we hates you.

I just want to say I hate all the tall boot companies out there who don't make boots for us gals who have larger calves.....

I have only found 1 in-stock boot but it's a field boot. But I may have to go with that, until I meet my sugar daddy who can get me a custom pair of Der-daus or Konigs. Until that mythical man appears in my life cheapo boots it'll be.

Morven Park Benefit Shows

So Morven Park is hosting benefit/fundraiser show series.

I am so there. Since the majority of the Vada/Nova recognized shows are at Morven Park, actually majority of all the recognized dressage shows are there. CDCTA and PVDA host shows there too. It'll be a good schooling session for Miss Losses Her Brain depending on the day aka Lilly.

My Winter Show Season
Jan. 16th: Trish DeRosa (L)
Feb 13th: Jocelyn Pearson (L)
March 14th: Susan Carr Davis (R)
April 17th: Betty Thorpe (r)

I just need to make sure showing in half-chaps are fine.

Lauren Sprieser is hosting a schooling show, but I may enter Big in that one and leave the Lillers at home.

Happy Thanksgiving

Everyone have a happy and safe thanksgiving. My girl is getting a few extra apples and carrots tonight. :)

Let's go Raiders! Need to kick some Cowboy rear end. Hopefully. We're doing horrid this year. *x*

New boys in our lives.

So Lilly has a new boy in her life. His name is L.C. Her previous pasture buddy has left for Washington State. We tried L.C. and Lilly out and they seem to be doing good. L.C. is very playful, and Lilly is like no. I don't want to! L.C. is a very pretty boy, solid dark bay. Very pretty head. He was super excited to be out and to have a new friend. Since it was going to rain today I kept Lilly out last night. When I went to bring her in this morning, they were both chilling. He tries to crowd the gate but I told him no and he was like okay and walked away.

My friend wants me to ride her horse. Her husband was stationed in Germany for the past 2 1/2 years. So she's lost her confidence and her seat.

His name is Big. He's either a Shire or Percheron/ TB cross. I can't remember what draft he is. First day I rode him I worked him on the ground first. He tried running over me twice. He knows he's big and sometimes he uses it. But all I really did was work on getting him to be responsive to my leg and marching forward. He has a habit of trying to drag you to the outside, so I really had to keep him straight and bending correctly. At the trot he was like a drunken sailor, but I just kept him straight and ended on a good note. He's out of shape badly so I didn't trot him long.

Sunday's ride was pretty much the same, except we trotted a little more than Saturday. He's a very good boy and he's smart and very willing to please. Did a little more trotting, he still wants to drift, but he wasn't acting like he was drunk like Saturday.

I rode Lilly after I rode Big. I took her out near our powerlines. It's a little bit of hills not much. I really just wanted to get her out of the arena. She's been very afraid of trails and woods. But cars she could care less about. One of the military police drove passed us and she could care less. On my way back I walked side by side with my friend's SUV, didn't care.
We worked in the arena a bit and she's really was fighting me. Finally she started to give and I worked on serpentines and circles and was done.

So now the rain is coming back so it'll be a few days until I can ride. Darn rain.

Friday's ride.

Friday I had off. So I woke up, did my barn chores and got on. For the first 15 mins I was just blah. My brain hadn't turned on yet. I chatted to a few friends and then I started to ride.

When we do a free walk -or- a normal walk not asking her to flex at the poll and I use my legs she moves off very well. As soon as I start to ask her to flex at the poll, her engine starts to pitter. She was being really lazy off my leg, so I tapped her, very little response. So I used the whip again, and she did a big crow hop. Then she marched off my leg.

But slowly and surely she's starting to really come underneath herself and march along at the walk nicely. Asking for the trot work, she was being a little snottish. She wanted to just go really really fast, so I really had to tell her hey! listen to me. Had to do circles and bending finally she was really flexing and moving beautifully.

As the weeks gone by, the time where I really have to warm her up to get on the bit has gotten shorter and shorter. When she's on the bit and using her hindquarters, her trot is a whole different creature. It's floaty and smooth and I can sit it.

Hopefully I can hack out of the arena today. I've wanted to do it, but by the time I get back from work on the wkdays it's pitblack. Or the ground is super wet, but I think it shouldn 't be too bad.

So I just went to Dover Saddlery and had fun with the wish list.

http://gre.wishlist.com/gre/rid595/dressapp

woop woop.

I rode last night and it was awesome. She was being good. I really worked her at the walk a lot, trying to get her to flex at the poll. Finally when we started at the trot, she was awesome. She was really light on the bit and really moving off my leg. She was very responsive. When she's flexing at the poll and moving well, her trot is easier to sit.

It's raining today, but this weekend it's going to be gorgeous. yay!

My Goals for Next Year

Since the 2009 show season is over I've been mulling over my goals riding wise.

1. Get a Dressage Saddle
Of course, gotta get that. Hopefully by Feb.

2. Show at a Recognized Show
I'm shooting for the May 15th VADACC show at the Meadows in Doswell. Or one of the VADA/NOVA shows.

3. Shown at VADA/NOVA schooling series. At least qualify for their schooling series year end championship show.

4. Tackle Training Levels 3 & 4.

5. Sit the darn sitting trot 100%.

I figure I'll keep the list short.

One of these days I'll get back with Kelly for lessons. Lately finances and time have been my enemies. Plus this darn rain and this illness that I haven't been able to shake. I've had a headache for the past week.

picture time

Here are various pics from our fun show and gymkhana show. Lilly got a chance to be a cowgirl. Rebekah was riding her, since the mare she usually rides, was out of commission.
Panty Race. You gotta run down, put on a pair of undies and race back.

I rarely get to ride at the shows I manage, but I hopped on for barrel racing. ^_^
Rebekah & Lilly with Kendra and Logan. Lilly thought it was a race, but they had to keep their ribbon in tact. I believe they got 2nd.

A bit of this a bit of that

Happy Veteran's Day!

Thanks to all who serve and had served to keep our country safe.

Also Happy Birthday Marines, a day late. ^_^

Our family dog, Alex has been licking his paws a lot lately. So I made my mom to schedule for an appointment. My mother knows english, but sometimes she gets nervous, so I wrote a note to the vet, so she wouldn't worry. I told him/her he has allergies.

The vet said I was right. All the pollen on the ground has made him lick his feet to the point where he has a yeast infection in his paws.

I can tell you tending to a horse is a lot easier than the dog. At least with Lilly, she's use to her feet being messed. Alex didn't want me touching his paws, because they hurt.

Animals. Don't we love them.

Despite being sick I rode anyways. I looked at the weather and it would be my last time until Saturdayish to ride. We have what's left of hurricane Ida passing through.
Lilly was being a pill. We rode in the arena where she gets spooky. Since I was in a grumpy mood I wasn't dealing with her shit. Which I shouldn't anyways, but I guess I get a little nervous in that arena.
So everytime she thought about spooking I prevented the spook and fussed at her too. Finally she was like FINE! I'll be a shit head another way. For the beginning of the ride when she wasn't spooking, she was really light on the bit and moving beautifully.
Towards the end of the ride, she became heavy on the bit again. *x* So finally I ended on a good note when she was light again.

I really want to go to a show soon, but my next chance won't be until Feb. Which hopefully I'll have my new saddle by Feb. Hopefully my scores will improve. :)

relaxing weekend

So the weather this weekend was gorgeous. A nice change from rainy October. I was run down in Oct., every weekend I had stuff to do.

I've been trying to get rid of this cold. It seems to pop in and pop out but it's still there. I feel real light headed all day today. Had two cups of tea, and when I get home I'm hitting the Vitamin C.

I rode Lilly Saturday. Just more of the same stuff. Flexion at the poll. And getting her supple and light.

I really wonder if I need to ride 5x a week to really get her broke. But some weeks it's hard, with the weather, work, and now illness.

I had planned on riding Tuesday, but the weather may be a factor. Of course federal holiday on Wed, but darn it, but they are calling for rain.

Sunday it was nice. A little warm for the season, so I waited until it cooled down so I wouldn't have a soaking horse. My friend's horse is moving so we're trying my horse with Okarena and Savannah. With any pasture change, you worry about fights and nicks and that well placed kick in the wrong place.
Horses will be horses, but god the vet bills are not a happy thing.

Since I don't have my english saddle anymore I've been riding western. I miss english. My friend let me borrow her dressage saddle and she said I can use it anytime. hooray! So I was happy. :)

I think my left leg is weaker, use to be my right. Because I feel like it's just swinging all over the place and I can get stabilized. So I shorten the stirrup and then I felt like I was leaning to the right too much.

You correct one problem and another pops up.

living like a 25yo

So I've taken a lot of time and done stupid stuff that a normal non-horse owning equestrian does. Like actually go out, drink, club, and spend money on non horsie stuff.

Which means not really ride. I rode at our fun show we hosted a few days ago. I only did barrel racing and it was fun.

I finally can afford to ride with my trainer again. So next Sunday I'll be back in school. Since I started to car pool I have 35 mins extra on a good day to be at the barn earlier.
I'm also going to join the local gym. My diet has been on the back burner. I haven't gained too much extra poundage, but I want to at least be a size 8 by June of next year. Right now I'm in the 10-12 range depending on the brand for pants.