Stellar

Saturday comes around and I head out the barn. The tempature has dropped equalling a very frisky Appy mare. I lead her into the roundpen and she spazzed out. She realized I was still connected on the opposite end and she paused. I unleashed the spotted wonder pony.

She ran and ran and bucked and nickered. I left her and went to do my chores.

My instructor was a little late, due to traffic. So we started and this lesson she wanted to work on my position. She's trying to turn me into a dressage rider. It was a really good lesson. I still want to extend my arms like hunter, but I really did a good job. The pony was stellar as well.

So just maybe I'll be a dressage rider yet.

I just got Lilly horse insurance. Switched to Agri-Risk. She was without insurance for a few months, the other company jacked up their rates, and I said bye bye.

Enduring Torture

So I'm getting into shape. Since October or November I put on maybe 10 or 15lbs. Not sure. I do know that I went from a 10 to 14. Not a good feeling since I worked so hard to get to the 10 and then it all crept up again.

So I really looked at my choice of foods. I really let myself eat very unhealthy foods. I really cleaned up my plate. I'm eating a healthy breakfast a good lunch, and I try and eat dinner. I really have a bad habit of either gorging at dinner or not eating anything. I just don't crave foods at dinnertime. It's wierd.

I've also started working out. I added pilates during the blizzards. I'm walking/jogging on the treadmill. So far I can run 6 minutes straight. Start building up.
Then I added some excercises from bodyrock.tv Those are intense.

Horse wise, I want to get that pilates book for equestrian riders.
I also have added no stirrup work. So last night when I rode. I worked on Lilly for the 1st part of my ride. Then I dropped those pesky stirrups and rode.

Amazing. When I sit up I'm not on her shoulders and she can use her back better and stays on the bit. O.o

While I was posting around with no stirrups I decided to do the canter. Now I picked up my stirrups and then let them go once I was in it. She's a little weak at the canter now, because of all the time off, and I didn't want to be flaying on her back.

She was getting tired at the end, so she was a little reluctant to pick up her right lead canter. So I tapped her, did a good lap and called it a day. Plenty of treats for the good girl.

I was walking around very sore and I'm glad I did all my barn chores before my ride. whew. -_-

I'm in a pair of dress slacks that got tight during my weight bulge, and now they fit comfortable. That makes me happy. But very happy now.

Sunday was not a disaster

So I should have more faith in my mare sometimes. She handled the slop like a pro. She only spooked once, someone I think slammed something down in their trailer, but it wasn't in the show ring so who cares.

I get to the arena, when I realize I have no number. So I had to march all the way back to the truck and find it.

So I really had like a minute to warm up. So we go in and we do our test. It was a very accurate test and the judge noted that. In both tests she noted that she's stiff to the left. Which since she had her shots on Thursday I wasn't surprised I noticed that Saturday when I rode.

She was very tight through her back in Intro A.

In B, she was very relaxed. To the right, she really was bending and a good girl. Since she was stiff to the left I wasn't really forcing the issue, just asked and she gave me what she could.

We got a 9 on our free walk in B. In A we got an 8.

The judge talk to me a little bit about the saddle. She told me I needed a better saddle. She said my position is pretty good and not to get discouraged, and when I get a bigger saddle my seat should improve. So I was thankful for that.

We got 64% in Intro Test A, and 67.5% in Intro Test B. We got 2nd and 3rd, but I'm not sure which one in what. I was so tired and cold I wasn't really paying much attention to that detail. Scores matter more.

attire?

So I was thinking about what I'm going to wear on Sunday. I have a rule btw Dec-Feb if I show I don't dress up. So it being March I tend to start putting back the show clothes.

Well I still don't have my boots. My mother ordered me customs for Christmas, but it takes 12-16 weeks, so I'm still out of luck.

I have brown half chaps. So I'm probably going to head out to Dover to get black ones. I have my old tall boots, the but the zipper is busted. My calf is too large for them and they have protested vehemently last year.

But then again it's going to rain Sunday probably during my ride. So I may just opt for rainproof jacket, breeches, and chaps. Not ideal but comfortable.

ponders.

Ride Times & Sunday's disaster

So I ride at 9:38 and 10:08 on Sunday.
I'm not a pessimist, but I know my horse. She hates puddles. She will do anything, not to step in a puddle, and she doesn't care if you're left 18 feet behind her.

It's planning on raining starting late today until Sunday morning. So potentially I'm going to be riding in the rain. Fun stuff. But hey schooling shows are all about schooling.

So I'm planning on saddling up on Friday night or Saturday as long as it's not downpouring. May as well ride in the rain, since I'll get no rest from mother nature on Sunday. Hopefully Morven Park's footing isn't too bad.

Sun come back! :(

So it's going to rain starting later today.
Lilly is getting her spring shots. She's never gotten sore before, so hopefully she'll be fine.

I rode on Tuesday night. She was being awesome. The exercises that Kelly taught me are really starting to pay off. To ask her to get on the bit is starting to be easier and less of a fight.

Lilly hates the end of the arena. To her she sees scary horse eating hobgoblins lurking in the shadows. So she was good on the one end of the barn, but when we went to work in the opposite end, she just didn't have anything to do with listening to me. So I put my foot down. I rode her into the corners, tried to make her focus on me. Finally it seem like she was, than she bolted!

During the bolt I was having a slow thought process:
She's bolting.
Why is she bolting?
What do we do in a bolt situation?
Ah yes, the pulley-rein.
Apply pulley rein, bolt stopped.
I yelled at her and than we worked back in the scary corner.

She was fine after that. She still wanted to look a tad, but when I applied my aid, she listened too me.

Crazy mare.

Beautiful Weekend

So Saturday I had a lesson scheduled with Kelly. Wasn't planning on scheduling one until late March, but I had some extra money so I figured why not.

So she came out and it was an awesome lesson. Lilly has rhythm, but she isn't relaxed. So we worked on getting her relaxed. It's amazing when she finally relaxes, she get's on the bit and is a rounder happier pony.

I got some pics, but of course I can't find my chord to my camera.

My friend took her first lesson with Kelly. She seem to have a great time.
A couple of us ladies sat back and watched Cherie's lesson and talked, and had a good time in the warm spring sunlight.

Of course we have our next show Sunday. Hopefully. I haven't gotten an email confirmation, so I hope my entry got in.

Sunday
We did the same thing. Then we had a nice little trail around the barn and down the hill near the power lines.

Warm sun...

So Saturday I got to ride. I had to do my emissions test and I went to the tack store afterwards. I got a pair of crochet jumper gloves made by Ovation. 15 bucks, great investment.

There's this new lady at our barn. Lilly was running around bucking like a crazy woman and she asked me what she was. I responded "Appaloosa with TB, and QH blood mixed in. But right now she's Thoroughbred." She laughed.

But honestly she has her moments where she just likes to run. I was lunging her, when all a sudden her only purpose in life was to run like a banshee. She seems to get a little look in her eye, let's call it the look of the eagles. I kind of let her go, but I finally just asked her to stop. I think if I wasn't in control, she would have run for hours.

After I finished lunging her I hopped on. She wanted to pay attention to the little girl who was yelling and wooping and heeyaing her paint gelding. He's a trooper he goes all around the arena and returns back to where the mom was standing. Smart pony.

She was awesome. I think the break did her good. She didn't want to bend at the poll like before the snow storms, but good grief her canter was awesome. Especially towards the right. She was really engaging her hindquarters and all I had to do was sit and steer. But I didn't keep her going long, she was getting tired.