The conveyor belt

A lovely friend mentioned on my FB page that although RC has gone, he went to allow me space to work with another horse in need. I think that is so vey true.

Yesterday while RC was being tried, they also got out Miss Sarah Mae to work with. To say it wasn't pretty is a tad of an understatement. Firstly they used a Western Saddle, it had flaps, tassels and straps everywhere. When she moved they smacked under her belly which she isn't really used to yet. It was pretty bad, she hasn't been in work for a while now and has been cooped up. She exploded a bit, kicking out and bucking and wouldn't lunge at all (I don't think she has lunged ever). She kept rearing up and coming towards them, when she did they fought with her a bit to get her back out and she seemed to get worse. Eventually they decided to just get on and see how she goes, it was pretty much met with similar behavior and they decided she was too much of a project for them. I must agree, I am not sure if she will be suitable for a riding school at least for another good few years.

I thought a lot about her last night and whether I could cope with working with a mare like her. But I didn't feel that any of her behaviors were aggressive, I felt she was confused and very fresh. I decided that I would start work with Miss Sarah aka Jailbreak today.

I went up early before the indoor school got too busy. We started with a grooming session and she settled down well after some initial fidgeting. I then tacked her up in English tack and led her over to the arena. She was a little fresh on the way over, spooking and doing these little mini rears every now and again but very conscious of me next to her. When we got in the arena she was very reactive to the other horse being lunged so I just kept leading her around in walk, circling lots and lots. After a while I started to move her away from me on the line but she really wanted to stay as close to me as possible and I think was worried after yesterday about being let out. As soon as she was a few feet away she spooked massively and bucked and kicked out and slammed her breaks on then wanted to head back into me. Rather than shouting and flapping at her which created a bigger issue yesterday I just calmed her and then gently moved her back out again. We repeated the whole farce a fair few times with her reacting as if she was going to get beaten each time she started to move out. When she realized that nothing awful was going to happen when she was out there and that I wasn't going to start hollering at her on yanking the line she started to relax into the trot, she stretched out and gave me fantastic trot work. We changed direction for ten minutes or so, then changed back again. Once or twice something would spook her and she would want to resort back to the stalling and rearing but I kept her circle small for now and the lunge whip behind her (remembered my triangles Jules) to guide her forwards instead. She was hugely improved after a while and started to show off her trot and enjoy herself.

I had kept the option of riding her open as I wanted to see how relaxed she was today. Even though she wasn't great to start off to lunge I felt that she might settle when being ridden. After all, she has lots more experience of being ridden than any other ground work.

We started at the mounting block and she seemed pretty happy about being there. I popped up and hung over her side and she was again, totally unbothered so I decided to just swing my leg over an get on with it. She was great and waited to be asked before she moved off which was an improvement on last time had ridden her.

She is a forward mare and wants to get on with things. I think she gets upset at the moment if she is made to stand too much so I decided the best thing was to let her keep moving her feet forwards and to not block her. After she marched around the arena a few times she wanted to trot forwards, I allowed her to go, keeping my inside rein short and my fist jammed into her neck with a handful of mane so if she spooked or anything I didn't jab her in the mouth. A few years back Jules sent me a link from the Retired Racehorse project, they have some great videos of first rides with ex racers and these really helped with Miss Sarah. I stayed up over her shoulders a little more keeping my rise small and rhythmical and it helped her a quite a bit. She had a good spook once which gave her a great excuse to go for a little run, I didn't argue with her or flap just kept my arse slightly out the saddle,  my inside reign steady with my fist on her neck just for half a circuit of the school. Then when I then put my weight back a tad she came straight back to trot and walk for me. She is really very responsive to weight shift with both changing direction and changing speed. She is much happier with a contact at the moment and feels pretty heavy as I am guessing that what she was used to as a racehorse. I think thats partly why she doesn't like the western style of drooping reins as she's doesn't feel anyone is supporting her. Of course I realize she will need to cope with both but for now she wants the support. She also hasn't figured out what riders legs are totally for. Now apparently this mare was ridden a lot over the summer. English style,  including trails and some jumping. But she is still very green in retraining. She very much still reacts to the leg like a racehorse and dashes forward when you put a leg on rather than moving away from that leg. She doesn't know that the pressure on one side doesn't  mean go faster.

By no means am I an advanced type rider and am not anywhere near good enough to bring her on to much of a level but if I can just get her happy about being lunged and ridden again and give her a little confidence and understanding of some aids then I will be happy. In the meantime I get to learn too and have some fun with a pretty little filly!

Miss Sarah when she first arrived

For anyone thats interested she last raced on the 12th of July this year. She came 4th out of 5 horses which was pretty much standard results for her in all six of her races. She first raced as a two year old at Arapahoe and came 8th out of 8 horses. She hasn't had any injures and her legs are perfect, she just wasn't fast enough!

Also Watch out for my next post on English vs American training.

Finally I leave you with this quote...

The Elephant in the room

Bang bang, he shot me down
Bang bang, I hit the ground
Bang bang, that awful sound
Bang bang, my baby shot me down.

Guns

They are an unavoidable part of life is the US, an unavoidable discussion point and an unavoidable major, devastating issue.

This week, I read an article on the legalization of concealed weapons on the UT campus (University of Texas). Honestly, who on earth with a sane, sound and compassionate mind would think this is a good idea. Teenagers; away from home, some for the first time, hormones, lively debates, alcohol, poor grades and pressure to succeed. All the aforementioned can make Uni a stressful time, most students go through highs and lows and can react irrationally and out of character.  Professors are now either sitting in a high risk career or handing in their notice. They say, that as it is they deal with confrontations, grade issues or just high emotions during student led debates. The thought of the students having a semi automatic tucked into their rucksacks alongside pens and text books is simply terrifying. To all of us, a recipe for disaster... The Pros for the law argue that students will be safer from Serial Killers and campus Rape...

I feel that the attitude to guns here is just too Nonchalant. The access too easy and the cost too cheap.

Of course none of those things are the REASON that guns crime is such an issue here, but they are worrying nonetheless. 

Bittersweet...

So, today was a bittersweet day for me.

RoughCutt has continued to get better and better with mounting and ridden work. I have continued with him with groundwork too. I also discovered that its his girth area that is super sensitive so as long as I use a mounting block and don't jab him with my toe when I get on he has been superb.

I went to FOH with the plan of riding RoughCutt out of the arena for the first time. Today would be a big test for him. Today there was to be no lunging, no groundwork, I just wanted to see him cope with me just getting on and off we go. I had decided to ride him around the farm on his own to see how he copes. He needs to be trail ridden/ hacking to find a home so the first port of call was a farm ride.

Just when I was leading him from the barn, a couple of ladies arrived. They were at FOH to find some winter projects for their riding school and one of the horses they had come to view was RC. They asked me to ride him for now and they would watch him round the farm and then they would take him in the school. He was great being mounted out of he arena for the first time and he went for his hack around the farm really well. He stopped to look at a few things but he isn't a spooky horse and took it all in his stride. After our little hack I handed him over. I told the ladies about his girth area, his bucking history and that I suspect it may be ulcers. RCs next big test, someone different getting on and riding him...

The Chilled boy being ridden today

I was so proud of him, he did superbly. Not only did he behave being mounted, but he was completely relaxed about it, he moved off the mounting block like he had been doing it for years. He then spent the next half hour or so pottering beautifully around the arena with the Riding Instructor (also an eventer). Ignoring the two young mares bucking and hooning around on lunge lines next to him he walked and trotted round the arena like a pro. They then put yet another rider on him, whom he behaved brilliantly for too.

He was perfect and you would never have guessed that he had been so scared a few months ago about being mounted. The women are experienced riders. One Western and one English, they both rode english today as thats how I had already been riding him and thats how he was tacked up. Of course, they loved him and have decided to take him. He will spend the winter training with them, ready for next summers riding school pupils.

I think it will be a wonderful home, and his sweet and willing disposition will make him a very well loved horse there. I am proud today and a little sad, a few tears were shed when I said goodbye and good luck to the lovely RoughCutt. x

Happy Boy- be good in your new career RC x

Nothing but the 'Tooth'

The last week has seen my first trip to a US dentist. I was interested to see how it differed from the UK dentist experience. Generally, the dentist is somewhere to be avoided and to go only when I really need to. I was super nervous going to a US dentist as was worried after so many NHS years what they would say.

Reception

I booked in for a check up and expected a quick once over in a 20 minute appointment. When I arrived I was impressed by the super friendly reception staff and pretty decor. I was given a bottle of water and a magazine while I waited, although I didn't sit for long!

I was met in reception by a young guy called Eric, he was very sweet and professional and worked on my teeth for me. So, heres how it went... They took XRays of every tooth at multiple angles, photos of each tooth, checked by eye and carried out a basic cleaning. The whole process took around 2 hours! In some ways it was a bit crazy but I felt, for the first time that I finally understood what was going on in my mouth! They were polite, efficient and a totally different experience from England. I have since followed up with two deep cleaning appointments and feel that we can actually work towards improving things now instead of just waiting for teeth to degenerate over time!

Oh and besides all that- the by far best thing, is that they have TVs with Netflix- on the ceilings above the treatment chairs so you can watch a movie the whole time! So Cool!

All in all- I LOVE the new dentist out here- definitely one up on the UK.

TV on the Ceiling!

Berkshire vs Colorado

Lately a few things have made me realize the differences between our cultures, and some of the comparisons between the two places we have been living just made me want to write them down...

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In fall in Colorado; it's not unlikely to see two men dressed in full camo gear, in a pickup with a big array of guns and ammo- all ready for huntin' Elk.

In Autumn in Berkshire, it's not unlikely to see two gentlemen, dressed in tweed and flat caps, in a Landrover with two polished rifles and a Spaniel bouncing around- all ready for the 'Shoot'.

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In Colorado you can walk into your local supermarket and buy a automatic shotgun.

In Berkshire you can walk into your local supermarket and get I.Dd for Superglue.

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When you go Fall Hiking in Colorado you take 'bear spray' climb over boulders, up mountains and through Creeks.

When you walk the Berkshire Countryside in Autumn you take wellies and a coat, you climb through mud.

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When you go out for a meal in Colorado it's a half an hour brief stop over.

When you go out for a meal in Berkshire it's a whole evenings event.

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In Colorado everything is 'Ahhsome'

In Berkshire everything is 'Jolly/ Very Good'

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In Colorado driving can be tricky, multiple lane highways with huge cars, terrible drivers, multiple intersections and the mountains drawing your eye off the road can make for some real challenges.

In Berkshire we have tractors bombing down country roads - directly towards you, which are barely wide enough for one car let alone two. The art is knowing which grass verges have ditches hidden in them and which don't.

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In Colorado, you worry that your furniture won't be big enough to fill the room

In Berkshire you spend hours measuring furniture to make sure you can squeeze it into the room

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In all, both places have soothing special to offer. England will always hold the most social place in my heart but Colorado is certainly super fun!

Crazy Denver junction

Teeny tiny british road

New Experiences

So Colorado is all about new experiences for all of us. This past week has been some good and some bad.

Since I can remember I have alway felt slightly aversive towards the Circus. Ethan however has been keen to go for a while now and when we saw signs for the 'Ringling Bros. Circus Extreme' in town we agreed to book tickets to take Ethan. Before the day arrived I found out that they have animals in their performances, this in itself isn't a major issue but there was some bad press associated with this as they apparently used Elephants in it. Reading their website it is all very positive on how they train the animals but I wanted to go with an open mind and non judgmental view.

On the day we headed in and the show opened with lots of excitement and some amazing acts. Then
the elephants came out. I found this part of the show pretty hard, this just isn't where we should see these stunning creatures. Having seen them in South Africa in a natural habitat, this peformance for our pleasure just felt horribly uncomfortable, their eyes were sad and they seemed to have lost a part of themselves to me. Sadly it didn't get much better. The tigers were yet to come. These powerful, strong and fierce creatures were all extremely upset, they crept towards the master when called with a flick of his whip, on their bellies with teeth bared, crawling along, passive, terrified and completely unnatural. I couldn't bring myself to watch it and tears poured down my face. I am usually quite tough but this just tore me apart.

There were were gobsmackingly, awesome human acts plus some poodles that were totally positively trained and had a ball! Tails wagging, barking their heads off and racing around. You could see the relationship between dogs and trainers. There was a woman shot out of a cannon and a group of fab Parkour guys.

When we left the circus we all agreed that the show was amazing without the animals, those acts tainted our experience which was such a shame. Apparently animals will be phased out by 2018 from the Ringling Bros circus, it's a good thing but it really could come much sooner.