Equine Insurance Recommendations Needed!

I have put this off for too long and seriously just need to get it done!  But would love some input from those of you who have equine insurance for your fabulous ponies. 

What company do you use?  Why did you chose this company?

Thanks in advance for any help you can send my way!

County Connection Dressage Saddle For Sale!

My lovely very comfortable 2012 County Connection is now for sale.  It is a Wide 17.5 seat with regular leg flaps covered in Bull Leather.  I had it made in 2012 and this saddle has only been on Riva.  It has been checked every 6 months by the same County Saddlery rep and reflocked as needed.  I have all service receipts and our County rep said she would be glad to speak with anyone interested in purchasing this saddle, should the potential buyer have questions.

It has been kept covered in climate controlled tack rooms when not in use and regularly cleaned and conditioned with Oakwood products.  The left side billets were replaced in January 2015.  Saddle comes with County cover.

I love this saddle!  Only reason I am selling is Riva has gotten a bit wider since it was purchased and when I demoed a Wide/Xtra Wide in January, she went much better.  I am also getting a smaller seat size and short leg flaps.

If anyone is interested, please let me know!  And feel free to share with anyone you know shopping for a dressage saddle in excellent condition!

Lesson Saturday!

I had my second lesson on Wajur today, the lovely Arabian stallion, and got to ride one more flying change!

Makes me look forward to riding them on Riva someday!

My lesson was great, as usual, with the main focus being on learning to relax my wrists and give. Sounds like a simple concept that I should have learned way before now, I know.  JC had a wonderful analogy for me (which she is super at).  She related it to dancing, which is another love of mine.  She said your hands & wrists should be expressive in dance, not locked and rigid.  And suddenly, I got it!

A Little Fun in the Snow!

Last Sunday brought 30 degrees temps to the frozen tundra of Indiana so we headed out for a

 quick ride.

 

Alexis joined us and got on her first - I thought Riva might be a bit of a Diva considering the horses had been kept in for the better part of the week, but she was super!

This was my 3rd time riding Riva in the snow and our first time to canter in it.  So fun :)

After cantering I told Alexis and my husband, "This is why we have horses!" 

 

Riva wears shoes year round so we kept the ride short.

 

Many thanks to my amazing husband for the beautiful pictures and standing around

 in the snow for us!

Flying Changes!

Last Saturday I had the good fortune to take a lesson on a 3rd level horse with my trainer, JC.  Wajur is an Arabian stallion...that's right, a stallion.  And he is a gentleman!

Riva was stuck home with lameness issues and I did not want to give up my monthly lesson spot.  I know Wajur from my daughter's working student days with JC when she showed him a few years back at Second Level.  Wajur's owner won the AA First Level IDS Championships on him last fall as well. 

We started the lesson by working on a serpentine exercise with a change of bend at X.  JC had me begin at trot with a transition to walk then halt at X.  Next I was to change the bend and ask for a few steps of leg yield then transition to trot with a direction change at the wall.  Once I had run thru the exercise several times, we then moved up to trotting the entire serpentine.  This exercise was super to make me think ahead and expect promptness from Wajur.

Next JC had me move on to trotting down the long side of the arena with a halt by a pole with a turn toward the wall to change direction.  The goal was to not move past the pole while completing the turn.  This exercise made me concentrate on using my aids correctly to control the haunches and shoulders.

We moved on to trotting the arena, turning up the center line and leg yielding to the wall.  JC quickly saw I can reasonably accomplish leg yielding to the left but struggle with the leg yield to the right.   So of course, we did many many leg yields to the right.  With Riva, I know I tend to get in the habit of leaning the direction I want her to go and not shifting my seat bones.  With Wajur, I had to use of seat bones and leg correctly or he would just keep heading straight down the center line.

Before we finished up, JC had me canter a 20 meter circle to the left.  Once she talked me thru asking for canter from the hind legs at the transition I felt the most amazing canter on this horse!  I could not help but smile and know this is what I am striving for with Riva.  After a few canter circles, JC had me change the bend at X and ask for a flying change.  I did not get a clean change the first few tries - all my fault, of course!  But we had one that felt really nice!

As I walked Wajur out, JC talked about the lesson and that she would like me to take my next lesson on this horse as well.  I am already looking forward to it!

Year in Review - 2014

Thought I would post a 2014 Year in Review since I quit blogging last year in May.  This should catch everyone up on what The Diva and I have been up to!

January

Alexis put in daily training rides on Riva to work on responsiveness to the aids and working over her back.  I spent most rides watching from the sidelines and soaking it all in.  We did take a walk thru the KY snow.

  

February  

Alexis continued with training rides with me in the saddle for the second half of the ride.  We incorporated a box exercise to set visual boundaries to gain control of the outside shoulder.  My Valentine sweetheart!

March

 I had the chance to watch Alexis ride in a clinic with Conrad Schumacher and gain some valuable tips and exercises to incorporate into my own rides.

April 

Rolex!  First time to attend and it was fantastic!  Alexis and I spent cross country day shopping while my husband took fabulous pictures.  I also got the chance to meet fellow blogger Emme of  ipickcrazy - we met up at our barn and went out for some Mexican afterwards. 

May 

 Learned I won a helmet courtesy of Bit of Britain and Charles Owen from a drawing sign up at Rolex!  I got to order any helmet of my choosing!  Best prize ever :)

Competed at my first show of 2014 at Masterson Station in KY.  Despite a wicked approaching thunderstorm right before I went in the ring

we pulled out a respectable 61.8% and 3rd place for Training Level Test 3.

June

We move back to Indiana mid June due to my husband's employer.  We decide to move our horses to a different boarding facility than they were previous to our move to KY.  Both horses settle in easily and we get back to work!

July

At the beginning of July, we have our semi-annual saddle fit appt.  I try out the County Perfection and fall in love!  Definitely on my wish list :)

We attend the July IDS show in Edinburgh and compete Training Level 2 & 3 with the goal being 2 qualifying scores in order to compete in the Fall IDS Championships.  We achieve this goal with scores of  59 % - 4th place & 58.9% - 4th place.

August

One more qualifying score is needed to compete in the Fall IDS Championship, so we head to Noblesville to compete - our first time at this facility.  We were impressed with the grounds and the friendly, welcoming atmosphere for this competition.  We earn our needed qualifying score and end up Training Level High Point Champion with scores of 63.8% - 1st place & 66.25% - 1st place.

September

Diva develops a stone bruise, abscess, or lameness from a hot nail a few days after her farrier appointment and we take a few days off.  Next, she clips an inside rear leg hard enough to cause lameness again.  We spend most of this month getting her sound and back to work.

October

We compete at the Fall IDS Championships on a blustery cold day and do not have the ride I envisioned.  Riva spooks hard twice at blowing over dressage letters and we end with a score of 61% and 3rd place for Training Level Championships.

November

We have our first lesson with Jennifer Conour since moving to KY and back again to IN.  She gives me a lounge line lesson on Riva to work on my body position and it is a light bulb lesson!  I realize I have been gripping with my thighs and blocking forward movement.

December

Second lesson with JC and we work on keeping my elbows in the correct position by riding with paper towel rolls under my upper arms.  This is very difficult but so helpful in not giving the outside rein away.  

  

 

 

First Ride of 2015

Just a quick post with a video clip of our first ride of 2015!  2nd day of January...in Indiana...and we went for a short hack in the field.

My plan is to get back to blogging on a regular basis!  I have been reading everyone's posts but seriously neglected my own.