Mini Horse Trials: The results!

I had the trailer hooked up, Hampton braided and cleaned up and 2 mimosas by 7:45 a.m. Sunday.

Ready for Competitive Horse Prancing! I wore my hot pink sunglasses
for good luck. And to be silly.

Competitive Horse Prancing Dressage
Warm up went really well. Hamps was very attentive. I allowed myself a little extra time to warm up for dressage because it also needed to be our overall warm-up for the day. So I rode him like I would at home. We did some leg yields, shoulder-in, lots of transitions.

And then a man on the rail stopped us.

"This is ONLY a walk-trot test you know. You don't need to do all those fancy movements!" he said in a somewhat snarky tone.

A bit stunned, I said, "Well, he warms up best this way." And I continued on.

What kind of comment is THAT!? So weird. I told one of my barnmates what he said and she said, "Sounds like a comment from someone who knows you are going to beat him!" She's probably right. He was there with his wife/daughter/mistress ... I dunno. But seriously, wtf. Sort of rude in a passive-aggressive way.

Anyhow, our test was ... ok. He got a touch sucked back on me in the ring. I really needed to just boot him forward but I felt at that point it was best to just have a nice, steady test. From what I had watched before, I knew that just being steady would put us high in the placings.

Much to my surprise me pulled off a score of 28.8. That is a 71% !!!!! A personal record for me. Yes, I know it was only an Intro test but I was still happy. Scores of all 7s and 8s. :) I still feel we can do better but perhaps it felt worse than it looked. Or the judge was generous. :)

Stadium
Hamps and I have not jumped a stadium round since Octoberfest. Our rounds there were ... a hot mess, frankly. Sticky jumping, stopping, rails down, ugh. We made it around but it was not pretty.

Well, yesterday it was like riding a different horse. I really wish Amy (from Slow & Steady wins the Race) could have seen it since she also saw our Octoberfest rounds. Hamps was forward, rhythmic, honest. It felt like a hunter round. Our only bobble was an awkward distance at jump 7. I jumped ahead and Hamps knocked a rail. If that rail had stayed up we would have won the division! :) I was so proud of him after that round because of how far we have come. He was a little professional out there!

Hunter pony

I love his expression here!

Cross Country
We walked straight over to the cross country course. We started out well with jumps 1 and 2, Hamps thought about stoppin at the crooked log but I actually rode well here and he popped over. We had one or 2 more "sticky" fences in which he wanted to stop and think about it and I said "Actually we are going to jump this NOW." And thankfully the jumps are small enough that he could jump them from a near stop. LOL. Toward the end of course we were rockin and rolling and he was foot perfect. And hey we went down the big hill with NO bucking. :)

Down the hill

Weeee!!!!

Zoomin'

We are bad asses! SO. MUCH. FUN.

Clear cross country!

I am just floored at how much he has grown up in a year. At this time last year we were jumping crossrails and wobbling all over the place. Now he cruises around a 2'3" course without batting an eye, ears pricked the whole time, pulling me to the jumps.

We ended up in 2nd place (thanks to that one rail) which is just icing on the cake. Hamps handled the entire atmosphere like a veteran. I was beaming all day. (May or may not have something to do with the mimosas as well)

Hamps is so wild and uncontrollable at horse shows.
And my braids look good!

My favorite saddle pad. :)

Not a UK fan. Unless there is a mimosa in that mug. :)

We celebrated with more champagne and after I returned Hampton back to his field we drank some more. How I am not hungover today is beyond me. :)

Go Hampton!

And now for the classy shot of the day. Money.

So now the question is ... go to Meadowlake dressage as planned, or scrap that and do 2-3 more mini trails instead? :)

Course walk

After working Hamps this morning, I drove over to Stone Place to walk our XC course for tomorrow. I have to say, they have done a fantastic job cleaning up the field. It looks wonderful, the ground is perfect thanks to recent rain and the course looks fun. After looking around, I would have felt confident doing the Beginner Novice course EXCEPT for the fact that they have an up and down bank. In which case I knew I chose the correct division as we aren't ready for down-banks in competition yet. :)

Anyway. Here you go!

First jump. Goal is to establish a forward canter.

Staircase

crooked log

I think they are adding brush to jump 4.

they are adding straw to this. That's the BN bank obstacle next to it.

Gate

WTF. Is anyone else disturbed that there appears to be a GRAVE
on this cross country course? I former competitor perhaps?

coop

Rolltop

Railroad tie thingie

Up the big hill/ramp, right turn and back down the other side ...
balance before ...

Table (also nice view of the stables in back)
A right turn after this jump ...

Narrow rolltop  fellow

Ramp. Last jump!

Our times tomorrow are:

Dressage: 9:25

Stadium: 10:05

XC: 10:26

Seriously a wham bam thank you ma'am type of horse trial. :)

Time to get my clothes ready. Tack is clean and the horse is cleaned up.

Also, my Special Friend of the Male Persuasion is going to bring mimosas. This horse trial may be a little more fun that planned.

Min Trial Bound

It just so happens that I have next Sunday off work.

I can't just be lazy on a Sunday so I've entered Hamps and I in the Stone Place Mini horse trial. Good thing I decided to go school there last week!

We are just doing the starter division - which is jumps up to 2'3" and CC is not timed. Actually I don't think anything is timed. It's informal attire and only about 5 minutes away from home.

Goals:
- Stay on
- Don't forget any fences
- Jump all the fences
- Have fun! <<<--- This is the most important one.

A (emotional) TBone update

When I first started this blog journey (and even before I switched to the Blogger platform), I was writing about my dressage journey with my horse at the time, a Morgan gelding named T-Bone (Final Chapter is his registered name).

In 2009 I sold him to a wonderful lady who bought him as her first horse. She sometimes sends me updates and just LOVES him.

Unfortunately, he's been having some soundness issues. Here is what she had to say:

"He starts dragging his right hind at the slow trot and is very stiff at the walk.  Two years ago he had a MRI that showed an increased uptake in his sacroiliac (S/I) joint and the front of his hind cannon bones. ( If this is found on the front legs it is often called "buck shins" and is most often found in racing thoroughbreds.) The vet could not say how this might have happened.  He had his S/I injected and systemic Tilden and recovered."


Other than minor scrapes and bumps, he has had no traumatic injuries in his life. I helped foal him out and halter broke him, then bought him when he was 2. The only possible thing I could think of was that he was on stall rest for the first 2 months of his life because his mother had a uterine rupture. Could this have hampered his growth and development? Who knows.


In another recent email, she said something that really made me smile.


"Learning to ride this horse correctly is one of the most difficult things I have ever tried to do."


YA THINK?!


TBone is not an easy ride. He isn't naughty, or dirty, and will happily carry you around all day if you ask. But the MOMENT you challenge him, or put the screws to him, he basically flips you the bird. He is also incredibly smart. He knows how to get out of really using his body, by carefully manipulating you and his body so that you THINK he's doing what you want, but he totally evades the work. 


It took me a few years to figure this out. Then I started to call him out on it. And that is when our relationship got ugly. Rearing. Ping ponging in the contact. Severe bracing in the neck. Bolting. He would run away from me when I went to get him in the field. Which would just INFURIATE me more. 

Sometimes we made a pretty picture.

For the first time in my life, I did not look forward to riding. (Unless it was another horse). Yes, I have the skills to ride a horse like him. But it wasn't FUN for me anymore. He wasn't dangerous or anything, but it was just always a fight. He also could not "let things go." For instance, if something spooked him (this was rare), or if you smacked him with the whip just a little too hard - his brain would SHUT DOWN. I mean, end of your ride right there. I had better luck if I just hopped off and tried again the net day. He would hold a grudge (I know horses don't actually do this, but that is the only way I can explain how he would get). In contrast, if I should smack Hamps with the whip a little too hard he may kick out, pig root, or toss his head to say "Watch it lady!!!" ... but 60 seconds later be back to work like nothing had happened. Not T-Bone. Showing that horse was also a nightmare in and of itself. We never scored above a 62%. Yes we all have bad tests, but showing got old really fast with T-Bone. It was a constant battle and neither one of us could ever relax.

 

Harmony in the Park 2008 I think. BRACE YOURSELF! (literally)

I'm not sure I ever got him truly on the bit and through. Oh I have many photos of him "round" and cute as a button. But he was merely bracing. This became painfully clear to me after he developed an underneck muscle that would rival a lot of saddlebreds.


When I sold him, it was of great financial relief to me ... and also emotional relief. I was sad to see him go, I did love him. He was a cute, friendly horse and certainly beautiful. He was a blast to jump and just hack around on. But a small part of me watched him get on that trailer and sigh "good riddance." It was sort of like breaking up with a boyfriend. I was sad to let him go, part of me really didn't want to. But I knew we just were not meant for one another.


(And then I took that money and bought an MacBook and an unbroke 2 year old gelding!)


He needs to be a lower-level dressage or lesson horse where no one really pressures him. Which is exactly the home he got. He would make a great husband horse, since he will work all day, doesn't spook and is obedient when you aren't demanding of him. He just did not have the mental or physical ability to go much beyond training level dressage. When I sold him, he was schooling all 2nd level lateral work, had starting single flying changes (and was good at them!), and schooled half pass.

In some ways I think of him as my own personal failure. I was going to show a Morgan PSG - that was my goal and dream. I stuck it out with him for 5 years. I just was not happy anymore. People were SHOCKED that I sold him. How could someone who loves horses so much just up and sell one? Don't you love him?

Of course I did, which is why I let him go.

Rock n' Roll

Monday

Hamps was a superstar. His canter was as collected as it has EVER been. We schooled counter canter loop (I need to ride more accurately), lengthenings, the shoulder-in movement from Second-1, canter-walk transitions and spent some time stretching as well. I've switched back to riding him in the loose ring for a while. He was getting just a bit too heavy in the eggbutt. He is actually super awesome if I ride him in the eggbutt for a few days, then switch to the loose ring.

Tuesday
The dentist came out and it was nothing but good news. Hamps required only a light float. No super sharp edges or anything wonky going on. Yay! (Still got charged up the ass but ...whatevs)

Today (Wednesday)
Four of us hauled over to Stone Place Stables (a mere 3 miles away) to school their cross country course. Hamps was once again a total superstar and gentleman. ... Except for when he decided to put his head between his knees and bronc going down a rather steep hill/ramp. I stayed on and almost peed myself with laughter. I have to say that this is a nice farm, but they do not keep up with their CC course. There were quite a few that we couldn't jump for fear of cutting a leg or getting impaled. The fields were not mowed and the water jump was ... a muddy swamp. So we couldn't do that either. :( BUT ... we still made the best of it. We jumped a tire jump, several ramps, A TRAINING LEVEL COOP, (the biggest jump we have ever jumped), a small (maybe Novice?) Trakehner, a few other pop-over logs, too. Hamps only stopped once - at the last ramp we did. He was getting tired and it wasn't a dirty stop, just a green bean stop. I still need to give a more positive ride. He went over fine on the second approach.

No splashing today for us. Water complex resembled a swamp.

My instructor let me ride in her saddle and let me tell you the difference was night and day. I did not jump ahead or throw my shoulders at him one time! I felt solid. Like I could stay close to the tack. My leg was more secure and thus my confience was boosted! I know I shouldn't blame ALL my faults on a saddle ... but I honestly think it is 80% of my problem. Was I perfect? No (duh!) but FAR better than before. I also rode without my spurs so I could really put leg on without fear of goosing him. I think this helped as well. Time to start saving for that new jumping saddle. :) I wish someone had taken photos. So fun! I feel like we are no longer rank virgins on the CC course and are starting to get a little experience under our belt. Today was the first CC school where I took a look at the BN jumps and said "Hey - we can do this!"

I guess if I had to pick something to really work on, it is that Hamps starts to canter really flat when we are out in the open. He needs more grids, which we will start up next week. He could also benefit from conditioning work. It was pretty hot today (90+), but Hamps still got a little too winded for my preference and was pretty pooped at the end. So I may start added some conditioning rides to our program. Can't hurt. I thought he would stay fit enough for BN level eventing with just our dressage work, but he may need a little extra since he is so big. :)

Meadowlake is still next up on our radar and then in October I am thinking about doing the MidSouth Team challenge. :) We shall see what money allows. Would love to sneak in a mini trial in there as well.

It's back to the sandbox for the rest of this week.

:) Peace!


Edited to add: The bugs in KY are getting bigger every day it seems. I got stung by a bee today while catching Hamps in the field. Right on the side of my knee where my boot lies. It has been years since I have been stung. I forgot how much it hurts!!!

Wings

I found this sign on a stroll home from the hippie bar ... err, library last night.

Burned out and burned up.

I'll be honest, at the end of June and beginning of July I was suffering from burn-out. I was tired of looking for an instructor and not finding what I wanted. I had spent nearly every weekend since moving to Kentucky on the road. Dressage camp was a failure.

There is also a lot of "pressure" at the barn to participate and compete in lessons, clinics, cross country schooling and horse trials. All great, but I simply cannot afford to keep up with the others financially. I felt like an outcast because I kept having to decline invitations since my bank account is one again annoyingly low. So THAT made me depressed, too.

So after a 2 week break (which, let's be honest, would have happened anyway since it was 100+ degrees every day), I am ready to go back to dressage land. Hampton is no worse for wear, and picks up right where we left off.

And now I've entered our first show of the season. It's a rated show, and I'm going to try to get a qualifying score for Regionals. I doubt I will be able to afford Regionals but what the hell.

It's a 2-day show, but only counts for one show per USDF. Saturday we will be showing First-1 and First-3. Sunday we'll try First-3 again and then .... dun dun dun ... Second-1.

It's a month from now so that gives us plenty of time to get back in the groove. I'm attempting Second level more for shits and giggles than anything else. I do not expect to score above 60%. I'd just like some feedback and see where we are at. My major goals for this show are to 1) Have fun and 2) Earn scores toward my Bronze. Oh, also to stay on and stay in the ring. Those goals go without saying. :)

In the meantime, I really need a new pair of white gloves and have been eyeing a new dressage coat, too. Must look spiffy for our first show this year. :)