If you can't handle a warmblood at it's worse, you don't deserve them at their finest.

   Wow, I swear, whenever I don't post in this blog more and more happens. I have no idea where to start!
   First off, I had a problem with Udex hiccuping when eating. The hiccups led to choking, which led to me having to dislodge the feed stuck in his throat and cross my fingers a vet wouldn't be needed. Every time Udex ate anything I would have a mini panic attack! I have since then solved the problem! He now gets a "mush" (not a mash, but yes, a mush!) out of his pellets. I boil warm water and add that to his pellets until it is mushy, and a pellet soup! I add a bit of molasses for him (yes he is spoiled!) so the pellet mush soup then tastes even sweeter. Man, oh man does Udex go wild for his mush! The other day I had him playing around in the arena with just a halter on while I mixed together his mush... He stood there with his head sticking out of the arena and drooling and licking his lips! Then he got so excited he had a bucking fit! He really, and I mean REALLY, enjoys his mush! I can also say I really enjoy making the warm soup twice a day for him. I feel like a very smart equine chef.. heheh!

  This past week Udex and I have gotten back to business! We are back to using our very good old friend once or twice a week.. The pessoa lunging system. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a way to get the horse to engage in his hindquarters and to develop his topline. Udex needs his topline strengthened, and the pessoa was really helping him to become very muscular! If you have a horse that has a weak topline, little impulsion, needs help collecting, or just want your horse to develop muscles in the proper place.. Then I SWEAR by the pessoa lunge training system! It has been a miracle worker! Anywho, it has been a while since I used it. I was so excited to be lunging him with it on again! Pretty soon he will be looking muscular again! We had a great pessoa session the other night. Udex was great and as always, willing to work. I feel like now we are well on our way to looking great again.
   One thing you should know about a warmblood. They never, -and trust me when I say never- out of energy! You can work your warmblood five hours straight but somehow, from the very center within themselves, they can pull out this tremendous amount of energy to do what not. I can give you a classic example. Ah, the other day I had Udex tied up outside preparing him for our first lesson back. I was so excited since it has been around a month since I last rode. I guess Udex was excited about riding too. The other horses in the paddock outside were running around trying to escape the flies I suppose. Anyways, Udex felt the need to join them, forgetting the fact he was tied up and I was standing in front of him. I had just finished putting on his boots. Seeing the other horses galloping, he decided he wanted to gallop too! Problem was? Udex started to gallop and passage in place (oh the joys of a dressage horse.) and was bucking and crow hopping as well. I quickly pulled my quick release knot (PHEW! Thank goodness I always tie up in that knot!) and took him to the side. (I am only 5'1 and 95 lbs. Udex towers over seventeen hands and weighs over 750 kilos.) Udex was then doing extreme collected, fast, pirroutes, with each circle lifting me a few feet off the ground, leaving me clenching onto the lead rope controlling this huge horse. It took a few good whacks with that lead rope to get his mind back to where it should be, which was to me.
   Anyways, we continued on and tacked up. It was a very interesting lesson. Of course, he was extremely fresh and the only thing on his mind was to go. I let him free run a bit to get his negative energy out, and then lunged him once more. Like I said before, a real warmblood never completely looses his energy. I had him in walk on a nice loose rein, when all of a sudden (being the typical warmblood he is) he took of into a canter crow hopping and bucking. I got him calmed down within a few seconds and continued on. This happened a few times until he finally felt calm enough to continue on! -I have handled quite a few hot horses, so running, bucking and crow hopping isn't anything new.-
  Udex made up for our rough beginning big time though! He was amazing! We worked on haunches in and half passes, both of which he did amazingly. I was having so much fun half passing him around the arena. Riding such a well trained horse is like magic. All you have to do is sit right and give the proper aid, and he goes. Some days if I'm giving too much aids, he decides to go above and beyond and do something crazy. Whether it be a surprise half pass at canter, or switching to piaffe mid trot; he always manages to surprise me!
   Of course, last but not least we have our near tornado touch down today! Udex and his friend Grisu are in a nice private paddock a little distance down the road. It has nice grass and is the perfect size for two big warmbloods. Today when I turned them out I noticed neither of them were acting normal. They were both pacing and whinnying a bit too much for usual. I did not feel comfortable leaving them out for some strange reason. I went on with my barn chores and giving lessons. I had an hour or two break in between, and during that time my mom and I went to the store to get some snacks. When we were driving we noticed a funnel cloud. We were not too concerned, since the cloud was breaking up anyways and was quite a distance away.  about an hour and a half later I was back at the barn helping my students tack up. I found it quite odd I could hear my horse from inside of the arena. He was whinnying awfully loud. The fact him and Grisu were whinnying at this time concerned me! The paddock is quite a distance from the barn!! Of course, I ran to go check on them! Extremely close to their paddock was a funnel cloud!!! It was so close I could see the bottom point spinning like mad!! I could not believe my eyes. My mom got Grisu, and I got Udex, and as fast as we could we made them run into the barn! It was freezing rain and that funnel cloud didn't make things better. To top it off the warning whistles were playing loudly all around, and the air base was giving it's warning of "Attention. Possible tornado touch down. Seek cover immediately." We got the horses in the barn safely. They were so happy to be in. Each munching happily on their hay and letting out little nickers every few seconds as if to show how happy they were to be in.
   Lucky for us the tornado didn't touch down! I don't know what I would have done if it would have! I don't even want to think along those lines. The area of Germany I live in is very hilly, so we do have that working with us against the tornado. The barn is made of cement, which is a strong, sturdy material that would have hopefully stand strong against an F3.
  Well, a lot sure has happened since I last posted. I can honestly say I really, really, really love my Udex. Everything about him amazes me. I can't believe such an amazing horse is actually mine! He continues to amaze me every day more and more and more. My most favorite quote ever..

"If you can't handle a warmblood at his worse... Then you don't deserve him at his finest!"