Coyotes, Pony Feet, and a Triple Crown

Fairly routine training stuff going on over at Seven Hearts as the end of spring approaches and summer blazes in.

For Bandon it's been canter work. My long-distance trainer recommended a ground pole at 9' to give us both help with stride and timing. Bandon has been clearing jumps well except for long canter lines approaching, those we are taking down bars 50% of the time as he flattens instead of rounds.

To his credit, I'm not helping this problem much. A long canter approach feels very fluid, even if your timing is lousy. I felt like I was getting where I needed to be until the camera showed me the truth. My release kept my elbows behind my shoulders and I was not as balanced from my heel as I should be.

When we added in the 9' ground pole, Bandon leapt the pole then hurled at the fence. Obviously we needed quite a lot of practice with skills at the canter.

So... without a trainer critiquing from the ground, Bandon and I are starting to solve the problem ourselves the easiest way I know how; bareback. Riding him bareback forces me to think about and use my seat and a long leg. Under saddle I was getting almost to half seat to accommodate my pony who preferred to move with me off his back, without even thinking about it. It takes a little courage riding him bareback at a canter when he's so fresh from him learning to canter without bucking, but we do it and it's improving! In the saddle each time I feel ahead or forward, I think "heels" and we're getting there. He's also riding on a loose noseband and listening.

Czech has not had as much forward gain lately. Transitions are our curse. We walk halt trot halt walk canter trot halt trot walk halt over and over and over. Once he's "on the bit" he's done listening. He leans and goes no matter what cues your aids give. He's no longer taking off with me like he was last fall, he's also not a willing participant in the conversation I'm trying to have with him after we've entered work mode in his brain. I can get a nice slow approach on a low jump, if I ask for anything more than that nice slow approach OR if we are doing a jump after a jump, he goes at a dead run.

I've found some tricks that are helping him hear me better, specifically riding on a totally slack rein (think Western Pleasure) and lots of groundwork yielding space to me. I trust him now not to kill me on the loose rein and with it he has nothing to lean into, helping us the most.

Since it's summer break for the kids, this will be something to pick back up again in August, he's such a talented horse if I can get him to breathe into his new role under saddle and move mentally away from the (possibly strict) dressage training of his past. For now, he'll have his shoes removed in a few weeks and get through the soreness of barefoot transition while I don't have much time to ride anyway. Hopefully he'll be ready in the fall to stay barefoot and begin work again. I'm pretty determined to take him back out for another try at a Hunter Pace in October.

Speaking of feet, little Pegasus is teaching me even more than Whisper did about hoof structure and function. As I mentioned before, he has a previous founder. This means that his front feet (back look great) have a permanent deformity, the toe of his hoof wall separates from the sole of his foot. As my vet noted when he pulled Coggins on him last week he does have an incredibly tough sole so it isn't bothering him. The convex shape of it requires a closer eye to keep mud from balling up inside and the wall is cracking off making it unsightly. For now, we'll continue specialty farrier work trimming it in a way that helps him move the way he needs to since hoof supplements the big boys are on could cause founder again in him.

normal

founder with rotation

Pegasus has tested Sage riding him a bit, overall though we are still feeling completely blessed to have found this pony. Spotlight is enjoying the companionship when the kids are riding and both ponies will make their show ring debut in leadline for two of my little kids this June.

Seven Hearts has welcomed the addition of running water to the barn! Not hauling water up the hill twice a day has been a wonderful change and the boys appreciate hosings after sweaty rides in the Georgia sun. It isn't completely perfect yet, I'm battling keeping the trench line covered with two Thoroughbreds, who shall remain nameless, in my pasture. They like to dig at loose dirt like half-ton dogs and it's getting a bit old between the caked clay on their coats and the worry someone will break the pipe once dug up, or step in an uncovered portion and hurt themselves.

Keeping up a horse pasture is a constant job with mowing and minor repairs. Yesterday morning at sunrise a coyote was in the field heading for Pegasus, Bandon quickly pursued the animal, striking at the 'fox on stilts' as Czech kept Spotlight and Pegasus in tight herd formation. A hole that had appeared under a fence section by the woods has since been patched and I'm glad the boys handled it so well.

In the great big world outside of the farm, we are all waiting to see if California Chrome can pull off the first Triple Crown in 36 years. Chris and I will be in a box at Churchhill Downs in Kentucky to watch the Belmont, in between live racing that day, on their huge screen. I've never been to a track before and a wonderful friend in racing pulled some strings for us to enjoy not only the day's racing from a box, but also backside passes. I can't wait!

At the same time, the thoughts of Whisper begin to pass through my daily routines again as we approach one year since she passed. All of this magic came because of her and my life will never be the same.