Don't stop goin', goin' south

Was chilly, but not Cold AF like KY was.

I think this was our third December trip to Aiken and we made the best of five days of course. Hampton hauled great and after a settling hack on Monday after our arrival, we hauled about 15 min away on Tuesday to an equestrian neighborhood where we had a lesson with Alex Gerding in the neighborhood community ring.

Can I have a neighborhood dressage arena please?

Anyhoo, we lessoned with Alex and then on Thursday with KE who was also new to me and I REALLY enjoyed her lesson of really digging into the basics.

Lesson time

We hit up the Stable View schooling show on Wednesday where I ran through my new 4th level freestyle basically for the first time in an arena. *cringe* I couldn't hear the music but even so it went really well and scored a 69%.

Tack cleaning haha

Friday we spent time just floating around Jumping Branch where we did some poles, a little bounce, some "galloping" and played in the water complex. I love Aiken because I can let Hampton really open up out in the fields as the footing is such nice sand instead of muddy ruts and holes like Kentucky fields.

Bad video grab of Hamp jumping out of water haha.

Saturday we did the recognized Stable View show and Hampton was FRESH and TIGHT. He hasn't been like that in years. I was a little unprepared but the freestyle went fine and scored a 67%. When I went to do 4-1, he had gotten even tighter and basically drug me around. I could barely touch his sides. In fact he kicked down a board during a flying change.

Usually Hampton is naughty maybe once a year and I think that was the day. hahaha. 

Stable View: Photo by Meghan Benge
Not pictured: Me absolutely fighting for my life lol

We of course hit up the good food spots and shopping. Hitchcock Woods is still closed from hurricane damage so that was a bummer.

It is really a pleasure to show Hampton at 4th level which is not easy but it does not put pressure on him anymore. He feels happy and possibly a little too fit. I just have one more 4th level freestyle score to get for my silver freestyle bar.

For now, we keep working. The hardest part is staying motivated.