A week long break from riding apparently did me some good, though it seemed a little torturous at the time.  I headed to the barn with a great deal of anticipation, and even the awful traffic failed to change my mood.  It was a little cooler, which was good as I'm not yet ready for temps in the 80s or 90s.  I think it's going to be another hot summer.

I rode Classi, and really concentrated on nice transitions.  More importantly, I forced myself to sit up straight.  I have a bad habit of slouching on her, leaning forward and looking sloppy.  After looking at pictures from the horse show, I realized that this an area that I need to spend a lot of effort improving.   The lesson was all about walk/trot/canter, and M said that I was riding much better.   

Tonight's lesson will be taught by A, because M is going to be judging a horse show.  I haven't seen her in two weeks, so I'm looking forward to it. 

Here is my first lame attempt to create a video. It took longer to get it up loaded than anything else!  I'll try and make a longer one next weekend, which I actually edit different clips instead of just adding the music.  I'm using Movie Studio, and I know absolutely nothing about the program. 

The zoom button on my camera is broken (I've had it about a month and a half!!) so it's going to have to go in for repair - don't know if I have enough footage to make something worth watching.

The highlight of the weekend!  After 2.5 years of horse ownership, Dean finally came out to see my girl!  This miraculous event only occurred because I had to drop Sarah's thumb drive off at the barn.  While we were there, he actually got out of the car and came in to see the horses.   Yay!  I think he liked Harley the best.

Now he keeps telling me what a nice brown horse I have.  Idiot!  She's chestnut!

Since I'm on a week long break from riding, and it's a long weekend, Dean and I headed out to find some cheap entertainment.  First up, we stopped by Indian Springs Metropark to check out the pond dome again.  Last time we visited in the fall, and the water was so murky it was impossible to see anything other than a few water fleas.  This time we saw some fish, snails, and lots of water fleas.  Oh, and a leach.  Then we took a hike along one of the nature trails. 

Yesterday, we went to Domino's Farms.  I figured that there would be a ton of baby animals, and I was right!  There were baby cows and goats and bunnies, and tons of chicks.  We bought a basket of carrot slices and it was fun feeding them to the goats.  One of the pigs investigated my pocket, leaving a muddy residue in its wake.  Hope it wasn't pig poo.

We had a lovely meal at Blue Nile, though I was left with a bit of indigestion this morning.  All of those lentils, I guess. Today we are just hanging around the house, and hopefully heading out for a quick bite to eat.  Then it's back to the daily grind tomorrow.

Major thanks to Beckz for admitting, publicly, that she enjoys my blog.  Thanks for giving me the "I Love Your Blog  Award"!  It makes me happy that someone other than my parents tune in to my horsy adventures and that she doesn't think that I've lost my mind (unlike some other people!)  Beckz helms I Will Jump Sweet Jumps, and she's brave enough to jump her horses!  I'm a firm believer that what goes up usually comes down with a crash, so I have generally avoided trying that little endeavor. 

I would like to pass the award on to my favorite Great Danes,  Kaya and Luna.  These pretty girls know what's important in life, and they are quick to enjoy themselves at the beach or the in their backyard.  They are also very photogenic, so it's worth a stop by their blog, The Adventures of Kaya and Luna.  Keep up the good work, girls!!

Blondie getting new shoes

After the super busy weekend last week, I am finally starting to feel less exhausted.  In retrospect, I should have taken a break from riding on Monday, because I was going to be out late Tuesday to see a movie, which I never do during the week, and the Wednesday riding lesson is pretty late for me.  I went instead, and was up late trying to get a review finished for the other blog. 

We concentrated on equitation patterns during both classes, in part because the equitation classes at the horse show didn't go quite as expected.  In fact, I hear they brought on a bout of tears amongst the participants.  Ugh!

I rode Jimmy on Monday, and we practiced serpentines.   Jen just did not see the purpose for them, and Doc was just putzing along, which didn't help matters.  Jimmy has done the pattern at academy shows, so he was spot on for me. 

Wednesday I rode Classi.  She is a great equitation horse.  She will canter, on the correct lead, with just a squeeze.  I do have a problem getting her to trot, though.  She is so quirky!  She thinks she needs to be cantering instead of trotting, and if you kick instead of squeeze, she gets all flustered.  Talk about being sensitive!

The first pattern we practiced just gave me fits.  It was a serpentine, and you had to trot 2 half circles and canter 2 half circles, your choice of how to complete the pattern.  I started on a canter, which was smooth, but the rest of the pattern just degenerated to a big mess because Classi wouldn't step into a trot.  Argh!  Have to work on that a bit more.

The next pattern was canter down the quarterline, changing leads halfway.  Reverse and trot back on the same line, starting with the left diagonal.  Stop, back 5 steps and trot to the line up.  We nailed the cantering part, but trotted back like drunken sailors.  The back was rough because Classi doesn't like to back, and I trotted to the lineup on the wrong diagonal.  I am so glad I don't have to perform these exercises in public!  There's something to be said for waiting until later in life to learn to ride.

There are no lessons until next Wednesday due to horse shows (for the Morgans), and the holiday, so I will be chilling all weekend long.  Tonight I am running to the Japanese store with Jen to try to purchase a bag of rice - the price has jumped from 14.99 to 19.99!  I hope they have some left by the time we get there.

Ok, so I was forced to leave behind horse show fantasy land and return to reality, which consists of a pile of mail to go through and a wasp buzzing around the computer room.  It keeps hiding when I grab the fly swatter - pesky thing.  Buu was happy to see me, and that's always good to know.  I think Dean was happy, too, but he's not as open with his feelings.

Yesterday was rather uneventful.  Stopped by Tokyo Sushi for some rice curry and a crunch roll, and ended up with enough leftovers for dinner.  Those in room fridges and microwaves are so handy.  Then rode Classi and drove Blondie in the evening session. 

D reshod Classi to see if she would move a little better.  She has a little hitch in her get along but he can't figure out where it is.  Then they tell me to always ride the left diagonal before going into class.  Like, 2 minutes before the class.  I just can't mentally adjust like that when they tell me to do something that we train all year not to do - ride on the wrong diagonal.  Led to a little discussion after the class with M about me not listening during class.  Not changing the game plan two minutes prior to class would have helped!  I do not adjust well when I am freaked out before a class.  Anyway, since it was just a one horse class, the agony didn't linger on for too long.  Oh, and I won 60 bucks for my troubles.  Yay!

Blondie's driving championship was a one horse class, too.  I couldn't keep her on the rail, and her head wasn't straight, but I didn't want to get into a fight with her when it didn't really matter.  I figured I would be after her in this morning's class to make up for it.

The Challenge of the Breeds Eng Pleasure Champ. was a 9 horse class.  I love big classes!  Our warm up consisted of a trot around, and a canter around.  We have determined that Blondie does better if we don't bring her out until the last second.  I was still freaking out because all of the other entries had left the outside warm up ring long before, but they had just relocated to the dusty indoor warm up ring.

I have to admit that trotting through the chute at the fairgrounds and emerging in the arena is about the most fun you can have.  I think I lived for those brief seconds all weekend long.  I was able to do it a lot, since I was in so many classes.  It's not quite as fun in a buggy, but it's still a rush.

Blondie was so good during the class.  She walked for me, she trotted, she cantered on the correct lead both ways.  She wouldn't stay on the rail, though, so I tried to just keep her on straight lines about 10 feet off the rail.  D had told me on Thursday to just be consistent with what I did, and don't get upset if she wouldn't stay on the rail.  M kept telling me to just ride straight lines.  I was fortunate that many of the transitions were called near her end of the arena, and she talked me out of a pretty ugly walk.  Left rein, walk to the rail, turn, walk a straight line. 

I know that I didn't keep Blondie's head set the entire class, but she did everything that I asked her to.  She even stood relatively still in the line up.  We were 3rd out of 9, and that is the best we have ever done.  Leasing Classi has really helped me learn to ride my horse better, and I am feeling really good about the show.  Now, if I can figure out when to use more snaffle or curb rein, I might start getting this down better.

Uncle Rich came to watch my class, and after watching some of the kids ride, we went and had breakfast in Ferndale.  It was nice catching up with him - we hadn't been able to get together since the holidays.

And that ends the second horse show of the season.

Disclaimer - Not proof read in the slightest bit.  Be nice and ignore the typos.

I am so tired!  Having two horses to show is a lot of work, and I'm exhausted!  It doesn't help that the fairgrounds aren't exactly close to the hotel I'm staying at.  I forgot how awful the traffic is on this side of town - so glad I relocated!  Yesterday I was pretty much stuck at the fairgrounds, because my showing schedule was scattered during the day.

Bad news - both my SLR and my video camera are on the fritz.  The SLF is displaying an error code for the sensors and the zoom button on the video camera is broken.  They are both going to have to go in for service.  Boohoo.

Yesterday was a more successful day.  First was Classi's halter class - I have never showed in one before, and I had no clue what I was doing.  Plus, they show differently on the Arabian circuit than on the ASB circuit.  Since it was a one horse class, it didn't really matter how much I goofed up - Classi tried to make herself look stunning, to overcome my lack of experience.  It was kind of fun running around the judge with the horse trotting behind me.  We are going to try this again at the EMA show in two weeks.  There will actually be come competition there.

I rode Classi in the afternoon session, after taking M to the hardware store to get clamps so he could fix a couple of horse shoes.  Classi in the riding class wasn't quite as helpful as in the halter class, plus, I was so nervous I could barely function.  I don't know what the heck happened with that - I think the class with Blondie had me a little on edge.  I had a few problems with Classi, and we were 2nd out of 2.  Still, for the second time I've ridden her a show, we didn't become totally unglued.  I did, however, make a lot of stupid mistakes - hope I don't repeat them in the championship!

The parents and Jen arrived for the evening session to cheer me on.  D decided that I would drive Blondie in the first class, and then ride her in the Challenge of the Breeds class 3 classes later.  There are no required halts, so he thought she would be better, and that I would have a better ride. 

The driving class was boring, since it was just us, so I didn't push her, since she would be riding shortly after.   I could hardly hear the announcer, though, and since I haven't driving CP before, I wasn't really sure about what I was supposed to do!  Everyone has been complaining about the overhear speakers being so difficult to make out.   It is a good thing the steward and the judge are so helpful!  Blondie was very good during the class, and she even halted with no problems.  Blinkers are such a wonderful thing.

The riding class was a blast.  Jen and Sammy went in it, too, and there were 6 or 7 riders.  Blondie did every I asked her to, except walk the second way.  M yelled at me to sit down when we jigged by her.  Got the canter leads both ways, and we ended up 4.  I'm very happy with that result,  and I'm finally starting to feel like we are making some progress under saddle.

So, here I am at the horse show. Or more specifically, back at the hotel. Listening to the construction yahoos congregated outside my door discuss how they don't smoke pot before they're going to drive. Good thinking, guys! Now get the hell away from my door and hang out somewhere else!

I will keep this post short and sweet because I'm exhausted, and I'm disappointed with how our class went.  D decided to drop Blondie to Country Pleasure - you  know, where manners count.  I have one of the most ill-mannered horses in the barn.  That's just the way she is.  If you get after her for being a pig, she gets piggier.  She thinks she is far too good for manners.

The warm up wasn't too bad, though everyone was yelling at me about having my hands too high.  Just a few weeks ago, they were yelling at me for not having them high enough.  Wonder where the confusion comes in??  I don't.

Fast forward 3 hours, and it's show time!  We were in the 6th class, with 5 other horses.  Blondie was fine trotting in.  The real problem began at the walk.  There were horses in front of us, so I stopped in the middle of a rail.  She was suddenly certain that something was going to leap over the rail and eat both of us.  This mannered country horse was hopping around and acting like a complete fool.  Then she was fine on the canter, the reverse and the next trot.  At the walk, she was a spooky mess again.  I'm very discouraged with our performance.  On the bright side, I stayed on her, even though she looked like a crazed beast.  You can guess where we finished, so I won't insult your intelligence by actually typing it out.

The recent lack of updates is due to fatigue.  I am trying like heck to fight off a cold, and after riding yesterday, spent the rest of the day napping and reading.  It figures that one of the flakes I work with would bring the plague to the office.  Now almost everyone who works up front is sick!  Just keep your germs at home!  I'm the only one who has to work when they are sick!

Friday was a good lesson on Blondie.  She was a very good girl, and after, M said we would try her show bridle on Sunday.  Yay!

Yesterday was a dreary, raining day, more like a fall afternoon than a spring one.  It was depressing, and me not feeling well didn't help much.  I rode Blondie first, and then Classi.  They changed the bit on Blondie's bridle, and "A" warmed her up.  It's a good thing, because the silly mare spooked at her bridle.  Bits are so scary! 

I kept cueing the canter with both legs, which had M tearing her hair out.  I wasn't the only one, and that had her grinding her teeth in frustration.  Hey, the horse show is only a few days away, so we really have to boost up her anxiety level.  Did a pretty good job, too!

"A" was yelling at me when I was riding Classi.  Too much curb rein!  You are going to get in trouble because you are using too much curb rein!!  The session with Classi will not go down in history as a stellular lesson.  It didn't help that I wasn't feeling well.  Oh, well, there's always another day to try to get this right!

Which brings us to today's lesson.  I rode Classi again, in a training bridle.  And what does "A" tell me?  Not ENOUGH curb rein!  Is it any wonder that I am confused about this particular issue?  More with a martingale, less with a show bridle?  Argh!

I was also told to stop yelling at the poor horse, aka, kissing when cueing the canter.  Classi doesn't need that.  She doesn't like that.  Too bad I am conditioned to DO that.  Oh, well, there's always another day to try and get this right!!!

Jen had a interesting moment, as her saddle slipped.  I don't know if it was during the canter or just after, but all of a sudden, she was sliding off of Doc.  Good thing "A" caught her!  Yeah, always check that girth before getting on!