gumby rides again

My horse has a new nickname, it's Gumby. He earned the name during his first chiropractic appointment - and I quote "ohh, he is fun to adjust - he turns into Gumby". I only wish I had snapped a photo of Koda's pathetic face while having body work done. Let's just say, he reeeally liked it!

Our vet got certified in chiropractic care and switched clinics to practice all Eastern Medicine. I've never seen anyone so happy from making a career shift. Altho we miss her during routine care, our horses will still benefit from her wonderful caring ability to explain conditions and options to us. We have a similar mindset, in that there is a place for both types of care. Nobody was happier to see her again then Gumby, 'er Koda.

Brad was having some concerns with Cierra's back, and wanted to get it checked out further. She was indeed sore, and will need some additional care. After being off for so long, we thought it would be a good idea to have Koda looked at as well. His adjustments were more standard. The vet watched him move and saw no signs of lameness. Some slight hock soreness was visible, but nothing bad. 

We talked about where we are at with his recovery, and our typical routine. It was nice to hear the time spent wrapping Koda's hocks was/is worthwhile. She wants me to continue using the hock wraps pre-ride (20+ minutes) and suggested also putting them on briefly afterwards while I untack. We are officially cleared to start loping again, but with straighter lines (vs smaller circles). 

Originally I had planned to start with lunging Koda at the lope, and work my way up. The vet preferred Koda be ridden, as long as I was comfortable doing it. I had thoughts about asking our trainer to lope him for the first time. However, I really wanted to continue this stage of Koda's rehab myself. I know enough, to know when to ask for help. I am a lifelong learner, and that time will come again. There is only one way to find out where you are at, and that is to try. 

It's hard to put into words how it felt to lope Koda again. The first time I asked, he woke up. His response was a bit like "wait, what - you want me to lope" and he did, but we were doing a diagonal across the indoor arena and had run out of space in no time. It didn't surprise me since I had been saying "no, we are just trotting" for so long. The next time he was ready for my lope cue, and we crossed the arena again.

We did some other things, so as not to anticipate my asking. He is notorious for predicting practice sequence. I tried loping again, this time at the rail. I forgot how incredibly smooth he is at this gait...it's like floating on a cloud! Koda responded so softly when I asked him to lope...I am still in awe. He held his frame and gave me both leads, altho I had to restart one side. He didn't rush, and seemed to be content loping again. It was brief, but it was. I am sooo happy to be another step closer towards where we were, together.

the never ending balance

When asked what I'm working on today, I sound like a broken record. My answer revolves around the same thing. Getting the left lead. Feeling the left lead. Keeping the left lead, and all the other stuff that goes along with it.

Wondering about the last one? It's not just keeping him going, Koda has a talent for switching back to his preferred right lead willie-nille. Might be at the beginning, middle or near the end of our lope. Anything can trigger it. A dip in the sand, my wandering mind, or nothing at all. Sometimes it's obvious to feel, sometimes it's not. 

So now that I've conjured images of loooong stretches of never ending loping circles to the left, day in and day out, rest assured that never happens. We always do a lot of different stuff, every ride. It would probably do us some good to focus our rides on specific area's that need work. There are plenty to pick from, but that's not how I roll and neither does my horse. We both like to mix it up. The only thing that feels like work, is his left lead. The rest of it feels like practice. Fun practice. 

Why does every thing have to be over analyzed, and perfected anyways? Seriously, it takes all the fun out of riding. I want to have fun riding, just being with my horse. Practicing moves, and yes - working on some things that need fixing or tweaking - so that we can have even more fun. But all work and no play makes Aurora a dull girl. I suppose ones definition of work, and perception of fun, plays into ones state of mind.

After not seeing us ride for over two weeks, our trainer popped over to the arena to chat and we happened to be loping at the time. She was very complimentary on Koda's positioning, and our lope in general. It made me feel good that I've managed to work on myself, because trust me - my horse knows exactly how to get his left lope and continue correctly. 

I mentioned how odd it was that now Koda's left lope feels better then his right. The right side feels off. She said that happens to trainers when balancing out horses. So now I have to strengthen the right? Since I always lope both directions equally, it never occurred to me. I clearly don't have a trainer mentality. However I will be the first to admit I really dial in my focus getting/feeling/keeping/collecting/softening/rating the left lead, because the right has always come so easily.

Well, I guess now I can change my answer. I am working on strengthening myself while loping to the right, while practicing everything else - and of course, having fun!

holiday bonus

We planned on taking advantage of the Fourth of July holiday, to ride an extra day. Plans came together and we enjoyed a sunny late afternoon ride, just our three horses in an outdoor relaxing arena atmosphere.

Our frainer is typically pulled in 500 directions so she really savors rare moments like these, and so do we. I have no clue how she patiently deals with all of "it"...nice to just spend time together and ride. I am glad she was able to join us. She rode Cierra, and Brad & I rode our usual mounts. We had not seen Cierra under saddle for several months. She is looking really good, responsive but relaxed, and enjoying her job.

In the midst of the arena fun, the resident grandkids asked to ride. Brad led them in hand on Nemo. They are young, and it was the first time Nemo had done kid duty. He was a champ! Altho Brad said he nudged him in the back while leading the kids (separately) as if to say "are you kidding me?". Gotta love that spotted horse! While this was going on, Koda was all ears. He was very curious what those little people were doing on his brothers back!

We rode on Saturday & Sunday too, a bonus three days in a row! Doesn't happen too often. I am back to loping regularly, altho getting more softness still needs work. Oh, and getting that darn (expletive removed) left lead!! Koda is making me work so hard for it, and knows what I am asking for... 

His left counter canter is so smooth that I need an extra set of eyes to reassure I am feeling what I think I am. Wish I didn't have to ask for help, but I just don't catch it fast enough. Sometimes I'm correct, many times I'm not. I'll simply have to keep working at feeling it...just when I think I've got our left lope off figured out, we seem to take two steps back.

I asked Brad to take a video of us loping left, so I could not only feel but see where we are at. I think seeing yourself/horse can help. Nice of him to oblige, however the video turned out b-b-b-bouncy! He trotted on Nemo to "keep up"...granted it is a big outdoor arena, but I'm pretty sure zoom would have worked better ;) it was pretty funny at the time. 

Here we are in motion, going forward and with a little extra help from Brad going up & down too! Not pretty, but we are slowly getting there. I think.

two weeks into the blue

How did two weeks go by without us even seeing our horses? This is how: Holidays. Vacation. Unbearable Cold Weather. Life. Freezing Rain. 

Regardless of the remnants from freezing rain, we headed out this weekend to see our horses. I was really happy to find them safe & sound in their stalls, munching away on lunch instead of walking across perilous ice. Especially after trying to walk myself from the truck to the barn. Every time I tried to shuffle my feet forward on the ice, I slidddd further back!

We shared the arena on Saturday with two other horses & riders, Cierra & Trainer Patty and a pretty black mare in training & her owner. Koda was forward, and listening. Near the end of our ride I cued him to collect in preparation for a lope - and he hunched while thinking about, well you know. It caught the attention of our trainer. I was able to get his mind back, and end with the lope I originally had asked for.

Koda wants to rush, and lope off before I've even asked. It is after all, the quickest way back to leisure. Nothing new. He always appears to be thinking something along the lines of "hurry up, let's get this over with". Koda knows what comes next, but needs to wait for me to ask. Consequently we've had some premature starts, stops and re-do's. I've tried to mix things up somewhat, so I am not asking the same thing at the same spot. I try adding in different circles, or transitions etc but the sequence of cues to lope off are the same.

Sunday we spent the lions share of the day at the barn, riding and helping out. With the warmer weather, the barn was busier then usual. By the time we rode, we had the arena to ourselves for the most part. Both Koda & Nemo were acting goofy on the far end of the arena. The combination of sun peeking through creating cast shadows, and freshly raked sand where no horse has ever gone, made the boys suspicious. 

I kept Koda's mind busy warming up and weaving around the random cones, each time riding closer & eventually through the end of the arena. Our ride was going fine, although somewhat distracting. We tried to focus on our ride, and not what was going on elsewhere. A boarder had just finished trying out a new saddle, and the group headed out of the arena. We started another lope-off, and Koda gave me an even bigger hunched up response then the day before!! It caught our trainer's eye, and she promptly asked me to get off before I even had time to do anything but stop him. 

I always feel defeated when this happens.

She said two days in a row is a huge warning sign, and wanted to ride him. Koda loped a lot, more and harder then I ever do, with stops and turns. He gave her some pushback in the beginning as well, but that didn't last long - she means business.

I asked if I was doing anything wrong, or if there was something I could do different on my lope offs. She said no, and I quote "I don't care if you want to stand on your head before you lope off, if you ask him to lope off - he better do it". Point taken.

When I got back on Koda I was asked to do exactly what I was doing before, cue & lope off the same way. I did both directions, but not long - once around was enough for me on a sweaty nervous boy. Just enough to see if Koda would respond appropriately to me. He did, but I felt the thought was perhaps still there - somewhere in that naughty head of his. 

I cooled Koda down. He was pretty glad to be done, me too. I don't like rides like this.

I should just be happy our trainer was around, and is willing to jump in (or better said on) when a problem arises. Just wish I could solve bigger challenges on my own, or better yet - not have them at all. Our rides had been going so well...I need to get stronger. I don't think my horse will ever entirely keep his attitude in balance. Guess that makes him a horse. 

To end on a brighter note, the new blue coolers I ordered for Koda & Nemo arrived just in time for the "winter coat in warmer weather, sweat". Koda has already put his to good use!

Checking out his new cooler

one trick pony

My horse does a new trick.

I couldn't have taught him to do it if I tried.

Not sure if it was our unintentional one week break, or the deep sand, or combination thereof, but Koda decided it was easier to switch from left to right leads at close to a stand still, in mid air - then it would be to take the asked for left lead.

It goes something like this...

Pro-action: 360 circle at a trot, to assist in getting the correct left lead at a lope

Step one: cue for some power/lift from behind

Step two: start circle by turning away from the wall

Step three: keep horse moving forward through circle

Not a step: despite my best efforts, Koda slows waaaay down in anticipation 

Step four: while coming towards the wall (at whatever degree that is) cue for a lope, so the next natural step is the correct lead leg

Not a step: he doesn't take the cue. we are now at our beginning point, next to the wall, at all but a stand still, for a split second - in movement, in time, in air - as Koda sloooowly reaches forward with his left front inside leg - and does some funky bait-n-switch, that feels like it happens with a whoohoo hop, resulting in his preferred right (in this case, outside) lead.

Really horse? That is a lot more work then taking the dang correct lead! First try had me puzzled "did Koda just do what I think he did?" We loped a bit while I processed. He has the smoothest counter canter to the left...stopped, and tried it again.

Second try, I have a witness. Brad yells out "he just switched leads in mid-air". Yes, yes he did - I can clearly feel him doing it. 

Koda takes flying lead changes to a new level.

Third airborne acrobat move earned Koda a swat on the butt. He knows damn well what I am asking for! We have been practicing this for weeks, and had many, many successful lope-offs as well as some unsuccessful ones that led to subsequent tries. 

Were these executed perfectly, no. Do I need to keep Koda moving through the entire circle, yes! I am trying, it would be nice if he met me half way. I've gained approval from our trainer on several circle lope offs in the recent past, while visiting during our rides. It helps my confidence to have had a trained eye watch.

In my past, I've gotten plenty of smiles from trainers on my corrections. I dislike applying pressure (aka getting after my horse). So much, that some result in "is that all you got" looks from my horse "I thought that was a fly". However when I know it isn't me, or it's clearly naughty/unsafe, and fear has not welled up, I am capable of applying appropriate pressure. 

We had this down, and had worked back up to corner & even some straight wall lope offs - again. What a difference a week makes. I know Koda knows exactly what I am asking for, and so we progress onto...

Step five: horse remains moving forward, takes the correct lead and lopes off, continues collected and loping until I ask him to stop. That was the nicest lope I've gotten in a long time, what a sweet feeling! 

I could feel my horse thinking, as we rounded the arena with ease. He was probably cursing my name. Koda earned a big long break, and lotsa "atta-boy" affection afterwards. So much easier, and less work, then being a one trick pony! Later in our ride, we did the circle-off correctly again - with the first ask.

Sweet Koda