Tag: God’s plan

2016 Goals: Exavior

On By firnhydeIn ExaviorLeave a comment

Exavior is one of my biggest learning curves at this point. It’s true – warmbloods are a different kettle of fish. I had always thought that they must be rather like large, glorified thoroughbreds, but there is definitely an extra element of power – and pushiness – with them. The sheer size factor is also something very new, with almost every other horse I work with standing under 15 hands and Exavior standing nearly 15.3 at the age of two.  But there’s no getting around the fact that there is something a little heart-stopping, a little breathtaking about that rippling power packaged in burnished chestnut. He can also be a little maddening because when he puts his mind to it he’s smart, talented, and infinitely trainable; the rest of the time he’s too busy goofing off to pay attention and merely plops around doing as he pleases.

This big baby did well on his goals last year, though:

Exavior’s 2015 Goals

  • Complete advanced halter training – Done. He will walk and trot politely, stand up square when asked, and lead from both sides without issues. Sometimes when going past mares he wants to jump up on his hindlegs, but this is improving and should improve exponentially when he’s no longer a colt. We put him to Magic Lady this spring and he was well-mannered enough that I could handle him for all the covers, so that’s quite a win – I never dared go near any of the other stallions I know at cover time.
  • Leading over, through and under scary things – Done. We’ve led under low roofs and branches, over logs and tarpaulins, and in narrow  passageways.
  • Leading away from his group – Done. He’s way more excited to go see the girls than stick with his paddock buddy, currently Magic.
  • Bathing – 75% done. You could probably bath him but it wouldn’t be pleasant. He’s cool with water being on his forequarters but can throw a tantrum about having a wet butt.
  • Desensitisation to noise and sight – Done. Plastic bags, tarps, whatever – he just deals.
  • Loading preparation – Done. Leading over a tarp, under a low roof, and in a narrow passage just fine.
  • Loading – Not done. We just didn’t get to this last year, but with his pressure/release understanding being good and the preparation work done, he should be quite easy to train.
  • Injections – Improved. He used to jump up immediately on seeing a vet or syringe, but now he just fusses. You still have to be careful and really, really quick but I’m seeing improvement with every shot.
  • Be gelded – Not yet. This whole winter the necessary bits refused to descend; that’s for next winter.
  • Lowering of the head when requested by pressure on the halter – Perfect. He’ll put his nose on the floor for me to take his bridle off, which is kind of awesome when you’re as short as I am.
  • Basic lunging with a halter and long line only – Done. He lunges really nicely in three gaits now, on voice commands.
  • Wearing a roller – Done. It took him a few tries but now he accepts it beautifully.
  • Lunging over poles – He has been introduced to poles, but not yet a proper series of them.
  • Wearing boots – Done. He didn’t bat an eye.
  • Preparation for clipping – Not done. Mostly because his owner is kind of broke and doesn’t have a pair of clippers around that can be destroyed during desensitisation of stupid young elephant-sized colts.

2016 Goals

  • Bathing. If you’re going to insist on being chestnut with four white stockings, you’re going to be good to bath. This is just going to be a matter of steady repetition, but we’ll get there.
  • Loading. I think this should be a pretty quick fix, but he needs to self-load. I’m not a fan of baby warmbloods jumping on their back legs when they don’t want to go in the box.
  • Continued improvement on injections. Again, this is just a matter of repetition without any bad experiences.
  • Lunging over poles. This is an important one for strengthening and developing the muscles in his butt and hindlegs, which will help to push his slight cow hocks straighter.
  • Introduction to small free jumps. The sooner he learns that he goes between the uprights every single time, the better. He’s too young for real jumping, so we’ll keep the fences small enough to just trot over.
  • Backing. He’s a baby so I’m in no hurry, but I’d rather get on him while he’s not quite the size of a monster truck yet. He is nearly there; he accepts the saddle and bridle, works correctly in side reins and long-lines fairly well. He allows me to put my foot in the stirrup, stand over him in one stirrup and lean over him without issues. He just needs to have his long-lining perfected and to carry the sandbags I use to desensitise the babies to weights and movement by their sides, and we’re golden.
  • Basic aids in walk. There’s no need to trot and canter around with me on him just yet, but he can learn a solid foundation of whoa, go and turn in a walk only.

This is stuff I normally try to achieve in about three months with client horses, so he’s got a slow year ahead of him, but it’s about what his baby brain can cope with right now. He will probably be turned away for several months throughout the year just to relax and grow up – in fact he has a month off ahead of him from next week.

He is my little miracle horse and God’s will has been so abundant in his life already. Glory to the King.

2016 Goals: Magic

On By firnhydeIn Magic1 Comment

More than any of the others, I’ve learned to make Magic’s goals flexible. Force isn’t an option with him, but he’s made so much progress nonetheless that just going with the flow seems to work for him. Nevertheless, we shall make a plan, if only so that we can do the exact opposite.

Magic’s 2015 Goals

Magic2

  • Improve fitness – Done. He gets and stays fit very easily, and has so much nervous energy anyway that he never tires out at shows.
  • Tie up – Done, well enough. Magic will never be the type you can tie to whatever and forget about, because forgetting about Magic is just a dumb idea, but he no longer habitually flies back. One can tie him and groom him and all will be OK as long as nothing terrifies him.
  • Load – Again, never going to be the type that just plods along in, but he loads in half a minute so no worries here.
  • School Novice – Done. We’ve trained up to Novice 3, snaffle and all, completing all the figures and transitions obediently and in good rhythm, frame and straightness.
  • Survive a hack – Well, we did this. But we’re not awfully likely to do this again. It’s just not something I need to deal with right now, and as a competing horse, hacking is a thing that should be done for relaxation and a change of scenery for the horse. For Magic, it’s a torture session. Not his thing.
  • Be confident at 80cm – Done! He skips over 80cm like nobody’s business.
  • Show graded at 70cm showjumping – Halfway done. He’s shown at 70-75cm in training shows five times now with all clear rounds, and he’s ready to go up. But his getting sick in September put the brakes on showing for the rest of the year, so we never registered for graded.

2016 Goals

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  • Finish getting back the topline muscle he lost when he was sick. His butt and back are good again, but his neck still needs to develop all over again.
  • School Novice 4, 5, and 6. He’s no dressage horse, but he needs these basics. Lateral work, counter canter, and medium canter can only help him.
  • Make 90cm our comfort zone at home. 80cm is now where we’re happy. We do 90cm from time to time, but it’s kind of pushing my nerves. He has miles and miles of scope and guts to spare at this height, so if we can just ease into jumping this by the end of the year, we can keep on going up and up.
  • Show graded at 70cm. We could do this really easily if he keeps his brain in his head at the next show. We’re doing another training show at 70cm this month, and if it goes well, we’ll sign up for graded.
  • Show at 80cm, graded or training. This will more than likely be graded, but if I’m not up to that pressure, I’m not going to sweat it. Height has never been an issue for Magic so we can cope with this just fine.

Lord, not what I will, but what Thou wilt.

 

And Not By Sight

On By firnhydeIn Lessons, Stardust, Uncategorized1 Comment

We called her Stardust, because she is something of light and hope that not everyone believes in.

It was two days after I had made the impossible decision. The riding school is growing, and the two schoolies aren’t coping. First one, and then the other began to sour; both coming to their work and doing it as well as they could, but both starting to make flat ears at me when I brought them to saddle up, or wandering off when their groom went to catch them. They weren’t happy in their work and it was not the fault of the work; there was just too much of it. Even I get tired in the three hours’ lessons every afternoon and I’m not the one carrying the kids around.

I needed another schoolie, and I was pretty sure the growing business could support one. But where on earth the money to buy one was supposed to come from, I had no idea. I’m flat broke. The little yard has just begun, and when you’re 18 years old and have a grass arena and questionable stables, you are a dwarf in a world of equestrian giants. Low prices and fire in your eye is all you’ve got to attract clients with. And fire is only useful when it spreads.

But this is Morning Star Stables, the high calling of my dreams, and if we do not walk by faith now we never will. It is God’s now as it has been since it was just a spark and will be when it can be a giant too. So I made the decision: We were getting another schoolie. I started to look for it, and as usual, I was picky. Something a bit smaller than galumphing Thun – 14 or 14.2 would do it. Easy-keeping, chunky, with powerful legs that could stand up to the rigours of the schoolie workload. Smooth gaits. Basic training, and a naturally fearless, quiet and people-loving nature. As for my budget, I didn’t have one. I couldn’t afford anything and whatever pony God wanted for His new schoolie, He’d pay for somehow.

Not quite two days later, a new lesson kiddie showed up and had her lesson on Thunder. All was going swimmingly when her dad leaned on the fence and asked, “You don’t need a new kid pony, by any chance?”

To make a long story short, Stardust is here for her month’s trial period. Free of charge. In case you were wondering, she stands 14.1hh and is fat on air. She is broad across the chest with stout little legs made apparently of cast iron. Her gaits are like sitting on a waterbed. She has all the basic gaits and aids, and when I tried her out at her previous home, there were kids running and yelling and hitting things in this spooky little farmyard and she didn’t do a thing. Just put her nose down and did what I said. We have a month to get through before we can be sure, but I think I am pretty sure.

And that is why we walk by faith, and not by sight.

MSStardust1