Riding

Or, how I survived a green horse’s first time seeing horse-eating games. Yesterday Kasane had her first outting to a Pony Club gaming event. There were two divisions: 10+ Pony Clubbers and 2 Horsemasters (Kasane and me and Steve on his gelding Windsor). There were four games: pole bending, mug shuffle, fruit relay, and milk carton relay (which we didn’t do). Each race had practice and timed runs. The kids on their ponies...

This coming weekend, Kasane will have her second show. Nope, not dressage or hunter or equitation. We’re going to do games: barrel racing, pole bending, and whatever else Horsemasters thinks up. The pictures from this should be like an outtake reel. I set up obstacles at the barn. Kasane is great at ground poles now. She’ll even jump a little cross rail. Barrel racing she isn’t too sure about. “Why do I have...

I had a great ride on Kasane Monday afternoon. Only about 20 minutes, but it was her first ride in the bit. We rode in the round pen instead of the big ring. Think of the roundpen as a containment field in case something had happened. Kasane was fantastic. Figured out how to give to the pressure on the bit immediately. As soon as I picked up very light contact with the reins,...

Kasane now officially knows how to trot. 🙂 She picked up the cue immediately. We worked briefly in the round pend and then in the big ring. She was good for two times when I asked her to trot. On the third time, I asked her to steer and it confused her a little. (Too soon for that.) So we turned around, walked a little, and then asked her to trot again towards...

Wow. Two and a half hours worth of trail riding with 10 other horses and the Bay Wonder Mare Junior was amazing. I dismounted and mounted about four times. We went through our first water obstacle (BIG creek: wide but not deep), dealt with several bridges, water along side the trail, deer, and no-see-ums. The worst thing she did was do a four-footed jump and rush forward a few strides when the wind...

Kasane’s first trail ride. I’m nervous and worried and excited at the same time. We had a good ride today, even though this was the first time she gave me some grief while I was on her. At one point, we stopped near the gait and I asked her to walk forward. She refused, pinned her ears, tightened the muscles along her back and neck, and tried to bite my foot. I turned...

Today, Kasane had her first ride in the big ring. I warmed her up in the round pen as usual, and then, while on her, opened the gate and rode to the big ring. She hesitated when stepping out the gate, as it some magical line had been crossed. She walked to the ring walking with a little hesitation. Everything is different with me on her and not next to her. Things she...