Wizard Ride 136: Hm.
Sunday, 4/11/10
After work, I drove out to the barn for an evening ride. I turned Wizard out in the big arena to watch him jog and canter. He enjoyed the big arena, playing and moving out nicely. He usually does a pretty laid-back walk, trot, and little canter, but he broke into a good gallop and seemed to enjoy stretching his legs. If I closed my eyes, it would have sounded a little like a morning at the racetrack for a moment- happy snorting and pounding hooves. I brought him back in the barn and tacked up. We rode under lights in the big outdoor arena. He was very good about standing quietly at the mounting block. We rode for about 25 minutes.
The ride was OK, but he was not as loose or supple as he has been in the past few rides. There was tension in his neck- he braced it where he had been fairly loose and soft all month. And he put his ears back a few times. Hm. Why? Did the deeper footing of the outdoor arena bother him? Did I over-face him with the riding we’ve been doing? Is he sore? Is he reverting to an old behavior? I made sure not to stop when he put his ears back, but I did take it easy. I also introduced a new routine- when I am done with the ride, I dismount, and re-mount at the mounting block for a moment, just to change things up. He’s a clever boy and I need to spice up his routine.
I decided to give him a few days off and I’ll try him again at the end of the week. He is getting a two-week vacation soon anyway, since I’m headed to Kentucky for Rolex and the Kentucky Derby.
Hm.
Wizard Ride 135: Thunder Chicken
Saturday, 4/10/10
It has been said that there is no spring in New Jersey, only winter, fall, and summer. Saturday was the rogue spring day, for sure, with temperatures in the high 50s and low 60s. I free schooled Wizard in the indoor arena for a few minutes before I tacked up and rode. We hit the trails and rode for about an hour. At the very beginning of the trail ride, we approached a stream that cuts across the trail- Wizard LEAPT over it when we walked through it in hand a few weeks ago. This time, I was riding. We walked toward it purposefully, but Wizard stutter-stepped and halted before it. I asked again, he stutter-stepped again and stopped. He backed up a few steps. I kept him facing the stream and asked him again to move forward. One foot in the water, and then back out again. I rewarded each forward motion and urged on each time he moved back or stopped. I did not allow him to spin or turn. This lasted a few minutes. I tried my best to keep it as a discussion instead of turning it into an argument. He walks through all sorts of puddles at home, so he is not afraid of all water. Something about the stream made him think it was a major obstacle. He made a few more good efforts, and then I could feel him shutting down a little to my aids. I woke him up by clapping my hand on him behind the saddle. It gave him the forward action that he needed to go forward. I could feel himself gathering his haunches so I gave him his head and grabbed a hank of mane and… BOING! We were on the other side, walking purposefully once again.
Onward and upward. Not five minutes into the ride, I started hearing loud noises in the woods. They seemed too loud to be the usual ATVs. We kept walking toward the sounds. Crashing, whirring, roaring. Hm. And here I thought the creek was going to be the highlight. In the distance, I saw an ATV, and something BIG and WHITE behind it. It was a Bobcat-type piece of machinery, tearing down trees. I’m sure Wizard saw it as a tree-eating dinosaur. To his credit, he stood his ground and simply got taller and taller. I could feel his heart beating through the saddle pad. In a fit of self-preservation, I dismounted and we walked past the tree-eating dinosaur and onto a bank where I remounted. Wizard’s adrenaline was up and he was mouthing the bit and his head was raised. We headed toward the pig pen, where he again tensed up, but gamely walked past when I told him how brave and clever he was. We crossed the road to the other network of trails and did a little trotting. It was not the spontaneous, fun trot set that we got last time. Instead, Wizard was tense and tried to break into a canter several times. I let him canter once, but asked him to keep the trot for the rest of the flat stretch. When we came back to a walk, he was still tense, eyeing objects suspiciously. When I say objects, you must remember that we are riding in Jackson, New Jersey, and there is everything in the woods, from couches to tires to carpets.
Just as we passed a ghoulish-looking piece of furniture, Wizard craned his neck. What now? I wondered testily, and then, WHOOSH! A wild turkey walked into our path, startled at us, and FLEW up into a tree! I knew turkeys could fly, but I rarely see them do it. Poor Wizard’s mind was blown. He had stood his ground, but I could feel his anxiety. We walked the rest of the way home, and I practiced my half seat position, both for my equitation and as a desensitizing exercise for Wizard.
We arrived at the barn, and Wizard was still feeling quite energetic. I rode him into the big outdoor arena and did about fifteen minutes of trot work. He was great, relaxed and softly making contact with the bit. A barn buddy saw us riding and did not recognize either of us because she said we looked so nice :^) After our eventful ride, Wizard got some well-deserved carrots and grazing time.
In other news…
Racing has lost one of the greats. Personal Ensign, the undefeated Phipps homebred, passed away on Thursday. Check out her stunning victory in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. She was sired by Private Account, who is Wizard’s grandsire.
Wizard Ride 134; Paris Ride 10: Brick House
Thursday, 4/8/10
She’s a brick house
She’s the one, the only one,
who’s built like a amazon
Paris is not the tallest horse I’ve ever ridden, but she is definitely the strongest! What started as a twenty-minute jaunt turned into almost an hour of fairly intense work. Paris’ owner has been putting a lot of time and excellent riding into the mare and it shows in her appearance, rideability, and fitness. I felt a stronger and rounder horse than she was even during our last ride. After our warmup, I asked Paris for leg yields at the walk in both directions, as well as the suggestion of a shoulder-in. She performed beautifully. We picked up our trot work and did some bending exercises and worked on tempo. Once Paris hits approximately the 20-minute mark of a ride, she kicks into her next gear. It’s an amazing feeling- she’s the kind of horse who could perform at an elite level due to her talent and build. In the past, I have not worked much with Paris’ next gear, mostly because I did not trust my riding as I was still rusty. Now that I’ve gotten a little more saddle time into my life, I accepted the challenge and we took our work up a notch. I could feel Paris pushing through my outside rein whenever I stopped riding every step. We worked on large circles and serpentines, spiraling in and out until I felt like I was in more control of her. To test my control, I asked for a bigger trot on the straightaway. WOW can that mare trot! She is smooth and powerful at the same time. By the end of our ride, I was exhausted and I actually got Paris to break a sweat :^)
Due to the brilliant lighting and the warm weather, I decided to try riding Wizard in the dressage court in the far corner of the farm. It offered my mother the opportunity to get some very nice pictures. The arena is far smaller than the indoor or the main outdoor arena, so I focused on riding in arcs and we did a lot of changes of direction. When we got to the corner of the arena closest to the pathway to the barn, Wizard drifted so we worked on keeping a bend and staying on my leg instead of pushing through it. Every other time I’ve ridden Wizard in this arena, he was anxious or distracted so it was wonderful that he was attentive and responsive, even if he was gawking a little into the woods.
I went home, happy with both rides, sunburnt, and exhausted.
Camelot Auction- Available Horses Week of April 7, 2010
The following is a list of horses available for purchase at Camelot Auction in Cranbury, New Jersey. You can purchase these horses until noon on Saturday (April 10, 2010). The descriptions are © Helping Hearts Equine Rescue and the photos are © Sarah Andrew. You may forward and cross-post this information to any websites that may benefit these horses. For a current list of available horses (this list is as of Thursday night) and to learn more about the auction process and how to purchase a horse, please visit this site.
#501 – Registered QH Gelding, 2005, 16.1 hh, Selling sound. A nice trying-hard horse. Quiet under saddle, advanced beginner-intermed. type . . $475.00
#502 – Belgian Geld – 16.2 hh, smoothmouthed. Again, roached mane and forelock but long tail. Ridden thru, would be a hubby horse extraordinaire. . . $325.00
#503 – Belgian Geld., 17.1 hh, 15 yrs., Dark Sorrel, roached mane, but long tail Said to ride and drive – -ridden thru, very nice. I LIKED this guy. Went W-T-backs. With a long tail, has probably done more riding than driving of late. . . $525.00
(Sorry, no better photos of him. He was busy eating)
#’s 504 & 505 – I THINK these were the ones that were supposed to be Shire-X’s. Didn’t see it–Looked like big, roman-nosed Belgians. This TEAM was led thru together. Both were ‘funny’ behind. Meaning conformationally both were light in the hindquarters in comparison to the rest of their bodies, and they seemed to move and stand with a ‘crouch’ behind. Would be a shame to split them up.
#504 – 18 hh mare, 15 yrs., HUGE. Heavy bodied, possibly “heavey”. . . $600.00
#505. Red/Dk Chestnut Gelding. 17+ hh,, 15 yrs IN the pen, tied to the manger, he stood camped out behind and rocked from side to side. . . $525.00
#516 – Registered QH geld. foaled 2000, 16 hh. “H” branded on left stifle. Neck reins, well bred, “Spanish Array” at bottom of pedigree. Well broke, nice w-t-lope. . . $750.00
#517 – Registered QH, 2000, 14.2 hh Bay Gelding with Snip/blaze. Ridden thru was being sold 100% sound, Nice little guy, w-t-c-, intermediate type . . . $600.00
#526 – Age only announced as “baby” — Dark Bay w/star & snip. gelding, pretty face. 15.3, very tucked up, needs of bit of weight, led thru. . . $125.00
#527 – Chestnut yearling QH colt — STUD — led thru. .. $100.00
#529 – Registered QH mare, red roan, 14.3 hh, foaled 1995. White face, Left legs white. Led thru, needs weight, didn’t look sound behind. $175.00
#534 – GAITED Bay gelding, hind legs white, white face. Pretty, 15.3 hh, smoothmouth. Needs weight! Initially led in, then kid jumped up on her and rode her thru bareback with halter/lead. Sweet, but nervous, nice, sweet horse . . only went for $150.00
#536 – Registered Bay /white Paint, Gelding, 15.3 hh, foaled 2002. Led thru, a note with papers saying that his name is “Chief” Sound, but not ridden since November. . . $475.00
#537 – Very pale Palomino QH Gelding. Very, very sweet, needs weight, bombproof type, aged/smoothmouth. Was a trade-in to Strain Family Farm. . . . $235.00
#538 – fine-bodied Bay Pony Gelding, with blaze, the last one led thru, no-one left. supposed to be 8 yrs., 12.2 – 13 hh. Sweet and Scared. Rider led him thru, said he was “green to ride” . . $100.00
#557 – Bay Standardbred mare, Freeze Brand 7BR14 – Enhance the Beauty”, foaled 2004, 15.2 hh. Looked colicky in the pen (looked OK Thursday afternoon). Led thru, quiet, trots, no pace. well bred. . . . $335.00
#998 – Chestnut QH Geld., 16.2 hh, 9 yrs old. scared w/a rough rider Nice mover, handy, best for an intermediate level rider. . . .$500.00
#1000 — This guy deserves some TLC. SKINNY Fleabitten grey gelding w/lip tatoo, we think he may be a Standardbred. Needs a lot of weight, SWEET. Ridden thru walk-trot, displayed a pace rather than a trot. A NICE pace. . $200.00
Wizard Ride 132: Return of the Fly
Wednesday, 4/8/10
Chasing daylight as always. I slipped out of work on the early side and visited my friend’s barn. I got to Wizard’s barn and was tacked up by 7:10pm. The sun was setting so I rode without free longeing him. I mounted up in the indoor arena, did our little gate-opening trick, and we took a ride on the trails. I always prefer to ride loops on the trails since riding from Point A to Point B and back to Point A invariably encourages the horse to get a little quick on the way home. On the way out, we wove our way through a soft trail of pine needles. Wizard’s walk felt good. I practiced adjusting my position on him in order to acclimate him to me leaning down for tree branches and adjusting my rein length. We alternated from riding on the buckle to riding on soft contact to riding with my hands at the end of the lacing. He was far less busy with his mouth and I was very pleased. His bit-chewing seems to stem almost entirely from anticipation and excitement.
Once we got to the main trail, I asked for a trot. The path is very dippy and the constant change in footing caused him to try to canter a few times. While the canter was a welcomed delight on Monday, I really wanted him to trot tonight on this uneven footing. We are experiencing a streak of unusually warm weather in New Jersey and the gnats, flies, what-have-you are ALREADY out! I regretted not putting Wizard’s ear net on him before we left. I can’t believe I already have to worry about bugs!
I looped Wizard around a circular section of the trail and we walked back home. Again, he tried to trot a little on the hilly sections but I asked for a walk. His walk was so smooth and speedy. I knew he was thinking about the barn but as long as he kept his gait, I allowed him to walk briskly. It was dark by the time we reached the barn, and we had ridden for about 45 minutes. I rode him into the large outdoor arena and we did a ten-minute trot set. His tempo and contact were fantastic. I was too lazy to turn on the arena lights so we rode in darkness and it was fun :^)
After out trot work, I walked him around the driveway to cool off, walked around a large and slightly spooky piece of farm equipment. Wizard ogled it but listened to my leg. The second time around it, he did not bat an eye. In order to keep him guessing, I rode him back into the arena, where I dismounted. Wizard got a rinse-off and I let him graze under the stars, with a backing chorus of New Jersey frogs. It was too dark for my camera phone to pick up any video, but you can hear the soundtrack on the video above.
Wizard Ride 130: Lipstick Vogue
Sunday, 4/4/10
Like his friend Indy (pictured above), Wizard is shedding his winter coat. Rolling is helpful, as is grooming. I end up with a mountain of hair every time I groom him. For such a sensitive, sleek, fine-coated Thoroughbred, Wizard sure is a hairy fellow.
After work (Yes, I worked on Easter. When there is racing, there is work), I drove to the barn for an evening ride. Before my ride, I did the usual quick free-longeing session with Wizard for about 5 minutes. I set up a “course” of trot poles, two down each straight line about 15 trot steps apart, one perpendicular, and one a stride apart from one of the four in the “course”.
We worked on carrot stretches, followed by tacking up in the indoor arena. I mounted up and we warmed up at the walk for about 10 minutes. He repeated his ear-pinning behavior and I think I might be extinguishing it by ignoring it. I worry that it was a result of discomfort, but the fact that it goes away is encouraging. For most of the ride, his ears are forward or trained on me, but they do go back sometimes with leg aids.
At the trot, we worked on a variety of exercises. I started by asking for rhythm and contact. Once rhythm and contact was reasonably established, we did a little bending work, first on large circles, then serpentines and finally, a variation on the “string of pearls”, softly bending left, then right, then left, down the center line. When I was getting a reasonable bend both left and right, we straightened out and tested our contact by trotting the poles in both directions. I gave him a pat and we took a quick break at the walk and I re-introduced leg yielding. Once again, Wizard flattened his ears when I applied very gentle inside leg pressure. Instead of reacting, I asked again and he responded correctly with a few steps of green but eager leg yield. I asked twice in each direction and then brought him back to a trot.
We worked on transitions from walk to trot and back to walk. Wizard needs a lot of work on upward transitions, both for balance and for strength. Our transitions were very simple, trotting one long side of the arena, walking the short side, trotting the long side, etc. It takes him a while to establish rhythm at the trot, and he usually rushes and then slows down and then settles into my hands, so I am taking it slowly with him. I then kept the trot and asked him to increase his tempo a few times, encouraging him to move freely and forwardly. He complied, excitedly purring a little through his nose. This horse wears his heart on his sleeve. When he is tense, he makes the “gork, gork, gork” gelding sound and when he is excited, he purrs. I trotted him through the course of four poles one more time in each direction, followed by stretchy circle work, followed by a walking cooldown. Wow, a real workout! Our ride lasted about 35 minutes. Wizard was just a little damp under the saddle pad, girth, flanks, and behind his ears, but he cooled out quickly. We are both getting into better shape. And when I dismounted, I saw that he had a thin layer of foamy “lipstick” on his lips from the bit. When he’s tense, he drools, but then he’s relaxed, he softly works the bit and I could tell that tonight’s ride was very productive. What a great night!
Wizard Session 129: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night…
Monday, 3/29/10
Rain, rain, rain in New Jersey. Again.
Since Wizard spent the afternoon indoors, I decided to do a “fun” session with him and we did a little free jumping. First, I set up the chute with no poles on the ground and Wizard warmed up at a walk and trot (after a luxurious roll, of course). Then, I added two trot poles and he trotted through a few times in both directions. I left one pole and raised the jump to a crossrail. He trotted, then cantered through. Then I raised the jump to a small vertical and he took it nicely. I increased the height and put a second rail on a slant under the top rail to make the jump more inviting. The jump (pictured) was around 2’6″ or 2’9″, I’d guess. The first time through, he hesitated, came to a stop, and then pounced over it. I liked his determination- he hesitated, but tried vailiantly. The next time over, he was much more confident. Since I’m working on his fitness, we only did a few jumps. After the session, he was a little sweaty- I find it interesting how I ride him for much longer periods of time but he does not break a sweat. Different types of work seem to require different types of effort.
I cooled him off and gave him his nighttime snack and put him to bed.
Wizard Ride 128: Oh Magoo, You’ve Done It Again
Sunday, 3/28/10
On Saturday, I started riding in a Fleeceworks FXK All-Purpose saddle pad and so far, I like the results. My saddle feels secure without being over-padded and Wizard’s back looks good. I compulsively monitor sweat marks to ensure proper saddle fit.
I rode at night after work. I brought him in the arena and free longed him for about 10 minutes. I tacked him up in the arena. He is so nice to work around- he stood quietly while being tacked up without a lead rope. I rode for about 25 minutes, warming up at a walk, then proceeding to trot work. At the beginning of the trot work, I encountered the same ear-pinning behavior I’ve noticed in the past. I made a concerted effort NOT to react when he pinned his ears. I know that I normally look down at him and soften up my seat because I’m concerned about him. I fear that I might be encouraging this behavior so I’m going to try to see if I can extinguish it. On Sunday night, it worked! A few minutes into our trot work, he was lowering his head and relaxing. Another bad habit I have is dropping the reins and allowing him to slow down if he stretches into the bit. I worked on correcting this bad habit by using my arms as rubber bands, rewarding his stretched neck by elongating my arms without feeding more rein to him. I kept my leg on before he could try to slow down. It seemed to work- now I need to make it a habit.
We practiced some circles and serpentines. I worked on keeping my inside seatbone soft through the turns. In order to keep my hip from collapsing through turns, I think about my hip posting toward the opposite ear (left hip posting toward the right ear and vice versa). The image is just enough to keep my seat soft and inviting so we don’t collapse and Wizard does not pop his shoulder.
When our ride was over, I brought him back to the barn and spent a little time grooming him. I worked on his mane, banged his tail, conditioned his hooves, and carefully curried his coat. When I was done, I reached into my tack trunk and pulled out the familiar Vetrolin coat conditioner bottle by the white nozzle and spritzed him two times on each side. I worked the product in with my dandy brush and then put him in his stall to eat his rice bran/Equipride mash.
I turned to my grooming supplies and gaped in horror… I had sprayed poor Wizard with No Chew instead of Vetrolin! I grabbed a towel, wet it down, and rubbed his coat vigorously to remove the product from his coat. As expected, Wizard is none worse for the wear, despite my fretting. It appears that I have two things in common with Mr Magoo: we are both Rutgers alumni and we both bumble our way through life.
Wizard Ride 127: A Racehorse and a Trail Horse
Saturday, 3/27/10
Thoroughbred people, did you ever wish you could ask an honest-to-goodness jockey to ride your horse and tell you how he felt? I am fortunate enough to be in that position. I’ve known Shannon Uske since she was 8 years old and we’ve boarded at a few of the same barns. She is unique in the horse world, since she is a professional jockey and she also rides her own jumpers at home. After I finished my ride, I asked her to take a quick spin on Wizard and tell me how he felt. As expected, Wizard trotted out confidently with his rider, because she has a great feel for a horse and possibly because I far outweigh her ;^) There was no unevenness, but she could feel the action in his hind legs that I felt. She liked how responsive he felt and said he has a nice soft mouth.
My ride was about 30 minutes long, including warmup. First, I free longed him for a few minutes- for Wizard, free longeing has all the benefits of longeing without the wear and tear on the joints that repeated circles can cause. I ask him to trot out in each direction so I can assess his gaits and mood, then I tack up and ride. This was our best ride so far this spring. There was a lot less of the ear-pinning behavior and a more forward, confident trot. Once he was warmed up, he stretched down into the bit, just like he did last year during my lessons with Sarah. His trot was more rhythmic and he was moving forwardly. He did not mind being the only horse in the arena, and all the activity outside did not bother him at all. When our ride was over, I opened the gate to the arena while still in the saddle, and walked out. I rode Wizard up to the gate of the outdoor arena, unlatched it, rode in, and closed the gate. We’re taking the trail world by storm, people!
Rock and Racehorses: The Blog 