Last weekend Arwen and I went to the Cowboy Dressage Clinic at the Horseman's Word Ranch in Uxbridge. Don Halladay was the instructor and he helped us understand what is involved and the correct way to ride the test. We practiced Saturday and Sunday we rode 2 tests. It was really helpful and certainly gave me a better idea of what is expected and how you take movements and then put them all together for a test. Lots to learn and the point of Cowboy Dressage is that the horse is always to be considered first. It is not about winning or losing. It is about communicating with your horse and doing your best and riding with a soft feel.
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If you have horses injuries are bound to happen at some point. No matter how careful or how safe you think your horses are one day they are going to get hurt.
Riva got a large scrape on the back of her right hind leg in March when we had all that nasty mud. It was infected before I even saw it. So she was on antibiotics for 7 days then trying to keep injury clean and get it to heal. That was easier said than done and eventually she had to be bandaged and after trying several different things we finally got the original injury healing. BUT......at the time of the injury she had also damaged her tendon. Not good at all. She was very lame and now on stall rest. Time passed and we did an ultra sound about 6 weeks ago. There was still unhealed tendon and some heat. More stall rest walking and grazing. Finally we think the heat is gone although a ump still remains from the cut but not heat. I don't believe it is May 1st already. Time has passed by so quickly. We have not had a good month. Arwen had mud fever from all the horrible mud we had so she had to stay inside until the mud dried up some. Then Riva got hurt and she had to go inside. Arwen is back outside 24/7 and happy to be out there. For awhile she was coming in at night and going out in the daytime. Unfortunately staff were having a hard time catching her. She has been a bit more challenging to catch and now they are out on the grass so I am doing some undemanding time and scratching, brushing and catch release in the hopes that helps her feel more confident allowing me to catch her.
Riva is still indoors with her injury. Hopefully she will be better shortly. Clinics are approaching and if I want to enter the virtual Cowboy dressage show we have to have our entries in by May 31. So we have lots to play with this month. Hope the weather improves. Well we made it. Finished our 30 rides and 40 hours of horsemanship in the 12 week Northwood Farms Challenge. We got in just in time with our last ride on the Saturday before the midnight deadline. I had thought I would have till the end of the month but no it was 12 weeks...not 3 months. We did run into some difficulties with a week of lameness and lack of time upon occasions.
It is interesting to actually keep a log of how much time you really spend with your horse and actually riding your horse. It might be an eye opener to log the time. When you think of it , 40 hours is the same amount of time I spend at work in one week and this 40 hours is divided over 12 weeks. So our horse time is really limited and what do our horse do during the rest of the time we are not there to interact with them? Well of course they hang out with their friends and eat and sleep and hang out with their friends more. . Then we show up and ask for all sorts of things. We expect an awful lot from our horses in the small amount of time we invest in their lives. It is no wonder that people have difficulties with their horse relationships. Hopefully with retirement coming up within the next few months I will be able to spend more time with the horses and be able to expect more partnership. Looking forward to that. :) Well it is almost at the end of the time period for the Northwood Farms Horsemanship Challenge. You have to accumulate 30 rides and 40 hours of horsemanship to complete the Challenge. This has to be done in 12 weeks. Arwen and I have done 25 rides so far and if we ride tomorrow it will be 26. That leaves us 4 more rides. We have 42 hours of horsemanship so we are good there. Although I do ride most days when I go to the barn sometimes when the weather is not as comfortable or the arenas are busy with lessons I tend to play. The challenge has prompted me to make sure that I rode even if we could only walk outside on the frozen ground, Today we had a canter and she listened to me and cantered when I asked and didn't speed off as she sometimes does so I think the extra rides and horsemanship has improved our relationship. So lets hope that next Saturday night I will be writing that I have completed the challenge!
March 1st! It was probably in the month of March or April that I began riding many years ago. I know it was colder and muddy. I fell off into the mud and on ice but that didn't deter me and I am still at it. :) I didn't stay small to ride ponies for to many years. Prince, the pony in the picture was one of my favorites. He was such a good boy. We learned to ride bareback and had to graduate to a saddle as we improved. Although I wonder if it was a lack of pony saddles that prompted that. It did teach me to have an independent seat though and to stick with most things.
We always had to wear helmets. I grew up wearing a helmet and never felt right without one on a horse. Today helmets are much better made and protect your head more than they ever did. Have fun this summer and never forget your helmet.. Well I am at 15 rides for the Northwood Farms Horsemanship Challenge and have 32 hours and 24 minutes logged of time I have spent exclusively with Arwen. It is interesting that we just don't notice actually how much time we really do spend with our horses. I think that I don't spend enough time and expect to much for to little input in my horses life. Once I began playing with and riding Arwen my time with Riva went down . I see that lack of time reflected in her behavior and co-operation with things I ask her to do. She likes to come in for food and grooming and does not mind the weekly ride or two I try and get on her but she is not nearly as partner like as she was previously. Hope I can find more time to spend with her once the Challenge is over.
We have been doing some fun things all together. Riva and Arwen are learning to do the circle game together, walk with me together and stop and back up all at the same time. I'll post a video when we progress more in that area. :) I am also helping another horse and human to gain confidence. That is very enjoyable to see progress and confidence building. We are well into February now and this weekend is the coldest of the winter so far. It is -17 at this moment. I think you know you are horse addicted when you still go to the barn no matter what the weather. I'll bring them in and groom and maybe play on the ground for a short period. It is way to cold for much else. Dress warm!
Exciting news! Last week I got my new saddle.!! Last November I ordered a Parelli Carry Me saddle and took the Circle Y to be sold on consignment. I just got tired of having a saddle I could barely carry and was hard to lift onto the horse. I didn't use it so it was time for it to go! I want to put the saddle on gently not have it land with a thump on their backs. So far I am enjoying it.. It fits both of them and is comfortable to ride in. They both like it. I can use it for Cowboy Dressage. We just need a new cinch. It is a hybrid , no horn, leather and fabric. That is why it is lighter. I find it comfortable and feel secure in it. Arwen spooked the other day when a pigeon flew up in front of her face and I never moved at all in the saddle. :) So far in the Northwood Farms Horsemanship Challenge I am at ride 10 with 23 hours of horsemanship time. It is hard to get everything in when you work and have other obligations. There are lots of folks with way more rides in and some with less. It is not a competition, its about taking the time and spending the time . It's interesting how little time we spend even though it seems like we have spent lots. When you look at how much time your horse spends with his friends or in the stall the time we spend is pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of his or her life. Looking towards retirement so we can spend more time together. Think of how we can improve our relationships when we have more time. :D I hope I can complete the rides 20 more to go. I know I'll get the 40 horsemanship hours in. The weather is not being cooperative at this point. Hard to believe I rode outside both days last weekend. So stay warm folks. Time for lots of clothes today. The month of December was a busy one so I had very little time for websites and updates. November 30th I moved my Mother into Long Term Care and then had to clean out her room at the assisted living residence. That took up quite a bit of time but all has settled now. She is doing well in her new surroundings and I can relax again after the move. I am happy with the facility and the staff, they are very caring competent people and we still can go out for lunches and shopping weekly.
I did find time for the horses and have started on a new challenge with Arwen. It is called the Northwood Farm Horsemanship Challenge and you sign up and challenge yourself to do 40 horsemanship hours and 30 rides in 12 weeks with 1 horse. It did look like fun so I signed up and joined 1150 or more others participating in the challenge. They even have a phone app so you can track your hours. Riva is doing well and keeping relatively sound. I mostly play with her at liberty and maybe we can finish our L4 liberty. that would be nice. Arwen is doing well and being co-opertative most of the time, allowing me to walk up close to her then ask her to come to me so I can halter her. I am hoping to find some time in the new year to resume playing with Squeek the mini. She is out with the herd now and happy. She turns 2 or 3 this year. Tonight I signed up for the Horse Behavior and Safety program with Equine Guelph. It is not a free course, $75. but I am sure it will be interesting. So this is how I am starting off my 2016 Horsemanship year. I hope it will be a good one. Last month I found a Canadian website offering a Western Style Dressage Association. I thought that looked interesting as I have been reading about Cowboy Dressage from the US. So they offer virtual shows. That sounded interesting as well. I thought I might enter this months show but.....now I have investigated more about it I find that I really need to spend some time learning how to do this and getting ready for it, even if it is just a virtual show. So I have put off my videoing ideas for now and am planning to learn more. Decided I needed to change my saddle as the one I have does just not fit that well on either horse. So that's my plan. Figure out the arena size and get myself some letters to practice with and hopefully by the spring I can have some tests taped to enter in 2016.
The great things about this association is that they encourage people to wear helmets when mounted for their test. I was wondering about that. The saddle you use does not have to have a horn but it must be a western style saddle. I can do that one. So more on the progress on this later. What possessed me to think that I could just join and then be ready to show in a month! Yikkes..... |