Let's Get it Started

Tomorrow I leave to start staying at Jean's house...Sunday is our first open game show of the week...it's a small show, but this year our club will most likely double the size of the show...we'll see how it goes.

I rode Daisy today, did some barrel racing, and she seemed awesome...Hope it lasts.

Monday we don't have a show, but our club will spend the day decorating our stalls (last year's are above in the picture) at the fair. Tuesday the county fair begins. Tomorrow is practically the start of the wonderful, fun havoc. :)

I'll try to update you while I'm "away" but I won't promise anything...probably just words, no pictures, if anything.

Until my next post,

Quick Update

Wanted to let you know, Daisy was trailered to Jean's today and I rode her in the arena and practiced cantering both leads and she did AWESOME! She picked them up automatically! It's really a miracle; praise God. All our HARD, often times frustrating, work has paid off. Finally. :D

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I rode her in halter and reins again and I cantered her down Jean's driveway; I went to go back up and she picked up a gallop, I tried to slow her down, and the rein broke...so I *galloped* giggling up the driveway, because I knew I couldn't do anything anyway....I figured eventually she'd slow down. So I'm giggling, running past people, and I make it to the round pen to Jean and I just hold up the broken rein and laugh. Figures. :-P

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After trail riding a bit, I came to the barnyard again and cantered a right-lead circle...Daisy cut a tight turn to avoid the gravel driveway, and completely fell over. Sideways. As we went down, I thought about how I always thought having a horse fall on you must be horrible. Well, it happened SO fast, I don't know what really happened. One second I was falling sideways with Daisy in tow, the next, I was sitting on the ground and Daisy was above me, and she put her head down to graze. Silly pony. :-P
I scraped my arm, but am ok otherwise. I can thank God that I didn't get caught in the stirrup, or break a leg or arm...Daisy could have really hurt me. Luckily she stood up fast and I wasn't stuck at all.
Jean had gone in to the bathroom, and came out to her friend informing her that Daisy and I fell. "What? I go in to the bathroom for 5 minutes and she falls off?"
:P
lol

Sunday's Horse Show

Yesterday, Sunday, I joined Jean for the second part of an event she went to. Saturday was dressage, which I missed, but dressage put them in 4th place for their division, Beginner Novice.

Bubba used to be a big-time awesome show horse. He could jump anything. As a young(er) horse, he once jumped the bed of a truck. Yeah, I know, I'm tellin' you, awesome. Anywhooo, he's still pretty much AMAZING, but this year he seems to have lost some of his drive...the first show of the season, in June, left Bubba and Jean in 12th place, having done badly in dressage, knocking rails, and him hitting his hooves on cross country jumps as well. Jean and Bubba's real owner, Karin, the lesson teacher, decided to take Bubba down a level and just see how he was. It seems that, sadly, this may be his last year eventing.

Up until this week, they weren't sure if Bubba would be able to pull off now last-weekend's event. He seemed to be doing well, though, so they entered.

Evidently, he could handle it! Jean said on Cross Country he rode like a maniac, and even though Jean tried HARD to hold him back, they finished in 4 minutes 47 seconds...the optimum time was 6:05. The minimum time was 5:05...he ran so fast, Jean got a blister that popped at the same time on cross country. Ouch.

He's crazy. But he's awesome.

Anywho, I love taking pictures at events, but it's super hard to get timing right when they're jumping...I tried, so that's the slide show.

They ended up in 6th place for time penalties in cross country and a jump penalty in stadium...Jean had to circle a jump, she crossed some line (I don't get it) and it was counted as a refusal...but that's still good, considering!

I had fun at the show, and seeing all the beautiful horses there is always thrilling...as well as walking jump courses and such...it's all interesting; a learning experience.

She's Gettin' the Hang of It

Right-lead cantering, that is.

*This is Daisy's usual face; with ears back. But I've gotten used to it. I just thought I'd show you...she likes to try to convince you that's she's better then you. I just ignore her attempt and it's fine. :)*

"Please open up my grass pen, Mom!"

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I've been working super hard on getting Daisy to use her right-lead. I think she's FINALLY getting it.

Everywhere we went, I didn't let her canter unless it was a right-lead. Maybe once a week I'd take a break and let her do whatever she wanted. Sometimes, she'd pick up her right-lead by herself. Other times, I'd enjoy her left lead, and how collected and strong it is compared to right.
Now, she's doing pretty darn well! She at least has a feel for when it's better for her to use right or left lead. Yesterday, I cantered her on our lawn, which is SMALL but it's better then absolutely nothing, and she started out with her usual left lead when it should have been right. She realized how hard it was, and I moved her down to trot and asked for canter again and she picked up her right-lead really quick. When we ride on the road, the shoulder of the road is kinda angled, and she'll pick up whatever lead makes the angle less noticeable...

Most horses should do that stuff without trouble; it's horse common sense. Daisy isn't that kinda horse. I think it's a miracle in itself that she does this now. Last year, it was left-lead or no lead.

My county fair is next week, and I'm going to be showing in it. I really hope that Daisy will keep up her leads in the show ring; we still probably won't win things like pleasure classes because she's not collected enough, but it's worse when you look terrible because she doesn't even do her leads right. Last show we went to, the judge pulled me over and said "You're a good pair, but you need to work on her leads a little." That was frustrating, because that judge had no idea how hard I was already trying.

At least I know that Daisy can do it now; it's not just for show-ring sake; it really is more comfortable for her to just do her leads then feel choppy going right using her left lead :-P lol.

Right now, I'm taking a break riding...I'm still riding, but yesterday I only rode in a halter and reins, and today and tomorrow I'm doing the same. That's because of this:

Daisy seems to have cut her lip on her bridle, and each time I use it it gets cut open again...I've been using the same bridle for 2 years, and this never happened, so I don't know what's up...I'm giving it some time to heal for now...


Tomorrow, Tuesday, Daisy is getting picked up and brought to Jean's house...Wednesday I have a kinda "lesson" with Jean on jumping, along with another 4H member, and then we have a 4H mounted meeting...Next Sunday is our first show. It's a games show(Gymkhana), so that's fun. :)
Monday is no show, Tuesday is English day at the county fair, so I ride all English classes, Wednesday is mounted (relay) games, Thursday is Western day, Friday is Gymkhana, and Saturday is an open show where we're staying for the English part of the day...

Until my next post,