Moe and Gina go to a show

First of all, thank you all for your congratulatory wishes regarding my wedding/marriage. The day was just great: perfect weather, beautiful horses, no meltdowns over a seating plan. I'll eventually have some sort of recap later, but in the meantime, let me tell you about my boss horses.

The morning of the wedding, the horses went to a schooling dressage show with their lesson kids. I've been sort of excited to see how they behaved at a show for their riders. Both horses are pretty solid show campaigners who load, travel, stand around, and perform well for me. I was curious to see if they're actually well trained or if I'm just the elderly Thoroughbred whisperer.

This is how Moe dressages.

In Training 1, Moe scored a respectable 61.739%, which put him 4 out of 5 in a relatively competitive group. In Training 2, he score 61.346% for a fifth place (out of 5); he was less than a point away from second place, though! 

Gina looks pretty badass here.

Gina fared worse than Moe in Training 1, scoring a 60.652% for last place. She scored a 61.923% in Training 2, tying another pair for third place. (I can't recall how ties are broken in dressage, or if they are.)

The horses were apparently very well behaved, and were happy to hop off the trailer from the dressage show and right onto the trailer taking them to the wedding. While this means I am not the elderly Thoroughbred whisperer, it does mean that I can feel good about my horses' manners!

Crossrails are hard

My weeks have been very hectic lately between work and wedding; I spent most of the first week of April at a horse show, last week I spent catching up on things I'd missed in the office while I was at the show, and this week, I'm off to another horse show. Gina was lame for a bit, I was busy, and I just haven't been riding much. Once Gina was back to soundness, she was back doing lessons; at least one of us has been working!

Anyway, I headed to the barn yesterday with every intention of having a fun, low-key ride on Gina. I had a Cliff Barnsby Omega all purpose saddle on trial from work; I'd ridden in it on Semper Fi, but didn't get a great feel for it because he spent half our ride crow hopping or stopping. I thought I'd hack Gina in it and pop her over some tiny crossrails set up in the outdoor.

It was super windy and Gina was a little distracted and a little tense, but she settled down and worked well on the flat in the indoor. Outside, she was kind of a fruitcake.

The crossrails were no more than 18" high, but Gina refused to trot over them quietly. She bolted toward them, bolted away, and shook her head at my half-halts. I took to approaching the fences as quietly as I could, and asking her to halt a few strides after the jump, execute a turn on the forehand, and re-approach. She settled some, but was overall much more anxious and agitated than she has been recently over fences. 

I found the whole ride very weird; it made me reevaluate the way I have been riding Gina (which, lately, is not often!) and it also made me curious about why she seemed to treat small, 'easy' fences very differently than she treats big scary stuff like Swedish oxers or airy verticals. 

For the time being, I'm chalking it up to lack of regular jump work and riding in a totally different saddle than either of us is used to. I'm also putting jump work back in our usual rotation!

TOABH: Metamorphosis

Beka at The Owls Approve has a great question: If you could change something (or things) about your horse, what would you?

Looking pretty normal here.

LOOK OF EAGLES IS ME

Moe: I like to joke that Moe looks as if he's assembled from spare parts. He has a small head, a thin ewe neck, shark-fin like withers, relatively upright pasterns, and he's just slightly camped out behind. That said, I wouldn't change one single thing about his conformation. It's obviously served him well over the last 20 years; he has never been lame and he has never had difficulty doing anything I have asked him to do. I would, however, change whatever it is in his tiny, tiny brain that makes him feel like he needs to go at top speed at all times. I'd also make him an easier keeper and give him a better tail.

Gina:  Where to start on The G? She's very well put together and basically has a good brain. I think, if I could do anything for Gina, I'd make her younger. Old age is creeping up on her- increasing stiffness, less flexibility- and while there's nothing major to worry about, I think we'd both like it if Gina were 8 instead of 18. At least she doesn't need any help in the tail department.

Happy birthday Gina!

Gina officially turned 18 on January 1, as all Thoroughbreds do, but today is her actual date of birth.

I think Gina's doing pretty well for 18. She's accomplished many things in her life and continues to be a sound, healthy horse. I know many people are afraid of senior horses- after all, as horses age, they sometimes become harder keepers, develop health problems, or require more maintenance than their younger counterparts. 

Gina, however, is currently balling out of her mind. My perspective on senior horses has changed thanks to Gina (and Moe), who, at age 18, is infinitely better than she was at age 14 (when I acquired her). 

Happy birthday, Big G!

Building confidence over fences

I dragged my four pitiful jumps around the outdoor arena this weekend and set up some fences that I thought would challenge Gina without freaking her out.

I set up a small vertical (around 2'3) for warm up using a couple of barrels, a larger vertical (around 2'9), and a Swedish oxer (which was probably only around 2'6 in the middle).

And then Gina and I proceeded to jump around these jumps like it was no big deal. 

Three years ago, I could not persuade Gina to walk over ground poles. Trotting over a crossrail without stopping several times was a huge accomplishment. My dreams of eventing her were in tatters.

I never totally lost faith in Gina, though. I am often foolishly sentimental when it comes to horses; I should have sold her as a dressage or flat horse when I discovered how many problems she had with jumping. But I persisted, because I am an idiot or something.

It's taken a long time, but I've spent the last three years (or so) building up Gina's confidence (and my own). Here are some things that have worked for us:

• Focusing on things Gina could do successfully (and easily). For us, this meant we've spent a lot of time doing dressage. Gina is good at most dressage-y things, so spending some quality time on leg yields and 20-meter circles and getting praised for it made her feel confident. (And of course, dressage is helpful for many other reasons, too.)
• Starting and staying small. Once we were able to get over ground poles, we went over ground poles for a loooooong time. We progressed to crossrails and tiny verticals. Only recently I have raised to jumps to respectable heights, because I know Gina is capable.
• Riding other horses. I make it a point to seek out new and/or different horses to ride. It helps that I have always managed to board at places where people are happy to let me ride their horses. In recent years, there have been warmbloods, Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, and gaited horses. Riding different horses forces me to ride more correctly; I can get away with certain tics and habits and tricks on Gina because I'm used to her, but other horses frequently expose my flaws. Additionally, riding my old partner Moe did wonders for my confidence over fences when Gina unsettled it. I trust Moe completely; he will inevitably zoom around at a gallop, leave freakishly long, and possibly knock fences down, but he will never, ever refuse. Riding a horse like that is fun and pretty easy, and makes me feel like I could bop around Rolex tomorrow.
• Not pushing the issue. I used to be a very firm rider; I would always insist a horse do what I was asking. If a horse refused a jump, I would reapproach until the horse got over it. I am still insistent that a horse do what I ask, but I am much more patient. If Gina (or any other horse) refuses, I evaluate what I could have done wrong. I will lower the fence all the way to a ground pole if I feel like the horse is afraid or overfaced. I focus on staying consistent with my position and my aids. Some days, Gina is absolutely hideous and refuses everything. On those days, I get her over the jump (sometimes lowered, sometimes not), praise her effusively, and dismount. I've learned that pushing and pushing and pushing does no one any favors.
• Exuberant praise, and unemotional discipline. When Gina jumps something, I always scratch her withers or rub her neck and loudly tell her what a good horse she is. (Ask my barn mates; they hear a constant stream of "Good mare, clever horse, good girl!") When Gina refuses, I give her a tap with the whip behind my leg and represent the fence without saying much and without taking it personally. It's taken me a long time to not take bad behavior personally. I anthropomorphize my horses (don't we all?), but the reality is that Gina isn't refusing because she hates me. She's refusing because I'm not riding well, she doesn't feel good (e.g. she's in heat or tired), or she's afraid or confused.
• Getting out of the ring. Show jumping has always been our problem. Gina has always eagerly jumped anything that wasn't a collection of poles. So, for a long that, that was how I got her to jump. The hunter paces are excellent for this- she happily gallops out over coops, logs, split rails, ditches, and more. I think that instilled confidence in her.

The hard work is paying off. Gina's jumping more consistently than ever, and I'm actually excited about the prospect of taking her to a horse trial. (You know, once we can find a ride.) Gina now approaches show jumps with the same enthusiasm she shows for cross country. I feel good in the irons, on her or any other horse. The two of us are finally gelling into a real team, which is a great reward for years of work!

TOABH: Ermahgerd

Beka at The Owls Approve wants to know: Ermahgerd. What is your pony's absolute favorite riding activity?  What makes those little ears perk and causes the knees to lift?  Let's just focus on the favorites - we'll save the bucks for next week.

Gina and her lesson kid at junior rider dressage camp.

I think Gina's favorite riding activity is toting around teenagers who let her roam on a loose rein and never really ask her to do anything. See, Gina's a hard horse to read. She rarely approaches anything with joie de vivre, preferred to instead focus on letting people know what irritates her. Occasionally, she seems relatively enthusiastic about an activity, but I'm never totally sure if it's genuine enjoyment or directed surprise/terror. 

Excited for XC or surprised we're galloping? You be the judge!

Moe, on the other hand, wears his heart/tiny pea brain right on his little ewe neck. Moe loves being ridden. 

"FASTER WITH THE HELMET TIME TO RIDE!!!"

He likes it when people who are inexperienced/out of practice ride him.

He likes it when people ride him in a western saddle. (He looks slightly cranky here because he was asked to halt. Moe does not like halting.)

He even does dressage pretty cheerfully (if sort of poorly).

But Moe's very favorite thing in the whole wide world has to be jumping.

Just look at that face and those ears and tell me that horse isn't having the best time. 

How to have a terrible dressage ride

I headed to the barn on Saturday after sending Johnny an amazing Valentine.

Because Johnny is all-around great guy, he accompanied me to the barn instead of staying inside and playing X-COM: Enemy Unknown all day (which was his original Valentine's Day plan). It was definitely too nice to stay inside anyway: 70 degrees and sunny! Wind gusts of up to 35 miles per hour? Psh, who cares? It was 70 degrees!

Since I'd jumped Gina on Tuesday and Friday and hacked her out in the field on Thursday, I thought I'd do some dressage work in the indoor arena.

Ten year old kid supervising the jumping Friday.

It was maybe the worst dressage ride of my life. Why?

• 35 mph wind gusts
• Barn sounding as if it may blow down at any moment
• Saddle pads drying on rail flapping continuously
• Giant jolly ball that lives in corner of arena blowing around arena
• Barn owner showing up halfway through ride to replace broken skylights above stalls
• Barn owner's father climbing onto roof
• Barn owner's father dropping pieces of broken skylight down into barn
• Barn owner's fiance drilling...something
• Recently arrived stray puppies whining constantly

Gina was so distracted by these things that we basically accomplished walking, trotting, and cantering both directions before I called it quits. I cooled her out outside in an effort to her to relax a little; it was mostly a futile effort.

DANGER ZONE

While I had a very terrible dressage ride, I did have a nice Valentine's Day: we went grocery shopping, took advantage of buy one, get one free burritos at Qdoba, ate some macarons in a parking lot, and I fell asleep on the sofa while Johnny finally got to play X-COM. We're very romantic.

The weather is predicted to clear up from the icky sleet/snow by the end of the week, so hopefully Gina and I can redeem ourselves.

Conformation critique: Gina

I've never been a huge conformation person. In high school, I was an avid participant of my FFA horse judging team; I was never the best member of the team because I let personal preferences hinder my ability to judge horses objectively.

After all, I was successfully eventing on a very sound horse that looked like this:

Does it get more majestic than Moe? Ewe neck, shark-fin withers, upright pasterns, tiny head, etc etc

Breeches & Boat Shoes' recent post on conformation (and subsequent posts from other bloggers) inspired me to critique Gina. I've always thought of her as a good-looking, well put together creature. One day, I might attempt an assessment of Moe, but we'll let him slide for now. Excuse the photo of Gina looking especially derpy after a bath- every other photo I have of her is when she's tacked up or when she's standing at an unsuitable angle.

Length vs. Height

Ideally, the horse's length from its shoulder to buttock is equal to its height from the withers to the ground. 

Gina is basically equal from front to back as she is top to bottom. She may be a couple inches taller than she is long; I spent so long fiddling with the vertical line that I gave up on trying to line it up exactly with her hoof.

Heartgirth vs. Legs

Ideally, the depth of the heartgirth from the withers to the elbow is equal to the length of the leg from the elbow to the fetlock.

Gina is equal here. Good job, Gina!

Topline vs. Underline

Ideally, the croup and withers are the same height, or the croup is slightly lower. The topline should be shorter than the underline. 

Gina's withers are a little higher than her croup. Her underline is roughly equal to her topline instead of being shorter, as is desired.

Forequarter vs. Hindquarter

Ideally, a horse's forequarters and hindquarters should be equal when a line is drawn through the center of the horse.

This was difficult for me to gauge, but Gina appears roughly even.

Shoulder vs. Back vs. Buttock

A horse's shoulder, back, and buttock should all be equal in length. 

Gina is definitely not equal! Her shoulders and buttocks are nearly equal, but her back is quite long compared to those parts. I'd never noticed this- I thought her back was pretty normal. 

Head vs. Body

The length of the horse's head should be similar to the lengths from the hock to the ground, the chestnut on a forelimb to the ground, length of the heartgirth, and from the stifle to the croup.

I've never thought of Gina as having a small head; it's feminine and delicate, but solidly full-sized. The length of her head is very similar to the ideal limb lengths, but her heartgirth and stifle to croup lengths are longer. 

Buttock vs. Hip vs. Stifle

Ideally, these form an equilateral triangle from buttock to stifle to hip.

Gina is far from ideal in this case! She's shorter from buttock to stifle than from stifle to hip and hip to buttock.

I'm glad I did this exercise; while Gina has her flaws, they aren't major or performance affecting. I still think she's relatively well conformed. 

I've enjoyed seeing others critique their horses!

TOABH: Worth 1K Words

Beka at The Owls Approve asks us to share favorite photos of our stud muffins. Get ready for a Moe-tastic post, y'all, because I have way more pictures of him than I do of Gina!

Pony Club Rally @ Kentucky Horse Park

Middle TN Pony Club Horse Trials @ Brownland Farm

Middle TN Pony Club Horse Trials @ Brownland Farm

Peeking out of his stall at PaHa Stables while we were in college.

Still happy to jump at 19 years old, and still happy to forgive my jumping flaws.

Looking for the next fence at Middle TN Pony Club Horse Trials

Clearing a fence at Middle TN Pony Club Horse Trials

Letting everyone know how he really feels about dressage.

Moe and his kiddo at junior rider camp.

Gina toting her lesson kid around at junior rider camp last fall.

Gina, the least silly of horses, making a face.

Gina looking very good last summer.

Looking like a badass cross country horse at her very first combined test.

Gina looking like a winner. Well, a worried winner.

Small log, big accomplishments at the hunter pace.