YaYa's in Summer

It was to hot to ride - what's a yaya to do? Get together!  My sweet YaYa Sisters gathered at Rita's last Wed evening and we had wonderful food and fun for my birthday season.  I am sure I don't look any older - don't look any younger either.  Rita made homemade Peach ice cream and Sherry baked bread pudding and we had fruit salad, fruit crisp, Waldorf salad, taco rolls and taco salad, wine and peach ice tea, and more....  And we considered how long it will be until we ride again in the cool of fall.  That's to long!

Balloons landed in fields north and west of the Wild O Ranch on Friday morning and caused the resident horses to careen around the pasture in wild formation.  No horses were harmed during the photoshoot....

Tuesday evening Shannean come over to try to get a little more jumping video and Pico was his freako self.  Then Fri morning Ruthie came to warm up for the show on Sat. and Pico was more freako - could have been the balloons....  I rode him a bit too and had to manhandle him past C and the very scary cavallettie and tall grass.  And he was sooooo good at Rita's jumping last weekend. 

Then, off to Prairie Lane late afternoon to have Splash for his 2nd adjustment.  After his good, short lesson last weekend, Splash was very uneven on Tuesday evening - then on Friday morning he was fine (if you don't count bad attitude).  Dr. Ennis found his right shoulder better but a new spot on the left side of his neck (likely from using different muscles after the last adjustment) and he agreed that the spot Shannean had identified on his back was sore.  Dr. E also checked my saddle fit and gave me the all clear to start regular work in the next week or so just minimizing circle work.

I was on animal care duty for the weekend since Steve and the kids were camping at Oolagah Lake.  But after handling the morning chores including chicken management, I headed to Inola with Pico and Splash for the Rocking C Dressage show.  Ruthie had Pico at 8:26 in T1 and Pico was spooky on both sides of M and just north of C.  Soooo, during her T4 ride at 9:54, Splash and I stood in the doorway between C and M - magic!  Pico was good and Ruthie had a lovely ride.  10:24 and Pico and I were mounting for our first ride - T4.  Ominous drum roll.....  the pirates were gathering for the exhibition drill team ride and Pico had the first of about 100 heart attacks.  Those tricorn hats along with the puffy shirts and flowing coat tails (gorgeous costumes) were MONSTERS after PICO.  So, although Pico found a way to deal with C and M (Splash in the doorway), the entire east side of the arena was now the scariest place on earth. 

The good news is:  I didn't fall OFF.  But T4 and First1 were not the harmonious dance dressage should be. Oh well, there is always next time.

Meanwhile, I will dream of improvements with Splash and of trail rides with my yaya sisters.

Good Day / Bad Day / Good Day

Good Day - Saturday morning we scored the 9 and 10 am lesson times so headed to Inola early.  The girls rode the 9 am slot and both Alaina and Ivy had good lessons on their mounts.  Sunny had some nice slow canters and Alaina worked on bringing him onto the bit without the head toss (using timing at the point in the canter when his front end was lowest) to give a half halt.  Ivy worked to use more leg and less hand to bring Pico onto the bit.  Pico didn't spook in the indoor arena for a change.... 

Kathy B on Call, Marsha on Dakota, and me on Splash started the 10 o'clock lesson.  We all did stretching exercises to warm up and then worked on trot and walk transitions.  Splash was sound both ways with only a little unevenness in the corner when going clockwise for a couple of seconds.  Yippeee!  Splash was feeling so good, he was obnoxious.  Lounging would help but Dr. Ennis says NO Lounging.  We didn't push and quit after just 20 minutes.  So, I switched my saddle and bridle to Pico and finished the lesson on him.  With only one little spook, we had a great 1/2 lesson doing circles and leg yields.  Canter work was nice too.  Kathy and Call were looking really good now that Call is sound again and Marsha and Dakota had some nice work with Dakota learning to give to the bit.  Are we ready to show at Rocking C next weekend? Kathy and Marsha, for sure - Splash and me, we will have to see.  After cooling the horses, we headed to Siloam Springs for lunch.. hehe .. we went to Graham's but dilly dallied so long that Larry thought we had been to Arkansas and back.

Later, that same day, I gave Diez a bath with some special horse soap made by my long lost friend Cathy VW - found by Trisha on FB.  She lives in Tallahassee, Florida and raises goats and horses.  It was wonderful stuff and I need to find a way to get more.  Diez looked lovely and her hair coat felt so soft.

Bad Day - Sunday morning I planned to take Pico and Sunny to Rita's place to video Shannean's OSU team audition.  Gave Pico a rinse and went to the stall to grab Sunny.  Crisis!  Sunny had ripped his nostril more than an inch deep.  I called Dr. S and made arrangements to get him stitched up by Dr. Round.  Meanwhile, I dropped Pico and Diez at Rita's so that the show could go on.  Cindy H, in town for a quick visit, came out to Rita's to visit Prince and got a royal Nip on the arm.  It was a love nip Cindy and he didn't mean it.... really!

Good Day - Shannean rode Jurgen (Friesian) in a dressage test, Pico (Arab cross since he was good) for transitions and jumping small jumps and Winston (Tenn Walker) for some more jumping.  I got back from the vet clinic just in time to watch Alaina ride Winston.  Now, she wants more Arabians, a Friesian, and a TW in her herd.  After I got Sunny back home in a stall with a fan going, Pico back in the pasture, and Diez back in her turnout, I headed back to Rita's to work on the DVD for OSU.  On the disk we put 6 minutes of Jurgen, 4 minutes of Pico and a couple minutes of Winston and about 15 still photos including a couple with Shannean riding Silka with Prince running along side.   Soooo cute.

Even though it has been way to hot to ride in the evening the last few weeks, the yaya's have a pot luck planned for Wed. night.  That will be way fun!

He's a Prince

After spending the week in Kansas (I've been there so often I was "Guest of the Week), I took Splash to Patty's on Friday to try a ride.  It's been 2 weeks since his adjustment and we have been applying the Horse Butt Crunch as directed.

Verdict?  Splash is still off but is some better.  So, let cross fingers for a full recovery.  I just happened to have Pico in the trailer so I rode him for a short lesson after working Splash a bit a walk and trot (along the long sides).  Pico was spooky near the overhead door on the north side but we worked anyway - on shoulder-in and haunches-in at the trot with 10 m circles to introduce the moves.  Except for one canter depart on the wrong lead, we had some nice canter work on spiral circles in and out.

Saturday - Marsha, Patty and I carpooled to the Ida Anderson seminar (Upgrading your Judging Eye 1) sponsored by ODS at Freddie's in Sapulpa.  We spent the day listening to lecture, practicing judging tests and (of course) eating a great lunch.

The good news is that Splash would not be excused from a dressage test since he is only off in one direction.  So, I will see if Dr. Ennis thinks I can show walk/trot classes at the next show scheduled for Aug. 7 at the Rocking C.

We discussed the definition change of marks 5 and 6 - Sufficient is now 6 - as well as expanding the vocabulary for use on the 50 tests a judge would complete during a normal show day.  The tradition of making a remark on good and bad points in the big box - but NO directives and never call the horse CUTE.  So "well matched pair" is good - "nice pair" is too vanilla.  Words to use include "wishing for...." and "unfortunate break of gait or irregularity or whatever" to explain the lower mark for an otherwise nice movement.  Save use of resistance/disobedient for bucking, kicking, snaking neck, and running backwards.  

For Intro tests, "on the bit" is not required so can be rewarded but, when not done consistently, might bring score down.  Training level is scored 1/3 for "on the bit" 1/3 for geometry and 1/3 for regularity.  We reviewed the Dressage Training Scale. - from Rhythm - Suppleness - Contact - Impulsion - Straightening - to Collection; and how development of the horse starts with working trot (angle of energy 5 or 10 degrees above horizontal culminating in piaffe with the angle of energy at the vertical.  Unless the horse is 3-legged lame, use "inconsistant" or "irregular".... "today"...  Overall - an interesting view from the other side of the dressage test (in the box).

Sunday included a trip to Rita's to visit Prince and a stop at Mallory's new place to check out the arena.  Prince is getting much bigger and more beautiful every time I see him.  He is a people friendly baby and will make a great horse when he grows up.  Here's hoping for a yaya ride this week - maybe Thursday evening?  Please???

Horse Butt Crunch

Splash update - Several weeks of supplements and anti-inflammatory and Splash was still off on the right hind end.  So, before we head to Oakridge for serious medical investigations, we tried chiropractic adjustment.

Patty recommended Dr. Jim Ennis from Arkansas and I go an appointment Friday afternoon July 9th.  My truck blew the big belt on Friday morning so wonderful Sherry took us over to Prairie Lane to meet the Doctor.  I gave Dr. Ennis the history and details of his injury in early May and Dr. E started to evaluate starting at the poll. 

Flexibility seemed good until the right shoulder and the Doc adjusted.  Then along the spine was fine until the left hip.  The right side was better and Dr. E finished the adjustment with the Horse Butt Crunch. 

HBC - Take 2 coins, press hard on both sides of the tail head and push up toward the loin.  The result is that the horse will rotate the pelvis and stretch the "lower" back.  The prescription is to apply the Horse Butt Crunch daily and when grooming to ride.  Also, no lounging; work on straight lines rather than circles.  Mostly walking with short trot segments. 

So, immediately after the adjustment, we rode a bit and Splash seemed better.  Our arena was to soggy from all the rain - so no ride on Sat.  I rode a little on Sunday afternoon before I headed off to Kansas for the week. 

Stay tuned to see if this treatment helps - I will get another appointment in early August as a follow-up.

In other news...  After the rainy week following the 4th of July, our hay guy got cutting when the weather looked clear for a good 4/5 day stretch.  Steve and Kale got the first truck load Wed evening and planned to pickup a load Thurs morning and the get the bulk of our hay Thursday evening after dinner.  As the grill was ready for cooking, a huge storm blew in and Steve, Kale and Alex scrambled to get the hay in time.  The hay was on both trucks and the trailer as the rain started and the crew covered with tarps and backed a truck into the barn as the sky opened and the deluge began.  So, Friday the tarps came off and the hay dried mostly.  Then, the vortex caused by hay almost dry enough to stack in the barn, another storm blew in and the tarps came out again.   Sat. and Sun. were dry and most of the hay is now in the barn, but about 30 bales are still wet and out in the sun to try to save them. 

The 4-H show on Sat. was the fastest show on record.  The kids were excused from hot show cloths and got to show in T-shirts and jeans.  Classes ran so fast, we were done by 1pm and I got to go to lunch after dropping horses and kids by the house.  We did start early and the judge skipped rail work at every opportunity.  Wish they were all like that.  Ivy won the hunter hack class and beat Alaina in western classes when Sunny dropped gait - Alaina beat Ivy in the English classes since freako-Pico was afraid of the new BIG RED tank at the end of the arena.  They had a good time and really liked the casual show attire and Alaina won reserve high point for 9-11.

With rain Thurs/Friday, the arena was soaked.  Finally got a chance to check on Splash this evening.  So, wiped sweat off to saddle and applied the HBC and worked a bit.  I really couldn't tell how he was since the arena is to short and uneven to really try to trot straight.  So, we will cross fingers for improvement on Sat. at the next party lesson.

Independence Day Update

OK, I am dependent on the soundness of my horse for my equine therapy and my horse is still OFF on the right hind.  Here we are 2 months after the clinic at Prairie Lane where poor Splash dropped his hind end into an unsoundness of the arena and started this sad episode.  We have been to Shipman and completed the specified cure - at this past Sat. lesson, Splash is not cured.  So, I rode Pico for the lesson and Alaina worked Sunny on Trail obstacles.

After 2 months without riding, I got sore (it's a good sore) and Pico got worked a bit.  With the 4th of July pyrotechnics having worked Pico into a spooky frenzy, the layout of the trail obstacles and the gutter noises from the steady rain combined to make focus difficult for poor Freako-Pico.  But, with Patty's help, we rode circles between B and E to the inside of cavalletti poles alternating with work over the poles.  Pico was very tense and particularly difficult to the right past the 'fan' poles setup and the open door to the north.  We worked to bend away from the distraction and managed to improve and canter both ways. 

Pico really likes leadership from his rider and his personality changes.  During tack-up, he always lays his ears back and acts like he could get ugly.  After being ridden, he LOVES me.  It is fun to dominate.

Alaina and Sunny had some good work despite the rain.  They worked on basics as well as the fan trot-over, canter cavelletti, barrel/cone back-through, and the dreaded 'T' side-pass.  Only one cone was killed and the pair worked the T really well.  Alaina is excited to work trail because of her 3rd place success at State.  Ivy stayed home with a lameness issue of her own.  After the lesson, Larry joined Alaina, Patty and me for lunch at Graham's with Nancy and Carol.

So, the next step is to get Splash to a chiropractor and if that doesn't help, the long trip to Edmond appears to be the following step.  Cross fingers and toes that we can work through this problem or who knows what additional problems may arise for me without my equine therapy.....

State Summary

Later, that same week…. After the exciting weekend of the State 4-H Horse Show in Shawnee and making the last day of the ODS/GCC Green Country Classic Dressage Show, I went to Kansas for a couple of days of work. Home to late Thursday night to join my YaYa Sista’s for a social but back early enough to sample some garden goodies including almost to early corn and a tomato/cuc salad. Note to self – balsamic vinegar makes cucumber slices look muddy but tastes great.. hehe

The girls had a great time at the horse show and brought home some ribbons. Alaina and Sunny - 7th Showmanship, 10th in Hunt Seat Equitation, 9th Western Horsemanship and 3rd in Trail (ribbons in 4 of her 6 classes); Ivy and Pico - 4th Hunt Seat Equitation and 7th in Hunter Hack (ribbons in 2 of her 4 classes). Both girls have really improved their riding skills the last few months but competition in the 9-11 age group is fierce. 

Alaina and Sunny really had a wonderful trail pattern and did fairly well in Showmanship and her English classes; western wasn't so smooth but she placed in the horsemanship even though Sunny was excited and broke gait to canter a couple of times. 

Ivy was looking wonderful in her canter departs and pattern practice in warm-up but had a little lead trouble in her classes - I think she is nervous and counter bends which leads to wrong lead.  She did compete in jumping although she was nervous about it so I am proud of her for riding through.

We really enjoyed our volunteer shifts at the dressage show on Sunday and Ivy wants a Hanavarian for her 2-year old project....haha.  After all his time off in re-hab, Splash will have to wait a little longer since a baby shower is prempting my weekly lesson.  So, cross fingers for some riding soon and for Splash to be fully recovered.  YaYa!

How to Torture your Sister

1) invite Sister to come visit for the 4-H State Horse Show

2) load trailer for the show with Sister's Help

3) drive to Shawnee, 66 to 44 to 75 to 40 to trailer tire blowout - change tire with Sister McGyver - continue to Shawnee

4) unload trailer, set up stalls, help girls ride, wash horses, band/braid, feed horses, go to hotel in time for bed

5) back to show grounds, finish trimming, hoof polish, fix hair, etc......

6) show, show, show

7) back to hotel for pizza, pool, bed

8) back to showgrounds for Show, SHow, SHOw, SHOW

9) load trailer

10) backroads to the turnpike, to Claremore, Sister unloads trailer while I collasp on couch, bed

11) wake up and, after a light breakfast, to the CLAREMORE Expo to volunteer at the ODS/GCC dressage show....... 12:30 to 6:00pm.... help take down the arena.... hehehe

12) That should have turned her into a convert.  but... Trisha still doesn't like horses or want to ride.  I guess she loves me.... or my girls.....

And I owe her bigtime.