This horse show was just brutal in terms of getting anything else done during the show.  The storms yesterday brought the pace of the show to a screeching halt, too, and it took forever for the evening session to wrap up.  Audie was in the last class, so I stayed to watch her go, but I didn’t get back to the hotel until almost eleven.  That is way past my bedtime, and I had to be up, packed, and out of the room by 7:50am.  I am so tired, and I didn’t get to read anything, play Dark Spire on the DSi, or take a nap.  I didn’t even get to eat anywhere more exciting than Pancheros.  It’s going to be a challenge to keep the other blog rolling in reviews because I haven’t had time to read anything!

Me and Nyk

The championship with Nyk went well, but a junior exhibitor edged us out for the win.  Since I used up Nyk’s energy in the earlier class with the roadster gait instead of the road trot, he was one tired little pony.  He tried to give it his all, but he didn’t have a lot left to give.  I don’t know why they had the qualifier and the championship on the same day, in back to back sessions.  The jr eq horse was fresher because it got to go first thing in the morning, while Nyk went later in the afternoon.  Anyway, good first time out for Nyk, though I was disappointed that he didn’t win it all. 

I am more excited about the classes today.  We were in a huge rush to get Blondie ready because there were five of the kids from the barn in the showmanship class, and it took a lot of effort to get all of the horses ready.  There was supposed to be a five minute break before the performance classes started, but they didn’t follow the schedule.  M was just freaking out that we were going to miss the class.  I wasn’t really all that stressed about it; Blondie works better with a very short warm up, and I thought it would be best to just trot into the class.

Blondie

Because the warm up ring, which is outside, was underwater, they were allowing a 2 minute warm up in the ring before they called the class.  I should have just stayed outside until it was time for the class to start, but I trotted in to get her around the ring.  She got a little goofy, and I just wanted the class to begin before she started blowing off her feet.  Finally, it started, and I learned more about my horse during that five minute class than I learned about her in the last four years.

I was having a problem at the far end, with her spinning around and getting light on her feet.  M was on the other end, and she told me to loosen the curb rein.  Then it dawned on me; every time I have had trouble with the mare in the show ring, I was hanging on the curb rein and pissing her off.  I let off on it, and she was good for the rest of the class.  Still a little spooky and she still wouldn’t go near the rails, but she didn’t get ignorant.  We didn’t place very high because she spun around in front of the judge, but I hoped that I had learned from my mistakes and we’d have a better showing later in the day.

Getting ready for the class

During the class, I also tried to stay behind a horse, because Blondie works better when there is a horse ahead of her.  I tried to park behind one of the trainers, but her horse was faster than Blondie.  Then I almost ran up Big Bob’s butt when we transitioned to a walk.  I wasn’t finishing rails, which was leaving too much time at the walk, which Blondie doesn’t like to do.  I cataloged these errors in judgment, talked to the trainers, and worked out a plan of attack for the next class.

In the afternoon session, we tried again.  I felt much more confident, because I understood that I was making Blondie do most of the stupid stuff she has been doing.  I let up on the curb rein, took and gave, took and gave on the snaffle rein, and tried to only adjust my reins on the corners, setting her up for a nice show pass.  I tried to keep my fingers light and not clamp down on the reins.  I finished every rail, even if it meant not walking.  Both D and M said the spinning around was worse than not walking.  Most of the trouble I have is at the walk.  When Blondie is moving at speed, she stays pretty solid.  It’s that walk that kills us.  So I tried to set it up so we did it as little as possible.

We had a good class, and we placed in the middle.  Last year we were last.  I learned that my mare gets pissed when you pop her in the mouth with her curb bit, and she doesn’t forgive you for it.  I have to keep my hands still, still, still or she fights the bridle.  She is actually easier to get her head set than Nyk, but you can’t bump her mouth once you have it where you want it.  It has taken me four years to figure this out.  Or it has taken me four years to ride well enough to do it.  Now D said that he is going to soup her up a notch, because she is more of a country pleasure horse now than a show pleasure horse.  Hopefully we will be more competitive for the next show.

The name the of the game this afternoon was rain, rain, rain.  It just poured at around 1pm, then it was touch and go after that.  It rained so much that the classes were warming up in the arena because it was too muddy in the warm up ring, and nobody wanted shoes pulled off.  Needless to say, I haven’t been able to make much use of my camera, either.

There was much drama and heartbreak this today for the kids.  Sarah was excused from her class because Wild Child started acting up when she asked for the canter, hopping and being a bad, bad girl.  It’s not anything that Sarah couldn’t handle, but the judge didn’t know that, and so she was excused from the class.  It turns out that the mare’s curb bit was too tight; no wonder she was so pissed off.  Sarah rode her again in the afternoon, and other than an occasional bobble, things were good. 

Nyk’s second class was late in the afternoon session.  We had a brief warm-up, and then it was into the ring.  This was a great class, because I learned something new.  I discovered the true meaning of road trot.  It does not mean kick up as fast as you possibly can.  No, sir!  It means a noticeable difference in speed.  Nyk and I were at warp speed, but we still managed to win the class.  Yay!

The morning session was freaking crazy.  M and Zoe almost missed their class, and then Laurie got confused and had to get dressed in about 3 minutes.  Fun times all around.  Zoe was extremely flustered by having to rush, and I don’t blame her for being upset about that.  It’s stressful enough going into a class, but having to rush around and not get an opportunity to warm up your horse makes it even more difficult.

Blondie was in the middle of the morning session, and she did better then I thought she would.  The first way she was fairly solid, but the second way she would not walk straight along the rail.  She keep veering into the middle.  Like way into the middle.  Like a little too close for comfort to the judge.  Sigh.  We’ll do better tomorrow morning.

Nyk goes again this afternoon and then tonight.  I wish he was only going once today – it is so hot!  I can’t believe this weather.  If it wasn’t for the breeze, it would be unbearable.  And it’s only April!!

Laurie, despite having to get ready in record time, won her class on the new horse, Leela.  They looked great, so the secret to her success is to think that you ride in the evening, even though you ride in the morning, and then get your suit, tie, and hair in a bun in 3 minutes.  So funny!

It is way past my bedtime, so here is the quick version of tonight’s events.

Tonight was the first time that I would be riding Nyk at a real show.  Things are always crazy the first night of a show, so I didn’t get to warm him up beyond a trot in each direction.  Then it was into the show ring!  Wonderful!  Good thing he doesn’t need much of a warm-up.

Nyk was a perfect gentleman!  He did everything that I asked him to do, and he didn’t even take off flying down the rail.  He did try to get a little quick, but he checked back when I asked.  We even got to reverse and trot!  Not reverse and walk. Reverse and trot!  That is my favorite part of the class.  It is so exciting to cut through the ring and really strut your stuff for the judge.

We ended up in first place!!  Yay!  I felt kind of stupid when our number was called, because I forgot to look at Nyk’s number.  Everything was such a rush, I kind of forget to look.  So when they called the number, I didn’t know whose it was, until after a long pause, and then they said Nyk’s name.  Oops!

The victory pass was also a little amusing.  My little pony was so excited by that time that he took off at a canter and I couldn’t get him back down to a trot.  He was so happy to be out there he just couldn’t contain himself.  Silly pony!

We took Blondie for a test drive after the last class, and while she wasn’t awful, she was certainly a handful.  Tomorrow’s class should be interesting.

Checked into the Staybridge Suites with little effort, though the only employee at the check in desk had to keep answering the phone.  Kind of annoying but I’ve had to deal with worse.

I’m very impressed with the room.  There are 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a full kitchen, and 3 flat panel TVs.  Oh, and one DVD player.  Too bad I won’t be in the room much this show.  Since I ride in every session, I’ll be at the fairgrounds most of the weekend.

Here are some pictures –

The most important appliance in any kitchen.

Smores, anyone?

A dishwasher, even!

Cups, plates, utensils.  All the comforts of home

Flat panel and DVD player. Too bad I didn’t bring any anime with me!

Bathroom #1

Loads of fluffy towels

Creative desk lamp

One room has 2 queen beds

,

Sitting room is a little crowded with sofa and chair

Sunday we had a riding clinic at the barn.  Another trainer came out and shared some of her show secrets.  I have to confess that I wasn’t too thrilled at the beginning, which covered the secret of the perfect bun.  I still think it is far easier to chop my hair off and not have to worry about finding someone to help me with my hair.  Not having a horse show mom really sucks, and I want to lodge my complaints about that now.  Even Jen has abandoned me for the first show – can’t really get after her too much, though, as she’s in Korea for her grandmother’s funeral. I don’t even want to think about how stressful Saturday was after the family heard the bad news; yup, that’s one of those crappy days that you want to permanently blot from your memory.

After the hair styling session, we got the horses ready and headed out to the arena.  There were two sessions, and I was in the first.  I rode Nyk so I could actually concentrate on what Ann was trying to tell us.  She had some very useful tips and like J, emphasizes gathering up your horse on the ends and shooting down the rail in front of the judge with as collected a horse as possible.  Don’t fiddle with your reins on the straight-aways, just set your horse up for the best pass ever.  I didn’t realize how much I fiddled with the reins.  This is something that I definitely have to work on.

She also gave me and Laurie an exercise to try to get us sitting more solidly in the saddle.  This is always something that I am struggling with, and I just don’t know how to fix it.  My inclination is to lean forward; it’s just how I feel more balanced.  Ann had us lower our hands and, at a sitting trot, complete a serpentine pattern.  I couldn’t do it at all – thought I was going to fall off the horse.  I tried again without my stirrups, and while it was the ugliest pattern in the history of serpentines, at least I stayed in the middle of the saddle.  So much work to do.  So little time until show season starts.

Tuesday I rode Blondie in a full bridle after M warmed her up.  We used a blinker hood, and the horse looked really good when M was riding her.  I kept overcompensating when Blondie tried to duck out of the corner at the far end, which started getting her frazzled.  Then I got frazzled.  This is not a good thing, obviously.  Things always seem to fall apart when I am riding her.  I have to remember what Ann told us on Sunday – 75% of the mistakes the judge doesn’t even see because they are usually focused on one part of the ring.  I let every little thing unhinge me, and I have to work harder at just concentrating on correcting myself and riding the horse.

Last night I rode Nyk, and this was just a terrible ride.  First off, he fell earlier in the day.  He was in a bitting rig and he slipped coming out of a corner.  Then, we changed his curb bit, and either his mouth was sore from falling, or he hated the new bit.  Would not keep his head up for anything.  The group lesson got off to a slow start with bit changes and adjusting new tack, and fighting with Nyk just got me flustered.  I was so happy when M told me to call it quits with him, and she would swap back the old bit.   Lessons like that, especially before a show, have such a nasty way of sucking every bit of positive energy out of me.  I came home and Dean told me I have to get tougher and rise above it.  I know that, but how does someone who is normally pretty pessimistic get a bright new attitude?  So what have I learned this week?  That the biggest obstacle to success is me.  How do I fix that?

The first show of the season is next weekend, so we are getting prepped for it.  Show bridles are back on stall doors, and Nyk’s tack came in, so he has a nice, shiny new bridle and girth.  Why are the reins so slippery??  I forgot what a pain it is breaking in new leather.

Tuesday, Nyk worked very well.  He’s ready for the show.  Wednesday, Blondie didn’t work so well.  She is not ready for the show.  She did get her shoes put back on, but I had a problem riding her in a German martingale.  She just doesn’t go well in one for me, and I can’t get her head up.  The last time I tried to use one she got all stupid, crow hopping down the rail and just being a pain in the rear.  After this lesson, M got on a tried to show me what I was doing wrong.  I decided that I’m just going to use a regular martingale from now on.  There is just something about the German martingale and Blondie that doesn’t work for me.

I was getting a little apprehensive during the week, because Blondie still hadn’t been worked in her show bridle.  She always puts up a fuss the first few times she wears it.  Friday rolled around, and M had me lunge Blondie while she worked with Zoe and Jimmy.  Then she took Blondie for a few spins in the full bridle.  The horse worked pretty well for me after that. 

After I untacked Blondie, M told me to get Nyk ready so we could try his new bridle.  The leather is so stiff!  And slippery!  Both of the reins are flat, too, so I’m going to have to find a braided snaffle rein.  I just get confused with two smooth reins. 

It was nice enough that we even went outside and worked in the outdoor arena.  Amber and Harley went with us, and we had a little horse show.  It is so nice being able to ride a horse and not worry about it spooking at every little thing.  I would have spent almost the entire time with Blondie fighting to get her around the ring.  Nyk just goes merrily along, happy to do his job.  What a difference between the two horses.

Thursday I wasn’t feeling well, so I had to cancel my lesson at barn #2.  I was very disappointed about that, because I really wanted another lesson before the show.

Show season is fast approaching, and that means lots of work trying to get ready for it.  Winter returned briefly last weekend, and I hope that it’s gone for good before the show.  It’s not much fun sitting around when it’s only about 30 degrees.

Tuesday I rode Harley, and we did some no stirrup work.  This has always been very hard for me, because he is so lame.  It still wasn’t easy, but I didn't have that I’m going to fall off at any moment feeling.  The lesson went very well, and I even had him crawling down the rail for a pass or two.  Good old Harley tries his best when you ask him.

Wednesday, it was just me and Tina, so we had a little horse show.  I rode Nyk in a full bridle, and it went really well.  His canter was so smooth the first way, but kind of fell apart after the reverse.  M said that she will canter him in the jog cart and see if she can get him to slow down the second way.  We also walked for a long, long time to remind him to be mannerly.  He does not like to walk, and he finds it very boring.  So do I.

Thursday, I rode Tag in a full bridle.  He is really fun!  I was having a problem keeping him up on the snaffle rein, though.  And we cut corners like crazy, so S kept reminding me that I needed to steer.  This was a very uplifting lesson, partly due, I think, to the wonderful weather.  I have so much more energy when the sun is out and it is warm.

Yesterday, I only worked part of the day, so I headed over to the barn early.  I was hoping to be in and out quickly, but that didn’t happen.  The dentist was there, and another student, so it was pretty much hurry up and wait the entire morning.  I didn’t remember paying the dentist the last time he was out, which meant that he didn’t look at either horse.  M thought that he had worked on Nyk, but I insisted that he take another look in his mouth, anyway.  Sure enough, the snippers came out, and then the files, and Nyk was soon under the dentist’s ministrations.  Blondie just needed a little touch up.  I think it’s funny that it cost about a third as much to have 2 horses done than one Buu. 

I drove Nyk, and he went like a little dream, and then I rode Blondie.  She was much better than she was last Sunday.  M did warm both of them up for me, but Blondie even stood in cross ties, so maybe she was just having a hormonal day last week.

I have decided not to drive either horse at the first show; I think things will be hectic enough as everyone tries to get back into the show groove.  After seeing how Nyk went around yesterday, though, I’m kind of sorry that he won’t be driving.  He looked so cute!  Blondie hasn’t been hooked yet this year, so not driving her is a good idea.  She is always an idiot the first few times that she’s in harness, and then she remembers how to go with the cart. 

No riding on Easter; we are heading to Port Huron for Sunday brunch with part of the family.

Last week was a rather hectic week, so here’s a quick update -

The chiropractor was out on Wednesday, and both of my ponies were out of commission for a few days afterwards.  Blondie was especially messed up, and she could hardly walk after getting realigned.  She must have slipped on the ice when she was on turn out during the winter, and M has been saying that she hadn’t been tracking right for a while.  She didn’t feel off, but she was the horse that needed the most work.  Nyk’s neck was stiff, and since last week, he has been able to flex more in the second direction.

I rode Ritz on Wednesday in the group lesson, and my terror of the horse has lessened a little.  Her canter the second way just makes me very, very nervous, like I’m going to pop out the saddle and fall into the dirt.  The first way was great – I am getting stronger and more balanced, and didn’t have much trouble feeling secure.  The other direction is still a challenge, though.

Friday, after a quick lesson with Nyk, it was over the Amber’s house for the first video night.  A couple of us got together to hang out and watch videos and snack on junk that we brought over.  I must be a horse otaku because I was very excited to watch the 2007 Stake Night at Louisville.  My horses will never be that beautiful, but I don’t think I would ever want to show there, anyway.  Talk about high pressure. Don’t think I could do it.

Sunday was very interesting.  M went to a riding camp the day before, and she used me and Nyk as guinea pigs.  She placed ground poles at the halfway point on the straightaway, and then we had to walk, trot, and canter over them, keeping a steady pace the entire time.  Nyk likes to surge down the rail, and having the ground poles there made it easier for me to check him back when he started to get faster.    It was a very useful exercise, and hopefully I’ll remember to use visual points in the ring in the future to rate the horse’s speed.

Next up was Blondie, and that did not go well at all.  She felt jumpy when I got on her, and when we were supposed to be trotting down the rail to get warmed up, she decided to crow hop the entire way down. I never felt that I was not in control or was going to fall off, but D had me get off and he took her for a few spins to get her thinking about working.  It didn’t really work, and when I got back on, she was just being an idiot.  It was a day that she felt the need to act like a mare, and it was starting to get pointless trying to do anything with her.  Instead, we spent a lot of time walking back and forth in front of the scary gate, or trotting into corners and standing with her head pressed against the wall.  This never fails to happen – when Nyk is an angel, Blondie is a demon.  Grrr.

Karen finally found a new pony for the show season. The mare is very sweet, and seems like she’ll be fun to show.  I think that most of us are ready to get the season under way – only a few more weeks until the first show.