Great Expectations

I rode the Bluester today, and it was our first solid ride in 3 weeks. I tried to keep it low-key and not ask for too much advanced work, and we didn't jump either - I'm planning on doing a little tomorrow.

He felt good, he felt sound, even when he decided to canter right through the big speed bump of sand I was trying to steer him away from. His steering and his "go" button were a little wonky today, lots of running through my outside leg and being pokey. I don't think this has to do with soundness, I think this has to do with the weather. Blue always seems to slow down the better the weather gets.

The problem is that I'm trying to reconfigure my expectations to fit my horse. Obviously, we can't simply pick up where we left off before the time off - he's lost some fitness. The other thing is, before Blue went lame, I had pitched my spurs out and been working on trying to get a happier horse at the expense of my idea of an ideal trot. I think my preferences are skewed anyway...he's always been short-strided, and while I can get him to work his hindquarters much better now he's still never going to be long-strided or a really forward kind of horse.

For right now, I'm just going to cruise along and simplify my goals. Goal #1 for tomorrow is to re-establish the rules of steering (ie right leg does not mean run right!). Goal #2 is to jump a quiet course. This one is open to change, however...if he can show me that he can be a good boy and keep his head tomorrow, then we bump it up to Goal #3, otherwise known as get the desired striding for the jumps without having to stretch or shrink a lot to do so. I was really optimistic about our prospects for the May 9th show before the lameness - I'm hoping the course of treatment (hock injections*) was just what he needed. I think he'll be ready, but just to make sure I'm going to squeeze in some hillwork after the lesson tomorrow!

*I'm not sure how I feel about hock injections - on one hand, I know a horse at our barn who gets them every year and a half or so and it works really well for him. On the other hand, though, I don't like to think about the fact that Blue might get dependent on them. Since I don't own him, I really don't get a say in the situation. The vet recommended them, seems to think they're a good idea, and thinks it will keep him comfortable for his current workload without making his condition worse.

More About Blue

I feel like I didn't do Blue enough justice in my previous description of him, so I'll go a little bit more in depth about my boy.

Blue is a 12 year old Appendix/Appaloosa gelding. He stands at about 15.1 hh. He's a chestnut with a big white blaze, a nice white sock on his left foreleg, and two teeny socks on both hind legs. He's got a freeze brand on his left haunch and little snowflake spots on his rump.

Blue's registered name is T Bar's Old Blue Eye, with the Appaloosa Horse Club (I think his dam was full Appy). We, however, compete in local shows under the show name Out of the Blue. Blue is a laid-back kind of guy, and isn't really easily upset. He's sweet and loves attention, and loves to jump...you can just kind of feel him lock on to a fence and go for it. Best of all, he doesn't do stupid stuff.

On the other hand, Blue is pretty lazy and dead-sided. I have to get pretty firm with the crop at the beginning of the lesson to establish expectations or else he'll just drag along the entire time. He also gets bored easily, and if I'm not particularly adamant about something he tends to blow the aids off.

All in all, Blue's the kind of horse who can be a real challenge without being unsafe. Just mind-numbingly frustrating.

I lease Blue from his owner, a friend and mentor of mine currently going to college. I've been riding Blue almost exclusively for 2 and a half years, and I think we've got a rapport going. He tries to take advantage of people sometimes but I know him too well, and I think he respects that.

I'm excited because Blue's just coming off of a lameness, and tomorrow will be my first time really riding him in 2 and a half weeks. It's not very often that Blue goes lame for no particular reason...we think he has a touch of arthritis but not much so with proper management we should be fine. I favor a long warm-up period anyway.

So hopefully tomorrow I'll have some riding insights to share! I hope my boy feels like his old self - I've missed him bunches and our first show of the season is coming up in just two weeks!

A Fresh Beginning

Hi! My name is rhinestone.

Why should you read my blog? Well, honestly, I'm not sure anyone will be interested in it besides me.

I have to be one of the most analytical people I know, and my riding life is no different. I tend to get lost in my own thoughts, thinking through each ride trying to understand the horse's and my own actions, as well as how to improve and which mistakes to avoid at all costs. I love reading blogs like Mugwump Chronicles and Many Misadventures of McKinna McHorse because I love hearing their commentaries on their horses and trying to apply it to my own riding.

I also ponder the fate of the horse industry in general, thanks to awesome blogs such as Fugly Horse of the Day and Shame in the Horse Show Ring and Blatant Animal-Related Idiocy.

So, I guess an introduction is in order. =)

I have been riding for almost 10 years this May, and the first 7 or so years was spent riding school horses and struggling to improve my riding significantly during weekly group lessons. In the summer of 2006, I began to lease my friend's Quarter Horse/Appaloosa/Thoroughbred cross while she went to college. Blue and I are great partners now and with him I've been able to really begin to understand the more complex concepts of riding and how the rider's position and actions affect the horse.

I am going to be a freshman next year at University of Delaware, majoring in Pre-Vet Medicine and Animal Bioscience with hopes to become an equine veterinarian. I hope to continue riding in college on the UDel equestrian team. Currently, I'm trying to plan a summer in which to cram all those horsey activities I need to get in with Blue before I go off to Newark. Well, actually I'm waiting for Blue to be sound again - he should be good by Friday, but in the meantime I've ridden a real variety of horses, from a 15.3 hh laid-back Draft cross to a 17.1 hh strong, nervous Thoroughbred! I have really gotten a crash course in riding strange horses in the last two weeks that I hope will serve me well in intercollegiate competition!

Well, now the boring intro's out of the way. Tomorrow I hope to have something meaningful to post.