Signs

As I've been saying, Carmen is showing lots of signs of becoming a sensible mature horse. For example, our ground tying is progressing very nicely. She generally stays when I ask her to but there are usually 1-2 corrections initially. The other day I was grooming her and she was standing there with her head lowered enjoying the attention and Irish was eating hay in the stall. I was brushing out her tail when all of a sudden there was a loud BANG of Irish kicking thew wall and then bolting out into the field. Both Carmen and I leapt a few feet into the air. I just had time to think Oh No, she's going to bolt but she didn't. She did a bit of prance with her feet and then stopped and looked at me wide eyed.
Carmen What the heck was that? 
Me: I think the cat in the rafters startled him. 
Carmen: sigh
Me: exactly. 
And I resumed my grooming while she went back to dozing. Inwardly I was gleeful. Her not running away when she could was huge.

I like to track when I ride on the calendar. That helps me to stay honest with myself about how much schooling I'm actually doing. All I do is mark 'R' on the calendar in red marker. If there's something exceptional I will make a note but mostly I don't. Usually the 'exceptional' stuff finds its way into my blog. The week of March 7-13 was great- I actually got to ride 5 times. This week between work and the weather I only managed to ride today.

Before that I was out puttering around the barn when I saw Irish go into alert mode. I looked to see what he was looking at and then I heard it. I couldn't figure out what it was until it came around the bend of the road. It was a child driving a small toy car, with her parents (I think a girl, it was hard to tell from so far away), followed by 2-3 teenagers and about 3-4 dogs. I may have the numbers wrong but it looked like a parade. I waved to them and turned back to Irish. He was prancing and trotting and getting agitated. Carmen watched them alertly but didn't move. I didn't get video of Irish running around but I did get this:

What I love is that she's quiet and quite clearly looking to me for direction. Not Irish. Irish is looking at me too but is pretty sure that he's telling me that it's the zombie apocalypse and we should flee.  I told them it was a parade. 

I knew right then that I was going to have a good ride. 

Choices

Since I wrote the post about selling my little red wagon I've been doing some research and thinking about horse trailers. There's been a lot to think about.

I realized that buying a trailer is a lot like buying a horse:
1.  First you think about what you want it for. I wanted to go to a few shows, some clinics and maybe some fun weekends away. Most of the shows I will attend are overnight but there are options for places to stay.

2. How often will you be using it? It would be somewhere around a dozen times. Possibly more than 10 but not likely. Once I retire it may go up quite a bit but I'll cross the bridge when I get there.

3. Separating the 'nice to haves' from the 'must haves'

4. Budget. The most limiting thing of all.

There are many choices even given the results of the above. My choices were based on my preferences. I know that there are lots of opinions and I like to think that any really bad option in horse trailers has been eliminated. That leaves it up to personal choice.

I was leaning towards a Bumper pull rather than a Goose Neck. Mostly because Ed was not keen on putting in the hitch ('what, you want to put a hole in the truck?').  I know it gains me more space in the trailer but it takes away space in the truck bed. And I've never pulled a GN before. So I decided that I would stick to a bumper pull.

Slant load vs Straight. I looked at research and did some pondering, knowing my horses. Most of the slant loads I saw here I was worried that the only way to get to the front horse is to remove the back horse. I also worried that if I had to stop suddenly they have nothing to brace on. So I was leaning towards the straight loads.

Step up vs ramp load. I know it's easy for a horse to step up but I've seen some issues with backing out of a step up. But horses can get used to them easily.

Given that I live in a small, rural province (we only have one 'city') there's not a lot of choices in horse trailer shopping.

I never appreciated that before.

There wasn't anything used that fit my bill and I didn't want to drive for 800 km to look at a potential used trailer.

There is a dealer in a couple hours that carries three brands of trailers: Merhow, Frontier and Exiss. I liked all of them on the internet but I needed to go see and touch them. So last week Ed, Cynthia and I went on a road trip to check out the trailers.

Turns out there was only one straight load on the property and it was sold. But I had a chance to look at the slant loads to see what I thought and I could still see the quality of the work. Looking at the slant loads and I could see that Irish would probably not do well in them. I think he would feel confined. And I wasn't sure if, when Carmen filled out, she would fit comfortably. They did have one extra long slant but I still liked the straight load that I saw.

In the end I ordered a straight load, bumper pull Exiss with a small dressing room. It's being built right now and I should have it soon in a few weeks. Here's some of  what I liked:
1. the body is insulated
2. the aluminium 'skin' on it is a thicker grade then the others
3. the quality of the hardware really impressed me.
4. I like the quality of the rubber.
5. it comes with locks for all doors on the trailer.
6. It has a screen door in the dressing room
7. nice size windows for the horses with their own vents
8. I liked that it was white and how nice and airy it was inside.


This is photo of what I ordered:

I can't wait for it to come. I have serious plans for this baby.

Irish Spring

With the promise of spring all of the residents of Oakfield Farm are feeling more energized.

Except for Martin.
He maintains that same level of cool no matter the season.

photo from last year. alas, my grass is not quite as green yet

The rest of us though are finding the ambition that was sadly lacking in the dead of winter. For me, this means riding.  It is time for Carmen and I to shed the hay bellies and get back into shape.

Saturday, Cynthia's daughter came out and rode Irish while I rode Carmen. It was good for Carmen- we would work and then I would stop and stand in the middle giving some advice to her and then we would go back to work. I must say that she adjusted to that quite well. It's all part of getting her used to how things may go in a show- warm up, wait, show, repeat. I was pleased with how she was able to stand and relax and go to work and tune into me. And she did. In the end we had some truly nice canter-trot-canter transitions.  t was good for me too- I'm learning how to make my intentions clear and I'm getting more relaxed and less wary with our rides.

Irish was having a lot of fun too. At first he was a bit sluggish- which is to be expected of an 16 year old arthritic horse who's had the winter off. But as Ashley worked with him he began to become positively perky. She did a great job getting him supple and bending. I watched him canter along and realized that his heart was writing a check that his body couldn't cash so we finished on a good note to help him feel good about himself.

He spent the rest of the day napping.

The next day Cynthia came out to ride. Sunday was warm (well warm for March in Canada) but it was quite blustery. As you may recall, Carmen does not care for wind- we have our most spooks when it's windy. I watched her and Irish out in the field periodically scooting around. Irish's tail was flagged quite a bit. I would go outside and Carmen would look at me pointedly My blanket is flapping and it's bugging me. DO SOMETHING. 

When Cynthia came we got them tacked up. Irish was restless in his stall. Carmen and I went up to ring first and when I looked down he was positively prancing beside her. Carmen however, went between being focussed and a bit distracted at things blowing around. However, when we seemed to be in a good spot I took off her lunging equipment and headed to the mounting block. Irish was being a bit tight but pretty okay.

Carmen alerted and when I looked and saw people walking down the road. I warned Cynthia so she was aware. Carmen was unable to focus at the mounting block so rather then get on I walked away and had her do some in hand work to get her brain back on me. It didn't take too long. Irish meanwhile was being a bit wound up. I got on and Carmen and I went to work.

After a few minutes I realized that Irish was spiralling mentally. I am quite familiar with that with him and I put Cynthia to work on some exercises to get his brain back on her. Essentially it consists of lots of random circles and changes in direction so he has to pay attention to his rider. He was being quite foolish about the whole thing and I considered dismounting and getting on him but Cynthia was handling him quite well.

I was concerned that Carmen might join in with him and then the fun would really begin. But she didn't. Not that she wasn't thinking about it. we could have gone there very easily. But I stayed relaxed (mostly) and kept her working with me. Not that we didn't have some discussions. We did. I was trying to spiral in on a circle and leg yield out. She was  getting a bit confused and when she's confused she gets pissed off. Now that I know that I can work her through it by tackling the confusion.

While our physical work was not as good as the day before I was thrilled with our mental work. She stayed with me despite the wind and despite Irish reliving his salad days.  I overheard Cynthia saying to Irish 'it's pretty bad when the 6 year old is better behaved than the 16year old!'

In the end she stood up at one end with one leg cocked and her head lowered while Irish was still working away enthusiastically. It was obvious that she wanted no part of the shenanigans.

never underestimate the redheads

Happy Birthday Carmen

Carmen is 6 years old today. 

Carmen as a baby. How adorable is this? 

She's definitely growing up.

look at her compared to her dam in size! 

 PRE horses mature a little more slowly. She starting to fill out. She should be done by the time she's 7.

From April 2015

I can definitely see a change in her- she's filling out and graying out quite a bit. I love her dapples and wish that they would stay!  It's hard to tell but she's more muscle and bone then before. 

February 2016. (There's no snow now)

I find her to be much more mature- less like a hormonal teenager and more like a young adult. Of course that may all change once she starts her heat cycles. Diet probably plays a role too- I have her on a high fat and fibre diet and no grain. 

She's definitely braver than last year. For example, yesterday I took down the snow fence. I took out the shorter one first and they were in their field. When I went to get the longer Irish and Carmen were in the small paddock by the barn. I had to walk through there with the fence. It was long and awkward so I had it as a big bundle of orange plastic and yellow sticks. It made a lot of noise as I walked. I figured she would take off but instead she watched me and then followed me as a I left. Rather than freaking out she was curious. Our rides continue to go really well and I'm happy to have her in my life. I think she's happy with me too.

Happy Birthday Carmen! Today we will celebrate with cookies (oh and riding). 

Ride For the Horse You Want

First of all thank you for all the feedback about trailers. My head is spinning with all the things to consider. I hope to go looking tomorrow (weather permitting).

In the meantime spring appears to be springing. When I compare it to this time last year I am very happy.

February 2015

We had a bit a storm last weekend but it didn't stick around. Tuesday was a lovely and balmy day so I decided to ride. Carmen was obviously a bit energetic but very well behaved. As I lunged her she was quite looky. As we went down to the far side of the ring I asked her to pick up a canter which she did. Something spooked her and she bolted. The speed and way that she moved jerked the lunge line out of my hands. This spooked her further and she started to run. Calmness is essential in this situation - the worst I could do is run at her trying to grab her. Instead  I simply moved to block her in the corner keeping my body language relaxed and low key. She stopped but I could see she was tightly wound. I waited, not moving until I saw her relax a bit and then I walked slowly to her and gathered up the lunge line.
Carmen: you dropped me!
Me: yes I know. I'm very sorry and I'll be more careful. 

We did some more lunging and she was a bit excited. I figured that I would lunge and maybe not ride. But within a few minutes she seemed really calm, so I decided to ride.

She now stands perfectly still at the mounting block and waits for me to signal that it's time to move. As I rode her I could feel tension in her body. I kept working her but she was stiff and tight. I realized that she felt like a powder keg.

I then realized that I was riding her like she was a powder keg.

I gave myself a mental shake. Ride for the horse you want.  I told myself. And by that I don't mean to ignore how she feels but rather to not make how she feels the focus. Instead I began to focus on the exercise: what I had been riding for was a circle that didn't end in a spook. Instead I began to ride for a round circle. And as we progressed she began to relax. And relax.

We didn't do anything big, just circles and changing of direction and transitions. I didn't ride long because we're just getting back into it. But I was pretty happy with her and she never spooked.

 I rode again on Thursday. Again she was a bit excited- especially over the bits of snow that along the edge of the ring. She was not trusting those at all.

When I mounted we went to work and I started off focussing on her hind end and where I wanted it to be rather than worrying about her head. As we went along she began to blow and relax and I felt her become interested in the work. That was a first. She has argued with me, tolerated me and listened to me but never has she seemed really interested. I don't know how else to explain it. We did transitions with minimal fuss and we did a lot of work up by Troll corner with no dramatics.  I realized that I had been going for a while (totally lost track of time) and that she was a bit sweaty and puffy. We are both in winter shape. I let her walk on a long rein and she stretched down and marched out.

It will be interesting to see if we can keep this as she starts to cycle through her heats but I feel that I have a much better handle on things this year.

February 2016

Trailer Shopping

It's weird how things work out. I don't ascribe to the 'everything happens for a reason' but sometimes things happen in very weird ways.

When I was making my plans to start showing Steele I decided that I wanted to sell my trailer and get something larger. I had a nice little tag along European trailer. It was great to have and easy to haul:

However, I was getting tired of having to find places to change at horse shows. It was either in a stall and I had to keep an eye out so I didn't traumatize any innocent horse show dads/boyfriends/male riders; or it was in a bathroom stall and I had to be careful to not drop my stock tie pin in the toilet (don't ask what happens if you do drop it, some things are better left unknown). I decided that I wanted a trailer that would allow me to get dressed in privacy and reduce the visual carnage on others.

I listed the trailer and had ZERO interest. A couple tire kickers contacted me but they were not serious. Then Steele died. I did have someone contact me after he died and I think that they were serious but I wasn't in a position financially to upgrade (with replacing him and all the expenses that came with his death) so I took it off the market.

I used it last year and started saving. It was fine because Carmen and I weren't ready to show. I started thinking that I should list it this spring when I was contacted by a person I knew who had heard I might be considering selling. I gave her information and next thing I knew I had a deal. In the same time I had a few other inquiries. And it wasn't even listed. It seems weird that it sold as easy as that.

So my little red wagon left yesterday. It's gone to a good home but I did feel a pang when it left. I remember getting it and how thrilled I was to have my own wheels. Irish and Carmen watched it go from the top of the field.
Carmen: What's she doing with the trailer? 
Irish: don't even look. If you make eye contact they think that you want to go on it. Next thing you know you're on the road. 
Carmen: Good point. We should stay up here. 
Irish: Exactly. Just close your eyes and pretend to sleep. 
Carmen & Irish: zzzzzzzzzzz
Irish: stop peeking! 
Carmen: sorry. 

Now I have to find something to replace it. Here's the dream:

It would be incredible to have a trailer with living quarters. But it's not in the budget (at this point) and it's probably not really necessary for my plans. Although I could make the field of dreams argument: if I had it I would travel more. But it's still not in budget.

So dressing room for sure. And I think I want bumper pull because I've never driven a 5th wheel. Slant load? Straight load? How to decide? My first steps will be to go take a look and see what's out there.

What do you have and why do you love it?

In Which Carmen is Naughty

I was still pretty happy after my ride on Saturday. And even more excited to repeat it all the next day. Carmen was lovely- floaty, responsive, NOT WORRIED. There were a few small hesitations when she checked things out but nothing even remotely concerning. She caught on to the leg yielding quicker this time and we were able to work on transitions of trot to canter and trot again with no dramtics.

After our ride she hung out with me in the barn while Irish napped in the field.

The next day the farrier was coming to do both horses. I told him to let me know when he was coming to my place (you can't really plan a scheduled time) and to start with Irish so that I could be there to hold Carmen.

I arrived home and threw on my boots and a coat and headed to the barn. Irish was in the cross ties. Carmen was in her stall looking rebellious and both Ed and Paul (farrier) were looking unimpressed.

Irish: Hi! You missed all the excitement. 

It seems that what happened was when Paul arrived Irish came down to greet him. This got Carmen's knickers in a knot and she spent the next 10 minutes getting in between Ed, Paul and Irish and herding Irish away. My imagination has it something like this:

Irish: Oh, look. There's my poidatrist. Time to get my feet done.
Carmen (squinting suspicously): That's a STRANGER! Stay away. 
Irish: no. It's fine. See, it's the male servent too.
Carmen: SHE's not here. I don't think you should go.

After a few minutes of running, bucking and cursing and the use of bribery Irish was finally captured and things calmed down. Ed reported that Carmen had her head so high he couldn't get her halter on. I think he used carrots to finally get it on.

I felt like a parent who's child has just thrown a tantrum in the store. I looked at Carmen.
Carmen: Don't look at me like that. They started it and you WEREN'T HERE! 

Carmen's 'not impressed' face

When it was her turn I brought her out. She threw her head up and looked at me.
Me: there's no need for that. 
And she came out and stood calmly while her feet were done. However, he is not a fan of hers at the moment. When he looked at her, her ears went back (not pinned just back) and when he turned away they went forward. I know that she is wary of people she doesn't know and is a bit slow to warm up so he doesn't see the sweet horse that I often do (the one who nuzzles me and watches me whereever I am).

At first I thought that I need to do more work bringing Irish in without her. But the truth is that I do that all the time and never experience such behaviour. I can use a lead rope around his neck and he walks along like a lamb and she doesn't get in my way.

So what I need is someone to come and take Irish out that isn't me.

Any volunteers???