January Week 4

Monday 1/18
Good ride - maybe an hour? Warmed up with a hack down the road. We went down past the driveway then all the way back up, where there are some extremely nice gradual hills. Pandora felt good. Then we rode in the arena, just walk/trot, focusing on getting her to carry herself and soften her jaw. Looking forward to dressage lessons.

Tuesday 1/19
Chiro visit! It went extremely well. He tried a new way of getting at a persistent problem - Pandora's right shoulder - and it made a huge difference. He suggested it could help with the way she wants to hold herself twisted a little bit, swinging her haunches out to the right which we all know is a huge problem.

We tried another new thing too. After I told him how I taught her to back up very well by allowing her to walk straight forward after backing, he said we should try it after adjustments. So every time she successfully completed an adjustment, she got to walk forward a little bit. You could tell it made a big difference! She got extremely cooperative and started walking forward on her own after a good adjustment. If it wasn't successful, she'd just stand there with a very unimpressed look on her face. Silly horse.

Wednesday 1/20

I had a pretty good ride. I wanted to give her plenty of time and space to get used to her just-adjusted body, since she's always a little weird the day after a chiro visit. I longed her with tack first to let her figure things out on her own. She looked pretty good, though still a bit sticky about the canter. I think I will longe her more often to help her develop balance at the canter without the added burden of a rider.

Then I rode for about 45 minutes, just at the walk and trot. Tried some new things, asking her to supple her jaw (like we've been working on in dressage lessons with McKinna) but not lean on me or get fussy. Also working on lightening her to the aids - I shouldn't have to nag to keep her going forward. Looking forward to taking some dressage lessons on her.

The resident trainer was working with a young horse who did some bucking and racing around right after being saddled. She warned us, so I stopped Pandora to let her watch. I don't think she even flicked an ear...definitely not the kind of horse who's fired up by others acting silly!

Thursday 1/21

Longed and rode again, a bit too dark for a hack. 15 longeing, 30 or so riding. Still lots of work to make her canter on the longe but I think if I do it a couple times a week we can make progress and it will translate to improvements under saddle.
Ride was pretty good. Worked on the same stuff, suppling at walk and trot. When I get her going right in terms of softening her jaw and carrying her neck, bend becomes less of an issue (in terms of her wanting to swing her haunches out). This may be the suppling or it may be the chiro adjustment.
Working on having her be light to the aids. Seems to be going well. I will spend more time on this, especially leg-yields at the trot (which I know will get better with strength).
Did a couple canters. It was pretty good, much straighter than it has been, so I think the adjustment did help. She's also much more responsive to trot leg-yields after we've cantered, and I've noticed this in the past.
Have I mentioned that I'm looking forward to dressage lessons??
Pulled a tick off her left hind, near the stifle area. Gross.

Friday 1/22

Our first jumping lesson in what feels like forever, and it went pretty well. Loading in the trailer a bit ugly but we got things worked out - unloading at Poseidon, then the whole trip home was pretty uneventful.
Lesson itself was great. Pandora calm and forward. She's learned the habit I teach her on the ground about spooky things! We walk up to it as she snorts and blows, I kick or pat it so she can hear the sound, and then I say "Say hi!" and she goes up and puts her nose on it to sniff it. Then things are fine. I tried this from the saddle with a Big Scary White Table that was on its side, and she went right up and touched it when I told her to. Very cool.
The jumping was great. Trot fences were very good and I'm going to do lots more of those at home since it doesn't take much room. Cantering a course was a bit haphazard at times, but she did a very good job considering we haven't jumped in THREE MONTHS. My position was a bit terrible - I kept popping up onto my toes and falling forward over the fences, ugh. Time to do some no-stirrups gridwork or something. But, when I did ride correctly, it was great. I got one beautiful half-halt down the middle of a five-stride line. Only happened once, but I can't wait until all my half-halts go through like that.

Saturday 1/23
Long hack. The ride down the road was very nice, except the part where we passed the Llama And Goat Of Doom and we pranced sideways for 100 yards or so. Still, I have to give her credit for going on even in the face of Imminent Death. We'll have to practice that lots as the weather gets nicer.
Then we headed through the front pasture to the cow pasture, which I thought would be drier but wasn't. Pandora REALLY does not like the sloppy grass, it makes her anxious, but she went anyway. Which is good because she's an eventer.
I tried my "say hi!" trick on one of the young cows and she would have done it if he hadn't gotten scared and run away. Cute little bugger.

Sunday 1/24
Rest, with turnout as usual. There's a minor cough going around the barn, ugh, but ours and one other are pretty separate from the rest (they're up in a separate barn) so fingers crossed they stay symptom-free.

January Week 3

Monday 1/11
Longed 30 minutes, w/t/c. Still spooky at the far rail but not as bad, worked through it.
Would like to build a set of 4 - 5 cavaletti so we can do more work with those; less risk for stepping on/rolling them and you can set them high for canter cavaletti. They are included in our training schedule, anyway.
Called farrier and chiro today, hopefully appointments sometime next week.
Me: 2x15 pushups.

Tuesday 1/12
Good ride, maybe 30 minutes, just walk-trot. Liking the new saddle but Pandora is feeling kind of bleh at the trot. I led her up and down the Scary Aisle before I rode and she was WAY better about that side...just decided to be terrified of the bulldozer and truck sitting just outside the portion of the arena where the upper wall is just open air. She was good about working through it though. I figured it was just another schooling session to learn that the Judge Stand Monster isn't going to eat her.
Tomorrow is dressage lesson on McKinna, then I get to ride Thursday but I'm heading for the ABC retreat on Friday. It seems like we keep taking two steps forward and one step back these days, but I know we'll get there.
Me: 2x15 pushups.

Wednesday 1/13
Lesson on McKinna went well.
I think these frequent lessons are good for both of them in terms of attachment issues. They tend to be a bit herdbound to each other, but neither of them fussed much tonight.

Thursday 1/14
Farrier appointment. Didn't need much taken off and everything looks good.

Friday 11/15 through Sunday 11/17
I was away at the ABC retreat; didn't ride.

January Week 2

Monday 1/4
Went out at 9AM. Gave 2g bute mixed with applesauce. Pandora not terribly pleased but once I caught her she was fine. Free-longed her around the arena at a trot and she looked great. Wonder if the joint supplement is working already? Brought her into the center and spent some time just rubbing her head and neck. Didn't try to touch the poll but the area behind her ears seems less tender than yesterday - as long as I don't push, she doesn't mind being touched.
Turned the girls out.
Went back out at 4pm to bring in. She was pretty much normal for haltering. She's looking really good lately. Her hooves are holding up to barefoot extremely well and her gaits are getting smoother. Just have to wait for her darn head to heal up.

Tuesday 1/5
Free-longed for 15 minutes with a ground pole on the rail on one side. She was very good. Had to work a bit to make her keep cantering in laps and over the ground pole - it's hard with one person - but she was good about it and was adjusting herself nicely to the pole. Would like to set up a chute and try some free-jumping at some point too, but the arena's a bit hard.
Practiced asking for inside turns, which I think are much smoother and more focused than abrupt outside turns. Did them from the right fine but not from the left. From the left I ended up stopping her, walking up, physically turning her head with my hand, and then asking her to go. After 5 or 6 times, she suddenly understood and voila, inside turns.
Administered ~2g bute in applesauced syringe, probably for the last time. I am able to touch almost everywhere including her poll now. Even pulled a bit of the forelock hairs away but they were a little stuck to the dried blood (!) and she wasn't too thrilled about that.
Normal for haltering again.
Me: ran 1 mile.

Wednesday 1/6
Supposed to ride in a lesson with Leslie Chapman but since I haven't been riding her due to her injury, I took McKinna. Had a great ride on McKinna though!

Thursday 1/7
Free-longed. Inside turns now confirmed.
Me: 2x10 pushups.

Friday 1/8
Didn't go out.

Saturday 1/9
Did a short ride - just attached reins to the halter because I am sick and didn't want to deal with trying to bridle her. Wanted to test out my mom's new dressage saddle, a Kieffer. Fits Pandora nicely and seems to put my legs in a good spot.
Rode McKinna in my new Thornhill dressage saddle and liked it better, more comfortable. Going to try Pandora in the Thornhill and McKinna in the Kieffer next time we ride.
Me: 2x10 pushups.

Sunday 1/10
Bridled and rode in my Thornhill. She was 100% fine for bridling. I like the Thornhill better than the Kieffer - it is softer and I think it has a narrower twist. Not sure if it's too narrow for Pandora or not.

January Week 1

Tuesday 12/29
5 minute hack outside - cold, dark, rainy. Good uphill but a little sticky downhill. Small spook-scoot when the neighbors fired up the four-wheeler, but fairly controlled and straightforward.
60 minute flatwork session. Lots of trot. Needed a reminder about moving away from leg pressure - leg yields were getting pretty dull. Tried to allow stretching down on big looping figure-8s to get the correct bend; will continue to play with that as it seemed constructive.
Some decent canters. From sitting trot, she actually picks up the correct lead on a straight line very well, and if I insist, she's prompt in her transitions (read: need to insist). Our very very shallow canter 'serpentines' are getting a bit smoother.

Wednesday 12/30
Not the best ride but I suspect it was the saddle - rode in the old jumping saddle. Pandora was unfocused, a bit lazy, and generally not herself. 30 minutes. Not terrible, just not the same horse I have every day.

Thursday 12/31
Really good ride (back in the usual saddle). Long walk warmups are working nicely, especially when working on stretching down while bending. Starts off pretty short-strided but tends to warm up nicely - arena footing may play into this as it's been a bit hard lately, barn owner's tractor out of commission at the moment. Canter still improving, working on spending more time in the canter each ride. Shallow serpentines coming along. Left-lead canter vastly better than right-lead, not entirely sure why - seems to be a function of balance. To the left much smoother, not leaning on hands, don't need to bring her up with the outside rein as much. 50 minutes.

Friday 1/1/10
Rest day.

Saturday 1/2
Free-longed 30 minutes, set a ground pole out on the rail on each side to keep her focused. Pandora worked really nicely. Very relaxed, stretching, smooth gaits, aware and careful of the poles. A very nice focused session. Canter actually looking pretty good. McKinna was in the arena too and the canter work was a bit difficult to coordinate with both of them, so in future will only do free canter work individually.
Washed tail as well as udder area and finished pulling mane.
Started on new joint supplement - liquid Hyaluronic Acid, FlexForce brand. Smells like cherries, not entirely unpleasant. Administered in syringe as this is supposed to have better absorption, but don't know if I want to deal with that every day so may just end up top-dressing feed.

Sunday 1/3
Supposed to be a clinic day, but not so much. Did not unload properly, my fault - opened door before untying. Pandora tried to back out, hit the tie, freaked out, broke halter. Did not flip on the way out and did not bang her legs up but cut her poll. Shallow cut, but she was too sore to let me bridle her so I didn't ride.
Trailered her in the divider on the way home and was a lot more careful. She loaded up nervously but well, and unloading went off well too. Haltering is sketchy but doable, she's pretty head-shy. Administered 2.5g powdered bute, mixed with applesauce in syringe. She seemed bright-eyed and cheerful, ate and drank well, just didn't want me to touch her head.
I designed an extender we'll fabricate for the dividers so she will actually fit.