More Bareback!

  Unfortunately for me, my tack still hasn't gotten here yet!! It probably won't arrive until the middle of July. Aaah!! I guess I'll have to deal with the fact I'll be riding bareback for yet another month or so! Overall I guess it's not too bad.. I just miss not being able to work my horse in the way he should be worked. He's become really sour over the past few months- and he has good reason to be. In January he bruised his tendon and was off of work until April.. Of course, as soon as he was ready to be started again all my tack had been shipped! Now that he's been here in America he hasn't been worked anything like he should be. It's been five months he's gone without being worked right! In his mind life is all play; no work. He's gotten very testy recently. Of course, that's all to be expected from a horse under his conditions. Nevertheless, it bothers me immensely.
  Another bothersome fact; as soon as I start to work Udex again, he's going to be a turd. I know him well enough to say that if you skip more than a few days time riding him, he gets it into his mind he's on vacation. My heart starts to race imagining how he's going to behave after almost six months off. He starts to get an attitude of "I do what I want. Like it, or not." (This is already starting to show.) This includes head throwing, kicking, and testing you to your max. I suppose it's just him releasing his inner Weltmeyer. Either way- He's no fun to work with when he has that attitude- and he embarrasses me very much so. In other words, I'm not ready for the humiliation that will follow with my saddle and bridle arriving. I keep telling myself that after the storm there will be sunshine. I'll have to cowboy up and take it like a man and try to use his behavior as a learning experience..
  In the meantime I've been trying to enjoy these bareback sessions and not think about what the future holds. It's a really nice feeling to throw all your posture out of the door, relax, and just have fun! Although I still don't feel comfortable doing canter, we've been doing a lot of tackless walk/trot work! I must say; it's the most amazing feeling to hop on your horse with absolutely no connection to his head, only your hand on his mane and legs pressed against his sides. It's the true feeling of freedom. Lucky for me, Udex is trained so well! I can change the hand, turn on the forehand, control the speed of trot, halt him, and even back him up with just my legs! In other words; he's a good boy to ride tackless.. (:
  As much as I wish I already had my tack, I'm very thankful for the chance to be riding Udex bareback. I've discovered my seat, worked on posture and still hands, and so much other little skills that I probably wouldn't have perfected if it wasn't for this opportunity to be riding bareback! Although as soon as my saddle comes I probably won't ever be riding Udee bareback like this again, it's still a great learning experience!(:

"Rollkur opponents care for horses. Rollkur proponents care more for success."

A Great Day...

   Today I'm so happy with my horsey! We did a pure thirty minutes of bareback trot! I decided to ride him bareback in the round pen. Sicne the round pen is circular, and not super big Udex can't step as largely as he'd like to, or decide to take off. Overall, it doesn't make it any easier.. just a little bit safer. As I don't ride with a helmet and have no support of a saddle I'd like to play it extra safe. (-; I used a halter as a bridle, and two lead ropes as reins.. and no bareback pad. It was true butt-on-back today. (Hah-hah.)
    Although we didn't do canter (I'm not ready for that.. yet) our trot was so succesful. I've finally mastered keeping my hands very quiet while sitting on him without a saddle! Yeah!!! I'm thrilled about that! They aren't perfect yet, but my hands certainly don't flop all over the place, jab him in the face, or look bad! Even with the saddle quiet hands can be a big task.. So the fact that I've managed to also steady my hands while riding bareback makes me a very proud rider!
   On top of my newfound quiet bareback hands, I'm also discovering more and more of my seat. Sitting him bareback is an entire different feeling than what I'm used to. He's very sharp and has big powerful strides. Even with the comfort of a saddle he's not the smoothest ride. Either way, it's not an excuse for not being able to sit him pretty. Anyhow, with every ride,(especially today), my seat gets better.. resulting in my stamina increasing and it taking less effor for an enjoyable ride on my horse. (-: As I said before, today I was able to do around 30 minutes of trot without feeling like I was going to flop off his back or murder his mouth. I think that within five more rides or so I'll be able to start introducing canter to our workout! I just have to learn to sit his extended trot first! Sometimes coming out of canter he decides to get a bit frisky and extend his trot. Normally when I'm riding with a saddle and bridle I can prevent that from happening, or sit it. Like I said before, he's an entire different feeling without a saddle. Once I've got that frisky trot down... Hellooooo canter!
  Another thing I'm proud of... We're working on bareback and bridleless... Kind of. Since Udex and I aren't used to going tackless I left the ropes on his halter, but let them rest on his neck and rode around for 10 minutes without any connection to his head. At times he did want to rush and if he wouldn't respond to my voice, then I'd give a little tug on the rope. I rode a bit without any hands, but majority was holding onto his mane. I'm trying to train him so that a tug on the mane means stop.. Towards the end it got a bit better, but he's still oblivios to what that means. Riding tackless isn't something that can be learned in just a few rides.. it takes a lot of trust, time and effort. Udex and I are nowhere near ready to go %100 tackless anytime soon.. but we are doing our best to learn it! I can't wait for the day that I'll be able to ride my horse with absolutely nothing! I hope we'll get it down sometime this summer!

  Overall today was a super day! I'm so proud of myself for sticking with my goal to ride my horse bareback, and I'm so proud of my horse for being such a star and putting up with me. (-; Everytime I see a picture of him, or see him in person, I can't help but think how lucky I am to have such a beautiful horse.. I dont know what I'd do, or who I'd be without him.

Ik hou van jou, Udex.

"Rollkur opponents care for horses. Rollkur proponents care more for success."

Doing Good

  Nothing exciting has happened over the past few weeks. Everything continues to go on at a normal pace. I've still been riding Udex bareback; which is going okay. I must say, I can't wait until my saddle arrives. Bareback is nice... It's just something that's too much work to do with Udex. Don't get me wrong; I love riding without a saddle... But oh how I miss the occasional accomplishing ride where I'm able to sit my horse quiet without bouncing all over the place.




  I don't know if I wrote about Firebolt yet. Firebolt is a beautiful little pony mare. To be honest I'm not sure of the exact term for her color, I guess a brownish roan? Anyways, Udex and Firebolt are a little "thing" around the barn now. Since firebolt has laminits, she won't able to go out with the rest of the herd for at least a few more months. Udex and Firebolt have stalls next to each other, and seem to have gotten along just fine. Stephanie had built Udex a little run outside so he wouldn't have to be stuck in his stall all day.. Well, since Udex seemed to have a little crush on Firebolt, she put Firebolt with Udex in the run. Since then they've become best friends. Udex gets very possesive over his little pony. When I take Udex out of the run firebolt will call out to him, and at all times he has to have his eye on her. It's so adorable to see such a massive horse protecting such a petite little pony.
  In the town that we will be moving to there is a mini Udex. A mini pony with white legs in the back, front right leg white, and front left leg brown. He has a pretty white blaze as well. We have to drive by the mini Udex (We've started calling him Mu, for Mini Udex.) and stare at him. He's very adorable and I might just have to steal him... (; Of course I'd never steal someones horse, but now I do have a new goal in life: To find a mini Udex of my own. Like it or not Udex, you'll have to make friends with the mini you. Either way, Mu is the most adorable pony I've ever seen and I'm awfully jealous of his people.
  Other then that there isn't really anything more to write about. The weather is very warm staying at around 80-90. Today he got hosed down.. and enjoyed it. Other then the heat, Udex has been adapting to this new land very well. It's really dry so I have to apply hoof oil diaily to keep his hooves from cracking more then they have already. It's also very dusty. I can brush Udex for hours and still have dust. This is going to be a warm, dry, dusty Wyoming summer.. (:

This picture is out of place, but I thought I'd
share it anyways. This is Udex having fun playing
with the jumps. He chooses to jump on a regular
basis.

"Rollkur opponents care for horses. Rollkur proponents care more for success."

This bareback thing is a lot harder than it looks...

  Oh how I miss my saddle. I want that comfy, soft, leather thing made by the gods on my horses back and underneath of me again. Unfortunately for me, 1) It won't get here until at least another month and a half. and 2) I promised myself I'd conquer my horse bareback over the summer.



  Riding bareback is anything but easy, especially with Udex. He is so bony, has massive withers, and has such powerful steps. I don't feel like I'm going to fall when I ride him without a saddle- it's just that he is so, so, so uncomfortable. Even with a saddle on his back he's not the most smooth ride.. taking away the comfortable feeling of a saddle and sitting directly on Udex's back gives you an unreal feeling- And I don't mean that in a good way. If you don't know what you're doing in trot you will spring right off his bony back. It's easier to do rising trot bareback with him versus sitting trot. His steps naturally give you a little something to help yourself rise while trotting. While that extra "something" works with you during rising trot, it really can manage to work against you during sitting trot! Udex has a funky canter due to rollkur; he moves like like a rocking horse. However, I find his canter really nice to sit compared to his walk and trot. It's so easy to count his stride and find a nice way to sit to the rhythm.

Udex and I cantering.

  A few days ago I rode Udex in one of the outdoor arenas. Apparently wind (especially 35mph wind!) makes the horses hyper and crazy. First I let Udex play to get some energy out. He thought he was a thoroughbred. He ran his little lungs out and elongated his stride! He was like lightning! After about ten minutes of racing with the wind I thought there would be no way he would want to run while I was riding. Since Udex happens to be Udex, I of course was very wrong. The entire way to from his stall to the arena he was prancing. He knew he was going to ride and was just as excited as I was! The first bit of the ride was great- He was walking obediently with his head down. During trot he was rushing and just wanted to go. If he'd have tried to pull that stunt while I was riding him in the saddle I would have easily been able to set him in his place and correct that behavior.. However because of the fact I was bareback, I had to focus more on staying on his back rather than getting him at the perfect pace and in a nice frame. The canter wasn't any better. The first few strides were okay, and then Udex decided to take off. Sitting him at a fast canter isn't hard- I actually find it fun. The hard part is the transition that comes after the canter. I find that extremely difficult to sit without the support from the saddle. As Udex took off I was trying hard to both sit without loosing balance, and to stop him. That's not easy to do- especially when your bareback pad is slipping back taking you with it with every stride. Udex made a sudden stop at one of the fences- by the time he stopped I was sitting on his withers! Once again- if I had my saddle this is something that would have never gotten out of hand.

At least the walk was okay.

 As disappointed as I am to admit it- Mr. Udex got away with his speedy trot and canter. Bareback is so difficult because you not only have to focus on what you'd normally do... but you also have to work harder to stay on your horses back! Well, okay maybe for other people bareback comes a bit more natural, but for me it's something that needs a lot of work! I hope that by the end of summer I'll be able to ride Udex just as good without saddle as I could with! (:

"Rollkur opponents care for horses. Rollkur proponents care more for success."

Really happy!

Udex in his private run.

Happy Udex.

  My dear little Udie-Bear has been so extremely happy in America. Maybe he knows all the bad that's ever happened to him is on an entire different continent- or it's just that he's been treated like royalty here. He's gaining so much weight!! In just a week or twos time I can already see a massive difference. In Europe Udex was such a hard keeper, now I can't even label him as that. As I said before- He's getting treated as if he's royalty. The owner of the barn, Stephanie, made Udex his own little place outside so he can enjoy the good weather too! He's turned out in the morning away from other horses in his little pen, enjoys beautiful scenery, receives his feed and hay and then gets taken in for the night. I couldn't have done better for him myself. I'm so, so, so pleased with the way he's being treated at Platte Ridge.

Udex is smiling too.

The beginning of a leg yield.

   I've decided to pitch the saddle... Well, at least for now anyways. My saddle won't arrive until sometime later this summer. To me, that's just too long to go without riding. The solution is simple! Bareback!! Stephanie was so kind as to lend me her bareback pad and bridle until I can buy one of my own. Now I'm able to ride just as I was before!! I actually prefer riding without a saddle now, it's so much easier. I can feel my horse underneath me so much better than with a saddle, and he can feel me better as well. I decided on a little plan that I hope I pull through with. Udex is still a bit underdeveloped in his topline area, his withers have no real definition. Because of his flat, skinny withers it's almost impossible to fit a saddle correctly to him. I have a special pad that I put under my current saddle, but even then it doesn't fit totally right. One thing I realized while riding bareback was that Udie didn't turn into a giraffe or throw his head like before. While trotting with my happy round horse I thought "Why would I want to put a saddle on him when it will only cause him pain? Riding without a pinching saddle he's coming down with his head very calmly and happily." If I ride him without a saddle until the end of summer then he should have enough definition to his withers to fit a saddle correctly and comfortably. I think if I continued to ride him with a saddle it would do neither of us any good- he'd continue head tossing and never develop the right muscles.

Walking back to the stable.

  After Udex is a bit more defined I will buy a custom fit saddle for him and I. Until then I think it's a lot more fun, easier, and accomplishing riding him without a saddle. I'll even see about taking dressage lessons bareback. I'm so excited to go out and ride! It feels so good being able to have fun with my horse, and not having to stress over his head throwing or llama like behavior. I have a feeling this is going to be a very fun and successful summer for both Udex and I.

"Rollkur opponents care for horses. Rollkur proponents care more for success."

Scopey Jumper?

  Udex is so happy in America. He's an entire new horse- well to a certain extent anyways. He's still his mean ole' self to the other horses. Unfortunately he's too much of an "a** hole" and too "aggressive" (I quote the owner of the barn, Stephanie)  to put out with the others. I agree with Stephanie, it's not fair for the others to suffer because Udex is a jerk. (Ha-ha) Anyways, every morning either Stephanie or someone helping her puts Udex in the round pen to hang out for a bit. He gets his food in the round pen, a really pretty view, and moving space. In the afternoon someone brings him back in his stall. Hanging in his stall he has his stuffed puppy, and a ball to keep him occupied. He plays with both very often!!
  By the time I come he's ready to play- again. You'd think spending a morning in the round pen would kill his energy, but nope! Not with my crazy Udex! He's as hyper as ever! As soon as he's out of the stall he starts to prance and get really excited!! There are several arenas at the barn he's at. Since the main focus of the barn is hunter-jumper there are a lot of cool jumps! So far I've had him in the big jumping arena twice, the smaller indoor arena once, and the round-pen a lot of times.
  Today was his second time in the big jumping arena. Last time he pranced around like the nut he is, showing the world that he's a right dressage horse. Today he did the same. Prancing, bucking, crow hopping.. and.... Jumping? Wait. What? Udex jumping!? Even though I still have to re-read those words because it seems so unreal- YES! It's true! He Jumped! For those who know Udex, they know he is not a jumper. He's the horse that will refuse and refuse and refuse when you're riding him over a jump, and refuse when you're trying to free-run him over one. I've tried so hard to get him to do it, I finally decided to let it go. I'm happy as a dressage rider and don't ever plan on jumping- the same goes for Udex. However I did often  wonder how his jumping confirmation was!
  This afternoon he was so happy to be playing. We had a really good friend we hadn't seen in a while out- I think Udex was showing off for him!! Our friend, Tyson even rode Udex a bit! Afterwards Udex followed him around like a puppy! It's safe to say Udie has a new best-friend. Anyways, Udex was really fresh and alert! Udex was running around and went up to a jump but as usual- refused it. Then out of nowhere he decided to come around and take the jump!! He cleared it!!! The jump was only about two feet, but Udex over jumped it by about three. I never knew how scopey my horse was!!!! His knees were tucked so tight and high, his neck so stretched- he looked perfect. I know I have a talented dressage horse, but after today I realize I really do have a fine horse! The way he took that jump. WOW!! It was so impressive! Udex!? Is that really you?? I'm not going to force him to jump, I want it to be something that he chooses to do on his own, which is what makes me even more excited that today he showed today that he's not just a fancy dressage boy, but he's also a scopey jumper. My goodness boy! I'm sure that he will jump again sooner or later- I'll try and have the camera on me!! All I can say is wow Udex!! Right when I think he could not be any more better than he already is, he proves me wrong.
  I love you so much Udex! I love you for you! You have such a big personality. You're my best friend- I have no idea where I would be without you. Thank you for being you, and putting up with me (haha!) Big kisses to you Udie.

"Rollkur opponents care for horses. Rollkur proponents care more for success."

The Journey to America!!!

  Since this entry was a long one, I decided to write it in parts!! I highly recommend starting at part one (there are four parts total!)!! In each part there is a brief description and a detailed entry! Since the entries are a bit long you can just read the brief description for an idea of what happened in that part!

 Udex and I are now in the United States of America!! We love it here and are very happy!!! I'll be writing more about how he's doing!! Today was his second day in Wyoming! He's too aggressive to go out with the other horses (no surprise there) so instead of going out with the rest in the morning, he spends his time in the round pen playing alone! I loved on him today and gave him a good grooming session. He's doing sooo good!



  I've attached links to the parts of which this mini story consists of! Thanks for reading! (: 

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4




Feel free to like Udex's facebook page for more direct updates on him, and lots of pictures and videos!(: Just click this link and then click "like"! (:

"Rollkur opponents care for horses. Rollkur proponents care more for success."