It's Been Too Long

Well I am so sorry that I have not posted anything all summer. I have been busy from the break of dawn to midnight with work and just life in general. But during that time Sharubi has truly come such a long way, it's amazing. It is great, but frustrating for me because I don't feel that I am good enough for her. Her mistakes are only that of mine. But we are team and I am determined to do her right. We have mastered collection at the walk, trot, and canter. We still need to work on extension, we don't extend just get faster haha.
But school is starting soon so I'll be yet again busy. But though I am going to miss summer, school will be a nice change...though I'm pretty sure I'll take that back after the first week.
So back to Sharubi. This year I am going all dressage with her I think. Maybe a little bit of jumping but mainly I am going to focus on dressage. I think she, if not both of us, can really excel in this area!!!!
The photo I am attaching is recent and I love it!

BUSY!!!

I have been so busy and have had not time to update. So it still doesn't feel like summer, but I never want it to end! I work at the barn now for most of the day and work a few horses and then ride Sharubi. But i can tell that her shoe will be getting loose soon, by the way that it sounds when she walks so I have called the farrier who I think is going to come and shoe her because shes do aswell. So that fixes that problem, but I'm only gon walk her until tomorrow because I dont want to take any chances. So you proably think that sucks, but it's really not that bad because i have been riding bareback with her broken kimberwick on the snaffle and a really loose chain and no draw rains AND we have been collecting really well!!YAY! So that's really exciting. I still have to clip her body though I only started on her legs. So hopefully I can do that on Sunday or something and then she will be more comfortable.
So in the past week or so Sharubi has discovered that she can get away from the crossties. Wonder how??? Well she goes and breaks the damn halter. Shes done it twice. And shes not breaking the "break away" piece either shes snapping the metal buckle! So that something that I hve been working on to which makes for so much fun while on the cross ties lol.
And Sharubi has had a slight personality change. She has decided that bucking, rearing, and taking off are all fun things. And it's not a discomfort thing either she just gets really excited when we work. She's also doing a lot more stuff then she used to. Like I was walking and she just took off cantering and so I took a lot of rein in one hand to circle her and she ended up not moving her back legs and like cantering/rearing/hoping with her front legs in the circle. It was very wierd and kind of annoying because she wouldn't stop. But thats the kind of stuff shes been up to. Or like while I'm canter dragging me to the side of the outdoor ring (where a little raised pole is) and deciding to jump it long ways and then continue cantering in the ring. Very fun, but I'm happy she's enjoying herself we just need to learn how to channel that energy towards work more.
I have also been taking lessons on Sharubi which has been fantastic, we are both benefitting so much. (i took lessons before too, but it's the beginning of taking lessons at my new barn) For my last lesson my trainer got on Sharubi and it was amazing. Sharubi rounded and tucked her butt so far under it was awesome!!!!! I wish I had photos, but I don't.
So for now that's the big stuff that needed to be sid. I'll try and be little better about posting more consistently. But for now I will leace you with a very bute photo of my beautiful horse Sharubi and my friend Victoria giving her a bedtime kiss!!! SO CUTE!

Done With School At Last

I am finally finished with school and will be able to spend all my time with Sharubi hopefully. I have to get her clipped soon though because it's getting hotter out now that summer is here and she already sweats A LOT! So hopefully that'll get done sometime this week. Also Sharubi's scratches are almost all gone!!! and her feet are doing really well.
Yesterday I just hacked around on her, but the day before I worked on her collection and softness. She's doing pretty well with that at the trot, but at the canter she just gets really strong!!! Last Saturday I also had a lesson on Sharubi which was really good, but I have a lot to work on. But that's fine with me, it gives me great motivtion to do so.

Hopefully I'll be able to get to some training dressage shows with her and maybe take one of the barns horses to a few jumpers shows. That's what I am aiming to do over the summer! Hopefully one show a weekend, that would be ideal!

Canter Transitions

So today was the first day that I rode Sharubi with her "new" feet. Firstly, because I wanted her to get used to them and secondly, I haven't been able to get up to the barn since Saturday because of parents and this week and one day next week are my finals, so I'm trying to cram in some studying (actually I'm doing really badly with the whole studying thing lol.)
Anyway I decided to work on softening and upward and downward canter transitions today. For the softening I did a lot of sitting trot work and halting and back up. This helped a lot. I also worked on her upward trot transitions which are pretty good in my opinion. She gets up into the trot very powerfully, but I need to work on have her "hop" into it a little more. With the canter transitions it's about getting it when I ask and getting it slow and collected. She hops into her canter transitions usually so that's not the problem it's mostly speed control.
But today she did really well. Her first canter was nice and slow, I was really pleased with that. But of course after the first canter she gets all excited, but she was picking up her leads beautifully today and that I was really happy about. Now we just need to build up better stamina when doing the canter so we can work on it for longer amounts of time. So that was today!!!! Nice and exciting:)

New Shoes

Sharubi finally got her new shoes and the farrier did a fantastic job. We actually figured out that her feet were way to big and long so she got trimmed and her shoes size changed. She went form 6 to a 5. I want to keep her feet t this size it think it'll be better for her because before her feet looked a little flary and they look a lot better now. So I hven't ridden her yet with her "new" feet, but that will be tomorrow activity. I am really excited to see if she goes any differently, if she's more comfortable, or whatever. It'll be fun to see how that is. So thats the big new for today! (well I guess that was yesterdays big new, but whatever, haha)

Long Ride

Well today was quite eventful. I rode Rubi for a very long time. Probably close to 2 hours. It started out okay, you know just the typical warm-up and it went downhill from there. She was running through me and not listening to my leg or seat or anything for that matter. So we walked for a while and stood around because she doesn't like to stand so we have to practice that. But then I decided to trot and canter a little more. Now she did really well at the end. Her trot was very fast, but in control and collected. The canter as usual needs work. That's our summer project. To perfect the canter and simple changes. She can do flying lead changes, but she literally flies through them so we'll be working on nice slow simple changes.
So then she was completely sweating and hot, but her breathing wen back to normal very quickly which is great. So I took her in and hosed her down with nice cool water and dried her off a bit. But I had to leave so my friend offered to watch her until she was completely dry and then put her in her stall and give her, her grain. So I was really thankful for that! (I luv you Rocky!!) So that was my day at the barn!

The Farrier

So yesterday I rode Sharubi in the indoor ring because it had been pouring all day and outside was mucky and wet. She of course was great. She has a tendancy to run through me, but that's not her fault. I'm working really hard on my posture and using my seat to control her not my hands. Which makes perfect sense if you think about it. The surface area that the bit and bridle hit are so much smaller then the surface area of my butt and legs, so coincidently it's easier to control a horse using your body and not you're hands. So anyway that is what I have been working on since about 2 weeks ago. We also worked on trotting off from the halt and not lugging of, but jumping intoit which she has always been amazing at, but it's always good to practice.
I kept to walking and trotting yesterday because I didn't want to put to much stress on her feet. She is due for shoes this week and I don't want to risk her losing a shoe or tripping because her feet are to long. So sometime this week her new farrier will be doing her. I was having trouble finding someone to do such big feet, but I asked the manager of the barn and he referred me to Eric, who I hear from everyone is really great. si i'm really excited about that.
So I have been contemplating this for a long time, but I have finally decided thatI am going to put Sharubi on a supplement for her feet. Being such a large horse I don't want to take any chances with something happening to them. I am going to consult with one of my trainers, but hopefully I will be putting her on SmartPak's Smarthoof Ultra. It sounds like a great product and there seems to be many succeess stories. But I'll talk to my trainer and probably my vet and whatever is the best, that's what Sharubi will be getting. Oh and I'll se what the farrier that is doing Sharubi now thinks would be good.

So that's my exciting news for today!!! If you have any suggestions about hoof supplements feel free to tell me!

Today's Ride

Well after three days I finally rode Sharubi again, lol. Shes doing exceptionally well. We didn't do anything huge or exciting just messed around. We are still in the process of getting her into tip top shape, but I think we are getting there! We went out to the field with my friend Amanda and her horse Chelsea and walked around a lot. Then we trotted and cantered a bit.(oh i used draw reins again) It was really fun and relaxing and I think the girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Tomorrow(hopefully there will be no rain) I'll take Rubi out there for the last 15 minutes of the ride so she can let off some steam!!! So excited I love this new barn so much!!!

Who Could Resist

This is Sharubi in her new stall and of course she's having a little snack. Who wouldn't after succh a long day of moving!!

Three Whole Days!!!

Wow!!! Okay so I haven't seen Sharubi in three days and I haven't seriously ridden her in even more:( I feel so bad. But I had to go up to my country house for my mom's birthday. But I have great friends that can help me out!!!(thanks Amanda) So today after school I'll be heading home and then I'm off to the barn. Unfortunatly I don't have all day because I have a piano lesson at 7:00. SO that gives me from about 3:30 to about 6:30. It's a long time just not as long as I wish considering I haven't seen my Sharubi in 3 whole days!!! We will probably take it light today. Walking and trotting and maybe a little canter. Oh, but I forgot Sharubi was suppose to get shoes this weekend so hopefully she did. If not then I will definatly be sticking to walking and a little bit of trot. I don't want her to loose a shoe or something.
Oh also I am going to be having the vet down to check on her. First for her really bad thrush in her right hind which I want to get checked out to make sure it hasn't developed into anything else and also because she has this scurvy stuff on her back legs which I can't seem to get ride of. I've been washing them with microtek shampoo, but I don't think its working very well. So hopefully we will get those two things cleared up. Oh and I'll probably ask her to look at this little bump on Sharubi's splint which hasn't affected her at all, but better safe then sorry.
So I guess for now thats it! We are starting our second summer together at this new and fantastic barn!!!
P.S. I almost forgot Sharubi will be needing another clipping. She just got clipped about a month and 1/2 ago and her hair is already longer then I would like it. So There will be a full body clipping in her future and hopefully I will be able to borrow someones clippers and do it myself!