MJ “Forgives” My Mistake
As in he mostly ignored it. Good Boy!
I hadn't ridden a real live horse for three weeks so I was excited when I got ready to go to the stable for my riding lesson. Since lots of my joints ached when I woke up I had put on various pieces of my BOT/Fenwick/Incrediwear far infra-red radiation therapy…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on April 8, 2023 at 11:04am — No Comments
One Link
Monday morning it was cool and misting, so of course I went to ride. A little mist is not going to keep me out of the saddle. Luckily the mist tapered off and I did not have to ride in the rain like I feared would happen.
I got my upper body warmed up by currying and brushing MJ's body and legs. He was pretty quiet…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on October 29, 2022 at 11:12am — No Comments
My Ankle Acts Up
Last week I wanted to get out of the house. I walked down the gravel road to see the neighbor's horses in their paddocks, I just wanted to see horses and I wanted to smell them too! I walked with my two canes, slowly and carefully, and I never felt anything wrong.
That afternoon my right ankle swelled up,…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on September 3, 2022 at 10:27am — No Comments
Cider did NOT Like the New Curb
When I called Debbie about my lesson this week I got bad news. Debbie was tested and has Covid-19. I am really happy that I did not go to the lesson stable last week, and I will be staying away from it until Debbie gets over her illness. This is an “ideal” time for me not getting my riding lessons, Debbie had a schooling show where she got sick so I don't know if…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on August 28, 2021 at 11:01am — No Comments
Changing Back My Bridle Works
Last Sunday Shannon picked me up. This meant that did not get to ride in the coolest part of the morning but it was not too bad.
I accidentally picked up MJ's bridle when I got my tack together that morning. Neither Shannon or I noticed this until rather late in the ride. After feeling fiery…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on July 24, 2021 at 10:38am — No Comments
Full Seated Sitting Trot
A little bit over a month ago I started off my rides on MJ by getting up into 2-point immediately after mounting and staying up in 2-point for 5 minutes. At least that was my goal. I did succeed in keeping my weight off my seat bones but there were times that my body sank down into a half-seat. This was in addition to all the times I would get up into 2-point because…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on July 10, 2021 at 10:16am — 1 Comment
Cider Said “Yes”!
When I called Shannon last Saturday night to see if I could ride on Sunday I excitedly told her that I finally had a double bridle made up for Cider. I asked if I could introduce Cider to it, and Shannon said yes! She told me she had never used a double bridle herself, and had not used one on a horse, and she was eager to see how it all worked. I warned her we would probably…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on October 24, 2020 at 10:26am — No Comments
MJ and I Try a New Bit
In my eternal search for a yet more perfect bit I decided to try one of Fager Bit's two new types of Weymouth curbs. Unlike the Mullen mouth Victoria curb these new curbs have a “port”, but it is not angled like the Cambridge mouth port which is parallel to the shanks of the bit. The Fager “port” goes up vertically from the line of the shanks of the bit. The Fager site…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on October 10, 2020 at 10:40am — No Comments
In Spite of the Heat
Hot, muggy weather, I deteriorate in the heat. I tend to deteriorate so much in the heat that I generally assume that summer is just not the time for me to make any changes with the horses because I am so afraid that I will give the horses an excuse to resist me.
Maybe I was worrying too much.…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on July 25, 2020 at 12:04pm — 2 Comments
We Introduce MJ to the Double Bridle
I had been worried about using a double bridle on horses during the summer heat since my body degrades so much. I was worried that my hands would not be good enough, that my coordination would be too bad, and that accidentally I would turn the double bridle into something scary to the horse rather than an advanced method of communication between horse and…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on July 18, 2020 at 11:15am — No Comments
A Sacred Trust
This week Debbie had a summer camp (next week too) so I was not going to get a lesson anyway. In some ways, then, me getting sick came at a “convenient” time, I wasn't too sick, took my homeopathic remedies and stopped doing much at all, and my fever finally went away. I would have hated missing my lesson for being sick, isn't it odd how the Universe works sometimes?…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on June 20, 2020 at 10:50am — No Comments
Immediate Improvement with the Double Bridle
Lately I have been riding Bingo in the Fager Bianca double-jointed roller snaffle, with improvements with contact and responsiveness to most of my hand aids (turning was not perfect.) These improvements were so great that when I finally achieved Debbie's minimum requirement for riding in the double bridle (being able to get up into 2-point) she said…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on February 22, 2020 at 12:48pm — No Comments
A Pretty Good Week
I finally got to ride Cider again, it had been 6 weeks since my last ride on her.
Since I really wanted Cider's opinion on the Fager “Oscar” double-jointed “front lock” copper lozenge bar relief titanium snaffle, the one that Bingo did not seem to like too much, I was very happy. Shannon's grass ring was…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on February 8, 2020 at 10:55am — No Comments
Just Experimenting
After Cider (and Bingo) gave me the “not interested at all” reaction to the Fager “Frida” three piece tongue relief snaffle I've gone back to the bar relief varieties of Fager bits. Since I knew that Bingo greatly preferred the single jointed “Lilly” bar relief bit I decided that it stays on his bridle for right now. I just get tired of having to switch a bit from one bridle…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on December 21, 2019 at 11:42am — No Comments
Riding Between the Showers
Wednesday morning was sort of dreary, passing showers left the ground damp and there was a breeze. Driving to the stable raindrops would start to fall, taper off, stop, and start up again. Since Wednesday was the only day I was guaranteed a ride we just drove on, maybe it would stop precipitating by the time Bingo was ready for riding.…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on November 30, 2019 at 1:42pm — No Comments
Small Bit Guards are a Total Pain
And once I realized it life became much easier.
I have been using my new Fager titanium mouthed bits and I got interested in their bit guards. The promise was that they were easy to put on (and take off), and that promise was fulfilled beyond measure. Since I have cursed out bit guards more…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on November 23, 2019 at 12:47pm — No Comments
I Try Out Two New Bits
After a week without riding I was sort of frustrated. I had two new bits that I was eager to try out on the horses. I really cannot complain too much if I can't ride because of rain, we have been getting dryer and dryer down here in NC. The ponds are shrinking and the creeks and river are low.
This…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on November 9, 2019 at 11:20am — No Comments
Debbie Enjoys Bingo's Transformation
Fall has arrived, and I hope it stays around! Once again I can wear some of my Back on Track stuff while riding, the neck wrap, the back wrap/brace, and the BOT T-shirt. Hurrah!!!! I did not bother with the fly sheet for Bingo (though I did put fly spray on) and Bingo could wear the BOT exercise sheet all through the hide. Happier rider, happier horse, what…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on October 12, 2019 at 11:01am — No Comments
Is the 2nd Riding Ring in Another Universe?
Due to some chaos on Wednesday morning I did not get my lesson with Debbie. I did get to ride there on Thursday, and when we set it up I asked Debbie if I could use my double bridle on Bingo even though I would not be in a lesson. She had no problems with my request which was nice, it means I am using the double bridle correctly and not…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on August 3, 2019 at 10:52am — No Comments
I Prepare Bingo for Riding Camp
First an update on ice vests. When I realized that my FlexiFreeze ice vest was causing me an allergic reaction to the neoprene I went on-line to see what other ice vests were available. I found the Kool Max ice vest from Polar Products. It is not as flexible as the FlexiFreeze vest since instead of lots of ice cubes enclosed in plastic the Kool Max vest uses 4” x…
ContinueAdded by Jackie Cochran on June 15, 2019 at 11:35am — No Comments
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