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Moutaineer

Good ride this morning. Canter work on the 3 changes across the diagonal and half pirouettes, which were good fun. Quite nice, too! He was a bit snarky about being groomed on his left flank again. But I persisted in investigation and found a no longer hungry tick and a nasty bite way up inside his l...

Moutaineer

So I thought I'd give Potters a few days on Ulcerguard to see if that made him less guarded about his belly wall, especially as we had another wicked cold front coming through and it was threatening thunder and lightning and all sorts of barometric swings. Apparently, I do not know how to use a dosi...

Moutaineer

I had a lesson today, too. It was a beautiful day out in the sunshine. Potters was feeling quite well and happy today. Apparently, while I was working down in the valley yesterday, he put on quite the display on the lunge line and got some things out of his system. He certainly needed some cleaning ...

Moutaineer

Oh, yes, AL, that's a good exercise for getting them under themselves and in front of your leg, but i have to watch it with Potters or he gets a little too "up." And the first bath thing... it's that scum of old "product" that floats off on the filthy water that icks me out! I ge...

Moutaineer

Urgh, exvet. That's a lot. And why would a property that is undoubtedly being advertised as a horse property not smell of horse? I've obviously been having entirely too much fun lately. I had a pretty terrible ride yesterday on a very tense horse who was not happy when I put my leg on, and with the ...

Moutaineer

Oh, well. So much for that. The clinic this weekend just got canceled. Difficult circumstances beyond anyone's control, but boo. I was really looking forward to it!

Moutaineer

Yay for more boring, Goldhorse. SF, I'm obviously going to have to up my matchy game for this weekend's clinic! Good to hear a happy update from you Tanga. Dreadful weather here today. Driving to and from the barn was like driving through a carwash. I was going to take the trailer down this morning ...

Moutaineer

SF, I agree, it's so helpful to develop the tools to be able to ride through difficult situations. It's a good reason to go ride in clinics in strange places with trainers we trust! LSP, that sounds like it could be a win-win for everyone. Good for you. Exvet, Great that you are actually getting on ...

Moutaineer

Bright and chilly start to the day, still a bite in the air by noon when I rode today, so a bright and chilly horse! Actually, he was very good and we had a productive ride. More HP, of course, and quite a bit of canter work, with an interesting exercise on a 20m circle: Canter in a renvers, transit...

Moutaineer

Well, we got it today, trot and canter. I'm delighted. Now if I can just retain that muscle memory to Monday and beyond... I'll be riding them in my sleep. It was over 80 degrees today when I rode, and windy enough to send a mini twister through the ring while I was riding, flinging chairs in it's w...

Moutaineer

Such a lovely day today. It feels so nice to actually ride outside and break a sweat! A productive but hard work ride today. It was half pass day. The left is pretty decent, but Potters was a bit recalcitrant about doing the hard stuff to the right, and we had some snarky spooks. (He'd rather do the...

Moutaineer

Holy Carp, Goldhorse! Fingers crossed for no complications! Not a riding day for me today. Yesterday was good though. We got the FC placement back under control, and worked on the 3 changes on the diagonal. We also worked on the trot HP, which seems to be slowly improving. We will see if we can repl...

Moutaineer

LSP, he's probably not very fit at the moment, so I'd just try to get him into a consistent work program and be a bit insistent about him being in front of your leg. Watch his weight and make sure he's getting enough to allow him to build muscle, but you don't want "fizzy" energy at the mo...

Moutaineer

SF, I think you are wise. She sounds like a horse whose mind would blow if you introduced the changes before she's completely begging for them. Potters, on the other hand, is going through a phase of being absolutely sure he's right about where the changes should be, and I'm completely wrong. So we ...

Moutaineer

Nice video, AL. Some pretty flying changes in there. I liked your baby pirouette. I also like some of your extensions in the trot work. That's an exercise I need to work on.

Moutaineer

I watched a bunch of 4th level videos last night, and realize that I'm going to have to continue to work on my fitness if I'm going to be able to manage that much sustained canter work in the height of summer in the desert...

Moutaineer

Chisamba, I think they will drop OK. I just need to soften up the ankles a bit and ride in them more. (Which is the problem, as I resent spending my precious saddle time not riding as well as I could be because of my boots!) And then, because they are my "good" boots, I need to stop riding...

Moutaineer

Tired horse today. He says 5 days in a row is a bit much. But we did a bit of everything for 25 minutes and got a couple of nice flying changes, so honor was satisfied and he can have the weekend off.. I'm really happy I can get no-drama changes in the indoor arena now. Hey, im really happy we can c...

Moutaineer

I spent a weekend with Gerd H when he first hit the spotlight. Which was a very long time ago. My impression then was that he had some very valid observations based on his work as a vet and researcher. But he insisted that he needed to ride all the horses participating in the clinic which he had no ...

Moutaineer

AL, they won't even take your entry around here--deer in the headlights above third level, and even that can be challenging. Chisamba. You both look great. She looks willing and forward and happy and focused. What more can you ask for! LSP, I'm finding out a lot about my hips and my body imbalances ...

Moutaineer

I'm glad Rip is doing better, Khall. I understand the retired horse money pit conundrum. I'm happy to see Joplin is bringing you joy. AL, trainer said yesterday she'd like to see my do 4.1 this summer. We've got to get a couple of qualifying scores at 3.3 for Regionals, if we are going to do them, b...

Moutaineer

A wonderful ride this morning on this cool, grey day. Potters started out a bit draggy as he's had quite a big week, but we worked on some lateral stuff and he got himself together, literally, and moved right along. I'm still struggling a bit with the half pass to the right. It definitely lacks flow...

Moutaineer

Exvet, I lost my much loved older cat a week ago. My vet was wonderful. Thank you for what to you do let our friends go with dignity.

Good luck at the show, and good luck on property offers this weekend.

Moutaineer

Laddie used to be terribly crooked in the canter. When I first got him, he'd avoid the left lead completely and just crab around with his haunches in. It was a strength issue. He was such a big horse that it took a lot of patient and steady insistence, and short bursts of canter, to build up his hin...

Moutaineer

Sounds like a useful clinic, Blob. I'm having a "normal service will be resumed as soon as possible" stretch at the moment. Work and life have intervened since the middle of last week, and I doubt I'll get back on until Thursday this week. But such is life. Potters is fine, won't so him an...

Moutaineer

Mari, you both look lovely. If you put yourself out there and go out and show, you are going to have days like that. Could be you've pushed the judge's buttons somehow, Could be you need to revisit something fundamental to the level of the test. For instance, Third apparently starts to want a lot mo...

Moutaineer

LSP, believe it or not, it's my 4th anniversary with Potters this week! It's been an interesting journey and he's made me a much better rider. After being shuffled round from owner to owner in the couple of years before he landed with me, I think he's finally settled into the idea that he's here to ...

Moutaineer

Good scores, exvet! I'm glad the shoes seem to help T, SF. I hope you poor daughter catches a health break, LSP. It's been a rough few months. It was a lovely day here today. A bit wild and windy this morning when I rode outside, so I was picking sand out of my teeth by the time we finished... howev...

Moutaineer

We rode inside today as it was snowing again. Sigh. I assumed it would probably be a trainwreck as we have been working outside all week, and when we went in the arena for our lesson today, the snow was coming off the roof. But he was positively angelic, and we had a really nice ride! He's been bein...

Moutaineer

Potters was a totally different horse today. Cooperative, happy and just a really good boy. The RL trot and canter have really improved since his shots. I had just the ride i needed today!

Now for a yoga class for me. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger!

Moutaineer

First lovely spring day in the outdoor arena, and a Monday, and I'm still feeling a bit translucent, so I let Justin get on first... Rather glad that I did. We were a little exuberant and apparently P was for Poltergeist today. I got on and walked and trotted for about 15 minutes (still spooking at ...

Moutaineer

I am positively giddy with excitement. Not only will I get to ride tomorrow, for the first time in 2 weeks, but the outdoor arena is groomed and ready for use!

Moutaineer

My boss has just told me our board material prices will be going up by 25% at the end of next week. We just can't afford to absorb the tariff increase, and the Canadian suppliers aren't inclined to help us out.

I have some interesting calls to make to my contractor clients on Monday.

Yay. Winning.

Moutaineer

Chisamba, do you think she just doesn't have the core muscle yet to be able to connect her back end to her front end in collection?

Moutaineer

I'm still exhausted, pale and snivelly, but I masked up and tottered down to the barn today to take grain and get out of the house and get some fresh air, and I caught Potters' training ride. He's feeling great. Happy and sound and full of the joys of spring, but not a spooky mess. I'm going to need...

Moutaineer

Eek, Ace! Don't be doing that! I hope you've caught it early, exvet. And yes, people complain about February but March is far worse, in my view. Nice pic, LSP! My first order of business for the next 2 months is to get well again. I had a miserable night last night and can barely speak this morning....

Moutaineer

I think you get a pass on the wine, SF.

Moutaineer

I'm still not feeling great, unfortunately. I'm missing the clinic this weekend. Potters went back to work Thursday and Friday (in beautiful weather, sigh) and I'm told he was a superstar. So I'm hoping I feel well enough by Monday to get back on and enjoy his newly-lubed self. We are having a few d...

Moutaineer

Sick. Very sore throat, body aches, head full of wool. DH has had this for a week, so i suppose it was inevitable. I hope it doesn't last that long for me.

Moutaineer

How frustrating, exvet. Saiph and Potters have much in common, Chisamba. Ask them for just that little bit more than they are prepared to give at that moment, and their heads explode. Glorious warmer, blue sky, muddy as heck day today. Several of the horses came in from turnout to go to work with a ...

Moutaineer

I got my bronze, Chisamba. Then I broke my foot... I didn't get a lot of showing in last year. I think I'll start out at third again this year (June before we really get started with shows here,) with a goal to do 4.1 by the end of the year. But, yeah. Depends how hot it gets and how motivated I fee...

Moutaineer

Good thoughts, Chisamba. I know I catch myself getting fuzzy and confusing with my aids especially if I let him get behind my leg. But is he behind my leg because I lack clarity? I'll have to ponder that.

Moutaineer

It was actually a glorious morning here. After I'd shoveled and blown, I went to the barn really looking forward to riding. Did some in hand work, all very nice and pliant. Got on and had a really nice forward walk warm up. A nice lwarm-up trot to the left. Picked up a trot to the right... hmm... no...

Moutaineer

Ugh. Winter is out in force here today. Discretion was the better part of valor and I've spent the day riding my desk. But, I've got a lot done which will give me more time to be in the barn on nicer days (right? Like that ever works.) Justin rode him today. I haven't heard any reports back so I gue...

Moutaineer

Mid-challenge check-in and body scan on Monday. 12lbs of body fat mass lost, 6lbs of skeletal muscle mass gained. I'm pretty happy with that. We will see how part 2 goes. I suspect the rate of change will slow a bit as the low-hanging fruit has been picked... (And I'm heartily glad it's no longer ha...

Moutaineer

Monday's ride, happy horse, lovely ride, a couple of lightbulb moments, particularly with my seat at the canter, and actually the trot, with not blocking him and allowing him to really move more expressively underneath me. I think this is where all my out of saddle work is paying off. My leg is long...

Moutaineer

I take potassium to help with foot cramps at night. It seems to work. I'm also trying magnesium for my sore muscles. Not sure it is making any difference yet.

Yes on the knitting! I'm halfway through a sweater at the moment.

Moutaineer

You have your hands full, exvet. I'm sorry your mother is declining. Fancy duds, Aleuronx! It looks like a nice fit, too. It looks like we are all,soldiering on through this winter. Dreadful here today. Heavy rain all morning which has now turned into snow and it's getting really cold. I'm glad I bu...

Moutaineer

Thanks! That's very helpful.

Moutaineer

Blob, I was thinking to try zyrtec next. I need to find the dosage. It would be so much easier if we could actually establish what he was reacting to. Its apparently environmental (I say this because not only am I extremely careful about any changes i make for him, but also in November he left here ...

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