We have a show in one month and Dickie is for sure going. Not sure if he will eat me but I am taking him anyway. That part is set in stone. The giant mule eared beast is getting in the trailer. He is also getting braided even though it is a little super low key show. I want to do as many dress rehearsals as possible before I am trying to ride him AND braid him AND not die.
I really want to take a horse to ride in a few flat classes. I feel like I need to get the feel for showing again on a broke horse. My plan was to take Josey but I have been horribly delinquent in riding her. I have worked a really crazy work schedule the last month and about all I have had energy for is clicker training and ground work with Dickie. Even at that some days I have just been giving him kisses and brushes then going home. The work schedule issues have resolved but I have Christmas next week and some extra lessons with Romeo's Girl to get her ready for a series of three shows in two months. ARGH!! Not enough time in the day. I really really want her to have a good experience and trust me before I got hauling her off to deal with a big crowd of horses. My plan is to be disciplined until the entries close and see how she is feeling about me. If I get the sense she trusts me and won't find the adventure traumatizing she goes. If not this is the first show in a series so I won't ruin her confidence just to satisfy my urge to get back in show ring.
That brings me to the dilemma. If I don't take the Spotted Princess there is one shiny Red Mare sitting in my barn looking pretty. She's a go anywhere do anything kind of girl and wouldn't be stressed at all. We've been together long enough (13 years next summer) that she's happy to go anywhere I am at. However, I am sure we will look REALLY sloppy in the ring. I haven't ridden her in a bit more than five times in the last two years. We trail ride but use her hack. Our arena is a swamp and the indoor down the street has footing that would hurt her arthritis. That means there is not time to acclimate her to a bit. She very much prefers her little short shank hack (hates side pulls and bitless bridles) to a bit and will go all day in that without any prep. Since I don't care how I place, I just want the experience of being in the ring, do you think it is a big deal if I show up in the hack? I know the show won't kick me out of the ring or anything.
I am kind of thinking I will take both the hack and the bit. If she is feeling amenable to a bit (some days she is) we will go traditional. If not the mare gets what she wants. I am only doing this to get my jitters out. Then again maybe miss Josey will decide she would like to go and the red mare will get to stay home stuffing herself with hay.
Ahh the totally trivial things I spend my time thinking about so I don't have to think about real life :)
Not trivial at all!
ReplyDeleteI think a dress rehearsal is a good idea. I do that kind of stuff with Shy all the time. It might be more for me than her, but hey. . .it works!
here's my take on it.
ReplyDeleteDickie going is a GREAT idea. For the second horse I would take the one that will give him the 'it no big deal' vibe.
I also believe that a well broke horse should be able to go in a ring and do the w/t/c stuff and be fine. I'd take the Red Head and ride her in the hack.
and have FUN!
Josey is broke she was just a trail girl. I am not worried about her being spazzy or anything. I just want to make sure she is in good shape and has trust in me. I am def leaning towards taking Bre in the hack if she ends up going. gotta keep the big red mare happy.
DeleteLuckily we will have other horses going so Dickie is going to get a great intro to the show.
Just depends how much you can do before the show...it isn't entirely fair to pull a horse out of a field and take them to a show after not being ridden for two years. Maybe jsut take the greenie and decide if you want to ride once you see how they react to being there.
ReplyDeleteBre has been ridden in the last two years. She just hasn't been ridden in a bit. The bit is the only worry I have about Bre. I trail rode her over the summer and actually paid someone to ride her while I was in RN school. Up until two weeks ago we were going on long trail rides every weekend. Plus, this is such a low key show. She would only have to put in about a half hour of work. I love my mare and would never put her through something that would hurt her.
DeleteI cannot believe how far along Dickie has come! Amazing job. It was great seeing him yesterday.
ReplyDeleteIt was so fun to have you out to play, it has been too long!! It means a lot that you see the difference in Dickie. You saw him back when no one would walk within 20 feet of us.
DeleteI hope Josey is feeling up to going. I want to be cool and ride the horse with furry feet. Maren and I would get to be in the same classes too.
It was fun!!! He has come a long ways and not even one emergency ER visit!!
ReplyDeleteJosey would be a SHOWSTOPPER.. she is so pretty and so very unique. I was a bit worried that she had turned to blubber the past month of no action, but she still has some nice muscle tone to her. Let's see her breathing and work her a few times before the show and she should be fine. I've hauled her out to arenas in the past with 6 or more horses in the ring at a time and she doesn't bat an eye :-) Sometimes there would be a show or event going on at the same time. It was funny, one time someone was practicing poles on a cute little mustang... I swear Josey and I stood there and just gaped at the speed and agility... I was thinking "wow, um...ok, that will never be me" , and Josey was likely thinking "silly pony, why are you running in circles like that.... wasting all that energy? AND, don't you be getting any ideas up there girl!"
If she's not ready I am not rushing it. There are more than enough shows in the upcoming season. I want her to wow everyone when we finally do get out there. Plus, someone needs to get his and her turqiouse leadline outfits ready before we show!!!
DeleteI don't think it's trivial at all.... I'm late reading this though so I'm sure you made your decision already. I'm off to read more... excited to see how awesome Dickie was!
ReplyDelete