Horse shows, backing three-year-olds and so much more

Well, it looks like the weather has changed for the time being. It’s been warm, breezy, and in the 60’s. Of course, when we all went to a horse show on Saturday it felt like January in Seattle, soooo cold! It was a fun day though. We went to Stanton Farm in Deary, Idaho and did some jumping classes. I only heard how I did for one class, the 2’ Hunter, and we ended up with second place. First place went to a professional on a fancy horse. Two other classes were timed jumper classes with some tight turns in a little indoor, then there were two derby classes in a gravel outdoor with portable cross country fences. It didn’t matter what the class was or how it was being judged, Ami jumped very eagerly, never looking at the new fences or giving anything a second thought. She really is so much fun to jump. 

When she wasn’t jumping she was being rather heard bound, which was super annoying. Since she was so good for her first outing in four years, was otherwise being rideable, and was improving throughout the day so I tried to look past it.

I had the opportunity to ride Runoff on the flat. It wasn’t a lesson, which was nice because I was able to work on ideas that I had with her. She took to it well and at the end was doing walk-to-canter transitions right off my aids and had a nice, balanced canter as well. My goal is to have her listening to my holding and driving aids much better before I jump her again. There has been another girl riding at the barn a lot and she actually had a good laugh about how sad my leg looks going not even half way down Runoff’s side. I have to wonder how effectively other short people control such big horses.

Ami’s Monday lesson was good. The three of us did a flat lesson on the hill behind the barn. I’m still missing my dressage saddle, and it’s a bit weird for me to work on things like lateral work in my jump saddle. Another focus of the lesson was canter depart work, which Ami is no stranger too. We would be trotting along, pick up the canter, canter five to eight strides, go back to trot, establish the trot, and repeat. It’s actually the downward transitions that I’m struggling with. I have the habit of thinking just a little backwards in the transition so trying to be soft and still get a good transition is almost a mutually exclusive idea at this point, but it’s getting better.

Oh, BIG NEWS, Jack, the three-year-old, was sat on for the first time this summer. The people who were me last summer did this, but didn’t get much farther than that. The idea is that by August he’ll be rideable and doing walk, trot, and possibly canter. He a bit confused by my leg squeezing him, but other than that he was a gem. 

Here is a picture of Benson and Dexter cuddling. Dexter gets really cold so I imagine he was taking advantage of Benson's larger mass and body heat.