HT Ready, T-Shirt Time and Tack Whoring!

So ready.

This will be a piece. 

Unfortunately...I might be a little sick and t-storms are predicted for the whole gosh dang weekend.

Yesterday I practiced some XC jumping with the Yankee Doodle...he was freakin brilliant. I'm not the least bit worried. I was a bit concerned though that he has already jumped all these fences with the exception of the hay bale oxer (which he refused twice!) and the ones at the show will be all flowery and spectatory. hmmm.

As for t-shirts, the design is as follows.... BUT the words will be computerized, not hand drawn.

They will be on grey t-shirts, unless you want a different color then you will have to tell me. I have yet to go to the actual t-shirt factory, so there might be discounts on group orders but a plain, one design t-shirt is $17. Depending on pricing (which I SWEAR I will get Monday since I am off BOTH jobs :)) I might get the slogan "red on right, white on left, insanity in the middle" on the back. ALSO, I am offering a Dressage T-shirt. It will have a line drawn dressage horse and rider extended trotting with the words "DRESSAGE: extend it". Or maybe "just extend it". Any ideas on the dressage shirts? I'm only offering those because not all of you are eventers! For shipping, I will be SUPER reasonable because I am NOT looking to make $$ on this endeavor, I just wanted to share a sweet T with you all. If successful though, I would like to try to start selling them. Think of it as an introductory offer :) Email me at mavg24@mail.missouri.edu with specs (Size, color, address, etc) and I will get all the orders together and made at one time. Payment...still figuring that out. Can Paypal accounts pay paypal accounts??

OK back to the jump pics! I know I post pics a lot, and of basically the same jumps, but there are a few different ones here this time. 

Using smaller fences to help him slow was a good thing, I didn't warm up at all, just started trotting low fences for about 5 minutes then moved to cantering fences and then moved up to bigger ones. Jumping right into things seemed to actually help. Weird. 

ALSO, check out the sweet ass German made breastplate/martingale combo with real sheepskin center and elastic breastplate part. OMG its beautiful. I got it for $98 including shipping on Ebay. Yay tack whoring! Aslso just bought a hackamore to test out for jumping....he worked well in a western one (had no idea it was a western one!) so I wanted to get the english one with sheepskin noseband and shorter thicker shanks. $23 on ebay. Frick yes!

(Western hackamore I jumped him in once)

the corner...jumping ahead I know....

Crouching....geez oh pete

Jumping ahead, but he took off waaaaaay early

He refused this twice...and when I felt him starting to, I braced, instead of riding (afraid of falling) which I think is half the problem...afraid of falling again. Not for the pain, but the shame and failure!! So then I realized I am an idiot, and rode the fence nd he jumped it fine, haha. Stoopid human.

I love my horse :) 

Stay tuned for Queeny park updates! Mostly on Facebook since I will not have the net over the weekend till sunday PM In which I will be scurrying to do my HW for my Business class!!

Wish me luck, I want to rock this shit this time!

Hate This.

I pretty much despise summer :(

Its so stinking hot.

99 today...heat advisory....not my thing.

Trying to ride when its not hot is totally incovienancing my life, haha. Like I have yet to buy my books for school, run necessary errands, or work out....or eat right. I cram riding in between my to jobs and now school. Along with other lifely things...it pretty much boils down to the fact that summer royally drags.

Not saying I hate riding by any means, just in summer! I hate profusely sweating....always being thirsty....bleached out horse coats....hot show clothes.  ugh.

Anyways, today I rode my dressage test for Queeny Park this weekend. It was to say the least, a piece of pie. If we don't get a 32 or lower I will shit. The most difficult part about it is getting the canter on a half circle which by all means, we could do about 3 years ago. I HATE this. HATE HATE HATE.

I should NOT be this afraid that I have to drop a level. Hell. We've been schooling prelim for over two years and we have ALL the necessary dressage movements for it as well. The Xc height used to not be the problem, it was the dressage, but I worked all winter on it and we've got our shit together (at home at least. Sometimes Yanks loses it at shows...). So, I;m pretty frustrate with myself. Just the thought of doing another XC course gives me the eeby jeebies (which I hate myself for) and reliving my fall scares me. I never used to be scared. I hate it.

To get away from all the hate though, I am very glad how well Yankee did today on our test. Even in the heat, he was a gem and totally just did work. I seriously love my horse. Even if we never make it to Advanced (He is 9 now and I am 20) I know he will be a super solid horse for my kids and I plan on owning him till the day I die. I love him so much! I hope he takes care of me this weekend and tomorrow (schooling XC).

Until next time

If You're Not First, You're Last...Or Fourth. Or Second. Oh Hay I Got First!

Haha don't you just love my vocalization. My OH GOD! at fence two and me yelling at him not to jump the outside line. :P

So to begin, let me just say...it was so. freaking. hot. yesterday. Like incineratingingly hot as balls. 97 with heat index at 102. No wind at all, just the freaking cicadas blaring all day. Thankfully, the show staff had 4 hoses for hosing and drinking and tents and shade spots set up for everyone. Even only being in the sun a total of like 20 min (the rest was chillen in the shade) I got a wicked burn (with sunscreen!). Yankee enjoyed his hosings I gave him (after every round) and since his favoritest thing ever is to drink out of the hose, he was pretty content.

Chillen by the big fan after hosing him off.

So, the show was pretty interesting jumping wise. I think its safe to say I will never win the Grand Prix. I got fourth, again. Dang. Yankee was an abnoxious beast in the grand prix, bucking every 3 seconds, no turning, etc. We missed our line to fence 8AB since he was just blowing through my aids, so we got that counted as a refusal. Something I did not know. We would have won if I hadn't taken a longer line, since I had the fastest time and no rails. Oh well. Next time I just need to enter the Gamblers Choice to let him blow off his first steam so we can win that GP next time!

In the Jumpers Level 1, I screwed up big time and got eliminated, lol. I jumped the last fence the wrong way....so, fail.

In Jumpers 2, A/B, we got our shit together and won both classes :) He finally had settled and those rounds were quite excellent! I took some longer lines since this was PRACTICE for eventing and during eventing stadium, we dont rip around like retards. I still won since Yankee is pretty fast and we had no rails all day!

In jumpers level 3, the video above, he was very good as well. He was a jumping HOUND and I was having a hard time controlling him! He ket just looking around and locking on random fences wanting to jump them! I thought this was better than him refusing like usual, so I wasn't upset or anything. Rather have him excited to jump than refusing!

Hahaha , suck it! Celebrating beating the woman I have been trying to beat in every class :) Yankee doing his best "I don't know this crazy girl" face.

So I am feeling pretty good about dressage and stadium for Queeny Park this next coming weekend. I hope to school some XC Wednesday, since I am already feeling jitters about it. I'm pretty bad about worrying and stuff, and I can't shake thoughts of falling off again. Its pretty destructive. Thankfully at Novice, Yankee can jump that height in his sleep, so I'm feeling better about that. For the dressage we better get like a 30 or something because it is the easiest test ever. I'm going to have a hard time getting him to NOT extend across the diagonal, lol.