Where We're At, OTTB-Style

The coolest thing I've done lately. Look at him jump across!

I've been avoiding writing training posts because there is really nothing exciting about saying "well this week we started with trotting 20 meter circles in a consistent rhythm, then added in some bending. The next day we practiced doing some correct bend and counter bend. After that, we added in moving off both legs in correct and counter bend."

It's a little more interesting if I add "the moving-off-the-leg was a total shit show, but we ended up working through it". But yeah, still not super interesting. It's putting a basic foundation on a green horse and it's fully as dull to write about as it is critical to future success.

So instead, let's look at some fun videos of what we've been working on lately.

Super exciting flat work (I kid, it's boring as hell but it is an accurate reflection of where we're at):


  Courage does some wee baby jumping with me:



Courage does flying changes (first post-track!) and jumps with Lindsey up:



And then our jump video playing with a zig zag cross rails pattern:


See, I look at those videos and I have a hard time getting excited because all I see are things to work on and improve. I have to circle back around and remind myself that this is what our flat work looked like a year ago:



And this is some early "course work":

Build that neck!

So yes. It's easy for me to get hung up on how Courage isn't a finished show horse and everything we do leaves a lot to be desired, but I love these little progress checks to remind me that a year ago, my horse was fresh off the track and knew literally nothing. Our 20m circles are boring, sure, but he's balanced enough to do them now.

We maybe aren't jumping big giant jumps and blowing away our competition, but his courses are more complex. He understands the questions. He's balanced through the turns. He's learning and growing and improving and that is the whole freaking point.

Winning with Warhorses

Can a war horse do this? Yes. Yes he can.

I tell people that I like the thoroughbred war horses who've been there/done that on the track, but I didn't realize just how deep that ran. I was doing a little thoroughbred research recently and ran across some interesting info. Let's look at my horses.

Absolute Courage
You all know my little man as the blaze-faced sport horse that could. I knew him on the track and I knew he ran extensively. His equibase profile tells me that he ran 33 times, won two races, and had career earnings of $40,802.00. That's respectable, right? I mean, he's hardly a graded stakes winner, but he's a pretty classy horse and he ran 2007-2013 with one year off in the middle, so basically six years.

Always taking care of himself

Acuna
He's my beloved Hakuna Matata thanks to the helpfulness of show secretaries after he started his show horse career, but Cuna was no slouch on the track either. Again, equibase indicates that he ran 41 times and despite winning only once, he earned $25,747.00. He ran a mere 5 (!!) years, from 1997-2001. He wasn't a hugely successful racehorse, but he paid his bills.

Look what a wee young thing I was

Klasi Renee
I don't talk about her much on the blog, but this is the mare I leased and adored all through highschool. She evented, dressaged, jumped, showed, and taught me about being quiet and calm at all times lest we lose our brains completely. We had horrible disasters and we won giant trophies. I looked up her race record just for kicks. She ran 58 (!!!) times and won 9 races from 1994-1999. Despite those numbers, she ran at tracks that are maaaaybe a step up from bush league and only won $22,944.00.

Just Courage, winning a race

And those are just my horses. I certainly understand the mentality of wanting a young, barely started thoroughbred if you're trying to make it to the upper levels or something, but I'm not. I love horses and I love riding and I want to do 3'3" or maybe 3'6" jumpers. Maybe. Mostly I want a horse that's fun to be around, no matter what we're doing any given day. I want to jump and dressage and trail ride and chase cows and pony racehorses (not with Courage apparently) and do all the things.

The best at new careers

I guess it's because I'm something of an old soul myself, but these been there, done that types just speak to me. Whether it's because they've seen it all or because they hold up under high stress or because only a certain personality makes it that long on the track, I really can't tell you. I can tell you that every one I've met is a unique and cool in a very special sort of way. They maybe don't want to race anymore, but they are athletic and intelligent and like having a job.

They might not be for everyone, but they're definitely for me.

Teach Me Tuesday: Braiding

Also perhaps I am not the best at braiding.

I thought this was fun last time around, so let's do it again. Teach Me Tuesdays is where I bring up a topic I literally do not understand and just ask why. Or how. Or whatever. So let's get on with it.

What is the deal with braiding?

I don't get it, not one little bit.

I'm all for tidy hair. Manes must always only ever be perfect and tails are a work of art. . A pulled mane not only looks tidy, but also is safer because the rider's hands and reins don't risk becoming tangled in long, nasty hair.

Neckstraps are for when you pulled all the hair out holding on.

But then why do we stuff it into tiny little braids? I guess it sort of makes sense for horses with really bad hair that needs to be hidden, but who/what/why decided that all horses needed braids for things like jumping? Maybe I'm the only person who sometimes doesn't see a distance and just sort of kicks and grabs mane and hopes it all works out, but to me, having the mane handy in that situation seems like a REALLY FREAKING GOOD IDEA.

So explain it to me, because I really and truly don't get it. To my non-initiated self, it seems like an awful lot of work to achieve a look that doesn't actually make any practical sense and in fact might make it harder to ride.

Dark Day for the Blogospere

I want to write something fun and upbeat, but I just can't. I love the blog world for the friends we make and people we meet, and that means that when my friends experience loss, I cry with them.

The only Sugar

I was stunned last week to learn that Amy at A Work in Progress lost her sainted mare, Sugar. I loved tracking along with the two of them and I was a big time Sugar fan, especially after watching the video of their totally awesome cross country school together. Sugar was big and beautiful and kind and perfect for Amy and everything I loved in a horse and I hurt just thinking about how miserable Amy must be right now.

The indomitable Lex

And then my friend Jess over at Riding Rainbow has been facing a whole different tragedy--discovering that her beloved Lex is no longer able to handle a riding career. It's heartbreaking to watch them go through that. It's hard to even find words to deal with that kind of loss. Lex is here and yet not. My heart goes out to them, but there's nothing I or anyone can do.

Unforgettable Finn

And just to top off the weekend trifeca, Katie over at Young Dreams Eventing had to let go of her beloved Finn last Friday. It was too much. Finn was such a special horse--big and sweet and full of personality. He was Courage for Katie. When I heard the news, it felt like a punch in the gut. Finn was so young and full of life and I wasn't ready for that, not one little bit. I can't even imagine how Katie feels. Or rather, I can and it hurts way too much.


It's the double edged sword of loving these amazing creatures. They give us everything they have, but when they go, they take a huge chunk of us with them. I wish I had words for Amy, Jess, and Katie, but all I have is sympathy. I have been there and just thinking about it makes everything hurt all over again. My thoughts and prayers all with all of them right now.

Friday Pet Peeve: Retired, not Rescued

His noble self

While chatting with a social acquaintance, I mentioned that Courage came off the track.

"Oh you rescued him," the lady said.

"No. I bought him."

"Yes, but he came off the track. I have another friend and she rescues horses off the track too."

Because I generally aim not to be a jackass (high achiever, what can I say), I didn't light into the lady and force her to see my point of view. If I had it to do over again though, I think I'd be a little more clear with her.

"Rescue" situations involve malnourished or abused animals being seized by the state or surrendered by the owners due to a lack of ability to properly care for the animal, whatever the reason.

Courage was most certainly not a rescue. Cuna wasn't. My OTTB mare in highschool wasn't either. All three of them were really classy horses. All three have excelled in their second careers. All three were clean, in good weight, well cared for and ready for a new career. (We'll talk another day about my thing for war horses. Not even kidding.)

Pre-race shenanigans

Because Courage is the one I was actually involved with, let's look at him. As we all know, he is one really classy looking horse. He has a phenomenal brain. He has a cute face. He had great connections who cared about him. There was no question of my little man ending up in a good place.

I was just lucky enough that I got to be that good place for him.

Just as you'd be personally insulted if someone bought a horse from you and claimed to "rescue" it, race trainers are insulted when people do it to them.

So it kind of annoys me when people automatically assume that all OTTBs were somehow "rescued". Some are, sure. So are quarter horses. Arabs. Warmbloods. You name, people abuse it. That's not a good thing, but it is a thing we have to deal with since we are all Grown Adults.

Let's call it like it is. Courage was in a great program and in possibly the best shape of his life. When it wasn't what he wanted to do anymore, his trainer found him a new life that would suit him better.

EBR Absolute Courage

That's why I was very specific when I ordered Courage's custom leather halter (because of course it is).

It's all the rage in event world to credit the breeders or trainers of some pretty great horses. Courage didn't come through the Fernhill system, but I wanted to memorialize the incredible work that Eugene Burns Racing put into making Absolute Courage the horse he is today.

I didn't rescue him. I also don't see the time he spent on the track as something bad or to be ashamed of. I'm proud of Courage, proud of his heritage, and happy to show it off.

Oh, and I should totally tell you some racetrack stories one of these days. He wasn't all goodness and sweetness...

Confidence and Time. Again.

Look who's growing neck muscles!

I know I've talked on her ad nauseum about confidence. Rider confidence, horse confidence, jumping confidence, all that stuff. You're probably sick and tired of hearing about it, but here I am again.

I know I talked about how our deerleaping lesson in May derailed Courage's confidence and it took a long time to get it back. I haven't really talked about what it did for me. Honestly, it put me right back where I was after my wreck with my mare.

Work that sexy trot

It's so frustrating to deal with confidence issues just because they're not necessarily logical and you can't really just power through them. Until you address the actual, real physical fear you're facing, you can't move forward.

At least I've been here before, I guess, so I made some different choices this summer. I put Redheadlins in the tack for several jumps sessions. We did baby grid work and then even more baby grid work. I know when my confidence is totally shot and I know that sometimes I need Courage to be bvrave enough (or at least broke enough) for both of us. I've definitely been putting in the flat work miles, and it does show.

I like this.

Which brings us back around to jumping, since I have zero interest in a dressage career. (Dear god. The boredom.) It's actually kind of great to have Prisoner around for this part, just because it takes all the pressure off of me and the gerbils in my brain.

At this point, I know I can ride well. I know my horse can jump well. That's not the problem. The problem is that when I see a "big" (totally relative term) jump, my brain immediately freezes and goes "DEER LEAP OF DEATH AND BROKEN BONES AND PAIN AND NO NO NO". You could argue it's not a logical response, but A) it kind of is, given my history, and B) it's my response. Logic is irrelevant to a discussion of fear.

How great does my horse look?

So instead of trying to just power through, I'm breaking it down. Courage and I spent last week doing little cavalettis. Today, I set a course of ridiculously tiny Prisoner-appropriate jumps. They all looked so tiny even to me that I was totally comfortable booting Courage over them if he decided to be naughty.

And we jumped them. Over and over. It was good--I got to work on my ride and my position and he just toodled along like he can do over teeny jumps.

I can be brave over this right now.

It is so frustrating to be back in this rut, but I can't focus on that. I'm at square one, building up calm, positive experiences so I can move forward. It's not about my horse and what he's capable of. It's about our partnership, learning, growing, and having fun together.

The best at taking his time.

I don't want to jam myself and my horse around a 3' course and be terrified. I'd far rather jump 2'6" (or 2') and have a brilliant time. The height will come with confidence. The confidence comes from experience. The experience comes from time.

I guess it's a mixed blessing that I can't afford to his the lesson/show circuit--I can just jump my tiny fences and then raise them when I'm comfortable. Take away the pressure, and I know I can do this.

Just give me time.

Hair Products in the Wild, Wild West

He is the best at trying out products

Beka over at The Owls Approve got me thinking about my hair care routine for Courage the other day. I usually just spray his tail down with water when it looks dirty and put showsheen in about once a week to keep it brushable. He has a nice barbie tail coming in, so I like to play with it and keep it tidy.

The routine works for me, but I'll be the first to admit that it's a pretty minimalist approach. I was willing to try something else out.

Beka was talking about the many benefits of coconut oil. My line of thought was this:
"My MIL gave me some of that.
I don't like cooking with it because it smells like coconuts.
LET'S PUT IT IN HIS HAIR!!!!"


Noted: I am informed that coconut oil can also be used on people. Given that I don't like the smell of coconuts and my idea of a skin care routine is applying sunscreen in the summer, I never really pursued that idea.

This is what I used

So. I carefully re-read Beka's instructions on how to apply coconut oil, because there were no instructions on the jar.

I gave Courage a full bath, including a deep clean of his mane and tail.

I then meticulously worked the coconut oil into his tail, starting at the top and working my way down. I massaged it all the way in to the roots and down through the skirt of his tail.

Before. Note attractive rubs from fly sheet.

I don't love the smell, but I really enjoyed the process.

After. Such a pretty tail.

At the end, I had a beautiful, shiny tail. Courage was pretty well dry by then, so I turned him out on his big grassy pasture.

When I came back to check him the next morning, I was excited to see what the results of letting the oil soak in overnight would be. I had visions of silken hair blowing like a shampoo model...











And it was disgusting. Dry, dusty, filthy. It felt worse than some scrub horse who's lived on the range for the past few years.

Unrelated picture of how cute my horse is lately

Seriously, his tail has never felt that nasty. Ever. My theory is that the oil just doesn't do well in our dry, western environment. I didn't even take an after picture because it was too horrible.

I hauled him back to the wash rack and ran the hose on his tail for several minutes. It looked like chocolate milk running out of his hair. Yuck. So gross. (And I even like chocolate milk.)

I washed his tail again with full strength shampoo and then used one of my favorite cream rinses and then showsheened his tail again.

Also unrelated. Also cute.

It's pretty well back to normal now. My theory is that the desert is just too dusty for the oil treatment to work, even if it sounds like a really good idea online. The showsheen must help keep the dust off a bit, because his tail is so much better now.

I am still interested in mixing up the hair care routine a bit. After all that day dreaming about shampoo commercial hair, it seems like I might as well try something else... Plus there's a sale at the tack store this weekend. Stay posted!

Teach Me Tuesday: Liniment

Only the best for my little guy

It's time for Teach Me Tuesday! There are many aspects of the horse industry that are simply lost on me. I'm not saying they're right or wrong or good or bad, I just don't understand them and I would like to.

This week, I want to know about liniment. I see lots of bloggers talk about it. I know it has widespread use throughout disciplines in the horse industry. I know lots of people like it. I assume that horses don't mind it, but I have nothing to base that on other than an assumption that if horses didn't like it, than well-meaning owners wouldn't use it.

Does this face need liniment? Does liniment go on faces?

Here's the thing. I grew up in a nice barn that was focused on horse care and training, but rarely touched on the finer points of life. To this day as a mid-twenties sometime-competitor, I have never used liniment. I occasionally pick it up off the shelf at the tack store and say "Hey, other bloggers like this", but I never progress to actually purchasing it because the whole thing is a big question mark to me.

I literally do not know what it is for or why people use it or what it is.

Do you use liniment? Why? Would it be beneficial to Courage if I were to actually buy myself some and start using it? What does it do?

A Progression in Jumping

The best at no hands. Both of us.

It is the last day of July, otherwise known as "the month of no lessons". Everything sort of conspired together and while I've had lots of help on the ground and in the saddle from redheadlins and Alyssa, I haven't just straight up taken a lesson since sometime last month. That launches my overachiever self into a fairly annoying tail spin of feeling like I can't accomplish anything, especially when it co-ordinates with my horse deciding that grids need to be attacked in new and creative ways.

So instead of a super boring wrap up of Wednesday's ride and how I didn't feel like doing anything and just trotted around the field and did some cavaletti and then realized that good rides really are good for the soul, let's look at where Courage is at jumping-wise. Over the past year! Because yes, I do have that many pictures. You should know that by now, even if you started reading my blog yesterday.

August 2013, just a couple weeks off the track

September 2013. Keeping things small while he figures it out.

October 2013. Getting the idea while it gets cold.

November 2013. Learning to launch.

March 2014. Wild world when your body feels good.

April 2014. He's getting it...

...nope. April 2014.

May 2014. First time in a grid.

And second time. May 2014.

June 2014. Lunging and flatwork.

Lots of lunging. June 2014.

July 2014. The things we make our friends do.

July 2014. Looking good.

It's easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing (ahem, REBECCA FARM) and feel down on myself for not having my horse at that level yet, but he really is making steady forward progress. So yeah, it's not always exciting and cool and photogenic and I don't really feel like a badass when I break grids down to their most basic elements and just practice trotting through them. 

Calm and jumping across=win

More important than chasing the high of bigger jumps and harder combinations is the boring day-to-day of letting Courage understand what all this new job entails so that he actually can step it up and be the best at it. It's not sexy, but it's what he needs. 

To an 18' placing pole. That's how we make it easy.

Words to Live By

Looking like we could be cover girls for a training book

I'll just be upfront here and say I have a hard time digesting large blocks of text in training books. To me, riding and training is incredibly application based and the best sounding theory in the world is worthless if it doesn't work for your horse. There's also a hearty helping of "the best theory in the world isn't useful if you don't know how to apply it."

That said. I like to pick up training snippets and actively apply them to my work with Courage.I don't take as many lessons as I'd like due to being poor-ish, but I love to watch and learn and cherry pick what I can apply. My favorite snippets of late:

Forward. That is where we're going.

1) Horses react very quickly, but think very slowly. 

It's so basic and obvious and true. I like to let this phrase shape the way I interact with Courage on a day to day basis. Yes, he can get himself out of trouble in a hurry, but that doesn't mean he's LEARNING anything other than a basic fear response. Move slowly towards goals--he has to figure things out at his own speed. 

Funky left arm move as I give the inside rein.

2) Give a little. 

I audited an Allison Springer clinic recently and this was a game changer. I swear she almost choked because she said it so often, but with each rider, she was driving home the point that horses learn from a release of pressure, so give IMMEDIATELY when the horse even thinks about doing the right thing. Most of the really exuberant/naughty behavior Allison deals with is all about the horse trying to find that release of pressure. 

Long and low enough for an uphill horse

Little snippets like these are easy to keep in my head and cross apply into my day-to-day training. It's amazing how much easier the whole training process is when you start with the horse's perspective and put everything in a framework that makes sense to them. 

Anybody else? What specific ideas do you keep in mind when working with your horse?