DefinitelyDressage.com

StraightForward

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...

StraightForward

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...

StraightForward

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...

StraightForward

Happy holidays! We appreciate you and this board. I hope you have a wonderful vacation!

StraightForward

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...

StraightForward

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...

StraightForward

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...

StraightForward

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...

StraightForward

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...

StraightForward

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...

StraightForward

Oh dang, that is always stressful! I really miss being 8 minutes from the barn, but other things are better at our new place. Maybe it will sell to someone who wants to keep it as a boarding facility, or you'll find a new barn with different perks. Arena is frozen up here. I scheduled a lesson for t...

StraightForward

Glad everyone is having some good lessons, virtual and in person! I gave T more of a stretchy ride today - several leg yields with t/w and c/t transitions, which were good since she seems to be pushing into my right leg a bit lately. I think she was a little sore/tired from yesterday's ride, but ove...

StraightForward

Great job Flight! Sounds like quite an adventure, and tough not being able to cruise around more for familiarization. Jingles for Ding; I hope you can get things resolved so he is feeling better! I was having a perfectly normal ride last night. I was doing a Ride iQ lesson with turn on the forehand ...

StraightForward

Thank you for sharing, Chisamba. You certainly gave her many chances and did right by her. Even without the post-mortem diagnosis, I think you did the right thing as it sounds like she was becoming increasingly dangerous and unhappy.

StraightForward

But that would put a serious kink in her willingness to stand for the clippers! She's got a very short timer on how long she'll cooperate. Sometimes adding more quarters doesn't work. :lol: I need to get T reacquainted with the vacuum, but it seems like whenever I think of it, there are people craw...

StraightForward

I think I am going to have to get into hot toweling this year. Tesla is trace clipped, but is still sweating like a pig every ride and is already building up some nasty gunky spots despite trying to break it up and brush it off. Need to clip again this weekend. The BO added this shredded fiber stuff...

StraightForward

Oh man, my heart stopped reading that. So glad you're both ok. The trailer is a bummer, but replaceable. Wow, what a nightmare!

StraightForward

:lol: :lol: :lol: I would have had way too much fun with that, given the cat's name- "Hey, be careful you don't let Carl Hester out, I have him locked up in the trailer and he's angry!" Khall, I made an Equiband knock-off. I think I need to find different elastic straps for it, but I shoul...

StraightForward

Tesla was never really a entrenched curler, but always so very light in the contact, I'm sure she could have turned into a curler. Very sensitive in the face for such a big girl. I tended towards keeping her more above the bit when riding on contact for a long time, which was not super helpful with ...

StraightForward

Thank you for sharing your experience, Moutaineer. Sounds tough overall, and a lot of time and money, but at least you got to go out and give it a try. Chisamba, good to hear from you, and I look forward to seeing what you do with your new horses next season! Mari, I hope Odin surprises you and puts...

StraightForward

What do they look for in regards to an equitation horse vs a hunter? I'm still learning the details of it myself, but hunters is judged primarily on the horse. They want a horse that is elegant and gives a nice ride over the jumps, with an efficient, uniform stride. Turnout is a big deal in hunters...

StraightForward

Moutaineer, onward and upward! It is so hard to know what is going to set them off, and what we think might be scary that they don't care about. I'll have my fingers crossed that he likes the GP ring better tomorrow. LSP, sounds like a good outing. With the clinic, it might be worth asking if you ca...

StraightForward

Great start Moutaineer, that is a lot of pressure and I'd imagine atmosphere/activity too. I hope Mr. P settles can relaxes for you as it goes on. Middle of the pack at third is nothing to sneeze at when you're rubbing shoulders with Olympic hopefuls. Heddy, yay for a new trainer who gets you, your ...

StraightForward

Lauren does some great Ride iQ lessons. She is very funny, and T really comes together when I do her sitting trot lessons, though my core muscles hate me for it. Aleuronx, I hope you get a lot out of riding with her. I'll be looking forward to your takeaways! Exvet, I'm excited for you on the new pr...

StraightForward

Jingles for Ding and MM! Brand inspections - no one seems to get them here. I think there are some reciprocal agreements between Oregon, Washington and Idaho. There are too many ranchers who run livestock across state lines. It's just not practical to try to track their movements. That does remind m...

StraightForward

Well, we went to the first winter jumping show this morning and... I fell of Tesla two jumps into our first round. As they say, pride comes before the fall, and I was feeling pretty proud of how we'd handled taking the shorter turn option towards the third fence. I'd just lined it up between her ear...

StraightForward

Yes, this is going to affect my work. I'm less insulated than I was last time around, and it sucked back then. Probably we'll see a lot of sr staff pull the plug and retire.

StraightForward

Oh, I would love a chance to ride with Lauren! I say eff anyone who might be watching. It is about you and your horse! We had a really good jumping lesson today. T had not an ounce of stop in her. In fact, I had so much horse my biggest challenge was adjusting to the idea that she needed full on hal...

StraightForward

Cute pic of Lynx! I can tell that's a Hawk trailer. It's always funny to see how they respond to the ramp. I wonder if he is just wild with the weather cooling off? The smarts are a blessing and a curse. I certainly have spent plenty of time over the years working on ways to outsmart T, and I'm not ...

StraightForward

We had a warm October, and the weather has cooled right on cue. Going into winter with no indoor, I'm trying to be zen about any forced breaks we end up taking. The up side is that my new barn is in a much less windy area than my old barn, so riding outside on blustery days should be a little more p...

StraightForward

So glad Joplin is OK! Good luck to those of you heading off to shows. We are all done for the year except indoor schooling jumping shows, but I have my fingers crossed that we can get our ducks in a row and show throughout next season! Welcome Eastern! Tesla is feeling really good. Yes, a little won...

StraightForward

Jingling! I just saw this on FB. Hope she is better soon!

StraightForward

Congrats SF. I'm afraid the cardboard bull through Junior for a loop the first time they became acquainted, LOL. He's much more at east when his 'friend' is out watching us work ;) Oh yeah. An acquaintance who did the Saturday session on her saintly gelding said she almost got dumped because he tho...

StraightForward

T was the star of the show at the WE clinic. Granted, it was all people brand new to WE. But she didn't bat an eye at the cardboard bull, or carrying the garrocha pole. She was pretty patient and did the rope gate nicely both directions. The clinician told the rest of the group to watch how she chan...

StraightForward

Dressage is certainly nonlinear, and I feel changes are especially so. You get single changes, lose counter canter. Recover counter canter, changes get sticky or unreliable. Clean up single changes and start on multiples, and prepare to start the whole rigamarole over again. I do love them though. ...

StraightForward

Tesla was a little fired up today since her buddies were turned out just as I was tacking up. Usually I can use that for good and not evil. With some of the lateral suppling we worked on in our last lessons, she got loosened up and focused, so we ended up getting some really good feeling in the cant...

StraightForward

I do not. I think Phoenix Rising is also a moderator, though she doesn't post often either. Maybe someone has her email and could get a message to her? The Outreach show this weekend was canceled for lack of interest, so my debut in the Equitation ring will have to wait. Probably for the best becaus...

StraightForward

Great to see everyone taking advantage of the nice fall weather, getting out to shows and all! We went to a jump schooling show on Saturday and T just want into it. She jumped fine in the warmup, but said no at the first jump in our 2'3 round. It was an oxer with a short distance going away from the...

StraightForward

Lynx is looking really muscular! Khall, can't wait to hear how your show goes. Very exciting! We had fun as the only adults that came out to play at the Pony Club show yesterday. The woman at check-in let me know we were guaranteed a blue ribbon, LOL. However the horses have been in all week due to ...

StraightForward

Sounds great LSP! I agree it's a balance on getting fresh eyes vs sticking with a program and trainer who knows you. I like my occasional jumping instructor because he's also ridden up to PSG and advanced eventing, so I get some different flat work tips that transfer over to the dressage. My dressag...

StraightForward

Wow, it will be amazing to have an indoor arena!

StraightForward

Khall, if Lani gets to big, feel free to send her to me :mrgreen: Moutaineer, sorry you're still dealing with smoke. Blech. I keep looking for rain in the forecast. California sounds fun so we can live vicariously! It was nice getting a jumping lesson for the first time in 3-4 months. Instructor tho...

StraightForward

Great to see everyone's videos. Love the one-handed riding, I should play with that a little more. Chisamba, I hope Kimba heals up, that sounds nasty! After spending a bunch of time and $$ pulling together some hunter kit this weekend, I went out and schooled over jumps. We were a little out of sync...

StraightForward

Jingles for your family, exvet. It's great that you have a skillset to offer to be able to go over and help! Sometimes we get interest requests through my work for that kind of disaster relief effort, but nothing has come through yet. Had a great ride on T yesterday. It seems the chiro adjustment he...

StraightForward

If anyone is interested (and not too squeamish), here is the one-month progression of Tesla's sarcoid removal: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBLo6n I pretty much used Underwood's exclusively for three weeks, with a few wash-outs with running water, and fly protection with a mesh bib and Swat. The past week ...

StraightForward

It would make sense that if he's not holding farther back, he can be more relaxed through his poll and not do the head tilt. Fingers crossed it's a problem resolved by the SI injections!

StraightForward

Dang, I had a great lesson today, and my SoloShot didn't record for some reason. Grr. We played with half steps, using them to juice up the canter depart, and half steps and then forward in trot, and she said we got a first step of passage. Also first bits of canter piri. Exciting stuff and I really...

StraightForward

Glad to hear Odin is feeling better! I hope he gets to go home soon and doesn't have any more flare ups! Khall, sorry to hear Rip is having issues again. Hoping he can stay comfy. So glad to hear Helene didn't hit you and Blob too directly. My dad, aunt and cousin all outside of Tampa fared OK; I th...

StraightForward

Jingles for Odin!

Aleu, that is a gorgeous tailcoat, though the flashier colors are tempting!

Great pics of Chantal and Mikey as always!

StraightForward

I can't see the pics. The first link takes me to my FB home page, the second is a picture of soup

Search found 3239 matches