Baby Greenie Support Group now open: Share Your Pain!

[Merry]

Oh JumperEq, don’t feel alone. It’s no lie that Hammie often looks as if he’s conversing with me on course.

Today I rode the Barbie Cow in… an English saddle!

I must say, there was a definite improvement after 3 or 4 rides in the western attire. She seems to have remembered the importance of going forward at something beyond the pace of a narcoleptic snail. But please, oh please, don’t even get me started on how well she did (or didn’t) jump over her little weenie fences. Does the nursery rhyme, “the cow jumped over the moon” bring any images to mind?

“Friends don’t let friends eat fish tacos.”

[Bumpkin]

Well guess it is Sunday night so I shall confess on my greenie and I.

Hoopoe was at our lesson today.
So I shall not lie…

We did some flat work, and it was fun. Elliot is moving on more, and when we click it feels sooooo right. Otherwise I feel/know we are trying but not quite there.

Then we jumped a bending line which consisted of a trot X pole with about two strides and bend to the left over a vertical with a panel and pole set at probably 2’9", the total should be a 6 stride. Think of a boomerang.

All I can say is the bend was suppose to be taken in a nice 6, we got 5, we got 7, we got some ohhhhh let me circles…cringe, we got a 6 with a lovely buck afterwards.
I think we finally got it in the nice 6 acouple of times and quit on a good note.

I have found out, haha , you can be unbalanced as a rider and do lines and diagonals just fine, when you do a bending line you better keep that heel way down and be really balanced!!!

Even though Elliot felt a bit fresh today and liked to bolt and buck in a friendly manner, this horse should get an award for being the most honest and forgiving horse.
As hard as this line was for me, I never felt any fear of the jumps, because I know he will take me over it.

Yes thats why I love him so much

[LaurieB]

One horse at my barn went to a show and refused to jump any jump with red flowers. Any other color, okay. Red, no way.

Next thing we knew, all our fences at home had red flowers. The horse was not amused. The following week there were red flowers hanging from his stall door, his feed tub, and festooning the sides of his stall. Eventually he got over it.

Anyone want to buy some slightly used red flowers?

[headsup]

Here is one of my sale greenies…17 hands and a push at 4 yrs old…now picture me at 5’3 on him LOL

[DMK]

Ya know, I debated between the word tripod and triangle, and figured both were equally confusing

Janet - you have it with the “vertical” dimension… two poles on the ground, with one on top, and DEFINITELY on the landing side (I used 8’ for RV because a) he is 17’1, b) he has a huge stride, even considering his height and c) I’m a chicken. I would consider pulling it in for a smaller, more compact horse after I had checked his landing marks after a few fences.

We also used it on a very green jumper who has great scope, but really steeplechases the back side of his fence. It did a nice job of rounding our his arc.

[JRG]

Doesn’t that always seem to be the way? You work really hard, feel like you are getting some progress then BAM lame for some reason or another.

Knock on wood, we just came back from a slice the coronet now it is a waiting game untill it grows out. But this has been the most recent of the issues. But I fixed his wagon. Now he goes out in the pasture by himself so he can’t get into any trouble. He is such an instigator. I have invested in bubble wrap, and will be the only one at our new barn with rubber up the walls.

[LaurieB]

I hope you have fun at your lesson.

Meanwhile, my trainer has posted this year’s show schedule and is over the fact that Tess and I like to think that we are on vacation. Six weeks ago, before you dropped your brain, she knew how to give at the poll. Now get serious again before she forgets everything.

Oops. Back to work.

Oh yeah, and just to keep things interesting, Tess inadvertantly gave me a black eye. Time to get serious again, indeed.

[This message was edited by LaurieB on Jan. 10, 2002 at 10:02 AM.]

[Justice]

Saturday was the big day - Justice went to live at Miracle Man’s for the 3 weeks before the IJF (they will be shipping him out to me asap after the show, which I am staying in CA for).

I am pleased to announce that the trainer was pleased with the progress Justice has made in the past month since the last time he showed him. What a relief! I took my horse show homework very seriously and upped our exercise program in an attempt to turn my marshmallow into a mallowmar (still sweet and fluffy. . .with a little more substance!)

It never ceases to amaze me the stages these horses go through. It is such a pleasure to chart their progress, David was remarking - “do you remember the first time I rode him?,” to which I replied - "I’m not going to forget it anytime soon! " As I was recalling the Very Scary Experience of taking a roaring dragon off the horse trailer (I swear he’s not normally like this - he’s three! He’s three!) and attempting to lunge him with some semblance of dignity (which quickly proved to be impossible as Justice decided I was at the end of a very long leash and he needed to take me for a brisk trot), I realized that it was less than 90 days ago.
Saturday he got off the trailer, sighed, and asked where he’d be sleeping.

He’s definitely enjoying all of the attention - and he just loves his female groom (traitor )

It’s so much fun reading about the adventures of the green beans on the board and following their steps forward (and the occasional step back. Although Justice doesn’t really step back - he just goes to sleep and lets everyone else pass him by )

[Janet]

Mr. Brain, the rising 2yo gelding (just before Xmas),learned some lessons today. I have been ponying once in a while for several months, but only round the perimeter of a big field.

Today we went about 1/2 a mile down the road- encountering a bicyle and several cars- then up my sister’s long driveway. The driveway has a BIG puddle- the full width of the driveway and about 20 feet long. It took a while , but I finally got him to walk back and forth through the MIDDLE of the puddle.

It is so nice to get these things “dealt with” before you even back them.

Also, my sister put a stick on him, and he has grown an inch and a half since September- 15h 2 1/2" in front, 16 h behind.

[Merry]

Congratulations! My four year-old, the much celebrated (and maligned) Hammie, is about bored to death with the 2’6" baby green division. Lately we’ve been doing the county circuit’s amateur adult stuff, which out here is 2’9". That’s only a tad more mildly amusing for him. I can’t wait until next year, when I can move to the “real” amateur adult 3ft. division. Perhaps by then he will happily give me flying changes instead of being “exuberant” about them, as my trainer says.

One can only hope. I’d love to return to the amateur owner division before I die of old age.

“Friends don’t let friends eat fish tacos.”

[Chef_Jade]

Gramento is such a handsome man, I am not surprised he was champion!

[Merry]

Migraine report: They come in spasms. Usually provoked by Mr. Merry telling me I have to write up his History Day student handbook and list of potential student topics.

I used to take Imitrex. Now I take Maxalt. Much less gross side effects.

But back to the horses…

I find it extremely interesting that Duffy’s baby doesn’t “do” right well, either. I thought ours were the only ones afflicted that way. Even the ones we send out to be broke come back tracking differently to the right than to the left. They’re just not very supple on the right side. What’s up with that? Is it because all their life they’re handled and led from the left, so they’re more used to going/bending left?

“Friends don’t let friends eat fish tacos.”

[Seven]

Although it irks me that Seven is outside ALL D@MN DAY, and stands around like a statue, saving all the bucking, spinning, squealing, and snorting for me, I’ll go back to the pre-ride lunge for 5 minutes each way and see if that helps. I really do appreciate the input, because I was starting to worry that he might dump me off one of these nights and I would end up laying on the cold indoor floor until someone found my sorry carcass the next morning (no doubt wondering why I left all the lights on! )

My only concern is that he can really tear around like an idiot when given the chance…any recommendations on how to keep him from injuring his body? He wears boots all around already…but ??? I wish we had a round pen…I’d rather see him burn off the energy in there then on the end of the line.

Beezer! My virtual barn buddy! I will think of you when I ride now, since given my late hours, even WITH the time difference we are practically riding at the same time!!

=^+^=

I just haven’t been the same since that house fell on my sister.

[LaurieB]

Meshach, I second the recommendation for having your vet take a look, but after you’ve tried that…

Whenever I begin to get complacent with Tess on the ground–letting her get away with little things that don’t seem like a big deal to me, but that my trainer would jump on immediately–I find that the change carries over to her under saddle work. I’ve finally come to the conclusion that it’s really important that she respect me everywhere, all the time. Just a thought, especially since you said the time you spend with your horse has been different recently.

[jreventer]

Baby steps are very important:)
If I am correct your baby is two right? Well, start out very slow-start with five minutes of walking and if he is good quit, ten the next day ten minutes, etc…go slow. with my two yr olds I rarely rode them more then 15 minutes except when I started to tral ride them and then we started out with ten, then fifteen, then twenty minutes-
they are like a young kid their attention span is very small

“There are times when you can trust a horse, time when you can’t, and times when you have to.”

[LaurieB]

Duffy, my neck feels much better today. Lots of aleve and no quick movements over the weekend have patched me up well enough to go back to riding.

Bumpkin, here in Georgia (GHJA) you can ride in the Long Stirrup division for two years. Then you progress into another division called Junior/Senior (all these added options that didn’t exist when I was last showing in the 60s!) where the jumps are either 2’6" or 2’9", your choice.

It’s a great way for returning elders to work their way back up to normal size fences–you know, the ones the little kids are doing.

[Bumpkin]

Haha!!!

Reminds me of the movie every time I hear, or see the rail being rubbed by a stirrup.
Weren’t they suppose to do that in the movie?

[Beezer]

I want the magic wand that makes … and keeps … them sound. (Oh, SHUT UP, Merry. I know I need a lifetime supply of those. )

I also wouldn’t mind the magic wand that makes them realize that just because the horses “next door” are out bucking and playing, that doesn’t mean that Tigger gets to buck and play.

And what’s up with “twisty head” thing he adopted last night? You know, the gnawing on the side of the bit and twisting his head almost upside down to stare me in the eye as we try to go straight down the rail? Where the heck did THAT come from??

I think I’ll just wave my own personal magic wand: I’LL MAKE MERRY RIDE HIM!!

Bulletin Board Goddess

[Merry]

First off, dearest Pam, my thoughts are with you. I am so glad you are having a pow-wow with the Big Kahuna. I shall pray he discovers what’s causing this problem. Sophie Moose awaits you, my dear! Let that be your inspiration.

As for Beezer’s snide comment about the intriguing triangular pole configuration…Thank god that got explained better!I was trying to figure out how I was supposed to make a triangle out of ground poles on the landing side of a jump. So in essence you’re making a teeny weeny pyramid, sort of a 6" cavaletti… Hmmm… I can see this at El Ranchito next week…

And as for the maxi-pads in the helmet. Okay, I’ll say it. So, they come in handy if you suffer a scalp laceration too, huh? Oh, I can just see me now stuffing my helmet at the next show.

“Friends don’t let friends eat fish tacos.”

[Merry]

You must be on Cloud Nine!

Hammie: “Yeah, well Merry, don’t be getting any great ideas about perfection appearing in your movie theatre anytime soon!”

“Charter Member of the Baby Greenie Support Group of North America”