Surviving First Horse Show of 2015 - Part 2

Saturday morning was a very early start - I was out of bed at 4:30 a.m. and picking stalls by 6:00 and on our horses at 7:00.

Ready!

Due to probably the most awesome coach ever, our group was in the show arena practicing while most of the other barns in attendance were still just showing up to feed.

We were not allowed to jump, but could go over ground poles so coach had many jumps down for us to practice. Now this was what I needed! I got to do all the quiet puttering me and my horse needed and I felt SO much better, and because Miss Tea has major respect/fear of poles, we were jumping ground poles at about a 2' clearance. This practice got my girl over her fear of the other horses and helped me feel like I might survive the day.

My first class was Hunter Lines where the course is set up but poles are all on the ground (thank you to who ever created this class!!) and we placed 2nd!

Then on to Cross Rail Hunter. I remembered my course, kept leg on and we made it through wonderfully! WOOHOO! I could have just ended my day there, I was just so happy to have overcome my nerves at that point!  I did not place, but it didn't matter one bit! Next was Cross Rail Equitation which was just as good and we placed 3rd!

At this point I decided to scratch from my next course with higher fences because I felt I had maxed out on courage, (I was feeling physically drained from the stress!) and I was so proud of Miss Tea for how she had handled everything, it just felt like the right moment to stop and reward her for her efforts.

My final two classes were flat classes: Open Hunter and Hunter Equitation. By this time we were calm, rested and ready to kill this! The Open Hunter class was huge! We all just kept filing in and I was starting to worry about how Miss Tea would handle this much congestion once trotting/cantering started. Amazingly enough, she kept her cool and I remembered to breath and even smile here and there, and we placed 4th!

Finally my last class of the day--Hunter Equitation, and Miss Tea was perfection. She was going so well by that point that I could relax, ride pretty and just enjoy it. And we placed 1st!! What a fabulous end to an amazing day!!

I packed up feeling like I had really accomplished something good with my horse. We were both completely over-faced at the beginning of this show, but pulled ourselves together and did really well. This was the first time I saw Miss Tea put in so much effort as well. I was so proud of her for showing trust in me when she was scared and showing so much "try". My girl is growing up!

When I found coach to say goodbye and thanks for the day, she handed me a shiny new bridle. WAIT. WHU?! She said I had won High Point Equitation for the day! Holly C#%&*!

Satin and leather for a hard day's work!

I can see this getting addictive...

Surviving First Horse Show of 2015

This was one of my most anticipated/nerve racking/unprepared shows of perhaps my entire riding career.

I knew I HAD to be in it as here I am, trying to make the transition from all round small town fair rider to actual hunter/jumper competitor. To do that, I needed to actually maybe go to a hunter/jumper type show...

Isn't it gorgeous!



This would be a perfect introduction for me - It was a schooling show with affordable cost to attend yet a huge venue at one of the biggest arenas in our province with fancy jumps and some very fancy horses!

 

I was strongly ignoring the fact that I had only been riding Miss Tea again for a few weeks after her huge winter break, I had only cantered again for the first time a week(!) before the show, and I had a knee injury that was not improving.

On Friday I trailered Miss Tea over and prepared for my assigned warmup. I had never been through this type of process before. The arena was full of all those fancy jumps with fill and flowers. Horses were lined up waiting for their turn as only 6 riders were allowed at a time. By the time it was my turn, my heart was pounding so hard I could hear it.

Miss Tea was equally terrified, especially of the other horses. My coach was ready and waiting for me in the arena and it seemed the plan everyone had was just to get to it and jump the jumps.

So much colours - um, can I go home please and change my underwear?

WAIT. WOA. STOP. Jump already? Can't I just walk/trot a bit and see if my horse isn't going to kill me first?!!??!

It went horribly. I could not jump. Coach dismantled one of the jumps to ground poles, but since there were these fake shrub fillers still there, Miss Tea and I both couldn't get our brains in our heads. I could feel her body so coiled, all I could see in my head was her launching like a deer and me flying through the air. After words of frustration on both sides, I got off and led Miss Tea over the ground poles and coach left me to figure myself out.

I just about quit. I think I might have said I might as well go home. Instead I puttered about, trying to walk around out of everyone's way and get her used to the other horses. Then I trotted. Then I said "F@)#& it, Nantucket" and told the coach I was ready to try and jump and off we went! I survived and we jumped two jumps in a bent line, back and forth. There may have been hot mess flailing from both me and Miss Tea, but each time we got a bit better.

So I went home, drank wine and cried. What had I gotten myself into? Saturday was suddenly looking a lot less like a great idea, but I went to bed determined to just get through it and try hard to just not embarrass myself.

Two smiling kids and a pony named Buttons

My daughter meeting the adorable Buttons for the first time - perfect little pony!

I finally secured lessons for the kidlets at a local arena!

We do have horses right in our back yard, but none are kid safe yet. Our pony Silver needs some more work. So this would be their first time taking the reins and not being led around.

My son's trusty mount, Kojo

My son was right in there with a huge smile and ready to go. My daughter was a bit more cautious about the whole thing.

 

After a bit of instruction on how to turn, stop, back up and of course how to do an emergency stop, they were off to wander as best they could!

My daughter had a bit of a hard time getting the whole steering thing down. Patient little buttons just calmly plodded around and sometimes listened to my little girl's confusing signals.

By the end, my son was really figuring things out and mostly taking his horse where he was hoping to go.

You don't even know how happy this makes me! I want to be a good mom and support them in their interests, what ever that may be and not push them into anything they don't like (but I really, really want them to get the riding bug!!)

Outdoor is dry!!

 

 

There is officially 6 days left before my first show of the season.

Prep for this has been a true struggle. First of all, my knee injury really knocked my confidence that I could do this. Miss Tea is not exactly an easy ride and had a pretty big winter break. She has a strong tendency towards bucking at the canter if not kept in constant work.

Miss Tea as a 7-month-old, back when all of the "show" business was just a future dream. <3

 Second, weather. Ugh. Stupid slippery snow (from which my knee was injured in the first place) then on to slippery mud in my outdoor arena at home. Trailering over to my coach's arena was my only option (fabulous but expensive).

This weekend my outdoor arena at home was finally dry enough to ride! Oh my god, it was so wonderful to just work on things at home. We cantered and there was no bucking and I even started popping over a little half cross rail.



 

I will continue with trotting over poles and looking for the soft canter on correct lead after the cross rails. I am so pleased with how she is going right now! She has a tough time in spring with the whole being a mare thing, but everything seems manageable at the moment.

My goal for this show is to just take in the Hunter/Jumper experience and give Miss Tea some exposure to a new venue over some very tiny cross rails and loads of flat classes. I'm starting to get excited about this! :)

The Psychology of People and Horses

We all have our unique personalities, quirks and patterns of behavior that knit together to make us a one of kind. Anyone who has spent a reasonable amount of time around horses has discovered each horse's personality can be just as distinctive.

When we begin the search for a horse, I am sure we all have a pretty similar list: Sound, sane, conformation suitable to our preferred discipline, etc.

And handsome of course

But what makes that one special horse and you "click"?

I have been noticing an interesting trend around the barns I have ridden at. Many of the horse/human relationships seem to have something in common...like each other! Is it just coincidence or something deeper?



Artist: Doug Grundy

 If you are lucky enough to have that heart horse, have you noticed any similarities between you and your horse's personality?

These possible "coincidences" got me thinking. Miss Tea is definitely a horse I click with and have a very good relationship with. She feels like part of the family and I know she is here to stay. So what is it that holds my heart while other horses have been easy to say goodbye to?

After going over my personality and hers, it didn't take long to see we are a lot a like...

Me:
1. Pretty easy going, but I really have a deep seeded bossiness. If you ask for my opinion, watch out because I will have all sorts of thoughts and ideas for you!
2. Anxious. I was born slightly on edge. I am jumpy. I worry. This will be a life-long struggle. :(
3. I like to attack a problem methodically in small steps and avoid looking at the big picture so I don't get overwhelmed (see anxious above!).
4. I am nice. For real. Not a people pleaser but kind and I worry about other people's feelings.
Obviously so much more to me, but these are the top four you might pick up if you met me.

Now for Miss Tea:
1. Lead mare in any herd she is put in with. Always.
2. Spooky. Always has that look in her eye saying "You want me to do what?!" even if it is just stepping over a pole she just walked over yesterday, 20 times.
3. Needs to not be over challenged or will seriously melt down. She will do pretty much anything for me, but I have to take it slowly, in small pieces and build up to what I am wanting.
4. She is nice. For real. <3 <3  Ask her farrier--she says she is one of the most gentle, cuddly horses she ever met.

Has anyone else noticed similarities? I'd love to hear it!

Love this horse.

Sleepless in show season

This is the time of year a lot of us are thinking about all the shows we are hoping to go to this year, filling out entry forms and writing a lot of cheques. When the first entry form of the year showed up in my email forwarded from a friend I was thrilled (Shows!! Right?).

Now I have a stack of show entry forms with the first show being 33 days away.

33 days away!

I haven't ridden all winter, and the one time I was on, I got hurt. Badly. I still can't bend my knee.

But this is what I do. Eternal optimist or simply a total fool.

Seriously though, this first show really is a unique opportunity that will allow me to show at a venue that I have always wanted to go to and it offers a lot of flat classes which I know I can totally handle (if my knee can by then), no matter what brain comes with my horse that day. I am entering two jumping classes: X-rail Hunter and 2'0" Hunter.

I emailed my entry yesterday, and last night I had my first sleepless night of the show season.

Spring is in the air!

This feeling is like an electric current running from the top of my head to each finger tip and toes and it is heaven! Something amazing is happening in my back yard. Snow is MELTING, birds are SINGING! I cannot contain my joy that I have quite nearly made it through another winter!

With the melt has come the idea that yes indeed I will ride again and I want to trailer to ALL the arenas and I am compiling a list of ALL the shows I will take my girl to.

I have not done any real riding since December of last year (holy crap/how did I live without my horse) but I have been getting in horse time with my almost-2-year-old filly, Shiraz. She has been learning to lounge, yield to pressure, wear a saddle and basically hang out with me and learn her job in a horse/human relationship.

Looks mas, I cans bes a ridding horse too! -Shiraz

My first attempt at riding Miss Tea last week ended in a bit of an injury for me. My girl was so amazing for not being ridden in so long and as I was just riding along, beaming from ear to ear on our awesomeness, she suddenly slipped in the snow and went down so hard, we both had the wind knocked out of us. She then got up slowly and proceeded to just stand there while I rolled around on the ground, lamenting over the unbelievable pain coming from my knee. Shock got me through to get her put away and get myself to the house. I called hubby and begged him to come home early from work and either put me out of my misery with compassionate euthanization or magically make me better with his love. :P

But not even injuries can dampen my spirits these days with warm temps and that incredible smell of horses in spring time. This is going to be a great year with Miss Tea!

Say wha? I am going where and doing what? Haha! we'll see ;) -Madam T.