Life in the Death Haze

I'm lucky I don't live in the parts of the US that are being wrecked by hurricanes, however, I do live in the part that's drowning in smoke from burning something in excess of a million acres this fire season alone. It's basically like living inside a chain smoker's lungs.

don't you seen the downtown skyline? the mountains? i swear they're over there

Like.

The sun doesn't rise.

The smoke just gets a lil brighter.

And since neither I nor Zoe wants to die of emphysema, we've been exploring things to do that don't involve increased respiration.

so round!!

Toodling is always on the agenda. Bareback toodling, even. I can say we're being productive and working on my balance and staying in the middle while building trust and developing Zoe's walk/halt/walk transitions.

Or I can be real and say while those things may apply, I'm loving every minute of having a cool baby mare that I can just pop on bareback with no prep and toodle with.

she's getting a bridle a month at this rate. 

And this is me we're talking about, so naturally there was some very-appropriate tack shopping.

(Me: I need to spend less money.
Me: I will not buy a specialty saddle for a baby horse.
Also me: HEY THATS A GREAT DEAL)

I'll do a better write-up when things arrive. Promise. The stress shopping has been a bit... intense?

Cough.

And.

My smoke will go on, or what have you.

Which is why we took another day to keep it low key and play in the previously spooky indoor arena.


Question: what do smooshy noses not go on?

Total Eclipse of the Zoebird

Zoe's barn is at 99.6% totality for yesterday's eclipse. My plans to go north to 100% fell through, so I was at the barn watching with my best girl instead.

I know animals are smarter than people about not staring at the sun but I couldn't be too careful with Ms. ZB.

GLASSEZ R 2 SMAL

WUT R THAT

MUCH BETTER K THX

It was pretty cool--the temperature dropped ten degrees and it got darkish and we sun the sun snakes.

new fav pic of trainer

So much for theories of animals going berserk or whatever. None of the horses or barn cats cared at all. 

IS A ZOZO BIRD

I knew I could count on animals to have good sense. 

cool light!

I look forward to seeing the photos from yesterday's event--such a cool time to be alive.

El Nino and Survival Mode

As some of you might be aware, it's an El Nino year. While that has meant tropical temps and late blooming flowers on the east coast, it has translated to an enormous amount of water here.

On the one hand, we need the water. On the other hand, this is the desert and we're not good at handling it.

ON THE THIRD HAND, NOW IT'S ALL FROZEN.

Snow. Ice. Cold. Grossness.

What that has translated to on a horsey front is not overly desirable. Turnout has been limited at best--we're at a busy facility with a lot of horses on not a lot of land, so in an effort to preserve grazing, the horses just don't go out when it's wet and gross.

Look, from a land management perspective, I get it. Even from a horse management perspective--I really don't need Courage soaking his feet in the mud.

But from a brain management perspective, it's been really, really difficult. My usually brave, level headed (if opinionated) horse has turned into a legit climbing-the-walls losing-his-marbles monster.

this is a thing now

So instead of working towards our riding goals and building a solid foundation, we've been tackling survival mode. Neither of us needs to get hurt or mad. We just have to figure out how to get through this until life becomes a little more normal.

I keep reminding myself that slowing down/taking time off really never hurt anyone. I have to repeat that about 8792 times a day, especially as I watch Courage do things like this:

WHEEEEEEEEE

WHEEEEEEEEE

WHEEE wait what he can do this on his own now????

Huh. It's obviously not all bad. I can't blame to guy for needing to move around, I'm really quite a big advocate for giving stiff/sore horses time off, and ummmmmmm did anyone else notice how my horse learned to stretch down on his own?

Yeah, he did. I mean. He can stretch under saddle just fine, but it's a new thing for him to offer big stretches in his free time. So that's cool.

And there's other things too. When we're spending non-riding time together, I see stuff like this:

redecorating

Mr Personality

I'm so used to the OPINIONS I HAZ THEM side of Courage under saddle and trust me, while entertaining, it's also a PITA. Watching them on the ground just cracks me up. This horse oozes ATTITUDE and I'm loving getting to appreciate it without riding through it.

Ok, loving is a slight exaggeration. I really miss riding and I REALLY want to work towards goals and all that, but until we're ready to get back in the swing of things, this isn't all bad.

he sure does look good in tack

3 Awesome Things About My Entire State Burning Down

1. Epic smoke/dust+sunrise pictures

That's all I've got.

Really.

Unless you count considering taking up smoking so I at least get some sort of buzz out of wrecking my lungs.

Someone remind me what rain feels like? Does it still do that out there?

ERMEGERD RIDING

As I've complained about at length, it's been frozen hard here, then there was the melting/snowing/flooding problem.

Then we had epic winds for about 12 hours.

So beautiful

And then?

The arena dried up and my BO was able to work it for the first time this year. It was lovely.

Ears and sun and 50f!!

The little dude had taken advantage of the weather and galloped himself into a lather in the field, so I figured we didn't need a lunge or anything. Plus he is a rockstar.

I hopped on and off we went.

We did some walk/halt/walk stuff to get him listening to my leg. I tried to focus on keeping my heels down and thumbs up. Maybe someday, right?

I asked him to step up to the trot and was completely blown away. Instead of giraffing and tensing up his underline, the little man kept his body relaxed and stepped right up into the tot.

Looking oh so balanced

Hot damn.

I love this horse.

Then I just rode around the arena announcing to everyone that they had to look at how cute he was. I couldn't even believe it. Last year, we struggled a lot with him feeling behind my leg even when my eyes on the ground would tell me he was going forward.

This year?

he's my badass ottb jumper

Yeah. That 12 weeks off was good to him. Whatever lingering body soreness he had to work though must be gone, because he felt AMAZING. Forward, fluid, responsive. LOVE.

We kept is short, but he gave me some really quality work at the trot and canter. He was stretching down, stepping underneath himself, and trying hard to remember how to move off my leg.

We actually trotted a lot, but I like the canter shots

We had a lovely, wonderful canter on both leads. We stood in the middle and took pictures of the other horse going around. I tightened my girth from the saddle.

I've been dealing with a lot of stress lately, and this was just the perfect antidote. My little man did me proud and I'm still smiling about it.

It's been a long, rough winter, but this is why I dump all the blood, sweat, tears, and dollars into a horse--moments like this when the troubles of the world just fade away from a few glowing moments in the saddle. I'm so glad to be riding again.

Don't believe me? Here's a quick video of how cute he was!

Winter

Too cute! 

We're hopefully at the tail end of a deep freeze that started the weekend of Thanksgiving and curtailed all horse activities. The boys are doing well.

Cuna is in his hoof boots and off his pain meds now. He's doing better than expected, but it's still very day to day.

Too cute! 

Courage is wrapped up in a heavy with a liner. I took this pic before we got inundated with snow.

I do think he's reconsidering his new lifestyle choice. His race trainer is in Phoenix, which is hella warmer than here.

What can a guy do?

Anyways. Super busy on my end. Hoping to get some new posts up soon!

Fun and Pictures

Ok, first things first. Y'all should go to Riley's blog and enter the amazing sweet contest. If you're poor like me from having two horses, guess what? You can make two entries! I've sent in my first entry, but need a suitable picture for the second. It's super fun and the prizes are incredible. Check it out!!

Adorable rockstar

Second things second: due to it apparently now being fall, Mr Courage debuted his fist blanket since I've owned him.

How can a snuggly warm horse not just make you happy? He was pefectly quiet about the whole thing and not the least bit concerned. I did halter him to put it on, since you just never know.

Now I know. Rockstar. As usual.





I have a list of blog posts to write this week (hello review time), but I just wanted to share some fun shots today.

We are trying out a new saddle and I am practicing jumping with my butt staying out of the saddle on the back side so that he can use his hind end effectively.

What can I say? Defensive habits die hard. Those of you who were around last fall remember that I was working on this same concept with Cuna before... well, the shit storm that was this year.

Why jump when you can trot?

Regardless, we are making progress and the little dude was great.

Also once I got out of the saddle, he got really bored of wee cross rails. He's totally got the idea of jumping now, so there is no funny wiggliness to the fence, but he wasn't impressed enough to do more than trot over them after the first try.

First time over the wee x

Onwards and upwards! This week I plan to move the jumps to new places in the arena and make the crossrails more impressive. Maybe we'll get really crazy and jump some tiny verticals if I can get my position under control and my stirrups short enough.

Sure is fun having things to work towards and seeing actual progress. I feel like we're squeezing as much in as possible before the weather totally nosedives. Everyone else loving fall?

Pictures!!

Despite the threatening clouds and sometimes pouring rain, Alyssa of Four Mares, No Money came out yesterday to get some shots of our fancy baby thoroughbreds.

We focused on flatwork, and I was really pleased with what Courage gave me. Without further ado...

Walking in the rain

We saddled up in a hurry to avoid an incoming rain storm, but somehow ended up in the middle of it. Regardless, Courage is flexing his poll and walking forward.

Trotting like a hunter

I'm not asking him to be round and come on the bit at this point. I just want him to carry his head like a horse and give to the bit.

He improves in leaps and bounds every ride.









He's trying to figure his new life out, so he does offer some really nice stretches, but they aren't consistent or into the contact yet. It will come with time. I'm just glad he's thinking about it all.

On a loose rein

 In the canter, I don't worry about contact right now. I just want him going forward in a good balance and carrying himself. I'm starting to add in circles and ring figures to test his balance.

Ready for the jumper ring

There was an incident with a galloping horse in the pasture that I was worried he'd be distracted by. I thought the best way to keep it from becoming a problem was by redirecting his energy and asking for a downward transition to trot.

Instead, he dropped his croup and gave me the cutest little collected canter through the short side of the arena. I'm still in shock.

Like a pleasure horse

Even though we don't work on his frame at the canter at all, our work in the walk and trot is paying off. He's experimenting with carrying his head lower and working through his back.

Again, it's all on a long rein and his frame/contact is inconsistent right now, but I love that he's experimenting to see what I'm looking for.

Using that neck.

The more I look at his canter shots, the more I think that I just plain need to spend time in the canter. It allows him to use his body very well. I'm thinking I need to mix it in throughout the whole workout and see how much it helps him.








We trotted over our tiny pile of poles again, but the little man has totally got it now. I love that he's landing in the canter (on the correct lead), with one ear on me and one looking where he's headed. What a good boy.













His trot isn't dressage ready and it shouldn't be. 

That said, he's taking steps in the right direction and it is so fun to be along for the ride. I can't believe how much he's improved in just the last week. What a star.

Hullo friend

Alyssa was one of our partners in crime at the track, so Courage remembers her as the girl that brought him giant buckets of grain (and took home one of his friends).

After our ride was over, he was pretty cute about coming to see her and insisting that she pet him. Even when she tried to walk away, he followed her around the arena.





The result? Super cute closeups.



I love his relaxed posture and kind eye in this shot. Plus his face is just so darn cute.















And this one is beautiful. So thoughtful and strong. He looks like a fancy dressage horse.














But this one has to be my favorite.

Winter Activities

I know I haven't done many updates on what the Cunafish and I are up to. Guess why.

Because we have done nothing. After three straight weeks of highs in the single digits (Fahrenheit), we got snow dumped on us, which then melted. Then massive amounts of rain on top of the melted snow, all of which froze solid and we got another snow on top.

At that point, I said, "Snow on top of ice=TRACTION!!! Let's go for a ride.

So we did.

It only worked because Cuna is officially the Best Horse Ever. He always takes care of Cuna first and he never loses his mind or does silly things. At one point, I nearly had heart failure because I realized we were literally in the middle of a huge sheet of ice with a couple inches of snow on top with no actual grit or dirt to help him.

He just calmly walked along.

Love him.

We did have one day post massive snow pre-torrential rains where the arena was quite nice. I braided Cuna's mane to get it respectable again and we had a lovely dressage ride.

I even got to work on my sitting trot a little, since he was so lovely and connected. :)







After the ride, I checked and he had slobbers! So huge for us. Given that he doesn't like dressage and I have no ambition to change that, we don't push to had here usually.

Except as it benefits our jumping, or course. The more we jump, the more concentrated our flatwork is.

We haven't been jumping. Not really a safe "on a sheet of ice" activity.


When it was really and truly unride-able, even for Cuna, we played dress up. I snagged another client's five point breastplate and tried it on Cuna. I think he looks pretty great.

We didn't actually ride in it due to the aforementioned sheet of ice.






Now, due to the temperatures interacting with the water and all, we've been having some pretty intense fog. The fog keeps the sun from shinning enough to melt all the ice and let the arena drain.

Cuna and I have been merrily riding in our foggy slush lake in the afternoons. We don't trot much, but it is SO GOOD to be back in the saddle.

This winter can go die in a hole. Seiously. 2nd coldest January ever here. Hope February is better.

I can't be the only one without an indoor. Anyone else still trying to ride through this sort of crap?

Surprise!

Snow!! I don't think it was even in the forecast, but we got maybe half an inch of white fluffies. The ground didn't even really freeze, so we still get to ride outside today. Win!

It's in the mid forties now and the snow is mostly gone, which is ok with me.

We're gearing up to go to HITS in Thermal in less than two weeks, so I got to set jumps and adjust tack (and take some pictures!) instead of just race about madly. Don't get me wrong--I love racing about madly, but I also love watching.

Here's Steph jumping Ms Tatiana. I think they are doing the "ridiculously high jumpers that are not grand prix" or some such class. I'm sure you all envy me the task of keeping the white mare clean. ;-)

And a cute picture of the red man hanging out in the snow.

I rode him during a jumping lesson today. The lessoner was jumping like 3'+ and looking fabulous, but I kept thinking that if they'd just put the jumps down a couple holes, he and I could do it. I'm campaigning for a lesson tomorrow. It's pretty weird for me (you know, the scared AA) to be wishing for jumps, so I think this feeling needs to be capitalized upon.

Also. I'm planning a Cuna-man dress up day. Hopefully Saturday. We have all kinds of fun toys, plus he's a different color than Izzy so her stuff will look different on him. What else can you expect from a tack whore, really?