Back in the land of mud and snow.

We came home from Aiken on February 21.  A lot has happened since then.  

I had not planned on traveling for work the week we returned home.  Traveling after a twelve hour drive and unpacking is challenging.  I had done it before and have learned not to.  February 28 was to be my return to Milwaukee, but that never happened.  On March 1, our project was terminated.  I still have my IBM job but will not return to Milwaukee.  Sudden changes is a normal occurrence in our business. That doesn't make it any easier.  

Nearly two years of my life was spent in Milwaukee and I did love it there.  I will miss all the friends who didn't get a proper goodbye.  

What happens next is up in the air right now. 

The good news is of course that I have had lots of time with both horses.  Fred has been put into regular work.  He is on a routine of lunging, flatting, and most recently he has done some 18" crossrails.  


Fred is a lot of horse.  However, he is sensible.  He has a lot of training and skills that I need to learn how to manage.  I'm hoping for dry weather soon so we can ride around the farm, outside of the ring.  Sarah quite likes him and dressage is really fun now.

 FredFred.

On March 6, Melissa Hunsberger came to the farm for a clinic.  We had cross country fun in the indoor.  I loved the lesson on Tyler so much I took Fred in a lesson later.  Fred and I jumped our first cross rails together.  Boy, he is light on his feet.  He has a light mouth and I must give him a release.  Yeah... me.... release... sure.  We're figuring it out.  I giggled a lot. 

Two days ago, I fell off of Fwed.  He gave an unexpected little buck at the walk outside and I couldn't get myself back in the tack.  We learned that when you fall off of him, he runs like a race horse and you better get out of his way.  It's good to have that first out of the way.  I got back on and he jumped a few cross rails and the bubblegum jump with a rail!  As Melissa told me, he will jump whatever he is presented with.  

Ok, Fred jumped the bubble gum brush box with one rail on top.  He didn't jump this height like Tyler.  Yet.

As for the TRose, time at home as changed our plans a little.  I will not be taking him to recognized events as I had hoped.  We will probably do Novice at the Fair Hill starter trial and then Plantation.  I'd like to go to MDHT Loch Moy, too.  

The more and more I work with Tyler and Fred, I realize that Tyler will be just fine as a lesson horse.  In fact, he will be happier jumping under 2'6 and not doing the dressage work I ask.  Of course, sharing Tyler breaks my heart.  Tyler is mine and I worry if people will take care of him as well as I do.  I worry if he thinks I'm ditching him.  I worry that he will get ring sour and hate all of us. 

Then I tell myself that he should be able to make other people as happy as he has made me.  Both Vanessa and Melanie (both are 12 years old) have ridden him lately.  They are mighty little riders and he likes them.  I watch Tyler with the kids.  He adores kids.  Tyler doesn't fuss with them or test them like he does me.  Tyler is now a  trained horse that can teach others and he should do that. 

Tyler and Vanessa in a dressage lesson with Sarah.

How can it be Sunday already?

The last day in Aiken is the worst.  You spend the day fighting the urge to stress about going home.  However, Lauren and I had a plan to keep ourselves under control.

Speaking of Lauren, I love that kid!  My sister asked me if Lauren is the little sister I always wanted and that would be a big YES!  I couldn't have asked for a better partner in crime for the trip.  Lauren was great fun during the drives.  We spent a lot of time singing and talking about what 2011 could bring for our horses. Throughout the week we had a blast.  We both stumbled towards the hot chocolate in the morning before the barn.  Lauren was great at helping me with anything if I needed it.  Hopefully I did the same.  I am very fortunate to have such a good friend.  Thanks for a great week, Lauren! 

Lauren even drove the truck and trailer!  As Sally said, there are a lot of kids Lauren's age able to drive the trailer.  I don't expect Lauren to do major driving, but I feel better knowing that she knows about the truck and trailer and how to drive it. 

 We took it easy on Sunday.  The horses were supposed to ride over at Sandy Hills, but Tyler thought that would be too much work.  We hacked around the property and did a pony switch. Both Hilary and Lauren rode Cody the pony. Vanessa did some work with TRose in the dressage ring.  Then we packed everything up.  Lauren is also super organized like me and treats the trailer like her own so we were packed in no time.  

 We had one last meal together at the chinese buffet and then ice cream at Marble Slab.  It was so warm throughout the week that we had ice cream almost every day.  Lauren and I earned 2 free ice creams for being frequent customers.  I'm not sure I'm proud of that.  

By 9pm we were passed out and ready for the drive home.

This trip was Tyler's third and most likely last trip to Aiken.  What a difference 3 years makes!  He is my comfy pair of slippers, as my good friend Diane says.  I appreciate being able to take a horse I trust completely.  (Well, except that 2 nights in a row  he licked his way out of his stall.  Oops!)  I will be forever grateful to him for allowing me to have so many great experiences.  

Sunburn in February. Ok by me!

Friday brought a day off for Tyler and Napoleon.  They took full advantage of it.  Tyler had a bath and I even allowed him a good roll afterwards.

(I admit, I have to research what we did each day! At the time, I was burned out from work.  Blogging meant using the dreaded laptop so I avoided it like the plague.)

Lauren and I watched dressage lessons in the afternoon.  It was nice to sit out and audit everyone's work.  There were a lot of basics covered that I appreciated hearing again.  

We went to Duke's BBQ for dinner.  Yeesh, that's so much food! Best buffet for $10 EVER.  

Saturday morning we got to the barn a few minutes early to put the horses out.  We left the barn chores for later so we could go watch the Preliminary riders go around the XC course at Paradise Farm.  I was off a little in the start time, so we all walked the cross country course.  And by all, I mean - Lauren, Aileen, Hilary, Alexa, Laura, and Vanessa.  The novice riders liked the novice course.  A fair challenge, but nothing over facing.  The entry level riders really liked some of the BN fences and learned a lot about courses and jumps at higher levels.  We ran into a good friend from home, Ellie Rawle of Watermark Farm.  One of her horses was running in the Prelim division.  

Everyone younger than me piled in the truck and we sang with the radio and the windows down on the way back.  It was hot!  The weather could not have been any better.

Before our jump lesson, we watched two groups of gallop lessons.  Lauren and I did this lesson last year, so we decided to be the paparazzi for the day.  Everyone loves the gallop lesson.   Sally has everyone trot 220m and then canter 300/350/400m.  Nat drops cones along the field to manage distances.

Lauren and I had a jump lesson in the early afternoon.  Poleon was great, as usual.  Tyler was really starting to signs that he felt challenged.  Our steering was diminishing and Tyler was not jumping over the center of fences.  For example, the chevron we had jumped before was a few inches higher and freaked me out a little.  What I didn't know until Sally told me at the end of the lesson was, Tyler's not afraid of it, he's just trying to get out of work.  He jumped the left barrel each time, never once the lower chevron.

My biggest take away from our week, and this is nothing new, is to get my eye on the next fence much sooner.  I must improve that and continue to use an opening rein more aggressively, at the right time, and independently from the rest of my body.  

We continued to wash and dry whatever we could in the sun.  Friday brought sun burn for me, so I spent the day in a long sleeve shirt to prevent any more. 

Good advice - don't step on the rocks and don't jump into the tree. Well, I didn't step on the rocks.

FINALLY! XC at Full Gallop completes our checklist of farms to ride at in Aiken.  (Paradise, Jumping Branch, Sporting Days, Full Gallop, and Sandy Hills.)  We rode with Cindy/Patrick, Lauren/Poleon, Aileen/Archie, and Sally/Delight.  

Tyler experienced a lack of energy and tougher elements than usual.  He kept up with the group, save three fences.  Sally kept us from jumping things that could cause a problem or would use energy I would need elsewhere.  Tyler gave me a few issues with his attention over the first six fences.  Once we finally clicked, all was good.

We had a training issue with the bigger ditches.  We hadn't been over ditches that big before, we hadn't seen a ditch in months, and there was water in the ditch.  Tyler usually doesn't care about ditches but those things affected him.  After a few tries, we figured it out.  

Before one fence, Sally warned us not to canter over a pile of rocks.  We didn't.  At the red ramp, there was a tree over the left portion of the fence.  No one else ran into the tree, except us of course!  

Aileen's woods

Lauren and I took Aileen to Hitchcock woods on Wednesday.  It was so lovely.  We went after watching the Sandy Hills derby.  

 Aiken morning sky.

 The crew on the golf cart.  Lauren and I missed an adventure!

 Aileen with Archie and Lauren with Napoleon at Memorial Gate.

 Sporting the maroon in style with the light saber.

  Moseying along.

Dress-age.

On Tuesday, in avoidance of the hunting in Hitchcock Woods, Lauren and I took dressage lessons with Sally.  It was the first day we noticed the warm weather and our lack of short sleeve layers.  Lauren had a great lesson.  Sally gave her direction on strengthening Poleon so he can do the lengthened trot. 

 Lauren and Napoleon

Tyler and I are not that far along.  Sally had me focus on keeping Tyler supple since he is older and naturally stiff.  Sally said his trot was better.  Sarah and I have spent a lot of time working on it.  Sally helped me through 3 loop serpentine exercises in order to improve my aids and position.  

Sally asked to see my canter.  Tyler does not canter well.  It is his weakest gait.  He finds it difficult and also doesn't have the work ethic to push through.  After two circles of Sally watching me struggle, she asked to ride Tyler.  Sally was upfront that she might not be able to correct Tyler's canter today.  At first, Tyler protested because the work was hard.  Shortly after Sally's persistent demands, Tyler decided he was not going to participate.  He started buck a little, dance around, and ignore Sally completely. 

 Sally and Tyler.

In the end, to quote Sally, "Tyler 1. Sally 0."  Tyler's canter is an issue.  To fix it would take a solid week of dedicated time with Sally.  She couldn't fix it in one day without using up every ounce of energy Tyler would have during the week.  We chatted about the situation.  Tyler is nearing the end of his career and fixing the canter is a major endeavor.  He is a good horse except for the two 20m circles in our dressage tests.  With improved walk and trot scores, we can make up for his canter.  I will keep working on his canter, but I am not willing to make it a battle.  One of my favorite comments from Sally was that she couldn't get the trot any better than I had it, only she could hold it longer than I could. 

Before our lessons on Tuesday, Aileen, Hilary, Lauren, and I went to the tack shop and downtown for a bit.  Aileen and I spent money!  I actually bought myself a gorgeous new bag.  It's a local product and I have had my eye out for one.  I picked up a few things for Mom and Dad, too.  Tuesday night was our Ladies' night out.  The most exciting thing was the stink bug on my neck in the car while on the phone with Rob.  He just muted the five women yelling about the bug.  It was a nice dinner at Up Your Alley.  We gave the new waiter quite a lesson.  The girlies stayed at the hotel and watched Glee.

Run, jump - part 1.

It's Tuesday and I am happy to report all is going well.  

Sunday was a group show jumping lesson for Lauren, Cindy, Aileen, and me.  We had a good time being outside for the first time in months.  We have been contained by walls for too long.  Tyler and Napoleon showed off all the hard work we've been doing.  We even jumped the chevron which was on Lauren's to jump list.  It was so nice on Sunday, I jumped in short sleeves.  Sunday night was baked mac & cheese at the house with the crew.  I like that family dinner atmosphere.

 Why can't we jump like this every time?

Leaving a little early for the chevron, but he got the job done. 

Monday, Valentine's Day, was also our first cross country schooling day.  I can't think of a better way to spend the holiday.  It was 72 with a good breeze, but t-shirts were the correct attire. We went to Sandy Hills which is one of the nicest places in Aiken.  The four of us schooled together again.  Sally had us take it easy to see where we were and how the horses felt.  Tyler was spot on.  He gets annoyed when I get in his way about things.  I should stop thinking so much and just ride.  We did water, an up bank, ditches, and quite a few Novice elements.  I was very pleased that Tyler took me to every fence and was right where we left off in the fall.

 Water! It's not frozen.

 Cross country warm up.

As for today, we were going to ride in Hitchcock Woods this afternoon but there is a drag fox hunt and that's more excitement than I need.  Lauren and I are taking dressage lessons.  This evening, the women old enough to drive are headed to the Willcox Hotel.  Apparently that is the place to be on Tuesday nights in Aiken.  I guess my barn jeans are out of the question.