More on the reining horse on Fugly

So I read the post that Mugwump Chronicles did on that video, and it really made me think. I posted this in the comments on her blog...
What an interesting post. I'm just reading this on Tuesday morning after watching the video and posting about it on Fugly and my own blog. I think I would like to take back what I said and say hmm, not how I would train/compete a horse, but competing is not my livelihood. I don't have to get my horse in first place to put food on my table and hay in Sugar's mouth. I think this trainer did what he had to do to win, and while that's not what I would do, I can see why he did it. I really, really appreciated that post and it seriously opened my eyes. As always, you make me think Mugs!
And I would like to continue writing about it (I like to type and ramble so once upon a time I started a blog so I could do that) because I thought even more about it. My next thought is that this guy chose horse training as his career. I did not, because I didn't want to have to put training like that on a horse in order to pay my bills. If he wasn't really prepared to receive this sort of a response, maybe he should have been a car salesman or something. If he is prepared to receive this response...yikes who would want that!




In other news, it was over 90 degrees all weekend so I chose to leave Sugar and Rally alone and let them weather the heat. (of course I fed them and gave them water, etc.) but all I wanted to do was hug my air conditioner and go outside after dark only, I can imagine she wouldn't have enjoyed a ride. Fans are being unearthed from the back of the loft and will be going in by the end of tomorrow, and horses have been switched to night turn out.

Sugar did manage to find the one and only screw that pokes out in the barn and catch her fly mask on it, right beside her eye. She must have ripped it off her head because when I found it, it was hanging on the screw, velcro still attached. It happened on Sunday morning right before I went to feed her. I know this because when I walked in, her eyes were as big as a half dollar and her nostrils were all flared up with crazy breathing. She didn't get injured but of course it worried me!!

Couple Questions...Does anyone ride after dark in extreme heat like this? If I hose Sugar off when it's this hot will she only stay cool while I'm hosing her, or will her being wet afterwards help to cool her?

Check out Fugly today...

Have you guys seen that video of the reining horse on Fugly?? I think (&hope) Sugar would buck me off in a heartbeat if I did that to her. I had to stop the video, it was too awful to watch.

Something is wrong with my comments! I can't comment back to you Wolfie. But here is what I wanted to say...
You should try bareback...it's awesome! lol And it made me a better rider :) I used to lean forward everytime something out of the ordinary happened, and then the instructor I had while riding Pride took away my saddle for a month! We did everything bareback, and I thank her for it to this day! I rode all over the farm bareback, I even trotted bareback and it was really cool. Pride was a very patient fellow and he didn't mind going along bareback, stopping, getting down, looking at something in our path, sidling up to a rock/fence/tree/etc. so I could get back on. It really assisted my canter seat. Someday, when you get the chance to do it, you should! It was a little shaky for me at first, but then I got the hang of it!!

The wormer...we literally JUST switched to the way you describe...it seems to be the new way to do it...I'm excited that we don't have to dump chemicals down their throats every other month!!!

Great Weekend

What a beautiful Saturday we had here in PA. I rode Sugar bareback for her first time!! (her first ever, not mine). She was perfect, I rode her in the round pen to be sure we had good control. Right after I got on her, someone decided to pull in and park a camper about 50 ft. from the round pen. She looked a little, but I reminded her that we're working, and she went on about the ride. When i got off, she watched them a while, but no spook...I just love her!!
Her winter coat is almost all gone. I learned something from Patty the other day...if the extra long guard hairs remain on your horse, they need wormed!! We wormed them last weekend...Rally was a little difficult but not awful. Sugar was very interested in the packaging.

Let me in!

So Sugar (& Rally) are getting weaned onto pasture. Her stall is on the end, because she was the last horse to arrive at the barn. The pasture they are in has a gate on the opposite side of the barn, and the electric braid fending has the little handles right by her stall. I've never let her in through there.
So when I call them in from the pasture, I step out, whistle, and Rally comes running (he's a food hound). Sugar looks up, takes three more bites, and starts walking. Then she starts trotting, right up to the little handles in the electric braid fencing. She stands there like hey mom, let me in. I'm hungry. I point to the gate at the other end of the barn. She looks at the gate, and looks back at me. Hmm. I decided to walk down to the gate, and she follows me on the other side of the fence, til she sees it, comes blasting through, and right over to her stall. Oh mare, you are too cute :)

Update!

First of all, I just found out Sugar's sister lives about ten minutes down the road from her, I'm trying to arrange a visit!!
So on Saturday, we free lunged and did some liberty work. Also, I brushed her and she stood still at the tie post without being tied!! I am not a natural horsemanship crazy person but I love to do some of that stuff!! Free lunging is my favorite because Sugar gets to kick up her heels and I get to see her move almost totally naturally (it's a 60 ft round pen so I don't think horses were really meant to run in circles). So after she gets to fiddle around for a while and burn some energy, we get down to some more challenging work. She mimics me with ground work. I "cluck" and begin walking, and she does too. I say whoa, and stop, and she stops. I turn around and walk in place, and she backs up. This weekend, we even got turns down. I turn left or right, and she does too!! I tried to get her to trot with me, but she wasn't as keen on that. Oh well, that will work out!
On Sunday, I really wanted to get a quick ride in, but the only thing I do at the barn on Sundays is feed in the am and let the horses out. So I decided to ride before she got to eat...she was not happy. She was kinda bad actually. But I got her all tacked up (no thanks to her), and headed down to the round pen. I got on her in the round pen, and left the gate open. I worked with her a little in there, until she seemed to be more focused on me, at which point I decided to ride around the farm. She passed the arena digger, the tractor, the trailer with four wheelers and snow mobiles, all without a look. She passed the truck cap, saw her reflection and startled! What a good mare, she spooks in place normally. I love her!

6!!!

Six people want to know about Sugar's little life :)
Today, I'm welcoming Knight to the blog!!
So more on riding this weekend.

As I've stated before, Sugar has this tendency to go right on up the steep little rock hill in the arena...I've got to get a photo, it's quite dangerous. So I've really been working on that. This weekend, I gave her the cue to turn a little earlier, and that seemed to help a lot. I also got her more focused on working on collection rather than toodling up the side of the hill.
I tried a new bit for her, and she really seemed to prefer it. It's a mullen bit, with egg butt type sides. I'm not sure if that's what is normal for that type or not. I bought it for another horse I was riding, and Sugar's been chomping on her rubber full cheek, so I thought time to change it up!
It's a little large for her, so if she continues to do well in it, I'll probably go buy one just for her. I also decided that her bridle is extraordinarily large for her head. I bought it used from the old trainer, so I don't know if it's regular horse size or not. My cob size bridle fit her on it's largest settings. This bridle is kind of loose on it's tiniest settings. Off to the consignment tack store...i think so!!

SO I find myself wondering if the earlier cues are what made the difference or the new bit...I suppose we shall find out as time goes on!!

Snakes!!

Got to ride this weekend!!! I also practiced giving Sugar "turn here" cues a little sooner, which she seemed to appreciate. Perhaps I'm too used to riding arena horses and I need to realize my own horse is NOT arena trained!!! Which is a good or bad thing...

In other news...let me tell you about a text conversation today.
Boyfriend- sends picture message of snake
Me- Yikes!!! Is that Rally & Sugar's fence?
Bf- I saved Sugar!!
Me - Did you kill it?
Bf- Sends picture of dead snake
Me - I kind of feel bad for it...
Bf- It went into Sugar's area and she tried to play with it...i saved her! lol
Me- You're like my very own knight in shining armor...

Dear Sugar: Please refrain from playing with snakes, some of them can be deadly. You are lucky this snake did not get you!!!