When It's Cold I'm Not Happy

   Last week it was warm, like 40's and low 50's warm, the ground was thawed, the snow was gone, I was HAPPY. Now we are back to low 20's and below, I am NOT happy about this!!!! I have a knee and shoulder issue so when its this cold they cramp up and it sucks. I just want to ride my ponies :(
 I rode all last week so I'm not super worried about it,I'm just going crazy. Now I know some people are like "But you have an indoor arena!" Dear people, its got three windows and no door. ALL WIND COMES IN! Plus Super Kid can't deal with being in that indoor, this is the only one and I'm guessing its because
its small and she feels closed in, but we will trot the whole time and still be wired about being in there, its incredibly irritating.

Thanks Bobby for the new saddle pad!

 This is a  about the cold post, nothing new is happening, just the same winter cold and stiffness. On the plus side I have decided to definitely take Rhyme to Heartland CT. Plus my friend who does H\J is thinking about coming to the dark side and doing some eventing so she is taking her baby Indy, so I'll get her to take pictures of Rhymeykinz first big fancy event horse show

                  

Lets get this party started!!!

    Lets talk about this show seasons instead of this nasty winter stuff. Lets get one thing out there, I like snow until New Years, after that I'm done with it. I have a ton planned for this year, I am getting a re-train\resale project Morab who will hopefully be sold by fall at the latest, as well as selling Irmingarda to be a childs hunter, because why not?
   Of course lets not forget about the subjects of this blog Super Kid and Rhyme!!!

being a good horse

Before she took off, psycho

   Anywayyy,,, my game plan this year is for Super Kid to go to Penny Oaks and IEA definitely,, possibly Greater Dayton and some at the KHP, we will continue our fitness rides and get as fit as possible. Continue with our lessons with Dom dressage and jumping, hopefully cross country schooling because I have actually never gone xc schooling before. I need to start working out to be at the top of my game for this spring, she's still pretty fit, for not doing much over the winter. As soon as possible start jump schooling over small stuff, get our basics DOWN! Work on our dressage skillz ( I have that downloaded onto my phone, pre-dressage warm-up, I think YES!)
   Rhyme is going to Heartland CT which will be his first show, nice and calm (hopefully) I took a lesson on him and it didn't go to great, he was nervous, neighing, paying zero attention, just being a jerk and finished it off by getting his tongue over the bit which he has never done. So he will be going MANY places, just learning that the traveling this is okay. He's growing and maturing still so I give him a little leeway in being immature but he knows where the line is and if he crosses it he's in trouble.
 So lets all look forward to this warm weather, keep riding and, go eventing!

Winter,nobody likes you go away

    I have nothing to blog about, Its been in the lower 20's clear down to negative 30 with wind chill regularly this winter. That weather is not suitable for riding equines. My indoor isn't all the way closed in, has three huge windows and a front door. All those holes don't have shutters or doors so its cold and drafty when its miserable out.  ITS JUST NOT FUN!!! Also my senior pictures will take place of new pony pictures for a bit, Thanks to Jeremy and Vickie Photography!!!!

27 Questians when its bloody cold out

1. Favorite thing about riding? 
Everything, I seriously would be crazy or addicted to something without my ponies. I love everything about riding.

2. Green horse or trained horse
Both

3. Have you ever wanted to quit riding? 
Yes. 

4. Do you prefer to ride inside or outside?
Outside,Super Kid doesn't do well indoors and usually has a mental breakdown

5. How many times a week do you ride?
Five to six depending on things

6. Have you ever fallen off at a show? How? 
Nope, came really close but never actually (knock on wood)

7. Do you have a private or group lesson?
Honestly I have no preference. 

8. In your opinion does it make you less of a rider if you don't own a horse? 
Not at all. What makes you a good rider is the willingness to learn and change how you do things. If you aren't willing to take criticism and learn then you are a bad rider. No matter what level you ride at there are always things you can take away or improve about yourself. It doesn't matter if own yours own horse.

9. Do you plan on having horses in your life, for the rest of your life?
Yes without a doubt.

10. If you could ride any famous horse (dead or alive) who would it be?
Teddy O'Conner, Erin Go Bragh, many others

11. Does winning ribbons matter to you? 
 Nope,

12. Worst riding experience?
Honestly, It could be my old trainer telling me that I didn't deserve my pony and I was letting everybody down. Not nice 

13. Describe a time when you wanted another equestrian to fail at something -- 

I haven't, i'm a nice person

14. Describe the proudest or happiest moment you can think of in your riding career –
The the last couple lessons I had in PA, you could feel the difference in both Super Kid and I.
 
15. Do you think any disciplines are cruel? Which one(s) and why?

Anytime when you put winning in front of the horses well being 

16. Your worst riding habit?
At shows I have have a habbit of having my hands way to low, like side reins, and I move my hands a lot

17. When you’re in the show ring, what’s going through your mind? 
Don't mess up, oh crap, don't mess up.

18. If you owned a barn, would you try for a laid back casual atmosphere, or a professional fast paced one? 
I would be in the middle somewhere

19. I give you a $2,000 gift card to your favorite tack store/online retailer, what do you buy? 
Buy a Southern Stars eventing saddle

20. You’re riding in an arena at home with several other riders, and one of them obviously doesn't know the rules of the ring, even though they’re posted. The others are clearly annoyed, would you do anything? 
Take them aside later and quietly explain them to the people

21. Worst fear riding?
Looking like an idiot, messing up, hurting my horse

22. How old do you imagine you’ll be when you stop riding, and what’s the cause?
I never will

23. If you could own any number of horses, would they all be the same discipline or a mix?
Sport horses all the way
24. Favorite colors for your horse?
In case you haven't noticed it, its blue

25. Favorite tack brand?
Umm anything that hold up

26. If given the opportunity would you breeze a race horse?

Yes,

27. Three ‘You know you’re an equestrian when…’When you are doing vocab for a class and one of the words is wolf something and you type it into the dictionary all Woof

You miss you friends graduation because your at a horse show

You have to schedule work around your horse schedule

zoommyy

2014 Goals \ 2013 Review

I love reading peoples monthly goals etc. I like seeing how other people prep and try and accomplish their goals. At the beginning of the year I did a 2012 review, well things have changed a ton since then....

We started off the year at a novice CT in May, which was actually a very sketchy dressage test and a horrible show jumping round. This included me not releasing over the jumps here!  Ending the year with getting a big fat E on our record because I'm an idiot and forgot a jump on stadium.
 On the good side we did get to go to PA and experience the working student life and hopefully will be able to go back.

2014 Goals

Horse Goals

Super Kid-  Goal for 2013 was to place in the top ten at a show.

We got close at 11th so I'll be happy with that for now. 

Goals for 2014!!!

Jump constantly novice

When we start jumping regularly and taking lessons again jump at novice\max novice and low training
(maybe higher.) At our last lesson we where definitely getting at novice height. I know we hit some low training stuff before we left when we where in PA training.

Dressage score in mid to low 30's if possible get a 20

We did realllyyy bad this year score wise. At home and in lessons we freaking rocked it out and I could not have been happier. At the Team challenge we sucked. It was freezing, raining and plain miserable during my dressage ride. Super Kid trotted for twenty minutes beforehand per trainer instructions. We where fine until we had to stop and wait for the rider in front of us to get out, we then proceeded to have a mental block and had a VERY tense test. 

MORE CROSS COUNTRY SCHOOLS

I have never actually cross country schooled with pony. We have had clinics where part of it was xc. Hopefully this year we can do some of these either at the Hoosier Horse Park or Bea Hive

Rhyme!

My goals for him are simple. Get out, go to some shows\lessons\ or whatever. We didn't have a vary good lesson. Mostly it involved Rhyme acting like an idiot, screaming his head off and getting his tongue over the bit. (Which he has never done nor done since) Of course start jumping. I am a strong believer in the whole don't jump until they are 5. I personally also think you should wait until they are mature enough, mentally and physically ready.  I started jumping him over low stuff but he just got overwhelmed about it.

Irmi
Goal is to sell her!!

Personal goals

1. lose about 20lbs--- I was really close but then school started. Lets not talk about that :p
2. Sit a trot better-- my least favorite thing to do
3. Not freak myself out about stupid stuff ex. ditches
4. Graduate high school-- May 2014 
5. Figure out what I want to do. To go to college or not to go to college and ride ponies 
6. Sell both Irmi and a sale horse I have, Farah
7. BLOG MORE REGULARLY 

I put a ribbon on my pony, she wasn't bothered by it and proceeded to do her after ride yawn 

Long time no blogging

Courtesy of L @ Viva Carlos...

1: If your horse could talk what would they say? What would they be like?
Super Kid would definitely would be like me, or one of the girls off Mean Girls. Sarcastic,smart and witty. 

Rhyme would be this fish, not even joking, he can be so obnoxious sometimes, he can't help it though he's just at that stage of development. If its really bad stuff like chewing on everything and being pushy he gets in trouble but if its the other stuff I just ignore him

2: If you were a horse, what would you look like (color, markings, etc), what discipline would you do, and what would you be like to ride?
I would be either a grey (SK) or chestnut mare with a small blaze and snip. Definitely would be crazy and do eventing and rock the upper levels. Definitely would be one of those horses that only certain people could ride, much like SK is.

3: How many barns have you ridden at?
Ummm, I've always had my horses at home but have taken lessons at other barns 
4: What kind of bay do you prefer? (bright bay, blood bay, etc)
Any but I love bright and blood bays 

5: Can you braid a horses mane? Tail?
I can braid both good enough to get by in eventing and dressage but don't let any hunters look at them.

6: Do you believe that you have to fall off in order to be a good rider?
No, you have to work hard to be a good rider 

7: What do you think is more important: eq or effective riding?Effectiveness over EQ anyday, mostly because I know a lot of good EQ riders that if you take away their made horse and put them on something that requires work they wouldn't be able to ride it.

8: Are there any "horse couples" at your barn?
No, but Super Kid and Teagan where a couple until he left

9: Favorite treat to feed your horse?
Super Kid is allergic to apples so not apples. I don't know I usually just feed regular treats 

10: Silly quirks your horse has.She loves to have her front legs stretched out before you get on. She will bolt at imaginary things, and to this day could randomly spook, she will usually come when you call her. Rhyme has skin problems, no joke, he also will follow me around like a dog, even if I'm cleaning the pasture or something he comes up and hangs out, he has problems 

11: Strangest thing you've fed your horse.
Arrow has eaten pizza willingly before, Super Kid LOVES butterscotch hard candies

12: Have you ever made any horse friends through the internet?
Yes 

13: Would you buy horse furniture?
umm no?

14: Funniest horsey moment
When SK was being bad at Dom Schramm's this summer and he got on her. She was NOT happy, including pissy pony kicks out to the side and grouchy faces,

15: Post a picture of your horse (or any horse) making a silly face that you got on camera!

Leave me alone human, trying to sleep

Whatever, stay there, I am NOT getting up tho

16: What's a moment with horses that you wished you caught on camera?

I wish I could have video taped all my lessons at Dom's over the summer, we seriously improved so much with someone there constantly telling me what to fix do etc. I want to go back, hopefully, and continue our plan to possible go training

17: How old was the youngest horse you've met?
I had a foal born in my lap when I was little

18: How old was the oldest horse you've met?
Probably my old pony Annie who HAD to be in her mid 30's

19: Opinion on colorful tack? (like red or blue)
I like colorful accessories, the tack itself, blah

20: Have you ever tried horse treats? Hay?
Both yes, both blah

21: Have you ever felt like giving up on a horse?
More than once I have said I was giving up but I haven't yet 

22: Tell the story about the horse that you first felt "click" immediately with you (and if you can't remember, most recent)
I guess the first time I really truly felt like me and SK where really rolling together and a team would be at IEA this year, funny three years this summer that I've had and we are finally there

23: Ever ridden side-saddle? How was it?Nope, would probably die

24: Most interesting place you've ridden at.
KHP, so much history there, 

25: What kind of horse do you like? (sport, stock, endurance, etc)
Sporty like a ferrari but stocky enough to be sound forever

26: Do you feel like you have more patience with horses than people?OMG yes

27: Is the horse you ride very vocal?
Rhyme is, SK not so much

28: Ever ridden in the sunset?
Yes

29: How do you like a horse's mane? (roached, pulled, long, etc)
Roached or pulled, doesn't matter as long as it is taken care of and kept untangled

30: What is your dream name for a horse?
E= MC^2 AKA the Speed of Light, SK future foals name, no joke

Fly high my friend

    Earlier this morning Eventing Nation posted about Erin Go Bragh passing at the ripe old age of 30. I can honestly say the reason that I am an eventer is because of that pony. I watched the movie The Little Horse that could so many times when I was little that even now I can recite every word. Here is a link to the wonderful last chapter that his rider Carol Kozlowski wrote.