Category Archives: 2020 riding log

1/30/2020–snaffle, English saddle

It was foggy in town so I expected the same at the ranch. Much to my surprise, it was bright and sunny out there. Amazing what difference five miles and a change in elevation can make.

Mocha was grumpy about her chest when I groomed her–but that seemed to go away when I stopped and stretched her forelegs. I suspect she was a little sore from Monday’s work…well, she was full of herself that day and it was to be expected. Like Monday, we headed out for the loping/galloping ground for the best footing, transitioning from straight walk to walk serpentines. We worked walk and trot serpentines including counterbending, and she was focused and using herself well. A walk break, and then we did some two-tracking, followed by a set of canter serpentines. By this point she was pretty well warmed up so we had a good set of flying lead changes. Then we did the bowtie exercise at the trot. She’s settling in well at the trot now, coming onto the bit and working pretty consistently.

I was generous with the walk breaks and she was pretty decent about settling into them. We ended up with the zigzag trot coupled with haunches and forehand turns. Then more walk break, backing up in a figure 8, ending with four sets of canter/gallop, with walk breaks in between. She didn’t get herself as worked up as she did on Monday but it was also pretty clear that she wanted to end out with a run. Then she was a bit rushy riding in from her work area. We did stop for spin sets and they were okay. Not great, but okay. They do vary by day.

The other thing is that she clearly has a preferred snow depth to canter or extend into a gallop. 4-6 inches seems to be her preference. More and it’s hard work for her; less and there’s more slipping around or catching a hoof on frozen poop piles, with less cushioning if the ground is frozen.

She wasn’t quite as dripping with sweat as she had been on Monday, which is good. But I’m still contemplating clipping along her windpipe and chest. But I’ll have to see how the weather shakes out in the next couple of weeks. I’ve got a local bazaar next Friday-Saturday, then RadCon, then a Portland trip. Maybe I’ll do it after that–by then it will be the end of February and about time to do it if she isn’t shedding out anyway.

1/27/2020 (posted a day late).

Field ride, English saddle and snaffle.

Followed up on the work we did in the lesson on Saturday, grabbing a quick chance to ride in the sunshine before rain and snow came back into the picture today. We started to work in the usual place, but the footing just wasn’t working. I couldn’t get her to pick up a consistent pace and it felt to me like the ground and not so much Mocha. So we headed off to the other section, which has primarily been a running area…and of course, somebody immediately perked up. Oh well, I channeled that energy into getting and maintaining a good walk through a lot of serpentines, then moving into a consistent, regular, working trot.

It took a while, in part because she was full of herself and wanting to go. I finally had us pick up the bowtie exercise we learned. She remembered that, and started relaxing into that mode, though we still had moments of rushy-rushy when Mocha thought we might just take off in a splendid gallop. But at last she settled. Then we did some canter serpentines, complicated by Little Miss wanting to rush off toward the herd for the first part of it and not wanting to change leads. Eh, she was testing things. A spell of interrupted changes instead of flying changes, and she was past that moment.

We ended with a line of forehand and haunches turns, and a little gallop. Small serpentines on our way back to the gate, and a stop to do spins. They’re improving as we keep working.

However, she ended up wet. Her coat is long and heavy, and the temps are in the mid-to-high 30s F. I’m thinking very hard about clipping her windpipe and part of her chest to see if that will cut down on the sweatiness. But I’m hesitant because we’re due for some significant temperature swings, and I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. Maybe if I use the long teeth on the clippers instead of the close teeth. I have to think about it.

Riding Day 9 of 2020. English saddle, snaffle bridle.

Hauled Mocha out to a local dressage trainer for a lesson. It went pretty well. While she was hollering and fussing outside of the lovely indoor arena, once she set hooves inside, she settled right into business (of course, after suspiciously eying the corner that corresponds to the Pig Corner in her home arena, because PIGS!!!!!). Having figured out that no pigs lived behind the pile of alfalfa hay, she was ready to work.

We focused on establishing a consistent rhythm that she could relax into, with some work on my position as well. It didn’t take long for Mocha to respond to the coaching and we had some very nice schooling at the trot, as well as smooth serpentine work at trot and canter. I need to work on my focus and get her mentally centered before asking for too much, and then use my body to get her settled into a smooth rhythm. At the end, while working hard, she was sufficiently relaxed that her tail was swinging, and she was stepping well under herself.

But oh, that lovely trot. And she was clearly happy to have a lesson and be focused and working on schooling.

Once we were finished, THEN she started talking to the other horses. Her focus was quite lovely while she worked, though. The Girl is baaack, and it’s nice to see.

English saddle and snaffle today. A snow squall blew in while we were riding, which got the other horses in the field wound up and running a little bit toward the end.

Mocha came to me from quite a ways off–still working on making that consistent, because there are times when she just stares at me when I call. Today I called from the gate while undoing her halter, and she started walking in even before I entered the field. She still had moments of stopping and thinking about coming, but I didn’t have to walk too far out there to catch her. That’s happening more and more these days. Geez, this is her fifth winter in this situation and it’s taken until now? Sigh.

I used the weight tape on her because I was curious about weight gain since I’ve had to let the English girth out one notch on one side, and no, I’m not imagining it–she’s up to about 1050-1060 lbs, from about 950-975 last fall after moving back to the ranch. Good hay, and less intensive works, I guess. It’ll come off in the spring once we start building up mileage on the roads.

This was the kind of day that I got my chinks for. Wet, sloppy snowfall that would have made my jeans uncomfortably damp, coupled with a wind that could cut through to the bone even with my old ski base layers on. I was happy to have them on. And I noticed that even though Mocha was working up a sweat toward the end of our work, the flakes that fell on her neck and mane didn’t melt. She was cool once I was done riding.

It was pretty much the same work as last time, the serpentines and two tracks with zigzag alternating haunches and forehand turns. We did a little more trotting than before. But she was eager to run, and while she caught her foot on something (probably a frozen mound of poop) a couple of times, recovery was easy since I was balanced in my stirrups and could brace my hands on her withers to steady her. At one point we backed through a figure eight because she was just a wee bit too eager to run. While she alerted when the herd did a short run, she listened to me and didn’t take off to try to join them.

What is really nice this winter is that she is focused on me and not so much on the herd. That’s a change from the past winters here, and good to see. Looks like I’m doing the right things.

One of the things I’m seeing the kewl kids doing right now is keeping track of how many days they ride their horse(s) during the year. I remember the year I did this with skiing–got some great blogs out of it and rather enjoyed going back later and seeing what I had done. While I did keep a log when I was training Mocha, I never specifically tracked the days. I don’t know how good a job I’ll be doing with this now, but I’m going to try. It’s going to be interesting, plus it would be nice to see just how many days I am riding. And it’s a good way to get back into the blogging habit!

So. Here we go.

Day Four–1/11/2020

English tack. I’m riding mostly English this winter, because I’m finding it easier to get up off Mocha’s back at trot and canter for extended periods, and I prefer to do that with winter footing. Plus it’s easier to carry around in ice and snow. We’re not doing much in the way of hills, where I want that back cinch, nor are we doing road riding or long rides. Right now it’s light schooling in the pasture.

Today we did the usual bending work in serpentines, first with inside bend, then alternating inside and outside bend. I’m finding that doing this work consistently really seems to help keep her shoulders and neck loose. The other thing I’ve discovered is that since she’s living in pasture 24/7 and grazing, it’s easier to ask her to come on the bit right away. No need for stretching out after a period of stall confinement! In any case, the serpentines were accented by blowing wind and snow, along with the herd getting fed hay. Mocha nickered a couple of times as if to say “don’t eat it all before I get there!” Not a chance of that happening, of course.

After the serpentines, we did two-tracking, then rode to the pasture section that’s best for cantering/galloping. We did a length on each lead, but then the wind came up, blowing snow so hard at times that we could barely see the herd eating, much less the ranch buildings. Mocha jumped once when the wind hit her haunches just right. But there was enough snow for a good extended canter, and if it hadn’t been blowing so hard, and me still recovering from being sick, we would have gone longer.

Also, today she walked 50 yards to meet me in the field, with a slight diversion to make mare face and lunge at a new gelding in the field who thought he would be getting treats too. That’s a big change for a little mare who has previously been at the bottom of the herd hierarchy. But I’ve noticed this winter that she has become more assertive about her space. In her case, it’s something that needed to happen.

Day Three–1/9/2020

Bareback pad and snaffle. Light ride, to get her loosened up before the farrier came. Clear and cold, light snow in the small right-of-way we rode on. She wanted to do more and go–was full of herself this morning, complete with disapproving grunts at having to come onto the bit and WORK when she wanted to GO.

Day Two–1/7/2020

English tack. First regular schooling ride of the year where we went out of a walk. After schooling serpentines and two-tracking, we cantered the long length of the field, twice on each lead, then ended up with chained 180 haunches and forehand turns, 8 of those in each direction, then one 360 of forehand and haunch turns, in each direction.

Day One–1/4/2020

English tack. First day of riding after being down sick for a week. I did not feel very ambitious, so we did serpentines and then a walk around the field. Did not feel like I had the energy to trot or lope. But hey, I got out and I rode, even if I was wiped out afterward!

Okay. So that’s a start. We’ll see if I keep it up…