Summer's Start

Cupid and I have had a relatively quiet week plus since the show - aside from a text from the barn last night that he came in from turnout with an injury.  Nothing serious luckily, but I appreciate that they both noticed and told me about it.  It is finally starting to feel like summer, though we still have plenty of cool days interspersed. 

You know it's summer when the grass turns to weeds

Lessons have continued to focus on improving connection, and making sure I'm beginning turns off my outside rein.  I'm a slow learning but starting to get the hang of it!  I've also been requesting some time on the lunge line about every other week so I can hopefully build muscle memory doing it correctly.  I think it's also helped my coach be more aware of some of Cupid's tendencies - things like finding an excuse to break gait if you get distracted; anticipating what we're doing; when he doesn't want to carry himself; and that he does tire a bit going to the left and picking up that lead will get more difficult if he's a bit tired.

I've been trying to make sure I'm not constantly drilling him, and add variety to the routine.  So on Saturday I rode him around the property including some paths which have recently been made usable again after getting a bit overgrown, before dropping into the outdoor ring for a little trot work, then continuing around.  We did a day of ground driving, and another day of in-hand work.  We practiced backing up straight between two poles, then I had Cupid step over a pole with just his front feet and side pass down.  He's finally starting to get this but it took some time! 

I was going to do some jumping this week too, but Cupid took a few funny steps before I mounted.  He seemed okay after, but we decided to keep it light and did a course with just ground poles and cavaletti instead.  I asked for some lead changes over the cavaletti, we don't always get them but had a few (especially if I repeat a course and Cupid knows which way we're going!)

Getting turned out with his Fresian friend

New fly sheet, still fits a 69"!

Cupid also saw the chiropractor last week.  A few adjustments but looking good overall.  She said his left hamstring was a bit tight, and his pelvis was rotated up to the left and lower back had some rotation to the left as well.  She also recommended adding rice bran to his current rations as he's lost a little weight, you can see he's a bit ribby.  I haven't had him on rice bran before but luckily it doesn't seem to cause any adverse effects for him.

I'm hoping to get a trail ride in this weekend.

Yarra Yarra Dressage July Show

I entered Training 1 and 2 again for this show, since we've been having a bit of trouble with the left lead and it's a bigger part of Training 3.  My ride times were 11:30 and 1:10.  So on the bright side I don't have to wake up super early, but it is kind of nice to be done and home by noon!  Plus the heat.  So I got to the barn with lots of time to spare, especially since I still cleaned by tack and loaded the trailer, and bathed Cupid the day before (since I wasn't sure how cold it would be at 7am)  I was taking my leisurely time grooming and braiding him.  I decided to do his forelock first, since that takes me the longest.  It's still not perfect but I was happy with how it turned out.  Then as I was doing his mane one of my fellow boarders came by and asked if that was my truck and trailer, and said there is a screw in my tire!!  Her trailer is parked next to mine and fortuitously she was also going someplace that day and somehow happened to notice a nail in my tire, though the tire was still fully inflated.

I have no idea how this nail got in my tire, it's not really on the driving surface??!!  But good thing she noticed before it blew out on the freeway with Cupid in the trailer.  And lucky I had plenty of time, so I could put my spare on.  (Big thanks to my dad for teaching me how to change a tire!!)  Once that was done I still had just enough time to finish braiding and still leave with plenty of time in case we got some traffic - luckily we didn't so we got to the showground about an hour before my first test.

Got nailed!!

I got on just over half an hour before my ride time.  The warm up ring wasn't too crowded, and I think the upper lever horses were pretty much already done for the day so I didn't have to worry about dodging them.  It is nice not to feel rushed!  I started with about 10 minutes walking, first just around the ring to loosen up than adding some bending.  Then we did trot work, with some 20 meter circles and serpentines and some smaller circles to increase engagement.  Cupid got a little startled once by the automatic gate opening right by the arena, but overall he felt good, neither too lazy nor quick.  I think I only cantered to the left in warm up.  We didn't get it first time, so I still had some doubts we would get it in our test.

We headed to the test arena, and as I was circled around it I kept Cupid to a walk as we passed the corner he spooked last time and the judge's booth, then picked up the trot.  I thought the test was okay overall; Cupid was a bit tense but the geometry was good and transitions prompt, no errors.  We got both leads correct and didn't break early, so I was happy about that!  I left the arena feeling pretty good.

With over 1.5 hours to go, I untacked Cupid, sponged him off with cold water and scraped him, and found a shady spot to hang out.  He was pretty content to eat hay and drank plenty of water.  Since I was all alone the only show pictures I have are during this time.

Shady spot

Braids turned out okay

I eventually went to pick up my test, and I admit I was pretty disappointed.  It was pretty much a 5 or 5.5 on everything, with the comment "hollow."  Except a 6 on both halts, "square", and the free walk, "stretches out but not down."  I had a little pity party and thought why do I even bother.  I thought about how we would do better in the hunters, if only I could get over my nerves.  If I had picked my test up earlier and still had a long wait I would have just said forget it and left.  But since it was almost time to tack up I figured I'll just go do it since I'm here.

I gave us about 20 minutes in the warm up.  Cupid actually had a bit more energy.  Our warm up routine was similar just a bit shorter than the first time.  Cupid did try to break into a canter from the trot a few times, so I ended with doing transitions between the trot and walk on a large circle to get him listening.

Cupid was a bit exuberant during the test.  He did break into a little canter when we were supposed to be trotting, but came back down quickly.  We did manage to get all the transitions in the correct places, and again got the leads correct though it felt like Cupid lept into the canter a little, and did a mini half-buck at one point.  (Note to self to schedule a chiro visit for him - I think it was more from excitement but he feels due anyways.)  Overall it felt a bit more mixed; clearly there were anxious moments but there were some good moments too when he relaxed a bit.  The stretchy trot felt good, and I tried to push him a bit more in the free walk. 

Despite a few exuberant displays it was actually fun, I felt good about it and was happy I decided to stay.  I was first to go in my class, and decided not to wait over an hour for the class to finish and get my test sheet.  I check my score online and it was still terrible, though slightly above the first test which I was a little surprised about since we did have a few naughty moments.  A few positive takeaways:
-Finally, I didn't feel nervous beforehand!  The last few shows I wasn't sure if it was pregnancy or show nerves making me feel a bit nauseous, but I felt fine.
-I still need to work on keeping my shoulders/upper body back, but I am getting much better keeping my butt in the saddle.  I made a conscious point to check in with myself on this and make sure I can feel the saddle.
-Cupid can handle the heat, when he wants!
-Even if Cupid is a bit excited, he (probably) won't do anything too terrible (though our scores might be).  But my confidence has improved a lot, and I feel a lot more secure taking him new places. 

I am hoping to do a 2 day show next month, which may be it this year for Cupid and me.  I might do a schooling show before that, and since it's local maybe have my coach come to that so she can see how we've been doing in a show environment and help me improve.

Best Laid Plans

I sometimes say that horses have a way of laughing at our plans.  That's how I felt today, when I was doing my final show prep.  I wanted to practice some elements of the tests, but Cupid decided he wanted to practice jigging and scooting sideways instead.  Sigh.

We got off to a bad start when I saw the sprinklers were on in the dressage court.  Usually the covered arena is dragged and water first, from about 7-8am, then around 8 then do the dressage (outdoor).  So usually I ride before work, in the covered arena while they are watering it.  (It's a guy with a hose, and I just stay on whatever end of the arena he's not working on.)  Since I ride there most often, Cupid is very good in the covered but can be a little spooky in the outdoor.  Which, I mean yes we go there less often but we've been there at least 100 times already so it shouldn't be an issue!!!

So I stall a bit, and around 7:45 the sprinklers are off and I go in and Cupid is a jigging spooking mess.  I spent the next 15 minutes mostly just trying to keep him walking straight.  He can spin around pretty quickly and seamlessly if I'm not paying attention, all of the sudden we'll just be facing the opposite direction!  He was finally starting to settle and I thought yay we can get to work, but of course I see the tractor heading down, so much for that.  We had to go to the covered arena, which is bigger than a dressage court and also full of jumps so I couldn't go down the centerline or proper diagonals.  But I did make Cupid work, since he seemed to have so much energy outside. Overall our ride was okay, but we were having trouble with the left lead again.  Double sign.  The first few rides after we got back from Oregon it wasn't a problem at all.  The best strategy I've found is to counterbend him a little, then ask for the canter as we straighten back.  The bigger problem is a lot of times when we get it incorrect it takes several strides to get him back down to a trot, then rebalance, before we get it - way too long. 

Looking contrite after finally deciding to behave

I'm not feeling optimistic about our show this weekend.  We'll be in the outdoor ring at Yarra Yarra, where Cupid was a bit spooky last time, plus we'll probably blow the left lead.  Oh well, we'll do the best we can and try not to embarrass ourselves too much!

In other news, earlier this week I asked my trainer for a lunge line lesson.  I wanted to work on sitting down and back, especially in canter transitions.  I have a bad habit if leaning forward and raising my hands when I ask for the canter, so not helpful!  I tied and dropped my reins, and just held my whip under my thumbs and it was great to be able to focus on less things.   Cupid was a really good sport about it.  (Of course he's almost always good, in the covered arena at home!  We just need to learn to take that relaxation elsewhere.)

4 Years!!

The week plus since we've been back from Oregon has passed quickly, and uneventfully.  I gave Cupid a few days off, and then the first few rides back he felt focused and refreshed.  It feels like he's working into the bridle a bit more, and the left canter lead hasn't been much of a problem.

The weather has been all over the place, a few cool foggy days followed by a few hot days, then back to cold.  It's making it kind of hard to plan my rides, or life in general!

In other news, Cupid and I celebrated our 4th anniversary together!  It's hard to believe how quickly it's gone by.  And kind of sad that we're still toiling at Training level and jumping 2', but oh well.  In honor of our anniversary here are some clips from my first ever ride on Cupid, about 2 weeks after his last race!

He always had a nice long stride at the walk!

In other news, before Oregon I tried out a western saddle that I wanted for trail riding.  Although it was very comfortable for me, I didn't think it was a great fit on Cupid (though I'm certainly no expert).  But he did look super cute with it!

The Long Haul

Our destination in Oregon was over 400 miles away.  I've never trailered that far, so did a little research to try and make it as comfortable as possible for the horses.  This is what I did to prepare for and during the trip:

-Truck/trailer maintenance:  I've had my trailer about a year now, so it was about time for my annual maintenance check anyhow.  There is a trailer place nearby, where I got my trailer brakes: AB Trailer Hitch.  It's the only place I know in the area so I didn't compare prices, but they are very nice.  They checked the lights, tires and wires, greased the bearing, and whatever else they do.
I'm lucky my dad is a mechanic, so I asked him to take a look at my Ford Expedition before the trip, top off oil etc.

-Fans:  While my trailer was in the shop, I also asked them to install fans.  Even though I have adequate windows and vents, I thought it couldn't hurt and is especially useful if we have to sit in traffic.  My fans are installed on the same wire as my trailer's interior lights, so they are on if I turn the lights on.  The guy at the trailer shop recommended this because having them separate requires a lot more labor to install.

Trailer fan

-Frequent stops:  The advice I read online was to stop about every 3 hours for about 20 minutes, to give the horses a break from the vibrations.  So I got gas, and if the station wasn't busy stayed under the awning at the pump, otherwise I tried to find a shady spot, and opened the windows.

-Water:  I offered the horses water during some of our stops, and read that they may or may not take it.  Cupid drank a little each time I offered, while the other horse with us didn't at all.  My trailer has a water tank, which made this pretty easy.

-Wraps:  People have pretty strong opinions on each side of this issue, whether to wrap legs or not.  I did put on Coolmax no-bows on all 4 legs, and bell boots in the front.  The wraps did not get loose, and his legs did not feel hot underneath when I took them off.  I just feel more comfortable with this, I would feel horrible if he sliced his legs somehow.  My friend's horse was bare legged, and didn't have any problems either - so this one goes down to personal preference.

-Hay:  I had grass hay in front of Cupid, and he ate pretty much the whole ride, so I refilled his hay at one of our stops both on the way there and back.  His travel buddy only ate about half her hay bag on the way up, and finished that up on the way back.  I also brought hay with me, so he has what he's used to at home. 

-Camera:  I got a little camera that transmits a live feed to my phone through Wi-Fi.  The one I got (Rear View Safety model RVS-83112-Wifi) is listed as a back up camera, not specifically intended to watch horses in a trailer, but it did the job.  It was $140 on Amazon.  A camera is totally unnecessary, but it did give me peace of mind, especially since I wasn't sure how Cupid and the other horse would get along.

Camera, placed in rear trailer window

Captured on the camera

-Ulcergard: I started giving Cupid Ulcergard the day before we left, and continued until the day after we got back, in case he was stressed from the travel or being in a new place.

Driving by Mt Shasta

Oregon Trail Adventures

Cupid and I spend the last 5 days up in Oregon at my friend's ranch!  I was a little nervous about the long drive, but it went smoothly.  I'll write a separate post about the trip and tips I found.  My friend's horses live in an 80 acre pasture, but she has some pens with shelters.  Cupid has never seen barbed wire, and also isn't used to that much grass so this was much safer for him!  He was a little excited at first, especially when the other horses came over to meet him and were running around a bit, but he seemed to settle in pretty quickly. 

Home sweet home, for a few days

In addition to horses, my friend recently got two miniature donkeys!!  They were super cute.  They were originally in their own little pen adjacent to the main pasture, but figured out where they can sneak through so now they just go from their pen to the pasture as they please.  Cupid was a little surprised by them at first, but quickly realized they were harmless.

Mini donkeys!!

The first few days we rode off the ranch.  This area is high dessert - lots of sage brush.  In many parts there aren't well-defined trails and I was a little hesitant about bushwhacking through it, but Cupid didn't seem to mind and made it through unscathed.  However he is very bad about tailgating behind other horses.  Luckily my friends horses are very well behaved and didn't kick him in the face, but he kind of had it coming.  I should have done a better job keeping him back, but it's a lot of effort and I didn't want to fight with him.  Plus it didn't help that even though Cupid is not a very big horse (not even 15.3 hands), he is a bit taller and much longer-legged then my friends' quarter horses and walks faster than them.

We initially had planned to camp out near Crater Lake, but since my friend still had to work a bit it didn't work out.  We were just going to do a day ride there instead, but it turned out the road to the campsites was closed anyhow.  We ended up going to a different trail nearby instead, which was fine except Cupid and I were pretty much eaten alive by mosquitoes!  I have over 50 bites!  (Apparently they are especially attracted to pregnant women, since blood volume, CO2 emission, and body temperature are all elevated)  They liked Cupid too, since he is thin skinned, and he was a bit miserable too kicking his belly and shaking his head.  But he handled the rocky terrain and trail obstacles like a champ!  On the way back Cupid was in front, and he walked a bit ahead, and since I was pretty over the mosquitoes I decided to let him and meet back at the trailer.  If he got too far ahead he would stop and wait until he could hear the other horses catch up.  Once he got a little too far ahead and whinnied, but he was pretty calm, no jigging.

The trail was pretty deserted, we only saw one man with his dogs, and a small group of hikers.  The hikers patted Cupid and said how pretty he was, and told me they just watched Justify win the Triple Crown and were impressed that Cupid used to race too.  Some people are not happy to share trails with horses so I always try to be friendly.

Drinking from a stream

Crossing a bridge

In the woods

Through a meadow

The trip was a great adventure, and further solidified my trust in Cupid and reminded me yet again he is capable of more than I give him credit for sometimes.  Even though we have been going to many new places since getting the trailer last year, we haven't done any overnight trips in a long time so I was very pleased with how quickly he settled in.  It helped to have the other (well-behaved!) horses around as he still gets insecure. We are already looking at doing this again next year!

David Marcus Clinic Photos

Hannah Beebe captured some lovely photos of Cupid at the clinic.  Seeing these really helped put together the things David said during the ride.  Of course being a bit self-critical the first thing that stuck out to me was yes David is right, even though I felt like I was sitting vertical I still need to lean back more.  And my elbows are a bit better but still need more bend.  But beyond that I though wow Cupid is moving out nicely!  Ok I get it now, focus on getting this push and as he develops muscle and learns to carry himself the "frame" will come.

Tracking up!

We're both concentrating here

Legs for days

And a very cute photo of Cupid wanting to cuddle with David after our session!

I love you David!!

Plus a portrait.

I kind of wish my turnout had been sharper, but I was dressing for the heat.  So coolmax saddle pad, and I'm wearing tights instead of breeches which is probably a huge faux pas but at least I still had a belt and didn't pass out 😶.  I brought white polo wraps but ended up not using them because I thought Cupid would be more comfortable without, and I figured we wouldn't be doing crazy lateral work anyhow.  Sorry David, no disrespect meant!!