Morning zoomies, courtesy of the four year old. Aspen didn’t have the same zest for life as Tuli did this morning.
A little different jump lesson for Salty today. This course has at least one jump from every level, starter through prelim. The goal is to get some consistency in our canter/gallop regardless of the height of the jump. Yes, I took a flyer to the Prelim Oxer, but I definitely was not going to let him come in soft and add to that. I guess we were just reliving our jumper fun from the horse park last week.
I guess I didn’t give Tuli a hard enough work out today.
I think it’s safe to say that Una likes her scritches
I don’t have enough good things to say about Tuli’s first recognized. She went into dressage with literally no warm up and laid down a solid 28.5. She finished the day on that score adding no jump or time penalties putting her 3rd out of 19. She certainly still has a lot to learn, particularly how to be around other horses, but she blew me away yesterday!
Tuli (and friends) enjoying a beautiful spring day.
There’s no better way to spend Salty’s sixth birthday than doing one of our favorite things. It’s crazy how easy these prelim jumps feel for him. He’s got a lot to learn about this level, and there’s still plenty of confidence to be gained, but the physical ability is certainly there. I just feel like the luckiest girl to be able to call such a special horse my own, and even more important is the connection we have out of the saddle as well. Here’s to another amazing year of adventures.
Guys, the combined age of these two is 17. I am continually amazed at how this pair trusts each other and works together, even working through a less than perfect combo and getting right back on track. It’s just so cool to watch the development- a little kid and his green OTTB…
Salty made easy work of our first prelim course since Aiken.
All the horses have been a little crazy with all the wind we’ve had, but I could tell Chita was a little extra pent up and needed to get out and stretch her legs. She was quite enjoyable to watch.
We were supposed to go XC today, but the wind was going to be an issue. I told Mackensie Lindell that we were just going to stay on the farm and do a lesson there instead. “Can we jump big things at least?”
Sure, why not. We have been putting a lot of work in on all the foundational stuff lately. Let’s have a little fun.
Salty enjoyed his day off today. I am very happy to report that he came in with all of his shoes 🎉🥳
Even though I got to ride both Salty and Tuli today with Todd Smyrl of Gemini Farm, my very favorite part was watching Chase Gubich and Cy thrive with him… and just look at Todd’s excitement as Cy learns changes with his kid rider. This was just pure joy for me to watch.
My God, I Love this horse. He’s just a level (or more) above everything else. Salty, you truly are a special one. Thank you to Todd of Gemini Farm for coming to our farm for our own private clinic today.
Eva and Froggy had an escort in their lesson today. ☺️🐕
Since I’ve gotten back from Aiken, it’s been all about strength training for the ponies… and maybe just a little jumping. Those poles are like weightlifting for the horses, and there are a number of different jump options to add into the middle of the exercise, making this a great exercise for everyone from our newest beginner all the way to Salty and me.
I must also acknowledge how truly impressed I am with Chase and Cy. This kid has not chosen the easy road. I am perpetually asking if he’d like to go clean up at shows with Froggy this year. Instead, he has become fully invested in producing Cy, his big, green OTTB, and dealing with all the challenges among the way. I love his tenacity, but also his desire to put in the work and learn how to do it right.
Cold, yucky days can still be valuable days of learning and bonding with your horse. Tuli has big emotions. She is either the best youngster there is, or a barely functioning puddle of emotions. I’ve taken a lot of time to build her trust in me and understanding of what I’m asking. I want to be her safe place. After all, she is a chestnut mare (which I love), but you really need them on your side. I just love this girl and the road we are on together.
I can’t believe this was only six days ago. Missing Aiken already but so grateful to be down there for as long as I was. You can see in this video how much Salty loves being out there and how confident and rideable he’s become. Maybe one day his mom will finally stop screwing things up, so he can finish in the top where he belongs. Salty doesn’t care about the ribbons, but he sure cared about not getting to finish this course.
