Tuesday's ride

On the way to the barn today there was an interesting cloud formation that caught my attention:

It was this big open space with bright white clouds surrounded by dark clouds that actually circled the opening.  The dark clouds had rain in them, but the rain never hit the ground.  I found it very intriguing....
Anyway, I rode K after lungeing and decided not to jump him today.  I want to keep changing things up for him.  I laid out poles all over the arena and had him go over them at the walk and trot.  Later I loped him around and would do some transitions and/or while riding over the poles.  I also worked on forehand turns and lots of backing.  I must say, that his backs have gotten soooo much better over this past year.  Rode for about 45 mins and then he got some grass & turnout.  Only pictures are of his turnout time:

See ya Thursday, Kramer.

TGIF

As I've been saying to anyone who will listen, yesterday was a revealing day as far as how Kramer feels about having a challenge thrown his way.  He much prefers it!  The only time he got "cranky" while I was on his back, was when I asked for the trot on the staight-away.  But when asked to jump or trot over cavaletties, he was all attentive & happy.
I didn't get pictures/video of him but he was so willing to jump, he basically began loping and continued doing so 4x's around looking for the "jump". 
As talented as he is & wanting to have things to either look at or jump/trot over, why wouldn't he like Trail classes as well?  There would be no rail work.  I think he might enjoy both events.

As it was raining & lightening (the dangerous kind)this morning from 4-7:30, I did not go downtown with Frank.  He was brave & strong-willed.  I will be heading downtown but to the feed store to get wormer and alfalfa.  Then when I get to the barn, I'll lunge and maybe trot over poles.  I think we'll take a break from jumping today.  If the weather was nice, I was just going to fool with Kramer on the ground today, but since it's still raining (yea!! we need it!), I'll get him out of his stall and give him a few challenges.

Choosing the right path....

The last few weeks have been very anxious days for me.  After much discussion with family & friends, we've decided that maybe the best thing for "Kramer" would be to try him at jumping.  He seems so bored with doing anything on the rail, that maybe this might give him something to focus on.  I tried him over straw bales for the first time yesterday while on the lunge line and he seemed to really like popping over the obstacle.  Here are the still pics I took which never did capture him actually jumping, but it was the best I could do:

Donna (who was watching a bit) was right when she said he needed to be trotting faster in his approach to the "jump".  But he still hopped over it in good form.  Going to the right, when he had more speed, he jumped and came out of it at the canter.  That was pretty to watch!
He seemed all to willing to keep jumping & for the first time in a long time, he seemed to be enjoying himself.  Hmmmmm........

Good days, bad days...

Allie you called this one.  You said don't expect K to be the same horse today as he was yesterday.  He wasn't.  I still didn't make a big deal out of the mouthy thing, and he was mouthy extreme today, but he had an almost mean attutude today.  Not all the time, just when I made demands of him.  On the ground, he would grab the lead and not want to move forward and when asked to, he'd pin his ears and get bowed up as he "walked" forward.  When I asked him to move out while on his back, at first he did then he decided he wanted to quit and when I wouldn't let him, he hopped up.  I quickly pulled his head around and made him walk in circles and then spurred
him out of it.  Still, while in the english saddle, I felt vulnerable and he felt unwilling.  I changed tack.
I went from the solid bit & english saddle to the snaffle/martingale & west. saddle.  He only "thought" he was through when I tied him up! 

I think in this picture, you can see that he has his lead rope in his mouth while he has a bit in there too!  I'm seriously going to look up in my vet book to see if he's teething.  Anyway, I felt more secure and he didn't try to pull much more with me and we had a good ride after a while.  I cantered more today than the last 3 x's I've ridden.  They felt good.  Afterwards, I just moved him off my legs & backed, etc.

To cool off, I tried some shwmnshp.  I used my old broken leather shank with the chain under his chin.  He was horrible.  Constantly trying to grab whatever was in my hand or close to his mouth.  By close, I mean the correct position for my hand according to me; fairgame for Kramer.  Anyway, did some set-ups, backs and pivots and quit before my head exploaded.  Actually, I stayed calm & tried not to let my frustration show(that's why my head came close to exploading!)
Last pics are of the poor, mistreated Kramer right before I headed home.

Can't wait to take him to "school" in Conroe!

The above pics were taken of Martha & Olivia after their ride on their horses: "Tyrone" & "Armoni".  All four were hot and tired after a session of jumping in the outside pen & were enjoying the cooling effect of the misting fan.
That was Tuesday, this is Thursday and the following are pic taken after Kramer's rinse-off after our ride.  I was on him for over an hour, but most of that was walking, trotting, moving hips over, backing, forehand turns, and avoiding three beginner riders who have no control of their ponies!
After they left, I did more transitions which included some cantering.  K felt very good altho' just a tiny bit "stiff" on that right leg/foot.  Our ride seemed to work most of that out.

I like this pic as it shows how balanced K-face is. His withers and hip are the same height.  Nice....

I really like the look of his neck in this shot.  Now these next two pics are "for your eyes only" as I wanted to show how freakin' sweaty and hot I am while Kramer is all hosed off, fed & standing under his tree with a breeze eating alfalfa/hay:

Scary, huh?  I'm not wearing a necklace, that's just the sweat reflecting light on my chest!  Sweet.....

Changes...

Whether it's now or later, changes may be coming for Me and for "Kramer".  It could be that he's put in a program to help him get over his fears and re-establish a good work ethic, or it could be as final as finding a new, more compatible owner.

I'd like to do what's best for both of us.  Time will tell.....

Freaky Friday

Welllllll, just when you think it's safe to go in the water......or some saying that such as that.
I thought since I rode K yesterday that he would be a "quieter" boy today. Nahhhhh!  I decided to take him outside for a change of pace and it was so nice & breezy. 

You can see that Kramer's relaxed and not freaking out or anxious, etc.  He held some of the lunge line in his mouth while I was untangling the other end of it.  I lunged him a good bit, until he was carrying his topline level.  He had some good spurts of gallop, bucking, etc.  So I got ready to mount up (but first had to take a pic):

I used the mounting block to get up on him and as I started to walk away, a student & lesson horse entered the pen. It wasn't anything spooky, they came in quietly, slowly, disinterested....
But with them behind us, Kramer decided to buck.  The bucks were crow hops, but crow hops with height & energy.  Donna (who I wished she'd have taken pics), suggested I get off & lunge again.  She didn't have to convince me, I was pretty sure that was going to happen.  I lunged his energetic self again only this time with ALOT of cantering.  When I was satisified that he "gotten that out of his system" I got on him.  He was compliant by this time, but seemed somewhat resentful.  I kept my legs on him and tried not to fidget with the reins, but he would pop his head up a lot to either look at things or think about shying at things behind him (?). I think riding with the snaffle bit enabled him to do this even when I had a hold of his face.  We trotted, walked, backed, and forehand turned for almost an hour.  I thought I was going to canter him, etc. when we walked back to the indoor pen, but as I asked for a trot, he seemed a little sore on front feet (new shoes)so I just walked him around & stopped & started a few times and then asked him just to stand alongside the rail until I decided to dismount.  Did I mention?  Not one time did he take the stubborn attitude by not moving forward...not once.

Waiting for his rinse off.
The next series of pics shows K doing his vaccumm cleaner act as he sucks up any & all leaves off the ground before moseing over to his morning hay:

All those leaves made him thirsty!

Finally getting back to his hay:

What a goof!

Calm but assertive( and persistence)s pay off

After lungeing Kramer this morning, I got on and he moved out pretty willingly, but once the little kids parked by Donna sitting in her chair, he decided he wanted to "park" to and so he did.  I was angry, I'll admit it, but I didn't let that dictate how I handled K's stubborness.  I circled him and bent him and pulled his head around anytime he "thought" about popping up in front & once we were in position (so as not to run over the lesson kids, dogs or Donna), I backed him up.  When he tired of backing and just planted it, I'd try moving forward. No go.  I'd circle him but he'd refuse to move-that's when we backed again.  We did a lot of backing, circling, stopping (his idea)backing again. I'd ask for him to go forward by giving him enough rein (prob too much sometimes)so he wouldn't think I was asking for collection but he still refused to move forward.  So, we'd back and circle.  At one point when I had his head pulled around as I applied a bit of stronger pressure from my equitation spur (1 1/2") he moved forward.  Once he started moving, I used my lower leg & seat to move him faster (at the walk).  We walked, doing circles and bends with forward impulsion all around basically having to stay out of the way of the two beginner jumpers. K didn't want to trot when I asked, so I stopped him & began the backing exercise again.  It only took a couple of times doing this before he decided to move out when asked.  Didn't have that happen again (the stopping/unwillingness)for the rest of the ride which composed of trotting all over the place-posting & sitting trots-transitions including stops and backs.  Worked on the diagonal movement at the walk which he did pretty well.  Cantered back & forth on diff. leads down the middle.  Worked on forehand turns.

Can you tell where he rubbed his face?

You can see where my leg position was in this picture.  It looks like my calf was really on him:

You can really see where my boot was rubbing and creating pretty, gray sweat on him, lol!

He only "thinks" he's finished.  I went into the tack room for the rope halter & we did showmanship.  I use the term loosely.  He constantly tried to grab the dangly end of the rope which I grabbed and held in my hand. He was very mouthy & unfocused.  Once, he wasn't walking with me(& yes, I had my hand/shoulder forward)& I smacked him with the soft rope that's attached to the halter.  He struck out with his off foreleg.  I turned on him & let him know that that would not be tolerated.  He was pouty but cooperative after that.  I finished with an "Atta boy" at the end of the session and put him in the crossties just in time for Mitch's arrival:

A nice trim & new shoes.  His feet look really good.
Afterwards, K got his snack & some grazy time before I put him back in his run.  There was a great breeze, Leonardo just cleaned his trough so there was clean, cool water in it and a bit of leftover hay under the tree.  He has such a rough life......