Kota Update

It's been quite a while since I updated. I did not ride much the previous week as I was super busy (looking for, and purchasing my truck!) and the weather was crappy.. But this week I've gotten to ride a good amount. Lets see, I rode just about every day this week. Kota has been doing good. She really seems like she is full of energy, though. Probably that 12% feed she's on, we moved up from the 10% a few months ago.

She has her moments every now and then, I would say one almost every ride where we are doing consistent work, sometimes she gets a few bucks in there, which I think is coming from her energy and her being worked up about working (if that makes sense). Other times its just a little fit. But then once its over we get back to work and back to being focused. I think she's slowly getting out of the spooky stage that she suddenly had stumbled into, hopefully.

Natalie and I have decided that we want to work hard this year and be able to come back and run both of our horses at cowtown next summer. I really would be thrilled if I could have Kota loping a pattern come June, and possibly running by late summer.. That would be so nice! It's rough though with no arena to work in..

I really want to haul Dakota to an arena sometime in the coming week.. Either Sara's house, or an actual arena...but all I know is Dakota needs to work in one..plus, I need to see how my new truck tows.. =)

Oh, and got some pics today. It was nice and warm so Kota got a hose down after our ride.

Swimming is scary!

So, attempted to take Dakota to a farm over in burlington that has a swimming pool. She wanted no part of it! She was even apprehensive about the wash stalls, then when she saw Cisco being forced into the pool, she was like "Heck no!", I saw it in her eyes before we even tried getting her to go in. I wish it was a lower-tension environment. Instead of letting the horses get used to everything in there, it was like they wanted to force them into the pool. So we tried, and with Dakota's natural mare stubborn-ness, she didnt want to do it and I didnt want to hurt her stifle trying to get her in. So I let her stand and take everything in, and then Sara and I rode on the track.



Kota was a very good girl on the track! She felt great working in that deeper ground (I wasnt sure how she would handle that). We trotted quite a bit, and she felt and looked great.. I even let her slow lope a little, and she picked up her lead well, and was overall just feeling good.

Rode again tuesday, just regular reins still... Trotted and then loped some.. I really think she is coming along! Her movement felt great loping, especially to the left. Going to the right she was holding her head a little bit weird every now and then, which i do not know because that is usually her good side..But I figure we will try and work through that, and if not then we have some more work to do.

I've been thinking about getting her chiro'ed by the good chiropractor around here that the vets at my work use... Just maybe!

Back to Loping

Dakota's first time loping in months today (actually worked at it a little).. she did well. Not at all collected, but well. She did feel a little bit stiff in the neck, which kind of put me off a little.. But I would like to think its because she has had all of this time off and has not loped in a long long time. Once I did let her lope she was like "Ooooo this is fun! Let me goooo!" But I held her back, and I think this was contributing to a large part of the stiffness/uncollectedness.

I didnt want to start her out in the draw reins just because I dont think she can handle them at the lope just yet. So I think I will work her a few more days without them at the lope, and then once she is loping nicely again, put them back on to see how she works with them.

Overall a good first day back to loping.. I am hoping to get a video within the next few days! Hopefully...

Loping

We had a really nice ride yesterday (tuesday). Took it easy, had the draw reins on her, and we did alot of trot work for a while. She was really collecting nicely, and flexing nicely in circles and whatnot. I decided I would attempt to let her lope for the first time in MONTHS. She picked up the wrong lead going to the left, and didnt feel very collected, but she was a good girl. I could tell she was full of energy, but I just held her up and let her lope a couple of strides (one lengthway of the soccer field), and then went back to trotting that way. Did the same thing to the other side. I think for her first couple times loping back I want to have her in normal reins, as she was getting confused with loping with the draw reins (she's not quite there yet). So next ride I think I'll go back to normal reins, and start working her at a lope a little bit, just working her way up. Then once she's back to loping nicely, I'll put the draw reins on again.

Definitely wont get to ride today, as its my long day at school and then I have to go to work (blah)....But hopefully I can get on tomorrow, and it will be nice (hopefully).

Is spring here?

It's been in the 60's-70's these past few days!! I got to ride both yesterday and today...after Kota got the week off due to inclement weather.

Yesterday we rode with Amanda and Eggo, Kota hasnt had anybody ride with us in ages! I think that got her a little confused, and she wasn't as focused as she normally is when she is alone. And boy has she been spooky. Amanda had set up new jumps in the woods, out of tires and christmas trees and such and Dakota thought they were going to eat her!! My little mare has never been spooky before, and all of the sudden its like everything is out to get her.

Even today, I went out alone, and took her over to the soccer fields by the fire house to work a little bit... She heard a dog barking and just about took off (something she has never tried before)....and then some brilliant genious of a man decides to come out and hit baseballs in the field, of course towards the general vicinity of where I am riding. I about told him to go find his own field, but realized that I should share. So I made her walk a circle, then took her out back towards the big fire house field and walked out there until baseball man was gone and then we went back to work. She still seemed like she was on the defense, but definitely much more focused and she work pretty good.

I need to start making her work a little harder. I've been just taking it easy with her, just simple trotting circles for a couple minutes each way, bending and flexing.. I think I can step it up now and start asking a little more of her and really get her into shape.. Blacksmith comes tomorrow, so hopefully I can hop on after school before he gets there and get a ride in.

Snow in March??

Well, just got a nice foot of snow dumped on us today!! Needless to say, I wont be riding for a little bit. Just as it was getting nice out too!! I cant complain though, I actually like snow and it gave me the day off from school, and since I have tuesdays off as well I have had a 4 day weekend. Just work tomorrow, woo hoo.

Depending on what the conditions are like, I may hop on to just walk around bareback tomorrow. That's if the snow stays "dry", and not packed together. Most likely will just give Kota a little break. I am hoping to start swimming her come my spring break, which is in two weeks. Then after that I would like to get her out to swim atleast once a week...that would be nice.

I wanted to edit to add on that we had a really nice ride on friday, the last time I rode. I left her bridle up in the house, so I threw the Jr. Cowhorse on her without any draw reins or anything. She really worked great, it seemed as though even without the draw reins she was staying collected and whatnot. Was proud of her!! Much better than the previous mare day we had on thursday..