Ride 74 - Another First - Hint it begins with J and ends with ing!

I LOVE the above picture even if he looks almost butt high lol!

So I went out for a short ride to get my final two point challenge time and ended up riding forty minutes!  My how time flies when you're having fun.  :)  My two point was only four minutes so there was no improvement... I wonder why... because I didn't practice duh LOL!!  I don't really consider it a failure though because 2pointober got me out and riding and I've done more with Chrome this month than I have in his whole riding career!  I'm so proud of us both for learning to trust each other and pushing our boundaries.  It's been a blast.

November is starting off with a blast too!!!!  I jumped Chrome!!!!!!

He was feeling very energetic because it was cold and the mare across the street was alone and neighing (her buddies were at a rodeo).  The above picture shows us standing at our front gate so you can see how close their pasture is!  It's literally right across the road.  :)

Jumping was totally not planned.  I had mentioned jumping him over some trees we have laying in the yard (had to cut them down to run power to our house when we built it) and hubby jokingly said he wouldn't do it (I was bareback when I mentioned it, but not today).  So as I was coming back down the driveway I looked over at the tree and thought... heck I'll do it!!  He totally jumped it!  Check out the video!


As you can see he jumped them, trotted after all of them except one he actually cantered away from and he even trotted over once when it got boring lol.  We jumped them about six times I think.  The first tree was only fourteen inches high and the second one was sixteen inches.  Not big at all.  It literally felt like a canter stride, not a jump hehe.  I would love to try something taller sometime.  It's just too bad I had already lengthened my stirrups back out (feels weird after a month of them short!!), because I think shorter would have made my leg more stable.  Oh well we had a blast.  I think he really enjoyed it!  As you can see at the end of the video we did some cantering too.  The first canter he started on the left lead and then did a simple change into a right lead... I wonder why?  The left lead felt weird so maybe he was cross cantering?  I can't tell in the video.  Anyway his cantering is getting much stronger and he's able to sustain it longer!  I cantered him the entire length of the driveway at one point that wasn't caught on camera.

Other than jumping and cantering we also did some exploring through our trees, which I never do in the summer because of ticks. It was so much fun picking paths and having him step over all the fallen saplings.  I used to do that all the time and I missed it!  So fun!

Anyway I think that's all...  oh I forgot to mention he was grazing the whole time I did my two point hehe.  Also I was never really interested in jumping Chrome, but now that we have.... I kind of want to do it again!! Only higher next time!  Hehe!  :D  Now I see why you guys love it so much.  Thanks for reading!!

P.S.  Did you notice anything different about our gear in the video??

ETA:  It's hard to tell in the video, so I won't make you guess.  The difference is that all he was wearing was a halter with my reins attached to it.  No bridle or bit.  :D

Ride 66 + Two Point Critique Please!

Okay the weather was waaaaaaay too nice not to ride again, but I took it easy since Chrome isn't used to working two days in a row and his stifles seemed tired (but not painful thank goodness).  I think the ride ended up around forty minutes again, but most of it was standing around (salt block and pictures) and walking.  I trotted maybe twice is all.  I did get some pictures of my two point for you guys to critique though!  I'm so sorry these are all cell phone pictures.

I'm thinking my stirrups are still too long, but sheesh they feel so short when I'm sitting in the saddle.  There is a picture at the bottom of the post where I'm sitting so you can see how much bend there is.  In these two pictures above my legs and stomach are not touching the horn or poly.  It looks like it is, but that's just my shirt hanging down.  After taking pictures I realized my leg was way too far back so I fixed it and he took a couple more (the ones above), but I still don't know if they are right.  Also I did not realized I was swaying my back so bad!  Maybe that's why it hurts?  So any pointers are greatly appreciated.  Thanks!!!!  Oh sorry about the sneakers and white socks lol.  My paddock boots are way to small and uncomfortable to get my heel down so I just used my sneakers.  :)

Now here are some more random photos from the ride.  Enjoy!

 So handsome!

 Shiny in the evening sun.  This was before the ride.

 I see dapples!

 Goofing off like I'm going to win the Derby and there he is with one foot cocked LOL! 

I love this horse! This is the one that shows how bent my leg is.  

Sorry it's so dark.  Enlarging it might make it easier to see.

Thanks in advance for any help!  Remember I've only ever had dressage lessons.  I've never ridden in two point before this and I'm not used to my stirrups being that short!  :)  I'm having fun though!

Finally! Ride 65 + 2 Point Challenge update + successful cantering!

And no pictures or video.... sorry!!  I finally got home from work with nothing urgent to do and pretty weather so I saddled up for a ride.  Here's a funny story.  My husband was checking fencing while I went to get my saddle.  Chrome was standing at the gate waiting on me, but when he saw my husband head toward the persimmon tree he followed him.  So lucky me had to (well I didn't have to) carry my saddle (luckily only 17 pounds) halfway across the pasture.  Then I proceeded to saddle Chrome without a halter or bridle or anything on him.  He just stood there.  :D  Then I put the bridle on and mounted up.  We finished up with the fences then walked back to the house because neither of us had a phone for a timer.  I wanted to see how long I could stay in two point now that I knew what to expect and my calves haven't been cramping at night anymore.

So my time was... four minutes and two seconds!!!!  I'm so happy.  I knew my beginning time could have been better if it hadn't been for the calf cramps.  This time I was standing still again, but Chrome did move around a bit to scratch.  I managed to keep my balance.  I almost grabbed the saddle horn once, but remembered in time to not touch it.  Since we were standing still I just dropped the reins and put my hands on my hips.  I tried holding them out to the side as if I were walking on a balancing beam, but that made it harder to balance for some reason.  The reason I finally had to sit down is because of my back.  My lower right side started hurting, then Chrome moved and I lost my balance.  My abs were hurting too so this is definitely a good core workout.  I'll have to keep doing this even after the challenge I think.  :D  I'm hoping next time I ride I can get some pictures so you guys can critique my two point.  I have never been taught anything about two point so I can use all the pointers I can get lol.

After that we walked over some logs (for his stifles) and then stood for seven minutes (it's always seven minutes!) at the salt block while he blissfully licked away.  I don't know why the deer salt block is so much better than the one in his pasture.  They are the exact same thing!  I think he likes the deer one because it's sitting on a stump and it's not in his pasture so it's new to him lol.  After that we walked and trotted around.  I practiced two point in both gaits while holding the saddle horn.  I think my stirrups are too long or maybe it's the Aussie saddle but I have a really hard time balancing when moving!!  Maybe the critique will help me out.  :)

At one point I was trotting him up the driveway with me posting.  I had no plans or intentions of cantering.  I started trotting at the very beginning of the driveway instead of halfway up like I was doing.  When we got halfway down Chrome acted like he wanted to canter so I gave him a nudge and the vocal cue.  He jumped right into the canter!  I've been apprehensive about the canter because he has crow hopped a few times, so when he drops his head I kept pulling his head up.  This time I kept the reins loose and resisted the temptation to pull his head up when he dropped it and it was perfect!!  He held the canter for eight strides or so.  I was ecstatic.  He hasn't cantered more than two strides on the driveway (he did canter a lot more in the pasture back when we first tried it), so that's a huge improvement.  It's always the rider's fault huh?  At least it was an easy fix!  Start trotting sooner so he can find his balance and then don't touch the reins when he transitions into the canter.  So simple.  I did it a second time to see if it was a fluke and it wasn't.  The second time he was on his left lead.  I don't know what he was on the first time because I was just so blown away that we were cantering more than two strides.

Anyway the ride was forty minutes, with four minutes of me standing still in two point, seven minutes at the salt block, a few minutes standing still talking to my dad, two short canters and the rest of the time spent walking and trotting.  :)  I'm so proud of my boy!  I really need to get some pictures of him.  You will be amazed at how white he's gotten!

Weather Fail + Hand Gallop Blog Hop

Hand Gallop has started a blog hop and asked, "What's the origin of your horse's show name and barn name?"

Great idea for a blog hop!  Sadly my answer will be short, but that's okay.  Chrome's registered name is Beebee's Chrome Chevalier.  His mom's name is Beebee.  The Chrome part comes from a song.  The Trace Adkins' song Chrome was playing on the radio either when he was born or when they were naming him.  It's been five years and I've forgotten the details she told me.  I had never heard of the song, so I looked it up... I'm not really big on country (grew up listening to Garth Brooks, but haven't listened to country in years and years) and I absolutely hate songs where they talk instead of singing... so yeah I don't really like the song (and the video is awful, but that's just my opinion!).  Here's the video so you can decide for yourself if you like it or not.

If you can't see embedded click here.

Chevalier means knight in French.  You can hear the pronunciation here.  His breeder told me I could change his name, but I suck at coming up with names and I had been referring to him as Chrome for so long while we talked about him and worked out the details that I couldn't imagine calling him anything else.  Besides Chrome is unique and I really liked it (and it's soooo awesome that California Chrome won the Derby and Preakness, I was totally rooting for him hehe).  So he didn't get a new barn name or anything.  I just continued to call him Chrome.  :D  I also love the chevalier part because I'm into the SCA so I already love knights hehe.

Okay, that's the end of the blog hop part.  Now I have to make a confession.  I have not ridden AT ALL since I got my baseline for the two point challenge..... This is going to be a total fail!  We haven't had rain in months and as soon as I put my name in for the challenge it started raining EVERY DAY AHHH!!!!!  It would be gorgeous weather all day while I was at work and then start pouring when I got home.... even on my days off he was so wet and muddy I couldn't put a saddle on him (too cold to hose him off and I had to pick up shifts at work so I've been insanely busy on my days off).  I'm getting really frustrated because of the uncooperative weather and because I've been a total insomniac lately so I've been sleeping in too late in the mornings to ride before work.  I will try to do better.  I promise!

And one other thing just because... you have to watch this video!!

If you can't see embedded click here.

Ride 64 + Successful Herd Integration + VC Giveaway + Two Point Baseline

Wow the weather is really nice right now!  I rode Chrome for almost forty minutes.  I did my two point baseline (for the 2pointober challenge LINK), which is a measly 2 minutes and 6 seconds... I knew my balance would be an issue since I've never ridden in two point and I'm trying to do it in an Aussie saddle, but I didn't realize how quickly my ankles and calves would seize up too!  My calves have been cramping at night so I'm wondering if I'm dehydrated.  Do you guys know any other cause for night time cramping?  Also my baseline was done while Chrome stood still... walking is a whole other ball game balance wise.  How do you jumpers do it??  After getting the baseline I practiced walking and trotting around while holding on to his mane for balance.  I figure I'll spend the week working on it while holding on and then next weekend try without holding on to see how long I can do it.  I can definitely tell my core and legs are weak!  After working on that I cantered Chrome again up the driveway.  I actually did it three times.  The first time he started crowhopping.  The other two times he picked it up normally but only held it for a couple of strides.  I tried in the pasture and he wouldn't canter at all!!  So the exercises I was doing for his stifles were definitely helping.  I have to get back to the pole work, backing him up, hill work, etc.  I guess it's time for us both to get back into shape.

I wasn't going to share a picture with me in it because I look awful in my too short sweat pants and wrinkled, baggy shirt, but I had to share this.  When I dismounted my legs were all wobbly so I just sat down on the ground.  Chrome just stood there looking at me for a long time and then walked over and shoved his face in my hands.  So cute!

Guarding the persimmon tree listening for ripe fruit to fall.  

I shook the tree to drop the fruit, picked up and disposed of several pounds worth last night.

While we were gathering persimmons that had fallen and throwing them over the fence the goats were out exploring.  When I saw them approaching Chrome and Zep I started taking pictures (and stopped breathing I think)...

 Zep was curious, but friendly.

Zep herded them for several feet and then stopped to graze.  That's when Chrome spotted them!

He herded them a few feet and then also stopped to graze.  :D

And everyone went back to minding their own business!  Yay!

Sorry for the crappy pictures.  It was the worst time of day for taking them lol.  Also L. over at Viva Carlos is hosting a giveaway!  Be sure to check it out!!  LINK

2pointober 2014!

I decided to join the 2pointober challenge this year!  Basically we get a baseline for how long we can hold a two point position and then over the course of a month we try to improve on that baseline.  I didn't think I could join because I have an Aussie saddle and there is no way Chrome could trot (not to mention there is no place) for that long, but L. said we can use whatever saddle we have and it can be at any gait, so I'm game for trying it out!  :D  For more information and to sign up for the challenge check out the post at Viva Carlos HERE.  I'll get my baseline ASAP!