Go Please

So I rode Acacia tonight and I've started to notice that she is by far, one lazy pony LOL! I always free lunge in the arena before I get on her to gauge her mood and she just jogs around then I get on her and ask her to trot and she does it very half hearted LOL! She has turned into a really nice, mellow, lazy, calm mare! Not a completely bad thing, but it would be nice if she'd move out. Plus she has such a little compact body that it's hard to get my legs on her. So tomorrow I'm going to use bumper spurs and see if that helps! Lazy bones pony!!!! I guess that is much better than a crazy one!!!

Happy Trotter...

OK 1:30 AM, last update! It's HERE! The cafepress for Acacia! Shirts, magnets and more! All the money will go towards her and our trip to Sacramento! The link is on the right hand side at the top :)

OMG! Update at 12:45 AM Look at my new header! This is ALL thanks to WAZOO! It is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and I'm going to put image on shirts on cafepress. WOW!!!!! Wazoo you are my computer, photo making, genius HERO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As always Acacia was a great girl, she really has her trot down pat and it will only be a day or two more before we canter. We've cantered a couple times before, and she's fast. It's more of a grab your horn, green horse gallop. LOL!!! She's amazing and handles things better than almost every other horse at the barn. She stands, loads, ties, is quiet, responsive, just WOW! She'll do just about anything I will ask her too, with little to no hesitation. I'm so lucky for her.

Again I figured we'd be A LOT farther along by now, but S&D keeps reminding me that I can't fight the fact that I basically have only worked with her for 2 months. Being as though I was sick and injured for a total of about a month during this competition. *Sigh* Everyone at the barn is so beyond impressed with my talents, yet I'm my own worst critic and am so damn hard on myself. I just need to use the time I have left, which is 17 days and pull it together. Ahhh I'm grateful to have S&D in my life as she mellows me out and brings me back down to earth when I'm going ballistic. LOL!!! And a Huge Thank you and to all of you for being so supportive and awesome as well. I'm grateful for all you and Acacia too.

Just Beachy

So this weekend we took Acacia, Sugar and Diamond to the ocean for some super chaotic fun!! Being it's Memorial day weekend, it couldn't have been busier. There were a few minor spooks and jumps, but all in all talk about 3 AMAZING HORSES. We rode them all over the beach. No walls, no arena, no nothing, but wide open awesomeness!!!

There were dogs not on leashes, kites, kids, crunchy crab and seashells under their hooves. Crashing waves and new smells. Acacia was nervous at first when she came out of the trailer, but then we walked up the beach for a bit and I let her get used to everything and she LOVED the ocean water. There was no fear of that!!! Once I felt she was calm enough I hopped on and rode up and down the beach. WOW!!!!! We spent about a good 3.5 hours riding, walking, resting and enjoying our time!!!

Better

Oh geez, today was a MUCH better day. Acacia was by far more responsive and we trotted all over than dang place, changing directions and we would go from walk to halt to trot to halt and so on. I try to keep things interesting for her and me LOL! Ahhh Thanks for letting me vent yesterday, it was a bad day. I'm quite confident in my abilities and have to keep reminding myself of that. Ahhhh we all have good and bad days. BUT, back to her. She is a superstar and very willing, she learns fast and that is beyond thrilling to me!!!! We trotted over poles and did some side passing OH OH OH and she is REALLY good at turning on the haunches. It's beautiful, quick and smooth! OMG just a much better all around day!!!! I have to put the past behind me, I can't help the set backs we've had, I just need to look forward! :)

Tick, Tick, Tick...

Ugh, I'm having a rough day... 23 days left and I'm not where I thought I'd be... Pneumonia had me out for 2.5 weeks, weather was super shitty in the beginning, getting thrown into a railing had me out for 5 days... She is making great progress with the time I have had, I suppose if I do it again next year at least I'll know what to expect.

Today she decided moving forward was not very fun, so I had to reinforce my leg cues with a crop. The good news is we also worked on side passing, head set, backing, bending and all that fun stuff and she really excels at whatever I ask her to. I suppose it's nose to the grindstone time... Ugh, I just need to pull my head out of the clouds and get focused. It is what it is...

NAKIE!!!!!!!!!!

Today Acacia became Naked!!! She was body shaved and wow it was a chore, but she was really calm and quiet through out the whole thing!!!!! I hate body clipping, but she made it easier by just standing quiet for me ever so patiently :) Then she went out on some nice grass, ans was buck wild by the time I tacked her up LOL. I think she was feeling really GOOD!!!!!! She looks great too, it really brings out her awesome black color :) She is so smooth and shiny now, I gave a quick bath to get rid of all the extra hair and skin flakes and WOW! Her body condition is looking really good too!

Anyone Can Ride ME!

Acacia was amazing this weekend!! Today she got a nice bath and I got a nice sunburn, she grazed for awhile and when it cooled off it was time to ride. I tacked her up as usual and we did or groundwork exercises and then S&D's hubby pipes up and says " I WANNA ride her!!!" Um... OK. So I scope her out, study her body language and relaxation level and say, "Hey, Why Not?? Come jump on!" She was mellow, relaxed and calm. So Mr. S&D hopped up there and Acacia was fantastic. He isn't a very experienced rider and has no balance, but she was calm and listened to his cues perfectly!!! After awhile in the Arena S&D opened up the arena doors and Mr. and Acacia went off walking along the roads. Since they stole my horse I finished up graining my other horses and when they got back all I saw was HUGE smiles! She actually babysat, Mr S&D and they did fabulous together! LOL! I couldn't help but to have a HUGE smile on my face when they got back! Past the alpacas, cars, people cleaning and throwing their rugs around, dogs and a new rider! She, I mean, you know what? I'm just elated!! Enough Said!!!

I Need Some help!

We had another fab day!!!!!!!!! She was a peach today and was responding really well... She was very light in her aids and super on target today!!!

Hey anyone out there good with pictures on the computer? I want to use a few photos and some text to make a little collage'. I'd like to use it to open a little store for Acacia on cafepress.... HELP! Me and picture editor are not compatible friends LOL!!!!!!

Stand or Run?

So As usual I tacked up Acacia and we went through our normal routine of round penning then into the main arena for her to run around for a few minutes. So when she was done I took her over to the step stool and went to mount. And she wouldn't stand still. So she kept moving to the left away from me so I ask her to stand, I spin her around to the left and finally I had had enough. If she didn't want to stand then damn it she was going to RUN! So I chased her off for a few minutes and when I brought her back she still wouldn't stand she had to run some more!Finally she was pretty darn tired, I ask her to stand and was able to mount so we could begin our ride. LOL! Silly pony! The sooner I get on the sooner I get off!

Alone

Ahhh I needed this tonight, it was perfect. I was working with my new horse Sole' and once I was finished with her it was time to work Acacia. S&D told me she wouldn't be around very late tonight because she had grocery shopping to do. No problem I'll lunge her and work her and put her away. Well, I got her all tacked up and we round penned, then she ran around the arena and I thought "Hey! Why Not???" I grabbed my helmet, turned on the radio and put the step stool next to her and got on and off once. Then I got on and we started to walk around the arena and do our exercises! By ourselves. It was an invigorating, confidence building, perfect lesson tonight. She had no crutch, no other horse to follow, and me? I had no one else to think about but me and AK. She was amazing, quiet, and 100% focused on me and I on her. She performed beautifully tonight... Oh it was wonderful!!!

Solved

My mystery of miss cranky mare has been solved. She hates the bit. And rides like a dream come true in my bosal! No head tossing, ear pinning, chomping, nothing!! Ahhhhhhh she was amazing tonight!!! She did EVERYTHING I asked without missing a beat I'm on cloud 9! Not much else to say but that! In love, on my wild horsey, riding like a little champ!!!

Girls...

So tonight, because our weather is so dang nasty up here right now the only way we can work is in the indoor arena. Well last time Acacia was being quite snotty about being in there. Today she had Diamond, S&D's mare to at least follow around. And the girls did GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Acacia started out following Diamond in the "BIG, SCARY" arena and even went off on her own when I asked her too. It was windy and the doors are clanging and banging, horses are running back and forth in their paddocks and the girls were GREAT!!! She was very responsive and quite well behaved! They both were!! They went both directions, sometimes with each other, sometimes with out.

The thing with Acacia is when she is irritated she chomps her bit and backs up LMAO! It was really un-nerving at first because she would just chomp and back up and toss her head a bit, I quickly have learned that it means "HEY! Lady on my back, let's DO something!!!" LOL!!! Ahhhhh OK, that makes sense! So we keep the little girl moving and she does fine!!!!

Running Wild!

So one of my very closest friends is in a drill team and they all ride at a local farm and they are CHAOTIC RIDERS!!! LMFAO! Loud music, whistles blowing, horses going every which way you could EVER thinking of and they're doing it at Mach 10!! Dust flying and hooves-a-pounding!

So what a terribly SCARY place to bring Acacia too! They are running their drills and running at us and does Acacia care???? NO! Her comrade Sugar was pretty nervous, but Acacia was as cool as could be! Once they were done my friend even ponied her around the arena! She has never seen this place before and she was as slick as could be! I have never been so proud! She would watch and look at the riders then get bored and try to get treats out of my pocket. LOL!!! We were there for about an hour and half and she was bored by the first half hour!! She is so willing and kind and trusting it blows my mind!! I was more than speechless, I couldn't believe how well she reacted to the whole scene!!

Turn and Burn

We had another fabulous busy weekend, Friday I round penned her and S&D got a nice action shot of her turning on her hindend. Acacia knows everything by voice commands now and that in it self is wuite a feat!!

S&D even rode her around a bit and they both did fabs!

Saturday we took Acacia, Sugar and Diamond to a nice trail for a walk and they were all soooo mellow. Not a thing bothered any of them, even when it started to down pour on us LOL! She loads great and is becoming more and more confident with every day we have together! Today she got the day off and I'm sure she was fine with that LOL