Driving Lesson #10: WHY??

Wow back behind the horse again and was she gassy! Now that I can ride as much as I want, I am doing driving lessons again. After all I can't drive without my trainer, I have nothing to drive except for the horse. Well sort of, I think we have worked out a plan, but she will won't be mine until the end of the month if I can scrounge up the money and she isn't sold as part of a team.

So I got out there early and started grooming Corrie. I love this part of getting to know a horse. She has dapples. Her blaze as two little points on either side. She needs a good bath to see what her legs really looks like, socks or just lighter. All the little swirls and cow licks on her face. Those are the little things that when I notice I think, I wonder who else knows that Corrie has a long cow lick in the middle of her face? I just feel that much closer to her.

I had her all groomed and harnessed up. R rush in through after another lesson. As I was getting her into the shafts, with a bit of difficulties, he ran out again. He was in and out but felt that as I had every thing under control, this was just something that Corrie and I had to work out for ourselves. We did. When he came back she was standing calmly in the shafts, nice and centered.

It was a beautiful day to drive! Sun shined down on us without excess heat. Very little wind. Just a nice day to drive down the road, discussing the ins and outs of driving, riding, and life in general. I guess that is one reason that I like to drive. Instead of needing a horse for every person, one horse can be shared by many. Like sitting at booth in a restaurant, chit chatting about life while sipping on coffee, driving has the same relaxed feeling.

Well it can be relaxing unless you have someone next to you asking you why you do everything you do. EVERYTHING, "Why did you do that?" "What was that supposed to accomplish?" I love that question when what I meant to accomplish really didn't work. Oh that was sarcasm if it didn't come through clearly enough. And I pay for this! This is all meant a bit tongue in cheek. I really do learn a lot about why I do what I do and why I should not do some of the things I do. I leave and think. I tend to get wrapped up in thoughts anyway, so these questions make me ponder the ins and outs of riding/driving.

Today I was feeling a bit frustrated. First of all Corrie was being a bit sluggish. Not uncommon for her but we are working through that. But R was making me think a bit outside the box to get her moving, as well as wondering why I wanted her to move out a bit more. Not that he didn't think she should be a bit more forward, but I have to think about why.

At the same time, since we are not always on the road, I have to think about keeping her at a gait I choose, not letting her trot just because the terrain got uneven or she sees a lawn mower over at the church. Not to mention keeping the reins even over uneven terrain. So she accidentally slips up into the trot, grrr. Response, "you knew at least three stride before hand that she was going to trot." Well yes I did, but. . . What this really tells me is that R holds me to a high standard, and that is good. But grr anyway, because I get frustrated with myself when I am not doing as well as I think I should.

Now to be fair, I did a lot of things right, we got Corrie better at stepping out and worked on transitions. She seems to have an odd lawn mower fetish, she is not scared of them, but really interested in them. I think she is jealous that they are eating grass when she has to work. Looking all around her is another thing I am trying to correct and as smart as Corrie is, she is a mare. I love that about her. She is not hot, but she is not simple.

So the lesson was good. Reminded me that as simple as driving seems some days, it is that complex on others. But life is good. I am working with a horse again.

Weight Loss Wednesday: Riding as a work out

Rollie Pollie, oh I mean, Corrie and I worked together this week.

With the help of this site: Calorie Counter I can calculate how many calories I burn while engaging in horsey activities.

For me:
I burn 105 calories for 10 minutes of grooming. To make it an even work out, I will groom the left side of the horse with my left hand the the right with my right.

I burn 89 calories for 2o minutes of walking.

I burn 230 calories for 20 minutes of trotting.

Those are not huge numbers but they are numbers that add up.

My actual work out was more walking and less trotting but that is just an example. Corrie and I are both out of shape. Trotting on Corrie is really hard if I want to post because she has the rolliest trot I have ever ridden. It is really quite comfortable to sit, but doesn't help me burn more calories to sit. I probably burn more at the walk because I use quite a bit more leg than a normal walk should entail.

All that being said her walk and trot are getting better. Now we just need to get from the trot to the walk with out making a layover at the halt.

Alas it has been hard this week. My brother and his family are here this week. That means extra treats because we all get together and eat. I have had cake, Culver's Custard, and various other bad crap.

Please don't stop the music

Yesterday I found my long (4 years) lost i Pod. As it was charging I hung out on iTunes and Equimusic finding music for the walk and trot. Armed with a walking and trotting playlist I decided I wanted to ride. Today I was so excited to try it out with Corrie. I decided that I wanted to ride and just went out and rode Corrie. Man I love being able to do that!

I went out to the barn. While I groomed Corrie, Cadillac Ranch pumped into my ears. When Redneck Woman came on, I was slipping my dressage saddle on her back. Just as I slipped her bridle on, my trainer came out to the barn. Corrie stood, ground tied, while we talked about this and that. Such a good girl. I didn't have a hand on her, who wouldn't want a horse like that?

I have been wanting to ride to music for years! I mean that literally. A song comes on and I wonder if it would be good for walk or trot. I think about how the horse would feel as we move together in time with the music. Today I finally got to do that.

By the way if you have a favorite song with the help of this beats per minute counter you can then compare that to your horses own gaits. Here is more information for how to do that. Right now I am just using generic w/t songs as I am trying to find Corrie's rhythm.

Besides the totally cool feeling of riding to music, it helps with rhythm. One of the suggestions in A Gymnastic Riding System is to do just that. I wanted to use the music to help me keep a rhythm with Corrie. Not only was it helpful, it was fun. Not that I was totally successful at keeping the rhythm, but we got closer!

And again it was fun! I had fun riding! Slipping my leg over a horse and being just alone has been something that I have sorely missed. She spooked a little here and was too interested in what was going on outside, but all that just showed me that she is a horse. She is not dead to the world. A little more savings, selling Abby and I think that I will buy Corrie. Hopefully before someone else tries to buy her first.

Another first

My mini herd is just so cute out there on their pasture. They have more eats that is safe for them to even eat. I send them out for only half the day and then back to dry lot to digest. Even with only that Madison is getting fat. I think she needs a grazing muzzle. I have to admit that I do like my mini herd. Small, don't break fences, and the amount of hay in the barn right now should last most of the rest of the year! I keep saying I want to sell a mini, but I honestly love all these guys so much. I do want to geld Rocky. The problems this past spring have shown me that he is always at risk being a stallion. Even now he is not normally with the rest of the herd, in the same field but stand on his own. Poor lil guy. I won't geld him before fall at this point though. Not will all the flies.

I had another first today, two actually. I rode all on my own and in my own saddle. It was so nice. Corrie passed the saddle test, it fits her. I worked with her on going forward, going around on the rail, backing, giving to pressure, and just generally got to know her better. Steering is not a big thing right now. You wanna talk plow rein, not pretty at all. What I really want is forward and at a constant rhythm. I am thinking of taking her into the round pen next, which is outside. I want to not have to think about steering. We spend a great deal of effort on staying on the rail. Apparently there is a black hole in the middle of the arena that sucks horses in. At least that is what Corrie tells me. It apparently makes it very hard to keep going, so maybe it is very sticky in the middle of the arena too. All in all though we had great improvements. Actually got a rising trot out of her.

I will say that she was much more forward that the first time. I have a hard time using the whip just yet. I did have it. I rode with it, but the lurch forward is something I am still not ready for and the last thing I want to do is urge her forward and then snatch her mouth. I also still feel uncoordinated. Every once in awhile I feel like I am every where at once. I have to stop and regroup.

As you can see Corrie is a draft type Haffie. She is really broad in the chest and broad in the back end. Lil' darlin' wore Abby's girth! Seriously! But even though I thought I had it on good and tight, when I got off the whole saddle slipped. I am so happy that I have relatively good balance and was able to keep the saddle on the correct side of the horse as we rode. I think Abby's girth may have been a bit big, but Hope's (my former 15.3hh qh) was too small. I think that she is more drafty makes me like her more. I mean look at that sweet face! She has a personality to match.

R doesn't know if she had been ridden prior to coming to him. He has not done too much with her under saddle. Which is fine. When I talked to him about training, his response really made me respect him even more. He said he didn't think he was the right trainer for her, if I wanted to ride her, because he knows that I ride differently than him. He said I would just have to retrain her anyway. I really have to respect a trainer that can respect what I want to do with my horse. Oh by the way, she is not my horse yet. It was just an "what if" We were talking about. I am sure you can tell I am a bit smitten though.

After the ride I was untacking her. She knows how to stand. She didn't even have a halter on. I gave her a few cookies for being a good girl and then brushed her tail a bit. She knew where the cookies where. You could see in internal struggle, looking at the cookies but knowing she was supposed to stand. It was hard, but I am proud to say that she was strong! She got a few extra cookies for that!

Corrie wants to know if this saddle makes her butt look big. Personally I think it is really flattering! Maybe a different saddle pad. Oh and I need a bridle. I don't have a horse size black English bridle, so this is one of R's western ones, but still just a snaffle.

This and That

I want to thank everyone for their comments. Ya all really mean so much to me and I love hearing your feedback! I really am treading carefully with this purchase. I don't want another disaster, like Kinsey, or even just an inappropriate horse for me, like Abby. I want to think and digest. That is one of the draws of Corrie. I can get used to her and see if she will really start to come along or it will be a dead end.

I did talk to R, who owns Corrie, and I am able to ride her if I just let him know. So this might work out for awhile. She is not really being use for much right now. Pretty easy horse to drive and not a horse to really give lesson on for riding because she is so green. Ironic isn't it that a green horse gives me confidence? I think Golden Pony Girl really hit the nail on the head. She is not perfect, but I feel perfectly safe on her. I look forward to riding her next. I already have plans in my head, which is a wonderful feeling. I know what I want to work on, keeping rhythm at the walk. It is nice to get on a horse and think, "I can handle this problem" AND having a safe place to do it. When I first got Abby I could handle her, but I did not have a safe place to work with her.
As for Abby, she is doing rather nicely with the trainers. I watched her being worked on the ground and under saddle. Abby gave them a little attitude and I thought, yup, don't want to fight with a 2000 lb horse that has even little temper tantrums, especially under saddle. She is too big to have little fits, I don't think I am physically strong enough to deal with that. Which is unfortunate because I would really love to keep her.

As has happened in the past when I tried to sell her, everyone is in love with her looks and calls about her, but nobody really wants a horse that big in the end. She is beautiful to look at, actually has nice gaits for a draft horse, but is big. Otherwise they want me to give her to them for free. Which I don't understand at all.

So I am going to be able to ride more than once a week, but I am not sure what I am doing over all. Abby either needs to stay at R's which is what I have been planning on doing or coming home. I feel like I'm in a much better place than even a month ago though. I have options.

Riding Lesson # 7 : Could this be the one?

Today I rode Corrie. She is the haflinger I normally drive. She is not much of a riding horse, but I figured that if I was going to start looking for a new horse I should be riding more than just Drew. Not that I am looking yet, not seriously (okay ya all are all going to call me a liar in a few lines but honestly I am not seriously looking, sometimes things just happen). I still get nervous getting on a new horse and Abby is still not sold (but lots of inquires). Anyway Corrie is also for sale, just as an aside.

Corrie is a, umm, heavy set lady like myself. To say she is an easy keeper is beyond an understatement. I think if I didn't feed her for the next year she would still be fat. She was used as a brood mare for several years and has the shape of one. Her last foal, he is 4 I think, is at the barn and is her team mate. So Corrie can be driven single or double. I actually enjoy driving her. She is a bit of a lookie lou, but honestly she has helped me get over a lot of things already.

I was nervous getting on a new horse, but with each new thing that makes me nervous, I am a little less nervous and it goes away more quickly. Actually I want to brag that I have been on 4 horses since my fall. Anyway Corrie started walking, s . . . l . . . o . . . w . . . l . . . y, I mean this girl made the walk into an eight beat gait. lol. Corrie's default is as little work as possible. I used to buy into this until we were driving one day and heading back to the barn. When properly motivated she can move her little buns. Today, not so motivated.

Yet, when I finally got a half way decent, okay maybe more of a 1/4 way decent, walk out of her, we had some fun. Steers like a cow, but has a really nice trot, once we get into it. Talk about the bottom tier of the training pyramid. She needs to work on rhythm. She does kind of know how to move away from pressure. Sort of gives her head, a little, if you really mean it. lol

So why do I say this could be the one? As I am getting her to trot, and she has this wonderfully rolly trot, I was laughing. I mean she needs so much work, but she is not taking off with me. I mean I have to MAKE her go faster. I think I could feel comfortable going outside on a trail ride with her. She just isn't going to say, "screw you I'm bolting." Her attitude is more like, "Really, it means this much to you? I guess, I could try, a little. Or not" Now she has spooked in harness, but really was easy to bring back. I just thought riding her, although hard work, was fun. And not scary at all. She is only going to get better.

Plus I can work with her for awhile. I have already driven several times, but I don't have to make my decision any time soon. I'd only be worried if someone came out to look at her. I honestly don't want to go looking for horses, only to find out that I saw them on a good day. Or that they are not the same when in a new place. I can work with Corrie at that barn for as long as I like if I buy her. And I would board her out there for a few months, taking driving lessons, and working on her issues. Once I get her home, we will already have a bond established.

I say I want a forward dressage type horse, but what I really want is a dependable, easy going, level headed horse. I know she can move forward, I just might have to ride with a whip. I know that she can learn, she is 12, but she can still learn. This the horse I can ride now. Is she the one, I can't say for sure yet, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Weight Loss Wednesday: ticker

Look way down at the bottom of my blog. . . I kind of tried to hide it. . . and you will see a ticker. It doesn't tell how much I weigh, but how much I have to lose. So far I have lost 18 lbs. I have 87 more to go. That it a lot of weight.

I am struggling. I have hit a wall, I have a hard time getting below this block and into the next set of 10's. I really want to get below this mark. I have been thinking about why it is so hard for me and right now I am not exactly sure but I think I have some ideas.

So I have done a few things.

1) 1 diet Coke a day. I used to drink 5 or 6. I kid you not. We would go through Diet Coke like nobody's business. One day, it just didn't taste right to me. So I went out and got a bunch of carbonated canned water, Diet 7-up, and Diet Squirt. Well I have managed to not start drinking the Diet Coke again. I have maybe one Diet 7 up or Diet Squirt the rest is water. Eventually I want to switch to plain water, but one step at a time.

2) Eat healthier snacks. I am SO in love with frozen grapes. They are so great! I love them. They are a cool and refreshing snack.

3) Ground drive Ike and/ or Abby every day. I did Abby today, that was work out! I have been doing Ike most night but I did a little ground work with Sophie instead. I really felt good about Sophie and Abby.

I know that doing little things like this will help so much. Next week I will make a few more little changes. So hopefully on every Wednesday you will see that little ticker go down.