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Wentworth Hunter Pace - June 6, 2021

After Margaret and I had such a fun time at the fall hunter pace, we opted to go again this spring! This time, while I rode Rejoice again, Margaret rode her horse Jester and had a friend ride Ladyhawke. All Kennebec Morgans!! Jester and Rejoice have the same dam and Jester and Lady share the same sire. Unfortunately instead of a lovely late spring day, we had one of the first intensely hot and humid days of the year. It was definitely a bummer, but the ride was mostly in the shade of the woods and we had a great time!  most of the fences were 3' coops but we found a small log and this hay to jump haha Until we didn't. 😑 We brought along a third friend who rode Margaret's older mare, Ladyhawke. She's a good rider but hasn't known Ladyhawke for very long and didn't realize how much of a cranky boss mare she could be at times. She kicked Jester right in the front leg just about halfway through the ride, and while the cut itself ended up not being a big deal in the

Spring Updates

It is amazing how warm weather and the color green can improve everything about life!  After a cold and snowy winter that seemed to last forEVER, it has been so lovely to finally enjoy spring.  Plus, with just 26 days left until we begin summer vacation (my last day of teaching is June 19! WHOO!), it is impossible to not feel positive and excited!

I did not take a lesson on Saturday last weekend because of the show on Sunday, not because I didn't WANT to, but because balancing being a mother and wife takes precedent!  ;-)  I try to be cognizant of the fact that my husband and kids like having me around, ya know, most of the time haha.  Once I am on summer break, I will probably move my lessons to a weekday morning.
Ahhhh spring
Though Ellie is happily going in the Neue Schule lozenge eggbutt at the moment, I am not thoroughly convinced she likes the movement of the double joint or even a single joint (the magic chestnut mare single joint bit - it was Sparky's - didn't seem to be a good match either after a few rides).  I have written about our adventures in bitting here, here, and here.  But she HATES the eggbutt mullen mouth I already own, so I did some research into Mylers.  I filled out the questionnaire on their website and received an email from Dale Myler, who recommended a 36 "forward tilt" mouthpiece.  

I scoured the interwebz to find a used one, and in the end decided to do the bit rental from Big Dee's.  Although their bit rental program is a generous 14 days, I knew after one ride it wasn't going to work.  Ellie curled like crazy and really didn't ever fully accept contact in the bit.  I think it was just too much bit for her, though I thought she would have liked the generous tongue relief.  So back it went to Big Dee's.  I think she might like the comfort snaffle, which is still a similar bit just without the port.  I don't know if I should give it a try or not.  It is hard to tell if she just needs to chill out about a bit in general (because she still chewed at the Myler, it just didn't clank like the jointed bits) or if I just haven't found the right bit for her mouth.  So right now I am just being patient with her.


There is even green stuff on the horse haha!
And that big black thing in the upper right?
IT'S A BLACK FLY.
They are as big as birds here in Maine hahaha!
The "ring" is finally dried out enough that I had my husband drag it this week, and while the middle is still a little deep/wet, overall it is pretty decent.  We also got a load of gravel for the gate area, which is ridiculously muddy and gross each spring.  This 10 acre lot isn't what I would have chosen to build our farm and create horse areas/pastures, BUT as my husband bought it long before I came along haha, I cannot really complain.  So we have just made the effort to make improvements within our budget each year.

I also want to say a public THANK YOU to Alanna, as I won her Roeckl glove giveaway.  I need to write up a little review at some point!  They are super cute and not a color I would normally purchase, so it is fun to have something new and a bit out of my normal.




The gloves are dark but in the sunshine they match Ellie's bonnet
Also, I have started the slow process of introducing the horses to grass.  I am probably completely ridiculous about this, but I like to go slowly and avoid any belly upsets.  In all my years of owning horses and introducing them to grass, knock on wood I have had no issues.  I am being especially mindful of Ellie, who as a Morgan is going to be prone to laminitis.  We started this week with 30 minute sessions.  And so far, both mares are allowing me to catch them after that short amount of buffet time haha.

Comments

  1. Yay, I'm so excited that spring had finally sprung for you guys! 😀

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  2. That is a nightmare inducing black fly. Sunshine and green grass really do improve things all around.

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  3. I love when spring comes in - even with the bugs. I'm like you- I am very slow introducing them to pasture. I figure that ti's better to go slow since getting it wrong can be pretty catastrophic.

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    1. Oh yes, loving spring even with the bugs! And I have had people tease me about my slow grass introductions, but I too would much rather be safe than sorry! Sparky foundered one fall and the vet and I couldn't figure out why she had; it was scary enough to have randomly happened, never mind had I caused it by spring grass.

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  4. Ah bitting adventures! If she’s seeking stability, a full cheek may be a good experiment. Also I think Big Ds does a Sprenger trial too. You could have knocked me over when my fussy mouthed horse loved the Novocontact single joint eggbutt. He also went decent in the Sprenger KK full cheek. I have a bunch of full cheeks and bauchers you’d be more than welcome to try but I’m betting Duke’s mouth is a wee bit bigger than Ellie’s 😉

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    1. Yep, definitely thought about a full cheek, but surprisingly there isn't one in my overfull bit box! She measures for a 5.25" in most bits (though fit a 5" in the Myler as I am told they run large). I would welcome anything you would be willing to send my way to test out if it is the right size!! I remember you talking about the novocontact, so I am thinking I should give that a shot too through a trial.

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    2. I have at least one full cheek that is a 5.25". I will check them tomorrow and let you know for sure if I have any others. :)

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  5. Black flies are out. Fortunately we often have a breeze to carry the away

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  6. So glad spring has arrived in Maine! I totally agree that seeing green makes everyone's mood better!

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    1. It has taken FOREVER, but it was worth the wait! :-)

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  7. Spring greens DO make the world a better place. I find myself just at a loss for words at the beauty around me since the leaves have begun to pop. Love, love, love this time of year!

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  8. I'm a big fan of full cheek on young horses. (and I dunno I think the look is very classic) Your gloves look really beautiful and soft.

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    1. I surprisingly do not have any full cheeks in my stash, so thankfully Amy is sending me two today to try out! And I definitely give the gloves two thumbs up!

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