DefinitelyDressage.com

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Jingles for Rip! I get it with the retiree expenses. I have to admit that I am giving poor Obie the side-eye lately, but he is the same as ever. He will hit drinking age at the end of this month. T is kind of in a phase. Very glad I won't be riding in front of Leslie this weekend. My ego is a little...

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Mari - Jingles that no other horses get sick. Sorry to hear about the loss of the foal. Exvet, sorry the show didn't go better. It sounds rather tough, but I know you'll work all angles to get through the issues. SF- glad Tesla settled down and focused. And yay for more solo shot videos soon! Well, ...

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Heddy, jingles for your little piggy! EV, hope you are having a great show; can't wait to read all about it. LSP, it sounds like your daughter is getting a great foundation and will become a quality horsewoman. Moutaineer, glad you are having good rides, and I'm sure your red boy will be sleek as a ...

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LSP, Miss T tends to throw her haunches left, and sometimes I find it challenging to capture that inside hind in SI. Like, she is making the shape but I can feel that she's cheating the inside hind. Sometimes changing to renvers will help, but I actually have better luck straightening her body out a...

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Sounds like a good clinic Blob! Can you remind me who the clinician was? Mari, sorry your scores didn't measure up to expectations. I agree that letting it go for a few days, and then reviewing the tests to figure out where you might pick up points would be good. I've been there done that. But it's ...

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What would we even be doing if we weren't worrying about something, right?! We had a good lesson today. I was the last ride of the day and started late, so we had an extra long warmup. Maybe not a bad thing. She had me get T a little deep and trotting more slowly thinking baby HI on a 10m circle, an...

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I had a great ride on Junior today. We worked on the most recent homework that I received from Molly. Unfortunately when I untacked Junior I found rub marks on the hair on his loin/croup. Because of the location I'm sure it was the saddle pad but was it because the saddle was moving too much as in ...

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Dragged ass out to the barn tonight just to make sure T got out of her stall and moving a bit. It was windy and somewhat cold, and I was tired, so I was just going to lunge, but since she wasn't being too wild on the lunge, I sucked it up and signed up for an exercise ride. Actually ended up getting...

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ExVet, always great to see the photos! I heard from a colleague in NM today, and it sounds rather apocalyptic down there with the dust storms. I remember being pelted in the legs with sand when I was in grad school down there. Definitely not a fan. Moutaineer, exciting to be staring down the barrel ...

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Got shoes back on Miss T today, and she seemed happy. Some funkiness here and there in canter, but no swapping leads in back, so I'm hoping that is a good sign that they are giving her some support that she needed. I got a taste of the ALCAR while making some cookies for her last night, and that cra...

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Of course, I was probably riding with more determination and less "fa la, hello trees, hello birdies, let's all be nice and enjoy the spring sunshine." He just needs a full-on mentally and physically engaged ride, or he decides to take over, I guess. Ha, I feel seen. I am trying to decide...

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SF, glad T worked out of it and hopefully she just needs a way to enjoy her ALCAR more. Horses, man. Yeah, I'm thinking I need to roll it into a cookie along with her Vitamin E. Last night we had a pretty good jumping session. I set up a bending line with three jumps, which we could get through as ...

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It doesn't seem like you have anything to lose with that experiment, Chisamba. Moutaineer, glad you are back in the saddle, and Exvet, fingers crossed that you've found the right saddle! T was a little grumpy getting tacked up last night. She never acts girthy, or specifically reactive to the saddle...

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Sorry to hear about the effects to everyone else. There are so many connections, other than XXXX feds being fired. Everyone will be feeling it soon enough. I have some interesting calls to make to my contractor clients on Monday. If there is a professional avenue to do so, please make it as clear as...

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I had a good ride today. She is still liking the new saddle and I'm able to sit pretty well with the new saddle + stiff boots. Our arena is a little chopped up, but not under water like some others. The other day we worked on some cavaletti at a shorter distance. She is starting to get the point of ...

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Double post.

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Moutaineer, I hope you're feeling better soon! LSP, how fun that your daughter can hop on Lyx. Exvet, I hope Ace is OK, and you can get this saddle stuff sorted out. So excited for everyone getting ready to level up in the show ring this year! I think my goal this time around is to get T driving int...

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I'm just glad this period is over. All in all, it turned out pretty good - rode most of January, and got to go on an out of town adventure to get a few lessons. Acquired new saddles. Was pretty consistent about getting to the gym 3x a week. Eating was OK but could still be better. I'm afraid my wine...

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Well, we haven't gotten lower egg prices. I'm beyond freaked out. My husband is also a fed and eligible for VERA, and will probably take it if offered. I'm a couple years too young to get it, or I'd consider it. I knew things were going to be bad, but I didn't expect this full frontal assault on fed...

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I like to say that sometimes lunging is the better part of valor.

Tonight was good. Lightbulb moment realizing I'm blocking with my seatbone in the left halfpass. Duh. Tomorrow I should have more time to set up some jump gymnastics.

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LOL T was a monster yesterday too. I got to the barn and ppl said she was doing her dressage moves in her pen, so lunging was on the menu. She demonstrated her signature move of bucking while leaping backwards. Decent ride after she got it all out. The arena needs to drain more and get groomed though.

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Wooh, I got to ride today! The arena is still pretty sloppy, but at least we could W/T/C. Thursday we were plodding around on the buckle just breaking up the snow, but I made the best of it by seeing how subtle I could be with my aids and still steer accurately. T started out a little sticky today, ...

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Chisamba, I like that thought! I have not but that's simply because so far I haven't found one with short enough panels. The N2, mostly because it's a 16 inch seat, is short enough and wide enough (5.5) for Junior. The other issue I have with saddle fit at this point is that they need to be flatter ...

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Exvet, the only N2 I've ridden in was I think a Cardhu. The seat seemed true to size, but definitely a deep, locked in feel. Have you looked at any Patricks? They make some pretty wide saddles, and have a cob tree. Flying Star in FL sells them, and tends to have some used stock. Interesting on the W...

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Aleuronx, what a pretty tailcoat! Thanks for sharing the pics.

Exvet, that sure is a lot to handle, especially without a helpful sibling to carry some of the load.

I am itching to ride, but heading out of town tomorrow. Fitter coming next Saturday for the new saddle.

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Tanga, glad you are doing better. Maybe it is just several small things compounded. Fingers crossed you can continue to peel the onion. Kind of like unwinding issues our horses have, isn't it? Blob, thanks for the lesson report! I was able to get a ride in last night - after exorcising the fire brea...

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I am plugging along. I don't know if it was COVID, but whatever crap I got at the end of October took a long time to fully go away in terms of fatigue and whatnot. I did try the Prehab app, but canceled during the trial period. It had some good exercises, but the app was cumbersome to me, and I didn...

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Aleruonx - I can't wait to see you and Kora on centerline in that tailcoat! Did you ever post photos, or is it a surprise? Moutaineer - can you remind me of the dates of that L program thing? I was toying with going. If you ride in it, that might give me more incentive. Someday I'm sure we'll meet :...

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Exvet, I enjoyed watching Molly's videos. I kept the idea of warming up through the levels in walk when I rode on Thursday night, and did some spiraling canter today. :) Thursday, the Erreplus arrived, but I decided to warm up in my old saddle so I could tell if any stickiness was just T's normal st...

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Thank you Exvet, I will check out her videos. I also work for the feds and it is just a face palm a minute lately. I had to restock the wine fridge. At some point I'll have to start going and sitting my butt in a cubicle 8 hours a day just because. Some wine and dressage videos might help! I just we...

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Thanks for the lesson notes ExVet! Do you have a link to Molly's video or YouTube channel? We were working on some similar things with T last weekend - not negotiating quality in the transitions and expecting her to stay IFL and on the bit in walk. Tanga, so glad you are feeling better! Sounds like ...

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Aleuronx, ugh, I can't fathom doing anything in those temps. Glad Kora's checkup went well, though. Heddy, glad you are enjoying working with your new trainer! Moutaineer, sounds like you're carrying on well in the cold. Exvet, Troy sounds like quite the Good Boy. Can't wait to see him develop. Is h...

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Cold here too, but it works out well for the horses to go out on frozen pastures during T's winter vacation. The jumping saddle is supposed to arrive today, so I might need to see if I can haul over and use the indoor at Obie's barn to test it out. I also ordered the Erreplus dressage saddle yesterd...

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That does sound like a fun clinic SF. Good luck to you both! I'm sure third will be no problem 'cause at least you have forward. Thanks for the vote of confidence ExVet! I am giving T a break this week, but I think my added goal for February is to find the kind of forward power in canter that I'm a...

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Well shoot, my post vanished. 3-day clinic recap in short: had fun, hope to do it again next month. Have invites for places to stay, might have a former barnmate come with her mare. Getting out of town was a good experience for T. Homework: HP transitions to medium, HP to HI, then pick up opposing l...

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Interesting! It sounds like it's worth giving it a few more rides at minimum! I was looking at used DRESSAGE saddles today and in my Googling, ran across a steal of a deal on an Albion Revelation cross country saddle that I couldn't pass up. If I like it, I should be able to get my $$ back selling t...

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Good luck when the saddle search ExVet! I just got my demo/prototype yesterday and I'm not very hopeful. Need to shim it up more in front today and see if that helps. I'm considering trying either or bothe used Erreplus saddles, or looking into getting another Patrick or Black Country. T was still s...

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Blob, FWIW I had a mare with fecal water and removing the soy based ration balancer helped resolve it. I did a month of the Equiotic probiotic as well. I think I shifted her to a bit of Renew Gold plus a pelleted vitamin supp and she had no further issues. Of course you know MM so well and it's odd ...

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Thanks for the Thermal report Exvet, glad it was productive even if you didn't end up showing. Good luck with the saddle search. I'm told my demo will be here this month, after being ordered at the end of August. I'm hoping an actual custom-made saddle won't take even longer! When I ordered my custo...

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Good to hear from you Goldhorse, but sorry to hear about all of your losses in 2024. Glad you have Piggy going strong and congrats on the weight loss! Heddy, what is a tonal? I'm already making progress on one goal, as long as the weather forecast doesn't take a turn for the worse. My regular instru...

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Happy New Year! Riding goals this period are simple - ride when the opportunity presents itself. Try to get a lesson or two if at all possible. At least the days are starting to get longer! If weather allows it, I might ride Kyra a bit as well while Susan is recovering from surgery. SELF: Diet and f...

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Well I have an amendment, because I was able to ride yesterday and today. Tomorrow is promising to bring snow to remind us that it is, in fact, January in Idaho. Yesterday T was still in her stickiness phase, and I was wondering if it had to do with the weather, or more likely, lack of turnout makin...

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Well CostCo is having a sale in SPAM. :roll: I think we can call it for this period. More rain tonight, then we'll hopefully get a couple dry days. Yesterday the arena has a fair bit of standing water, but the footing was firm and not slippery, so I did my best to give T some exercise and burn off s...

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Very cute with the antlers! No snow here yet, we just got rained on while riding last night. The arena is probably quite swampy today. Tomorrow I'm getting the plug in the bed replaced on my truck, and hopefully that will fix the random issues I've had with the trailer brakes. Then we'll probably be...

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Kelo certainly was successful in her journey from training to GP on mostly virtual lessons. Oh yes! And she clearly wasn't hindered by breed bias. Maybe you could get in touch with her and find out who she worked with! It was 55 and sunny today, so I managed to sneak away from work and hauled out t...

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Blob, I know it can be hard to find good trainers, but I would not thrive with someone who didn't believe in me and my horse. Even with Annabelle, my instructor would reference prepping for changes, extended gaits, etc. Even if we never got there, I learned more that way than if she viewed us in ter...

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Managed to get a lesson this afternoon. It rained yesterday and last night, so the arena was pretty wet, but we made the best of it. I haven't ridden with this instructor in a couple years, but we see each other around and are FB friends, so she had an idea of where we were at. I got some good input...

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I've actually been able to ride three days this week, and probably will again tomorrow! T's right lead is feeling really good. Yesterday the ground was hard, so we stuck to more collected work and played with some 1/4 piris. She is falling out of canter when we try to the right, though I did get a g...

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Love that pic Flight! Blob, sounds like a productive clinic. I'm also of the mind to introduce new work. After all, it's gymnastics that improve everything else. Lately I've been having a little play with piri steps and half steps with T, even though we are still polishing up 2nd level. It's all hel...

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Looking great, Aleu! I'd love to get some snow here. The arena froze up at just the wrong time before it could get worked, so I had to cancel my Saturday lesson. Wouldn't you know, somehow it thawed out today enough to ride. It will be great when the BO gets an arena groomer. Right now we are relyin...

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