03 March 2010

LONG post.

I was unable to ride Cruizer for awhile due to really bad back pain (I had a full spinal fusion in 2007). I had a dressage lesson on Saturday. Profeta was really silly, because the ice was falling off the roof of the arena and it was EXTREMELY loud. It sounded like the whole building was going to come down. That was happening about every two minutes. It was crazy. The lesson was still good though. I got to do a little piaffe and passage :) which was cool. I was supposed to have another lesson today but couldn't make it. Hopefully I can do another lesson this weekend. Since the snow was so loud that day, I decided to just lunge Cruizer. He has never heard those noises before. He did fine. The first few times he completely lost it, but eventually was only slightly speeding up and raising his head, then going straight back to work. I rode him Monday and Tuesday. Monday the snow was really loud, and he let out one big spook, so we relaxed for a little bit. After that he was a little on edge but not bad. I only rode him for a little while, not wanting to push the issue, as he'd never been ridden in that situation before. I did showmanship for a long time after our ride. We practiced a really tiny figure eight all trotting pattern. He is getting much better at doing tight trot turns. He is actually worse about the pulling ones, not the pushing. Odd. Yesterday I rode him again. I ended up riding for about an hour and a half, and didn't even realize I was on him for so long. He was veryyyyy playful at the second canter. He was really wanting to buck and was doing a really up and down canter. It was more comical than anything else. I wasn't scared, I actually laughed at him most of the time. He is adorable. We did lots of cantering, and he did finally decide to chill out and just go around how he knows he should. Never a dull moment with him. He was really good overall. He was crabby about turning on the forehand, but eventually gave in. He is just lazy. We have a clinic coming up on the 14th that I am REALLY excited about. I hope he doesn't make me look too dumb. I need to start riding without irons A LOT because I know the clinician is going to make us do a lot of work without them. I rode in a clinic with her with Beamer and it was torture on my legs.

Last but certainly not leasttttt..... I was tagged!

Thank you to Denali for tagging me. Check out her blog!

So how it works is you post seven things about yourself, and then tag fifteen other awesome blogs. So here goes.

1. I have been fascinated by dressage for YEARS. But I just recently started taking dressage lessons, and I am already hooked. I have dreamed of being a top dressage competitor for years.
2. Although I realize this dream is unrealistic, due to how hard it is to make it, my biggest dream in life is to become a professional horse trainer. I would like to train dressage horses, and hunt seat Paints and Quarter Horses.
3. I much prefer riding green horses to the finished ones. Finished horses are fun, but I get bored riding them every day. I like to ride green horses and see what I can get them to do... which is why I wanted a greenie for my second horse.
4. I am fluent in English and Italian. I love language. I want to learn Spanish and German as well. I also want to work with immigrants, teaching them how to speak English. I feel like most people complain about immigrants not being able to speak English well, but at the same time nobody wants to help them learn. Well, I do.
5. I have fallen off six times in my riding career. Those times include me sliding off the back of a horse when he fell on uneven ground, being bucked off (but making rodeo time!), going off several horses spooking BAD, a horse falling down..and me going with her, and I think that's all the reasons. Oh, and slipping off the side of a horse jogging bareback. I have never been seriously injured. (knock on wood)
6. I've always wanted an OTTB. I plan to fulfill this dream.
7. The things I admire most in other horse people are... Professionals who wear helmets for EVERY ride...those pro's who aren't too stuck up to realize that EVERY horse spooks or has a bad day, and are humble enough to protect themselves from such situations. The other, is those who care more about the welfare of the horse than the fancy ribbon.

and now fifteen blogs.. which might not happen because I'm very new to blogspot and don't know that many people yet.

Kelsey is one of my best friends in real life. She is an excellent rider and horseperson. She loves her horse, and mine as well. We are "Team Evil." She is also the one who convinced me to go test ride Cruizer, as I was unsure about him. I didn't even think I would like him that much. But look how it turned out :) Love at first sight.

Andrea is one of the horse people I admire most. She is basically the posterchild for Equine Welfare. She is honest and humble. Her blog is always very informative, funny, and a good read. Plus, who can resist Gogo's charms?

Denali tagged me but I want to tag her back. I like that she is very honest and realistic about her skills and her horse's skills. Her horse happens to be an OTTB, which drew me to her blog.

Katherine has gorgeous horses, and is a good rider. Plus, its an eventing blog, which are my favorite to read.

This blog I just started reading today. I have only read the first few posts, but I can tell I'm going to like it. It chronicles the training of a baby.. something I am also doing, although my baby is a bit older. :)

Kristen's blog definitely makes you "feel" what she's writing. Her horse is going through hard times, and I actually cried reading one of her recent posts. Every person who has ever lost a horse they loved can relate to this blog. Things are (thankfully) looking up for Laz. I hope everything turns out well. He is a big adorable ex-racehorse.

Jan is an AQHA hunt seat rider. Her mare, Corky, can be a handful, but is a lovely mover. Jan has kept a training diary on Corky since she was a weanling. Corky is now six. I love reading her diary, and seeing what methods she's using on Corky. Some of them have worked on Cruizer as well.

Everyone knows this girl. Fugly Horse of the Day. She is brutally honest and up to date on wrong doings/scandals/abuse in the horse world.

Another eventing blog. This one with an Appendix Quarter Horse. Very funny.

The tack on this blog is sure to make your eyes hurt. I have no idea who comes up with the ideas to make all the things featured on this blog.

This author writes about all the things every experienced person in the horse world thinks, but won't say. Hilarious read.

WTF were they thinking?!?! Horse sale ads. If you need a good laugh, look here. But, it might make you want to bang your head on your desk.

Another eventing blog, this time with a big, adorable, PERCHERON. Which is awesome. I love seeing draft horses actually used for something and being good at it.

Cute horse, knowledgeable rider, and interesting blog. I love reading this one.

And, because I think everyone should do this.. My last tag is anyone who reads this entry :)





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