So that dressage show

I never did tell the tale of the dressage show.

As show secretary I schedule the ride times. This can be exasperating, but generally there will be one thing that will make it all work. This time it was starting the show at 9:30 instead of 9. That put a judge's break during a lunch appropriate time, instead of at 10:30 or 1:00. Since our venue was a further drive for most participants this was welcomed. I didn't have to load in the dark! As it was, Quirky and Naners had the air up their tails and were bucking and running around their corrals. The difficult part of the morning was catching them. Naners ran her hip into her stall door while trying to elude me. Horses.

Loaded up we headed down the driveway, Red chasing the trailer as he does (How dare I take his girlfriend away!) We headed south into the desert to the Taskmaster's, as that's where the show was being held. My tack room was doubling as show office, so I got a choice spot next to the arena.

Quirky and I were the first ride of the day. I would sum up the ride as just fine. Intro B: mostly 6's, two 5's, and two 7's on our center lines and halts. A 7 for Impulsion and a 7 for Geometry and Accuracy. I love that geometry score. Since I started doing dressage I would frequently get "accurate test" as a comment. I didn't realize until recently how good a comment that is. 59.325% We could have done better, but that's fine.

Then I tacked up Naners. We were the last rides before the judge's break and the switch to the standard arena. BN A was a mixture of 5's, 6's and 7's, the 7's on our canters (she does have a fabulous canter) and our final center line and halt. Also a 7 on gaits, which doesn't surprise me. Mare has nice gaits.

BNB was mostly the same, though with a quite notable 8 on our trot half circle right from B to X. 40 on BN A, 39 on BN B. I was quite happy with the mare.

Quirky was very unhappy that she had left him. He was carrying on at the trailer most of the time we were gone. I could see how his mom says he's "suicidal" when tied to a trailer. He did a lot of little rears. He wasn't quite suicidal though.

The two of them stood eating their hay at the trailer the rest of the day. I could tell near the end Quirky really wanted the day to be over. I don't blame him. When the last tests were added and trailers were pulling out I loaded the show office back into the tack room and then loaded Little Mini Man. The top of his butt was shorter than my dividers. I prayed he'd stay in his spot in the front of the slant and wouldn't infringe on Quirky's space in the next spot.

Everyone loaded we set off for home. First time I've had three beasties in my trailer. I kept a good part of my awareness on what was going on in back, but there was no evidence of unhappiness and everyone was good when we unloaded.

I really love my local shows. As I stood there I realized I've become friends with everyone who competed, so it really was like a show full of friends. Spending a day with horses and friends is always a good time.

Quirky at my house

It was about time an actual pony took up residence here at Pam's Pony Place again. Quirky is here at least for a week, maybe a couple of months. First, we have a dressage show. Then, maybe, we're going to do Pre-Comp at Las Cruces.

Anyway, here's some cute pony:

Naner's first jumping show

On Sunday morning, while the sky was still dark, I loaded my horse in my very own trailer. Good thing it has lights inside, or I don't think I would have ever gotten her on. We crept down the gravel roads, on the lookout for deer, and got to town before the sun came over the mountain to blind us. The Albertson's parking lot was nice and empty at 7 am and I took up about 15 spaces when I parked.

With a Venti Salted Carmel Mocha Frappuccino in the cup holder and a 20 pound bag of ice in the truck bed, we went the rest of the distance to the barn the show was at. No problem parking, since I was the first one there. Banana was quietly eating on the trailer so I left her in there while I got the show office set up. People checked in and after about two hours I tied her to the trailer with her hay net and she continued to be a good girl.

My other mount showed up, Quirky the Connemara. We're still applying small amounts of pressure to him and he's getting better. After his freak out in the warmup at Watermelon I decided it might be good to go in a flat class with people I know can steer, so at the last minute we did a Hunter Under Saddle class. He was pretty fabulous. Quick, but listened. We placed 4th out of 10 or something like that. Then we did Pile Of Poles, to take out the possibility of him bucking. He decided then he was tired and I had to constantly keep my leg on him so he wouldn't walk. As a result, he had a lovely, constant speed to his trot and we placed 2nd out of 4.

Naners was a good girl. She stood around patiently as we waited our turn. Our cross-rail round was decent, considering we hadn't actually ever jumped a whole course before. We placed 4th out of 5. Our 2' round she whacked a rail and it flew about 6 feet, but we placed 3rd out of 4. I was very happy with her, though oh do we have a lot to work on, but it's just that she needs miles.

Afterwards back to the trailer she went, where she stood quietly napping for the rest of the day and I was stuck back in the office. When we got home she got to go out with Red (who is back) and his buddy Pinto and she couldn't be happier.

Two Ride Day

Quirky showing off his carrot stretching skills.

Yesterday I started off my afternoon riding Quirky the Connemara. He's such a little stinker, but he's getting better. Then Banana and I went on a trail ride with some friends.

Lots of bushwhacking through the gamble oak, though in this pic we just happen to be on a trail.

I love Naner's ears.

Banana and I jumped a couple of logs out in the woods.

Love my horse. She's so solid on the trail.

Show #4 In 5 Weeks

The last show out of my four was last weekend. A local dressage show that I wasn't necessarily planning on showing at, but it was pretty clear at Watermelon that Quirky the Connemara needs to get out more. Somehow, in between secretary duties, I rode him Intro B and we also did Dressage Seat Equitation so the other person in it could beat someone. I knew she'd beat us as I had no intention of cantering, but thought a little pressure, but not too much, would be good for the pony.

I refused to get into a show coat. I told people that morning they were lucky I was wearing clothes at all. I haven't been that tired in a long, long time. I don't know how those Hunter/Jumper types show weekend after weekend.

Our test was fair: 60%. I think she could have safely given us a lower score and I wouldn't have complained. It was much more appropriately judged than the same test was at Watermelon where we got some ridiculously bad score. But, the judge there definitely had a thing for warmbloods looking like they were in a frame, even false ones. This judge definitely judged on what the horses at that level should be looking like.

In Dressage Seat Eq I was told I "have a lovely hunter seat, but need to lengthen my leg so I can use my aids better." Well yes, I would love to ride with a longer leg. But, there's something about dressage saddles my hip does not care for, we're talking hurts so bad you can't sleep pain. So I've been avoiding dressage saddles while I get things sorted out.

We've also sorted out that Quirky does has an offness to his gait, that I've been feeling for weeks but we couldn't pinpoint. If you look at the top picture his hind hits earlier than the fore in the trot. His mom is going to have him looked at now that we've figured out there truly is something amiss.

In Intro B we weren't against anyone, so a blue for the pony. I spent part of the afternoon scribing for the first time and got to scribe for some Western Dressage. It was nice to learn about it from the judge, who is wholeheartedly embracing it. Maybe Banana and I will add it to our "to-do" list.

My very first event with a Letter ending

The plan had been to take Banana to Watermelon. But, with her trailering issue it seemed less than wise. They weren't going to give me a refund so I scrambled to find a mount. I found one, though he was green, known for being evil and hadn't been ridden in six months. But, we were just doing the 20" division. And, even if I brought him and scratched before we went into the dressage arena I was fine with that. He needs mileage anyway.

Introducing Quirky the Connemara

Our first ride was two weeks beforehand. He's not really evil, but is extremely sensitive and does not deal well with pressure. So, I added pressure really subtly and felt well about things 4 rides in. Then I got sick and we went to Watermelon with only those four rides.

He was absolutely super on the ground. I couldn't have been more happy with him. He gave me a lovely dressage test that should have gotten a better score than it did.

We went into stadium warmup and he was fine until other people started coming in. We popped over an xrail and he bucked on landing.  Next time he bucked three times and was getting very unhappy. I took him out of the arena so we could take the pressure off. When we went back in we walked over the xrail and then trotted it without incident. All of a sudden it was time for our round. We started to leave the ring and at the gate he completely lost it. Spinning, bucking and thinking about running back to the barn. When he stopped I got off and said, "I'm not riding this pony." I did end up getting back on him, going into the show arena and walking over an xrail, which he was back to his quiet self for.

We have several theories about his change in behavior and will work on those in the future. When everything was over for the day we turned him out in a spare arena, figuring he needed to roll, run and buck. He didn't do any of those things. He just stood next to me, his nose on my elbow. When I walked, he walked. When I trotted he trotted, when I stopped he stopped. We did serpentines and circles all over the place. He really likes me.

I'm going to keep riding him on a regular basis. His mom is one of my partners-in-crime so having an excuse to go ride with her isn't exactly painful :D