After Racing: Retraining Thoroughbreds

Over the holidays, I was lucky enough to be able to travel home to Wisconsin and spend some good old quality time with friends and family.  On December 23rd, I headed to Madison to spend the day with Pam Groth, adopter of Sawyer, one of my first foster horses.  Sawyer's registered name is Jimmy Kool and we called him JC.

Through the months since Pam adopted Sawyer, I have gotten photos and little updates from her.  However, this was the first time I had been able to actually go visit him since he left here in March.  I'm thrilled to report that Sawyer is doing fabulous.  I didn't get to see him under saddle because Pam had the chiropractor out the day I was there.  However, he is in excellent weight and appears to be very happy and healthy.  In addition, its quite obvious that Pam simply adores him.  They are a good match.  Please enjoy the following photos of Pam and Sawyer.

So I should have known better than to go trail riding on my mare without lunging her first.  Especially since the ground has been icy, so none of the horses were really able to run around even when turned out.  She was alert and aware when we set off from the barn yesterday with Holly (another boarder) riding her mare Trendy.  But even with birds, deer, dogs barking and bunnies literally coming up between her legs, she remained calm and just walked.  We were a good 20-25 minute out on our ride when something, lord knows what because neither Holly or I ever saw anything, caused Jewel to do a nice rollback and then start bucking.  The rollback got me a bit off balance, but when the bucking started, that was it for me.  With Jewel's help, I made it to the ground hitting my left side pretty hard.  Thank goodness I always wear a helmet because I landed on my left hip, shoulder and side of my head.  I felt like one of those football players who comes up with grass stuck in his helmet after a good tackle.  That was me, except it was snow!  Holly had some precarious moments as Trendy considered joining Jewel's escapades, but she stayed on and got Trendy settled.

Jewel decided to head back to the barn, except that she got most of the way down the trail (bucking and snorting) and then turned around and galloped back.  She did a few circles in the cut cornfield managing to get both her front legs inside the reins (but didn't break them) before finally coming to a stop and letting me catch her.  Unfortunately, at 16.2h, she's just too big for me to get on from the ground.  Or rather, I'm unpracticed at it as I always use a mounting block.  So we headed back to the barn -- both of us on foot.  When we got back, although sore, I mounted up and we took a short ride around the neighboring hay field.  This was more for the "fall off, get back on" theory than anything else.  By the time we made it around that small field, the adrenaline had worn off and I was beginning to feel the soreness.  With that, I left Holly and Trendy, who ventured back out to the corn fields where Jewel and I had parted ways.  I untacked Jewel, turned her out and headed home for the comfort of the hotpad and ibuprofin.

I'm happy to report that I'm still sore, but feeling much better today.  I might even ride this afternoon...but not before lunging my horse!

I'm happy to report that Roxie has had a pretty major breakthrough with her ears.  I think she finally realizes that they're feeling better and that it isn't going to hurt to have me touch them.  Yesterday, I took the bridle on and off three times without issue! Woo hoo!  What a good girl!

She also had a breakthrough about the mounting block.  She figured out that it is a good thing to stand still at the mounting block.  She is also learning to come to me at the mounting block.  This is going to require a bit more work, but she's trying.  She's figuring out that the whip isn't a bad thing and that when I tap her with it, she needs to move that body part (that got tapped) away from the whip, even if its towards me.  This is a new concept for her, but she seems to be catching on quickly.

Under saddle Roxie is wonderful to ride.  She thinks a lot and gets frustrated if she doesn't understand what I'm asking.  She shows this by swishing her tail.  In typical TB mare fashion, she would prefer to do what she knows and just take over the situation.  But she's doing well.  Yesterday, she did very well at moving off my leg laterally.  She is very responsive to shifts in body weight.  She started trotting off of my seat (didn't even need to use my leg) and then came back to a halt from trot off my seat.  She's light in the bridle, but wants contact.  She's comfortable stretching down into contact.  She is going to make someone a very nice horse!

I'm thrilled to report that She's Got Wings, one of my former fosters, has been adopted!  Congrats to Susan on her adoption of Wings.  Susan recently lost a special horse and in her healing, has grown particularly fond of Wings.  I'm thrilled for them and I know that they will have many good adventures together.  Yay!

I got on Roxie for the first time yesterday.  She is still uncomfortable having her right ear bent when putting the bridle on, but aside from that, she was just fine tacking up.  Dave held her for me for mounting.  She was a little unsure of the whole standing still thing, as well as my legs being down so low on her sides.  However, she quickly relaxed and stretched down into contact (yay) and we walked and trotted around the ring.  It was no big deal.  

Roxie has been doing really well.  She has a wonderfully thick coat (for a Thoroughbred) and has put on weight since we added a cup of Ultimate Finish to her feed each day.  I'm really pleased with how she is looking going into winter.  I'm also pleased to report that she is doing very well in her ground work and prep for riding.  She is consistent on the lunge line (w/t/c in both directions) and works well in both the bitting rig and the side reins.  She is really coming along nicely!

The only thing standing in our path is her ears.  Yesterday, the vet was out to remove aural plaques (believed to be a form of papilloma) from her ears.  This is typically a young horse thing, so we were surprised that at 6 years old, she had plaque in both ears.   While the papillomas are benign, they make her ears incredibly painful and sensitive to touching.  As you might imagine, this makes bridling an issue.  So, yesterday we had them removed.  I was originally planning to ride her today, but we'll see how she is when I get out there today.  I do have a schooling bridle that is easily taken apart so that I don't have to mess with her ears.  That may be the answer.  I'll report back later today as to what I do and how it goes.

Jewel is doing very well under saddle too.  The chiropractic adjustment last month has made a huge difference.  She is really coming along nicely with a lot of power from the hind end.  Right now, we're just doing strength building exercises.  I started a little bit of collection work yesterday after having doing a few weeks of long and low work to build back muscle.  She still isn't strong enough for a lot of collected work, but she can do a little bit at a time with frequent walk breaks to stretch and relax the muscles.  I was quite pleased with her work yesterday!

Jewel is also looking great going into winter.  She too has a thicker coat than usual.  Hmm...are the horses trying to tell me something?  I've given both of them a modified bib clip so help the dry a little faster after working.  In the past, Jewel has been a little on the thin side going into winter.  However, I think we FINALLY found a good combination of feed and fat supplements because she has PLENTY of excess weight right now.  Of course, she did have most of the summer off due to my schedule, so that allowed her to just pack on the pasture.  Oh well, I would rather have her head into winter being a little overweight (knowing that she'll loose some) than to have her be thin.

Other exciting news is that I'm planning to attend the schooling dressage show up at Foxton Farm on December 12.  Weather permitting, I'll be heading up there to ride Jewel in a couple dressage classes.  I'm thinking of doing Training 1 (in the side saddle) and Training 4 in the regular saddle.  We'll see how things go.  If you're there, please stop by and see us! :)

I took some new pictures of Roxie the other day.  She is fitting in really well and seems to be happy enough.  I'm planning on ramping up ground work this week and next with plans for starting her under saddle at the beginning of December.  Here are pictures of her stretching her legs on Sunday.  Enjoy!

Technically its November, but I figured I'd bring everyone up to speed on what was going on with the two ponies.

Jewel is doing great.  She was chiropracted a week ago Monday and it made an unbelievable difference.  She doesn't have a lot of strength or endurance, but the willingness and the initial thrust is there.  We've been riding each day just doing long and low work.  No collection and in fact, didn't even start cantering again until a couple days ago.  I'm really pleased with her progress.  She is already starting to change her body shape, which really pleases me!

Roxie is pretty much just hangin' out.  She couldn't be sweeter.  She greets me in the pasture whenever I go out to get Jewel.  She knows I'll love on her a bit and stands quietly while I do.  She integrated into the herd fairly seamlessly.  No fuss or fighting, although I have noticed a couple of bite marks on her (and on Jewel), but nothing serious. She's starting to get a fuzzy coat, although TB fuzzy, not "normal horse" fuzzy.  TBs just don't seem to grow shaggy coats.  Well, none of mine ever have.  We'll re-evaluate her in a month or so and see how she's moving and how her feet are.  Hopefully I can get on her soon. I think she's going to make someone a really nice horse!

I watched this video today and it gave me goosebumps! I had to share! :)

Have you ever wondered what the horses are thinking?  Now you have a chance to know!  Follow Roxie on Twitter for regular insight into what a new exracer is thinking as they transition to a new life.

Roxie's registered name is Moro Rapidoe.  Check out her pedigree here: http://www.pedigreequery.com/moro+rapidoe 

Now that we know who she was, I found that Roxie had 33 starts and won over $48,000 during her racing career.  And she's SOUND and has CLEAN LEGS!  If racing couldn't break her down, she'll be ready for any discipline out there. She is really showing herself to be a sweetheart.  I can't seem to find anything that the vet would be worried about.  We'll see come Monday!  As for right now, I think Roxie is going to make someone a really nice horse.  Any takers out there?

Roxie is doing great.  I measured her today.  She was a bit freaked out by the measuring device, but with some assurance, stood quietly and realized we weren't going to hurt her.  She is 16h and 1/4 inch.  She has shoes on right now, which will be pulled soon.  That will probably put her at exactly 16h. She also got turned out in the dirt lot which is adjacent to the pasture where the rest of the herd was turned out.  After a bit of fence running and one touch to the hot wire, she determined that the large round bale in the center was probably her safest and most fulfilling, or at least filling, choice.  She contentedly munch on that during the hour I was there.  She at least got to meet the rest of the horses over the fenceline.  Once her racing plates (with toe grabs) are pulled, she'll be able to go out with everyone else.

There is an immediate need at the Hoosier Horse Park to provide safe footing that can accommodate various disciplines, while minimizing dust, maintenance, and concussion to the horses and providing necessary grip. The solution being considered for the dressage and stadium arenas at the Hoosier Horse Park is the same fiber product sold by Premier Equestrian that the Kentucky Horse Park has installed in its new Main Arena. For more information about this product, visit http://www.dressagearena.net/pages/ggtarenafooting.html. This fiber meets the critical needs mentioned above and has a life expectancy of 10 years or more. The approximate cost of this material for these arenas is $25,000. Baker Arena will require more effort with a new clay base and sand installation, while ensuring that the liner is not damaged. Estimates are being investigated, but preliminary numbers indicate that it will cost approximately $25,000 to complete the Baker Arena project. A grant request is being submitted to ECLR to help supplement footing and drainage improvements in addition to this fundraiser.

By repairing the most critical concern of the varying disciplines, our goal is to re-establish Hoosier Horse Park as a first-class equestrian facility, resulting in expanded use of the Park. The growth in use of the Park illustrates the need and interest of the equestrian community in these facilities. This then provides a strong argument to present the hotel tax bill in next year’s legislative session to obtain long term funding which will be necessary to renovate and maintain the Park for future equestrians.

The opportunity arose for organizations that utilize the Park and that would benefit from these footing improvements to partner with the Indiana Horse Council and provide much needed support from the equestrian community to increase the fundraising efforts. The Horse Park is a proud partner with the Indiana Horse Council in an effort to benefit both organizations, and all equestrians.

More information on the show can be found here: http://www.indianahorsecouncil.org/Events/octoberfest.htm

I'm thrilled to say that another new foster horse will be arriving on Monday.  Yippee!!  All I know is that she is a 6 year old bay mare, approximately 15.2h.  I'll definitely get some pictures posted when she arrives.

So I made a sort of brash decision today and listed Jewel for part lease on dream horse.  Now its not because I don't have time to ride.  Well, okay, I don't have time to ride -- but it really that I don't have as much time to ride as I would like.  There is a difference, right?  Hmmm.  I got to thinking that I would really like to have my horse ridden more frequently than I'm able to get out there.  She could easily go 6 days a week and she really needs to get back into shape.  I'm planning to ride 3-4 days per week now that I'm home again.  If I found the right person to ride her, I think it could work out well.  The key is going to be having the right person.  I'm also requiring that any person who is going to part lease take at least one lesson per month with Amanda Pisano.  Amanda knows Jewel best and will also be honest with me about the skills of the rider and whether she believes it will be a good fit.

Aside from wanting Jewel to be in regular work, I will be taking on an FFI horse this fall and at some point, may be asked to ride him/her.  It will be nice knowing that Jewel will still be in regular work even if I ride her fewer times each week.

Anyhow, we'll see how it goes.  I may also find that I'm a bit of a stickler about who is good enough to ride the precious princess. Ha! I'll be sure to post here when and if I move forward...or if I change my mind! ;)

More info on Flirt is available on her page by clicking here!

Well, for those of you that don't know, I was travelling for work and vacation through most of August and the first part of September.  I'm home and I've actually ridden my horse and it was great! Yahoo!

Just an update on my previous fosters.
She's Got Wings - Adoption Pending
Sea Dar - Available
Soothe The Soul - Available (perfect husband horse)
Saribel Cruz - Available

It just now occurred to me that all of their registered names begin with S.  How weird is that?  Anyhow, visit the FFI website for information on them including pictures and video.

Saribel Cruz (aka Flirt) has been started over ground poles and little Xs.  She is doing really well and is going to make someone a REALLY nice horse.  She's only just turned 4 and is just shy of 16h, so I think she'll probably finish around 16.1 when its all said and done. Someone needs to snatch her up!

Our tracks will be closing in a couple weeks for the winter.  That means that new horses will be available soon.  The date of the track sale has not yet been announced, but I'll certainly put it up here when it is!  I'll have new fosters in at that time and will certainly post about them here.

Let me know what you're doing with your horses and how the summer went.  Just reply to this thread to keep in touch!

I am thrilled to announce that my former foster horse Roman is making his USDF competitive debut this weekend under new owner Sarah-Jayne. They will only be competing in Intro, but he I'm thrilled for them none-the-less. I'll definitely take my camera with me, so look for photos!

So its sort of an exciting time here in the midwest because next year, Lexington KY, which is about 3 hours away, is going to play host to the World Equestrian Games. Over 600 horses will be present in pretty much every equine competitive discipline out there. The logistics of the whole thing have got to be completely crazy.

While surfing the web today, I came across an interesting article on the Quarantine location for the games. It looks like they're going to be turning part of the parking lot at the Cincinnati airport into a quarantine facility. Here is a link to the article.

And so discussion of WEG begs the question of whether or not I plan to attend. The best I can do right now is "I'm thinking about it." I looked into what it would take to be one of the many official event photographers, but it appears that in order to get a media pass, one must actually be associated with the media. Hmmm. Go figure! One of the issues everyone will face is where to stay. I suppose the good news is that if I decide on an event (or events) to watch, I live close enough that I could actually drive home and not have to get a hotel. While a round trip in one day to Lexington is not ideal, I've done it before for Rolex. And if it meant the difference between going and not going, I would most likely do it just to say I got to go. :)

I had my first ride on Wings tonight. She was great. We did quite a bit of ground work first. She quickly figured out that moving away from the whip was much better than moving towards it. She also learned to stand still for mounting (and getting over the scary mounting block -- aka kitchen step stool). After I was on, we really just worked at the walk in getting her to relax. She figured it out, stretched downward and out and even learned how to step to the outside (off the inside shoulder). I'm really proud of her. She is definitely a thinker. I like it! :)

Okay...so he didn't leave at midnight, but Magic did head southward to his permanent home in Georgia at around 8AM this morning. Over the last 5 months that he's been here, he has relaxed considerably. He's figured out that trail riding is pretty much the best job ever. I'm really proud of how far he's come. :)

I had a really excellent ride on Flirt today. Instead of having any preconceived hopes of what we would accomplish, I just focused on having a calm ride. It worked! She was great, despite the "dance of the riding lawn mowers" going on across the road. Apparently it was a good day to mow the lawn. ;) Anyhow, Flirt took everything in stride. She had a very nice, relaxed trot. Transitions to walk came easily. Lots of walking on a long rein. She was fabulous. And so different than last weekend. We're definitely going to have to deal with her issues of working with another horse. However, I'm thrilled with how well she did today on her own. This filly is going to make somebody a *really* nice horse. Know anyone who wants a (nearly) 16h 2005 dark bay TB mare? Send them to Friends of Ferdinand. The website link is above. :)

Kim came over this morning and we played with Flirt and Wings. Kim rode Flirt, who was anxious as ever in the outdoor arena. After a good 20 minutes outside, we went back in the indoor because it started raining. Flirt calmed right down. Its quite obviously her comfy place. After about 20 minutes indoors, we went back outside where she stayed quiet and Kim had a couple really nice walk-trot transitions and then finished on that note. Kim's going to come out and ride Flirt as her schedule allows. I think that is a good thing.

Afterwards, we played with Wings for a while. I hadn't done anything with her. We turned her out in the outdoor and got some video of her moving around at liberty. She's a lovely mover. When we went back inside, she was pretty anxious at first and called a lot to her buddies (Darcy). I stuck her on the lunge line and she pretty quickly figured out that she was supposed to go around in a circle. Once she figured out that her buddies weren't going to save her, she settled in and started paying attention to me. We worked both directions on the lunge line. I would have liked to have used the round pen but the footing was pretty mucky. Anyhow, after about 10 minute each direction on the lunge, we did some in hand work, getting her to yield her haunches and shoulders. She picked up on it very quickly. Afterwards, she stood quietly in the cross ties, allowed us to groom her and love on her, pick up her feet, etc. She also stood reasonably well for pictures. All in all, she was really good. She seems to be a very intelligent horse who learns quickly. She also seems to be a thinker rather than a reactor. I like this. :) She's very athletic and I couldn't see any lameness or prior injury that would keep her from doing anything. We'll see what Doc Angie says. :)

Well, it was a bit of an eye opening thing to ride Flirt outside with another horse. To date, I haven't ridden Flirt with another horse. It makes sense that she would be strong and unfocused with another horse cantering towards her, but somehow I didn't think of that when we were riding. I'm hoping that Erica will be out soon to ride Darcy so that I can ride with another horse in the ring. I think using Sara's feedback about the two horses working at opposite ends of the ring and passing each other on figure eights will be useful for Flirt, especially since she tends to have a lot of tension (perhaps from the track) about working around other horses. Her only skill before then was to run with them. So it makes sense for her to not understand that we don't want her to run.

I had a nice ride on Flirt today. I finally got to canter her outside. Even though I had ridden her quite a few times before, the footing and weather outside just never worked out for me to get to ride her out there. So finally, today I did. And while she was distracted and seemed to have forgotten most of what she had learned just 6 short weeks before, she eventually settled into steady, stretching contact and worked well for me. We even got to canter! Her canter is quite stiff, but she really listened to my seat and body position and was pretty quiet.

Hopefully on Sunday after the prospective adopter rides her, we can get some video of her going under saddle.

I was planning to ride Jewel as well, but unfortunately it looks like she got kicked in the belly. She has a nice arc-shaped wound on her belly right in front of her stifle. She has some funky drainage pouch on her leg. I'm not sure if the two are related or not. Regardless, she was kind of stiff and not wanting to move out on the lunge (which is very a-typical of her), so I cleaned up the wound and turned her back out. My guess is that she'll be fine in a few days.

Well someone is coming to look at Flirt this weekend! :) It is a lady who, I'm told, is a dressage rider from the Chicago area. She is going to ride Flirt and Nightwing (one of the other FFI horses). Both horses are quite nice so hopefully she picks one of them!

Just a note to update you all on Magic. He is still hanging out with me, although his owner is planning to have him shipped home around July 21st. We had a wonderful ride the other night. The temperature had dropped and there was a nice breeze. We went out to the outdoor arena and walked, trotted and cantered both directions. He's still pretty sticky with his left lead. He much prefers to canter on his right, which I find amusing (usually its the other way around with track horses). Anyhow, after about 15 minutes, we headed off on the trail. He was a superstar!! He looked around a lot, but just walked. My proudest moment for him was when we came to a mulberry tree and he stood still allow me to pick berries until I had my fill (or at least picked what I could reach from the saddle). Then we headed off to the barn. I'm really pleased with is progress. Will he be a show horse? Nope. But he's perfect for the trail!!

Soothe the Soul "Sully" from S.Pratt on Vimeo.

I have a new foster horse - Soothe The Soul. "Sully" as he's known, is a former FFI horse that was originally adopted in 2006, but whose owner fell on some hard times. He's a 1999 Chestnut gelding who happily w/t/c under saddle. He's come back to the program to find a new home. Pictures coming soon!

Jewel enjoyed some pasture time yesterday after more than a week on stall rest due to the laceration on her leg. Its healing and and she was happy to be out side where she could stretch her legs a bit!

A big welcome to new foster horse She's Got Wings! We're going to call her Smoke, in honor of being the 10th Tony Stewart horse in the program. She is currently under evaluation. More information to follow!

I was lucky enough to get to be part of Roman's delivery to his new home today. I'll let these photos I shot during the process speak for themselves. I really don't think he could have gone to a better place or nicer person!

Well I picked up Magic today and he is like a completely different horse. MUCH more confident. Really laid back. Its as though he finally took a deep breath and realized that life just doesn't have to be rushed. I was thrilled to see him go so well and even more thrilled to get to ride him. Jan gave me a tour of the property during a 30 minute or so trail ride. Magic did great and I know his owner Chris is going to be thrilled with him! I'm looking forward to some good trail rides in the upcoming weeks.

Since I had access to the truck and trailer, Sara Busbice, the FFI president asked if I could move a couple of horses around. After getting Magic back home, I headed down to Horse & Hound Vet clinic to pick up Bartlett, who was left there after not passing his vet check to the desires of the adopter. He went back to his foster home and will be starting training for a beginner level horse trial later this summer. He seemed excited to be home. From that foster home, I picked up Darcy (registered name Sea Dar) , who will be heading up to Jan and Archies in June.

When I got back, I brought in Flirt and Jewel to ride them. Jewel had a swollen knee with what looked to be a scrape. Turns out to be a cut. It looks like she just cut the surface skin (the hide) on her right knee. I have no idea what she could have cut it on. The whole knee is swollen, and while she's sore on it, she isn't lame. She trotted sound on the lunge line. I cleaned the wound as best I could and determined that the cut at least is superficial. I can't find anything that looks like a puncture or a deeper slice. I have no idea what she did. I guess it could be a kick, but the cut is so clean that I'm tending towards a wire cut. I gave her a gram of bute and tucked her in her stall for the night. We'll see how she is doing tomorrow. I wish I'd seen it before I drove to the vet's today to pick up Bartlett because would have hauled her down there just to be on the safe side.

Flirt was filthy. Just absolutely gross looking. Such is what happens when we get 7 inches of rain in one week. She was also shedding like crazy, so I decided to give her a bath. She got a good scrub down and looks so much better! She's a bit thin for my taste. She just looks racing fit. I'd like to see more fat on her, but I think the issue is that she's gone through another growth spurt because she is no longer butt high. I left a note for her grain to be increased. After the bath I lunged her out on the grass arena. It is actually dry enough to work out there (I'm surprised!). If the weather holds out tomorrow, I hope to get to ride her out there. Keep your fingers crossed!

This post will be short and sweet, but just wanted to let everybody know that I'm heading out to pick up Magic today. He's been up getting some trail ride training at Jan & Archie's place for the last month or so. I'm excited to be able to get him out on the trails and such outside over the next month or so. Here are a couple of the pictures they sent me of him figuring out that there is more to riding than running and racing.

Ignoble Endings Far From the Winners Circle
by William C. Rhoden
Published April 30, 2009 - New York Times

Well, I had a couple nice rides today. I didn't expect greatness from my horse since she's had about a month off and it sometimes takes some convincing that she should actually work again. But, I was pleasantly surprised the good effort she gave. I would have like to have ridden outside, but it was just to wet out there yet. Heck, I nearly lost my muck boots just walking out in the paddock to get her. My muck boots go up to my knees and I had mud within two inches of the top. At one point, I wondered if I should continue further. Thankfully, it got shallower instead of deeper.

Anyhow, after riding Jewel, I rode Flirt. She is doing really well. I'm really pleased. She w/t/c both directions on the lunge with ease. Her lateral work on the ground is really coming along. I do have to remind her (under saddle) to move her shoulders to the outside. She really wants to fall inwards. We've been doing some turns on the haunches, which require her to pick up the inside shoulder and shift her weight to the outside in order to do so. They're a little sloppy yet, but getting better. She is also standing quietly in the cross ties and standing quietly at the mounting block. I'm proud of where she's at and how far she's come!

After riding Flirt, I was pretty much wiped out. Linda was giving a lesson to another border and there was quite a lot of dust in the air. I just needed to not be breathing all that in. In other words, Roman got another day off. The good news though is that someone is interested in him and is scheduled for a visit on Wednesday. From what I know of this person (based on her adoption application), she would make a great home for him. Hopefully it all works out!

After nearly two weeks of no riding due to ankle injury and then a nasty cough, I'm finally riding today! All the horses have had it fairly easy with just ground work, but now its back to work. Plus, its actually sunny out today. Yippee! I probably won't be able to ride outside, but at least I'll be able to get on them in the indoor. Updates on rides later. :)

Today is a clinic with Linda Heiny and I sure wish I were riding in it. Unfortunately, I've contracted a nasty respiratory cold. Dave had it. Now I have it. And while I don't have flu-like symptoms (more like sinus infection type symptoms), I'm going to stay away from the barn for today to keep the dust out of my lungs. I figure everything I can do to speed along the recovery (and not pass along my germs) is a good thing.

I may stop by the barn later this afternoon and just peek on in the ponies and make sure everyone is doing fine. They've no doubt been enjoying the past few days off.

Its been an interesting April. Flirt is doing really well and I'm very pleased with her progress. Hopefully the weather clears up so that I can get on her outside without tearing up the footing in the outdoor. I'd really like to get some cantering under saddle time on her before she leaves.

Roman has had it pretty easy. The family that came to look at him from Ohio determined that they probably weren't going to be a good fit for him. While they were great riders, they don't offer nearly the same amount of turnout that Roman gets at my barn (nearly 24 hours in the summer). They were concerned that his very mild cribbing could become an issue if he is left in a lot more. I too think it could be an issue. Plus, physically, he does much better being turned out than standing in his stall.

Jewel continues to be the princess. She is fat and sassy as ever. There is a clinic this weekend with Linda Heiny, but I don't know if I'll be riding in it. Probably not. Considering my riding has been restricted this month pretty much to client horses, I think I'll wait until next month when I have the chance to ride my own horse a little more frequently. :)

Magic is doing very well up at Jan and Archie's place. They sent photos today of him being ridden out on the trail. It looks like he is really coming along well and I couldn't be more pleased. Its exactly what he needed!

Well its the end of the quarter, so I guess I'll do a little update on the ponies.

The first is Flirt, who I haven't written too much about. Flirt is a former FFI horse that was adopted in March 09 by Stephanie from Michigan. She is a 2005 filly and a Seattle Slew grand daughter. She is a super cute filly and tends to learn pretty quickly. She has made major improvements over the past month. Round pen work has been great for her. She really needed to understand that she wasn't in charge and that it was okay for her to trust a human. She has also calmed down in cross ties as well. She didn't freak out in them, she just danced in them. However, I think we've finally gotten that taken care of. Under saddle, she is improving greatly in regards to balancing herself. She still needs help moving over to the right (lifting the right shoulder and stepping outwards), but she is happy to yield her haunches. The ground work we've been doing has been helpful as well. She's understanding more that she needs to step under rather than just shuffle sideways. Its a combination of a young horse and track horse thing and she's very willing to learn a better way. All in all, I'm pleased with her progress.

Magic is the 2nd horse that I'm working with. He continues to be nervous with a strong flight instinct even after the two months with me. After some discussion, it looks like someone will be taking him up to Jan and Archie Pickets for 30 days of trail training. He'll actually get worked every day, which is exactly what he needs. He is only getting worked 3 times per week with me. Anyhow, I think it will be just what he needs to build confidence. And then he'll still have a final 30 days with me before heading down south to his new home.

Roman is the 3rd horse. Technically, his official training time is over, but I will continue to ride him and help him progress until he is adopted. I was able to ride in two clinics with him. Linda is really thrilled with his progress and how much more supple he is getting. He's still a stinker about wanting to give to the bit, but he's getting better. And he's a very smart horse, so part of it is just him testing the line to see what he can get away with. But, he learns so quickly that I really think that with more consistent work, he's just going to blossom! There are also people driving from OH this weekend to see him. I'm really excited about that because it sounds like they're going to be a perfect home for him.

And finally we have Jewel. More and more, I look at Jewel and just can't believe that I own such a nice horse. Her weight is fabulous. I think the worming every month was exactly what she needed to maintain her weight. I recently rode her with Linda Heiny, who said that aside from working on some position stuff with me, she felt that Jewel was ready to show 2nd level. This is so gratifying for me. We're finally back to where she was before the colic surgery. I couldn't be more pleased with her.

And so there we are after the first quarter of the year. :)

Roman is really coming along nicely. I rode him in a clinic with Linda Heiny on March 28 and really got some great information on what I need to do to continue progressing with him. Here is a pic from that ride:

Well, after all the prep work for the Horse Fair, I attended up not attending. Unfortunately, my grandfather passed away on Monday, March 30. It was unexpected and quite a shock to the family. However, he did not suffer and was in no pain. He had a massive stroke on Sunday night and slipped into a coma. He was not on life support and passed on Monday morning. His services were over the weekend in Wisconsin and so Dave and I spent the weekend with my family there.

I did help get the booth and everything set up for horse fair though. Personally, I thought it looked great. If we can only get a section of carpet, we'll be set for next year.

Now I'm just getting back into the swing of things after a week off of riding. The weather is lovely today and I'm nearly finished with the emails and catching up that I needed to do from being out of town. I plan to ride Flirt and Jewel for sure today. Perhaps Roman as well. We'll see. :)

I just have to write that I have had some of the best rides on my mare lately. I've really been asking her to come over her back and engage her haunches. I've been riding exercises from the clinic last month as well as being very aware of NOT blocking her outside hind with my outside rein. Its made an incredible difference! Duh! Go figure. ;) When I ride, not only can I feel her lift her back and raise me up, but I can also hear her hind feet clicking against the front feet as she swings the hind feet forward. She's also sweating on her topline. Love it! Its amazing what a few simple exercises can do to make improvements.

And so now I'm just preparing for horse fair, which is two weeks from today. It will be Jewel's 4th appearance there. And like last year, we are only doing the breed demos, no clinics. They actually don't have a dressage clinician there this year, which is unfortunate. Last year, they had the Lipizzaner stallions from Temple Farms and the head trainer as a clinician. This year, I think they have an eventing clinician who is doing a day of dressage and 2 days of jumping. Seeing as I don't currently own a jump saddle, that's not something we'll participate in. However I do hope to watch some of the rides.

So, in an amazing change of events, I find myself falling more and more each day for this short, QH-looking, smart-as-a-whip chestnut TB gelding. Its as much a surprise to me as it is to everyone else, considering I wanted nothing to do with Roman when he first arrived. But then, maybe that's because he has done a complete 180 in temperament. His is an ugly duckling meets Beauty and Beast type story, where he is actually all three characters. You see, he's learning to trust again. When he first arrived, he didn't trust anyone. His fear response was to kick -- and a lightening fast kick he does have!! That was him being a Beast.

At the same time he was kind of shaggy (because he eats his blankets, so he doesn't wear one). He's also looks like a classic QH. He's been going through growth spurts and was kind of down hill. He has short, stocky legs and a butt that is a big, round and full as any QH I've ever seen. He even has the small head. In short, one would probably never guess he was full TB. Maybe an Appendix QH, but not full TB. This is him as the Ugly Duckling.

Then, around the end of January, I put him on the lunge line to see how we was moving. I could not believe my eyes when I saw that he had the most natural dressage movement I had ever seen. I just couldn't believe it! He is a beautiful mover. Scope, suspension, and TONS of impulsion. In the words of Linda Heiny, the dressage clinician I frequently ride with, if he moves like this now, with race muscle, imagine what he's going to be like with actual self carriage muscle. To see Roman move is to see him as Beauty.

And under saddle, he's pretty willing, but you have to be very sure of yourself. I haven't seen him spook at anything yet, but he's the kind of horse that has to want to do something. There is no making him do something. But when he wants to do it for you, its amazing. He trot is big and powerful, and his canter is so smooth. And he is really easy to stop. There is no running away. This little horse's perfect home would be with an experienced dressage or event rider looking for a diamond in the rough.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of riding three of my mounts in a clinic with Linda Heiny. It was at Centerline Stables in Greencastle, IN. The facility was beautiful and boasts a 20m x 60m indoor arena with heated viewing area and bathroom. The footing was lovely and the arena was full of natural lighting. It is an ideal place for a dressage clinic and those who board there are indeed lucky!

The clinic itself was also fabulous. I started by riding Magic who is one of my training rides. He has a lot of the stiffness issues similar to Jewel. I keep some lateral flexion in order to help him stay soft. He's pretty much a 2x4. He also can't be allowed to hang on me anywhere. I must constantly soften him and help him to yield his jaw and poll. Part of what I learned is that I must be very conscious of the outside rein and not lifting it or bringing it across the wither. It was a very revealing lesson for me and what I need to do to help support him. The key though will to not allow him to hang on me or ignore my aids all the while, I must not be reactionary. He reacts to things versus thinking about them.

The second ride was on Jewel. This lesson was amazing! Jewel has a very hard time loosening her back. Linda helped me to see what I was doing to block her hind legs from really coming forward so that she could stretch down and track up behind. My big issue is blocking that forward motion of the outside hind with my outside rein. I have a much better understanding now of what I need to do to allow her to take longer strides with the hind legs. By half way through the lesson, Jewel had really loosened her back and was swinging over her topline. It was really cool!

One of the biggest challenges I have with Jewel is shifting the weight back onto her haunches and getting her to sit. Linda gave me an exercise to work on that will help her learn to lift and sit. Here is the outline of the exercise done at a trot:
- make a 20m circle at one end of the arena to soften the horse
- with the horse soft, come across the diagonal
- about 2 strides in, change bend and go into shoulder-in (while still traveling on the diagonal)
- from shoulder in, move into haunches in
- in haunches in, do a 1/4 turn on the haunches
- continue straight and then change bend

So for example, to start, 20m circle to the left. When the horse is soft, come across the diagonal. Straighten and change bend to the right. Shoulder in to the right. Haunches in to the right and 1/4 turn on the haunches to the right. Continue straight ahead and change the bend to the left. When done correctly, the horse shifts its weight onto the haunches, sits and raises the forehand during the pirouette (1/4 turn). Jewel's challenge has always been to sit. This exercise really helped her figure out how to sit. Linda said that she could see her sit and lift her wither a couple inches when doing the pirouettes. This is huge for her (Jewel). I'm excited about having a tool to really help her shift her weight.

My final ride was on Roman. He came out and I told Linda that I loved this little horse. She kind of gave me this look like she just didn't understand. As always, Roman's appearance is deceiving. For starters, he looks like a QH. He has a giant butt, short legs and his neck is set on low. He just simply looks like he's going to have a short strided gait. However, once he gets moving, how he looks just standing there is completely forgotten.

Regarding his movement, Roman has the most amazing natural self carriage, "uberstreichen" and "schwung" of any horse I have ever ridden -- including warmbloods. He doesn't look like he should carry himself the way he does, but he does! Unlike the other horses which needed to be ridden with some lateral flexion in order to create longitudinal flexion, Roman didn't need interference. As Linda put it, for whatever reason, he was like a young warmblood just starting off under saddle. He has tremendous natural impulsion and just needs to be ridden straight and forward. In fact, all she had me do is ride him straight forward and comb the reins. He automatically sought out the bit and stretched down. I rode him on the buckle with is head down nearly to the ground. And although his head and neck were stretched all the way down, he was not on the forehand. He was overstriding behind by 6-8 inches. The swing and impulsion were incredible and he just floated around the arena. Linda, I and the others there watching were in amazement. It was the most amazing feeling -- and so unexpected. I knew he was a good mover, but this lesson was truly an amazing ride. I can say without questions that Roman is the most talented dressage horse that I have ever ridden.

AT the conclusion of the lesson, Linda was all smiles. She was just as thrilled as I was with his natural talent. One of the things that she said that stuck with me was "if he is like this now while still with racing muscle and very little self carriage muscle...imagine what he will be like when he actually has the correct muscle! There is no limit to his ability. He is truly a diamond in the rough." I must admit that I am quite fond of Roman. While I adored JC, I just love Roman to pieces. He is an extremely talented little horse.

On a side note, Roman showed some of his true character as well. Centerline has very large mirrors. I have mirrors at home, but they're set up a little higher. I don't think he can see himself in them. Every time we went past the mirrors yesterday, Roman looked at himself. He was quite smitten with himself and it was very funny. He had to turn his head and look at himself each time we rode past. It gave us all a good chuckle.

And so I am home resting today and giving all of the ponies the day off. Aside from being tired, its really chilly out. However, I'm excited to implement the tools that I learned in my lessons throughout the coming rides. Linda will be back on March 21 at Centerline and I hope to be able to ride all three with her again at that time.

Magic is really settling in well into life at the barn. Its pretty laid back here with not a lot of action, so its a great place for exracers to come and learn that life can have a slower pace. He does have some bite marks on his butt, but nothing terrible. He seems to have quickly figured out his place in the herd. He is also buddies with River, who is another TB gelding at the barn. I've seen the two of them running around together and playing. Their favorite game seems to be "I'm going to bite your butt and run!" Its pretty comical.

I don't know if Magic had been lunged before, but he took to it pretty quickly. Its been cold and I've wanted to take it fairly easy on him, so he's just been working on the lunge so far this week. However, I do plan to get on him tomorrow. I don't think it will be a big issue. I would have ridden him today, however I was by myself at the barn much of the time and I make it a practice not to get on a track horse for the first time when I'm by myself. They usually don't do anything stupid, but you just never know. I'd rather be safe than sorry. And I know there will be others out there tomorrow, so that will work out fine. Plus, I'll have the week to prepare him for the upcoming clinic with Linda H, and it would be a good thing to have a couple rides on him before we go.

Roman is also going to the clinic. I'm really thrilled with how well he is doing. I rode him again today and he did really well. Like most exracers, he has a hard time getting off of his right front leg. When tracking right, moving outwards on the circle is really difficult for him, even at a walk, he really has to work to lift the right shoulder and move it over to the outside. It will get better with time. He's also going through a growth spurt right now. He was 15.1 and fairly level when he arrived in November. He's currently 15.2 in front and 15.3 behind. That doesn't make it ay easier to lift the front end. Speaking of growing, his last baby teeth are falling out and his canines are starting to come in.

I lunged him outside yesterday too. He did great! I also let him run around the outdoor to get some action shots of him. These aren't bad considering he's having a hard time lifting the front end up and his neck is a little on the short side (not to mention being totally upside down from racing). Once he really gets some carrying strength and builds the right kind of muscle, he is going to be a very nice mover!