Deep Creek Derby 6.6.09

Pretty Deep Creek ribbon. 6th! They asked me if I wanted the ribbon.. well DUH!!! Are you kidding???

He did it did it did it! He was very nervous, there was SO much to look at. You had to go through the creek to get to the competition area- thanks to all the kind people on horses that helped us out again and again. And again. I love eventers. We were really late due to some mishaps on the way and only had 10 minutes to warm up for dressage, and our test wasn't nearly what it was last time but he did all of it, every move. He was very afraid of the jumps and scooted away as soon as he landed on the other side. I grabbed mane on every single one of those 12" jumps with my good hand. He only refused the water. Thank you lead rider from heaven, we couldn't have done it without you.

More later, gotta go!

Ahem...

There was a big windstorm last night, and I was worried about the tarp in Jasper's pen scaring him so bad he'd do something stupid. I drove in this morning and looked across the pasture and was relieved to see him standing in his pen.

Only when I got out there he wasn't. He was actually laying down in the pasture next to it. Both gates are still chained up. He doesn't have any hair missing, any scars, or any swelling. He was sound and I rode today, one last ride before our derby tomorrow.

The LOWEST part of the fence is 4'7. Plus he would have had to jump out uphill.

This definitely did nothing to help his tarp fear, *ugh*. But... the pony can jump.

His pen is on the other side of him. This is what he jumped out of.

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Jasper turns 4 today!

Jasper turns 4 today, and I've had him for 2 months now. I thought I should give his birthday a mention since I posted birthday blogs about my other two horses.

I had been looking for an eventing prospect for a while, and hadn't been able to find anything I really liked, or really liked and could afford. They were either too old, too young, too expensive... and no, not to be rude, but I'm not interested in your not broke 8-year-old 15h Appaloosa Saddlebred cross. I wanted something between 4-6 years old, w/t/c basics if it was 5 or 6, mid to upper level eventing potential, between 16-16.3h. And, I found out later when people sent me pictures of their perfectly good chestnut colored horses, I really wanted a dark bay. Superficial, I know.

I finally decided to start seriously looking at OTTBs. They were in my price range, and found a gal down at Portland Meadows racetrack (Katie of Hidden Fox Farms) who's husband was a trainer there. She said she had a list of horses for sale- the last day of the season was the following Tuesday, so there were quite a few to look at. Coincidentally enough, I was headed to Portland that weekend to watch the training clinic for USEA instructor hopefulls.

I scoured the internet for conformation advice realizing I had no idea what to look for. A pretty neck and I'm sold. I studied shoulder angles, hip angles, neck angles... it was a lot to take in and was hard see in a picture, much less in a live horse.

We walked around the shedrows in the rain, Katie had a list of what stalls the sale horses were in. I remember the first time I saw Jasper. He was memorable because he was the only horse that wasn't standing with his head over the stall door. He looked at us as we approached, and slowly took a few steps towards us. He was dark, and the stall was dark. It was hard to really see him. He had kind eyes. After we were finished with the tour, I think we looked at about 11 horses, he was the only one I was interested in pulling out of the stall. He didn't need a chain over his nose to be led. He trotted out sound. He was tall and thin and gangly and awkward and in racing shape, although his back feet were in horrible condition. He was in racing training but had never been in a race.

Everything I had tried to learn about conformation flew out the window. I did notice he had long pasterns. It wasn't love at first sight, exactly... but I found myself saying "I'll take him".

The next day I went to the clinic which lasted 3 days. Then I drove the 6 hours home to Spokane. The next day my Dad and I drove back down to Portland with truck and trailer. We stayed at the Motel 6 by the racetrack and at 6:30 the next morning began the final trip home. I don't think Jasper moved an inch in the trailer. He was frozen in fear. Never pawed, never kicked, didn't touch a bite of grain or hay. When we got to the ranch I found out he didn't know how to back out of trailers. 3 people had to literally push him out.

I thought it was going to be months before he (as a crazy off-the-track-thoroughbred, right?) would get his brain back and be ready to start being worked with. Not so. He was calm and willing, and I saddled him up the first week he was home.

Yes, his tongue is almost certainly over the bit in this pic. We're workin' on it.

He just seemed to take most everything in stride. Maybe he was still in shock from being moved, I don't know, but not much seemed to really phase him. I started riding on a loose rein and just w/t/cantering around, and we went on a few little trail rides. He started getting buckets of calories to help put weight on, which he quickly burned (burns) off by galloping around the pasture at extremely high speeds. Every day.

The rest I've pretty much blogged about already. He broke my finger a week ago by flying backwards when I stepped on a tarp. Somehow my finger got caught in the reins. There is a tarp under one of his feeders now. There are also poles all around his water trough as he decided he was extremely frightened of poles on the ground. He wears a soft rope halter so he doesn't break it when he pulls back. I ordered a bit port to try to keep his tongue under the bit. He ran away from me today when the farrier came. Grrr. But all of these things seem fairly unsubstantial when you look at how far he's come in 2 short months. He's already been to his first show ever and scored a 64% with a test that was fun to ride.

I can take him out alone or with other horses on trail rides. He's starting to get some confidence and a bit more attitude which is good. He's getting used to the clippers. He's getting used to baths. He's getting used to hopping over little crossrails- or leaping when he decides he's afraid of them. Poles on the ground grab horse hooves and suck them under, you know.


I got my ride time for the Deep Creek Derby today, dressage at 9:31 and jumping to follow. The Rockhopper division is a course of 12" jumps, but you have to go through the water twice- zoiks! I requested a lead rider. There are something like 15 people in my division. I just need to remember to relax and remember he's just a baby and that I didn't even think I'd be riding by now when I got him.

So Jasper, Baby J, Jasperito, Happy Birthday! Here's to many more!

Jasper as Ahhht

Check this out! Is it not the coolest? There was a gal over on Fugly's free speech message board (lavenderfish) that was turning people's horse photos into art. She did Jasper today. I love it!

ETA: Oooh looky look, she did Alexandre too! It captures his magical-ness.

On another note the hand doctor said he can't tell if tendons are injured or not since everything is so stiff and swollen. I go back in a week. So I'm going to splint and pad up real good and go for a ride tomorrow.

ETA ETA: Rode today! Wasn't pretty on either of our parts, but got the job done. He was really spooky at poles on the ground. Sigh. Jumped the barrels at the the end, though! Was some crazy swerving going on towards the jump, but leaped over them. Gooooood boooooooy.

Cross country, appendages, & a ribbon.

I went to go watch the cross country part of the David Acord clinic at Deep Creek today. It was awesome, of course, and made me want to go ride. He is very nice, friendly, and got on a greenie more than once when her rider was having trouble. Smooth, quiet rider- made it look so easy with her.

I was very surprised that two of the riders were using my saddle- an Ansur treeless jumping saddle. I got it years ago when I couldn't find anything that came remotely close to fitting Alexandre. I mentioned to David that I had that saddle but was concerned it might not be good for cross country, and he said he didn't see why not. So that's a load off! I mean sure, if we ever get to high level eventing things might change but for now it's all good.

My favorite jump of the day was on top of a steep hill- one gal got to do it. Cantered up the hill and jumped over a jump at the top, landing downhill on the other side and cantering/sliding down. Her horse refused the first time but went sailing over it the second. She was all smiles after that and said that her life was complete. She pretty much stayed on a high for the rest of the clinic.

On another note I go into see the hand specialist tomorrow about my fractured finger. As long as all the ligaments are still attached it's all good, no surgery. Then it's just 6 weeks for the bone to heal. If everything is good tomorrow I'm going to see if riding is at all do-able on Tues., and if so am going to plan on the derby this weekend. I'll have to figure out how to hold the reins with no ring finger.





Can you tell which one it is?





OH, and guess what came in the mail? A THIRD PLACE RIBBON! From our dressage test. Baby got third! His first ribbon. Hangin' on the wall.

broken finger

Jasper's fraid of tarps.
:(


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Alexandre turns 17 today!

I had returned from my overseas teaching job, my mare Mindy was happily being a show horse with Pam and her daughter Jackie, and I was living below minimum wage substitute teaching. One day Pam called me up and said she'd bought a horse for herself, a 7-year-old half Friesian (back when no one knew what Friesians were) half Standardbred gelding advertised as a second-level dressage horse. She had gone out to look at him and found him skinny (along with all their other horses) but looked like he had potential, and for $2,000 the saddle and bridle came with. The elderly couple that had him wanted to use him for driving, but he scared them. Did I want to come with her to pick him up?


He was gigantic. He hopped right into the trailer no problem. We got him back to her house and he pulled us along the driveway, thankfully towards the round pen.

Would I like to work with him? Well sure I would. Second level dressage my ass. He was scared of being saddled. Wouldn't let you bridle him. He knew how to trot as fast as he could... no brakes or steering. He was (and still is) like riding a tank. A wet-noodle tank. He could trot in a straight line with his head pulled to your knee.

This picture makes me sad- it's like he had no soul.

He was a bit of a handful on the ground. After he ran Pam over when she was feeding him and she cut her head open, she decided to sell him. By this time I liked him, he was challenging. He really had no personality. I wanted to find out who he was. I boarded him at a place with an indoor arena for a month. He trotted as fast as he could around the arena. Would walk sometimes. Flat out refused to canter. Learned how to turn a little better, stopping still needed a lot of work. He was food aggressive and bent a steel panel in half when another horse looked at him while he was eating.

I found an ad in the newspaper that was advertising pasture boarding for $85/month. It was what I could afford, and Alexandre got moved to Elk, Washington. When given a choice, he was terrified of people. Herb and Julie would go out with a bucket of grain and sit on an old tire. Al would slowly advance, grab a mouthfull of grain, and quickly retreat. He didn't have confidence in people or himself. He also refused to canter in the pasture. When all of his herdmates took off galloping, he would get further and further behind trotting for all he was worth. It was like his mom (Standardbred ex-race horse) told him to trot fast, but never, never, never canter.

I started trail riding. A lot. Almost every day even though it was a long drive out there. There was no arenas or round pens and it seemed like a good option. Sometimes we'd be gone for 7 hours at a time. He worried a lot lot lot but wasn't a spooker. Had the endurance of an Arab, I swear he NEVER got tired or slowed down. To this day I don't think he's gotten worn out. He's never been barn sour, after a 7 hour ride he'd happily turn around and go right back out. He started getting a personality. I would arrive at the farm, he would see me and run to the far corner of the 50 acre pasture. I would walk all the way across towards him. When I got within 20 feet he walked right up to me, happy as can be. He did this for weeks. He thought he was sooooooo funny.

The farm was good for him, look at the difference...

Trail riding with my friend Kara

Top of a mountain

I decided maybe lessons might be a good idea, since other than the trails I really didn't have much control. My instructor agreed. My lessons were her hanging on for all she was worth to the end of the lunge line and me riding and trying to slow down. We figured between the two of us we should be able to control either his speed or direction. I would always try to go for a reallllly long trail ride the day before our lessons. It really didn't seem to make any difference. I tried to talk her into a stronger bit, maybe with some leverage. Nope.

Needing a summer job, I applied to lead trail rides with Mule Shoe Outfitters at Glacier National Park. I could take Alexandre with me, and food and board was included in our whopping $600/mo salary.

Alexandre sees the bear, do you?

Alexandre and I at Glacier

We lead strings of 20+ horses over this bridge every day.

The all-day ride to Cracker Lake. Right after I snapped this shot Al realized he was free took off down the shoreline. Luckily he didn't run the 3 hours back home.

Glacier was good for us in a way. We spent a lot of time together. The people that own Mule Shoe are horrible people and treat their staff like complete idiots. Plus we worked from 4:30am to 7pm 6 days a week. I was really thankful I got the experience to live in this amazing place. I was seriously done by the end of the season and knew I'd never go back.

Alexandre moved back to the farm in Elk and we continued lessons. Here I took him to a little schooling show where we did a walk-trot dressage test and a course of cross rails. It was a complete success as he stayed in the dressage arena the whole time. Dressage judges love him and forgive a lot of mistakes due to his extreme forwardness. :)

'Jumping' was of no concern. He'd go over anything in front of him. Logs on trails, anything. He scizzor kicked in the front, and then scizzor kicked in the rear to get over the low stuff. Even my mom could tell he jumped 'funny'. Anything under 2' and it had a 50/50 chance of staying upright.

A summer job opportunity came up in Eugene, Oregon. I could mow baseball fields for a friend of mine. Alexandre and I moved that spring, and he lived in a barn at the base of Mt. Pisgah. We ended up staying there for over a year.
This is where I met my friend Terri and her horse Lucky. My friend Brian on one of the barn's horses, Terri on Lucky, and me on Alexandre on our way to the top of Mt. Pisgah in the fall.

Quite a view from the top.

Terri crossing the river.

Terri and I ogranized a play day at the barn. A baggie of horse cookies were the first place prizes. We thought 4 or 5 people would show up. Then the horse tailers started rolling in... We're the 2 nerds in the back with our arms in the air. Alexandre, all on his own, did FLYING LEAD CHANGES down the pole bending poles and we got 3rd place! Terri was yelling "HE'S DOING FLYING CHANGES! HE'S DOING FLYING CHANGES!" the whole time. This from a horse that couldn't keep a balanced canter down the long side.

Terri and I went to watch the Inavale Horse Trials in Philomath. It was the first sanctioned event I'd ever been to. We were completely, totally hooked. We came home and lunged our horses over barrels.

Started jumping higher. Alexandre never refused a jump. Just point him and he'd go.

There was a mini-cross country course at the barn.

Terri found a young, scraggly chestnut OTTB named Jeddidiah. He had eventing potential and is now gorgeous. Terri was able to follow our eventing dreams and Jed is going Novice/Training. She has competed at Inavale, a lifetime goal of mine.

Alexandre and Jed at Christmas

Alexandre went lame. Like dead lame. The vet couldn't figure out exactly what was wrong, but he was stall rested for 30 days, then walked... and eventually he got better. We built up very gradually to riding 5 minutes a day, then 10, then 15...

Alexandre on the Oregon coast. This was one of my favorite days.

Eventually he was back to 100% and we continued our jumping training. Then he went lame again. Same mysterious lameness, the X-rays and ultrasounds didn't show anything. More rest, more walking...

And then in pure financial desperation I moved back closer to home. I couldn't find a job for the year I was in Eugene after the mowing job ended, and subbing was not paying the bills. Al got moved to the prestigious Post Falls Equestrian Center, and I lived in the trailer on the property. I cleaned stalls, fed, and did horse massage to pay board and housing, and substitute taught to buy gas, food, and lessons for myself.

Al was doing great, we were jumping 2'6 courses with ease and competed in a couple of shows. He went lame again. It was the jumping. I think it's in his shoulder, and that's why it never showed up anywhere. He was rested again, and eventually came back. He'll never be asked to jump again. He's got the heart for it, but not the build. I think it hurts him. I was crushed, but didn't want him to know. He became (and still is) my trail horse extrordinaire.

Who's da bomb?

Fast forward many years, and he is with me at the boy's ranch where I now work. Sometimes we go to a schooling show or two, but what he really loves is being out on the trails.

Even though he is sentitive and a worrier, I completely trust him. I can hop on bareback and ride through the fields with a halter and lead rope. He will always go, no matter what, no matter where, if I'm riding him. If I open the gate to the saddling area, he's the first one in.

Sometimes I look at him in awe. He's just a gorgeous, magical, amazing animal. He is the horse in my avatar and the eye picture at the top of this page. I bet I've been asked at least a gazillion times what kind of horse he is. Yet he doesn't like to be called pretty, or beautiful, or handsome. He wants to be known as smart. Intelligent.

So, Alexandre, my incredibly smart and intelligent partner, Happy Birthday! I love you!