Quick Update

Cindy has been sold to a lovely dressage home in the South Island. She has been on freemover plus with me and its really helping her back. Her new owner is going to lunge and do flatwork to build up her back muscles, and hopfully do some competiton on her. Its a perfect home and in all fairness to Cindy its much kinder for her as she isnt ready to do what I want to do competiton wise. I am really going to miss her, such a sweet mare. I was very picky as to what home I wanted for her. I had lots of interest, and after having 4 homes since finishing racing I wanted a long term home with someone who didnt mind taking their time and being aware of her issues and prepared to wrok through them. I look forward to hearing from Kelly to see how they are doing. Cindy should be leaving my place at some stage this week.

My New Pony has arrived and is super cute. I have only had one quick ride as he needs shoeing. He was very quiet and willing. I will get some photos as soon as I can. He has already proven he will jump and make a nice SJ and event type with little schooling, im really excited about him. Hopfully I can get him to some sports days before xmas just for an outing or 2 :)

It's been awhile!

Gosh, haven't updated this blog in ages! A lot has happened since the last entry, most of you probably already know what im up to anyway, but ill bore you anyway!

I Sold alberto to friend of mine as she fell in love, the money came in handy too. He is still grazing at the property from time to time, will be turning into a nice show pony over the next year or so.

I have A new horse called Cindy. She was previously owned my a friend for a short time to be sold on. I happened to spot her on trade me and enquired about her. She hasn't really done anything and is 8 years now. She is nice and kind on the ground and good to do everything with. I had the opportunity to take her on trial which was great, as I wasn't sure if she would jump etc. She rushes and is really green and has had no schooling whatsoever...but she tried to please.

I have done about half a dozen outings with her already (not competition). She takes it all in her stride, she is very hot to ride...I did some research into her back ground and turns out the girl who got her off the track was a hot seated jockey who hooned her everywhere. Then Debz got her and sold her to Jo, then me :) Jo is very pleased I have her, she only did 2 ARC outings with her and pretty mch walk and trotted. She was mostly lunged for a year as Jo had an injury which meant she couldnt ride.. She needs a lot of work, she didn't know what legs were, didn't really go anywhere/bend and would bounce a lot. She is still doing this now and then, but become more relaxed in her work. She is working long and low, and hopefully the jumping will improve.

Cindy will jump anything I put her at as long as your legs are on she is happy to jump...she get s a bit cocky so I have to be careful. She has only jumped about 90cm with me so far, but has jumped a range of xc fences and some fill with no worries. Ditches, Chevrons, water, corners have not been an issue for her. SO its just plain dressage and we should be away!

She hurt her back in racing as I found out from the trainer who trained her...so I have had her back checked bu chiro and massaged. I hope we will have lots of fun together....and although I expect it to be slow with her, it will be rewarding. Ive already had a few people compliment me on how nicer type she is (under saddle and on ground).

Today was Solway ODE, I went just for a ride....she is working so much nicer on the flat, still bit fast and strong, but starting to soften and listen...coming up into my outside hand off the leg...I can let the inside rein go an maintain the same rhythm - so that's a sure sign she is working correctly. She is also looking much better and muscling up nicely.

Watch this space.

Waikanae Training Day

I am mad, drove all the way to Waikanae for a bloody training day :P I really just wanted to be nosey at Hayleys new horse Golly, plus was a good excuse to get out the house for open homes.

I only bought Alberto with me, seeing as JC is for sale. Al loaded great and travelled really well most of the way to Waikanae which was a rather long and boring drive. He booted the ramp a bit when I got over the Haywards hill, but once I unloaded I could see why, they was a huge sloppy mess and pee everywhere! I gave him grass a few nights before :P

Anyway, he was pretty good...nice and relaxed at the float and good to do all the handling with. Jumped on and went over to where they had a little 70cm SJ set up. He decided he was a racehorse for a short while, sideways, backwards and spins all included LOL I wasn't laughing at the time, but its funny now! He soon got that out of his system and did a cute 70cm round and felt pretty good, and no rails :) We went over to the slightly bigger ring at 85cm (looked like a big 85 to me). He surprised me actually, just jumped great! He was cantering into all his fences too, pretty racehorse like, but hey...he did it! He jumps the bigger fences much better!

XC wasn't as good, he didn't know what to do over the first fence and was jumping it like a cat, and it didn't help that I felt awful in my saddle as was so slippery! I couldn't get him near the silly creek thing, poor boy was shaking. I went up the hill and popped over the ramp and then attempted the ditch. I probably shouldn't have shown him it, would have been better just to canter at it. He stopped a few times then jumped it...but I think he caught his leg and scared himself. He was very stubborn about going back over, I tried getting leads but it didn't work. Anyway, me being me...I didn't give up. I had to calm down and so did he...then finally we jumped it nicely and I left it at that! He jumped a few fences like a chevron, palisade and some uprights. He went into the water pretty easily too which was great. I jumped him off the bank into water which he wasn't sure about, but was willing...he wasn't sure about jumping out...was funny! He jumped up and down the banks fine and we finished for the day...we were both stuffed!

I am looking forward to more training days, solway is next for some SJ, then again the week after for SJ and XC. I think he will be a nice little horse with more mileage...he is improving all the time.

Have a bit of interest in JC, but people are put off by his lameness, so hopefully a lower level home may suit! Fingers crossed :)

Update

Well, after careful consideration I have chosen which horse to sell....I was going to sell Alberto as I knew he would be an easy sale...I had someone offer to take him right then and there as they watched me ride him, but I told them I wasn't sure I wanted to at this stage. Its nice to know I have a horse that appeals to so many people, he isn't a super star, but then neither am I hehe! He is is very lazy off the leg, but I am going to have some lessons to help with that, he is working kindly in all 3 paces and not drifting so much now, jumped some fences including a double nicely....he got his spring back so im really pleased.

I had lessons on both to help me decide, just getting a few people opinions on which horse is the nicer of the two (not just looks) poor JC wasn't gifted in this area as we all know! Alberto is the more suitable of the two, he is more even in temperament, has a nice consistent rhythm into his fences and with grids should tidy up nicely. I want to SJ to about 1.10m and PN event one day and we agree he is the more suitable horse for this as JC has very average movement and is starting to get stiff again in warm ups. I am hoping he doesn't go lame again as this is how it all started last time. I have spent a lot of money trying to sort him out, so if happens again I have no idea what is causing it. When I sell him I will mention his previous lameness and the fact we think it was muscular. I don't want to put people off, but I don't want people buying then have problems and not being aware. He jumped awesome in his lesson...we did heaps of trotting as he locks himself and pulls like a steam train (rushes into a fence). He started to get nervous when we trotted into my wall...he went to jump and slammed on the brakes. Took a bit ti get him over (at canter) went to jump it for the 3rd time and he did the same thing.......wasn't very nice for me.....he would almost drop me in it....finally I got him over and he jumped up and straight down......landed his back legs on the jump and I fell.......got back on and jumped some fences again and called it a day, will try again this week.. Think he has just given himself a fright, he get so tense and nervous tho, there is no point hitting him and stuff as makes him worse! Was a bit of a shame, but he did jump some decent fences very well! I am hoping someone who wants to SJ will take him on.....wish me luck.

The farm in on the market fro $455,000 now - we have dropped the price as Glen wants it sold! I will just keep Alberto until we get back on out feet...I may look for a nice schoolmaster type in the new year to join Alberto.

Boys get the WOF

Both the horses had a chiro appointment on Thursday, JC (as expected) has a lot going on. His back and neck were all out (8 in total) his offside hock and a few other little niggles. I rode the following afternoon and he was very happy and there was no disuniting or bucking. He has been doing this since I bought him, so I'm really pleased I have that sorted. I need to have him seen again in the next few months, hopefully he is making progress. But due to his confirmation its expected I will have back problems, the fact he is a 'hot' horse doesn't help either. I also had his teeth done on Saturday and they wernt too bad. He does have woolf teeth, but I will get him sedated to pull those as he is a kicker when in any pain.

Chiro was good for Alberto. He said Al has a really strong back and pelvis and in really good nic for a horse just out of racing. He is such a lil cutie, everyone that's seen him so far likes him. He only had a vertebrae out in his neck and on rib (which connects to the spine) out and a fetlock. His teeth were a bit steep at the back, but all sorted and he doesn't have anything else to deal with (like Wolf teeth).

Both the boys were wormed and shod the other day, JC will get a massage at some point and we should be all ready for the new season. I'm in the process of registering Alberto with ESNZ, I am wanting to compete both at the spring shows...so excited :)

Hopefully when this stupid weather improves I can get some riding in. I really need to teach Al to jump at a canter and see how he is with some fill. JC just needs to calm down haha

What a nice day for a ride :)

I headed out to Gladstone this morning to have a much needed ride on the ponies. Both of them loaded well, Alberto self loaded, I'm so proud of him. They got some lovely stables to hang in while I got things organized and rode etc. JC was a little on edge as usual, but Alberto just seems to take it all in and wasn't worried about the new surroundings or the little stallion in the box next door.

First up I rode JC, he was a bit frisky, but just like he usually is really. He needs heaps of schooling, he is heavy on the forehand so I'm just trying to get him moving off my leg and carrying himself again, I think once his fitness is better he will work much nicer. All in all he warmed up well, few pig routes and one buck! But he went pretty good. He was rushing the fences after a bit but we sorted that towards the end of the session. I am having his back done next week so I'm rather interested to see if we find anything, he has some sweat rash on him from getting in a lather the other week, so think that would be a bit uncomfortable for him. We only jumped about 85cm today, not a lot as he isn't fit.

Alberto was such a good boy, he wasn't spooking at anything alongside the arena and he just seemed really chilled out. I warmed him up, he still isn't working on an outline often, but he is moving forward and away from the leg nicely. We did a little circle work and he is starting to understand bending and coming up in the outside hand....he has a really good brain and I'm super excited about him. he reminds me so much of Jazz, just so willing and a good attitude towards his work. He popped straight over some poles on the ground and over a x bar no worries. We did a small upright and oxer with no worries. He knocked the upright and nearly fell over it as I let him canter and he isnt ready for that yet (still finding his feet). He jumped it huge after that though, which is awesome! He feels really willing and scopey...I cant wait to ride him more. My sis had trouble getting my rangy camera to work, so we didnt get any decent photos apart from the one pictured.

Tony goes, Alberto stays

Tony went to his new home on Saturday. Kate picked him up and had a flash new cover for him and is very happy. He loaded straight on the float and off he went! Kate and I plan to go for a ride together sometime soon.'

JC wasn't too impressed seeing his buddy leaving so decided to gallop round and round the big paddock like a complete idiot. Alberto thought he would join in, they must have done about 10 laps and Alberto showed his racing from out in the paddock, poor JC was snorting and puffing. They were going so fast they broke through the electric tape and galloped around the house, I was not impressed by this. I caught them once I fixed the tape, Alberto was pretty warm but not sweating, however JC was in a lather...white foam all through his rugs!

I have had Alberto 2 weeks, and have decided to buy him. I had a bit of a freak moment while I was pulling his mane. He was eating with his head down and came back up and made a noise which sounded like windsucking, it was really quick and he didnt bite and arch.....I have tied him for the last few days and nothing like it again, apart from biting the rails a bit....so fingers crossed its nothing (which is most likely the case). Alberto is starting to work in an outline now and is so quiet. I'm hoping to get some new photos of him under saddle in the next few weeks. I'll try get the farrier to put some back shoes on this week and go down to the arena for some schooling.