Leaping and Lunging

While I have only been strong enough to ride one horse, I have been lunging the other three. This probably seems unfair to the others (I promise you they don't seem to mind) but the horse I am going to be competing on this year is Bacon. And we need a lot of work and she requires a lot of energy for me to ride. But the others need love and fitness too! So enter, the lunge line.

Last night I was able to watch the hubs lunge two of his and he took pictures of me lunging Vegas. We thought we would see what would happen if we introduced them to a small jump. I am having a hard time typing today, so I will just leave you with pictures. *I know some of you don't like lunging, and I am totally ok with that. I just hope you are ok with me using it as a means to keep some form of fitness and work with my girls. They may look chaotic, but they actually seem to enjoy this game!

Hooray! I love to lunge!

Especially with my father because he lets me do the crazy rollbacks.

I can coil.

And I can look like a cutter.

Weeee!

Levitating.

Landing!

It's the Goose's turn.

The most effort she put over this jump.

Eyeballing her father.

I raised it so she would put more effort in.

There we go!

Love for his girl.

This face. I don't even.

She is also cutter bred. 

Weeee some more!

Hairy beast 1.

Hairy beast 2.

Hairy beast 3.

Go Vegas go!

We Need More GRIDS too!

Trotting in on awesome uneven ground.

Oh lordy. First, let me start by saying a huge thank you to all of those who participating in my blog hop. My last hop (the music one!) was kind of a failure. I guess failure is a strong word, but it didn't go as far as this one. It is so interesting reading about everyone's scary stories and what moment made them fear the most. Fear can be a strong role in the game of horses and if you can work with it or get passed it, you are incredible.

This is nothin.

You know what makes me nervous? Grids. Just a tad bit. Mostly at my house. Because my arena is the size of a round pen (50'x50') and so everything has to be fairly small. I had to start my grid out of the arena and it ended with one stride before hitting the fence. It was a simple grid. Three trot poles into a small vertical with a one stride into a 2' 9" cross rail. And then the fence!

Her hind end was cracking me up. She looks like a two legged horse here.

She actually did very well through the whole thing. She got excited through the trot poles once though and tried to canter through them, but that was it. But still, she basically canters over everything. And really has to crunch herself up, so I am hoping we can expand our tiny arena a bit more this year.

The xrail looks lower than the front rail, but I promise they were even. 

Next, I changed it up to just a canter pole before a little oxer. And again, horse did not care. She was started to get a bit strong and I think it was her having a hard time turning and then jumping, so we only did it a handful of times. I was so tired from that ride and I don't think that helped either. I also rode in my winter boots and I had never jumped in them before. They are fabric on the top and they made my leg slide everywhere so I was really disappointed when I looked through our pictures. My position was as horrible as I thought it would be. And my horse? Well, her hind end was awesome over the jumps. Her front end? Not so much.

Again, there is a doofus on my horse.

After taking pictures of Aimee and Papa just before (they looked magical) and then looking at mine, I was extra bummed. But, we don't always look like that so I will try not to be discouraged about it. We are just getting back into the groove of things and I know we will improve leaps and bounds this year.

Cortes C crosses his front legs. Bacon crosses the back.

I Need To Dressage More.

Sexy horse.

If we want to do events this year, and be somewhat successful at them, we kind of need to step up our dressage game. I mean really. And we need to work on my show nerves, but I don't know how that is going to happen when I see people posting about shows and I'm looking at the show schedule and I start to lose feeling in my arms.

I'm not even close to showing yet goddamnit. Why do I feel like I want to vomit?

When do I get most nervous? Oh, when it is time to dressage. Why are my scores crappy? Because dressage. When am I not that nervous? During cross country. When is my horse not nervous? During cross country. See a theme here?

Me trying not to lose my stirrup and keep my back straight. Forgot about my elbows though.

So Sunday I tried to dressage. Reluctantly. I think I don't like it because I feel like we suck at it. And I don't entirely know what to do. I have had at least one dressage lesson with Lindsey and I learned a crap ton in that one lesson. I know I could use more. But Sunday, I tried to work on transitions. Because we don't really work on those a whole lot and we really should.

Oop. There's that leaning forward again.

Houston, we have contact.

We also worked on trying to get slower bigger strides and steady contact onto the bit. Without ripping my arms off or avoiding contact all together, which she does as well. Also tried to add a little lateral movement in there and trying to keep a bend in her ribcage around my leg. That same day, the dragon had been running around out in the pasture and had jumped our one ton bale by herself. I was horrified and glorified at the same time. She made it seem so effortless. It was like she was trying to get my mind away from dressage, but NO MARE.

Initiate hock impulsion.

Building muscles for both of us.

She actually did quite well in our bumpy uneven pasture. She was a little strong (and has been since the upping of her grain and supplements) but that's ok. I can deal for a short amount of time. She had some really nice transitions going, but kept bulging her shoulder out at one point of the circle and looking around. I later figured out why. Creepy neighbor was hiding by the tree and watching us. What the hell creepy neighbor? At least say hi and tell me how beautiful my horse is.

She offered a stretchy trot. So, I took it. This is stretchy for a giraffe.

She let a little stiffness go away and I got some bend and some really really nice contact. My legs were absolutely dying though, as I hadn't ridden in the dressage saddle since last October. And I let the stirrups down a hole. I kept losing my irons, so hopefully that will get better. My body got tired pretty fast. Later that night my knees had swelled up and filled with fluid and I think that was the first time Blake had seen that. So now, to him, dressage is the devil. Everything wrong is dressage's fault. Last year that weirdo wanted me to practice more so I could win things. What happened to that boy?

My favorite picture from our ride.

So I see more dressaging in our future. And hopefully more lessons. Because damnit, we have to beat this thing!

Need to remember to keep sitting up!

Happy 9th Birthday Moo!

I iz old.

Roxy Moo turns 9 today! And for a great dane, that is considered a senior citizen. I have a hard time looking at her that way, because she still goes tearing around yard or pasture and has that spry look to her.

My brother never catches me.

Nope. Too slow.

I am good at modeling.

She has slowed down only a little bit. She doesn't seem to have any trouble getting up and laying down and that makes me so happy. I have seen so many danes that have come into the clinic that were sad and stiff and decrepid at only 6 years of age. Or less. So I am extremely happy to have my girl here with me looking and feeling the way she does.

I told you. I am the best model.

I am also weird.

Ok, maybe I can't be a model all of the time.

Strange faces.

Brother is heavy.

Time for you exam fake dawg. 

Serious face.

Can I help you? No?

I am going to continue reading then,

I don't need a life jacket like that tard.

Yes?

I only wade.

Another birthday that passed would have been Booger's 15th birthday. I miss that red boy and wonder what life would be like if he was still here.

I miss you.