Like flying a kite.

As if right on cue, Hampton had a major case of the spring stupids today.
I knew it as soon as I cross tied him. There was excessive RaptorSnorting (Hampton's trademark sound). Dancing in the crossties.
Pooping.
And generally giving me a hard time. (He got several elbows to the ribs).

I did not hesitate to break out the lunging equipment. I lunged him for maybe 10 minutes and he was frisky and tense but not badly behaved. However, when I got on I knew right away that he was no where near relaxed. Also, it was sleeting and snowing. Yay. (Oddly, it wasn't that COLD ... but the precipitation was annoying)

So, I set up the below exercise. Four groundpoles in while we trotted over on a 20 meter circle until I felt a little more confident that my horse and my butt were not going to part ways. He never did anything super bad (except spooking at GOD KNOWS WHAT), but I like to prevent things before they happen.

After I felt his back start to relax, we did leg yield off the rail - over the poles - leg yield back to the rail. This turned out to be a super exercise and almost immedately his back relaxed even more and he was swinging in the trot. I even snuck in some shoulder-in and sitting trot. He was still fresh but I thought hey, for a nasty day at least I was sort of productive and called it quits. Even after our ride he was STILL snorting and dancing in the crossties. DAAAYMN horse! He likes to remind me sometimes that he is indeed 3/4 TB and also not even 6 years old yet. This behavior not even a week after he packed me around at a horse show and slept through a leadline class.

Here is my awful drawing. The red lines are the 4 ground poles. The blue dots are the track we took.

In which we somehow score a 71.5 in Second Level.

So this happened yesterday:

That gave us first in a class of 4 other people - including my own instructor!

We also won the First level group (consisting of people doing First 1 and a couple of us doing First 3). We earned a 69% and some change in that one.

I tacked Hampton up at home, tossed him on the trailer and at the show we unloaded and went right to the warmup ring. No lunging. No nuthin. He was all business and was right there for me every step of the way.

Our First Level test was good ... but I know it can be better. Out first test is always more choppy. Also the footing was deep and wet (with a big puddle by C) and I think Hampton was being a little bit of a footing snob about the lengthenings. But we got it done. We nailed the canter loops and leg yields were decent.

The Second Level test was perhaps the best test I have ever ridden. I am beginning to think that both Hampton and I just do better in more difficult tests because there is less chance for our minds to wander.

(seriously - I have ridden Training Level tests and actually caught myself thinking about what to eat for dinner in the middle of a 20m circle ...)

The test wasn't perfect - in fact I think the judge was VERY VERY generous - but I was thrilled with it. I think at a rated show, we would have pulled off a 64 or 65%. I'm not putting myself down here, the test was great, but I'm a realist and I don't think it was 71% great. :) The judge even complimented me at the end of the test and said my simple changes were "seamless." ...!!! I almost laughed because this is what we struggle with most in that test! Our changes were good, but he was a bit braced against me and somewhat on the forehand. We got an 8.5 on those movements. I dunno maybe it feels worse than it looks?! I wish I had video!

We have a long way to go in Second Level still. As you will see from the photos, he still needs a much more uphill balance. I need to pull my shoulder's back, sit down and point my toes forward. I need to work on sitting the damn medium trot in which I feel like a wet sack of potatoes flopping on his back. Which then causes him to go downhill. Blargh. But it will come. :) I am just being picky here. These are all very normal issues in a developing horse (and rider!).

Ok I done being critical of myself. :)

The day was a total blast. I first saw Hillary with the gorgeous Houston and she immediately told me of their incident that morning when their trailer came unhitched from the truck!! Everyone was OK and it ended up not being a big deal but talk about your worst nightmare! Anyway both of them are always so well turned out. I watched them warm up a bit and they looked great. So smooth and quiet. You'll have to read her blog to find out how they did but I will say they also had a fantastic day!

The other gals from my barn also did really well. A couple more blues and good rides.

The boy ended up winning a blue ribbon in his leadline class, too! HAHA!! This was at the very end of the day. We had started drinking beer and mimosas at 10 a.m. ... and he rode near 5:30 p.m. So ... I was impressed he did not fall off. haha.

Now on the to the good stuff. Photos!!!

Hillary and Houston

Houston looking dapper in his cooler.

First Level test 3 

The Boy told me to wink here ... so I did, and it just looks like I have
something in my eye. Meanwhile, Hampton looks cute. haha.

Hillary hired herself a groom. hahaha :)

It would be nice if I would put my shoulders back.

I love the scenery at this farm.

Hampton's counter canter is awesome despite the fact that I need
to sit my ass in the saddle.

This is just ... priceless.

Second Level Test 3

As usual, Hampton acquired a fan club.

They gave him 2 blue ribbons.

Upcoming

We're hitting up a schooling show on Sunday. It's very local. Maybe 3 miles away?

(we did a mini trial at this farm last summer)

 I still feel so lucky to have so many shows to choose from here in Lville. I mean literally. I have to pick and choose! Back in Indiana I did not have that luxery at all. And there are so many shows that are 5-10 miles away from us here. It still blows my mind. I love it! They range from fun schooling shows to rated horse trials to CDI dressage shows. Take your pick!

Random purty photo from summer. When grass was green.

My only goals right now are to get down the centerline as much as possible before we hit up the rated shows. I need to knock off the rust on my end, especially. Hampton is fine. He is a good boy and I am at the point where I can trust that he will hold up his end of the bargain now at shows. (i.e. he is not going to act like a buffoon).

And I cannot tell you how great that feels.

The problem is me. I need to ride for every point and get better at thinking in the moment during tests. My mind tends to race and I end up either forgetting parts of the test or, you know, forgetting to actually ride. The only way to remedy this is to ride billions of tests.

Our last show was early December 2012.

I picked 2 tests to ride. First 3 and Second 3. I decided to ditch Second 1 because for some friggin reason I find it so hard to memorize (that's the one where I forgot 2 entire circles the last time). It has a choppy, annoying flow and I just generally hate it. Second 3, while BRUTAL, is easier for me to memorize and has a much nicer flow. We can execute all of the movements and while we need polish, I don't feel like we are going to totally flounder around. ... famous last words ...

But ... the best part is that the boy is going to do the adult lead line class on Hampton. He is very excited about "making his debut" (he says) and that afterwards he will now be a "true dressagist" and asks if he gets a card that says so? Do not worry, many cameras will be on hand for this event. He has been bragging to his friends that he is going to a horse show in which I am going to "tow him around" on Hampton. I frankly almost look forward to this more than riding my own tests. Ha!

Also get to hang out with fellow blogger and member of the Giant Big Bay Goofy Gelding club, Hillary and Houston of Equestrian at Hart. Looking forward to cheering them on, too!

(Hillary, your boy should do the lead line class. How hilarious would that be?!)

Schedule for the rest of the week:
Tuesday (today): Lunge day (too cold and windy and all the pasture horses were snorting, bucking and running so I decided to make the wise decision and stay on the ground. Although Hamps was very well behaved)
Wednesday: OFF (I have to work. Hampton gets spring shots)
Thursday: Light ride due to Wednesday's vaccinations? Maybe day off.
Friday: Ride. Do homework (sraightness!!!). Maybe test elements.
Saturday: Lesson? Work on test. Clip. Clean tack. Salvage muddy boots. Try to clean beast.
Sunday: Show!

I wear your granddad's clothes.

We've still plugging along in the sandbox. Things have been going really well. I am so proud of Hampton for being such a good sport as I fumble through teaching him 2nd and pieces of 3rd level. But ... we can't have good days every day! Right? Maybe Steffen Peters does?

Today's lesson was not bad. It just wasn't as good as we have been all week. It was COLD and WINDY. Both of us started out cold, stiff and a bit cranky. If I had been working alone, I would have spent 10-15 minutes just trotting forward and doing figure 8s or something just to let our muscles warm up. But, my instructor, J, put us right to work practicing some test elements.

We did NOT, under any circumstances, look like this.

There was sucking back. Bucking. Flinging of the head (his and mine haha). More sucking back. Crookedness. Bucking. Pig rooting. Threats to rear. Cussing. Bracing in the neck. There were moments when I thought "Oh my God, we would not even be able to do a training level test like this. Am I in over my head?"

Oh this is more like it!

But sure enough .... 20 minutes into the lesson both of us FINALLY got warm and all that crappy behavior vanished. It's too bad, which left us with just 25 more minutes to actually work on the test and not just keeping the horse under me. He just takes a long time to warm up - especially in this weather. He's a big horse. I should have realized this sooner and just asked to work on lengthenings or something forward that uses a lot of energy to warm us up. Ah well. No damage was done but certainly not a confidence builder a week before a show. Sheesh!

Phar Lap on You Tube!

Phar Lap is easily my favorite horse movie EVER.

The full length movie is on You Tube. Sweeeeeeeet!




Enjoy!

Shine bright like a diamond

He looks so pimp here.

After working hard in the sandbox this morning .... in a t-shirt ... 60 degrees in Feb?!! OK !!!! .... I decided to reward Hamper by taking him to the jump field. The footing is finally safe to ride on (it's all grass and has been too muddy or just too slick recently).

He was pretty pooped from dressaging but we jumped a vertical and the gymnastics line from the Dorothy lesson. He wasn't as zoomy as usual, but he jumped quietly and was very obedient. I let him open up his canter around the field, too! So fun!! It's so nice to let him canter big and open after all our collected work recently. He seemed to enjoy it but was tired for sure. :)

It's really a shame that this perfect day has to be ruined by my office job.

Boo, hiss.


More Hamper photos ...

Body shot. He's looking a bit more fit. But not in the mood for photos. :)

Snout!!! Oink!

Gorgeous, gorgeous day!

If you play Howrse ...

My name on Howrse is limerancetrace if anyone wants to add me as a friend.