Yeah, I Just Did That

So, in all fairness I've been overdue for a fall. Ugh. But did it have to be SO dramatic this time??? Apparently :P I'm trying to get back into riding shape....and more importantly work/tire Bubby out :D I am using him regularly now in two lessons during the week because he is quiet and steady and LISTENS to his rider. His only downside at the moment is if he hasn't been worked in a while he tends to get rather speedy. *sigh* if only knew how to canter and jump, I could use him in more lessons. Ah, well, we're working on it :) Back to my epic fall... I am so not a fan of the three step mounting block. Can we say unbalanced? Not to mention Bubby has the tendency to start to walk off....only with me of course *throws hands in air*. Combine the two factors and you have my graceful almost-mount. The block wobbled, he stepped back a stride aaannnndddd down I went! I braced for the sandy arena but my now tensed butt was greeted with the side of the mounting block. FYI not much give there >:[ and then fell to my side. For a split second I thought I may have strained/stressed my left hand. That would NOT have been good. Thankfully, after a few numbing minutes, all feeling returned and pain left. Oy. Then of course we had to buck/crow hop a few times in the trot. Only the second time riding outside since, oh, November-ish? He worked OK but was rather distracted. May need spurs for a few rides to reaquaint leg aides...
In dental news, appointments have picked up! WooHoo! :D Upside: I love being busy and active (in what I want to do, of course ;) AND it also gets me toned and in shape. I may not get the "beach body" but, it will shed quite a few pounds off. Oh, and it helps my riding. I've noticed a better posture in the saddle since coming home from school. Shoulders are back and straighter, and interestingly enough I am holding my hands up where they SHOULD be and they don't move as much :)
I am also becoming quite the babysitter it seems, hahaha. I absolutely adore Amanda's little girl Olivia (or Livvie :). I definitely don't think I'm anywhere NEAR ready for any wee ones of my own but I am not scared of them which is always a plus (yay for younger siblings!). I was also asked (and accepted) to hold a high school friends little girl at an upcoming wedding. Erma is such a good baby too :) I may be chasing the newly walking Erma at the wedding in a little over a month....Suppose I'll just have to wear flats then ;)
Sleeping in tomorrow? I think yes.
Til next time!

Off Normal Topic for just a sec...

I got to see the Deadliest Catch captains!!!!!! I know, I know, I'm weird. It takes quite a bit to get me actually interested in something.....and then unfortunately it always seems to turn into an obsession of sorts....weird... ;D Anywho, it was a fun night. Everyone but my little sister went (she regrets it, trust me ;) and we had a blast in general. It's interesting too, I noticed that when the 3 captains came out on stage.....they are REALLY that real! There is no change from what you see on tv to what you see in person, which is AWESOME. Well, except for the lack of bleeping, LOL. We were all kind of suspiscious as to how the whole thing would work. I mean, they just come out and talk and show some footage and pics of them....but they are so entertaining! GO figure, haha. I guess if you've never watched the show, you might've been lost but wotherwise it was worth the 40 bucks to go :D
Okay, back to reality..... hehehe, I crack myself up. If you don't get it, its ok. Its just my sanity leaving for good ;)
Darryl is jumping again!!! Christina had her normal lesson this week, in the indoor with the nice cushiony footing :) And apparently the Ol' Man likes the footing! He was jumping 2'/2'3 totally clean and honest. He just doesn't live by the book that one. I'm going to sit here and pretend he'll live forever and be my kids first pony. *sigh* if only.
Bubby, on the other hand, is finding ways to get out of work *hurrumph*. First, I go to ride him on Labor Day. Great weather, I had company.... and his whole fore arm down to his KNEE is swollen. Joy of all joys. AND its hot. The swelling was so bad you couldn't make out the shape of the cuts to see IF it was a kick or a bite or any number of other things. I think I discovered later what caused it as I watched him outside pulling the forelock of one of the mini's >:/ Damn horse. THEN the farrier comes a few days later to trim. I almost waited on this too. As he is trimming the LAST hoof he hands me a small rock. Piss. Then proceeds to show me where is came from....and flipped some pebbles out of his frog for good measure too. Oy vei. Good news it had JUST started. Matter of fact, if I had ridden on Monday, I would have prevented the whole thing. He hates me, I swear. So it smelled something awful (yay fungus and infection brewing) BUT hadn't started through the hoof yet. Thank. God. Claen it out, little bit of icthomal and we should be good. Better be......damn horse. Just doesn't want to work . He heard the word "show", thats it ;)
Well, til next time. Hopefully I'll be riding tomorrow!!!

I Heart My Horses :D

I cannot gush anymore profusely! My boys did FANTASTIC last night. Just fantastic :D Kylie finally got to ride Bubby in her lesson. She has a brass set, lemme tell ya. I think the height unnerved her for a second.....literally, haha. He did get a little quick in the trot at first but the second time around he was very good and she exclaimed (as I'm running along side him) "I got it! I got the rhythm!". Music to my ears :D I think at first he didn't know what to do with a whole 40 lbs (maybe) on his back, haha.

Then Christina rode Darryl. He is VERY out of shape. Yet, very willing to work. My only hesitation was because back in the fall/winter, he was getting a little.....full of himself, let's just say. I was hoping to chalk it up to the cool air and he was still getting back into shape. Ever notice how a thoroughbred's response to work after time off is "happy butt's"??? lol. He was also fantastic for her. They rode in a 5 person lesson which is unusual for this barn but what he is used to and it seemed to have worked for them. My trainer and I both think with a few weeks of trot pole work, he'll be ready to add some canter and small X's to their lessons :D 'Ol man's still got it!

And, yes, I snuck a picture of Ali and Bubby JUMPING! I know it doesn't look like my much to the untrained eye, oh but it is priceless. Standardbreds CAN jump! :D

'Til next time! :D

Happy Happy Happy!!!

Today was the day a lot of hard work and patience paid off :D And a day I proved the naysayers wrong....if only for my benefit :) A friend came over to the barn today and asked if I wanted her to hop on Bubby. She's ridden him before and has been riding greenies and, in general, a lot longer than me. It's always nice to see your horse go with someone else, good or bad, to just SEE it AND keep them from being a one-rider horse. Oh, and she loves my jumping saddle, lol. I haven't had a ton of time lately (update on that in a sec) so it worked out for all :)
It started kind of rocky. He was back to dragging his hind feet and locking his neck. We were in the indoor and I seriously think that the felt footing actually encourages him to do so. Oy. He was strung out and bending a LITTLE. I figured it would be a bust but wanted him to go over some trot poles so we at least ended on a good note. And my friend is game for anything and understands dealing with greenies, so outside we went. Hello different horse! He was right where we left off last week :D (hence the felt theory, haha). He was round and flexing and holding himself UP! Oh, and tracking up too :) THAT is my horse.
Last time she had ridden him, a couple months ago, she had tried him over some cross rails which he went over but, eh not really. This first one was too small. Yes, he's going to be one of those. Too small, I crash it or trot ridiculously high over it. Up two more holes it went. And then I became absolutely elated. See, I never intended him to really jump. He's never really really liked the idea and recently he's been developing some bad habits (ie rushing) with the cavalettis and trot poles. Today. Today he looked like he had been jumping all his life :D :D He stretched over the jump with a great take off, little bascule and landing. I am such a proud mama! Then, he started like he was going to canter (we do get a tad excited when we get things right, haha). So the next time around, she encouraged him and my boy CANTERED!!!! It was a little short but he stayed collected and again like he'd been doing it forever. And then he got confused transitioning down and paced, lol. He'll get it, I'm sure.
SEE, classical training works! And Standardbreds CAN jump AND canter AND do them WELL with training. Just like any other horse. I was telling my boss the other day on the way to a dental appointment that I want another STB. I really do. Obviously when I have the means and the time, lol. But it has been such a rewarding experience and I fully believe that if I had had an instructor like I have now, I would have a fantastically trained 16yo horse now. I'll always have Bubby (well, until...) but when he's done being a late blooming show horse my next will be another off the track STB, for sure.
More good news *fingers crossed* There is someone starting the barn tomorrow. He'll be doing M-F, IF it all works out. I'm hoping! Now, to get ready for CAMP, dun dun dun. Hahaha. And then bring on the weddings and bridal showers :D
Til next time!

Little Kids Crack Me Up!

Okay, how do people not like kids, in general??? I know some people should never breed yet they do and then we as a society must deal with the backlash of their spawn. But some kids are really cool! lol. For example, this one little girl (7) rides at the barn with her mom very Tuesday. They missed their regular lesson so they came Wednesday to ride. I've been helping with Kylie's lesson for about a year on and off. She's one of those students that will do anything, I mean ANYTHING related to horses. And bound and determined to event her lesson pony Dude....preferrably NOW, thank you. So I showed up Wednesday evening to feed and muck stalls and here comes Kylie running up to say hi.
She is too cute. Really. She is so animated and so little, haha. Being so small and only 7, there is only so much she can "help" with. She was sooooo excited to lead the "big" horses. As she led Bubby out someone commented just how freaking cute she is.....which got me thinking.... So Kylie may be riding Bubby in her lesson Tuesday hehehe :D I think it will good for the both of them. She can ride something that she may actually be able to post with (She posts too slow on Dude) and I've always had a feeling Bubby would make an excellent lesson horse.....so we shall see. I completely trust him. He tends to listen to the wee ones more so than me anyway! I think I mentioned in a previous post he LOVES little kids. He doesn't go blank when they work around him or ride him like a lot of lesson horses tend to. He is very attentive :) If I could just find a therapeutic program to try him in next.....
In sucky news, the barn helper quit. Here's the kicker: he wanted to do less work and be paid more.......Does that make sense to ANYONE??? Not to mention, I don't think this guy had any room to negotiate like that....this kinda job helps you to fly under the radar if ya know what I mean. Good news, my boss may have already found a replacement. Here's hoping! And this guy sounds like the real deal. Hoping, praying... I really don't think I can go back to the work schedule I was on pre-Juan. I like having a LIFE thank you. And it would be a step back instead of forward. Maybe others may think that in my position I should work myself to death to get anywhere but I'm simply not doing that. Health wise, no way. I would like to be doing this when I die an old, cantankarous, cat lady in her 90s, thanks. Seriously, the horse world can be so archaic.

I'll have to be sure to get pics of my boy and Kylie. Crossing fingers all goes well!!!
Til next time :-)

Things that Come Out of Boredom

Well, I guess I'll introduce myself to all the millions viewing this.....HA! ;) Anyway, for those interested and willing to read this "pish", my name is Karly. I'm a 24 year old working student/stablehand....../daughter/Big sister/rider/instructor/....you get the picture :) I guess I'll be using this little bloggy thingy to vent when needed and maybe inspire when it so moves me??? Maybe, maybe. We shall see.

So, the working student thing...Well, lets just say it ain't what I thought it would be, haha. There are some good times but more often than not I find it to be rather disappointing. Hopefully I can find a real job here soon and fill in the details. Let's just say it's the main reason for the title of this blog. Ever looked after 10 riding campers for a week with an overly ambitious boss??? Oh, its interesting. Thank God I have become accustom to the heat (at least somewhat) since it is FORBIDDEN to have shade anywhere near the trailer parking. I only had to load and unload 9 horses over a 6 hour period. Oy. Don't get me wrong, I learned a lot last week and got a TON of experience with camps and shows (events specifically). BUT it is a TON of work! Luckily we did have a couple awesome campers that helped out. Sometimes without even asking! :D

Unfortunately, I didn't get to ride last week :( Some people may think I should have tried harder but again unless you've dealt with 10 campers for 5 days straight doing constant activity (keep those mischievious brains working and exhausted, lol) for 8 or 9 hours a day....Yeah, I wanna see you jump on your horse and be productive, hahaha. I will say though, my guy in training is usually better after having a break like this. I'll know tomorrow! I don't feel too bad. He was ridden every other day the week before and then had a show Saturday and on the way home the trailer broke down. 5 hours on the trailer = not feeling guilty for giving him the week off.

Speaking of those furry four legged ones, I have two :) The first is my 16yo Standardbred (you know, they race with the little 'carts') Bubby I just stared training last July. I've had him since I was 14 and it's been one ofthe best decisions I ever convinced my parents to let me do :D Maybe in a future blog I'll go over why it took so long to get him to this point. The picture is of us at our last show before the trailer breakdown. I'm training him in dressage with my trainer twice a week and we have some sooooo far in the last year. I'll have to post some old pics of the two of us. Oh boy, THAT will be interesting, lol. I picked dressage because, well, I enjoy and like to tell myself I'm good at it. I've never been the best jumper. Wish I was. And really, neither is he. I consider him my soulmate in the horse world. Seriously. When that horse's time comes, lets just say no one will be able to find me for a long long time. To me he's perfect (even when he PACES during our dressage test). Everyone elses opinion be damned.

My other guy is a 30yo Thoroughbred named Darryl. Yes, 30 big ones. And if you ever see him in person, you'd never know :) I proudly say he still tries to buck me like a young colt. He was my lesson horse at the previous farm I rode at. He taught me to canter, how to use leg, how to jump and just how much fun an inpromptu gallop can be. So when the girl he was previously given to didn't want him anymore I gladly took him home. He and Bubby are attached at the hip. They act very much like the brothers I call them. They look out for each other and work together in sync. Makes me a very proud horse Mom :D

Well, thats my introduction. More info to come I hope!