SHOWing Off

OMG, I've written like 3 different posts in the last month, then scratched them, either feeling they were whiny, or out of date by the time I was ready to post...

I've been riding sadly like 1-2 rides/wk. I have hopped on a few other people's horses to cool them for WS and finally see Holly is way easier to push gas and when I'm not fetal, her canter is pretty nice. It takes a lot of open hip for me to sit still. I even jumped a bit. (Not so) shockingly I may miss it a little.

The one pic she bothered to actually jump baby xrails

So, I'm more confused now than ever, because we went to a schooling show almost two weeks ago, and I totally fell in love with my mare again. 

Duh. Something has snapped in my head over the last few weeks in the process of looking at other horses that has changed the way I ride her. I stopped being such a ninny and start riding her like the rider I am capable of being. We are working, not hairy eyeing the corners, not hanging our head as heavy as possible. Once I set the rules in a few laps, she became the horse my trainer kept telling me I had. Again, Duh.

So, back to the show. After working all night, I went with two kids and another AA with a green bean QH to a local show. It was kinda weird having one of the more trained horses of the group because I haven't shown a lot, but Holly has a completely different persona when we trailer her out to a show. Game face was on.

She got a quick run in their worlds smallest and hardest round pen, then we went to work around all sorts of things she wasn't so sure about being around in the outdoor. 

By the time I had gotten on, the indoor where all the flat classes were held was already being used, so we went into there for the first time, while being judged. It has stalls surrounding it and people walking all about, horses calling out and a judge sitting in one corner Lots of new things to pretend like we didn't see while being hunter princesses of the flat.

We must have done pretty well at that because we became the Queens of 2nd place. To the same, really schooled grey horse and rider. Kinda felt a little shady since she won 1st in Eq, Pleasure, HUS classes every time. Since I had prepped almost nil and had worked the night before (yay for being to tired to get nervous) getting a bunch of red ribbons was A-Ok in my book. Especially in eq, I'm not your most graceful rider. 

My only 3rd I managed to cue a counter canter (seriously mare, when do I ask for that?!) instead of a canter to the right, leading to this slug of a pace and in a panic, I did the worlds worst lead change near practically into the judge. Um, yeah, I blame sleep deprivation. New rule: if in doubt, return to trot.

That moment where you feel so 'at home' on a horse

WS hopped on Holly for o/f classes. I kinda wanted to do the baby crossrail classes (i.e. < 2ft), but honestly it was kinda hard to when even the kids were starting at 2'-2'3".  Considering a nasty storm blew in during the last class, Holly was amazing, She hasn't schooled over flower fill in a long time and it was straight raining on her for the last round. She got 1st in all her o/f classes because the WS, J, makes all horses shine their best. 

So, of course almost two weeks later, the high has worn off, and I'm still torn between my really pretty, trained, sweet mare that I don't really have time for, and a possibly smaller, easier unknown new project. I get bored admittedly after a few years with things, and am trying to sort out what I really want to do with a horse and have the time for with work, house projects out the kazoo, and two very active small kids....

Guess I'll keep drinking wine and playing the lotto while I sort all this out ;)

Equestrian center turned winery... awesome wine and scenery :)