RockingHorse Three-phase!

     Today I returned with a brilliant treasure that made me only more proud of the five year old palomino pony, Princess. Today was her first ever three-phase, and we had a rough start with the dressage, followed by an unsteady stadium course, and we were brought back by a fantastic cross country score.

     All of us went as a team, Doc with Hailey, Bailey with McKenzie, and my sister on Spy. We were all going one after the other in the rings. For the first dressage test, Brooke was first and had an amazing score with her not-so-dressage-y pony. Second, was Doc, and I wasn't able to see their entire test but I thought they did good. I was next with an involuntary pit in my stomach, and I was also carrying the horror of anticipating that incorrect left lead. So when we did get to that part of the circle we flew into the incorrect lead, but I was able to change it back pretty quick. Our dressage score was pretty pitiful, especially after my first 70% on Malachi. Bailey's test was well done with a few mishaps, and he took our lead right then and there.

     The stadium was another obstacle I've not had experience with. Only only shown jumper stadium once, and that was about four years ago before we moved and horses came and went. It took us a minute to establish a rhythm because Princess is only used to flying around a cross-country course where she had never seen such decorated jumps. The first four jumps were very shaky, she was over jumping like crazy, and I was flying all over the place, and she just wouldn't let me help with her spots. Eventually, we found a pace at around the seventh jump, and had three nice, easy clears. Princess is not the kind of pony to refuse so we did make a clear round.

Princess over the last oxer. Her face is so cute!

It is extremely blurry... This is one of the jumps where our rhythm was good.

     Princess was a very good girl nearing the end. I don't think she had a clue what she was doing in the beginning but she sorted things out well in the end.

     Everyone had a pretty good ride in the stadium except for Hailey, and she had a fall on the eighth fence where her horse just simply couldn't make the strides so he ducked and she lost balance and was pushed off by the fence itself. She got back on and finished her course, but was eliminated. Brooke and Spy were fantastic, a quick, clean round without missing a step. Bailey was super fast and soared over everything. I was by far the slowest.

     So after stadium we hurried over to the cross country field. This is where all heck decided to break loose. Spy was first, and Brooke fell off over the second jump. It sounded like her pony couldn't make the distance, and she had planned on refusing so my sister popped her on the butt and Spy jumped huge over it. I think she was already unsettled, perhaps because her pony made a very deep distance, and in the end she didn't have time to do anything else. Second up was Hailey on Doc, and she didn't fall and made only a handful of refusals, if she hadn't have fallen off in the stadium she would have made a nice comeback. Bailey was third, and he cleared the whole round except for the fourth fence where she fell off. It sounded like he was bolting at it, and started swerving so he must have just missed it. Now that everyone was back and eliminated, I was horrified for myself and Princess. We'd already been over this course before and had a fantastic run, and I was worried if we could keep it up.

     I was so nervous in the startbox that I had to think about things completely irrelevant. But once he said go, I was up in the saddle and ready to make a clear round. Princess cleared everything on the course, and was thirteen seconds away with the optimum. She had a blast, and I knew just then that this pony was a true superstar. All of the other Warmbloods and fancy horses placed behind me and we were 5th out of thirteen. We came from last place to fifth place. That made my day quite honestly.

     Everyone did very well in my opinion. I had no time faults, no refusals, and we weren't eliminated in dressage. I feel kind of terrible since I was the only one who did not get eliminated from my group. But I'm sure everyone had as much of a blast as I did.

Princess' First Show

     I honestly haven't had the time I need for adequate blogging, hence the large gap in dates. I've been so busy riding and doing schoolwork, that I hardly have time to breathe! But here is my most recent and utd update you'll probably get. So we'll start off in the beginning.

     I believe I left off with Princess and I not able to find quite the focus we need for the Stadium jumping because of rushing/spooking/excitement etc. But I found that it's just a lack of dressage that makes the little girl's brain ache. It's like going around training for a marathon, as muscular as you can be without any strategic flexibility around your head. It is very intimidating. First, we start with circulation, I've done my research via Google and found that if any horse is fit to run three to five miles with twelve to sixteen obstacles they must be able to have accurate circulation to keep their legs pumping. Now that I say it, it sounds very obvious and a tad obnoxious, but let me tell you that it is flexibility that keeps those legs eating at the ground. A horse can not have speed and endurance without collection. That's why it's always important to stretch out your horse before serious rides or events. When they are 'flexible' they are less likely to have the stinging burn in their muscles called lactic acid fermentation. If you were out of shape it would make sense not to run a mile without proper conditioning. But even experienced athletes must know how that stinging/burning sensation feels. I'm saying that once your horse builds up the ability to regain balance and focus solely on stretching themselves in freewalk, extended trot, and even slower more rounded canters they will run better in the end on that course.

     I have learned not only flexibility is an important factor but as is endurance, and it had not occurred to me that dressage and endurance met hand in hand. Princess is a little crooked. And by this I mean that she tends to lean more on that right shoulder, which makes the right lead less comfortable because it is harder to balance. If she can throw her right shoulder out it is easier for her to bulge and move away from my hands. We are correcting this by turn on the haunches and turn on the forehand. I've found that her right lead is now easier to pick up than the left which means we've over corrected! This is great! No really - it is. I've not seen such progress in a pony. She's figured out how to place her hind legs under her at the right time so the canter transition is nearly spot on. But now the problem is that left lead which has completely flip-floped into the same situation as before with the right. Now her left shoulder tends to bulge and the right lead is iffy on steering. So here we are again trying to perfect this lead when she will only carry herself on the right. Now I'm trying different things, like throwing poles into corners, running her way close to the fence and turning out like a mad-women. Right now this is a mess because I'm so worried about the show next weekend. Our dressage needs to improve fast.

     The jumping is spot on. She has been chipping a couple, but she mostly likes to take the big spot. We've still been experiencing problems with the excitement levels but it has cooled off a bit. We've been low on refusals, still some in the stadium and none in the cross country. She loves that stuff.

     At her first hunter-pace show a couple weeks back, we went perfectly clear with one point deduction in time faults. I'm thinking that was when we got slowed back a second because I had to pull her back into trot and regain a stirrup. We did have quite a few awkward jumps that she dismantled me with, but hopefully we're all good with it now. She placed fourth as the only pony at the show. There were about nine in her class, people were allowed to go again. The first place winner placed first and second as she went twice so technically Princess made third! I'm so excited for what's in store next week!

Schooling Aftermath - Malachi's Dirty

     Schooling went great! Princess and I did lots of little logs and some beginner novice stuff. I don't think she had as much of a blast as I did, but she still looked great out there. Annie, (Kayln's horse) threw a shoe over the first couple of jumps and we has to pause. It was a good thing we did because it poured for two hours. When we got tacked up again the ground was all sloppy and wet so I was real cautious when jumping, but I can confidently say that we reached 2'6.

     I went out to the barn Wednesday and messed around with Malachi. He was so dirty that I just didn't feel like grooming all of that dirt, so I lunged him and bathed him. While we were lunging, I threw in some caveletties and he jumped three feet! I was so proud of hims! He jumped them all willingly, and he definitely had room to go bigger! I'm super excited to jump him myself.

Before Malachi's bath!

After the bath!

Schooling Tomorrow

     So tomorrow I'm schooling the Princess pony cross country at Longwood Farm South. I'm super excited because this is my first time ever schooling cross country anywhere besides a show. I plan to school Princess one more time after this but before she actually shows a full three phase. I would like to take Malachi, but one he'd be too much work, two there is only one other person schooling with me with one horse, and three he isn't quite ready to jump anyway. But I'm contently taking Princess to say the least.

     I am a little nervous about my vest if anything because it's my sister's vest, and we have quite a size difference. The vest is too tight and too short for me, but I can make it work without it looking too ridiculous. Mostly, I'm very excited. I've never jumped anything close to what these jumps claim to be in prestige or wideness. The only cross country I've ever down was down in Brooksville, Florida, and I did an Amiba class with Spyface, and it was all basically fallen logs and an occasional brush box with flowers. I'm hoping to have lots of fun with Kayln and Annie. There will be a stockpile of pictures and videos!

Yesterday's Ride Update

     As usual, we all were out at the barn yesterday and riding happened. :o Yes, it did. First I rode Malachi, and took forever tacking up because I had to change his browband over to the beautiful shiny new one I ordered last week and braid his mane. He's also really huge, and a quick tack-up can take about as long as an average tack-up. This lasted about 65 minutes. I was not at all impressed with myself. Everyone else had already ridden, and they were dismounting when I got on. :/ So, when I get his big butt out there I ride by myself, and I'm perfectly okay with that. We did a training test yesterday and I must admit that I'm truly shocked he did so well. The leads were a minor struggle because now he's getting his bad lead mixed up for when he goes on the other lead... It may be because I've been letting him end when he gets the bad lead correct, so he thinks, "I'll just get the bad lead, so I can end." Hims a very smart horsey-butt.

     So after I rode him it showered a little bit, which was okay, because we thought the storm would pass, so I go get Princess. We've decided to go schooling cross country at Longwood Farms next week, and I really need to get her ready for the three phase. Once she's all tacked up, I go ride around a little, planning to only work on the gallop and speed portion. I want to say this now, even if I don't know how long she can gallop, but this pony can run. She is so fast. I look ridiculous because I'm too tall for her, but all I can say is that she didn't care who was on her back, she wanted to run. It was good for her, she wanted to keep going, but after galloping over a couple of blown down sticks and limbs, she calmed and found a steadier rhythm. As soon as I got off, a giant hole opened in the clouds and it rained like God wanted us to craft an arc. We made it back to the pasture just in time. Sorry, no pictures my camera would have died by the willpower of the rain.

Princess Picture

     Yaaay!! I painted a pretty picture of the pony, Princess! Although I am no artist, I've never attempted an equine portrait before, and I must say that I am very pleased with the turnout. Usually I paint birds or mini sized doodles. I think the smaller I draw, the more accurate the picture because I've never drawn anything on this scale of largeness. This painting was done with tempera paints, (cheap egg paint) and I used a manilla folder because I don't have canvases or large-enough paper. But, nonetheless, I'm still proud of it even if it does look crappy on the computer screen. The colors are more vibrant and healthy looking in person.

Malachi in Braids! Eva Update!

     So, since it's been so darn hot, the boy needs a break from that thick mane he has. I've decided to do individual braids, because lets face it, I'm a horrible stylist. But while it was about to rain, I decided to kill time by taking a couple snapshots of his crappily done braids. I would totally french braid him, but no matter how many tutorials I watch, or how many times I try to learn with my mom who is a professional hair stylist, I can never get it going right. So here's those pretty pictures of hims. :>

I usually have bands, but when I'm braiding for fun, I'd rather him take them out.

He looks like a mule! And the forelock braid sucks!

Handsome :D

     Also today I worked the Eva! Well, if you consider getting her out to groom and walk her around a workout that is. But we've been practicing the "look at me" technique. She's getting better with those ground manners. I expect she'll be a fabulous horse because of how she's becoming more sensitive to us. She was quite a mess when we brought her out. She was definitely in need of some mane and tail conditioner!