his boots and his heel bulbs were rubbed a bit on both feet. Hmmmmm. Boots, saddle, heels, frogs...? More investigation is needed. At times he trotted out strongly and rhythmically, but at other times he was cautious and short. Hmmmm.

Over all Fly was great, he even led out a bit, although it is his very clear preference to stay in second place. He's very funny about it, but that's where he will put himself if he's allowed to choose. He will lag behind and stay relaxed, too as the picture shows. I got off and walked for a long stretch on the way back. Good exercise for me and maybe a little relief if something was bothering him.

Keno was a lesson horse today, and will be again tomorrow, so Flyboy will hang out at the arena with us and watch Keno do circles. Hopefully I will be able to ride him for a few minutes, too. If he's sore or short in the arena, I will know it's not the boots. He felt great down there yesterday, so I don't think it could be anything too serious. Perhaps I should actually measure him to check his boot fit; it could provide a clue...

Monday, November 7, 2011

Fly With Me (at the arena again, sigh.)

Relaxed after his workout, watching Keno and me.
It's cold and windy today, but it's the wind that makes it hard to be outside. I can handle cold temperatures by dressing for it: layers upon layers, and polar fleece socks. (They're the best!) But an icy wind is just plain miserable, so we headed to our "private" county arena again. The ground had just been worked, and we had it all to ourselves again. I don't know where the other horse enthusiasts are hanging out, but not down here. For fifty bucks a year I have a pretty sweet deal--three outdoor arenas and one indoor, usually all to myself. I totally prefer riding out on trails, but I'm grateful for a dry, wind-free arena when the trails are not so good.

Flyboy was great today. We did just a little bit of ground work and then saddled up. He was very forward, and quite soft and bendable on the circles. His trot felt good. I tried to keep my position correct because it influences him so dramatically. Of all the horses I have ridden, he is the most sensitive. Even more than my Arab mare, Riyah, which is pretty hard to believe. But just a tiny change in my body changes (helps) him. He seems quite willing to listen and try, and just lengthening or stretching my outside leg and ribcage, or "hugging" him softly with my legs, or keeping my hips/shoulders in line with the circle makes a big difference.

Marleen asked me to start asking for a rein-back every time I ask him to halt, and to start by lifting my reins. She said eventually he would learn that just the lift meant back up. Well, he has already figured that out! He is definitely smart.

Cantering Fly is like flying--seriously, he has an incredibly soft and easy canter. The steering is getting better, but still has lots of room for improvement. Although I love his canter, we worked mostly in trot today, and we practiced steering and staying straight on a straight line. That is the hardest! He is totally wiggly on a straight course; that's where the "leg hugging" came into play. He needs lots of help and support to stay straight. I worked him on the rail for a while, too, and that seemed to help.

Well, as much fun as I have had at the arena, I am ready for a trail ride. Tomorrow I will try to find a friend brave enough to head out into the cold. If not, I'll Fly solo!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Let's Play!

What a cold, windy, snowy day! I didn't try to ride, but just played with the horses here at home instead. We played with the tarp, which Flyboy stomps and paws to death, and we played with the ball--same intent! Fly walks and trots over the tarp quite well but is somewhat unsure of having it on him or up above him. I rubbed him with it and laid it on him like a blanket. He was wary, but tolerated it all without moving his feet. I used a lot of "approach and retreat" and that seemed to help him. He actually did better than Keno did with all the tarp play. Fly really does go after the ball, bumping and pawing at it. (Keno runs from it unless I keep him on the lead rope close to me.) It will be fun when we start our equine soccer games.

I also set up a low jump to send Fly over. He trotted very enthusiastically over it. He has a powerful jump, but obviously didn't think this 12" pole was worthy of a real effort! I need to get a photo of him going over a proper jump; his scope totally surprised me!

Flyboy's attitude showed up a little while on the lunge line--mostly just the "it's cold and I'm frisky" attitude. So we worked on all the seven games--yielding in every direction, going sideways, backing through the gate, and going through a very narrow "squeeze" forward and backward. I kept him quite busy for forty-five minutes. Flyboy has made tons of progress in the month and a half I have had him, and I can't wait to see what the next few months bring.

It's awkward taking pictures with a cell phone camera in one gloved hand while lunging a frisky horse in the cold wind with the other. It's a funny picture, but please appreciate the degree of difficulty by which it was obtained!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Duplicated Results and Why A Mustang, Anyway?

Even though it was a gorgeous sunny day, if a little cold, I headed back to the indoor barn to see if my lesson results could be duplicated. No problems! I had the arena to myself again, and Fly and I did some ground work, and then I rode him for half an hour. It was great; he was quite easy and soft to the left as well as the right. I stretched my rib cage and kept my shoulders and hips on the circle. He still tried throwing his shoulder out and veering out of the circle a few times trotting to the right, but I held him steady fairly well with my outside rein and leg. Walk, trot, and canter--all was much improved!

I have had several people ask me why I chose a mustang for an endurance project. I can honestly say I didn't head out to look for a mustang, it just kind of happened. I lost my young Arab mare who I absolutely loved due to a freak injury in August, and a month later I knew I had to start looking for a new horse. Keno didn't like being alone, and I ride more than he wants to go; he wanted someone to share the load, and I need to plug the hole in my heart.

I started looking for an Arab. Arabians are the most popular endurance breed; they are beautiful, people-oriented, athletic horses. I have owned several Arab or Arab crosses and love them. I also was looking for a mare since I have mostly owned mares and thought that's what I wanted. I drove six hours one way to go see the first Arab mare I thought would fit my requirements. Not a chance. She wasn't the one and I knew it almost immediately although I tried to give her a fair trial. The next mare was a possibility, but something about about her just didn't grab me. I responded to half a dozen more ads and drove quite a distance to see a couple of other horses.

I called a trainer friend to tell her I was looking and she encouraged me to come see an unbroke mustang gelding she had in her corral. He was a powerful looking hunk of a horse. She would need at least 30 days to get him going. I liked the look of him, and told her I would think about it. I came home and started reading online about mustangs in general and mustangs in endurance. This became an interesting research project for a few days. Some of what I learned I already knew, but most was new to me. I was fascinated by some of the stories I read. A good friend (a mustang owner herself) suggested I call a mutual acquaintance--an endurance rider who regularly competes on a mustang. I did, and she had lots of good things to say about mustangs of course. She praised their intelligence, loyalty, and endurance. She also told me about a young mustang gelding her trainer husband had just been asked to work with for the second time.

This five year old gelding had returned to the trainer since his owner was having issues with him. The trainer had started this horse last fall, and then he had been used at a therapy center for the next little while. Apparently issues surfaced, and the decision was made to bring him back to the trainer for retraining and then find him a new home. This horse, of course, was Flyboy.

I made a trip to see Fly, taking my mustang-owning friend along since I valued her opinion. I liked Flyboy immediately. I'm not quite sure why, but something about his eye seemed to speak to me. He looked wary, but like he wanted to trust. I liked his build, strong and solid, yet not too big. But mostly it was his eye, dark and bottomless. I rode him briefly in a small round pen. His trot was hard to judge, but felt pretty good. The trainer discouraged me from cantering Fly until he had had a chance to work out any "issues." He invited me to come back the following week.

I went back and brought Fly home. I hadn't been looking for a mustang, but he was the one. The price was right, and I was confident I could carry on his training. I still don't know what issues he had exactly. Nothing serious, surely, since I haven't seen them yet. Yes, he pulls back occasionally, but the Blocker ring seems to have cured that; he hasn't hung back now for a couple of weeks. Mostly the issues I deal with are young horse, inexperienced horse things--things I'd expect with a young, inexperienced horse.

Fly and I get along well. We are making progress. He likes me; he comes to me in the corral or the arena. He is sweet and affectionate, likes attention, and is curious and interested in the things we do. He has a good attitude, and lots of go. We are going to be great partners. He is definitely not what I thought I was looking for--not a mare and not an Arab, but I am SO glad I found him!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Lesson At Last

Flyboy and I had a fabulous lesson this afternoon down at the indoor barn with Marleen Bradford (thanks, Marleen, if you are reading this!) It was great to actually have expert eyes on the ground as I rode. I really needed a few reminders about some basic things on the ground and under saddle.

1. Don't tighten the girth too much too quickly. In other words, tighten it gradually as I finish tacking him up and warm him up with a bit of ground work, then tighten it the rest of the way. (I actually know this already, but need to be more gradual.) Fly actually had a distinct opinion about that today, and Marleen pointed it out to me.

2. I need to get him yielding his front end immediately when I ask. He is slow to respond because I have not been clear enough with my requests. One, two, THREE, FOUR--not one, one, one, two. (Maybe you had to be there to understand that, but suffice it to say that Fly will now understand that I mean what I say, and I'm not waiting till Christmas to get a response!)

3. Ok. Under saddle. Marleen totally fixed the lack of softness I've been struggling with while going to the left on a circle. I have to do what I want him to mirror : i.e. stretch my right rib cage and follow the circle with my hip and shoulders. And eyes! A supporting inside leg helps him stay out on the circle so he doesn't spiral down to the middle. Lifting the inside rein a bit helps, too. We worked a lot on this and made great progress. I hope I can follow through with a repeat tomorrow. It will help me solidify the concept in my mind if I can repeat these exercises on my own.

4. Rein back a couple of steps every time I bring him to a halt.

We worked in walk, trot, and canter for a hour. That hour was tougher for Flyboy than climbing up the Red Rock Pasture trail because he definitely broke a sweat today! So did I! I felt like I had done a big yoga workout! It felt great, to be honest, and Fly worked hard and tried to do what I asked. (He also played a few dominance games!) So we have some things to work on for sure, but Marleen liked the way he moves and said he could look like "a fancy dressage horse." She also said this is a very smart horse and I better work to stay on top of things with him. That might have just been a kind way of saying that this horse might be smarter than I am! (But the fact that I know when to call in reinforcements counts for something, too!)

I know this picture is blurred, but take my word for it. Fly was soft, forward, and round. He blew out lots of tension during this lesson and really got soft in his back. I am in my Longreach endurance saddle and endurance stirrups, which are not really ideal for arena work so I will switch them out for webbers and regular irons for future dressage work. I need to really reach with my heel, which I am not doing here.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Winter Weather!

The weather interfered with the plans for todays lesson. A veritable blizzard hit us mid-morning, knocking out the power and making driving difficult. I called Marleen and suggested we postpone until tomorrow--couldn't see her getting on the freeway today! The horses got a day off, while I packed and shipped the Master Campdraft saddle back to Down Under. They will send a Kimberly Stock Saddle for me to try. Hope it works, because Fly really needs a saddle that fits him! I am also looking at a Bob Marshall Sports Saddle, but I'm not sure how it will fit with his big wither.