August 7th 2009

Calypso: we went on a bareback trail ride. He was for the most part good. He got a little fast and wouldn't listen until I made him listen

I taught a lesson today and it was frustrating. I wanted things to go well because the girl had cerebral palsy and it is kinda her form of therapy. Juliet wasn't behaving too well. The girl tried really hard, but between her having a weak hand and Juliet being a brat it didn't go that well. The girl did use her weak hand a lot which was impressive. I made sure to be wicked positive. After Juliet started being better, we went on a walk. Juliet proceeded to get spooked and jump a bit. It startled the girl :( I just felt really bad about it :-/

August 6th 2009

Great day today! I rode very confidently. 

Jack

Open: we picked up the wrong lead walking into the gate. After that it was great.

NEHC: We won! Our course was almost perfect. Our bending 7 was a little tight, but not bad at all! 

Marcus:

THIS: we had to work really hard to make the 5 work because I went in fast to a very steady line. It didn't look too good :-/ we tested 3rd and ended up 3rd. We had to canter directly to a two stride, halt, and sitting trot out. It was pretty easy. 

Central Equine: It was pretty good overall. Not the neatest, but not bad. We tested in 1st place and remained in 1st. you had to canter directly to fence 1 and trot fence 2. Halt and back up. We did it effortlessly. I was so relaxed. 

USEF: great, but i missed a lead change because I bent him out too far to ask for it. 

Macclay: I had a trot step with Marcus' hind end, so I thought I blew it. The rest of the course was pretty good. Not horrible, but definitely not my best. I ended up flatting and placing 2nd. I was surprised. I thought the course sucked. 

Overall, I tried to remain confident and relaxed. Obviously it worked! Now I am qualified for all I want to qualify for :)

August 5th 2009

Jack: he was fresh! We had a couple incidents of him rearing, but we worked through it. I was in a good mood which helped me stay focused and not get aggravated. 

Calypso: He was a little pokey, but fast. We worked through it by doing lots of transitions. 

August 2nd 2009

Jack: Our THIS medal was awesome! I fixed all of my mistakes. Did all the numbers and rode very well. He was pooping on the way to a jump so I gave him a jolt. We missed the distance a bit, but other than that I was happy. We ended with a 76. 

Calypso: We did the Eq as well. The Maclay round was set up like a final level course. It was a solid 3'6"  There was a triple, 2 jumps without standards and many bending lines. Mark and Christie seemed nervous for me to do it. Calypso and I did so well! We got all the numbers and almost all the distances. We got close to the coop jump and got jumpery at some points. Overall, I was very happy with it! The USEF did not go as well. The first two jumps were good. We went to the triple bar and Calypso jumped the shit out of it! We landed a little too close and had to gallop to make the 7 work. Between the footing and not moving up in time, he couldn't really make it over the combination. We took a nasty fall. It seemed like he was going to flip over. I bailed and half fell half jumped off. We were both ok. I kind of needed that to get over being nervous. Overall, I was sooooo proud of us! 

August 1st 2009

Jack: We did a level 1 course. If it had been in the Eq ring, it definitely could have been a winning round. Everything was so smooth and perfect. 

Calypso: We did a low children's course. We were the fastest time, but I didn't keep him straight to a jump, so we had a rail down. Other than that, I was so happy. It was fast, sharp, and effective :) 

July 31st 2009

Jack: Our level 0 was great! We went through it smoothly and effectively. The level 2 course was great until a bending line. I didn't bend out enough and got there in 5 1/2 instead of six. After that, it was great! 

Calypso: Our level 0 was very confident. We went very fast in the jump off, and our first round was smooth. We ended up 2nd out of 40! Our level 2 was even better. We went fast and didn't miss at all. We got all our numbers too! We ended up 3rd out of 80 :) 

July 30th 2009

Cash: He was so good! We were late or missed a couple lead changes. Other than that, our role backs were neat, I didn't lean with my shoulders, and I got all the numbers :) 

July 29th 2009

Spy: our first class was much better. He spooked while going through a one stride, so we didn't make it through. Other than that, it was confident. The second course we missed to the first jump. I was so ready to go, but I made a decision too far away from the jump. 

Quenno: Our course was great until the wall jump. He started spooking and instead of sitting back I leaned with my shoulders. The 2nd course was much better. We went through it confidently, it was just a little messy. Same with the 3rd course. 

July 28th 2009

Cash: I rode him in  one class after having 3 warm up jumps. We went first in the classic. I practiced being very positive and confident. We had a wonderful first round. Our jump off was a little slow because I missed an inside turn and didn't gallop enough. It was smooth and positive though. We ended in 7th out of 13 :) 

July 26th 2009

Jack: He was so good! Most of my round was near perfect. I did a beautiful bending 8, a couple nice long approaches. My last jump was a little messed up. He was pulling me, so I wanted to go for the short distance. I knew the long one was better though so I asked him for that. He did it, but I fell back in the tack. Other than that, it was great! 

Calypso: It was our best round so far. We were double clear. We went fast, but not too fast. There were no really bad distances or anything! 

July 25th 2009

Jack: Today was so much better! Our first class was a level 0. We went around confidently and smoothly. I didn't collected enough in two lines, but I didn't panic and I got him over the jumps. The second class was a level 1. Again, we were slow and steady. We got over every single jump. We were deep to a one stride because I tried to get a lead change and didn't move on after not getting it. The rest of the course was so much better. We rode the lines correctly. 

Calypso: Our first class was a level 1. We were very smooth and collected. Mark said it looked like a Maclay round! We were deep a couple places, but I didn't panic. We got all our numbers. Our second class was a level 2. We started confidently and got over all the jumps in all the numbers. Our only mistake was getting really deep to a two stride. I didn't tense though and got him over it. We kept all the rails up in both classes. This is because I kept him very balanced and centered. He was responsive. I rode him for a while before our first class, which I feel helped a lot. 

July 24th 2009

Today was kind of disastrous, but it taught me so much. 

Jack: We went to do a 3'6" course. Our first few jumps were great, but we jumped slow and deep into a long 2 stride. He couldn't jump out. We went to jump it again and I had the same canter and distance. He stopped. Our next course was level 1. We were much better, except we refused a 2 stride again. He was very spooky. I got him over the 1st jump when I thought he wasn't going over it. 

Calypso: We stopped at our 2nd jump. I thought I had enough leg on him, but I guess I didn't. It was extremely frustrating. The rest of the course was good. He knocked rails which was stupid because he should have picked up his feet. 

Thursday July 23rd 2009

Marcus: He was so good today. We warmed up much calmer. I made sure to make decisions to every single jump and turn. I did all the inside turns in all my classes. Overall, it was very positive :) 

Wednesday July 22nd 2009

Spy: We warmed up well. Then we went into the ring, and he was pretty spooky. I kept my leg on, but didn't trust him to go over it. I pulled a bit. I cut in a bit to the 2nd jump and rode backwards instead of up. We refused and got beeped out. Kellie rode him in a class after to try and get him to be ok. THey were fine up until the triple. He stopped dirty :(

Cash: He was so good! I didn't think I was going to be able to ride him, but I did :) Our first class was a training jumper class. I was way over the time allowed. I didn't let loose enough. We got the numbers and got over everything. The children's class was next at 3'6" Our first round was much better. I opened up his stride and trusted him to go over everything. We made the jump off. I galloped a little too much and left out strides when I shouldn't have. I got a little lost, which cost me 3 sec. The classic was the last class we did. I fixed my issue with the lines, but I ended up loosing my rein to a jump so we had it down. I needed to work harder on making a plan and sticking to it. I was supposed to do an inside turn. I started to, but changed my mind.

I have issues sticking to my plan and committing to one decision. I need to work on being decisive and brave. 

July Tuesday 21st 2009

Spy: I did a jumper class. We were supposed to do two, but the other one got cancelled. Our first round was good. I pulled a little too much. We refused the first jump of our jump off because I didn't give him any direction. After that, the course was great. 

Sunday July 19th 2009

Jack: He was so good! We did the THIS in the morning. We got close to an oxer and scored a 78.5. It was a very solid and positive round. Mark said I should have tested. I was 7th out of 30! 

The next class was the WIHS hunter phase.  I did it as a 3'6" warm up. We were late on a lead change. Other than that, it was great! 

The Maclay was next. The entire course was pretty perfect, except we got a little fast down the last bending line. We chipped a little, but we got called back for the flat out of 24. We flatted very well :) Ended in 8th 

USEF: I was very happy with this round. It was solid and consistent. My only mistake was doing 7 instead of 6 in a bending line. I over steadied. 

Calypso: We did a level 2. It was ok. We got over all the jumps, but he had a rail. 

July 18th 2009 (HITS Day 4)

Jack: we hacked. He was perfect. 

Calypso and my day was not so hot! Our classes were in the Grand Prix ring. The first class I went in shell shocked and only got over 4 jumps! The second class was better. I was much calmer. We got over 7 jumps. I thought he should have helped me out, but he didn't. Idk if the jumps were that much bigger or what it was. Maybe we just had a bad day? Nevertheless, it was disapointing. I would have loved to place in a $10,000 classic. Oh well. 

July 17th 2009 (HITS day 3)

Jack

Central Equine Junior Medal: so much better than yesterday. We got over every jump keeping it up :) It was in the hunter stadium too! We used hind boots which definitely helped. We were a little deep in a couple places. Other than that it was great. 

I didn't get to show Calypso because of the weather. We have the 10,000 classic tomorrow!! 

July 16th 2009 (HITS day 2)

 Jack

- 15-17 1st class: He seemed a little spooky, and I forgot my crop. We refused the first jump. Other than that the class was messy, but ok. 

- 15-17 2nd class: much better. I borrowed a crop. He was good for the most part. I needed to get a 7, but I got 8. I just second guessed myself. 

- 15-17  3rd class: much smoother. He was still hyper. 

-  15-17 flat: He was good, but we didn't look as good as we could have. 

- PHA: so much better. Everything was out of stride and smooth. He was very lazy though. We had 2 rails! If we hadn't done that, we would have placed much better. We did a nice trot jump, and hand galloped well. 

Calypso 

- Low Child/Adult Jumper: Funny class! We were very calm and collected. Everything was good, except I over steadied down a line and saw 8 instead of 7, but didn't jump the jump! Other than that, everything was great :) 

July 15th 2009 (HITS day 1)

Jack: We lessoned with Mark today. Nothing too big. He was fresh. We worked on jumped out of a collected canter. It definitely helped me work with the shorter distances. 

Calypso: we worked on working out of a collected canter as well. He was round and jumped up to me. 

July 14th 2009

So today was very rushed. We got to the show late, and I only had the MHJ before the NEHC :(

MHJ: good. first class with Spy. We went a little fast and somewhat unorganized, but other than that I was happy. 

NEHC: Perfect except for a swap off the ground :( I thought we would have won, but we were 2nd. It is my 3rd time being 2nd in the NEHC. Each jump was found well. 

M&S: We ended up getting six in the bending line. Other than that, the jumps were good. 

USEF: I liked it except I swapped off the ground in the bending line. I ended up 5th. 

Maclay: first four jumps were perfect. I proceeded to run to nothing and refused. The rest of the course afterwards was ok. 

July 13th 2009

Spy: I hacked him because I am showing tomorrow. I worked on doing everything I would for the Maclay flat. We counter cantered and did some sitting trot. 

July 11th 2009

Spy: I hacked spy for a while, and then jumped him after. I was in the working student lesson. It was fun. I jumped around with Sarah and Sam. Spy was amazing. I felt like we got something accomplished. 

Calypso: We went on a trail and worked on his stamina. He was tired after. We had a very nice gallop. 

July 10th 2009

Horse show :)

Today was great. 

15-17: I messed it up by taking my leg off at the second jump. We were getting there in 4 when it was supposed to be a three. I bailed and didn't do anything. After that, the course was great. 6th 

MHJ: same course as the 15-17. It was much better than the 15-17, but I didn't get a lead change from right to left. 4th 

NEHC: I loved my course. Every jump came up in stride. The two stride was a little short, but nothing bad. We ended up 2nd. 

THIS: I had a beautiful round until I chipped badly. Kellie said I would have scored a 90 instead of the 70 I got. I didn't set Jack up correctly out of the turn. Our test was bad too. I felt like we would refuse the trot jump, so instead of working harder to fix it, I let him refuse it. 

USEF: I loved my round. Kellie said it was the best round I had ever had home or at a show. It was smooth and consistent. I thought I was going to test, but I ended up 5th out of 14. 

Maclay: I kept my cool through out the entire class. I didn't rush the last jump out of the turn. I relaxed and fixed all the mistakes I had made through out the day. Our flat face was calm and collected. We ended up placing 1st. I was so happy. The line up felt like forever. 

July 9th 2009

Jack: we flatted to get ready for a show. He was pretty good. We needed to work on calming him down. 

Calypso: we hacked. He was pretty calm, and I needed a lot more leg. 

July 8th 2009

Calypso: we jumped finally! He was great. I galloped an oxer. I could have been faster, but I was chicken. The second time I did it, we went $10,000 classic fast :)

Jack: He was so good. We did a couple courses to get ready for the horse show. I felt like we were really clicking. 

Spyder: She was perfect! I finally feel like she is getting better. We w/t/c beautifully. I even got her to collect and extend. 

July 7th 2009

Jack: Hacked

Calypso: Hacked

Spy: we hacked around and then jumped a little. He was great. I chipped a lot. 

June 29th 2009

Jack: I hacked him to let him stretch his legs. Then I let him graze. He was so good :) 

Calypso: I felt pretty sick at this point in the day. We were both coughing pretty bad. I felt dizzy and overheated. We were supposed to do 2 classes, but I ended up only doing 1. Our warm up sucked. I was crying before going into the ring because I felt so sick, but I wanted to show anyway. Our first round was awesome. It was calm and not desperate. Calypso was really being a good friend. Our lines rode correctly, our roll backs were smooth, and our triple worked out well. Then we had the jump off. I was so out of breath and tired I didn't know if I could do it. We did anyway. 1 to 2 was great- tight and quick. The outside oxer was found out of stride. 5 was found not as quickly as it could have been. 6 to 7 was the bank with a jump getting to it and coming down from it. This was great. Then we had a vertical which we nailed. The final roll back took way too long. I basically collapsed on him walking out of the ring. I was so tired. I ended up scratching the classic. I felt like shit. Calypso got some dex because of his bad breathing too. I was impressed at how well we did in general but especially with the situation. 

Now, since I am sick, I have to take a week off of riding. I'll be riding again monday or tuesday :( 

June 28th 2009

15-17 flat: so much better than usual. He pulled me in one direction, but I was able to keep it together for the most part. 

15-17 fences: I saw the jumps, and thought I was going to have a heart attack. They looked so much bigger than usual. I decided if I got around the course ok, I'd be happy with it. We did get around the course ok, and I could have done much better, but I was happy with it. We ended 6th. 

USEF: I really liked my course. I let him run off at the end, but I felt like I knew where I was and kept him together for the most part. We ended 9th. 

Maclay: Ahh so frustrating. Our course was absolutely beautiful before and after the stop. I tried to stuff in 11 strides instead of 10 to a built up one stride. I know if I wasn't counting at the beginning I shouldn't have started counting at the end. If this hadn't happen,  I definitely would have gotten points. We flatted anyway because so few people cleared the course. This was our best flat so far! He was quiet and slow. I was so happy with it. We ended up 6th. 

Connecticut medal: This was a 3' or 3'3" (idk) medal in the hunter ring. The only real mistake we made was not being patient enough to the 2 stride and not staying out enough in our corners. I found that closing my eyes for a second helps before doing a long approach. We flatted for this too (they called back 8 out of 14). Again, Jack was quiet and attentive. He was a pleasure to ride. We ended up 7th which was how we came into the flat :) 

NEHC: I loved my course Everything seemed to really work until the last line (the 2 stride). I lined up every jump and closed my eyes right after the turn to calm down. The jumps just showed themselves. It was great. The judge was next to the two line so I couldn't really close my eyes. I need to find a better thing to do so I can do it when the judge is looking at me. I didn't relax enough. We got in deep to the 2, and I know we could have done it better. It was upsetting because the rest of the course was so perfect. We ended up 4th. 

June 26th 2009

Horse show!

Today was both good and bad as well as an incredible learning experience. I finally got the concept of looking over the jumps. It helped so much! 

First, I rode Calypso. This didn't go too well. We refused a triple, but after that it was ok. I didn't get after him though. The rest of the course was great. The 2nd class was our classic. He tried to run out in the warm up ring and again I didn't scold him for it. So big surprise he did it in the show ring again :( I was so aggravated. Our course ended well, but there was no reason I should have let that happen. 

Jack and I were super stars. I was a little late getting on for the flat, so we had to trot down to the ring. This got him excited, so he was very strong. We did better than usual which was good :) We had a little bit of a break where I lunged him. He is so quiet on the line. I flatted him for a while before our 15-17 class. He was being very good. In the warm up ring I finally started understanding looking over the jump. It makes finding the distances so much easier. I was so happy with my warm up. 

15-17: It was pretty good. Definitely places to get better. We needed to stay out in our corners more. We ended up 5th. 

THIS: This class rocked. We stayed even paced and attentive every stride. My roll backs looked flawless. We didn't let it fall apart at the end of the course. We ended up with an 83! We tested. You had to canter right to an oxer at the in-gate end of the ring, then trot over the jump in the center of the ring, halt, then canter the four stride. After this you had to extended trot to the in-gate and walk out. I absolutely loved how I tested. I didn't get nervous, and I did my absolute best. My mind was completely in the show ring. We ended up 2nd which was where we were going into the test :) 

NEHC: The course really was not the difficult, but everyone seemed to be having trouble with it. Out of 14 people, 3 or 4 fell off either in the ring or practice ring, 7 refused, and many people added in the bending 4 and bending 6. After watching all of this, I was a bit nervous, but it was just the same as the other courses I had been jumped. We rushed the 4 a little so we had the out rail down :( after that everything was so nicely executed. I loved my 3 to the bending 6. I ended up 2nd. Ugh one place off from what I needed to qualify. I was wicked happy with the day regardless. 

June 25th 2009

Jack: we jumped the never ending course today. Kellie wanted to make sure he wouldn't stop, and that I wouldn't let him. the first part of our lesson included me trying to get him over his fear of the trash can. that was interesting. He respected me much more after that. Our jumping part was actually pretty good. 

Calypso: we decided to show tomorrow, so I jumped him a course. He was absolutely perfect. He left long or short and just didn't care where. I was pretty sloppy and definitely needed to tone things down. 

June 24th 2009

Jack: We flatted without stirrups. He was hyper. When we went to do a lead change, he almost bucked me off! After much work, he calmed down. I worked on always doing something and not letting him be a loose horse. I also worked on my strength. 

Calypso: We flatted for about 40 minutes. I need to get him back in shape for Monday and Tuesday (Westbrook Hunt Club). He was responsive, but very heavy. I rode him with his draw reins on the side which makes him a little heavier, but it definitely helps. He has become a little fitter. 

June 20th 2009

Horse show day!

We hacked and jumped a little in the indoor at Saddle Rowe. I used spurs and a crop. He was hesitant to some of the jumps in the indoor because they were all box type things without standards. Our first class was perfect! We ended up winning out of 13 people. We found the sweet spot to every jump and made everything word. Most importantly, I was confident. The second class was the MHJ. The announced the results of the first class right before I walked into the ring. Kellie told me to not let it get to me... I think I took that advice too legitimately. Our first 5 jumps were amazing! Then we cantered around the corner and I gunned him to the in of a bending line and we refused. He tried to go over it. I was just a bit too ambitious. The rest of the class was ok. Last was the NEHC. I went in very confident. The first jump was the jump I had refused in the previous course, but we couldn't do a circle before hand. I was so nervous he was going to refuse that we chipped and got 8 instead of 7 in the bending line. The rest of the course was amazing. Bending 4, roll backs, everything! The judge told Kellie I would have won if I hadn't added in the bending line. :( As good as the class was, I was so upset because I would have won and not had to worry about the NEHC until finals :-/ 

All in all it was a good day :)

June 19th 2009

Calypso: I lightly hacked him because the vet was coming today to look at him. (he had been coughing a lot). 

Jack: I gave him an intense flat! We flatted for about 45 min non-stop. He was tired. Then Kellie had me jump him a course with out a warm up. It was spot on. She said I got an 88. 

June 18th 2009

Calypso: I hacked him with out stirrups. He was great!

Jack: We had an intense lesson. We worked very well together. 

Classic: He was better than usual. 

Wednesday June 17th 2009

Jack: He was so good today. Kellie rode him yesterday and tried to work out a few issues. It definitely helped. He jumped around everything. I even learned to walk over a jump. It was so funny because I rode him in spurs, a crop, and yoke reins. I never rode him in that much equipment. 

Calypso: He was good. We went on a trail ride.  I work on a very collected canter. 

Handy: I gave him a very good flat today.  We worked on holding the counter lead and tiny circles. He was pretty good. I needed much more leg. 

Classic: He was awesome. Cantering one way was almost where I want it to be. He was a little quick the other way. His trotting has improved too :) 

Saturday June 13th 2009

Show day!

Jack: He was pretty good today. We went to Hanover Hunt and Riding club. It was interesting. It was one of those show with everything- morgans, Friesians, quarter horses, saddle seat, western. We showed in a grass ring. Jack and I hadn't done this before. He was pretty good. The hay bales through him off at first. We worked things out and by the end we had pretty good rounds. I needed to be more aggressive, yet have more fun. It was a successful day. 

Friday June 12th 2009

Calypso: He was pretty good. He coughed a little, so I didn't work him that hard.

Jack: We worked on the "loose horse" concept that Christie talked to me about. It really helped. I was able to make Jack listen the entire time. It was great.

Thursday June 11th 2009

Calypso: I rode with Christie today. It was calypso's first time jumping in  2 weeks. He was so great! I really focused on looking one jump ahead of me. This helped tremendously. I didn't worry about the distance and got over every jump fairly well. We also worked on roll back turns. Calypso was steady and under himself. 

Jack: I rode with Christie on Jack too. We definitely need to work on our flat work. I need to make sure to pull him together instead of just letting him canter around. Our first courses were pretty good. We went to canter to an oxer, and I took the first distance that came to me. We refused. It was aggravating. I need to be more patient and let things happen. After that, our courses improved. 

Handy: I rode him so that Christie could see how he goes. The flat work was nice. He was a little fresh and swapped his leads when I didn't ask him to. Other than that, he was great on the flat. After, we jumped a bit. He really jumps right from where you tell him to. I have a hard time trusting my distances, so it was strange. We finally got it by the end. We ended by doing a bending six to a bending 3 perfectly. 

Wednesday June 10th 2009

Before going to the barn, I rode a horse down in Middleboro for Kellie. He was so cool. He did dressage and eventing, but hadn't jumped in a year or so. The horse was incredibly comfortable. Once we started jumping, he was even better. He didn't even think twice about going over the jump. He didn't change his pace or anything. We jumped a 3'9" oxer. 

Calypso: we actually worked. He was hesitant and didn't want to listen at first. By the end, he was very supple and listened well.

Jack: he was high energy today. We worked on serpentines and figure eights. By the end, he was calm. 

Handy: He is like a giant teddy bear. I like him a lot. He needs much leg to keep him going. He is very comfortable and responsive. 

Tuesday June 9th 2009

Jack: he started off funny, but became more sound as we went. Typically tuesday after days off. 

Calypso: he was absolutely perfect. We did a lot of cantering. He worked harder than he had since he got a cough. We ended by cantering on the buckle. 

Spyder: She was funny at first, but became better. Her canter has improved a lot. 

I got new tall boots today :) 

Saturday June 6th 2009

Jack: he was  perfect. We started out a little hyper and spooky, but then he calmed down and we had a great ride.

Calypso: as always, he was great. He coughed a little bit, but other than that he was good. 

Thursday June 4th 2009

I honestly don't remember riding today. I worked in the morning, then hacked calypso and Jack.

Wednesday June 3rd 2009

Jack: He was great! Definitely fresh at first, but after a while he was really great. 

Calypso: we went on a trail with 3 other people. He was annoyed because of the flys. He almost managed to kick me while I was on him.

Spyder: She was as sound as she can be for Spyder. She was very slow and nice to ride. She cantered really well :) 

Sunday May 28th 2009

Warm up: It went so well. I flatted Jack pretty rigorously. Then we jumped in the ring. He was a little spooky, but it all worked out. 

THIS: We scored a 71 and ended up 5th. We got knocked out of the test by the last rider :( That sucked. I could have been much smoother, but it was my warm up after all. 

MHJ: It was great. Smoother than my first class. I was a little deep in the last four. I should have bent out. 

NEEHJ: It's some new weird final thing. It was going so well until I ran up to nothing. 

NEHJ: The first five jumps were flawless, then I froze because I got nervous and focused on winning instead of riding. We refused an oxer. I set up the role back perfectly too :( Then we refused the in and out. It was both our faults. 

WIHS: Great! Our first 3'6" class of the day. He tried to refuse at stride 4 in a 5 line. I took my legs clean off him and kicked him. Needless to say, he launched over the jump. The last jump wasn't as good as it could have been. I cut in after our weird 5 line. We ended up 8th out of 16. 

USEF: I ended with the USEF because I didn't want to wear Jack out. He was a perfect boy! It was so good. I thought it would be good enough to test, but it wasn't :( I was pretty upset, not going to lie. The only problem was I got deep in a bending six because I went direct. We worked it out though. It was my best course of the day :) 7th out of 20. 

Overall, it was a good day. I need to focus on riding consistently instead of winning. Really I do! I can't win until I ride consistently. I also need to focus more and not get nervous. 

Saturday May 27th 2009

Today I had a very bad lesson. Most of it was good, but I was so mean. I talked back to my trainer cause  I let a little thing stress me out. I legit yelled at my trainer. It was interesting. Then Jack and I did a good course, but he refused the in and out. I hit him for the fist time ever. He got mad, but he didn't try and do it again. The rest of the ride was great. 

Saturday May 23rd 2009

I brought Rio to the beach with Anastacia. He was so sweet. We cantered into the water and splashed around. He was so well behaved. I love my Rio :)

Saturday May 23rd 2009

Classic was so well behaved today. We worked on collecting and extending. He listened very well. He was a little sticky picking up the right lead. He circled well and even cantered from the walk with ease. Classic was very calm on the ground as well. At the end of our ride, I walked and trotted him on the buckle. He stayed relatively calm. He didn't seem to mind the camera in the indoor ring either. This was probably our best ride :)

Jack: We hacked outside for a little bit. We worked on rolling back over a pole. He was great. We worked on lead changes after. 

Calypso is having breathing problems so we didn't ride. 

Friday May 22nd 2009

Jack: He was so good. We rode at 6:00. He even went on the trails without freaking out. 

Calypso: We went on a long trail ride with another horse. He was so great! I got on and off of him while on the trail to check his feet. He was pretty slow though. 

Wednesday May 20th 2009

Classic: He was so much fun. We lessoned, and it was very tough. Riding a thoroughbred is completely different from riding any other type of horse. I have to be so much more relaxed, and I have to make sure to keep my calf on him. We worked on w/t/c and lots of circles. We need to work on keeping is butt and head straight. We did a couple trot jumps which worked out well. We ending on the 4 jump combination. We went through it perfectly straight. It was a very big accomplishment. 

Calypso: we flatted for a bit. He was great on the flat. We worked on counter=cantering circles. After this, we jumped a little bit. My trot jumps have improved tremendously. I looked up and over them. Next, we worked on roll backs and bending lines. I thought enough, but didn't over think. I was happy with my ride. 

Jack: Our flat started out great. I even got him to counter-canter a circle both ways. Our trot jumps were spot on. When we started cantering jumps, it was good up until our first bending line. I finally kicked him for refusing. He shouldn't have. I get really uncomfortable kicking him hard, but I did it anyway because how is he going to learn. After that, we jumped everything very well. 

Tuesday May 19th 2009

Calypso: I worked all day, so I only rode Calypso. He was absolutely perfect. We worked on extending and collecting. I was so happy with the ride. I was relaxed and so was he. 

Saturday May 16th 2009

Jack: we went on a trail. He was a complete dick. He reared up and kept spinning. We are going to have to work through this bitchiness. I still love him though <3

Calypso: he was perfect on the trail. We led a school pony with a novice rider. There were 5 people including me on the trail. Calypso and I took the lead leading Rascal. Then there were two small school ponies and their riders. Sam and Chico took up the rear. They were all pretty good. I was so proud of Calypso for staying calm and listening to me in order to give Rascal's rider a great first trail ride. 

Friday May 15th 2009

Calypso: We did a clinic with Mark Junghier today. Calypso and I worked on circles and collecting our stride. We did 8 in a 6. It was really helpful. 

Jack: we worked on confidence and owning my decisions. Trot jumps and long approaches. I have a video of it

Thursday May 14th 2009

Calypso: He was great. We had a nice flat.

Jack: we flatted as well. He was pretty good. Very slow 

Wednesday May 13th 2009

Classic: Awesome! I really had to work on my patience. Even when I thought I was being patient, I wasn't patient enough and had to work harder. We did a couple single jumps. He is coming along so well! Then, we worked on a quadruple combination. We went from 2 jumps to 3 jumps to 4 jumps. He kept drifted to the left and then ran out one time. I didn't get after him. I need to work on doing that and being stronger. He was so good after that. 

Jack: He tried to get me off by rearing. We went on a walking trail, and he wanted nothing to do with going the whole way. He seems a little off. 

Calypso: He was great! I really flatted him. He was in front of my leg the whole time. I was able to extend and collect him easily. He did nice circles and counter cantered. It worked well :) 

Tuesday May 12th 2009

Woodstock: I rode at Dana Hall today. He was pretty good. Woodstock tried to buck me off at one point. It didn't work. I wasn't riding my best today. I needed to focus a lot more. 

May 10th 2009

Jack: We didn't do that well. Our warm up was amazing. I rode very confidently. I knew my course well. The first three jumps were perfect. Then, we refused jump 4 and 6. At jump 4, I thought of going long, but in my head I seconded guessed the distance. I was a little to aggressive to jump 6, so we refused. Then we were asked to leave the ring :( 

Calypso: This class went much better. We had a decent warm up. The course was difficult seeing as only 4 out of 20 people went clean. 2 people went double clean. I was one of them :) Our first round was spot on except the skinny. I ran up to it, and we chipped. He kept it up! We touched a couple jumps, but nothing came down. It was so awesome. The jump off consisted of 6 jumps. It was a direct six to a tight roll back to a galloping 5 to a steady one then a galloping six. The first line was spot on, the roll back was tight, our five to one was perfect, and the six was very long, but I kept on it. We ended with a double clean round. 76 sec first round ( I think?) and 27.2 seconds for the jump off! I ended up winning by a second We got to do a victory gallop and were champion!

-Casey

Saturday May 9th 2009

THIS: We did very well. 75.75. We had two deep distances, but we fit them in alright. That was the only mistake. 

MClay: We refused the first jump :( after that it was spot on. 

NAL Children's Jumper Classic: We had an awesome first round. It was so fast and percise. We went clear. The jump off was fast, but I wasn't used to going that fast because I haven't in such a long time. We had two rails. One was mine for running him into a 1 stride. The other was his. 

Friday May 8th 2009

15-17:  jack and I put in a solid round. It wasn't completely perfect, but it was accurate and confident. We ended up 7th o/f and on the flat. 

PHA: Jack and I did so well! We landed the counter lead for a tight counter canter roll back. We lost it a stride out :( Other than that the course was amazing

USEF: I don't remember it that well. I know it went well. We did a nice roll back to a two stride. 

Children's Jumper: It was a great first round. Pretty accurate. In the jump off I lost my stirrup! We finished in 2nd though! We sliced a jump and did nice tight roll backs. 

May 6th 2009

Marcus: He was so great today. I rode him in an elevator. We worked on the flat for a bit, and then we worked on tight roll backs. I need to work on landing in both feet and quickening my recovery time. We had a bunch of really tight roll backs. It was great. 

Spy: He is a new gelding at the barn. He looks like Marcus except he is skinnier. We worked on the flat and over poles. I got confused at the beginning when I was trying to collect him. Once I relaxed, he was perfect. He needs to be ridden more like a hunter. You have to ask not command. We had a very successful ride. 

I'm off to Saratoga tomorrow afternoon!

May 5th 2009

I rode at my school today. I am drawing a blank on the pony's name :(  Flip is his name! He is so sweet. You need to be very calm with him which is always a challenge for me. We worked very well together. He helped me with slowing my thoughts and not searching for a distance way far out. 

May 3rd 2009

Jack: Today was incredibly frustrating. I wanted a clear course. I was so excited about getting over the first jump that I steered him toward the standard of the 2nd jump. Needless to say, we refused. Once we went over that jump, the rest of the course was beautiful. I just needed to line up the jump better. 

Calypso: We had a decent warm up. I go on course and totally messed up the first jump. We bun-geed it as Kellie said. The rest of the course was fast and on target. I need to get in the zone more and not flip out. 

-Casey

May 2nd 2009

Calypso: We were on fire today. I finally rode like I used to with the same energy and conviction. We got the last rail down. My fault because I tried to do five in a seven. oops. We had a super fast time though :)

Jack: we were so much better today. Our first class was good, but I made a mistake. The second class was awesome! I could have done better and slowed for my lead changes. I need to think and relax more. We ended up being good enough to test! They made us hear the test in the ring so our trainer couldn't help us. I had to test first! It was awesome. I did a great job and ended 4th :) Then we had our Mcclay course. It was awesome too. Very positive. I shouldn't have dove in to jump 9, but other than that I was happy with it. Even the flat went well. A couple horses were freaking out, but Jack remained calm (a little fast, but calm). We didn't pin, but it is the Mcclay and it is my first year. 

Tomorrow I have the Governor's Cup and a Child Jumper classic :) 

-Casey

May 1st 2009

Calypso: The first real jumped class I have shown him in since Fidelity was fucking awesome. I could have been faster and more daring, but for a first time out it was great. We ended 4th- so we got to ride for ribbons. My 2nd class was awesome except the first jump...my bad!

Jack: The morning started off very well. It was our first time showing at a real big show. We ended up winning. The class was competitive, but I guess we did something right. The rest of the day sucked. He spooked/I didn't pick a distance. We refused 3x in one class. Then the next class I fucked it up.  I went for 6 in a 7 line. oops. I miscounted. Jack was like I am going to keep you safe so no jump! We ended on that note, but oh well .

-Casey

April 29th 2009

Marcus: I jumped Marcus today. He was amazing- a real confidence booster. We jumped pretty high. The higher we jumped the stronger he got. It was so much fun

Classic: He is a thoroughbred that Kellie and Sam have been working with. I rode him for the first time. He has very nice gaits. we jumped little jumps. I was incredibly patient. 

April 26th 2009

Calypso: He was a jerk today. After fighting a little bit, I tried to relax. We ended well. 

Jack: He was exhausted, yet a little spooky. Eventually we got over the spooky corner. He was so receptive. 

-Casey

April 25th 2009

Calypso: I hoped on him after Kellie schooled him. He was a completely different horse- incrediably forward :) We jumped a couple big jumps. He was perfect. I can't wait for Saratoga. 

Jack: He was perfect! I started jumping myself without Kellie. It worked well. No big errors. After that, I jumped with Kellie. He was amazing! We jumped a 3'9" oxer. I usually jump him small to safe him for the shows. He was so good :) 

I also taught my boyfriend how to ride today. It was actually impressive. He learned how to post fairly well without killing the horses back. He looked confident too :) 

-Casey

April 24th 2009

Calypso: We went on a trail today and worked on stamina. He was pretty good, but very spooky. He didn't want to listen when I tried to collect him. Eventually, we got that to work. We went 3.05 miles-with 26.4 mph as the fastest we went. The program I was using stopped working before I started galloping. 

Jack: He was a jerk. He didn't want to listen and spooked often. I made it work eventually. I found that if I hold his head when he spooks, he gets worse. If I let go of it, he calms down. 

April 23rd 2009

Jack: I jumped him today. He was very spooky, but manageable. We need to work on working through spooks. 

Calypso: We jumped really big today. He was absolutely perfect! I was so relaxed which helped making distances work. We need to work on going straight over the jump before turning. 

April 22nd 2009

Calypso: I took my stirrups off to ride him. He got so light at times. I need to make sure when I ask him to gallop, I do it with hand and leg. He was so great. It seems like every day he is getting better. 

Jack: He was a bit aggravating. I couldn't keep him in the corners. Other than that, he was great. 

Handy: I hacked him to show him off to someone. He is funny. You basically just stay there in a half seat. If you do anything else, he gets angry. 

that's it!

April 18th

I showed Jack, Calypso, and Cash. 

Calypso: we did the child/adult jumpers and high schooling. It was so much easier than the last time I did it. Calypso was perfect. We made neat turns and won the four classes we were in. I was especially happy with riding up out of the turns and not making dumb decisions. Calypso was perfect. 

Cash: I rode Cash in two jumping and one flat class. He was so much better than last week. He was smooth, much slower, and easier to get back. We got all our lead changes which was great! Overall, I was so proud of his attitude and my riding. 

Jack: He was perfect! We had a couple spooks at the ginny hens. They were scary. I was happy that I didn't let that ruin the course, and I continued on to the next jump. Each of our courses got better and better. I was happiest with our New England round. I thought we were going to win it, but we didn't :( It was so smooth and out of pace. We both looked like every decision was the right one. I was so happy about it! We were going to do the Maclay and USEF, but the ginny hens were making very nice horses crazy. I didn't want to ruin him.

That's it!

-Casey

April 17th 2009

Jack:  I worked him outside for a bit then jumped  a couple jumps. He was perfect. Sarah got on him and jumped to get ready for a show. He was great. 

Calypso: He was perfect. I rode him in his gag to get ready for the show. We jumped a couple jumps. Nothing was wrong really.

April 16th 2009

Jack: I rode inside. We hacked for a little bit. Then we started jumping. I was having fun, so I did much better than when I am stressing over every little thing. We jumped higher than we usually do. He was so perfect. I didn't pull on his face, so he was great. I had so much fun!

Calypso: We hacked in the outdoor. He was up. I love when he is like that. I worked on tight circles followed by galloping. He was very receptive. With him, I need to work on keeping my reins from slipping... 

April 15th 2009

Calypso: He was perfect. We worked outside first. He was very hyper and up. We jumped fairly difficult courses. I only messed up once. I need to remember to always rock my body back over the jumps instead of forward. 

Jack: I hacked Jack outside in the outdoor. He was awesome. We worked on circling. I need to work on the difference between not pulling on his mouth and not having contact. 

April 13th 2009

Woodstock: He is a school horse at Dana hall. I don't really enjoy riding him. It is hard to get him to go. He is kind of fat so trying not to wiggle while I take my legs off and kick him doesn't work so well. We jumped a couple courses. They were ok. I need to remember to count and take things out of stride. 

April 11th 2009

Quieno: He was great today. Now that he is sound, he is wicked comfortable. He was a little spooky. 

Calypso: I hacked him while the end of the pony rides were going on. Kellie had me jump him big because potential customers were around. I was showing off. lol. Calypso was amazing. He was only in a twisted snaffle. I worked on my position. 

Jack: I rode Jack at the horse show and schooled him for someone else to ride. I was going to show him, but I showed Cash because we needed to school him. Jack was perfect. He was up and excited, but not hard to get back. 

Cash: He was great. He is going to need a stronger bit because he gets strong. I needed to be tougher to get my lead change. I need to realize I am not going to hurt my horse by doing what needs to get done. We ended up reserve champion of children's hunter. We got some 1sts, 3rds, 4ths, and 5ths. 

April 9th 2009

Cash: I rode him in a twisted snaffle and a martingale. He was pretty good, really easy to ride. He has a smooth canter. We jumped a bit. We did a bending three perfectly the first time. I was so happy about it. I needed to land in my heels more and go straight after the jumps. 

Jack: I rode him outside. He was really great when I didn't pull on his mouth. He was pretty good. We jumped a small course. He was great. 

-Casey

April 8th 2009

Calypso: he was so great. We worked on collected cantering and small circles. We did flying lead changes on the long sides of the the ring as well as simple changes. After working for a while, he got hyper. We went and galloped in the field. He tried to buck me of! I rode him in a twisted snaffle and draw reins attached to the girth. 

Jack: He was perfect. I didn't pull on his mouth which made our courses beautiful. I wish I had been in a show. It was the perfect. I'm going to try to do that again. I just focused on rhythm and riding, not finding the perfect distances. I trusted him, and it paid off big time! I rode him in a three ring and a martingale. 

Spyder: She was hyper, but good at the end. We cantered way too fast at the beginning. I worked on slowing it down, which was much more comfortable as well as safer. We then worked on framing up at the trot and using her hind end. We did small circles and switched directions often. Then we jumped a little. I worked on keeping myself slow and relaxed to help her relax. It didn't work completely, but it did more than it used to. We got great distances. I rode her in a twisted snaffle and a martingale. 

Horse show Saturday :) 

April 7th 2009

Calypso: He was so great! We jumped a 3'9"-4' course. We refused 3x because i pulled to nothing. Other than that, he was great. It really helped with my confidence. I need to start believing in the fact that I can jump and trust my instincts. They are usually right.

Jack: was awesome! He was a little hyper, yet needed a lot of leg. We worked on jumping small jumps at the trot and canter and a lot of flat work. He was a little heavy. I needed to not hang so much. 

April 2nd 2009

Jack: I rode him in draws and a three ring. He was great. I used my leg more than my hand which worked well. Kellie made me jump with a broom stick behind my back. It really hurt, but it worked to make me land in my heels. 

Calypso: I rode him in a twisted snaffle and yoke reins. He is still a little sore from getting kicked, but we jumped over little jumps. He was so good. 

I'll probably ride Spyder, Jack, and Calypso tomorrow. 

-Casey

April 1st 2009

Calypso: He was perfect. I learned that if I put a lot of leg on him, like my full leg not just heel, he totally lightens up in the bridle. He was so great :) I rode without stirrups. It hurts 

Jack: He was a little fresh, but not bad. Once I applied more leg on him, he lightened up too! He was strong going to the right. I rode him without stirrups too. 

Spyder: I rode my mare :) She was pretty sound. I love riding her. She was pretty happy. She went hyper when we cantered. I rode her with stirrups because I didn't know how she'd be. 

On another note, this weekend is regionals. I am competing individually. I also got  chosen to compete for the team for Open Flat which is the highest level in high school :) 

-Casey

March 29th 2009

Calypso: He is still getting over getting kicked. I rode him in a twisted snaffle. No martingale, no draws. He was great. It is nice to canter around like a hunter once in a while. 

Cash: I rode him in a gag. He was great. 20 min hack

Quino: I rode him in a three ring. 20 min hack. He seemed relaxed. 

My feet really hurt for most of my ride, and I found it hard to stay in a half-seat for the last ride.

-Casey

March 28th 2009

Calypso: he got kicked in the paddock, so we just lightly hacked. He was great :) 

Jack: I rode him in his show bit. He was very light and workable. 

Cash: I rode my trainers new project horse in a gag with a martingale. I was wicked nervous because I heard he had a huge buck in him. He was really cool. Downhill, but cool. We ended up jumping 4'

After all of this, I went to a horse show and got back at 9:00 p.m. I rode both Marcus and Jack. I have never seen Marcus so relaxed at a horse show. Jack was great too. I made a stupid mistake 3x. I ran up to nothing. Aside from that, I was so proud of how I was doing.  I ended with a 3rd ,6th ,8th. It's equitation. lol.

-Casey

March 27th 2009

Jack: I rode Jack in his show bit today (a pelham). He was absolutely perfect. I felt like our hard work paid off. We had one bad line, but besides that everything was great. 

Marcus: I rode Marcus in an elevator and a martingale. He was very strong, but he listened. I struggled with a long one to a short five. I need to work on whoaing on the landing, not two strides out. 

Spyder: She was great! It was the first time since I've brought her back that we rode with another horse in the ring. She tried to chase him. SHe was perfectly sound for Spyder. :) 

Show tomorrow!!

-Casey

March 26th 2009

Spyder : I rode her in a twisted snaffle. She was great. It was just a light hack. She is coming back from being sore. We w/t/c a little. Spyder was a little off, but great. 

Calypso: I rode Calypso in yoke reins and a twisted snaffle out on the trails. He was pretty strong today. He was very fast too. I tried to get him to listen for a while, and then I let him run. After that, he listened pretty well. I need to work on using more leg instead of so much hand. 

Jack: I rode Jack in a three ring and yoke reins. He was pretty good. He didn't listen as much as the other day. He was heavy at first, but then lightened up when I used more leg. I might show him Saturday or Sunday. 

-Casey

March 25th 2009

Calypso: I rode Calypso in a twisted snaffle and yoke reins. He was pretty strong, and I was having a hard time seeing distances. We jumped a 3'6" course. It was nice after having the winter as down time. He is jumping much stronger. I need to work on looking up and over the jump instead of starring it down. 

Jack: He was perfect today! We jumped a course...probably 3'. He was pretty soft, and the distances came up nicely. I was thrilled with this ride :) 

I've been working on landing in both stirrups. For some reasons, this is a bit of a challenge. I've realized that basic instruction (like when you are first starting to ride) is so important. I didn't have solid instruction, so these things that at my level I should be totally ok with, I'm not. I'll just have to work harder. 

I think I'm going to one or two horse shows this weekend :) Hopefully, I will get my New England! 

-Casey

March 24th 2009

Today I rode Jack, Calypso, and CJ.

Jack: I rode Jack in a three ring and draw reins on the side. He was pretty fresh at first, but after a while he calmed down and was near perfect. His counter canter going to the right needs a little work. His mouth was pretty soft towards the end. He still is harder on the left side than the right side. 

Calypso: I rode Calypso in a slow twist with draw reins on the side. He was very strong with his mouth, but I needed to use more leg. Eventually, he lightened up. I needed a lot more leg. I need to work on using both sides of Calypso's mouth and counting rhythm. 

CJ: I rode CJ in a double twisted wire and a martingale. I was supposed to school him. I schooled him like a horse instead of a school pony. I need to work on schooling him with a longer rein. He was great. 

Introduction

I am starting a riding journal. Writing is easier to do online. 

Basically, every time I ride I will write about it. I'll write about what I need

 to work on and what went well. Here are the horses I'll be talking about: 

Calypso: He is my jumper. I've had him for two years. He is 16.2hh, bay, and has a cute star and snip. We do the level 3's. 

Jack: He's my equitation horse. He is 17.0 hh and a chestnut. He has a white wide strip. We do the junior medals and the big Eq. 

Spyder: She is my first pony. She has two blue eyes and is a light bay. She has a wide white strip. We used to do the jumpers locally... She actually did everything- Hunters, Jumpers, and Equitation. 

 

Marcus: He is 17.0 hh and dark bay. He was a grand prix prospect. Now he is a school horse at Walnut Hill Farm (www.walnut-hill-farm.com) and a very sweet equitation horse. He is a very sweet horse, but can get a little strong. 

CJ: He is a paint/appaloosa who stands about 14.0hh. We've had him in my family for 4 or so years. He is very friendly and willing. He is used as a school pony at Walnut Hill Farm. 

Rio: He is 13.2 hh or 13.3hh. Rio is a mustang and is very fast! He is used as a w/t school pony for the kids at WHF or a jumper for the older kids at WHF. He's been in my family since 1999.

Liam: He is a boarder's horse that I sometimes school. He used to be a dressage horse. Now, he is learning how to jump. He has learned very quickly. Liam is about 16.0 hh or 16.1hh. He takes so much leg. 

I think that is about it! If I think of anyone else, I'll post them here. 

-Casey