DefinitelyDressage.com

Ponichiwa

I was out of town all last week thanks to work, but had 0 problems with bringing Kiwi back to work over the weekend. Yesterday we even had a long trail ride on a loose rein, complete with slow horses so she couldn't go her natural walk pace, and she was a peach. Related news: Her breeder has a 4yo w...

Ponichiwa

There are some good tips in this thread from last year: http://definitelydressage.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=708 I've got a Tale of Two Horses with regards to bucking in the changes: Horse 1: Big tall long 17.3h Dutch Harness-bred gelding. Very naturally "hocky", I think they call it, but...

Ponichiwa

You can have pride in your country and still welcome (or not hate/fear/etc.) people from other backgrounds and other nationalities. But we do live in a connected world. More so every day, actually. A country like the US can't sit in the sun in its own back yard and ignore the rest of the world-- for...

Ponichiwa

One point he made clear is the hate mongering is going to come to an end with the 18-35 yo's coming up into their places in politics. They are more consciously aware. I hope you're right, but don't forget that the majority of the Gamergate/Mens Rights Activisists/etc. are under 35. Bigotry knows no...

Ponichiwa

I had a trainer tell me "The more it feels like you need your hands, the more you need to be using your core." Hasn't led me wrong yet. In this case that may mean big half-halts with your seat in the canter to bounce him up off the ground and convert some of that forwards energy upwards. S...

Ponichiwa

Congratulations on the successful outing, Dresseur! That's a lot of good news all packed in one post. So, Laddie and I did our very first (asked for) flying change on Saturday (slipped it in all casual-like...) and it was clean and there was no fuss. So we didn't do it again! How exciting! Good on y...

Ponichiwa

I've been doing quite a bit of non-fiction reading lately, which led me to The Emperor of Maladies. The author is a cancer researcher who peppers the history of cancer with anecdotes from his own practice.

I really recommend it.

Edited for spelling. Yikes.

Ponichiwa

I, too, know how it feels to have the disappointing show land right on Regionals. My centerlinescores record now has in my highlights section a dazzling 42nd (or something) at 1st level open one year, because that's the year my pony and I threw 5 flying changes in a 1st level test. Against some scar...

Ponichiwa

Kiwi is back to superstar status. Just check out her cute little face: https://scontent-dft4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14680723_10154669049940990_724770650669052292_n.jpg?oh=f2f173bc1ef115a9b16301bde24758d0&oe=58A8A429 Additionally yesterday had minimal drama, despite the geese honking next door. ...

Ponichiwa

Demi, I definitely have been being less ambitious. More consistent in my expectation of the basics like straightness, for sure, but less ambitious of gait cadence and the difficulty of movements. That's making a big difference. We may be able to dip a toe back into 3rd/4th level stuff in the not-too...

Ponichiwa

MY PIROUETTES ARE BACK!! I REPEAT, THE PIROUETTES ARE BACK!

Actually it's just 1-2 steps and then we leave it alone but it's excellent.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Ponichiwa

She was sold a lot (A LOT) before she ended up with me. I'm owner #8, and I got her when she was 3. Additionally, she was moved around a lot-- started in FL, moved to IL, did some young horse showing in MD, somehow ended up in TX, where I bought her and then moved her to MI and PA and then back to T...

Ponichiwa

Kande and Kirby's Keeper, Thanks for the comments. Really do appreciate the insight. I've a 5-year history of stuffing Kiwi full of sugar during the tacking up and girth tightening process, so at this point I'm fairly sure that the food is not sufficient to recondition her expectations. I also have ...

Ponichiwa

Off topic alert!

Hey Tuddy, was just thinking about you the other day. How are things going with your fun-nicknamed-Canadians?

Ponichiwa

Bumping this thread because a) it's near and dear to my heart right now, and b) I solemnly swear I will contribute more to this board. My company (and industry) has been undergoing rolling layoffs over the last 2.5 years. This has effectively frozen my organization, as everyone is afraid to make a c...

Ponichiwa

Mid/late October checkup for Kiwi and me: - Ride 5x/week: I'm going to get in 4 this week, but that's better than 3. Small steps. - Hit the gym 2x when traveling: Uh. I did once last week when I was on the road. Again, better than 0. - Choose more salads. This one I've been doing well. I'm afraid to...

Ponichiwa

She's not particularly spooky, but she is definitely "girthy"-- I've gone down the vet route and there hasn't been a real reason that we can find. I think it's similar to how she can feel almost claustrophobic in the contact at times. This is not a pony that likes to be inconvenienced by o...

Ponichiwa

Checking in over a month later. I've made two changes that have really improved our quality of life: 1. Gave myself permission to be less ambitious 2. Walked in hand for 5 min before getting on, which has given Kiwi some time to start breathing under saddle before I get on Additionally as referenced...

Ponichiwa

Some good looking horses on this thread, and some inspiring goals. Good work everyone. I'm back, with some more modest goals than I'd like but that's just how life goes: - When not traveling for work, ride 5x/week (but does not have to always be heavy schooling for both our sakes) - When traveling f...

Ponichiwa

Same here, Capstone. Between work and a cousin's wedding (in Hawaii, so don't feel too badly for me) I've been out of the saddle for the latter half of September.

We'll get 'em next time.

Ponichiwa

I was just about to PM you. Weekend has gotten away from me and I may not be able to swing by the show grounds. I'm very sorry for the inconvenience.

Ponichiwa

Nope. Takes a special brain and a talented horse to make a GP horse. I think this myth started with "Any horse can do dressage" and has morphed from there to "any horse can do 3rd" to "any horse can do GP." What I meant was that the way I understand it, anyone can take...

Ponichiwa

There are many riders that show the small tour forever because that is the limit of their horse. Because the horse isn't sound enough? I thought any sound horse had the ability to get to GP with satisfactory scores? Technically speaking, I think any horse could be shown at GP whether they could do ...

Ponichiwa

Really interesting discussion-- thanks, everyone! Lots to think about. My mare Kiwi starts at a 4 as well, but because of tension/brittleness, not stride length. Given her way she'd extended trot everywhere. It's difficult to modulate because it feels as though she interprets "take it easy, pon...

Ponichiwa

No judgement here; I moved 5 dirty horse blankets in June. All of which I meant to wash back in, oh, March.

Ponichiwa

So, not to be too creepy, but I live near Houston and could swing by GSWEC. All flavors of wraps that you want to get rid of would find a good home. Promise.

Ponichiwa

I have a black pony. That rainbow of polo wraps could go to good use.

Ponichiwa

Yesterday I learned that Kiwi is extremely sensitive to (read: ticked off by) posting on the wrong diagonal. Which means I'm going to be doing a lot of desensitizing via posting diagonal over the next several weeks.

Ponichiwa

I found a similar outcome from starting a medium on a diagonal and then transitioning to leg yield for my big carthorse-bred gelding. He was all about the up and down and not so much the out and forward, and that exercise really helped him connect the dots that he could, in fact, reach forward under...

Ponichiwa

I will think about that and post a conclusion before Sept. 1 Plenty of days left in this thread! No need to be coming to premature conclusions. Which reminds me... I'm having a much better run of rides on Kiwi since starting my "difficult horse/difficult times" thread. Go figure, huh? We'...

Ponichiwa

Chisamba, what a touching post. Inspiring. My story: My first dressage horse was an aged Hanoverian schoolmaster gelding, and looked every bit the coarse warmblood stereotype from the '80s and early '90s (he was a 1987 model). Huge head. Huge, tree-trunk legs. Where some horses have a 6-pack, AT had...

Ponichiwa

As with everything else in life, it's not black and white. Selling is necessary: I've bought every horse I've ever owned. But there are definite risks to selling. I've sold 0 horses. They just seem to end up with me/my family for the rest of their natural lives. In the case of my first schoolmaster-...

Ponichiwa

Piedmont, you're singing the song of my people. The challenge is that when I'm very stressed, as it appears I am now, that I lose the ability to turn off that work/life/whatever-it-is-outside-of-dressage tightness. So that's not an effective way to train or ride. Meanwhile Kiwi is relaxed by movemen...

Ponichiwa

She's always been a tough ride, but if she's in regular work (like 6+ days/week) she comes out of the stall/pasture and goes to work without much fuss. If she's had time off, suddenly everything is spooky and the reaction to the leg can be, uh, unpredictable. And then she hurt herself 8 weeks or so ...

Ponichiwa

She'd be a tough sell because she's cute, pony-sized, and very talented, but also tricky to ride and very spicy. That's a recipe for some kid somewhere getting hurt. I don't know. I feel like I've lost my mojo this year. We had been schooling really big half-pirouettes and starting on the tempis and...

Ponichiwa

Kiwi is a "difficult" ride. She has sharp, oversized reactions to outside stimuli, especially if she has had some time off. My job requires long hours and travel; you can see where this is going. She is VERY talented and can be very fun to ride, but there's a lot of defensive riding that g...

Ponichiwa

Lots of good tips for maintenance and ownership above. For driving: Slower is always better. You will need far more room to stop or turn with your trailer than you did with just your tow vehicle. Plan far in advance for merges and exits. Keep an eye on your tires, especially in the heat of summer: I...

Ponichiwa

Moutaineer wrote:Ponichiwa... where the heck have you moved to? The Equator?

Certainly feels like it. Jeez. I moved from the Midwest to outside of Houston, TX. Humidity right now: 91%. I'm breathing water.

Ponichiwa

In Kiwi-is-definitely-healed news, I got run away with on a field ride. Started as a brisk trot through the bushhogged paths in the hayfield, ended up in a sprint when my sister (who also has some ponies) opted to gear up into the canter. Ponies, man. Ponies. We're slooooowly reintroducing ring work...

Ponichiwa

Congrats on clearance to w/t/c now, because as much as I like to work in walk some days, a steady diet of it would be super frustrating! And probably even more frustrating for you because you can do so much more. Thanks! Yes, it's been a challenge for me. Darn goal-orientated personality. However, ...

Ponichiwa

Kiwi and I have clearance to W/T/C! Yesss. Because her injury is on the righthand side of the base of her neck, we won't yet do a whole lot of work on the bit. But we can do long trot/canter sets. Victory! That does mean that my goal of a show at the end of August is probably out. But at least we're...

Ponichiwa

Ouch, Kyra's mom. You have my deepest sympathies. Great news: Kiwi's progressed to walking under saddle. Hurray healing! We're getting lots of miles on wandering around the property. In a couple weeks I get to start thinking about putting her back on the bit. For now, though, my main goal is to halt...

Ponichiwa

Some horses have to be shown that they can get their shoulders out of the way of the extended reach from the hind end. I like starting a diagonal, developing a lengthening, and taking those big lengthened strides down a leg yield after X. So long as the tempo stays consistent, you can keep adding mo...

Ponichiwa

I really like his dam. Lots of athletic horses back there-- mainly cutters and reiners. I especially like Nu Chex to Cash, but I am an admitted palomino aficionado. The sire's side also has some useful names for cutting and reining, but less close than the dam. Some of the Doc Bar (and I realize he'...

Ponichiwa

It may just be me, but diminutive nicknames make me very uncomfortable-- it's like a not-so-subtle "go back to your place, little girl, and leave business to the menfolks". I worked with a man who would consistently say things to undermine my (and other women in the office's) credibility, ...

Ponichiwa

For better or for worse, at 12 yrs old, your horse is outside of the window when "prospect" = more money. Additionally, you're very likely to be outside the window where "upper level potential" matters much in disciplines in which she has no experience. You will get the most $$ f...

Ponichiwa

I'm back in the saddle again! Although not on Kiwi, who is still on handwalking duty. The only place I can reliably handwalk without her sneaking snacks (yes, yes, I know I probably should have better groundmanners installed, but this is a pony we're talking about. It's basically torture to walk her...

Ponichiwa

Week 1 update of Kiwi stall rest: Kiwi needs a diet. She has become pretty portly. However, handwalking starts today (woo!) so that will help. Dresseur, I also can get too elbow back,. Which defeats the purpose of back to front riding :) Exactly!!! And, a bit ago you had shared an article that talke...

Ponichiwa

Thanks for the well wishes for Kiwi! I'll pass them on to her. Maybe with sugar cubes. Whoa--scary. What happened (if you want to share)? Jingles to her and patience to you both. That's the thing-- I'm not quite sure. I walked the pasture and didn't find anything either a) sharp, or b) bloody, so th...

Ponichiwa

Well. The rest of my June/July plans have changed. Now I'm on rehab duty after Kiwi somehow got an impressive puncture in her neck. She's OK, but needs 3 weeks' worth of handwalking and minimal activity before we can resume normal riding. At least I'll get some steps in.

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