"Each and every one of us could pave a yellow brick road of success for ourselves. It's just about laying that first brick."
-Schmidt
I'm gonna kill my horse
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Okay, I'm being a little bit dramatic . . . but I've had it with this mare and her feet. From what I've heard, she got into a stand off with one of the barn hands last week which ended in another broken cross tie. This was directly after she decided to run around like a feral animal with her pasture mates, one of whom broke a well and flooded a pasture. I'm just . . . why can't she be normal???
Guess who's big, gray, and covered in dirt?
When I went out for my ride last week, I found one of her shoes pulled and her back feet suddenly had large chips in them, most likely from running around and hard stopping. She has so much energy from just a week off, it's insane. In her defense, her feet are nearing the end of this cycle, and the new supplement that she's on will hopefully keep them growing out nicely. Also never thought I'd say this, but thank god it's hurricane season! The rain should also help reduce the cracking. Now all I have to do is look out for thrush . . .
Anyways, since Tubby wants to bring me nothing but despair at the moment, I hopped on Molly again. Still can't find the longer martingale, but honestly it's not an issue for me. For my skillset, the standing martingale is kind of useless while flatting unless I'm riding a nutcase, and Molly certainly does not fit into that category. She's just a sweet old lady.
Guess who's big, red, and covered in less dirt?
For some reason, a lot of horse people on my Facebook timeline started posting frequently about the value of walking at the start of a ride. This is part of why I wanted to incorporate a quick trail ride before going to arena with Lucie. Especially since Molly is older, I want to make sure that my riding her doesn't put any undue stress on her joints. Don't get me wrong, she's perfectly sound and is going great for her age. It's just one of those maintenance things, ya know? Like stretching and brunch.
Being matchy matchy is still a thing, right?
The thing I like about riding Molly is that she highlights habits that maybe Lucie has gotten used to or is able to hide based on her way of going. Molly is a lot bouncier, and I lean even harder into my canter transitions on her to avoid bouncing. She's so nonchalant that she just picks up the canter anyways, buuuuut none of that is gonna fly in a show ring. Plus, I really want us to be hacking around correctly and consistently. She's already a more tense horse, so it's definitely up to me to keep relaxing and sinking into her stride and letting her move into my hands instead of just curling.
If you look really closely, you can see me being run off with. On the other hand, that's actually not a bad stride!
We had a mostly good ride up until I brought my phone out to record. Boooo! I'm miffed at myself for getting her really worked up during our last canter (heh, maybe I should use a martingale), but I got her to come back and decided to call it a day.
If there's anything that my generation gets mocked for, it's our relationship with social media. We use it too much, we're addicted, it's unhealthy, we can't operate without it, and so on. Yet, many of the major complaints don't recognize the wealth of knowledge and interpersonal relationships that come with an online presence. Let's face it: social media and its subsidiaries are a double edged sword. This topic has plagued me for a while, but when Jill Treece posted a comeback video to her YouTube channel, it felt like an appropriate time to start a conversation. why i left youtube by Jill Treece You may know Jill Treece from running over Boyd Martin that one time . . . or you may be following her recent foray into clicker training her Thoroughbred mare Zoë. Jill and I are about the same age and began our online platforms at around the same time. She started an Instagram account for her old horse to document their adventures in Eventing. From there
Ever since I started riding, I've been a part of the hunter ring. It's not an easy sport, and it's kind of difficult to really fit into a hunter operation if you've never experienced it before. So, if you're about to switch disciplines or just dipping a toe into the sport, keep these bits of information in mind. From one hunter to the next, good luck! 1. Only black or white saddle pads are allowed. I cannot stress this enough. It's about being profeshunal, people. Just because the page on Dover said HUNTER green, doesn't mean it's allowed in a hunter barn. Common mistake. Don't make it. sin!!! sin, I say!!! 2. Your everyday riding attire will be as follows: solid colored polo shirt (tucked in), beige Tailored Sportsman breeches, a black belt, black tallboots (either Ariat, Tredstep, or Parlanti). The only time you can divert from this is at shows. Then, you are allowed to school in a quarter zip, but that's it. Also, I'd like to r
Lucie is just working hard at becoming a Palomino
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