We're Back!!!

It's been a long few days of migraines and vertigo, but... God was good to me today. (well, He is every day, but especially today!). Despite waking up at 5 am to leave by 6 am to get to Aiken, I didn't have a migraine! And no vertigo either! I fed horses during a beautiful full moon and got Dan loaded up and we headed out. We made good time and got to Aiken in time to walk the course with Jacel and her other students. It didn't look terrible but it wasn't anything to scoff at! At least for me. I was a teensy bit nervous about a few jumps. Stadium looked super fun though!

There was supposed to be storms all day but it appeared to be holding off for a bit. They were running people as early as they could to try to get us moved through before the storm hit. And they were mostly successful!! I stayed dry until I was packing up. But unfortunately some of the tadpole people didn't get to ride. But I was very grateful they ran us through quick and got as many of us in as they could!

We got on with enough time to really warm up for dressage. It was a bit crisp and because of the impending storms, the wind was whipping! Like 20 mph winds! And despite not having been at a show in eons... Dan was super! He wasn't wild or spooky or anything. He just went to work. I was a little worried about his hind end as he was struggling with the right lead canter. And we had just added slight wedges behind. But we got most of our warm up done and then Jacel was able to come out and she said she thought he looked good, just a little unpackaged. So I put him together a little more and it fixed the issue. Yay! We went in to do our test and I was a little confused. I swore I was a whistle not a car horn, but she honked the horn. It was right as the other girl entered for her test, so I thought it might have been her. Luckily the judge was kind and rolled down the window and said "that's your horn... in case you can't hear me over the wind". Ah, kind lady! We headed in and did our test. It was pretty good. I mean... he really was pretty darn perfect. The only slight issue we had was the halt. He doesn't quite understand halting through the walk anymore, so it was a little awkward. But I was quite pleased! Turns out, we scored a 23.something, which put us in 2nd place, only a hair behind the first place girl. (I didn't know at the time though!). 

We meandered back to our trailer and hung out a bit. Then it was time to get ready to jump. Especially because if they were letting us run early, I wanted to be ready. It was starting to look a little dark. We headed over and watched the group before us go. Then Jacel schooled us over a few fences and honestly, we were both doing well and jumping well, so we didn't do much. We went in and had a pretty darn good round!!! yay! We jumped clean. 

We headed over to XC and warmed up over 2 fences. He was good, so Jacel prayed over us real quick and off we went! The first fence was a little sticky. And by sticky I mean that he just didn't jump it out of a big bold stride. He didn't hesitate but it was a bit of a chip because I didn't ask him to move up to it. Then we got a little bolder and the next few fences were better. We had a few other fences where he chipped a little, but the ones that were slightly scary, I rode more to, and therefore he jumped them better. Unfortunately after the water we caught up to Jacel's other student, but she was super sweet and let us pass. He jumped the in and out quite boldly and we had a good ride up the bank. He skipped over the ditch, but picked just the right spot that a pine tree branch literally slapped me in the face! Ouch! We carried on and went up the mound/bank thing and over the last few fences! Yay!!! Clean and no time faults! And while it wasn't a super bold or brave round, it wasn't a bad round. :) YAHOO!!!

Turns out... we won! The girl just ahead of us had a rail in stadium, so yay for me. I got him untacked and was debating whether to ice him or not when the bottom opened up. I threw everything in the trailer and tossed Dan inside and jumped in my truck. I honestly was a little worried it was a tornado for a minute. The wind was BLOWING and the rain was coming sideways. It was a little creepy. Luckily it only lasted about 20 minutes so I was able to pull Dan back off and poultice him. The icing seemed a little unnecessary at the time. So I loaded him up and went and got our ribbon! Yay! I'm so proud of him. And he had a blast too! We even made it home just in time for the sunset, which was gorgeous!

Foggy brain, foggy sky

 Pollen haze, migraines, vertigo....

Dressage school - still a little on the muscle

then a short hack

Kelli fixed his mane

Spooks and Giggles

 Well, not really spooks, but it was a spooky day!

Freddie came... changed shoes.

They all felt good and were running wild.

Went and rode. Dressaged... did some work.. then the bn test... he was on the muscle and amped up. Then played with 2-2 stuff and he was still amped up. made me giggle.

then a hack.

then tried to get funny on the trailer and he was so cute. Reaching for the treat and trying to "help". 

Taking a bite of humble pie

 So it's a good thing I was all "I'm going to focus on the happiness of my horse and not worry about moving up to Novice or even doing AEC's" yesterday because.. ha ha... we are still struggling. We had some issues in our XC lesson today. BUT... the good news is that they seemed to be "dusting off the cobweb" issues and not "there's still an underlying issue" problems. So that's good news. We actually had fun and it ended well. And in some ways.. it was kind of nice to get another fall out of the way. It's been awhile and I sort of had a vague sense it was coming. So... yeah..

We started out warming up and he was a little bit lazy. Jacel asked how he was and I told her that he tended to be a little lazy until he got rolling. So she had me jump a tiny little log up and downhill just to see how he was. And it was perfect! I mean, it wasn't a fire breathing dragon canter but it was also literally a log on the ground. So then we went to the banks. She had us canter up the novice one (I think it was novice.. maybe it was BN) Anyways, we did that although I did lift my hands. No, don't lift your hands Holly. You can push them forward but don't lift them in the air. So then she wanted us to do a "training" roll top up the hill, the novice roll top (that I kept getting crappy distances to the other day with Cindy) and then the log to the drop bank to the log. So... we headed off and had a refusal at the roll top. Sigh... it was big. (Sadness... but, cutting myself some slack. It's been awhile! Both of us are still a little bit conditioned from the last two years of jumping issues to not be confident). So Jacel pointed out that I had tipped my shoulders at it and taken my leg off. So back we came to it. I had a little bigger canter going into it. I leg yielded him into it to help unlock his barrel, and I kept my seat a little deeper and tried to push my shoulder blades back together. (A Beth-ism which has always helped). And pushed the last few strides and softened my hands ever so slightly by pushing my elbows a teeny bit forward. And he went! So we did it again and then did the other roll top and then the drop log to bank to log. And other than a little chip at the roll top #2, he was perfect! 

So then we went to the water. She had me jump that roll top then into the water then out over the "scary log" up the hill, then around to the drop into the water and then out over the chevron. I gulped at the chevron! She said "You can do it!". So... we had a good start and he was feeling amazing! He started to hesitate at the big roll top and I started to tip my shoulders at him but stopped myself, sat up, closed my leg, and he went! He was super bold to the scary log and was brave into the water. We came to the chevron and I thought it was going to be okay. I really don't think I tipped at him, but... I guess I did. I thought he was taking off and I started to take off. But he slammed on the breaks. Like a reining stop apparently. The good news is that he flung me hard enough that I cleared the chevron. Good thing as that thing is solid! I barely scraped my elbow as we went over. He stayed there. So... basically Jacel said that he HATES me on his shoulders. I cannot tip ahead. She said that he's basically insecure and needs me. He puts on the tough guy act but he really needs me. When I'm in the back seat and have my shoulders up and a slight contact but soften my elbows (without tipping my body at him)... he is confident and says "I GOT THIS!". But if I abandon him and collapse my body or drop him... he says "OMG.. Nope, I don't got this!". And...she wants me to stay in the back seat, but not drive. So almost like my dressage "crunch".  So... she said that we would come back to that at a later date. It wasn't a jump issue... it was a jumping position issue, but that it didn't require being accomplished today before the show and we would come back to it later and it would have likely fixed itself. Fair enough. So we did the ramp again and it was fine. So we moved on. We did the little course again but without the chevron and he was awesome. 

So then we went to the ditches. She asked how he was and I said "Oh, he's pretty good about ditches... we've basically done them his whole life and Beth made us walk them when we were small children, so.. he's good". :) And he was. We did a little course, including the hanging log into the woods. She told me it would back him off and it did and we had a refusal. I spanked him, which I shouldn't have. She said it was legit confusion. And sure enough, when we came back, he jumped it like a beast! So then he was all cocky and got a little too dragon-y and we came a little too hot to the ditch to the hanging log. The best we can ascertain is that he didn't see it. He just cantered over it. His front end made it, but the back leg ended up "in the hole" and his leg just dropped into it. Of course then he had to drag that leg out (and of course it's the darn right hind!) and it pulled his boot down and he panicked and continued on three legs. Meanwhile I was on his neck because our tragectory rapidly got cut short. He ALMOST jumped the hanging lg anyways, but I stayed on his neck and he stopped. I jumped off and pulled his boot off and then he relaxed. He walked off sound and then I jogged him and he was sound. So I got back and trotted and he was sound. Then he looked all around to make sure no one had seen him. We trotted and then cantered the other ditch and he was fine. Then we tried again, this time with a little wiggle of the bit to get his attention, and he was super! So then we did one more little mini course ending with the big roll top again and called it quits!

Jeesh! Talk about an exciting XC school! The good news is that I got my fall out of the way. And more importantly, it didn't freak me out. Partly cause it didn't hurt. Partly because it didn't feel like a fall from him being unable to jump or not wanting to jump. And because we continued on and ... it didn't take money out of the bank really. So, in a way, that almost improved my confidence. And even after the ditch.. he was game and on fire. As opposed to before, where when we started having issues.. it rapidly spiraled downhill. And he felt good! So... it felt more like dusting off cobwebs than being a problem. Phew! 

So... now, EEEEAAAAAKKKK... I'll dressage Thursday and practice the test. It has that weird angled entry and exit...  then I'll do something Saturday (probably dressage and hack) and then we'll head out Sunday and hope for the best!

Fixed it!

 Well that answers the saddle dilemma. :) Cindy fixed mine and now I'm happy again and so is my position and so is Dan. :) 

He's changed a lot since last year. He's almost up a tree size! Mr. buffy muscle Mcbuff. :) ha ha.

We just hopped over a few jumps in the stadium ring and then went for a hack since we have a XC lesson Tuesday and the show Sunday. EEEEEAAAAAKKKKKSSSS!!! I'm trying to focus on the fact that We Are Showing Three Phase Eventing Again!!!  And that's that. :)  But he was good. We had one or two hairy fences, but honestly I think it's cause he's jumping so nicely!  At one point, he jumped so round that he tapped me on the butt! Like... Yeah, nice job mom! Ha ha. 

YAY!!! Look at my leg! And I didn't have to try. :) My saddle fitter is the best!!! :) And she took videos too, so bonus points. :)