Hot Brass, Stretching on Down

Corelli on the trailer just before going to stay with Ms. Lauren! (2/1/11)

So....

Went out and saw Lauren ride Corelli on Sunday (2/6/11). I got there as she was grooming him.. Big Red had decided to roll in the mud and he was NASTY. I feel bad for Lauren for having to deal with his gross dirt-woven coat!
(He got there beautifully clean... didn't last long! ): )

Anywho. She got on him and he immediately began stretching through his back and into the bridle.... eating-the-arena-footing status. I honestly couldn't believe how quickly he caught on, and he realized he loved stretching. walk and trot, he was swingy and stretchy and just beautiful. Lauren says he's also being staying off her inside leg and has stopped "diving" through corners. yay!
I was so proud of Corelli. I can't wait to see how he does "stretchy" at the canter, and then over fences with her. and I can't wait to start riding him again (: I just don't want to mess him up right now... he's going so well! and I know that I'm a good rider, and I honestly wouldn't "screw him up" but I definitely want my first ride back on him to be with Lauren so she can explain all her techniques.

I knew he would progress quickly under consistent riding. I was only able to ride him 1x per week because of work and the weather, and I felt bad because every ride we spent at least half of it warming up. We couldn't have consistency. It was just too cold for me to go ride at 8pm in 20* weather. Luckily, March will be much warmer and much lighter, later.

While I was there on Sunday, a woman who was riding her leased pony asked me if I would lease him out! I was very flattered, but I haven't even competed with him yet! I gotta put some miles on him first (: although, I'll definitely let everyone around Wilson know whenever I decide to sell him this fall (: such nice, good horsemen (and women!).

Hurrah for all the victories!

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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 (:

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. (:

How It All Started... Gaston/Richard Lifton Edition

So, while at Willow South Riding School, I made friends with a fabulous girl named Elizabeth.

I always did, and always will, admire E and her talent for riding. But she introduced me to Dominique.

Dominique is my saving grace when it comes to horses- she helped me find a FANTASTIC horse to lease so that I could start riding again.


Enter, Gaston.



Gaston was owned by a fabulous woman, Ann McGayhey (God bless, may she rest in peace), who bred him. He was sired by a descendant of Gold Luck and out of her mare, Mia. He's a Hanoverian X QH/morgan.

He had KILLER dressage, and scope to die for over fences. I absolutely adored him. I leased him for 9 months, and was intending to purchase him, when things fell through. Broke my heart. It still does to see that boy go. He's a gem, definitely one-of-a-kind. I'll miss him.

Through Dominique introducing me to Ann, and riding Gaston, I met a new trainer.



Enter, Richard Lifton.



Richard is great at explaining what and how when it comes to Dressage. I went from barely understanding how to move a horse off my leg and barely grasping the concept of contact to being able to excecute almost textbook perfect canter half-pass, and starting piaffe. I'm not a Dressage pro by any means, no where close, but those were some of the biggest accomplishments I've ever made in riding.
I rode with Richard while leasing Gaston for about 8 months, at which point my lease on Gaston ended. I then started going to a barn in Canton where Richard trained daily, and began taking lessons on well-schooled horses as well as exercising and helping to train others.


After 5 fabulous months of riding for Richard, I began hunting for a horse for me to buy to get back into Eventing with....