July Wrap Up

 

Starting the wrap up for July with some updated conformation pictures. Never mind the fact that these were taken in August and post-ride hosing. Not ideal, but y'know, if I was only willing to take them when he was perfectly clean and not sweaty we really wouldn't get any summer shots. I tried, and failed, to remember to take them the day his feet got done. Because I haul out to my friend's place, once he was done I just tossed him straight back on the trailer. Also, on closer inspection, her mats are over sand and not as even as the wood that this spot at Ms. GY's. 

I keep panicking about him gaining weight, so here's our June comparison. Which I think actually does show some weight gain. UGH! He's more dressage horse round right now than svelte event pony. We've still got a couple months of good grass, but it is sooooo sweaty/easy to create rubs right now that I'm reluctant to put his grazing muzzle on him. I need to either do that or submit another insulin level to at least make sure we're not creeping up there. It would be silly to put all this work into his fitness and supplements and such and then let that happen... 

June 

	Butterball
Training rides	3 flat rides with my friend while I was out of town
Lessons	4- 3 dressage + 1 jump
Hacks	3- including 1 pond splash
Jump rides	3
Flat rides	6
Conditioning rides	2
XC school	0
Shows	0

July was a bit slower of a month with 21 rides for pony pants, which may have contributed a bit to the weight gain as well... I'm hoping so since that's easier to up this month vs. putting the muzzle on. I took my annual summer trip to New York with family. My friend came over and rode him a few times while I was gone. We failed to successfully line up with PW much for jump lessons between my travel and the WEC summer series. We had one lesson that we only got 2/3 of the way through before major thunderstorms drove us to cover. 

But we did manage to get in three dressage lessons, and the changes are absolutely amazing. I was cantering around yesterday feeling like it was the easiest thing in the world, which is such a huge change. Our lessons in July focused A LOT on the canter. We started with straightening it, particularly to the left. The next lesson we introduced SLOWING the canter. Which was a gigantic struggle with lots of breaking to trot and making me feel like I couldn't ride my pony. I asked JV if he did training rides. He said he did, but mostly he wanted me to learn how to do it. He cited people asking him to get on to get clean changes. He said it was useful if the horse didn't understand the concept of changes, but not useful in all other cases. He did say perhaps Butterball was unclear on the concept of slowing down the canter, so a training ride might be beneficial.

Then I went out of town and my friend who rides with the same two trainers rode him while I was gone. And when I got back, we had more easily accessible buttons. Our last lesson in July, on the 31st, we ACTUALLY slowed the canter down and I felt much less incompetent. 

Honestly the lessons with JV make me want to focus on dressage the majority of the time. Butterball feels totally happy when ridden in this clear 2+2 = 4 kinda way. Even when we were struggling majorly with slowing down the canter, JV laid it out clearly for me... if he broke to trot, was the trot slower than the canter had been? If so, then pick the canter right back up to correct the break. But if the trot was faster than the canter had been, then SLOW the trot, since SLOW was what we were initially asking for. Anyways, stay tuned for our transition to dressage and trail pony extraordinaire, at least until I look at the costs of USDF showing... 

Even though we didn't get to many jump lessons, now that we're back with Ms. GY, we have the ability to set mini courses at home. Her arena is a bit larger than a standard dressage arena, so it isn't a full, full course, but we can still string 5-6 jumps together in different ways. It is GREAT to have this ability. The decision to move back to her place wasn't without some angst, especially because our former barn owner took such great care of the difficult to care for Goggles, but overall it was the right move for Butterball and me at this point. 

This.. this is why the pony is getting more and more round, but also tell me you don't want to gallop across that field 

Overall July was a productive month for us. Butterball is still sweating and feels great in his work. This time of summer in Florida always feels just focused on maintaining and surviving, so it is great that we've continued to progress in the dressage work. Knocking furiously on wood, we've only had to deal with tiny little patches of rain rot. And his feet look FANTASTIC! At his farrier appointment this week, at four weeks, his farrier gave him an award for most foot grown. And he grows strong, beautiful hoof, even in the WET summer. Thank goodness for pony feet!!! 

I started August going out of town again, but the rest of the month will be pretty focused on getting to Chatt successfully. We are headed to a schooling jumper show Wednesday and then a dressage lesson on Friday. Ms. GY is going to bring her thoroughbred to as well, and I'm so excited to watch their lesson too. I'm aiming to keep up weekly trot/canter sets OR pond rides for the remainder of August. Then in September we start our twice weekly conditioning rides for the three day in October.