Special Pony!

My pony is so special!  She jumped 3'6 two days ago UNDER SADDLE! I'm so proud of the little beast.  I recently made some tack changes that stressed her out at first but that will ultimately help her go better under saddle.  I switched her to a figure 8 noseband which will help to keep her  mouth closed and keep her from crossing her jaw so she can't evade the bit and from a standing martingale to a running martingale.  This will help to continue to encourage her to use her body over the fences and it doesn't restrict her from throwing her head up.

Yesterday on the flat we worked on canter lengthening and collection which is a totally new concept for her.  Its cool to see how responsive she can be, and even though she is hot, these days she just loves to work.  She loves jumping more than anything though so that is what really focuses her attention.  Yesterday I also worked on a cross-rail exercise that gets her thinking about her leads.

Free jumping!

On Friday we free jumped both beasties, and had so much fun!  The pony got up to a 3'3 oxer and Ritter up to a 3' oxer.  They both did so well!  We may be able to make show horses out of them both!

And then on Saturday we had someone out who may know people interested in leasing Ritter or buying the pony.  I ended up jumping Ritter through the chute, and the striding really helps him out!  We ended up jumping a really beautiful 2'9 oxer!  I'm so proud of him!

Hello weekend!

This yellow pony is very difficult to figure out!  On Monday she ripped the lunge line out of my hand while I was lunging her and proceeded to take off around the ring for about 15 minutes with the line flying behind her.  On Tuesday though, she was great under saddle!  Walk, trot, canter and some fences, and she was happy!

On Wednesday she got a nice little Depo Provera shot, and she is also on an herbal supplement called mellow mare that she gets with each meal. Hopefully we will soon start to see a difference.  Yesterday I set up a free jumping chute for her, and this afternoon we are going to send her through it. I think we may have more success marketing her as a jumper rather than a hunter, and we know she's got the ups for it!  I've got a chute set up with a cross-rail, one stride to an oxer.  Our standards go up to 3'6 so today we get to see what she has to give us!  Pony jumpers compete at 3'6 so it will be interesting to see how she handles this height.  Christine is bringing her video camera and the whole barn crew is coming to hang out.

Sunny and 85 in Blacksburg!

This weekend I spent Saturday and Sunday in Blacksburg with Nikki, the girl who bought Zena in October.  The first things I saw when I pulled onto the property were Nikki and Zena walking up from the lower barn!  It was so good to see that bratty little pony again.  And she is so fat, fit and happy now!  She really looks the best she ever has, and she will continue to grow and get better everyday.  Nikki is hoping to go Training level by the end of the year.  Dressage is the only issue that will ever face that pony, and even that isn't too hard for her to figure out.  We already know she can jump the moon!