Show results!

Having arrived at Come Again Farm safe and sound, I unloaded the horse and found our stall. There was a little bit of yelling on his part, but as soon as I threw him a few flakes of hay, the screaming and talking stopped for the rest of the day. Good boy!

Because of the drama with the trailer, I had arrived later than I had planned and had only about 30 minutes to clean him and tack up before I wanted to go lunge and warm up for our first test: Training Level Test 1 Novice Horse. I had hoped to at least handwalk him around the show arena (it's an indoor in another barn on the property), but I was out of time. We would have to enter the show ring cold turkey.

Our warm up was ok, but we did battle some tension. He was well behaved but was tense in the back and his strides were short and choppy compared to what his normal gaits were. Surprisingly, he didn't buck into the canter transitions which is normally what happens when he is a bit tense. But the canter was out of balance and "Thoroughbred-like." No offense to TBs, but I think everyone will know the "type" of canter I am referring to when I say it was TB-like. It wasn't ugly, just not has rhythmical as he is capable of. My parents were both there and my father is the ultimate ringmaster  - giving me the time and minutes I had left before my test each time I trotted by. LOL. I said he should be careful or someone is going to rope him into being a warmup ring steward at a rated show.

It was time and we walked over to the show ring.

And to my pleasant surprise, Hampton handled it well - having never seen the ring before in his life. No spooking, although he did want to stop at the big open door a few times. Our test went pretty well, the canter was still icky but we had good moments. 64%!!  First place!

After the first test, things just kept getting better. He really started to relax. Second test was Training Level Test 1 Open. Better canter, more good moments. And more sucking back at the open door. This caused us to break at the canter once, but I had a good recovery. Another 64%. First place!

Last test was Training Level Test 3 Novice Horse. I had a brief moment of panic when, while walking over to the ring, I realized I did not have this test memorized! Damn Karen what kind of moron are you! So I would have to mostly guess at what I could remember from reading it a day or so ago. This time, during the warmup I schooling him past the open door a few times and booted him past it when he sucked back. HA! I thought, fixed that issue.

We started our test and NOW he spooks at the OTHER end of the arena! LOL!!! We had a really good test except the last canter he did one of those spook-canter sideways-deals which then caused me to forget where to do the stretchy circle. So -2 points there. With those bobbles, 62%. First place!

Frankly I could not have been more happy with his behavior and performance. He is green, I am green and rusty. And I consider it a success when you take a young horse to his first show and 1) you do not fall off. 2) you stay in the show ring and 3) you don't plow someone over in the warmup. The good scores and great rides were icing on the cake!

My friend took photos which she will hopefully send to me soon. Hampton was so cute with his mane braided!

**

In other news, my friend's father was nice enough to fix my trailer for me while we were there. The door is shut now, but it will need new welds and hinges in order to be usable again. Next week's project is to take the trailer in. If it's going to cost a ton of money, I'm just going to sell it and get a new one. It's not worth putting a lot more money into it, in my opinion. We'll see.

It's always something!

Saturday morning started out great. The roads were clear and I was up and out the door on time. Everything was packed, I got Hampton fed, braided and cleaned up (as best I could having just pulled him out of the field). Got the trailer hooked up and it was 7:29 a.m. Perfect!

Hampton loaded up like a champ. I got the back ramp closed and went back up to the front to tie him and shut the side door.

It didn't shut.

Hmm, ok so I slammed it a bit harder.

Nope.

Slammed it a couple more times (all the while Hampton was standing quietly munching hay, such a good boy). It was soon obvious that in the process of opening the door in the first place, the cold and the rust and the fact that the trailer is old... that something was now bent and out of whack. The door was not going to shut.

Shit.

I can't drive down the interstate with my side door half open! I briefly considered just not going to the show. Cursing at myself because it's always something!! The last time I tried to go to a horse show it was 2009 and T-Bone tried to KILL HIMSELF before we even hit the road.

Sidenote: I looked back in my blog and can't believe I never wrote about that day. In a nutshell, T-Bone was loaded in the front slot in a 3-horse slant. We had the second horse in and T-Bone, normally a decent traveler and certainly never one to flip out, suddenly DID flip out - throwing his body around and managed to mostly jump over the divider (I had released the slip knot he was tied with). He got 3 legs over, but his left hid leg got stuck and left him straddling the divider. He was just hanging there ... and then went into shock. His gums and eyes turned grey and he stopped responding. I really thought I was going to pull  a dead horse off the trailer. With the vet on the phone, he suddenly came to and slid backwards off the divider. Amazingly, he was no worse for wear except a big bruise in his crotch and a small cut on his side. It scared the living crap out of me and my friends who were there. Anyway THAT was the last time I tried to go to a show ...

My friend and I tried numerous ways to tie it shut. After about 45 minutes we finally came up with a combo of bungees and a lead rope and got the door to stay as shut as it would go. She said she would follow me and if at any moment she noticed the door bouncing or anything else go wrong, I would turn around. I agreed. Feeling like a hilljack who has to rope her trailer door shut. God.

Thankfully, the trip was otherwise uneventful and we made it to the show safe and sound.

To be continued! ...

The Halflinger and the Thing: Part 2

He's here!

PONY!!

Name: Baxter
Age: 10
Breed: Halflinger

The BO and I are splitting Baxter's costs, as he will also be used as a horse for her to learn dressage on as well as a lesson pony for advanced riders. He is also my little schoolmaster of sorts so I can practice more advanced movements before teaching them to Hampton. Baxter knows all the second level work, plus half pass, piaffe and a little passage. A few years ago, he was champion in training level at the USDF regional championships (for young riders I think? I'd have to check).

There is only one problem. (and thus why he came to me)

Mr. innocent

The pony is a shit.

He's not dangerous, but he can be obnoxious on the ground and will test you under saddle. He proved to be too much horse for the previous people who had him as a lesson pony, so his owner (also my instructor) thought I might enjoy having him and enjoying his training. Uh, duh! 

I'll be riding him tomorrow for the first time and I can't wait. :)

Can you imagine me pulling into a show with Baxter and Hampton! LOL!! Hilarity. Two totally opposite horses in just about all respects. I know he'll be good for me to refine my skills. I don't have a problem dealing with his antics. So exciting! He's a super nice pony so I hope that at some point I can afford to show him.

Keeping my fingers crossed that this "winter storm" they are predicting does not keep me from going to the show on Saturday. Otherwise, i really need to memorize the tests and clean more tack. Hampton is ready. :)

He has a full head of hair now ... but not for long ...

A quick update

In typical Indiana fashion, the sun is (sort of) back out today, and it was 35! Enough to make the areas nice enough to work on. Yeah! Got some lunging work done with Hampton today. He will go under saddle tomorrow and Friday then.

Also rode Zippy today - who was so good. It's obvious that he just needs a confident leader. Poor guy is just insecure. But he did much better with steering and was quick off my leg this time. His does need his wolf teeth pulled, which I checked after he was a pig to bridle. But otherwise, he was much more quiet in the bridle to ride. I'm happy with how he's coming along. Such a good soul.

Annnnd got the ride times for the show on Saturday. 11:09 is our first go, 12:57 is our last. This will make for an easy day! Booyah!

That's it for today's quick update.

Plug your ears.

Yesterday it was 34 degrees and pouring rain. I didn't work Hampton. Sorry, I'm just not that hardcore. No biggie I thought. Well today Indiana decided that 25 degrees and snow sounded like a plan. Ok, I can suck up the cold.

Oh but what do you know. Both arenas are - yes, FROZEN with lots of ruts.

Excuse me for a minute.

AGRGAHAGAHAGH F*&**(*( M**&() AGRHAGAHDGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He worked like such a champ last week that I'm not too worried. I do hope we can fit it a few more work sessions before the show this weekend. That would be nice. But if not, I'm all about winging it. I'm actually thinking about hauling him down Friday night now, to allow for a little more time for him to settle. And it would  be a good experience for him to have an "overnighter." We'll see.

I tried not to stare at him too long today. He's got mud-cycles at the end of his tail and on his fetlock hair. his needs clipped. his trace clip is horrifying ... he does not look like a show horse right now. ugh.

In other news - I have managed to give his bridle a really good cleaning. it will need another once over before the show, but at least I've been somewhat productive the past 2 days.

How to pack for a horse show

I used to be a groom for a Morgan show horse barn back when I was a teenager and in college. So I know all about how to pack up trunk after trunk, bussles, sheets, blankets, bridles, saddles, hay, grain, supplies, jog carts, and stuff them all into a horse van.

But.

It's been a few years since I've shown and had to pack for one. Like since 2007. I am really nervous that I am going to forget something really basic when I take Hampton to his first show next Saturday. I mean it's only a one-day show, but still. I feel rusty!

So I'm making a list. It's mostly for my own purposes but feel free to borrow and copy it if you want. :) Oh and if I forgot anything really obvious for a schooling dressage show, please for the love of God let me know.

For the rider (me):
• Helmet
• Hairnets
• Riding gloves (just going to wear my school gloves at this show)
• Tall boots w/ spurs
• Garment bag (which already contains bobby pins, hair ties, boot pulls, knick-knacks)
• Will dress in the a.m. and just put sweats over my warm beeches so no changing needed at show

For the horse:
• Old towels for grooming
• Groom bucket (already contains brushes, combs, curry, hoofpick, etc.)
• Braiding supplies (if I do not braid him first at home)
• Saddle
• white show pad
• Bridle
• Side reins
• Lunge line
• Lunge whip
• Riding whip
• Sponge
• Polos for schooling
• Cross ties
• Water bucket

Misc:
• Video camera
• Nikkon D50
• 4-5 flakes of hay to last the day
• Cooler (the horse kind)
• Cooler (the human kind, for drinks)
• Folding chair
• Show bill w/ ride times

This list will be much larger for a recognized show where we would likely travel far enough to have to spend the night. And all Hampton's paperwork (Coggins, etc.) has already been submitted. I'll probably bring an extra copy just in case.

Anyone else have any packing tips, tricks or funny forgetful stories? :)

The Halflinger and the Thing: Part 1

I am going to be a busy girl this spring.

In addition to Hampton, I now have 2 additional creatures to work with.

The first guy is named Zippy.

Don't laugh.

A halter champion he is not.

The BO purchased Zippy to be a therapy horse (she runs a therapeutic riding program as well as the boarding portion of her barn). He is 4 years old. No one will be able to guess his breeding so I'll just tell you. Arabian. Belgian. Appaloosa. Yeah. You read that correctly. Anyway, she needed a horse that would be capable of carrying some of the heavier riders.

Zippy accepts a rider on his back. But that's about the extent of his training. I worked with him for the first time yesterday and it took me 5 minutes to even get him to lead out of the barn. He just kept backing up. Um, ok. Then he shied and ran into me. Not allowed. So after a few minutes of explaining to him what leading is ... he decided to walk nicely by my side to the big outdoor ring.

I introduced lunging to him - which he picked up quite easily. This surprised me considering he really wasn't even halter broke by my standards. Then I got on. He stood nicely to be mounted so someone obviously did a good job on that. But that's about all he knows. Steering? D+. Whoa? B+. Go? D+. Although I must say that he did learn that legs=go now without an issue. I didn't even have to smack him with the whip - just a tap tap did the trick and soon he was moving off with light leg pressure. So he's a sensitive feller and really quiet for how green he is. We just worked on steering and walk trot transitions with some whoas thrown in there. He's like riding a young horse on its 2nd or 3rd ride ever. He's clueless, but willing and not silly.

So I'm getting some extra cash for putting miles on him. This really helps me out with finances and Zippy will learn what life is like as a working horse.

The other project - the awesome Halfinger arrives next week. More on him soon! To be continued ...