Have you ridden a Fjord lately?

I haven't been up to ride Edgar since just before I broke my arm at the beginning of June. After the arm was ok to ride again, I was hesitant to continue riding Edgar at first. It was my closest experience with "fear" and riding. I wasn't really afraid but I WAS reluctant to risk getting hurt again soon after my month off. Time off is HARD. I hate being limited in what I can do.

While I was recovering, Edgar's owner tried to find another exercise rider. It didn't go so well. Many clearly weren't experienced enough and she didn't let them try him. A couple were ok, but couldn't handle him. One girl seemed to be a good enough rider but when he bolted on her, she couldn't control him. His owner was considering selling him to a home that could actually make use of him. She just couldn't do it though.

My wrist got better but I was still reluctant to get back into working with Edgar. It is very slow going when the work is so far between. It is also difficult since there is no indoor arena or outdoor ring to ride in. I ride in a hay field.

I felt like all the responsibility for his riding was up to me. To be honest, I wasn't up for that task. It is selfish to say but there just wasn't enough in it for me. I had to drive 30-40 minutes to walk-trot around a hay field?? It was hard to motivate myself to go.

On the other hand, Edgar's owner is an amazing person. I really like her and she could really use some help. I've said it before but it bears repeating - life threw some curve balls to this family that resulted in delaying her plans with the horses that she had waited so long to purchase. I'm not going into details out of respect for her privacy but trust me, society owes her a debt of gratitude. I also really like working with Edgar. He is such a people horse, even if he is a trouble-maker :)

I had a nice long talk with Edgar's owner. I discussed with her my dilemma about wanting to work with him but also my commitment to improving my riding and wanting to move up in that respect (hence leasing a Hanoverian :) ). She can't bring herself to sell him just yet. It just isn't "safe" enough. I agreed. She has been longing him and doing other groundwork, so at least he's getting something. She decided to just let him be a lawn ornament for the next few years until she can dedicate herself to him. We also said that I would come up whenever I can, no pressure as to how often. Something is always better than nothing (as long as that something isn't making him worse, of course!)

So I went up to ride Edgar today. The last time anyone has been on him was me, back at the very begining of June. I expected some protest and bucks, maybe even bolts. But I approached getting ready as if he and I did it every day. His ground manners are so much better than in the spring! He was still playful and knocked everything off the ledge in front of him BUT he wasn't pushy with me at all.

Under saddle, he was awesome! Not one single step wrong. I was amazed. I also forgot how nice his trot feels. I could sit to it all day.
I've figured out what the main "blow-up" issue is, I think. I realized it long ago but never really put it into words, I just rode and adjusted accordingly. Now, I feel I have to be able to describe it to others. Stay tuned for my revelation, I am just too tired tonight to type!


Why am I so tired? We did a lot of stuff around the house this weekend. Along with battling grape vines that have taken over, I painted the shed.

Notice the rust. It looked worse in real life.
Also, the roof was almost completely bare of paint.

Rust be gone!The (almost) finished product. I have to say
I love this shed now. All I need are the ponies :)

Search for Lease, continued.

I had pretty much decided not to lease the big boy I talked about in my previous post on lease-hunting. His owner was looking for a more advanced rider and basically a co-trainer. I know I didn't ride all that well that day for a number of reasons but I am sure I wouldn't disappoint her if she watched me a few more times. It was worrying me so much...what should I do??...and finally, after my lesson on Monday, I came to a decision. I was talking to a couple other women I ride with about my dilemma. One made it clear - if you are that stressed and worried, move on! It's clearly not the right situation. It really could be that simple! I made up my mind to keep looking. I felt so relieved.

But then...

I didn't have a chance to email the owner right away, so I waited until the next day. I got home from work, walked the dog, and made dinner. I finally sat down in front of the laptop with the sole purpose of emailing the owner to say I was going to pass due to different wants/needs.

But there was an email from my instructor waiting for me. Turns out, the horse's owner just figured out in the last week that her boy was reacting to the saddle! Turns out he's been progressively getting worse in some ways with respect to behaviour but she thought it was a combination of the current leaser and having new people try him out. I've read enough about saddle fit issues to know that they can be incredibly subtle, yet serious, but very hard to identify as the saddle. This saddle "fit" by all reasonable standards but still was pinching him. It took some time before the owner was able to see real evidence pointing to the saddle. Of course, she feels terrible but is happy that she can now do something! I like this owner :)

So, we've agreed to try things out for October and then re-assess. I feel 100% better about the situation and am very excited for the opportunity. It looks like my riding is about to change considerably!

Alright, you guys with nice horses --- any tips, stories or anything really, that you can tell me about the transition from school horses to privately owned, nice horses? I'm told it will help my riding immensely. I have a hard time seeing how it's different, in a way. I know the horse will likely respond better, but people seem to tell me a fairly big transformation occurs.

I hope to update on Edgar (the Fjord I haven't really talked about since I broke my arm in June) soon. I've been putting off blogging about him! I am hoping to see him on the weekend so I might even have new pictures.

Edgar Updates

I've been having some good rides on Edgar. He is getting into shape much faster than I expected, we are still taking it slow but it's clear he isn't getting tired as quickly. He is also traveling much straighter and I don't feel like I am constantly adjusting his direction - he is going where he's pointed (well, mostly...).

I also tried something new. I don't know if it was the "right" thing to do, I just went with the moment. So, Edgar was going along quite nicely, no shenanigans, when he decides to bolt. There was no discernible reason, I think he just feels good and decides to take off. This time, instead of bringing him down right away and circling back to the place where he bolted etc., I let him go. I just rode it, kept myself balanced and stayed out of his way. Within I'd say 10 strides his ears flicked and he went to slow.

Uh-uh, I pushed him on. You wanna run, we're gonna run, I thought. I swear I could feel his surprise! Again, I just rode it, steering a little. The next time he tried to slow I got after him again, just to make sure he got the point. And he did, I think. I then asked/allowed him to slow and we walked on quietly and I continued with circles, transitions etc. Not another bolt, just a nice, attentive horse. I had to giggle.

I am supposed to be heading up to the barn soon but 1) husband isn't home with car yet (grrr) and 2) it looks like rain, again (double grrr).


Have a good weekend!

Edgar's Third Ride.

Against my better judgment, I am posting a video of me riding Edgar. Sasha came up with me last weekend and I put him to work grooming Edgar's grandma. I asked if he would take a couple photos of the ride and the brat took some video too!

It was a very windy day, the ground was wet and it was cold. Edgar was full of himself!! You can hear the wind in the video; did I mention it was really bad? This is the beginning of our ride; he is calling out to the other horses and fighting me the whole time. He either wants to grow roots or bolt (which he did a bit last week). Even Cherokee never tried to bolt with me! (blogged about in this post and this one).

Anyway, I am glad to say he settled down after 30 minutes or so. In a way it was good that it was a spooky, windy day because it gave me a chance to ride him in that type of weather. It was good for him and was great for me because I was not alone for a change!

So, enjoy! Be nice. My only defense will be to point out that I was wearing a fluffy down vest under my fleece jacket, so not only do I look pudgy but my posture looks rounder than normal.