HOW DID YOU CHALLENGE YOURSELF THIS WEEK? ENTER THE ECOGOLD WEEKLY CHALLENGE: WEEK # 6

[Barnmice Team]

How did you challenge yourself this week? We want to know! Did you enter a horse show? Overcome a fear? Learn something new? Improve you position?

Tell us about your challenges and qualify to win a beautiful ECOGOLD half pad!

ECOGOLD is picking a new winner every week throughout July and August - another reason to challenge yourself every day!!

[Ferrous]

This week I have been working on overcoming my fear of working with a young horse who is overcoming his fears. My new (and my first) youngster is teaching me to be patient, clear in my requests, and most of all, to be calm (whatever happens) because he is relying on me to show him that everything is OK. I also have to be alert, because today the bogeyman might be hiding in something that yesterday was benign.

It is challenging, but also fascinating, because it is teaching me to see the world through my horse's eyes. There are days when I wonder what I have gotten myself into, but then he'll nuzzle me for a scratch, or trot with me like a dream, and I remember why I fell in love with him. I know that one day I will have a confident horse who has been well prepared to face the world's monsters... did I mention that he is teaching me to be patient?! ;)

[Ferrous]

As the week has progressed we have tackled a lot of 'monsters' (I won't say conquered, because I am sure that next week we may have to tackle some of them again!).

- We discovered that you can actually walk over a pole without it biting you... we have progressed from leaping over it (I think that my lad will be a fine jumper ;)) to casually strolling over it. woo!

- My boy decided to try his hand (well, nose) at being a musician... he not only realised that pylons were toys rather than monsters, but that they can be melodious if one snorts into the top of them just right (picture blowing across the top of a bottle). Quite entertaining indeed.

- We walked up to the tractor (after some gentle prodding), and even... wait for it... touched the tire!!! My lad also gave a good snort in its general direction to be sure that the tractor knew that it had better behave.

- We went up to a truck, and after a few times nervously circling it, we ventured close enough to realise that it was a quite well behaved truck, and so my little lad proceeded to leave nose prints all over it... and he admired his reflection in its shiny surfaces.

- We even went to the roadside and watched cars speed by, and he eventually relaxed enough to realise that there is good grazing on the lawn. yummy.

An interesting adventure for us both. My horse is teaching me to see the world in a whole new (and fascinating) way.

[trina gifford]

This weeks Challenge for us (horse and myself) For me it is very hard to trust a young horse cantering.... cause after the age of 40 all the fears that i did not have at a young age have come out..
what if's
he trips and we go down?
he bucks?
he goes sideways?
we miss the corner?
etc.
WELL, we can do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And we did... My husband has been riding him....I finally did it...... yeppers....
I learned that i can still do it.. just sit deep like i was taught in 4-H years ago.....
trust your horse.. they do not want to get hurt either..(1/2 arab)
close eyes for first trip around.. well, kinda..relax, breath (need air)
I did it can still ride horse at canter....and do simple lead changes..
have not done in 20 years........
look out i am back....

[Lynsey Steinberg]

I learned something new this week by reading a magazine at the barn. Practical horseman had just published an article about Phillip Dutton and a photo step by step fall of a rotational fall in eventing (cross country phase) and how his horse and him were uninjured because of what he did to fall 'safer'.

The horse had come into the fence and didn't jump it enough to clear the fence. Ouchie picture, the horses legs caught behind him under the fence.

They stated to keep your position centered for as long as possible, and as SOON as you feel like the fence is going wrong to give the horse his reins/head for total and optimum balence. He was completely centered, sitting up straight - even heading down over the fence as his horse was falling.

If you grasp the reins as a safety there is always that chance you'll keep holding on to them even when you're on the ground - causing further injury to you and your horse.

Always try to protect your head. Because he was completely centered throughout the fall, he was able to protect his head and had a clear mind when he fell to the ground, rolling away so the horse didn't crush him.

The horse was uninjured because he threw the reins away, allowing the horse to use whatever he needed to regain control.

I'm not going to lie, the photos were AWFUL, but..... as someone just getting into eventing... it was the most helpful information I think I've learned so far - and heaven forbid I feel a fence is going wrong. I will remember this!

[Michelle Synnot]

I read that article too..it was really good!

[Lynsey Steinberg]

:) It was at the barn, really good read

[Patti B]

This weeks challenge for me is starting my 3 year old on the lunge line with full tack on for the first time! She was great about getting all tacked up as she has worn all the various parts at different times. She walked out to the little ring with no problem and did some lovely walking on the line and then when I asked for a trot she started out at a nice little trot and then got an odd look on her face and started hopping up and down - it was so funny! I think she didn't know what to do with the stirrups flapping up and down a bit when she started trotting out. After a bit she started to settle and got used to the whole thing and went back to normal trotting and then I had her canter for a bit each way and she bounced a few times and was fine.
I can't wait to see what she does the second time out - if she remembers or has to get used to it in stages.
If only the weather would cooperate and let me get more chances to work with her. Next week she goes out to have a lunging lesson with my instructor at a barn with large outdoor and indoor arenas, so that will be another event in itself!

[Hannah]

My standardbred Butch is only green he was a Harness racer before i got him and my dad has been breaking him to saddle
When i first got on him(which was actually the first day anyone got on him)i was really nervous but i did it
everytime he did something naughty on me i would just let him get away with it because i was too scared to give him a hit or growl at him because once when i kicked him for being naugty he reared up and bucked
about 2 months later i got up enough courage to actually give him a whip or kick when he does something wrong
and....nothing happend
2 days ago i finally had a canter on him my first canter on him without falling(the last 2 times i tried cantering him he did something like pigrooted or stoped sudden and i fell off)
by training Butch it is teaching me patients and is giving me lots of riding experience

[Michelle Synnot]

My challenge this week was getting my horse more round and supple on the flat and to work with him and help him off his forehand.

His confo is pretty stacked against him as he's really built on the forehand with a massive low set neck. He can compress it and rock back on his hind end, but we have to do it over very small periods at a time and gradually increase as it is VERY tiring for him. I think in the past previous trainers had just 'locked' him into a frame and he can get a bit panicky if I have him there for too long.

We did a lot of haunches in and I was really trying to use an opening inside hand instead of an indirect rein (bad habits! lol.) We also rode some squares at the canter (those are hard to ride..lol) We also did LOADS of transitions...but not a lot of walk to canter (it makes him quite hot and goofy).

All in all it was a good day, we had some nice moments on a 20M circle and some nice ones in the corners of the squares where I could feel him getting lighter in front. I try and take the moments as they come knowing they get longer and longer.. maybe one day if we keep at it regularily.. I'll have a whole ride someday where he's nice and light, and that will be a pretty great day!

[Carol Pullum]

When I was younger I always rode bareback, it's how I learned. I just started riding again this year after having no access to horses for 20 yrs. Of course I started slow and rode with a saddle, I'm(49), not a kid anymore. Didn't take long to settle back in to riding, and I decided I was going to do it bareback again, that is how I challenged myself, not only did I do it, I trotted and loped as well!!