Sunday, August 21, 2011

Heather Clinic


Well this post is really late because i wanted to wait for pictures and video from the clinic... however on the way back home the cord for the camera broke (it had a fight with a car door .... the door won) so instead i will post the video and pictures when the new less confrontational cord comes in. (fixed it!!)

"Well I would like to start off... Hi my name is meredith and i......am a heather addict."
"Hi meredith...."
We started off with my position, Heather had me "push my chest into her hand" which means leave your shoulders where they are and only move the.... uh front area of your chest forward. But you cant just push it forward and thats it you also have to engage the muscles right under your ribcage to stabilize the push forward.
This little nifty trick fixes lots of problems at the same time. It fixes my shoulders, i have a tendency to have a very round turtle-like shoulders, but by leaving my shoulders alone and pushing my chest forward it makes my shoulders go back and then stabilizes the whole thing so i can then keep my shoulders back. Thats always been a big issue for me.

Then we went on to collected canter, because i've been having issues with it. She told me that i needed to lean forward just a smidge on the up beat of the canter. And to engage my knicker tendons and anchor my knees on the saddle and pull my seatbones back more to encourage her to be more floaty in her movement and step higher rather than just get slower while weighting her front end. The difference was incredible, she didn't feel like her normal indie canter it was completly different. Lots of auditors commented on how different she looked, it was amazing.

Monday, August 15, 2011

"I hate to say it but....wait....no i don't"

So i don't actually know this horses name.....so i have decided to call him/her.....Steve.

Steve says "Thank you PETA for your wonderful work in helping me not get slaughtered in the US, that was very thoughtful. However my idea of not getting slaughtered somehow did not include the image of me getting shipped off to Mexico and slowly bleeding to death. It also did not include me starving to death...
Thanks bitches!!"

And i quote:
"The GAO reports that what was supposed to decrease horse cruelty turned out to have a devastating effect on the welfare of horses and is now urging action on the horse slaughter stoppage as they have found that since the cessation:
Export of horses for slaughter to Canada and Mexico has increased by 148 and 660 percent respectively

A staggering 138,000 horses are still slaughtered each year, roughly the same number as before the cessation of domestic slaughtering, but under much crueler conditions

Prices of lower-to-medium priced horses decreased by 8 to 21 percent

The number of abandoned or neglected horses has increased by 60 percent "


Ummmm Hello!!! isn't this what most actual, knowledgeable horse people predicted would happen?? When a bill that relates to animals welfare goes across a desk does anyone in the big oval office, or even a secretary bother to consult people that have been in the business for a long time?? Who know what goes down and all the other dirty gory details?? Apparently not. If they had this whole mess could have been avoided.

Another little factiod about slaughter:
"Horses now travel significantly greater distances, while regulation on the transportation is very deficient as:
It allows movement of blind horses, heavily pregnant mares and injured horses

Double-decked trailers with ceilings so low that the horse injure their heads are commonly used

Horses are packed in so tightly, without segregation, that many horses are injured or even die during the ride

Lack of proper food, water and rest, cause exhaustion in journeys that last longer than 24 hours

It is often extremely unsafe and results in horrible accidents"

No Shit Sherlock......

Friday, August 5, 2011

CountDown: One Day!!

One more day (counting today) until i get to ride with my idol!! :D I'm so excited you have no idea.
I'm also a little worried about making a good impression, gotta network ya know ;)
and right about now i really wish indie was in a double bridle...i know it sounds silly but a double is really like a statement item that says "pay attention, i'm serious about this" and not "i'mma doofus in a snaffle!!"
(I'm not hatin on snaffles though, they are God's gift to horse kind)
Like i said its really silly...So it got me thinking, and listening to Phil Collins, thinkin music right thur

And Dammit!! Phil Collins is Right!!


"You can't hurry *dressage*

No, you'll just have to wait

She said *dressage* don't come easy

It's a game of give and take"



So True Phil Collins....So True....

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Quote of the Day







"One day imma find me a straight guy that rides dressage.....and then im gonna marry him before anyone else can" 

Amen Sister!!

Countdown!!

The countdown to the Heather Blitz clinic is officially three days.....
And i still have to pack....
I really don't want to pack, but i was a good little PC'er and got all my horse stuff organized, my people stuff however.....not so much. The closest i got was i washed half a basket of dirty clothes (((drying them was not included) although i might want to wash them again cause i'm still getting sand and glitter out) loooong story)

So anywayyyy...... i'm so excited about riding with Heather!!!
I've met her about six times and she is so nice (she's also absolutely hilarious) she's also very expensive.... if i ever decide to take a lot of lessons with her i will have to be a working student, literally i can only pay for two lessons and thats four months worth of pay checks (i think i need a different job)

Oh! fun fact: the bay horse is Rambo, (a very successful grand prix stallion Heather rode) when i was about 6 or 7 we went to watch Heather ride and afterwards she let me wash him off (with help of course!) and feed him treats, sweetest stallion i ever met. The new resident stallion Willemoes? not so much.....gorgeous....yes......throws amazing chillens?......yes........good with human children?.....not so much.
One of my Bucket List items is to own a Rambo baby, they are very hot and sensitive, but so beautiful.

You may recognize this horse, he's by Rambo
But if you don't heres another picture

All i have to say on that subject is Todd had better give Heather a very heartfelt thank you
But now i'm off subject, so excited to ride with Heather!!!