Roode is doing very well! He got his highest score yet at the PSG at a show two weeks ago in Mystic. He got a 68.750% with a score of 72.750% from the judge at C. It was awesome and here's just a pic of him for a photo that was needed for The European trip I'm going on in 3 weeks!

Robert Dover

Last Weekend(May 17 and 18th) Roode and I rode as a Prix St. George Demonstration for auditors with Robert Dover. It was incredible to say the least. I've learned a lot. Roode was not super great but I'd rather him that than perfect with nothing to work on. He was basicly figity in the mouth and Robert helped with gaining that connection through leg driving aids and building Roode's confidence. He also helps with me gaining a real understanding of the quality of canter in which Roode must go! And boy, Roode was jumping. He was working harder than anything he had done in a while...we both were.

Before I even arrived to Massachusetts for the symposium, getting Roode ready to go was wild! After I gave him a bath and pulled some mane, he knew something was up and he turned into a very naughty, fire -breathing dragon. Then, he just almost couldn't contain himself once on the trailer but once moving he calmed. It was pouring rain when we arrived and finally my saddle came and we were able to get it fitted while there and it was super through the weekend. All 8 horses in the clinic were geldings and they all were very content all weekend. And it also stayed dry for the weekend and then started to rain again when leaving on Sunday. : ) and Roode was fine for the trip home...completely fine.

And then this entire week we've just continued with the same work and Roode just keeps getting better. Tomorrow, sat. and Sunday, We are having a Henk van Bergen clinic here at the farm and I am very excited..more to come. 5/24-25/'08.

Hot Stuff

Today, Roode was alright. We started work in the field and I think he was a little overwhelmed with the nice weather and working outside again. soo... he was a little had to contain and he wanted to just kind of blow through me and I had a tough time getting my half halts to really go through his body. But he got better and with all his energy, he became better with his HOT attitude. We then went into the arena to finish work with half steps and canter work. Roode did very well with the half step work. The issue there is only that he has an extreme talent for it but the rider has to be very correct. My half halts sometimes give the wrong message when I'm asking for collected walk or the passage. But, all in all he really sat down and gave a lovely passage that transitioned with the hind leg and ended nicely.

The canter work was a little frustrating. His shoulders get down hill and he stops moving his neck with the motion and the tempo can lose 3 beat. But we ended successfully. I'll add the positive...only I get frustrated when I cannot explain this problem and fix it.

Saturday

Yesterday, Sat., Roode was better. We did lots of canter work which put him in a big sweat. The focus was increasing his impulsion and drive. He tends to skate out from underneath the rider by becoming hollow in the back and not using those muscles to his advantage. and then with that he does a lot of leg movement in an incorrect way. I didn't think it felt so great because I didn't feel at close enough contact with his body. but Beth said it got better and better. So, today, Sunday I'm going to ride him again. Usually he gets Sundays off. But I think he needs a motion feild day! So I'm going to work him all around the feild in hopes to rock his world with soem more fun stuff. Because I decided that maybe he's just bored with everything that we've been working on because he was really nervous about the work yesterday...I think he was taking me for granted and thought I wasn't serious...well, yest. he figured out that I was. :) too ta loo...

First Day back to work.

Today was Roode's first day back to work. We were just playing around with getting him to move his hind legs quicker. Beth and I had discussed how we've been so adament about training him to wait for me and wait for me over and over again and in a way it has trained him to slow the legs. But this can be good in both ways. The top horses run away with their riders and so it's just the same with him. In my frustration, I think a day like today is not so good because he felt like he was not using his body as best he could. Granted, he did have four days off. So, I'll give more credit to the both of us. As well, he was successful in increasing the tempo of his gaits. Only, the rythm was inconsistant as well as the height of the neck. Today he was powerful but not strong. The great thing about Roode is that he may not do something well the first day trying but the next he has picked it up fine. He is also going to quit his daily wormer because I think it is just not so good and I've heard that it can contribute to lack of muscle development which is exactly what he does not need taken away from him and we're going to start strength training with cavelletti.

So, I think this is pretty much it for today. Oh, and he also had a very long turn out. First one in three days... that's stinky, but I took him on a lot of grazing walks which were actually better than the paddocks.

Roode

The Beginning...

So, I have finally decide to start this thing for my horse Roodepoort II. aka "Roode". I think he needs a profile too and I have decided that an online Journal would be great for him. I will try to update it as much as possible and then you be in on the going ons with him through out this summer and in preparation to move to Germany and the training there. : )

For starters like this week, Roode got his hocks injected for the first time ever! And then one point was injected between his L2 and L3 . So, tomorrow, Friday, when I ride him for the first time this week, I imagine he's going to feel pretty lubed up and ready to rumble. So, just these past three days he's been enjoying eating the nice green grass, getting his hocks ice-cold hosed, :/ and walking with no freedom from me because he cannot be trusted to run and whirl. Tucker dog has also been enjoying the grass along with Roode. I guess he thinks he could be a horse for a minute.
Also, Roode's new trilogy saddle was supposed to be here today but they got the wrong one so we will be waiting another two weeks. :/
This is it for now. Sorry it could not have been more interesting. Update in a few. Bye