2012 Schedule & goals

Yeah, I know, it's mid-May and I am just now making up a 2012 pony schedule.

The whole moving thing prevented me from laying down solid plans.

2012 still remains the 'Year of Education' and my primary goal is to learn, learn, learn. I want to take this year to move us up a level and come out in 2013 and show Second Level. A lofty goal? Maybe. Maybe not. I think we can do it.

BUT ... let's face it, I LOVE HORSE SHOWS.

... this was after the test where Hampton spooked at his own feet
and bucked through canter transitions.

So I am going to try to keep it to one a month. And for now, I am sticking close to home. I would love to venture back to some old Indiana stomping grounds, but perhaps next year. Although I WILL be returning to the Hoosier Horse Park in the fall.

I considered Dressage at Lexington (that's the big show in Virginia people, not KY). It's a 6-hour trip and would by far be the most prestigious dressage show I will have ever shown at. (I did show T-Bone at Lamplight one year, but I think it was one of their smaller shows). I thought and thought about it. Maybe next year. I need to save my money for training this year and so I can do shows at home. A trip to Virginia would wipe out my budget for almost 2 months. And that's if I only enter 2 classes. Yikes.
Here is what I've planned out so far.

June 8-10: FHF Adult Dressage Camp: 3 days of intense training and learning with one of my favorite instructors as well as Susan Peacock and Pam Lifton Banckner, who will also be giving lessons. I just need to find a place to stay for those 4 days ....

July 8: Antebellum Farm (KY) Schooling show. Dressage and Combined Test. First Level and watch out we are going to do the STARTER combined test!!

August: TBA. Several options to choose from. Prefer a rated show. Ohio or Kentucky

September: Harmony in the Park Dressage (rated show); POSSIBLY another show this month. My goal for this season is to get my first 2 scores for my USDF bronze medal (2 scores at First Level. About 62% I think? Will have to double check. Must be from 2 different judges, 2 different rides)

October: TBA
* I'd really like to find a schooling show in the fall and show Second Level test 1. I MIGHT do this at Harmony in the Park. Depends how the summer goes. We can do the test movements, but the quality can sometimes be .... uh .... "winging it."

November: Maybe squeeze in one last show?

And of course in between shows as many lessons as I can afford. I know this summer will also be a little bit about instructor shopping. I learn a lot from James Houston, but I just want to know what else is out there. Someone who can give me lessons inbetween trips to see JH.

Quickie: Sexy and I Know it

I did not expect this nerdy musician to take this popular song and NAIL IT. But he did.

Getting more Peter.

;)

Another sunny, beautiful day in Lexington watching horses. BOO HOO!!

I found Amy and Steady at the Peter Atkins clinic. Steady looks FABULOUS by the way. My camera loved him. Make sure and check out Amy's blog for more details and photos I took from Saturday.

I hope they come down to Kentucky more to visit and play. :)

I also hung out with Kelly from Dressage Pony and Amy (yes, another one), who rides Moose. I didn't get any photos of them with my own camera, but took some of the pair with Amy's awesome camera. Check her blog to see those. LOVE this pair as well!

I of course wish I had been riding in the clinic, but chilling out with awesome friends and horses is the next best thing. OF course Peter is wonderful to watch and learn from. Here are a few photos I took:

Steady smells Peter's butt. Oh Steady. No shame!

Peter's speech. He gives one every lesson.

This horse was very tense, sucked back and on the verge of explosion. Peter talked this rider through it and even gave her extra time at the end of the lesson.

Dear Hampton, here is how you lower your haunches and work those hocks.

Amy and Steady. 

This rider was very timid and fearful, but she pushed through it.

I love Steady's feet in this photo.

Stretch.

I love how wise Steady looks here.

Peter did not let his broken foot stop him from helping riders.

Love the shirt.

Amy shows us how to kick up, stand up, look up.

Very cool to see this rider conquer some fears.

Another clinic rider.

Oh hei camera lady!!

All I wanna do baby zoom zoom

Our jumping lesson this morning was ....

A BLAST!!!!

Hamps is one game little poneh. He LOVES the jumping thing and is so clever and smart. And he takes care of me when I screw up. Bless his little heart! (Said in a Kentucky accent).

We started out trotting into a a little one-stride. EB (our instructor) watched us go through a couple of times and said "Uh, you've done a lot of flat work with him, haven't you?"

Why yes!



Guess what?! We have graduated from crossrails! :)



We moved on jump the once-stride, to a 6-stride bending line to a triple bar ... to a scary, horse-eating rolltop. He did stop once at the rolltop, but we went over after that. I mean, it is different looking and also yellow and green. We had a few "creative" jumps over the rolltop, but our last time over was beautiful. At least he was going over!

We continued to add more jumps onto our little course. After the rolltop, we swung around to a 2-stride (planks and a stone wall), then a white gate and then a green and white oxer. Hamps jumped around like a little pro. We have had one flying lead change (on accident). He has never offered up lead changes before, even when careening around jump courses totally off balance.

I was reasonably good with my upper body. There were a few times when I did revert back to my habit of whipping my body forward at his neck. Ugh. I figured out WHY I do this. 1) Part nerves/fear of getting left behind. 2) I do when my lower leg isn't on/solid.

If I kick or squeeze at the base of the fence, my upper body stays quiet and still. I just have make this a habit.

I did enjoy EB's lesson and I think I'll keep riding with her for jumping. She's going to take a little group of us across the road to school cross country soon (the stable across the street has their own cross country course. Bitches.). I stayed to watch her teach a dressage lesson, however, and I wasn't all that impressed. She is a great person and a good rider, but the lesson I was watching was basically a game of Simon Says. You know those instructors, "Walk. Ok trot ..... nice. ..... ..... ..... (silence)."

I need you to be demanding of me! Tell me what I suck at. Give me exercises to improve me and my horse. Make us both sweat and work for it! That is just what I learn best from.

***

I also met the resident GORGEOUS farm boy today on my way back to Hampton's field. I know, I know ... how UN-DQ of me - flirting with "the help." For Shame!! But let me tell you if you saw this boy you would bat your eyelashes at him too. His name is Tommy and he might be the hottest farm boy I have ever met. And I have met a lot of hot farm boys. (ok this is starting to sound bad ... )

Before I really embarass myself, I should stop writing.

Off to Lexington tomorrow to watch Amy and Steady! Pics to follow!

(If I get brave, I will stalk Tommy and post pics for you to enjoy)

Quickie: Equine Ulcer Diagnosis

Just a quick post before my lesson this morning. Here's an interesting video about ulcer diagnosis.

Hanging by a moment

More good rides this week. Hampton gets better and better each ride. Today I ran through all of First-3 (not in the right order, however). Everything felt easy.

I felt like I had "control of the moment." Know what I mean? Do you ever go in to ride a dressage test and you feel like everything is coming up too fast and you basically just get the movement done in order to get to the next?

With my previous horse, T-Bone, every test I rode felt like that. Of course I was in control of my horse (mostly), but never felt in control of the moment. My brain sounded like this:

"Ok trot, wow this is too fast SHIT gotta circle now ... oh dammit he's above the bit ... CRAP walk transition. OK made it happen ... that freewalk was pathetic ... dammit passed the letter where I was supposed to trot ... road trot! weeee!! ... this sucks! shoot me in the face!!"

That feeling is going away and I feel really good about making our First level debut (whenever that may be!). It is well within our abilities. When I ride the test movements, I feel like there is more time to prepare, to set us up for success, to THINK. Today my brain sounded like this:

"15 meter canter circle, lovely ..... ..... .... now prepare for loop ... look for X ...... stay on that outside rein ............."

Make sense? No? Is it just me?

ANYhoo ... tomorrow we have a jumping lesson with the resident instructor. I do not know much about her, but I figured I would give it a shot and go in with an open mind even though I know she is not LAZ. :)

I'm thinking Hamps will get Saturday off because I am going to Lexington to watch Amy and Steady clinic with Peter Atkins. :) Love his teaching and Amy and Steady are OK, too. :) heh heh. I am breaking out my Nikon D70 and hope to get some great photos of them.

I also have a secret agenda do continue on my quest of networking around Kentucky for horse people. I'm not sure I am 100% happy at the barn I am currently at, but that's another post for another time.

In other random news, work has been stressful. Lots of long hours and overtime (6 day weeks for a while) ... which stinks, BUT, I'm taking that sweet OT and buying something nice with it. A new saddle? New dressage coat? Maybe just a cotton-pickin vacation?

:)



In case you are bored with ear shots, here is a BUTT shot.



Ramble on.

Hampton is doing just fine, but I am still adjusting to Kentucky weather. It has been pushing 90 degrees for almost a week and my metabolism just isn't up to speed yet.

He's annoyed that I've tied him up and he can't eat.
But LOOK at his weight!!

The heat has forced me to take it easy with Hampton. (For my sake, I tend to get overheated when summer first starts and I'm not a big fan of passing out on top of a 17.1 hand horse).

We have been diligent in doing our homework - lots of walking, bending, slow trotting, more bending. It now takes less than 5 minutes for him to take a steady connection with me. Before the Houston clinic, it would take 15-20 before we were really warmed up and connected.

Today's ride was extra fabulous. I threw in some shoulder-in and gentle leg yields to see what I had. No problems. After the World's Best Walk-Canter Transition On a Straight Line (I literally squealed with joy), I worked through First-3 canter loop both directions. EASY!!

After that we stretched out and walked back out to the field.

I'm hoping to pop over some jumps this week to reward him. And hopefully trail ride out to the creek and waterfalls. I'd prefer some company since I don't know where I'm going and ... you know, in case something goes wrong.

Speaking of which. GUESS who got himself cast/stuck after rolling too close to the fence today?

Won't name names, but his initials are HAMPTON.

a 30+ acre field and you roll into the fence Hampton?

I had just grabbed my leap rope to go rescue him but I stopped and watched him.

Horses who get cast typically do 1 of 2 things.

1) Panic and hurt themselves or break something.
2) Lie there and wait for help.

Hampton didn't panic. And he didn't just lie there. He very methodically scooted his neck and shoulders away from the fence until he was able to pull himself forward and then get his hind legs under him.

It was incredibly intelligent and clever. Not a scratch on him, although I'm going to get the chiro back out here next week as he needs another chiro round anyway. I'm sure this incident didn't help. He seemed fine, though. He got up, turned around, proceeded to buck, and galloped off to his friends.

I'm also starting to scope out a few small, local shows in the area.
And of course more lessons. :)
My goal is to hit up some rated shows this fall and HOPEFULLY get my first 2 scores toward my USDF bronze medal. :)