Beaumont HT - Sunday

Since I didn't ride until later in the day on Sunday I got to sleep in again!  I got up and went and walked my x-country course once more and watched the prelim riders go before going to pick up the mare.  It was nice and relaxed morning.  The mare is completely content to stand at the trailer by herself all day.  I have to say that it is really nice!

I love my truck.  And thanks to Isabel for letting me use her trailer

We got prepped and hopped up on to warm up.  We did a ton of transitions in our flat warm up in an effort to remind her that I pick the speed.  Our over fences warm up had a few bobbles.  We had a couple of run-outs at the oxer and she tried to run-out when we took the vertical at an angle but I was able to channel her over it, at the angle I asked for.

We sure look the part...

In the start box I was very nervous again but at least this time I didn't feel like I was going to vomit.  We had planned to trot the first fence to start on a good note and it turned out to be the right choice.  She was a little wiggly but I growled, spanked her and she decided jumping was a good idea.  A short "S" shaped canter to the next fence (which was the one that saw me fall off at the derby) and she popped over no problem.  We had a fairly long canter before we doubled back to Fence 3.  This was the fence with the Pre-Training fence in the line.  The plan was to keep as close to the fence to get a straight line.  This backfired slightly.  She spooked hard at the fence and I twisted my bad ankle.  We then had a run-out at the jump.  I represented and had yet another run-out.  This was the first time she didn't jump on the represent.  I got her over it on the third time and the official photographer got a fabulous shot of us over it.

I trotted into Fence 4 to get her mind back in the game and she responded well.  We then cantered up and over the little hill to the coop at 5 and she flowed right over it.  We cantered into the water and to the Pheasant Feeder at 6.  We picked up yet another run-out :(  No problem on the second time and the train that was next rode beautifully.   Fence 9 was the headstones and unfortunately we picked up our 4th run-out, effectively eliminating us.  I jumped her over it and started the long walk to the vet.

I was made to dismount by Control (via jump judge) and walk on foot.  Unfortunately my ankle was incredibly bad and I could hardly hobble.  It took me 10 minutes to get to the vet.  Thankfully Isabel met me there and walked the mare back and I was able to hitch a ride on a quad to my rig.

Isabel then hooked up her truck to the trailer and took the mare home so that I could go home and ice my ankle.  Turns out I sprained it.  It was bruising by the time I got home.  I guess it's time to look into a brace that will actually fit in my tall boot.

It was a very disappointing end to the weekend but I'm choosing to focus on a fabulous round on Saturday.  We are heading back out next Wednesday to school and then I'm off to Cochrane for a clinic with Sandra Donnelly.  We will get this figured out.

Photo by A Sharper Image

Beaumont HT - Course

So I just bought the CourseWalk app and I have to say I was less than impressed (especially for $10!)  Every time I wanted to take a photo it crashed and I had to restart it.  I contacted support and they've been great but they can't pinpoint why.  Here's hoping it works in Cochrane. Because of the glitch I missed some photos.

This is the fence I fell off at during the derby.

I'm standing right beside the Pre-Training jump to get this photo

New jump!

It was up and over a hill to get to this coop

The headstones, almost every horse knocks these.

The dreaded airplane, complete with new gravel to give it a scary terrain change

Bank up, down was not required but it is only 1 stride (2 if you're crawling) across.

I think we've jumped this during schooling?

In the pipeyard with yet another strange approach necessary due to other fences

Last fence, also one we haven't schooled before.

Beaumont HT - Saturday

My ride times: 

Saturday -Dressage @ 12:28

              -Stadium course walk at 3:00

Sunday-X-Country @ 1:23

One of my new favourite photos of the Red Mare

It was very strange to sleep in on a horse show day.  I got to the barn and loaded up the mare shortly before 10 and was on the grounds for 10:30.  I decided to braid at the trailer because she actually stands better at the trailer than she does at the barn.  Braiding went quick, that is until I got to her forelock and then it all fell apart.  She was not interested in me touching it, never mind braiding it.  In the end I could not get it braided with the time and lack of help.

Dressage was on grass so I tossed in little corks and headed off to warm up.  Our warmup was FABULOUS despite the fact that my coach was nowhere to be found!  She was forward but contained, supple and responsive.  We did a bunch of spiral in and out to loosen up her shoulders.  I was feeling pretty good so I headed over to find out how many riders before me.  The whipper in stated I was in now, and I needed to get moving.  I should have told her that I wanted to take a few minutes (since they were running early) but I was flustered and managed a single trot around the outside.  The mare has never seen a dressage ring and was confused why she wasn't supposed to jump it.  She was tense and very, very looky.  I remembered my test and managed to complete my goal of keeping her speed and stride under control, no running since 20X40 is small!

We ended up with a 58.5% for a 62.3.  Not what I was hoping for but fair.  Our scores were quite consistent.  A few 5's, a few 7's but mostly 6's.  We need to work on keeping that relaxation inside the little white fence but that will come with some miles (and if I remember to breathe).

I then settled her in with her hay bag and headed out to walk the course.  There were some questions that I anticipated being difficult but I felt all we doable.  I felt that fence placement was actually a bigger question than the actual fences. My coach and I devised a game plan and I felt confident we could deliver.

15 minutes before it had been sunny and clear

At this point the skies were starting to darken and I popped the mare into the trailer and took cover myself because it started to pour.  There was a ton of rain and hail over a 20 min period so Stadium got pushed back.  We watched the last of Pre-Entry go and then walked our stadium course.  It was full of turns and interesting fences.  Once again we came up with a game plan.  I was going to take big corners, focusing on inside leg to outside rein and be scarier than any fence out there.

It worked!  We didn't have a single run-out or refusal and we only pulled one rail.  Fence 1 was an oxer (seriously, this is 3 shows in a row we start with an oxer, it's like it was designed for me).  Mare tried to run out but I got after her and we stalled out a little bit and then deer jumped.  She didn't even look at any other fences.  We pulled a rail at fence 8 because I sort of forgot to prepare for the turn and she got flat to the jump.  

Needless to say I was ecstatic after exiting so it was high fives all around.  My coach told me it was the nicest stadium round she has ever seen me ride!

After that I was super happy to load up, drop the pony off and return for the competitor supper (lazy perogies!!!).

It was a good start to the mare's first event.

Derby Photos!

Fence #1

She does the tail flip on a regular basis

Fence #11, the big one now looks tiny under my horse

I sure need to work on short reins and looking up apparently!

If you look closely you can see the bank we are actually going up is much smaller than she is jumping

Final fence, and my favourite photo

Rain, Rain Go Away

So we are headed to our first event of the season this weekend and it's been raining off and on for the last two weeks.  It seems to consistently rain on Wednesdays when I'm supposed to have a jumping lesson.  So I'm feeling under-prepared for this weekend.  Mare had Monday off after the derby, Tuesday we went for a short hack down the road (4 miles in 30 min), Wednesday it stormed like mad, Thursday the arena was too wet to ride so we went for another jaunt down the road.  I'm hoping to get a jump school in this afternoon before I give her a bath.

Ducky photobomb!

I will also get to see Riddick at the Beaumont event for the first time since I sold him a year ago.  Here's hoping him and his new owner have had an awesome year!

It's going to be a great weekend and the mare is going to jump all the jumps!  (Wish me luck, I may need it(

Derby 2.0

Well I've been waiting to post about how the derby went last weekend until I had the pictures (!!!) to go with it but since it's taking a bit I'll just post them later.

The day started off on a sour note.  Somehow I managed to get a bee in my shoe.  I thought I had stepped on a nail but turns out I got stung.  Good thing is now I know I'm not allergic to bees!  Bad thing is holy bejeezuz did getting stung on the bottom of my toe hurt.  Between my ankle giving me fits and the sting on the other foot I hobbled around like a crippled goat.

After that we got the horses loaded and were off to Red Deer.  We got there only to find out the times had been pushed back by 30 minutes.  Which turned out to be good since our coach was running behind.  When she got there we headed out to walk the course.  Considering the week before Beaumont had felt small and short, this one felt big and long and both were designed by Barry Tyerman.  There were a few fences that I had some concerns about but figured the mare likes them bigger anyways.

Fence 1 was a max height ramped oxer with a short gallop to something that was apparently forgettable... 3 was a big, dark roll top with only a couple strides until we went down a steep hill and winding track through the trees.  4 was a vertical grey wall with 8 strtides to a natural table.  Then a long gallop  back up a hill to a brand new light coloured thing.  Long gallop to a tan and brown box then a right turn into the infield.  The first fence in the infield was an unassuming vertical with a black picket (this becomes important later).  Then through the water (wasn't flagged but made a nicer line) and a left turn to a vertical 2 stride.  A tight left run to an oxer that was between the two stride and then a short gallop out of the infield to a BIG rampy fence.  12 was up the bank and then the final fence was a big square oxer.

In the picture it looks small but it walked BIG!

We were pressed for time in the warm up so we compressed our 45 min warm up into 20 min.  After a quick flat we started over the cross rail and just kept circling back, moving to the vertical and then to the oxer.  We did that for close to 15 min straight, constantly focusing on bringing her shoulders up without taking back from her pace. She didn't even think about not going over any of them.

In the start box I was crazy nervous so I cracked some terrible jokes with the timers.  Before I knew it we were off.  She had a single moment of hesitation coming to the oxer but I growled and we got over it (and then I sat down early and we pulled the back rail).  Fence 2 was no issue (since I can't even remember what it looked like) and and fence 3 we had a run out to the right (which never happens for us).  I represented and we sailed over.  She wasn't sure about the footing so we picked our way down the hill and trotted through the woods.  I cut the corner to fence 4 and she just stalled out.  On our second attempt it was clear sailing and she didn't even look at the table.  If she could have squealed and galloped at the same time I"m sure she would have going up the hill.  I think it was her favourite part.

A run-out to the left (I wasn't sure she was going to jump and she took that as instruction, bad rider!) at fence 6 but success at try # 2.  I let her move out on the gallop which turned out to be very hard to bring her back from but she jumped 7 smooth as silk.  The unassuming vertical brought me a refusal.  And then she leaped into the water!  We were crooked though the 2 stride but managed to survive.  The oxer was easy peasy.  I actually brought her to a walk just out of the infield because she was pulling on me so much.  We then picked up a lovely canter and she jumped the big ramp like a pro.  Up the bank and we finished strong over the oxer.

So if you're skimming, we picked up 4 stops, were only 25 seconds over time (1875 m and 5:21 was optimum) but I stayed on!

Our second ride was much better.  The whole course rode super smooth and easy with her taking fences out of a nice gallop, coming back better and it just generally felt like a fabulous x-country round.  That is until that stupid vertical.  She ducked left, despite the growling and whip application and I nearly came off.  I grabbed my holy shit strap and managed to stay on.  I also may or may not have fit pumped I was so excited.  Again she jumped it on the second try and pulled a rail but at least she cantered into the water like a solid citizen.  I lost my reins over the first fence in the 2 stride and just squeezed my legs and grabbed my neck strap.  I was very proud of her for saving my butt there.  The rest of the course was great.  I trotted some since we were quick and we finished only 12 seconds fast.

The second ride gives me hope that there is cross country horse in there. We may not have taken a placing but I was happy with our day.  Now to just figure out how to jump the fences on the first try every time.

And because I hat post with no pictures here's how I spent my Saturday.  Shaving a friends cats.

We only did half of Ninja before she ran out of patience, so we left her like that :)

June Goals

I've always been a big believer in goals.  I firmly believe that writing you goal down is one of the best ways to achieve it.  I've got life goals, 5 year goals, 1 year goals and now I'm delving into monthly goals.  I want them to be achievable, measurable and I want to be accountable for them so I am going to track them here.

June Goals

-Ride sidesaddle at least twice a week
-No stirrup work (or bareback) for at least 45 min a week
-At least one no pressure ride
-Complete an event with a number, even if it's K2 high (I've got two chances for this one)
-A jumping lesson (or show) without a single run-out or stop
-DON'T FALL OFF
-Make a concentrated effort to get fitter (so I don't run out of steam before the end of my course)

So there you have it, nothing earth shattering but important nonetheless.

Derby Time!

Sunday was the first cross country show of the year.  Isabel was awesome enough to come out and pick me and the mare up and we were off!  I had entered Entry, knowing we could have some issues but height isn't really our problem, steering and confidence are. So for better or worse we were giving 2'6" cross country  go.

Our course was 7 stadium fences and 7 cross country for a total of 1805m and an optimum time of 5:09.  The cross country fences were very straight forward with the most difficult being an up bank, 2 strides to a down bank.  The up wasn't flagged so there was the option to go up the ramp and jump down the bank.  (This becomes important later)

Stadium course (you know you're jealous of my awesome Paint skills)

Cross-country course

As we were tacking up, the skies unleashed a torrential downpour.  Rivers of water running of my saddle kind of downpour.  Turns out the mare hates rain.  She was fidgety, obnoxious and downright rude about me mounting up.  I was really glad I had corks since our stadium portion was on grass and then we went straight out into cross country.

Thankfully the rain was short lived.  By the time I made it to the warm up area the rain had mostly petered out.  The mare warmed up beautifully, even jumping the verticals at steep angles (inviting a run-out) without missing a beat.

Crappy cell phone photo at an interesting time...

When we went into start our twisty-turny stadium I was feeling nervous but very determined.  Our first fence was an oxer and I was not going to start our day with a run-out.  I rode her aggressively to the fence and she took it like a pro.  The rest of the course was not pretty as she felt very sticky and had a few deer moments but we went clear and were headed out to the cross country.  We had a nice gallop to the first fence and a few strides out I felt her back off.  I grabbed my reins in one hand and used my whip.  Unfortunately it didn't help :( She went left, and I went right.  The fall was minor and I could have landed on my feet if I had tried but since I have no desire to repeat my ankle destruction I tucked my knees in and landed on my hip.  The reins had come over her head and I've never been quite so glad I let her graze with the lead rope dragging.  She'd step on them, stop, back up and continue on.  I caught up and started my walk of shame.




Fortunately we had a second round to redeem ourselves.  The stadium felt great, until we got to fence 7 ad had a run-out.  Truthfully, I'm not sure why we had the run-out but it sure galvanized me into riding her like she was going to die if she went left.  We got over the first cross country fence, it wasn't pretty but I stayed on and we went.  The next fence rode lovely and we were off to the banks.  20 feet from the banks she slammed on the banks and reared.  These are the same banks we schooled a week ago without an issue.  Rather than pick the fight with her I chose to do the ramp and jump down.  We had another attempted run-out at the next fence which resulted in a stop.  I backed her up a few steps and we jumped it no problem on the second try.  Next was a big log pile that caused her to back off but I got aggressive and growled and we sailed on over. Our next fence was a small A-frame right before the water and I just plain ran out of steam.  When she balked I had no legs to back up my desire to go forward so we picked up a stop on the smallest fence out there.  We backed up again and jumped it with one trot stride.  She went through the water like a champ though!  The last fence was also the biggest, and one we hadn't jumped before so I was a little nervous and just rode with all I had left.  She didn't even look at it.  It was the nicest jump of the day and was a good place to call it a day.

Last Jump, apparently we jumped it at an angle

While it was not the day I wanted it still had moments that stand out (like our course had 4 oxers and not one was an issue!).  I have to say it is very disheartening to continue to have the same issue and at tiny little fences.  I'm feeling discouraged and at the end of my rope.  I can't keep falling off because I will eventually get seriously injured and I just can't afford that.  I promised myself and the mare that I would give it a solid year for us to get our shit together but there are people (best friend and coach included) that think it is time to find her a new home.  I'm not there yet, and I don't want easy (safe is a whole different story).  I'm not going to learn anything if I continue to ride the easy horses.  So I'm going to pick myself up and head to the Alhambra derby this weekend for another go at this cross country thing.

I'm not sure why but I love this photo

Chainsaws, Shampoo, Sunburns and Tack

Saturday was a full barn day.  I stopped by the Beaumont cross country course to watch Sarah ride in a clinic.  Pony did really well and the clinician spent some time with Sarah working on keeping Pony out of his favourite spot, the deepest spot possible.

Sarah and Pony (yes, he has a name but no one uses it)

 

After I headed out to the barn to hack out the mare.  Since we had the x-country derby on Sunday I wanted to take her for a good ride to take the edge off.  We started off with a brisk trot and before I knew it we had trotted almost a mile and a half!  After a short walk break, which was more for me than my horse, we started back at the trot.  We were trotting by a yard when some idiot started his chainsaw no more than 5 feet from us!  Mare reared up, did a complete 180 and took off the other direction.  Thankfully she did it so gracefully I had no problem sticking with her.  I got her back under control and turned around to go back the way we were going.  I gave the guy a piece of my mind and all he had to say was "I didn't think it would scare her".  My response may or may not have been "It's a F@*^!ng CHAINSAW!"

After that incident my ride went downhill.  She just wasn't focused on me.  In total we went 9.4 miles in 1hr20min but it wasn't until mile 9 that she stopped acting like everything was going to jump out and hack her legs off.  Needless to say it was a challenging and difficult ride.

Beautiful day for leather therapy

Once we got back I gave her a quick bath because she's not great to hose off so I am aiming to hose her every chance I get (I also don't want her to get all sweaty, stand in the sun and turn a faded orange).  Bonus was it took off a bunch of the winter hair that has been hanging on.

I let her hang out and graze while I gave all my tack a deep clean and oil.  There is something therapeutic about cleaning tack.  I may have had a difficult ride and a challenging bath but an hour spent cleaning tack does wonders for the mood.

In all I think I was outside for about 4 hours.  I am a fanatic about sunscreen since I have the complexion of a redhead without the actual red hair.  I was wearing a SPF 30 on my entire upper body (I spray myself, then get dressed so that I don't miss spots) and a SPF 60 on my face.  My face survived the day with nothing more than a few freckles but my shoulders and back were not so lucky.  The picture is from shortly after I got home and the burn proceeded to get worse well into the evening.  I've now invested in SPF 60 for my body and have added a bottle to my brush bag so that I can apply right before I get on.

Not fun, not fun at all

Next up, the challenge of finding the right bra/shirt combo for the derby on Sunday that won't irritate my shoulder and back.

One Goal Achieved, Another Failed

So I have set a goal for myself to ride sidesaddle at least a couple times a week from now until the July long weekend when I am off the Bar U for an intense 3 day sidesaddle clinic.  I want to make sure that I am in good enough shape to do it.  And sidesaddle uses muscles I didn't even know I had!

Today the sidesaddle made the trek out to the barn, where it will live for the foreseeable future and the mare and I warmed up for our lesson in it.  She was fabulous considering this was her third time in it.  We had lovely WTC with leg yield both ways!

Next up was our jumping lesson.  Just the day before I was commenting that I wanted to go a whole month without falling off.  Apparently I jinxed myself because I came off during the lesson (Friday would have been the month mark).

The lesson actually went really well.  The course had lots of tight corners to encourage me to use inside leg to outside rein and a super tight lower leg.  It was only myself and Hannah (who's horse it significantly greener than mine) so we started out with 2'3" fences.  Eventually Erin moved them up for me because she feels the mare needs some bigger fences to get her attention.  We were doing about 3' and there was even an oxer! 

On what was supposed to be our last go it kinda fell apart.  It was going well until the 2 stride where she got a little flat and pulled a rail (she hates touching fences).  It's a little blurry but we came aroun the corner to the oxer and I think I chased her to it and then she just didnt' get enough to get over it.  We crashed through it in spectacular fashion.  Rails and standards flying everywhere.  I just tossed forward onto her neck and accidetally grabbed her with my spurs.  The mare bolted towards the arena fence (apparently everyone thought she was going to jump it) and at the last minute ducked to the left.  That duck was the end of me.  I came off and broke my fall with my face :(  Thankfully I mostly rolled under the fence, only clipping my arm on the rail and grazing my helmet off the post.  But I did have a bloody nose and a wicked sore face.  

Her tail bag whacked me in the back of the head over this jump once

I got myself mostly cleaned up, hopped back on and did the whole course again.  We had one run-out coming into the 2 stride but it was completely my fault.  I was shaken up and basically looking for a way out and she obliged me.  We represented and the rest of the course went very well, including a giant effort over the oxer.  It was a good lesson despite the bobble which resulted in my first ever bloody nose.  Only sad thing was The Boy (hence why I have actual proof I ride my horse) was there and I think I terrified him.