Ransom and I played dressage last night.. However, so did the #$*^& neighbor's cows.
Stupid Cows!
Ransom had the "lookie loos" at the cows. I don't mean peek & get back to work. I mean head & neck in complete denial of forward and away from the cows. He was flexed OUT at the rail facing the cows.
I rode through it for nearly 30 minutes. In his cool down, he got fussy crabby again, and really stopped paying attention to me, as if he needed to know why the cows were coming closer to him. I dismounted and hand walked him over to the cows. I stood & waited with him until he started to drop his head & relax.
We ended up walking back to the trailer in near dark. Undressed & put his sheet on, in the dark. I hate winter here - dark & dreary. Not cold enough to be called winter, not snowy, not even sleet. Just dreary.. and dark.
When he did work, it wasn't too shabby. In the cooler temperatures, getting forward is really quite easy. Transitions aren't beautiful, but that's expected since my rides have been so irregular.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Getting Back on Track
Last week... It rained mostly, but
I got a bareback ride in on Romeo, concentrating on his "go" and "whoa". It was blustery with a cold wind whipping around the yard, and he in no way wanted to be working. He settled in, but I do wish we would've had enough dry land to lunge at that moment.
On one of the drier days, I lunged and rode Ransom bareback. Walk & trot. He did great. In all of the nasty weather, he's lost some muscle up by his withers, so I kept the ride short.
Thursday, I rode him dressage, w.t.c. It went really well. Made me a bit sad I'd decided to not show in Katy on the 12th, but we got a great ride in on the drier side of the arena.
Friday, it was a hunter day. I shortened my stirrups a hole, after the last lesson, hoping this would help my overall balance. Worked like a charm. Had a really nice ride. The wind was howling around the arena, but I've come to discover Ransom loves cooler weather. He moves out great, transitions great, and has a really nice forward going.
Otherwise, not much riding going on around here (thus the lack of blogging). R and I travelled to Eagle Pass yesterday, and I've got a funny Border Patrol story to tell later today or tomorrow. On the way home, we went to see Mister Tom the Hay Man. He had the latest batch tested, 21% protein. It's not as thin or quite as green, but as we were unloading & stacking, Ransom nearly tore two bales from our hands, grabbing mouthfuls. Both boys are seeming to be enjoying it, so mission accomplished there.
Countdown to holiday travel, 6 days. UGH. My gifts are mostly bought & shipped, with a little bit more to do. I'm hoping for a few more rides this week in & around directly after work. They might be short, but I need my "fix", before being away from the boys for a bit over a week.
I got a bareback ride in on Romeo, concentrating on his "go" and "whoa". It was blustery with a cold wind whipping around the yard, and he in no way wanted to be working. He settled in, but I do wish we would've had enough dry land to lunge at that moment.
On one of the drier days, I lunged and rode Ransom bareback. Walk & trot. He did great. In all of the nasty weather, he's lost some muscle up by his withers, so I kept the ride short.
Thursday, I rode him dressage, w.t.c. It went really well. Made me a bit sad I'd decided to not show in Katy on the 12th, but we got a great ride in on the drier side of the arena.
Friday, it was a hunter day. I shortened my stirrups a hole, after the last lesson, hoping this would help my overall balance. Worked like a charm. Had a really nice ride. The wind was howling around the arena, but I've come to discover Ransom loves cooler weather. He moves out great, transitions great, and has a really nice forward going.
Otherwise, not much riding going on around here (thus the lack of blogging). R and I travelled to Eagle Pass yesterday, and I've got a funny Border Patrol story to tell later today or tomorrow. On the way home, we went to see Mister Tom the Hay Man. He had the latest batch tested, 21% protein. It's not as thin or quite as green, but as we were unloading & stacking, Ransom nearly tore two bales from our hands, grabbing mouthfuls. Both boys are seeming to be enjoying it, so mission accomplished there.
Countdown to holiday travel, 6 days. UGH. My gifts are mostly bought & shipped, with a little bit more to do. I'm hoping for a few more rides this week in & around directly after work. They might be short, but I need my "fix", before being away from the boys for a bit over a week.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
12/07/09 I'll Settle For
A little grooming & mud scraping. Yup. I had the best laid plans when I left work.
Come hell or high water, the Good Lord willing & the creek don't rise.. I was going to either lunge or ride, but I was doing something. Somebody was getting their day sheet off, and I was going to get some horse time.
I bounded home, realized Ransom would have to wait another day, sliding just trying to walk around his pasture. I ran inside, hurried the dogs to potty, changed my boots. I was doing this. I ran to the trailer, grabbed my bareback pad, grooming things, bridle.. wait.. what's that sound??
Pit, Pat, Pit, Pat, thump, thump, trickle trickle.. Crap! That's the sound of More Rain, ruining my plans.
I stuffed the bridle & pad back in the trailer, and took my grooming things to Ransom's stall. I gave both boys some hay, and while Ransom munched, I groomed. I curried the mud off of his legs, combed his tail & weed-growing mane, and we had some bonding time. He nuzzled his head into my arms, smeared some horse-loving mud in my jacket, along with a little snot just to keep me honest.
I hope tonight meets my plans a bit better.
Come hell or high water, the Good Lord willing & the creek don't rise.. I was going to either lunge or ride, but I was doing something. Somebody was getting their day sheet off, and I was going to get some horse time.
I bounded home, realized Ransom would have to wait another day, sliding just trying to walk around his pasture. I ran inside, hurried the dogs to potty, changed my boots. I was doing this. I ran to the trailer, grabbed my bareback pad, grooming things, bridle.. wait.. what's that sound??
Pit, Pat, Pit, Pat, thump, thump, trickle trickle.. Crap! That's the sound of More Rain, ruining my plans.
I stuffed the bridle & pad back in the trailer, and took my grooming things to Ransom's stall. I gave both boys some hay, and while Ransom munched, I groomed. I curried the mud off of his legs, combed his tail & weed-growing mane, and we had some bonding time. He nuzzled his head into my arms, smeared some horse-loving mud in my jacket, along with a little snot just to keep me honest.
I hope tonight meets my plans a bit better.
Monday, December 7, 2009
12/07/09 Weekend Recap
Too wet, and too frigging cold & drizzly to ride. Yes, indeed, it did snow on Friday. The grass was coated white for only a few minutes. I was too wrapped up in the moment to take pictures, pleased the ground was barely white.
I didn't ride this weekend, and I wish I had. Saturday morning was Christmas choir practice, followed by a marathon of Christmas gift shopping. Yes, folks, I'm nearly done. Three stores, a few hours, and I'm almost finished.
Sunday, choir Christmas, and then, it was drizzly, raining that nasty "too light to keep the windshield wipers from dragging", but "too frigging wet to make a ride enjoyable."
So I stayed inside, all weekend. I'm sure hoping this weekend proves a little less nasty, so that I can get at least some goofing around stuff in on Ransom. Maybe a mailbox trip on Romeo.
Plenty else buzzing around in my mind, but none of it blogworthy. Ya'll have a great day!
I didn't ride this weekend, and I wish I had. Saturday morning was Christmas choir practice, followed by a marathon of Christmas gift shopping. Yes, folks, I'm nearly done. Three stores, a few hours, and I'm almost finished.
Sunday, choir Christmas, and then, it was drizzly, raining that nasty "too light to keep the windshield wipers from dragging", but "too frigging wet to make a ride enjoyable."
So I stayed inside, all weekend. I'm sure hoping this weekend proves a little less nasty, so that I can get at least some goofing around stuff in on Ransom. Maybe a mailbox trip on Romeo.
Plenty else buzzing around in my mind, but none of it blogworthy. Ya'll have a great day!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
A Weather Request
To all those Above The Mason-Dixon Line,
Can you please take back your winter weather? It seems to have taken a wrong turn, and dove waaaaaaaay too far south. Having lived here five years now, my blood has thinned sufficiently enough, I see the “S” word in my forecast, and I’d like to return it back to you where it belongs.
http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Weather.aspx?location=USTX0637
I don't believe this is entirely possible, but the weather people say so, and if it's really another wet and strong cold front (before the current one moves on), I suppose it could happen.
Time to scour the barn for extra layers for the boys. Low of, what, 27F Friday night? That's just N-V-T-S , NUTS!
Can you please take back your winter weather? It seems to have taken a wrong turn, and dove waaaaaaaay too far south. Having lived here five years now, my blood has thinned sufficiently enough, I see the “S” word in my forecast, and I’d like to return it back to you where it belongs.
http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Weather.aspx?location=USTX0637
I don't believe this is entirely possible, but the weather people say so, and if it's really another wet and strong cold front (before the current one moves on), I suppose it could happen.
Time to scour the barn for extra layers for the boys. Low of, what, 27F Friday night? That's just N-V-T-S , NUTS!
December Begins - The Week
Won't be much riding this week, I don't suppose. It has been raining, and cold in our own little South Texas sort of way. Ransom has been wearing his turnout sheet and midweight all week, and has been playing a few games with me.
R installed some pull chain light bulbs in the stalls. We ran string from the pull chains along the top of the stalls, and down to my reach. This means every morning I can walk to the barn, pull the strings, and flip lights on in each stall. Cool, right? Ransom thinks so, too.
My darling, large, bay, genius horse, has decided how to turn the light on. Not so bad, right? Well, Monday morning, I went out to feed, his light was on. I flipped it off. Monday night when I got home from work, it was on again. Tuesday morning when I went out to feed? Back on again. Yesterday morning, I fiddled and fuddled with the string location, and got it just about to where he can't mess with it. This seems to be a good fix for now.
Of course, the humor can't end there. Yesterday, the weathermen were saying a high of 59F. That's too warm for midweight turnout, even with Ransom's clip. So I switched him to his turnout sheet. As I was taking the midwt off, he walked away, barely still attached. Where did he go? To the lighted area??? Oh no, of course not! Ransom went to the side of the barn that's in the dark.
And there, I undressed him & put his lite sheet on, by the moon light. Just like I'd done it before all the barn lights were installed. Silly Silly horse! To make matters worse, it never got above 53F at my house yesterday. So, the whole time, I never even needed to change his clothes.
I apologized to Ransom (and Romeo, who was in a similar situation of being inappropriately dressed *laugh*) right after work, as I put his mid weight back on, to which he yawned, licked, chewed, and nuzzled me.
When I left for work today, I left him and Romeo in their midweights, hoping the weatherguys are wrong again, and that 59F turns more into 53-54F. Ransom ate his breakfast slowly, putting his head over the stall wall to nuzzle & snuggle with me, I think in appreciation of me allowing him to stay warmly dressed this morning.
R installed some pull chain light bulbs in the stalls. We ran string from the pull chains along the top of the stalls, and down to my reach. This means every morning I can walk to the barn, pull the strings, and flip lights on in each stall. Cool, right? Ransom thinks so, too.
My darling, large, bay, genius horse, has decided how to turn the light on. Not so bad, right? Well, Monday morning, I went out to feed, his light was on. I flipped it off. Monday night when I got home from work, it was on again. Tuesday morning when I went out to feed? Back on again. Yesterday morning, I fiddled and fuddled with the string location, and got it just about to where he can't mess with it. This seems to be a good fix for now.
Of course, the humor can't end there. Yesterday, the weathermen were saying a high of 59F. That's too warm for midweight turnout, even with Ransom's clip. So I switched him to his turnout sheet. As I was taking the midwt off, he walked away, barely still attached. Where did he go? To the lighted area??? Oh no, of course not! Ransom went to the side of the barn that's in the dark.
And there, I undressed him & put his lite sheet on, by the moon light. Just like I'd done it before all the barn lights were installed. Silly Silly horse! To make matters worse, it never got above 53F at my house yesterday. So, the whole time, I never even needed to change his clothes.
I apologized to Ransom (and Romeo, who was in a similar situation of being inappropriately dressed *laugh*) right after work, as I put his mid weight back on, to which he yawned, licked, chewed, and nuzzled me.
When I left for work today, I left him and Romeo in their midweights, hoping the weatherguys are wrong again, and that 59F turns more into 53-54F. Ransom ate his breakfast slowly, putting his head over the stall wall to nuzzle & snuggle with me, I think in appreciation of me allowing him to stay warmly dressed this morning.
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