More photos, more analysis

As you can probably tell from the last post, my brain was F.R.I.E.D. from the weekend.

Now that I have had a few days to digest, I think I can wrangle together a post that actually makes sense.

Plus, I've got more photos to share!




Free walk. Hampton's favorite gait.



Friendly barn kitten helps me clean tack.



The boy (on the right) and Hampton wondering why I insist
on prancing around a sandbox wearing white breeches.

Canter lengthening.

I love the effort Hampton gives me during the canter lengthenings. I need to work on bringing his poll up and his shoulders up to me. But this is fine for a 5 year old, very average, TB/Draft cross I would say. Also, can we talk about me and the world's more flexible ankle! OMG. It is literally pointing at the camera. This habit needs to stop. I will take any and all advice.

Hampton really loved his hotel for the weekend. The window
was a big hit with him.

Our homework this year is uphill uphill uphill!! This is nice, he is tracking up,
and accepting contact as well as giving me his back. But now we need more
thrust, more swing.

I have serious homework to do in the sitting trot department. I have no issues at the working trot, but the mediums throw me for a loop. It's not the sitting that bothers me, but that fact that my feet come out of the stirrups. They start flopping around and I can hear my stirrups jingle. So I am going to try and get some lunge line lessons in. Plus I think it's a matter of fitness (for both of us, really). Lots of collected trot, push into medium trot transitions. Maybe I only sit a few strides at first. Eventually I will find that balance. This is all very new to me and Hamps is very patient while I try not to flop like a sack of potatoes. In fact, when he feels me become slightly insecure, he slows down. I don't punish him for that - he's just being a good boy - but it dings our medium scores. I'm the one who needs to do the homework on that.

Not very accurate, but a good pony.

I also lost A LOT of points for simply being inaccurate. Like the above photo, I should have been starting either a shoulder-in or a lengthen here (I'm not sure which test this is ...) and I'm nearly past the letter and we're still in working trot. My right lead 10 m circle was too big both days. I cut corners. Amongst other lost points due to my bad riding. I need to school accuracy at home so it becomes habit for both of us at shows. Also, more schooling shows for us so I can get more miles.

In other news ...

Hamps and I have taken a few days to chill out and relax. Today he was standing at his door nickering at me so he's probably ready to be ridden tomorrow or Friday. He seems in good spirits. I, however, am still majorly stressed out from non-horse related events in my life at the moment. That's for another post. Basically, I am living out of my car because my living situation at the new place has become very uncomfortable. So I have to find a new place to live AGAIN. Soon. With very little money.

But the good news is that Rolex is coming up and I'm going on Saturday. Woooot!!

I can hear my checking account wail in pain.