So I've been traveling the last couple days and am woefully behind on everything... especially reading everyone's fabulous posts. Sorry! Will hopefully catch up soon!
Plus I'm also hoping to really plunge back into regular riding (AT OUR OWN BARN!!!!!) this week, as our arena is back in business. Wooooo hoooo!!!!
This is a good thing for a variety of reasons. Obviously, first and foremost, a 2x/weekly schedule isn't exactly ideal for a high energy sport horse. Nor does it work well for keeping a rider sharp.
There's more to the story tho! March is also a fairly busy month for us (check out
our events page if you're curious), with not one, but TWO clinics on the docket. Plus a fix-a-test dressage show.
The first clinic, with Stephen Birchall, was postponed from late January, when we had all that snow. And the second, with Grant Schneidman, is the same clinic I attended last year and loved so much.
I'm particularly eager to get feedback from Grant on our progress from last year to this year. But really, I'm mostly just eager to keep chipping away at our flat work.
The fix-a-test show is also pretty much serving as a mini clinic too, since we will ride the test, have about 20min with the judge (who knows us) to talk it over and work through issues, then ride the test again. My only hang up here is not being sure which test to ride - Training B (fewer 1st level movements but ridden in rising trot) or Prelim A (almost all the 1st level movements but ridden in sitting trot). Any thoughts?
So yea. I'm just happy to be able to dig back in and get both me and Ms Isabel back up to snuff again. We hit the trails over the weekend with Brita and Wick too, scaling every single massive big hill we could find. Ponies felt GOOOOD. Then we jumped around the baby xc field jumps too. Much fun - Princess didn't even fuss much about jumping in the hackamore!
Plus the weather is looking super fabulous - getting into the 70s next week!!!! Super excited that Spring (gasp!) might actually be arriving!!!!
Hope you all had a good weekend too :)
Excited that you're back at it!
ReplyDeletethanks!
DeleteHope you had good travels! YAY MARCH!
ReplyDeletetravels were indeed very good. perhaps more to come at some point eventually lol
DeleteI want to do all things!!! Have fun :)
ReplyDeleteyesssss all the things, let's do it!
DeleteOoo sounds like some awesome opportunities are ahead of you!
ReplyDeletethanks - i'm hopeful!
DeleteSEVENTIES
ReplyDeleteBOOM. spring is ... sprunging? lolz
DeleteYay for more riding!
ReplyDeleteDifferent topic, but do you know of a good running braid tutorial? I can do one that I sort of made up but am guessing there is a better way. You are lucky that Isabel's mane looks a normal amount of hair! The horse I ride has at least twice as much as he needs but I am not allowed to thin or shorten his mane. It makes it hard to contain the hair!
honestly, i watched a bunch of youtube videos on it (none of which stand out as great tutorials) and have just practiced a whole bunch. really, the way i do it is mostly through trial and error, but it's gotten better over time. i can maybe try to do a tutorial myself... but not sure it'll turn out particularly well.
Deletewhat i've found works best for isabel is to start at the top with small sections and braid straight down (not adding in any new sections) for two or three turns just to establish the start of the braid. then i start french braiding down the crest - with the sections growing in diameter pretty rapidly so that they get quite fat, and then they thin out again. isabel's mane is on the thin side, so i will often add a few turns of regular braid (without adding in new sections) just to give myself more length in the braid without pulling from top to bottom. and as i get closer to the wither, there's a little more distance between the braid and her neck - this also helps prevent pulling.
Thanks! This helps, but do you add from the mane side or the neck side? Does that make sense? Is that what you mean by top or bottom?
Deletehm, no i meant 'top to bottom' as in poll to wither. regarding the mane side or neck side (i'm thinking 'over' or 'under'?) i've seen a video where the groom preferred bringing in sections from underneath - the neck side, i suppose? vs on top. i usually braid in from the over/top side (mane side? so confusing!) just because that's what makes sense to my fingers lol
DeleteGot it! I think I can tell in your pictures that you add from the top/mane/whatever side ;-) I like how yours looks better than mine so I'm going to try that! Thanks!!
DeleteSo exciting that you can get back to riding in your own place! And such plans!
ReplyDeletei'm so pumped to be able to ride seriously again without having to ship out!
DeleteHappy Spring! :))
ReplyDelete;D
DeleteThe fix-a-test Show sounds petty cool.
ReplyDeletei'm pretty pumped for it. we've entered practically a zillion fix-a-test shows, but they always end up cancelled. hopefully this time is different. just need to figure out which test to ride!
DeleteSounds like so much fun! Hopefully the weather keeps cooperating :)
ReplyDeleteI've been shopping for farriers and am test-driving a new one on Thursday. (I want one who answers the phone, does a halfway decent job, and shows up on time. Apparently this is a lot to ask.) Anxiously awaiting Time Change for Light After Work. So excited!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you haven't been reading because my "I'm gonna post it on Sunday" got postponed (okay that's just funny) to today . . . Tuesday -___- The eventing team is actually trying to do clinics too, but it's a bit up in the air right now, but if they actually happen, I'll let you know cause we have two awesome possible clinicians right now.
ReplyDeleteAs for which test to ride, Prelim B. If the sitting trot is a worry right now, might as well get some more input on it. All it takes is the right analogy to turn things around, my friend.
Jealous! It is raining for us this weekend, boo :(
ReplyDelete