you know you're doing something right...

... when your pony wants to go the long way back home!

To be able to get to the property of other neighbor horse owners sans road I puzzled out a way around the back of a couple houses that goes to a dirt track that crosses our road to a large hay field next to their lands... I only had to get permission from the one farm owner, which we did, and just doubled the amount of our rideable land! It even has more woods, with overgrown tractor trails, and a lot of overgrown pasture. I'll need to do some more trail clearing again :)

I already had the inkling Greni likes to go explore new territory, we've gone off trail a few times from our normal routine which gets him all happy and alert and very reactive to my riding queues, which is interesting as at the same time he's more alert to his surrounding and more alert to what I want (mostly to protect either my head from low hanging branches or my knees from short cuts around unmovable trunks, haha).

So today I decide to go the short way back, which is a left (my toes are frozen) and a few steps in Greni stops, looks at me, looks at the trail ahead, looks behind with ears all perked and again to me... and I ask, would you rather go the long way round on the new field? So he gently turns around, a bounce in his step, heads for the break in the tree line, and off we go, exploring :)

Greni and Susan perform as Icelandic Vikings!

Susan Verberg and Greni from Blasted Rock entered the Musical Movement Event at Carriage house Saddlery Sunday December 2nd dressed up as Icelandic Vikings! We did a basic dressage pattern on the song "Hounds of Winter" by Sting - and we won best music selection! Next year we'll elaborate on the pattern as he was very calm and cooperative (not so in the outdoor warm up arena with ripping winds from all directions...) but for now our goal was to participate, hopefully successful, which we did with flying colors and a lot of positive remarks!

I am wearing a period Viking female costume (with split skirt to accommodate riding) and I braided Greni an eight strand breast collar and a six strand headstall (from orange bailing twine - for one time use) to color coordinate with me. I did take a week to accustom Greni to the costume, especially the skirt (it was a no go on my hooded cape) but we tried the routine pattern only once as we do not have access to a marked and flat arena. Which was fine, as long as I knew where we were going - Greni like most Icelandics I think does not like to practice something done well enough more than once anyway. It was fun!

http://youtu.be/faSMgh-9c9M

Equine Holiday Musical Movements

presents 

Equine Holiday Musical Movements

December 2, 2012
Sign Up by November 25 • First Performance 11:15

Lead, Ride, Drive, Pairs, English Or Western…
as long as you have a horse, donkey or mule come out and perform!

AWARDS PRESENTED FOR:
1. Musical Interpretation
2. Audience Favorite
3. Best Costume
4. Most Creative
5. Creative Partnership between horse and rider
6. Judges’ Pick

Judges: Tori Srnka

80’x165’ area to perform your routine to the music of your choice.
Dressage markers will be in place

Bring Your Music, Your Sense of Humor and
Come Have Some Fun in our Indoor Arena

325 Waterburg Road, Trumansburg, NY 14847
607-387-3422
www.carriagehousesaddlery.com

animal medley

 This picture is just too funny, it's "three in a row"! Yes, we've been playing "Four in a Row" quite often recently with the four and a half year old... Here you see loaner buck Jamie on the left, herd queen Thirteen in the middle and cart goat trainee Spot at the end.

Two weeks after hatching and the ducklings are already half mommy's size! Just a little while and the box stall will be too small for all of them, I need to add litter several times a week to create a semi dry floor. When I clean out that stall whatever part of the garden gets it will be sooo happy...

what I learned at the Gudmar Clinic

from my posting to the Skutlaclub mailing list:

Let's see, even tho most of the stuff already jumbled all thruout my brain before the second session even started :)

Since Greni is my first (loan) horse, I had a list of things I wanted to double check just to make sure I / we are on the right track...

Greni was complaining about the saddle at home; turns out he lost so much weight the nice duett saddle is way to wide for him. Who would ever have guessed that could happen! So now I have to find a new saddle that fits him - and it took Stephanie quite a while to find this one. I also need a shorter girth, my legs are rubbing on the buckles when I give leg aids. Gudmar pointed out where the buckles ideally should be. Good thing I borrowed most of my equipment as he seems to have "outgrown" most of it!

As there was a conformation vet around at the clinic (taking pictures) I asked if she minded to check out Greni's roached back. She found he has developed no painful area's even tho he is now pretty much ridden daily and apart from finding a fitting saddle should have no problem jumping either. Yay!

Gudmar has never seen a back like his! He even took pictures of it...
Unfortunately that also meant he could not think of any saddle recommendations.

The kimberwick bit I use should not be necessary with Greni, even tho I have the reins at the most neutral spot it still has a leverage effect Gudmar is not happy with. He recommended to get a (double break) snaffle instead.

The things I learned in the arena:

The four months of bending exercises paid off and we could learn the one rein stop this time. Last time we tried Greni was so stiff he could not turn his neck adequately and definitely not relax/give into it (touching the stirrups will be our ultimate goal). Gudmar advised to do many more bending exercises.

I was also very relieved I had worked on staying straight, ai riding in a straight line, with him before hand. When I got him going straight was not well understood, and by breaking down the exercise and practicing the individual steps on our trail rides we got to where we are now. He still does not stay straight on his own but will with minimal reminders (little pull or half halt on the outside rein). Gudmar pointed out I anticipate to much with constant rein contact - have pressure on the rein just in case he veers off, and Greni appreciated when I truly released both reins. Initially he immediately veered off but over the four sessions he got much better quite fast.

Gudmar tested Greni for the tolt, which I had not asked for yet. He does not seem to have a true tolt, but does have a running walk, which I now know (sort off) how to ask for and how it feels. In true Scott fashion I'll break down the steps: speed up the walk with leg pressure while sitting a little back, using the reins to capture that speed without actually speeding up (the steps get more energized), then asking for more speed with a little restriction without breaking into trot - and stop while ahead, ai go back to walk before any trot steps happen (please correct if needed, my memory is a bit fuzzy). I will make sure to have my weight a bit forward while asking for trot, and back for running walk, to help Greni differentiate.

Apparently I am not sitting straight! My few years of riding hunt seat must have overwritten my dutch dressage training as I did not use to have that issue. Steve helped me feel what is straight and what is actually back. It did not help that the saddle was not sitting on Greni's back correctly as Gudmar pointed out that the higher than normal cantle was pushing me forwards. I added padding (first a towel then a blanket) to raise the pommel and suddenly sat straighter and low and behold, I could round out my lower back (it was hollow before). The first day my back injury was sore after the second session, the second day (with saddle raisers) it was not! wow!

What I would like to work on next time? speed control
In the last session I worked on running walk and trot cues and with all those other horses (and scott suddenly appearing speed tolting from behind several times - Greni hates things appearing from behind) Greni was quite hot and bothered and a handful for me. I've had a loss of speed control trauma in my riding past and have a hard time dealing with that feeling. Gudmar pointed out instead of using rein (he'll win anyway) to work with the speed, instead of asking for less speed ask for a circle, and have the direction slow him down. It seemed to work :)

But I still do not like the new stirrup length... I tried it on my ride today and felt all discombobulated again. I think I'll settle for short legs for now but pledge to lower again when my balance feels more adequate...

Andrea and Steve did an awesome job putting together this clinic, and Cordy did an awesome favor by picking up Hildi and Greni from Ithaca! Thank you all for making this weekend happen!

And even tho Greni poked a hole in his skin in the paddock saturday morning (I found him bleeding all over his leg when I went to tack him up for the first session and I sort of freaked out) I he loved being there - not only did he meet his new BFF (Shari's mare Hildi) the barn manager fed them hay twice a day! lucky semi-fat boy :)

A very tired Susan V.

Gudmar Peterson Icelandic Horse Clinic

Shari and I went to our first Icelandic Horse clinic together, with our Hildi and Greni in tow. We had initial hiccups in getting our transportation in order - it turned out to be easy to borrow a trailer, the truck was the hard part! The first truck I asked about had just given up the ghost permanently and they ended up borrowing my car... the second truck I asked about the owner had just ended up in the ER for the second time after a heart valve transplant (he has not given up the ghost!)... the third truck I asked about the owners had a trailer for sale and I got all distracted about that (it sold, not to me) and the forth one was only deemed safe enough for local trips, real local...  But with the generous help of Cordy (she drove from Pen Yann to pick us up in Ithaca to drop us off in Canandaigua, talk about a detour) we all made it safe and sound to the Finger Lakes Equestrian Center. And both horses loaded within 15 minutes each! Yay!

At the beginning of the session Gudmar do a general outline (the other guy is Steve, his helper). Here Greni and I are on the left, behind us is Shari on Hildi then Ruth on Molda and Chris on Sula (photo's by Ryan Chiappone of Finger Lakes Equestrian Center). There were three groups of four to five participants each in two classes each day - much more and I would have fallen off my horse at the beginning of the next day...

Here two of the clinic participants get a last word at the end of session from clinician Gudmar (Stan is filming it for his website Hestakaup.com - I did not realize it was that Stan until days after the clinic). 

 Even tho we paid for a stall Hildi and Greni ended up sharing a semi grassy paddock. And now I think they were the lucky ones! Greni really took to Hildi, she's definitely a type A personality and he pretty soon was following her like a doggie... The two days at the clinic both horses were always close by, even if there were other horses in the paddock. Greni even nickered at her from inside the arena during our last class and we all heard Hildi reply all the way from the front paddock! So now Greni has a girlfriend and when we go on a longer trip he can come for a sleep over. If only it was as easy to arrange regular play dates, like for my 4 year old!

Hildi is an extremely well trained horse, she 'laughs', shakes hands/hooves and even bows - it's impressive! I'm already happy with Greni touching (more like hitting) an object (piece of wood) with a front hoof of his choosing (have not gotten the one or the other difference in, I tap one, he chooses whatever). And boy, am I proud of that, hihi.

ducklings! in fall!

I don't know, maybe she thought is was spring or something, she is an African duck breed :)
About the end of September I realized I only saw Olivia, the female Muscovy duck, at dinner time but not grazing in pasture with Moe, her hubbie. So I looked and found a large nest under the half dog crate I use for small goat kids to sleep under. I hadn't removed it yet cause even tho they don't fit anymore they do like to sleep on top of it now. There is no sense in messing with a duck's nest, and these are big ducks, so I figured, with the temperatures dropping below zero regularly the nest would be a dud anyway, so just let her be. I did wonder why she kept at it, as Muscovies are known to remove bad eggs and abandon a bad nest...

Low and behold, mid October I walk down the barn for breakfast and there is a semi circle of quiet animals standing next to the fenceline... and there they are! A gaggle, or flock, or school, or whatever you call it, of 10 baby ducklings! TEN! They'd dropped thru the fence off a slightly raised concrete slap and stayed there as mommy couldn't get thru the fence and they couldn't get back up the concrete. It was so weird, all those quiet animals (goats? quiet?!), watching the tiny ducklings. So I got the mom, put her in the spare stall, herded the little flock in there with her and they've been growing like weeds. I did give them a heat lamp as within a day or two they outgrew mommy's cover surface :)

You know what I still can't believe? That these little ducklings navigated all those goat feet thru the side stall and Greni's cake plate hooves in the main stall without getting squashed, and that Casper the killer cat had not killed a single one of them! He did do a fake charge when I had just seen them, immediately yelled him off, he pretended he was not interested anyway, and has complete ignored them since. Almost as if he was asking "are these food? or family?" He's a good cat.