BESS

[htrimm08]

ok so the snow is pretty much all gone and im going to be starting working with my babe so id figure id start a log ...

today was the first time i rode in a saddle in a very long time, all winter i just rode bareback, she had a new saddlepad, halter, headstall,etc come so i was physed to try it on her .

after dinner i went in and she was very happy to see me, i gave her some hay and groomed her while she ate. she was shedding like mad and the snow was covered in tuffs of fur. i massaged her, picked her feet(she soon needs a trim)and then got all tacked up to go.

she was a very good girl today, i think it was that i had the saddle on that made the difference. anyway she didnt make no effort to go back home like usual lately, just slowed a few times but picked up pace when asked, we rode into town and she was good with vehicles, there was alot because i think the ferry had just got in. anndd ducks? haha ducks were on the road as well. we trotted a bit but mostly walked, she halted when asked, she was definalty sunshine today lol. went to pennys and took some pics(see in picture place)

penny rode her back to the barn. when i got back(penny got their first,lol) she groomed her again, i mucked out her stall gave her some more hay and then groomed her AGAIN, the faster she sheds the better. then mom came and picked me up.

[htrimm08]

holy i just realized i havent written in a LONG time. ill never keep this going...

Bess is doing much better, gaining weight nicely around her belly/chest/withers. her flanks are still a bit small but i think its mostly muscle loss from no riding in the winter. she still has a bit of a winter coat but if she dont shed all of it soon im taking the clippers to her she didnt get her feet trimmed though Doug was busy working and stuff,they seem to be self trimming themselves very nicely anyway.

Last saturday we had pony rides, on the way out she was a STAR absolutly NO hesitation. i think she knew it was a big day. pony rides were good she was a little hesitant towards the end like "when the hell are we going home??" shes also partial to kiddies. but she was good none the less. after I got on, did some stuff with her,stops,backups,loping,trotting and all that good stuff (some pictures are in "picture place") well thats it for now, hopefully if mom lets me away from my books this weekend i'll get to go in again, i hate finals!

another update: the base of her new barn is finished now starting at the walls.

[justine]

Yay ! NEW BARN <3

[htrimm08]

i went into the barn after dinner last saturday, stayed until about 5 ish


i brushed her real good, shes almost all shedded out then took her for a walk and let her munch on the nice green grass up the road. so i just sat and watched her grazing happily. then i lunged her for a bit, she was sooo sweet. following me around everywhere i went. then my friend Andy came there, he has been bugging me forever to take him for a ride, haha it was funny looking cause he is about 6'5". anyway so i walked her on the ski trail and down on the barrens a bit. nice excersize for the pony.

thats it for now, im going in tomorrow, to work with her and hopefully ill get some pictures.

[htrimm08]

had an AMAZING ride today

i went into the barn 2 ish, brushed her, was going to lounge her but i left my gear home. ha, she was spooked by my friends on some atv's and walked on my foot, ouch, it was swollen up massive and looked really nasty. so one of um went to get some ice to put on it. i was fine after.

i decide to go for a ride over home today, the ride pretty good on the way over, loped a bit, except for when we got to the bridge she was hesitant to cross and i ended up having to get off and coax her across. she acted up a little no biggie.

when we got to my house i untacked and let her eat my nice green grass. then took some pictures and went in for supper while she ate.after i walked her up to my friends house and she got on bareback and i lead her back home. then tacked up and went back home.

the ride back was amazing, she was perfect going back over the bridge and we loped most of the way and even galloped a little and in the middle of the path in one part is a little brook and SHE JUMPED IT! it was a rush. best ride ive had in a looonng time. she was a star.

when we got back i gave her lots of loving, got her water and hay and cleaned her stall and the barn.

[htrimm08]

oops forgot to write in this....

i went for a ride monday, the day after i got home from NYC. she was out in the feild taking a nap in the sun so i just chilled with her for a bit. went for a ride into 1st pond, i was going to take her in the water but it was freezing so we just went for a ride along the beach.

then i let her eat up in a grassy spot while i tanned NOT. the sun was hiding. then tacked up and headed back. we loped and jumped the little brook again, mann i should get a english saddle and start her over jumps. fun fun.

when we got back, i did the usual, gave her lots of loving, grooming fed and watered her.

update on the barn-penny and i painted the door/window frames and eves red on tuesday, yesterday her dad started at the siding ill have pictures soon.

[Penny]

ahhh! Can't wait till the barn is done! its gonna be GREAT!!

[htrimm08]

like i said, NEVER going to keep up with this, haha

hmm didnt do alot today, shes on pasture, which is like away from the barn so we have to ride her out/in from the feild. penny rode her out while i rode atv, she didnt mind a bit. then when we came by some peoples house, they were outside and their kid wanted to give her a carrot, when pen tried to get her to go over, she backed up in a bush, uggh. other than that she was good.

i rode her in to the barn tonight, she was acceptionally great, never refused to leave the feild and never tried to get some snacks along the way. picked up the pace when i asked and vice versa. when we got close to home i let her go, and she never got hot, and slowed down nicely. i love it when shes a good girl. thats it for today.

barn is like super almost fininished now, doors are finished and just have to be hinged on, section for her HUGE stall is done, just has to have a place made for her to put her head. the only thing is that pennys dad made it bigger than what it was supposed to be, and now theres not that much space for her stuff. tomorrow her dad, mine and doug are going at the shingles . and were ordering new saddle racks, hooks and buckets.

cant wait till thats all done, then dad can start on my lil arena thing so i can have a decent place to lunge her and do some ring work with her.

[happilyeverafter]

Sounds like you two are doing great!
Is your new barn in your backyard? I'd love to see pictures of it

[htrimm08]

no, not in my back yard, like a 2 minute walk away though!
ill have more pictures this week

[htrimm08]

Bess, is settled in her new home, shes been there for over a week now. ive increased her feeding shedual a bit, she is gaining alot of weight, you can really tell the difference, but with it, shes also already starting to get a fuzzy coat fall is definatly more colder this year. i havent worked her much, ive been trying to wait until dad found the time to start at the arena, but hes been pretty busy lately.

[htrimm08]

So I suck at updating, all winter we didnt do very much anyway, just rode a bit around her paddock, and mostly just for visits to groom and love her.

So we had our first big ride of the year a couple weeks ago. I figured that I would have a bit of a problem getting her to leave the barn, seeing how she is usually very stubborn every spring due to lack of riding during winter. But to my suprise she did very well, no resistance at all. Im very proud of my girl, she knew all of her ques, did everything i asked. It was a very good ride.

last friday I did pony rides for a kids birthday, so i rode her out to the ballfeild where it was being held. there were about 20 kids and running around screaming and she didnt mind a bit, and listened well. despite the fact that shes not fond of kids. I'll have some pictures from that soon.

Her coat is almost all gone now, I'll be moving her to my barn when school ends, and then I'll give her a nice much needed bath to get rid of the rest of unwanted fur. Shes also lost a bit of weight over the winter, but not half as much as last winter, and shes starting to get it back already.

[htrimm08]

just back from the barn, today we had some fun and took her out driving in the cart. it was hilaious because i had trouble manevuring it. my cart driving skills arent the bestest. she was great, trotting along the road. it was priceless.

im really hopeing to get her out to the west coast sometime this summer. i just have to wait and see about trailoring and what not.

[htrimm08]

i havent been to the barn today, i die a little on the inside everyday its gorgeus out and i cant go to the barn, damn exams! i only have three left, and on friday or saturday the girl will be moving back here with momma. shes also getting a trim before the move.

as soon as she does ill be putting her on a "excersize plan" getting her back into shape and working with her every two days at least. definatly lunging her everyday. shes nothing but fat and bones now.

i have a few things i want to accomplish with her, such as her ques. shes very good at them now but she does have her moments and i want to polish them up. also her lope is uneven, i would assume from no excersize. i also want to correct her leads. she also tends to trip over her feet sometimes, partially because she needs a trim, but she also dosnt lift her legs up very high when trotting. is there anything i can do to fix that or will it just improve on its own?

[Jess]

Do a lot of work over trotting poles. It'll make her a lot more conscious and careful of where she's putting her feet. Riding over uneven terrain will help, too. Just give her something to think about when she's going.