We survied

We got up at 7am and headed out trying to beat the crowd to the arena well they had the same ideas as us. We got Dolly and baby caught without a hitch, blanketed her and fly masked her and put fly mask on baby he looked so darn cute. I lead Dolly out of the pasture thinking the colt would fellow suit. Well that didn't happen and for the very first time I walked up to the trailer stepped in and she followed right in normally you have to get someone behind her!!! I put her in shut up the trailer and went and helped mom get the baby out of the pasture and into the trailer. I had his head and mom gave him a shove and he jumped into the trailer without a second thought. We made it to the fairgrounds and settled them in for the day. We picked a nice quite stop kinda by everyone but a little out of the way and made sure in an emergency we could get out. I am so used to the Gymkhana's and it is sometimes the only place I get to see people and hangout so I ended up leaving mom alone servel times before the event started cause I wanted to go visit and she had the colt to deal with. We got to the gymkhana about 830am and the event didn't start tell almost 11 and she stood tied to the trailer almost the whole time. So when it came to the first event we were up by the gate and that is where we stayed the rest of the day!!! They both didn't care about the different people or what was going on. Dolly did wonderful first her ever Gymkhana, I believe her first time being around a show setting of any kind, ( correct me if I am wrong ) and having her colt there. I did the first 2 events wonderfully, we trotted a little and lopped home. There was some acting out but nothing major, I kept her under control the whole time. Then came the dreaded event that always confuses the heck out of me Skill barrels. You have to run up the area and then weave around barrels that are set up long ways and then come home. Well poor Dolly had never seen this event in her life and so we take off up towards the barrels and she just freaks out slams on the brakes like she had never seen a barrel in front of her before and needless to say I however didn't stop forward. I ended up going over her head and landing almost on my feet but my bad hip couldn't take it and just gave out. I crashed hard and since I was running I had looped reins and my hand got caught and she yanked pretty hard on my bad shoulder. She bolted for the gate at top speed of course and so I got up dusted myself off and walked up caught her and got back on. I took her out of the gate away from her colt and everyone and made her feet move. And I wasn't nice about making them feet move either. She was huffing and puffing but the end of our 5 min. lesson. When I went to take her back anytime she nickered she got backed and it took a good 10 min. to get back to the gate area. I only did this because she knows better then to bolt after a rider dismounts and I want her to know that was not something I wanted to her to ever do again. If she had just did her normal walk away towards the gate I wouldn't have cared. But to run full speed a head like an idiot I think not, luckily it was the second to last event. So the next event was barrels which she knows best and loves. I knew I could get her through that course without a problem had it been something else I don't know if I could. So we go in and she takes off but by the second barrel she was determined to get me off again by acting stupid, she however never bucked or reared. I managed to keep her going and when we came around the last barrel she knows to pick right up into a lope and I checked her back and made her walk most of the way home when she relaxed I let her lope to the rest of the way. Its really cute because she hates to walk and she had her ears pinned tell I let her lope. I walked her out of the gate stepped off loosened her cinch and called it a day I was so darn proud of that girl she did wonderful for her first show and she ended it well. I took her over to the trailer untacked her and gave her a quick hose down got the excess water off her and blanketed her. She was exhausted but enjoyed herself and all the attention. This is the first of many to come, I think each one she will get better and once the colt is no longer with her she will excel faster. He by the way did awesome to, he did throw his fits but by the end of the last event he was standing quietly outside the gate waiting for mom-- another wonderful way to end the day.

Excited

Well yesterday I went out and got pictures... Sorry haven't gotten them updated yet, but hoping to get video and pictures from tomorrow!!! Even thou its an in town show I always pack lots of things just incase.. so the trailer is load with extra halters, bridles, different levels of bits, 2 girths and such. The hay and feed will go in tomorrow then its off and running. Yep it all starts at 7am I can't hardly wait.

Barbara

Bad Day

So I went out planning on having a wonderful morning with my mare. Well it went to hell in a matter of mintues. She restored back to her ranch behavior of I am not going to let you catch me, corner me or bribe me with food. I was so frustrated, I fed the other group breakfast and kept her back with a lunge whip. When they were done I left the pasture totally ignoring her, when I came out with the other groups feed in the lower field she nickered and walked up towards her dish. So I walked out, with a food dish in my hand and when she started eating it I petted her, asked for a leg and had her fellow me. I didn't push the issue any further than that, I gave her breakfast ( she is the alpha mare so I can get away with this ) if she hadn't let me come up and mess with her she would have been left tell dinner. It wouldn't have hurt her our horses are not on a schule because we need to know if there is an emergency there not going crazy or colicing because were late. We do the same thing with our rabbits. Then mom goes out tonight was able to catch her without a problem ( go figure ) and fitted the new bit on her. So she decided to jump on her bareback and see how she worked in it. This was moms first ride on my mare ever, guess she did good for her, so I was glad that the day ended with what I intended it to start with. So it is 2 days tell the gymkhana. I plan on riding tomorrow, getting her blanket washed and giving her a quick ride and bath on Friday. Then it's show time. If everything goes as planned pictures will be added tomorrow of her in her gymkhana attire!! Orange Headstall, breast collar, and saddle pad cover then green boots and reins!!!

Nice Ride

Today was awesome, I spent the extra time to groom her really good before the ride today. It is coming into fall so I keep lots of cowboy magic in the mane and tail to keep them pine needs out or if they get in there they come out real easy. She wasn't thrilled about the extra grooming session, hmm a horse that don't like to be groomed anyone else have one like that? I got on her and started riding her around and I noticed my neighbor out in her pasture and so I rode her over to the fence line. My neighbor came over and we sat there and talked for about 30 minutes. My mare STOOD there the whole time. I was amazed this has taken me a long time to get her to this point and I was so proud of her. So when I went to depart I asked her for her favorite gate the lope. This is a reward to her, punishment to her is walking. We loped around a little bit and then got down to the actual training part. I am teaching her a kiss means change gaits, I kiss once she walks out, I kiss again she picks up into a slow trot, I kiss again she extends the trot and then I kiss again and she moves out into a lope. We are now working on the transition down, when I say easy she is supposed to step down a step and she is getting this real well. I can be loping and say walk and she most of the time will come right down to a walk. I am so proud of this girl she is coming along so good.

Barbara

Gymkhana is in 5 days I will try to get pictures but we will see so excited.

First Ride new bit

Well I went out yesterday and tried the new bit on Dolly, she has such a little nose. It is fit for our little arab HighDive but it was still to big for Dolly. The bit worked great, just need a little tighter on the nose band and it will be all set. I tend to add new bits and ride bareback, I feel that this gives me a complete understanding on how it is working. First I lunge the horse and watch out they react, then I get on. I feel that with extra tack you risk something else bugging them and not getting a complete view on how they like the bit. Dolly is a very rounded horse, and if I do it right will have a headstall and bit for each level event she works. I got my combo bit on my nylon orange headstall which is her colors. Then I got my snaffle on my nice leather headstall, it will be transitioned over to curb once I get her teeth floated and a new curb for her. I plan on a different headstall for the snaffle. Of course if she goes english that will be a complete different set up. And for trails I use her bitless bridle or a halter for her.

Barbara

New Bit

I have decided to try my mare in a combo bit, plan on biting her up tomorrow if I get a chance, if not on Monday. We will only have a few days left tell the show, so I will be ridding her everyday then giving her Friday off. I plan to wash her blanket tomorrow so that way I can giver her a good bath on Friday, then blanket her for the night. I have rode her in both a bitless bride and she did wonderful in it, you just don't have as much control as you need. So then I switched her over to a snaffle, and I got the control. I think it is now time to introduce her to my combination myler and see how she dose. It will give her nose pressure then turn to bit pressure if needed. I think she should excel in this bit. If I think she is ready to run in it then I will try it out on Saturday, but will have my good ol back up bridle with me.

Barbara

HMM

I have not rode in a few days because I just have been extremly busy. Planning on working her again today or tomorrow. We only 2 weeks tell the Gymkhana. This should be a pretty interesting one because we will have the foal there to. This is her first show, she has been in public before but not very much. She loves to go and so I think we will make a great first show, if she shows any signs of blowing up I will take her the round pen work her and then call it a day. They always run barrels first so it will be good. I will more then likely enter Jackpot barrels just to get her in the arena twice on barrels. Not like I will be in the winning for awards or money!!! I am competing in the big dog group, theses guys travel all year and most go to state. I think this will be a great first show because it is so small, laid back and were usually done by 3 at the latest. Normal gymkhanas start at 5am loading into the trailer and driving the 2 hours and then riding all day and then loading up and going home. We used to roll end about 7 or 8 from those.