19Dec 2013 by myexracer

Night and day

Life with Circe, Life with Jezebel, Training
[caption id="attachment_575" align="alignleft" width="300"] Getting ready to throw her shoulder out![/caption] Finally the weather was such that my trainer could come out and work with the girls. Hazer! Jezebel was up first and started off good and got progressively worse. She was determined to not hold her body straight when asked. Throwing a shoulder out and occasionally throwing it in. Anything to not go straight. It was a struggle. Shes much better with consistent work and i think she just had too much time off because of the weather and she was being pissy about working at all. Michelle is much more stubborn then my wild mare and in her persistent, patient way kept asking IE telling Jez to do as she was told this pissed the wild one off…
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10Dec 2013 by myexracer

Snow Ponies

Barn tales, Life with Circe, Life with Jezebel
[caption id="attachment_527" align="alignleft" width="225"] Jezebel and Michelle In the snow![/caption] It doesn't snow a lot out here but it does snow. Certainly more then my Southern California born and raised self is used to. This is also the first winter I've had horses out here when I don't have an indoor ring to ride in. Lets just say I've invested in some better cold weather horse gear and clothes. Blizzard boots, under armor, a awesome cold weather jack from REI (on sale.. score!) and for the ponies, quarter sheets and warmer blankets. We are as prepared as we can be this year. For the last few days we've had some on and off again snow. Sunday is our regular day with our trainer she usually rides both girls and teaches…
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29Nov 2013 by myexracer

The Girls

Life with Circe, Life with Jezebel, OTTB, Training
Things are going well. Having two horses two ride is a big adjustment from having one, then two broken horses to rehab and not ride. My trainer Michelle comes out twice a week, Sundays and Wednesdays. On Wednesdays its just Jezebel. On Sunday she works with both horses. Jezebel is improving a lot and my trainer (who is just about the best thing since slice bread) does great with her. We have my 7 month stall rested horse working like a champ. She's happy enough to work. She likes to throw her shoulder out and had trouble with the left lead canter. Both are improving with each session. Last session Jezebel picked up the left leap canter first try... Twice! Shes totally getting it. When I ride her she is…
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12Nov 2013 by myexracer

Plans are meant to be broken

Life with Jezebel, OTTB
[caption id="attachment_502" align="alignleft" width="225"] Ready![/caption] It was windy and cold, not crazy windy and not super cold but windy and cold enough. I decided since i had ridden Circe the day before that it was Jezebels turn under saddle. Her trainer is on vacation so its just us for a couple weeks. Both girls came over to me in the field and they both got their field treats, I should have known i was in for a day when Jez decide that she wasn't putting her head in the halter. I told her in Spanish "mirar" (pronounced Me-da) and pointed to the halter. I've taken to talking to her in Spanish some, she knows commands in it and she's really good for my stable manager Rolando who talks to her…
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15Oct 2012 by myexracer

Let The Games Begin

Barn tales, Life with Jezebel, OTTB
[caption id="attachment_303" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Red=Kicker Pink=Awesome"][/caption] The horse farm where my pretty pony lives is a boarders only barn. This means that there are no school horses, lessons don't have the right away and every one has equal access to the facilities. Most people are pleasure riders, with a few eventers, a few judge trail riders and a couple of show jumpers thrown in for good measure. It's a pretty good group of laid back friendly people. My farm puts on a games day once in a while. Which is basically a judged obstacle course. It was open to the whole barn and about 15 of us decided to participate. It was to take place in the our door arena (weather permitting) and there were to be 20 obstacles to…
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08Aug 2012 by myexracer

Rise and fall with the outside wall

Life with Jezebel, OTTB, Training
[caption id="attachment_266" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Work you say "][/caption] It's been 2 days now of serious ridding for me and Jezebel. Lots of rising trot and many, many circles. The Barn has been very quiet in the afternoons and I've been taking advantage of it and getting down to actual work. Jezebel is doing amazingly well for a horse that has had limited time under saddle. She's listening to me, trying to understand what I'm asking of her and keeping her cool though she is not foot sure all the time and trips a little more then I would like. I couldn't really ask for more then that from her. She wants to work and shes a much happier horse right now im sure because were working. As for me? I…
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03Aug 2012 by myexracer

Whos horse is this?

Life with Jezebel, OTTB, Training
[caption id="attachment_256" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="The girls"][/caption] The rain rot is getting better and it doesn't hurt to touch her in her ichy spots so I started to work her again. It's Africa hot these days so "working" my horse consists of 20 minutes of lunging and yet another attempt to get my girl comfortable in the was stall (which is super scary it appears) I get my girl all ready with her cavason and lunge line, gloves on and we go into the indoor ring for some up down transitions. To my utter delight she does everything I ask. Walk, trot, halt, trot, walk, trot, halt, walk. I try to mix it up and she gets it. Shes always been shaky on  "walk" confusing it with "halt" but on this…
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31Jul 2012 by myexracer

Hissy Fit

Life with Jezebel, OTTB
[caption id="attachment_250" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Hanging out in my box "][/caption] She's got rain rot, or rain scald or whatever you want to call it. I'm going with rain rot because its rotten to deal with. She's not the only one in my barn with it there are several. This weather isn't making it easy to deal with. The patches on her back and hips are clearing up with my betadine and MTG 1 hour long every single day with out waver treatment. The rain rot on her legs is slow going. My girl hates and I mean hates it when you have to fuss with her back legs, its always a struggle between scraping off the rain rot scabs as quickly and efficiently as i can before she gets too…
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26Jun 2012 by myexracer

Everyday another ding

Life with Jezebel, OTTB, Saddles and tack
[caption id="attachment_235" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Say cheese..err clay"][/caption] A saddle may soon be in my future. I have an appointment next weekend with Dover to come on down to my barn and try saddles on my pretty filly. I have very high hopes that this will be it, that I will get a good fitting saddle and actually begin to ride my horse. These last couple months of ground work and a few injuries have bonded me and my girl, she tests me less and less and behaves more and more. But it will be nice to actually start her under saddle properly.  Now don't get me wrong, Jezebel is chocked full of personality and I like that about her, she's also headstrong and very curious. Also qualities I really like…
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11Jun 2012 by myexracer

Its hot!

Life with Jezebel, OTTB
[caption id="attachment_213" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="No, I will not pose for photos..is that a carrot!? "][/caption] This east coast weather thing is crazy. I come from southern California I'm used to hot, I can handle hot. I am however having trouble with this humidity thing. Egads this isn't hot, this is torture! It's hot enough that the horses are in during the day and out at night now. My filly has her fan so I'm hoping that helps to keep her cool. Our 20 minute lunge routine has been cut in half because its too damn hot to work her hard. I'm not sure how I'm going to get her in shape with only 10 minutes a day of serious work. Sometimes its hard for me to believe she actually was…
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