Photos from the show!

Well, I am exhausted so I will save my write up for tomorrow. But I will say that as usual, it was an adventure. :) No blue ribbons and no super awesome scores but  a really fun day and some hilarity. :)

Here are some photos for now:

yeah baby!

After giving Hampton Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday off ... I rode him lightly this evening. And he was SO ON. The canter was back. He was up in the poll and right there for me. So I quit after 10 minutes hoping that same horse will come with me to the show tomorrow. So it's a go!! Can't wait! (Please let the storms stay away ...)

.... to be continued!

No freaking out needed

You guys are 100% right. Giving him time off before a show isn't going to affect his performance on show day and infact just might make it better. So that is what I am going to do. I may lightly lunge him Friday evening just to make sure he isn't officially lame (if that's the case obviously we won't go to the show). Frankly I am the one who needs to practice for the show - not him! :) And I have Zippy and Marisol to practice my tests on tomorrow and Friday. It won't be perfect but I can at least ride the pattern. I doubt I would have ridden Hampton today anyway since this sudden hot weather has everyone acting rather blah (I'm not complaining!! It's just that we aren't used to it yet)

So today was the perfect spa day for the big H. I clipped his legs, trimmed his mane and gave him a good bath and scrubbing. I also washed his filthy tail. I think I'll wash the tail again on Friday for good measure. It's so nice to enjoy those few minutes when your horse is clean and shiny and smells like V05 ... and then they roll. *sigh*

And now I must go shower. Clipping horsie + lots of sweat = very gross human.

Edited to add: Just got my ride times for this weekend. Our first test isn't until 2:17 p.m. Sweet Jesus a horse show I can take my time at!! Plenty of time to get there and school. YAY!!

Dang it!

"Treat?"

So Hampton's right leg/hock/stifle? is bothering him again. Damn it! I hope I didn't push him too far on Friday. His canter that evening was fan-freaking-tastic. So the point where I started to ask for canter-walk transitions and just a tad more collection. I was smiling the entire time!

Saturday we did only trot work and a trail ride. Sunday we did ground poles on the lunge, a little piaffe work in hand and some fun free jumping on the lunge line for fun. Monday he had the day off. Which brings us to today. He was working just fine - I wanted to go back to easy basics today and school Training Level Test 1 a bit.  We also did a few leg yields at the trot. Many circles. The right lead canter was still lovely, and the left lead wasn't to the point of "oh shit I need to call the chiro" bad ... but it was stiff. And he wanted to drop the inside shoulder (not like him). During one downward transition (to the trot) he even took a really stiff/lame step with the right hind as he switched gaits. *sigh* Oh Hampton. So while our ride was good, and our run through of the test was acceptable ... now I'm not sure what to do. Do I give him another day off the week of a show? Do I keep working him lightly? ahhhh!!! I know tomorrow he will spend some time in his magnetic hock boots ... and I guess I'll work him lightly and see where it goes. A back massage is probably in order.

Aboard Noah

Noah the giant also is making progress - as slow as it is sometimes. Today I rode him off the lunge line and with no ground person for the first time ever. And he was totally fine. Steering needs more work, but he's coming along. I am loving the hot weather. It makes for cooperative young horses. heh heh. Tomorrow I'll climb back on him and see if we can trot. He is likely going back home at the end of the month so I supposed he should be at least walk-trotting under saddle. He just needed so much handling and ground work to start with. And I think that's more important.

Hoping everyone's ponies are well behaved and healthy! :)

Who am I with my horse?

I took Baxter home yesterday morning. :( On a good note, he was a peach to haul and hopped right on my trailer.) I will miss him though and all the fun upper level work I could practice with him. :) He is now living at the big farm where I take lessons so I will still be able to see him and even ride him on occation.

It's back to serious work for Hampton this week in prep for our May 14 show. I'm breaking out my 101 Dressage Exercises book for guidance.

And on an interesting note, I came across this website recently. I took the personality assessment quiz and ended up with a tie between a Healer and a Shaman. I can relate to qualities of both, so I think it's pretty spot on. Check it out - which one are you?

Here's part of the Shaman description:

How they see the world. As connected and as One. That everything happens for a reason and there are no absolutes, no either/or. 

 How they are toward others. Balanced. Enjoy the company of others but also appreciate solitude. Seen by others as calm, wise, pleasant to be with. Enjoy being “in service” to others. 

 How they see horses. As partners. As different but equal in terms of deserving a voice, a choice. Advocate for horse. Horses drawn to steady, calming ways. “Horse Whisperer.” 

 What they want from a horse. Whatever the horse is able to give given who they are their situation and their history. Will ask of a horse and then wait to see the response. Expectations are minimal – take what is offered by the horse and work forward from that point. 

 As a riding student. Have a special connection with whatever horse they ride. No matter riding ability have a calm, open, curious presence when learning. Will be less inclined to choose mechanical aids for riding (crops, whips, spurs, some bits, biting devices). Uncanny ability to calm horses in any environment with no obvious effort or technique – just their presence. 

As a competitor. Less drawn to competition than other archetypes. If compete has the ability to stay calm and focused. Enjoys the challenge of competition in partnership with horse. Results not so important. 

 Riding discipline drawn to. Shamans have such a deep connection to horses they can step into almost any discipline and create a profound relationship with the horse. 

 Horses they are drawn to. Horses of all kinds are drawn to the Shaman and most Shamans appreciate all kinds of horses. 

 Horses they should to avoid. None. A shaman is a gift for any horse to have in their life. 

Greatest Strength. Way of knowing intuitively and through wisdom how to connect and form a true partnership with horses where the horses have choice. 

 Greatest liability. Not being understood or accepted by others who still see horses through a dominance/submission paradigm. 

 

Ramdom noms

Well that little virus I had on Sunday turned into something rather nasty. Monday was horrid and yesterday both of my eyes became infected. Isn't that exciting? So Hampton has had a few days off. I went out to the farm today just to spend time with him, but figured I could use one more day off to let myself recover. Plus I hate riding in my glasses and I can't wear my contacts until my left eye is a little less angry and goopy.

So here is a random video of Hampton mowing around the farm this morning. I didn't add music to this one because there is something about the sound of a horse munching away that is so soothing to me. I am sure you all can relate. :)

Also, I realize that letting him loose with his lead rope dragging is not really safe, but he doesn't freak out when he steps on it and he is always supervised when I allow him this freedom. Ok there's my disclaimer. :)

Lesson report

So since Friday I have had a nasty sore throat and have been losing my voice. Sunday I woke up with 2 earaches and a stuffy nose, too. Great. However, I was so looking forward to loading Hampton up on the new trailer and taking a lesson that I sucked it up. Anyhoo ...

He was a little reluctant to load at first. He's not scared, he just plants his feet. He's never been on a trailer with a divider before, so I let him check things out. And he eventually sauntered on.

"I guess this trailer will do ..."

We arrived at the big dressage farm and Hampton was a champ! The more places I take him the better he gets. I think he hollered maybe 5 times the entire time we were there. A big improvement from our last lesson when he thought he should be a stallion and yell constantly.

The actual lesson was great. He started out distracted (one of the big doors was open, and it wasn't last time we were there), but with work his brain settled and he was fabulous. My instructor was most impressed with his upward canter transitions and his overall canter - saying you can't ask a 4 year old to be much better than that. :) This meant a lot to me as the canter is where we have struggled most. I wish I had gotten video! 

We did many leg yields away from the wall, and lots of "almost walk, then trot" exercises which I do a lot with him anyway. We also worked on trot lengthenings and holy. cow. I do not have mirrors at home so I had no idea that how much he has really improved on those. We can't make it all the way across the diagonal yet without Hampton losing his balance, but yeah there are some GREAT moments there. 

He was such a good boy. I am so so proud of him. Although when we left he was a turd about getting back on the trailer. Ugh. So my instructor helped me work with him on my own (no encouragement from people outside the trailer) but making his life a living hell outside the trailer and letting him rest if he decided to come in. It took maybe 10 minutes but he decided to come in finally. :) That is something I need to work on. I mean this is really only the 4th or 5th trip he has ever made in a trailer. 

What Hampton thinks of his green and pink boots!

I feel pretty prepared for the May 14 CAF show. Lots of practice the next 2 weeks for sure. :)

I am so jealous of everyone who went to Rolex. It looked like so much fun. Perhaps next year for me.

And now back to relaxin on the couch nursing myself back to health. *cough* *sniffle*