Today we headed out with my horsey friend A and her horse Reo to a nearby barn for an obstacle course lesson.This barn had a few amazing courses set up, and came with a super calm and soft-spoken trainer (also the owner of the barn).
Despite being a bit spooky in the morning, and despite the chilly rain, Max did very well. He was kind of look-y and tense at first but with L's quiet instruction and demeanor, we quickly relaxed and enjoyed all the obstacles.
Here are lots n lots of pics!
Tacking up at the trailer.
The more advanced course.
Working on relaxation.
A bridge framed with rainbow pinwheels and scary flapping flags!
It's been roughly one year since I brought that cute chestnut with white speckles on his belly home as a first-time horse owner. He has taught me so much... about horses, about riding, and about myself.
Kind eyes from a kind soul.
He's taught me about caring for a horse. He taught me about his hooves and how important they are to him. They were in such bad shape but are looking great now.
I learned how to do a wicked wrap!
He taught me patience and perseverance, discipline and strength of spirit. He taught me to plan ahead, but also to roll with the punches. He taught me to seize today instead of dreaming about tomorrow.
He taught me how to be girly and learn to braid, and to tuck in my shirts!
He taught me to fly. He taught me to fall.
He taught me to be confident and trust in myself.
I love you Max - thank you for coming into my life!
And for those of you who bypassed all the soppy stuff above, here is a soppy video for you :) :)
I've contemplated posting this video because I'm not sure if the world wants to see me flung to the ground by my pony. What am I saying..OF COURSE the world wants to see it!
By world..I mean..you three readers ^.^ Who I am very grateful for! If you don't mind sharing your worst fall story with me, I'd love to hear it.
Here is mine, to date!
After my poor husband panicked for a bit, he then ran over only to say "Are you okay? I got that on video!" Haha!
I'm trying out a close contact saddle on Max. It's an HDR saddle that has been converted from foam to wool. Since I have no idea what brand means what, I have decided to look mainly at the comfort level for Max, myself and of course..the price..always a factor :x
The saddle-fitter took a look at it on Max and said it was a perfect fit. When I hopped on and tried it a few times, I noticed he moved more forward in it as well. As for myself I find it quite comfy except I noticed in videos that I'm in a bit of a chair seat in it in some positions. Then again I'm that way in my dressage saddle too.
As for the price, it's a bit on the high end for a used HDR saddle (when I compare it to ebay listings) but I'm still leaning towards getting it just because it fits both of us so nicely and I won't have to pay for shipping or a saddle-fitting in a while. We'll see what happens!
As for the scare..well it's a bit of a long story but basically Max lost a lot of weight over winter (probably due to Lyme). He's having a hard time gaining it back, despite our efforts. Part of it is he gets so stressed out when turned out in the field. He's starting out at the bottom of the herd so he starts working himself up into a tizzy and runs around like crazy. Two days ago he got so worked up he had a stress colic episode. Luckily it never had to involve a vet and went away by the afternoon but it scared me quite a bit.
So now we have him out 24/7, in his paddock at night, and in another paddock with grass and a run-in during the day. He is also going to be given hay all the time so he always has the option to graze. Hopefully by reducing his stress, feeding him more forage, and having him on Smartgain he'll start putting on some good weight.
Sigh..always something!
Anyway on to more fun stuff! I told J about Max's issues with water so she put together a small 'water crossing' and had us walk/trot/canter over it. He did fantastic at first, but at some point during the canter decided to jump the entire length of the tarp. Of course I came off!
J was so shocked..she said her jaw just dropped down. I don't think she's ever seen him move in such a large way. I was THRILLED though..I think my reaction must have convinced her I have a few screws loose. My main concern was that he'd be all okay with the water during the lesson but luckily because he had that little freak out, she was able to evaluate it and provide me steps in helping to prevent it. It was one of the happiest dis-mounts I've had to date ^.^
Here is a short video she took of us cantering over the water tarp, and a video of us jumping in the trial HDR. Enjoy!
