New JRD Jump Saddle!

Just got my new saddle.  It was used, but you can barely notice it.  It's a monoflap by JRD.  Love the blue trim.  First ride tomorrow and I will see if I can stay on.  Long billets so I won't have buckles under my legs.

New Feet!

It's been four weeks since I put pads on Ivy and pulled the shoe closer to the tip of the frog for a faster break over. She is a different horse.  I see a lot of stuff online about no shoes, pads.... Go natural!  When I brought her home as a 3.5yr old, I kept her barefoot.  Biggest mistake of my life.  I suppose if I lived in an area where the ground was soft things might have been different.  Her issues are caused by impact on hard ground.. All those trail rides in the hills didn't help. Well, she is sooo happy now.  She is much more willing and her shoulders are free.  I feel awful knowing we could have fixed her issues sooner.  Our first show is in March and I will attempt first level again.  Not ready for second yet but now I think I will go for my medal.  Why not! Oh, and I will go to a HT too. OK, intro level..

Video of Ivy @ Fresno HT

 

 

Proof that Ivy went to a HT!!!!

 

 

 

 

Another Vet Check

Since I have now decided to breed my mare for my next low level event horse, a vet check was in order.  I have always battled with connection issues and Ivy seems to go better in softer footing.  Bells go off, "Do her feet hurt?" I learned a lot last week about feet.  Apparently not all people get a vet check on their mares before they breed.  The vet told me that you want to rule out any foot issues that could be passed on.  Now I have seen some pretty ugly broodmares and I know they wouldn't pass a vet check, so why breed them?  I love my mare and I want another one just like her.  Sassy, hard headed, big heart, and very smart.  I love chestnut mares!!!!  I think mare people are truly special people.  We know how to negotiate, and never pick fights that will end badly.

Now I had a full vet check a year ago and flextions were all neg. but I never xrayed the front feet.  New vet last week and he could not see anything out of the ordinary.  After the images were taken, we could see she had an issue.  In her lft front she has pedal osteitis.  That's it!  I know some people would freak out, but I live in California and the ground is very hard.  Ivy was raised on it and the breeder never put shoes on her. When I brought her home, I trail rode her for 6 months over the same hard hilly ground.  Vet said, no big deal and that her feet looked super.  Nothing there that could be genetically passed on.  I wonder if part of her connection issues were from her foot.  Pads are in our future.

Change

A lot has happened in the three months since Ivy has been gone.  She competed in two HT and finished both!  She finished on the bottom, but she did finish.  I then took her to our first Hunter Pace.  We jumped all the jumps, but finished over time.  Since she's been home, we have been working on the same connection issues we had over a year ago.  Well, I knew the dressage training would be lacking and old habits are back. I have also taken her to her normal weekly jumping lessons and am happy to report she is very willing.  She may not win or move up to BN w/ me, but I am very happy.  I will go intro till? We are also going to go to several schooling shows w/ low jumps and will continue up the levels in dressage.

In the fall I plan on breeding her to Liam.  I know there are lots of horses out there, but none that are "Jack of All Trades" w/ a good mind under 5 grand.

Ivy Goes to Her First HT

Well this has been a long road.  Still can't decide if I should sell or not.  Ivy is almost the perfect horse.  She will always have a stopping issue and we may never win, but is that the goal? I can take her to any event, trail ride her, camp and she is perfect.  She is safe and loves attention.  Maybe I will just breed her.

Ivy went to her first HT and showed in BN.  I had the only horse that stood there w/ her eyes closed dreaming of food.  In dressage she got a 35 and that put her in 3rd.  Next came stadium.  In the warm up she stopped at all 3 fences including the x.  I couldn't watch after that.  All I wanted was for her to finish and that's it.  The horse before didn't even get over the first fence.  Now Ivy trots in and I walk away, but peek through some bushes.  She was looking good until the first stop, then came the second and an almost, but she made it through the combination. Now she's heading for the last oxer and she makes it w/ a big whack on the butt. She really has good form, nice square knees. Ok, we have major time faults plus 2 stops, but she made it.  Happy Dance!!!! Next day she is out on xcntry.  Double clear.  Life is almost complete, now I have to ride her.  We are Hunter Pace bound on Sunday.  Ivy finished out of the ribbons, but she jumped every single fence.  I can breath now.

Boot Camp at Lontree Farm

Ivy is now getting ready for her first HT in Oct.  I know she will learn a lot at boot camp.  Progress seems on track.  Today we attacked all the logs and introduced some new jumps.  Yes, there were a few ugly stops but in the end she did a little course. She had a stop in the second clip at the end.  She did get over it.  There is hope yet!