Running Out of Catchy Titles

Went out on a trail today, another one only this time I rode Apollo.  It was pretty good to tell the truth and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  Ended up putting the bit back in his mouth for the trail, but only because he wasn't too good with the hackamore out on the trail (Will be using hackamore when doing arena work though). 

So we headed out on the trail leading the horses (Mostly to tire out Apollo before getting on, but I think I ended up being the winded one lol) then I got on with someone holding the line at first, but soon I felt comfortable enough to take the lead off. 

At first he had his head up and he was looking everywhere (as well as nibbling on every twig he could get), but he slowly lowered his head and relaxed.  I was so proud of him!  No spooks or anything (but I kept it to myself because we all know how that works when you speak too soon :P). 

Then when we got back he got a nice treat and a quick brushing before going back out into the field with the other horses.

All in all I felt it was great progress.

We were talking about yesterdays little spook and the trainer thinks he wasn't startled really, he was just seeing if I'd fall off again like I did the other time he spooked because after I stayed on he settled down quite a bit and has been listening to me more now.

But before the ride today I decided to just have some fun and play around in the arena with some liberty work.  So I set up pylons to act as barrels and put the in the clover pattern before having him follow me through the pattern, even picked up a trot once I lengthened my stride quite a bit. 

Anyways, that's about it for today, will be going out again tomorrow, but don't expect a post until later since I'll probably be too tired between riding and working right afterwards.

~LEB~

Late Post!

As you can tell I never blogged on Thursday nor did I return Friday.  Well that's because this week has been pretty tiresome.  On top of that I'm sick.

But anyways, Thursday (Or as much as I can remember) was okay.  Didn't get to riding, but that was alright with both Apollo and I since my stomach was hurting and I think Apollo just needed a play day.  So we fooled around in the arena with some small jumps and the pylons for an hour and a half.  I have a few pictures that I have to get off my phone that I will post some time.

Then Friday was a no go so today I went out and got some work done.  After a good brushing and combing out I took him into the arena where I unclipped him and did some free lunging since he was being pretty silly.  Next I did some lunging on the line before sending him out again for free lunge before tacking up. 

We did have a little moment where he spooked once I was in the saddle, but once he spooked that was it and we had a good 20 minutes in the saddle before I called it a day (I had been working with him for an hour before riding). 

Going out again tomorrow afternoon and may be going on a trail ride again; it all depends.

Sorry for the blah post really don't feel like typing, but I know I need to become more committed to these things >.> stupid commitments....

~LEB~

So Sore!

Hey everybody it's Lebtimus Prime here with another update for my new pretty blog! 

So I said on Thursday that there wouldn't be a new post until Monday or Thursday and as you can see it's Monday I blog to you.  Which means I got to go on a trail ride this morning.  But it wasn't what I really expected. 

When I got to the barn I went out by myself to retrieve Apollo from the field and everything was going fine from there.  I tied him to the hitching post while another guy put some flakes of hay down for both Apollo and his horse.  I went and got the grooming box from inside the barn and then went about my ritual of grooming my slowly roaning boy before getting the saddle and pad out of the barn.  Got him all tacked up without a fuss and then proceeded to lunge him out and slowly cinch him up hole by hole as I've been told to do.  Then on the third cinching a clump of snow fell from the roof over the corner of the arena and everything sort of went down hill from there.

My boy Apollo, spooked at the snow falling and continually spooked as the snow slowly fell clump by clump off the roof.  So I tried lunching him out a bit more before putting the headstall on him and leading him out of the barn.  But he was still a little tense.

Now we were leading out onto the trail, and I was told to hand Apollo's lead to another guy so on our first trail together we'd be ponied (I still had to be safe though!).  But Apollo began to be a little pushy and getting up in the other horse's butts so I switched mounts with the guy holding Apollo.  I didn't disagree because thinking about it, I'm not really a trail rider since I've done more work in an arena setting and on well schooled horses (Reminder: Apollo is going to be four in April; so first young horse I've ever owned).  So I got to ride a fairly tall draft type horse who was quite the sweetheart, while Apollo was rode by someone with more trail experience than I.  Maybe next time (or after a few more trails) I'll be able to sit on Apollo's back and ride him through the trails. 

After our hour ride out on the trail we returned to the barn where I lead Apollo back to the barn and we did do a few minutes of arena work (which felt way better on my legs as his barrel isn't as wide as the other horses barrel was ^.^').  I was fully prepared for a spook when the snow began to fall off the roof, but when it happened Apollo just looked up at the roof and kept walking as if it wasn't a bother XD. 

Well that's about it for today, I'm tired and sore so I'm going to go and relax.

~LEB~

New Layout, New Beginning

As all that usually read my blog may have noticed, I have remodeled my entire blog with the help of my friend Carl! :D

So now maybe I'll get more views/followers eh? >.>

Anyways went back to where I go for riding lessons to show off Apollo and see the new barn (as well as see Floyd; one of the horses I frequently rode).  Not alot happened today really.

Well, expect a post either Monday or Thursday that's more interesting than this one!

~LEB~

Pretty Good Day for a V Day

I know I said another update would be Thursday, but I had a very tight schedule this morning!

Went to the barn today and was so glad I did, Valentine's Day really put me in a shitty mood this morning.  And I'm not exaggerating, my own grandmother left me alone because she said I looked pissed. 

So went to the barn this morning and spent a good hour and a half with my boy -- and what a good boy he was.

I think I addressed this in the last blog update, but I'll repeat it hear.  Apollo was acting worse on Monday than he had in the three (at least I think it's been three weeks; time sure flies) weeks I've had him.  He was refusing to let us put the bit in his mouth and when it was taken out he fussed when we were checking his teeth and we found that his wolf teeth had started to come in. 

Now knowing the issue, the problem was solved with a hackamore (a biteless bridle in a sense) and he was totally fine after that (be it he thought that when I went to turn him to the left that it was going to hurt, but he realized that it wasn't going to (that's where the first wolf tooth has poked through)).

Anyways -- maybe I should back track a bit before I continue any further -- I had gone onto Facebook this morning to all the mooshy lovey dovey mess that is Valentine's day and was about to just close everything when I saw a page I follow saying "go hug your honey, and if you don't have one go hug your horse".  So I decided that Apollo could be my valentine! :D

So when I got to the barn I started to groom him outside hitched to the hitching post whilst he at his V-day treat before going into the arena and deciding what I wanted to do first with him.  And since he was being such a goof-ball I decided to lunge him out a bit before tacking up. 

After going around a few times both ways I decided he was paying attention enough to saddle up.  Of course the entire time I was getting ready I was expecting a very poor day since I was in such a grumpy (yes I was still a bit pissy).  So I lunged him out again with the saddle and hackamore on, cinching up about three times until it was where it should be and put the reins on before I got on.

And what happened next totally brought me out of my dark mood and made me the happiest girl in the world.

I started attached to the lunge line since I was new to the hackamore, but I finally got him to neck rein a bit with one hand! :D  Still have to work at it, but hey I take what I can get :P. 

Then I was asked if I wanted to try off the line and I quickly said yes, and it was the best ride I'd ever had (maybe a little better than the first time I was let off the line, but that was also a good day). 

I ended the ride on a good note and just in time to quickly un-tack and give him another treat before I had to go. 

So that's about all that really happened this morning (besides work, but who wants to hear about that anyways?).  I should get to bed, though, since I need to be up early tomorrow morning.  And I don't know when the next update will be since I'm not sure when I'll be out to the barn again.  I'm hoping for Monday afternoon since I have the day off from work, but if not there will be a new update on Thursday!

~LEB~

Another Day

Alright, this should be the last post til Thursday!

Went back to the barn today to see Apollo for another ride and session, but something was a bit off.

For starters he didn't want to put the bit in his mouth and continuously threw his head up when I tried to get it into his mouth.  After some fight he finally took it.

Then while riding he kept fighting the bit when I tried to turn him to the left, but not so much when going right. 

So after a while the trainer told me to jump off and she checked his mouth to find that his wolf teeth were coming in and low behold the bit was hitting right on it!

After clearing up the reason to why he was resistant, the trainer went and got a hackamore and he was much better.

Anyways, besides the tooth issue it was a good ride.

And that's about it for today, nothing too eventful to write besides that. 

~LEB~

The Next Step

I can already see that Apollo is giving me the motivation to update this blog more often, heh.  I think this is the third post in about a week?  No idea, but anyways.

I went out to see my pretty boy (Also would like to add here that when I put on Facebook that I was going to see my 'pretty boy' I had to correct people that I didn't have a boyfriend, but it was my horse; quite hilarious) today and I think we've reached the next step.  Today was the first day that I rode him off the trainer's lunge line. 

Now maybe I should back up and explain what I mean.

I bought Apollo about three-four weeks ago and since then I have been boarding him back there as I work with him.  So whenever I got up on him the woman who's helping me with him would attach a lunge line to his halter (which is kept on along with the bridle) and has been working with me in getting used to him.

So anyways, today I decided before I left the house that I was going to take that security blanket off and get me used to not having someone right beside me. 

It went better than I thought it would. 

At first she had the lead on and had me go through the 'woah's, 'step back's and half circles, until she felt it was time to take the lunge line away and let me have free 'rein'.  At first he thought we were still attached to the lunge line so was confused when I asked him to turn in the opposite direction away from the trainer.  But soon he got the hang of it and I must say it was amazing.  Here I was, once used to only old and school horses, riding a 3 year old without anyone standing next to me.

We weaved some pylons and walked over a few poles along with the usual circles, stopping and backing up. 

I kind of had a feeling it would be a good ride today when I was lunging him and cinching up, he was quite responsive and calm with only mild distractions from the grain room door opening (lol). 

Can't wait to go out and see my boy again tomorrow (if weather permits) and can't wait to hit the trails in the summertime.

~LEB~

Bummer Start to the Weekend

Well it's Saturday here and I just came in from the cold about half an hour ago after shovelling the white sh*t known as snow off my mom's car.  The things I do to see my horse, I tell ya.

So on Thursday I got a call saying I'd be off work until Monday so I thought, 'Sweet I can spend all of tomorrow with Apollo!'  Yeah, no. 

Friday morning it started to snowstorm so badly that I ended up having to cancel my visit out to see him and spent the entire day sitting in bed watching Korean TV shows and drinking coffee...not that I'm complaining, I love them :|

But I digress, this blog isn't about my slight obsession with Korean shows and caffeine. 

Though I could surely go for a cup of java right about now >.>

Anyways, tomorrow I plan to head out in this Winter Wasteland (I will never call it a 'Winter Wonderland'...EVER) and see my baby boy Apollo.

Well, lunch is being called, better go while the getting's good >.>

Later Days Eh!

~LEB~

A New Year

*Blow dust off of blog*

It's been quite a while since I last posted something here!

And as you can see, though it is very much late for this announcement, we are all still alive! :D Isn't it amazing? :P

Yes, the mayan's were wrong, the world didn't end in a big fiery ball of crazy nor did the zombies rise from their graves to eat the flesh of the living. 

It just started to snow...


But that isn't why I'm blogging after months of nothingness.

I'm actually here to announce something big, something that has been in the mix since last summer. 

I've bought a horse.

Yes, four to five years after I was forced to give away the two older mares we had next door I have finally picked up the reins and got back in the saddle.

His name is Apollo and he's a 3 going on 4 year old registered paint gelding.

At the moment I'm refreshing him since he was off part of last year, but so far we're doing good; except for today -- he was being kind of a butt (his teenager day). 

He's going to be my trail riding mount, mostly, but I do plan on showing him once he's a little older and just in the fun little shows.  At the moment I can't really do a circuit or anything like that :P

Another thing, which I don't think I've mentioned yet (and if I have I apologize for repeating myself) I've switched to western riding.  I find it much more relaxing than english riding (but that's just my opinion, no one needs to bit my head off for my own opinion). 

Anyways, I don't have much more to say for the moment besides that I will try to keep this thing updated on my experience with Apollo.

~Leb~