Ponies and Epiphanies

For some reason it just feels like it's been a really long week.  I think along with packing (horse show stuff as well as things to sell tomorrow) and regular chores, I may try to sneek in a nap this evening.

The week went well.  I continued to bring the girls up to the barn to get their grain.  I tried leading both of them one morning and that went less than stellar.  But the last couple times, I've lead Spider in and Shirley has followed.  It's working ok.  I'm wondering if locking them in the barn for a couple days like I did when the cows first got to the farm (after they escaped and were recaptured) would help acclimate them to the barn itself.  The cows could stay with the chickens for a few days.  But overall, I think they're starting to relax a little.  The cows are still aliens though. *sigh*

Noble has been a rock star this week.  Tuesday was a short ride but productive.  Working on bending a bit as well as picking up both leads.  Yesterday's work was fantastic!  Under Anita's eye (which I'm extremely thankful for), we warmed up then did our dressage test in the indoor.  That went fairly well other than when I screwed up the left canter lead (aka his good one).  Anita said she would have scored us in the 63-64% range.  After that we went out to the outdoor sand arena where I had a couple ground poles and 3 large crossrails set up.  I think we had an epiphany -- Noble I think is finally getting what jumping is as he's coming to the fences with energy and his jumping is SO much smoother!  My epiphany was in realizing that I had been riding as if he was going to stall out and then leap.  I need to ride defensively, but still as if he IS going to jump.

After a few fences we went out to the jump field and tackled a few of the "cross country" fences.  He did REALLY well.  Even the last 3 fences, the only ones I really "put together" one after another he jumped wonderfully though it was the first time he'd been asked to jump them.  Definitely earned a bit of a liniment wash!

So the plan for tomorrow is that I'm going to get on fairly soon after we arrive, warm up and do our dressage test in one of the sand dressage rings.  Then we'll take a break until the crossrail warmup class which we'll use as our cross country warmup.  Then head directly out to cross country to tackle some fences.  I'm HOPING the pony club is having the water jump filled.  Then we'll take a break until the "afternoon" warmup class and do it and the first Future Hunter Over Fences class (simulating our stadium jumping).  So basically, little boy is going to get his first horse trial tomorrow!  I'm looking forward to it and hopefully I will have some pictures to post.