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!

Bad habits die hard

Last week, I left work early to run some wedding errands; I finished those with plenty of daylight, so I headed to the barn with the intention of jumping Moe. There's only so many rides in a row I can dressage. I brought Moe some Paddock Cakes (Banana Bites flavor), of which he was a fan.

He tried to fit his tiny cob sized head in the jar.

I set the jumps fairly low- all between 2' and 2'6. My plan was to work on Moe's tendency to gleefully gallop headlong to and from fences; this leads him to jump flat and sometimes knock rails in show jumping. 

Making a big effort over a beginner novice jump.

Spending a lot of time jumping Gina has really helped me improve my technique and my eye. Gina requires her rider to have quiet hands and a supportive leg. She also stays in a regular rhythm (most of the time), which enables me to 'see' a distance more easily. I've learned not to pick at the horse before a fence, and I've been working on using an automatic release instead of a long crest release. 

Applying these concepts to riding Moe was difficult! Moe's jumping technique hasn't changed much in the last few years- he locks onto a fence, puts on a burst of speed, sails over, and forgets what brakes are. I could feel myself anticipate the rushing, so I'd start to pull on the reins. Moe would lean into them and keep going. We'd leave a mile away from the fence, and we sometimes pulled a rail. (Thankfully, one of the barn's minions played jump crew for me. Thanks, little K.!) 

Moe has many flaws, but I can always count on him to go over a jump, regardless of what kind of ugly distance we get. I know that he knows his job. So I put him on a 15 meter circle at the canter, just to one side of the jump. 

I made sure it was a quality canter- soft, steady, round. When we'd come around the part of the circle that made it look like we were approaching the jump, Moe threw his head up and tried to put on speed. I just kept asking for a quiet canter. Finally, Moe cantered the whole circle a couple of times while maintaining a good gait- that was went I send him over the little vertical. He still increased his speed some, but it was a huge improvement on previous attempts. For my part, I tried to stay quiet and still and not pick at him. 

After several repetitions, Moe was tired and I was satisfied with our progress. I wouldn't attempt this exercise with a horse like Gina, who has a history of running out or refusing fences. But for Moe, who knows his job a little too well, it was perfect!

What Moe thinks of a measured approach to fences.

Is semi-retirement right for Moe?

For the last few months, I've been focusing solely on riding Gina. Moe has been relegated to semi-retirement, toting around (and occasionally bucking off) his lesson kids, letting more advanced riders get cheap thrills jumping him over stuff, and wandering around his pasture with his turnout buddy Roscoe. I've ridden him maybe five times in the last seven months.

I'm pretty okay with this- after all, it's not like I couldn't ride him if I wanted to. I don't have big career aspirations for him, because he's 20 years old. I'm happy he's still being ridden, because he obviously loves the attention and the exercise is good for him.

After a string of frustrating rides on Gina, I decided to take a break from riding her and hop back on Moe.

"WRONG TACK ABORT MISSION"

Seven months of consistent dressage work under a relatively competent teenager has been good for him. He's softer, rounder, and more willing to accept contact. You know, once he's had a chance to giraffe around the arena for a good fifteen minutes.

He's also feeling totally awesome and not creaky or stiff at all. He tracks up beautifully and has lots of spring in his step. 

"I am best horse, yes?"

Moe is so eager to work and so happy under saddle that it makes me wonder if I should switch my competitive goals for the year to him. Gina is great, and I'd still like to do the schooling dressage show circuit on her. But I often feel like jumps are losing battle with her- for every step forward, it seems like we take two steps back. Is it fair to keep pushing her to jump when it seems to stress her out half the time? 

"I SO FANCY, U ALREADY KNOW"

Moe's also kind of a known quantity. I've had him a long time. I know how he goes on cross country. I know what kind of work we need to do in stadium. When we were younger, I was stupider and less responsible, and didn't want to put in the effort required to be successful. I know Moe won't live forever, and I know 20 puts him solidly in the "senior" horse camp. But he's happy, he's very healthy, and he obviously enjoys having a job. 

"SWAG"

For the time being, I'm going to keep riding my favorite horse and enjoying the skills we've both improved upon in the last few years.

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.

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. 

Throwback Thursday: UTM Fun Show

I made this photo super large so y'all could get a good laugh out of my facial expression. Jumper classes are SERIOUS BUSINESS, okay?

This was taken in 2007 at a low-key fun show put together as a fundraiser for the UTM equestrian team. I am on Moe.

Moe and I competed in many jumper rounds over the years. I've always thought they were a good way for green horses to get exposure; ten years ago, I could show Moe in 2 or 3 classes for under $50, which I thought was a pretty good deal. Plus, jumper classes are fun!

Moe was never a terrifically successful jumper. He was quick, agile, and handy, but we regularly dropped rails. I'm sure this had nothing to do with my complete inability to see a distance or my penchant for clutching Moe's mane and hoping for the best when we took off fifteen feet from the base of the fence.

This was the first time my coach and many of my teammates had seen me ride my own horse; my coach told me we were terrifying. Our very fast, possibly frightening riding did merit us first place in the class, though.

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.