Everything I do I have to do 50% more of.

 As always, I had my Friday lesson with Udex. It was alright. I feel like we are kind of stuck right now. It frustrates me a little bit because everything that I do with him, I have to do 50% more then any one else must do with their horse. Take sitting trot for example. I have to use every muscle, plus so much more. So while I'm doing a leg yield at trot not only I'm doing a leg yield and using my leg/thigh muscles... I'm also using so much more muscles to stay in the saddle. [Thank you rollkur for making my horse a "rocking horse" aka impossible to sit without huge effort.] Also when I'm trotting it takes amazing effort to keep the reins steady, since he does tend to throw his head, and he is a rocking horse. So for a leg yield in trot add that to the list too. Fighting to keep the reins steady. Then you also have the head throwing, the getting him to not curl behind the bit, and other things. Honestly I am fine that I have to do all that extra work. In the long run it's making me a better rider and giving me the experience and skills most riders will never get the chance to find and develop. Six months ago when I first got Udex I thought I would never be able to sit him in rising trot. He had too much movement in his back, plus a hard to sit stride. No one else could sit him. I watched so many great rider friends of mine get off and say "yeahh.. this has to be the most terrible horse to sit I have ever sat on." I would sigh and loose hope. Well six months later I can do rising trot with steady hands and staying balanced and have him on the bit, not behind. I can also do this in sitting trot and canter and walk. My point is, even though at the time things see impossible with Udex... We get over it.
  Something I have found interesting is my trainers expectations of us. Six months ago she would praise me for doing three steps of sitting trot without falling off. Now she scolds me when I do less then a round of sitting trot without steady hands. She demands more. She wants my aids even more invisible then they already are. I find it fascinating though!! It has only been six months and we are schooling L and M movements. Pretty soon we will start the double bridle!!
  Right now I am feeling like some things with Udex are impossible. I feel like we are stuck. I know that this too we will overcome stronger then ever. It just gets tricky sometimes with Udex. Stressful is a good word for it. I mean sometimes I would just like to have a nice problem free horse that I didn't have to work so much with... but then I remember how Udex was born a nice problem free horse.. Rollkur made him into the horse he is today. Sometimes I just want to scream and cry because I'm sooo angry some idiot had to ruin such a wonderful heart with hyperflexion. Ah.! Then I think about how doing that would do no good at all. Instead I just sigh, give Udex a hug and pat, and think that this all had to happen for a reason. Udex is my horse now... which means I am getting the word out that rollkur is not a good thing. I'm going to open peoples eyes about the truth to this horrid "training" tool. The only thing rollkur does is destroy. Please remember that. I have to do Udex, and all the other horses trained with rollkur justice. This needs to be stopped. I can't stand to see another horse sustain the same problems that Udex has. It isn't fair for the horses. Please share Udexs' story and get the word out that rollkur is harmful!!!

I have been so proud!

   I can't begin to tell you how great Udex is doing. Last lesson [Friday] there was a big, nasty storm; possible tornadoes. The sound the rain makes on the roof of the arena is pretty loud and spooky! Not to mention constant roars of thunder, and flashes of lightning! Udex was so calm in the scary environment. He didn't even flinch!! At some points the thunder was so loud both my trainer and I jumped. Udex being the brave horse he is prodded on like he couldn't even hear a thing!!!! I was sooo relieved to see him being such a lovely chap for me!
  During our lesson we worked on leg yields and shoulder ins and haunches ins! We did everything pretty good!! I am really getting the hang of it all with him! The most challenging part about all these movements is that in trot, it's done at a sitting trot. Udex being such a difficult horse to sit takes a lot more effort to do these moves. I do have to say I am quite pleased with my sitting trot, although even now it could use some work. These movements are coming along nicely though. I think within two months time we will do them as easy as we give a half halt!
 There was a bit a head throwing. Along with the head throwing there was itty bitty rears. You can't really call them a rear though, since all it was was him lifting his front feet off the ground an inch or two. As my trainer says "The good times come more and more." I do agree with her. Every lesson he stays a bit longer without throwing his head. It will be a while before the head throwing vanishes all together, but it's alright. He can take all the time he needs. I have it, and I'm willing to give it to him.
  Big surprise!!! I took Udex on a little trail ride!!! I swore my trail days were over, especially with such a big, energetic horse. So much for that though. The other day I felt so bad always boring him with free running, lunging, riding. The same thing must get sooo boring for him. I decided to see how he acts by taking him for about 45 minutes on a little walk on the street outside the barn. He did so great! I gave him a nice long rein and he was really enjoying himself. He was looking around enjoying the scenery! It made me happy to see him happy! I was so happy I forgot I was even trail riding!! I know it wasn't much, just walking on the road.. but it's a start!! Eventually I would like to be able to take him out and run!! That's my most favorite thing to do on on the trails!! Let him have a nice fast canter, drop the reins, and put your arms out and fly!! Too bad our summer is almost over, not that we had much of one anyways. I will still go in the snow though!! I plan on snow riding!! I think Udex would enjoy that too! After all, I don't want him to get too bored!! I do think that just leg yeilds, shoulder ins and haunches ins must be extremely boring to a horse who could passage, pirroutte, piaffe, and prance around!!
  I'm proud of my baby!! We have come a very far way, thats for sure!!! Whenever I'm having a bad day with him, I just think to the first day I saw him. That makes me melt and forget everything. I'm ready for another fun, adventurous week with my crazy horsey!

It was a great birthday.

   Yesterday I turned fourteen years old! I got two new bridles for my Udex! One, a lovely double bridle, and the other, a nose band piece to my single snaffle bridle. Warmblood nose bands are somehow too big for my crazy horse. Yeah, I don't know why it is but oh well. Anyways, I bought a vollblut size noseband (which in German, Is thoroughbred size. I had finished grooming Udex, putting on his leg wraps and his saddle and was about to put on my bridle, in hopes that the new nose band would fit a lot better!
  It did fit a lot better.. Only problem was the leather on the crank was too short, and I couldn't reach the end of the leather to the buckle to close it tight! Ahhhh! My mom and friend and I thought about what we could do to make the end reach to the buckle. We sat there for about thirty minutes.. Then we came up with the good idea of attaching one of my old flashes to the end of the leather, and closing it with the end of the flash!!! The idea was brilliant! It worked!!!! It does look a bit ghetto, but hey, it does the job, and that's all that matters! [pics to come later.]
  Anyways, yesterday I had a fantastic ride with Mr. Udex! He was so great! Now, when you ride Udex you have to keep in mind he is intelligent beyond belief. Some days he will test you and try to avoid every aide. [[giving ice tea instead of coffee just because he doesn't feel like making the coffee.]] However, when you ride with a whip he knows that you are not playing around and that everything you are asking him is for real.
  So yesterday I did the whip! I wasn't willing to take any chances. Oh my gosh! Udex was so amazing! We did shoulder in, haunches in, leg yields, renverse, traverse and so much other awesome movements perfectly. Udex was listening to me so well, at one point I held the reins with only one hand, and with the hand that was holding the reins put them to his ears. When I did that it means he was truly only listening to my seat and leg aids, not my rein aids. He was being so amazing and doing everything so perfect!!!
  Towards the end of my ride I had a great trot with Udex. I have learned to hold against his head throwing, so these days when he tries it it doesn't last more then two or three shakes.
  I really love my horse!! He made my birthday so amazing!! The little things he does are the ones that make me smile the biggest! Such an eager boy that one! <3 I am so blessed with such a talented pony. <3