Sit the Trot

This week has been a great one. Axel had three days off, and he definitely needed it. He spent his time shoving his whole head in the round bale and sleeping. Thursday we went straight back to work and started to really look at our weaknesses for test riding. We played with freewalk and his stretchy trot as this seems to get lost when he is a little tight so I need to find ways of helping him through it. He still felt a little too tight through his back so it is something else we have to help him with. Friday morning arrived, beautiful and sunny and we managed to get back in the outdoor arena. I wore a little spur as we want him a little sharper off my leg both laterally and a bit hotter with his forward too. We had a really, really great lesson. He got to play over trot poles today to help lift his back a bit more and played with canter in half seat to get him going a little more freely. He tried so hard as he always does. I think that is one of the things I find so appealing abou...

Our first show is over and done with and it was quite the introduction to competing for us both! I am absolutely over the moon with my boy. He loaded perfectly as always and we trailered to the Horse Park venue. The show management had some issues with stalls so we had been put in temporary stabling under a large tent. Both Axel and his friend Ira settled into their stalls whilst we dragged hay feeders, tack trunks and more across the muddy car parks and venue! It wasn't the easiest setup of a show ever but we got it done whilst Axel assessed his digs for the weekend. It was a lot to deal with for his first show, the wind was flapping the tent and spooking all the horses in there including Axel, so each time the wind gushed through they all ran round in circles a few times then settled until the next gust hit. The venue had construction, golf carts, multiple jumping rings, and horses everywhere, so much for them to deal with! We spent the day washing them, grazing them, hand wa...

Is honesty always the best policy? Do blog readers really want to hear moaning, grumping and feeling low? I am not sure. I like an uplifting blog, a motivational verse. Something that makes me grin or shake my head in agreement and mirth. However when I started this blog I made a promise to myself to be honest and true. Hopefully with a grin and a shrug but not to try to sugercoat life either. The truth is, that it's been a tough few weeks. Our family are going through some stuff. Visas, work, legal crap, stuff I can't go into here right now, but stuff we are just about surviving as a family. Axel is my escape, my breath when my chest feels heavy, my laugh when the giggles are sinking. No matter what I adore this horse. This week however I logged my first bad ride on him. He was of course wonderful as always, I don't blame him for a thing and any failures always will stem from me always. This ride was to be our last before the show. Of course, as per the law of sod, w...

Oops, so I may have decided that two weeks of consistent riding is more than enough to enter our first show. I know, absolute idiot right! But, we are pitching ourselves at Training Level, which is really just walk, trot and canter. We can totally do a lovely test together and as he has this wonderful temperament I feel like we need to get out there and see what we have. It could of course, be a total crapshoot as we aren't exactly starting low key. We simply haven't been able to get a schooling show in before now so are heading straight off to the Colorado Horse Park and a USDF show. Sara and I have no idea how he is going to be. If he is going to cope ok or be really anxious. He's a dude, he tries his best always, and is generally very sensible about things, however he is also very sensitive and is not a deadhead old donkey sort. My barn friend Emma with her lovely horse Ira will head up to the Horse Park with Axel and I on the Friday, we can take some time to prep th...

Two Thirty time... No sorry Tooth Hurty time! Axel got to see the dentist this week, the lovely Dr. Dunbar from Littleton Equine. He behaved really well (of course) and got some little hooks etc rasped down. There was nothing major in there, just routine maintenance but I am sure he feels happier now that he has been seen to! Oh and he had his sheath cleaned too... a service that I believe is not offered by human dentist to their male patients (cue dirty giggle). Also this week, Axels travel/ show halter arrived. I don't like transporting horses in the Nylon halters as they cant break if they need to, the leather is preferable as if they do get into trouble they break more easily so it wasn't just for aesthetic reasons (well that is the excuse I came up with in any case, you buying it)? Anyhoooo, I ordered my halter from Gary Mundy who also had made my stamped and totally custom stirrup leathers a few years back. He is a true craftsman. He doesn't carry stock of any ite...

The day dawned again of the saddle fit, I was more than a little nervous that my pony would magically appear unsound again the very day of the fitting. Typically the weather was absolutely abysmal and went from 80 degrees one day to snow the next. Of course that meant all the horses were fairly nuts with the cold. Well, Axel doesn't actually do nuts but a little fresh for him. The lovely Jen from Happy Horse Tack came out again, armed with a load of saddles. This time we could actually play in all paces to see how he was. He started well but with a head swish going into canter, it made me a little worried as that is how the pain manifested itself before, but I ignored it for the time being and pushed on and actually, he got better and better so I think it was a yeehah rather than a ouchy. Jen started off with me riding in my current saddle so we could get a baseline of how he moves. We know it doesn't fit him so wasn't an option but Jen wanted to see how he moves in it. A...

A week and a half on and I am sure you are all on the edge of your seats, waiting for my post on how Axels doing... No? Oh well here it is anyhow. For right now, he's feeling well. With a few weeks of regular riding, he may regress, but if he does, we deal with it and start investigating the next possible cause. But, yay- right here, right now- we are pretty darn ok. So, it is so far, so good. Actually scrap that, so far, so damn brilliant! Now, before I get you all excited for us, I am well aware he could go downhill again in the next week or so. I am holding my horses, so to speak and not resting on any laurels. Boring you with all the metaphors yet? Sorry. I am a tad excited today. He has chilled and got a little fat in the turnout, lunged, and now has had two days of ridden work. Sara rode yesterday, as test pilot she has been navigating the muddy waters of riding whilst sore (to keep him feeling sore for the vet check) and now has been testing out the new, improved and f...