We're Still Alive!

Yup, we sure are! This semester has been obscenely busy between my senior internship for school, writing/editing/defending/publishing my thesis, & planning a wedding. I have, however, managed to squeeze in some much needed pony time.

What can I say... have we made much new progress? No. I still have a mild tempered, very stubborn, sometimes spooky solid walk/sometimes trot horse. I'm hoping once my internship is over in December I can get her back into training with April & we can really progress. For now, we've just spent a lot of quality time "hanging out." Lots of bareback rides, relaxing trips out on the trail... low stress, high fun kind of stuff. :) Although I am sometimes jealous of those skilled riders who have been practicing for many years, a good afternoon of riding around the pasture bareback makes me grateful I spend my money caring for an awesomely adorable pony instead of a high priced trainer. Granted, I'd love to do both - but it's not financially in the cards. I figure - as long as she's enjoying herself, and I'm enjoying myself, we're both allowed to suck, right? :)

For some reason I seem to have these great equine revelations, that make so much sense to me... but can never be adequately expressed in writing. Regardless, this past Saturday I had this great revelation about trust. Even though monster pony can be spooky at times, I really REALLY trust her. Why? Because she trusts me. I'm in charge. This IS a huge revelation coming from where we started nearly two years ago - when she was the alpha mare in our relationship. In fact, for the first year or more she ran the show & I had NO idea just how badly I was being played. Walking all over me? "Awww how sweet, she wants to be next to me." Not listening? "She's just scared." I had a million rationalizations for all of her bad behaviors.

We are finally getting (I can't say we're 100% there yet) to a place where we've established who is in control. It makes a WORLD of difference in our riding. Before, whenever I would take her somewhere new, SHE was in charge. If she didn't like it, she'd turn around and go back. If it scared her, she'd run the other way. Now she's learning to trust me; she's figuring out that I won't steer her wrong & that regardless of how startling a man running down the trail is or how terrifying a herd of deer rustling the bushes may be... they're not out to eat her.

I think a certain degree of caution is necessary for good horsemanship. Even that good ol' been-there-done-that-dead-broke-20-something-year-old-ex-show-pony is capable of an unexpected freak-out. This is one lesson I learned the hard way when I made the decision to wear flip flops to the barn & ended up with a foot-full of black toes. Have I been "wreckless" with monster pony? To a certain degree. Do I line drive her over 5 foot fences with only a prayer? Certainly not. Do I walk behind her without staying close or touching her butt? I sure do. I think, in a twisted way, that's part of the beauty of horse-ownership. Making that transition between someone else's rules for how to care for their horse, to setting your own. We've established a set of "rules", Cheyenne & I. And although they may not be up to everyone's "standards", they work for us.

What a ramble that was... I'm not convinced any of it made sense... in short.
Monster Pony + Becky = Trust ... usually.
Caution + A Certain Degree of Cautiouslessness = Horse Ownership
Becky + 1:28 am = This Hot Mess Right Here.

& on that note, something I can't botch up too horrible... PICTURES!

Cheyenne & I demonstrating that whole "trust with wreckless abandon" thing. Yeeeeah.

Monster & her new boyfriend Aspen. They're such lovebirds!

Monster pony & friends, or as Lori likes to call this "synchronized horsemanship."

Trail Pony

An impromptu trail ride yesterday evening turned out to be one of the best decisions I've made it a while. :) Since I don't know the trails yet & yesterday was only monster pony's second trail ride, I am the mercy of tagging along when one of the trail veterans goes out for a ride. Yesterday we went out around 6:30 & the weather was just beautiful. Still a bit warm, but as the sun started to set a cool breeze settled in and it made me SO excited for the fall weather to finally get here. At any rate, pony did an amazing job. SO amazing. My poor little girl always tags so far behind since her legs are a good 6 inches shorter then everyone else's, so we caboosed it the whole way & trotted to catch up when we fell too far back. We passed two herds of deer - one herd ran across the trail, and a man jogging. One of the front horses spooked and Cheyenne just stopped behind them, but no spook. That's my girl! Although, I'm pretty sure she was so far back she barely saw any of the things, she still didn't react to the other horses spooking, which is awesome in itself. :) She also maintained her composure behind a fussy horse the whole way home. We went to a new area of trails, with lots of roots and uneven ground and she didn't think twice about going over any of it or hesitate one bit. It took a LOT longer than expected to get home & we were riding in the dark. There was just enough light to make out the horse in front and Cheyenne rode home like a CHAMP! She was amazing, not one single teeny tiny issue the whole ride. It was like she'd done it a million times before.

Here's a picture to show how dark it was by the time we made it back to the barn, and that's with the barn light on! :)

I am SO proud of her. She never ceases to amaze me with what she is capable of. :)

Best. Pony. EVER!

Seriously, she is. She has blossomed at our new barn. Since our first bad ride, she has really gotten her act together. SO much so that we went out on our first trail ride last weekend! I was so impressed with her I could have cried. She led almost the entire time, didn't do any real spooking... only thing that made her nervous were a few logs and trees that had fallen, she hesitated a bit when we saw them but walked on anyway. I love her. I love her SO much!

April has been working with her weekly and she is really coming full circle with the respect issue. She is rarely ever pushy now, and respects people's space. That was one of the biggest mistakes I made as a green horse owner, allowing her to become pushy. I of course thought it was cute that she wanted to be right up on top of me all the time "She loves me... we're bonding" Um, no... she's being dominant & pushy. Lesson learned, and corrected. Thank God for a wonderful trainer and support system to set me straight!

My favorite thing Cheyenne has learned is to walk through water. We have a pond out in her pasture so I have started riding & lungeing her through it and she LOVED it! She'll dunk her whole head under water to blow bubbles, it's so cute! :) Here she is playing in the water



& here is April, riding her bareback with just a halter and leadrope!!! She wasn't perfect, but the fact that it was done at all impressed the heck out of me. :)

72 Hours

Really pony... really? 72 hours into your residency you've got to get into something? Goober hit her eye on something & scraped it up. Last night it was so swollen she could barely open it, she kept it closed most of the time I was out there yesterday. Luckily when I went out today it looked much better. Scrape is still there but the swelling has gone down significantly.

I rode monster for the first time in almost a month. It could have gone better... I mean it could have gone worse, but it DEFINITELY could have gone better. Learned what her buck felt like for the first time today, something I DEFINITELY could have lived without knowing. Not too bad though, for a fourteen hand pony. She was a booger, no doubt. Would NOT stand to be mounted, everything was spooky, NO breaks, & would not tolerate being circled. Blaaaaargh. I know it will get better, but it's so hard not to feel like we're back at square one. A month ago my trainer had her starting to canter... today I wouldn't get her to successfully walk & stop without issues. This, too, shall pass.

On the bright side, I am so incredibly at peace at the new barn. I just love being out there, even with a heat index of 106. Everyone is so nice & everyone really cares about all of the horses. People go way out of there way on their day to feed, doing extra chores above the 3 hours worth of work, just to make the property nice for the horses. My only concern is that monster will be morbidly obese by this time next week between all the grass & hay... but I suppose that's better then not being fed at all. Yay new barn!

Big Changes...

WOW! It's been a whole month since my last update... lots of big changes have taken place.

First, we've moved... AGAIN! :/ I'm VERY happy with out new barn. I'm VERY angry with the old barn. I don't want to reveal too much, in the off chance this gets back to them. But long story short the person the owners hired to feed the horses was working out of the area for part of the week & hadn't been feeding/watering/checking on the horses. If that wasn't enough the owners 5 horses (including the stud colt) were turned out lose around the barn, with only a 3 foot, 2 board fence separating the stud & Cheyenne. This apparently went on the entire week I was on vacation. The final straw was when the owners horses got into the feed room (because they were let out lose to run around the barn), ate ALL of mine & the other boarders feed & supplements... and the property owners couldn't be bothered to respond to the emergency, given their horses had eaten SIXTY POUNDS of grain, plus the weight of two brand new containers of supplements. It's even worse than that... much worse... but I don't feel comfortable airing out any more dirty laundry.

ANYWAY, after all of that happened, we were on the next trailer out of there. Which Cheyenne subsequently decided to exit using the emergency exit... seriously. The trailer couldn't fit down the narrow driveway at the new barn, so we decided to unload her on the dirt road. Well, I opened the escape door to back her out, and she stuck her head out & jumped right through! You horse people know what a feat that is! When she makes up her mind to do something there is just NO stopping her. The lady who trailered her was freaking out! I assured her Cheyenne was fine (& she was - not a scrape on her!)... she's just a little hard headed sometimes!

The new barn is definitely a bit more money, but in my opinion entirely worth it. She's has TONS of grassy pasture, her own stall to go in & out of as she pleases throughout the day (the horses are only locked in for feedings, which I LOVE!), there are trails literally RIGHT out the back gate (it opens to a HUGE nature preserve) & a wonderful group of boarders who really keep a close eye on the horses. The barn runs on a co-op system where everyone feeds one feeding per week. I think it's great because that way everyone gets to know each of the horses, and there are at least 14 different sets of eyes on my horse each week. If one person misses something, certainly another will catch it. Granted it's a lot of work, but I don't mind, considering all the great points the barn has. I've definitely learned my lesson on "you get what you pay for". If it sounds too good to be true, it is. You may not realize it at first, but it will eventually bite you in the butt.

& now that Cheyenne has a stall, I of course had to buy her a stall plate! If there's one thing I've learned about horse stuff, it's that it is WAY over priced. I looked for a stall plate online & the cheapest I could find was $10. WHAT? It's a name tag with screws. Well I found one that wasn't advertised as a "stall plate", but will do the trick just fine. & the price? $3.95 including shipping. WIN! I haven't received it yet so I can't attest to the quality, but I just wanted to whore out this place since it's certainly the most reasonably priced I've found. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230439975833&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123 They created a 3 line stall plate for monster pony with her name, my name & my phone number. I'll let everyone know what it looks like when it comes in.

In other news, Graham & I got a puppy! She's a pit-weenie (pitbull/dachshund mix), a year old & she is as darling as darling can be. She's got a few issues... still working on house breaking & whines/barks when we leave or she's in the crate, but she's getting better at both. Doesn't seem to bark when left alone if she's not crated... but then she pees if she's out, so it's a catch 22. Anyway, she really is a doll & we love her! Here's a picture of her sleeping in the passenger's seat of the car.

Love. Love. LOVE! My monster pony.

Seriously. I don't know if I've ever loved monster pony more. Every day she gets better & better. Ugh, she is just SO AWESOME. Really, she is!

She has a nasty scrape down her back, a good 2 inches by 4 inches, RIGHT where her saddle goes. Needless to say we didn't get any riding in today, but it was a good opportunity to do some ground work with her. First of all, she's usually a PITA when we enter to round pen, because as I'm fidgeting trying to lock the gate, she's trying to run off and eat grass. Well, not today. Today I walked her in, threw her lead line over the fence (didn't tie her or anything) and she stood completely still while I locked the gate. WOW! Then I pulled off her halter and the minute I picked up the lunge whip, she took off right to the rail and started moving. Again, WOW! She usually shoves her head into the ground to root for grass and it takes me running after her with the whip to get her to take a step. Proud moment #2.

Yesterday April worked with her on reversing to the inside. Today she pulled a couple of her "What'll happen if I turn my butt to you" moves, and QUICKLY realized "BAD idea, she'll make me keep moving, and even FASTER!" So after about three failed attempts to reverse butt first, she started turning in and doing perfect reversals (Is that a word? It is now.)

Then I decided to play a little game with her I like to call "Stand over the delicious patch of green grass but DON'T eat it. Don't even THINK about eating it." I walked her to it, threw the lead rope around her neck, and just let her stand. And guess what? SHE STOOD! She didn't move. So I decided to walk further away. She's such an in your pocket pony & has little comprehension of personal space. So of course, she tried to follow me. I took her lead rope, backed her up, and had her stand again. THIS time when I moved away, she stayed put! I walked all over the roundpen and she stood still as a board. Then when I wanted her to move I called her over, and wouldn't you know it? She didn't move. LOL! Go figure. So I grabbed the leadline, called her name, and waved her to me with my hand. It took a few times of doing it with the leadline, but I eventually got her to understand it without using the leadline. In the end she was standing still, and WAITING to be called.

This may not seem like much to some horse owners, but considering three weeks ago I had an ultra disrespectful horse with no regards for personal space, this is an AMAZING feat. She is such a good girl, always aiming to please. I am so happy I could burst! lol

PLUS I oiled my saddle today & completely reorganized my tack locker. What a great feeling! :) There's nothing that makes me happier in the world then a great day at the barn.

Note to Self

I realize this is a blog, the intention of which is to be public. But it's late, I'm beyond exhausted, and my capacity for generating entertaining prose has all but burned itself alive... so mostly this is an entry to collect my thoughts and record how monster pony has progressed with training.

This week went okay, not as well as I would have liked but we really made progress toward the end. It had nothing to do with my trainer (Who is AMAZING if I haven't mentioned that already/enough) but monster pony's 'tude. She was being a snot and refusing to turn in to reverse. By the end however she was responding well and not turning her butt toward us. That being said as much as April has whacked her hiney, you'd think she'd have learned she can NOT not NOT not NOT NoOoOoOoTtTtT eat grass while lungeing... but nope. She continues to try. *sigh* I told April today she must be really stupid or really stubborn. I know she's not stupid... stubborn it is!

& that's all my weary brain can muster for this evening. Over & out.

HALLELUJAH!

Cue the choirs of angels... since Hallelujah... Praise the Lord... monster pony has a trainer! And not just ANY trainer, the best trainer on the planet! Seriously. Quick, go take a potty break, then sit back & relax with your caffeinated beverage of choice, because this is going to be a long one, I've got a lot to share!

It all began with a craigslist ad. I had some very interesting responses... such as the 15 year old girl who trained an 18.5 hand "thurobred" stallion by herself. Yup, she did it folks... who WOULDN'T want her breaking their pony?! However, after sifting through the junk I found an awesome girl who was willing to barter with my broke @$$ & agreed to help me train Cheyenne in exchange for helping her work some of the other horses she trains. Let me interject here by saying, I was about willing to become resident sheath cleaner at a 400 horse barn in exchange for training, so... best deal ever? I think so! Honestly I was a bit skeptical at first, it seemed too good to be true. Until...

I went out to her barn & rode her horses. They were seriously the best behaved horses I have EVER ridden! They stood completely still to be tacked & even untied didn't move a muscle when she hosed them down. They knew to stand whenever you put them anywhere (including knee high grass) & won't move until being told to do so. You can literally ride them without using the reins, & she has trained horses to ride bridle- less. I was in awe how easy & well behaved her horses were, so I was confident she would be able to help fix Cheyenne's issues.

Let me briefly interrupt to give you my list of Cheyenne's "issues"...
1. RESPECT.
2. Personal space (see above)
3. Pushiness (see above, respect)
4. Backing up
5. Cantering under saddle
6. Being a snot (see respect)
7. Lungeing

As you can see... there are a number of areas I've fallen short on as a first time horse trainer. I've allowed her to walk all over me (without realizing it!) and as a result she has become pushy and bratty.

Within the first hour my trainer worked with her, she had her backing up (She has NEVER done this! She will literally CEMENT her feet to the ground to avoid backing!) respecting personal space, and CANTERING UNDER SADDLE! She has only been cantered twice before, both times only on the lunge line. April was literally on for about five minutes before she asked for the canter, and Cheyenne gave it to her - no issues! I am SO thrilled!

Today was our second session together. I went out to April's and worked with her personal horse, Rosie. She is a sweetheart, but just terrified of people. She was severely abused by her previous owner, then sent to slaughter, rescued, and ended up at April's. I lunged her and even RODE her walk/trot. It is so sad to me that she is so fearful of people... but I can't blame her after being BASHED in the head with a hammer *sigh* Why do some people suck so much? I can't believe April has only had her since January and she has come so far! She did really well, but you can just feel how tense and fearful she is under saddle. She was able to relax a few times and she felt like a totally different horse. Hopefully she will come around and trust completely soon. The fact that she went from charging people & being unable to be haltered to being ridden & respectful in 6 months makes me feel like I've done NOTHING with Cheyenne since I've owned her!

April worked on lungeing with Cheyenne today. She did pretty well, but pulled her "I'm going to kick out at you because I'm pissed & lazy" move on more then one occasion. She just fired some warning shots, no one was ACTUALLY kicked. Thank God! April worked with her a lot on responding to body language, and changing direction. I learned that when horses change direction by turning to the outside it's a sign of disrespect (since they're turning their butt toward you) so April got her to where she would stop and turn toward the inside to change direction. Cheyenne has always had issues lunging, ESPECIALLY changing direction. It was to the point I would literally have to grab her halter, TURN her the direction I want her to go manually, then get after her to go. I can't believe what April was able to get her to do in one session!

I am on cloud nine right now. After the first day April worked with her, I had Cheyenne stand to be groomed, tacked, and rinsed without tying her! At first she moved around a bit, but April taught me that if she's not listening and being respectful (i.e. if she's moving when she should be standing) you correct her by getting her to move her feet. So every time she'd fidget and move, I would turn her in a circle. I had never heard of this method of correction before, but it is a MIRACLE worker... especially for a lazy horse who HATES to move unless absolutely necessary, lol. I'll save the "Why moving a horses feet when they're misbehaving works" explanation for another post, but trust me, it does work!!

Phew! That seemed like a novel, just had a lot of updating to do! Can't wait to share more as we make progress. April thinks she can have her completely trained by December. WOW! She said she's really a smart horse, and easy to work with... so hopefully it won't be too difficult. I don't know how I lucked out finding such an awesome trainer, who was willing to work with my poor stundent self... but I did!!! & I couldn't be more thrilled!

Ask for Help.

After my little incident with Cheyenne last week I've been a little leery. She has been surprisingly good (tried to rear once when I was walking her out, I smacked her right that second with the crop, and she hasn't tried again) but it kind of made me realize I don't have the experience to go this alone anymore. If I just want a horse I can walk around, who steers pretty well, normally doesn't spook, and sometimes will trot with a lot of coaxing... then she fits the bill. But I want a horse I can walk/trot/canter... who won't pitch a fit... and who will back... and who will be more responsive, so I need help. I knew it was a long shot but I posted an ad on craigslist offering my services around a barn (I'd do just about ANYTHING!) in exchange for someone training her. I would floored by the number of responses I got! I didn't expect ONE! People pouring out of the woodworks, some offering to help for nothing at all! Of course I was a bit skeptical but I think I found a girl who may really be able to help me. All she's asking in exchange is that I exercise her horses & she will come out & train Chey 2-3 times a week! SWEET DEAL! I'll be honest, I HATE riding other peoples horses. It makes me so nervous! But I think it will be good for me.. the last time I cantered on a horse was probably a year ago, since it's something Cheyenne & I can't do yet. It will be good to build my confidence up again, and help me to focus on myself, and not just controlling my horse. I'm nervous, but excited! The two girls at my barn also offered to ride her for me whenever they're short a horse (one girl owns a horse, and the other leases the same horse... so when they come out to ride together they need an extra). They're both AWESOME riders & one of them rode her today & said she did amazing! Yay! I'm so thrilled.

Moral of the story, ask for help! I'm amazed how many horse people legitimately care and are willing to help out of the goodness of their heart, not just for money. Hopefully this works out well, just had to share!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I guess really I should have emphasized the a there... no one really carries the /h/ sound out when they scream... but I digress.
I. AM. SO. UNHAPPY. WITH. MONSTERPONY.
I took Faith (my 5 year old sister) & my birthmom out to the barn yesterday. I wasn't planning on having Faith ride, but she kept bugging me & since my birthmom is very experienced with horses I figured it would be okay. I saddled her up & just left her in her halter & leadrope to lead her around. She was being a stubborn little booger, but just lazy... not spooky. I was leading her around the arena & my birthmom was walking next to Faith in case she needed to pull her off. Good thing she was because seemingly out of NOWHERE she reared up, my birth mom pulled Faith off (she wasn't hurt, neither of them were thank GOD!) & her hoof came right down onto my shoulder. Awesome. Luckily it really doesn't hurt near as bad as I thought it would, so that's good. I was angry but brushed it off as a one time thing. But even after Faith was off she did it AGAIN as I was leading her back to the barn. So into the round pen she went for a nice long workout. I was horrified by her behavior... I really didn't think it would be an issue. Ugh! I'm half terrified to go out again tomorrow & see what new bug she's got up her butt. I love her, but sometimes I think I got more pony than I bargained for! Eeeek!

Broken Pony

Don't you love those early morning phone calls... "Something's wrong with your horse."? It's only that much more exciting when the man who takes care of the horses speaks no English & tries to relay that information to the barn owner... who in turn tries to relay it to you. It was just a big jumbled mess... I had NO idea what was wrong. When I got out to the barn she was in cross ties & I couldn't see anything wrong with her leg. Quickly enough I realized it was probably the same stifle issue as before. Sure enough when I went to walk her out of the cross ties her back left leg was left dragging behind her. Thank God I had been witness to this before otherwise I would have had the same horrible panic attack I did when it first happened. Poor girls back leg was literally paralyzed she couldn't bear any weight & it dragged behind her & she hopped & hobbled around on 3 legs.

Last time we called the vet out & before she got there it corrected itself. She said it if happened again to back her up and it should unlock. Problem was I COULD NOT get her to back. Three of us tried, including Alamon who literally barrelled into her chest and pushed with all his strength. So after many unsuccessful attempts I called the vet who said he couldn't do anything, the only way to fix it is to back her out of it. He suggested I give her some bute to ease the discomfort & that she might weight bear & back if I did that. A friend of the barn owner suggested massaging the area with vetrolin to help loosen it up. Cheyenne LOVED that... not. It was pretty funny to see her hobble away from me as best she could on three legs... a little sad too. After an hour of massaging I gave up. I picked up some bute & made it back to the barn at 6 pm (mind you this had been going on since early in the morning.) I gave her some bute with dinner & as she was eating decided to try massaging again. I felt around the good and the bad stifle & found a little spot that seemed to pop in & out as I massaged. So I went with my gut & just applied pressure to see if it wouldn't pop whatever was out of place back into place. And wouldn't you know it, it worked!! I was so relieved & she seemed pretty thrilled (though a bit wobbly) to have the use of all 4 legs back.

I wish I had gotten video of how sad she looked on 3 legs. I couldn't find any videos of locked stifles online that even compared to the severity of hers. I hope this isn't a recurring issue. The first time is happened she was in a stall all night... but this time she was turned out so I'm not sure what triggered it. I certainly can't complain since I was able to fix it without having to have the vet out & now I know what to do if it happens again.

I gave her a day off since I'm sure if nothing else she was sore secondarily from accidentally putting weight on her bad leg incorrectly yesterday. She kept inverting her foot & putting weight on it since it was dragging behind. I lunged her lightly today & she did well... she was great one direction, better than she ever has been! She was a bit of a snot the other direction, but eventually complied. I'm going out to ride tomorrow, hope she's feeling up to it!

& If anyone is interested in learning more about locking stifles I found a handy little website here that gives the abbreviated version on the condition. http://www.equi-therapy.net/equi-therapy/horse-veterinary/sticky-stifle.shtml

Funny Story...

Well so far, so good. I was only able to make it out to the barn twice this week because of the thunderstorms, but Cheyenne is coming along nicely. She is still a bit testy in the round pen, but it takes much less time/energy to get her to concede and do what I'm asking. She didn't try to run through or jump the fence like she did the other day, so it's an improvement. She is also showing great progress with her stopping. She's responding well to voice cues so I'm trying to rely heavily on those with minimal cueing from the bit. Just a deep seat, a "whoa", and a teensy tinsy pull then release. She's much quicker to respond but we still have some work to do.

Cheyenne really impressed me with two things this week.

#1 Cheyenne has a new boyfriend, the stud colt. This handsome little gentleman is NOT mom approved, I'm still a bit in denial over the whole thing. She acts rather silly & whorish around him. Obviously they are separated but they do sniff each other through the window in the concrete stall wall dividing them. This week when I walked Cheyenne by his stall she kept right on walking & didn't stop & squirt. She was much more ladylike & made my life a LOT easier by not cementing her hooves to the ground in front of him.

#2 I had the farrier come out for Cheyenne Saturday. First off I was nervous because it has been MONTHS since I've actually held her for the farrier. Someone else had done it for me since the farrier came at the old barn while I was in class. Second this was a new farrier. I decided to use the farrier the rest of the girls at the barn use. Cheyenne did pretty well! She got a little stupid with her front feet, dancing around on her back feet a bit. She also tried to eat the farrier's ponytail, well not EAT... gum... lip at... play with it. She was a perfect angel for her back feet. Everyone was impressed with her behavior... but you know, can't ever please mom. ;) She's still working on it... but I am proud of her!!

So now back to the title of this entry... FUNNY STORY. I decided to ride Cheyenne bareback Saturday since it was 110 degrees outside (didn't want to deal with lugging around tack or making her miserable in the heat), we were only going to work on walk/stop, and I hadn't ridden her bareback at the new barn yet at all. So I was out with Ray's mom & Ray's leaser, and the barn owner was giving us a mini lesson. We were all standing under the tree in the arena when all of a sudden I realize I was quickly become closer to the ground. Cheyenne DROPPED straight to her knees to roll with me on her!!!! I lucked out because she literally dropped straight down & I stayed sitting on top of her, straddling her with two legs on the ground. She let me jump away before she proceeded to try & roll, thankfully! I hollered at her & flailed my arms so much she must've thought she was going to be killed... but I did NOT want her to think that was okay (even though, I admit it... it was REALLY funny!) She's been good about not tossing me, I don't want her to think this is a new way to get out of work. So I brought her right back over to the mounting block & worked her for a while... without resting breaks this time! lol She did do very well, and I didn't fall! Yay! Here's to hoping it was a one time event however.

Outside Perspective

Finally made it out to the barn today. The weather has been awful, hot & rainy... thunderstorms multiple times daily. I knew Cheyenne was going to be a challenge today. When I showed up I couldn't find her out in the pasture. When I walked out I found her flirting with the stud colt through the stall wall (there are indoor & outdoor stalls that share a cement wall between them). I have never seen her in heat or been able to tell when she is... she LITERALLY (no exaggeration, really) must have squirted twenty times today. She was just the biggest hussy I have EVER seen. She wouldn't stand still, and when I walked her by her new boyfriend, she WOULD NOT MOVE. She planted her feet, swung her goods right into his face, and squirted. UGHHHHH! I eventually got her stubborn butt out of the barn & she was giving me a hard time in the arena. She did okay at the walk, but she had much more energy than usual. When we got to the trot everything fell apart. It took about thirty minutes of trotting to collect her & get her responding consistently... but the important thing is that it eventually happened.

The WONDERFUL thing about today was that Nikki (the girl who boards her horse with me) rode Cheyenne today. No one else has ever ridden her, so it was great to have a second opinion. She only rode her at the walk, but she said that she was doing really well so far. She said she had a bit of a hard mouth (which I knew unfortunately) & she suggested we work on stopping with a very light cue. After only 15-20 minutes of Nikki working with her she was stopping on a dime, a very light whoa cue & she would stop. Nikki suggested we work more on trotting lunging in the round pen in addition to under saddle. I HATE lungeing Cheyenne because she is SO bad & today was no exception. Nikki really helped to build my confidence with Cheyenne & helped me to reestablish my dominance over her. We're still in a bit of a power struggle & I need to work hard to make sure she knows I am alpha mare, not her. She likes to cut into the middle of the round pen and push on the gate. Nikki showed me a slightly different way to lunge her and helped to get rid of some of my fears about lungeing. By the end of the session Cheyenne was doing REALLY REALLY well, and for a solid 5 minutes or so didn't try to pull ANY stunts.

I really need to have a firmer hand with her and not show ANY fear. I know that, and have known that... but sometimes it takes someone else showing you the correct way to do things, and how much of a difference it makes in order to make you realize the importance of it. I also need to praise her more. It's funny because when I first started working with her if was ALL praise, all the time. I rarely got frustrated & I always corrected her very gently. Now that she has come as far as she has & knows what is expected... I have been doing less praising and more correction. She is a different horse now. It used to be that she had no idea what I was asking or expecting, she came from a place of fear, and every little step was a HUGE milestone. It was impossible to be frustrated because she was a blank slate... I couldn't expect her to know something she had never been taught. Now she is a sweet, loving, trusting horse... she is extremely smart & a fast learner. I get frustrated because she KNOWS what I am asking now, but she is stubborn & testy. But I do blame myself for much of it... she has been allowed to get away with certain things because of my fear & lack of experience. I think we are going to go very far with help from someone else. I know Nikki is busy but I'm thinking of asking her to work with us maybe once a week & see where that gets us. She told me she would work with her today while I am out of town, so I'm anxious to hear how it goes.

It's always a work in progress... but as frustrated as I sometimes get I really truly wouldn't change it for anything. I love that pony more than anything... & our good days are SO great because of the struggles we have gone through.

Love.

Monster pony was a sweet little angel today. I went out to the barn & rode with Ray's leaser. Of course about five minutes into the ride it started to rain... but we waited it out under the tree (which didn't provide much shelter...) & eventually got a good ride in. Cheyenne did VERY well! She trotted with minimal fuss, the way she had been a few weeks ago... before she decided to start pulling crap. She does do much better with Ray around, which I am grateful for. She doesn't even need to be following, just having him in the arena is enough.

The stud colt was turned out in the turnout area that shares a fence with the arena. He was being a NUT with Cheyenne in the arena. I was VERY concerned he was going to bust through the fence or jump it (He was trying!). Cheyenne was so calm, you'dve thought she was a gelding by the way she ignored him. Oh, I am SO glad she is not one of those hussy mares who squirts at trees. She's so easy going, not mare-ish at all. How did I get so lucky?!

Today after I had untacked Cheyenne & I was waiting to use the wash rack we had a "moment". She just stood there in the aisle way, then pressed her face into my chest. She stood like that for a good 2 minutes. Usually she's pretty antsy (she is still a baby after all) but she was just so sweet today. Calm, quiet, and lovey as can be. Days like this make those painful falls completely worth it. :)

Blast from the past

I went out to the barn Saturday morning to ride with Nikki, the other girl who boards her horse there. For the record I have NEVER run into anyone at the barn other than the owner, the man who takes care of the horses, and Nikki. Little did I know I was going to be greeted by a welcoming committee. One of the owners friends was out at the barn when I arrived, as was Nikki. While I was there another girl came out who is leasing Ray (Nikki's horse) & two of the owner's lesson students also came by. It was like a blast from the past having so many horses riding around in the arena. The last time I rode with a group of people like that was at horse camp, many many moons ago.

I felt a bit like the odd one out with all the other girls in their breeches, english saddles, & on their HUGE fancy WELL BEHAVED horses. Me & my little pony, in our western saddle mosied along behind them. Surprisingly though everyone was SOOO nice. I have to admit, I am sometimes a little bit prejudice against Hunter/jumper people... I feel like I can say that though since I used to be one of them. But these girls weren't snooty at all! :)


Cheyenne did really well. Especially considering we rode for THREE HOURS. Yes, THREE. She seems to behave much better with her boyfriend Ray around. She put up a bit of a fuss about trotting, but not nearly as bad as last time. She followed Ray when he trotted (for the most part) which made it much easier for me. The barn owner even gave us kind of a group lesson & Cheyenne & I went over a few cross rails (small... at a walk... but we did it!)


(Cheyenne & Ray enjoying a well deserved treat after their 3 hour ride!)

It was nice having a group of people to ride with. They're not the same as my old barn buddies... but it's a start! It's nice to have company, that's half the fun of horses in my opinion. Sure I cherish my quiet times with Cheyenne... but it's always twice as fun with a friend. :) So here's to hoping we have many more adventures to come.

NOT a happy camper.

Yup, the title about says it all. Cheyenne was pure idiot today. When I got to the barn Alamon (the man who takes care of the horses) was turning out the boys. Cheyenne got all worked up and acted like a hussy... SO unlike her. I knew we were going to have issues today from the way she acted the whole time I had her cross tied. She was fine walking but when I asked for a trot she spent five minutes just trying to change direction so she didn't have to trot. Eventually she did and she kept trying to change direction, take off, and run me into trees. She took off and turned sharply and the saddle went sliding to the side & off I went.

I was irritated but I got back on. She did OKAY after that and I was about 20 feet from letting her stop and calling it a day. Then all of the sudden she turns and bolts, saddle slides AGAIN (I hate this new girth... it's the fuzzy kind and when she sweats I guess it doesn't stay in place) & off I went... in the other direction. The second time was far worse that the first. I couldn't physically bring myself to get back on, it took all my strength to get her saddle off & not cry.

I did however take her to the round pen & work her butt off so she doesn't think throwing your rider means you get out of work. Again, she was AWFUL! She almost broke the fence a few times, she'd take off and ram into it. She even came close to JUMPING the fence to get into the pasture (which shares a fence with the round pen) with the boys. She was just terrible! :( Ugh. I hope this was a one time deal because I am not equipped to handle her if she keeps this nonsense up. I am in SO MUCH PAIN. My back hurts, my head is pounding, it hurts to breathe, my sides are all bruised. Monster pony really lived up to her name today. UGH.

It will get better though. You have to take the bad days with the good... the good days wouldn't be so good if we didn't go through rough patches every now & again. I just think back on how far she's come & it's hard to stay mad for TOO long. Hope I can walk tomorrow though, Jesus I hurt! I just don't bounce quite the way I did when I was a kid. I remember falling off multiple times per lesson when I was first learning to jump, and thinking nothing of it. Not anymore!

Hello, my name is Becky and I am addicted to horses.

You know you have a problem when you spend hours on end pondering what exactly it is your horse could be doing at that exact moment in time. I wonder what Cheyenne does to get all of those icky scabs, or how she manages to get SO dirty the day after a bath, or whether she gets along with her boyfriends when I'm not looking. I wonder if the boys ever let her in to snack on the round bale, or how she interacts with other people when I'm not around. I wonder what kind of inappropriate toy she's made for herself out in her pasture today and if she thinks about me too when I'm not there.

Some people call it a sickness... an insanity. A special kind of crazy that draws us "horse people" to do the things we do, to be the way we are. I call it a passion. A love unparalleled by any other. A love that wakes us from bed at obscene hours and finds us in barns at the most unforgiving times of the year (110 degree heat & below freezing rain storms). A love that calls us to do things that sometimes WE aren't even sure we want to do... but we do them without question because ultimately, it is what we love. It is what we thrive on. It is what feeds our souls. It's this love that finds us with second degree sunburns from a long day at the barn, or sleeping on barn floors eagerly awaiting for the arrival of a new foal. It's this passion that allows us to open our hearts & our wallets to the most needy, pricey, and desperate of souls. It's this love that finds us providing better health care, dinner, and supplements to our equine friends than to ourselves & our families. It's this love that greets us with a nicker and a nuzzle & I can think of no better repayment on earth.

So call it a sickness... an illness... a disease. I call it my way of life.

Hello, my name is Becky and I am addicted to horses.

Bat Outta Hell

I've come to realize both how insufficient & important my ability to balance is courtesy of my lovely new English saddle. In a western saddle you've got a deep seat and an Oh sh!t handle whenever there's a problem. In an English saddle you've got... well your legs. The sweet little Spanish man who cares for the horses at the barn was sawing something (LOUDLY). Luckily I saw him with the electric saw so I knew what was about to happen. Unfortunately I was him about 3 seconds before it went off so I didn't have time to move Cheyenne away... OFF she went like a bat outta hell. Tried to run me into a tree. The next time she did it AGAIN. Finally she got over the on/off of the saw & quit bolting & on the bright side I (unwillingly) got to experience my horses canter for both the second & third time today! Yay?

Other than that she was pretty good. She has a very forward & quick trot which makes it hard for me to keep a nice seat & stay balanced. Luckily she also has a nice slower trot which allows for a nice seat... but only sometimes. She alternates between the two & I'm left somewhere between having the perfect rythym with her & looking like a floppy chicken trying to ride a horse. We're working on it. It's only the second time she's trotted for more than a minute under saddle, so overall I'd say we're doing pretty well.

I gave pony a bath & wanted to dry her off so she wouldn't roll. I decided to take her out to the jump field to lunge her over some jumps & dry her off. At first she did well, jumping when asked & not tugging. THEN she pulled one of those stunts she hasn't pulled since she was much younger. YANKING on the lunge line, cutting in about a foot away from me and changing directions, RUNNING off with the lunge line. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph was I PISSED. She got it after that. If she wanted to run off, by golly she was going to RUN her little legs OFF. She eventually settled down & jumped nicely over a number of jumps... didn't try to change directions (or run me over) and so we ended on a good note. Always a testy little mare that monster pony. SWEET as sugar, but she can push your buttons!

After we ended the lunging session on a good note I decided to let her graze for a bit and snapped a new pictures. Nothing I love more than a shiny clean horse. Although I WOULD love it more if she didn't have scrapes all over her body! Every day I come out she has a new one! Just areas where the hair has rubbed off... no blood. Wish I knew what she was doing to get them. Hmmmmm...

The Good... The Bad... & The Ugly

So I went out & rode Cheyenne today... & here we go.

The Good:
- The weather was LOVELY, breezy & warm, but not too hot.

- My horse TROTTED... and it didn't take me kicking her @$$ either. A light tap & a cluck... and off she went! Nearly EVERY TIME I asked her! It was a miracle, something must have just "clicked". It looks like now we can actually add trotting to one of our regular gaits, instead of one of the gaits we attempt when pony's having a good day.

- We trotted for about THIRTY FIVE MINUTES. Not straight, obviously. But several minutes at a time. As of our last ride if I could get her to trot for 35 SECONDS we were having a good day. I am ECSTATIC.

- Cheyenne's steering has improved, even at the trot. It wasn't perfect (see "The Bad") but it was IMPROVED. We're making progress, & that's the important part!

- It didn't take me 30 minutes to mount. Cheyenne is notorious for being a wiggly mount & I am notorious for being a nervous mounter. It's not a good combination, but it's a skill we're working on. I found a nice little corner in the arena I can box her into with the mounting block & we didn't have any issues today. Whee!

The Bad:
- Cheyenne remains testy, of course. She picked two cones in the arena that she just decided she was NOT going to stay to the inside of (Remember the steering "ugly" I mentioned... this was it.) Don't even ask me why, there was nothing on the ground, the footing was not deep, the arena had just been drug. She just chose these places to be an ornery snot & it took about all my leg pressure & upper body strength to pull her head around and MAKE her stay on the inside. If she can get away with being a snot, she'd prefer it. We're still battling over who is REALLY in control, but she's finally learning it's not her. I won at each of her little trials in the end & she finally conceded & found that it's easier to just listen than to fight with mom.

- My legs are trembling violently from our 35 minutes of trotting. I was by NO means in shape for that. I'd been riding pony in a western saddle doing a sitting trot for about 15 seconds at a time before today. Let me just say... Posting. Trot. Kills. No matter what anyone says about it being easier. On the bright side, it's much more effective than the butterfly weight machine at the gym. Yayyy for a decent workout & spending time doing what I love (which I definitely can NOT say about the gym!)

The Ugly:
- THE ROLL! The roll that comes after you've spent far too long trying to get off every last speck of dirt. The roll that comes after you've tried hard to scrape off as much water as humanly possible. The slow & painful roll where the culprit takes his or her time to rub every square inch of his or her body into the dirt sufficiently before standing up... only to nail the other side. THAT roll. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

GUSHING.

I'VE always known my pony is awesome. I guess it's story time. Sit tight friends, I'm not good at short stories.

I adopted Cheyenne from a local mustang rescue. The rescue had taken in 2 fillies who had been adopted out and then turned out to pasture for nearly a year. The owner quickly realized he didn't have the time/knowledge to train the two fillies so he turned them back into the BLM (via the rescue) virtually untouched/unhandled. Fast forward, I came out to the rescue a few days after the fillies came in, and only 2 short days after I came out to volunteer they were being trailered up to a BLM Mississippi holding facility. Strike 1 for these 2 sweet fillies that did nothing to deserve it. (FYI BLM mustangs get 3 strikes *I believe, don't quote me.* before they are considered unadoptable... even if the "strikes" have nothing to do with the horse themselves.) The two were so sweet. Someone already decided they wanted to adopt the friendly of the two fillies, Mocha, a beautiful little bay with 4 black socks. "Ko-ti", the second filly, was a little more weary of people. She was afraid of being touched (but not terrified), afraid of being haltered, afraid of ropes, etc. Mocha was much more confident and already leading with no problems. My heart melted for little "Ko-ti". She was just a plain jane brown little filly, afraid and unhandled. She had little chance of being adopted if she was turned back in. So I made the craziest impulsive decision I've ever made. I decided to adopt her. ME, just green in the horse world myself, never owned/trained a horse, hadn't taken lessons in probably 8+ years... I was going to adopt a wild mustang.

Well as it turned out the lady who was going to adopt Mocha backed out. The woman who owned the rescue encouraged me to adopt Mocha instead of "Ko-ti", as Mocha had been handled much more & had a much greater affinity for people. But something about "Ko-ti" tugged at my heart strings. She was timid, but she wasn't unreachable. I got such joy out of each little step we made... the first time I could halter her without a 15 minute ordeal, the first step on the lead line, the first time she let me brush her, the first time she stood quietly when tied. I just didn't feel that same connection of sense of accomplishment with Mocha. So for two weeks I drove the grueling 2 hours round trip to see & work with my new pony. Every day was a new adventure, a new celebration. Finally I got her home, and the REAL adventure of my first time horse ownership/horse training began... and it's continued each day since! (Mocha's story ultimately had a happy ending as well. Thankfully she WAS adopted before being trailered to Mississippi. Unfortunately the lady who adopted her MOVED, and LEFT her on the property without informing anyone. Fortunately the lady who owned the rescue had her readopted to a great new home & she is doing wonderfully! YAY!)

OKAY. PHEW. If you've made it this far, congratulations! I just looove to gush about my pony & tell our story. So today I called the lady who owns the barn I recently moved Cheyenne to. She spent ten minutes telling me how wonderful Cheyenne was, how terrified she had been when I told her I was looking to board a mare (she has ALL geldings), and how Cheyenne had exceeded her wildest expectations. She kept telling me what an amazing personality she has, how she's never met an easier or better behaved mare, and how she reminds her exactly of the only mare she ever liked... the one she took to some grand prix something or other. She told me that EVERYONE who has come out to the barn has fallen in love with her (probably because she's such a lover... she will FOLLOW people along the fence perimeter & just give you those big puppy dog eyes until you love on her!) & she's even had two people ask if she's for sale!! WOW! I always knew she was special but I've always thought that was a mother's love, LOL. I've never had someone gush so much about my pony before, it felt wonderful! Especially coming from a horsewoman who REALLY knows her stuff. (She showed grand prix world wide)

Pony really has been just incredible out at the new barn. I don't want to jinx it by gushing about her... but I mean she has been so much calmer & more obedient than ever before. Certainly she's nowhere near perfect, but I can't believe what a HUGE difference having more space to run makes! She just LOVES it, she's so very happy. :) I'm so very happy she's happy. SO FULL OF LOVE FOR MY PONY! SQUEEEEE! Okay. done. Thanks for putting up with that. lol

The pony gods are against me.

So I think the pony gods are against me. The day I moved Cheyenne I ended up with an AWFUL sunburn, one of the worst I've ever had. I finally managed to put on a t-shirt after several days (it really was THAT bad) and went out to the barn. Cheyenne was an ANGEL. Well comparatively speaking. We still have a long ways to go in her training, but she was better than she's ever been. She lunged nicely & was more responsive than ever in a new saddle & bit. I was so worried she wouldn't take to it well, but the opposite happened. I put her in the new english saddle I bought her (I started her in a western saddle) & bought a slow twist eggbutt to replace the loose ring snaffle that I wasn't working out too well. She listened even in the completely new surroundings. She did so well in the round pen we moved to the arena. Even with another horse right next to us she listened very well. She even trotted with MUCH less fighting than usual. That's still our biggest issue right now. She KNOWS exactly what I'm asking for, she just fights as much as she can to avoid it. I guess I prefer lazy to hot, but SHEESH is she lazy! Anyway, so I ended up pulling a muscle in my leg & I practically had to jump off it hurt soo bad. UGH. :( I've pulled the same muscle trying to mount, but never just riding. It HURTS so bad... & now I walk like a cowboy. Very unflattering. It will probably be a few days before I can ride again... or walk properly. I just want to ride my pony!! Ugh. Anyway.. that was just a rambling mess I'm sure. I've got the tv on & every distraction in the book. So whatever I just typed... I hope it makes sense. :)

Owww.

So yesterday's move resulted in the sunburn from HELL. I could barely move last night & most of today. I cut up an old t-shirt to make it strapless so I could drag my miserable butt to the barn to check on pony. She was just happy as can be when I got there. I took her out and cross tied her for a minute to try on her new saddle and measure her for a new girth. I thought someone had drugged my horse! She was so quiet, calm, and cooperative. I was thinking about it and I guess my best comparison would be to my dogs. When they're crated, the minute we open that door they BOLT, full of energy. It was the same thing at the old barn. She was in a small space (granted not equivalent to a dog crate size-wise) and so anytime I'd take her out she was just antsy and hyper. She needed a way to release some of that energy! Now that she has room to run around and be a horse, she is so much calmer! It's wonderful. She was just a saint. As soon as this sunburn heals up I'm going to take her out for a nice ride. Can't wait!

50 Questions

50 Fun Questions

1. How old were you when you first started riding? 7 or 8, I know it was 2nd grade

2. First horse ridden: Aside from the occasional pony ride, it was Peppy during a summer horse came @ Devonwood Stables. That's where the addiction took hold. lol

3. First horse trotted on: Peppy

4. First horse cantered on: My guess would be Misty, an obscenely tolerant sorrel mare who was terrified of barrels.

5. First horse fallen off of: My guess would again by Misty, we had quite a few good falls during out time together.

6. Most recent horse fallen off of: Cheyenne, of course. She needs to learn trucks are not a thing to be feared. I need to learn not to buy junk off of ebay (such as bareback pads) just because it's cheap. Because that sucker slipped right around her belly the minute she spooked & off I went! Oops!

7. Most terrifying fall: On a 12 hand pony... can't remember her name. We were going over a jump and she just STOPPED and I went catapulting straight off her. Ouch!
8. First horse jumped with: Power.

9. First horse who ran away with you: Penny. Crazy pony.

10. First horse that scared the crap out of you: Hmmm when I was younger I never remember being scared, even when I should have! Most recently that I can recall Cheyenne! Or maybe Billy, he was BIG & not always the kindest beast.

11. First horse shown: Moose! A 30 something appy with a heart of gold.

12. First horse to win a class with: Moosey Moose again

13. Do you/have you taken lessons: Yes, on & off throughout my life. I've never been consistent enough with it to be any good at any one discipline. I wish I could take them now, but now I have a pony that eats dollar bills so it's just not in the budget.

14. First horse you ever rode bareback: Same pony that tossed me... gah! What was her name? She was so small you could just swing your leg... SUNNY! That was her name!... anyway you could just swing your leg over her & hang on to her mane & go!

15. First horse trail ridden with: Misty @ Kensington Farms.

16. Current Barn Name: I don't think it even has a name, LOL It's a smaller private barn.

17. Do you ride English or Western: Both & neither. LOL I guess I have more training in english, but I started Cheyenne in a western saddle.

19. Ever been to horse camp: Yup, that's where the horse crazy began. Bet my parent's are still regretting that decision.

20. Ever been to a riding clinic: Sort of, I went to the Extreme Mustang Makeover during a Lynn Palm clinic. Didn't see much of the clinic though. It's something I'd like to do one day.

21. Ridden sidesaddle: No

22. First horse leased: Raven... then I went out & bought my own the next month! lol

23. Last horse leased: Again, Raven. First and last. I got that horse bug in my brain & had to have my own!

25. Ever been to an “A” rated show?: Pffft I've been to a few local no-name shows when I was a kid. That's about it. Maybe one day... I'll keep dreaming.

Ever competed in pony games/relay races: No except at horsecamp

27. Ever fallen off at a show: Thankfully no, that would have been tramatic as a kid. I remember a girl who did though, she landed on the fence when her horse overshot a few ground poles by about 3 feet. OUCH!

28. Do you ride Hunters/Jumpers: Used to, that's what most of my lessons were in... but Lord knows I'm pretty clueless now.

29. Have you ever barrel raced: No, but that's where my heart it! I <3 to watch it & I'd love to make Cheyenne into a little barrel pony, even if it's just for fun.

30. Have you ever done pole bending: nope

31. Favorite gait: depends BIG time on the horse. Right now with Cheyenne, we enjoy walking. LOL

32. Ever cantered bareback: Not on purpose!

33. Have you ever done dressage: My first real lesson were dressage, but I quit because it was too boring & I wanted to jump! What can I say, I was 8! lol

34. Have you ever evented: Nope

35. Have you ever mucked a stall: You betcha, did it many summers. I hate horse people who have these fancy pants horses & can't get their hands dirty to much a darn stall. It's part of owning a horse!

36. Ever been bucked off: Suprisingly I can't remember a time. Been bucked? Yeah. Bucked OFF? Don't think so.

37. Ever been on a horse that reared: My own when she a was a young little booger! She never got too high though.

38. Horses or ponies: Well... Cheyenne is TECHNICALLY a pony... but I'm more of a "horse" person... ponies don't fit me very well.

39. Do you wear a helmet: 99.9% of the time. It's just a stupid risk not to. I put my seatbelt on when I'm in the car, and I put my helmet on when I'm on the horse.

40. What’s the highest you’ve jumped: Mmm probably around 2'6", nothing impressive.

41. Have you ever ridden at night: Yup, living in Florida you almost HAVE to in the summer.

42. Do you watch horsey television shows: Always the olympics, not much else though

43. Have you ever been seriously hurt/injured from a fall: *knock on wood* nothing serious yet!

44. Most falls in one lesson: On Misty when we first started jumping? Must've averaged at least 3-4 per lesson!

45. Do you ride in an arena/ring: Yup

46. Have you ever been trampled by a horse: Ack! No thank God!

47. Have you ever been bitten: Too many times! I've got a nice little bruise now from the butthead!

48. Ever had your foot stepped on by a horse: A handful of times, usually just because I wasnt paying close enough attention to where they were wandering

49. Favorite riding moment: The day I signed the adoption paperwork for my monster pony. There's no better feeling in the world then your first horse. Even when she is a wild mustang, and you're terrified of what you've gotten into, and you've got no support from your family for your decision... You know. lol I was so excited though, the second best moment had to be the first time I actually RODE her. I was SHOCKED how well she took to it! I had only planned on putting weight in the stirrups that day, and we ended up going to a ride!!

50. Most fun horse you’ve ridden: Hmmm... that's a tough call. Probably Duellan. A 17 hand warmblood I rode when I was like 10. Everything was so EASY on her. She did all the work & would clear anything you took her over. She was a trip, I miss that beast!

S-U-C-C-E-S-S... that's the way we spell success, whoo!

So after all that worrying about Cheyenne loading. It took her all of 12 seconds to follow me right up onto the trailer (pretty small one too) with no problems what so ever. Yayy! I got her to her new home, unloaded her, and let her graze for a bit. After a little while I took her outback to her pasture to show her around and introduce her to "Ray", her new pasture buddy.


As you can see, no problems there. The pair made fast friends! I've never seen two horses get along as well as these guys. No fussing or squealing or kicking. Just a few seconds of sniffing & it's like the two were old friends! They spent the rest of the afternoon following each other around. I think they're in love... uh oh!

After she settled in with Ray I took her out to explore the new barn. We went to see the mirror in the arena, she was unphased.

Took her by the flag... again, not spooked one bit.

Took her over some logs & jumps. She's not much of a jumper yet. She's more of a walker & an eater. We'll make a cute little h/j pony out of her yet!


I worked her for just a minute in the round pen. Walk/trot a few laps on each side. Just to get her used to the space. She did so well! Tried to reverse a couple of times, but that's nothing she doesn't try on any other normal day! lol Then I hosed the poor dear off, it was almost 100 degrees today! Ugh. It was AWFUL! As per usual, she enjoyed playing in the hose.



I left for a bit to go pick up my new saddle! It is lovely! I didn't even think to get a picture of it! The only issue is it has some water stains on the underside, but you can't see them when you're riding in it. The leather is very soft & you can tell it's been well maintained. It fits Cheyenne perfect, I just need to go pick up a girth for it tomorrow so we can try it out!

When I returned I found Cheyenne & her new buddy out grazing peacefully.


I'm so glad it went so well. Like I said, I'm so sad I'll be leaving my old barn buddies... but I can already tell how much happier she is with room to roam, grass to graze, and a new buddy! Everything just clicked & fell into place perfectly, I couldn't have asked for a smoother move. :) Success!

Saddle Update

So truth be told, I had this fabulous idea that my fiancée and I try not to spend ANY money in the month of May. I mean outside of groceries, gas & bills. The bare necessities. Well 3 days in I'm about to lose at my own game. I posted an ad on craigslist looking for a used English saddle (BEFORE this idea, mind you.) I received a reply about a used collegiate. It's exactly the size tree & seat I need. The lady claims it is in near-new condition. The best part? It's a collegiate alumnus, a discontinued collegiate saddle made by Ruiz Diaz (who, if I'm not mistaken makes many of the swanky English saddles like Pessoas) Squee! I'm going to have to cheat, HAVE to. I hope he understands... lol

Whee!

Well tomorrow is the big day, moving day: take 2. I have a lovely lady from my soon-to-be-former barn moving Cheyenne for me. She's very patient & very good with trailering horses, so I'm confident things will go smoothly no matter what kind of a funk Cheyenne may get in. Also, prayers she won't be a beaver pony at the new barn are being welcomed and accepted. :) Thanks in advance! Other than that I have no concerns. I met the other girl who boards out at the new barn (there's only 2 of us & the lady who owns 5 horses) & she's super nice and fun. I know we're going to get along well. It won't be the same without my crazy horse friends, but Cheyenne will be happier. I'm trying hard not to be a selfish horse mom & to do what's best for her... even though it kind of sucks.

More exciting news, we finally have a day to celebrate for Cheyenne! Since I don't know her birthday, and I kind of adopted her two different days (one day I signed the papers, another day I actually brought her home) I was never sure what day to celebrate as Cheyenne's special day. So we now have an official "adoption day"! I finally got her title in the mail today! Granted the real "adoption day" was April 28, when her title was printed we're going to celebrate tomorrow, since I can't go back in time. But next year... April 28... it's going to be big. Just you wait.



In my feeble attempt to wash my horse so she doesn't look like a homeless neglected mess for tomorrows move, I've found that nothing in this world tests my patience quite like bathing my horse. Maybe it's her inability to stand still, or my inability to remove the massive amounts of dirt super glued to her body, or my frustration knowing no matter how many hours I spend cleaning her the next day she'll look like crap again, or the fact the minute I clean her legs she splashes in a mud puddle, or the fact she acts like a crazy idiot whenever I try to hose her face/forelock/mane, or the... okay. You get it. The little snot BIT me today while I was bathing her! She's always been mouthy, but not teethy (toothy? ... whatever, she doesn't bite) Gahhh she regretted that decision pretty quickly. As did I! I've got a pretty little bruise now. Thanks Chey, 'preciate it. Ugh.

So I posted an ad looking for a nice used AP english saddle. Some lady emailed me with a practically brand new collegiate in mine (& Chey's!) size for $150. Whoo! Hopefully going to look at it soon. Very exciting! Any thoughts on collegiates? I've never ridden in one but I hear they're pretty good. (not sure the model, I just know it's an all purpose saddle)

Last but not least, anyone ever tried Quitt? It's some supplement that's guaranteed to stop your horse from wood eating in 7 days. I'm considering it if Cheyenne keeps wood chewing at the new barn. Just wondered if anyone's ever had any experience with it or known someone who has. (Come on my 3 readers... I'm counting on you! lol)

Annnnnnnnnnd... that's all folks. :)

Update

Well, good/bad news. We didn't end up hauling Cheyenne today. I was just too stressed about the whole situation and didn't want to start off on a bad foot if she didn't load properly. She is super sensitive to energy & I know if I went out there stressed and anxious about her loading, chances are it wouldn't go well. So instead a lady from the barn she's at now is going to haul her for me Tuesday afternoon. I would have preferred the weekend because I am available 24/7 in case anything goes wrong, so fingers crossed it all goes well with the mid-week move. Otherwise, she's doing well. Brought her out some carrots today which she appreciated. Her dumb butt & the dumb mare next to her keep ripping out each others manes so now they both have these hideous bald patches of mane they've chewed out from each other. Fabulous. Gwahhhh! Why do horses do dumb things? lol Mane chewing, wood eating, what's next?

Trailer Drama

Well Cheyenne has no choice but to load nicely tomorrow. The woman hauling her just called me practically BEGGING for me to make sure Cheyenne loads super quickly. I've never had an issue with her (except UNLOADING, but by the time we get her home it won't be an issue) but she's only been hauled a small handful of times. The lady has a bad knee and is on painkillers which she can't take if she's going to be driving. So she needs to get home to take them ASAP tomorrow, meaning Cheyenne can't be a PITA about loading. UGH. MORE STRESS. I can't make promises for my horse, ask her! She's USUALLY good, but who the hell knows! I tried to promise her it would be fine the best I could without saying "I know for a FACT she'll load like a dream"... because I DON'T know that for a fact. At any rate, fingers crossed it will all go well. Say a prayer for us tomorrow, ugh.

Halter Success

Well after continuing my hunt for the breakaway halter, I FINALLY found one. I found a used one at a local tack consignment shop, but apparently the monster pony has outgrown "pony" sized anything. So I dished out the $30 for a horse sized halter. Didn't fit. Seriously? It was hanging off her face. So I returned it, and found a cob size halter & bought that. Which was a pleasant surprise, only $17! The only one in the whole store at that price, winnn! Except then THAT was too small! What the...? I have NO idea what magic size head my horse has that NOTHING will fit it. But I kept it because the price was right & the halter was only a teeny bit too small (... and I damaged it trying to punch a new hole in it). I'm just going to punch new holes a little further down so it will fit. The small horse sized grazing muzzle I bought her was MUCH too small though. Thankfully the kind lady at one of the local tack shops told me she would add an extra piece of Velcro for only a couple of dollars so it will fit. (Shout out to the lovely ladies at the Tack Shack! haha) Yayy for crafty people!

Monster pony was disgustingly dirty when I went out to try the many halters on today. I was almost afraid they wouldn't accept the return because her dang face was so dirty it turned part of the halter brown! I was able to clean it off though, thankfully. All of her things are at the new barn now, so I'm embarrassed to bring her to the new barn looking like a homeless, neglected mess. *sigh* Oh well. Gahh pony is so cute, but she is a flipping beaver! She's eaten the crap out of the boards in her paddock. Fingers crossed she STOPS this at the new barn with turnout. I can't believe in 2 days she'll be at the new barn! I'll post pictures of her in her new house when I get them. Wheee!

Seriously?

Why is it that NO tack shop in the Central Florida area sells breakaway halters? I found ONE place & they had ONE halter in stock. A pukey salmon pink one for a whopping $30. Seriously? Why is horse stuff always so obscenely expensive? This is a $2 piece of equipment we're talking about! How can they possibly mark it up like 1,500 percent? Ugh. It's re-gosh-darn-diculous if you ask me! That is all.

Redemption

Well Cheyenne managed to redeem herself today. She was extra cute and cuddly. I came out planning to work her, but soon realized I have NOTHING out at the barn anymore except a halter, lead rope, and hoof pick since I already moved her storage shed to the new barn. OOPS! I think we needed a play day though, it worked out well. She is so cute & sweet... she follows me around like a little puppy. Wherever I go, she goes. She was so well behaved, stood still for me to groom her (borrowed a shedding blade from a friend, that thing is a MIRACLE worker) & stood perfectly untied while I picked all 4 feet. What a nice pony!

I kind of realized today the difference between my mentality and most other horse owners. I made a comment today about how I guess Cheyenne's not going to grow anymore (she's still very much a pony @ just 14 hands, and I'm not so much built for a pony LOL) So she asked if I was going to sell her and get another horse. Of course not! But that is the mentality of most horse people, if the horse doesn't suit it's job - find a new one who does. Cheyenne is a pet first, a hobby second. I love riding, but I love HORSES more. If I had to chose between owning a pasture ornament or riding some else's horse once or twice a week, I'd pick a pasture ornament any day. There's just something so unique & beautiful about horses you don't find in other animals. Maybe it's the fact that they could kill you in an instant, but they chose not to. Or their willingness to trust & submit to a person 1/10 of their size. Or their uncanny ability to forgive. Whatever it is, I can't get enough of it!

Venting!

I wish I had started this blog at the very beginning, when I FIRST brought Cheyenne home. That way I could see the progress we made over time... because days like today I feel like we're back where we first started. I mean it's my own fault for not working with her enough... she's a baby! She needs constant attention & reinforcement. But I can't make hours in the day where they don't exist. So I'm doing the best I can for now. But Cheyenne was a TERROR today. Wouldn't stand still for her bath. Kept trying to run me over on our walk. Flipped out whenever a car went by, wouldn't stop when asked, tried to rear up (granted, a firetruck with it's sirens & lights had just zoomed by about a foot & a half away) She was OUT OF CONTROL. I love her. I do, I love her so much. But God I have to wonder what I got myself into some days adopting a wild mustang as my first horse. She sure is a handful. Lovely, but a handful!

Stress Relief

Well I have litterally been the worst horse owner EVER this past month. I'm ashamed to even admit any of this. Poor Cheyenne has had her paddock cleaned about once a week this past month. I've only made it out twice per week when she's been lucky & usually only for a few minutes. I don't think I've actually worked/ridden her/let her stretch her poor cramped legs once in all of April. There, I said it... but I'm not proud! School has literally taken my entire life, chomped it up, ingested in, then took a big steaming pile of $h!t in the place where my free time once was. (sorry for the vulgar image... just how I'm feeling right now)

On the bright side in a week Cheyenne will be a mere 13 minutes from me on weekdays & 7 minutes on the weekends! SHE of course will remain at the same location, I will be the one shifting resulting in the travel time discrepancies. I am super bummed to be leaving all of my amazing barn buddies! They have become some of my best friends! Nothing brings people together quite like bonding over poop scooping, cranky ponies, & horse emergencies!

On the flip side though the woman who owns the new barn is so nice also! I was VERY concerned because Cheyenne has taken to eating wood recently. The woman mentioned she had to ask another boarder to leave because her horse was a wood eater. So I was terrified this would become a huge issue! When I called her today & mentioned the new habit she said not to worry! That she was sure it would subside with lots of room to roam, plenty of hay & new friends. I pray she's right! I think it's a combination of boredom & peer pressure (her next door neighbor is a BIG time cribber, poor guy has NO TEETH left!) I told her I bought her a grazing muzzle in case the issue continues & she was so sweet & told me not to worry about it & everything would work out fine. She's not worried, I'm not worried. I do hope she quits this nasty habit soon though!

So next Saturday she'll be at her new home. It's a perfect opportunity for a new beginning. I feel like we made progress, then it all just fell apart. I wasn't able to work her consistently so our hard work kind of went out the window. Now that she's closer I'll have more time to spend with her. It's also the beginning of Summer so I will have most of the weekdays to spend with her. I decided to move her next week in case anything goes wrong with the transition I will be done with my school obligations so I can keep an eye on her. It won't go wrong though, nothing will. She's going to love it, her new horsey buddies will love her, & the other girl boarding will become a great new horsey friend! Positive thoughts! :) I'm really excited! It's bittersweet but I know it is HONESTLY what's best for her. She deserves & needs to space to run around... she was a WILD mustang after all. She's not accustomed to fences.

Update on Cheyenne Phelps

WOW! My last post was the beginning of March & now we're in April. I feel like I've mentally blogged a lot more of things that happened this month than I have. I always think "I should write about this", but it never happens. My favorite moment of the month had to be Cheyenne's swim. This is the horse that won't even step through a PUDDLE! Next thing I know she's decided to give herself a swimming lesson. We call her Cheyenne Phelps at the barn now. Watch & see (if you can... my phone has terrible video quality. I also have no idea what happened to the background noise... it just sounds like chipmunks hijacked the audio. *shrug*



In other news Cheyenne & I will be leaving our current barn at the end of the month. I love the people there & will be so sad to go. But it is just so far & I will be moving in with the future hubby @ some point and it is WAYYY too far from his house. I found a nice place much closer. There's a large turn out area with run in stalls and a river. I hope she'll enjoy it - I'm sure she will. I hope she doesn't take to chewing the wood there. She does in her little paddock but I hope it's only out of boredom & when she's turned out she'll be okay. *fingers crossed*

& lastly, Cheyenne can officially be MINE now! She's a BLM horse & so the government owned her for the first year (this is done to avoid people adopting mustangs super cheap & then selling them off to slaughter for profit, etc.) but now I can mail in my paper work saying she's been taken care of & she'll be all mine officially. :) yayyy! I'll have to celebrate her adoption day!

TIIIIIIIIIIMBER!

So I get a text message this morning...

'A tree fell in Cheyenne's paddock...' (Me: OMG AHHHHHHHHHHH! WHAT!?!?) 'She's ok.' (Me: *composing myself* Oh, right... okay.)

Mind you, this is a LARGE tree, and a fairly small paddock. Thank the Lord above she wasn't hurt. I can't imagine what I would have done. The wind was something fierce last night, I guess I'm not terribly surprised. With the wind chill factor it's supposed to feel down in the 20s tonight. I thought I lived in Florida? Evidently the weather God's didn't get the memo this season.

So I get off of work this afternoon & send a text message to the barn owner.
'Is everything ok? Do I need to go out to check on the monster pony?'
Her reply?
'No, she seems content just eating the tree bark and practicing her jumping skills.'

Excellent. Maybe she'll lay off the wood on the fence for a while with this new massive chew toy. MAYBE this was a blessing in disguise & I'll just leave it in her paddock from now on.

GWARRRR!

Is it too late to return Cheyenne? If I released her back into the wild... do you think her instincts would kick back in & she'd make it? ... UUUUUUUUURRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH. Not like I would ever do either of those things, but days like today the thought has crossed my mind.

Not that it's really her fault, you get out of it what you put into it... & let's face it, I haven't put much work into her lately. Not like I want to start a list of excuses but it really is near impossible to give her the time she needs between school, work, interning, and writing my thesis. The daylight hours aren't long enough & there's not enough light to ride at night. Hopefully with daylight savings coming up in two weeks I can get in a few more rides each week. (or any at all!)

I guess I can blame the combination of my own failing to be consistent, CRAZY weather (unbelievably windy and gross, like almost knock you off your feet windy... where everything is blowing around and making strange noises... horses LOVE it. You know the kind?), getting dark, and failure to lunge before mounting. Any one of the aforementioned issues could have spelled disaster I suppose.

I knew she was going to be a pain when she REFUSED to stand still for me to mount. The saddle ended up sideways on her, luckily that didn't spook her. It's times like today I'm thankful for my 14 something hand pony, because so help me God if I had to chase her around with a mounting block to get on. She was just funky & spooky & REFUSED to trot. I'm talking threw one of those idiot tempertantrums she used to throw a year ago when I first got her. Shaking her head, turning to nip, kicking out, swinging her butt around... just about anything you can imagine (short of bucking or rearing, THANK GOD!) to irritate me. Her new thing is just stopping when you ask for a trot. I swear to God she's laughing at me "Yup lady, keep trying... I can stand here ALLLLLLL day." Needless to say we spent a LOT of time walking in circles today.

Maybe I don't know when to pick my battles. When I ask for a trot I expect it. I'm not just going to give up because she's being a cranky pants. But to that end we spent a lot of wasted energy over what seemed like nothing. I did get two trots out of her... but only two when I asked probably about... say 400 times. I have such a hard time not being angry at her. Not that I'd ever hurt her but my first reaction is always wanting to yank her head around or exaggerate whatever I'm doing to let her know "I'M ANGRY." but I know it will do no good.

I do feel like I'm a fairly confident rider, but I feel like she may need a little more work then I am able to do on my own. That being said I don't have the money to put professional training into her. This month makes a year since I've had her. She came a long way FAST, but I feel like the past four months we've plateaued. She will walk all day for you, steer perfectly, stop on a dime, circle, OPEN GATES... but ask her to trot & holy hell it's the END of the world. The worst part is I know she knows EXACTLY what I'm asking for, she's just being stubborn because she's lazy & doesn't want to work. How do I fix stubborn? Hell I'm stubborn too but I still haven't grasped the art of making a thousand pound animal move when she's decided she is having NONE of it.

*sigh* Next time will be better, it always gets better. I do love her, more then anything! But she makes me CRAZY some days!

We're still alive

So monster pony & I are still alive and well. School/work/internship/thesis have had me SO busy I've had very little time to go out and ride. On the nights I do make it out it's usually getting too dark to tack up, so I've spent a lot of quality time grooming monster pony. She's getting better about standing still to be groomed when she's loose in her paddock now. She even let me pick up all four feet without running off. :) Although it seems like no matter how much I groom her, she's still NEVER clean. Not even a little bit.

*sigh* I can't wait until the Summer when I won't have class & all I have to do is go to work & play with my pony. Granted it will be 110 degrees... but I won't mind. I <3 her. I feel like I work work work for this horse I never even get to see anymore. Makes me a sad Becky. :(

Wonderful Weekend.

Well this weekend began with getting a call from the adoption agency, calling my birth mom, and spending ALL day Saturday meeting my birth family! It could not have been a more perfect experience, everyone was so wonderful! I also found out I have two sisters who are 18 & 5 and I got to meet both of them... seeing my 18 year old sister was like looking in a mirror, the whole experience was so surreal and incredible! I can't wait to take them out to the barn to meet Cheyenne & all the horsies! :)

I went out to the barn today to hang out with Chey for a bit. She was an absolute angel, and I certainly didn't deserve it after giving her a week off. She stood still to be groomed, didn't fidget or fuss to pick her feet (both of these are a BIG deal for miss antsy pants!) She took the bit the FIRST time without tossing or lifting her head (NEVER happens) & she stood still while I got on bareback (which most days is at least a 2 person job!) She was a SAINT. We rode bareback around the whole front of the barn- went to new areas, over tarps, under sheets, etc... she was perfect. Not sure if I've ever mentioned this here but I trained her to open gates- she pushes them open with her nose and then waits for the cue to walk through, and we opened quite a few gates today. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my pony?

I feel like so much of our time together is spent focusing too much on making her "get" something, or accomplish something new... today was just about us, hanging out, enjoying each other's company. There we no goals for our time together- just to enjoy ourselves. I think the true joy and beauty of horse ownership is so often forgotten when we focus too much on getting them to do this, or perfect that... we forget to just relax and enjoy this beautiful, powerful, absurdly compliant creature. Today was a breath of fresh air, a much needed reminder of why I pump thousands of dollars into this horse on a regular basis!

A Bond that Can't be Broken

So I got the craziest news today... I have two little sisters! (well, one is not so little- she's 18!)

Long story short, I was adopted when I was 8 months old. I contacted the attorney who handled my adoption 3 years ago, no word back. I decided to call again 2 weeks ago & got a call today saying she had already contacted my birthmother who gave the go-ahead to release her contact info to me. So I put on my big girl panties and mustered the courage to make the scariest phone call of my life...

Well it turned out to be the best phone call of my life also. My birth mom was SO down to earth, easy to talk to, funny... everything I could have hoped and more. I even got to talk to my 18 year old sister who looks like my TWIN... it's unbelievable! I also have a 5 year old sister who is absolutely precious as can be.

So as we got to talking I of course told her about Cheyenne. Would you believe it? The whole family is HORSE CRAZY! Turns out it's genetic, who knew?! My birthmom has been riding since she was 7 or 8 and my sister has been riding for a long time too. WOW! I'm going to meet them all tomorrow... hopefully I'll be able to take them out for a playdate at the barn soon too. :)

BEST.

DAY.

EVER!

Good News

Well the vet came out today and didn't need to lance Cheyenne's lump. (thank GOD... I would have passed out.) He said he thinks it's just a lump of scar tissue from the shot & that it should go away on its own. PHEW! He also pulled her coggins and gave her ALL of her vaccines... for under $100... WIN!

She is still being a snot about trotting. I'm thinking about putting her in an english saddle to see if it's possibly a saddle fit issue/pain thing... although I'm fairly certain her saddle fits correctly & she's just being a lazy brat.

I noticed one of the horses out @ the barn was acting pretty colicky... so I'm hoping she's ok! When I went to look at her she was BLACK from rolling so much in the dirt & when I approached she would NOT stand, so I knew something was definitely wrong. Kris called her mom out and she was still out there last I checked, so fingers crossed everything will be a. o.k.!