Trace the spine

There's not a whole lot to report. It's been disgustingly hot out recently, and particularly humid. I personally cannot tolerate such weather even if it is acceptably within the season, but this? Oi. Toler has been pretty miserable about it. He's naked outside (no fly sheet), and I was an awful two-legger and forgot to take his box fan out right away.

See, Toler's such a big guy he gets a box fan for his stall in the summer. He has one of the cooler stalls in the barn, but he still needs the fan. And he LOVES his fan.

Matter of fact, as soon as that fan gets switched on, Toler presses his rump against the stall door in front of it, and lets the air travel up his back. (Pretty good taste, really. Nothing better than cool air tracing your hot spine, right?) He prefers it that way, though on occasion he will stand with his face in the airstream.

Anyway. I did finally take his fan out and put it on his door with bungee cords. Toler, just in (and sweaty) from the paddock, immediately assumes his position as I turn it on high. Toler was so excited he had to put his head over the wall and share his news with his neighbor via a playful nip on the neck (who was slightly less enthused).

The heat has meant I haven't done much of anything with him since last Saturday. Tuesday, after putting up his fan, I did do some free jumping with him, though he was a complete dork about it. He knew it was too hot for me to want to run down the line with him, so he would carefully cut the corner of approach off, making me stand there to keep him aligned, then would skip the last jump because he knew I couldn't race down there in time. He was very pleased with himself.

It should cool down soon, though. Yay for riding weather!

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The Birthday Moose

It's Toler's birthday today!!! My little moose turns 11 today. It seems like only yesterday he was a gawky 3-year old with coltish ground manners. Who squealed. A lot. XD


As a birthday treat, I baked him some carrot cake muffins. =) We gave him one yesterday (he's very picky about new/different treats, so he needed a pre-birthday taste for approval), which he was rather puzzled over. He ate almost all of it and decided that was all he could tolerate (hee hee, get it?) at the time. Today he'll have a baby carrot "candle" in it. Maybe two or three. They're small muffins, so we'll see what fits in there. XD

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Round'em up

Yes, it's been a slow week for posting. In my defense, we've had very "blah" rides all week.

One day I decided we would devote ourselves to circles and circle-like arena figures (serpentines and figure eights). Toler, on the other hand, decided that he was going to spend the day finding creative ways to drop his inside shoulder and make me work at least twice as hard to do a simple 15m circle. Then he insisted that he had no idea how to circle at the canter. He must be bored at canter work lately, because he tries to offer (very bad) flying lead changes wherever possible. Even if I'm not even remotely asking for any. "A circle? But I could switch directions and throw my legs around with no coordination whatsoever!"

Another day we gave up trying to focus outside over 2'3" jumps and hit the trail instead, which went fine for the most part. We even had to negotiate past a Monster. (Riding lawn mower. Note, Toler barely batted an eyelash at it.)

Later on in the week we had a nice jumping day over 2'6". He'd been warming up very lazily and I really didn't think either of us was going to be able to pull it together, but he jumped. And came back wonderfully between the lines. I'm really quite surprised at how well the mullen mouth is working for jumping. I'd expected it to be terrible. Granted, the way I'm using it makes it act like a kimberwicke, which probably helps, but still. Happy mouth, happy horse. =)

Then we did two days of dressage work. Both rides started out horribly. I felt like I was all over the place, and Toler was barely shuffling along. Neither one of us could focus, much less at the same time in the same way. Finally, towards the end of the first day we pulled it together after some cantering, and we ended the session with some excellent work on medium-collected-medium and medium-lengthening-medium at both trot and canter. The next day was a bit tougher to pull together, but towards the end I decided we would just ride a made-up dressage test just for something more complicated to do. Besides, I figured riding a pattern/test would get us both to concentrate on the same thing and "snap out of it."

Worked like a charm. Which has led me to decide that for the next few weeks, all my dressage work days are going to be centered on riding through tests. Just to be thorough, I'll start back at Training Level Test 1. I'll ride each test during three separate sessions, working on what needs to be addressed as we go and adding it to a final "list" that we'll return to. Great diagnostic tool and motivation driver! (Should perk Toler up nicely.) I'll only be riding tests we've shown at before (which puts up into Second Level, though I can't quite remember which test we left off at).

Tomorrow is going to be a free lunging day over jumps, I think. Mostly because I have to track down my tests to start memorizing. I'm looking forward to it. I haven't ridden through an actual test in *years.*

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Stubborn is as stubborn does

Because it makes me laugh:


I took Toler out behind the arena to eat the long grass after our ride (the same day I took those photos of his braids), and he practically gorged himself. As soon as the grass (and clover and alfalfa) was in sight, he bee-lined.

I let him stand out there a good long while. Especially since I was busy being a shutterbug. So, when it was time for him to go inside to his supplement grain and hay, I gathered a handful of grass (to bribe him with; he gets to eat it when he's back in his stall) and started to lead him out.

Well, that is he started to walk forward, waited until I was walking confidently that he was following, then planted his feet and threw his head up with his ears flat. Then came the pouting. And the five-year-old-like whine of, "Nooooooooooo...."

He refused to move for a solid two minutes. And believe me, if he decides that his ~1700 lb body isn't going to move, there's pretty much nothing I can do about it. So, I snapped this photo. Then laughed at the absurd porportions of him and his pouting eyes and temper-tantrum-ish pinned ears. Complete with more grass than can actually fit in his ginormous mouth hanging out to the side. What a child.

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Antics

I'll have to do some catch-up posts. It came to my attention I didn't have much on here by way of Toler's antics. He is quite the goober, so there are plenty of tales!

Lately, I've only been using one cross-tie in the aisle, if I use one at all. He stands by himself and doesn't get into much trouble (though that depends on your definition), so if I'm the only one there I don't mind letting him chill by himself as I groom or tack/untack him. Usually I position him by the tack asile so I'm right there. Plus, that means there's just so much to explore. He thinks it is particularly adventurous to take a step into the tack aisle, where he can reach my tack box. He has already discovered the exact location of the container of treats in the box. He's very keen on making sure I have it closed properly. Haha, yeah right. He mouths at the lid and you can just tell by his concentrated "seriouz hoers" expression that he's figuring out how best to open it without my catching on.

Being slightly in the tack aisle, he has also discovered a favorite sleeping spot of Shepard, one of the barn cats. Toler LOVES cats. And dogs, but cats more because they don't try to lick his nose. I usually hold a willing feline up for him to nuzzle at, which he thinks is the best thing in the world. He's even had nuzzling sessions with them in the arena when they perch on the mounting block, namely the cats rolling onto their backs and him nuzzling at their belly while they purr. Well, the other day he noticed Shepard sleeping at the newly discovered tack-aisle location. He sniffed very delicately at the air near the sleeping cat, then his eyes got really wide. He knew Shepard was sleeping, and was torn between not wanting to wake the cat up and wanting to nuzzle it. (Could you imagine being woken up by a giant nose breathing on you? LOL) He was so torn his lips started to twitch. At which point he looked from me to the cat several times and tilted his head. "...Mommy?" I moved around him into the tack aisle, effectively waking Shepard. Toler's nose was by him in an instant, snuffling his head and belly. After a moment, Shepard stretched a paw out onto the top of Toler's nose and started kneading. Toler's expression was priceless--a perfect mix of surprise and joyous contentment. It was adorable.

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Manly Braids...

...or so I tell Toler. ;)


The forelock braid, which needs a bit of work for evenness, and it was a bit crooked though you can't really tell from this angle.


I had already ridden, so some pieces were getting a little loose. But that's still pretty good considering I didn't use QuicBraid or anything. =)


Look at that coat! *beams* All thanks to rosewater. The only thing I don't like about braiding this way (under under) is it's harder to grab mane in consistently-sized chunks. I kept grabbing a piece and snagging extra when braiding it in. Granted, it's hard to tell unless you're looking at this angle, but because Toler is tall, you can't see his mane from this angle unless you're on him. (Or he's eating.) Mwahahaa.


And one shot to accentuate the sloppy. ;) And, yes, I take too many photos.

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Wiggling

Well, I'm glad I started to braid Toler before nearly every ride. And I'm glad today, of all days, I decided to braid his forelock. Why? Well, I'm fingering it and trying to remember exactly what method works best with his forelock and I notice a little fleck of dirt. I pluck it off, think, that was weird to be hidden under his forelock like that... And then it wiggles between my fingers. Yep. A tick. I looked at it long enough to make sure it was whole, then brought it swiftly to its end. Which reminds me that I should really have a little matchbook somewhere just for such occasions. Or at least a lighter and something to heat. Alas, I didn't, but anyway. Ew. At least it was a little dermacentor and not a deer tick. All ticks are nasty, yes, but deer ticks make me cringe like whoa man. XP

Anyway. His forelock turned out pretty good. As did his mane, though I had to do it twice. I even brought my camera and took pictures, because I'm a dork. I've been taking pictures with my phone every time I braid just so I can see my progress in terms of tightness/etc. I did start to braid his mane differently, in terms of now I'm going under-under for the running braid instead of over-over. And wow, what a difference under-under makes--tighter, easier, so much better on my hands (I don't feel like they'll explode if I don't stick them in cold water), and I think it looks better because the braid "sits on top." Really, it'd be easier to show with pics, so, stay tuned. ;)

Tick excitement aside, we had a good ride. I decided today would be a jumping exercise day, so I initially set up a 7-stride line on one rail and two close diagonals to create broken lines with straight line. (Broken lines were five-strides.) Unfortunately, when I got him and warmed him up, he had already decided that 2'3" was too boring and wouldn't put any ompf to it at all. *rolls eyes* Matter of fact, he hobble-stepped over the first one in the line, and I had to stop him just so he wouldn't barrel through the second fence. Oi.

But I'm determined and sometimes rather cunning. The straight line became a short four-stride oxer combination (still 2'3") and I made a 2'6" vertical on the other side with bounce-ground poles on either side. And, just because I wanted him to wake up (and haven't been on him to jump 2'6" in a long time), I made him free-jump both directions.

You could just see him perk up when he noticed that the 2'3"s weren't as simple as before. He even rounded over the 2'6" and did a happy little squeal. Silly, silly, horse. When I got back on him he was in much better spirits, and while I had to let him go over the 2'6" (confidence building for me), he was very good about collecting and coming back to me for the oxer combination. I did jump in the mullen mouth, though I still haven't decided if I'm going to continue to or not. On one hand he goes well on it, doesn't throw his head over the jump (a bad habit we were working on, though I'm starting to think it was bit-related as he hasn't done it since changing away from the 3-link elevator). On the other hand, I'm finding it harder to keep his energy up at the canter--he wants to relax into it--and while I still have good control, it is easier for him to be strong on the bit between lines making it harder for me to keep him steady. So yeah, we'll see.

More importantly, I have to figure out how to break him of his 2'3" vertical = no effort needed deal. I really don't want to be doing complex exercises over oxers or 2'6" (at least until he's--er, I'm totally ready for it).

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Dressage Attire Rule Change (A bit of a rant)

USEF recently made a rule change concerning appropriate dressage coat options. I'm not going to go through it all, but I picked up on it from Behind the Bit's blog post on the subject, so I'm just going to link back there. She did a pretty good job of going through it.
Just for highlights. Essentially any dark color is allowable under USEF rule. Plus the following (quoted from Behind the Bit):

• Now contrast colors and piping (collar, cuffs, pockets) are allowed (my personal favorite rule change).
• Now you can wear colored shirts (so long as they're solid) when coats are waived. Pinstripes and subtle patterns are okay. No t-shirts -- shirts must have collars.
• Cooling vests may be worn under the coat or vest.
• Solid vests may be worn if coats are waived. This is a big deal for people who don't like to wear shirts tucked in.
• Up to 2 small logos can be worn on the torso.
• Hats, stocks, ties, gloves and riding boots may be the same color as the coat.

The essential rule change looks something like this (again, from Behind the Bit):

Now starts my commentary...

WHAT?! Dressage is apparently no longer dressage. Sure, they'll ride their tests and horses like dressage riders and dressage horses. But in my opinion, this is just the Western showman's need for style inevitably infecting all of equestrian competition. I knew the classic, eloquent dressage look was doomed the moment they started putting rhinestones on bridles. (Which is SOOO tacky and unnecessary, in my opinion.)

Dressage went from looking like this:

To looking like this:

Hello? Does this say HUNTER to anyone else? How can any judge or spectator take a dressage rider seriously if they ride in looking like they just got done with their 2'3" Low Hunter Class. I don't care if the coat cost $800, it is NOT DRESSAGE.

When did everyone get so concerned about "fashion in the show ring"?! Who the frak CARES about fashion? That used to be the English-to-Western all-time put down: "We don't need bright pink shirts with rhinestones and silver plated saddles to win." What are people thinking? Any rider knows that a good rider and a good horse stands out because they're GOOD. Not because they have a good fashion sense. Sure, neatness of the horse's braids or how shiny your field boots are might be tie-breakers, but fashion has no place in English showing.

I was talking about this with some of the gals at the stable. Now, in our opinion, the only riders who should break from the classical look (be it dressage, show jumping, or hunter discipline) are those riders who have earned the coat. Especially in dressage and show jumping, certain coats and looks are status symbols. Not in the "Oh, I drive a Hummer" way but in the "I'm part of the US Olympic Team" or "I served our country in the armed forces" way. (And, really, in my honest opinion, military uniforms on riders look GREAT, and in dressage and eventing, the military look is even more classic because dressage and eventing sprung from historical horseback military training.)

The coat becomes a symbol of achievement, of dedication, of honor and courage and service and strength. Bringing in Ms. Pinstripe with Beige, to me, is a slap in the face to every rider who has earned the right to break classic.

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When the moose is happy

Had an excellent ride yesterday. Started out in the outdoor arena, and Toler drew the attention of a middle-aged couple whose daughter used to take lessons at the barn (just before I did, I think), and they hadn't stopped by in a long time. Anyway, they thought Toler was amazing and rubbed his face for several minutes. I swear, they could have told him he won a year's supply of grain-coated carrots, and he wouldn't have been happier. He knows when he's being fawned over, and he loves it.

The 2'3" jumps are officially "too small" for Toler's proper consideration. We went around the jumps set up outside, and he just barely jumped them. By which I mean his front end would go over, touch ground on the other side, and he'd pop his back end over. It's his way of going, "jump? What jump?" I'd really prefer to see him riding the lines perfectly, on the bit, and rounding over everything as an indication of Too Easy. That would be too straightforward for Toler, however. He has been jumping 2'9" in the arena (free lunging) beautifully though, so I'll start to set up some challenging 2'3" lines and see if that peaks his interest before we move up in height. There are quite a few jumping exercises I just haven't been able to do yet, and now would be the time. =)

We followed up the "oh-so boring" jumping with a trail ride. Toler was perfect. He didn't have any trouble with his feet, and not because he was focusing on them a lot, but because he actually just went. If that makes sense. We even did some trotting down hills with perfect balance, he cantered well up hills, negotiated the steep bad-footing downhill sections without making me feel unsettled, and still got to neigh at his ladies. (Who run along the paddock fence when we ride by, making Toler feel like a god.) We did have one minor stumble, but it was because there was a giant chunk of rock hidden in tall grass that neither of us saw, on a segment of trail that was already steep and usually not rock-laden. Toler recovered perfectly, and I didn't even get the situational panic of falling. Progress! Soon we'll be cantering downhill like we used to. =)

Toler's reward was drinking from the hose as I was washing him off, and eating long grass as he dried off. (He saw that grass and practically dragged me to it.)

I think we'll be doing jumping or free-jumping inside today. It's rainy out, and normally like I like to do dressage on rainy days because we zone together really well, but I'm rather excited about jumping exercises right now. We'll see.

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Coming Together

I've ridden in Toler's new bit three times now, and it's been wonderful so far. The first day I took things really light. We warmed up on the rail inside, then I took him to the outdoor arena to see how he'd fair, as I hadn't ridden with the bit outside yet and it was especially windy that day (Friday). He was a little strong on it at first, but I attribute that to the wind--like most horses Toler hates wind. But hey, he's from Winnipeg area so he should be more used to wind anyway. lol We also went over a tiny jump, hardly 1'8," which Toler actually jumped (to my surprise). He seemed to do very well with the jumping, didn't tense his neck over it, or evade the bit before or after it, and he did actually round considering it was a small jump. Then again, it was small, so it's not a good indication at all as to whether I'll be using the bit all the time or just for non-jumping things.

Sunday I joined three friends on a trail ride. We warmed up inside first, and I'd moved the reins down to the curb ring on the bit because Toler tends to be extremely strong on the bit on trails. He's good about it and listens to me well anyway, but, it has definitely been a problem I've never satisfactorily resolved. Even with our Mikmar bit (looove that bit), he'd be a bit too far above the vertical and rather heavy on my hands. As I was warming up, though, I noticed Toler was extremely light on the bit--almost touchy. I added a second pair of reins, and that was perfect. He went fine (as usual so far) on the snaffle rein, but on the trail I did have to use a little pressure now and then on the curb. But he was wonderfully collected for the whole ride. Save one little uphill cantering stint where he felt he was being left behind and spazzed out. Even then, a little pressure on the curb and he was right back in my hands.

Oh, and the pheasant incident (not a duck). There was a pheasant hidden in a bush right next to the trail, but of course it didn't move until Alex and Charlie were nearly on top of it. Then it must have gotten stuck in the bush (really, I have no idea how it fit in the tiny bush anyway), because suddenly the bush was shaking. Poor Charlie probably thought it was attacking him, he shot forward to a safe distance just as the pheasant flew out. Toler, on the other side of Charlie and back a little ways, just looked at it like, "What the frell?" (Yes, yes, I'm a geek. My main mode of explicatives involves sci-fi shows and a word of Norwegian.)

I rode two-reined again yesterday in the outdoor arena. It took us a while to get going. I didn't even think of the fact that Toler's not used to my having two reins, so I didn't warm up to the contact, which caused some confusion. Once I slowed it down and started with the snaffle only, letting the curb rein be slack, Toler was perfect. I love his turning with that bit. He actually listens to my body and balance. If only I could use it for dressage. I don't even need the curb rein. I just can't find any other mullen mouth bit in 6." (Weymouth aside, as I could find a good 6" mullen weymouth and 6" three-link KK bradoon combination for like $250.) Oh well. I've got a year at least before I'd be able to show again, considering I don't have any show clothes anymore.

Today I think I'll ride with the bareback pad and do actual lateral work.

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