Saturday, December 6, 2014

The Final Schooling Show of 2014

So, today was our final 'show' of the year. Yes, it was just a schooling show, but for under $100 per horse, I got to ride a few tests, take home some ribbons and accomplish a few personal goals...

Let's start off with Delight. 
She's, well, not always the most ridable. Obviously, she has a functional W-T-C, turning and stopping. For the average horse, she's a damn 'well broke' horse... But dressage is not cool with "The Average Horse". We want a powerful, submissive (read: willing to take direction), supple athlete. And of course, I want to be FEI, not forever stuck in the lower levels purgatory. 
Delight really excels in ridability
Also... Floating Pony!
Attainable? Yes.
Easy? No. 

I took Delight into 2-3 and out recycled 2nd level freestyle from the October show in Michigan (and the Coat returned!). Our 2-3 test had some, er.. communication issues. I asked for medium gaits, she turned into the toy soldier pony. In a slight over reaction to guidance, I half halted back from an excessively forward canter and she halted... Like a reining horse. 
Submission score took a hit right there.  

Ponies man. Ponies.  
"NOTHING IS EVER GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU!"
(schooling at home)
 The freestyle, on the other hand, felt fantastic with powerful, up and supple moments. We didn't mesh with the music, since the 1/4 of the arena by the judge was just under water, so there were some on the spot edits, but it was up, forward and fun. And really isn't that why we do this sport?

And then there was Tilly. My goal with here is exposure, plain and simple. She has a tendancy to get slightly overwhelmed in some situations, but really she's 7. Time to pull on the Big Girl Pants and just Deal With It.
Our first warm up/test was... tense.
A pasture of cool, composed, well trained horses.
Or something like that....
 Literally, every comment on our 1-1 test says "Tense" "Quite tense" "Rather tense". Super.
But, despite some huge spooks and slipping and sliding through the mud we completed our test, mistake free but in so way the supple, willing, on the bit horse that she should be. Thank goodness for multiple tests...

So, three tests later, we reentered at A for 1-3 and it was a totally different pony. Gone was the rigid neck, crazy Arab look, replaced with a pony who is starting to look downright German for a 10% improvement in score. Go figure.
There's hope for the pony!

Oh, and lest I forget... guess who made her show debut with her first horse show?
My mom and the wonderful, unforgetable RC!
They've got this.
Mom and C-Buddy rode Training 1 and 2 and have now been bitten by the horse show bug. RC was a champ (aren't I so proud of my little homebred!) who powered through his tests as steady as ever.
This year? First show!
Next year? Qualify for the schooling show championships! 
MWAahahahahah!