Anyways... We went to Full Gallop today to show. Jacel and the gang went up yesterday but I went to Keri's for Nathans' graduation and by the time we got home, while I *could* have gone up, it was rainy... I would have gotten there at 8 pm, and then Funny would have been in a stall overnight... and Mike would have had to feed this morning... and, quite frankly, it's time to woman up and see if we can get around a novice course without schooling it the day before. And I'm glad I didn't because apparently they got soaked yesterday schooling! Granted, I didn't even ride yesterday but oh well. The weather was not cooperative. But I am grateful we got rain, as did Aiken, because it really made the footing at Full Gallop fabulous!
So, after the graduation party I gave Funny a bath, fed them dinner, and then packed up to be all ready to roll out at 5 am today. I went to bed at 9:45, and while I didn't fall asleep immediately, I was probably asleep by 10:45/11, so.. not too bad. I got up at 4:`15 and managed to pull out at 5:10. So not too shabby! I did have to make a pit stop and pee before we got there so we got to Full Gallop at 7:15 am. My ride time was 8:18. So... decent timing as all I had to do was pee (again), grab my packet, and tack up. Yet somehow I was still feeling a little rushed. But I had enough time to warm up.
We warmed up and she was a bit distracted by all the other things... other horses, cars, people moving jumps, the XC field, etc. She was counterbent and quick. But I managed to get her slower and in a better tempo and then Jacel showed up and helped me even more. I am still struggling with getting my shoulders turned. I really think I'm super crooked and cannot wait til my chiro appointment in two weeks! Hopefully that will help! Because I'm seriously making her crooked. But we got some nice work in and I can really feel when she starts to settle. Jacel had me ride with a hair more contact, but Funny was ready for it. I can use the reins... as long as I don't hang. And I'm not haning anymore. Yay! Mostly.
So then it was our turn. They didn't have dressage in the sand, which was nice, as it was pretty deep in the corners and that gave us more warm up area. It was in the grass paddock behind the barns. So... quieter and off by itself but, also.. we had to move to a new location. I kept her working until we walked over and then I was able to pretty much go in and start trotting around the arena. So she didn't lose focus. Well, mostly. The four wheeler drove by and there were horses in the pastures, but..she focused pretty quickly. Our test wasn't bad. It just... wasn't great. She was a little quick... she was against my left leg, and our stretchy trot had a little bleb to it and she lost the stretch at the end. BUT.. overall, she did all the things I ask. And as well as could be expected. It's kind of where we are now. We settle into a movement but... not quick enough for a test. So each movement is sort of rushed and not as soft and lovely as it can be when we have time to settle into it. And I'm not preparing enough for our transitions. But, overall, our contact is getting better.. she's definitely a better tempo.. a better balance... she is more submissive and does all the things in the right place and time. So... not too shabby. And the judge wrote on our test that she was the prettiest appaloosa she's ever seen! Awwww.. And that we just need to be more consistent and soft. So.. she's not wrong. :) We also still scored a 33.3, which.. was probably generous, but... still! I'll take it!
I sponged her off and tied her to the trailer with her hay and gave her some cookies and then went to walk cross country. It was beefy! I thought anyways. The same hanging log over the flat table base to start, then a fairly decent sized cabin/roll top thing... then a large ramp with some brush, then a smaller ramp... then through the mare pasture and out over a small table.. then down the steep hill and back up to another small table. Then down the hill to the second water and we got to jump the pirate ship and then the double water and a small hanging log stack out.. Then around the lake and over a feeder..... to a half coffin (which was small) and then a 90 degree turn to a tiny up bank to a small roll top... then straight up the hill to the upright gate, then the baby trakehner, then downhill to a hanging log, then up to a large vertical-ish bench thing, then a new number but connected line to a wedge, then a big table to finish. So... maybe it wasn'[t that beefy.. just a few big fences that were fairly big. And some fun combinations, but the combinations were small, so that was nice. Then I walked back to check on Funny, who was fine and just chilling. Then I walked stadium, which was a fun course. It looked kind of big, but was set for training.
Then I realized Jacel was riding. She has Smidge in for training, the vaulting horse I work on. So I went to watch and video her. And then it started raining.. and then it kind of poured. Well, big fat heavy raindrops but it was a fairly steady rain for about 10 minutes. Long enought to get fairly wet. Then it was time to go tack up! Of course poor Funny was standing in the rain too. (Not that she doesn't do that at home, but... ). I tacked up and once I got her boots on, she was making me laugh. I don't know why they were bothering her, but she was kicking her back leg out.. then she was repeatedly crossing one front leg over the other and then swapping with the other front leg. Trying to wipe them off it looked like. I checked them and they were fine, so.. maybe just cause they were on wet-ish legs?? I hopped on and we headed to warm up. She seemed completely fine after that.
We warmed up and she was great! We had about 5 good jumps and decided we were ready. They had dropped the fences and the course looked fairly small-ish. I don't think it was small, but it wasn't big looking. They did have a triple bar but without the gazebo's, which made a huge difference. And we had 2 two strides. The first one was long and the second one was slightly tight. So Funny and I went in and we had a fabulous round!! She just clocked around and didn't put a foot wrong. We got a few tighter distances, but she jumped fine and we didn't have any rails. She jumped the slightly long two stride beautifully and the slightly short one tight but fine. And she jumped the triple bar but got in tight, but no hesitation. It was nice because a few people told us how nice our round was. It really did feel nice too! Especially since that tends to be our worst phase. Well, my worst phase with all my horses, except for maybe with Funny back in the early days when dressage was our worst phase! ha!
So then we headed on over to XC. And holy cow the sun had come out and the rain stopped but it was positively steamy!! I jumped one coop and then we headed out on course! I didn't have my watch, but..I didn't care. I don't think it really matters.. Unless I don't want to get speeding tickets ;) Funny was AMAZING though! I was a little scared because.. those fences looked big at the walk through.But she was like "I got you Ma, hold on". She clocked through the majority of that course like it was nothing. She was jumping in such good form too... not flat or strung out. She didn't really even look at any of the big tables or scary things, just jumped them all out of stride. And props to me too, for riding correctly and giving her the ride she wanted and needed. We power trotted down the steep hill after the mare field and then cantered back up to the cabin. Then we power trotted down the hill beside the banks to the lake. I asked for the canter as we were turning past the giant scary trakehner and she picked it up but was super crooked. I was trying to fix it but about 3 strides out I realized I hadn't fixed it and she was so crooked.... so I pulled her off the fence. I knew as I did it that it was likely going to be counted as a refusal, but.. it felt like the better choice. Especially given the scare we had Tuesday. And honestly, she might have refused it had I made her jump it because she was so crooked and off balance. But once we circled and got a good canter, she jumped it just fine. So it was the right choice... I could have stuffed her over it, and might have, had it been something more "imporant" score wise ... ie.. had I needed the qualifying ride or something. But it wasn't worth it. It was a very small schooling show... we aren't gunning for points for anything, and we're already qualified for the N3D, so... it felt like the right choice. She then tried to squirt sideways and avoid the water, but I managed to get her in and it definitely wasn't a refusal. She went sideways but she never lost forward momentum (other than coming down to a trot). She was squirrely at the second water too.. as it has the dry hump in the middle, but less so. We then trotted over the log out and then made it past the rushing water pipe on the dam. Then she picked up the canter and we cruised around the rest of the course!!! She nailed the wedgey too! And we even jumped the last fence beautifully.. not flat and strung out. I'm sooooo proud of her!! And me too. :) A little bit for me too.
She got hosed off and grazed a little and then she got to rest a tiny bit and then we leaded up and headed home. And thankfully, I have tomorrow off because of the holiday so I don't have to be so tired for work! :) Yay! I could really get used to the retired horse life life. :)
But yes.. I'm so proud of her. I'm so grateful that God has placed her in my life in a time when I was able to become the rider she needs. She has helped me advance in so many ways and has made me such a better rider. I'm grateful that God gave me Liz and Jacel to get us this far in our journey and I know it's only going to get better! And I'm grateful that Funny has decided I'm worthy and we're a team now! She's definitely FUN now!!! I'm so excited for our future. And I am sure that we'll have setbacks.. we'll plateau, but right now.. I'm loving this escalation where the hard work finally has paid off and things are coming together with good ride after good ride! Thank you God!
