Plus, it turns out Isabel spent her vacation in a more or less similar fashion. She got healthier and has returned to the work with renewed vigor. Our jumping has mostly been better than ever (mostly lol) and the dressage has been full speed ahead.
This all makes me EXCITED guys. So excited. I want to do allll the things!
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| dis our "excited" face |
For instance, this weekend will probably be totally shot lesson-wise. That won't stop me from trying or denying that it'll be as bad as they say... But it'll be whatever it's gonna be. Le sigh.
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| when all else fails, there are still peppermints. thanks again Amanda! |
Specifically, dressage plans. Just this week I signed up for one clinic and entered two dressage schooling shows. The clinic is at the end of the month and (as of this writing) the 10-day forecast doesn't look entirely foreboding. Whether we'll be able to ride at all between now and then tho... well. We'll see.
The shows are part of the same series that we signed up for all last winter but that kept on getting cancelled due to acts of nature. So yea, it's tempting fate a little bit to already be writing about and planning for them. But whatever. I can dream, right?
And really, the way I figure, we pretty much have to haul out to ride at this point anyway (meaning paying arena fees from $20-$40 per horse per hour) so might as well get some feedback while we're at it. Right? Maybe? Idk...
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| lacking exciting riding pics of my own, i've been collecting exciting riding artwork. this timber racing piece is the latest. |
Oooh, and here's one last little tidbit for those of you that like guessing games: The schooling series we're entered in will be held in a small indoor, meaning tests that require a regulation sized court are out of the question. So, what tests does one ride when the goal is first level movements?
Entries are already in, so obviously I've already chosen my tests (and may or may not get absolutely hammered by the judges lol)... But still, I'm curious to hear your thoughts!
Have heard the weather warnings for your neck of the woods over here, sounds nasty alright!
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed it doesn't wind up as terrible as forecast. We're due a nasty dose of ice fog as of 5pm this evening - yay...NOT!
*sigh*
Here's hoping I can still cleaner aboard Nancy for her first spin since her adjustment on Monday before PL comes to ride tomorrow *gulp*
yea the storm isn't look great (and people are already running around like chickens with their heads cut off... lovely!). hope your own weather is at least marginally better and you can get out to make sure Ms Nancy is feeling her normal well-behaved self!!
DeleteWound up just letting them run last night and rushed home in ice rain before it stuck to the ground & caused black ice. Thankfully temps are climbing since and we now have slush with rain to follow during the week the clear all the grey away - yippee!
DeleteN was an angel today for PL, I am truly blessed with that gem of a horse!
ugh i hate when weather gets in the way of our plans - but glad N was so good anyway! she really is a gem :D
DeleteAll the plans!!! Definitely no shame in planning - sometimes that's half the fun lol. I hope you get to go out this weekend at that you get spared the worst of it (just as long as you don't send it my way though ;) I don't want any of that nonsense this year lol)
ReplyDeletehaha planning is half the fun, right? and yea i'm hoping we get spared too, tho all the warnings become more and more dire as the storm approaches. le sigh... so much for a 'mild' winter!! ;)
DeletePlan away and stay safe! Also for your dressage tests read the box up at the top. That tells you what the judge is looking for and it seems like no one reads it. From scribing I've learned that judges want you to do well, even when they are harsh.
ReplyDeleteso here's a little hint about which tests i wanna do - dressage first level tests require a large arena, which the show will not have. so those tests are out. and if we wanna do those same movements, we have to look elsewhere. like, eventing test elsewhere (eventing tests don't have the little box at the top)
DeleteThe same principles still apply and the judges for eventing tests are the same ones for dressage tests, so if they see first level movements in an event test then they will be looking for the same things. Also pay attention to the directive boxes on the eventing tests. Lots of people forget about those and it helps your score a lot if you know what the judge is really focusing on in that moment.
Deleteyup! i promise i do actually read the tests lol
DeleteI was shocked at the number of people that didn't. I learned that one watching a fix-a-test clinic. I thought some of the ladies were going to cry when the judge was asking them about the directive box...
Deleteyea... i know what you mean. preparation is so key and most judges can tell when a rider has done their homework or not. it's a shame too when that happens bc these schooling shows are really the perfect opportunity to get really great feedback, but that's not possible when you aren't actually prepared and make silly otherwise-avoidable mistakes.
Deleteactually - the second schooling show (not til march, so anything could happen between now and then) is the one i'm *super* excited about bc it's one of those 'fix-a-test' classes, where you ride the test then get a 20min mini-lesson with the judge, then ride it again. and both tests get scored. esp for the price, it's foolish to go into an opportunity like that unprepared.
OMG - love that artwork! Is it painted on stone? So not looking forward to this weekend's weather :(
ReplyDeleteit's ceramic actually, the artists does pottery and glazing among other artistic media.
Delete(oddly enough, the artist turned out to be someone i know, related to my family in twisted ways that could only happen in smaltimore, and actually the first person to get me involved in helping out at the farm at which i ultimately started lessons. small world!)
Does the schooling series offer the eventing tests? I'd imagine a couple USEA Training level tests would be a great gauge for First Level :)
ReplyDeleteyup eventing tests are absolutely offered!! so... yea that's the idea ;)
DeleteWell Prelim A is an easy version of 1-3 so I vote a Training test for warm up and then Prelim A.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed that everything works out and you're able to do the clinic and shows!
ding ding ding, that's pretty much exactly what my jump trainer said haha. tho i feel slightly foolish since i signed up for those tests before actually reading them, and am now moderately worried about a couple of the movements (10m circles... i *think* we got them... we'll see i guess) but am actually really excited to try and put it all together. we could totally bomb... or it could be awesome. only one way to find out!
DeleteHa! If/when we successfully do that test, I will feel very accomplished.
Deleteyou and Courage are totally gonna do that test, and plenty beyond too. #chasingthebronze right?!? :D
DeleteJust keep in mind the Prelim tests have to be done in sitting trot!
Deletewell.. that's certainly interesting. i swore i looked that test up and down looking for something that said whether that was a requirement or not... but i guess it's elsewhere in the rule books... hrm. haha. looks like i'm gonna need to practice that sitting trot?!?
DeleteSometimes I think that I like making plans more than actually doing anything! It doesn't hurt to get out there and do stuff :)
ReplyDeleteha i think you're right! i've actually read about studies that show that anticipation of happiness is sometimes just as powerful, or more so, than the actual event itself. like, think of looking forward to a vacation.
DeleteYay dressage shows!! FUCK winter tho
ReplyDeleteomg seriously ugh. we are about to get *buried* and i'm not looking forward to it...
DeleteIt missed us completely somehow, good luck!
Deletelucky you! we got slammed.... but it's actually been a pretty efficient clean up by the city so things are almost back to normal...
DeleteLove the artwork!
ReplyDeleteme too!!! feels like it has a nice energy :)
DeleteYeah it's going to be a bad weekend... maybe this will be the only snow for this winter? Fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteugh i seriously hope this is it for the season, but that seems a little unlikely...
DeleteJealous of the dressage shows and clinic opportunities. You will be in my thoughts for the weather, though.
ReplyDeletethe opportunities certainly abound, question will be whether anything actually ends up happening... and thanks the storm is *here*, that's for sure...
DeleteI think you deserve a medal for signing up for so many things with it being so cold there. That's true dedication! I hope that the weather starts getting better soon. Meanwhile, stay safe during all of this blizzard nonsense.
ReplyDeletethank you - the blizzard is in full force here and i'm pretty much keeping myself occupied by wishful thinking of future riding.... and honestly when the weather gets so wintery here, we really don't have many options for riding at all, so actually going to a schooling show or clinic might be our only chances for actually logging saddle time. thank goodness my mare is pretty much the same after two days or two months off!
DeleteGood luck at the clinics and shows! Jealous that you have stuff to go to. Around here nothing happens until the end of April!
ReplyDeletewell stuff gets scheduled... but it frequently doesn't happen. we are wishful thinkers apparently haha. we will see!
DeleteI like to think of winter as the time when I save a lot of money. Because I am not competing. But I tend to blow all my money on things I need for when I AM competing. So it doesn't really work... grr
ReplyDeleteeh that formula doesn't work for us since we run out of places to ride, and therefore end up paying arena use fees for ever.single.ride ugh. plus hauling out and all that nonsense. it's either that or let 'em go a little feral for the season ;)
DeleteGood luck with your weather! Also, I strangely love the bucket of mints pic. Mmmmm!
ReplyDeleteha i kinda love that pic too! and that bucket pretty much lives in the trailer specifically for all our little adventures :D
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