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.