Violet's Suppleness and Sidepasses

Here is a February 2008 photo of Hailee and Violet as they were getting to know each other.  Hailee, of course, was getting ready to be a mother and little Nitro was growing inside!  Anyway, I am writing this entry on May 10th, 2011, and last night I had a riding lesson with Violet that was so fun.  I've been working hard on trying to give her massages, stretches, accupressure, and lots more lateral work.  And I won't say we are perfect, but I will say this -- Stacey asked us to stand facing a wall and practice sidepassing, and Violet was happy to step sideways without rushing and with great care to cross over herself evenly in front and back in both directions.  I was so proud of her -- so very very proud!!  She is trying to become a supple giving and loving mare!  She is really pulling her weight form Team Tenderness!

Happy Birthday, Violet!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are photos taken on March 7, 2008, a single day before Violet's birthday while Hailee was busy making Renny.  I still can't believe that they only had indoor dirt turnout for an hour a day.  But they sure had a happy life together then.  Violet was so happy to have a pal!  Now, Violet is friends with a new pasturemate, Molly, and she's enjoying pulling carts, jumping, and participating in the very busy life at St. George!

Spring Break Kiss

Here is a photo taken March 3, 2008 when we were at Breezy Acres down the road.  Violet was so happy to have befriended Hailee and Hailee was busy making Renny who you can see in this photo taking up space!! 

Anyway, I am writing this entry almost exactly 3 years later than this photo because I had a wonderful week of riding this week, February 28th through March 3rd so far.  Renny went quietly over his first higher stepping cavaletti.  Violet got to go out regularly after many weeks stall rest, so she was in a wonderful mood and didn't mind trotting big, cantering lightly, going by the gates like they didn't matter, and jumping a course with lots of turns, different-strided combinations and an odd oxer.  She was just Miss Thing about it all.  And I even got to jump a little higher this week.  I am really loving riding because every day it is something new and I truly mean something new and different. 

Violet Saves the Day!

This weekend, while we were jumping, Violet and I had our first near mishap! I was feeling all nervous about her enthusiasm, energy and speed, so I was really holding her and bearing down on her as she approached the jumps.  And there's this one jump she just wants to take at top speed.  So, I accidently held her while we were going over and she tripped.  Her head went down as she tried to recover and I fell forward hard.  I couldn't quite grip her neck and I was slipping to the left and all confused. When Baker gave a shout to sit up! And so then Violet and I both popped up like we had strings attached to ourselves.  And she bounded across the arena all girlish and confused.  And I didn't fall off!!!  It was amazing.  I know I will fall off, but I was happy to learn two things from this near fall.  First, I really need to get comfortable with Violet's style and strengthen my seat for her enthuasiastic big jumps.  Second, my seat isn't as bad as I pretend!  My upper body fell forward, but my seat was pretty strongly attached to my girl.  I was able to recover from a trip and bounding leaps!  Yay me, yay Violet and yay Team Tenderness!