Hot Brass got a workout today!! cont...

We set up some singles warm-up style and had a great ride. He loves Swedish oxers!! Oh, the little victories (:

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Hot Brass got a work out!

It was 60* and sunny and we had an AMAZING jumping ride. He didn't stop, refuse, touch, or knock anything!!! Love my boy (:

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Hot Brass, Hotter Than Ever

What a FABULOUS weekend we had...
Corelli was a fantastic boy on Friday afternoon. I actually made myself go and ride dressage. (which I can do, I just love jumping). I am so glad I did. He was fantastic, really stretching into the bridle, offering to lift and move through himself. I was a very proud mama! Extra treats for the Big Red that evening.

Saturday, Dominique (mybest friend) came out to the barn with me and rode him first. She rides with Richard Lifton daily, so it's needless to say that she's on top of her dressage. She put that boy through everything he knew, and I was grateful. I'm hoping she will come out and ride him as much as she can until 'Relli goes to boot camp (more on that later..). I took pictures...I'll post them as soon as I'm home and on the right computer.

After Mo rode, I got on and she helped me jump. I set up an easy grid for a little gymnastic work, but it didn't go as well as it usually does. He's due to be shod, so he was jumping a tad twisted and uneven. Well, more than a tad. He was knocking down rails left and right at 2'6". So, he gets his pedicure this week and then we'll try to jump better this weekend. I should have known better. * facepalm *

I thankfully have Wednesday and Thursday off from work, so I'll be able to get some good riding in. (the office is closed on Fr/St anyway, so that's 4 straight days of riding! (i don't ride Sundays))

Onwards to "Boot Camp" explanation:

Hot Brass is gonna go get his skinny booty kicked into shape! We've decided that because of work + weather + daylight savings, the equation isn't ending up exactly balanced, and there's no way I can get him in shape by myself (with 1x/weekly lessons) by the time show season really picks up in March. So Mr. Relli is going to school with someone to solidify his dressage and learn some gymnastics and course work over fences! yay!

I'm looking at sending him to (hopefully!!) Lauren Weil. I've heard FABULOUS things about her, I'm just waiting to hear back from her on a time we can meet up and talk.

More to come later this week....

Loving the little victories (:

Ice, Ice, Baby...

All I have to say is that I would really like to ride.

Unfortunately, the weather has been terrible. Exactly a week ago, we got 5 inches of snow, that quickly turned into ice. Because GA is so unprepared for such situations, schools were closed all week, and most of the roads were covered in ice.

Lucky for me, my lovely small SUV has 4wd and I was out and about all week... I didnt work (except for 3 hours on Thursday, after most roads had been cleared) but the arena was frozen solid with 4 inches of ice on it. So, yeah, riding was out of the question.

I'm dying here... my life feels so unbalanced. I spend so much time at school and work that I have limited time for myself and family, let alone 2 hours everyday to get out and ride my horse. Not while it gets dark at 5:30 and the temperatures get below freezing. It's just not healthy. I just feel so crappy. My horse loving having so much time off... I hate it!

For the sake of my sanity, and the training and well being of my horse.... Weather, PLEASE WARM UP!!!

Hot Brass over the Line-Barrel-Line

After 15 minutes of fantastic dressage work the day before, I decided that we would have some fun.

Yes, I'm very liberal with my rewards... (: I'm sorry that we both like jumping much more than we like Dressage. I know that this won't help us. yeah, I know...

Anyway. I got to the barn, groomed, tacked up, and then turned Corelli out in the arena while I set jumps. He took off bucking when I told him to go away, and ran around the arena a bit. Glad he got the jitter bugs out without me on him. But I was only glad of this... until he rolled.... with all my tack on.

Fabulous.

Luckily, he didn't break the tree in my saddle. But he did cake his breastplate and bridle in M10 sand. They're both now home for me to pull apart and clean... but that's alright.

We still had a great ride:

I set up a 21' 1-stride with 2'9" verticals along one side (ground lines set for both directions), 2 barrels on their side along a diagonal, and a small 2' verticle to warm up on the other diagonal.

I started with one of the 2'9" verticals on the ground, acting as a placement pole while we warmed up.

He only jumped through the vertical once, and then he was careful of his feet. I was pleased.

By the end of our ride, we were jumping the line starting from one direction, across the diagonal, over the barrels, and back to the line from the other direction. once we did that perfectly 4 or 5 times. I cooled out and was done.

It's hard not having a jump buddy... It really limits the amount you can do in your rides. It's just not worth it to get off and on some inordinate amount of times... But he was so good, I wont complain.

It's the little victories (:

Hot Brass in Cold Weather

er

Before Christmas, I took my cousin Jared to meet my horse. Naturally, he wanted to ride.

I was entirely unsure how Corelli would handle a 6'4", 215lb of solid muscle 20 year old on his back. But, I threw Jared up there anyway.

After a couple minutes of basic tips, I told Jared where the E-brakes were, and that he would need to grab mane if he was feeling unbalanced.

Let's just say, my horse is perfect. He knew immediately he had a less-experienced rider on his back, and waited until he knew Jared was balanced until he let him have any fun.

But once Corelli knew Jared was safe, boy, did they have fun! Jared was cantering around on my baby like a real cowboy. I'll find a way to post some pictures.

2 weeks later...

Well, GA has had a cold, cold winter. It's been fairly wet, too.

Because of the wet + cold, I haven't been able to ride much.

Because the lack of riding, Corelli hasn't been able to get his jitters out.

and because of this, my normally calm, sweet horse was crazy.

The sky was grey, the wind was pretty strong, and I hadn't ridden in 2 weeks.

Needless to say, what was supposed to be an easy dressage ride began with 30 minutes of spooking at leaves and squirrels, and bolting and bucking across the arena when large gusts of wind blew between Corelli's ears...

Finally. I got some good work out of him. We finally were able to trot through ourself and into the bridle. Lifting our back, pushing from behind. What a fabulous feeling, knowing my horse hasn't completely forgotten how to move!!

It's the little victories.

How It All Started... Corelli Edition

Enter, Corelli

I found Corelli on Craigslist (I wasn't even looking for a horse, I was looking for Dressage Tack and came across his ad). I absolutely do not trust anything on Craigslist, but I had a hunch, and emailed his owner, Lois, and began talking to her about him.

Later, we find out, that Richard had been training Lois and Corelli for quite a while. Richard told me he liked Corelli, and had before thought that he would be a good horse for me.... funny how things work out sometimes!! Needless to say, I bought him.

A little about my boy:

Corelli was formerly known as Bubbie, and registered with the Jockey Club as Gee Dubya Bee. Yes, he is an Off-The-Track Thoroughbred. Click on his Registered name to check out his pedigree. He made a whopping $22,780 on the track off of his one win. Goodness only knows why he had 40 starts. My guess is claiming races.

From what I know, he somehow went from the breeder in TX to the track, 40 starts later, somehow ended up at an auction in the North-East USA. There, a woman named Jessie bought him, and considered training him up as a jumping prospect. She didn't have time for him and sold him to a woman named Lois, who started him in some basic dressage and jumping, and then I bought him in September of 2010.

My boy is a sweetheart, a great work ethic and an attitude aiming to please. Hes the calmest TB I've ever met, and I absolutely adore him even though many would say he ain't the prettiest.

He's a 16.3h, 11 year old, chestnut gelding. He was pretty thin and dull when I bought him, but a good farrier, TC Senior feed, grass pasture and Biotin&Lysine supplements have greatly improved his hooves, coat, and weight. And attitude.

We began our training with Richard, but as I got further into ownership, I found that I needed a job to help support this living, breathing, practically helpless beast I had acquired. I also found it necessary to move to a facility that was closer to my home, and where board was less expensive. Unfortunately, in this process, I lost Richard as my trainer. But on the brighter side, I knew the perfect person to help me get our feet (hooves) back into the eventing waters. (literally and figuratively) (:

Enter, Candee Niss.

After many fantastic and successful experiences with Candee at Willow South, I felt she was the best fit for me and my boy. Boy, am I glad I did. Although we've had to kinda reverse our training and completely re-establish basics, she has helped us establish that proper foundation, and she has begun to fix some of my horrible habits that I had developed.

In doing all of this, I found that training to compete isn't my #1 priority anymore.

I want to ride my horse to keep him healthy and happy and because it's what I love. I hope we can compete soon, but in the meantime, I'm going to have fun. I'm finding the smallest victories should be, and are, my favorite ones. (: