January 2025 Wrap Up

 

	Ben	Butterball
Training rides	0	0
Lessons	0	5- 4 jump, 1 dressage
Hacks	0	2 bareback walk hacks, lots of walk hacks to start flat rides
Ground work, lunge, long line	4- 2 Equiband lunges, 2 ground work sessions	1
Flat rides	0	8
Conditioning rides	0	1
XC school	0	1
Shows	0	0

January was a month of a few big changes/decisions as far as horse keeping goes. Butterball got his hind shoes pulled at the beginning of the month. Then we switched to a new farrier the second week of the month. I consciously decided not to do much with Ben until we got him into his glue on composites in February. Instead we played a little bit on the ground. He LOVES the blocks that I learned from the cowboy who helped with Goggles. Not surprisingly, Ben is very, very in tune with his person, and being told exactly where to place his body and how to follow along brought him a lot of security. We marched all over the spooky parts of the property with him directly in line behind me but at a respectful distance. It was pretty neat. All I had to do was stop and he would immediately halt square behind me. Instead of needing to fully step back, a small pump of both arms backwards would have him backing up directly in line. He's gone over it before, but we marched right over the wooden bridge in line like that with the line loose and me not having to direct him in any way other than walking over it myself. 

He also did have two lunging sessions. One of those sessions I was trotting him through a bounce exercise I had set up for Butterball.  He rightly recognized that the bounces were set to canter and bounced himself through at the canter a few times; it was adorable. 

Ben and Butterball continue to go out during the day with three of the barn owner's horses, two yearling colts and a two year old filly. Occasionally the filly gets sick of the boys, but otherwise they are all pretty delighted to be together. It's really interesting to watch the older horses interact with the yearlings. Occasionally the yearlings get snapped at, but generally the lessons my boys give them are pretty gently reinforced and well received. 

Excuse us, do you happen to have cookies?? 

Butterball had a great month, albeit a slightly easier one than normal. He took the removal of his hind shoes completely in stride. In December we stopped using the Forestier jump saddle and switched him to Goggle's Custom Monte Carlo. He seems much happier, but it still wasn't a perfect fit. At the end of the month we had a saddle fitting with a British Master Saddler who came highly recommended. I ordered a new jump saddle from her and am getting the tree changed in a dressage saddle that I bought from Jen. Come March when the fitter comes back up from Wellington, I'm hoping we will be all set on the saddle front other than annual checks. 

We also met with a new dressage trainer and had one lesson which will hopefully be the start of every other week lessons. Towards the end of the month, in spite of a fall and a sprained ankle, it seemed like everything was clicking for us with some lovely jump schools. 

Looking ahead...

February started with our trip to Three Lakes. We're headed to a Majestic schooling show in the middle of the month. BB is seeing his new farrier for a second time. Ben is getting composites put on and will hopefully TRULY go back to work. 

Love this pony so much!