Cobblestone horse trial update

So, we did it!

Trailered out to friend's barn last night and schooled a little over their x-country course, Joy was terrible, just fizzy, spooky and unfocused, she eventually settled down and was ok but still very looky. I gave her a bath and put her in a pen at the barn for the night. Stayed over at my friend's place, which was fun, she is my eventing fairy godmother and has been amazingly supportive, helpful and kind.

Joy was a pain to load this morning, doing the setting back refusing to go in thing, very frustrating since she had been loading so nicely. But we really haven't trailered much recently so need to work on it again. She got to hang with her boyfriend Baxter (my friend's tall, dark and handsome TB) they are cute together.

My friend dressed me all spiffy for dressage, and made Joy look pretty, I guess even if mare-mare is being a tweak she can look cute!  Joy did better then I expected in dressage for how excited she was, I remembered my test and she listened fairly well, got mostly 5s and a few 6s. Judge said in the comments we are a nice pair but she needs to be more submissive to the bit and relaxed, which is what we have been working on, nice to know I am on the right track. Joy has been schooling really nicely at home so I hope next show she will be a little more relaxed and responsive. Joe surprised me and showed up right before I went in the ring, which was nice and I got some good pictures.

We had a big break between dressage and cross country so I got watch a lot and to help my friend, and Joy got some downtime, I am glad she ties well and doesn't mind being alone with her hay. My sweet friends bought me a fabulous embroidered saddle pad for cross country, it is purple with Joy's show name and it looks so great!

Cross country was a blast, she did awesome on most of the course. I missed the course walk the day before so just did a short one before dressage. I had one refusal at the second fence but she popped right over on the second try. We got through the rest really nicely, she needed lots of encouragement but was having fun. We had issues at the water jump, at the beginner novice level we just had to go though the water but she flat out refused so we got dismissed off the course, I was super bummed since I only had two jumps to go before we would have finished our first ever course.

So going to school cross country again tomorrow and school stadium, should be low pressure and fun.

going to pick black berries now :)

Getting excited

We have ride times for Cobblestone! I think they will be really good for us, dressage late morning and cross country in the early afternoon with stadium the next day in the early afternoon. It sucks to drive out twice but is so much cheaper then getting a stall. Plus Joy can relax at home afterwards and that will be better for her anyway.

I have to get the truck registered today, really should have gotten on that first thing this morning. But I was super sleepy and slept in. I also need to get new tires put on the beast, maybe tomorrow, Hoping to get a schooling session in with my friend's trainer in on Thursday but that hinges on if we got everything done early, it will be ready for Saturday..

I went on a trail ride yesterday with eventer friends, we went swimming in the river and then to Dairy Queen. The weather was perfect, great company and we all had lots of fun. There were tons of people at the launch point with canoes and floaty thingys so walking the horses to the river was good desensitizing. The horses were all really good and Joe built a chicken fence while we were gone :)

Joy has been getting a wet mouth when we ride now, recently started and it's surprising because she never used to. She is also connecting through the back and yielding to the bit way more then she used to. I rode her a couple days ago and was wondering why she felt on the forehand and then realized she was just stretching into contact like a good girl.

I also am borrowing a saddle that might work for jumping, it is a Wintec and still slides up a bit but she seemed to like it and it is way better then my Collegiate all purpose that pinches her shoulders.

I had better get to it, I have a list of errands a mile long.

Mine is bigger then yours.

Long time, no bloggy.

Stuff has been busy, just had a big gathering at our place this past weekend, so great to see family and kindred but was very busy and somewhat stressful.

My guy bought me a truck! It was a super deal on a big ass truck. Now I will be styling at the horse shows.

told you it was huge.

Today I have been freaking out because it was the last day I could sign up for the horse trial at Cobblestone, they have a huge cross country course but are close so I decided to make it our official show debut. The paper work sucked to fill out and totally stressed me out, but I got it ready and done. So the second weekend of July should be a fun one!

Looks like Red Mare's name will be Poppy, I need to set my arena up again and start some lunging and ground driving with her. I'm headingout to try another saddle on Joy and maybe lunge a bit, was thinking of trail riding but the wind is crazy and I hate being in the woods when it is that breezy, not safe.