# Oliver Twist's training/showing journal



## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*October's Summery*

Hi all! So since it's almost November I will do a short summery of what we have been working on 

Moved him to my trainers barn on the 15th of October so here where we have been doing since then!

In my lessons we have been getting Oliver to keep a even tempo and relax I to the correct body frame, streching and forward forward forward! He responds so well to inside legbto outside rein and if you dare think walk you best be ready for it be fore you ask for it! Haha such sensitive smart boy!!

We got a new bit, one that fits his very small mouth! He is a different horse with it!!

Lots of figure eights to help him balance and keep him temp even. He does great at this. Last week we started adding in halt trantions before the change of bend, I will tell you this is something we will be working on...he likes to creep forward. Once he really halts and stands for a minute we get back up I to trot, at first he was like, no walk!!! And now he is like a spring bored into trot....so we now have to get him to calmly go into trot from the halt! 

In the canter we have been getting him to relaxe through the poll and carry himself, with him being lazybthis tends to be very hard for us, recently (I think because of my riding flaws) he startednto really be on the forhand in the canter...so lazy and on the forehand....needs work!!

That's about it, been keeping it basic and simply get his foundation as solid as it can be!

Pictures soon!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*Pictures and Videos*

Here are some progress pictures and the videos are from his sale add. The rider, on him was the trainer who started him, she is a very talent event rider. In the video Oliver has been umdersaddle for about 4 maybe 4 months, his name then was High Mark, now Oliver Twist. 

Video-Date is wrong. It was March 7th 2011 not 2010 

First picture was when the gal who I got him from first saw him in March of 2011. Second picture, was taken August 2nd. 1st day of owning Oliver, Third picture was taken October 15th, first day at my trainer's barn. Picture under saddle, was taken October 16th. This was our 2nd ride at the trainer's barn, he settled in super! This ride was a break through ride.


* No spooking
* No (or every little) buldging of the outside shoulder
* First time in almost three months some one besides me rode him (with his history this is big) He was unsure but did walk trot well.

These are very big break throughs!

He has lost waight and gained muscle. I hope to soon get a video of him undersaddle to compare to his sale video.

First video - Jumping, at end of video is some flat work (this is the video where the date is wrong) 



 
Second Video is his first, and only time (so far) going XC schooling with the trainer who started him. 



 
Thanks, Sam


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## saddlesandskis (Aug 13, 2011)

He's beautiful and it sounds like you're making some great progress!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Thank you I really am 

This weekend we started him back into jumping since he is now much more relaxed and balanced! He was so good. he can have a big jump! He tends to get really bored with the little cross rails but as soon as you make it a "real" jump he is all for it! By the end of the jump I had him going so well beofre the jump, during the jump and after the jump! Came into it witha steady rythmic canter, clean balanced jump and landed on the coreect (left) lead with the same good canter, nothing canged! Felt soo good!!! To the irght is is hard way at the moment. but picking up the canter to the left can bea problem too somtimes. He thinks its a fun game to have me try try and try again on a 20 meter circle and hes like: "right lead....right lead...right lead..." so I didnt wnat him to get in the habbit of that!!! SO i halted him, backed him up a few steps and looky here I have left lead canter from the halt! Works alot better then going around the corcle and kicking and opending hands huge and all that stuff, all I have to do now is halt, back halt hold the outside leg with the inside and we are off at a good canter. we did this alot in our lesson and then when i hacked him out I put him through his gates and we did a little bit more work on it, but I didnt even have to bring him back to a halt all that much, I would be going on my figure eight at the trot ask for canter, do one circle and then on the chnage of bend bring him down to trot and at the next change, all in about 4-6 strides he would pick up the other lead and we would go the other way! He got the hang of it pretty well and wasnt hanging on my hands! Yay for mini transtion breakthrough! hehe


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

So my 20th birthday is on monday 
Im sure when its your birthday you get things for your horses not so much thyings for you lol Here is what I am getting from my family and I still dont know what else is to come...

Roma open front fleece font/hind boots
Red ear net veil
new dressage sgow pad
New purple/blue turnout blanket
New leather halter with Ollie's show name on it "Oliver Twist"
New breeches
New red restyle all weather jacket
Custom made fleece cooler
GLOVES....finally lol

thats the for sure list so far I dont know what I am getting from the bigger part of my family who lies in OR for my extended family. I know my boyfriend is taking me out to Mizu for dinner next week  My mom and our friends will do dinner one night, eaither Cheesecake factory or California Pizza Kitchen

My best friend is going to spend monday with me and we will either go to the barn or go shopping or to a movie 

I have the coolest family and friends


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*Cute pictures and a short video*

Some cute pictures 

I gota video from last weekends 20 minute ride, trust me we can do better then this, just a dayto get him out stech his legs and not really drill him in the ground with any thing...not that I do. 

just worked on our canter transtions and then went around the property a few times to take in the fresh air and get him out of the arena!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Videos from last weeks lesson, nov 2nd


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Okay so last weeks lesson went pretty darn well! along with the fact that I am so relived cause I have someone to help me work him besides my trainer, she will work him in wesndays ina lesson with my trainer, I will be able to start coming out to the barn Tuesday evenings next month so Ollie will be getting worked 4 days a week  

I should be getting my clippers here soon (FINNALLY) only been waiting forever LOL so I can get all the hair off Oliver! Took me an hour to towl him down and wait for him to dry and not have any sweat marks on last saturdays hack, that turned into a slight workout for him.

We used spurs on him for the first time on friday and he was great! Finnally forward! Didnt react to them in a bad way at all either (ima proud mama) So saturday afternoon I put them on again and worked with his transtions and staying forward off my leg the first time I asked since he had gotten the feeling all I do is kick or smack him forward witha crop he would go forward a little and then die down again and I was simply just working way to hard each ride to keep him forward. SO saturdays ride went really well  by the end of the ride I had him going into trot the first time i asked him my seat and thoagh it  Left lead canter is still slightly an issue but more of a balancing thing now then a game, but after a few halts and backing him up and asking again and not ina rushing manner he got it! I love to see his little brain work and when he understands i he is so cute, and is like Look I get it, this is how you do it!!!

so Good lesson! Good hack, got another A on a paper, did better on a test last week then the last test in that class, gota job so I can pay for my horse alot moe then my mom and go out more  Life is good! 

Now just wiating on the clippers and my new costum made fleece cooler!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

nice to hear of all the good things coming your way. good to share good news, as well as bad.


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

WOW last week wasa huge differeane in the way oliver Carried himself! I was so happy! Didnt need spurs!! He was forward and relaxed!!! The two main things we have been working on for about 2 whole months now, I feel like with his age (5) and how green he is that is sucha great improvement! Couldnt be happier!

I have videos too!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*Oliver's first come back ride after a scary month of pneumonia*

Well it's almost the new year I have been neglecting to post on oliver's journal here with everything going on. 

So will put it all on here while I wait for the barn laundry to finish drying:?

So my last post was on the 21st of november. That was my last ride on Oliver before he gotbreally sick. He started coughing in the lesson, only once and at the end of the lesson then got a really ***** nose, caugh kept worsening and we waited to see if he could kick the cold, I had gotten him a warmer blanket with a insulated hood, and we kept an eye on him. Well he got better then suddenly took a turn for the worse and on the last day of my finals when I got out there he could barley walk without coughing his nose was so bad and he was so depressed. When he coughed he would have to splay his legs to hold himself up and would start shaking, I had already put a call into the vet that morning before my classes to get him out there again to see him. As soon as I saw his condition (as in walked into the barn to hear him hacking up a lung) I called the vet saying he needed to get out ASAP. I had to wait 3and half hours in the freezing cold till he got out there and as soon as he put his stethoscope to his ribcage he started coughing. He almost collapsed and he had to hold him up. He got diagnosed with pneumonia. He had fluid in his air ways and lungs. He got shot up with drugs like non other and then was put on close watch. I was feeling likema horriable mommy but was reassured by my vet that it was actually good we didn't shoot him up with drugs so his body could try it's best to fight it off. So after a very very long two weeks he is tons better. No coughing. No gross nose. He alert, happy, talkative again, running around like a fool with a attitude when turned out. His last day on his meds was christmas eve  I got the clear to start working him when he was done with his meds. We didn't want to throw him straight back to riding...even though he would have loved to haha! So we started him back lunging him and the. Hand walking up and down the drive way, wow was he fresh!! Broke away a few times on the lunge line, wouldn't let me catch him in the pasture a couple times, would jog in place on our walks. He never once coughed or really got out of breath except when he got loose on the lunge line..grrr. 

It was so stressful and emotional. All this on my first time of college finals, while he was sick he somehow bashed his face....and split his lip all the way through. It was like his front kegs gave out and his face caught his fall...or rather his front lip. Couldn't find anything he caught it on. It wasn't swollen or bloody, his teeth are just fine, vet said there wasn't really anything we or he could do but watch for infection. So at the time I had a sick horse with an3 inch straight hole all the way through in his lip:shock:

If I wasn't already getting enough little sleep I had a friend of mines husband committ sucide a 4 days before christmas. So really iv been trying to be cool and collected and I was..I was doing pretty great till tonight when I just lostbit and couldn't stop crying. 

Today Err...yesterday now that's it's like 2am I had my first ride back on Oliver. My traier worked himmon Wensday and said he was great. So when I got on after lunging him he emmidaitly was bulging his shoulder out, graving the bit and his lower back was so tight it felt like a cement block. We did alot if walking warm up of getting him to realxe and relax his shoulders then hips but he wasn't at all listening to my leg, and not really fighting me....but idk. He was trying really hard and I just felt like my key wasnt working. I got so so frustrated but I knew I couldnt get mad at him cause he was really trying and for his first lesson back from so long off I couldn't expect him to be where he was before but omg I didn't think I would feel like I was such a crap of a rider and it just made everything come up and as soon as I got in the car I burst into tears. 

I know it want him being bad, he's green, had alot if time off and it was the first lesson after all of the bad stuff happening.

He tried so hard and was really a good boy after our warm up and I got myself to stop and just realxe and stop over riding. I know alot of it has tons to do with my last horse and how she was so unpredictable and hurt me twice pretty darn bad in the two years of owning her. He's not at all unpredictable he was very lazy in this lesson haha not surprising with how he was before he was sick!

We did some good trot work when I started to relax and wow what a difference, really just made me more frustrated with myself and how my mind just goes into fear mode or something....not really fear but defensive mode incase he where to suddenly do something cause of all the time off and how he was going on the lung and then also in the pasture.

We did really good on our trot serpentines and eneded on a good note so I really shouldn't be beating myself up so freaking hard but I couldn't help it. 

So here's to Oliver and instarting fresh and all new (and healthy!!!!) in 2012!!!! Thanks for reading my novel! And now we are all updated. I will have a couple pictures of our ride on here on Tuesday morning.


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Ah it has sure been a while since I have updated this little jurnal of mine:wink:

Well its the 1st of Febuary and we have started the month out great! Yesterday morning the last of the tack or supllies was moved to the new barn and then all the horses: George, Gator, Ashley, Achuna, Punchy, Lacey, Ollie, and the rest haha I am pretty sure she moved some of her other training horses in from her other barn too!

So relived to be out of that dump!!! Also looking forward to cleaning stalls again, its just so theriputic and relacing, only us horsey people really understand that! 

So here is to the start of a healthy happy and strong start to the new year...FINALLY!:shock:

Feels like its been foever since I have ridden! (about 4 weeks) both me and Ollie sick, the a week of crazy snow then a week in Hawaii! So its about dang time my but sits in my saddle on my horse!

The new barn has all day turnout!!! BOUT DARN TIME! 
So I iwll be taking pictures of the new barn and all its wonderfullness nad many pictures of my silly pony!

Theres the update haha
more after this weekend


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*2/3/12 lesson....aka amazing!*

So I had my first ride back after just getting back from Hawaii :shock:

It was so great! 
The new barn is awesome, Oliver is so settled in and happy! 
I'm on such a high off this one ride I don't think I could really even go into all we did so I will tell you parts!

Lounged in the out door round pen, that was exciting but he was so good!
When I got on....wow just felt at home and so happy!

We had a great warm up, he was nice and forward and very responsive!
We did leg yields, and shoulder in. We had just started on this before he had tons of time off (4 weeks) but had been lunged during this weeks.

When we did the shoulder in I really could feel how my relaxation and patience helped him, for the first time (out of like 3 times) I could feel the actual movement! It was so great!

We worked on our walk and that was great, he was with me the whole time. We would slow our walk down and I'd really ask for him to stretch down then make him push from his hind end end!

So then we did trot and canter poles and he was such a good guy!
We worked over a single small fence, he was so foward, not like him but made me happy and my ride less work but a bit tricky since it wasn't what I was used to riding!

We cooled out with our lesson buddy in the big field and hacked around the property.

So today was my day!
Back out there tomorrow!
I will have pictures after this weekend!
Thanks for reading!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Sam, I am grinning from ear to ear with happiness for you! What a great day.


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Thank you! So am I!!!!
I came back relaxed and oh wow did that make a difference in how we worked together...today we were a team!


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## Caitlinpalomino (Nov 16, 2010)

Oliver sounds like a wonderful horse and he is absolutely GORGEOUS! You look like such a great rider, and I love your seat! It is so great to hear both of your progress!!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Have not updated this in a while. 
After a couple stressful weeks we found out little guy was starting to get ulcers, just a worry wort in every situation, got what he needed, doing 10x better now! I will post a few cute pictures. Hada great week of lessons this past week. SO HAPPY! Getting excited to show this summer!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*pictures*

Here is my baby boy


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Wow it has been a month since I have updated this thing! I just posted somemcute pictures! 
So here is what has been going on, I got in a bad car accident two days before my week of spring break and totaled my car, came out of it with a major concussion, that was very scary! Three days after the car accident it was apparent something was very wrong with my back. I didn't break anything but twisted my back up and made alot if old injuries flare up, I am going to chiro and massage appointments 2-4 days out of the week and they seem to really help. The main thing they doctor is still concerned about is my right leg and arm it gets very tingly, like I am hold a hot wire fence and it slowly pluses all through my arm from my shoulder to my fingers ( makes it hard to write notes in class) and same thing with my leg, from my hip to my toes, sometimes it's like my foot has boiling water in the bottom of it...weirdest sensation iv ever had. This mainly happens if I sit for longer then 20 minutes, and when I have 2 1/2 hour classes from 10am to 830 pm it gets really numb on this days (today)

Good news is I had my first ri, after no riding for 4 weeks last weekend! It went great, kept it light. Oliver took good care of me! No spooking or getting strong on me. I love how horses know when your impaired and can't do all you think you can and they just take care of you. It made me feel so good to just sit in him and to just spend time with him. He is the best therapy I could ever have!

So because of the car accident and not having a car two weeks and being so messed up I lost my working student job at the barn I was boarding Oliver at, makes sense. My trainer didn't handle it the way she should have and that's a shame. I was working of some foe my board and lessons when I was there on the weekends so she had to get a new weekend worker. I moved Oliver out of her barn last weekend. It really was for the better he had been taken off his much needed immune defense supplement and had started loosing weight and stressing out again. I am in the works of moving him even closer to home only a short 15 minute ferry ride away (vashon island) :wink: I have a family friend who has known me and helped me with many of my horses in the past, it's cheaper board, 24/7 turnout with a run in shed for Oliver, outdoor arena, hot cold wash rack and many trails and all my old friends to ride with! I think both Oliver and u will truly grow nd benefit from all the island has to offer.

So right now he is temporarily at a barn he was at before and in the same stall with the same horses on either side that were there before (he is the type of horse who can't handle change well) so I felt great having him in q place he knew and felt good at before moving him to his new very perminate home. No More Moving him! Done! I feel like a crap owner for moving him so much but sometimes it just has to happen and if he had stayed at any of ther other barns I had him at it would have become dangerous and his health would be very much jeporidized and I can't have that, where I am taking him on the island on may 3rd I will have so much less stress and can really focus on classes! 

More good news, I got a raise for my other job so I can pay for all of his expenses without help from mothership :wink: and with him being so close I can seem more more then twice the days I was seeing him before. There are also many clinics and fun easy going close schooling shows to get him into showing, and cheaper! I will also have my old much loved farrier back! Awh that's a huge relief by it's self! :shock:

So enjoy the pictures!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*More pictures*

Theses are from the day I had him moved to the temp barn where he will be gaining weight and relaxing for three more weeks with lots of flat work!:wink:








all ready to start back to work!







this was after his nice warm bath, nice day out so why not get all the winter nasties off my beautiful boy!







3rd time bareback, first time with just the halter, no better therapy then sitting on your horse on a sunny day and just relaxing!







I don't know why but i love this picture, his face to me is just adorable! You can see how much his muscle in his neck has dropped just from the stress, loosing weight and less work in the last 5 weeks! Ugh have alot of work ahead of us to get that back!

Anyways hope you enjoyed! 
I will be going out and riding tomorrow and spending all day with him  I will try to get video of him working! 
Also his new blanket I had made for him will be sent to me in the next week! You can be sure a fashion photo shoot will be happening! Haha!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Is it the 3rd yet!? I'm dying to get little man out to pasture turnout and see how well he does on it! Also been able to put Ina couple more rides and signed up for a easy low key fun show for the 12th of may! Doing two flat classes and a couple jumping classes. My family friend and I are doing costume with him, doing a bat man theme so her 3 1/2 year old son (who has been led around on Ollie before) can be lead around looking cool with a batman horse!! Alo doing lead line! So excited, all my horse friends haven't really met Ollie as I had him out north when all mybhorsie friends are on vashon island so the day he moves all my friends and old co workers are coming to meet the silly boy! I couldn't feel better about this discision to move him close to home and have him in training with my old trainer, really just offers so many other things to do with him with little pressure and stress! I'll be getting pictures of him and this weekend! He has now been on a good hay diet with little grain for his immune booster! Now just needing to gain muscle! 

He's also been getting hand grazed by my friend when I am not out there  oh did I me tion he isn't stall walking anymore!?.....hmm goes to show just how un happy he was at my trainers (ex trainer now) in snohomish! Funny how hors tell us so much if we just pay attention! Shows me I know more about my horse then anyone else!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Here is a awesome video


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*small updates and pictures*

Well tomorrow after working in the morning I will be headed out to Everett to haul the little man home  Its not my home but close enough, he will be at family friends. Klassy was there for a while before I sold her. Im so looking forward to this move and really know its the right thing for both of us and my wallet :wink: He will have turnout 24/7 a large paddock next to my friends red head mare who will be hauling out mid sumer to her new barn she building. (till then Ollie will have a girlfriend :wink 

he will have a large run in shed where he can choose to go in and out. There is a nice outdoor arena with umps, grass pasture turnout for when the grass is ready, hot/cold water, trail galore near by and close to the horse park down the road (about a 10 minute haul) Of course I will post pictures when he is all moved in!! This move will bring both our stress level donw so much you have no idea. he is so socail and there are a few horses here: Inkeke, a 8 year old Freisan mare who my family friend, she is like a older sister/aunt figure to me (helped raise me and teach me to ride) She has been training Inkeke (i migt be spelling that way wrong) Pernounced IN-A-KA..anywho she is going be doing her first show season on her, real shows not schooling schows and training and first level, ill be helping her and grooming like I did last year when I helped her get her bronze medal for USDF 

Then there is her baby Duvessa, she is an Irish sport horse out of her TB mare Terra Bella (who she is is currently leasing out to our mutual friend) She just started Vessa this summer and its going wonderfully! I haveknown this mare since birth, now 5 years old? and HUGE! Stunning might I add!! Then there is her little retired Icelandic gelding, Austie  Cutest thing ever! I will be sure to post pictures of these guys!

This summer will be so great, grooming at big shows again, really working on our dressage and maybe try out some eventing with Ollie! I hope to really get into some clinics with my "aunts" trainer who I have audited his clinics and groomed for his clinics before, wonderful man, might know or heard of him, Charlie Panniero? I forget how to spell his last name, but he is from Cali? Florida? LOL Been awhile!

Anywhoo Ill be a happy camper when my boy is all settled in his new home and I will be able to take a deep breathand relaxe. I will have way more time to see him as he will only be a short ferry ride away from my house in Seattle (vashon) I will be staying weekends to feed, clean and ride and coming tuesdays as well to clean and ride 

here are some pictures i have already posted on HF but migt as well add them to the jurnal!

Ill be back adding pictures from our trip to our new home and weekend by saturday afternoon!! 

STAY TUNED!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

"on a trip!? Where is it we is going?!"








"umm what in then heck is that....."








"it's small..it's hairy...it keeps trying to eat my grain...what if it tries to eat me!? I'll stay out here..in the rain..."

So those where from the haul over, he settled in well the first night, tonight will be the second, he didn't run out of the shed when the goats came but was still very Leary... Lol I lunged and brushed him today, next to him is my friends mare Mya  she is now in heat and Ollie being the dork he is has. O clue that he should even be interested in her or give to ****s cause he could care less! Lol he's very alert, having never been in a turn out pasture and just run in shed to live in, he is adjusting well. 

Here are pictures from today when the sun came out for a bit, now it is back to pouring for the moment  tomorrow I'll be taking him on his firstbtrail ride, my plan is to ride him but will have no problem getting off and hand walking if need be, I'll post pictures!








not ribby any more! Yay








" what? Who me!?"








"why do you keep making these annoying girly sounds and showing me your butt?! I have on too and I dont see what sooo special about yours!"

Hope you enjoy the pictures!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Ollie is continue ping to settle in very well, I haven't noticed any weight loss with the move from Everett to vashon and we found out we have the same hay from the Everett barn so that really helps! The weather has been great since moving him so I'm sure he's just in pony heaven with room to run around and hangout in the sun! The barn owner who is close family sends me pictures of him sleeping in the field, playing around in the field and updates on the 3 days I am not there. It is so nice and I haunt had any worry since moving him! He's always out hanging with Mya when I come to the barn  I have ridden him three times and lunged him the second day he was there to let him get used to the arena. My last ride on Friday was so good, kept it simple to a 25 minute hack w/t/c both ways, decided not to lunge him so I wouldn't tire him, it was warm out! He did so good! So relaxed and forward and much better with his hips and stepping under himself to balance better! Big improvement from Tuesday's ride that was 4 steps forward 2 steps back the whole ride lol 

Just got a text from my "aunt" you cam say she's the barn owner and has watched me grow up and helped me grow up with my horses in my life...anyways she invited me to throw O into the trailer with her and her mare to trailer up to the horse park! I'm so excited! I was going to haul him up Saturday for the schooling show and let him sit there till the jumpers started and was going to enter in 2' and 2'6 but wound up not getting the raise at my job that I was told I was looking at getting so I couldn't enter! Boo! That's okay I was there to be there photographer and was relived I didnt take him up as there was just so so so many people I think it might have over whelmed him and don't want to push it with the good progress we are making.

So Tuesday late morning I'll be heading out to haul Ollie for his first park experaince! It should be nice and quite. Only. 10 minute haul from home so he will be glad to know he comes back! I can't wait to see how he does! I'll be sure to bet pictures and if a friend can make it there I will see if I can get pictures but I don't know for sure.

Yay so excited!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*May 18th & 19th*

This weekend Ollie was started in boot camp, really got to work and stuck to my guns on getting contact and flexion. It was very hard, Fu fussing work for the little man but by the end of today he really got it! Very happy with him. 

Started out at the halt and flexed both ways for about 10 minutes
At the walk started really holding the contact and asking him to except it and move on in the walk. Lots of up down all around trot breaks and wiggles for the first bit.

Ater he settled, worked into it and was very good both ways I asked the same thing in the trot. Oh my trot! Ah all new! Lol this took awhile to convince him, lots of praise and reassurance for him got him to reall do well in the trot then he got annoyed cause he's now really being asked to work, hold himself together and hey why are we not jumping!? Lots of naughty behavior, worked through it. Didn't into any fights with him as soon as he would try to blow through my aids I'd sit deep make him halt and flex to the inside, walk on with the flexion and ease back into the trot keeping the flexion and contact. This really worked. Very fussy during some parts but pulled through in the end on a very good walk note! 

Day before was a get off and lunge the crap out him as there is a large half wild half house cat that's decided to move in near us and walk up and down the driveway and hide in the trees across the driveway. There were jumps set up, lots of small children around too so it was alot for him! He started to stop moving forward and started to go up....with my recent head injury (safe for me to ride) but not to get hit again any time soon. I got off lunged him and holy cheese! My little guy can throw some of the biggest bucks I have ever seen unless I'm watching the rodeo on tv! Dannnngg son! :shock: got back on he was calmer and I just slowed my body down, breathed, talked to him and he was way way way better....I was about to call for help if he wasn't calm after 15 minutes of letting him get all of that out! Ended on a great relaxed slow note.

He gets two days off before going back to work!! he wil start getting massages again with this harder work I'm asking of him. :wink: 

Here a some cute pictures from this weekend!
Thanks for reading!








what are we doing today mom!?









Whew a break! That's tough stuff man!









Walking walking...just keep walking :wink:









Ooo grass! Gimmie!!









Hey I said give that to me....now!!!!









Just a gotta.... reach a little...more...:shock:









Gotcha! Ha! Yummy!

I love my silly goof!:wink:


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