Our Day at the Show - Where's the EJECT button?!

Firstly, the truck's battery had died. So we got it jumped yesterday and I had left it running for around 15-20 mins while we played around with the bonnet (which had now become dislodged, and for the life of us, we couldn't get it back down!!) ... 20 mins later, we'd got it back down and we were quite proud - girl mechanic power!

I get out of bed at 6am, load the car, get dressed, go to the paddock. Truck's dead. AGAIN! Tried to jump it with our car, but the battery ain't big enough so had to call poor "K" and gether out of bed to come rescue me, AGAIN. Get the truck started, drive it down to the arena. I couldn't for the life of me catch 2nd gear, so I stalled... Truck's dead AGAIN, had to get "K" to jump me AGAIN! Yep, morning's going great so far!!

Catch the horse (he was no probs) and led him to the truck.... "Ohhhhhh no Mum, I am NOT going on there" ....He'd get to the top of the ramp, and then run back down full speed. NOT good when it's a pretty steep ramp.... 30 mins later (and getting dangerously close to showtime) we're on board....

So off we set, and the truck's a snail, so it takes us another half hour to get to the grounds. Dead on 9am. Show started at 9. The Palomino's were up first in my ring, then the Standardbreds. I did NOT have time to finish plaiting him, so I ripped them all out and we went 'natural' ... (would have had time, if he had of loaded) .... Quickly did his hooves (BAD job), no makeup, he'd crapped all down his legs which I'd tried to get off... and I stuffed myself into my show attire... I had NO idea what it looked like!! No time for preening.

I sent Eric to get my 2 tickets. He comes back saying they wanted to charge him $70 so he only bought one.... WTF? Turns out, he bought a full day ticket. I only wanted 2 classes. Yeah. I should be more specific next time.... Mental note: get refund!

And then I hear it.... They're calling my class!! Where's the ring?? The furtherst point from where I parked. Ofcourse it is!!! I hand my horse to Eric - "take him to Ring 2" I shout .... He strolls off casually. I grab my jacket, run past, grab my horse, and away we go. I get halfway round the ring: "Final Call" for my class over the loudspeaker. Nearly there. No-one is waiting to be judged, only me trying to get there!! They call the NEXT class. Standardbred mare.... I burst into the ring and ask if I can be judged in this class .... Seemed simple to me. 1 gelding, 1 mare. Watch both, we both get first.... hahahaha ... But, they rolled back the class, and judged us separately. Both of us got first obviously... We line back up for Champion. He just hands them out. Mare is Champ, Red is Reserve. Knew THAT was coming, given we looked like scruffs!!!! And you know, it was at this point, I realized I WAS NOT WEARING MY VELVET SHOW HAT!!!! Yeah. GREAT class. I spent hours of preparation, and it looked like I'd done nothing and just crawled out of a ditch somewhere.

Went back to the ticket office and explained my story re: the "ill informed,well-intentioned parter", the class tickets and the day ticket. The old girls thought it was hilarious (I can't say I shared the same sentiment at that point) ... So they refunded me. I counted it later, they gave me the wrong amount. So the show cost me next to nothing (Maybe I should hold onto that thought, as my ONE good point to the day) ...

I figure while I'm here, I may as well do ridden class (thinking classes were closer together) ... I saddle up - Red's being a bit annoying. Shy at this, snort at that, don't stand still to mount etc etc... Finally scramble on (losing my patience some more) and start to walk over to the ring. There was a stroller behind us, and apparently, this was the stroller from hell!! It really WAS going to eat us at any moment, and we had to escape it's clutches, LIKE NOW!!... So I stopped and let it pass - he was back to normal ... Weirdo. This was his first outing, and it was also the first outing of my new banana (radioactive banana colour!) NON stickbum jods... NOte to self: don't do that EVER again. I did NOT like the feel of it, having ridden in stickybums for long...

Waiting around for near an hour, and most of my cheer squad had now departed (having not seen us in the led class either, surprised anyone saw the grey whirlwind straight from the "How NOT to Attend a Show Class" catalouge!!), I was told Standardbred Ridden class was now not until after lunch at 1pm.... It was now 11am.... No thanks. Not waiting another 2 hours for a class he's not really up to scratch for anyway .... I dismounted, and we walked back to the truck. I unsaddled him, brushed him down, and put his travel boots on.

Do you think he would load? "No thanks Mum." ... I had no patience left today. None. I refused to let anyone help - the damn horse was going to go on the truck whether he liked it or not (and it was a definite "or not" for Red) ... Got him up, he stood nicely, I put the bar next to his bum and he was fine, then he decided to run backwards at the speed of light back down the ramp.... I was going to end up with a broken leg (mine, or his, or both!) or a broken tailgate at this rate .... Finally got him up there and we were on our way home. Slowly. So slowly. Just breathe, it will all be okay...

I drove out infront, the truck tailed behind. I watched in the mirror as Eric tried to merge into the traffic lane, and was cutoff by a car who refused to give way.... The truck had to veer to avoid it... I, saw, RED! Pure red fury. I had to resist the urge to let the car get close enough for me to jam on my brakes and let him maneuver out of a precarious situation. I didn't, because I was aware my truck was also coming, with my partner and horse on board. That car should consider itself damn lucky the things I care about most were on that truck.

We get back to the Equestrian Centre, and unload Red. Coming down is a breeze - "I can do this one Mum! See how good I am?!" ..... He's very happy to be back, Huey spots us and calls out -Red calls back. I put him in the paddock, and he trots over to Huey to say hello, then he comes back and immediately stops, drops and rolls in his favourite dustbowl. No more shiny grey horse. I washed him, WHY?!

I go and collect the feeds, and do the rounds to all 3 - and then I hightail it home.

My first show in a long time. Yeah, I'm just DYING to go again!! (Mental note: camp overnight next time, you idiot) ...

Without further adieu, here are some pics!

To The Show We Go!!

Well he's definitely back to his old self! Here he is, waiting at the gate for me ... hehe ... I decided he could go naked today - as I was at the paddock early morning to get Huey trimmed, and I would be back in a few hours after we looked at a horse for a friend.

Hall Show is tomorrow - and I only intend on going in the Led Class (mayyyybe ridden)... But, please excuse the crappy plaiting job. I wanted to sew, but I completely ran out of time. By the time I washed him, I was losing the light fast. So hasty dressage plaits it had to be (blegh!!)...

And here he is, looking less than impressed in his skinnyhood. hehe. He tried for a while to get it off, but then decided isn't going anywhere and eating was much more fun.

Wish us luck at the Show!! We're going to need it...

Sunset Red..... We're Back!

Since moving him away from the mare - it seems I have my boy back!

I didn't have any of my gear today, for various reasons. I had a rope halter and my lunge lead, so I decided to do a quick lunge session.

Caught him first go - and we walked up to the arena to conduct a short session... He was very responsive today, and very light too - he didn't lean on the lunge at all. Walk, trot, and some very nice canter to either side. Very relaxed - which was great.

I plan to make some cavalletti's in the near future, and step up the training!!

But hooray! My boy is back!! Here's a piccy of him looking gorgeous against the sunset...

Huzzah!!

I'm guessing yesterday's lesson was well learnt - I caught Red first go today. hehe.

He was calling to the mare when I got there, but he made no attempt to bugger off ... 2 reasons I'd say ...1) he was no longer next to the mare, and 2) he didn't feel like being driven on in a rug again today ...

I promised him that if he wasn't naughty, then he could have a small lunge session only... Sure, he can't understand me, but I still held my end of the deal. So, we had a short lunge session - no more than 15 minutes... . Some walk, trot, and canter to either side. Then I popped him over the small jump a few times to either side as well ... After that, I took him bridle off, clipped onto the halter, loosened his gear.... then we walked back slowly, having a nibble on the grass as we went.

I must say. He's looking spectacular right now! Almost all his winter coat has come out, and his white coat is gleaming - roan parts shining through and all...

Yay!! I almost have the old Red back again.

Or...Perhaps it's the Mare!!!!

I have decided, that's Red's extremely erratic behaviour of late - lies directly with the mare and foal that were placed near him. He's obsessed!! I'm inkling towards the idea that he was cut proud and is exhibiting some stallion-like behaviour. He's always done the whole stallion head-toss/wring ... now he's decided to take it to a whole new (and highly irritating) level...

Today - it took me over half an hour to catch him. He simply refused to stop running circles around me and around his 1 acre holding paddock (holding him, while his 3 acre paddock has a rest) ... After 15 minutes of no success, and chasing him to keep him running, I decided to fetch the lunge whip ...

Bugger him. He was going to RUN until he decided being caught was the easier option. Enter the lunge whip, an idiot horse, a now irritable owner, and a no-fill combo rug. I would push him to do several laps, and then provide him with the opportunity to end it all by asking him to come in. For a further 15 minutes we did this dance. Me pushing him on, then asking him to come in,... and him ignoring me.... Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

When he finally stood to be caught (and I had previous failed attempt where he rocketed off aagin), he was blowing like a steam train. I mean really blowing. I'd have felt sorry for him, but it was his own choosing. He would have had over 10 opportunities in that session to come in and end it all. But noooooooooo. I finally haltered him and took off his rug (now completely lathered in foamy goodness.)

There was no way I could work him today. None. He was blowing, lathered, and pretty much exhausted. So what I did do, is hand walk him for 10 minutes, before hosing him down. After hosing, I took him into the arena and hand walked him over trot poles and around some tyres... I then took him to a nice patch of grass and let him graze for about 15 minutes before walking back to the paddock, rugging back up (with a dry rug) and feeding.

I've swapped paddocks with Huey - so Huey is next to the mare and Red is further away from her. Will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow.

-sigh- No steps forward, 10 steps back lately....

...It Must be the Spring Grass!! ...

My normally placid, easy going gelding - has turned into the Devil Himself!!

Total and utter Demon-Horse today!! Firstly, it took me about 10 minutes to catch him - he ran endless circles around the paddock, as there was a loose gelding who was obsessed with the mare who's just foaled.... Consequence: 2 very stirred up geldings. (Huey, on the other hand, stood idily by and watched all the commotion!)

So I finally catch him - he's already drenched in sweat even though he was wearing a no fill combo. It's obvious he'd been hooning around for a while... Idiot.

I decide dto lunge. No riding Demon-Horse for me today. No sir-ee! I brush him down (another garbage bag full of hair session - how much hair can he freaking have LEFT now??!!) and then put on the roller and lunge cavesson ... We walk up to the arena, and he's snorting about this, that and everything else...

Our lunge session was pretty awful. He leaned on the cavesson (I will not use it again), he pulled, he jumped around, he wouldn't really listen. He got that worked up, I had to ask for everthing several times ... By the end, he was completely drenched in sweat and puffing like a steam train ... So it was NOT a productive lesson at all... Just like our last ride... So, I untacked him and walked him for several minutes to cool off/catch his breath before I hosed him completely down ...

I'm going to work him both days of the weekend. He seriously needs it - he's gone spastic on spring grass and turned into a different horse. If this keeps up, I doubt I'll bother with the show... Maybe just attend the led class, and not worry about the ridden.

Not Such A Good Ride ...

I don't know what it was about today... It was a beautiful sunny day, there was a nice breeze blowing, and it seemed like the perfect day to go for a ride out instead of doing arena work.

Red however, was in a 'mood' ... I started with a quick arena warm-up where we was already displaying his mood, and then we headed out for a trail around the dirt roads... Everything was a boogeyman today. Everything. The tree, the shadow, the mailbox, the windmill, the ponies coming up behind us. Boogeymen.... Horse-eating monsters, the lot of them!!

It was hard to have a relaxing ride, when I was trying to anticipate his next sideways leap. His feeding hasn't changed, only the introduction of some greener lucurne so maybe it's to blame. Spring grass is another thing, but he's been fine up until now. His feed hasn't increased or decreased, his workload has increased slightly. I did notice when I took a hindboot off him, it had rubbed him slightly, so maybe that was another issue compounding the many other issues today.

Ah well. We all have our 'off' days. right?! There's always tomorrow :o)

A Little Bit More Each Day ...

I decided to go for a short ride after work this evening. The wind was low, and it was a gorgeous evening - what better way to unwind after work eh?!

I didn't lunge today either. I tacked up at the paddock and walked him on foot up to the arena - then tightened the girth when I got up there (he likes to puff out like a blowfish when girthing up)....

Started with the usual warmup, and we did some very lovely figure 8's at the trot - I was very proud!... I then asked for canter a little earlier than the usual spot, to avoid any anticipation and keep him thinking about it. We cantered the first short side, through the corner, down the long side and through the next corner... He picked up the correct lead and was very smooth. We did that twice, and I figured now was the time to circle to the left at the canter as well .... I again asked for him to strike off through the corner, and he picked up the correct lead in front, but not behind. I brought him back to trot and asked again - perfect!! Until this point, we'd only have a few canters to the right, and we hadn't attempted the left ...

I love this boy! He's my superstar... Now for the important bit: ridden pics!!!! (finally) My partner was taking them under sufferance - and we only got a few that were decent enough to put up. hehe. (The rest were too far away or there was just a nose!)

Resisting a bit in this one :o)

Gathering up the reins - he's stickybeaking! (And standing more 'under' than usual)

Still stickybeaking at the walk.

I Luff My Pony!!

I contemplated not riding today - as it was excessively windy!

But after having a chat with a friend, we both decided to go ahead and see how the boys were. I didn't lunge today - I just tacked up and jumped on. He was a bit snorty about the wind and the rain, but otherwise fine.

I rode in the arena first. Some trot circlework. Then I asked for canter again - the first time he just lengthened the trot. But we came around again, and he moved straight into canter with a squeeze, a verbal 'canter' and a cluck/kiss... we cantered the full length of the arena (80m) very nicely and very calmly, and came back to trot at the end ... We trotted back around to the same point and I asked again... Again, straight into canter we we did the full long side, through the first corner, and across the shortside (40m) .... I was soooooo proud! We did that one more time, then I stopped and gave him huge pats!!

We then took the boys out for a ride through the property for something different ... A nice leisurely stroll, with a little trot here and there ... He was very behaved, and he didnt spook at much (aside from when a loose horse decided to follow us, and said loose horse freaked out at a sign flapping in the wind, hehe) ... That was understandable, all 3 freaked out in an amusing domino effect, hehe ...

He's such a good boy. I luff my pony!

We're Big Kids Now!!

My little man is growing up. We cantered under saddle today! -sniffle-

The arena was still pretty mushy today after the recent rains, so our lunge session was only short ... I rolled the trot poles into a dry section so we didn't go sliding... I put them back at the distance he likes, and he was very comfortable over them to the left... He was really stretching down to look where he was putting his feet, and had a really nice round outline; he also had a very nice high action over them....

Then it came to the right, and I don't think I was seeing what he was seeing, but something was a boogeyman in that direction. He baulked at the start, trotted the first pole, then decided to jump the final three... haha. Very nice action over them though, I was quite impressed. Of course, that wasn't what I wanted! So we did a few laps and called it quits when he did a nice line.

Then I hopped on the ride. The usual, walk and trot in circles to either direction. And for the first time, I asked him to canter under saddle in the arena .... At first his didn't really understand and just got faster (and longer, omg it was huge!) in the trot. So I steadied the pace, and asked again at the same point in the arena ... He got a bit faster, then broke into canter and we quietly cantered one long side to the other - bit of a stumble in the middle but that's more than okay for his first real canter with a rider!... I was soooooo proud of him... We did that a few more times; until he started to get a wee bit too excited. When that happened, I called it a day, and gave him huge pats!! We then took a nice leisurely stroll around the ring road for something different. Apparently, one of the Arab mares was a boogeyman that we needed to spook at. Silly pony.

We unsaddled and had a good brush down (one of the girls out there commented it was 'snowing' because of the amount of hair he's shedding right now!) ... I gave him dinner and then presented him with his brand new rug! Blue camo print!! haha ... I think it looks cool... I think perhaps he's not so convinced.