Melody (Cocoa Lena)

The new filly is settling in nicely.  She had a runny nose and gunky eyes when she arrived but her eyes have cleared up and her runny nose is almost gone.  She is quarantined in a large pen in the barn since she arrived.  She won't be going out with the other horses until that clears up and we can lead her consistently.  Middle daughter has been making a lot of progress with her.  Within the first day of Melody's arrival (that is what her barn name), hubby and middle daughter haltered her.  They cut an old lead rope into a catch rope but we realized that she didn't need it.  This filly is so gentle!  I keep waiting for her to get wild and crazy or not want to be caught but as soon as you walk in the pen, she walks right up to you!  She stands quietly while we clip the lead rope on and leads around her pen really well.  Middle daughter has also picked up her front feet and can brush her entire body!  I cannot believe the progress that she's made with Melody in such a short time!

We took Melody out a couple times this weekend and let her run in the round pen.  She wasn't so sure about leaving the barn at first.  When she finally decided to go through the door she bolted through!  Hubby had a good grip on the lead rope so he was able to stop her right away without anyone getting hurt or run over.  He's so strong!  ;-)  She took some coaxing to go where hubby wanted her to go but in the end, she was doing really well.  She got to see Star and Tyson from across the driveway.  She was very excited to see them and they her!  It got really windy and started to rain so her run outside ended sooner than we had planned.  Going back through the barn door was just like going through the first time.  She stood her ground for 30 seconds and then bolted through only to be stopped by hubby on the other end of the lead.  First outing was a success!

We took her out again the next day.  It was sunny and in the 50's so she was pretty excited about going out.  She called to Star and Tyson as soon as hubby led her out of her pen.  Going through the barn door was another adventure.  It had rained HARD the night before so there was two large puddles in front of the barn door.  She wasn't so sure about them.  She stood her ground for a few seconds and decided to go for it.  As soon as the water splashed up on her she freaked and bolted again.  Hubby had a good hold of her and she was stopped.  She led out to the round pen very nicely.  She's really smart!  Once hubby let her go, she took off!  Leaping, bucking, rearing and running like a crazy horse!  I'm glad she was able to stretch her legs for a bit - must have felt good!  Star and Tyson stood by the fence watching.  Melody saw them and called to them occasionally but found the grass on the other side of the fence and got to munching.  We let her stay out while we did some winter preparations in the barn.  The kids ran out to the trampoline and started to jump.  That threw her for a loop!  She just didn't know what to think about that!  She snorted and trotted around and kept a watchful eye on them.  Before long, she was back to eating again.  I guess the jumping kids weren't so scarey.

On the way back into the barn, she did the same thing she's done the last three times...stood for a quick second and then bolted through.  We will have to work on that with her.  I really think she did it this time because of the puddles.  But we will find out once we have dried out!  Supposed to rain again today...

I'm not sure if ya'll want to hear about Melody and the adventures with her.  I'm going to assume that it's ok since this is a horse blog and she is a horse.  I don't have many readers so I guess if it's not something anyone wants to read I will be able to tell!!

More updates on Zoe coming soon!  I have some possible big news to share!

Until next time!



Quote for the day:
"Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend is is really a friend."

-Plautus

Boot Camp Update #6

I have pictures from my ride last night but they are on my oldest daughter's ipod.  She said she will email them to me but I haven't gotten them yet.

It was a rainy day yesterday so when got the the barn, Zoe was in her stall.  She was definitely juiced and ready to go!  We started as we always do, lunging both directions walk/trot/canter.  At first she was testy but relaxed and had a good lung.

After I got on, another girl and her horse came in the arena to ride.  No biggy.  She had a slower horse (most horses are slower than Zoe) so she stayed on the inside.  We did some AWESOME relaxed, collected trot work.  It was so relaxing and enjoyable.  She felt so good and I was feeling very confident.  So I asked her to canter.  She BLEW up!  I guess I caught her off guard because she came unglued!  She jumped forward, I clamped down, she jumped straight up, I fell forward onto her neck which scared her and she got to bucking.  I almost made it through the explosion but the last buck did me in.  I hit the dirt.  It wasn't a hard fall (or graceful) but I was on the ground, none-the-less.  I was totally unprepared for that.  I was so relaxed and confident with the way our trotting was going that I thought the canter would be just as easy.  Not the case.  The next time I asked for the canter she was about to explode again but this time I was able to grab a rein and turn her butt around and she stopped.We spent the remaining 30 minutes trying to get a good canter.  It was a ton of work.  I can't even tell you how many times I had to ask to canter, she would canter a few strides and then slam on the breaks.  Once I got her going good in one direction, we switched directions.  Then she just made a B-line for the gate.  I really had to get after her.  At this point, I'm frustrated and getting angry with her.  I kept my cool though and kept working.  I was able to get her into a canter but it was the wrong lead.  AHHH!!!!  So I asked her to trot so we could try again and she slammed on her breaks, typical for the night.  We kept at it until I got one and half times around at a good canter and called it a night.  After all that, we ended it on a good note.  The trainer said that tonight was a big night for Zoe and me.  Zoe was testing me and I was learning to deal with her.  We had some good rides and tonight was a bad night but we made it through it and still ended on a good note.  We were both exhausted though. 

After the lesson, the trainer and I were talking about Zoe's raw talent for being a rope horse.  The trainer has never met a horse with as much rope horse intuitiveness as Zoe.  It really would be a shame not to turn her into an awesome rope horse.  But I'm not that person.  I'm not interested in becoming a roper.  The trainer said she was talking to a roper last week about Zoe and with what she told the roper, they think I could probably get some good money for Zoe.  I could take that money a buy me a good, broke reiner.  I don't know what to do...

Until next time!



Quote for the day:
"The way to get things done is not to mind who gets the credit for doing them."

-Benjamin Jowett

Announcement

This is the news I mentioned earlier.  We were waiting for her to come home before making the announcement. We bought her from the Pitzer Ranch sale.  She's a Poco Dot Lena daughter!!!!  We have some work to do...she's not even halter broke yet!  But she's really gentle and calm so hopefully she won't make it too hard on us!

Well, I will post more on her later...tonight I ride Zoe!  I think Zoe is coming home this weekend!!!!!

Until next time!



Quote for the day:
"A real friend is one who walks  in when the rest of the world walks out."

-Walter Winchell

Boot Camp Update #5

Ok, so let me start by saying that I've never ridden a horse like Zoe before.  This mare works hard and aims to please 100% of the time.  She has a great work ethic!  She has an amazing amount of power in all of her gaits but is still under control and will slam on her breaks any time I wish.

After our ride on Tuesday night, both exhausted and happy!  Please ignore the fact that her bridle path and ears are fuzzy...

Ok, so let's review how the night went.  Zoe was a little "up" when I got her out of her turnout.  We had crappy weather the previous couple days so she spent a lot of time in her stall, which meant Zoe had a lot of pent up energy.  After tacking up, I lunged her.  She settled down right away and was soft almost immediately.  I made sure we had some good transitions on the lunge and decided to ride.

Of course, when I was ready to get on, two more girls showed up and were riding in the indoor with us.  It was fine, but Zoe had never been ridden with that much traffic in the indoor and to be honest, neither have I.  We just got to work and she acted like she had been dealing with that kind of commotion her whole life.  Oh, and I forgot to mention, when I was lunging her the trainer was spraying the arena floor.  Zoe wasn't too sure about that at first but, again, got right to work when I told her to move out.

We did a lot of collection exercises while trotting.  Didn't do as much work on neck reining as I would've liked because I felt like I had to stay with the flow of traffic and if I started doing figure eights it would screw the system up.  The trainer was giving me pointers and suggestions the whole time, which I really appreciate.  I can't always see or feel what she does so it's good to have another set of eyes (and the trainer really knows her stuff).

When I asked for canter, she BURST forward and caught me off guard.  I will admit that I immediately pulled back and she slammed on her breaks.  Damn.  Why did I do that?!  So I tried again and thought I was prepared but pulled back again when she burst forward.  W.T.H.?  Why am I still pulling back???  I was very frustrated with myself and a little embarrassed.  I tried again, this time I had to say out loud to myself, "keep your hands forward, keep your hands forward" and viola!  What do you know?  We were cantering!  She was really getting after it!  We went around a few times and that was good for me so we stopped for a minute, waiting for traffic to change directions.  We were all ready for a direction change so I didn't have to wait long.

We did some more collection exercises while trotting and then did some more cantering.  This time I didn't pull back, not even one time. :-)  She needed a little extra leg to keep her going but I think it was because she was getting tired.  I did a couple laps around and walked her out.  She was a good girl and we were done for the night.  Oh, we did do a couple backing exercises before I got off.  The trainer taught her to back by wiggling my feet in the stirrups and she puts her head down and back up.  Thing of beauty!

Afterwards, the trainer and I were talking and she was gushing about Zoe.  She really likes Zoe and thinks that Zoe would make an exceptional rope horse.  She's powerful and has a big stop!  Zoe was bred to make a great rope horse...her sire was a Michigan state roping (heeling) champion a few years ago and her dam was an old ranch horse from Montana.  Now, with hearing this it makes me wonder if I will be the right one for Zoe?  Should I send her to a roping trainer and then sell her to someone who will bring her to her full potential?  I love that little mare and have so much invested in her, it would be really hard to let her go.  Is that selfish?  Thoughts/opinions are welcome...

Until next time!



Quote for the day:
"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."

-Lou Holtz

Boot Camp Update #4

I think we are coming down to the end of Zoe's training.  Last night I visited her at the trainer's and had a great time with her!

I got her from her pen outside and got her all tacked up.  I've noticed that she's a lot more "looky" now than she was at home.  My guess is that she's alert now and paying attention to what I might ask her.  Make sense?

Anyways, I lunged her with the trainer's instruction.  Zoe has been cross-firing when asked to canter on the lunge line so she told me what she does to correct that.  I had to do it a couple times but got the hang of it eventually.  I've lunged plenty of horses before but have never been "taught", I guess you could say.  It was a good refresher and she had some pointers for me too.  Once I had Zoe going nice and soft we called it quits.  I think I lunged her for about 15 - 20 minutes.  On a side note, this mare is FIT.  She has excellent muscling through her back and haunches and is collected more consistently now.

I rode her at a walk/trot/canter for another 20 minutes, worked on some backing, turning, collection, and downward transitions (not much critiquing just being able to go from canter to trot, and trot to walk without stopping completely).  I noticed that this time riding I didn't have to use as much leg to keep her moving.  She also was learning that every time I move in the saddle, it doesn't mean stop.  The first time I rode her, any time I wiggled, she would slam on her breaks.  That was annoying.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE her breaks but she needs to learn when I'm actually asking her to stop.  But like I said, last night she maybe only slammed on her breaks twice but quickly stepped back up into the trot like I had wanted.  Turning is another issue we need improvement on so we did a lot of figure eights and changing directions.  It's coming.

I hose her off before putting her away.  It's been so nice and warm here that I was able to get away with it.  After this weekend it's supposed to cool off again so no more hosing her down.  I think I will have to invest in a cooler.

I left that lesson feeling energized and excited.  I did everything by myself and got a lesson from the trainer.  Unfortunately, we couldn't get another date for this week to work so I will have to wait another week before my Zoe's next lesson ride.  Only a couple more weeks and Zoe can return home! :)

Until next time!



Quote for the day:
"The most important questions in life can never be answered by anyone except oneself."

-John Fowles