New States Crossed off the List!

Officially, I crossed two more states off of my To-Travel-To list yesterday and the day before :D I am excited about that. What I am MORE excited about is GAMBLER!!

Here is his story :)

Tuesday morning I got up early and loaded up the truck and trailer with... well... not much really. My pillow, some tomorrow clothes, a toothbrush and some hay. I felt really.... empty? I felt like I was forgetting everything!  Usually when I load up to go anywhere, A] its not just over night and B] I am pulling OUT of the driveway with a horse. Needless to say, I felt extremely under-packed. I headed out anyways.

Off through New York I went, and then into new state #1 - Massachusetts [and yes, I had to google how to spell that] It was MOUNTAINY! My oh my Goliath was not impressed. Up down up down.... sometimes I thought we should be heading down, but nope, up again. Holy moly.... My ears popped again and again. At least the roads were easy. All interstate all the way. It was nice like the 401 with the rest stops right on the road, so gas stops and bathroom breaks were no brainers.

And then I passed a sign that said Belcherville. I kid you not. It made my drive. Oh town names, how you are the best part of road trips. Suddenly I was in new state #2 - Rhode Island!  After a little excursion in what seemed like a suburb, we somehow magically ended up at the beautiful farm where Avery and her horses were. I MADE IT! The drive felt short, which was nice. Much easier than the drive to the NC/SC border enroute to Florida!

Safely arrived at my destination, I finally got to meet Gambler in person! I had seen pictures and some videos, but nothing really came close to doing him justice. He is HUGE and WONDERFUL and GORGEOUS! I got to play with him, and learn about him and his history and decide to bring him home with me.

The next morning we loaded up and hit the road. Avery had told me that he might not travel so well in a straight load trailer, which is what my trailer is, so I was ready for the worst. Mostly though, I was just glad that he fit in the trailer at all!

We set off, and true to his history he was shifty in the trailer. Not kicking or anything, just restless and unconfident. This went on for about 45 minutes and then he quieted down. I stopped at the first rest stop to check on him and he was pretty right brain, although he had found a standstill. Onward bound. The best thing I could do for him would just to be keep moving. The longer the trailer was still, the more worried he got. Off we went again!

By the second time I stopped, he had been quiet in the trailer, and when I opened it he was all left brain, even pushing on the door as I opened it and not letting me close it on him again! He was sticking his head out, he was blowing, he was eating his hay and engaging with me. It made me feel so much better to see him relaxing!

The rest of the ride was uneventful. We made it across the border without to much to-do and then finally home safely. Gambler walked off the trailer like a star and we explored his new home together and then got him some friends to meet. Everything went easily enough and he settled happily with his new herd after taking a couple of victory laps around the big pasture. He even jumped the tree that is down. Fancy!

This morning we played and he was great, and when I went to bring Zephyr in so I could take care of her leg, he was right with us, making sure I didnt do anything untoward to his new love. They have been grazing side by side all day :) Adorable :) Little Phyr-Phyr has a boyfriend! Hopefully she wants to grow up all big and strong just like him!

The journey with Gambler is going to be a great one! I cant wait to see where it goes :D

:D
S

Liberty is FUN AGAIN!

After my little [reads: ginormous life-altering]  breakthrough courtsey of my momsy I have been finally having fun with Liberty. And mostly with Mo again. And horses in general. Part of that being now I actually have TIME, since I let go of the one extra job that was causing me so much un-needed stress. So I have been playing with Mo in a whole different mind set and its been AMAZING!

My attitude is so much happier and joyful and light that hers is too. My LBE is BACK and better than EVER!!!! The funniest things have been happening in the past few sessions - one of them being that EVERYTHING ends up in Mo's mouth. Thats HUGE for her to show off her confidence again. She's all "Oh, halter? Is that like a bridle?"[into mouth it goes] "Or reins? Yum!" "ROPE! On the ground and otherwise unattended! MMMM" And then she looks at me all innocent and slowly spits out whatever is in her mouth. [At least she isnt like Zephyr, who has been munching on rocks she thinks might be dropped cookies.... yea. Shes a bright crayon]

So today I went out to say hi to Mo and she was all excited and power walked over to me from the other side of the pond and stuffed her face into her halter [after trying to eat it....]We wandered over to the barn playing with some stick to me transitions on the way to the land of bug sprays. Mo was right with me and STRAIGHT! I was playing with a technique Pat showed in a Mastery Lesson with Merlin the other day and it really helped her think in straight lines, very cool!

After getting sufficiently moistened with fly spray we went out on one featherline and played with stick to me some more, on a bigger circle and at a trot and canter and changes of direction and then headed into the roundpen to have some FUN at liberty. Its my new thing. Liberty is FUN. Dont DRILL. I dont feel like I was, but my attitude was. "Its got to be good, we HAVE to audition!" Its always better when its fun though! And Mo always plays harder!

One thing I have really noticed is that I can play harder... ask more with more intention when she is confident than before when there was so much worry. Which makes sense, but I tagged her once, playfully, and she just went "Oh DANG! You got me!" and caught up to me whereas before she would have been really worried and left.... I love it! There was lots of playful/dominant head shaking, which while something I will keep an eye on, made me really happy to see her feeling that way!

We started out mirroring what we did online, some stick to me circles, walk and trot, changes of direction and Mo was just BEAUTIFUL! All long and stretchy and flowy and close to me! She never even offered to leave to the rail. It was about a 15 foot circle, and it was wonderful. As soon as I thought canter it was there, up and down transitions, changes of directions [slowly though] but all soooo connected! Even flowing in and out of a figure eight! She even offered me some cantering through the figure eight!

I love my pony!!

And then we rode :D And it was super! She was still flowy and stretchy and wonderful at the trot. We started with a follow the rail around the round corral and transitions and then moved to playing with some canter transitions. She was so light off my leg that at first when I brought my leg back to ask for the canter she just abruptly turned that direction. It was a great lesson on cantering in my body first! My legs have a tendency to get ahead of me :) We figured it out though. It was really good for Mo I think, because I had bridled her, but just had the reins looped around her neck without being attaached to the bit. So she got to be more confident with the bit andnot have me fuss with it.

We played on a sort of skewed question box pattern, just because I had to many things in the arena :) She tried really hard, and we got lots of tries on the front end then drop to a trot stride and pick it up - Which I have to say is a HUGE improvement from her just ignoring that her back end was on the wrong lead, so ROCK ON MO! :D

So that was our ride. I went out planning to warm up freestyle and play with the Game of Contact, but I got to distracted by super fun freestyle instead :D I love my Mo!

:D

S

My Horse = My Mirror....

As you can tell by the previous bunches of posts, each having in some small part to do with Auditions and filming and FREAKING OUT, my latest emotional trend has not been that very solid, or left brain, or calm really.

The other day, I was having lunchy with my momsy and we were talking about this crazy roller coaster I have been on, called the Audition Train. Its not so much fun as Mary Murphys Hot Tamale Train, but it sure has been a ride. Continues to be. Anyways. I was telling her of my adventures, and how Mo has seemed really frazzled and amped and slightly disconnected/right brain compared to her usual left brain super calm self. Some how, in her eons of being trapped around me, and being forced to hear endless Parelli DVDs in the background, she has picked up a whole lot on horsey things. Whether or not she is [isnt] putting them to use with an actual horse, she makes a surprisingly great horsey problem sounding board.

So there I am, pattering on about Mo, and how things seem strained between us, and how I just really want to be done filming for a while so I can just play and have fun .... really now though, this IS supposed to be fun. I just need to make it that way. But thats how I was feeling that day. Yucky, frustrated, sad... and then my mom looks me right in the eye and says "Isnt your horse just a mirror for what your feeling?"

Really?

Wait.

What?

DUH

I cant even begin to explain the BFO this produced for me. Ive been stressed with work. Stressed with lack of pony time. Stressed about auditions BECAUSE of lack of pony time and all of a sudden, for no reason at all, my very LB pony goes very RB and I cant figure it out? Sheesh.... *smacks forehead* Sometimes.... Im just to close to the situation to figure it out.

So that was on... Friday. So I went home very contemplative, thinking about how things have been going and how to change them, and in an infinately better mood. Ice Age 4 helped. That movie is hysterical. Friday afternoon, there was a lesson and then I rode a horse here for riding time while the owner is busy and decided to zig while he zagged and ended up in the dirt. Yey. [<-- reads ouch] A hospital visit and to many x-rays later, I found out nothing was broken but lots of muscle pulls in my left arm, which pretty much has had my left arm out of commission since then. Joy.

All this get up and go happiness I got from my talk with Mom was sumarily shut down when I had no left arm basically for two days. Luckily, it was the weekend, and a trillion degrees, so D kept me busy in town and away from the "need to play with ponies' drive, so it was good. Fast forward to today. I am much much better, my arm can move again, but pushing/pulling things is not so great yet. The door to my tack room has a self closing hinge-thing on it which I keep trying to open with my bad arm... it doesnt go well. Yesterday I went out to see the ponies, make sure everyone was happy and healthy, did the doctoring work that needed to be done and that was mostly it. Gave everyone some cookies and left.

Today when I went out, I was in a really good mood. I had really just gone out again to check wounds, but Mo came over all super enthused so I haltered her and threw the rope over her back to pretend we were at liberty. We played some stick to me and she offered to go over a log but then she did her usual run-away-back-to-the-barn act. I kinda just went with her, and kept my attitude really in the 'game' of playing tag/catching game and she actually turned and trotted back to me. Huh. She also grabbed her cookie and ran off again to the shelter. Hello Left Brain pony. So good to see you again. This time when I caught up with her, I untangled her from her rope and we went into the round pen.

My goal was to PLAY. To have fun and to give her a million cookies. We did a figure eight for about three seconds, some sideways circles, some circle circles, some more figure eight, some stomp on the cone murder style touch its, some other circles with canter transitions, I think three changes of direction, a few up close spins and then that was it. I gave her tons of cookies throughout, and then I walked with her back to the barn to give her a BIG cookie, that I keep for after things. And she stuck to me like glue. Even after when I was petering around picking up some of their bowls and ropes and things, she was just moseying along with me.

She had stayed left brain the whole time in the round pen [for once] and that was reallly cool. I didnt push anything, we just played with what we knew and had fun. I told her she was beautiful and pretty and wonderful and how much I loved her over and over and over. I realised I hadnt been lately. Regardless of the fact that she cant understand me, she can feel the energy and intent in those words as positive and hopefully, loving. I think it makes a difference. Compared to just silence, or just the occaisional Good Mo.

I just really really made that effort to go out there and have fun. Take it easy [because I have to... carrot stick is still a little iffy in my left hand] and just enjoy spending time with Mo. I think that is the worst outcome of pressure and lack of time combined. Always feeling like I need to get something done meant I was losing out on seeing the joy and pleasure of getting to spend time with my favorite pony on this planet. It was still 'fun' to play, but to that kind of fun where I think of Pat telling people "Well if you are having fun, TELL YOUR FACE' because I was getting all tight and unn-fun feeling. 

So voila. Life isnt always perfect, even when you think you have this horsey thing down pat. Sometimes, it takes your mom to slap you upside the head [proverbially] and show you what you are missing. My horse is my mirror... seriously. HOW could I miss that one??! Especially from MO! But. It doesnt matter. Ive got it figured out now, and thats what matters. PROGRESS AHOY!

:D
S

UPDATE!

Got my results for said video [see below] AND WE PASSED!!!! FREAKING RIGHT!

GO MO!!!

We PASSED!!!

LEVEL 4 ONLINE!!

OFFICIALLY!

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Liberty here we come!

Then we can breathe for a little while before conquering Finesse.

WE PASSEDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

S

:D :D :D :D

One Down... One to Go!

I did it! I bit the proverbial bullet, and I finally got my Level 4 Online Audition filmed! Of course, I picked one of the hottest and buggiest days out there in which to do it, but thats not the point. I still managed to do it. I think it took about four takes, because I am a spazz [ and Mo is infinately patient] but we somewhat accomplished our goal.

I forgot some things in the actual one I sent in, because I thought they were there... but upon re-watching the final product, they were in fact in the previous takes... whoops. Go brain! Either way, I was somewhat pleased by the final cut, though by no means satisfied. I *know* we can do better, and I am just hoping that the audition re-viewers know it too.... It is such a challenge to cram all of Mo's awesomeness into ten minutes! Realistically... it is more of a challenge for me to organize my brain coherently into audition material for ten minutes... But hey, we did it. Pass or not pass [ there is no fail, right?] we still did it.

Beside the whole point is the fact that I nearly passed out when we finished. I am going to go with "because of the adrenaline rush" as my official reason, but closer to the truth may be Mother Nature kicking my butt with some mild heat strokey-ness. I did a terrible job of hydrating that day. Plus it was a trillion degress plus humidity. Adrenaline Rush. Thanks.

While I sat off my 'adrenaline rush' I reviewed my video and put some kind-of-somewhat-badly-suited music to it. Usually I am much more thoughtfull with music. This was such a just GETITDONEANDSENTINBEFOREYOUCHANGEYOURMIND effort, that I just plooped on whatever I felt sounded good at the moment and fit the time frame. I believe I ended up with some Finger Eleven [Living in a dream - relavant] some POTC [Bootstraps bootstraps- irrelevant, but fit the time-ish, and token piratey] and some Lipps Inc [ because everybody needs a little Funky Town every now and again...me more often than most]

Now onto Liberty... that one is going to take some more thinking. Mo did really well today at our figure eight, but got lost on the circle... so we are going to keep playing with it :)

:)
S

Mo, Zehpyr, and Psyching out for Auditions

Life has been pretty quiet since the event last weekend. I thought I would give Mo some mellow out time before the next one NEXT weekend. We have been playing a lot online, and some at liberty, thinking about our auditions without drilling them... I hope. I have been just playing around with the concepts I know I need and hoping to set Mo up the best I can.

The best part of this came the other day in the round corral. Since I very smartly BROKE our everything in a round corral about a year ago, I have been trying very very hard to have it be a happy place for Mo. We went in the other day after a little play online, just to see, and try some figure eights. At first our figure eights we non-existant, but with a little patience and some touch it with your foot on the cones at first, it slowly built itself into a half-an-eight. Mo was pretty intrigued I think, and her play drive came out every now and again when she squealed off thinking she just HAD to circle.

Somehow I managed to keep her attention, between the herding galavanting around, and the montronious horseflies, we had a great time. We built a good figure eight in its entirety by the end, which was really cool. Its not great, but its a solid start, AND I kept Mo focused on me and not just zoning out on the rail running away. Thats pretty ok by me! In between our figure eight play, since she WAS offering to leave, We played with some circles. At first they were big circles on the rail, but slowly they got closer, which was really cool. Mostly at the trot to begin. Every time she offered to come in, I took it, since her thing in a round pen was OUT, so in was excellent! A couple of time I even managed to turn her draw into a natural change of direction, which was amazing and soft and felt lovely, and Mo was happy with it !

After some nice trots, and our piecing together a figure eight, I got brave and asked for the dreaded canter. Mo poodled out after a couple of steps so we played with 'dont make me pick up the stick' and she offered a lot more. Again, she was still offering me draws, so I would take them, and then a few times I changed direction, and she did softly, though on her turns into me she was dropping to a trot, so they werent fancy flying changes or anything. But still. Awesome! And Mo was HAPPY! And not feeling driven or micromanaged or making nasty faces. it was all calm cool and connected. Then the best thing in the whole world happened.  I thought, well, what would happen if I *asked* for a change, instead of just waiting on her question to come in. WELL! If she didnt pop out a flying change of direction for me. What a star. Then end. We stopped there. I love Mo. We wandered back to the barn at liberty and our for some grass in the yard. Mo was looking pretty smug and pleased with herself. Sometimes I feel like she knows exactly what I am asking, and deliberatley does the opposite.... until I get something right and then she gives me everything. Always my teacher, my Mo.


So, all that was a day last week sometime, then yesterday I took Mo out for a trail ride, and brought Zephyr with us, complete with her bridle headstall and bareback pad. Such a little rockstar. It was pretty hot, so we just walked the whole thing, but we went EVERYWHERE on our property. It was pretty cool, and I was really impressed with Zephyr. I feel like every young horse should get to go out being ponied, because it really helps her a lot! She sees a purpose to the porcupine game on the halter - to keep up with Mo, she sees a purpose to sideways towards - follow the leader, and watch out for that tree your rope will get hung up on. She gets confident in new environments, with the help of a buddy, she gets to snack on lots of outside-the-pasture-and-therefore-much-tastier-grass. Overall, Trailrides and Zephyr are just doing wonders for her and her little attitude.

We wandered all down the trails, over some fallen trees, through LOTS of water, some shallow, some deep, through some very tall grass, that felt like we were swimming in grass, through sludgey muddy but not quite, yuck, stuff. Weaving in and out of trees, having branches catch in ropes and manes and legs, we did everything. Mo was just in her hackamore and I hardly picked up the reins at all, which was great, and Zephyr just toodled along like a pro. THIS is how nature is meant to be experienced. From the back of a horse, out there, just the three of us, calmly checking out life, enjoying the sights. It was beautiful.

Fast forward to today. HOT. Even at 8am, it is HOT! I am happy, but the ponies not so much. I was supposed to take Mo over for a lesson today, for the next competition, but in favor of saving Mo from the heat, we cancelled. So when Zephyr wandered over, I decided it would be fun to try out what I was watching on a Mastery lesson last night, just to see if I could figure out how to apply it. For fun, I let her bridle herself too. Just to get used to wearing it and settling in her mouth. It sure didnt stop her from getting grass on the trail ride yesterday!

We were just on a 12', since it was hot and I didnt really want her flying around, and we kept in the shady places as much as possible. I was thinking some walk, maybe trot stuff, but Zephyr had other plans! CANTERRRRRR she said as she SQUEALED off. Literally, she squealed and she took off. She is so funny. She cantered about a lap and a half [on a 12' mind you, pretty athletic for a young'en! not even pulling on me!] This was all her idea, I just laughed at her and played with drawing her on an arc. She was all over that and came in for hugs and love. Smart cookie.

Kind of out of nowhere, I thought, I wonder what would happen if I climbed over her? So I brought her over to the biggest log I have [its really not that big] and asked her to sideways towards me. Courtesy of her many ponied trail rides, out of nowhere, I had a sidewaysing super star. How cool is that? I have never even asked that of her, when not sitting on Mo, and voila, it was there anyways. SMART KID! I leaned over her, rubbed her bum with my leg, and then, she was so confident, I just slipped up and over. It was nothing! Zephyr didnt move and inch, and she looked at me when I hit the ground on the other side like ' So thats what it feels like to be a grown up horse! COOL!' and licked and chewed. She was just so confident about the whole thing. I felt no worry at all about sliding up there. It was like she was thinking "Well JEEZ! About time!" I feel like Zehpyr thinks she misses out on life because she is to little yet to do a lot. I ride Mo, and Indy and now Chance and we go do a lot of things, and a lot of the time Zephyr will follow along, if we are in the pasture, just to play too. I was circling Indy before the trail ride yesterday, and Captain Curious barrels over and just falls into line behind Indy, doing what shes doing for about five minutes. Silly pony. Then that gets boring and she barrels over to play with the cows... it goes on... :)

So climbing over went great. Confident, happy, wonderful! On the last climb over, I for some reason, decided to pause and sit a minute. Wow. What a cool feeling. I like how the world feels from on top of Zephyr! She was so cool, calm, connected, and mellow! She did her lateral flexion like a pro and then kind of saw something *over there* and thought it was a good plan to wander off and check it out. After one step I bent her [my goal here wasnt to go for a ride!] and she yeilded beautifully! So soft and just stopped and I hopped off. No fuss, no muss, no dust! Just me and my buddy gearing up for life in the future! What a cool horse she will be to develop! What a cool horse she IS! She is just so excited about life. I hope I never do anything to inadvertantly discourage that!

Such was Zephyrs 'first sit' as it were. It was awesome.

:)
S

Mo's FIRST EVENT!!!!

We LIVED! Through our whole first event, at the Nepean National Equestrian Park, in the crazy pouring rain, WE LIVED! I LOVE MY PONY! She was the best pony in the whole world! I am SO proud of her! Little Mo, my little eventer!

So our day started like this, brain wakes up at 5:15 because it was SUNNY. Wait. What? Sunny? Yes. Sunny. Didnt you just say you got poured on? Yes. Well. It was sunny in the morning. Sun woke me up after all!  I growled about earlyness and huddled under blankets until somewhere near 7am before getting up and grabbing some breakfast and heading out to see Mo.

Mo was pretty enthused to see me, and came right over and such. To the extent of following me into the barn, through the tackroom, to see what I was doing as I hooked up the hose for our bathing adventure. She was pretty clean, and I kind of thought maybe just do her feet [for whiteness brilliance] but she ended up with a whole bath [and so did I, thats how it works you know] It was a little chilly, but we managed to get through it. The hardest part was getting Mo out of the mud puddle we created without splashing her now-shiny-white-feet! She is such a good trooper. Cold water and a not so hot morning, and she just hung out like we do it every day. Best. Pony. EVER.

To dry, Mo got to hang out on the lawn, eating the good grasses, and we took a walk through the hayfield for more good grasses too. Then it was time to hang out attached to the trailer while I finished packing up and did a town/timmies run. Such a pro, just munched on her hay and hung out.

Finally, I got all my many stuffs together and off we loaded, to go pick up trailer buddy # 1 and the rest of our team at AddaGo, where I have been taking lessons to get ready for this montronious endeavor! Mo was great on the trailer, as usual. I am so lucky that she is such a trailer vetran, for all the waiting around and tying and being patient with trailering things she does for me :) We loaded up all the stuff needed, held horses for booting and finall loaded up. Everyone loaded like rockstars and we were on the way!

The drive was uneventful, if WET. The rain started as we drove off. Oh well. We made it and got a good parking spot right near the escape [err, front] and a water tap! We got organized and Mo was a trailer pro. Out of nowhere poofed this great big tent thing, which was great and made me feel kind of special that we had a tent! Most people seemed to though, still was cool to me. Mo and I then proceded to go on a grand exploration walk! We had the time, so I took her for a walk to all the places we could get to, to see the sights, and plus, I have ALWAYS wanted to be at the Park with my horse. I h ave been there bunches of times to see the big show jumping competitions, and every time I always thought "this would be more fun with my pony...' Well now we were there! It was a really cool feeling.

So we wandered, we watched, we sniffed porta-potties and garbage barrels, generally made sure life at the Park was liveable. Mo was a star. There were lots of good grasses and she is eternally conviced she is wasting away to nothing more than a skeletal version of herself, so she was pleased. We met up with Patsy on our wander, which was a delight! We had also seen Ruth and Alexa from Oakhurst! It is so fun seeing people out and about!

Eventually we wandered back to the trailer, Mo grazed and I had a snack and lots of water. I was determined to have this NOT be one of those shows where you go all day and get dehydrated. Im terrible with that. I think I did a good job. My mom showed up not to much later [YEY!] and she also helped majorly with the whole keeping me fed and hydrated thing :)

We wandered again with Mom, though Mo got to stay at the trailer. Located all the important things, like where dressage was, where the stadium was, and where the porta potties were in case of emergency. Then it was time to warm up! We headed back, brushed Mo and braided her hair prettily in a super nice running braid. She looked so fancy! Sometimes I get distracted with Mo and her prettyness, terrible right? But true. She is just so CUTE! I want to hug her all the time :D

We saddled up, and I made a silly mistake. I put my white pad on TOP of my theraflex pad. Well! Through the course of my warm up and subsequent dressage ride, I practically rode out of my pads because the white one slipped back! Oopsy! Lesson learned, and we survived. Thank you Mo, for being so tolerant and trooping on anyways! Our warmup was good. Mo had some forward, and she seemed content in contact. Our trot/canter was the hardest, as usual. We need to play more with cantering up into contact still. Its way better, but still needs some help. She tried so hard for me though!

We got our tack checked, and off we went to watch Lindsay go right before us. Enter rain. Serious torrential downpour, as soon as we started to head to the ring. Oh well! The show must go on! Lindsay did great with her test, even though Lilly was a little scared of some things. And then it was our turn! Our turn to ride in the mud puddle of an arena, and try and get an accurate test. Luckily, I had my coach calling the test to me, so I didnt have to remember where to go. We had our trot around the outside, Mo did AWESOME with her squeeze between the ring and judges booth! In my head I was silently thanking Parelli for making Walter Zettl such a  big fancy booth beside the precision pen so we had tons of practice riding my those kind of things. Mo didnt even hardly look at it.

We splashed our way into the arena, AXHC at a trot, then continued our splashy pattern. Trotting was good. We lost some momentum on our walks, and at first Mo was convinced she couldnt canter in the slop, but we eventually did and then it was all over, halt at X and salute! I think I was laughing and giggling my way through the whole test. I was so relaxed, and all because of the silly rain! I couldnt believe we were going to do this in the poouring rain, and how could this really be our first event, and HERE at the PARK!

And so, overwhelmed, possibly, with the absurdity of the whole thing, I laughed and smiled and giggled and we slpooshed around, and consequently, things went quite well. The judges said we are a well suited pair :) We scored a sixty something... the paper is still in the truck. We were fourth after dressage.

Then came the break. Between dressage and the two jumping phases, we had about an hour and a half-ish to relax and re-group and give the ponies some time off. Mo got time to play with all her admirers, and give kisses and the like. She is such a diva sometimes :D I love her. Back to the trailer with us, and untack, grasses for Mo, snacks and water for me, and a nice time talking with Mom, Brandi and Jeff until it was time to go again! What a relaxing way to do the day :) It was so so so nice having friends and family there to support us. It makes a world of difference I think, rather than going it alone.

Eventually it was go time again, and this time I opted out of my secondary [purple, this time] pad, because I didnt want issues with jumping. Right about the time Lindsay and I mounted up, the rain came again, slow at first, and then as we walked the warm up ring waiting for Amanda, it poured. Again. Thanks for that, Mother Nature. The warm up area was slippery and I was getting pretty nervous about how the footing would be on course. We had a few silly jumps from Mo over a vertical, but then we figured ourselves out and got it under control. AND SUDDENLY IT WAS MY TURN!!!

We trotted in, said hello to the judges, who we very clever, and sitting in a car. Why sit out in a wet tent, when there is a dry warm car? Exactly. Dont. I do so enjoy such cleverness. I must remember that if I ever judge anything. Have car handy. Yes. So off we went. I was really proud of Mo, she was brave and willing to canter forward. UNTIL. Until the first jump was full of MO EATING FLOWERS! Damn. I really must get thee to a dollar store to stock up on these Mo eating things so I can play with that at home. She stopped. Bummer. We tried again. She stopped again. RuhRoh! Three stops and we are OUT! There was NO WAY I was going home, out of this GRAND PRIX RING, where I have wanted to ride since I knew it existed, WITHOUT JUMPING A SINGLE THING!

Me and Mo had a great pep talk, lots of WE CAN DO THIS! and GOOD GIRL! and YOURE A SUPER STAR! and then POOF, then we sailed over!!!!! YEYYY!!! We arent out yet baby! Off we went, I think I talked to her and told her how amazing she was through the whole course.  I love my horse. We rode all the other jumps, and at seven I got lost and forgot where to go, and sort of said the wrong way, but when I changed my mind back to the right way, Mo was right with me, and turning the right way like we meant to do that [...we did.. of course...] We jumped all the jumps AND in the right order!  AND at a nice forward canter AND I didnt drop her on my landings :) All of this is big stuff for Mo and me. We landed the last jump and crossed the finish line and Mo got hugs and rubs and I finally gave her the reins :D My pony is amazing :D She makes me so proud.

Right from the stadium ring, we were off to cross country, which, ironically, was a nice little cross cournty ride away. We had Lilly and Lindsay from company, while the cheering section took a short cut. We made it alive to the cross warm up ring, and jumped just one X, since we had just jumped a bazillion things, and walked around until it was our turn. Mo was great about the start box. Not a worry at all. Just another squeeze game :D

Into the box we went. There was a very nice older man there telling us what to do, all very calm and efficient. He said he did it for everyone, but it made me feel good anyways, because I wanted to be sure I didnt break any rules and not get to play cross country! Finally we had the GO and off we walked, then picked up our trot down the little hill and cantered to our first jump! Over we go and we are off! We cantered the whole way, except one tight slippy turn we trotted. We jumped ALL the jumps on the first try, and Mo was forward and happy the whole time! She was so relaxed, she stopped for a drink at the water obstacle. Only Mo. I love her. And then, all of a sudden, it was all over! How could that be? We just started! I want to do it again!

I think we were both so adrenalized that we really could have done it all again! It was so much fun, and Mo was so confident! It was GREAT! We even passed our vet check at the end without having to wait and walk, so that was a bonus too. YEY Mo is fit!

And that was the end! We had so much fun, Mo got to go back to the trailer and hang out, and we waited a long time after for placings. Turned out we got Fifth overall, out of seven :) We were fourth after dressage, sixth after jumping [two refusals and some time faults] and then Fifth after Cross country [we were to slow by a whole minute! oops! And here I thought we were flying!] What a cool day! What an amazing experience, for me AND Mo! We both had a lot of fun I think.

A BIG HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who came out to support Mo and me in our crazy idea of fun! It meant the world to us to have you all there! All the love and support  made the day the best it could be :D THANK YOU!!!!



I cant wait to do it all over again in two weeks!!!
 :D
S