Horse show~ YAY

Horse show Sunday!

Also, I'm not half-leasing Nikko through winter, so I will be riding any horse that I get put on.

OH and another horse show on the 31st :) last show of the season, until next year!

Is it me or did this show season FLY by?

And I'm excited that I don't have to change horses to move up to 2"6!

Videos will be up on youtube (HorseRidingAntEasy).

horse show!

yesterday, I had a horse show. Since Nikko cut his cornet band a couple of weeks ago, we couldn't jump, only flat classes. His owner also did two flat classes on him.

First up, was his owner. She won a 1at and a 2nd. First was in Eq, Second was in U/S. Nik usually does good in Under Saddle, but he didn't get framed up.

We had a couple hours wait, and then it was my turn. Both Eq classes. On the first eq, I blew my right lead...yeah didn't go as planed. And of course the judge had to be staring RIGHT at us. We got 7th out of 8th. The person who got 8th was on a 4 year old pony. I know her. He only bulked once, but that was enough to lose.

My second class was PERFECT though. We won 3rd :)

Wow...

So, I'm not really active right now. I'm more active on my Youtube account (which is weird xD.)

If you want to sub (you know you do!) username is HorseRidingAntEasy.

Look me up!

Sunday Horse Show

Sunday (July 25th) I participated in a horse show with Horse Gal. We went in 2"3 and it was a great learning experience for both of us. It was also a check on how far we've come in a month. Last month, I didn't have my mind on showing Nikko. To make things even hard, July was the only time I rode him.

Our first class was Novice Eq. Over Fences. It was a complicated course, consisting of one tough roll back. You had to get your eye in the spot even before you jumped the first part of the roll back. Then, in no more then 3 strides, turn around another jump and dodge a tree with a wide turn to the second part of the roll back. Well, lets say Nikko thought we where going to the wrong spot and he said that he would just jump the second jump in the line by himself. Umm, mom? You know this is a LINE? We are suppose to jump the other jump, not go around it. Ok? I turned him in time to run him into the wing, in which he dodge. I lost my right stirrup (see what happens when you don't have your heels down?) and lost my balance when he dodged away from the wing. I ended up in front of the pommel with my left foot still in the stirrup. I fixed myself up, just in time for the turn to the second part of the roll back. I picked up the right lead ad jumped it perfectly. I was mad at myself the whole entire day. But on the plus side, I got 3rd out of 5 people! I technically just broke because I didn't refuse, I wasn't off course, and I never picked up the wrong lead afterward.

The next class was a flat class. Novice Eq. Flat. When we where asked to canter, Nikko picked up the wrong lead. So I brought him back down to the trot. Then I asked again. He now cross-cantered. I took a deep breath and got him to pick up the correct lead. We placed 6th out of 7 people.

Our third class was another jumping course. It was Green Rider Hunters 2"3. It was a pretty basic course. Single fence, judges line, diagonal, outside line, then to a lone oxer. It was pretty perfect, except for a couple of distances. One we just got deep, but not ugly. The distance to the oxer...one word - ugly. We placed 10th out of 23. In that particular arena, the ribbons go up to 10th.

We participated in two other courses, but we did't place in any of them.

Then we had our Green Riders Under Saddle. Nikko was pretty good, in frame and all. Its just those darn ponies! We can never beat them, now can we? Needless to say, we placed 9th.

Our last class of the day was Eq. Flat. We where perfect! I placed 3rd out of 21 people. I felt like having Nikko bite a couple of horses though...people cutting me off...*grumbles*

Horrible, Horrible, Horrible...

Today, Nikko was bad from the beginning. Buldging shoulders, falling down, cutting corners, and not listen to my leg was just the start of it all. Jenny asked us halt, back up, and then into the sitting trot. I tapped Nik with my leg and half-halted (yah know, leg and hand aids always go together?) He stopped but, boy, was it horrible. Pulling this way, pulling that way, tripping. We backed up a couple of steps...maybe 3 at the most, but he was pulling so badly. I dropped it and asked him to trot, it was slow...then fast...then slow. We could never find the right speed...ugh.

Then for jumping, we jumped bending lines (fun :p) We had to open his stride to get the distance in. Then Shorten his stride to fit the other distance in. Yuck, well it went...O.K.


On the bright side, I hacked Charger bareback. We were 'western' and he did a pretty darn good job. Only tried to buck a couple of times. Tried (and failed) to do sliding stops. Galloped on the buckle..oh what fun. And this isn't sarcasm...IT WAS SUPER FUN!

All the Marvelous Things

So today I had a lesson on Nikko. And I may say, he was PHENOMENAL! We jumped a cross rail, tight turn around the quarter round with a couple strides to the barrels. Then right turn, to the 5 stride line. After the line, it was a off a right hand corner to the quarter round.

We jumped the cross rail and got the left lead. I turned him around the quarter round, and set him up for the barrels. At that moment, he bulged right a little saying Ugg, that was the same path we took last time, remember? And then our horrible distance in which I had to save your butt. I'll fix it, don't worry. Needless to say, perfect distance...and a lead change after. The 5 stride came up faster then i expected. But we got in alright and he opened his stride up to get the 5, not increasing his speed one bit.

We got out perfectly and he landed the lead. We went deep into the corner, waiting for the right spot to turn off the rail for the quarter round. It was 3 strides off the rail, if you turned at the right time. We got a deep distance, but it wasn't too bad. Nikko gave me a lead change after. Jenny yelled at me to get off of him before I do anything stupid.

Oh yeah, Nikko is half mine for July.

Fun Show

This was last year at the Fun Show. Charger and i cleared 3ft to win Chase me Charlie. I tried to go for it again, but the striding was screwed up so it was a 3 stride for ponies, 3 1/2 for horses.



This was Charger jumping 2ft. Notice the straight line from elbow to bit?



Here, this is 2'3. No he didn't hit it with his front hoof, but came very close.



Then Charger jumped 2'6. He hit is with his back hooves :( but he threw his heart over the jump. Also notice how powerful his back legs look, like a spring ready to explode. Too bad he didn't make it...

We did many other classes, in which Charger and I won two. One was the crop relay race and the other was bobbing for apples (ponies against horses.) We came in 2nd for barrel racing and pole bending.

I lost time for the poles because he could barely get into them :( but I did get an A+ for barrels! I had the tightest turns of all :D

Horse Camp Day 5

Today was the last day of horse camp. The campers invited their parents out to show off what they learned in the week. They trotted on the lounge line, then we took the saddles off and they rode bareback. The one on Oreo almost fell off in 'Around the World' but I caught her foot as she slowly slid down. Then the one on Hummer fell off when she was just about to finish AtW. It was really funny.

Then we hid things around the arena and then went out in search. The person on Oreo fell off when she reached for a brush lower then it should have been. She got up laughing and we all laughed it off.

Then I rode Nikko in a lesson. I have to learn how to 'compact' his stride and make him more...rideable for his owner? During jumping, he tried to take my kneecap out in the middle of the grid, moving left, ignoring my leg. Since he is 'sensitive' I couldn't kick him, just open my rein nicely >.< but at the end, we got a left to right lead change...so does that count as schooling off my leg?

Then I rode Snickers up the mountain with Rex and Amelia. It was fun until the motor bike scarred the living manure out of her. Needless to say, I was scarred about motor bikes for the whole ride back. And she only tried to kill us tripping about 2 times :D, just over rock which made it more freaky.

Horse Camp Day 4

(Sorry I didn't blog yesterday. I was really tired.)

So the campers groomed and got on their horses. We did more balancing on the lounge line, then we went on a trail ride. We walked up the loop, to the meadow, back up the loop. Then we had lunch and I had to put scavenger hunt cards out. It was a very easy hunt, but it was fun. I duct taped the card to Charger's flymask...while he was in it. There was only one hard item, and that was the lounge whip.

I rode Frankie for my lesson. He started to drop into my hand about 5 minutes into the work out. Then we cantered and jumped a couple of roll backs to soften him up. He was still a little fresh, but I had fun.

Then I rode Nikko. We went on a trail ride with Logan, Gus, and Milo. He was really good except for prancing down the hills...no matter how steep they where. But we all got home, safe and sound.

Horse Camp Day 3

So today, we worked on trotting on the lounge line. Then we played Red Light, Green Light. Charger won because Hummer was too polite to nudge a human. Then we played Simon Says. They wanted to get off horses when they lost, so I got stuck with Charger :) When we where trotting, he tripped, tried to catch himself. Tripped again, and caught himself again. So there he is, laying on his knees until he completely lays down. Me, of course, did an emergency dismount. He got up and was fun, but thank god I was on him and not one of the campers.

I had a lesson on Frankie again. He was really good and instead of starting off stiff, he started to bend. He dropped down into my hand in the trot faster then yesterday. He was pretty good jumping. He just would rush a little, but not as bad as yesterday. Oh, and we accidentally trotted a 2'4 oxer from the trot :o but he cleared it by a foot; it felt so weird and funny at the same time.

Horse Camp Day 2

So today, they got their ponies out and groomed them. Then we did a couple of balancing exercises on the lounge line. Then we had lunch and I had to tack up for my lesson while they groomed Cass and went over her body parts.

I rode Frankie for my lesson, a dapplish grey gelding. He started to frame and carry me around at the trot, just in time to canter :) He had a hint of freshness in him while we where jumping. He also refused about 3 times, only because 1) I didn't his eye on it when we did a roll-back. 2) Didn't give him enough turning room so we came at it from an angle...he didn't like that. 3) Again, angle at the jump. He doesn't like it.

Hacked Max. And he was perfect! His short pony stride was small for the canter/trot poles. So we went over one, got one stride and went over the second and then got a regular stride to the third one. He was perfect for being 4 :) so proud of him.

Jenny asked me if I wanted to ride Charger. I was thrilled because I LOVE riding him bareback. I was about to trot when this convo. happened.

Me: *got about 4 steps of trotting*
Katy; Why is she riding him?
Jenny: I thought it would be fun.
Katy: He is going in a lesson. (blank) is riding him.
Jenny: Oh, she can ride Bc.
Me: Bc is being used in the same lesson.
Jenny: Get off the horse and put him away then.
Me: *laughing so hard was about to fall off*

So that ended on a funny note. Charger was sad that we didn't get through the hack though.

Horse Camp Day 1

So today was first day of Horse Camp. I went out to the barn at 8:30 to help the two kids. They learned how to get their horses out and how to groom them. They learned how to put the tack on, then we headed down to the small arena. They walked, learned how to two-point, and trotted a little bit. Then we walked up to the upper arena and walked an 'obstacle course.'

They put their horses away after grooming them. Then we dug into lunch. After lunch, they cleaned their tack and had a horse anatomy lesson while I helped Becca with buckets for lunch.

Overall, good day. Now for the next 4 days. But hey, I get to have a lesson tomorrow afterward!

Surprise Saturday!

So today, I arrived at the barn and SURPRISE! <<<<<<<<<<< Scuba the bug-eyed, crazy looking gelding was there! We hadn't seen him in a year, give or take a couple of months.

Eh, what can I say about my lesson. I rode Snickers and again, she was terrible. She was falling around my left leg and was galloping to the jumps. She was tearing around corners and pulling on me...non-stop. >.

At around 1:45, Katy asked me to get on Nikko. A 16 hh seal brown gelding. I got the ride lead after a few trot steps, I dunno why most people have problems getting it. Love his mo-hawk-mane that bounces when you ride...hehe. Mom is thinking about half-leasing him. But I gotta jump him first. Katy says I may have my next show horse, if I ride him the right way.

Thrilling Thursdays

Milo, the *sensitive* pony. I even put his ears in it! He was doll, letting me do this. It is stylish, don't you think?

Here Geordi is every so gracious to sport out new look! This is out springtime mud look! Isn't it fabulous? It comes in legs, half, and full! Buy your's now before your horse is the only one not wearing it! $20 doesn't include shipping.

So, in the morning I rode Logan. He was amazing! Even getting a flying change across the diagonal. He tried to give me another one but got the back and not the front (go figure!) I'm sure he would have gotten the front, but I didn't ask...at all...for both changes.

Then I rode Snickers and well...what can I say? She was horrible. I mean she was listen to my leg (sort of) but was just too fast. We galloped around the arena, lapping everyone at least twice. I guess it was payback from the Sunday show? All we did for jumping was adding and subtracting our distances over two poles, fun! I hope she is better tomorrow...I really do.

Summertime is finally here!

So, its finally summertime! And I have an urge that I just had to fix. I wanted to start roleplaying again. Yes, again. I joined an awesome site Riding Freedom, in which I joined in the beginning of last year. Then school got in the way, and I had to go dormant for a while.

So a couple of days ago, I logged in again. Made 2 new horses and got active.

If you are looking for a great place to role play, then Riding Freedom is for you.