Tail Envy

Okay, there are many things that I envy about other riders and their horses...the ability to do tempi changes is one, the access to a truck and trailer is another, but most importantly is a great horse tail! Super thick and full and really long horse tails. So heavy that the horse can barely pick it up with his tail bone!

The welsh cob in the photo above has a great tail. My friend's friesian has a great tail. The horses at the S.P. clinic all had great tails. It is the one thing Red lacks. He has sort of a skimpy tail. And thanks to his great, great great grand daddy Lapis, he likes to carry it really high l It has lots of beautiful blond highlights but they make his tail look really puny. Another thing is that Red loves to rub his tail during the hot sweaty summers and rub off the very tippy top of his tail.

Here's a picture of his short, skimpy tail that he like to carry like an Arab:

Here is Lapis, his great, great, great grandaddy- an Arab. Red looks just like this when he gets all excited!

But enough was enough! I was no longer going to let his genetics and my laziness get the best of us!

This summer I was very dilligent about taking care of his tail. I started out by saying farewell to the uneven ends of it, banging it, and in doing so it was just below the top of his hocks. (Sniff) Brushing it very infrequently, hand picking it and conditioning it.

A few weeks ago, Aussie WEG eventer and all around cool guy (aren't all Aussies cool?) posted pictures of his 4* horse HJ Hampton (Henny) at the WEG. I have major tail envy. Henny has a great tail, long and thick. It looks so heavy that I don't know how he carries it over the jumps! I was so distracted by Henny's tail that I had to contact Peter on Facebook and ask him how he takes care of Henny's tail. Peter said the following:

Henry has an amazing tail to begin with but the thing you saw on the top to have it looking sharp in the ring was an ACE bandage. You can get them at the drug store. All you do is put a little water on the top of his tail so it sticks and w...rap it down, then when you get to the end tuck it into itself and it will hold. Just be careful to not leave them on to long or put them on to tight! As for the fullness of the tail the trick to keeping it that way is to not brush them to much and ALWAYS make sure there is lots of Cowboy magic or some sort of detangler in it when you do brush it. Use a comb to not a hair brush. Hope that helps:)

I haven't had a chance to try the Ace bandage trick (but I will!). Then the first thing I did was toss out the old tail brush and comb.

I am now using a comb with super long tines, like this one:

The new comb works great! The long tines work nicely through the hair, with less strokes and a lot less hair breakage!

Another piece of advice I got from the DN (who has two horses with really nice full tails) is to, "NEVER EVER USE SHOW SHEEN. IT CONTAINS ALCOHOL!" So now the Show Sheen has been relegated to to the old storage trunk for clipping only.

The coat/tail products I am now using:

Healthy Hair Care Conditioner: This was recommended to me by a pro groom. It is a concentrated formula (mix with water) , contains lanolin and no silicone or alcohol.

Cowboy Magic:I think a little silicone (okay- alot- like a silver dollar sized amount) keeps the hair strands slick and makes the comb go through easier!

Vetrolin Shine: Great for after a bath, wet the tail and coat it.  It is also really nice for all over body shine!

Twee Thoughts....

One. The Steffen Peters clinic. I know I haven't posted my thoughts/notes on the clinic. I did take copious notes, but it was such a long day that I didn't have the energy to decipher and transfer my notes. I will say that the tailgate was a roaring success and a heck of a good time! So good that my pictures kinda suck but oh well!

Here's Steffen with his totally awesome kickass seat.  He was working on Lyndon Rife's Rembrandt, working on passage steps, increasing the cadence or expression.

Here's my trainer riding her 5 years old Gribaldi grand daughter, Elle.  Sue doesn't miss a photo opp! LOL!

Here's one more gratuitous photo of S.P.  He's got that perfect riders body- all muscle, long legs, slightly toed in from riding.  He was a total gentleman, a real pleasure to listen to.

I rode on Sunday evening, keeping a lot of what I learned in mind. I think I had a nice ride- maybe breathing the same air as Steffen Peters helped. We will find out tomorrow when the D.N. (dressage nazi) comes to give us a beatdown lesson!

Two. I finally got my horse blankets washed, dried and delivered to the barn! It sucked 2 hours of my day at the Laundromat (the only one in Rockwall, and outrageously busy on a Sunday morning!) Had I been smart, I would have taken my laptop to post my S.P. clinic notes.  Additionally, I did a MUCH better job than the local horse laundry lady...now if I could only sew and repair my blankets! :(

Twee. I did clip the Red monster...Just in time too, his coat was starting to puff up. Decided on a trace clip. I had cleaned my clippers and blades, hoping to get away with the existing blades that I used for Red's Spring clip. Bad Idea! On top of that, I will admit I was on a time crunch.  I gave myself 2.5 hours to wash, dry and clip him.  I didn't have chalk, so I resorted to a BLUE Sharpie to make the outline. OMG! Red looks like he was clipped by a beauty school drop out! I think it is verging on criminal. I am praying that by December, the mutilation will have grown out so I can hide my crime! Oh well, at least it is done.Here's a pictures of my criminal clip job! LOL!

Ignore his filthy face, I did a craptastic ghetto groom on Red tonight. I am embarrassed at how dirty his face is, it is sorta white from him rubbing his face on the fence.  uugghh!

AND, I got a 2nd opinion from Cheryl on my ghetto clip job. She said it was pretty good. She said she wouldn't be embarrassed to take the Pumpkin on a hunt...

But at least that is twee things I can cross of my list!

Countdown to Steffen Peters Clinic

I will have full details Saturday night, with pictures....
To those of you that know me, I will not be doing the full stalkerazzi that I normally do at these things ( I am a dressage groupie).

I will also be providing photos of our tail gate at PNYRDR!

10 Questions....soliciting help from COTHers....

I want to do series of COTH style "10 questions" interviews in our local newsletter. I thought I would start out with my instructor/trainer since 1) I know her 2) she is an S- level judge 3) has extensive training experience (Florida, made GP horses, etc).  I have my own list of questions, but maybe I am missing an opportunity to ask something interesting.

Since I see that some of the traffic (okay, nearly 99.9%) to this blog is from COTH, I would like to ask COTHer's who visit my site what: types of questions they would want to ask or see answered of a GP level trainer?

Please post your questions in the comments section.

Thanks!

Not so ready for the cooler weather!

Well, I AM ready for the welcome change in temperature! But if you don't count monogramming my fleece coolers, I've done a piss poor job of getting ready for cooler weather!

Here's the extent of my winter prep, monogramming!

1. I have NOT washed Red's blankets...they are still sitting in garage, taunting me. I thought I was going to have them done yesterday but my day got sucked away by the black hole that is someone else's schedule! Aack!

2. I have NOT decided whether or not to clip Red. I know I need to because while the latest lesson ride time was great during the summer, it will not be so great in 40 degree temps in December! I am dreading the thought of a sweaty chilly horse at 9pm! I know I need to, but I haven't organized the clippers, figured out what day I am going to dedicate to bathing him, figured out what kind of clip job! Aack #2!

4. I have NOT repaired Red's blanket storage bag for his blanket bar that suffered an injury last year, in which the velcro tore off one of the holders. I really am not relishing the thought of blankets and sheets gathering dust and shavings as they get shoved into the blanket bar!

3. I have NOT done a thorough evaluation of my winter riding wear. I need to get a new pair of Irideon wind pro breeches, because the pair I have is about 6 years old and look about as old and nappy as you can imagine. I need a black riding vest and maybe a new fleeck pullover, maybe brown. Time to call On The Bit for an emergency purchase! On a happy side note, my Ariat windbreaker HAS been monogrammed. LOL!

5. The Corgis are getting their winter coats already (WHAT!?!??) They've had 3 baths, furminated, flea combed...I don't know where this coat is coming from. But the long hair, short legs and wet morning grass is already irritating me. I am SO not ready for the bark- and growlathon that is towel drying corgi bellies at the crack O' dawn! Time to have their bellies shaved! The good thing is their fleece coats are washed and ready to go.

I sure do hope everyone else in the interwebz horseland has done a better job of getting ready for winter!

Red the therapy horse!

The summer days are waning.  We are taking advantage of as many nice days as possible by riding outside.  Today, Red and I took along Alison and Aron to our little arena of paradise.  The pond that is near the outdoor arena is now home to a pair of mallards, and my favorite- the Blue Heron. Fall is definately here! Circling above us were the hawks, along with the coyotes, maybe they will keep the mice down this winter.

Aron retained his memories of our fun rides in the arena from last week and treated Alison to his happy relaxed self.  I told her as we walked out to just relax, walk on a loose rein and if he looks to pat him on the neck, let him look but keep walking.  The only thing he doesn't really like are the big red ant piles (who can blame him!). He stayed close to Red the entire time (keeping the dust up- cough, cough).  So I decided to let her enjoy herself in the arena and we worked on our interval training in the field.

Here I am last week riding Aron:

Borrowing from my lesson from Wednesday, I was reminded by Sue that even if we are doing interval training in the field he must still transition nicely....no dropping the back and freight training on the reins.  Use the shoulder in to keep him coming up in the shoulders and lifting his back.  It made for amazing forward transitions! All we did was canter/trot and trot/canter transitions on 20m. circles and figure eights. At the walk, I made sure to keep him through! Fantastic!

While we were riding, it became a bit of a party.  The B.O. came up, my friend Eddie walked up, as well as another boarder along with all the corgis!.  Eddie is recoving from very significant surgeries, including double hip replacement.  He hasn't ridden in 2 years.  He's been coming up to the barn to visit his horse, to walk in the field and get his exercise.  Watching everyone, he must have gotten antsy to ride.  He asked me if Red was tired enough that he could ride him at the walk.  I said sure! -knowing that Red would be on his best behavior outside.

He let Eddie get on, made no faces and just gave him a beautiful medium walk, staying down and round stepping through over his back with beautiful 4 beats and big strides with his back legs.  Eddie is very tight in his hips since his surgery and due to not having ridden in so long, so everytime he would tighten his knees or thighs Red's head would creep up.  If Eddie leaned forward, Red would start his lazy half trot half jigg.  I just told Eddie to relax, lift his rib cage and drape his leg....aahhhh, back to pretty walk.  Eddie was getting tired, so I told him to drop his stirrups and I would lead them at the walk...Red was so good. when Eddie relaxed so would my very best Redhead.  Eddie was so pleased, getting to get back on a horse again, and enjoying Red's smooth walk.  Can you imagine not riding for 2 years!?! :( I can't.

Living in Shoulder in

I just need to own the fact that Red and I need to live in this movement or the little brother, shoulder fore.

sigh....long lesson tonight. Sue wrung every ounce of energy out of me and Red.  But so proud of my boy.

This Post is Corgi related!

Looord Have Mercy!!!

What is the deal with the fleas this fall? They are out of control!
The corgis have gotten re-infested 3 times in as many weeks.
They seem to be getting it from the barn, because when we leave the barn they are scratching, jingling, and when I look sure enought I am finding fleas.They are on topical preventative but it is not enough.  All this because they are addicted to all things cat- cat food, cat poo, cat pee! uggh! If they would leave the cats alone we would all be so much happier.

 So much to my dismay, they are going to have to have to stay away until I've got them on Comfortis.  AACK! That's practically the cost of a dressage lesson! 

Here is a picture of the two flea bags acting like they don't mind that they are dirty flea infested!

Red Hot and Fresh!

That is how I would describe Red today.

It was 60 and windy all day today. For a horse that doesn't sweat during the summer, it was like a kid let loose in a candy store! It was too beautiful to ride in doors so we rode in our own little mecca, the outdoor at the top of thie hill. Besides it being cool and breezy, I remembered that I forgot to fly spray him when we were all the way up to the hill! So he was fidgety about the noseeums...uggh.. it was step-step-kick-step-step-kick. Good thing I am not taking these things personally anymore!

He was a bit over stimulated today. He was jiggy, jiggy, jiggy. Any leg aid was too much. For about 10 minutes we did nothing but leg yield. Anything on a straight line wasn't happening so I had to spend some time getting him to flex, bend and relax. flex, one o'clock, lower on the outside. Flex, 12 o'clcok, lower on the outside. Flex, 11 o'clock, lower on the outside. As that is part of our routine, it usually works. but not today. He just wanted to GO!

So I went into halfseat and cantered him. He was a bit strong but forward. He had a beautiful rhythm to his canter. He just didn't want to have anything to do with 20m circles. But we kept at it for a few minutes, and then I brought him down to trot. I could feel him starting to listen, and soften and get over his back. But any leg to ask him to step left or right and vrooom!

Some progress made but dressage was not in the cards! I took him to the grass field that surrounds the arena and walked him out...ahh, flatfooted walk!

I looked around and saw the slight incline up the hill.And maybe I was a little inspired by all the WEG XC, but I decided to channel Red's far off relative Windfall and his great great grand daddy, Burnus and do some interval training.

We walked down the hill, and trotted up the hill and turned around and walked down. A little strong the first time, but by the 2nd trot set he was willing to soften, listen to a half halt and had some impulsion.

Then we moved onto canter. I asked him on a 15m. circle to canter, checked my brakes, good rhythm and some collection and then up the hill we went. I was in a bit of a forward seat with my hands folling him. He was so soft and willing. He was fantastic!

After 10 minutes, he was so relaxed. Not winded, not sweaty but we worked all the muscles in his body as I could see his veins all over his body. What a great boy!

Here are some pictures of the view from today:

Red is thinking, "hmmm, that pond looks just like Head of the Lake at Rolex! Let's go!"

I should have known when he pinned his ears when we headed towards the arena that this ride was going to be a challenge!