Check Out Murphy - He'll Be 30 In April!

I still haven't gotten to put my warm up research to work. We headed for the barn the day after my warm up post (yesterday) and the roads were so icy when we got a few miles inland that we had to return home. The afternoon was spent sipping red wine, by the fire with my Mother (who's a sweet heart) and reading. Not a bad day at all.

I want to thank those of you who took the time to comment on my warm up post. For anyone who's interested in the topic of warm ups, they're well worth reading. I learned from reading them that's its fine to try canter after walk - the blood need to oxygenate for the horse to [feel like] work and for some horses this may happen more effectively in canter. Many of you shared your experience and it's very helpful! You can't get this real life experience out of a book. I'll let you know soon how it goes. 

Today the BO had planned a borders' free jumping session in the morning, followed by a potluck. So, no riding, just free jumping. 

Here's a short video of the sweetest horse, Murphy, free jumping. He'll be thirty on April 5. 

He's amazing! His owner Karen still rides him several times a week, w,t,c and they also do some jumping and hacking out. I was there a few weeks ago and she was going for her second ride of the day on him (it was early evening and she'd ridden in the morning), and he was more forward than my five year old! He taught my step daughter to canter last winter, and I'm sure he's taught legions. He's been known to be so frisky when Karen's riding in the field that she'll get her friend Elaine to take the edge off for her. How cool is that? Everybody loves him and is so impressed with him. Karen doesn't ride him hard of course, but she has lots of fun with him and he's pretty low maintenance.

I could have ridden after free jumping, but Rogo is learning to really like it and I wanted him to enjoy the indoor. It would be so easy for him to get sour on it.

Savanah was a star in her free jump session - people remark that she is very  agile for such a big horse (a draft cross). She was being used to give jumping lessons when Doug bought her. She tucks her knees up and sails over the jump.

Dan bucked and kicked out a dew times when circling and after clearing the jump successfully a couple of times he knocked it over. Cheryl (the BO and one of my teachers) wasn't at all impressed with his behavior, but he isn't being worked and hadn't been turned out. I didn't find it all that bad under the circumstances (maybe I've learned to trust him more), but I'm going to have to find time to work with him more often. I think I've found someone who may ride him once a week, so that will motivate me to work with him. I know I planned it in the past, but it isn't easy. He's really a good horse and very cute (palomino Appaloosa in sidebar), just not right for my dressage horse.

Tomorrow, my new warm up gets debuted. Stay tuned.