Beefcake with brains

Blu is a machine that just seems to get better with age. My "old" pony has turned into Benjamin Button when Benjamin was about 30 - 40 years old and looked like Brad Pitt at his best. He has developed his back, chest, neck and butt. They all go together beautifully and oh the way he uses himself... It is just spectacular. He no longer resembles two men in a horse suit when he moves. He is the proudest beast and takes my breath away with his powerful rhythmic gates.

 Susie has been long lining weekly and the metamorphosis is better than anything I have ever seen. He has gone from pony trotting at the start to coming out after 4 days off and stepping under and through.  He is oh so fresh on the long lines and you can tell he is having fun expressing his opinion but being Blu, he is a gentleman under saddle. Sure he may snarl a bit on occasion but heck, he would not be Blu if he didn't tell me how he feels. If I just ask the right way he is oh so happy.

Tonight after a week out of the saddle this Weeble got on for a ride. I felt top heavy and on occasion, like I could tip right off. Blu always patient waited for me to center and off we went. My goal was just to stay out of his way and let him carry me. I certainly was not in a place to fix him. He was magnificent! He tracked up in all his gates. His canter was just too good to be true. Even the bit of sitting trot was incredible. We did canter from a 20 m circle down to a 10m and back then a bit of a medium on the long side -- powerful and uphill it was! Also did a few canter halts and when I thought "piaffe to halt" his transition was perfect and from behind.

I want to be back to the barn tomorrow but the weather may preclude my visit. If that is the case, Susie will again long line... I am so lucky to have someone so skilled caring for and rehabilitating my pony. I will then be back as soon as the storm ends and will yet be graced again with the most perfect ride on the most perfect horse.

His freshness

Blu has made remarkable strides in his ongoing work to strengthen his back. When I got him, he did not know how to take the reins down in a long low frame. Coming through his back was an impossibility. I would attempt to feed him the reins and he would bounce around on the end of them looking to connect with my hand. He just could not figure out how to get there.  This led to kissing spines and wear on his coffin joints requiring yearly injections. Long lining has been his saving grace. Today he has built up enough strength to carry himself correctly through his back. His tendency to hollow is not constantly in play. Instead, when I get on him he looks to stretch through his back.

With strength and yes cold weather Blu has a freshness about him I had never seen previously. On the long lines he is just too full of himself for me to contain so I remain grateful to the barn manager and long liner extraordinaire Susie, for helping me with this important regime. At the end of the last session he was over tracking and he had a true medium trot! Under saddle he is just a delight! While he finds things to spook at they are never big. On some evenings it is a little more irritating than others but by in large he is still the best boy ever! He has so much to teach me and I only hope I am able to give him back some of what he gives to me.

All I want for Christmas are my hocks injected...

Dr. Liz was out several weeks ago and marveled at Blu's development. He showed her his collected canter, canter lengthening and some medium trot. Just when he thought she was not entertained enough, he threw in some FLCs. What a ham! Despite his showing off Dr. Liz could see he was getting ready for hock injections... Sure enough the next week was cold and he got even stiffer behind. Soooo Merry Christmas to us and now we are slowly ramping up again. He felt so very much better today during his walk and trot. He loosened up faster and his steps into trot were so much better. Happy horse ... happy mama... Tomorrow -- walk, trot AND canter! Happy Day!!!

Break through!!!

Another fabulous ride and a hard won break through yesterday. Blu has a predisposition for carrying himself very upright, hollowing his back and not using his hind end. For this reason it is important that every ride focuses on powering up his hind, encouraging the swing through his back and reaching for the bit. Easier said than done because he is such a wonderful poser. I have learned lots since I started long-lining Blu. Seeing his movement from the ground has helped me envision how it should be from the saddle. Blu learned very early in long lining that dropping his head to his fetlocks was a great stretch and he would do it without much prompting or warm up. Getting him to do that much of a stretch under saddle was unheard of until yesterday.... We had a lovely school taking the warm up slowly allowing Blu the time he needed to progress. I did not push for energy in his work I just focused on getting his right hind leg underneath him and I did it slowly... I progressively asked for more. I did this with shoulder-in, renvers and transitions. I got some of the best trot I have ever felt. At the end I asked for long and low on a loose rein and at first he responded with a  "not so much". It is just not in his nature to go there. I have figured out I can not just throw the rein at him instead I need to slowly give him as much as he will take. It is a very diplomatic negotiation between the two of us.  He needs the comfort of the connection and if I slowly give him more rein he takes it bit by bit and for the first time he dropped his nose to the ground. Yay Blu! Yay me!!! He has never done this for anybody else since I have owned him. What a break through. He even held it for an entire 20 meter circle. How fabulous!!! What a milestone for both of us.  We know he is very capable of dropping his nose to the ground :-)

Am I still listening?

I think the most important thing we can do for our horses is to shut off our busy brains and just listen to what they are telling us. They are always telling us a story and if I stop and think about all the horses I have been blessed with, Blu is probably the most expressive. So why do I not take the queues he is so generously offering? I think the simple answer relates to my humaness. The only time I really have a quiet moment is when I am with Blu so I frequently find myself re-hashing my day or dwelling on those issues I can't seem to resolve to my satisfaction. Blu is my lesson... stay present... listen to me...listen to what is around you... Let me share a real life example that is unfolding.

I have blogged about the delicate balance I have to keep between Blu's back, his shoeing, saddle fit and general joint maintenance. When one is out of whack they all eventually suffer. With Dr. Liz and Danny the farrier in Blu's corner, I have been able to do a world of good for Blu. The saddle continues to be a problem and I am actively trying to manage that to a quick resolution (why should this be so hard... that is another blog in the making...) So when Blu starts to pin his ears when I bring my saddle out or when he steps wide with his right hind do I take notice? Yes, I do but my reaction as to taking the next step is not always immediate. I get caught up in thinking about other issues and truly do not focus on what Blu is telling me.  I need to learn my lesson so Blu can be as sound and happy as possible. Dr. Liz saw it the last time she was at the barn but she saw it after I warmed Blu up. She did not see what he was like cold under saddle. Did I connect those dots when she said to me he may need hock injections in the next couple of months? No I did not. It did not hit me until my next ride when I really struggled to get Blu to use his right hind. Even last night I had to be reminded by him that he had an issue and when was I going to listen? Bingo! I got your message Blu! Finally at long last! I called Dr. Liz's office and asked if she was going to be in the area anytime soon if she could come back out and see Blu and possibly provide him with some injections... Whew... I finally got the message! So I guess the moral to the story is that I am harder to train than a horse :-)

Here is a picture of the most beautiful Blu and a lovely ride we had at a Gil Merrick clinic.  He is truly the very best horse!!! Pictures provided by permission of oatsnews.com

Helloooooo....

Perfect harmony

Horses will be horses...

More time has passed and I have not been diligent about capturing my thoughts. Too much to do and so little time... Last week was a slice of heaven -- vacation time and my first priority was Blu. Going to the barn in the early AM was out of the ordinary since I am an afternoon rider on weekends. Blu caught sight of me while out in his paddock and gave that quizzical "what are you doing here now interrupting up morning hay in the sunshine" look. Never the less, he was easily persuaded my presence was a good thing when I revealed the carrots that were waiting for him. He is so easy... or is he?

Despite his good nature and willingness to please, Blu is a horse. After 3 years of ownership he delighted me with some bad boy antics. Long lining has been added to our repertoire. While I can still initially fumble with the lines... what goes in which hand... I have got the feel for what I am trying to achieve. Blu loves his long lining. He immediately uses his back stepping under from behind, carrying over his back and deep into the bridle carrying his nose down by his fetlocks. Blu also is slightly opinionated so when he gave me a little "whee" and then a bunny hop kick when we started our session the other day I did not think much of it. I pushed him forward and he settled nicely into his work. Being habitual I always start his work to the left since this seems to be the easier direction. I give him plenty of time to walk and really stretch and then we go off to trot working transitions between gaits. Then we get a nice canter in. He just seems to grow into this really big horse. Then we go the right. This takes more time since he doesn't  necessarily like stepping under with his right hind. He will try and either not use it or swing it a bit wide. He seemed to warm up nicely to the direction so we moved on to the trot work. All was going well and then he felt like he was bulging through the outside shoulder and getting a bit strong in the bridle. I gave him a half halt and he scoffed at my attempt bulging more to the outside. I gave him an even bigger one and he went "WHOA" stepping on the brakes. I did not anticipate this reaction and found myself forced ahead of him and in front of his girth. He took full advantage then and slammed into reverse at full speed almost flattening our beloved barn manager and her sage mare. Of course there were others in the ring to notice our misadventure. Sweet... timing is everything.  I tried to let him have as much rein as possible and the asked him to whoa again and he just did not like it charging backwards again. Oh crap. Finally he stopped and stood still so I could gather the reins some and move him forward in the walk. Once settled and listening to me I asked him to trot and he was HUGE... OMG beautiful. We worked a bit more and then I took his naughtiness to the grooming stall to clean up. I picked his feet and then got the broom to sweep up around him like I usually do. His freshness thought I was going to assault him and kept spooking as I tried to sweep. Bad boy remorse... he was just pitiful. It carried over to the next day with twitchiness. He really is something!

Since then I had a wonderful lesson. I have decided that riding him with spurs is a MUST. I do not have to use them but their presence makes him so much more mindful of what I am asking him to do. Our canter work is perfection. He is balanced and uphill. We even did some working canter pirouettes... so much fun. Someday I will learn to sit his trot... someday. I am so challenged. Despite my zealous but failed attempts at trot perfection, I am making small gains... I need to let him carry me. We have moments. I just need to string them together... that's all. Despite the challenges I just can't wait for the next ride or to see his happy face.

A long time coming...

It has been way too long since I have written about the most wonderful horse and exploits as an amateur rider. I tend to go underground when things are not going well. Why should this blog be any different? The good news is that we have come out the other side. So here is what has happened...

After struggling in the show ring, Blu and I continued to train vigorously. He kept showing very mild signs that something was bothering him... heavy in the right rein, a tad sore in the back before ride, not as forward as he usually is. He would work out of his stiffness and we would have good rides but nothing that was stellar. Slowly but surely, Blu finally had enough and told me he just did not want a saddle on his back by pinning his ears, doing small bunny hop bucks and not going forward. Oh my!!!

Dr. Liz has shock waved him, he has received a fair amount of rest but most important Blu and I took up long lining. We have been having so much FUN!!! His trot grew, he came through his back and willingly dropped his head to his fetlocks in all gaits. His back has strengthened to a point where we are back to full work as of last night.

He was terrific last night. During a lesson we did it all including canter pirouettes and flying lead changes... oh my it was just too fantastic. His lead changes were up hill and forward thinking. I was just so thrilled. I think I will live off of this ride for days to come!!! Coming up the end of this week a clinic with Gil Merrick!!!

Not much to say

I am caught in a stuggle... being a competitive rider and paying for participation. Sometimes the paying part is challenging since the job I count on for funding has high demands. The past 2 weeks I have worked over time and then some. I love my job but its demand can be grueling so when I finally sign off at the end of the day there is just nothing left. I try to count my blessings on a daily basis but balance this against what I feel like I am missing out on -- that is Blu. We are not making the progress I would like and I know that has everything to do with me not having the energy after a 10-11 hour workday. Every day is the same -- get up, let the dogs out/ feed the dogs, grab breakfast and head to work; sit at the computer, talk on the phone until the batteries on 3 of your cordless phones are dead (even with constant rotation) for 11 hours, finish prioritized paper work and then call it a day. Where is my energy to travel to the barn, groom/ saddle my horse, revel in the glorious ride, clean up and travel home after the drudgeries of servitude?

Here it is clean and simple... life is not easy. I like many others have to pay a dear price to participate. We are the lucky ones... we value those moments and are fully invested in the thrill they provide. So that being the case there is a life lesson is this dilemma -- suck it up and make the most of your life circumstances because before you know it, you will be in a position where your complaints of today seem trivial in nature. Celebrate today!

Good bye to an old friend...

One of Blu's first friends in MA was a beautiful Hannoverian mare named Flaine. She was a beauty with PSG training. Most of all she was the kind and faithful partner for my friend Sandra. No matter what she was asked she was cool calm and collected. She cared for my friend and my friend adored her. She spent 10 of her 18 years with Sandra and was pampered like she deserved to be. While Flaine gave her all, there was also a steep price for Sandra to pay. Flaine had an ongoing gastro intestinal disorder that caused frequent colic episodes, special diets and supplements and multiple surgeries. Flaine finally succumbed with dignity this past weekend and was laid to rest in the bucolic fields of Orchard Hills Equestrian Center. She was 18 years old.

Saying good-bye is not easy but it is a reminder of just how lucky we are each and every day to share our lives with such wonderful giving and devoted creatures. Good-bye Ms. Flaine. You will never be forgotten. Your gifts live on!

Validation is a wonderful thing

So I have been off on a business trip for two days and just feeling so excited about the ride I had on Blu this past Sunday. The plan was for Linda to ride during my absence. On my way home today I just could not take it one more moment and I called Linda to check in and see what she thought about her rides. She agreed that Blu was the best she had ever felt. He was up through his back and happy in his work. She broke out the double bridle and he accepted it with little issue. She then did some fly lead changes and she said they were down right perfect... no hopping into the change croup high! She said that my assessment was spot-on and she was thrilled with the changes she felt. Oh my, does life get better?

Maintenance continues

Between the pain in my neck and Blu's stiff hocks, we both required a bit more maintenance. While mine took the form of anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants and physical therapy, Blu was treated to hock injections. We are both in working order again and it culminated in the most joyous ride last evening.

We just passed out of a nasty heat wave -- temperatures above 100 with a heat index even higher. After a few days off, it was back under saddle and of course he was fresh :-) It was great! Up the road we went to the outdoor arena spooking at the bushes, the barn, Abbey working out of the back of her car,
let's not forget the big card board box. By the time we walked into the arena he was on his tip toes. After a lot of suppling at the walk we went off to trot and for Blu it felt pretty good -- a bit tight but good-- lots of energy... More suppling at the trot along with transitions then off to canter... sublime...

I really wanted to spend some time at the trot because he has been running onto his forehand so we worked thousands of transitions and our final work was the best trot work I have ever had -- truly using his hind end and light in the front. I concentrated on feeling his hind legs and following with my seat bones. If he got heavy we did a down ward transition then back up to trot. It worked!!!! I love when I actually feel like I am making progress on my own with the assistance of a trainer. It is about time after how many years? Let's not count them ...

So off on a business trip for two days. I can not wait to get back and see what I get!

What are you thinking?

More profound words have never been spoken. After an AWESOME ride on a forward, ground covering horse who was using his back and could not be mistaken for lacking impulsion, I got off and started to think "what just happened?" I mean the horse I felt and rode at the show vs. the horse I rode tonight were polar opposites. I took Blu for his shower and talked with our very wise barn manager and asked the question out loud. With great wisdom she simply asked "what were you thinking when you got on him at the show?... At home you get on and think 'let's go!' at the show do you think "what's he looking at... what's he going to do?" While I may not be outwardly nervous, I become a different rider mentally. Blu is smart enough to pick up on that caution and just slows the whole thing down to a level he thinks is manageable... He is the smart one, not me. So thank you Suzy for that "AHA" moment. Now to figure out how to change that internal message loop... yet another lesson to be learned all because of the most fabulous Blu. I just need to stop and listen to what he is telling me.

Good ride... tough score

Yesterday was a beautiful day for a horse show but the weather gods must not have been smiling on the judge. She has her own little rain cloud hanging over her head and she shared it with the rest of us... I thought I had given my best ride (if you exclude the fabulous flying lead change during our counter canter half circle ... thank you Blu :-) ) only to find out I performed the worse this season. I was stunned and then I was mad and then I allowed myself to feel hurt. I kept questioning "why do I do this?" Over and over again I asked myself the question. I think at this point it is because I never give up... NEVER. I set my sights on a bronze medal over 15 years ago when I turned from hunters to dressage. Now my question is "When is this going to happen and now what do I have to do to get those scores?" All I know is when it does happen, there is going to be one big fat ass celebration!

As usual Blu was perfection. I love this boy more with each passing day. How can that be possible? Here is a picture to display his magnificence. Thanks to my friend Stephanie from Dexterpix for such a terrrific shot. He truly is a blessing. Never mind what that judge says...

A little TLC and voila!

Both Blu and I have benefited from a bit of work. For me, it is stretching and strengthening of my lower back and hips along with attention to my core muscles. For Blu, coffin joint injections and shock wave. Both of us felt the effects this evening. It is just beautiful when it all comes together.

I took a lesson and told Linda I wanted to focus on the bend since the past two tests have had similar comments about "not enough bend". So we did some work at the walk -- half pass to X then turn on the haunches and half pass back to the rail. We also worked on the turn on the haunches element required at 2-3. Off we went to trot and quickly turned that to canter and back to trot with transitions being of utmost importance. The canter work that followed was just spectacular. I rode him up in the bridle and had beautiful counter canter and simple changes. Linda thought if I could replicate these movements for my test on Saturday I could easily have a 67 - 68 ride. Oh please... all I want is a 60!!!

So coffin joint injections and shockwave did the trick for Blu. Continued stretching and strengthening for me. My knees are out of the saddle and my leg is hanging down his side. I can give the aids I need from my seat and core. What a beautiful thing! This boy has taught me so very much about feeling and riding correctly.

A tepid bath (Blu is not a fan of cold water...), lots of treats and love and then home to dream of the ride. Can I just bottle that and replicate it on Saturday?

Exclamation!

Here is Blu and his mom at their very first show together! Another milestone achieved and documented! He was the very best boy! How lucky am I! I think I need to pinch myself! Dreams do come true! I must have been very good in another life or is it that I have paid my equine dues so I am now entitled to all the joy a horse can bring! Whatever it is I hope it goes on forever!

Maintenance required for older models.

Both Blu and I require the occasional tune up. I get mine from limb bending physical therapists who delight in seeing how much open angle they can create in my hip. I was proclaimed to be at about 90% this past Monday when I started 8 weeks ago I barely had 20% of my expected range. Got to love those therapists. No pain... no gain.

Blu has shown some progressive ouchiness in the past month. Nothing really to write home about but when you look at it cumulatively, he has become plain sore. Dr. Liz was out to see him and confirmed my suspicions -- sore back and sore front feet. X-rays of his front feet showed no discernible change so she felt coffin joint injections and shock wave for his back were in order. In a week's time he will be back to full work.

We also talked about his strange episode the last day of the show. She said my instincts to load him up and take him home were correct and there could have been any number of things that caused his distress including the agitated horses all around. From now on he will continue to get the Gastrogard with each day of showing supplemented by 60cc of Maalox every 4 hours and Tums as his snacks. I would go to all sorts of lengths to keep this young man happy...

So us seniors have got our therapy and will prepare for the next show. Hopefully we will both be in the best of shape as we continue to search for those bronze medal scores.

Another show... another show experience

Off to Mystic Valley Hunt Club this past weekend. We were due to depart on Thursday afternoon but severe thunderstorms in the area kept us at home until early Friday morning. Getting to the barn at that hour I hoped Blu was clean and tidy like our last outing but of course that was not to be. He had brown spots all over him. So off to the wash stall we went. His braids were also a bit dicey but time was not on my side and I said to heck with it and went off to the show a bit tattered. Half way in the commute I realized we were not going to make our class in time. When I got to the show, I immediately went to the show secretary and luck would have it that there was a scratch an hour later so I took the slot.

By the time I got enough unloaded, Blu groomed and me put together we had 15 minutes for warm-up. Out went the long walk and a bit of trot. We walked to the warm-up area and went to canter. He felt good -- a bit tired-- but overall he was good. Neither of us were very anxious and that is great! He was still going into the ring but what are you going to do when the show must go on? Put on a smile and trot into the ring that is what you are going to do! And so we did...

The test was far better than our last outing. I was more confident and started to think more about the ride vs. the OMG I am actually in the show ring thinking. I had a heads up from my friend that it was a bit boggy at "X" due to torrential rains the evening before. Blu spotted it immediately as we entered at "A". You could feel his wheels turn -- "How am I going to get out of stepping in that slop?" I kicked and kicked... he fishtailed and bulged. I got him into the middle of it but the halt was plain ugly. For a horse who usually scores a 7-8, we settled for a 5. Sweet! For the rest of the test where I had to pass through "X" I simply tried to stay to one side or another but we had to come back through as we approached our final halt. Simply put, it again was not very pretty. He scooted through "X" and then landed in a heap with a few walk steps for the final halt. Not good for second level and it earned us another "5".

Our judge was of international fame -- how lucky could one get? My trainer thought my score was a bit low but her comments were certainly something to build on. Our score was better than our last show and we did place 2nd out of 6.

We have some work to do. I just have to get these scores out of the way so I can take a breath and begin to think about third level. With the month of August being show free, we will start back in the double bridle. I think we are both ready for it. Next show in 2 weeks... Get ready Letter Perfect Farm... Here comes Blu!!!

Too busy riding to post

Wouldn't that be a dream? Too much time in the saddle so not enough time to wax poetic? I wish this was the case. The truth is that I continue to ride as work allows and that is usually a 4 day per week minimum. My riding has definitely improved and the magnificent Blu just becomes more magnificent.

We started on our next phase -- horse shows. We went to our first this beautiful sunny hot and humid Memorial Day weekend. He was just the best show pony anyone could ask for. The day started perfectly when I walked into the barn in the morning and he did not have a manure stain on him!!! He stood patiently while I braided him and they came out perfectly. He loaded like it was yesterday that he stepped on the trailer. He was quiet in the trailer for the 1.5 hour ride and then stood patiently while we got set up. Off he came without a snort or a whinny. Blu had arrived and he was ready to show!

Second level test three was made for him. He did flawless simple lead changes and his counter canter was perfection. He did not rush and if I could learn to ride a bit more forward we would knock the ball out of the park. Why is it that I ride like a girl gone wild at home but can not replicate that in front of a judge? Frustrating indeed but maybe with time I will give that bit of nonsense up. The show nerves I have exhibited in the past were far better than I expected -- all due to the marvel of Blu. He never put a foot wrong -- even when the wind was gusting and the low bushes by the ring were being tossed around, he went about his job taking care of me. He is the $50 million horse!

Enjoyment in every ride

Tired and feeling just a bit sore from yesterday's ride I had to push myself to go to the barn. I just did not want to leave the comfort of home, go out in the rain and feel the dampness seep into my bones. Blu was waiting and I knew he would probably be in because of the down pours that kept creeping back into the day. Off I went and as predicted Blu was waiting in his comfy over bedded stall with a nice snack size pile of hay laying at his feet. He seemed quite content but thrilled to have his mom pay him a visit. There are treats in my pocket after all...

He just feels better with each ride. He is strong and he is much more uphill in his balance. My trainer sees it and the barn manager commented today on the improvements she has seen Blu make in the past month. Yes, he has yet another fan club. How can you not enjoy every moment with this wonderful horse?

We are preparing for our first show on Memorial Day weekend with a Ride-Critque-Ride this coming weekend. We will do 2nd-3 and see what we have. I am exhausted just thinking about the week to come but it is filled with anticipation as I take my relationship with Blu to the next long awaited level.

It is tough to get old.

No posts for awhile since my riding has been terribly lack luster. My back/ hip issue had returned with a vengeance to the point where I broke down and went to see a sports medicine physician. Sometimes it is wise to leave the diagnosing to trained professionals but then again that means giving up control of the situation. So this control freak let go and the good news is that the issues can be fixed. The tough news is that it will take some pain and some time. Oh well, as long as it can be fixed.

So my riding is now augmented by twice a week physical therapy, daily stretching and strengthening exercises. Once a week I submit to Linda's instruction, working my body overtime and coming away with improving results.

Tonight I continued with left hip/ buttock pain but said "screw it" and kept on with the lesson. Focusing on a horse who was firing off his hind legs and coming up and into the bridle helped me forget about any discomfort I was feeling. We worked on canter half pass to leg yield, simple changes, canter halt. It was all good work. After about 40 minutes I ceded the reins to Linda and she finished the ride. He was magnificent-- the best I had ever seen.

Linda provided words of encouragement even said she thought PSG was in our reach within the next year.... OMG... can you even imagine that. It may be tough to get old but the old are getting tough!!!