Much Overdue Update

So Sunday, April 18th, we went ot the Haskins 4-h and Open Horse show. He was all braided and clean for once (:

We got there and I signed up and got ready. We bridled him in the trailer so we wouldn't have to worry about him escaping. He was definately interested in everything around him and a little spookier than normal. We gave him a brush and headed over to the warm up arena. As soon as I got on he was ready to go! I made him walk for a few times around before picking up the trot. And then....it started to rain....uggh!
After I was content with the way he was going, I brought him up to the in-gate to await our first class, equitation. We got in the ring first and we walked around a bit. The footing was a lot more different than he is used to. It was a nice, rubber footing. There was also a mirror on one side of the ring and every time we went by it he looked at himself. Silly boy!

Anyways, our equitation class was good. He was fast and not really listening to my aids to help him bend and collect but I honestly wasn't expecting that. We ended up third in the class. The judge went around after the class and gave everyone tips. He said that overall my equitation was great except my hands were too unsteady, which I knew because I was doing tons of half halts, so I was pleased to hear that I already knew my mistake.

As the day went on, he calmed down. Our pleasure class was ok. A gorgeous western paint spooked right infront of us and stopped, so we broke from the trot. The horse was gorgeous but just couldn't keep the jog. Somehow they placed second in the class...we ended up with fifth. I knew pleasure was going to be our worst class since this was his second show ever and the first show at this place.

After pleasure we did trail...which was interesting to say the least. First were four trot poles. I knew those would be difficult since he has been having trouble figuring out where his feet are. He did ok. He got over all of them at the trot. It was awkward, but we did it. The first time we tried it he buldged out of the way so we had two attempts at that. Next we had to pick up an item and place it back. We did that perfectly. We then had to back up through an L. I was feeling ok about this but he really surprised me. He did it PERFECTLY without taking one step outside of the L. I was so proud! Next in line were weaving poles...oh boy. We never tried that before... The reins got caught in my stirrup (I need shorter reins) and I lost my stirrup half way through but I continued the cones and he listened to me. They were extremely sloppy and I messed up which threw him off. After the cones, we had to walk over a pole. No problem there. Last but not least was a step up box. We walked right up to it and his foot hit it and he was like, "Oh! There was something there?" So I turned him around and tried it again and he did it no problem. We placed 4th in trail.

Our last class was discipline rail. It is basically a command class where you don't get "out" if you don't follow the command. You get judged on how well you execute the given commands. He was SUCH a good boy in this class! I thought we should have won it. Our transitions were amazing, our backup was perfect, and we never moved a step during the halts. We ended up seconds though...but I'm proud of that!

We are currently 3rd in our division! Woohoo!

Our next show will be May 9th, at Haskins. Then we will be doing the HHF show on the 23rd and Abby is bringing Elsa

That's all for now!

-Emily and Jet

I found the laptop!

Mom has been talking about how she made a blog for me. I wasn't sure what that was but it sounded pretty cool since it was about me. She said she wrote about our rides and stuff. Well, I think that is boring and I wanted to tell you about some other stuff. She left the laptop out in my reach so I decided to find this blog thing.

Hello! I look a bit funny here...

So basically...Mom has been riding me everyday since Sunday. It hasn't been easy work either! She is making me work muscles that I didn't even know I have! Oh Mother. When she isn't riding me, she is usually brushing me (I love getting curried in ym scritchy spot!), feeding me cookies, or just snuggling with me....or the other thing. I don't really know why she likes the other one so much. He doesn't do much. I guess he drives but he gets scared. I would rather have Mom loving me than the other thing that I guess I call....my brother...

That's him.

He does have a name...Biscuit...but I would rather call him the other one for now. We aren't really good friends when Mom is around because we both want her attention but when she isn't around we get along...ok.

So a few years ago when Mom first brought me home from the track, Grandma has a pyscho reader person talk to me. She asked me all of these questions that Grandma wanted to know about. I told her a few things...I like the dogs. I think they are part of my family. I see them enough so they might aswell be. I know my mouth is a bit funny (I am missing a ton of teeth on my bottom jaw...) but I don't like when people look in my mouth. You know what't in there and I do to so we can leave it alone. I want to be a Western horse too. I think it would be pretty cool. And they go slow, which I love to do too! When I got here, Elsa told me what would happen is I did this or that. For example, if I walked up to the humans and snuggle with them they will give me cookies! I love cookies!

Mom also said something about a Horse Show? I don't know what she plans to show me because I already have seen everything aroudn the street. Maybe she will show another horse that because I think ti would be rather boring. Well, now that I think about it....Mom said I went to a Schooling Show a couple of weeks ago. I don't like the idea of school that humans have to go to but I liked being able to go toa  new place and show off infront of other horses. Maybe that's what she's talking about!

Uh-oh. Mother is coming so I have to go. She might have cookies!

-Jet

This is what happened today :) Details tomorrow!

A Much Needed Update

Me and my Boy<3

We have just gotten back to our normal riding schedule since the ring is not longer a

death trap since all of the rivets were filled in (thanks Dad!).

Natalie's "sister" Brit and her horse Steve

Friday I went to my friend's, Natalie's, house for a sleepover then I went to her lovely

farm in the morning. She gave me a tour and showed me her ponies and all 27 at the farm.

She then tacked up her horse Bogger/Clinton/Feature Face Dude/ whatever you want to

call him really. She rode then gave me a lesson :) He is an awesome horse once you figure him

out! Then she rode her "sister's" pony Pepsi who needed to burn off some energy. When her

Mom finished the chores she had to do, she came out with a bag of candy... and bunny rockets!

hmm.... bunny rockets... JOUSTING! So natalie and her "sister" galloped towards eachother with

this plastic bunny rockets and shot them at eachother. *priceless* I have videos that I will post too.

Saturday was the Cape Cod Hunter Horse Show with Jacqie (http://www.dumbandbay.blogspot.com/)

and Kate (http://www.huntertobe.blogspot.com/) and their awesome horses! It was a hot day and the first

really big show at 2'6" for both of them. They were nervous but they did really well! No refusals, falls,

bucks, bolts, etc. Only a few awkward jumps but they both handled it really well. They did a Children's

Hunter 2'6" division as well as the MHJ, MHC, SEHA, etc. The both placed 8th in one of their classes

out of almost 20 people on their $50,000+ horses! Quite the accomplishment :) They both did fantabulously!

Sunday was Easter! I woke up to an Easter Basket filled with my favorite goodies in it! -Thanks "Easter

Bunny." I am not a candy fan by any means but chocolate covered pretzels and Little Debbie Cakes were

the perfect treat! Later in the day we had an easter Egg Hunt. There were 47 (?) eggs in all and I found

19 of them. They had money in them! I ended up with $18.50. Not bad at all! We had a nice dinner with

my Grammy aswell.

Monday was the opening day at Plainridge Racecourse so after school we went straigh there to watch

the races! We didn't get back until 7:30 but I still managed to get a nice ride in. After having so much time

off, I was surprised when he offered to bend, and round for me after a few times around. We did a lot of

trotting. Stretchy, collected, circles, changes of directions, etc. He was awesome! It was a great day!

Tuesday we had another ride. We did w/t in both directions extremely well so I asked for a canter

in both directions for about 3 strides and then a downward transition. He picked up both leads after

only having to ask twice! HUGE improvemt from me having to chase him around the ring. After that

I decided that it would be a nice reward to go on a trail ride to the back field...not so much. He freaked

out. He wasn't bad. He was trying to listen but he was very scared and nervous and I could tell.

We went once around the field, he spooked, galloped back to the entrance to the trail back home,

stopped, and turned around to make sure I was still there. We went back home because he was just not

happy and I didn't want to stress him out. But we didn't end on that not. We did more work in the ring

and ended on a good note. He then got a nice linament bath :)

No ride today. It reached the 90's! Too hot fora  horse that has been used to 70's or lower the past

few weeks. Riding tomorrow though :)

-Emily and Jet

Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! I will post about things that have been going on later today. I promise!