tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010353728052033100.post5923534152259106329..comments2023-08-03T04:01:42.288-04:00Comments on Dream Big: Birthdays Galore, Working Outside (horses and humans)Codex Dressagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04736021620789376995noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010353728052033100.post-67655749176147256262015-05-07T12:35:25.268-04:002015-05-07T12:35:25.268-04:00Yes, exactly! I have all these nice thoughts about...Yes, exactly! I have all these nice thoughts about what I could do with the garden and what plants I'd like to see... and then I say screw it, pull everything out and put mulch down. My mom wants to give me some of her bulbs so badly because her garden is overrun and mine lacks color and imagination. We didn't mulch last year because of the amount of work that needed to be done and it was our first summer in the house, so I pulled weeds all last year. I'm hoping we got all the roots when we cleaned the beds out and put down a ton of mulch so they can't come back this year!<br /><br />I've been able to force myself in the past to create flexion to break the locked neck too, but it's just so counter intuitive- 'don't touch the bomb!' is what my head is screaming. The answer is always give and more forward. Half halt too but first needs to be give!<br /><br />Mikey loved the exercises. He's just iffy through poles because I haven't worked him through them in several years (bad Jan!). He wants so badly to jump again though. But that's strictly against the rules these days, so we're off to pole land! Mikey was a very good jumper, and any time we pulled rails it was usually my fault for sitting down too early so he dropped his hind end. I have to say, I don't miss it that much. I miss the challenge of riding a hard line successfully, or a scrappy ride through a line- pushing for more to make it through always came naturally to me so as long as I stayed committed to the fences. I could put aside that something bad was happening and push and help Mikey to get us out of it. But for the most part, I don't miss jumping and dealing with a looky ditchy bastard on course (I've spent some time laying in xc ditches).<br /><br />My trainer saw those bad steps too- she wasn't sure if it was hurting or strength either. I haven't felt them again though, and I worked him pretty hard last night due to a change in our situation (I'll post about that later) and it being the last time I'll have access to an indoor for at least 6 months (or quite a bit longer). I know in the past I've thought he was lame, so I've asked about it, and everyone seems to agree I was feeling something funny because he wasn't connected back to front, so I'm hoping that's all it was. A reason to stay connected: I'll end up being DQ'd for being lame in public.<br /><br />I love BOT. I really wanted a set of the no bows and some other stuff they had last year, but I couldn't justify the cost since nothing was really wrong with him. After his accident, I got the hock boots and no bows as a therapy to getting him sound and back to normal. After getting those and loving them... well I just couldn't stop. And Rolex was around the corner, and BOT was there with their 'buy that mesh sheet you've wanted for a year and get a free $83 saddle pad' discount and I'm a sucker for a good deal so I bought him more BOT. I do want to get another set of no bows so that I have 4. When we go to horse shows he can have a set for the fronts (his old bow tends to swell after long hauling for a couple hours and after horse show days) and the backs (I'm assuming these are going to swell now too). It doesn't help that I've hit the 'it's only money' and 'I've already spent several thousand on him to fix him, what's another $75?' mottos.Codex Dressagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04736021620789376995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010353728052033100.post-65806195073032767142015-05-07T11:50:08.844-04:002015-05-07T11:50:08.844-04:00Yay outside! Can I just say I share your hatred of...Yay outside! Can I just say I share your hatred of pulling weeds. I think it's the worst thing ever. I have all these grand gardening ideas, then the weeds start coming in, and I go "Screw it! Just cover it all in gravel!"<br /><br />Love your bit about giving with the hand and adding leg when your horse goes all short necked and high stepped and retarded. I know it works, but it's so counter intuitive. I usually end up doing some sort of flexion to break the short/locked neck and then pushing forward. Dear self: GIVE.<br /><br />Pig is terrible through poles. He's an excellent jumper, but I think he thinks about where to put his feet too much in poles and he gets flustered. That exercise sounds a little bit like torture! :)<br /><br />Weird steps happen, fingers crossed they stay just occasional weird steps.<br /><br />Finally, OMG I LUST OVER BOT STANDING WRAPS. Why are they so expensive?Austenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13004088333430762406noreply@blogger.com