Equestrian

Life With Sue

Anna Blankenheim Equestrian , , ,

I know, I’ve sucked at posting since I told you all I finally bought a horse. Life’s been busy and I’ve been spending as much time with him as I can!

The other day I headed over to the barn after work… it was really nice because no one was there and I got to spend some quality one on one time with Sue. I pulled him out of his stall and did some lunging. I’m still learning the techniques of this, but the basic premise is that I stand in the middle and Sue runs in circles around me. Using the lead line and my voice I can work on getting him to go slower or faster, closer or farther, and different directions. It’s great for exercising him when I can’t ride (as was the case this day because the arena was too wet), for getting some energy out and focus him before we ride, or to use as a training tool. It’s definitely not as easy as it sounds… first of all, it’s very easy to get dizzy! I also have to practice my footwork and handling – I’m moving in a smaller circle as he goes around me and I’m still getting used to my spurs. That’s right, I’m that girl who trips over her own spurs!

After that, I gave him a good grooming. He had been turned out during the day and one whole side was caked with mud, so he definitely needed it! No one else was there, the other horses were whinnying, and the country music was playing (a staple at any good barn). It was awesome to just spend time with him. I bought him a new halter and lead rope – we’re going with a hunter green theme, which I think looks good with his reddish brown hair!

Sue & I
Sue & I

In the midst of my selfie-taking, I discovered that horses are a lot like dogs… they are very inquisitive and want to sniff everything.

Selfie Gone Wrong
Selfie Gone Wrong

I seriously love this horse. He has such a fun, young personality!

Dream Come True, A Boy Named Sue

Anna Blankenheim Equestrian , , ,

There are really not words for how I’m feeling right now… those of you who know me know that I’ve loved horses my entire life and have always wanted one. Finally, after thirty-three years my dream has come true.

Everyone, meet Sue. Sue is a four-year-old gelding (that’s a castrated male). Yup, I have “A Boy Named Sue” (for those of you young whippersnappers out there, that’s a reference to a Johnny Cash song). He is such a sweetheart and I’ve fallen completely in love with him. He’s a sorrel (that means a reddish brown) American Quarter Horse and he even has freckles like me!

Me & My Horse!
Me & My Horse!

I’ve known for the past few weeks that I wanted to buy him (I’ve been riding him in my lessons since then) and today we went to his pre-purchase exam. Since horses are not cheap endeavors, you take them to the vet before you buy them to make sure that they’re sound.  It was a little nerve-wracking because I already love him, but thankfully he’s healthy as a horse!

Sue
Sue
Sue Grazing
Sue Grazing

Now I need to go take a nap… I’m exhausted from all the excitement of the day! More pictures to come on Facebook!

I’ve Got Spurs That Jingle Jangle

Anna Blankenheim Equestrian , ,

I can’t believe it, but it’s finally happening. Everything is in motion for me to check off “buy a horse” from my bucket list. This has literally been a lifelong dream of mine, at the top of every Christmas and birthday list. Our pre-purchase exam is Thursday afternoon… I can hardly wait!

This weekend I got my spurs. I had been joking that I felt like the baby at the barn – I was the only one without spurs. My trainer had been out at Ricotti Saddle Company, saw them, and thought of me. They’re absolutely beautiful! She picked up the dark leather spur straps, which I absolutely love… I think I may aim for all of my tack to be that same (or close) color – it will look beautiful on him! I haven’t revealed the horse or his name yet because I don’t want to jinx it… the minute he’s mine I’ll share with everyone!

I took Mom, Dad, Kati, and Chloe out today to meet him… as always, he was a gentleman and loved getting carrots from everyone. He’s got the greatest little personality and I can’t wait to continue to bond with him!

My New Spurs
My New Spurs

Hope you’re all have as wonderful a weekend as I am!

Hands Free

Anna Blankenheim Equestrian, Family , , , ,

Yesterday my parents came out for the afternoon to watch my riding lesson and to have dinner. It was quite the lesson… I was in the arena, which to date has been more exhausting than my longer trail rides. I think it’s because of the intense focus. This lesson started out a little tough… I was too focused on the fact that my parents were watching, my saddle was all wrong (we messed with the stirrups a bunch and finally ended up completely switching saddles), and I ended up changing horses. Once I got settled in on Rosie, I was good to go! I hadn’t ridden her before and she was a little more mellow than the other horses I rode, which was good because of the skills I had to practice. I also got to practice wearing spurs!

Rosie Loping In The Arena
Rosie Loping In The Arena

We started with the normal arena work – walking, trotting, and loping. A key thing that I’m working on is anticipating the horse – Rosie wanted to stop at a bale of hay, so I had to practice motivating her past it before she broke pace. After a while of that, my trainer said that we were going to move to the circle arena to practice balance. I had no idea this meant riding without holding on. Not that hanging on to the reins really holds you onto the horse, but in my head it sure does.

Rosie would walk/trot/lope around the arena and Dana would make me do all sorts of fun things with my hands:

Hands Out
Hands Out
Hands Across
Hands Across
Hands On Your Head
Hands On Your Head

While all of this was happening, my trainer was standing in the middle of the arena with a whip. Don’t worry, she doesn’t hit the horse. She would step toward Rosie and flick it, which would make her turn toward the fence and change direction. Keep in mind, we’re loping (which is a run). Rosie is a former cattle cutter, so she can spin on a dime. Dana told me to watch her ears, which didn’t make sense at first, but sure enough, her ears would signal which way she was going to turn and I could shift my weight to stay balanced. It was terrifying and so much fun! I definitely need more practice – my instinct was to grab at the saddle horn. Rosie was awesome… I think I was more exhausted than she was!

Rosie & I
Rosie & I

Riding With The Gang

Anna Blankenheim Equestrian ,

Last weekend my riding “lesson” was actually a ride around Lake Tabeaud with FOURTEEN other horses. Below is a picture of most of the gang as we rode up a little embankment to “pose”. I’m the 4th horse from the left (wearing the blue helmet). Not the greatest picture, but it was on my trainer’s cell phone. That’s a good looking bunch of horses!

Riding Group
Riding Group

I rode Cinch again this time and he was an entirely different horse with this many other horses around! Instead of having to fight with him to even move forward, I had to fight with him to keep him from going! Apparently he picked up on the energy of the group (we had several nervous horses who were practicing being around others) and decided he wanted to put some pep in his step!

It was such a beautiful day and I had so much fun riding with other people! It was really cool to see all the different types of horses and their temperaments. I think I’m zeroing in on what I want in my own horse!

Arena Work

Anna Blankenheim Equestrian , , , , ,

Last week’s riding lesson was amazing. I’m so glad I grew some patience (seriously a big accomplishment for me) and am taking the time to do this right. Horses are way more work than I thought, but I’m absolutely loving every minute of it. I’m also learning a lot about what I like and dislike in a horse.

This time around I was honored to ride Indy, a beautiful 14.2 hand Quarter Horse. I am really leaning towards the Quarter Horse for my own horse, especially one that’s a little bit smaller. I’ve always thought I wanted a really big horse, but have found the less barrel-chested ones to be more comfortable for my long model legs (for those of you who don’t know me, I’m 5’2″ if I’m standing really tall… clearly I’m not all legs).

I did some arena work this time, which was very different from riding on the trail. The focus was working on my gait changes and getting me comfortable with my position on the horse. Muscle memory, if you will. Miss Indy is a bit of a prima donna and definitely tested me throughout the ride. I was having the time of my life trying to anticipate when she would take the moment to try to slow down or, most of the time, speed up – that girl loves to run!

It was a great lesson! I also wore my new gear – the gloves Mike gave me for Christmas and the helmet that Kati & Nate bought me. 🙂 Safety first!

Riding Helmet & Gloves
Riding Helmet & Gloves

Second Riding Lesson

Anna Blankenheim Equestrian , ,

I had my second riding lesson last weekend and I’m officially obsessed. This time I rode Cinch, a 9-year-old, 15 hand, bay quarter horse. He was a little bit smaller than the horse I rode in my first lesson, but had a little more spunk. He definitely challenged me for the whole ride… and I loved it. I’ve realized that with riding it’s one of the few things that my mind doesn’t wander… for the whole 2 hours I was there I thought of nothing but connecting with the horse. I’m seriously becoming one of those horse crazy girls!

My next lesson should be in the arena… I’ll be riding a couple of different horses and working on the difference paces. I can’t wait!!!

First Riding Lesson

Anna Blankenheim Equestrian, Family , , ,

Yesterday I took the first real step in my journey towards fulfilling my lifelong dream of owning a horse. I took my first riding lesson. During my marathon training I ran past Oak Hill Stables every long run and always thought it was a beautiful place. Yesterday morning mom and I headed out to talk to the owner about boarding and training. I love the owner’s philosophy – it’s all about being in tune with the horse and making sure that horse and rider are well matched. I’m starting off with lessons – each time I’ll ride a different horse so that I can start to get a feel for what I like or don’t like in a horse.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of riding Nike, a 16 hand Appaloosa. The measurement of a horses height is in hands with 1 hand = 4 inches. You measure from hoof to withers (basically the shoulder). That means Nike was 5’4″ tall, which is a big boy. Appaloosas are known for their very smooth gait, and let me tell you, this one was wonderful. He was smooth and easy to ride.

Me on Nike
Me on Nike

Mom got to ride a pretty little horse named Missy. We both had the best time – the lesson lasted two hours! We were shown how to saddle the horses, then we trailered them and drove to nearby Lake Tabeaud. We rode the whole three-mile loop around the lake and Dana (my trainer) taught me a bunch of the basics. When we were done we took them back to the ranch, unsaddled them, brushed them, and turned them out to the pasture.

By the time we were done, I was utterly exhausted from the excitement of it all. I honestly feel like this is something I was meant to do… I can’t even begin to explain how right it feels for me to be on a horse. I can’t wait to continue my learning experience and to then find the horse that is a perfect fit for me. I loved brushing Nike after we were done (his head got all droopy and he looked sleepy) and can’t wait to have my own horse to bond with. I’m so happy my mom came out to ride with me… I had such a wonderful time spending the day with her and sharing this milestone!

I can’t wait for next week’s lesson!!!