The girls were on Spring Break Last week and I managed to take Monday/Tuesday/Friday off to hang and horse around. Rain on Monday soaked the arena so we missed out on riding both Monday and Tuesday too. BUT.... Friday, the fun began.
The girls and I went to Rita's and met up with the Hays girls and boy to do a bit of jumping and to try Sister on her first trail ride (see picture of the Mini-YaYa's). For me, that meant a ride down the hill and around the pasture and back to the barn....... However, Rita says that a trail ride needs "trails though the woods, up/down hills, and over water/mud crossings." Oh No..... Can we say UD for Unintended Dismount?
So, after some wild jumping girls and uneventful lunging, "we" mounted up and headed down the first STEEP hill, across the culvert/bridge and up the hill to the WOODS. Down the BIG hill to the FIRST water crossing.
After a brief discussion regarding the wisdom of actually crossing the water, Sister LAUNCHED herself and took me with her. It was a blur to me but I have been told that there was whiplash backwards and then boomerang forward and by the time I could focus we were almost into the woods and I was hugging Sister's neck with my hands somewhere near the bit. Somehow we stopped and I sat up. NOT in the saddle. But not in the dirt either although the neck does not provide the most secure seating. So, NO unintended dismount by a technicality. Rather, an unintended dislocation. My "friends" were laughing so hard they almost fell out of their saddles. But, my adorable daughter Alaina came to my aid and held Sister so that I could Intentionally Dismount without injury. Sister and I walked back and forth across the "creek" several times before I got back in the saddle to continue the TRAIL RIDE. Thereafter, Rita and Comet blocked the launch trajectories so that Sister had to "walk" across water/mud crossings. Six or so crossings later, I was ready to call the ride a success and head back across that first crossing (Sister walked nicely) and up that final STEEP hill (Sister wanted to blast up but didn't go as fast as she wanted or as slow as I wanted). Back at the barn, I intentionally dismounted the normal way. Whew....
Mallory, Roxie, Maddy, Kathy, Amanda (in from West Texas) and Nancy joined us at Patty's for the SPL and LAL. Kale went along so that we could all eat at Graham's. Call had a run-in with a BAD farrier last and was off on the right front - DARN - Kathy and Call had to miss the first ODS schooling show of the year. Sister and I worked on bit contact and leg yield into corners in preparation for Intro A and Intro B at the show. We practiced Intro C with just half 20-meter circle canters each way. Sister took right lead fairly well and was slow to take left lead but no kick-out - yippeeeeeee.
The rain predicted for Saturday afternoon missed us so Alaina tacked Sunny up for a little walk-trot in the dried arena after 2 months of recovery from his foot injury. His foot is much better so its time to try to get him back in shape without causing re-injury. Cross fingers that he can slowly come back into work this month.
The first schooling show of the year was on the first day of spring - and Sister and I received 59.4 and 58.8 on our tests. Alaina dusted Diez off and will be riding her this year since Sunny isn't back for real work yet - they had very nice rides in Intro C and Training 1. Ivy and Pico rode Training 3 and First 1 - their first time at First Level - they won highpoint for both Training and First Level (13 and under Juniors). Both girls did really well in their rides and also worked the Concessions to benefit the juniors as well as did a little running/office help. Marsha C did a wonderful job managing the first show of the season held a Honey-Do in Mounds. The only real problem is that with me in Intro and Ivy in First Level, our rides were spread over the whole day - we left the house at 8:30am and we didn't get home until after 8pm.
So, three rides on Sister in three days. Fun. Now spring has sprung and I am ready to YaYa!
After a brief discussion regarding the wisdom of actually crossing the water, Sister LAUNCHED herself and took me with her. It was a blur to me but I have been told that there was whiplash backwards and then boomerang forward and by the time I could focus we were almost into the woods and I was hugging Sister's neck with my hands somewhere near the bit. Somehow we stopped and I sat up. NOT in the saddle. But not in the dirt either although the neck does not provide the most secure seating. So, NO unintended dismount by a technicality. Rather, an unintended dislocation. My "friends" were laughing so hard they almost fell out of their saddles. But, my adorable daughter Alaina came to my aid and held Sister so that I could Intentionally Dismount without injury. Sister and I walked back and forth across the "creek" several times before I got back in the saddle to continue the TRAIL RIDE. Thereafter, Rita and Comet blocked the launch trajectories so that Sister had to "walk" across water/mud crossings. Six or so crossings later, I was ready to call the ride a success and head back across that first crossing (Sister walked nicely) and up that final STEEP hill (Sister wanted to blast up but didn't go as fast as she wanted or as slow as I wanted). Back at the barn, I intentionally dismounted the normal way. Whew....
The first schooling show of the year was on the first day of spring - and Sister and I received 59.4 and 58.8 on our tests. Alaina dusted Diez off and will be riding her this year since Sunny isn't back for real work yet - they had very nice rides in Intro C and Training 1. Ivy and Pico rode Training 3 and First 1 - their first time at First Level - they won highpoint for both Training and First Level (13 and under Juniors). Both girls did really well in their rides and also worked the Concessions to benefit the juniors as well as did a little running/office help. Marsha C did a wonderful job managing the first show of the season held a Honey-Do in Mounds. The only real problem is that with me in Intro and Ivy in First Level, our rides were spread over the whole day - we left the house at 8:30am and we didn't get home until after 8pm.
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