Horse Shows & Clinics

I really want to fill this year with horse shows and clinics now that B and I are back on track. I've put off buying a truck for a few reasons and that being one of them. After a little bickering with the OM ("Old Man" aka: Dad) about how it's time for him to let me grow up and get my own truck the I will pay and be responsible for, we came to an agreement where I would wait until the end of Fall to start really shopping and save up a good amount of $$ for a down payment. Plus... I may or may not have already applied for a loan and failed. Oh yay, ex-boyfriends and their credit killing. Game plan to pay off those credit card bills has finally become a HUGE priority... So what am I going to do? Attempt to show/learn now before I have the truck payment.

First up is this coming weekend. There's a show at Dapper Dan for RIHA. I haven't been to Dapper Dan since the Lucky days and I really told myself I'd never go back. But for this Woodstock Fair thing, I should probably get B into a smaller show ring for practice. I think this would be my last opportunity to get him into a situation like that before the 28th. But do I really want to spend that much money on a rated show that well... Doesn't really matter? Still trying to decide.

Finally got to have a lesson with my favorite trainer Elana. She's by trade an eventer and used to give me lessons on Lucky back in the day. It was so nice to find someone who worked with us well and didn't battle everything I said, she worked with it. Finally she rode him one day with his 2-sizes-too-big girth and bouncy trot. The moment she uttered the words, "I don't give you enough credit for riding this horse" I knew she was perfect for us. She's probably the closest thing to a traditional trainer other than Niall Quirk I'd be really comfortable working with, especially with Brantley. This was our second lesson with her in the last year and she just gets it.

I explained my goals of getting Brantley soft and accepting the contact. I switched him to a Happy Mouth D-Ring with the french link and he LOVES it. I find that he's less grabby with it and accepts the pressure which is awesome. He does really well with the regular Clinton Anderson snaffle I use, but I thought maybe if I go softer... He'll get softer. And BAM! I'm a genius hehehe. She completely understood where I was coming from and we worked on getting him to bend through his corners and circling... Getting rid of that egg-butt end is a definitely goal. I tend to give up through the circle. Bad Maddy... Then came the cross-rail... First trotting... Then cantering... Then the vertical. Knowing she was with me the whole time and believed that we could take the jump was the best feeling. Can't wait to have her come back for more!

Kate came to watch with little Hannah and took some awesome shots. Hannah was the best little baby!

all credit goes to: POLAR SQUARE DESIGNS - KATE TAYLOR

I know we've got a lot of work to do and I need to get rid of the "I'm going to die face"... But I don't think we did too bad for the first time doing this in... Ever? I've jumped in the past but we're both definitely green. Just as long as I can keep my own style and stay off his face and out of his way, we'll learn together and he'll take care of me.

Oh... And Auntie Amanda came for a visit...