DefinitelyDressage.com

Gulp... Time to start a new thread.

It's been a while. Last time I put a horse into training, I got bucked off, hard, but I ended up landing in a big dose of reality. I haven't done much riding at all since that day, but the riding I have done was on my little #blondebastard, Yonka. He is a registered Canadian, will be 7 in May, and is as green as a shiny John Deere tractor still sitting on the dealership lot.

I've learned from my experiences with Tuddy, that I need to trust my intuition more, and do what feels right, and not what I am told is right. (Mostly). Tuddy taught me what a wrong fit looked like. He didn't like his environment, or the job I had asked him to do. We ended up depressing ourselves and I ended up pretty bitter towards the equine industry as a whole.

Well, 17 months later, a few bitter pills swallowed and a whole lot of soul searching done, I am ready to try again. I'm not ready with Tuddy just yet, but I am ready with this little guy.

Yonka had 3 months of ground work put on him in the spring of 2016 by the same trainer I had work with Tuddy. Good solid base was installed on him, and the fall of 2016, I enrolled him in a (now late) Peter Campbell clinic and my friend rode him as I wasn't cleared to ride yet by my doctor. (The clinic was a couple weeks after my fall off Tuddy.) Yonka was rode in that clinic and then given the rest of the year off until the following spring. Probably not the best idea, but I was pretty hurt and sad still about my horse journey and was okay with him sitting in pasture one more winter.

The spring of 2017, I enrolled the both of us into another horsemanship clinic with a local trainer and we rode for three days. At the end of that clinic, I guess that would have been about ride 8 or 9 for Yonka.

Summer of 2017, I enrolled us again into another horsemanship clinic, this time with Peter's widow, Trina Campbell, and we did well. We learned a lot about each other that weekend. There was a lot of come to Jesus moments in that arena. I think I may have posted something about that on this board.

In the goals thread, I had mentioned that I was going to audit a clinic the first weekend in February with another local trainer and see if he would be good fit for Yonka, but I already feel like it will be alright. I've seen horses that he has worked and they are good solid citizens. I've talked to numerous people who have used this trainer and I've yet to hear anything that would case alarm. The vibes I am getting off it are okay. So, I booked Yonka in. When I called to see if he had an opening, I was told he could come right away. I figured it was Karma telling me there was a reason the training spot was open, so he goes next Saturday, weather permitting.

While I was sitting back and not riding for 17 months, I took a long, hard look at the guidance that had been given to me over the years, and paths I had taken by my choice and the (sometimes poor and sometimes great) results I ended up with and a very empty bank account to show for it.

I am walking into this journey with Yonka with a clean slate mentality. I have a hard time setting goals and because I feel very defeated if I don't meet them - even if the reasons are out of my control. So, I am setting #intentions.

I intend on riding this year.

Here is a picture of my little guy. This was taken at Trina's clinic in August. He looks like crap here with his mane all rubbed out. Poor little hobo. He's a little brat, but he has a big heart to make up for it.

Good update. He looks like a solid citizen. Set yourself up for success.

Go for it, Tuddy! And keep us posted.

Thanks for the update. He's a cutie ! Fingers crossed you get what you want out of this next journey....

Got my little guy to the trainer on Sunday. Spoke with the trainer and told him our back ground and now we wait and see how it goes from there. Trainer is hosting a horsemanship clinic Saturday and Sunday and I am hoping to be a part of it. I'll find out Thursday. The highs for the weekend (temperature wise) is supposed to be -22°C or -8°F. I better find my long johns and winter riding pantses!

Oh hello!

Well, my little monkey has had a week at the trainer's and was eased into it. The trainer also hosted a Horsemanship Clinic so Yonka and I joined the adventure. We had a great time. Yonka is starting to figure what his job is. He was a litte sassy at times, and did give me one little buck yesterday, but that was because I was speaking the wrong language and he laid down the law a little bit. After I figured out what I was trying to ask him, and asked him properly, he was good as gold.

He gets a couple days off and then I go for a lesson on him later this week. A few pictures from our adventure.

This was his stress hair. He was a little sweaty and he would shake his stress out. This was his lovely do after a head shake. I think he must have shook 8 times with me on him over the course of the weekend. Even the trainer said Yonka almost unseated him with a power shake one session.



This little face though. Such a little baby.



And here we have one tuckered out little pony at the end of it all (as I am sitting on the mounting block as I was exhausted as he was )



Even though the trainer is a cowboy, a lot of his principles and exercises were very familiar to me from dressage lessons. Just different language, but the theories were the same. I still would love to hit the dressage ring with this little guy... but one day at a time!

Too funny about the sweating.

I rode a mare that had been living the leisure life for ~10 years between getting started under saddle at 3yo and when I arrived on the scene. She had some very definite opinions about what constituted fair questions; "NOBODY makes me sweat my own sweat. NOBODY!" It took her, oh, at least a month to get over the fact that she could sweat under saddle and not overreact to it.

I hadn't seen another horse with that strong of an opinion about being slightly uncomfortable until I met Kiwi's sister (owned by my sister) who has the same reaction. It's like she's saying she's too pretty to sweat.

Ahem. Long sidetrack over. Good luck with your guy!

Nice pics!! This program sounds like a good deal for you and Yonka. I look forward to your progress.

Hey everyone!

Not much of an update for you, but we have been riding. AND.ITS.BEEN.GREAT!

His month of training is up on March 6, but I decided to invest in another month. He is just starting to grasp the idea of work, and I just want to continue to build on it. Now that he is getting more fit though, he is starting to get a little more reactive to his surroundings. He's able to work and be more aware of the busyness of barn and arena life at the same time and sometimes, it gives him a little scare. But, he is green and these things will become more normal to him as we continue to work. I am pretty impressed. He has lost a little bit of the fat, and is starting to look pretty trim. I am going out to ride tomorrow, and will give him a good rub down afterwards to help loosen up any sore muscles. I am no massage therapist by any means, but when I went out on Saturday to groom and love him up, I gave him a good once over on spots I felt may be more sore than others. He was almost laying on me when I was working his rump and hamstrings. I told him I could relate! LOL!

Picture for pure attention. This was after our lesson on Wednesday last week. He is pretty wet, but cooled off and dried off quite quickly.

I can see the difference in his fitness! I think your decision for investing in another month is a good one.

Great job! Yes he is looking fitter and I bet without all the hair he would be unrecognizable!!

Such buff blondeness!

Had a lesson last week... hopefully you can open the link... it wasn't pretty but we are getting somewhere.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgSQxzbhQEX/

I tried to get his right lead, but it was too unbalanced and it was like trying to ride a tornado. We will leave that for another time when he is more ready for it.

I went out on Saturday and actually rode him by myself. We didn't ride long as weekends are his days off, but I just wanted to see what he would be like without all the commotion of the barn activities. He was okay. In fact, it was almost too quiet in the arena. But it was good though.

Have a great day!

Those 2 months flew by pretty fast. But, I have a solid citizen with a working brain back home in my barn yard. He can walk and trot, somewhat canter, but we never asked for much as he was only starting to offer it the last couple weeks he was there. He has some lateral movement, leg yield and side pass. A decent whoa and, my favorite part, a very willing attitude.

The last couple of rides involved getting out of the comfort of the four walls of the arena and heading out to the great outdoors. The trainer also has cattle and it is calving season, so we went checking cows to see if there were any new babies. This was a big thing for me, as I haven't been outside the arena walls for a loooong time. I was pretty nervous. Yonka only got nervous because he didn't realize the back door of the arena could open. When we opened it, he was like, WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE!!!!???? Why is the wall moving???? And then when we got outside, he was like, YESSSS! Finally!!! Something different to do!

I brought him home Friday night and now he gets some time off for spring break. I am working non stop overtime for the next few weeks, so he gets to just chill and be a horse for a while. But when I am done all that overtime... lets just say a custom saddle is currently being ordered and the truck and trailer are not be unhooked for the next little while...

Here is a lovely picture I took on Saturday morning as I was heading to work. I posted it on my instagram with a note saying, "This guy... hasn't even been home for 12 hours and as already ripped a brand new blanket to shreds (even though Tuddy may have helped), knocked over stuff in the barn while I was feeding this morning, and has already reclaimed his position of King Of Shit Mountain. It's like he never left!!! "

What a character he is!! I’m glad he seems to be working out as your riding horse.

Yes, he can be a little brat some days, but that is one of the reasons I love him

I had put in my update that I was ordering a custom saddle.... well, I didn't need to. There is a boarder at the trainers who used to own a Canadian like my Yonka. Fitting these wide beasts can be quite the process, from experience, the only dressage saddle I can get to fit my Canadians are the Bates with interchangeable gullets. This lady rides western and participates in Mounted Shooting competitions. Anywho, the trainers wife was telling me that this lady had purchased this custom made, fancy western saddle, built for mounted shooting, with a 9 inch gullet. I guess the front swells and the cantle are built different that a regular western saddle to keep you seated securely as you are racing around the around the arena, shooting at balloons. Trainers wife tells me only rode in the saddle a few times, then sold the horse. Saddle has been sitting collecting dust for a couple years. I get the lady's contact info and ask if a) can I try it on my horse to see if it fits so I can call the maker and start the process of building one, and b) would she consider selling it.

Well, I just bought a new to me, in new condition because it has only been rode in a half dozen times, Martin Shooting Saddle for less than half the cost of having one built in the US. I am getting out of having to pay the taxes and duties shipped to Canada, and not have to wait a minimum of 14 weeks for a custom one to show up.

I think it was a sign this saddle was put in my view... my bank account wasn't too happy, but I am smiling ear to ear! Now that I have a proper fitting saddle, guess who is in the market for new dressage instructor!!!!!

how it going now? He's so funny. I love that pic

Ryeissa wrote:how it going now? He's so funny. I love that pic

Haha, yeah, he is quite the funny kid that one.

Honestly, I brought home and he has been on spring break. I have had 2 days off from work since March 26th so he hasn't had any riding since I brought him home. He's been handled, for sure, but no riding.

I should, hoping to be, please cross your fingers friends, that I am done my extended hours on May 4th and will have that weekend to get back at it. Dale Irwin, who is an Equine Canada Level 3 dressage and eventing coach, is teaching 3 miles south of me that weekend, and if I can swing it, I would like to take little Yonka for a couple lessons.

The weather has finally decided to be spring instead of perpetual winter here and I actually kicked all my (4) horses out onto pasture. The pasture that they are in hasn't been used for 2 years so they have to work at it to get some good quality feed under all the winter kill. They are happy to be out and able to stretch their legs and pretend to be mustangs. When I leave for work in the morning, they have found a nice hill to sun themselves on and catch some rays. I'll try and catch a picture of it . The first time I saw all four stretched out I thought, oh no, they got into a grain bin and now I have four colic'd horses! Nah, they were just being lazy.

I do bring them in for some grain in the evening and remind them they are actually members of civilization and that human interaction is a good thing.

I'll keep you posted if I can sneak away to the Dale Irwin lessons... 3 miles away, I really should go.

that sounds great! Keep us posted. YES GO!

Worked with Yonka on Sunday. After a whole month off to the day, he figured he should still be on holidays. I really can't blame him as he is used to the routine of only having to work when we leave the farm. When he is at home he thinks he is a pasture ornament.

I could tell he was going to be a bit of handful when I was feeding grain, as I had to get after him to get out of my space and let me walk with a pail. He was still being quite sassy and a little bit of a bully when I actually started work with him, so I we did a lot of lunging with direction changes, halts, backing up, front feet crossovers and disengaging the hind end. He was really stiff in the neck when we were doing the hind quarter exercises, just wanted to do more turns on the forehand, but after a while I got him to soften that neck and get a little more smooth.

When all said and done, when we were finished and I took the halter off, he stood next to me for good boy rubs and then walked beside me back to his buddies. He very well could have took off running, but he chose to stay with me. I took that as a win.

On another note, while he was at the trainers, he caught a little bit of a cold, and along with the dryness here, it is still lingering. He had some residual coughs and some snot start to come out when I started working him. I hope it isn't too serious. I have the vet out on Tuesday for some other stuff, I will have it looked at then.