Well, only I fall down, evidently.  During a display of fireworks today, I fell off of Blondie.  The smoke bombs get her going, and I was doing great, until I tried to make her march through the middle of the yellow smoke.  She zigged and I zagged, right out of the saddle.  I knew I was going over, though, so this time I was able to get my feet out the stirrups and land on my butt.  It figures that I would fall off of the taller horse, though.  I was irritated with myself for getting dumped, and after I got back on, I made sure I didn’t let her get ahead of me again.  She felt like a million bucks, kept her ears up, and worked well for me after that.  Guess you do need a setback every now and again to get back on track.

After the rodeo ride on Blondie, Nyk was a piece of cake.  He felt chargy and heavy in his bridle, but M said that he looked great at the canter.  I am trying to sit back farther in the saddle and use my seat more effectively, and also trying to bump him up with my legs more than my hands.  I just feel that he starts to bear down on the bridle and then I am not riding effectively anymore.

Tuesday I rode Ritz, and while I still dislike her big, bouncy canter, I was able to sit it better by pushing my feet forward and sitting back as far as possible in the saddle.  The left lead is always better than the right lead, but they were both about the same as long as I was doing that.

Wednesday I didn't ride.  The heat index was 97 at 3pm. and the thought of having to cool out one of the horses after working in that hot and humid weather just wasn’t appealing.  Instead, all three of us got a break.

The temps were a little cooler on Friday, and I rode Blondie for the first time in two weeks.  She was very sluggish, and the bugs are eating her alive.  She got a shot of an anti-inflammatory after she worked, because the mosquitoes left her neck a mass of bumpy bites.  During the lesson, we worked on cantering figure 8s again, which I can’t believe that I still can’t do.  I have some kind of mental condition that doesn’t allow me to understand how to do patterns.  Ugh!  And I am thinking about embarrassing myself at Dayton and riding in the adult equitation class.  I must be nuts, and we are going to have to practice patterns all the way until the show.

In other news, the puppy has gotten so big in the past two weeks!  I won’t be able to pick her up for much longer.  She was full of puppy cuddles today, and it is amazing how happy puppies can make you feel.

Jimmy

Well, I'm back from my first regional Morgan show.  I'll always remember this Gold Cup more for the food and catching the plate on fire in the microwave than for the actual horsie events.  In terms of performance, it was disappointing and has made me think about a lot of things, namely whether or not I want to spend the money to take Nyk to the Grand Nationals.  I never thought we would win there, but I was kind of hoping for middle of the pack results.  We couldn't even do that at a regional show.  This was very disappointing; will hard work make it possible to be more competitive?  I just don't know.

Peanut

I rode down to Springfield in the Party Bus, and I enjoyed staying at the fairgrounds.  It was a lot of fun, and so much more convenient then driving back and forth from a hotel.  The showers weren't bad, there was free WiFi access in the bar, and the food carts, though expensive, were tasty, for the few meals that I was forced to eat at the fairgrounds.  Still, charging 2 bucks for a cup of coffee and 6 for a breakfast burrito is one step shy of criminal.  Glad I remembered to bring a can of coffee, and after scrubbing out the coffee maker on the RV, I was able to make as much as I wanted, for free. 

Gizmo

Our first class, a driving class, got off a rocky start.  My usually solid pony decided he wanted to canter down the entire rail when we entered the arena.  Since we were the last ones in, and the gate was quickly closed, we didn't place very well.  Nope, not well at all.  Dead last was where we ended up, and we stayed there most of the week.  While I admit that I failed my little guy in the first class by not getting him to put on the brakes, I'm not so sure that the rest of our weak performances was due to me - or even the horse.  Yikes.

Gizmo

First riding class was an absolute disaster.  Almost didn't make it into the show ring on time.  I still don't know what the deal was, because Nyk was the only horse from the barn showing that night.  There was nothing else to do but get him ready.  Needless to say, we were racing to the arena just before the class, which meant no warm up.  I have been having a very difficult time getting him off of his bridle, and without a trainer to warm him up, things didn't go so well.  Sigh.  Ok, so there were still a couple of classes left to try to make a comeback, but I will admit that I was beyond fuming after that class.  The paper plate didn't even smoke as much as I was at that point in time.

Nyk – the only picture with his ears up

The rest of the show went a bit more smoothly, though we never did show well.  Nyk's tack was changed, in hopes of making him lighter on the bit.  He wasn't a happy horse during the show, and instead of his usual happy ears, they spent most of the time pinned backwards to his head.  I still don't know what his problem was, but it needs to be figured out before the next show. 

Nyk

Just a word of caution - if a paper plate has "May be Flammable" stamped on the bottom, you can bet your shorts that it will most definitely catch on fire.  In about 10 seconds flat.  So, please use the caution that I didn’t.  Or make sure that you have access to a water source near at hand.  Like I did. 

I left a little unexpectedly for Gold Cup today. I decided to ride down with M and the girls in the motor home. It's just as boring to drive through Ohio as I remembered. In the racetrack of the world, we were the turtle today, because in addition to traveling in a really big vehicle, we were also towing a two horse trailer behind. Aftering trying to figure out why the a/c wouldn't work, we realized that we had decided to hook up to a dead power box. After pulling in all of the slides and unplugging all of the cables, we moved forward about 100 feet and tried again. Yup, the first site had power issues. We had to relevel and then hook everything back up again. Wasted about an hour. After enjoying a dinner prepared by Chef Boyarde, everyone else headed back to the stalls to set up, and I remained to chill. Of course the fuse blew, leaving me with no a/c again. Ok, that's it for a quick update because typing out a post on the iPhone is painful.

Bentley

Once again I am neglecting this blog.  Shame on me!  I am trying to do better, but real life keeps interfering, darn it!

Wednesday was a little frustrating because some of the riders didn’t arrive until the lesson was supposed to begin.  I hate when the group lessons run that late, because then I don’t get home until way past my bedtime, and I have to get up at 4:30.  I run strictly on caffeine Thursday and Friday, because Thursday is a very late night for me, too.  What I don’t do to improve at my sport…

I rode Nyk on Wednesday, and excuse my language, but he was a little prick.  He thought we were training for the Belmont, and not for Gold Cup.  He was heavy on the bridle, won’t give on the bit, and raced around and around at the canter.  M made some tack adjustments, and I tried cantering him again.  Then he went a little slower than race car speed, but he was still too fast, especially going the second way.

We tried to work through the equestrian team pattern, and once again, Nyk was behaving like a stubborn little pony.  He would not whoa.  I was getting so frustrated with him.  I don’t like doing patterns in the first place, and he wasn’t making me like them any better.  Whoa means STOP, but I guess when your brain is the size of a walnut, you occasionally forget that.

Thursday I went to Barn #2, and had a very informative lesson with guest instructor.  S was away at a horse show, and she had a trainer who is more involved with Morgans fill in.  We will call her S2.  She started by having me sit on Lucky, and then she went over proper leg position, arm position, and other form vs function points.  Then she had me head out to the rail at a posting trot.

This was a very important lesson because S2 emphasized how to use your legs and seat, and to keep your hands and fingers light on the reins.  I know that is the goal of being an effective rider, but sometimes I just clamp down on the bridle, especially when I am riding Blondie.  She just wants to bury her head, and I think that I have to carry her along.  All I am really doing then is keeping her heavy on the bridle and making her worse.  One of these days I’m actually going to be able to put all of this theory into practice.  When, I don’t know, but one of these days!!

Sunday, both of the ponies were very good.  I rode Blondie first, in blinkers.  I am going to buy a hood, because they are so useful.   I don’t have to worry about her getting a burr up her butt and getting scared at dust specks.  We can actually get a good ride in! 

It was so dusty in the arena that we took Nyk outside to drive him.  He was so good!  He walked when I asked, and he trotted at a nice, pleasure trot speed.  No racing.  So nice.

Saturday I went to Sarah’s graduation, and had the added bonus of seeing Krystal get her diploma.  I did not realize that they went to the same high school!  Too bad I did not get a chance to congratulate her during the festivities.   That will have to wait until her party on Saturday.

Today was not a good day.  First phone call of the day was a co-worker’s mother calling to tell us he passed away over the weekend.  He was 25 years old!  WTF!!  I have DDR’ed with this kid, gone to the Indian buffet and gotten sushi with him.  I can’t believe he’s gone, and I feel so, so bad for his family.  It was so unexpected.  My prayers and thoughts go out to his family.  Things like this really make you think about how fragile and fleeting life can be.  Enjoy it.  Chase your dreams. Don’t give up, because you may never get another chance to make them come true.

I have been dealing with web site and internet connectivity issues since last Thursday, so the posting has been non-existent.  First, my site host lost 2 drives and all of my sites were down for almost a day, Then my blogging software decided to be finicky,  and then my router crapped out on me.  To make matters worse, I couldn’t get my netbook to hook up to the modem through a direct cable connection!  Argh! I hate computers! I have a work around until I can get another router, but it is a pain in the rear. 

We are getting ready for Gold Cup, which is in two weeks, so lessons and training are going full speed ahead.  Last week I was the dunce of my lesson at Barn #2, and it was all because of stupid patterns.  I was having a hard time with a pattern near the end of the lesson, and the harder I tried to get it correct, the more tense and awful it was.  It was horrible.  I am so glad that I am not a Junior Eq rider.  Maybe being old has it’s pluses.

Today I rode Jimmy in a longe line lesson, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so sorry for a horse in my life.  The gnats are eating away at his ears, leaving behind open sores.  Ouch!!  It’s a good thing Zoster is picking up a fly mask for him tonight.  Death to gnats!

There has been a change of plans regarding the housing arrangements at Gold Cup.  We are now all chipping in on renting a mondo motorcoach for the week.  How awesome is that!!  It will be like one big slumber party!  With WiFi!  I emailed the fairgrounds today, and they informed me that they have wireless internet access!  I hope I will be catching a ride there and back, so I won’t even have to drive.  Now, that will really be a vacation for me.  I’ll just have to pack up a box of books, and I’ll be all set to lounge around between class sessions.

We had kitties visit the office last week, and that was a lot of fun.  Kittens and puppies are so, so cute!  You can’t help but want to pick them up and cuddle and snuggle.  The puppy was back at the barn tonight, so I got some puppy love, too.  They don’t stay babies forever, so you have to take advantage of the time when they are.  Especially with dogs.  Once they hit about a hundred pounds, it’s not quite so easy to pick them up anymore.

Bentley

After the horse show last weekend, I took things a little easier during the week to recover.  Tuesday I took off, and during the Wednesday lesson I rode Nyk.  It was pretty uneventful.

Thursday at the other barn was really tough because I hadn’t been pushing myself.  Standing changes the first way were torture, and my balance was off the entire time.  Gah! With Gold Cup coming up, I have to get back on track.

Friday I rode Nyk again because they are doing work in the arena and replacing damaged boards.  The different colored sheets of plywood and missing sections would have messed with Blondie’s fragile psyche.  We took Nyk outside and I drove him in the big outdoor arena.  This was very pleasant.  The weather was perfect, and he just did what he was supposed to.  I have discovered that I don’t realize when he is getting heavy on the bridle when I’m driving him.  It is easier to tell when he is walking, which we did a lot, but when he’s trotting, he wasn’t setting his head very well. 

Sunday was a great day.  Started with Nyk, and he worked well, and then got Blondie ready.  I rode her in blinkers because the arena is still being repaired.  She was very good, even if she didn’t want to set her head.  I didn’t fight with her over it, and instead worked on standing changes and other balance exercises. 

During riding sessions yesterday, I kept going to the upper barn to play with the puppy.  One of the barn help has been bring her and she stays in the entryway to the restroom.  So cute!  At first she was a little scared when I picked her up, but she quickly got over that and started cuddling.  Puppies are so awesome, and there is nothing quite like puppy kisses.  She is 8 weeks old and so far nobody has been immune to her charms.

After I put my horses away, I stayed to watch Elmer’s first day under saddle.  The guy who owns the puppy likes to break colts, so he told M he would help her with the horse.  It was pretty interesting, and by the time I left, he had Elmer trotting and cantering around the round pen, with no drama.  No bucks or rearing or bad behavior. 

Nyk and my awesome hat

Here is a quick wrap up of the show last weekend.  While I enjoy showing in the Coliseum, the fairgrounds are an utter dump.  The same trash was strewn about the grounds from the ASHAM show, and as it's the governor's fondest desire to close it down completely so it can sit vacant for the next several years, declining further, I guess it was silly of me to expect that they are actually maintaining the property.

Nyk's classes went without a hitch, but we blew the championship again!  He just gets so strong and forward on the bridle, and I can't keep him from racing around the arena.  I think that if someone warmed him up first, he wouldn't have been so out of control. 

Blondie's practice ride was the usual struggle, as she shied and spooked during her refresher in the arena.  D could get her to stay on the rail, but I could not.  She was especially terrified of blue trash cans this time around.  Sigh.

Audie and Bentley

Our first class was not so pretty, and we were 5th out of 7.  The Show Pleasure Novice class, though, was the best we've had.  She bridled very nicely and behaved herself.  We were 3rd out of 8, and I was thrilled with that. 

The championship class didn't go right from the get-go.  Blondie wouldn't open her mouth when she was being bridled, and she just started getting all pissed off in her stall.  In the ring she was acting like a total wench.  Once we got into the show ring she was spookier than the day before and she resisted at the walk.  Still, we placed, when usually we don't.  I was tired, she was tired, and we were both ready for the show to be over.

Alexis and her borrowed pony

A couple of things were very frustrating this time around.  I warmed up my horses, and I don't think I'm the best qualified to do that.  I wish that the trainers had at least warmed up Blondie so she would have gone along a little easier.  For one class, Blondie and I were left pretty much to our own devices because another rider was in the ring right before us.  I hate that.  Other trainers made sure the horse didn't kill me, but it would have been nice to have one of MY trainers within shouting distance.  I often feel that where Blondie is concerned, she is not the priority, and that makes no sense to me.  She is a reflection of her training, and I believe that she can perform better than she has.  Why am I the only one that feels that way?

Saturday was gray and rainy, so we went to Bahama Breeze for a shot of fake sunshine. This place is very pricey, but I do like to go there for a treat about once every two years.  I didn’t even order what I really wanted because they don’t have a lunch portion, and I didn’t feel like spending 17 bucks on my entree.  Dean ordered it instead, the jerk.

Settling in for my meal

We started with Fire Roasted Jerk Shrimp.  You can never go wrong with shrimp!

This was very tasty – the shrimp were served in a buttery mess of roasted garlic, tomatoes, and the bane of my existence, onions.  It was accompanied with a loaf of warm, crusty bread that was perfect for sopping up the glop in the skillet.

Dean’s Paella – this is what I wanted, but the price held me back

My lunch, salmon pasta, lunch portion.  It was little disappointing.

Despite having many of my favorite green things, basil and spinach, the mango cream sauce was bland and tasteless.  Some pepper flakes should zip up the leftovers.

Look!  The sugar packets have their logo printed on them

Dean’s banana supreme.  This was a large serving of spice-nut bread, ice cream, and bananas.  I ate the mint leaves!

My dessert – chocolate island – this was divine. 

The mousse was light and fluffy, and the sliced almonds gave it a nice texture. The brownie was disappointing, though, and had the consistency of a hockey puck.

Lunch with tip what a whopping 65 bucks.  I don’t think it was worth it this trip, and it will be a while before we go again.  The service has certainly improved, and we were approached by several servers to inquire about whether we needed anything. However,  I am still suffering from sticker shock.  They need to seriously tweak their pricing scheme.

Leela

The week has been pretty uneventful, other than being very busy.  Had mixed success during the week with both horses, but had great rides today. 

Tuesday I rode Blondie with a show bridle, and she was her usual skittish, spooky self.  I am getting better at giving on the bridle, even when she is being stupid, so all was not in vain.  Bad habit that continues to plague me – I hold the right curb rein tighter than the left, and that just pisses her off.  Now that I am aware of this problem, I am better able to correct it, because I at least think to check the reins now.

Wednesday was Nyk’s turn, and he was a very pushy pony.  We used his training bridle, but he forgot his Ws – whoa and walk.  M had to remind him after the lesson.  We started with a draw rein, but that was just making him bury his head between his knees, so after a few trips around, I rode him with just the snaffle rein.  It is still weird riding without a martingale, and I think that was freaking me out a little.  It’s not like he’s going to go anywhere, he just develops a deafness when he’s asked to do anything slower than a trot.

Friday we rode outside with the show bridle, and Nyk sort of remembered how to walk.  He got a refresher on this, and we walked, and walked, and walked.  I was having a problem keeping him up on the snaffle, but it was because I wasn’t catching him fast enough when he started dropping his head.

Today was a great day at the barn.  The weather was lovely for a ride, and both of the horses worked well in their show bridles.  Nyk went like a little trooper, and because Blondie had plenty of company in the ring, she didn’t even think about getting stupid.  The key to keeping her from getting silly is to work her with another horse in the arena, and I am really starting to think it is as simple as that.  I hope there are lots of horses in her classes at the show next weekend, so we can both relax and concentrate on showing, not getting scared of ghosts.

Me and Blondie

Wow, I can’t believe it’s already been a week since the horse show!  It has flown by!  The euphoria is starting to fade, so it’s a good thing that there’s another one in two weeks.  I am counting down the days.

I am all fired up now with the successes at the show. I was finally able to see pictures of Blondie from the show, and I had her head set the best I ever had!  Now I have to work on driving her forward and getting more impulsion so she trots higher. 

Nyk is easy to show, but I need to concentrate on keeping him slow and driving him forward, too.  I decided to take him to Gold Cup, and we are going to mainly drive there to get qualified for OKC.  The Spring Show is in two weeks, and I’ll be driving and riding him in two classes each.  Blondie will be in three riding classes.

Lessons during the week were really hard!  My legs were sore after riding so much over the weekend, and then we did no stirrup work every night but Wednesday.  Ouch!  My thighs have been cramping up, so I need to remember to drink more water with the warmer temperatures.

Tuesday I rode Nyk, and while we didn’t drill him every hard, I worked on the sitting trot serpentines.  I started with no stirrups, and tried to work into using my irons.  My seat just wasn’t deep enough to keep from bouncing around in the saddle, though.  I haven’t discovered the secret yet, but I won’t quit until I figure it out!

Wednesday night was Blondie’s turn, and it was so frustrating.  She wouldn’t stop pulling on the bit or shaking her head.  I wish I knew how to make her stop doing it!  I guess I must cut her some slack for working so hard during the weekend, but that doesn’t mean that she can take advantage of the situation.  It is very aggravating when I try to be light with my hands and give on the bridle, but she then takes the opportunity to drop her head.

Thursday I rode Lucky in a show bridle, and we did so much no stirrup work!  Lots of cantering circles, which I really felt the next day.  S also didn’t like that I was holding my arms out so much, which was a result of riding Blondie the night before, so she put a whip across them and had me trot around, keeping it balanced.  So hard! I was able to keep it perched precariously across my arms for much, much longer than previous attempts. Yay!

Friday night was a fantastic lesson, one of the best I’ve had with one of my horses in a long time.  Again, lots of no stirrup work.  Posting trots with inside iron dropped, or with both dropped.  Ouch!  I rode Nyk, and didn’t have much trouble doing whatever I was asked. 

Today, I rode Blondie, and she was good until the end of the lesson, when she started spooking at the back gate again.  Then I drove Nyk, and he was great.  He likes to drive, and he looks really cute doing it.  Only problem is keeping him at a flat walk.  He thinks he is a roadster packed into his classic pleasure body.  We will do well driving, IF I can keep him from jigging down the rail.

This morning, Sarah rode Congo.  That was fun to watch.  He is a skittish two year old.  Sarah, you are more gutsy that me, by far!!  You did great!  It was funny watching D running along side them with the lunge line, too.