# Baby O's Taking Over! Spring/Summer '13



## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

This was baby O last summer, after just turning 6 
I'll be excited to see the differences by the end of the summer!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*First week of spring*

So in our first week of spring we have actually done a lot:shock:

Went for a trail ride, did no stirrup work, hacked out for a stretchy ride and today we pulled the jumps out cause we have jumping lesson tomorrow afternoon/evening 

The baby boy was so good today, fixed my left lead issue for the most part and found myself curling my shoulders and back, so I relly need to sit up and relax into my body more then I think I am now:-| I have a good feeling I'm going to get yelled at in my lesson lol iv been slacking whoops

I videoed myself today, not the best but was really needing to see myself ride and how he was going  relived with how he looks, I was thinking he wouldn't look so good, me....meh! My lower body has improved-arms and hands too-core and shoulder...gone out the window :-( I know what I need to work on...think I'll be starting some yoga to help release the tension and release the toxins in my body...

I'm trying to healther: eating better, treating my body better and doing my body good for my riding because I can only take Oliver so far with the way I am now but further and stronger with a healthier me:wink:

After our ride the monster got a bath, boy did he need it too!
I'm sure he will be caked with mud tomorrow afternoon though! 

Tomorrows goals:
+ Relaxed upper body-shoulders, arms and open chest.
+ Keep my eyes up, remember to look over my outside shoulder to straighten my body alinement out.
+ Give the inside rein! Don't tense/fight/play with it! Leave it alone!
+ When approaching, going over and landing don't try to fix anything, he knows his job. 
+ Going to the left, lift the inside reins a hair higher for the correct lead. 

Like I said I'm hoping to somehow get photos/video footage!! More then likely that's just not going to happen haha!

Here are some pictures from today :wink:








This is the monster with my midget monster Roo :wink:







All clean!!
















Small cross rail 

Till tomorrow....


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*Back to jumping! "I love my trainer!"*

Awesome, hard core jumping lesson yesterday! Made me remember just how much I love jumping, and with baby O it's 10x as fun since he is still learning and has his funny exuberant moments!

I was way too pooped out last night to really get into what all we did in the lesson so I left it for today so I don't leave anything out :wink:

Things I need to really really need to get down before the show:

+ Lower leg at the girth, no matter what! 

+ Shoulders back, chest OPEN

+ STOP fidgeting with the outside rein to the left 

+ Just use your inside leg for canter....really...ugh

+ GET those canter and trot trantions...now not three strides from now!

+ Breath, realxe, know he's taking care of you, he knows his job. LET HIM DO IT!

So I felt lik we got so much accomplished even if it was through seeing what looks ugly...now I know what to fix.

It was a very fun lesson, Ollie at one point got very opinionated when he brought a pole down and got all flubbergasted :shock: between cracking up laughing, his ettempt at a buck/kick out while cantering and picking speed up around the corner I guess thought my trainer and I laughing at him was SO disrespectful that from mock 10 went into a reigning horse sliding stop and I almost went through his ear, of course this just made us laugh even more

It was just one of those baby moments where all you could do was ride through it with a smile!

So we did a lot of grid work, added in a 3rd jump, really worked on the left lead and throughout the lesson each round through he got more comfortable with himself and really relaxed into it and we had some amazing jumps...I just feel like a chicken, going along for the ride.

The first time over the barrel jump (barrels on there side acting as standards) he jumped what felt a good 5 feet plus...the words "OH ****" came flying out in mid air fallowed by lots of laughing!:shock:

So I'll be interested at the show to see how he reacts to the different colored jumps and flowers and oxers... Lol it will be a tattle tale on me more then anything!:-|

I'm really not looking forward to having to memorize a course, it's been so long and I get a lot of anxiety when it comes to memmorizing things.

Tomorrow I will be working on MY body, keeping him under me and coming through and not over bent...straight strait straight!

Okay picture time!








Wish this picture came out better but it's a video still. Here he is light,under me, on the bit but not broken at the pole and my body is pretty right on.









Here my lower leg has slid back, I need to stop this, with getting it under me, at the girth can let him jump and not jump with him. The bend in my arms will be better, not so forced, but go with him.

In seeing what is wrong in the pictures and pointing out what I SHOULD do, not what I am doing makes me feel like: "why can't you just stop over thinking this whole thing and just do what you see you now need to do!" ugh so frustrating but all part of learning...









Oh look now my leg is where it should be, my reins shorter and up on his neck where they should be... My shoulders back and looking up...after the jump...lol









And what is this!?
Where is my leg!?
Why am I on his neck?
Why are my reins not shorter, hands up further?
At least I'm looking up....lol

So these photos are from the day before our jump lesson (3/25/13) 
In seeing these and feeling the differences in yesterday's lessons I HOPE I can get it together by the show! 

Here are some cute photos from AFTER our lesson, boy was he hot and sweaty and itchy and tired!! We both worked so hard!! I really am so lucky to have such a great horse to learn better riding on! I have high hopes we will go far together!









"Mom, that was so much fun! Let go again!"









"I'm ITCHY! Get this bridle off!! MOM!!! ITCHY!! DO IT NOW!!!" 









"Oh thank you, nasty sweat all gone!!":wink:

17 MORE DAYS!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*A couple days out of the saddle *

Bummed cause today is my last day of a two week training for my job, I will be rushing out of here to the barn but it will take me a good 2 hours with the bus and ferry and traffic so it will be 6 pm by the time I even get on the island, then in my car an into ferry traffic.

Tomorrow I'm going to portland, Oregon for the whole day soon time to ride at all. This weekend I get to ride and we will see how my new work schedule goes and where I fit my riding in. Either AM or evening time.

So yesterday and today and tomorrow now riding...I could use Friday to do pastures and work on my jumping position and clean my tack... But no I'll be in a car for hours to see family who I really am not too excited to see...lol

Is it the weekend yet?


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## lasso (Dec 21, 2012)

pretty boy


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Thank you


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*practice practice practice....might make close to perfect?*

So Ollie and I had a great weekend! 
He got easter off due to my need to get a ton of yard work done and he was very good on saturday for our practicing the same "course" we did earlier in the week in our lesson of a whoping 3 jumps lol 

we wound up really working on the diagonal barrel jump because he was getting way to rushed ad amped up and would make the take off awkard and then go mock 10 during the landing.

so each time around i just worked on keeping my body still and soft and looking ahead with a open chest, in two point with my hands up on his neck so not to pop him or loose my reins...really worked on keeping my lower leg at the girth at all times and a little more weight in my right stirrup to ask for the corrrect lead. When coming off the jump I had to reaally keep my upper body up and my core solid but not brace with my arms or pinch with my knees....we went from plowing through to the end of the rena and going up to the pasture fence then halting....:shock: to being able to half halt the stride after the jump, and having the ocrrect lead being balanced around the corner in a rythmic steady canter...to me that is progress!!! Poor guy it was a pretty warm day and even with lots of walk breaks after every third jump he was still soaked in sweat!!!

I felt like my lower leg was much better and i was able to focus more my keeping my chest open and shoulders back and had more control on the reinds, not letting them slide through my fingers!!

PICTURES


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