Trail video

Here's a video I shot from our trail ride last weekend. :)

We were walking along, everything is quiet, peaceful. The birds are chirping, the wildlife is singing. So peaceful.

Then ...


fffffffffffttttt.

Lilly farts.

And we bust out laughing. So mature.

(Watch it on Yube Tube here in case it doesn't embed right in my blog)

And now we wait

I don't really know if I did well enough at my second job interview this morning to be hired. I just don't know. I tried my best but you never know.

Now we wait.

Please, please.

Ditch the bit?

I've been reading a lot of blogs where horse owners are using sidepulls or hackamores on their horses. I've been sort of half-assed shopping around for a sidepull/hackamore for Hampton recently.

Horse.com had some good selections.

We would continue to use his fat french link for dressage work and shows, but I'd really like a sidepull for trail rides and maybe even jumping. I know he would be fine in it because he steers and stops just fine in a halter and lead rope.

Any suggestions? Any recommendations?

Hittin' the trails

Hampton looked at me in confusion when, for the second day in a row, I had the Big White Box pulled up to the barn in preparation for another road trip. But he and Lilly, the Walker, loaded right up and off we went to Tippecanoe River State Park. It's about an hour drive for us and we arrived with no issues.

Hampton working on untying himself.

Both ponies tied nicely to the hitching post and we both jumped right on with no lunging. Both of them were calm and well behaved the entire time. I was so proud! Plus the park is gorgeous. The entire day was relaxing, although exhausting and the mosquitoes had a FEAST on me. ugh. Still, it was so fun and Hampton really enjoyed it I think. He marched along with his ears pricked the entire time. We both switched out leading and following and both horses did fine. I think we rode for about 3 hours? Um, we did get a tiny bit lost. The park doesn't mark their trails well and the map doesn't match what trails they do have marked so we had to guess and just hope for the best.

Lovely trails! So fun!

I did get a short video and I will edit that tonight. It's really cute. :)

Hampton gets a well deserved day off today. Although he didn't seem the least bit tired yesterday after our ride. Thoroughbreds!!

Halle-friggin-lujah!!!!

Hampton was PERFECT at the show!!

He enjoyed noms 

I hauled Hampton up the road to the White County fairgrounds yesterday for another open show. We went just to play, no showing. And what do you know. No screaming. No uptight attitude. 100% totally relaxed, chill, cooperative horse. *stunned*

Ok, so there WAS some wild bucking on the lunge line at first but after that, it was like al that tension left his system and I had my horse back. I HOPE we have made a breakthrough on this horse show tension problem. I could not have been happier with him.

TODAY: We trail ride!!!

Request!

I don't normally post public pleas but ...

I had an interview last week for a fantastic job at the local university. I really did not expect to get a second interview, but for some reason I did! I go back on Thursday for some testing (the job is mostly PR, design, technical writing, etc.). I really need to blow these people away and am going to try my best.

So please send your prayers/good thoughts/jingles/whatever you believe and send ... to me, especially on Thursday. Getting this job would be life changing. It would not only solve my money problems, but I would have the opportunity to really expand my skills and thus my value.

thanks guys!

In other news ... Hampton had today and yesterday off. Today I brought him in to feed him and he pranced and snorted all the way into the barn! LOL!

Normally, I have to drag his ass in from the field. Not today! Not sure what flew up his butt, but it was hilarious and rather pretty to watch. His neck was arched and he had that proud look in his face. I let him prance as long as he was polite and stayed out of my space. He did, so, ya know, I enjoyed the show. Weird horse!

I am going to drag him to another local open show tomorrow. We are not going to show this time, but just school and hang out. This is now 3 shows right in a row and frankly I don't feel like getting my show clothes dry cleaned again. I don't feel like braiding, again. And I'd really like to concentrate on getting Hampton relaxed. Sunday, if the weather is nice, we are going to haul out for a trail ride. :)

Darn it this horse is going to be bomb proof by the end of the year! :)

Kick in the butt (mine)

Finally got a lesson in last night. It's been a while and we both needed the kick in the pants - especially me. I have been way too nice to the horse and have been letting him get away with trotting around underpowered. He's so big and tall that it FEELS like I'm going the speed I need to, because he cover so much ground. When in fact, he is slothing around with his hind legs dragging behind him.

After a few times of "BOTH LEGS: KICK!!" ... holy friggin cow I had a different creature underneath me. Once we had the forward, there was an instant, solid, true connection. His hocks and stifles were flexing (and sweating!). Bending became easier. Leg yields went from somewhat shuffle-shuffle to DANCING across the arena. I was smiling and giggling much of the time. The horse is talented - I just have to ask for it! 

We also worked on cantered for short distances (4-5 strides) .. then HALT. Back, trot off. This helped lower his croup and forced me to keep him packaged. He needs work on the rein back as he is sluggish and tends to back laterally, instead of diagonal pairs. I think he just doesn't understand it yet.

Here's the bad news.

It's time for a new saddle.

Let's all groan together shall we?!?

1) It's too small for me. J (my awesome instructor) had be halt and lift my knees to my chest, then put them back down. THAT is the position I should be riding in. Yup, I felt that my seat bones were more IN the saddle, instead of ON it. BUT my ... um ... crotch was put too far on the pommel. I need a bigger seat. I mean the saddle is fantastic for riding naughty horses and youngsters in (it's a Wintec and you stick quite well to it. Almost too well). But now that we are  beyond that, and are really started to finesse things, I need to be able to use my seat more in the correct way. 

I'm not going to go out shopping right away. (Because I'm poor). But it's time to start thinking about it.

Maybe a brand new County Perfection will drop from the sky?

Come to Mommy!!