2012!

This year is going to be AMAZING!

Koda and I have been working very hard this winter!  Mostly on slowing down, and dressage, and we have improved!  I started taking him on long trail rides.  It’s great to get out of the ring (which I never ride in anyways…) and Koda LOVES it.  A friend and I took Koda and her horse, Bo, to Mammoth Cave for a trail ride.  We were on for 4 hours!  It was beautiful there, lots of streams, bridges, trees, and waterfalls.  Koda was so relaxed.  Since then we’ve been going on trail rides 1-2 times per week and, as a result, he has been much more pleasant to work with!

I have also been riding him in a hackamore *death sentence* because he rubbed/smacked his face on a tree and cut open a place where the bit goes.  While we are waiting for that to heal I am using a hackamore.  I can’t believe it, but he slows down better with the hackamore than he does with a bit!  And he just jumps better all around with this.  Just got out SmartPak order with his new Herm Sprenger Dynamic bit, so we have yet to try it because of the cut, but fingers crossed he loves it!

I have also started riding bareback more.  It. Is. So. FUN.  Koda’s got a really fun jump anyways, but it is such a big rush to jump him bareback!  Last time we jumped bareback we got up to 4ft..   O.o
I only have pictures up to 3ft9in before the camera died.  But he was amazing!

 

 

AND… February is looking like it will be a VERY exciting month!  Won’t say anything now as I don’t want to jinx anything, but stay tuned!
Til next time!

Em and Oscar the Grouch (Koda)

Introducing Colby!

I don’t think I’ve actually introduced (with pictures) my new mare, Colby!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6M0mdFoaoM&feature=youtu.be

She’s a 1999, 17.2hh Hanoverian mare and is the first mare I actually like!  It’s funny, if you asked me earlier this summer I would have said I would never own a mare, a grey, or a warmblood.  And now look what I’ve got!  But she’s turned out to be really incredible!  It’s amazing what horses can do if given the chance to succeed.

Here is her pedigree (her registered name is Gion):
http://www.sporthorse-data.com/d?z=JBjcNq&d=gion&x=0&y=0

Can’t wait to start showing her!

Colby

Since the last post, nothing big has happened.  I did sell a project pony to a wonderful home in Illinois!  And Kobie has a new home in Tennessee with a family that absolutely adores him!

Pony mare

Kobie

Til next time!

The end of 2011 :)

What an amazing year this has been.  There have been typical ups and downs, nothing major, but the 2011 season went out with a bang, that’s for sure!

October was an awesome month for me!  Not only is it my birthday month, but it is my favorite time of the year for everything horsey!  I just love fall.

First was the addition of my new horse!  Her name is Colby and she is a 1999, 17.2hh, grey Hanoverian mare.  She has a great attitude, fabulous movement, and loves to jump.  She’s super brave!  Colby’s first show is in March, so watch out for her!  AND we plan on breeding her for a 2013 foal!

Koda has been incredible.  More than incredible, actually.  Koda did his second Novice HT at Team Challenge.  Our team, “The Barn Slaves”, came in 7th place out of a LOT of Novice teams!  Koda was phenomenal!  His dressage has improved a ton, and his XC and SJ were the steadiest to date!  What a great way to end the season!

…or so we thought…  In a last minute entry (three days before the show), we made our way to our first show away from the KHP in over a year in Murfreesboro, TN.  Koda not only competed for the first time EVER in an indoor arena, but he completed his first Training, and WON!  His dressage was the absolute best it had ever been!  There were a few moments where I lost his focus for a few seconds when a horse lost his marbles in warm-up beside the arena, but I couldn’t have asked for a better test!
Show jumping was actually quite tricky.  The course was really tight, with most of the jumps super close to each other.  Although he made his trademark move and pulled a rail (he has to keep me humble somehow!), he was absolutely on a mission!  He stepped up to the plate and LOVED the challenge!!  Koda will no longer jump in his happy mouth bit, but he was incredible so I can’t complain!  Koda lead his very first victory gallop with his blue ribbon and a gift card to Crackerbarrel!

I think it’s safe to say that Koda has come a LONG way!  In 6 months, he has moved up from Starter to Training successfully and has come home with a ribbon from EVERY show he has been in!  I am obsessed with this horse and I can’t wait to see where we can go together

Now that this season is over, we have got some work to do until the next!  The Team CEO Aiken trip is in March and I am so excited to see how much more Koda can improve!

Until next time!
Dressage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvDdXwTR8vU&feature=channel_video_title

SJ: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVr5OLfZXZI&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Midsouth Pony Club HT

Koda did his second BN at the KHP at Midsouth and he was a star!

He had his best test to date and took everything in like a pro, although I feel our test was scored pretty unfairly, as were the tests of the others in my division.

Next was XC! He packed my butt around the BN course (perhaps a little too quickly) and went double clean (again)! Nothing has gotten in his way on course.

The next day was SJ, it was rainy, and he was amazing! We had one learning moment at fence 7 as we discussed not flying at the jump at light speed. He was a bit confused and pulled a rail, but the rest of the course was a dream! Now that I’m learning I can package him a little more we should have a much better understanding of waiting before a jump.

We ended the weekend in 3rd place, qualifying for the Area 8 Championships and earning our move-up to Novice next month at Gemwood!

We have our homework before Gemwood to work on, and I’m hoping it will pay off at our Novice debut!

Dressage warmup

Better late than never…

SJ!

I love this horse!

So it’s been about 2,000 years since I’ve put anything on here, so I will give the simplest update I can!

-Since the last post, Koda and I went on a 10 day trip of intense training in Aiken, SC with the Team CEO crew! It was AMAZING!
-Weekend after coming home I took Koda to his first show ever and he FODS! He did the starter division, and it was a CT, so nothing big. Just getting him used to the show atmosphere.
-Koda moved to a new farm as soon as we were finished with the show. And I LOVE it there! Koda does too. SO much more relaxed.
-Kobie is at a home in Alabama as a Dressage horse and is doing 1st and 2nd level with his person
-Did almost nothing in April except school at home.
-May started with a XC school at the KHP in which we were almost an hour late, but he was FABULOUS!!!
-Two weeks later Koda and I went to the KHP for his FIRST recognized event, his FIRST horse trial, and his FIRST beginner novice. HE WAS AMAZING!! Took me through my FIRST double clean XC round! This was the first event where I didn’t have to worry about refusals or run-outs! Finished in 7th with an incredible dressage score and only one rail (my fault).
-Saddle adventure where I’m having to sell my Prestige Nona Garson and purchase another saddle. Have one on trial, so praying this one works!

Now, in 15 days, we will be heading BACK to the KHP for Misdouth PC HT to do his second BN! Will be doing Novice before I know it, but he’s still a baby and only has one HT under his belt, so we are taking our time!
After Midsouth we will hopefully be making out way up to Ohio for Gemwood HT, and I’m not sure what level we will be doing. It doesn’t matter, as long as he has a good experience and we have fun!

I will try very hard to keep this thing updated.

Till next time,
-Emily and The XC Machine (Koda)

Getting ready for dressageFinished with Dressage on 38%SJ!