We're still here. We had one gorgeous 65 degree day and then got plunged back into well-below-normal temperatures - lows in the teens and really strong winds yesterday, as evidenced by Fabio sporting the windblown look when I brought him in:
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| This season's hottest style! |
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| Pineapple head |
It was so cold I was going to consider it an achievement if I got on his back at all, so I put his bareback pad on, wrapped myself in his quarter sheet, and had a surprisingly productive ride. Turns out the stuff she wanted me to work on in the saddle - feeling each hind leg hit the ground and keeping him from going too wide with his hind legs in the turn on the forehand/not falling into the hole - is a lot easier to feel in the bareback pad.
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| He was only too happy to share his body heat with me. |
This weekend should be fun: when I told my trainer I couldn't make Thursday's lesson because I am giving a big presentation at a work event in Indy that day, she asked if she could ride him in this weekend's clinic. Uh, yes! I think perhaps this is because Sunday's jumping in team practice was...very green...and she is looking for ideas to help us. My position isn't solid enough to deal with exuberant green pony jumping everything like it's 3 feet tall. Hopefully she gains some good ideas from the clinic!
Omg the pineapple head... I just spit coffee. And woohoo on the clinic front!!
ReplyDeleteHey Jen, I have been looking for a good bareback pad for Rory- are you happy with yours? What brand is it?
ReplyDeleteHey! I am. It's a Toklat Plaid Pony Bareback Pad. I think I got it from Mary's Tack and Feed over a year ago for $40. I was on the fence about pony or horse sized, but I'm glad I went with pony. He's on the 2nd hole from the end on the girth.
DeleteThanks Jen! I will try the Toklat for Rory:)
DeleteNothing like green jumpers. :-) Glad your trainer is finding a solution for you.
ReplyDeleteYes, I wish I had a redheadlins to throw up on my green jumper, I thought of you! You're lucky.
DeleteWe even got some snow yesterday, ewwww!!! But on the bright side it looks like it is warming up over the next couple of days!
ReplyDeleteI love the windblown look. He's like a runway model. :)
And yay for the clinic!
Pineapple! :)
ReplyDeleteWe had snow yesterday. I'm telling myself it was better than cold rain. Right?! I think Guinness would have bucked me off if I'd tried to climb on him bareback yesterday. The cold had his back cold and stiff until I could really stretch him out, so I'm really impressed with you guys.
Did I miss something? Who is the upcoming clinic with?
Ooo I didn't think about riding bareback to stay warm! Good idea.
ReplyDeleteBahahahahahahaha Pineapple head!!!
ReplyDeleteI quite like pineapple head :)
ReplyDeleteI also Lol'd at pineapple head :)
ReplyDeleteI want to jump the green jumper! Wait I want to jump anything! If the weather ever gets decent I may actually get to ride my horse. Jumping will be a bit longer since I will need to build up some fitness on him... it's been a looooong winter.
ReplyDelete