# Crazy Vega and me



## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

Before i weekend, i promised myself that i was going to ride this weekend because the weather was supposed to be warmer. I didn't do anything Saturday because i was beat from the work week, but i went today! I had my new saddle pad , new girth, and new stirrups to try out so i was a happy girl. 
Vega was her usual friendly self as i groomed her and tacked her up. She was much happier about the fleece girth than the leather one. I decided to ride outside today because the indoor was moderately packed and it was nice out. I did some stretching with her before i got on. Walked around the arena as a warm up to our warm up, and proceeded to get on. She was actually good today and didn't move around too much (and yes I am working on her standing while i get on).

She was doing her crazy stunts (bucking and all) but i managed to stay on yet again. Then i started doing a whole lot of transitions. Walk to trot to walk. Trot to halt to walk. Walk to halt to trot. And it really helped her calm down and focus. I was very impressed. I also did lots of serpentines at first to get her to calm down and it worked until those stupid kids were fooling around and spooked her. 

I did that for a while and then got off. As if was leading her out of the arena, a few horses were prancing and bucking and stuff, and i knew Vega was going to do the same. She did bolt out and pull me a bit, but i backed her and she stood as i closed the gate. She then bucked a few more times, so i backed her up for a few feet before turning her around and walking her into the barn. 

She stood quietly in the cross ties, so i decided to take a few pictures.

I was very impressed with her today and will continue to work with her. 


Vega getting curious about the camera phone.









Picture of Vega's sniffy purple saddle pad and her fuzzy girth









Vega's tail all wrapped up.









Vega chilling and waiting for her hay.









Any comments or questions are welcome, but please be nice. She is my baby girl.


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## Abby (Nov 26, 2007)

I'm curious. How long have you had her and has she always bucked? Do you know why she does anyway? She seems friendly and cute, I wanna pet her through the screen hehe!


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## mlkarel2010 (Jan 27, 2008)

I like her purple saddle pad!! Can you get a video of you riding her when she bucks? We might be able to fiure out why and/or help at least.


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

she's only 4 and i'll have her for a year in april. I haven't ridden her in a good 2 months and her turnout is muddy and tiny, so she has no space to expel her excess energy. She also seems to buck when she spooks. She was fine until about fall when everything around her changed. But she did buck a few times before in the summer. 

After i did all the transitions, she stopped when i was on her. And i think she only bucked because other horses were freaking out.

If anyone knows Parelli, i did the horsenality on her, and she's RB extrovert. And according to that, they're the ones that just keep going, and a whole bunch of other things (high headed, fearful, nervous, impulsive, panicky)

If my fiance doesn't stay next time i'm out there, i'll remember my camera and set it up.

I do have to say that i am still learning with her. I've ridden for 12 years, but never owned, and this is a whole learning experience for me. Some might consider that a bad thing, but when Vega's being good, nothing is a problem.

Vega is very friendly. She is very curious and loves to play and run. I'll have to video record her running in the arena. I think her gaits are beautiful, but she does seem to get ahead of herself when she's cantering.

When the weather warms up, i do plan on conditioning her and doing more with her to get rid of her excess energy.

I also don't know if this matters, but before i got her, she was used for lessons and they would lunge her for a good 20 min. before they rode her. Do you think they were covering up her bucking problem? Since i've had her, i don't lunge her before i ride, because i think that i should not have to tire my horse before i ride. It's a time to learn and work through things rather than cover it up. Am i wrong for thinking like that?


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## mlkarel2010 (Jan 27, 2008)

Yeah, the turnout and the weather have an effect on horses energy. And she's four. I'd love to see a movie of her!! Then about lunging. It doesn't tire the horse down before you ride them. We use it as a warm-up before every ride. It gets them warm both body and mind and it lets them get their "ya-ya's" out. They kick their heels up and have a good time when lunging at first, but eventually they realize they're working and they listen better.


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I plan on doing the warm up lunge when its not muddy there, and i get a training system.

When they lunge the horses to tire them out, there is no warm up in the round pen. They make the horses canter until they feel the horse is tired enough. There is no walking, no trotting. When i first started lunging Vega to work with her, all she knew was how to canter. But we're to the point now where she will walk, trot and canter. She is better lunging outside the round pen.

My fiance has a short video of me trotting her, but i look like poo. But i will try to send it to my e-mail and see if i can upload it.

I would definitely like to get a video of me doing all three gaits with her because i can't see how she moves when i'm riding her. 
If i can get the video to work, i'll put it in here.

thanks for the help so far!


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

can't send the video  Going to have to ask Thomas. I should have it uploaded by tomorrow.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Vega loos so cute all dolled up in her english gear!!


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

Thank you! I used to really gear her up. Bell boots, splint boots, boots on her rear legs, figure 8 noseband, running martingale. And then one day i was like, why am i using all of this? So i took it all off. and am only going to use the running martingale when i need it, and the boots when i jump her. not sure what i'm doing with the noseband though. She does have a tendency to open her mouth. But its when she flips her head up. 

Ahh so many things to work on


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## mlkarel2010 (Jan 27, 2008)

yeah, we don't lunge in the mud either...... maybe that's why all the horses i've ridden are hyper to boot... hmm

when we use lunging as a warmup we put emphasis on smooth transitions.... not to tire them out..... that's what the workout is for :wink: but we only do that when we're conditioning them


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

ok. I'll be sure to do all of that. 

Thanks so much!


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## mlkarel2010 (Jan 27, 2008)

Your Welcome! Vega is soooo pretty, good luck!


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

well! sounds like you had a great time today lucky! lol im a bit jealous 

I would DEFINATELY not be against lounging as a warm up. I usually free lounge Thunder before we work. I find that it helps him focus better, and believe me, he's still not tired even after work! They're babies (even 4yrs old have tons of energy!) and they get a lot of pent up energy and nerves. Is she full on BUCKING or just crow-hopping?

She looks so lovely in her set up!!


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

She looks so pretty in her purple pad and fluffy girth  
When we had QH and TB we would lunge them to "get the fresh off" if they hadn't been ridden in awhile. I don't feel the need to lunge Vida, I don't know if its the breed or just her. I don't think she knows how to buck, I've never seen her do it even in the pasture :?


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I'm going to say she full on bucks, but i honestly don't know.

I do want to get into a routine of lunging her as a warm up, but every arena is so muddy that it's next to impossible. And it's supposed to rain tomorrow so that will just add to the mud problem.

I do have a mini tripod that i'll take with me next time and set up my camera and record.

Hopefully I'll be heading back to the barn today and maybe i'll just let her be a goof ball and record that.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

Vidaloco-what breed is your VIda? 

Appylover-hopefully you can work out the bucking issues!


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

When i did a lot of transitions, she stopped. I think she just needs to constantly be thinking and doing something so she doesnt think to react to a sound.

If she was constantly bucking, i'd have a serious problem, but i think she just reacts that way to sounds or if she has a lot of energy.


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## Abby (Nov 26, 2007)

I think what you should do is the Parelli Seven games with her ALL of them, each time before you ride, and then try and do some of them while you are on her if you can, also do the friendly game with the saddle and saddle pad, and continue to do it until she is left brained when you put it on her. Ask her permission to ride by saddling her up untied, or uncross tied because if you have to tie her to saddle her up she isn't giving you permission to saddle up and ride. If she doesn't stand still to mount, you should get down, square up the horse and try again and continue to until she lets you mount and doesn't take off right away, that means she has given you permission and she will be less likely to buck. Warming her up on the lunge line with the circling game wouldn't hurt either, two laps walk, two trot and two canter in each direction with breaks in between each gait and she will be more relaxed without being "tired out to ride"


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

Vega and I are working on the seven games, but as soon as it started getting yucky outside, i had to stop. We were having problems with the yo-yo and circling game, but now that i know her horsenality, i'll be able to help her better ( i thought she was LB extrovert)
I saddle her up and everything in her stall. I want her to be free to do whatever she wants before we work out. I do make her stand before i get on, and i don't fully get on until she stops moving. Then when i get settled i ask her to move on.

I honestly think she bucks when she gets spooked. Kids were running and yelling while i was riding her, and other horses were acting up. She's good after the first 10-15 min of riding.

I'm going to work with her on everything though. I still consider her a baby even though she turns 5 soon. But maybe me thinking that way is letting her get away with more.

When she does buck though, i make her work harder, trot longer than i usually would. I used to circle her, but found that had little effect on her.

She does listen to pressure very well. I was able to do a smallish figure 8 only using my legs. I was quite proud of her. And i also let her have her head and really used my mind, energy and seat to slow her down or speed her up. That was something i didn't do constantly, but realized how much it really worked. 

I also know that with regular work outs, she's have less and less pent up energy. She was good in the summer when i rode like every day or every other day. But the last time i rode her before sunday was a good 2 months ago. So all of it is my fault.

Tomorrow i am going to lunge her and work on a bunch of things. I know she'll love the ability to run. I'll write about it here.


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## Delregans Way (Sep 11, 2007)

she is nice, i like ur saddle  Purple really suits her


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## jazzyrider (Sep 16, 2007)

there is definitely nothing wrong with lunging before riding. i do it most of the time. i prefer them mostly to warm up lunging rather than with me in the saddle and then when you finish lunging you can tighten your girth and hop on and you are all ready to go 

keep her really busy and keep her guessing when you are working her. walk to trot, halt, halt to trot, walk and so on. if she is busy and not pre empting what is going to happen she will more likely behave and will have no time for sillyness 

good luck. a video would be good though if you can get one


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

FehrGroundRanch said:


> Vidaloco-what breed is your VIda?


Shes a Kentucky/Rocky mountain horse


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I will get a video this weekend. I'm going to start lunging her before i ride so she can get her sillies out. I guess i had a bad taste for lunging before riding because of what the people at my barn do it for.

I do like purple on her. The only thing that sticks out is her bright pink vet wrap on her tail  

I do have tons of things to work on. I looked a video my fiance has of me on his cell phone and my leg is too forward. So i have tons of stuff to work on. But a video will be up this weekend.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

Looking forward to seeing it!


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

thanks. I know my seat will be horrible, and i'm sure people will say that i'm pulling on her mouth and everything. we'll see what happens. :?


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