Stocking Up, Road Dressage, & Typical Mare Misbehavior

 Not much has been going on. School is so hectic, as well as my extracurricular activities and concerts.

My dearest brother went and got a big load of hay with me last weekend. He has a short bed on his truck, but....he stacked them that high and we squeezed 40 bales on total. I was looking in the mirrors the whole ride home, sure I was going to see bales on the road behind us.

 We unloaded them and I have about 60 bales in the shed now...and could have fit probably 20 more. It's good to know how much I could fit. Since I'll be boarding, it's not really necessary to stock up more than that for now.

 I've been riding Daisy very little...due to being busy after school, and the days I'm not seem to always be the days where it's too windy and/or rainy to ride. Because of this, Daisy had a lot of attitude the days we do go out. I went out with her on Thursday down the road...first time I asked her to trot, she plunged her head straight down to buck. She didn't get very far though; I had her head up fast again, I saw it coming. After that, the ride was truly marvelous. We road up this big hill on the road in the direction of home that we generally gallop. Even in the kimberwicke I had trouble stopping her once we'd start. Thursday, in the snaffle, bareback, I could feel her in my hands and when I asked her to stop in the middle of the hill, she was at a walk in seconds, no questions asked. Later, at a flat spot, I had her sidepass trotting back and forth across the road...At the schooling in October, Karin harped a little on getting Daisy to ride straight because apparently she's squirmy...I never noticed, but I've been trying to do that more now, and I realize when she sidepasses, it's always her front end sideways, then her hind end, which always gets left behind at first. I've been working a little on sidepassing with her entire body completely straight and getting her to sidepass her whole body at once. Going left, at the trot, she was amazing! :) 

Today I didn't ride because it was opening day of hunting season here in upstate New York. I gave her a good grooming, then let her out and followed her out of her stall to get the wheelbarrow (err...muck bucket. The wheelbarrow has been out of commission for over a week because the wheel blew; with a full load, of course) and for no reason, I could see it in her eyes just before it happened, she kicked me and took off. She hit me in the upper leg, about a foot above my knee, on the side. Left a curved, hoof shaped bruise. ouch. It made me mad, of course, and I took off after her yelling and whacking her with a halter. 

I'm thinking I'm going to have to go to being over-the-top about demanding respect from now on. Not a move shall be made that I don't specifically approve of.

Crazy mares. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

What I Did When the Show was Canceled

The show was indeed canceled due to rain.

So I still haven't had a first show of the season :P

I went to the barn and rode Daisy, and...needless to say, I think I'm really glad we didn't have a show. We would have been terrible; SHE was terrible today. She kept sticking her nose in the air like "remember what it was like back when I didn't come on the bit?! Let's reminisce!!" Which of course was much appreciated. Not.

So...after much struggle to do circle work and get on the bit and get an inside bend, I finally got off and hooked up the side reins....and she was much better. I have videos from my phone but haven't uploaded them.

While I tacked and had my back turned, Daisy squirted in the aisle.
Of course. She's in heat. And was by Bubba and Ladd for goodness sake.
Yeah. This was their reaction (notice Ladd is doing it in the back too):

At least someone enjoyed it. :P

So, note to self, never give Daisy days off. ever. It only makes rides miserable :P

SO! I have exciting news....school is out the 14th, and then I'll start going to Jean's during the week (at least 3 days a week) to ride Bubba and...LADD!
Lets refresh our memory. Here's the handsome boy:

And he's at least 17 hands. And he's 7. And has evented to Training level I think. Jean's really busy with our club and lessons and boarders and such, and asked me to help her condition him...and I totally jumped on it. I think it'll be completely awesome. Hopefully the week of the 14th I'll take a lesson with Karen on him, and then I'll start riding him, and Jean will too...so maybe she'll actually make it to an event this year. He had a suspensory injury last year spring but has been cleared to ride for awhile now.

And now I must go,

I Think I Will Remove the Title Bar Because I Can Never Think of Titles

So my personal computer died on me after battling viruses for a few weeks :( so posting is likely to slow down as it's inconvenient to post currently. I must make this quick.

I think Daisy is suffering from arena-fever. She was doing SO well arena riding the entire time and going on the bit and junk, but...I fear she's sick of it. For this reason, I'm going to try to get out and trail ride (In the snow!...) to give her a break. She doesn't get on the bit as well lately and has been plain piggy the last few rides. She's jumpy, she refuses to do simple things like back and side pass, and a few times now I've let her loose in the arena and had her run and she has energy galore. I ride her almost every day (generally about 6 days a week) so it's not from lack of exercise but rather being in shape and not getting enough work. I've started cantering her over ground poles to get a bouncier canter and it worked the first few times and she had a really impressive, nice, engaged canter, but now...that is no more. I'm off to the barn in a little bit, and as long as the footing seems decent, we'll ride some fields...alone :(. But that's alright, we're used to it.

Actually, on Saturday I rode Daisy and then let her out in her pasture and brought her a flake of grass hay (she's been eating hay with alfalfa though). I figured I'd do her a favor and give her some extra because she already ate her hay for the day. Well, apparently Daisy didn't appreciate it. I was standing next to the flake and she walked over, smelled it, didn't eat any, and promptly turned her butt to me and tried to kick me! I can count only a handful of times where she's tried to kick me, but never like she did then. I wasn't doing anything! No worries, I grabbed a rope and smacked her right back (She didn't actually hit me). What a little jerk! Hills and valleys, I tell ya...

On another note, my parents went to Florida and bought me new cowboy boots to replace my old ones! My old ones actually still look pretty good, but I get blisters in them...not with these ones (at least I don't think I will ;)) They are made of Caiman (a small alligator (...or crocodile? I never know the difference). They are very comfy and I'm anxious to show with them western next season!

They ALSO got me a new, red show shirt! YEY! Red is our club color, and it's awesome that it's a really nice shirt (I love it...it's so great) and it's red!