March Re-Cap/April Goals + Kanye's First Ride!!!

March Re-Cap

Gatsby

• Be ready to schedule a check-up with the vet in April to get the OK to start cantering.                         Success! Our vet is coming out next week for Spring vacs and to re-check Gatsby's tendon. He has been feeling great recently so I am hoping for a thumbs up to canter!
• Continue to work on relaxation and stretching.                                                                                    We actually ended up working a lot more on serious dressage work, which has been going great. And, as an added plus, when he works his tush off doing dressage, he actually WANTS to relax and stretch after!!
• Continue to work on straightness and strength-building.                                                                       Yep! Lots of this! He is super fit and actually in some ways feels a lot stronger than he did prior to the injury.
• Stay happy and healthy!                                                                                                                      Definite yes! Even though March got a little hectic leading up to taxes at work, I was still able to ride fairly consistently. Also, a friend of mine was able to start riding him a couple days a week which is AWESOME! Gatsby loves the extra attention!!

Kanye

• Get that faux-ssoa on!                                                                                                                        Starting to think this may never happen....
• Get an under saddle ride in!                                                                                                                This totally happened and it was AMAZING!!! I am super late to blog about it and it definitely deserves it's own post (very soon!) but I will just say that I cannot imagine a better baby.

April Goals

Gatsby

• Start cantering!!
• Start more work outside the arena...hacks down the road, around the track, etc.
• Maybe go to a local schooling dressage show if the canter gets ok'd
• Stay happy and healthy!                                                                                                                      

Kanye

• Get a couple more rides in before I leave for England.
• Do some work on ground manners, he is pretty good but could be better.

Viva Carlos Blog Hop: What's In Your Bucket/Smartpak?

What supplements and feeds does your horse vaccuum down everyday?

Gatsby
2 flakes of alfafa in the morning (has to be separated from his gf or else she will eat it all)
2 flakes of grass in the evening                                                                                                                     Rice bran and beet pulp (don't know exact weights, sorry! It is a ton though because he is a super                 hard keeper)
In SmartPak: Cosequin ASU & SmartDigest Ultra (total = $94.40, definitely pricey but I really       like both supplements for him)

Kanye
Alfalfa morning and evening (exact amount varies depending on who feeds him and how big the                     flakes are, just know that he gets plenty)                                                                                                       Purina Senior with Amplify (all of our pasture horses get this and it is pretty great)                                         In SmartPak: SmartVite Thrive Pellets (total = $19.95)

I've never been a whiz at feed or supplements but I have tried a few things with Gatsby and what he is doing currently seems to be working the best so far, especially in terms of keeping weight on. He has always had a really nice coat; his feet were not-so-great when I got him but have been good for a while, needs shoes all around though. Kanye seems to be doing well with his current program also except for his feet; not sure if it is the supplements or the shoeing schedule but something is not quite right. I am going to start with adding a hoof supplement but may start front shoes soon if that doesn't help (he is barefoot all around right now)

Happy Birthday!

A day late but I obviously needed to wish a blogging birthday to my main man, Gatsby of course! Knucklehead turned 17 yesterday!!! Most people still guess he is under 10 which seems like a pretty good sign.

Monday I got in a wonderful dressage ride after work; it's so nice to be able to spend more time at the barn now. A friend of mine is going to start riding him a couple days a week to help pick up the slack a bit. She is also going to be riding him when I am in England.

Headed out tonight for another ride and then sadly no more this week as I am headed to Big Bear for the weekend.

February Wrap-Up/March Goals

Ack! How did it already get to be mid-March and I haven't done this yet?!?!?!

February Wrap-Up

Gatsby

• Be ready to move up to 30 minutes of trot-work by the end of the month.                                            Fail. We are currently at 25 minutes/week. Things are definitely going much slower than planned but I think that has only helped the healing process so I am not complaining! Gatsby feels stronger than ever.
• Work on relaxation/stretching at the walk and trot. Really get that back swinging.                                  Success! We've been working on lots of stretching and really using his back and he has been doing great! I can't wait to see what effect this has on him once he's back in full work.
• Straightness! This is a great time to get us on track in this area while we don't have much else to focus on.                                                                                                                                                     Success! This can be a little bit difficult depending on his mood but it is definitely something we have worked on every ride which is success in my book:)

Kanye

• Actually ground-drive!
• Lunge in the faux-ssoa at least once!
• Maybe try some more pony rides or...one or two short actual rides?!?!                                               February was another failed month as far as completing the goals I set out for us. I did take him out to ground-drive once and it was apparent that his ground manners had deteriorated a bit so we have been working on that. Luckily he is a quick learner and I feel like we can try ground driving this month. He also "learned" to graze which was pretty exciting!

March Goals

Gatsby

• Be ready to schedule a check-up with the vet in April to get the OK to start cantering.
• Continue to work on relaxation and stretching.
• Continue to work on straightness and strength-building.
• Stay happy and healthy!

Kanye

• Get that faux-ssoa on!
• Get on under saddle ride in!

I am super excited about daylight savings and all the extra time it gives me to spend with my boys! I have plenty of time after work now to work with each of them!! I plan on splitting my evenings with them, probably 3 week Gatsby and 1 or 2 with Kanye, depending on how he is doing learning-wise.

Viva Carlos Blog Hop: What's In Your Name?

Thank you L for hosting another blog hop!

What is the story behind your blogname/url?

My blog story isn't very exciting unfortunately. I was introduced to horse blogs by Nicku at The Polka Dot Periodical and stalked a few blogs for probably a few years before deciding to try one out myself. After I moved to Berkeley in 2010 I felt pretty lonely and decided it would be a good time to start building a larger community of horse friends and also to chronicle my journey with Gatsby.

I didn't really think much about my blog name, I wanted something sort of clever and horse-related and, as cross country has always been my favorite phase, Out of the Box just jumped out at me. I like the name because I feel like nothing about my journey with Gatsby has been routine, I bought him as a crazy OTTB when I should have been looking for something much more mellow and with much more experience and our journey together has had ups, downs and jumps all over the place as we've tried to figure out what works for us.

Sloth Undone

After my seven deadly sins post last week I felt pretty bad about my Sloth list. Luckily we had some amazing weather this weekend and I didn't have much in the way of plans so I was able to tackle some of my items.

Saturday was about a bazillion degrees and I was running late. I contemplated having a slightly short ride but when I brought Gatsby down the barn and saw how horribly dirty he was I opted for a bath instead. I think he enjoyed the extra on-the-ground attention and he definitely looked way better afterwards, definitely need to up my grooming routine though as he has developed some icky fungus recently on his belly and near his stifles.

Gatsby would never stand this nicely for a bath.

Sunday was fantastic because I literally had nothing else planned so I was able to spend from 11:30am to 3pm at the barn guilt-free. Brought Gatsby down and gave him a thorough grooming, lots and lots of currying to get that winter coat out! He was clearly feeling a bit fresh so I threw the draw reins on and I am oh so glad I did, he practically exploded in our first trot set, complete with canter piaffe, sideways bucking, etc. Luckily he calmed down after the first 5-minute set and I was able to get some really nice dressage work in without using the draw reins much. I was even able to do one whole sit sitting and I had a feeling we looked pretty fancy! Gatsby got hosed down and ice booted afterwards while I cleaned my tack for probably the first time since October (possibly longer).

Got back in my car to head home and realized that my new BoT gear had arrived and I had totally forgotten about it! Oh well, I will break that out on Wednesday. My knee has been a bit ouchy so I think I will wear my knee brace tonight.

Blog Hop - 7 Deadly Sins

Yay for my first time actually participating in a blog hop! Thanks L for hosting:)

Pride
Seven great things/strengths in your riding life

1. My amazing horses.
2. Supportive family who encourages me to continue pursuing what I love.
3. Ability to afford to keep Gatsby and Kanye (even if it doesn't always seem practical).
4. Wonderful barn where I know Gatsby gets the best of care.
5. Stubborn attitude which has allowed Gatsby and I to get to where we are today.
6. Enthusiasm to always keep learning and trying.
7. Great group of friends to share horse life with (barn and online).

Envy

Seven things you lack or covet for you or your horse

1. Truck and trailer so we can go places and do things.
2. New saddles, dressage and jumping.
3. More $$$ to pay for lessons and shows.
4. New tack that isn't saddles.
5. Nice schooling attire.
6. Fancy navy dressage coat with velvet collar.
7. Enough funds to not have to hold back on any medical/preventative treatments.

Wrath

Seven things that make you angry

1. People who don't understand the relationship riders have with their horses; they are more than just pets!
2. People who don't understand how difficult riding actually is.
3. People who "borrow" other peoples tack, grooming supplies, feed, etc. and never return/repay it.
4. When I get overly frustrated and end up riding terribly and making things worse.
5. People who don't appreciate how amazingly lucky they are to be able to afford to ride, in whatever capacity they can.
6. People who don't give their horses enough love and treat them more like sporting equipment.
7. People who don't wear helmets. I just don't get it, why take that risk?!?! (Even more so when they have already had multiple concussions.)

Sloth

Seven things you neglect to do or cut corners on

1. Cleaning my tack.
2. Grooming well.
3. Pulling mane.
4. Riding as often as I should (sometimes).
5. Sheath cleaning - not as often as I should.
6. Organizing/keeping my trunk organized.
7. Working with Kanye as much as I should.

Greed

Seven most expensive things you own for your horse/riding

1. Gatsby.
2. Board/lessons/shows over the years.
3. Custom Stubben jump saddle.
4. Kniedersuiss dressage saddle.
5. Mountain Horse Field boots.
6. Ariat Dress boots.
7. Tack trunk.

Gluttony

Seven guilty pleasures or favorite items

1. Mountain horse boots.
2. Purchasing Kanye.
3. Gatsby's board/supplements/etc.
4. Stubben dressage bridle.
5. Royal blue everything.
6. Tack of the Day or Bit of Britain sales.
7. Spending a few extra minutes at the barn and being late to work.

Lust

Seven things you love about horses and riding

1. The smell of the barn.
2. Hugging my horses.
3. The feeling of accomplishment when I have a really good ride.
4. The exhilaration of going cross-country.
5. The amazing bond I have with Gatsby and am forming with Kanye.
6. The work ethic, focus, motivation, drive that riding has taught me over the years.
7. Everything else.

It's Been A While

Sorry about the lack of blogging updates guys. Gatsby, Kanye and I have not been up to much and I couldn't really think of anything to write about. I am very excited that daylight savings starts this weekend and I will have much more time to go riding! Expect better updates soon:)

On a non-horse related note, (those of you who are friends with me on Facebook and/or follow me on Instagram already know this) I have been accepted to a volunteer program at an orphanage in Kenya for 3 weeks this September!!! It was a sort of impromptu decision but it is something I have always wanted to do and I couldn't be more excited. Unfortunately saving for that trip means cutting back on lessons/showing but I am ok with that. As much as I want to compete Gatsby again there are also a million non-horse related adventures that I don't want to miss out on. In a perfect world I will be able to make time and money to do both but I have decided that either way my experiences will be fantastic so I really have nothing to fret about!!!

xoxo,
Elena

Dressagin'

I had some really wonderful dressage rides with Gatsby last weekend. I have only been able to ride on weekends lately which has been a major bummer but when our rides are great I don't mind so much:)

Saturday he went straight into a stretchy trot after our walk work which completely surprised me, he NEVER does that! We did two sets of stretching trot and then some light dressage work. He had one nutso moment when the golf cart came by but over all really well-behaved. Even stood quietly while I chatted with a friend! Super pony!!!

Sunday was even better. We did our walk work and a bit of stretching and went straight to work. At first he was a bit resistant to working and spooking at every little thing so I had to put my big girl pants on and make him work. He is a very funny horse to ride because 50% of the time I need to give him a very sensitive ride or else he gets all flustered and won't do anything I ask but then the other 50% of the time he responds really well to a more forceful ride. Sunday was definitely the latter. I decided to throw my position to the dogs and just get him to do some nice work. I had my outside hand low and to the side and my inside elevated and slightly across his neck and some serious LEG ON! And what do you know, he responded amazingly! We ended our ride with some, if not the best trot work I have ever done on him!!!! He definitely seems to be coming back from his injury stronger which is super exciting.

After that hard workout he got some liniment rubs and ice boots and lots of treats and kisses.

It is scheduled to rain this weekend so my plan was to ride Tues/Weds in the morning but I somehow tweaked my neck and now cannot turn my head to the right so I figured probably safest not to ride. Hoping it stays dry for at least long enough for me to do some hacks this weekend.

Long Weekend Love

Long weekends are my favorite (along with everyone else, I'm sure). This past one did not disappoint!

George surprised me at work for lunch on Friday (Valentine's Day) with chocolate covered strawberries, flowers, and a lunch date at our favorite restaurant. I had a pretty hectic week so we spent the evening in with take-out Thai food and the Olympics, pretty much heaven to me!

Saturday I slept in a bit, did some laundry and headed out to the barn (finally!). Gatsby was, as expected, a total nutcase and had already worked himself into a sweat before I even tacked up. I threw on some draw reins for good measure and hopped on. I am not someone who loves using "devices" on a regular basis but they do serve their purpose and at times can be very helpful. Lately I have been using the draw reins fairly often to try and get Gats to work over his back more (very difficult when he is so amped) and to start to rebuild his topline. They are immensely helpful in getting him to actually do some productive work on days like Saturday when he would have liked to be absolutely crazy. He still has his moments but overall, much more contained. My favorite thing about using them is that it is the only time I can actually get him to have a really nice free walk, something that is very difficult for him to comprehend.

We want this!

Saturday night was spent catching up on some TV shows, folding laundry and finishing up the second book in the Ender's Games series, Speaker for the Dead (highly recommend). Another perfect evening in.

Sunday we took Sirius to the dog beach where he had the absolute best time. There were tons of people and dogs out and I always enjoy seeing all the different breeds. He is still not so sure about the ocean but absolutely loves running around and making friends. Headed to the barn afterwards, Gatsby was pretty tired from the heat and his big workout on Saturday. I tried out a friends custom dressage saddle, super comfy to sit in but not so much for actual riding. Made it through our trot sets, gave Gatsby a mini-bath, iced and headed home.

About as far in the water as Sirius will willingly get.

Was planning on riding again yesterday but his leg has been looking so good with the extra time off that I didn't want to push it with three rides in a row. I went to Bikram Yoga and lunch with some friends instead, walked Sirius and played with Kanye a bit. Gotta admit, I have some awesome animals.

This morning I was going to wake up early and ride but between the new saddle, Bikram and sleeping funny I seem to have seriously tweaked my left hip/sacrum and have been limping around all day. Heading home for some ice and netflix and crossing my fingers it will be better tomorrow. Gatsby gets another day off but I think I might wake up early and do something with baby Kanye.

Missing My Pony

I have not seen Gatsby in almost two weeks:( This is ultra depressing because I have actually been home the entire time. But between getting sick (multiple times) and having to come in to work early/stay late, I just haven't been able to get out there. I feel pretty guilty about it but I am trying to focus on all the attention I will be giving him over this three day weekend! (Which I refuse to work on even though I know my boss will ask).

Also, Tack of the Day had a great sale on BoT today so, after reading Hillary and L's reviews I jumped on the chance to get some steals. I purchased a dressage pad and polos but am seriously considering the hock books and back brace (human) also.

Big News!!

Not horse related but I have some very big news to share with you all.

I have just officially given notice at my job. This was a difficult decision for me because their are many aspects of my job that I really enjoy but, overall, it is not what I want a career in and therefore, not the right fit for me. I have decided to go back to school to get a Master's in Marketing (ahem, any advice would be welcome Nicku) which is a field I have been interested in since I graduated from UCSB.

For the immediate future, my plans are to stay at my current job until the end of April, spend May in the UK spectating at Badminton, looking at a couple schools, interning at Rapanui Clothing and meeting my new niece or nephew. I will spend the first half of June traveling with George before coming home to plan out my next steps but they will either involve doing some temp work or finding an entry-level Marketing position in SB.

The downside of this is that is six weeks that I will be away from the ponies. That is definitely going to be difficult but I think it is important to pursue all of my passions/interests. I'm sure they will still love me when I return.

xoxo, Elena

January Re-Cap/February Goals

Well I really bit off more than I could chew with my January goals. Between work and getting sick I definitely didn't fit in as much as I had hoped I would. Fingers crossed February works out better but also sticking to fewer, and simpler, goals.

January Re-Cap

Gatsby

• Successfully move up to 20 minutes of trot-work by the end of the month.
• Sort of success. This did happen but it was officially on February 2nd...
• Start to re-develop muscles and fitness.
• This is a work in progress for sure. I have started riding him with draw reins on some of rides which is definitely helping. Right not we are not cleared for any hill-work or poles so that is definitely limiting.
• Lots of lateral work at the walk. I'd really like to improve our technique here and get everything going correctly before we start asking for it at the trot again.
• Definite success here. I alternate between using our long walks for hacks around the property and for serious dressage work. Gats seems to be responding well to both options.
• Be able to do our trot-work on the track with NO explosions.
• Don't know if this is ever going to happen. We have done our trot-work on the track a few times so far and to be fair, he hasn't been awful. Considering there are explosions even when we are in the arena I think this is a pretty big stretch.

Kanye

• Learn to ground-drive.
• FAIL.
• Start work on the lunge line with the faux-ssoa system.
• FAIL.
• Make progress on pony rides, NO BITING!
• FAIL.

Kanye really got hit with the brunt of my busy-ness over the last month. On the days I was able to make time to work with them it was usually only enough time for one so Kanye got relegated to a few hand walks and lots of treats, I don't think he minded to be honest. I did sit on him for the first time though! It was very brief and very tackless but he had a great attitude about it!

February Goals

Gatsby

• Be ready to move up to 30 minutes of trot-work by the end of the month.
• Work on relaxation/stretching at the walk and trot. Really get that back swinging!
• Straightness! This is a great time to get us on track in this area while we don't have much else to focus on.

Kanye

• Actually ground-drive!
• Lunge in the faux-ssoa at least once!
• Maybe try some more pony rides or...one or two short actual rides?!?!!?

Oh, Stomach Flu

Sorry for the slow blogging lately guys...I, along with pretty much everyone I know, has come down with an awful stomach flu the last couple weeks.

My riding schedule has been hurting from it as during the week crazy early mornings are the only time I have to ride and stomach flu doesn't really agree with that scheduling. I rode last weekend on Sunday and Gatsby was feeling great, a little too great actually. Then Monday we were bumping him up to 15 minutes of trot, broken down into 5 3-minute sets. We did two sets and then called it quits because he just didn't feel quite right. He trotted up sound on the pavement but I definitely felt something when I was riding.

My plan was to bute him Monday and Tuesday and then see how he felt for a morning ride on Wednesday. We did the buting but unfortunately I haven't been able to make it out again this week because I've been feeling bloody awful. I hate this because the same thing happened last week and I didn't get out to see him at all:(

Tonight I am going to go to bed extra early and hope that I feel well enough to sneak in a ride in the morning. I absolutely love my barn but the one (quite large) flaw is that we don't have a lighted arena, making wintertime riding very difficult.

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BADMINTON!!!!

HOLY CRAP!!! Just found out I have tickets to 3 days of BADMINTON!!!!! This is probably one of the most exciting moments of my life so I thought I should share:)

2014 Goals & January Goals

Last year I found myself sort of floundering from one poorly-made plan to the next so I thought that this year I should get back to goal making. I'd like to do annual and monthly but you will have to bear with me as I see how that goes.

2014 Goals

Gatsby

• Recover well from tendon injury and get back to full work.
• Compete in 1-2 horse trials, combined tests, etc.
• Compete in a couple local dressage shows.
• Stay happy, healthy, sound and fit.

Depending on how the remainder of his rehab goes, I'd like to shoot for a HT in April, probably at Novice since he's coming back from the injury. If that goes well I'd like to do a Training event or two sometime over the course of the season, all depends on travel, work and finances. Mostly I want him to stay healthy this year but I would love to be able to look back at this time next year and see some concrete progress being made, especially in our dressage work.

Kanye

• Be confident on the lunge line, working freely and with lunge tack.
• Develop a solid basic under saddle skills. Be able to WTC and possibly jump small courses.
• Do as many new things as possible, trail rides, new places, etc.
• Possibly compete at a very low-level at a local schooling show.

January Goals

Gatsby

• Successfully move up to 20 minutes of trot-work by the end of the month.
• Start to re-develop muscles and fitness.
• Lots of lateral work at the walk. I'd really like to improve our technique here and get everything going correctly before we start asking for it at the trot again.
• Be able to do our trot-work on the track with NO explosions.

Kanye

• Learn to ground-drive.
• Start work on the lunge line with the faux-ssoa system.
• Make progress on pony rides, NO BITING!

That's actually quite a bit for both of them so we'll have to see what actually gets done with my work schedule and all. Right now I'm looking at getting to the barn around 6:30 for my morning rides just so I can fit them in! Daylight Savings, get here faster!!!

Holidays & 2013 Recap

I hope everyone had some really nice holidays, wherever you may have been. Hubs and I had a wonderful surprise visit in England with his family. They are such warm, fun, friendly people and I always feel totally at home there. It was a very much needed relaxing week and I even got to ride a couple of times! I rode with one of George's friends from high school who show jumps. She has an adorable 16.1 ISH mare who I got to ride, she is VERY feisty, would definitely get along with Gatsby!

Back home now and getting back into the groove of things. Gatsby had his first trotwork since October yesterday and I ponied Kanye for the first time. Both went well but neither was without some hiccups...Gatsby had some explosions and Kanye kept biting the pony horse...

Now time for a year in review so I can get down to making some goals for 2014! First half of the year may be difficult as I wasn't back to blogging yet...

January

From what I recall this was a pretty cold and boring month. Wasn't yet motivated enough to do real work with Gatsby and wasn't too thrilled with my job. 

February

Went up to NorCal for Nicku's engagement party, tried on wedding dresses. Riding got put on the back burner as I rushed to prep for the big day.

Didn't go with this one.

March

Gave notice at my job, continuing crazy wedding prep, drove up to SF again to show George's brother and his girlfriend around, started my current job, enjoyed showing George's family around SB. Riding got pushed aside some more:( Did LOTS of wedding crafting.

Sister-in-law and sister-in-law-to-be

April

The big day arrived and was AMAZING! Missed out on a Debbie McDonald clinic at my barn which was probably for the best considering Gatsby had quite a few days off leading up to it. Drove up to Twin Rivers to spectate on XC day and decided I needed to get back out there. Went to one of my best friend's weddings in Carmel Valley. Couldn't afford any lessons but did TONS of dressage and started to get Gatsby and myself back in shape.

One of the best days ever.

May

Continuing working on our dressage, had a couple jumping lessons thrown in, really enjoying having some sort of goal again. George left to travel with the kids he teaches. I missed him a lot but tried to focus all of my energy on riding to keep busy. Loving my new job also which helped.

Worked on getting back to this.

June

Starting jumping more regularly. Went to Vegas for the first time since turning 21, decided it's not really my scene. Booked my flight to Europe to see George. Gatsby continued to be amazing and I loved him more and more every ride.

Vegas with my UCSB besties

July

Went to Croatia, Venice and Paris with George. My lovely friend Kim rode Gatsby for the first time in a dressage clinic and he was wonderful. Still toying with Galway in November. Decided to start blogging again!

Gatsby loves Kim!

August

Started to think about hock injections for Gatsby. Blogged a little. Went to England for my brother-in-law's wedding and an amazing Harry Potter Studio Tour. Decided against injections for Gatsby but to try Adequan instead. Drove up to NorCal for Nicku's BEAUTIFUL wedding and had a fantastic time!

How I feel at the HP Studio Tour

September

Turned 24. Got the cutest puppy ever. Sent in my entry for Fresno Horse Trials. But a ton of new crap for the show. Jumped 4'1 for the first time in a long while. Went to another wedding.

We want to do this again.

October

Prepped like crazy for the Fresno HT. Found a really cute 2 y/o at the track and considered buying him. Gatsby got injured:( I bought Baby Yeezy! Got my first blogger award. Realized I have no idea how to train a baby horse...wished myself luck. Best blogging month of the year.

New puppy. New pony.

November

Visited NYC. Started walking Gatsby under tack. Started a 5 day blogging challenge (still haven't finished it...). Celebrated Thanksgiving with my family and George's parents.

NYC is beautiful in the fall

December

Had freezing temps. Participated in an awesome blogger gift exchange. Got the go ahead to start trotting Gatsby. Celebrated Christmas on the other side of the pond with George's family.

Riding in England!

I hope 2014 is just as amazing as 2013! Can't wait to see what it has in store for us!!