July Training

I've been pretty useless all week.  Apparently, the doctor wasn't kidding when he said it might take up to 3 weeks for me to get back to normal.  And here I was thinking I would be back in the saddle by yesterday.  Uh, nope.  I managed to drive myself out to the barn on wednesday and lunge miss thing in side reins (she was lovely), but I paid for it on Thursday.  Sore, head-achey, and exhausted.
I was especially bummed because this was my last week in Knoxville for awhile.  I am moving to Nashville for the month of july for an internship, and I was hoping to get tons of saddle time in.
On the bright side, the BM and I discussed it, and figured out a training plan for Dee in July.

Understandably, the BM didn't want to ride Dee herself.  I don't blame her at all.  It's been a slow road getting Dee back into manageable riding horse mode since her nearly-year-long vacation in NY.  I've lacked the ability to be consistent with her, and while she has been quite good lately, and while I don't think of her as a threat under saddle, I can see where other people might not agree.  She has an opinion about just about everything, and she is definitely the type to test the waters... if she can intimidate, she is happy to go down that road.  Heck, there have been days (not recently, but in fall and winter) when she comes out with NO intentions of doing anything good, and I can tell within 5 seconds of picking the reins up that nothing good will happen if I try to really ride, so she is made to walk in the contact for awhile, and then goes on the lunge.  But, like I said, lately that hasn't been the case.  Lately, she comes out willing to work, or at least willing to tolerate me for 30 minutes, if she's not in a great mood.   That said, canter transitions are still pretty explosive, and if she's feeling lazy, she will pitch a fit IN the canter to try to convince you to let her go back to trot... if it doesn't work she usually just quits being stupid and gets to work, but it takes being willing to just ignore the bad behavior, kick on, and reward the good behavior.

Anyway, that was a long ramble to say I totally understand being unwilling to get on the she-beast.  She is not for everyone, and I LIKE when someone is willing to look at her and say "you know what?  I'm not the right fit for her, and I think we would be a bad combination."  That way, everyone stays happy.  But, being the AWESOME barn manager and horsewoman that she is, she contacted a former student of hers that enjoys riding temperamental mares to see if she would be interested in the gig.  Well, she is, so we arranged for the student to ride Dee twice a week, and BM to do ground work (lunging, etc) once a week.  I think it will work out perfectly.  This way, Dee doesn't get a month of vacation time (the LAST thing that lazy mare needs).  Plus, I will have to be back in Knoxville for law journal stuff midway through July, so I'm hoping to schedule a lesson on the beastie and enjoy her for the weekend (hopefully my head will be completely healed, by then!).  Silver linings, I suppose.

On an un-horse related note, I got this postcard from my mother, who is currently on a cruise of Europe:

"Don't get hurt anymore!"  Thanks, mom, I'll try not to!

Lawn Dart

Well, Dee finally managed to get me off.  I always knew that the first time she succeeded would be spectacular.  She was actually being quite good, but the second time I asked for right lead canter, rather than leaping with a little buck into it (like she sometimes does), she apparently decided to just buck. Hard.  And it MUST have been hard, because she's never managed to unseat me like that (and mare can buck).  I ended up at her ears, and at that point I knew it was all over, so I just went with it, but of course I tried to slow my fall.  Cut to an unknown amount of time later.  I was laying in the ring, on my back after being knocked out.  Still on my back, I looked around to see Dee running in panicked circles around me.  I think maybe she was upset that she might have killed the only person who actually likes her.    It took me four or five times to sit up, and when I finally got to my feet, I just remember staggering around until I managed to get to Dee, who let me use her as a crutch to get me to a chair at the side of the ring.  We stayed there for awhile, while I tried to deduce what day it was, why I was there, and what the heck happened.

Finally, I managed to get Dee up to the barn, untacked her, and put her in the wash stall (I do not remember any of this).  Finally, one of the other boarders arrived, and called an ambulance and the barn manager.  She also washed Dee down and put her away.  The paramedics said I was fine even after telling them that I lost consciousness and showing them my helmet, which now has a big crack in it, and told me I probably didn't need to go to the hospital.  So, I said goodbye to Dee and the barn manager and her boyfriend drove my car and I home.

I did end up getting checked out yesterday.  Concussion and huge bruise/lump on the back of my head, but no bleeding or fractures.  I'm pretty bummed, because this was my week off before going to Nashville for a month, and I intended to ride everyday.  Now, I can't even get a helmet on over my lump, and I'm still a little bit out of it.  I'm hoping tomorrow I'll feel ok to drive out to the barn so that I can at least lunge her.  Maybe by the weekend the swelling on my head will have gone down enough to put a helmet on.  Silly mare.

June 2013

I've been trying to take monthly shots of Dee, just to keep track of how she's looking.  I am pretty pleased with her this month!  Here is a side by side comparison of May and June:

May then June.  Maybe it's just me, but I feel like she generally looks a bit less weedy this month.

Here are a few more from the shoot: