# My Turn to Ride!



## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

I'm 34 years old and for as long as I remember, I've loved horses. As a kid, every Christmas and Birthday I'd ask for a horse. At some point I figured out that my family was much too poor to afford a horse, so naturally I started asking for riding lessons! I eventually figured out that we were too poor for lessons either, and I realized I was going to have to wait until I could pay for them myself. 

Well that time is now! 

I started taking English riding lessons last month. I started a thread about overcoming my nerves and I have been updating it with my new lessons, but it's not really on topic. So I thought I'd make this journal. Plus someday I can look back on this and laugh at how terrible I was!  

Today was my fifth lesson, so in this post I'm going to get caught up. I take lessons every Wednesday on a draft cross named Indy. He is about 16.3 hh, dark brown, with a blaze and two white feet. I'll have to post a picture of him. He's a good horse, but can get snappy at times and definitely has his grumpy days. Lately he has been coming up to me in his paddock, which makes me feel pretty amazing! 

My riding instructor is amazing. We get along very well and she is a great teacher. We've been switching between a groundwork lesson and a riding lesson every other week. I can't decide which I like better! 

My first lesson involved half grooming and half riding. I was pretty nervous/excited. I had a hard time getting on Indy. Must have been nerves because I haven't had trouble since. I was most uncomfortable leading Indy. That's when my instructor suggested groundwork lessons. 

Second lesson was on groundwork and I loved it! It really helped my confidence. I used to train dogs at a doggy daycare, and I've always been interested in animal training. I was amazed how I could get this huge animal to move where I asked him to at the very end of a lead rope! 

Lesson three was a riding lesson. I practiced standing in my stirrups while halted. My first riding lesson dealt more with getting the feel of the horse, this lesson was spent on getting my position correct. Lots of shoulders back, heels down! 

At this point I found out that the stable was looking for volunteers. I quickly signed up! Now I can come in early before my lessons and help out. I've only went once so far. I mostly caught horses for other students, which was perfect because now I have gotten pretty good at leading! And gate management!  

My fourth lesson was groundwork. We practiced more backing, and circling. I have to keep more slack in my lead rope. There's just so much rope, the hardest part is rope management! I'm much more confident than I was at the beginning and I'm learning to think like a horse. Indy was in a very bad mood at the beginning of the lesson, so I had to be a little more forceful. We got through it and by the end he was back to his normal only slightly grumpy self. 

Today's lesson was number five. I rode Indy and practiced my half seat. I was pretty proud of myself cause I was able to hold it for a count of six at the walk. Doesn't sound like much, but I could hardly do it at a halt before! I hope we are working toward posting. I want to trot! Lol

We also worked on steering. My instructor set up some cones in a plus with a box in the middle. I had to navigate between the cones and walk to the box, then turn at the box and walk out through another set of cones. All without Indy stepping on any of them. I had to make sharper turns, but I started getting it. The only cone he stepped on was while I was leading him out of the arena.  

I spent extra time grooming Indy after the lesson. He was in a really good mood and I love grooming! I also was allowed to turn him out without my instructor supervising me for the first time. It's silly, but I'm really proud of that!  

Anyway, all caught up now!


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Here's a picture of Indy from the stable's facebook page. I posted this in my other thread, but it belongs here too. I'll try to remember to get more pictures next week.


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## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

Just enjoy the process, and you'll make progress very quickly. I started riding a little less than two years ago, and I'm a little obsessed about the learning process - being a mathematician will do that to you. I now ride occasionally two horses solo on the trail that nobody else (other than the barn/horse owner) wants to ride. One is a warmblood that needs a lot of hand-holding and reassurance, though he's a pistol once he gets confident. The other is an OTTB who loves running but hates busy hands - I saw some riders get into trouble with him when he stopped listening to them. Yesterday I felt stupid again on my first lesson on a sweet 9 year-old OTTB mare who doesn't quite understand the concept of collection yet. My instructor says we'll learn it together... 

What you want to do is to just ride, do a lot of visualization (see yourself riding well) when you are away from the barn, and observe your muscle memory develop. It'll be great once your body does the posting to the trot, say, while your brain pays attention to the speed and direction of the horse. You'll definitely get there - you sound sufficiently ambitious.

Oh, goal setting may also help: When I started to take lessons in September, it was with the intention of taking part in a 5-hour intermediate-level walk-trot-canter trail ride in Iceland the next June. It was a significant aspect of making that holiday perfect. After that, I just couldn't stop anymore... You should definitely allocate a reward for yourself once you reach a certain skill level.

I learned to ride a motorcycle two years prior to learning how to ride horseback - never fell off or otherwise got hurt on the motorcycle...unlike horses. (Three pretty significant contusions - a buck, a kick to the thigh, and a high-speed collision with the saddle pommel - everything else trivial.) It's that **** cute face that makes you put up with it, I suspect.


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Today I went in before my lesson to volunteer. I helped out with barn chores, although they were mostly done by the time I got there. I did however clean my first stall! I'm sure I was extremely slow and that the actual workers probably cleaned 5 in the time it took me to do one. Lol. I was pretty proud when the girl training me checked my work and only found one little wet spot. Who would have thought I'd be so happy shoveling poop!  

Another first today: I had to get a horse from a stall for a lesson. All the other times I had to catch a horse, they were outside in the paddock. Right after I tied him up (got to practice my quick release knot), a huge storm blew in. 

It was windy, pouring, and hailing. I was surprised that only one horse was really freaking out. It also amazed me that of the 30 or so horses outside, only a couple were using their run in shelters. Even with the hail! 

Then the tornado sirens went off so we all took shelter in the bathrooms. Luckily it blew over quickly and we were able to get back to work.

We were in a tornado watch for the rest of the evening so all the rest of the lessons were rescheduled, including mine. We finished chores and went home. My instructor apologized to me, but I told her I'm just happy to be around the horses.  

Everyone is so nice at the barn, they keep thanking me for helping. I told them that I should be thanking them for giving me the opportunity to learn and to work with the horses!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Sounds like you're hooked! So happy things are going so well for you! What a great idea to volunteer on top of lessons. You will learn so much! 

We don't get tornadoes where I live. We traded them for bitterly cold, snowy winters  Luckily, the weather is lovely now, and I am riding as much as I possibly can! The more you can ride, the better you'll get at it. But it does take time, and I don't think there's ever a point where any rider can say they know everything - even the best of the best! It's a never-ending learning process, which is one of the things I like about it, because I get bored if I feel I've mastered something. No danger of that happening with horses! LOL There does come a point, however, when you become comfortable, and it starts to feel like second nature. You no longer have to think about everything, your heels just sink down naturally, your torso automatically sits in correct position. You feel you are ready to start conquering new things! So you start doing pole work, caveletti work, think about maybe, someday, going over a jump! That's pretty much where I'm at! 

Glad you started this journal and I look forward to reading about your experiences!


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

I am most definitely hooked! Lol. I started out thinking I would take one lesson a week. Then it became coming in early before my lesson to volunteer. Now it's take a lesson, then volunteer two days. Plus the barn is offering mini clinics to the volunteers. They are FREE...so I have to go to them, right?  

My instructor and an assistant instructor are BOTH due to give birth in a couple of weeks, and the barn is having a huge renovation project so they aren't having lessons from the middle of June through August. Luckily, I can still get my horsey fix through volunteering!


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

^^^^You rock! Even though you just started taking lessons, you are a true equestrian in my books. Carry on....


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

What a great complement!  Thank you! 

I don't know near enough to call myself an equestrian. I'm just madly in love with horses! I really should have done this year's ago. I guess I have a lot of catching up to do.  

The other day I was talking with my instructor about how I'm just thrilled to be around the horses. I said I was a horse crazy little girl...and that I never grew out of it. She laughed and said she's the same way. I'm glad I'm not the only one.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Sandycat said:


> I am most definitely hooked! Lol. I started out thinking I would take one lesson a week. Then it became coming in early before my lesson to volunteer. Now it's take a lesson, then volunteer two days. Plus the barn is offering mini clinics to the volunteers. They are FREE...so I have to go to them, right?


Well, duh!!! It would be irresponsible not to! hehehe....

Yup, you are one of us now. You've crossed over to the horsey side. I'm afraid you are manifesting all the symptoms. Let me guess: when you're not at the barn or riding, and you have some free time, you are online reading about horses? They are on your mind all the time, even at work? Maybe even looking at horses for sale ads, just for fun (if so, you may have an even more severe infection than I thought)?

Some people start slow, dabble, are intimidated and want to take it slow. Or they like to ride, but not shoveling manure, or groundwork. They find it overwhelming to try to learn everything all at once. Others throw themselves into horses like it's a new religion. That's why I call myself a "born-again" rider (had horses in my youth, but went without them too long!). I think this is what @*waresbear* meant about being a true equestrian. 

Yes, you have a lot to learn still, but I have seen people learn very quickly. I think I can include myself in that group. While I had horses as a kid, really, things changed so much since then - and I really did NOT know what I was doing at the time! So I am re-learning everything. I spend hours pouring over articles on nutrition, riding, pasture management, name it. When I have a chance to be around knowledgeable horse people, I ask a million questions and if I get a chance to watch a lesson, I do, soaking up every detail. In a little over a year, I know about 20 times more about horses than I did when I was a kid. The most important thing is that you're doing it! Life is too short not to throw yourself into every passion you have. Good for you!


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Sandycat said:


> I am most definitely hooked! Lol. I started out thinking I would take one lesson a week. Then it became coming in early before my lesson to volunteer. Now it's take a lesson, then volunteer two days. Plus the barn is offering mini clinics to the volunteers. They are FREE...so I have to go to them, right?
> 
> My instructor and an assistant instructor are BOTH due to give birth in a couple of weeks, and the barn is having a huge renovation project so they aren't having lessons from the middle of June through August. Luckily, I can still get my horsey fix through volunteering!


 
You are a true equestrian, you are so. True equestrian to me doesn't mean you know all the ins and outs of riding, compete, train, etc. In my book, which is titled "Waresbear Getoutthere", you take every opportunity to ride your horse, ride any horse, learn horse stuff, work for the opportunity to do horse stuff, enjoy doing horse stuff, hump your butt out in all kinds of weather to enjoy horses. There are riders, trainers and equestrians, lots of which are true equestrians as well, but some will only ride if the conditions are just right, refuse to ride if there is no covered arena, won't attend a show if they know the judge doesn't place them well, and on and on, not true equestrians. True equestrians push through adverse conditions and situations to fulfill their equine passion. From what I have read in your journal, you have the passion.


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## seabiscuit91 (Mar 30, 2017)

Acadianartist said:


> Yup, you are one of us now. You've crossed over to the horsey side. I'm afraid you are manifesting all the symptoms. Let me guess: when you're not at the barn or riding, and you have some free time, you are online reading about horses? They are on your mind all the time, even at work? Maybe even looking at horses for sale ads, just for fun (if so, you may have an even more severe infection than I thought)?


You've just summed up my life. (At work now, obviously on here :lol: )


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## JoBlueQuarter (Jan 20, 2017)

Subbing!


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Acadianartist said:


> Well, duh!!! It would be irresponsible not to! hehehe....
> 
> Yup, you are one of us now. You've crossed over to the horsey side. I'm afraid you are manifesting all the symptoms. Let me guess: when you're not at the barn or riding, and you have some free time, you are online reading about horses? They are on your mind all the time, even at work? Maybe even looking at horses for sale ads, just for fun (if so, you may have an even more severe infection than I thought)?


You have called it exactly! Lol
@waresbear, thank you so much!




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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Hey it's not such a bad thing, I have survived 5 decades of it, hasn't hurt me any, it's only enriched my life and drained my bank account, lol. Meh, way worse things to spend money on though, right?


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

waresbear said:


> Hey it's not such a bad thing, I have survived 5 decades of it, hasn't hurt me any, it's only enriched my life and drained my bank account, lol. Meh, way worse things to spend money on though, right?


Fully agreed. Wouldn't want my life to be any other way. Those of us who are lucky to be able to fulfill this dream are among the luckiest humans to walk the earth. We get to touch a miracle, every day.


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Although my lesson is usually on Wednesday, they had a mini clinic this Wednesday so I took my lesson today.

I came in an hour early to help with barn chores, but when I got there the staff was about to do some groundwork with a few of the lesson horses. One of the lesson managers thought I'd be able to work one of the horses since I've been taking a few lessons on groundwork. They had me go get Hardy.

I had never met him before. He was a gorgeous flea bitten grey. Everyone said that he thinks he's a big puppy dog and that he always tries to get in your space. 

I didn't really know how to tie a rope halter, but one of the employees showed me how. There's so many knots to tie! Lol

So we go to the arena and on the way Hardy decides to poop. This was the first time a horse pooped while I was leading him. I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't want to just leave it, but I had my hands full. I passed my instructor and asked her what the rules are when it comes to that. She said that I could put him in an extra stall and pick it up, or if I was in a hurry I could pick it up when I get back. I was already in the arena, so I said I'd pick it up later. By the time I got back, someone had already picked it up. I'll have to pay it forward. 

The groundwork exercise was fun and very good for me. Hardy was definitely not Indy. Indy was always focused on me, where as Hardy was more focused on the rest of the horses. I had to learn very quickly how to get him to focus back on me. We practiced two ways to back and we did some circles. I had to keep one eye on him at all times because while I was watching the instructor, he would creep up on me and stick him face right by my head. I'd have to push his head away and back him out of my space. 

There's much more to say, but I'm running late for a movie, so I'll finish in a bit.


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Okay, I'm back from the movie to continue my post. 

So Hardy and I were doing okay on the groundwork, although I have to work on my confidence and body language. It was almost time for my actual lesson (riding, this week) and my instructor asked if I wanted to go get Indy ready or we could keep working Hardy, once the rest of the horses left. It's a hard decision. Riding is obviously fun, but I really enjoy groundwork too. I decided to keep going with Hardy. 

We moved to the far end of the arena and did some circles. I was doing okay until Hardy noticed the other horses were leaving. He completely stopped paying attention to me. My instructor told me to keep circling him to keep his mind on me. He was suppose to do a nice slow walk around me, but he kept trying to trot and at one point be did a hop/ buck move. 

My instructor took him from me and made him circle her. Every time he would try to trot or hop she'd make him change direction. Once he started to follow direction again, she would let him stop and relax. The minute he would stop listening to her she'd have him changing direction again. She explained that it was harder for him to keep changing direction and he would eventually figure out that he made it hard for himself when he wouldn't follow direction. It was pretty impressive to see her working with him. I can hardly get him to back up and she had him turning on a dime...and at 38 weeks pregnant! 

She also said that he wasn't being bad, but instead he is not confident without other horses around. He wanted the comfort of his herd. She explained that is also the reason that he would get into my space, he wasn't confident, and part of the groundwork is to help build his confidence. We were trying to teach him that he is perfectly okay by himself. It made a lot of sense. 

Once we had him back in his "learning brain", we worked on disengaging his hindquarters. We always finish on a high note, so after a few good circles, we called it a day. Hardy was a learning experience, that's for sure!  

After my lesson I stayed a few hours and helped water and feed the horses. Another new volunteer and I was shadowing two of the staff members. We got barn chores done early, so we decided to work on staining the new outdoor arena fence. We got a few sections done. 

Tomorrow I am going to a groundwork mini clinic. It's two hours long. That's four hours of groundwork this week! I'm definitely going to be better at groundwork then riding! Lol! Although my instructor says that everything we do on the ground translates to our riding. 

I'm excited about next Wednesday. Not only do I have my regular lesson, but they are having a driving mini clinic. I know absolutely nothing about driving! We are going to help with harnessing and a little driving. I think it'll be very interesting and fun!  

I'll be back tomorrow with more!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Wow, you are really going all out! I'm impressed!


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

I spent five hours at the barn today. I came in expecting to do some barn chores, but instead I was asked to give Beans a good grooming. I think Beans is a halflinger. He is being treated for mud fever, hence the good grooming. I used a shedding blade on him. I was shocked at how much hair came off even after I had used a curry comb on him! He looked pretty snazzy when I was done with him. One of the staff put an ointment on him and we put him in his stall. 

I then helped with some painting until it was time for my lesson. 

This lesson was a two hour group lesson on groundwork. I paid half of my normal lesson price for double the time. It became a better deal when I found out I was the only one who signed up! Lol

One of the assistant instructors was my teacher. We got Slo out of his paddock. Slo is a registered Paint, but you wouldn't know it by looking at him. He has very little white on him. He is brown, has a large blaze, and his lips and chin are white. He has three socks, and no white on his body. 

He was a dream! Maybe it was because Hardy was so difficult yesterday. I learned a third way to back a horse. More circles, and hindquarter yielding. I also tried having him change direction in the middle of a circle. That was difficult. It wasn't Slo's fault. He would do perfect when the instructor asked. I had a hard time switching the hand holding the lead rope. Turns out I can't move my feet and my hands at the same time! Lol. We also tried moving his forequarters. I had a hard time figuring out what she was explaining. Once I figured out it out, we decided that we'd try one good turn and call it quits. 

While I was scratching Slo on his face a found a little wound under his forelock. Before we put his back outside we put some ointment on it. I wonder how he got the wound in the direct middle of his forehead! 

I felt very good after that lesson! I might be getting the hang of this!  

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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Today's riding lesson was a lot of fun and very interesting. First, I was pretty proud of myself when my instructor told me that I can groom and tack Indy myself and that she'll just check it. He was being a bit nippy today, but he was really good about picking up his feet. 

When we got to the arena another horse was working on our half. It actually worked out perfect because I have my first group lesson on Friday and it helped to have another horse to work around. 

I was holding Indy while my instructor checked my tack. I was watching her and not my horse when he reached down and bit me on my leg! He didn't get me hard and it didn't break the skin, but it is bruised. I feel like it is as much my fault as his. I know he can be nippy and I should have been paying better attention! Lesson learned. 

Once we got going, Indy calmed down as usual. He hates the thought of working, but once he gets moving he's good. I practiced my position. My problem areas are trying to keep my shoulders back, and I tend to keep my leg too far back. I can sit correctly if I really think about it. 

We then tried doing some serpentines. It was my first time, but I felt like we did pretty well. I had a tendency to lean into the turns instead of turning my shoulders. Then my instructor asked me to try it without stirrups. I've never ridden without stirrups before. I didn't feel like I was going to fall or anything, but I could definitely feel it in my legs! The lesson went by very quickly as usual. 

While I was grooming Indy after the ride, he became very "relaxed" if you get my drift. He let it all hang out! Lol. It was actually a good learning experience. I asked how you clean that particular horse part. I had no idea that it gets flaky and so dirty. It's not something that is really mentioned in horse books, but is a pretty important part of horse keeping. 

After my riding lesson, I attended a special driving lesson. There were three of us in the class, me and two preteen girls. The barn manager was the instructor and she was being assisted by one of the riding instructors. Each of the students had their own horse to harness. The two girls each had a Fjord, and I had Bud a Percheron Appaloosa mix. Bud was huge, about 17.1 hh. He's very good natured and actually fell asleep while I was harnessing him! 

The class instructor helped the girls, while her assistant helped me. Neither of us had never harnessed a horse before, but we had loads of fun trying to figure it out together! Bud was so patient with us climbing around him and up a step stool to reach some of the buckles. 

The instructor checked our work and we did pretty good except that his bridle didn't really fit him. The funny thing was that it was his bridle and fit him last time he was harnessed. It was a few months ago. Poor Bud must have gained weight! 

We were going to take the Fjords out, so Bud was unharnessed. We took the two horses out and hooked them up to a pretty little wagon. We then went for a ride in the woods. We each got a turn to drive. Very interesting! 

At one point we ran into The Mule. A few weeks ago one of the boarders got a mule. He is the cutest thing! We laugh cause no one calls him by his name...it's just The Mule! His rider said that The Mule has never seen a horse hitch, so he turned down a different fork of the trail while we went by. The horses were pretty curious about seeing a mule, but they walked by easily. 

After we got back and unharnessed the horses, we sprayed them down with liniment. I have never heard of that before, but I found it it's for sore muscles. I put one of the horses out in his paddock and that was the end of the lesson. 

This was such a fun day! 

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## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

Sounds like you have a seriously fun lesson barn - that's awesome! Do they have a range of horses for you as your skills grow?


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

I think so. It's a non profit teaching barn. They only have fun shows, although one of the lesson horses made it to Prix St George's in dressage before he was donated to the barn. Indy was a hunter/ jumper. I don't know if he could do any jumping any more with his arthritis. He was also donated with one of the horses that share his paddock. They grew up together, so I thought that as cool.


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Yesterday I had a free group lesson with some of the other volunteers. There were five of us in total. I was the only volunteer that also takes lessons. One guy had never rode a horse before, so there was a wide range of experience. 

I was running late and I got there exactly on time. Luckily, I wasn't the last one there. All the horses in the class was already caught and put in the tie stalls, except for Indy. The instructor said that she knew I could catch him myself, so she left him outside.

She gave everyone a quick overview of grooming we all got to work. She had told everyone that when we get to picking hooves, she would come around and help. I have gotten much faster at grooming over the last two months, and I got finished much sooner than everyone else. I asked her if she needed to help me with his hooves, and she said that she knows that I can handle it myself. 

Same thing when we started tacking. She likes to start new riders out on Western, so everyone was riding Western except for me. The English tack is kept in a different tack room, so while she was helping the other riders I ran and got my tack. This was the first time I've tacked up without anyone right there with me. I think I did pretty good, except that I had buckled one of the girth billets on twisted. I'll make sure that I don't do that again. The bridle still gives me trouble. I think I just need more practice. It was nice to do it myself. I learn best when I can look at something and figure it out, instead of having it explained to me. 

Everyone led the horses to the arena with me and Indy bringing up the rear. I was told to keep a little more space between Indy and the other horses than normal. He's an alpha type horse and can get nippy with horses in front of him. It made me a little nervous, but I figured that if my instructor thinks I can handle him, then I probably can. 

The rest of the horses had their bridles put on once we got to the arena while the barn manager double checked our tack. She tightened my girth a hole and pointed out the twisted billet. That was the only thing wrong. 

Indy tends to be girthy, and will turn his head and nip at you. That's how I got bitten last lesson. This time I was ready for him. The barn manager said that he knows he can get away with that with beginners and that I just need to not put up with it. Getting bit was actually good for me, because it helped me to understand that I have to be more firm. 

So we mounted and after a little explanation on cues I was surprised (and a little proud) when my instructor asked me to head to the rail and everyone to follow me. For the rest of the class, when we would do a new exercise she would have me start it and the others to follow. We worked on basic starting, stopping, and turning. We did some weaving through cones, which was new to me. I also did part of the class with no stirrups. 

Indy did pretty good. He never tried to get to the other horses, although he was the tallest horse there and I had to stop him a few times to widen the gap between horses. He would also speed up a little along the long side of the arena. He's never done that before and I could feel that he was more alert and excited then usual. 

We haven't worked at anything faster than a slow walk, so when he would speed his walk up I wasn't exactly sure how to slow him correctly. A few times he actually just stopped. 

One problem I have every lesson is that Indy will start walking without me telling him to. We've been making him stop, then take a few steps back when he does that. This lesson was the opposite. He actually stopped a couple times on his own. Once he stopped to sniff some droppings, and I actually had to kick him a few times. Usually just a few clicks and he's off, but I guess the poop was too interesting. Lol

After the lesson, I was just grooming away when I noticed that it was quiet. I looked over and all the other people are gone. My instructor was sitting on a stool nearby, and I asked if I was the last one done. She laughed and said that I was the only one who did a really proper grooming.

I finished Indy up and helped put him and the other horses out for the night. One of the horses Sunny has a mild case of thrush in his front hooves. My instructor asked if I wanted to help treat it. Of course I did! 😄 So after sniffing a hoof (smelled like brussel sprouts) I picked and treated it. 

Finally I helped clean up the arena, and went home. 

This lesson was really beneficial for me. I was able to do more on my own than normal, and figure some things out by myself. It was fun and it made me feel good that I was trusted enough to do a lot of it on my own.

Next week I have three lessons! Monday I have a lesson about introducing a horse to novel objects, my usual lesson on Wednesday, and another volunteer group lesson on Friday. Yay for horses! [emoji3]


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

So awesome! Keep it up! You're doing fantastic! 

I signed up for a hoof dissection clinic next week with my trimmer, LOL! The fun never ends - well, if you're like me and you consider learning everything you possibly can about horses fun! 

I also recommend taking an equine first aid course if you ever get the opportunity. Very useful and confidence-building to know that you know what to do in the event of a minor injury, or even a bigger one until the vet arrives.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

@Sandycat, I just found your journal, but what a great read! I am a teacher by training and have done some riding instruction at a therapeutic riding program. As a rider, I've experienced a range of instruction, from very very bad to really excellent. Sounds like you're at a place where the instruction is excellent, and I applaud that they cover so much more than just riding. When I was teaching lessons, I enjoyed teaching about grooming and tacking more than the riding part I think! :redface: I just think that when you're with beginners, whether children or adults, forming that relationship with and understanding of the horse is just as exciting as learning the mechanics of riding. 

Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience with us!


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Thanks for all the comments! I'm at work right now, but I'll post about yesterday's and Mondays lessons later. 

Monday was a fun little lesson where we did a little in hand trail class. We were all awful but it was tons of fun! 

Wednesday I worked on collection and extending the walk. 

Anyway more later. 



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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Work has been crazy, so I haven't had time to post about my lessons this week. 

On Monday I took a group lesson on Trail Classes. There was a little obstacle course set up in the arena that we were to lead our horses through. There were two other people in the class, both kids. 

My horse was named JT. He was a chestnut and very sway backed. I was told he used to be a hunter and he was about 26 years old. He was also pretty pushy, which I'll get to later. 

The girls each had a horse, although I can't remember which horses they had. I do remember that the instructor chose Sally as her demo horse. Actually I should say demo mini mule! Lol Sally is a tiny little grey mule. She is seriously as big as a large dog. She was also a big flirt. All the horses in the class (geldings of course) were very interested in her. Not sure if it's because she's a mare or because she's a mule! 

We had seven obstacles to conquer. First was two ground poles we had to walk over. Then came weave poles at a trot. Third was a box that we had to do a 360 turn in. After that we had to lead the horses over a tarp on the ground. Fifth was the hardest: we had to back in between two ground poles. Then came the "noodle canyon". The canyon was some pool noodles that were set up so that the horses would have to walk between them. Last was a makeshift gate. 

We all passed the first obstacle with no issues. 

The second one was a little harder because none of us had led a horse at the trot. We decided to skip the weaving and just work on a straight trot. I was nervous at first. I haven't even trotted in my riding lessons. After I tried it once, it was actually pretty neat running beside a horse! 

The third stage was the 360 turn. We learned that the horse should be pivoting on one hind foot, but none of our horses were fit enough for that. Show horses, they are not! Lol My groundwork lessons really paid off on this obstacle. JT did really well, and never stepped outside of the box. 

The fourth obstacle was the dreaded tarp. We all laughed because not one horse was worried about walking on it! They just walked right across it. 😀

Next up was the hardest test by far. We had to back our horse through the shoot made by the ground poles. No-one was able to keep the horse backing in a straight line. We all got crooked and had to give up and move on. 

After that was the noodle canyon. We were pretty worried about it. Looked pretty scary, but all the horses walked right through it. The instructor tried to up the scare factor by closing the space between the rows of noodles. Each horse did balk a little at first, but with only a little encouragement they walked through. Except poor Sally. The noodles were at her eye level and would snap back toward her head. She made it thorough by ducking! I've never seen a horse duck before, it was pretty cute. 

Last up was the gate. Again, my ground work lessons were useful. I knew how to swing JT's hips around safely. We did pretty good at that part. 

After we got through the course together, we tried it alone and we scored each other. JT and I came in second.

While we were waiting for the other people to work on the course, JT would keep walking forward when he was suppose to be standing patiently. Mostly he wanted to sniff Sally, but still. I would stop him and make him back up a step. The instructor said that since he's so old and quiet they usually have little kids working with him. She commented that it was good for him to have an adult work with him. I guess he's figured out that he can pull kids around, and that they won't correct him. I sure got plenty of practice correcting him! 

At the end of the lesson, we picked a few things to work extra on. I wanted to try the in hand trotting again, mainly cause it was fun. We also decided to try backing the horses over the tarp since they had no problem walking over it. Totally different experience when they tried it backwards! The first two horses and Sally could only manage two or three steps. 

Then it was my turn. I first walked JT across it. Then tried to back him. Wouldn't you know it, he did a perfectly straight backing across the entire tarp! I hardly needed to use any pressure at all. Everyone was in shock! Lol

There was no way we were going to top that, so we called it quits and took the horses back to the cross ties for a little grooming and some fly spray. 

I noticed that JT had front shoes on. I've never picked a shod hoof before, so I asked the instructor to show me how. Seemed like more dirt accumulates in the shoe. 

I put JT back in his stall, and asked to put Sally out. It was kind of strange leading her. She's so tiny! I made her behave just like a big horse though, even turning her hind end away from me when I released her in the paddock. I used to train dogs and it always annoys me when people let little dogs get away with things that they would never let a big dog do. I figure horses should be no different. 

I also took a lesson on Wednesday and Friday. I'll post about them later. I'm a bit behind on this journal! Lol


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

I had my regular lesson on Wednesday with a different instructor, Shannon. I had done the trail class on Monday with her. My normal instructor finally went on maternity leave. She's due in a few days. Actually today, I got an email from her saying that she was offered a great position in a different county and that she's not going to be back after the baby is born. I'm pretty sad because she was a great teacher and we got along well. Luckily, my new instructor is also great. Her teaching style is pretty similar, and she is also easy to get along with. 

I was volunteering before my lesson, and I got finished with my project (wiping down arena rails...not very fun) with a half hour before my lesson. I asked Shannon if I could grab Indy early. She said sure, so I got him and started grooming. Indy was in a pretty good mood, although the flies were bothering him. While I was grooming him, I noticed a new bump on his side. I asked Shannon and she figured it was a big bite. She commented that it was good that I noticed the bump. Most students don't pay enough attention and would not have seen it. She said things like that will make me a better horsewoman. 

My new instructor has a soft spot for grumpy old Indy. He was the horse she rode during her interview for the position. She also rides mainly English, and she was happy that I'm doing English. The majority of her student's ride Western.

The warm-up part of the lesson was spent with Shannon catching up on what I have been learning. I told her what I knew and what I want to learn. She asked me why I chose English. I told her that when I was younger, I wanted to show jump, but now I like how I feel closer to the horse in an English saddle. It's actually a hard question to answer. I guess just like it better. 

After Indy was warmed up, we worked on transitions within the walk. I learned how to collect or extend the walk. Indy was listening very well. We were on the small side of the arena, and it was a bit hard for Indy to really extend his walk because he has long legs. I wish I would have learned collection before the group lesson. Indy would speed up and I didn't really know how to slow him down. Now I do! 

We worked a little on half seat. I'm so proud that I can do it now without holding on to his mane at the walk. Just two months ago I couldn't even stand up in the saddle at the halt! 

As usual the lesson was over much to quickly. While I was grooming Indy, we discussed a little about body condition. The student in the tie stall next to me was getting her pony ready and joked about how he was a little chunky. A lot of the ponies and especially Sally the mule could stand to lose a few pounds. I asked how Indy was. You can just barely see his ribs, especially when he is turning. Shannon said he was probably a 4.5 and if anything could stand to gain some muscle. 

I had one more lesson on Friday. It was a group volunteer lesson. I'll post about it later. Then, I'll be all caught up! Yay! 

This Wednesday is my last lesson until September. Not sure if I mentioned it before, but the barn is having a ton of improvements made and is suspending lessons while the construction is going on. Luckily, the horses still need taken care of, and I'm going to continue to volunteer.


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Acadianartist said:


> So awesome! Keep it up! You're doing fantastic!
> 
> I signed up for a hoof dissection clinic next week with my trimmer, LOL! The fun never ends - well, if you're like me and you consider learning everything you possibly can about horses fun!
> 
> I also recommend taking an equine first aid course if you ever get the opportunity. Very useful and confidence-building to know that you know what to do in the event of a minor injury, or even a bigger one until the vet arrives.


Actually there is a first aid clinic coming up, that I'm planning on doing. I love medical stuff and I think it'll be super interesting! 

I love learning new things, too! You can never learn too much. [emoji3] 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Finally I have time to write about Friday's lesson. It was a lesson for the volunteers. There were a total of four of us. I was on Indy of course. There was also Sunny and Beans and Freckles. Sunny is a really light palomino, Beans is a halflinger, and Freckles is a flea bitten grey. The woman riding Beans was really tiny, so much so that she was later asked if she'd be up for exercising some of the ponies. She was also probably at my riding level or a little above me. Everyone else was pretty much brand new to riding. 

I was again the only once riding English. I just have to be different, I guess. Lol. As I mentioned before the lady who was suppose to be teaching the class was put on maternity leave, so one of the barn managers filled in. 

I had come in early to help with barn chores. I was able to clean one stall, before the instructor grabbed me to help set up the arena and get the horses for the class. I got Beans and Indy, while she got the other two. I laughed when she asked me if I was comfortable getting Indy. She didn't know that he was my lesson horse. He's pretty big, so maybe people are intimidated by him or what, I don't know. 

We straight tied the horses in the grooming stalls, which gave me a chance to work on my quick release knot. I'm terrible at tying knots. I'm not joking, I can hardly keep my shoes tied! [emoji3] I'm left handed and it's hard when everyone is teaching you to tie a knot right handed. 

Once all the horses were tied, I went ahead and started grooming Indy. It was a good thing cause he was filthy! He must have rolled in mud. It hasn't rained lately, so I have no idea where he found mud! He even had it on his face. Lol

I ended up using a metal curry comb on him, and after what seemed like forever he was presentable. 

The barn had moved the English tack right next to the Western tack which is next to the tie stalls. So much more convenient! I used to have to walk to the other end of the barn. 

As I was putting on Indy's saddle, the head barn manager, who was assisting with the class, asked me if I ever use a half pad on him. We never have, but she thought we should, so she grabbed one for me and showed me how to use it. I always second guess myself on where the saddle should go. I always feel like it's too fast forward, but it never is. 

When I went to bridle Indy, he started to throw his head up. He's never done that before and I didn't really know what to do. The instructor came over and helped me calm him enough to get the bridle on. He was perfect the rest of the class. 

Before we mounted, the barn manager double checked our tack. I made the same mistake as last time with the billet. I had ran it through the bottom of the buckle instead of the top. I did three of the four right, but I was disappointed in myself. How did I miss that? I'm not making that mistake tonight! [emoji4] 

The lesson was about "ask, tell, demand" and using the least amount of pressure as possible. The were four cones set up at the corners that we were to circle around and cones to weave around in the center. At least that was the plan. When we actually got started, the two newer riders really had no idea what they were doing, and just kind of meandered around the arena. It was actually pretty funny. Quite a few times, I had to stop because someone was crossing my path when they should of been on the complete opposite side of the arena. [emoji1]

It's a good thing that the horses were all saints! You could almost see them rolling their eyes at the stupid humans! Lol

You could tell that teaching was not the instructor's usual job. She admitted that she usually only runs lead line pony rides. I really like her, though. She's very down to earth and is one of my favorite people at the barn. 

Although, I didn't have a lot of actual instruction, I did enjoy the practice. I kept checking my equitation, and made sure to keep Indy going at a good pace. He was much better during the group lesson than the last one. He didn't stop without me telling him, and he only walked on once without instruction. I made him halt again, and backed him a couple steps. He didn't do it again. I'm not sure if he's learning, or if I'm just becoming a more capable rider. Probably a bit of both. 

We did a few laps without stirrups, which felt pretty good. I've noticed that I'm more sore after the recent classes than before. I'm guessing it's cause my first few classes were pretty much me just sitting on the horse, getting used to it. Now I'm doing actual work! 

I have a hard time finding my stirrups and getting my feet back in them without reaching down. Does anyone have any tips for that? I probably just need to practice it sometime. 

Indy really enjoyed his after ride grooming. He started to doze off. We also wet all the horses down with alcohol water because it was almost 90 degrees Fahrenheit. They seemed to appreciate that. 

I found out that only one other person takes lessons on Indy. He is only ridden two or three times a week for an hour. He's got a rough life. [emoji6] 

I'm excited because I found out that they are doing a trail ride for the volunteers next month. That would be amazing. The only problem is that there's a mandatory safety class on Tuesday, the hardest day for me to get off work. I'm going to try to leave work, dart to the barn, and back to finish my shift. Surely, work can survive without me for two hours! Lol


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Today was my last official lesson until the fall. [emoji22] I'm hoping since I've been volunteering, I might be able to help exercise some of the horses, but I might not be riding again until September. 

There's a white board near the tie stalls that lists all the lessons for the day. I noticed that I was upgraded from class 101 to 102. I have no idea what the difference is but, I'm happy none the less! Lol

I also had a different instructor today. She was younger, but she used to show a lot. She was a bit pickier about equitation than the other instructors, but I thought that was really helpful. 

Today during my volunteering, I helped input the horses' schedules into the computer. I was so busy, I didn't even notice that it was time for my lesson. My instructor had already brought Indy inside for me. He was surprisingly clean, actually probably the cleanest one ever seen him! He was sleek and shiny too. Grooming didn't take very long at all. 

I did a perfect job tacking him up, and I even was able to bridle him with very little trouble. The usual blue saddle pad I use on him was taken, so I tried a purple one. He looked really nice in people! 

He was in a fairly good mood, but the flies were driving him crazy! We put some fly spray on him and headed to the arena. In the arena one of the employees were riding Bud for the first time (her first time, not his). You might remember me talking about Bud from the driving lesson. He's a huge Percheron appaloosa mix. We were going to share the large side of the arena. 

We first started with a warm up lap. It was for Indy, but I think I did much more work than he did. I had to extend his walk on the long sides and do two point on the short sides. Indy and I was tracking to the left, and Bud and his rider was going to opposite direction. I remembered that arena etiquette says to pass left shoulder to left shoulder, but Bud's rider didn't ride much in an arena, so we ended up stopping right in front of each other. It was pretty funny. [emoji1] Once we figured out how to pass, we were on our way again. 

My instructor had set up four ground poles in a plus in the middle of the arena. She explained lateral flexion and bending around a turn. I was to walk in the middle of the first pole, then do a large circle and walk over the middle of the pole again before moving on to the next pole. It was really hard, trying to move my legs independently. I had a few really good circles and a bunch of not so good circles. It was challenging, but fun. 

After the circles, she asked me how much trotting I've done. The answer was zero. She said that I'm ready to start trotting, but that Indy is not a good horse for a first trot. I was happy and disappointed at the same time. I'm excited that I'm ready to trot, but sad that I'll have to wait till the fall. Plus, I've really fallen in love with Indy, and I'll be a little sad that I'll be riding a different horse. She also commented that Indy is a good fit for me. I feel like I'm learning a lot from him, especially since he isn't perfect. He's grumpy and opinionated, but it's teaching me how to deal with a horse like that. I like that he isn't just a push button horse. 

We finished my lesson, and after a quick grooming, I put Indy out. There's a bit of grass that grows next to the fence. Indy anyways grabs a few bites on the way to the fence. It always makes me smile. [emoji1] 
I was planning on bringing some carrots for him and his paddock mates, but I forgot. I'll have to bring some next week. Even though I have no lessons, I'm still going to volunteer at least once a week. 

That's it for now.


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## seabiscuit91 (Mar 30, 2017)

Sounds like your doing so well, and enjoying every minute of it!

That's a shame they've stopped lessons for a few months, have you considered trying a new barn just for a few months so you can still get rides in? It would be a shame to stop riding altogether for so long, especially since your ready to move onto trotting and other things!+

It's great your still volunteering, at least you can still get your horse fix!


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

I haven't really thought about switching barns. I'm enjoying this one too much! [emoji3] 

Last Wednesday, I volunteered for a couple of hours. I worked on building the frame of a couple of canopies for the paddocks. I was surprised to see a picture of the covers and a thank you to me and the other two volunteers who worked on it posted on the barn's Facebook page! [emoji4] 

The barn is leveling out the back lot where the paddocks are. Right now they are down hill and become mud pits. All the horses have to be moved temporally. Most of the horses were put out in the big pasture. The horses that can't be on grass have been moved to temporary paddocks set up in the outdoor arena where my canopies are being put to use. Indy is currently living it up in the pasture! [emoji1]

Tuesday I went to a safety class on trail riding. It was required to go on the volunteer/staff trail rides that happen periodically. I was very surprised that only three people showed up. We learned about what to do in the event of bad weather, a bee attack, and spooking, among other things. It was interesting. We were told that it's the same training that the wranglers get when they are hired to lead trail rides. Now, that would be a fun job! 

I asked if I could ride English on the trails. She said yes and that one of the wranglers prefers to ride English. I figure I can work on my riding, while enjoying the views! The first ride is two Sunday's from now and I can't wait! 

Today, I helped with barn chores. I also got officially trained on leading. It was a little funny since I've been helping grab horses for months now, but this was the official check off. I can now get any of the lesson or trail horses. Only staff can handle the boarders. I'm assuming it's because of liability, since all the boarder horses are friendly. 

One of the horses I turned out was Squishy. She's an adorable little black pony. I was told that she is definitely an alpha mare. In fact, more than one person said that she would be the lead mare if all the horses were in a giant herd. She was a perfect lady with me, though! Lol

This was the first time I did grain. It was pretty cute to see how excited everyone got when they heard the grain wagon. Lots of heads suddenly appeared over the doors and lots of nickering! Lol 

I helped with a few stalls. One nice thing about the construction is that most of the stalls are not being used since the horses are on the pasture. I also helped with hay and learned the difference between mixed and grass hay. Although, I wouldn't trust myself to tell the apart just yet. 

I don't have anything going on next week, although I'm planning on still volunteering on Wednesday. Volunteering has been so great! I'm learning so much that I would have never learned in riding lessons. Plus, I really feel like I'm part of the group, and I'm getting to know the horses so much better. The free volunteer lessons are an added bonus. [emoji1]


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

My volunteer time at the barn Wednesday was fun. First I changed out a couple of the fans that hang above the stalls. After I was finished, I moved the horses back to their stalls to enjoy their new fans. 

Then I helped with barn chores. I actually don't mind them at all. I cleaned a couple stalls and the trailer. Then I filled hay for the night. After that was done, the two girls I was working with and I went to check on the pasture horses. 

Since all the paddocks are currently disassembled and are being leveled, most of the horses are taking a vacation in the pasture. I was excited because I haven't seen Indy in a few weeks. 

We drove into the pasture and all the horses came up to us. I was concerned that Indy wouldn't remember me, but he walked right up to me. I was petting and scratching him, and he started to doze off! Lol 

We had brought a bucket of alcohol water to sponge on the horses who looked really hot. Indy is always hot, so he got sponged down. Once the horses figured out we didn't bring food, they started to wonder off. Except Indy. He stayed with me enjoying his petting until I had to go. It really made me feel warm and fuzzy. [emoji4] 

I think I might ask if I can bring down his grooming bucket. He was so dirty! I'm used to seeing him at least semi groomed. 

On Sunday I have the volunteer trail ride. I'm really looking forward to it. I don't think I'll be riding Indy, although I'd like to.


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

I've been to the stables twice since I last wrote. On Sunday, I went on the staff and volunteer trail ride. There were a total of three of us! We were shocked that more people didn't come. It was hot, but so much fun! 

I was on a horse named Roany. Can you guess what color he was? [emoji1] He was one of the trail horses that also occasionally gives lessons. Since he is used mostly on trails, he was never fitted for an English saddle, so I rode Western. 

I had never tacked up a horse Western, so I needed a little help. The cinch was so different than an English girth, but I was able to quickly learn. Roany's bridle was missing, so we borrowed Indy's. With a few adjustments we were ready to go. 

The other two horses with me was Jonah (who was just gorgeous) and Dollar a cute grey. All three horses were used on trails regularly, but with the construction they hadn't been ridden in a while. Part of the reason we went on the ride, beside fun, was to keep the trail horses active. 

The ride itself was pretty normal. We went through the woods, saw some deer, and walked by the lake. Roany was behaving very well. 

My problem was that I kept losing my stirrups. I posted about it in another thread. The conclusion was that the stirrups were either too long, or I wasn't sitting correctly. I was a bit nervous since it was my first time riding out. 

I asked the leader of the ride, why she choice Roany for me. She said he needed the work, and that she figured if he got a little feisty, I would be able to handle him. Lots of people at the stable seem to have more confidence in my ability than I do! I'm starting to think they're right. [emoji4] 

When I went to dismount, I sat a minute trying to figure out how to get off with the horn in the way. It was pretty funny. I've gotten so used to English, that the Western saddle seemed so big and cumbersome 

Since it was so hot outside (low 90s) we horses down the horses. I've never used the wash stall before, so I learned something else. After they dried a little, we put them out. 

Here's a terrible picture of Roany. He's studying up on the different gaits! Lol


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Today I went out to volunteer for a few hours and get my pony ride leader training. I'm going to help out with the little kids summer camp next week. They are 5-7 years old, and I'm going to be leading one of the ponies. 

Before my lesson I helped with grain. It's my favorite barn chore. The horses get so excited! [emoji1] 

My lesson pony was an adorable black Welch mare named Squishy. I might have mentioned her before. She is the lead mare at the barn and can be a little trouble. My instructor says she's perfect to learn on, because if you can handle Squishy you can handle anyone! I learned where all the pony tack was and we tacked her up. This was the second time I tacked Western, but I think I did pretty well. The little kid saddles are so tiny! We don't bridle them for pony rides, but we clip reins to the halter for the kids to hold on to. 

I've lead lots of the horses before, so that part was pretty much just practice. Squishy kept wanting to walk ahead of me, so there was a lot of stopping and backing going on.

I'm proud of how far I've come with leading. The first day with Indy, I was so nervous. Now there's no nerves, and I'm even correcting the horse when it's not behaving. Granted, I've never had a horse really freak out on me yet. I've seen it happen a couple of times. I try to watch what the handler is doing to learn.

My instructor said I passed with flying colors and I'm going to help out on Monday and Wednesday. 

One of the volunteer classes offered this month is on walk trot transitions. I ran into the person who is teaching the class, who happens to be the facility manager. I asked her if it was above my experience level. She said that we'll make it my first trot. She knew I had been riding Indy, and said to make sure that I remind her so that I can use him. Someone had told me once that Indy isn't a good horse for a first trot. When I told her that, she said that she disagrees, especially since I know him. I'm very excited! [emoji1] The lesson is in two weeks, and I can't wait.


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## seabiscuit91 (Mar 30, 2017)

Sounds like you've been having so much fun!!

Glad you got to trail ride, and help out! It's great you don't have to miss out on having your horse fix while the barn is getting renovated!
So excited for you to start trotting! Especially on Indy, even if she was bumpy a little, it's still best to have a horse you know and are comfortable with!

Can't wait to hear all about it!


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

I really love what a learning approach this barn is taking with their volunteers. If only all barns that take on volunteers were so diligent about training! And, volunteers like you are worth your weight in gold- I'm so happy they are conscious of that and let you get so much riding time  Sounds like a really great set-up and it's great you're getting to handle and ride so many different horses.


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

I'm having so much fun. The barn is absolutely fantastic! I feel like I'm getting so much out of volunteering. It's just amazing. [emoji3] 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

I survived helping out at my first summer camp! This camp was for kids 5-7. We had nine girls. My job was to lead my pony around for the girl's riding lessons. 

The first day I started out by grooming Jack. Jack is a decent sized pinto pony (almost horse sized). I've never even seen him before. I think he's usually a trail horse. I tried to tack him by myself, but I needed a little help on the cinch. Why do Western saddles have such a long billet strap?! The English girth is so simple.

After the ponies were ready to go, we met up with the girls. We went over barn rules and played a game to learn everyone's names. One little girl was crying when her dad dropped her off. Once she calmed down, she was the most talkative of all! Lol

We split the girls in two groups and the first group went to meet their pony. I was leading Diamond. Diamond is a big chestnut pony. He kind of drove me crazy. He kept trying to get ahead of me. I had to stop and back him a few times. Also since he was so large, we had to pass other ponies a lot. 

The girls learned how to hold their reins (which were attached to the halter) and the proper seat. We walked around the arena a few times, and did some weave poles.

The instructor used to show English a lot and made sure their Equitation was good. Even though it was a glorified pony ride, there were "heels down", "hands still", as "sit up straight". The girls took it very seriously! [emoji1] They really did a great job, although they'd forget to turn a few times! Lol

After the first group, I switched to a pony named Willie. Diamond was a little much for me. I'm still too timid on disciplining the horses. I think I'm too concerned about being wrong. I need to work on my confidence. 

Willie was the smallest pony in the class. He was a cute little chestnut. Willie behaved better for me, although I had to keep pushing his head away. He'd get in my personal space and try to put his nose right on my leg.

After the riding lesson, we helped the girls groom and untack the horses. I was busy watching the girls feet and keeping them away from the rear end. In fact, I was so busy watching them, I wasn't paying attention to my own feet, and got stepped on. Luckily, he just got the very tip of my foot and didn't step down all the way! 

After the ponies were groomed we finished the day by making a horse popsicle stick puppet. 

It was actually fun, and this is from the girl that doesn't like babies and who doesn't want kids! 

I missed the second day of camp. Stupid actual job! Lol

Today was the third and final day of camp. I was in charge of Cinnamon. In my opinion Cinnamon is the prettiest pony we have. She's red roan (my favorite horse color). She is just a nice looking little horse. 

She behaved like a little lady almost the whole time. She was a little slow and I had to keep clucking to her to keep her going. She also had a tiny spook at a stroller that was outside the door. It was actually more of long look, than a spook. 

This lesson had the girls doing a figure eight, although some of them didn't know how to draw an eight! Lol. They also did a little half seat walking over some poles. The girls thought that was great! They were excited when we explained that that was the first start to jumping. One girl said she didn't know a horse could jump, and another said she's going to be in the Olympics some day.

After the lesson we untacked and groomed the horses. We put them in cross ties, and got them ready for the final day "show". We had a big bucket of bows and hair clips that the girls could decorate the ponies up with. 

All the ponies were complete saints as the girls put all the little clips and decorations in their mane. My girls wanted Cinnamon's tail braided, so I braided it for them. They then put little flowers in it. Her mane had a ton of clips and bows in it. They even found two big scrunchies that they sat around her ears! She dozed through a lot of it. 

I have to say that Squishy looked the best. Her leader knew how to braid a mane correctly! She had it in a French braid that the girls put bows in. 

After the ponies were decorated, it was time for the show! The girls helped lead their pony around the arena for the parents. Of course lots off photos were taken. After the show, we took the ponies back to the cross ties to be undecorated and for more pictures and hugs and kisses. This was the most nerve racking part because all the parents and younger siblings were there. We had to pay close attention so that the kids that were not campers didn't get hurt.

The barn policy is that anyone under 18 has to wear a helmet whenever they are working with the horses. That meant that the younger siblings could only pet the pony on the head, and not go in the tie stall. Of course the older sisters wanted to show off their ponies and we had to keep an eye on them to make sure they didn't bring their siblings in the stall. 

After the last goodbyes were said, I took Cinnamon outside. She is currently living in the trail head round pen. It's a fair walk across the parking lot to the pen. I decided to take her through the picnic area instead. She was a little afraid of the picnic tables and stopped. I remembered what I learned in that trail class a while back, and after letting her look I walked confidently past the tables. She hesitated only for a moment and walked past. I was proud of both of us! 

Once Cinnamon was put away, I asked if there was anything else I can help with. Everything else was done, but I was told that I could join a tack fitting class that was about to start, if I wanted to. Of course I did! 

The barn has a program for teenage kids were they volunteer in exchange for lessons. The class was part of the program, but they thought it would be good for me to learn saddle fitting too. Only one girl was in this particular class. She had also helped with camp. 

We used Sunny. Sunny is all the instructors favorite lesson horse. He's very dependable. Sunny is a palomino. He's so sun bleached at the moment that he looks almost white. 

We put several saddles on him and had to rate the saddles 1-3 based on fit. One is good, three is bad. We then checked our ratings against the official saddle list. We got all but one right! [emoji3] 

The one we got wrong was actually the best fit and we gave it a three. It was cut so different than the other saddles that were were fooled by it. Our instructor showed us how it is actually the best fit for him. 

It was a very interesting lesson. I never thought that I could learn how to fit a horse saddle! I was surprised how most of the time you can take one look at the saddle and know it's not going to work. We only fitted Western saddles, but we were told that it's the same basic principles when fitting English. 

Next lesson is Sunday. I can't wait. I get to ride Indy again! And trot! 

My co-workers think I'm nuts. I've went on and on about Sunday's lesson, and they don't understand what's so exciting. I guess non horse just people don't get it. Lol 😆


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Today's lesson was fantastic! It was free for the volunteers and only two of us signed up for it. The rest of the volunteers are nuts not to take advantage of these lessons. 

I was glad that the instructor remembered our discussion and had the English saddle out and had set me up with Indy. 

I was very excited to see Indy again. It's been a few weeks. I was shocked at how sun bleached he was! He's suppose to be black, but he looked almost bay! He also looked like he lost a little weight or maybe muscle. He had a pretty decent bite mark on his hip. I pointed it out to the instructor and after the class she put some ointment on it. I had no idea horses get injured so often! [emoji38]

The other rider in my class was riding Sunny. Sunny is the favorite lesson horse of almost everyone I talked to. He's very reliable. His rider was very new to horses, but has been in the other two volunteer classes I've taken.

Indy was in a stall, so I grabbed his halter and went to get him. He came right up to me and lead easily out. My instructor commented that he had been used for a trail ride yesterday, and has been in the stall all night. She was proud that he was so calm and wasn't anxious to get out of the stall. 

I started grooming while she ran to get the arena ready. The other rider had a few questions about grooming, so I went over the different brushes with him. 

Indy was being super nippy. More than once I had to give him a smack. After the ride I talked to the instructor about his snapping. She said that the problem is that some people let him get away with it. He needs more consistency, which is some times hard to get at a lesson barn. She said he's so good under the saddle, that they put up with him being grumpy on the ground. She was the one who bought him, and she was very impressed with him when she first tried him out. 

When I went to pick Indy's front feet, I was surprised to find shoes! They have been using him for some trail riding, so they put front shoes on. 

I'm still having issues with putting on the bridle. I have a hard time holding the bit and getting my fingers in his mouth. Why can't he just open it on his own! [emoji2] I was shown a new way to hold the bridle which I'll try next time. 

Once we were all ready to go, we walked to the arena. Indy was being very good. He doesn't want to work, but once he gets started he's like a different horse. 

We did our warm-up lap, and then I double checked my tacking job while I was waiting for my turn at the mounting block. It looked good to me, and my instructor agreed. Yay! 

We started out the lesson reviewing "ask, tell, demand" and basic stop, go, and turn. The other student had quite a time with Sunny. He couldn't get him to walk and when he did walk it was super lazy. The instructor commented that he was "walking like he was heading to the glue factory". [emoji1] When they would halt, Sunny would mosey on toward the gate. I felt a little bad for his rider. He was trying, but Sunny was taking advantage of him. 

His problem was that he was too worried about hurting Sunny. We wouldn't kick him when he had to, and he said he was worried about his weight on Sunny. He probably weighs less than me! After the lesson he said he had been watching videos about horses with broken backs. I told him that he was watching the wrong kind of videos. I wonder if he was watching some animal rights videos. 

Since Sunny was moving at a snail's pace, Indy and I lapped him quite a bit, especially once we got into a working walk. I have a hard time with getting him into an extended walk. I know what I'm suppose to do, but getting each leg to work independently is hard work! There were a few times when I had it down and we'd cruise around. 

Indy and I worked on keeping the working walk around the entire arena while Sunny and his rider worked on starting and stopping. 

On one of my halts, Indy forehand was turned towards the center of the arena. I asked how to turn him toward the rail without walking. My instructor said it was more advanced, but she told me how to hold the reins, and she put my leg where it needed to be. Sure enough Indy pivoted right over. She said he's very responsive if you ask him correctly. 

Then it was time to try the trot! The plan was to keep Indy on a really forward walk until the middle of the long sides then trot to the corner. I was pretty excited and nervous. 

I have trotted a few times before as a kid, but it was in a Western saddle. I was pretty much told to kick him hard and hold on! This time I was going to do it the right way, with the horse. 

The first try I didn't make it to the trot. When I was suppose to squeeze my legs to ask him to trot, I didn't give enough pressure. I also had my hands too far back. So Indy just turned an ear and kept walking. [emoji4] 

The next side, I finally got it! It was just a few strides, but I was smiling the hold time! It was more bouncy, than I remember. I also bounced right out my stirrups! Lol. My instructor said I was squeezing my knees too much, and that I have to keep more weight on my stirrups. 

The next time, Indy had figured out what was going on, and was really easy to get into the trot. I did better with my stirrups, but I still bounced around like a fool! Poor Indy! [emoji1] 

The fourth attempt was even better. I felt more confident, and I trotted further into the turn. I still almost lost my right stirrup. 

The last trotting attempt went good, too. I was really having fun by that point. I giggled through that attempt. [emoji1] 

Sunny and his rider even got a few steps of trotting in, although the instructor had to give Sunny a little smack on the rear! His rider was getting a little overwhelmed, so they practiced halting and staying still, while I did one more lap. 

After the class we discussed what we needed to improve, and what we are happy with. I was happy that I got a few really good halts with Indy, and that I was able to get him into the working walk. This was the fastest we've gone in my lessons. 

I need to improve keeping more weight on my heels, and keeping my shoulders back. My shoulders have been a problem since the beginning. I also need to work on moving my legs independently; that shouldn't be so hard to do! Lol

I was allowed to dismount on my own. It was the first time I didn't have some one holding my horse. I got Indy untacked and groomed very quickly, so I worked on the rats nest that is his mane. He has a beautiful long mane, but it was pretty tangled. I used coconut oil on it and brushed it up nice. Finished him off with some fly spray and ointment on his cut. We decided to give him a little grain for a treat. I'm sure he appreciated it!

Next week there is a lesson on horse communication and round pen work that I'm looking forward to.


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Wow. August has been a busy month. I haven't had time to write! 

Just a quick catch up. The round pen lesson was very interesting. I figured we would just be watching, but after a bit I found myself running a pony around the pen. I definitely need more practice! Lol. Luckily, the barn manager said that we'll have plenty of practice soon. After the construction and before we start lessons, the horses will have to be exercised to rebuild their condition. We will be able to help round pen them. 

I've been going to the barn at least twice a week. I've helped with pony rides, barn chores and lots of other things. One of the must interesting has been helping to take care of Diamond. He's one of the ponies. He has an itchy skin condition on his legs that I have been working on. It requires bathing and medication every other day. I've bathed him and medicated him pretty often. It's been a great learning experience. His legs are looking much better! 

I feel like I've been doing a lot of bathing horses lately. I helped get one of the ponies all dolled up for a photo shoot. They've decided that she's not quite right for the lesson program and is one of the three ponies currently for sale. It'll be sad to see her go, but as someone said, she needs a little kid to run her around some barrels! 

When I was getting her from the paddock, she was pretty nervous. The construction is in full swing and they were tearing up trees. It was loud, and she spooked a few times. I was pretty proud of myself handling her. Just a few months ago, I would have been a nervous wreck. I could hardly lead a quiet old horse to the arena, and here I was calmly handling her while she jumped around. 

I also held a horse for a medical procedure for the first time. One of the trail horses have Canker in a rear foot. He needs his foot medicated and wrapped once a day, and I held him during one wrapping. It's been a learning experience for everyone. No one except the vet and one of the employees have ever even seen canker. He's doing much better and is improving well. 

I've visited Indy a couple times, and he's loving the vacation! Watching him with his herd, it's obvious that he's the alpha horse. There is one horse in the herd that is blind in one eye. Indy would pick on him a lot. Then the blind horse made a friend. One day the friend attacked Indy when he tried to pick on the blind horse. Now Indy leaves them alone! The herd dynamics are very interesting. 

Lastly, some sad news. One of the draft horses was found in the field with a broken leg and had to be euthanized. They think from the where the injury was located, that he was kicked. I didn't know the horse, but it's still sad. 

That's all that is really new. I'll try to post more often! [emoji2]





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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Again, September has flown by. The big news is that I was asked to be Indy's keeper! Pretty much, I'm in charge of his grooming and medical needs three days a week. In exchange, I'll be able to help with some of his exercising. I'm very excited! [emoji16]

I have been going to the stable more than three days a week though! Lol. Now that Indy is "mine", I want to be around him all the time. I feel like a new parent. I'm over the moon happy, but stressed out of my mind. It's ridiculous, I know, because it's not like I own him and have to do this on my own. 

The horses are divided up with each paid staff member having a bunch of them under their care. Then each individual horse can have a volunteer take on the care of him a few days a week: that's me. Then there is a back up keeper, if I can't come in for whatever reason. I always have the guidance of Indy's head keeper. 

I've been going at least three or four times a week. Mostly just to groom and love on him. I gave him his monthly bath, rebraided his mane more than once (he has such a thick mane and he gets hot), and just got to know him better. I found out that he loves to be scratched behind his ears. I think he is starting to like me. He will put his head on me and start to doze off, he's nickered to me once, and he sticks his head out of the stall door when he hears me coming. People at the barn are starting to call me Indy's mom! Lol

He has arthritis in his one hock and has always been grumpy about lifting that foot. I have gotten frustrated more than once when he won't lift it. I have been working on it everyday I see him. He's been getting much quicker about picking it up. 

You can tell that I'm new to horse keeping. I worry over every bump and scratch. I can almost hear the head keeper roll her eyes when I ask her to double check this scrape or rub. Lol I'm sure with experience I'll learn when to worry. 

Indy has gotten sunburned on his nose, so I started putting sunscreen on it. It must smell funny to him because he does the flehman response every time. It's really cute. 

I was hoping to learn how to clean his sheath, but it was so nasty (he last cleaning was overlooked) that the head keeper said she couldn't stand to wait until I worked again. She's going to show me how to do it next month. I'm also going to learn how to trim his bridle path soon. 

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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Haven't wrote in over a month. Been so busy. 

I took a lesson today on the lunge line with a new instructor at a new barn. I'm staying in the South for a few months, so I figured I had better keep riding. 

I rode a horse named Fooler. He's a sweet old man, about 33 years old. What I really like about him is that he will go exactly where you tell him to, even if it's right in to the fence! [emoji2] More than once, I didn't tell him correctly to turn and he would keep walking straight right into the corner and just stop. Lol. It was frustrating at first, but he definitely made me learn how to turn better quickly!

The instructor said that my walk was beautiful. I'm glad I learned something from my previous lessons. We then practised trotting on the lunge line. I had only trotted once before and never posted. 

Most of the rising trot I was terrible! Lol. But there were a few moments when it clicked. I could really feel when I was I doing it right. It was only a second or two, but it was fantastic! The instructor said those moments will turn into minutes, and before I know it, I'll be posting the whole time. 

We practised sitting trot a little bit, too. 

The instructor was very tough, but she was very good. I learned a lot!

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## Courageous (Aug 31, 2017)

Loved reading about all your experiences!! I am also new to riding but not to horses!! It's fantastic to see your enthusiasm!! Keep up the updates!! I will be looking forward to them!!


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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

It's been two weeks since my last lesson since the weather didn't want to corporate. 

Today a rode a 18 year old bay quarter horse named Riddle. He had a lot more pep in his step than the horse from last lesson. Riddle is going to be my lesson horse for the next few lessons. 

Today we worked on more of the same. I still am nowhere near getting the posting trot, but I am definitely getting better. I'm not posting quick enough. I'll be doing okay, then lose my rhythm. I end up doing up, down, down, up. Then I get frustrated with myself and end up unconsciously telling Riddle to slow down. 

My instructor says that I'm very much crooked to the right. My right leg is also much more dominant, even though I'm left handed. In fact, I was unknowingly putting so much more pressure with my right leg that Riddle would start to canter! Now I can say that I've cantered, albeit by accident. Lol

This lesson I really had to keep putting my legs back. It was amazing the difference having them where they are supposed to be. By the end of the lesson, I could really tell the difference when they had moved out of position. 

This was the first trotting lesson where I didn't lose my stirrup! Yay! I practiced picking up my stirrups without looking, and was able to do it! That's something that always annoyed me, having to reach down to put my foot in the stirrup. 

I worked some more on steering, and it was much better. We did some circles and I also did much better keeping us next to the rail. I usually end up slowly drifting toward the center on the arena. 

The instructor says that I think too much while I'm riding. I was told to just stop thinking and feel the horse. She says when I'm not thinking about it, I ride much better. I do tend to overanalyze everything I do, even non riding stuff. Next time I'm going to try singing a song in my head or something to take my mind off of it. [emoji2] 

I got myself an exercise ball and are going to do some exercises that the instructor suggested. I am so completely out of shape that it's not even funny! I'm breathing hard after a few minutes of trotting, and my legs were pretty tired by the end of the lesson. 

I have my next lesson Thursday. 

I also received an email from the barn at home with a picture of Indy in the snow. I miss Indy, but not the snow! [emoji2]



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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

I feel really good about today's lesson. [emoji4] I was on a Welsh mountain pony named Turbo. He was adorable, and hairy as all get out! I was a little concerned about being on a pony, but the instructor pointed out how thickly built he was, and he didn't seem to have any trouble carrying me. 

I'm only 5'3 and he was 13.2. It was very easy to get on and off of him. My lesson horse at home is a little over 16hh, so this was quite a difference. Lol

Turbo definitely had more whoa than go, although the instructor says he is used by kids for Hunter jumper shows. She put me on him because last lesson, the horse kept trying to canter with me. Turbo wasn't so sensitive on leg aids. 

I had been working all week with my exercise ball and my instructor noticed immediately. I sat much more evenly in the saddle and my turning was much better.  

We started the lesson with some no stirrup walking which went well. Then I had to pick up my stirrups without looking. Still cannot do it while walking, but I'm getting better at finding them at the halt. 

We moved on to a little two point at the walk. It's been months since I walked while standing up in the stirrups. Took me a bit to get it again, but by the end I was pretty sturdy. 

Then we moved on to the trotting on the lunge line. Posting was first. It was a bit hard to get Turbo trotting, but when I finally got him going I did pretty ok posting. I was doing just fine, until my instructor told me that I doing great, then it all fell apart! Lol. For a minute I wasn't thinking about what I was doing, but as soon as she said that I started thinking again and lost my rhythm. I really do need to stop thinking so much and just ride. 

I had posted four times around, and then two times around after that. I even had my hands on my hips! I felt pretty good! [emoji4]. We practised sitting trot a little bit, too. It's much easier to keep him trotting while sitting. I have a hard time keeping my legs on him while I'm posting. 

My lessons are an hour long, but my instructor asked if I'd mind riding for ten more minutes. I was doing so well, she wanted to keep going. Who'd say no to that?! Lol The lessons take place at her house, and there was no one after me, so she was in no hurry.

I practiced a little bit of trotting holding a crop as pretend reins to keep my hands down. I did so well at that, that she let me have my reins while she lunged him. She said many new riders will try to post off the horse's mouth, by using the reins for balance. I'm always trying to be very considerate of my horse's mouth. I did another lap with the reins and didn't pull on his mouth. 

I also carried the crop during the rest of the lesson. Afterwards I told the instructor that I had never held a crop before. She said I was holding it perfectly, she had no idea I didn't know what I was doing! Lol I never used it, just held it. She's going to show me how it works a little next lesson. She explained how it's never punishment, but an aid to your leg. She said it's better to use the whip than to keep kicking the horse. Makes sense. 

She took me off the lunge for the cool down. We walked around the arena a few times and I got lost in how nice the ride was, and was doing great. Then I snapped out of it and started thinking again and tensed up. I need to find a way to stop thinking so much!

I then gave Turbo a good grooming, put his blanket on, and turned him out. I like him. He's got a sweet temperament. And who couldn't love his little pony ears!? [emoji206]







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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

Haven't updated in a while. So, I'm back home for the summer and back with "my" horse! He seemed to remember me although the first day I visited him, he was pretty bitey with me. I'm not sure if he was testing his boundaries with me, but the snapping has stopped after a few corrections. 

I've been back about a month, and I've tried to get to the stable at least two or three times a week. A few members of the barn staff have commented that Indy is much more relaxed and easy to handle since I've been back. I'm assuming it's because he's getting more individual attention now that I'm there. 

I also found out that he's going to be a trail horse instead of a lesson horse this year. That means I won't be riding him in my lessons and that he'll be on pasture three days a week. I won't get to see him as much, but I think he'll be much happier. He loves the trails and will only work four days a week. Plus he won't be cooped up in the barn as much. 

Since I won't see Indy as much, I've been horse "shopping" with the other lesson horses. There's a little thoroughbred that I groomed the other day that I like or there's another draft mix that's really sweet. I'll probably pick one of them to be my keeper horse. And of course I'll love on Indy whenever he's up in the barn, or if I get the urge to walk to the back pastures. 

I gave Indy a bath the other day. He hasn't been bathed since the fall, so he was really dirty. Plus he's shedding like crazy and is a giant fuzz ball. It was a challenge to get him cleaned, but he looks so much better. He was not happy about it. It was about turnout time when I grabbed him for the bath. He was all excited when I got his halter on him, and you could see is disappointment when we walked into the wash stall! Poor thing!

He was good for about half the bath, then started to lose his patience with the whole thing. I swear he was acting like an upset toddler. He threw a tantrum. Tossing his head, pawing, and just being ****y. We got through it, and he finished the bath in a decent mood. 

The 12th of April was the one year anniversary of my first riding lesson! I cannot believe that just a year ago I used to be nervous just leading a horse, and now I'm caring for one! Grooming, leading, riding, feeding, doing first aid, the whole bit. It's amazing to me! [emoji2]

I cannot explain how happy being around the horses makes me. I'm only half joking when I tell my friends I'm heading to the stable for "therapy". I regret that I took so long to start. I should have done this years ago. So now I'll just have to catch up! [emoji3]



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## Sandycat (Apr 7, 2017)

I can't believe I haven't wrote in a year! So much has happened. But I mostly wrote to say that my horse, Indy, died of colic on Monday.

He was the horse I rode on that first lesson, two years ago in April. We have been through so much together. 

I learned to trot with Indy. We did a clinic together. I spent hours with him at least twice a week. I groomed him, loved him, trained him, rode. He gave me the confidence to try new things. I taught him to mount from the fence and we were making great strides in his grumpiness. I was even starting some clicker training. He loved it!

I loved him. I think he loved me. He'd nicker when he'd see me. People commented that he was a different, better horse around me. I never officially owned him, but everyone at the barn said he was my horse. I was his mom. 

I'm going to miss him more than I can express. 


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

So sorry to hear it @Sandycat :sad:


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